by Livia Grant
Lukus was not happy. “Listen, he’s made it clear he’s after both of them. Stick with Tiff, CJ. She’s just going home to change and then she’s gonna go over to Brianna’s anyway. You can guard them together there. But this is not a drill. Davenport has confirmed they are a target. Z is in the air on his way here. He can take over out here in California with Dylan. Markus and I are heading to the airport and will be home late tonight. This is escalating faster than we expected. We need to stay close to home now. I’m counting on you to keep them safe until we get there. Call in the police if you need to, do you hear me?”
“Yeah, boss. I hear you. I’ll call Sean and see if he can come out and help,” CJ said.
“Good. Text me with updates every twenty minutes. Bye.”
Lukus threw the car into gear and peeled out of the parking lot. “Get on the phone. Find us the next two seats to Chicago. Davenport has a couple hours’ head start. I’m not gonna rest easy until I have Tiff in my arms.”
“I don’t like being played. We’ve been taking this whole investigation too slow. We need to go on full-out offense.”
Markus had never seen Lukus look as menacing as he did as he maneuvered the rental car through the busy city traffic.
“I owe you an apology, Markus. I’ve been distracted, playing house with Tiffany. I haven’t been on my A-game for weeks. This whole investigation may have turned into a debacle, but trust me when I say it has my full attention now. That fucker has threatened my woman. He’s threatened your wife. He paid thugs to beat up my employee, putting him in the hospital, and he’s terrorizing countless other innocent women. I usually try to keep Z in check, but not this time. I’m turning him loose to get it done any way he needs to. If he wasn’t such a total prick, I’d almost feel sorry for Jake Davenport with Z on his ass.”
Chapter Six
Brianna
“I get to pick the next movie. That one was silly,” Tiffany complained, as the second romantic comedy of the evening rolled to credits.
The best friends had obeyed, staying home at the Lamberts’, even though they were unhappy with the men in their lives. It was bad enough they’d missed the girls’ night out fun, but Brianna was equally upset that she’d been unable to reach Markus by phone for several hours. Tiffany wasn’t having any luck reaching Lukus, either. Not only did they have no idea where the men were, they also knew the men were hiding things from them.
“Tiff, I don’t want to watch any more movies. I’m sick of watching TV.”
“It’s only ten on a Friday night. I hardly think we should go to bed this early. You want to play chess? We haven’t played in forever.”
“What I want is for Markus to answer his damn phone,” Bri muttered.
“I hear you. I’ve left Lukus at least five text messages; he hasn’t had the decency to reply to any of them. This double standard is really pissing me off. If I went for hours without answering my phone, he’d have my ass.”
Brianna was looking down at her phone, willing it to ring and it did. Unfortunately, it was their friend Kennedy calling, not her husband.
“Hi Kennedy. Are you guys calling to rub it in? How was the show?” The background noise was loud, making it hard for Bri to hear her employee. As a result, Kennedy was shouting.
“Bri, are you there? I can barely hear you.”
Brianna yelled back. “I can hear you, Kennedy. I asked how the strip show was. Were the guys really hot?”
“Holy shit, you should’ve seen them. They were amazing. Their muscles had muscles and man, could they shake it. I was disappointed they kept on their G-strings. I was hoping to get a look at their full package, but at least we got to see those tight asses. I should have brought a change of panties.”
Brianna laughed at her friend. “I’m jealous. It sounds like you’re having a great time. Tiff and I hate to be missing out.”
“Well, that’s why I’m calling. I know Markus and Lukus didn’t want you to go to the strip club with us, but we’re heading over to Pacific Rim to go dancing. That’s only a couple miles from your house. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you just went out dancing for a little bit. We’re leaving here now. Meet us there.”
Tiff stared at Brianna with curiosity. Brianna knew it would be a hard sell getting her to disobey Lukus. “You know what, let me talk that idea over with Tiff. I’ll text you in a few minutes, okay?”
