Castle Investigations Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  But Gabriel knew Cate, and staying away from the story had never been her m.o.

  The gate to the warehouse opened, and, after parking Carlotta in her spot, they made their way to the conference room. Sully, Isabel, and Ethan were already seated. He knew that Zach was working on some of the aliases and trying to figure out whom they would be dealing with tonight, while Lucas was meeting with Amanda's mom to wrap up anything she might have thought of that could help them.

  Sully stood and extended his hand to Cate. "Morning, Cate. Hope this guy has been treating you ok and not making a total mess of your place."

  The color in Cate's face rose just a little, and Gabriel bit back a groan in the back of his throat. Sure enough, Sully noticed, and a crooked grin formed on his lips.

  "He's been a perfect gentleman. Thank you for lending him out. I've felt much safer knowing that he's there."

  "I bet you have," Ethan muttered under his breath.

  Gabriel gave him a death glare and cleared his throat.

  "What's the update for tonight?"

  Sully gave him a knowing smirk and then sat down, all business.

  "Zach has been unable to uncover any of the aliases so far. This stuff is buried deep, which doesn't bode well for these parties being on the up and up."

  "I'd say we're dealing with a lot of politicians and wealthy individuals, though," Ethan piped in.

  "Any information on the society itself?" Gabriel asked.

  Sully pulled up a link on his computer and then connected it to the flat screen located on the wall.

  The TV brightened with a red backdrop, a single X in the middle with the words Click here to enter below it. Sully clicked, and images of masked women in all types of costumes, mostly ones that did not include tops, filled the screen. He scrolled over to where the word membership was located, and a list of prices came up.

  "As you can see," he started, "there are several membership packages, ranging from seventeen thousand dollars to seventy-five thousand dollars. You can also purchase masks, sex toys, and other paraphernalia for the event."

  Gabriel looked at Cate, whose mouth was hanging open. He put his finger under her chin and pushed it closed. She shook her head, clearly still startled by the revelation that someone would pay that much to attend a sex society.

  "Each membership level includes different things. Full participation, number of parties, exclusive rooms. The more money you pay, the more access you get—both to the parties and to the women," Sully finished.

  "This would be a perfect place for them to 'employ' women that are there against their will, right?" Cate asked, the quotations around “employ” clearly implied in her inflection.

  "Indeed. That's what we're thinking." Sully clicked on another tab that showed pictures from past parties. All sorts of sexual preferences and activities were represented—detailed pictures that looked straight out of a porn movie.

  Gabriel glanced at Cate to see how she was holding up, but she seemed to be taking it all in stride. At this point, he guessed that she'd pretty much seen it all. He still didn't like the thought of her being at one of these parties. The thought of some man touching her—it was enough to make him want to kill someone.

  "Tonight's party will be taking place in a mansion in northern D.C. Zach has been running data since midnight to figure out who might own it, but so far, he hasn't had much luck," Sully said, leaning forward to prop his elbows on the table.

  "Shouldn't property records be pretty easy to trace?" Cate asked.

  "Normally, yes. But this house seems to be hidden behind false companies that purchased it. He's in the process of following the money to find out who owns it. That could take days," Ethan answered.

  "And we don't have days," Gabriel said.

  "What we do have is a residential address, which is one step closer to knowing who might be running this joint. We also have an idea of the surrounding area, so we'll be able to provide plenty of backup if things go haywire tonight." Sully paused when he glanced at Cate and saw her eyes popping out of her head. "Not that anything will," he hurriedly amended.

  Cate nodded, and Gabriel reached under the table and squeezed her hand. When she looked into his eyes, he saw the fear turn to trust, and she squeezed his hand in return.

  "Isabel and I will arrive shortly after you and Haney do." Ethan looked at Cate, waiting to catch her gaze. "We will have eyes on you as much as we can. Try to stay out of the private rooms. Once you're in there, we won't have access without blowing our covers."

