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  “I feel like I’ve let you down, Andy. I was sent here as a profile specialist and didn’t help you one bit.”

  “There you go again, thinking that it was only your responsibility to catch this maniac. We’re a team, remember?”

  She raised her eyes to the ceiling as large tears formed in them. “I remember, Lieutenant. And you’re in charge.”

  “Good memory, Detective Scott. Do you think it would improve your mood to open a little gift I have for you?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows. Leaning forward, Andy reached under the small tree for a box wrapped in silver paper adorned by a red organza bow. Handing it to her, his shoulders rose. “I wanted to give my girl something special that I’ve never given anyone before.”

  Ashley’s grin was wide as she took the gift from her hands. “And I’m sure I’ll love it,” she said, tearing open the wrapping paper with shaky hands.

  One corner of his mouth rose as she opened the box and removed a gold key. “I want you to move into my house with me after we check out of the hotel.”

  “Oh, God, Andy, are you sure?”

  “I am—that is, if you think you’d want to live with me.”

  “Are you kidding? I’d love it,” she managed as tears leaked from her eyes. “Of course, we don’t know how long I’ll be staying in Miami. I haven’t been much help to you on this case…”

  He pulled her onto his lap, hugging her and kissing her wet cheeks repeatedly. “Don’t you ever put yourself down like that. You’ve done some valuable research for this team and everyone knows it. I want you by my side, Ashley Elizabeth. I love you.”

  “And I love you, too. Who would’ve ever thought we’d be brought together like this?”

  Andy thumbed the tears from her face and gently wiped her nose. “Sweetie, the life of a detective isn’t for everyone, but we seem to be two peas in a pod,” he teased in a soft, playful voice. “I think we’re perfect for each other in every way.”

  She raised her eyes to meet his and sighed. “Everyone on the squad probably knows we’ve been sleeping together in these adjoining rooms, but do you really think I’ll be offered a permanent job in the MDPD once the brass hears that we’ll be living together?”

  “I’m sure the mayor and the commissioner won’t be pleased, but they’re rarely pleased about anything,” he quipped. “You know, there are other departments besides the sex crimes unit to be transferred to. And you are very good at what you do, Detective. Any of the teams would be lucky to have you join them.”

  “That means a lot coming from you,” she said, darting one eyebrow upward. “You know I have a little gift for you, too.” Ashley pulled open the desk drawer and handed him a slim box. Watching Andy unwrap the gold paper, she inhaled a deep breath as he pulled a supple black leather belt from the white cardboard.

  “Don’t you just love the smell of new leather?” Her nose crinkled as she took a short whiff of the air.

  “Thank you so much, my love. I can’t wait to see if it fits!” he exclaimed, standing to pull it through the hoops of his black pants before leading her over to the couch. “I’ve never seen anything like this silver buckle, and the size is perfect.”

  “I’m so glad you like it,” she purred, fingering the leather as she made herself comfortable on the stuffed sofa.

  “I just hope it’s not a gift my naughty girl comes to regret someday,” he teased with a slight wink.

  She crossed her eyes. “You’re right. What the hell was I thinking?”

  “My guess is that you knew exactly what you were thinking, bad girl.” As he sat down and moved her to straddle his lap, her hand seductively rested on his muscular thigh.

  “Maybe I can give you another gift? Perhaps something a bit more personal, Lieutenant?”

  As Ashley slid off the chair to position herself on the cushiony carpet in front of him, he turned his head. “What do you think you’re doing, Detective Scott?”

  “May I have a taste of you this morning? Maybe a little room service before we head downstairs to the breakfast buffet?” Her cheeks blushed the shade of a tomato as she watched her boyfriend instantly drop his pants to reveal his reddened, throbbing cock that was already rising for attention.

  She didn’t have to wait long for permission, and his thick fingers weaved through her short dark hair as he pulled her forward to place his hot, steeled member in her hands. She laved over the creamy circumference and slightly tugged his velvety skin close to the head as he moaned softly. “Ahh, that feels so good! Take it all in, my sweetheart!”

