Shadow of Vengeance

by Kristine Mason

  Primal satisfaction tore through him as her orgasm peaked. Before he lost all sense of control, he set her rear on the bed, pulled out and came in a rush across her stomach. Caging her with his arms, he rested his cheek against hers, then couldn’t stop smiling when she wrapped her arms around his neck and peppered his shoulders with hot, open-mouthed kisses.

  Moments later, his breath still slightly labored and his mind less sex-dazed, he planted a quick kiss to her lips, then reached for his t-shirt. As he wiped his passion from her stomach, he met her gaze. He swore her eyes had never been as green as they were now. She smiled and he looked to her lips, which were fuller, moist.

  Damn, he could do this again, and it had nothing to do with lack of sex for the past six months. Something about Rachel made him want to throw caution aside, forget about consequences, take risks, search for adventure. When he’d been with the Secret Service he was controlled, watchful, but ready to take action when necessary. He did his duty, served his country, but always with restraint. He’d liked his career and had never been one to rock the boat. Tonight, he’d done some serious rocking and the hell of it was, he didn’t care about the consequences. Being with Rachel was more than he’d fantasized. She’d cracked a part of himself he hadn’t realized he kept guarded. While that didn’t bother him in the least and instead gave him a strange euphoria, he still worried.

  What was going through her mind?

  “Thanks.” She broke the silence. “I appreciate that.”

  Thanks? He didn’t want her appreciation. He wanted her again. He wanted her to want him again.

  Crumpling the t-shirt, he tossed it back on the floor, then immediately covered her body with his. She gasped and widened her eyes when he pinned her arms over her head. “You appreciate what?” He gave a tempting nipple a quick taste. “Sex? Orgasms?” He latched onto her other nipple, and gave it attention. “Was this just a release? A way to ease the tension from a bad day?”

  She stared at him, her eyes narrowing and a slow smile spreading across her lips. “No. That’s not what I meant, but thank you for the orgasms anyway.” Angling her head forward, she reached for his lips, but he remained still, waiting for more. “Kiss me,” she whispered.

  “What did you mean, then?” he asked instead.

  With a sigh, she dropped her head against the mattress. “I meant that I appreciated that you had enough sense not to come inside me.”

  Of course. He should have known. Logical, rational Rachel would look at this situation and instead of basking in the afterglow of awesome sex, she’d thank him for making sure he didn’t accidentally knock her up. Talk about consequences. There would be no way to keep their relationship secret if she ended up pregnant. Plus her plans for working in the field would be placed permanently on hold. He would never allow her to endanger herself or their child.

  He released her arms, then rolled onto his back. What the hell was he even thinking? They’d had sex. One time. Besides, a few days ago she was calling him a douche bag. He understood why, now. He would have been pissed off over being ditched after a kiss, too.

  “Did I say something wrong?” she asked, rolled onto her side, and ran her hand along his bicep.

  Realizing he was being a dick, he turned his head to look at her. “No. You’re good.” Reaching over, he grabbed her rear. “Very good.”

  She gave him a quick kiss, then smiled. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  As he caressed her hips, his arousal swelled. “Does this mean no more name calling?”

  “Cross my heart,” she said, and did just that, drawing his attention to her breasts. “Hold up.” She placed a hand over her chest as if to cover herself. Didn’t work. He still had a beautiful eyeful. “Before things get out of hand again, there’s something I want to tell you.”

  His gut clenched. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what she had to say. If she were to tell him this was a one-time thing, that once they returned to Chicago she wanted them to go back to being platonic coworkers, he didn’t want to hear it. While he valued their friendship, and he wasn’t exactly sure where or how their relationship would go, he was tired of living with regrets. He at least wanted a shot at something with her. If it didn’t work, then he couldn’t say he didn’t try.

