Passionate Investigations (11 page)

“I’m staying with Rob, Dad,” Zahra remained firm. “There are
a few things we want to check out and I need to see this through.”

“But the Enforcers—”

“They can be involved too,” Zahra agreed. “But Rob’s whole
life has been affected by this. As has yours and mine. I don’t want to be on
the sidelines for this, I need to know what went on.”

Grant sighed. He sounded wearier than she could ever recall
him being in the past.

“Put Rob on,” he ordered. Zahra nibbled on her lower lip,
tempted to argue further but in truth she didn’t want to be at loggerheads with
her father.

“Just remember it was he who Tanya turned to,” she reminded
him. “Rob could have left us in the dark here. He’s not the enemy here, Dad.”

“I know.”

Zahra held the phone out to Rob. He stood and came over to
the table, his face remarkably blank.

“Grant,” he greeted her father coolly.

Zahra tilted her head close to the receiver so she could
still hear the conversation.

“My daughter appears to have made her decision and has
chosen you, Padden. Don’t ever make her regret this or I will make your life a
living hell. If you think you’ve been treated harshly it’s nothing compared to
what I will put you through if you break her trust. Am I clear?”

Rob glanced at her and Zahra made a face. She didn’t know
why she’d been worried her father would blame Rob for what had happened to Tanya,
but it seemed as if her father held other ideas.

“I’ll take care of her,” Rob assured Grant. “After the trial
I switched phones, not many people have that number. I can keep the new phone
on me for the next few days if you would like to have better contact with Zahra
if you like.”

“I’d appreciate that,” her father replied. Zahra thought he
sounded a bit stiff, but it might have been surprise she could hear. It was
difficult to tell over the phone. Rob recited his phone number.

“Thank you. Could you please put my daughter back on the
phone?”

“Sure,” Rob replied then handed the receiver to her.

“I’m going to make a few calls and wake a few people up in
the next few hours,” Grant said. Zahra smiled. Her father sounded more
determined than anything since he’d told her about Tanya’s death. “Please be
sensible and careful. I love you.”

“I love you too, Dad. I promise to keep in touch.”

They said their farewells and Zahra hung up. For a moment
she felt incredibly sad. While her father had not railed against Rob—which a
small part of her had feared—neither had he been pleased to find her with him.
She hoped it was merely her safety he worried over and not an irrational
dislike for him.

While she would not stop seeing Rob merely because her
father did not approve, neither did she want to fight with him. A headache
began to grow behind her eyes. Part tension, part tiredness, part grief. She
pressed her hands against her eyes in the hopes of fending it off.

“Don’t worry about it for now,” Rob wrapped his arm around
her and pulled her into a warm embrace.

“He’ll come around,” she said, unsure whether she reassured
herself or Rob. Rob tilted her chin up and Zahra threaded her arms around his
waist. They kissed tenderly.

“Come on, sunshine, let’s get some rest. We can tackle the
world together in a few hours’ time. Things will seem much clearer and easier
then.”

He led her to the bed. She fell asleep as soon as her head
hit the pillow.

Zahra’s alarm clock went off. Groaning, she turned over and reached
out a hand, fully intending to shut it off and get at least another few hours’
worth of sleep. Sleep clouded her head, making her feel dull. Her searching
hand met warm, hard flesh and her eyes flew open.

Sitting bolt upright in the bed, she saw the deliciously
sleep-rumpled form of Rob lying next to her in the bed. Memory flooded back and
the tension that had snapped through her system abated. One hot eye cracked
open as Rob gazed at her, a wicked, hungry grin tilting the corner of his mouth
upwards as he stared at her through the curtain of his black hair.

Without looking at the clock, she reached to switch the
alarm off, her gaze riveted to the smolderingly sexy wizard who shared her bed.
Stretching languidly, Rob rolled onto his back and crossed his hands beneath
his head. Wondrously naked, the wizard looked amazing. Zahra wanted to lick
every exposed inch of him, and a few more that the sheets hid.

