Taken by You (Killer Next Door #2) Read online

  Roger took a condom out of his pocket and opened the package. Not wanting another pregnancy, he rolled the condom down his shaft.

  He lifted Rose and turned her over onto her stomach. He then moved her hips up to meet him. He rubbed the head of his hardened mass against her. More moans escaped her as he slipped inside her tight spot.

  “Oh, you’re so wet and tight.” He also liked the view of her backside. It was better than looking into her eyes. He wanted to see Kate’s eyes staring back at him. But Rose would have to do for now. He kept up his pace until he came and then collapsed on the bed next to her.

  All of a sudden, the exhaustion from the day overwhelmed him. He hadn’t planned on spending the night, but he realized going home wasn’t a good idea—he could barely move a muscle. After maneuvering them under the sheets, he let her cuddle up to him. Within seconds, he was asleep.

  Roger woke up the next morning to the aroma of coffee brewing. Rose was in the kitchen making breakfast. He could hear the rattling of pots and pans. Getting up to join her, he realized this arrangement could work out for him for the next few weeks while he searched for Kate.

  Wrapping his arms around Rose’s waist, he nuzzled her neck. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning.” He could hear the smile in her voice as she said it. “Would you like some coffee? It’s hazelnut flavored.”

  “Wow! That’s my favorite.”

  Rose turned in his arms to face him. “Mine too. I find it so soothing.”

  Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “But do you have hazelnut flavored creamer?”

  “Of course.” Rose nodded her head. “It’s in the fridge.”

  Roger opened the refrigerator to retrieve the creamer. After sugaring up his coffee, he took a sip. “I can’t do anything in the morning before coffee. I’m useless without it.”

  “Well, I have plans for you later, so drink up,” she said, gliding her hand down his arm.

  By the way she touched him, he could tell these were the kind of plans he liked.

  “You must have had a busy day yesterday,” she said. “You feel asleep within seconds of hitting the pillow.”

  Roger nodded. “I spent the last month in Germany visiting my son. I flew in last night, but felt restless, so I decided to go out for a while. Good thing I did or I wouldn’t have met you.” A satisfied smile crossed his face. “It seems like fate has brought us together.”

  “Must have been a long flight. No wonder you were so tired. How was your visit with your son?”

  “Amazing. He’s my pride and joy and I hated leaving him, but that’s where he lives now.”

  “So, I take it he lives there with his mother and she’s from Germany?”

  “Yeah, I met her when I was stationed there in the Army.”

  She dished up a plate of food for each of them.

  “I’d love to go to Europe, but I’m afraid to fly. How long does it take to get there?”

  “About fifteen hours. It’s hard to just sit there for so long.”

  Rose placed their plates on the table and they sat down. “You didn’t meet anyone interesting to talk to?”

  “No one nearly as interesting as you,” he said, taking a bite of eggs. “Mm. These are delicious.”

  “Thanks. I love to cook, among other things,” she said, giving Roger a suggestive grin.

  “So, what did you have in store for me today?”

  “You’ll just have to stick around to find out.” Rose took a sip of her coffee. “It begins with taking a shower together.”

  ***

  Roger got home about four p.m. He went back to Kate’s apartment to search for clues to her whereabouts. The place was spotless—not even a scrap of paper was left behind to give her away. All of the kitchen drawers were empty. He’d hoped to find something to go on. But he would begin his search soon enough. Knowing she didn’t work on Mondays or Tuesdays, he would begin his stakeout Wednesday. “I’ll find you soon, my love,” he said aloud in the vacant apartment. “Very soon.”

  Returning to his apartment, he decided to take a nap. Rose was going to come watch him play tonight. He couldn’t wait for the guys in the band to see her. He always liked it when they were envious of what he had. Growing up wishing for so much he never got, he had a lot to make up for in his life. He was determined to make up for his losses no matter what. He was owed and he would collect regardless of the circumstances.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Kate

  After running errands, Kate arrived home to find a blinking light on the answering machine. She and Neil had created a message together when she moved into his luxury penthouse. She’d given the number to Charlie and her family members to use if they couldn’t reach her on her cell. At first, she wasn’t going to listen to the message, assuming it was for Neil, but curiosity got the best of her and she hit the Play button. As soon as she heard her Aunt Donna’s voice, she was glad she did.

  Aunt Donna sounded grave in the message, which was very unlike her. She was usually so upbeat and spunky, so Kate knew something was wrong. After grabbing the phone, she dialed her aunt’s number, holding her breath while she waited for the connection to go through.

  Aunt Donna answered on the second ring, her voice flat. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Aunt Donna. It’s Kate. I got your message to call you right away.”

  “Kate. I’m so glad you called. There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to come out with it. Your dad died. He’s been dead for a week, and the police just found his body today.”

  Kate was stunned. A pit formed in her stomach and she thought she was going to throw up.

  Tears started flowing down her face, and her voice shook when she finally spoke. “I can’t believe it. Do they know what happened?”

