Ripper

by Lexi Blake

  The butterfly hit the perfect spot and I started to moan. Gray’s head came up.

  “No. Not yet. Tonight you come with me. You come all over my cock or you don’t come at all.” He brushed the vibrator to the side and kneeled between my legs. “I have a lot of work to do with you, Kelsey mine,” he promised as he fitted that big cock against my pussy. “I think you’ll enjoy the training, though.”

  One long, rough thrust and he was in. He was so big that the fit was almost uncomfortably tight. He was on his knees, his hands cradling the cheeks of my ass as he ground himself into me. His eyes were on the sight of his flesh disappearing into mine.

  “You’re so beautiful, baby,” he said reverently. “I love you.” After a minute or two of long, slow thrusts he changed his position and placed the vibrator back on top of my clit. The exquisite tremors made me shake.

  “Gray,” I pleaded because he didn’t want me to come but I didn’t see a way around it.

  He chuckled as he moved on top of me, his weight pressing the vibrator down, grinding it in time with his pounding thrusts. “You come now, Kelsey. You come all around my cock. Make me feel it.”

  I obliged, thrusting back against him as much as the restraints would allow. The whole center of my body convulsed. Every muscle seized almost painfully and then burst into pleasure. I screamed as I came and Gray’s hands became almost savage as he held my hips in place and his desire took over. He’d seen to me and now he would let himself go.

  He pounded into me, using me as roughly as he wanted because he knew I didn’t care. I lay shaking beneath him as I watched him throw back his head and growl as he came. He bit into his bottom lip as he held his hips tight against mine, getting every last drop out, pouring it all into me. He finally fell over, exhausted. He let his head lay against my chest and his hands moved restlessly over my body.

  “I reserved the room today,” he said and I felt his smile on my skin.

  I knew which room he was talking about. He was talking about the bridal suite at the downtown hotel where he’d first “seen” me.

  “You were sure of yourself,” I murmured. My body felt deliciously replete.

  Gray’s head came up and he looked seriously at me. His hand went possessively to my stomach. “I’m sure of us.”

  I smiled. “I am too, Gray.”

  He seemed satisfied with my answer and went about untying me, kissing each limb sweetly as he undid the knot. When he was finished with the task, he rolled over onto his back and pulled me into his arms. He cuddled me close, my head resting on his chest.

  I was drifting off to sleep, secure in the circle of his body when he whispered to me. “I’m going to marry you and no one will ever take you away from me. I won’t let it happen. Once we’re married, I won’t let you run away from me.”

  I shook my head because that was a strange statement to make. I hadn’t tried to run from him when I discovered his parentage. I couldn’t think of anything that would make me run from him.

  I didn’t have a very vivid imagination.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Peter Hamilton simply wasn’t strong enough. The next day, I stood inside the courthouse trying to pretend to listen while Gray introduced me to some attorney he knew. The minute we entered the courthouse, Gray had been besieged with acquaintances. It had taken us twenty minutes to finally make it to the department that handled marriage licenses. We’d signed everything we needed to sign and now had to wait three days to get married right back here at the courthouse. I was supposed to arrange some sort of small reception afterward with my mom, brothers, and Liv. I’d received these instructions in between small discussions with coworkers who were shocked to discover Lieutenant Sloane was taking a bride.

  I was supposed to play the dutiful fiancée and start moving into my new home, call the restaurant Gray wanted to have the reception at, and most of all contact Devinshea Quinn and give him back his check. That didn’t seem particularly fair to me. I’d caught the killer¸ I deserved the money, but Gray had been extremely insistent that I have nothing further to do with the faery.

  “We’re getting married in three days,” Gray was saying to John something or other.

  But I was thinking about strength.

  I’d felt Peter Hamilton’s strength last night. It seemed to be an intrinsic part of whatever was happening to me. When that other part of me took over, I could judge my opponent’s strengths. One thing had been certain. Peter Hamilton’s body was breaking down. He’d found it difficult to properly aim the gun due to his advanced brain tumor. If he had trouble holding a gun, how had he managed to handle five werewolves and a shapeshifter?

