Dungeon Games (Masters and Mercenaries #6.5)(59)

“They found the rice, Terry. Why do you think Lieutenant Brighton has been living with me? He moved in the day after they found Amanda King’s body. He isn’t my boyfriend. He’s a cop and he’s looking for me right this second. There’s no way he buys this.”

He stared down at her. “No.”

“Yes. You watched me before. Did I have men over?”

“You went to that club all the time. It had too much security. I had to get you to go somewhere else. I met the mom of that girl. She told me she was worried about her daughter because she was into freaky stuff. That was when I came up with my plan.”

Oh, god, she’d been the reason for Tanya’s death. “I’m sure after she was killed, you were the one who sent her to me.”

“I did. I had to get you on the outside. I don’t care if your friend is a cop. He’s still going to see what I want him to see. Hell, I’ll even give him a call in the morning and he can tell me the sad news of my sister-in-law’s death. I’ll cry and shit and tell him I always knew you would come to a bad end. I always knew those clubs would be the death of you. Once I tell him about your background, he won’t question it. No one gives a shit about addicts, Karina. I’ll tell him about the arrests and what a piece of shit you were as a kid and he’ll shrug and probably think the world is better off.” He hissed through his teeth as he looked at his phone again. “Fuck this. I’m not waiting.”

“You need that car parked in his drive.” Karina thought through the situation quickly. Anything to keep his hands off her throat. “We’re in the city. Someone’s going to notice when his car gets here. You can’t go until she’s here. Think about it, Terry. What if she broke down? It could be hours. How do you explain that his car got here after my time of death? They can tell. You know that.”

He kicked her right in the gut. Karina moaned, but it was better than getting strangled to death.

He turned away.

Think. She looked around as much as she could. Will Daley’s house was neat and uncluttered. Damn tidy men. It didn’t give her much to work with. With sheer force of will, she turned herself on her back, biting back a moan against the pain. She was grateful her arms were a little numb now. She curled her legs up and swung them. Up and toward her abs, tightening them. Rolling ball. Thank god for Pilates.

And for working out four days a week and learning karate. She rolled until she had momentum and then planted her feet. It was just enough to let her roll and get to her knees.

She would love to see Derek’s perfect, “never has to go to the gym because no one ever tried to kill her” sub do that. She would probably be crying prettily and waiting for her man to save her.

Derek was going to have to get used to something different.

“Leslie, where the hell are you? I thought you were right behind me and now you’re not answering your phone.”

As quietly as she could, she brought one foot up and then the other.

That was when she saw the lights. Red and blue and coming ever closer. He didn’t have the sirens on, but he had to run the lights at the speed he was moving.

Derek was almost here.

“What the f*ck?” Terry turned to the window.

Karina took her shot. She couldn’t take the chance that he would off her before he ran. She brought her head forward and full-on head-butted the f*cker. She practically saw stars but managed to stay on her feet.

Terry groaned and his hand went to his head. Karina saw those lights stop in front. She had to make it to the door. She couldn’t run, but she was determined. She shuffled as fast as she could.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. “No, you don’t, bitch.”

Without a thought, she brought her head back. He’d left her with one weapon and she could use it until her skull broke. She made contact and his hand fell away.

“Fuck!”

“Derek! Derek!” He might not know what room she was in. The house seemed small but she wanted him to know exactly where to find her.

She was tackled from behind and went down hard.

“Not on your life. I’m getting out of here. Maybe they’ll be too busy trying to save you to come after me.” He pulled a knife out.

Karina twisted again, turning and knocking into a floor lamp that rattled and fell. She pushed back, her heels moving her along the hardwood floor.

Terry snarled and was just about to the bring the knife down when a gorgeous little red dot appeared in the middle of his chest.

The SWAT guys were going to get a show from her.

“I wouldn’t move. They really like to shoot people.”

The door burst open and she heard the dulcet sounds of her lover screaming for Terry to stand down.

“Drop the knife or give me one good excuse, *.” She couldn’t see him, but she heard his feet moving across the floor.

Now that her Dom was here, she was more than willing to let him handle things. His gorgeous face came into view. She heard the knife thud against the floor.

“Are you all right?” She heard other officers rushing in and then Derek knelt down beside her. His hands went to her forehead. She winced as he touched a spot on her head. “We’re going to need a bus.”

That was the last thing she wanted to do. She didn’t want an ambulance. She wanted him to take her home, not get put through a slew of invasive medical tests she didn’t need. “I don’t need to go to the hospital.”