Aries Read online

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. But we know there’s a connection, even if the signature was different. She’s too close to the case for it to be coincidence. So what are we left with? Multiple killers. We’ve talked to as many people as we can about her disappearance and the other murders, and nothing has come of it. Her coworkers didn’t notice anything, other than her absence, and Max has spent hours interviewing and re-interviewing the witnesses, sometimes calling them back twice since we last spoke to them. The physical evidence on her body was minimal after being in the water. She wasn’t sexually assaulted. There was no DNA under her fingernails. Nothing. And the wound on her ankle tells us that whoever did it had her chained up for a few days at least. And we both know this man—this Logan Miller—he’s not going to lead us anywhere. We’re dead in the water again.”

  “Agent Reed isn’t going to like hearing that.” Darek didn’t think that it was going to help his chances of getting accepted to the Bureau, either.

  Lizzy gave a half-hearted chuckle. “No, he’s not. And guess who gets to hear about it? Me.”

  “Well, at least we know where we stand.”

  “Did I tell you that one of the doctors paid for Hannah’s funeral services?”

  “No, but that’s great. I know a lot of people loved her at the hospital.” Tad’s sister had been a nurse there for a few years, and it seemed like she had been friends with both staff and patients.

  “It’s a shame what it came to, but I’m glad she had someone looking out for her in the end.”

  Darek rubbed the spot on his shoulder. It had started to itch days earlier, and he knew that the stitches could come out soon.

  Lizzy eyed him as he tried not to scratch. “Are you healing up?”

  “Just about.” He didn’t want to talk about his surgery that removed his Zodiac mark. Lizzy believed his story that the procedure had been a cyst removal, and talking about it further would just jeopardize the lie. So, he changed the subject. “So, are we going to go over the evidence again?”

  They’d been over it all twice, and three times when it came to Alicia David’s murder, but Darek didn’t really want to revisit everything.

  “No, we’re not going to do anything, I’m afraid. I’ve got to go help Reed again.”

  “Dang, I miss you when you’re not around.” Darek looked down at his dead friend and wondered what the guy would have said about him being such a softie for his partner. “Are you ready to get out of here?”

  “Yeah, this guy isn’t going to tell us anything else.” She walked to the door, and he followed until she stopped them both in their tracks before going out into the hallway. “We’ve got to get Cody Dolan to talk.”

  Darek was surprised to hear her mention the name again. The man had been a shallow well when it came to information when he and Max had questioned him. “And what do you think he’s going to say?”

  She turned and headed out, taking to the hall where he fell into step beside her. “His real motives. We both know that he didn’t do this because he didn’t like Logan Miller. There has to be something we can offer him. Something that will sweeten the pot to make him talk. If we could get a name, could you imagine how far that could take us?”

  “If it leads anywhere.” He wondered if the man would incriminate Bay Collins or not. He had looked into the man’s file and seen that his lawyer worked in Bay’s office, but Bay’s name wasn’t in the files. “Speaking of leading anywhere, I was hoping we’d be able to see one another Friday, but then the whole Hannah thing got in the way, so I was wondering when you’d like to go out again.” He opened the double-doors at the end of the hall, and they stepped out into the parking garage.

  She made it two steps out with him before she stopped again. “Darek, maybe we should just slow down a bit. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I care about you, and I want us to be together, but we both know how hard this is going to be.”

  Darek thought of the time they’d spent on their trip and how they’d gotten comfortable together. He had known it could cause problems, but he hadn’t listened to his gut. He had been too busy listening to his dick. And to his rebounding heart. “So, that’s it? You tell me that, and we go back to being partners?”

  He was about to turn away, but she put her hand on his shoulder, much stronger than he expected.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I just think that we need to focus on work a bit and make sure this is what we want before it gets too hot and heavy.” The look on her face seemed to say that she was having a hard time expressing herself.

  “Too late.” He thought of himself buried deep inside of her and couldn’t imagine how she could want to pull back from that.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’m crazy about you, and I want us to pursue this, but slowly. Reed has me bogged down with this other case, and I’m not sure how long I’ll be doing this back and forth. It’s exhausting.”

  He turned and walked toward her Rover which was waiting across the garage. “Tell him to get someone else. That way, we can focus on this.” Having her on other cases would give him a little bit of a break from the tight rope he’d been walking, but he couldn’t help but want to spend as much time with her as possible.

  Her gaze was sympathetic as she stopped to look at him across the hood. “He said unless there’s a major break in this case, this is how it’s going to be. I’ve already tried.”

  Knowing that was good enough, at least for the moment. There would be no convincing Reed. He had Darek’s future in his hands, and Darek needed to just cooperate without a fuss. “Fine, but it sucks.” He walked to his door, and when she hit the locks, he opened it and slid into the leather seat.

  Lizzy’s smile brightened as she got into the car next to him. “I know it sucks, and I do like you missing me. It makes me feel good, even though that’s probably a sadistic way to feel.”

  “I’d just rather stare at you all day than Max.” His best friend was no substitute for the sexy brunette in the driver’s seat.

  Lizzy laughed and cranked the engine. “Good. Now let’s get out of here.”

