Dungeon Games (21 page)

“Fun. Why?”

“He’s very interested in a package she’s supposed to get.”

Sean’s eyes narrowed. “He mentioned it the first day. I’ll get on it and we’ll find out where he’s staying and tail him for a couple of days.”

“Good.” He didn’t like the coincidence. He’d been a cop long enough that he knew coincidence was just a word people used. Coincidence usually meant something shitty was about to happen.

He didn’t like the fact that her brother-in-law had shown up and suddenly someone had her name on a grain of rice and that meant death. Yeah, one plus one equaled two, and that usually meant that money was involved.

Money was involved far more often than psychosis. Most people with hormonal challenges got help and never hurt a person. People who were greedy on the other hand…

Karina walked his way. God, she was gorgeous. His Gorgeous Girl. His. Fucking his. She wouldn’t stray. She wouldn’t look another way. She would take all that love and lust and send it his way if he was lucky. She would take that sexy feminine energy and spend it on the man who brought her comfort and pleasure and who made her feel loved.

He was going to be that man. He was going to be that man if it killed him.

“Hey, I got you a rum and Coke.” She smiled his way and winked to let him know it was just a Coke. Hers would be the same.

He kind of thought hers would be the same for a different reason. How did he tell her that it was okay? How did he tell her he didn’t give a fuck? Would she even believe a damn word he said at this point?

There was only one reason he could think of if she had a record. Karina Mills wouldn’t harm another person. Karina wouldn’t commit armed robbery or even shoplift.

But if her life was bad, she might hurt herself. She might have taken drugs to escape when she was young.

And he knew damn well she would pull herself up and fix the problem because that was the kind of woman she was. She was strong and brave and so fucking gorgeous it hurt to look at her.

She was everything a man could want.

“Thanks, gorgeous.” It hurt to not call her what she was. He knew it was dumb, but she was his baby. He’d never called Maia that. When he was young, it was because that was what his dad called his mom. As he’d gotten older, he’d realized that Maia wasn’t his baby.

Karina was his baby. He might never say it, but it was true. She was the one.

He’d been a dumbshit asshole, but she was the one.

She smiled Sean’s way. Again, a very pretty smile, but not the one reserved for her lover. He was her lover and he was going to do whatever it took to make sure it stayed that way.

He took his Coke and maneuvered his way next to her. “Thanks, gorgeous. What did Master Will want?”

“He’s not feeling well. He just came over to tell me he and Starr are heading home. He wanted to make sure I was okay.” She took a sip and smiled his way.

God, how did he tell her he loved her? He’d fucked this up on a fundamental level. She had to think he wouldn’t accept her. He hated she thought so little of him.

He looked at the clock. It was past one. The club would be open for a little bit more, but they were past the heavy scenes. He’d avoided them tonight. If he’d been at Sanctum, he would have stripped her down and flogged her. He would have tied her to a cross and laid into her, but he didn’t trust the eyes on her here. At Sanctum they would honor his claim. The minute he got a real collar around her throat the men would praise her beauty, but no one would make a move on her. They would honor her for the gorgeous submissive she was.

Here, he worried they would simply take her. Without love. Without honor. Without thought to who she really was. Gorgeous. Smart. So fucking strong she brought him to his knees.

“Are you ready to go?” He wanted to get her out of here. He wouldn’t feel good until he had her back at his place, behind locked doors and in his bed. He’d long ago learned to trust his instincts and they were telling him it was time to stop. Karina didn’t know it, but she was going to his place tonight.

“If you think it’s the right time, then yes.” Karina nodded his way, obviously giving in.

She wanted to stay and if he thought for a second it was in her best interest, in her interest in any way, he would likely turn it around. It wasn’t. None of this was. He was going to tell the Rangers tomorrow to fuck themselves and he and Karina were going on a vacation. He would give them every lead he had, but his girl was out of this. Nothing was worth her safety. She was the most precious thing in the world to him. If he lost his job, then Ian fucking Taggart better get ready for a new employee.

He was putting Karina first.

