There was a tug at the ropes, and a hard jerk drew my arms toward the ceiling, bending me half. I tried to stand on my toes to relieve the pressure.

  “You know if you had just done as we asked of you, Simon, married a nice girl, produced the next generation, but I should’ve known better. You were always a failure.”

  Father’s shoes came into view, and I spit on the expensive leather. I barely felt the knee connecting with my ribs as I listened to my father curse.

  “You’re nothing more than an animal, Simon. And what’s the only way to deal with something of your kind?” He paused as if he were really waiting for me to answer. “We put it down. But I have it under good authority that Stelman wanted a repeat of what he did to Mancini. He took a lot of pride in putting that animal down as well. That’s all the other men were, too, and killing them was merciful. What happiness could they have being the way they were?”

  “You talk too fucking much.” I hissed as the tension cranked upward, and fire burned in my shoulders.

  “Drug him, do what you have to do, and report to me when you’re done.”

  “Police, get down, down.”

  Yelling came from outside the container, and then I heard shots fired. Voices were raised. Screams rang out, and the chaos seemed to be getting closer. I turned my head to find Stelman getting ready to shit himself, and Father hadn’t moved. The door opened with a grinding of the hinges, and I couldn’t maneuver enough to see who entered.

  “DA Graves, what a pleasure to see you again.” Marcel’s voice was cold, and even when we weren’t friends and bordered on enemies, I’d never heard that tone. “Hi, baby.”

  “If you tell anyone about this, I will kill you in your sleep.”

  “I missed you, too.”

  “Didn’t think this was your thing, Graves.” Remy was a brat, and I’d pay him back for this.

  “Cute undies. Didn’t take you for the pink type.” Stevenson actually laughed. Bastard.

  “I’m killing you all. I can get away with it. I’m rich. They’d never convict me.” I growled. I should’ve just pissed them off earlier and let Stelman kill me because I was never living the rescue down.

  “No, no, I’d put that down if I were you, Stelman. Before you’re able to raise that gun, our sniper will put one right between your eyes.” Robert, the voice of reason, I loved him more every day.

  “I was about to call. They wanted to ransom…” A round of gruff laughter cut off my father’s excuse.

  “We’ve been monitoring your phone, you received no calls, and you slipped out of the back of the hotel where you were going to meet one of your mistresses. She was very willing to talk to us. You really should’ve picked a stronger alibi.” Marcel’s voice was back to the chilly tone, and I wanted to see his face.

  Even when he irritated me, I still found comfort when he smiled at me. I’d never admit that out loud, but I wanted everything he promised me. Us. The girls. A family and I knew I was trouble, and I couldn’t always keep my mouth shut. Yet he’d told me I was just right, and no matter how crazy that that’s what filled my head right then, I needed to see him look at me the same.

  I flinched as a gunshot echoed off the metal walls, and the unknown cop fell backward. “That’s one, you’re next, Stelman. What’s it going to be?” Robert asked.

  I saw the movement from the corner of my eye as Stelman began to raise his weapon and a scream followed the exploding of his right knee.

  “I’ve been waiting years for that.” Robert let out a satisfied sigh.

  “Daddy, don’t make me jealous. That sound is just for me.”

  “I need new fucking friends,” I muttered, but all my friends laughed so they’d heard me.

  My father’s protests and the clichéd, do you know who I am actually came out of his mouth, and there was a scuffle as I assumed they took him into custody. Stevenson came into view as he jerked Stelman off the floor and dragged him limping to the door.

  As someone approached, all I saw was thick legs highlighted perfectly in black pants and feet encased in huge boots. I sensed who it was even though they hadn’t said a word. “I know those legs, Marcel.”

  “I was just enjoying the view. Maybe we can try some bondage? It’s like cuddling but with ropes. Extreme cuddling, shall we say, Shibari. It’ll spice up our snuggling game.”

