by Julia Sykes
His grin turned crooked. “So you like the way I look?”
I rolled my eyes to cover how flustered I had become. “You know you’re pretty. You don’t need me to tell you that to feed your ego.”
“Oh, my ego is always hungry.” His expression shifted to something wolfish. “I like the way you look, too, Katie.” He eyed me with flagrant appreciation.
I didn’t understand how he could think that, but the attraction between us was undeniably potent.
“You’re innocent and submissive and beautiful.” I could hardly believe Reed had spoken those words. No one thought I was beautiful. Well, George had said I was pretty. And the criminals I brought in always had something sickeningly appreciative to say about my body. No one else had ever shown any interest.
No one ever got close enough to show interest. I supposed Frank’s shadow had always loomed large over me. Most men cowered in his presence, so I guessed it wasn’t such a surprise that I hadn’t had more than one boyfriend since he took me under his wing. Besides, I worked so hard to make him proud that I hadn’t really allowed myself time for relationships. And now the first man who truly enflamed me was off-limits.
I tore my eyes from Reed’s. “That’s enough of that,” I mumbled.
His lips turned down at the corners, but he wisely let it drop. He pushed back in his seat, putting more distance between us. When had he leaned into me? I resisted the temptation to angle my body forward to keep him close. We were like magnets, drawn together when we weren’t actively resisting. Somehow, Reed wanted me as badly as I wanted him.
He wants you because you’re submissive, a mean little voice reminded me. He had told me I needed a Dom, and he naturally wanted to fulfil that role. While the idea of Reed dominating my body got me hotter than I would have thought possible before I met him, it still scared me more than a little bit. That fear was convenient. It was all that kept me from jumping his bones. Or begging him to jump mine. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be the aggressor in any of our sexual interactions. Reed wouldn’t allow it.
His lips took on a regretful twist, and I realized I was staring again.
Fear. Yes, fear was definitely better than lust. I focused on the horrors of my dream to dispel my need for my partner’s touch. My face must have betrayed my disgust, because Reed’s brow wrinkled with concern.
“You had that look when I came to your apartment this morning. Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?”
I pursed my lips. Don’t lie.
“No,” I said honestly. “I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s get to the office before Dex sends out a search.”
Thankfully, Reed agreed without pressing for more. I was also grateful that Dex wasn’t waiting for me when I stepped out of the elevator and into the office. I didn’t want him to see me arrive with Reed, especially not when we both looked like we hadn’t slept that night. Given how touchy my friend was about my new partner, I didn’t want to give him a reason to go off again. Dex was usually a fierce but stable presence at my side, and I didn’t know how to deal with this new, angry facet of his personality. It was almost as disconcerting as Frank’s sudden disapproval of my actions at every turn.
I dispelled my concerns when Reed and I settled into work, splitting up the names of the customers at Dusk to continue the research I had begun that morning. It was fairly dull work, and I found myself running background checks on each person by rote. All I needed was a name and address to lead me to a social security number, and then I had more than enough information about every person on the list. Sometimes, it scared me to realize how easy it was for me to delve into the lives of strangers, just because of one short string of numbers and the right security clearance.
I pushed aside my moral qualms. Catching The Mentor was more important than my personal feelings of guilt. It didn’t take me long to get to the surnames beginning with C, and my little shocked gasp popped through the silence.
“What?” Reed asked immediately. “What did you find?”
I gaped at the name and address. Ran it, just to be sure. One hit. Kennedy Carver.
“Your boss.” I turned disbelieving eyes on him. “Your boss is on this list.”
“Oh. I figured he might be.” He shrugged and turned back to his work as though what I had found was of no consequence. “You can skip me when you get to the Ms.” He shot me a sardonic grin. “I promise I’m completely innocent.”
“Wait,” my brain tried to catch up. “You knew Carver is a patron at Dusk?” I remembered Reed’s familiarity with Josh Dover. I had suspected that he had visited the club before, and he didn’t hide his lifestyle. But his boss?
