Chapter 15
ELAINE awoke in a start when she heard the creak of the cabin door.
Cloaked in darkness, Connor entered. “It’s just me.”
“Hey, you.” She took a second to get her bearings. The digital display on the TV told her it was past midnight. She’d fallen asleep watching a movie in the living room but must have turned out the lights before she drifted off. The infomercial on the TV hurt her eyes with its brightness, so she grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.
Connor removed his jacket, kicked off his shoes, and walked toward the end table. “Mind if I turn on the light?”
“Go ahead.”
The light illuminated his face from below, making the hollows of his face more pronounced.
He and the others had been searching for Royal Hill for about a week now but hadn’t found any sign of the man. Connor had been going out after work every night for a few hours. His schedule was taking a toll, mostly because she knew how disheartened he was.
“Come here.”
Connor sat next to her on the couch and enfolded her in a bear hug. With his face against her neck, his nose buried in her hair, he lowered her to the couch. She lay down, and he snuggled in next to her.
She didn’t say anything for a while and just combed her fingers through his hair. She thought he might fall asleep that way and was sort of hoping he would, just to give him some rest. It didn’t work. Although he may have been worn out, Connor remained alert. From out of her periphery vision, she spied the dark orbs of his eyes.
“Nothing yet?”
“Nothing good. They turned over Hill’s taxidermy shop. The only things in there were stuffed animals. No paperwork. No credit card receipts. No computer. A few of us have tried to catch his scent as it leads away from the shop, but it never goes far. This is a man who knows how to clean up after himself. He doesn’t even show up on a Google search. We don’t even know if Royal Hill is his real name. It’s as if he popped up out of nowhere, paid cash for everything, and left.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe he has left for good.”
Connor pulled away so he could look at her. “Based on what you know of shifter nature, do you really believe that?”
She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “No.”
“Exactly.” He cradled her skull and held her head against his chest, kissing her on the forehead. “The man has built an organ trafficking empire. There’s no way he’s leaving it behind. He stands to lose too much money. He might have found a place to lay low, but he hasn’t gone away.”
She knew it. Every shiver down her spine told her so. Everywhere Elaine went she felt eyes on her. It was likely just the eyes of her friends and the shifter police officers assigned to island surveillance, but the feeling was still unsettling.
“Elaine.” Connor held her a little tighter. “Tomorrow, I want to move you and the kids into one of the suites at the lodge.”
She extricated herself from his arms and sat up. “But the cabin is our home.”
He sat up as well. “It’ll still be your home. I’m just talking about a temporary arrangement until we locate Hill. Here, you’re too isolated. I would feel better going on patrol if I knew you were at the lodge, surrounded by others.”
“I know. I just hate the idea of you out there all alone, looking for Hill.”
“I’m not alone. I’m with Drew’s officers. You know that. And several of the guys from the Ursa have been joining us. Jani’s been coming out every night with me. He’s a good tracker, plus I think he may just get off on this shit.”
“I want to come with you.”
“Sweetheart, I can’t ask you to do that.”
At least he was talking about asking her. It was a change from the sputtering macho man whose veins almost popped the last time she suggested wanting to take part. “I get it, Connor, and I wouldn’t feel right leaving the kids with someone else every night. I just want to do more. I don’t like waiting at home, feeling helpless. I’ve been there, and I don’t want to feel that way again.”
“I know, and I promise to involve you as much as I can. Drew’s in charge of this investigation. I’m sure there are things he hasn’t shared with me yet either.” Connor rubbed his hand along her thigh. “Look, I don’t have a shift tomorrow morning. I’ll help move you and the kids into the lodge. We’ll make it an adventure for them.”
“They’d like that.”
“Then it’s settled. After we’ve moved your things, you and I can talk to Drew. How does that sound?”
“Good, thanks, but…what about you? Where will you stay?”
“There’s always my tiny cabin. You know, the one with the lumpy couch.”
“Connor Church, there isn’t a single lumpy couch on this resort.”
He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, where would you like me then?”
At the lodge, everyone would see their comings and goings. They wouldn’t be hiding out at her cabin anymore, camouflaged by trees. They would be going as public as they possibly could. It should probably bother her, but right now it didn’t. “I want you to stay with us.”
