Climbing into the passenger seat, Fancy put on her seat belt as Brody shut her door then rounded the front of the vehicle and got in beside her. As he started the engine, she eyed him with curiosity. “What’s at eighteen hundred hours? That’s six p.m., right?”
“Yeah. I know he wouldn’t accept an invitation to the barbecue, even though Devon and Kristen wouldn’t have minded at all, but I’ll bring him back a load of food for dinner.”
“He’ll love it. I’ve been leaving some turkey, cheese, and fresh fruit in the kitchen for when he stops in. As much as he loves my pastries, all that sugar can’t be good for him, so I make sure I have some healthy stuff ready for him, too.”
Before putting the car in reverse, Brody leaned over, gave her a quick kiss on the mouth, then stared into her eyes. He started to say something, but stopped and nervously stroked her hair behind her ear. Grabbing her hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it. Then he took a deep breath before letting it out slowly as his gaze flicked to hers again and she was stunned to see a deep emotion there. “I’ve been putting off saying this for a while because I wasn’t sure if you were ready to hear it, but I can’t hold back anymore. I love you, Fancy-girl. I’m totally, helplessly, head-over-ass in love with you.”
Chapter 19
“Angie, can I help you with anything?” Fancy asked, approaching the other woman standing by the outdoor kitchen in Ian’s Oasis, putting the finishing touches on a cheese platter. Brody had been right about the beautiful “backyard” Ian’s fiancée had created for his birthday last year. It ran the length of the two warehouses it sat between and was nicer than most backyards she’d ever seen. In addition to the fully functioning kitchen and huge grill, there was an oblong fire pit, a koi pond with a waterfall at the far end, and plenty of conversation seating areas with shade from patio umbrellas. An all-weather, flat-screen TV with stereo surround-sound, a bar, and for the sweltering Florida summers, a cooling spray system giving it all the comforts of an indoor living room. The asphalt had been torn up and replaced with sod along with bushes and flower beds, which resulted in a tropical garden atmosphere.
Angie shook her head. “No, thanks, I think everything is set. Kristen’s mom, Jenn, and Kat have been working hard for the past two hours, and now everyone can relax. When Ian fires up the grill, though, you can help me put all the salads and stuff out.”
There were quite a few people who had come to celebrate the newest arrival, and little JD was handling his local fame just fine. He was such a happy little baby and didn’t mind at all being passed from one admirer to the next. Currently suckling his mother’s breast, he appeared to be dozing off in the middle of his meal. Kristen was talking with her mom and stepdad, Elizabeth and Ed Finch, who were leaving Tuesday to visit friends in Naples before going back to New Jersey.
Fancy glanced around and tried to put correct names to the faces of the rest of Brody’s friends and second family. She’d been introduced to the seven new members of the Omega team, the company’s new computer tech, Nathan, and helicopter pilot, Tempest, who went by her call sign “Babs.” Ian and Devon’s brother Nick, and his Dom/boyfriend, Jake, who she remembered was one of the original six-man Trident team, had flown in from San Diego for a few days to meet Nick’s new nephew. Ian’s goddaughter, Jenn Mullins, was sitting by the pond playing patty-cake with Marco and Harper’s daughter, Mara, who had recently turned one, while chatting with Kristen’s cousin, Will Anders.
Kat and Boomer had arrived a few minutes ago with Boomer’s parents, Rick and Eileen, and the older couple’s charge, Alyssa Wagner. When the pretty teenager spotted Jake and Nick, she squealed and threw herself into their open arms. Brody had told her how the two men had saved the girl’s life not too long ago.
Also in attendance were several people Fancy had met at the club the other night, including Colleen and Reggie, Roxy and Kayla, Mistress China whose real name was Charlotte, Mitch Sawyer, Shelby and Parker, Tiny, and Master Carl. The latter looked so different from how he’d appeared when she’d first met him. In his fifties, the man was six feet tall and slender, with dark hair, mustache, and goatee. He’d been dressed in all black on Wednesday evening, and her immediate response had been that he would have made a perfect Count Dracula in an old black and white movie. Add in the fact he was a sadist and Whip Master, and the image was an ideal fit. Today, though, he looked more like the college math professor he was in the real world, wearing khaki shorts and a yellow golf shirt.
