by J. A. Kerr
Chloe didn’t have an answer.
Evan turned. “Goodnight, Chloe.”
“Please,” she whispered. “Help me?”
Chapter 27
The Braille Club Reborn
Evan
Evan’s protective instinct flared. He hesitated before his common sense kicked in. “I don’t think so Chloe. As I said, you don’t want to get involved with me, especially with your past.”
Chloe looked directly into his eyes. “I know you’ll never hurt me.”
“You don’t know that,” he snapped. “Haven’t you listened to a word I’ve said?”
“Just get out,” shouted Chloe. “I didn’t ask you to follow me.”
Evan was torn. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. That idiot on the dancefloor could have come after you.”
“Well he didn’t,” Chloe retorted. “You’re big tough act scared him off…”
Evan heard a sob. He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. Her warm soft body clung to him and their mouths reconnected. When their kiss deepened he’d fought the sensation to stop. To run. Chloe was right. It was about control. Evan didn’t like losing control. He could hurt someone if he did, but when Chloe led him to her room, he’d followed and quickly sent his driver Peter a text telling him to go home. He’d kissed her again, and this time she didn’t change the pace. She wound herself around him. He could feel her hardened nipples against his chest. He wanted her so much.
Chloe’s fingers caressed his face, her touch electrifying him. When she pushed him against the bed, he reluctantly sat. Her kisses continued over his lips and neck. He groaned. She slipped between his legs, her hands trailing down his body. His erection throbbed as her fingers loosened his belt and unzipped his trousers. She grinned up at him as her hand cupped him. Desire, pure and blinding, eradicated further thought. Her mouth was exquisite. Evan’s hands twisted in the duvet. He didn’t want to touch her and ruin everything. He felt his body responding as she sucked and licked. His hips involuntarily thrusting forward. My God, Evan thought as his back arched. He tried to pull away but her mouth held him firm and he climaxed. Chloe’s mouth continued to work him. He was dazed as he hardened once more.
Chloe released him and he groaned as his erection pulsed. With hooded eyes he watched her remove her clothes to reveal an elfin body to match her face. Naked, she walked towards him and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He shivered at her touch. Although he was insensitive to pain, he could feel her fingers moving across his exposed skin. It was intoxicating. She pulled at his trousers and lastly his underwear.
“Hold me,” she whispered.
Evan took her in his arms and the skin to skin contact was electrifying. She got onto the bed and he followed.
“Don’t ever worry about hurting me,” Chloe breathed into his neck, sending warm shivers up his spine. “I want you to kiss me all over.”
Evan’s nervousness returned and, as if sensing this, Chloe took his hand and placed it gently on her breast. He could feel the hard bud of her nipple between his fingers as he gently caressed and stroked. She moaned, and without thinking his mouth was exploring her body. His tongue lapped at the concave of her neck before his head dipped between her breasts. Her body arched as his mouth replaced his fingers. Evan never allowed himself to touch a woman like this. It had always been a means to an end. He found bringing pleasure to Chloe with his mouth an addictive experience. He wanted more. His tongue went lower as Chloe wriggled and gasped. His lips and fingers skimmed over her belly, licking, kissing and caressing. Shaking with excitement and anticipation, he parted her legs and brought his lips down on the soft skin of her inner thigh. He had never felt more in control. His body was no longer a weapon. His disease was no longer a threat. When he gently pressed his lips against her core and felt her body writhe with pleasure, he knew his life would never be the same again.
Inexperience made Evan work by instinct. His mouth tentative at first before Chloe’s urgent moans had his tongue thrusting deep inside. As her body thrashed and arched, he sensed she was close and sucked harder, her gasp turning him on. Her body vibrated beneath him as his tongue delved deeper. He was rewarded with her screams of release. Sweat poured from them both. But as their hammering hearts slowed down, it was only moments before they reached for each other again. When Evan eventually left Chloe’s flat and got into the cab, he was sated in a way he’d never known before. He gave the driver his address while he checked his mobile distractedly and noted Nicki’s reply but, instead of reading it, he closed his eyes, anxious to relive the night.
