by A. A. Dark
“Why don’t the two of you go work on this map and make up. I’ll take care of lunch. I have a few things I have to look into, anyway.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yes. I’ve got the bill. Go ahead.”
The intensity on Boston’s face faded into a frown. He stood, coming over to me. When his hand came out to help, I threw him a look. It didn’t make him pull back. He gently took my hand and lifted his bicep, waiting patiently until I held on before he led me in the direction of his new car.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Forgive me.”
“For speaking what’s on your mind? The truth goes a lot further with me than lies. Even if it is something I don’t want to hear.” I glanced up, but returned my focus ahead. “Do you really dislike Braden so much?”
“I don’t know him. I just know I want the best for you, and I don’t feel like it’s him… Don’t take that the wrong way. Everyone keeps thinking I have my sights on you. They’re wrong. You’re beautiful, you’re smart…it’s just, that’s not what this is about. That’s not how I work. My heart is with Lucy. But you, you’re like a—”
“Sister?”
Boston stopped us just outside the passenger door, searching my depths. “Yes and no. I don’t think I can really explain the emotions. It’s stronger than a sister. More…heavier, and consuming. Not like Lucy. Different. Jesus. It feels wrong, but right at the same time. I don’t know what it is and that’s what keeps setting me off.”
The door swung open at his pull, and I climbed in. It was wrong to be so intrigued by the workings of Boston’s mind, but I couldn’t help but be. Even with the monster he held inside, there was a demented honesty and pureness about him I helplessly gravitated toward. Instinct told me he wouldn’t hurt, lie, or even try to protect me from something he didn’t think I could handle. That made all the difference.
Boston walked around, got in, and started the car. He stared ahead at Dr. Patron while I stayed studying his reactions. Whatever thoughts he had, they drifted along the darker side. His full lips thinned into a line, and his brow repeatedly creased.
“What is it?”
He gripped to the steering wheel, letting out a conflicted sigh.
“Dr. Patron got you, didn’t he?”
“Got me?”
“Became your doctor? Convinced you he could help?”
My mouth opened. Instead of answering, I asked questions of my own. “I saw the two of you arguing when he showed up. What was that about?”
Boston threw the car into drive and looked toward traffic before pulling onto the road. “He asked how I was doing. He wondered if I was in need of an outlet, but that’s the last thing on my mind right now. All I want is Lucy. I want to find her and go home. I mean, I have the urge, sure, but it’s not overwhelming. Not like he thinks it is.”
“He wants you to kill someone? Here, with so much on the line?”
“Isn’t that what he wants of you?”
My stomach dropped through the truth. “He said he could help me. That I could live a normal life with no worries about my secret.”
Air left him in a silent laugh of disgust. “Sounds like the perfect pep talk. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve known Dr. Patron for a long time. I trust him. Or did. Ever since I’ve come out of my coma, I find myself questioning every move he makes. I argue with him every chance I get. Maybe it’s just the new me. My mother did say I was like a completely different person given the traumatic brain injury I suffered.”
“But you trust him?”
Moments passed before Boston nodded. “Yeah. If anything, he can keep a secret. And he’s a good teacher.”
“What do you think it is that’s bothering you then? That’s making you lash out at him?”
He looked over before taking a left. “Probably the same thing that’s triggering you. Do you know what it is?”
My head dropped as I stared at my hands. Thoughts came. Conversations. The doctor’s voice…
“Do you remember what I said to him in the car? He mentioned something about us being able to sense killers. I called him a coward. Boston, do you think I’m wrong? Do you think Dr. Patron could do more than dispose of a body? Do you think he’d go as far as taking someone’s life?”
Another laugh. This one of disbelief.
“No way. He may get off to our confessions, but murder? I can’t see him going that far. The guy is a mastermind. He’s not a killer.”
