Page 13 of Unbearable

“Why not? I say, what happens in Boston stays in Boston.” When his beer was finished, he ordered them each a boilermaker. There was no way she planned on finishing it, but he should be hammered soon.

She watched as the shot glass was dropped in the glass of draft beer. He tilted it to his lips as she cheered him on. He finished it in one long draw.

“That was incredible,” she said, pretending to sway against him. Her hand landed on his upper thigh as she steadied herself. It was obvious by the bulge straining the front of his slacks, that he was into her, even after all the alcohol. She placed her lips next to his ear to whisper. “I need to go to the ladies. Don’t run off.”

She turned to the back of the room and walked away. There was no reason to check if he was watching her, she knew he would be.

She pushed inside the restroom even though she didn’t have to go. She did anyway since she was already there. After washing her hands, she checked her makeup in the mirror and then stepped back out.

Just as she thought he would be, he was leaning against the wall in the dark hallway. All of these guys were exactly the same. As predictable as snow in February.

“Hi,” he said again. She would roll her eyes, but then she’d have to start all over again.

“Hi,” she responded, stepping up to him.

“Come here often?” He gave her a goofy grin, so she giggled like an idiot. Then he was pulling her against him, and his lips were on hers.

He spun her against the wall before he was back on her. Her head smacked the wall, but he didn’t seem to notice. At no point had he asked if she was okay with what he was doing. She would kick him in the groin just for good measure, but she had something better in mind for him.

“Not here,” she moaned when his hands ran under her skirt to grip her ass. “If they catch us, I’ll get kicked out, and I like this place.” She stuck out her bottom lip when he pulled back to see if she was serious. “Come on, I know where the back door is.”

Taking his hand, she pulled him down the hallway and around a corner. At the back, past the offices, was a crash door without a working alarm. She pressed through it, drawing him out behind her. The moment the door slammed behind them, he had her back pressed against the rough brick wall.

His hand ran under her shirt to pinch her nipple to a hard point. She would cry out, but she could hold out a little longer. “Damn, you’re sexy,” he moaned in her mouth. His breath smelled like a distillery, and he tasted like dirty socks.

He was too busy pawing her like a horny teenager to realize that she hadn’t responded in kind. Pulling her knee up to his hip, he pressed his length against her in a grinding motion.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, he pulled back in shock before his eyes rolled back in his head. His body went soft, and he slumped into a set of arms behind him. A hypodermic syringe was yanked from his neck. She bent over to check if he was still breathing. He was…unfortunately for him.

“About damn time you showed up,” she snarled, standing back up.

“I was enjoying the show. Were you not?” the deep voice said. A dark gaze stared over the top of the unconscious man directly into her soul. “Help me get him to the car.”

“Why do I have to help?” she whined. She knew the tone would get her punished later. At least she was hoping it would.

“Because if you keep insisting on these big ones, it’s the least you can do.”

With a snort, she tucked the man’s arm over her shoulder. The car wasn’t far down the alley, just enough to be out of sight. By the time they reached it, she had broken into a sweat. They rolled the man into the trunk with a grunt.

“Now I’m all sticky,” she complained. He grabbed her by the throat and thrust her against the car. His eyes blazed as he pressed his mouth to hers. This man she kissed back like her life depended on it. Maybe it did. Somehow, she could never get enough of him.

“Get in the car, little bitch,” he hissed, turning her loose. He wrenched open the car door, and she scrambled to get inside as quickly as she could. The door slammed. He crossed in front of the hood and slid in next to her.

With a smile that would scare the most stalwart of men, he turned the key in the ignition. They pulled out of the alley and headed toward the warehouses along the water.

Brooke couldn’t help the excitement building inside her. It was the same every time she met him behind a pub with an easy mark. This was a good one she knew. He would reward her well for this find.

Her body burned with the thought of what he would do to her. The game had just begun. Now the ball was in his court.

CHAPTER 5

Dover stood staringdown at the ground. She knew the basic facts of what she was looking at. Or at least as much as the medical examiner would share with her. Male. Caucasian. Approximate age between thirty-five and forty-five. Estimated time of death was between ten and midnight.

What the basic facts didn’t tell her was how he died or why he was discovered dead on the field hockey pitch of an exclusive private high school. She looked at the impressive fence surrounding the school. How would he even get here, or how would someone place him here?

“Are you done, Detective?” the medical examiner asked from the other side of the body.

“No identification at all?”