From Sanctum With Love (Masters and Mercenaries Book 10) (46 page)

“I can’t stop,” Squirrel said, his eyes going dark.

“Then take me instead,” a deep voice said. Jared walked in from the living room, his palms out, showing he had nothing in his hands. He was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, sneakers on his feet, and he looked positively haunted. His eyes took in the scene, going to that place on Sarah’s throat where the knife dug in. “Let her go and we’ll talk about this.”

She seriously doubted that. Kai was out there. He wasn’t in here and that meant something nasty was likely to happen. Kai wouldn’t wait on the police. Not if he could help it. He stepped up to the back door, apparently realizing there was no way Squirrel could see him from where he was standing. The only trouble was the door was locked.

Kai stared inside, his gaze finding hers. He put a finger to his lips, asking for her silence, but offering her hope. He wouldn’t allow this to happen. He wouldn’t let her die.

Squirrel faced off with his best friend, his arms tightening as though Sarah was a shield. His eyes had gone wild and Kori prayed the gun didn’t go off, that the knife at Sarah’s throat didn’t cut deeper. “I never meant for you to get hurt.”

Jared stepped in front of Kori, blocking her out and proving that even though he wasn’t a member of McKay-Taggart, he was definitely in the brotherhood. “How did you think killing women I liked didn’t hurt me?”

“They weren’t right for you,” Squirrel argued. “They wanted your money, your fame.”

“The girl I had a crush on in high school wanted my fame? You killed her, didn’t you? Her body is still missing, but you’re the one who took her away.”

“She was my first and I didn’t mean to kill her,” he admitted. “I only meant to scare her, but it felt so good. It was like a drug. I’d put animals down before, but it was nothing like taking her life. For once, I was the powerful one. For once in my fucking, useless, pitiful life, I was the one she looked at like a god. I didn’t do it for a long time after that. I didn’t have to because I could remember her. But it got real bad after the TV show took off. It was like no one ever saw me. No one sees me except them and only when I’m forcing them to.”

“You’re sick, Squirrel.” Jared had paled.

“I’m not sick,” Squirrel shouted. “They’re the sick ones. They want to take and take from you and give nothing back. Can’t you see I’m your soul mate? Why does it have to be about sex? Why can’t it just be the two of us?”

Jared nodded. “It can. Let Sarah go and you can take me instead.”

“I’m going to kill myself. I’m not going to jail. I can’t stop now Jared. I need it more and more. It’s a fucking drug. I can’t go to jail.”

“I know.” Jared’s voice was so calm. “So let Sarah go and we can discuss it. You remember what you’ve always said? You said it to me that night I realized I had to leave the house because I couldn’t fuck for money anymore. I was scared and I felt so fucking alone and you said something to me.”

The knife eased off a little. “I said you’re not alone because where you go, I go.”

Jared nodded, his eyes red. “Yeah. You were the only one who stood by me, the only one who gave a shit after Mom died. Where you go, I go.”

Oh, god, he couldn’t mean that. It had to be a ruse. He couldn’t mean that he would go with him, allow Squirrel to take him out.

“Really?” Squirrel asked, his hand moving away from Sarah’s throat.

“What would I do without you?” Jared’s voice was a hushed plea.

Kori reached out, grabbing Sarah’s hand as Squirrel’s arm released her. Time seemed to speed up, the world flashing around her in rapid fire. She pulled Sarah out of the way and covered Sarah’s body as best she could. There was a crack as the door came open and Kori watched as Kai kicked his way in. The gun went off, skimming by Kori’s head, but Kai was already in motion. He tackled Squirrel and the gun went flying.

Kori sat up, tears streaming down her eyes as she started to move the both of them back. The sirens were right outside now.

“Kai!” she cried out as Squirrel got the knife in his hand again.

Kai kicked out, but that knife descended toward him.

The whole house seemed rocked by the sound of a gun going off. Jared stood over his former best friend, the man he’d spent half his life with, and stared down at the hole in the back of his skull.

