Mommy's Dearest (Black Rose Book 3) Read online

  A plan was formulating in Thomas’ mind. They would find him on their own terms and then…they would kill him.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “You’re angry.” After years of being with Charles, Melanie knew his moods all too well.

  “You’re damn straight, I’m angry. No, this goes far deeper than mere anger. That son of yours has been leading some kind of secret life of late. He’s been pursuing a killer alone, ghostwriting the Black Rose blog, and hiding out with a tabloid reporter. When the fuck did he get this secretive!?”

  Melanie smiled, remembering the unconventional way she’d met her husband. “You and I were forced together in much the same way. One other thing: why is he always my son when he’s in trouble?”

  “Because he’s hardheaded like his mother,” he muttered, cutting his eyes in her direction, daring her to argue with him.

  “Perhaps he is just hardheaded when it comes to this woman. We should hear his side of things before we just assume he’s made a mistake. It’s going to take a particular kind of woman to be in this family. We’re not what anyone would consider normal.”

  “That goes without saying.” His tone was a devilish combination of sarcasm and anger. “But now that you’ve said it, I couldn’t agree more.”

  She ignored the attitude and continued. “He must see something in this girl that leads him to believe she belongs with him…with us.”

  He glared at her and she met his gaze, not backing down. “Melanie, we can’t afford to make mistakes now. If he doesn’t read this girl right and she decides to report us, we’re all going to prison. For a long time.”

  “I know, but you can’t expect him to remain single forever. Personally, I would like an heir to carry on the Wentworth legacy. There’s more to this family than us being vigilantes.”

  “Vigilantes or serial killers, depending on who you talk to,” Charles said archly.

  “Centuries have gone into building the Wentworth legacy and our ties to the Kentucky Derby are respected and rightfully so. For all outward appearances, we’re an upstanding family with strong ties to the community.”

  “True, true.” That seemed to lighten his mood. They both turned when the office door opened. Thomas was standing in the doorway. He wasn’t alone. Melanie wasn’t expecting the striking beauty with the black hair, emerald eyes, and flawless skin. No wonder her son was so smitten with this beautiful creature. The two were as opposite as night and day. They were a striking couple.

  “Well, sit down,” Charles demanded, his irritation with the situation sharpening his tone and his attitude. Her beauty was doing nothing to soften the hardened killer. Melanie’s heart went out to the poor girl, who had been thrown into a situation where she was clearly out of her element. Talk about being thrown into the lion’s den...

  “I see the two of you have been busy. Thomas, you’ve taken over my blog without my consent. Now, you’ve drawn the curiosity of a reporter—a tabloid reporter, no less.”

  “It’s my fault,” Teegan declared in a soft yet strong voice.

  “And how is that?” he asked, the question spoken slowly through clenched teeth. Charles was struck by her willingness to stand up for his son. He hadn’t expected that. She wasn’t hiding behind his son; she was willing to step up and take responsibility for her part in what was going on.

  “I sought him out. I’ve been studying criminal psychology, with an emphasis on serial killers. I’ve followed the, um, blog for the last year. Recently I noticed a difference in the writing style. I was curious, so I asked him to meet me.”

  “And you did.” Now Charles’ piercing gaze was focused on his son.

  “I think we have a more pressing matter at hand,” Thomas said before his father could asked questions he didn’t want to answer. “Her apartment was broken into this morning and all the evidence leads to it being the Mummy Man.” That got Charles’ attention. No sense in holding back now. Thomas went for it full throttle while he had his father’s attention. “Are you willing to help us catch him?”

  “If he’s following you, it means something about you has intrigued him. Perhaps he plans for you to be his next victim.” Charles raised a sardonic brow, intentionally trying to provoke the girl. “Or just a new toy.”

  That wasn’t the response Thomas had been expecting from his father. “Over my dead body,” Thomas hissed, before Teegan could answer his father’s question.

