Damon by Kathi S. Barton Page A

for the future commanding officer of the police department, so he was meticulous in keeping a record of wha t that women would need to be.
    The next two tabs were where he’d gotten rid of the bodies and how he had done it. These lists were important because he had to make sure that he didn’t use the same modus operandi, or MO, twice, and he didn’t want to accidentally dig up one body when trying to dispose of another. That could be messy.
    The last tab was new. He’d never had to keep a running list of things to punish a bitch for before. No one had escaped him before so he’d simply given them their pun ishments right then and there. The top of this list was, Ru nning away—twenty-five lashes. He’d started out with five, but the longer she was missing, the more he’d add to it. When he found his Charlotte, she was going to have a lot of things to pay for, a lot of them.

~CHAPTER 11~
     
    Damon knew that at least Byro n knew what they’d been doing. He couldn’t help but feel proud of the fact that Charlie looked like she’ d just been thoroughly fucked. He knew that he did as well. Not that he minded too much. He was a little frightened by the idea of being Connor’s father and bei ng a good husband for Charlie. But he knew that he loved them and that was going to be enough.
    Pi handed him a huge platter of food and then one to Charlie. She looked at the older woman with a slight dazed look and Damon burst out laughing. He’d been doing that a lot lately, just laughing.
    “She makes us everything under the sun and then expects us to eat i t all and give her an opinion. It’s all very good. Just eat what you want and she’ll be happy.” Damon nodded to Charlie.
    Tonight’s menu consisted of chuen guen, or spring rolls, jar choi liang poon mein, or spicy cold noodles, and Bl ack Satin Chicken, or yau gai. The Black Satin Chicken was an integral part of all Chinese dinners, almost li ke a focal point of the table. Where Americans might have a vase of flowers on the table, this was served in its place. Charlie loved everything.
    “You were saying that Anthony came into your life at a hospital and that you were just getting it together . Y ou mean you didn’t know him before that? That all these problems a re something in his own mind?” Nick asked as he blew on something for one of his children.
    “He brought in this man…I can’t remember his—Jim Milford, he was Jim Milford,” Charlie said as if she’d suddenly remembered. “Anyway, Anthony brought him in because he claimed that he had resisted arrest and that Anthony had had to subdue him. Jim kept saying that Anthony had beaten him up after pulling him out of his car through the window t hat he had broken with his gun. I didn’t believe or care what either man said. My job was to put his arm back together.
    “As I was cleaning up the woun d, Anthony kept talking to me. I didn’t want to b e rude, but I didn’t like him. It had nothing to do with what he was saying. It was the itchy feeling he gave me when he got too close. I had to ask him several times to s tep away from me. Later that night, I guess after his shift, he came back. He offered to t ake me home and I refused him. He kept showing up, even on my days off. Then one day, he came by with Connor.”
    “He took your son? How on earth did he manage that ? And I’d sue that daycare center for even letting him go with a stranger.” Devin had jumped up so quic kly that Charlie had flinched. Damon glared at his brother and then took Charlie’s hand. She smiled at him and he thought he wouldn’t have to murder his brother. Not yet at any rate.
    “He had a badge. He’s a cop. Anthony is a state trooper and he told them that I’d been hurt at work and he was there to get Co nnor and bring him to my work. When he got there, I threatened him. I told him if he came near us agai n, I’d have to go to his boss. The next n ight, I got a speeding ticket. My car had been in the shop for