Oracle Rising (19 page)

Nate protectively pulled her under his arm.

“I see.”

Rhett was confused as hell.

Juliett sat silently beside the sheriff. When he jumped up, her heart began pounding. He was so much larger than her, and while it should have scared her, it didn't.

He felt…safe.

It warmed her body just being near him.

“I don’t get it,” Rhett said. “This is all…”

“Confusing?” Juliett said. “Yes, it is. I was there yesterday.” Wait until he heard the rest. The sheriff was about to be in overload.

Well, she could scratch that sexy man off the list. The minute the truth was out, he was going to run for the hills in about three seconds.

“They call me Oracle for a reason. I can read people, and I also know ‘things’.”

“How?”

She shrugged. “Again, I have no clue. Let’s call it the voice in my head. It gives me insight into the people around me.”

“Holy shit,” he muttered, closing his eyes. This was so foreign to him. “That’s…something.”

He glanced over at Juliett to gauge her expression.

“I also can tell what you’re thinking. It’s very real. If you need more, I can tell you that you keep a medallion your father wore under your pillow at night, because he did the same thing.”

There was no way she’d know that.

No one did.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Nate chimed in. “I do. You’re going to say nothing. Oracle is a government tool. The only reason we’re here is because she saw that you needed our help. I was coming to you today to talk business, but you managed to show up here first.”

“And her?” he asked, pointing at the brunette. “Who is she?”

“Juliett Deveraux,” Avalon stated, making the introductions. “But you already knew her name since you were the one who had her followed yesterday, right?”

He nodded.

Rhett also didn't offer her his hand. In fact, he looked like he was going to bolt.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sheriff Longfellow,” Juliett said politely, even when her heart was sinking. He was staring at her like a deer in headlights. His sexy features were a mix of confusion and terror.

She could feel his distress. If he touched her, she could ease it, but she wasn’t going to offer. Why scare him more?

“What’s her part in this?” he asked. “I saw her at the crime scene. That’s why she was followed.”

“She’s part of this,” Nate explained. “She’s here because she’s up close and personal with the maniac killing the women in your town.”

He stared at her.

“She is? Who is it?”

Juliett still said nothing.

“Unfortunately, she’s seeing everything from his eyes. Literally, she’s watching them suffer.”

He finally got it.

“So, she’s a psychic too?”

His tone said it all.

Juliett sighed. Her day had been good, but now it was going downhill, and fast.

“I don’t understand any of this. It’s like some crazy movie, and I fell into it. She can predict things like the Oracles of Delphi, and she’s seen a killer. I don’t get it.”

Nate heard Jagger coming back into the room, so he paused to make sure the man was clean.

“He’s good, boss. I did a deep search. He’s got an excellent credit score, but he’s paying too much on his mortgage rate. You should refinance.”

“Hey! What the hell? Did you just run me?”

Nate grinned ferally. “Yes, we did, because we have a lot at stake here.”

“What’s next? What kind of underwear I like?”

“You’re not wearing any,” stated Avalon.

He started choking on his coffee.

“Avi, really?” Nate asked. “We’ve discussed this so many times. Stop looking under people’s clothes. I really don’t like it.”

“Well, he asked. I didn't know it wasn’t really a question. It’s not like I can read his facial expressions.”

She had a point.

Rhett spoke up, “Yeah, it was rhetorical, and I’m appalled you knew that, and now that the entire room does too.” He was just grateful he didn't ask something more personal like what he’d been dreaming about.

“I know that too, Sheriff.”

He swallowed.

“Besides, Nathaniel, I didn't really look. He was sleeping naked, and when he got the call this morning, he jumped into his jeans.”

“Avalon,” Nate warned. “I’m sure you can see my head blowing off my shoulders...”

“Sorry, Nathaniel,” she offered, laughing. Her hand intimately brushed his body, offering reassurance.

“I think I have to be dreaming. I must have hit my head at some point, and this is all some joke. You’re yanking my chain, aren’t you?”

They all shook their heads.

He scrubbed his hands over his face and took a deep breath. “Okay. Give me a second. I need to wrap my brain around this. It’s pretty outlandish, if you ask me.”

“Take your time. Meanwhile, we’ll just wait for the killer to take another woman and burn her alive. No rush,” Nate added, sarcastically.

He stared at the man. “How did you know they were alive at the time? Our ME hasn’t released that information yet.”

“I saw them,” Juliett offered. “When he was killing them, I saw the whole thing. It was horrible, and they suffered.”

He noticed she looked haunted.

“That’s why you showed up at the scene, isn’t it? That’s why you were there yesterday. Did you drive by today?”

She shook her head.

“That was me,” Jagger offered. “I saw the commotion, and checked it out.”

“This is one hell of a freak show,” muttered Rhett.

His words had a different response from all of them. Jagger moved closer to Avalon, guarding her flank. Nathaniel gave him a look, even though Avalon didn't look bothered.

It was Juliett who was hurt by his words.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need some air,” she said, trying to get as far away from him as possible. She knew this was going to happen, but honestly, it still hurt.

Why?

She didn't know, but it did.

