Two hours and one fairly hardcore scene that had her ass aching later, Kayla stared at the computer in front of her, the email she was writing open and half finished. She felt a little half finished. Oh, the scene had gone all right. There had been bondage and spanking and pinching and rubbing, finished off with a giant Hollywood cock giving her an orgasm, but it had been different. Josh hadn’t been with her. Not fully. Something was distracting her Master and she had no idea what it was because Levi wasn’t returning her calls and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Riley. She’d meant to, but she’d found Josh’s eyes on her every time she tried to get away for a few moments.
He’d kissed the top of her forehead—way too far away from her damn lonely mouth—and told her she had thirty minutes to get ready for the party and maybe she should spend that on her new project.
He was on the edge, and it bugged the crap out of her that she had no clue what was going on in that gorgeous head of his.
It was making her cranky when she needed to be penitent. After everything she’d seen with Josh and Jared and the others, she’d wondered if some apologies should be made. She’d talked to Josh about it and he’d decided she needed some email therapy.
Dear JR Ward,
Please forgive me for my last email. You should write as quickly or slowly as your muse leads you, and you probably know your characters better than I do. So forget that small threat about Butch and V. I didn’t really mean it. You know who best they should be mated with, not me. No one’s coming for you in the middle of the night and while I do know your address, I promise to respect boundaries.
That was good, right? Nothing creepy about that.
“Writing some emails?” Barry asked as he entered the lounge.
Most everyone had changed into street clothes in anticipation of the party. Everyone except Subby Sue, who claimed street clothes gave her the hives. The closest anyone could get her to wear was leather short shorts and a bikini top. Her Dom had to force shoes on her feet when they went “formal,” as they called it.
Funny, Josh hadn’t come back out yet. He’d set her up, given her instructions that she was to write apology letters to at least three of the authors on her list, and went to take a shower.
“I like to call it my grand apology tour,” she replied with a smile. “Apparently I’ve been hard on some people.”
Barry sat down beside her. “Hard on them? Sometimes tough love is the best kind.”
“I might have sent many emails with suggestions on how some of my favorite authors could…change things.”
“Things?”
How to explain? “Like plot things that maybe didn’t feel right to me. You know—constructive criticism. I also might have given them examples of things that could help to boost their efforts and productivity.”
Barry took a sip of the coffee he was drinking. “Do I want to know what these examples are?”
“Just simple motivational stuff.” Like hey, I could show up on your doorstep and help out. No problem. I know all about floggers and pain as motivation.
When she thought about it, she should have been more positive. More cheerleader like. Go author, go! That would probably be better. Looking back, she could maybe see how someone could construe her innocent comments as vaguely threatening.
If she was super sweet in her apology email, maybe Kristen Ashley would rescind that whole restraining-order thing.
“You must really like this lady’s books,” he said. “Have you thought that maybe you get too involved?”
“Oh, all the time, but honestly, when I was a double agent for the CIA and they had me posted in China, I was bored out of my mind. Turns out the Chinese government isn’t hot on erotic romance and the books that do get through there are mostly political treatises on how the government should serve the people and vice versa. Yeah, total fiction but boring, too. No sex. No romance. When I got back, I might have binged like crazy. After you read fourteen books in someone’s world, you kind of find yourself forgetting it’s not real. You start talking like the characters, talking to the characters. Yeah, I’m lucky Damon didn’t lock me up. I spent a lot of time in conferences explaining to him what I thought Wrath would do.”
Barry frowned, but didn’t ask. “Well, I just wanted to come and tell you that I think it’s wonderful you and Josh are getting along. It’s about time that young man found some peace.”
“We’re getting along quite well.” Too well. After he’d made love to her the night before, she’d sat up forever, her soul torn between doing what was right for Josh and her family in London.
“But? I hear a but in there somewhere.”
She flipped the laptop closed. “He still doesn’t talk to me about his past. He knows a ton about mine. He knows some classified shit that could get us all in trouble. You know, I really wasn’t cut out to be an operative. I like to talk too much. It was okay when I was embedded with MSS. They were all kind of dicks there.”
It was surprising her sister had turned out so well. The kind of training and torture the Chinese put their agents through didn’t typically kick out loving, kind individuals. Of course, she herself hadn’t gotten the full Agency training either.
“I don’t think Josh talks too much to anyone about his past,” Barry said. “Sometimes not about his present either. He’s known for being quite silent on both subjects. I think he talked a bit to the one submissive he brought to the club, and that didn’t turn out well.”
“Because she went to the press.”