Reed rolled his eyes. “Could you not shriek it out like that? Kennedy doesn’t keep it secret, but that’s not exactly common knowledge. I think he tries to keep his more public activities limited to clubs outside New York.”
I pitched my voice lower. “So your boss is a Dom. And so are you. And you’ve both been to Dusk. That’s a bit of a small world, isn’t it?”
“Not really. There are more of us than you think. We just tend to frequent the same places. Really great clubs are hard to find. Kennedy and I aren’t the only lifestylers in the New York unit. And I can promise you I’m not the only one in the Chicago unit now.” He shot me a significant look. “Why don’t you leave the Ss to me.”
Ss? Who does he think-? Dex. Dexter Scott.
“Or you could hand over the whole list to me.”
All the blood drained from my face. It was as though my thoughts had summoned my friend. I craned my head back to find him looming over me, scowling.
“I want in on this,” he declared. “Frank might have pulled me from being your partner, but I still want to help with The Mentor case. Let me handle the patrons of Dusk. It’s desk work, anyway. You need to go out and speak to Sally Johnson’s family.”
I winced. I hadn’t wanted to face them. We had recently IDed the last of the eight women Martel had murdered, and Sally Johnson had been a Chicago native. Looking further into the activities of the other women before their disappearances, we had found that they all had reason to be in Chicago around the time they were taken. Martel lived outside NYC, but it seemed he had done his hunting here. Lydia Chase had first given the case footing in Chicago, but this new discovery shifted the investigation here more fully. It was one of the reasons Reed had been sent to work with me.
But there was nothing worse than facing a victim’s family. Especially in a case like this. The anguish in their eyes when they thought of their daughter or wife being tortured before she was killed was almost too terrible to look upon. Even worse was the dead-eyed stare that so many parents developed in these cases.
I hate my job. But my work was important. I would bring to justice the man who was responsible for teaching Martel how to hurt Sally. I could at least give her family that.
Even as I thought it, I knew it was a hollow comfort. Justice was just a word, an idea people used to combat their own sense of frailty, to allow them to pretend that there was some sense of fairness in the world. Justice wouldn’t bring back the person they loved. I had learned that the hard way. Watching the man who shot my father being sentenced to life in prison hadn’t eased the ache inside my heart.
“I wish I could be there with you.” Dex’s gentle voice called me back to him. His blue eyes were earnest, concerned. He knew me well enough to know what was going through my head. He had long ago realized how much I hated this part of my work.
“Me too,” I said quietly.
Warmth enveloped my hand, and I looked down to find that Reed was gently squeezing my fingers in a show of comfort.
“I’ll be with you,” his black eyes told me.
Even though he hadn’t spoken the words aloud, I still noticed Dex stiffen at my side. He clearly hated my obvious closeness with my new partner. If I didn’t know better, I would say his heated glare was one of jealousy.
But Dex didn’t think of me like that. Surely he was
just being protective of me. Like Frank, Dex didn’t approve when men got close to me. Once, I might have been grateful, but now it just made me feel awkward. Because this time, I actually wanted the man who was close to me.
I stood abruptly. “We should go,” I announced, not looking at either man. “Thanks for the help, Dex.” It truly was a relief to hand over the list from Dusk to him. Seeing his name on it would just be too weird.
Then I thought of where I was headed. I immediately regretted my agreement to leave the desk work to Dex. I would rather do anything else than face Sally Johnson’s family.
I felt as though I had aged ten years in the half hour we spent questioning the Johnsons. Weariness and grief sank all the way into my bones, and I couldn’t wait to get up to my apartment and cuddle Gizmo.
We had asked about ex-boyfriends, enemies, or any new acquaintances around the time Sally went missing. The worst part was pressing for information about her sex life. We needed to know if she had been involved in BDSM, but her father had become enraged by my questions, asking if we thought his daughter deserved what happened to her. Reed managed to calm him down, but we left shortly thereafter.
And we hadn’t discovered anything new. I had put the Johnsons through hell all over again, and for nothing. I felt like crap. More and more often lately, I found myself longing for the life I had dreamed of when I was younger.
