Kyle (Hope City Book 4)

by Maryann Jordan

  Her orgasm caused her to shudder as her sex pulsed around his cock. Forcing her eyes to stay open, she wanted to see his face. Not disappointed, he soon followed her, his cock thrusting until there was nothing left.

  Crashing onto his chest, the words, “I love you,” were forced from her lungs. For a split second she cringed, wondering if it was too soon to let him know how she felt, but his arms tightened, and she relaxed. She had no illusions that he would repeat the sentiment or that he even felt those words at the moment, and that was fine. She knew what was in her heart and had no problem letting him know.

  They lay, arms and legs tangled as heartbeats slowed, breathing each other in. He rolled to the side, keeping his arms banded around her. Bringing one hand to her face, he brushed her hair back, keeping his gaze pinned on hers. He kissed her lightly, the barest touch of lips. Mumbling against her mouth, he whispered, “I love you too, Kimberly.”

  She loved it when he called her ‘babe’, but at that moment, she loved that he used her name.

  Sleep still proved elusive, so they lay wrapped in each other’s arms. That was when she told him that she was glad he’d gone to the Cottages.

  “It was the right thing to do, but remember, I still don’t want you to go by yourself. We’ll go together.”

  She smiled at the thought, then looked up as he shifted slightly, leaning back so that he could stare into her face.

  “I want you to move into my place.”

  She blinked, her brow scrunching. “I am here.”

  “No, I mean permanently. Bob will have no problem finding a new renter.”

  “Kyle, I don’t know that this is the right time to make this kind of decision. Things are really intense right now. I know you’re trying to protect me, but we need to make sure we’re solid.”

  “This doesn’t feel solid to you?”

  “Yes, it does. But giving up my house means that I have no backup in case something goes south with us.” Seeing him about to protest, she huffed. “I’m not saying it’s going to. I’m just saying that I want to make a smart decision.”

  He cupped her face, his thumb sweeping over her cheek. He nodded slowly and said, “I can’t argue with your logic, but I do want you here with me. And our situation is intense, but that doesn’t make you and me any less right.”

  “How about I move in with you, but I don’t give up my house right away? After all, I’ve already paid rent through this month.”

  Grinning, he rolled her to her back and nestled his hips between her thighs. “Perfect, babe. As always, you’re perfect.”

  27

  Kimberly walked into her office, glad to arrive early so that few people were there. So much had happened in the last few days that it had been hard to focus on her job. While at Kyle’s home yesterday, she’d spent time typing up her notes on the interviews from personnel in research, development, quality management, sales, and finance. She also finished the interviews with the vice presidents and department supervisors. After completing each interview, she dropped it into the shared folder with John to await his approval.

  Having gained permission from several to include them in her Faces of Hope City e-magazine, she had forwarded those to her editor. Chuck loved them and could not wait to start the new series.

  Facing her today was the last of the interviews from Niles’ department, including Tammy’s, Charlie’s, and Joe’s interviews. She wanted to wait until Kyle’s investigation was over. When he confided that they were certain someone from the inside was in on the theft of the pharmaceutical van, it put a damper on her enthusiasm.

  Flopping into her chair, she dropped her purse and satchel onto the floor and leaned back. She had called Bob early that morning to find that he’d left the hospital and was staying with a friend. Promising to visit soon and bring food over once he was home, she felt disheartened that he was injured because of her.

  Sighing, she rubbed her forehead to ease the dull headache that had begun and stared at her desk. She reached forward to turn on her desktop computer when her fingers froze in place. The files on her desk were skewed. She was certainly haphazard about many things but remembered when she’d left the other day she had taken the time to straighten her desk.

  Leaning forward, she flipped open the file and looked at the contents. Everything seemed in order, and yet, she could not shake the feeling that someone had been through her interview notes.

  “Good morning.”

  She startled and looked up in surprise as Marcus walked past her, his hands full with two coffee cups.