  "If I see you getting into trouble," Isabel started, "I'll come over and flirt with you, so don't freak out. I figure you'd rather have me sidling up to you than one of the guys. I also figure Haney will allow that before he'd allow Gabriel to do so." Isabel looked meaningfully at Gabriel, making sure he got her hint. He could not intervene without making a mess of things tonight. Gabriel, for his part, heard the implied words, but wasn't sure he could just stand back and allow things to get out of hand with Cate.

  "Ok." Cate laughed without a lot of humor. "I'll do my best not to freak out if you start flirting with me. It all just sounds so weird—like I'm talking about a movie or a book. Not about real life."

  "This is how some people live. It's very much a part of their lives. Sex is a powerful addiction. It grabs hold of people, and their need to explore and express themselves becomes overwhelming," Isabel explained. "Normally, I don't have a problem with what other people want to do in the privacy of their homes, but when they start abducting young girls and drugging them so they'll 'perform,' then I have a real issue with that."

  "We all do," Sully agreed. "Now, Isabel will get you set up with the wire. You'll need to put it on after the stylist leaves. I can send her over—"

  "No, I'll do it. I'll already be at the house. No need to create more suspicion with unknown people showing up at her house before the big event," Gabriel said.

  The thought of touching Cate's bare skin sent shivers of excitement across Gabriel's skin. The anticipation of seeing Cate dressed up for this event, knowing the amount of skin that would be on display, was both enthralling and enraging. It would take all of his self-control tonight not to kiss every inch of her or tear Haney's face off— or any other man's that dared to touch her.

  "I didn't really think through the wire when Maggie chose my dress. I'm not sure where we'll hide it. The dress doesn't exactly leave a lot to the imagination."

  Gabriel's blood boiled. The possessiveness that ran through him was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He wanted to pound on his chest and drag her into his cave by her hair. Knowing Cate, she'd punch him in the balls before he ever got the chance. He grinned at that thought.

  She was tough. She'd get through this and was perfectly capable of maneuvering through sticky situations. He'd just be there to help if things spun out of her control.

  "We know Haney will be there. We imagine Kingston and Sutter will be there, too. You'll have a microphone, so if you see anyone else you recognize, or think you recognize, be sure to let us know. Zach will be working behind the scenes and will have full access to everything you're sharing with us," Sully said, standing with his hands on the table.

  Everyone took that as a cue that the meeting was over. But before they could all leave, Zach popped his head in the doorway.

  "Hey, Cate. Gabriel. Still working on some things, but this is looking less and less like a local aristocrat having fun, and a lot more like a darker, more sinister outlet. Be careful." He moved his attention to Gabriel and said, "Don't take your eyes off her." And he nodded towards Cate.

  Gabriel gave a quick jerk of his chin in agreement and took Cate's hand in his. Zach disappeared again, and they all stood to leave. Sully walked over to them, gathering Cate into his gigantic arms, and squeezed her tightly.

  "We've grown to like you, so don't do anything stupid tonight, ok?" Sully smiled his "all the girls want me" smile, and Gabriel growled. Chuckling, he released her and put his arm around Gabriel in a
one-armed man-hug that included lots of pounding on his back.

  "She's all yours, man. Now take care of her," Sully said as softly as he could.

  "I will."

  Cate released his hand and moved around the table to Isabel. They embraced, and Isabel whispered something in Cate's ear. Cate's eyes filled with tears, and she threw her arms around Isabel again. Gabriel wondered what they were talking about.

  Ethan walked up to the girls and hugged Cate as well. What was with all the hugging today, anyway? Gabriel tried to push the green monster down, but he was struggling. And these were his friends. His best friends. How much worse would it be tonight?

  Ethan said something to Cate, and she threw her head back and laughed. Then Gabriel noticed how Ethan placed his hand on the small of Isabel's back, and how she leaned slightly into his touch. Hmmm. Interesting.

  The ride back to CityCenter was short and uneventful. Neither of them said much on the drive. Gabriel had so many emotions floating around in his head, he wasn't sure what to say or how to act. He wanted to tell her he loved her. That he would do whatever it took to make a life with her. But could he? Would he let her down? Would she grow to hate him? Would she find out that he wasn't loveable? That he wasn't worth it?

