The Dawn of Dae (Dae Portals Book 1) (44 page)

Rob sighed and closed the laptop, shaking his head. “I’m not saying my fellow dae are the nicest of people—we really aren’t—but that’s repulsive.”

“What I don’t know is if Kenneth realizes what his drugs are being used for, not that he’ll care. All we know is that there’s someone, likely a woman, who barely missed becoming the subject of a horror film.” I shuddered, rolling over so I could bury my face in the pillow. “I could have lived my entire life without seeing something like that.”

“Is it Mr. Smith’s style to kill people this way?”

“No. He prefers a knife in an alley—anything other than using his drugs to kill someone. He’d never allow one of his hounds to record a murder. Too risky. Last thing he wants is the government sniffing out he’s the primary drug lord of Baltimore.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

The question bothered me. While under the influence of painkillers, no matter how mild, I wasn’t comfortable making any important decisions, but the problem of Kenneth Smith and Terry Moore couldn’t wait for my ribs to heal—or my head to clear. “I’m going to hide the…”

I blinked, and sucking in a breath, I shoved my hand down the front of my shirt to grab the black velvet bags I had stashed in my bra. “Plug these in and see what they are.”

Rob’s eyes widened as he took the pouches from me. “Where did you get these?”

“First place we hit. I forgot about them.”

It didn’t take long to discover they were copies of the videos we had watched—plus a collection of others. Rob skimmed through each one, shaking his head as he confirmed their content. “At first glance, no one would ever think it’s more than pornography.”

“Right until the end, when it turns into a murder,” I muttered.

“Someone has a very sick interest in entertainment material—and the dean paid a lot for each one.”

“Explains how he could afford a place in the Ivory Tower. One of those hits alone pays for several months of rent, probably.”

“What I want to know is how he has gotten away with it for so long—there’s at least fifty videos on these cards.” Rob spat curses, shaking his head. “And now you’re caught in the middle of it.”

“I’m not, actually.” I gathered up the evidence. Like Terry Moore, I’d have to find suitable hiding places for them, but I had years of experience to draw on. I’d leave them in a place so secure no one would find it—not without me telling them where to dig. “We’re going to delete all of the videos, leave the school work, and wipe the virus from the system. When I talk to Kenneth, I’m going to take the laptop, which will have been unfortunately damaged due to the failure of my harness. I will pretend I know nothing of the videos. I’ll give him the invoices, and let him sort out the mess.”

“One vial of the primary drugs, the rest of the narcotics, and the cash you found will be enough?”

At the doubt in Rob’s voice, I shrugged. “Should be. I’ll warn him about the woman in the refrigerator, though—a tip on the house. If I warn him, he’ll be more likely to believe I’m not out to turn him into the authorities. The information on Dean Lewis should help, too.”

“Will that be enough to leave you free and clear of him?”

“I’ll never be free and clear of him until the day one of us dies,” I admitted, resigned to the reality of my situation. “With my Bach degree, I can leave Baltimore, which will help, but Kenneth doesn’t like giving up what he views as his.”

“Rest assured, Alexa. I have zero intentions of allowing Mr. Smith to continue his use of you, inappropriate or otherwise. Maybe the other elite of this city are cowards, but I am not. If your efforts don’t force him to back off—and give you safer, better work—I will deal with him personally.”

“And what is an appropriate use of me?” I demanded, balling my hand in a fist, ready to pummel the dae if he started his property bullshit again.

“Do allow me to show you. Don’t worry; I’ll be gentle, and I promise you’ll like it.”

Rob cheated, using my desire and need for touch against me. With each stroke of his hand, he wiped away my resistance to him and eased my pain far better than any medication ever could. As I had the first time we had slept together, I ended up sprawled on top of him while he held me, his fingers tracing patterns on my bare skin.

“I told you you’d like it,” he murmured.

“You realize I’m using you for my personal pleasure and gain, correct?” I asked, flicking at his hair.
 

Laughing, he turned his head to dodge my fingers. “That seems fair to me. It’s mutual, I assure you.”

I liked the way I made him tremble when I touched him. The way his careful control shattered and turned into desperation for more aroused me in equal measure. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist on frequent examinations to ensure you’re staying properly in shape. Men like you fall prey to idleness so easily.”

I trailed my fingertips down his throat, and he shivered beneath me.

“Tease,” he accused, shifting his weight to roll me off him. “I have a laptop to damage, drugs to pack, and soup to finish. You should take a long soak so you don’t get stiff and sore. I want to take the goods to Mr. Smith tonight so we’re both finished with him. I’ll take you back to your apartment afterwards.”

“Won’t be that easy,” I warned him. The single vial of drugs and the invoices would, however, buy me time—probably. The warning about the dead woman would likely be enough to get Kenneth to call off any other attempts to get rid of me, at least for the moment. I’d have to find a way to deal with Baltimore’s crime lord once and for all, and I had the sinking feeling I’d need Rob’s help to pull it off.

