The Broken Parts Of Us (5 page)

The front door opening and closing draws my attention to Hannah huffing towards me. “I got off early. My parents dropped the bomb that they’ll be dining with us tonight so I wanted to make sure you got decent groceries.”

 She opens the fridge, pulls out a half open bottle of wine, and pours herself a glass.

“You can’t drink that!” I point to the glass while I walk towards her.

She rolls her eyes. “One is fine Jasper.”

I reach for the glass before she can take a sip. “I’d prefer that you didn’t. River never drank when she was pregnant.”

Her mechanical laugh makes a cold chill race up my spine. “Well, I’m not your precious River, Jasper, so give me the glass.” She holds her hand out to me. I walk in her direction, but bypass her to the sink and empty the contents of the glass down the drain. I can feel her glare in the back of my head, but I don’t give a shit. I rinse the glass and leave it on the drainer. Her inhaling and exhaling sounds like a bull and I’m the red flag. I ignore her and walk back into the lounge. Her opening and slamming cupboard doors makes me smile. Day one; one fucking day and we are already failing.

“Jasper!” Her screech has me bolting into the kitchen
.

“What, what happened?”

 “What is this?”

I look to the offending item she’s waving around at me
.
“It’s flavored lube, pussy lick.
I
t says it right there on the tube.”

She stamps her foot like a six-year-old. “Why is it in my food cupboard?”

“What? I don’t see the problem, you let me keep the ketchup in there.” She shakes her head, clearly confused. I reach in the cupboard and pull out the ketchup. “Condiments. We put them on the things we like to eat. The ketchup
…
you keep it here in the cupboard. I put this on the things I like to eat.” I put the ketchup back and grimace at the deep shade of red she turned. “What if my mother had found this
,
what would she think?”

I snatch the lube from her frantic waving hands. “My daughter picked good, lucky her?”

“You are such a dick. The fact that you’re good with it is the only reason I keep you around.” She glares at me.

“The fact that you’re carrying my kid is the only reason I’m here,” I bite back.

She leers. “We don’t have to be fond of each other, Jasper. We can work like a partnership if you just climb aboard, that’s what a marriage is, a business transition.”

I squint my eyes at her. “How fucking depressing is that, Hannah? Fuck this, I’m done playing house for today.” I pack up my stuff and head for the front door.

“What about dinner?” 

I shrug my shoulders. “You have to book that shit in with my secretary.” I close the door behind me as I leave to the sound of Hannah calling me an asshole. I don’t want love, not after watching dad suffer, but a loveless marriage is something I want even less.

I drive around to kill a few hours before I head to the studio to see River. I pull up and just watch through the window as her and Kyra teach a few younger girls leg lifts and twirler shit. They both have such grace in their movements; it's like watching birds in the sky, effortless movements, mesmerizing.

I exit the car and head inside. Mikey sitting on the bench at the end of the studio brings a smile to my face. “Hey buddy.” He doesn’t look up at me, so I sit next to him. “What’s up?”

He shrugs his little shoulders and looks over at River.

“So I found your games machine.” I watch his eyes cast down to his shoes. “Don’t you want to talk to your Uncle Jasp?”

His head snaps sharply in my direction, making me flinch from the dark gaze he pins me with. “You’re not my uncle. I don’t have one.”

I watch as he darts off towards River, leaving me with a hollow feeling in my chest. We’re real close and hearing that, even though he’s only five and kids say cruel things without thought, it still guts me.

 “Hey, baby. Would you mind taking Kyra home for me? I told Derek I would, but I need to leave early. Mikey has soccer practice,” River says, coming over to me. I nod my head, getting to my feet and encompassing her in a hug. She leaves me watching Kyra teaching a young teenage girl. Kyra’s beautiful in her movement. She even rivals River.

* * * * *

“You want to eat?” I ask her. She shuffles in her seat, making me smile, her perfume leaving her sweet scent in the car.

“Sure,” she murmurs.

I drive us to a little Italian place I found through Hannah. In her email, she insisted we now do a date night there once a week, so we can catch up and inform each other of the things happening in our lives, even though we’ll be living in the same house. This really has just turned into a business deal with her and I get depressed every time I think about having to take the next step and move in. Her mom can’t wait to get us down the aisle. I still haven’t even told my dad.

I pull up and get out of the car, going round to help Kyra out. Her timid smile pulls on something deep in my gut; she’s so fucking cute. I walk behind her, so I can shamelessly watch her ass as she saunters forward into the restaurant.

I glare at the waiter for staring at Kyra’s ass and grinning like a fat guy at an all you can eat buffet; he shrugs and raises an eyebrow. I narrow my eyes at him, watching as red heats his cheeks and he flees to the other side of the restaurant.

A young brunette greets us and shows us to a table for two.  We order a pasta dish and a glass of wine for Kyra, and iced water for myself. 

“Tell me about you,” I say, resting my elbows on the table and leaning forward. The glint in her eyes and pink tinge to her cheeks make my inner playboy grin; I affect her and just that knowledge affects me.

“What do you want to know?” She clears her throat as her hand comes up to brush her hair from her face.

“Everything. Tell me everything. How long have you danced?”

Her eyes light up and she smiles. “Since I was four. Ballet, tap, jazz, salsa, all leading me to my passion, contemporary.” 

I raise my eyebrows. “Salsa?” 

Her laugh echoes around the restaurant. All eyes fall on her, but she doesn’t notice. “That’s all you got, huh?” She tilts her head to the side and smiles; it’s a sexy confident smile, a flirty one I’m not used to from her. Dance is where she lives; it’s where her confidence and passion is. I want to see her in her element; I want to watch her exist in the moment, in the movement of her passion.

“I want to take you dancing. Tonight we’ll go.”

