The Killing Ground: A Foxx Files Thriller

by Syd Parker

  An arm was thrown haphazardly over her stomach, and a leg was draped over her thigh. The soft warmth felt wonderful against her body, and she tried not to move for fear of rousing her. She didn’t need to worry, though, as the hand splayed over her stomach crept up slowly and teased her nipple.

  “Good morning, Sunshine.”

  “Morning, babe.” Jordan smiled at the emerald-green eyes peeking out from behind masses of wild red hair.

  Rebecca snuggled closer and rested her head in the crook of Jordan’s arm. “Have you been up long?”

  Jordan shook her head. “Just a minute or so.”

  Rebecca’s hand worked lazy circles around Jordan’s breast and within seconds, her nipple hardened to a painful peak. “You should have gotten me up earlier.”

  “Why?” Jordan choked out, her body quickly becoming aroused. Rebecca could do that to her anytime she touched her. In the two months since they had gotten together, Jordan couldn’t count the number of times a look or brief touch would send them scrambling to find a secret place where they could show each other just how much they meant to one another.

  It happened rather by accident the first time. Jordan had asked Rebecca to dinner to celebrate their capture of Richard Hudson. The news was hailing the CDD as heroes for catching a cold-blooded killer, and Rebecca herself had been spotlighted as the lead investigator.

  Rebecca resisted at first, a last attempt to keep her relationship with Jordan on a professional level. But then Jordan had done the one thing that broke down her defenses. She kissed her. One kiss and all the desire that Rebecca had tried to keep buried came rushing to the surface. In one moment, she went from cold and reserved to hot and bothered. Jordan took care of rest. And the rest, as Jordan liked to say, was history.

  “I was hoping we would have time to shower together this morning.” The sexy lilt of Rebecca’s voice coupled with the hand that was moving down Jordan’s stomach, and through the tight curls between her legs erased all possibility of rational thought.

  Jordan stilled Rebecca’s hand. “You sure? Jury selec…”

  Rebecca slid her finger into Jordan’s warm center, effectively shutting her up. “Believe me, I remember exactly what today is. But I would really like to forget about it for a minute before I have to face it.”

  Jordan arched her hips and met Rebecca’s hand. “How could I say no to that face?” She caught Rebecca’s chin between her thumb and forefinger and brought her face to hers. Jordan captured Rebecca’s lips against hers and kissed her softly. “And since you ask so sweetly, I think we have time for both.”

  Rebecca grinned lasciviously. She moved her hand and slid her body onto Jordan’s, settling her hips between Jordan’s legs. Her stomach moved against Jordan’s distended clit and Rebecca felt Jordan jump beneath her body. “A bit wound up are we? I think I need to take care of my baby.”

  Rebecca pulled Jordan’s bottom lip into her mouth and sucked it softly, eliciting a small groan of approval. Her tongue delved inside, seeking Jordan’s and when she felt it against hers, she moaned. Kissing Jordan always made her hot. Her own arousal was quickly becoming hard to ignore. She pulled away and licked Jordan’s neck just below her jaw. She licked the small indention at the base of her neck, and Jordan jumped slightly.

  Jordan was so sensitive there that Rebecca couldn’t help but tease her until a slight chuckle escaped from her lips. “Babe, you’re killing me.”

  “Sorry.” Rebecca’s eyes twinkled, and Jordan could tell she was anything but sorry. Rebecca winked and moved lower, capturing Jordan’s nipple in her mouth. She teased it with her tongue and when it was taut, she caught it between her teeth.

  Jordan arched off the bed. Rebecca knew her body, as well as she did her own now. Her nipples were very sensitive and so connected to her clit that she had gotten off just from Rebecca’s playful teasing. “You’re killing me.”

  Rebecca didn’t respond with words, but the next place her mouth touched made Jordan jump off the bed. Her tongue brushed over Jordan’s aching clit and sent her body soaring. As worked up as she was, Rebecca knew it wouldn’t take long to bring Jordan to climax. She circled the tightened bud and then slid lower, delving into Jordan’s slick folds, relishing the sweet flavor of her arousal.

