“Oh, God.” Vic blew out a breath. What could they do? They couldn’t very well kidnap another agent.
“I know.” Reece tightened his arms around her. “I’m trying. I swear to you, I’ll try to make this go away.”
She looked up at him, knowing she could never fall for him. “You’ll never be able to come to me. He’ll always be watching.”
Reece pressed his lips against her forehead. “I’ll find a way.”
As much as her lips craved his touch, she couldn’t. She couldn’t fall for him; she’d never be able to fall for him. They weren’t just from different worlds; they were from rival worlds. He worked for the agency that had been trying to expose her family for more than sixty years.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Vic didn’t bother going to Michael’s apartment after work; instead, she headed straight to Derrick’s condo.
She knocked several times before Derrick finally opened the door, wearing nothing but flannel bottoms. “Yes?” he said, clearly perturbed.
She’d obviously interrupted him and Kristina. “Sorry…” she peeked at her phone, “but it’s only ten. How was I supposed to know that you were already asleep?”
“I wasn’t sleeping,” he growled. Of course, he wasn’t. Derrick slept in the buff. “I get to the hospital at five, though, so yes, I go to bed early. What’s up?”
Vic closed the door behind her and walked to the sofa and sat. “We have a mole.”
“As in...a spy?” Derrick rubbed his head. “I think we already knew that, right? Obviously one of the creatus families has been helping Jonas.”
“No. An outside family isn’t helping Jonas. Someone’s feeding him information from our family, and who knows…maybe they’re financing him too.”
Derrick sat down in the chair across from her. “What did you find?”
“It’s not what I found…it’s what I didn’t find, and what Jonas asked me.”
His eyes narrowed. “He approached you again?”
“No. He called me, though. Asked me about Reece. I’d overheard Michael and Rebecca talking the other day about Reece taking care of some woman in South Carolina, but never got around to asking him about it.”
“Yeah…” Derrick nodded. “Michael gave us a full report after seeing Rebecca that day…the day you came into the office after Reece had been able to walk free.”
“Right,” she said. “So that means, Lyn, Dean, and Matthew, as well as Mike and Rebecca had the information. Jonas called and asked me if I knew about Meghan. He even knew her name.”
Derrick shook his head. “None of them would have contacted Jonas. If they did, they would have told me.”
“Are you sure about that, Derrick?”
“Victoria, we’re talking about family—friends and family—we’ve known our entire lives.”
“We’ve known Jonas and his brother and mother practically our entire lives too.” She thought back for a moment, wondering if anyone else hated humans enough to join Jonas’ fight. Her name was the only one that jumped out at her. If she weren’t the one pointing fingers, she wouldn’t be surprised if someone accused her. In fact, maybe they still would. She had just as much reason to hate humans as Jonas; after all, an intoxicated human had killed her mother.
“Jonas or Ry could have overheard—”
“Everything, Derrick? Not possible.” She stood and made a lap around the room, then glanced out the wall of glass windows at the peaceful-looking night sky. Derrick’s soundproofed walls and glass made the cityscape below them look like a mural instead of the dangerous metropolis that it could be. She turned back to Derrick. “Jonas is still local; he has to be. He’s been on top of everything we’ve done. He knew Reece was at the hospital, at the farmhouse, that he’s a federal agent…even before your meeting with the council. He’s been one-step ahead of us from day one. Someone’s feeding him.”
Derrick dropped his head into his hands. He never looked worried. He could handle anything. Was he turning mushy as a married man? Was that Jonas’ plan? To keep hitting them until Derrick fell apart? Until the family didn’t feel he was capable of keeping them safe?
“Derrick?” Kristina peeked around the corner, but then smiled when her eyes met Vic’s. “Hey. What’s going on? Is everything all right?”
Vic nodded. “It’s okay, Kristina. I’m sorry to disturb you.” She glanced down at Derrick, who’d sat up straight the moment Kris walked into the room. “Let’s not have any more conversations inside the hospital is all I’m saying.”
