The man stepped away from the door, letting Casey pass, and then locked the door behind him and headed for the stairs.
Casey didn’t hesitate to follow the man upstairs, but gave his side a quick pat, making sure his gun was still there. Not that he’d ever forgotten his Glock, but the inside of a pitch-black nightclub at four a.m. wasn’t where he wanted it to be the first time he did.
The guard rapped on the outside of a door, and within seconds, a man of average size and weight, dressed in jeans in a sweatshirt, opened the door. “Detective O’Brian?”
“Yep.” Casey handed him his card and flashed his badge. “Bill Reeves, right?”
“Yes, sir, but I don’t understand. What does a murder that happened elsewhere have to do with us?”
Casey shrugged. “Just a place to start, Bill. Why don’t you have a seat?” Bill took a seat behind a desk, and Casey sat down on the edge of a black leather sofa catty-cornered from the desk. “The deceased had a ticket stub for tonight’s show in his pocket, so the first thing we’d like to check is if he was with any other people. I assume you have security feed of your business.”
Bill’s eyes narrowed just slightly as he nodded. “Uhh…yeah…but don’t you need a warrant for that?”
Casey resisted a sigh. “Do I need a warrant, Bill? A murdered college student was found in a dumpster less than three blocks from here with a ticket stub to a concert at this establishment only hours ago.” He raised his hand, twisting it, asking ‘what the hell’ without saying any words. “Why would I need a warrant to track down a potential murderer that might have been in your club tonight? I’d think you’d want to protect your business’ name.”
Bill grunted, but moved his mouse to wake up his PC. “Why do they even have warrants?” he muttered under his breath.
“What’s that?” Casey asked.
“Nothing,” the man grumbled again. He clicked a few keys. “Hey, you any relation to Murphy O’Brian?”
“Murphy was my uncle,” Casey said without any inflection, his eyes taking in the nondescript office. Other than the band posters replacing crime-scene photos, the small space could have been one of the cubicles at the department.
Bill looked up from the monitor. “Was?”
“Yeah. Died almost three months ago. Murdered.”
“That’s too bad. Good cop. I knew him back in the day.”
Casey nodded. “Yeah, he was straight-up.” He didn’t like to talk about the death of a cop with civilians, as he assumed many of them cheered when a cop died, even a great cop like his uncle.
“No offense…but you don’t look anything like him. Actually, you don’t look Irish at all.”
Casey couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that. With his jet-black wavy hair and onyx eyes, most people guffawed when he said O’Brian, one of the reasons he preferred Casey. “Murphy was my dad’s brother. I look like my mom. She’s Italian.”
Bill nodded, returning his smile, but then frowned at the computer. He stood from the desk and walked down the hall, and Casey immediately followed, his hand finding his gun again.
“Son-of-a-bitch!” Bill fumbled in a closet in the hall. “It’s missing. The entire system is gone.” He glanced around the room as if the missing item would appear on a filing cabinet or bookshelf.
“What’s gone?”
“The security system. Everything is recorded in one system, and I can access it from my computer. That way I can see what my staff is doing at all times. It’s more for in-house security than anything. Liquor inventory doesn’t disappear out the back door as often as it used to.”
“Have you had a break-in recently?”
“Not that I know of.”
“When’s the last time you checked the system?”
“Two hours ago,” the man replied, running his hands through his salt and pepper hair. He turned and walked off. “We through? I have nothing else to say.”
Casey nodded, making his way to the door. So much for flashing William’s DL. Something had made Bill shut down. It was clear he wouldn’t get anything else out of the man, so he’d have to work other angles until he secured a warrant. He’d come back and interview the club’s employees tomorrow.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Not wanting Jonas to know how much she wanted him to stay with her, Meghan kept her head tucked tightly against her pillow, pretending she was fast asleep, when he crawled out of bed.