  He sat one on her desk and grinned. “Guess who’s discovered a new coffee shop around the corner from my house?” he asked. “I got you a caramel macchiato, two sweeteners, and I told her to add an extra dollop of caramel.” He glanced down at the drink confection and his brow crinkled. “Hmmm, the whipped cream has melted, and you’ll probably need to zap it in the microwave. But it’s the thought that counts, right? I figured if you needed a day off yesterday, you might need this today.”

  She laughed and nodded, popping off the top of the cup and seeing that he was right about the whipped cream. Taking a sip, it was lukewarm but deliciously sweet. “Oh, that’s nice. Thanks!”

  He settled at his desk and more people wandered in as well, ready to start the day. Leaning over so that she would not be heard by others, she asked, “Did you see anyone at my desk yesterday?”

  “Like sitting at your desk or just near it? Why? Is something wrong?”

  “I just thought it looked like someone may have gone through some of my files. Although I don’t know why it would matter, I’ve sent everything to John. It just gave me the creeps this morning, that’s all.”

  Marcus chuckled. “You know, you’re the only person our age that still seems to print everything out.”

  “You know me! I’m always afraid something will get lost in cyberspace. So I save things to a bunch of different places and then print them out! That way I figure I’ll always have something I need.” Glancing up toward John’s office, the lights still obviously off, she wondered if he was not coming in again today.

  “Do you think the receptionist that was drooling over you will be there today and that she might know more about Roger than just what gym he goes to?” They had Jerry, but now Kyle and Alex wanted to get their hands on Roger.

  Scowling, Alex shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”

  “Well, she had her eye on you, so I’ll let you do the talking again.”

  “Great,” Alex grumbled.

  It didn’t take long to get back to their destination and, walking in, Kyle was glad to see the receptionist from yesterday. She looked up from her cell phone, her gaze bouncing between the two of them before settling on Alex with a wide smile on her face.

  “Hi! I didn’t think I’d get a chance to see you again.”

  Alex leaned his forearms on the counter, his smile cocky. “Hey, darlin’. We’re still looking for Roger. We were here this morning, but he wasn’t in. He wasn’t at the gym either. I don’t suppose you know of any other hangouts of his, do you?”

  Kyle was almost certain her eyelashes fluttered but wasn’t sure if that was even a thing. She mimicked Alex’s stance, leaning on her forearms, once again causing her cleavage to deepen. Her voice oozed syrup and she giggled.

  “I can’t imagine what you want Roger for.”

  She began to twirl a strand of hair around her finger, and it was all Kyle could do to keep from rolling his eyes.

  “He’s got some information that I need, so I’m desperate to find him.” Alex leaned forward slightly and added, “Are you sure you don’t know where he might be?”

  “Well, the only other place I’ve ever met him at is Tingle’s. It’s a bar down on 46th.” She whispered, adding, “He took me there once, but I thought it was a dive. I mean, if a guy’s going to take me out, he should show me a good time, right?”

  “Absolutely, darlin’. A guy taking you out should always show you a good time.�
��

  She giggled again, this time her breasts bouncing with the movement. “Is that an invite?” She asked, her smile threatening to split her face.

  “Sorry, darlin’. I just don’t think my wife would like that very much.” He tapped his fingers on the counter, then offered her a wave and a smile. Turning, he walked toward Kyle and the two left the building.

  Once outside, Kyle shook his head. “Harsh, man.”

  “Shit, I couldn’t think of anything else.”

  “You’re losing your touch.”

  “Just because you’ve got a girl waiting for you at home doesn’t mean the rest of us do.”

  Kyle smiled at his partner as he climbed into the cab of his truck. “Well, I know a certain detective that looks like she wouldn’t turn you down if you asked her.”

  “Birdie?” Alex sighed. “Yeah, she’s special. But damn if I know how two detectives are ever supposed to get together for a date. I can’t even imagine what that must be like.”

