The man on the other end of the call said, “Sounds urgent, Admiral.”
“You shelved this issue as unresolved. Time to dust it off and close the case. I’ll be on a plane in two hours.”
“I see. I’ll gather the members.”
Thane dialed another number after he disconnected the first call. “Lt. Manchester, it’s Thane Austen.”
“Been waiting for your call,” he said. “We’ve been watching the news. I assume you’re calling about Captain Reynolds.”
He gave Manchester the update and ended with, “We’re looking for any evidence that points to the real murderer. In a few minutes, we should get confirmation that Gethsemane Reynolds was one of the women buried on the Kallis estate. In which case, your team can flood the property.”
Manchester hummed. “Yeah, my gut told me it wasn’t Dixie, even though she has motive to kill that sonofabitch.”
“If we don’t find someone to ID the real killer, or something that proves Dixie didn’t kill him, she’s going down for this.”
“Keep in touch.”
Thane stashed the phone in his slacks pocket.
Rayne tapped on the open door. “Sorry to interrupt. I saw Cracker leave. I have a report from Delta Squad for your review.”
He waved and Miss Levy handed him the file. “I’m leaving for a meeting. Won’t be back until tonight. Any operational questions, contact Mrs. Callahan. Anything that needs authorization, send to me.”
“Yes, sir.”
He grinned. “And congratulations.”
Rayne blinked with surprise. “For what, sir?”
“You’ve gone to the bathroom three times in fifteen minutes. You either have the flu or you’re pregnant.”
Her jaw dropped open. “Don’t tell Eli. It’s a secret.”
Thane chuckled and nodded. He followed Rayne back into the dimly lit ops room because he didn’t have a security pass any longer.
Gord waved. “Nice to see you, Admiral.”
“You, too. Gord.”
Thane’s gaze swerved to the back of the ops room, toward an unmanned console, the control switches glowing red and green in the darkened room. A thin smile creased his lips. That’s where Kayla had stood the first time he’d seen her. Hidden by the darkness until he’d insulted her, and she’d stepped from the shadows with a fiery response. His heart swelled with warmth at the memory. Back then, if he’d been honest with himself, he would have admitted he’d fallen for the woman when their eyes met.
He hoped Josh and Dixie would get a chance to find their happily ever after.
“Sir?” Rayne stepped up beside him. “Everything all right?”
“Just taking a stroll through the past.”
“Anything you’d change?” she asked quietly.
He grinned. “No, Miss Levy. Not a damn thing.”
Chapter Twenty-four
After viewing the camera footage from the Ardon Corporation building, Josh followed Detective Dean to the holding cells located at the rear of the Coronado precinct.
When they reached the officer who stood guard, Dean said, “Take the time you need, Commander. And thank you for your help.”
Josh strode past the first four cells, two on either side. Looked like a sellout crowd. At cell six, he stopped.
“Dix.”
She sat on the cot, her back tucked against the corner and a grey blanket wrapped around her legs.
“Hey.”
She didn’t jump to her feet like he expected. Dix didn’t move a muscle, as if accepting her plight, and that bothered him greatly. “Sweetheart, you’re not going to prison.”
“Think you’re wrong about that. On the bright side, I won’t have to run my feet off at the Erotic Bean. Instead, I can make license plates. Eat three squares a day.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “There’s some kind of cosmic irony buried in this mess. I just don’t know what it is yet.”
He squeezed the bars, wishing he could pick the lock. Not to escape with Dixie, but to hold her. “I will figure this out.”
“Detective Blanchard left me with some words of wisdom. Said I was going to take the fall for Chandler’s death and there’s no way out. Told me to cop a plea deal. Serve a few years and everyone will be happy.”
He hadn’t met any Detective Blanchard. “Was this guy in the interrogation room with you?”
She nodded. “Don’t go chasing waterfalls, Josh. I asked Dean who he was already. I got stonewalled. Don’t know where he came from, but I’m pretty sure it’s Senator Kallis’s doing.”