  He inwardly shook his head to ward off the negative thoughts and questions. As he pulled in front of the store, he grabbed Cate's hand just as she started to open the door.

  She eyed him questioningly. "Gabriel?"

  Gabriel slid his hand around the back of her neck and drew her to him. His lips met hers with all the passion and fire that had been burning inside of him for days. He took her mouth in a punishing kiss, wanting to brand her, to make her understand without words what he felt. That she was his.

  The kiss went on, building in heat and intensity, until he pulled away, both of them breathing heavily.

  "Gabriel?" she asked again.

  He just shook his head. "I'll see you later this afternoon, after the stylist and Maggie leave."

  She sighed, touching her fingertips to her lips as if to hold on to that kiss. Nodding, she got out of the car. He thought he saw disappointment in her eyes when she looked back over her shoulder before disappearing inside the department store.

  Chapter 18

  The stylist arrived shortly after lunch. Cate wasn't very hungry. The anticipation and anxiety about tonight, mixed with her questions about that kiss in the car with Gabriel, had left her stomach in knots. She'd attempted a few crackers, but figured that anything she ate might make a repeat appearance.

  Cate spent the day being plucked, waxed, shined, and buffed. Her hair was pulled back and secured at the base of her neck. Intricate curls and loops created a beautiful design that wasn't too heavy. With the thickness and length of her hair, up-dos were sometimes very painful, so she was grateful that her stylist had chosen a looser chignon for the evening.

  Maggie arrived with a dress bag in tow.

  "Oh my land, you are breathtaking," Maggie said as she stepped inside Cate's townhome.

  "I'm still in my robe."

  "Yes, dear—well, it doesn't quite matter what you have on. You could be wearing a gunny sack and still look beautiful. Now, let's get you upstairs and into this dress." Cate wasn't sure what a gunny sack was, but when Maggie made a shooing motion with her hands and started moving her towards the stairs, she decided it didn't really matter.

  Cate wished she'd met Maggie under different circumstances. The woman was a doll. So sugary sweet, it was hard to imagine that she was caught up in this stuff.

  As if Maggie could read minds, she said, "I guess you're wondering how I got caught up in this business, huh?" She jutted her hip out and propped her hand on it.

  "Well, yes. Actually, I was."

  Maggie sighed. "It's a long story that includes my personal failures and a deal I made with the devil. Now I can't seem to get out of it." A shadow passed across her face. Then, as if it were never there, she perked up. "But what's done is done. And I don't do so badly for myself. It's not really my dream job, but dressing you—well, I could make dresses for you and never tire of it."

  Cate smiled warmly, her affection growing for the older woman. She wasn't sure exactly what personal failures she’d had, but Cate decided that it wasn't for her to judge.

  "Well, enough babbling. Let's get you naked and into this dress." She waggled her eyebrows, and Cate threw her head back in laughter.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Embarrassment flooded her cheeks as she stripped down to her panties. She'd chosen a lacy, flesh-toned G-string to prevent panty lines. She hurriedly covered her breasts with her hands.

  "How in the world do you expect to survive a sex party with hundreds of people if you can't stand in front of an old woman naked without blushing?" Maggie asked, suspicion filling her gaze.

  Cate realized that she wasn't exactly playing her part well. She was supposed to be an escort, not a virginal bride. She dropped her hands.

  "I guess it's different when you're in the heat of the moment," she lied, hoping that she would be convincing. She guessed it worked.

  "I guess that's true. Never really understood the allure, honestly."

  "Well, I guess I'll find out tonight, now, won't I?" Cate replied. Maggie gave her a sympathetic look before turning to unzip the garment bag.

  Cate looked at herself in the mirror. High breasts, small waist, shapely legs. She wasn't half bad. Maggie returned with the garment, and Cate stepped into the dress as Maggie fussed, fastening the brooch to her shoulder and tucking her breasts into the right place.

