by D J Small
“Dax...” Eliza drew out his name on a sigh.
“I’m cooking, Detective, and I expect you to be here at eight sharp.”
The call ended, and Eliza stared at her phone after lowering it. Being hung up on was enough for her to maintain her annoyance and ignore the cracks that were deepening in the wall she had mentally erected between herself and Dax.
“What happened?” Billy asked.
She shoved her phone back into her coat pocket and grumbled, “Dax invited me to dinner tonight.”
“Why wasn’t I invited?” he asked, feigning to be upset.
Eliza buried her fingers in her hair and rested her elbow on the car door. “If you want to go, by all means, go.”
Billy clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. Sounds like he wants an evening alone with the inscrutable Detective Miller.” He chuckled. “The prostitute really has a thing for you, doesn’t he? I’m surprised you haven’t broken his heart and told him you date women.”
Eliza shot him a scathing glance and countered, “He’s a sex worker, and it’s none of his business.” For a brief second, Dax’s transgender background made her take pause, but she pushed it aside. “Also, I told you, I do date men. I’m just selective because they’re all perverts and assholes.”
“True,” Billy said with a nod. “Honestly, it’s been so long since you’ve talked about dating, I thought you were becoming celibate.”
Eliza swatted his arm. “Shut up and drive.”
“Sheesh, you’re mean today.”
Refusing to continue the conversation, Eliza focused on the city outside her window, an intense scowl on her face.
Dax having the audacity to invite her to dinner was galling, and him using his gentler, down-to-earth persona aggravated her further. She was such a sucker for it. Eliza mentally swore at Dax and the stupid feelings inside her head. None of this had put her in better mood.
◊◊◊
The moment her car came to a stop, Eliza threw it in park and got out of the vehicle. She pressed the lock button on the car’s remote twice, and it beeped behind her as she took long strides towards the gate. The anger she had felt after speaking with Dax had stayed with her for the rest of the day, and coupled with her frustration over the case, it had made her a horrible person to be around.
She had told Billy that she was going to take an hour to work out, but really she had decided to come and chew Dax out for being...well...himself. She figured it would be a good way for her to release some of her aggravation.
Eliza pushed through the gate and stalked up the path. As soon as she was on the porch, she issued several quick raps to the door and held up her badge for the camera. Once again, Officer Lin answered the door, except this time he was holding a bowl of pasta and had a mouth full it.
“Where’s Dax?”
“Kitchen,” Officer Lin replied around the food in his mouth.
Eliza pushed past him and stormed through the house. “Dax!”
“Detective Legs!” he shouted back. “And I thought you were going to stand me up.”
The moment Eliza entered the kitchen and saw the smile on his face, she was ready for a fight. “In order for me to stand you up, I first have to agree to seeing you, which I did not do. On top of making the assumption that I would, you coerced an officer to call me while they were on duty just to invite me to dinner. That was inappropriate, Dax. Not only was it disrespectful to me, but it was also disrespectful to the other officers that are trying to keep you safe. Do you think this is some fucking game?”
Dax wiped his hands on a dishtowel, then dropped it and folded his arms over his chest.
Eliza released an agitated breath as he stared at her, not saying a word. “I guess you do. How about this, why don’t I just pull your fucking protection and let whoever is out there killing sex workers come after you? It’s obvious you don’t fucking care.”
“Are you finished?” Dax asked shortly. The sharp edge to his tone had Eliza ready for a verbal sparring match. “First of all, I have nothing but the utmost respect for the officers protecting me. They are wasting their time here when they could be elsewhere, protecting other parts of the city. As for you, Detective Miller, if you would get your stubborn head out of your ass, you would see that I am truly trying to thank you, but no, you continue to be a combative pain in the ass who won’t let me show you the appreciation you greatly deserve.” He moved closer to Eliza and narrowed his eyes. “You can leave if you aren’t able to deal with that. I will not spend the entire evening arguing with you.”