I should have gone to vet school.
“I’ll walk you up,” Reed told me. I blinked and realized that we had pulled up outside my apartment.
“Okay,” I agreed before I could process that it probably wasn’t a good idea. I had kissed him in my apartment just that morning. Being alone with Reed in a private space was inadvisable. But sexual arousal was the last thing on my mind in that moment, so I deemed it safe. It was only logical that I allow him to see me to my door. I still had a stalker who might be watching me even now.
Claude Parnell. I had almost forgotten about him. My weariness sank deeper, and my legs turned leaden as I walked into my building. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Reed shooting me worried glances, and twice his hand twitched as though to reach out for me. I was relieved that he didn’t. I knew I would crumble if he did. I was too tired, too vulnerable. Throwing myself into his arms would have been a sweet relief. It was a relief I couldn’t allow myself to indulge in. Reed was my coworker, and while starting a relationship wasn’t technically against the rules, it was frowned upon. Frank would do more than frown. He would scowl. And probably find a way to boot Reed out of Chicago.
My brooding ceased when I realized we were standing at the door to my apartment, Reed watching me expectantly. I gave my head a little shake and dug my keys out of my pocket. I inserted them in the lock, then paused as a thought occurred to me.
“You’re going to stay outside again, aren’t you?” I knew Reed’s answer before he spoke.
“Yep.” His easy expression hardened in warning. “And don’t bother trying to talk me out of it.”
I sighed in a show of resignation, but secretly I was pleased for the excuse to keep him close by. “You can stay on the couch. At least you can get some sleep that way.”
One corner of his lips tugged up. “Doubtful. I’ve seen your couch. It’s probably two feet too short for me. Besides, I should keep an eye out for Parnell.”
“You have to sleep, Reed. If you’re worried about my safety, staying inside is just as effective as staying outside. I’ll have you nearby as backup either way. Caffeine can only keep you going for so long. You probably have toxic levels in your bloodstream already.”
He studied me carefully, his eyes flicking from the sad twist of my mouth to the tired lines around my eyes. “All right,” he capitulated after a moment. “You get inside. I’ll go grab my spare clothes from the car.”
I obeyed and stepped into my safe haven. Gizmo was instantly at my ankles, curling around them and shouting out a chorus of throaty meows. Even through my exhaustion, he drew a little smile from me. I bent down and scooped up his considerable weight. Gizmo was on a diet, but he was still too hefty.
“I know, I know. You’re the saddest cat in the world, and you’re starving.” His yellow eyes were full of reproach at my mocking. He mewed his annoyance, and I laughed for the first time in hours. I showed him my gratitude through giving him too many cat treats, and he quickly forgave me for making fun of his dramatics. By the time Reed returned, I was sitting on the couch in my pajamas, and Gizmo was curled up on my lap, purring.
My partner eyed my furry child warily. “Who’s this?”
“This is Gizmo,” I introduced. “Gizmo, this is Reed.” I expected him to step closer and give my cat a scratch behind the ears, but Reed stood a careful distance away. “What’s up?” I asked, confused. Reed struck me as the caring type; I would have thought he loved animals.
“I, uh… I don’t really spend any time around animals.”
“What?” The concept was utterly foreign to me.
“I didn’t have pets growing up, and I’ve lived in small apartments ever since.” Reed shrugged, but to my shock, he looked a bit embarrassed. He didn’t take a step closer to us.
Was the big bad Dom really afraid of my cat? I suppressed a giggle. “He won’t scratch your or anything. Gizmo’s a big softie. Come say hello,” I encouraged. If Reed was staying at my apartment, he would have to make friends with the chubby little furball.
He approached slowly and reached out a tentative hand. After a moment, he awkwardly patted Gizmo with the barest touch of his fingertips. This time, I couldn’t hold back my snort of amusement. Reed shot me a rueful smile.
“You two will work things out when Gizmo comes to sleep on your chest tonight. He loves invading people’s personal space.”
