Roman

by K. J. Dahlen

T.K. reached out and brushed India’s hand. “I think I can sleep now.”

  “Good.” India smiled. “Maybe I can too, without the nightmares.” She and Briar watched T.K. head back to the house. She didn’t know why but he stayed out there with her. She wet her dry lips with her tongue then gathered her courage. They were both standing at the edge of the patio in the dark.

  She felt this was her chance to let him know she was interested. She turned and stared at him briefly then she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. She turned to leave but Briar grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close to him. His lips crushed hers and when she gasped, he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. The kiss lasted forever and when he broke it, India was close to passing out due to lack of oxygen.

  “Wow,” she whispered as she brought her fingers to her mouth.

  “I was hoping you would do that,” he whispered to her.

  “You were?” she was puzzled.

  “Yeah, I was.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a long time now,” he admitted.

  “You have?’ India swallowed hard. “Me too.”

  Briar nodded. “I wanted that kiss and now I want so much more. Hell, I’ll take whatever I can get.”

  “What about me?” India asked. “Would you take me?”

  Briar groaned. “Yes, oh god yes I will.” He swept her into his arms and fused his mouth on hers again. He walked her inside the house fumbling with the door then walked her down the hall to the bedroom he was staying in.

  Closing the door behind them, he pushed her against the door and began slowly undressing her. Her tank top flew behind them and his lips kissed down her neck to latch onto her hard nipples.

  India groaned as he suckled her breast. Her fingers pushed his shirt off his broad shoulders. Then her hands began touching his hot skin.

  Briar pushed her sleep shorts down her legs and reached for her clit. It was already wet and slippery and he sank his fingers into her body deep.

  India groaned and bucked against his hand. “I need you, please. Please, please…” she begged him.

  Briar turned her around and backed her up to the edge of the bed. He laid her down and fell beside her. He spread hot kisses along her body, to her belly and down further.

  India spread her legs eagerly.

  He delved into licking her and fingering her.

  Gasping, she writhed on the bed. “P-Please…”

  He paused and replied, “I am going to taste you as you come.” He went back to pumping her with his fingers and teasing her button with his mouth.

  Her body bucked and she couldn’t believe she was coming already as she moaned aloud and her body seized with an instant orgasm.

  Groaning and moaning, he slurped up every drop, and raised his head to grin at her. “Delicious, like I thought.” He paused. “Wait just a moment,” Briar stated as he quickly took his jeans off then grabbed a foil packet from the pocket.

  India watched t him through a daze as he sheathed himself. It was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.

  He moved to cover her body with his own. Smothering her lips with his, he thrust deep into her. He groaned as he felt her wet tight core wrap around his cock. His tongue in her mouth mimicked his cock thrusts.

  India hissed and began moving her own hips in rhythm with his. His thrusts were deep and hard and it didn’t take long before they both went over the edge. Briar quickly covered her mouth with his own to stifle her screams as he thrust deeply and harder to reach his own climax. Soon he exploded inside her as he threw back his head and groaned out loud.

  Neither of them wanted to move for a few minutes then finally, Briar moved to her side. He took of the condom, tied it off and tossed it in the little bedside trashcan. He turned over to a breathless India and tucked her close cradling her body to him.

  “Wow,” she whispered in an awed tone. “Is it supposed to be like that?”

  Briar frowned. “Supposed to be like what?”

  “That incredible?” she whispered.

  Briar’s frown deepened. “It wasn’t before?”

  India shrugged, then blushed. “I’ve only had sex one other time and it was nothing like this.”

  Briar was stunned. “Only one other time?”

  India nodded but wouldn’t look at him.

  Briar brought her face to his. “Only one other time?” he repeated looking her right in the eyes.

  India flushed bright red. “I think I was seventeen at the time. A boy asked me to go to the movies with him. Instead, we went to make out point and he wanted sex. I have to say I didn’t like it much.”

  “Did he force you?”

  India shook her head. “Not really. I mean I could have walked away but I wanted to see what it was all about. It was disappointing to say the least. Not at all like this.”

  Briar chuckled. “I’m claiming you. And there’s much more incredible things to show you.”

  She smiled. “Oh… I like the sound of that.”

  He chuckled. “Sleep now. I’ll watch over you.”

  India closed her eyes and drifted away while Briar watched her for a while, then he closed his eyes and joined her in sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  When the sun came up over the eastern horizon India was sitting in the courtyard. About an hour ago, she woke up and came back outside. Stopping in the kitchen, she had brewed a pot of coffee and now as the sun came up she was sipping her third cup.

  “You’re up early.” Cade voice came from behind her.

  India turned her head to see him coming from the house to join her. In his hands was a cup of coffee. “I’ve been up most of the night.” Then she smiled. “Although, I did get some sleep.”

  “Have you been working on the case?”

  “T.K., Briar and I found some interesting stuff last night.”

  “I saw a new pile of papers on the table. You guys must have worked half the night,” Cade said as he sipped his coffee.

