Haven of Nightmares (Littlemoon Investigations Book 5) (28 page)

Julian had just enough time to pull his foot back before the door slammed shut.

“Well, I think you made him angry.”

“Good.”

“Want to do the last interview? It’s a female teacher who didn’t have sex with anyone,” he said, trying to cheer her up. “You won’t have to scowl and rake her over the coals. It’s basically just to get a feel for Remington from a teacher standpoint.”

“Could we just get some food and head back to the haunted hall of horrors? Believe it or not, that appeals to us a little more,” she stated, running her hand over Veronica.

Julian heard it in her voice. She was obviously in a bad mood.

“Sure. We can get the team together, and we can plan tomorrow’s attack. The interview can wait if you’re not up for it.”

Tori knew she was letting it get personal, but she couldn’t help it.

After all, she was carrying a child, and the idea that some grown man would try to poach her baby...

It pissed her off.

Julian registered the scowl on his wife’s face. Yeah, there was no way he was going to point Tori at anyone else. That screamed dangerous.

“We’ll regroup and hit up Alexis O’Connell tomorrow. You shouldn’t be wearing yourself down, and you already exerted enough energy taking a trip to Bethany-land—without me.”

“Are you still pissed about that, or the fact that someone else caught me?” she asked, grinning a little.

He started laughing. “You know I like to be the only man holding my wife. I’m crazy like that.”

She knew what he was doing, and that was more than fine with her. Julian was a smart man, and he was trying to distract her.

“Thanks.”

“I have no idea why you’re thanking me, but a happy wife is a happy life. So, I accept that.”

Julian sent out a text, and he got ready to get her back to the school.

Hopefully, nothing else would go wrong.

Then again, he wouldn’t bet on it.

       
         
* * *
  L   i   t   t   l  e  m  o  o  n  * * *

Detective Everhart Rose had a man screaming in his face. While it was making him cranky, it wasn’t as if he could blame him.

Jeff Wright’s daughter was still missing, and with the other six found, he had to be thinking it was coming.

If it were him, Hart would be a nervous wreck too. There was nothing more fiercely protective than a man trying to keep his daughter safe.

He knew what it was like to love someone that much and have them go missing from your life. Now, he was pretty much all about work, and his personal life.

Both of which didn’t cross—
and for a very good reason.

As Jeff Wright became more irate, Hart simply let him vent. Hopefully, if he was ever in that position, someone would understand.

“Mr. Wright, I’m still working your case.”

“Are they connected?” he asked, his voice rising.

“I can’t answer that because we don’t know for sure. As soon as we do, I’ll be able to give you an answer.”

“I think you’re lying. You just don’t want to tell me that my daughter is dead and buried on that campus.”

He sighed.

This was one of the shittier parts of his job. Citizens always assumed that cops were hiding things. He wasn’t…really. All he had to go on was Tori Littlemoon’s declaration that there were nine deceased girls haunting that school.

She could be wrong.

Right?

“I’m not lying. I really don’t have that answer yet, and contrary to what the media is spouting, I’m not withholding information in some crazy Littlemoon conspiracy.”

“The first forty eight hours are the most important! You have to find her.”

He was well aware. This wasn’t his first case, and he didn’t need the man telling him how to do his job.

“Sir, I promise to keep you informed. The volunteer teams may have called off the search, but I’m still working this case with everything I have. I want nothing more than to find Yida and bring her home alive.”

“I hope so. My wife and I went to Remington, and I know how that school runs. It’s all about the money and full of secrets. We need answers, and soon.”

Hart said nothing as the man stormed away.

He really hoped the Littlemoons were having better luck.

Frankly, his sucked.

Chapter Sixteen

Wednesday Late

Afternoon

He must have fallen asleep.

When he opened his eyes, he could hear music playing from downstairs in Mattie’s home. As he listened, drinking in the peacefulness, he thought about what was going to happen if they got this solved.

He had to go back.

Yes, Roman had told Julian he was leaving immediately, but it wasn’t going to happen. He couldn’t do it.

He’d worked damn hard to get the Littlemoons to realize he could be a good investigator. Going back to the world of reporting didn’t feel right.

That meant he had to be a private investigator.

But what about Mattie?

That was going to be the issue.

As he sat up in bed, he looked around her room. It had a warmth without being over powering. Across from her bed was a little reading nook.

There, he could see some pictures.

Grabbing his boxers and jeans, he started dressing as he looked around. He hoped she wouldn’t be upset.

It really wasn’t snooping.

Was it?

