To Protect And Serve Part 16

"Up until a couple of weeks ago. She thought she could f.u.c.k me over. n.o.body f.u.c.ks Sonny Davis without a personal invitation."

"I bet she's pus.h.i.+ng up daisies somewhere in the des-sert." Keri's speech slurred and she wondered how one beer could have such an effect. She shook her head from side to side, which only served to make her dizzier.

"Not yet, but soon."

Memorizing Davis's words verbatim for future reference, Keri tried to sound sympathetic without being overly solicitous. "I don't blame you, man. f.u.c.k a double-crossing b.i.t.c.h."

* 143 *

Sonny nodded. "I knew you'd get it. You're one of those broads that got a double dose of the loyalty gene."

"d.a.m.n straight." Keri nuzzled the side of Sonny's neck and almost puked at the strong taste of his aftershave.

"Look, I like you and your friend. We could do some serious business together. You girls can get my product into the women's scene around town. My guys can't touch those places. There're big bucks to be made with the d.y.k.es, all that disposable income and high drama.

They're always in need of a x of some kind. What do you think?" He emphasized the question with another hip thrust.

Keri's vision blurred and two grinning Sonny Davises smiled down at her. "I think you talk too much and don't take enough action.

Bring it on. We can handle whatever you got."

Davis laughed and maneuvered Keri on the dance oor until they were in front of Alex's table. "I believe you probably can."

Alex watched Sonny rake his ngers through Keri's hair and trace the angle of her jaw to the edge of her lips. If he tried to kiss her, Alex knew she wouldn't be able to contain her rage regardless of the effect on the case. The fact that he was breathing the same air so close to Keri made her want to choke him with her bare hands. He squeezed Keri's upper arms, slid his hands behind her, and kneaded her back down to her b.u.t.tocks.

The bulge in Davis's pants became increasingly obvious as he moved his determined strokes up and down Keri's body again, lingering on her b.u.t.t. His eyes were gla.s.sy and unfocused, but it was Keri's expression that worried Alex more. The usual soft candor of her gaze had given way to a distant edge. The change could not have been caused by a single gla.s.s of beer.

Alex stood, checked her temper, and sauntered over. With a slight pout, she ran her hand up the inside of Davis's leg and crooned in her s.e.xiest voice, "You're making me jealous, Sonny." She licked her lips and breathed on his face. "G.o.d, I'm so h.o.r.n.y."

Davis dropped one hand from Keri's b.u.t.t and hooked his arm through Alex's. "Well, bring it on. Your girlfriend and I were just getting things cranked up. I'd love to make it three-way. d.a.m.n, that would be hot and a great way to seal a partners.h.i.+p."

Alex let her ngers linger inches from Davis's crotch. "Hold that thought. Gotta use the restroom."

* 144 *

He nodded, his mouth agape.

Alex extended her hand for Keri's. "Come on, Lynn. After all that beer, I know you need to go, too."

Keri cast a slightly vacant look at Sonny, who slapped her a.s.s and said, "Don't keep me waiting."

Alex slid an arm around Keri's waist and led her to the restroom.

When they were safely inside the single-seat facility, she locked the door and pushed Keri against it.

"Are you all right?" She leaned into Keri's s.p.a.ce and examined her face.

"Yup, I'm ne, boss."

"You don't look so great. Your eyes are glazed over, your face is ushed, and you're slurring like a drunk. I'm going to call this off."

Keri stared at Alex's hands that still gripped her waist. "You know, I think this is the third time you've touched me. They say third time's the charm."

Alex started to withdraw, as if she'd just noticed the touch herself, but Keri grabbed her hands. "Don't...I like the way it feels." She cupped Alex's hands on her narrow waist.

Sparks shot through Alex's body, bringing blood and pa.s.sion to the surface. She'd felt like this before holding Keri-so very right. Yet the circ.u.mstances this time were horribly wrong. Keri's eyes were wide, her pupils constricted and cloudy with confusion or intoxication.

Keri leaned forward and framed Alex's face in her hands. "You are so f.u.c.king beautiful. All I've thought about for days was how it felt to kiss you." She licked her lips and moved closer. Alex felt hot breath against the side of her face and waited for the kiss. Keri's hands drew her nearer. Her body strained against the fabric that separated them.

Urgency grew in the pit of her belly and the craving would not be still.

Keri whispered, their lips close enough to touch, "I was so afraid that night at Brighton's Curve. I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost you. Do you have any idea how much I care about you? How badly I ache for you all the time?" Her hands slid up Alex's sides, palmed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and thumbed Alex's taut nipples into hard pinpoints of sensation. "I need you so much. Please, Alex."

