Masters at Arms (Rescue Me Saga, #0.5)(8)

That got his attention. He grinned at her in a funny way. Then he knelt.

Oh. My. God. It worked! He obeyed her!

*

Adam’s mind flashed back to the one and only time Joni thought she’d play the dominant with him. She was so damned cute in her over-the-knee stiletto boots, wielding a riding crop and wearing a black bustier that pushed her beautiful breasts up to the point of nearly spilling out. Well, he’d let her keep wearing the bustier and boots for a while, but wound up using the crop on her.

Ah, Joni. I miss you, my precious subbie. How can I go on—?

“What happened to those guys?”

Adam blinked and saw the pink-haired runaway glancing toward the door with worry, as she pressed the cold paper towels against his lip. He drew a deep breath, beginning to feel the pain radiating through his shoulder. “The police have them all in custody. They won’t be bothering anyone for a while.”

“Where else did they hurt you?”

“One landed a lucky punch to my shoulder.” Pulling the paper away from his lip, he saw it covered with his blood. He could have let those thugs put an end to his misery tonight. Instead, he’d learned he still had the will to fight for what was right. Karla had needed him. He’d answered the call.

She threw the bloody paper in the trash.

“I’m fine.” Rising to his feet, he felt aches in places he didn’t know he had. Definitely getting too old for this shit. He wet a towel and handed it to her. “You might want to wipe the mascara off your cheeks. I don’t want your parents thinking the worst about what adventures you’ve had tonight.”

“How did you know I wanted to go home?”

Good girl.

“Lucky guess.”

Apparently, she’d had enough of the exciting runaway life. If she hadn’t come to her senses, though, he’d already planned to take her home anyway, kicking and screaming if he had to.

After she’d cleaned her face, he picked up her backpack and slung it over his shoulder with a grunt. Shit. Was there any place on his body that didn’t hurt? He’d have a bruise on his shoulder blade tomorrow, too. Even his legs and foot ached from his impact punches.

Bring it on. He focused on this new pain. Funny, but the physical pain helped the emotional pain to recede a bit, even if it was only a temporary reprieve.

Adam walked up to the ticket counter and waited as Karla got a refund for the ticket she wouldn’t be needing—not for a few years at least. The dispatcher announced his bus departure in five minutes. Oh, well. He’d just have to catch the next one tomorrow. He asked when that would be.

“Nine-fifteen.”

“Good. Just a few hours behind schedule.”

“No, sir. P.M.”

Fuck. He hoped he could make it back to Pendleton on time.

But no f*cking way was he letting Karla wander the streets alone tonight to get back home. With that wild pink hair, she was nothing but a trouble magnet.

*

Karla didn’t know what to say to him, so they rode in silence most of the cab ride home. He had to spend another day in the bus station waiting for his bus, all because of her. Was he mad at her? He just stared out the window, looking at the lights of downtown as the cab made its way to her Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Jeez, she’d sure messed things up tonight. Who was stupid enough to run away the night before Thanksgiving? Only you, Kitty. She could hear her friends now when she told them about her night.

But Adam had gotten hurt and now she had to face her parents. They weren’t going to be very happy with her.

“Why the long face?” He must have gotten tired of watching the scenery going by.

“I screwed up big time.” She couldn’t look at him and remind him of how she’d messed up his plans.

“They might be mad at first, but they’ll be glad to have you home safe.”

Karla felt him continuing to stare at her. She chewed on her lower lip; then finally got the courage up to look over at him. Over and up. Jeez, he was tall, even sitting down. The street lights lit his face—off, then on, then off again. She noticed the cut on his lip was still bleeding, but just a trickle. She wished she’d brought more paper towels.

Adam had fought to protect her tonight. He could have been killed. There were three of them and they’d had weapons! Instead, he’d saved her from whatever that guy had wanted to do with her. Probably rape her, or make her a hooker, or even sell her to a sex-slave operation. She knew about these things. She watched enough TV.

What she didn’t know was how she could ever get Adam to forgive her. Well, she’d be home in a few minutes and probably would never see him again. Still, she needed his forgiveness.

“Adam…I’m sorry I got you mixed up in this. And I’m really sorry you got hurt on account of me.”

He was quiet for a little while, his eyes kinda sad again. She hated that she had made him sad this time. Then one side of his mouth tilted up in half a smile. The side that wasn’t cut. Her stomach clenched every time she looked at his wound.

“I’d do it all over again to keep you safe. Just promise me you won’t run away again. Next time, you might not be so lucky.”

The cab stopped. She looked out the window and saw they were in front of her house. The porch light was on and Mom’s goofy wreath with all the harvest vegetables on it was displayed on the door. A pumpkin sat on the post at the top of the stairs. The big brick house and hokey decorations never looked so good to her before.