13. One Haunted, One Lost

13 ONE HAUNTED, ONE LOST

Keaton

“Goddamn, baby. Just like that.”

She applied the perfect amount of suction, coupled with her eager mouth, and it was the ultimate wake-up call. For the last two days, we’d awakened similarly except it had been my mouth between her legs, though if she wanted to change things up this morning you wouldn’t hear me complain.

The room was dim, just enough light being cast through the window to see the silhouette of her naked body bent over me. She was exquisite and she was all mine.

One hand fisted the sheets at my side, the other rested gently on top of her head; not wanting to control her movements, just needing to touch her in some way. With every downward motion, my hips rose to meet her. We were totally in sync, but I wanted more.

“Swing your legs around here, Henley. Give me that sweet pussy.”

She pulled off with a long, slow lick up my shaft, making me second-guess my demand, until she crawled up the bed and straddled my chest backward.

“Much better.” I sighed, kneading the globes of her ass.

“Mmm, yeah it is.” Her hot breath flowed across my dick right before she took me back in her mouth, doubling up her earlier efforts by massaging my balls with her hand.

Not wanting to be left out, I grabbed her hips and pulled them down. The first swipe of my tongue through her folds was heaven-sent. Sweet with a hint of tangy, the supreme complement to my Little Bird. I ate her like a starved man, like I couldn’t get enough of her flavor, which was accurate to a point. The truth was, I couldn’t get enough of her , full stop.

Every day was better than the last. We were growing stronger as a couple, learning little nuances about each other which only solidified the rightness of our union. For twenty-eight years, something had been missing. Even when my mother was alive, I never experienced the kind of completeness I had with Henley at my side. She made me feel whole.

“Hop off, baby. I want you to ride me.”

I tapped the side of her thigh and she rolled to the left before quickly swinging her leg across my hips, trapping my hard-as-nails cock between the lips of her wet pussy. Rocking back and forth, she groaned as I rubbed my thumb against her needy clit, alternating circles with pressure until she was poised on the edge.

“Take what you want, Henley,” I grunted between clenched teeth, cupping her tit with my other hand.

She moved faster, her breaths coming in choppy waves which turned to a gasp when I pinched her nipple hard. Her whole body shook, my name leaving her mouth like a whispered prayer before she collapsed forward onto my chest under the weight of her orgasm. Reaching between us, I grabbed my cock, placed it at her entrance then surged inside.

Fucking heaven.

Her inner walls were still contracting and releasing, making the sensation of being inside her all the better. Wrapping my arms around her back, I gripped her shoulders with my hands and bent my knees, then I really started to move. I’d never taken her this hard before, but if her breathy “More” was any indication, it felt as amazing to her as it did to me.

Flipping our position without breaking our connection, I came down over top of her, giving her some of my weight as I took her mouth in a deep kiss. I swallowed the sounds of her pleasure, drinking them in at the same time I added a twist to my hips whenever I was balls deep.

When she fell again, we fell together.

Two souls––one haunted, one lost––entwined by a love so intense no force on earth would ever be able to break it apart.

Hours later, sitting at my desk pouring over the preliminary DNA findings, which had been sitting in my inbox from the lab when I strolled in that morning, the strangest sensation overcame me. Not quite déjà vu, though something eerily similar. I couldn’t put my finger on it and it was driving me insane.

“You need to get up and walk away for a while,” Noah suggested for the second time from his seat across from me.

“Why would they send me this shit? Without a name to go along with the DNA sequence, I’d have better luck interpreting ancient script with Google Translate.”

“My answer is the same as it was ten minutes ago. The lab techs are fucking with you.”

“Koen is the one who switched their black lights out for strobe lights. Not me.”

“They deserved it after all the fingerprint dust they used to coat the inside of my car,” Koen remarked.

“Remind me why we started this prank war with the lab?” I inquired.

“Yo, Nelson. Why are we battling the nerds again?” he yelled across the room.

“Because they ousted me from the softball team.”

The whole scenario sounded familiar and when it hit me why, I lost it. Everyone in the office looked at me like I’d finally cracked, but once I got over the hilarity and was able to compose myself, they’d get it.

“Wait a second,” I snickered, still trying to catch my breath. “Let me get this straight. They wouldn’t let you play in their game, so you sicced me and Koen on them. Am I getting the gist of it?”

“Yeah,’ he replied sheepishly. “I thought you knew that.”

“So you’re like Rudolph, which would make us your gang of misfit toys?”

“Oh shit. That’s fucking hysterical,” Lanie belted out.

“You need to make nice with these fuckers so they’ll give me the rest of the file, Nelson.”

“They aren’t going to intentionally withhold evidence in a case, K. If you don’t have everything, it means they don’t have everything. They’re fucking with you, just like Noah said.”

“Told ya. ”

“Lanie, Koen,” Duncan burst from his office. “You’re with me. Jennifer Collins was just attacked in the hospital parking lot right after she was discharged.”

“What happened to the officer who’d been assigned to guard her?” Lanie grabbed her jacket and badge.

