No savior a dark romance, p.15
No Savior: A Dark Romance, page 15
“Like I said. It’s one night. That doesn’t make a relationship.”
Why did he enjoy laughing at me? Because I was an easy target. “When you know, you know, buddy. Don’t kid yourself.”
“Back to business before I reach through the phone and rip your throat out. I’ll be sending sketches of several girls as well as a few names. Does the name Steven Powell ring a bell?”
“No, but I’m guessing you realize identifying any of the men, including one who wasn’t required to wear a mask, is likely impossible.”
“I scanned his sketch and I’m currently running it through the database. We might get lucky.” Right. And pigs flew in the winter too. Still, every rock needed to be turned over, crushed into dust if necessary.
“I’ll put some feelers out myself.”
“We need to find the goddamn warehouse. I’m certain that’s what I was in.” God, I was frustrated as hell.
“If your details are accurate and the fuckers didn’t drive you around to disorient you, that could mean one of a couple industrial parks. I’m betting on the one in Doral. We’re running the various companies through the database to check for owners. Plus, I think Gabriel has already dispatched a couple people to drive to the park.”
“Like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Hudson snorted. “Maybe, but at least, we can begin to rule out certain areas.”
I didn’t like the odds. If there was any chance Lucifer was onto me, he’d shut down operations for a lengthy period. Forget finding the club’s location. It would be either boarded up or sold. That would put the women in even more danger. “We need to this operation moving, for fuck’s sake.”
He chuckled. “We’re moving as fast as we can given the circumstances. What are the odds you’ll receive a call from Lucifer’s crew?”
“I’d give it a twenty percent chance.”
Hudson sighed and I could tell he was thinking. “Then don’t waste time lamenting. Gather everything you can remember about the experience. Don’t leave anything out. Smells. Sounds. Jewelry. Clothing. Use your skills as a prosecutor. You’re one of the best I know in gleaning evidence from appearances and physical tics. You’d be surprised what details might fill in the blanks.”
As usual, solid advice from a no-nonsense man. “I’m compiling a list. I think I know what I have facing me.”
“I have one question.”
“If you dare ask me if I’m going to be getting married anytime soon, I’ll beat your ass next time I see you.”
“Yeah, right. You can try.” His laugh faded away. “Look, not to bring up a sore point, but I was just going to ask if you’re doing this for all the right reasons.”
“You mean as in putting a bunch of criminals behind bars?”
“I mean because of your sister.”
Instantly, my jaw clenched. I’d told very few people about the most painful period of my life. I wanted nothing more than to be furious with him for daring to bring even a single thought about Emily into this. But I didn’t because he knew me too well. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Honorable, yet just make sure you fully understand what you’re getting in the middle of.”
“A little too late.”
“Never too late. Including for your lackluster sex life. Glad you finally got your weenie wet. Maybe now, you’ll be a better prosecutor.”
“You fucking asshole,” I teased, shaking my head as I grinned.
“You bet I am. One last thing and something I learned from the operation with Valentina. Karma has a way of invading your life when you least expect it. The smart guys will go with the flow.”
“And the idiots?”
“Well, the idiots will grow old alone. And very lonely.”
“Oh, great. Thanks so much.”
“One last piece of advice now that I said what I said and meant it. If what you two shared is anything special, it will be there long after this nightmare is over. That woman is counting on you to provide her with justice even if you might believe she brought the nightmare on herself. She did so for a valiant reason, but she’s not equipped to handle the situation herself. You and I both know that. The only reason she let her guard down with you is because she needs your help in saving her sister. And you not only accepted the call, you pushed for it.”
“So what are you saying, Hudson? I’m not in the mood for riddles.” I could hear the annoyance in my tone.
“I’m saying you need to shove aside your feelings. While in this case, this mission you’ve embroiled yourself in requires an unusual level of intimacy, you need to find a strict balance and understand that whatever acts you’re required to perform aren’t personal. In other words, save the passion for when you’re required to show it. That way, it won’t appear as if being done for another reason. Men like Lucifer can smell deceit a thousand miles away.”
Unfortunately, he was right. It was something I’d thought about more than once during the middle of the night.
“Yeah, I get it.” I ended the call, instantly feeling a presence behind me.
In the reflection of the glass, there was a warm glow of the sun creating a breathtaking halo. As if the woman was an angel.
For all the times I’d failed in protecting an innocent victim, the promise of keeping her safe stood. There was no arguing what I would do to protect her.
Was it all under the guise of justice?
Hell, no.
Reese had already gotten under my skin with the slow crawl of her fingers, the whispered heat of her breath.
The rough kisses that had led to unbridled passion.
Even with all the arguments in place, the reasons why keeping my distance from her held merit, I’d come to realize in less than twenty-four hours I wasn’t the man I thought I was.
Instead, I was something much darker.
And hungrier.
CHAPTER 14
Kendrick
The angry, burning desire furrowed deep into my system, making breathing as difficult as keeping the promise I’d made.
