DutyBoundARe (28 page)

The bathroom door swung inward and Mathieu could feel the heat of Lisette’s body behind him.

“Who is this?” Fletcher asked, peering over his shoulder.

Mathieu’s knee-jerk reaction was to shield Lisette, keep her for himself, but that was ridiculous. He turned and wrapped an arm around Lisette’s waist, bringing her to his side.

“Fletcher, this is Lisette. Lissy, this is our host, Fletcher Perrine.”

Lisette’s glassy gaze, sex-mused hair and only wearing his t-shirt would be odd in any other social circumstance, but not here. Fletcher took Lisette’s hand and shook it, his gaze remaining on her face.

“How charming,” Fletcher said with warmth.

“Sir, you aren’t flirting with someone else in front of me, are you?” A curvy woman with dark hair and even darker eyes sashayed toward them, wearing a rumpled cocktail dress, heels and a collar.

“Of course not, darling.” Fletcher turned toward the woman and drew her into their circle. “Allow me to introduce you to my very good friend, Dom Mathieu and this lovely lady I just met, Lisette. This is my newly-collared submissive, Virginia.”

“Please, call me Gina.” Virginia clasped her hands in front of her and smiled a warm, open smile that was familiar. Her gaze flicked to Mathieu, slid off him and jumped back. Her mouth formed a little “O” of surprise and her hand slowly rose to her throat. “Oh no. You’re…”

“What’s wrong?” Fletcher’s brows drew down.

“You work with my sister, Lola.” Inwardly, Mathieu groaned. Great. Another thread too closely tied to his family and kink.

“Really?” Fletcher’s smile regained its brightness. “It’s a small world after all?”

Gina’s eyes grew large. “I’m sorry, I just, I mean…”

Mathieu held his hand up to stave off Gina’s stammering. “It’s okay. She’s unaware by choice, I’m pretty sure.”

“We have a date downstairs, but are you two staying for breakfast?” Fletcher asked.

“If there’s food I’m there,” Lisette said.

“I guess we’re staying.”

“Fantastic. You’re in the red room, correct?” Fletcher nearly bounced on his toes.

“Yes,” Mathieu replied.

“I’ll send one of the slave girls up with some snacks and more water. You look like you could use it.” Fletcher winked at Lisette and clapped Mathieu on the shoulder. “See you in the morning.”

The other couple strode down the hall, arms linked around each other. Mathieu watched them leave, studying the picture they made. He’d never seen Fletcher so happy.

“Who was that?” Lisette asked.

“He used to be my best friend.”

“Oh. And now?”

“I think we’re still friends. I’m going to use the restroom, go back to the room.” He gave Lisette’s ass a little pat to send her on her way.

She stuck her tongue out at him, but did as he bid, crossing the hall to their room and shutting the door.

He entered the bathroom and leaned against the door, shutting out the world for a moment. He’d often wondered what Fletcher and the others would make of him now. There were some bridges he knew he’d burned, but knowing at least one from his old circle still welcomed him back was a relief. If he wanted to start rebuilding his life, he needed those people. He couldn’t maintain this solo routine he’d made for himself.

Mathieu finished up in the bathroom, weariness clinging to him. The momentary euphoria of the scene had burned off and now he was beginning to remember his day. The horrors he’d seen. The frustration at never, not even once, being able to get his sergeant to spare him a minute.

He stepped through the bedroom door and found Lisette curled up in bed, the comforter drawn up under her arms. His shirt was nowhere to be seen. A plate of sandwiches and fruit lay on her legs, and several bottles of water covered in condensation sat ready on the nightstand.

“That was quick.” He clicked the lock and tabbed open his jeans.

“I know. I’d barely closed the door when this arrived.” She gestured at the plate. “Do you mind? I’m suddenly starving.”

“Of course not. Eat.” He shucked his jeans and dimmed the room light before joining her in bed.

He took the other sandwich and bit into it, none too choosy about what he got right now.

“This is amazing. Does he do this kind of thing for everyone?” Lisette daintily shook crumbs off the bed.

“I don’t think so. Well. Kind of. He’ll let the rooms out to people he knows, and brunch is usually included. This though,” he lifted his sandwich, “I think it’s just for us.”

“Because you’re friends?”

