Dangerous

by Audrey Alexander

  After another gulp of her cheap wine, Carrie leaned forward and opened the laptop sitting on her coffee table. If Jace wouldn’t tell her what was going on, then she’d just have to figure it out for herself. Unfortunately, he was still her client, and she’d have to see this case through if she wanted to keep her job—and especially if she wanted to make partner. It was time to be proactive and stop wallowing in the pain of what Jace had done. She needed to be strong.

  Carrie fired up her laptop and opened the internet browser before typing ‘Garrett Butler’ into the search bar. Dozens of results filled the screen. Two years before, Garrett a.k. Franklin had been named in an investigation into the death of a casino owner in Las Vegas. The tip had only been anonymous, but the evidence had proven his involvement. A large sum of money had been deposited into his bank account, along with several other transfers that linked him to other high profile deaths in the area.

  He’d never been caught, of course. And Carrie knew why. Garrett Butler had changed his name to Franklin Snow, and now he was here in New York. Her fingers itched to pick up her cell and call the police. Even though he looked different now, she could bet his fingerprints would reveal his identity easily enough.

  She sighed and gritted her teeth. She couldn’t do it, no matter how she felt about Jace’s lies. If she reported this, he would be implicated in Franklin’s crimes. She had no idea why he was involved with Franklin and why he’d agreed to hide his identity, but she still couldn’t bring herself to believe that Jace was a killer. Or even that he would hire one to do his dirty work for him.

  Carrie groaned and flopped back onto the couch. She hated that he had this hold on her, but her hatred of the fact didn’t make it not true. No matter how much he’d lied, Carrie couldn’t turn him in, even if she wanted to. Her body wouldn’t let her pick up that damn phone and dial.

  A knock sounded on her apartment door, and she jumped. It was late. Sucking in a sharp breath, she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall over her television. It was almost midnight. No one she knew would come knocking on her door at this time.

  Her heartbeat picked up speed as she slowly stood from the couch, her pulse throbbing in her neck. Swiping her sweaty palms on her pajamas, she glanced around the apartment for something she could use as a weapon. Maybe the man from the other night had followed her home and had been waiting for the right moment to catch her off guard. Maybe he hoped she’d be asleep so he could sneak inside and threaten her again…or worse.

  Carrie hadn’t stayed out of things like he’d demanded. He could be coming after her to put an end to things, and Jace was nowhere nearby to save her this time.

  The knock sounded again, this time louder and more insistent. All the blood drained from Carrie’s face as she stayed rooted to the spot. Her phone. The thought broke through her clouded mind. Carrie grabbed her phone from the coffee table with shaking hands. Maybe the cops could get here soon enough to stop the man from getting inside.

  “Carrie, I know you’re in there.” Jace’s deep voice rang out through the door. “We need to talk.”

  “Go away, Jace.” Carrie’s voice sounded stuffy and thick, and Jace recognized that tone of hers anywhere. She’d been crying, and she might be a little bit drunk. It had been a long time since he’d heard her sound this way, and he needed to fix it fast.

  “We need to talk,” he said again. “Let me in, and I’ll explain things.”

  “Just leave me alone.” Her voice was closer now, so close it sounded as if she’d moved just to the other side of the door. “I have nothing to say to you.”

  “You’re being childish,” he said. “Open up.”

  “Or what?” she asked with a sharp laugh. “Are you going to punish me?”

  “If it comes to that,” he said, frowning. He didn’t like that she was making their intimate moments together a joke now. He’d opened up to her about his preferences, and now she was throwing them back in his face. But he knew why. She was hurt, and he could understand that. He’d never wanted her to find out about Franklin, and this was exactly why.

  “Is he with you?” she asked in a softer voice.

  “No, he isn’t with me.”

  A moment later, Jace heard the tumble of the lock as Carrie opened the door. She peered out at him, her gorgeous brunette locks disheveled and her plaid pajamas clinging to her curvy frame. Her face was flushed, and her lips were red. She’d definitely been drinking, but Jace couldn’t blame her. And it didn’t stop her from looking as sexy as hell.

  She stared at him, eyes wide. Her face betrayed her thoughts as pink crept up her throat. “You shouldn’t have come here. My note said everything I needed to say.”

  “Well, it didn’t say everything I need to say. Let me in.”

  Jace could see her willpower crumble as she sighed and took a step back, opening the door wider to let him into her apartment. He stepped inside and slid off his jacket before tossing it onto the couch next to her cat. Carrie froze with pursed lips, watching his every move as if she might explode if he so much as looked at her the wrong way.

  “You can relax,” he said with a sigh. “I’m not here to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  “Then why the hell are you here?” She propped her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. There was the Carrie he knew and loved, the one who knew exactly how to drive him crazy. She was a fierce little ball of energy who wouldn’t let anyone push her around, and he had to love that about her, even if it meant she went against his wishes way more often than not.

  He sighed and raised his hands by his sides. “I’m here to give you an explanation. I’m here to tell you everything, so you can finally know who I really am.”

  “Oh yeah?” She narrowed her eyes. “And how will I know you’re actually telling me the truth?”

  “Because I said so,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’re going to have to trust me.”