  “The neighbors noticed he hadn’t moved his car in the past week and they thought it was strange, so they called the police. The police found your dad on the bathroom floor. They’re sure it wasn’t foul play. They think it could’ve been a heart attack, causing him to fall and hit his head.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Kate’s voice was barely audible. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

  Donna went on to explain that the police in Florida contacted the Minnesota police and they showed up at her house with the news. His body was being flown to Minnesota. She promised to call Kate as soon as the funeral arrangements were made, but they assumed the funeral would be in a week or so.

  They hung up after saying, “I love you” to each other.

  Kate was numb as she sat there staring at the phone. Immediately she called her mom to tell her what had happened. Her parents had been divorced for about fifteen years, but she’d always thought they still loved each other even though neither would ever admit it. Her mom was very sad to hear the news; her despair was evident in her voice.

  Kate pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She reflected on her last few interactions with her dad. Their relationship had been strained for as long as she could remember—with the exception of a phone call at Christmas, she hadn’t seen or spoken to her father since she was fourteen years old. She’d called him to ask if she could live with him. What a mistake that had been. He said “no” and had never bothered to see her or her brother again. She probably reminded him of her mom, which made seeing her difficult. Every time they were together, he was overly critical and couldn’t hide his disappointment that she shared so many qualities with his ex-wife. He’d never gotten over her mother, and although Kate had tried very hard to be different from her, his pain clouded his judgment, causing Kate and her brother to suffer the consequences of his bitterness. Her dad hadn’t actually revealed these things to her, but that was the conclusion she’d come up with.

  Sighing, she recalled their conversation at Christmas. She’d decided after ten years, she’d be the bigger person and reach out to him. Her aunt had been telling her his memory was failing and he had no idea why they didn’t speak to each other. The
y talked for about thirty minutes. He seemed genuinely excited to hear from her and their conversation was happy and light. That was nine months ago, and now he was gone. Oddly, a month after she’d called, he stopped paying his phone bill and disconnected his service. She felt like he'd done that to avoid having to talk to her again. The truth was his mental illness was completely out of control. According to her Aunt Donna, he’d stopped bathing and brushing his teeth. He didn’t associate with anyone and no longer had any friends. His diabetes was unchecked and he no longer seemed to care.

  She was sad to hear these things about her father, but she didn’t know what to do about them. If her aunt hadn’t been able to get through to her dad, how would she have?

  Still, her heart was heavy. Her dad was gone and their broken relationship would never be restored. All she had was their last conversation. The memory of their conversation gave her a small measure of solace…she’d made the effort towards reconciliation by calling him. It had been a difficult decision, but in effect that final exchange now provided a healing she hadn’t realized she would need. Thank you, God, for that last phone call. She had nothing else to hold onto, but she at least had that.

  She sat on the sofa for a long time, isolation weighing on her. At twenty-four, she’d experienced the loss of two vital people in her life. Counseling had helped her deal with the first death, one that had been so senseless. Her thoughts turned to Neil and she made a wish they could have a long life together. So far, everything between them had been amazing. The past two months with him had been more glorious than anything she’d ever imagined.

  ***

  The day after Roger left for Germany, she’d packed up her belongings and moved into Neil’s condo. The ride to her new home had been filled with great anticipation, and the beautiful glow of San Diego seemed just a little brighter. So much was swirling around in her mind she’d almost missed the exit. Her driving had been on autopilot, as she’d been concentrating on how much she wanted to be with Neil. Everything that had happened in her life before she met him no longer seemed as important. She was finally living again, not just surviving. His passion and strength gave her the courage to be vulnerable, letting go of the wall she’d built around her heart. She’d forgotten what it was like to be deeply in love with someone, but Neil had awakened joy within her. She was embarking upon a new journey, one she hoped would have the happily ever after she could feel in her bones.

  Neil met her down in the parking garage to help her carry up her clothing and boxes of personal items. The huge grin on his face said it all. He was happy. At least as happy as she was. They looked like two ridiculous grinning idiots, but she didn’t care. Neil Statton was the man of her dreams and she was the woman of his. This felt so right, and she couldn’t wait to start their lives together.

  She unpacked her things, settling into his place quickly. Neil’s penthouse was large and she had more than enough space. He even converted one of the spare bedrooms into an office for her to study. It was furnished beautifully, but what she really loved about it was the chaise lounge chair he’d bought her. It was covered in purple velvet and she often curled up on it to study or read a good book. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve such a thoughtful man. He did everything in his power to make her feel cherished.

  Charlie had moved into a townhouse with her boyfriend, Mitch. Kate knew Charlie was happy and her relationship with Mitch was becoming more serious. Unbeknownst to Charlie, Kate had helped Mitch select a beautiful engagement ring and he was planning on asking her to marry him on Thanksgiving, his favorite holiday. It would most likely become Charlie’s favorite holiday as well. Kate was thrilled for her two dearest friends. She was looking forward to helping Charlie plan her wedding and imagining Charlie would return the favor sometime in the next year.

