Hacked For Love & The Dom's Songbird: A Billionaire Romance Collection by Michelle Love, Celeste Fall (11)

“Who are you?” Steele said with a tense tone.

The woman didn’t turn back and Steele pulled her by the shoulder.

“I’m no one. I thought he was someone else. Sorry.” Her cheeks were red and she wouldn’t look up.

Arsen pulled at Steele. “Come on, Baby. She was mistaken. You’re embarrassing her.”

Steele allowed him to move them along, but she looked back at the woman and she knew they knew each other from the club. She looked at Arsen.

“You don’t want to admit you know her?”

“Can’t say I do know her, Steele. I have no idea what her name is. So, I don’t know her.” He went around the corner and pulled out a gallon of milk. “Since we’re going all out, I think I want to make milkshakes. You pick, vanilla or chocolate.”

“Which do you prefer, Arsen? And tell the truth,” she said as she glared at him.

“I like strawberry. If you must know. But most don’t, so you can choose.” He placed the milk in the basket and moved on.

“I happen to like strawberry too. But you didn’t get what I was saying,” she said as she took a half gallon of strawberry ice cream from the freezer.

“I got it, Steele. I’m just not doing that with you today. It’s been too good of a day to argue. I have a checkered past. You are well aware of that. Now please stow the attitude and forget about that little encounter. I just remembered why I don’t do grocery stores.”

Will my past forever haunt me?

Part Nine: For Love

ARSEN

As Arsen emerged from the bedroom, wearing a dark blue Armani suit and ready to go to work, seeking out Allen and making him confess, he smelled the wonderful scent of fresh coffee and bacon. A smile crossed his handsome face.

Then it turned quickly into a frown as he heard a man’s voice coming from the kitchen. It was Tanner Goldstein’s, and he had not been invited.

As he stepped into the kitchen, he found Steele wearing an apron over one of the new dresses he’d ordered her. She was pulling biscuits from the oven as Tanner sat at the table, drinking coffee and reading some paper he must’ve brought with him.

Neither noticed Arsen as Steele said, “He should be right out, Tanner.”

“Ummm. About that, Steele. What exactly is going on here?” Tanner put the cup of coffee down and looked at her. Waiting for her answer.

Steele fidgeted with the pan of biscuits and Arsen knew she was trying to think of what to say. He made his presence known.

“Good morning, Tanner. Did I miss a phone call or something?”

Tanner stood and shook Arsen’s hand.

“Not at all. I just got an early start this morning and thought I’d stop by. We really need to get working on our defense, Arsen.”

Steele turned and seemed nervous as she placed the food on the table. “When the doorman called up to say Tanner was here I was already getting your breakfast ready, so I invited Tanner for breakfast, Mr. Sloan. I hope you don’t mind.”

Arsen cocked his eyebrow. So she was going to act as if they weren’t together. He went along.

“Of course, it’s fine, Miss Gannon.” Arsen looked at Tanner. “I’m keeping her, Tanner. Hope you don’t mind. I’ll be using her as my intern.”

Steele’s eyes lit up. He tried hard not to smile with her obvious delight. He’d not even offered her the position, but as it flited through his mind, he blurted it out and there it was. She’d be his new intern, among other things.

He saw her smiling as she moved around the kitchen and poured them all glasses of orange juice. Arsen took a seat at the table as did Tanner.

“I’ve been visited by Anne Sinclair, Tanner. She seems to think the police are against me. What do you think I can do about that?”

The buzzer sounded off and Arsen gave Steele a nod.

“Can you answer that?”

She rushed off to answer the doorman’s call and when she came back she told him, “A Detective Fontaine is on her way up to see you, Mr. Sloan.”

He frowned and knew Steele was going to have a hard time handling the flirting the woman was most likely going to do. His voice was laced with sarcasm, “Great.”

“A new detective, I see,” Tanner said as he tapped his finger on the table top. “When were you going to let me in on that, Arsen?”

He shrugged and took a sip of his coffee and wished it was a nice glass of Scotch instead. The day was starting out pretty crappy.

“Miss Gannon, can you please meet the officer at the elevator and see her in here? Please ask her to join us for breakfast as well.”

Steele ran off to do as he’d requested and Tanner leaned in close to Arsen. “Not ready to let me in on what the hell really is going on between you two?”

“She’s my assistant. I think she’ll learn the most this way.” Arsen picked up a biscuit and began buttering it.

