CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Renew

I sat at the small table in the corner of Social Perks, the coffee shop around the corner from Xavier’s apartment. Clutching my coffee cup in both of my hands, I rubbed my fingers along the cardboard sleeve hugging the cup. It had been years since I’d last seen Kirk. He was attractive with his golden eyes, dark wavy hair and the “I don’t give a fuck” look that always conveyed honesty—the honesty that drove me to make my regretful decision and our one night affair.

Several tables away sat my entourage. Xavier insisted that they all be nearby, but agreed to allow me to speak with the detective alone.

I glanced at my phone. He was running late. Just as I was about to call him, he stepped through the door. He shook his head, ridding his hair of loose droplets of rain. His amber eyes scanned over the patrons in the coffee shop, and when he found me, a gleaming smile spread across his face. He strode toward me, shrugging off his jacket, and then draped it on the chair back in front of me. He leaned across the small bistro table and pecked a kiss on my cheek. “Elaine, it’s so good to see you again.”

“Likewise.” I smiled back at him.

“Can I get you a refill?” He pointed to my cup.

“No, thanks. I’m good.”

“I’ll be right back. I could use a bit of a boost.” He made his way to the counter.

I lifted my cup, taking a sip while my gaze flashed to the table of men monitoring my every move. Xavier sat facing me so he could peer around the edge of the booth with Marco and Sebastian seated on the other side. Xavier’s expression was stoic.

I fiddled with my cup, thinking through the plan the four of us had discussed this morning. First off, I had to find out how the detective got Victoria’s card. Was he helping Annie for Annie’s sake or for some other purpose? And finally, I needed to figure out what his end game was. And that was the easy part. After that came…Victoria and that goddamn Society.

Kirk approached the table and set his coffee on the surface. “There…that should help me wake up a bit. It was a long night.” He pulled out the chair and sank onto the hardwood seat.

“Well…that hasn’t changed,” I teased, chocking an eyebrow.

“You know, better to be busy than sit and stare at the walls.” His New York accent was subtle but added to his straightforward demeanor.

“You have a point.”

“You said you have some information that might interest me. But before we get to that, tell me how you are.” He took a swig of his coffee.

I stared at my coffee cup and the beautiful diamond ring Xavier had placed on my finger the night before.

“I’m good. Getting by. I’ve decided to change careers since my father made PR nearly impossible, but I haven’t settled on anything yet.”

He reached over and grazed his finger along mine. “This is new. That’s one impressive rock. Who’s the lucky guy?”

Shit. I couldn’t say Xavier. I wasn’t sure what he thought of Xavier’s involvement with the Society. Sebastian, being Charles’s son-in-law, was also probably not a wise choice, but… “His name is Marco. Marco Bartolli.” For once, having so many options to choose from came in handy.

“Well…tell Marco he’s one hell of a lucky bastard. If it weren’t for the case and there being so much at risk, who knows where we might have ended up.” He grabbed my hand.

I stared at the table and brushed my hair behind my ear with my other hand.

He leaned in closer. “You know, I think about that night all the time. I have to admit, I sort of hoped that was the reason you called me. If I weren’t married to my fucking job maybe we could have…” He stared at my hand again. “Hey, but it doesn’t matter now, does it? Marcus has taken you off the market.”

“Marco,” I corrected, pulling my hand free.

“Yes…right… So how can I help you?”

“Funny that you mention that night… The night we… You know…”

“The night we fucked like there was no tomorrow in your hallway, on your kitchen counter and on your couch.” He shivered. “God, just thinking about it…”

“Yes, that night…” He was an intense lover. No pretense. Sex with my current lovers was the embodiment of poetry; fucking Kirk was like an exposé—dirty, rough, and hard to forget. I couldn’t imagine that Detective Mancini had ever made love. It was as though all his years working homicide had stripped him of any will to connect. It was by chance that we both let our guard down in that moment. We weren’t in love. We were drowning, and we rescued each other with one heroic feat. “Do you remember the card you gave me?”