Barry sighed. “I don’t know everything that went on between those two. I know they had some things in common. They had both been raised in foster care. They seemed to click and then one day I overheard her talking to another sub about how much money she was going to make off him. She had contacted a reporter with a tabloid and was planning on doing an exposé on the whole club. They were going to give her millions.”
“You told Josh.”
“I told my Glo and she handled things from there,” Barry explained. “She had been quite close to Josh’s agent at one point. Tina wasn’t in the lifestyle, but she was certainly part of the acting community. My wife was a casting agent. She made sure that woman was never cast again.”
It was good someone had been looking out for Josh. Still, he’d had a girlfriend. A submissive he’d selected for their compatibility and not her skill with knives and guns. “Can you tell me something, Barry?”
“I don’t know. I have to protect him, too.”
“It’s okay if you don’t answer. I wanted to know if he kissed her. The other girl, that is. Did he kiss her during scenes?”
He froze for a moment, as though processing her words, and then a look of sympathy hit his face.
She held out a hand. “It’s okay. That’s all I need to know. I’m going to pack this laptop up before the party gets started. It looks like they’re bringing in the keg now.”
Barry put a hand on her arm. “Give him time. I see the way he looks at you. I don’t think he’ll be able to hold out forever.”
She wasn’t as sure. He was damaged, and maybe beyond repair. One couldn’t fix what was never acknowledged. If he held that pain close to him forever, he would be stuck. The pain would be his mistress, holding if not his affections then most of his attentions.
She couldn’t compete with the past.
“I’ll be back in a minute.” She would check her makeup, ensure the last few minutes of emotional talk didn’t show up on her face. Josh would want to know what was wrong, and she was too tired to make shit up.
Time was spinning and before she knew it her time with him would be up and she would have a serious decision to make. She would have to decide to stay with him and see what happened or go back to London and get on with her life.
The thought of leaving Malibu made her heart ache.
She was turning the corner to head to the locker room when Riley stepped out of the shadows. His eyes traced right and then left before he took her by the elbow.
“Your boy’s on the move.”
“What?”
“Damn it. Deal with that and then find me outside. Hurry.” His whole expression changed. “See you at the party, then.”
Jared had stepped out of the locker room, now dressed in jeans and a Dart T-shirt. With his own face on it. He was a lovable douchebag, but right now he was trouble on two muscular legs.
She gave Riley a smile she didn’t feel in any way. “Absolutely, Master Riley. I’ll be there in a moment.”
Riley disappeared into the front room, mingling with the others.
Jared frowned at her. “I think you should probably stay away from that guy. Josh doesn’t like him.”
That was news to her. How much time did they have? She didn’t want to lose Josh. If he was on the move, something was happening. He wouldn’t leave her without an explanation. But maybe that’s why Jared was here. Maybe Josh had needed something and ran to get it. Condoms. They went through a ton of those.
Why would he leave without his bodyguards? Without telling her?
“Why doesn’t Josh like Riley?”
Jared shrugged. “I don’t know, but I think it’s important that you not spend a lot of time with the dude. Look, Josh can be weird about some things. He gets feelings about people and he tends to follow his instincts. He thinks Master Riley is hiding something. Give him a wide berth. Don’t give Josh a reason to get suspicious.”
“Of me?” She didn’t like the implications.
“He’s not used to being in a relationship and he needs time before he can trust anyone implicitly.”
“I think I should talk to him about it,” she offered.
And that was when Jared wilted like a hothouse flower. His face flushed. “Josh?”
So Jared was in on whatever this was. “Who else would I talk to?”
“Oh, that’s…he’s… He’s in the locker room. He could be in there for a while. Something he had for dinner didn’t sit well on his stomach.” Jared shook his head as though finally picking the story he was going to stick to. “You do not want to go in there, if you know what I mean.”
Nice. He was going with the old irritable bowel syndrome fake out. “That’s terrible. Maybe I should go get something to help him with that.”
Jared shook his head. “Nah, he’s good. He’ll be out in a bit. Wouldn’t want to miss the ice cream.”
Yeah, Jared needed to rethink his story, but she didn’t have time to needle him. Something was happening and it wasn’t innocent. Luckily for her, she wasn’t as terrible a liar as Jared was. She was quite good. “All right, then. I’ll go put my computer up. I need to call my dad, but that shouldn’t take long. I’ll see you at the party.”
He practically sighed in relief. “Awesome. And don’t worry about Josh. Happens all the time.”
She heard him curse under his breath as she walked into the locker room.
As quickly as she could, she slammed the laptop into her backpack, checking to make sure she had everything she needed. SIG, check. Cell phone, check. Nasty knives, check.
Lucky for her she was already in street clothes, but then it was lucky for Josh, too.
He’d planned this. What was he doing? Why had he brought Jared in on it?
