“Okay, I agree with most of that. What did you have in mind?” She was biting the inside of her lip again. It was such an endearing habit that made me want to suck her lip into my mouth and nibble on it myself.
Pulling my gaze from her tempting lips I told her, “I spoke to Serafina and Solomon earlier and they would like Rachel to help fill in while Solomon’s assistant Renee is out of town. Renee usually does the work of three people and with Serafina being pregnant we’re all worried about her trying to handle that workload on her own. It’d just be general office duties, maybe making some phone calls.”
She tilted her head to the side while she thought and her hair fell behind her. I imagined my tongue sliding along her neck, my teeth nipping at her earlobe.
“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll see what she thinks when she wakes up.”
“There is something else.” I paused knowing she wasn’t going to like this.
“Just spit it out Rook, that slight twitch in your eye already told me you’re worried I won’t like whatever you’re going to say,” she enlightened me with a smile.
I was blown away. No one knew me that well, not even Dragon. I took a deep breath and blew it out. “Here goes nothing. Solomon offered to take her to The Catacombs tonight to help get her mind off of everything and to keep her out of trouble.”
“Are you insane?” she asked incredulously. “Do you know what he does with women in The Catacombs?”
I gave an amused snort. “Yeah, I’ve seen the show many times and it’s not restricted to the confines of The Catacombs. Solomon has no shame and wherever the urge strikes him he’ll open his pants and fuck the nearest female. Honestly, it’s a shapeshifter thing but most of them learned to control themselves as the world became more civilized.”
“And you want me to let him take my daughter out on a date?”
The look on her face was so full of disbelief I had to laugh. “It wouldn’t be a date Angela, even Solomon has limits. Emotionally Rachel is still a child even if she is legally an adult, and children are off limits. She’d be perfectly safe with Solomon and after the interest she showed in him last night, I don’t think she’d object to him taking her anywhere.”
Angela stood up and started pacing. “It’s that interest that bothers me. Rachel isn’t just boy crazy like a normal teenager. She sees sex as a tool, something that can help her get money or whatever else she may want. How is Solomon going to be able to resist her once she really starts trying to get his interest? I may see her as a child and you might as well, but physically, she is not a child.”
“Trust me, there’s a lot more to Solomon than the horny Gothic teenager most people get to see. When I first met him he was a shy, studious young man. Granted that was a few hundred years ago, but in his heart he hasn’t changed. Intellectually he is off the charts, a true genius, and you’ve seen his shows, he’s creative as hell. He inspires everyone around him to expand their knowledge and apply what they learn in new and interesting ways. He’d be a very good influence on Rachel and since he appears so young, she’d probably listen to him more than she would any other adult.”
She was biting the inside of her lip while she paced. “She can’t go to The Catacombs anyway, she’s not twenty-one.”
“Don’t worry, I know the owner. He won’t mind, and I’m sure he can convince the police to look the other way too.” I’d been going for serious but couldn’t keep the corner of my mouth from curling when she rolled her eyes at me.
“I’m serious Rook.”
“So am I Angela.” I got up and stopped her in the middle of the floor, needing her to agree to this. With my hands on her shoulders I looked down into her pale blue eyes and said, “We need something to keep Rachel entertained and out of trouble, preferably something inside this resort. Once Solomon is finished setting up the wards at your house he can come back here to get Rachel and we’ll have the rest of the evening to ourselves.” I knew there were silver sparks in my eyes as I visualized what I’d like to do with her once we were alone.
When the meaning behind my words sank in her eyes darkened as her tongue slid across her lips. The temptation was too much to resist and I dipped my head to kiss her. I met her lips softly with light teasing licks of my tongue while my hands smoothed up and down her bare arms. She stepped closer to me until her body pressed against mine, then she wrapped her arms around my neck as she deepened the kiss. A growl rumbled out of my throat when her hand fisted in my hair just tight enough to pull without causing pain. I loved when she did things like that. Like this morning when she’d rolled me to my back and taken charge.
I picked her up by the backs of her thighs with one thought in my mind - get to the bedroom. If we didn’t start moving now I was going to take her right here where Rachel might walk in and see us. I’d waited so long to be with her, touching her now, having her kiss me like she’d devour me; I didn’t want to wait any longer. Her legs went around my hips as she moaned into the kiss.
We were just about to the bedroom door when her phone started vibrating on the table. She tore her lips away from mine and I moved to her neck, kissing and sucking while she gasped for air.
Breathlessly she said, “I have to get that...” She was distracted when my tongue traced over her collarbone. She groaned, a sound of pure frustration. “Rook, the pattern... Oh God don’t do that again.” I’d run my tongue up her throat and sucked her earlobe between my lips. The phone was still vibrating in some kind of pattern like Morse code. “Rook, it’s the station, I have to get that,” she pleaded as I ground my erection between her legs.
With a frustrated snarl I set her down and ran my hands through my hair. Angela went to her phone and answered. After a short conversation she hung up and sank into a chair at the table.
“I have to go to the station now,” she said with a hollow voice.
