Ian’s heart pounded, and he wracked his brain for a reason for these to be in Tim’s drawer. Had there been letters Ian didn’t know about? If so, why weren’t these locked away in evidence?
He scraped his hand down his face in grim determination. He started digging through the contents again, finding a tablet of paper that looked very much like the paper The Boyfriend letters had been written on. Ian felt sick to his stomach as he read the notes, written in the same handwriting as their perpetrator.
The tablet had papers folded and stuffed in the back, and Ian pulled them out and unfolded the one on top. It was a Google map of Ian’s own neighborhood, his house clearly visible. But it wasn’t his own house on the map that made the blood drain from his face.
Tim had circled Tori’s house.
Everything fell into place. Tim’s enthusiasm about being famous and on the news. The Boyfriend had the same obsession. The Boyfriend talked about the next victim being in their own backyard, their own neighborhood. He hadn’t meant his neighborhood. He’d meant Ian’s. They’d been playing this all wrong.
Fuck. Shit. Fuck.
When he’d said he wanted her the most, he hadn’t been talking about the girl in the picture. He’d been talking about the girl in Ian’s neighborhood. The girl in the picture was a red herring.
I am so fucking stupid. I introduced them.
He grabbed his cell and called Tori. The phone rang but no one answered. She always answered her phone. He grabbed Pat, who had come back into the building to make sure Ian was able to get home.
“I know who The Boyfriend is, and I think I know where he is. Call every unit we’ve got. We have to stop him before he hurts Tori.”
* * * *
“Why? For the love of God, why?”
Tim didn’t answer, only grimaced and then smirked. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head, leaning forward, his weight once again pinning her to the hard tile floor.
“I’m going to be famous. You weren’t supposed to see it was me, you stupid bitch.”
Tori didn’t like being called names, and she really didn’t like this asshole’s grip on her wrists. It wasn’t the least arousing, like when Ian did it. It simply fucking hurt and it was pissing her off. She was going to give him the fight of her life.
She brought up her knee and tried to knee him again, but he used his legs to pin her thighs to the floor. She was held flat on the tile, but he was as incapacitated. He had to use practically his entire body to hold her down.
He pulled one hand from her wrists and grabbed her already sore jaw.
“If you stop struggling, it won’t hurt so bad.”
She doubted he had any real regard for her feelings. But trying to reason with him seemed like a good idea. Maybe she could talk her way out of this.
“I don’t want you to hurt me, Tim. I’m a mother, you know. I have two sons.”
His eyes narrowed, and she could swear she saw a flicker of uncertainty there.
“My mother is going to be proud of me. My dad, too.”
Her heart was pounding so loud she was surprised he didn’t hear it. She swallowed hard and tried to even her breathing.
“I’m sure they’re already proud of you. Didn’t you make detective quite young?”
A cocky grin spread across his face and his grip loosened slightly on her wrists. “I did. I’m a genius. Criminals are stupid, but I’m not. I’ve had the entire police department chasing their tails. They have no clue who The Boyfriend is. I even gave myself the nickname. I thought it up in advance.”
His face was more animated, and his grip loosened a little more. She wouldn’t need much more and she could pull her hands out of his grip and either go for his nose or eyes.
“It’s a very good nickname. It’s too bad the newspapers couldn’t write about it.”
His expression turned to anger in an instant. “That was Ian’s call. He wanted to keep some of the details a secret. I had to go along with it since he was the senior detective.” He practically spat out the last two words.
“They should have let you have your way.” She kept her voice low and soothing as if she was talking to a spooked horse. She tried to move one of her wrists mere millimeters, hoping he was too caught up in his own emotions to notice.
He didn’t blink an eye, still angry about the injustices he’d endured at Ian’s hands. “We had to do everything Ian’s way. Like he was a fucking god or something. He’s not right all the time. He can be wrong.”
His hold became much looser, his grip barely grazing her skin. His body had lifted slightly and his weight wasn’t as heavy.
“When I saw you with him that day at the bar, I knew I had to have you. It was the perfect ‘fuck you’ to Mr. Perfect Detective. I was going to have his woman and he’d never figure it out. I even sent him a letter giving him a clue and he still didn’t know it was me.”
He sat up, his hands abandoning her arms, his face a scowl. She inched her arms down until they were by her head, ready to attack.
“Eventually, I would have found someone to take the blame for all of this. Planted some evidence and been the hero. I can’t do that now.”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
He leaned forward, his hands on either side of her chest. “I know you won’t. I’ll make sure of it.”
She couldn’t wait any longer. She flung both hands forward and scraped her nails down his face, gouging in as far as she could. He howled in pain, his hands catching her forearms and forcing them to the floor. She kicked and struggled to get him off of her, knowing it was her only chance. Long trails of blood were dripping from his face, and his eyes had gone cold. She went limp and he seemed thrown off by the action. She took her advantage and twisted to her side, taking him with her so he wasn’t on top anymore. Now it was a wrestling match with an injured man for her freedom and her life.
She was running out of steam and not sure she could fight him off when she heard the sirens. They were coming loud and fast, and she breathed a sigh of relief when they stopped in front of the house.
