Sadistic Sherlock (Ward Security Book 4)

by Jocelynn Drake

  Dom looked at Abe and a little smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I was sidelined after getting injured helping Sven. I chased Rowe through the office with my pants around my ankles, demanding that he put me on a case, or I wouldn’t put my pants on again. Rowe gave in and put me on Quinn’s case, protecting him when things went bad. That brought us together.”

  Abe couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his lips as he looked up at Dom. “It all comes back to you not wanting to wear pants. I really shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “Oh, God!” Quinn moaned over the earpiece. Both Rowe and Garrett laughed while Abe could feel his face turning bright red.

  Dom looked from Abe to Rowe and Garrett. “What? What am I missing? It’s the truth.”

  Abe lifted the knife to the zip tie and carefully cut through it, watching to avoid nicking Dom. “Quinn is listening in. We’re all wearing earwigs,” Abe explained.

  Dom cringed. “I guess it’s time you have a little chat with your son.”

  “He knows. He was there when we decoded that stick figure cipher,” he admitted as he cut through the last tie.

  Reaching out, Dom cupped the side of Abe’s face and pulled him in close. His warm lips brushed tentatively across Abe’s as if he wasn’t quite sure that Abe would welcome his touch. Abe immediately opened his mouth, capturing Dom’s in a demanding, possessive kiss. He needed this, needed to know that Dom was truly safe and well. Dom melted, relinquishing himself over to Abe, letting his mouth be dominated.

  Rowe cleared his throat, breaking off the kiss. “As lovely as this is, we need to get going.”

  “Are you calling the cops?” Abe asked. He winced as he pushed back to his feet. His knees definitely didn’t appreciate the hard, stone floor.

  “Boss, there was a body in the back,” Garrett said, his voice growing hard and serious. “One shot to the back of the head, execution style. Probably the owner of the bar.”

  Rowe frowned at Dom, who was also standing with a protective hand to his ribs. He winced with each movement, and Abe was dying to get his hands on the man to make sure that he was truly okay. “I’ll take Dom and Abe back to the office. Maybe see if Jude or Snow’s free to take a look at him.”

  “I’m fine. I—”

  “Shut it,” Rowe snapped, pointing at Dom. “You’re on my shit list right now. You get looked at and then fill us in on what the hell is happening.”

  “Right, Boss.”

  “Seth and Garrett will stay behind and wipe off potential prints. When they’re clear, Quinn will put in an anonymous call to the cops.”

  “Agreed,” Abe said, putting Dom’s arm over his shoulder. He was sticking close to Dom. Regardless of what he’d learn in the next hour or two, he was not leaving this man’s side. Though from the pained look Dom was giving him, Abe had a feeling it wasn’t going to be easy to hear.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dom felt like shit. And it wasn’t just his aching ribs or his throbbing skull and cheek. He couldn’t meet the eyes of his friends who were gathered around him in Rowe’s office. It was by sheer luck that they managed to catch Rowe’s friend Dr. Frost as he clocked out from his shift as a trauma surgeon at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Snow, as he was known to his close friends, managed to meet them at Ward Security and gave him a quick look-over. The doc estimated that Dom likely had some bruised ribs and a mild concussion, but nothing more. He pressed for Dom to go to the hospital for a thorough check, but he wasn’t going to budge.

  The hospital was dangerous. It put him out in the open and potentially away from Abe. And nothing was going to separate him from Abe, even if the man didn’t want to see him again after learning everything.

  Exhausted, Snow just threw up his hands, asking why he’d even bothered to show up if no one was going to listen to him. Noah swooped in and walked the doctor to his car. Dom could have sworn he heard the man whispering something about plans for a twisted baby shower later that fall to celebrate Lucas and Andrei’s impending bundle of joy. It was enough to distract him, because the doc’s low chuckle echoed down the hall.

  Sighing softly, Dom risked a glance up at the people gathered in Rowe’s office. Garrett and Seth were still on their way back from The Joint, but Quinn hovered near the door, while Rowe sat on the edge of his desk. Royce, who’d just gotten off duty, was leaning against the wall. And Abe sat on the big leather couch next to him, his big hand wrapped around his forearm, but above the bandages Snow had wrapped around his wrists. He’d shredded them in an attempt to get loose.

