From Sanctum With Love (Masters and Mercenaries Book 10) (2 page)

He wanted to see her, hold her. Maybe once they were together in the same place, Iraq would be the dream. Nightmare. Although he’d also met some of the best people he’d ever known. It was what he couldn’t get her to understand.

He sighed as he stood outside the door to the house he’d grown up in. Once he’d seen her again, everything would fall into place and all these horrible cravings he had would go away. He would see Hannah and remember how much he loved her.

God, he hoped that was what would happen.

What the hell was he going to do if it didn’t?

With a long sigh, he opened the door. A weariness set in. Maybe he’d grab some sleep first. He’d been traveling for almost two days. He didn’t sleep well on a plane. Or in a damn airport for that matter. His leg was aching. He was a fucking mess.

Yeah, a couple of hours of sleep and he would be ready to face her.

“I made you some coffee,” a feminine voice said. He could barely hear her.

“Look, I’m not trying to be mean.” That was his brother. It sounded like they were in the kitchen. “What happened between us was a horrible mistake and I need you to leave. It’s not going to happen again.”

There was a familiar husky laugh. “Oh, I think it will.”

Was that? No. She wouldn’t. He wouldn’t.

Kai moved toward the hall that led to the small kitchen and family room. There was a tiny table where he’d sat and helped his brother with homework. He’d been the one who had to watch his brother while their mom had worked two jobs. He’d had to figure out how to cook dinner and get his brother to bed and try to help around the house because she would be so tired when she came in at midnight.

“It won’t. I was drunk that night. I…I want the keys back. You shouldn’t have them. You need to leave.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Jared. If you think I’m giving you up after that night, you’re crazy. We were good together.”

Kai pushed through the swinging door because he had to see it with his own two eyes. He had to face it and understand what was happening. Perhaps his ears were faulty. Maybe the chick only sounded like Hannah.

Nope. There she was. She was standing in his kitchen looking smoking hot in tight jeans and a tank top that showed off her breasts. Well, he and Jared always had the same taste in women. Curvy, gorgeous women. And like all women, apparently Hannah preferred his younger brother.

“Kai.” Jared was wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and nothing else, as though he’d rolled out of bed for this confrontation. “What are you doing here?”

Hannah laughed. “He’s on leave. He got his ass shot up.” She turned cold eyes his way. “One of your teammate people called me. They thought I should know you were wounded. I believe I told you what would happen if you went back.”

“Yes, you did. So the make-up call was an act?”

She shrugged. “Well, I’d already decided what I really wanted. Jared is going places. He’s got an audition for a TV show. He’s going to be a movie star one day.”

“Kai, I am so sorry.” Jared had gone a nice shade of pale. “She came over and offered to help with some stuff. I didn’t know how to get into the old bank accounts.”

Kai shook his head. “Yes, poor Jared can’t figure out the world on his own so he finds a woman to do it for him. My fiancée. You slept with my fiancée.”

“Aunt Glenna changed the passwords and wouldn’t give them to me. I didn’t know what to do and you didn’t have time. She took all the money, Kai. I didn’t want to worry you, but it’s been rough here. Hannah offered to help me and then one night…”

Hannah moved to Jared’s side. “Nature took its course. He’s more of a man than you, Kai. He knows how to take care of a woman. And I sent you a letter breaking up with you. It’s not my fault you didn’t get it.”

He turned. There was nothing else to do. His brother was still a shit. He was still the kid who took everything and gave nothing back.

“Kai, please.” Jared moved behind him.

Kai didn’t stop. “You can have her. I wish you both the best of luck.”

“Kai, this isn’t what it looks like. Please, I need you.”

He made it to his car and shoved his pack back inside, his gut rolling with anger. Betrayal. It bubbled up and made him want to put his fist through something, but he was in control. He would turn around and head to Iraq and not look back.

His brother didn’t need him. Maybe he never had.

Jared stood outside, a lost look on his face, but Kai wasn’t buying it anymore.

