by J. E. Taylor
“Sorry,” he signed.
“Just be smart with her and use your head, okay?”
He nodded and headed downstairs, rolling his eyes at Raven as he crossed into the kitchen.
Chapter 38
Steve sat in the holding cell drumming his fingers on the table, waiting for someone to come in and tell him what came next.
The door opened and Lynn Trueman stepped into the room.
“Ms. Trueman,” he nodded.
“Agent Williams,” she said, taking the seat opposite him.
“I’d shake your hand but…” he showed her the cuffs attached to the table.
She shook her head and sighed, allowing a hint of a smile. “You know, you have some of the same traits as Mr. Ryan.”
Steve smiled and shrugged. “Did you know who he really was?”
Lynn leaned back in the seat, sending him her Mona Lisa smile, but her thoughts betrayed her. She didn’t know who he was initially, however once they established a legal relationship, he’d told her in confidence. She reached down and pulled an envelope out of her attaché case. “Mr. Ryan made provisions in the event that something along these lines occurred,” she said and slid the sealed envelope with a letter of instruction attached in Ty’s impeccable script. “Notice the date on the paperwork,” she said.
Steve blew a stream of air from his lips as he scanned the instructions and his eyes landed on the certification date. The shock hit him like an electrical jolt.
“This can’t be right,” Steve’s gaze shot to Lynn.
“I assure you, it is.”
Steve wasn’t even eighteen when the letter was written and the boy’s had just been born. “How the hell did that bastard know?” His gaze met hers.
“Ty put the provisions of his will, the inheritance, and the boy’s guardianship together the day after they were born and I went over it with him after my father died. I did think it was quite odd for him to put his kid’s future in the hands of someone he hadn’t met, yet, but he insisted and said someday I would understand. The only thing he put in place after he met you was the victim’s trust and your designated cut of those funds.” She smiled. “I don’t have answers for you on how he knew the future, but I can say he was right. I do understand why he picked you,” she said. “I do have a question though.”
“Shoot.”
“Did you know who he was when you met him?”
Steve studied her, and sighed. “Yes, and I didn’t turn him in. Instead, I took him up on his offer for help and because of that; he got caught in the crossfire. So some of the charges they have against me are valid.”
“Mr. Ryan would have gone after Winslow with or without you,” she said. “He made that very clear when he sat down with me to put the victim’s fund in place.” She leaned down and pulled out another file, opening it in front of her. “I’ve kept very detailed records of your expenditures in both the victims trust as well as the children’s and I think these may help your case.” She slid the file to him.
“Why didn’t you turn him in?”
“Lawyer, client privilege,” she said, meeting his gaze. “Besides, he kind of grew on me.”
Steve smiled and nodded. “He grew on me too.”
Chapter 39
Tom stirred the spices into the spaghetti sauce like Steve had taught him and glanced at the bubbles forming in the water. He left the stove and checked on the garlic bread in the oven before sending a quick glance at the family room where Jennifer and Raven were in a deep discussion about music and movies and theater.
Their animated chatter amused him and he smiled. Jennifer had never warmed to Tanya like this. Usually when Tanya was around, awkward silence was prevalent and they never knew what to say to each other, so Jennifer would disappear into the gym with her scripts and he would be left with Tanya and the silence of the house.
Laughter rang out and he turned, dropping a handful of spaghetti noodles into the now boiling water and setting the timer. He finished setting the table while the noodles cooked. The buzzers all went off at once and he drained the noodles before retrieving the bread and putting it in the basket on the table.
Tom clapped his hands together gaining Raven and Jennifer’s attention and he waved to the table like a magician displaying a magic box. The girls sat at the table watching Tom as he served their meals and then sat next to Raven with his plate.
“I’m impressed,” Raven said, surveying the table and reaching for a piece of bread after Jennifer took one.
“I try,” Tom signed and nodded toward the bread.
Jennifer handed him the basket. “So, Raven, how long have you been in the United States?”
“Almost four years,” she answered.
“How do you like it?”
Raven shrugged, looking down at her plate and Tom started to sign, but she gave him a look that stopped his hands before she met Jennifer’s questioning stare.
“It has been a little rough,” she said.
Jennifer’s eyebrows rose and her gaze traveled to Tom’s and back.
Without prompting, Raven continued, “I don’t know if Tom has mentioned it or not, but I’m a Wiccan and that combined with not living here all my life makes it pretty hard to make friends.”
Jennifer paused with her fork in her mouth and slowly pulled it out. Tom knew that expression and he inhaled; praying whatever was on her mind wouldn’t ruin the evening.
“Wiccan, like in Practical Magic?” she asked.
Raven smiled. “Sort of,” she said and spun a few strands of spaghetti on her fork and took a bite. “It’s more of a belief system than sorcery,” she said after swallowing her food.
Jennifer focused on her food with a crease between her eyes and Tom reached under the table and squeezed Raven’s thigh, sending a wink at her before finishing his meal.
“I guess I don’t get why that would prohibit you from making friends?” Jennifer looked up.
