“No.” I motioned to the front entrance. “Mind if I take some notes?”
He moved to the side and motioned for me to go ahead. It was strange to see him without his mask or gloves, although the thought of those made my recall the night before a little too vividly. My cheeks heated as I walked past him, but he grasped my arm, stopping me in my steps.
“You never told me.”
I arched an eyebrow as I glanced from his hand to his face. “Told you what?”
“The question I apparently asked you last night. Whether or not you’ve squirted while being with a man.” He pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear, and I shivered. “Well... did I make you squirt?”
I muttered several curse words under my breath as I marched away from him. “Please don’t remind me of that. I’m already mortified as it is.” I grabbed my messenger back and rummaged through my things until I found my notebook.
“Why? Do you have any regrets?”
“Regrets? I’m supposed to keep things ethical... Professional, and I?”
“You were drugged and horny.”
I turned to face him. If it wasn’t for Jack, I knew what Michael had planned to do to me. The realization seemed to hit me all at the same time, and I burst into tears. I barely raised my hands to my face before Jack held me against his chest, just letting me cry. Between him murdering someone when I was in the same room to staying awake all night to make sure I’d be okay, my emotions were a mess.
For a split second, I wondered if Jack had taken advantage of me considering my drugged state, but I dismissed that thought faster than it appeared. I’d wanted him to touch me before the drug was in my system. But it was done, and I had to stop it while I was ahead.
I backed away, drying my face with the back of my hand as I mumbled apologies. Before he could say anything, I grabbed my notebook from the bag and made my way to the counter island. Once down on the surface, I opened it, ready to start taking notes again.
“Why did you kill Michael? Why him?” I asked, then stared back at Jack.
His expression was stony, and for a moment, he almost looked as though he wouldn’t answer. “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, for one thing, he seemed to know you. I didn’t think you’d murder someone who could be connected to you.” I noted down Jack’s reluctance to answer questions this time.
“I work as a bouncer at several nightclubs and a few bars.” He shrugged. “Michael was a regular, so he eventually caught my name.”
No wonder he was so muscular?if he had to throw people out for being too rowdy, carrying me back into my apartment was probably a bit easier for him than most.
“But you killed him almost right after Patrice... Don’t you usually wait about a month?”
He chuckled as he approached, one hand in his pants pocket as though he was taking a leisurely stroll. “You believe you’ve discovered some sort of pattern with the way I kill?”
It was almost a challenge.
“Usually, it’s around once a month, isn’t it?” I asked, flipping back through my previous notes. I took out a few of the crime scene photos I’d printed out and laid them across the counter.
“And where did you get these?” he asked in a curious tone.
“A classmate of mine, Trevor, works for the Ottawa Police Department. He took some photos of the evidence for me.”
Jack frowned. “Why would he risk his job and jail time to do that?”
“Because men like blowjobs.”
He walked around the counter, and I stiffened to keep from backing away. “I see.” He grabbed the side of my neck, his thumb tracing along my throat as I swallowed hard. “Don’t do it again.”
My eyebrows shot up, and I wondered if he meant doing something illegal or giving blowjobs. “All men or just Trevor?”
“Whichever ones you don’t want dead,” he said darkly.
I pushed his hand away and put my hands on my hips. Looking authoritative was difficult when he stared at me hungrily, though. And when he stood so much taller.
“Look. I’m sorry about what happened last night and me crying just now. It won’t happen again. But this”—I motioned between the two of us—“is supposed to be an ethical relationship. I ask questions, you answer.”
