Page 36 of Icy Cold Death

They were aware.

Only, her situation was the same. Had someone not intervened, Claire would have been the abused woman with few options.

Julian trusted Lianna.

The dead around her reassured him that she had seen the error of her ways.

“I understand Claire doesn’t want a repeat performance with Beckett, but Lianna learned her lesson. She’s a different person now than she was then, and she has been non-confrontational. She tried to apologize. We all make mistakes. Look at me. I have a building full of dead people.”

The radio came to life, and they knew who had been way too quiet for way too long.

“MY. SISTER. MADE. A. BIG. MISTAKE. TOO. SHE. SHACKED. UP. WITH. YOU.”

Julian pointed and didn’t even address the man.

“See?” he asked. “There’s one of my REGRETS now!” he admitted.

Trey didn’t get worked up. The dead seldomly did.

“YOU. CAN’T. PRETEND. I’M. NOT. HERE. YOUR. DOORS. MIGHT. BE. CLOSED. BUT. YOUR. PEA. BRAIN. IS. NOT.”

Julian sighed.

God.

He missed his wife.

When she was around, Trey tended to be on his best behavior, which was barely better than this, but at least it was something.

“SOMEONE. LOOKS. LIKE. HE’S. BEEN. PUT. AWAY. WET. AND. IS. NOW. MOLDY.”

Lucian interceded.

For the dead man’s sake.

“Trey, this might not be the best time to poke Julian. Look at him. He is filled with tension and stiff,” he said.

Only, that egged Trey on.

“SAID. NO. WOMAN. EVER.”

Ridge laughed.

He couldn’t help himself. His psychic gift wasn’t talking to the dead, but instead, being connected to Lucian. The interplay was always funny.

Likely because it wasn’t pointed at him.

“Sorry,” he said when Julian looked over at him. “I am easily amused. It’s the teenage boy in me. Trey grows on you.”

“I. MISS. MY. BESTIE. THEY. SAID. I. COULDN’T. COME. THAT. SEEMS. UNFAIR. I. CAN. PLAN. A. WEDDING.”

Julian didn’t miss a beat since Trey had just been busting his balls.

“As most women also say about you or did before you came home in a cardboard box, a crispy one.”

The dial went nuts.

Oh, Julian knew how to work the soldier up.

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