God, if Levi was right she would never live it down. Hell, if Levi was right…she didn’t want to think about a world where Joshua Hunt was involved with drug dealers and aiding a man who took out US operatives as fast as he could.
She took a deep breath and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She was taking a chance. She needed to follow Josh and get back here without him knowing she’d been gone. Fuck. Jared would be waiting for her.
She quickly dialed the one number she could think of that might help.
“This is Ferguson,” a deep voice said.
“Kai, it’s Kayla. I need you to call your brother,” she said quickly.
“Fuck. You know I don’t like to get involved in the business side of this crap, Kay,” he replied. “He just started talking to me again. We keep it light. I don’t want to risk him blowing me off.”
She didn’t have time for his family issues. “A CIA operative’s life is at stake and if your brother is involved in this, he’s going to get in trouble. I need you to distract him so I can figure out what we’re dealing with. Please, Kai. He’ll answer your call. I’m running out of time.”
“I’ll do it. Damn it.” He hung up.
She glanced from behind the curtains. Sure enough, Jared’s phone went off and a smile came over his face. He brushed a finger across the screen.
“Hey, Kai. What’s going on?” he said as he walked back into the men’s locker room.
Jared liked to pace while he talked on the phone. He would also do numerous squats and lunges. No moment wasted for that boy.
Kayla ran out the back, taking advantage of the quiet. She eased out the door. At least she was going with someone who could get her back in. If she could have sent Declan or Shane…
She had to be honest. She wouldn’t have. Josh was hers. Her lover. Her Master. Her target.
Wheels crunched against the pavement as Riley’s Jeep pulled up. “Get in. We need to go.”
She hauled herself up, closing the door behind her. Riley took off, turning out of the private drive. “How far ahead is he?”
“Five minutes, but I know where he’s going. If Levi asks you saw me leaving and jumped in.”
Damn it. “He wanted to cut me out?”
“He pretty much ordered me to, but I think he’s a dick and I take orders from Big Tag. Big Tag thought you might like to come along.”
Thank god for Big Tag. “In that case, yes, I jumped in the back of the Jeep and you couldn’t get rid of me. What the fuck game is Levi playing? And how do you know where Josh is going? Never mind. You have the phone I duped from his. You’re listening to his calls. Is there a reason you haven’t given me an update? And where exactly are we going?”
He turned on PCH. “You know why. I can’t exactly call you. The house is wired so Levi would know I was talking to you. You can’t call me when you’re outside the house because Josh is already suspicious. I was hoping to talk to you before the play tonight but he never gave you a second alone. I’m worried about him. I think he could be dangerous.”
“So you’ve been listening in. How’d you like the phone sex?”
“I thought it was quite inventive.” He didn’t look at her, keeping his eyes on the road. “I did not put that into my report. Does he really do stuff to your feet?”
Finally she gets a dude who wants to talk and she was too mad at him to do it. Life sucked. And damn it, she wasn’t mad at Riley. She was mad a Josh. He was hiding something, probably something terrible. “What’s he doing out here, Riley?”
“I think he’s making a dead drop.”
Shit. Her stomach threatened to plummet. “To the Commander?”
“I don’t think so, but I can’t be sure. He’s involved in something nasty. The woman he talked to, she implied that this has been going on for a long time. Levi thinks this has something to do with his ties to the drug dealer, but I think it’s pure blackmail.”
That didn’t mean this wasn’t about the Commander and what Josh knew about him. It could be he was being blackmailed because of those ties. “It was a woman?”
“Yes, though she was using voice alteration. I still think the voice was female. She threatened you, Kay. Josh got extremely upset about that. You should know how he talks about you when you’re not around.”
“Hit me.” It would be good to know.
“He talks about you like you’re the sun in the sky. Like he didn’t understand what sunshine was until you walked in. When his publicist told him you might think about getting a little lift in the chest area…well, there’s a reason he’s getting a new publicist.”
Her heart softened. “He didn’t mention that to me.”
“But he’s volatile. He’s a powder keg waiting to go off, and I’m worried you’re going to be too close when he explodes. I know you’re capable of handling yourself, but it’s different when you care about the person. Emotions get in the way and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“What am I supposed to do? Pretend I don’t care about him? I can do that around Levi, but I can’t around you guys. You’re my team and you have to know everything. I do care about Josh.”
Riley nodded. “Just remember that when the shit hits the fan, and it will. Remember that you’re compromised when it comes to him and you might want to listen to people you trust. Or follow your instincts. Here’s our turnoff. Reach in the back and grab the boots I brought for you.”
She reached around. “Hiking boots?”
