"Because you cheated on me. With my best friend." I try my hardest to keep my voice even. "It's in the past—where it needs to stay, April. Don't call my cell and do not call my home again." I warn her then hang up. I don't understand why suddenly, she's contacting me. I made myself clear then, and I've made myself clear now. I am not interested in being a part of her life—my future is with Leyna.
Seattle PD already has the entire area blocked and taped off by the time I pull up to the scene. Parking my car beside Kai's truck, I get out meeting him and Kurt who are talking with the coroner. "What do we have?" I ask Kurt. Lifting the crime scene tape the three of us walk across the large abandoned parking lot riddled with weeds growing through the cracks in the asphalt.
"Female who appears to have been strangled," Kurt explains as we round the corner of the old building that once housed military records before the government built a newly updated facility more than thirteen years ago on the other side of the city.
"Here's the kicker," Kai says as we watch the CSI team do what they do. "She's the third female found in the past ten days; same M.O." I turn my head in his direction.
"Besides the supposed manner of death, what other details match?" I ask as we come in closer getting a better look at the victim.
"All three have similar characteristics. Dark brown hair, green eyes, early to mid-twenties," Kurt finishes.
I blow out a breath knowing what he is hinting at. "Which means we could be dealing with a potential serial killer. Local have any leads?" We watched them cover her body until the coroner makes his way over.
"From what I've obtained so far this morning they have no leads and not much evidence to go by. Whoever is responsible for these three murders has left nothing behind." Kurt turns his back on the scene and faces Kai and me. "And I'm sure you've realized by now, I'm putting you two on this case."
"And the new Santino information I brought back from Polson? I still can't believe that kind of bank activity flew under the FBI's radar," I mention.
Kurt scratches the back of his head. "We should know the answers to your question by the end of the week. So, for now, focus on this case."
He's right. "I'll catch up with you both later at headquarters. See what else you can find out. Make sure you get to look at all case files on the other two homicides," Kurt mentions before walking back in the direction we came.
"It's going to be a long day," Kai remarks.
"Let's get to work."
16
Leyna
Standing in front of a large brick building, I peer up at a sign that reads Rumors. Two days after Kai mentioned me getting a job here, I received a phone call from the owner himself, Dare Kross. We spoke briefly, and he told me to come in the next morning at 9:00 am for an interview. This morning I could see Lex was still not pleased, but instead of grumbling about Rumors, his main focus was stating his opinion on my choice of clothing. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the way his eyes drank me in as I stepped out into the living room this morning. Our chemistry is off the charts. Especially since our almost kiss the other day in his office and the moment we had this morning before he left for work. Something tells me he's taking things slow for my benefit. Lex knows all I have been through, so I think he's giving me time. Time to heal physically and more important, time to recover mentally. It's almost as if every look and every touch is a warning—that says he's coming for me, and when he does, I'll be ready.
Pulling open the entrance door to Rumors, I step inside and it takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. The first thing I notice is the colors. Black leather booths along the walls on the left side of the room. To my right is a bar so sleek I can see my reflection in it. In the far-left corner of the club, I see a staircase that leads to the second level where black high-top tables seating four are placed strategically along the railings. The walls are painted a deep purple, illuminated by dim purple lighting hanging above. It's stunning.
"Can I help you with something?" a man standing behind the bar asks.
"Yes, I'm here to see Mr. Kross. He's expecting me."
"Sure thing. Give me your name. I'll call up and let him know you're here."
"That won't be necessary," a man descending the stairs calls out. "You must be Leyna," he says coming to stand in front of me. He offers his hand. "Dare Kross."
"Leyna Martinez," I say formally introducing myself. "Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Kross."
"Of course." Mr. Kross turns his attention to the man behind the bar. "I'll be in my office, Andrew. Send Courtney up the minute she gets here." His last order comes out with a bit of a bite. Something tells me he is not pleased with whoever Courtney is.
"Yes, sir," Andrew answers his boss with a nod and continues with his task.