Chapter 19
M
Bread. Water. By the way Lucy greedily downed both, you’d think I’d provided her with a five-star gourmet meal. Cautious eyes watched me like a predator. Every move I made, she followed. And it wasn’t without purpose. My pace was to gauge her awareness. To see if her reactions were delayed. So far, although extremely battered, I hadn’t managed to do irreparable damage.
“Slow down. You’re going to make yourself sick.”
Lucy’s shaky fingers paused just outside her mouth. She was sitting on the wooden floor with her legs tucked to each side. It was more for balance than comfort. A glass of water rested in one hand while she fisted a crumbling slice in her other. Her teeth tore into the bread, and she winced and whimpered with each chew. The amount she shook nearly had water sloshing over her claw-like grip.
“I’ve been thinking.” I headed toward the bed and sat on the edge as she eyed me. “You’ve been a good girl. How would you like to have free rein in the room for the next few hours? I think you deserve it.”
Lucy stopped mid-chew, her swollen eyes widening. They darted to the right, and then the left. She was thinking, and it showed as she forced the swallow and placed down the glass. In a slow crawl, she broke and sobbed her way to my feet. Pressure gripped my calves, and blonde cascaded over her shoulders as she buried her face in my slacks.
“Yes. Master. Yes, please.”
Master. Daniel was definitely onto something there. That missing piece inside me seemed to be triggered when she used the title. My face stayed stoic as my fingers sunk into her hair. I held still on the crown, letting myself mold over her skull I longed to crack open.
“A few hours. We’ll see how you do. But one mistake—”
“No.” Lucy’s face snapped up to me as she shook back and forth frantically. “I’ll be good, I promise.”
“We’ll see. Go finish eating. And crawl. I liked that.”
The demand was answered with more of a clumsy scattering than crawling, but I let it go and pulled out my phone. I had two messages waiting, and I went into the texts, seeing they were both from the one man I had on my mind other than Boston.
Daniel: You finally ready to meet?
Lucy greedily grabbed another piece of bread, keeping her full attention on the slice as she took a big bite. My mind shifted through priorities—through cementing her death on the killer I encouraged.
Sweeping my fingers over the letters, I kept my stare on my girl.
Me: I’m afraid I’m a little tied up at the moment. How about your place? I can stop by after I finish with this client.
Daniel: No good.
Me: I’m your doctor. You have nothing to hide from me. I know you, Danny. Push your fears away. Trust, remember?
Daniel: How about your place?
“Master?”
I ignored Lucy as I calculated the situation. About what I could say to him, and what I couldn’t. If he were caught, he’d be linked back to me. I didn’t have a problem with that. I just had to play it safe. But he was making it hard. Daniel had never been so cautious around me. Although his fears were valid, I didn’t like it. I needed his new location, and he’d covered his ass enough, I still wasn’t quite sure where he was staying.
Me: All right. I’m in the city. Traffic may be bad if you have to come in. You up for the drive to Chicago, or are you close?
A good minute went by without a response. My head shook, and I stood. He obviously wasn’t near. He wasn’t as controlled as me. He wouldn’t want to leave
his girl for too long. Which put him closer to Rockford, like I’d assumed. He had lived here for years, and before he took this plunge, I’d visited his home. But he didn’t live there anymore.
“Master?”
“What?”
“May I go to the bathroom?”
“Oh. Yeah, go ahead. Keep the door open.”
Lucy stood on shaky legs, but collapsed back to her knees as my lids lowered disapprovingly. Still, Daniel didn’t write back. I took out my laptop, pulling up the information I needed on Davis Knight. I still had Anna’s trust to win over. That was almost more important than worrying over Daniel. After all, she was the one trying to figure out this mystery. If I could keep her occupied long enough for me to put the end of my plan into motion, she’d be distracted, and that’s what I needed.
“Four-twenty-two Atlantic Drive.” I scanned the screen, soaking in Davis’ personal information. When I moved to his medical records, I wasn’t surprised to see he was as healthy as they came. Many times, I had glimpsed him on the news. Even more times, I let myself imagine busting him in the mouth with a sledgehammer to shut him up. Davis had one of those tones that dripped of cockiness. I didn’t even have to look at the overactive expressions plastered to his too-tanned skin to see he was overcompensating for something.