Rolling onto her stomach, Zahra scooted over the bed so she
hovered above the supine form of her lover.

“Good morning,” she murmured huskily. His grin only grew in
response. Not letting him speak, she angled her head and took his mouth in a
searing kiss.

His hands rose and lazily traced patterns down the smooth
expanse of her back. She shivered as he stroked patterns against her naked
flesh, small swirls and taps sending sparks of lust to her nipples and clit.
Her pussy grew moist in response.

While she didn’t recall undressing before collapsing into
bed, Zahra was grateful Rob had been so thoughtful. The feel of his warm skin
next to hers, the slight friction as she moved closer and rubbed her body along
his length charged her better than the strongest coffee ever could.

“Mmm,” he murmured. She chuckled and agreed with a small
moan. Her hands explored his flesh, relishing the freedom he gave her to touch
and taste him anywhere. Shoving the blankets away, she lifted a leg over him.
Straddling Rob’s waist, she rubbed her damp lips over the hard length of his
shaft.

Lifting his head up from the pillow, he looked around the
floor, seeming to search for the condoms.

“I trust you,” she said seriously, lodging the dark, slick
head of his cock at her entrance. Her words rang out in the otherwise silent
room. Heat fused in his eyes, and she could have sworn if it was possible for
him to burn her with a look it would have happened just then.

His eyes branded her. Shivers of delight raced over her
skin. Rob nodded, acquiescing to her unspoken question. With a needy groan she
sank onto his shaft, encompassing his enormous cock in a single stroke. Feeling
stretched, she panted, caught her breath. Lifting up only to sink back down
again, she rode him slowly at first. Her back arched when he cupped her
breasts, rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger.

“Oh, yes,” she hissed with pleasure. Pleasure melted hotly
through her blood, her nipples peaked as she became more aroused. Stroking her
clit, she pumped harder, her pace increasing as her pleasure mounted. Lowering
her other hand, she turned a few degrees to the side so she could
simultaneously stroke beneath Rob’s balls as she rode him harder.

He moaned, threw his head back deeper into the pillows. His
hips canted up as he pressed himself deeper into her. Tilting her hips forward,
Zahra arched her back again and leaned down. Collecting some of the juices from
where they were joined, she traced a wet path down his scrotum and back to the
crack of his ass. His buttocks clenched, the nerves tender.

Returning the favor, he removed one hand from her breasts,
gathered more of her copious cream and stroked his finger over the tightly
puckered hole of her anus. Need slammed into her. The tip of his finger shot
sizzling pleasure along her nerves and heightened her arousal.

Rob pressed the tip of his finger inside her, screwing his
finger around in a circular motion. It felt as if he had set her every nerve
alight. Zahra’s clit became unbearably sensitive, for a moment she had to stop
the extra stimulation as the barrier between pleasure and pain blurred.

She was still riding him hard. The intensity of his thick
cock lodged deeply within her pussy seemed to almost rub against her slick
inner walls. Rob turned the tip of his finger again, searching inside her anus
for more nerves. He seemed to strike them all over. Heat blossomed inside her
and for a moment she wondered if it were possible to self-combust.

She stroked between his cheeks as she continued to fuck
herself on his shaft. From the manner in which he bucked beneath her, she knew
the thin, delicate skin was highly erogenous for him. Need rose within her and,
caught by surprise, she felt her climax crash over her system.

Coming hard, she shuddered in orgasm, her body clenching his
prick hard. Only seconds later Rob also climaxed, his shaft pressing deeper
inside her body as hot, wet seed shot into her. Over and over he spasmed,
emptying himself as he gasped for breath.

Replete and loving the warm afterglow, Zahra lowered her
chest to lie over Rob. Their bodies remained intimately joined and she breathed
in the musky, masculine scent of him with pleasure.

“Now that was a hundred times better than an alarm,” she
said with a chuckle. Rob’s hand came up to run through her curls.