He grinned. “I’m sure we can find a suite big enough to fit me as well. You know, seeing as you haven’t grown tired of me yet.”
He’d shared her bed for the last week, making love to her as if each night was the last. So, no, she wasn’t tired of him.
She’d even begun to forgive herself for “cheating” on Lloyd.
Sort of.
It had been easy to write off a few passionate clutches with Connor, but it was getting hard to dismiss their sexual relationship as a fluke or one-off. Every kiss changed her. Every touch forced her emotions into unfamiliar territory. It was so easy being with him. He didn’t push her for declarations, and he never expected more than she was able to give. That alone made her want to give him more.
Elaine was, however, worried she was treating him as a rebound. She didn’t want him to be her rebound man. He deserved better than that. She just couldn’t face the prospect right now because if Connor was some sort of rebound, that meant they would eventually leave each other, and she couldn’t bear to see him go.
Right now, she wanted to be greedy, to soak up his attention and affection for as long as she could. She knew they would need to answer some tough questions about their relationship soon, but she was willing to put it off for a while longer.
Her only consolation was the way her bear acted around his mountain lion. The huge beast practically cooed and batted its eyelashes. There was no way it would have been so smitten with a rebound.
Something weird and wonderful ran between her and Connor, a bond that didn’t seem concerned with labels and timelines and reputations. She was just Elaine, and he was just Connor, and they needed each other. Good or bad, they were in this together.
Lloyd may have put the stars in her sky, but Connor had become her sun. He blazed, warming her days, and filled her nights with remembered light.
“Of course I’m not tired of you.” She touched his cheek, tracing the line of his cheekbone. “Speaking of tired, you look exhausted. Let’s go to bed.”
He stood and held out his hand. “Best idea I’ve heard all day.”
They walked together down the hall, stopping at each of the kids’ rooms. She followed him into Layla’s room and tucked the blankets around her sleeping daughter while Connor checked the window locks. Elaine kissed Layla on her round cheek.
Connor followed suit, whispering, “G’night, munchkin.”
They moved quietly into Andy’s room. His stuffed teddy bear had fallen onto the floor, so she picked it up and tucked it under his covers next to his head. As Connor checked the windows in this room as well, Elaine kissed Andy.
Once again, Connor followed her example, dropping a quick kiss on Andy’s hair. “Sleep tight, buddy.”
These little shows of affection came so naturally to him. To see him care for her kids in such kind fashion made her heart soar. When they stepped into the hallway, she grabbed him and hugged him.
“Hey, where did that come from?”
“You’re so good with them. Thank you, Connor. Another man might not appreciate having to deal with someone else’s kids. You show them such love.”
He cupped her cheek. “It’s not hard, lady. I love them. You must know that.”
She nodded, fending off tears, swallowing as best as she could through her raw throat. “I do know it. We’re very lucky to have you.”
The red in his cheeks let her know the praise had hit home. “Besides, they’re not just someone else’s kids. They’re yours and Lloyd’s, and I want to be in their lives as much as I can. They’re family. You are my family.”
Elaine had no response. There were no words sufficient enough to describe the cauldron of emotion in her belly.
“So,” he said as they entered her bedroom, his voice a low rumble, “how were they tonight?” He closed the door.
The click of the door latch brought goose bumps to her skin. Although she was tired and he was probably worn out, her senses came to life. She wanted him and couldn’t wait for him to brush his lips over her skin. “Good. Josh came over tonight to check us all out. He thinks the kids are going to be just fine.”
Connor worked the buttons on his shirt. As each inch of his chest was revealed, Elaine’s breaths came quicker, so fast she found she was holding them. “I’m glad. And what about you?”
She slipped her shirt over her head. His lip twitched in admiration of her sheer bra. “He says my prognosis is still good.”
He unbuckled his belt. “So my kisses are still working?”
“My heart hasn’t weakened so it would appear that way.”
“Great.” Connor walked around the bed and closed the distance between them. He palmed her breasts, stroking his thumbs over the peaks of her nipples. “This is the sexiest bra I have ever seen.”
“That’s because it’s flimsy. You can see my nipples right through it.”
“I know.” He tweaked them, bringing her to an aching awareness of his own body. “Like I said, best bra ever.”
