Tearing Down Walls (Love Under Construction Series Book 2) (17 page)

“Geez, hon!” she cried out.

“Sorry, babe. We’re getting ready to leave for Louisville and I almost forgot to tell you where I was going.”

“Where
you’re
going? Uh-uh, where
we’re
going. You’re not going anywhere without me!” She picked up her Walther and said, “I’m balls deep in this too.”

Yeah, you are,
Tony thought,
and you’ve got more balls than most of the men I know!

“Here are the keys.” Tony handed them to Laura. “It’s got a full tank of gas. I don’t care about that; I just think you should consider not going anywhere unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Laura’s hand trembled as she took them. “Don’t worry. I have no plans to.”

“How bad is this?” Kelly asked. The gravity of the situation was just beginning to sink in for her.

“It’s bad. Four of the five men involved in . . .” Vic hesitated, “Laura’s assault are dead. We suspect Wagner killed them. And we haven’t managed to figure out how he keeps finding Laura. He shouldn’t have been able to find her last night, but he did. Until we solve that mystery, she’s in danger, and you are too.” Kelly’s eyes flashed. “So watch your back. And now, if you guys will give Laura and me just a minute.” He motioned toward Kelly’s kitchen. Tony, Nikki, and Kelly retreated to the kitchen to talk, and Vic moved to sit down beside Laura, who’d parked on the sofa, staring at the floor in a stupor. He took her hands in his and she didn’t fight him; they were limp in his palms.

“Laura, honey, we’re doing everything we can. It’ll be okay. Just know this: I told you I’d keep you safe, and I don’t make a habit of breaking my promises.” His voice went soft and he said, “I’ll do anything I have to just to keep you safe. Anything at all.”

Laura looked up at the man sitting beside her. For all the toughness he put out, he was one of the kindest people she’d ever met. He’d been kind to her even when she was nasty to him. She didn’t know why she’d treated him that way. Maybe it was because when he was around she felt things that were unfamiliar to her, and it scared the bejesus out of her. She wished she could control how she treated him, how she treated everyone, for that matter, a little better, but she just didn’t know how. Everything was so hard. She wished she could cry, but she couldn’t. “Vic, you’ll get yourself killed trying to stop the inevitable. Cut me loose for your own good. I don’t expect you to keep that promise.”

“But I will. You’ll see. There are decent, honorable men out there, and I want to show you that I’m one.” He reached up and pushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, and for a split second she thought,
I wish he’d lean in and kiss me.
Oh my god, what am I thinking? No!
She closed her eyes, and Vic leaned in and kissed her forehead. She felt a million nerve endings light up, and at least half of them were below her navel. For the first time, though, she wasn’t alarmed, just let the feeling wash over her. “Hang in there, cupcake. Things are gonna get better, you’ll see.”

“Thanks, Vic,” she managed to whisper. He patted her knee and got up. Everything inside her screamed,
Don’t go!
But she knew he couldn’t just stay there, so she stood and followed him into the kitchen.

“Guys, we’ve got to get to Steve’s office. Thanks again, Kelly. You’re a lifesaver – literally,” Vic told the buxom brunette.

“Yeah, sweetie, we’ll have lunch together as soon as we get this thing ironed out. Shouldn’t take too long,” Nikki told her.

“Oh, no, I’m just happy to do it. She’ll be fine here.” Kelly walked over to Laura and rubbed between Laura’s shoulder blades. Laura stiffened, but Kelly didn’t notice, just kept rubbing. Kelly was sweet, but sometimes she didn’t have a clue, and Nikki almost giggled.

They said their goodbyes and the three of them climbed down into Vic’s Mustang. When they got to Steve’s office, Peyton and José were both working on their laptops, doing research to see if they could find out anything more about Peter Arnold, and Jared and Doug were sifting through information the techs were sending to them about Cletus Wagner. So far, no one had come up with anything useful.

Vic looked around the office, just trying to clear his head. They were missing something, but what? He could see through to the back offices because of the windows in every wall, and there was Wendy, one of Steve’s techs, working at her computer. When she noticed him looking back toward her, she waved to him, and he waved back and smiled. She was a cute one and Vic had thought about asking her out, but it would’ve only led to disaster.
Or maybe not anymore,
he thought.
Maybe those days are over. I have to get back to the club, get more time in.

Tony yawned. “We’re going home. Nobody’s gotten any real sleep. Laura’s safe for the time being, and we all need to get some rest. We’re no good if we’re exhausted.”

“I’m calling in more people. We’ll find ways to watch Kelly’s house covertly, but I can’t just leave her unprotected.” Steve pulled his personnel roster and took out his phone.

