Chapter 8

"There is something different about you." Margaret Bogel eyed her daughter curiously as soon as she sat across from her.

Ryleigh was beginning to regret agreeing to the luncheon, but her mother had insisted, adding that they had not gotten together in weeks. "We missed you at services the two past Sundays. "I know you have an essential job to do, darling, but neglecting your spiritual life is a mistake."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." signaling the hovering waiter, she ordered the Chai tea and soup. Her stomach was acting up again, and if she had to admit to herself, the situation with Flynn was bothering her.

She could not stop thinking about him and what they did, and to her consternation, she was looking forward to seeing him later.

She had resolved never to allow another man a place of importance in her life, and she was determined to keep that. But at odd moments of the day, she found herself thinking back to the time they had spent together.

"Why tea?" She should have known her mother would seize on her choice.

"My stomach is not cooperating for some reason. I am working on a difficult case-'

"I hope it's not that devious human being, Maurice Daley." Margaret picked up her glass of water and took a delicate sip, eyeing her daughter over the rim. "I read that he was not convicted, that he was absolved-"

"I would not quite use that word where that man is concerned." Ryleigh picked up her glass and drank thirstily. "He is a rotten waste of space and needs to be put away." Margaret waited until their meals were placed before them, and the waiter moved away before she responded.

"And you think you must achieve that."

"I am an officer of the court-" She broke off at the look on her mother's face and sighed.

"I have to do this, Mother. It's not just a win for me or even anything personal. He has been terrorizing people for years and needs to be stopped."

"And if you continue, he will want to stop you." Margaret dug into her Caesar Salad to ensure everything was as it should be. Satisfied, she scooped up some and chewed."It's not your duty to right all the wrongs in the world."

"You think that's what I am trying to do?" She took a sip of tea and hoped fervently that it would quell the increasing queasiness inside her stomach. It would not do for her to rush from the table and head to the restroom. Her mother was very intuitive and insisted on knowing what was happening.

"Isn't it?"

"No, of course not." She had no idea if she was trying to convince herself or her mother.

"I hate to see criminals getting away without paying the price."

"That's very commendable, my dear, but please be careful." she gestured to the soup.

"You don't want it to get cold."

*****

"We have turned up another witness." Ryleigh was practically excited as she charged into the DA's office.

Replacing the phone, Rosalyn looked up at her.

"I am sorry-"

"For interrupting my call? Don't be. It was my ex-husband."

"Which one?" Pulling up a chair, Ryleigh sat and crossed her legs.

"The first and the only one I can stand." Rosalyn gestured to the folder in her hand. "You were saying?"

"Another witness."

"I assume we are discussing the infamous and elusive Mr. Daley?" Ryleigh nodded.

"We have been through this several times."

"And we are obligated to do all we can to rid the city of men like him."

Rosalyn eyed her for a few ticking seconds before reaching for the folder. "Who is this person, and what is his relevance to Daley?"

"It's a she." Ryleigh smiled at the surprised look on her boss's face and waited for her to open the folder.

"It says here that this woman, this Sophia Miller, was involved with him."

"Yes. Several years ago, they were in a relationship."

"He did this to her?" Rosalyn frowned at the scars on the woman's face and chest.

"Yes."

"Did she file any reports?"

"She did. That's the beauty of it. It's all on record. The precinct did a lackluster investigation, but nothing came of it."

"And she is willing to testify?"

"She is. Not only about the abuse but also the things she learned while she was with him. Damaging things that could end his reign of terror."

"Maurice Daley is not a fool, or he wouldn't have eluded the long arm of the law all these years. Why is this woman still alive? If she has such damaging information on him, why has he not done something about her?"

"He loves her."

Rosalyn looked at her skeptically.

"It's true. In his twisted way, he loves her and is weirdly protective where she is concerned. He still calls her to check in and has put up an invisible wall that keeps anyone from harming her."

"So he is her kind of knight in shining armor. Why is she willing to testify?"

"Tom worked his charms on her."

Rosalyn's thin eyebrows shot up. "I was not aware he possessed any."

"He can be charming and agreeable when he wants to," Ryleigh told her with a laugh.

"After careful digging, we found her, and she wants to testify. He terrorized her for years. She has been with him since she was seventeen years old. He got her pregnant when she was nineteen and insisted that she abort the baby because it would be an inconvenience.

She almost died during the procedure, and it has rendered her unable to conceive a child. This woman, now in her thirties, longs for revenge. She wants children, and that was taken from her."

"He has fathered several bastards. Excuse my French."

Ryleigh nodded and just resisted the urge to cradle her stomach. "He took that away from her and is flaunting his ability to produce children by other women." She shrugged slender shoulders.

"I asked Sophia if guilt has worked in her favor, and she said that might be the case. He showers her with expensive gifts and has left her alone. He visits her once a week, but she says he does not touch her or force her to go to bed with him.

He is trying to appease her for what he did."

"Touching and somewhat unexpected for a man of his violent and callous tendency."

Rosalyn gave her a contemplative look. "You are certain this woman is not setting you up?"

"I am positive. Like I said, she wants revenge."

"Which concerns me, honey. She is in it for personal reasons."

