5. Hell’s Bells

5 HELL’S BELLS

Keaton

“You have got to be shitting me, Keaton.” Nelson spouted after I slapped a piece of paper on his desk with the name of the fucker who attacked Henley. I’d recognized it the minute she gave it to me.

Chase McArthur.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“You look constipated,” Koen snickered from his desk. I flipped him off, never diverting my attention from the one person I knew who could find every skeleton in your closet before breakfast.

“You need to be absolutely certain before I go on a fishing expedition.”

“What the hell have you gotten yourself into with this girl?” Noah picked up the paper from Nelson’s desk, his eyes widening as he read the name. “Fuck, Keaton. The McArthurs?”

“Damn, K,” Lanie whistled.

Ignoring them, I turned back to Nelson. “Can you do it? ”

“Of course I can. The question is how deep do you want me to dive?”

Before I had the chance to answer, Waverly rounded the corner from her office, her sky-high heels playing a staccato rhythm against the hard tile floor. She was wearing black fitted slacks with a matching blazer and a shiny metallic-blue blouse. Though she appeared to be dressed for a day on Wall Street, there was no mistaking exactly how lethal the woman was.

“What’s going on here?” She strode to my side.

“Good morning, R.A.C. Mitchell.”

“Cut the shit, Koen. I may be the resident agent in charge of you clowns, but I can still kick your ass.”

“Whose ass are we kicking?” Duncan suddenly appeared, cracking his knuckles.

Noah startled. “Jesus. Where the fuck did you come from?”

“I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you,” Duncan deadpanned.

“That’s it. I’m buying you a bell,” Lanie huffed. It was a running joke around the office because Duncan was like a ghost. He could practically materialize out of thin air.

Bringing the two of them up to speed was always the plan, since I’d been utilizing federal resources for personal gain, but I was hoping to have more information before spilling the tea.

“Keaton?” Waverly raised her brow.

“Shit. Okay.” Scrubbing a hand through my hair, I rotated to face my team. “So you all know I found Henley. Well, I took her on a date last night?—”

“You work fast, bro.”

“Shut it, Koen.” Lanie elbowed him in the stomach. “Continue. ”

“Anyway, she told me this guy had been harassing her at school; wouldn’t take no for an answer. Then one night he accosted her, nearly raped her, but she fought him off. Two weeks later she was expelled.”

“Sounds pretty suspicious,” Duncan offered.

“Did she give you a name?” Waverly hissed.

“Chase McArthur.”

“As in the youngest son of Congressman Wade McArthur.”

I nodded even though she didn’t pose it as a question.

“You know that blowhard is trying to pass a bill through the state legislature which would tax the use of oxygen?” She rolled her eyes. “Dumbass.”

“What do you need from us, Keaton?” Duncan queried.

“Nelson and maybe a horseshoe for luck.”

“You got it, but do it on your own time. We’ve got a killer to catch. Speaking of…” He walked to the whiteboard where we had an outline of all suspected victims, the locations of their disappearances, crime scene photos, as well as any other pertinent information. “Fingerprints for the woman found yesterday came back to twenty-six-year-old Cassie Engleson.”

“She’s not on the list of the original three who disappeared.”

“No, she’s not, Noah. Which means we missed something. Find it.”

He tacked her picture on the large corkboard alongside the one we had for Ashley Greer, keeping them separate from the photos of the other seven women we suspected had also been casualties of the Truck Stop Killer. They were all young—early to mid-twenties—with similar builds and dark hair .

“Have the profilers in Pittsburgh come up with anything useful for us?”

Koen was often the jokester of our group, but he knew when to turn it off. Right then, he’d transformed into the intense investigator, which had earned him a spot on Waverly’s team.

“We haven’t sent it to them yet.” Duncan glanced at Waverly, who gave him a discernible nod.

“Why the hell not?” I questioned.