  “I spoke with Chihiro before…you know.” A pretty blush stained her cheeks as she looked away. Meanwhile both relief and irritation settled in the pit of his stomach. Relief she hadn’t planned to blow his ass off—yet. Irritation because she’d rather talk about the investigation than them. Damn, growing up with a gaggle of girls sometimes made him think like one.

  “It’s late, almost midnight.” He cupped her breast and loved the quick intake of breath she took when he tweaked her nipple. “I’d rather talk…later.”

  “Really?” She closed her eyes as he massaged her breast. “Because based on what she told me, I think either a woman is behind Hell Week or is working as an accomplice with the killer.”

  Torn between her tempting body, and the curious, new lead, he stilled his hand. And while intrigued by the DNA results, he also wondered if maybe bringing up business was Rachel’s way of avoidance. In the four years he’d known her, she hadn’t had many boyfriends. Maybe this was her way of digesting what they’d done, and the consequences they could potentially face. Maybe he should let her off the hook, and give her space.

  That primal side of him rose to the surface again. Fuck it. She was a tough, ballsy woman. And he planned to stick around. She’d just need to get over it.

  “Interesting.” He slid his hand down her belly until he reached the apex of her thighs, then sighed when he slid his fingers along her slick folds. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.” He rolled on top of her, nudged her legs open, then settled himself between her thighs. “Later,” he murmured and kissed her entrance with the head of his erection.

  Her cell phone rang. She snared his gaze, alarm brightening her eyes. “I have to get that. It could be the hospital.”

  He grabbed the phone for her, then sat next to her on the edge of the bed. When she looked at the caller ID, her face immediately softened with relief. “It’s just Jake.”

  Fucking Jake. The man had the worst timing.

  “Hey, Jake,” she answered.

  While Rachel spoke with the sheriff, he moved and settled himself comfortably on her bed. Whatever Jake had to say could wait until the morning. He had no plans of leaving her room tonight. But, when she ended the call, the distress and confusion clouding her eyes had him rethinking.

  “What is it?”

  She set the phone on the nightstand, then crawled into bed with him, snuggling in the crook of his arm and resting her head on his chest. “A photo was delivered to Jake’s office.”

  “A photo of what?” he asked and ran a hand along her back.

  “Josh Conway. Beaten, tied up and hanging from a rock wall.”

  Chapter 16

  THURSDAY

  Early the next morning, Owen stared at the photograph of Josh Conway, wondering what the hell kind of game the killer was playing. According to Jake, the only other contact the killer made had been six years ago when he’d sent the sheriff a picture of the decomposing body of one of the missing kids. Yet during this Hell Week, the killer had made contact twice. First, the note that had been stuffed in Bill’s pocket, then the picture of Josh Conway. Now they had DNA evidence proving a woman might somehow be involved.

  He set the photo, which had been printed off a standard photo printer, onto the dining room table. “How’d you make out with the Michigan State Police?”

  Jake pushed off the wall. “My deputy dropped all the evidence off yesterday afternoon. I spoke with one of their lab people and explained the urgency of the situation, but the guy couldn’t guarantee me anything. He thought they might have to ship some of the items to Lansing, which would push the timeline well past Sunday.”

  Owen cracked his neck. “Shit.”

  “Right. An inspector with the Michigan
State Police Field Service Bureau will be here sometime this evening. Latest, tomorrow morning. He’s bringing a handful of men with him.”

  Rachel tossed a pencil on the table. “It’s Thursday,” she said with exasperation. “If we don’t figure out what’s going on, Josh could be…” Looking to the ceiling, she drew in a deep breath. When she met Jake’s gaze again, she looked as if she might rip off his head.

  “Tell Jake what Chihiro found,” Owen said to Rachel before they wound up wasting the morning away with arguing.

  When she glanced at him, there was a quick moment of understanding. Below that, a slow burn that held promise. But now wasn’t the time to think about touching her. Besides, if they were going to continue a relationship while working together, they’d have to become used to separating their personal and professional lives.

