Deadly Deception (13 page)

Her brow furrowed. “What promise?”

He shook his head in feigned annoyance. “Weren’t you listening when I told you I was going to lick every drop of cream from your body? You really need to work on your attention skills, darling.”

He winked as he moved between her splayed thighs, dropping a kiss on her mound.

She wiggled beneath him, a huff sounding above him. “My attention skills are just… Fuck…”

He hummed against her flesh as he lapped at her clit, her voice fading into a moan. Her fingers found his hair as she scraped them along his scalp, sending shivers down his spine. His name lit the air like a prayer as she tilted her hips, seeking a firmer touch. He obliged, pressing his tongue flat against her skin as he licked her from cleft to clit.

“God, Sawyer. I can’t…”

His heart raced with male pride as her body tensed, so close to climaxing her muscles quivered in need. “That’s it. Come for me.”

Her fingers tightened in his hair, tugging on the ends as she convulsed once, then broke, her back arching off the bed as her orgasm hit. He lapped up her release, growling against her weeping flesh before lunging up her body and hilting himself inside her. His sudden penetration sent her over again, and she screamed his name as she spasmed beneath him, her legs locking behind his ass as he pummelled into her.

She met each thrust, begging him not to stop, scratching his back in her need for more. He gritted his teeth, slamming harder, faster, deeper until she shattered one more time, her whispered words of love fading into nothing as her body went limp beneath him.

The truth in her voice pushed him over and he came, his body jerking against hers. He held himself rigid, shuddering through the last of his release before falling to the mattress beside her, his heavy pants loud in the silent room. Mallory mumbled something incoherent and turned into him, her gentle weight pinning him to the bed. He wrapped his arms around her, wondering if there’d ever be a time he didn’t hunger for her…didn’t feel incomplete without her in his arms?

He nearly laughed at the thought, well aware of the answer. And despite all the distance between them, he’d never regretted marrying her…even if it’d only lasted a moment.

Sawyer closed his eyes. He’d figure it out later, when his thoughts extended past the next opportunity he’d get to make love to her. Mallory snuffled as she burrowed closer, the gentle press of her head on his chest settling his thoughts. She was safe, and he’d make damn sure she stayed that way.

* * * *

Sawyer leant back in his chair, trying not to stare beneath Mallory’s desk at the spot she’d so casually mentioned to him the previous night, though the feat was becoming increasingly more difficult as the day wore on. He’d caught himself mentally counting the hours before he could get her in his arms again and inhale the sweet aroma that tempted his senses as he sat across from her, going through more reports.

He glanced over at her, cursing at the purple welt on her cheek. Though the constant icing the night before had kept the swelling to a minimum, the smear of colour was like a permanent tattoo of the incident in the alleyway, and a constant reminder of their inability to get any closer to the truth.

He sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying to pinch the growing headache away. He’d barely slept, and the lack of sleep only served to fuel his restlessness. To top things off, they’d just been notified that the doctor who’d pronounced Davies dead at the execution had been found dead in his car as a result of an apparent suicide. And while the man had sworn his assessment was valid, it seemed a bit too coincidental that his death coincided with an actual sighting of the Davies. Now, with nothing further to grasp at, they were back to looking at grainy videos and going over traffic photos to see if they could get even a glimpse of the man Mallory had chased.

“Here, take this.”

Sawyer jumped, nearly knocking the coffee in Cole’s hand onto the floor. He chuckled and took the cup. “Thanks.”

Cole nodded, though the expression on the man’s face said their conversation was far from over. Sawyer had been waiting for him to mention something, suspecting it wasn’t every day Cole let himself into Mallory’s house only to find her naked with her lover. At least, Sawyer prayed it was the first time, though the man had come close more than once over the past few days.

Sawyer glanced around. Mallory had disappeared somewhere and most of the other agents were busy at their desks. He nodded at Cole. “If you have something to say to me, just say it. But if you keep glaring at me, Don is going to start thinking we’re some kind of threesome.”

Cole’s mouth pinched slightly before he eased back in his chair, crossing his long legs at the ankles. “Just making sure you heard what I had to say that first night.”

“The part where you weren’t putting the fear of God in me… Yeah, I heard you.”

“You sure? ’Cause the last time I checked, Mallory didn’t entertain guests in the nude.”