“Sure thing. We’re going no matter what, so just let us know if you’re heading over or not. Talk to you later,” Kennedy said.
“Bye.”
Tiff was waiting expectantly for a recap. “Well?”
“They said the show was great. They’re heading over to Pacific Rim and want us to meet them there.”
Nothing went over Tiffany’s head. “And yet, I didn’t hear you tell her no. You know there’s no way we can go without the guys telling us it’s okay with them. They were annoyingly clear.”
Bri’s anger was brewing. “Yes, they were clear on that one point, and vague as hell about everything else. We haven’t heard from them in hours. They’re ignoring our calls and texts. They aren’t coming home tonight anyway, so how the hell will they even know if we go out or not?” Tiff looked like she was about to weigh in, but Brianna pushed forward with her idea.
“Seriously. It’s Friday night, and we haven’t been out with the girls for months. The guys have their poker nights, take off for work, and think they don’t need to tell us where they are, or when they’ll be back. We stayed home for the part of the night they found most objectionable, but now I think we should go out for at least a couple dances, and a drink or two. They’ll never know.”
Tiffany seemed less inclined to disobey Lukus. “I don’t know. I’m pissed about not getting to go, too, but I’m not willing to defy Lukus. You may get turned on by getting your ass lit up regularly by your husband, but I’m still figuring out how I feel about this whole punishment thing. I’m not willing to risk getting in trouble.”
“Wow. When did you turn into such a baby? You always used to be so brave.” Brianna felt some guilt because she was using her deep understanding of her friend to push her buttons.
“Don’t try to play me, Bri. I’m too old for peer pressure.”
“Fine. Let’s at least try the guys again to see if they’re answering yet.” It took only a couple minutes to confirm both men’s phones were going straight to voicemail. No texts. No phone calls. Not even an email from them.
Brianna gave Tiffany room. She was thinking things through. Bri knew her so well. She knew it the second Tiffany decided to go dancing.
“You promise me, Bri. We’re just gonna go for an hour. We’ll only have one drink, and dance a few songs. We can take our gifts for Sydney to open and then we’re heading back home before the guys notice we’re gone. Deal?”
“Deal! We’ll be home by midnight. Let’s go change. Wait until you see the cute new mini-skirt I bought in New York a few weeks ago.”
Lukus
Lukus checked his watch for the tenth time in the last hour. His brain knew that watching the time wouldn’t make it go faster, but he was about to jump out of his skin. They’d been able to get a flight scheduled to leave San Francisco at three o’clock in the afternoon, PDT. Unfortunately, they’d sat on the tarmac waiting for some mechanical issue to be resolved. Their flight was now due to land at O’Hare just before eleven.
He kept telling himself the girls were in good hands. He’d talked to CJ just before takeoff. CJ had confirmed Tiffany made it safely to Bri’s house. He’d also confirmed, through their security monitoring access, that Brianna had remembered to set the alarm as Markus had taught her to do when she was home alone. Between the alarm and CJ and Sean keeping guard, the girls should be safe.
So why does my gut tell me something is wrong?
Lukus saw Markus fidgeting two rows up. Booking as late as they had, they’d only been able to nab two center coach seats. To say the flight had been uncomfortable for the two anxious men, both o
f whom were over six-feet tall, would be an understatement. At least they were about to land. He’d feel better just getting an update from CJ.
The second the tires hit the runway, Lukus’s phone connected with cell service. Within a minute it lit up, indicating multiple missed calls and texts, and it took him a few minutes to catch up. He hated seeing he’d missed several calls from Tiffany. He detected her raising impatience, and finally anger, with each subsequent text message.
She’s rightfully pissed. I’m gonna have to make this up to her.
It was the final voicemail message from CJ, left thirty minutes before, that chilled his blood.
