Velvet Shadows

by Aubrey Rose

  “Well, I’m ready to hear you moan.” He withdrew his thumb and buried his cock to the hilt in one forceful lunge. She cried out, lowering her shoulders toward the mattress. The new angle took him deeper.

  His thumb nudged her puckered anus. Startled, she glanced back at him.

  “Trust me?”

  His throbbing length stretched her pussy, while his gaze glowed with tenderness. “Yes,” she whispered, surprised to realize how much she meant it.

  With a firm twist, he drilled into her. His slick thumb filled her as she had never been filled before, adding a new dimension to her pleasure, stark, carnal ‑‑ forbidden. She trembled, clenching the bedspread, and bracing her legs.

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “No. I…don’t stop.”

  He slid his thumb in and out, caressing her gently, waiting for her to adjust to the new fullness, the alien sensations. Slowly, he dragged his hips back, thrusting his thumb deep. Then, he reversed direction.

  Velvet moaned.

  “That’s it. Relax. Let it happen.”

  Each contrasting penetration pushed her higher, escalated the tingling pressure. She didn’t know how to move without disrupting his rhythm, so she let him control the depth and speed.

  “Oh God, Trevor. That’s so good!”

  “Say it again.” His voice sounded tense, almost harsh.

  “It feels good.”

  “No, my name. Say my name.”

  “Trevor. I love you, Trevor.”

  Her urgent words fueled his desire. He moved both hands to her hips and pounded into her possessively, frantically. “Mine. You’re mine.”

  Deeper and deeper. Velvet arched into each forceful thrust, squeezing his cock greedily. He buried himself completely, grinding his groin against her as he came. The rhythmic pulsing of his thick shaft sent her over the edge and she joined him in mutual release.

  His arm circled her thighs, keeping her locked against him. “I never want to leave your body.” He chuckled. “Do you mind?”

  Her soft laugh tightened her sheath around him and they both groaned. “You’re the one who’ll have to sleep standing up.”

  “Good point.” Reluctantly separating their bodies, he discarded the condom and joined her on the bed.

  She nestled against his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder. Lazily stroking his sculpted chest, Velvet drifted off to sleep.

  * * * * *

  “The evidence against Depalma is staggering. It may take some time to unravel all the implications. Suffice it to say that Anthony Depalma will be incarcerated for a good long time,” Detective Strickland explained.

  Velvet hadn’t expected to see the detective when she arrived at the police station with Trevor late that afternoon. Evidently it took more than a concussion to keep Strickland down.

  “I know you’re not allowed to discuss the details of an ongoing investigation,” Trevor said. “But if I tell you what we’ve been able to deduce will you confirm our conclusions?”

  “It will all be entered into public records unless a judge seals the documents, so I see no harm in what you suggest.”

  “Depalma is coercing women into a sort of sexual slavery.”

  “Correct.”

  After Depalma’s attack Velvet hadn’t wanted to talk about anything relating to Depalma, so Trevor didn’t know what Jamie had told her. “Have you spoken with Jamie, yet?” she asked the detective.

  “No, ma’am. Her doctor isn’t being very cooperative. He said her mental state is extremely fragile and he wants us to minimize her involvement as much as possible.”

  “I can tell you most of it. Then all Jamie will have to do is confirm my statement.”

  “That would be great.”

  The detective went to get a tape recorder and Velvet turned to Trevor. “Are you sure you want to hear this? It’s pretty ugly.”

  “She’s my sister. Nothing those bastards did to her will make me love her less.”

  “Give her time.” She smiled. “Jamie’s bound to figure that out.”

  Velvet spent the next hour detailing what she knew about Depalma. From the Halloween party, to Micah’s ‘mugging’, to what had happened in the back of the car. “He said something odd right after he bashed you on the head.”

  Trevor chuckled at her phrasing but Strickland let it slide. “What did he say?”

