Code Name_Redemption

by Natasza Waters

  Greg slid his arm across Mattie’s shoulders, sending a warm shiver through her. “I’ll find out where she’s buried.”

  “I’m not totally convinced, but if the Dream Squad, as my fiancée calls them, is a killing team, we’ll find out,” Brandon added. “If Sergeant Montgomery is the leader, then he’s the one we have to watch.” He eyed Greg. “And you were implicated because your service knife was found at the scene of Diana’s murder.”

  Greg nodded. “I don’t know what the connection is.”

  Kayla eyed him. “Are you sure, Greg?”

  “No idea.”

  She kept staring at him.

  Kayla didn’t break her stare, grilling Greg until he was well done, before she looked away. Mattie understood their connection was close, and Kayla’s accusatory expression worried her. “But why try to connect Greg to the murders, only to kill another woman? Leave her in the gardens and prove your innocence?” Mattie asked.

  The Admiral leaned back and lay his sizeable arms along the top of the couch. “The knife seems to throw our entire flimsy case into the toilet. If Sergeant Montgomery was trying to frame someone for the murders to get the scent off him, why kill another woman?”

  “Because he can’t stop,” Greg suggested.

  “Because there is more than one killer,” the Admiral countered.

  Kayla shook her head. “Because we’re being steered down the wrong track.” She jumped to her feet and began to pace. Eventually, she stopped at the fridge, opened the door, and took out a beer. Cracking the top, she threw back a gulp, then handed the rest to her husband.

  “I’ve wracked my brains over this,” Mattie said. “Bethany, our last victim, can you tell us more about where she was found in the gardens, Brandon?”

  Brandon paused and then said, “The pond surrounding the Ross Fountain. It’s deep.”

  “Maybe she wasn’t supposed to surface,” Mattie said.

  “There were striation marks on her ankles. Divers recovered two containers filled with rocks and lines attached. The cold water slowed decomposition, but the fish in the pond countered Mother Nature.”

  Mattie’s stomach churned with the thought. None of them needed further explanation. “I wrote a piece on Bethany this morning that I’m submitting to my editor.”

  “And did you draw any conclusions?” Greg asked.

  “Only theories,” she admitted.

  “Ones that point toward the police?” He squeezed her shoulder.

  She shook her head. “No, but maybe someone smart enough might consider there may be more than one killer.”

  “Mattie,” he growled, his timbre edged with a warning.

  “There was empathy in Stuart’s eyes the other night. He was scared too. I might be able to convince him to talk to me.”

  “You’d be showing your hand, and there’s no taking it back,” Brandon warned.

  “Would there be leniency if Stuart helped us?”

  He shook his head, his jaw clenched with understandable disgust. “Possibly. You know what our court system is like here, but the commitment to fellow officers is not easily broken, even if he’s scared or having doubts.”

  After exhausting a lot of angles, Greg showed Brandon out the door. When he returned, Kayla held the door to the patio open. “Greg.”

  He looked nervously around at the Admiral. “What?”

  “Outside,” Kayla growled.

  Mattie watched them leave and considered following. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  His brow wrinkled tight. “I’m not sure, but I’ve only seen that look in my wife’s eyes a couple of times. And she’s seriously pissed.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Kayla grabbed Greg’s wrist and dragged him to the edge of the property between his townhouse and his neighbor’s residence. She rounded on him like a tornado. “Why are you lying about the knife?”

  He stood in front of her, mute. He’d never lied to Kayla before. Well, not often. “This is why you dragged me out here?”

  She rubbed a fisted hand with her other as if she considered hitting him. “Did you lose the knife or was it taken?”

  “Fuck, I hate you sometimes.”

  “You son-of-a-bitch! Tell me.”

  The rest of their conversation flared into en français.

  She stepped into his space, anger boiling in her eyes. “Where did you lose the knife?”

  He turned his back on her, regret flaring to life. During their years together it hadn’t been all lust and roses. They’d fought. Always with words, but it had been brutal at times.

  Kayla faced off with him again. “Where, Greg?”