  3

  Bay

  Mia’s mouth worked Bay’s cock like a pro, and despite him needing to get on with his day, he couldn’t think of a reason to stop her, even though she’d been at it for at least half an hour. She had teased him, bringing him to the edge at least six times, and his balls were damn near crying out for their release. He looked down at her as she knelt in front of him, her ass and feet under his desk, one hand tucked between her legs to play with herself beneath the short skirt she wore and the other stroking and massaging his balls which were about to pop.

  He grabbed her hair, and she giggled, the sound muffled by ten inches of thick cock that filled her throat. He encouraged quick movements, and her lips tightened around him as her head bobbed up and down.

  “Fuck yeah,” he said as he filled her throat. She gave a little squeak, quickly gulping but careful not to miss a drop.

  As she pulled away and crawled up into his lap, he put his cock away and straightened his zipper. “Good girl. You’ve really improved.”

  Mia smirked as if the words gave her power, and he liked her devious little grin, even if it didn’t mean anything of the sort. She was his pet and the only one he didn’t share with anyone else.

  She rested her arm on him, still wiping her mouth. “Thank you. Now, can I have a hundred dollars?” The request might have annoyed him if it had come from anyone else, but he was glad Mia, his wife’s younger sister, liked to earn her hush money as a good little slut should.

  “A hundred this time? What happened to the days when you’d ask for twenties and take them happily?”

  “As you said, I’ve improved.” She reached down and stroked his cock through his pants, and if he didn’t have more to do with his day, he would have picked her up and fucked her across his desk for being such a cheeky little whore.

  “Where are you going with my money?”

  “I’m takin
g Lila to shop for maternity clothes. She’s already crying that she’s too fat for any of hers.”

  “There’s no telling what Rose Marie is feeding her. She always said that the key to a healthy child is a healthy diet. So, you be sure to make her eat something if you go to lunch.” Bay always followed Rose Marie’s advice.

  “She’s afraid that you’ll lose interest in fucking her if she’s a cow.” She planted a soft kiss on his neck and then rubbed his hard cock through his pants.

  “She’s already a cow, and I still fuck her. That’s not going to change, and I don’t see why it should.” He had heard enough about Lila and her pettiness over becoming a mother. “She should feel honored. I chose her for the task because I think she’s one of the most beautiful creatures alive, next to you, of course, sweetheart. But she acts as if this is some curse I’ve put on her. It’s not like she’ll have to do much when the little nugget arrives; Rose Marie will take care of it when I’m not around.”

  “You’ll be a good daddy, Daddy. Will you give me a baby one day?” Mia put her hand on her flat stomach and looked up to meet his eyes.

  He ran his hand up her back and then down again to give her a swat on her perfect ass. “Don’t be ridiculous. Your body is just the way I like it.” He fished in his pockets. “Here, take this and take your sister someplace for pasta. She loves the stuff.” Bay flashed her a devilish grin and handed her two crisp hundreds which she snatched from his hands before getting up and straightening her skirt. As she left his office, his cell phone rang.

  One glance at the number across the screen and he knew who it was. The only person that ever called him from Las Vegas was Alan Lowe. The man owned a security company that had been left to him by his father, and he had practically run it in the ground with his gambling addiction. Bay had helped him land several New York City clients when he was trying to expand his business several years ago, before his addiction took all of his common sense away, and he had bought two offices around the city.

  Being Monday, there was only one reason he’d call. “Hey, Alan.”

  “Bay, how’s it going, man?” His voice was full of enthusiasm, but that would last as long as the greeting.

  “I’m good. How are you?” Bay didn’t need to go on about his personal life knowing the man had only called for one thing. It was the same with all the rest.

  Sure enough, Alan’s voice was already slowing in tempo, the poor and pitiful tone taking over. “Well, I’m all right, I guess. I just had a hard weekend. My youngest has been sick, and the wife is threatening to leave again.”

  “And how much did you lose this time?”

  “I guess I’m that transparent, aren’t I?” He gave a half-hearted chuckle, but Bay wasn’t laughing. He’d been ready for the man to call again, and this time, he was going to benefit from Alan’s hardship. The man cleared his throat and continued sounding a bit more nervous. “I guess you know why I called then? I need a loan.”

  “And I’m afraid that this time, I’m going to take my pound of flesh.”

  Alan’s voice was suddenly full of concern. “What do you want? I don’t have anything you don’t have. Besides, I’ll pay you back, I promise.”

  “You say that every time, and I’ve yet to see a penny.”

  “That’s not true, Bay. I paid you back, and remember, I did that favor for you?” His voice grew more desperate, and all it did was anger Bay. “And I did send you a check.”

  “And it bounced. While I appreciate the favor, you know you still owe me. And I already know what you can do.”

  “Tell me. I need the help. I’m in a real tight spot here with the wife, and I’m not shitting you, Bay. My daughter Rory is really sick.”

  “Then you’ll want to make sure and that this deal goes through for you, which is what I’m counting on.” A sick daughter was good news for Bay. He needed all the leverage he could get against Alan on this one.

  He let out a sigh, as if finally defeated. “Yeah, of course. You name it, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Your office on Trade Street. I want to buy it.”

