"Who the fuck are you?"
"This is fun. I know who you are, but you don't know who I am. Interesting turn of events."
"No! You can't! No-one knows who I am, no-one except my team."
"I do, I know all three of you. Ernie, Jason, and HH! And I've got news for you. So do a shitload of other people. Your time is up. Now who's the idiot?"
"Who talked?" he shouted, striding towards her waving the knife. "You'd better tell me or I swear to God you'll feel pain like you've never felt before. TELL ME!"
"I'm happy to tell you how I found out, but it wasn't from anyone who works for you," she said, forcing herself to remain calm, hoping that would settle him down. The man before her was no longer a smug, condescending egomaniac. His eyes were blazing and his face was contorting in rage. "The thing is, it has to be quid pro quo. I'll tell you how I know all about you, if you tell me what HH stands for."
He paused, and though he was still sporting a menacing glare, he seemed less crazed.
"Please?" she said softly, throwing him a woeful, doe-eyed look. "If you're going to kill me anyway, what difference does it make?"
"You're fuckin' weird," he muttered, abruptly turning away and marching back to the slider. "This city is full of fucking weirdos."
"Like my ass!"
"What?" he asked, spinning around. "What does that mean?"
"Weird. I've been called that a lot, like my ass. I've been told it's gorgeous a lot. Remember?" She had the control back. She could feel it. She had confounded him. "Come on, Jason, tell me. What does HH stand for?"
"Heaven and hell. That's what drugs are. Heaven and hell."
"Cool. How did you come up with it?"
"Bon Jovi. Their big hit, You Give Love A Bad Name. You know the lyric? You promise me heaven, then put me through hell. That's what drugs do. That's what I do. I promise people heaven, then deliver them into hell."
"You really are a twisted sonofabitch," she murmured, slowly rising to her feet and walking over to him, "but I like twisted."
"Okay, you crazy fuckin' cow. Who are you? How the fuck do you know about me?"
"Me? I'm FBI, and right now your glass palace, and your house up the street, they're both swarming with DEA and FBI agents. The only reason I'm not part of the action is because I'm sick. Beautiful view out here, don't you think?" she asked walking past him and out on to the patio.
She knew she was taking a huge risk, but she was running out of time. She'd told him what he'd been desperate to know, and she could feel her sex appeal had slipped away. Her only hope was get him out on to the patio, duck back inside, and close the slider. It moved so fast she might be able to get it shut and locked, then race out the front door.
"This is a joke, right?" he muttered as he followed her. "There's no fuckin' way. I'd know! I've got eyes and ears everywhere."
"Apparently not. You missed all the agents leaving this house earlier. How did you let that happen? And why did you bury your bodies up at the rocks, and why the hell didn't you wear gloves when you shot those people?"
"Noooooooooo....!"
"We've got the gun, Ernie."
"DON'T FUCKIN' CALL ME THAT!"
"Sorry, but like I said, we've got the gun. Your prints, or rather Ernie's, are all over it."
"That's impossible," he muttered, then abruptly began pacing up and down the patio. "I gave that gun to Tank. He--"
"He was supposed to dispose of it?" Kat interjected. "Oops! Nope. Kratos hid it in the seat of his desk chair."
"This can't be happening, this can't be happening."
"As we stand here, your empire is tumbling. All of it, and your torture room, and your--"
"STOP! YOU FUCKING COW, YOU CRAZY SHIT COW."
Kat knew too late, that she had pushed him too far, but just as he lunged towards her, Marco's voice rang through the air.
"DEAN! FREEZE! I'LL BLOW YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!"
Startled, Dean spun around, but as he did he lost his balance and fell backwards against the railing. There was a terrible crunching sound, and as it gave way behind him, his arms flew up in a wild attempt to catch something. He did. Kat's arm.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Kat let out a terrified scream, and with the speed of Superman on steroids Marco sprinted across the living room and through the open slider. Jason was teetering on the edge of the patio, barely maintaining his balance from clutching Kat's arm, and his strength was pulling her towards him. Diving forward Marco managed to grab her around the waist just as Jason was losing his battle with gravity, and as Marco pulled her backwards, she furiously wriggled her arm to wrench it from Jason's grasp. Feeling his grip loosening, Jason made a fatal error; he clutched the sleeve of her nightdress. It instantly ripped apart like a piece of thin paper.