  “At a club, okay?”

  “What kind of club?”

  He pushed his fingers through his hair. “Does it matter?”

  “Yes,” she fired back. “It matters. Of course, it matters.”

  “Do you need to know every corner and crease of my life?”

  She gritted her teeth and said, “I thought I was every corner of your life, but maybe I wasn’t. What are you hiding from me?”

  He wound his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her closer. “The place I used to vent my emotions. Don’t ask any more questions.”

  “What are you talking about?” She wasn’t backing down, she was getting angrier.

  “I went to a club after Diana broke up with me.”

  Kayla sneered like he was a low life. “What type of club? A strip bar? Seriously? That’s so tacky.”

  Mattie appeared from behind a rhododendron with Austen close behind. “Sorry, the Admiral was translating for me. Greg, you can’t hide a key piece of evidence. Diana was murdered with that knife. Where exactly did you lose it?”

  He threw his hands in the air and glared at Kayla. “My fucking sex life is none of your business anymore.”

  He only got a couple steps away when she gripped his arm. “Don’t you dare walk away from me. Your life is my business.” She stabbed him in the chest. “So you got drunk and watched strippers. Big deal, Greg. Guys do that. I’m not a Puritan. I get it.”

  Austen cleared his throat loud enough to stop everyone. “Don’t think it was a strip club.”

  “What?” Kayla spouted. “What else is there?”

  He glared at Austen, daring him to say another word. They may have mended some fences, but the SEAL was treading in dark waters.

  Austen started to chuckle and then rolled into out and out laughter. “You better tell her and be done with it. You know how she is, she’ll sit on top of you until you do.”

  She looked between them. Then over at Mattie. “Do you understand this? Because I sure as hell don’t.”

  Mattie shook her head. “No.” Her brows came together. “A club,” she repeated. “So you went to a club. But why did you have your knife with you? I thought you said it was in this Go Bag.”

  Greg let out a chest full of air and scrubbed his face. Austen watched him with a smug look. Greg wasn’t going down alone. He’d take that smug fucker Austen down with him. “Don’t fucking tell me you’ve never been to one?”

  Austen stopped laughing immediately. “I didn’t say that, and besides you’re on the hangman’s platform not me.”

  “Stop it, you two. You’re being stupid,” Kayla barked.

  The Admiral groaned as if he’d suddenly been hit with an epiphany. “It would make sense, wouldn’t it?” he said to Greg. “We spoke of it before. The women could have been kept there.”

  “Where, there?” she demanded and clenched her hands.

  Greg slowly turned his gaze on her. Swallowed thickly, then said, “A BDSM club.”

  As usual, she was about to say something when her mouth opened but nothing came out. She jerked her head. “A what?”

  “Dog and Tasker frequent the club. They have for years. A long time ago, they brought me as a guest.”

  “Those fucking assholes.” She looked like she was about to spit up a lung.

  He lifted his hand to stop her from goi
ng into a rant. “Kayla, it isn’t as uncommon as you think. Especially for men like us.”

  Kayla whirled around and gawked at her husband.

  “Listen, sweetheart. Men—” Austen attempted to fend off with an excuse.

  “Ohhhh,” she shouted. “Men what? Don’t give me men stuff.” She whirled around and punched Greg in the arm. “You hurt women? I can’t believe you. I can…not…believe this. No, I will not accept this.”

  Greg slapped a hand to his forehead. “Would you fucking calm down?”

  She hauled off and hit him again. Course it didn’t hurt. Mattie stood beside Austen looking like she wanted to spit out something distasteful from her mouth.

  Greg stared at the woman he’d cared for and betrayed for so many years. But he’d done it for her. To save her. “Both of you just take a step back and calm down.”

  Kayla’s eyes were sparking with anger. “How…how could you go to a place like that knowing Daniel beat the crap out of me?”

  He gripped her shoulders. “That’s not what it’s about. Help me out here,” he said to Austen.

  Austen had his hand over his mouth and rippled his brows. “I kinda like seeing that halo tossed off your head.”