  Ashley took his swollen tip further into her mouth and gradually sucked him deep until his moans turned into loud groans. Knowing he was on the verge of erupting, she pulled on him one more time until the skin was taut and his length was rigid as a rock.

  “Jesus, I’m going to come. There’s a box of tissues behind you, so grab one and let me pull out carefully, baby.”

  But she knew he liked her to swallow, so instead of removing her lips, she sucked harder and rubbed him even more vigorously.

  “Fuck, Ashe. This is it… I’m coming right now!” Andy’s eyes shut tight as he began spurting his warm fluid into her mouth and she swallowed every bit he had to give.

  Watching her lick his smooth cock clean of the sweet and salty substance, he tenderly brushed her long dark bangs aside. “You’re the best! Merry Christmas, my sweet!”

  “Merry Christmas,” she purred, stroking the stubble on his face with her fingertips.

  “I can barely wait to check out of this hotel. Like you, I’ve always lived in a house. But together, we’re going to make the building I live in a real home.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Two days after Christmas

  Cherise Brown opened the heavy steel door and walked back into her station carrying a large cup of Starbucks coffee. Though it was still early in the day, there had already been a barrage of calls received in the emergency call center, and she hoped that some additional caffeine would help her get through the long afternoon. After serving as a 911 operator for the last fifteen years, Cherise knew that the Christmas holiday had a reputation for leaving people feeling restless, hungover, and sometimes depressed, so she wasn’t at all surprised at the hectic morning she and her coworkers just experienced.

  Sitting down in front of her multi-screened console, she quickly picked up a small wireless headset, secured it in place, and noticed that her much-needed twenty-minute break had come to an end.

  “Miami-Dade County 911. What’s your emergency?”

  The caller’s voice was young, feminine, and high-pitched with panic. “Help us. There’s a stranger in the apartment!”

  Cherise straightened her shoulders while her slender fingers typed mightily onto the keyboard. “What is the address you’re calling from?”

  “It’s my sister’s apartment. 102 Collins Avenue. Please! We need the police right now!”

  “Is your sister with you?” she asked in a calm tone, continuing to type information into the computerized dispatch system.

  “She’s down the hall. Oh, God, hurry! She’s screaming!”

  Cherise watched the screen while engaging the caller. “Don’t leave the room and please don’t hang up. Two officers are on their way.”

  “I’ve called the police, and they’re on their way, asshole!” she yelled into the hall.

  “Stay on the line and I’ll let you know when the officers arrive.” Although Cherise’s tone was steady, her heart was racing like mad. “Talk to me. What’s your name?”

  “It’s J-Janie,” she stammered. “Oh, God. I just saw him run outside.”

  “Try to stay calm, Janie. The police are almost there, and I’ll tell you when it’s safe to answer the door. Can you hear the siren?”

  * * *

  Ashley walked through the connecting door of their hotel rooms and crossed her arms, patiently waiting for Andy to end the call he was on. “He struck again, didn’t he?” />
  “Yes, but he was expecting his victim to be alone. This time, the surprise ended up being on him.”

  She sat down on a chair by the balcony doors and hugged her knees close to her chest. “What happened?”

  “According to the officers who arrived on the scene, the sister was in the spare room getting dressed when the attacker walked through the apartment and found the victim drying her hair in the bedroom.”

  “The door was unlocked?”

  “According to the victim, they’d taken a walk outside that morning and she forgot to secure the bolt when they returned to have breakfast. When she screamed, her sister immediately dialed 911.”

  “Did he…”

  “No. When her sister yelled that the police were on their way, he ran straight out the front door of her garden apartment.”

  Ashley released her legs and bent forward in the chair. “Are we sure it’s the same guy we’re looking for?”

  “Same MO. He threw her down on the bed and said if she fought him or screamed, he’d kill her.”

  “Gray army shirt, camouflage pants, and a hood over his head with the eyes cut out?”

  His lips straightened into a grim line. “All the same.”

  “Did either sister make eye contact?”

  “Yep. The victim did. She said they’re not just brown, they’re very dark—almost black.”

