by Becca Van
Ward climbed into the front seat while Scott got into the front passenger seat and Colby walked around the car to get in the other side. After buckling up, he reached over and took Lori’s hand in his, but she was unresponsive to the squeeze he gave her hand. But when he looked at her, he could see that she was caught up in her thoughts rather than her emotions this time.
As soon as they were back in their apartment, Lori headed toward the bedroom and Colby followed her. He wanted to know what she was thinking and offer her a shoulder to cry on if she needed it, but he didn’t think she would allow herself to break down in front of him or his brothers again.
Lori was the type of woman who valued her control and keeping her emotions at bay, but he and his brothers had gotten to her and knocked down some of those walls she had had surrounding her heart, but he could see that they weren’t all the way down like he’d first thought. Yes, she had allowed him and his brothers to have sex with her when she’d never been with a man before, but she was still holding herself back with them and that was far from acceptable as far as he and his brothers were concerned. Colby wasn’t surprised to see Ward and Scott enter the room and take a seat on the side of the bed as they watched Lori pace.
Even though she kept her expression in a frown as she moved, he could tell she was scared and worried.
Colby walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him through puffy, bloodshot eyes. “Talk to us, darlin’, you don’t have to keep everything bottled up anymore. You can lean on us, Lori, we’ll never let you fall.”
“We need to use me as bait.”
“Hell no,” Ward snapped at the same time Scott snarled, “Fuck no.”
“I can’t let another innocent woman die. How many more of my colleagues will die before we catch this bastard?” Lori said angrily, but Colby could hear the grief in her voice, too. “It’s my fault Jodie’s dead. He’s sending me a message.”
“It is not your fucking fault,” Colby stated angrily. “You think we don’t know that he’s sending you a message?” He was angry that Lori was even suggesting using herself as bait. He loved her so much and couldn’t stand the thought of her getting hurt or ending up dead.
“I’ve been working on this case for six fucking months. Fourteen women have lost their lives because I haven’t been able to find this bastard and put him behind bars. How many more women are going to wind up dead before we capture him?”
Lori spun around and raced down the hall. Colby raced after her but she was fast and out the door to their apartment before he could stop her. She was already walking over the threshold to her place when he caught up to her and even though he clasped her shoulders with his hands she got loose and rushed toward her en-suite bathroom. He stood in the doorway and watched as she searched for the camera that asshole had somehow managed to place in her home without her being aware of it. She glanced up toward the fan in the ceiling and then climbed up onto the vanity and pried the cover off. She reached blindly into the cavity and when she drew her hand out she was holding a minute camera attached to a wire.
She stared into the small lens and said, “Come and get me, you bastard,” before she yanked on the wire and pulled the camera free. Without another word she walked back to their apartment, bagged the lens and wire, which had probably been hooked up to the electric fan motor, and then handed it over to him. “Make sure you get that to forensics first thing.”
Colby watched as she headed toward the hallway and when he heard the bedroom door slam closed and then water running in the pipes he turned to face his brothers.
“She’s starting to crack,” Scott said as he sank down onto the sofa.
“Wouldn’t you?” Colby asked as he too sat down.
“She won’t. She’s the strongest person I know,” Ward said, and he looked toward the hallway.
“I think she’s right,” Scott said.
“About what?” Colby asked.
“Using herself as bait.”
Colby glanced at Ward and saw him scrub a hand over his face before he nodded. “I hate to admit it but I agree.”
“Shit. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to do that,” Colby said.
“Can you see any other way of drawing this fucker out?” Scott asked.
“No.” Colby crossed his arms over his chest. “If this asshole is a cop he’ll be expecting it. We could end up losing her.”
Ward sighed, his expression grim. He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed. “Darius, I want you to send me all the information you have on the male staff members from janitors up, as well as photos and any background info you can scrounge up. If you can send everything you can get in an e-mail first thing in the morning I’d appreciate it.” He paused to listen. “We’re going to bring her in around three tomorrow afternoon. I want you to keep an eye out on all the male cops and get any of the women to look for unusual reactions, too.”
“What did Darius say?” Colby asked when Ward disconnected the call.
“Said he’s been waiting for Lori to make her move. He knows her well and knew she would eventually.”
“Damn, I don’t like this.” Scott leaned back against the kitchen counter.
“None of us do, Scott, but unless you can see another way to catch this fucker, it’s our only option,” Ward said.
“We’d better get some sleep,” Colby said as he rose to his feet. “Tomorrow is going to be a hell of a long day.”
Colby headed out first, his brothers following behind. He glanced toward Ward’s bedroom door where Lori had gone to earlier and although he wanted to hold her in his arms all night long, he didn’t think she would be very receptive to that right now. He envied his older brother, since he would be sleeping with her, but he wasn’t jealous. He just wanted to be close to Lori.