She grins and shakes her head as she giggles. “No way do you go dancing.”

“Hey, don’t mock me. River forced me to be her partner many a times. She likes to go out to a dance club every now and then and if Sammy can’t take her, I have to as Derek took her once and stood like a bodyguard stopping approaching men instead of dancing with her.” Her eyes sparkle again. “I can’t imagine Derek dancing.”

I cringe and pretend to shudder, pulling another giggle from her. The waiter places our dishes in front of us. “So does your family support you?” 

She swallows the food she just put in her mouth and hovers her hand in front. “I have two parents who love me, so they support all my decisions.” 

I smile.

We finish up dinner, then I take her back to her place, so she can change. It’s small and needs decorating, although I notice the new locks on the door and smile.

“Derek,” her shy voice murmurs against my shoulder. She tilts her head to the locks when I angle my head down to look at her. She’s so close; her tiny frame heating my side, her scent so intoxicating I need to leave before I... don’t leave. I could easily lose myself in this girl.

“Jasp.” She looks up at me through her thick lashes. Shit, those fucking emeralds are captivating. “I’m ready,” she says, and steps around me. She’s in a knee length summer dress, green to match her eyes. I need to not drink. Keeping my thoughts from the gutter will be hard enough, but if I add alcohol, I’ll have to have her.

“Jasp, you coming?”

Oh, God. I swallow the groan wanting to rip from me and follow her out the apartment.

The club is busy, the rhythmic beat pulsing through the room, the heat from people gyrating leaving a heavy haze in the air. I can see her body already bouncing with excitement. She spins to face me, a glorious smile spreads across her cheeks as she reaches her hands out to me.

“Come dance with me,” she says, all giddy. She’s adorable. 

I nod towards the dance floor and follow behind her. The music has sexual intent written in every word; the mix of instruments creates a lustful beat as I move my body against hers, but she’s a fucking pro and twists and bends all around me, her tight body brushing, rubbing against mine, her ass pushing into my crotch, making me hard as stone and dying to seek the warmth of her pussy.

Everyone has spread out, creating a circle around us, watching in awe of this amazing red-haired siren letting the music take her. The music and movements own this woman’s soul and she owns the movements; it’s amazing to watch her flawless body. She’s perfection. Her dress lifts with every movement, teasing us with more flesh and a glimpse of the black panties covering the place every man in here wants to be. It takes all the self-control I have not to drag her out of here, back to mine, hers, the fucking alley. Instead I let her dance all over me and around me for hours until the sweat clings to our skin and fatigue sets into my limbs.

I drop her at her apartment with a kiss on the head and a promise to take her out again. I should get a fucking medal or an ice pack for the blue balls I’ll be dealing with later.         

S
omething isn’t sitting right with me with these cases. I traced Kyra’s ex; he’s busy drinking his life away and paying twenty dollar hookers in the next town over from where he lives, so I know it’s not him who sent Kyra the note.

I nearly lost my mind last night when I couldn’t reach her. She finally called me back when Jasper sauntered in with a huge fucking grin on his face. I don’t know what he thought he would achieve by spending time with her. He wouldn’t pursue her as a one night stand out of respect for River and the new boundaries she had set him, and he couldn’t have anything other than that because of Hannah, and let’s face it—he’s Jasper. He only wants a good time or two then they’re gone and he’s onto the next. Hannah really knew how to snag the playboy with her pregnancy. No matter how much of a slut he is, he has a good soul and will do what’s right by her.

“Hey, you want?” he asks gesturing to his coffee mug, coming into the dining area wearing only sweatpants that are hung real low on his hips. He’s so toned, muscle on bone and not an ounce of fat. He’s athletic perfection and I want to test his stamina. “Derek!”

I look up at him. He’s now standing a few feet from me. “Here, I think you need it. You’re doing that daydreaming staring shit.” He laughs, handing me his coffee and slipping into the empty chair next to me. I can smell his skin, fresh from the shower and visions of him in there fill my head. God, I’ve lived six years and managed to mainly suppress these emotions, only giving permission to them when I would mourn the loss of the feelings I could never share.

 “This the stalker case?”

His question tugs me from my musing. “Yes, he attacked again and I knew her.” I pull on the documents I have scattered into a pile in front of me and sip on the coffee he gave me.

“Shit! Who?”

“A woman from my lawyer’s office.”

I watch recognition flash in his eyes and a small smile tilts his mouth briefly before it’s gone and worry replaces it. “Is she okay? Did he…?”

I shake my head and stand. “No, she’s banged up a little, but nothing of a sexual nature.”

Jasper stands with me and grasps my arm, causing my eyes to rest on where his hand holds onto me. “Why is there a file on Kyra?”

I raise my eyes to meet his. “She received a note. She believes it’s her ex, but I’m not so sure.”

His brows pinch together. “So you think it’s the same guy? Do you have anything on him? When did she get a note? Did he attack her?”

I watch his chest rise and fall. He’s working himself up. “Jasp, she’s fine and will stay fine. I’m looking out for her, which leads me to point out next time you decide to take her dancing, contact me, so I don’t go out of my mind with worry.”

His eyes have glazed over and his breathing is uneven. He’s looking at me with an intensity I’ve not witnessed from him before; his eyes drop and I follow them to notice I grabbed his hip when trying to calm him. This isn’t a friend touch and I pull my hand away before I go back to gathering the evidence.

“I need to get to the station,” I mumble, and hurry past him. I feel the burn on the back of my neck from his gaze.

* * * * *

The station is busy, alive with phones ringing and friendly banter between officers. I’m young for the position I hold, but I earned my place here. I’m a great detective and all my energy is going into finding this sick son of a bitch. I know first-hand how quickly these things escalate. The more he gets away with, the bolder he’ll become and more aggressive attacks will increase.