Centerfold (10 page)

Roman shrugged. “He’s taunting us. Showing us that he’s smarter than we are. Profilers think he’s evolving. Finding out what he likes, what brings him the release he seeks. Could be a number of reasons.”

Aiden searched through the remaining pictures, picking up several. “Fuck! You two need to see these. Looks like he’s started leaving pictures at the scene, too.”

Roman moved in beside the man, allowing Scarlet to wedge between them. He stared at the images, ice sluicing through his veins. He’d kill the bastard. Simple as that. “That’s…disturbing.”

Scarlet scoffed. “Disturbing? Those are pictures of us. On the steps outside my house!” She snagged another one. “And this was taken inside the estate! It’s of us kissing, for fuck’s sake. That means he took this before he killed them, then he left them at the scene for the authorities to find.” She stared up at them. “He’s in the mansion. With us.”

“Easy. Aiden and I won’t let him touch you. Promise.”

“You can’t promise that. He could be anyone! One of Glade’s staff, another guest. He obviously comes and goes as he pleases. And how the hell did he take these without anyone noticing?”

“The guy’s a psychopath. You honestly think he’s worried about smuggling a miniature digital camera in here? Besides, I’ve seen a couple of other guests with an illegal phone tucked in their pocket. We just didn’t want to chance getting kicked out if Glade found out.”

Aiden moved to her other side. “None of us are prisoners here. We can all leave. And we’ll take you out if there’s even a chance you’re next. Our only saving grace is that he’s killing the women in order—like it’s part of his ritual. Chances are he can’t deviate from the order because it’s ingrained in his psychotic makeup.” He held up his hands. “Not that either of us want more blood on our hands or more victims. We don’t. But it does mean we have a bit of time before you pop up on his radar.”

She stared at the photos, her shoulders drooping. “Are there pictures of all the other girls in here?”

Roman spread out the images, organizing them by model. “Oh, yeah. Here’s one of Ms. October at a fucking gas station. Another of Ms. September grabbing donuts. It looks as if he followed more than one of us here. And I’ll bet my ass these other images are from their residences, too.”

Scarlet sighed. “This is crazy. He’s more than a few steps ahead of us.” She glanced at Aiden. “Can’t the Feds use this as a means of forcing Glade’s hands? Getting more agents inside?”

“There’s no way to prove where these photos were taken, not the way they’ve been cropped.” Aiden held up his palms. “Sure, we know the bastard’s in here because we recognize when and where he took these. But to everyone else—there aren’t any peripheral markers that can place us inside the manor. And the ones at your house don’t help our current situation any. I just hope he doesn’t know you’re a cop.”

“I don’t wear a uniform or have a squad car. I guess he could have followed me to work but…”

“But we won’t ever know for sure. Though he might have included a picture of that if he knew. A way of getting you kicked out of here so you don’t jeopardize his other targets. Or just taunting you for fun. He obviously has a thing for power.”

“So you’re saying there’s nothing the Bureau or the cops can do?”

“Not unless we’re willing to break cover…”

“Damn it!” She stalked away, slapping the wall with her hand before spinning. “We can’t do that. Not yet. If Glade kicks us out…” She leaned against the wall this time, allowing her head to fall against it. “If we come clean, can we get these girls in protective custody now?”

“Sure. But for how long?” Aiden looked between them. “I know neither of you want to hear this but…taking those women into custody isn’t going to stop this guy. True, he might not kill them now, but what happens once this case goes cold? If he just sits and waits? We don’t have the criteria to relocate them permanently. And who knows? Maybe it’ll just antagonize the bastard…get him to start killing surrogates for these women.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “I know this sounds harsh, but…our best chance at catching this creep is to stick to the plan. At least in here, he’ll have to work to get to them.”

“Right. And the fact there are so many people milling around at all hours can work to our advantage in this aspect. Harder for the guy to get any of the girls alone.” She nodded. “So that’s it. We stay until we catch him.”

“We won’t leave your side.” Roman followed her across the room, laying one forearm above her head as he rested against her. “Won’t give him an opportunity to get to you. Promise.”

“Let’s just finish this before Ms. July ends up like that.”