There was no saving him, and tumbling backwards he plummeted to the concrete below.
Letting out a mortified cry Kat buried her head into Marco's chest. He hurried her inside, slid the glass door closed, and hastily moved her back into the bedroom. He knew it took a great deal to unnerve the cool, confident Kat, but her entire body was trembling and he could understand why. When he'd dashed on to the patio, Jason had been clinging to her arm for dear life, and seconds later he'd been letting out an inhuman wail as he'd spilled off her deck. He would have pulled her with him, had Marco not arrived when he did.
"Kat, Kat, it's okay, look at me, you're safe, it's over."
Marco's voice was controlled but intense. She wanted to answer him, but she couldn't find her voice.
"Listen to me, I need your keys."
"K-keys?" she managed, the unexpected request forcing her to think.
"I need to lock you in and scout the house. Jason might have someone else lurking around, then I have to check on him."
"I...uh..."
"I think you're in shock," he muttered. "Dammit, I don't want to leave you. Get back into bed."
Helping her climb between the sheets he bundled the blankets around her, then pulling his phone from his pocket he called Johnny.
"Hey, Marco, what's--"
"Johnny, you need to get back here now with your medics. Jason Dean fell off Kat's patio. I walked in on him attacking her."
"Holy shit. Is she okay?"
"Shaken up, and I hate to leave her but I have to scout the house. He might not have come alone. Just get back as fast as you can."
"Done!"
Ending the call, Marco leaned over her, and placing his hands on either side of her face, he softly kissed her, hoping it would help to bring her out of her stupor. It seemed to work. As he pulled back she looked calmer.
"You okay, sweetheart?"
"Yeah, sorry," she whispered, gazing up at him. "I totally lost it there for a minute."
"You're amazing, don't be so hard on yourself. I need to--"
"I know. Check the house. My keys are in my jacket."
"Listen to me! Don't answer the door no matter what, no matter who they say they are, and under no circumstances are you to go out on to that patio. Am I clear?"
"Uh-huh."
"In fact, don't leave this room," he said firmly as he started across to her jacket. "That's a rule until I get back, and rules are not to be broken."
"Don't worry, my legs are all wobbly," she replied, then unexpectedly began to cough, "and I have no desire to get out of this bed."
"I'll be back as soon as I can."
Finding the keys, he moved back to the bed to hug her quickly, then strode briskly from the room, but as he approached her door he paused and listened intently. Though he didn't hear anything from the other side, he drew his weapon, then opened the door a crack. The hallway was clear. After a quick check of the rooms and finding no sign of life he moved down the stairs, then on a hunch he walked into the front living room and peeked through the side of a curtain. The red sedan. There it was, parked directly across the street, the driver drinking a beer and reading a newspaper.
"Where the hell are you, Johnny. You shou
ld be here by now," Marco muttered to himself as he pulled out his phone and called him again.
"I'm a minute away," Johnny declared as he answered. "I got held up."
"There's a red sedan parked across from the house. It's Dean's driver. He appears to be alone. "
"Got it."
Ending the call, Marco moved quickly through the remaining rooms. Finding them empty he strode outside and gazed down at the broken man on the ground. His limbs were at odd angles, but to Marco's surprise there was very little blood. Bending down he placed his fingers against Jason's throat to feel for a pulse.
"Haven't killed me yet you fucker."
Jason's feeble voice had mumbled the words, and shocked that the lifeless body had spoken, Marco almost stumbled backwards. He couldn't believe Jason was still alive. His body was a crumpled, disjointed mess. The sound of approaching sirens caught his attention, and hurrying back inside he found two of the medics from Johnny's team striding through the front door with Johnny a few steps behind.
