Oracle Rising (21 page)

He agreed.

“The first victim here was Mandy Ryan. She was barely over twenty one, sweet, and the mayor’s daughter. He’s not happy that his child was killed, and he’s going to put the pressure on.”

Nate shrugged. “We’re accustomed to being leaned on by the local law and government, so that’s not a surprise, but you can’t tell him anything about us.”

“Shit! He’s going to demand I call in the FBI. Our town isn't equipped to run this kind of investigation.”

Nate had to be realistic.

“You can tell him the FBI is here, but you can’t tell him anything about Avalon or Juliett. As far as he’s concerned, it’s Jagger and myself. That’s it. When the Feds roll in, there are usually two who stake it out first. We’re going to have to hope it’s enough to keep him calm.”

The sheriff had made a promise, and he was a man of his word. “He’ll be happy to know that you’re here. It might buy us some time.”

Nate hoped so.

“Who was next?” Jagger asked.

“This morning’s victim was my administrative assistant. She, too, wasn’t a day over twenty one. Caitlyn Knox worked for me the last six months. When my secretary retired, she was hired to take over.”

“What can you tell us about the two women?”

“Mandy was spoiled rotten. The girl got everything she wanted. Her father made sure she was always happy. When Mandy wasn’t, the world knew it.”

“And how well did you know them?”

Rhett lifted a brow. “Is that a subtle question? Are you asking if I had a sexual relationship with them?”

Nate shrugged. “I am. When you walk in blind, it makes it harder. I need everything up front. From this point out, no one’s sex lives are safe. Did you go skinny dicking in the mayor’s daughter?”

He didn't flinch at the man’s comment, and he wasn’t quite sure if he was trying to be funny, or dead serious. “I didn’t.”

Avalon spoke up, “Caitlyn tried to get you into bed a few times, didn’t she?"

“Seriously? You already told everyone I’m going commando. Is there no sanctity in my life?”

Avalon tipped her head. “What’s
‘going commando’
?” she asked.

Nate patiently explained.

“Really? She didn't know that?”

There were lots of things Avalon didn't know. She led a very sheltered life the last ten years. Being a prisoner of the United States Government would do that to a person.

“Anyway,” Nate said, after getting Avalon on the same page, “you didn't succumb to her feminine whiles?”

“Hell no! She was half my age. I don’t bed hop with children.”

He stared into Juliett’s eyes.

“I swear. I like strong women far better. Plus, I only go ‘skinny dicking’, as you called it, in women I want a relationship with. You never know what’s floating in that pond, waiting to rot your junk off.”

She flushed from the heat curling in her belly. While she knew she wouldn’t end up in his bed, she could still imagine what it would be like.

Rhett Longfellow was sexy. He was big, bulky, and built like a football player. She wouldn’t mind running her fingers across his scruffy cheek. There was no doubt she’d love every second of wrapping her legs around his strong hips. He was like a rough and tumble cowboy.

She felt guilty for fantasizing, but a girl had to find a way to get through the day, especially in her life.

“Again, I didn't touch them,” Rhett reiterated. “They weren’t my type.”

He knew who was, but he kept it to himself. Hopefully, she was going to join him for dinner.

“What’s next?” Jagger asked.

“We have to get out there and investigate,” Nate admitted. “The longer we wait, the more time the killer is going to have to regroup. If he’s escalating, he’s going to be ready for the next woman and soon.”

Rhett agreed. “I have to head to the Knox residence. I need to do the notify after the morgue. First, I’ll check in with the ME, and get the positive ID.”

Nate glanced over at Jagger.

It looked like he was going to be back on babysitting duty.

“Can you watch the ladies?” he asked.

Neither woman complained. This was something new for Nate. Normally, when he, or Luke, worried about Maura or Callie, they put up one hell of a fight.

It appeared that Avalon and Juliett were going to allow the men to do their job.

This was a first.

“I’ll take care of them. I think I can keep two pretty women busy,” he teased, knowing it irritated the shit out of Nate. It was petty, but Jagger liked to rile the man up as much as possible.

“Jagger! Knock it off,” Nate growled.

Avalon laughed, her soft singsong voice sliding across Nate’s flesh like silk.

“I’ll be safe, Nathaniel. Worry about you and make sure you come back to me in one piece.” She didn't feel any danger in his future, so she was calm.

He kissed her softly on the lips. “I will, sweetheart. You behave for Jagger.”

With that he got ready to head out.

Rhett stood. “I’ll be back later, Juliett. I’ll pick you up around seven for dinner.”

The woman’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

“Our dinner date. Don’t tell me you forgot already,” he teased.

She stared. “I can’t…I’m not…”

“She’ll be ready,” Avalon offered. “I’ll make sure she’s ready to go. If I pick out her clothes, don’t hold it against her,” she offered.

The woman stared at her, but said nothing.

Nate laughed on his way out the door. His woman was really pushing ahead with this love connection. He only hoped she wasn’t mistaken.

Things like this could go ugly and fast.

“Thank you, Avalon. It’s just pizza, so Juliett doesn’t have to dress up in anything super fancy. Jeans will do.”

“Perfect. I can feel those in her closet.”

Jagger snorted.

The look on Juliett’s face was pretty damn funny. She had just been run over by Oracle and a sheriff.

She might not recover from this one.

When they were gone, she stared over at the woman. “What were you thinking? I didn't want to go to dinner with him.”

