Clinch (The Underground Book 2) (21 page)

Leo led Katie into the waiting room.

“I don’t see any evidence anyone was inside.” Cooley’s brow was furrowed. “I assume any drugs you have are kept in that last room down the hall with the alarm?”

“Yes.” She nodded.

“No one got inside. Unless they had the code and then relocked it, that is. I’ll go with you to open the room and make sure.”

“That’s weird.”

“Did you check her apartment upstairs?” Leo asked. “It’s the door at the other end of the hall.”

Tanner nodded. “We did. Nothing. Of course, you’ll have to look around and verify nothing’s missing, but we don’t see any evidence.”

Katie followed them all to the back room, punched in the code to disarm the alarm and unlock the door, and then let Cooley step inside first.

Katie spun around slowly when she entered. “No one’s been in here.” She headed to the refrigerator and checked the contents with a slow perusal. “Nothing’s missing that I can tell.”

The four of them moved from room to room trying to find evidence of foul play and came up empty. Nothing upstairs, either. The few pieces of jewelry she had were in their boxes. “It makes no sense.” She set her hands on her hips.

“Any chance they ran off when you pulled up?” Tanner asked

“No.” Leo shook his head. “I would have noticed. They were already long gone.”

Cooper led them back down the stairs. In the waiting room, he added another thought, “Could be whoever it was wanted drugs. When they couldn’t get into the secured room, they left.”

Katie inhaled slowly. “True.” She wrapped her arms around her middle and shivered. It was chilly, but she was cold from the fear.

Leo examined the door again. “Why didn’t the alarm go off?”

Tanner stepped forward. “You sure it was set?”

“Absolutely. I set it myself.”

Katie inched forward.

Tanner shrugged. “That isn’t a very expensive one. Could be it just failed.”

“Were you planning to stay here tonight?” Cooley asked.

“We were,” she said.

“Not anymore,” Leo added, staring at the door.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I can’t leave. This is my clinic. It’s not secured.”

Leo glanced at his watch. “It’s not too late. I could still get over to the hardware store and figure out a way to secure the door.”

Tanner headed back to the swinging frame and checked it out. “Cheap aluminum. It simply buckled with one kick. The lock’s busted. If you could get another type of lock to put up for the night, you could add an individual alarm to it also. That would give you peace of mind while you’re sleeping.”

“Do you both live here?” Cooley asked.

“No.” Katie glanced at Leo.

Leo turned from the door. “Looks like we do now,” he told the officer. “I can’t believe she slept here alone for as long as she did. It was never a safe situation.”

“Hey,” she interrupted, “until today, I’ve never had a single incident. There has never been a threat to my clinic or the people I serve.” Of course, until today, she’d never known two thugs under the direction of the Russian mob were following her around. She hugged herself tighter, glancing outside as if she might spot someone lurking in a corner.

“Well, that has changed, ma’am. I agree with your boyfriend. I wouldn’t leave you here in good conscience.”

“I’ll run over to the hardware store now. Can you stay with her a few minutes until I can get back?”

“Of course,” both officers agreed.

Katie felt a little bit steamrolled, but on the flip side, she was right, and they had every reason to be nervous. Her crazy world was upside down crazier.

∙•∙

Leo pulled his phone out and called his contact as soon as he was inside the hardware store and pounding down the aisles in search of supplies.

“Hey.”

“It’s Leo. Listen, I don’t know if it means anything, but someone broke into Katie’s clinic while we were gone today. Kicked in the front door. Easily popped the lock. Alarm didn’t go off.”

“Shit. Anything missing?”

“No. But she has a safe room in the back that’s locked and on a separate alarm with a code. If someone was trying to steal drugs, they wouldn’t have succeeded. Could be a coincidence.”

“I don’t operate in coincidences.”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m calling.”

“Okay. I’m going to have extra detail assigned to you, hidden of course. Are you staying there tonight?”

“Yes, and all the nights in the foreseeable future.”

There was a pause. “And by foreseeable future, you mean…?”

“Fifty years if I have my way.”

“Got it. Okay. What are you doing about the door, then?”

