Taurus

by WL Knightly

  Finally, the hand was called, and as Benny raked in his chips, he glanced over at Alan. “Deal this one in.”

  “No, I have someplace to be with the kids, and as I said, I’m really done. Besides, I just gave you all my money.”

  Alan wasn’t kidding. His little slip up had not only cost him one of his locations in New York City, which was mostly used for storage, but his fuck up had depleted his and Jamie’s savings. If it weren’t for his salary and profits from the security company that were still coming in, slowly but surely, he was, for all intents and purposes, broke as a joke. Next stop was bankruptcy, and they would be living paycheck to paycheck for a while.

  “I’d float you a loan,” Benny said with laughter in his voice. His other buddies really got a kick out of that because they all laughed louder than before.

  “No, thanks. I should be going.” He pushed his chair back, and as he stood, Benny stood with him. Alan swallowed hard and stepped back, not sure if the man was about to get physical. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Benny giving him a beatdown, but he was sure if Benny made the first move, the other men at the table would take turns fighting over the last. Alan didn’t need his ass whipped or for his wife to see him like that.

  Benny picked the case up off the floor and gave it a peek before closing it up again. “You’ll be back, just like I said you would. Your kind, Lowe, they always come back. Look around you. This place is a drug, and you’re a filthy addict.” Benny sat back down and waved his hand to dismiss Alan.

  The other men averted their eyes as Alan looked at them, and then he hurried away. He couldn’t get out of the place fast enough, and by the time he got to his truck, he was out of breath. He was also proud of himself. As bad as he’d wanted in the game, he’d said no.

  His pride over the small victory made him want to call Jamie and tell her all about it. He missed talking to her. They’d been through so much together and always had each other’s backs. This dark valley was his alone, and he’d been walking it so long that he wasn’t sure if he would see the light at the end of the tunnel anytime soon.

  As he got into his truck, he dialed her number, eager to hear her voice. Now that a couple days had passed, he hoped that she would be a little more willing to talk to him.

  But when she answered, it was with the same dull tone. “What do you want, Alan?”

  “I just wanted to tell you that it’s officially done. I gave Benny the money, and we’re clear. You’d have been so proud, Jamie. He asked me to buy in, and I said no. He even offered up the money, and I didn’t do it.”

  “Good for you. Baby steps, I suppose.” She let out a long sigh.

  “I guess it’s not much of an accomplishment. But I just wanted you to know. I’m going to get better this time, Jamie. I’m going to make sure we get our old lives back.”

  “I’m not sure I want the old life back, Alan. I mean, I want my life back with you and the kids, but the way it was, it wasn’t working for me, in case you didn’t notice.”

  “Then we’ll make it what you want.” He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at her picture on the screen. He needed to see her. “Is this the only way I get to see my wife? Through this goddammed phone? I miss the kids, Jams. I miss you! I just wanted you to be proud.”

  “I’m sorry. I have to go.” She hung up, and he slammed his fist into the steering wheel.

  He had to see her, and he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He started the truck and drove out toward her sister’s house.

  Once there, he jumped out of the truck as Jamie came out to meet him. “You shouldn’t be here, Alan. The kids aren’t here. Starla took them for ice cream.”

  He grabbed her arms and pulled her close. “I want to see you. I miss you.” He searched her eyes, and hers were so full of pain that it hurt his heart.

  She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and he picked her up and carried her to the house. He stopped on the porch and put her on her feet. “Are they really gone?”

  “Yes.”

  “I need you, Jamie.” He looked at her with such hunger inside that she opened the door and pulled him inside.

  “I do miss you too, you know?” She pressed her palm against his pants and rubbed his hard cock. “We don’t have long. You can’t be here when they get back.” She undid his pants as he reached for her shorts and tugged them down. They barely made it to the couch, and he lifted her up on the back of it, her legs falling open as he pushed between them.

  Alan gripped his cock and rubbed his broad tip against her wet slit. He pushed forward, burying himself deep with one thrust, and he melted against her. She had always felt like heaven, and if he died that moment, he’d have died a happy man.

  He pounded into her hard and fast, and she writhed against the couch, bracing herself against it. Just when she sagged back, as if losing her strength, he picked her up and turned her against the wall next to the front door. She moaned loudly as she quaked, her release soaking his balls.

  “Say it,” he said. “Tell me you love me.” He needed to hear her say it once more, knowing the killer could put him on another mad assignment soon.

  “I love you.” She gripped his hard cock with her channel, milking and grinding against him as he poured inside of her.

  They collapsed against the wall, and he kissed her forehead. “I love you. I’ll always love you.” He stepped back.

  “I will always love you too; we just have to do what’s best for the kids.”

  “Keeping me away isn’t what’s best. I think you know it.” About that time, there was a screech of tires outside, and they hurried to straighten their clothes, realizing it was Starla.

  “Shit, looks like you’ll get your wish, but just for a little bit. Then you leave, and we work this out.”

  “Deal.” He gave her a smile, and she backed away from him as Starla opened the door a crack.

  She gave Alan a hard stare. “Is everything okay in here?”

  Jamie stepped forward and opened the door wider. “Yes, it’s fine. I’ve decided to let Alan see the kids for a bit.”