“You can’t go running all over Solstice Canyon in those heels. I swear I breathed a massive sigh of relief when you walked in wearing jeans. Tuck them into the socks I brought along. There are lots of snakes where we’re going.”
“Snakes?” The socks were super thick and long. She pulled them up over her jeans. “I hate snakes.”
“Yeah, I don’t think they like us much either, Dr. Jones,” Riley said with a sigh. “But I’ll be happy if snakes are the only predators we have to deal with tonight.”
* * * *
Josh turned the Ducati into the parking lot, lights off because despite what he’d told his blackmailer about night hiking, there wasn’t a lot of activity here in Solstice Canyon. Those adventurous hikers would be looking for city views.
What they would get out here would be a whole lot of nocturnal predators and potential places where a hiker could fall to his very adventurous death.
Of course, that was likely her point. She enjoyed forcing him into nasty situations. Once he had to make the drop in the middle of a tent village in Skid Row. He’d been given specific instructions for that one. He was to leave his vehicle at the outer edges of the “city,” parking it close to the mural proclaiming the city limits and population—Too Many. He had to walk the streets at midnight.
He was sure she’d watched him from some high ground, playing the god who liked to teach the piddling human a lesson.
He’d ghosted in and out of that place without ever bumping into one of the desperate, sometimes violent residents. Did she think he didn’t remember how to go unnoticed? He’d had a lifetime of disappearing into the shadows. Sometimes his life had depended on how well he could hide. Those lessons from his childhood had never left him.
But fuck he hated snakes.
She might have finally found something that really freaked him out. He could handle the dark, deal with being alone and vulnerable and watched. This was something different.
He parked the bike at the far edge of the lot and thanked the universe for Jared’s choice of the color black. The bike blended in well and unless someone was looking for it, would likely go unnoticed. He left the helmet on the seat and checked that the laces on the shit kickers he was wearing were well tied. Not his normal loafers, but they were made of thick leather and he could move in them. Leather gloves on his hands and a leather jacket and jeans completed his look for the evening. He liked to call it “dude who didn’t want to get bitten by snakes or covered in poison ivy.”
Fuck. He needed to do this fast. He pulled out a small flashlight. His phone would throw the light far too wide and bright. He needed to be subtle because he didn’t want to attract some curious park ranger.
As quietly as he could, he moved to the north end of the lot where the trail choices were offered. One a nice paved trail. Yeah, that wasn’t his. He got the stairs that led to the dirt path.
The road less traveled.
Thank you, Robert Frost. The road less traveled might have made all the difference to that old poet, but it likely meant rattlesnake bites to him.
How much time had already passed? He’d left the minute he could, throwing on some clothes and hauling ass out. Kay would want a shower. That would take her a while. His boots thudded along the stairs. Off to his right, he could see the Pacific in the distance, illuminated by the full moon. Somewhere down there was his house, the one he shared with Kayla now, the only place in the world he’d ever felt halfway safe.
He turned away and jogged down the trail. Fast. He had to get there, stash the key and get back. Jared was handling Kay. If she came out before he got back, Jared would explain that he was in the locker room taking an important call about the film. Those could last for a nice long time, and Kay understood the rules of the club. She wouldn’t go in there to check on him.
Jared would keep an eye on her and everything would be okay.
Something flashed up ahead of him, twin lights on a face that immediately disappeared into the shadows. He caught the merest glimpse of a big body lumbering along the canyon and back into the trees.
Cougar. That was a fucking cougar.
He crossed the paved road and then turned right. Rising Sun Trail. He could use some sun right about now. He started the climb, the trail cresting and diving, following the lines of the canyon.
The trail began a descent, but Josh stopped, instincts kicking in. He wasn’t alone.
He clicked the flashlight off. There wasn’t a lot to shield him where he was and now he cursed the bright light of the moon.
Was that a person coming up behind him? Or had the fucking cougar decided he was hungry and Josh looked like a halfway decent meal?
He stood for roughly thirty seconds, listening to the sounds around him. Crickets hummed, the underscore to this particular soundtrack. Something crunched through the shrubs to his left, but it was small, likely a prey animal. Everything was silent. Eerie, creepy silence.
Fucking hold on to this feeling. He could use it if he ever did a horror movie.
He clicked his flashlight on again, following the trail down.
Up ahead he could hear a stream flowing. Close. He was getting close. He stayed on the east bank of the stream, jogging now, looking for the steps.
Bingo.
He had no idea why someone had built a shrine to the Virgin Mary out in the middle of the Santa Monica Mountains, but there it was, just to the north of the trail. He breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Almost there.
Almost there.
He hit something in the trail and slipped. Fuck. Pain flared in his right ankle before he fell on his ass.