As soon as I turned, the same dark, intense, and hungry sensations threatened to derail my newfound determination to keep the situation strictly business.
Fuck. She was even more stunning than the night before. At least she appeared more rested, calm when I was antsy as hell.
I don’t know what I was expecting on the morning after a whole bunch of shit had gone down, but it wasn’t to see her standing with a sly grin on her face.
“Exactly how much did you hear?” I asked.
“Enough to wonder if I should call a caterer to book our wedding reception.” Her crystal-clear laugh brought a wave of longing that couldn’t easily be pushed aside. My cock wasn’t interested in listening to me.
Exhaling, I looked away. “Did you get some sleep?”
“A little. I also worked on the sketches. I thought maybe we could go over them just to see how well I did.”
“We can do that. Thank you for allowing us to utilize your gift.”
“I don’t know if I’d call it a gift. My sister is the talented artist in the family.” Her faraway look tugged at several heartstrings, some for the very wrong reasons Hudson had accused me of.
“Why don’t we get some coffee. We can sit down at the kitchen table and go over the sketches. After that, I’ll scan and send them to the group.” Coffee. Not unless it was laced with something stronger. In this case, I’d accept whiskey.
She tugged hair behind her ear and I was caught by the simple moment. With her in jeans and a baggy shirt, her presence seemed far too normal.
As if we were enjoying a day off together, maybe thinking about heading out to catch a movie followed by pizza. The strange reality was that I wouldn’t mind. Not because I was ready to get married, but because I genuinely liked her company. Even when her defiance faded, she had a spark in her that couldn’t be repressed by fear or uncertainty. She didn’t know me in the least, yet refused to back down.
I genuinely liked that about her.
As well as everything else.
“I’ll agree to coffee if you stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” I countered.
“As if now that you have me, you’re clueless as to what to do with me. Or as if I might fall into a fit of despair. Despite my behavior last night, I’m not fragile.”
How refreshing that her sense of humor, albeit sarcastic, had returned. However, I could sense she was placing a defensive wall around herself after what we’d shared. Not that I blamed her. “I assure you I’ll have no problem figuring out what to do.” I hadn’t intended for the moment to be awkward, but I’d never tried to portray myself as a wordsmith outside the courtroom.
We stood silently for a full minute, long enough the burn of desire turned into discomfort.
She finally lifted the sketchpad in her hand, fiddling with one of the pages. “This is what my sister looks like now.”
As soon as she held up the drawing, I was taken aback by how much the young girl reminded me of Emily. In the photograph I’d seen, Briana had been much younger, her childlike features still intact. Now, with her high cheekbones and plump lips, not only did she resemble her sister, but also mine. How uncanny and unnerving.
Enough so I looked away.
“Is there something wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing’s wrong. You’re a very talented artist. The look in her eyes is very haunted. Just like yours had been.”
“Haunting. I know. She was always so full of life even when…”
When she didn’t finish her sentence, I finally kicked myself in the butt and looked at her. Chasing away the past wasn’t going to bring me any closer to hunting down the men responsible. “When?”
“You know. When she was a kid. The girl who refused to back down to anything or anyone.” The faraway look in her eyes portrayed a story, a pressing memory that had been the reason she’d taken it upon herself to fight a criminal regime.
That’s what I’d taken to thinking of the Privileged. They were not unlike a crime syndicate with a monster at the helm and good little foot soldiers to do his bidding. And the members simply believed they had every right to their behavior. Once again, I admired her, but I still had an itching to turn her over my knee.
“We’re going to make certain your sister has every opportunity to resume her joyful life.”
She followed me as I headed to the kitchen and I was struck by how distant sharing space had become. Not that I was a conversationalist, yet the eggshells could become a problem. Maybe I’d simply been immune to the morning after dilemma since I couldn’t remember the last time I’d spent a full night with a woman. The few I’d dated even remotely seriously said I had a fear of commitment.
I always thought I was just too set in my ways, old enough to prefer my life being organized the way I wanted it. And why in God’s name was I worrying about it in the first place?
Her silence was as unnerving as being unable to figure what to say to her. We were both lost in our own worlds, fighting to accept why this case had already branded our souls.
“Cream. Sugar?” I asked to break the relentless monotony.
“Just cream.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Not really. You?”
“Not really.” As soon as I handed her the mug, our fingers collided and we both seemed surprised. But neither of us moved, not even when I brushed the tip of my index finger across hers.
Her nervous laugh finally broke the tension. “We can’t go on like this. You know that.” She slipped onto one of the kitchen chairs.
“Like what?”
“Like strangers passing in the night.” She took a step away, her face flushing from the instant connection. Yet the awkwardness remained a lingering sensation that skimmed across my skin.
This wasn’t working the way I’d thought it would. The craving for her was dark and as sadistic as I’d seen in the men the night before. Maybe I wasn’t the best person to handle the mission after all.