Her eyes searched for Brody, and she saw he was talking to Boomer and Rick. She was still reeling from his announcement that he loved her—but in a good way. She had suspected he would be saying those words to her sometime soon, and had feared how it would make her feel. But to her surprise, the words had warmed her and caused her heart rate to increase. It was then she knew she was in love with him, too. How had she gotten so lucky to have fallen in love with two of the most incredible and caring men to have walked the earth? Despite a few similarities in their personalities, they were totally different—as men and as Doms. And she thanked God she hadn’t know them at the same time because choosing between them would have been the hardest thing she would ever have had to do.
After his declaration of love, he’d said he didn’t want her to say it back yet, not until she was one hundred percent certain. She’d giggled and responded, “Well, since I’m only ninety-nine percent certain I’m in love with you, you’ll have to wait a little while longer.”
He’d laughed, called her a brat, and promised to spank her later for teasing him. Of course, that had made her horny as hell, and she decided to let him suffer for a few more hours before professing her own, absolute love, when it wasn’t in response to his words.
Now, grinning that he caught her staring, Brody crooked his finger at her. She stepped over to the trio as her lover tucked her under his arm, a place she loved to be. When Harper and Marco joined them, Mara leaned out of her father’s arms, her hands reaching for Fancy. Laughing, she took the baby in her arms and cuddled her as she cooed, “Such a big girl.”
Brody leaned down and whispered in her ear. “You look beautiful with her in your arms.”
Looking at him, she responded in a quiet voice so the others wouldn’t hear, “You never asked if I could have children after the miscarriage. Why not?”
As the baby played with Fancy’s red hair, Brody cupped her chin. “Two reasons. One, I figured you would tell me when the time was right for you, and two, because it doesn’t make me love you any less. Our own baby, or one we adopt or have through a surrogate, will be loved by me no matter what. It doesn’t make a difference if our children grow in you or not, they’ll still grow in our hearts.”
She gaped at him as Mara wiggled in her arms, reaching out to her mother. Fancy passed the baby to Harper, then grabbed Brody’s hand and dragged him around the corner of the building for some privacy.
His brow furrowed as she pushed him against the wall, her hands on his chest. “Sweetness, what’s wrong? What did I say?”
Clutching his shirt, she pulled him down for a passionate kiss, her mouth and tongue taking possession of his. He closed the last few inches between their bodies and she felt his erection grow against her abdomen. When she finally released him, she looked him in the eye. “What did you say? Everything right, that’s what. I love you, Brody Evans. I’m madly, passionately in love with you.”
* * *
Brody stormed into the police station’s detective bureau and was met by Webb and Freddie Mendoza. He’d given them the photos he’d printed from the bakery’s security system of the two teens yesterday after escorting Fancy to the shop and having breakfast with her. The punks had ridden their mountain bikes close enough to the store’s front door for him to get clear pictures of them. After showing the photos to a few of the day shift cops in turnout this morning, the two had been identified as some area troublemakers. They’d been picked up an hour ago and brought in for questioning.
“Whe
re are the little shits?” he asked glancing around. “Which interrogation room?”
Webb held up his hands. “Easy. You’re not going in there.”
“Why the fuck not?”
Freddie pointed behind him and said, “That’s why not.”
Spinning on his heels, Brody spotted the teens sneering at him as they stood with two men in suits—fucking lawyers, although one of them was probably the father of the similar looking boys. They had to be brothers.
Brody took a step forward, but a hand grabbed his arm from behind and stopped him from getting too close. “You little shits. If I find out you’re behind the vandalism of that shop, I’ll make your lives fucking miserable.”
“Was that a threat?” ask the man Brody suspected was related to the boys. “I want that man arrested for threatening my sons.”
“Yeah, well, I want your pitiful offspring arrested for harassing my woman and damaging her shop.”
