Lifting the Veil (20 page)

of his being. He shoved the SUV into gear and hit the gas. His phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID

hoping that it was Sophie, calling to tell him she was all right, but it wasn’t. Marshall’s name was displayed on the screen.

He answered, “She’s in trouble.”

“I know. Kingston’s name was also linked to Valerie’s account. The asshole used his credit card to pay her two weeks before his wife was killed. And the prints on the knife you found are his,” Marshall replied. “Where is she?”

“I left her at my house. The fucker was stationed to watch my house while we took down the

mayor.” Jack hit the steering wheel. “I practically handed her over to him.”

“You check your house; I’ll check the field; and I’ll have my team pull up everything they can find on this asshole so we can find her.”

Jack’s heart clenched tight. If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. “Marsh...”

“I know. I feel the same way. We’ll find her. You can bet your ass when I get my hands on that

shithead, no one will be able to recognize him.”

“I have to call her brother. Keep me posted if you find anything.”

“You too.”

Jack hung up and dialed the one person he dreaded calling.

“This is a bad time, Jack,” Max answered. Jack could hear the sirens in the background. “Where the hell did you go? I thought you wanted to be a part of this.”

“He has her.”

“He has who?” He heard the concern in Max’s voice.

“Kingston is the killer and he has Sophie.”

“I don’t understand. He’s a damn cop.”

Jack banked a hard right down the long road and clenched the phone in his hand. “Long story. He’s in the bank accounts and his prints are on the knife we found in the field. Just trust me. He’s the killer, and he has your sister.”

“Where are you?” Jack heard the background noise muffle and the chief’s engine rev. “Where the

hell are you Jack?”

“I’m heading to my house. When I talked to her, she was in trouble and at my house. I’m praying to God I’m not too late.”

“I’m right behind you.”

The line went dead and Jack shoved the phone into his pocket. He screeched to a stop in his

driveway and jumped out of the SUV. His gaze flew up and down the street. Kingston’s car was nowhere to be seen. He slid the gun out of his holster and pointed it out in front of him as he entered the house.

Nothing was amiss.

“Sophie,” Jack called out into the empty house. “Sophie, where are you?”

He hurried and checked all of the rooms, looking for her. He rounded the couch toward the kitchen

and almost slipped on the puddle of blood.

His heart sank in his chest as he kneeled beside it. His head lowered as he fought back his anger.

A noise at the door startled him, and he raised his gun, aiming it at the intruder. The chief walked in. “Well?”

He pointed to the puddle. “Someone is hurt.” He rose from his position. “The fact that she isn’t

here and Kingston isn’t lying dead on floor doesn’t bode well.”

The chief pulled out his phone at the same time Jack’s rang. He heard the chief barking out an APB

on Kingston.

“Yeah,” Jack answered.

“She’s not in the field and I swung by his house on the way here. He wasn’t there either.”

“Shit.”

“My guys told me he has a cabin on the lake, just outside of town. It was in his wife’s name, so they almost missed it.”

“Where is it?”

“Man, you aren’t going to believe this, but it’s on the coven’s property. It’s the place she owned when they met. She was a member, Jack. She was gifted like Sophie.”

“Cripes. I’m on my way.”

“Come in dark. I don’t want the lights and sirens to spook him. I’ll meet you at the property line on the east side.”

“Got it.”

“Oh, and Jack, don’t bring the force with you. When I find this fucker, he isn’t living another day.”

The phone went dead and Jack headed for the door, Max right on his heels. “Where are you

going?”

“I’m going to get Sophie back.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Like hell you are.”

Max slid into the passenger seat. “You’re wasting time arguing. He could be killing her right now.”

Jack flicked the SUV into gear. Smoke drifted up from his tires as he punched the gas.

“Where is he? We’re going to need backup.”

Jack glanced to his boss. “We have backup.”

“Who?”

“Marshall, and I have to warn you…he’s out for blood.” Jack pressed harder on the gas. “So am I.”

The air was thick in the SUV. Tensions ran hot. Keeping his job was the furthest thing from his mind.

