Dex (An Impossible Novella) (Impossible #12)

by Julia Sykes

  Her eyes flashed. “You’re not going to let me?” She clung to her ire, afraid of facing her fear. “Careful, Dex. Your alpha-douche is showing.”

  I chuckled with grim amusement. “Oh, Sparrow, you haven’t even glimpsed my ‘alpha-douche.’ I can assure you, he would most certainly not appreciate that title.”

  She shifted, and her eyes slid away from mine in a show of surrender. “Damn it, Dex,” she muttered, the fight finally going out of her. “Don’t make this a big deal. Please.”

  “I’m not making it a big deal,” I said soothingly. “This is serious, Katie. You’re going to talk to Frank about it, and you’re going to keep me updated. Don’t keep things like this from me. I won’t let anything happen to you.” The last was a solemn promise. I couldn’t bear it if she were hurt in any way.

  She glanced up at me. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, either, Dex. Thanks for looking out for me.”

  My lips curved in a small smile. “Always.”

  For a long moment, she simply stared up at me, her eyes soft and her full lips slightly parted. This was my Sparrow.

  God, how I wanted her. To take her in my arms and claim those lips that had tempted me for so long. To tangle my fist in her hair and possess her body in so many depraved ways. To make her mine.

  “I’ll take the note to Frank, then,” she finally broke the intense moment.

  I nearly groaned my frustration. We’d never been closer to a kiss than in that moment, and now it had passed.

  We’re in the office, I reminded myself. And she’s being threatened. Addressing the danger was more important than my long-harbored desire for her.

  “Good,” I said with warm approval, the Dominant in me pleased with her capitulation. I’d never Topped her so blatantly before, and her reaction had been perfect. She’d let her walls down and let me in, allowing me to take care of her. Despite the threat she faced, satisfaction flooded me. We could handle the fucker who had sent it, because she trusted me to protect her.

  She gave me a cautious smile and took the note from me. I finally released her wrist so she could take it to Frank. “Go on, then,” I encouraged.

  She nodded. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  She skirted around me, her body almost brushing mine as she passed. The desire to embrace her was nearly overwhelming, but I held back.

  Not in the office. Later, I’d tell her how I really felt about her. I’d hold her, protect her.

  My smile widened. Finally, I’d have her. In just a few hours, I’d take her back to my place and tell her what I wanted from her. For years, I’d worried she wouldn’t understand. We hunted down sick fuckers every day. Katie was always haunted by the more gruesome cases, carrying the pain of the victims with her. She was disgusted by abusive men. I’d thought she would misinterpret my desire to dominate her, to spank her and fuck her hard.

  But now… Her submissive reaction to me just now was undeniable. If I could approach the subject carefully and explain that I wanted her to be mine to cherish and care for, surely she would understand. We could move into the pleasure/pain aspects of BDSM slowly. And if she wasn’t comfortable with my darker needs, I could restrain myself. For her, I would do anything.

  I went to my desk and pretended to work, idly tapping at my keyboard. But I couldn’t focus; I was too caught up in fantasies of what I would do to Katie later. I could already see her creamy skin flushing pink as I brought my hand down across her ass, could hear her little whimpers and lustful moans as my discipline got her hot for me. I would be the first to take her like this, the first to teach her how pleasure could come from pain and how love could be found in the power exchange.

  Katie’s voice floated over to me, light and lilting with amusement. She’d been tense with fear only fifteen minutes ago. For a moment, I thought she must be talking to Frank, but a deeper masculine voice I didn’t recognize rumbled alongside hers.

  I stood quickly, striding toward the sound of her laughter.

  A man walked with Katie, his body far too close to hers. His white grin contrasted sharply with his tanned skin, and his dark eyes were fixed on her. Her lips curved as she gave the stranger a playful smile.

  I’d heard we had a rookie transferring in from New York to help us with the Mentor case. Our perp targeted women who were into BDSM, so the new guy had been chosen to join our team. Apparently, he was a Dom, and he had no problem being open about his lifestyle.