“I think we still are. Not sure.”

They ate the rest of their meal in companionable silence. Lisette rested her head against his shoulder and he pulled her in close, happy to just hold her now.

“How are you doing?” he asked into the near silence.

“Hmm. Good.” She sounded as if she were on the brink of sleep, content.

“Anything hurt?”

“Nope. I’m warm and sore all over. Thank you.” She tipped her chin up and smiled at him.

“No triggers?”

She opened her eyes then, blinking a few times as she considered the question. “You know, I didn’t even think of Seth until now. I think I’m good. I’m not afraid of what might happen anymore.”

His mouth went dry and his pulse kicked up.

“Good.” He licked his lips. “That’s real good.”

Mathieu stroked her golden hair and kissed her brow.

She might not be afraid, but he was. He’d lost himself once because of a woman who didn’t deserve him, now he couldn’t fail the one who did—or it would destroy him in the process.

Mathieu stepped into his sergeant’s office
and his sense of dread grew.

Philip Soulier-Rouge, or more commonly just Rouge, stood behind his desk while Amber stood almost in the corner, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her face was paler than usual, ashen even. She didn’t even glance his way.

“Sir?” Mathieu said.

“Close the door,” Rouge said, his words clipped.

Mathieu had been roused from bed by a call from Rouge to get his ass to the station, long before sunrise. The office was still quiet around them, though someone had gone to the work of setting out little boxes of red and pink donuts on all the desks. Rouge had an empty box on his desk, festive, heart-shaped sprinkles the only evidence left.

“I tried to call you yesterday,” Mathieu said as he closed the door, sealing them off. All the blinds around the glass walls had been drawn to give them privacy.

Rouge’s gaze lifted then. His eyes were dark, almost black. Some of the patrol officers said he had soulless eyes, but Mathieu was of the opinion the man possessed a deep soul. His Native American heritage had far-reaching roots in the bayou, which gave him an air of mystery and one of the toughest poker faces Mathieu had ever seen.

“I was otherwise occupied. Amber brought me this—” He let the folder in his hands fall to the desk. It opened up onto pictures of several strangulation victims arranged to show the similarity of the markings. “—this morning. What do you have to say?”

Amber made a sound of protest, but one touch of Rouge’s gaze and she fell silent once more.

Mathieu blew out a breath. “I didn’t know for sure—beyond just speculating—until yesterday. As soon as I knew, I tried to call you.”

“Do you realize we could have been looking at this from a better angle had we realized this was all connected?” The heat and anger behind Rouge’s voice was fire across Mathieu’s soul.

He dug his fingers into his palms. “I’ve been staying up-to-date on these cases. If I’d come forward with what I thought—based on nothing more than speculation—I might have screwed up another investigation.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Rouge flipped the folder closed and strode around the desk. Everyone was on edge, what with so many dead women and the teens disappearing, Rouge more than most. “There was another body last night. Do you know how many that makes?”

“Another?” Mathieu glanced at Amber, who merely nodded, her gaze still trained on the floor. Her posture was oddly similar to that of many slaves he’d seen trained to stand just so. It was unsettling in the moment, but he shook it off. “Five then.”

“Four women dead, one scared shitless.”

“Actually, sir, I think there are more. Maybe not here, but I think this man has been getting away with this for a long, long time.” He licked his lips and leveled his gaze at Rouge.

It was time to tell the full story, omitting nothing. This was the right thing to do, even if he hated it. Because of Lisette’s connection, he couldn’t stay on the case. Hell, he might get slapped down and suspended until Seth was caught and charged. He only hoped that whatever they got, it stuck to him like glue.

Lisette placed her backpack in the corner
where it belonged, in Mathieu’s room, while scratching Gator’s head with her other hand. The apartment felt as if it wrapped around her, squeezing her like an old friend. This was where she belonged, if she belonged anywhere.

The front door banged open with a thud. Lisette jumped, but Gator wagged his tail, pivoted, and headed out of the bedroom.

Mathieu.

She breathed a sigh of relief and got to her feet.

“What are you doing out, boy?” Mathieu said.

Lisette leaned against the doorframe and smiled at the picture of dog and man together.

“I took him for a walk. What are you doing back so early?” she asked.

