Perfect Reflection (13 page)

Benny nodded and began to make a list of things he
needed to check on. If senior was in the city, they were going to
have a huge problem.

“Oh, and Lex called me this morning, too. He wanted
to tell us that tonight is the annual police ball and we are
invited. He knows, Jewel, that you may not have a dress so Dinky is
coming to get you in a couple of hours to go shopping. Benny, you
and I can just wear suits and ties.”

“Who said we were going? I don’t remember being asked
to go to a ball,” Jewel said. She didn’t like to dress up, it
wasn’t her.

Vander looked down knowing that he already said that
they would go.

“Dammit, Vander, please tell me you didn’t?” Jewel
said with a frown.

Vander smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Listen,
Jewel, this gives us an opportunity to meet more officers, and it’s
for a good cause. It supports the sexual assault center for kids. I
know how you are about that and how they always need money, so I
knew you would want to go to support them.”

“Way to go, guilt boy. Yeah, you know I would do it
for the kids. How much are the tickets? And you are going to pay
more than the price for charity if I have to wear heels,” she
ground out. Jewel knew her men avoided asking her because of what
her response would have been, it was one of the things they talked
about last night. Ret explained what their positions as the NYC
Alphas would entail, she told them she didn’t wear anything she
couldn’t hide a gun in or chase a perp down in, so that left out
dresses and heels.

“Well, that is the kicker. Lex said he already
purchased our tickets and he would pick us up at seven to leave for
the ball. Don’t you just love the free stuff?” Vander laughed and
Benny high-fived him.
Dipshits
, she thought.

“Ummmm, no, if I have to dress up, you are paying,
get the wallets out, boys. I think the charity is going to be
getting a nice sized donation from Atlanta, don’t you?” Jewel said
and watched as the guys grumbled but nodded their heads.

She sat back and laughed as they talked about what
they were going to be doing for the day. Jewel and Vander were
remaining in the room and working now that her whole murder board
had been revealed. Together they were going to start fresh and see
if they could find something they missed. Lex was at the department
and was checking the video they requested of one of the
victims.

Benny was going to do a little snooping at the crime
scenes to see how the killer had gained access to the sites so
easily. Apparently, Ret’s secretary was MIA and they were looking
for her. This bothered Jewel the longer she thought about it, and
reminded herself to ask Lex when he called.

Once they were done eating they set to work. Vander
and Jewel used the notes they had taken and began to try to piece
the new information with the old.

Later that morning, Lex came to the room to inform
Jewel and Vander that Missy Weston was at the Coastal and they
would be getting the video footage from that night sent to them by
UPS. They should receive it tomorrow.

“Maybe there is something, or rather someone, on the
tape that can shed some light on these murders.” Lex smiled at
Jewel. She felt the heat of his gaze as it roamed over her body and
she rolled her eyes.
Horny bastard
, she thought, and then
shook her head and walked to the board. Vander had been talking on
the phone but watched the interaction closely, when he caught her
gaze he lifted an eyebrow at her. Shit, the jig was gonna be up
soon, no one could be in the same room with them and not feel the
pending connection.

Dammit, she could feel it running through her veins,
pulling her to him. Once they mated, the bond would snap into
place, something she kinda looked forward to the more she was with
these two sexy men. Who cared if one was a billionaire and the
other a captain on the police force? It was becoming clear that
they cared for her, something she’d craved for a long time.

Lex’s phone rang and brought Jewel out of her lustful
haze. She blinked and looked away from Lex, who continued to watch
her while he spoke to someone on the phone. He grinned at her and
she flipped him off and turned her back to him. Until he walked up
and put his head on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

“Hey, Jewel, Dinky is here waiting for you,” Lex
said, kissing her ear. “I gave her special instructions for
tonight.”

“Oh, okay, and what were those special instructions?”
Jewel answered, turning around in his arms and laughing at him.
Vander gave her the thumbs up, then shook his head, and ignored
them as best he could. Jewel knew Vander accepted her men when he
did that, which made her feel so much better.