  “If me being used as bait is what it’s going to take to catch this monster, then I’m willing to do that.”

  “I don’t like the thought of you being bait.” This time Thomas’ voice was more like a growl.

  His father continued, giving no opportunity for the woman to change her mind. If the killer wanted Teegan, it would be the best way to catch and kill him. He would never suspect the slender woman could defend herself.

  “Killing a man isn’t as easy as you might think. It isn’t like a television show. When you stab a man and his blood is running through your fingers, sticky and warm with the strong scent of copper floating through the air, and then you watch as the life leaves his eyes and you’re weighed down with the burden of knowing it’s your fault, it isn’t easy.” Charles looked directly at her, awaiting her response to his vivid description of death. He was trying to make clear that this was no game. There was a point of no return and she was fast approaching it.

  Her response was swift and certain. “There’s no way I can sit back and do nothing while he slaughters the women of this city. I can’t look in the mirror knowing that I could have stopped this animal but did nothing. If I have the support of this family, I know I can do it and take the secret of it to my grave.”

  Something about the girl led Charles to consider the possibility that she could keep her word and become part of their dysfunctional family. She was bold, courageous, and now she was knee-deep in their family’s affairs. His wife was a good judge of character. Perhaps she was correct in her discernment of the young woman. After all, if the young woman proved to be a disappointment, eliminating the threat would only be the work of a moment.

  Unconventional love was the only kind the Wentworths knew. Obsession ran deep in their family. She had said she would carry their secrets to her grave. Charles just hoped for his son’s sake that they wouldn’t be the ones to put her there.

  Chapter Twenty

  “So beautiful. So innocent and yet so clueless about what I’m going to do to you.” He hugged the nightgown with the little pink flowers close to his body and buried his face in it, inhaling Teegan’s scent from the last time she’d worn it.

  It felt good to know she was scared. He would feed off of that fear. Now it wasn’t her new lover who would be in the forefront of her mind. It was him, Mummy Man. Control. Control. Control.

  He rather liked that name, Mummy Man. It suited him. There was something about wrapping up a body; taking it back to its beginning stages of existence. In the world of kink, sex slaves and submissives seemed to find being wrapped to be a source of comfort and safety. It was like they were back in the womb. He was taking them to another womb. He was taking them to their grave…the eternal womb.

  He just wished the police would leave his work alone. As much as he enjoyed the attention when a wrapped body was found, he wished they wouldn’t unwrap it. They needed to leave it alone in its state of eternal perfection. Unwrapping it just ruined everything. And then he had to do it all over again.

  He ran his hand over the pictures that covered one wall; a shrine of sorts to Teegan. He’d taken all those pictures, catching her in her most intimate moments. He’d been following her after he discovered her stories on serial killers. He had devoted so much time to her. Disappointment washed over him as he thought about how she’d betrayed him by wearing that slutty red dress for another man. She was no different than any other woman: wave some money and a pretty face under her nose and she became a bitch in heat. If a woman as innocent as his sweet Teegan could be lured in by the riches of the world th
en all women had to be evil. Didn’t she know how much time he had invested in her? Didn’t she know she was the center of his world? Didn’t sweet Teegan know he loved her? Couldn’t she feel it?!

  He had no choice. He was going to have to show her. He was going to have to take her and convince her that Thomas Wentworth was nothing more than a rich playboy who would use her and cast her aside after he became bored with her. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out who the mystery man was who accompanied Teegan to her ransacked house. Wentworth had had the world handed to him on the proverbial silver platter; he didn’t deserve her.

  “Oh, sweet Teegan.” He trailed a fingertip over one of the pictures. “You’ve captivated me with your beauty and your innocence. I simply cannot permit him to get in the way of our union. Even if it means killing him for us to be together. I understand; you’re just confused right now, but don’t worry, darling…I’ll help you.”

