by India Kells
Mac was amazed how quickly his eyes clouded at her words. “You’re asking too much from me.”
“Yeah, I suspected as much.”
Chapter 12
“There is no way in hell I’m doing this! And just for bringing that option up, you’re all deluded, or seriously high on drugs. I suggest a very long vacation. All of you!”
Mac was walking her living room, from one end to the other, feeling caged with a band of loons on the cell phone.
Wesley sat on the sofa, his elbows on his knees, the phone on the small coffee table in front of him. Gabrielle stayed silent on the line, but Lance insisted.
“Mac, it’s the prime information we have so far. When we couldn’t find Calvi, we decided to focus on his henchmen, and one of them, Rodriguez, considered by many to be his right hand, is our best chance to reach Calvi.”
“So rig his phone, follow him and all his family even his third cousin. Sic the almighty Dogberry on him.”
Gabrielle sighed. “We did all that. Nothing so far on where Calvi might be. And it’s when Dogberry hacked his email account that we discovered his … preferences. He’s deep into BDSM, Mac, and is a submissive to boot.”
Mac turned to the phone. “Why I’m the only one who thinks it’s no coincidence? That it smells like a trap?”
Gabrielle continued, determined. “Because I trust Dogberry. We checked and double-checked, and him living that kind of life isn’t new. He’s been secretive about it, from his associates, from his family, but we found traces going back years.”
“And what about the information confirming that he’s coming to Seattle?” Wesley asked, his eyes still on the phone, avoiding her gaze.
“Since Mac’s disappearance, Calvi is sending his lieutenants to different cities, establishing contacts with the local mob to catch her. Rodriguez has been adamant to come to Seattle, one of the last places for them to search. He was probably intrigued by the Wolf’s Den, we found that he researched about it on the Web. He has booked a flight. It’s only a matter of days until he pays a visit to the club, undercover.”
“That’s all good, but I don’t see how it’s helpful. What makes you think he will say anything to us when at the club?”
Lance sighed. “Mac, Wes and I had frequent conversations with Owen about what’s going on in his club. When in the Navy, it never showed, and he never talked about it. We only learned of his interest into dominance and submission when he opened the club. I’m no expert, but I remember something he said, of a dominant being able to bring his submissive into such a state of mind, into such a deep level of submission, that he would willingly reveal his darkest secrets.”
Mac shook her head. “And that wouldn’t be possible with beating or a truth serum?”
“Rodriguez is far from a teddy bear, Mac. He’s been in prison several times, and I’m not talking American jails. He has killed innocents, children, families … I don’t see how torture could make him speak.” The certainty in Gabrielle’s voice didn’t sit well with Mac.
“Mac, I think there are a few tricks like shadow play that may work on him. From what I heard about it, it may be the best way to get to the man.”
“Shadow play?” She turned to Wesley who still looked away.
“Mac, I’m trying to contact Owen to get more information about it, but he’s on a delicate mission. I don’t think I’ll be able to reach him in time. Or maybe Wes can help you with that.”
Lance’s voice was tentative and Wes didn’t answer his brother. What went wrong?
“Listen, I’ll ask Margot about it.”
“I don’t believe in adding more people into the mix …” Lance hesitated.
Now, as he addressed his brother, Wes’ attention was on her. “If a threat such as Rodriguez comes knocking at their door, they must be prepared.”
“We can’t be sure if we can trust them.”
Mac debated it. “If Owen chose them, they must be trustworthy.”
“Does it mean you’re in with our plan?” Lance’s voice was way too hopeful.
“The plan being me playing a dominant queen, whipping the location of Calvi out of one of his henchmen? I don’t understand why we couldn’t ask one of Owen’s dominants to do this. They would be much more convincing.”
“Rodriguez is too dangerous to risk a civilian. If something went wrong …”
Mac threw her arms in the air in frustration. “He will be restricted to whatever contraption is down there! He would be far from uncontrollable.”
“Rodriguez would allow himself to be bound only if he trusted his dominant. Until then, he could pose a treat to any civilian, even one with a mean-looking whip.”
“Guys, let me think about it.”
Gabrielle coughed lightly. “Mac, our latest Intel indicates that he will be in town this weekend.”
“That’s three days from now!” Panic rose inside of her and it took two deep breaths for her to get back in control.
“I’m coming over to help with security.” Lance’s voice had that annoying final tone.
And for the first time, Wesley spoke. “I’m more than capable of handling security.”
