Lost in the Dark, page 24
part #1 of Camden Point Romantic Suspense Series
Destiny waved, then faded away. Ashley wasn’t sure if she’d gone into the light or what. Hopefully, she’d found peace. As for her other celestial friend, she hadn’t seen him since she’d came out of the hole under the barn. But thank goodness he’d heard her. After they rescued all the women, forensics crawled all over, gathering evidence. They’d also informed Rafe and Nate that the room had been soundproofed. No wonder she and Nate hadn’t heard anything the first time they’d investigated the barn.
Thankfully, it was over now. All she wanted was a good glass of whiskey, a hot bath, and Nate.
Too bad the medics had said no alcohol, and Nate had to head into the station. Lexie and Kat ordered her to go home and rest and not to show her face in the office for the next two days. They’d also called Devin.
Ash sank into the hot bath overflowing with bubbles. Candlelight danced on the walls as soft country music flowed from a nearby speaker. A glass of sparkling water—not whiskey—sat on the table nearby.
“I don’t need a babysitter,” she said.
“Excuse me. I’m not a babysitter. I’m your best friend and at the moment, your chef, butler, driver, and nurse.”
“So, a babysitter.” She twisted in the water, resting her chin on the edge of the tub. “Thank you. I’m sure you had other things to do. Why aren’t you in the Windy City schmoozing some gallery owner?”
“Ugh.” Devin slid down the wall to sit on the floor inside the bathroom. “The guy totally flaked. Called me at the last minute. Thank goodness my plane didn’t leave until later. Somehow, he double booked himself and he kept the other appointment.”
“What an asshat.”
Devin smirked. “It’s okay. It’s a small gallery, but yeah. Asshat.”
“You know, you don’t have to stay with me.”
The smile vanished as she pulled her knees up tight to her chest. “Are you kidding? Every time I leave you alone, you get conked on the head.”
“Exaggerate much?”
She stared without saying a word, which was fine because she’d made her point. “But thank you.” Ashley sat back with her eyes closed. For a few moments, the two friends let the music wash over them. Six months ago, Ash definitely hadn’t seen any of this coming. Friends who cared enough to put her first. Possibly a home.
A man who she was pretty sure was in love with her.
Going back to New York no longer called to her. Yes, she missed her parents. But she didn’t miss the traffic, the noise, the smell, or the crowds of people too busy to notice the person next to them. She didn’t miss the long hours at work or the red tape. She didn’t miss her cramped apartment or hearing her neighbors yelling and making up.
Maybe it was the concussion talking.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Devin gave her a worried mama bear look.
Maybe she shouldn’t say anything yet. She’d still need to figure out if she had a long-term job and a place to live, since her rental was month-to-month. She’d need to put her official notice in with the force and, God save her, let her parents know.
“Hey, are you okay? Headache? Maybe you’re getting overheated.” Devin reached to feel her forehead. Yep, total mama bear and Ash kind of loved it. If she’d been in New York, she’d be home alone in her apartment with no one fussing over her. Alone with her thoughts and doubts.
“I’m okay. Actually, I’m thinking I might stick around for a while longer.”
“Longer?” Devin’s entire face lit up as she smiled down at Ash. “Define a while longer?”
Ash shrugged. “Permanently?”
“Yes!” The shrill scream cut right through Ash’s aching skull. “Sorry, but that is fabulous news.”
“Whoa. Maybe we should save the celebration for a few days. I don’t even know if Lexie and Kat will keep me on. Or if this place is available for a long-term rental.”
“If not, you can come live with me. I’ve got plenty of room. And if Lex and Kat fire you, there are police departments around or you could start your own firm. But I know my girls. They’re going to be thrilled.”
“I’ll talk to them tomorrow.”
“Nope.”
“What?”
“You’re supposed to be resting for the next couple of days. You know, give your brain a chance to recover.”
That’s right. She had a concussion. Maybe she shouldn’t be making major life decisions after having her brains scrambled twice in one week? “You’re right. Don’t say anything to anyone, especially Nate.”