Eliza rose to the bait. “If you have so much respect for these officers, why do you treat them the way you do? Flirting with them and coercing them to call me when you know I am fucking busy trying to solve these damn murders?”
Dax rolled his eyes and huffed in exasperation. “I flirt, Eliza. It’s a part of my personality, and a natural thing for me to do. Sometimes it’s a defense mechanism, sometimes I do it to humor myself, but the officers know I don’t mean anything by it.”
The explanation caused relief to wash over Eliza, and her brows furrowed. She wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction to Dax’s explanation. Had she been jealous? She pushed the thought aside.
“As for your gross accusation regarding Officer Walker calling you for me, I did not coerce her. I will have you know that I have never coerced anyone into doing anything that they didn’t want to do already. Yes, I put on the charm, but if she had fought me about it, I would have left it alone. She didn’t.”
His explanations were logical, and made sense to Eliza, but she still had a head full of steam and would not be deterred from the fight she so greatly wanted.
“What about me Dax? Is humoring yourself the reason why you flirted with me?” With one question, the conversation had turned personal, and was headed for the real reason why Eliza was as upset as she was. Her anger flared, and her top lip curled as she asked, “Am I just entertainment for you?”
Dax shook his head and turned to go back to the stove. “You won’t like the answer.”
The response jolted Eliza from her anger. So it was true; he had only flirted with her because it had amused him. Several emotions began to build inside of Eliza, but anger still led the charge, fueled by the stupidity she felt for having considered her feelings toward Dax.
“You can tell me,” she snapped. “I can’t hit you, since you’re still under protective custody, but I can’t guarantee anything either. You deserve what you get for being an asshole.”
Dax turned to face her. In a voice full of amazement, he asked, “Do you ever listen to yourself speak?” He forced out a breath and gestured towards Eliza. “You won’t like my answer, you idiot woman, because I am attracted to you. Genuinely.” He gave a soft snort. “I honestly don’t know why. You are a viciously stubborn, frustrating, one-track-minded person, but you’re also passionate, determined, and...” Dax shook his head, “you have the cutest dimples I have ever seen. I can’t stop imagining what you looked like as a little girl. I want to know everything there is to know about you, but I know it will never happen.”
Sill processing everything he had said, Eliza asked, “Why?”
Dax shook his head again and moved to retrieve the two plates sitting on the counter behind the island. “The moment you found out I was trans, you were surprised, but then you got confused. As if you didn’t know what to do with me anymore.” He expelled a short, disdainful breath. “I’m used to it. It’s not the first time I’ve dealt with it, and it won’t be the last.” He shrugged and set the plates on the island. “It is what it is.”
The self-deprecation in Dax’s tone was unfamiliar—it didn’t align with the man that Eliza had come to know over the last week. She didn’t want him to feel like he did, but she didn’t know how to explain her response to what he had shared with her. Her confusion had had nothing to do with him being transgender, and everything to do with not understanding how she had missed it, which Dax had pointed o
ut last night. As much as she wanted to explain, it wouldn’t change anything.
Eliza ran a hand through her hair and blew out a deep breath. “It wasn’t you, Dax. I promise. I just felt I should have known. I did see you half-naked the first time we met.”
He shot her a small grin. Eliza shook her head, and he went back to making up the plates in front of him. She took off her coat and laid it on top of the island before sitting on one of the stools that was in front of. Eliza bit the inside of her bottom lip as she watched Dax.
He scooped out some cream sauce that had shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and spinach in it from the saucepan he had gotten off the stove and poured it onto the bed of noodles he had placed on each of the plates.
She sighed. “Dax,”
He looked up at her.
“You confuse me.”
His eyebrows furrowed for a second, but then Dax chuckled. “I’m sorry...I think.”
Eliza huffed in frustration. “You should be. You’re a key component of my investigation, and I can’t afford to be confused. I need to focus.”
