Bryan grimaced. “It’s an ongoing FBI investigation and we can’t discuss it with people who are not associated with the case.”
“I think Smith Kline did it.”
“Cleo,” he barked.
“Hush, dear.” Augusta blinked her eyes as we both ignored him. “The hypnotist?”
“You know him?”
She shrugged. “I’ve seen his shows. He is very effective, very smart, and extremely adept at handling a skeptical audience.”
“Does he have some kind of a magic?”
“I don’t think so,” she said. “If he was, he would be in the database.”
Or maybe he was a mage and it was a well-hidden secret. Some mages were never registered by their parents because they didn’t think that the authorities had a right to know. I didn’t feel any magical vibes from him, but then he could be exceptionally good at hiding his ability.
We were just going round and round. He killed those people. And yes, my instincts couldn’t present any evidence…but damn it, why didn’t Bryan trust me?
This victim mentality wouldn’t serve.
I’d to do what I thought was right, and they all had to figure out their options.
“It’s him,” I said again. “And I’ll find the evidence to convict him, but we’ll have to tail him and we’ll have to dig deeper into his finances and probably hack his computers.”
Bryan closed his eyes. “All illegal stuff, Cleo. We don’t have permission to do that.”
In movies, brave FBI agents got into a ton of trouble for unauthorized activities which later led to great results, but in reality, FBI agents did things by the book, and Agent Bryan was a prime example of that. He didn’t like breaking rules, and it was me who always ended up goading him in such activities.
But not this time.
It wasn’t fair to him.
And I had no right to ask him to get his ass into trouble just because my antenna was vibrating at the mere mention of Smith Kline.
“You’re right,” I acquiesced.
I would just have to do it without his knowledge. Jeremy and Mark weren’t bound by FBI laws. The contract I signed? A mere, pesky detail. I didn’t pay much attention to the finer details in the contract anyway.
Bryan studied me, clearly conflicted. He didn’t trust my easy compliance. But I widened my eyes and held my ground. “We’ll go and check on Elena Chapman then.”
Alone?
Sure, she probably wasn’t the killer, but she might be dangerous in another way. I opened my mouth and then closed it. He was a big boy, and I couldn’t say no if he wanted to follow his own instincts. Also when he was gone, I was free to chase after Smith Kline without much regard for the rules.
But I would worry about him.
It was an endless loop, and I was better off not delving deeper into it.
“Alright,” I said finally as the silence stretched.
Bryan cleared his throat. He shifted on his feet. “Ah. About that invitation to meet…Aaron Fine. You’re not actually going ahead with that, are you?”
I raised my eyebrow. “I don’t believe it’s any of your business.”
“That man…killed a great number of people right in front of us, and he didn’t take much time to come to the decision that they didn’t deserve to live. He is a…powerful mage without much regards for rules and not much compassion for others.” He waved a hand. “I can’t believe you would contemplate meeting him.”
And I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to further question me.
Rather than answer him, I held the vase tighter and walked away. Who did he think he was? He sure had a lot of gumption lecturing me about Aaron Fine.
Not that he wasn’t right.
Aaron Fine was not much of an option.
He was cunning, wily, powerful, and arrogant. He was also a man who was used to mind games. Didn’t he lure me into his office by manipulating Colonel Sanders? I couldn’t trust him.
And dating someone whom I didn’t like or trust was out of the question.
Like?
Please.
I lusted after the man.
Who wouldn’t?
He was hot and when he was in the mood, he could be charming too.
I so wasn’t going down that lane.
Yes, I was.
After putting the vase in my room, I took out the card. Meet me. The words mocked me.
Really? Should I?
No way.
It would be stupid to fraternize with the enemy.
Aaron Fine had his own agenda and I didn’t know what it was. He wanted something from us. First, he tried to embroil us in a legal case regarding the land on which we were living for the past many decades. Second, he got Colonel Sanders into trouble. Third, he killed all those people, swatted them out of existence as if their lives meant nothing.
And yet, he saved Bryan and I.
That counted for something.
“Cleo.”
I turned and shoved the card in my pocket, but of course, Augusta’s sharp gaze didn’t miss much. She came inside and closed the door, a sure sign that whatever she had to say was serious.
Oh no.
What trouble was I in now?
“Yes?”
Augusta sat on the bed. There were many times when she came into this room and sat me down for a lecture. As a troubled teen when I came into the commune, it fell on her to teach me about right and wrong and to mold me in ways I couldn’t then understand. I had so much anger, so much angst, and so much pain that more often than not; I ended up doing exactly what she told me not to do. But Augusta had patience with kids. She would sit with me again and again until finally the message was hammered home.
I didn’t steal.
I didn’t vandalize.
But I did stretch my magic to see what else I could do. I delved into experimental stuff and tried my luck with magic that often left scars on my body, and sometimes on my mind. At that time I didn’t realize it but I was pushing my boundaries to prepare myself for the ultimate quest; to find the killers who took my family away.
I didn’t achieve my goals, but I did come into the radar of the FBI who understood that my talent was better utilized in their realm. They offered me cases and I solved them – always. They got their thieves and killers, the commune got another source of income, while I held on to the hope that one day, someone in another one of their teams, will break open a case that would lead me to the killers whom I sought.