* * * *
Lori stripped down and stepped into the hot shower. She let the water run over her head and body and felt a little of the tension in her muscles release. When the tears started, she told herself that it was just the water from the shower, but when a sob erupted from her mouth she covered it with her hand to stifle the sound. The last thing she wanted right now was for the three men she was staying with to hear her cry again. She never cried.
In fact she never let anyone see how she was feeling other than Darius. What made these men so special? How was it that they could get to her heart when no one else ever had?
Another sob escaped and her knees nearly buckled when realization hit her upside the head. Holy shit! I’m in love with them.
Lori had no idea what would happen when this case was closed, and they’d capture the fucking bastard raping and killing women. There was no way in hell she was giving up until he was behind bars or dead. What concerned her most was if Ward, Scott, and Colby would want to continue this relationship when the case was done. Would they say thank you and it’s been nice? Did they really want a permanent relationship with her? She couldn’t understand why three men would want to share one woman between them. They were confident, sexy, handsome men. How the hell could one woman keep up with three men?
Lori sighed and pushed her tumultuous thoughts aside. She was just too bone weary to deal with any of this right now. She turned the shower off, dried herself, and then pulled on her large T-shirt. When she exited the bathroom she stared at the large bed and wished she could sleep somewhere else. She wanted to be alone right now to deal with the grief piercing her heart, but if she went out to the sofa, she could see those three men chucking a hissy fit.
She climbed into bed and kept close to the edge and then pulled the covers up over her head and concentrated on slowing her breathing. It was difficult when her mind was running around in circles but as her body warmed she felt her muscles relaxing a little more.
Tomorrow she was going to suggest the men leave her alone so she could draw this bastard out, but she couldn’t see them agreeing to that either. That was another thing that she was surprised to learn about herself. She liked it when t
hey ordered her about and told her no. She would never allow anyone else to do that to her but it turned her on when they took control.
God, you are so screwed up, Lori.
Chapter Thirteen
Lori, Ward, and his brothers spent the morning going over the info Darius had e-mailed through on all the men in the precinct. The more they worked the more she began to doubt her profile on their killer.
Every single man was squeaky clean other than the occasional parking ticket or late payment of a bill. She was glad when Scott called a halt and she helped him make some sandwiches for lunch. When they were all sitting down and had eaten their fill, Ward cleared his throat garnering her attention.
“We’re going in to work at three.”
Lori sat up straighter in her seat and almost smiled. Work she could handle, the emotional aspects of a relationship, she wasn’t so sure about, and was pleased that the three Stanford men had kept silent about her breakdown last night.
“About damn time,” Lori said.
Ward gave her a stern look. “You aren’t to go anywhere without one of us by your side. We’re also going to pin a wire on you.”
Lori nodded. “Good.”
“Darius is working all the women up to keep a close eye on all the men. If one of them so much as twitch wrong we’ll be on him.”
Again she nodded and glanced at the clock on the wall. They had less than an hour before they had to be at the station. Her stomach roiled with nerves and she wished she hadn’t eaten, but she took a couple of deep breaths and her stomach settled somewhat.
“Make sure you have your weapon on you at all times,” Scott said.
“I know what I’m doing.” Lori sighed with exasperation.
“We know that, but everyone can slip up now and then,” Colby said, and reached over to cover the hand she had resting on the table.
“Have you got any other guns besides the Glock?” Ward asked.
“Yeah, I have a small pistol I can strap to my ankle.”
“Do it,” Colby commanded as he glanced at his watch. “We need to leave in ten. Go and get ready, darlin’.”
Lori nodded and hurried to Ward’s bedroom. She checked to make sure her Glock had a full clip and then she searched the side pocket of her bag and removed the small pistol and holster and strapped it to her ankle. When she looked down at her feet, she decided to change her heeled boots for her sneakers. After using the facilities to empty her nervous bladder and washing up, she brushed her teeth and then her hair and braided it to keep it out of the way. If the bastard came at her she didn’t want her hair in her face, and being braided would hurt less if he decided to use it against her.
She took a deep breath and then walked back out to meet the men and hoped she portrayed a calm confidence she was far from feeling. They were all waiting for her in the living room and she could tell they were fully loaded by the slight bulges under their jackets near their armpits. Knowing they had her back like Geoffrey never really did gave her the confidence that this would all work out.
“You ready, baby?” Ward asked as he moved closer and hugged her tight.
“Yeah.” She hugged him back and even though she wanted to stay where she was, feeling safe in his arms, she drew away.
Colby reached out and took hold of her hand and raised it to his lips. “Just remember, don’t leave our sight.”
Lori gulped. “I won’t.”
Scott moved into her other side and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go.”
When they arrived at the precinct and were walking toward hers and Ward’s office, the hair on Lori’s nape stood on end. She surreptitiously glanced toward the people working at their desks but didn’t see anyone looking at her. But she knew he was.
A shiver of trepidation ran up her spine and goose bumps formed over her skin, but she ignored the malevolence she could feel. She clutched the files of the deceased women and entered her office. Darius was already in the room staring at the pin board with the picture of Jodie on it. He turned to face them and nodded to her before looking at Ward, Scott, and Colby.
