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  POSSESSED

  (Book 5 in the Stripped Series)

  By

  Stacy-Deanne

  Copyright © 2019 Stacy-Deanne

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Readers: Thanks so much for choosing my book! I would be very appreciative if you would leave reviews when you are done. Much love!

  Email: [email protected]

  Website: Stacy's Website

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  Twitter: Stacy's Twitter

  Other titles by Stacy-Deanne Include:

  Bruised Series

  Tate Valley Sexy Suspense Series

  The Seventh District

  Dead Weight

  You’re the One

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  BWWM Romance Books

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Author’s Note:

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  The Conclusion Coming Soon!

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  Author’s Note:

  The Stripped Series is a spinoff of the Bruised Series featuring Dee, Winston, Lisa, Connie, Grayson, and Jake. The Bruised Series focused on Jake and Lisa while the Stripped Series focuses on Dee and Winston.

  If you haven’t read the Bruised Series and would like to check it out, the entire series is available on all retailers.

  Enjoy!

  CHAPTER ONE

  “I’m flattered, Detectives.” Forty-two-year-old Gage Raider stood with his back to Dee Quarter and Connie Wilks, staring out the French windows of his high rise office at Raider Industries. “So you’ve heard of me?”

  “Of course we have.” Connie crossed her legs in the high-end upholstered chair beside Dee. “You’re the heir of the Raider fortune, your family owns one of the biggest car manufacturers in the United States.”

  “That’s right.” Gage snapped his head toward Connie, his golden eyebrow rising. “So why engage in this asinine conversation?”

  Dee leaned forward, the waves of her brand new, ash brown, Brazilian weave hitting the thighs of her slacks. “Let me go over things so you can remember how serious this is.”

  “I’m the one who lost the woman I loved.”

  “Then act like it.” Dee squeezed the pencil between her fingers. “Lang Latimer was on her way to a recital last Wednesday night, disappeared and was found naked and beaten to death in some old parking lot five days later. Why don’t we see as much anger from you about that as we do about us asking you questions?”

  “You don’t think I’m angry?” He tightened his chiseled jaws, his wavy, sunlight-blond hair hitting his collar. “I didn’t mean to be an asshole.” He walked across the carpeting, his green Versace suit dissolving into the matching walls. “I loved Lang more than anything, and I want to kill whoever did this with my bare hands.” Dots of white shown within his electric blue eyes. “Wanna strangle the life out of him and make him feel the fear she did.”

  “Then remember, whatever we ask you helps us find the killer,” Connie said.

  “I told you.” He leaned back on the giant desk. “I didn’t see Lang at all Wednesday. I talked to her on the phone that morning and we got into an argument.”

  “About what?” Dee got her pencil ready to jot on the notepad.

  “I couldn’t come to the recital to see her student perform.” A timid smile escaped his lips. “Lang loved teaching the piano. She lived through her students. She thought of the lessons as private journeys that only she and her protégés shared.” He chuckled. “She said, ‘Music is the foundation of life and living.’” He rubbed the peach fuzz on his narrow chin. “Whatever that meant. Anyway, she took me not going as a sign of nonsupport, but I couldn’t just push everything aside and she didn’t understand that.”

  “We’ve been asking around,” Dee said. “Some say you have a temper.”

  Gage’s eyebrows wiggled.

  “Several people said they witnessed you going off on her.” Dee read over her notes. “One person even describing you as ‘a mad man’ when Lang couldn’t come to a company dinner because she had a lesson with her student.”

  “I got pissed, yes.” His gaze latched onto Dee. “But, just because a man gets mad sometimes doesn’t mean he killed his girlfriend. Lang got mad at me plenty of times too. Did any of these ‘people’...” He did the air quotes. “Say anything about that?”

  “Are you a jealous man concerning Lang, Mr. Raider?” Connie flipped her thin, blonde ponytail over her shoulder.

  “She was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen.” His nostrils flared. “What man wouldn’t be frightened someone would steal her away?” He dropped his head. “I didn’t kill her out of some jealous rage. She was in The B-District for God’s sake. The seediest part of Baltimore. Who knows who got a hold of her?”

  Connie dipped her head, squinting. “We shouldn’t be alarmed about your temper and interactions with Lang?”

  “No,” he mumbled. “I never laid a hand on her in anger.”

  “Then we can count on you to be cooperative?” Dee stood, extending her hand to him.

  With his face absent of any encouragement that convinced Dee, he took her hand, sending a cloud of floral cologne her way. “Definitely.”

  ****

  “Come on.” Connie slapped the vending machine in the police station lounge for the third time but the Fritos didn’t budge. “Son of a bitch. You took my money now give me my chips.” She jammed her finger inside the shoot. “Come on, damn it.”

  “Need a hand?”

  She jerked at the familiar voice, believing she couldn’t have heard what she thought she had.

  “There’s a trick to it.”

