Loves Redemption (18 page)

He’d even kept a few of his things in her bedroom over the course of the last few weeks.

“Sweetheart, it’s getting late, why don’t we go to bed? I’m sure you’ve got a busy day

tomorrow, and so do I with this FBI agent,” he told her as he helped her to her feet.

“I know Fridays are kind of hectic for you, so why don’t I bring him by Imani House and

you can meet him there.” Mark wrapped his arms around her waist as she stood in front of her bathroom mirror.

“That’s fine. I’ll be out of the House for a meeting in the morning, but I’ll return in the afternoon for the rest of the day. Call me when you’re ready to come by.”

As she’d begun to speak, he opened the front of her robe and had insinuated his hands

inside. He cupped her breasts as he stared at their dual images reflected in the mirror as he caressed her.

He took her erect nipples between his thumb and forefinger, and lightly pinched it until

she arched her back, a moan escaping her parted lips. “Mark…”

She loved when he played with her breasts, and in the mirror she watched him toy with

her nipples, making them stand out in stiff peaks as he kissed his way down the side of her throat.

He eased the robe down her shoulders until it pooled in a heap around her feet. Turning

her around, he picked her up and strode back into the bedroom where he deposited her on the bed.

He made quick work out of taking off his pants, his eyes never leaving hers. He turned

off the bedside light and came to lie beside her on the bed.

“I’m happy you’re a part of my life. If you ever are in doubt about anything, please ask

me, and we can talk about it. Don’t run away from me again or assume the worst--okay?” he

pleaded in a voice grown rough with arousal.

“I’m trying,” she whispered against his throat. She could barely think with his big hands

roaming over her bared skin, his touch electric on her breasts.

“You have to know how serious I am about you,” he told her moments before his hot

mouth found her breasts. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck, her hands coming to

rest at the base of his neck. She tangled her fingers in his sable curls as he continued his intimate torture. “And you also have to know I’m not playing some game with you,” he said and pulled away from her heaving breast to look down at her.

“I know you aren’t. I feel the same way.” She didn’t like his distance from her, and sat

up, so they were facing one another. She took his face between her hands, her eyes searching his in the dim lit-room; the only light came shining from the moon. But the dimness of the room couldn’t hide the way his beautiful dark blue eyes were staring at her with such hot intensity. She had to close her eyes in order to breathe.

When she opened them again, a smile played around the edges of his sensual mouth, and

she leaned forward to kiss him.

His mouth immediately took over, fastening on hers in long drugging kisses before he

wrapped his arms around her and fell back to the bed with their bodies facing.

Mark was everywhere. Moments before he was gentle and sweet, now his body covered

hers as he molded himself to her. She felt his erection on her thigh and moved closer for better access to the long thick length of him.

“Oh God baby, oh God, I can’t get enough of you. I need you. Now,” he said, and his

fingers found her clitoris.

She nearly died on the spot from the feel of him teasing her, making her crazy, wanting,

no, needing to have him buried deep inside of her. As she pushed against his hand, he lifted her bottom and impaled her on his engorged penis.

“Mark!” she screamed, her breath ending on a long keen.

“This is the real deal,” he grunted, his breathing ragged, as his hands held her still to

receive his plunges deep within her body. He took her hard and fast, the time for slow and gentle long passed. The feel of her tight sweet pussy gripping his cock made him grit his teeth, as he buried himself in her as far as he could.

Her velvet walls opened and closed in welcome over him as he pumped relentlessly into

her. He pushed them both outside their previous limits, testing to see how far they could go beyond ecstasy. When he felt the first signs of her body rippling, followed by her long keen as she released, it drove his mind and body over the edge.

“Maya!” With a harsh groan he delivered two more tight, hard, corkscrew thrusts as he

called her name. He released long and hard, his orgasm so prolonged he knew he’d died from the pleasure.

