Conviction (11 page)

“Come, sit, la signorina, how did you manage to come to be at dinner with this man? He is, what you call...a good catch, is he not?”

Kelly laughed at the man’s humour whilst simultaneously blushing. “Just a friendly dinner, Emmanuelle.”

“Ah, the jewellery around your neck suggests otherwise! I will let you sit and look over the menu, just give me a wave when you want to order. I will bring the usual, Signor James?”

“That would be great, Emmanuelle. Thank you for your hospitality as always.”

“It is my pleasure as always, I assure you. I will tell Adele that you are here, she will want to see the pretty lady that you bring with you tonight.”

Kelly watched the man almost dance to the kitchen. He was bursting with life and happiness and eager to please. If the man had any problems he hid them well with his happy façade.

“I take it you come here a bit then?” Kelly asked as she sipped at the iced water on the table, trying to get over the fact that the man had obviously known the meaning behind her collar.

“Every now and then, I guess.” James threw her a huge smile as he joked with her. “As you have guessed, a lot of the couples from the club come here, and he is also in the lifestyle with his wife, Adele. They are a beautiful couple.”

“If she is half as nice as he is, I can only imagine.”

Adele came bustling out of the kitchen muttering in Italian. Her eyes lit up when she saw James and even though she would have easily been twenty years his senior, Kelly could tell that she had feelings for him. To her surprise it didn't bother her, because as she smothered James in kisses and held him close to her breasts in a full body hug Kelly knew that Adele's feelings were purely maternal. Adele then turned her affections on to Kelly, who found herself smothered in the Italian woman's more than ample bosom. Her perfume was floral and mixed with the various aromas of Italian cooking, herbs and spices. Despite her normalcy to pull away from physical affection, Kelly found herself enjoying the motherly woman's touch.

James ordered in fluent Italian for both of them. Kelly only raised an eyebrow at his choosing of her meal. Her fingers moved to the cool metal around her neck, reminding her of her place in their relationship.
Relationship
?
Where had that come from
? She thought as Adele giggled and kissed her on the cheek and departed for the kitchen.

They fell into some small talk and Kelly found herself easily talking about her writing and her study. When James asked to read some of her writing she blushed from head to toe and he laughed at her bashfulness.

“I won't judge you, Kelly. If you write anything that is like the person you are, then my guess is you're probably sitting on a couple of best sellers.”

Before she had time to think of a comment for his beautiful compliment Emmanuelle returned with their meal. A small feast was laid out before them and Kelly almost choked on the sheer amount. Garlic bread, lasagne and two other pasta dishes sat before her. She took the offered plate from James as he heartily began to load up his plate. Taking his lead, Kelly took small amounts of everything, although only a quarter of the amount that James had managed to stack onto his plate.

“Hungry much?” She asked as he took the first mouthful of his lasagne, groaned and closed his eyes in pure bliss. Kelly found herself enjoying the sound of her groan and squirmed slightly in her seat, trying to abate the warming in her groin.

“What?” James retorted between mouthfuls. “I like my food, okay? And it's not like I'm going to be eating like this at home with you cooking now is it?”

Kelly's mouth opened and closed before she just laughed.

“That sound is even better than this amazing food. You really need to laugh more, you know that? It's absolutely the best sound I have ever heard.”

Kelly blushed and put a forkful of a creamy pasta in her mouth. Her eyes closed involuntarily as the flavours burst into life on her tongue. A small groan escaped her and when she opened her eyes, James was motionless, staring at her mouth with his fork paused halfway to his own.

“What? Have I got something on my chin?” Kelly swiped away at her chin as he continued to stare before clearing his throat moving his eyes back to hers.

“I think I'll have to revise that last statement I made.
That
was definitely the best sound I've ever heard come from your lips.” James quickly dropped his gaze from her and continued eating. The conversation halted as they filled their stomachs to almost bursting point, too engrossed in their own thoughts and enjoyment of the food to talk.

“Oh. My. God.” Kelly sat back in her chair as she finished the last mouthful on her plate. She hadn't eaten that much pasta and creaminess in...well, she couldn't even remember when. She didn't eat out at all. She mostly ate salads and what little meat she could justify. Her savings were substantial but they were for when she needed to hide away with Abbey. Things would be tight and she wouldn't be able to work, so she needed a decent nest egg if she was going to be able to provide a home for them both. “That was the most amazing meal I have ever had in my entire life. Thankyou. Sir.” She added the last part and dropped her eyes, embarrassed at calling him Sir in the restaurant.

“You're more than welcome, sweetheart. Now, would you like a glass of wine or dessert? Usually Adele considers it rude if I don't get dessert, but with the amount of food we just consumed, I'm sure she'll make an exception.” James reached for her hand across the table, pausing slightly to give her time to pull away, before gently placing his hand over hers.

