Partners In Crime (Eternal Flames Book 9)

by Cree Storm

  Partners in Crime

  Eternal Flame: Crystal

  Book 9

  Cree Storm and Maggie Walsh

  Partners in Crime

  Eternal Flame Book 9

  Detective Viktor Capri and pixie warrior Baldwin, a Griffion, have spent years partnered up, hunting down threats to the town of Crystal and dancing around their attraction to each other. When the humans of Crystal start showing up murdered around town with two puncture marks in their necks, appearing as if they were attacked by a vampire, Vik and Baldwin know they must find who is responsible before the humans decide they no longer want the paranormals in their town.

  As the body count grows, the sexual tension between Vik and Baldwin heat up and they can no longer fight their attraction. One heated encounter leaves them both shocked to learn that they are mates, and confused as to how they didn’t know it all this time.

  When the latest murder hits close to home, a new clue, and a new ally, help the pair move closer to figuring out who is really to blame. When the killer’s true identity is revealed, it will rock the town of Crystal to its core.

  ©2017 Cree Storm and Maggie Walsh

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by: JP Graphic Design

  Edited and Formatted by: Avril Stepowski

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  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  EPILOGUE

  Dedication

  To the men and women in blue, and all those that put their lives on the line for us, selflessly, so that we may be safe. Police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, paramedics, rescue, first responders, and all branches of the armed forces. We thank you all for your sacrifice and service.

  CHAPTER 1

  "Son of a bitch! Carlin Francis," Vik snarled as the forensics’ team gathered evidence from the body laying behind the grocery store.

  Baldwin looked at Vik in concern. He knew that the man was getting really fed up with all the deaths in Crystal. This made six to date. All but one had been human. All had fang marks in their necks, and all of them had been drained of blood. The only one different, so far, was Doris. He and Vik had come to the determination that she was killed out of necessity, not by plan. She must have come across Troy Akard being murdered, tried to help, and died for her efforts. Although she had the puncture wounds, she was not drained of blood, but her neck had been snapped.

  Baldwin hated to see Vik so upset. He had an urge to comfort the man, an urge he didn't quite understand. Since the moment he met the six-foot tall man, Baldwin had wanted to know more. Baldwin thought of nothing but running his fingers through Vik's silky, shoulder length, black hair as he looked in the man's rich blue eyes. Shit, Baldwin just plain out wanted the man in front of him and each day it was getting harder and harder to deny. They had known each other for close to four years now and Baldwin had jacked off more than he cared to think about with the image of Vik in his mind. Shit, truth be told, he had not even looked at another guy since the day Vik walked into his life. No one held a candle to the detective.

  It was more than just looks. Vik cared for the people of Crystal, was a great friend to those around him, and although he tried to hide his mirth, the man had a wicked sense of humor. The more he got to know Vik, the more he wanted the man as his own. Baldwin just didn't have a clue how to go about snagging him.

  Vik would give Baldwin glances here and there and on more than one occasion, he even had Baldwin thinking he might feel the same way. However, just as quickly as Baldwin would feel encouraged, the man would stiffen, straighten, and back off once more. It was frustrating, let alone infuriating.

  "Baldwin!"

  Jerking out of his thoughts, he noticed Orion and Vik looking at him. From the looks of the two men, they had called his name more than once. "Sorry, I was thinking about something."

  "Yeah, well unless it's this case, maybe you should check those thoughts and help us out here," Vik grumbled.

  Nodding, Baldwin looked around the area. "Did any of Illan's men see anything strange?"

  Shaking his head, Vik replied, "Zev, Marco, and Ozcog were assigned this area last night and they said they didn't see or hear anything."

  "I still think these people are being killed elsewhere and dropped in an alternate location," Orion said as he continued to look at the body.

  Baldwin looked at Vik. The man looked much more upset than usual at this man's death. Jealousy was not something Baldwin had ever felt before, but even with the man dead, Baldwin felt the nasty green-eyed monster pushing forward. "Did you know this man well?"

  Shaking his head, Vik replied, "Don't you recognize him? I've talked to him a few times. He goes―went to the club in Maddox a lot. Remember, Neil and Carlin hooked up often? The dragon is not going to like this one bit."

  Baldwin looked back at the victim and realized Vik was right. "Damn, I do remember him."

  "I keep thinking we're missing something, but I can't put my finger on it," Orion said in frustration.