“I think we both know I’m not a guest.”

“No, you’re her husband, who she hasn’t seen in damn near two years.” He uncrossed his legs and leant forward, resting his massive hands on his thighs. “The same man who swore to me he wasn’t here as a vendetta to hurt her.”

Sawyer snorted. “Is that what you think? That I’m getting back at her for what happened in the hospital?”

Cole shrugged. “It’d crossed my mind.”

“Great to know you have such a high opinion of me.”

“Hey, it’s not like I don’t think you’re a great guy, man, but…Mallory’s like a sister to me. I consider it my job to make sure she isn’t…unhappy.”

A hint of a smile tugged at his mouth. “Did she look unhappy this morning?”

Cole had the grace to blush ever so slightly. “She looked like a woman with more stamina than I gave her credit for.”

Sawyer let the smile claim his lips. “Look. I appreciate your concern but…I assure you. I’m not fucking with her.”

Cole arched an eyebrow at him.

Sawyer rolled his eyes. “Okay, literally, yes, but not in the hit-and-run sense you’re worried about. I have every intention on staying right where you found us this morning.”

“With her pinned to the wall?”

“You’re an ass.”

“And you’re a goddamn stallion.”

Sawyer sighed. “I love her, Cole. I’ve already asked my superiors in Albuquerque for a transfer back here. I’m not leaving.”

Cole studied his face for a moment then eased back, his expression softening slightly. “Just make sure you don’t, because I’d hate to have to kick your ass.”

Sawyer smiled at him. “You might be built like a fucking gorilla, but I’ve got speed.”

“Speed won’t help you once I catch you.”

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to avoid that.” He nodded down the hall. “Fighting you is one thing, but after last night, I’m not so sure I want to take that on.”

Cole turned and smiled as Mallory walked towards them, hips swaying, body moving fluidly across the floor.

She stopped just shy of them, her gaze jumping from one to the other. A set of lines bunched the bridge of her nose as she shifted her feet, clutching a manila folder against her chest. “What?”

Sawyer shrugged. “Nothing. We were just talking.”

Her gaze fell on Cole as she furrowed her brow at him. “For fuck’s sake, Cole, you weren’t threatening Sawyer because you walked in on us this morning, were you?”

Cole reclined back in his chair again. “And if I was?”

Mallory shook her head. “Biggest bloody mistake I ever made, giving you a key.”

“Screwing’s a nighttime sport. You two would be best to remember that.”

“Right. Just like the time I caught you with that hot narc in the back of your truck. What was her name? Lola, Leighla…”

“Fuck off.”

“Already did, thanks.” She turned to Sawyer. “He’s an ass.”

Sawyer nodded. “We’ve already discussed that.”

She sighed as she rested her hip on her desk, putting her legs dangerously close to Sawyer. He held back a groan, barely stemming the urge to reach out and caress her calf. The woman was a witch, and he had no doubt the spell she’d cast over him would be his downfall. His gaze fell to her groin and he wondered if she’d gone without panties again. If he’d find her hot and wet if he inched his hand inside her pants. Just the thought punched a jolt of pain through his groin as his cock responded, lengthening against his jeans. Mallory didn’t seem to notice how he shifted in the seat, trying to get comfortable. He was rock hard…again. Still.

“Good. Now maybe we can get back to work.” She opened the folder in her hand and placed a sheet on the end of her desk. “I think we may have a possible connection to Davies. It’s a bit of a stretch, but seeing as we have absolutely jack-all right now…”

Sawyer leant forward, scanning the paper. “Who’s Arthur Thomas?”

“Thomas served several months on death row with Davies. Turns out, their cells were side by side.”

Cole turned the paper, looking at it as he scrunched his face slightly. “So? The guy’s either dead or he’s still waiting.”

Her lips curled into a knowing smile. “Not this guy. Seems he got pardoned about a month ago. He’s been a free man ever since.”

Cole raised an eyebrow. “Well. That makes him a bit more interesting, doesn’t it? What’s the scoop on Mr Thomas?”