Kelly noted its warmth and masculinity. She noted the gentle roughness of the tips of his fingers where the skin had hardened. She also noted how her pulse was hammering in her chest.

“Can I ask how you knew that I don't eat onion? It seemed odd that you knew that.”

“Oh, it's on your application form at the club. It's listed under allergies but you made a note stating that while you are not allergic to it, it
is
against your religion to consume it.” He paused and lifted an eyebrow at her as the red rose further up her cheeks. “I was going to ask about the religion thing, but it's a bit odd having a prejudice against a vegetable isn't it?”

“I can't stand the smell...” Kelly paused for a moment, weighing her options. She had already shared most of her past with James, and he in turn had shared a little about his life to her. Did she trust him enough to tell him more? In the end it was the warmth of his hand on hers that made up her mind, the safe, secure feeling that she got from him couldn't be wrong. She'd trusted her instincts for a long time and they hadn't let her down yet. “He ate a lot of onions. I can't stomach the smell of them.”

“Thank you, Kelly. For trusting me enough to share that with me, that means a lot to me. I'm very proud of you for taking that step. Good girl.” Those two words had never effected Kelly when she had heard them before in the club. But the sincerity in his voice had them creating a warmth in her belly that she hadn't known was possible. “Thank you for accepting my collar. For accepting to have this meal with me. Although, it
is
your fault that we had to eat out in the first place.” James squeezed her hand gently before slowly standing up and stretching to his full height. He towered above the table and Kelly couldn't help but notice the taught lines of his body.

“I'm going to need to run a mini marathon to burn of the calories I just ate.” She said as she also stood to leave. “And, just for the record, I warned you, numerous times in fact, about my lack of cooking skills. You were the one who had to see if for yourself.”

“I still get to blame you,” he leaned in and whispered in her ear for the second half of his sentence. “Don't forget,
I
have that right in this relationship of ours.”

Kelly couldn't help the small smile that played at the edges of her mouth as he pulled back she took in the happiness in his eyes. Somehow she'd never noticed how they sparkled when he was happy or when he laughed.

“Come on, Master Xander is expecting us.”

“Yes, Sir.”

James settled the bill while she stepped outside into the cool air. She had eaten far too much and needed some fresh air to help settle her far to full stomach. Two doors up she noticed an old antique store and went to look in the window while she waited. No doubt James had been dragged into another round of question and answer by Emmanuel, and this way they could ask their questions without embarrassing her.

Looking into the window Kelly reacted a split second before she would have been shot in the head. The bullet smashed the window in front of her spilling glass onto her body and entangling in her hair. She flicked out her leg from her crouched position at the man who stood above her, readying his gun for a second attempt. Her kick sent him flying onto the concrete before she jumped on his chest and kicked the gun away from his reach. The man managed to get a punch that landed on the side of her head and she heard a distant scream as she fought the blackness that was pulling her under.
No
! She thought as it engulfed her.
I need to get Abbey
! There was some shouting and loud voices before everything went black despite her desperate need to stay awake and live, she couldn't fight her body's reaction to the startling punch.

Chapter 10 - James

James heard the shot and nearly bowled Adele over trying to get out the door. He would know a gunshot anywhere, and that was definitely close by. Why had he let Kelly go out the front on her own? He reefed the door open and looked down the street, he could see her lying face down on the concrete, glass through her hair and blood oozing from her head. He glanced further down the street where he could only make out someone wearing dark clothes running in the opposite direction.

He reached her side in seconds and gently turned her over. She'd been punched in the side of her face, just below her temple. The skin had ripped open and she'd also hit her head when she'd face-planted the concrete. She was still breathing, thank god. Nice even breaths.

“Kelly? Can you hear me?” He waited a second for an answer but received no sign that she could hear him. “Come on, Little One, please wake up. I need you to wake up, Kelly. Please, I need you.”

James hadn't noticed the sirens approaching nor Xander who had appeared by his side. Together they lifted a motionless Kelly into his arms and headed for the club. Kelly would freak out if she woke to police standing over her. Xander quickly leaned down and picked up the gun that Kelly had been hiding under her body. He placed it in his jacket pocket and followed James up the road, telling Adele and Emmanuele to make sure that Kelly's name wasn't mentioned. They both nodded and looked towards where James had disappeared around the corner with concern.

“She'll be alright, Xander!” Emmanuele called to the empty street as police arrived with squealing tires and blaring sirens.

James paced outside of Xander's office after he'd been kicked out for not letting Isabelle, one of the club subs who was also an emergency doctor, take a look at Kelly. Xander had told him to either get out of the room or be forcefully removed.

He punched the wall hard enough to leave a dent in the plaster but didn't feel any pain in his hand at all. He should never have let her go out of that restaurant by herself. They'd had such a nice meal and he had finally seen her relax around him. Although watching her eat had been almost torture as she savoured each mouthful and made quiet groaning noises. She'd caught him staring at her a few times while they ate but had simply blushed and lowered her eyes to her food. Hell, if that girl wasn't a natural submissive he was certainly no Dom. He wondered if she already knew she was a sub, but because of her experience with Devlin, had decided to never pursue the area. He knew not to push her boundaries too fast, but that's what he did best. Pushing past a sub's defences until he was part of their very soul.

