“Taggert, we need you in my office.”
Ian blew out a breath in frustration. The chief of detectives was asking for his presence, and saying no was not an option. He turned and followed Chief Detective Harris Martin, a twenty-five-year veteran and a pretty good guy. He wouldn’t have pulled Ian into his office unless it was important.
Ian took a seat and wasn’t surprised to see Tim Mills there, too.
“This must be about The Boyfriend.”
Harris nodded and placed a piece of paper between them. “This is a copy. The forensics guys have the original. You got another letter. Seems The Boyfriend wants to keep in contact with you. Another picture, too.” Harris set a snapshot of a pretty young woman with blonde hair between them. “We’re running facial recognition on the woman, but you know as well as I do, we’re looking for a needle in a haystack.”
The contents of the letter were brief.
I have another woman in my sights. Are you impressed with my genius? When I’m done I’ll be famous, my picture on television and in newspapers. More roses will be gifted. If you’re looking for the answer, you’re in the right neighborhood. I want her the most.
“What’s so special about this woman? Why does he want her the most?” Ian stared at the picture and shook his head in frustration. He’d never seen her before. She didn’t even look vaguely familiar.
Harris Martin stood and started pacing his office. “Good questions. Another question is why has he glommed on to you as his pen pal? Yes, you were on television at one of the crime scenes, but the chief of police has been on television every night talking about this case. Why does he identify with you? Does he look like you? Are you the same age? Maybe he wanted to be a cop when he was a kid.”
Ian leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, studying the letter. “I don’t know why it’s me. I wish it weren’t, honestly. Shit, do you think I like some whack job identifying with me?”
Tim waved his hand. “This guy isn’t crazy. He’s crazy like a fox. He’s got us chasing our tails. Doesn’t seem like the work of someone who’s nuts.”
Ian shrugged. “Personally, I think he’s a sociopath with narcissistic tendencies, but think what you like. My job is to put him behind bars. He’s made this personal for me.”
Harris nodded. “You’re not alone in this, Taggert. The entire department is with you. But I want you on this case one hundred percent. Hand over your small cases to Stevens. I want your focus on this.” Harris pointed to the letter. “He says we’re in the right neighborhood. That tells me he’s someone we’ve already questioned. It also sounds like he wants to be caught. He wants to be famous. We need to revisit our suspects. Get them in here and interrogate them. Double-check their alibis.”
Ian stroked his chin. His gut was telling him something wasn’t right. “Chief, we’ve talked to a couple of dozen men, and not one fit the profile. Plus, they didn’t know any of the details we’re keeping secret. When he says neighborhood, he could mean he lives or works near the latest victim. The key here is the victim. He wants her the most. We need to know why.”
Harris nodded. “You have a point. Mills, you go back through the suspects we’ve already questioned and recheck their alibis. Taggert, you work on the girl. Take some cops and canvass the university. She looks young. Check bars, restaurants. Find her and find out why she’s so important. We need to find this guy before he strikes again. The press and the mayor are breathing down my neck.”
They started to leave, but Harris halted them for a moment. “And for the love of fuck, don’t talk to the press. Keep your face off of the television. Keep a fucking low profile, okay? Now get out of here.”
Ian headed straight for the exit. After dinner tonight, he would work on a plan to find this woman before she was assaulted. He was more determined than ever to put this guy behind bars. Since The Boyfriend had singled him out for communication, it put the onus firmly on his shoulders to stop him.
It was his responsibility now.
* * * *
“You look stressed.” Tori grabbed Ian’s hand as they entered the dimly lit restaurant. Despite running late from work, he’d insisted he wanted to keep their dinner date with her friends.
He took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. “I am stressed. But I promise your friends will never know. This case isn’t getting any better. It’s only getting worse. I received another letter and picture today.”
“I’m not worried about what my friends think. If you need a night to yourself, I can have one of them drive me home after dinner. I don’t want you to sit here and wish you were someplace else.” She placed her hand on his solid chest. “I want to hear about the letter and picture.”