  Baldwin had reservations about the vampire joining he and Vik in this investigation, especially when they first met. The man looked menacing as hell. He stood about a foot smaller than Baldwin's own seven feet five. He had that short black hair like all the other vamps seemed to have, however, the burn going from the right side of the man's face down his neck and disappearing into the man's shirt, was not something Baldwin had ever seen a paranormal have before. The thing was, that since Orion had been working with them, Baldwin found the guy to be smart, pr
ofessional, and a great deal of help. He just wished the man would stop looking at Vik with so much interest.

  "Baldwin!" Vik snapped.

  Baldwin once again snapped back to the present and found both men looking at him in confusion.

  "Sorry, I guess I didn't get a lot of sleep last night," Baldwin replied.

  Shit, if Vik knew how true that statement was Baldwin would be seriously uncomfortable. Baldwin and Vik had gone to the club just the night before and after watching the man shake his ass all over the place, Baldwin ended up doing what he had done time and time again. He took matters, literally, into his own hands. Oh, he wasn't complaining. In the three years they had worked together, Vik and Baldwin had become close friends. They were almost to the point that they could tell what the other man was thinking―well, professionally, at least. They often went for drinks, some wind down time at the club in Maddox, or had meals together. There was not much Baldwin didn't know about Vik. Baldwin knew that his feelings were not strictly platonic in thought, but unless Vik gave him some indication he felt the same way, Baldwin didn't want to mess up what they had. It might not be all Baldwin wanted, but it was more than he would have if he tried to take their friendship to the next level and Vik shot him down and refused to work with or hang with him anymore.

  Vik sighed, "Me either, but we need to focus here. This makes six damn murders in our town and I knew every fucking one of these people. If we have a rogue vamp we need to fucking find him. I can't stand this shit. Another death, another human, another mystery."

  Baldwin went to Vik and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. A light ripple of Vik's muscle tickled Baldwin's hand. "We will catch whoever is to blame, Vik."

  Vik looked at Baldwin, drew in a deep breath, then nodded. "I just hope it's before victim number seven appears. The humans are really getting distraught about all of this. We have a good relationship with them, I don't want this situation to screw that up."

  Sighing, Baldwin went to Carlin and knelt next to the body. Tony finished swabbing at the marks on the guys neck, saying, "We're about finished here. As soon as we run some tests, I'll call you."

  "Thanks, Tony. Did Barry get the pictures he needed?" Baldwin asked.

  Nodding, Tony replied, "And then some. You know how he is. The man loves to snap shots."

  "Good, tell him I want them on my desk ASAP." Vik instructed.

  Baldwin scoffed, because what Tony said was true. Barry never left a picture untaken.

  Carlin couldn't have been more than twenty-five, if that. Thinking back to the few times he had seen him, Baldwin remembered the guy liked to smile and laugh. It was just sad that something like this had to end the life of a man as nice as he seemed to be.

  Turning to get a better look at the puncture wounds, Baldwin noticed something. "Orion, come here a second."

  Orion knelt on the other side of Carlin, "What's up?"

  "Can I see your fangs?" Baldwin asked.

  Orion drew back in surprise. "You want to see my fangs? Shouldn't we have drinks first?"

  Vik growled low and Baldwin looked at the man, raising a brow. Was that jealousy he was seeing coming from the firebird? Mentally shaking himself, before he lost his train of thought once again, Baldwin turned back to look at Carlin and pointed at the wounds on the man's neck, "Don't you think these marks are a little too close together?"

  Orion looked to what Baldwin was pointing at and then drew his brows together in confusion. "I don't have a clue."

  Vik joined them next to the body, looking at what Baldwin was seeing. He gasped, "Son of a bitch! How the hell have we been missing this?"

  "Missing what?" Orion asked.

  Vik looked at Baldwin. The man was so close to Baldwin that all he had to do was lean in and their lips could actually touch as Baldwin had often dreamed of.

  "Hello! Hey, you two, can you get a room later? I think we need to focus on a murder for now," Orion stated firmly.

  Baldwin drew in a breath and closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, Vik was staring at him. Vik went to say something then seemed to change his mind.

  "Orion's right," Vik said breathily, not taking his eyes from Baldwin's gaze.

  "Look, I have been with the both of you for the past couple of months now and it's clear you both have something you need to talk about or do about this thing you guys have for each other. However, for now we have another dead body and if we have any prayer of catching the fucker doing this, we all need to focus. Now, what is it you’re trying to point out?" Orion asked breaking the spell Baldwin and Vik were in.

  Vik pointed at the markings on Carlin's neck. "There is no under bite, shouldn't there be one? When you bite into a human, doesn't it leave bottom teeth marks of some kind?"

  "And don't these puncture marks look too close together for a vampire bite?" Baldwin added.

