“Yeah, that’s it. They get into a van, dark windows, no distinguishing features, and the plates are stolen. So, no help there.”
“At least it’s something to go on. Thanks for your help.” Gray stood, and Lacey rose as well, swaying slightly.
Travis reached out and grabbed hold of her arms, steadying her. “When was the last time you ate?”
She waved off his concerns. “I’m fine.”
“You’re light-headed and pale. Come on, I’m going to take you out for dinner. Something you should have had hours ago.” Travis glared at Gray as he said those words. “Your boyfriend needs to take better care of you.”
Gray’s jaw tightened, his gaze narrowing. Uh-oh.
Lacey stepped away from Travis’s hold, moving closer to Gray. “I’m fine, Travis. And it’s only eight. Hardly time to panic about the fact I haven’t had dinner.” Or lunch. “And for your information Gray takes very good care of me.”
“He better,” Travis said with clear warning in his voice. “Or he’ll have me to deal with.”
***
Gray didn’t feel like eating, but he made an effort for Lacey’s sake, knowing she did. Food flew off her plate, and guilt rolled around his stomach. Travis was right, he wasn’t taking care of her. He probably should have insisted she stay home. But, selfishly, he’d wanted her with him.
“Do you want to go visit Rory’s friends tonight?” she asked, delicately wiping her lips.
He shook his head. “I asked Connor to track down their phone numbers and addresses, but that will take time. We’ll get a good night’s sleep and go see them tomorrow.”
Not that he really thought he’d sleep, despite his exhaustion.
“Come on, let’s go back to our hotel room.” She signaled for the bill. “Things always seem worse when you’re tired.”
He reached across and took hold of her hand. “Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have you in my life?”
She blushed slightly, looking away. “I’m the lucky one. Believe me. I hope you didn’t take offence to anything my cousins said today. Especially Travis. They’ve been frightening off my boyfriends since eighth grade.”
He winked at her. “They won’t scare me off, I promise.”
The bill came, and he paid it. He helped her into her light jacket then led the way outside, keeping her close. As he drove them back to the hotel, his mind churned over everything they’d learned today. “I don’t like the boyfriend.”
She sighed, and he thought she’d argue with him. He pulled into the parking lot beneath their hotel. “Me either. He’s too possessive and the way he followed her, sending her notes and flowers, it’s stalking behavior.”
Yeah, that’s what he’d thought as well. His gut churned.
“She’s been missing a week. So much could have happened to her in a week.”
She nodded solemnly. After they entered the hotel suite, she turned to him. “Why don’t you go have a hot shower? It will relax you.”
Twenty minutes later, he walked into the bedroom after his shower, all he wanted was to go to bed and try to forget the last twenty-four hours. He came to a stop when he saw her on the bed. She was on her knees, her back straight, her head lowered and her hands resting on her spread thighs. He could see the pink lips of her pussy peeking out at him.
Arousal stirred. But it was soon overshadowed by fatigue.
“Oh, baby, thank you, but I don’t think I can tonight.” And he regretted that more than he could say. She was still so new to this, and he didn’t want her to see this as him rejecting her. “It’s not about you. At all. I’m just exhausted tonight.”
She surprised him by raising her head and smiling at him softly. “I know, Sir. This is all for you. If you could lie face down on the bed.”
Face down?
He raised an eyebrow then glanced down at the towel stretched out over the bedspread and the small container of massage oil on the bedside table.
“This is a well-equipped hotel, Sir,” she explained. “I want to give you a massage to relax you. If you’ll let me.”
“You want to give me a massage. Just a massage?” She didn’t want anything in return? No, of course not. This was Lacey. He rubbed his head.
“Just a massage,” she told him. “I need to help you, and this is the best way I could think of. But if you don’t want one then I can put it away and we can just sleep. I—”
“Hush,” he told her. “I want the massage.”
A smile crossed her lips. “All right.”
He moved to the bed, dropping his towel at the side. Leaning over, he grabbed the nape of her neck and pulled her up for a kiss. “Thank you.”
“You haven’t had the massage yet,” she told him.
“Doesn’t matter. I’m still grateful to you for thinking of it. A massage sounds perfect right now.”
He lay face down on the bed, and she spread her legs over his lower back, her pussy pressing against his skin. Surprisingly, his cock stirred.
Not so tired, after all.
He heard her rubbing the oil between her hands. Then she started on his shoulders, rubbing at the knots before moving down his spine and pressing on his lower back.
She was slightly clumsy and at times pushed too hard on the tender areas and so softly on other areas he could hardly feel her. But it was still the best massage he’d ever had.
When she moved to his buttocks, his dick firmed even more, aching as it pressed against the mattress.
“Could you roll over, please, Sir?”
Hell, yes, he could.
She climbed off him, and he rolled, staring up at her as she took in his erection. She licked her lips, her gaze riveted on his cock. Now, that was enough to make a man’s ego inflate. Then she straddled his lower stomach and massaged the front of his shoulders and his chest. She moved down, her pussy brushing against his cock, and he groaned. Lacey knelt between his legs and, leaning in, took his cock into the warmth of her mouth.