“I’m at the hardware store now gathering supplies to pretend I’ve made it safe for her.”

“Excellent. For the record…?”

“Fuck no. No way in hell would I let her stay in that upstairs apartment tonight if I didn’t have backup. Just not going to tell her that.”

“Yeah, about that. If you’re serious about this woman…”

“I know.” Leo grabbed a new lock off the shelf and turned to head for the aisle with the alarm systems. He just needed something simple with one contact and a loud piercing noise if it got broken. “She knows nothing.”

“Good. We don’t take these things lightly. Sometimes even spouses are never brought into the fold.”

“I’m clear on that. My lips are sealed. For now.”

“All right. I’ll have two men on you in less than fifteen minutes.”

“Appreciate it.” He ended the call, stuffed the phone back in his pocket, and chose a quick solution for the alarm to get them through the night. All that mattered was that it worked. He wasn’t going to sleep well even knowing it was in place or that two hired men were out front hidden in the shadows.

Anton’s cell rang while he was staring out the window of his downtown apartment at the city lights. At night the place was so much more attractive.

Slowly he pulled the cell from his pocket and spotted the caller ID, swiping his finger across the screen to answer. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Sorry. I got called into work. My real job. No way I could escape. They had an emergency,” Christianson explained. His words were choppy as though rehearsed. Either he was lying, or he was rightfully afraid of Anton’s reaction.

“You work for me on Sundays. It’s the only day you have enough time to make much progress. I needed you today.” Anton was furious, and all Ted had to say was, “I had to work.”

“Couldn’t be helped. But the good news is they gave me tomorrow off in exchange. I’ll be at the lab first thing.”

Now we’re talking
.

“Good. Perfect. Need you to do something for me.”

“Name it.” Ted was a bit too chipper. Of course, he probably realized Anton was two seconds away from shooting him in the head.

Although that would never happen since Anton needed Christianson. The man was a genius at what he did. A godsend.

“Listen carefully…”

»»•««

“I can’t believe it’s only eight o’clock,” Katie said, glancing at the time on the microwave.

Leo pointed at the couch. “Sit. Let me finish putting the groceries away. You’re dead on your feet.”

For once, she didn’t argue. She sighed as she lowered herself onto the sofa and lifted her feet onto her coffee table. The two pieces of furniture were a bit comical in the surroundings. The tan upholstered sofa was not brand new, but it was top of the line. And the matching end table and coffee table were too. She must have brought them from another time in her life when she’d lived more opulently.

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

Leo was glad. He didn’t mind shuffling around in her kitchen. In fact, he liked the distraction. When he had all the groceries put away, he came over and sat next to her, pulling her head against his chest. “Our lives have been a bit too eventful this weekend.”

“Way too eventful.” She sighed. “Do you think we’re safe? That door…”

“Yep. It doesn’t even need a lock to be safe because the alarm’s piercing sound will chase off anyone who dares to touch it. Trust me.”

As if that would calm him by itself
.

“Okay. Do you think it’s like the cops said? That someone wanted drugs and took off when they couldn’t get them?”

“Probably.” He found that hard to believe. Way too coincidental for his taste, but it eased her mind. And he wasn’t lying. It was the most logical answer.

“I can’t stop shaking, and my mind is wandering to all the what ifs.”

He glanced down at the top of her head. “I can fix that.”

She lifted up, rolling her eyes. “Sex won’t fix everything.”

“Who said anything about sex?” He lifted a brow.

She narrowed her gaze. “Leo Gulin, what are you suggesting?” She leaned back, obviously leery.

“You owe me a bare ass.”

She flinched. “Seriously?”

“Yes. You don’t remember?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, I remember. I’m just thinking this isn’t the time.”

“This is the perfect time. Turn your power over to me. Let me take away the stress. A good spanking will erase everything. You’ll slip into a subspace and presto,” he snapped his fingers, “all your problems will become trivial.”

“That sounds ludicrous.”

“It works.” He stood and reached down to grab her hand. “Come on.”

She looked up at him, not moving. “Leo…” she moaned around the word. In frustration? Or lust? He wasn’t sure. But if it was the former, he knew he could turn it into the latter.