  “I’m breaking up with you and taking my girls and going home.” As soon as the tension released from the rope, I straightened, and Marcel unknotted the binding.

  “You okay?” He looked around as he asked and then lowered his mouth to mine. It was a soft, quick brush.

  “Embarrassed of me?”

  “No, and you didn’t answer my question.”

  “I’m fine. How are my girls?”

  “Okay, I promised them I’d bring their Papa home. I was scared I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise.” He stroked my cheek with his big hand.

  “I’m good. A few minutes later, I can’t guarantee I wouldn’t have had more broken bones. Give me your pants,” I demanded.

  He chuckled. “I’m not giving you my pants. I’m not as sexy pants-less as you. There’s clothes for you in the car. When the divers found the weighted down bag with your clothes, Vega bought you some sweats and a t-shirt.”

  “Here, you’re making my men uncomfortable,” Sharp yelled, and I looked up in time to catch a blanket. “It’s my dog’s blanket. Feel privileged he’s sharing.” He disappeared.

  “We’re not claiming him, right? He’s just a temp.”

  “Vega doesn’t like him, so he’s definitely not sticking around.”

  “You don’t sound too confident.”

  “She didn’t like me at first either.”

  “Shit. Let’s get this over with. The indignity should be treated like a Band-Aid and just ripped off.”

  “The pink really works for you.” I elbowed him in the ribs, and he laughed as he took the blanket from me to wrap it around me.

  “I’m in pink underwear and wrapped in a dog blanket. This is not how I saw my life.”

  “Admit it. In some small, demented way, you’re actually enjoying this.” He winked as I didn’t answer. “Come on. We agreed you could read him his rights and push him in the back of a cruiser.”

  “I can?”

  “Oh yeah, my brat gets what he wants, and you’ve been living for this moment.” He draped his arm over my shoulders and led me from the container.

  Everyone was off to the side as if they were giving Marcel and me a minute alone. Stelman and my father were both on their knees. The defeat on my father’s pale face said it all. It had finally sunk in that he wasn’t getting out of this. His actions had brought disgrace to him and my mother. Everything he’d held onto with a steely grip disintegrated in a matter of minutes.

  He was a broken man, and my mother’s career probably wouldn’t survive either, but she was a born politician, so she would work an angle and come out looking completely innocent. I wasn’t sure how innocent she was. All of that didn’t matter at that moment. The final nail in my father’s coffin awaited, and I was really looking forward to reading him his rights.

  I stepped up to him. “Mr. Graves, you have the right…”

  40

  DOUGLAS

  Captain Tyson paced the width of the Cold Case Unit, cursing under his breath as me and every member of the Cold Case Unit, including Doc and Sharp, tried to appear as if we were truly children waiting to be chastised. The night had dragged on as we worked the scene, divided of the paperwork, and it was already mid-morning. Most of us were running on empty and ready to go home.

  “So.” He turned on his toes and crossed his arms over his chest. “For months now, you’ve been working a multiple murder investigation, the attack on your fellow detective, and I had to hear about you arresting the DA and several highly decorated cops on the morning news. With a nice image of one of the detectives in pink briefs splashed across the screen.”

  “I didn’t have any clothes, and Marcel wasn’t parting with his shirt to cover my oh so delectable ass, his words, not mine.” And there was the British accent. “And they weren’t pink when I bought them. Savvy threw a hot pink shirt in with our grays and ta-da.”

  I noticed everyone in the room except me and Tyson rolling our lips between our teeth and coughing to hide the choked laughter.

  “You may think it’s a joke, but the higher-ups are getting inquiries as to why a forensic genealogist, the senior medical examiner, five of my best detectives, and our newest SWAT commander was running an unapproved op with a supposed assist from an alleged hacker, and a mob boss to take down the District Attorney.”

  “Um, there was no hacker or mob boss involved…that was all speculation, Captain Tyson.” Vega sounded so innocent—it was weird.

  “Vega?”

  “Yes, Captain?”