“Being a witch in a small New England town doesn’t go over well. People tend to label you as weird or crazy or worse. Unfortunately, the Catholics in Ireland are just as judgmental,” she said and offered a shrug. “On the bright side, at least they don’t burn witches at the stake anymore,” she said and smiled.
Jennifer pressed her lips together in a barely suppressed smirk. “Kids can be cruel,” she said. “I’m just glad my son had the sense to see what a wonderful girl you really are.” Jennifer folded her napkin and smiled.
Raven’s smile faltered and her eyes filled with tears. When she glanced his way, her eyes held a depth of gratitude that struck his heart and he swallowed the last bite of spaghetti along with the lump in his throat.
“You two go study for a bit. I’ll clean up and then I’ll drive Raven home,” Jennifer said as she stood and started to clear the empty plates.
Tom cleared his plate and led Raven into the family room. “Are you okay?” he signed as they sat on the couch.
Raven nodded, meeting his gaze. “Dinner was fantastic,” she said.
Tom glanced toward the kitchen and then leaned forward, catching a kiss from Raven before he opened his book. Sitting this close to her brought on a fresh wave of intense lust and he gave her a sideways glance accompanied by a playful hint of a smile.
She rolled her eyes at him, shutting down his libido with one look and he sighed, dropping his gaze to the book.
“Do you want me to quiz you?” he signed.
“I thought I’d quiz you?” she challenged.
He leaned back, putting his feet up on the table and gave her the floor with a wave. Between each question, the tip of her pen slid between her lips in the most erotic manner and he had a difficult time concentrating. His hands didn’t seem to work smoothly enough to give correct answers and he fumbled, shaking his head while she leveled a “get serious” look in his direction.
“O u’faia,” he whispered.
“What was that?” she asked grinning.
Tom’s gaze flicked toward the kitchen
and he signed, “That’s so unfair.”
Her cute dimples appeared and she slid the pen between her teeth again.
Tom slammed the book closed and put it on the table, leaning his elbows on his knees and studying Raven. His gaze slid from the pen, to the curve of her breasts and he bit his lower lip wanting to feel her skin against his again.
“You might want to wrap things up,” Jennifer said. “I’ll be down in a minute and I’ll take you home,” she added, meeting Raven’s gaze and then she disappeared up the stairs.
Tom didn’t hesitate, he moved, pushing Raven down onto the cushions of the couch and smiling down at her. “You ’ive me c’a’ey,” he whispered and kissed her neck before taking the opportunity to nibbled on her earlobe.
She giggled and pushed him away. “Are you crazy? Your mother will be down in a minute.”
“Who ca’ea,” he said.
“I do,” she said.
He glanced at the stairwell before planting a kiss on Raven’s cleavage and then he sat up. “Thanks for studying with me,” he signed.
“Anytime,” she said and packed her things in her backpack.
Raven stood and Tom looked up at her with a pang of disappointment. He didn’t want the night to end and he got to his feet and pulled her into a big bear hug, lifting her off her feet and nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck.
Jennifer cleared her throat and Tom set Raven on her feet, catching a quick kiss before she had time to recover.
Raven blushed. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” she said and followed Jennifer out the garage door.
Tom lowered to the couch and leaned back, replaying every moment of the afternoon in his mind, trying to understand the complete captivation and the sudden emptiness in his stomach now that she was gone. A brief flicker of an idea rang through his mind and he wondered if Raven had concocted some sort of spell on him.
The lunacy of the thought made him chuckle and he collected his schoolbooks, making his way upstairs. His good mood soured as he stepped into his frigid room. Tanya faced the window, her back straight and stiff in the posture he was used to seeing any time he did something she deemed wrong.
“I wish you were dead,” she said.
Tom uttered a sharp laugh. “Don’t worry, you just might get your wish,” he said, and the suspension of reality lifted, leaving him with the weight of the charges crashing down.
She spun toward him and crossed the distance in a blink. Her hand formed the same claw formation, hell-bent to steal his heart, but the medallion stopped her progress, drawing a hiss from her skinless face.
“Leave me alone,” Tom snarled and leveled a deadly glare in her direction.
“You are going to wish for death when I’m through with you,” she said as she faded into a thin bank of fog.
Chapter 40
CJ walked into the darkened house and dropped his keys on the counter. A yawn took hold and he deviated to the refrigerator, grabbing a glass of orange juice before he headed upstairs. At the top of the stairs, he stopped and knocked on Jennifer’s door.
“Yes?”
He opened the door. “I’m home,” he said and she gave a nod, shutting off the television.
“Goodnight,” she said.
“Goodnight.” CJ closed the door and headed to his room.
One glance at the clock told him it was too late, but he opened his computer anyway and stripped out of his work clothes while he waited for the hardware to boot.
After brushing his teeth, he came back into the room and opened Skype, sending the call to Sandy, praying she’d be up and online. He rubbed his face, stifling a yawn and he looked over his fingertips at the empty screen.
Disappointment squeezed his chest and he ended the call. Instead of going to sleep, he opened his facebook page and launched to hers. When her page loaded, his gaze pulled to her relationship status and locked on the word displayed. He pushed away from the computer, nearly choking on air. Six letters never hit him so hard.
