Page 279 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

I shook my head and answered honestly. “No, not really, but I’ve just come to the realization that some people are not that compatible after all.”

“Sounds like it’s better that you kick him to the curb. Life’s too short to be unhappy or have miserable sex.”

I could’ve corrected her on the sex part. That was the only thing Easton and I really had, and at least for me, it’d been mind-blowing. “You’re right.” I then stood back up. “I’m glad you’re home safe. I’m tired so I’m going to go to bed. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

“Goodnight,” Carley told me, and the two of us went to our own rooms.

Once inside of mine, I pulled up my last text message from Easton. Only a few hours had passed, but I was thinking much more clearly now. It was time to end whatever this was between us before my heart got broken. As I typed out the words, I realized I’d been too late. Somewhere along the way, I had fallen in love with Easton, but what we had was over.

I just wanted to let you know I won’t be scening with you anymore. Please don’t contact me again.

For good measure, I then sent another right after knowing he would have to honor my wishes.

Gemini.

As the tears rolled down my cheeks, I turned my cell phone off, then settled down onto my bed. The silk of the sheets and comforter did cool my flesh, but they couldn’t freeze my heart which continued to sting as it burned to ashes.

Seventeen

EASTON

I’d gone straight home from Syn and started to watch the countless hours of footage Bob had forwarded to me. He didn’t realize I had any affiliation with the suspect, and it was for the best. If he had even the slightest inkling, he’d pull me from the case and assign it to another agent who would’ve already made their move. I made mine on her, although it had been a different kind of one. Even hours later, all I could seem to concentrate on was how she felt in my arms while her pussy squeezed my cock. I also remembered the way she cried with one breath from each lash, but begged for me to continue with her next.

I’d fantasized about marking her in that way often, and even before we had officially met. I never imagined I would need to do it in the way that I did, and for the reasons I did. Shelby had basically given me nothing to go on, even when deep into subspace which led me even more to believe in her innocence.

“You’re acting like a damn fool,” I said out loud as I stared at several days worth of footage of her.

That bright red hair and sexy body consumed my waking thoughts, and it was something I would recognize miles away. Beyond the exterior, I thought I knew who she was inside, but if my boss was right, I didn’t know her at all. Nothing was making any sense to me right now. She was on camera, but there had to be an explanation that no one had thought of to this point. My goal was to find it, then clear her name.

For what, though? Other than her freedom, it wasn’t as if we could ever have anything together. With my line of work, I was often forced to go undercover. Sometimes, these missions would take weeks or months. Other agents on my team had even done some which took them years. I couldn’t expect Shelby to put her life on hold for me. And all that assumed she even had a life to sacrifice.

Tapping my pen against the top of my desk, I continued to scrutinize the footage. Agent Loundes had been the one tailing her all this time, and while I had questions for him, I couldn’t ask most of them without becoming suspicious. Shaking my head, I was about to head off to bed for a nap, but my cell phone chimed indicating I had a text message.

It was late, so I picked it up to see what could be on it. Immediately, I saw that it was Shelby and my body responded right away. My cock got hard and my pulse accelerated. I opened it up, then scowled. She’d had enough of whatever was going on between us and had ended things with me. I should’ve been happy as it would allow me the time to focus on trying to clear her name, but the finality was the last nail in the coffin. I’d been telling myself things between the two of us were over, but I never believed it until her second text message came through.

“Gemini,” I muttered under my breath.

The very woman we were searching for in California used the same moniker. She also was a spitting image to Shelby who used the same name as a safeword. If she had known I was DEA, I might’ve considered that as part of her arrogance, but she had no idea what I did. Because of those missions, my occupation was kept quiet, especially at places like Syn.

“Who are you?” I continued to stare at her face. She was paranoid in this particular frame, and as the video streamed on, she was also very nervous. I’d witnessed something similar last night, but it had been for a different reason.

Another text message came through, and I grabbed my cell phone hoping it was Shelby about to rescind her previous messages. When I looked down at the screen, it was Loundes instead.

Are you up, Bradford?

Yes

I’m in the area. Care if I stop in?

I did, but since I was having no luck with this case on my own, another set of eyes couldn’t hurt.

No, come on. I’ll have the doorman let you up.

I then called downstairs to let Joe know I had a guest arriving soon. Security wasn’t as detailed during the day, but between midnight and 6 AM, it was almost like trying to enter Fort Knox. As I awaited Loundes’ arrival, I began to go over every single piece of evidence in this case, coming away still with more questions than answers. I’d already spent countless hours reviewing everything.

In addition to photographic and visual evidence, there were also audio recordings, but those were grainy at best. The voice sounded very familiar, but also very foreign at the same time. I’d done everything to try to clear it up, but finally sent it to the forensics team. Thus far, all Helen could suggest was that the suspect could purposely be disguising her voice. While that could be true, something in the pit of my stomach told me that she wasn’t.

If this was actually Shelby, she would have no reason to suspect anyone was on to her, so why go through the effort. She was smart, though. Brilliant, even. I saw her transcripts from college, and she graduated on the Dean’s List. If she had resorted to trafficking drugs outside of her own successful spa franchise, she might’ve been covering her tracks just in case.

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