Moonlight Avenue

by Gerri Hill

  “I’m glad we talked about it. But you don’t have to be afraid of me. I would never presume there’d be a repeat of that night. That was out of character for both of us, apparently. So don’t worry. I’m not interested in a repeat.”

  Rylee turned slowly to face Finn, trying to decide if what she felt was relief or disappointment. She should be relieved, yes. She wanted to be relieved. There didn’t have to be a repeat of that night. Finn, obviously, didn’t want one. So, yes…what she was feeling was relief.

  Involuntarily, her gaze dropped to Finn’s lips. She remembered how they tasted, of course. She also remembered all the delicious things those lips had done to her. Now, with her pulse pounding in her ears, she turned away without commenting on Finn’s statement, heading purposefully to the spare bedroom without looking back.

  She hated lying to herself. It did no good whatsoever. So no, it wasn’t relief that she was feeling. She felt crushed with disappointment…and perhaps regret.

  But when she closed the door to the bedroom and leaned back against it, she allowed herself to see the truth. The words that came from Finn’s mouth may have said one thing, but her eyes said something else entirely. Finn wanted to forget that night. Finn wanted to pretend she wasn’t interested. Rylee found herself believing Finn’s eyes…not her words.

  Because her eyes didn’t lie.

  * * *

  Finn added a splash of the amber liquid to her glass and sat down in her chair. The lights were still on at the pier and she could see the water lapping along the retaining wall. High tide. Smokey jumped in her lap and Finn shifted a little, giving the cat more room. Her gaze went to the hallway. It was dark. Was Rylee already in bed? She closed her eyes, trying to imagine what Rylee would sleep in. Completely naked? A T-shirt and undies? Or no shirt? She smiled and let her hand drift across Smokey’s fur. Yes…a T-shirt.

  Of course, it didn’t take much for her to imagine pulling that T-shirt off Rylee, exposing her breasts. She remembered cupping them in the motel room when they’d been standing beside the bed. They’d filled her hands, the nipples becoming rigid as soon as she touched them. Rylee had guided her mouth, urging her to taste them. She remembered the moan Rylee uttered when her tongue had…

  “God,” she murmured, chasing the image out of her mind. “What are we going to do now?” she whispered to the cat.

  She liked it better when they were pretending not to recall that night. Because the look in Rylee’s eyes earlier told her she was remembering every detail. It also told her something else. The attraction she felt for Rylee definitely wasn’t one-sided. But there was nothing to worry about. Right? They’d slept together. There was no reason to do it again.

  With a quiet sigh, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, letting the images move slowly through her mind, one by one…over and over and over again.

  Chapter Fifty

  “Okay, so get this,” Rylee said. “King Chevrolet has two cleaning services. Hernandez’s crew—Bayside Janitorial—and another one, Mitchell Commercial Cleaners. Why would they have two?”

  “I think I know why. Come take a look at this.”

  Rylee got up and walked around the table to Finn’s side, leaning over her shoulder. “What is all that?”

  “I thought the easiest way to find out who his clients are was to look at his financials.”

  “Is that legal?”

  “Not really, no. As a private investigator, there are boundaries. Snooping in someone’s financial records requires a subpoena or search warrant. Privacy rights, you know.”

  “But?”

  “Well, I can access some of the information, but if I was doing it for a client, nothing would be admissible since it was obtained illegally. And I could lose my license.”

  Rylee put her hand on Finn’s shoulder. “So why are you doing it?”

  Finn felt her pulse race at Rylee’s touch. It was a familiar touch. Too familiar. She tried to ignore the hand resting on her, ignore the body that was nearly leaning against her. “Because I’m counting on you not reporting me.”

  Rylee smiled at her. “I see. Trusting, aren’t you?”

  “Apparently.” She pointed at the screen. “Here. All of our guys are on here. Even Mabanks. These are deposits.”

  “Wow. He charges a lot for cleaning.”

  “Right. But you said you found that King Chevrolet has another cleaning service.” Finn turned her head to look at her. “Why would they pay two?”

