Fatal Dreams (COBRA Securities Book 17)

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Did you see another car in the vicinity?”

  “No, it was empty. I was going to stick a note on the door to say I’d stopped by, but as I headed up the walkway, I heard footsteps behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see the person in the black hoodie rushing towards me. I took off running and fumbled for my can of pepper spray. When he got close, I sprayed it over my shoulder, but some of it blew in my face, too. He pushed me down and ran away. Then you guys arrived.”

  Ethan was typing notes in his phone. “Which way did he go?”

  “Around the front.”

  “What about size, shape. Was he tall or short? Fat or thin?”

  “Medium build, not super-tall, maybe around five ten or so. I’m not positive. I was scared.”

  Ethan placed his phone on the table. “I’ll notify the police so they can add the incident to the file.”

  Joelle stood. “I don’t need to talk to the cops, do I? I mean, I didn’t see anyone, so I can’t give a description.”

  “No,” Ethan assured her. “I just want it on record.”

  Joelle looked relieved. “I should get going. I still have more stops to make.”

  “Are you okay to drive?” Esme asked. “Your sight isn’t compromised?”

  “No, I can see fine. The drops helped with the burning sensation.”

  “I’m sorry you were accosted at my house. Thank goodness it wasn’t worse.”

  Joelle smiled. “I’ll never lament carrying around pepper spray again.”

  They escorted her outside and watched her back up and then turn around and drive away.

  “I can’t believe someone was brazen enough to attack her in broad daylight,” Esme murmured.

  Because he couldn’t stop himself, Ethan wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her to his chest. “It might mean that the perp is getting sloppy, which is good for us. All it takes is one slip up and we nail his ass.”

  “I just want this to be over,” she sighed, her arms covering his.

  #

  First her home had been invaded by bugs and not of the insect variety. Now strangers were lurking in the shadows, just waiting to attack unsuspecting visitors. It was overwhelming.

  Ethan’s brother Noah arrived with two other very large, very impressive, very fit men, an adorable dog and an SUV full of supplies. Ethan introduced her to Carter McQueen, his brother-in-law. Carter told her that his wife, Ethan’s sister Maggie, wanted to come but had a prior commitment. Next, she met Quinn Billings and Kilo, a well-behaved Belgian Malinois Quinn trained. Esme asked if she could pet him, having read that you shouldn’t interfere with a working dog. Quinn gave Kilo a command and the dog morphed from solider to loveable goofball.

  Next, a utility truck pulled into her driveway and three men piled out. Sparky—she’d laughed at that nickname for an electrician—and his crew. Activity was buzzing around her house with wires being strung and cameras positioned around the perimeter. Sophie returned looking awestruck as she ogled Ethan’s coworkers.

  “Are all the men who work with Ethan this hunkalicious?” Her eyes were glued to Quinn as he lifted a box that made his huge muscles bulge.

  “They’re the only ones I’ve met.” Well, besides Tyler, who technically wasn’t an agent. A wet tongue swiped her cheek and she laughed at Kilo, rubbing his head as he nudged against her cheek. Maybe it was time she got a dog. She had a yard he could play in and she could even take him to work with her since she was her own boss.

  “What’s the story? Are any of them single?”

  “Carter is married to Ethan’s sister, and Noah is dating someone. I’m not sure about Quinn.”

  “He looks like he’d be a stud in bed, too. They all do.”

  Esme never realized her friend was sex obsessed. And something else was bothering her. “I thought you were going to get some sleep, but you were gone when we got home.” She tried not to sound accusing.

  “I couldn’t rest after your warning, and then I couldn’t find my pepper spray, so I panicked and ran to the store to buy more and ended up shopping.” She checked her watch and cursed. “I need to get going.”

  “I’m sorry about this noise.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll catch some sleep in the lounge before my shift.”

  “Are you leaving?” Ethan asked Sophie when she headed to the door.

  “Not if you’re asking,” she purred and then winked at Esme.

  Sophie was her friend. So why did she suddenly have the urge to rip out her curly red hair by the roots?