I follow Mr. Kross up the stairs and down a hallway to his office. He opens the door and motions me inside. "Please have a seat," he gestures to a chair across from his desk. "Can I offer you a drink—some water?"
"Water would be great, thank you."
Grabbing two bottles of water from the mini bar, he hands one to me before rounding his desk to take a seat in his chair. I take a good look at the man in front of me. Dare Kross has to be at least 6ft 2in tall. He has blond hair and gray eyes. He's dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing tattoos on both arms. His tattoos start at his wrist and disappear into his shirt sleeve. Dare Kross is younger than I thought he'd be. If I had to guess I'd say he is older than twenty-five but younger than thirty. When I bring my attention back to his face, he has an accusing brow lifted. Damn. Now he thinks I was checking him out. Not that Mr. Kross isn't attractive because he is. He just doesn't do anything for me, not like Lex. Still, this is not a good way to start an interview.
"So, Leyna, Kai tells me you're looking for a night job since you'll be starting school in the fall."
"Yes, that's correct."
"He also told me you were in the hospital a few months ago," he goes to say, but I'm quick to assure him. "I was, but I'm well enough to work." My words come out a bit harsher than I intended, but I don't appreciate the fact Kai was spilling my business.
"This job requires you to be on your feet for hours. Kai is a close friend of mine and I assure you he was only looking out for you because he felt you might not have told me yourself. I apologize if I overstepped."
"I can handle it," I promise.
"Alright, Ms. Martinez. I'll take your word for it." He takes me at my word, and I feel some of the tension leave my body.
"Kai also mentioned you recently moved to the states from Cuba. I'm going to assume by our current conversation you're fluent in English."
"I am. I've been speaking English for several years now. I taught English in my country. That is why I have decided to go back to school. I want to be a teacher."
"Do you have any experience waitressing?"
"No, But I majored in work hard and minored in fast learner, Mr. Kross, and let's not forget my twenty-three years of experience in I can handle any damn thing thrown my way."
Mr. Kross leans back in his desk chair and studies me for a long second before a smile shows his straight white teeth. "I like you, Ms. Martinez. You start on Friday night. Come in at lunch. I'll have Dana take you under her wing. She'll show you the ropes and get you set up. I'll have your uniform ordered and here by then as well." He stops and rakes his eyes up and down my body. "Size 10?" he questions, and I nod. When Mr. Kross stands from his chair, I do the same.
"Thank you so much for the opportunity."
"You're welcome, Leyna. I'll see you Friday."
Escorting me to the door, Mr. Kross reaches past me, opening it. We step out of his office together and walk downstairs. A woman with bleach blonde hair and a scowl on her face steps through a set of swinging double doors at the other end of the room. "Andrew said you wanted to see me," she huffs and totters in our direction.
"I did. Yo
u didn't show up for your shift last night."
The woman crosses her arms over her chest and pops her gum. "I called in and told Dana I was sick."
I don't even know this woman and can smell her bullshit a mile away. My thoughts must be all over my face because the scowl that was directed at her boss is now being directed at me. Taking this as my cue to leave, I go to step around Mr. Kross but I'm halted when the woman sneers. "Who is she?"
"This is Leyna. She's your replacement. You no longer work here. Gather your belongings from the back and Andrew will see you out." Just as the words leave Mr. Kross's mouth, Andrew appears from behind the bar, his face a mask of indifference.
"What the fuck, Dare. You can't fucking fire me," she sputters.
"I believe I just did. I'm done with you not showing up for your shifts, and when you do come to work, you're fucked up. I have zero tolerance for drugs, Courtney. You know how I run my business. The people I cater to don't come to my club to be served by coked out wait staff. There are no second chances here. You want to work at the kind of place that will overlook your extracurricular activities then take your ass six blocks north of here to The Luxe Lounge and dance for dollars. Now don't make me repeat myself. You have five minutes to get the hell out of my club. Unless you'd like to prove me wrong by pissing in a cup."