  The whole situation was getting ridiculous in a funny kind of way, until Kayla said, “Did Daniel go to this club?”

  The world came to a shuddering halt. She didn’t belt him again, she stepped away as if he was poison.

  “Greg.” She looked horrified. “Did he?” Her hands covered her mouth to stop a scream. “He, he didn’t only hit me. He… he cheated on me and hurt other women for pleasure?”

  Oh God in heaven. What point was there for her to dig into this?

  Kayla’s face crumpled like an accordion. Her arms draped by her sides, her shoulders sagged. “Daniel accused you and I, Greg, of being unfaithful.”

  He gave a small nod. “I know.”

  “We weren’t.”

  “I know.”

  “How long was he unfaithful to me?”

  He desperately wished they didn’t have an audience but Austen would be the man to pick her up after she knew the truth.

  And Mattie…he didn’t know what Mattie could possibly think, being witness to all this, but the chances were pretty good she’d hate him. When she’d told him about Stuart being involved in the alternative lifestyle, she seemed sickened by the thought.

  “Angel Face.” Greg’s heart hammered in his chest seeing the tears of angst well in her eyes. “I thought after the guys introduced me to the lifestyle that maybe Daniel would stop hurting you if he could direct his anger. Control it by accepting what it means to be a Dom. His PTSD changed everything.”

  “You. You…” She swallowed and lowered her head. “You suggested he should be unfaithful to me?”

  He didn’t have any answer for that. Not one he wanted to voice, but Austen did it for him as he stepped behind Kayla and wrapped his arms around her.

  “I’m guessing he did it because he wanted Daniel to leave you.”

  She took a stuttering breath but wouldn’t take her burning gaze off of him.

  “Sweetheart.” Austen bent and tucked his head next to his wife. “Kayla, I think he did it to save your life because he loved you, not because he wanted to hurt you. You wouldn’t leave Daniel. He kept hurting you, but you remained loyal to him. If Greg couldn’t convince you to leave, I think he did this hoping Daniel would.” He embraced her. “Can you understand?”

  “I do. And it’s wrong.” Her voice cracked. “Why did you do this? Why did you hurt women?”

  “That’s not what—”

  “Bullshit!” She yelled loud enough tourists on the Victoria waterfront could hear. Her brow crushed with pain. “Bullshit, Greg. Your father abused your mother. How could you ever lay a hand on a woman and not see the dangerous waters you’re walking into?”

  “It’s not. I…I…” He closed his eyes for a moment. Not able to explain himself. Praying the past would evaporate. All of it. Including his choices. Every wrong decision he’d made.

  Kayla struggled against her husband and he let her go. “Don’t. Don’t you fucking dare try and tell me there is anything right with dominating another human being. And I’m disgusted to know you did this too, Thane. You did, didn’t you?”

  Austen swallowed and stood to his full height. He ran his hand across the back of his neck and set a chilling look on his wife. “Before we met. Yes.”

  Kayla stormed across the lawn. “Let’s go, Mattie.”

  Mattie gave Greg a look over her shoulder. “She’s right. It’s fucking stupid to hurt someone else.”

  Greg closed his eyes and sighed. “It was consensual.”

  “Thanks to you, we’re both in the shit now.” Austen wandered toward him.

  “How the hell did that happen? I meant to take that to the grave.”

  “Because my wife has the instincts of a wolf. Besides that, at least now we know that the killer must have visited the BDSM club. What’s it called?”

  “Dark Angel. It’s an elite club here in Victoria. Only one of its kind.”

  “Then we’re going.”

  The wind off the ocean wrapped around them with icy fingers. “Are you fucking crazy? Bad enough I just cut her open and made her bleed with something she never should have known. I’m not taking you there.”

  “Yes, you are. We have to find a familiar face. One that belongs to a murderer.”

  “Are you going to tell Kayla?”

  “Have you lost it, JTF? Of course I’m not. She’d fucking skin me alive, even if it’s for recon.”

  “How long should we let them cool down?” he asked, sitting on the bench by the back door. Lowering his head, he grabbed the back of his neck with both hands.