  That wasn’t the only question running through my head.

  “How did he know to send the letters to you?” I asked Gray as he walked me to my car. He held my hand in his and squeezed it lightly.

  “Kelsey, it’s not a secret that I’m a Texas Ranger.” He was dressed in proper Ranger gear today. He had on a suit and tie, with expensive cowboy boots on his feet and a Stetson on his head. He looked delicious and masculine, and I had no idea how he brimmed with energy after the night we’d had when I could really use a nap. It was his fault. He was the one who woke me up at the god-awful hour of six a.m. because he needed sex before he went to work.

  “I don’t know.” Nothing about the night before added up in my head, including the fact that I was just getting around to thinking about it. I’m suspicious by nature, but it hadn’t really hit me until that moment.

  “All he had to do was look on the website to find out what area I work for,” Gray continued. “It’s also no secret I’ve worked serial murders before.”

  “So have several of your colleagues. And I seriously doubt that it mentions your supernatural affiliations on the website.” That was my issue. Unless Alexander Sharpe had actually been working with the professor, he had zero ties to our world.

  Come to think of it, how had he figured out Alexander’s secret? There were too many questions and not enough logical answers.

  Gray took both of my hands in his as we reached the Jeep. “Kelsey, let it go. Hamilton’s in jail. I’m going before the Council this evening to wrap it all up and then we can put all of this behind us. I’m going to work some normal cases for a while and we’re going to concentrate on our honeymoon. I took two weeks off. We’ll spend our wedding night here in Dallas and then we’re going to Hawaii where we won’t even discuss serial killers. So stop worrying about it.”

  “But why would Hamilton want to cause the Council trouble? He doesn’t even really understand how vampires work. How would he know about the Council?”

  Gray’s hands tightened around mine. “I don’t know, Kelsey. Does it matter? We were wrong about him wanting to cause trouble between wolves and vamps. It was merely an unfortunate side effect. As for how he knew about vamps at all, I have to figure one of the students in his class told him. Joanne probably wasn’t the only supe he taught.”

  My heart sped up. I knew there was a reason I wanted those class rolls. “You’re right. If Joanne wasn’t the one who told him, then maybe I could question the other students in his class. Quinn would probably know which ones were supes, or I could ask Marcus to take a look.”

  “No.” Gray frowned as he regarded me. “You’re out of this. If you absolutely have to work then go open your office, but this case is over. We caught him with the sixth girl’s heart, Kelsey. He’s guilty. Let it go.”

  Some part of my stubbornness must have shown through because he softened his stance.

  “Sweetheart, is it so surprising I want my future wife to concentrate on our wedding instead of a closed case?” he asked, his voice cajoling me. He lowered his lips to mine and touched them sweetly. “Please, Kelsey mine, I want to be happy for a little while.”

  Put like that I couldn’t refuse him. I sighed and kissed him back. “I’ll call the restaurant.”

  “Thank you.” He rewarded me with a brilliant smile. “Go on then, future M
rs. Sloane.”

  And I meant to. I really did. I meant to call the restaurant, but I got another call first.

  “So, I had to hear from Marcus that you caught the killer last night?” Dev Quinn’s smooth voice accused me over my cell phone as I drove west on I-30 toward Hurst. I needed to pack some things. I could figure out what to do with my furniture later, but my clothes needed to come with me now.

  “He’s in custody,” I replied with as much professionalism as I could muster. I toyed with the travel mug of coffee Syl had handed me as I left the house earlier today. It was already empty. I needed a bigger mug. “I believe Lieutenant Sloane will be meeting with the councilman tonight to go over everything.”

  “But I didn’t hire Lieutenant Sloane, Kelsey.” Quinn’s reply made me feel guilty. “I hired you. Marcus was surprised that a college professor managed this on his own.”