"Sometimes that's the best method." Ryleigh pointed out.

"It seems that you two have something in common."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded, but she already knew what the woman was going to say.

"You are on a rather twisted road, and you might have lost all objectivity."

"I am not-"

She raised her hand to stop the protest. "You are taking this personally, and I am afraid you are going to great lengths to see that justice is served."

"I am just doing my job."

"Above and beyond, one might say."

"When has this become a problem? I am simply trying to do my best to build a case against a very notorious criminal. You should be applauding me."

"I am concerned, Ry." the woman said soberly. "Maurice Daley is a dangerous man, an extremely dangerous one, and involving this woman in your quest-"

"She wants to be involved." Ryleigh refused to allow guilt to shadow her determination.

"She clearly stated that she is willing to come forward."

"So, why has she not done so before? There must have been others who approached her - why now? That's what's making me so leery about the whole thing."

"You think she is setting us up."

"I would advise you to be cautious in your approach. I am certain that Daley sees you as a threat, and we both know what he does when he is cornered."

Ryleigh lifted her chin, eyes flashing. "I will not cower in fear and back away because of him. He is just a man; he bleeds like we all do and does not worry me."

"That's foolish. He bothers me." She jabbed a finger into her chest. "And I am not one to cower in fear for anyone."

"Am I given the go-ahead with this?"

"If I say no?"

Ryleigh stiffened at that. "I would be very disappointed."

"And you would go ahead without my consent." Rosalyn sighed. "You have my permission as long as you proceed with caution."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." The woman warned as Ryleigh rose. "I might just live to regret it.

Don't make me regret this, Ryleigh."

The dire sound of the DA's voice had her pausing as she reached the door, and for a minute, something akin to fear touched her heart.

"I won't."

*****

"One glass of wine." She muttered as she poured the rich burgundy into the glass. "Just one and not a full glass either. It's allowed, and I need it after the day I had it." She was trying to justify the alcohol, she realized, but it had been a genuinely trying day. She was wrung out and exhausted, emotionally and physically.

The doctor told her that she could continue with her everyday exercises, which included yoga, strength training, and morning running as soon as she was up. Still, for the last week or so, she had been getting up late and feeling so lousy that exercising was the last thing she wanted to do.

She wondered if she was taking this case personally. She had gone to court and had been inside the courtroom for most of the afternoon and had forgotten entirely to have something to eat. The soup at the restaurant had barely been consumed because she was afraid she would disgrace herself by throwing up.

Then, when she was about to leave for the day, she received a call from Sophia telling her that Maurice Daley had been around, which was unusual for him, as if he knew something was afoot.

She had heard the woman's panic in her voice and reluctantly asked if she wanted to back down. Sophia hesitated a fraction before saying no, but the hesitation had warned Ryleigh that the woman was afraid.

"What did he say to you?"

"He just wanted to know if I was comfortable and if I needed anything."

"That does not sound suspicious. Certainly, it does not sound as if you should be afraid."

"It's the way he said it. And he was walking around my apartment as if expecting to see something out of place. He also asked if I made any new friends recently."

"Do you think he has been watching you?"

"he might be. I don't know. Maybe I am just being paranoid."

"Sophia, if there is any time you feel the need to end this, then just say the word."

That was when she hesitated before responding. "No. I need to do this."

"I don't want to risk your life."

"I need to do this." She had insisted.

And to make matters worse, she could have sworn she was being followed while on her way home. Maybe it was just the paranoia from the conversations with Rosalyn and then Sophia causing all this.

Still, she had taken some circuitous routes to throw off her would-be tail before driving into her garage and making sure everything was locked down tight.

Which, in hindsight, she realized would not make a difference. They already knew where she lived, whether it was Maurice Daley or one of his hoodlums, which was a terrifying thought. But now she wished and hoped fervently that Flynn was indeed coming to see her and spend the night.

She was not the type of woman to need the protection of a man, but somehow, his very presence brought her some sort of peace of mind, which is when he was not destroying her senses with his touches and his kisses.

Gulping wine, she folded the robe around her more securely. She was about to take another when the doorbell chiming had her jolting and rushing to her feet.

Her heart started behaving erratically, and her knees were trembling. Taking a deep breath and trying to steady herself, she approached the front door. Peering through the security hole, she ensured it was him before disengaging the alarm and opening the door.

"I wasn't certain you ate."

He looked so good and so damned virile and masculine in his ribbed sweater and black dress pants that she wanted to jump him.

"Are you going to let me in?" The amusement in his deep voice had her stepping back to allow him entry.

"You, okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She realized how defensive she sounded and shook her head. "I am. What's that?" She gestured to the paper bag in his hand. "Please don't tell me it's soup again."

"I won't." Handing her the bag, he shrugged out of his jacket and hung it up.

"What is it?"

"I suppose you'll find out shortly. Shall we?" Without waiting for her response, he turned and headed towards the kitchen with her trailing after him. It disturbed her that she had expected him to take her into his arms and greet her with a kiss.

"You don't have to make it your duty to feed me." She was grouchy and bad-tempered. Plucking the bag onto the counter, she sat down and stared at him.

