by Stacy-Deanne
Jasmine held a faded clipping. “I think I remember this from the papers. This lady killed herself didn’t she?”
“Apparently she never dealt with the pain of the kidnapping,” Jayce said. “She shot herself ten years ago.”
Dylan went through the clippings.
Jayce continued. “It’s been said that her baby was kidnapped in connection to a kidnapping ring. Elle sought out a private investigator but I don’t know if it helped. A Jim Klein kept popping up as being involved. Some suspect he lead the ring.” Jayce adjusted his belt. “But the police didn’t have enough to go on.”
“What happened to him?” Dylan asked.
Steven put his elbows on the table. “He disappeared.”
“Without a trace,” Jayce said.
Dylan flipped through more clippings. “How can someone just disappear?”
“Probably changed his name and took on a new life,” Brianna said. “Might even be dead.”
Dylan laid clippings in her lap. “Where did this happen?”
Nick read a clipping. “Newark.”
Everyone looked at him.
“I remember when they first kidnapped the baby. It was a horrible story. The saddest I’d ever heard of. How could someone steal someone’s baby and not give a damn?”
“Elle was married too wasn’t she?” Jasmine brushed her dress down. “I remember them mentioning a husband or something back then.”
“Yep.” Jayce nodded. “Elle and her husband adopted another child not long after the other had been taken. A little girl I believe.”
“Excuse me.” Zoë hung her legs over the side of the chair. “I don’t understand what this has to do with Dylan or Nadia?”
“Well that’s what we hoped Dylan could tell us.”
“I don’t know what you expect me to say, Detective Matthews. I mean, I don’t see how clippings would have anything to do with Mom being killed.”
Zoë crossed her legs and looked at Steven. He turned and smiled at Brianna. She looked at him as if he had something hanging out of his nose.
“Ooh.” Jasmine passed a clipping to Dylan. “The suicide scene.”
“Oh, gross.” Dylan covered her eyes.
Jasmine touched her chest. “God look at all that blood on the floor.”
Zoë wriggled. “Do we have to look at these pictures?”
“I still don’t understand what all this has to do with Mom’s murder.”
“I really think there’s a connection between Elle’s story and your mother.”
Zoë swatted a fly. “Well it doesn’t make sense to me, Detective Matthews.”
“Me neither. Mom always read up on things and kept memorabilia from stuff that had nothing to do with her. She was the kind that was overly curious and so when something caught her attention, she focused on it. She’d do research, collect articles, and even write down things dealing with what interested her.” Dylan shrugged. “This doesn’t seem any different to me. I don’t know why you feel it is.”
Jayce leaned over. “These clippings are just a sample of what we found about Elle in Nadia’s possessions. She had pictures of Elle that she’d blown up from the newspaper articles. She had articles where she’d outlined things about the baby’s kidnapping. She had notes and passages about what had happened.”
Dylan fidgeted. “I don’t know why she had all this stuff. She never spoke to me about this. I think she was just collecting this story like everything else she collected.”
“You don’t look so sure,” Brianna said.
“None of this makes any sense. What difference does it make why she had some clippings? Mom also has clippings of Charles Manson. Is he connected to this too?”
“Why are we even worrying about clippings when you already got Bruce in jail?” Jasmine asked. “He did it. You found Shannon’s gun last week. You said Bruce’s prints were on it. What more do you need?”
“We need to see if the bullet found in Shannon’s head came from Shannon’s gun.”
“Well why the hell aren’t you doing that, Detective Matthews?”
He titled his head. “Well I’m sorry if we aren’t doing everything at a pace you’re satisfied with Ms. Hudson, but things take time. Ballistics will do their thing and if the bullet matches that gun than we go from there.”
“But you got his prints on the gun.” She set her glass down. “You know he was at the garage with Shannon. He admitted it and you found his blood on her. I don’t understand why you’re wasting so much time.”
“We have to identify the murder weapon. We can’t be sure Shannon was killed with her gun can we?”
“What about my sister? You found anything substantial to link Bruce to Nadia’s murder?”
“I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job, Ms. Hudson.”
“Which means you haven’t done squat right?”
Dylan turned to Brianna. “Did you find anything about Elle in my mother’s journals?”
“No. The first time I heard of this was when Jayce told us this morning.”
“Could someone please just tell me how this all could possibly be connected?” Dylan looked around. “Please.”
“Excuse me.” Zoë got up. “I’ll be right back.”
She went around the side of the house. The way her ass moved in that dress stayed in Steven’s mind. He broke from fantasizing to see Brianna’s repulsed expression.
“Be honest with me, Detective Matthews. Do you believe Bruce is innocent?”
“It’s not my job to decide that, Dylan.”
“I asked what you believed.”
“I uh…I think there are possibilities that he could be.”
“Oh please.” Jasmine threw her arms up. “If you believe that I have an invisible farm to sell you.”
“Bruce is innocent until proven guilty.”
Steven’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He had a text from Zoë telling him to come inside the house.
“Something wrong, Steve?” Brianna rocked in her chair.