My gaze lifted from the screen at the flush. Lucy came back into view, washing her hands. Time stretched through her slow movements. When she turned to finally face me, I didn’t have to tell her to go back to the ground where she belonged. Like a robot, she lowered, crawling in my direction while keeping her head down.
“Someone’s learning. There’re rewards when rules are obeyed.”
“Yes, Master.”
Lucy returned to her spot on the floor next to the loaf of bread and water. As I scanned through the apps on his phone, a smile began to appear. But not one of happiness. I had him.
Grabbing my phone, I paused, bringing my attention back to Lucy. She was digging out another slice of bread. There was a rudimentary, if not mechanical, atmosphere to her movements. Almost in a daze, she began to tear little pieces to eat at a rapid pace. Her gaze never left her actions. I could almost see her state of mind changing through every motion of her hand. Appreciation, desperation—the two merged through every action she made, feeding the sadistic part of me. All I wanted to do was experiment to see how far I could push her to be more dependent.
Glancing back down, I pulled up information on Anna, composing a new text message as I gained her number from records.
Me: This is Dr. Patron. How’s it going? Any luck?
Anna: …nothing solid. How did you get my number?
Me: I have my ways. I’ve been doing research. How about dinner tomorrow night? We need to talk. I know a place we can go afterward for privacy. A certain running path is nearby.
A good minute passed. I could almost see Anna fidgeting nervously as she thought over my offer. And it was an offer. She was smart. She had to see that, and knowing she did, I didn’t doubt her adrenaline was soaring. Hell, I couldn’t stop shifting on the mattress. The need to see her work, to experience Anna in her truest form, first-hand, hardened my cock. Questions began to arise concerning her and this new situation. Why hadn’t I contacted her sooner? My response was that she was too unstable, and perhaps I had thought her to be. But why hadn’t I been up for the challenge? She was gold. Pure gold when it came to killers.
My heartbeat elevated like before a long-awaited abduction. Like one that wasn’t copycatted because of a patient. I wanted to mentally knab her. To steal her from Boston and have her all to myself so I could see or hear the monstrous things she had done. Lust. Picturing a scene like the crime photos didn’t do it for me. I needed to hear her voice dripping from the gory, graphic, erotic details. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough like with my other patients. I longed to see Anna act out her revenge. Knowing her, it would be impossible, but I had to figure out a way. No…I would figure out a way. Even if I had to twist my current plans to merge with new ones.
Anna: I don’t do dinner. I do run. I know the path.
Me: Of course you do. I took in her own running app, staring at the loop she ran almost nightly. Both of them. At the same time. Together. She hadn’t lied when she said she had plans.
Me: Perfect. We have lots to discuss.
Anna: Yes, we do. I’ve been thinking, and we should talk.
My eyes narrowed as I analyzed her response. We should talk, followed by the fact that she was letting me know she had been thinking over my offer, wasn’t good. She was uncertain. Clenching my jaw, my glare cut up to Lucy before lowering back to my phone. She was still looking at the bread. Still…gone from this room. Gone. Yes, she needed to be brought back.
Me: How is Boston? I’m worried about him. He wasn’t too good earlier.
Anna: He seems okay. We have a few more places to visit before we call it a night. He’s good when we’re actively searching.
Me: Excellent. I frowned, not hitting send. My mind raced. Trust. I needed to work on building that with her. Deleting my response, I started over. Is there anything I can do to help? Tomorrow I have to meet with my client, but I’m here now if either of you need something.
Anna: I’m still waiting on that profile. Can you find nothing out about Lucy or who took her? Maybe I can give Braden your number so the two of you can discuss a possible summary of this person.
Braden? The stupid fucking detective? “Fuck. Fuck!”