Ian shrugged. “Not much to tell. We don’t know who she is, and his letter was as cryptic as the last one. My job is to figure out how to find her before he hurts her.” He brought her knuckles to his lips. “And why the hell would I want to be anywhere but with you? I see your friends are already here. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
Tori was hungry, too, and they joined Lisa, Conor, Brianne, and Nate at a large table in the corner. Sara was in Illinois with her men, and of course, Noelle was in Montana.
Ian shook Conor and Nate’s hands. “Sorry we’re late. It’s my fault. I got stuck at work. I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
Lisa laughed. “We just got here, too. Conor and Nate love their jobs so much they never want to leave them.”
Conor wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders and laughed. “My beautiful wife exaggerates. I love my job, but I love my family more. Although the way the kids were acting before we left, perhaps I should have stayed at work longer.”
Lisa frowned. “They act up when you work too much.”
Conor looked like he was going to argue when Brianne broke in. “What are you going to order, Tori? I can’t decide between the salmon and the lasagna.”
Tori was relieved. There seemed to be some tension between Lisa and Conor lately. “I’m getting the chicken parmesan. It’s my favorite, and I pretty much order it every time.”
Brianne studied the menu as the waiter took their drink order. Tori ordered a Cosmo. She needed to relax tonight even if Ian wasn’t going to. She’d been hard at work on her latest book all day.
“I’ll get that, too. What about you, sweetheart?” Brianne placed her hand on Nate’s with a smile.
Both Nate and Conor Hart were handsome men. Conor was a year older and had a rakish air, while Nate was all-American handsome. Nate’s warm blue eyes were soft as he gazed at his wife. “Chicken marsala, pet. I order it every time we come here.”
“Don’t you want to try something new?” Brianne teased.
Nate whispered something in her ear, turning her cheeks a bright red. Tori grinned at her friend’s bashful expression. Brianne couldn’t be all that modest, in reality. After all, Tori had seen her practically naked only a week ago.
Nate sipped at his wine. “Ian, Conor says you’re working that rapist case. Are you making any progress?”
Ian’s body stiffened next to hers. She really wanted him to kick back and relax tonight, but it didn’t look like it was in the cards.
“I am working the case, but I’m really not supposed to discuss it. I’m sorry. I will say that our forensic team is working hard and we have moved as many resources to this case as we can. It’s only a matter of time before he slips up and we get him.”
Nate nodded. “I understand. Conor works on cases he can’t discuss, and I have patients I can’t talk about. Don’t worry about it.”
Ian smiled. “I appreciate your understanding. How about I change the subject? I want to hear how you ladies all ended up in a book club and friends.”
Conor laughed and shook his head. “I love hearing this story. It brings back some good memories of when we were younger.”
Lisa feigned shock. “We’re not old. We’re still young. I love this story, too. It’s not very exciting, but it does bring back mem
ories. I met Tori in college, actually. We had sociology and psychology together our sophomore year.”
Tori rolled her eyes. “What Lisa doesn’t mention is that I was already married with the twins when we met. She was the original college party girl, and I was trying to go to college and take care of a family. We couldn’t have been more different.”
Lisa grinned. “True. I kept seeing Tori come to class and fall asleep. It was a large lecture hall and she sat at the back. Snoozing. One day class ended and she didn’t wake up. I waited until everyone left and woke her up myself.”
“She scared the hell out of me,” Tori confessed. “I thought for a moment it was the professor.”
“So I invited her for coffee. She discovered caffeine, and presto! She stayed awake during classes from then on. Not that she needed to. What I didn’t realize when I woke her up is she came to get some quiet time from her kids and get some sleep. She didn’t need to come to class. She’s a genius. I don’t think she ever cracked a book in college. She’s the only reason I passed calculus.”
Ian laughed. “You’d never had coffee until then?”
