Blood Score

by Jordan Dane

  “That’s beautiful.” He breathed in the evening air and said, “Shall I tell you how it feels?”

  She smiled. “Yes. Please.”

  “Close your eyes.”

  Angel shut her eyes to listen to him and to feel what he felt.

  “Listen to the lapping water on the shoreline. It has a rhythm that’s calm and forgiving,” he said. “The night’s chill is winning a battle with the sun. Can you feel the fading warmth?”

  Angel smiled and didn’t answer.

  “I smell wood burning from a fireplace or a campfire,” he said. “The crickets have started their evening chorus, and one is slightly off key. Wind is whispering through the tree branches, a sound I never tire of. And I love the feel of the breeze on my face and in my hair, don’t you?”

  It amazed Angel how she had used her eyes to paint a picture for him, but Ethan had used what senses he had to describe the same thing. The tone of his voice had a hypnotic feel. It sounded like music. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ethan’s handsome face bathed in the pale orange of the sun and his long dark hair tousled in the breeze. For a brief moment, he looked happy, until his expression changed, and the misery returned.

  “The only thing that makes this trip tolerable…is you,” he said. “Being blind makes it hard to block bad memories. Those are always with me. I can’t distract my mind from them. This place belonged to the man who violated my privacy and insinuated himself into my life like a vile disease. If he had something to do with Olivia’s death, I don’t know if I could forgive myself. I can’t help feeling that I betrayed her somehow, but if coming here brings closure to what happened to her, it’s the right thing to do…even if it’s hard on me.”

  Ethan reminded Angel that she had come with him for a reason. Even if she and Gabe had other motives for doing it, Ethan had a personal stake that would change his life. She had to remember every murder had a devastating and lasting ripple effect that radiated out to affect many others.

  Being a cop working the case didn’t make her immune either.

  “We’ll find who killed Olivia, Ethan. Count on it.”

  Angel usually refrained from making promises on the outcome to an investigation, but in this case she was determined to make it happen. It didn’t matter if Olivia had deserved Ethan’s love. That wasn’t for her or anyone else to say. What mattered was that a girl had been murdered and her life taken. Ethan had deserved to be loved, and someone had destroyed what he had for their own cruel reasons. They took Olivia’s life as if she meant nothing, except a means to an end they had yet to figure out.

  Gabe had been right. There were too many players with motive to risk a clever killer getting away with murder. They had to give the killer not only a good reason to come to Lake Zurich, but they also had to make it look easy, as if they’d let their guard down. Gabe had set things in motion.

  He’d contacted the property management company that kept the place rented for McFarland during certain times of the year. A company rep promised to leave a key under the front doormat for her. Gabe had also given the Lake Zurich PD a heads up that they had an operation in the area and that the location would be a stake out. When they offered assistance, her partner asked for one patrol car to discreetly monitor the road that led to the property and serve as back up.

  Angel had a search to conduct, with Gabe watching her back.

  Even if she hadn’t told Ethan their whole motive for coming to McFarland’s place, Angel felt justified in doing whatever it took to expose whoever had butchered a young girl and find justice for Ethan and Olivia.

  ***

  Angel had Ethan take her arm, and she led him toward the front door. He had his rucksack on his shoulder, and he carried her overnight bag, too. The key was under the welcome mat as promised. After she opened the door, Ethan squeezed her elbow.

  “Does it look as nice as it smells?” he asked. “I smell pine cones…and something floral.”

  “It’s beautiful in here, too. Real cozy.”

  She described the place to him. The lake house cottage had a large stone hearth that dominated the main living area. The wood burning fireplace had been set up, ready for a match to get a warm blaze going. An inviting leather sectional surrounded the hearth and looked comfortable, with a beautiful view of the lake through floor to ceiling windows that spanned one wall. A staircase led to a second floor where the bedrooms were. With warm paint colors, designer touches, and a chef’s kitchen, the bungalow looked spotless and homey without being pretentious.

  “Looks like the bedrooms are upstairs. Let’s check them out, and you can get settled and freshen up,” she said. “How does pizza sound? I saw a place as we drove in. A sign said they delivered.”

  “I never say no to pizza. Order what you like on it. I’m not picky.”

  Angel gave Ethan the largest bedroom with the en suite master bath, and she took the farthest bedroom away from him. She wouldn’t sleep tonight anyway, but imagining him next door would’ve made things worse. After they settled in, she ordered a pizza to be delivered from DiPiero’s Ristorante on Main Street. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and once the pie came, the enticing aroma of the combo pizza triggered her hunger, even when she thought she couldn’t eat.

  While they ate, Angel kept her eyes alert, looking for the possible places McFarland would’ve hidden his surveillance stash. Gabe had told her how the man had hidden his gear in his home and she had a good idea where to look in his lake house. After she targeted her first locations to search, she let her mind wander to Gabe.

  She knew what the game plan was, but something about not having Gabe with her had put her on edge. The idea had been for him to watch her back from a discreet distance, to draw the killer out. Local cops were asked to stay clear unless they were called in, but she didn’t like anyone else covering Gabe’s sweet backside except for her.

  “Are you okay?” Ethan asked.