This was Roman being Roman. Curiosity always killed the cat. Hopefully, he had nine lives.

As he stood in front of the bookshelf, he saw something that stole his breath.

It was a photograph.

It was Mattie, resting on her back and reading a book. That wasn’t the shocking part. Not far away, there was Roman, on his stomach, watching her.

He’d been staring.

When?

He tried to think back to that day, and then he recalled the moment. He’d been meeting Devora, and she’d been late. So, he placed the blanket not far from Mattie.

She didn’t say much to him. In fact, she stared at him with such hurt. He recalled it. He just didn’t understand why Devora’s sister tried so hard to avoid him.

Now, knowing what he knew, he got it.

Picking up the picture, he stared at it. Someone had snapped it, and it was painful to see. They were each apart from each other, in their own world, but meant to be.

She’d kept that one memory.

Found it.

Hunted it down.

Framed it.

That said a lot about the impact that first meeting had on her. It broke Roman’s heart.

“It was the only picture I ever had of you. I was so madly in love at that point, and I wanted desperately to tell you that you’d made a mistake. I looked up from a book I wasn’t reading, and just as I was going to tell you, Roman, she arrived.”

He turned toward her voice.

“You two began making out, and I left. I couldn’t bear it. My heart was raw, my soul was broken, and I walked away. I should have slapped the shit out of her and told you everything, but I really believed you were happy. What right did I have?”

“You kept the picture.”

“I was on the yearbook staff. Someone submitted a bunch of random shots for the annual collage, and I kept that one. I framed it and it’s been with me for ten years—through college, through the ups and downs, and right there on my shelf.”

“Why?”

“It was a reminder of what I’d lost, and what I hoped would one day come back. I hated you for not seeing me, and I hated you when she was killed. I realize that it was only on the outside. Inside, I still loved you.”

“Mattie.”

“It was my penance for being a chicken. I always was the weaker sister. I knew it when I was born and as I grew. I lived in Devora’s shadow, and by the time I met you, and she took you, I was too beat down to stand up for myself.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I have you now. Maybe it was fate, or karma. Either way, I have you back.”

“About that.”

She paused as she took the picture from his hand to replace it on the shelf. “That doesn’t sound good. In fact, I think I may want to be sick.”

“We need to talk.”

Tears filled her eyes. “You’re leaving, aren’t you? You’re going to tell me what happened was a mistake and you can’t stay.”

His heart broke.

He’d damaged her so much without even knowing he had done it. All those years ago, he was a weapon yielded to break her.

Roman hated that.

“I do have to leave. When all of this is over, if we solve this case, I’m selling Remington Academy.”

She turned to leave. “You have to do what you have to do, Roman. I understand, and I won’t hate you for leaving.”

He heard the pain.

Roman took a giant risk very early in the game.

“Come with me.”

She stopped at the door. “What?”

“I know I don’t have the right to ask you this, but I need you to come with me. I can’t live in Haven—not after all of this. I wish I could be valiant and tell you that I’ll stay and quit my job but I can’t. This place haunts me. The only good thing here is you, and eventually, leaving my job and living here will make me unbearable.”

She turned.

“Come with me. I have a nice apartment, we can find you a job you can love, and Delta Falls is a nice town. I don’t want to live without you, but I’m afraid to stay here.”

She moved toward him. “I told you I’d follow you anywhere. I’ll go.”

He touched her cheek. “I don’t deserve you, Mattie. I promise that one day, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll show you that I was worth it.”

“We deserve each other, Roman. If you want me by your side, I’ll never leave. There’s nothing to make up to me. I want you in my life, and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it.”

He lifted her chin before gently kissing her.

When he pulled away, his heart was calm. He’d been afraid to tell her, and Mattie hadn’t broken him.

“I want to give you something,” he said.

She lifted a brow. “What?”

“Do you have a printer?”

Now she was staring at him as if he was crazy. “Uh, yeah, so that better not be the gift.”

He snorted. “It’s not.”

Roman pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. Crossing to the dresser, he grabbed his shirt, glasses, and fixed his hair. When he returned, he swept her up in his arms.

“Take our picture. It’s time we both had this one memory. Today is the day we start our lives—together.”

Her heart skipped.

“I want you to have this moment, not that one. I want this one in a frame for us both to have. From here on out, Mattie, we’ll fill a thousand frames, a million books, and make as many memories as we want. Today is about us.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“Picture now. Tears later.”

She started laughing. “You’re bossy.”

He was well aware.

Mattie held the phone up and snapped the picture. When Roman put her down, she showed him.