“I’m worried about you,” she said.
Ah.
I sat opposite her on the chair. “I’m fine. Smith Kline can’t hurt me. I’ll be careful.”
Her smile lit her face. Her kind eyes held a wisdom that often soothed me. “It’s not Smith Kline who is the trouble…it’s something else.”
“What is it?”
“You came to us when…you were a teenager. And I’d much experience with teenagers. They are often wild, rebellious, and crazy with the desire to proof that they are indestructible.”
“I did pretty wild things.”
“Oh yes, you did. Remember when you set the whole lab on fire because you were trying to make a new spell?”
“Shelley and I nearly burnt to a crisp,” I said.
If it weren’t for her protective magic, which she threw around both of us in the nick of time, we would have both died. Shelley was cool in emergencies.
“And the number of times when we had to dig you out from the earth or get you down from a tree or look for you in the nearby area because you tried some magic or another that led you to trouble…” She sighed. “I was always afraid that you would kill yourself.”
“But here I am.”
She reached forward to touch my arm, and for a moment, I was reminded of my mother. Maybe I mixed up the two women in my mind. “Yes, here you are now. And you have done well for yourself, but you know what was the main difference between you and the other teenagers I had to shepherd through our school, through life.”
“What?”
“All of them had magic but they all got into trouble which non-magic teenagers got into. They dated inappropriate people at inappropriate times. They sneaked out of the farmhouse. They told their parents that they were in school with us while they went out on dates or in groups to some beach or to some other place.” Augusta shook her head. “It was all predictable in the unpredictable manner in which teenagers behave. But you?”
“I never sneaked out with a boy,” I protested.
“Whenever you sneaked out, I panicked because I knew that you must have decided to try some dangerous spell which could kill you.”
Her description was so accurate that I couldn’t help but laugh. “I must have given you a lot of white hair. Perhaps it’s time to apologize for that.”
“Don’t be silly. I don’t need an apology. What I am trying to say is that…I never had to steer you away from boy trouble, never ever in the last many years you have been here. Not once.” She stopped to drive home her point. “You’ve hardly dated. And when you dated, it was always with someone I secretly approved of.”
“I’m glad you never told me that because that would have taken the fun out of the whole dating process.”
Sighing, she shifted on the bed. I recalled the way she looked when I came in; there were few differences. Perhaps her face was a bit more lined, and her hair was a bit gray, but the sharpness and alertness of her gaze never changed. And yet there was something different today. Worry congealed in the depths of her eyes. She was concerned about it.
I couldn’t understand why.
It was always the same in my world; mayhem, chaos, and bloody fights. Murders rattled me, of course, but I loved what I did, and that was to catch those who did bad things.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you confused about a man,” she said.
“Don’t be silly, Augusta.” She stared me down. Fine. The woman knew me too well. “Oh sure, ok. So I’ve…sort of…some kind of a…heck. I don’t even know what that is.” Pointing at the vase of flowers, I sighed. It was a long time since a man managed to stir real emotions within me. Bryan managed to do it, but it was more curiosity and a little bit of sizzle. With Aaron, it was a deeper, more violent kind of lust, and a strange kind of connect which I couldn’t define. “I bet this guy wants something. He has been fingering us for long. First the court case, then Colonel Sanders, and now this. But don’t worry, I’ll know what he wants soon enough and then I will deal with him.”
Her gaze turned speculative. “I would agree that Aaron Fine has more than one purpose in mind, but for sure, one of them seems to be you.”
“Please.” I snorted. “He is a rich, smart, and a freakishly powerful guy. If he had to choose a girl, it would be someone who would look good at his arm candy. I’m not what he wants.”
“And how do you know what he wants? That man has his eye on you.” She raised a hand before I could argue. “Let’s just call this the voice of wisdom. I recognize that look in a man’s eyes. He wants you.”
Now this wasn’t a comfortable conversation to have with Augusta. “Please.”
She stood. Relieved, I mirrored her movements. “Don’t dismiss my words, Cleo. Aaron Fine is after you, and he has got something very obvious on his mind. But he is not a man you can trust.”
She was right.
“I’m not interested in Aaron Fine.”
Even I didn’t believe myself.
“You’re a beautiful and intelligent woman, Cleo. I can only hope that when you choose someone, you’ll make the right decision for yourself.”
Oh my! I couldn’t wait for this conversation to come to an end.
This was way worse than when she talked to me about sex.
“I’m not making any decision. There is nothing going on between Aaron and I, and there never will be something. I don’t want a man in my life.”
“We all want someone.”
“But you...” I shut my mouth before the words could escape, but the flash of pain in her eyes told me that she understood what I meant to say. We’d never talked about it, but Dubey once told me that the one man Augusta loved beyond all died two decades ago in a nasty fight with a werewolf. “I’m sorry.”
Silence stretched, and I wished I were anywhere but here. “Never finding someone is as painful as losing someone you love,” her voice was gentle. “Whatever choice you make, I hope that you will be happy with it.”