Well, this situation is awkward. I came here for the job, not the drama. The look on Courtney's face says she's about to combust. When I cut my eyes to Dare his face looks bored, but his eyes say he means business.
"Fuck you and your club, Dare. You'll regret this," Courtney spits before stomping across the room and out the door. With a nod, Andrew retreats behind the bar the same time Dare peers down at me with amusement. "Welcome to Rumors, Leyna."
I smile, "I'll see you Friday, Mr. Kross."
"It's Dare, and I look forward to it," he says before turning on his heel and makes his way back up to his office.
Sending a wave over my shoulder toward Andrew, I walk out of my new place of employment with a smile on my face. Glancing down at my watch, I notice it's almost noon. Instead of heading straight home I decided to go down to Pikes Place for lunch. Zipping my coat, I pull the pink beanie from the pocket and place it on my head. Once I reach the market, I buy some fish and fresh vegetables to cook for dinner. I even pick up a little extra since Kai eats with us most nights.
As I'm paying for my purchase, the tiny hairs on my arms stand and an eerie feeling of being watched crawls up my spine. Cutting my eyes over to my right and then my left, I search the crowd. Not seeing anything or anyone who would set off alarm bells, I go about my business. On my walk back to the apartment, the uneasy feeling continues to linger. Twisting my head, I look behind me to see if I'm being followed, when all of a sudden someone bumps into me, knocking my bags from my hand.
"I'm so sorry," I apologize to the blonde standing in front of me with her hands on her hips and a glare on her face.
"You need to watch where you're going," she scorns.
Straightening my back, I match the blonde's stance. "Look. I said I was sorry. There's no need to get nasty." I don't know who this woman is, but I don't play that shit. I've admitted fault and apologized. She needs to move along. The woman continues to eye me as if I'm no better than the gum on the bottom of her shoe. Once she realizes I don't intend to drop and beg her for forgiveness, she flips her hair over her shoulder and walks away. Gathering my bags from off the ground, I continue my trek back to the apartment.
Later that evening, I'm finishing dinner when Lex strides through the front door. The first thing I notice is how tired he looks. "Hey, beautiful."
"Hi, you look beat. How was your day?"
"Oh, you know. Just another day at the office."
I have a feeling the last thing Lex wants to do is talk about work. The tension radiating from his body says it was anything but, so I change the subject. "Well, dinner is almost done. Why don't you go clean up and we can eat."
Moving in my direction, Lex pushes up on me, backing me against the kitchen island. Placing his palms on the counter, he cages me in. My breath catches and my heart rate spikes. The minty scent of his breath fans across my face when he speaks. "I love knowing that you're here waiting for me when I get home from work. Seeing your gorgeous face at the end of the day makes all the shit I see on a day to day basis disappear." Lex kisses my cheek then pushes off the counter and stalks down the hallway, disappearing into the bedroom.
"Dios mio."
17
Lex
It's early. I've been up-all-night thinking about the homicide case. Needing to clear my head I change into my gym clothes. This new case has had my mind clogged for the past twenty-four hours. I keep going back to the young woman's features—like I'd seen her before.
The only time I was able to push aside the image of the victim was last night when I walked through, the front door to Leyna preparing dinner in the kitchen. I find myself wanting moments like that with her.
Before heading out the door, I step up to my bedroom and crack the door open to check on Leyna. I've gotten to where I feel the need to do this every morning before I leave for the gym. By the time I return she's never around, but there is always a freshly brewed pot of coffee waiting for me in the kitchen. She may not know it, but all the little things she does doesn't go unnoticed. She makes it impossible not to love her, which is why I made reservations at SkyCity. Tonight, I'm taking my woman to dinner. I suppress a chuckle when Leyna lightly snores in her sleep, then quietly shut the door. Locking the apartment door, I take the stairs down to the lobby.