He needed to get to her and save her. His heart clenched tighter, while he was remembering the last words she’d spoken. He drove like a bat out of hell, swerving around any cars in his way, only diming his lights and slowing when he reached the property line. He found Marshall pulled off the side of the road, a map splayed over his hood.

They got out of the SUV. Marshall eyed the chief and scowled at Jack as they approached. “I had no choice. He’s her brother.”

Marshall pointed to various points on the map. “He’s got her here. I already did a partial recon, and I saw his vehicle. He’s in there.”

***

road Kingston was travelling. She tried to fix her gaze, to recognize a landmark, and failed before the darkness pulled her under again.

Will was waiting for her, in the same dumping field that she always managed to wake up in. He was

sitting next to her as she blinked her eyes open.

“Is it over?” She lifted her arm to glance at the bullet hole, and it was gone.

“You won’t hurt while you’re here. It’s the real world where you’ll feel the pain.”

Sophie sat up and sighed. “Am I going to get through this?”

Will shrugged. “That’s up to you but, I want you to know that, should you choose this exit point, I’ll
be waiting for you, to guide you home.”

Sophie gave a sad smile. “I’m not ready to go yet.”

Will wrapped his arm around her shoulder and leaned into her. “It’s going to be tough.”

She nodded her understanding. Just the thought of going back into her body and feeling the pain
from her wound, not to mention being in the hands of a lunatic, was enough to make her pause.

“Can’t I just stay here until it’s over?” She glanced around. “Better yet, can we find a better place
next time? Somewhere that doesn’t have memories associated with this psychopath?”

He nodded and glanced up at the sky. “Yes, on the new place, but I’m afraid you can’t stay here,
Sophie, and your time here is running short.”

“What do I do?”

He placed his hand on her forehead, and a calming force, full of peace and love, encompassed her
body. “Trust your intuition. I’ll be with you.”

The others that Kingston had killed appeared in the field. “Kingston’s wife was the first to speak.

We’ll all be with you while you deal with him.”

She barely had time to nod before she felt the pull, dragging her out of her safe place. The pain was excruciating as he tightened the rope around her good wrist and tied it to the bed, leaving her injured arm free. She wiggled her legs and found they were tied at the ankles.

“You can’t keep me here.”

He glanced down at her as he made the adjustment to the rope. “Sure I can.”

“Let me go and I’ll get you help.”

Kingston plopped down in one of the chairs across the room. He rested his arms on his legs, the gun gripped tight in his hand. “There is no help for me. The two things that mattered most were stripped away and you”—he lowered his head—“you seem to know a lot about my wife.”

“You believe me?” she asked in disbelief. “Why me? Why not the others?”

He shook his head while waving his hand around his head as if he was swatting a bug. “Stop it.” He jumped up from his chair and turned in circles. “Stop it.”

He stopped turning and pointed his gun at her chest. “Make them stop.”

Sophie glanced around him; there was no one she could see, no reason why he would be acting as

if something was haunting him. “I can’t.” She shook her head and pulled at her binds. “There is nothing there.” Her voice, already high-pitched, now sounded close to panic.

“Liar.” He cocked the trigger.

“Okay, okay…I’ll make them stop.” Sophie used her mind and called for Will. He appeared in the

middle of the room with the women around him.

“Please stop.”

“It wasn’t us, Sophie.”
He waved his arm to the women behind him.
“It wasn’t any of them.”

The woman dressed in black stepped forward.
“It’s the coven. They must be performing a spell or
something against our killer.”

“Well, crap. Can you make them stop?”

“No.” The woman in black stepped back with the others.

Sophie looked up at Kingston, held his gaze, and gambled on her life. “They won’t stop until you

untie me.”

“They’ll stop when you’re dead.”

Sophie shook her head slowly. “No. When I’m dead, I’ll just help them. I’ll haunt your ass until the day you die. You’ll never have a good night’s sleep again.”

Sophie watched as Will leaned over to whisper in Kingston’s ear.
Boo.