Mark held them in the same position for long minutes, not ready to give up the spiritual

connection their physical connection had given them. Their racing hearts calmed and he stroked a shaking hand gently over her soft curls. “You have to know this isn’t a game, Maya,” he

whispered against her temple, as she lay exhausted in his arms.

Mark had just sat at his desk with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, when Lieutenant

Hernandez called out for him and Jordan.

“Detectives could the two of you meet me in the conference room? And Detective

Halstan could you please bring in any notes you’ve compiled with Dr. Richardson? Thank you, gentlemen,” he said before heading toward the conference room ahead of them.

Mark and Jordan filed into the conference room at the end of the hall once they’d

gathered their notes. Inside the room, Lieutenant Hernandez sat at one end of the long scarred mahogany table, his back to the door, while Agent Montgomery sat on the other end with his

back to the wall facing them as they entered.

Mark noticed, both times he’d seen him, the agent’s body had been stationed in a

defensive position. Montgomery’s back had been close to the wall, his arms held close to his body.

Now, as he looked over at the agent, he took note of the way his legs were braced apart as

he sat in the straight back chair. There was an intense quality about him that was hard to define.

He had the look of someone who was prepared for anything. Mark wondered what he was

preparing for.

He caught Jordan observing the agent also. He knew Jordan held a dislike for the man

because he was FBI. He and Jordan once had an ugly run-in with an FBI agent when they’d first worked in the homicide unit. Since then, Jordan had steered away from anyone in the division.

“Detectives, thank you for joining us. I’ve been in conference with Agent Montgomery,

going over some of the particulars of the case. I’ve also informed him of the valuable insight Dr.

Richardson has been providing for us.” Lieutenant Hernandez waved Mark and Jordan to the two available seats at the conference table.

“Mark, were you able to reach Dr. Richardson to set up a conference?”

“Yes, sir, I was. She said we could come by Imani House this morning, and she would be

able to fit us into her schedule.”

“That’s great. When we conclude here, why don’t you take Montgomery over to meet Dr.

Richardson?” The Lieutenant suggested, and after the four men spent time going over the case, Mark took out the notes he had compiled with Maya over the last month.

“Dr. Richardson’s foster sister Allison Hill and Phil Hardcastle were victims five and six

in the slayer killings. Ms. Hill was the first female victim, and we believe the slayer felt forced to kill Allison for unknown reasons. However, from the projection of the bullet, and the point of entry into the spinal cavity, it appears Allison had been turning to leave when the bullet tagged her,” Mark initiated the brief as he looked over his notes.

“Dr. Richardson. Yes I’m familiar with her,” the FBI agent spoke in his low, scratchy

voice.

Marked look up from his notes. “Oh? And how is it you know her?”

“Dr. Richardson’s work is known, and her publication’s are well received in the medical

and psychology fields. She’s published in JAMA as well as other scientific periodicals. I’ve read one or two of her articles. I have not had the pleasure of meeting her in person. Yet.” A small smile graced his austere features.

“I wasn’t aware scientific journals were standard reading fare for FBI agents,” Jordan

mumbled in an aside to Mark.

“I’m sure there are plenty of things you are unaware of regarding the FBI, Detective

Philips.” The agent’s expression remained neutral when he aimed the comment at Jordan.

“Detective Halstan will take you over to Imani House so you and Dr. Richardson can

meet. Maybe you can share insights on the case before you go to the crime scenes,” Lieutenant Hernandez said in an attempt to lessen the slight tension that vibrated in the room.

“You want us to head to the crime scenes?” Mark asked in reference to the latter part of

the lieutenant’s statement.

“Yes. Agent Montgomery has requested he be taken to a few of the crime scenes this

afternoon after visiting with Dr. Richardson.”

“No problem. The entire team has gone over the scenes with a fine-toothed comb. If we

haven’t found it, it’s not going to be found,” Mark said with the complete confidence of a

professional.

