Nothing Special V, page 24
part #5 of Nothing Special Series
When he was satisfied Tech’s nipple couldn’t take any more abuse and would be tender for hours and marked even longer, he pulled his mouth off with a loud pop. Tech moaned when Steele laved it lovingly, an apology to the sensitive flesh that was now swollen and dark purple.
“Oh god. I can’t believe you did that. Motherfucker,” Tech groaned, sitting up, staring at the angry mark. He glared at Steele and gingerly pulled his sweater back over his chest. “Oww.”
“Now you think about that mark when he comes back later for his answer. Or next time I’ll put one where he’ll be able to see it.” Steele grabbed the back of Tech’s neck and surged forward, clamping his mouth over his, dominating him, before Tech jerked back. Steele gave him a look that said, “Don’t make me have to mark you again.”
God
“We won’t start anything new right now. We’ll provide assistance to other departments as needed until we finish with the case. It’s in Spartanburg the beginning of next year, so the witnesses will be transported tomorrow morning and I’ve asked Hart and his team to assist with transport, that way I know the job will be done right. I’m not taking any more chances. These witnesses are trusting us to keep them safe and we dropped the ball.”
“Do you want us to shotgun with Hart’s team?” Ruxs asked.
“No. Hart’s got it. So, with the trial postponed, that gives us another couple weeks of down time. And I think we all can use it. Besides, Leo and I have a few final things to organize.” God couldn’t hide his smile. With everything worked out for their wedding, he was thrumming with excitement. Now that they had answers about their schedule, God was booking their flight to Aruba. “We’re going to do casework, reviewing—”
“Aw. Come on.” Ruxs and Green were the first to complain – like always. None of them liked the mundane tedium of going through files. It was boring as hell. But God didn’t have time for whining and bitching. He stood there staring at the guys, the expression of pure exasperation on his face finally making them close their traps.
“Who’s that?” Steele nodded towards the glass wall, looking out of their department.
“Wow!” Tech’s eye’s widened, sitting up higher in his chair.
“Damn,” Syn whispered.
Day’s smile spread across his face and God already didn’t like anything about was getting ready to happen. The entire bullpen was on their feet, staring and moving towards the trio of men walking directly towards their department. God wished he’d stayed home in bed with his fiancé so they wouldn’t’ve been here for this surprise visit.
“You don’t recognize him?” Tech asked in awe, leaning into Steele’s shoulder.
“No. Why? Should I?” Steele frowned, looking around at everyone, but no one could take their eyes off the ridiculously handsome men entering their office. With them came an air of confidence and extreme wealth.
“Hey. No superstars allowed.” Day smiled and damn near jogged over and threw his arms around the man in the middle, holding him tight to him as the guy whispered something in Day’s ear that had him throwing his head back and laughing affectionately.
His classy trench coat was matched perfectly to his two-tone shawl collar shirt. It was masculine and the logo was one God didn’t recognize, probably too posh to be found where he shopped. His slacks looked custom made for him and his shoes looked Italian. The guy finally let Day go, his billion-dollar smile brighter than any light in their office. Day moved over and hugged the tallest one, looking him up and down like he liked what he saw. Who fucking wouldn’t? He wore dark slacks and a cream sweater with a thick gold herringbone decorating his neck. God kept his mouth pressed tightly together, not wanting to do anything that would make Day upset. The third guy was drool worthy. He’d seen him more than once, modeling in a culinary magazine or charming the pants off the female chefs on television. A sleek body encased in anther tailor-fitted blazer and matching slacks. The man oozed style and perfection, his light hazel eyes scanning the room, charismatic personality radiating from him, causing half of God’s men to melt in their fucking chairs just looking at him. The cool man held out his arms, the right side of his mouth curving up into a sexy grin while he encouraged Day to step into his embrace. Day hugged him more intimately than he hugged the others like the man was too beautiful to grab and manhandle.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Day finally asked, moving back to stand in front of the one in the middle. “Let me introduce you to everyone, first. I don’t think you’ve met the other guys.”