“Lukus, I swear to you I did my best. Sean and I had the Lamberts’ staked out. We checked on the ladies through the windows a couple of times, and I know they were both in there. They surprised us. We didn’t expect them to leave tonight. I followed them, but… fuck. There was an accident next to the mall. They weren’t involved, but there was a roadblock. They got through but I got stopped. I know you’re gonna fire me but I lost them, boss. I’ll keep looking. Call me when you land. I hope I find them before then.”
Lukus didn’t contain his fury. “Fuck!”
Fellow passengers squashed in all around him gave him the evil eye. Markus got up and turned around.
“Brianna left me a bunch of texts. I guess you have some from Tiff, too?”
“That, and a voicemail from CJ telling me our women gave him the fucking slip. They defied us. They left the house, and they’re out there unprotected.” Lukus’s fury dissipated, quickly replaced with dread. A fear like he’d never felt before gripped him. What if Jake got his hands on Tiffany? The stories of what he was capable of, coupled with the pictures of his more recent victims—courtesy of Dylan’s investigation—had Lukus paralyzed with fear for what could be happening to his girl at this very minute.
I’ve failed her. I’m her Dom—her HoH. I own a fucking security firm, and I still can’t keep her safe. If anything happens to her I’ll never forgive myself.
He shook himself out of his self-loathing to phone CJ. The call almost went to voicemail before his employee answered.
“I’m so sorry, boss. I know I’ve let you down.”
Lukus forced down his anger, plastering on a calm façade. “Just the facts. We’ll deal with blame later. Where have you looked?” He could hear a commotion on the line.
“I’m at that stripper club you said they were supposed to go to. They aren’t here. I have photos of them; Sean and I have been asking around. No one we’ve talked to remembers seeing them here. Maybe they just went out for food?”
“It doesn’t matter. We told them not to leave the house. Have you seen any trace of Davenport, or anyone else that looks like they were watching Bri and Tiff?”
“No. We did foot patrols a couple of times, and don’t forget, they’re in a gated community, which should help. I didn’t see anything at all alarming,” CJ added.
“What were they wearing?” Lukus was trying to work out where they might have been going.
“I didn’t see. Tiffany’s car was in the driveway, but they left in Brianna’s SUV. They backed out of the garage. I did see both of them in the front seat though. And before you ask, no, I didn’t see anyone else in the car, but the back windows are tinted so I wouldn’t rule that out completely.”
“Fuck. All right, you keep looking around there. I’m calling Cameron to put a trace on their credit cards and cell phones to see if we get a hit. I’ll call you back as soon as I get a location lock on them. Markus and I have our cars at the airport. I’ll send him towards the suburbs. I’ll head into the city. That way we’re in position to move wherever Cam finds them.”
Lukus hung up and called Cam.
The kid answered after several rings. “This better be good. This isn’t a good time, if you know what I mean.” His voice sounded jovial; Lukus heard the tinkling laughter of a woman in the background.
“Tiffany and Brianna are in the wind, and we’ve lost Davenport. I need you to locate them ASAP. Track their credit cards and cell phones. We’re getting into place to move and pick them up as soon as you give us a location. Call me back the second you have something. Once we find the girls, I need you to do the same track for Davenport. Until he’s behind bars, we need to know where he is at all times.”
The kid may have been young, but Lukus appreciated that he obviously knew the difference between work and play. His voice was all business now. “You’ve got it. It shouldn’t take me too long. I’ll call you as soon as I have something.” Cam dropped the call to get started.
As the lights came on in the cabin, passengers rushed to disembark. Lukus waited his turn anxiously, bemoaning how much easier life had been before he met Tiffany O’Sullivan. He hated feeling like a vulnerable pussy, but right this minute all he could think of was getting her safely in his arms. He didn’t remember the last time he’d said a prayer, but he spent the last minutes waiting to exit the plane asking for help.
Please, God. Keep the girls safe. Don’t let them pay the price for me failing to get Jake Davenport off the streets.
Chapter Seven
Tiffany
The heavy bass of the dance music had pushed Tiffany’s heart rate to the edge. She was light on sleep, long on alcohol, and buried deep in guilt. Whereas a couple of hours ago she’d been buoyed by her anger, she was now drowning in regret.