“Uh I have a call to make. I’ll be right back.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Zoë stared at Steven from the top of the stairs. He could see out the patio door from where he stood. He turned before his vision reached Brianna. He loved her but even that wasn’t strong enough to block this strangling desire he had for Zoë.
She slid her dress up on the side. She spoke with her eyes and body language, nothing else. She watched him with a bloodthirsty gaze that pierced his senses.
A tornado could tear through the living room and he wouldn’t leave. His body craved Zoë so he had no choice in the matter. He couldn’t leave. This yearning had become too big to fight and he didn’t want to.
She slid the dress up higher. Her curves were more masterful than he’d dreamt. Turned out the tight clothing hadn’t revealed too much after all.
Desire leapt off her and slammed into him with an intense heat that soothed and burned.
He walked up the stairs and stopped in front of her. They stared into each other’s eyes. He’d dreamt of fucking this woman since he met her. He even masturbated in bed when he thought of her. He’d pretend her lovely body rested on top of him.
She pressed her firm breasts against him.
Her magnetism spread through him like a disease.
It had been easy to blame it on lust or an animalistic attraction. That would get him off the hook and he wouldn’t have to feel guilty. Wouldn’t have to think of how hurt Brianna might be if she knew how much he wanted Zoë.
She pulled her dress over her thighs and held it at her waist.
From that moment nothing else mattered.
She placed his feverish hand between her legs. Just being this close made his cock leak.
She slipped his hand inside her panties. His fingers skated down her soft bush. He slid his finger inside her.
“You’re so wet.”
“Come on before someone comes inside.” She held onto his shoulders.
; “I don’t have anything.”
“I’m on the pill.” She panted. “Come on shit.” She kissed him. “Don’t you wanna do this?”
He hoisted her up, sat her on the railing and tore her panties off. “Did this answer your question?”
“Yes come on.” She wriggled. “Fuck me. I want you so bad.”
He pulled down his pants and underwear. He hooked her leg over his arm.
“Yes. Oh yes come on. Fuck me, Steven.” She closed her eyes.
“No, keep ‘em open.” He massaged his throbbing cock. “You’re so beautiful.” He licked the bridge of her nose. “So goddamn beautiful.” He positioned her for his entrance. “I want you to watch me when I’m inside of you.”
“Mmm yes.” She licked her lips. “Come on. Now please. I’m about to come already.”
He slid in deep with one thrust.
“Ohhh!” She dug her fingernails into his shoulders. “Yes…oh.”
“Uh! Uh! Uh! Uh!” He drilled as much of his cock as he could into her. He wanted her to feel every inch. Feel it all the way up in her stomach.
“Oh! Oh!” She chewed her lip. “Oww!”
“Oh! Oh!” Steven pumped with such force he almost knocked her off the railing. He put his hands on her buttocks and spread her wider to get inside her more.
“Ooh! Yes!” She held onto his waist. “Deeper. Yes. Ohh!”
“Huh? You like that?” He squeezed her ass. “Ahh you feel so good. So wet I’m gonna bust.”
“Oww! Oooh! Fuck me!” Her head bobbed with his movements. “Oh yeah…yeah…oh!”
Sweat burned his eyes. “God you feel so good. Didn’t think you’d fuckin’ feel this good.”
“Oh! Yes!” Her buttocks slapped against the railing.
“Ah. Oh god you’re so wet.”
“Oh!” She laid her head on his shoulder. “Fuck me. Make me come all over you. Make me drown you.”
“Ah…ooh!” He raised her leg higher.
“Fuck yeah! Ahh!” Zoë’s clit contracted around his dick. “Oh…I’m coming! I’m coming!”
“Oh!” He became woozy but kept pumping. “Oh…Zoë .”
“Ooh…yes! Oh I’m coming.” Her breasts slapped against him.
He delivered one final thrust. “Ahhh!”
“Ohhhhh! Uhhh!” She grabbed his head.
“Oh…oh…Jesus.” He fell against her.
Thirty Minutes Later
“It’s weird how Nick’s there all the time huh?” Steven stopped at a red light and turned the radio to his favorite classic rock station.
“I don’t know.” Brianna laid her head back. “He seems nice enough. I mean he obviously cares about her.”
“She barely knows the guy and she acts like he’s her best friend. I mean what makes her think she can trust him? Dylan seems like someone with so much sense but she just welcomes Nick into her life?”
Brianna turned the station to her favorite R&B channel. “It’s not our concern.”
“Yeah but how can Dylan be so sure he doesn’t have something to do with the murders?”
“His alibi checked out for Nadia’s murder.” Brianna adjusted the volume. “And he didn’t even know Shannon.”
“How do we know he didn’t know Shannon?”
“Jayce checked it out remember? There doesn’t seem to be a link.”
“Yeah well we still should keep an eye on him.” Steven made a right.
“Who did you call?”
He wiggled in the seat. “What?”
“Who did you call at Jasmine’s?”
“Oh uh, nobody.”
“Sure was a long call for it to be nobody. You were gone a long time.”
