Caro let the awful words sink in and tried to digest them. “And you believed him?”
“He’s out for revenge, Caro. For me ratting on him and sending him to prison. He’ll take it any way he can.”
Mick climbed into the Z and slammed the door, looking incensed and yet...terrified. Like a furious little boy, impotent against a fate decided by everyone but himself.
The man was off his rocker if he thought he was anything like his murderous father. And it was about time he realized that.
But how could she show him?
She regarded his stormy visage on the other side of the windshield, then walked to the front of the car. Crawling onto the car’s hood on her hands and knees, she pouted at him through the windshield glass.
He burrowed into his bucket seat, face grim and arms tightly crossed, watching her warily. “What are you doing?”
She couldn’t hear him and pretended she couldn’t read his lips. She sat back on her heels and spread her knees so he could see right up her skirt to what she was offering. She pointed to her ears and turned her palms innocently skyward.
The automatic window glided down with a purr.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
Spreading her knees wider, she reached into her back pocket and extracted the business card she’d gotten and waved it at the windshield. “Trying to decide who to take to the party. You or Cody.”
He glanced between her thighs, but didn’t take the bait. “What party?”
“The one I’m invited to tomorrow night. At the Tether Club.”
He straightened in a motion, at once all business. “The guy who left the card in your pocket last night? He made contact?” Mick was out of the car in a flash. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“You were too busy being a prick.”
“I haven’t begun being a prick. Let me see that.” He snatched the business card from her fingers. “It’s the address where the party’s being held.”
She studied him studying the card. “Too bad we won’t get a chance to go.”
“Why not?”
“Because the case will be cleared by then.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Rodney Smythe. I found him. Cody’s probably calling Bobby as we speak, and arranging to have him picked up.”
“Smythe? He was at the club?”
She nodded. “He’s our friend Rick.”
“Rick is Smythe?” Mick’s expression suddenly went deadly still. “Rick.” He cursed succinctly and virulently. “That’s the link I was missing,” he muttered, then cursed again.
“What are you talking about?”
He looked at her as though he’d forgotten she was there. “Nothing,” he said, and shook his head once. Then suddenly he said, “Shit! Lauren!”
“Don’t worry,” Caro said, laying a hand on his arm before he could rush off to the rescue. “Cody’ll take care of your little sweet pea.”
His jaw tightened as he swiped a hand through his hair. “I’m getting a little sick of hearing that man’s name come out of your mouth.”
“Yeah, well—” she slid off the hood “—you disappeared and left me locked in a fucking cage. Who was I supposed to tell?” She strode to the passenger side and waited for him to open her door.
Instead of opening it he pressed her up against it, the tension of moments before gone, replaced by something else. “I saw you with him. Saw what you were doing.”
She pushed his chest. He didn’t budge. “And what was that?”
“Flirting. First with your tits in his face, then on your knees. Christ, he was practically—”
“I told him I belong to you.”
“He wants me to share. Should I?”
“Would you share me?”
He exhaled harshly. “No.”
“Then there’s no problem, is there?”
“Maybe you’d like him to fuck you.”
“Maybe you’d like him to fuck you.” This time when she shoved he gave way.
“Maybe you should bring both of us to the Tether Club.”
“So you could do what?”
Mick’s lips curved in a sinister smile as he opened the door for her. “I guess you’d find out, wouldn’t you?”
“Sorry. The case will be over by tomorrow.” She got into the car.
“So?”
“So, we won’t need to go to that party.”
He stooped down, leaned in close to her ear, and whispered, “Maybe we should go anyway.”
Chapter 19
“Take off your bra,” Mick ordered Caro before they’d driven out of the parking lot.
He was feeling angry. Angrier than he’d ever felt before in his life.
Angrier than when he’d watched his dad beat his mother senseless. Angrier than when his father ignored him every day of his childhood. Angrier than when he’d called the cops on the bastard for making a ten-year-old see his mother murdered in her bed, covered in blood, and the body of a man who’d always been nice to him savagely mutilated. Angrier than when he’d almost lost his career trying to protect a partner when he saw the whole cycle repeating itself.
“My bra? Why?” she asked.
Yeah, he was angry. Angry because he was falling in love with Caroline Palmer, and he’d never get the chance to enjoy the feeling.
Angrier because she refused to be afraid of him.
“Because I said so,” he snapped.
He’d show her afraid.
He’d scare her so badly she’d run back to her preacher papa and boil pot roasts for the rest of her life. Instead of trying to fix what had no prayer of ever being fixed. Not after these past two months. Not after tomorrow night.
She shot him a look. “Yes, daddy.”
“Yes, Sir. I’m not your fucking daddy.”
“That’s for damn sure.” She unhooked the black bra and flung it into the rear seat, then leaned back against the car door. “There. Better?”
The Z was low-slung, giving passing cars a clear view inside. “You have such pretty breasts. I like showing them off.”
Her expression was surprisingly composed. “Anyone ever tell you you’re a pervert?”
“All the time. Now the skirt.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
She must have sensed he was spoiling for a fight.
