by C. J. Thomas
Blinking away my own fears, Maria’s and Tonya’s faces flashed across my eyes. I could see them so clearly in the images I’d studied. They were young, talented, and beautiful. Full of promise. They had so much in common, it wasn’t hard to imagine the likelihood of these murders being connected.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” A uniformed officer approached.
Pulling out my business card, I handed it over to him. “Defense attorney, Kelly Black.”
When he was finished reading my identification card, he glanced up at me.
“Do you have any suspects?” I asked.
He sighed and tilted his head when he turned his focus back to the scene unfolding behind him. “No. But as you can see, there is plenty of evidence currently being collected.” Then he turned back to me. “Strange time of day for it to occur. These kinds of things usually happen under the cover of night.”
“Any witnesses?”
He shook his head. “No one saw a thing, and the security cameras were all pointing the wrong way.” Then he turned his head back to me. “But she appears to have been a working girl.”
My brows raised as if I didn’t already know.
“Just like the last girl whose body turned up here.”
Maria Greer.
“Michaels!” a detective called to the uniformed officer, waving him over.
We shared a glance and I nodded. Stepping away from the tape myself, I turned my back and pulled my cell out from my suit jacket pocket. Putting a call into the office, Giselle picked up after the second ring. “I went to Parker’s office,” I answered. “He’s MIA.”
“Shit. Kelly, where are you now?”
“Outside Echo.”
“You have to be kidding me.”
I could hear the gears in her head cranking. “Wish I was.”
“Should I even ask if Tonya’s death is in any way connected to Maria’s?”
Lowering my head, I didn’t have it in me to tell Giselle that I might have been the reason why Tonya was now dead. That I might have gone too far with blackmailing Parker. “Too early to speculate. Though, one does have to wonder considering both their bodies were found here.”
“Jesus, Kelly.” Giselle sighed.
“Anyway, the reason I was calling is to give you a heads up.”
“Please tell me you have some good news.”
“I paid Sylvia a visit.” I paused for a second, knowing Giselle was hoping for something better than what I was about to tell her. “She knows that we’re coming after her.”
“Kelly, it might be too la—”
“We need to make our case to the world and let the city know Sylvia killed Maria. Not Mario.”
“You know I’m with you on this.”
“Good. Because Sylvia might know more about Tonya’s death than she’s saying.”
“Where should we begin?”
Approaching my car, I noticed a white square neatly tucked under one of my wiper blades. “With Angelina Davis. Invite her to the office.” My brows pinched as I plucked the piece of paper off my windscreen. “Let’s ask her why she filled in at Stone’s movie premier for Sylvia the night Maria died.” Slowly, I unfolded the note. “If we do that, then we might just be able to connect Maria’s killer to Tonya’s.” My eyes adjusted to the scribble, quickly scanning what it said.
Look what you made me do.
My head snapped up as my pulse shot to new heights. Spinning around, I looked for who might want to see me find their note. No one was there, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t being watched.
“Kelly, you sound exhausted.”
Scanning the parking lot, I said in a soft, concerned tone, “I’m fine.”
“Go home. Get some rest. I’ll arrange a visit with Angel.”
Nodding, I ended the call, nervously scanning the surrounding area for who might not belong—but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Whoever left this note made sure to be discreet about it.
Unlocking my door, I slid behind the steering wheel, knowing that I needed to get back to Kendra before something happened to her, too.
6
Kelly
The house was quiet when I arrived home, but I could smell Kendra’s beauty radiating in the air. My lips tugged at the corners, happy to know she was here, safely tucked away in my penthouse apartment.
With my mind still trying to wrap my head around Parker and the possibility he might have been the one to kill Tonya, nothing made me feel more at peace than knowing Kendra was here, waiting for me to come home.
Stepping into the kitchen, I carefully placed the bouquet of flowers I had purchased on the island counter. Here, they wouldn’t be hard to find. And I could only hope that Kendra would enjoy them as much as she had the previous times I’d given her flowers.
I slipped my arms out of the sleeves of my jacket, draping it over the back of a chair and checking to make sure the note that haunted my ride home was tucked safely away before making a glass of iced water.
Look what you made me do.
Closing my eyes, I gulped down the cold liquid. It was as cold a feeling as what the note had me thinking—that Parker wrote it and wanted me to know it was him who had killed Tonya.
Pushing the glass to the side, I rooted my hands into the counter ledge, locking my elbows to keep me from falling. I hated the situation I was in and couldn’t stop replaying the events of the day Madam presented me with the damaging photos I used to blackmail Parker.
Dropping my chin to my chest, I sighed.
That was what started the chain of events that had led to today.
Scrubbing a hand over my face, feelings of regret consumed me.
And I couldn’t stop hearing my own voice say, Look what you made me do.
There was little doubt in my mind this was Madam’s plan from the very beginning. From setting Kendra up on a date with Parker, to telling me Kendra was with another man. Madam knew I would fight for Kendra, and Madam knew that she could pressure the DA into getting Parker to press charges against me. Her manipulation never stopped, taking us to where we were today—with the death of Tonya Craig.