"Through there," Marco said, pointing to the French doors that led outside. "He's busted up bad, but he's alive."
"He's alive?" Johnny exclaimed. "How is that possible? Are you sure?"
"He just spoke, and I wasn't dreaming."
"Holy shit. I hope to hell he makes it."
"He doesn't deserve to," Marco grimaced. "He's a monster."
"He's a monster with a whole lot of information locked in his head, but I need to see Kat. Is she upstairs?"
"Yeah, and I'm coming with you. I hated to leave her."
"You had to make sure the house was clear. I've been there. It sucks."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kat had suddenly felt very cold and had managed to change into a pair of warm pajamas. She had just climbed back into bed when she heard Marco's return, and a moment later there was a gentle knock on her bedroom door.
"Kat, it's Marco, I'm with Johnny. Are you decent?"
"Yes, you can come in."
"Hey, how's my number one agent?" Johnny asked as entered. "What the hell were you doing grappling with a Hollywood heartthrob on your patio?"
"Good question. I would have been safer going on the raid."
"Are you all right? You sound terrible."
"Yes, fine, it's just a cold, but I was freaked out when it happened, and Marco, I totally forgot to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"Jason Dean is...hold on..." she said, grabbing a tissue and sneezing into it. "Sorry. Jason Dean is HH."
"Jason Dean is HH?" Marco repeated. "How do you know?"
"He told me. I figured the only way to stay alive was to get him talking and control of the conversation, and it worked. That's down to you, Johnny. You taught me how to do that."
"That is incredible news. Absolutely incredible," Johnny exclaimed. "He's been hiding in plain sight all this time. Did you find out what HH stands for?"
"Yep, Heaven and Hell. He said that's what he does. His drugs promise people heaven, then puts them through hell."
"Like that song," Marco declared, "what was it?"
"Bon Jovi, You Give Love A Bad Name, and that's where Jason got it."
"He did the same to those girls in that house," Johnny murmured. "You've done an amazing job, Kat, now you need to get better. I'll need a full statement of what happened here of course, from both of you, but that can wait."
"Shit, I didn't even ask," she suddenly blurted out. "How's Jason? I assume he's, uh, toast?"
"Shockingly, he was alive when I checked on him," Marco said soberly. "He was a mess, but he was alive. No telling for how long though."
"I'd better get back to it," Johnny said. "I'm so glad you're okay, Kat."
"Marco saved me. Marco and a ratty old nightgown that I've had forever. When I think what could have happened..."
"But it didn't, and I'll always be grateful. I'll speak to you tomorrow, and I won't hug you, I don't need your cold. Bye, Marco. Great work. I'll call Steve with the news. Damn...Jason Dean is HH. The bastard was right in front of our noses the whole time."
As Johnny walked from the bedroom, shaking his head, Marco sat down on the edge of the bed and wiped some runaway hairs from Kat's forehead.
"I'm going to take a shower then climb into bed and hold you all night."
"You'll catch my bug."
"I've had a flu shot, and I've bought some of that anti-cold stuff."
"Anti-Cold stuff? What's anti-cold stuff?"
"It helps prevent a bug from taking hold. I'm hoping it will stop it in its tracks if it tries to jump off you and land on me, but Kat, I don't care. I'm not leaving, and I'm going to make sure you get better."
Leaning into him she rested her head in his chest and moved her arms around his waist.
"I'm so happy you're here Marco, and I'm so happy I met you."
"That makes two of us," he murmured, holding her tightly. "I hate that you're sick, but I do like you like this."
"Like what?"
"All soft and cuddly. When you're like this I'm changing Kat to kitten. Remember when I mentioned that?"
"Of course I do, and if I didn't have a sore throat and stuffed up nose I'd be purring," she said softly, and as if to make her point she coughed and sniffled. "Dammit. I don't do sick!"
"Take some more of your potions," he said as she reached for a tissue, "and before I take that shower I have something I want to ask you."
"Okay. Go ahead."
"How did you end up on the patio with Jason?"
