Sins of the Master

by Catherine Taylor

  “Right now, I am a man with wet trousers and a very uncomfortable erection, so if you have finished being naughty, I would like to move on to something else.”

  “You’re just greedy,” she grinned. “I’ve already tended to one erection and now you want me to do another.”

  “This time my cock will not be in your mouth.” He smiled lovingly. “Though that was incredible. You didn’t need to do that.”

  “I liked doing that. I like pleasing a man who likes pleasing me.”

  Eddie bowed his head towards her and gently captured her lips with his own. His hand wandered over her body as the kiss gained passion. When his mouth softly parted from hers, he continued gazing into her face.

  “I can’t wait. Let me up so I can strip off.”

  Lena got up and plunged back into the warm water, allowing the spa jets to blast against her buttocks as she watched him. Having felt the lean muscle beneath his clothing, she was eager to see him in his naked entirety. His cock had been impressive enough, with the unyielding hardness of a much younger man.

  He was frowning as he began to undo his shirt. Lena grinned, suspecting he was nervous of getting naked in front of her. The shirt came open, revealing a white singlet, with the bulge of a strong chest. As the shirt was removed, her smile fell away as muscled and fully tattooed arms were revealed. Grasping the hem of his singlet, Eddie dragged it from his body.

  “No.” Lena shook her head and came up out of the water to snatch a towel from the rack to cover herself.

  Squashing herself into the furthest corner, her face was contorted in fear and anger. Her eyes wandered over the faded blue designs covering his entire torso, seeing the hilt and partial blade of a knife at the base of his neck, the nautical star on his left breast and the crucifix that stretched across his chest and down to his navel. A snake came over his shoulder and was wrapped around the length of his right arm.

  “Get out,” Lena yelled. “Get away from me.”

  Eddie stopped undressing and let his hands fall to his sides. He spoke to her calmly. “Lena, please, I did not know that the tattoos would upset you.”

  “Tattoos do not upset me,” she snarled at him. “Those tattoos upset me. Get out, and let me get dressed.”

  “Lena, they are old symbols and mean nothing.”

  She spat into the water. “I know exactly what they mean, and they tell me everything that I need to know about you, that you are a criminal and a murderer.”

  Eddie clenched his teeth. “Yes, I was all that, but not for many years. I didn’t want that life anymore. I wanted peace, a woman to love…”

  “No,” she screamed at him. “You know nothing of love. I know about Bratva. There is no ‘was’ because you are Bratva until you die.”

  His face grew angry. “You don’t know anything…”

  “Don’t I?” Her glare returned to the tattoos. “The knife tells me that you have killed men and you can be paid to take a life. That cross tells of your rank among your fellow criminals, and that star…” She paled as she paid closer attention, knowing she had seen its exact likeness. “Oh, my god…”

  “Lena, give me a chance…”

  “Then tell me,” she said furiously. “Tell me that you haven’t got innocent blood on your hands.”

  Eddie stared at her impassively and nodded, as he gathered up his clothing. “I’m leaving. The hotel room is yours. I will not bother you again.”

  “Don’t ever come near me again.” Lena glared at him, tears streaming down her face. “It’s men like you that have destroyed countless lives, including my own, and for what? For greed and power to lord over those weaker than you, which makes you nothing but heartless cowards.”

  He stopped at the bathroom door, gripping the door frame. “We don’t choose the lives we are born into or what we are forced to do to survive.”

  Lena gritted her teeth. “Is that what you tell yourself when you take a life?”

  Eddie stared at her and the anger melted from his face. “No. I just hoped I could leave it behind me one day.”

  “Well, you can’t, because it is always in you, and evil never changes.”

  “You’re probably right.” Eddie turned and walked away.

  Lena broke into wracking sobs, clutching the towel against herself desperately, before tossing it aside and sinking back into the water to remove his touch from her body.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

  They had been travelling for an hour before Dylan pulled over and got out the van. Going around to the back, he unlocked it and lifted up the door. Adele sat on some blankets with her hands bound and a blindfold tied about her head.

  He pulled it up and frowned at her. “Are you alright?”

  “Yes,” she nodded, taking a deep breath. “Just a little car sick.”

  “I can leave the blindfold off now. Shift up further and you’ll be able to see out my window. It will help.”

  Adele studied him and grinned.

  “What?” Dylan asked.

  “You look so different,” she commented.

  “Not by choice.”

  “I quite like it,” she laughed, looking at his clothes. “Tailored Armani suit, silk tie and a clean shave, not to mention that cologne. I’m just sorry not to see those startling eyes of yours looking back at me.”

  “We need to get going. Go get comfortable.”

  When Adele had moved closer to the front, Dylan shut the door and returned to the driver’s seat. Her comments reassured him that he would get about unnoticed, unless Adele was planning to alert everyone.

  It was a problem easily solved by reaching for the pistol under his seat. One shot to the head and Adele wouldn’t even be aware of what happened, and the silencer would keep anyone else on the road from knowing either.

  Lives were at stake, and here he was still catering to the one who had caused the mayhem. He should have left her to the same fate as her parents.

