ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (113 page)

              Hank nodded slightly.  “She’s real pretty, has a nice tight ass, ok, I get it but…”

              “I’m a married man.”  Liam finished for him. 

              “Don’t you love Audrey anymore?”

              Liam watched a man panhandling for change near the entrance of the convenience store.  A woman hurrying a teenager into the store declined his request with a curt shake of the head. 

              “I don’t know.”

              “Well, you better figure it out, and quick!”  Hank said, but not unkindly.  His words simply stating the urgency of the matter.  He started the car and pulled back onto the street.  “Because now that little girl has reason to pursue you.” 

              Liam closed his eyes and tried to forget the power of the kiss.  He tried to forget how nearly out of control and heady it had made him feel.  He desperately tried to remember the taste of his wife. 

              Audrey heard Liam unlock the front door.  She laid her book on her lap, thinking it odd that he hadn’t come in the usual way through the kitchen door.  She hadn’t bothered cooking dinner.  Let him fix his own, was her mood as she had spooned tasteless canned soup into her mouth earlier. 

              She could hear him moving quietly through the house, and she lifted her book again with a sigh. 

              Liam paused at her door with his fist raised to knock.  He studied the light emanating from under the door, and the way it lit the toes of his shoes with amber.  He sucked in a breath and tapped lightly on the door.

              Audrey laid the book down, not sure what to expect. 

              “Come in.”

              Liam opened the door, but only took one step into the bedroom.  It was the same as when she had kicked him out.  He thought that odd every time he was granted access to the room they once shared.  He had thought perhaps she would have cleansed his presence from at least this small part of her life by changing the bedspread and furniture.  Yet, the dark blue and gold bread spread remained, just as the matching valance still hung over the window.  He glanced at the dresser.  Her side still help perfume bottles, makeup and tissues; his was eerily empty. 

              “Did you need something?”  She found it disconcerting the way his eyes were scanning the room, as if he were weighing all items and passing judgment. 

              “I just wanted to let you know that Hank and I were promoted to Homicide today.” 

              Before she could stop it, a smile spread here lips apart showing the teeth beyond.  “That’s really great, Liam!  Will you stay in Precinct one?” 

              “Homicide covers the entire city, but yes, I think that’s where we’ll report to.  We start on Monday.”  He shifted uncomfortably.  “Hank and I went to O’Malley’s to celebrate.”

              Audrey’s smile faded.  There was a time when a promotion like this would have sent Liam rushing home so they could celebrate. 

              “Well, good luck, Liam.  I know you’ll do a great job.” 

              Liam hesitated.  His wife looked like a teenager sitting in bed with her hair clipped back from her face, no makeup, wearing an old t-shirt that had been his.  Why would she sleep in that? 

              Audrey looked down at the t-shirt and felt embarrassed.  She had never wanted him to know that she wore it.  She never wanted him to know that sometimes she would place the t-shirt among his dirty clothes when he was at work, so the old fabric would capture a little of his scent. 

              Liam felt a pang of regret, which was accentuated by his recent guilt.                “Goodnight, Audrey.”

              “Goodnight.”

              Liam closed the door softly and laid his head against the wood.  He felt a mixture of emotions that was crushing his chest and making his head spin.  He didn’t know what to do about it, so he did what he normally did.  He blamed Audrey. 

              Damn her and that shirt!    

              Monday morning came in a hurry.  Neither Hank nor Liam felt prepared.  Hank shifted uncomfortably as they waited at 7 a.m. sharp for what would now be their very different roll call.  They sat at the round table in what looked to them to be a break room, and Hank ran a finger under his collar for the third time in three minutes. 

              “Hank, stop!”  Liam hissed.  “You’re working yourself into a fit of some sort!” 

              “It’s the clothes!  I’m not used to them!” 

              Liam gave him a “Yeah right” look.  “You wore a tie everyday with your uniform.” 

              “Yeah, but I was used to it!”  His blue eyes pleaded for understanding.  “I’m not used to these!  They’re stiff!”  He ran a hand over his head, already missing his hat.  “I paid a fortune for three suits that are stiff!” 

              Liam shook his head.  “You’re just nervous.” 

              The door to the room opened and Lieutenant Cory walked in with a cup of coffee.  He was followed by the two detectives, Ramirez and Johnson that were working the VCU cases, and another detective in a polo shirt and khakis.  Liam had never met him before.

              Lieutenant Corey shook Hank and Liam’s hands before sitting down.  “Good to have you boys with us.”  Lieutenant Corey was a sinewy middle aged man that was dreaming of retirement.  He was seasoned NYPD detective and had only been in Virginia for the past three years.  It had only taken him a year to become the highest ranking detective, and head of Homicide.  Corey had seen too much death in NY, and he had thought moving to Virginia would be better, and it was, but murder was murder and it still happened no matter where you were. 

              “Gentlemen, these are our newest detectives.  Lamb and Walters, I think you already know Ramirez and Johnson, and this is Bradley Washington our gang and prostitute expert.” 

              All the men nodded their greetings. 

              “Let’s get down to business.”  Carey said and flipped open a manila folder.  “Forty two homicides within the city limits last year, and we are at forty three right now, and it’s only September.  Mya Chui was number forty three.” 

              They spent the next hour going over cases and bringing Liam and Hank up to speed.  Both had helped with investigations before, so the transition wasn’t proving to be very hard.  Hank seemed to relax as the hour drew on.  Liam relaxed too, maybe this was the fresh start he needed to put his life back on track.  Maybe. 