“Go and change your clothes. Don’t take long and don’t bother with a shower. I’ll just get you dirty again.” He couldn’t walk out and get into the car with her in a corset and thong. Though it should be legal because she was so pretty.

She glanced Sean’s way and her bratty beautiful eyes rolled. “He’s going to kill me, Sean. I’ll see you both back here in ten.”

She sashayed her way toward the locker room. God, he wasn’t going to let that go. Her ass was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen.

And she needed him. She needed him to center her. She needed him so she didn’t devolve into chaos and dirt. God only knew her bathroom needed him.

He would move her into his place. Better yet, he would let her pick a place and then properly organize their stuff and hire a maid. She would cook and he would handle the daily cleaning.

They would be happy.

“Dude, you’re in too deep,” Sean said.

He shrugged. “I don’t want to be anything else.”

“Then I apologize. You’re in just deep enough.”

He could happily drown if she would just keep smiling his way.

* * * *

Karina stepped into the hallway that led to the locker room. She kind of hated Kink. Loved the word. Hated the club because it didn’t take itself seriously. There was a long corridor that led to the only private place in the club. There were two doors that opened off but she wasn’t sure where they led. It was stupid, but she felt a little vulnerable as she passed them.

They didn’t open. She walked on. The lights flickered above her, casting shadows on the hallway. She turned and she could see Liam standing at the beginning of the hall. He’d been at the front door, but she was certain Derek had called him over.

If she let him, she was sure Derek would charge into the bathroom and stand guard over her.

She pushed through the door that led to the women’s locker room. At least it was well lit. It closed behind her and she was alone. She let out a deep breath. She hadn’t been alone in days. Even when they were here at the club, they tended to leave when it closed so all the subs were changing at the same time. It was deserted now. Peaceful. Quiet.

What the hell was she going to do about Derek?

She heard a shower turn on. So much for being alone. In and out. She would change clothes and get right back to Derek. She would run his way. Maybe they could keep up this sweet peace they had found between them. She could forgive his stupidity. He was bruised, damaged by what had happened to him. She could understand that. He’d been sweet since the moment he’d realized he was wrong. Karina believed in second chances.

He accepted her silence. She had no doubt he would take her home and make love to her and hold her. So why was there a lump in her throat?

It was probably because she knew her time with him was almost up. A few weeks. Nothing more. They would solve the case or dissolve the task force. They wouldn’t let him stay forever.

He wouldn’t let himself stay forever. He would go looking for his sweet sub who would never question him. She shouldn’t. She should be smarter than Karina. Derek did right. He only ever veered off the path for someone he cared about. When he loved someone, he would do anything to protect her.

She didn’t deserve that.

Her heels clacked along the floor as she made her way to the line of lockers. What was she doing? She wanted Derek. She couldn’t imagine going forward without him, but she was holding back. He’d been so sweet all afternoon. He’d given in on everything. He’d told her she could have her way and perversely it made her want to open up to him.

She found her locker and opened it with a sigh. She needed to go to a meeting. She needed to sit and drink craptastic coffee and tell her story. She needed to walk in there and know she would be accepted for exactly who she was. She needed to know she could walk on her own two feet with her head held high. No one was ever waiting for her. Kevin thought she should do it alone to be strong.

Would Derek wait for her? She kind of thought that if Derek could accept her, he would sit outside the meeting. If he was her husband, he would escort her to and from and hold her hand. He would tell her to do what she needed and that when she was done, he would be there. It was a part of who he was.

It wasn’t a betrayal. It was just a difference. She’d needed Kevin. She’d needed exactly what he’d given her at the time. She hadn’t been ready for the kind of real intimacy she’d found with Derek. She’d needed the boundaries Kevin had given her. He’d loved her in his way. He’d shown her a lifestyle that helped her and given her the kind of distant affection she’d been able to accept at the time. If he’d been as attentive as Derek, she likely would have been wary, would have run away again.

Now she needed to tease Derek and lie in bed with him like a lazy slug and have him bring her coffee. She needed to laugh when he tickled her and she needed to wake him up when his dreams got bad.