And that was when he heard it.
Rattle Rattle Rattle.
Shit.
Josh went still. The flashlight had fallen to his side, but it managed to illuminate enough of the path to see a big-ass rattlesnake coiled not four feet in front of him.
His breath stopped in his chest. The thing looked like he was ready to strike at any moment, its diamond-shaped head up and alert while that rattle on its tail kept its tune.
Keep calm. Assess the threat. Some of that military training he’d taken for various roles started playing through his head. Nothing was done until his heart stopped.
He had to stay still. As long as he was still, that thing seemed happy to remain in pending strike mode. The good news, the first thing he thought the snake would hit was his left shit kicker. That leg was closest to the incredibly large snake. If it struck, it might hit the rubber sole of his boot or the metal tip, both good places for him.
The bad? His ankle hurt like a motherfucker. And his time was definitely running out.
“Don’t move, Josh.”
He tensed but managed to stay where he was. “Kay?”
“Don’t move. I don’t want to hit you.”
He stayed as still as he could. Even when he wanted to look back, to make sure that really was his submissive somewhere behind him and not a park ranger. Please let it be a park ranger with a super-sexy voice. He could deal with that. He could bribe a park ranger. Kay would want her bribe in the form of answers, and he had none for her.
“Get out of here, Kayla. That’s an order.” He wasn’t lucky enough for that to be anyone but the one person he’d been trying to avoid.
“You want me to leave you with the snake?”
“Yes.” He meant it.
A ping sounded through the air and that fucking snake’s head exploded. It was a phenomenal shot, one in a million. Maybe less if you had as much training as she’d had.
Now a different panic threatened to take over. Someone would be out there watching him. Having Kayla even close by meant he was breaking the rules, and his blackmailer didn’t like it when he broke the rules.
“I mean it, Kay. Go away. You’re fired. Get the fuck out of here.”
She knelt down beside him, the scent of her citrusy soap hitting his nose and reminding him of how good she smelled. He would likely never get that scent out of his head. Citrus and sex. Soft and tangy with a bite. “I think I need to get you the fuck out of here. You can fire me later, but I’m doing my job now.”
“Kayla, I don’t think we’re alone out here. We need to move. We’ve got no cover,” a deep voice said from behind him.
“Who the fuck is that?” Had the whole damn club come out to witness his humiliation?
She started to put an arm under his. “It’s Riley. I would have taken Dec or Shane with me, but you gave them the night off. I wonder why. You thought I would be easier to get away from? I saw you sneaking out and Riley was the only one close. He wouldn’t let me take his Jeep alone and you took the keys to the car. Though I noted you didn’t take the car. I suspect Jared’s in on this. Whatever this is.”
This was about to become a clusterfuck of a situation. Not only was she out here in the middle of the fucking night, but she’d brought Riley Blade with her?
“Leave right now,” he commanded. “Go back the way you came and maybe I’ll think about not firing you and everyone from your firm. I’ll think about not calling your boss and telling him he’ll never get another job in this town again.”
“You do that. I would love to see you take on Big Tag,” she insisted as she managed to get him to his feet. “And he would fire me for letting my client get killed by a rattlesnake. Want to explain why we’re hiking this super-scary canyon at night?”
“If you want a little night hike, might I suggest the trail that leads to Griffith Observatory,” Riley supplied helpfully. “How’s that ankle? You took that fall hard.”
He hated the fact the other man had watched him go down. Hated even more that he’d been the one to bring Kay out. “I’d like to know what you’re doing with my sub.”
“If I hadn’t given her a ride, she would have found another way,” Riley explained. “Did you want her up here alone?”
He got a good look at the other Dom. Riley Blade looked long and lean against the moonlight. Dangerous, and he looked mighty comfy with that big.40 in his hand. “I didn’t want her to come at all. Now get her out of here.”
Kayla stood at his side. “I’m not going anywhere, Josh. You’re hurt. You can barely walk.”
“I’ll manage. Now get the fuck out of here and take your boyfriend with you.”
A low groan split the silence. “Don’t go sulky child on me now, Josh. I told you why he’s with me. If anyone should be pissed it’s me. You have a girlfriend out here? You meeting her for a quickie?”
“Of course not. I wouldn’t…” Fuck. This was not the time for a goddamn relationship discussion. It was certainly not the time to realize he was an asshole for being jealous when she’d never once given him a reason to be. Maybe he was handling this wrong. He was being aggressive and Kay responded to something else. He put his hands on her shoulders. “Baby, I need you to let me do this. Please. Let Riley take you back to the parking lot and I’ll meet you there. It’s important to me.”
She looked up and was about to speak when another sound split the air.