              Audrey contemplated what the weekend had looked like, and decided that it had looked a lot like nothing.  Liam had spent most of the weekend with Hank and had mowed the grass, but other than just seeing him in passing, that was really it.  She had agreed to pull an extra shift at the diner on Sunday.  The more money she made the better.  She had been waiting with bated breath for Liam to announce that he wanted separate bank accounts, or even to ask about separate living arrangements.  She hoped and prayed that her thesis would be over by then and she could have a shot at a real job.  Where could she go if it came too soon?  She didn’t have any real friends and her parents were living off the coast of California enjoying her father’s recent retirement.  They weren’t an option anyway.  Her parents had warned then ranted when she and Liam had announced they were engaged just one week post-graduation from high school.  They hadn’t liked Liam to begin with, but at least they maintained a cool reserve the day of the wedding, even offering hospitality when the elusive Mr. Lamb appeared the day before the wedding.  The only dark moment in the day, as they had stood under the arch of branches of an oak just turning color for the fall, was the fact that Liam’s brother had just been deployed to Iraq.  The darkest moment of all happened two months after their brief honeymoon, when the news came that Liam’s brother wouldn’t be coming home at all.  Back then Liam had leaned on her, and valued any and all opinions.  Not just about his brother, but just about life in general.  They had been a team. 

              Audrey dried her breakfast dishes while staring out the back window, thinking about these things.  Did the first of the long line of subtle changes happen when they moved to Richmond eight years ago?  After two years of the commute to VCU as a part time student, and Liam as a rookie officer for the city, it just made sense to buy their little house and move.  The house sat just off of Woodman Rd. on a street called Brandon Forest Ct.  They had bought their 1100sq foot house at a steal.  It had been one of the happiest times of her life.  Life!  It had finally started!  At least until she began to ask about children.  The initial conversations resulted in the same words, just sometimes rearranged differently.

              “I don’t understand, Liam.”

              “How can you?”

              “Just because you were born with the werewolf gene, doesn’t mean our kids will!  Look at your brother!” 

              “Yeah, look at him, he’s dead!” 

              “Being a Werewolf wouldn’t have changed that, Liam.”

              “Maybe, maybe not.”  His eyes sad, almost pleading.  “Let’s just wait a little longer, ok?” 

              Waiting for children was all she had done.  She quit taking the birth control pills four months ago, when she looked at the calendar and realized they hadn’t made love since New Year’s Eve.   What was the point in taking the pills then?

              Liam hadn’t offered any clues about his new salary.  Audrey assumed it came with a substantial raise.  Would she be able to enjoy the raise?  If it was substantial, would he offer for her to quit work until her thesis was completed? 

              Yeah right.  Audrey thought.  I have better chances of an alien visiting.

              By lunch time Liam’s head was splitting and his eyes were swimming.  He and Hank had been through the crash course of Homicide life, and now they were on their way to VCU to “observe” an interview with a young man that Mya Chui had recently befriended.  At least that was the statement of her dorm roommate. 

              The dorm room was small with two twin beds on opposite walls.  Lorna Jones had been moved to this room in order to not contaminate the room she had shared with Mya.  Detective Johnson was in that room at present looking through Mya’s belongings with latex gloves on. 

              “I barely knew her, you know?  I liked her though.  She was just hard to talk to.” 

              “Why was that?”  Detective Ramirez asked.  He was jotting things down in a small notebook, and the girls eyes darted to it. 

              “She was kind of snobbish.” 

              “How would you know that, if you couldn’t talk to her?” 

              The blonde was getting flustered already. 

              “That’s how I knew!  She was so prim and proper.”  The rail thin girl clutched a pillow to her chest that had a purple and black peace sign sewn onto the front.  “We were in the hallway, me and a couple of my friends, when she walked up.  My friend Tasha had dropped the f-bomb.  Mya told her it wasn’t right to curse.  Just like that!  As if she had a right to!” 

              “Did Tasha get mad?” 

              “Yeah!”  Her blue eyes widened.  “But Tasha wouldn’t hurt Mya over that!” 

              “Tell us about the boy.” 

              “Oh…well…his name is Lincoln and he lives somewhere over on Parham.” 

              “Is he a freshman too?”

              “I don’t think so.” 

              “Parents local?”

              “I don’t know that either.  I just know Mya said she was going to his house the day she disappeared.” 

              Hank and Liam looked at each other.  Detective Ramirez continued writing. 

              “Do you know Lincoln’s last name?” 

              “No.  I think something was wrong with him.” 

              “Why?”

              “He walked with a funny limp.  It was like both legs were screwed up.” 

              Ramirez flipped his notebook shut.  “Thank you for your time, Miss Jones.  We’ll be in contact if we need anything further.” 

              The girl nodded her head. 

              The three of them walked the short distance to the room that Johnson was working in. 

              “Find anything?”  Ramirez asked. 

              “This girl was neat as a pin, I’ll tell you that.  A lot of her clothes look handmade.  I don’t think her family had much money.  She was full scholarship.  I did find this in the top drawer of her desk.”  Johnson opened what looked like a diary to the final entry made and read aloud.  “Today I’m going to Lincoln’s house!  I’m so glad we met!  We’re two ships colliding in the night, and all it took was his need for someone to help him with Biology!  I know the people of this place hate me because of my rules, but why do they hate him for what he can’t help?  MD is a disease.  These people should help him, pray for him, anything but ridicule.”

              “This girl was religious?”  Liam asked.

              “I would say so.  I found a well-worn King James Version Bible under the diary.  Looks like she marked things in the text and she had little post it notes in the Bible of what look like sermon notes.”