Brazen Seduction (19 page)

She heard it in his voice, the emotion that she’d only glimpsed in him before. This wasn’t a game and he wasn’t playing. He’d told her that, and she’d believed him, but it hadn’t been that solid, down-deep belief that one felt about some things, no questions asked.

That had been her mistake, one she wouldn’t make again. She heard the emotion in his voice and she knew.

“Because you don’t want anything to happen to me. You want to keep me safe.”

“That is exactly right. And I will keep you safe, even if I have to fight you to do it.”

No, this wouldn’t be like the last time, Molly thought. The last time, Richard paddled her because he wanted her and was pissed at himself because of it.

This time he would paddle her because he loved her.

She saw him reach for the device she’d chosen. She heard the swoosh of it racing through the air.

Crack
.

Molly cried out, the sting fierce, as the paddle landed on her right ass cheek.
Crack
. It landed on her left ass cheek and she screamed again.

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack
.

Her ass felt like it burned and she cried, tears blurring her eyesight. She cried from the pain and she cried because she
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understood how frightened Richard had been, frightened because of her carelessness.

She didn’t realize he’d released her until he scooped her into his arms. He carried her to the chair and sat with her cuddled on his lap.

Still crying, Molly threw her arms around him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I love you.” She felt his face against the curve of her neck and, incredibly, realized she could feel his tears as well.

“I know, sweetheart. I’ve always known. I love you, too.”

* * * *

Molly showered and dressed in one of Richard’s shirts. She didn’t bother with makeup, just ran a pick through her hair. Her men were holding dinner for her, and she suddenly felt famished.

She entered the kitchen and smiled when she saw a glass of wine by her plate and a cushion on her chair.

She was grateful for both. Her ass hurt like hell.

Alan got up and gave her a hug. She hugged him in return, then stepped back just a bit so she could look into his eyes and place her hand on his face.

“I’ll apologize to you, too. I’m sorry for my thoughtlessness, that I caused you to worry. I love you.”

“Sweetheart,” he pulled her close, “I love you, too. Now sit and eat.”

Molly sat, and when Richard reached for her hand, she gave it to him. She let Alan dish up her dinner—spaghetti with meatballs and lots of tomato sauce. Richard brought her hand to his lips, kissed it, then relinquished it so she could eat.

“Brady and I went over to Reckless Abandon this afternoon. He got Jordan’s membership list so he can run the names through NCIC.” Richard said.

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“Brady thinks this monster could be someone who’s a member?

Someone we
know
?” Alan asked.

Molly felt the shock she could see on his face. The very idea that a killer could lurk in so private a club was something she’d never considered before.

“It’s a place to start. I can tell you from what I saw of what was done to those poor women, Brady’s not off base.”

“I guess that will take a few days? Checking out the membership?” Molly asked.

“Yeah. I didn’t know the club had so many members. Brady’s called in the FBI, and they’re working on getting a psychological profile of the killer, but he doesn’t want to spin his heels, and I don’t blame him. After dinner we’ll catch the news. The mayor is issuing a statement advising women—especially redheads—to be on guard, vigilant.”

Molly sighed. She really regretted she didn’t take Richard’s concerns seriously enough. But two women were dead and someone—some animal—was responsible for that.

“I imagine that’s going to be the cause of some panic,” Molly said.

“And likely some displays of temper,” Alan said.

Richard took a drink from his wine, then turned to face her. He met her gaze steadily. “Until this man is caught, you go nowhere alone. And if he’s still free come Monday, I want you to stay home.”

“Norm will be pissed. I didn’t finish the financial statements today.”

“Can you remote link with your computer at work from here?” Richard asked.

It didn’t surprise Molly that Richard took her concern seriously.

His being her master wasn’t an ego trip or a power trip. Half of it was sexual, yes. He got turned on being master, and she sure as hell got turned on being a sex slave. But the other part of it was his caring for and about her. His
loving
her.

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“I’ve never tried, but I don’t see why not.”

“You can offer your boss that option, then, if he bitches you out about not coming in. But I mean it, Molly. I won’t risk you—even if you feel the risk is a remote one.”

“All right. If he’s not caught by Monday, I’ll stay home, here.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Richard leaned over and kissed her lightly.

* * * *

He sat back sipping his brandy and watched the mayor’s news conference. He smirked when the mayor called him a serial killer.

Good. They have no idea who I really am, what I’m really about
.

It gave him a tiny thrill to know women all across the city were in a panic. It made him feel powerful.

But then, he
was
powerful. He was Bacchus, a god come to earth.

In his hand, he held joy and lust.

And punishment.

He laughed as reporters fired questions at
His Honor
, took in the look of sorrow on the faces of the police, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

He would make his move on Monday. He turned his thoughts to his property, to the moment when he would finally have her here under his command. Under his lash and under his leash.

He knew he was more ready for her now than last week. Yes, he would be a much better master to her now.

He let his gaze wander back to the television screen, imagined how shocked they would be when one more woman went missing, and how confused when they found no body, when no other women disappeared.

Serial killer, indeed. He didn’t intend to kill Molly. No, he would train her to his hand, discipline her until she became the perfect submissive, the perfect sex slave. He raised his glass in a mock toast
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to Richard Grant, his slave’s first master. No doubt that man broke the little slut in, taught her a few things.

When Bacchus completed her training, when she proved herself properly subservient, he might take her back to Reckless Abandon—

on a leash and wearing a ball gag, of course. He might parade her in front of Richard and that milquetoast Jordan Fitzpatrick. Maybe he’d even order her to suck her former master off—a kind of parting gift.

Yes, Monday would be the first day of the rest of Molly Durant’s life.