  He pushed down the anger he felt toward Teegan. He had to remember that it wasn’t her fault she’d been deceived. She was dealing with a worldly man, a man who enjoyed reading people’s weaknesses and preying on them. He wasn’t much different than the killer. He was a predator too. Let the games begin. It was always more gratifying to have an opponent who was capable. Oh, what a thrill it would be to pull the saintly Thomas Wentworth into a life of murder.

  It was one thing to manipulate someone into killing for you, but quite another to tempt a man with a conscience into killing, because it would torment him for the rest of his life. From now on, every time Wentworth looked in the mirror and guilt cut through him, the cause of his terror would be brought to mind.

  It was so delicious to think about all the power he held: power over the sweet, innocent Teegan, power over Thomas, and ultimately power over a city that walked in fear because a killer was in their midst.

  He was getting the itch again and it would take time to abduct Teegan. She would be leery now, afraid to go home after her personal space had been violated, so he would need to make due. He needed to find someone else to play with, if only for a while. He needed another victim. Maybe he’d indulge in a little breath play…and, boy, was he ever ready to play.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Queen Bee was running late for work, but truth be told she was always running late. Even though she’d only been doing backup for other drag queens with their own shows, she had gained quite a following so her boss usually turned a blind eye to her tardiness.

  “You’re late, girl. Again.”

  “Fuck you, Goldie,” Queen Bee laughed as she opened her cosmetics case and got to work touching up her makeup for her upcoming shift.

  “Never gonna happen, Queenie. You’re not my type.”

  “Does the boss man know I’m late?” Queen Bee swiped some lip gloss across her lips, pressed her lips together, then puckered up and blew herself a kiss as she regarded her reflection.

  “Of course he does and he’ll ignore it like he always does because you bring in so much money. Where’s that knight in shining armor of yours tonight?”

  “Isn’t it so romantic that he rescued me the way he did?” Queen Bee swooned as she perfected her Cleopatra eyeliner effect. “Like something out of a book, baby. You know, he even got my shoes back for me.”

  “I wish something like that would happen to me,” Goldie said wistfully as she dusted a glittery highlighter along her cheekbones and cleavage.

  “Oh, sweetie, your day’s coming. It’s scary, though; those guys were going to beat the shit out of me. If Terry hadn’t been there, they might have killed me.”

  “Well, thank God he was.” Goldie bit her lip and braced to bring up a potentially unpleasant topic. “So, um, I guess he must be okay with who you are? He knows…?”

  Queen Bee smiled like a cat recalling a particularly yummy bowl of cream. “Oh, honey, I made sure he’s okay with it. He’s more than okay with it… That man’s delicious.”

  “Get to work, ladies.” They both looked up to see their boss standing in the doorway. “I know you were late again, Queenie.”

  She pouted prettily at his reflection as she stood and reached for her opera gloves. “Sorry.”

  He shot her a baleful glare, although she knew him well enough to recognize the twinkle in his eyes. “It’s a good thing you have such a following. I swear, someday I’m gonna fire your ass.”

  “Oh, really? This ass?” Queen Bee smacked her own ass and playfully gave him a little twerking action, which she usually reserved for her stage act…although she had given Terry a private demonstration before she left for work. “Is this the ass you’re talking about?”

  “Yeah. That’s the one and someday I’m gonna fire it,” Ross deadpanned.

  “Hmmph,” she sniffed coyly. “Well, someday I’m gonna quit, so there.” Then she smacked the ass in question one more time and winced wickedly as she shot Goldie a grin. “Huh. I kinda liked that. Who knew?” Then she said to Ross’ retreating back, “Shady Ladies wouldn’t be the same without the Queen and you know it.”