Gunfire. His time had just run out.
* * * *
Kayla heard the sound and pushed Josh down, rolling his big body to her left where the trail slid down. God, she hoped they weren’t rolling into the canyon to their deaths, but she had to take the chance. Her back bumped into the trunk of a tree after they’d rolled through some truly thorny bushes. Pain flashed through her as Josh’s full weight landed against her.
“Are you okay?” Josh’s voice was a whisper.
They were in the wrong position. “Yeah, but I need to get in front of you.”
“Absolutely fucking not. She’s shooting at you. She doesn’t want to kill me.”
“She? Who’s out there?” And where had Riley gotten off to? She’d seen him moving before she’d jumped on Josh. “What does she want?”
Instead of the answers she wanted, a cell phone trilled and Josh cursed.
He shoved his hand into his pocket and brought the phone to his ear. “I did not invite her along.”
Though the phone was to his ear, she was close enough she could hear an eerie robotic voice over the line. “You know what happens when you disobey, Joshua.”
A chill went through her. This wasn’t something Josh wanted. This wasn’t some business he was trying to hide from the press. He was in trouble, the kind that had him doing near suicidal stuff like jogging through the canyon at midnight.
“I wasn’t trying to. I was doing exactly what you asked and I got waylaid by a fucking rattlesnake,” Josh growled into the phone. “If Kay hadn’t come along, I would have died and then where would you get your cash? Because I assure you there’s no way you’re named in my will.”
There was silence for a moment. “I would have handled it. I’m not a bad shot myself. Get rid of your friends and complete the transaction or I’ll take them out one by one and you’ll still give me what I want.”
“I won’t,” he replied quickly. “You hurt her and I swear you won’t see another dime out of me. You hurt her and you better kill me because I won’t care about anything else. I’ll spend every dime I’ve got tracking you down and making your life even more miserable than you’ve made mine. Or you can let me make the drop and get the fuck out of here.”
“Send the girl.”
Oh, the girl was so ready to be sent. The girl was ready to meet whoever this bitch was and show her exactly how the girl handled threats to her man.
“No.” Josh’s tone had gone completely flat.
“Let me go,” Kay said.
His eyes found hers and she shivered at the anger she saw there. She’d known he would be pissed. When she’d seen him fall, heard that damn snake rattle, she’d known the game was up and she would have to scramble to save her job. She hadn’t hesitated. There had been no mental list of pros and cons, not a thought in her head about the mission. All she’d cared about was saving Josh.
That voice came over the line again. How many times had Josh heard it? How many of these “missions” had she sent him on?
“Send the girl, Joshua,” the voice over the phone said. “Give her the key and send her. You won’t make it. She can. And if you don’t do it quickly, I’ll kill the man first. You don’t care about him, right? I’ve got a nice line of sight and I can take him out with a headshot, no problem. I’ll do it simply because I’m irritated.”
Riley? Where was he? She tried to look around, but Josh had her pinned and in this case, her experience was nothing compared to his sheer weight and strength.
She needed to make him understand. She couldn’t let Riley get killed. “Please, Josh. Let me do it. I don’t think you can make it down that path. Your ankle might not be too bad, but that’s uneven ground. What happens if you roll it again? You won’t be able to make it back up. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
Those eyes of his were black in the dark, as black as the night, with only the whites of his eyes holding any color at all. He wasn’t her lover in that moment. He wasn’t her client or even her friend. He was her Dom and he was pissed.
He was in a corner, and she got the feeling it wasn’t going to go well for her when he found his way out.
He forced himself to sit up, the phone still at his ear. “You hurt her and you heard what I said.”
Kayla winced at the pain in her back. Now she couldn’t hear what was said from the other side. He’d moved, obviously unconcerned about whoever was out there. She glanced down and was happy for the tree she’d nearly broken her back on. If it hadn’t been there, they would have kept rolling and rolling, right down to the bottom.
“Then shoot me fucking now because I’m done with you. Do your worst,” Josh was saying.
She was silent, allowing him to deal as much as he could. It was apparent to her what the outcome was going to be. He winced every time he tried to move that right foot. He might be able to make it back to the parking lot, but it wouldn’t be without help. There was zero chance he could maneuver further into the canyon. Not on his own.
He needed her. He might not want to. It might enrage him, but he needed her.
After a moment Josh sighed and hung up. He reached into his pocket again and pulled out a small box. “You will take this down the trail. Stay on the east bank of the stream and you’ll come to some ruins. Go up the steps and turn north. There’s a shrine there. Put this box in the offering dish.”
That sounded super freaky. She took the box and got to her feet. “Okay. I’ll be quick.”
