Captured Innocence (CSA Case Files) (7 page)

Lauren slowly shook her head, although her green eyes had started to sparkle and she crossed her arms across her chest.  The movement reminded him of her habit of touching her wrist.  His earlier thought that something may have happened in her past to cause her to be afraid of dominant men went out the window.  The spunk she sometimes got smashed that idea into pieces.  It was obvious she wasn’t afraid.  Connor didn’t miss the hardening of her nipples and while he would have liked nothing better than to suck on them, he concentrated on the conversation at hand.

“Why not?”

“I’m not sure,” Lauren answered, pursing her lips in concentration.  “Just the feel of him against my back, I guess.”

“You weren’t wearing a coat?” Connor asked, frowning.  It was damn cold
out there and she should know better than to be outside without protection.  “You had one at the hospital.”

“The policeman
got into my van to retrieve it.”  Lauren’s frown deepened, as if she didn’t like defending herself.  “I was hot from carrying all of those boxes.  I took it off.”

Connor could tell they would only end up arguing over something trivial if he pushed the issue.  He always prided himself on choosing his battles wisely.  This
time, it was better to walk away. 

“Fine.  You took it off. 
Was the perp wearing a jacket?  Did the front of his chest feel cushioned?”

Lauren showed surprise at that
but nodded her head.  “Yes, he did.  It wasn’t too thick though.  His chest was solid.”

“Good girl,” Connor praised, reaching down for the comforter she’d kicked away during her nightmare.  “If you remember anything more, just tell me.  How are you feeling?”

“You really shouldn’t call me that.”  Lauren pulled the comforter out of his grasp.

“What?  Good girl?” Connor reiterated with a smile.  “Why not?”

“You and I both know that’s probably how you praise your subs.”  Lauren didn’t meet his gaze, making him wonder what she was really thinking.  “I just feel it’s inappropriate.  And speaking of which, that shouldn’t have happened.” 

Lauren had expertly switched
topics.  He let her have her way.  For now. 

“Our kissing?  I thought it was nice, personally.”

“You kissed me,” Lauren said.  Her pink lips pursed and she was lucky he didn’t kiss her again.  “I thought you said you weren’t looking for anything permanent.”

“I’m not,” Connor replied, taken aback by her question.  If that wasn’t a way to slam reality down on the situation, he wasn’t sure what else could.  If his past had taught him anything, it was that there wasn’t a woman alive on the planet who wouldn’t cash out for
a better situation.  Even his whore of a mother had done the same thing to his father.  Casual sex was the only way to go.  “If I’m not mistaken, neither are you.”

“I’m not. 
But I also didn’t agree to anything more than a professional relationship.”  Lauren looked down at her lavender comforter and started to trace the swirl pattern that was directly over her lap.  “I’m awake.  As you can see, I’m healthy.  I think it would be best if you left now.”

“I’m going to get a complex if you keep that up.”
  Connor stood, knowing he had better head back out into the living room before he kissed her again to keep her from talking.  “Food for thought while you try and get some sleep.  There’s something between us.  You feel it.  I feel it.  We’re both in agreement that we’d rather have something casual.  It’s there for the taking and it could be damned good.  Why not see where that road takes us?”

“As long as it remains casual?
” Lauren asked, reiterating his earlier claim. 

Lauren had stopped fidgeting with the comforter and looked up at him.  Damn, she had beautiful green eyes.  What he’d give to see those
matching white leather cuffs around her wrists, ankles, and neck.  He knew those emeralds couldn’t hold a candle to her eyes, but it would complement them. 

“Yes,” Connor replied, turning and walking
towards the door.  He wasn’t about to crash and burn again.  “But I bet the trip will be amazing.”

Chapter Seven

He sat in his vehicle, nervously bouncing his leg up and down.  He didn’t care that his knee kept hitting the steering wheel.  Across the street was Lauren Bailey’s apartment building.  He’d just pulled up, not able to get here any sooner.  A man in a long, black dress coat was walking toward the entrance.  His brown hair blew in the wind and he squinted against the cold.  The man could have been there for any of the tenants, but there was something odd about the way he carried himself, as if his bearing defined his character.  Resisting the urge to follow the guy into the building, he took a drag on his unfiltered cigarette.

Had Lauren
gotten a look at him as he’d been sprinting down the alleyway?  Had she recognized his voice?  If only that damned taxi driver hadn’t interfered.  It wasn’t like he was going to kill her, at least, not right away.  He’d only wanted to scare her into keeping her mouth shut. People were unreliable in his opinion.  She might say something unintentional that could draw away the attention that the detectives had placed on Terry Sweeney.  After all, he couldn’t be sure that she hadn’t put two and two together.

