Dungeon Games (Masters and Mercenaries #6.5)(40)

“I don’t think that’s really in your purview,” Hill said laconically. He yawned as though the whole argument bored him.

Watts rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I think your part comes later, Ms. Brighton.”

God, he wished she’d changed her damn name.

“My part comes never if Derek doesn’t do his job,” she shot back.

“I’m with the Ice Queen,” Harris said. “The lieutenant is thinking with his dick. That would be fine if his dick had a high IQ. We’re going to lose this guy if we don’t dangle the bait a little harder.”

“I don’t know about that,” Eve said as she walked in the room, following her husband. She was the reason they were meeting at McKay-Taggart rather than in his office or the Grand Prairie Ranger office. Eve sat down when Alex held her chair out and immediately got to the point. “I don’t think having a male around is going to scare this killer off. He’s not swayed by opportunity. He’s goal oriented. He won’t give up because she’s suddenly got a boyfriend. I actually think it will make him work harder.”

Hill sat up, giving Eve his full attention. “You don’t think we should make Ms. Mills a bigger target?”

“I think he’s picked his target and he won’t be swayed,” Eve said.

Alex sat down beside his wife. He was dressed in a suit, an odd sight since Alex McKay tended to be a bit more casual. He and his wife were both dressed for some sort of business meeting. “The worry is that he’ll be patient. The longer he waits, the more you and Karina will tend to let your guard down. I want you to really think about this. How does this work if he waits a month? Two months? Six months?”

The idea put a knot in his stomach for more than one reason. The chief one being it didn’t sound so bad. He wouldn’t be able to leave her so he would have to move in. He couldn’t keep living out of his gym bag. He would pick up his things and hang them next to hers in the closet because it was the practical thing to do.

Of course, if it lasted too long, they should just move. Her place was cramped. He needed an office. They should look at two bedrooms closer to the station. He hated to have to drive to work. No more than two stops away would be ideal.

He stopped because he wasn’t moving in with Karina. Fuck. He was getting comfortable with a woman he knew damn well wasn’t good for him. He was making all the same mistakes again. He’d put up with Maia because it was easier than doing the hard thing and taking the hit.

Although Karina was turning out to be so different than he’d expected.

“Derek?” Maia huffed a little. “Are you going to join us?”

“I was thinking.” About anything but the fact that someone was stalking Karina. “Little Tag and O’Donnell can’t watch her the way I can.”

“Oh, for god’s sake, Derek. You’re acting like she’s a civilian. She’s not. She can handle herself. Slap a bug in her tits and get her out there. I want this guy brought in. I am not going to wait six months for my case.” She stood up, her face a bright red. “And I will use my influence to have you pulled off the case if I have to because don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. You’re behaving in a wholly unprofessional fashion.”

“Yes, because f*cking on the job is so out of fashion in your world.” He was glad Karina wasn’t in here now because she likely would have been embarrassed. He just expected Maia to lash out when things weren’t going well.

She stared at him. “I can handle it, Brighton. I can handle it because I would never let it affect my work. She’s f*cking with your head. What are you doing? Do you even know?”

“I’m doing my job, which is to make sure she doesn’t get killed.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. It’s your job to catch this f*cker, but you seem to have forgotten that. You should remember or you’ll find yourself off the case.” She stormed out in true Maia fashion.

Harris sighed and sat back. “It’s like watching a soap opera. It’s kind of beautiful. She’s the villain by the way.”

Yeah, he didn’t need anyone to tell him that. “You’re not exactly the hero yourself, Harris.”

The little shit grinned in a way that let Derek know he’d just fallen into a trap. “Oh, I don’t know that I’d say that. Did you realize Karina has a couple of e-mail addresses she doesn’t check very often? There’s the address for her business and she has a personal address, but seriously there’s almost nothing on that one. She’s all business, although surprisingly huggy for a tough private investigator. I was expecting her to go all Mickey Spillane on everyone, but it’s mostly hand holding and shit.”

He should have known someone would dig into her e-mail. “Is there a point to this?”

“She has an account from a few years before.” He frowned a little. “Interesting stuff. Let’s say she had some seriously unsavory contacts back in New York. And her record. Yeah, gotta love a chick with her issues. I’m going with the Ice Queen on this one. That girl can handle herself.”

Record? Karina had a police record? “What are you talking about?”

“Harris, you say another word and I’ll fire you myself. Those records were sealed for a reason and they have nothing to do with this case,” Watts said, his eyes narrowing.