Gray let out a low shout. “Lacey.” Even though he ached with arousal, he still wasn’t certain he was up to anything right now.
“Sh,” she murmured. “This is just for you. Just close your eyes and enjoy.”
She moved her mouth up and down his shaft, sucking him into her wet warmth. She circled her hand around the base of him, holding his dick steady as she licked the head of his cock, exploring him, tasting him.
It was more than a man could be expected to take.
His balls ached, his orgasm building in the small of his back. As though sensing how close he was, she stopped licking at him and sucked the head of his cock into her mouth then moved slowly down, inch by inch. Then up just as slowly.
He clasped the back of her head. “Faster,” he growled, guiding her movements. “That’s it. Fuck yeah.”
He thrust into her mouth then groaned as he came, his hips raising off the bed, his body shaking with his release. Lacey continued to suck on him then she licked her way back up his cock, giving the head a soft kiss.
“Come here,” he told her in a husky voice.
She moved up beside him and he pulled her in to kiss her, not caring that she tasted of him. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, Sir. Anytime.”
Chapter Seventeen
Eight.
Eight.
She sat up in bed, gasping for breath, her skin coated in sweat. Oh my God. Could she be right? Had he been signaling the number eight? She glanced over at Gray, but he was still asleep. She checked the time. 6:04 a.m.
Travis was an early riser so she knew he’d be awake.
Grabbing her phone, she moved out of bed and into the living area of the room. This place was huge, and easily the nicest hotel she’d ever stayed in. She stared out at the Manhattan skyline as she texted Travis.
Come on.
He replied with a simple yes. Okay, now she just needed to ensure she went there alone. That wasn’t going to be easy. She leaned her head against the glass, the coolness soothing
against her overheated skin.
It couldn’t be true. He was dead. This wasn’t the same man. She had met the Latin Lothario, he’d jogged by her every day for weeks. He’d had an olive complexion, he’d been younger, in his mid-thirties. This man was much older and Caucasian. They were nothing alike.
So why did it feel like he was back. A copycat? Possibly. But why did he signal the camera? Who did he think would be watching?
“Hey, what are you doing up?”
She screeched at the sound of Gray’s voice, whirling, her heart racing so fast and hard she felt slightly light-headed.
“What’s wrong?” Looking concerned, he moved forward and grabbed hold of her elbow. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She felt terrible lying to him, but she couldn’t say anything until she’d seen the footage again. And if what she thought was true then this little lie was going to be the least of her problems. “I couldn’t sleep.”
He studied her for a moment, looking slightly suspicious. Then he stretched. “I slept really well. I wonder why.” He gave her a look.
She smiled. “You liked it?”
He drew her close then kissed her. “I loved it. How about we order breakfast then have a shower? I just need to check my email and see if Connor came through on those addresses and phone numbers for Rory’s friends.”
“Actually, Travis just called me. He wants to see me. Do you think I can meet with him while you talk to Rory’s friends?”
He looked surprised for a moment then nodded. “Of course. You go see your cousin. We can meet for lunch?”
“Sounds great. I love you, Gray.”
“Love you too. Thank you for being here to support me. It means more than you can know.”
***
“He let you take a taxi here?” Travis growled as soon as he opened the door to the cab. He held out a hand, and she took it, letting him help her. “Why didn’t he bring you over himself?”
“Because he’s busy tracking down some friends of Rory’s,” she told him with exasperation. “Besides, I wanted to do this alone.”
Travis gave her a sharp-eyed glance. “You want out? I can get you out. Just give me the word or a signal. Bark like a dog.”
“Oh, for God’s sake. You’re such a drama queen.” She followed him into the same room they’d been in yesterday. Jace was already there. “Jace, help me, he’s gone insane.”
“Went insane a long time ago, baby girl,” Jace commented, turning in his chair to give her a wink. “Pull up a chair, I have that footage you wanted to see again.”
Nerves bubbling in her stomach, she sat. Jace hit play. Rory stumbled, her boyfriend caught her then he pulled her tight and squeezed her ass. A few seconds later, he turned and looked at the camera. And he made a quick signal with his hand.
“Can you zoom in on his hand and slow it down?”
“Sure thing.” Jace zoomed in.
“He’s flipping the bird upside down?” Travis asked.
“No.” Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs. “First he makes a V then he taps his middle finger three times. It’s Roman numerals. Eight.”
“Eight? Eight what?” Travis turned to her.
“Eight victims.”
Travis stilled. “Eight victims? What victims? Who?”
“The Latin Lothario,” she said, feeling numb.
“But it can’t be. He’s dead. Besides there were seven victims,” Jace pointed out.
“Rory is number eight,” she said, feeling numb.
“Do you think he’s a copycat?” Jace asked.
“I suppose so,” she said, rubbing her forehead. There was something else worrying her. She stood and started to pace, thinking. “Rory called him her Latin lover.”
“You think he used Latin phrases in his letters to her?” Travis asked. “Just like the Latin Lothario? How many bastards out there know Latin?”
“He never wrote down any Latin phrases in the letters he sent to me.”
Travis turned to her. “Which I always thought was weird.”