“No. My parents wouldn’t let me have any, and then my obstetrician wouldn’t let me have any. If I hadn’t met Lisa, I might have gone through life never discovering the joys of a caffeine buzz in the morning.”
“I can’t believe you’d never had soda either,” Brianne said. “Your childhood was very restrictive.”
“It was. Perhaps if my parents hadn’t been so protective, I wouldn’t have been so damn naive and got knocked up at seventeen. Not that I regret my boys. I don’t. I love them to death. But it might have been nice to have been young and wild.”
Brianne waggled her eyebrows. “You can be wild now.”
Ian pulled Tori close and she breathed in his masculine scent. “She can be wild with me.”
Everyone laughed, and Conor poured more wine from the carafe, refilling their glasses. “Lisa and Tori were inseparable. Luckily, we all got along really well. We stayed friends through weddings, kids, well, everything.”
Tori knew what Conor didn’t say but was thinking. They had been together through all those milestones plus Carl’s long illness and death. Lisa and Conor had been shoulders she had leaned on many times. They were true friends.
Nate passed the bread basket. “Brianne and her first husband, Rick the Dick, moved into Lisa’s neighborhood and became friends. That’s how she met Tori, too. Soon they’d started talking about books they liked. Noelle was added when she designed a bracelet for Lisa. Sara was added when she moved into the neighborhood. Mostly, I think the book club is an excuse to drink, eat chocolate, and talk about men and sex.”
Brianne giggled. “Our secret is out.”
Ian quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t think it was much of a secret. Damn!”
Ian’s phone was vibrating in his pocket. He frowned and looked at the screen before giving her an apologetic look.
“Can you get a ride home with Lisa or Brianne? I need to head into the station. We may have a lead on the guy who attacked you.”
Tori’s heart leaped in her chest. “I’ll go with you.”
He shook his head and stood up. “You stay here. I’m not dragging you down to the station to sit while I interrogate a suspect.”
“But—”
“No, Tori. I’ll call you if we need you.” His voice was deep and firm, sending shivers down her spine and straight to her pussy. She loved it when he used his Dom voice. One quick glance at Lisa and Brianne told her they were well aware of her state.
He leaned over and kissed her hard, beating a hasty retreat. She watched until he was out of sight. Lisa and Brianne had wide grins.
“Good thing you’re not getting serious with Ian. He’s only completely and totally perfect for you,” Lisa teased.
Tori picked up her wine glass, her smile dreamy. “I may have been a little too quick to judge when I said that.”
Brianne’s eyes twinkled. “You’ve fallen for the Devil Dom? Good for you, Tori.”
It was good for her. Ian had given her something no man ever had. He had given her what she needed.
* * * *
He stroked her silky hair, cut short and spiky, tipped in blue. She was different than his usual long-legged, long-haired, sophisticated business women he usually bedded. This woman had barely noticed him and he’d been following her around with his tongue out, begging for a date.
They’d had their date and now they were half-naked on her couch, making out like two horny teenagers. His cock ached, pressing against his zipper, wanting to be free. Her nipples were hard underneath his palms, and he could smell her arousal in the air.
She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
He slipped his hand down the smooth skin of her belly and under the waistband of her jeans, seeking her heat. She moaned when his fingers found her wet and swollen, but she pushed him away, fumbling with the fastening of her bra. He was shocked. She was turned-on and ready.
“Baby, what’s wrong? I want you so much.”
She shook her head. “I should have told you.”
Dread started building in his stomach. “Told me what?”
“It’s just, I really liked you. I wanted to go out with you.”
“I wanted to go out with you, too. What do you need to tell me?”
Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. Jesus, was she really a guy or something? Married? Dying? What the fuck?
Her lips trembled. “I’m a virgin. I promised my father on his deathbed I would stay a virgin until my wedding night.”
The words were out before he could stop them, but then, the cock was a powerful persuader.
“Then we’ll get married.”