“What else are you teaching her, Master Sloan?” Tanner’s eyes stared into his with a penetrating gaze which told Arsen he was pulling nothing over on the man.

“None of your business. I’m breaking no laws and that’s all that matters.” Arsen stood up when Steele came back into the dining area of the large kitchen. She wore a frown as she looked at him.

The reason why, he already knew. Detective Fontaine followed behind her. A foot taller, and wearing a very nice dress herself, her long legs ran out from under a red dress and her heels were a shiny black.

Fontaine’s long blonde hair flowed over her shoulders and Arsen knew Steele was not happy about him leaving out how attractive the detective was.

Tanner stood too and offered his hand to the woman.

“I’m Mr. Sloan’s attorney, Tanner Goldstein. You are the new detective on his case, I see.”

She shook his hand and Arsen moved to pull a chair out for her.

“Good morning, Detective Fontaine. Did my assistant offer for you to join us this morning? She made a nice breakfast.”

The woman nodded and Steele put another place setting down in front of the chair Arsen had pulled out for the woman. Her arm brushed his as she moved back after setting it down and he looked at her, catching the glare she gave him.

There will most definitely be an argument later!

After the detective sat down, Arsen pulled out another chair.

“Miss Gannon, if you will please take your seat, we can get on with this.”

She sat down in the chair and his hand moved over her shoulder lightly, trying to diffuse some of her obvious anger. He sat down next to her and pressed the side of his leg to hers underneath the table where no one could see.

Fontaine’s light blue eyes went back and forth between them.

“Your assistant comes to make you breakfast, Arsen?”

Steele’s head snapped up.

“Mr. Sloan to you!”

Arsen’s eyes went wide, and he tapped the top of her hand with his.

“That’s quite alright, Miss Gannon. She can call me by my first name.”

Steele clenched her jaw and said, “I apologize, ma’am. I had no idea he allowed you to call him that.” Her eyes stayed on the table in front of her and Arsen sighed as he knew what was going to come later.

Tanner cleared his throat and said, “Have you found anything new on the case, Detective?”

She looked at Tanner and pulled a paper from her purse. Then laid it on the table.

“We’re about to go search Arsen’s playroom at Club Fierce. I’d love for you gentlemen to join us.”

“Of course, we will,” Tanner said then took a sip of coffee.

Steele’s hand ran over the top of Arsen’s leg under the table and she looked at him. With a whisper, she asked, “Are you okay?”

He took her hand in his under the table and gave it a squeeze. He wasn’t okay. Not even remotely, but he was trying to hang on to his fear.

Allen White was on his mind and he wanted to get to the man first thing, but those plans were going to have to be postponed. And Arsen found his appetite was gone.

Going back into the place wasn’t a thing he wanted to do. It was a place he was trying desperately to leave behind him, but it just kept coming back to haunt him, over and over again.

“I’d like to see the autopsy reports on all three victims,” Arsen said, making Tanner and the detective stop eating and look at him.

Then Tanner said, “I have the reports, Arsen.”

Arsen cocked his head at his attorney.

“And how long have you had them, Tanner?” His tone was stern and riddled with aggravation.

“A week.” Tanner took a bite of his jelly filled biscuit and Arsen had to stifle a growl.

“I’d like to have seen them. Can you tell me if there was anything unusual about them?” he asked.

“No, they all died of asphyxiation.” Tanner looked at the detective. “Isn’t that right?”

She gave a nod.

“There’s just the one common thread. Your hand prints around their necks.” Her eyes moved to Steele. “Those women seemed to like that sort of thing, Miss Gannon. Do you?”

Steele jerked her head up to look at the woman. “What I like is none of your concern.”

Fontaine’s eyes flew to Arsen’s.

“Feisty one, isn’t she? Tell me, Arsen. Are you finding her difficult to train?”

Arsen’s tone stayed flat.

“Steele needs no training. She is her own person and I respect that about her.” He gave Steele’s knee a little squeeze.

Tanner cleared his throat to ease the tension.

“So, when should we go?”

“Right now,” the detective said as she got up. “I’m finished with breakfast. Thank you for the hospitality.”

Steele got up and began to pick up the dishes. Arsen took his plate to the sink, following her.

“You’re coming with us. I’ll have the maid come clean things up.”

She turned and looked at him with surprise.

“You have a maid?”

He nodded.

“An older woman who lives in the building. I let her off this last week, because of you, but I’m getting her to start back up.”