“The things worth doing never are.” Rob got out of bed, grabbed one of the bathrobes, and wrapped up in it. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll also figure out something about the dean and make certain he doesn’t get you involved with his dirty work, too. I’m aware Kenneth was trying to hire you out of the dean’s keeping, and I think it’s a game I’m going to get very involved in.”

I sat up, my eyes widening as I remembered Kenneth’s negotiations with the dean for my work. “Do you think he knew the dean was somehow involved with Terry Moore and was trying to keep me out of it?”

“Or purposefully involve you in it by playing you against the pair of them. It’s possible. I’m impressed; even drugged, you come up with good ideas.”

I scowled, unwilling to admit I had functioned for years in a drugged stupor. “They’re shitty drugs.”

“I promised I wouldn’t get you hooked again, so you got the ineffective and shitty drugs. I should have just taken you to bed from the start.”

“Lesson learned. I will expect better from you next time.” I smirked at him, and wincing at the ache the motion caused, I rolled off the bed and headed for the bathroom. “Make sure Colby eats enough.”

“How the hell am I supposed to tell?”

I paused in the doorway, twisting around to face him. “I’m sure you can figure it out, the insufferable know-it-all you are.”

“You’re so cruel, Miss Daegberht.”

I cleared my throat and glared at him.

“Alexa.”

“That’s better. You made my roommate sick, so you get to nurse it back to health. I’m expecting results. Do not disappoint me. I like Colby more than I like you.”

Rob scowled at me. “I shall have to rectify that situation immediately.”

“I’m sure your efforts will provide at least some entertainment value.”

Shaking his head, Rob headed for the door. I watched him, and when he reached the hallway, I said, “Rob.”

He halted. “Yes?”

“Thanks.”

He turned to face me, his brows furrowed from confusion. “For what?”

“For not leaving me hanging around and preventing me from becoming a splatter on the street,” I mumbled. “Thanks.”

“Any time, Alexa.” He smiled and disappeared from view down the hall, leaving me to bathe in peace.

Once the euphoria of sleeping with Rob wore off, my concussion-induced headache intensified to a migraine. It took the dae a single glance to recognize the pain I was in, and with a disapproving cluck of his tongue, he fetched the little white box I remembered from his car the night he had picked me up on the streets.

He pulled out three syringes and laid them in a row on the countertop. “Ineffective and shitty, moderate, or will knock you flat on your ass and you won’t feel any pain for at least a week. Your choice. I won’t let you get hooked on it, even if you take the strong one. If you do take the strong one, I’m afraid you’ll have to bear with my company for a little while longer, but I’m sure I can make myself at home in your apartment.”

There was a lot about Rob that annoyed the hell out of me, but it surprised me I didn’t mind the idea of him being around for a while longer. I stared at the needles, not really seeing them through the haloes of light drifting in and out of my vision. “I’m going to be deadweight again. If I take that, you’re going to be carrying me to Kenneth’s place.”

“That thought occurred to me. I was actually planning to remove the bandages on your cheeks so he could see the bruise Colby gave you, too. A bit of psychological warfare on my—”

“I’m in,” I blurted, holding out my arm. “My head is really going to split in two, and if I can double down getting some revenge on Kenneth, I’ll do it. If I come out of this wanting more drugs, though, I will hold you responsible.”

“You can trust me.” Rob picked up one of the syringes, came out of the kitchen, and guided me to the couch. He sank down and pulled me onto his lap. “I was hoping the bath would help with the headache. The doctor said it’d probably get worse before it got better.”

“Wonderful.”

“This drug is probably one you haven’t used before; it’s only available through the hospitals, and it’s heavily controlled. It’s going to pack a punch, you’ll get exactly one injection of it, and I’ve been assured it has a lower-than-average risk of triggering addiction. It’ll make you drowsy, but it’ll help with the pain. The doctor thought it’d be a good option for someone with concerns about drugs. A common occurrence, even among the elite, it seems.” Rob cradled me in one arm so my head rested against his chest.

“Just get it over with,” I muttered, holding my arm up for him.

“I’ll take care of you, so don’t worry. I’ll make Mr. Smith regret putting you in the position he did at the same time, too. I’m even generous; I’m giving you a role to play. Within three or four hours, you’ll be home, and if Kenneth Smith even thinks of trying to hurt you, I’ll turn his empire into smoldering ruins. I’ll have a great deal of fun doing it, and I’ll even let you help.”

“Let me?” I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind when he jabbed me with the needle. “Cheater.”

“I’m not the cheating kind,” he replied.

It didn’t take long for the medication to kick in, stealing away any desire to argue with him. Rob left me on the couch to finish preparations, and instead of sleeping, I watched him.

When he caught me staring, he smiled.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

After devouring an entire pot of soup, Colby was more like its usual self, bouncing around with limitless energy. When we were ready to head to the Inner Harbor, my roommate zipped out the door and hopped to the passenger side door to wait. In my effort to salvage what remained of my pride, I staggered all the way to the car while Rob hovered at my side.