by Lexi Blake
“Kai!” she cried out as Squirrel got the knife in his hand again.
Kai kicked out, but that knife descended toward him.
The whole house seemed rocked by the sound of a gun going off. Jared stood over his former best friend, the man he’d spent half his life with, and stared down at the hole in the back of his skull.
Kai rolled Squirrel’s body off him and looked up at his brother. “Are you all right?”
Before he could answer, the cops swarmed in. Jared dropped the gun and got to his knees, hands in the air. Kai did the same. Kori held on to Sarah as the world seemed flooded with pain.
* * * *
He fucking hated police stations. He was getting damn tired of interrogation rooms, too. Unlike the last time, he’d been separated from his brother. After the cops had talked to Sarah and Kori, he and Jared had been given the dignity of walking to the patrol cars sans handcuffs. The women had been taken to the hospital, and he hadn’t seen Kori since. He hadn’t had the chance to hold her, to tell her how terrified he’d been when he realized she was alone with a serial killer. He hadn’t been able to ask for her forgiveness.
The door opened and Special Agent Rush walked in along with Big Tag.
“Your girl needs a spanking,” Big Tag said flatly. “If you don’t give her a doozy of one, I’m going to come up with some punishment that fits the crime. I told her specifically not to leave Erin’s house without an escort, and if she tries to tell me subby Sarah is a proper escort, I’ll spank her myself.”
The words came out flat and angry, a sure sign that what Ian was really feeling was fear and guilt.
“I’ll take care of her. Do you know if she’s been released from the hospital yet?” His even words belied the knot in his gut. The two most important relationships in his life were in complete turmoil, and he wasn’t sure what he could do about them. Jared had stared blankly ahead on the way to the station. He’d answered Kai’s questions in a hollow voice. No charm. No emotion. It was utterly unlike his brother.
How would he handle it? The only person who’d ever stuck by him had been a rabid dog, infecting his life with tragedy. He’d been able to hear what Jared said to Squirrel, and for a moment he thought his brother meant it, meant he would rather end it all here instead of moving forward after such a betrayal.
Kai was part of that cycle. Kai had betrayed him as surely as Squirrel had, though in a more honest way.
And Kori felt betrayed.
What a fucking mess.
Ian sent Rush a frown that could have frozen fire. “Don’t you have something to say?”
Rush’s eyes rolled slightly, but he held a hand out. “I’m truly sorry for suspecting your brother and ask your forgiveness. Your brother is an amazing actor and a very good thrower of alien darts.”
Big Tag grinned a little. “He has to wear a Dart T-shirt to work for a week, too.”
“You made a bet on whether my brother was a killer?”
Ian waved that off. “I knew Jared wasn’t a killer. I made a bet to put an asshole in his place. Rush is a smart guy, a useful guy, but he can be very single focused. He didn’t like Jared because his wife left him for a younger man and so he took the evidence and decided it fit the man he liked least.”
A light stain flushed Rush’s cheeks. “I might have allowed personal feelings to complicate this case. But Tag’s the real asshole here. And I am sorry to have gotten it wrong, but I was right about the killer. He was close to Jared. We couldn’t have caught him without your help. I won’t apologize for that. Jared’s talking to the police. He thinks there are some cold cases he can help solve back in Seattle.”
That might give his brother some closure. Or it might reopen wounds he hadn’t known he had. Kai was worried about him. Jared had counted on that kid for decades and was going to blame himself for not seeing what was going on. Maybe Kai could work this out with him over the course of the filming. It would be good for him to help his brother deal with this.
Of course, helping his brothers had kind of been his thing lately. He stared up at Rush. “So you’re going to honor your deal with McKay-Taggart?”
Rush nodded. “I always was going to honor it. I’ve already sent over everything we have.”
“Which is next to nothing,” Big Tag replied shortly.
“I got you an excellent lead on the base in Argentina,” Rush shot back.