Connor crouched down and sucked one of the tips into his mouth, right over her bra. Despite the fabric layer between them, her skin rioted in delight. His tongue circled and circled in a slow seduction. She slid her hands under his open shirt and raked her fingernails over his back. His muscles undulated, tightening every time she made a pass of them.
He released her nipple and stood, throwing off his shirt. On a growl, Connor unhooked her bra and tossed it to the floor. He walked her toward the bed. She lay back, spreading her legging-clad legs, and he found a home there. Once more, his mouth sought her nipples, moving hungrily from one to the other.
Elaine closed her eyes, floating on a raft of bliss.
“You taste so good, baby.” He flicked his tongue along the underside of one breast. “So good.”
His touch was like blasphemy, sweet blasphemy. Taboo and yet somehow proper, her feelings for him left her grappling with her reason. How could someone so good make her feel so sinful? The peg of their relationship should fit into the appropriate hole, and yet it refused to be contained.
She couldn’t contain this. God only knew she’d tried.
His fingers dipped below her waistband, teasing the skin at her side. A million butterflies took flight in her belly. When he slid lower on her body, she did nothing to stop him, even though a part of her still resisted.
This thing between them, it was growing, and at a pace that astounded her.
He began to roll her leggings over her hips and down her legs but left her thong on.
“A thong.” The vein at Connor’s neck pulsed. “I thought your lingerie was all packed up.”
“I guess this one snuck into my luggage.”
“What a smart thong.” He traced the delicate elastic over her hip. “Roll over, Elaine.”
Vulnerable, in a position of submission, she lay still, wondering what he would do to her. When his tongue met with her ass cheek, she jumped, but he held her down. Two hands massaged her bottom, spreading her cheeks. Tracing the back string of her thong, his finger glided from the top of her butt down toward her pussy.
When his tongue made the same leisurely journey, Elaine moaned.
Prodding her cheeks, he urged her onto her knees. Little by little, he pulled the scrap of silk down, exposing her completely. He tugged, and the garment snapped, falling away from her body. Once again, Connor spread her and licked.
Delicious moisture pooled at Elaine’s core, hers and his mingling. Their juices came together, binding them and blinding her with pleasure.
“So good,” he repeated against her skin.
Her skin had no defense against this man. She used to think she had thick skin, but when Connor was near her, the membrane proved a useless barrier.
He licked and sucked until she was ready to go mad. As her orgasm veered into view, so did insanity, and she’d never been so happy to lose her mind. When Connor stood and flipped her over onto her back, she almost came from the impact.
He tugged at his jeans and boxer briefs, kicking them off. His socks followed. He grabbed a condom from his stash in the bedside table and rolled it on, his face set. Hauling her up, he brought her over to the wall and pinned her there. Their mouths met, hot and furious, tasting each other with recklessness.
They were reckless, and she didn’t care.
She knew there would be consequences. She knew her pleasure was shadowed by regret.
But right now, Elaine just wanted to be taken and consumed.
He slid into her so easily, as if he’d always had a home there. He barely had to grip her. She just held on.
Elaine held on with all her might, so worried she might lose him at any time.
Connor had barely begun to move with her against the wall before she unraveled. Shards of light shot before her eyes, stinging and branding her from head to toe. With every thrust, Connor put his name on her, his scent on her, and he put his heart in her hands.
Her fragile hands.
She wanted to be strong for him. She wanted to be everything he needed.
She just wanted this.
“God, Elaine.” His breath landed on her ear. “I need you.”
I need you too.
As the torrent whipped through her, she knew they would need each other all night long.
* * * *
As Connor, Elaine, and the kids boarded a boat to the mainland the next morning, Josh was disembarking.
“Hey, Doc,” called Connor. “Did we miss an appointment?”
“No, I’m here for someone else today.”
“Is everyone okay?” asked Elaine.
Josh tied up his boat and jumped on the dock. “Yeah, I’m just looking in on our expectant mom.”
“Lia hasn’t been feeling well.” Elaine gnawed her thumbnail. “The last time I saw her she had a lot of pregnancy-related questions.”
“I’m sure it’s just a case of first-time nerves,” said Josh, his voice betraying nothing as usual. “You guys have a good day.”
Connor could see the lines of worry already running amok on Elaine’s forehead. She and Lia were tight. She wouldn’t feel right about leaving the island, as much as she wanted to talk to police about Royal Hill. “Hey, Josh, if there’s anything Lia needs, will you text us? We’ll come back right away if she wants her friends around.”