He trudged across the room, clamping his hand on the shoulder of a nervous-looking Noah. “Because we don’t need input from the home office when we’ve got our very own profiler here in Huntington.”

“No-ah,” Lanie drew out his name. “You’ve got some ’splaining to do.”

“It’s about damn time you put that massive brain to use.” I smirked at my best friend.

“Yeah, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.” He swallowed roughly, glancing quickly at the board. “Now, I’m not so sure.”

“Bullshit. It’s perfect.”

Noah had dual degrees in psychology and criminal justice. I wasn’t lying about the size of his brain; the guy was genius-level brilliant. Thinking back on the other cases we’d worked on, it was clear to me he’d been profiling for years, just not in any official capacity.

“We’ll be speaking later about why you chose to keep this shit to yourself though.” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Playtime’s over.” Waverly rapped her knuckles on a nearby desk, calling out as she disappeared back into her office, “Find this fucker.”

Cassie Engleson hadn’t disappeared from a truck stop, which was how we’d missed her in our original search. Like all the rest, she’d been traveling alone, except her car was found abandoned at a convenience store. The fact my father had killed my mother in the parking lot of a similar business wasn’t lost on me; nor was it dismissed by my fellow agents.

This motherfucker was taunting me.

Noah theorized Cassie’s kidnapping was likely opportunistic in nature, rather than something our killer had planned out. Or maybe he was trying to throw us off track. Whatever the case, we’d figure it out.

I’d texted Henley a few times throughout the day, just a couple words letting her know I was thinking about her. We’d left our plans kinda up in the air, given my job could be a selfish bitch, but I wanted to see her when I finished up, if it wasn’t too late. After the emotional conversation at dinner, I—once again—chose to sleep in my car next to hers. The subject of her possibly staying with Lanie didn’t go over as well as I’d hoped, however, she didn’t automatically say no, so I was counting it as a win. Hopefully she understood the offer was coming from a place of concern, not of judgment. Only time would tell.

Thinking back to the end of our date, I couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re really staying out here?”

“Unless you feel comfortable enough to use my spare room, then yes,” I told her.

“This is ridiculous, Keaton.” She stomped her foot. “I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”

“Never said you weren’t, Little Bird.”

“Then go inside.” Her arm swung out; finger pointed at my building.

She was stubborn as hell, yet sexy-as-fuck when she was all worked up. My cock was already hardening at the thought of other ways we could rile her, but now was not the time.

“Not happening.”

“You’re infuriating.”

We were locked in a stare down. Henley had her hands fisted on her hips, while I stood a mere two feet away in a more casual stance. The rapidly cooling temperatures shifted my attention to her mouth as I watched short puffs of smoke flow from between her lips with every huffed breath.

I’m uncertain who moved first or whether we converged simultaneously, but the space between us vanished in a heartbeat.

Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, I grazed the back of my finger down her buttery-soft cheek. “You’re so damn beautiful, baby. May I kiss you?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

Watching intently for any signs of distress, I slowly palmed the side of her neck, using my thumb to tip her chin up slightly. The moment our mouths touched; sparks didn’t simply fly: they exploded into scorching hot flames of desire while the world I once knew crumbled into nonexistence.

Twice, I brushed my lips against hers before licking across the seam. She opened without hesitation, tilting her head to the side. My hand slid up her neck, cradling her cheek as our tongues met in a slow sensual dance of tasting and exploring. We groaned in unison, the sound reverberating straight down to my dick which was plastered so firmly against my zipper there’d be marks.

I could have kissed her forever. Maybe I would have if the slamming of a car door off in the distance hadn’t interrupted our heated embrace.

“Thank you for tonight. I had a wonderful time.”

“So did I. ”

Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her close. She relaxed her head on my chest and let out a deep sigh. Unfortunately, I ruined the moment with my next words.

“I’d like you to seriously consider my friend's offer of a place to stay.”

She tensed before pushing away from me, those incredible green eyes glaring daggers so sharp I could feel where they’d cut. “I’m not a charity case, Keaton.”

