Artifacts Read online

  Table of Contents

  Books by Bailey Bradford

  Title Page

  Legal Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

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  About the Author

  Pride Publishing books by Bailey Bradford

  Single Books

  Breaking the Devil

  Dark Nights and Headlights

  Texas and Tarantulas

  Belt Buckles and Cowboy Boots

  Something Shattered

  Yes, Forever

  The Jasper Soul

  Southwestern Shifters

  Rescued

  Relentless

  Reckless

  Rendered

  Resilience

  Reverence

  Revolution

  Revenge

  Reluctance

  Renounced

  Retrograde

  Southern Spirits

  A Subtle Breeze

  When the Dead Speak

  All of the Voices

  Wait Until Dawn

  Aftermath

  What Remains

  Ascension

  Whirlwind

  Love in Xxchange

  Rory’s Last Chance

  Miles To Go

  Bend

  What Matters Most

  Ex’s and O’s

  A Bit of Me

  A Bit of You

  In My Arms Tonight

  Where There’s a Will

  My Heart to Keep

  Leopard’s Spots

  Levi

  Oscar

  Timothy

  Isaiah

  Gilbert

  Esau

  Sullivan

  Wesley

  Nischal

  Justice

  Sabin

  Cliff

  Mossy Glenn Ranch

  Chaps and Hope

  Ropes and Dreams

  Saddles and Memories

  Fences and Freedom

  Riding and Regrets

  Broncs and Bullies

  Hay and Heartbreak

  Vaqueros and Vigilance

  Spotless

  Hide

  Hunt

  Home

  Heart

  Mystic Tattoos

  One Too Many

  Coyote’s Call

  Off Course

  In from the Cold

  Blue Moon Rising

  Valen’s Pack

  Run with the Moon

  Exodus

  The Vamp for Me

  My Life Without Garlic

  Don’t Stake My Life on It

  Sunshine is Overrated

  Don’t Drink the Holy Water

  The Trouble with Mirrors

  That’s One Cross Vamp

  Power

  Exchange

  Submit

  Dominate

  Calendar Men

  Mr. January

  Mr. February

  Mr. March

  Mr. April

  Mr. May

  Mr. June

  Mr. July

  Mr. August

  Mr September

  Mr. October

  Mr. November

  Mr. December

  The 13th Month

  Wild Ones

  Destined Prey

  City Shifters

  Bearly There

  Harey Situation

  Mossy Glenn Ranch

  Chaps and Hope

  Ropes and Dreams

  Saddles and Memories

  Fences and Freedom

  Riding and Regrets

  Broncs and Bullies

  Hay and Heartbreak

  Vaqueros and Vigilance

  Fire and Flutter

  Dragon Dreams and Fairy Wings

  Anthologies

  What’s his Passion?: Unexpected Places

  What’s his Passion?: Unexpected Moments

  Racing Hearts: The Lonely Ones

  Intrinsic Values

  ARTIFACTS

  BAILEY BRADFORD

  Artifacts

  ISBN # 978-1-78651-746-3

  ©Copyright Bailey Bradford 2021

  Cover Art by Claire Siemaszkiewicz ©Copyright April 2021

  Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

  Pride Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Pride Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Pride Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2021 by Pride Publishing, United Kingdom.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

  Pride Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book”.

  Book one in the Intrinsic Values series

  Aldric Beamer thought working in an antique shop would be safe and boring. He never expected to find his life—or his heart—in danger…

  Being the low man on the totem pole is nothing new for Aldric Beamer. The youngest of three siblings, he was always the afterthought in his family, but Aldric’s trying hard not to let the little confidence he has sink any lower.

  Aldric loves the job he managed to land at Intrinsic Value, so much so that he often works off the clock—or maybe he doesn’t want to go home to his empty apartment. Just as he’s slowly learning to trust his boss and co-workers, he’s attacked outside the store, and all the security he thought he had vanishes with the force of a blow to the head.

  San Antonio cop Darrell Williams takes one look at the beautiful, bruised man he finds in a dingy alley behind an antiques store, and something in his heart melts. This weakness scares him, making Darrell gruff and indifferent when he should have been—and longs to be—compassionate and caring.

  Aldric’s no pushover, though. He’s had enough of being ignored and treated like he doesn’t matter as much as everyone else. And he’ll make damn sure Patrol Officer Williams doesn’t dismiss him in any way…

  Dedication
r />   To everybody who’s ever had difficulty being accepted for what you are. What y’all are is amazing.