“We are strangers, Reese, strangers forced together by extreme and very dangerous circumstances. I won’t allow you to be hurt any more than you already have. Believe it or not, I do have a moral code.”
“In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I am an adult. As such, I make my own decisions. That’s my sister stuck in that hellhole. God knows where she is at this moment. Maybe she was sold to some fucking asshole who uses bullwhips to keep women in line. Or maybe she’s back in a cold, dark cell rotting away, thinking her family doesn’t give a damn about her. So, if we need to become very close to keep the charade going, then that’s what we are going to do.”
“You’re going to do exactly what I tell you to do.”
Her smile was wry. “Why, yes, sir.”
There she went again, forcing me to rethink my objective, not only with her, but also with this goddamn case. Fuck. There was no win in the situation, but I had to put my foot down. “What happened last night can’t happen again. You can certainly provide sketches and we need to talk through everything you know, but under no circumstances are you going to be put in a position of danger ever again. That’s final.”
“Final?” she spit back. “From what you told me last night and from little I know about these privileged men, if you receive another invitation, it’s going to involve me. It has to and you know that. If Lucifer, his goons for guards, or his very special members have any doubt you are who you say you are, then the easiest way to assuage their suspicions is by ensuring you’re a sadistic, dominating man. That takes practice. And I can’t believe I’m suggesting that.” Her laugh was laced with nervousness. “God, this is insane, but contrary to what you witnessed last night with me trembling in fear, that’s not my personality. I am a fighter.”
Of that I had no doubt.
“Not happening. You will not be involved in any other way.”
“What are you going to do, get a body double or are you just going to try and convince Lucifer you’re ready for another slave?”
Even though it killed me to admit it, she was right. “And if your scenario holds true, they will push boundaries that neither one of us are ready to cross.”
Although I’d already continued questioning myself about just how far over the line I was willing to go. The initial answer continued to trouble me.
Especially given the number of filthy images I’d allowed over the last few hours.
“Why are you doing this?” Her question was meant to catch me off guard.
“Why? So that justice can be served and innocent victims saved.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “There’s more. I could see it in your eyes, the same conviction and drive that I felt. So why?”
The uneasiness between us wasn’t going to be solved by commiserating over aspects of our pasts. “There are still some people in this world who will stop at nothing to eliminate evil.”
“A very practiced answer. Alright, then what do we do, Mister Prosecutor? You’re right in that what happened after we came here shouldn’t occur again. We were both carried away and neither one of us are looking for anything like companionship.”
“Being carried away will not happen again.”
“You are insufferable. When I date someone, I need to know them. You know what I’m talking about. Their likes and dislikes. What they like on their pizza or in their coffee. Maybe what kind of books they read or movies they enjoy watching. Something to entice the conversation. So, since we won’t be getting personal, then I guess we won’t need to worry about me calling the caterer for the fancy reception.”
Every defiant word out of her mouth created a new desire that I’d soon need to chain with thick strands of steel. She certainly knew enough about me that she’d figured out how to dig a sharp instrument into my gut.
I resisted firing back immediately, trying to find any words that would work in this situation. “We’ll do what we need to bring down the Privileged, but if I agree to allowing you to help further than what I’ve mentioned, you will agree to follow all my rules.” I pointed my index finger at her and I could swear the woman was ready to bite it off.
“What if I fail?” She lifted her pretty little head, testing me. Defying me.
Enticing me.
“Let’s just say you don’t want to find out.” I lifted my eyebrow, daring her to continue with this line of conversation.
“Hmmm… You need a lesson in practicality, Mister Prosecutor. Whatever happens, we’ll need to practice the fabulous art of BDSM. In other words, I need to learn how to be a good little slave. Maybe if I pass the test, my acting ability will ease your fears.”
We were effectively engaged in a standoff. The woman was formidable. “Then your first lesson is in learning to follow the rules and only speaking when spoken to.”
My calculated barb brought a wash of various emotions crossing her face, the last being fury. Yet she offered a wide smile.
“I guess you’ll need to buy me a collar and a leash. That is what all masters do with their slaves. Right?”
The urge to discipline her was very strong, yet I smiled in return. “A very good idea. That way, I can chain you to the bed. Now, after our verbal gymnastics, are you ready to get down to the work I will allow you to do?” I’d push her buttons as much as she’d pushed mine.
My balls tightened, the ache in my cock doing very little to persuade me to keep the promise made.
“Of course, Master. While I very much appreciate everything you’ve done so far, forgive me for remaining uncertain that you as one man can bring down this organization. They are far too powerful and you seem to forget, help wasn’t forthcoming from anyone else.”
“Only I’m not just one man.”
“Ah, yes, some fabulous group of buddies.” She fully intended on challenging me and getting what she wanted.
“Who will do what it takes to crush the Privileged.”
“With my help.”
I took a deep breath and leaned forward, now only inches from the stunning blonde. With a single finger, I traced the long line of her neck, enjoying the tingling sensations way too much. “Only if you follow my rules without question.”
