“Jase, baby?” He cupped the younger man’s jaw, his heart softening as the beginnings of rage took background to concern. “Jase?”
Jase’s eyes fluttered open as long fingers caressed his cheek. “Ennis?”
“Are you okay?” Ennis pulled Jase into his arms for a tight hug. Anger bubbled in him again but the demon didn’t allow the toxic emotion to spill into his mind. Jase might feel it even though he’d have no idea where the darkness was coming from.
“I think so.” Jase snuggled close to him and the warmth of him shoved all dark thoughts from Ennis’s mind. He just needed to hold his lover close as he reveled in his safety.
Ennis felt the approach of police, but made no attempt to put Jase away from him. Jase thought he was in the closet. This would more than prove he had no intentions of hiding their relationship.
“The guy—is he gone?” Jase asked, his warm breath whispering over Ennis’s neck.
“Freeze!”
Ennis’s head jerked up. “Rey!” he snapped.
Reynard glared at him. “The front door is busted all to hell,” he snapped. “And so is the windshield of Jase’s car.”
“The freaking attacker jumped me when I came in,” Ennis said. “I scared him off.”
“Did either of you get a good look at him?” Reynard demanded his shrewd eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
“He was wearing a black ski mask, but I recognized his voice,” Jase said. “He was the guy from the wedding. The one I thought was Rebecca’s date. He wanted the video of the murder.”
“I told you to be on guard,” Logan muttered.
“I was!” he retorted angrily. “He came out of nowhere when I was coming into the studio.”
“Shh, Jase,” Ennis said soothingly. “She’s trying to help.”
“She’s being condescending,” he snapped. “I’m not stupid.”
“No, you just weren’t careful,” Logan retorted acerbically.
The demon growled inside Ennis, wanting to bitch-slap her, but he stood instead and pulled Jase to his feet.
Jase leaned into his chest, wrapping an arm around Ennis’s waist in a manner that spoke of familiarity and possessiveness. “I told him I gave everything to you, but he didn’t believe me. He had a gun, kept saying he was going to kill me.”
Ennis smoothed his hand up Jase’s back to his nape where his fingers lightly gripped. “I’ll have the protection team set up in a few hours.”
“The sooner the better,” Reynard said. “What about the front door?”
“I’ll have someone take care of that as well as the walls he smashed and your windshield,” Ennis said, looking down at Jase, who looked up at him with unveiled warmth. The demon’s ego puffed up. He felt like he was his mate’s hero.
“Thanks,” Jase answered.
“We need another copy of everything you gave us,” Logan said. “That is the only way we can catch him before he kills you.”
“What about the video footage of the murder?” Ennis demanded. He tore his gaze from Jase reluctantly.
Reynard shook his head. “There was a scuffle in the squad room with a perp and when the dust cleared the video clips were gone. And the pictures were stolen from the evidence locker last night.”
“How does something get stolen from police custody?” Ennis demanded.
“We’re thinking this killer has a mole on the inside. A cop,” Reynard confessed. “That’s the only way evidence walks away without anyone noticing. And that is one of the reasons I wanted Jase to have protection.”
“So we need the originals of the video files you gave us,” Logan said.
“You better make sure you don’t lose them,” Ennis said coldly. “Because he’s turning the originals over to you and wiping his hard drive, so there won’t be any more evidence for anyone to come after him over.”
“Jase!”
“That’s Darik,” Jase said and went out to meet him.
Reynard studied him a moment before turning to speak quietly to the two officers who’d come charging in ahead of him. Logan looked him up and down before turning to Reynard, who spoke quietly to her.
“How’d you know something was wrong?” Reynard asked after the two officers were gone. “The guard you had on Jase is dead. Looks like he was shot in the back of the head.”
“Damn,” Ennis muttered. “I told Jase to stay at his place and wait for me.”
“I didn’t know you went both ways. I thought you were all man.” Reynard’s stare was curious.
