Devil You Know Read online

  That pissed him off. “I’m going to put you over my knee.”

  My body went up in flames at the thought. Damian grinned. “I like that look on you.”

  “What look?”

  He leaned over the table. “Hot.”

  “Well, you’re in luck since that’s a condition I feel around you all the time.”

  “I know.”

  “You’re not immune.”

  “Fucking hooked too.”

  “Good answer.” I looked down and then up at him through my lashes. “Maybe we should get our desserts to go.”

  Damian’s voice carried through the restaurant. “Check.”

  I was thankful for work, both my graphic design responsibilities and the late hours at the bar, because it kept me busy and being busy helped distract me because I missed Damian. And I worried for him and the others and the shit storm they were wading into at home. Chris McKay had been the one calling me. He had been distraught and angry after his daughter’s murderer had been set free, I understood. But had he intended to do more than harassing phone calls? That thought caused a chill to move through me. And who was behind him disappearing? I hoped he was alive. He’d acted carelessly and emotionally, but he didn’t deserve to lose his life for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  I was working the area by the pool tables when I noticed a girl that was being backed into a corner. It was the expression on her face that had me walking over.

  “Can I get you something?” The girl’s fearful eyes latched onto me.

  The guy barely glanced at me when he said, “We’re good.” It was the creep from the other night who had been hunting.

  And even feeling alarm, and a touch of fear, anger had the next words bubbling up my throat. “You don’t look good to me. Why don’t you back off there, pal.”

  That got me his face and he was not pleased. “Why don’t you?”

  “I’m not the one cornering that poor girl. Step back or I’ll bring one of the bouncers over to make you.”

  He stepped back, the girl ran away. “No means no, you know that right?”

  “We were just having fun.”

  “When you have to force your companion into having fun, that’s called rape.”

  “She was playing coy.”

  “I’m going to walk over to that big guy at the bar and share with him that you blur the lines from consenting to coercion. Do yourself a favor and get the hell out of here and don’t come back. In fact, why don’t you crawl back into whatever hole you came out of. I’ll be calling the sheriff and giving him a full description.”

  “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “And we’re going to make sure it stays that way.”

  “Bitch.”

  “Yes I can be. So get the fuck out.”

  “What’s going on over here?” Razor asked as he stepped up next to me.

  “Nothing, just encouraging Don Juan here to move it along.”

  “I’ll be seeing you again.” The threat was clear. Razor went on alert.

  “I won’t be as nice next time,” I replied sweetly.

  He strolled toward the exit; Razor and I followed him. Mic stopped me from walking him to the door. He signaled to the bouncer to make sure the guy left.

  “What was that?”

  “He had some girl pinned up against the wall. She didn’t want to be there, he didn’t care.”

  “Son of a bitch.” I thought Razor was pissed at the guy until he said, “And so you just strolled up to him and got in his face.”

  “Someone had to.”

  Mic didn’t look any happier. “Next time flag a bouncer. It is why they’re here. I don’t imagine your husband would be thrilled to hear you did that.”

  “You can cut the shit. I know you work with Damian.”

  Contrition on their faces was very funny. “We were just following orders.”

  Mic leaned closer to me. “You’re changing the subject, next time get a bouncer.”

  “Fine. I’ll leave it to the bouncer.”

  I turned back to Razor. “Can I get you something?”

  “A Guinness.”

  “You got it. And thanks for stepping in.” A pattern seemed to be forming in our behavior.

  “No problem.”

  Razor moved back to the pool tables and I watched as he did. “Damian told me he had a record. Why would he do that?”

  Mic dropped his elbows on the bar top. “What kind of record?”

  “He said he was a sexual predator.”

  Mic’s expression went blank for all of three seconds before he howled with laughter. Like so loud every head in the place turned in his direction. I went beet red and lowered mine.

  “A sexual predator? Oh my God, that’s good. Razor,” Mic hollered across the bar, which wasn’t necessary because Razor was already on his way back. I’m sure curious as to what had Mic behaving as he was.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Razor barked at Mic.

  “Damian told her you were a sexual predator.”

  “Why the hell would you tell him that?” I screeched. Razor joined Mic in laughing, a loud belly laugh.

  “I’m missing something,” I muttered, but they still heard me.

  “I wondered what bullshit he fed you, you were pretty icy to me that day on the street.”

  “He shouldn’t have done that.”

  “In his shoes, I would have too.”

  “Why?”

  “You got to ask me that, babe, no point in me answering.”

  “Wait.” I looked back at Mic. “You knew that Damian and I weren’t married so why did you ask me all those questions about how long we’d been together.”

  “Because it pissed him off.”

  “What pissed him off? You talking to me?”

  “Yep.”

  “I think you are all a bit crazy. I have to get back to work.”

  I walked away to them laughing again, probably at me. Whatever.

  Mic had a cabin outside of town and deep in the woods. Mic thought it might get my neighbors talking if he or Razor stayed with me at the cottage while Damian was gone, so we stayed at his place. We were really in the middle of nowhere, which I supposed was good, but I had nightmares about running into a black bear and after watching Back Country, I did not want to come face to face with a black bear…ever. I spent the days working on my graphic design projects and the nights at the bar.