She was about to pour some nighttime cold medicine into a tiny plastic cup, but she stopped and stared up at him.
"Uh, can we talk about it tomorrow?"
"I figured as much. Don't worry, I would never punish you while you're sick, but I want you to tell me now, though I can guess."
"Why don't you do that, guess I mean."
"You thought if you could get him on to the patio, you could duck inside and close the slider on him, or, worse case scenario, push him against the railing and hope it gave way, which it did. Am I close?"
"The first bit. I didn't think about the railing, and I'm glad," she said softly. "Seeing him fall off the way he did, and that howl he made, it was horrifying."
"We're taught to use everything and anything at our disposal to defend ourselves, so it would have been understandable if you'd done that, but I have to tell you..."
"What?" she pressed.
His voice had fallen quiet and he was staring at her intently.
"When I saw him trying to pull you over with him I thought my heart was going to stop. It totally scared the crap out of me."
"Me too," she mumbled, "I've never been so terrified in my life."
"Hopefully you'll never be in a position like that again."
"Hopefully."
"You mean the world to me Kat, and I felt it at that moment. It was almost like a flash of light."
"I felt it too, and, uh, if you're still going to start up that detective agency business, I'd love to join you."
"There are going to be some serious rules. Can you live with that?"
"I wouldn't want it any other way."
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Kat and Marco were eager to see the infamous glass mansion, and a few days later, with Kat's cold virtually gone, they made their way up the hill, and were soon riding through the guard gates and into the exclusive community. As the gleaming home came into view, though she'd seen the structure in photographs, it still took her breath away. Rolling up the driveway and into the motor court, they joined several pickup trucks and SUV's, and as they climbed off the bike and pulled off their helmets, Kat gazed at the architectural wonder.
"I'm surprised he had a place like this," she remarked. "You can see into every room?"
"What was it Johnny said? Hiding in plain sight? It may look like there's no privacy, but I've heard there are hidden rooms all over the place."
"Hey you two," Steve declared, moving swiftly up to greet them. "How are feeli
ng, Kat?"
"Great, and I'm glad to finally see this place. What are you doing here? What's with all the cars and trucks?"
"We're doing a major search, and it's good you got here when you did. Starting tomorrow we might be tearing this house apart."
"Why?" Kat asked as they started walking towards the front door.
"Jason Dean has been forthcoming about almost everything, and I call him Jason rather than Ernie because I have to keep it as a habit. He gets crazy if anyone calls him Ernie."
"I remember," Kat said rolling her eyes.
"Almost everything?" Marco asked. "Let me guess. Where's the cash?"
"Right on the money," Steve chuckled, "if you'll forgive the pun."
They'd entered the foyer, and they stood quietly, taking in the white floors, black rugs, and extraordinary steel sculptures.
"This place is amazing," Kat murmured. "It's gorgeous, but it's...what's the word I'm looking for? Sterile. That's what it is, it's sterile and it's cold. It's not like a home at all."
"Wait until you see the red room. That was their chamber of horrors. Padded vinyl walls, rubber floors, totally bizarre, and there's the playroom as well."
"Playroom?" Kat asked. "What do you mean, playroom?"
"You know, all that BDSM stuff. He was into some kinky shit. Anyway, we've found plenty of drugs and weapons but none of the money, and I'm convinced there's cash around here."
"I'm sure you're right," Marco muttered, his mind still on the playroom.
Noticing Kat was staring into space, obviously deep in thought, he smiled. Her thoughts were probably like his; filled with floggers and other wicked implements of pain and pleasure.
"The money!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. I was so out of it I totally forgot."
"You know where it is?" Steve asked, staring at her in surprise.
"Maybe. I made a joke about the landscaping around the house. I suggested he had a tropical forest so he could hide the green in the green."
"Damn. That never even occurred to me. I'll get people out there right away."
"Can we wander around the house?"
"Sure, and thanks. I hope you're right."
Motorcycle Master: Bad Boy Angel (Alpha Male Master Series Book 1) Page 20