* * * *

Los Angeles, California

Five years before

Kori Williamson strode through the elegant doors that led to her Master’s office. She didn’t come here often, tried not to use the connection she had to him in order to further her own career. She might be submissive, might need the connection, the pain and pleasure that came from D/s, but in the real world she wanted to stand on her own two feet. That’s what she told herself anyway. With every day that went by, she wanted it more than ever. To be more independent than she’d been the last couple of years, to have work that was hers and hers alone.

Now it looked like that would be difficult since she’d just taken a knife to her back.

Lydia looked up from her laptop, her perfect platinum hair in a bun. The thirty-two-year-old was California perfection from her hair to her already Botoxed face, to those perfectly done breasts the Master had paid for.

No matter how hard Kori dieted, she would never match Lydia’s perfection. Damn it, she wanted a fucking ice cream. A big old sundae from Farrell’s, but she hadn’t been there in years because she was trying to fit in with the crowd. She wasn’t a sad sack, look-at-me, look-at-me actress. Why was she desperate to be so thin? She was a writer with a vision. A vision her Master couldn’t possibly have stolen. It was all a mistake. Her mentor wouldn’t do that to her.

Of course, she’d also told herself that her Master couldn’t take a whole harem of women either. She’d definitely told herself that she wouldn’t put up with that shit, but here she was four years later making excuses.

“He’s in a meeting,” Lydia said with a frown. “And I happen to know he told you he would talk to you when he got home. You’re going to get in trouble.” She leaned forward. “You’re going to get all of us in trouble.”

Lydia was the Master’s latest project. How long was she going to turn a blind eye to this shit? She’d been the one to help him with the screenplay that made his career. He’d been a hack B-movie director before she’d taken one of his shitty scripts and turned the horror genre on its head.

He’d given her a screenwriting credit and the best four hours of her life. The night they’d debuted and he’d been called the new king of horror, they’d spent hours playing. They’d gone to the club and he’d shown her off, and they’d even talked about getting married.

She’d found the pure beauty of sinking into complete submission. It had been a real high and she kept trying to get back there. It had worked for a while, but lately she couldn’t do it. There was no subspace for her anymore and she was worried it was because she’d lost all faith in the man she’d once cared for.

“I need to talk to him and I’m not waiting until he comes home.” Half the time he no longer came home. Not until the wee hours of the morning. He hadn’t brought any of his new submissives home. Not yet. He kept it to the club, but she couldn’t help but wonder at what point in time he was going to expect her to fall in line and accept other women in their house.

When had the lifestyle become a noose waiting to tighten around her neck?

“He should be done in a few minutes. He’s been in there for a while. He’s meeting with one of the actors who’s up for the
Dart
role.”

“I told him he should go with the kid from Seattle.” It was so obvious. Jared something. He’d had a few roles on cable shows, and he was both gorgeous and charismatic enough to take on the role of a comic book hero. She’d taken the preliminary meetings with him. He’d been funny and charming and he’d flirted the precise right amount. The boy knew who was in charge. He’d ignored the other women, including the assistant who’d made it plain she would spend some time in a broom closet with him. No. He’d smiled and then turned all that sexy charm on Kori. “He’s the only one for the role.”

Lydia shrugged. “The Master does what he wants. You know, you should think about how much he’s done for you over the years. You act like such a brat to him.”

Kori gave in to her bratty side and shot the woman her happy middle finger before turning away and pacing the lobby. Lydia only knew what the Master told her. She had no clue about the years Kori had spent propping him up and giving him ideas.

She stopped and looked at herself in the mirror. Years had passed and she could see the fine lines around her eyes.

Let me hook you up with the guy who did Lydia’s tits. You’re looking a little droopy there, Kori. I don’t like my slaves to droop.

Her hands twisted into fists and she was done. Years she’d wasted.

She turned and the door came open. She didn’t even look at the two men walking out. No, she only had eyes for the man in the suit.

Morgan King. Her first friend in LA. Her Master. Her lover. The man who had betrayed her utterly if the news was to be believed.