  “Snake asked him what they should do with you and Depalma said she didn’t want any unnecessary complications.”

  “Do you know who he was referring to?”

  “No. I always thought Depalma was the one in charge. Something about the way they were acting made it seem like they were following orders.”

  “A female partner? Interesting idea. Is there anything else you can think of that might help our investigation?”

  Velvet paused, searching her memory for fragments or suspicions she’d omitted. “There’s a Lieutenant Rojo in Hollywood who may have more information for you. He investigated Jamie’s disappearance. But I think that’s all I know.”

  He turned off the recorder. “You’ve been incredibly helpful and I have to apologize for last night. I wasn’t as careful as I should have been and you suffered for it.”

  “Find the puppet master and I’ll forgive you.”

  Proffering his hand, he smiled. “It’s a deal.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Trevor insisted on staying at Hortman Plaza until after Detective Strickland interviewed Jamie. It gave him time to update his mother on everything that had happened. Having prepared himself for the emotional trauma his revelation would bring, he was pleasantly surprised to learn she knew most of it already.

  “Jamie has been expressing her feelings in graphic terms since I arrived,” Peggy Sutton told her son. “She’s never forgiven your father for what happened all those years ago. I can’t say I blame her. Maybe now she can move beyond the pain.”

  “Were you able to get her accepted at Treamont?” Trevor knew the director at the rehab center and trusted her implicitly.

  “Once I dropped your name. They’re holding an opening for her.”

  “Good.”

  Velvet walked into the lounge balancing three plastic bottles of soda against each other in a triangle. She passed out the drinks and joined him on the sofa. “Doctor Evershim said they’re almost finished and we can leave as soon as the cops give the okay.”

  “I don’t know what we would have done without you, Velvet. You’ve been a real friend to Jamie.”

  “I just wish she’d told me who --”

  “We all have regrets. It’s more productive to focus on the future.” Peggy offered a warm smile.

  Clayton convinced his brother to return and fly everyone back to Seattle. Velvet was suspiciously quiet as she packed. Trevor knew what she was thinking and it amused him that she had discounted his devotion so easily.

  “So do I need to get a hotel or will you put me up at your place?” Her gaze shot to his and he grinned. “You didn’t honestly believe that I’d just walk away did you?”

  “I heard you talking to your mother about flying back. I didn’t know what to believe.”

  “Well, believe that I love you and it’s going to take a lot more than a solved case to get rid of me.”

  “Is the case solved? Are we out of danger?”

  “Your concerned about this ‑‑ what did you call her ‑‑ puppet master?”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “Then it’s more important than ever that I return to L.A. and protect you. Wouldn’t you say?” He was trying to lighten her mood with his playful banter, but her expression remained troubled.

  They were waiting at the gate for their departing flight when Velvet’s cell phone chirped. “Do you have customized ring tones.”

  “No, that was a missed call. But I didn’t hear it ring, did you?”

  He watched her face as she listened to the voice message the caller had left for her. A mixture of confusion and fascination animated her l
ovely features.

  “Who was it?”

  “Roger.”

  “Who is Roger?”

  “The Sultan.” She smiled and tucked the phone back into the pocket of her carry-on. “Micah’s lover. He said he has a packet of papers for me. He said something about insurance. I can’t imagine what sort of insurance policy would involve both Micah and me.”

  “Did he leave a number?”

  She shook her head. “I have it at home. I’ll call him when we get back.”

  The flight was uneventful. Not wanting to rent another car, Velvet called Gwen Mueller and asked her to pick them up at baggage claim.

  “What do we tell her?” Velvet asked as they walked down the concourse.

  “Let’s see what she tells us. I’m not volunteering any information about Jamie, but she’s bound to have heard Depalma was arrested.”

  Gwen waited at the baggage carousel tapping her foot impatiently. After giving Velvet a quick hug she launched into a flurry of questions. “So, does this mean we’re unemployed? You did hear didn’t you?”

