Ripper

by Lexi Blake

  I swallowed once and then twice. Dark hair. Emerald eyes. The most perfectly masculine body I’ve ever seen in my life. The man practically had a fucking halo around his hips, and by hips I meant his goddamn cock. It had a halo. He was…stunning and it wasn’t simply the gorgeous body or the next-to-perfect face. It was something about him. You looked at that man and you just knew he could take care of you, and I meant that in the dirtiest way possible. Liv had described him as a fertility god, but he was a SEX god. There was no other way to describe him.

  “You can close your mouth, Kelsey,” Gray said harshly.

  A deep flush crashed through me. I was going to apologize for staring, but the sex god had a few things to say to my date.

  “You motherfucker,” that glorious bit of masculinity spewed as he faced off with the bigger, way more demonic man. It didn’t seem to faze him. “How dare you show your face in my club? I told you what would happen if I ever caught you on one of my properties again.”

  “Bring it on, Quinn,” Gray snarled back. “You have any idea how long I’ve waited for you to give me a reason to take you down?”

  Gray stood and faced the club owner over his desk. The men were inches from each other and I worried Gray was going to kill the man. It didn’t seem like it would be anywhere close to a fair fight. Gray had all the power and strength of a demon and the faery was…well, he was a faery…with an awfully dirty mouth.

  “Oh, you sad sack, piece of shit demon, you couldn’t take me down if you tried.” His green eyes lit with a vicious sort of glee. “Oh, wait, you did try. Didn’t fucking work out for you, did it? How was your suspension, Lieutenant? Hope you had a good vacation.”

  “You cost me a month,” Gray admitted.

  “Did you visit Daddy?” Quinn asked, sarcasm dripping. “How was the Hell plane? Did it feel like home? Clock’s ticking for you, isn’t it?”

  Gray’s eyes narrowed. “I spent the whole time investigating you. I don’t care who you sleep with. I’m going to prove all of it. I’m going to prove the illegal gambling, the gun running, the mob connections. You’re dirty as hell and I’m going to bring your whole house down.”

  The sex god practically vibrated with rage. “You come anywhere near my family and I will make the Hell plane seem like a good hiding place. I swear you lay one fucking hand on my wife or my children and I’ll take you apart piece by piece.”

  Gray’s face was tight, his eyes faintly cruel as he got in the other man’s space. “I note you don’t try to protect your other lover.”

  Quinn rolled his eyes, his disdain plain. “Daniel can handle himself. Maybe it’s time I let him handle you, Sloane. You’ve become a nuisance. Zack, show the lieutenant to the door. Make sure he doesn’t come back. I don’t want to see this fucker again.”

  “Fine, boss, but I want to know about her first,” Zack said and I could hear the willpower in his voice.

  “You leave her out of this.” Gray strode over to take my hand.

  It appeared we were going to make a hasty retreat. My heart dropped at the thought of not being able to use this opportunity. Tomorrow I had to inform Helen Taylor her daughter had been murdered and I couldn’t even tell her I’d made any headway on who had done it. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt if I could convince Devinshea Quinn to take me seriously that he could get other people to talk to me. I was certain deep down that our perp was a supe, so this was his world. If Gray wasn’t effective here, then I had to step up to the plate.

  “Mr. Quinn, my name is Kelsey Atwood.” I used my most polite and even voice as I pulled away from Gray. Gray was pissed, but I had to salvage this. Just because he was getting his ass kicked out didn’t mean I had to get mine tossed, too. He’d asked for my help. I hoped he wasn’t too angry at how he got it. “I’m investigating a series of murders, and I could really use your help.”

  The faery turned his attention to me as though he was surprised to see someone else was in the room. All of his anger and attention had been focused on Gray. He stared for a moment and I thought he was going to tell Zack to chuck me out. He sighed as though resolving himself to something. “You have ten minutes, Ms. Atwood.”

  Gray reached for my hand again, this time yanking me toward him. “No, Kelsey. If you think I’m leaving you alone with him you’re crazy. He hates me. You have no idea what he’s capable of.”