  It was also apparent that he thought he could flirt with my Sparrow. Not fucking happening.

  “Katie,” I bit out her name. “Who’s this?” I stepped beside her, firmly inserting myself in her personal space. I fixed the new guy with my hardest glare.

  His black eyes met my gaze, completely implacable. He drew himself up to his full height. I might be bigger than him, but he was still imposing where he stood next to Katie.

  I felt her eyes on me, but I didn’t stop watching the man. He simply watched me in return, unaffected by my subtle aggression.

  “Reed,” Katie introduced quickly, “this is Dexter Scott. Dex, this is—”

  “Reed Miller,” he interrupted her and extended his hand toward me. I read arrogance in the easy gesture, and my glare sharpened. “I’m Katie’s new partner,” he made the mistake of announcing just as I took the hand he offered.

  My fingers tightened with crushing force.

  New partner? No way. This conceited little fucker wasn’t going to watch my Sparrow’s back. That was my job.

  Miller’s knuckles whitened as he flexed, doing his best to return my harsh grip. The small bones in my hand screamed in protest, but I ground my teeth and redoubled my own efforts to break his fingers. He couldn’t be her partner if I crippled him on his first day on the job.

  “Dex,” Katie said my name sharply in a clear attempt to dispel the tension. I ignored her; I couldn’t stop trying to break Miller’s hand. If I did, it would mean I consented to letting her go, to give her into his care.

  “Believe me,” she continued, softly cajoling, “I didn’t ask for a new partner. You know I wouldn’t do that.”

  Of course she wouldn’t. That had never even crossed my mind. She didn’t want a new partner. She wanted me. If Miller thought he could come between us so easily, he was wrong.

  Her long, soft fingers curled around my forearm, sending an electric current jolting through me. Finally, I tore my eyes from Miller’s to meet her imploring green stare. “This was Frank’s call,” she said gently.

  Frank. All I had to do was go to Frank and explain that he was making a mistake pairing Katie with Miller.

  Having a plan in place allowed me to move past the possessive rage that gripped me, and I managed to unfurl my fingers from around Miller’s. He didn’t so much as wince. He kept staring at me levelly, demonstrating that my display of strength meant nothing to him.

  I kept my attention on Katie. “You’re going to keep me updated on the case.” I pinned her in place with my deepest stare until she gave the answer I demanded.

  “Okay, Dex,” she promised.

  I nodded, a single jerk of my head. “I don’t like this. Especially after that note you received. I don’t want to let you out of my sight.” The urge to cup her soft cheek in my hand and thread my fingers through her copper hair was almost overwhelming.

  Not in the office.

  I shot Miller a final warning glance. “I’m going to talk to Frank about this.” Our boss might be a hard-ass, but he was the most calculating, levelheaded man I’d ever known. He’d see reason when I told him Katie was safer with me than with Miller.

  If the new guy thought he could just waltz in here and start Topping my Sparrow, he was mistaken. I’d been slowly working on bringing out her submissive side for years. I wouldn’t allow some kid to step in and steal what was mine.

  I left Katie and strode to Frank’s office. I paused to knock, but I didn’t wait for his invitation to enter. My impertinence was met with a cold amber stare. Despite the
warning twist of his mouth, I made my demand.

  “You can’t take Katie away from me, Frank. She’s my partner.”

  A single dark brow rose. “No. She’s my agent. And on this case, Reed Miller is her partner.”

  I ground my teeth. “He can’t protect her. He’s a rookie. How can you give her to him when you know she’s in danger?”

  “I’m not giving her to anyone.” His gaze turned glacial. “It’s not your place to question my authority, Scott. Back down. Now.”

  “Not happening. Not until you fix this.”

  He calmly folded his hands on his desk. “You will leave my office now. I don’t want to hear another word about this. If I do, I’ll suspend you.”