“That’s not what this is about and you know it. Lanie knows you mean something to me, regardless of how new this thing is between us. My entire team has a vested interest in seeing me happy because, apparently, I’ve become less of an asshole since meeting you, and nothing would make me happier than knowing you’re safe and secure.”

“I mean something to you?”

“Undeniably.”

“And you aren’t an asshole.”

“Yeah, baby. I am.” I chuckled.

“Can I think about it?”

“Sure. So long as those thoughts end with you sleeping in a bed rather than your car.”

“Bossy.” She rolled her eyes.

“I’d say I’m sorry, but I’d be lying.”

“All the victims were roughly the same age—early to mid-twenties—and they all had dark hair.” Noah’s voice cut through my daydream. He’d set up a dry-erase board next to our victim board earlier and was using it to map out his profile. “Other than the fact they were all traveling alone, do we have any other common denominators?”

“We’ve been hyperfocused on researching our missing women, but this bastard’s been at it for a while. He’s been practicing for years.” Lanie opened the file in front of her, holding up a couple sheets of paper between her fingers. “The autopsy and crime scene reports are here, however, there isn’t any in-depth background info beyond employment records. How did the investigators think they were going to solve the murders? On a wing and a prayer?”

“Shit.” I snagged the rest of the case files off her desk—the ones referencing the initial seven women—and flipped through them. “She’s right.”

“Incompetence at its finest,” Koen grumbled.

“You said ‘he,’ Lanie. What makes you so sure our perp is male?” Noah raised his brow.

By this point, we’d abandoned our respective desks to gather around the conference table. There were times when Noah and I worked separately from Lanie and Koen, however, more often than not we combined forces. After we’d rearranged the furniture in the office one too many times, Waverly had the large wooden table brought in.

“I can’t see a woman being this vicious,” she replied.

“Don’t you remember Shelby?” Koen shivered. “That girl was twisted with a capital T.”

“She was an odd duck,” Lanie muttered. “I still don’t see why you ever dated her.”

“Double D’s,” he smirked.

“If you’re done, can we get back on topic?”

A hint of irritation leaked through his usually unflappable tone, as Noah scowled at the two of them from across the table. They either ignored him or didn’t care because they continued to go back and forth discussing Koen’s poor choice in women.

We’d been knee-deep in serial killer bullshit for hours so when their discussion veered left into kinkytown, I knew we all needed a break. Thankfully, a vibrated text alert came through my Apple Watch, putting a smile on my face and an idea in my head.

Henley: I wish you were here…

Henley

A week ago, I’d have laughed in your face if you’d told me a six-foot-something, gorgeous FBI agent would come barreling into my life; bringing a sense of peace with him I’d never experienced. But life was full of unexpected surprises and Keaton Clarke was, by far, the best kind.

After our kiss last night—which stole my breath in more ways than one—I climbed into the back of Old Blue feeling lighter instead of weighed down. Sleep, however, did not come easily. I tossed and turned for hours, which was an impressive feat considering the back seat was only about a foot and a half wide. Still, my mind raced with thoughts of a future which seemed bleak a mere forty-eight hours before.

When we parted ways that morning, I took the opportunity to check in with Nana Rita, who I might add was fired up over the fact I was late with my monthly call.

“I was getting ready to send out the National Guard,” she answered in lieu of the customary hello.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Nana. You do know the phone works both ways, right? If you were worried, you could’ve called me yourself.”

“Stop being rational.”

I chuckled into the phone.

“You sound different, Henny-Penny. Happy, even.”

The nickname started around my thirteenth birthday when I became obsessed with the copper coins. My younger self was adamant they’d bring us good luck, so whenever I saw one lying on the ground, I’d snatch it up and put it in my pocket .

“I’m always happy.”

“Lies,” she harrumphed. “You might be good at fooling yourself, but not me. Spill the tea.”