  “Hear what?”

  Trevor nearly laughed. Velvet would never make it as an actress.

  “Oh, please! You were in San Diego and that just happens to be where our illustrious boss was arrested. What the hell is going on?”

  Velvet glanced at him as she masked the fury in her eyes. “Anthony Depalma is an amoral bastard. You better polish up your résumé.”

  “That didn’t answer the question, Vel.”

  Trevor grabbed their luggage off the carousel and they headed for Gwen’s car. “We had information leading us to believe Jamie Lynn was still alive. During the course of our investigation facts came to light that led to Depalma’s arrest.”

  “Thank you very much, Mr.-I’m-not-even-a-reporter.”

  He paused and stuck out his hand. “Trevor Sutton. Jamie is my sister.”

  She ignored his hand, her gaze boring into his. “Then Jamie is alive? Is she all right? Where is she? Why didn’t you bring her home?”

  “Safe.”

  “What? Now I’m a bad guy?” She harrumphed and hooked her arm though Velvet’s. “Fine. Have it your way.”

  “You can’t blame him for being suspicious, Gwen. He misrepresented himself because he thought the agency was involved in Jamie’s disappearance. Well, he was right.”

  Gwen shrugged and tossed her blonde curls. “Guess I’d have done the same. I’m thrilled she’s okay. Where am I taking you?”

  “Out to the beach house if that’s okay.”

  “Hell, I’m unemployed. I’ve got nothing better to do!”

  * * * * *

  Velvet left her suitcase sitting on the bed in her beach house and went to find Roger’s phone number. Unpacking could wait. She had to find out what he was talking about. Insurance? It just didn’t make sense.

  She hit a machine with her first attempt, but Roger answered his mobile. “Hi, Roger. It’s Velvet. I got your message this morning. I just --”

  “I don’t want to be involved in any of this.” His voice was terse and cutting. “Meet me out on the boardwalk at Venice Beach in an hour. Then forget you ever knew me.”

  He ended the call before she could reply.

  “Trevor.” She waited until he appeared in the doorway to her bedroom. “Roger wants me out on the boardwalk in an hour.”

  “Which boardwalk?”

  Rolling her shoulders, she tried to ease the tension rapidly gathering between her shoulder blades. “Venice. We’re going to have to hustle. An hour isn’t a lot of time. If we hit traffic we’re screwed. From the sound of his voice, he won’t hang around long.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Roger was nowhere in sight when they arrived forty-five minutes later. A continual stream of people strolled past, enjoying the balmy evening. The sun had just begun its descent into the watery horizon. A young couple had gathered a small crowd not far from where Velvet and Trevor stood. He deftly played a classical guitar while the woman sang in beautifully lilting Spanish.

  “Did you bring his phone number?”

  “Yes, but it hasn’t been quite an hour. Let’s give him a few minutes more.”

  They turned to watch the sunset.

  Roger stepped up beside Velvet and handed her a manila envelope. “I thought Micah was just babbling when he told me to give you the insurance packet, then I came across this when I cleaned out his office.” The word ‘insurance’ had been written in bold, block letters across the front of the envelope. “I’ve been through it. It means nothing to me.”

  Without another word he turned and melted into the crowd.

  “Was he always so charming?”

  Shaking her head, Velvet turned the envelope open and unfastened the butterfly clasp. “He just lost his life-partner, cut him some slack.”

  “What’s in there?”

  “I’m not sure. It looks like newspaper articles and copies of… We need to go somewhere and spread all this stuff out.”

  Trevor groaned. “Back to the beach house?”

  “Yeah.”

  Trevor started organizing the clues, while Velvet changed into a comfortable sundress. She found him in the kitchen with numerous clippings and scraps of paper arranged on the table in front of him. She paused by the refrigerator. “Do you want something to drink? Looks like this could take a while.”

