Alyssa McQueen’s father Martin McQueen is indeed dead, and the murder is a cold case just like she said. Most likely a random act of violence. A junkie or other desperate person robbing a cab driver.
She worked as assistant manager at a swanky Italian restaurant in Columbus, so I tell Julian to talk to her former employers too. I want him doing this without it leading back here, until we know more, so he’s got an alternate identification and prepaid phone to use.
Julian doesn’t seem to mind and says he’ll head to the airport right away and he’ll charge me overtime.
When I tell him that’s fine, he goes quiet. “I’m just jokin’ man. Just cover my expenses.”
“Thanks, man. I owe you.”
“You’re really concerned, Jude?”
“Yeah,” I say plainly. “Very.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I can,” my brother says, serious as a heart attack.
Rex is looking into the Baltimore connection. I want to know more about the job she worked that got her transferred here so Aiden’s getting Rex access to the data servers and HR files for that company from before they acquired them and absorbed them into Carmichael Consulting. I’m particularly interested in Ally’s emails from there. I haven’t looked yet at those or at the access I’ve got to her emails from Carmichael Consulting because of the word I gave her, but it’s all ready for me to dig in when I need to.
Yeah, a technicality that I’m having her looked into instead of doing it myself. And I’m keeping my eye on her. Closely.
After this weekend, I know I’m in love with this girl. And I’m aiming to figure out what the fuck has her so scared.
Today, she wasn’t visibly scared all day long. Not once we were out of her apartment at least. Today, she seemed like she had actual fun with my family.
And it was good to see. She showed me who she is, whether she realized it or not. Joking and sparring with my grandmother, keeping her back straight and looking my judgmental uncle right in the eyes without flinching. Being kind and comfortable around Ivana. Going as far as to make Ivana’s day with the hair. Making time for Prabaka and even my uncle’s second wife Stana, who actually spoke for a change during dinner because Ally gave her time and made sure to include her in the conversation. She cooked with my mother and helped in the kitchen, cooking food my family loved and got Stana in the kitchen with them, too, which never happens because Stana is shy so sits by Niko’s side and says sweet fuck all.
I’m planning on continuing to keep making Ally feel safe and hopefully she’ll spill her secrets. If she doesn’t, I’ll have the means to figure it all out.
When I come out, I hear the bathtub running.
She startles when I step in there. She’s in the water with bubbles higher than the tub and she’s rubbing her arm raw with a yellow cloth. The cat sits on the side of the tub, watching her and looking curiously at the bubbles.
Ally’s other arm is already red and sore-looking.
“What are you doing in here?” she asks.
“We’re spending the day together, remember?”
“Every minute?”
“What are you doing to your skin?” I ask.
“Exfoliating it.” She holds up the cloth and I take it. It’s rough, almost like sandpaper.
“I’m comin’ in.” I drop the cloth on the counter and throw my shirt off.
“You wanna sit and soak in my dead skin?”
“Why not,” I shrug, drop everything else I’ve got on, and climb in behind her. “Let’s make some Ally and Jude soup.”
“Eww.” she says, but then giggles. “Vixen and Dick soup.”
I laugh.
“This tub is shit. We should have baths at my place. My tub is three times this size.”
“Your awesome sex lair tub?” she asks.
I smile and kiss her shoulder.
“How are the renovations coming along?” she asks.
I snicker. “You wanna go see it?”
“Nnoooo... So, uh, you’ll be going back soon?” she tries.
“We’ll see,” I say. “Lean back. Relax.”
She settles back against my chest. “Ash the cabbie does renovations. You should hire him. He needs the money.”
“Maybe,” I say.
“I had planned to exfoliate my legs and butt, too. Will that get you out of here? Save you from soaking in butt skin soup?”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” I say, wiping bubbles away from her tits so I can see them. She cocks her knee and leans it against my leg.
This tub is definitely too small to be comfortable in, but the view sure is nice.
I cup her right tit and stroke her nipple with my thumb until it hardens.
She turns over and looks up at me.
“You,” she accuses softly.
“Me?”
“We have to stop this.”
“Stop this?”
“Pretending this is becoming a thing.”
“A thing?”
“A you and me thing. It’s not.”
“You sure about that?”
She’s got my cock against her skin. If she moves down a half a foot, it’ll be nestled between her tits.