“No, I haven’t,” he said, too smoothly for God’s liking and he barely stopped his eyes from rolling to the heavens.
Day began pointing out everyone. “You remember Syn, Ruxs, Green, and Tech. This is our newest member, Edwin Steele. Michaels is on leave. And, I know you remember Ro, but he was injured so he’s home soaking up a lot of unnecessary pampering.” Day clasped his hand on the man’s broad shoulder. “Everyone, this is my best friend and frat brother, Prescott Vaughan, and beside him are his partners, that’s Dr. Edward Rickson, and this stunning man beside him is Blair McKenzie.”
“Being sex on a stick must be a job qualification to join your team, Leonidis. Looking around this table at all these strapping men has me considering a change in careers,” Blair said in a southern drawl that had each of the guys gushing at him and sticking their chests out a little further.
God looked at his guys, giving each of them a stare of disdain, which none of them saw because they were too busy gawking.
The trio made their way around the table shaking everyone’s hand, Prescott moving around until he was in front of God. He didn’t dare try to hug him, there was no use pretending they liked each other. God didn’t like the idea that Pres was the one that got away from Day. His fiancé had been in love with Pres the entire time they were in college. Had fooled around all four years, but Pres wasn’t ready to admit he was gay back then. By the time he was, Pres came back for Day, but he was with God. Irrespective of how long ago it was, God never shook the feeling that Pres was the one Day really wanted.
The man was everything God wasn’t. Cultured, educated, rich and crazy famous. And nothing short of a walking miracle in the eyes of the public. He’d won countless culinary awards in his twenties, and then lost his sight in a terrible car accident, forcing him to learn how to be a chef while blind. Somehow, with that handicap, he managed to grow a successful food critiquing business that was known around the world and sought out by every chef that wanted to make a name for themselves. Pres came out late and acquired not one, but two gorgeous men to stand by him and keep him warm at night. Then, as if touched by an angel, his sight reappeared. Making him a culinary motivational superstar. He had television cooking shows, hosted reality shows, had so many cookbooks God lost count and restaurants from here to London. And even with those two runway-worthy men at his side, he still looked at Day differently than he looked at anyone, and God couldn’t blame him.
“It’s been a long time, God. How are you?” Pres asked, shaking his hand. God didn’t sneer at the baby softness of the man’s hands, like he moisturized every twenty minutes, instead he clasped his hand back.
“I’m good, and you?” God said stiffly.
“It’s been going, but I wouldn’t say good.” Pres’ mouth stretched tight like he was uncomfortable, looking anything but camera-ready, and up close, God could see the faint darkness under his sky blue eyes and the worry lines etched in his forehead. Suddenly the smiles faded from Pres’ partners’ faces and anxiety appeared on theirs as well.
“What’s going on?” Day asked, stepping closer. “Why are you in Atlanta?”
“I drove in yesterday. I had a new restaurant to review. The one that opened a couple months ago next to the Botanical Gardens. While I was there, someone tampered with my car… cut the brake line. Then, last night, someone bypassed the alarm, came into our condo and shot at me. Ric was able to disarm him, but he got away. I’ve been receiving threats at my home in Virginia and at my office, but I thought it was someone who just didn’t care for my lifestyle or simply envied my fame. I didn’t mean to bring this to your door, Leo. I actually wanted to surprise you when I came into town, but unfortunately, this is no longer a social call. Someone’s trying to kill me, Leo. I came to ask you and your team for help.”
