Topping the Domme (Crime and Punishment) (27 page)

If she thought about something hard enough, would he be able to hear it? It would have to be simple. Something short.

The car came to a stop, and Karina braced herself to keep from rolling against the back seat. Every second that passed made her a little stronger, but she wasn’t strong enough yet. For now she would pretend to still be drugged and weak. If she was lucky, her perfect moment would arise.

She heard his footsteps outside as he walked around the car. She never heard the door shut, so was it still open? Was this just a temporary stop?

The trunk popped open and she squinted against the streetlight just over his shoulder.

“We’re home,” he murmured, then leaned in to pull her from the trunk.

She let her legs go limp as her feet landed on the ground. With a grunt of frustration, he lifted her over his shoulder again and headed across, what Karina now knew, was a parking lot.

An empty one.

She glanced around as much as possible. A lake. An empty marina. Empty except for one small houseboat. How far away from the club were they? She didn’t remember passing this lake on the way there, so it must be farther outside Atlanta than the club was. Would Delacroix know about an abandoned Marina? Would he be able to hear her?

It was her only shot.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated as hard as she could.
Please hear me, Delacroix. It’s my only chance.

“Abandoned marina,” Delacroix murmured.

Brayden and Josh both looked at him.

“What?” Brayden asked.

Delacroix gave a half smile. “She did it. Abandoned marina just popped into my head.”

“How is she?” Brayden asked. “Is she okay?”

Delacroix nodded as he sat up. “Whatever he gave her is beginning to wear off, but I get the sense that we’re running out of time. Marina,” he murmured. “There was a development not far from here. A marina was planned for it, but when the housing crisis happened, the developer lost it all. It’s been tied up in foreclosure ever since and the whole thing is still in limbo.”

“Could she be talking about that marina?” Brayden asked, anxious to get out there. “Where is it?”

“If he’s taking her to a boat, it’s possible he won’t stay at that marina,” Josh said.

“Agreed,” Delacroix replied with a sigh. “Let’s get a chopper out there. Give us a bird’s eye view. It’s the development about fifteen, maybe twenty, miles down this road. Rarity Bay, I believe is what it’s called. Tell them to stay back, but let us know if there are any boats and if that boat leaves the marina. We don’t want the chopper to scare him off, but I want it close enough that if they leave, they can let us know.”

Josh nodded as he pulled his phone out to make the call.

Karina groaned as he dropped her unexpectedly onto a wide table. Her bones already ached from her fall down the laundry chute. This would only add to the bruises she was sure had already begun to form. Bruises were better than stab wounds or…God help her, whip slashes.

She let herself go limp and watched carefully as Gary walked to the cabinets and began gathering supplies: floggers, a crowbar, a jagged knife. Karina swallowed at the menacing images that came to mind. Did he plan to use all that on her? Of course he did. That and probably a whole lot more.

While his back was turned, she glanced around the small boat. There had to be something she could grab for a weapon. Along the far wall was a metal pipe leaning against the cheap wood paneling. That would work perfectly, but would she be fast enough to get to it?

She adjusted her position and the room spun precariously. Nausea rolled through her stomach, and she winced. Now would not be the best time to throw up.

“What do you want with me?” she murmured, desperate to buy some time.

“I want to finish what we started, Karina.”

“But why? What did I ever do to you?” she asked.

“You pissed me off,” he replied, nonchalantly. He spoke as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

“I don’t understand,” she said. “You’re a submissive.”

She adjusted her position again, slowly rolling to her side. He glanced at her over his shoulder and frowned. “Gary is the submissive. I’m not Gary.”

She froze. “Then who are you?”

He put his back to her again and began to wipe down a long, serrated knife. “Who I am is of no consequence to you.”

Karina slowly sat up. “Don’t you think I deserve to know?”

He spun around so fast Karina barely had time to brace herself before he slapped his hand across her face. Lights flashed behind her eyes and she blinked, forcing the pain to the back of her mind. Memories of the last time he had her came flooding back, making her gasp. Blood oozed from her lip, and the metallic taste filled her mouth, making her want to gag. She used the pad of her thumb to wipe it away as she glared at Gary through her lashes.

“You don’t deserve anything, you stupid cunt,” he snarled. “You’re no better than any of the others. If anything, you’re worse.”