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  3 Musketeers: Mars, Incorporated

  Coke: The Coca-Cola Company

  Freebie and the Bean: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

  Glock: Glock Ges.m.b.H.

  Hellraiser: Entertainment Film Distributors

  Kleenex: Kimberly-Clark Corporation

  Real Housewives: NBCUniversal Television and Streaming

  Smith & Wesson: Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.

  Tacoma: Toyota Motor Corporation

  Target: Target Corporation

  Tesla: Tesla, Inc.

  The French Connection: 20th Century Studios, Inc.

  The Three Musketeers: Alexandre Dumas

  YouTube: YouTube

  Chapter One

  The Help Wanted sign in the window stopped Aldric in his tracks. He’d been walking along San Antonio’s Pearl District, somewhat lost in his thoughts and worries, so why he noticed the sign, he couldn’t have said.

  Maybe because it stood out in the day of internet-everything. All the job boards that he’d scanned and the applications for employment that he’d sent in had been online. That was just how it was done nowadays…except not at the business he’d stopped in front of.

  Aldric stared at the sign for a solid minute while trying to calculate his chances of being hired if he went in and applied before going home and changing. Not that he had any fancier clothes. Jeans, T-shirts and one button-up were all that was in his wardrobe.

  What are the chances someone else will apply and get hired by the time I go home, shower, shave, change and come back?

  Whatever the odds were, his empty stomach didn’t want to risk them. Blinking away his musings, Aldric pushed his glasses farther up his nose, then caught himself screwing up his face to re-settle them exactly where they’d been. He attempted to smooth down his hair—being thick, it tended to tousle, even though it wasn’t long—and reached for the door handle, which was when he saw the name of the place that was hiring.

  Intrinsic Value Antique Shop. At least shop wasn’t spelled all funky. It was a silly pet peeve he had, people adding extra letters onto words to make spellings like shoppe rather than shop. An antique store might have a better reason than most businesses or services to use an old spelling of the word, and he had no reason to be judgmental of anything—something he needed to keep in mind.

  Even though he knew nothing about antiques, Aldric opened the door and stepped inside to the tinkling of chimes. He glanced down at the door handle inside and saw strings of silver and copper bells dangling from it.

  “Good afternoon. May I help you?”

  Aldric pivoted so quickly that he almost tripped over his own feet—nothing unusual for him. Heat rushed to his face, and he gulped as he spotted the older man standing with one hand on an ancient-looking cash register. “Er, yes, I, um, I—” Aldric took a deep breath and exhaled to the count of ten. If he didn’t get himself calmed down, he’d stumble over his words as well as his feet, as he tended to do when he was flustered.

  “My name is Elliot Douglas. I’m the owner of Intrinsic Value. Please call me Elliot.” Elliot came around the counter and stopped in front of Aldric.

  “Aldric Beamer.” Aldric offered his right hand to shake. “Nice to meet you, Elliot.” His mouth was dry, and a tickle started up in his throat.

  “Nice to meet you, too.” Elliot pumped his hand one more time, then let go. “Are you here about the job? I noticed you standing outside and thought you might be considering it.”

  Aldric covered his mouth and turned his head before he coughed. He lowered his hand and faced Elliot again. “Sorry, the mountain cedar is kicking my allergies into high gear. Yes, sir, I’m here about the job. Surprised me to see an actual sign in the window. Everything’s done online, it seems. I’ve been told to go home and apply online so often, I’ve quit thinking about actual signs.”

  “Ah yes, the internet is an amazing tool for many things, but I prefer to meet people in person first, rather than online.” Elliot smiled, and Aldric realized the older, taller man, with his tawny-brown eyes and thick mane of slightly long, wavy light-brown hair that was just starting to silver, was quite handsome.

  “Why don’t you come back this way and tell me what makes you think you’ll be a good fit at Intrinsic Value?” Elliot gestured in the direction of the cash register. “I was cleaning off my baby and would like to finish as we talk.”

  “Yes, sir.” Aldric coughed again and wanted to melt into the floorboards.

  “Would you like some cold water or hot tea?” Elliot offered. “I have both available.”

  Aldric wasn’t sure about hot tea. He’d only ever had Texas tea—cold, with lots of sugar and ice in it. But maybe tea was a thing with Elliot. “Er, tea, please?”

  Elliot glanced back at him. “You sound uncertain. Have you tried hot tea before?”