His eyes widened as he turned in place, waving the gun erratically.

Sophie pushed through the pain as she maneuvered her injured arm beneath her to grab the gun

out of her waistband. It was now or never. She pulled it out and aimed it at him as he tried to get away from the voices.

“Don’t make me kill you.”

He stopped, turning and ignoring Will’s taunts. The gun was down at Kingston’s side. “I can’t let you leave here.”

The door to the cabin burst open, just as the glass in the large windows exploded.

“Well, I’m not staying,” she screamed while aiming at his hand and pulling the trigger.

The next few minutes happened in a blur. He dropped the gun, screaming and clutching his hand to

his chest. His blood soaked his shirt. Jack had kicked in the door and had his gun aimed at Kingston’s chest, and her brother and Marshall came through the windows simultaneously.

Jack walked over to Kingston and kicked the gun out of his reach. He held the barrel of his gun

pressed up against Kingston’s head. Fire flickered in his eyes.

“Do it,” Kingston yelled. “Do it.”

“No, Jack,” Sophie begged while Marshall untied her legs, her brother untying her wrist. “Don’t.”

Sophie struggled through the remaining bonds and tried to get out of the bed. Marshall slid the gun from her hand and shoved it into his waistband as he helped her to stand. He and her brother held her back. Jack’s gaze held hers, pleading with her to let him take the bastard out. Kingston wrestled for the gun, grabbing it from Jack’s hand; Kingston pressed the barrel to his own temple.

“Put the gun down, Kingston.” The chief’s voice was as calm as he was, and Marshall shoved Sophie

behind him. “Just put it down.”

“I can’t go to jail.” He shook his head and pulled the trigger. Blood and brains splattered against the wall and his lifeless body dropped to the floor.

Sophie collapsed into Marshall’s arms, her legs unable to hold her. Marshall turned her face into his chest, lifting her into his arms. He carried her outside the cabin before laying her on the grass.

“Are you hurt anywhere beside your arm?” He tore the sleeve off his shirt and tied it around her

gunshot wound.

“No,” she said on a whisper.

Jack and Max appeared beside him. “She’s lost a lot of blood. We need to get her to a hospital.”

Sophie woke up in the hospital to a room filled with balloons and flowers. Her brother was by her

bedside holding her hand, while Eileen and Amber were quietly talking in the corner of the room and drinking coffee.

“I hope you brought me some,” Sophie rasped out.

All eyes in the room turned on her as Amber and Eileen quickly took up positions on the other side of the bed.

“Here, you can have mine.” Amber held out her cup; Sophie took it and sipped the warm brew.

“Thank god for good coffee.”

Amber chuckled.

Sophie glanced down at her bandaged arm. “What’s the damage?”

Her brother squeezed her hand. “It was a clear shot, in and out. They stitched you up so, after a bit of time and rehab, you’ll be good as new.”

“I’m guessing I need a few days off work, boss.”

Max shook his head. “Sophie, you’re fired. I’ll help you find you a job selling coffee or something else, but I don’t think my heart can handle another episode like this last one. It about killed me.”

Sophie lifted her other hand and placed it his cheek before knocking him in the forehead as if he

should have had a V8 drink instead.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You need me to help solve cases. I’m better at it than the guys you’re paying.”

She glanced around the room. “Speaking of which, where’s Jack? Is he all right?”

She watched them all exchange glances, no one offering up the information.

“What!” she demanded.

“He uh…” Max started before making eye contact with his wife.

“He’s a dweeb,” Amber finished. “When he found out you were going to be all right, he left.”

Sophie nodded, her body sinking farther into the hospital mattress. His job was over. Of course,

he’d left. He’d warned her it was only about sex and keeping her safe. She’d known that from the

beginning.

“Babysitting detail was over. It makes sense; he has a job to get back to.” She plastered a fake smile on her face and turned back to her brother. “You are taking him out of the freezer right? He’ll be working the streets again.”

Max nodded.

“Good. He belongs there.”

“Soph—” Eileen was no doubt about to part her wisdom on why men act the way they do.