Derrick clenched his jaw, his back ramrod straight, but then nodded. He wasn’t worried; he was ticked. There was the man she’d fallen in love with, the strength she’d always admired. Yes, she still loved him; she would always love him. Now, though, she felt a different type of love. The love of a friend and confidant, something she never wanted to lose in him.
“I’ll take care of it,” he said, his voice confident and sure. He stood beside her. “Do you want me to follow you to Michael’s?”
“No.” She pulled the syringe out of her bag and stuffed it in her pocket. “Better than pepper spray. Maybe you should arm your wife with this stuff. It took down Reece, and we now know that wasn’t an easy task. I’ll be fine.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, noticing it felt completely natural.
His arms enclosed around her, and again, she recognized the friend that she’d chased around since she could walk. She peeked over her shoulder at Kris and was happy to see that Derrick’s bride offered her nothing but a warm smile.
“Be careful, okay?” Derrick said, releasing her.
“Don’t worry. I think I have a guardian angel.”
“Reece?” Derrick asked. The first sign of a smile since she’d arrived brightened his face. He cared about her, even though she’d been rotten to him and Kristina for quite some time.
“Yeah…he showed up tonight.”
“So, you trust him now?”
“I do,” she admitted, unable to stop herself from smiling back. “Thanks for that, by the way, as if I didn’t have enough on my plate.”
His eyes widened. “Did you—”
“No,” she laughed. “I’m not ready to get all mushy like you two. Kris had walked over and leaned up against Derrick, and his arm had immediately folded around her, like a mimosa leaf delicately closing itself at the slightest touch. “Besides,” Vic continued, “in what world could we ever be together?”
“He’ll find a way, Victoria. Have some faith in him. He’s smart, and you could do a lot worse.”
“Jonas…”
“Uh…yeah…I might have to pull big-bad-friend duty if you even think about Jonas.”
“And your brother…what would he say?”
“You already know how Michael feels. That’s between the two—three of you. When the time comes, you’ll know what to do.”
She released a rueful chuckle. “Easier said than done. I’ll leave you two alone, but tomorrow, we need to figure out how to handle this.”
Derrick nodded and walked her to the door. “Okay. We’ll find out when everyone can meet here.”
Vic waved a goodnight to Kris and left the apartment. She knew Derrick would know what to do, the reason she decided to come to him. The last thing she wanted was to take this on her shoulders. She had enough to deal with. And now she had to go home to Michael. She wasn’t ready to approach him with her thoughts. Not that she didn’t trust him, she did, but he trusted Rebecca too much.
Deciding she needed exercise, she draped her strap over her shoulder and took the stairs to Derrick’s rooftop.
The wispy clouds she’d spied earlier had scattered, leaving a star-speckled canvas above her. She breathed in the cool night air and took off in a sprint across the top of the roof. The next building over was about ten stories lower than this one. Luckily, she’d been wearing dark clothes lately, in the event she needed to chase down the rogue. She’d worn dark jeans and a black shirt today, so she didn’t stand out against the i
nk-black sky. She hit the lower rooftop running, scattering up bits of gravel and dust, as she made for the other side. She’d made this run before, the night Kristina had gone missing and she’d been trying to find Michael—the night she met Reece Buckley.
She leapt onto two more buildings, her breaths coming quicker, filling the air around her with white billowy puffs. Systematically, she made a wide arc around Back Bay, skirting the Charles River, and then making her way back to her car.
Out of breath, she crawled into her Mini and headed to Michael’s loft.
Vic tiptoed quietly up to Michael’s apartment, but it was no use. The moment she cracked open the door, he stood in front of her, tapping his foot. “Where have you been?” he asked with a scowl.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize I had a curfew.” She breezed past him, heading to the tiny kitchenette. She pulled out a bottle of cabernet that had already been opened and poured herself a glass. By Michael’s silence, she assumed he was staring daggers into the back of her head. She waited until the wine warmed her insides, then turned around, leaning against the oak cabinet.