  “We found a new link to the artist near Boston,” India told him. “All the jars and Ankh’s found in the linens were specifically made for each of his victims. They had the victim’s names on them in Egyptian cartouches.”

  Cade sat up and leaned toward her. “Are you sure about this?”

  “We found Jenna’s name on the top of the jar and Lynn’s name on the base of the ankh.”

  “If someone ordered them made that way it still doesn’t make her an accomplice. She could always say the order came that way,” Cade reasoned.

  “Briar said that maybe you would go and see her face to face. He said you would be able to tell if she was lying or not.” India looked at him. “Can you really do that? Tell if someone is lying or not, I mean.”

  Cade leaned back and stared at her. “You and Briar seem very close.”

  India smiled slightly. “You didn’t answer my question. And I work with him at the courthouse in Raleigh. When this first came up, I went to him but I didn’t know at the time this place existed. Your brother is well respected in his field. He’s someone you don’t feel is going to dismiss you without bothering to help if he can. He’s easy to talk to and he listens, not just going through the motions. He’s like you in a lot of ways. We have become a lot closer recently. Is that going to bother you?”

  Cade stared at her for a moment then tipped his head toward the ground for a moment then looked at her. “Did Briar tell you how this place came to be?”

  “He told me that your father set up the foundation after Quinn was injured in an accident. He said you and Elliot gave up your jobs as police officers to join him here.”

  “Did he tell you about the accident that crippled Quinn?”

  “No, he didn’t.”

  “Ten years ago, I was a cop and very much in love with a woman I asked to become my wife. Her name was Marisa. Elliot and I were tracking down a killer and we were getting very closer to finding him. So close, it seems that one day
he grabbed Marisa. Briar was given a message one day to pass along to me.” He paused and said, “What I didn’t know was the killer knew as much about us as we knew about him. He knew we were getting a little too close and he had to find a way to stop our investigation. He thought if he grabbed Marisa, he would force us off the case. The message that he gave to Briar was a timeline. He wanted me to meet him but eight o’clock that night. He would return Marisa and leave town. He thought he could get away with kidnapping her in order to get a free pass. The only problem was Briar forgot to give me the message. He got caught up in a case and didn’t get around to giving me the note until almost nine o’clock that night. When I got to the meeting place, the killer was gone and Marisa was in bad shape. She’d been stabbed twelve times and was bleeding to death.” Cade paused as memories rushed through him. “She died in my arms because Briar didn’t give me the message. I was filled with a rage I haven’t felt before. I thought about killing him and we exchanged blows but my brothers and my Dad intervened. They pulled us apart and I just got in my car and was about to drive away when Quinn joined me. I was still in a rage and I missed a corner. My car slammed into a tree. I broke my leg but Quinn broke his back and the doctors had to drill a hole in Quinn’s head to alleviate the pressure when his brain swelled due to the trauma. I almost killed my own brother that night.”

  “But you didn’t. He survived and so did you.”

  “I guess so.” Cade looked at his empty cup. “But there is a hole in my soul that can never be filled.”

  “Only because you won’t let it.”

  “What does that means?” Cade frowned angrily.

  “You can’t let go of the past because you don’t want to forget Marisa. Did you ever find her killer?”

  Cade nodded. “Yeah, we found the scumbag a few months later. He wouldn’t go down easy but he’s in prison on death row.”

  “Do you still hate your brother?”

  Cade shrugged. “Briar has always been easily distracted. I thought at some point in his life he would grow up enough to get over it but I guess he hasn’t yet. That habit of his still irritates me to no end.”

  “And you never fail to mention this trait, do you?” India asked softly. “You did it yesterday when he mentioned the ceramic jar I buried fifteen years ago. Don’t you think he’s suffered enough for a simple mistake?”

  “Marisa died because he couldn’t remember to give me a message,” Cade repeated. “Brock Daniels murdered her because I wasn’t there to save her on time.”

  “How do you know that?” India asked.

  “She died in my arms asking me why was I so late. She told me Daniels was angry because I was late.”

  “I truly believe everything happens for a reason,” India told him gently. “Do you really think Daniels was going to turn Marisa free that night?”

  Cade thought about that for a moment and had to shake his head. “I don’t see his reasoning. He said he would let her go if I got there by eight.”

  “If you think about it, he wanted you to rush into to save her but I think he intended to kill you both that night. He couldn’t afford to let you live, you or Elliot. It might have only been a matter of time but he was knew he would have to take Elliot out too.”

  “How do you know this?” Cade asked.

  “I studied the Daniels case when I was in college. He was a very organized killer. Your police work was sound and you left no stone unturned. He knew if he were ever caught, he’d die in jail. He kidnapped Marisa to force you into compliance. He knew you loved her and he was planning on using your feelings for her to kill you both. He was quoted in a later interview that he had plans of taking out both you and Elliot and any other cop that tried to find him. He said he knew his time in North Carolina had come to an end but he had to stop you from going after him when he moved on.”

  “Did you know that before you came here?” Cade stared at her stonily.

