Chapter Ten
Camila licked the corners of her lips to fetch the last drops of him.
Smiling, she laid on the bed next to him and her sex throbbed even though he hadn’t touched her. She had never felt compelled to swallow a man’s seed before. During her time kissing his marvelous dick, it occurred to her she wanted all of him.
Now, as they both stared at the ceiling side by side, an eerie sense of peacefulness sneaked up on her. Whenever she was with him, she was safe. Cherished even, though he didn’t say romantic things or promise her anything he couldn’t deliver. But some moments betrayed her, like when their gazes collided and she’d felt such a strong emotion her face tightened and she almost cried. Naming such sentiment would be crazy and premature. All she knew was she’d never experienced it with any other man.
“Tell me something about you I don’t know,” she said, betting he had lots to tell her that didn’t even scratch the surface. A light conversation would follow, maybe a couple of laughs, and she hoped more sexy times. “Tell me something most people don’t know.”
“I…never made it to lunch,” he said, his voice strained.
“Excuse me?” she said, glancing at his profile.
He continued staring up, avoiding her, but she could tell the planes of his face hardened. Tension charged the air, the easiness of seconds ago vanished like a thin piece of lint in the ocean. “The day Ellen and Trevor died, I was supposed to meet her for lunch. We had been seeing a counselor because she resented how much I worked, and I wanted us to work it out. I understood her reasons. I loved her. After a heated argument, we had sex that morning. I got to work late and got caught up with things. We had arranged a lunch date downtown, but I had to text her and cancel. I didn’t even fucking call. She stayed home and told the babysitter she’d keep Trevor with her. That day, someone from a gang I helped put in jail came into my home and killed them both in the kitchen.”
She swallowed the razors in her throat. She itched to stretch out her hand and squeeze his shoulder lightly, but if she tried to push him past what he was comfortable with, she may keep him from talking. She couldn’t imagine the pain and guilt he must have dealt with. “I could say I’m sorry, but sorry doesn’t even begin to cover it. It must have been so devastating.”
“All I wanted to do was to keep working. I didn’t want to stop and think or feel. I didn’t sleep for days. After a couple of months, I ended up leaving the NYPD. I couldn’t go on anymore.”
She turned to her side, propping herself on one elbow and cupping her chin as she looked at him. He faced her with a dark expression, and it took every ounce of restraint she had not to caress his cheeks and hug him. She couldn’t. Nothing she ever did would erase that horrible, tragic part of his past. “Tell me about your son,” she whispered.
“Trevor was three,” he said, and instantly a smile broke his lip, the contours of his face softening. “I took him to soccer class every Saturday morning. We used to have our own handshake, and I made up different voices when I told him bedtime stories,” he said, his voice choking up for a bit. He averted his eyes and continued. “That was the best part of my day.”
“I’m sure it was the best part of his day, too.” She closed her eyes and imagined a sweet, blond guy giggling at his father and kicking a ball with him in the backyard on a sunny day. Tears burned at the back of her eyes, her forehead tightening. That little boy would never play with his father again. She opened her eyes and wiped the stray tears from the corner of her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
Silence descended upon them. She scooted closer to him, resting her hand on his and half-expecting him to roll away from her. To her relief, he didn’t. She saw him glance at their hands, then shift back into remoteness again. Her fingers brushed his, as if she had to move them to make sure that moment happened. He shared sad, private things with her, and she had no idea where to go from there but hoped deep in her heart he wouldn’t resent her later.
“Now you tell me something about yourself, and make sure it’s not depressing,” he said in a lighter tone, giving her a sideways glance.
“I like to put ketchup on my pizza,” she said, telling him the first thing that came to mind.
“What?”
“It’s a Brazilian thing. It’s very common to put ketchup on pizza and I didn’t lose that, although sometimes I avoid it when other people are around to not gross them out.”
“Good call. What else?”
“I suffered from dyslexia as a child but came up with coping mechanisms to be able to read and learn,” she said, and the darling memories of her oldest brother, Bruno, helping her with her homework after school stabbed at her mind. “I never thought I’d graduate from school, let alone earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology.”
“You must be a hell of a shrink.” He propped himself on his elbows. A cocoon of intimacy and warmth enveloped them and she wished he’d never leave.
“I will be when I’m done with my internship.”
“What else?”
“Besides my horror dating stories?” She chuckled. Of course, she’d had some positive dating experiences, but bringing those to bed was a moot point. Not only could none of those guys ever compare to Jaeger, but he already knew too much about her. She could be the head expert, but he had access to hacked information, background checks, and an entire team. If he wanted, he could get the dirt on her first kiss. “How about you? What kind of woman do you usually date?” she asked, assuming he’d dated after his loss. It’d been five years…
He frowned. “It’s more a couple of friends I can call for hookups here and there. Not the type of dating you probably mean.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Well, what else did you expect? Long stories about walks on the beach, hearts, and flowers? His honesty was a refreshing change from guys who would say anything just to get in her pants—it’d been that way from the beginning. Yet, a small voice inside her said she’d be lying if she didn’t admit to herself how unimportant she felt. He had sex with other women, and he had sex with her. Nothing more to it.