  Jordan’s hips moved against Rebecca’s face and within moments, she felt the muscles around Rebecca’s tongue start to contract. She arched higher. “Oh fuck, yes. It feels so good.”

  Rebecca smiled and pulled Jordan’s pulsating clit into her mouth. She felt it dance against her tongue, and she deftly stroked her until Jordan’s body started to convulse, the orgasm overtaking her.

  Jordan gripped the sheets, her hips arching off the bed. She writhed underneath Rebecca’s mouth as wave after wave of her orgasm ebbed through her body. When the rolling pleasure finally returned her body to her, Jordan sank back into the bed, sated. She felt Rebecca’s tongue sliding through her slick folds, and her heart clenched at the thought of this woman drinking up every bit of her.

  She grabbed Rebecca’s arm softly and pulled her up over her body. She smiled tenderly and kissed Rebecca, tasting herself on her lips. “As soon as I can move, how about that shower, you promised me?”

  Rebecca returned her smile. “I’ll start the water.”

  Somehow Jordan managed to rouse herself and joined Rebecca in the bathroom several moments later. She could see through the glass that Rebecca was starting without her. One hand was pulling at her nipple, and the other was working lazy circles around her clit. Jordan pulled the door open and pretended to frown. “Hey, that’s my job.”

  Rebecca pulled Jordan into the shower and kissed her longingly. She backed up until she was against the wall and wrapped a leg around Jordan’s hip. She grabbed Jordan’s hand and slid it over her body and pushed her fingers into her throbbing core. “It’s time to go to work, darling.”

  Jordan grinned mischievously and pulled her fingers out only to slide them in again. “What’s the matter, babe? You all worked up this morning? Need me to take care of you?”

  Rebecca nodded. She could feel Jordan’s fingers poised against her warm center. She wrapped her arms around Jordan and pulled their bodies together. She bit her collarbone gently and whispered against her ear. “Please fuck me.”

  The three words were all Jordan needed to break her bravado. She wrapped her free arm around Rebecca’s body and pulled her onto her fingers. A moan escaped from Rebecca’s mouth, and Jordan swallowed it with a passionate kiss. Normally, Jordan preferred to take her time, but as they had discovered rather soon after getting together, sometimes quick and hot was all they had time for.

  Jordan’s fingers plunged inside Rebecca’s body, and her thumb stroked Rebecca’s clit deftly. She could feel Rebecca move with her, drawing her further inside her body. It was only a matter of minutes before Rebecca threw back her head. “Yes. Fuck, yes. I’m coming.”

  Jordan smirked and increased the pace. That was the other thing that she had discovered rather quickly about Rebecca. She was quite loud in bed and as the screams of her orgasm filled the tiny bathroom, Jordan knew she had found the woman that she would do anything to keep.

  A half an hour later, Rebecca watched Jordan rub gel through her wild hair. She ran her fingertip over her jaw line and smiled. “Have I mentioned how much I enjoy watching you get ready in the morning?”

  Jordan cocked an eyebrow and smiled. “Only about a hundred times, but tell me again.”

  Rebecca stepped closer, and her naked breasts brushed against Jordan’s arm. “I. Love. Watching. You. Get. Ready. In. The. Morning.” She punctuated each word with a quick kiss.

  Jordan grabbed Rebecca and pulled her body flush against hers. “Keep that up and you will be watching me get ready again.”

  Rebecca grinned mischievously and pulled away. She waggled her finger in Jordan’s face. “Uh-uh. Not today.”

  Jordan watched her walk saucily out of the bathroom and into her closet, her naked bottom inviting a
prolonged gaze. She forced her eyes back to the mirror and took a deep breath. “I think I should say I’m the lucky one when it comes to watching someone get ready.”

  “What?” Rebecca’s muffled response got lost in the closet, and Jordan just shook her head. Rebecca seemed to do everything in the nude. She had told Jordan early on that she was in clothes, and uncomfortable ones at that, so much that when she was home, she didn’t want to be dressed. Jordan didn’t see a problem with that at all. Menial chores had unexpectedly taken on new life when she was with Rebecca, and food suddenly tasted better than it ever had before when prepared by a naked Rebecca.