  Closing his eyes, he just couldn’t look at their worried expressions anymore. He didn’t deserve it. Didn’t deserve their concern. Didn’t deserve to be there.

  “Dominic,” Rowe said firmly but gently. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m a fraud. I’m a fucking fraud,” he choked out. He had to say the words. Had to purge all the lies like cutting off a rotting limb. Even if it meant losing the only family he had left. Even if it meant losing Abe.

  “You’re not a fraud,” Abe said sharply.

  Dom opened his eyes and looked over at Abe, but he was all blurry. Dom blinked and then looked away again, focusing on his own shaking hands in front of him. “I am. My name isn’t even Dominic Walsh. It’s John O’Brien. My brother, James, is my identical twin. Growing up in California, we looked exactly alike. We dressed alike. We even talked alike.” He paused and snorted derisively. “I was even sure that we thought exactly alike.”

  Pausing, Dom looked up at Rowe. God, how he looked up to that man. Rowe had quickly become his hero when Dom came to work for Ward Security. Not only did he know everything about Dom’s past and still choose to take him on as an employee, but he took the time to teach him everything he knew. Rowan Ward was fucking fearless. He protected his friends and his family with a ruthlessness that was both frightening and awe-inspiring. In the years since Dom had come to work for Ward, he only wanted to make him proud. But now, Dom simply felt like a failure.

  “It’s okay, Dom,” Rowe murmured.

  “My father was a grifter. He taught my brother and me what he considered the family trade. He showed us all his tricks, and then he convinced us to pretend to just be one person—James O’Brien. John didn’t really exist. We were always James.”

  “But what about school?” Abe asked.

  Dom shook his head. “We didn’t go. Dad taught us the basics. We knew math for setting odds and taking bets if he was running books. We knew how to read and write for jobs, but that was about it. Rowe was the one who pushed me to get my GED.” Dom closed his eyes. He couldn’t look at his coworkers or Abe. The man he was falling for had at least one college degree and was hands down one of the smartest people he knew. Dom was barely fucking literate.

  Abe lifted his hand from Dom’s arm and brushed away a tear that had escaped from beneath his eyelid and was streaking down Dom’s cheek. “I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered. “I know what an amazing man you are. Your past isn’t going to change that.”

  Dom leaned his head into Abe’s hand, not wanting to lose that contact, but he was just getting started.

  “In California, James and I ran cons for my dad. We were living on the streets. It was all we knew. Mostly, it was petty theft. We told ourselves that no one was really getting hurt. It was just a game.” Dom stopped and took a deep breath. “It was often just the two of us, so we developed our cipher language of the stick men. We got the idea from a TV show. But that way, if we were on the run and separated, we could leave each other quick messages that no one else could understand.”

  “When did things go wrong?” Royce asked when the silence stretched.

  “We were about seventeen or eighteen. James wasn’t happy with the small scores anymore. He started getting more erratic. He wanted to carry a gun and go for bigger-ticket items. Especially jewels. They were easy to hide and transport. He also knew a couple of people who were pretty good fences. But jobs like that meant more danger. People w
ere going to get hurt. Get killed. I wanted out. Told him as much.” Dom dug the heels of his palms into his eyes and rubbed. “He wouldn’t listen. Kept saying that we were one person. That there was no out. That we were going to run that fucking town and people would fear him.”

  “He’s insane,” Quinn murmured in horror.

  Dom choked out a weak laugh and chanced a look over at the young man. “Definitely. I was scared. I didn’t think he’d kill me, but there was no way he was going to let me escape. So, when he was out on a job, I set fire to the house we were hiding out in. Really torched the place.” Dom chanced a weak smile up at Rowe. “I feel like you would have been proud of me.”

  Rowe nodded. “No doubt.”

