Killing Roses

20__A kiss in exchange

21:30

Please bring the ice-cream!

And don’t forget my conditioner.

Roman impassively stared at the incoming texts on his phone while gulping down a shot of caffeine. She just didn’t listen, did she?

And the coke!

Also add some cat food please!

Roman snarled. He'd told her he was busy and she shouldn’t text him for no reason! And yet she was texting him to get food for the damn stray cat? The girl needed her ass smacked.

Refuse and I will let Sniffles get in your bed.

Sniffles is our cat, remember? The one you’re allergic to.

I’ve kept him out of your sight so far.

Named him Sniffles cause he makes you sneeze haha

“Why you look so mad?” Stark asked Roman as he returned from his bathroom break. When Roman only continued staring at his phone screen, Stark peeked over his shoulder with raised brows.

Giving the text a quick scan, he chuckled. “Hah! Aww, Sniffles, that’s so cute! Valerie got you shopping lists, huh? I was wondering why you suddenly wanted to stop by the grocery store.”

With a sigh, Roman tossed his phone onto a desk. “It is improper to look over people’s shoulders and read their business.”

His smile died off his face and Stark pursed his lips. With a dramatic scoff, he put his hands on his hips. “I bet you wouldn’t mind if Dane looked at your phone!”

With a sigh, Roman dropped into his chair and tiredly rubbed his eyes. “Can we just carry on with looking at the CCTV footage?”

His blue eyes narrowing dangerously, Stark stalked over and took his seat. “Fine.”

They’d been at it for half an hour since the meeting with KC and Davis, but still found nothing. Roman’s jaw clenched. Another meeting which Detective Cooper had missed.

The older man was as unreliable and messed up as Roman had suspected. The man couldn’t even keep up with a case on which he had partners, it suddenly didn’t seem so shocking that he'd slacked on the Rose Killer case twelve years ago.

What bothered Roman was that Cooper had insistently tried to persuade Lieutenant Davis that this case was the Rose Killer at work again, and when he, Roman, and Davis said it remained to be proven, the old cop went off the grid.

Roman leaned his head back in thought. He didn’t want to think it could be true. That the same sick f**k who killed his mother could be after Valerie Quinn. The thought buzzed insanely in his head, driving him insane, so Roman shut it down.

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.

“It’s on,” said Stark.

Roman straightened in his seat, immediately alert.

“This is the fourth tape of a street with CCTV near the department building, right?”

Stark nodded. “Yeah. We're at ten minutes before Ms. Crawford left her workplace now.

Roman drew in a deep breath, releasing it as he focused on the screen and the glitchy, horror movie-like image it displayed.

“Hey, guys?” called someone from the doorway. “Whose huge tub of ice cream’s in the freez—”

Roman slammed the pause button and raised a chilly stare at a narcotics Detective in the doorway.

“Touch the ice cream and you’re dead, Clinton,” he said, his voice quiet but his tone as sharp and cold as the tip of an iceberg.

The officer blinked, hastily nodding. “Okay. G-got it, Parker.”

Stark stared at Rogan with disgust on his face. “Look at him,” he muttered. “Would let Dane look at his phone and would threaten lives for Valerie’s ice cream, but when it comes to me—”

“Back to the footage, Stark,” Roman murmured, unpausing the video.

With a sulky pout and a defiant eye roll, Stark turned his attention back to the footage. “Fine.”

They watched in silence for a while, keeping their eyes peeled for a car matching the description of the victim’s silver Toyota.

 Plenty of vehicles drove by, the bustle of the city at night forcing Roman and Stark to focus all of their attention.

Moments passed with nobody seemingly suspicious appearing in the footage. Now, looking at the numbers showing time in the corner of the screen, they waited for the moment at which the victim would have been driving past this very point, if this had been the road she took.

The previous three tapes all showed nothing. Jennifer Crawford never took those routes that night.

Sitting stiffly for seconds, they stared, barely breathing as they waited.

Suddenly, breaking into the footage, glowing silver in the night, came Jennifer Crawford's Toyota.

“Yes!” Stark hissed, smacking the pause button.

Roman let his eyelids drop closed for a moment, feeling like his eyeballs would shatter from being dry. “Finally.”

Blinking his eyes open, he took a look at the still picture.

“I see someone in there,” Stark murmured, his bloodshot eyes inches from the screen.

Roman eased him back and looked intently at the image. His jaw clenched. “We were right. Bastard was in the parking lot that night. He'd gotten into the vic's car and made her drive home.”

Leaning back, Stark ran both hands through his hair with a heavy breath.

Roman rose, grabbing files as he did so. “Send the image to Tech, let them clear it up more. If there’s anything to be seen in there, we need to find it.”

Stark nodded. “Got it.”

Roman turns to leave, but paused. He looked at his colleague. “And Stark?”

Stark looked up, rubbing one eye. “Yeah?”

“Get some sleep. See you early tomorrow.”

Stark lowered his hand as Roman walked out. “Are you caring about me right now?!” he called with a grin. “That’s BFF territory!!”

******

22:30

“Detective Parker?”

Roman nudged open his apartment door. “Yeah, it’s me. “

Kingston lowered his gun when he saw Roman, a bright look entering his eyes. “Did you get the ice cream? Ms. Quinn was begging for some all day.

Roman rolled his and raised the grocery bags he was carrying. “Yeah. Lock the door.”

Kingston locked the door and followed Roman to the kitchen with a huge yawn.

Placing the groceries on the counter-top, Roman glanced at him. “Go take a nap. I’ll be working till one am. I’ll wake you up then.”

Nodding, Kingston turned to leave.

“Wait.” He turned back. “Where are they?”