A thought struck my gut.
But then that would mean Tonya knew something about Madam she shouldn’t have.
My chest tightened and I needed to clear my head. It was dizzy with theories, speculations.
Scampering across the kitchen floor, I checked my home phone for messages. I skipped the first couple as they weren’t important. I was going for a win with hopes of hearing back from Timothy Parker. I’d put a call into him on my way to Echo, knowing his cell was still at his office. But there was nothing.
I didn’t want him to be guilty of Tonya’s death. I wanted it to be someone else. But if Madam wanted Tonya dead, she wouldn’t leave it to chance.
And then there was the note.
Look what you made me do.
It was so odd. How did they know I would be there? I could have ignored Echo. Stayed at the office or spent more time at Sylvia’s. I could have done a dozen other things besides that. And if I had, would the note have found its way to my car still?
This was all too much. I needed to forget about it for a while. Let things shake out before I proceeded.
Spinning around, I found Mike Ricci’s card next to Kendra’s purse. Again, I smiled. She was coming along perfectly, acting as the obedient Sub I hoped she’d be.
And that got me thinking … I glanced toward the bedroom.
The door was cracked open and I heard the shower turn on. A part of me wondered if she would be up for another workout, this time with me. Because, God knew, I could use the distraction.
My dick hardened just thinking about her. Heading to the back of the apartment, my fingers worked to unbutton my shirt. And by the time I entered my bedroom, I was stepping out of my pants and tossing them in the hamper.
Kendra had her fingers digging deep into her scalp when I stopped at the door into the bathroom. Breathing in the humid s
team, I raked my eyes over her amazing figure. She was sexy as the water made her sun-kissed skin glisten. And it only made me want her more.
Heat traveled to my groin, twitching my cock. Quietly, I padded across the floor, wanting to quietly join her beneath the hot, refreshing water. Gently opening the door, I stepped inside without her knowing.
I watched my fingers extend as I grinned. And when I reached out to curl my fingers into her waist, she still hadn’t a clue I was there. But as soon as I latched onto her, her feet left the floor. “Fuck me, Kelly!”
Laughing, I wrapped her up in my arms pulling her back against my chest and letting my hard cock rest between the cleft of her amazing ass. Tilting her head to the side, she bit her bottom lip and opened up the soft part of her neck. Peppering kisses over her racing pulse, she melted into me. Neither of us said a word. I just held her, letting the feelings of comfort wash over me.
Her hand reached behind her waist and gripped my hard manhood. Stroking me, she turned to face me. And when she glanced up beneath a heavy brow, that was when I saw it hiding in the dark part of her eyes.
Retreating, my expression pinched. “Everything okay?”
Her lids hooded, hiding the anguish swirling around her eyes. And despite what I saw, she was so soft inside my hands. I didn’t ever want to let go.
“It’s nothing.” She pressed the flat of her palm into my chest and smoothed her hands around my neck. Clasping her fingers around my nape, she pulled herself up my body and pressed her sexy lips against mine, kissing me. “Just missed you, is all.”
But I couldn’t believe it was nothing. There was something she was hiding.
7
Kendra
As Kelly darted his tongue against mine, I didn’t have it in me to tell him about my uncle.
I wasn’t stupid. I knew Kelly could see it my eyes—the way I looked at him. Kelly meant more to me than I cared to admit, and it hurt to know that I was keeping secrets from him.
When Kelly deepened our kiss, I instantly forgot about my uncle’s visit or the way he insisted I call my parents. And when Kelly fisted my hair and gave my roots a rugged tug, the only thing on my mind was having him fuck me.
Biting his bottom lip, I latched on and growled.
Kelly’s hand slapped my left ass cheek before taking a handful of it for himself.
Taking my foot off the tiled shower floor, I bent my knee and hooked my leg around his muscular thigh. His cock was hard, swollen and throbbing, as it drove into my soft belly.
Kelly crashed his lips over mine and I whimpered into his mouth.
I missed him. Yes. But that was only half of the reason why I felt so tormented inside.
Stroking his length, I pumped my wrist as he swirled his tongue in my mouth.
Alex had me worried. She knew as well as I did that I needed to get out of my contract with Madam. I had mentioned the same desire to Kelly but was afraid to bring it up again. We both had our hands tied when it came to working with Madam. But for different reasons. Though Alex didn’t come out and say it, I knew she was also worried about me having another flashback that would lead to another trigger. Because with my uncle showing his face I, too, feared it was only a matter of time before it happened again.
Kelly’s abs flexed and I wanted to drop to my knees and put him in my mouth. But with his fingers digging into the back of my skull, he was determined to kiss me long and hard until my lips went numb.
Grinding my erect clit on his thigh, I worked feverishly to escape the demons inside my head. But no matter how hard I tried, they refused to leave—soldiers marching on.
Kelly lifted me off the floor and I hooked my ankles around his waist. I felt him fiddle with his cock, placing it at my entrance before thrusting deep inside me. Fucking me hard, I felt the pain tighten my chest every time I thought about talking with my parents.
