Shelby's Secret (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 4) (17 page)

“I married such a smart man,” she teased.

“Smart enough to marry a doctor.”

Dani reached over and ran a finger down his naked chest. “We should probably get some sleep too.” She made her tone as sultry as she could manage.

Damon immediately started moving files off the bed, dropping them into a pile on the floor. “Yes, we should.”

The fact that the hour was well after midnight before they were sated enough to sleep didn’t bother Dani in the least. She couldn’t be happier. She patted her still-flat tummy in the dark while listening to her husband’s deep, even breathing. The little secret she was keeping could wait a little longer.

After this concert, she would break the news to her husband and their friends. She was officially done traveling overseas with the CDC. Dani was staying home to open a practice of her own because in about seven months, she was going to have another Dupree in her life.

Or maybe two.

Twins did run in the family.

Chapter 14

Mike had the girls up and moving at dawn, which meant they hit Phoenix at the height of rush-hour traffic. Today was Thursday. Shelby was due at the arena mid-afternoon and would be there until late in the evening for rehearsal and sound checks. The concerts were completely sold out for the weekend.

The truck rolled through the gate at the mansion on Camelback, the girls lying down in the back like before.

Madge waited on the front steps. As soon as the truck stopped, Rebecca was out and running toward the older woman, who stooped down and swept up the little girl into her arms.

“I missed you,” Madge said. “And what has you smiling so much?”

“I got to ride a horse,” Rebecca said.

Madge almost dropped her, looking at Mike in astonishment.

Mike grinned and shrugged.

To her credit, Madge never let the sudden flow of words faze her after the initial shock. She smiled and ruffled all that blond hair. “I bet that was fun. Are you hungry?”

“Sure,” Rebecca said.

“Cook has some chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream ready for you.”

Rebecca waved and took off into the house.

Madge turned back with an eyebrow raised. Then she looked Shelby up and down, and the other eyebrow flew up as well. She turned a very perceptive gaze back to Mike as he unloaded the two bags from the truck. “You’ve been busy.”

“Protect and serve, ma’am.” And he wasn’t saying a damn thing about the curious look she was shooting them. She could speculate all she wanted. to the decision was Shelby’s if she wanted to say anything about the fantastic night she’d just spent in his bed.

And their lovemaking didn’t change anything.

Shelby was a famous singer and, while she said she was retiring, she was just too young to give all that up. Performing was in her blood. The same way being a detective was in his.

Once the bags were inside, he turned to go. Time for him to get back to finding this killer. Nodding to Madge, he grabbed Shelby by the hand and walked with her back outside. “Extra police officers will be assigned to the arena while you’re rehearsing today. Stay within sight of either them or your personal security team the whole time.”

“I will,” she said.

Mike frowned down into her earnest face. “I mean it. I don’t care if you have to bring someone into the bathroom with you—you’re not alone for one moment.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. You worry too much.”

“And you don’t worry enough.”

She reached up and cupped the side of his face, her smooth fingers rubbing the stubble there.

He loved the feel of her hands on him.

“Will I see you tonight?”

Mike nodded. If he didn’t need to be at work, he wouldn’t be leaving now, but his people had been busy over his days off, and he wanted to look at the case. But he’d be with her every night until this was over. For however long it lasted, she was his to protect. “I’ll be here.” Her smile made his heart catch.

“I love sleepovers.”

“This doesn’t involve manicures or itching powder in my shorts, does it?”

“Only if you fall asleep before I do.”

He leaned down and kissed her, long and hard. “I better make sure I wear you out then.”

Her breath caught and she went all liquid in his arms, and he had to fight the urge to take her into the house and start wearing her out now. But they both had business to attend, even if his body wasn’t happy with moving away from her tempting self. “See that you do.”

Shelby turned away as he got into his truck. He loved to watch that woman walk—either toward him or away, the view was spectacular. She turned and blew him a kiss. She used to do that in the old days, and it made his heart ache. When this ended . . .

He didn’t want to think about that yet. Better to focus on the case.

Just then his cell rang.

***

Crouching behind the A/C unit on the roof of the huge house next door, he was frozen with rage. His earlier happiness with finding a camouflaged vantage point that let him see the courtyard and pool of Shelby’s house faded.

She hadn’t even been home.

All this time, she hadn’t even been fucking home. She’d been off with that man. Kissing him and probably more. Who the hell was he?

Whore, just like all the others. Spreading their legs for any dick
. The voice slithered through him, and this time he let it. Because the shadow was always right.

And you thought she was special
, the voice mocked.

He felt the hot shame wash over him at the derisive tone. He had thought she was different, with her soft voice and pretty songs. She’d seen all his work, and she hadn’t understood.

And maybe that was it. She just didn’t understand they were meant for each other.

She doesn’t want you, maggot. And she never will.

He gave himself a half-hearted slap to the side of his head. He was trying so hard not to listen, but the voice inside him was so strong. Too powerful to resist anymore. “She just needs to understand. Tomorrow,” he whined. “When we’re together, I’ll make her see she means everything to me.”

And the shadow laughed.

After he had Shelby, he would demand the name of the man she’d been with. No other man had the right to come between Shelby and him. Only one other man had even tried, and he’d made sure to erase that threat.

He’d erase this one as well.

***

“Wolfe.”

“The big, bad?”

“That one’s been done before,” he muttered. Hearing Casey’s amused laugh made Daniel smile. He was waiting for Mike to get to the office so they could go over everything new in the case. Since he was basically twiddling his thumbs, her call was a welcome distraction.