  “Almost black,” she repeated thoughtfully, looking intensely into his caramel-colored eyes. “Where are the sisters now?”

  “They’re down at the station, and I told the officers that I’m on my way.”

  “Can I come with you?”

  “Nope. I want you to stay in this room behind a locked door.”

  She folded her arms and sighed. “Is there at least something I can do to help?”

  “I’d really appreciate it if you’d look at the surveillance films from this morning,” he said, lifting her chin to kiss her goodbye. “And don’t let anyone in until I get back. I’m not kidding, Ashe, lock the door as soon as I leave. Trust no one.”

  “Call me if you know anything.”

  He nodded, kissed her and raised an eyebrow. “Lock this door behind me,” he repeated firmly. “And use the security latch.”

  Ashley closed the door, bolted it shut, and sat at the table. But as she opened Andy’s laptop, which was hooked to the surveillance camera downstairs, she heard a knock on the door. Smiling, she wondered if her boyfriend forgot something and quickly made her way across the room to let him in. As she started to open the door, she was abruptly stopped by the heavy metal safety bar. “Oh, if you’re looking for Andy, he just left for the station. Aren’t you supposed to meet him there?”

  “Dan wanted to be part of this interview, so I stepped aside and offered to study the footage with you. Our lieutenant immediately agreed and seemed thankful that you wouldn’t be up here alone. But if you’re not in the mood for company, I completely understand.”

  She raised one eyebrow and bit her lip. Andy had distinctly warned her not to let anyone in… but surely, he hadn’t meant Teddy. “Okay, come on in and let’s see if anything jumps out at you.” After racing to the desk to start the film, the two of them watched footage of people casually walking through the lobby. But then it seemed as if someone was purposely darting around the camera, trying to avoid being seen.

  “Hey. Wait a minute. Can you run that frame again?” Teddy asked excitedly, inclining his head toward the screen. Ashley nodded, backed up the footage, and then repeated it one more time in slow motion. After intently staring at the images, he pointed his finger. “Freeze it right there, Ashley. What do you think? Can you make anything out of that?”

  “The image is a little blurred, but it looks like he’s wearing camo pants—”

  “And he’s also sporting a gray army T-shirt. My guess is that he was in a hurry to change into something a bit more formal before picking up his morning coffee at Starbucks. You know, Detective Scott, though I live in walking distance, I reserved a room in this hotel to afford me some changin’ time after I enjoy a little mornin’ fling,” he said, his voice morphing into a deep, distinct Southern drawl. “That lieutenant of ours is such a stickler when it comes to gettin’ to work on time.”

  “Jesus Christ!” she screamed, the gleam from the knife coming into her side view.

  “Don’t move or scream, my little lamb,” he warned, jerking her out of the chair. “I’m not interested in hurtin’ you. At least, not with something sharp.”

  “Please don’t—”

  “Are you kiddin’? This is my lucky day, darlin’! I’ve been waitin’ and dreamin’ about this moment, when I’d have our shinin’ star from the NYPD all to myself,” he said, dragging her into Andy’s bedroom. “And now my long-awaited fantasy has finally become a reality. I still can hardly believe our big boss left your side today. Lieutenant Geraci has always been a little overbearin’ when it comes to women, don’t you think?”

  She tried to be brave and thought about what she could say to deter him from raping her as she stared into his eyes that were cold and dark as night. “Please don’t do this. You don’t have to prove that you’re stronger and smarter than I am. I know you are.”

  He threw her face down on the bed and clucked his tongue. “Sorry, psychology won’t help you one bit this mornin’, Detective Scott. Now be a good girl and lie still, so I won’t have to use this,” he threatened, touching the pointed end of the knife to her neck. “Because if you scream, I won’t hesitate to kill you—”

  The hotel room door opened as Andy quickly walked through, holding his gun. “Let her go, Teddy. Because if you don’t, I’ll have no trouble blowing your head off right now.”

  “Drop the knife and put your hands in the air, asshole,” Dan said, trailing behind the lieutenant, cocking his gun.