“All right,” she said calmly, unzipped the leather skirt, and wriggled out of it. Leaving her completely bare from her slave collar down to the tops of her stockings. “May I get dressed to walk into the house? I don’t want to give Brady and Washington heart attacks.”
“Change of plans. We’re not going to your house.”
Her eyes whipped to his. “Where are we going?”
“A friend of mine’s place.”
“Why?”
“I feel like a change of scenery.” And equipment.
“Mick, everyone’s expecting us to go to the duplex. That’s where the tail is set up to follow us, where the surveillance is in place, where the alarms are activated.”
“Yeah, I know. And my apartment building is crawling with crime scene cops and probably five hundred reporters. That’s why we’re going to Su’s.”
“I don’t understand you. In case you’ve forgotten, this guy is planning to kill us!”
She looked so sexy sitting there naked he couldn’t take her objections seriously. Besides, he had a lesson to teach her.
“He’s also always one step ahead of us. The Teddie Killer knows who we are, what we are, and where we live. There’s not a chance in hell we’re fooling him with any of those precautions.” After tonight he knew that with dead certainty.
“But—”
“Besides, you tracked it yourself, he always kills on the night of the Tether Club party at the mansion. We’ll be fine for tonight.”
She puffed out an exasperated breath, but didn’t argue any more. “So who is this Su person?”
“An old friend of mine. She’s s
pending the summer in Cheyenne.”
“Wyoming?”
“She likes cowboys, what can I say.”
Caro crossed her arms below her breasts, making them perk up even nicer. “How does she feel about homicide detectives?”
He glanced over at her sharp tone. “Jealous?”
“Fuck you, McGraw.”
“Soon, baby.”
He smiled inwardly as he made the turn up the on-ramp for the freeway heading toward Pasadena.
And flicked the on switch to her vibrator.
Her eyes drifted shut and her nipples peaked. She made a sexy little noise, unfolded her arms and relaxed back against the car door.
“Mick?”
“Yeah, babe?”
“If I find out you’re fucking Su or Lauren or anyone but me, I’ll cut your balls off.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “You do that.”
Several minutes later she bounded up from her blissful silence. “Oh, shit! I need to call Bobby.”
“What’s the problem?”
“We should make sure Cody got hold of him about Rick—Smythe—and Lauren and Rebecca.”
Mick handed Caro his cell phone, admiring her professionalism at being worried about a woman she was convinced he was cheating on her with.
“Speed dial 1.”
She punched the button, wriggling her bottom. “Shut this thing off, will you?”
He decided not to. He got perversely aroused seeing her squirm with pleasure while trying to conduct business.
Bobby picked up immediately.
“Did you get him?” she asked, froze at the answer, then darted a worried look at Mick. “How the hell did he slip past everyone?” She listened briefly. “Shit, shit, shit. What about Lauren Adams and her friend?” She closed her eyes. “Thank God.”
Bobby said something else and she suddenly blushed deep red. She glanced around at the cars driving in their proximity, licking her lips. “Who’s tailing us?”
Mick grabbed the phone from her, hearing the last part of a name he recognized as belonging to an officer from SIS. “What’s he doing in our operation?” Mick asked irritatedly.
“Everyone’s been pulling overtime, bro. We take who we can get, wherever we can get them.” Bobby paused. “She’s topless?”
“Yep.”
“This is so not fair. I hope to hell she sues your ass for sexual harassment.”
“We’re working a case, bro. You can’t catch a sexual predator without showing him a little sex.”
“Oh, and you getting laid is just a side benefit?”
He looked at Caro, wriggling in her seat beside him, all flushed and tempting and on the brink of exploding his whole world. “You got it,” he said. “Listen, call off the hounds, Bobby. We’re not going to Caro’s place, we’re making a little detour tonight.”
“Where?” Bobby asked, sounding alarmed.
“Never mind. We’ll be okay. Our man won’t be hunting until tomorrow night.”
“You willing to bet your life on that? Ever hear of escalation?”
“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.” Hell, he was in the middle of it. He darted a glance at Caro. Her fingers were gripping the bucket seat. “Tomorrow is escalation. It’s only been four days since the last couple, remember? Besides, you’re going to catch Smythe tonight, right?”
Bobby sighed. “Right. But what if the Teddie Killer’s not Smythe? What if it’s not any of our suspects? What if it’s someone we haven’t even thought of? What if he changes his pattern?”
“Then I guess we’re screwed. But he won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Talk to Woodruff.” At the mention of the profiler’s name, Caro’s half-lidded eyes sprang open. Mick stomped down another claw of jealousy. “Trust me. People don’t change. Especially violent ones.” He clicked the off button. Conversation over.
“What about Tim?”
She was watching him, trying to concentrate, but he could tell the effects of the vibrator were taking their toll. Her hips were unconsciously grinding into the bucket seat, her breasts were peaked and swollen.
“Why? You want to fuck him, too?”
“Too?”
“Him and Cody. Maybe we should have a little ménage à trois.