“Oh my God, this book is a hoot.” Noelle laughed. She had tears leaking from her eyes. The book had been sexy and funny so far, and the women loved it.
Tori was holding her side. “I think this may be the best book we’ve read in months. It’s hilarious. This guy is a total horn dog, but he may have met his match in this one.”
Lisa refilled their martini glasses. “I knew a guy just like this in college. Remember Neubaum? He couldn’t keep it in his pants. He’d fuck anything that moved. Then he met that sweet little librarian. She led him around by his dick for the next two semesters until she dumped him for that rock band. That’s what’s going to happen to this guy.”
Tori nodded. “I do remember him. She had him completely pussy whipped. I think he asked permission to pee. I’m surprised she didn’t put a collar and leash on him.”
Brianne laughed. “Speaking of collars…Things looked pretty cozy with you and Ian last night. Are things getting serious? Have you talked about a permanent collar yet?”
“I want to know what he found out. Lisa said he got called away from dinner last night because they may have a lead on your attacker,” Noelle interjected.
Tori looked at Lisa, who smiled. “I had insomnia last night, so I called Noelle. She’s two time zones over, you know.”
“You should have called her this morning after I called you and Brianne with the news.”
“Which is?” Noelle pressed.
Tori shrugged. “No news. False alarm. They caught some guy wearing a dark hoodie trying to steal some poor woman’s purse. After they questioned him, they found out he was at work the night I was assaulted. Several witnesses were able to verify it.”
Noelle rolled her eyes. “Nice to know criminals can hold down a job these days. Still, it must have been disappointing.”
“I wasn’t getting my hopes up. Ian warned me the speed of justice is slow.”
“You’re more patient than I am.” Noelle smiled. “I’d be climbing the walls.” She sipped at her drink. “Listen, I have something I want to talk to you all about. I’ve met some really nice women here in Montana. They’re a lot of fun.”
Lisa arched an eyebrow. “Are you breaking up with us? Or breaking up with Cam?”
Noelle rolled her eye
s. “Neither. What I wanted to bring up is whether we’re open to adding more women to our book club. These ladies are nice, fun, and they read the same kind of smut we do. I think they would make good members.”
It had been the four of them until they added Sara, who was currently in Illinois. They’d never discussed expanding the group before, but then it had never come up.
Tori shrugged. “I’m not against it. I assume they would Skype also, or you could have some meetings on your own up there.”
Brianne was getting excited, moving restlessly in her chair. “I could start a private group on Facebook so we could all communicate. Sara could add people from Illinois if she wanted to. Fuck, we could have chapters all over the country. This could be huge!”
Lisa laughed and shook her head. “All from our little meetings, talking about erotic books.”
“Don’t forget the chocolate and booze.” Tori laughed.
“I could never forget that. It’s the best part.” Lisa popped a truffle in her mouth with a grin.
“Is that a yes?” Noelle asked. She was smiling, too. Everyone seemed happy about the idea of growing their numbers.
They all looked at each other and nodded. Lisa raised her glass for a toast. “It’s a go. To the Martinis and Chocolate Book Club. Long may it live, long may it reign. And what the hell, long may it inspire us to do sexy things with our men.”
They all clinked glasses, Noelle clinking hers against the camera.
Brianne bit into a dark chocolate. “This gets us back to my original question about the men in our lives. Are you and Ian serious?”
Tori pondered how to answer. She’d started this relationship with no intention of making a long-term commitment. Yes, she’d wanted someone in her life, but she wasn’t looking for external symbols such as a ring, or in this case, a collar.
“We haven’t discussed a permanent collar. I don’t know what you mean by serious, actually. Are we exclusive? Yes. Am I falling for him? God, yes. Who wouldn’t? Am I freaked out about falling for him? Yeah, a little. I didn’t intend to. I really just wanted to meet a man I could have some fun with.”
Submitting to the Devil Dom [The Martinis and Chocolate Book Club 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Page 10