“He’s in surgery trying to repair the multiple knife wounds, one of which punctured a lung. Waverly is meeting us there. Shayne’s on a fucking warpath and she’s the only one who can rein her in.”

“What do you want us to do, Duncan?” Noah and I were both on our feet, ready to join them if needed.

“Find this son of a bitch.”

The three of them hightailed it out of the office, which left Noah, Nelson, Sammy, and myself to pick up the slack. More than anything, I’d love to put this case to bed and the killer behind bars. Up until recently, our perp had been meticulous, precise, but he was starting to unravel at the seams; making mistakes which would eventually lead to his capture. The question was, would we find him before he destroyed any more lives?

My cell vibrated in my pocket with a text. Expecting it to be Henley, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was Jasper instead.

Jasper: Can you talk?

Rather than answering, I dialed his number, moving down the hallway for a bit of privacy. It only rang once before his deep voice rang out through the speaker.

“It took some finagling and I had to promise my first born child, but I got my hands on the visitor’s log from the prison.”

“Hello to you too, Jas. ”

I’d forgotten I’d asked him to see what he could do on that front. He was closer and sometimes an in-person visit accomplished more than a phone call.

“Cut the shit, kid. Do you want the name or not?”

“Wait. The name? There’s only one?”

Jogging back to the main room, I snapped my fingers at Noah, motioning for him to grab me a pen and paper.

“Weird, right? Two years in prison, yet only one visitor.”

“Give me the name, Jasper.” I grew impatient.

“Creed Schalman.”

Thinking back to a time I’d rather forget, I wracked my brain for any hints of familiarity, finding none.

“Do you know him? Is he connected to Renshaw International?”

“Negative on both counts. Could be one of those fuckers who have a sick obsession with serial killers.”

“I’m assuming you already ran the name?”

“You assume correctly. No hits in any database I have access to.”

“It couldn’t be easy, could it?”

“Never is, Keaton. One more thing before I let you go.” He paused and I knew what was coming before he said anything. It was the same old song and dance every time we talked. “Heather said to tell you to get your ass home for a visit. It’s been far too long since we’ve seen your ugly mug.”

“I’m pretty sure she didn’t call me ugly, old man.”

“Yeah, well, the sentiment is the same. Come home, soon.”

“Can I bring someone with me?” The phone was dead-ass silent for so long I thought maybe he’d lost the signal, but as I pulled it away from my ear, I saw the connection was live. “Good to know I’ve still got the ability to stun you speechless. ”

“Shit,” he groaned. “You met a woman?”

“I met the woman I’m gonna marry.”

“Fuck. Heather’s gonna go ballistic. You know that right? From the day you came to us, she’s been on a mission. All those romance books she reads are research for your HEA.”

“HEA?”

“Happily ever after.”

I laughed out loud. “Sounds like you may have been reading a few yourself.”

“Laugh it up, kid. You should see our basement. It’s like the wedding version of a doomsday prepper’s wet dream.”

“Damn. Okay, once this case is wrapped up, I’ll bring Henley to Virginia, but you need to control your wife.”

“I prefer my balls to remain attached to my dick, so you’re on your own with Heather.” He chuckled. “My suggestion would be to call her, maybe even FaceTime so we have a chance to meet your girl.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Thanks. Talk later.”

“Later, Keaton.”

Disconnecting, I looked up to see Noah with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“The girl you’re gonna marry?”

“Fuck off, asshole.”

“I’m gonna be your best man, right?”

“Jesus Christ.”

Henley

Black clouds rolled in shortly after the lunch rush ended, darkening the skies before unleashing buckets of cool rain over the town. It was days like these I wish I could curl up with a steamy romance book and a warm blanket for a lazy afternoon getting lost between the pages. But no such luck when there were bills to be paid. The weatherman was calling for a round of nasty storms to hit the area later, but it didn’t seem to stop anyone from coming out in droves to their favorite diner to eat.

“One more hour.” Jade collapsed into the booth of the table I was clearing. “God, I’m so tired.”

“Do you wanna hang out for a while when you drop me off? We can make some popcorn and throw in an old movie or something,” I suggested.

“Can’t. I’m on a deadline.” Her eyes widened and she slapped her hand over her mouth.

Realization dawned. “Deadline?” My friend was hiding something.

She sprang up out of the booth like the hounds of hell were on her heels and glanced around quickly, checking to see if anyone else was listening to our conversation before nudging me back toward the kitchen.

“If I tell you, you have to promise me you’ll keep it a secret.”

“Are you in trouble? Is it something illegal?”

“What the hell?” She fisted her hands on her hips, cocking her head to the side. “Who do you think I am?”

“Well, I thought you were my best friend, Jade Trumble, but friends don’t hide things from one another.” I gave her the sternest look I could muster, which—admittedly—wasn’t all that harsh.

“Look,” she lowered her voice,” it’s no big deal, really. I’ve been doing it for a couple of years for some extra cash.”

My mind immediately flashed to the past and my blood began to boil.

“I swear to God after everything I’ve told you about my mom, if you’re about to say you’ve been hooking, I’m gonna wring your fucking?—”

“No!” she shouted. “I'm not selling my body, Henley. I’m a freelance editor.”