Raising a hand, the cop pointed vaguely at the stairs. “Michael’s sleeping and Ms. Quinn—”

“Here!” piped Valerie, hurrying down the stairs.

“Here,” agreed Kingston as he went off to take a nap.

Shuffling onto the kitchen platform, Valerie dived right into the groceries, a gleeful look on her eye.

Roman looked impassively at her. Who got so happy over a few snacks and some conditioner?

“Ooooh, you got my exact hair conditioning product!” she squealed in amazement, looking at him with wide eyes. “Woah. You got more than just a bag of Cheetos. These could last a month!”

“I’m hoping they do so I’m not buying your little groceries again,” he murmured darkly.

Caught up in her glee, Valerie dived into another back and gasped. “Oh, my word… You got… you got chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream!!!”

Roman rolled his eyes as she hopped around. His mouth twitched, but he forced it still. It was just ice cream, gosh. She was such a child.

Valerie continued her celebration and Roman watched her scoop out some ice cream into a glass bowl before she shoved a spoonful into her mouth.

“Mmmmmm!! Ohr ma gaarrsh!” she said around the treat in her mouth.

His resolve broke and Roman let out a chuckle, shaking his head. She was so pleased about a bit of ice cream, her face was glowing the delight. Roman felt a stirring in his chest and he swallowed hard, his smile dying off as he watched her.

Thoughts of the CCTV footage returned to him and he pictured the car in the still image. There had been a killer in Jennifer Crawford's car that night.

A killer who was after this beautifully smiling woman before him.

Roman felt his gut clench as he looked at her. He'd be damned. He'd be damned if he let that bastard get his hands on Valerie. He'd track him down, grab him by the throat and throw him into the darkest cell he could find.

And then, when this case was nicely wrapped up and Valerie was safe, he’d take her upstairs and bury himself deep inside her until all she could say was his name.

“Roman?”

Roman blinked, startled out of his dirty thoughts. “Huh?”

Valerie stepped back, tilting her head at him. “I said thank you for the cat food. Also, I see you got allergy medication.”

“Oh.” Releasing a breath, he rubbed his eyes. “Yeah. As long as I take that, that thing won’t make me choke and sneeze. But still, keep it away from me, okay?”

Valerie nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

She'd said it lightly and casually, but the moment the words left her lips, Roman froze. He raised his gaze and locked it on hers, thoughts of the novels she read going through his mind. That shed referred to him that way surely couldn’t have been on purpose, and yet there he was, suddenly fighting the urge properly play the role.

Clearing her throat, Valerie ripped her gaze away from his. She bit her lip, busying herself with the groceries. Why the hell had she gone and called him that?! Now he’d think she’d been thinking of him while reading! The whole fact that he even knew about those books still irked her! s**t, this was so messed up.

Pushing away from the counter, Roman awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “Come to my office when you’re done packing those.”

Val glanced at him, but he was already walking away. “O-okay.”

Cringing, she got to packing away their precious snacks and the rest of the groceries until there was nothing more for her trembling hands to pack.

Val looked at her hands. Why were they trembling? It wasn’t like Roman had ordered her to his office to bend her over his desk, yank her skirt up and—

“Oh, my God,” Val muttered to herself, kicking the thought out of her head with flaming cheeks. Fisting her hands, she started for his office. She wasn’t going to think that way! Roman Parker was a rude, jackass cop who seemed to look down on social workers and that was reason enough for Val to cross him off.

Reaching the door to his home office, Valerie raised her hand and knocked softly.

“Come,” was the answer.

She bit her lip tightly, pausing for a moment. When she’d gotten her s**t together she swung the door open and looked across the room at Roman.

He sat behind his desk, his shirt open at the collar to show of the gleaming brown skin that dipped down to his chest and his sleeves rolled carelessly up to his elbows. He looked at Valerie and adjusted the black rimmed glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose.

“Come in.”

Valerie wanted to. She really did, but her feet were stalling as he brain hadn’t given them the command yet. Her brain which was still far too busy processing how bloody gorgeous he looked! And the glasses all of a sudden?! Valerie was shook to the core.

“Valerie!”

“Yes!” she piped, hurrying in and closing the door.

She walked over to his desk, ignoring the puzzled look he was giving her.

“What did you want to see me about?” she asked quietly.

With a sigh, Roman lowered the documents he was holding and pushed away from his desk leaning back in his chair as he looked at her. “I thought I’d just let you go to bed tonight, Ms. Quinn. But I’ve decided not to.”

Valerie blinked. “Huh? Oh. Okay.”

Roman raised a brow. “What? Don’t you think I deserve something in exchange for being your errand boy for a day? Think of it as pay.”

Lowering her gaze, Val bit her top lip. What was going on here? Was he really asking for what she thought he was?

She looked at him and Roman slipped his glasses off, placing them on the table. Valerie gulped, her knees quivering. He… he wanted a kiss?

“What are you waiting for?” Roman asked, raising a brow.

Val stared at him, feeling heat surge through her body from her head to her toes. Slowly, she started around his desk, keeping her darkened brown eyes on his beautiful face

Roman silently watched her approach, wondering where she would go with this. He watched her every move, every step and flicker of emotion that ran over her face.

When Valerie reached him and stood before him, Roman stared up at her, barely moving but to breathe.

She leaned over and, without a word, placed her lips on his for a kiss.

Roman could have been a statue for how still he sat as her mouth moved over his, kissing him and blowing his mind more with each passing second.

When Valerie lifted her mouth from his, Roman looked at her, still as still as a marble statue as she stood over him, her face still inches from his.

“What are you doing?”

Valerie stared at him. “You… you said you wanted something in exchange.”

Roman blinked and then swallowed, his throat suddenly as scraped and dry as gravel. “I… I was talking about Michael. You were supposed get me his information.”