The door opened and Isabelle slipped out quietly into the corridor.

“She'll be okay, she's got a nasty concussion, but she's awake now, which is the main thing.” She paused and crossed her arms over her chest. “Right now I'm a doctor, not a sub, so you need to listen to me
very
carefully.”

“I'm listening, Isabella, but still be mindful of that tone of yours.”

“I don't know what you've got this girl into, but she's shaking like a leaf asking if the cops saw her and begging me not to make her go to a hospital. She really
should
go and get a scan done to make sure she hasn't got anything nasty going on under the surface.
But
seeing that both Kelly and Master Xander have
insisted
that she doesn't need to go, I can't make her. Look after her, keep a close eye on her for the next forty-eight hours. If she has any headaches, vomiting or nausea take her straight to the emergency department. Do you understand me?”

“Oh, I understand you perfectly, Isabelle.” He watched as the dark skinned South African turned on her heel and headed towards the club doors. “Oh and Isabelle?"

“Yes, Master James?”

“Thank you.”

James didn't wait for an answer, instead heading straight into Xander's office intent on seeing for himself that Kelly was indeed awake.

“Kelly?”

“I'm okay, Sir. Really. Just a nasty headache.” Kelly tried to sit up but winced and fell back to the pillows underneath her. Xander had her tucked up under a blanket and was sitting on the edge of his desk with a severe frown on his face.

“Xander...I'm sorry about before...I was...I was just...”

“Worried, I know. But not allowing anyone near the girl was just making things worse.” They both looked towards Kelly for a moment, her eyes were closed and she seemed to be resting. James knew that she would fight sleep and try to listen in to their conversation. “Let's step outside for a minute, shall we?”

“Please...please don't leave me alone.” Kelly hated the small, scared voice that came out of her mouth.

“It's okay, Little One, we're both just outside the door. I'll come straight back in a few minutes. Try and rest, okay?”

“Okay, Sir.”

Xander closed his office door as quietly as he could before turning towards his oldest friend with a single eyebrow raised. He didn't have to say anything, James knew what he wanted to know.

“Look, it's not what you think. I just...it's...she's just so damn complicated.”

“You have feelings for her?”

“I don't know yet,” James answered truthfully.

“If you're not sure then there must be something there.”

“Xander, I know what's at stake here, okay? Just leave this be. Who the hell would try and shoot her anyway?”

“I was going to call you this afternoon, but you said you were coming in anyway, so I decided to wait. There's been some movement on one of your sites. I don't have quite the same skillset as you but I managed to hack in to a phone log originating from inside Devlin's house. He
knows
she's live. He's ordered a hit on her. Doesn't care if she's dead or alive, but the bastard wants her brought to him. I'm not sure we can still do this. I think we need to find another way.”

The door to Xander's office flew open and Kelly stood leaning against the frame so pale that James wandered if she had any blood left in her head at all. He reached her before she fell and swiftly picked her up and carried her back to the couch.

“We can't give up.
I
can't give up. Make a deal. Exchange Abbey for me. He doesn't care about her, he never has. He'll gladly hand her over for me, I'm sure of it.”

“No way. You know he'll kill you.” James said as he brushed some hair off her face.

“It's the only way, Sir,
please
I'm begging you. If you don't help me to go there, I
will
do this by myself.” Kelly's eyes started to close and her voice dropped to barely a whisper. “If I'm going to die, I'd like to spend what days I have left with you by my side. It will make it so much easier.”

“No, Kelly, I'll find another way.” his own voice wavered as emotion tore through him. He couldn't stand the idea of leading her to her death, even for her child. The idea of her not being with him, in his home, took his breath away.

“James? Let her rest. You've got work to do, I could only hack into one of the phones in the house because the others are all encrypted. I'm not sure if they know they have an idiot amongst them or not, but the others were smart enough to use secure lines. I
know
you can hack them. It might just give us another way to get to Abbey.”

James' shoulders slumped as he stood and walked behind Xander's desk. Taking on last look at Kelly's pale face, he let his fingers fly over the keyboard in front of him. Fifteen minutes later he was in.

“Done. Only one other phone though, but we've got messages, voice mail, email as well as incoming and outgoing calls. I'll print it out and you can see if you can get something out of them and I'll work on the rest of these phones, the other three look a little more difficult to crack. But I'll get there.”

James and Xander worked in silence until early the next morning when Xander told them to go home. James had fought the idea, wanting to find
something
they could use. But after Xander had caught him asleep behind his screen, he'd relented.

He'd carried Kelly to the car and drove them both home without even waking her.