The Shark (Forgotten Files Book 1)

by Mary Burton

  Jo-Jo peered in the window. “He’s not so scary looking.”

  “He’s one of the best tracking dogs in Virginia. He helped me find Jax.”

  Maria stood at the front door. She didn’t say anything but just watched, her expression worried.

  Jo-Jo glanced back at Maria. “She always looks upset.”

  “She’s worried about you.”

  “She doesn’t know me.”

  “Better than you think. She’s also looked at me that way more than a few times. If you haven’t guessed, I can be hardheaded.”

  That coaxed the faintest smile. “No shit?”

  “I’ll be back this evening.”

  Jo-Jo shrugged her shoulders, but Riley knew the girl was simply afraid to hope. “Whatever.”

  Riley slid on her sunglasses and slid behind the wheel. She watched as Jo-Jo turned and slowly walked back toward the house. Her gait was uneven as she guarded her right side. Riley had cracked her ribs on a climb once, and they hurt like hell. Impossible to sleep and blinding pain if you sneezed. Tightening her fist, she imagined the judge sentencing Jax to dozens of years behind bars. But unless Jo-Jo was willing to press charges, he’d likely skate by with a year at the most.

  Later that morning, when Riley was on I-95, her phone rang. It was Sharp.

  “Credit card receipts show that Lenny left his home in Las Vegas five days ago and checked into a hotel about twenty miles from here. Rented the car you found at the park and bought one meal in a local restaurant. Other than that, he wasn’t on anyone’s radar.”

  “What about phone records?” she asked.

  “Called his bookie in Vegas several times and a few other numbers that turned out to be burners,” Sharp said.

  “Have you considered asking Shield to run a search on the guy? His people might know a better way to trace them. They want to catch this guy.”

  “And we don’t? Believe me, I want to bury him.”

  “I hear ya. Keep me posted?”

  “You do the same.”

  “Will do.”

  When she pulled into her driveway that evening and got out with Cooper, she’d ended a long shift topped off by another visit to see Jo-Jo. She spotted a dark SUV parked in front of her house. Bowman stepped out of the vehicle in no hurry.

  She almost asked how he knew she would be here, then remembered the chip in her arm. Terrific. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Been thinking about the text you sent me last night.”

  “Walk with me. Cooper needs to stretch his legs.”

  “Sure.”

  Down the street, she turned onto a small path that cut through the woods behind her house. “Checking in?”

  “Afraid so.”

  She laughed but heard the nervous buzz behind it. It was nice to have someone checking in on her, even if the arrangement was temporary.

  “Sharp said the man who shot himself was Lenny Vincent. He’s from Vegas and a gambler,” said Riley.

  “I know. I talked to Sharp an hour ago.”

  “Why would he kill himself like that? The forensic team hasn’t finished its analysis yet, but there were hair fibers found in his car that appear to be from Cassie. The theory is that he killed her.”

  “I don’t know. Andrews began reviewing his records this afternoon. He was in deep financial trouble, and he has a wife and two kids. I wish I knew the Shark’s end game.”

  “How could Vincent know I would be the one to track him in the woods?” Riley asked.

  “My guess was that it was a calculated risk.”

  The Shark’s web never seemed to end. “I started reading the files you gave me, and I’ll finish them this evening.”

  “Do you ever rest or drop your guard?”

  “Rest?” Riley asked. “Now and then. Dropping the guard? Almost never.”

  They walked in silence for several minutes, and when they got close to the woods, she let Cooper off his leash so he could run.

  “Would you like coffee?” Riley asked.

  “That would be great.”

  When the dog returned, they moved inside and she unholstered her gun, placing it in a closet lockbox, then unstrapped her belt and hung it on a peg.

  As they passed into the kitchen, she flipped on the lights. The kitchen table was scattered with the files she’d been reading last night.

  As he leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed, watching her, she set a coffeepot to brew. “Did you have any trouble on the road today?”

