“There’s nothing to talk about,” Trish insisted. “I’m not pregnant, and we’ll be more careful going forward. Can we talk about something else?”
While Alek wanted to discuss this more, he knew it would be a mistake to push Trish. “Fine, we won’t talk about pregnancy. How about if we talk about how incredible you are?”
Trish blushed. “I’d tell you you’re pretty incredible yourself, but your ego needs no stroking.”
“Speaking of stroking, I seem to be developing another problem. Care to help me out?”
“Are you planning to keep me in bed all day?” Trish asked.
“That’s the plan,” he admitted as he slid his hand between their bodies to stroke her.
“Then I guess we should get some condoms from Caitlin’s room,” she said on a moan.
Alek froze, unable to believe he’d almost seduced her without a condom again. “You make me forget myself,” he admitted.
“Is that a bad thing?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“No, but if you want me to make it out of the room for condoms, you’d better stop looking at me that way.”
Just then, Trish’s stomach grumbled, making Alek chuckle. “How about if I feed you first?” he asked.
“Wanna order pizza?” she asked with a grin.
“Sure,” he said.
“Great! I’ve got coupons in my wallet,” Trish said as she climbed out of bed.
Much to Alek’s disappointment, she slipped the sleep shirt back on. At least he could look forward to taking if off after they ate.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Alek decided it would be best to let Roman know about Trish’s run-in with Phoebe before they ordered dinner. Knowing his brother, he was going to be annoyed that Alek had waited this long to call him.
“Hello?” Roman answered hesitantly.
Alek smiled because his brother’s ineptness with technology never failed to amuse him. Roman had only recently learned how to accept calls on his smart phone, and sometimes it took more than one try to get it right.
“It’s me,” Alek said by way of greeting.
“What is it, Alek? Is everything going well with Trish? I’m still not sure I like you staying with the girl, but Lydia told me to mind my own business.”
Roman’s wife was not afraid to speak her mind. She was also the most likely of Trish’s friends to support his interest. Whether Lydia supported it as a fling or something more, he didn’t know, but at least she wasn’t insisting he leave Trish alone, and that meant Roman wasn’t insisting he leave Trish alone.
“I’m calling because Phoebe approached Trish at the mall earlier today,” Alek told him, feeling somewhat embarrassed by this story. “I let Drew take her to the mall, and Phoebe thought they were a couple.”
There was a long pause. “You allowed Trish to go to the mall with Drew? Our nephew Drew? Drew the sociopath?”
“It was her idea,” Alek insisted. “Believe me, I tried to talk her out of it, but the woman can be very stubborn.”
“You are responsible for Trish’s care,” Roman said calmly, but Alek suspected he was anything but calm. His oldest brother was an expert at keeping his emotions hidden. “I expect you to take charge of the situation and make her listen to reason if necessary.”
“What the fuck!” Lydia’s raspy shout from the background brought a smile to Alek’s lips. He’d love to see his brother try to force his wife to see reason.
“Alek let Trish go to the mall with Drew,” Roman said incredulously.
“So?” Lydia asked. “Drew’s mostly harmless, just really annoying.”
“Harmless?” Alek and Roman gasped in unison.
“Have you lost your mind?” Roman asked his wife.
Alek heard Lydia’s voice growing fainter as she talked about the many reasons the Draksel men were idiots.
“I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when you get off the phone,” Alek said with a grin.
Roman chuckled. “Lydia’s not one to hold a grudge. Now, tell me what happened with Phoebe.”
Alek recounted what he knew, including Drew’s assurances that Phoebe wouldn’t be able to find the condo.
“It sounds like Trish should be safe, but I’d feel better if one of us were with her at all times until Phoebe’s located,” Roman said.
“That was my thought, as well,” Alek said. “I’m also having Isaiah double check the security system he put in at the condo.”
“Good idea,” Roman said. “I’m guessing Phoebe won’t leave the area without making at least one more attempt to get Drew to go with her.”
“Just as we expected,” Alek added.
“Let me know if you find anything else,” Roman said. “For now, I’d better go make up with my wife.”
“Good luck with that,” Alek said with a chuckle before ending the call.
In the front room, he found Trish frantically searching her purse.
“What has you so worked up?” he asked.
“I can’t find my wallet,” she admitted. “I must have left it at Victoria’s Secret. That’s the last place I shopped. I suppose it also might have fallen out of my purse somewhere in the mall.”
Alek was instantly on alert. “Pack a bag,” he said urgently.
Trish froze, glaring at him. “Did I do or say something that would lead you to believe I take orders well?”
Alek let out a frustrated breath, wondering why he acted like such an ass around Trish.
“Sorry about barking that out like an order. It’s just that Phoebe may have stolen your wallet. She has a talent for that sort of thing, and if she has your wallet, she knows where you live.”
“My driver’s license has my old address on it,” Trish said calmly.
“With your driver’s license number, she can get your address,” he explained. “We’ll be safer at Nathaniel’s for now.”
“Didn’t she just break in there and almost kidnap Justin recently?” Trish asked, with her hands on her hips and her lips pressed in a stubborn line.