“Absolutely,” he agreed. “It might be nice to make a habit
of it.”

“I could get on board with that,” she smirked as she glanced
at the clock. It was almost half past seven.

“Damn,” she swore, remembering they needed to call Layla and
make arrangements to meet. Carefully she lifted herself from Rob and climbed
out of bed. Hurrying to the bathroom, she switched on the faucets, intending to
take the world’s quickest shower.

Cleaning herself then rinsing, she turned the faucets off
only a few minutes later. Stepping out of the stall, she dried herself in
record time and raced back into the bedroom to get dressed while Rob sauntered
into the bathroom for his turn. Dressed, Zahra finger-combed her curls back
into a ponytail.

A few minutes later Rob came back out. His hair was damp, a
few droplets of water running down his chest. A towel was snugly wrapped around
his waist. He came next to her and they kissed again. Zahra lifted her hands up
to stroke his chest.

“Mmm, don’t ante up if you want follow through,” he warned
her with a rumbling tone.

“Let me just call Layla first,” she promised him. “Then we
can play as much as you can stand.”

“I bet I’ll make you beg before I do,” he challenged her.
Laughter bubbled inside her for the first time since she’d heard of Tanya’s
death.

“You’re on,” she agreed, enjoying their banter.

Picking up the receiver, she punched in the switchboard’s
phone number for Tanya’s work.

“Good morning, this is Harris and Dougal’s Consultancy. How
may I direct your call?”

“Good morning, I’d like to speak with Layla Collins, please,”
Zahra responded to the perky receptionist.

“Certainly. May I ask who is calling?”

“Zahra Gower.”

“One moment, please.”

Canned elevator music played while she was put on hold. Layla
picked up after only a few seconds.

“Zahra, I’m so sorry about Tanya,” the usually bubbly witch
sounded genuinely remorseful. “I was at the funeral, but you looked so
overwhelmed. How are you?”

While Layla and Zahra had never been particularly close,
Zahra knew the witch had been a good friend to Tanya. Instead of brushing Layla’s
question aside with a mechanical reply, she answered truthfully.

“I miss her. Odd things make me stop or get teary, but I’ll
be okay. Are you and Tanya’s coworkers holding up over there?”

“There’s been a lot of shuffling between Investigators and
as you can imagine the place is rife with politics right now, everyone is
trying to solidify their positions. It’s strange, I keep on looking at her
desk, expecting her to rush in from a vacation or long lunch, toss me a smile
and ask me for a new report or want to catch up over a latte.”

“I know what you mean,” Zahra replied with a small sigh. Not
wanting to dwell on what she could not change, she got to the point. “Look,
this is going to sound nuts, but have you cleaned out your drop box lately?”

“My drop box? No, why?”

“I can explain it all when we meet, but I’ve found from
Tanya’s Dictaphone that she put a report down at the bottom of your box for
safekeeping. I’m hoping you can retrieve it for me.”

“Sure, that sounds easy enough. We can catch up for drinks
after work at one of the local bars. It’s been forever since I’ve had a night
out.”

“Actually…well, I was hoping maybe you could manage to duck
out of work, that we could meet in half an hour or so?”

There was a startled silence for a moment.

“Um, sure,” Layla replied sounding far more cautious. “Look,
you can tell me to mind my own business, but I’m an Investigator, curiosity is
practically my middle name. Can I ask why the subterfuge and hurry?”

Zahra knew it was pure paranoia, but she worried for a
moment that perhaps the phones might be monitored over there.

“How about I shout you brunch at that neat little café where
I ran into you and Tanya last month? I’ll fill you in then,” Zahra suggested.
She hoped Layla understood she didn’t want to be overt over the phone.

“Oh. Of course. Well then, I’ll grab the folder, wrap up a
few things here and meet you there in thirty minutes.”

“That sounds fantastic,” Zahra replied with relief. “I’ll
see you then.”

Zahra hung up the phone.