“Card?”

“Yes, for Dr. England, the psychologist?”

He leaned across the table, his eyes intense. “I gave you a card for Dr. England?” His response was unexpected.

“Yes.”

“What is Dr. England’s first name?”

“Her first name is Victoria, but shouldn’t you know that? You gave me the card.”

“Shit, and no. Just as I was leaving the office to come to your house, a woman came to see me at the station. I thought it was her referral I gave you. But she wasn’t Dr. England. I never bothered to look at the actual card.” He ran his hands through his hair. “Son of a bitch.” He let out a deep sigh. “Tell me you didn’t go see Dr. England.”

I stared at him. “I did.”

“Is that what this is about?”

“Sort of.”

He fidgeted in his seat. “Look, I didn’t mean to send you to her, so whatever happened, please understand that.”

“What do you think happened?”

“Fuck, I don’t know. Anything is possible.”

“Well… I will say it was one of the most bizarre therapy sessions I’ve ever heard of, so I didn’t bother to go back.”

“Thank God.”

“Who gave you the card, Kirk?”

He glanced around the room. “I’m not exactly at liberty to say.”

“Normally, I’d appreciate that, but not in this case. You sent me to that crazy bitch. I deserve to at least know who referred her.”

He laced his fingers into his lush hair and leaned back. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would she give me someone else’s card? I’m so fucking stupid.”

“Who was it?” Irritation rang loud in my voice.

Kirk’s gaze darted back up to me. “Look, Elaine, your father, he was only part of an investigation I was doing. In fact, I’d been at it for years, and when you showed up with the info about your father in Milwaukee, I honestly thought I was being set up. They gave me a cold case involving missing girls when I first started. It was sort of a joke to give the new guy a bullshit case he’ll never get anywhere with. Well…I surprised those motherfuckers when I traced them all back to a city doctor. As soon as I got momentum, they shut down the case saying there was no budget. They never expected me to make any progress and claimed I needed to focus on current cases. So I did…but I made the other one sort of my hobby.”

“Was that doctor Dr. England?”

“No. But two nights before you showed up in my office telling me that you thought your father may have killed that woman in Milwaukee, I had traced all of the Basement Killer’s victims back to one man—the same doctor that was my connection in the missing girls cases.”

Dear God… It had to be Charles. I pulled my sleeve over my palm while I listened.

“So you can imagine my surprise when as soon as I start to investigate him, he winds up dead.”

I closed my eyes. “Kirk, who gave you the card?”

He exhaled. “Dr. Lydia Vincent, she was the wife of that bigwig cancer doctor from Western. You worked there. You know who he is, right?”

I nodded.

“Lydia Vincent stopped by my office to offer her services to you. She gave me her card. I never looked at the information on it when I gave it to you. It just happened to be that night, after your recent accident, your father’s arrest, and the fact that you fucked me like you were trying to lose yourself. I figured some professional advice might help. I care about you, Elaine, and that doesn’t happen often.” He set his coffee cup down with too much force, causing the dark liquid to spill onto the table. “Fuck. I’m so fucking stupid.” He wiped at the small aromatic puddles with the napkin he’d had wrapped around his cup.

“No. No, you’re not.” I reached over and covered his hand with mine. “You’re telling me that Lydia Vincent sought you out, offered her services to me, my sister and the victims’ families, but instead of giving you her own card, she gave you Victoria’s?”

“Yes. But why? That doesn’t make sense at all. These fucking people are crazy.”

“Yes. Without a doubt. But I know why.” I felt confident that Kirk’s reactions were authentic. To bring them down I was going to need him.

He slowly lifted his eyes to meet mine. “Why?”

I pulled back the sleeve, exposing my wrist.

He examined the scar. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Wasn’t that from your accident? I remember trying to be careful with your wrist when we…”

“Yes, that’s what I thought too. But I think my accident was staged, and I was sent to Victoria England as a message from Lydia.”

“I don’t get it.”