  Angel had to smile. For someone without his eyesight, the guy could be damned perceptive.

  “Yeah, I’ve just got a lot on my mind. It’s quiet here. I like it, but it’s different than the city, you know?”

  “I hate that this place belonged to McFarland, but I love being here…with you,” he said. “Olivia would’ve hated it. The quiet would have driven her crazy, I’m afraid.”

  He finished his last slice of pizza and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin.

  “Has the sun gone down?” he asked. “I hear an owl outside…and the temperature has dropped a little.”

  “Yeah, it’s dark out now. The moon looks beautiful over the lake,” she said. “After I clean up, you should sit on the deck…while I search. You might want to wear a jacket, if you brought one. I’ll let you know when I find something.”

  Ethan’s expression took on shadows after she’d reminded him why they’d come.

  “With you here, I suddenly feel ashamed of what you might see on those recordings,” he told her. “I’m not embarrassed over what I find erotic. There were other women before Olivia. They didn’t judge me. They taught me what pleased a woman…and I learned how to ask for what I needed, too. It can be a beautiful experience.”

  “If you feel that way, why are you ashamed?”

  Angel knew she had opened a door to a very frank discussion she wasn’t sure she should have with Ethan, but he made sex easy to talk about.

  “Not many would understand, that’s all. And I suppose that I’m afraid you might judge me…or think less of me. I know we’ve only just met, but it matters what you think…about me.”

  “I’m here to do my job, Ethan.”

  “Is that the only reason you let me come with you? The job?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Whenever we’re alone like this, I feel a connection between us. Am I wrong? The other night on the phone, it felt like you were there with me…in bed. Talking to you helped me sleep. I didn’t feel alone.”

  Ethan didn’t make any move to touch her. She stared into his mesmerizing eyes and let h
er gaze drift to his full lips. With him being blind, she didn’t have to play coy with him. He oozed sensuality without doing a thing. Any attraction she felt had to come from her.

  He’d admitted to feeling the same, but could she trust him? Olivia had trusted him.

  “Are you trying to seduce me, Ethan?”

  He hesitated for only a heartbeat before he said, “Yes.”

  Chapter 16

  “Come with me.” Angel reached for Ethan’s hand. His fingers entwined with hers and felt warm against her skin.

  “Where are we going?” he asked with a faint smile on his lips.

  “To your room.”

  She led him up the stairs and took her time. She expected him to be more cocksure of his seductive ways, but from the look on his face, Ethan appeared unsteady.

  Vulnerable.

  Young.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I thought you wanted this.”

  “I did. I mean, I do.” He stopped in the hall outside his bedroom door and pulled her to his chest. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Believe it, Ethan. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She ran a finger down his cheek. “You were right. I brought you here for a reason. You trust me?”

  “Yeah, I…guess so.”

  Angel ran her fingers through his thick dark hair and kissed him. It felt good to be a woman in a man’s arms again. His skin smelled like herbal soap with a soft touch of masculine cologne. The scent was as comforting as her favorite blanket fresh from the dryer on a cold night. At first his lips were gentle—sweet first kisses, innocent and unforgettable—until he gave in to her completely. He gasped for air as his lips covered hers. When she felt his tongue in her mouth and his hands on her body, heat rushed through her, even as her skin shivered with goose bumps.

  She wanted to savor every second with him, but she couldn’t give in. She had to stay in control.

  “Not here,” she panted.

  Angel pulled him into the room until he stood by the bed. She’d given him the master bedroom, not only because it was the nicest suite. Angel had other notions about the king-sized mattress and the lavish headboard of the impressive furniture.

  “What are you doing?” he whispered.

  “Shh.” She touched a finger to his lips until he understood she didn’t want him to speak.

  She ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders to pull off his shirt, but not before she found his cell phone tucked in a pocket.

  “You won’t need this.” She placed his phone on the nightstand and let him hear where she put it.

  “But I might need to call in reinforcements,” he said, breathless.

  “Trust me. You won’t want to share what I’m about to do to you.”

  He swallowed, hard, and let her do whatever she wanted. When she pushed him onto the mattress, he sat on the edge of the bed and waited. Angel knelt on the floor in front of him with her hands rubbing his thighs.

  “You won’t need these boots either.”

  Ethan smiled. “Probably not.”

  She unlaced his boots and took them off, tossing them over her shoulders. They landed with a thud. When she stood, she cupped his handsome face in both her hands and kissed him, slow and deep. In one fluid motion, she pushed him to the mattress and straddled his belly. His chest heaved with expectation for what would come next.

  “You trust me, right?” she asked.

  When he nodded, without saying a word, she pulled the handcuffs from her belt holster and reached for one of his arms. As cold steel hit his skin, and he heard the click of the restraints, he tensed his body.

  “What are you doing?”

  He tugged his cuffed wrist from her grasp, and she let him go until he calmed down.

  “This is what I want.” She leaned closer to him and kissed his face and neck. When she had him under her control again, she nuzzled his ear and said, “But I won’t restrain you unless you want it, too.”

  Ethan’s body responded as his penis stiffened against his jeans. Angel felt it on her legs as she straddled him.