  ***

  Now she’d been living with Neil for an entire month, and she felt they were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Everything seemed new and romantic. She’d learned from watching Charlie and Mitch that things change as time goes on. A year from now, their life together would be more like a well-worn pair of shoes. As much as she liked the beginning of their relationship, she was looking forward to really feeling like a couple. She wanted them to finish each other’s sentences and have background information about each other that would render explanations unnecessary.

  Kate curled up with the comfortable throw on the sofa. Lying down, her body seemed heavy, like someone had placed bricks on top of her. Unable to keep her eyelids open, she gave in to sleep. She began dreaming almost as soon as she put her head on the decorative pillow.

  Standing on the bank of the swamp, she was trying to make out something submerged in the water several feet away from her. The sun was rising. Compelled to enter the murky water, she waded in, her feet sinking into the marshy soil beneath her. The mud oozed between her toes, causing a shrill sound to escape her lips. She took another step and saw the form of a man trapped under the water. She reached out for him, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t reach him.

  “Kate!” A man called to her. Kate whipped her head around, but no one was there.

  “Dad?” she whispered, taking another step forward. She glanced down at the corpse, which was mostly obscured by the algae and dirt churning in the current. Was he speaking to her from beyond the grave?

  “Get out of the water!” he shouted. “Hurry! Go back to land! Before it’s too late.”

  She didn’t want to leave him, but she did as she was told. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her voice was dormant and her soul was troubled. Suddenly, two huge alligators came into view and devoured a part of her dad’s body. She began screaming. She felt someone shaking her, but she couldn’t stop screaming.

  “Wake up, Kate,” Neil said, rocking her gently. “You’re having a bad dream. It’s just a dream.”

  Kate opened her eyes to see his handsome face staring down at her. He moved a loose strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear.

  She sat up and wrapped her arms around him. She trembled and began to sob despite the comfort his strong body provided. As her shoulders shook, he whispered into her hair, “Baby, it’s okay. You’re safe. I’m here.”

  She pulled back a little bit and looked into his eyes. “My Aunt Donna called earlier. My dad died last week.”

  Neil’s brow furrowed. “Oh shit, Kate. I’m so sorry. Last week? Why didn’t you find out about this sooner? I thought you and your aunt were close.”

  “We are close. She just found out today. The police found him dead in his home. He died about a week ago in the bathroom.”

  The tears started coming again and she put her head on Neil’s shoulder. He held her and stroked the back of her head.

  The sun was starting to drop in the sky and the living room had an incandescent glow. Neither of them moved for a long time. Neil held her, consoling her the best way he could. “How about some wine?” he asked quietly in her ear.

  “That sounds good.”

  “You just sit here and I’ll get you a glass of Moscato,” he said, getting up in one graceful motion.

  Kate covered herself with the blanket. October was just ending and evenings had turned chilly from the ocean air. Neil turned on a lamp before bringing her the wine. He handed it to her and then returned to his spot next to her on the sofa. She took a big sip, hoping it would take the edge off. But how much wine would she actually need to not feel overwhelmed by what life had been throwing her way lately?

  “So, what’s the plan?” he questioned.

  “The plan?” she repeated, confused by the question.

  Neil covered her hand with his. “Are you going to the funeral? When and where is the funeral? You know, what are the arrangements?”

  Kate nodded. “The funeral will be in Minnesota. My dad wanted to be buried there. My aunt is making all of the arrangements and she’s going to call me when the date is set.” Kate drank more of her wine. “It sounds like
it could happen in about a week. I really don’t want to go, but I know it would mean a lot to my aunt for me to be there.”

  Neil took her hand and kissed it the way he always did. “I know, baby. From everything you’ve said, your dad wasn’t exactly going to win the father of the year award. He was pretty lousy to you and your brother. I don’t blame you for not wanting to go, but you might regret it if you don’t.”

  “You’re right. I don’t want to have any regrets if I can help it. Do you think you could come with me?”

  Neil scrunched up his face. “I want to go with you, but I can’t. I have to be in court just about every day for the next two weeks. We have a really busy caseload right now.”

  “I understand. It’s probably for the best anyway. Meeting my dad’s family under these circumstances isn’t ideal.”

  “Why don’t we take your mind off things by getting something to eat and then soaking in the tub?”

  “Food sounds great, but I don’t feel up to going anywhere. Could we get take-out?”

  “Yeah. Let me get the menu selection.” He got up and walked to the kitchen drawer that contained the wide array of choices. “Let’s see…we have Greek, Chinese, Italian, and Thai. What would you like?”

  “How about a pizza? Comfort food sounds good to me.”

  “Do you want the usual?”

  Kate smiled to herself. He knew what she liked on her pizza. It was extremely special in her book; they were starting to really know each other’s likes and dislikes.

  “The usual sounds perfect, just like you.” Kate felt it was just fine to be a bit gushy at that moment. She needed the levity.