Steele looked around him to be sure the others had left the kitchen.

“The book, though. It had all kinds of housework in there.”

He smiled and tweaked her nose.

“I know it did. It seems I could’ve put all kinds of crazy things in it and you still would’ve agreed to it.”

She sighed.

“You aren’t taking me seriously about this, are you?”

“Let’s don’t argue. Come on, we need to go. Remember, you’ve never been to this place.” He looked back to make sure no one was watching then looked back at Steele and placed a little kiss on her lips. Leaning in, he whispered, “I love you. Thank you for making breakfast. It was delicious.”

She smiled.

“I love you too, And you’re welcome, Arsen. You’re also in a lot of trouble for not telling me how gorgeous that woman was.”

“I know.” He placed his hand at the small of her back and ushered her towards the living room where the others waited. “Maybe I’ll let you cuff me next time.”

She giggled a little, and he playfully swatted her ass before they got into the living room.

All four of them walked into the elevator. It was a bit cramped and Steele was pressed next to Arsen’s side. The detective to his other side was close as well.

Detective Fontaine leaned closer, whispering, “If there’s anything you’d like to admit before we go through all this trouble, now would be an excellent time to do that, Arsen. I could slip you into my car and we could make a little stop at my apartment before we got to the station. If you know what I mean.”

Steele’s hand threaded into his and she gave it a squeeze.

“Nothing to admit and not interested, Fontaine.”

Steele released his hand before they walked off the elevator. His hand touched the small of her back, urging her to walk in front of him. He could feel her heart pounding and knew she was going to cut into him as soon as she found herself alone with him.

“Miss Gannon and I will go in my car and lead the way.” Arsen made his way with Steele to where Paul was waiting for them.

“Good morning,” Paul said with a grim look on his face. “Looks like you’ve already had quite a morning, boss.”

“Yes, I have. To add to the fun, you’ll be leading the other two cars to Club Fierce. This should be so much fucking fun!” Arsen held Steele’s hand as she slid into the car.

He slid in next to her as Paul closed the door.

Her beautiful face was pale as she turned to look at him. Before she could open her mouth to start what he knew was an argument that would affect his already sour mood, he pulled her to him and kissed her hard.

Her arguing could be done later. Right now he might be taken in if they found any reason to when they looked around his private room at the club.

Arsen released her from his kiss.

“I need you, right now, Baby. Get rid of the panties.”

She quickly did as he said. Arsen felt his body begin to shake, his eye twitch and the fear of going to prison and never having what he knew he could have with Steele filled him.

GWEN

The sound of birds chirping woke Gwen up as she had fallen asleep high up on the beam in the abandoned warehouse. Then the sound of a car starting made her sit up.

She listened like her life depended on it because it did. The car sounded like it was pulling away from the area and she quickly put the ladder down. Then climbed down off the beam near the ceiling she’d hid on many hours earlier.

Running to the door, she pulled it open only a little and found the back of Allen’s car moving down the steep road, away from the buildings. He’d see her if she followed.

She wrapped the towel around her tightly and made her way back to the building she’d been held in. To get her clothes back on and find a way out of there was all she could think about doing.

As she made her way into the building, she was pretty sure she’d been kept in, she saw a small table. On top of it were three syringes filled with some type of drug. She grabbed them and took them with her.

Allen would not be using those to aid him in killing anyone. She quickly found the room she had been in and her clothes were lying in a pile right where she’d been made to take them off.

She pulled them on, but she still had no shoes on as she didn’t have any on when Allen took her from her apartment. Making sure to take the syringes with her, she headed out to find a way out of the place.

To be able to see all around, she went and got the ladder from the other building and took it outside. Leaning it up on the side of the building, she climbed up and got on the roof.

A small ledge ran around it and after she emptied the three syringes, she left them up on the roof. After doing that, she looked around and found her only chance of escape was through the water. She’d have to swim around to get out and then it looked like she’d have to walk through some very tall grass to make it to the road which looked pretty desolate.

She climbed down and knew she had to try no matter how hard it looked to be. After a little prayer, she set off towards the water.

STEELE

His need for her was obvious as she moved to sit on his lap, facing him as he sat on the leather seat of the Suburban. Arsen’s body was quivering and his eye was twitching.

She had no comforting words. There was no way of knowing what was about to happen. They were on their way with the police to his private room at the BDSM club and anything could happen.

She had been upset with him for leaving things out about the beautiful detective, but that didn’t matter anymore. Not when Arsen so obviously needed her.

