Masters at Arms - By Kallypso Masters Page 0,73

knew the sooner she got the story out, the sooner she’d be able to begin to function again. To heal. Whatever had happened, she’d already kept it bottled up way too long. She gasped for air, trying to control her sobs.

“Take a deep, slow breath, Karla.” She did as he told her. At least he knew she could hear him. She hiccoughed and he felt his gut clench—and parts south tighten. “Again.” He needed to keep his mind off how nice it felt having her curled up in his lap. If she didn’t spill the story soon, he would embarrass himself—and probably scare the hell out of her.

“Tell me. Now, Karla.” He didn’t mean to sound so gruff, but it was all he could do to maintain control over his wayward dick.

As if a dam had burst, the words spilled out in a jumble, with sobs obliterating most of the details in the story. But he managed to get the gist of it.

Motorcycle. Rain. Semi.

Ian’s dead.

Dead.

“Oh, God, no, Karla.” Adam held her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head, trying to envelop her in warmth and safety. “I’m so sorry.” He ached for Karla and her parents. When tears burned his own eyes, he let them flow, knowing she couldn’t see them. He cried for Ian, who hadn’t been given a chance to live. He cried for Jenny and Carl, who had to be caught up in a living hell right now. He even cried for Joni, who he hadn’t been able to cry for since that Thanksgiving morning in 2002 at Lake Michigan.

But mostly he cried for Karla. She didn’t deserve this. Her world was supposed to be happy. Innocent. Full of hope. He wished he hadn’t ignored his instincts. He knew something was wrong and should have gotten in touch with her sooner.

He didn’t know how long she continued to sob, then her body suddenly went limp, sinking against him. Her weight felt good against him. She’d surrendered the last of her defenses. Thank God she’d come to him. Someone else might take advantage of her vulnerability.

While he and Karla had spent only a couple of days together face to face, they’d forged a deeper connection that spanned nearly a decade. She’d pulled him back from the brink when he’d thought there was nothing left for him in this world. Her letters over the years were honest, as if she were sitting right there at his feet telling him about her day.

No, don’t think about her sitting gracefully at your feet.

Her letters had told of her life, her dreams, her world. He knew her better than he’d known any woman other than Joni.

Something or someone had brought them together again. He’d taken care of Karla once before. He’d take care of her this time, too. And he’d refuse to give in to the baser thoughts running rampant through his mind since he’d watched her performing on the club’s stage a little while ago.

When her weight relaxed against him even more, he knew she’d fallen into a deep sleep. He held her a bit longer, stroking her arm, shushing her when her body convulsed with a shudder. Then he stood and carried her out the door into the hallway. They passed the theme rooms. Thank God she slept, although he knew she’d find them eventually, if she’d be working here.

Christ.

Damián came out of the medical theme room. He raised an eyebrow at seeing her curled up in his arms. No, this isn’t that kind of aftercare.

The man he thought of as his son grinned and looked up at him, a question in his eyes. Adam wasn’t ready to explain his relationship to Karla. He told himself it was because he didn’t want to wake her by speaking. In truth, though, he didn’t know how to explain her to Damián. He knew what their relationship had been before today. But how could he explain his feelings now without sounding like a fucked-up pervert?

“Go back upstairs and move her things to your old room.” He kept that one made up, in case Damián ever needed it. His son’s grin widened. He thought he knew the reason for moving her so close to Adam’s own bedroom, when Adam had intended originally for her to be as far away from him as possible.

“I need to keep an eye on her.”

“Sure. Let me know if I can help…Dad.”

Why had Damián chosen now, of all times, to remind him he was so fucking old? Hell, his surrogate son was only a couple years older than Karla. Maybe he should encourage them to get together. They both needed someone right now.

The thought of Karla being with Damián or any other man at the club rotted his gut, though. He carried her up the stairs. As he walked into the room where Damián had fought his demons all those years ago, he hoped Karla’s struggles would be much less. But in here, he’d be able to keep a close eye on her, just until she was ready to venture out and find a place to stay on her own.

* * *

Adam sat in the corner of her room and watched Karla sleep. He hadn’t wanted to scare her by removing her clothing, but had taken off her slippers and pulled a blanket over her. The thick black curls fanning out over the blue pillowcase sent his thoughts careening down dangerous paths yet again.

Demons flitted across her face a few times, but whenever he’d stand to go to her to fight them off, she’d become peaceful again and fall back into a deeper, more restful sleep. She couldn’t possibly be aware he was here, could she? He’d never admit he’d watched over her like this either. She’d think he was some kind of perv. But he was worried about her and she might not be as vocal as Damián had been when he’d battled his demons in that bed. Hopefully, she’d remain sleeping when he left her here alone.

Her black eyelashes flickered. Adam tensed. She moaned in her sleep and he was ready to go to her, to hold her until the nightmare ended. Then she sighed and returned once more to a deeper sleep.

Obviously, she hadn’t slept for a very, very long time. When had Ian been killed? Her last letter was two months ago and didn’t hint that anything was out of the ordinary. He probably should call Jenny and Carl and offer his condolences. Let them know Karla was with him. Safe.

Safe? Yeah, right. “Oh, don’t worry, Carl. Your daughter’s fine. She’s performing at my sex club—oh, musical performances only. Nothing to worry yourself about. She’s fine.”

Just fine.

Thoughts of her performing in other ways at the club flicked over his mind. Shit. No way would she be engaging in any activities other than singing as long as he had anything to say about it. He doubted she’d even be interested in BDSM. And, if she were, she’d probably lean more toward the Domme side, given the way she’d managed to order him in the head at the bus station.

He smiled. She seemed pretty taken with her ability to bring him to his knees, as he recalled. Well, Adam didn’t bottom for anyone. If he remembered her in that role, perhaps he’d be able to put an end to his carnal thoughts about her.

Fuck. How could he be thinking horny thoughts about the Paxtons’ daughter in the first place? God, Carl and Jenny had taken him in, patched him up, given him a place to rest. Hell, they’d even given him a plane ticket back to Pendleton.

He knew he’d have a battle on his hands to keep from thinking about having rough, kinky sex with their innocent daughter.

Fucking A.

Total clusterfucking-A.

Afterword

The End? Not by a long shot!

Watch for these upcoming titles in the Rescue Me series by Kallypso Masters:

Nobody’s Angel—Master Marc’s story, September 2011

Nobody’s Hero—Master Adam and Karla’s story, December 2011

Nobody’s Perfect—Master Damián and Savannah (Savi)’s story, February 2012

Kally would love to have you

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Table of Contents

Section One

Section Two

Section Three

Section Four

Section Five