  Mic was working and I wasn’t due in for a few hours. Razor and I were playing Monopoly. Truth be told, I was kicking his ass at Monopoly.

  “I’m going to figure out how you’re cheating because I know you are.”

  Razor was not a gracious loser.

  “How am I cheating? You’re the banker.”

  “I don’t know, but you are.”

  “Sore loser.”

  “I heard a rumor that you make a killer chicken potpie.”

  “Is getting your ass kicked making you hungry?”

  He lifted his middle finger, but smiled to lessen the insult. “I love chicken potpie.”

  “You’re goofy.”

  His smile turned into a stern line, but his eyes were still laughing. “I’m scary as fuck.”

  “Okay. You’re scary. If we’re having potpie, I need to make the crust.”

  “I’ll oversee.”

  “You mean sneak some.”

  He winked. “Nothing gets past you.”

  I liked Razor, so outspoken and crass, so very different from Damian. “How did you and Damian meet?”

  “I used to be a bounty hunter and was working a case. Found myself in a situation of six against one. I really thought that was it for me, and then Damian appeared, emerging from the shadows like a demon. I swear to fucking God I didn’t think he was real. He took out four of my attackers with his bare hands. I’d never seen anyone fight with such cold calculation. Turned out he was hunting the same guy. He let me collect the fee then offered me a job. He saved my life that day, figured I wou
ld return the favor by watching over his.”

  I’d seen that cold calculation in Damian before and maybe it was wrong but I was happy he had found a way to funnel that into something good.

  “I’m happy you’re watching his back.”

  “I’ll be happy when you start making that pot pie,” He offered that with a smile.

  My team had intercepted an email to Chris McKay’s grandkids. They traced the origin but it was a dead end. Whoever had him knew their shit. What I wanted to know was what the hell he knew that made him interesting to anyone? He’d harassed Thea and that was enough for me to have a private word with him, but the fact that he was being sequestered suggested the authorities had him. But why?

  My phone vibrated on the seat next to me

  “Cam, what’s up?”

  “It’s done.”

  It was about fucking time. “How many arrests?”

  “Seven.”

  “Hartnett?”

  “I couldn’t pin him to it, which just pisses me off. We know he’s the missing link, even without Federico giving him up. He ties it all together…the dirty cops, Dobbs, Federico, even Thea’s attack in the alley using Dobbs’ CI so if it went to hell the blowback landed on Dobbs. And he was Dad’s best friend, he would have known his schedule, he would have been able to get to him, and Dad was investigating dirty cops. Guy is dirty. He’s the common denominator and yet I can’t pin anything on him.” I felt the rage I heard in Cam’s voice. The man had been family and he betrayed us. “I want him.”

  “Fuck yeah.”

  “What happened with the tip on McKay?”

  “It didn’t pan out. I think the cops have him. What I can’t figure out is why.”

  There was silence for a moment before he said, “She’s my sister, but hear me out before—

  “No.”

  “I didn’t even—

  “You want to use her as bait.”

  “Arrests are being made, he has got to be getting nervous. He wanted something from her and if she returns now he’ll likely react.”

  “By putting your sister right in the fucking crosshairs.”

  “She would want to be.”

  “She doesn’t get a choice.”

  “Our dad was killed. His best friend killed him. Keeping her from this will only piss her off. You know I’m right.”

  “I don’t give a fuck.”

  “You will when it puts a wall up between you.”

  I knew he was right. I fucking hated that he was right.

  “Let’s bring her home,” he said.

  “We have to tell her first. She has to agree to this or she stays where she is.”

  “Agreed.”

  “I’ll let you know.” I disconnected and tossed my phone on the seat. We did all of this to keep her safe and now we were leading her right into the lion’s den.

  My legs felt like noodles and I ached in places that felt so good to ache in. Damian got home last night and we spent all night and the early morning celebrating his homecoming. He was putting on the coffee but I hadn’t been able to climb out of bed. My body just wasn’t responding yet.

  The door opened, he walked in with two mugs of coffee that he placed on the dresser. Seeing him made me feel energized because I needed a shower and I was certain I could get him to join me. I climbed from bed.

  “Shower?”

  In answer he stripped out of his jeans. It was not a sight I would ever grow tired of seeing. He grabbed me around the waist and tossed me over his shoulder as a laugh bubbled up my throat. I loved when he was being playful. He didn’t release me when we reached the bathroom and with my ass in the air and my stomach pressed to his shoulder, he turned on the shower.

  “I heard you approached a potential rapist on your own.”

  Oh crap. Suddenly I didn’t want to be over his shoulder. Downstairs or in the next state would have been preferable.

  “Two of my best guys were there and you decided to handle it on your own.”

  His hand moved over my ass and realization dawned a second before it came down hard on my left ass cheek.

  “Ouch.”

  He didn’t stop after one, he smacked my ass—a few hard hits on each cheek, and even as my ass stung in pain, I was so wet.

  “I’ve waited for you for half of my life. I want a lifetime with you.”