  India shook her head. “I didn’t put it together until now when you told me what happened. I had no idea Briar was your brother or that you and Elliot were the officers connected with the Daniels case. No one ever mentioned your names in connection with his case.”

  “We asked not to have our names mentioned. We didn’t want that case to be connected with the Foundation.”

  “If things happen for a reason then Briar saved both you and Elliot. What happened after that was no one’s fault. It just happened. Quinn survived the accident and because of his disability, this place was born. This could have been Fate’s plan all along.”

  “That’s what I keep telling him but of course, he never listens to me,” Quinn said as he came through the door out into the courtyard.

  Cade turned to his brother. “I know, you’ve been telling me for years but I haven’t wanted to hear what you said. Somebody had to pay for Marisa.”

  “And somebody has,” Quinn told him. “Brock Daniels is on death row. Next week he’s going to be executed for her murder.” He paused and then looked at his older brother. “Do you think it’s about time to forgive Briar.”

  “I don’t know how to say the words.” Cade sighed. “The rage I felt that night is gone now and I’ve known that for a long time but how do I tell him that I forgive him?”

  “You just did,” Briar said.

  Everyone turned and saw Briar standing in the doorway. He had a pot of coffee in his hands along with a couple of cups. He walked over to the table and set the pot and the cups down. Then he turned to Cade and held out his hand.

  Cade stood up and grasped his hand, pulling him into a hug. “I’m sorry man.”

  Briar hugged him back. “You’ll never know how much that means to me. I know I’ve got my issues but I never dreamed not giving you that message that night would have such heartbreaking consequences.”

  “Actually, if what India tells me is true, you actually saved my life that night. She said Daniels bragged in an interview from prison he was going to kill us both that night, then he was going to come after Elliot and anyone else closing in on him.”

  Briar turned and looked at India. “He did?”

  “I researched a bunch of major cases in college when I was going to change my major. Brock Daniels was one of those cases.” India shrugged. “I didn’t put it together because the Rivers name was blacked out.”

  Briar gazed at Cade. “Did she tell you what we found during the night?”

  “A stronger link to our artist.” Cade nodded.

  Briar went into the living room and brought back the pictures they had worked on during the night. “We found two of our victim’s names on top of the jar and on the Ankh wrapping one of the bodies.”

  Cade looked at the evidence Briar had given him. “If she made these items for a specific purpose then she’s involved, but if she had no idea what he was going to use them for then she’s linked but not an accomplice.”

  “I think we need to find out exactly what her connection is don’t you?” Briar asked.

  “Elliot and I can go back to Boston and talk to her,” Cade suggested. “I checked the fax machine as I came through the house this morning and there are more reports to go through. If the evidence is there for more of his victims, we’ll be well on our way to proving the case in court. All we have to do is find out who he is.”

  “Our facial recognition program tells us his name is Professor Cooper Hudson,” Fallon announced from behind them.

  Everyone turned to find her standing in the doorway with papers in her hands.

  “He’s a tenured professor at Boston College and he’s had several speaking engagements over the years.”

  “If we can find out where he’s been, I’ll bet the location of the bodies will coincide with his trips,” Briar said.

  “That is one thing that we’ll be checking,” she told him. “We want a rock solid case when we take this bastard to court.”

  “Then people, let’s do our jobs and find whatever evidence he left for us to find,” Cade said as he clapped hi
s hands together.

  “How about we start the day with some food?” Briar asked. “I suddenly find myself starving.”

  “Mom is already in the kitchen,” Elliot told him as he joined the group.

  India stood up. “I’m going to check on T.K.” Before she left ,Briar wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss.

  Everyone just stared in shock at the pair. Finally, when she moved away, so did they. The group moved inside and everyone got busy with work.

  India went to T.K.’s door and opened it slightly. She could see her friend was sitting on her bed. She had a sketch book in her hand and was busy drawing. She looked up to see India at the door and waved her in.

  “What are you doing?” India asked as she sat down on the bed with a grin on her face.

  “Hoo-hoo, you look like you got you some lawyer last night.” When she saw India blush, T.K. patted her arm. “Good for you girl.”

  India looked down at all the drawings on the bed. “I thought you were going to get some sleep last night? It looks like you’ve been up all night.”

  T.K. nodded. “I couldn’t close my eyes. My mind was too busy, so I thought I’d draw out these for the team. I’m trying to remember what Gretchen’s place looks like. I thought if the guys knew what it looked like they might be able to catch something out of place. Gretchen used to tell us that chaos came from disorder, and that she couldn’t stand disorder. She had a place for everything and everything in its place.”

  India picked up one of the several drawings on T.K.’s bed. It was the drawing of a kitchen. The counters were clean and there was very little set out. The next drawing was a living room. The furniture was low sofas and cozy sitting areas. The next drawing was a bedroom. Then there was a drawing of a pottery studio. The huge airy room was broken down to several different work areas, each with its own pottery wheel. There was in the center another pottery wheel.

  “Wow, these are good. There is a lot of detail,” she noted as she viewed the drawings.

  T.K. looked at her and smiled. “It’s just something I do. Once I see something I can draw it from memory.”