  Rylee took a step away. “Is this a test?”

  “Yes. A test.”

  “Okay. Then I’m guessing that Bayside Janitorial is a fake service. They don’t really clean offices. These aren’t really payments.”

  Finn smiled. “Good. That’s my guess too. But it’s made to look real. He’s got clients, they make monthly deposits.” She brought up another screen. “He’s got payroll. Employees. Sends out W2s. I’m sure—on the surface—it’s all legit. No red flags.”

  “But if he’s got all of this, why did he need Daniel Frazier’s pizza places?”

  “I have no idea.” Finn shrugged. “Unless…well, he’s got more money coming in than Frazier could handle. Then that means drugs.”

  “Drug cartel? Mexico?”

  “Speculating…but yeah.”

  “So maybe we should be focusing on Jose Hernandez. See where he lives, what he does. Follow him around.”

  “The only property in his name is the house out at South Bay Park,” Finn said. “He may own others under different names. Maybe even the business name. We’ll need to check that.”

  “Do you think he lives out there? At their clubhouse? Where God knows what goes on?”

  “If he’s the guy running the show, then I’d say no. It would be too risky.”

  “Do you think all these guys know what’s really going on?”

  “It’s hard to say. Something is obviously going on with Peterson.”

  Rylee went back to her own laptop. “So what’s the plan? Tracking devices? Dee wasn’t crazy about that idea.”

  “It probably wasn’t a good idea to begin with. Let me download all of this so I can show it to her. Then we’ll head out to South Bay.”

  “You are going to feed me, right?”

  Finn looked at her over the top of her laptop. “Don’t I always?”

  Rylee rolled her eyes. “I’ve lost like five pounds since I’ve been working for you.”

  “Really? I guess I do need to feed you more then. Because from what I remember, you really didn’t need to lose five pounds.” The words were out before she could stop them and Rylee arched an eyebrow.

  “Are you saying you’re picturing me naked?”

  Finn pulled her eyes away, feeling a bright blush cross her face. Rylee’s smile turned into laugh.

  “Oh, my God! You are too cute when you blush.” Rylee’s smile still lingered on her face. “If it makes you feel better…I can picture you naked too.” The smile left her face as their eyes held. “And from what I remember…you were just about perfect.”

  Finn felt her heart lodge in her throat and she tried to swallow, tried to find her breath. “We should…we should go.” She closed her laptop. “We should stop talking…and go.”

  But Rylee didn’t move. She continued to hold her gaze.

  “Now who’s running?”

  Finn pushed away from the table. Yes. Now who was running?

  I am.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  The last thing Finn wanted to do was to be stuck in a car all day with Rylee. Because yes, she could still picture her as she’d been that night. Passionate. Demanding. Relentless, really. And yes…naked. Finn couldn’t resist her at the bar. She couldn’t resist her on the dance floor. She certainly couldn’t resist her in bed. How in the hell did she think she could resist her now? Because if Rylee wanted a repeat of that night, Finn knew without a doubt that she’d go willingly. And really, what would it hurt? They’d done it before.

  It would make things a
wkward, that’s what it would do. Awkward? She mentally smiled at that. Could things get any more awkward?

  So here they were, parked under a cluster of trees where Sealane became Seashore Drive, a long block from South Bay, the main street into the neighborhood and the street most likely to be taken by the so-called members.

  “If you’re not going to finish your fries, I’ll take them off your hands for you.”

  Finn looked over at Rylee, who was still eating her burger. “Trying to gain back those five pounds all at once?”

  Rylee grinned. “This may be our only meal today.”

  Finn handed over the rest of her fries but not before shoving one into her mouth. “Dee’s turn for dinner.”

  “We have got to start cooking. Eating like we do is not healthy. We need some veggies. And I don’t mean like the few included in our Chinese food last night.”

  “So you say, but you know, we don’t cook.”

  Rylee nibbled on a fry thoughtfully. “Did your mother cook?”