“The doctor, the epicenter, it’s Dr. Charles Lemiux, isn’t it?”

His eyes grew wide. “Yes, but how do you know that?”

“Before I give you the details you need to make me several promises.”

He nodded. “If I can.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Not good enough.”

“OK. How about, I’ll do my best?”

That was the thing about Kirk; his word meant everything to him. It was one of the things that drew me to him in the first place.

“I have all of the pieces of the puzzle you’re looking for. Even more than Annie.”

His eyes grew wide.

“Yes, I know about Annie. You have to promise me that you will include me in your investigation and that no bureaucratic bullshit will get in the way. I have the information to take them down.”

He closed in, putting us nearly nose to nose. “Them?” he asked expectantly.

“The Bosch Society. The second thing you have to promise me is that they will be extinguished. Not stifled, so those sociopathic assholes can lick their wounds and come back harder for the fight, I mean gone. And honestly, at this point, I don’t really care how.”

“Do you know what you’re asking?”

“Absolutely. But there is a third thing.”

“You’re quite demanding.” A smirk pulled at the edge of his lip.

“So I’ve been told.”

“You’re basically asking me to lead the take-down of the most manipulative, fucked up group of people that have ever existed. I’d have an easier time taking down the mob. At least I understand their motivation. I haven’t been able to completely figure out what gets these people off.”

“That’s where I can help and yes, I know I’m asking the impossible, but lastly… I want all evidence of Xavier Vincent’s association with them erased.”

“Are you asking me to tamper with evidence?”

“Certainly not. I’m asking you to make sure you see the truth and not what they will try to show you.”

“Why do you care about him? His wife was involved somehow; otherwise, she wouldn’t have paid me a visit.”

“Oh, she was most certainly involved, but Xavier is a victim. That needs to come out in the facts.”

“Shit, Elaine…” He leaned forward on his elbows. “Coming here today, I kept thinking you were going to tell me about another one of your father’s victims, or hoping that you’d wanna hook up.”

I crossed my arms and assessed his reaction. “I can walk away and pretend we never had this discussion.”

“Hell no. Those creepy fucks need to be stopped. If half of what Annie said is true, I’m just not sure where I’ll even start.”

“I have a plan. I’m going to…” My cell phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen. Xavier. I raised a finger, signaling to Kirk. “One moment.” I pressed the button.

His voice was commanding. “You need to excuse yourself. Tell him you need to go to the restroom. Get up and then head to the back of the shop. I’m waiting for you in the back hallway.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

What on Earth could he want that couldn’t wait? I hung up the phone. “Telemarketers.” I groaned. “You know what, I’ll be right back. I’m going to give you a minute to think things over while I go to the ladies room.”

He smiled. “Sure.” He picked up his phone and swiped the screen.

I tucked my phone into my pocket and headed to the back of the shop. After making the turn into the back hallway, Xavier’s arm reached out and grasped mine, pulling me into the men’s room.

He dragged me inside, locking the door behind him. Thankfully, it was a single room with no stalls.

“What is going on?”

He yanked my arm, spinning me to face the wall, and pinned my body against it with his. “When were you planning to tell me you fucked him?”

I was going to kick Marco’s ass. “I don’t know. It really didn’t seem relevant.”

“I couldn’t disagree more. He keeps touching you. Whispering in your ear. He still wants you,” he accused through gritted teeth, his heat engulfing me.

I twisted my head trying to look at him, but he held me still. “Xavier, it really doesn’t matter if he does. I agreed to marry you.”

He reached around my waist and unbuttoned my pants. “It matters to me.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re mine and I can’t stand the thought of him picturing how you felt.” He unzipped my pants and slid his hand into my panties, cupping me between the legs. “He’s probably thinking about your tight pussy and how wet you get when you come.” He pressed his erection into the crevice of my ass.

“Xavier, what are you doing?” Even though I asked, I knew what was happening. Jealousy. He had warned me, but given Sebastian and Marco’s involvement in our lives, I would have never suspected this reaction.