“In fact,” he continued, “I can’t remember the last time I slept next to someone. That’s not usually my style.”
Her heart sang like a damn opera soloist. A small light flickered at the end of the tunnel and, knowing her overly optimistic self, she knew she’d latch on to hope like a hungry baby to a breast. “I hope I don’t snore.”
It was his turn to chuckle. “No. You’re quite the agreeable bed partner.”
“Good.”
He leaned toward her, and kissed her hair. “But just in case, I say it’s time to break out those handcuffs and get you tired so I can make sure you’re not a snorer,” he said, his breath fanning her earlobe and sending thrills of arousal through her.
“That’s the second least sexy thing you’ve ever told me in bed.” And she hated herself for not minding one bit.
…
Lee Gibson has gone missing.
Jaeger read the text from Tony. He shoved a couple of items from the bed into his suitcase and closed it. “Camila?” he called.
“Yes?” she shouted from the bathroom, where she had just stepped out of the shower.
Rays of sunshine trespassed through the closed blinds. He’d kept the curtains drawn; the plan to leave the Hamptons early proved more important than ever. Was it a coincidence her best friend had disappeared? I doubt it. “Does Lee ever take off without telling anyone?”
She popped her head out of the bathroom. A towel wrapped her body and another her head. “Nope. Why?”
Jaeger scrolled down the text. “Lee was last seen two days ago. His boyfriend filed a missing person’s report and because of him being well-known, it made it to the news.”
She walked up to him, her face paled. “Lee? Are you serious?”
“He hasn’t been seen for two days. Did he tell you about any upcoming trips he wanted to keep a secret from anyone?”
Her hand flew to her chest. “What? No. Lee isn’t the type who can keep secrets for long.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe this. He can’t go missing. He can’t.”
His stomach contracted. So many times in his job, different events or nuggets of information were pieces of a virtual puzzle. He didn’t know how, but he’d end up mending them together—and in this case, he felt deep in his gut there was a link between her stalker and the disappearance of Lee. “Maybe. We need to find out. Hurry up, we should leave in ten minutes.”
She nodded, and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
They rushed to say good-bye to her family, Camila giving excuses as to why they couldn’t stay for lunch with the rest of the guests, while he politely nodded and shook hands one last time.
Last time? Probably. What were the chances of him running into any of her family members ever again? They seemed like great people, even her brothers. Though protective, they didn’t brag about their wealth and power, and that Jaeger admired. He’d worked with some entitled sons-of-bitches who inherited money and acted like the world was their playground. Jaeger could tell her family was grounded, successful, but certainly not arrogant.
Yeah…no wonder Camila turned out so great. Maybe that explained why he’d opened up to her the previous night. After the sexy way she worked him with her mouth then laid next to him, she’d gifted him the calm serenity he selfishly got used to. The gift of peace. He’d wanted to give her something in return, to open up even though he shouldn’t. He’d told her about Ellen and his marriage. He’d told her about Trevor…and then relief filled him. When they’d had sex afterward, he toyed with the idea of not using the handcuffs, just once, but part of him still preferred to. He’d needed that last boundary to maintain the rules of their arrangement. Hell, to keep the principles he’d imposed on himself.
“If there is a connection between me and Lee, I’ll never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him,” she said, tears brimming her eyes. “Lee is like family to me.”
“Who else is close to him?”
She cleared her throat, and he could tell she was a second from losing it. When she’d said good-bye to her family, she kept a strong front. But now, as he drove away from the Hamptons and into her uncertain reality…she seemed a lot more nervous. “Zoe.”
“Has she been calling you? When is she supposed to come back in town?”
She reached inside her bag for a facial tissue then wiped the tears falling down her cheeks. “I don’t know…yesterday? Zoe’s scattered.”
“When I told you about placing those cameras in your place, you said you couldn’t get a hold of her.” Something about this missing friend caught his attention, even if he didn’t know exactly why. “Has she been posting on social media lately?”
“No, but her aunt’s sick. I wouldn’t expect her to be all over Twitter.”
“Check her accounts.”
She grabbed her iPhone from her bag and searched for recent posts of her friend on Facebook and Twitter. “Nothing.”
“Something’s not right. It seems like she’s hiding on purpose, and a sick aunt is a great alibi.” He reached for his pocket, fished out his cell phone, and dialed Tony’s number. “Tony, find out where in the world Zoe Callahan is.”
“Will do, Boss.”