In truth, she doubted she’d slept all night. Technically, she’d slept in Jonas’ room, and his arms had held her safely all night, but she hadn’t been able to sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Tag ripping open Rick’s throat with his teeth had caused her to stay alert. She’d spent most of the evening staring at Jonas’ strong hands, wondering if he could protect her if Tag burst through the door.
From what she understood through bits and pieces of conversations, half-creatus, half-human beings were stronger than full-blooded creatus. Tag would have been able to overpower her if she’d tried to escape him, she was certain, and though he was about the same height as Jonas, he was a lot larger. Did that mean he had more strength? Did more muscle mean tougher in the creatus world?
“I don’t care what she saw.” Jonas’ voice was low, but determined. “She’s one of us. She’s with me.”
“Her father’s a Fed, man. She’s bad news.” Tag’s repulsive guttural tone seeped through the walls, slithering down her spine as if he were a serpent. God, she despised that man—that thing.
“And, she wants nothing to do with him. She wants to stay—with me,” Jonas retorted in her defense.
Tag let out a raspy cackle, as though he were choking on a chicken bone, like one of her neighbors’ old bloodhounds. “I get it. First Victoria, now Meghan. You need to learn to—”
The walls shook, and then Jonas spat out a stream of expletives, his voice resonating through the building. “You need to learn to keep your mouth shut. When I want you to teach me something, I’ll ask you, but don’t hold your breath. Everything is in place, and your antics last night might have screwed up everything. No more killings, do you hear me? We’re gonna watch and protect. That’s all. Don’t be seen and don’t be identified. We’re gonna take back the country, and when the time comes, we’re gonna take over the government. The people are tired of being scared to walk outside after dark, so we’re gonna be protectors again. But no killing. Understand?” No response from Tag, but Jonas said, “Good”, so she guessed that Tag had nodded his compliance.
So, whether Tag was stronger than Jonas didn’t seem to matter. Tag was obviously afraid of him, so maybe she didn’t have to find a way to escape without Jonas.
The door opened, so she continued her steady breathing. Jonas walked into the large bathroom adjacent to his suite and closed the door. The shower turned on after a few seconds, and for the strangest reason, she felt an uncontrollable urge to follow him in there. She’d never been with a man, never been naked with a man, but after listening to Jonas defend her and put Tag in his place, parts of her body had lit up in reaction.
It was bold, she knew, but she couldn’t resist. She crawled out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. She quietly turned the handle to check if it was locked. It wasn’t.
“Mind if I brush my teeth?” she called to the chocolate-colored shower curtain, wishing he’d gone with a transparent one.
“Go right ahead. You need a shower too?”
She smiled. She couldn’t unravel him with a little teasing, it seemed. “No, I’m good. I didn’t get into a fight this morning.” She made quick work of the toothbrush and paste.
The water stopped, and she spit out the paste, quickly rinsing her mouth. He was gonna call her bluff. Nothing but his long, muscular arm reached for a towel, thankfully, and then he pulled back the curtain and stepped out.
The thick white towel wrapped around his waist did little to cover up everything that made him male. It covered his main male p
arts, but his finely sculpted pecs and abs drew her attention more than if he were standing there naked. Probably. Since she’d never seen a real-life naked man, she couldn’t be sure, but she couldn’t imagine looking at a finer piece of art than what stood before her. Droplets of water, like dew adorning leaves in the early hours of morning, embellished the spray of black hair on his light olive skin.
Jonas approached her, and she wanted to scream ‘yes’, but then ‘no’ at the same time. He reached out his hand, but didn’t touch her. Instead, he reached past her for his toothbrush on the counter, his damp hand grazing her hip.
Her heart rate increased, causing her cheeks to burn, knowing he could hear the ridiculous rapid rate just because his hand had barely touched her.
“May I?” he asked without a hint of a smile, as if he suddenly couldn’t hear her pulse throbbing through her veins.