“We’ll do our best.” He gave her a light kiss on the mouth. “We should look at the schedule. If this bastard is here, he’ll be attending those damn games Glade has planned. No way a sexual predator like this guy is going to pass up watching people fuck. If we go to them, maybe we’ll be able to narrow down the suspects. Observe a few men who look out of place or who display unsettling body language. If nothing else, keep an eye on the other girls. Our teams on the outside are combing through every bit of evidence. We’ll figure this out.”

“You boys do that. I’ll get ready. Cover my scar while I decide which outfit will hide the most skin.”

Roman cupped her waist, pulling her flush against him. “No one’s going to touch you but us.”

“Trust me, the gawking’s bad enough.” She gave his chest a pat as she headed for the bathroom. “Oh, and you boys still have some serious kissing up to do before you’re truly forgiven. Don’t think I’ve simply let you off the hook because you said some pretty words.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less, darling.” Roman winked at her. “But we meant what we said. We love you.”

Aiden stepped beside Roman. “Both of us.”

Her expression softened as she nodded, turning away before glancing at them over her shoulder. “I love you boys, too.”

Roman smiled as the door closed partway, allowing them to see her reflection in the mirror. Damn, she was stunning. He nudged Aiden. “This ends. Quickly. I don’t care what it takes, what risks
we
take. We solve this case and get the hell out.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to our girl. Case closed. Now come on. Let’s see which events we think this guy will target before I decide it’s not worth any risk and haul her ass out of here.”

“Deal.”

Roman moved over to the bed. So much for a tumble in the sheets to ease the tension. The case just got far more complicated. And if they didn’t unearth a lead, the bastard would claim another life. And be one step closer to Scarlet.

Chapter Six

Scarlet palmed the counter in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror. “This can’t be all of it, Roman. Please tell me there’s a shawl, a hoodie. Anything.”

She glanced to her left, staring at Roman as he leaned against the doorframe, hands stuffed into the pockets of his low-slung jeans. The red shirt he wore highlighted the deep brown tones in his hair and the slight bronze of his skin. Damn, he looked amazing.

He let his gaze travel the length of her body, the gleam in his eyes clearly showing his confusion. “You’re fucking hot in that.”

She stared back at the mirror. Wearing nothing but high heels, white velvet boy shorts that were more of a belt doing double duty and a matching bra, she resembled some kind of a fallen angel with a new faith—one that had absolutely nothing to do with saving the righteous.

“I look like a hooker.”

“An incredibly beautiful one.”

She scowled at him and he laughed.

“Darling. It’s no worse than anything else you’ve worn. Okay, the shorts are pretty damn skimpy. Barely cover more than a thong but…” He gave her a stunning smile. “You certainly pull it off.”

“This is payback, isn’t it? For not talking to you boys that first day.”

“Hey. If we had our way, we’d simply lock you in the room—keep you completely naked. But unfortunately, we can’t catch a psychopath from in here. And there’s no way you’re going anywhere naked, other than our bed.” He offered her his hand. “Come on. Glade has made it extremely clear that either we participate in one of his damn games today or he’ll send us packing. Apparently, we’re the only group who hasn’t anted up, so to speak, in the three days we’ve been here.”

“It’s hard to think about sex when women are dying. Especially after learning those last two girls were lured out of here.”

Scarlet rubbed her hands along her arms as a chill skittered down her spine, leaving a rash of goosebumps in its wake. It hadn’t taken more than a few hours of poking around to learn that the two ladies had arrived before everyone else that first day and done a couple of photo sessions before returning to their room, after which they’d seemingly disappeared.

Scarlet had managed to sneak into their suite, but it was obvious they hadn’t been killed there, let alone abducted. No signs of a struggle, with nothing out of place, it seemed reasonable that they’d most likely left on their own.

“Unfortunately, Thomas Glade doesn’t share your aversion. If anything, the man’s become even more invested in these games. I keep waiting for him to say something about those women who have seemingly just vanished, but he hasn’t uttered a word.”

“That’s because the Feds got the police to release the original photos to placate the man. Stop him from canceling this entire retreat.” Fuck, she was still fuming about that. Knowing her bare ass could be plastered all over his magazine and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do until this case was over and she could slap an injunction in his lap.

