Chapter 25
Kendrick
“Your visitors were active,” John said casually, although his tone was humorous.
“Meaning?” I glanced into the rearview mirror, ensuring we weren’t being followed.
“They walked around the house several times but finally gave up.”
I was grateful my police buddy had my back. “They noticed the cameras.”
“Maybe, but they had cameras of their own.”
“Taking pictures.”
“Yeah. Well, don’t worry. I decided to follow them.”
His comment put me immediately on edge. “Where?”
“It took me a little while to figure it out. A judge’s house.”
A judge. He rattled off the name and it honestly didn’t matter at this point.
I’d been inside the judge’s courtroom and I had no doubt Hudson knew him as well.
By all rights, the man was a decent human being as well as an honorable man.
The cycle was coming full circle in that the Privileged would not only need experts in security and commerce, finance and transportation, but also a highly successful and corrupt group of men in law enforcement.
The scope of those involved was getting wider.
“I have art,” John added, pulling me from the thick clouds. “A few pictures that might help.”
“Email those to me. Will ya? A new email address.”
“You got it. Anything else?”
“Yeah, when the shit hits the fan, stay far away and act like you barely know me.”
“Now you have me curious.”
“Thanks, John. I owe you.”
“What was that all about?” Reese asked from beside me. With a casual glance, the ache in my balls started all over again. I was beginning to call my reaction the Reese effect.
The pull and desire was stronger than ever. “Let’s just say this will be over with soon. Very soon.”
The squeeze of her hand on my leg made it nearly impossible to concentrate, but we needed to play this through. My gut told me, given the group already had wind someone was onto them, panic should have started. That meant mistakes would be made.
And I was all for it.
Honor.
Reese had tossed that out like the word hero. Even though she’d point blankly asked how far I was willing go and I’d been truthful with her, it hadn’t dissuaded her insistence that I was one of the good guys.
Even after everything Reese had been through, she still believed in the best in people. I’d lost that ability a long time before.
There were no words to describe the sense of relief in learning the girl at the morgue hadn’t been Briana, but the sense of urgency had quickly replaced the momentary peace. The warning had been clear. Stay the hell away. Not a chance.
The nagging in my gut was getting stronger. The vicious game Franklin was playing would soon begin to unravel, forcing his hand. My only fear was that he’d try to lash out at the one person who truly knew who he was. Reese.
In this scenario, what he did or didn’t know about me meant nothing.
I couldn’t care less if he and all his dangerous friends came after me.
Their threats meant nothing. Maybe I was ready to accept that for the last ten years, I’d been going through the steps of life, not living it.
Maybe I was a danger junkie because there was some innate excitement in facing the devil in hopes of winning.
And that’s who the Privileged were. A repulsive reincarnation of night crawlers.
The thought of the bastard possibly hurting her had twisted a knot in my stomach much like the way my grip on the leather steering wheel was sliding back and forth. I was angry, so much so my thoughts had drifted completely away from any concept of following the letter of the law.
Now it was time to end on a predatory note, destroying the functionality of their organization.
“Maverick has officially blown up social media. Nine million likes, and fifty-seven thousand comments on Instagram alone and all wanting to know the identities of the Privileged.”
Hearing the lilt in her voice allowed another laugh, one coming from deep within.
Not from the kind of jovial feeling from a joke told or a comedy hitting all the right spots.
It was one that included a need to cause pain in one of several ways.
“His popularity is increasing because my partner in crime is brilliant.”
“Yes, I am. Do you know he offered me two hundred thousand dollars a year to be his assistant? Do you know how much more that is than I currently make?”
“You are not allowed to take the job.” I grinned after making the statement.
“Jealous?”
“I’ll never admit to it.” A flash drew my attention. I’d tossed the phone onto the dashboard. Seeing Maverick’s number kept the corners of my mouth upturned in sheer delight. “We were just talking about you, Mav. You’re even more famous than before. However, she’s not for hire.”
Maverick followed my jovial tone, laughing as I’d just done. “We’ll see about that. I must be pretty famous since I’ve had four calls from unknown numbers today.”
“I would venture a guess Franklin is feeling hot under the collar.”
“No doubt. So you’re aware, Chase might have caught a break with the warehouse.