She’d been correct, he was just standing there, arms crossed, glaring at her.
“What?” she asked.
Michael sighed. “You hate me, don’t you?”
Vic laughed without humor. “I don’t hate you. I just—”
In a flash, he stood inches from her. Taking the glass out of her hands, he set it on the counter and closed the few inches between them. “Victoria, you promised…” He hushed her when she started to speak. “I’m not going to whine or bug you, but I just want one date. One night where you give me a chance to prove that I’m not the bratty kid you’ve hung out with and used as a punching bag your entire life.”
She dropped her head, wishing the wine would take effect, so she could laugh over his words, instead of them cutting her. She had promised, but she didn’t need one more man confusing her head, and she couldn’t afford to lose Michael as a friend; though it felt a little late for that already. Her life was turning into a damn soap opera, and she hated it. She wanted to run away.
He brushed his fingers along her cheek and then ran his hands over her shoulders, as if trying to find the right words. “I’m sorry. I told myself I wouldn’t press you, but then…when you weren’t here, I started to worry, and when I worry, I realize how much you mean to me.” He shook his head. “I’ve waited so long for everyone else to make up their minds. I stayed quiet all through high school while Jonas went on and on about how you were going to be his one day. I stood back while you pined over Derrick. I’m sorry…” Michael dropped his hands and started to turn.
“Wait.” She grabbed his hand. “One kiss, Michael—”
He cut off her words by shaking his head. “No…” He stepped back in front of her. Lowering his head, he skimmed the line of her jaw with his lips. His mouth found her ear, and he nibbled gently on her lobe. “One night,” he whispered. “You promised me one night.”
She gulped as he pulled away slowly, running his hand across her collarbone. “No sex,” she heard herself say. “Just a date. That’s all I promised.”
“That’s all I want. One date. And I make all the arrangements.”
Vic released the breath she’d been holding. “Okay.”
He smiled, then leaned down and brushed a kiss along her jaw. “Okay,” he said, his breath hot against her neck. Then he was gone. He’d pulled away so quickly that the air around her felt cooler. His door closed and the latch clicked into place only seconds later. Was he locking himself in his room or locking her out? Did he think she couldn’t resist him after those sultry words?
Steadying herself, she picked up her glass and downed the wine in one gulp. Well, she was a woman, so she couldn’t say he hadn’t affected her, and of course, she found him extremely attractive.
One night… What could possibly change between them in one night?
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The creatus seal was on the victim’s head. And his limbs, no longer attached to his torso, lay strewn across the surface of the alley for any innocent child to stumble upon his remains.
Reece, per Frank Cooper’s direct orders, stood within six feet of the corpse. This had to stop. No matter what these men had done, no one deserved this. No other victims had come forward, stating that the man had tried to attack or rape them. And, at the moment, Reece could see no other cause of death other than a brutal beating. So, had the responsible creatus truly gone rogue? Did he no longer care if he took a human life?
Or she? Based on the strength that Victoria had displayed, a creatus woman was capable of doing this to a human man. He couldn’t rule out the possibility that Jonas’ mother could be responsible or another individual in Jonas’ group of misguided creatus.
And what was his plan? Keep killing humans until the authorities leaked the seal, until reporters screamed for justice against an ancient mythological creature? From where Reece was standing, that’s exactly what Jonas wanted. He wanted the human race to fear this unknown killer, to be afraid to walk the streets.
Strange that Jonas had complained that humans wanted to drive a stake through his heart or experiment on him, when he perpetrated the exact actions that would warrant that reaction.
How many creatus existed that Jonas thought he’d be able to win a war against humanity. He’d never asked Victoria. For that matter, he’d only gathered bits and pieces about their origin.
Frank Cooper nudged Reece away from the other observers holding clipboards, cameras, and voice recorders above the deceased. “You ready to find this thing?”