  “You just spanked me.”

  He smacked me again. “A lifetime, so that means you don’t confront potential felons on your fucking own.”

  He rubbed my tender flesh, his finger moving between my legs where I was soaked. I never would have thought a spanking would make me hot, but I was so turned on.

  “You liked that.” He was as surprised by my body’s reaction as me.

  He rubbed his finger over my clit and I couldn’t stop the moan, didn’t try to when he started finger fucking me. Right before I came he yanked me down his body and onto his cock. My eyes rolled into the back of my head.

  He pressed me to the wall, held both of my hands in one of his high over my head, lifting my breasts to his mouth. His hips moved hard and fast, his cock hitting me on the clit as he moved in and out, his mouth taking turns teasing and sucking on my breasts. I came apart in a dizzying orgasm. He stilled, his cock jerked as ecstasy rolled over his features.

  “A lifetime, Thea.” He kissed my neck and carried me into the shower.

  It was while we cleaned the dishes after breakfast that Damian shared, “It’s over.”

  I stopped drying the glass. “Cam has made the arrests?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How many?”

  “Seven.”

  “Was Guy…?”

  “He couldn’t pin anything on him, but we’ve linked him to all of it. He knew Dobbs, the dirty cops, the man who attacked you in the alley.”

  “There’s more.”

  “Cam believes Guy is the one who called out the hit on your dad. Your dad must have figured it out that Guy was the common denominator.”

  We had already been thinking this, but hearing it spoken out loud was shattering.

  “Guy wants something from me, so let’s use me as bait.”

  His face went dark, but he looked conflicted.

  “That’s the plan, isn’t it?” I asked.

  “I don’t fucking like this plan.”

  “I’m in.”

  “Think about it first. I dragged you here to keep you safe and now we’re asking you to walk right into the middle of it.”

  “Guy ordered the hit on my dad and if we can’t flush him out he’ll get away with killing him. That’s not an option.”

  He rubbed his hands over his face. “We orchestrate this op, right down to the smallest detail.”

  “Okay.”

  “You don’t take any chances. I’m not kidding, Thea.”

  “I won’t.” I realized then what fueled the spanking from earlier. It wasn’t so much what I did, but what I might do. “I won’t be careless, Damian. I promise.”

  He reached for his wallet, pulled something out and handed it to me. It was the first letter I had written to him and the picture of me from Cam’s wallet.

  “Do you know how many times I looked at these? Waiting out insurgents, sitting in foxholes…how many missions the thought of you got me through. You have been in my head since the first time I saw that picture. And having that letter…fucking Christ. And now you’re in my bed and my heart and…” He rubbed his head before his hot stare speared me with its intensity. “I fucking hate this plan, making you bait, but I swear to God if you take any unnecessary risks...”

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  He moved so fast, pulling my body into the cradle of his. “I’m holding you to that, because you own me. Every dark part of me.”

  “I thought we were leaving?” Two days after he returned, we were heading back to New York. Mic, who had accepted a job with Damian, and Razor were joining us. Damian had spent most of the day yesterday out of the house while I packed my st
uff. Whatever he was up to, he wasn’t quite done.

  “We have to make a stop first.” He said as we parked down the street from Janice’s. I was surprised to see Missy.

  “Thanks for coming,” Damian said to her as we approached.

  “Thank you,” Missy replied then turned to me and surprised me with a hug. “I’m going to miss you. Damian filled me in.”

  She surprised me again with that confession. “He did?”

  “It’s like a episode of a crime drama.” She took my hands into hers. “Please be careful.”

  “I will.”

  “I’ll fill everyone else in.”

  “I’d really appreciate that, thank you. Can I ask why you’re here?”

  “Damian offered me the position of manager for the bar.”

  Damian’s absence yesterday was beginning to make sense. “That’s wonderful. But that means...”

  As if on cue, Janice was brought out in handcuffs. Unlike the overly confident woman I interviewed for, she had her head down. I had a twinge of pity for her to be so publicly humiliated, but then I thought about Amelia and how she had conned a dying woman. Actions had consequences. She needed to man up to hers.

  Damian walked over with a man I didn’t recognize. “Missy, this is James Stiles. He was Amelia’s accountant. He can bring you up to speed on the bar. I’m closing it, you reopen when you’re comfortable. And you’ll need to hire a new bartender. We’ll be back as soon as we take care of the situation at home.”

  “Don’t worry. I managed the grain depot for years. It’s the same concept. The bar is in good hands.”

  “I know it is.”

  “Would you like to go through the books now?” James asked Missy.

  “I’ll put on some coffee.” Missy looked back at me. “When you return, I’ll make dinner.”

  “We’d love that.”

  Damian took my hand and led me to his car. “How did you know she was looking for a new job?”

  “I asked.”

  “You’re a good man.”

  He held the door for me. “Only to those who matter.”

  That wasn’t true, but I didn’t press the point.

  We didn’t go right home, we made one stop. Mrs. Cooke’s house. I didn’t even wait for the car to stop before I jumped from it and ran to my mom. She caught me into a tight hug. We were both crying.