  “I wanted to teach you how to work the alarm panel. It won’t take long.” He motioned to Esme. “You should watch this, too.”

  Giving Kilo one last head rub, she pushed to her feet and stood before the small box attached to the wall. Kilo leaped off the couch and playfully dodged her steps, prancing along with her and gazing up at her with adoration. She laughed and scratched his ears.

  Quinn gave Kilo a command and the dog abandoned her to stand beside his handler. “He can be annoying sometimes.”

  “He’s a sweetheart,” she corrected.

  Ethan demonstrated how to work the alarm panel and then how to set the code. Esme would have both numbers since she owned the house. Once Sophie left, he uploaded an app to Esme’s phone that allowed her to work the control panel from her phone and see the feeds from the cameras. He had the same app. They’d installed two cameras to cover the front entry and two that tracked the back door and yard.

  She felt safer now that her house was as secure as possible. And Ethan would be moving in, even if only for a short time. If she had anything to say about it, it’d be forever.

  #

  Esme snuggled against Ethan as they watched a movie on Netflix. It was a murder mystery, usually the kind she loved but she was having a hard time concentrating. Being this near him, inhaling his masculine scent, feeling his steely muscles, short-circuited her brain. The movie was coming to the end and big surprise, the butler did it. Lifting the remote from her lap, she clicked off the television.

  She knew she was rushing things, but she wanted to make love with him. They didn’t know each other well, but her heart knew his. Their souls were intertwined. She’d been waiting her whole life for him and she didn’t want to waste another moment.

  His fingers absently stroked her arm, sending shivers down her spine. “Ethan?

  “Hum?”

  “There’s plenty of room in my bed.” When he didn’t answer, she added, “I don’t want to be alone.”

  He understood her plea. He stood and snapped off the lamp beside the sofa. Before she knew what was happening, he’d swept her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. She clung to his neck, reveling in the show of masculine strength. He carefully placed her on the bed and ran the back of his fingers down her cheek.

  Not giving him the choice to back away, she tugged his hand until he came down over her and their lips met in a scorching kiss. Maybe she’d been planning this all along. She didn’t want to be alone, but more than that, she wanted Ethan Addison.

  When they finally came up for air, his hands were caressing either side of her head, tangling in the long strands. “You’re stunning, Esme.” He buried his face in her neck. “And I swear, your scent drives me wild.”

  “I feel the same way, Ethan.”

  He rested his forehead against hers. “I want more than anything to have sex with you right now, but there are too many reasons why that can’t happen.”

  Panic had her locking her arms around him. She wasn’t letting him get away. “I disagree.”

  “Esme, you’ve had a hell of a week. Two deaths and a bugged house to name a few. Plus, I’m technically on duty now. I can’t afford to be distracted.”

  She was not letting him out of this bed, that’s all there was to it. “Those sound like excuses to me. If you aren’t attracted to me, man up and tell me.”

  Rolling to his side, he grabbed her hand and flattened it over his zipper. “Does that fee
l like I’m not attracted to you?”

  No, it felt glorious and huge. Heat scorched her hand through the fabric of his pants when she cupped him. He groaned. She bit back a smile. He was caving. Maybe he needed another nudge.

  Sitting up, she gripped the hem of her t-shirt.

  “Esme,” he warned.

  She whipped it over her head. Oops, look at that. She’d forgone undies after her shower.

  “Have mercy,” Ethan groaned before reaching out and brushing his thumbs against her sensitive nipples. Tossing back her head, she moaned in pleasure.

  “I tried,” he muttered before tackling her to the mattress and latching his mouth on her breast. She arched against him and speared her fingers through the short strands of his honey-colored hair. Then he was tugging off her yoga pants, leaving her naked while he was fully clothed. Instead of being self-conscious, she felt empowered. Feminine. He stared at her with a look of reverence. She placed a palm to his chest. His heart was beating as fast as hers and she was relatively certain, in sync. Next time they could slow down, explore and appreciate each other. But she was a raging inferno of need and her patience was gone.