He turned his back to her again, and Karina frowned. Why hadn’t he tied her up? Did he believe she was still weak and unable to defend herself? She let her feet slowly drop to the floor. The cold hardwood made her shiver. Apparently, he’d removed her shoes back at the club.

She edged slowly to the side, fighting a wave of dizziness that threatened to send her face first to the floor. She had to get to that pipe. She took two steps away from the table before a sharp pain sliced into her thigh. She screamed and dropped to the floor on her hands. Glancing down, she stared in shock at the knife protruding from the side of her leg. Blood gushed from the wound, as a burning pain throbbed throughout her entire right side.

“Where do you think you’re going, bitch?” he snapped.

Delacroix dropped to the floor and grunted in pain. “Son of a bitch,” he snarled.

Brayden reached down to offer a hand, but Delacroix shook his head. “I need a minute.”

“What happened?” Brayden asked.

“I’m not sure, but I think he hurt Karina in the leg.”

Brayden cursed and stood straight. With his hands on his hips, he glared toward the ceiling in helpless frustration. What was this guy doing to Karina? Would she survive or would their unsub kill her before they got there?

He glared at Josh. “We need to get going. Now.”

Josh nodded and grabbed Delacroix’s keys off the desk. “We’re taking your Escalade.”

“Whatever,” Delacroix murmured, as he reached for the edge of the desk and pulled himself up.

With a hiss, he limped behind Josh as he headed out the office door. Brayden walked up and grabbed Delacroix’s hand. With a sympathetic look, Brayden wrapped Delacroix’s arm around his shoulder and helped him down the hall.

“Can you block this?” Brayden asked, but truthfully wasn’t sure he wanted Delacroix to.

They all needed to know what was going on with Karina, and Delacroix was their only link. Unfortunately, if things got bad for her, they would for Delacroix as well.

“I can, but I’m not sure I should.”

“How often do you have these kinds of connections?” Brayden asked.

“To this extreme, not very often. It’s strange how they come about.”

“They’re random,” Brayden said.

Delacroix gave him a concerned look. “Yes. And they can end as quickly as they arise.”

Brayden gave a nod of understanding. Delacroix was as concerned about suddenly losing the connection as Brayden was.

Karina had to do something. Now. She couldn’t wait any longer. The more he hurt her, the harder it would be for her to fight back. She already struggled with dizziness and nausea, and now the stab wound to her leg and her throbbing lip.

She backed up slightly as Gary stomped forward and grasped the handle of the knife. He tugged it roughly, tearing her flesh as he removed the blade from her leg.

She tried not to cry out, but the pain was too much. Fresh blood poured from the wound and she placed a shaky hand over the opening to try and staunch the flow. The only good thing about it was the flow was too slow for the knife to have hit the artery.

He pointed the tip of the blade at her nose and snarled, “Move again. I beg you.”

Karina froze and watched Gary warily. The man was insane. She could see it in his eyes. What happened to him? What made him this way? Why submissives?

He tilted his head as he backed up slowly and returned to his work at the table.

“Why submissives?” she asked.

“Why not submissives?” he countered, not looking at her.

Karina frowned. She would probably never get a straight answer from him. Should she try? She wanted to. She needed to know why.

The whir of a helicopter could be heard in the distance and her stomach flipped with excitement. Was it a fluke or had Delacroix gotten her message?

Gary apparently heard it too. He tilted his head to the side, listening. He glanced through the window toward the sky, but seemed to be satisfied with what he either did or didn’t see, as he returned to his task at hand—preparing her ties.

Karina tested her leg by trying to shift it. Just the inch or so of movement sent stabbing pain up her leg and she winced. She had to force herself to fight through it. Otherwise, what was her alternative?

Brayden sat in the back with Delacroix, as Josh sped down the road toward the abandoned marina. Delacroix gripped the back of the seat and focused his eyes on the dark leather.

“What?” Brayden asked. “More pain?”

“She’s trying to move.”

“Nathan, you need to break that bond,” Josh commanded as he watched him periodically through the rearview mirror. “The pilot saw a car at the marina as well as a small houseboat. It’s likely them. You don’t need to keep this connection.”

“What if it’s not?” he asked. “I need to stay with her if we ever hope to find her. If I break it, I don’t know that I can get it back.”

“Damn it. You’re going to feel everything she does!”

Delacroix shook his head. “I can handle it.”

“What happens if she dies while you’re connected?” Brayden asked.

“I don’t know,” Delacroix murmured, but kept his gaze on the seat.