He removed his hand and looped his thumbs in the waistband of my pants.

“I’m going to remind you who you belong to.”

I grinned and pressed back against him. I found his rage amusing. “I know who I belong to.”

“He doesn’t.” He slid my pants and panties down my legs. “You’ve been thinking about him. Did you think about fucking him?” He shoved his fingers into me.

I gasped. Xavier was that explosive mix of extreme confidence and extreme insecurity. Allowing him to reaffirm his claim on me would keep him in balance. I pressed my pelvis against his hand. “No, Xavier, I had sex with him once. I barely remember it. I was emotionally numb at the time.”

“But I saw the way you smiled at him.” He pulled his fingers out and then shoved them back into me.

I moaned. “Yes, I smiled at him. He’s going to help us end them.”

He began a frenzied pace, fucking his fingers in and out of me from behind. I savored his intrusion with each entry.

I chuckled, finding his caveman like behavior far too amusing. “You watch two other men fuck me all the time and you’ve never reacted this way.”

He tangled his fist in my hair and pulled tight, growling in my ear. “That’s because they have my permission. He doesn’t.” He removed his fingers, and I heard the sound of a lowering zipper.

I wouldn’t get into the fact that it all happened before we met. “What are you doing, Xavier? Marking your territory?” I tried not to giggle. He was genuinely incensed. I had to remind myself that even though he was comfortable with sex in general, the emotional connection that forms between people in love was new and overwhelming to him.

His cock rubbed against my ass. “Is it wrong that I want to be reminded you’re mine?”

“No, Xavier, it’s not wrong, but understand I was never his. I never wanted him.” I curved my back, exposing my sex for his taking. “But I do want you.”

He gripped my shoulder. “Who else has touched you? How many?”

He was unbelievable. “Not many. Do you really want to discuss this now?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. Besides the three of you? Four, including Detective Mancini.”

“Do you ever think about them?”

“No, Xavier. One was in high school, and I think he digs graves for a living now, and the other two were college boyfriends. Nothing serious. I never agreed to marry any of them. So caveman, do what you gotta do to stake your claim, because you’re the only one I want…well, besides…”

He gripped my hips and his cockhead nudged my entrance. “What was it you were going to say?”

“I was going to tell you that you have made it hard to resist Sebastian and Marco.”

He slid into me, causing my breath to hitch. “Good. You don’t have to resist them.” He nipped my neck. “In fact, I prefer you not.”

I closed my eyes, savoring his invasion. “Xavier, I love you. I agreed to marry you. You have nothing to worry about from Kirk.”

He slammed into me hard. “See… I don’t like it when you call him by his first name.”

“Fine. Detective Mancini.” I pushed back against him and a knock sounded at the door. “You better make this fast, someone might need to use the facility.”

He twisted his fist in my hair and pounded into me hard. “I love you so much, it makes me crazy. I thought about tossing you over the table and fucking you in front of him.”

“Wouldn’t that be some kind of health code violation?”

Deep thrust. He groaned in my ear. “Oh, I’d make sure it was. When you go back to that table with him I want him to smell me on you.” He reached down between my legs and rubbed my clit.

The sound of his hips slapping against my ass echoed through the room. I would give him this, his moment of possession.

He nipped the skin of my neck and moaned. “I’ll make it up to you later. I’ll let Sebastian fuck you like he’s been wanting to. God…just thinking about it…” He rubbed my clit harder, working me to the same rhythm as his cock.

I closed my eyes and sank my teeth into my bottom lip, stifling a scream. His ferocity excited me.

He increased his pace, grasping my hips for leverage. The gasp that always left his lips when he was close to release resonated in my ear.

I wanted to fall with him. “Xavier…so good.”

“Yes. I want him to smell you, too. He’ll know you came. Come for me, Elaine.”

His growl was my undoing.

“Fuck,” I whispered as loudly as I felt safe no one would hear. My legs grew rigid and my head filled with euphoric delight.

His thrusts did not waver.