  “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Good.”

  She pulled the file of the first victim again and reread it. “Angie was seventeen years old, and she had been on her own since age fifteen. She worked in some of the casinos backstage as a grip for their stage shows, likely with a fake ID,” Riley said.

  “If she worked in the casinos, it makes sense she’d have caught the Shark’s attention.”

  She tapped her finger on the papers. “That’s not what bothered me. It was the fact that she worked with the stage crew.”

  “Why would that bother you?”

  “Remember the T-shirt she was wearing? It’s for a band called BANG.”

  His eyes narrowed a fraction. “Andrews researched the band. They were handled by Byline Entertainment,” Bowman said. “He said they broke up five years ago.”

  “Byline,” she said. “That’s the company leasing Hudson’s field.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Could it be that simple?”

  He stepped closer and glanced down at the picture of the first victim. “Shield had an informant while he was working the cases in New Orleans. She was a casino dealer and a part-time singer. She was the one who first told Shield about the Shark and his possible connection to the dead girls. She was strangled to death shortly after she talked to Shield.”

  “This guy has eyes and ears everywhere.”

  Bowman pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. “Andrews, this is Bowman. Check on a company called Byline Entertainment and cross-check their concert schedules with local murders that match the Shark’s MO. Great. Thanks.” He ended the call, carefully tucking his phone back into his pocket.

  Riley moved to the cabinets and removed two mugs. She could feel his gaze on her, and simply the idea of him looking at her made her heart beat faster.

  “He’s not going to touch you,” Bowman said. There was such confidence in his voice.

  She faced him. “You sound sure of yourself. He’s eluded you and Shield for twelve years. Why would now be any different?”

  “He’s moving very quickly. He’s killed two girls, Lewis, and I’d bet my life he is behind Lenny’s suicide. When a killer accelerates like this, the tendency is to get sloppy. I will catch him.”

  She poured two cups of coffee and pulled a carton of half-and-half from the refrigerator. “Duke says I can make coffee taste like ice cream.”

  “Black is fine.”

  “Have you eaten? I’ve a frozen pizza. You’re always feeding me. Least I can do is toss a pizza in the oven for you.”

  He stood close, his energy radiating with such power her skin tingled. “Thanks. But I already ate.”

  “Probably best for us both. Hanna loves my frozen pizzas—but her standards aren’t super high.” She handed him his coffee and filled Cooper’s water and food bowls. As the dog crunched on his dinner, she faced Bowman.

  He stood at the kitchen threshold, leaning against the doorjamb with a casualness that belied the intensity of his gaze. “You said Hanna is at a triathlon meet?”

  “Yeah. She’s on a local team. The coach is great. She’s taken the kids to some high-level meets.”

  “What’s Hanna’s best event?”

  “Swimming. Considering she only learned how to swim three years ago, she’s amazing.”

  “Is she getting any kind of scholarship money?”

  “That’s the hope.”

  A half smile tugged his lips. “Have her look at Vir
ginia Military Institute.”

  “Your school, right?” When he nodded, she shook her head. “Wouldn’t work. She hates authority more than I do.”

  “Where’d you go to college?”

  “I did community college nights and weekends, worked it around a handful of jobs, and then commuted to George Mason in Fairfax for the final two years. After that I went to the academy.”

  She sipped her coffee. “So, how long were you married?”

  He met her gaze as if she’d touched a nerve.

  “You fiddle with your ring finger as if you expect there to be a ring.”

  He looked at his hand, shaking his head. “Karen and I were married for seven years. She died of pancreatic cancer five years ago. About six months before you and I met at Quantico.”

  They’d been together at Quantico, but they’d never really had a conversation about anything other than work, and when alone, they got naked so fast words only got in the way. “I’m sorry,” she said.

  He raised his coffee to his lips. “So am I.”

  She quickly chased away an awkward silence, saying, “You were one of the best instructors at Quantico and you do a good job of keeping up with me.”