  “What the fuck!” Teddy released his grip on Ashley and stepped away from the bed. “Why aren’t you guys downtown interviewin’ those whores?”

  Ashley ran into Andy’s arms and hugged him tight. “Thank God you’re here! I never thought you’d come back!”

  “In all the time we’d worked together, Teddy never turned me down when I’d asked him to be my partner in an interview, and I found it unsettling that he didn’t seem the least bit interested when we got the call to head into town this morning. I can’t ever remember him refusing an opportunity to question a perp or a victim.”

  Dan secured Teddy’s hands, put them together and attached a pair of metal handcuffs to his wrists. “When I looked over the reservation list in the hotel this morning, I was surprised to see your name and told Andy while we were on our way to the station. Since you live so close to this hotel, we both thought it was odd that you’d reserve a room here without mentioning it to any of us. You didn’t even stay here on Christmas Eve when we all got together downstairs for a drink.”

  “It seems he only used the room to change out of his military clothes,” Ashley said, darting her eyes in Teddy’s direction.

  Andy kept one protective arm wrapped around her. “I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach just thinking about you being alone up here. That’s when I turned the car around, and we headed back pretty quick.”

  She nodded and looked over at Dan. “I owe you an apology.”

  “Not necessary. You’re the one who kept us wonderin’ if it was someone on the team. And our lieutenant has one hell of a sixth sense.”

  “I want an attorney,” Teddy barked, glowering at the three of them. “I have fucking rights, you know.”

  Ashley inhaled a deep breath and collected herself to interject. “And you will have an opportunity to make that call, but maybe you could humor us and answer a few questions.”

  As his head snapped around, a wild fire blazed in his eyes. “Do you really think I’m going to allow you to interrogate me?”

  “On the outside, you have the calm, respectable demeanor that is required of a detective. Ev
en charming, at times. But on the inside, there’s a raging inferno that you can’t seem to stop. Why, Teddy? Did something traumatic happen to you in the army?” she badgered, hoping for a quick confession. “Did you have trouble taking orders from your female superior officer?”

  Teddy leered directly back at her. He was eerily quiet, but obviously angry at her arrogance. “What in the hell would you know about my past?”

  “I’d researched the background of everyone on the team. And it seems you lost some friends in Afghanistan. I’m sure it had a profound effect on you, didn’t it?” she asked, taunting him.

  “Shut the fuck up. You don’t know anything about my life. I’ve never told anyone about my career in the army.” He turned his body as he stopped speaking, but then swung his head around violently. “Those fucking cunts deserved what I gave them… and you should’ve been next! You’re just a whore like all the rest!” he screamed. “The only reason you transferred from the NYPD was so this case would look good on your resume. All you really wanted was to get your picture in the paper!”

  Dan grabbed his arm and looked him in the eye. “In all the years we worked together, I never saw this side of you. How did I miss it?”

  “He was good at repressing it. He was good at playing the game,” Ashley said, throwing a glance to Andy.

  “Read him his rights, Dan, and let’s take him to the station. The sisters are waiting for us, and I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to ID him from a lineup.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “This is Jackie Shoop reporting from the front steps of the Miami-Dade County Courthouse where later today Detective Theodore Laredo will be arraigned on charges of rape, robbery, and aggravated assault related to more than twelve attacks on women in the last couple of months. At that time, the judge presiding over the arraignment will decide whether bond should be granted.

  We also have breaking news that the accused has hired well-known criminal attorney Harry M. Cohen, but no statement has been issued from him or his office. According to our sources within the Miami-Dade police department, the district attorney is quite confident that the evidence being assembled against the defendant will be enough to indict him. This evening, statements have already been given from twelve victims, two of whom were lucky to have escaped invasive assaults, and all have agreed to testify if the alleged assailant pleads innocent and the case goes to trial. There have been other victims who initially were afraid to come forward, but have now agreed to give testimony, if called upon. At the time of this broadcast, their names are not being made available to the public, and Lieutenant Geraci who heads up the Miami-Dade sex crimes unit feels that the accused could be responsible for several other local assaults that hadn’t been reported.