She heard the sound of running feet and then the front door burst open and cops poured in, pulling Tim off of her and slapping him into handcuffs. She slumped against the cabinets, breathing hard, every bone in her body hurting. Suddenly, Ian was crouched beside her, lifting her into his arms and carrying her outside.
She pressed on his shoulder. “I’m okay. I’m okay, Ian.”
His jaw was tight and his skin a ghastly shade of gray. “No, you’re not. You need to go to the hospital, and I’m going with you. I’m going to let the other guys take Tim in. If I see him, I’m going to fucking kill him.”
He lay her down on a stretcher and the paramedics started checking her vital signs.
“How did you know it was him? How did you know he was after me?”
“It’s a long story, love. I’ll tell you everything as soon as we get you fixed up. Oh, and the front door of your house was kicked down. I sent cops to both houses just in case.”
They were loading her into an ambulance. “I’ll forgive you if you tell me now.”
Ian stepped in after her leaning down to whisper in her ear, “You’ve already got several punishments coming to you from your previous transgressions. Do you want to add one more by questioning your Dom when it comes to your safety and well-being?”
He looked totally fucking serious. She remembered their first conversation about a Dominant submissive-relationship and how he’d made a point he had the final word when it came to her health and safety. She’d agreed to it.
She shook her head, the ambulance doors closing. “No, I already have too many coming to me. I don’t want anymore.”
“Good call, Tori. Let’s get you to the hospital and I’ll explain everything when we’re done.”
* * * *
“You promised to tell me the whole story.”
Ian’s house was a crime scene, so they were at Tori’s house. She’d had a soothing bath, fresh
pajamas, a bowl of soup, ice packs for her bruises, and a prescription painkiller. Ian had chosen a glass of wine to end his day. She was already sleepy, but she was determined to hear the entire story.
She knew Ian had talked to the cops who had transported Tim Mills to the station. Tim had talked quite a bit while Tori had been treated at the hospital, wanting everyone to know the injustice he had suffered and how life wasn’t fair. Tori had also given her statement to Detective Patrick O’Malley, detailing everything Tim had said to her in Ian’s kitchen.
He lifted her onto his lap and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. “I keep my promises. I’m just not sure where to start.”
She laid her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart and feeling the warmth of his body. “Start at the beginning. Is Tim crazy?”
“Perhaps. He’ll have a psychological examination. If I were to guess from what I know and what you said he talked about, he is probably a sociopath, maybe with narcissistic tendencies. I’m no profiler. I took just enough psychology to do my job.”
“You do your job well. You showed up in the nick of time.”
His jaw tightened. “I should have fucking figured it out before tonight. He gave me clues. I just didn’t see them for what they were. It never occurred to me a fellow cop would be behind this. He counted on that.”
“He obfuscated everything. You can’t blame yourself. You did figure it out.” She ran her hand up and down his chest, trying to soothe him. He was angry at himself, and he shouldn’t be. He’d saved her, after all.
“The beginning, remember?” she prompted.
He let out a sigh. “He came up with a plan to get a promotion and get his face on the news and in the papers. He would commit these crimes, set someone else up, then take credit for apprehending them. Apparently, he had it all figured out.”
Ian sipped his wine, his expression grim. “When he didn’t get as much publicity as he wanted, he started sending me letters to stir up interest, hoping the station would go public with them. Of course, we didn’t. He wanted to taunt us, me specifically with a picture of his next victim.”
“The first picture? She was his next victim wasn’t she?”
He nodded. “Yes. At that point, he hadn’t met you. Once he met you, his goal changed. He was wildly attracted to you, and he wanted to hurt me. He decided to go after you. In the letter, he said he wanted you the most, then included a picture of some waitress from a cops bar as a diversion.”
“She’s the one you’ve been watching?”
He snorted. “Fat lot of good it did us. She wasn’t his intended victim. He only wanted me busy and distracted. Tonight, he unhooked the battery cables in my car so it wouldn’t start and it would slow me down in getting home. He thought I would call the auto club. Instead, I asked for jumper cables.”
Tori chuckled. “Shit, they’re in my car.”
Ian took another sip of wine and placed the glass on the end table. “Thank God those jumper cables were in your car. I asked Pat, the detective who took your statement, if he had any and he said he didn’t but Tim had some in his file drawer. That’s where I found all the evidence. Somewhere, deep down, he may have wanted to be caught. Everything was where anyone at all could have found it. There’s no privacy at the station house.”
She shuddered. “Have they searched his home yet? Had he targeted any other women after me?”
“So far, they’ve found several photos of other women and letters to me already written and ready to post. They also found a rose in the front seat of his car. It was parked a few blocks away from here. He must have been so excited to get to you he forgot to bring his calling card.”
“The book club is so not going to believe this.”
Ian laughed and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up easily and heading to the bedroom. “That’s your worry? Whether your friends are going to believe what happened? I think the medication is starting to mess with you. Time for bed.”
He pulled back the covers and placed her gently on the mattress. “It’s over, love. Time to get some sleep.”
