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The thought ruins any chance I had at cumming, but I make the sounds, roll my eyes back into my skull, clamp my cunt down around his cock, and fake it.

Chapter Forty-eight

Graves

I’m apprehensive as all hell, but I have to leave her. Jefferds called this morning. “I’ve got bad news, we need to meet, now,” he’d said. I can’t imagine what he needs to see me in person for, but it can’t be good.

My mind is constantly running a never ending marathon. If I’m not planning the Haunt, I’m trying to keep up with work, all while forever in a state of worry about Mallory and her mental health. I have no idea where to start, how to get her to confide in me. If she just wants me to shut up and listen while she opens the floodgates, I’ll do it, she just needs to tell me. Anything is better than her turning to drugs. I understand she just wants to check out for a while, to not have to feel. I worked so hard to pull her out of survival mode, I’m worried this is my fault.

Lost in the spiral of thoughts, I forget what I’m doing, and scalding coffee overflows the lip of my travel mug, burning my hand. I drop it from the zap of pain, sending more hot coffee splattering all over the counter, cabinets,floor, and my captain’s uniform. “Son of a bitch!” I shout, shoving the carafe back into the spot on the machine. It cracks from the force of it colliding with the back plate. Fuck this fucking day already.

Mal emerges from the hallway in an oversizedStabt-shirt, pants-less, barefoot, hair tousled, and eyes heavy with sleep. Great, I woke her up. She takes in the mess I’ve made, then rushes over to me. Grabbing my hand, she inspects it. “Did you burn yourself? Are you okay?” She reaches over to the sink, turning on the cold water. Words escape me as I watch her, jumping into action to care for me. I can’t help but smile, the throbbing pain in my hand long forgotten. “Stop making googly eyes at me,” she huffs, dragging me towards the sink, and almost slipping in the spilled coffee.

“You make me all gooey inside, I can’t help it,” I reply like a lovestruck fool. She blushes then thrusts my hand under the ice cold water, all lovey-dovey thoughts evaporating in an instant. “Hey, that’s bloody cold!”

“No shit, it’s meant to stop the cooking of your skin. Hold it there for a few minutes.”

“This isn’t necessary, Mal, I’m fine.”

“Do as I say,” she snaps.Yeah, keep dreaming.

“Or what?”

“No more sucky-sucky.”

“Like you could keep your mouth off my cock,” I taunt. She rolls her eyes, grabbing a damp cloth to begin cleaning up the coffee. “Stop, I’ll clean the mess up.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure you and your injured hand will do a fabulous job,” she snarks. I don’t have time for her smart mouth this morning, and she must fucking know it.Turning away from me, she gets on her hands and knees to clean the floor. Her wet pussy there on display, glistening just for me can’t be ignored. I stick my other hand under the freezing water, waiting until my fingers are almost numb. Silently sneaking up behind her, I wrap my freezing fingers around the front of her throat, pulling her up to her knees, as my other hand slips between her legs. She shrieks, trying to scramble away as my frigid touch slides into her wet cunt, but she’s mine, and there’s nowhere for her to run.

“You make a point of being late to important meetings, Graves?” Jefferds says gruffly, leaning against his car. His shaven head beams like a lightbulb in the early afternoon light, the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses reflecting my approaching figure back at me. His average build isn’t at all intimidating as he stands before me, running his fingers over his moustache like a douchebag. He insisted we meet far away from where we could be overheard, and I need him to stop being so fucking cryptic right now.

“You know I don’t. I got sidetracked with Mallory. Now, care to explain why we’re meeting in such a secluded area?” He sent me directions to a parking lot for a hiking trail, asking if it was a popular spot or not. Confirming that it wasn’t maintained anymore, we agreed to meet there. The place is abandoned and overgrown, not another person in sight or signs of there being any recent activity.

“How is she doing?” he asks.

“Better than expected, all things considered.”

“Hmm.”‘Hmm’, what the fuck does ‘hmm’ mean?

“Why did you call me here?”

“Has Mallory ever mentioned Johnson having an accomplice?”

“What? An accomplice? No, never.”

“Accomplice…apprentice…anyone he could have taken under his wing?”

“No. You have access to her police report, I know damn well you’ve read it. You know there’s no mention of anyone but her and Victoria on that paperwork.”

“True…but things get muddled and forgotten in the mind.” He taps his finger on his temple like a prick. Mallory is far from losing her mind or her memories, they fucking torment her every day. “You’re dealing with her first-hand, it’s why we needed to have this meeting. Does she talk in her sleep? Mention something that doesn’t make sense…maybe about a second person?”

“No, it’s only ever Ted in her nightmares, she never mentions anyone else.”

“Can you ask her?”

“You’re serious?” I question. He nods. “I’m going to need you to fill me in on what the fuck is going on before I even consider sifting through her kidnapping and setting her progress back.”

“I understand.” Jefferds rises from leaning on his vehicle, and I can’t help but notice it’s not a police cruiser.