  “Is that your answer?” she asked. “Tell me. I want to hear you say it.”

  “Yes, whatever you want. I’m yours.” He reached both wrists to her and surrendered all control.

  Angel cuffed his hands to the elaborate wood and metal headboard of the king bed. When she clamped the handcuffs tight enough and knew he couldn’t move, she ran her fingers under his T-shirt, feeling the warmth of his taut belly and played with his belt buckle until she stopped and slipped off the mattress with a sigh.

  “What’s happening? What are you doing, Angelica?”

  “You made me realize that you’re too big of a temptation for me, Ethan. I’m sorry, but I had to make sure you wouldn’t get in my way. I’ve got work to do.”

  Ethan had done his best to seduce her, but she was monogamous, and she had already said ‘I do’ to the job. She loved being a cop, and she had a partner who needed her. She hadn’t decided what she would do with him—to keep him out of her way—until Ethan gave her the idea of using her handcuffs when he came on to her. She had to move now. She couldn’t be distracted by him.

  At the door to his bedroom, Angel took one last look at the most beautiful man she had ever seen, sprawled spread eagle on a king-sized bed in a remote cottage in the woods, wearing her handcuffs.

  “You can’t leave me like this.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  Angel ran for the master bath and grabbed a plush washcloth off the counter. She rolled it into a tight ball before she stuffed it into his mouth. The last thing she needed was to hear him yelling at her while she searched McFarland’s lake house. Ethan’s cries were muffled by the towel as he tugged at the restraints and squirmed on the bed.

  “I sincerely hope I have to apologize when this is all over, Ethan. I’d prefer that over arresting you.”

  Before she headed downstairs, Angel grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand and went to her bedroom. Ethan would never miss his phone now. She checked his cell and saw that he had his GPS locator live. It didn’t take long for her to find an app that allowed him to network with a ‘friends and family’ plan. If someone else had the same app installed with linked phones, they could track his movement like a parent wanting to know the whereabouts of a child—or an obsessed publicist who overstepped her bounds to serve a client she had feelings for.

  Maybe Ethan had the cell tracker app for security reasons, something a blind man might find useful if he ever got into trouble. Angel couldn’t be sure who he had linked to his cell either, but the fact that he had the software downloaded on his phone told her all she needed to know. Angel couldn’t be sure if Ethan had lied to her about Rachel and Bryce not knowing what his private life was like, or if he had been flirting with her to get what he wanted—for her to find McFarland’s secret recordings for him. She didn’t want to believe he had deliberately tricked her or that her instincts about him had been wrong, but Ethan didn’t have to tell Rachel or Bryce where he was going.

  His phone would broadcast his position, whether he’d done it on purpose or not.

  Although her partner wasn’t a tech guy, Gabe had counted on the killer tracking them from Chicago to Lake Zurich. The high tech means that Ethan had on his phone would make that easier than to risk being spotted in a rear view mirror.

  “Are you a good guy with lousy taste in friends or are you in on this, Ethan?”

  In truth, Angel didn’t know. The decision she’d made to keep Ethan out of harm’s way had been a tough one. She wanted to trust him, but she couldn’t afford to. He could’ve been using her, plain and simple. And if he was innocent, she didn’t want to worry about him getting hurt.

  In her bedroom, Angel unzipped her overnight bag and retrieved her second weapon, a Glock 19, with her duty holster. She had a communication unit with an ear bud to stay in touch with her partner and the patrol car down the road. In case someone would be watching her from a
distance, she wore a loose fitting work shirt over her CPD T-shirt that would conceal her duty gear and Kevlar vest. After checking the 9-mil Sig she had strapped to her ankle, she clipped her com unit and ear bud where it couldn’t be easily seen and concealed her Glock at the small of her back in a holster. No sense telegraphing that she was an armed cop expecting trouble.

  If what Gabe had suspected was right—that someone in Ethan’s inner circle had incentive for locating the videos of Tim McFarland to cover up two murders—Angel had to locate those recordings fast. She’d have company very soon.

  As she headed downstairs, Angel switched her com unit on and said, “You read me, Gabe?”

  ***

  Minutes later

  Wearing camo BDUs and tactical gear, Cronan had staked out a corner of the property that gave him the best view into the back windows of McFarland’s lake house, the side he figured would be most vulnerable. From his vantage point, he had a look through the lodge and could see the front door and part of the stairs to the second floor. Even though he could watch Angel from where he was, the stark light coming from the bungalow messed with his night vision. He had to avoid it if he wanted to do Angel any good.

  He felt like crap having to watch her play house with a guy who looked like Ethan Chandler. She’d even fed him pizza. Cronan’s stomach growled as he used his night vision binoculars to check the perimeter for any signs of movement. Angel had gone upstairs with Chandler, and she’d been gone long enough to make him wonder what she’d been doing.

  “You read me, Gabe?” Angel’s voice came to his ear like a whisper, as if she were right next to him. She’d finally activated her ear bud.

  “It’s about time, Ramirez. Did you tuck him in?” Cronan kept his voice low.

  “Yeah, I guess you could call it that. He’s handcuffed to the bed in the master. Call it protective custody.”