Day
Day felt his legs try to give when he heard his best friend say that someone was trying to kill him. Day’s life without Pres would be dark. There’d be a hole in his heart for a very long time if something happened to him. They talked at least three times a week, sometimes more than once a day. No matter how busy Pres was, he always had time for him. They had no secrets and Pres was a confidant. Day had told him all about God’s stalling after his proposal and Day knew all about some vengeful nurse at Ric’s hospital that claimed he sexually assaulted her. Being one of Prescott’s lovers sometimes came with a negative spotlight. Still, Day knew information the media would never know about Prescott Vaughan. They were privy to every detail of each other’s lives. They were brothers. They’d long gotten past the “I wanted you and you didn’t want me then you wanted me and I no longer wanted you.” A romantic relationship just wasn’t meant to be for them, and being with their current partners, they knew why it’d worked out the way it did. Rick and Blair were the perfect balance for Pres’ larger than life persona. And God was everything Day needed in a partner. His wild life in law enforcement could only be handled by one man and he was standing next to him. When Pres had come in, his fiancé looked like he’d rather get a root canal than be in Pres’ company, but the look of concern God wore the moment Pres said he was in danger touched Day’s heart. Even though Pres wasn’t God’s favorite person, his partner knew what Pres meant to him. Day didn’t know why Pres had withheld critical information from him about being harassed, but he was going to get to the bottom of it.
“Pres, sit down. Blair, Ric, come on, have a seat. Tell us what’s going on. You can trust these men, I promise you.”
“I know, Leo. It’s why we came.”
Pres sat in the first chair and Ric and Blair sat in the next two, putting Blair right beside Tech. Day watched the tall man lean over and take a generous sniff close to Tech’s shoulder.
“Well, hello there. You smell heavenly.”
Tech blinked like an owl before he finally thanked him.
“You’ll have to forgive me, handsome. I have a bit of a fragrance fetish. You smell like…” Blair inched even closer, his nose practically on Tech’s ear. “Clean… the brand. Amber Saffron… no, no, that’s Blonde Rose, right?”
“Right,” Tech said, sounding fascinated.
“It’s one of my favorites. You’re a man of good taste, Mr. Tech, but the scent is mixed with something a little spicier. A natural scent, which I’m picking up a little further down.” Blair finally leaned away and rubbed his hand down his jacket lapel, returning his attention to Day.
“I see you’re still smelling men and making them extremely uncomfortable,” God mumbled at Blair.
“Never made you uncomfortable, God,” Blair said seductively, raising a brow. “It’s okay to be honest.”
Day remembered Blair practically crawling up God’s body once to smell him at the base of his neck. Stating God’s potent, dominating scent was a testament to his strength. God called Blair an out of control sex fiend, which only earned him a disgruntled look from Blair’s other lover, Ric. God just couldn’t understand how Pres trusted that hot minx, and Day had to agree. He didn’t think he could have a lover that flirted with any and everyone he came into contact with. Maybe it was from Blair’s days as an escort, where he’d learned how to pull a sensual reaction from whomever he encountered, including their team. Even Steele was awestruck by the man.
Day pulled up another chair beside God’s. “Your nose is even sharper than it was a few months ago, Blair. I think that’s the last time I saw you.”
“Not as good as Pres’ nose, but I’m working on it. Being in a room full of strong, good-smelling men is making me—”
“Blair,” Ric barked, his deep voice cutting off what his sexy partner was about to say. “Let’s stay focused.”
Blair didn’t look reprimanded; he looked excited at having pulled such a strong reaction from his bigger partner. He brought his loafer up and propped it on his right knee, and let Pres continue with the details.
“Three weeks ago, we came home from a charity benefit to find someone had shoved a threatening note under our door. I put it in a folder and gave it to my manager, just in case anything came of it. It was the first of many. I get two or three a day.”
“What do they usually say?” Steele asked.
Day was happy that Steele was here now. He was experienced in personal security and isolated threats. His expertise would be critical for this.
“Just that I’m a deviant, a has-been. In a nutshell, they always go on about a rerun that recently aired or a restaurant I did a write up for. Everything from I’m illiterate to I can’t cook. It was all so damn elementary. I concluded it was some deranged fan, but most likely a homophobic, backwater hillbilly who thinks it’s his responsibility to harass gay people,” Pres gritted out, rolling his eyes at the absurdity in this day and age.