“The base that was completely empty by the time my man got there.” Tag sat down across from Kai, running a hand over his hair. It was obvious he hadn’t slept much. “I want you to give me everything you have on those three medical companies I sent you. I don’t care how you have to do it. If you have to call in favors from Interpol, I want that information.”
“I don’t have connections at Interpol,” Rush admitted.
Big Tag was having none of that. “Then start blowing some Euros because you owe me. I put my club at risk and all those subs under my protection in harm’s way. I didn’t do it for some shitty, out-of-date intel.”
Rush glanced to the doorway. “I’ll get in touch with my CIA contact and see what I can do. I won’t forget this, Mr. Ferguson. You’ve saved a lot of women.”
Now he had to see if he could save just one more from her own demons. “See that you help us bring back our man if you can.”
The door closed quietly behind Rush.
“I talked to Harrison and he’s already preparing a statement to the press. Your brother is being fully exonerated and all charges will be dropped within the hour. We’ll make sure every newspaper and television station gets a copy,” Tag explained.
“Hopefully that saves his job.” There was more Kai could do on that front. “I’ve already explained how he saved me. Jared killed his oldest friend to save my life. I barely managed to save Sarah. I’m out of practice.”
He wasn’t sure it had been such a close thing, but if it helped Jared, he would call himself a weakling and give his brother all the glory.
“Sure you are.” Tag sat back, regarding him seriously. “Serena’s already gotten several calls about Jared and the movie. She made a statement that she didn’t think the movie should continue without him. The TV show is standing by him. I think he’ll get all his jobs back and come out of this more popular than ever.”
“Yes, but what did it cost him?”
Big Tag looked at him from across the table. “I know what it cost you. Don’t think I’m ignoring that. I know how much you’ve sacrificed, Kai. I think you should tell Kori why you did it. I won’t have you lose her over this. There’s been too much loss as it is. Simply ask her to be quiet about it.”
He wasn’t sure she could. He wasn’t entirely sure she wouldn’t think Erin deserved to know. It wasn’t a question of Erin’s competence or her place in the order of those who loved Theo. It was about protecting her. “I can’t. If she decided Erin needed to know, she would tell her.”
Tag groaned and shook his head. “I think that’s a bad idea. Erin is starting to come out of it. Not entirely and she never will, but she smiled this morning. She told me she’s already named the baby. If she knows, she’ll want to be a part of the team that brings him back. I’m not a monster, Kai. I knew she needed revenge. It’s why I let her and Nick take out McDonald. She’s smart and one of the best operatives I have, but she’s also basically my sister-in-law. Maybe they weren’t married, but I think they would have eventually. I know it’s what Theo wanted and I have to honor my brother by protecting his family.”
“I can’t tell Kori.” Tag’s words did nothing but make it even clearer. Kai had to get her back and he couldn’t use the only tool that would work. “I have to hope she’ll miss me.”
Tag’s eyes narrowed. “Seriously? Are you going to meditate on that?”
He flipped off his friend. “I’m going to keep trying to talk to her.”
“Or you could make her listen. I thought you were the big bad sadist. Shouldn’t the big bad sadist go hard after his girl?”
&
nbsp; According to his brother when Kori discovered her old Master’s issues, she left and he allowed it to happen. Was Kai playing into her fears? He’d been trying to take it slow, trying not to give into his instincts. He wanted to tie her up in ropes and contracts and legal bindings. He wanted to possess her, to own a piece of her soul and give her part of his. He’d seen her fear of commitment, but maybe it came from a fear that she wasn’t good enough to pursue, wasn’t worth the chase.
He could give her a chase. “Tag, I’m going to need you to make sure Sanctum’s ready for me tonight. And I’ll need to know when Kori’s coming home from the hospital. Sarah won’t want to be alone.”
“I think Mia is planning on staying with her,” Tag replied, pulling his cell out.
“Mia’s staying?” He’d expected her to flee town at the earliest possible time.