Steele looked into his dark eyes as she slid her body over his hard erection. His eye was twitching, and she placed her finger to it. His hands took her waist, and he lifted her up and down as they looked into each other’s eyes.

Arsen was afraid. For the first time, she saw the real fear of his situation coming out in him. She wanted to take it all away for him. Make it all better.

She knew she couldn’t actually make anything better, except for that moment in time. For the brief moments before they made it to the club, she could let him know she was with him.

Body, mind, and soul, she belonged to him and always would no matter what the outcome was.

He filled her as she moved up and down his long length. She placed her lips on his and kissed him. It started out gentle then it grew into a hungry, hard kiss.

She felt his urgent need, and she gave him all he wanted of her. She’d give her life for him if need be, she definitely could give her body to comfort him.

Steele took one of his hands and moved it to her breast. He moaned as he squeezed it through the fabric of her dark blue dress.

Arsen had laid the dress out for her to put on after they took a nice, shower that morning, which had been hot in more ways than one. Then he chose a suit which matched the dress perfectly.

She thought how adorable they would look, dressed comparable to one another. Arsen was a true romantic and didn’t even realize it.

The night before had been so normal, so down to Earth.

The two had eaten junk food and watched a sappy love story while making out now and again on the sofa. It was a blissful, normal night, and she’d loved it and could tell he did too.

After the day of riding her horse and the night of doing sweet things, she’d found the hard as nails man to be anything but that.

He’d told her he could be himself with her. The man he never knew he wanted to be until he found her.

Steele’s body moved over Arsen’s hard cock and both were breathing hard. Her dress had buttons closing the top of it and he undid them, pulling one breast from her bra and placing his mouth on it.

He bit the nipple, igniting a groan from her. Then he sucked it hard. His hands bit into her waist as he tightened his grip on her and moved her faster.

She supposed it wasn’t enough for him when he lifted her all the way off and placed her on the floor on her hands and knees. He tossed her dress up over her back and began ramming into her from behind.

With hard pants and low moans, she found him pounding into her. Animalistic in nature and she knew he needed the intensity to help him stop thinking about what might happen. She was his drug to ease the fear, and she was glad to be what he needed.

His body went tense and she could tell he was clenching his teeth as he said, “Come!”

Her body did as he had commanded and his cock pulsed inside her. A loud groan came from him as he let go of all the fear he’d had.

They stayed still until it was all over then he pulled away from her and offered her a handful of tissue to clean up the mess his attention to her had left.

In silence, they cleaned themselves and sat back down on the leather seat. He reached over and buckled her seatbelt.

“Please try to remember I want you to wear this.”

Her hand grazed his perfectly manicured bearded cheek, and she said, “I love you, Arsen.”

His hand moved over hers and he looked at her.

“I love you.”

She saw the tears glistening in his eyes, but they never fell. She knew he wasn’t about to let them fall. Holding it all together was what he was trying to do. So she would help him to do that.

“Arsen, I don’t want you to think for one second that I’ll stop seeking justice for you if they take you in after this. I’ll get that little bastard myself and make him confess. I swear it to you.”

His smile was sweet when he said, “I let that one slide, Steele.”

“My cursing is necessary when talking about Allen White, Arsen.” She ran her hand through his hair.

He took her hand and kissed her palm.

“I can see you’re very passionate about that. But, I don’t want you in harm’s way. If they take me in, you have to promise me not to go find Allen. I mean it. The man is more dangerous than you can fathom.”

“Arsen, I can’t promise you that. I have to do something. I can’t just sit back and watch you go down for something you didn’t do. I can’t…” Her words were stopped by the finger he placed to her lips.

“Paul can take care of it. He has the means to do it and I have faith in him. If they take me, I want you to stay at my apartment. Only go back and forth to school with Paul. Stay safe until I can get free. And come to every meeting they have as part of my legal team. And stay the fuck away from Allen and even Gwen if she’s going to be with him.” He pushed a lock of her dark hair back and kissed her cheek then whispered, “Promise me.”

It was the last thing she wanted to promise. In the end, though she said, “I promise, Arsen.” She would do anything for him.

If it meant sitting back and letting Paul do the dirty work, then she’d do it, if that’s what Arsen wanted.

She looked out the window as they entered the alley where the entrance to the BDSM club was. Three police cars were there, waiting for them.

Then it was her turn to feel the fear of losing Arsen run through her veins. It left her cold and on the verge of tears.