The sidewalk began to fill with the usual mid-morning crowd as I rounded the last corner on my trek to work. Even through the throng of bodies, Over Easy’s flashing neon sign stood out. It was like a beacon—or an eyesore—calling out to every passerby. Knowing our time was limited, I hoped giving her a little truth would drown out all the deception I’d been throwing her way recently.

“I met a man.”

“It’s about damn time.”

Lunch rush was an exercise in patience. Even with Jade in tow for her second shift, we were slammed. Hangry customers translated to shitty tips—which I couldn’t afford—so I swallowed my snarky retorts and smiled through the grumbled complaints of the masses while secretly hoping karma bit them all in the butt.

Our only saving grace was how quickly Jade was getting the hang of things. She even felt comfortable enough to take an order or two on her own, giving me the opportunity to sneak off for a quick break to reply to Keaton the couple of times he’d texted.

“I don’t know how you do it.” Jade sidled up next to me at the soda fountain.

“Do what?”

“Deal with all the assholes.”

Stepping to the right, I watched as she carefully filled four glasses halfway full with ice then different beverages before placing them on a tray.

“Do you see Mr. Schultz over there?” I tipped my head toward the older man sitting alone in a booth. “He’s pushing eighty years old, yet he walks here every single day for a BLT and a glass of sweet tea. The man is a total sweetheart.”

“Yeah, but he only left you a dollar tip yesterday.”

Catching her eye, I lowered my voice, hoping my explanation would resonate.

“One dollar every day over the course of a month equals thirty dollars. For someone on a fixed income, that’s money which could go toward bills, except he chooses to spend it here…on us.”

“Shit. Now I feel horrible.”

“Don’t. Trust me though, when he starts telling you stories about his life, pay attention. Those moments are worth more than any amount of money left on the table.”

“So, take the good with the bad?”

“Exactly.”

The bell over the front door jingled as one group of diners left while another entered. There was no rest for the weary.

“I wouldn’t mind taking a little of his goodness,” Jade muttered, her gaze swaying to the group of newcomers waiting to be seated.

On instinct, I followed her line of sight, nearly choking on my saliva when I saw who’d piqued her interest. For almost two months, I’d meticulously avoided going to places near the college so I wouldn’t come in contact with Chase, but it appeared my luck had just run out.

Goosebumps skated down my spine when Mitzy seated him and his two sidekicks in my section. I recognized them immediately. In the weeks leading up to my expulsion, they took great pleasure in my torment. Bullying was their weapon of choice, seeing as they lacked the required brain cells combined to form a complete sentence. They were everywhere; following me around campus. One time, they knocked into me so hard I had road rash on my hands and knees from where I’d skidded across the asphalt parking lot.

Well, they were in for a rude awakening. I wasn’t the same na?ve girl they were used to harassing. Something snapped inside of me that day in the dean’s office, when my hopes and dreams were ripped out from underneath me like an old rug. Now, I was all out of fucks to give or at the very least, I’d put on the performance of a lifetime.

Tapping out a quick text to Keaton letting him know how much I wished he were here, I shored up my defenses and marched my ass to their table, as if their very presence didn’t have me quaking in my bargain basement sneakers.

“Welcome to Over Easy. Can I get you something to drink while you look at the menu?”

“Coffee and water for each of us, sweet Henley,” Chase cooed, licking his lips while his eyes stayed firmly fixed on my breasts.

Whirling around, I came close to crashing straight into Jade, who’d followed me to their table. She frowned, but thankfully didn’t say a word until we were far enough away where we couldn’t be overheard.

“My creep-o-meter just spiked off the charts. What the hell happened back there?”

Retrieving three mugs and glasses, I ignored her question; not because I was being rude, I simply didn’t have an answer.

“Henley.”