“Bri, we need to go. Now,” she said. “We’ve already stayed an hour longer than you said we would. Please, let’s go.”
They were in the middle of the crowded dance floor of the trendy suburban nightclub. While the rest of the bachelorette partiers were dirty dancing with guys Tiffany had never seen before, she and Bri had danced with each other. Still, she knew they never should have left the house.
“Come on. Can’t we wait until this song is over? You know I love this one.” Brianna didn’t seem to carry the same guilt Tiffany had felt since they hit the dance floor. As mad as she was at Lukus, she just couldn’t have any fun knowing she went against his wishes by going out.
“Fine, but then we’re gonna go. You promised me. Not everyone likes to be punished, you know. I won’t sit down for a week if I don’t get home before Lukus calls me.”
Brianna leaned in to shout into Tiff’s ear over the pounding music. “You worry too much. I told you; they won’t be home until tomorrow.”
“That doesn’t mean they aren’t going to call us. Oh, Christ. I don’t even have my phone out here. I need to find my purse.”
Bri reassured her friend. “Our purses are being guarded by that security guard right over…” she turned to show her best friend where they’d left their belongings.
The sudden look of panic on Brianna’s face made Tiff fear someone had stolen their purses. With great trepidation, she swiveled to follow her best friend’s gaze.
She was horrified to see Markus standing next to the security guard, holding two tiny purses. The stoic look on his face was impossible to decipher.
The ladies stood frozen, oblivious to the pressing, sweaty bodies grinding on the dance floor between them. Then the girls responded immediately to Markus’s come-hither motion. Tiff looked around for Lukus. There was no doubt that if Markus knew they’d left the house, so did he. Brianna grabbed her hand as they slowly weaved their way to the edge of the dance floor.
Surprisingly, Markus rushed to close the last few feet between them. He pulled Brianna into his arms first. Tiffany stood nearby, awaiting her doom, until Markus reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her into a group hug. The strength of his embrace around both women gave away how happy he was to see them. She still had no clue what secrets the men had been keeping, but for the first time, Tiffany realized that Markus’s primary emotion right now was not anger, but fear—and relief. As he held them silently, she could feel him trembling.
A full minute later he’d calmed a little and allowed the women to pull out of his embrace. Because of the loud music, he kept them
close enough to talk directly into their ears. “Don’t mistake my relief at finding you both safe as forgiveness. You’re both in more trouble than you can possibly imagine right now. We’re leaving. I don’t want to hear a single word out of either of you.”
Tiffany risked his anger. She had to know. “Markus, Sir. Does Lukus know where I am?”
A flash of dark anger consumed his handsome face, making him look menacing. “What the hell do you think?” he barked.
She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as renewed fear took hold. And yet, Markus continued to surprise her when he looped his left arm around his wife’s waist, and his right arm around Tiff’s. The three of them walked out arm-in-arm. Despite his ominous words, she was relieved by his continued affection.
When they approached the exit, she was surprised to see two of the security guys who worked for Lukus waiting for them. She’d forgotten their names, but they both looked so mad that Tiff wondered if Markus was protecting the girls from them. At seeing Lukus’s employees, she got a bad feeling about the secrets the men had been keeping from her and Brianna. If he’d assigned security guards to tail them, there was obviously some unknown danger he hadn’t shared with her.
Brianna started to pull away from her husband when they neared her SUV, obviously assuming she’d be driving it home.
Markus corrected her. “Leave it. Better yet, give me the keys.” Brianna complied.
He stopped long enough to throw the keys to the redheaded security guard trailing them. “Drive her SUV to my house and then you guys can take off for the rest of the night. Lukus and I can take it from here.”
The guards seemed relieved to be dismissed. Their last look of unmistakable pity, directed at Tiffany and Bri, did not calm Tiff’s nerves in the least. It was clear they expected the women to have an unpleasant night facing their Doms.