Roman shook his outstretched hand, once again beckoning to her. She sighed, moving over to him, leaning into him as he wrapped her in his arms. God, he felt good. Right. Though they’d called a truce, there hadn’t been a spare moment since they’d received the new pictures to do more than get a couple of hours sleep each night. Even then, they’d been switching off. Each man taking a turn slipping out to search for clues—spy on the other guests in the hopes of narrowing down their suspect list. Other than a few stolen kisses, the boys hadn’t tried to seduce her. It was a fact that touched her heart more than they could know. Watching the blatant sex shows—part of her still worried it was the situation that had pushed them into action. But knowing they were willingly holding back—giving her a chance to work through the idea of being in love with two men at the same time—only made her love them more.

A click sounded behind her a moment before the door swung open and Aiden walked into the room. He gave them a smile, moving over to them then dipping his head down to taste her mouth. She pushed against him, silently demanding more. The man made a growling noise before tipping her head against Roman’s chest as Aiden took control of the kiss, tasting every inch of her mouth before finally easing back.

He kept his face close, his blue eyes stealing her breath. “Damn, I’ve missed you.”

“Right here.”

He nodded, a sigh feathering across her cheek. “Not exactly the most romantic situation.”

She traced her thumb along his stubbled jaw, enjoying the scratchy feeling. “Have I told you both how touched I am that you haven’t pressured me? That you’ve made excuses at all those engagements and kept Glade off my back?”

“You’ve got a lot on your mind. We’ll have plenty of time to keep you tied to our bed after this assignment’s over.”

She smiled. Damn the man was adorable when he talked dirty to her. “I agree tying me up under these circumstances might not be wise, but making love…”

The muscles in Aiden’s jaw twitched. “Baby…”

Roman tapped her ass, gaining her attention. “You might want to hold onto those thoughts, because I’m not sure we can get out of some sort of public display today. We can’t afford to make our benefactor suspicious. And the man’s getting more impatient every day.”

She snagged her bottom lip. “What choices do we have today?”

Roman snorted. “Fucking impossible to tell by the titles of the events. We’ll just have to go and pray for the best.” He leaned down and nipped at her neck. “Though I’m kind of hoping it involves licking you until you scream.”

His words made her stomach flutter with anticipation. Fuck. Just thinking about it brought back memories of the studio. The way he’d made her come so hard she’d forgotten Everett was watching them.

Roman tsked her. “Are you thinking about the studio? You said you remembered every detail intimately. Do you remember what it felt like to have my tongue on your cleft? My fingers deep inside you?”

“God, Roman.”

He smiled against her skin. “Soon, darling. But if we don’t make an appearance, all this will be for nothing.” He pulled back, his breath sending another wave of desire straight to her pussy. “Let’s go. Just know this. Tonight, Aiden and I will do everything we can to seduce you into our bed…and for more than just sleeping.”

She took a few shaky steps toward the door, using it to brace some of her weight, before glancing behind her. “All you have to do is say my name.”

“Wench.” Roman smacked her ass again as he joined her at the door. “I know you’re aware of the drill but…stay close. If you sense anything out of the ordinary…”

She gave him a smile, noticing the way his eyes drifted up as he inhaled.

She leaned into him. “That scent is what you boys do to me.”

He cursed behind her as she headed down the hall, laughing when they caught up to her. Aiden shook his head—the gleam in his eyes a dark promise. She hooked her arms through each of theirs as they made their way downstairs, heading for one of the parlors. Roman peeked into one, shaking his head at the row of handcuffs hanging at the opposite end. She gave him a
raise of an eyebrow
.

He snorted. “You want to be handcuffed… We have our own set. Multiple ones.”

“So you’re saying once we’re home…”

“Fuck, darling. Keep teasing us like that and you
will
get a spanking.”

She gazed up at him, unable to speak past the flood of desire that creamed her cleft. Aiden growled, tugged her against him as he claimed her mouth. She surrendered to the dominance in his touch, the way he smoothed his hands over her then squeezed her ass as he finally nipped his way down her neck. A couple pushed past them, muttering about them saving it for the show, before Aiden pulled away, keeping her possessively close.