Her voice was so quiet I barely heard her over the clattering of dishes and boisterous conversations from the busy restaurant in the background. When her gentle hand landed on my shoulder, a shudder ran through my body. I’d been preparing to lie, to—once again—hide from the truth, but when I glanced in her direction, there was no mistaking the concern etched across her face. It was the kind of look I was used to seeing from Mom and Nana, or even the girls here at Over Easy, but since I’d never had a close friendship with a woman my own age, I was taken aback.

“Henley, talk to me. I get it, we haven’t known each other long, but I consider you my friend. And as my friend, I need to know which one of those pricks I’m spilling this hot coffee on. Accidentally, of course.”

She winked and I lost it. Throwing my head back, I laughed so hard my stomach muscles ached.

“God, I think I love you.”

“Whew,” she wiped her forehead with a hand, “that’s a relief. It’d be pretty awkward if my only friend thought I was nuts.”

“You could be batshit crazy for all I care.”

“So what’s the deal?”

While we finished pouring their drinks, I took a chance and laid it all on the line; skimming briefly over my mom’s death, being kicked out of school, and finally meeting Keaton.

“Holy shit, Henley. Does your new guy know all this?

“Yup,” I popped the P.

“Oh boy.” Her mouth slowly spread into a mile-wide grin. “I can’t wait to watch it all play out.”

Picking up the tray filled with beverages, I pivoted back around, cocking my head to the side. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Keaton’s a fed, right?”

“So?” Throwing my shoulders back, I lifted my chin and blew out a breath before moving in the direction of the assholes’ table. The faster we got their order, the quicker they’d get the hell out, I hoped.

She glanced toward the front door as we walked, another group of patrons setting off the bell as they entered. “He wouldn’t happen to be super gorgeous, incredibly tall, and looks like he could kill somebody with his pinkie finger, does he?”

Following her gaze, my steps faltered when I connected with Keaton’s heated ebony stare. He was wearing all black—his signature color—and looked even more delicious than he had when he kissed me goodbye that morning.

Unfortunately, I lost track of where I was and ran smack into the front of the table. Like the universe had heard our conversation and decided to take matters into her own hands, all three glasses of water tipped over the edge of the tray, releasing their contents directly into the lap of my worst nightmare.

Chase pushed out of the booth, knocking the tray out of my hand onto the floor, shoving me backward in the process. Thankfully the jeans I wore took the brunt of the hot coffee, though some of it splattered up onto my arms.

“You stupid, clumsy bitch,” he roared.

Before I had a chance to respond, Keaton blocked my view. He didn’t engage with Chase, instead he began inspecting each of my arms.

“Where does it hurt, baby?”

Momentarily stunned, I didn’t answer him. Mitzy ran over with several towels in her hands, tossing the majority of them to Jade for the mess on the floor, before she started to gently wipe off my arms.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re more concerned with the fucking help than a paying customer who’s soaking wet thanks to this bitch?”

“Oh, he’ll deal with you in a second, asswipe,” a blond woman I’d never seen before responded. “And a word of advice. I’d stop calling her a bitch before we need more towels.”

Warm hands cupped my cheeks. “Henley. Did you get burned?”

“No.” I shook my head slightly. “I don’t think so.”

“Thank God.” Bending down, he kissed my forehead, then straightened and in a tone which left no room for argument, said, “Stay behind me.”

Keaton spun on his heel, taking one menacing step after another, until he’d backed Chase up against the booth. You could’ve heard an ant fart with how quiet the diner had suddenly become.

“Not so tough now, are you?”

“Look, man,” Chase blubbered. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“Funny.” Keaton flexed his fists at his side. “Didn’t seem that way two minutes ago when you accosted my girlfriend.”

“Hell’s bells. You’ve been keeping secrets, little miss,” Mitzy chastised.

Chase’s henchmen proved their worthlessness by slithering out of their seats, disappearing out the door like a cheap magic trick, leaving him to face a pissed-off wall of muscle on his own.

“You’ve got three seconds to vanish like your buddies.” Keaton’s voice was steady, despite the rage wafting off of him.