  “I will arrest you just for my amusement.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Detectives Kauffman, since you two are in charge of the heathens, what do you have to say about this development?”

  “Daddy, this is all yours.” Remy stage whispered and pivoted on the corner of the desk trying to put distance between him and us. Traitor.

  “Over the course of our investigation, it came to our attention that there was possible police corruption involved. As the commanding officers of this unit, it was our decision to keep the knowledge that we were looking into DA and State’s Attorney Graves among our unit.”

  “And Sharp’s involvement?”

  “Captain Tyson, I was asked to join a secret taskforce by the Police Commissioner and the District Attorney. I was given strict orders that any actions taken by said taskforce were on a need-to-know basis. At the point when the taskforce became common knowledge by the Cold Case Unit, I was asked about it, and I concluded that they needed to know, and no one else.”

  “Doctor?”

  “Daddy made me do it.” Doc squeaked and then slapped his hand over his mouth.

  Tyson choked out a laugh and shook his head. “Jesus Christ, I’m glad I don’t have to deal with y’all all the time anymore. You’re all suspended for a week without pay. It’ll be a nice vacation for the rest of us. And I expect your transfer papers on my desk by the end of the week, Douglas.”

  “Transfer?”

  “You’re hooked up with a Cold Case Detective. You’re going to either transfer or work down here anyway. We’ll just cut out the middleman. And just so y’all know, when you return, there’s going to be about forty cold cases waiting for you from other precincts. Congratulations, you’re officially the entire Winston Harbor Cold Case Unit.”

  “We didn’t sign up for that!” Robert protested.

  “I know, Robert, I did it for you. Thank Vega. She put in requests for those forty cases to be reexamined. Since we’re the only precinct with funding for a full-time Cold Case Unit, you’re the lucky ones. Now I don’t want to see or hear any of you for a week.”

  “What about my team?” Sharp asked.

  “As they were only following orders, they’ll be assigned to another team for the duration of your suspension.”

  We all waited for Tyson to leave, and then we looked at each other until we broke down laughing.

  “We really needed a vacation. Remy and I wanted to take our girl and grandkids camping. She wants to join some scouting thing.”

  “Daddy, I told you my idea of camping is a motel without room service.”

  “You’ve gotten so spoiled. You used to live in abandoned houses. Three days without electricity won’t hurt you.” Robert wrapped his hand around the back of Remy’s neck and pulled him off the desk as the older man took his husband home.

  “What about you and Stevenson, Doc?” Simon asked.

  “Sleep, lots of sleep. A week without bodies to examine will do me good.”

  “And I think a short vacation. I have a friend with a sailboat, and my baby’s wanted to go.” Stevenson smiled at Doc, and Doc blushed, throwing himself into Stevenson’s arms. And as always, the bigger man carried his boyfriend away.

  That left us alone with Vega and Sharp, and Sharp looked confused. “That seems a bit anticlimactic. A week?”

  “We set a precedence. And in the grand scheme of things, this ain’t that bad. I’m going to go pack. Cash is off on a week and a half gig, and I’m going to surprise her. Glad you’re still alive, Graves.” She gave Simon a hug and punched me in the arm with all her tiny might, and pulled out her phone as she headed for the door.

  “So, what’s it like to be considered one of the Cold Case ghouls?” Simon asked.

  “I don’t recommend it. I should’ve known y’all would be trouble when I helped out with Doc’s rescue. Although, I gotta say, a week of no middle of the night calls doesn’t sound too bad.”

  “Got a partner bitching at you?” I asked with a smile. Sharp wasn’t one to ever look relaxed or share too much information.

  “No. My husband left about four years ago. My job isn’t always easy on relationships, especially civilians, and I refuse to date another cop. Especially one in the closet. Made that mistake once.”

  He was about to say something else, and then our phones and his started chiming. We looked, and Simon and I started laughing at Vega’s message.