It was perfect.

It was them kissing and happy.

He followed her out of the bedroom and to her office. There, she printed it out. Roman put it in the frame and handed it to her.

“It’s perfect.”

“Yeah, it is.”

He hugged her tightly to his body. “We need to go back and finish this.”

“I’m not afraid. We’ve survived so much. We’ll be okay. Fate wouldn’t put us together to destroy us. I have faith.”

He hoped she was right.

If not, one, or both of them, had a great deal to lose.

And he couldn’t live with that.

       
         
* * *
  L   i   t   t   l  e  m  o  o  n  * * *

Remington Academy

They all arrived back at the school and were ready to break down their days. Only, Julian and Tori knew that someone had to tell Roman and Matilda about the video.

It had to be done.

At some point, they’d ask, and in front of people. That would be something no one should hear in a group setting, so as soon as Mattie arrived with Roman, Tori opted to handle it.

Stopping them before they headed in, she patted the stairs beside her. From the look on his face, Tori could tell that Julian was simply grateful that Tori was handling it.

Honestly, she thought that Roman would be okay. As he was walking up to the house, he looked to be at peace. Well, the other clue was that he kept Mattie’s hand in his, and she was glowing.

Yeah, someone had decided to bridge that gap.

Tori was glad.

It put her in an even better mood. She’d been right, and that always cheered her up.

They were happy.

“We need to talk,” Tori said as Roman refused to sit.

“Yeah, we do. I have something I need to say too.”

Tori wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. She knew that Roman planned on leaving after this case was done. He had told Julian he was done, and hopefully, Tori could talk him out of it.

Yes, she was skeptical when Julian hired him, but now he was a part of their family. Sue her, but she’d grown attached to the man.

“Nyx and Beau watched the video that they found in with your mother’s things.”

He didn’t speak.

Instead, Mattie handled it. “Was it Roman’s father?”

“Yes,” she replied.

The man tensed, waiting for the blow.

“It appears that he set up a video camera in his office, and he recorded himself having sex with Devora.”

Roman flinched, as if a knife was plunged into his heart. This was a tough blow. The two men, related by blood, had been dipping their sticks into the same tainted well.

That had to hurt.

“Now, you can take my word for it, or you can watch the video. I recommend destroying this and calling it a day.”

Mattie took it from Tori, still clutching Roman’s one hand with hers.

“I don’t want to see it,” Mattie stated. “If Roman does, I’ll view it with him. We’re a team, and we’re going to face everything together.”

He kissed her on the forehead. “Thank you, sunshine.”

Tori was glad he had support.

What she wasn’t expecting was what followed. Roman took the VHS tape and placed it on the step. Then, he smashed it with the heel of his shoe.

“That’s my past. Once this case is over, it’s over.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Julian stated.

It was his turn.

“I want to apologize for my behavior,” Roman stated. “I’m not a quitter by nature. This case has me by the balls, and I don’t like it. I told you I was leaving, Julian.”

“I’m not happy about it because you’re an asset, Roman, but I want you to be happy. Mattie is obviously what you need in life.”

“She is, but I’m not quitting. I know I have no right to ask this, but I’d like you to forget that I wanted to walk away. I was under extreme duress. I wasn’t seeing clearly.”

They were shocked.

Tori especially.

“You’re coming back with us?”

“I’m selling this place. My father had offers over the years, and people who wanted it. I’ll place it up for highest bidder, once we find all the women.”

“You think they’re here?”

He did.

“I wasn’t thinking like a PI. I was running. I’m focused now, and I’m ready to start the case. I’m hell on research.”

“I am too,” Mattie stated. “I’ll help. I’m not afraid of what lives in this place. I’m afraid of losing Roman.”

Tori stared at the woman.

“Are you leaving Haven with Roman when this is all over?”

“Yes. He’s asked me to come back to Delta Falls, and I need a change. I’ve lived with these ghosts for too damn long. I want to find a new life, and it’s with him.”

Roman dropped his arm over her shoulders. “We can find her a job when we get there. If not, I’ll have the sale of this hell hole to support us as I work for you.”

Tori grinned.

Julian saw it coming. “Tori!”

“Mattie, can I ask you a little question?”

She shrugged. “Sure.”

“If you had to pick one branch of the military that was far superior than the others, which would it be?”

Julian began laughing. His wife had apparently not learned her lesson with this one. He was glad.

It amused him.

“Well, I’ve read lots of things on the military. I would have to say they’re each different, but the Army seems to be my first choice.”

She stood and hugged the woman.