Please? No one had ever asked her to let them love her. She'd been told what she wanted plenty of times and taken when she wasn't sure what she wanted. But that simple word combined with Keri's skillful * 145 *

foreplay made Alex's resistance almost futile. Her body had given up already. She wanted Keri with every cell in her body, but this was not the time or the place.

Alex steeled herself against the loss she knew would hit the minute she broke contact with Keri and stepped back, forcing Keri to release her grip. "That's it. We're de nitely out of here. Splash some water on your face. I'll make excuses to Davis. Meet you back at the table."

Keri shook her head, producing a light wave of dizziness. She turned toward the sink, scooped cold water in her hands, and buried her face in it. The shocking contrast of icy water on her skin did little to cool the burn that seemed to scorch her from inside out.

"Please don't call it off, Alex." She lifted her hands away from her face and turned around. Alex was gone.

v When Alex exited the restroom, the house lights were on. She was so angry she stood in the shadows and took several deep breaths. How dare that sc.u.m-sucking b.a.s.t.a.r.d drug one of my of cers? She waited for Keri, returned to the table, and asked Dolph where she could nd Davis. He motioned toward a private lounge area in the back.

She followed his directions and found Fletch and Cappy standing in front of a door that led into a private dance room. "I need to see Sonny."

"Can't right now. He's busy." Fletch nodded toward the door. She could hear raised voices coming from the room.

She sighed in phony disappointment. She helped Keri into a chair and said, "Wait here a sec. I have to make a call, then we're leaving."

"You're going somewhere?" Fletch asked with an edge of suspicion.

"Yeah, we are." Alex gave him some att.i.tude. "We were all set to party, but some a.s.shole slipped something in Lynn's drink and now she's getting sick. Ruined the whole f.u.c.king night for us."

"Sonny won't be happy."

Alex ipped out her cell phone. "You can tell him I'm real disappointed, but what's a girl gonna do? I guess we'll hook up another time."

* 146 *

Fletch absently waved her off, turned his back, and motioned a dancer over with his other hand. Alex saw her opportunity while Fletch and Cappy played grab a.s.s. Walking away with the cell phone to her ear, she kept an eye on them. When they were fully preoccupied and no one else was paying attention, she ducked into the room next to Davis's. She let her eyes adjust to the darkness. The smell of spent pa.s.sion from a single sofa in the room wafted to her nostrils and made her nauseous. She inched closer to the adjoining wall and placed her ear to the cheap divider.

"What the h.e.l.l's your problem, Tiffany?" Davis's voice boomed.

A scared, female voice answered, "I don't know what you're talking about, baby."

Davis made a disgusted noise. "I heard you were going to the cops on me."

"Ain't no way, Sonny. I swear it. I got my baby to think about."

Davis's voice had the edge of barely controlled anger. "Then what the h.e.l.l are you doing hiding from me?"

Tiffany's voice trembled as she tried to explain. "I wasn't hiding from you. Haven't you heard about that dead woman, the councilman's daughter? The cops are after me about that. Ask Cappy where he found me. I was getting a bus ticket to get my baby out of town. I can't take no murder rap."

"Why would they think you had something to do with that?"

Davis's voice still sounded skeptical.

"That's what I'm saying. Word on the street is she was poisoned or drugged and I was there. That's all I know. You gotta help me, baby.

We were good together. You know it."

Davis's cruel laugh vibrated through the walls and Alex s.h.i.+vered.

"Ain't that justice for you? That d.a.m.n drink was meant for you. I thought you were informing on me. I had one of my boys pa.s.sing out drinks at the meeting. You must've given it to the Chambers girl. There was enough in that thing to kill a horse."

Tiffany started crying. "I can't believe you tried to kill me. I swear, Sonny, I never double-crossed you. I love you, baby."

"We'll see about that. I don't have time to deal with this s.h.i.+t now."

A loud thump against the wall startled Alex back into the corner of the room. "Cappy, get your sorry a.s.s in here."

* 147 *

"Yeah, boss?"

"Take Tiffany to my safe house on the east side and stay with her.

Don't let her out of your sight. If you lose her, it's your a.s.s. Got it?"

"Sure thing, boss."

Alex had heard enough. Her muscles tightened with loathing for Sonny Davis. His comments were not only incriminating, but they just might be the nal nail in his cof n in Stacey's case. She peeked out the door, saw that Fletch was still occupied with the dancer, and headed back to the table. Keri was sitting with Hunk and Dolph, looking like a dejected child.

"Lynn, we have to go." Alex's tone left no room for argument.

She helped Keri to her feet, arms around her waist, and guided her to the front door.