Mathieu’s head snapped up. “What are you doing here?”

That wasn’t exactly the reception she was waiting for. He’d left her at Fletcher’s house with some mumbled explanation she couldn’t recall. Something about work. It had taken almost two hours by city bus to creep across to where Mathieu lived, not that she minded, but a little concern or smile would be nice.

“Well, Fletcher wasn’t too keen on adding a third to his relationship, so I figured I would come back here.” She shrugged and remained where she was instead of going to him for a hug and a kiss.

“Not funny.” His gaze narrowed.

“Yeah, well—”

His phone rang. “Hold that thought.” He dug it out and answered before the first chime was over. “Hello? ...Hey… Yeah, that’s fine… Yes, I’m still bringing her… Okay… Oh, I didn’t know… Okay… Fine… See you then.”

Bring her where?

He slid the phone back in his pocket. “Dinner’s moved to Saturday. Lola has to go to Baton Rouge and Mom doesn’t want to cancel two weeks in a row.”

“Oh.”

“Now, why aren’t you at Odalia’s like we talked about?” He placed both hands on his hips and brought out his Dom voice, but this wasn’t an issue of submission or power exchange. It was their damn relationship.

Lisette mimicked his pose. “Because I’m just in her way.”

“Her place is bigger than mine.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know her like I know you.”

“So you’re okay being in my way?” he snapped.

Her jaw worked for a second without sound. “That was—”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

“Maybe you did. I am, I mean, taking up half your space. You didn’t even sleep in your own bed, so I guess I really am in your way.” Her heart screamed in pain while her mind whispered that something else was amiss.

“Lissy, I didn’t mean it.” He edged closer, as if he weren’t sure how she would react.

A swift kick to his nuts might improve her mood. She balled her hands into fists.

“Please, don’t cry, I’m sorry.” Mathieu closed the distance between them and hugged her to his chest. “Don’t cry. I’m just—I’m scared.”

Scared? What would Mathieu have to be scared of? She brought her arms up around his waist.

“Why?” she prompted when he didn’t continue.

He squeezed her tight, so tight she could feel tiny tremors shaking him. Something had to be really wrong. Her hurt evaporated in the face of whatever had Mathieu home early and scared.

“Because…because Seth is in New Orleans.”

Lisette froze in place, her mind replaying the sentence over and over again. She almost couldn’t wrap her thoughts around it, because every time she tried it felt as if a baseball bat were taken to the slowly forming ideas, scattering them to the wind.

“I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure. I thought I was seeing a pattern where there wasn’t one, and then he came to see me at the precinct. He was in my damn office.”

“Does he know I’m here?” she blurted.

“He can’t know for sure.”

She pulled out of his hold and almost tripped on Gator as she put space between them. He’d knowingly kept this information from her. She could have run into Seth anywhere—at a café, while eating with Leo or even here, because she had no doubt Seth could find her here.

“Why didn’t you tell me? When did you know it was him?”

“Two days ago.” Mathieu let his arms drop to his sides, his expression was one of pain, but what did he know? He hadn’t had his body broken or pride ripped to shreds by Seth. She had.

“You had no right.” She shook her head.

“I was protecting you. You’ve come such a long way, I didn’t want to take that from you.”

She blinked at him, his logic baffling. “Seth can’t take away who I am.”

“I know, but…” He took a few steps toward her slowly.

“No, you don’t get it.” She pushed him back when he came too close. Her body shook, and it wasn’t in fear. She wanted to slap him, hug him, yell at him.

“I just wanted to protect you.”

Lisette froze. Wasn’t that why she’d come to Mathieu? As some form of protection? And now she was upset at how he chose to protect her.

She pivoted and paced away from him until she could look out of the windows that faced the front of the building and the street beyond. Though the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day, she didn’t feel it.

What now?

Did she pack up and leave?

Where would she go?

What would she do?

Seth would be deployed soon. It didn’t make sense that he was in New Orleans. Shouldn’t he have to report for duty or something? Or had she miscalculated when she thought just waiting out his leave time would be enough, that he’d forget about her and everything would be okay?

She hugged herself and watched the people going to and fro down below. Though the sun was out, many wore hoodies or jackets. Seth could blend in. He could be coming to get her even now.