He and his team are on the way. Ruger managed to do some cross-referencing with properties sold by Devonshire to a holding company that only exists on paper.
Gabriel is in the process of trying to dig up anything he can on the stock owners.
Please tell your lovely guest that her father still has it.
Within two hours, he was able to get out a lockdown on the software so no one else can access it.
And he’s coming close to breaking through the firewall and discovering all the hidden gems of information. ”
“Baby,” I told her, still on the call. “Your father is brilliant. We’re in.”
I did so love seeing a smile slowly slip across her face as vile and wicked thoughts invaded her lovely mind. I had a feeling with a little tweaking, she could become a damn good vigilante herself. She had that kind of verve.
Her little fist pump was a sweet addition.
Maverick chuckled. “I thought you’d like that. We’re rocking solid tonight, my friend. All your hard work has paid off. Ruger also identified another man wearing a mask last night.”
“Who?”
“Senator John Reynolds.”
Why was I not surprised? “How very interesting. The man thought to be on the presidential ticket three years from now? We’re talking the same person?”
“You got it. Everything is starting to unravel quickly,” Maverick chortled. “And my publisher is pushing me to finish the book. Get this. They want a follow up. My agent is talking seven figures. I’m definitely hiring Reese.”
“To hell with you. Get back to your writing and let the real men do the work.”
“Fuck you.”
“There’s a judge on board as well. My buddy at the police has art.”
Maverick snorted. “It’s all coming together.”
Yeah, it was. And not a moment too soon.
I shoved the phone into my jacket pocket just as I rolled up to the gate for the parking garage.
“I think being an assistant would be a marvelous idea. Challenging. I could travel the world.” Reese purred after making the announcement.
“Over my dead body.”
“Does that mean you’re forbidding me?”
I pulled into a spot, purposely taking my time to answer. “Yes. That’s exactly what it means.”
“I do what I want.”
“Nope. You are my slave. Remember? You will do as I tell you to do.”
“How primitive. Or maybe Neanderthal.” She whipped off her seatbelt. The wash of the dome light when she threw open her door highlighted the mischievous characteristics that created such delicious complexity. It was like unwrapping layer after layer of festive foil to get to the creamy center.
My cock was aching from the analogy.
“Then how about this. Given I paid very handsomely for you and your various sinful skills,” I climbed out as she did, leaning over the roof of the Lamborghini, “as your owner, I’m allowed to make every decision regarding you until the stated end to the contract.”
“Which is?”
After grabbing the duffle bag I’d brought with us, I buttoned my jacket, taking a quick look around the perimeter of the garage before sliding my arm around her waist. “Never. Or more poetically stated. Until the end of time when the sun no longer rises from the quiet depth of the ocean waters.”
She held her breath until we reached the elevator before bursting out laughing. “Nice try at quoting a romance novel. You suck at it.”
“Hey. Watch your language, little girl. I can see a pronounced round of punishment is in order.” As soon as the elevator doors started to close, I pushed her against the back wall, dropping the bag with a hard thud and planting my hands on either side of her.
“You wouldn’t dare.” She grabbed a fistful of my shirt, jerking me closer.
I lowered my head, drinking in the sweet scent of the shower gel. Ocean breezes. Perfect for her. “You should know better than to challenge me.”
“But I do so love to challenge you.”
She’d presented an opportunity I simply couldn’t pass up. Yanking her from the wall, I planted my foot onto a decorative steel band, dragging her over my knee. Her yelp created such a wave of desire that I almost lost my thoughts about what I was doing to her.
The skirt was tight, but I managed to tug it over her rounded bottom, bringing my palm down several times while she wiggled in my hold. The friction was immediate, a deep-seated hunger allowing jabs of electric current to run down my spine.
She had a hold on me that I couldn’t ignore any longer. The longing wasn’t just about my need to protect her, but something much darker. More sadistic. I continued the spanking even as we neared the floor.
“Stop,” she whined with absolutely no demanding tone. The woman craved my firm hand and my dominating nature. The tingling sensations in my fingertips only increased as the heat on her skin warmed to my touch.
Even the rosy color blooming across every inch of her naked buttocks managed to keep me on a scintillating edge of need. I was sweating, a single bead falling against her skin and it had nothing to do with exertion.