His hand closed around her wrist. “Do not look for her. She will kill you if she gets the chance. You have to leave the gun behind.”
“I don’t need a gun to take care of her.” She wanted to get whoever the hell was on the other end of that line in some hand to hand. She would make it last and that bitch would go down slow.
“Don’t you dare,” he said. “Do everything she tells you. I know you don’t give a shit that I’m the boss, but if you don’t do this and do it right, my career will be in the toilet. I will lose everything if you don’t give her what she wants.”
She hated the slight tremble in his voice, loathed how he struggled to stand. He was always strong, stalwart, and this weakness killed her. She tried to help him up, but he pushed her hand away.
“Don’t touch me right now.” His voice was low. He was a wounded animal, and those were the most dangerous kind. “You wanted to follow me and find out what I’m doing. Here’s your chance. That’s my whole future in your hands.”
But she had to wonder if it wasn’t really his past in her hands. This felt like blackmail, his desperation familiar to her. He had a secret. She understood what it meant to have a secret that could ruin not only her future, but end her life. What had Josh done or been through that could possibly be bad enough he was willing to pay blackmail?
She’d been so sure of him. Was he working for a drug dealer? That would do the trick. If someone had found that connection, it could ruin his career.
She couldn’t think about that now. Later, she would take out the information and carefully consider it, like a box to open and explore. For now, she had a mission. “I’m going. I’ll be right back and we’ll get you out of here. And Josh, I was only trying to do my job.”
“Your job is to do what I tell you to do,” he replied, the chill in his voice nearly making her shiver. “Don’t think this fight is done just because I give in on one front.”
She nodded and turned, catching sight of Riley. “You watch after him.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.” Josh’s gaze found Riley and she knew there would be trouble on that front as well.
Another problem for another day. She needed to get the job done and figure out a way to deal with Josh.
She couldn’t get kicked out. Not now. They were close to getting where they needed to go, and tonight had merely proven that Josh was in way over his head. Hell, he didn’t even know what kind of waters he was swimming in, much less that there were sharks circling. He thought this was his real problem.
Kay moved over the uneven ground, her natural grace allowing her to go quickly down the path. She found the stream, banking to the east. Certainly during the day, this was a kind of haven, but as she moved through at night, her flashlight picking up the flare of eyes watching her from scrub and bush, she couldn’t help but think that this wasn’t a place for her kind. Humans. At night this was a foreign world and she was the interloper. Something howled in the distance and she hurried the fuck up. There they were, the stairs she’d been told to find. They rose from the ground, a piece of humanity that had zero place out here.
Moonlight cast shadows around the small shrine. Built of roughhewn rocks, the semicircular shrine looked oddly at home in the canyon. In the deep gloom, she could see the statue of the Virgin Mary on her pedestal. The white rock she was sculpted from shone against the moonlight, giving the place an eerie glow. There was a smaller, kneeling statuary to her left, and a circular offering bowl that looked to be filled with pinecones.
At least it wasn’t something bloodier. With a long breath, she approached the shrine.
Yep, she’d feel better with a gun in her hand. And a couple of grenades. Maybe a flamethrower. Damn, but she missed flamethrowers. She was really more of an urban spy. She hated the fact that everything made sounds out here. Her boots crunched across the path despite the fact that she was trying to walk as quietly as possible. Wasn’t happening out here.
“It puts the lotion in the basket,” an electronically modified voice said.
Good to know someone had a sense of humor. And a working knowledge of pop culture. Kayla placed the packet Josh had given to her on the bed of pinecones. “Okay, Lecter, your move. You going to shoot me or let me get my boy out of here?”
“Your boy? That’s a little arrogant of you, don’t you think?”
Where was it coming from? The voice was low, but it seemed to come at her from every direction, the sound bouncing around and confusing her senses. “I’m the one taking care of him.”
“You’ve known him for a whole ten minutes. And by know I mean that in the biblical sense. You’ve spread your legs for him but you have no idea who he is. You have no idea the things he’s done.”
“I don’t care. I’m his bodyguard and yeah, I sleep with him because he’s really good at it, but that’s the extent of our relationship. So make your decision. Do I go or do you want to throw down right here?” She closed her eyes. It wasn’t like she could see much anyway.
“You’re a violent thing, aren’t you?” that voice asked. “You think you can solve everything with a bullet, but I’m more subtle than that. Smarter. I think I’ll forego the fight today, but don’t think this is over. If you stay with him for any amount of time, you’ll deal with me.”
“And you are? I would love a formal introduction.”
“I bet you would.” The voice sounded eerily amused. “Again, I believe I’ll forego that. The question now is how do I ensure you leave? I think you might enjoy staying here and trying to catch a glimpse of me.”