“I’m not calling anyone’s competency into question,” Agent Montgomery told all three

men. “This is standard procedure for me, as well those in my unit when we’re called in on any case.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, Jordan was the first out of his chair. “I’m going to start working on those call backs.” He was referring to the steady stream of calls they received from citizens who thought they had information on the slayer
.

It was the same every time. Whenever there was a high profile case with any media

coverage, the department was inundated with calls from people with ‘information.’ Most of the time they were crackpot calls. They ranged from the nosy neighbor who
knew
something weird was going on with the guy in 2D to the ticked off lover trying to get even. Unfortunately, every lead had to be followed on the off chance it was valid.

“I’ll catch up with you when we return,” Mark told his partner. He turned to Lieutenant

Hernandez before continuing. “We’ll head over to Imani House and afterward we’ll go to the

crime scenes.”

“Sure, Mark, that’s fine. I’ll leave you and Agent Montgomery to decide on the ones

you’ll visit.”

When the two were alone, Mark sat back in his chair and reached down for his notes.

Before he took them out, he glanced over at the agent and asked the question that had been on his mind for the last twenty minutes.

“When Jordan made the comment on the scientific journals, he wasn’t trying to offend

you. He made a comment he thought only I would hear. In fact he said it so low, I barely caught it, and I was sitting next to him.”

“Well then, perhaps he should be more careful of what he says,” Agent Montgomery

answered in his scratchy voice.

“Well maybe he should. But like I said he didn’t mean for you to hear him. How could

you hear him? Do you read lips?” Mark asked half in jest.

“Yes I do read lips. Quite well.”

When no other answer was forthcoming Mark, dropped the subject. However, he knew

the agent hadn’t been reading Jordan’s lips. Jordan had been sitting next to him, and Mark’s body had been blocking his partner’s face from the man as he whispered his comment.

“Have you had a chance to go over any of the files Lieutenant Hernandez provided for

you yesterday?” Mark changed the subject.

“Yes, I’ve gone over all of them. I read fast, and I retain a great deal of what I read.”

“Right. Do you have an idea which ones you’d like to check out first?”

“We’re going to Imani House to visit with Dr. Richardson, why don’t we start with the

site where her sister was found? Depending on how that one goes for me, we’ll play it by ear.”

“How that one goes for you?” Mark repeated the odd phrasing.

“What I mean is how long it takes to view the scene. Sometimes I can go over a scene

easily, and sometimes not.”

Mark glanced at his watch. “This is about the time Dr. Richardson is expecting us, so

why don’t we move out so she has enough time to sit down and talk.”

Leaving the conference room, Mark led him through the open bay precinct, toward the

area where he and Jordan’s desks were. Noting Jordan was on the phone, Mark motioned to him they were leaving before he and Montgomery headed to the elevator.

As they were approaching the doors, they were closing. Reaching out his arm Mark kept

them open until he and Agent Montgomery could move inside.

“Sorry, Detective, I saw you coming and tried to keep the doors from closing, but the

button stuck,” the lone occupant of the elevator said.

Glancing in the direction the voice came, Mark noticed the small man who was punching

the defunct open door button on the lit panel. Looking him over, he noticed he wore the distinct hanging badge all government employees wore around his neck.

“These elevators are pretty old. They’re long past due for an overhaul,” Mark agreed, and

turned his attention to the agent. Mark noticed Montgomery was observing the clerk, his head tilted to the side.

“The lieutenant has commented on the help Dr. Richardson has provided for the case.

Does she come into the precinct very often?” Montgomery asked, returning his attention to

Mark.

“Rarely, although, she and I communicate pretty often. In fact, I go to Imani House every

Friday. She has an incredible workload. She goes in early and stays late most nights. She’s been working even later on Fridays. That’s the best time for me to get a chance to speak with her.

When I’m there, it allows me an insider’s look into the lives of the women who live there.”

“Yes, I could see where it would.”

As the elevator came to a stuttering halt, the two men exited as soon as the laboring doors opened without a backward glance.