“Is he coming after you?” Jace asked. “He’s taken Rory, your boyfriend’s sister, that’s one connection to you. He brought her here, another connection to you.”
“I think he wanted me to see this. I think was a message for me. He’s saying Rory is going to be victim number eight.” She could already be. That sick feeling grew.
“Say he is a copycat, how could he know that you were targeted by the original Latin Lothario?” Travis asked. “It was never in the news. We haven’t told anybody. Have you?”
She shook her head.
“Does your boyfriend know?”
“His name is Gray, as you well know. And no, I haven’t told him. I didn’t tell anyone at Black-Gray.”
Jace whistled. “He’s going to be pissed.”
Yes, he really would.
“So that leaves the FBI,” Travis said. “Someone there leaked the information.”
She guessed that was the logical explanation. But it didn’t make much sense. What were the odds someone leaking this information would lead this guy to target her in some sort of sick game? But what other explanation was there?
“There’s something else.” She cleared her throat, staring down at the screen into his face. You don’t scare me. No, he terrified her.
“Remember how my profile for the Latin Lothario was wrong or at least everyone thought it was wrong since the Latin Lothario they killed didn’t match it at all. I said he was middle-aged, probably well off, targeting girls who were looking for a father figure.” She pointed at the screen. “Someone more like him.”
“You’re saying this is the actual Latin Lothario and, what, the other one was an imposter?” Travis asked, incredulously.
“Maybe. Or maybe they were working together. I don’t know. But I think the Latin Lothario is back. And he has Rory.”
***
Gray was feeling more confused than ever. He’d spoken to both of Rory’s friends, and they said she’d mentioned this new boyfriend, but she’d always called him her Latin lover. Nothing about his name or where he lived or anything. And why did she call him that?
He parked his car outside the building that housed Travis’s security firm, Raptor Inc. They had rooms on the fifth floor. He took the elevator up, wondering why Lacey had asked him to meet her here instead of at lunch as they’d planned.
He walked into the reception area and a gently-rounded woman with dark hair smiled up at him. “Mr. Mathers?”
“Yes.”
“This way, please.”
Her impossibly high-heels clacked as she walked down the corridor in front of him. She paused outside a door. “Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?”
A scotch.
He shook his head. “Nothing, thanks.”
“All right. They’re in here.”
They?
He opened the door and was surprised to find the room filled with people, most of them sitting around a large, rectangular table in the middle of the room. A well-built man paced as he spoke on the phone. A woman tapped away behind a laptop, frowning. Jace sat beside her.
A large screen at one end of the room displayed an image of Rory’s boyfriend.
“What’s going on in here?” he demanded.
Everyone stopped to look at him, except the woman on the computer, who swore and tapped away at her keyboard.
“Gray, we’ve been waiting for you.”
He turned to find Lacey standing behind him, to-go coffee cups held in her hands. She passed one to him. “It’s black and strong.”
He took it with a nod of thanks then gestured around him. “You did this?” The control freak part of him would have preferred she’d spoken to him first. But since this was all to help him find his sister, he couldn’t really complain.
“Not really.” She shrugged. “Travis just sort of took over. Do you mind?”
Yes. He ran his hand over his face then smiled tightly. “Of course not.”
She gave him a suspicious look before glancing away.
“I’m surprised Travis wants to get involved though. I don’t see what his people can find that mine can’t.” All right, now he sounded like he wanted to get into a pissing match. He should just be grateful. “But if they can, that’s great.”
“Yeah, well, we may have found something.”
Fatigue was pushed aside as adrenaline rushed through his body. “What is it?”
“Gray, about time you got here,” Travis boomed out from across the room as he entered through the door at the other end. “Lacey introduced you to everyone?”
“Not yet,” Lacey told him. She nodded at the woman. “That’s Alexa. The guy on the phone is Marc. Sitting at the table are Shane and Gable.” They all nodded to him except for Alexa who continued to frown down at her laptop.
“Did you find out anything from Rory’s friends? A name?” Travis asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing new. They only ever heard Rory call him her Latin lover and they haven’t heard from her in a week.”
“That was a waste of time then.”
“Travis,” Lacey snapped. “You’re not helping.”
He knew he should thank the other man for his help. But he just didn’t have it in him to do that right now.
“Gray, can we talk? In private?” Lacey asked.
“Sure.” Anything to get him away from her cousin.
She turned, and he followed her out of the room and into a smaller room two doors down. Once the door was shut, he pulled her against him and hugged her tightly. “Have I told you how much I love and appreciate you lately?”
She hugged him back tightly. Almost with a hint of desperation, which made no sense. He ran his hand up and down her back. This had been a tough few days for both of them. Then she pulled back, stepping away from him.
She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “There’s something I need to tell you. Something you won’t like.”
He frowned. “What is it?”
“It’s about your sister’s disappearance.”
“What is it?”
“Do you remember the Latin Lothario?”
“That serial killer who sent his victims love letters and signed them with Latin phrases? Sure. But he was shot and killed months ago. What could he have to do with Rory’s disappearance?”
A Taste of Sir (Doms of Decadence Book 6) Page 19