“I’ll work harder next time, but I’ve been up most of the night putting together the file on vic number two.”

“Did you find out who she was?” Not that a name helped find the missing woman, but any information was good in a case like this.

“Yes, and at great personal danger to myself, I might add.”

“How’s that?”

“Have you ever had to deal with grumpy dentists? Well, let me tell you, they’re not a fun lot. This one better be glad he’s a state away, because I have half a mind to drive over to New Mexico and kick his ass.”

Daniel sat forward in his chair. New Mexico? So maybe their theory about the killer was correct. “She’s actually
from
New Mexico?”

“Born and raised. Name is Amy Young, and she liked her meth, which is why I was up to my ass in grumpy dentists. She had a couple of crowns with designs on them.”

“I didn’t even know that was a thing.”

Casey snorted. “Welcome to the twenty-first century. It’s basically a tooth tattoo, and only a handful of places will even do designs on crowns. This girl clearly had folks with money, because these things aren’t cheap.”

“One more clue to this whole thing. Thanks, Casey.”

“Is Mike back yet?”

“He’s due in any minute.”

“Good. I’m sending you an email with the info and the name of the detective in Las Cruces who is anxiously awaiting contact for this girl. This is his missing person’s case.”

“You normally go above and beyond on this kind of thing?” Daniel was curious because making contact with another jurisdiction wasn’t the norm. Doing so wasn’t part of her job description, but the medical examiners he’d heard about weren’t usually willing to go beyond the dead body and crime scene details.

“This guy is pissing me off. Besides, I owe Mike a couple of favors. A little extra leg work for him is a small return on a big debt. But now I’m headed home to get sleep and maybe a slice of cold pizza.”

“I’ll let Mike know as soon as I see him. Enjoy the cold pizza.”

“Yep.” And then she was gone.

Mike was one of those guys. He inspired the people around him. The fact he’d done a couple of big favors for a friend made him exceptional. Daniel was proud to be working in a department under him. He was learning so much, mostly by example. And he had his own news. He’d tracked down those damn rodents. The information had come in about ten minutes prior to Casey’s call. Daniel wanted to run it by Mike before he called over to Nashville PD and had them check it out.

This was the piece of evidence that could tie the killer to the scene of at least one of the murders. The only clue they had, and it would be important, he could just feel it.

His cell chirped, and the number belonged to dispatch. “Wolfe,” he said.

“This is Kris in dispatch, we have a homicide,” she said. “The street sergeant asked for Mike specifically, but I have you listed as the callout detective until noon.”

He dropped his head on the desk. They didn’t have time for another homicide, but if patrol asked for Mike, then maybe it was connected. He’d keep his fingers crossed. The dispatch supervisor was thorough as she gave him the details she had. “What’s the address?”

She rattled it off. Another warehouse in central Phoenix.

“I’m on my way, and I’ll call Mike.”

“Thanks,” she said, and the relief in her voice was clear. “The sergeant said it’s really bad, just so you know.”

“Copy that.”

Daniel had a sick feeling that this was their missing woman, Tara. The call was sooner than they expected, and everyone had been holding out some kind of hope that she’d be found alive. It was a false hope, but they’d all had it. Even while systematically checking the hundreds of abandoned warehouses that littered Phoenix.

“Damn.” He grabbed his notebook, a pen, and checked his phone. He’d call Mike from the car and hopefully catch him driving, that way they could just meet up at the scene. He dialed the number he didn’t realize he’d memorized.

“Just couldn’t stay away, huh?” Casey said. But her tone was grim.

“You heard?”

“Just now. Looks like I’m booking in more OT, because there’s no way in hell you and Mike are going to this scene without me.”

“I thought you might feel that way. You have the address?”

“Yes. And if I get you off my phone, I’ll be out there with a tech before you’ve even had the chance to miss the sound of my voice.”

“Fine.” He hung up—a little game they seemed to be playing. Who got the last word.

He was in the car when he called Mike, only to find out Mike was almost there already. That man was seriously plugged in to the street units. Someone must have called him directly, and now Daniel had to haul ass to catch up.

Again.

The drive took about ten minutes to get there, but when he did, he was happy to see he’d at least beaten Casey. Mike’s truck was parked off to the side, as were half a dozen police cars. Crime scene tape was already up, and the morose expressions of the officers let him know more than anything that this would be worse than anything he’d seen yet. Cops had the ability to maintain a sense of humor over most everything. They all called it ’gallows humor,” but the levity was noticeably absent.

One younger officer sat half in and half out of his patrol car with his head in his hands. His partner talked to him, squatted down with a reassuring hand on the young man’s shoulder.

Daniel passed them on his way and the haunted look both their eyes made him pause. “Just how bad is it?” he asked.

They both looked up and shook their heads. “Worst I’ve ever seen,” the older one said.

What the hell happened between the last murder and this one to make the scene so much worse? Curious about the minds of psychopaths, Daniel had been reading journals on the subject in his spare time. There must have been some kind of new trigger.

Mike stepped out of the warehouse as Daniel approached the door. He stopped dead in his tracks at the expression on his boss’s face. He’d never seen such a look before. Even the rage he’d glimpsed at the last scene hadn’t been as feral, as determined, or as sickened as the one on Mike’s face in that moment. “What the hell happened?”

Mike took a deep breath. “He realized Shelby was gone.”