  Starla stepped aside, and Rory looked in to see Alan. “Daddy!” she screamed, running to him.

  He picked her up into his arms as Dustin came in behind her. “Hey, Dad,” he said falling against Alan’s hips and holding him tight.

  At that moment, Alan found hope that everything could be okay, but he still hugged his children as if it were the last time he would ever see them.

  Chapter 10

  Darek

  Darek stroked Raven’s hair as she lay curled up next to him. He still couldn’t believe he’d stayed the night, and while his cock was already hard and wanting round two, he wasn’t going to disturb her.

  He still hadn’t been able to shake the sight of Seth on the floor. He knew that, from then on, he would always remember him that way, sprawled in a puddle of blood with a hole in his chest.

  He tried to replace the images with happier thoughts and found himself thinking about the time he and Lizzy spent in Virginia, and even more, their stop in Maryland. It had been nice to find that kind of intimacy, and he had wanted her so desperately that he’d let himself give in to the temptations of wanting her.

  Working that scene with Lizzy had been difficult, and not just because of their issues, but as the murders of his old friends piled up, he couldn’t help but want to confide in someone, to explain how painful it was for him, or at least have someone understand what he was going through. He had no one in his life to confide in, and with all of his friends being cops, it made sense to keep his mouth shut and suffer alone.

  The stress had been eating him alive.

  He felt a hand on his shoulder. “You had one, too.”

  “What?” He looked down as she turned her head and kissed his scar.

  “You had a mark like Finn and Seth.” There was no inquiry in her voice, and he didn’t quite know what to say.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s not like I’d tell an
yone.” She brought her leg up and reached down to stroke his cock. “Tell me about it. Seth’s looked like a V or a strange Y, but Finn’s? His looked like a weird H. I looked them up. They’re the symbols of the Zodiac.”

  Darek let her keep talking but didn’t confirm or deny anything.

  “What sign are you?” she asked.

  Darek sighed. “Sagittarius.”

  “That’s a pretty sign. It looks like a little arrow.” She traced his skin, outlining the place the mark used to be. “Did you have it removed?”

  “I had a cyst removed.” He closed his eyes as her hand wrapped around his cock, and she began to stroke him.

  “That’s what I would tell people too. I wonder if that man I saw has a mark too.” Darek didn’t answer her. She groaned. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She moved her body on top of him and straddled his cock, resting with her lips parting as she rubbed up and down on his shaft. “I want it inside me.”

  “Be my guest.”

  She reached over and pulled a condom from the bedside table. “Hope you don’t mind, but I always use protection.”

  He hadn’t been inside of her yet and was thankful that she had standards, especially since she’d been with Finn, Seth, and most likely Bay. She may as well be the Zodiac’s personal groupie. Then there were the other men, the ones at the club, strangers she had only barely met.

  She opened the wrapper with her teeth, like a proper whore, and then she rolled it onto his cock. “You’ve got a nice cock.” She reached down, centered his head at her entrance, and inched her way down.

  She was surprisingly tight, and her channel began to milk his cock. He moaned as he spoke. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  “I work my Kegels three times a day.”

  “I can tell. Fuck. You’re going to make me come if you don’t slow down on the milking.” His eyes were about to roll back in his head, and his toes were already curled. Darek knew he could get used to this.

  She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Relax. Just close your eyes and let me ride you. Focus on nothing but the pleasure.”

  He looked at her tits as they moved up and down in front of him. The gentle bouncing was mesmerizing, and soon, they blurred, his sole focus fixed on nothing but the pleasure she was giving him. He had never just let a woman take over this way, and while he had the urge to turn her over and take her hard, he fought it.

  Her hands were smooth on his chest, and she gently pinched his nipples. The sensation was more intense than usual. She let them go and leaned forward, kissing his mouth as her ass moved up and down, and it felt so good that a quiet moan escaped him.

  “Come for me,” she whispered. And as if on command, his cock poured.

  “Mm. How did that feel?”

  “Good. Thank you.” It felt like the right thing to say, but she shook her head and put her finger to his lips.

  “Don’t thank me. What are friends for, right?” She giggled, and he pulled her down to his mouth to kiss her hard and deep while his cock wilted inside of her. He was completely spent, but it had been worth it.

  She climbed off, and they both made a quick trip to the bathroom. “I have a lot of shit to do today,” he said. “I really need to go to the morgue and see if the final report ever came back on Seth.”

  “I don’t envy you,” she said. “But let’s not stress over it, or I’ll have to make you come again.”

  Darek chuckled. “I don’t think that’s biologically possible at this moment.”

  She got to her feet, and he followed as she headed for the kitchen. “Do you want some more coffee? I’ll make a fresh pot.”

  “No thanks.” He knew he had to go soon. “I will call you later if I figure out anything, but listen, if you remember anything else, don’t go to the station. You let me know, okay?”

  “You said the case was complicated. Does that mean it’s personal? I mean, they were your friends, weren’t they? Even the one I saw?”

  “At one time, maybe. But yeah, knowing them, it makes things complicated. And not being able to tell you everything makes it worse. So, take it easy with the questions, okay? And if you see that man again, you run.”