He blew the smoke out of his lungs, not taking his eyes off of the building.
  Smoke curled around his body.  Lauren wasn’t like Marilyn Sweeney.  Marilyn had gotten what he had determined to be her destiny. As long as Lauren thought her attack was a real mugging instead of a premeditated attack, maybe that would take her mind off of her previous encounter with the police. No need to dwell on that. As the nicotine entered his system and calmed his nerves somewhat, he prided himself on predicting exactly how everything would play out.  Yes, Lauren would be too busy fretting over a mugging instead of remembering what she’d unintentionally overheard a couple of weeks ago, while he focused on the master plan.

* * * *

Connor poured two cups of coffee.  In one, he placed two sugar cubes and a splash of half & half.  Considering the fact that she lived alone, kept a bowl of sugar cubes next to the brewer, and had a fresh quart of her favorite creamer in the fridge, it was a fair bet he had her cup nailed.  He’d heard Lauren get out of the shower around thirty minutes ago.  He’d hit the brew button when she started blow-drying her hair.  He gave himself a pat on the back when she exited her bedroom, dressed and ready for the day, as the last bit of water ran through the filter. 

“Good morning.”

“Are you one of those cheerful morning people?” Lauren mumbled, making her way over to the counter.  He couldn’t help but smile as she took the cup he’d slid across the granite and immediately brought it to her lips.  There was a hint of gloss on them and he wondered what it tasted like.  She hummed her appreciation.  “God, you actually put the right amount of sugar in it.  You get to stay an extra fifteen minutes.”

“Why’s that?” Connor asked, leaning against the sink and making himself comfortable.  Whether she like
d it or not, he was staying a hell of a lot longer than fifteen minutes. 

“To make a second pot of coffee.”  Lauren pulled back one of the two brown leather stools in front of the island and situated herself on it.  She leaned down on her elbows, still cupping the warm mug.  “When I do it, it either comes out too weak or too strong.”

“How’d you sleep?” Connor asked, purposefully ignoring the chance to toy with her.  The doorbell should be ringing any moment and he’d be right back on her shit list.  He took a swallow of his coffee.  “Headache gone?”

“It’s more of a dull throbbing right now, although I’m sure the coffee will help.”

“Remember anything more?”

“I slept fine after…that.  And no, I don’t remember anything else.” 

They drank in silence.  Connor tried to appear relaxed, not wanting to push her any more than he already had.  He’d opened himself up as much as he was going to.  If she truly didn’t want to engage in a casual affair with him, he wasn’t going to force the issue.  That didn’t negate the fact that her alleged mugging might be connected to his case.

Ding-dong.

Lauren’s green eyes flew to his.  She didn’t seem alarmed, so much as curious.  It made him wonder who she would be comfortable with ringing her doorbell this early on a Saturday morning.  Ms. Finch or someone else?  Connor shook his head when she went to get off of the stool. 

“I know who it is.”  Connor walked across the room and opened the door.  Crest stood there
in his long black dress coat, looking at him through hooded eyes.  “Come on in.”

“What happened to keeping the investigation low key?” Crest asked
in a low voice, crossing the threshold and tossing Lauren a glance.  “Your message purported to everything but.”

“The detectives on the case got to her before I did.”  Connor closed the door and lowered his voice.  “Crest
, I’m not certain the mugging wasn’t just that, but it seems too coincidental.  Either way, I need to protect her.”

Crest seemed to be gauging Connor’s words, but he didn’t know how to say it any clearer.  He didn’t want her to be a casualty in this case.  In his peripheral vision, he saw Lauren stand and start to walk their way.  The tension in his muscles relaxed
when he saw Crest give a nod in acknowledgement.

“Lauren Bail
ey, please meet Gavin Crest.  He’s the man who runs Crest Security Agency.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Crest.”

“Crest will do just fine.”  He held out his hand in greeting, waiting for Lauren to take it.  “I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances.  May we have a seat to discuss some things?”

“Of course,” Lauren replied, walking toward
the living room, the only area in the apartment where the three of them could sit comfortably. Connor remained standing though. She took the overstuffed chair while Crest sat on the couch.  He leaned forward, openly displaying his interest in the coming conversation.  “I’m not sure what I can help you with.  If this is regarding the jewelry I made for Marilyn Sweeney, I’ve already shared the information with Connor and the police detectives.”

“
We appreciate your cooperation, Ms. Bailey.”  Crest wasn’t a man to play around with words and got straight to the point.  “For a city, Minneapolis can be a small one.  Everyone knows everyone within certain circles.”

“You mean the BDSM clubs?” Lauren asked, leaning forward and placing her cup on the coffee table.

“Yes.”  Crest ran a hand over his chin as if contemplating his next words.  “As you’re aware, we’re investigating the murder of Marilyn Sweeney.  Connor and certain other team members practice within the lifestyle, so for them to ask questions seems rather ordinary to those unaware of our interests.  We’d like to keep it that way.”

“Of course,” Lauren replied, glancing toward Connor.  He smiled his reassurance, although he wasn’t feeling it right now.  He knew that what Crest said next would either be accepted or go over like a lead balloon.  “I’ve already given my consent to remain silent on the subject.  I wouldn’t want to hinder
your investigation.”