  “I faked my death and immediately got the hell out of California. I bounced around the country for the first couple of years. Dyed my hair and changed my name. Took a lot of shit jobs, but they were all honest.” He dared to meet Abe’s eyes for the first time since he’d started talking. “I swear, since I left California, I’ve not stolen one cent from another person. I’ve begged on the streets when I was desperate. I’ve worked jobs under the table, but those jobs were legal—as busboys and janitors and whatever the fuck else I could find.”

  Abe ran his fingers over the side of Dom’s face again, just beside the bandage covering the scar, as he met Dom’s gaze. “You’re a good man.”

  “No, I’m not. I didn’t start out as one, and I hate to admit it, but I am damn good at lying. Damn good. But I have never once lied to you, Abe Stephens. Never.” He broke off his gaze and swallowed hard past the lump in his throat threatening to choke off his words. “I started life as a con artist, and I feel like I never really left that shit behind because I never admitted to anyone where I came from. Rowe knew, but only because he dug up the truth. I didn’t willingly tell him. I was ashamed of it all. Horrified. Ward Security is the only good thing I’ve done with my life. It’s been my chance to make it up to the world for being such a horrible shit for so many years.”

  “Dammit, Dom!” Rowe swore, pushing away from his desk to stand over him. “You need to get it through your head that you’ve paid your penance in this lifetime.” Reaching out, he tapped his scarred cheek with one knuckle. “Dying on a job ain’t gonna help anyone or clear your slate. It’s already clear.”

  “When shit went down with my family, did you turn your back on me because of my shitty past?” Royce demanded.

  Dom’s head immediately popped up. “Fuck no. But that was different—”

  “Bullshit!” he snapped with disgust. “You’ve always got my back. You stepped up when I needed you. You always have. Your past doesn’t change shit with me. Just tell me what you want me to do.” Royce straightened from where he was leaning against the wall and extended his hand to Dom.

  He couldn’t help but blink at Royce’s rough hand for a second before he grabbed it. Royce jerked him to his feet and pulled him into a tight hug, which surprised the hell out of him. Royce was not a physical, touchy-feely kind of guy in any way. He was a blunt, grunting asshole on the best of days. His support brought tears back to Dom’s eyes as he hugged his friend back.

  “I know I speak for Garrett and Sven and a bunch of the other guys. We’ve got your fucking back, Dom,” Royce murmured in his ear. “You just say the word, and we’ll help you take down this piss-ant brother of yours.”

  “Thank you,” Dom choked out. He released Royce to find Quinn grinning up at him.

  “Rowe’s just got good taste in deviants,” Quinn teased.

  “Fuck, squirt,” Royce groaned.

  Quinn ignored him as he quickly hugged Dom and then backed off to where he’d been leaning against the door near Royce.

  “All right. All right,” Rowe said, clapping his hands together. “Now that we’ve had our Oprah, hug-it-out moment, we need to get down to business and figure out what the fuck this bastard is up to in our city.”

  Dom nodded and returned to where he’d been sitting on the sofa. He couldn’t quite meet Abe’s gaze. The man had been amazing through it all. So damn supportive. But that was just who he was. He didn’t want to see anyone hurting. Always there to help. But what about later, when all of the information finally soaked into his brain and he’d had time to mull it over? Would he really want to date someone who cheated, lied, and stole from innocent people? Would he feel like he could truly trust Dom? They would have to talk in private, and Dom was not looking forward to that conversation either.

  “James is still crazy,” Dom started again. “Actually, I think he’s become even more insane over the years. And he’s got a crew. From what I can tell, there’s at least six of them, plus James. I can give some descriptions, but no names except for someone named Slaney. I’d say that’s his boyfriend. I saw them all at Jubilee about a week ago.”

  “I can pull up cameras in the area of Jubilee and see what I can find,” Quinn quickly offered.

  Dom shook his head. “It was the night of that big rainstorm. Not sure if you’re going to get much that’s usable. But you can just start by looking for a guy that looks a hell of a lot like me traveling with people you don’t recognize.”

  Quinn slowly released a deep breath. “It’s not great, but it’s a start.” Looking over at Rowe, he cringed a little. “Can I pull in Cole or Gidget for this? It’s going to take some really special search coding to go quickly through all the data.”