  “Hey, you want to ride in together?” They were going to the Federal Courthouse this morning for the jury selection in Richard Hudson’s trial. The judge moved the trial date up as quickly as possible. He was up for re-election, and a conviction in the Cradle Killer case would certainly sew up the election.

  When no reply came, Jordan stuck her head out of the bathroom. Rebecca was standing with her pants halfway on, her eyes fixed on the television.

  “We have breaking news in the case against alleged murderer Richard Hudson. In a very unexpected turn of events, Mr. Hudson has been released from jail, and all charges have been dropped.”

  “What the fuck?” Jordan grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.

  “In light of the new developments in the Cradle Killer case, Judge Thomas has dropped all the charges and released Richard Hudson. The CDD won’t comment on exactly what that new evidence is, but a source close to the CDD did confirm that Richard Hudson is no longer a suspect in the murders. Stay tuned to WXIN for further details as we will be following this developing story.”

  Rebecca’s face was pale. “Son of a fucking bitch.” She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and checked the display. Twenty-one missed calls and at least one new voice message. She swore loudly. She had turned the ringer off last night at the movies and forgotten to turn it back on, and she had finally given up her antiquated pager last month.

  She punched in her code and waited as the messages played. Jordan watched the emotions play across her face. She couldn’t imagine what had happened that would make the judge dismiss the case. A DNA mix up? It was possible, but not likely. She checked her own phone and was surprised to see that Matt had called several times. No message though, which was odd, except that they had not been on the best of terms since she had gotten the girl.

  “God damn it!” Rebecca threw the phone onto the bed and ran her hand through her hair. “How is that possible?”

  “What happened?” Jordan crossed the room, but stopped short of Rebecca, recognizing her need for space.

  “Another murder last night.”

  “A copycat?”

  Rebecca shook her head. “Not unless they got a hold of Richard Hudson’s dick and left his sperm at the scene.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Apparently, the DNA left at the scene, almost too conveniently I might add, matched Richard Hudson’s.”

  “How is that possible?” Jordan was getting more and more confused by the minute.

  “Now how the fuck do you think I would know that?” Rebecca snapped testily.

  Jordan winced at Rebecca’s harsh words. She took a step back and tried not to bristle at the anger in her eyes. It wasn’t directed at her. “I didn’t mean that. I was just thinking out loud.”

  Rebecca started storming around the room, throwing clothes on. “See, this is why I don’t get involved. It makes things complicated, and it throws me off my game.”

  Jordan grabbed her arms softly and forced Rebecca to look at her. “You couldn’t have done anything differently than what you did. No one could have suspected it wasn’t Richard Hudson.”

  Rebecca wrenched her arms away and glared at her. “I could have if I wasn’t distracted.” She sat down on the bed and tied her shoes silently. “Listen, this case just went from bad to worse. I can’t afford to be distracted. I think we need to cool it.”

  “Do you really mean that?” Jordan was unprepared for the clench in her chest. She thoroughly enjoyed Rebecca’s company, in and out of bed, but she wasn’t emotionally involved, or at least she thought she wasn’t, so the tug in her heart surprised her. “You can’t think that you missed something because of us.”

  “I function better alone, without all the shit that comes with a relationship. I need to make sure my head’s in the game this time. I messed up, and another woman is dead.”

  “This isn’t your fault. You followed the evidence, and it led us to Richard Hudson.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “I need to follow my gut, and right now you make it impossible to think clearly. I can’t do this anymore. From this point on, we’re going back to Detective and Agent. Nothing can get in the way of figuring out who the real killer is and how Richard Hudson ties into all of this.”

  Jordan studied her face and knew that she couldn’t convince Rebecca otherwise. No matter how good they were, Rebecca was all about the job. She was the job. A wave of pain hit her square in the gut, and Jordan pushed it away. “Guess that answers my question about riding in together.”