Josh nodded and headed down the path leading to the resort.
Connor started up the motorboat.
Andy settled in next to his mom. “Auntie Lia’s tummy sure is big.” His brown eyes widened in awe. “Were you that big when I was in your tummy, Mommy?”
“Yes.” Elaine smiled. “I suppose I was.”
Andy poked her stomach and whispered, “Where did it go?”
Elaine answered her son’s question, stifling a giggle. Connor steered the boat away from the dock and toward the mainland. He was glad they’d brought the kids along. They would be a much-needed distraction from everything else going on.
When they got to the police station on the mainland, Drew Maitland met them outside. Tall and broad across the shoulders, with thick eyebrows that were always knit together, Drew was the epitome of a bear shifter.
He tipped his hat to Elaine. “I have news,” he said with no prelude. Turning to the kids, he crouched down to their level and grinned. “I have to take your mom and Connor for a short drive. Is that okay?”
“Can we come too?” asked Layla.
“Well,” said Drew, “I would invite you along, but I have a little problem. Do you remember Sergeant Dixon?”
“I remember,” cried Andy. “He’s ten feet tall!”
A blushing Sergeant Dixon appeared at the door and waved.
“I’ll tell you a secret,” Drew continued. “The sergeant is feeling a little lonely today. He was hoping a couple of kids might show up so he could tour them around the police station. I don’t suppose you guys know any.”
Layla and Andy both jumped. “Me! Me!”
“All right. If you’re good, he might let you sit in the police cruiser. If you’re really good, he might even share some of the blueberry pie he’s hiding in the break room.”
“Mommy, please?” asked Layla. “We’ll be good.”
Elaine nodded. “Okay, but you need to listen to everything Sergeant Dixon says. We’ll be back soon.”
The kids sprinted toward the officer, and they disappeared into the station, talking a mile a minute to the sergeant.
Drew turned to them, his face serious again. “There’s something you need to see. Road trip time.”
They followed Drew to a police cruiser parked in back of the station. Connor held open the front passenger door for Elaine and then sat in the seat in back. Drew started the car and drove the quiet streets of Lake Gemini.
“We’ve located Hill’s house,” he said. “It’s registered to a Jinny Corcoran.”
“What’s her connection to Hill?” asked Connor.
“She’s his sister. Hill was born Dwayne Royal Corcoran. Hill was his mother’s maiden name.”
“Okay,” said Elaine. “Can Jinny help us?”
“We haven’t located her yet, but we did find some other women at the house. Unfortunately, none of them are talking.” Drew turned down a side road leading to a new development just outside Lake Gemini. As he completed his turn, he glanced at Elaine. “I don’t want to alarm you, but what we found at Hill’s home is the worst crazy-ass shit I’ve ever seen in all my time on the force. You don’t have to go inside if you don’t want to.”
“No, I need to see it.” Elaine sat up straight. “I need to know what we’re up against.”
“Okay, just be aware when you see something like this, it stays with you.” Drew turned the corner into a cul-de-sac of large homes with pristine gardens. “Royal Hill left his home in a hurry, and he didn’t care about leaving things behind. I think we’re dealing with someone who has completely lost the plot. A part of him, no matter how small, probably looks forward to getting caught. If you ask me, that makes him very dangerous.”
They drove for a time. With each block they passed, the houses grew more opulent. Having grown up in a modest neighborhood, Connor regarded the homes with a touch of disdain. In his eyes, they seemed ostentatious with their unnecessary winding driveways, pillars, and statues of lions out front.
Before they even parked near Hill’s mansion, Connor would have recognized it from the cruisers lining the road in front of it. It was one of these custom-built, artsy-fartsy, colorless buildings with strange angles. It looked more like a mausoleum than a home.
They were given protective booties and warned not to touch anything. Once they were properly attired for a crime scene, they headed inside, past the officers guarding the entrance. One breath told Connor the police men and women on the case were all shifters as well. Drew would have assigned the case carefully, relegating his human constables to other cases.
Once inside the massive foyer, Connor grasped Elaine’s hand and they followed Drew upstairs.