Kai rolled Squirrel’s body off him and looked up at his brother. “Are you all right?”

Before he could answer, the cops swarmed in. Jared dropped the gun and got to his knees, hands in the air. Kai did the same. Kori held on to Sarah as the world seemed flooded with pain.

* * * *

He fucking hated police stations. He was getting damn tired of interrogation rooms, too. Unlike the last time, he’d been separated from his brother. After the cops had talked to Sarah and Kori, he and Jared had been given the dignity of walking to the patrol cars sans handcuffs. The women had been taken to the hospital, and he hadn’t seen Kori since. He hadn’t had the chance to hold her, to tell her how terrified he’d been when he realized she was alone with a serial killer. He hadn’t been able to ask for her forgiveness.

The door opened and Special Agent Rush walked in along with Big Tag.

“Your girl needs a spanking,” Big Tag said flatly. “If you don’t give her a doozy of one, I’m going to come up with some punishment that fits the crime. I told her specifically not to leave Erin’s house without an escort, and if she tries to tell me subby Sarah is a proper escort, I’ll spank her myself.”

The words came out flat and angry, a sure sign that what Ian was really feeling was fear and guilt.

“I’ll take care of her. Do you know if she’s been released from the hospital yet?” His even words belied the knot in his gut. The two most important relationships in his life were in complete turmoil, and he wasn’t sure what he could do about them. Jared had stared blankly ahead on the way to the station. He’d answered Kai’s questions in a hollow voice. No charm. No emotion. It was utterly unlike his brother.

How would he handle it? The only person who’d ever stuck by him had been a rabid dog, infecting his life with tragedy. He’d been able to hear what Jared said to Squirrel, and for a moment he thought his brother meant it, meant he would rather end it all here instead of moving forward after such a betrayal.

Kai was part of that cycle. Kai had betrayed him as surely as Squirrel had, though in a more honest way.

And Kori felt betrayed.

What a fucking mess.

Ian sent Rush a frown that could have frozen fire. “Don’t you have something to say?”

Rush’s eyes rolled slightly, but he held a hand out. “I’m truly sorry for suspecting your brother and ask your forgiveness. Your brother is an amazing actor and a very good thrower of alien darts.”

Big Tag grinned a little. “He has to wear a
Dart
T-shirt to work for a week, too.”

“You made a bet on whether my brother was a killer?”

Ian waved that off. “I knew Jared wasn’t a killer. I made a bet to put an asshole in his place. Rush is a smart guy, a useful guy, but he can be very single focused. He didn’t like Jared because his wife left him for a younger man and so he took the evidence and decided it fit the man he liked least.”

A light stain flushed Rush’s cheeks. “I might have allowed personal feelings to complicate this case. But Tag’s the real asshole here. And I am sorry to have gotten it wrong, but I was right about the killer. He was close to Jared. We couldn’t have caught him without your help. I won’t apologize for that. Jared’s talking to the police. He thinks there are some cold cases he can help solve back in Seattle.”

That might give his brother some closure. Or it might reopen wounds he hadn’t known he had. Kai was worried about him. Jared had counted on that kid for decades and was going to blame himself for not seeing what was going on. Maybe Kai could work this out with him over the course of the filming. It would be good for him to help his brother deal with this.

Of course, helping his brothers had kind of been his thing lately. He stared up at Rush. “So you’re going to honor your deal with McKay-Taggart?”

Rush nodded. “I always was going to honor it. I’ve already sent over everything we have.”

“Which is next to nothing,” Big Tag replied shortly.

“I got you an excellent lead on the base in Argentina,” Rush shot back.

“The base that was completely empty by the time my man got there.” Tag sat down across from Kai, running a hand over his hair. It was obvious he hadn’t slept much. “I want you to give me everything you have on those three medical companies I sent you. I don’t care how you have to do it. If you have to call in favors from Interpol, I want that information.”

“I don’t have connections at Interpol,” Rush admitted.