“Being gay doesn’t make me any less of a man, Reynard,” he drawled coolly. “Fact is, some gay men are just as masculine as straight men are. So, what does my sexuality have to do with this case? You want to know how a sissy ran off a big tough alpha? By kicking his ass, but he’ll be back. There’s obviously more to this case than meets the eye.”
Reynard studied him for a minute and then said, “I agree and with West’s murder it makes it more than likely Hollis isn’t the only one with evidence the killer wants.”
“Who knew you had that file besides you and Logan?” Ennis asked, deciding not to share what he’d found.
Reynard shook his head grimly. “Jase. Maybe his receptionist and Claremont. The guy who caused the scene was brought in shortly after we got there on some petty-ass charge that he made bail on.” He shoved his hands into his slacks pockets and nodded to Ennis. “What’s your take on the file I sent you on Hollis?”
He grimaced. There was nothing he could really tell right now without exposing his race to human scrutiny and attack. “I think the killer is a hit man, and his boss is trying to tie up loose ends. Bale’s checking out the husband .”
“Let me know if you find anything,” Reynard said. “But the husband came up clean. His alibi is airtight. He owns an employment agency. As far as we can tell, it’s clean.”
“But this looks like it’s more than some husband taking his wife out of play so he can get her money,” Logan said. “She has to have been working on something her boss wasn’t aware of. Something that she told her friends about.”
“True,” Reynard agreed. “West worked at the historical society. This could have had something to do with the museum and an exhibit. Course, we’ll check with them to find out more about the exhibits. Did you find anything at West’s that might point us in the right direction?”
Ennis shook his head, opting not to disclose the information he’d found on the tablet. “I’ll have Bale contact you if he finds any connections,” Ennis said. It was time to pay the death stalker in Bossier a visit, but that wasn’t information Rey needed. “In the meantime, you better figure out how to protect whatever Jase gives you today because I’m not going to allow him to keep putting himself in danger.”
“You’re not going to allow?” Reynard demanded. “He’s a witness. If we get a case put together, he’ll have to testify.”
“I’m not going to stop that, but I won’t allow you to put him in unnecessary danger,” Ennis snapped. “You can’t protect evidence let alone a man. So, he’ll be staying with me.”
“Not if Jarrett has anything to say about it,” Reynard commented.
“He doesn’t.”
Reynard sighed. “Damn fine time for you to be staking a claim after all these years,” he quietly. “So, why don’t you wait until the stress has passed?”
“I didn’t go after Jase, Rey,” Ennis said quietly. He and Rey weren’t close, but they were friends thanks to Marty. “Pushing him away because of this would be akin to rejection, and I’m not interested in hurting him.”
Reynard shrugged. “I’m not going to tell you what to do. Jase is a grown man, and he can make his own decisions about who he shares a bed with.”
“Good.”
“I am going to say, don’t hurt him,” Reynard said.
“I don’t plan to.”
“You don’t plan to do what?” Jase asked coming in on the tail end of the conversation.
“We were just talking a
bout your protection,” Reynard said, glancing at him.
“What about it?” Jase asked with a frown. “I thought that was all settled. Ennis is handling everything.”
“That’s what we were saying,” Reynard answered evenly.
Jase frowned at him. “Were you warning him off me on Jarrett’s behalf?” he demanded as he folded his arms belligerently across his chest.
“I’m not down with man-on-man action, but far be it from me to stop some other guy from—doing the thing you do.” He cleared his throat looking embarrassed.
Jase snickered. “I’ll get you the pictures and the videos.”
“They call that thing they do sex, love, and relationships,” Logan said in an amused tone. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s just concentrate on doing our job.”
* * * *
“Come in.”
In Bossier, the death stalker glanced up from the files on his computer when the door of his office swung open. His assistant Donna Wright stepped inside, clad in her usual short business suit with her hair pulled back in an efficient bun. The expression on her face told him something wasn’t going well.