  “Grab them both. The faster we catch James, the faster we make sure that Dom stays safe and out of the hands of the cops.”

  “You know that’s the most logical answer to all of this,” Dom said, weariness creeping into his voice.

  “What? The cops?”

  “Yeah, I go straight to the cops and tell them everything.”

  “No! Absolutely not.”

  “Rowe—”

  “You pour your heart out to the cops, and they’re going to ship you straight back to California, regardless of the statute of limitations on your past crimes. They’re going to try like hell to tie you to other bullshit your brother pulled, and you’re not getting tangled up in his shit.”

  “Plus, that leaves your brother behind and loose here,” Royce added. “If you’re gone, do you honestly think he’ll leave Abe alone?”

  Dom’s heart stopped for a second in his chest as he looked at Abe. He knew that Rowe and the rest of Ward Security would guard Abe with their lives, but he couldn’t stand the idea of being separated from Abe. He wanted to be there to keep him safe, even if it was his fault that he was in danger in the first place.

  “What do you think?” Dom asked. His voice sounded like his throat had been rubbed raw with a cheese grater. “You say the word and I’ll go straight to the police right now.”

  Abe frowned as he stared at Dom. “You know, it might be better to hear what options Rowe has at his fingertips.” A slow half smile started to break through. “Quinn has told me on several occasions that he’s pretty good at sneaky shit. Besides, Rowe promised to teach me how to pick a lock, and I really don’t want to miss out on learning that.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, Dom could only nod. There were no words.

  “Did your brother tell you why he’s in town? Is it the jeweler that Hollis mentioned a few days ago?” Quinn asked.

  “Yeah, Carrington,” Dom said with a nod. “They got in this one-of-a-kind line of jeweled purses. Real exclusive maker and millions in gems. If they fence the purses themselves, they can easily remove the gems and sell them loose for a bundle.”

  “When does he plan to hit it?”

  Dom shook his head and sighed. “Not sure. There was an argument that interrupted my brother punching the shit out of my ribs. He’s got some techy guy on his crew that came in. Apparently, the store not only upgraded their security system, but the police have recently changed up their surveillance of the area. It sounded like they were planning to scout the place again before they knocked me out.”

  Rowe chuckled and muttered under his breath, “Fr
eaking Hollis. The guy’s still got great cop instincts. He must have told that Detective Martin to warn the jeweler that something was brewing.”

  “Will that be enough to get your brother to walk away?” Royce asked.

  “Nope. He might back off for another day or two, come up with a new plan, but he won’t walk away. Not once he’s decided on a target. His reputation is at stake. Nothing can beat him. At least that’s what he believes.”

  Rowe narrowed his gaze on Dom. “What does he want from you?”

  “He wants me to be his double again.”

  “Join his gang?” Abe asked in horror.

  “No, he doesn’t trust me or even forgive me for betraying him.”

  Royce grumbled something less than flattering about his brother and his ideas of betrayal.

  Dom swallowed down a snicker. He definitely hadn’t expected this kind of support. “He wants me to take the blame for the heist…or he’ll kill Abe.”

  “What the hell!” Quinn shouted. Royce was already stepping over, putting a comforting hand on the young man’s shoulder, but Dom’s attention was on the small tremor that went through the hand resting on his thigh.

  “I’m sorry, Abe,” Dom murmured. “I should have stayed away. Should have left you alone. If I had, you wouldn’t be in this mess with me.”

  “Fuck that!” Abe snapped. “I wouldn’t change a damn thing. He’s not going to get anywhere near me.”

  “What about the safe house?” Royce offered. Royce’s aunt had passed away and left him a ranch home on several acres of land out in the middle of nowhere. They’d used it a few times to protect their clients.

  “I can’t disappear,” Dom said.

  “Because your brother can frame you for anything he does unless we have solid proof that it wasn’t you,” Rowe added. He frowned at Dom for a minute, then gave a little nod as if deciding something. “You have to have someone with you at all times.”

  “I’ll do it,” Abe quickly offered and Rowe grinned. Dom looked over at Abe in surprise, but before he could comment, Rowe was already speaking.