Keepers of the Cave (3 page)

“So...are we looking at something like the
Stepford Wives
here?” Paige asked. “Or a situation like Waco?”

“We’re not sure what we’re looking at,” he said. “Like I said, on the surface, things appear perfectly normal. Dig a little and you find all this. There are no birth records, no marriage records, no death records.”

“But what evidence is there linking this community to the disappearances?” Ice asked.

“None. No evidence.”

They all looked at him questioningly.

He shrugged. “It’s all we got. It threw up red flags because, frankly, it’s a little too similar to David Koresh’s setup in Waco.”

Paige leaned back in her chair, twirling a pen between her fingers. “Evidence of firearms?”

“No.”

“I thought this was a family, not some religious cult,” CJ said.

Howley shrugged. “We don’t know. Your job is to find out. Again, there’s no evidence linking Hoganville to the disappearances. This is purely a precaution.”

“Well, this is going to be loads of fun,” Paige said dryly.

CJ nodded. She hated cases like this.
Precaution
. In other words, killing time. She glanced at Paige, wondering what her take was on the “couple” thing. That part of it was going to be uncomfortable as hell.

“Okay, that’s all I have. Read the file. Ice, you and Billy will stay here in Houston. Your job is research. I’m sure after CJ and Paige get there, they’ll have lots of questions. Your job is to find the answers.”

“Cool with me,” Ice said. “I have no desire to go to the woods.”

He looked at CJ and Paige. “The cabin you’ll be staying in is furnished. Avery has given me an inventory list so if there’s something you can’t live without, bring your own. That list is in the file. You leave in five days.”

Howley left them alone, and CJ could feel the tension in the room. The guys were glancing between her and Paige. She wondered what they were expecting. So, she did what she normally did with them. Reverted to flirting.

“So,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly at Paige. “Should we go practice kissing or something?”

Paige rolled her eyes. “In your dreams, tiger.”

“Oh yeah, baby,” she called after her, staring at Paige’s backside as she retreated. “You’ve definitely been there.” CJ grinned at the guys. “My lucky day, huh?”

“Damn right,” Billy said. “Man, I would trade places with you in a heartbeat.”

CJ raised her eyebrows.

“What? I’m just saying, she’s smokin’ hot. She may be my partner, but she’s still smokin’ hot.”

CJ had to agree. But Ice came to her rescue.

“Paige is the lucky one, man. She gets to be with my woman, CJ. Now this is hot,” he said dramatically, motioning to her. “CJ Johnston, the woman with abs of steel.”

CJ stood up and pulled her shirt out of her jeans on cue, showing off her stomach, eliciting whistles from both men.

“Wow,” Billy said, reaching out to touch her, but CJ slapped his hand away. He looked up sheepishly. “Okay, so, yeah, that’s hot too. I mean, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, man,” she said. “Chicks love it.”

“Chicks love what?”

They all turned, finding Paige standing in the doorway. CJ quickly lowered her shirt but not before she saw Paige’s eyes glued to her exposed skin. She didn’t know why she was the one blushing, but she was. Paige’s expression shifted to one of boredom as she walked away.

CHAPTER THREE

Paige methodically packed her clothes, her thoughts not on her impending role as a gym teacher. Rather, they were bouncing around, scene by scene, from a night six months ago. She had no interest in CJ Johnston romantically, of course. None at all. CJ was attractive, sure. If CJ were playing a role, she would have made a perfect female version of James Dean. She had just the right amount of rakish charm, was just enough of a rebel with that
bad boy
attitude to pull it off. Plus, she had brooding down to a fine art. She paused in her task, sighing as she stared off into space. Yes, CJ was very attractive, but CJ was definitely not her type. Definitely.

Which brought her back to the night she went home with CJ. What in the world had possessed her to follow CJ to her apartment? Was it the flirting mixed with tequila? Was it that she, too, wanted to forget about the case they’d just wrapped up? Or was it the needy, nearly desperate look in CJ’s eyes that had propelled her on? Perhaps a combination of things, but she could still see that haunted look on CJ’s face. A home invasion had turned into a hostage situation. Only on TV did those end well. A husband and wife, two kids—all dead at the end of the day. They had been bound and gagged and doused with gasoline. The fire took them quickly, but it was a horrific scene. When it involved kids, CJ always took it harder. She knew CJ had been abused as a child, but she didn’t know the details, just bits and pieces she’d picked up over the last three years. She and CJ weren’t friends, really, and she never thought it was her place to ask questions about it.