"I know." Sparing her a glance, he went about taking out plates.

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

"At this precise moment? No." Opening the bag, he took out several cartons and popped them open to release something savory that stirred her appetite. "Vegetables. I figured your stomach would not be ready for anything too rich or meaty. How was it today?"

"Fine." Folding her hands on the counter, she watched him efficiently pour the meal.

"Just fine?" Ryleigh withstood the bland gaze with one of her own as he handed her the plate.

"You want a run-down of my entire day?" Picking up the fork, she dug in and realized how hungry she was.

"Why not?" Sitting across from her, he started on his meal.

"That's not going to happen."

"Want to hear about mine?" The smile hovering around his sensuous lips had her staring and imagining him using his mouth all over her body. The image was so evocative and accurate that it was as if he was touching her. Tearing her gaze from his face, she gazed down at the grilled vegetables on her plate and scooped some up.

"Ryleigh?"

"What?"

"Would you like to hear about my day?" He stared at her curiously as if he had some idea what was happening inside her head.

"We are not in a relationship.' She reminded him.

"That doesn't preclude us from having a conversation. I would like to hear about your day."

"That's too bad."

He trained his inscrutable amber eyes on her, and she had to force herself not to fidget.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked her in his quiet, deep, assuring voice.

"Nothing," she muttered.

He simply waited her out, a trait he must have mastered for years because it worked.

"Will you stop looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

Pushing the plate away, she jumped to her feet restlessly and started pacing.

Wisdom kept him anchored to his chair as he watched her pace the room length. Something was up with her, and he instinctively knew she would not appreciate him trying to push further. Scooping up the vegetables, he took a bite and waited.

"We are not in a relationship." Stopping before him, she plopped her hands on her hips and glared at him. He did not mind because by assuming that pose, she had unwittingly drawn his attention to the gaping material partially covering her breasts and showing him a glimpse of the swell of flesh.

"Okay."

Her glare became even more lethal. "I already told you I have no intention of entering into a romantic relationship."

"You did." He nodded in agreement, amber eyes meeting hers.

She sent him a fulminating stare that could have pulverized rocks. "I don't appreciate you patronizing me."

His thick, dark brows lifted. "By agreeing with you?"

She almost stamped her foot in frustration. She did not want to admit that her bad mood came from the fact that he had not greeted her with a kiss. That would be unacceptable.

"Yes. No." Wheeling around, she sat back down and pulled the plate to her.

"Which is it?"

"Just shut up."

"Would you like to kiss me, Ryleigh?" He asked her softly.

The accuracy of his gauging of her mood had her head jerking up, her eyes widening.

"Of course not."

"Sure?"

"Positive."

"What if I admit that I want to kiss you? That it has been on my mind for the entire day?" Her hands fluttered over her plate, and she could not meet his gaze.

"I am sure that's not true." Even though she forced her voice to be brisk and neutral, it sounded husky.

"It is." Pushing his plate away, he rose and approached her side of the counter.

"What are you doing?"

"Something I have been dreaming of." Taking the fork from her, he pulled her up and against him. The feel of his muscular body against hers had her going weak, her skin getting hot.

"I haven't finished eating." She pointed out lamely.

When he lifted her into his arms, she made no protest but curled her hands around his neck as if it was something she had been dying to do since he came, and it was.

"We will finish eating after," he whispered as he carried her out of the room and up the stairs.

"After what?"

"Let me show you." Flynn grinned at her as he shoved the door of her bedroom open. Eventually, he would persuade her to come home with him, but here, a level of privacy was not present at his place. And he wanted what was between them to remain that way for now.

Placing her against the pillows, he took off his clothes and had her staring at him as his chest was exposed. The thrill of seeing his muscles flexing as he moved sent the blood rushing to her core.

He finished undressing and climbed in next to her. "Much better," He murmured, turning to his side to remove her robe. He muttered something deep in his throat when her bare flesh was revealed.

"If I had the slightest inkling that you were naked under the robe, dinner would have had to wait."

"I didn't do it for your benefit." She told him swiftly, causing his lips to tilt in amusement.

"I am sure you didn't." He trailed a finger down her cheek, loving the feel of her satiny skin. She had loosened her hair from the severe chignon, and the thick strands were tumbling around her face.

Her lips were parted, and he wanted to believe her - in fact, he was sure they were anticipating the touch of his lips. Unwilling and unable to wait any longer, he tilted her chin and bent his head, brushing his lips against hers.

Her fingers curled into the dense dark hairs on his chest, her pulse quickening. Even the feel of his breath against her was making her hot and bothered.

"Kiss me, Ryleigh," he ordered hoarsely. "Show me how much you want me." She started to refuse at first; then, with a low moan, she touched her tongue to his lips.

"More," he demanded, his body responding to the slight touch alarmingly. "Give me more."

She did. Becoming bolder, she started to nibble at the flesh, feeling the triumph at the flexing of his muscles and the hammering of his heart. Moving closer to him, she started caressing him, her free hand roaming his flesh and touching his nipple. He jumped, his hand digging into her flesh. With a tortured groan, he covered her body with his.