  Lying wasn’t something Aldric did if he could help it. “I haven’t, but I thought a warm drink might help with my scratchy throat.”

  “That it might. I have a few different kinds, but how about you try the chamomile? It’s good for all sorts of ailments.” Elliot stopped by an elegant-legged wooden table that had a silver tea kettle and several mismatched cups and saucers sitting on it.

  A white ceramic dish held glass jars of tea and cubes of sugar, and a clear container was filled with what appeared to be honey. Delicate silver spoons were laid out as well. Aldric tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. Everything on that table looked delicate, not only the spoons, and he was afraid to touch anything.

  Which had to mean he shouldn’t apply for the job.

  “Aldric?” Elliot arched one thick eyebrow. “Is chamomile okay?”

  Realizing he’d more than likely made sure he wouldn’t get hired, because Elliot had to think he was on the dense side, Aldric shook his head. “It’s okay, thank you. I’ll just—” He started to take a step back.

  “Just what?” Elliot asked, scooping tea from a jar before he put it into a little oval-shaped strainer. “Are you not interested in the job after all?”

  Aldric bit his bottom lip and pondered whether he should stay or not. For one thing, he’d already made some kind of impression, good or bad. For another, Elliot hadn’t run him off. That has to mean I still have a chance, right? Until I tell him I know nothing about what this shop sells. Damn it.

  “I’m interested, but I don’t have any experience with antiques,” Aldric rushed out, watching Elliot pour hot water over the strainer holding the tea. Elliot had put a lid on it so the tea leaves didn’t flow out.

  Aldric took a step closer, unable to resist getting a better look at what Elliot was doing. He took off his round-framed glasses, polished them and shoved them back on.

  “The tea needs to steep for a few minutes,” Elliot explained. “The infuser keeps most of the bits of tea leaves from escaping, but you still might have a few pieces in your cup. Those will usually settle at the bottom.”

  “That’s the infuser?” Aldric asked when Elliot nudged the strainer holding the tea.

  Elliot smiled at him. “Yes, it is. Do you like honey?”

  “I—” Aldric’s stomach picked that moment to let out a rumbling growl. He dropped his gaze and pressed a fist to his belly. “Sorry. Skipped breakfast.”

  “Well, that won’t do. It’s almost time for dinner. I’ll order us something to eat, then you and I will sit down for a proper interview—if you’re interested in the job?” Elliot picked up the jar of honey.

  “Oh, I…I am, I just thought I’d blown any chance I had at it.” Aldric ducked his head and stared at the worn toes of his tennis shoes. “I don’t have any experience for it. I’ve only worked at fast-food places. I don’t know anything about antiques.
I didn’t even know what that thing—the infuser—was.” His ignorance was embarrassing, and he hated that he didn’t know more.

  “So,” Elliot drawled, one corner of his mouth curving up. “No experience at all? That would mean I’d have a clean slate in you, if I were to hire you. Wouldn’t have to rid you of bad habits and misinformation.”

  Aldric was almost too afraid to believe he might have a chance of keeping his shitty apartment and not going hungry for much longer, after all. “Are you serious?”

  “Utterly. Here, let me fix your tea, then I’ll order something from the restaurant across the street. It has a little of everything. I have a menu for it behind the counter. This won’t take a moment…” Elliot took the infuser out, then added honey to the tea.

  “Thank you.” Aldric should have refused the offer of a meal, but the truth was, he was too hungry to let pride cost him sustenance. He took the warm cup of tea from Elliot and inhaled the fragrant steam rising from it. “Oh! This smells good.”

  Elliot smiled at him, a delighted expression, if Aldric wasn’t reading him wrong. “I hope you’ll like the way it tastes as well. Let me grab that menu, then you can peruse it with me.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Aldric took a sip of the tea. It was hotter on his tongue than he’d expected, and he winced as he swallowed. He was glad Elliot hadn’t seen him do that. The next sip he took was slower. The taste was as pleasant as the smell of the tea, the honey sweet but not overpowering.

  “Here we go. I haven’t had anything bad from here yet, but then again, I always order the same thing. I’m a creature of habit in many ways.” Elliot’s smile had turned rueful.

  “What do you get?” Aldric asked before taking another drink. He could get addicted to hot tea.

  “Nothing adventurous, just the grilled salmon with steamed vegetables and mashed sweet potatoes.” Elliot handed him the menu. “I think the burgers should be good, though. Whenever I’m in the restaurant and see and smell them, they remind me very much of the ones my brother used to love.”