  “Brock and Kallie make it work.”

  “Yeah, because they started as partners. Me and Birdie… never happening, man.”

  Kyle let it drop as they approached Tingle’s Bar. His eyes were on a parking space when Alex called out. “Isn’t that him?”

  Lifting his head around to look out the passenger window, he observed Roger walking down the sidewalk away from them. Turning at the corner, he drove past Roger and found an opening at the curb. A grin slipped across his face as he parallel parked perfectly. They sat for a moment until Roger walked past them, then bolted from the truck.

  Roger spied Alex first and started to run, crashing into Kyle as he stepped in front of him. A flash of fear moved through his eyes just before Kyle pinned him against the wall.

  “Don’t try it,” Kyle warned, pressing Roger’s face against the brick of the nearest building. “I can see running in your eyes, and it won’t go good for you.”

  Roger's head jerked in a nod as his feet remained rooted to the sidewalk. As though suddenly aware of their location, his eyes scanned the other people on the street as Kyle loosened his grip slightly. Looking back at Kyle and Alex, he said, “Do we have to do this here?”

  Alex cocked his head for a second then turned to Kyle. “I like this. Nice and easy.”

  A chuckle erupted from Kyle’s chest, and he nodded toward Roger. “I’d say it would be best if we took this to the station.”

  “Do I need a lawyer?”

  “Your call.”

  Roger stayed still for a few seconds, then said, “Not now. But I reserve the right for representation later if I need it.”

  “Like I said, your call.”

  Thirty minutes later, Roger was settled in an interview room. Kyle and Alex were ready to walk in when an assistant, Jocelyn, rolled her wheelchair down the hall toward them, a sheaf of papers in her hand.

  Handing them to Kyle, she winked and said, “Interesting reading.”

  As Alex looked over his shoulder, he flipped through the papers, skimming to the sections she had highlighted. After a moment, he lifted his head and grinned widely. Bending, he kissed her cheek. “You’re the best.”

  Waving as she rolled away, she laughed. “That’s what all the men say!”

  Turning back to the interview room, he tucked her file folder underneath the other one in his hand and walked in. Alex leaned his back against the door while Kyle scraped the chair over the tiled floor and sat, slapping both files on top of the table.

  “We know you get the money from the sale of the drugs stolen from Kilton Pharmaceuticals. We have one of your distributors in custody, and we’re currently rounding up two more that we know of. The one in custody is playing this smart and has already given you up. We have you linked to the truck that was used in the latest theft of a pharmaceutical van, and we’re working on gaining the physical evidence, including traffic cameras, to prove that you were the one driving. We know that you pass the drugs to Jeremiah Dempsy, who then gets them to your distributors.”

  He shook his head slowly and said, “I guess that’s the part I really don’t get. You trust Jerry to get the drugs to your distributors? A known addict?” He watched a specter of doubt move through Roger’s eyes. “So, Raphael distributes, takes the money, keeps his cut, and gets the payment to you. And before you’re set to deny, we’ve got him, and he’s ready to roll.”

  “I think I want my lawyer now.”

  “Wish you’d decided that earlier—it would’ve saved us some time.” He closed the folder and said, “Once your lawyer gets here, let him know that you still have time to work with us. You take too long, that door’s going to shut.”

  “I don’t know anyone higher up other than the person I take orders from,” Roger said suddenly.

  “That’s how we climb this ladder, man. One step at a time. Got no problem with that.”

  Roger rested his arms on the table, his fists clenched together. “Let me talk to my lawyer first.”

  Several hours later, Kyle and Alex were on their way to Kilton Pharmaceuticals.

  28

  Once again, Kyle walked through the door into Thomas’ office. This time, instead of finding the affable Vice President of Finance, he and Alex were greeted with a scowl.

  “Detectives, I understand your need to investigate and no one wants the criminals found more than me, but this is a most inconvenient time for an interruption.”