  “God, no. She didn’t do anything except shop and do brunch with her high society friends.”

  “Oh, no. Snooty rich?”

  “She came from money, yes. And my father was very successful, so…”

  “You seem perfectly normal. Take after your father?”

  Finn shrugged. “He worked all the time. Family definitely came second. If I wanted to see him, I went to his office. And as you know, my mother found another way to pass her time.”

  “Yet you wanted to be an attorney like him? Is that why you don’t take time for yourself? You learned from him?”

  Finn took a deep breath. “I don’t know. Maybe subconsciously, I didn’t want to be in the same rut that my parents were in. Easier to be alone.”

  “Then why me? Why that night?”

  Finn looked into the blue-green eyes…eyes that were questioning. What should she tell her? That she’d planned to have a drink or two, then leave? Should she tell her that one look into her eyes had stolen her breath away? Should she tell her the truth? Should she tell her that she was lonely? Yes, she’d been lonely. She pulled her eyes away from Rylee, staring out at the empty street instead.

  “I…I’m usually content with my own company. That night, I wanted to be around people. I was…I was lonely.” She let out a breath. “I…I don’t sleep with strangers, Rylee.” She turned to look at her, wondering what it was she was seeing there in those blue eyes. Compassion? Sympathy? Something else? “I was going to have a couple of drinks and relax a bit. That’s all.”

  Rylee’s head tilted, her gaze still locked with Finn’s. “But?” she whispered.

  Finn could feel her heart beating a little too fast, could feel some of the same sensations she’d felt when she first saw Rylee that night. “When I saw you, when I looked into your eyes…I couldn’t breathe.” She swallowed. “The rest is all kind of a blur.”

  She felt Rylee’s hand squeeze her arm. “It’s not a blur, Finn. I remember every detail, from the first dance to the last kiss.” She squeezed her arm tighter. “I think you do too.”

  Yes, she did, didn’t she? The way she trembled when they danced, the way her knees had nearly buckled when Rylee slipped her tongue into her mouth. The fevered kisses, the bold touches…all of that while still at the bar. Then the quiet of the motel room. The muted lighting. The crisp sheets against their naked skin. How aroused they’d both been. How Rylee had pulled her down, opening for her. How it felt to slide her fingers into her wetness. The way Rylee had screamed when she climaxed. And how loud she’d moaned when Rylee’s mouth had claimed her. Not just claimed her…devoured her until Finn exploded. Yes…she remembered it all.

  Finn looked at her now, feeling Rylee’s hand still touching her. She said the first thing that came to her mind.

  “I lied.”

  Rylee’s eyebrows rose, disappearing into her bangs.

  “I…I lied when I said that I…that I didn’t…”

  “Said what? That you had no desire to…to be with me again? To make love with me?”

  “Yes.” Finn swallowed. “I lied.”

  A hint of a smile touched Rylee’s lips. “I know.”

  Finn swallowed down her nervousness as Rylee’s fingers tightened their hold on her.

  “And for the record…when you looked at me across the bar, I couldn’t breathe either. I’ve never been so instantly attracted to someone before. And now that we’ve gotten to know each other a little…I’m still very attracted to you, Finn,” she finished in a whisper.

  God…how in the world had they gotten this far, this fast? She had no idea how to respond, she only knew she wished they weren’t here, stuck in a car. No. She wished they were at home…alone. In bed. Naked. With lots of time on their hands. Did Rylee want that too? Or were they rushing things? Maybe they should start slower. No need to jump into bed right away. Maybe just kiss, get reacquainted with each other again. Yes. Because Rylee liked to kiss. Rylee liked slow, soft, sensual kisses. She also liked fierce, wet, hot kisses. She also liked—

  She pulled her eyes away. Her world was about to change, wasn’t it? She could feel it. Tonight. Tonight, her world was going to change. Rylee. Not some stranger she’d met at a bar…a stranger who she started out having sex with and ended up making love to. A stranger whose image had danced around in her mind often during the last six months. A stranger she never thought she’d see in the flesh again.