  “He’s capable of answering my questions.” I needed him to understand. He held my hand in a firm grip and when I tried to pull away, he tightened around me.

  “No,” Gray said implacably.

  “Hey.” Zack tried to get between us. His eyes changed colors and I saw the beginnings of claws flash from his hands. “You’re hurting her. Let her go.”

  “She’s mine,” Gray insisted with intent in his eyes. He would fight this Zack guy if he stepped between us. It looked like my lawman had a little caveman thrown in for good measure. “She comes with me.”

  Quinn sank back into his chair and there was a deep weariness in his eyes as he regarded the scene playing out in front of him. “Shouldn’t that be up to Ms. Atwood? Do you intend to force a female against her will, Sloane? It would be in your character, I suppose.”

  Gray dropped my hand immediately. “I’m asking you to come with me, Kelsey.”

  My stomach knotted because I was about to make a huge mistake, but I couldn’t help myself. I wasn’t going to side with Quinn. I wasn’t betraying Gray. I was being true to our case. He was a Ranger. He would understand when he gave it a little thought.

  I backed up just enough to let him know I was staying. “I’m sorry. I only want to ask him a couple of questions. We need those IDs. I’ll come downstairs when I’m done and we can go back to your place.”

  His face hardened, his eyes turning to stone. “Don’t bother.” His gaze slid across me and I saw the rage there. “You made your choice. I’ll show myself out, Quinn.”

  Gray turned and strode out the door. It was all I could do not to rush after him and beg him to forgive me. I felt his physical absence keenly. It was like all the warmth had left the room. I banished the tears that threatened and turned to Dev Quinn because Gray was right. The choice had been made and I had to live with it. I’d chosen my job over Gray, though at the time I’d really thought I was saving the situation. “Do you mind if I sit?”

  He indicated the chair in front of his desk and turned to the wall behind him. He pushed the panel and revealed a small refrigerator. He pulled out a frosty bottle, snagged two glasses, and sat down behind his desk.

  “Dev?” Zack asked.

  The faery shook his head. “Talk to your master, Zack.”

  “Come on,” Zack said, exasperated.

  Green eyes gave away nothing. “You have to talk to him. I can’t give you anything. Please, go make sure the lieutenant doesn’t cause any more trouble tonight. She’s perfectly safe here. Your nose knows the truth so you know damn well I won’t harm her.”

  The werewolf turned and he seemed as irritated as Gray had been as he walked out of the room.

  Quinn poured the cold liquid into the shot glasses with practiced skill. “Please, join me, Ms. Atwood. I’ll be perfectly pleasant, I promise. I’m afraid the lieutenant brings out the worst in me. I have issues with authority. My wife thinks I should go into therapy to deal with the problem, but I’m perfectly comfortable with it.”

  I sank down into the chair and tried to banish the horrible feeling that I’d lost something important. Had I been wrong to not blindly follow him? “Sure.”

  “It’s for the best,” Quinn said, holding out a glass to me. “I can see plainly you have feelings for him, but…he is what he is. He can’t change his fate and he’ll drag you down with him.”

  “He’s only half demon.” I took the glass in my hand and shot it back. It was vodka and it was so smooth, it was practically water. Maybe if I had another ten shots or so I could forget that look in Gray’s eyes.

  Quinn poured two more shots. He seemed familiar wit
h the process. “Do you know what I am?”

  “You’re a fertility god.”

  His eyes bled to a startlingly deep green. It filled his entire eye and left no white. It was…beautiful. A person could get seriously lost in those eyes. His voice was deeper and held a hint of an Irish accent when he spoke again. “I am, indeed, Ms. Atwood. It’s one of my talents to be able to see what a person needs and wants sexually. It’s something of a portal into a person’s soul. You seek comfort, love, caring. You haven’t found them yet. I can see that you and the lieutenant are well matched on that front. Sex with him will be exciting and it will feel like heaven, but he needs more than you can give him, more than any woman can give him. You will love him and he will break your heart. What would you say if I told you I could offer you a viable alternative? I know a man who could give you the things you crave while taking only what you are willing to give. The relationship won’t be as intense as the one with Grayson Sloane, but neither will it be as painful. It would be a loving friendship between kindred spirits.”