  “We understand, Mr. Kilton, but our investigations don’t always follow convenient timelines.” They had not been invited to sit, but Kyle moved toward the chairs in front of Thomas’ large desk and sat, Alex following suit.

  Heaving an exaggerated, audible sigh, Thomas lay his pen on his desk and leaned back in his seat. “Then, by all means, let’s get this over with.”

  “We’ve—”

  The door opened, interrupting Kyle, and the three men turned to see who was entering the room. An older, distinguished gentleman stepped in briskly, and Kyle recognized the president, Robert Kilton.

  “I’d like to know what’s going on. Thomas?”

  “Dad, these two men are detectives with the Hope City Police who’ve been investigating our stolen drugs.”

  Dropping his gaze toward Alex and Kyle, the older man introduced himself. “Detectives. I’m Robert Kilton. Pardon me for the intrusion, but I’ve just been informed that this is now the second time you’ve been in to speak to Thomas. I can’t imagine what information he would have for you, but I’d like to know what’s going on with any investigation affecting my company.”

  “Dad, this is nothing for you to be concerned about. You’ve just gotten back from your trip and should be resting.”

  Robert waved his hand dismissively. “Nonsense. Everything about this company is my business. Everything. Don’t forget that.”

  Kyle glanced toward Thomas, seeing his jaw working, but he did not stand and offer his father a seat. While Kyle felt no professional duty to do so, his upbringing stepped in. Standing, he waved his hand toward his chair. “Sir.”

  Acknowledging his offer, Robert replied, “Thank you, but I’ll stand.”

  At that, Thomas jumped up from his seat and said, “No, Dad, please. Sit here.”

  Hiding his eye roll at the change of seating, he watched as Robert sat behind the desk, Alex moved to lean against the credenza, and Thomas sat in the chair closest to Kyle.

  Glancing toward Robert, Kyle began. “Mr. Kilton, I don’t know if you’ve been apprised of what’s been going on since you’ve been out of the country for a few weeks.”

  “I was told about the van robbery which, of course, concerned me. But I was also told that the Hope City Police were working diligently to find out what happened to the drugs. I made sure the mayor stayed in contact with the police commissioner to keep me apprised of any developments.”

  Kyle said nothing, knowing Chauncey wouldn’t know the particulars of the case, nor would he discuss them with the mayor.

  “And I don’t see what any of thi
s has to do with me,” Thomas reiterated.

  Forgoing a conversation with Robert at the moment, Kyle returned to his original purpose. Looking at Thomas, he said, “Concerning your relationship with Congressman Dell, we know that this company and each of the vice presidents and department supervisors have made significant campaign contributions—”

  “There’s nothing illegal about a business or individuals making campaign contributions. If this line of questioning continues, I’m going to consider it to be police harassment.”

  “In talking with your vice presidents and department supervisors, all of them except one were surprised that their name was listed as a campaign donor. That would indicate that Kilton Pharmaceuticals has been making donations beyond the legal limit using employees as a cover.”

  “This is pure speculation and has nothing to do with what your investigation is supposed to be about! You obviously can’t do your jobs and are now trying to besmirch this company,” Thomas bit out, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.

  Robert ignored his son and leaned forward, his gaze pinned on Kyle. “I’m concerned about what you’ve just brought up, but I’m curious how it ties into your investigation of the stolen drugs. Or is it a diversion as my son implies?”

  “This case was somewhat of a labyrinth, Mr. Kilton. Not one that we couldn’t move through, and certainly one that had a great deal of paths that led to nowhere but, eventually, we found our way to the end.”

  “This is ridiculous—”

  “Thomas, quiet,” Robert barked, keeping his attention on Kyle.

  “We’ve known that some of Kilton’s pharmaceuticals, particularly opioids such as your brand of fentanyl, have ended up on the black market, often used as an additive with heroin or cocaine, making it way more potent and way more addictive. Cash value on the streets is in the millions.”