“’Kay, your secrets are safe with me.” Devin laid a towel next to the tub. “I’m going to go make us some food. Don’t stay in too long.”
“Sure thing, Mom.”
Devin flipped her off. Ash laughed, and it was the best feeling.
Sometime deep in the night, Nate’s aftershave filled the room and the bed shifted. He slipped his arm around her waist and snuggled up tight to her back.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Late. I hope this is okay. I just needed to feel you next to me.”
She rolled over. The bedroom door stood ajar with the glow from her living room salt lamp giving just enough glow to make out his features. She cupped his jaw, stroking the stubble with her thumb.
“Of course, it’s okay. I tried to stay up, but—”
“You need sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s okay. I was having funky dreams. Is Devin asleep?”
“She let me in, then went to bed.”
Even in the dark of night, the strain of the day showed on his face, could be heard in the roughness of his voice. Finding the women had been a win, but one of their own betrayed them. “Carter? Did you catch him?”
“Shh. Go back to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”
So, the bastard was still running free.
“Maybe sleep isn’t what I need right now. Maybe I just need you to make me feel alive and whole again.”
“Are you sure? Your head?”
“Is fine and really doesn’t do a lot of work in situations like this.”
He chuckled softly as he caressed her stomach and slipped the soft cotton tee over her head. He leaned forward and laid a kiss over her heart. She dug her fingers through his silky hair, then guided his mouth to hers. She wanted to taste him, to wake up all of her senses and nerves. Want wasn’t really the right word. Craved? Desired? It took too much to figure it out. She just knew with everything inside of her, every fiber of her being, with every beat of her heart that to survive the night and put the day behind her, she needed Nate to love her.
She didn’t have to ask. He knew what she needed, what she liked, what she wanted. He trailed soft kisses across her lips, her cheek, down her neck and back up before claiming her mouth, erasing the day, the fear and anger, and filling her to her very soul with light and love.
He took his time exploring and teasing until she wanted to scream in the very best way. He was rough and gentle, eliciting gasps and moans from her. She came alive under his skilled hands. Demanded more and gave more in return. His mouth trailed south as he laced his fingers with hers and locked their hands together so she had no choice but to just focus on what he was doing to her and feel.
If she stayed, she could have this for the rest of her life.
That alone should be enough reason to cement her decision. One she’d already made and looked forward to sharing with Nate. But later. After they’d made love. After they’d slept in each other’s arms. After this day was over.
It’d give them something good to start the new day.
His tongue did wonderful, marvelous things to her core and just as she was about to scream her release, his mouth crushed down on hers as he slid into her. They moved in tandem. She met him thrust for thrust as they devoured each other, her hands grasping his shoulders, his digging into her hips and holding her tight. Being with Nate felt… right. Like coming home after a long deployment overseas. Warm. Welcoming. Safe. Loved. Accepted. All the things she’d ever craved in life. Everything she’d been searching for.
The pressure built. Nate quickened his pace. Everything inside of her exploded, stealing her breath away as little fireworks went off behind her closed eyes. Nate’s release followed as he shouted her name and something more. It sounded an awful lot like I love you, but she was afraid to ask. To sound needy and desperate. She’d wait until he said it again, loud and clear, with no uncertainty. Where she could say it back and both would know it came from the heart and not adrenaline overload.
He wrapped his arms around her. She tucked her head into his shoulder as they caught their breath, and his heart pounded under her palm.
“Thank you for coming after me today,” she said.
“Always.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll always be there for you, Ash, always have your back.”
Three sets of eyes bored straight through him, which made perfect sense since he was dead. Marilyn slipped her hand into his while she laid her cheek against his shoulder. Lexie and Kat sat at their desks, quietly sipping coffee. The fact that they weren’t grilling him with a thousand questions said more than anything about how worried they were. Vinnie stood at the front window, staring out at the town square. He was waiting for her, for Ashley, even though the girls said she wasn’t due in for a couple of days.