Dix was probably right, which meant the senator had something to hide. “Why did you go downtown to meet Chandler? Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugged. “Because you would have stopped me.” Dix fiddled with the hem of the grey blanket. “Did you find Gesem?”
Telling her Gesem was most likely dead would only add to her worries. Josh nodded. “She’s free.”
A flicker of a smile broke her dour expression. “Did you see her?”
“You’re my priority, Dixie. She’s…with the police.” True, in a manner of speaking.
“Good. Then maybe some good will come out of this.”
He could well imagine Dixie saw her situation had gone from bad to worse. Josh needed to keep the faith for both of them. “I’m taking you home real soon. Okay?”
Dixie kept her concentration on her lap. “If you don’t, promise me you won’t beat yourself up over it. And if you’ve got a second, can you ask Rayne to get me some clothes?”
Standing here wasn’t helping her, but he didn’t want to leave, either. He’d lost count of the number of hostages he’d rescued over the years, their missions sanctioned by the government. Now, the woman he loved was being railroaded by a representative of the government to hide his own crimes, and Josh wore the strange, ill-fitted boots of a civilian.
He didn’t like the feeling. Not one fucking bit of it.
“Dix?” She finally turned her gaze toward him. “I’m not going to lose you again.”
She snorted. “Least you’ll know where to find me.” She swept the blanket from her lap and crossed the cement cell. Dix wrapped her cold fingers around his hands. “I never had much faith in anyone after I left home. As much as I tried to ignore my parents’ accusations that I’m nothing but sin, their words always festered in my gut. But I’m not evil.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “I wouldn’t kill another human being. Not even Chandler.”
“You don’t have to tell me that, sweetheart.” He palmed her cheeks. “I know you wouldn’t. This will be over soon. Hold onto that thought.”
****
Avis entered Ed’s apartment as he held the door open. After his meeting with the Admiral, he considered having a quick nap before the exercise this afternoon, but instead, he drove to Nado Baked Goods and convinced Avis to take an early lunch break.
“Mind if I use your bathroom?” she asked, after dropping her purse by the door.
“Help yourself.” He put the take-out chicken he’d bought on the table and headed to the fridge to get a couple bottles of water.
“Umm, Ed?”
He closed the fridge. “Yeah.”
“Something’s wrong with your toilet. The flush valve thingy is stuck.”
He strode to the bathroom and leaned in. The familiar sound of a running toilet verified her diagnosis.
Avis slid her butt on the counter to give him room to work. “I didn’t flush. It was already like this.”
He chuckled. “The building’s old. So are some of the fixtures.” He flicked the handle, which didn’t make any difference, then lifted the tank’s porcelain top—and froze.
“What’s wrong?” She stretched her neck to take a look. “Oh my goodness. What’s that doing in there?”
Ed propped the tank lid against the wall and gripped Avis’s hand, leading her to the kitchen table. “Grab a bite to eat, sweetheart. I have to make a call.”
He pulled his cell from his front camo pants pocket a
nd dialed.
When Hunter answered, he said, “Yeah, Commander, it’s Saxton. Found a 9 mil in my apartment, and it isn’t mine.”
“Where?”
Fuck. He probably had Chandler’s murder weapon in his goddamn toilet, and he’d have to explain—again—why he’d allowed Melodie to stay at his place last night. “In my bathroom, sir.”
Ed’s neck stiffened with the long pause.
“You said, your bathroom?”
“Yes, sir. My toilet, actually. Do you want me to advise Det. Dean?”
“No. I’m still at the precinct. Dean’s tied up with something right now. We’ll head over when he’s done. Probably an hour or so. Any idea how the weapon found its way into your toilet, Petty Officer Saxton?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll explain when you get here.”
“A 9 mil was used to kill Kallis. Dixie owns the same model, but hers is missing.”
“Understood, sir.”
The commander hung up and Ed tossed his cell on the table, then buried his face in both palms. Avis’s soft hand swept up his arm and gripped his shoulder.
“That woman who was here this morning, is that her gun?”
He sat back and blew out a sharp breath. “Not sure if it’s hers, but she delivered it.”