Sensing something was very wrong I crouched down in front of her and brushed her bangs back away from her face. “What’s wrong Angela?”
“I’m not sure, but my lieutenant wants me in her office as soon as I can get there. She didn’t say what it was about, but I just have this feeling inside.” She rubbed her chest over her heart.
I kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Come on, I’ll take you home so you can get your car.”
We didn’t want Rachel to be alone when she woke up so we asked Serafina and Solomon to stay in the suite while we were gone. They agreed, and while we waited for them to arrive, Angela wrote Rachel a note letting her know she was free to order room service and explore the resort, but she shouldn’t leave the property. Angela was understandably worried about leaving Rachel but I assured her she’d be in good hands. She searched my face for a moment, then she nodded and I was happy she trusted my judgment.
When I dropped Angela off I told her I’d be back with Solomon and Rachel after the sun set for the evening. She said she’d try to hurry back and I kissed her goodbye before she left for her meeting. As her car disappeared around the corner I knew deep in my soul that whatever awaited her was going to be painful, and I vowed to my Goddess that no matter what she needed when she returned I would be there to help her through that pain.
* * * * *
Chapter Fourteen
I sat across from Lieutenant Taggert in her office while she scrutinized me with narrowed eyes. I tried not to fidget or show any other signs of stress, but I couldn’t stop the sweat from gathering on my palms.
“Tell me what happened last night,” she said as she leaned back in her chair with her penetrating gaze focused solely on me.
I met her eyes and spoke with confidence I didn’t really feel. I knew this was about Rook and it wasn’t going to be pleasant. “When I arrived at the crime scene I recognized the body as that of Emily Keaton. Emily had been very close to my daughter Rachel their whole lives and I knew they had plans to go out together last night. I couldn’t reach Rachel on her phone so I went to look for her.”
“Did you go alone?” she inq
uired.
“No, I asked Mr. Delaney to help me look for her.” Inside I cringed, but outwardly I remained strong, steady.
“Let me get this straight. You found the body of a young woman who was supposed to be with your daughter and instead of asking the entire police force to help you look for her; you went to the Myths and Legends Casino Resort to get their head of security to help you find her. What made you think he’d know where to look for her?”
“The resort works closely with the shelters and youth programs around the city to help the kids get off the streets and away from drugs and prostitution. As you know, Rachel has been in some trouble lately and I thought she might have been with some of the street kids that Mr. Delaney is familiar with through his work with the shelters.”
She stood up and paced behind me. “But you must have been thinking that whoever murdered Emily either had Rachel or had already killed her as well.”
I swallowed hard while she was behind my back. “Yes Ma’am, those thoughts did cross my mind.”
“So if you thought she was with the killer and you thought Mr. Delaney would know where to find her, then that would mean you believed he knew where to find the person we’ve been searching for.” Her voice was ice cold and I knew there would be no reasoning with her. From her point of view I’d betrayed my fellow police officers by going to the enemy for help instead of them.
“No Ma’am, I did not believe that at all. I simply went to him for help because I knew that he had good contacts all over this city and people talk to him that aren’t willing to speak to the police.”
She came back around in front of me and leaned against the front of her desk. “Detective Ruby, I believe your judgment has been clouded by spending too much time at that resort. I can’t blame you entirely; I did tell you to get close to Mr. Delaney to gain his confidence. But at this point the association has gone too far. Effective immediately you are off this case and given the grief your family must be feeling over the death of a close friend I’m putting you on administrative leave until you can speak to one of our psychologists. Once you’re deemed fit for duty we’ll discuss your caseload and consider making adjustments to avoid problems like this in the future.”
“Lieutenant Taggert, I do not agree with your assessment of this incident. I had a problem and used the best resource available to me to solve it. Might I remind you that it was the same resource you have encouraged me to use many times to solve crimes including the murders we are currently investigating. Furthermore, I do not need time off to grieve for my daughter’s friend,” I said heatedly, unable to hold back the fury burning inside of me.
“Take the time off Angela and think about where your loyalties lie. I’ll see you here again after you’ve met with a psychologist.”
With that I was dismissed and there was nothing else I could say. I went to my car and tore out of the parking lot with so many thoughts swirling around in my head it’s a miracle I didn’t hit anything. They didn’t even know I was considering a relationship with Rook and I was already being pushed off the force.
She had no right to do this of course. Even if I moved in with Rook at the resort I still wouldn’t be doing anything wrong. There’d never been a single charge filed against anyone at Myths and Legends or the slightest bit of evidence that proved any wrongdoing on their parts. It didn’t matter though, I could fight all I wanted to, but my career would still be over. She’d make certain no one would ever want to work with me again. With a little coaxing from her they’d all see me as a traitor, someone they couldn’t trust, and cops needed trust or everything fell apart.
For half a second I felt sorry for myself, but that feeling was quickly replaced by anger. How dare she try to manipulate me this way? I’d given everything to her and the force and look what it had gotten me. My daughter was taking drugs and selling her body for money while I spent more time at work than I did at home. What kind of life was that? I’d always thought it was worth it because I was part of a team that worked hard to put some very bad people behind bars. But now...