  Carrie whirled away from him and began to pace back and forth, her tight little pajama pants swishing against her toned thighs. “I did trust you. And then I found Franklin Snow’s passport. How will I know there’s nothing else you’re hiding?”

  “I said before that there were things I didn’t want to tell you.” He grabbed her elbow to force her to stop pacing. She glanced up at him with eyes as wide as saucers. “Well, this was it. You’ve found it out, and I’m going to tell you everything. Let me have my say. If you want nothing to do with me after you hear the whole story, fine. But I refuse to let you run away without knowing the truth.”

  Carrie swallowed hard and pulled her elbow out of his grasp. “Fine.”

  “Good.” Jace took a deep breath. “Tell me what you want to know.”

  “Who the hell is Franklin Snow?” Carrie asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

  Jace gave a nod. “His real name is Garrett Butler, but he’s not who you think he is. He didn’t kill those men.”

  “How do you know that?” Carrie frowned. “There was evidence that proved he did it.”

  “Franklin was framed. Just like I’m being framed.” Jace shook his head and moved further into the living room. This time, Carrie didn’t try to stop him. “He fell in with the wrong people in Vegas, and when he didn’t do what they wanted him to do, well…they made it look like he’d done it anyway.”

  Jace watched as Carrie let the information sink in. It had obviously not been what she’d expected to hear. She sagged against the couch, sinking into the leather and absentmindedly scratching her cat’s ears.

  “So, he’s not a contract killer,” Carrie whispered.

  “No.” Jace moved around the couch and settled in beside Carrie, but not too close yet. He knew she still needed time to process this new information, and he hadn’t told her everything. He needed to get the whole story out there before she learned the details some other way. “I met him in Atlantic City a couple of years ago where he was hiding out.”

  “Atlantic City?” Carrie’s eyes widened as she glanced up at
Jace. “Why were you in Atlantic City?”

  “I used to go there regularly, Carrie.” Jace swallowed hard as he met her gaze. “After you left me, I started gambling fairly regularly. I was very good at it. Mostly because I counted cards.”

  “What?” Carrie stood fast, shaking her head and taking a step back. “You can’t count cards. It’s…”

  “Completely legal.” Jace stood. “Atlantic City casinos can’t even ban card counters.”

  “But…” Carrie shook her head, her eyebrows crinkling together. “I don’t understand what that has to do with what’s going on.”

  “I made some enemies,” Jace said in a low voice. “I made a very large sum of money this way, and there were some people who wanted to take it back. Forcibly. I thought perhaps they were the ones who were trying to frame me. It wouldn’t be above them, knowing what I know about them.”

  “Wait.” Carrie held up her hands. “How much money are we talking about?”

  “Enough to make me the man I am now.”

  Carrie sucked in a breath and eased back onto the couch, her hands shaking. He knew it was a lot to take in, and he was certain she’d ban him from her apartment at any moment. Jace’s secrets were all out in the open now, and there was nothing to stop Carrie from rejecting his twisted past. He’d made some huge mistakes, and he was finally going to pay for them.

  “This is a lot to take in,” Carrie finally said. “I knew you spent a lot of time out of the city after we broke up, but I had no idea you’d been going to Atlantic City to count cards.”

  “Among other things,” he said quietly.

  “There’s more?” Carrie’s eyebrows rose. “Wait, forget I asked. I’m not sure I want to know.”

  Jace reached out and took Carrie’s hand in his. They were soft and delicate and warm. He waited a moment, watching her reaction. Her breath caught, and her lips parted, but she didn’t pull away from him. He almost couldn’t bear to let himself believe it. She hadn’t reacted at all liked he’d thought. Maybe she hadn’t quite accepted his past, but she wasn’t throwing him out her door, and that was enough for him.

  “Atlantic City is where I was first introduced to my…particular tastes.”

  “The punishments,” Carrie breathed as her fingers tightened around his. “Tell me more.”

  Carrie could hardly believe what Jace had told her about his time in Atlantic City. Card counting, framed men on the run from the law, angry casino owners who had threatened to take him down. She could see why he’d jumped to the conclusion that his past had something to do with the present. It made perfect sense. They’d finally come after him in order to take back the money he’d cheated out of them.

  Despite all of that though, there was one thing Carrie wanted to know about more than anything else. How he’d gotten sucked into the lifestyle of whips and chains.

  “I went looking for your toys,” she said, trying to keep the blush from creeping into her cheeks. “That’s why I was in your closet. It’s how I found Franklin’s old passport in the first place.”

  Jace’s jaw clenched. She could tell he didn’t like the idea of her snooping in his closet, and she couldn’t help the thrill that went through her body. He had that same look on his face, the one that told her he wanted to bend her over and spank her for what she’d done. And despite how much she’d sworn him off, she couldn’t stop the lust from running through her. She was getting sucked right back in, and she couldn’t stop herself, especially since his story made so much sense. How could she push him away because of some stupid mistakes he’d made when he was tending the wounds she’d inflicted upon him? She’d made her own share of mistakes, and it wasn’t as if he’d done anything to harm anyone but himself.