“Well,” Lex said and wrapped his arms around her
waist and pulled her flush against him. “I told Dinky that you have
to find a sexy dress because you were making your first appearance
with your mates. We are demanding like that.”

“Hmmm, I told you this morning that I hated dressing
up though.” Jewel frowned.

“”It is the undressing that matters, I have a fantasy
all in my head of unwrapping this luscious body slowly and then
bending you over the couch with only your high heels on and fucking
you senseless,” Lex growled and nipped at her lips teasingly.

“Really?” Jewel lowered her eyes as she imagined what
he said,
oh, that would be hot
. Lex ran his hands down her
body and cupped her ass as she grinned.

“Save it for later, big guy; apparently, I have some
shopping to do,” Jewel said and pulled out of her mate’s arms as he
moaned in protest.

Lex texted the message to Dinky, then closed his
phone and said to Jewel, “I will walk you out.”

“Why?” Jewel asked.

“Because I can,” Lex whispered to her and then
inhaled her scent.

Jewel laughed then said good-bye to Benny and
Vander.

***

Dinky and Jewel arrived at a beautiful building that
had great window art in it. “What kind of place is this, Dinky? I
thought we were going clothes shopping?”

“This wonderful new designer is here, burst onto the
scene about a year ago,” Dinky said and winked at Jewel. “She has a
small following, just needs to find a celebrity to wear something
to get her name out there. I thought maybe you could find a dress,
and tonight, when they ask who you are wearing, you would tell them
Dinky Lemay.”

Jewel looked at Dinky shocked. “Dinky, you make
clothes, too?”

“Yeah, it is a dream of mine, but like I said, you
have to know people to get your name in the fashion world. Ret said
this would be a start. He helped me fund this place. This is one of
his buildings that he stores stuff at, so he leases me one floor of
open space so I can make my clothes. He thought you would look
wonderful in some of my eveningwear. Do you mind trying some on?”
the older woman said and Jewel rolled her eyes.

“Do you have a design that will hide my Glock? I
don’t like going anywhere without it. Especially since we have a
killer on the loose and he has a hard-on for Ret.” Jewel laughed
sarcastically. “I hate to tell you but I am not really a clothes
whore or anything like some women are. Jeans and hoodies are my
favorite clothes, so wearing a dress is a big step up.”

Dinky’s smiled and clapped her hands. “I have just
the dress for you.”

Damn, Jewel had a sweet spot for the underdog. She
would wear something of Dinky’s, even if it looked like crap on
her. That’s how she was.

An hour later, Jewel had tried on several dresses,
but the one Dinky picked out in the first place was her favorite.
It was a formal, full-length gown slit up the center with a Velcro
strap on the inside of the dress to strap the gun to her leg. It
was green, which she would not usually have chosen for herself,
however, the pale sparkly dress looked good on her.

“Well, if it was my choice then I would say the green
dress. It shows off your eyes and it looks great with your boobs.
It really looks great on you, Jewel.” Dinky laughed when Jewel
looked down at her chest and turned sideways to check out her boobs
in the mirror.
Huh, they did look good
, Jewel agreed. The
green one was the best.

As they walked down the street, agreeing they needed
to find shoes and accessories, neither of the women could feel the
distasteful gaze that watched them as they walked.

“Soon,” the Redeemer muttered and then stepped back
into the shadows as he followed his next victim.

***

Lex couldn’t take his eyes off her. He knew he was a
goner. Nobody would ever compare to her. Her beauty was
breathtaking. It was as if a light shined all around her. Benny was
right, she glimmered like a beautiful jewel.

Jewel rolled her eyes when she caught Lex staring at
her. He had hunger in his eyes. She could tell she was going to be
in trouble tonight because Lex in a suit just about made her come
in her panties, add Ret to the mixture, and she was panting.