Pres was getting angry and Ric rubbed a large palm over Pres’ back, silently encouraging him to keep going.
“Then, we came home from dinner at Blair’s restaurant to find that someone had jacked off on a pile of my clothes that they’d dumped out of my dresser.”
“You said ‘they’,” Syn interjected.
“Well, I don’t know how many there actually were, or if that event is even connected. But the guy poured bleach on it, so the lab wasn’t able to get an identity from it.” Pres wiped his hand over his mouth like recounting the act made him sick to his stomach. “We have a state of the art security system and cameras inside and out, but all of it was disabled somehow, and the security company can’t figure it out.”
Day saw Tech get up and retrieve his laptop and squeeze back in between Blair and Steele. “What’s your address, please?”
Blair whispered it to Tech while Pres kept going.
“I have the same system in my Atlanta condo as in my Virginia home. Somehow, this man got in last night. I never even heard him inside my home, Leo. Blair and I were making love. Ric was at the gym. If he hadn’t come home when he did.” Pres rung his hands together, the fear of someone wanting to hurt him, or heaven forbid, one of his partners, was aging his friend right before his eyes.
“Why didn’t you call me earlier?” Day bristled. “This has been going on for weeks, Pres.
“Up until last night, it’s been a lot of talk, notes and one act of disgust. I called the police but they—”
“How come the shooting wasn’t on the news?” Ruxs interjected.
“My publicist is keeping it quiet for now. Not wanting to flush out any copy cats.”
“Smart,” Ruxs added.
“I’m sorry, Leo. You have your work here, and I know your job is already so demanding, I didn’t want to add to it. And then your wedding’s right around the corner. I didn’t want to impose.” Pres shook his head, frustration all over his face. “I was hoping the special victims unit in our police department could handle the notes, but their delay is frightening. They’ve put several detectives on the case and I was thankful that they’ve considered my situation a priority, so I hate to say this, but they move too slowly. I’m sure they are doing all they can, but they’ve yet to give us any definitive answers.”
“Do you know of anyone who’d want to kill you?” Green asked.
“I have no idea. I move around a lot but I live in Virginia. I still have my food critique headquarters here in Atlanta. As you already know, Leo, I’ve scaled back on doing television and have put most of my attention into the new restaurant in the Town Center in Virginia Beach. But, to answer your question, collectively, I have thousands under my employ. Maybe it’s someone who was fired. But I’ve never fired anyone, personally. Or, like I said, some crazy bigot.” Pres sighed and deflated in front of them. “Hell if I know, I’ve never had anything like this happen. I don’t even have bodyguards. I never needed them.”
“I recommended he get one, but we hadn’t had a chance to interview any good companies, and the guy his manager sent over a couple weeks ago was more concerned with meeting other famous people than protecting Prescott. It was under his watch that someone broke into your office. You didn’t mention that,” Ric inserted.
“Oh yeah. Someone was in my office. It looked like they just sat at my desk and went through my things. Nothing was stolen and the computer was still locked. But I don’t know if that’s related.”
“Right now, we have to treat everything like it’s related,” God said. “Any fingerprints from the office?”
“No. I had it cleaned. I just thought someone was wanting to mess with me since nothing was removed.” Pres looked a little embarrassed at that admission but he kept going. “I’m more concerned with how someone can get into my security system at our home. Even kill the surveillance to the building.”
“Tech, anything yet?” Syn looked over at him.
“Give me a minute,” Tech said, his eyes darting all over the screen, his fingers moving so fast it was amazing he was touching only one key at a time.
“I should’ve come earlier, Leo. But that gunshot, that was… that was enough. I canceled all public appearances for the next couple weeks and came straight here.”
“It won’t take us two days,” God said confidently. No one on his team was shocked by the deadline he threw out.
“Last name Carter. Ring a bell?” Tech asked. “That’s the name the IP address is registered with.”
