Topping the Domme (Crime and Punishment) (28 page)

Karina glanced toward the pipe. Six feet. That’s all she needed to move. She also knew that with the pain in her leg, six feet would feel like a mile. Gritting her teeth, she took one last look at Gary and silently climbed to her feet, using mostly her good leg. She braced the toe of her injured leg against the floor and held her breath, as burning pain tore up her calf and thigh.

If her Navy SEAL uncle could get himself to the evacuation site when he’d been shot in the leg while on a mission in Iran, then she could get six freakin’ feet.

But her uncle had pain meds and comrades to help him. She only had herself.

With her whole body shaking, she reached the pipe only to be shoved against the wall by the sudden, almost debilitating pain of a knife slicing into her back.

Karina screamed and braced herself against the cold paneling. Her fingers trembled badly as she tried to reach behind her to grab the handle. It was too far down, just below and to the left of her shoulder blade.

Giving up on the handle, she dropped her hand and leaned her cheek against the wall. Every breath hurt, and every beat of her heart sent a current of pain through her torso.

“What did I tell you, you stupid bitch?” he screamed from just a few feet away. “I should’ve tied your sorry ass up when we got here. Now you’re going to make me kill you before we’ve even had a chance to play.”

The edge of her fingers brushed against the jagged edge of the metal pipe. She glanced down at it, noticing the dried blood. He’d used that thing on other women. Now it was time he got a little taste of his own medicine.

She wrapped her fingers around it, steeling her resolve. This would be her only shot. She had only enough energy for this one try.

He started moving toward her and she braced herself for the pain. With a growl, she lifted the pipe and swung as hard as she could, catching Gary across the face. Blood sprayed over her cheek and she turned her head to avoid getting it in her eyes.

Gary screamed and covered his cheek with his hand. Cursing, he bent forward, and then reared back up with a roar. It wasn’t enough. He recovered too quickly and hit her face with the back of his hand, sending her to her knees. With her fingers still wrapped around the pipe, she stared up at him. Anger flashed in his eyes and she could swear she saw death. Her death.

A deep gash ran from the corner of his swelling eye to his jaw, making Karina flinch. He would kill her now, she had no doubt. It was written all over his face.

Brayden heard Delacroix gasp and his breathing turn shallow. It was killing him knowing that Karina was being hurt and not being able to do anything about it.

He’d finally found her, finally gotten the woman he’d admired from afar for years. To lose her now would just be wrong.

“Brayden,” Delacroix said softly. “She’s going to need a medical air evac. A chopper. Tell Josh to have them ready to move. She’ll be critical.”

Brayden stomach dropped. “How bad is it?”

Delacroix swallowed as the Escalade made a sharp turn to the right, forcing both of them to brace. “It’s bad.”

Brayden relayed the information to Josh as they sped down the dark road that led to the marina. The streetlights in the abandoned lakefront development were out, but there was enough of a moon to light the way and allow them to see the parking lot and the small boat tied to the dock in the distance.

Fear tightened Brayden’s chest. What if they were too late?

She had one chance left, but she wasn’t sure she had the energy to pull it off. Weakness was taking hold way too fast. She’d lost too much blood, not to mention the knife was still in her back, and every time she moved, the blade cut a little more at her insides.

She had to do this, though. She wanted to see Brayden again. Not just see him. She wanted to submit to him. It was unfathomable that, after everything she’d been through, she’d want him to continue to dominate her. But everything he’d done felt right. She wasn’t ready to give that up yet. She wasn’t ready to die without telling him she was in love with him.

Keeping Brayden in her mind, she used every ounce of strength she had left and forced the jagged end of the pipe into Gary’s lower stomach. Time seemed to move in slow motion as the metal pierced through his denim jeans and tight skin. Blood slid down the pipe and coated her hands as she continued to press upward, pushing the pipe through his chest.

Gary sputtered and gasped for air. His eyes went wide, and his mouth opened and closed as the color drained from his face and the light in his eyes dimmed. She’d never watched anyone die like that and felt a moment of revulsion over what she’d done.

Gary began to fall forward, but Karina didn’t have the strength to keep his body weight back. She lost her hold on the pipe and fell sideways as Gary fell forward across her legs. She cried out as his weight landed on her injured thigh before he rolled to his side and stared lifelessly right at her.

His mouth moved, and Karina held her breath. It appeared as though he wanted to say something, but he froze with his mouth half open, his eyes locked on hers.

She let out the breath she’d been holding. She choked on a sob, then cried in earnest as the adrenaline wore off and the pain became too much. Closing her tear-filled eyes, she willingly fell into the darkness that embraced her.

Brayden rushed headlong through the sliding glass door of the houseboat. With both hands raised, he held the flashlight straight out, hoping to temporarily blind anyone waiting to attack. Josh and Delacroix were right behind him.

He spotted Karina and the unsub both on the floor, lying facing each other, but at opposite ends. Both of them were covered in blood. The smell of urine and feces was heavy in the air. A knife remained embedded in Karina’s back. His heart stopped at how still she looked, how pale.