Webb and Mendoza put their bodies between the adversaries. “Nobody is getting arrested today,” the latter said.
At the same time, one of the other men replied, “They did no such thing, and you have no evidence to the contrary.”
Brody snarled. “When I get my proof, I’ll shove it down your throats. You’re not the only ones who can hire high-priced lawyers. I’ll sue your fucking asses off. If I see those two little shits anywhere near that bakery you better hope I don’t catch them.”
“Are you going to stand there and let him threaten my sons? I want him arrested right now!”
Webb turned his head so they could all hear him. “Like we said, no one’s getting arrested. Barker, get your clients out of here and keep them away from that bakery. Otherwise, I’ll be filing harassment charges against them, and you can fight it out in court.”
Barker was the taller of the two men and wisely ushered everyone from the room out to the main lobby. Webb finally let go of Brody’s arm. “That went well.”
Running a hand through his hair in frustration, Brody tried to get his anger under control. He didn’t want to take it out on the cops; he knew their hands were tied in this mess. Without proof, they couldn’t press charges, and with the lawyers involved, the teens weren’t going to be allowed to answer any questions that might incriminate them. “They need to reinstate the draft; the future of our society is shit if we leave it to these punks.”
“Ain’t that the fucking truth?”
Mendoza nodded his head in agreement. “By the way, Egghead. I finally had a chance to track down the follow-up reports on Fancy’s accident. The brake line had a jagged cut in it, like it hit a rock or something. Her brother-in-law had been interviewed back then and confirmed he and Patrick had gone four-wheeling the day before the accident at Holder Mine. Said they bottomed out a few times. The conclusion was that it had caused a small leak, and it was signed off as accidental.”
Brody grimaced. He’d gone four-wheeling at the Holder Mine Campgrounds, north of Tampa, in the past with some friends, but it had been awhile. The place was a lot of fun, but there were always potential dangers in the sport. “Not the first time I’ve heard of that happening. Buddy of mine in the Navy lost a cousin that way.”
“Hey, Webb!” They all turned to see a sergeant walking toward them, frowning. He handed the detective a slip of paper with an address on it. “A patrol car just called in. They’ve got a DB and think it’s that missing girl. They said they hope you haven’t had lunch yet.”
“Fuck!” The detective went to his desk and grabbed what he needed while barking the info at his partner.
Brody stepped away from the officers and shot off a text to Ian.
TPD has a reported dead body that might be the missing sub. Don’t want to step on Webb’s toes, but I think it’s time to use a few connections and get the feds involved. Need a profiler.”
The response was swift.
Fuck. Before I make the calls, go confirm it’s our girl. Send me the address if you have it.
“Evans!” Webb was standing in the doorway, waving Brody closer. “Do you mind following us over there? Need your eyes and experience.”
That was easier than he’d expected. “Sure. What’s the address?”
After they’d confirmed Naomi’s identity, Webb had gone with his partner to make the death notifications to the woman’s mother. Out of courtesy, they then went and told Thomas Manfred so he didn’t have to hear it on the news.
By the time the two detectives returned to their station, Ian and Brody had spoken to the captain in charge of the detectives, Vic Moody, and not so subtly convinced him to push aside his issues with the feds and call them for help. Trident Security had plenty of connections and a mutual respect with the Chief of Police and others who could make the man’s life miserable. Of course, they agreed to make it seem like it was his idea the whole time, ensuring he got the kudos when the case was, hopefully, solved. It was a safe assumption the first two missing women were long dead, but the killer was now seeking recognition for his work and placing the victims where they would ultimately be found.
At 5:00 p.m. the new task force was in place and meeting in a large conference room at police headquarters. If Brody hadn’t been so disgusted with what he’d seen earlier, he would have taken great pleasure in the shocked look on Special Agent in Charge Frank Stonewall’s face. The FBI supervisor and the Trident team had a mutual dislike for each other, having had quite a few run-ins before. What pissed the fed off, even more, was Ian had Stonewall’s boss on speed dial. Larry Keon was the number-two man in the FBI and the source of many of Trident’s covert missions.
