01 Serial Killer (FBI Paranormal Casefiles) Page 5

  “He opened the bonnet, checked everything, and then…he got in to check if it worked. I also got in. I just leaned forward to kiss him…he pushed me away…but then the police were there and I told them he paid me. It was…easy.” A tear cascaded down her cheek. “I am sorry. I just…if I wasn’t so desperate for my son’s education, I would never have contemplated such a thing.”

  I couldn’t forgive her. Yes, it was hard to earn money but to do that at the expense of another person was reprehensible. However, she’d a son and the guilt she suffered was sufficient to keep her from leaping at such an opportunity once more.

  There was nothing more I could say. Turning around, I walked back to the car.

  “Good luck with your son’s education,” said Bryan before he followed me. “She dated Jasper?” he hissed.

  “Colonel Sanders is gay. Jasper isn’t.”

  “How is that even possible?”

  “It’s possible if you realize that they are two different men.”

  He shook his head. “In the same body?”

  I waved a hand. “That’s just geography or biology, whatever.” He didn’t say something as we got in the car. I could see he was having some trouble. “From the moment we were told that it was Colonel Sanders who solicited a prostitute, we all knew that it couldn’t be right. But still…we couldn’t be sure.”

  Bryan cleared his throat. “So you just forgave this woman?”

  I sat inside and put the key in the ignition. Now that the mystery was solved, anger bubbled inside me. The car sped forward as I contemplated my next move. “She was as much a pawn in this man’s hand as was Jasper. He used them. And in any case, I can’t blame a mother for trying to do her best for her son.”

  “She didn’t have to ensnare an innocent man to achieve that.”

  “Jasper or Colonel Sanders are certainly not innocent, and it was a valuable lesson for Colonel Sanders. Next time, he would be a bit cautious.” I smiled. “Don’t be taken in by my description of him. He isn’t that depressed. Actually, I think he is more embarrassed than anything else by the fact that he was entrapped with such ease. He’ll get over it.”

  “Then why are you going to such lengths to discover the identity of the man behind the trap?”

  I turned into another lane. We stopped at a signal. I glanced at Bryan. He was confused, naturally so. Even though he worked with the FBI, his life was far removed from devious people. Mine wasn’t. “When I find trouble, I prefer to nip it in the bud otherwise it grows into a momentous problem. Today he merely played a trick, but if we don’t stop this Aaron, he will bring something worse next time. I want to avoid that.”

  “Who is this guy?”

  “A developer. He wants our land.” He must have been the one who had tried to prove that the land the commune sat on belonged to him. That issue gave Augusta nightmares until the court rejected his claim. Now he was harassing us, perhaps in the hope that we would get tired and sell the land to him. But this was our home, and we wouldn’t surrender it. “I’ll just have to let him know that our property is not for sale, and he isn’t going to scare us with such tricks.”

  Bryan gazed at the gray, three storied building as I parked the car. “Where are we?”

  “At Aaron Fine’s office.”

  He wiped a hand over his face, clearly uneasy with this new development. I didn’t want to wait to confront Aaron Fine. If I discussed this idea with Augusta, she would stop me, and I damned well wanted to get it over with. He messed with the wrong people, and he needed to know about it.

  “So you’re going to threaten him?”

  “You shouldn’t come with me. I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

  His sigh was long and drawn out. “Is there any way I can persuade you to back away from this crazy plot?”

  “None,” I assured him. He was cute, awfully so. And when I teetered on the wrong side of the law, I could tell that he anguished on my behalf. There was no need for him to feel so bad. Aaron was the one who started it. I just had to make sure that I was the one who finished it. “You can stay in the car. I’ll be right back.”

  Of course, he didn’t listen to me. The man possessed a stubborn streak that was a mile wide. He got out. “I’ll come with you.”

  There was a note of resignation in his voice that made me want to snicker. Poor guy. He got stuck with the wrong girl. And he was too kind and chivalrous to let me have a go at it alone.