The warmth of the car made him doze. Exhausted, he staggered to his bed. He slept soundly and struggled to get up when his alarm went off, which wasn’t like him. Evan had always been an early riser but due to his late night with Chloe, his body craved more sleep. He groaned and hoped his shower would revive him; he had a busy day ahead. Evan must focus, he had an important client with a serious problem. However, thoughts of Chloe and their night together consumed him. Years of controlling his libido had left Evan numb, but no one had ever kissed or touched him like Chloe.
His disease had left Evan disconnected from sex. His work commitments allowed little time for romance, never mind relationships. He disliked explaining his medical condition although he knew he must to ensure his date’s safety. The last thing he wanted was to injure them. However, the date was often ruined as they were never the same after he told them. He saw fear in their eyes at this unexpected revelation. Nine times out of ten the date was never repeated and, eventually, Evan stopped dating altogether, preferring to seek out a professional, but the sex was always empty.
He had tried to gauge his own strength years ago but, with no concept of pain, he relied instead on pressure: the lighter the pressure, the better. Evan could feel touch but, with his anxiety always there in the background, he had never experienced passion for a woman until Chloe. Although they hadn’t slept together, Evan found his desire to do so overwhelming. He hadn’t felt that way in a long time. He had his suspicions Chloe was also a member of the Braille Club but she would not be drawn on the subject. The thought had his pulse racing even more.
He’d sent Nicki a text asking her to meet him at the office. When he arrived, thankfully, normal service had resumed in his mind. With a mug of coffee by his side, he drew up the rota for the teams and equipment required for the surveillance of Nick Waters. Sometimes watching someone revealed nothing, and that was always good in his opinion. But unfortunately that was the minority. The majority of cases, where surveillance was undertaken, netted results. Evan’s surveillance teams were predominately female. Nicki Farmer was excellent at her job. She was a chameleon. Her skill was to blend and become invisible in any situation. She was his first point of call this morning and answered on the second ring.
“Nicki, did you get the address details?”
“Yes, boss, I’m leaving now. The traffic’s better, give me the postcode again.”
“WC1A 2LD,” said Evan. He could hear Nicki punching the postcode into her sat nav.
“Remit?” she asked.
“Scout out location for best vantage points, manpower required and equipment. POI is Nick Waters. I am sending you a photograph now. Do not engage until a full security evaluation is complete. He is in room 210. Is Penny meeting you there?”
“Yes, but she’s on foot. She’ll text me when she arrives.”
“How long do you think you’ll be?” asked Evan.
“A couple of hours, you know the drill,” said Nicki. “Are you okay, boss?”
Evan stiffened. “Yes, why?”
“You sound different today,” said Nicki, her instinct as astute as ever.
“Do I? asked Evan, surprised. “It’s business as usual, Nicki.”
He could hear doubt in her voice. “If you say so, boss. I’ll update you as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay,” said Evan hanging up.
Nicki was his best operator and he always us
ed her on important cases like these. She worked well with Penny but he’d have to organise two further teams—Lydia, Carol, Frank and Ian. Twenty-four hour surveillance required three teams doing eight hour shifts. The work was long and often boring but they were used to that. He made calls, not surprised to learn they were all working. Good surveillance crews were always in demand but he knew they’d get someone to cover. His pay rate was the best in the business. Penny and Nicki would cover the first shift. Penny would meet with Nicki who would update her, then Evan. Nicki always arrived prepared for the job so she could hit the ground running. She worked with Evan full-time as did Penny, but the rest of the team worked on an ad hoc basis. They were all good operatives and he was lucky he could use them at short notice.
Benedict Harrison said money was no object, paid Evan’s large retainer and agreed to his daily fee—he meant business. He filled the rota schedule for the next few days and then took an urgent call. Evan kept calm as the hysterical man told him what he needed. A high profile CEO had been abducted while on business in Hong Kong. The insurance company wanted Evan to fly out immediately. As Evan listened he thought, as he often did, what was it that turned people bad? What made them choose crime and murder or abduction and extortion as a life choice? Some days it felt like the bad guys outweighed the good.