  After Rachel finished explaining Chihiro’s report, Jake finally took a seat. “So you’re saying a woman is behind this?” He shook his head. “I don’t buy it. Are you sure your brother doesn’t have a girlfriend you don’t know about?”

  “I called the hospital before you got here and spoke with him about it. Nope. No girlfriend.” She grabbed the pencil, then started tapping the eraser. “Josh didn’t have one, either. Plus, Sean said the clothes he wore that night were clean.”

  Jake blew out a frustrated breath. “This changes everything. We were looking for a man when we should’ve been looking for a woman.”

  “No.” Owen shook his head. “We’re looking for an accomplice. Rachel and I discussed this and we think the killer is using a woman to help him. Actually, we think he’s using a female student.”

  The sheriff looked at the two of them as if they’d lost their minds. “Why would a young girl hook up with a forty-something man and help him with a kidnapping and murder? Sorry, I’m not buying it.”

  “Why do women marry men who are in prison for life?” Owen countered, then thought about his last assignment with the Secret Service. How the seventeen-year-old daughter of the ambassador he’d been assigned to had consistently sought out older men. And not just him, he’d discovered after he’d been detained for questioning, then given the option for reassignment. Apparently he hadn’t been her only target, just the only one that had been falsely accused. “I don’t think it’s a stretch to consider that a girl—a college-age girl—could be easily influenced by an older man.”

  “Especially if that man held a position of power,” Rachel added. “Could be she has daddy issues. When I was in the Army, I knew a girl who only dated guys twenty plus years older than her.” She wrinkled her nose. “We were young, I’m talking twenty-one, and I thought it was strange that she was attracted to men old enough to be her father. Oh, and by the way, that girl’s dad died when she was around thirteen. From what I gathered, they were very close. Which made me think she was looking for a daddy replacement.”

  “What kind of position of power are we talking about?” Jake asked.

  Rachel lifted her shoulder. “A professor, guidance counselor…business owner.”

  “You said you cross referenced past and present university employees and came up empty. Now you’re suggesting the killer could be a Townie?” Jake shifted in the chair. “Killing is bad for business and I know all the business owners in this town. Like me, some of them hire college students, but not many.”

  “Can you check out those particular business owners?” Rachel asked. “That’d help save us time, and they know you.”

  “Besides the fact they’ve hired college students, what am I looking for?”

  “Male owners in the age range we’ve profiled for the killer, if they own a truck or SUV, and if they’ve hired a female student who lives at Stanley residence hall.” Rachel tucked the pencil behind her ear. “Owen and I are going to head there now. I’ve put a call into the dean and asked him to enforce that all female students living at Stanley residence hall meet in the hall’s gathering room for questioning at nine. He agreed and assured me an extra security guard would be on hand to help.”

  “I think having Jake with us would be better,” Owen suggested. Now that he and Rachel had taken things to a new level, the jealousy he’d had over the sheriff no longer existed. Besides, he actually liked Jake. The guy had proved to be a solid, intelligent cop. And he knew some of these girls, maybe even their friends. The RA who worked for Jake, Abby Zucker, came to mind.

  “Agreed.” Rachel reached for the photo of Josh. “Jake, you in?”

  The sheriff scratched the back of his head and winced. “That pain in the ass Bigfoot festival starts today. The town council wants to have another meeting at eleven. Screw ‘em. I want to maintain order here during the festival, but I want that killer more.” He shrugged into his jacket. “Let me reassign and rearrange my deputies’ schedules, and I’ll meet you there.”

  Rachel held the clear plastic bag containing the picture of Josh. “The photo…”

  “Can you do anything with it?” the sheriff asked.

  “I…no,” she said, her voice laced with disappointment. “I don’t have the right equipment.”

  Jake took the bag from her. “I guess I know what one of my deputies will be doing again today. I’ll meet you in the residence hall at nine.”