He was Bacchus and he would see to it.

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“So far, it’s not looking promising.” Brady handed Richard a Styrofoam cup of something that was supposed to be coffee.

Richard looked down at the mud-like substance, disheartened when the contents clung to the side of the cup.
Definitely not good
. He took a sip anyway and could swear he felt it burning a hole on its way to his gut.

“We’ve fed the membership list through NCIC and gotten no hits.

Now we’re trying Interpol on the off chance our perp practiced in Europe before coming here.”

“That’s a long shot, isn’t it? But then, most of police work is,” Richard said.

“You got that right.”

They headed back to Brady’s office and closed the door.

Richard didn’t feel nearly as tense as he had on Friday, but only because Molly agreed to stay home from work today. He’d been with her when she’d called her boss. She pleaded a fever but said she could spend a little time on her computer at home if he could arrange for her to have access.

The man actually sounded pleased and set things up right away for her. As soon as this crisis was over, Richard would do his best to talk her into quitting. A bright woman like Molly shouldn’t have to kowtow to insensitive morons who would think it’s great she’d work even with a fever.

“I still think our perp is on that list,” Brady said. “But at fifteen hundred long, if he hasn’t set a foot wrong before, finding him is going to be a pain in the ass.”

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“The proverbial needle in a haystack,” Richard agreed. “Are there any other leads?”

“We’ve received a couple of calls from patrons at that bar where Virginia Townsend was last seen alive.” Brady sorted through the file, pulled out the witness transcripts, and handed them to Richard.

“About the only two things the witnesses all seem to agree on was that she spent some time talking to a man and that he took on the role of a Dom.” Richard looked up at Brady. “Unless the woman was just naturally submissive to everyone.”

“Sister says not, but then, her sister was surprised to know Virginia frequented such a place. Since she had been identified as being a regular, maybe she recognized the Dom in our perp. What did you mean, submissive to everyone?”

“Some women who identify themselves as subs are like that with all men. They can’t have a romantic or sexual relationship with a man unless he dominates her. A woman like that in a bar mixing with men, she’s going to treat every man she meets like a potential ‘master.’”

“Yeah, well Hog Heaven has a rep as being a biker bar and a hangout for the fetish crowd. Is it a different type of clientele than Reckless Abandon?”

“Yes, essentially. Jordan’s club isn’t open to those who are so seriously into the lifestyle that they present a danger to themselves or their playmates.”

“So if a woman chose to hang out at Hog Heaven instead of Reckless Abandon, it would mean, what?” Richard saw where he was going with that line of reasoning. “RA is a private club, and one has to be sponsored by an existing member and then vetted by Jordan. He’s pretty thorough. I frankly would have been surprised if you’d had a pop from NCIC from his membership list.”

Brady looked out his large office window toward the entrance of the squad room and swore. Richard followed his gaze and saw the
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reason for his scowl. Two men Richard immediately identified as federal agents made their way straight toward them.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No, you’ve been authorized as a civilian consultant. Maybe they have something to add to the mix that will help.” Looking at them, Richard didn’t think so. And since the two FBI agents didn’t look any happier to see Brady with company than Brady had been to see them, he thought the next few minutes just might be interesting.

* * * *

Molly got up from the computer in Alan and Richard’s home office and stretched. She’d been working for the last hour and a half steady and needed a small break. And what a unique and refreshing thing, to be able to get up, wander into the kitchen, and brew her own cup of coffee.

I wonder if there’s a market for a small private accounting firm
?

Maybe she’d been a little hard-headed about this owning-your-own business thing. Maybe she’d like being her own boss. Well, no surprise there. How often had she been accused of being bossy? She’d never given the matter serious consideration simply because, as much as she had been known to leap headlong into things blindfolded in her personal life, when it came to job or money, she was, well, she was just a chicken.

But if she lived here, she could do it. She could open up a private accounting firm. Or, at least, she thought she could. She’d need to look into the legalities of it and of operating a business out of this address, though she thought Alan and Richard both had done so in the past.

She walked into the kitchen and set about brewing a single cup of coffee. Maybe the time had come to leave Nicholson Manufacturing.

She really wasn’t happy there, especially since Norm hired his
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nephew. And what, did she really want to spend the rest of her life preparing financial statements every month, haggling with auditors and tax people at every year end for her salary of forty-five thousand a year and two week’s vacation annually?

That didn’t seem like a very appealing future.

Molly reached for a mug when the doorbell rang.

Probably a UPS delivery for Alan or Richard
. Both men received parcels from time to time. Still, caution made her look out the security viewer in the front door first.

She pulled back, shook her head, and looked again.

Brian the slug stood on the stoop, a look of absolute boredom on his face, and a large file folder in his hands.

Anger warred with impatience as she threw open the locks. Norm didn’t mention anything about using the slug as a messenger boy. But then, who else would he use? Everyone else there had real work and real responsibilities to fill their days.

Sending his nephew to her home, albeit her temporary home, went beyond the pale and pretty much cast the deciding vote in the stay-or-quit sweepstakes.

How did Norm know where I was
?

Panic raced through her as she reached up to reset the locks.

Before she could, the door burst open and she was thrown to the floor by the force of it. Her head banged into the small table in the entrance hall. It toppled, the tiny glass vase it held smashing to bits against the floor.

She looked up and into the barrel of a handgun.

“Now, slave, there you are. I told you that you didn’t understand your purpose. Come. You are about to find out what it is.” Brian’s voice sounded different, almost otherworldly. Yet something about it twigged a sense of the familiar. He leered at her, the same insulting look he’d been treating her to all week.

Brazen Seduction