She shuffled through some papers, pulling out a handful. “The kid’s rap sheet is pretty standard. The guy was in and out of juvie, mostly small-time offences, until he got charged with raping a sixteen-year-old girl. He claimed it was trumped-up statutory charges and that they were in a relationship, but the girl’s parents had her pursue legal compensation. He did less than a year on a plea bargain only to get hauled back in when the same girl was murdered four months after his release. Seems the evidence was pretty strong, including DNA samples and witness testimony to seeing him with her on the night she disappeared, but Thomas maintained his innocence.”

Cole scanned through the sheets. “I don’t know, Mal. This doesn’t seem like the kind of case that would get him the death penalty.”

“It wasn’t. As a matter of fact, the case was thrown out of court on a technicality. Apparently the guy’s hotshot lawyer found some kind of illegal procedure and the guy walked.”

Cole frowned. “So how does that equate to a stay on death row?”

Mallory pointed to the bottom of another page. “It appears Mr Thomas was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He got arrested on a second murder charge a month later, only this time, they were able to connect him to a string of other deaths. The case relied heavily on blood samples found at the scenes that were used to get a warrant for Thomas’ home. Apparently they found newspaper clippings and photos of the dead girls in his house, along with a few personal items. Thomas swore they weren’t his…that someone must have broken in and framed him, but it didn’t stand up in court and the guy was convicted and sentenced to death.”

Cole exhaled a loud breath, scraping his chair forward. “So how is this kid walking the streets of Seattle once again?”

She seemed to shake off her thoughts and handed Cole the sheet. “Several months ago, Thomas’ lawyer gets an anonymous phone call. The caller tells the man to check the blood samples but doesn’t give any further details. The lawyer decides to get the samples retested out of curiosity and they discover a very subtle incongruity. Seems all of the blood smears found at the scenes had traces of CPDA in them.”

Cole snorted as he crossed his arms on his chest. “You do know Sawyer just called me a gorilla, right? I have no fucking clue what CPDA is.”

She smiled, giving Sawyer a wink. “It stands for citrate phosphate dextrose adenine. It’s a fancy compound they use to help preserve the viability of whole blood for transfusions and the like. It extends the shelf life.”

The crease on Cole’s forehead deepened. “So?”

“So, if the kid left his blood at the scene because he was the perp, why the hell did it have a preserving agent in it?”

Sawyer cursed. “Someone planted the kid’s blood at the crime scenes.”

“Oh, it gets better.” Mallory shuffled through some more papers. “Turns out, the kid was an occasional blood donor. Liked the extra cash—probably helped fund some of his questionable habits. Anyway, it also happens that he’d donated blood a few days before his arrest. Coincidentally, that same clinic had a break-in the night Thomas was there. Doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots here, boys.”

Sawyer nodded. “So someone frames Arthur Thomas and basically guarantees the kid a short stay on death row. The question is—why? Some kind of vendetta against the kid? Maybe payback for his first acquittal?”

Cole waved his hand. “But by framing Thomas, they let the real killer go free. Doesn’t make much sense if you’re playing the part of a vigilante.”

Mallory’s face sobered. “Maybe the perp’s motivation wasn’t so pure?”

Cole sat back. “How so?”

“What better way to guarantee your own innocence than to solve the case?”

Sawyer frowned. “So you think whoever’s behind this wears a badge? That was a federal case. That would make the bad guy one of us.”

She shrugged. “Or maybe it’s just someone who has access to the evidence. Either way, someone tampered with it. And it was enough to get Thomas a full pardon.”

Cole tapped a finger on his lips. “So how does this tie in to Davies, other than the fact they were side by side for a while?”

“There’s a chance Davies told Thomas all about his killings, as in every detail. That could make this kid our copycat. And he had access to Davies.”

Cole frowned. “But I thought the kid was framed?”

“Guess there’s always a chance Thomas really is some sick pyschopath and his acquittal was just a fluke. He could have gotten released and done this to mess with us.” She held up another sheet. “But there’s another possibility we might want to consider. I did a search of unsolved murders during the time both Davies and Thomas were incarcerated. Guess what turned up?”

Cole groaned. “I don’t think I want to know.”

“There are another dozen victims with MO’s that seem to be a disturbing mix of the two men, but with just enough differences not to set off any red flags unless you’re looking for them.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “It’s all speculation. I mean…if you tear Davies’ technique apart, I’m sure it’d match a number of other serial killers.”