“You’re learning some of my bad habits,” Rob replied with a
small grin. “Not giving exact references but alluding to past experiences,
saying things in subtle ways so an eavesdropper won’t catch on. I’m impressed.”

Zahra wasn’t sure whether to be proud or dismayed at her
newly established evasive skills.

“There’s a small café Tanya used to love a few blocks away
from her office. They serve toasted sandwiches and have an excellent brand of
fresh coffee there. It’s called the Fig Tree Café, that’s where we’ll be
meeting Layla,” she explained as Rob picked up the phone and dialed Ben’s cell.

“Rise and shine,” Rob greeted his friend. “We’re meeting
Layla and the file in half an hour at the Fig Tree Café.”

“Yep. That’s fine,” Ben responded briefly.

“Thanks,” Rob replied and hung up the phone. Zahra shook her
head, bemused by how two men could convey in about forty seconds what two women
could discuss for ten minutes with ease.

“I’m starving,” Rob announced with a wolfish grin. He kissed
her hungrily, his tongue probing between her lips. Her knees weakened. Clinging
to his shoulders, she pressed her body into his, relishing the growing sexual
need between them. Her heart raced, her pussy grew slick just from the taste of
him now.

Never had she fallen so deeply in love within such a short
period of time. Zahra felt relief Rob felt the same way about her in return.
Rob lifted his head with evident reluctance and Zahra leaned back but kept her
hips pressed into his.

“We’ll be late if we don’t leave,” she warned. Rob pressed a
quick, chaste kiss against her lips this time and pocketed the keys to the
cabin.

“Let’s go get that folder, I’m extremely interested in what
your sister uncovered,” he replied.

Locking the door behind them, Zahra once again followed Rob
out to his bike.

* * * * *

Grant Gower’s home office, just after dawn

Not for the first time in the last week Grant Gower stood in
front of the old family portrait his wife Jayne had insisted upon one Christmas
years ago. At the time he’d had it commissioned he’d felt annoyed, both by the
time the sittings took but also the expense. He’d thought it a shameful waste.

Surprisingly from his usually docile wife, she had put her
foot down, shown her almost-never-seen temper and insisted. Knowing full well a
lost fight when he came upon it, Grant had given in with as much grace as he
could muster.

By nature he was not an expressive wizard. Politics had been
his life since his early teens. In the last sixty years he had shown any number
of well-calculated sides to his persona. Countless public—and many of his
private—appearances would be mentally thought through from every foreseeable
angle, and a few more besides.

Not until his Jayne had died a swift, painful death by a
fast-acting cancer did he ever miss a step professionally. After a genuinely
heartfelt mourning period Grant had picked himself up, dusted himself off and
gone back to business much as usual. Only in his most intensely private
dwellings did he admit how much he sometimes missed his wife and the ache in
his life she had left.

Aside from a few incredibly brief, private affairs, no other
witch had come close to filling the void his Jayne had left. Grant had become
used to it and now rather liked his widower status and the freedoms it lent
him.

For most of his years as a father it had been Zahra whom he
had worried about. Tanya, his image in so very many ways, had a stable head on
her shoulders, a political career ahead of her that would rival if not
overshadow his own and more grace and brains than a witch could have hoped for.
Zahra, his spirited, wild little girl, had been whom he watched over from a
distance. It struck him as ironic for all his lack of skills as a father it
would be Tanya who had fallen into trouble and needed his protection.

The knowledge she had wanted solid proof before she came to
him with a problem cut like a knife. Nothing he could imagine happening to him
could possibly hurt more than what he grappled with just now.

Astonishingly, he found a sort of peace in the oil painting.
For so long it had hung there causing small flickers of resentment, but now he
gazed at it with wonder and fondness. The back of his mind calculated every
angle of what he planned. His beloved daughter’s murder would not go
unanswered. Not if it took every coin, every favor owed him and every second
until he took his final breath. Tanya’s death would be avenged no matter what
the cost.