After stalking Ashley for months, he knew she wouldn’t be able to sit around at home and not come in for a follow-up on the case. She was a cop through and through.
“You okay, Vin?” Kat asked in a soft voice that took him back to when she’d been just a kid. Maybe five. Whatever age kids started school. She’d come home to find him brooding.
He did that a lot back then, trying to figure why he was still there. The first few years of his second life—that’s how he liked to think of it, sort of like he was still in WitSec just without a body—he couldn’t remember much of his actual living life. But he’d been getting snippets of memory and that day he remembered the woman he’d loved and that he’d promised he’d come back to her, but he couldn’t remember her name or where she was. Anyway, Kat had seen him and asked if he was okay because that was his girl… kindhearted.
He squeezed Marilyn’s hand, then turned around to his girls. Maybe not his by birth, but he’d been there since the moment they’d come into this world. The exact moment he’d left it. He still didn’t know why he’d been linked to either of them. He’d stopped caring a long time ago. At times, it had seemed like a punishment. A man could only handle playing with dolls and pretending to drink pretend tea for so long. Most of the time, this second life of his had been a blessing because of the two of them.
But now he had to wonder. Why had Ashley come into his life? What did it mean for him? Was his time almost up? He wasn’t ready to go. He’d just found Marilyn, and while Lexie and Kat were married now, they still needed him. Then there was Ashley… the daughter of the first woman he’d really loved… besides his mom.
“I’m okay, sunshine.” He walked back and forth past the front windows, still watching.
“Vin?” Lexie said.
“Yeah?”
“You’re pacing. If you don’t stop, you’ll wear out the carpet.”
He stopped and looked down. “You’re killing me. It’s an area rug that you hate and want to toss. Not to mention, I’m dead and can’t wear out the carpet.”
“Vinnie.” Marilyn reached for him. “The girls are just worried about you. You haven’t said anything since Kat gave you the news. It’s not good to bottle up your emotions.”
He’d share, but he didn’t know what he was feeling. That was part of the problem with being dead. Sometimes it was hard to name emotions because they weren’t as fine-tuned. At others, it was like they were on steroids. “I’m fine.”
“So all those months of harping on us that Ashley was hiding something, and now you know she was… sort of, and you’re fine?” Lex snorted and went for more coffee in the break room.
“What? What am I supposed to say? Told you so?” He shook his head. “That’s not me.”
Lexie poked her head out of the backroom, mouth hanging open. Kat chuckled and even Marilyn, the second love of his life, smiled.
“Okay, fine. I told you so. There. Happy?”
“At least you’re talking now,” Kat said.
“Is it a shock to hear she’s Eveline’s daughter? Yeah, of course it is. But I’m happy Eveline moved on. That she found someone else. Had a family.”
“Even though Ashley is only a few months younger than us?” Lexie asked. That girl never beat around the bush.
“She was probably a preemie.” Vin shrugged. There was no other explanation. He knew his Eveline wouldn’t have cheated on him.
“Vinnie, you must know…” Marilyn just looked at him, not finishing.
He’d been so caught up in the thought that he’d missed the room going silent. The front door swung open and in walked Ashley. She glanced around, her gaze sticking to him for a second longer than it should have if she’d been anyone else.
She held up her hand. “Look, I know you said to take some time off, but I needed to talk to you.” Her gaze bounced back and forth from the girls to him. “If now’s not a good time, I can come back later.”
Lexie, who had been standing in the break room doorway, gestured to a chair. “No, now’s as good a time as any.”
They hadn’t talked about how he wanted to handle this new revelation. Maybe she was here to quit. That’d be great. He could forget all about her. About her mom. Go back to his old life. But did he really want that? Yeah, sure, a few months—okay, days ago, he’d have been thrilled to get Ashley out of the office. But he had to admit, she was okay. She found the missing women. She didn’t freak out when he showed up in her hospital room. It’s just that now that he knew who her mother was, he couldn’t help but look at Ashley and see Eveline and think of what they’d had.