  After Jake left, Rachel stood then headed into the kitchen. He followed behind and caught up with her at the sink. Sensing the tension rolling off her shoulders, he touched the small of her back. With defeat in her eyes, she turned and leaned against the counter. “Talk to me,” he said, and fisted his hands at his sides. They might have made love several times last night, then again at dawn, but he knew that didn’t give him the freedom to touch her wherever and whenever he wanted. Not when he had no idea where their relationship was heading, and not when they were in the middle of discussing the case. Neither of them needed sex clouding their judgment.

  She pressed her lips together, shook her head, then pushed off the counter. “I’m so frustrated, Owen. You know what I need?” She paced the kitchen. “I need me. I need a clone of me, sitting in CORE’s evidence and evaluation room. Do you realize that I could have already scanned that photo and evaluated it? The note we found on Bill? Yep. I could have done a handwriting analysis on that the day we found it. I could have personally handed all of this evidence over to Chihiro and got it back within twenty-four hours or even sooner. Instead, I’m at the mercy of the state police. I have to hope that they’ll drop any red tape bullshit and get us immediate results, which you and I both know isn’t going to happen.” She stopped pacing and looked to the ceiling. After a second, she met his gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pop off on you. It’s just…”

  Despite telling himself to keep their relationship professional during business hours, he pulled her into his arms. Whether she realized it or not, she wasn’t alone in her frustrations. He wanted her at CORE, too. He wanted her in that evidence and evaluation room doing what she did best. Pulling pieces of this crazy-ass puzzle together until something fit. When she melted into him, a sense of pride swelled inside of him. Chink by chink, he’d break past the barriers she’d set up around herself. Sex was one thing, but having her open up to him, confide her frustrations and insecurities, was a step in the direction he hoped they’d eventually take.

  *

  Rachel reentered Stanley Residence Hall’s gathering room. She’d just finished interviewing one of the girls, her thirteenth. She was about to call the next girl on her list when Owen and Jake came into the room, followed by the girls they’d both just interviewed. With the list of all the residents’ names in hand, she met them at the door, then nodded her head toward the foyer. “Well?” she asked, once they were outside of the gathering room. “How’d you two make out so far?”

  Jake puffed his cheeks, then exhaled. He glanced at his own copy of the list of residents. “I’ve met with fifteen girls. All of them check out fine. None of them work in town, only one of them is in Stronach’s class, but she’s practically failing. They all knew Sean a
nd Josh, but didn’t see or hear anything the night they were taken.”

  Owen rubbed the back of his neck. “Minus Stronach, the dozen girls I’ve interviewed all said the same thing.”

  As she stared at his hand, a rush of desire coiled in her belly. Focus. But focusing was hard to do when she couldn’t stop thinking about last night and the way he’d touched her with that same hand. The way he’d affected her mind, body and…heart. Clearing her throat, she looked to the list. “I’ve met with thirteen girls and don’t have anything, either.”

  “Well,” Jake began, “we have what? Another seventy or so to go?”

  “Unfortunately.” She looked over her shoulder just as a familiar looking brunette exited the hall. “Melissa, right?”

  The girl smiled. “Yeah, hi.” She looked at Jake. “Um…Jake, I don’t know where I am on the list, but can you either take my statement now, or maybe we can talk later? My tutor is going to be here any minute and I have an exam in an hour.”

  As if on cue, the front door opened, sending in a chilly breeze. The security guard manning the front desk looked up from his paperwork and grinned. “Hi, Kaylie.”

  Kaylie returned the grin, but her smile fell when she noticed them. “Melissa,” she said as she signed the guest roster. “Are we still on, or is this a bad time?”

  Melissa gave Jake some pretty effective puppy dog eyes. “I’ll be at the Sheriff’s Department this afternoon. I’m relieving Abby at two. Can we talk then? Please? I’m not doing well in my anthropology class and Kaylie…” She glanced at the other woman. “She rearranged her morning to work with me.”

  Jake nodded. “That’s fine. We’ll catch up later. Good luck on your test.”