Chapter Four
Rey breathed more easily in the comfort of her workspace. Her precinct. Her desk. Her chair. Even with the very masculine, very virile man sitting across from her. Not a man. A wolf beneath all that bronze skin and shaggy blond hair streaked with sunlight.
Lazing into his chair, he folded his arms over his chest. He was huge.
His shirt barely contained him, his bulky biceps stretching the sleeves of his tee.
With a boyish grin, he swiped a chunk of hair away from his amber eyes.
His heavy-lidded stare was deceptive. Beneath it, she saw a predator lurking.
Something in his haunting gaze spelled danger and was meant to disarm her.
But she was around testosterone all the time. Usually it didn’t bother her. This man might be different. She’d need to be cautious.
No one steamrolled her. After all, she’d invited him to help. Not to run the case, but to assist her in solving it.
“Well?” he asked.
She shook her head to clear it. “Yes.” Rey opened the file.
“The victim is George Sandoval, a youth support coordinator at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. OCFS.”
“What’s that?”
“He mentors at-risk youth. Employed for seven years. Good evals. I managed to get some of his particulars, but we need to interview his administrator.”
Con nodded, his hair falling across his forehead again. “When was George murdered?”
“Three nights ago.”
“You got me here fast.” Her eyes followed his hand as he stroked his rugged jaw.
“For a good reason. In addition to the means of death, there’s a dark side to George. He ran with a bunch of wannabe vampires.” Rey watched for Con’s reaction.
There was a slight lift to his brows. “Wannabes? Humans are running around acting like vampires?”
“Yep. I read up on it. The phenomenon can be associated with a severe mental disorder, sometimes called Renfield’s syndrome.
The patient is compelled to consume blood, their own or another’s.
It’s a rare situation, but it’s been reported in adults diagnosed with schizophrenia.
That’s not the case with our George. He just dressed the part and frequented clubs with other fakers. ”
“How did he dress the part?”
“When he was killed, he was wearing black clothes and a cape. We gotta talk to the sex club worker who found him in the alley behind...” she glanced down at the file... “Blood Sport.”
“So these wannabes go to vampire sex clubs dressed like movie Draculas? This should be interesting. Do these players have fake fangs?”
“I’ve heard some file down their teeth.”
“Takes all kinds.” He flung his hands behind his neck, cradling his head.
“Yeah.” She sighed at the sight of his rippling muscles, hoping he missed her unprofessional slip. “We’ll be talking to those kinds and the woman who found him.”
“Anybody else?”
She studied the list she’d made, planning to add to it as needed. “Somebody at the neighborhood bar he frequented and an ex-wife. That’s all I’ve got for now.”
“You get a lot of crime here?”
“Not in this precinct. It covers the World Trade Center, Soho, Tribeca, and Wall Street. Where the real criminals hang out,” she added. “Our murder stats are nearly nil. Robbery, assault, and grand larceny are the biggest problems.”
He dropped his arms and leaned closer to her desk. “I get the sense you want to tell me more.”
She did but didn’t want to sound like a crazy alarmist. She’d asked Chiara for help for a reason. Best to put it out there. “I believe there are similar murders in the state.”
Con straightened in his chair.
Now she had his attention on the case rather than her body. “Three upstate. Buffalo, Albany, and Ithaca. All unsolved.”
“What makes you think they’re related?”
“Death by neck-bite.”
****
Con was now as curious about the case as he was about the cop.
Maybe his trip Earthside wouldn’t be so bad.
The perp could be a human serial killer.
Or an Aeternal with a taste for blood or flesh.
Of course, George still had most of his blood.
Could rule out a vampire or maybe he was interrupted. “When were the other murders?”
“The one in Buffalo is over a year old. The Ithaca death was about six months ago. Albany is more recent. Not quite a month since.”
“We should visit those locales.” His time in New York was going to be longer than expected.
He’d have to work on controlling his aggression.
Too many humans. Of course, the worst was Rey’s scent.
She smelled of fresh pine in North Shelter.
Lemons sold in Covenkirk open markets. Chocolate from his favorite shop in the same city.
It clawed at him, making him want a taste.
“Yep. I’ve shared this idea with my captain. Nobody else has connected the murders. The cap doesn’t believe me. I could be wrong. Doubt it, though.”
That explained why she’d wanted help. A single case was one thing. A slew of killings perpetrated by an Aeternal would raise a shitstorm.
“You got a place to stay while you’re here?” she asked.
“I figured I’d find a hotel room, but I’m on a budget. Any cheapies close by?”
She hesitated. “You can stay at my place.”
Beneath Con’s skin, his wolf released a silent snarl.
She must have caught the interest in his eyes because she corrected, “Not with me. In one of the spare rooms.”
Con couldn’t resist having a little fun. “Any husband at home? Kids? Live-in boyfriend?”
“None.”
“So, just you and me at your place.”
She slammed the file on her desk closed. “Yes. And don’t get any ideas.”
“I have so many ideas floating around my head, I doubt I’ll be able to focus on the case.”
“Get rid of them. This is business.”
“I can multi-task. Business and pleasure.”
She chuffed, so easy to rile. “I’m sorry I tried to do the nice thing. Consider the offer rescinded. Find a dump.”
“Too late. You’ve tagged and bagged me. I’m at your disposal, love.” He paused. “For anything.”
He was flirting with a buttoned-up cop? Con didn’t need a messy relationship, but maybe she could smooth his grated nerves. Too many humans. Too many scents. A delicious female despite her mannish wardrobe selection. No. He didn’t need the aggravation. But screw it. The wolf was curious.
“Just to show you I can focus on both business and you, give me a task. Let’s get going.”
“While you read the file and what I’ve entered in the murder book, I’ll call the morgue in Albany and the detective handling the case there.
Since it’s only a month old and unsolved, maybe the body is still in storage.
I’ll also talk to investigators about the victims in Buffalo and Ithaca.
Tonight, we’ll go to Blood Sport. Tomorrow we’ll talk to the ex, visit George’s neighborhood bar, and interview his boss.
” She took out a sheet of paper and handed it to him.
Taking it, Con’s hand brushed against hers. For a moment, his vision shifted to black and white. His wolf perked up, surfacing, stalking the female. That was bad. Very bad.
She shivered with the accidental touch. “That’s the schedule for the interviews. Look it over.”
Was it the wolf or the male who smiled at his effect on her body? He feared it was the beast. She was looking more and more like tasty prey. He wanted her to run so that he could catch her. Bad idea.