With that, she stepped out of the room, heading outside. When the door slammed behind her, everyone stared at the sheriff.

“What?”

Avalon sighed. This was going to be a lot of work.

“She’s being haunted by this killer,” stated Nate. “She’s not a freak, no more than Avalon, or anyone else with a gift.”

“I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I’m just a little confused and rattled by all this. You rolled into my town, tossed my life all over the place, and now I’m at your mercy. Hell! Your girlfriend knows I’m not wearing underwear. This isn’t a normal day for me. In fact, this week has been a shit fest. Excuse a guy for getting worked up.”

Nate felt for the man, since he’d once been blindsided by Oracle too. It was a tough pill to swallow, but these two women were the only way they were going to cage this maniac.

“I didn't mean to hurt her. What you said was right,” he offered, glancing over at Avalon. “Something about her fascinates me.”

It was the first step.

The sheriff was opening up, giving them something back. Avalon knew she’d been right.

They could trust him.

When he glanced toward the door, already the remorse was kicking in. Both men saw it on his face.

“You should apologize,” Avalon stated. “If we’re all going to get through this in one piece, we need to have a close working relationship. You need to get to know her better. You need to stop judging her, and instead, trust your gut. You and I both know what it’s telling you.”

Nate glanced over at her. Avalon was pushing hard to bring them together, and he didn't get it. There had to be something that she wasn’t telling him.

He could tell by her words.

“You’re right. As soon as I’m back, I’ll expect to hear everything. I need to be let in on this, and we need to stop this guy.”

Nate agreed.

He waited for the man to leave, heading outside.

“Spill it, Avi. What the hell is going on?”

“It’s like I told you outside. He’s integral to this case. He’s one of the key players.”

“Avalon.”

She sighed. “He’s going to have to save her life. Before this is over, the killer is going to get her. Rhett Longfellow is the only one who can stop him.”

“Not us?”

She shook her head. “None of us can. He’s the key, and she’s the lock. In order to keep her safe, he’s going to have to get much closer to her.”

“As in?” Jagger asked.

“Fate already has the plan. It’s set into motion. I’ve bent fate as much as I can. Before, she was dead.”

“And now?” Jagger asked.

“It’s a long shot. With him, there’s a chance. We have to move them together.”

That wasn’t their job.

Nate wasn’t a matchmaker.

He was a Fed.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

At all.

       
                
* * *
  O R A C L E   * * *

Outside, she sat on the steps staring off into the distance. Juliett Deveraux was lost in thought. What had her so worked up wasn’t that she was a freak, because she was, but that the sexy sheriff called her out on it.

That wounded her ego.

Big time.

Juliett was attractive, or that’s what men always told her. She never had a problem finding a man.

It was keeping them that was the huge issue.

Once they sensed, or found out about her gift, it was a free for all. They’d do just about anything to get away from her. Before she knew what was happening, they were backing away. Some men just figured it out, while the others used to find her to be…off.

Sometimes, that was all they needed.

Now she was going to be stared at like she was a pariah in life. Rhett Longfellow called it in five minutes. The man was astute, and that meant she could stop looking at him as anything other than the local cop.

She was a freak.

His words and hers.

As she heard footsteps, Juliett prayed it was someone other than him. She’d rather not be stared at like she was nothing more than a sideshow act.

It hurt.

“Hey,” he said, taking a seat.

“What do you need, Sheriff?” she asked, not glancing over at him. If she did, she might cry. For once, Juliett wanted to feel something other than like the outsider.

She wanted some male to dote over her like Nate did for Avalon. Juliett wanted the hand holding, kisses, and adoration. Why wasn’t she worthy?

Was it too much to ask?

Well, it shouldn’t be.

“I’d like to apologize for my choice in words a few minutes ago.”

She didn't move. “I see.”

“I don’t think you do. It was wrong of me to call this a freak show and imply that you’re one of the stars.”

This time, she did look over.

What she saw staggered her. His baby blue eyes were filled with sincerity, and his hair stood up in peaks from his nervous hands. When his body was this close to hers, what she wanted was to curl into him to find some sort of safety in his embrace.

She already knew she wanted him. The energy coming off his body was warm and sweet. Before even touching him she knew he was a good man.

So, she tested the theory.

“It’s fine. I’m used to it,” Juliett said, patting him on the knee. The second they made contact, she was proven right. He didn't mean it. He was really upset that he’d hurt her.

That healed her heart.

Rhett wanted to kick his own ass. He was horrible with the opposite sex. His life was living proof of that. Now, if possible, he felt worse. Here, he’d scared her and Avalon, called them names, and still expected them to do his damn job.

He was off on the wrong foot.

“Do you really have a gift?”

“No. It’s more like a curse. I have some madman running amuck in my head. There’s nothing good about that.”

He didn't speak.

She had to have a difficult time with handling that. He was freaked out, and he didn't have to watch the killer.

“I’m a little off my game today,” he stated. “My administrative assistant was only twenty two, and she likely was burned alive. I really have better manners than this. I wasn’t raised in a barn.”

She didn't speak.

She didn't look at him.

He wanted her hand back on his knee in the worst way. The second she touched him, there were sparks. The electricity went straight to his core.