She needed to love Derek. She needed to be loved by him.

God, what would she do if he walked away?

There was a sound from the showers that caught her attention. She turned, worried suddenly.

Master Will walked out of the showers, his face pale, his hands reaching for her. “Karina.”

He shouldn’t be here. Oh, fuck. She stepped back. She wasn’t carrying, but she could still handle herself. “You stay back.”

She noticed there was a smear of dirty reddish brown on the doorway as he lumbered through. She could see the blood he’d left where he’d placed his hand.

“Karina…” He stomped toward her, but there was something wrong with him. He moved without grace, as though forcing himself along. “Run, Karina.”

She didn’t need any more prompting. She started to turn and that was when she felt something sharp against her shoulder. There was a burning sensation and she swatted her hand back, but her vision was already odd.

Slow. She was slowing down.

Starr stood in front of her, a needle in her hand. “I am going to be so glad when I don’t have to come to these places anymore. You’re all sick, you know. Terry, we should hurry. Are you sure the bin is big enough?”

“I’m sure, baby doll. I got this planned out down to the last detail. You just trust me.” The last thing she saw before the darkness closed in on her was her brother-in-law’s face sneering down.

Derek was going to be so mad at her…

Chapter Eleven

Derek looked down the hallway, staring where Karina had disappeared. The men’s locker room was on the opposite side of the building, but he’d left Liam watching her while he’d picked up his stuff and changed into street clothes. She was taking her sweet time. As long as he was waiting, it might be good to do some damage control. “How’s it going, O’Donnell?”

The Irishman’s brows rose. “Careful there, Brighton. I might think you’re being friendly.”

“I’m sorry, man.” He was about to go into a major explanation because O’Donnell was Karina’s friend and he needed to start playing nicely with Karina’s friends. “I can only…”

O’Donnell held a hand up. “I’ve met your ex-wife. I understand. Just treat Karina well and we’ll be all right, you and me. You talked to Sean? He told you what we found out about Terry Mills?”

“I’d like to know what doctor he’s seeing.” He couldn’t get his mind off the brother-in-law. Something had been off about him earlier.

“I’ll have Adam try to get his medical records. Do you think he’s faking the broken arm? Why would he do that? Is he trying to get sympathy from Karina?”

Derek could think of only a couple of reasons, but his mind was working overtime. “I need to get her to talk to me about her marriage. I’m not trying to pry, but I don’t like the fact that her brother-in-law walked in just as Karina is being threatened. Do you know anything? Were they close? Would he want revenge on her for some reason?”

O’Donnell whistled. “Damn me. You think he’s the one who’s after her. He’s been in town longer than he admitted to Karina. He’s lying about that. Who knows what else he could be lying about?”

“I don’t know, but he’s a ship captain. He’s going to be good with ropes.” His mind turned. Plug and play. Take a suspect and answer the questions. He had the who and how and the when. This was tricky because there didn’t seem to be a why, but money was always bubbling right under the surface. “Did the brother have any property of value? Karina obviously didn’t keep it. The mother died before Karina’s husband. Was the will left in probate? Sometimes it can take years.” Maybe Terry didn’t think Karina deserved anything. Or maybe there was something else he was missing.

He needed to figure out what was in that box.

“No idea, but I’ll find out. Adam can run a search on the whole family. Karina’s husband was killed in a drug related shootout. As far as I can tell, he was a good cop. There was nothing dirty about him. He was posthumously honored as a hero, but things aren’t always as they seem.” Liam looked down the hallway.

“Have you been here the whole time?” He didn’t like how long Karina was taking.

“I’ve been standing here the whole time. The only person who’s moved around back there was someone taking out the laundry. She pushed one of those carts out the back door. I went back there, but Karina was in the shower. I told her to hurry it up.”

His heart started pounding and he turned and started down the hall. He’d told Karina to skip the shower, but Liam didn’t know that. Karina wouldn’t disobey him.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
It made sense. It would be an easy way to get her out. “How long ago?”