“I was thinking…” She glanced his way, scowled, then straightened her spine and looked at the girls. “My boss at the NYPD has been pressuring me to return to work.”
“No.” Kat jumped up. “You can’t leave. Not now.”
“Um.” Ash sat back.
“What Kat is trying to say is we wish you’d stay. You’re a great addition to the agency.” Lexie put her hand on Kat’s shoulder and gently pushed her back into the chair. “Our plan had always been to expand.”
Vinnie snorted, and all eyes turned to him. “She can see me, you know. Everyone can see me. Well, everyone in this room. There. No more secrets.”
Gazes bounced all around the room like a runaway ping-pong ball. Mouths dropped open. People sputtered. Normally, he loved shaking things up, but when Lexie pressed two fingers against her temple, he knew she was ready to kill him. Too bad the mob beat her to the punch.
“You can see him?” Ashley asked.
Lexie and Kat shared a look, then nodded.
“You can hear him?”
Again, they nodded.
“He is dead, right?”
Another nod.
“How long have you been able to see and hear him?”
“Oh, lord. Our whole lives,” Lexie said.
“Both of you?”
“Yep.” Kat gave her a small, sympathetic smile. “Although, until recently, we’ve only been able to see Vinnie. Now we can see Marilyn, too. Vinnie’s been hanging out with us since the day we were born.”
“And neither of you thought to tell me that you were being stalked by a spirit?”
Ouch. “Hey, I’m not a stalker.” Ashley speared him with a look. “Usually. And I wasn’t stalking you. Just trying to find out what you were hiding because I knew you had a secret.”
She ignored him and turned back to Lexie and Kat. “And why didn’t you tell me?”
“We didn’t want to scare you away or make you think we were crazy,” Kat said.
“You know, I can understand that concern.”
Lexie walked over to him and then turned back to Ashley. “Let me officially introduce you. This is Marilyn Monroe. Not that one. And this is our part-time ghostly guardian and intern, Vinnie Mattetuci.”
Ashley’s jaw dropped. For several long seconds, she sat staring without saying a word, then she jumped from the chair and backed up. “I’m sorry. You’re Vincent Mattetuci? From Brooklyn, NY?”
“The one and only.”
“Did you know an Eveline Quilling from the Bronx?”
His heart ached at hearing the pain in Ashley’s voice, at seeing the tears that shimmered in her eyes. “Yeah, she was a friend of mine. I understand she’s your mom.”
“A friend? Is that what you’re calling her? You were the love of her life, and when you disappeared, it ripped her to shreds.”
He closed his eyes, fought back a wave of tears. Tough guys didn’t cry, but damn. He’d never meant for Eveline to get hurt. He’d been trying to do everything he could to prevent that very thing, and yet he’d broken her heart. She’d been too good for him. Maybe the mob whacking him had been for the better? She obviously found someone else to love her. Had a family. A little heartache had to be worth that. Right?
“Look, kid. Leaving her wasn’t my idea. I was trying to get out of a dangerous situation so I could be with your mom and keep her safe. If those idiots from Witness Protection hadn’t screwed up, I wouldn’t be here like this now.”
“Wait. They said you’ve been haunting them…” He shot her a dirty look. He didn’t haunt. “Sorry, you’ve been here with them their whole lives. So, since you died, right? Are you with them all the time? No, you’re not. Because you were with me when I was in the hospital and they were on vacation. Are you bound to Camden Point?”
“No. I can go where I want. I took Marilyn to the Statue of Liberty last month.”
She sank into the leather visitor chair, her face in her hands, and she rocked back and forth. Kat kneeled down next to her. “It’s a lot to take in. Just breathe.”
“It’s not that. He’s Vincent Mattetuci. I’ve been searching for him for months, trying to find him or what happened to him and he’s been here all along, hanging out with the two of you and stalking me since I came to town.” She zeroed in on him. “What happened to you? How did you die?”
