Chapter 31
Ridge
I’m at my house, in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with my coffee cooling in my hand and one earbud in, when her alarm goes off.
There’s a beat where nothing happens, and then a small grunt followed by a thump. I hear her mutter something that sounds a lot like a curse word.
I smile.
It doesn’t take long before she goes into the bathroom, and at first, I hear nothing much, and then Robyn starts singing. Some bubblegum pop song I’ve heard before because they all sound the same. If I didn’t feel so bad about listening in, I would laugh because she’s really bad.
Worse than bad. She’s missing whole notes and inventing new ones to fill the gaps.
She doesn’t know the lyrics, either. She’s humming the bits she doesn’t know and then belting the chorus like she’s on a stage somewhere, far away from anyone with working ears.
I find myself grinning down at my coffee.
She’s so fucking adorable. I shift uncomfortably when my dick gets hard, thinking about how she must look right now.
I imagine her naked. All of those lush-as-fuck curves dripping with soap and water. I imagine her using the soap as a microphone.
I have to adjust my cock, because apparently, I’m a sick fuck who can’t get enough.
After all that sex last night, I should still be sated, and I’m not.
My beast is pushing at me to go over there.
Now. He wants me to walk in, peel her out of that towel, and bend her over the bathroom counter while she’s still warm from the shower.
My balls pull tight.
Dammit!
Not happening, buddy.
I take a long swallow of coffee and put the cup down. He shifts under my skin, sulking. He can sulk all he wants. I have actual work to do today.
The shower cuts off. She’s still humming as she moves around her bathroom. Then she gets ready and goes into the kitchen, moving about in there.
She doesn’t make any calls. There are also no quiet stretches where she could be texting someone.
That’s good. That’s what I wanted.
She’s out the door soon after that. I hear the lock turn and the deadbolt slide. Smoke pings me from the lobby a minute later to confirm she’s on her way down. Brutus confirms eyes on her vehicle. I send back a thumbs-up.
There’s a chance that she might make the call to her handler in the car on her way to work. I doubt it, but make a mental note to put a bug in her vehicle as well.
I drain the rest of my coffee and head out.
I need to do a thorough check of all Robyn’s workspaces today. Again, I don’t think she’s dirty. The more time I spend around her, the less I think she has it in her.
Doesn’t matter what I think, though. I have to tick the boxes anyway.
The facility where they’re holding Magma sits behind a high-security wall on the east side of the complex. It’s low and gray and makes me feel like shit just looking at it.
I sigh as I pull up to the gate, holding up my ID. The guard waves me through. I park in the visitor lot.
I’m halfway to the entrance when my phone buzzes. Caller ID tells me that it’s Garrick from the office. I’ve been waiting for this call.
“Talk to me,” I answer.
“Boss.” Garrick’s voice is brisk. “I’ve got the shoe print analysis back from outside Dr. Keller’s apartment.”
“Tell me you’ve got something.”
“I have. It’s actually quite interesting.”
I stop walking. There’s a low concrete bench just off the path, and I move toward it but don’t sit. “Go.”
“It’s a loafer. Italian-made and high-end.
We’re talking custom shop in Milan, not something you pick up at a mall.
The kind of shoe that runs you well over a thousand on the Mainland and isn’t sold anywhere on the island.
You can’t get this brand here at all. It would have had to have been brought over. ”
“And the size?”
“That’s the other part. We measured against our database and ran it past the lab. It’s consistent with a human male, average to slightly below-average height. Definitely not a shifter. None of our guys are walking around in a size nine.”
“You’re sure on the size?”
“Yes. I’d stake my next paycheck on it being a human. I’ve sent everything through to your phone. The print, the brand match, the size analysis, photos of the shoe model from the manufacturer’s site. It’s all there.”
“Good work,” I tell him. “Anything else from the building?”
“Still pulling cam footage from the surrounding streets. Nothing useful yet, but I’m widening the radius.”
“Keep at it. Send me anything you get.”
“Will do, boss.”
I end the call. My phone pings a second later.
Garrick’s message lands with a stack of attachments.
I scroll through. The shoe is a sleek, dark leather with a thin stitched seam along the side.
There’s a brand stamp on the inside of the heel, magnified in one of the photos.
It’s Italian script, hard to read at this resolution, but our team will have already run it against the maker’s catalog.
So we’re more than likely looking at a human male of average to slightly below-average height.
That narrows it down to several hundred males, all meeting the description.
If we look at income and focus on the higher end, we could narrow it down to fifty or fewer.
I fire off a text to Garrick to get on it.
He sends me a thumbs-up.
I lock the phone and slide it back into my pocket. Then I cross the rest of the way to the entrance.
The front desk inside is staffed by a solitary male in dark fatigues. He looks up as I come in.
“I’m here to see Magma.”
“Please fill this in, sir. I’m going to need to see some identification.”
I sign the log and slide my ID across.
He glances at the screen in front of him, then up at me. “One moment, Commander.” He picks up the desk phone and turns slightly away. He then announces me to the person on the other end, before putting the phone down.
“Take a seat, Commander. I’ll let you know in a minute.”
I move over to the bank of chairs along the wall and lower myself onto one. The plastic creaks. I lean my forearms on my knees and look at the floor.
I need to explain things, and then I hope he’ll talk to me so I can find a way to get him cleared.
The minutes drag. I check my watch…again.
The male at the desk eventually looks up and waves me back over. I’m already on my feet before he opens his mouth.
“He’s declined the visit, Commander.”
I make myself stand still. “Declined?”
“Yes, sir.”
“But he’s allowed to take visitors, is that right?”
The male shifts. “He is.”
“So he just doesn’t want to see me?” I’m not sure why I’m so surprised.
“I’m afraid not, sir.”
Dammit!
I had expected this, but it still stings.
“Thanks.”
I turn and walk out.
I head back to the SUV with my jaw locked tight. The fact that I expected this doesn’t make it any easier. I get to the vehicle, open the door, and then I dig my phone out and call Flint.
He picks up on the second ring. “Yeah.”
“As suspected, Magma refuses to see me, and there’s nothing I can do.”
A beat of silence. “Shit.” He inhales before he continues. “I’ll do it. He doesn’t know I worked on the investigation. I’m sure he’ll agree to see me. I’ll tell him that I got the information from Reed.”
I scrub a hand over the back of my neck. “Push hard. We need the information on the phone.” Once again, I’m thinking about Robyn.
“Have you found anything on your doctor yet?” He reads my mind.
“Not yet, but I’m going to be on it again today.”
“I hope you don’t find anything, for your sake.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be just fine.”
“Whatever you say, bro.” He pauses. “I’ll call you the minute I’m out.”
“Thanks.”
He’s already gone. I let the phone drop onto the passenger seat and start the engine, pulling out of the lot. The hospital is my next stop.
I need to pull her office apart again. Then move on to the next area until I find something.
I’m hoping Flint gets in. That we get something from Magma to work with.
I feel like shit. I’m hoping I don’t run into Robyn, but I doubt I’ll get that lucky.