“We just left the coffee shop. I’ll give it time and I’ll send her a text. I don’t need to come off desperate. Which I’m not. Did you get any new leads?”
My hands itch to grab my phone as those bright, captivating, green eyes flash in my mind. How can one woman, whom I just met, become the only thing I can think about? Her energy is dominant as if she can make anyone bend the knee at herwill. I want to know everything about her. I wonder how many others feel this pull towards her. Does she have a line of suitors waiting at her beck and call? I’m in over my head with this woman from the simple interaction and this is a problem. I don’t need this distraction, not right now.
“I got a message from some lady asking to talk. She seemed nervous and on edge in the voicemail. I figured we could give her a call once you got here. Let me get her number and we can take one of the offices.” Monroe moves back to her desk, shuffling through papers to retrieve the number.
Shaking off the thought of my current distraction, I get up from my desk and grab a notepad and pen to jot down any notes this lady could give us. We really need to get a hold on this case before he hurts another woman. I’m getting really sick and tired of the loose ends and the list growing of every life he stole. As his list grows, so does mine. It’s my responsibility to get them out safely. Each new victim who loses her life is a failed rescue. One I have to shoulder the guilt of being too late.
“So, are you going to at least give me a name? If you aren’t going to give her a shot, at least let me show her what a man is.” Beckett catches up to me as we head over to a vacant office.
Beckett is a good-looking dude who pulls women out of thin air. This one though, would eat him alive and spit him back out. Something inside me grows very protective, wanting to cut his tongue out. Fuck. Nope. Get a grip, you don’t even know her.
“I will skin you alive before I let you take a shot with her. Better yet, I think she would ruin you before you could even get a chance. Now, if we can get our head back on the case, that would be great.” I shove him into the wall before entering through the door.
Without turning around, I know he’s rubbing his shoulderfrom hitting the wall and cursing under his breath. Just as I thought, he followed shortly after nursing his shoulder shooting daggers in my direction. Idiot.
Monroe was able to get the lady on the line. She attends the church we visited a couple days ago where everyone seemed to be terrified of us. They didn’t want us there and were sure as hell not going to give us any information that could help us, which makes it more weird that she’s willing to give us information. Listening to her, it appeared she was trying to hide the call from anyone who may be listening. She was whispering and her voice seemed to tremble.
We had asked for her name but she would not provide it for fear that she may be the next target even though she doesn’t work in any of the clubs. She advised us that there was a man named Ollie who comes to church every Sunday morning at eight on the dot. He doesn’t speak to anyone, sits in the back but never misses a service. He sits intently writing notes in a journal and draws pictures. She’d walked by him on the way out and had stolen a glance at crazy scratch lines and he was whispering to himself. He’d looked up at her and she felt as if he could look through her soul and crush it.
Since then, she’s sat at the far end of the congregation. She’d tried to talk to the pastor about how he makes her feel uncomfortable, but the pastor advised her that Jesus would not want her to judge and brushed her off like it’s nothing to worry about. He talked to Ollie and said they need to accept him. She felt defeated because the feeling she has deep down keeps getting worse and worse. It makes her sick at night and when she came into the city for an errand, she heard about this Jawbreaker and after our visit, she thought maybe this could help.
She wasn’t sure if he had anything to do with the case we are investigating but wanted to give us anything that couldhelp. He doesn’t appear to have any family but she couldn’t be so sure as his living situation is unknown. Before she disconnected the call, she took down Monroe's email and told us she had sketched a photo of him and would send it over to us. We thanked her for her call and would look into it.
“This woman seems terrified. Like she’s going to be kicked out of the church for even helping us. Something doesn’t feel right and I think we need to look into the pastor as well.” Beckett rubs his neck, knitting his brows together.
“Once we have the sketch sent over to us, it would help us better to get an ID on Ollie and look up possible suspects with the name. We could narrow it down to the location around the church.” I look down, twirling my pen between my fingers.
I think the pastor knows more than what he led on as if he’s in cahoots with the suspect or trying to protect him. We know the suspect has some sort of mental disorder, possible obsessive disorder or schizophrenia. He obsesses over sins, more specifically for women who use their bodies for work.
Thinking back to our victims, I think about Celeste. Not that I think she’s a sex worker, but she’s a beautiful woman and any man would be intimidated by her. I don’t know anything about her but a part of me wants to protect her, the need to keep her near me out of prying eyes. With that, I need to make her mine. I pull out my phone and send her a text.
Me: Were you able to get that coffee stain out?
Smooth, real smooth. No, “Good afternoon, Beautiful”, “Thinking of you” text. I ask her about her freaking coffee stain. Yeah, that’s going to show her Alpha, I’m going to protect you material. Bubbles appear causing my heart to speed up.
Celeste: Hello, Coffee Spiller. You know, I had to get a new suit because of the little accident you caused.
Me: Now why would you do that? Trying to get rid of the first memory we have together?
Bold move, but hoping she takes the bait so I could get a second date with her. I’m counting our little coffee incident as our first because that’s the day she knew she fell in love with me. I can picture her snake-like eyes piercing into me, putting me into a trance I’m all too willing to be in.
Celeste: I think we need to make a better first memory.
Me: You tell me the date and time, and I’ll be at your beck and call, baby.
Celeste: That’s a good boy. How about we meet up for drinks in a couple days when I’m back in town. Don’t even think about ordering coffee.
I smile at myself, sending her a quick text agreeing to the date before I pocket my phone. I haven’t felt so excited for something other than tracking down and arresting a suspect. I could use a night out with a gorgeous girl.
CHAPTER SIX
CELESTE
“Swift as the wind. Quiet as the forest. Conquer like the fire. Steady as the mountain.”- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Due to my little incident at the coffee shop, I had to run to my apartment in the city to quickly change before heading to the private jet. The last thing I needed was to show up with a coffee stain all down the front of me. Just another thing for Antonio and Larson to lecture me about being a complete train wreck in front of the head of our very powerful allies that we’re meeting with. This will be my first appearance with them since I took over for my father.
Racing through the traffic, I can’t help my mind wandering back to the god of a man I met today. I felt his eyes on me when he took his seat at the table in front of me. His stare was like a magnet, pulling me to look up and meet those beautiful blue eyes. He has a sharp chiseled jaw, sandy blonde hair, and those bulging muscles could be seen through his suit. He’s easily six foot two, towering over me. The intensity of the force betweenus was overwhelming. I did the only thing I knew what to do, I got up and left to hide.