  Orion shook his head. "I have no idea. We don't bite people anymore. I mean, not directly. Well, some of our people might from time to time. They find a donor and feed, but most of us feed from blood bags."

  "Wait, donor? Is that what you call a human you mind meld with?" Baldwin asked.

  Shaking his head, Orion explained, "Some vampires still prefer to get their food from the source. There are some humans that like the feeling they get when we feed. It is very―how shall I say―orgasmic?"

  "So, people, humans, volunteer to be bitten by a vampire? How the hell do they even know about vamps?" Vik asked.

  Shrugging, Orion explained, "It is kind of an underground deal. It's all on the up and up. The blood donors go through a thorough vetting process, but then again, rogues only like to feed from a source, so we do tend to find illegal blood brothels and blood banks from time to time. Ezra takes care of those immediately, though. We can't have human slaves to our kind or blood that can increase the powers of one or make them become crazed and go on a killing spree."

  Shaking his head, Vik muttered, "That's just crazy."

  Orion flashed his fangs. "Don't knock it 'til you try it."

  Baldwin felt is ire grow, but did his best to focus on the task at hand. Using his fingers as a measuring tool, Baldwin placed his fingers on Orion’s fangs, measuring the spacing. Orion shivered, quickly pulling back. "Never touch a vampire's fangs without permission, Baldwin. That is a serious erogenous zone for us and it might get you more than you bargained for."

  Vik pursed his lips, muttering, "Yes, Baldwin, no touching fangs."

  Rolling his eyes, yet feeling a bit giddy at Vik's clear jealousy, Baldwin placed his fingers to the punctures on Carlin's wounds. "See, the punctures are too close together."

  "The vamp could have a smaller mouth?" Orion countered.

  Shaking his head, Baldwin replied, "I don't think so."

  The sound of an approaching vehicle had the three men turning.

  "It's the coroner's office, here for the body," Vik said standing back up.

  Two men stepped out of the van and Vik turned to them. "We're finished here. Tell Gary we really need this body examined as fast as possible. Also, we need him to take a serious look at the bite wounds on him. Something doesn't seem right."

  One of the men scoffed, "We can suggest it, but no one rushes Doc Clayton.

  Once the body was removed, Baldwin turned to Orion. "I think we need to take a look at the photos. I think that we might have something here with these bites, but I need to be sure. It really bothers me how close together these marks are, the fact that there are no bottom teeth marks, and according to the lab tests, there has been no saliva found around or in the marks for any of the victims."

  Orion looked up. "The sun is coming up soon. I can make it to the station quicker if I run, but I'll need a ride home when we're done."

  Vik started for the car. "I'll contact Dain for the ride home."

  "Meet you at the station," Orion said taking off.

  Baldwin went to the passenger side and got in. Vik took off down the road not saying a word. The tension was high and Baldwin had
no clue how to break it. He had so many words in mind, but not one would come out of his mouth.

  He would have tried to talk to the man, but Vik hit a button on his phone and Dain's voice could be heard on speaker. "This better be good, damn it."

  Sounds of moaning, panting, and groaning could be heard in the background.

  "Dain, we have another murder in Crystal," Vik stated.

  "Oh, fuck, that's good," Dain murmured, then hissed.

  "Dain! What the fuck man? I'm telling you another murder has occurred in Crystal!?" Vik shouted in aggravation.

  Dain could be heard drawing in a sharp breath, then Vik's words must have registered. "Shit! Sorry, Vik. What do you need from me?"

  "Dain, damn it! I'm ready," Rune panted with need.

  "Wait, baby. I promise I will make it all better. Just let me―Oh Kerrick, that is―Fuck! Everyone stop for two seconds!" Dain shouted.

  Baldwin felt his cock hardening from the image the three men were leaving in his mind. Baldwin could picture he and Vik in such a predicament, and by the stiffening shaft pushing into his zipper, he didn't know how long he would be able to continue as he and Vik were without making some kind of move. And from the large bulge in Vik's pants, he figured the man was thinking along the same lines as he was.

  "Dain, look, all I need is for you or one of your men to give Orion assistance in getting back to Kalese when we're done going over some important evidence," Vik said quickly.

  Dain groaned and then started panting out, "Yeah, okay. I can make that―Oh shit―I can make that happen. Now, I gotta go."

  The sound of the phone dropping could be heard, but Dain forgot to hit the off button. Baldwin had to adjust himself as Rune hissed and panted, "Yes, deeper!"

  "We should turn this off," Baldwin groaned, touching his hard shaft through his pants.

  Vik pulled over, panting, "No fucking way." Then looked at Baldwin saying, "We earned some relief after what we just saw."