Silence stretched between the two brothers. Mac saw Wesley tense up, his jaw locking, his whole body ready to retaliate.
Mac softened her intonation. “I’m sure we can use all the help we can get, Lance.”
“I’ll keep you posted on the arrival of Rodriguez and the team members heading your way.”
“Thanks, Gabrielle.”
Mac ended the call. “Care to tell me what that remark was all about?”
Wesley got to his feet. “It’s only between my brothers and me.”
“We are at Owen’s place. Lance is coming here soon to coordinate a mission. If sibling rivalry is going to create a snag …”
“I’m staying here. I will see this through.”
“Why?”
“You need a reason?”
Mac crossed her arms. “Before I request a reason why you would help me against one of the worst monsters on Earth, I’m asking what is going on between you and Lance, and probably Owen.”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Wrong answer.” If he could be stubborn, so could she.
“It’s the only one I can give you right now.”
“And if it’s not good enough?”
“We’ll both see, won’t we?”
Chapter 13
Light was dimming steadily in her apartment as Mac’s eyes started to burn from staring the screen of her laptop for so long. She refrained from rubbing them again; itching as they were her orbits must have turned bright red by now. How could Dogberry do it day in and day out? Tough son of a bitch.
Someone knocked on her door, but she ignored it. The bad guy wouldn’t have done that, none of them would. So it could be Margot for her lesson, or Wes. And by the force, it was surely the SEAL.
Mac screeched and focused back on her screen as the pounding stopped. The tenacious man was making his way in for certain. When she saw him appear in the living room from the corner of her eye, she didn’t acknowledge him.
“You could have opened the door.”
Eyes on her monitor, she ignored him again. Wesley stood there, waiting for an answer that didn’t come.
“What are you doing?” He wasn’t about to go away, the stubborn, stubborn man.
“Research.” Her answer hissed from gritted teeth.
“And she speaks! Research about what?”
“Rodriguez.”
Wesley moved to see what was on the screen. “What for?”
“If I have to whip him into submission, and it doesn’t work, I want to understand which worthy and painful buttons to push. Purgatory and Dogberry have already built a case on him, both on his professional activities and his personal life. I’m digging some more, studying his file.”
Wesley stayed silent for a moment. “It’s not in you.”
His statement made her pause and she lifted her head, frownin
g. “What isn’t in me?”
“Torture. You couldn’t withstand the signs of it on me. You won’t torture Rodriguez.”
Mac sat back on the sofa and arched an eyebrow. “I kill people for a living, Sorenson. In case you have forgotten.”
“From a distance, that speaks volumes.”
“Go to hell.”
“I’ve already been there and it sucks. Now, you’re trying to change the subject.”
Shaking her head, Mac returned to her screen. Not easily ignored, he came forward. “Mac, if it turns south, if you can’t make him say where his boss is, just make a sign. I’ll do it.”
His statement, uttered in such a cold and emotionless tone, stunned her.
“This is my mess, Sorenson. My mess only. You’re not to intervene in any way.”
“You cannot ask me to—”
“Of yes, I’m asking. No, scratch that. I’m not asking, it’s an order.”
She saw him contain a smile. “You don’t have the ranking to give me an order. Why are you shutting me out?”
“You can’t come into a dangerous situation when your mind is elsewhere.”
“What you’re talking about?” And he sincerely didn’t seem to get it.
“It’s about what is going on between your brothers and you. When the names of Lance and Owen are mentioned, you shut down.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. Your whole body tenses up. Why?”
“What happened between my brothers and I is none of your business.”
Hard-headed man, she thought. That must be his middle name.
“You want to stay, you’d better speak, pal.”
Now, full fury poured out of the man. “Says the woman who’s called Mac and gives little information, who lies each time she breathes, who hides behind her visor.”
“Yes! I hide behind a visor, and you’re right, I’m way over my head with this. I don’t like being a target. Now, that’s it, I’ve admitted it. Satisfied?”
Her outburst calmed him somehow. He uncrossed his arms. “Why aren’t you using your true name, Elorian?”
“Mac is only a nickname, from MacKinnon. It was given when I started being a sniper and it stuck.”
Wesley came closer. “You’re not American.”
She blinked. “What?”
He grinned. “When angry, you have a slight accent.”
“Have not!”
His smirk grew at her outrage. “Oh yes, a lilt. MacKinnon, a truly Scottish surname.”
“Are you teasing me?”
More smile as he answered. “Yes, and loving it.”
Mac ground her teeth. “You’re—”
Suddenly, his face darkened. “A bastard? That’s the word you were searching for?”