“What is it?”
“Phil’s attempts at retrieval didn’t go well,” she told him. “The photographer’s lover showed up. He’s a gray spade.”
He sat back in his chair contemplating how best to cut his losses. His assistant watched him carefully, but he knew her mind was also going over possibilities. She was a black heart succubus, and her breed was generally efficient in their jobs and loyal in their service of the dominant family they served. They were thinkers, teachers, and caretakers.
“What’s the spade’s status in the community?” he asked.
“It’s Ennis Wayfaire and Phil said he was mating the human,” Donna answered evenly. “Phil only found those pictures in Amy’s apartment. I think you have to conclude that Sandy has the bulk of the information by now. You should handle it yourself in order to ensure you get the information before she’s killed.”
“With Wayfaire’s people looking into the murders, I can’t risk being associated with her in case he connects her to the other murders. I’ll let him finish the job and when it’s done, I’ll kill him. Until then, I want you to work even more closely with him. He’s attracted to you. Go with him when he goes for Sandy.”
“I will.”
“You make sure he doesn’t kill her until you have all of the information,” he told her. “The photographer and Wayfaire must be eliminated.”
“Sir, you should leave that alone,” she said in a pleading tone. “Going after him—”
“He’s a risk I can no longer afford,” he cut in smoothly. “I have a team that can do the job.”
“But, sir, if you fail, the spade will come after you with everything he has,” she said insistently. “Since he’s mating the photographer, he’s not going to allow any death stalker to live within feeding distance of his mate. Your aggression will ensure he takes out you and every other death stalker in this city.”
Chapter Fifteen
The day had been way too long for him. He’d had a couple of walk-ins and an irritating child to deal with. On top of that, the installation of the security system and repairing of his walls made for a noisy and busy day.
Jase collapsed on the couch in his office, glad for the silence and the time alone. Trinity, the bodyguard Ennis had hired to stay with him had been stalking him all day. He hadn’t had a single moment alone, except for when he ducked into the bathroom for a pee break.
Jase closed his eyes but opened them again immediately as his office door banged open. He groaned. “What are you doing here, Jarrett?” He studied his brother carefully, hoping this wasn’t going to turn into a repeat of the night before last.
“You didn’t think I wouldn’t find out about this morning just because I was working in Minden did you? Reynard told me all about it.”
He rolled his eyes. “He was just sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong,” he muttered. “Ennis arranged the guard for the day, and he’s going to be with me tonight.”
“No, he’s not!” Jarrett snapped. “You are coming home with me. Marty will watch you while I’m out on my date.”
“No, he won’t,” Jase argued. “I have a date with Ennis tonight, and I’d planned to spend the night with him anyway.”
Jarrett’s eyes widened and anger darkened them. “This is not going to happen, Jase,” he said in a tone devoid of emotion. “You are not going to spend one minute in his bed!”
Jase snorted. “It’s too late to worry about my virtue, Jarrett,” he muttered coldly. “I like sleeping with men, I like giving them blow jobs, I like—”
“Stop it, Jase! Just stop it!” Jarrett glared at him, hands clenched at his sides. “You are not gay.” He pointed at his brother. “You’re just saying these things to piss me off. If you keep this up, you’re the one who’s going to get a reality check. Mom and Dad will find out, and I’ll be the one to tell them. What do you think will happen? They’re going to cut you out of their lives. Do you want that?”
“Do you?” Jase challenged. “I’m not running and hiding who I am anymore. You and our parents can deal or turn your backs on me.”
“Don’t make me do this, Jase,” he snapped.
“I don’t make you do anything, Jarrett,” Jase answered coldly. “You do things because you want to or because you think you know what’s best for me. I appreciate the sentiment, but being with Ennis is what’s best for me. Plus he protects people for a living.”
“I’ve been trying to protect you from yourself since you got back from college,” he muttered. “But I guess that hasn’t worked out too well.”