  Gripping his gray shirt with the word Navy screened in blue letters, she yanked it off and muttered an apology when the fabric ripped. He changed into shorts after his shower and they came off easily, leaving him in only a pair of black boxer briefs that did nothing to hide the massive bulge. He hissed out a breath when she reached out and cupped him again, exploring the length and width and wondering if he’d even fit inside her. He didn’t give her time to consider the possibility as he came down over her, their bare chests rasping together in wonderous glory. His hands were in her hair and he was kissing her thoroughly, deeply. His lower body aligned with hers and he rotated his hips. Air burst from her lungs as she exploded in a fiery burst. Her body arched as a rainbow of colors detonated like Fourth of July fireworks behind her closed eyelids. Drums banged, cymbals crashed, and a choir belted out the Hallelujah chorus. She hadn’t had the opportunity to catch her breath yet when he ripped off his boxer briefs, rolled on a condom, twined their fingers together beside her head and then drove all the way inside her—and stopped.

  Wide blue eyes met wide green ones when they both climaxed instantly. She didn’t think she’d be able to come again so soon but this one was more powerful, more intense than the last one, or any she’d ever enjoyed before. There’d been hardly any movement, just the sensation of complete and utter joining, body, mind and soul. Shudders wracked his body. Or hers. She wasn’t sure. She thought she might pass out from the sensations that seemed to go on and on.

  When they were both able to breathe again, he rolled to his back and stared at the ceiling. “What the hell was that?”

  She had a feeling it was their connection as soul mates that caused the apocalyptic release. But she kept that to herself. “That was phenomenal.”

  #

  Ethan waited until he heard the steady breathing signaling Esme had fallen asleep before he slid out of bed and stepped into his shorts sans underwear. He wasn’t sure what happened earlier, but it was like nothing he’d experienced before.

  He thought he’d sampled all sex had to offer many times over. A little light bondage, role playing, threesomes, you name it. Even when it was bad, it was good. The encounter with Esme defied all logic. He’d tried to be noble and hold out, but really, it was a token protest. A losing battle. He’d known they’d end up in bed the moment he met her. There had been very little foreplay because he needed to be in her with an urgency that he couldn’t explain. As soon as he slid inside, he felt complete in a way that he’d never felt before. It was as if her body was made for his and they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. The release hadn’t built up in a tantalizing climb, it’d slammed into him like a bullet train, robbing him of his breath and every single thought in his head.

  If he didn’t know better, he’d think Lumi put a spell on him or something. How else could he explain what transpired in Esme’s bed? All he knew was that now he felt like an addict. He wanted to have sex with her as often as possible. He considered waking her up for round two, but she was exhausted. He was, too. They’d managed very little sleep in the last forty-eight hours. But so many thoughts were bounding around in his head, he knew he wouldn’t be able to settle down for a while. Plus, his body felt wired, like he’d mainlined a bucket of caffeine. He headed to her living room to check his messages.

  He'd asked the research crew to run background checks on Merle McDougal, Marge Earnshaw and Bernie Gorman. Merle’s file was first. There might be someone from his past with an ax to grind. His crusade against Esme and Lumi’s business was public knowledge. Someone might’ve used it as a smokescreen to get rid of Merle and frame Esme and Lumi.

  He scanned the details of the pastor’s colorful background that included several arrests for public intoxication and drugs, including one that sent him to prison for a six-month hitch. Although his middle-class parents were a respected dentist and pharmacist, Merle was a college dropout who skated through high school with mediocre grades. No extracurricular activities or clubs, no sports teams. His parents were listed on the donors of the First Baptist Church. Interesting that they didn’t frequent their son’s Church of the Chosen Disciples. Merle opened the doors two years ago, and now boasted a congregation of around sixty. Huh. That was surprising. Ethan figured he’d be lucky to draw a dozen people to listen to one of his sermons.

  He sent a note back to dig deeper into any acquaintances from prison, someone he might’ve pissed off. Merle didn’t have any outstanding debts, so it didn’t seem like money was the motive. The opposite, actually. His bank account was nicely padded. The preaching business paid well.