  No one made men like this anymore.

  It was a good thing we didn’t end up together. He was too much of a nice guy for me. Aaron Fine, on the other hand, appeared to be quite opposite to our gallant FBI agent. By embroiling Jasper and Colonel Sanders into it, he crossed a line, and I was going to teach him that he couldn’t do so with ease.

  Now what could I do that would put the fear of God in him without disclosing my identity as a mage?

  The possibilities were endless.

  “Are you sure he would be in there? It’s quite late,” asked Bryan as we marched to the office building that appeared deserted.

  “He is known to work late. Let’s see. Or else we can find out his address and pay him a visit at his home.” I reached the door. After pushing it open, I looked around. The lobby was deserted. Of course, it was nearly nine in the evening. But if there was no one about, why was the place not locked? “I suppose we could just walk about and take a look at his office.”

  “There might be a silent alarm ringing in the police station just about now,” he worried.

  “If so, you have your badge, don’t you? Just flash it at them, tell them that you saw some shady characters and came to investigate. They would be so glad that the big, brawny, FBI agent stopped a crime.”

  “You’ve simply no scruples.” He huffed. “The FBI badge is not something I can use for my personal gains.”

  “You’re so boring, Bryan. Live a little.”

  I walked up the pristine stairs. No sign of life. Strange. Did he really have some secret alarms installed? If so, we could be in trouble, but I didn’t mind lying to the police. When we reached the third floor and met no one, I was a bit more cautious. My antenna for trouble was in full vibration mode. The place was nicely done; the dark brown wood set against white walls with clear mirrors gave the impression of a place that was well maintained. A fountain gurgled in one corner and the plants that surrounded it added a touch of warmth.

  “We should head back.”

  I inspected the plaque on the door. “Pay dirt. Let’s see if this office is open.”

  He blanched. “We’re so not trespassing in the office of the CEO, Cleo. This is so not…”

  But my hand was already on the handle, and I opened, and then entered. The man who sat behind the desk was writing on a paper. There wasn’t a whisper of sound as I came through. Bryan entered. “Welcome, Cleo” he said without raising his head. “I’ve been expecting you for some time.”

  Shit.

  What?

  I was too nonplussed to come up with a decent reply. “You didn’t have any guards or assistants, and we sort of…”

  He glanced up. For one hot, damned moment, I was frozen to the spot. His green eyes pinned me. There was an intensity in his gaze, a certain measured strength that left no doubt that this man was aware of our arrival the moment we stepped through his main door. The hair on the back of my neck stood.

  Damn it.

  We were in trouble.

  No sir. We didn’t walk into this office. He allowed us to get inside.

  “I’ve got a system in place.” He pointed at the flat screen TV on the wall opposite him that showed all the rooms and the stairs. Clearly, he monitored our progress from downstairs. “You’re a welcome guest, Cleo. I’ve been meaning to meet you, and it pleased me to see you at my door.”

  As he stood, my gaze was riveted to his chiseled face. His jaw was strong, his cheeks sharp, and his lips were full. So enamored was I that it was impossible to move my gaze away, and yet as he walked towards
me, I actually took a step back and collided into Bryan. His steady hands on my shoulders seemed to infuse some energy into my body.

  I was worried, seriously so.

  And I had reason to be.

  The man was a mage.

  We didn’t know about this. Everyone at the commune was clueless about his identity.

  Ever since he moved into the area a year or so ago, he kept his presence quiet and remained a shadowy figure in the background. Surely, a mage who didn’t have trouble on his mind would have introduced himself to us. He would have sought an alliance. However, this guy was to up to something.

  Who the hell was he exactly? And what did he have in mind when he entrapped Colonel Sanders? Memories flooded through me, and I was reminded of the reason for my presence here.

  “This is Special Agent Bryan, and we’re here to inquire as to why you tricked the police into arresting Colonel Sanders.”