  “What you saw that night is all I have in my closet.” Jace’s voice was steady, but something flashed in his eyes. Something dark and dangerous, and Carrie couldn’t stop herself from leaning forward and brushing her hand against his thigh. He tensed under her touch, a question mark in his eyes. “I’m surprised you were so eager for punishment that you went snooping in my private space.”

  “You said there was more where that came from.” Carrie licked her lips and glanced away. What was she doing? Only an hour ago, she’d never wanted to see Jace again in her life, and here she was, practically begging him to take her right then and there.

  “There is more where that came from.” Jace shifted on the couch to face her and took her chin in his hand. “But I wasn’t talking about anything that is in my penthouse. I meant it when I said I like to keep my private affairs separate from my business. The chains are only there for special circumstances.”

  “I don’t understand.” She blinked up at him, her heart hammering against her ribs. “Where do you keep your toys then?”

  “Somewhere else,” Jace said. “I don’t think you’d understand if I told you.”

  She frowned and pulled back. “I thought you were going to stop hiding things from me. You said you were going to tell me everything so I could finally know who you are.”

  Jace opened his mouth, closed it, and then narrowed his eyes. “Fine. There are clubs I attend. They have spaces where patrons can enjoy their specific tastes with like-minded individuals.”

  Carrie felt herself stand from the couch again. She couldn’t sit still now knowing the information Jace had just dropped on her head. “You mean, like a sex club?”

  “Yes, a sex club.” Jace looked up at her, unblinking. “Now you see why I thought you wouldn’t understand.”

  Carrie just stood there, shaking her head. She had no idea what to think about this. For some reason, it was far more shocking than finding out Jace had gained thousands of dollars by counting cards at an Atlantic City casino and then hiring a man who had been framed for murder. The fact he went to a sex club blew all of that out of the water.

  “You said you wanted to know me.” Jace gave her a tight smile. “Well, this is who I am.”

  “And you enjoy this?” Carrie clutched her hands together. “Going to sex clubs?”

  “Yes, I do.” Jace sighed and stood, grabbing his coat from the couch. “I knew this was a mistake.”

  Carrie’s hand shot out, and she grasped Jace’s arm, her heart pounding hard in her chest. “Where are you going?”

  Jace’s eyes flicked down to Carrie’s hand on his arm. “My penthouse.”

  Carrie sucked in a deep breath to blurt out the words in her head before she could stop herself. “I do want to know you. I want you to take me to one of your clubs.”

  Jace’s eyes widened, but his lips quirked into a wicked smile. “You’ve certainly changed your tune. I’d love to go along with this, but trust me when I say you don’t know what you’re asking.”

  “I want to do it, Jace.” She dug her fingers into his arm as the words poured from her mouth. “I want everything out on the table between us, and this is a huge part of your life now. So, take me there. Show me what you want from me.”

  “Well then.” Jace’s smile grew as his eyes raked over her body. “You better change into some different clothes.”

  Carrie smoothed down the front of her little black dress as they stepped inside the dark club, the electronic music thumping against her eardrums. The air inside was thick with smoke and incense, and Carrie coughed into her shaking hand. Even though she’d insisted they come here, Carrie was nervous as hell. She had no idea what to expect.

  Jace placed a comforting hand on the small of her back and guided her through the club. Through the crowd, she spotted several girls with dog collars twisted around their necks being led by men holding thick chains. Carrie swallowed hard but kept her chin held high. She wouldn’t let anyone here see her nerves.

  At the edge of a thick red curtain, Jace paused and pressed his hand harder against her back. His gaze was fierce and dark and full of lust. He was excited they’d come here, but Carrie wasn’t entirely certain she felt the same.

  “Would you like a drink before we go in?” he asked
in a low voice, gesturing at a bar manned by perky girls in black leather bras.

  “Go in where?”

  “To my private playroom.” Jace nodded at the curtain. “But remember, we don’t have to do this, Carrie.”

  “No.” She took a deep breath and stared hard at the red curtain, pressing down the front of her dress again. “Take me inside. Show me what it is that you like.”

  “Very well.” He gave her a wicked grin and took her hand.

  Jace led Carrie through the thick curtains. What she found on the other side wasn’t at all what she had expected. For some reason, her mind had conjured up visions of a writhing mass of bodies being tossed about by whips and chains, but instead, she was presented with a sleek dark corridor full of closed doors. A moan of pleasure drifted into her ears from somewhere nearby, but other than that, the only sound was the muted thump of the music in the main bar.

  “What is this place?” Carrie asked in a whisper.

  “Begin walking,” Jace commanded. A thrill went through her body. Carrie followed his order and began making her way down the dim hallway.

  “Now stop.”

  Carrie stopped and watched Jace slip a metal key from his pocket. He slid it into the lock and twisted the doorknob. Carrie’s heartbeat stuttered a frantic rhythm against her chest. She had loved what they’d done in Jace’s closet, but this whole place was something else, something a little bit scary. And she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know what was on the other side of that door.

  “After you,” he said.

  Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders. This was something she had to do. She wanted to know who Jace had become, and going inside that room was the only way she could find out everything she wanted to know. His deepest and darkest desires were in there, and Carrie was desperate to know what made him tick.