“I’m hedging my bets. If Rush can’t get me what I need, then maybe Drew Lawless can. I’m meeting him for lunch somewhere quiet. When you get a chance, I’d like your take on him. And his sister is hanging around for a while. She says it’s about trying to save her friendships.”
But it was likely all about Case. The question was would Case have anything to do with her now that the op was over.
None of that mattered as much as getting his girl back. “I need to teach my sub that she won’t be allowed to walk away without a fight. The good news is, I think she’ll like how I fight.”
He intended to win.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Kori looked out of the car window and frowned. “This isn’t home, Case. Are you taking me to work? Because I kind of thought the office would be closed for the day.”
It wasn’t day anymore. They’d spent the entire morning and afternoon at the hospital, getting looked over and then talking to police. Sarah had required two stitches on her neck, but mostly she’d been a terribly lucky girl. She was all right with the singular exception of her heart. Kori was afraid that was broken. Jared had sent her a text apologizing and asking her not to contact him again.
That was when Sarah finally cried.
“I was told to bring you to Sanctum, Kori,” Case said. “And you know I always do as I’m told.”
Why was she here? Well, deep down she knew why she was here. Kai wanted to talk to her and apparently they were doing it on neutral ground. She knew she needed to talk to him, knew it had to happen soon, but she’d promised her friend. “I need to pack a bag for Sarah and get to the hotel. We’re all staying with Mia tonight.”
Somehow after everything they’d been through it was easy to forgive Mia.
It was easy to forgive Kai, too. She just wasn’t sure it was going to be easy to be honest with him about what she wanted.
She wanted him and only him for the rest of her life. She wanted to throw away all her inhibitions and love him and let herself be. She’d fought for so long to not be the girl she’d been with Morgan that she had to ask herself who she’d become. Becoming anti-Morgan was only another form of denying herself. What did she want?
Kori wanted Kai and she wanted to write. She was simply afraid to reach out and grasp them.
“I’ll pack for Sarah and take it over,” Case explained. “I want to talk to her anyway. I don’t know that she’ll feel safe in her house again. I’ve talked to some of her friends and they’re willing to put her up until she’s ready to make a decision. We’re all here for her.”
She might not have had a knife to her throat, but she’d still been a little traumatized. “You know I was there, too.”
“Ah, but your Master will handle you, sweet thing,” Case said with a wink. “Go on now. You don’t want to piss that one off more than you already have. I think you’ll find Sanctum is closed for the night, so you’ll have the place all to yourself.”
She stared at the building she knew so well. “I thought I was safe here.”
“You were. You are. You’re as safe as you can be, but Kori, nothing’s truly safe. That’s an illusion. I tell myself that every day. When I get pissed and angry because Theo died on an op, I tell myself he could have died while driving. He could have died when it didn’t matter. Instead he died trying to help take down something horrible. It was a good death. Nothing is guaranteed, Kori. I know that now.”
Kai could die tomorrow. He could have died earlier today. Jared had taken a step back and put a wall between himself and what he wanted. Shouldn’t she be brave if Kai was?
She placed her purse on her shoulder and slid out of the cab of the truck, her heart starting to beat. What was waiting for her in there? Would Kai have rethought everything after what happened earlier today? “Maybe you should take me home and let me get my own car. I’ll come back. I swear.”
Case reached across the cab and pulled the door shut. He drove off with a squeal of his tires.
“Well, you could have just said no.” Kori turned back to the doors that led to the lobby.
Luckily Case had given her his key card. He was a giver. She strode to the door because she wasn’t going to be the coward who ran away again. There was a note taped there.
Welcome, Kori. I’m waiting for you in the conference room. Please join me.
So they were going to be civil. Her heart sank a little. It was all right. It was better this way. They could talk and figure out how this was going to work from now on because she knew one thing. She wasn’t leaving again. She was going to help Serena with her script and she was going to find her place here. She wasn’t leaving this crazy family now that she’d found it. She pulled the note off the door and slid her key card across the reader.