Big Tag was having none of that. “Then start blowing some Euros because you owe me. I put my club at risk and all those subs under my protection in harm’s way. I didn’t do it for some shitty, out-of-date intel.”

Rush glanced to the doorway. “I’ll get in touch with my CIA contact and see what I can do. I won’t forget this, Mr. Ferguson. You’ve saved a lot of women.”

Now he had to see if he could save just one more from her own demons. “See that you help us bring back our man if you can.”

The door closed quietly behind Rush.

“I talked to Harrison and he’s already preparing a statement to the press. Your brother is being fully exonerated and all charges will be dropped within the hour. We’ll make sure every newspaper and television station gets a copy,” Tag explained.

“Hopefully that saves his job.” There was more Kai could do on that front. “I’ve already explained how he saved me. Jared killed his oldest friend to save my life. I barely managed to save Sarah. I’m out of practice.”

He wasn’t sure it had been such a close thing, but if it helped Jared, he would call himself a weakling and give his brother all the glory.

“Sure you are.” Tag sat back, regarding him seriously. “Serena’s already gotten several calls about Jared and the movie. She made a statement that she didn’t think the movie should continue without him. The TV show is standing by him. I think he’ll get all his jobs back and come out of this more popular than ever.”

“Yes, but what did it cost him?”

Big Tag looked at him from across the table. “I know what it cost you. Don’t think I’m ignoring that. I know how much you’ve sacrificed, Kai. I think you should tell Kori why you did it. I won’t have you lose her over this. There’s been too much loss as it is. Simply ask her to be quiet about it.”

He wasn’t sure she could. He wasn’t entirely sure she wouldn’t think Erin deserved to know. It wasn’t a question of Erin’s competence or her place in the order of those who loved Theo. It was about protecting her. “I can’t. If she decided Erin needed to know, she would tell her.”

Tag groaned and shook his head. “I think that’s a bad idea. Erin is starting to come out of it. Not entirely and she never will, but she smiled this morning. She told me she’s already named the baby. If she knows, she’ll want to be a part of the team that brings him back. I’m not a monster, Kai. I knew she needed revenge. It’s why I let her and Nick take out McDonald. She’s smart and one of the best operatives I have, but she’s also basically my sister-in-law. Maybe they weren’t married, but I think they would have eventually. I know it’s what Theo wanted and I have to honor my brother by protecting his family.”

“I can’t tell Kori.” Tag’s words did nothing but make it even clearer. Kai had to get her back and he couldn’t use the only tool that would work. “I have to hope she’ll miss me.”

Tag’s eyes narrowed. “Seriously? Are you going to meditate on that?”

He flipped off his friend. “I’m going to keep trying to talk to her.”

“Or you could make her listen. I thought you were the big bad sadist. Shouldn’t the big bad sadist go hard after his girl?”

According to his brother when Kori discovered her old Master’s issues, she left and he allowed it to happen. Was Kai playing into her fears? He’d been trying to take it slow, trying not to give into his instincts. He wanted to tie her up in ropes and contracts and legal bindings. He wanted to possess her, to own a piece of her soul and give her part of his. He’d seen her fear of commitment, but maybe it came from a fear that she wasn’t good enough to pursue, wasn’t worth the chase.

He could give her a chase. “Tag, I’m going to need you to make sure Sanctum’s ready for me tonight. And I’ll need to know when Kori’s coming home from the hospital. Sarah won’t want to be alone.”

“I think Mia is planning on staying with her,” Tag replied, pulling his cell out.

“Mia’s staying?” He’d expected her to flee town at the earliest possible time.

“I’m hedging my bets. If Rush can’t get me what I need, then maybe Drew Lawless can. I’m meeting him for lunch somewhere quiet. When you get a chance, I’d like your take on him. And his sister is hanging around for a while. She says it’s about trying to save her friendships.”

But it was likely all about Case. The question was would Case have anything to do with her now that the op was over.

None of that mattered as much as getting his girl back. “I need to teach my sub that she won’t be allowed to walk away without a fight. The good news is, I think she’ll like how I fight.”

He intended to win.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN