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  In a recent statement from Mayor Manella, he not only praised all the brave women for coming forward, but also thanked the entire police squad for their unending work and diligence. He has also reached out to the staff in the Eden Roc Hotel for their cooperation throughout this holiday season.

  In case you just tuned in to our special report, police have apprehended the man alleged to be the serial rapist in South Beach, and he is scheduled for arraignment here later today. Our sunshine state has been waiting to exhale a collective sigh of relief that the rapist who’s been terrorizing women in our beautiful beach town has been caught, and we hope that this horrific chapter in South Florida’s history will finally close as justice is served. Of course, our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. Reporting live from the Miami-Dade County Courthouse, this is Jackie Shoop.”

  “Well, it looks like this nightmare is over,” Andy said quietly, reaching for the remote to turn off the television.

  Ashley shook her head, staring at the blank screen. “Unfortunately, this ordeal will continue for a long time. I can’t even imagine how his family feels—you know, he has an ex-wife and two children…”

  “Dan went down to the jail earlier this morning to have a conversation with him, but said that Teddy had a hateful haze in his eyes as he babbled incessantly about how all women are egotistical whores. Then he turned his Southern drawl off and appeared of sound mind as he professed his innocence. Dan said it was unbelievable how Teddy’s demeanor changed as he switched from one accent to another in about fifteen minutes.”

  “I hear there’s already been talk of an evaluation for an insanity plea, and I know Dan’s feeling very guilty that he didn’t see that terrifying side of our coworker before. I hadn’t worked with Teddy that long, but you two did so many interviews together. For God’s sake, you trained him…”

  Andy put his arms around Ashley and pulled her close. “I think it’s going to take some time for our entire team to come to grips with everything that’s taken place. Of course, we’ll all feel some responsibility for not seeing that other side of him, but he was very good at hiding his rage. No one should blame themselves for not knowing that Teddy is a very sick man. In all the time we spent together he appeared to be a hard-working detective on the outside—and you saw how he was when we had drinks on Christmas Eve together, he seemed so easy-going and fun to be with. But obviously, he was very good at concealing the demons that lurked inside of him. His wife has already stepped forward to admit that she’d left him because he was both emotionally and physically abusive.”

  She tilted her head toward him. “Since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been so fixated on accusing Dan because of his background in the army and his Southern accent. Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?”

  Dan waved to them through the screened door of the back porch. “Did I just hear my name?”

  “Come on in, it’s open,” Andy said, standing to greet him.

  Blowing out an exasperated breath, Dan walked in and sat on the dark cushioned rattan chair. “I just spoke with Teddy’s attorney, and as he expected, bail was denied by the judge. But he’s hoping that once a thorough psychiatric evaluation is completed, his legal team might have a good shot at an insanity plea. He agreed after talking to him at length that Teddy is filled with deep-seated emotional turmoil.”

  “I don’t know how I feel about an insanity plea,” Ashley admitted quietly, brushing her bangs to the side. “Teddy admitted in the hotel room that he’d been waiting to get me alone since I’d been transferred here. He knew we’d be checking out of the Eden Roc after the holiday and I’m convinced his last attack was planned. The only reason he passed on the interview with the sisters was that he hoped you’d take Dan and leave me in the room by myself. Of course, he’ll probably deny that to his attorney, but his eyes told me that he knew exactly what he was doing. Isn’t it interesting that he lectured me once on the eyes being the window into the soul?”

  “I guess we’ll have to sit tight until he’s evaluated and see what the psychiatrist thinks.” Peering up at their curious faces, one side of Dan’s mouth curled. “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but were you talking about me before?”

  Ashley took the initiative, responding in a whisper-soft voice. “I’m sorry, Dan. I should’ve never pointed the finger at you.”

  “No need to apologize. You were correct in assuming it was someone on our team, so those instincts were right on target. Teddy was very careful not to leave any evidence, and of course, the fake accent was part of his disguise. He was, however, a bit off his game in the surveillance of those sisters.”

  “Did he share anything when you visited him in jail?” Andy inquired, tilting his head.

  His forehead creased as he nodded. “In a strong Southern drawl, he described to me how he watched one of the sisters put her suitcase in the car the day after Christmas. That’s why he thought his victim was finally alone.”

  “We all knew he’d served in the army for four years, but he never shared his past experiences with me,” Andy said thoughtfully. “Did the subject ever come up in any of your casual conversations?”

  Dan dropped his head and shook it sadly. “Whenever he mentioned his service in the military, he’d comment how his superiors made mistakes that caused the death of his friends. But today, when I asked him why he chose to wear his old gear while attacking innocent defenseless women, his expression was as cold as ice.”

  “I read some background on his stint in Afghanistan. The report said that at the time his group was ambushed, one of his superiors was a woman.” Ashley’s arms hugged her small body. “I should’ve taken a closer look at how that could’ve affected him. We all worked so closely with Teddy, yet none of us saw any of the trigger signs.”

  Andy slowly nodded his head. “I included him in countless interviews of victims and perps, so of course I saw mood swings in Teddy on occasion. We all have them. But I just chalked it up to his quirky personality. It never occurred to me that he could be psychotic. Jesus. This is a fucking nightmare.” Combing anxious fingers through his salt and peppered hair, he pondered a thought. “The truth is, I have a ninety-two percent conviction rate and I’m proud of it. But eight percent of the assailants I’ve hunted down eventually walked free and clear. We just can’t be right on the money all the time. It’s the nature of the beast.”

  “But I trusted that asshole enough to let him into my room. Where in the hell were my instincts?” she murmured to herself.

  “I’m not sure. God knows you were given strict instructions not to let anyone in.” Though Andy’s eyes were hooded, the tone of his reprimand was soft.

  Ashley’s face reddened at the scolding she was being given in front of Dan. “Okay, it was my fault for getting you started, but do we really need to continue this now?” she whispered along with a dramatic eye roll to the ceiling.

  “Of course not, kiddo. There will be plenty of time tomorrow.”

  “Dan, can you please change this embarrassing channel? Andy is starting to grind his teeth.”

  “I’d love to,” he said with a sly smile, crossing his leg. “Congratulations on the offer to join the homicide team. That’s quite a compliment after being here for only a month.”

  Andy nodded and took her hand in his. “We all couldn’t be prouder. Of course, it will be a little more difficult to protect my girl out in the field when she’s transferred to another squad.”

  “Ashley, did you know there was a time when our lieutenant ran both teams?”

  “It’s hard to imagine. How in the hell did you manage to juggle that, Andy?”

  “I had impeccable help from Dan who also worked both squads. If I recall, we didn’t get much relaxation in those days.”

  “So, have you accepted the offer, Ashley?” Dan interrupted. “Are you willing to make this move a permanent one from the city that never sleeps?”

  She cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head. “Lik
e any of us ever get a good night’s sleep in Miami?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Andy was standing at the counter in his kitchen unloading a bag of groceries, when Ashley cleared her throat from the entranceway. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going grocery shopping? I would’ve been happy to tag along.”

  One side of his mouth curved upward as he watched her walk behind him in bare feet, dressed in a long T-shirt. “I wanted you to enjoy a nice relaxing shower this morning. After eating so much restaurant food, it was a real pleasure to fill up the shopping cart with groceries for the new place you’ll finally call home. Plus, I have a few surprises for you.”

  Giving him a sideways glance and a smile, she ran her fingers through her short, wet hair. “Really? You don’t seem like a man who would enjoy surprising someone.”

  “Oh, but I do,” he said through a lopsided grin, pulling a piece of fresh ginger root from the plastic bag.

  “I didn’t know my man could cook. Are you planning to prepare stir-fry for dinner?”

  He selected a small paring knife from the drawer and started to shave the thick base. “No. This isn’t for us to eat,” he nonchalantly commented over his shoulder while continuing to peel the root.

  “Hey, that piece of ginger is starting to resemble a mushroom of some sort. If this isn’t a culinary lesson, then what are you going to do with that thing? Are you taking a creative food art class behind my back?” she joked.

  His penetrating glare silenced her as she swallowed what might have been her next clever retort. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Andy’s gravelly voice lowered an octave as he leaned against the kitchen counter. “How many times did I tell you not to let anyone into the hotel room? We had no idea who the perp was and even though you had strong suspicions that it could be someone on our team, you deliberately disobeyed me and let Teddy in. Exactly what were you thinking, Ashley?”

  Her eyelashes lowered as she stared down at the floor. “I don’t know, Andy. Teddy said you and Dan were interviewing the sisters, so he offered to study the lobby surveillance films with me. He said that you agreed to his offer and seemed happy that I wouldn’t be alone in the hotel room.” She hung her head and shook it. “I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. For God’s sake, we spent almost every waking minute with him for the last two weeks. But in my defense, he didn’t have a Southern accent, so he didn’t really fit the profile—”

  “Yes, well, unfortunately, he was good at faking that inflection when he wanted to,” he interrupted, swishing the plug in a bowl full of water. “And you know damn well that I’d never give anyone permission to be alone in a hotel room with you. Especially with what’s been going on in this city.”

  Her head tilted to the side. “Are you going to tell me what you’re intending to do with that ginger root, or are we going to play twenty questions?”

  His piercing eyes darkened, studying her baffled expression. “This is not a game, young lady. I’m about to teach your backside a valuable lesson.”

  “With that thing? Are you insane?”

  He clipped a finger under her chin and reprimanded her in a calm and even tone. “Stop wagging that disrespectful tongue and look at me, Ashley.”

  She raised her head and spoke in a shaky voice that was barely above a whisper. “Okay, I’ve read about this kind of punishment. But where would you get such an idea? I’ve never seen you read anything but criminal profiles.”

  He pulled her to his body and gave her a gentle squeeze. “I don’t think it’s necessary to divulge my reading preferences at this moment, young lady.”

  “Let me take an educated guess. Was it in one of my kinky erotic romance novels?” she taunted through a crooked grin. “Look, I know you like to be in charge, but this is real life—not some fantasy novel I’ve loaded onto my e-reader.”

  “I love you, Ashe. And I know you’re an intelligent, headstrong woman, but how many times do I have to tell you that I’m a man of rules. In work and in real life.”

  “And I love you, too. Which is why I’ve agreed to leave Manhattan and take a permanent position in the Miami-Dade homicide department,” she said, nervously wringing her hands as she stared at the peeled piece of ginger.

  “It’s a well-known fact that the squad is excited to have someone with your intelligence and expertise. But if you want to work with the homicide team, you’re going to need a serious lesson in how to follow rules.” His wink was subtle as he plucked the shaved plug from the bowl and presented it between two fingers, giving her a moment to digest what was about to happen. “Ashley, you’re a grown woman who is well-respected in her field. But when my girl acts like a stubborn child, I’m going to discipline her.” Quickly, he took her by the wrist and led her down the hall into his bedroom.

  * * *

  The dark pupils in her azure blue eyes dilated with alarm, watching him pull a bottle of lube from his nightstand with one hand as he patted the mattress with the other.

  “Come here. I want your shoulders touching the bed and your ass in the air.”

  When she didn’t move, he gently took her by the elbow to pose her on the large king-sized bed. And after she was placed in that humiliating position, she strained her neck to stare into his persistent honey-brown eyes.

  “Turn around, and drop that pretty red face of yours into the pillow. I’m serving as judge and jury today, and you, my dear, are guilty as charged.”

  “Jesus. You can’t be serious,” she mumbled, her voice muffled by the soft fabric.

  As he lifted her white cotton T-shirt and slowly peeled her panties to her ankles, the cool air from the moving fan wafted down, creating goosebumps on her naked, trembling buttocks. “I told you not to let anyone into the hotel room,” he scolded right before slapping his palm against the base of each bare, quivering cheek.

  “Ow! That stings!”

  “You made no bones about questioning the people we worked with, and yet you completely disobeyed me and invited Detective Laredo inside,” he growled, landing two more consecutive swats to the same portion of her round, upturned bottom. She tried to reach back and stop him, but he caught her wrist in his large hand and pinned it to the small of her back. “Don’t you dare, young lady. Your disrespectful bottom is going to sting inside and out today.”

  “I just can’t believe you’re actually going to do this—”

  But his silent response was to smack every inch of her lower cheeks and she could only imagine that his handprints were spreading into a sea of red throughout her milky-white skin.

  “For God’s sake! Please stop! Oh, God, that hurts!”

  “Shush. I know it hurts. Now, be still and contemplate how important you are to me while I prepare this plug for your naughty behind.”

  It was hard for her to believe that he would go through with such a humiliating and painful punishment, until she lifted her head and incredulously spied him slathering lube around the soaked ginger root.

  Jesus, he’s really going to do this!

  “You’ve already spanked me. Wasn’t that enough?” Her words spilled out through clenched teeth as she felt him rub the prepared plug onto her shivering rosette. Although Ashley had read about this type of discipline before, she had no idea how much this piece of ginger root was going to burn the inside of her delicate ass. But as he rubbed the carved stub against the opening of her exposed, puckered hole, her eyes shut tight with anxious anticipation and she waited with a strange masochistic curiosity for the inevitable heat to radiate.

  “Ashley Elizabeth, you need to be punished for disobeying me. Do you understand why?”

  “But I’ve already promised to be more careful!” she insisted, lowering herself to the mattress.

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “Y-yes. I understand,” she mumbled, her voice quaking.

  “Good. Now get back into position and stop squeezing those naughty cheeks of yours,” he growled,
parting her buttocks wide as he nudged the shaved plug into her anus. Easing the tip of the plant in and out a couple of times, he stretched her enough to fill her back entrance, and patted her bottom when he felt that the root was successfully nestled inside.

  “Okay, let’s give that a minute to cook, and then we’ll see how it feels to disobey me.”

  “Come on. This is crazy!” she sputtered. But in a few minutes, she began swaying her hips back and forth and involuntarily pressed both sides of her quivering rear end together. “Oh, God! Get that thing out of me!”

  “Now, now, now. I know you’re new at this, but if you squeeze your ass like that, it will only draw the spicy oil out of this plant…”

  “Ooh, it burns! It burns! Please take it out. I’ve learned my lesson!” she begged, automatically drawing her round globes together, only to receive a firm swat across them.

  “If I were you, I’d stop clenching, bad girl,” he scolded. “You’re making it worse for yourself.”

  She yelped, waving her burning bottom from side to side. “I can’t stop! It feels like my ass has been lit on fire!”

  “Is it possible to receive some respect from that smart mouth of yours today?”