“I guess not.” He shrugged and got to his feet. “Doesn’t matter what happens with Ennis. I’m done with these games we play. Tell Mom and Dad. They love Ennis, so I’m sure they won’t freak too far out hearing that he’s my boyfriend.”
Jarrett’s eyes widened. “Your boyfriend?” Jarrett exclaimed incredulously.
“Yes, Ennis is mine, and there is nothing you can do about it.”
“Let’s ask the man who’s never had a serious relationship as long as I’ve known him if he gives a real damn about you,” Jarrett snapped.
Jase shrugged. “Ask him whatever you want.” Didn’t matter what Ennis had to say tonight. By the time they caught whoever had killed Rebecca, Ennis would be his.
Jarrett raked his fingers through his hair and paced the room. “Listen to yourself. Do you hear how absurd you sound? Let’s go. I’m taking you to Mom and Dad’s for the night. We’ll stop by your place so you can grab some things.”
A knock at the door and then, “Your boyfriend’s here,” Darik called. “Can I come in?”
“Yes, Darik.”
“Uh-oh,” Darik said, looking repentant at the sight of Jarrett. “Jarrett.”
Jase smiled tightly at the grimace on his brother’s face. “It’s okay. I already told him.”
“Jase, you ready?” Ennis poked his head in the door.
“Yep. Been a long day, and I just want to take off my shoes and relax.”
“Does that mean I’m cooking?” Ennis asked, giving him an indulgent smile.
“That or you’re stopping for takeout,” Jase said, grabbing his bag from his desk. “I think my brother wanted to ask you something.” He threw a look to his stony-faced brother.
“I’ll keep him safe, Jarrett, you know that,” Ennis said. “I’m even thinking about trying to find some kind of a safe house until we know exactly what we’re dealing with.”
“You’re not dealing with anything at least not the part where you stash my brother somewhere and fuck him all night every night and then dump him when this is over.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Ja—”
“Stay out of this, Jase,” Jarrett snapped.
“Don’t snap at him,” Ennis said coldly. “Don’t be mad at him for having the guts to live his life either.”
“You know what I’m going to do, but you don’t even care that you’re going to ruin his life,” Jarrett said incredulously. “You’re a selfish bastard.”
“No, that would be you,” Jase said softly. “See you tomorrow, Darik, bye, Jarrett.” He stalked from his office stiffly with Darik on his heels.
Ennis cocked a brow at Jarrett. “You would go running to your parents like a tattletale and for what? So they could try to force him to go out with a woman instead? What did he do to you to deserve such insensitivity?”
“You bastard.” Jarrett launched himself at Ennis in a hail of fists.
Ennis grimaced, taking the first punch square on the jaw before pushing Jarrett back and blocking his second.
“Jarrett, stop!” Jase screamed from outside the office door.
Darik pulled him back when he tried to head back in and break it up. “Are you kidding? Jarrett is so pissed off he might start beating on you right now.”
“It’d be a bad move,” Trinity drawled lazily from behind them. “Ennis would kill him, so your friend is right, Jase. Best let them kick each other’s asses and get it over.”
“Stay the fuck away from him,” Jarrett shouted.
“Your office is going to be a mess,” Darik murmured. “I hope Jarrett doesn’t hurt him too bad cause you’ll have to spend the evening nursing a big baby instead of wallowing in your afterglow.”
Trinity chuckled.
“Next time we talk about this, I’m going to tear you a new asshole, Jarrett,” Ennis said and stalked out of the office. “Follow the kid home.” He jerked his head to Darik. “Jarrett can find his own way.” He took Jase’s arm. “Your brother’s fine.”
“Jarrett?” Jase called.
Jarrett stomped out, wiping blood from his nose. He glared at the crowd and strode out of the building.
* * * *
Jase rested his head against the headrest as they sped toward Ennis’s home forty-five minutes later. He sighed softly and Ennis put a hand on his thigh.
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