But that night, for some reason, she’d followed CJ to a bar. She’d kept her distance, watching from afar as CJ made the rounds. She obviously knew quite a few of the women there. Paige wondered how many of them she’d slept with. Then their eyes had met across the room. Paige had been rooted to the spot as CJ sauntered over in that distinct walk of hers, with a sexy, mischievous look on her face.

“Special Agent Riley, this is sinking a little low for you, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you be at some high-dollar bar sipping martinis?”

Paige smiled at the memory. It was the one and only time she’d set foot in that bar. Her wine was quickly replaced with a shot of Patrón tequila and CJ had pulled a chair close to her, her eyes dancing as she shamelessly flirted with her. It was a game they played and played quite well. Ice and Billy expected it of them now.

Only that night, Ice and Billy were nowhere to be found. Nonetheless, they slipped into their roles, moving past the verbal flirting when CJ had boldly touched her, her hands moving with a purpose between her thighs. Paige had been stunned by CJ’s bravado but was more surprised by her own reaction. Instead of pushing CJ away, knowing she had crossed the line, she parted her thighs invitingly, feeling a thrill as those hands moved higher. She had been shocked by how aroused she was. Shocked that she hadn’t wanted those hands to stop. It was then, looking into CJ’s eyes that she saw it—a desperate need for contact, for physical intimacy. She told herself to stop, to get up and leave, to run. And fast. But she couldn’t look away—couldn’t pull away—not even when CJ leaned closer, her lips brushing against her mouth teasingly. Instead, she turned her head, finding CJ, their first tentative kiss deepening quickly, her mouth opening, allowing CJ inside.

The rest was a complete blur. CJ’s hands finishing their trek between her thighs, the wetness she couldn’t hide from CJ, the soft moan she heard—hers—as CJ’s fingers rubbed against the seam of her jeans, pressing intimately against her. Then they were up and walking, hands clasped, hurrying outside. She had been in a daze as she listened to CJ’s directions to her apartment, surprised to find herself following CJ, too aroused to come out of her stupor.

They didn’t speak. Not one word. CJ closed the door behind her, then pinned her against it, her hands making quick work of the jeans Paige wore. Shaken—dazed—Paige found herself helping CJ undress her, found herself grabbing CJ’s hand and bringing it inside her panties, the desperate need now hers, not CJ’s. She barely registered CJ’s fingers on her, inside her. Her orgasm was hard and quick, and she bit down on CJ’s shoulder to keep from screaming out. Then CJ led her to her bedroom, closing the door to the world as they fell together. How many hours they were there, she no longer knew. Sleep came intermittently, the sex between them thrilling and exhausting, electrifying and exhilarating all at the same time.

She had slipped out of CJ’s arms and out of her bed, gathering her clothes quietly while CJ slept. It wouldn’t do for her to still be there when CJ woke. What would they say? How could it be explained?

 She drove home, once again feeling like she was in a fog, her thoughts muddled, confused. And for the next week, maybe two, she and CJ avoided each other, speaking only when necessary. If the guys noticed—which surely they did—they never mentioned it. Then another case came around, giving them something to focus on and little by little, she and CJ reverted back to what they were accustomed to. The gentle flirting over beers with the guys looking on, the teasing, the taunts. Things got back to normal. Never once in the last six months had they mentioned the night they’d spent together. Truth was, they’d never once been alone together. By choice or coincidence, she wasn’t sure.

Now, they were heading off to Hoganville—alone.

As a couple.

Pretending to be lovers.

CHAPTER FOUR

“They’re acting really weird,” Billy whispered. “I wish you’d ask CJ what’s going on.”

Ice watched Paige and CJ as they headed off to Howley’s office for their last briefing. “If you want to know so bad, why don’t you ask her?”

“She’s your partner.”

Ice absently rubbed his head, still not used to the smoothness of it. “Then ask Paige,” he said.