Entering the gym, I head straight for the treadmill to get in a short mile run to warm up my muscles before hitting the weights. Increasing the speed, I find a steady pace and settle into my stride. Slipping my earbuds in, I hit play on my cell getting lost in the music.
Drenched in sweat, I pull my shirt off as I walk down the hall to the apartment. With my shirt tossed over my left shoulder, I unlocked the door. From the foyer, I have a straight line of sight to the balcony, and the doors leading out are wide open. "Leyna?" I call out.
"I'm out here," she answers quickly.
Stepping outside, bitter cold hits my skin instantly reminding me of the fact I'm wet and shirtless. There she is, wool socks pooled around her ankles, my sweatpants hanging loosely around her waist because they are too big for her, and the quilt my Nonna made for me years ago wrapped tight around her body.
She looks beautiful.
Ignoring the cold, I settle behind her and wrap her body in my embrace. "Why are you standing out here? It's freezing."
"Look at that sunrise," she exclaims. "The orange and purple hues with the little hints of blue sky." Leyna presses her body back against mine. "It wasn't enough to admire its beauty through the glass."
I look out at the sun peeking over the bay and let her observation sink in. It feels like the start of something. "Come on," I lead her back inside. Setting her down on the sofa, I go to the kitchen, fix her a cup of coffee, and take it to her. "This will warm you up. I need to jump in the shower. Have breakfast with me before I leave?" Her eyes roam my body. Brazen, she doesn't hide it. "Eyes up here, beautiful." Her response is to continue her ogling as she sips her coffee before peering over the rim of her cup at me.
Soon.
Seeming to read my mind, Leyna holds my stare—almost daring me to make a move. The sexual tension between us is so strong I start to feel the effects physically. Needing that shower to put out the flames—possibly a cold one, I leave the living room.
I planned to make breakfast for Leyna before leaving for work, but by the time I walk out of the bathroom the smell of bacon hits me and the sounds of music fills the apartment. Wasting no time, I dress and make my way to the kitchen. Stopping mid-stride, I take in the sight before me. Leyna's flipping pancakes on the cast iron griddle, still wearing the oversized clothes she had on earlier, and her long hair piled in a loose bun on top of her head as her hips move to the b
eat of the song playing. Pulling a barstool away from the counter, I sit, and watch amused by her dancing until the song ends.
Turning the stove off, Leyna places the pancakes on a platter alongside some fruit, and the bacon strips then turns toward the refrigerator. Startled, she clutches her chest. "Jesus," Leyna gasps. "I didn't hear you come in. You ready to eat?" she continues with retrieving the orange juice from the refrigerator.
Getting up from my chair I tell her, "sit, and I'll bring the food." I place the food down in front of us and take my seat next to her. "What's your plan for today?" I get back up and fix myself a cup of coffee.
"Not sure. Maybe sightseeing?" Leyna spreads strawberry jam on top of her pancake. "I'm so tired of doing nothing. The apartment is nice and all, but I'm also sick of just sitting around. I noticed there are a few museums not far from here. I figured I could call an uber and spend some of my day getting to know my new home," she takes a bite.
Leaning forward, I take my wallet from my back pocket. Flipping it open I hand her some cash. "I have my own money, Lex," she states. I give her a look. She is so stubborn. Relenting she takes it from me. "Use it however you want. Go shopping, get your hair and nails done—whatever makes you happy."
Thirty minutes later I check my watch. "Shit, I have to go." Pushing myself from the counter I stand, place my dishes down in the sink and walk to the door to grab my jacket and keys.
"Want anything specific for dinner tonight?" Leyna asks. I'm going to have to increase my workouts because the woman can cook.
"You're not cooking tonight," I shrug on my coat. Leyna swivels the stool around and looks at me. "I'm taking you to dinner." Walking back to the kitchen, I place myself between her parted legs as her head tilts back making eye contact with me.
"A date?" she questions in a hopeful tone.
I brush away the hair that has fallen across her face. "Will you have dinner with me tonight?" I return the same hopefulness.
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