“That’s it. I love you. Come for me, Xavier.”

“Yes, Elaine, for you.” He emptied inside me, leaving me hot, wet, and full. Digging his fingers painfully into my hips, he growled, “You’re mine.”

I smiled to myself as wisps of fallen hair floated back and forth in front of my face as labored breaths rushed past my lips. “I know.”

He leaned against my back, his breathing heavy.

Another knock sounded at the door.

He pulled out and smoothed his hand over the curve of my ass. “I love you.”

“What’s that guy going to think when he sees us both walk out of here together?”

He dragged my panties back in place and patted my sex, moistening the cloth with our release like he did in my office, ages ago. “He’s going to think I fucked you. And he’s going to be right.” He pulled my pants up my legs.

I buttoned and zipped them.

He kissed me quickly. “Thank you.”

Xavier took my hand and opened the door with the other. The stranger gaped at us from the doorway. Xavier winked at him with a mischievous grin and shouldered us past the man.

“I’ll never understand you,” I said gazing up at him.

“Well…you’ve got a lifetime to try.” He kissed me. “I’m going to go out the back door and come back in the entrance. You go back to the table and remember that you belong to me.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “As if I had any doubt.” I walked back to the table, my legs still a bit wobbly.

Kirk looked up from his phone. “Feel better?”

Did he know? It didn’t matter. “Yes.”

I cleared my throat and settled back into serious mode. “So this plan of yours…”

“We need to use their secret weapon against them.”

“What’s that?”

“Xavier Vincent.”

“How on Earth is he going to help? He’s probably knee deep in all this bullshit. I know you said he’s a victim but…”

“He is and that’s his motivation.”

“What’s this really about? What is he to you?” Kirk shifted in his seat. “Why not use him and then send him away along with the rest? Why protect him?”

I stared at the floor. “He’s the one who bought me the ring. I was the one who discovered what they’ve done to him.”

“Jesus Christ.” He rubbed his hands on his pants. “You’re marrying Xavier Vincent? Shit, I didn’t stand a chance did I?”

I laughed. “If I remember correctly, that night neither one of us were thinking about the future.”

His phone buzzed. “Shit. I’m late.” He stood, bent, and kissed me on the cheek. “You’re probably right.” He paused. “Now, I’m kind of worried.” He looked me directly in the eyes.

“Why’s that?”

“I’m pretty good at detecting a liar, and I bought that whole Marcus bullshit you fed me.”

“You can rest easy,” I assured, my gaze drifting to my men, then back to Kirk.

He raised an eyebrow.

“It wasn’t bullshit…exactly. And it’s Marco.”

He shook his head trying to dislodge the confusion. “Wait… I thought you just said that you’re engaged to Xavier Vincent.”

“I did.”

He squinted. “Then who the fuck is Marcus…Marco?”

“He’s my other lover. He, Xavier and Sebastian…they’re sort of a package deal.”

“Holy shit.” He guffawed. “Well…if you always fuck as intensely as you fucked me that night, it would take three of them to keep you satisfied. Good for you.”

“So see…your bullshit detector is fully functional.”

“Yeah…but this just proves my girlfriend detector is majorly busted.” He rubbed my back.

I stood and we walked toward the door.

“Three men. Damn.” He shook his head again. “I’ll call you in a few days and let you know where things stand.”

“Sounds good.”

He bent and whispered in my ear. “If they ever stop doing the job for ya and you fancy a fourth, I’m always happy to help.”

I giggled. “You should have said something when I was still single. What has it been? Three years? It seems you missed your chance.” I slapped him playfully on the arm.

“So I did.” He sighed behind a smile. We both knew relationships weren’t for him. “I’ll be in touch.” He ran a finger down my cheek and smiled.

I returned his smile and watched as he paused before stepping into the rain.

When I turned around, my smile faded. Xavier’s stare was cold and distant.

I waited a moment for Kirk to walk away, not wanting him to know I had brought reinforcements, before I approached the table.