Now I saw what all my sacrifices meant to the people I counted on to stand beside me, and what I saw left me feeling empty inside.
Chapter Fifteen
I pulled up in front of my house and slammed the door on the Mustang when I got out of the car. Once I was inside I changed clothes and headed straight for the back bedroom where I’d set up my gym equipment. After a few minutes of warming up I strapped on some gloves and went a few rounds with the heavy bag. I was still punching and kicking, the fury I felt barely cooled when I heard the front door open and Rachel called out looking for me.
She came bouncing into the room with Rook and Solomon following close behind. “Mom, that place is so cool. I can’t believe you never let me go there before. They have all these stories on the walls that tell where vampires came from and the pictures are awesome. By Lilith’s there are images of vampires biting women on the inside of their thighs and over by Mystique the sexy demons are giving the men blow jobs.”
I put my hand up trying to get her to stop. “That’s enough Rachel, slow down.” Grabbing a towel I wiped the sweat off my face while I looked her over. “You seem to be feeling better.”
Pain flashed across her face before she managed to hide it again. “Yeah, well Serafina and Solomon talked to me about what happened to Emily and they made me see that it’s not really my fault. I still feel really bad about what happened to her, and I hope you catch the bastard that did it, but I’m okay now. She wouldn’t want me to lie around crying all day anyway.”
“No she wouldn’t.” I glanced behind her and Rook caught my eye indicating he needed to talk to me. “Why don’t you go get some clothes together Rachel? There’s no school next week for spring break so I think we’ll have a mini vacation and stay over at Myths and Legends.”
“Really?” She squealed. When I nodded she threw her arms around my neck and I noticed the surprised expression on Rook’s face where he stood by the door. Rachel said, “Oh, thank you Mommy, thank you,” then she rushed off to her bedroom.
Solomon looked from me to Rook then said, “I’m going to leave you two alone and get started on the wards now.” He was already chanting in that strange language of his as he strode down the hall.
Rook came further into the room and sat down on the weight bench. “There was a cop watching your house from across the street when we drove up. Solomon convinced him he never saw us and put him to sleep.”
I just shook my head, the outrage I’d felt earlier rearing its head again. I threw a few more punches at the bag, then a couple of kicks.
“What happened at your meeting today Angela,” Rook asked quietly.
I kept taking my anger and frustration out on the bag when I answered. “I’m on administrative leave so I can think about where my loyalties lie.” Another few punches. “That’s not the official reason of course, but that’s what it comes down to.” A hard kick right where I imagined Lieutenant Taggert’s beady little eyes would be if she was standing in front of me.
“They didn’t like you coming to me for help instead of them,” he stated and I heard the edge of a growl in his voice, his anger at the people who’d wronged me breaking through.
I stopped with my back to him and tore off the gloves. I was breathing hard and every muscle in my body was screaming with pain. “No they didn’t. I knew they wouldn’t, but when I thought I might never see Rachel again it didn’t matter. I wanted you, I needed you, and not just to help me find Rachel. I needed you to hold me together.”
I hadn’t even heard him move when his strong arms wrapped around me from behind and I let myself sag against him. He held me tighter and spoke softly near my ear. “I will always be here for you Angela; no matter what you need from me I will always do my best to give it to you.”
Turning in his arms I looked up into his star filled eyes. “I know you will Rook, you’ve always been there for me, and from now on I will always be there for you too.”
I’d made that decision while I was working out my anger on the bag. I would no longer make both of us suffer for people who didn’t deserve my loyalty, for people who would cast me out the first time I made a decision they didn’t agree with.
A brilliant smile stretched across Rook’s face as the silver sparks multiplied in his eyes.
“That is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I love the way your eyes fill with silver.” Reaching up I brushed his hair back behind his ear so I could see his handsome face more clearly.
“They never used to do that, not before you traveled through time with me the first time.” His voice was gruff, full of the emotions sparking in his eyes.
“Even better, they shine just for me,” I whispered as I went up on my toes to kiss him. His lips were soft and warm against mine, so tender, so loving. It would be so easy to lose myself in him.
“Mom, I’m all packed,” Rachel called from down the hall and I reluctantly withdrew from the kiss and banged my head against Rook’s chest a few times.
“Why does this keep happening to us?”
Rook’s hand smoothed up and down my back. “In a few minutes we can send her back to the resort with Solomon if you’ve decided to let her go out with him tonight”
“Are you sure she’ll be alright with him?”
He titled my head back with a finger under my chin and grinned at me. “Solomon will take good care of her, just like any good older brother would.”
I shook my head, sure that Rachel would never see Solomon as a brother, and started down the hall with Rook following a few steps behind me. When I told Rachel where she’d be going and who she’d be going with, she reacted as expected with lots of screaming and jumping around. When I told her Rook and I had plans and I probably wouldn’t be going to the resort until the morning she made kissy faces and actually sang that kids’ song - K I S S I N G, first comes love, then comes marriage, next comes my sibling in a baby carriage. Everyone laughed including Solomon as he joined us.
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