“Nope. I’m ready to head out. Not for nature.” Kay still couldn’t figure out where that voice was coming from, what direction to defend.
“I think you might hang around, or that friend of yours might. He looks a bit dangerous, like he’s had some training that goes beyond Hollywood. No, I think it’s good that I brought some friends along, too. Get out of here or I’ll have one of my snipers blow Josh’s head off. If you’re not in the parking lot in ten minutes, Josh is dead,” the voice pronounced.
“Why would…”
“Your time starts now,” the voice insisted.
Kayla took off, her boots pounding along the path. Sure enough, when she made it back to Josh, there was a laser painted on his chest. And another had a bead on Riley. Josh stared down at the red dot and she saw the moment Riley got the picture, too.
“She’s got at least two shooters on us,” Kay shouted. “Riley, pick him up. We’ve got ten minutes or they fire.”
Josh grunted as Riley tossed him over his shoulder.
Kay started to reach for her gun.
The dirt two inches from her hand exploded.
So whoever was out there was damn good and wanted her unarmed. Fuck. “Let’s move. I’ll take the front and light the way. We can’t stop so if we come up against momma mountain lion, expect a fight.”
“Lead the way,” Riley said.
She started back up the path, praying all along that Josh was worth more to that bitch alive than he was dead. Because if he wasn’t, she feared they were all in trouble.
They jogged along, Josh arguing quietly that he could walk and she and Riley ignoring him entirely. She breathed a bit when they reached a patch of trees. She glanced back and those red lasers that had been following them were gone.
“She’s not going to kill me,” Josh said. “She wanted to get you away from the drop site. That’s all. She’s long gone now.”
“I’m not taking the chance. We’re not stopping until we get back to the club. Then we’re getting in the car and we’re going home. When we’re at home, you can decide if you want to fire me or give me a heads-up the next time you decide to try to kill yourself.” The minute the words were out of her mouth, she knew that wasn’t the way to handle Josh, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
He’d almost died. If that damn snake had gotten him, he could have died out there. He wouldn’t have been able to walk, and even if he’d been smart enough to call her, she might not have made it in time. She would have raced out and found his big body growing cold on the trail.
Anger flared now but she tamped it down as they made it to the steps that led back to the parking lot. She put a hand out, stopping Riley. If someone was going to jump them, this would be the place to do it. The lot was dark and they could come at her from all sides.
And she’d lost her fucking favorite SIG. Agnes. She and Agnes had been together for a long time, and now she was likely getting a rubdown from a rattlesnake. Some asshole would find it on the trail and she would have questions to answer because that sucker was registered.
“Are you still carrying?” She moved to the side of the steps as Riley came down, showing no sign that he was bothered by Josh’s weight. Big Tag kept his men in shape.
“Reach into my right boot. There’s a semi in there.” He stopped, allowing her to pull the small gun free.
“You keep a gun in your boot?” Josh was squirming, trying to look around. “There are no weapons allowed in The Reef.”
“I keep it in my Jeep. I actually do quite a bit of hiking. And it’s all legal. I can show you my license to carry,” Riley replied.
Shit, she might have blown his cover, too.
There was a beeping sound as Riley unlocked the Jeep and then tossed her the keys. “I’ll get him in the back. You start up the Jeep and get us out of here.”
“I have to get the motorcycle. Jared’s motorcycle,” Josh insisted.
“He can get it later.” She wasn’t going to split them up. Besides, Jared should understand there was a price when he lied to her.
She moved around the edge of the lot, ensuring the way was clear. She winced when she walked by Jared’s bike. It had been pushed over and she could see where someone had viciously slashed the tires. “They got to the bike. Let’s hope they left us a way out.”
Riley groaned. “Fuck. That’s going to cost me a pretty penny.”
The Jeep’s tires had been treated to the same amount of love.
How had she worked so fast? How many people had been out here, watching them, waiting for Josh to make a mistake?
Riley propped Josh against the Jeep. “I think it’s safe to say they don’t want to chance us following them.”
She pulled out her cell phone and pressed the button to dial Shane. When he answered, she got straight to the point. “We need a pickup at the Solstice Canyon parking lot, and bring Declan because we’ve got to move two vehicles, and someone’s got to go back up that trail to find Agnes. Also bring an ice pack. Our client had a night to remember.”
Before he could ask the obvious questions, she hung up, unable to debrief anyone right now.
She was too angry. Too confused. Too scared for him.
“Kay?”
She looked up at Josh. Riley had moved away, as though giving them plenty of room. “Yeah?”
He should thank her, but that wasn’t what she expected.
“Nice boots. Those new?”
Yeah, she had some explaining to do.