He sighed as he hung up. This was a major client and a major fuck up. The insurance risk assessment department was having a meltdown. If this guy died while on business then the pay-out was huge. Evan worked with local police authorities in cases like this. Although he was a private contractor, he had more manpower at his disposal than the local overstretched and under budget police departments. They were all on the same team. They all wanted the good guy back and the bad guy stopped. Evan picked up his phone and started to make calls.
Nicki was the only call he took as he spent the rest of the day making arrangements, pulling files and speaking to his international contacts. He was booked onto a flight to Hong Kong later that night. He’d gathered a local team in Hong Kong and got them to work with the police. He thought he’d have to reschedule his sensory lesson and meeting at Harrison’s but the first flight he could get was after midnight so he left them in place. He’d have some dinner there and then leave for the airport. He hoped to be away two days at most but these things were difficult to call. The first forty-eight hours in a case was critical. Evan would be there for that time at least and then return as required. His mind baulked at the idea of not seeing or being with Chloe. He shook his head. What was happening to him?
Chapter 28
The Braille Club Reborn
Guy
Guy had awoken earlier in a foul mood, he checked his mobile and found, to his annoyance, Anna had not called. He resisted the urge to call her—convinced she was playing games. Anger bubbled inside him. Exhaustion had pulled him into a deep dreamless slumber the night before and now he had overslept. He rushed to shower and got dressed. Feeling calmer as he made his way through the club, he called Anna’s mobile and hung up abruptly when her voicemail kicked in. What did she think she was doing? Living with Anna wasn’t working. They weren’t working. He didn’t like to admit it but Guy was tired of their endless bickering. Anna not answering his calls proved she was impossible to reason with. Well, she could stew. He headed straight for the conference room. Benedict was on a call and Guy examined the board again while he waited for him to finish. Benedict didn’t look happy when he came off the phone.
“Ready to go?”
“Yes,” said Benedict. “Let’s take my car.”
Guy nodded and followed Benedict. He brought Guy up to date with the case developments as they travelled to his home. Guy was astounded nothing was connected to Nick Waters but had been firm in his assertions the DNA evidence was legitimate. This only seemed to depress Benedict.
“Look, I can ask about the DNA results. Explain about your concerns. Keep the retesting under wraps. Those results cannot be tampered with if no one knows they’re being done.”
“Okay,” said Benedict sounding tired. “That would put my mind at rest.”
“Leave it with me,” said Guy. “I’ve got a bad feeling we won’t find DNA belonging to Nick Waters. He’s too clever for that. Evan is convinced the abduction was planned. That means Waters was prepared.”
“Do you think Katie was his accomplice?” asked Benedict.
“I’m not sure, to be honest. We really need to speak to her.”
“Will Katie Burns talk to us?”
Guy shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”
Benedict drew up at the house and pulled into the driveway. Both men got out of the car. Guy checked his mobile hoping to see a text from Anna but there was nothing. Benedict’s mobile rang.
“I’ll look outside,” Guy said and walked onto the road. He turned and looked around the street for a place where someone could hide and observe the house. His gaze scanned the street and settled on a group of bushes he’d never noticed before. The area caught his eye immediately. He crossed the road towards them. Realising he might need a torch, he jogged back to his car to retrieve one. He saw Benedict motion to wait, so he called Anna again. Annoyed, he terminated the call when her voicemail kicked in and got the torch from the glovebox.
“Sorry,” Benedict apologised. “Just Matt with some questions.”
Guy nodded. “I think I’ve found something.”
“Really?” said Benedict, quickening his pace.