  I bit back a growl. “You wouldn’t. Not when she’s being threatened. She needs me to watch her back.”

  “If you want to stay involved in the case, you’ll comply with my orders. Katie is working with Miller in the field now. You can do your part of the investigation from your desk. Am I clear?”

  First, he took Katie from me, and now he was chaining me to my fucking desk?

  “I don’t understand why you’re doing this,” I finally ground out.

  He fixed me with a level stare. “You don’t have to understand. You just have to obey. I’m serious about that suspension. Don’t test me.”

  My fists clenched at my sides. I barely managed to hold in my furious snarl as I turned sharply and stalked out of his office. I knew better than to test Frank; he’d make good on his promise to suspend me, and then Katie would be left completely exposed to danger.

  If I couldn’t watch her back officially, I’d just have to take matters into my own hands outside of office hours. No way was I leaving her alone with Miller. Katie was mine.

  4

  Despite my anger, a smile played around my mouth as I tugged my Cubs baseball cap lower over my face. The thing was fraying with age, but it was one of my most prized possessions; Katie had bought it for me the first time I took her to a game. She’d become the most important person in my life that day. The physical pull toward her had been instantaneous, but while she cheered beside me in the stands during that game, I’d fallen hard.

  The joy elicited by the memory faded as I watched Miller loop his arm through Katie’s, pulling her body up against his. She stiffened, but he leaned in close to whisper something in her ear, and she softened.

  Rage flared, searing through my veins. That was how she was supposed to react to my touch, damn it. He had no right to hold her like that.

  I ducked my head lower and slumped my shoulders in an effort to hide my bulk. My height usually made me stand out, and right now I needed to be as inconspicuous as possible. I needed to watch her, to protect her. And I knew she wouldn’t appreciate me babysitting her if she realized what I was doing. Katie had an independent streak that bordered on recklessness. She needed careful, subtle guidance to keep her safe. I’d been successfully protecting her for years. I knew how to handle her better than Miller ever could.

  They turned right sharply, disappearing down a darkened alley. Miller really must be incompetent, taking her into a poorly-lit area with no CCTV surveillance.

  I couldn’t let him risk her like that. It was time for me to step in.

  I quickened my pace, closing the distance between us. Seconds later, I rounded the corner.

  He had her pinned against the wall, his body pressing close to hers. He dipped his head toward her, his mouth coming perilously close to her perfect lips.

  “What the fuck?” I couldn’t hold in my furious outburst. I flung myself at him to tear him off her, but he was ready.

  Miller rounded on me. I wasn’t expecting that, and my moment of surprise cost me dearly. His hands fisted in my shirt, and he managed to slam me back against the bricks. The air rushed from my lungs.

  “Damn it, Dex!” Katie shouted. “Reed, wait!”

  The man’s fist stopped just before it could crunch into my nose. Humiliation at allowing Miller to get the jump on me only fed my rage. My hands shook as adrenaline surged through my body, primal chemicals driving me to fight.

  But Katie wouldn’t like that. My fingers curled to fists as I resolutely held my arms to my sides. I looked to her, trying to gauge her reaction, her needs.

  She glared at me. “What the hell are you doing, Dex? You’re following me now?”

  I ground my teeth. Miller’s hands were still on me. The urge to break his too-pretty face was nearly overwhelming.

  “I’m making sure you’re safe,” I forced out in the calmest tone I could manage. “You’re welcome.”

  She threw up her hands in exasperation. “What is wrong with you guys?” she demanded. “I get one little note and you all freak out over it. It’s not a big deal.”

  “Yes, it is.” Miller’s voice sounded alongside mine as we said the words in unison. I snarled at him. He had no right to defend her, to correct her. That was my job.

