Chapter 42: Hidden is better

I read the files that Benjamin gave me over the next few days. I focused on the ones that caught my eye and put the rest away. I knew that the trio had committed crimes, but the extent of their evil surprised me. The volume of victims was astronomical, and several of them abandoned their cases, possibly due to intimidation, since the families of these three had great wealth and influence in New Orleans. I noticed that all the girls looked alike, with similar shades of eyes and hair, as well as height. Besides, they hung out in similar places, such as bars and nightclubs.

I felt Fabian's arms wrap around me and he took a deep breath on my neck, sending shivers throughout my body. His hands roamed my body freely, but he stopped when he looked at my computer screen and saw the photo of one of Jacob, Mason, and Benjamin's victims.

"That girl..." he said, releasing me and looking a little closer. I knew what he was thinking, that woman was identical to me when I was in college.

Her drooping, emotionless eyes, cheap, worn-out clothes, unkempt hair, and dull skin. She was just like me in my early twenties, but unlike me, she managed to escape them in time. Her complaint didn't go much further than a police report. Unable to afford the costs of a lawsuit, she was forced to retreat, moved to another state, and was trying to get on with her life with the fear of almost having suffered unspeakable violence.

I looked at Fabian, whose gaze became somber, and then I touched his face with my fingertips, drawing his attention back to me. I smiled and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"If you keep looking at her like that, I'm going to get jealous," I joked and Fabian smiled, leaning forward and giving me a soft kiss on the lips, but he immediately pulled away, covering his mouth. His eyes were static as he stared at me. "Fabian?" he seemed to wake up and pulled himself together.

"I'm sorry, butterfly. I've just remembered that I need to go out for a while, but I'll be back in the evening." With that, he left without saying another word.

"Okay..." I said to the slamming door.

That was the first kiss Fabian and I had had since I got back and I hadn't expected such a negative reaction from him. I went back to reading the files until my cell phone vibrated on the table. I couldn't help smiling when I saw that it was a message from Raphael, asking me to meet him in the stairwell where we first met. I thought it was really cute of him to remember that place and want to see me there, so I quickly turned off the computer and went to get ready.

I knew that Raphael wasn't the kind of guy who cared much about his appearance and that dressing the way I did to attract men's attention wouldn't work on him, so I dressed simply and freshly, in shorts and a loose shirt. I didn't wear any make-up and just pinned my hair up. I almost ran out of the apartment, the staircase he was referring to wasn't that far away and I felt euphoric at the thought of seeing him again.

I arrived at the agreed place, but Raphael still hadn't arrived. I began to feel anxious, thinking that perhaps he had regretted calling me. I picked up my phone to send him a message when I saw him approaching. He looked handsome in a light shirt and jeans. He looked down with a strange expression, but when our eyes met it was like a rocket exploding inside me. My heart started beating so hard and so fast that I found it hard to breathe. I started walking towards him, but the next thing I knew I was running and throwing myself into his arms.

Raphael's strong arms wrapped around me protectively, he supported the back of my neck with one of his hands while the other wrapped around my waist. My arms were around his neck, keeping me as close to him as possible. His perfume and his warmth made my whole body relax and I forgot what I was doing just before I received his message.

"I missed you," he said into my ear and my heart seemed to grow even bigger inside my chest.

I squeezed him even tighter, afraid that if I let go, he would run away from me forever. "I missed you too, my guardian angel." Raphael's body froze for a moment and a sense of urgency overwhelmed me.

I turned my face and kissed the corner of his mouth, then he turned to me and pressed his lips to mine. Raphael's body relaxed again and I felt enveloped once more by that warm, pure aura emanating from him. Our kiss deepened and I felt Raphael's cock getting hard against my belly. I pulled away a little and his face was very flushed, so he looked away, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Shit, that's not why I called you here." I laughed at his clumsiness and pulled his hand away, putting it on my face.

"I don't mind, I like knowing that you want me that much." Raphael turned even redder, but a new determination appeared in his eyes.

Raphael took me by the hand and led me to what looked like a fire station building. My imagination got to work immediately and images of Raphael in that uniform flooded my mind. He took me to a place at the back with several doors, which I thought was the stretching room so that those on duty could rest between calls. We entered one of the rooms and Raphael immediately put me against the wall and kissed me with desire. His hands were firmly on the wall behind me, his lips were urgent and hungry, biting and then licking with his tongue. We pulled away and were both panting.

"I called you because I wanted to tell you that I'm going to be staying here for a while. In case you needed any help or wanted to talk, I'd be near you," said Raphael, breathing hard.

I had no idea what was going on inside me at that moment. He'd just said that he'd moved out because he was worried about me, left the comfort of his apartment to live in accommodation just to be around if I needed him. There were so many different emotions beating against each other inside me, that I could no longer think rationally, I just wanted to unite my body and soul with that man in front of me. I wondered how someone so kind could exist and how I had the fortune to have him look at me.

I took Raphael's face in my hands and kissed him gently, savoring his sweetness and the softness of his lips. "I need you, Raphael. I need you to hold me tight and not let go." a