“Come in,” said Mark, a tall and lean, well-dressed man. As nicely groomed as he looked, Jaeger didn’t miss the redness under his eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Mark,” Camila said and threw herself into his arms.
He hugged her, and nodded at Jaeger, who walked into the sumptuous apartment he’d visited once before. Camila had called Mark on their way back to the city, and he’d agreed to talk to them. He’d even given them a way to enter his building without being seen by the reporters gathered in front of the property.
“I appreciate you seeing us,” Jaeger said, shaking his hand a moment later.
“I told the police, I’m here to help. Lee never does this sort of thing,” he said, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. I haven’t gotten much sleep.”
Camila squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry at all. I’ll make us some coffee,” she said, and marched to the kitchen.
When they at opposite sides of the living room, Jaeger decided to speak. “There’s a chance Lee’s disappearance may be related to a case I’m privately investigating,” he said. “Has Lee ever talked to you about holding any grudges toward Camila?”
Mark squared his shoulders. “No. Never. He loves her. They’re inseparable, those two.”
“Has their bond ever become a problem in your relationship?”
Mark frowned, then chuckled a little. “No. I work all hours, and I’m not into a lot of activities Lee enjoys. So, I’ve always been grateful he has someone to spend time with when I’m not around.”
Jaeger nodded. The best of both worlds. “Fair enough.”
Mark scooted back on the sofa and tilted his head to the side. “Is someone trying to hurt my boyfriend?”
“I hope not. Have you been contacted by anyone asking for a ransom? Did he ever make anyone mad enough to want revenge? Any enemies?” Jaeger asked, pulling his notepad from his pocket.
“No and no,” he answered quickly. “You obviously don’t know much about Lee.” There was a pang of irritation in his voice.
You don’t either. Jaeger continued to ask the questions systematically. Maybe Lee had been kidnapped, or gotten mixed with the wrong people. But a part of Jaeger still believed Lee’s involvement with Camila’s letters and threats somehow. Wasn’t it convenient he disappeared days after Jaeger found those men in his place?
Maybe he wanted her gone. He thought a few letters would scare her away, and as they didn’t, he upped his game—with the dog’s death. The big question remained: why? Why did he want her out of his life so badly?
An hour later, Jaeger marched into his office. After questioning Mark, Jaeger had dropped off Camila at his place—where Omar waited for her.
“Mr. Bauer?” Therese asked, following him inside. “I’ve been checking your emails and rescheduling appointments.”
“Until I crack this case I’m not meeting new clients. This is my priority,” he said, flicking on his computer screen. Camila would be his priority until she no longer needed his services. Would he be able to let her go when time came? He sucked in a breath. He should if he wanted what was best for her—she could find someone younger, untainted, and without any baggage to share life with her. He couldn’t give her the fairy tale she deserved, and that was a reality he just had to live with.
“Is Tony in?” he asked. He hadn’t seen Tony at work in the computer room as he’d walked in, which meant he was either out at a meeting or working on a task. Ever since he’d asked him to check on Zoe Callahan, he hadn’t received so much as a text from his employee.
“He left to grab some food and will be right back. Oh, your aunt Gesa’s been calling you.”
Of course she had. Ever since his parents died in a car crash when he was in his twenties, Aunt Gesa had taken on the role of parenting him, even without it being necessary. She always called, left messages, and showed up unannounced with homemade bread or something. He’d appreciate her friendship much more if it didn’t come with strings—she always wanted to know everything about his life and insisted he needed to date a good woman. “I’ll call her later.”
“No you won’t,” Aunt Gesa said, walking into his office. Therese mouthed a “sorry” behind her and circled back to her desk. His aunt, sporting lime green hair, sauntered over to him and kissed his cheek before he could move away. Thank goodness she no longer pinched his cheeks—she’d done it until he was seventeen.
“Aunt Gesa, what a treat. You’re still as impatient as ever.”
She chuckled, her hand flying to her chest in a dramatic flair. “Honey, if it were up to you, you’d only talk to me through text messages and Christmas cards.”
Damn it. Was he that insensitive? He gestured for her to sit, but she waved him off, perusing his office and investigating the artwork and the books on the shelves. “I’m sorry. I’ve been busy,” he said. He’d been busy for a long time, because that was his survival mechanism.
“You’re always busy. Are you taking good care of my girl Camila?”
“Yes,” he said.
She finally sat in front of him and drummed her long, pointy nails on the desk. “Good. How was her brother’s wedding?”
“Why don’t you ask her? I can’t discuss a client’s case, and as you must know, that’s the reason why I accompanied her,” he said, and then finished his point with a fake smile that was sure to piss his curious aunt off. Knowing Gesa as he did, she’d be hearing wedding bells if she even suspected he and Camila slept together.