“Karina,” he shouted, as he rushed forward.

He kicked at the back of the unsub. He was obviously dead. Not giving him a second glance, he knelt down by Karina.

“Is she all right?” Delacroix asked, as he rolled the dead body of the unsub to his back. The connection had been lost the second Karina lost consciousness.

“I’m not sure, yet. She’s still breathing, though.”

“Holly shit,” Delacroix murmured.

“What?” Josh asked as he walked around, searching the rest of the boat.

Outside, the helicopter blades began to rattle the windows as it lowered onto the parking lot.

“It’s Gary,” Delacroix replied.

Brayden ignored them and concentrated on trying to get Karina to wake up. “Hey, Karina,” he said, giving her a slight shake.

He moved his gaze downward, quickly examining the wound in her thigh. Fresh blood oozed out and he placed the flat of his palm against it to stop the flow. When she didn’t move, his stomach dropped.

“Karina, please,” he whispered. “Open your eyes and look at me, kitten.”

“Brayden,” Delacroix said in his usual commanding tone. “Move, so the paramedics can get to her.”

He shook his head, at first not wanting to leave her side. “Karina,” he said again.

Someone touched his shoulder and he looked up to see a paramedic anxious for him to move. “Sir, we need you to move.”

Brayden stood and stepped aside, watching with gut-wrenching fear as they examined the knife in her back and determined the best way to lay her on the gurney. They didn’t want to remove it without knowing how big the blade was and what damage it had done to her insides.

“We’ll get vitals in the air,” one of them said, as they rushed her out the door and down the dock.

Brayden ran after them, but Delacroix grabbed his arm and held him back. “You won’t fit, Brayden. We’ve got another chopper coming. They’ll take us to the hospital. It will be faster than trying to get there in the car.”

“Do you know where they’re going?” he asked.

Delacroix nodded.

Two days later.

Karina winced at the pain in her back as she tried to adjust her position in the hospital bed. She was ready to get out of here. Supposedly, that would happen later today… If she was lucky.

Delacroix rushed forward and grabbed a pillow off the bed next to her.

“Here,” he said. “Try putting this at the small of your back. Maybe it will keep your upper back from hitting the mattress.”

She leaned forward, allowing him to add the pillow, and then sat back. With a sigh, she nodded and smiled. “Thank you. That helped.”

She stared at him as he moved to take a seat on the other bed. “Are we still…”

“Connected?” he finished for her after a brief pause.

She grinned. “Yeah.”

“No. Once you lost consciousness on the boat, it was gone.” He shrugged. “That’s how it happens sometimes.”

“I can’t believe you actually heard me.”

“It wasn’t heard, exactly. It was more like… Do you know when you’re trying to think of a word, but can’t, and then suddenly it pops into your head?”

She nodded.

“It’s like that.”

“Interesting,” she murmured.

“Have you told Brayden you’re in love with him yet?” he asked.

Amusement flashed in his eyes at her stunned look in his direction.

“We were connected, remember?”

Her mouth formed a silent O. “No, I haven’t.” She sighed. “We haven’t really been alone. There’s always someone stopping by or a nurse interrupting. He hasn’t said anything, either.”

“Oh, trust me. I’m sure it’s for the same reasons you just said.”

She glanced down at her hands. “Maybe.”

“No maybes,” Delacroix said, as he stood and walked to the foot of her bed. He grinned and pulled at one of her toes through the sheet, making her smile. “Talk to him, Karina. Don’t leave him hanging. Seeing you on the floor of that boat tore him up inside. He loves you. I have no doubt of that.” He pointed his finger at her, giving his best and most fearsome Dom look. Karina had to fight back a grin. “Don’t make me get my whip after you.”

“Yes, Master Delacroix,” she murmured, but she could tell by the amused expression on Delacroix’s face he didn’t believe the submission for a second.

Delacroix snorted. “Woman, you’re more full of shit than an outhouse.”

Karina laughed, and then groaned as her shaking chest pulled at her stitches. “Damn it. Don’t make me laugh.”

Brayden walked into the room carrying a bag of Chinese. She smiled and held her hands out. “Oh, God. Thank you, thank you. I swear if I had to eat this hospital slop one more day I was going to scream.”

With a chuckle, Delacroix slapped Brayden on the shoulder as he headed out the door. “She’s all yours, Master Brayden.”

Brayden’s lips lifted on one side. “Are you?” he asked, looking her in the eyes.

Karina’s arms lowered and her heart skipped in her chest. She’d been trying for the last two days to figure out how to tell him. Was it as simple as just saying yes?

“Can you be the sub for real, Karina?”

She swallowed and gave a slow nod. She could. She trusted him with her life, her heart, her soul. She never imagined she would ever trust anyone enough, but with Brayden it was so easy. So right.

He walked over and sat on the side of the bed. He placed the bag on her lap and gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his stare. “I may have shared once, but it won’t happen again. I love you, Karina. Do you trust me enough to be mine?”