For reasons I don’t understand, I found myself Googling her name. Then one thing led to another and I found the family's home address and before I knew it I was looking at the home phone number and tapping in the digits. I just felt so bad, so guilty and needed to be assured that it wasn't my fault, needed to be told that his children weren't going to have to live without a father because I lost control of my mind for a moment of sordid pleasure.
Holding the phone to my ear, I began to breathe heavier and heavier. She probably won't answer, she'll be asleep, I thought.
"Hello?" came the female voice.
Despite the time of day, she sounded wide awake, but of course she was. She'd probably never sleep properly again.
"Hello?" she asked again.
Her voice sounded pained as though her throat ached. She sniffed and sighed.
"I said hello? Who the hell is this? Don't you know what time it is?"
I parted my lips to speak but nothing came out.
"You're a fucking reporter, aren't you? Well, let me tell you-"
In a panic, I hung up. Why the hell did I just do that? I listened to the sound of a grieving widow only weeks after I'd fucked her dead husband. I was rotten to the core. He was dead because of me and I was sure of it. For a moment I looked ahead at the pool and considered sinking myself into it and never resurfacing. I could die and people would think it was little more than an accident. They'd assume I went for a late night, drunken swim and drowned. They'd probably blame my rickety shoulder and suppose it stopped me from swimming as well as I used to.
"Tammy? What are you doing out here?"
I spun around and saw Trevor in the doorway. He was still naked, his body looking as god-like as ever.
"Are you coming for a swim?" I asked as I slid off my gown.
He sauntered over and sat beside me, dangling his muscular legs into the shallow end.
"Can't sleep? I thought I tired you out."
He laughed and slipped into the water, his body shimmering in the moonlight. I watched him swim underwater, reaching the middle of the pool before I shouted:
"Wait for me!"
And I dived in after him, catching up with him in the deep end, sliding my arms around his waist. He pulled me close to him as my lips explored his slippery skin.
"What are you doing up at this time?"
"Couldn't sleep," I said.
"Nightmares?"
"Maybe..."
"I thought I saw you on your phone," he said.
"Just texting mom."
He turned around and treaded water, flicking his dark, wet hair out his eyes. Then he kissed me hard, pushing me up against the side of the pool. Somewhere at my feet a jet of water tickled me and I wriggled to free myself but he had a firm grasp of my naked body as I floated up around his waist. He entered me easily, the third time this night but it felt as good as every other time with his wide, hard cock always knowing where to hit. I let out a moan and tangled my legs around him. He gripped the edge of the wall to steady our drifting bodies, our movements making small waves lap over the edge.
"Go slow," I whispered.
He gasped and let out a low groan, thrusting into me gradually with his eyes penetrating mine.
"You like that?" he breathed.
"Uhuh..."
His length was rubbing my clitoris as he entered me. I reached down and cupped his balls gently as I felt another orgasm pass through me. I tugged on him gently as we both came, our breaths steaming up the air as we sighed and clung to each other.
"Fuck..." he whispered. "That was so good it hurt."
He pulled out of me and for a long while we held each other in the warm water. He stroked a finger up my back and I squealed as it reached my neck.
"You're so ticklish," he laughed.
"I can't help it."
"Come on, let's get you dried and back to bed. I have a fun day planned for us tomorrow."
He climbed out and stood dripping above me. I'd never seen a more glorious sight. Climbing out after him, I made sure to pick up my dressing gown on the way inside while he handed me a towel.
"Can you tell me what we're doing? Or is it a surprise?"
He tapped the side of his nose.
"What do you think?"
Chapter Six
There was a bright light stinging my eyes when I woke up. For a moment I thought it was the sunshine but then I saw the hues of red and blue across the ceiling. Jumping out of bed, I saw two police cars parked outside in the drive.
"What the fuck?"
I watched for a second as four officers walked up to the house, the sound of their radios crackling as they knocked on the door.
"Trevor?" I called.
There was no answer.
Downstairs I could hear the door opening, could hear the sound of Tony as he stuttered nervously at the sight of the cops. Then I heard his pleasant voice call out for his boss.
"Mr. Wylde! We have visitors."
Then a moment later the sound of Trevor's shoes were hurrying across the hall. Pulling on the nearest clothes to hand, I slid into a crop top and shorts, hurried into my sneakers, and rushed out onto the landing. As I leaned over the banister everyone looked up at me.
"Sweetheart? These officers are here to speak to you."
He didn't sound like himself. His voice was anxious and a little angry, not the usually cool and calm that it normally was. I edged my way down the long staircase, the officers eyeing me warily as I descended.
"What can I do for you?" I asked.
I was expecting it to be a mistake. I was assuming they'd just be asking me a couple questions before going on their way.
"We're going to need you to come down to the station," one of them said.
He reached out and held my arm gently but firmly enough for me to realize I was under his control. I glanced up to Trevor in the hopes that he could stop this.
"What is this about?" he asked angrily.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you yet," said the officer.
