Renewed Faith (CSA Case Files 3 / Military Romance) (28 page)

“S
tay inside today,” Kevin said, taking the last sip of coffee in his mug. He set the empty cup down on the table and picked up his holster and weapon, slipping the leather over his shoulders. Elle watched the way his muscles moved beneath his black long sleeved shirt and wondered how she never noticed the size of his biceps before. She bit her lip to keep from begging him to stay longer. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t spent most of the night having sex. She mentally shook her head. Making love. “Before you get your feathers all ruffled by my request, I just want to confirm that Bee understood our conversation with him last night as well as have a talk with Hash. Notice the word
our
. I wasn’t happy that you went off on your own, but you handled yourself well. You’re no pushover and that message came across.”

Elle smiled and knew she’d never admit to him that her thoughts were on their night of lovemaking instead of focusing on his words. Kevin had racked up enough ammunition on her as it was. She was like putty in his hands now. She wrapped her fingers around her own mug, not needing the warmth like she used to since Kevin had turned up her heat. She’d confessed to leaving it a few degrees cooler so that she could save money. The surprise on Kevin’s face that turned to anger had stopped her in her tracks and she realized that he thought Jax and Connor didn’t pay her much, which was so far from the truth it was laughable. Elle had ended up sharing her obsessive thoughts of having this job yanked out from under her and that she felt an insane need to save every penny.

“Elle? Are you even listening to me?”

Elle had just taken a sip of her coffee when she caught sight of the bemused look on Kevin’s face. Choking on the warm liquid, she held up a hand when he went to pat her back. He looked so baffled that it was endearing.

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” Elle placed her mug beside his on the table and then wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up on her tiptoes. “Let’s see how I can do an official morning after. Thank you, Mr. Dreier, for a lovely evening. And yes, I will stay inside today. I have tons of paperwork to catch up on, new memberships to verify, and so on. Well, how’d I do?”

“Okay,” Kevin said, nodding his head as if he suddenly had an epiphany. “I’ve figured it out. Where is the tough, independent, city girl that can’t help but argue with logic? She seems to have disappeared.”

Elle leaned down and bit his shoulder, causing him to bark in laughter. He pulled her tighter to him, even lifting her up higher, and kissed her hard only to then nibble on her lower lip. She knew that was his way of reinforcing that it was his job to bite and not hers. She didn’t care as long as he kept it up.

“I’m still here, farm boy, but I don’t argue with logic. I just disagree with the lack of common sense that you seem to sometimes view as logic.” Elle laughed when he dropped her, only to then pull her close to him once more. “Go do your job, Mr. CSA agent. Don’t worry about me. You know that Jax and Connor have this placed armed to the max.”

“Just stay inside,” Kevin said with exasperation, finally releasing her to put on his jacket. “I’m swinging by the hospital to see Jax and Emily before heading into the office. I’ll drop by my house later this evening to grab a change of clothes before coming back here.”

“You don’t have to,” Elle replied softly, walking him to the door. She hoped he didn’t take her up on the out she’d just given him. “You know the club is open until the wee hours of the morning.”

“Which is why we’ll be here instead of my house. I’m sure I’ll head up here to sleep before your shift is over, but I want to be close to you. Is that a crime?”

“No, it’s not a crime.” Elle caught the door as he opened it and finally turned to face her. “And I’d like it if you were up here waiting for me when I close up the club.”

“Ahhh, more admissions,” Kevin exclaimed, stepping into the hallway before turning back once more. “Keep them coming, city girl.”

Kevin winked before walking down the stairs but then turned to face her right before she was out of sight and raised an eyebrow. Elle rolled her eyes, knowing he expected her to shut the door to activate the automated locks. Waving her fingers, she stepped back inside to do just that.

Elle leaned against the door with a huge smile and feeling more lighthearted than she’d ever dreamed possible. She was happy. It was different than being content and she was determined to enjoy every second of it. This is what it is like to date someone and something she’d missed out on. It was more than dating and she knew that, but couldn’t quite quantify exactly what they were. Boyfriend and girlfriend? Lovers? Dominant and submissive? Was there even a title for what they were?

Hearing her cell phone ring, Elle’s smile grew even larger thinking it was Kevin. She moved quickly across the floor and picked up the device. Disappointment settled in when she saw Lauren’s number displayed across the screen, but then she silently admonished herself. Kevin hadn’t even had time to reach his truck and she really did need a friend. A friend. Elle loved the way that sounded.

“Hello?”

“I hear we need to call before stopping by,” Lauren said in humor, her light voice coming through the speaker.

Elle felt the need to talk and so far, Lauren had lived up to the true meaning of
friend
. Elle had never experienced that before and found that she liked it. A lot. She flopped on the bed and felt like the teenager she never had a chance to be.

“Then it’s a good thing you called. Can you stop by the bakery for those blueberry scones? I’ve got lots to tell you.”

*   *   *   *

“Anything?”

Kevin spent the morning going over the statements from the murder at the gas station. The male victim had been a homeless man in the area. The slice across his throat had been clean and quick, indicating that the perp had caught the man by surprise. The target had been found lying in a pool of his blood on the dirty floor. No one had even known he was there until the cops appeared. No witnesses to the crime.

