Dungeon Games (Masters and Mercenaries #6.5)(45)

She tried to put a name with a face. “He doesn’t ring a bell.”

“He’s only been in once since we started working, but according to the gossip, he’s a regular. He’s got an upcoming trial for beating up his ex-girlfriend. They really don’t give a shit who they let into this club, do they? I’ve also got some interesting news on your boy.”

“I have a boy?”

“Brighton seems to think you do. He’s got a hard-on for this William Daley fellow.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve talked to the man a couple of times. Derek is high.”

“Derek is jealous. Very jealous from the looks of it.” Li sat back. “Are you sure you want to do this with him? You know what he’s looking for, right?”

She sighed. She should have expected to get the big brother talk from Li. “I know what he wants. He knows I’m not interested in a true twenty-four seven relationship. I know I’m not his dream sub.”

“But he’s your dream Dom?”

She liked Liam better when all he did was work and drink beer and go to Hooters. He was more fun then. “Of course not.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t have a dream Dom. I had one. He died. That story is over. Brighton and I are just passing time.”

“He didn’t sound like he was just passing time when he asked me to look into the good doctor here.”

That perked her up. It was way more interesting than talking about her non-relationship with the man who kind of really was her dream Dom. “Will isn’t a doctor. He’s an EMT.”

“Haven’t run a trace on him, have you?” Liam sat back with a self-satisfied smile.

Damn, she should have done her own leg work. She hated someone knowing more about her own case than she did. “I haven’t had time. I was getting everything ready when the DPD swooped in, and then you took over and I thought it was best to leave the paperwork to you.”

“Or you were having too much fun playing house with Brighton.”

There was truth to his words. Truth she didn’t want to deal with. “Just tell me.”

He frowned in that way that let her know she was no fun to play with. “Fine. William Daley. He’s thirty-five. Graduated from Johns Hopkins. He’s a surgeon.”

“Why would he lie and say he’s an EMT?”

“My best guess? He’s trying to hide his association with the lifestyle from his colleagues. Hospitals are notoriously political. He actually works in Fort Worth, but he drives all the way to Dallas to play. He’s trying to keep his lifestyle very private. He’s also in the middle of a wrongful death lawsuit. It looks like a woman under his care died. I bet he doesn’t want her lawyers to find out and get himself outed as the pervert surgeon who kills young women.”

If she had to bet, she would put her money on the fact Will was one of the good ones. “That’s not fair.”

Liam shrugged. “Not saying it’s fair, darlin’. Just saying it’s what would happen. His sub, on the other hand, is not quite so well educated. Her real name is Leslie Starling. She’s originally from New York. Looks like she made it through a year of community college and then quit. She’s had a couple of jobs, but mostly waitressing and serving drinks at golf courses. She worked a couple of jobs on private boats. Do you think that makes her a hooker?”

Liam always went to the worst possible place. “No, I think some crazy rich people can afford to hire staff. My brother-in-law used to captain boats for people. Some of the yachts he worked on had staffs of up to ten people to wait on the owner.”

“I bet she still probably slept with them. She’s definitely sleeping with the doc. She moved into his condo a month ago. No idea why she suddenly up and moved. She was working in New York and from what I can tell, she just quit and moved here. She got a job at a doctor’s office as a receptionist and now she’s seeing Master Will. That’s probably where they met.”

“I know some people in the lifestyle in the city. If she was bottoming there, someone should know her. Maybe I’ll give them a call.” It was likely nothing, but she liked to follow up when her instincts started to flare. Something was wrong with Starr. She didn’t fit, but Karina couldn’t put her finger on why.

“Already did,” Liam shot back. “I have contacts there, too, and god knows everyone knows Tag.” He leaned forward. “No one’s heard of her. If she was playing, it wasn’t at any of the good clubs. They did ask about you, though. You still have people who care about you up there. Why don’t you call them?”

There was something about the way he said it that just let her know. Maybe it was the sympathy that crept into his tone. Maybe it was the way his eyes looked through her. “You know.”

He didn’t prevaricate. “Are you talking about the fact that you were arrested twice before you were eighteen on drug charges and the only reason you didn’t have an adult arrest was the fact that Officer Kevin Mills took you in and got you through rehab?”

She felt her body go numb. Well, if he knew everything it was stupid to lie. “Are you going to tell Tag?”

“Darlin’, Tag knows. I knew. This is not information I dug up today. I vetted you before we hired you the first time. I’ve known for years. What I didn’t know was that you don’t talk to your friends anymore. They miss you.”