“Welcome to team
Dart
, Jared. I think this is going to be a wonderful show,” Morgan said, his producer smile on his face. Yes, she’d convinced him to do that, too. She’d been the one to convince him of how much money there was in producing. She’d come up with the business idea. “We’ll talk soon.”

Jared stopped in front of her, holding out his hand. “Hey, Kori. Good to see you. I look forward to working with you.” He squeezed her hand enough to let her feel how strong he was. “I hope we can work very closely together.”

Any other time and she might have wondered what he meant by that for more than a couple of seconds. Not today. Today, she simply pressed through, getting inside before Morgan could shut her out. When the door closed, she turned on him. “Tell me you didn’t take my fucking script and put your name on it.”

There was no smile on his face now. “You wouldn’t know what to do with it anyway, Kori. I don’t understand what the issue is. You’ll get your proper payment.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t agree to this. That is my script. It’s my fucking life, Morgan. This isn’t something we cooked up together. This is mine. I gave it to you to look at, not to steal.”

“And I’ll make sure it wins an Oscar. Like I said, I’ll give you story credit, but if you read the script now, you’ll find there are not many of your words left. I let Claudia have a look at it and she’s made it shine.” He moved toward her, his eyes not leaving her once. “We’re a team. All of us. You’re being quite selfish, pet. Is this more of your jealousy?”

God, she was so glad she’d stopped sleeping with him. Over the course of the last year, as he’d taken new subs, she’d moved into a separate bedroom and while they played together, she’d held back on being intimate. They’d become coworkers. Not even friends. She’d stayed because it was easier than leaving and because she’d put so damn much of herself into what she’d thought was their business. Now she could see it was really all his. He’d given her crumbs and not much else.

“I want my script back.”

He started to reach out for her. This was what he always did. At one point in time she’d craved his touch because he’d been the first man to show her how good sex could be, what she truly needed. He’d been the first to spank her, to push her boundaries.

She’d found one. She wouldn’t let him walk on her like this. Kori stepped back.

For a moment there was a hurt look on his face, as though he hadn’t expected her to reject him. Then he sighed and moved to his desk. “No. This is the script I’ve been looking for. It’s going to take me out of horror and science fiction and put me on the map as a true artist. You can take the story credit and be happy I involve you at all.”

“Or I can sue you.” How had she gotten here? She’d let him lead her to this point because she’d believed in him in the beginning. She’d believed his whole line about building something together.

He didn’t bother to look up. “You can try, but if you make so much as a move to discredit me, I’ll release the video I have of your sister. I know you don’t adore the bitch, but you do love your mother.”

“What are you talking about?”

Now he looked up and the smile he gave her seemed vaguely reptilian. “I’m afraid Shawna fell in with the wrong crowd a few years back. I recently purchased three films she…starred in. They cost me over a million, but I’m fairly certain I have every copy. I could release them. She’s got that movie role coming up. I don’t think the production company would be very happy to know their ingénue starred in porn. Do you?”

Her stomach dropped. Her sister was horrible, but it would kill her mom if something like that got out. And she didn’t doubt he had the film. Morgan never lied or bluffed. If he said he would cut her, she would expect to bleed.

“It doesn’t have to be like this, pet,” Morgan said, his voice turning silky. “Why do you think I bought those films in the first place? I did it for you. I did it because we’re a team. I know you’re jealous of the other women, but that’s how D/s works. I’m the Master. I make the decisions. This is what’s right for us. You’ll see.”

She was caught, but she didn’t have to stay in the cage.

A sudden vision of her life slammed into her. If she stayed here in LA, she would always be tempted to give in. She would go to the club because she needed it, and one night he would be there and she would wonder if she could handle it, handle him.

“Kori, you know I love you. You were my first submissive,” he said, standing and starting toward her. “You will always be special, always my pet. You don’t handle change well.”

“I don’t handle douchebags who steal my shit well.” Damn but that felt good.

His hand found her hair and he pulled it back with a vicious twist. It was something she would never mind during a scene. “Watch your language around me, sub.”