Theirs to Master: Miami Masters Book Six Page 5

  She stood and joined them in the hall, the grief etched on her face replaced by fierce determination. “Do you have Penny’s case?” she demanded of Troy in a low voice. “What happened? Who did this? I need…”

  Her voice broke, and she looked away while Troy rushed to give her the only reassurance he could at that point. “We don’t know, but I promise we’ll find him.” Clasping her elbow, he guided her away from the open door, Trevor remaining quiet and letting him take the lead. His brother was better at giving comfort to distraught women as a general rule, but Troy’s recent involvement dealing with the previous victims of this abuser, as well as being in charge of the case, put the responsibility in his hands this time. “Tell me about her, anything you can, like how long has she been going to Sanctuary, and do you know if anyone’s been harassing her?”

  Paige shook her head and stepped back from them to lean against the wall and fold her arms over her waist. “No. She split from her ex months ago and he isn’t around anymore, he’s not even in the state. Last night was her first time in that club since they broke up.”

  Troy pulled a small note book from his back pocket. “I’ll need his name, regardless. Were you there with her?”

  Her soft lips curled in derision. “Not my thing, Detective. And now look where it’s gotten Penny.” She gave him the ex’s name before adding, “Everyone loves my sister. This can’t be someone she knows.”

  Everyone says that about their loved ones. Troy didn’t have the heart to point out the obvious, that this man didn’t love her sister, or any other woman. “No, it’s not. She’s the fourth victim of this guy, that we know of. He’s smart, has enough resources to disguise himself and come up with impressive fake IDs, and seems to target vulnerable submissives, or those new to the lifestyle.”

  “We’re just lucky he hasn’t killed anyone, at least not yet,” Trevor commented, rubbing a hand over his bearded jaw. “Shit, but I want to get this guy. I’d make sure he didn’t see freedom until he was one step from the grave.”

  “You and me both.”

  Sidling around them, Troy watched Paige’s eyes turn as flinty as her glare. “If you haven’t been able to stop him in months then I can’t count on you to find him now. The more people out looking for him, the better.”

  “Hold up,” Troy snapped, a frisson of alarm raising goosebumps on his arms. Snatching her elbow again, he turned her back around to face him. “You stay out of this. This guy is dangerous, likely unhinged. I don’t need another victim on my hands.”

  “Penny didn’t know about him, that I’m sure of. She’s not stupid, or reckless. She wouldn’t have returned to the club if she’d heard this man was targeting women at those places. And I’m not stupid or reckless either, or uninformed. Find him.” Her scathing glance included them both. “Or I’ll do whatever I have to to see my sister’s avenged.”

  Troy started to reach for her again when she pulled away and stomped off, but Trevor stopped him with a simple, “Let her go.”

  “Fuck that, Trev. We don’t need a novice butting in, and you know it.”

  “She’s grieving, and angry. She admitted, with that curl to her mouth I want to straighten with mine, that she’s not into the lifestyle. Odds are, whatever she might do won’t put her in jeopardy or catch this guy’s eye. If I’m guessing correctly, the two are more than sisters. They look to be twins.”

  After glancing back at Penny, he knew Trevor was right. They may not be identical, but as close as they could get. Troy watched Paige step onto the elevator, her gaze stony when she looked their way while punching the button. Neither of them knew her well, but enough to know she possessed a backbone of steel. It was obvious she was close to her sister, and he could sympathize with her need to act on Penny’s behalf. That was what worried him.

  “Let’s hope you’re right.” The elevator pinged open again before they reached it. They both recognized Damien Masters, the owner of Sanctuary, striding toward them with rage swirling in his cobalt blue eyes.

  “How is she?” Damien demanded. “I just now got through closing down so I could get here.”

  Troy followed Damien’s eyes as they shifted to the glass partition separating them from Penny’s room and saw his throat work at the sight of her lying so still and pale, hooked up to multiple machines. His own anger rushed to the surface again at seeing the bruises forming on her face. Oblivious to his friend’s distress, he swung on Damien and got in his face, unleashing a wave of impotent bitterness on him.