  “This is completely ridiculous,” she asserted, clearly irritated. “We have a serial rapist to catch, and you’re wasting your time watching me. No!” she cut me off before I could tell her how wrong she was. “We’re focusing on the Mentor from now on. Until the biometric results on the note come back from the lab, there’s nothing more we can do about that. I’m a competent agent. I’m grateful for the two of you watching my back, really I am. But there might be a woman suffering right now, and wasting time chasing a ghost that might not exist keeps us from getting to her.”

  I stiffened. I didn’t like that she sounded so rational. Didn’t she realize how important she was?

  My stomach turned at the thought. It was very wrong of me to discount a woman suffering at the hands of the Mentor.

  But this was my Sparrow, damn it. And some sick fucker wanted to hurt her.

  She turned her most commanding stare on Miller. “Let go of Dex,” she ordered.

  He blinked, as though he’d forgotten his hands were still on me.

  I certainly hadn’t forgotten. As he released me, I gave in to the desire to give him a vicious shove in the center of his chest.

  “Dex,” Katie scolded, “stop being an ass to Reed.”

  I glowered at her. How could she take his side?

  She lifted her chin and held my gaze, refusing to back down. After several tense seconds, I cut my eyes away from hers. I recognized that she was on edge, and pushing her right now wouldn’t do me any favors. She was pissed, and further aggression on my part would only widen the growing chasm between us.

  Straightening her shoulders, she stalked out of the alley and back into the crowded Chicago streets.

  Miller had the gall to laugh, as though he found her amusing. I growled at him. Couldn’t he see how scared she was beneath all that fire?

  She tossed a quick glance at us over her shoulder. To my immense annoyance, Miller fell into step beside me, shadowing her.

  Her green eyes rolled, and she focused her attention forward again, clearly deciding to ignore both of us.

  Miller chuckled again. I suppressed the urge to punch him. Now that would be funny.

  We both followed her to her car, and Miller got into the passenger seat. Because he was her goddamn partner, not me.

  I watched them drive away, my stomach knotting. For the first time ever, there was a rift between my Sparrow and me. And I didn’t know how to fix it.

  Later that night, my phone rang. I scowled at the caller ID, but I answered anyway.

  “Scott? This is Miller,” his hated voice sounded in my ear.

  “What do you want?”

  “Katie and I were at the BDSM club Dusk to get IDs on the patrons.”

  “Yeah,” I acknowledged. I hated the idea of him taking her there, to the place where I’d fantasized about fucking her soft body as she writhed in my ropes.

  But it made sense that the investigation would direct them to Dusk. One of the Mentor’s known victims had been abducted from the club, so getting a list of patrons was a good move.


  “When we came out,” Reed continued hurriedly, “there was another threatening note on her car. I’m getting her out of here, but I need you to take a team to check the area.”

  My first instinct was to growl at him, to demand that he bring her to me. But the need to go after the fucker who was leaving the notes was more pressing. I had to trust that the rookie could keep her safe while I went to catch the perp.

  “On my way now,” I forced out before hanging up on him.

  I called in a team of CPD officers to help me case the area around Dusk, but we didn’t come up with anything. After two hours searching, I decided to return to my fucking desk and check CCTV feeds from the area.

  The note was waiting for me when I got in; Miller had sent it to the field office in the care of another agent so he could keep watch over Katie’s apartment.

  The asshole had better be watching from a distance.

  But the twisted words on the grubby scrap of paper drove all the ugly jealousy from my mind.

  Now, what are you doing at a BDSM club, Kathy? Does my little pet like pain? We are going to get along so well. Come to me and we can play. Come and find me.

  It took effort to prevent myself from crumpling the plastic-sealed paper in my fist. I needed to destroy something.

  No, I needed her. I needed to feel her soft body pressed against mine, or at the very least hear her voice. I had to know she was safe.

  I picked up my phone and called her.

  It rang through to voicemail.

  Okay. I forced my fingers to unfurl. That’s okay. She’s probably asleep.

  But she didn’t return my call the following morning, either. She made no effort to contact me at all. And all the while, I knew Miller was guarding her, staying far too close.