  Ross looked over his shoulder at her affectionately. “I do, baby. Just get your ass out there and do what you do best…”

  The women grinned at each other and high-fived as they finished the sentence together, “…make money.”

  ~~~

  From the shadows of a corner table, he watched the dressing room door as the two women came out. He’d had an eye on the tall blonde the other night when she was harassed in the alley. If it hadn’t been for that Good Samaritan, he would have had her that night.

  He liked the idea of killing this drag queen because she was so popular. It would be like free advertising when they found her body had been ravaged and wrapped by the Mummy Man. Word traveled the streets like wildfire when it came to gossip. He would have coverage by the media and grassroots advertising by word of mouth if he was able to catch this one. He had never killed a drag queen before. He was surprised to find that the thought of toying with her dead body had his dick rising to attention.

  She was gorgeous. No wonder the man who had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere to rescue her the previous night had taken such an interest in her. People were already chanting her name as what had quickly become her signature song blared over the speakers. He stared as she strutted onto the stage and began sinuously dancing and lip syncing to lyrics about barometers rising and how the street was the place to go. Everything was done perfectly, as if she were really singing and not just lip syncing. She was perfect for what he had in mind.

  “Hey, baby, you want some company?”

  Brian looked up to see the woman with glittering gold hair who appeared to be Queen Bee’s best friend. He didn’t respond right away but took his time looking her over. This might work toward his benefit. “Sure. Sit down and I’ll buy you a drink.”

  Goldie couldn’t believe her luck. Maybe Queen Bee was right. Maybe tonight was her night to find her own Prince Charming. She considered the man sitting next to her. Dark brown hair. Clean-shaven face. Hazel brown eyes. On a scale of one to ten, he was a decent seven. Yeah, she could work with that.

  The waitress approached their table. He gave her his order without taking his eyes off his guest. “Bring us a bottle of champagne. I’ve got a lot to talk to this beautiful lady about and I don’t want her being in a hurry.” The waitress smiled and hurried off to get the champagne.

  Goldie batted her false eyelashes at him as she sat down next to him. Resting her chin in her hand, she leaned forward and gazed at him as she crossed her legs. Yeah, she could definitely work with this. Maybe her luck was finally changing.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Thomas’ body was pressed against Teegan’s. His breathing grew ragged as he raked his fingertips along her inner thighs and fought for control. He had her pinned against the wall, not an inch of space between their straining bodies. He wrapped a hand around her neck, growling low in his throat as her carotid artery pulsed against his thumb. There was something sexy about feeling the
lifeforce flow through this woman, and there was definitely something sexy about her long, slender neck.

  “Do I scare you?” he rasped as he closed his eyes and slid the side of his nose along her cheekbone.

  “Yes,” she answered him without hesitating.

  He nipped at her bottom lip before slamming his lips against hers in a searing kiss. She could feel his erection straining against her stomach. Once again it crossed her mind that her captor appeared to be well-endowed.

  “Tonight’s the night. You’re crossing a line with me and there’s no going back.”

  “What makes you think I’ll want to go back?” she whispered defiantly.

  “Pretty bold statement there, girl.” He pulled her over toward the bed, undressing her as they crossed the floor. “God, you’re beautiful, inside and out, so fucking beautiful.” He relieved her of her clothes, letting his eyes roam over her body as he undressed.

  He palmed his cock as he watched her biting her bottom lip. When she looked away he caught her eye and shook his head. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. By morning, I’ll know every inch of your body better than I know my own.” He pushed her down to sit on the bed, then pushed her legs apart and placed her feet on the edge of the mattress.

  “Shit. Even your pussy’s gorgeous. I’ve got to have some of that.” Starting at her knees, he ran his hands up her silky inner thighs until his hands were framing her pussy. He used his thumbs to spread her inner lips wide apart, exposing her entrance and her clit as it peeked out from beneath its hood. “I can’t wait to lick you from the inside out.”

  When her glistening opening clenched and unclenched in response to his words, he grinned and leaned in toward her, extending his tongue until he was circling her opening with the tip. He lapped at her softly, then firmed his tongue and pushed inside until his face was pressed firmly against her pussy. He inhaled her musky scent and closed his eyes in victory. Mine. So fucking mine.