“Have I ever let you down?”

“Not yet, but there’s always a first. You asking for my permission to spank me? Like a child? I mean, it was one thing for you to do so on the spur of the moment the other night. But this is planned. It’s sort of weird.”

He leaned over her, setting his hands on both sides of her shoulders on the back of the couch. “It’s hot. And you’ll love it.” He kissed her lips. “Don’t think about it anymore. Consider it already out of your hands. Let me control you.”

He watched her contemplate the idea, knowing it was hard the first few times a new submissive gave over their power to another. It was difficult to relinquish. He’d seen it many times. But he was also confident Katie Schwan had what it took, and she would be thoroughly sated after a good spanking.

“It should not make me hot that you want to spank me. It’s unnatural.”

“It’s not.” He shrugged. “Lots of people like to be spanked, and for a variety of outcomes. For some, it provides a release that has nothing to do with sex. For others, one touch sends them into a sexual frenzy.” He grinned.

She blew out a breath. “How did I fall into the latter category?”

“You’re just wired that way, babe. It’s hot. It gives you the release you need from stress. And you can’t deny the orgasm that follows is mind blowing.”

“Ugh. Okay, but I still get to call ‘red’ if I don’t like it.”

“Absolutely. Always.” He pushed off the couch and took her hand to lead her to the bedroom.

There was plenty of light streaming in through the blinds from the street lamps. And the slats were angled high enough that no one could see in, so he left them and turned Katie to face him. He drew her T-shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor.

Holding her gaze, he unbuttoned her jeans and then lowered the zipper, slowly. Calmly. No sudden movements. No rush. It was still early. They had plenty of time. And afterward she would sleep like a baby.

When he had her completely naked, he stepped back a pace. He traced a finger down from her chin, over the curve of her neck, and across her chest. He barely grazed one nipple before continuing down toward her belly button. It was enough to send a shiver through her, though.

“And once again, I am naked and you’re not.”

He tapped her lips. “Don’t speak. Not a word. Just feel.”

She shivered again.

He circled behind her and pulled her shoulders back, lifting her fantastic tits. “Spread your legs.”

She stepped out.

He smoothed his hands down her back, practically massaging her in a standing position. He caressed her butt cheeks, her thighs, and then back up to her shoulders.

She softened gradually.

For a long time, he simply stroked her skin—everywhere except where she most needed it. Finally, he spoke. “Climb onto the bed. Get in the middle on all fours.”

She crawled up and did as he asked.

“Lower to your elbows. Put your forehead against the pillow. Spread your knees wider.”

She followed those instructions too, though she made not a single sound of distress or pleasure. She would.

He climbed up between her legs and molded his hands to her cheeks. They were the highest point of her body now, and he was well aware of the vulnerability that instilled. It was the reason he had her lower her head.

She didn’t make a sound as he pulled her cheeks apart and released them. He fought the urge to touch her tight hole. He would. In time. But not yet. For now, he would enjoy keeping her on edge, making her wonder if he was about to press a finger into the forbidden space.

“Are you wet for me, babe?”

“Yes.” Her word was barely audible.

Just asking the question would send a rush of arousal to her pussy. That was the goal. “May I check?”

Her breath hitched. “Yes.”

He reached a hand between her legs, parted her lips, and pressed one finger deep inside her, so slowly she rocked forward with the motion. “Oh, yeah. So wet.” He pulled the finger out, sucked it clean with a pop from his mouth, and climbed from between her legs to situate himself on one side.

With a hand on her lower back and one poised over her ass, he told her, “I’m going to spank you harder than the other night. I won’t make you count this time, but do so in your head because next time I’ll expect you to.”

She nodded into the pillow.

By the time he swatted her, she was already slipping into a subspace. Her body was warm and pliable. She barely flinched at the contact.

He smoothed his hand over the spot. “Good girl.” And then he spanked her two more times rapidly.

This time she held her ground, bracing herself with her elbows to keep from swaying forward.

After absorbing the heat with his palm, he swatted her several times, lower, at the juncture of her ass and thighs.