Gesa narrowed her eyes and leaned back in her chair taking a good look at him. “You know, you were a good husband to Ellen, even after she was gone.”
He squared his shoulders. Why would she bring up Ellen now? He ran his hand down his face, already too tired to combat a personal conversation. Maybe honesty would be the best policy just once. “You don’t know that. I worked a lot while we were married,” he said, remembering the times Ellen would tell him how frustrated his job made her. Once or twice, she’d used the word “miserable.”
“You worked a lot when you dated too, and she knew what you did before she signed the marriage license. So for her to complain about your hours later in the game wasn’t fair.”
He shifted in his seat. Shouldn’t he defend his deceased wife? “Why are you saying that? This subject is dead.”
Aunt Gesa’s lips broke slowly into an apologetic smile. “No. In some ways it’s still very much alive. Listen, I know you don’t talk about these things, well, with anyone, but you already left the NYPD, and you haven’t met anyone meaningful in five years. You’ve punished yourself enough; it’s time to move on,” she said, the creases around her eyes tightening.
Her words left a sour aftertaste in his mouth. In the beginning, he’d thought of them as survival techniques to cope with losing his wife and son. His family. Was it wrong to use his new business and aloof sex life as distractions? He wasn’t hurting anyone and the rules didn’t make him unhappy. “I understand, but—”
“When your parents died, I swore on their graves I’d look out for you. Trust me, son, it’s almost an impossible task. But even if you never answer a phone call or text again, I can’t avoid saying what has been eating me up for years. Being alone won’t bring your son back,” she said, tears bordering her eyes.
She reached into her bag and grabbed a packet of tissues, then pressed it against the corner of her eye. All this time, his aunt cared for him and didn’t stop trying even if he had given her reasons to.
“Neither is having someone,” he said.
She sighed. “That’s true, but having someone might bring you back.”
Jaeger’s heart skipped a beat. Deep conversations like this were the reason he avoided being too close to his aunt. She could play the witty relative as she wanted, but if he gave her a chance, she’d poke him where it hurt. While her lifted chin challenged him to respond, the sad look in her eyes invited him to a world he no longer belonged in. Wasn’t it much easier to keep his status quo?
The dull beep of his intercom yanked him from his thoughts. “Mr. Bauer, Tony’s back. He’s asking to see you,” Therese said on the other end of the line.
Jaeger stood up. “I’m sorry, but I need to talk to him.”
“Of course, I understand.” She nodded, standing. If the disturbance annoyed her, she didn’t show it. She clasped her clutch and shrugged. “I just wanted to stop by and see how you are.”
Her quick understanding made his heart shrink. “Thank you, Aunt Gesa…for always checking in,” he said, his voice coming out more anxious than intended. “I appreciate you.” Even if I sound like an ungrateful bastard sometimes. He didn’t need to finish the explanation. She held her bag against her middle and flashed him a glance filled with love. Her high cheeks and blue eyes always reminded him of his dear mother.
“It’s good to hear that. All we have is each other, you know,” she said, with an edge in her voice like she was about to break down. He walked past her to open the door but couldn’t resist and turned around and gave her a quick hug.
She widened her eyes, disarmed. Before she could make any more comments that would have him question his way of life, he whispered, “Thank you,” planted a quick kiss on her forehead, and showed her out. If Tony wanted to see him, he had to prioritize him. What if his employee had important information about the case?
Jaeger walked up to Tony’s office and waved through the glass door. Tony nodded at him and stopped what he was doing to open the door. “Any news?” Jaeger asked, entering the space crowded with sleek computer screens, coffee mugs, and comic books. Though Jaeger paid handsomely for a cleaning company to take care of the entire floor, somehow Tony’s space managed to look like a better version of a nerd’s college dorm room.
“Zoe Callahan,” he said, pulling out a couple of black-and-white pictures showing an average-built, pretty woman in her twenties with long, dark hair. “She’s been in New York this entire time.”
Jaeger held one of the pictures, taken in front of the entrance of an exclusive building. “She told Camila she was going out of town to visit a sick aunt.”
Tony shook his head. “Not true. She’s having an affair with a married man, and his wife traveled to Europe so she took the time off to spend time with him at his place.”
Why would she lie to her roommate? “Maybe she’s embarrassed she’s going out with a married man?” He’d thought good friends would share this kind of information, unless there was more to the story.
“Not just any married man.” Tony pulled a picture of an athletic man in his late thirties. “He’s Duncan Williams, one of the benefactors of the hospital. Comes from old money.”
“But Camila told me her friend isn’t even in the internship program anymore.”
“She was asked to leave because of poor performance and constant tardiness,” Tony said, grabbing a gigantic cup of Coke and gulping some soda.
Jaeger tapped the picture against the desk. “Hm. Why would she hurt Lee, though? Or Camila?”