“She had the security code for the front gate, so I wouldn’t call it breaking in. Isaiah took care of tightening up security at Nathaniel’s, and we’ll have him meet us there to double check everything,” he explained.
“Okay,” she said with a nod. “I’ll pack a few things and call Victoria’s Secret and the mall’s information line when we get to Nathaniel’s. If they have my wallet, we can pick it up and head back here.”
Alek shook his head. “No.”
“I thought we were going there on the off chance that Phoebe has my wallet. If she doesn’t have it, then why would I need to avoid staying in the condo?”
“Are the receipts for the places you shopped in your wallet?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “I hate having them in the bags.”
“Then she could have looked at those and dropped the wallet in one of those stores to throw us off. She had to notice your Victoria’s Secret bags and might have left it there, or even turned it in to the mall’s lost and found desk.”
“You know, not everyone is a criminal mastermind,” she grumbled.
“Phoebe is,” he said. “Let’s just play it safe.”
“Fine,” Trish said. “I’ll go pack, but you should know in advance that Justin and Caitlin are staying at Nathaniel’s to get everything ready for the delivery of Tempest’s triplets.”
As much as Alek was enjoying having Trish to himself, it was probably a good thing there would be more people to guard her. It was also a good thing the rest of the family would hear about what was going on with Trish sooner rather than later. Why delay the inevitable lecture from Roman?
“Isaiah might even be staying there,” she added. “Tempest has been having a lot of contractions, so she and Aiden may be there as well.”
Alek cursed under his breath. “Anyone else?” he asked.
Trish hesitated.
“Helena?” Alek guessed as realization dawned on him. Helena was in the area to as
sist Justin when he delivered Tempest’s triplets, so it only made sense that she’d be staying at Nathaniel’s home.
Trish nodded, looking uncomfortable.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Does that bother you?”
“A little,” she admitted. “I know we aren’t a couple, and I have no right to be jealous, but jealousy isn’t the most logical emotion.”
“Trish,” he said, waiting until she looked at him. “You have nothing to be jealous of. What I had with Helena was a long time ago, and I’ve changed a lot since then. She’s no longer the woman I want.”
Trish tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. “You don’t have to explain yourself. Like I said before, we’re not in a relationship.”
“The hell we aren’t,” he growled before kissing her until she was panting and clinging to his shirt. “You are mine,” he said as he stared into her eyes so she would see his sincerity. Maybe he couldn’t give her what she deserved, but what they had was more than just sex.
Trish looked like she wasn’t sure what to say. She stepped back, looking aroused and confused.
“Go pack,” he said, and then amended. “Please, go pack so I can keep you safe, because I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you.”
Trish nodded and headed toward her room.
Watching her walk away, Alek knew one thing. He was in really big trouble.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Carlos’ life had been strange since the day he’d met Ivy St. James nearly five years ago. One thing that made him a good cop was his innate ability to sense when things were wrong. A lieutenant had even joked that he was psychic. Carlos had laughed at the suggestion, refusing to tell the lieutenant how close to the truth that statement was. It was one reason he knew Ivy and her family had abilities normal humans didn’t possess, and the reason he knew the Draksel men were even further off the human spectrum.
It was also the reason he wasn’t convinced that everything was wrapped up with Detective Michael Williams’ death. Life would be much easier if it was as simple as they thought, because then he wouldn’t have to explain how he’d come up with such a far-out lead to a presumed suicide that had happened more than twenty years ago. The smart thing would be to let it go. What the hell could he do about all of this anyway? Mikey was dead, and nothing could bring him back. Maybe Carlos could accept that if he wasn’t convinced there was another person involved in Mikey’s death.
Isaiah Draksel had been surprisingly accommodating when he’d asked him to hack into a few databases. He’d also added a few other useful things to Carlos’ computer. From his research, he knew Isaiah Draksel ran a well-respected security company and was rumored to be able to get into any computer and any building. For whatever reason, he also thought Carlos needed access to nearly every law enforcement database in the country, which was definitely useful at the moment. No matter how far he dug, Carlos couldn’t make any sense out of Mikey’s murder. The killers had all been members of a local street gang Mikey had been investigating for years. That was why Carlos had been able to locate the men so easily. It was also why the gang killing angle made sense, or at least it had at first. The problem he had with that theory came when he started investigating other deaths associated with this gang. Gangs, especially the one Mikey had been investigating, tended to take credit for killings, not try to make them look like suicides. One could theorize that they were afraid the police would come down harder on them if they killed a police officer. That theory only worked if one didn’t dig into the gang’s history of violence against the police. Everything led Carlos to the conclusion that this was a hired killing.
After dialing the number he’d just illegally obtained, Carlos listened to it ring several times. In fact, it rang so many times he expected the call to go to voicemail.
“Hello,” answered a man with the voice of a lifelong chain smoker.
“Hey, Pat, it’s Carlos,” he said, sounding much like the street punk he’d once been.
“Carlos Ramirez?” the man asked. “Or should I say, Detective Ramirez?” It was a surprise that the man didn’t want to know how Carlos had gotten his unlisted number.