  “A beer would be great.” He didn’t look up. “It’s an interesting story. I just don’t see a connection to Depalma. Maybe Roger was right and Micah was just babbling.”

  “I don’t believe that.” Velvet pulled out the chair beside his and sat, handing him a beer. “Micah was terrified when I saw him last. He defied Depalma and now he’s dead.”

  “That does seem a bit too convenient.”

  “What do the articles say?”

  “I tried to organize them chronologically, but not all of them have dates. And this was in the bottom of the envelope.” He held up a slender, rectangular metal object.

  “What is it?”

  “A flash drive or a thumb drive. I’ve heard them called different things. It hooks into the USB slot of a computer and works like a high-capacity floppy disk.”

  “How do we find out what’s on it.”

  “How old is your computer? Does it have a USB slot?”

  She laughed. “It’s antique. I use it primarily for email.”

  “Then this will have to wait.” He tucked the thumb drive into his pocket and pointed to one of the articles. “This one is about the marriage of Daniel Vermaneli to Sarah Ann Potter. According to these society columns Sarah wasn’t from the same social circle as the Vermanelis. Looks like Danny married beneath him. Now, these detail arrests and scandals linking the Vermanelis, Daniel in particular, with other well known mob families. Then nine years ago, Danny was executed in ‘classic Mafia style’.”

  “So, what became of Sarah Vermaneli?”

  “According to the articles, she disappeared three days after her husband’s death ‑‑ along with vast amounts of Vermaneli money.”

  “Could this be Depalma’s female partner?”

  “It could be anything. It could be nothing.” He took a swig of beer. “At least it’s a place to start. Does your antique have access to the Internet?”

  “Of course. How else would I do email. Is there a picture of Sarah?”

  He picked up a clipping and handed it to her. The person standing in front of the woman concealed one side of her face and the details of her features were indiscernible. “This is the only one?”

  “Yeah. I’ll see what else I can find.”

  * * * * *

  “Did you have any luck?” Velvet asked three hours later.

  Trevor chuckled and rubbed the bride of his nose. “I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know about Sarah Vermaneli. I found a number for one of her sister-in-laws and I didn’t think I’d ever get off the phone. That woman has either been isolated for extended periods of time or just plain likes
to talk.”

  “What did she say?”

  “Sarah was poor white trash and Danny never let her forget it. She was never good enough, never sophisticated enough, never thin enough to please her husband. This is all according to Mrs. Marcia Vermaneli, you understand. Sarah and Danny fought like cat and dog until the day Sarah ordered his execution, and disappeared with a large chunk of the family fortune.”

  “Didn’t anyone try to find her, trace the money or whatever?”

  He laughed softly. “They’re still trying. There’s no statute of limitations on murder, and the Vermanelis want her even more than the police.”

  Velvet heaved a discouraged sigh. “If the mob can’t find her, what hope do we have?”

  “Marcia asked me the same thing. And I can only think of one possible answer.”

  “Which is?”

  “Anthony Depalma.”

  “No way! We’re not trading Depalma for this woman. He cannot get away with what he’s done.”

  “He’s a henchman. This woman holds the real power.”

  “I want them both,” she insisted stubbornly. “I couldn’t live with myself if Depalma cut a deal and slinked back to Hell.”

  He accepted her decision with a nod. “All right, I’ll keep digging.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “It’s almost midnight.” Velvet stood in the open doorway of her home office, one shoulder leaning against the frame. “Take a break. Let’s go walk along the beach.”

  He pushed back from her desk and stretched his arms over his head. “But it’s just getting interesting.”

  “You can fill me in while we enjoy the moonlight.”

  “Can I feel you up while we enjoy the moonlight?”

  She laughed. “Only if you grab a blanket. I made love on the beach once before and ended up with sand in places I don’t even want to think about!”

  “I don’t want to think about you making love with anyone else.”

  His possessive growl made her smile. She led him through the house, her smile broadening when he snatched the fringed throw off the back of the sofa.