"Bullshit!" Trevor yelled.
"Sir, I understand that you're upset but please... the sooner we do this the sooner it'll be over."
"The sooner what'll be over?" I cried. "Trevor!"
But they were already leading me outside and into the back of a car.
"Trevor!" I called out again.
He was standing in the doorway with his hand clutched to his forehead.
"What's happening?" I called out to him as the officer slammed the door shut.
I'd never been in a police car before, had never realized the sense of fear and restriction you could feel behind the cage. Looking down, I saw there were no door handles on the inside.
"Are you arresting me?" I panicked.
The officer in the passenger seat turned around in his seat and smiled.
"Why would you say that? Do you have a guilty conscience?"
"No!"
The driver looked into the rearview mirror and winked.
"If you've done nothing wrong you've got nothing to worry about."
But I couldn't stop worrying and as we pulled out the drive, I looked out the back window and saw Trevor hurrying to his car. I raised a hand to wave at him but we turned the corner before he saw me, and we were gliding down the empty, early morning road as the sun rose ahead of us.
~
This interrogation room was nothing like the one I'd been in with Aiden. This one was exactly like the ones you saw in the movies. The one-way mirror was in front of me and I could see how tired and anxious I looked. Running my fingers through my hair, I tried to spruce myself up.
"Coffee, right?"
An older woman in a black, two-piece suit entered the room and set down a paper cup.
"Thanks."
"You look like I feel," she said as she slammed a file down onto the table.
"Wh-what am I doing here?"
"We just need to ask you a few questions."
"So why send four armed officers to the house
with their lights flashing? Surely you could have just asked me to come down here?"
She didn't reply. She tapped her pen against her teeth and opened the file, muttering to herself as she read through the pages. I tried to guess how old she was. She seemed kinda young and had a perfect figure with an immaculate complexion. Her makeup was refined to perfection with her eyeliner sculpted into an enviously slim and symmetrical cat flick. Her lips were plump and glossy while her nails were manicured and shaped. Yet there was something so mature about her like she had been hardened from years on the job. Something told me that one day she would make a fine matriarch of a large and boisterous family. Suddenly she looked up and placed down her pen.
"What can you tell me about Aiden Brown?"
It felt as though my heart had stopped.
"Aiden?"
She nodded.
"You knew him, right?"
"No! I mean, yes. I met him once, a while ago."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Tell me about your meeting?"
I sighed and took a sip of my coffee. It was bitter and burnt and tasted like it came out of an old and unwashed machine.
"It wasn't like I met him on purpose. I'd gone into his station and he just so happened to be the officer at the desk."
"Really?" she began scribbling frantically. "Because CCTV footage shows that it was a female officer at the desk when you arrived and that you asked for him. He came out the office especially to talk to you."
My heart began to hammer.
"You've got it all wrong!"
"Then tell me how I got it."
She leaned across the tables and rested on her elbows. Her eyes were radiant and intelligent. I could see she would not be easily fooled.
"What was the real reason you were there?"
"I-I- I needed to talk to someone."
"Were you there to report a crime?"
"No! I mean, yes, sort of..."
She leaned back in her seat and sighed.
"It's just that Officer Brown took no notes when he was interviewing you, in fact, apart from the CCTV footage and Captain O'Sullivan's word, there was no evidence that you were there."
My heart was hammering wildly. I could feel the coffee churning in my stomach. Glancing around the room, I saw there was no escape.
"In fact, the captain said the two of you looked as suspicious as hell, said it looked as though there was something going on."
"There was nothing going on!"
"Then why were you there?"
I couldn't tell her about the dress and Delores. It would sound insane, like I was making it up.
"I was there because..."
She raised her eyebrows but I didn't know what to say.
"I was there because..."
She huffed and pointed her pen at my shoulder.
"How did you get that bullet wound?"
I was desperate to tell her about Ophelia but after that night, the two of us were whisked away to private hospitals and the secret never saw the light of day never mind the cops ever finding out. Again, I had the distinct feeling that whatever I said would make me sound crazy.
"Do I need a lawyer?" I asked.
"I don't know, do you?"
"Erm..."
"Tell me, Tammy. What's your affiliation with the Brothers of Pestilence?"
My mouth dropped open.
"What the hell is that?"
"Cut the shit!"
She smacked her hands onto the table and I flinched.
"We know you had something to do with Officer Brown's murder. We know because you were seen together under suspicious circumstances the day before he was gunned down. You fled down to Florida just after he was murdered and you called his widow last night, didn't you?"
I gasped.
"We traced the call, Tammy. Why did you do it? For the kicks?For the thrill of hearing her cry?"
"No! You've got this all wrong."
"I don't think so," she said as she stood up, the chair screeching along the floor. "What part did you play in it? Were you paid off by the gang to seduce him? Get close to him so you could gain access?"
"No! This is fucking insane. Look, Trevor will be here any moment. You know who he is, right? You know you're fucking around with the girlfriend of one of the world's richest men, right?"