“Mercurial. You go from hot to cold so fast, you make my head spin. As for being a bastard, Wesley Sorenson, that needs to be proven.”
“How come?”
“I never sleep with bastards. Unless you are the exception.”
“Now, who’s mercurial? And you haven’t answered my question.”
“Nor you mine. If I tell you more about me, are you going to tell me what happened between you and your brothers?”
Wesley turned his back on her, and for an instant, she thought he would walk out. Instead, he stared out the window.
“Whatever Lance had told you … I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to talk about it. To anyone. My commanding officer is giving me time, which is more than my brothers offered.”
Mac didn’t move, waiting for him to continue. When he didn’t, when she noticed him retreating from this world, her heart squeezed.
“Wes?”
He shook himself. “I’m not going to tell you what happened, you saw my scars. You can draw your own conclusions. Mac, I’m not sucking you into my nightmare.”
“So you prefer to dwell there, alone and in pain and scared. I’ve watched your face when your mind goes back. Your eyes are lost; you stare into nothingness.”
Wesley bowed his head but didn’t say a word. So she continued.
“You think that by pushing everyone away that you’re protecting them against what happened to you. Ironic that you’re accusing me of the same thing you’re doing.”
“How dare you to compare it to your mission!” Mac jumped when he exploded in front of her. “You come here and lie about who you are and your name. There is nothing similar between what I’ve suffered and you.”
Mac stood slowly, facing the man vibrating with fury in front of her. “I put people in danger, by bringing them near me. Your brothers are not in peril in your presence; they’re desperate to help you. To reach you. They’re your family, they love you.”
Wesley stayed eerily still for a moment, his attention solely on her.
Tentatively, she took one step toward him. “Let them in, Wes. You don’t have to say anything to them.”
His voice was so low, she barely heard it. “They’ll want to understand what happened, have the details. And I can’t.”
“Yet. You’re thinking way ahead.” Approaching, she saw him shiver. “Only allow them to be part of what you’re going through. They will take their cue from you.”
Wes shook his head. “If I allow that to happen … you don’t know what’s inside of me. If I ever lose control and let it slip out …”
“I disagree.”
Darkness flooded his face again and she suspected he was about to turn away when someone knocked on her door.
Mac sighed, her head falling back. “That must be Margot for my lesson.”
She went to walk past him, but he blocked her way. His face so close, his voice so low, she shivered. “We might disagree. There will be secrets between us, but you’re not keeping me away.”
Mac lifted her eyebrows. “You’re dreaming, Wes.”
“I don’t think so, lass.” And back was the hint of humor, hiding so much more.
She growled at the nickname. “I doubt we’ll ever agree. Especially if you use that word with me.”
“I’m not sure. I believe we agreed on something.” Wesley cupped her face and kissed her.
Mac was hesitating between kneeing him or succumbing, when the knocking of the person at the door became more insistent. About to select the second option, she pushed away. “I don’t think it’s agreement. My body only wanted another type of discussion.”
“And I’m counting on it.” The sad smile of his would be her undoing.
Mac guessed her mean look wasn’t as mean as she would have liked when she went to open the door to Margot.
“Hey girl! Are you ready?” And her face changed slightly as she caught sight of Wes. “Oops, am I interrupting something?”
“No, he was leaving.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
Mac turned to him. “Yes, you are. Bye Wes.”
“You won’t win at this, Mac.”
Margot stepped between them. “Okay, do you want me to come back?”
Mac sighed, exasperated. “Why are you acting like this? Don’t you see it’s already difficult for me?”
“You’re not doing this alone. At some point, you’ll need a whipping board.”
Mac blushed. “Out of the question. Sebastian—”
“No.” His tone didn’t allow any arguments as he stepped closer, looming. If he thought he could bully her, Wesley Sorenson was in for a surprise.
“I’m not using you for anything. You have suffered enough; I’m not putting you down for more agony.”
Again, Margot tried to stop the massacre. “Guys, nobody is supposed to be miserable.”
Wesley ignored the efforts of the mighty dominatrix and faced Mac. “Why do you care?”
Margot coughed a little. Mac shook her head. “Wes, please leave.”
“No!”
Margot put her hand on his forearm. “Wesley, I assure you, I just want to give Mac information, tell her the ins and outs. There is no practice for now, p
romise.”
Wesley eyed her for an instant before nodding. “I’ll go install the cameras.”
Mac exhaled when the door closed behind him. “Stubborn man.”