Avalon knew that was the furthest from the truth. She could see the woman’s aura. It was burning hot. Someone had a case of lust for the sheriff.

“Why?” she asked, giving her a chance to express her feelings. “Give me one reason.”

“I don’t like him.”

“Oh, you didn't just go there, did you? You’re so lying about this. Your aura looks like molten lava. That only happens when someone is in love, or hot for some sexy man.”

She sputtered.

“You do like him, and he likes you. Why don’t you see where it goes?”

“I can’t. I’m not...”

She stopped her from continuing. “You can, and you are. Now…let’s discuss clothes. What color are you wearing?”

Juliett looked down, took a deep breath, and tried to steady her nerves. Finally, she glanced back over at the blind woman. “Blue,” she replied.

“You should go with pink. I hear it’s feminine, sexy, and men like it.”

Jagger grabbed a donut out of the box. “Yeah, wear pink. That will make the sheriff all hot and bothered. We men like our women to be color coordinated.”

“Jagger’s not wearing underwear either,” she said, trying to embarrass him.

“Avalon, you say that like it’s a bad thing. I’m a commando, thus I go commando. I’ve been around you too long, babe, to be freaked out.”

She laughed. “I forgot. Now back to what you’ll wear.”

Juliett had just figured something out.

Avalon was a force to reckon with, and she didn't take no for an answer.

That she never expected.

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

Tahiti

Lucas Mars was in heaven.

Not only had he married the love of his life, but he was now in the tropics with her. What that meant was Maura spent most of her time in a very tiny bikini.

She wore it surfing.

She wore it in the sand.

Hell, she wore it playing beach volleyball.

It was a beautiful thing, and he never wanted to leave the island. If this was heaven, he was in for a great time.

Right now, she was wearing a camouflage one, and his heart was beating out of control.

Oh, he was saluting the major, just in his own way.

In fact, he’d been horny for days. When he thought marriage would curb the desire, it didn’t. He’d been jumping his wife as much as he could—which was every three hours.

If she wasn’t sore, he wasn’t doing it right.

Yes, he was having one hell of a time, but a apart of him was wondering what his family was doing. Since he didn't have parents anymore, or siblings of his own, he’d adopted the people he loved most in life.

Nate was like a brother, Avalon, after watching her with his BFF, had been adopted too.

Hell!

He even liked Jagger.

While he was enjoying their time off, he was a little worried about the people he loved in his life.

He kind of missed the action.

After they absconded Avalon, saved Nate, and got married, they rushed off to the honeymoon. That last case had been a non-stop ride—guns, killers, explosives, and other adrenaline filled moments. He was kind of jonesing for it. 

He couldn’t help it.

He was a junkie. Like his babe in a bikini, he missed strapping a gun to his hip. He was a Fed to the core, and he wouldn’t mind jumping back into the action.

“Earth to Lucas Mars, come in. You’re lost,” Maura teased, glancing over at him. Her tattooed love muffin was lounging on the chair beside her, wearing his board shorts. They dipped beneath his bellybutton, and showed off a small line of hair leading to things that made her moan and sweat.

She dubbed it his ‘treasure trail’. Just that morning, she was on one hell of a scavenger hunt. She found one hell of an orgasm to start her day.

When he still didn't answer her, Maura took things into her own hands. Slipping off her chair, she straddled his. He glanced up, grinning wickedly.

“Oh, please sit down and make my day.”

She snorted. They’d just had one hell of a ride on a killer wave, and she was coming down off the adrenaline high. As soon as she did, she planned on dragging him back to the room to molest her sexy husband. Calling him that made her heart pound. Before Luke, she never thought she’d get married. She’d been attached to her job and career. “Where were you?”

“Sorry, honey. I started out with some fantasy about you in a bikini, and then I was thinking about work.”

“What about it?” she asked. “Work, not the bikini, Lucas,” she added when he opened his mouth. She was perched on his hips, and she could feel him waking up beneath her.

“You’re no fun.”

“That’s not what you said this morning when you were shouting my name,” she teased. “I think you told me I was about to kill you.”

She had a very valid point. “You’re such a dick tease,” he said, when she rubbed against him.

“I’m your dick tease.”

Damn right she was.

“Now tell me what’s troubling you.”

He started telling her, and then realized they were on their honeymoon. Talking about the job was a definite no-no.

It was a buzzkill.

“Never mind.”

“Lucas, you can tell me. I’m your wife, and your partner in the field. Share with me.”

He weighed his options.

Major Maura Gaines-Mars waited for him to spill it. If he didn't, she’d get it out of him one way or the other. Luke was laid back, and if he was worried about something, it wasn’t likely to go away.”

“I was thinking about Nate.”

“On your honeymoon?” she teased. “You’re supposed to be thinking about me.”

He clammed up.

“Luke,” she began, running her lips across his, “I’m teasing. I was thinking about Avalon too. I was worried that they’d get called out without us, and someone would get hurt.”

Luke relaxed. “I was thinking that too. Does that make me a terrible husband?”

She leaned into him and kissed him. “Absolutely. Now I have to take you back to our room and punish you. I think wild sex will teach you one hell of a lesson.”

His body reacted. “Oh, please do. Hurt me, Mrs. Mars, hurt me real good.”

Maura loved being his wife. There was nothing better than being in love, and having a husband you could trust with all of your heart.