  A few feet away from us, he stopped. I breathed a sigh of relief. Power rolled off him in thick, undulating waves. The attitude of nonchalance didn’t fool him. He could unleash his gift at a moment’s notice. He was a dangerous man.

  Men like him always were.

  Strong, in control, and confident, Aaron Fine was a good specimen. If there was ever an ad for mages, he would make a fine poster boy. Power corded in his muscles, swam in his veins, and bunched in his hands. I’d no reason to suspect that he posed a threat to us, and yet every muscle in my body was tense. My instincts were on full alert. If he attacked, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to protect Bryan. If I made a preemptive strike, the White Council would consider me the culprit, as I was the one who entered his office without permission or prior appointment.

  We were screwed, royally so.

  “Tsk tsk. Please, Cleo…I hope I can call you Cleo as I feel I know you.” He smiled. I nearly swooned. Forget his magic, however potent it was, his smile was the greatest weapon he had. My heart missed a beat. Extraordinary. I liked men, and I really liked cute, strong men. But he wasn’t cute. No. Not at all. “You are not here for any official reason or with any official approval.”

  It was a statement.

  He knew.

  As he smiled, a need built deep inside me. I wanted to collapse into his arms and kiss his sexy, hot mouth that was waiting for my touch. My hands desired to touch his hard, masculine body, and my fingers itched to touch his soft, silky hair.

  Was it a spell?

  It couldn’t be.

  Myths through centuries might be rife with tales of love potions or glamor spells, but there was never any evidence that something like that was possible.

  “True,” I managed to mutter the words. What the hell was wrong with me? I dug my nails in the palm of my right hand. The pain managed to flood some sense into my mind. “True,” I said in a louder, more firm voice. “But I am here as the official representative of our commune. You hurt our member, and I would like to know why.”

  His gaze flicked to Bryan. “Perhaps your friend would like to wait outside while we have this discussion. After all, he isn’t a member of your commune.”

  The bastard knew everything.

  I could send Bryan outside, but honestly, at the moment, I couldn’t trust myself. Bryan’s presence made me more eager to retain control over the unnatural desire that hummed through my veins, and also I wasn’t sure if he would be safe outside. What if this guy wanted to hurt Bryan? Without me, he would be vulnerable to any magical attack.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” said Bryan.

  Good.

  “You heard him.” I shrugged. “Why did you trap colonel Sanders?”

  It looked as if he wasn’t willing to answer in front of Agent Bryan, but then he gestured towards the group of chairs around a low table. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

  “I…” What the hell? If he needed to do this to give some answers then I was willing to pay along, and also…of course, I didn’t mind spending some more time with him. I nearly bit my lip as the thought hit me. It had to be a love spell, or some sex spell. I would have to do some research on it later. “Sure.”

  “Coffee?” he asked.

  “No, thank you.” No way was I drinking something in his office. So far this guy got the upper hand. We lost the element of surprise and he knew exactly what we were up to. I didn’t like being thwarted so effortlessly, and he appeared to be a worthy opponent. “Talk now.”

  He sat back and surveyed me. I could sense his full concentration on me. It was almost as if Bryan didn’t exist, as if Aaron and I were the only two people in the room. I nearly hyperventilated. The power he wielded sat easily on him, but it affected me in ways I couldn’t understand. “I apologize for causing harm to Colonel Sanders’ reputation. It was more of a…way to get your attention.”

  “You have our attention. You’re trying to take away our land.”

  “But I wanted to gain your attention.” He leaned forward and the way his body turned towards me, I could see that he was focused. My throat closed. My body heated up. The blood that ran through my veins was on fire. “Yours. Not anyone else’s. And I knew that if someone from your commune was involved, you would take it personally.”

  “Why?” I cleared my throat when the word came out with a squeak. “Why did you want to get my attention?”

  His smile was disarming, but I could imagine that he might smile the same way before unleashing his power on someone. “You’re an interesting person, Cleo.”