  Austen chuckled. “Eventually, she’ll get over her desire to drown you in the harbour and then give you the bawling out of your life. Not sure what Mattie’s thinking, but I don’t suspect you earned any brownie points with her. She’s not too happy about it either.” He paused. “Look at the bright side, JTF. Better you know now, than trying to tie her wrists to the bed post and she kicks you in the nuts.”

  Greg sat back and started to laugh at the image. Austen was right. “How many of us do you think keep this from the women we fall in love with?”

  He pondered on the fact he’d done it for years. Always after deployment or a hard mission. He’d gone to the club for a good reason.

  Austen shrugged. “Probably more than what we talk about. The clubs are hopping in San Diego.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. “I’m not going to judge you. I was right about why you brought Daniel into the lifestyle, wasn’t I?”

  He turned a look at Austen. “Yes, but it didn’t work. Even though my brother beat his wife, he loved her. In that twisted mind of his, he loved her, even though he hurt her.”

  Austen’s brows drew together, and then he blinked.

  “What?”

  Austen stood up and cocked a look over his shoulder. “So does the Ripper. He loves them, but then…what? He’s looking to replace someone.”

  “Who?”

  “We need to find him to ask him that question. You ever seen Sergeant Montgomery at the club?”

  “I don’t even know what he looks like. But….”

  “But what?” Austen narrowed an eye. “But you recognize one of the women, don’t you?”

  He nodded and let out a breath. “The first victim. Aimee. I saw her at the club once. Least I think it was her.”

  The Admiral grinned. “We’re on the right track. The Ripper took your weapon and used it on his victims. The question is whether or not he’s a friggin’ cop.”

  After ten minutes, they wandered inside, but there was no sign of the women or the kids.

  “Kayla!” Greg shouted. He shot a look at the key plaque on his wall then walked into the garage and saw his car was gone.

  “She stole my car.”

  “They’ll be all right. I’ve got the rental. Kayla
needs to cool off.”

  “Do you think she’ll forgive me?”

  Austen pulled his jacket from the closest and threw his arms into the sleeves. “It’s Kayla, of course she will, but you’re gonna get one helluva lecture when she’s ready.”

  “I won’t be alone.”

  Austen rolled his eyes. “Come on, I’ll buy ya dinner and a Dark Matter, and then we’ll head to the club.”

  Greg shrugged his coat over his shoulders. “You really got a love affair going on with that beer, don’t ya?”

  Austen held open the door and grinned. “When I fall in love with something, I keep it forever.”

  Greg rolled his eyes. “I have no idea what she sees in you. You’re a fucking dick.”

  Austen broke into a gruff chuckle as Greg locked the front door.

  * * * *

  Kayla put a heavy foot on the gas pedal as she drove past the Parliament Buildings. Christmas lights had been strung from peak to pinnacle along its regal architecture. Fountains flowed with alternating colors of red and green on the front lawn. There weren’t many people on the road with the drizzle layering the city in a wet sheet.

  “Sure you don’t want me to drive?” Mattie asked. Sloane and Adam were strapped in their car seats in the back. Kayla’s foot relaxed a little on the gas, and so did she. “Why don’t we go to my place?”

  Kayla gripped the wheel with both hands. “Because somebody left a body part in your fridge.”

  “Okay, then where?”

  “Nina’s parents. They’re going to babysit.”

  “Nina?” She held onto the arm rest when Kayla hung a right onto Royal Oak from the highway, then a left onto Lockside Drive.

  “She followed me to San Diego. We worked together for many years.”

  “She’s in the Navy?”

  Kayla nodded. “She married Mace. He’s a Navy SEAL.”

  “Is it true what they say about the SEALs and the JTF guys?”

  Kayla’s eyes narrowed. “That they’re assholes?”

  Mattie shoulder checked the back seat. Both Sloane and Adam sat quietly as if they knew their mom was upset and they shouldn’t fuss. Kayla didn’t seem the type of woman who’d run away, but sometimes you needed space to keep your sanity. She’d cool down and everything would be fine.