  “Is that a compliment?”

  “It is.”

  Riley braced her hands behind her on the counter. Less than six feet separated them, but there was a pull. She wanted to touch him. Kiss him. Last time she’d gotten in too deep with him. This time could be different. This time she could enjoy him and find a way to walk back to her life with her heart intact. She was older. Wiser.

  She moved to a chair and sat, taking time to unlace her boots. “You finally get those boxes unpacked in your office?”

  “Not yet.”

  She pulled off the first boot and went to work on the second. “You haven’t committed to the job yet, have you?”

  He shook his head. “No, I’m in it for the long haul, but it’ll take some time getting used to not living like a nomad.”

  She bet the corner office had a paycheck to match. “It looks like a sweet gig.”

  “It’ll be different. I’m looking forward to settling down.”

  She yanked off the second boot. “You’ll adapt. I have faith.”

  “Thanks.”

  Hesitating a breath, she rose and met his gaze. He was watching her and she knew he wanted her. And God, but she wanted him.

  Damn. Shoving aside doubts, she crossed to him but stopped inches short. He stared at her but made no move to touch her. She slid her palm up his chest and around his neck. His hands rose to her arms as she pulled his face toward hers. She was tall, but reaching his lips meant rising on tiptoe. Her lips touched his first, and she allowed herself a light kiss, half hoping that touching him, tasting him, wouldn’t be as good as she remembered. She drew back, gently biting her bottom lip.

  “You taste nice,” he said.

  She moistened her lips. “You, too.”

  He stared with an intensity that excited and unsettled her.

  She lowered from her toes to flat feet and moistened her lips again. “So, did I just really embarrass myself?”

  His fingers tightened gently on her arms as if he feared she’d back away. “No.”

  She searched his face. “I promised myself I wouldn’t kiss you. I swore. And now here I stand. I’ve tossed my cards on the table and you’re simply staring.”

  He tugged her toward him until her breasts skimmed his shirt. Carefully, he pulled her hair free and watched it fall around her shoulders. “I like seeing it loose.”

  “If you say soft or vulnerable, I’ll punch you.”

  He smiled. “Sexy. Does that adjective work?”

  The deep, smooth timbre of his voice made her hot. “I go out of my way not to be sexy.”

  He shook his head. “You haven’t done such a good job, as far as I’m concerned.”

  He leaned in, traced her lips with his thumb, and kissed her, gently at first. But the touch set her body on fire. It had been so long since she’d really wanted a man that the sensation was a little unsettling. She kissed him back, not caring about anything but touching him.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, pressing her against his erection. “I’ve wanted to do this since that first day I saw you in the woods,” he said. “God, you were fierce.”

  “I was covered in dirt, scratches, and sweat.”

  “I was hot for you as you climbed up that mountain after Carter. Amazing.”

  She laughed, feeling playful. “Then it’s been a while for you, Mr. Bowman. That wasn’t one of my prettiest moments.”

  “You’re confident. And that’s sexy as hell.”

  She leaned into his chest and kissed him on the lips. He threaded fingers through her hair. She moved her hand along his flat belly to his erection.

  He groaned, and his hand tightened around the strands of her silky hair.

  Her hand slid down the front of his pants, savoring the feel of his erection. When he muttered an oath, she pressed harder.

  He clutched her hand. “Where’s the bedroom?”

  She pulled him down the hallway and closed the door behind them. He pinned her against the door, caressing her breasts as he kissed her. Breathless, he pulled her toward the bed as he sat on the edge. She straddled him. He sucked in a breath, his hands on her hips. Fire blazed inside her.

  She slid her fingers up his chest and around his neck. “If you’ve wanted me all this time, you’ve certainly done a good job of hiding it.”

  “Good to know.” He kissed her again, this time more deeply, moving his tongue into her mouth and exploring. Her mind swirled, brushing aside any thoughts or worries that lingered from the day. It was just him. The two of them.