“Did you find anything?”
“Not a damn thing,” Scott replied and scrubbed a hand over his face.
“So we’re still searching blind.”
“Yeah,” Ward said.
“Well, I’d better get back to it. Let me know if you do find something.” Darius walked over to her, picked up her hand, and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t leave their sides, Lori.”
“I won’t.”
Darius nodded and then left the room.
They all crowded around her desk and after inserting the memory stick into her computer, she printed out all the information on her male work colleagues and handed them out. She went through her own stack and by the time she got to the end she was still no closer to finding their killer.
She leaned back in her chair and stretched her aching back muscles and rolled her shoulders trying to relieve the tension, but it didn’t help much.
* * * *
He saw her stretch and roll her shoulders through the glass window to her office. He’d been watching her for months now and knew her habits and routine. He’d begun to think he’d never get the chance to get to her with her three watchdogs surrounding her at all times, but he couldn’t wait anymore.
He’d dreamed of this moment for six long months and had spent that time perfecting his craft on those dead sluts. She had taunted him last night when she’d found his camera, and even though he hadn’t been able to hear what she’d said before she ripped it out he was proficient enough at lip reading and had worked out that she was goading him.
He was better than her, better than all the women on Earth, and he needed to prove it to her. Women were only good for a fuck or in the kitchen. They weren’t supposed to be working at jobs that were meant for the male species. His father had taught him that every time his fist and belt had connected with his small body when he was a kid. His deceased father had drummed into him how much better men were, how much stronger and more dominant.
His father had shown him how weak and stupid women were when his mother was alive. He could still remember how excited he’d gotten when he’d come home after spending the afternoon with his best friend and found his dad raping his mother while strangling her. His dad hadn’t even known he was home and he’d made sure to stay out of sight. But when he’d seen that knife sinking into his mother’s skin like a hot knife slicing through butter he’d known he’d found his calling.
He’d worked hard for years to get where he was today and learned all he needed to remain under the radar. She’d been searching for him for six months but he was so much better than her. He’d been killing since he was twenty years old and every time he took another life, the power and joy he felt filled him to his soul.
When she pushed her chair back and rose to her feet he knew he didn’t have long, so he hurried down the hall and walked into the women’s bathroom, already knowing no one else was in there. His desk was in the optimum position to see her every minute of every day, as well as the women’s bathroom. None of the bitches had been for at least half an hour.
He walked into a cubicle, closed and locked the door, and sat on the closed lid of the commode and made sure his shoes weren’t visible by lifting his feet. He nearly laughed out loud as he imagined fucking her while he drove his knife through that perfect creamy skin.
He wasn’t worried about being caught, he’d never even been questioned before, and he knew they had no idea who they were dealing with. He’d spent hours exploring the building after most everyone was gone. It would be a tight fit but once he was done with her after she was dead he was going to escape through the ventilation system. No one would ever know it was him.
Power and arousal ran through his veins and his cock hardened as he imagined fucking her and then after he’d decorated her skin with his art he would slice her throat like all the others.
He was a god among men and she would bow down t
o him like he had imagined she would for the last six years.
Soon. Very soon she would belong to him.
* * * *
“Where are you going, honey?” Scott asked as she pushed her chair back and stood up.
“Bathroom.”
“Let me check that wire first,” Ward said as he too rose to his feet. “Go to the other side of the room and talk to me, baby.”
Lori did what he said and spoke quietly so he wouldn’t hear her other than through the mic and his ear piece. She turned to face him and quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Okay, you’re good to go.”
“Of course I am.” Lori smiled and then glanced at Scott as he moved toward her. “You don’t need to escort me. The door to the women’s bathroom is in plain view of the squad room.”
“So it is,” Scott said as he took her elbow and then he walked her out of the room and down the hall. She rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut for a change. “I’ll wait right here for you.”
“Whatever.” Lori pushed the door to the women’s restroom open and after she was finished, washed her hands. She was still feeling a little nervous, and because of her anxiety, she was also feeling overheated. Closing her eyes, she scooped up water into her hands and sluiced it over her face. Just as she was about to reach the clean paper towel she’d left beside the sink to dry her face so she could open her eyes again, a large hand slammed cruelly over her mouth and a muscular arm wrapped around her shoulders, pinning her arms to her sides.
Her eyes flew open and she stared at Regent in the mirror. Her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute and her lungs started to burn. He was covering her mouth and nose and she couldn’t breathe.
Lori lifted her feet from the floor, hoping he’d drop her since she gave him all her weight, but he just tightened his grip until it felt like he was crushing her ribs. She brought her feet up to the edge of the counter and shoved with all her might.
He stumbled back into the cubicle doors and frame but still he kept hold of her. Her lungs burned and her vision began to waver from lack of oxygen. She wondered if Ward had heard the bang of the door and hoped he had, but if he didn’t then she was in real trouble.