As the Mustang glided onto the parkway toward Shelbyville and Lexington, Nikki curled up in the back seat while the two men rode in silence. They’d start all over the next morning, but at the moment, everyone needed some sleep.

“Are you kidding me?” Cletus Wagner laughed out loud. “They think she’s safe there? I just love it when everyone underestimates me.” He pulled out his rifle and looked through the scope at the front of Kelly’s house. “Wonder how long it’ll be before she comes out? I really don’t want to have to go and get her, but I guess I will if I have to.”

The large bush in the neighbor’s front yard was a perfect hiding spot, so dense that no one could possibly see him.
People are so damn stupid,
he thought,
having a huge fucking bush in their front yard
.
I could be a burglar and they’d never see me. But I’m not. I’m an assassin, and I’ve almost finished my work.

“Did you get some rest?” Steve asked Vic as the big Italian walked into his office at the club that evening.

“Yeah. About three hours. But I’m pumped up and ready.” As Vic spoke, Steve saw him fold his arms, clench his fists, and watch his biceps pop. Steve couldn’t help but think how impressive his physique was.

“I still want you to work with Laura,” Steve told him.

Vic nodded. “You know, I thought you were crazy for saying that. But I’m beginning to think she’s ready. You’ll just have to find a way to get her to let me. It can’t look like it’s my idea or she’ll flip and run.”

“You’re right. The getting her to you will be my job; the getting
into
her will be yours. And I don’t care how you take that,” Steve said, making another note on his notepad.

The club was packed when Vic walked out into the main room. Jared and Doug were working the bar, and Vic walked over to get a diet soda. He was impressed; Jared might’ve been clueless, but Doug was working the bar patrons, flipping glasses and mixing concoctions that looked like they came straight out of a magazine. Vic called down the bar for his drink; Doug slung it down the marble where Vic caught it before it shot off the end of the bar top, and the big guy grinned. Now
that’s
how a bar was supposed to be run!

Scanning the crowd, Vic noticed a little cluster of women watching him from across the room. He took his glass, made a celebration out of adjusting his leathers, and walked straight toward them. In typical sub and bottom fashion, all but one were barefoot, and two of them had on nothing but thongs. Another, her long golden hair in curls, was wearing a bra and thong that had to have cost her a good two hundred dollars, and the fourth was wearing a plaid, pleated schoolgirl skirt, white thigh-high stockings, and Mary Janes. The skirt was so short that her ass showed underneath it, and she had a bare, impressive rack, really impressive. They looked to range in age from about thirty to maybe early forties. Not one of them was wearing a collar. “So, ladies, what brings you to Eden’s Gate?”

“We’re looking for Doms,” the one who looked the oldest said. “Do you have a sub?” she asked.

“Yeah. I have about two hundred of them!” Vic laughed. She looked surprised, so he explained, “I’m one of the service Doms here. Is there a woman in this place who isn’t looking to be collared?”

“Me.” The blond in the expensive bra and thong, probably on the upper end of the age range, spoke up. “I’m just game for something that will hurt good. Can I negotiate a scene with you?”

“That’s why I’m here.” Vic smiled and, when he did, his eyes lit up. All four of them hummed with sexual energy.

“Can we go and talk?” she asked. Vic nodded and pointed to a sofa across the room. She walked toward it, Vic following her and watched her round, soft ass swaying for his benefit, while the other three stood watching with open mouths.

“My name is Vic,” he said, stretching his arm down the back of the sofa and leaning in toward her so he could hear her over the music. She surprised him by leaning in and kissing him, a soft, closed-mouth kiss that made his skin tingle.

“I’m Miranda. Nice to meet you,” she said, pulling back and running a finger over his lips. She stared straight into his eyes, and Vic felt his cock twitch.

“So what did you have in mind?” He dropped one hand onto her smooth thigh and watched her hips jerk.

“I want your specialty. I don’t even care what it is; I just need that edge. My safeword is red, and my hand signal is this.” She demonstrated, crossing her index and middle fingers.

“Ah. This isn’t your first time, I take it.”

“No.” She looked down at his hand and ran a finger over the hair on his knuckles. “I was with the same Dom for twelve years before he had to move away. And I didn’t want to go. So here I am.”

“You weren’t married?”

“No. We’d talked about it, but it didn’t fit either of us. I’ll find another Dom; I’m in no hurry. But I have needs that can’t be met in the vanilla world.” A shy smile pulled the corners of her mouth upward.

“Well, that’s why I’m here. Let’s talk about what you need.”

“Before we discuss anything else, there is one thing I want to insist on: I want to go to a private room with you afterward and be instructed in whatever you desire. I don’t want the eight ninety-nine spray and wipe; I want the one hundred fifty dollar detailing job. Is that possible?”