  “Where the fuck were you? I warned you about this guy.” He poked him in the shoulder, a taunting gesture that darkened Damien’s eyes. “Where was your fucking security?”

  “Troy…” Trevor cautioned, laying a hand on his shoulder.

  “No, it’s all right, Trevor. I deserve his anger. My security was out there, but he can only be in one place at a time. I checked the cameras, and this guy knew the exact location of each one and how to avoid letting his full face come into view. He moved fast, and she’d be in worse condition if my guy hadn’t spotted them less than a minute after he attacked.”

  “We saw it too, Damien, and you’re right. After that, your man did the only thing he could by getting Penny help instead of going after the guy.” Trevor looked at Troy. “Chill, bro. We’re all on the same side.”

  Troy blew out a frustrated breath and offered Damien an apologetic look, just now noticing the guilt swirling in his eyes and the pinched set to his mouth. “Sorry, Damien. It fucking pisses me off we can’t get a handle on this ass.”

  “You weren’t off base, Carlson. I should’ve walked her out after our scene instead of leaving her bundled in a blanket to deal with an altercation. By the time I returned, it was to hear all the commotion from security. I want this fucker as bad as you do.”

  “Then let’s get him. She won’t be awake until the swelling goes down, which could take days, if not longer. I’ll be back when she is. Are you coming?” Troy asked Damien as he and Trevor pivoted toward the elevator.

  Damien’s gaze rested on the young woman, his expression turning bleak with his reply. “No, not yet. I’ll sit with her for a spell.”

  “I wonder if there’s something there besides guilt,” Trevor murmured as they entered the elevator with a wave to the club owner.

  “For God’s sake, don’t go playing matchmaker. It’s bad enough we’re the last of the gang to still enjoy playing the field,” Troy growled.

  An amused smile tilted the corners of Trevor’s mouth. “So, you’re not worried our turn’s up next?”

  “Not in the fucking least. Not going there, no way, no how.” He glared at his brother when Trevor laughed. The moron never did take anything seriously.

  * * *

  By Tuesday, the swelling in Penny’s brain had gone down significantly and the doctors started the slow process of bringing her out of the coma. Paige sat outside Penny’s room that afternoon, watching through the large window with bated breath as the doctor reduced the medications going through the IV for the last time. Penny had already begun to stir, her fingers moving, her legs shifting with restlessness. Her doctor turned and beckoned Paige inside and she dashed through the door praying for good news.

  “All of her vitals are still good, and more importantly, normal. You can sit with her now, talk to her, touch her. Let her know you’re here, and that she’s safe and in good hands. The nurses will monitor her for full consciousness and notify me when that happens.” Reaching out, Dr. Matthews squeezed her shoulder before he and his team left Paige alone with her twin.

  Pulling up a chair next to the bed, Paige sat down and gripped Penny’s hand. “Way to go, sis. Your first night back in the saddle and you manage to land yourself in trouble. You’re going to be fine.” She choked back a sob. “Do you think I’d allow you to be otherwise? Wake up whenever you’re ready. I’ll be here. In the meantime, want to hear about the hot detective and his DA brother who are on your case?”

  Paige leaned her head on her ben
t arm resting on the armrest while relating what she knew about the Carlson brothers, admitting in a hushed voice to her secret lusting after the two men these past months. She may have been pleased to discover Troy was assigned to Penny’s case, but she didn’t hold back when she relayed how the cops hadn’t been able to catch this guy in months, and how she found that inexcusable without mentioning her intention to see what she could do to aid in his arrest. There was no sense stressing Penny out, and the plan brewing in Paige’s head may not happen or yield any results.

  If the only way to draw out the bastard meant pretending to be something she wasn’t for a few nights at a kink club, then so be it. How difficult could it be? She may not get off on letting some guy tie her up and spank her butt a few times, but she could fake it as good as any other thirty-one-year-old woman who’d been enjoying orgasms for over ten years. Her most intense, pleasurable climaxes had come from her own hand, so she was used to minimal responses when with a man, and could call on those memories to get her through while baiting this guy to approach her. Armed with foreknowledge and several years of kickboxing classes, she’d be ready for him if she caught his attention.