  Nervous laughter sounded through the phone, and Bay waited for the man to compose himself. Bay hadn’t broken a smile, much less croaked out a laugh. He was not going to back down until he had what he wanted.

  “That’s my most successful office in the city, Bay. I’d have lost my ass entirely if I didn’t have that business to fall back on.”

  “I know. I’m the one who helped you secure the deal, remember?” Bay still wished he hadn’t.

  “Yeah, but the problem is—if I need to remind you, Bay—that Seth Stone is the one who owns the damned lot it’s on. That was part of the deal, and he didn’t turn that over with the lease.”

  It wasn’t Bay’s fucking problem. “Then you’ll just have to get Seth to hand it over. Because before I give you a fucking dime, that’s what I want.” He’d been eying the property ever since one of his competitors had opened up their sex club not too far from it.

  “Can’t you come up with something else you want? This is going to make things really tough on me.”

  “Sorry, old friend. Maybe the next time you decide to gamble, you’ll think about your daughter and what a hefty price you pay for losing.”

  “I’ll call Seth, but he’s never going to go for it.”

  “You let me handle Seth. I’ll make sure he plays ball, but I want for this to be your idea, not mine. He would do it for you faster than he would me.” Seth had always been Mr. Competitive, and that was why Bay had used Finn to get some dirt on Seth the last time he was in New York. Although at the time, Bay had no idea that he would have an opportunity to use it so soon.

  “That’s not entirely true. You know Seth can be a real asshole when he wants, and he doesn’t like to give things up easily. I begged him for that land before, and he didn’t want me to have it. Why would he want you to? If he finds out you’re involved, he’s going to stand his ground.”

  “Again, let me handle that.” He wasn’t getting it, and Bay wondered if Alan was drunk or on something.

  “What am I supposed to tell him?”

  “Tell him the truth, that your gambling addiction has you in a fucking bind and you need to sell the property to me. I’m not asking you to lie.”

  Alan flipped out. He made a sound of frustration, and Bay held the phone away from his ear until the noise stopped. “Dammit, I don’t know why I always get myself into these situations.”

  “Are you drunk? High? What’s your fucking problem? And just how much gambling debt are you in?”

  “I’m thirty grand in the hole.”

  It wasn’t as bad as Bay thought. “Sell me the property, and you’ll have it.”

  “I’m not selling it for thirty grand! It’s worth four times that!” His rant started up again, and Bay put the phone on speaker and then got up to pour himself a drink, bored with the whole display. Alan went quiet. “Are you there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here. And you have to consider that Seth is going to want his part for the land, so I’ll pay you fifty-grand for the building, and you’ll have a little bit of money to help your daughter or make it to the nearest casino. You can decide.”

  More sounds of Alan’s distress came through the phone. “Jamie’s thinking of leaving with her and my son. I’ve got to show them that I’m going to be a better man instead of just like my father.”

  Bay wondered if he should tell the man that he was a lost cause or how his family was ten times better off without him. Instead, he decided to leave it alone, considering Alan probably already had tears in his eyes. The last thing Bay needed to hear was more pissing and moaning.

  “I heard about Logan,” said Alan. “I couldn’t believe he went to prison, much less that he died there.”

  “Yeah, it’s a real tragedy.” Bay turned his drink up and downed it, then placed his glass on the table. “I guess he was too weak to make it.”

  “Do you think it had anything to do with the killi
ngs?” A crackle through the phone made Bay think the man was puffing on a cigarette, and the slow sound of his exhale confirmed he was smoking something.

  Bay remembered making the call that set things in motion to end Logan’s life. “No, but one can never be sure.”

  He had known that Logan was going to be a loose cannon and not only that, but the fact that he’d already run his mouth to Hannah was a huge issue. He had to be put down before he endangered the rest of the Zodiacs by spilling the secrets of their past to his cellmates, or worse, the cops.

  “I think Tad and Logan were both snuffed out because of that pedophile ring with Tad’s uncle. I hate that they’re dead, but at least that’s done, right?”

  “No one is certain that was the motive or the reason, but I wouldn’t stop looking over my shoulder if I were you.” Bay wondered what Darek and that partner of his were going to focus on now that they didn’t have Logan taking all of the blame.

  “I’m all the way in Vegas. If it’s some asshole in New York City, they’re gonna have to hop on a plane.” Alan seemed confident.

  “Yeah. And if you have to come here for this transaction, I’d watch my back if I were you.” Bay went back to sit at his desk.

  “Hey, maybe it was Tad and Logan together. Do you think they couldn’t handle the guilt and just needed some kind of vice? Something to make the pain go away?”

  “Like you with gambling? How’s that working out for you? They’re dead, yes, but you’re dead inside. I’d say that you’re all three in the same boat.”

  Alan was speechless on the other end of the phone. A moment later, and just in time to save Bay from further boredom, Alan found his voice. “I’ll get in touch with Seth and call you back.”

  The phone went dead, and Bay leaned back in his chair, thinking of Finn and wondering how long it would be until he was found. He’d taken out Hannah and Logan to keep things quiet, but Finn? That was just to shake things up. The ball was back in the killer’s court.