Guess rich girls didn’t know much about toilets. If she did, the pistol could have sat in there until it rusted.
“You look really worried, Ed. Are you okay?”
He nodded and set his gaze on Avis. “Ever consider baking cookies on the east coast?”
She shrugged, uncertain what he meant. “Why?”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Couple things could happen next. If that weapon was used in Chandler’s murder and it’s not Dixie’s, she’ll go free. If it is her weapon, that’s a problem. Either way, cops are gonna wonder how the hell it ended up in my bathroom. When I tell them it was Melodie, I don’t know what the hell is going to happen. She could blame me for the murder.”
Avis snorted. “That woman can say all she wants. I was with you until eight last night.” She grasped his hand. “The truth always comes out, Edward. You’re not going anywhere, except taking me to Napa Valley when you get your leave.”
A grin curled onto his mouth. “Wine. Romantic dinners and a comfortable, private suite? Is that what you’re all about?”
“With a Jacuzzi,” she added, grinning.
A romantic getaway would be new territory for him. “Depends if you’re naked and I’m in the Jacuzzi with you,” he teased.
How the hell did her smile always lighten his mood? The fact that he barely knew her yet had an immediate draw to Avis, had to mean something. Yeah, she was gorgeous. And yes, he wanted to see her voluptuous curves laying on a bed, inviting him to join her for the ride of his life. But his need didn’t originate from below the belt like a gal he’d picked up at Breakers. Excitement for Avis churned in his chest. He wanted a closer connection. Something that didn’t end after an orgasm.
Her pretty blues took on a smoky shade. “Ed, I can count the number of men I’ve slept with on one hand. I’m sure you can’t say the same about women. So don’t get me wrong, but I can’t wait to see you naked.”
He chuckled. “No, guess I can’t say the same in regards to women.” He leaned across the corner of the dining table and she met him halfway. “I’ll make you a deal.”
A pretty hue of rose colored her cheeks. “I’m listening.”
“When you want me naked, you tell me.” He bit his bottom lip because this convo was certainly having an impact on his thickening erection. “When you decide the time is right, I’ll make you a very satisfied woman. I promise.”
Although it was only the end of May, August and his deployment suddenly seemed too close.
A light gust of air escaped her parted lips. “We only met yesterday. I know this is crazy. Maybe even slutty, but I can’t explain myself.”
He hadn’t even questioned the depth of his attraction to Avis or the speed at which she’d swarmed his thoughts. As far as this tenacious, light-hearted gal was concerned, he’d thrown his doors wide open.
Ed grinned. “Nope, nowhere close to slutty. And I’m sure as hell not going to judge when I want the same thing, but I’m trying to be patient.”
She edged a little closer. “What if I don’t want you to be patient?”
This woman was just too sweet. “Think you better kiss me.”
Her pretty features literally glowed. “Think I will.”
Avis surprised the hell outta him when she shifted seats and straddled his legs, sliding her palms up his chest, then hooked her hands behind his neck. Man-oh-man, he wanted to repeat this position without their clothes.
Kissing her soft mouth stoked his desire.
Taking a brief breather, she asked, “When is your exercise finished?”
“Tomorrow night.” His lips blazed a trail down her throat. God, he loved the scent of her skin. There was nothing better than the aroma of fresh baked bread. She reminded him of simple pleasures. Home. Warmth. A family. All the things he didn’t have. Never had.
“You’ll need your rest,” she said breathlessly.
He cupped one full breast in his hand and teased the taut nipple through her blouse. “Not much.”
When Avis gently pressed her hips against his pelvis, he took his desire out on her lips, her response as heated as his own.
Her fingertips gently dug into his shoulders. “Oh my God, Ed, I don’t want to wait.”
Sweet Jesus, he wanted to please her. Ed palmed her ass and laid her on his table. “I don’t want you to wait, baby.” He shimmied her pale blue skirt up to her waist, appreciating the feel of her soft skin. Their gazes locked as he hooked his fingers on either side of her lace panties and drew the flimsy garment down her curvy legs to her ankles, then let it fall to the floor.