"Hey, where you going?" Dolph called after them.

"Some sick f.u.c.k put something in her drink. We'll party another time," Alex shouted back, already halfway across the room.

When they returned to the car, Alex radioed for a marked unit to stop Cappy's car when it left the club. It was to look like a routine traf c stop. When they found Tiffany Brown, they were to arrest her on suspicion of murder. Under no circ.u.mstances was she to be allowed to post bail. If there were any papers on Cappy, they were directed to serve them; if not, to release him. She told Beth what she'd heard between Davis and Tiffany. She wanted Steve to take a sworn statement from Tiffany before morning. She also told Beth that she'd take Keri home.

Her instructions were for Beth to pick Keri up the next day.

Clear of the club, Alex drove in silence and fumed inside. First thing tomorrow, Beth would get Keri to the hospital for a blood test.

Con rmation of drugs in Keri's system would be essential, even though they'd never be able to prove who actually spiked her drink. She thought of Josh's death and knew Keri would go ballistic when she found out about her own drugging.

Alex knew it was her fault. She was responsible for keeping things under control. It was her job to antic.i.p.ate anything. Her focus should've been strictly on Davis and his a.s.sociates, not wandering to Keri and worrying about her. She'd failed the operation, her experience, and most of all, Keri. Costly mistakes were often the result of mixing business with pleasure.

Keri s.h.i.+fted toward the console and leaned her head against Alex's * 148 *

shoulder. Her condition seemed to have deteriorated since leaving the club. She looked up through bloodshot eyes and said, "I'm really sorry.

I messed up, didn't I?" She stroked Alex's arm, let her hand rest over Alex's on the console and entwined their ngers.

The delicate caress raised goose b.u.mps that raced to Alex's center and exploded into heat. This is exactly what I was just kicking myself for. But still she didn't stop Keri.

"I've got to tell you something, Alex." Keri's voice wandered and slurred. She released Alex's ngers and placed her hand on Alex's thigh. "It's important."

Alex's breath caught in her throat. "Save it for another day. You'll be glad you did."

Keri's head was spinning, but she continued, "I'm not sorry I touched you. I wanted-"

"Don't say any more. Please, Keri."

"I've been having these feelings ever since I met you. We both know I'm no good at hiding how I feel." All of a sudden a dim light went on in Keri's head and she struggled to sit up. "OmiG.o.d, am I red?"

"No, you're not red. You're just a bit drunk, so I won't hold anything you say against you. Is this your house?"

Keri pointed to the John Deere mailbox with her father's name on it. "Yep, that's me, country b.u.mpkin Keri Lynn Morgan. You can let me out here. I don't want to wake my folks."

"I'll make sure you're safely inside."

Alex helped Keri up the steps, through the screened-in porch, back door, and into her bedroom. The smell of fried chicken lled the house and reminded Alex she hadn't eaten since breakfast. It was easy to picture Keri in the modestly furnished farmhouse caring for her parents with the loyalty and hard work such a place inspired.

Keri's small bedroom was fairly nondescript with the exception of a hand-knitted comforter at the foot of her bed and two framed pictures on the dresser. One photograph was her mother, apparent by Keri's striking resemblance to her. Her mother was pinning her badge on at the graduation ceremony from the academy. The other was a handsome young man with jet-black hair and blue-gray eyes.

Noticing the direction of Alex's gaze, Keri said, "That's Josh, my first true love. No s.e.x, but love just the same. I was closer to him than my own brother."

* 149 *

Alex inched as she imagined Keri in anyone's arms but hers.

Keri continued, her words becoming more slurred. "He died a year ago, too. 'Member I told you a f.u.c.kin' doper slipped him an overdose at a frat party? He didn't even do drugs." Her blue eyes turned stormy as she stared at the picture.

Alex knew this was the reason Keri needed so desperately to be on the task force. It was about revenge. She'd gotten her own powerful lesson about revenge from Helen. It could serve as a motivator but also led to poor judgment. She hoped Keri would not fall prey to bad decisions she would later regret.

Keri looked away from the photograph and snickered. "How about that?" She stripped down to her thong without the slightest hesitation or embarra.s.sment. "I got you into my bedroom on our first date."

Alex stared, openly admiring Keri's strong body and resisting the temptation to touch her, just once, to feel that hot silky skin respond to her searching ngers.

"Wait. I'll be right back." Keri steadied herself along the furniture and hallway to the bathroom. She returned a few minutes later smelling of soap and toothpaste. She jumped into the four-poster bed and snuggled under the covers.

"Are you okay?" Alex sat on the edge of the bed, trying desperately to suppress her desire.