  An hour later, Penny’s eyelids fluttered and slowly blinked open to reveal her hazy, confused gray-green eyes. “What… where…”

  Her hand jerked in Paige’s grip and she rushed to reassure her. “I’m here, sis, and you’re okay. You’re in the hospital, Cyprus General.”

  Two nurses dashed into the room and Paige rose to make way for them. Moving to the corner, it took every ounce of patience she could muster to wait in silence while the doctors entered next and went through a barrage of tests and questions. From what she heard, Penny had seen no one come at her as she left the club, she only remembered being slammed against the building followed by horrendous head pain before everything went black. That left little for Paige to look for if she went through with her plans, but she couldn’t sit back and do nothing, not after the nightmare of the past few days and how close she’d come to losing her only family. Someone had to pay for her sister’s suffering.

  Troy and Trevor arrived a short time later, and much to Paige’s annoyance, another quick, warm response to seeing the brothers again spread throughout her body. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand the draw she felt in equal proportions to two polar opposite guys. Their blood relation aside, the brothers differed in personality as much as they did in their clothing. Trevor’s tie in varying shades of maroon and charcoal complemented his gray dress slacks and deep red silk shirt, the attire befitting his position as a District Attorney. His short, scruffy beard and wavy brown hair left long enough to cup his nape and curl around his ears went against the professional image.

  Next to him, Troy was just as eye-catching wearing his standard dress code of denim paired with a dress shirt and jacket, and with his neat, shorter hair and clean-shaven face. Both men’s tall, muscular frames, tanned, rugged features and golden-brown eyes had drawn the attention of every woman who’d entered The Precinct, but they’d gifted very few with more than a friendly greeting. They’d given Paige the most time, and that had been pitifully little compared to how often they’d slipped into her fantasies.

  Fiddle faddle body, she groaned, facing them head on. She may desire the two men more than she’d ever lusted after another man, but that didn’t mean she’d let them browbeat Penny for information.

  “She didn’t see the guy, so she can’t give you a description,” she stated, hoping to cut them off before they could pounce on Penny.

  “Hello to you, too,” Trevor returned with his usual half smile. Undeterred by her glare, he stepped up to her and ran one finger down her bare arm in a light caress Paige felt all the way to her toes. “Relax, sugar. Believe it or not, we know what we’re doing, and we’re on her side.”

  Troy spared her a quick glance with one elevated brow before taking the chair Paige vacated and leaning toward the bed, bracing his forearms on his thighs. With a concerned look and soft tone, he told Penny, “I’m Detective Carlson, Ms. Wilcox, and I’m in charge of your assault case. I’ve spoken with your doctor and you are very lucky. Other than a concussion and bruising, you’ll make a full recovery. I need any help you can give me to stop this guy from hurting someone else. You aren’t his first.”

  Penny’s eyes widened and Paige dashed to her other side, flinging Troy an angry glare. Resting her hand on Penny’s arm, she said, “Apparently the club owner knew of this guy and his security saw to you instead of chasing him. Don’t worry, we’ll get him, sis.”

  Troy blasted her with a glacial look. “There’s no we, Paige. You stay out of it.”

  That rough demand and cool gaze shot off tingles of sexual awareness to zip around under her skin. For someone who didn’t take orders kindly that reaction alarmed her on several levels she didn’t care for. “Of course, Detective,” she replied in her sweetest voice to counterbalance the urge to lash out.

  Trevor chuckled, drawing her scowl. “Save it, Paige. We know you well enough to know you’re not meek and biddable.”

  Penny’s perplexed frown cleared, and she smiled at Paige. “That’s what you get for working in a cop bar.” Turning to Troy, she said in a whispery tone, “I’m sorry. I didn’t see him. I remember his voice, definitely male, and the names he called me before I passed out, but that’s all I have.” Her face paled when she reached up a shaky hand and brushed her bandaged head. “I’ve been in here three days?”