She smiled and walked over to the mirror, knocking it three times. A moment later two officers appeared in the doorway.
"Tammy James, we're placing you under arrest for the murder of Aiden Brown..."
Chapter Seven
I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Despite the warm, Floridian winter, it was freezing in the cell and the walls were damp. Down the hall I could hear the sound of other women screaming at one another, the sound of them rattling the bars as they hurled insults at the guards. I rolled over on the scratchy comforter and struggled to lie in a position that didn’t hurt my back. Eventually, I realized sleep wasn’t going to come to me and I stood up, reaching up on tiptoes to see out the small window near the ceiling.
There was nothing but the darkness of a parking lot. I sobbed and wiped the tears from my eyes and returned to bed, sitting on the edge with my face only a few inches away from the aluminum toilet. It smelled rancid and the thought of having to sleep so close to it made me sick.
How could this have happened? How could I be so badly misunderstood? Did they really think I was capable of being involved in the death of someone?
The heavy footsteps of a guard approached down the hall and I leaned against the steel door, pounding my fists against it.
“Please! Listen to me. There’s been a terrible mistake. I’m not supposed to be here.”
The feeding hatch opened and the face of a gnarly guard appeared, his hat pulled low over his eyes.
“Be quiet in there!” he shouted.
I jumped back as his voice echoed off the walls.
“Listen, please,” I begged. “I’m not supposed to be here. My boyfriend will be here any moment. He’ll straighten things out.”
The guard laughed and slammed the hatch shut before moving onto another cell.
“Please…” I cried although I knew he couldn’t hear me.
I crouched on the floor with my back pushed up against the wall. My tears dripped onto the concrete, sounding like tiny footsteps as they landed.
“This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening.”
I rocked back and forth and repeated the words over and over again like a mantra, sobbing as the smell of the toilet bowl stung my eyes.
Chapter Eight
I woke up to the sound of the door clicking open, the cogs inside the door whirring as the large, steel key turned. Opening my eyes, I saw it was still dark and the air remained frigid. A man in a black suit appeared and nodded to the guard.
“Thanks, I’ll take it from here,” he said and stepped inside.
“Tammy?”
“Yep…”
I groggily leaned up on the edge of the bed and yawned. After crying until my throat burned, I had eventually fallen asleep with the itchy covers pulled up over my head. Now, as I stared at the man with the tousled hair and the crumpled jacket, I had a splitting headache. I needed water, a clean room, something to eat.
“Tammy? I’m Inspector Delaney,” he said as he stretched out his hand.
I shook it gingerly and felt the sweat on his palm.
“I’m with the NYPD. It appears there’s been a mistake, a terrible mistake. You’re free to go.”
For a moment, I was sure I’d heard wrong.
“I’m free to go?”
He nodded.
“Why? I mean what the fuck? I’m holed up in here and then I’m allowed to go just like that?”
“Just like that,” he smiled sleepily. “But after I caught a red eye flight down here to get you out, I was at least hoping for a thank you.”
I blinked, rubbed at my eyes and jumped off the bed.
&nb
sp; “Shit, sorry. I mean thank you. Thank you so much!”
He held me by the elbow and maneuvered me over to the door.
“Mr. Wylde is waiting for you,” he said.
My heart began to race at the thought of seeing him.
“Just tell me what happened. The woman, she didn’t believe a word I said.”
Delaney pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
“I’ll admit. You did look suspicious but…”
He turned to me and looked at the scar on my shoulder.
“A member of the B.O.P was just locked up for armed robbery. He couldn’t wait to boast about what a cop killer he was, couldn’t stop telling everyone about how he gunned down Officer Brown as an initiation to join the gang.”
As we exited the long hallway, I could see Trevor in the hallway and I burst through the door into his arms. He looked as though he’d had less sleep than me and he squeezed me tight.
“Come on, let’s get you outta this hell hole.”
He looked over my shoulder at Delaney and gave him a weak smile.
“Thank you Inspector. Appreciated.”
An hour later we were back home and I was lying in the bath with the bubbles piled high around me in an attempt to get the smell of the cell off my body.
“It was vile, Trevor. They expect you to sleep next to the toilet!”
He laughed and lowered his hand into the water to stroke my stomach.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?”
He pursed his lips and looked away.
“I’m just sorry that you had to go through that. They were obviously at a loss for a suspect and had to involve you in the most tenuous way.”
“They actually thought I was in a gang!”
I was laughing but only to stop myself crying.
“It was absurd, Trevor. Just mental.”
“If it’s any consolation, I’ve already begun leading proceedings. You’ll be getting a hefty settlement. I’ll make sure you do.”
“Really?”
He smiled and kissed me.
“My best lawyers are on it.”
Moving around to the back of the bath, he began massaging shampoo into my head.
“I could get used to this,” I said.
Too Curious Complete Series (Books 1-5) Box Set Romance Series: (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Series) Page 24