  Loyalty told me to keep my mouth shut. Honesty had me turning the car around. If I didn’t at least look at those rolls, I would hate myself. I owed Helen Taylor to follow through, to make sure that the end was really the end.

  “The Rangers are sure they have the right man,” I replied even as I was estimating how long it would take me to get to SMU.

  There was a pause, and even over the phone I found Dev Quinn intimidating. “What do you think, Kelsey?”

  “I have some questions.”

  “Then find the answers,” Quinn ordered. “Come to my office at five. I expect an update.”

  I was about to tell him I wouldn’t be cashing his check, but I was met with a click as he hung up, obviously certain I would obey his command. Quinn and Gray had more in common than they would guess. Maybe it was why they didn’t get along. According to the clock on the dashboard, I had plenty of time before it got dark. It was more than enough time to go look at the rolls and meet with Quinn. I would update him and then politely give him back his check. If Gray got upset I hadn’t done everything he asked, then I would have to find a way to make it up to him.

  My brain worked overtime the entire drive to SMU. I was willing to forgive myself for not seeing clearly last night. I’d been riding the adrenaline high of meeting Jack the Ripper and then fighting for my life. The beast that seemed to be inside me didn’t think analytically. She seemed to run completely off instinct. If Marcus hadn’t been able to talk me down, I would have gleefully killed Peter Hamilton and then I would have gone after Alexander Sharpe. It had been there in the back of my mind that I should kill the vampire before he tried to kill me. I would have dropped Hamilton’s corpse and turned to start in on Sharpe. The need, the urge to kill had been a strong force. I hadn’t even let Gray reach me. Marcus had helped me turn from it. I could still feel the peaceful push of his magic calling me back to myself. Marcus had known what to do. That vampire knew a hell of a lot more about what was going on than he let on, and I intended to get answers out of him, too.

  The campus was already starting to look empty as I pulled into the faculty parking garage. I pulled up to the second level and found a spot in the back where hopefully no one would notice I didn’t have the right pass. If I got a ticket I would have to deal with it. Before I got out of the car, I shoved the gun Gray had given me in my bag. I had been forced to shove it under the driver’s seat of my car earlier because they don’t let anyone but law enforcement carry in a courthouse. I doubted there was a metal detector at the admin building, and even if there was, I had a permit. I only cared about getting to the administration building and looking over those class rolls. Hamilton had promised to send them to me, but he must have forgotten in the midst of all his murders.

  I hurried along the pathway, not paying any attention to what was around me. When I emerged into the late afternoon sunlight I saw that the last classes of the afternoon were starting to let out. I slipped into the door of the admin building and prayed that they stayed open until five. That would give me an hour to convince someone to let me look at the rolls.

  In the end, it was a cinch. The news of Peter Hamilton’s arrest on murder charges was all anyone could talk about. He was only being charged with the murder of Joanne Taylor, and the official story was that he had killed her accidentally in a fit of rage brought on by his brain tumor. Did Gray have an assistant who came up with that bullshit or was it the work of the Council? Whoever it was, they’d done me a massive favor. When I explained who I was and that I was merely tying up some loose ends for the victim’s mother, the girl working the registrar’s desk pulled up the rolls and started to print them out for me.

  “Could I have everything from the last three years?” I asked as she typed. She bombarded me with questions and I answered because it seemed to keep her working.

  “And you were there when they arrested him?”

  I went into the whole story, albeit a highly edited version. If the Council could make up crap, then so could I. I kept talking right up to the point that I got the printouts in my hand. I thanked the girl kindly and then dashed off. I waited until I was out on the steps to take a look at what I had in my hands. The sun was low in the sky and I kind of hoped I wouldn’t find anything. If I didn’t then I could happily go along with whatever Gray wanted. I could tell Quinn that we were being paranoid, give him back his check, and get ready for my honeymoon. If I didn’t find anything out from this line of questioning, that was exactly what I would do, I promised myself as I looked down at the lists of students.