  “Have I done something wrong?” Adele piped up.

  “No,” he replied. “I told you how this would be. I made it quite clear to you.”

  “It’s not that. I fully accept that I have to go back, but you seem angry.”

  “Nothing to do with you.”

  “I meant what I said,” Adele continued. “And I don’t regret what we did and I will never be able to thank you for everything else you’ve done for me.”

  “I don’t want thanks. Just do whatever you have to do.”

  She frowned. “I don’t quite understand…”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “You think I’m going to betray you, don’t you?”

  “I don’t know… Are you?”

  “No. I wish you would believe that, but I understand why you don’t.”

  Dylan leaned forward and his hand dropped down and reached under the seat. He felt the cold, hard butt of the Sentinel, and unclipped the first of two clips with his finger.

  Adele kept talking. “What I did to Mairead, to Justine and her little girl… I really don’t want to be that person. You said how something dies inside of you when you take a life. I feel bad enough about what I did, what it cost me. I couldn’t bear anything worse. Then I would want to die.”

  Dylan sighed quietly and sat up. He suddenly knew exactly why he had saved her and why he wouldn’t kill her. Having never held any spiritual beliefs, it hadn’t stopped him from imagining that his soul was hanging from one thread of decency. Killing Adele would be breaking it.

  Adele continued. “May I ask where you are taking me?”

  “To someone who I think will be able to help you. You’ll be safe, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods. These men are extremely dangerous and you are still a witness to what happened to your parents, regardless of whether you saw anything.”

  “I didn’t. What I can’t understand is why our police guard didn’t see anything either.”

  Dylan frowned. “What police guard?”

  “We were supposed to be protected. Bevan
Miller assured us that we would be safe. I don’t understand what happened.”

  Dylan felt his skin prickle. “You’re talking about the director of the GCSB. How is he involved with this?”

  Adele bowed her head. “I got him involved, or rather my father did. Dylan, I’m sorry but I made many false allegations against you…”

  “Concerning what?”

  “Mary Whittaker for one. Brendan and I had established the connection. I suggested that you might have been responsible for her death. I believe Bevan took me seriously, or least gave me that impression.”

  Dylan breathed deeply. “Did he?”

  “I’m sorry. I was clutching at straws, anything, trying to build some kind of defence that you had falsified accounts in my name.”

  “What else do you remember about the night your parents died?”

  “Very little,” she said sadly. “I had taken drugs to make me sleep, far too many of them, but I remember hearing the doorbell, and Dad getting up… and then you were there.”

  “Your house had video surveillance…” Dylan stopped as it began to make sense to him.

  “Which only makes it more frustrating,” Adele continued. “Dad was always careful and he was terrified for me. I can’t understand why he didn’t look at the monitor, before opening the door.”

  “Maybe he did.”

  Adele stared at him. “Then why…?”

  “I read the report. There was no mention of police protection being assigned to your home. There was no damage done to the door which would indicate a break-in. Your father’s cell phone was found with his body, but no emergency calls had been made. Adele, your father opened the door to someone he trusted.”

  “But you said about these Russians…” Her voice was becoming tight and strained.

  “And I still hold firm to that belief,” he told her. “But they’re not doing this without some kind of help. Six months ago, I would have found them through various channels, but lately I’m being hindered, by someone who seems to know a thing or two about anti-surveillance.”

  “You can’t mean Bevan Miller. He’s the head of the spy network… Intelligence. He’s a personal friend of the Deputy Prime Minister.”

  Dylan snapped his head around to look at her. “How long? How long has Miller known Kutcher?”

  “Years as far as I’m aware,” Adele frowned. “Why does that matter?”

  He breathed out and focussed back on the road. “It still doesn’t make sense. Brendan North’s computer was only accessed after he was assaulted. They couldn’t have known before.”

  “Couldn’t have known what? You’re confusing me. Please, Dylan…”

  “The research Brendan had on me. You kept him off the grid by only using your mother’s apartment. Brendan was smart enough to avoid words and phrases online that might have alerted me to him earlier. If I hadn’t found him, no one else had found him either.”

  “Except…” Adele was breathing heavily. “Oh, my god”

  She broke down. “Please, don’t let it be me”

  Dylan looked back to see her curled up, clutching her knees and shaking her head. “Adele, stop it. It’s over. What’s done is done, but if you have anything you can tell me...”

  “I copied the files from Brendan’s computer. I gave it all to Miller… everything. He knew everything.”

  Dylan nodded and breathed some air in of his own. He repeated his words in a whisper to himself. “What’s done is done.”

  Reaching back he glanced at Adele. “Give me your hand.”

  She sobbed harder as he took her hand in his firm grasp.

  “I want you to stop hating yourself,” he told her, glancing back between her and the road. “I need you to find that strength you had earlier today, but you need to know what you’re up against and who you can trust. I have faith in the person I am taking you to. I think she will be prepared to help you. You’re a lawyer, Adele, a fucking good one from what I’ve heard. You need to think like one now, and use your wits and stay safe. That’s the only way you’ll see justice done. Are you hearing me?”

  She nodded.

