“True,” Fretwell answered openly. “I was admittedly jealous of the man who was my wife’s first Dominant, hanging around her for several decades.”
Dex tried to hide his shock at that revelation. He was usually very perceptive and read people well, but he hadn’t gotten a Dom vibe from Dick Fretwell. It took Dex a minute to come to terms with the fact that Kate’s parents had been in the lifestyle. But he could definitely understand territorial instincts when it came to a committed or collared submissive. He felt that same way about Kate.
“Don’t look so shocked, boy. Your generation didn’t invent BDSM.”
Dex nodded. “Of course not, Dick. Let’s just say that most people in your generation don’t freely admit to knowledge of it, let alone active participation.”
“Fair enough,” Fretwell conceded. “But as for Carl, while we didn’t get along well, I didn’t shoot him.”
Dex had to admire the older man for his spunk. It was too bad he and Kate didn’t have a closer relationship. If they weren’t related, Dex was sure they would really like each other.
“The FBI took out the shooter, so you aren’t a suspect in that crime.”
Fretwell nodded. “Good. I know my wife would’ve been devastated if she were around for this, and I suspect this hit Kate pretty hard, although it didn’t come up when she visited me earlier.”
Dex had heard about Kate’s visit from the protection detail, and he wondered what had transpired. “What did Kate come to meet with you about earlier?”
Fretwell shook his head. “I would normally tell you to go to hell, that it wasn’t any of your business, but she came to talk to me about Merestone.”
Dex frowned as he looked across the desk at the older man. “What about them?”
“She wanted to know if I had gotten her the work with them, and if I was working with terrorists.” Dex easily saw the pain in the man’s expression. He supposed if his daughter thought him capable of something like that, it would slice pretty deep.
“Are you working with terrorists? Did you get Kate those jobs?”
Fretwell shook his head. “She got those jobs on her own. I’m assuming through word of mouth. She’s got a great reputation in the business. I’ll admit, I was pissed when she dropped out of medical school to go into IT, but she’s her mother’s daughter, and mine as well, and she has always been strong minded and stubborn as hell.”
Dex heard the respect and even the pride in Fretwell’s voice and wondered if Kate even knew her father felt this way. From what she had told him, it didn’t sound like it.
Fretwell reached out to close the file folder, then slid it across the table to Dex. “Here’s everything I have on everyone from The Dungeon. Some of that predates me hiring Opal, but everything she did supply me is in there, along with things I learned through other sources.”
Dex wasn’t sure what to say.
“I’ve realized my little girl is all grown up. I won’t need Opal’s services anymore, and in fact, I think she’s been working for both myself and Senator Balkins for quite a while. I know from Mark Stanton directly that she was also selling him information.”
Dex frowned. So much for Opal trying to say Stanton was blackmailing her.
“Thank you, Dick. I’d really like to go see Kate now.”
Chapter 27
Kate woke up feeling groggy and out of it, so didn’t bother opening her eyes. Maybe if she stayed very still, Rusty wouldn’t notice she was awake and demand she get up yet.
Her body felt heavy, with lots of aches and sore spots. She smiled as memories of the amazing flogging with Master Dex came back to her.
“I love that evil smile. I’ve missed it.”
Kate started at Dex’s voice so close beside her, and pain accosted her from several areas all over her body.
What the hell?
She shouldn’t be this sore the morning after a flogging.
With effort, she opened her eyes and looked up into Dex’s handsome face.
“Hey, beautiful. How do you feel?”
Kate frowned. “Like I was hit by a bus—” She stopped short as memories flooded back about overhearing Dex on the phone, the frantic drive to L.A., confronting her father at his office, and then…
“Crap. Am I okay?” She glanced past him and saw everything she would expect to find in a hospital room. “I hate hospitals.”
Dex brushed some hair away from her face, his touch burning through her. “You’ll be fine after you finish healing. You’ve got a broken left arm, and a pretty severe concussion. You’ll probably be sore as hell for a while, but other than that, you checked out fine.”
She concentrated on her left arm, and although she could move her fingers, now that Dex mentioned it, she noticed the cast.
“I hate casts. They itch.”
He chuckled and pressed a kiss against her mouth. “Think of it as a challenge during a scene to keep your arm restrained for six weeks or so.”
She laughed, but the sound echoed through her head, making her wince.
“Are you in pain?”