I wasn’t about to make any choice. Aaron Fine was off-limits. He was unpredictable, off the charts calculating, and way too powerful. He also appeared to have few qualms about breaking rules and killing people. While I could get on board with the former, I could never understand the latter. Human beings, no matter how vile, had some value. No one could claim the authority to snuff out a life without going through due process of justice. Aaron Fine likely lacked a moral compass, and if I were to ever date him, I would probably end up arresting him.
Definitely not a good choice.
My gaze focused on the flowers. Oh, so pretty. Walking over, I allowed myself the luxury of running my fingers over the delicate flowers. No man would ever indulge me in quite this manner ever again. It was kind of nice to enjoy this attention, even though I was sure that there was some ulterior motive behind it.
Augusta was right; I couldn’t trust the man.
He had his motives, and I didn’t know what they were. Uncertainty wasn’t something I dealt with in a good way. Meet me? Pulling the card out, I looked at it again. Perhaps I would do just that, and I would make him spill the beans on what he wanted from us. And once I got that information, I would deal with whatever nefarious scheme he hatched up.
And that would be that.
Chapter Twelve
This was wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
Shifting forward my chair, I sat across from Aaron Fine. “This is not a date.”
His cocky smile lit his face. Oh wow! It took the edge off the hard look in his eyes and made him look more boyish. I could jump across the table and lap him up. But then I would likely get food poisoning. The man was dangerous, and it wouldn’t do to forget that – ever.
“You said you wanted to meet.”
“Excuse me. You were the one who said you wanted to meet. I merely called and said that I was willing to oblige you.”
“And I’m grateful.”
He could rile me up all too easily.
I didn’t like that.
Score one for him. Zero for Cleo.
Not good.
It was hard to ignore the opulent environment we sat in. When he gave me the location, I assumed it was another one of his offices, but it was an Italian restaurant, not officially open as yet. Apparently it was his new project. The gorgeous murals on the walls and ceilings created an ambiance that was all too likely to make me forget that I wasn’t in Italy. The comfortable chairs made me want to sink in and not move. It wasn’t a place to meet someone for a business meeting; this was a place a man took a woman he wanted to wine and dine and then seduce.
My eyes narrowed. Exactly what were his intentions? Surely, Augusta wasn’t right. He couldn’t be looking at me as his newest conquest. For one thing, I was likely to break his balls if he made any such attempt, and another thing, I wasn’t interested.
Wasn’t I?
No, I certainly wasn’t.
“Problem?”
“I’ve a problem with this whole…” I waved my hand. “With this place. This is supposed to be a meeting. A business meeting,” I emphasized. “Not that we have any business together…oh hell. You know what I mean.”
“Of course, I do.” He signaled to the waiter who gave me a wine menu. “What would you like to order?”
I should teach him a lesson and order the most expensive thing on the menu, but damn it, I didn’t think he would care. And in fact, that might weaken my position even more. “Nothing.”
“Oh come on, don’t be like that. I am trying out
the menu to see if we’re ready to receive clientele.”
“And this isn’t a date.”
“That really seems to be a sticking point.” He sighed. “Fine. If it makes you happy, I will say it out loud; it’s not a date.”
Oh dear.
He didn’t even try to sound sincere.
“Good.” I huffed. After ordering a white wine, I settled back. Since he was so determined to treat me, I might as well enjoy the experience. It wasn’t often that a man went to such lengths to entertain me. Of course, it was his own place and he wasn’t really making much of an effort. Maybe he was merely killing two birds with one stone; meeting me and checking out his new place.
The glint in his eyes made me focus.
No way.
I was in the den of a lion and he was eyeing me as if I was something he was ready to eat. Perhaps Augusta was right. Maybe he was interested in me? It wasn’t often that a man such as Aaron Fine, an alpha man with all the checks in the right boxes, showered me with attention. He was rich. He was handsome. He was highly skilled, and intelligent. In short, he was the perfect man.
Well, of course, he also killed with efficiency and that wasn’t something I could dismiss.
“What do you want?”
He coughed. “Well, now that you ask...”
The twinkle in his eyes couldn’t be mistaken. “I’ll get up and walk out,” I warned.
“You know it wouldn’t be a bad idea for us to date.” I stood. Grabbing my hand, he tugged. Even though I should have walked out, the warmth from his hand seeped into my skin and made me burn.
I burned with need.
I burned with desire.
“Let go.” My words were soft, but every muscle in my body was primed for action. “Now.”
He let go. “Are you scared to sit across a table and have a nice meal?”
It was a challenge.
It was a trap.
I could walk out. It wasn’t as if I’d to prove something to him. Scared? No. Excited, nervous, and horny? Yes. Yes. Yes.
All the more reason to walk out.
But I sat. One of the biggest mistakes of my life, I was sure. But still I couldn’t follow through on what my mind told me. The man was an enigma. He was exciting. And he tempted me beyond anything. Every time I looked at him, my body sizzled with suppressed need. How long had it been? Two years since my last relationship?
01 Serial Killer (FBI Paranormal Casefiles) Page 11