  “You don’t know me.”

  “But I want to get to know you. You’re a mage, and well…so am I. We might have some interesting tidbits to share.”

  “You’re a mage?” asked Bryan. “What kind of a magic do you possess?”

  “Fire.”

  Ah! Of course. He was a fire mage. Aggressive. Strong. Unpredictable. A bit like me, really. But I was tempered with air, whereas he was all hot and fiery. “You’re after our land. There could never be…any sharing of anything between us until you change your mind about that.”

  “I’m above all a businessman. It’s profitable for me to make a mall there. I’ve a whole plan, and I need your land because it sits right on the main highway.”

  “You’ll have to find another place. We’re not interested in selling and threatening us by entrapping our people isn’t going to make us sell the land.”

  He didn’t lose his temper. “As I said, the incident with Colonel Sanders was merely done to get your attention, and you’ve to admit that I succeeded. You’re here, aren’t you?”

  Yes, I was in his office, on his terms, on his territory.

  I’d walked into a trap. He got me exactly where he wanted.

  The man was devious.

  “Now, regarding this land…we don’t have to discuss it now. Maybe as we become friends, you will be able to see my point of view,” he continued.

  I stood. Not only had I heard enough but also I was quite clear in my mind that I had already spent way more time with this man than I intended. It didn’t happen often enough, but it was happening right now; I was a bit rattled.

  This so wasn’t like me.

  He affected me in ways I couldn’t explain.

  “I don’t think there could ever be any friendship between us.”

  “There could be, if you gave me a chance to prove my intention.”

  I could see his intention. He wanted me, desired me.

  And I felt the bloody same way.

  And it so wasn’t happening, and yet…I wanted it to happen more than anything else in the world.

  My heart said something, and my mind quite another. I was stuck between them, and before this fight could escalate, I wanted to get out.

  Something was wrong here.

  Very wrong.

  This wasn’t an ordinary businessman or even an ordinary mage.

  He was special.

  How?

  Why?

  I didn’t know, and I realized I didn’t want to. All I desired was to move far, far away fr
om him and not come under his radar. I wasn’t scared. Of course, I wasn’t. Merely cautious. Yes, I was.

  “Oh! Don’t make hasty decisions. I’m here, and so are you. We will meet again.” It was a promise. “And when we do, we can talk some more.”

  “Don’t…do anything to my friends again.”

  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell him what exactly I planned to do if he messed with one of us. For one thing, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to carry out my threat, and another thing, I was pretty confident, he wouldn’t care. Luckily, he didn’t push for answers. I glanced at Bryan who was glaring at Aaron. When I walked towards the door, he followed me. Without a backward glance, we stepped out and only when the door closed behind us did I take a deep breath.

  All was well.

  For now.

  With this man, I wasn’t sure this status quo would remain for long. I hoped he was wrong; I didn’t want to meet him again. He made me nervous, uneasy – and that realization made me angry. And then of course, there was that intense attraction.

  I didn’t want to think about it.

  And yet, it was a part of me now.

  I hated him.

  I desired him.

  To hell with him. I’d other things to chew over and I wasn’t going to give him much thought.

  Oh yes.

  Chapter Six

  The plan stuck to me more than my determination to stick to it. Three days later, I was back in the windy, chilly forest. The clearing was pretty much the same; quiet, peaceful, beautiful. Whoever set the stage made sure they chose a great spot. Once again, the corpse made a real impact.

  The victim was a werewolf.

  I stared at it. Werewolves were hard to track, impossible to catch, and very difficult to kill. It might have taken our full strength to capture and kill one, if Augusta, I, Jeremy, and our whole team tried. And here was one, dead and gone.

  Biting my lip, I moved forward.

  Who was this elusive killer that could bring under control mages and werewolves with such ease?

  Why was he or she on a killing rampage?

  And worse, who was the next victim?