He spun in the seat, taking his first step toward the door when Skype buzzed.
He froze, afraid to turn. Instead, he answered with a nod of his head.
“Chris?” her whisper came over the speakers.
He turned, meeting her gaze on the computer. Her constant glances toward the door told him more than anything else, and a small fraction of relief gripped him.
“Still love me?” he asked.
Her smile clinched it even without the emphatic nod.
“What’s with the single status?”
“My Dad.”
That’s all she needed to say and he slid into the seat. “I miss you.”
“Me, too. I can’t talk long because if he finds out I’m on with you, he’ll take the computer away.”
“When am I going to see you again?”
“I don’t know. I’m hoping that by Thanksgiving my dad will give up this crazy no contact rule,” she said. “If not, I think I may want to move in with you.”
CJ offered a smile. “The door’s always open,” he said. “But I think you need to graduate first.”
Sandy rolled her eyes. “There’s no way I’m waiting until spring to see you.”
“I’ll come down once all this shit blows over.”
“My father will shoot you if you show up at my door. He’s still blazing mad about catching us together.”
“Did you tell him that was the first time?”
She nodded. “He doesn’t believe me.”
CJ leaned back in the chair. “Well, it certainly won’t be the last. Especially, since I plan on marrying you someday.”
The smile that graced her face would launch a thousand sleepless nights and he returned it, thinking that wasn’t the smoothest way to propose, but he’d make it up to her when he did it for real.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, there’s no one I’d rather share my life with.”
She stared at him and her smile faded. “You sure you won’t get bored with me?”
“No. Never.” He couldn’t even fathom being bored with her, but there was a hesitation in her that rubbed his intuition and he tilted his head. “Is that what you’re afraid of?”
Her nod sent a web of pain through his chest and all he wanted was to wrap his arms around her and show her the depths of his feelings. She was as ingrained in his soul as the act of breathing and she blinded his ability to think logically or see any future without her. “We are meant to be.”
“But how do you know that?”
“Because I cannot see my life without you in it.”
“That’s now, but what about when you’re in college and women are throwing themselves at you?”
CJ couldn’t help it, he started laughing. “Babe, girls have been throwing themselves at me for years. I’ve had all the opportunities in the world to explore, but here’s the thing, and it’s a pretty important point. The only one I want is you.”
“So you’re telling me if a hot Victoria’s Secret model tried to seduce you, you’d pass?”
“Yes.”
“You’re so full of shit,” Sandy whispered.
“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” he asked, staring at her honey blonde hair and her heart shaped face. “You are more beautiful than any of those models.”
She rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder again. “I have to go,” she said. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll be here.”
She reached for the controls.
“Hey, Sandy,” he said and when she paused, he added, “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Sweet dreams,” she smiled and then her picture disappeared.
CJ stared at the blank screen for a moment, the same disappointment he felt every time they hung up or said goodbye raked his skin, leaving a pronounced emptiness behind.
Chapter 41
Steve stared at the concrete ceiling of his cell, counting the web of cracks, wondering just how long his stay in this
place would be. He sighed, praying Lynn’s documentation would be enough to clear his name, or at least to eliminate the chance of a jail sentence, but he also knew it wasn’t enough to save his career.
His mind wandered back to the Windwalker case and he closed his eyes, reviewing every crime scene, every interview and every possible suspect on their list. The case file was thick with current cases, but Steve found a few other similar deaths in shoreline communities up and down the New England coastline and every now and then one occurred on a lake.
The killer had to have a boat, but in all cases, not a trace of gasoline was found on the waterways, which left a canoe or kayak as the getaway mechanism. It also had to be dark because it blended with the scenery alerting no one of its approach or retreat.
All of the thoughts pinging around in his head were documented in the case file, along with the fact that thousands of folks in the kill zone owned kayaks or canoes.
Steve snapped his eyes closed in frustration. He was missing something and he knew it. Instead of chasing his tail, he wished himself out of the cold cell and into his bedroom at home. The bed was warm and Jennifer stirred as he slid closer to her under the covers.
Her green eyes widened. “Did they let you go?”
“No, I’m still down in D.C. sleeping in my cell,” Steve said, using finger quotes when he said the word sleeping.
“So what are you doing here?”
He grinned and shrugged.
Jennifer smiled back and rolled so she was on top of him, straddling his lap and holding his wrists on the pillow. “So, you decided to take a little astral trip just for some action?”
“Ayup,” he said from below her. “Care to see if it’s possible?”
Jennifer’s smile faded and she leaned down, kissing him, slowly at first and then the heat kicked in. Her grip on his wrists loosened and he ran his fingers into her hair, deepening the kiss and letting the sensation of her heighten his passion.
He sat up, peeling off his shirt and stripping her of her silky nightgown. Their gaze locked and he ran his finger over her lips, marveling at the soft satin of her sexy mouth. It had been way too long since he studied her curves and he found the sensual line of her neck with his lips, trailing kisses along her neck and shoulder while he caressed her firm breasts.