“What the fuck are they doing here?” Stonewall barked at no one in particular, but it was clear he was referring to Ian and Brody.
“They’re here on my dime,” Moody responded. “Deal with it. Let’s get started.” Webb had been right—Moody disliked Stonewall just as much as, if not more than, everyone else in the room did.
Over a dozen members of the joint task force took seats as Moody and Webb began to fill them in. Brody glanced at the clock on the wall. Hopefully, it wouldn’t run too late; he and Boomer had an early detail in the morning. He was bummed he wasn’t going to see Fancy tonight, but glad the Trident women and friends had taken her under their wings. Harper, Kat, Shelby, Kayla, and Angie were taking her out to dinner and a movie—some chick flick the subs were all dying to see. Kristen had been too exhausted with JD’s sleeping schedule to join them, but she’d promised next time they all went out, she would be there.
With the discovery of Naomi’s body, Ian had spoken to Mitch about reinforcing the rules of escorting the submissives home from the club. Although, that hadn’t helped the latest victim. From what they could tell, she’d gone back outside after Thomas had left, probably to get some things from her car. The crime scene techs had found groceries including cat food in the trunk of her Ford Focus, and a famished cat in the house. Naomi’s phone was located in her purse on a table in the foyer.
Brody wasn’t taking any chances with Fancy, though, especially with those punks causing all sorts of trouble on top of the serial killer. After leaving the location where Naomi’s mutilated body had been found, he’d swung by the Trident compound and grabbed the tracking bracelet he wanted her to wear until this creep was caught. The unassuming piece of jewelry had been used before when Angie and then Kat had been in trouble. The device had a GPS tracker in it, along with a one-way microphone that could be heard through his computer program if his laptop or tablet were close enough to the source. It had been a vital tool in rescuing the women after each one had ended up being held hostage at different times.
At first, he’d used a medical alert bracelet for the device, since they tended to be thicker and most people wouldn’t question it, but Angie and Kristen had convinced him to find something a little more stylish. Their point had been that if a bad guy knew enough about his victim, he might know they didn’t need a medical alert tag. With the help of the jeweler who did a lot of the submi
ssives’ custom collars, Brody had come up with a design they liked, yet still met his requirements. Tomorrow after his morning detail, he would swing by Fancy’s shop and put it on her—for now, it was in the pocket of his pants. He also had to get a few more tracking bracelets up and running. Angie and Kristen had nothing to worry about living in the secure Trident compound, but Boomer and Marco wanted Kat and Harper to have one, just in case. And he didn’t blame them. Hopefully, this newly formed task force would find this sick bastard before another submissive went missing. And God help his next victim if they didn’t.
Chapter 20
Brody was glad the girls had invited Fancy out to dinner with them. It would give her a chance to get to know all of them better. If he had any say in the matter, which he did, she’d be a part of both of his families soon—here and in Texas. He knew they were headed in that direction, but he had to give her time to get used to their relationship before springing an engagement ring and permanent collar on her.
Was Christmas too soon? He sure as hell hoped not. He wanted everyone to know Fancy was his, and his alone for the rest of their lives. His father had always told him when he met the right woman, he’d feel as if he’d known her all his life. And that was exactly how he felt about his little baker. She was the second half of his heart and soul he’d been waiting for over the past thirty-six years.
It had been a long day with the two teenage shit bags, the crime scene, and the task force, and he was looking forward to vegging out in the hot tub for a while and just relaxing. The image of Naomi Nguyen’s mutilated body was still fresh in his mind, and he continued to try, unsuccessfully, to shake it free. The sun had set about a half hour ago, but he enjoyed being in the spa in the dark; it soothed him. As much as he wanted Fancy in his bed tonight, he was due to get up far too early in the morning for the surveillance gig with Boomer. It would be best to let her get a good night’s sleep since they were going to the club tomorrow night.
Tickle His Fancy: Trident Security Book 6 (Trident Security Series) Page 18