  Connie frozen as CeCe Babbitt knelt beside her and gave the machine two taps with his fist.

  The Fritos flew on the floor.

  “Viola.” He handed them to her. “Bon appetite.” CeCe’s dim, green eyes widened against his translucent skin.

  “CeCe Babbitt?” Connie’s breath caught in her throat. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I work here now.” He pushed his hands into the pockets of his airy slacks. “This is my first day.”

  “Wait, a minute.” She crossed her arms, cutting her eyes to the group of detectives who headed to the ice machine. �
��You work here at the police station?”

  “Surprised?” His new, deep-brown landing strip goatee added an authoritarian flair to his oblong face. “I got fired from the office supply store.”

  Connie squinted. “Because you were bothering the women?”

  He smirked, rubbing his short, slicked back hair. “I saw the opening for clerical work and I applied.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be doing research, managing paperwork, filing.” He winked. “If you need a personal assistant, I’d love to help you out.”

  “No.” She faked a smile, raising the chips. “I’m good, thanks.”

  “I got a new place too.” He rocked on the heels of his black, leather lace-ups. “There was too much drama at the boarding house and I needed to get from under my aunt’s hold.”

  Connie nodded, giving him the onceover.

  His eyes sparkled. “Think of me being here as fate.”

  “Connie?” Dee approached them. “You ready to get going? Got people we need to question before the day is through.”

  CeCe’s eyes widened as he gazed upon Dee. “You’re Detective Quarter.”

  “Mm.” Dee held her waist, her face beaming with a flirtatious glow. “You are?”

  “This is CeCe Babbitt.” Connie kept her gaze on CeCe.

  “So nice to meet you, Detective Quarter.” He yanked her hand. “You’re famous around here. Been all over the news.”

  “Connie told me about you.” Dee shook CeCe’s hand. “You’re the guy she met during Prisha’s case. You were also a suspect in Jeanette Dobbins’ murder, weren’t you?”

  CeCe sighed, letting her hand go. “They exonerated me but doesn’t look like anyone cares.”

  Dee put her arms behind her back. “You’re working here now?”

  “Clerical stuff.” He tilted his head. “You look beautiful, Detective Quarter.”

  “Thanks.” Dee winced at Connie who rolled her eyes in return. “You’re sweet.”

  “It’s the truth.” CeCe focused back on Connie. “But there’s only one woman around here I have eyes for.”

  Connie gaped. “Excuse me?”

  CeCe caught his bottom lip between his teeth. “I’d better get back to work.” He backed out the room, staring at Connie until he got out of view.

  “Ugh. Good riddance.” Connie shook her shoulders. “When are they gonna get this damn machine fixed? It’s been like this for two weeks.”

  “So that was CeCe Babbitt?” Dee crossed her arms. “He’s cute.”

  “Cute? He’s a weirdo. I can’t believe he’s working here. Now I have to put up with this crap.”

  “He has a crush on you.” Dee’s brown skin glowed in the turquoise blouse. “What’s the big deal?”

  “I can’t stand CeCe Babbitt.” Connie ripped open the chips. “I don’t like this at all.”

  “Well, you handle that. I have enough dealing with a creep of my own.” Dee straightened the silver ring on her middle finger. “The hearing for the protective order against Jonathan is tomorrow. It’s my last hope of getting him out my life.”

  “It’ll work out.” Connie crunched chips, holding the bag toward Dee.

  “No thanks.” She rubbed her stomach. “I threw up my entire breakfast. I’m only two months into this pregnancy and I’m miserable.”

  “You look beautiful though.” Connie nudged her. “Got that motherly glow.”

  “With the thick hips to match?” Dee stroked her sides, which had gotten more curvaceous in just a few weeks. “Soon I’ll be wearing elastic waistbands and those big ass granny panties.”

  Connie laughed, spitting out crumbs. “We gotta keep an eye on CeCe Babbitt.”

  “Forget him.” Dee stole a chip though she claimed she didn’t want one. “We got a case to worry about.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Enough of this playing around.” Lisa Swanson jumped from the couch in her and Jake Jenson’s living room that night. “What’s the big news?” she asked Dee and Detective Winston Lewis.

  Jake rode his wheelchair from behind the coffee table. “You two getting hitched?”

  Dee exchanged glances with Winston, ready to burst out her skin. “No, but it’s the happiest news we could’ve gotten in our lives.”

  “We got the DNA results back from the paternity test today.” Winston beamed, holding Dee by the curve of her back. “Dee, you wanna tell them?”

  Dee snatched his hand. “Winston is the father!”

  “Ah!” Lisa jumped, slapping her palms together. “For real?”

  “For real,” Dee shrieked. “He’s the father.”

  “Oh my god.” Lisa grabbed her best friend into a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you!” She reached up and wrapped her other arm around Winston’s shoulders. “Congratulations!”

  Jake howled, “That’s great.”

  “This is wonderful.” Lisa sniffled, her big brown eyes filling with tears. “I knew everything would work out.”