Lucy jumped, then lowered to the floor as if she were waiting for a bomb to go off. The terror in her eyes had me taking a deep, calming breathing. The detective was the last person I wanted to work with. I didn’t want to be anywhere near him. It pissed me off knowing Anna wasted her time with that nosey bastard.
Me: There’s nothing I can really tell the detective that they probably don’t already know. My guess: male, late twenties to early thirties. He’s a loner or outcast. I paused, sending it, and imagining all I had learned about Daniel the last three years. Race is hard to pinpoint. The girls taken are all so different in appearance. That could mean anything. The only thing connecting them are their eye color. You’re probably looking for someone with a rare fascination for eyes. Perhaps it’s sexual, maybe it’s not. It could be related to a traumatic event he holds the girls responsible for. Until I learn more facts about the victim who was found, I really don’t have much to go off of.
Anna: Traumatic event. I wondered that too. All the girls are around the same age. He’s reliving it. This time, he wins because he kills them.
“You’re too damn smart, Anna.”
Me: See. You piece together things nicely. Let’s meet up Friday at nine. See you there.
I stood, groaning and taking my phone as I began to pace. Lucy’s head cowered each time I swept by.
“M-Mast…?”
“Yes?”
Her mouth opened, only to close. Lowering her head, she whimpered like an abused puppy who knew it was about to get beat.
“Not that you have any right to know, but I’ll tell you since you were smart enough not to ask. I’m talking to Anna Monroe. She’s working the case with your beloved Boston. Although, I have to say, if they continue to spend every waking minute together, he may not be your beloved much longer. His obsession is transitioning. Although it remains with you, he’s really sinking his hooks into Anna. And why shouldn’t he? They’re both attractive and around the same age. I mean, she’s older, but she’s more mature than you. That has to have a certain refreshing appeal. Not to mention, she’s like him. They’re both killers to their core. They have an openness. No secrets between each other. That also has to make him feel more at ease.”
Lucy was beginning to tremble as she peeked up through swollen lids.
“Does that upset you? Are you jealous, little one?”
The light reflected against the wetness racing down her face before she could lower her head. Laughter bellowed out of me from her pain, and it was enough to surprise me. I
t had been real.
“Not jealous…sad. How…hmmm…peculiar. We’ll have to fix that. In the meantime, try to let it go. Boston’s not for you. He’s not even for Anna. Did you really think I came this far to let him fall for someone else? There are big plans awaiting him. None of which involve a female.”
Chapter 20
Detective Casey
Red and blue. Even in my dreams, the flashing lights made their way through. Law enforcement was life. It had been for so long, I knew nothing else. As I stood in the middle of Baker Street surveying the thinning crowd, I was surprised the lights stood out so bright tonight. They lit up the surrounding houses, casting a glow on the bare branches of the surrounding trees. The residential neighborhood wasn’t new to the occasional gang shooting. Still, the light grabbed my attention, continually distracting me from the crime scene not a few feet away.
The body was long gone. Anyone who might have seen anything, Diego and I had already questioned. A yawn left me, and I sighed, heading back toward the group of officers who were comparing notes. For sleeping as hard as I did, I still couldn’t shake the exhaustion. Maybe being back in Anna’s house had brought so much relief, my body was trying to catch up on the months of sleepless nights. I wasn’t sure, but I knew I liked being back. It was home. It was with Anna, and she was all I wanted. Question was, was she really going to let me stay long-term? I wasn’t so sure.
Had she made it home yet?
I pulled out my phone, glancing at the time.
“Coffee. Stat.”
My gaze shot up, and I nodded to Diego. Half-passed-one. It was late. Surely she’d be home by now. My lips twisted as I followed Diego back to the cruiser. The house was on the way if I cut over a couple blocks. I’d just check to see if her car was there. Then, coffee.
Getting in, I turned the engine over, making a U-turn. Diego threw me a look at the direction I chose, but he didn’t question it. We were both running on fumes. Arguing wasn’t going to happen. Not for either us.