  “Yes, but you’ve already given us more than we had before.” Trevor moved to the side of the bed, next to Troy’s chair. “How’s your memory from that night? Can you recall if anyone paid extra attention to you, watched you for long periods of time? Anyone you turned down a scene with?”

  Paige knew Penny was uncomfortable about something when she averted her eyes before answering. “No, nothing like that. Master Damien, he’s the owner, approached me right after I got there. I hadn’t even finished my drink yet.” A light blush stained her white, bruised face, cementing Paige’s suspicion there was something there, maybe between Penny and this Master Damien, her sister didn’t want to discuss.

  Coming to her aid, she stated, “That’s enough. Come back tomorrow if you have to, but she needs to rest now.”

  “Paige…” Penny groaned and shook her head, a small wry smile lighting her eyes. “You said it yourself; I’ll be fine. No need to hover.” She held up the arm sporting the IV. “Besides, I feel like I’m floating on a cloud, no pain or discomfort. There must be some good stuff pumping into my body.”

  Paige’s tense shoulders relaxed for the first time since she’d heard the news of Penny’s attack. Seeing the teasing sparkle in her eyes and hearing the soft chiding behind her words went a long way in reinforcing what the doctor had told her. “Hey, as the oldest, it’s my job to look out for you.” And she’d never failed to such a degree before. Guilt sliced through her with razor-sharp pain. She always knew when Penny was determined to go through with something, like her return to alternative sex, which had led to Paige backing off from arguing with her about it. Too bad knowing the futility of an endeavor didn’t negate feelings of impotent, guilt-ridden rage.

  “By two minutes.” Penny looked back at Troy. “Do you have any more questions, Detective?”

  He nodded. “A few, if you’re up to it.”

  “I am,” she insisted, switching her gaze back to Paige. “I love you, now go away. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Fine,” Paige conceded with a grumble. “I’ll be by after work.”

  She was reaching for her purse sitting on the chair behind her when Trevor surprised her by saying, “I’ll walk you out.”

  “Why?” Whirling, she clutched her purse against her chest, as if the faux leather bag could protect her from another searing touch if he reached for her. Her arm still tingled from the simple glide of his finger earlier. “I’m perfectly capable of getting to my car without mishap. It’s still daylight, and I’m parked in the outside, p
ublic lot.”

  “But I insist.” Grasping her elbow, Trevor steered her to the door, tossing over his shoulder, “Be right back, Troy.”

  “Addlepated dim doodle,” Paige groused under her breath as they walked to the elevator.

  “Tsk, such language will earn you five strokes with my belt. You’d do well to remember that,” Trevor returned with humor.

  Her eyes flicked down to his waist, her mouth going dry at imagining the one-inch, braided black leather strap licking her skin. This time when she shivered, she knew it wasn’t from lust. “I’m not my sister, Trevor. You would do well to remember that,” she emphasized.

  “Oh, I’m well aware of that, sugar,” he drawled. He didn’t relinquish his hold on her arm on the ride down, or as they strolled out into the balmy evening air. His amiable demeanor and amused tilt to his mouth remained in place as he guided her straight to her car. “But when it comes to ensuring you stay out of the investigation into Penny’s attack, you will abide by our dictates.”

  Ignoring that statement, she pulled from his hold and grasped the door handle. “How did you know this was my car?”

  “We asked Mel to point it out to us months ago so we could be sure you always parked near the back exit, under the street light. Never can be too careful.” Slipping one hand under her hair to cup the base of her skull, he brought her body flush against his by applying pressure with his other against her lower back. Paige wanted to stiffen against him but her body, the traitorous bitch, possessed other ideas. Going soft and wet all at once, she braced her hands on his thick pectorals to keep from giving herself away with the feel of her throbbing nipples against his chest. The steady beat of his heart under her palm did nothing to lessen her heightened sensitivity to his nearness, an effect impacted by his admission he and his brother had been looking out for her. Turning serious, he stated, “We want this bastard as much as you do, Paige. Let us do our job and stay out of the way. Please.”