  Was it fate that their paths had crossed once more? Blind luck? Or just a stupid coincidence?

  “Finn?”

  She turned, loving the sound of her name on Rylee’s lips. Finn met her eyes, wondering how it would be to make love with her again. Wondering if there’d be any hesitation, any uncertainty. Wondering if Rylee wanted it as much as she did.

  “Hmm?”

  Rylee smiled, a slow, sweet smile. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  “Where are you?”

  “South Bay Park. What’s going on?”

  Dee stared at the body, her eyes on the bullet hole in his head. She turned away, moving past the officers who were still on the scene.

  “I caught a case,” she told Finn. “Single GSW to the head.”

  “One of our guys?”

  “No. Hispanic male, late teens, early twenties.” She tucked a strand of hair behind one ear, but the wind whipped it around again. “I don’t know how much help I’m going to be to you now. I’ve got to focus on this.”

  “Well, you are a cop after all.”

  Dee could hear the smile in Finn’s voice and she gave a quick laugh. “Yeah, glad you remembered that.”

  “It’s okay. We’re hanging out here. Brian Hodge—he’s on your half of the list—showed up about forty minutes ago.” A pause. “Are you going to be able to make it tonight?”

  “I would think so. I’ll let you know.” An officer approached and she nodded at him. “Hang on a second,” she told Finn. “What’d you get, Sanchez?”

  “Found a wallet over in the water.”

  “Our vic?”

  “Photo matches. They’re running prints. There’s cash in here, cards too.”

  “So not a robbery. What? They tossed it in the channel?”

  “Apparently not far enough.” He held up the driver’s license. “Carlos Hernandez. Twenty-one. Not a local. The address is Brownsville.”

  She stared at the picture on the license and at the name. God…things were unraveling, weren’t they? “Thank you, Sanchez.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She took a deep breath before putting the phone up to her face again. “Finn…the body…it’s Carlos Hernandez.”

  “You’re serious? Our Carlos Hernandez?”

  “It’s not been verified with prints. Brownsville address on his license.”

  “Christ, you don’t think Brett Peterson killed him, do you?”

  “God, I hope not.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose. “We need to talk, Finn. I’m n
ot used to this. I don’t know what to do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I know Brett Peterson hired you, but I’m not supposed to know that. I mean I know his child was possibly abducted, but I’m not supposed to know that either. And I know that his wife was at Carlos Hernandez’s apartment, probably having sex, and I’m certainly not supposed to know that.”

  “Dee…I’m a private investigator. All of that is confidential. My clients have an expectation of privacy and I provide that to them. If I didn’t, I couldn’t stay in business. Now you have to forget that you know those things.”

  “This is ridiculous! How can I—”

  “Look, it may not matter anyway. When Mabanks finds out who the vic is, he may pull you from the case.”

  “If he does that, then we’ll know he’s beyond saving. We need to go to the FBI.”

  “Not yet, Dee.”

  “Finn—”

  “Listen, I’ll call Peterson. I’ll tell him that Carlos was killed. I’ll play dumb. I’ll tell him I was concerned, that’s all.”

  “What? Do you think he’ll confess? Then what?”

  “Let’s worry about that later. Work the case like any other. I’ll be in touch.”

  The call ended before she could protest further and she let out a heavy sigh. Now what? Go along with Finn? Did she have a choice? Finn would kill her—absolutely kill her—if she brought up Brett Peterson’s name. And for that matter, Finn might be right. Mabanks might very well pull her.

  She took a deep breath, then walked back over to where the body was.

  “Looks like he was shot right here.” She turned in a circle, looking around. They were near one of the many channels that had been cut into the shallow waters of the bay. This time of year, it wasn’t filled with fishermen. She saw only one boat out in the open water. “I don’t suppose there are any surveillance cameras around?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Who found him?”

  “A couple of guys came out at daybreak to fish. They damn near drove over him.”

  “They still around?”