ARSEN

The smell of the club fresh in the morning after a night of debauchery had his stomach lurching. Sex and alcohol filled his nostrils and made him fight the urge to turn around and leave the dimly lit place.

Steele was at his side as they led the way into the club and towards his private room. Shadows seemed to be everywhere just outside the lit areas. He had the distinct impression others were hiding away in the dark to witness the fall of the great defense attorney who was Arsen Sloan.

A familiar aroma wafted past him and he turned to see if he could see the person hiding in the dark. If he was able to walk away to look, he was sure he’d find Anne Sinclair.

She made her own perfume, vanilla, lemon, and a touch of whiskey. He was positive she’d come to watch him go down. Or maybe she was going to try to help him.

With that woman, he could never be sure.

As they came down the hallway he thought about what was about to happen to him. It seemed like a march down the corridor to his death sentence.

The back of Steele’s hand rested against his and he glanced at her, finding her looking at him. Her eyes told him to have faith. He was trying, but the fear was pressing him and it was taking a toll on him.

His stomach began to ache, and he prayed his old weakness of throwing up when he was upset didn’t come back.

He stopped in front of the door to his private room and unlocked it then took Steele’s hand in his and stepped back for the detective and the other officers to enter what had been his secret life.

“Can you turn the lights on in here?” Detective Fontaine asked him as she passed in front of him to enter the dark room.

He let Steele’s hand go and walked in first, turning the lights up as far as they’d go. It wasn’t completely bright as the light was yellow. Arsen stepped back out of the room and into the hallway with Steel and Tanner.

They watched as piece by piece, Arsen’s things were taken from the room. Each and every single thing was picked up, placed in plastic bags and spirited away to become evidence in the case against him.

The sound of electric screwdrivers had him peeking in. He found several officers taking the bondage bed apart and others took it out in pieces. In the end, the room was completely empty.

The detective came out last and winked at Arsen.

“What a collection, Arsen. We’ll be in touch. Don’t leave town.” She sashayed away, her skirt moving with each step.

“I hate that woman,” Steele whispered.

He ran his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side as Tanner followed the detective and they were the last in line so no one saw them. He kissed the side of her head.

“At least, it looks like I get to go home and that’s more than I expected.” He made his way out of the club but stopped as an older woman stepped out from behind the door of the coat check room.

“Mr. Sloan. Are you going to wish to continue to pay the rent on that room?”

He shook his head and handed her the key.

“No matter what happens now, I’ll never be back here.”

She nodded and Arsen and Steele went up the stairs and left the building.

As they climbed into the back of his car Steele looked at him.

“So that’s really over for you, Arsen?”

He nodded. “It is.”

Arsen found Steele studying him. He placed her seatbelt on and kissed her cheek.

“That had to have been brutally hard, Arsen.”

“It was and now it’s over. Saved me the work of having it done myself. No big deal, Steele.” He sat back and rubbed his temples.

She knew it was a big deal. A really big deal. So much was happening to this man at one time. It wasn’t fair, in her opinion.

Her hand ran over his leg.

“We should go to my apartment and see if we can find Allen. This needs to stop. I’m getting worried about your mental state, Arsen.”

Arsen pressed the button to roll the window down to the front seat.

“Paul, let’s go to Steele’s apartment. And do you still have that gun in the glove box?”

“It’s there, Boss,” Paul answered.

“Good. I’ll need your help. Make sure you have it on you and that it's loaded, please.” Arsen sat back and ran his arm along the seat behind Steele.

She looked at him with her mouth ajar. “Arsen, you can’t kill him!”

He chuckled. “I know that. Just try to relax. It looks as if we’re going to have one long-ass day.”

Arsen settled back and tried to find the hard man he’d been before Steele came into his life and had him actually giving a shit if he lived or died. If he had freedom or not, and if he could be around to make a new life with her or not.

Seems like that man has all but disappeared!

GWEN

The water was deeper than she ever expected and she’d been without anything to eat or drink the entire time which she thought might have been a couple of days.

Her body was weak and the constant swimming she was having to do in the frigid water was hard and she was fearing she wouldn’t even make it out of the water.

She also found she was going to have to climb up a steep bank once she did get to the water’s edge. The odds just kept building up against her.

Something rough brushed the bottom of her leg and she pulled them both up and paddled her arms faster. The idea there were sharks in the water was one she’d pushed back in order to even get into the water.