“That’s me,” he said. “Although, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be a detective.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve lost your love for the law,” the older man said with a chuckle. “That I’ll never believe.”
“Nah,” Carlos said. “I’ve just lost my belief that I’m making a difference.”
“That’s too bad. Mikey always thought you’d go far.”
“Actually, I called to talk to you about Mikey,” Carlos said.
“Shame what happened,” the man said on a sigh. “Pressure just got to be too much. Not thinking about jumping in front of a train, are you?”
“No,” Carlos said. “I’m also not sure Mikey jumped in front of a train. Scratch that. I know he didn’t jump in front of a train. Someone pushed him and then killed a runaway who witnessed it. I found out who was there, but I’ve got this nagging suspicion there’s someone else involved.”
There was a long pause. “How’d you come up with this information? I thought no one saw Mikey jump in front of that train.”
Carlos hesitated because Pat was going to think he was crazy if he told him the truth. Then again, he needed the man’s help. Pat had been Mikey’s partner for years, and even though they’d no longer been working together at the time of Mikey’s death, Pat still might know what cases could have led to Mikey’s death. Decision made, he began to tell Pat a story most people wouldn’t believe. “His daughter was hit by a car a few days ago, and now she has some strange ability to see the past.”
“Must be the head injury,” Pat said, but he didn’t sound convinced.
“I thought so too, at first,” Carlos said. “That is, until I realized Trish knows too much about what happened. She was able to pick the guys out. The ones involved are dead or already serving life without parole. I’d like to interview the lifers, but I can’t come up with an angle to justify it.”
“If they’re dead or in prison, I don’t see the need to bring all this up now,” Pat said in frustration. “Assuming she’s not crazy, the guys she claims did it are already off the street.”
“I’m missing something in all this,” Carlos admitted. “It seems like someone else was calling the shots. This has to be related to one of Mikey’s cases, but I don’t have any idea what he was working on that could have got him killed. I was hoping you’d know.”
“Sure,” Pat said in a much too bright voice. “I’ll think back to what Mikey had going at the time and let you know if I can think of anything important. We weren’t working together anymore, but we still talked.”
After some small talk, Carlos ended the call. The suspicion that Pat wasn’t telling him everything wouldn’t go away, and he felt a little guilty for doubting a man who’d helped mentor him as a youth. Something about Pat’s reaction was off, but Carlos couldn’t put his finger on what it was.
Chapter Twenty-Six
All she had to do was play it cool when she walked into the house. Caitlin would probably know she’d had sex with Alek right away. It was difficult keeping secrets from someone who could sense your emotions and read your mind, not that Caitlin tried to read her mind often. Nope, Caitlin tried to give Trish privacy, unless she really wanted to know something. Since Trish had told Caitlin she planned to sleep with Alek, it’s not like it would be a big surprise. Plus, it was none of Caitlin’s business. Trish didn’t always have to be the responsible one in their group.
So, why did she feel like she was doing the walk of shame as soon as she stepped in the front door? The heels of Caitlin’s shoes echoed across the foyer, and Trish looked up to give her friend a shy smile. “Hi! I guess we’re roommates for a little while.”
Caitlin crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared. “We are not making small talk after you had sex with the ultimate man-whore. I want
details.”
Alek cringed, and Trish was relieved when Justin and his younger brother, Isaiah, joined them. Despite their similar features, no one could mistake one for the other. While Justin was always perfectly groomed, Isaiah often went long periods of time between haircuts. At the moment, Isaiah’s hair was just past his ears. Isaiah also wore glasses, even though he had perfect vision.
Isaiah pushed his glasses up on his nose and gave Trish a shy smile. “Hey, Trish,” he said warmly and came over to hug her, which annoyed Alek.
She hugged him back. “You look great!” It was true. Isaiah’d had a major mental breakdown less than a year ago and had been more than a little crazy for quite awhile. Ivy had been helping him deal with whatever it was that caused him to lose his mind, and each time Trish saw him, he looked better than the last.
“Thanks,” he said and ducked his head. “I checked out the security system, and you should be safe. I’m staying here to help protect you and make sure no one tries to hack my system. As far as I know, Phoebe’s not good with computers, but she might have learned something since the last time I saw her. No need to take any chances.”
“Nathaniel’s tying things up with his job, and he’ll be on his way back soon,” Justin said while glaring at Alek.
She moved closer to Alek and lowered her voice so she wouldn’t be heard by the others in the room. “Is Justin upset about you being here at the same time as his mother because the two of you were involved before he was born?”
“What the fuck?” Justin shouted.
“Well, he is now,” Alek muttered. “We hadn’t actually mentioned that to him or Isaiah.”
Isaiah looked mildly curious, while Justin looked ready to kill someone.
Caitlin glared at Justin. “Are you seriously going to get pissy because your mom had a boyfriend more than two-hundred years ago?”
“A boyfriend?” Justin sputtered. “You are the one who calls Alek the ultimate man-whore. I think that indicates he wasn’t her boyfriend. The man took advantage of my mother.”
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