  “Last night you put one hell of a lot trust in me. I need you to do that again, and believe that I will get these people, every last one of them. You have my word.”

  Even as he said it, Dylan realised that he was making the promise more to himself than Adele, but she calmed and smiled back at him. “That’s all I need.”

  * * * * *

  Being suspended from duty was a new experience for Cooper, as was being home at that time of the day. Any attempt to enjoy her unscheduled freedom quickly soured and she found herself rekindling the anger that had kept her up most of the night. How the hell could they suspend her over something so trivial? It didn’t make sense.

  The time spent perusing the paperwork only increased her outrage. Picking up her phone she made her umpteenth attempt of getting hold of Collins.

  This time he answered. “What is it, Lizzie?”

  “Are you kidding me,” she snarled. “Let’s start with a legitimate procedure for suspension, instead of this fucking cocked-up bullshit they’ve railroaded me with.”

  “Did you read the paperwork?”

  “Of course I read it, several times…”

  “So what else can I tell you? You fucked up, Lizzie and you know you did. We weren’t running this one. The SIS had outlined the conditions of allowing our presence into this investigation and you breached it, after you had already been issued with a warning. Now you’ll have to wear it. A representative will get in contact with you and…”

  “Fuck the representative.” She glared at the paperwork. “This says I have total restriction to police premises, total suspension of duties, until such time as a disciplinary panel can make an assessment. What the fuck am I supposed to do until then, Tobias?”

  “You bite the bullet and you wait it out. You have an exemplary record and you’re a fucking good cop. Don’t fuck it up by doing something stupid. I want you back here, and this can blow over if you just play it cool and think very seriously about kissing some arse. Don’t throw away a brilliant career, Lizzie. That would be a fucking travesty.”

  “Miller interrogated me. That pencil dick kept me in that room for four fucking hours, repeating the same bullshit, and treating me like I’m some toe rag that’s paid to lick his balls.”

  “Yeah,” Collins chuckled. “So I heard. How did it go? Oh yeah, extremely aggressive, foul-mouthed subordinate, who is most likely a dyke in need of anger management.”

  Cooper scoffed. “Is that what they said about me?”

  “Among other things.”

  She calmed down. “This isn’t right, Tobias. There are rules being broken, including the torture of a pregnant girl and a blanket ban on media coverage, and now another man is dead. Tell me that doesn’t irritate the shit out of you?”

  “Of course it does, but what do you want me to do, Lizzie? Do you want me there keeping you company, because that’s what will happen if I start putting on a turn. I told you how to do it. You keep a low profile and do what you’re told, but you didn’t listen, and now you can’t do anything.”

  “Don’t be so sure of that.” Cooper hung up and sat back in her chair, angry at herself for taking her temper out on Tobias. Everything he had said was true, except one thing. There was plenty she could do, starting with the credentials of these Russians.

  The doorbell rang and she scowled, certain it was more official crap to do with her disobedience. She opened the door wide, to make sure they got a good look at her pissed-off face. Instead her jaw dropped. The person looking back at her seemed equally stunned.

  “You live here?” Adele huffed and looked back to the road. The van was long gone. She looked back to Cooper, who looked on the verge of a heart attack. She laughed. “He said someone I could trust.”

  “You’re here… alive…”

  “Yes, but probably not for long if you don’t let me in.”

  Coop
er stood back and watched her enter, shutting the door after her. She fought to regain some of her senses. “Are you alright, Adele?”

  “I’m fine, and I guess this message is for you.”

  “What message?”

  “Some of it doesn’t make sense to me, but you might understand it. He says that your instincts are right. Follow them up. He is sending you more information, but your first priority is to get James Vaughn out of jail and cleared of all charges.”

  “What the hell is going on, Adele? Where were you and who is this person with a message?”

  “I know, this is just madness, but I’ll try to explain. I’ve just spent the last month with an incredible man, who has helped me put my life back into some kind of perspective. It seems he’s had a few names, but he’s Dylan Tyler to me.”

  Cooper stared at her, her questioning mind competing with procedure and a duty of care. “Come through to the lounge, Adele.”

  She led the way, struggling to decide what she should be doing at this point. It also bothered her that Tyler seemed to be well informed of her situation. Adele smiled as she took a seat.

  “He said I would be able to trust you, but maybe you need to hear my story first before you decide on a course of action.”

  “Yeah,” Cooper said. “About that. Adele, you should know that I’m currently under suspension, and we should be calling this through to the people in charge.”

  “Before you do,” Adele said. “You might want to hear everything I have to say, and you may have to reconsider contacting those people in charge. If you are in any doubt about what I have to tell you, my story will also include my confession to attempted murder and tax evasion, so everything else is likely to be true. Dylan did say you have suspicions of your own anyway.”

  Cooper was dumbstruck for a few seconds. “How would he know that?”

  “Having seen a little of what he can do, I suspect he has your phone tapped.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  Halfway through the second bottle of wine, Lena had come to the conclusion that she had no dignity left. Anyone else would have left the room with a little pride intact, but alcohol tended to create its own self-acceptance, or at least stopped her from caring.