My tits flapped as I bounced up and down on his cock, holding on to the ride he was taking me on. With pressure mounting, Kelly’s dark and dangerous eyes locked with mine. The room spun as water sprayed off our bodies as if we were standing under a torrential downpour.
I felt like it was a little too late to mend the broken relationship with my parents. Alex didn’t know the whole story of my childhood. The reason I’d fled. The reason my parents weren’t like hers. Nobody knew. And I preferred to keep it that way. Do themselves a favor and shelter them from the toxic spill.
Feeling my body beginning to boil over, the walls of my vagina squeezed his cock like a glove, causing him to grit his teeth and grunt.
Staring into his eyes, I could see the concern tightening in the corners every time he looked me directly in the eye. I just wanted things to be normal. Instead, I was always having to chase the truth. Then again, maybe that was what made Kelly such a perfect fit for me. He, too, was always having to prove himself—seek the truth in an attempt to sleep better at night.
Grinding my pelvis against his, he rocked his hips harder, slamming against my cervix faster. Relentlessly, he pushed us to the edge. And when I couldn’t hold my orgasm back any longer, my head fell to this shoulder, taking his flesh between my teeth, trying so damn hard to allow myself to let go.
But instead of orgasming and crying out in ecstasy, tears filled my eyes as pain and self-doubt swept over me, wishing that I could make this drama with Madam and my family go away.
8
Kelly
Fucking Kendra always made me forgot the shit that made life miserable.
The problem was, the forgetting never lasted long enough.
But I’d needed a quick fix and didn’t have time to play any games. At least not tonight. Not with all the events of today still rolling around inside my head like a box of marbles, keeping me distracted and feeling on edge.
I leaned forward and spit the toothpaste into the sink. Kendra passed behind with an angel white towel wrapped around her amazing body and said, “I didn’t forget about your surprise.”
Catching her gaze in the mirror’s reflection, she rested one hand on the center of my back and flashed me the sexiest smile known to man. I had completely forgotten that was what her big plans were for today. But now that she’d reminded me, I most certainly wanted to see what she’d come home with.
“Would you like to see it?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I set my toothbrush off to the side and exchanged it for a razor. “What you should be asking me is if I would like to see it on or off.”
Her eyes sparkled with amusement as her head tilted on her petite shoulders. “Whichever you prefer.”
“You’re giving me a choice?” I flashed her a deep-dimpled grin. “On.”
“Whatever you wish, counselor.” She raked her nails down my back, prickling my skin. “Stay here and I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
Feeling my cock come back to life I stared at my reflection in the mirror, wondering how I managed to get so lucky in finding her. Squirting the shaving gel into my hand, I spread it around my face and began working the razor over my stubble, taking it away.
As amazing as I thought she was, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that there was something holding her back. Her greeting was much too quiet for me to believe something wasn’t going on—like there was something she didn’t want me to find out about. And as hard as it was for me to swallow, I could have sworn she didn’t climax in the shower. It was unlike her to go without release, and another reason I knew something about her seemed off.
Turning the knob on the sink, I splashed water on my face and dried my now-smooth skin.
Maybe it was just me. I’d had quite the day and as much as I tried to wait until tomorrow to think too much into who left me that note—Look what you made me do—and why, I just couldn’t. It was eating me alive, consuming my every thought.
Hanging my towel back on the rack, I proceeded to groom other parts of my body while waiting to hear Kendra call me into the bedroom.
With my mind bouncing back and forth
between work and Kendra, my mood swung like the pendulum of my thoughts. Kendra’s spunk was there. It was just her usual glow that was missing. And I was afraid to press her for answers because I wanted tonight to be fun, relaxing, and romantic. It was important for both of us to forget the darkness I knew to be surrounding us and concentrate on the love that kept us filled with hope.
“Counselor, I’m ready for you,” Kendra called from the bedroom.
Stepping out of the bathroom in nothing but my birthday suit, Kendra’s hand immediately covered her huge smile. “Holy shit. You’re a goddess,” I said, taking her in with my eyes.
Kendra giggled.
There, on the other side of the room, she was incredible looking. Wearing only a sheer lace bra, strappy garter panties with sexy stockings riding high up her legs, I couldn’t have asked for a better surprise.
“Bravo.” I rubbed the ripples of my abs “You spent my money wisely.”
She moved, twisted, and spun to show me how she looked at every angle. “I’d ask if you’re happy with your purchase but I already know the answer.” Her gaze fell to my crotch.
I was hard. Throbbing with need to take advantage of what I was quickly being seduced by.
She pushed her tits together and laughed the most incredible laugh.
With a stiff cock, I sauntered across the room and wrapped her inside my arms. She gripped my dick and demanded to be kissed. Dipping my head low, our lips brushed tenderly just before her tongue slid past the seam of my mouth and between my teeth. A groan rumbled in my throat as I was invigorated by her seduction. And not until I received a soft whimper of her own did we finally break apart, the kiss leaving us both breathless.
“And where will you be taking me to dinner, counselor?”
As wonderful as dinner sounded, I only had an appetite for her. Her eyes were flirtatious and fun as she tilted her head back, looking up at me with desire in her eye.