“Jewel, to say you look gorgeous doesn’t even
describe the vision you make.” Lex walked toward Jewel, staring at
her with passion-filled eyes.

“Shit, good pickup line,” Jewel whispered and bit her
tongue when she realized she said it aloud.

The men laughed and Lex held out his arm for her to
take. Ret was meeting them at the ball, and she was more than ready
to hurry this along. The quicker they got there the quicker they
could get back here to test Lex’s fantasy out.

As she took his arm, she whispered, “Like the
shoes?”

Lex paused and looked down, “Oh, hell, yeah!”

Chapter Fourteen

They were so stupid, how could they walk right by him
and not know the danger they were in. So-called police detective
and captain, right, like he should be worried about them.

The Redeemer was almost ready, first they had to find
her present, and then it would be their move. If his target did
what he wanted, she would come to him. He made this last clue so
obvious, even she should be able to figure it out. Although, she
hadn’t after all this time, even with the clues he gave her
before.

He wondered if she could feel him? Stepping back into
the shadows when the female turned and frowned, he chuckled, just
wait until she was with him. Thinking about what he was going to do
with her made him hard, damn, he didn’t need to walk into the ball
with a tent in his pants.

He watched as the trio made their way around the
room. He stayed on the fringes, waiting and watching for the
perfect moment to leave his prize. It was for Jewel, his prize.
Smiling and nodding to people who were trying to draw his
attention, they were people who thought they knew him. However, the
disguise he was using covered him rather well.

The trio moved into the large room, smiling and
talking to people, it was time for them to remember how they got
together, hell, his brother should thank him for introducing him to
the whore he would mate. He waited and watched for the perfect
moment. When they got up to dance, he saw his opening. Everyone
left the table and slowly he walked to the table and slipped his
present for Jewel on the table. He had been subtle in the past, but
this time he knew exactly what would get their attention.

He walked to the doorway and waited, he wanted to see
her face when she found he was everywhere. There was nowhere she
could hide from him. He couldn’t wait until she figured it out,
then she would be terrified knowing how close he was to her all
this time without her even realizing it.

His followers were monitoring as well. There was one,
maybe two in the room, dedicated, so unlike her. These people he
knew would follow him no matter what. They believed in the cause,
each of them knowing the personal pain that whores did to a family.
It was easy for him to find them, even easier for them to commit to
him. All of them shifters, all of them ready to avenge
themselves.

Jewel turned to the table and waved a hand in front
of her face like she was hot. Her men followed behind. Damn, she
had them all fooled. When she reached the table, it was clear the
moment she saw his gift; however, she did not have the reaction he
wanted. Where was the horror, the crying? The bitch turned her
steely eyes and swept the room, looking for him. How dare she?

Maybe the time had come to stop playing these games
and make Jewel see he would not stand for her foolishness anymore.
It was time to have her confess her sins to him.

Chapter Fifteen

Jewel’s head was spinning; she usually hated all of
this frou-frou stuff, the gowns, the heels, the china, blah blah
blah. However, being with her two men made her happy. Something she
hadn’t felt in a long time. The more she got to know them, the more
she knew she would fall in love with them completely. She was a
little worried about having such strong feelings for these two
men.

She laughed and smiled as they guided her through the
room, introducing her to members of the pack quietly. All of them
were welcoming. They also pointed out people she should avoid, and
when she heard the reasons, it made her laugh.

“And that one over there, don’t get into a
conversation with him about Lactose intolerant shit or you will
never get away. He will tell you about his problem with dairy, it
is kinda gross. And that woman has cats, stay away or your wolf
will be pissed,” Lex whispered in her ear.

Then they danced, swinging her around the floor in
her sparkly green dress that she never thought she would be
comfortable in. However, she was surprised at how comfortable she
felt with her Glock strapped to her inner thigh, if push came to
shove, she could pull it out fast.