“Or what?” Chase sneered, obviously recovering some of his earlier bluster.

A chorus of “oh fucks” sounded through the stilted air, followed by a round of chuckles, all from the two men and one woman who’d arrived with my—apparent—boyfriend.

“No bloodshed in my restaurant.” Shirley stomped across the room, planting herself a few feet away from the drama, hands on her hips. “I’m not opposed to you kicking his ass, just do it outside where you won’t bust up my place of business.”

“Jesus, woman.” Sal roped his arm around his wife’s waist and drew her backward about ten feet. “Do you have no self-preservation?”

“I was fine, Sal. No need to get your boxers twisted.”

“Keep sassing and you’ll get that spanking you’re itching for.”

“Why have we never come here before? These two are a riot,” the tall blond, who looked more like a surfer than an FBI agent, remarked.

Blush stained my cheeks as I learned more about my bosses’ personal life in one interaction than I had in all the years I’d worked with them. It was entirely too much information to process with everything else going on. Especially when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Keaton reach out and roughly grab ahold of Chase’s arm, slinging him around like a rag doll until he had pinned it behind his back.

“Noah, get the door.”

The other male, I now knew as Noah, shook his head, but did as he was asked.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” Chase shouted, struggling the entire way.

Once they reached the threshold, Keaton released his hold with a less-than-gentle shove, sending the jerk crashing down to his hands and knees on the unforgiving sidewalk. A thunderous boom rang out from the diner’s patrons as they clapped and called out praises, but I knew it was far from over.

When Chase climbed to his feet and spun around, my body jolted. His lips were curled into a snarl and his face was fire-engine red, but it was the promise of retribution bleeding from his evil eyes—the same look I became acquainted with when he dragged me into those trees—which had me retreating a step.

“He won’t hurt you anymore. We won’t allow it.” The soft feminine voice was in complete contrast with the harshness of her message. “I’m Lanie, by the way. The big blond over there is Koen and the broody one holding the door is Noah. We’re his team.”

“I’m Henley.” I took her outstretched hand. “It’s nice to meet you, though I wish the circumstances were different.”

“Nah. Watching K in action is always a good time.”

The awe in her voice created havoc in my mind, which had immediately begun picturing the two of them together. Jealousy rose up fast and furious, settling deep in my gut. My heart stuttered to a stop in my chest. Did she have feelings for Keaton? Had they slept together?

“Whoa.” She nudged me with her elbow. “Get those ideas outta your head. There has never, nor will there ever be, anything between me and Keaton other than friendship.”

My shoulders hunched, the relief I felt was instantaneous, if not a bit embarrassing. I’d never had such a visceral—near possessive—reaction about a man I’d dated before.

“Really?”

Before she could speak, my focus snapped back to the front when I heard Chase begin to sling vitriol.

“You’re fucked. Do you have any idea who I am?”

Keaton threw his head back and laughed, except it wasn’t the sound of someone who was amused, which was confirmed moments later.

“I know exactly who you are, Chase McArthur.” The sheer venom in his voice sent chills down my spine. “But you’re wrong about who’s fucked. Come near Henley again, I fucking dare you. Not even your daddy’s power and influence will be able to stop the hellfire I’ll rain down on you.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, asswipe. That’s a promise.”

“Who do you think you are?”

“Special Agent Keaton Clarke.” He moved his jacket aside to reveal his badge and gun. “Now get moving before I arrest you for loitering.”

Chase began to fall back, but not before his icy-gaze shot to me; his next words were my undoing.

“How’s it been sleeping in your car, Henley? Those parking lots you frequent get awfully dark at night.”

He turned and fled, like the coward he was, when Keaton lunged in his direction. Thankfully Koen and Noah were there to grab ahold of their friend and somehow convince him to give up his pursuit. The look on his face when he stepped back into Over Easy though…it was murderous.

Shit!