“I appreciate your cooperation,” Crest said.  “It’s also come to my attention that you were attacked last night.  Have you remembered anything that would be useful in catching whoever did this to you?”

“I’m not sure what Connor has told you, but the police think it was a random mugging.”

“They would,” Crest replied, sharing a
n unimpressed look with Connor.  “The police who responded to the call are in a separate county from the detectives questioning you on Marilyn Sweeney. They wouldn’t get the correlation unless you said something.”

“I didn’t even think to say anything about it.  I didn’t think it was related.  I’m still not sure if
it is.  When my attacker came up behind me, he said, ‘Y
ou can’t say another word’
.  Could that be connected to me talking to the police?  Maybe.  But it could just as easily have been someone who got his words mixed up as he was trying to mug me.”

“Was anything taken?” Crest asked. 

Connor took another drink of his coffee, listening in on the conversation but also observing.  Lauren looked a lot better than she had last night.  The light in her green eyes was back and she didn’t seem so emotional.  He also noticed that for the first time since he’d met her, she hadn’t touched her wrist in the manner that she used to.  He still wondered what could have been the cause of such a nervous habit.

“Nothing,” Lauren replied to Crest’s question.  “Th
e man ran off immediately when someone yelled in our direction, obviously seeing what was taking place.”

“I have a suggestion, although t
he choice remains in your hands,” Crest said, gesturing toward her.  “To verify that this wasn’t an attack against you for speaking with the police, allow Connor to stay here for a few days, just to be safe.  If nothing is amiss, say by the end of next week, you both can go your separate ways.  It would make me more comfortable knowing we have our bases covered, along with your physical wellbeing.  Would that be all right with you?”

Connor saw the surprise in Lauren’s eyes as she took in Crest’s request.  Her eyes flickered his way, but instead of saying anything, she reached for her coffee cup.  Taking a sip seemed to provide her the time she needed. 

“If someone didn’t want me to speak with the detectives, what about the other people at the clubs?  I know that the members were questioned.  I spoke with Joel on the phone.  Why wouldn’t the man have targeted them?”

“That’s a good question and one that we’re confirming as we speak.  An associa
te on our team is monitoring any reports of assault that might be related.  It could be that this person feels you may have seen or overheard something in particular.”

“Or it might not be related at all,” Lauren
argued, replacing her cup on the table.  “I truly appreciate that you’re covering all of your bases, Mr. Crest.  But don’t you think that if this was in relation to Marilyn Sweeney’s murder, the guilty person would have tried to break into my apartment last night?”

Connor tightened his jaw to prevent himself from saying anything.  She was now irritating him with her casual brush-off — and that’s exactly what it was leading to.  Lauren was
setting it up to where she didn’t want him here to protect her.  He’d known from first meeting her that she was independent, but damn if it didn’t get underneath his skin.  To top it off, she’d gone ahead and disregarded Crest’s request to drop the mister.

“Not if he or she had been watching your building and
observed that Connor had brought you home,” Crest answered, spreading his hands in gesture.

“I appreciate your concern.  I really do, but I think my assault was random.”  Lauren stood up and looked his way, ignoring the fact he had practically ground his teeth down to stubs.  “Connor, thank you for helping me last night.  If I think of anything that Marilyn said, or someone else for that matter, that could
possibly help you in your investigation, I’ll call you.”

Dismissal.  That’s what she’d done to them, plain and simple.  Crest followed her lead.  Although he knew Crest looked his way, he couldn’t bring himself to tear his eyes away from Lauren.  She
stared at him as if he was just another investigator in a case that didn’t involve her. 

“Do that,” Connor replied.  He walked over to
the small kitchenette and swiped his jacket off the back of a chair, along with his tablet that was on the table.  She wanted him gone.  He’d go.  Simple.  No hard feelings.  “Don’t forget to make your follow-up appointment with your doctor.”

With those final words, Connor took the lead and
walked to the door.  He could hear Crest say his goodbyes, give her instructions to call should she see or hear anything unusual, and then follow behind.  Within moments, they were in the hallway and making their way toward the elevator.  He pushed the button a little harder than was needed.

“You know, you could have joined in on the conversation.”

“If I’d joined in,” Connor said, “she wouldn’t have liked what I said.  There’s a damn good chance her attack wasn’t random.  I’m not leaving her unprotected.”

“I’ll have Ethan check in on her, but you know damn well we can’t safeguard someone who doesn’t want it.”

“Ethan?” Connor asked.  “Isn’t he busy with the open cases?”

“I’m sure it will be a refreshing change.”

Connor threw Crest a glance and saw that he was looking at the blinking numbers above the elevator.  He couldn’t be sure, but there seemed to be a slight smirk emerging on Crest’s face.  Blood was in the water and the first shark began to circle.