From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(99)

Jared went pale as Rush continued to Mirandize him. As they hauled him out, he looked back Kai’s way, his eyes wide. It was the same damn look he’d had on his face the day Kai had driven away and not looked back.

Desperation and then acceptance. Jared’s face went blank as though he knew Kai wouldn’t help him and he was alone.

Fuck. Kai strode out the door. “Don’t you say a f*cking word, Jared. I’ll have a lawyer here as soon as I can. Not a word to them. Do you understand me?”

He didn’t respond, but suddenly his brother’s spine straightened and his head came back up.

“I’m going to need to talk to Harrison.” He had no idea who had said what or why the police thought his brother had done this, but he knew one thing. He wasn’t walking away this time.

“He’s still here,” Erin said. “I talked to him on my way in. He was planning on talking to you. He isn’t only here for Case. I sent him for all of you. It’s what Big Tag would want, if he wasn’t busy f*cking his wife. He’ll likely get my texts soon and he’ll be in here like an angry bull, so enjoy the calm now.”

Two things. He knew two things. He was going to save his brother and he was going to take care of Kori. No matter what. “Will you take Kori back to your place? I f*cked up with her, Erin. You have to talk to Case about what we were doing, but Kori overheard something I said and now she thinks our entire relationship was about an op.”

“Girls get pissy about that. It’s why honesty is always best.”

“I couldn’t.” He couldn’t say anything. His hands were tied. “Please take care of her.”

Erin nodded. “All right, but only because I’m tired and I can get a couple of tacos on the way home. I throw up all day and I’m hungry all night. Pregnancy sucks.” She stepped out into the hall. “And tell Case that we’re not through. I’ll figure it out in the end.”

Erin walked away and Kai started looking for the lawyer. It looked like they were definitely going to need him tonight.





CHAPTER FOURTEEN





“So, I’m betting I get the couch.” Hutch frowned as he locked the door behind them.

“I think one of the girls is taking the couch,” Erin said, pressing the buttons on the control pad for her home security system. “You should feel free to sleep in a corner, or you could go home, buddy.”

Kori watched them, taking in the byplay as she set her purse down on the table while Mia and Sarah did the same. Kori had tried to argue for going home, but Erin had stood pretty firm. Erin could be scary when she stood firm.

Apparently they weren’t allowed to be murdered by a serial killer. No one cared that the cops were looking into it so any serial killer with sense likely would be laying low. That bit of reason hadn’t worked. And it didn’t matter that Hutch was going to lose his bed.

Hutch shook his head and yawned. “No way, sister. My spinal column will fare better against your floor than it would Big Tag’s hands. I think he could do that Predator thing where he pulls it right out and hoists it over his head like a trophy. I’ll grab one of the sleeping bags I saw in the hall closet. Thank god Theo liked to camp.” He stopped and went still. “I’m sorry.”

Erin stared at him, arms crossed over her chest. “That Theo liked to camp? Or that he liked to collect piles and piles of crap that I now have to deal with?”

Hutch sighed. “Night, Erin. Yell if you need me.”

From what Kori could tell, Erin hadn’t dealt with anything of Theo’s. Theo’s clothes were still hanging next to Erin’s, his shoes on the floor, his toothbrush still in a cup in the bathroom.

Kai had brought a toothbrush over the second night he’d stayed at her place. Before they’d left, he’d run upstairs while she talked to Jared. Kai had come down with an overnight bag and not even a good-bye for his brother.

Had he been acting the whole time?

One thing was for sure, his toothbrush would not be staying at her place. She would toss it and everything he’d left right in his face when she quit. Without notice. He could keep his own appointments and stock his own groceries and shove all his Zen and calmness right up his muscled ass.

“I still don’t understand anything,” Sarah complained. “I don’t understand why we can’t go home.”

Erin shrugged as though it was none of her concern. “Because you all signed contracts with Sanctum that state plainly any of the Master Doms can be overprotective dicks about you. The overprotective dick award goes to Kai ‘Hot Buns’ Ferguson this evening. So take it up with him. I’m merely the girl who happened to be there. The guest bedroom is back there. The couch folds out and I would bet Hutch is already asleep in my office. You would think all that sugar would keep him awake, but his body doesn’t work that way. So everyone get some sleep. Except you, blondie. You and me, we’re going to have a talk.”

Mia’s eyes widened. “I think I’m going to break my Sanctum contract. After what happened tonight, I won’t be going anymore.”

What the hell was going on? She’d been a little confused from the moment Erin and Hutch had shown up and hustled them all out of the police station and into Hutch’s SUV. They’d been told they weren’t going home. They needed to stay with Erin because the men had decided they were still in danger.