  “Mr. Quinn, I didn’t come here for your advice on my love life.” I didn’t want to hear what he had to say. As far as I could tell, it didn’t matter anymore. Gray seemed to be done with me the moment I caused him trouble. I was a whole shit ton of trouble so it was better to know at the beginning. “If I only have ten minutes of your time, I would prefer to use it on work.”

  His eyes were back to normal and so was his voice as he took another shot. The boy could drink. “Again, I apologize. I certainly have no intentions to kick you out when the ten minutes are up. Trust me, this is the most interesting thing I’ll be doing for the rest of the evening.”

  I matched him drink for drink. It was starting to loosen me up. “I got the distinct impression we’d interrupted something interesting when Gray got hauled up here.”

  He smiled and it lit up the room. It might be easy to see where Gray could dislike this man when he was shouting obscenities, but when he poured on the charm, it was impossible to not smile with him.

  “It was getting somewhere,” he said with an intimate laugh. “Unfortunately, I’m certain that’s over. My goddess was yawning even as I walked out the door. She’s asleep by now and I won’t wake her up. Our daughter is teething and getting over an ear infection. The last few days have been rough. While Evangeline might be feeling better today, my wife is still recovering. Daniel took the baby with him. How he manages to play games with her, I don’t know. I hope she doesn’t chew up the boards. Those games are surprisingly expensive.”

  “Evangeline? Are you talking about Evan?” Dan had mentioned he brought his kid with him to game nights. I guessed I was looking at the possibility Dan had embraced.

  Quinn shuddered. “Only Daniel calls her that. Well, and all the wolves. It’s a terrible nickname for my beautiful little girl.”

  “And Dan is your…?” I asked and then realized what a rude question it was. “Never mind. That’s none of my business.”

  Quinn took his time with the vodka, savoring it. “I’m not offended, Kelsey. Daniel is my partner. We’re best friends, business partners, closer than brothers. We share a wife and our children. It is a common relationship where I come from, but it’s looked down on in this plane. The good lieutenant certainly looks down on it. My wife is hurt most by the prejudice. Daniel and I don’t care what people think of us.”

  “Well, I’ve seen you both and I’d just high-five her,” I said without thinking about it. “Crap, did I say that out loud?”

  Quinn threw back his head and laughed. “Yes, you did, but don’t worry about it. I find you quite charming, Kelsey. Much more charming than your…well, than I would have expected Sloane to score. Now, what is this case you’re investigating?”

  I pulled out my phone. I’d scanned the files and pictures into it when I realized Liv wasn’t going to let me bring my bag. “I need to know if you recognize any of these girls.”

  I passed him my phone with the pictures cued up, wanting to see if he could ID them all.

  He ran a finger along the screen and his face sobered up quickly. “These girls are dead.”

  “Yes, they are.” I watched his face, but all I saw there was sympathy.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I know this one’s name. She’s Joanne Taylor. Damn it. I recognize the rest of them, but I cannot place their names. I’m sorry. I can find out for you.”

  “Are you the one who got them their…work?” It was a delicate question and I tried to keep it professional.

  He sat back. “Obviously you know they were prostitutes, though I doubt they would have considered themselves such. They were mostly college girls who needed a little money and didn’t mind spending some time with vampires. Some of them had sex with their dates and others simply fed them. I didn’t directly get them work in the club, though I set up the system.”

  “Because the king freed the slaves?”

  “That was certainly part of the problem,” Quinn admitted. “The world changed quickly and we’re all scrambling to keep up with it. It seemed a smarter idea to use willing females than to tell the unattached vampires to fend for themselves.”

  Put like that it made a whole lot of sense.