There was the sound of a click as the door opened. Kori walked inside, the door closing behind her.
It was so quiet. She never came to Sanctum by herself. Even when the music wasn’t going, there was always the sound of people laughing and the bar being restocked or one of the dungeon monitors checking the equipment.
Not today. Today it was utterly silent. And a little dark.
She took a deep breath, telling herself everything was fine. Kai was here somewhere. “Hello?”
She took another step inside, turning toward the hall that led to the conference room. It was used for staff meetings and sometimes the MT crew met here. She’d never been inside before.
“Kai? What’s up with the silent treatment?” She was starting to get nervous.
Which was probably exactly what the bastard wanted.
Mind games. He was playing mind games with her. She strode to the conference room and opened it. Nothing. It was completely dark and there was no sign anyone had been there at all.
“You know I was almost brutally murdered today, you massive ass,” she said as the door closed. “So what’s with the horror movie treatment?”
She was beginning to have a suspicion.
“You know I am a sadist, my love.” His deep voice made her shriek. It seemed to come from behind, but when she turned he wasn’t there.
That was when she felt it. She felt something drop overhead and then her whole body constricted as the rope was pulled tight.
He’d lassoed her? She stumbled back as he tugged on the rope and before she knew it, she was being turned to face him.
Kai was staring her way like he was going to eat her alive. “I wasn’t really trying to scare you. I thought if you saw me with a lasso in hand you might have run. It’s been a while since I roped a sub. I wanted to make sure I did it right.”
“Are you treating me like a cow?” She didn’t think so, but she wanted to push him a little, too.
He tugged on the rope, drawing her closer. “No, you’re a pretty filly I want to ride. And now I’ve roped you and you’re mine. I have to make sure you’re ready for that first ride. I think you’ll like that. Won’t you, baby? By the time I’m done roping and wrangling you, you’ll spread those pretty legs for your Master and beg for a cock.”
“What the hell is going on, Kai?” She struggled a bit as she realized things weren’t going according to plan.
“You ran from me,” he said, his tone a harsh growl. He wound the rope around her torso, tying her tight. “I’m going to make certain that doesn’t happen again. You can spew any filth you want out of that pretty mouth of yours. I mean it, Kori. You can call me every name in the book and receive no punishment at all, but you can’t run. We have to work this out.”
“Normal people talk, Kai.” Talking was exactly what she planned to do with him. They needed to work things out before they even thought about getting physical again. It was the only logical thing to do.
Her body didn’t seem to care about logic. Her body was already heating up, already loving the feel of rope wrapped around her.
“We’re not normal. We’re us and this is how we work it out. This is how we show each other how important the other one is. Because you are, baby. You’re the most important person in the world to me.” He tied off a knot and pulled something out of his pocket. Naturally Kai had more rope. He seemed to have an endless supply hidden on his body. Kai tied this rope around the loops holding her torso. He fashioned a little leash for her. “Come on. I want to show you something. Something I made for you.”
“Kai, this is ridiculous.”
Kai moved in, his gorgeous face all she could see for the moment. “Is it? This is how I show you I love you. I know it’s perverse and likely no one else would understand. The rest of the world can look at me and call me a freak. I only need you. You’re the only one who can hurt me with words, with judgment because you’re the only one whose judgment ever mattered. This is the language of our love. Can’t it simply be? Do we have to question it? Do we have to change it so it fits some mold we didn’t make?”
Her whole body softened because he was getting to her. Would it be rational to sit down and have a conversation? Yes. But that wouldn’t be intimate. He was asking her for intimacy and she couldn’t turn him down. No matter what he’d done. “No. This is our language.”
This was their love and no one else got to control it.
Yes. She was in control. She’d learned that here in Sanctum. What she gave or kept for herself was her choice, but sometimes it was all right to give it up. Kai wasn’t Morgan. Not even close and the Kori she’d become wasn’t going to turn back into that needy girl who’d given up so much of herself that she’d had to flee to find it again.