Her cheeks flushed a deep red. Nervous, he wondered. Avis’s knees touched but her ankles didn’t, and his thumb slid from the bottom of her crease to caress the release button. Slowly, her thighs parted.
“Ah, shit, you’re beautiful.”
Leaning forward, he wished like hell he had time to tease and draw this out. He kissed her moist clit, then sucked her firm button with little tugs. Avis gasped, her hips thrusting upward. When he dipped his middle finger into the entrance of her core, Avis’s cries of pleasure spurred him on.
“You,” she said. “I want you naked.”
With one tug on his zipper, and another on his pants and briefs, he freed his erection. Ed eased his throbbing crown along her bare crease.
“Ah, sweet lady. I want to make you come.”
Her warm fingers and his impatience thrust Ed into a fury of need. She palmed his shaft as he see-sawed against her sex.
Her pretty mouth parted. “I like that.”
She bit her bottom lip. God, if he only had a camera to catch that image, but memory would have to suffice. The heat in her eyes went straight to his heart. She wasn’t looking through him, blind with lust, but at him.
Before answering nature’s demand, he leaned forward and kissed her, something he rarely did with the random women he screwed. “You deserve better, not take-out chicken and frenzied sex on my table.”
Her hand guided the tip of his shaft to the entrance of her channel. “Edward, I’d want you if all we had was the hood of a car. Don’t stop.”
Caught in rapture, he eased into her moist warmth.
Her eyes closed and she sighed with pleasure. “Oh my, you feel good.”
Spellbound, Ed’s pulse shot to a thousand beats a minute.
The drive to watch her come undone with each stroke brought him closer to climax.
So fucking good. With her feet on the edge of the table, he gripped her ankles. Each deep thrust rushed through him with a swarm of desire to be deeper. Slippery and warm. Every stroke felt like velvet.
Avis swept her arms above her head, sending their lunch to the floor, then giggled between her soft moans.
<
br /> Buried to the hilt inside her, the need too intense to hold back, he climaxed. Avis cried out, her core milking his cock with her own release.
Smiling, she opened her eyes. “I swear, I have never done anything like this before.” Her long lashes fluttered.
Yeah, neither had he, because he hadn’t even stopped to consider using a condom. Her velvet core squeezed his shaft and he shuddered. “You make it hard for me to think about anything else.”
He rotated his hips, enjoying the aftershocks. From his vantage point, his wet cock gliding in and out of her hot channel was over-the-top sexy, every plunge and withdrawal a sweet reminder.
She groaned and closed her eyes. “I’ve always thought baking was my favorite thing. Watching the bread rise. The aroma. But, oh my God, watching you come was so hot.”
He leaned over and she propped herself up on her elbows. Ed planted a long, deep kiss on her pillowy lips. “So are you, but next time, I want to see and kiss all of you, sweetie. We better get dressed because we’re gonna have company soon.”
Minutes after squaring themselves away, a fist banged on the apartment door, announcing the cavalry. A line of cops waited, CDR Hunter front and center.
“You have some explaining to do,” he said.
“Yes, sir. I do.” He stepped out of the way to let the parade of specialists in his apartment.
Thirty minutes later, Ed had explained Melodie’s visit and the CSI techs had retrieved the 9 mil from his toilet tank. Tex showed up halfway through the fanfare, and Ed asked his buddy to drive Avis back to the bakery. Det. Dean wanted her statement and she vouched for his whereabouts at the time of the murder. Before she walked out the door, Ed wanted one more kiss.
“Still want to see me tomorrow night?” he asked.
She nodded. “Can’t wait. Be safe.”
For the first time in his life, he had a reason to do just that.
By the time the cops were finished, only Commander Hunter was left in the apartment and Ed had less than an hour to get to the base and gear up for the exercise.
“I told Admiral Austen that Melodie spent the night.” The fact that no one knew Chandler was dead last night eased the commander’s irritation.
Dixie Under Siege (A Warrior's Passion Book 2) Page 27