Dax turned around and placed the saucepan back on the stove, then turned to face the island again. “Okay, and you can focus once you have eaten and relaxed a bit. Let’s go, Detective. Dinner awaits us.”
The two of them went into the dining room, and Dax set one of the plates down on the setting that was on the left side of the table before placing the other one on the setting that was on the right. He smiled at her. “Wine?”
“I don’t drink,” Eliza said with a shake of her head.
Dax’s smile widened. “Good thing I bought a bottle of sparkling water for this occasion.” He gestured towards the table. “Have a seat and eat, Detective. I shall return momentarily.”
Dax left the dining room, and Eliza stared at the doorway for a second before sitting down at the table. The food smelled incredible, and she was a little surprised that Dax had cooked it. He seemed like the type of person who would have a meal catered rather than do it himself.
Eliza picked up her fork and mixed the sauce into the fettucine noodles before taking a bite. An uninhibited moan emitted from her throat as the food hit her tongue, and Eliza’s hand flew up to cover her mouth. She glanced at the doorway that led to the kitchen again, visibly relaxing when she didn’t see Dax. The food on her plate was the best thing she had put in her mouth since Dax had brought her and Billy their steaks the other night.
Eliza finished the bite in her mouth slowly, then took another one, letting her eyes slip closed as she savored it. Thoughts of marrying the dish came to her mind.
“Are you all right, Detective?”
Eyes flying open, Eliza nodded quickly.
Dax chuckled and placed a glass of sparkling water beside her plate, then sat down. “How is it? Officer Lin says it’s amazing, but I feel like the sauce is a little off.”
Eliza finished off the food in her mouth. “Dax, this is incredible. I can’t believe you can cook like this.”
“I don’t know if I should be offended by that or not,” he said as he picked up his napkin and placed it across his lap.
“Don’t be,” Eliza said with a chuckle. “This is delicious. It’s just that you seem like the kind of guy who has his meals catered, or orders take-out frequently. It’s surprising.” She chastised herself for rambling. She sounded like a complete idiot.
Dax chuckled and picked up his fork. “I like to cook. Making food for my friends—or even just for myself—is one of those things I truly enjoy. It’s also a skill I like to keep sharp in case I need it one day.”
Eliza smiled. “Like when you find yourself in a hostage situation that you’ll have to cook your way out of?”
“Exactly,” Dax said, pointing his fork at her as his lips turned up in an amused grin.
An amicable silence came over them as they ate, and after a few minutes Dax wiped his mouth and asked, “How’s the investigation into whoever broke into my apartment going?”
Eliza couldn’t stop the cynical snort that escaped her.
“That bad?”
Eliza shook her head as she reached for her glass of water. She took a long drink, then said, “I don’t even think I can consider it bad—we don’t have anything. It’s frustrating. We thought we had someone, but it turns out she’s a ghost that isn’t in the system. I would appreciate the beauty of it if I were a criminal, but I’m not, so it only pisses me off.”
“What about the package?” Dax inquired.
Eliza could tell by his casual tone that he was trying to help her, but it was pointless. However, she did appreciate his attempt. She sat back, sliding down in the dining room chair so she could rest her head on the back of it. The position wasn’t comfortable in the wooden chair as it would have been in her work chair, but she made do. “There were no traces on it, or the letter that was inside it.”
“Letter?”
Eliza lifted her head to look at Dax across the table. “Didn’t I tell you about that?”
He shook his head.
Groaning, Eliza covered her face with her hand. She couldn’t believe that she hadn’t told him about the letter or the pictures that had been inside the package. She sat up in her chair and folded her arms, resting them on top of the table. “Dax, when the crime scene investigators inspected the package, they found two pictures and a letter inside it.”
Dax bit his bottom lip, and a after a few seconds, he asked, “Pictures?”
“Yes,” Eliza said softly. What she needed to say next wasn’t something she wanted to verbalize, but she had to tell him. He deserved to know. “They were of Angelique’s and Simon’s bodies...after.”