Together they approached the area of bushes. Guy felt his excitement build. He had wanted to return to Benedict’s home and re-enact the events leading up to the abduction because he had several unanswered questions. Like how had Katie known the gate code? Lizzie had been positive the gate had been locked when she had gone outside. However, Evan’s concern the Harrisons were being watched could lead to new evidence and as Guy shone his torch towards the bushes, his pulse quickened. What would they find? Looking at the area he could tell someone had been there recently. Taking his time, he shone the torch at the earth and saw prints. He stopped Benedict from entering.
“I need to call this in,” said Guy.
“You think this is where they watched the house from?”
“Not sure, but it looks promising.” Guy made the call, they waited until the crime team arrived to point out what they’d found.
“Good, you’re certain you haven’t contaminated the area?” said DI Clark frowning.
“Certain,” said Guy firmly. Most coppers knew of trace evidence but as technology developed its importance became critical in bringing criminals to justice. Now offenders were convicted by the evidence they left behind rather than being caught red-handed. But as criminals got smarter, police relied more and more on trace evidence. Sometimes the smallest forensic detail was a key element and direct link to their crimes—this science secured many convictions.
“Sir!” An officer waved them over.
Guy and DI Clark swung around to see an officer holding a plastic evidence bag. Several cigarette butts were enclosed.
“Interesting,” remarked DI Clark. “Miss Burns does not smoke roll-ups as far as I’m aware.”
“Sir, there are several good prints we can take an impression of.”
“Do it,” said DI Clark. “I know everything is pointing at Katie but something’s not right,” said the DI, jamming his hands in his pockets. “This could be something. What made you come down here and look around?” he asked.
“A number of unanswered questions,” said Guy. “How did Katie know the gate code? I wondered about that, so thought I would investigate.”
DI Clark was frowning. “When I pressed Lizzie on this point she seemed confused.”
“Yeah, I know, but when I spoke to her again she’d had time to think. She’s about ninety percent certain the gate was locked and was sure no one went past her after she opened it.”
“I see. I must speak with her again,” said the DI.
Guy nodded. When he’d looked at the shoe
prints he knew at once they didn’t belong to a female. If Nick Waters was in prison, who was watching the house? The cigarette butts would provide valuable DNA. Guy’s gut said he was up to his neck in the whole thing, but he was smart. Guy could see that now. The only way they’d nail him was if he’d made mistakes. Guy glanced at his watch. They’d head back to the club and update the board.
Pulling into the car park, Guy felt the familiar buzz he always got when entering his place of work and then Anna crept into his thoughts. She really was being childish, not answering his calls...well two could play that game.
Chapter 29
The Braille Club Reborn
Nick
Nick was buzzing with excitement. Again, he’d been surprised at how easy it had been to abduct his victim without planning. He’d calmly wheeled Anna to the waiting van. The wheelchair ramp was ready to go. Guy Walker had meddled in his life and now he would repay the compliment.
The wheelchair he’d chosen had a headrest this time and Anna looked like she was sleeping. He remembered how he’d had to support Siena’s head with a pillow when he’d taken her from her hospital bed. He didn’t want Anna’s head moving around, that would draw attention to him in the street. This model of wheelchair avoided that. He also remembered how difficult it was to lift an unconscious body. Nick was learning from his mistakes. It was so much easier to grab Anna and put her in the wheelchair; she’d collapsed without a fight. He’d worried she might recognise him or, worse, run, but that hadn’t happened.
His luck was holding. She was a poor replacement for Siena but he doubted he’d get near her again. Holed up at their private members club, Nick had drawn a blank regarding access. The security was extremely tight. He’d applied for membership under an alias several months ago. He’d been refused, stating their membership was closed. This approach was a dead-end, and he’d had to reconsider his options. He’d fully cooperated with the police investigation regarding the abduction of the twins. His attorney was keen to pursue a harassment charge should they continue with their allegations of his involvement. Nick grinned, with no evidence and the threat of being sued, they were sure to back off. What would Guy Walker do when he discovered Anna Dunbar was missing? Nick’s smile widened in satisfaction. He hoped the bastard understood what was going on. His interference with Nick’s life and the abduction case was over...Guy Walker would soon be preoccupied with his missing partner.