  “I will. You can trust me, Darek. And I will understand if you don’t tell me everything. I don’t need your secrets to feel safe.” She walked over and put her lips to his.

  “I want you to know that if I ever do decide to confide in anyone, you’ll be the first to know. And I meant what I said, okay? If we’re going to be friends with benefits, don’t come down to the office, and don’t show up on my doorstep unless it’s an emergency. My partner would shit if she saw us together.”

  She smiled. “Your partner. The woman you think you’re in love with?”

  Darek wasn’t going to answer.

  Raven held up her hand. “Fine. I don’t need to know that either. But just so you know, I have no intention of being faithful. I enjoy variety, and while none are more than random hookups, I’d like what we have to be a bit more familiar.”

  He took her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. “I’m good with that.” He turned and made his way out with no goodbye.

  He couldn’t believe that he’d ended up staying so long, but she was definitely a lot of fun. He walked to his car where he’d parked it in the nearest lot, and when he finally made it on the street, he decided he needed to go down to the morgue. Dr. Cobb should have finished the report by now, and with any luck, he would get ahead of the game.

  When he arrived, he walked down the long hall to the door that led to Dr. Cobb’s office. When he got there, he heard voices coming from the cold room. “Dr. Cobb?” He walked on back and found Lizzy there with him.

  She looked like a breath of fresh air in a pale blue cotton blouse that looked much too cheery next to the corpse in front of her.

  For a moment, she looked surprised to see him but kept her cool. “Darek.”

  “Lizzy. I didn’t expect you to be here. If I showed up at a bad time, I can leave and come back later.” He didn’t want to encroach on her time. It burned him up that she hadn’t mentioned coming down, but then, neither had he.

  “You’re good. I was just checking to see if there any important findings.”

  Darek directed his attention to the medical examiner. “What did you find, Dr. Cobb? Anything?”

  “I was just telling Lizzy that he was clean. No drugs in his system, besides a little alcohol, but nothing over the limit. Nothing in his blood. No diseases. This man could have lived to be a hundred had it not been for this lunatic.”

  “They did confirm that there was a mark on his shoulder, the Aries sign. The killer is still working their way down the line. And there have been several victims who were marked years ago. I think we’re dealing with a cult. One that’s been around for a while, probably making some kind of statement.”

  “A cult?” He had never really thought of himself as a cult member, though he had to admit, the ritual they’d performed with Emily Johnson was a lot like something a cult would do.

  “Yes, they all have these marks. Hannah’s marks were branded, but possibly the killer didn’t have time to do it right. Or maybe she was there to send a message. Either way, I think it’s open season on their members. I say that we put out a notice for anyone who has a symbol burned into their arm in that precise location. The killer could be a member who was kicked out. Someone who had total faith in them and felt betrayed. I think we should start by making the rest of them come forward. Even if my theory is wrong, these people could be in danger, and it’s our duty to make sure they’re safe.”

  Dr. Cobb stared at Lizzy like she had lost her mind. “While your passion is commendable, might I remind you how well it has ended in the past when police try to meddle with cults?”

  Lizzy rolled her eyes. “This isn’t the People’s Temple of Jonestown, and it’s not the Branch Davidians either. We’re not going in with guns or trying to make anyone leave their homes, but we should at leas
t look into possible future targets and what the hell these Zodiac symbols mean.”

  Darek knew that she would have a hard time calling forward any of the Zodiacs, and because of that, he didn’t put up much of a fight. Regardless, Lizzy’s theories were always too close for comfort, and the idea that she might put out a call on Zodiacs could have people reporting others they know that have the marks. He could already see his ex-wife coming forward with her knowledge of his old mark, and she would love to be the one responsible for burying him. He remained quiet, unsure what to say.

  “I’ll put out the bulletin first thing Monday morning, and with any luck, everyone who has ever seen one of these marks will come forward.”

  “That doesn’t mean they’ll talk,” Darek said. “Cults don’t trust the police, Lizzy. You could be stirring up a hornets’ nest.” That was the most she would get out of him. He wished he’d stayed in bed a little longer with Raven so he could have missed running into her here.

  Lizzy turned and gave the doctor a smile. “Thank you, Dr. Cobb, but I’d like to speak to my partner outside. I’ll be in touch.” She grabbed Darek’s arm and pulled him out into the hallway. “Are you going to fight me at every turn? First, you don’t like the Virginia theory, and now that I have this idea, you’re against it too? Listen up, Darek. In case you didn’t already get the memo, I’m leading this investigation, and with no other solid leads, I’m going to throw every goddamned thing at the wall and see what sticks. If that means putting out a call for any and all of these people to come forward, I’ll do it.”

  He wasn’t going to argue with her. He was focused and surprisingly calm, and he wondered if it had to do with the sex Raven had given him, or if he was just really growing immune to Lizzy’s temper. “Do what you want. And for your information, you’re not only leading. You’re trying to leave me behind.” He couldn’t see any way to stop her without throwing up a red flag, and all he had to do was warn the rest of the Zodiacs. With only seven others left standing, he knew it wouldn’t be hard to do.