She grabbed his arm. “You’re going to sleep next to me, aren’t you?”
He slid in next to her. “I wouldn’t sleep anywhere else.”
She stared into his eyes for a moment. “You know what the weirdest thing about all this is?”
He pulled her close and reached for the light. “What is weird, honey?”
“Tim got exactly what he wanted. His name is on the news and in the paper. He’s famous.”
The light went out and the room was plunged into darkness except for the moonlight streaming in the window. It was a full moon tonight. She’d heard a full moon made people do crazy, stupid things.
“Hell of a thing to be famous for. I think I’ll stay an anonymous police detective.”
“And Devil Dom,” she added, almost asleep.
His arms tightened around her, his masculine scent surrounding her.
“Uh uh, not just any Devil Dom. I’m your Devil Dom. Sleep, baby. You’re going to need your rest.” He kissed her temple. “You have a couple of punishments coming.”
She heard him chuckle and she felt his warm breath on her shoulder. She felt safe and warm and let her body drift to sleep, knowing he would always be there to hold her in his arms.
Chapter Twelve
“Whatever Master wishes.”
Tori giggled as they entered the foyer of The Estate. Four days had passed since Tim Mills had been caught, and they’d been filled with police statements, Ian working long hours, and her bruises and face healing. Her jaw still looked like she had run into a wall, but the bruises on her body had already started to fade. She wanted to put the whole thing firmly behind her, and what better way than a play party at The Estate? She convinced Ian this was what both of them needed.
“Don’t try that with me, Tori,” Ian all but growled. He was frustrated with her, it was clear. She already knew she had punishments coming. Making him a little crazy probably wouldn’t make them much worse.
Besides, she was frustrated, too. Sexually frustrated. Her Dom was a stubborn man. He refused to have sex with her until she was “healed,” whatever that meant.
She’d been teasing him in the car all the way here. One look at Ian’s face told her he was one pissed-off Dominant. She was so going to get a spanking tonight.
“You’ve been pushing me all night. Fuck, you’ve been pushing me for the last three days. This is going to be one long night for you. I may, I repeat, may, let you come at the end of the evening. We’ll see. It depends on how well you take your discipline. In the meantime, don’t bother begging. It won’t have any effect on me.”
Uh oh. I’ve poked the Devil Dom too much, maybe.
“Um, I’m sorry, Master?” She peeked up at him through her lashes, wondering if perhaps she had gone too far.
He shook his head, his expression stern. “Too little, too late, brat. I think this will be an evening you won’t forget for awhile.”
That sounded ominous. She knew he’d never really hurt her, but she realized he was absolutely going to punish her tonight. Her only choice was using her safeword.
He clipped her wrist cuffs together behind her back and attached a leash to her collar, giving it a tug. She still wasn’t a fan of the leash but she loved the outfit she had on tonight. It was a black silk thong, a corset, and black high heels with little bows at the back. The corset was white satin with a covering of black lace. It nipped in her waist and pushed up her breasts, and she adored the way she looked in it. Ian, however, had barely glanced at it, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.
Ian led her deeper into The Estate, farther than they had gone the last time she’d been here. Finally, they entered a dimly lit room with candles everywhere. It looked like an opulent dungeon with comfortable overstuffed chairs and couches, a bar, a large four-poster canopy bed, and several devices of torture, including a St. Andrew’s cross, a bondage table, and a spanking bench.
He led her into the center of the room, and she started to get nervous. There were already people in the room, and as she looked closely, she realized the people were her friends.
Holy shit, is that Noelle?
Ian pointed to the floor and she sank to her knees while Conor, Nate, Jeremy, Cole, and Cam all stood up. Sara, Lisa, Brianne, and Noelle were all kneeling on cushions, wearing beautiful fetish wear and big smiles. Had her Devil Dom invited her friends to witness her discipline? And were they happy about it? That was mean.
Conor and Cam walked up to Ian. Cam put his hand on Ian’s shoulder. “Are we ready to begin?”
Ian nodded and Cam cleared his throat, addressing the room.
“We are gathered here today to witness an offering. In every relationship, each person has something very precious to give the other.” He paused and gave Noelle a tender smile. Noelle practically glowed as she smiled back, her eyes full of love. “Today, this Dominant, Ian Taggert, is offering this submissive, Tori Cordell, his love, devotion, protection, and care. The symbol of this offering is a collar. A collar in our community can mean many things. Tonight, this collar means a lifetime commitment. Ian, do you have a collar to offer this submissive?”
Tori’s heart was pounding out of her chest, and she could barely breathe. She wasn’t being punished after all. She was being offered forever. She felt tears prick her eyes and tried to blink them away. Her Devil Dom had gathered her friends together so she could share this moment with them.
Ian nodded and pulled something from his pocket. It sparkled in the candlelight.
Cam looked down at her. “This Dominant wishes to offer you a collar. Do you wish to accept this collar and all that it represents?”
She nodded, her throat tight. “Yes, I do, Sir.”
Submitting to the Devil Dom [The Martinis and Chocolate Book Club 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Page 14