“Umm…may you what?” she choked out, wondering why she couldn’t find her voice. She’d slept in the same bed with him all night and hadn’t had this type of reaction. Then again, he’d been fully dressed, not standing in front of her half-naked.
“The sink…you’re hogging the sink. Is that the kind of roommate you’re gonna be?”
“Oh…” She stepped back, walking backward until she was in the doorway. “No, I’m finished.”
Jonas walked toward her, and she thought for sure that he was just going to rip off his towel and push her back to the bed, but instead, he softly closed the door, locking her out.
Meghan closed her eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed, chuckling. What was wrong with her? Last night she’d made it clear that she wasn’t interested in anything even remotely similar to having sex or falling…or whatever he was talking about, but now, she was envisioning him ripping off her clothes.
What had she gotten herself into? She dropped her head into her hands, wondering how she was going to get herself out of here…without losing Jonas or her life in the process. He’d made it sound last night as though he’d leave with her, but what if she’d misunderstood him? What if he had no intention to give up what he was doing? He’d said that everything was in place. What had he meant by that?
Warm hands gripped her shoulders. In her contemplating, she hadn’t heard the door open. He lifted her as if she weighed no more than a doll and laid her down in the middle of the bed.
“I’m sorry you heard that,” Jonas murmured softly. “I meant it, though. No one will touch you—ever. Not while I’m alive. I’m so sorry for what he did to you. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Even though Tag had dropped her on the rooftop, she shook her head. It’d only hurt a little. As much as she hated Tag, she didn’t want Jonas to kill him, and based on their last conversation, if she intimated that he’d actually hurt her, he might do just that.
“Meghan, you weren’t going home with that guy, were you?”
She narrowed her eyes, shaking her head. “Jonas…why would you believe Tag? I told you I’ve never been with anyone, and you think I’d pick some loser off the street…when I have you.”
He smiled. “You do have me.” He leaned forward, nuzzling his face against her neck. “The question is…do you want to keep me?”
Meghan shivered at the goose bumps that traveled down her back, then inhaled, trying to catch her breath. Her body felt warm and tingly as it had last night when Jonas kissed her.
He nibbled on her neck, his mouth inches from her ear. “Forever?”
Seemingly of its own volition, her head nodded and a whimper escaped her throat as his warm breath caressed her neck. He worked his way along her jaw, nibbling, kissing, and whispering her name in hushed words, sending a thrill through her body.
He pulled back a few inches when he was in front of her lips. “I want you, Meghan. Forever. I never would have guessed that I could feel so complete, but I do. My soul is aching just to kiss you. Can I kiss you?”
Her lips burned with anticipation too, and again, her head chose to say yes when her mouth failed to work.
Jonas wrapped his hands around the back of her head, but held his lips just an inch from hers. “Forever?” he asked again. “If you say yes, I won’t let you go. It’ll hurt at first, but I swear it’ll feel incredible once you give into it.”
“Yes,” she choked out.
“Meghan, there’s no turning back. Creatus only fall once in a lifetime. We’re not like humans.”
Meghan released a long breath and tears pricked her eyes. They’d be together forever. No concerns, no being left alone, unloved. She couldn’t imagine it. “Forever.”
Jonas pulled her tightly to him and sealed his mouth over hers. He coaxed her to open up and in seconds she felt his tongue, soft and gentle, exploring as he’d done before. The warmth that she’d felt started at her lips and then moved to her neck, working its way through her body. Jonas pulled her tighter and then freed one of his hands, moving beneath the front of the large t-shirt he’d given her to wear.
Her body arched as his hot hand found its way, caressing her as she’d never been touched. His tongue probed deeper, dancing with hers. The warmth traveled from her shoulders to her sides, every place he touched her seemed to get hotter by the second.
As he kissed her deeper and deeper, the warmth was no longer warmth. The sensation seeped into her skin, penetrating her insides until liquid heat rushed through her veins. Her body tingled and burned, sparked and crackled, as if she were a log on a campfire, ready to burst into flames any second.