Hell, I could invite Bobby, make it a foursome.”
He didn’t care for the tiny smile that came to her lush lips. Her nipples were tight as kernels and a light sheen of sweat covered her forehead. “Mmm. I wonder if they all have cocks as big as yours?”
He fought not to be pleased by her backhanded compliment. “Fuck you, whore.”
“Back at you, sugar snap.”
Touché.
She worried her bottom lip and pressed her knees together with a low moan. She was doing her best not to come. Fine by him. He had other plans in that direction. He switched off the vibrator.
She gave a little groan as her body slumped. “Bastard.”
He smiled. “You’re finally catching on.”
He veered the Z off the freeway, flying down the off-ramp that would take them to Su’s home in the small community of San Marino, tucked into the southeastern edge of Pasadena.
“You’re sure your friend is in Cheyenne?”
“Positive. I keep an eye on her place for her while she’s gone.”
“She won’t mind us staying there?”
“Nope. It’s part of our deal.”
“Deal...?”
“You’ll see.”
She frowned. “What are you planning, McGraw?”
“To show you the real me.”
“It hasn’t been the real you so far?” she asked, brow raised sardonically.
“The scary real me.”
Her expression turned serious. “Mick, you aren’t your father. You have to know that.”
“You’re wrong, Caroline. And it’s time you understood just how wrong.”
“Don’t even try, Mick. You won’t hurt me. I know you won’t. You couldn’t.”
“I will.”
“Only when you leave me,” she said evenly, glancing away as he pulled up to the tall, black, wrought-iron gate standing sentinel before Su’s gazillion-dollar Spanish-style home.
He punched in the code and the gate glided open with barely a whisper. “You sure?”
She sighed. “So, how do you propose to scare me into believing you?
“By playing a game.”
“What kind of game?”
Pulling into the covered, brick-paved parking area behind the house, he brought the Camaro to a stop and turned off the engine. “A role-playing game. Sound fun?”
“Maybe. Who are we going to be?”
He released his safety belt, turned in his seat toward her. Reaching out, he stroked his fingers over one of her plump breasts, toying with the nipple. He smiled when it ruched tight in response.
He looked up. “I’ll be the Teddie Killer,” he said. “You’ll be my victim.”
Chapter 20
Brushing aside her tingling nerves, Caro followed Mick through the living room of his friend’s incredible mansion. He still had her on the leash, or she would have stopped to admire the gorgeous furniture and the paintings on the walls, flip off her four-inch heels and sink her tired feet into the plush pile of the luxurious rug.
Somewhere a clock chimed 1:00 a.m.. They’d left the club early. Maybe they’d actually get some sleep tonight.
It was obvious Mick was familiar with his surroundings and knew exactly where he was going. Carrying the red kit bag he’d brought from the car, he led her up a highly polished wooden staircase to the second floor, flung open a pair of solid double-doors and announced, “The playroom.”
Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. She tried to back out of the room, but Mick held her leash firmly. “Where are you going, my lovely pleasure slave?” he murmured. “Change your mind already?”
In the depths of his eyes she read his wicked intent.
She tore her gaze away
and looked around her. Jutting out from one of the corners of the large room was a huge wrought-iron bed, bolted to the floor. Everywhere, chains of diverse length dangled from the ceiling. Various pieces of wooden and metal apparati where a person could be tied up were placed all around the remaining space.
Giant, square video monitors were mounted in the center of each of the walls, and around them hung a clutter of clothes, jewelry, and dozens of every imaginable type of restraints, whips, paddles, handcuffs, feathers, quirts...and a large number of items she had no idea what were. Along a low shelf marched an awesome array of packaged items: dildos, vibrators, sex toys, and mysterious bottles of liquids.
Playroom? This was a bondage dungeon.
Fear welled up inside her. No, not of Mick, but of all...this. Things were going way too fast. Yes, she wanted Mick desperately. And she’d already acknowledged to herself that she enjoyed the edgy fantasies and outrageous sexual acts he had compelled her into experiencing with him.
But this was different.
If she consented to this, she would be tied up or strapped down and helpless against anything he wished to do to her.
Anything at all.
I’ll be the Teddie Killer...
A vision of Mick’s face as he’d told her he was too dangerous to love blazed through her mind.
Could she trust her own judgment, that he would never hurt her? That he would stop when she shouted “Detective” if he went too far?
And just how far was too far?
Completely unnerved, she managed to whisper, “What will you do to me?”
Mick tossed his kit bag under a sink in the corner, then stepped close to her, put his hands on her bare skin and ran them over her body slowly, caressingly.
“Anything I want.”
She shivered. She wanted to run like hell. But some indefinable thing within her soul stopped her. Something ravenous and, yes, needy. For him.
He rubbed the backs of his fingers over the tips of her breasts, catching the nipples between his knuckles. “Scared yet?”
He squeezed. Streaks of lightning shot through her from his fingers to her clit.
“Yes,” she admitted. She wanted to run so badly she couldn’t understand why her feet simply refused to let her.
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