“You don’t ask Paige stuff like that. She’s...well, reserved.”

“Reserved? Just because her family has more money than God doesn’t mean she’s reserved,” he said. “You’ve been partners for four years, man.”

“She’s not like us. You can’t just ask her stuff like that.”

“Well, then, what do
you
think is going on with them?” Ice had his own suspicions, but he would never voice them to Billy. He long ago suspected that, like them, CJ had her own little crush on the lovely Paige Riley. And in CJ’s mind, she was nowhere close to the same league as Paige. Paige grew up in a mansion, CJ in a mobile home. Maybe CJ was afraid it would become known—her little crush—now that they had to play the part of a lesbian couple. Of course, that didn’t explain Paige’s actions. The two women had been blatantly avoiding each other ever since Howley gave them the assignment four days ago.

“I think there’s enough sexual tension between them that they’re afraid of this case, that’s what I think,” Billy said.

“Yeah? That’s what you think?”

“The way they flirt with each other when we go out? Yeah, that can’t be just for show.”

“I think it is. They’re just playing around. I’ve never even seen them alone together. Have you?”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“You never see them here alone,” he said, motioning to their desks. “They never go to the restroom together. They’re never up getting coffee at the same time. They never talk about them seeing each other outside of work. No lunches, no dinner. Nothing. In fact, the only conversations they have are work related.”

“Except when we go out for beers,” Billy said.

“Yeah. So, since they’re leaving tomorrow—”

“Then it must be a beer night,” Billy finished for him with a grin. “Yeah, maybe a night out can get them back to normal.”

***

It’s funny how some bars just become cop bars. This one was no different. It wasn’t located that close to the police department. Wasn’t real close to the sheriff’s department either. And it was a good ten blocks from the building where the FBI offices were. Yet Ice guessed ninety percent of the clientele were from law enforcement. A wraparound bar was the main attraction and where they normally gathered. The front part of the bar was filled with tall, round tables—where they’d chosen to sit tonight—and the side wall housed a row of booths. Five large TVs were spaced about, giving the place a sports bar feel. The only food served was burgers and fries or spicy buffalo wings, nothing else, yet the place was packed nearly every night of the week. Above the noise of the crowd, the whacking of pool balls could be heard from the three tables at the back of the bar.

“Man, you two are going to be crazy after a few months together,” Billy said as he tipped his beer bottle at CJ.

“Crazier,” Paige murmured.

“Speak for yourself,” CJ countered.

Paige leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. “You don’t snore, do you?”

Ice watched them, their stare intense, and he actually saw CJ clamp her mouth shut, keeping in the words that were about to spill out. Instead, she leaned closer too, her gaze lowering to Paige’s lips. Ice stared in fascination at the exchange between them.

“Baby, I’ll have you so tired and sated, you won’t be awake long enough to know if I snore or not.”

Ice saw just a ghost of a smile cross Paige’s face. “What makes you think that
you
won’t be the one satiated?”

Billy leaned closer to Ice. “What does ‘satiated’ mean?” he whispered.

“Seriously, man?”

Paige smiled affectionately at Billy, her gaze finally leaving CJ’s. “Let me buy the next round.”

It wasn’t her turn, but no one complained. Just like no one complained when she ordered dinner for them all when they were working late. Or when she brought in breakfast or coffee. She was genuinely generous and didn’t expect anything in return. Like he’d told Billy, just because she had more money than the rest of them, it didn’t mean she wasn’t one of them. She was. She just dressed better and drove a more expensive car.

 “Are you nervous?” CJ asked.

Ice noticed the teasing was gone and was surprised by the question. He was even more surprised by Paige’s answer.

“Terrified.”

Billy, as usual, was oblivious to the underlying tension. “You’ll be fine,” he said. “Sounds like a crazy place, yeah, but they’re still just people.”

Paige and CJ exchanged real smiles, and Ice would have sworn it was the first time he’d ever witnessed that between them.

“Yes, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Paige said. “Gonna miss you guys though. It’ll be weird not seeing you every day.”

“Just a phone call away,” Ice said. “We’re your research, remember.”

An unusual silence followed until Billy—apparently feeling brave after three beers—asked the question that had been bothering him all week.