He drove toward Jayson’s restaurant. “Wanna get something to eat?”
“No. I wasn’t trying to pry but it just seemed like the call was very important.”
“It was just a call.” He fixed his seatbelt. “You look pretty. I like your blouse.”
“I’ve had this for five years.”
“I know.”
“Then how come you complimented me like you’ve never seen it before?”
“Look I was complimenting you. Jesus.” He crept over speed bumps. “What’s wrong with you, Bree?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me.” She flipped through his CDs. “Nothing at all is wrong with me.”
“Oh here we go huh? Here we go.”
“What?”
“You know what.” He made a left. “I heard that sarcastic tone. If you got something to say then say it.”
“Okay.” She set his CD’s on the dashboard. “What happened between you and Zoë back there?”
“Uh…uh me and Zoë?”
“Uh yes. Uh…uh…you and Zoë.”
“What about us?”
“Come on, Steven. I thought you respected me enough to not take me for a fool.”
“I don’t think you’re a fool. Fuck, I’m sick of this.” He skidded to the side of the street and turned the car off. “What are you talking about, me and Zoë?”
“If you really care about me then you can at least be honest.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!”
“Oh please you know exactly what I’m talking about. Like I didn’t notice how you went into the house right after Zoë did.”
“I had to make a call.”
“Oh and is that why you came back all flushed, sweating and your hair sticking up?”
“Oh that’s...” He twisted in the seat. “That’s bullshit. I told you it was hot. I went into the restroom and put water on my face. I wasn’t sweating. Why would I be sweating?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” She crossed her arms and looked ahead.
“Whatever you think happened didn’t okay? I care about you more than I’ve cared about any other woman. You know that.”
“Are you attracted to Zoë?”
“Why the hell do all our conversations end up about Zoë lately?”
“I already know you are. It’s more than obvious.”
“Don’t do this. This has nothing to do with Zoë.”
“What am I to think? She’s gorgeous and has a great body and you can’t seem to keep your eyes off of her for a minute.”
“Bree.”
“And she seems to be more than willing to help you when you need a hand if you know what I mean.”
“So because Zoë’s attractive I gotta want her? You act like a nice pair of tits, great legs and a tight ass is all I care about. If so I wouldn’t have been with you.”
“Excuse me?”
“No wait, wait. I didn’t mean it like that. You got a great body, ten times better than Zoë’s.”
“Yeah right. It doesn’t matter anyway. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s not my business.”
“No don’t do that. Come on.”
“I have no right to pry into your life.”
“You are my life but you drive me crazy. Nothing’s gonna change how I feel about you.” He took her hand. “There is only one woman I love. After all we’ve been through you question that?”
“I see how you look at her.”
“All right I am attracted to Zoë. But it doesn’t mean anything. What I feel for Zoë couldn’t compare to how much I love you.”
“Steven.”
“We belong together, Bree. I’m not gonna stop showing you that.” He kissed her hand.
“Let me prove it to you.”
“How?”
“Let me take you out.”
Her hand went limp in his. “Steven.”
“I won’t pressure you. I won’t make you commit to something you can’t.” He bounced against the leather seat. “I just want us to spend time together like we used to. I’ve missed it so much and we could both use some fun. We could go to the movies or dancing. How about that little salsa spot we used to hit?” He rocked in the seat. “I still got the moves.”
“I don’t know if going out is a good idea. It might lead to confu
sion.”
“It’ll just be as friends.”
“Just as friends?”
“As buddies. How about Sunday night?”
“Ooh night would be dangerous.” She took her hand away. “Too much like a date-date.”
“Whatever time you want then.”
“You’re really serious aren’t you?”
“You know I am.”
“How about six then? We can go to that new Italian restaurant.”
Steven started the car. “It’s a date.”
“If things get heated and I pull back, will you be able to handle it?”
He steered the car into the lane. “Will you?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Dylan came back to the patio after walking Jayce to his car. Zoë and Jasmine stared Nick down. Jasmine asked a thousand questions about his personal life again. He looked like a newborn puppy scrambling underneath headlights.
Dylan trusted Nick more than she trusted most of her family. Sure it didn’t make sense but the best things in life often did. Shoot her and Bruce hadn’t made sense but she’d spent some of her happiest times with him.
Nick filled the void in Dylan that Bruce left behind. Jasmine thought something romantic was going on. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Dylan and Nick had a special bond, sort of like a father and a child. No matter whatever happened, she only had to look in his eyes and know he’d be there for her.
Nick dismissed another question and stood from the table.
Dylan rushed from the side of the house. “Everything okay?”
“Ask your aunt.” He pushed the chair underneath the table. “She doesn’t seem to like me very much.”
“It’s not that I don’t like you, Nick. I don’t know anything about you.”
“I’m sure Dylan’s told you things about me.”
“But you won’t share with anyone else.”
“He doesn’t have to share with you, Aunt Jas. Nick is my friend and it has nothing to do with you. As long as I trust him that’s what matters.”
“How many strangers off the street are you gonna bring around and expect us to accept without question? First Bruce and now Nick?”