“As you know,” said Drew, “I wouldn’t normally invite civilians to a crime scene, but this is different. Like Elaine said, as shape shifters, we all need to know what our enemies are made of. I’ve tried hard to manage the needs of both the shifter and human communities. Our people are dealing with different challenges, and law enforcement has to shape itself around those challenges. For that reason, we sometimes take steps humans wouldn’t understand or condone, but it’s for everyone’s safety.”
Connor knew what Drew meant. As shifters, they didn’t always have the luxury of throwing a criminal in jail. Sometimes they had to kill. When they’d gone after August Crane and his Alpha Brethren, it hadn’t been for the purposes of trying to persuade Crane to give up his evil plans. They’d needed to make sure those plans never came to fruition.
“I believe Royal Hill is slaughtering our people,” continued Drew, “and I suspect he’s been doing it for a long time.” They headed down a hallway and up another set of stairs, pausing outside a closed door. “I want to be clear. We will not be pursuing Hill with the aim of incarceration or rehabilitation. There will be no trial. When we find him, we will put him down.”
Elaine and Connor nodded.
Drew put his hand on the doorknob. “We’ll be seeing dead bodies, all Caucasian females. There’s no blood anywhere, but you might still want to brace yourselves.” He opened the door.
Connor squinted as a beam of light shone in through one of the large windows. He blinked and focused his vision.
There were women, dead women, on pedestals. Posed like mannequins in a ladies’ dress shop, their unseeing gazes made every cell in his body revolt in disgust and horror. For a moment, he just stared as the seeds of future nightmares implanted themselves in his brain. He tried not to breathe, but his sense of smell was too good, and the faint odor of chemicals and fear turned his stomach. They all looked alike, blonde with glassy blue eyes. There were differences here and there, owing to bone structure and height and weight, but otherwise, as a group, the resemblance was startling.
The worst part of all was they all looked like Elaine.
He turned to her. She stood still, her face framed in sadness.
“Do you know who they are?” she asked Drew.
He nodded. “We’ve been able to identify them all, thanks to fingerprints. For the most part, they’re prostitutes. Most are shifters, but there are a couple of humans. One’s a teacher who went missing a year ago. The one on the far right is the daughter of a local pastor. He thought she rebelled and ran away. Clearly, she ran into Royal Hill somewhere on her travels.”
When Drew walked over to a table at the far end of the room, Connor took the opportunity to bring Elaine into his arms. She was shaking. He ran a hand over her hair, aching to absorb her sorrow and bring it into his body. If only it was possible.
Drew returned, holding a photograph. “This is Jinny Corcoran, Hill’s sister.”
She looked like all the others.
No. They all looked just like her.
It was clear in the way Hill had styled their hair. They’d all been given the same slight wave. They all wore the same shade of pink lipstick, very much like what Jinny wore in the picture. He’d even dressed them in similar fashion, with leggings and blousy tunics.
“It’s clear Hill has some sort of sick obsession with his sister,” said Drew. “My guess is she’s dead too. Elaine, we can’t ignore the fact you look a lot like Jinny. I’m putting more officers on the island today.”
Elaine touched the photo. “Those poor women.”
Connor fumed. “We need to find that sick fuck.”
“We need to find him,” said Elaine, her voice ragged, “and we need to destroy him.”
“We will,” said Drew.
“Do they have to stay up there?” asked Elaine. “It looks like a fucking sideshow. There’s no dignity.”
“We’re going to take them down,” Drew assured her. “My men have already notified a couple of the families.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “I promise you, Elaine. They’ll be treated with dignity.”
Connor put an arm around her shoulder. “I’d like to take Elaine home now.”
“Of course.” Drew nodded. “Let’s head back to the station.”
As they exited the room, Elaine looked over her shoulder at the dead women.
Connor put a finger on her chin and turned her head away. “Don’t look back.”
Fire flashed in her eyes. “I want him dead, Connor.”
“I swear to you on my life, lady, we will kill him.”
Drew escorted them out of the house and drove them down the street. Elaine sat in the back with Connor, clutching his hand. She stared out the car window, no doubt reliving the gruesome moments in Hill’s gallery. The shadows on her face made him feel like a man drowning in a dark sea, weighted down by rocks in his pockets. Connor’s mountain lion prowled, hungry for blood.
If Hill thought he was coming anywhere near Elaine, the great cat would settle the score.