  Vega: Welcome to the chaos, Sharp

  “How the fuck did she get…” He groaned as he realized she was a computer geek and was friends with a hacker. “I’m so regretting this already.” He ordered Jupiter to follow, and then it was just me and Simon.

  “You okay, baby?”

  “Well, my father wanted me dead, and I was about to be drugged and used for batting practice, but better than expected. What about you and the girls?”

  “Savvy sent a selfie of her, Amber, and Silvia to let me know they were okay. Her and Silvia were watching some movie, and Amber was curled up between them. I want to talk to you about something?” I took a deep breath. I should’ve had the balls to do it before he was taken, but I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

  “I can move out as soon as we—” I cut him off with a rough kiss, holding his face tightly in my hands.

  “No, you go, we go. I know this shit with us is new, and you’re still processing how you feel about me, but I love you. I want us to live together and raise our girls, and fight and be snarky. If you don’t feel it yet, that’s fine. I just needed you to know.”

  “When?” he asked where his lips almost touched mine.

  “A lot longer than you liking me. The attraction on your part is new, and I know the way your beautiful brain has to process. So you say it when you’re ready.”

  I noticed his eyes closed when he nodded, and his hands gripped my shirt tightly. I gave him a minute, and then he tilted his chin up to push his mouth to mine. I’d never get tired of him being close. Being the one he wanted to be intimate with.

  “Why don’t we go home? Both take a long hot shower, get some much-needed sleep and then order take-out. Tony’s dropping Amber off early in the morning and then taking Savvy to school.”

  “But I wanted them at home.”

  “And Savvy said I should have you to myself for the evening. We can video call them while we wait for dinner to show up. Your oldest knows that you’re going to put her and Amber first, just like you did with her when you were in the hospital.”

  “My oldest. I’m never going to be tired of that. I’m thinking of leaving the force. Gladys and I talked.”

  “I heard you say to Fran that this was your last case. You love being a cop, but you love the girls more, so whatever you decide, I’ll support you. We have an amazing support system, and Amber will never run out of babysitters.”

  “I was so sure that’s what I wanted, to retire and fall back on my law degree, but I’m not sure.”

  “Then just think about it. With this case off your shoulders and a weeks’ vacation, you’ll have time. Now, let’s go home and enjoy a child-free afternoon and evening of just you, me, and cuddles.”

  “Um, what if I said I had a surprise for you?”

  “I’d ask, what is it, but from that bratty smirk on your face, you’re not going to tell me.”

  “You’re right about that, Detective Douglas.”

  “Brat.” I pressed my lips to his smile.

  “I like when you call me that, but I will deny it if you ever tell anyone.”

  “Then that will just be between you and me, brat.” I took his hands and stepped back, leading him from the room and out to the parking lot. I wanted to get home and reconnect. In those hours of looking for him, I’d realized how attached I was to his presence, the way he made me feel, and I needed that back.

  41

  GRAVES

  He knew just how to distract me, the stress of the kidnapping, the almost beating, and right then, I didn’t care as I took in the strained lines of Marcel’s face as he held his legs open. The plug disappearing into his well-stretched hole. I’d bought it as a surprise when I noticed the way he jumped, and his breath caught just so when I barely brushed his entrance the few times we made out. He whined the first time I slid a single finger inside him, and then he’d held his breath.

  I didn’t have any urge to get off. I felt pleasure when he’d jerk me off or rubbed his cock against mine, but my body didn’t strive for a release. We didn’t mind, but I knew what he needed. I’d edged him for days just like he enjoyed, and his restlessness told me he wanted to come. His submission gave me a sense of power and rightness I’d never felt before him.

  Kink or power exchange never really interested me since it didn’t seem to fit my Asexuality and my lack of interest. That was until him. Months of arguing, snark, and believing him to be my greatest nemesis had all culminated to this point. He accepted everything about me, even the parts of me I’d considered broken until my friends helped me realize I wasn’t. I tapped the base of the plug as I sucked at his sensitive nipple,