Reece nodded. He was indeed ready to find this killer. He was the only one who could track down and silence this rogue creatus. The other agents meant well, and against a human serial killer, they might even stand a chance. But for the first time, Reece realized that this was why he was here. His unique birth to a human mother and raised by a father who never knew what he was made him the only agent capable of finding, and disposing of, this menace of society.
An arrest wouldn’t be possible in this case. Reece didn’t like to take another life, but it wouldn’t be his first, and sadly, he knew that no matter how much he hated killing anyone or anything…it wouldn’t be his last. He was born with the strength to kill, and the government had taught him how to assassinate and get away without getting caught. His SEAL training had only added to his natural-born abilities.
Reece glared at Frank Cooper. “I’m going under. You won’t hear from me or see me until I find this…” He paused and then said, “Thing.” Using Frank’s words seemed like the smart thing to do.
Cooper shook his head and exhaled a deep breath through his nose. “Nope. You’ll contact me daily—”
“Or else what, Frank?” Reece interjected. “You’ll fire me? You hired me to do a job, so let me do it. Screwing around behind the crime scenes isn’t going to find this perp. And if I’m going under, I can’t have constant contact with you, nor can I have any ID or electronic devices that link to my identity. This is what I do. This is why you hired me.”
Frank Cooper glowered at him for a few seconds, then finally nodded. “Cocky. I like it.” He grinned. “Okay, but I know you can find a way to check your email at least once a week. I won’t come after you, but I’ll send you whatever evidence turns up. You do your job and find this thing, and I’ll forget about your indiscretion.” He stopped and looked up at Reece. “But you have to bring him in. I need whatever it is alive.”
That wasn’t going to happen, but Reece nodded anyway. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his government ID and company phone. “Hold these. I’ll contact you when I know something.”
“Don’t disappear for three weeks again, Reece. You know where to find me.”
Reece nodded and walked off. He did know where to find him, Dunkin’ Donuts.
He’d make one withdrawal and then the rest of his personal items—as he always did when he went deep—would go into a safety deposit b
ox. He’d rented one the day he arrived in Boston, but hadn’t needed it yet. He’d have to pay the bank to drill into the box as he did every time after he went dark, but it was safer than leaving his personal items or a key to the items anywhere else.
The first thing he did after leaving Cooper and his car at the scene was purchase another burner phone and load a pre-paid credit card. It was always easier to rent a hotel with any type of credit card than without. Desk clerks asked less questions when they could pre-charge a card versus him smacking down extra cash. The same thing went for rental cars.
He found a buy-here-pay-here lot and rented a cheap twenty-year-old supercharged T-bird. The all black, nondescript car was exactly what he needed. The salesman had gone on and on about the horsepower, benefits of rear-wheel drive, and the bad-ass head gasket he’d just installed, but all Reece cared about was that it was fast and it didn’t stand out like his government-issued police interceptor SHO. That was a bad car, but it was too noticeable. Even Kristina had spotted him on the freeway when he’d tailed her.
Reece found a cheap hotel, something he didn’t mind on his own budget, and set up camp. The one-room efficiency was clean, but that was about all he could say. He could stand on one side of the room and practically touch the other, but the location of the tiny motel was smack dab in the middle of all the crimes and in the vicinity of the hospital and all his new creatus friends’ residences.
He’d overheard Derrick and Michael discussing where Jonas and his family were staying, wondering which family of creatus were putting them up. That was easy…Jonas had never left. Most serial killers worked within a seven-mile radius of their home or work. The only exception so far in this case was the body west of the farmhouse, but then again, more than likely, the killer had been in Harvard that morning.
Reece spread out the map of Boston across the pearlescent Formica coffee table, thinking that at one point, someone actually considered the cheap piece fine furniture. He pulled out a handful of pushpins and used red for the three slayings that looked like a creatus had committed them, and then used blue pins for the use of already murdered corpses. He pushed a green pin into the intersection at the middle of all the crime scenes.
Creatus Series Boxed Set Page 44