  Quinn’s fist came down on the desk. “Damn it. When this gets out the wolves and the shifters will blame the vampires. Is there any way to keep this quiet while we find out who’s committing these crimes? Our alliances are still fragile. There are many in the werewolf community especially who think it was wrong to join with the vampires. Something like this could…it could start a civil war.”

  I gnawed on my lip while I thought about that. I hadn’t considered the ramifications outside the obvious one. “I don’t intend to give any interviews or anything, but people are going to notice their daughters are missing. I have to tell my client that her daughter is dead. I can’t lie to her.”

  “I understand,” the fertility god said. “I wouldn’t wish for her to not know, however if there is any way to keep the investigation quiet, it would help keep the peace. How can I help you? If Helen is your client, she can’t be paying you much.”

  “It’s fine. She paid me to find out what happened to her daughter. I’m not going to stop because she doesn’t have the money for me long term. I need to catch this guy, Mr. Quinn. Even if Gray refuses to help me after this, I’ll stay on.”

  Quinn opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a checkbook. He quickly wrote out a check and passed it to me. “Will that help your efforts?”

  As it was more money than I’d made in the last several months combined, I had to nod. I was thinking of all the things I could buy with that money. I could upgrade my laptop. I could walk through the gadget stores and buy all the cool little things that would make my job so much easier because I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to take on more interesting cases. Images of night vision gear played around in my head.

  “Excellent. Then consider me your client. That’s your retainer. Please let me know if you need more. You’ll need to get into the vampire club.”

  I tore my eyes away from the ridiculously large check. “Yes, I need access to the club. Can you tell them to expect me?”

  “You’ll need an escort. I can’t send you in alone and whether or not the lieutenant is reasonable, I can’t have him in the club.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I’ll have a vampire take you through the club. I know just the man. People will talk to you around him. You’ll find him helpful. Also, if you find yourself in need of a tracker, feel free to contact me and I’ll let you use Zack. He has an excellent nose, as his master is bound to discover tonight.”

  The door to the office opened and I turned to see a small boy cautiously entering the room. He had a mop of dark hair that fell almost in his eyes. He had on sweat pants that were nearly worn through at the knees, a Spider-Man T-shirt, and sneakers that needed to be tied. He looked like he was maybe eight or nine, and there was no question who his father was. />
  “Lee,” Quinn said and it was obvious he had gone into father mode. “You were supposed to spend the evening with your Uncle Neil.”

  The boy let the door close behind him and approached his father with big brown eyes that seemed to seriously consider the question. “He got lost, Papa.”

  “Did he?” Quinn asked suspiciously. “And your brother? Did Rhys get lost as well?”

  The tops of Lee’s shoes suddenly seemed very interesting to the boy. “I need to talk to Daddy.”

  “Daddy is out,” Quinn said firmly. “He had a meeting to go to. You’ll have to deal with me.”

  “Maybe I can wait for Daddy to get home.”

  “Or we could call your mother.” That came out more as a threat than an alternative.

  “I’ll tell you.” Apparently Daddy was the first choice, but Mama was the last. “You don’t have to bother Mama.”

  There was a long pause. “Lee, I’m waiting.”

  “We were just playing,” Lee started.

  I watched as the fertility god swallowed in fear. I could have sworn the man went pale. “What were you playing, Lee?”

  “Hide and seek,” the boy answered. “Me and Rhys were hiding and Uncle Neil was seeking.”

  “Did Uncle Neil know he was seeking?”

  The boy shrugged. “I think so. I heard him yelling a lot. He’s not real good at it.”

  “And where did you decide to hide, you little hoodlum?”

  “The armory,” Lee said.

  Quinn’s mouth fell open and I could practically see his heart begin to pound. “How did you get into the armory? It’s locked down. You have to have a key card.”

  “Well,” Lee started to explain. “Granddad told me I should practice so I stole Uncle Zack’s key and he didn’t even notice, but then I got hungry so I left it with Rhys and the door closed and I can’t get him to come out.”