“Huh?”

Grabbing my arm, she dragged me farther through the kitchen, past where Sal was slaving away behind the stove, until we reached the back door.

“I was the editor for the school newspaper in high school,” she started. “English was the one thing I was good at, the one thing my parents couldn’t ruin. After my grandmother died, the bills started to pile up, so I reached out to my old teacher and she put me in touch with a friend of hers. One thing led to another and now I have a handful of authors who send me their manuscripts to edit.”

“Holy shit. That’s amazing, Jade. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“They’re romance books,” she whispered.

“Hell yes! Does this mean you can get me some advanced reader copies?”

“Wait a second. You aren’t embarrassed by me?”

“Did you get dropped on your head as a baby? This is freaking awesome. Why would I be embarrassed?”

“Girls.” Betsy stuck her head through the swinging door which led to the dining room. “These customers aren’t going to serve themselves.”

Turning back to Jade, there were a thousand and one questions circulating in my head which, unfortunately, would have to wait for later.

“This isn’t over, missy.”

Over Easy was overly busy the remainder of the afternoon, leaving exactly zero time to grill Jade about her extracurricular activities. When four o’clock rolled around, a wave of excitement splashed through me just thinking about our upcoming conversation, except as we closed the doors to her car, Jade seemed off…distracted.

“What’s wrong? We don’t have to talk about the whole editing gig if that’s what’s bothering you.”

“No, it’s not that. Actually, I’m thrilled you know.”

“Then what’s going on?”

She flicked on her windshield wipers and blinker, pulling out of her newly designated, front row spot, which Shirley insisted upon ever since our run-in with Chase. The skies held heavy clouds, but at least for now the rain had slowed from the torrential downpour earlier to a fine mist. It had been a while since Huntington had seen this amount of precipitation. With the way it had come down, fast and furious, it wasn’t surprising to see how the streets had held on to the water; splashing it up against the undercarriage as we drove through the large puddles, which were more like small ponds, in the middle of the road.

“It’s Jett. He’s been acting weird.”

“Weird, how? Isn’t that the norm for teenage boys?”

“I guess it would be if Jett ever fit the mold of your average almost sixteen-year-old. He’s special though.”

“Okay?” I drew the word out, waiting for her to elaborate.

“He’s super smart. We’re talking genius level brains here.”

“Cool. I kinda thought something along those lines when he mentioned the whole skipping grades thing.”

“I think he might be in trouble.” She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel nervously, quickly glancing in my direction, then back to the road in front of us. Instead of asking questions, I waited until she’d gathered her thoughts, suspecting her idea of “trouble” might be of the illegal persuasion. I didn’t have to wait long.

“He flipped out when he saw the news coverage of Chase’s arrest last night.”

An anonymous tip had been called in to the local news stations, which meant there were several reporters with camera crews waiting at the police station when Detective Black arrived with Chase. At least that’s what Koen recounted at dinner the night before, but there was a certain sparkle to his green eyes when he said “anonymous,” which made me believe he might have had something to do with it. From what I’d seen, it looked like a total clusterfuck, not that Keaton let me watch much of it. He flipped the TV off, then proceeded to use his gorgeous body to distract me.

“What do you mean?”

“He started pacing around the living room, mumbling how he knew that guy was bad news and how he never should’ve taken the money.” Her shoulders slumped against the back of the seat. “I tried to get more out of him, but he shut down.”

Fat raindrop splattered across the windshield seconds before Mother Nature unleashed round two upon the town. Streaks of lightning coursed across the darkening sky, followed by rumbles of thunder loud enough to rattle the windows of the car. Jade let off the gas pedal and turned her wipers up to high speed, which barely made a difference against the onslaught.

“Jesus. They weren’t joking about these storms,” she said.

“I’d hate to be in their shoes?” I pointed to a truck parked on the shoulder of the road up ahead.

“Wait. Isn’t that—” She started as we got closer .

“It is. Pull over, Jade. We should see if he needs us to call for help?”

She eased on the brakes, pulling in front of the truck on the shoulder. He flipped up the hood of his sweatshirt, then jogged thirty feet to the passenger’s side of the car. I put down the window, my right side getting soaked until he bent his large body through the opening.

“Oh! If it isn’t two of my favorites.” Recognition hit him. “Thanks for stopping. Do you think you could give me a ride? My truck’s toast; the engine seized.”

“Where are you headed?” Jade leaned across the center console.

“Home. It’s just a few miles down the road.”

“Sure,” she said. “Hop in.”

“I need to grab my bag real quick. Be right back.”

He ducked out and returned in less than a minute with a black duffel bag in hand, climbing into the back seat.

“Thanks again, ladies. You made that easier than I thought it’d be.”

His words came out almost gleeful, which was confusing until I heard a loud click and the press of something hard against my side. Jade’s quick inhale and muttered, “Fuck,” pulled my gaze between us. The last thing I was expecting to see was the shiny silver gun held firmly in his grasp.

“Drive, Jade.”

Oh shit!