  He stroked her breasts, teasing her nipple under the soft cotton fabric until it hardened. She moaned, dizzy with desire.

  As she reached for his belt buckle, he touched her face, allowing his calloused thumb to trace her jawline and then her lips. She unfastened his belt, but before she could free him, he leaned into her, pulled her under him, and kissed her as he pushed her against the bed. As rumpled sheets and blankets pressed into her back, she was vaguely aware that she’d not made her bed today and nearly laughed at the absurdity of the thought; she was thinking about an unmade bed when she was ready to give her body to a man who had proved before he could leave her when the sun rose. She should have been leery of lowering her guard again, but she wasn’t.

  He reached for the end of her shirt and tugged it over her head. He traced the flat midline of her belly, an intense expression on his face, as he reached for the hook between her breasts and unfastened her bra. He pushed the bra aside and held her breasts.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured. He leaned down and kissed her, and she savored his touch as he teased the tips of her nipples until they were hard.

  When he drew back and reached for the buttons on his shirt, she was breathless. As he unfastened the shirt, she undid the button of her waistband and wriggled out of her pants. She settled on the bed, watching him as he shrugged off his shirt and pants. His body was lean, corded muscle and just looking at him made her hot.

  When he lay on top of her and kissed her again, his erection pulsed against her. She dragged her fingertips hungrily along his six-pack, arching her breasts and belly against him. Just as it had five years ago, being with him like this simply felt right.

  His hand cupped her breast, teasing the nipple into a hard peak before he pulled his fingertips over her flat belly. It was as if he remembered what excited her. When those fingers dipped lower and began to circle in a maddening, exhilarating pace, she hissed in a breath, knowing she’d not last long at this pace. She shifted, spreading her legs.

  Neither spoke as he positioned himself and pressed the tip of his erection against her moist center. When she spread farther for him, he met her gaze and pushed inside her. She drew in a breath as her body expanded, and for a moment, neither moved. Slowly, he began to slid
e in and out of her, testing and teasing her. She traced her hands down his sides and grabbed his hips, goading him to move faster.

  Bracing his hands on either side of her head, he looked down and watched as he moved in and out of her. The raw desire on his face left her breathless.

  “So sexy,” he whispered. “I’ve imagined this moment dozens of times over the years.”

  In the darkest parts of the night, when she felt most alone, she’d also dreamed of him.

  He moved faster. Sweat glistened between her breasts and on his back. The desire in her built, heating with each thrust, and when his fingertips touched her pulsing sex, she all but exploded under his touch.

  A moan escaped her lips and her fingers dug into his back. “Oh God.”

  “Not yet,” he whispered.

  His fingers slowed for a moment and when she whimpered in protest, a devilish glint sparked in his eyes. She’d prided herself on absolute control, and now she had none.

  He rose and kissed her taut nipple, gently capturing it between his teeth. He licked, suckled, taking his time as if he savored every taste.

  When she thought she’d go mad, he began to move faster. Coherent thought vanished in a whirlpool of sensation that pulled her deeper and deeper until it overwhelmed her. Her body exploded with a riot of sensations. Bowman pushed faster and faster until he released.

  He collapsed against her, his heart beating hard against her chest. He nestled his face in the crook of her neck, and for a moment neither moved as they struggled to catch their breath. Only as her heart slowed did her mind clear.

  He gently rolled off her, closing his eyes for a moment, but already her mind buzzed and she wouldn’t allow herself to nestle close to him. Sex was one level of intimacy but cuddling more so. A gentle breeze blew over her naked skin as she searched around for her T-shirt.

  He traced those fingers over her spine, and this time the touch surprised her. “You’re running away,” he said.

  “Not running. I don’t want to crowd you.”

  He grabbed her hand, halting her slide off the bed. A gentle tug and she faced him. He’d tucked his other hand behind his head, staring at her with an unvarnished curiosity that made her want her T-shirt all the more. “You aren’t crowding me.”