“Yes,” Taryn replied, reaching for her tea. This one smelled like orange slices rubbed on the bottom of sweaty feet. Kevin swallowed, trying not to breathe in the rank aroma as he walked around her desk to look at one of her monitors. “I was able to access cameras that had been at the intersections closest to the gas station. I ran all plates that were in those two vicinities. If your perp was in a vehicle, he had to go one way or the other.”

This was it. Kevin’s heart sped up as the opportunity to nab this fucker just got a little closer. He gave the tapes to Taryn instead of looking them over himself. She was better at this shit anyway. He’d also placed a call into the parents of Becky Rattore earlier this morning, explaining why he and the police thought this killing was in relation to the rapes and murders of the other victims. Everyone involved needed this case solved, especially the future victims.

“Tell me you got a vehicle on tape pulling into the gas station that matches the time of the killing.” Kevin leaned down and rested his hands on the desk, staring at the video feed. “License plate?”

“I wish I could tie it up in a bow for you, but I’m not quite that good.” Taryn looked over the top of her black-rimmed glasses as she lifted her eyebrows. She then hit a few buttons on the keyboard causing the screen to change on the monitor. “What I did find was one particular vehicle crossing this intersection at least seven times in one hour. Taggart didn’t think outside the box, although with his caseload that’s to be expected. He was right when he said the surveillance feed at the back of the station is out. We got nothing there and there are none in the vicinity that would give us access to the perimeter.”

“Seven times in one hour?” Kevin kept his eye on the screen, knowing Taryn would pull up the make and model of the vehicle. “Were you able to run the plates?”

“That I was.” Tarn spun the wheels of her chair, holding her tea up in order not to spill a drop, and turned her focus on another monitor. Kevin swore she had more screens than NASA, but if it aided Taryn in her job, he didn’t give a shit if she stole them from the control center. “The silver four-door SUV is registered to one Eric Bennett.”

Kevin stared at the screen in absolute shock. He was well aware of who Eric Bennett was, along with his brother Cam. He’d even met them once when he’d interviewed some girls who were staying at the shelter after Becky’s family hired him. To know that Elle was potentially putting herself in the line of a killer made his blood run cold.

“Unless Bennett lost a dog, I can’t fathom any reason he’d drive back and forth across that intersection that many times. I pulled up his information. It’s in the folder under your nose.” Taryn leaned back in her chair, stretching out her boot-covered calves and crossing them at the ankles. She sipped her tea and when her gaze swung to her door, Kevin looked in that direction. Lach was standing in the doorframe. “Lach, I have that information you wanted.”

“It can wait.” Lach was wearing his black leather jacket and looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Kevin didn’t know the man well, like he did Jax, Connor and Ethan, but from what he could tell, Lach was all right. He needed to be constantly working, no down time, and an office setting was not ideal to his personality. Kevin itched just looking at him. “I need to speak with Crest anyway.”

“He sort of just stays under the radar, doesn’t he?” Taryn asked as both she and Kevin watched Lach walk across the hall and enter Crest’s office. “Solid guy, don’t get me wrong. But he’s hard to read.”

“Took a bullet meant for Lauren. That about sums it up.” Kevin looked down at the monitor, his mind already back on his case. He knew that driving through an intersection multiple times wasn’t enough to obtain a search warrant, but would Taggart bring him in for questioning? Only one way to find out. “I want to keep these tapes and still look for leads, but is there a way to just send the clips of Bennett’s vehicle doing the drive bys to Taggart?”

“Is there a way?” Taryn smiled and rocked back in her chair. “Oh, Kevin, there’s always a way. Go. Do your thing and let me do mine.”

Kevin nodded, knowing she was right and wanting to speak with Taggart as soon as possible. He felt better knowing that Elle had agreed to stay inside today and that he would see her later this evening. He could concentrate on this new lead and hope to have answers by the time he showed up at the club. If Taggart couldn’t get a search warrant or bring Bennett in for questioning, Kevin would have to follow up on his own and hope like hell he wasn’t screwing up this case by tipping their hand.

“Taryn? Is there something that you’re keeping from us?” Jessie asked, walking into the office with a dozen red roses in a matching vase. Baby’s breath was strategically situated between the leaves while a white envelope sat in a long stemmed cardholder. Jessie’s wide smile was brighter than the flowers. “These are absolutely gorgeous.”

“Unless they’re literally from the UPS man, I have no clue,” Taryn said, her blonde brows furrowed, letting everyone know she didn’t like surprises. She set her cup on the mug warmer that was attached to her monitor by a USB cable and then stood, holding out her hands. “Here. Let me take those.”

Kevin didn’t want to seem rude, but he didn’t need to stay here to watch the women fawn over flowers. He picked up the folder and walked around Taryn’s desk, inching his way toward the door when Taryn cursed louder and better than he’d heard anyone in this office perform.

“Get Crest,” Taryn said with a catch in her voice. “We’ve just heard from Ryland.”

Chapter Twenty-Five