  Chapter 18

  Jordan slipped under the yellow caution tape and while she flashed a small smile in Rick’s direction, she merely nodded curtly to Rebecca. The change between them was imperceptible to anyone around them, but the energy that hummed between them was palpable. Hours earlier, they had showered together, totally sated from their lovemaking, but now there was an intangible distance between them.

  She surveyed the scene, not at all surprised that the M.E. had already removed the body. They were here to study the crime scene and find whatever evidence may eventually lead them to the killer.

  Jordan stepped around the outline of the body and stopped near Rebecca and Rick. “Find anything?”

  “Nothing.” Rebecca sounded the same as she always did, but there was a coolness to her tone that shook Jordan. “CSI swept the area already.” She pointed to several yellow markers. “Same as always. Not much to go on.”

  “You said they found DNA.”

  Rick nodded. “Same as the last one. Condom left inside the victim. He’s mocking us now. Knows he is getting away with it while someone else sits in jail.”

  “Any idea how he got Richard Hudson’s DNA?” Jordan’s gaze fell on Rebecca, and had she not been studying her as closely as she was, she would have missed her swallow before she spoke. At least, Rebecca was having as hard a time as she was being so close.

  “No, but I think it’s time we revisit the sperm bank. So far, that’s the only tie we have to all the victims.”

  Jordan nodded towards the chalk outline. “This one too?”

  “Yes.” Rebecca said with a nod. “Uniforms confirmed it with the husband this morning.”

  “Want me to drive?” Jordan asked with no hint of an ulterior motive.

  “No.” Rebecca pulled a gloved hand out of her pocket and checked her watch. “Why don’t you see if Special Agent Riley can meet us there? I think we could use his help on this one.”

  Jordan nodded. Rebecca wasn’t going to give an inch on this one, no matter how much her eyes said she wanted to. “Fine.”

  “Oh, and Agent Gray?” Rebecca’s tone held a warning note. “Don’t go in without us.”

  Jordan rolled her eyes and walked away. Damn infuriating woman. She stalked off to her car and called Matt. “You busy?”

  “Nah.” His voice was low. Their friendship had been somewhat strained since he found out that Jordan and Rebecca were dating. His interest in Rebecca had been very real, and his pride and maybe his heart had been wounded a little in the process. “What do you have?”

  “I guess you heard the news already.”

  “I saw it briefly this morning. I called you.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry I didn’t hear it ring.”

  “It’s no big deal.” Matt paused. “I know you’re busy.” Before Rebecca, that had been a joke th
at they shared. Jordan loved women, and it hadn’t escaped her partner’s notice that she was with a different one all the time. Now, it was almost as though he was censuring her for her choice in women.

  It wasn’t her fault that both of them had fallen for Rebecca’s charms. Nor was it her fault that Rebecca had chosen her. It just happened that way, and right now, Matt was sorting through that. Eventually, he would get over it, and they would get back to normal, but for now, she let him rake her over the coals.

  “Detective Foxx wants us both in on this. We are going back to the sperm bank. She thinks it all ties back to that somehow.”

  “And why do you need me?” The question was asked innocently enough, but Jordan could hear the second part of the inquiry loud and clear. You seem to be handling it just fine on your own.

  “Guess she wants your expertise. Besides, I think she could use a buffer.” Jordan admitted quietly.

  “Oh yeah, piss her off already?” Matt’s tone hinted at a smile, and Jordan could almost recognize her old partner.

  “Something like that.” Jordan started her car and listened as the engine revved loudly. “You in or not?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m at the office.”

  “Be there in ten.” Jordan ended the call and looked up briefly, catching Rebecca’s emerald-green eyes. She could see regret in them and something else. She wasn’t sure what Rebecca was thinking, but she winced inwardly. Nothing like being someone’s morning-after remorse.

  She shifted into first and shot Rebecca an apologetic smile as she started to drive away. If she had any hope of rectifying the problem, behaving like an asshole wasn’t going to be the route she took.

  The ride from the office to the Helping Hands Fertilization Clinic was made in relative silence. Matt still wasn’t up to idle chitchat and rather than push the envelope of awkward silence any further, Jordan cranked up the radio and let the soulful voice of Serena Ryder fill the void.