“Jonas…” she tried to speak under his kisses, but he had her locked down. Fire rushed through her body to the point of being painful. She was going to burn up. “Jonas…” she tried again.
Realizing she was trying to speak, he loosened his grip, but continued to nibble on her lips. “Just let go, Meghan. Fall with me. I promise it’ll be okay.”
She released another breath and then latched onto him, kissing him with full force, letting the heat surge through her. The lava-like flow rushed through her body, her loins, throbbing through every fiber in her body. The unbelievable rush pounded its way into her chest finally, and she felt an explosion of fire flare through every vein, right down to her fingers and toes.
Jonas pulled back for a long breath and then captured her lips again, but only for a few seconds. “Wow. God, that feels so good. I can’t believe it.”
Meghan closed her eyes, luxuriating in the feeling that still swarmed inside her. The man had given her the most ultimate orgasm, simply by kissing her. How was that possible?
She opened her eyes, then took a deep breath, trying to slow down her heart rate before she tried to speak. She didn’t feel like talking, but she wanted to know what he couldn’t believe. “Believe what?”
“All these years. Nothing. It’s all gone.” He wrapped his arms tightly around her. “There’s only you now.”
Meghan didn’t have to ask. She liked the sound of ‘only you’. She moved her hands to the towel between them, but he stopped her.
“Are you sure? That’s an entirely different experience. I can’t imagine what it will feel like after we’ve fallen.”
“Yes, I’m sure. We’re connected now, right? So, you’re the only man I’ll ever be with, right?”
Jonas smiled. “Right. Nothing comes between a couple once they’ve fallen.” He lifted her chin. “Meghan, nothing. Do you feel it? I’d die for you. Kill for you. No one will ever hurt you or come between us now.”
She gulped. She did feel it, but she hoped he’d never have to kill someone because of her.
Jonas lifted the t-shirt and traced his fingers over her stomach. “You are so beautiful, and I do want you.”
She collapsed onto the pillow and closed her eyes as his fingertips left a trail of fire everywhere they roamed. His hand traveled lower, and she released a moan of approval, so he continued with his exploration of her body.
He seemed to be in no particular hurry, while her body begged him to touch her. When she couldn’t take it any longe
r, she opened her eyes and ripped away the towel.
Jonas reached for his wallet on the side table, then returned to her in seconds. “I’m in no rush, Meghan. Talk to me. Tell me what feels good, okay?”
“Oh…everything you’re doing feels wonderful.”
“It might hurt—”
She coaxed him toward her. “I’m yours. Make love to me, Jonas.”
Jonas sealed his lips to hers at the same time that he took away her last vestige of childhood. She was a woman, she was in love, and essentially, she was his wife.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
As much as he hated sitting still, Reece sat patiently, waiting for Colonel Branson to return. His new boss had quietly said, ‘Have a seat’, then had left. Reece didn’t have to speculate long to know why he was here. Branson was ticked that there’d been another murder, and Reece hadn’t checked in immediately.
The door opened and three men followed Branson into the office. From the limited time Reece had spent inside Boston PD, he recognized all except one of the three men, even though he hadn’t worked with any of them one-on-one. Frank Cooper had mostly skirted around them, working behind the scenes. The National Security Council didn’t work well with others, and FBI agents didn’t like them stepping on their turf.
Since Reece had never wanted the limelight, he’d never played those silly games. His only concern had always been to catch the bad guy at all costs. If it were any other investigation, he would have already introduced himself and would have offered to share evidence, but not this time. His real job was to find the rogue faction and dispel it without any of the authorities, whether they were beneath, lateral, or above his rank, knowing.
Although it counteracted his position within the NSC, he had to eliminate any evidence of creatus, or chance endangering his and his daughter’s life, not to mention Victoria’s. The thought of the government trying to round up all of their kind was a frightening scenario.
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