  He clicked out of Merle’s file and opened the next one. Marge Earnshaw had also spent time behind bars for credit card fraud, though her stint lasted only sixty days. Her resume after her release was sparse. She worked with a traveling circus, spent a few months as a dog walker and even drove for Lyft. He fired off a request for a deeper dig into her prison time, too.

  The last file was on Bernie Gorman. From what Esme had told him, Bernie was an odd duck. A quick scan produced no red flags in his background. No arrests for stalking or even a speeding ticket. His degree was in mortuary science. Strange choice of a major when there was no follow-up after graduation. He hadn’t even worked as an apprentice. A couple of paragraphs later, the reason for the lack of follow-through became apparent. Bernie’s father owned a funeral home, but he died when Bernie was in the second year of a two-year program. The funeral home was sold after his death.

  Ethan scratched his chin. Bernie learned how to embalm bodies, but didn’t put his knowledge to use—or did he? His training might’ve included how to test for poisons. He’d probably know what drugs caused what reaction and which ones killed.

  It was past time he paid the man a visit. He texted Noah to see if he was available tomorrow, not expecting a reply since it was the middle of the night.

  Ethan closed his laptop and after a stop in the bathroom, he tugged off his shorts and climbed back into bed. He hadn’t intended to wake Esme, but when those alluring green eyes opened, he was more than ready for round two.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Morning sex. A novel concept for Esme. She found she rather liked it. It was much sweeter waking up to Ethan’s slow kisses and teasing caresses than disturbing dreams of death and mayhem.

  Snuggled in his arms after two more incredible orgasms where she thought her body might’ve splintered into thousands of tiny pieces, she let the feeling of happiness wash over her like a roaring waterfall. She loved her life. Her candle making hobby became her job. Though she missed her parents every single day of her life, she was fortunate to have an aunt who loved her as her own. She had an expanding group of friends she trusted and cared about deeply. Sophie, Lyra and even Joelle had formed a clique of girlfriends she treasured. If someone had asked her two weeks ago, she’d have said she w
as happy without reservation. Incredibly happy. She had everything she needed except for the one thing she didn’t even know was missing. Ethan. To sound like a movie cliché, he completed her.

  With his arms wrapped around her from behind, he nuzzled her cheek. “How do you feel this morning?”

  Glorious. Euphoric. Crazy in love. “Good. Maybe a little sore,” she chuckled.

  Suddenly she found herself flat on her back with Ethan looming over her. “Did I hurt you? Was I too rough? God, I’m sorry, Esme. I should’ve asked you this morning before I attacked you. I mean, I know four times during the night was pushing it. I just needed you so—”

  She placed a finger against his lips to stop his apologies—though she did enjoy hearing that he couldn’t help himself and needed her as much as she did him. “I wasn’t complaining, Ethan. I’ve never felt better in my life. Eight or ten orgasms will do that to a girl. It’s all thanks to you.”

  He brushed a thumb across her cheek. “Twelve, but who’s counting? You’re sure I didn’t hurt you?”

  She almost said he could never hurt her, but that wasn’t true. Oh, she knew he’d rather cut off an arm than harm a woman. But he could destroy her heart if he walked away. “Positive.”

  He gathered her close again, her back to his front. She wrapped her arms around his.

  “Did you have any disturbing dreams?”

  Esme searched her brain, but she couldn’t remember any. “No, I didn’t.” She was pretty sure she dreamed, but the only impressions were joyful ones. It was strange how the prophetic dreams came and went, but then, she didn’t know much about them.

  Ethan checked his watch and cursed. “Noah will be here soon. I need to shower.”

  “Why is your brother coming by? Not that he can’t visit anytime he wants.”

  “We’re going to pay Bernie Gorman a visit.”

  “Bernie? Why?”

  “I want to get a feel for him, see if he’s capable of committing the crimes.”

  Esme snorted. “I can save you the trip. He totally isn’t. Unless his mommy tells him what to do, he’s pretty much clueless. I’m not sure he’s ever had an original thought in his head.”