“I see,” Dax said with a mechanical nod.
Eliza watched as several emotions flickered over his face. Pain, loss, and anger each danced in his brown eyes, but only lasted for a millisecond. “Dax, the letter only had one line written on it.” She pulled out her phone and went into the gallery, searching for the image Jenna had sent her.
“‘The covetous man is ever in want,’” she read aloud as soon as she found the picture.
A bark of laughter came from Dax, and his hand flew up to cover his mouth. His shoulders shook as he laughed silently.
Puzzled by the reaction, Eliza waited for him to recover, watching him cautiously.
When he had calmed down, he stood up from the table and left the dining room. Eliza followed him into the kitchen, where he walked over to one of the cabinets and said, “Horace, Detective. He was an ancient Roman poet, and that is one of his many lyrics. Part of a collection of his work entitled Epistles.”
“So you know what this lunatic is talking about?” Eliza wanted to kick her own ass for not telling him sooner, regretting the time she had potentially wasted.
Dax retrieved a crystal tumbler and walked over to the counter his bottle of bourbon sat on. He poured himself a glass, then took a long drink from it. After setting down the almost-empty glass, he filled it again and took another drink from it, albeit not as long as the first one.
The reaction put Eliza on edge, and a feeling in her gut told her something wasn’t right.
Dax bared his teeth and exhaled a loud breath. “I went through a philosophical phase when I younger, and when I came across it, I thought it was the perfect motto to live by, especially in my line of work. It can extend beyond money.” He lifted his glass towards Eliza. “Semper avarus eget.”
“What’s the point of all this, Dax?” Eliza’s unease had yet to be alleviated. She knew he was preparing her for something, but could only guess as to what. On some level that she didn’t want to acknowledge, his reaction scared her.
Dax moved closer to Eliza. “Detective, I think I may have failed in giving you pertinent information that may be beneficial to your case.”
Eliza opened her mouth to go off on him, but Dax continued, speaking louder to keep her from interjecting. “I did not connect it to your case because I honestly hadn’t thought about it until you read that piece.”<
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“Explain, Dax. Quickly.” Eliza was now several shades of pissed off, and close to arresting him for lack of cooperation and interfering with an active investigation.
He ran a hand over his shaved head and blew out a breath. “I thought someone was killing people associated with me, or Pleasure Inc., or both. Why think further than that? I wasn’t in the right headspace either. I just lost my friends, Eliza. Who can think after that?” He took another drink of his bourbon. “Angelique, Simon, and I were planning to open our own firm. I’m still going to do it, but originally it was going to be the three of us.”
The news hit Eliza hard. The motive had been in front of her the entire time, and Dax hadn’t told her about it.
“How could you possibly forget something like that?” she asked, her voice rising as she reached her breaking point. “That is vital information I could have used to help me to find out who the hell killed your friends and is after you. It’s all fucking connected, Dax! You never once thought your ambitions to become a pimp could be the motive behind all of it? How could you be so blind?”
“I do not want to become a pimp,” Dax snapped. “Again, Detective, how do you expect me to think clearly when I’m in the middle of mourning my friends? Friends I was quite close to, might I add. Fuck you for thinking I was withholding information from you. I was not.”
Lips pursed and eyes focused on him, Eliza tried not to lose it again. “Tell me everything. Now,” she ordered in a controlled voice.
Dax held her gaze for a second, then moved to sit on one of the stools. “Before I go into everything, you need to understand why first. Most sex firms are owned by venture capitalists. Like they did with marijuana when it was legalized, they capitalized on an industry that would make them rich fast.” He grunted. “Because of this, sex workers aren’t getting paid fairly. Some places take thirty-five percent, some take fifty, and others take seventy-five. That is worse than working for a pimp, from what I was told. If you’re good with numbers, multiply that percentage by twenty, which is the maximum number of sex professionals one firm can legally employ, and you can imagine the amount of money venture capitalists are making—and how much sex workers are being short changed.