  But that wasn’t how it worked out. Right there on page three, I found the one name I had sincerely hoped I wouldn’t find because I was in serious trouble. I stood up, shoved the papers into my bag, and took off for my car because I was going to see Quinn early. The king had a much bigger problem than he could have imagined.

  My cell phone in hand, I walked briskly toward the parking garage. I called Gray first, but it went straight to voice mail. It wasn’t surprising since I knew he was scheduled to be in meetings all afternoon. I left a message and decided that maybe it was time to give some new friends a call. Gray might not be thrilled with the Council, but they served an important purpose, and if someone was trying to take down the king, then I had to try to stop it. I clicked the button to call that Zack guy I had met the other night. He told me to call him if I had any trouble, and he seemed pretty competent. He could also get a message to Quinn if I needed him to.

  He answered on the first ring.

  “This is Owens,” a deep voice said expectantly.

  “Zack?”

  “Kelsey?” His voice went from professional to concerned in no time flat. He also had excellent ears since he knew my voice and we’d only met the once. “I’m so glad you called. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. I need to talk to Quinn.” I walked into the parking garage. It was far emptier than before. Faculty left at the first opportunity around here. A little like the students. “Tell him I know who the killer is and he’s got some cleaning up to do.”

  “Kelsey, you’re breaking up.” The phone crackled and if he said something else, it got lost.

  “It must be the damn parking garage.” A deep chill swept over me. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I knew someone was watching. “Zack?”

  “I can barely hear you,” he practically shouted.

  I spoke as clearly as I could. I wanted someone, anyone to know where I was because that feeling wasn’t going away. “I’m in the faculty parking garage at SMU.”

  Out of nowhere a hand batted the phone out of my hand. It clattered to the ground. I spun from the force of that hand hitting me and looked straight into the cold eyes of Darren Castle.

  “You had to keep looking, didn’t you?”

  I backed up. He’d been the name on the list. The one name I hadn’t wanted to find because it meant I was knee deep in the mud. “You killed her and she was your friend.”

  “She was a pretty girl,” Darren said, but I heard the hesitation in his voice. “Unlike every other wolf alive, I like some variety. I enjoyed chasing her. I would have e
njoyed catching her if she hadn’t forced us to kill her.”

  I needed to keep him talking. My phone was face up and the lights were on, indicating the call was still live. There might be some shot at Zack hearing the conversation. My heart was starting to pound. Gray was going to be so upset if I got myself killed three days before our wedding.

  “No.” I’d seen the way he treated her even after she was dead. “You loved her. You didn’t want to kill her. You hated yourself for doing it. It’s why you buried her separately, why you took care with her.”

  He stood there, blocking the way out of the garage. Even in his flannel shirt and jeans, he radiated power. His build was stocky and muscular and there was no doubt he was an alpha. He didn’t lead any pack today, but he would someday. He would lead them by right of tooth and claw. He would lead them because he would be able to kill anyone who questioned his right.

  “I accept her death,” Darren said with a righteous tone to his voice. “And I didn’t kill her. My father did. I haven’t killed anyone, though I did watch a couple of times. He killed Jo because she saw Hamilton with that vampire. She was going to give up the entire game. Dad had to strangle her or she was going straight to the king with news that Sharpe wasn’t the killer. Everyone would have known and then it would all have been for nothing.”

  I breathed, patiently waiting. He seemed willing to talk. If he wasn’t lying, he hadn’t actually killed anyone before and likely wanted to put it off. Just because he’d helped his father didn’t mean he was ready to move up in ranks himself. Killing isn’t easy. Not the first time. Not even when you’re a predator. “What did you expect to get out of this?”

  Now I had him on a subject he really liked. His face came alive with passion. “Freedom. Ever since McKenzie sold us to the vampires for a seat on the Council, we’ve been slowly becoming their slaves. We are wolves. We should rule ourselves. We shouldn’t have to watch as our women become whores.”