  “How do you feel, Dee?” Jake asked.

  “Fuckin’ great!” She twirled with her arms in the air.

  “That asshole Jonathan,” Lisa said. “He’ll pay for everything he did to you.”

  “Speaking of which.” Dee took Lisa’s hand. “Can I speak to you in private?”

  “You don’t have to ask twice, girl.”

  “Excuse us.” Dee pulled Lisa out the room and into the kitchen.

  Lisa sat at the table and crossed her legs. “What’s on your mind?”

  Dee sat beside her. “Protection order or not there’s only one way to stop Jonathan.” She flattened her fingers on the sky-blue table cloth. “I want to get him for raping me.”

  Lisa’s eyebrows rose. “How will you prove it?”

  Dee propped her elbows on the table. “Rena.”

  “Rena?” Lisa watched Dee through her lashes. “The same Rena who sat there for three months while Jonathan held you prisoner? Dee, she let Jonathan do whatever he wanted yet claimed to be your friend.”

  “I need her, Leece.” Dee stared at the plastic container of oatmeal cookies. “I can’t get Jonathan on the kidnapping but he’s not getting away with this. It’s bad enough he stole my mind.” She sighed, fighting nausea. “I can’t let him get away with this too.”

  “You can’t trust Rena. How many times does she have to gyp you for you to see that?”

  “What choice do I have?” Dee jumped up and got a glass from the cabinet. “It’s either trust Rena or let Jonathan get away with his bullshit and that ain’t happening.”

  Lisa sighed.

  ****

  The next morning, Connie made her way through the iron gate of Ursula Vickers’ backyard as the gorgeous blonde bobbed in the center of the oval pool, her perfect tan beaming in the sunlight. “Detective,” Ursula beckoned in her sensual, Norwegian accent. “Glad you made it.”

  “Course I did.” Connie walked through the slate pavement, passing two lawn chairs and a round, glass table with titanium legs. “You said you had information about Lang Latimer.” She took her shades off and hooked them inside her blouse. “What is it?”

  “Why don’t we relax, huh?” Ursula glided toward Connie, the water brushing her chin. “You swim?”

  “I don’t have time to play with you. What is it you have to tell me?”

  “Ooh.” Her sexual eyes latched onto Connie’s bosom. “Always so serious, Detective. Do you ever take time to have fun?”

  “If you don’t wanna tell me why I’m here, then I’ll leave.” She pointed to the gate. “I’m here to investigate a murder. I don’t have time for this.”

  “All right, all right.” With one catlike move, Ursula pulled her thin, hourglass body from the water. “You like my bikini?” She sashayed to the table in a tiger print string bikini showing plenty of side boob and ass. “I swear...” She got her towel off the table and dabbed her long, bleach-blonde hair. “I’m going to get you to relax one of these days if it kills me.”

  “What do
you have to tell me?”

  Ursula snatched a cigarette from the pack on the table and popped it in her mouth. “Lang was a friend of mine.” She lit the cigarette, cutting her eyes to Connie. “We met when she gave me piano lessons.”

  “And?”

  Ursula lay on the lawn chair, her knees in the air. “She had a secret. I swore I’d never tell but considering the situation, I think I should.”

  Connie sat in the lawn chair beside her with caution.

  “I don’t want you to misjudge her.” Ursula took a drag from the cigarette. “She was a good person; and she didn’t deserve what happened to her. I hope you catch the son of a bitch.”

  “What’s this secret?”

  “Lang was having an affair with one of her students.” Ursula closed her eyes and shook her head. “He’s only sixteen.”

  Connie gaped. “What’s his name?”

  “Robin Glover.” Ursula raised an eyebrow. “He’s a track star at his school and he took private lessons with Lang last year.”

  “She was having an affair with a sixteen-year-old kid?” Connie grimaced.

  “She didn’t plan to but claimed he has this hold on her she couldn’t explain. Said every time she looked into his eyes she fell into a trance and then she wouldn’t care what was wrong or right.”

  Connie slouched. “How long did this go on?”

  “About five or six months. It always scared her someone would find out.”

  “Gage Raider?”

  Ursula scratched behind her ear. “Anyone.”

  “Wow.” Connie rose, struggling to understand Lang’s thinking. “This isn’t what I expected but I appreciate you telling me.”

  “No problem.” Ursula laid her head back, pushing the cigarette to her lips. “It gave me a chance to see you again.”

  Connie shook her head as she headed toward the gate.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “That...ooh!” Dee punched the dashboard of Winston’s brand new Ford Mustang. “I could kill him. I’ll kill him!”

  “Whoa, whoa.” Winston sped through the expressway. “Can you please not take out your frustrations on my new car, babe?”

  “How could they deny the protective order?” She slapped the window. “That judge is an idiot saying there wasn’t sufficient cause for an order. The man drugged and kidnapped me! Is everyone around here mad?”