To my amazement, Reed almost blanched, and I laughed outright. God, it felt good to laugh. His grin returned at the sound of my levity.
“I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”
I was relieved to hear it. It would have been a deal-breaker if Reed hadn’t liked my cat.
A deal-breaker? There is no deal to be broken. He’s off-limits, remember?
My exhaustion seeped back into me, and my good humor melted away. Reed’s concern was back.
“You should get some sleep,” he told me kindly, but firmly.
“You had better sleep, too. No more caffeine,” I ordered. I was seriously concerned that the man would go into shock if he had one more cup of coffee.
“Yes, ma’am.” His smile turned sardonic, as though he found my bossiness cute. Heat flared between my legs in response to his cockiness. My cheeks pinkened.
“Goodnight, then.” I spoke to the carpet. I couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Goodnight, Katie.”
I almost fled to my room, and I closed the door behind me. The wood between us wasn’t quite thick enough to smother his low chuckle. My sex pulsed at the sound, and I squeezed my thighs together. I threw myself into my bed and drew the covers all the way up over my head, as though I could hide from my arousal and embarrassment.
Despite my consternation, the toll of my difficult day weighed heavily upon me, and I quickly fell into sleep.
Chapter 8
“Daddy!” I screamed as crimson bloomed across the front of my father’s crisp white shirt. His smiling face went oddly slack, and his deep green eyes turned dull. His body sagged forward, and I caught him. He jerked against me in time with the pops that rent the air around us. Five hits. Five bullets. But Daddy had already been gone at the first.
His dead weight took me down with him. The strong chest that had once been a place of solace and comfort now crushed me. He was so heavy. I couldn’t draw breath. I shoved against him, gasping, but my hands slipped through something slick and hot.
Blood.
“Daddy!” I sobbed, but he didn’t answer. More sticky heat poured over my fingers.
Dead. He was dead. He couldn’t hear me. I shrieked out my grief and fear.
“Katie. W
ake up.” It was a firm order, accompanied by a gentle touch on my shoulder. I jolted awake, twisting away from the stranger. “It’s just me. It’s Reed.” His fingers curled around my upper arm, holding me in place so I couldn’t lash out at him.
I blinked and then went so still that even my lungs stopped moving. Reed was indeed the man hovering over me. And he wasn’t wearing any clothes. My widened eyes raked over his bare chest. His golden skin rippled over bulging muscles, dusted by dark hair that tapered to a thin line that led downward over his defined abs…
I tore my gaze from his perfection before I reached the part of him I wanted to see most. I gasped air back into my chest.
“You’re naked,” I exclaimed rather stupidly.
“If you’ll stop being squeamish, you’ll see that I’m wearing boxers. I promise it’s safe to look.” His voice held a mocking edge.
“Oh.” Idiot. Of course he wasn’t going to sleep in his work clothes. “Don’t you have any pajamas?” The words were somewhere between accusatory and panicked. How was I supposed to resist staring at his ripped body? Especially when he was in my bedroom. Sitting on my bed. So close that I could feel the heat of him. His firm grip on my shoulder suddenly burned, awakening warmth at my core.
He chuckled, and the warmth flared hotter. That dark, arrogant sound just did something for me.
“I wasn’t exactly going to change into pajamas in my car. I wasn’t planning on this sleepover, remember?”
My eyes flicked to his, before instantly dropping back to his chest. Even in the dim lighting from the streetlamp that filtered through my blinds, I could still see that he was glorious. Shadows gathered in the hollows beneath his muscles. I wanted to trace that darkness with my tongue, to taste its velvety decadence.
Then I noticed the four thin red lines scratched into his chest. “You’re bleeding!”
His smile was lopsided, rueful. “Your cat didn’t like it when I leapt up to come see what was wrong with you. He did decide to sleep on my chest, after all, and he wasn’t pleased when I threw him off.” Lines of concern appeared around his eyes “You were crying out, Katie. I was worried Parnell had gotten in somehow. Are you okay?”