  "If this were a regular party, I'd tape these girls in place. But since I'm not sure how long the dress will remain on, and since tape isn't all that attractive, just watch out to make sure one doesn't escape." She grinned, and Cate couldn’t help grinning back. The idea of a rogue breast popping out of her dress made her giggle. The giggle turned into a full belly laugh, until both of them were bent over at the waist laughing.

  Once she regained her composure, she threw her arms around Maggie's neck. "Thank you," Cate whispered in her ear.

  Maggie's eyes clouded with tears. "You're welcome, dear. I have to say, you're much different from my usual clients. Wonder why that is?" They shared a moment, Cate not affirming anything but wondering if Maggie knew more than she was letting on.

  They stayed that way for a few minutes, before Maggie looked away.

  "I brought you some shoes. I know you'll be on your feet for several hours. They do have a heel, but it's not a very high one, and they're heavily padded to help with comfort."

  Cate took the delicate shoes from Maggie's hands. They were strappy, rose-beige sandals with an intricate design that went from the toes to the ankle, buckling on the sides. Rhinestones graced the tops of them, following the pattern. They were stunning. Just high enough to create shape to her legs, but not so high that walking in them would be troublesome.

  "They're beautiful," Cate whispered.

  Maggie nodded. "Just like you," she said. And then she turned to gather up the garment bag and hangers, placing them in the closet. She walked back over, handing Cate the mask. Cate lifted the intricately woven metal and placed it on her face. She definitely looked mysterious and like a goddess in so many ways. Finally, she added the gold arm band and turned to face Maggie.

  "Well, here I am," she said, laughing a little to cover her nervousness.

  "There you are. As glorious as Aphrodite herself," Maggie replied, squeezing Cate's upper arms in a friendly gesture.

  Cate dropped her gaze. "I'll have the dress dry cleaned and return it early next week."

  "Don't bother. The service paid for it. It's yours." Maggie winked.

  "Thank you, Maggie."

  "Any time, Katelyn." Cate winced at the fake name. So much deception.

  "Call me Cate. All my friends do."

  Maggie's eyes filled with tears again, and she swallowed hard. "Cate, then."

  Maggie turned to go downstairs, and Cate follo
wed behind her. After another warm embrace, Maggie left, walking down the path towards her car. Cate noticed the dark sedan sitting behind it and quickly shut the door.

  It was seven o'clock, and Haney would be there to pick her up at eight. She had one hour before her life would change.

  Cate wasn't stupid. This kind of experience would change her. And it could change her career. She'd be seeing politicians, businessmen, and even celebrities tonight in a way that they wouldn't appreciate. If word got out about who she really was, it could be very dangerous for her.

  She sighed and sat carefully on the couch, tilting her head back. Legs jumped up, purring and trying to get her attention.

  "Careful, Legs. Don’t ruin my dress." Cate scooped him up in her arms and nuzzled his neck. If only she were a cat. Life would be so easy.

  She set the cat down as she heard the garage door open below her. Gabriel.

  Seconds later, the door to the basement opened, and there he stood, resplendent in a tux that fit him like a glove. The collar stood open, exposing the tiniest bit of his black phoenix tattoo. His hair was tied back, but loose curls fell around his face. He looked like a sexy pirate from those romance novels she sometimes read. And suddenly, she understood the appeal.

  Gabriel looked dangerous in the best possible way. She no longer wanted to play it safe.

  "Wow," he said.

  "Wow, yourself."

  "You look stunning," he said and took a step towards her.

  "You don't look half bad yourself." She took a step towards him.

  She wanted to cross her arms over her chest as his gaze lingered there. She knew the thin fabric left very little to the imagination. Gabriel's gaze met hers again.

  "I guess it was too much to ask for your dress to cover you from your neck to your toes, huh?" he asked, and she giggled. He came closer.

  "Probably wouldn't be much of a hit at a sex party. But it's better than some of the ones I saw at Maggie's store." She took another step in his direction.

  "I don't want to know," he said. And closed the distance. His mouth found hers, and he plunged in, not waiting for an invitation. She liked when he took charge, and met him stroke for stroke. Their tongues danced in a rhythm made to incite and tease. His warm hands found her bare back, and he caressed the skin there.