It spurred her on to move much faster and ignore the weakness in her arms and legs. The edge was much closer, and she found herself at it. She stuck her hands into the mud wall and hoisted her body from the water.

Once all the way out, she paused and looked back to see if she could see anything. The water was deep even at the edge and she moved up even faster as she saw something coming up to the surface at a high rate of speed.

She made it over the edge and fell onto the high, grassy top just as something sprung from the water and fell back, making a splash. She’d not been able to see what it was, but she guessed it must’ve been a shark.

Gwen lay back on the dry grass and tried to catch her breath. Her heart was beating harder than she thought it ever had in her life.

“If I lived through that, I can live through anything,” she said to herself.

But as she laid there, it became harder and harder to make herself get up. Her body was giving out on her. With no food and no water, it was without fuel. Any residual energy it did have was just used up swimming, climbing, and freaking out about being eaten alive by a shark.

Her eyes closed.

“I just have to rest for a little while. Just a little while,” she muttered to herself as she fell asleep.

STEELE

As they looked all over the apartment, it became obvious Gwen had not been back at home. The blanket was still gone and her phone still right where Steele had left it.

“He’s taken her, hasn’t he?” Steele asked Arsen.

“We need to report her missing.” Arsen took his cell out and handed it to Steele. “Call 911 and tell them your roommate is missing and you believe a parolee named Allen White may have taken her.”

Steele’s hand was shaking as she took the phone.

“What did I get her into, Arsen?”

“Don’t blame yourself. This is entirely my fault. Make the call while I find myself something to drink.” He walked away, leaving Steel alone in Gwen’s bedroom.

After making the call, she found Arsen in the living room. He’d had to go out to his car to get a bottle of Scotch and had it on the table in front of him. A small glass of the amber liquid was in his shaking hand.

She sat down next to him.

“They’re sending out an officer.” She bit her bottom lip. “Arsen, where could he have taken her?”

He shook his head.

“There’s no way of knowing. I can’t believe we were right here in this tiny-ass apartment when he took her and we didn’t hear a thing.”

The ice rattled in the glass as he lifted it to take a drink. Steele placed her hand on his leg. He was tapping his foot incessantly.

“Arsen, you need to try to calm down, Baby.”

“This is all my fault. I brought all this into your normal life and now your innocent roommate may be dead or ever worse than that. This is what I’ve done to your life, Steele. I should’ve left you alone that night. I could’ve gone home, but I waited for you.” His dark eyes were drooping at the corners as he looked at her. “I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head. “Don’t! Don’t do that! You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Arsen!”

With a roll of his eyes, he said, “I am the worst thing that’s ever happened to you. One day you’ll look back at this time in your young life and think what a nightmare it was and how lucky you are I got sent to prison and out of your life.” He took a long drink.

Steele stood up and wagged her finger in his face.

“Stop that! I will never look back and be thankful if you’re taken from my life. Not ever! Please don’t even think like that. Now I guess I need to point out that we now have another person of interest to get the police on.”

He laughed.

“They’re not going to think Allen killed those women. Not just because he might have kidnapped your roommate. That doesn’t make any sense. Sorry to let you know that. But it’s true.” Arsen took the last gulp of his drink and sat the glass down.

A knock came at the door and Steele went to open it. A small, male officer was at it. He smiled at her like he was there for something nice instead of horrible. “Good afternoon, Miss Gannon. I heard you’re missing a roomie.”

“Gwen was kidnapped by a man who should’ve never been released from prison. Allen White is the man’s name. Your department should know where you can find him. I suggest you get on that.” Steele led him into the living room.

His eyes went to Arsen. He smiled. “Hey, I saw you earlier. That’s some stuff you had in that room.” He looked back and forth between the two and his gaze ended on Steele. “You let him do that to you?”

Arsen cleared his throat.

“Please don’t do this right now. Her roommate, who is also her best friend, is in more danger than you can imagine. We need your help.”

The officer looked a little apologetic.

“Yeah, sorry. Um, where did you see her last?”

Arsen went over and placed a hand on the small man’s shoulder. He made the officer look like a dwarf next to his tall and large frame.

“I’m going to need you to take out your pen and notepad and write these things down. This is a serious matter and I need you to treat it as such.”

Steele looked at Arsen and saw his body and mind were worn out. She went to his side and ran her arm around his waist.

“Sit down, Baby. I’ll make sure he does the right thing. You rest. It’s been a terrible day for you.” She took him to sit back down and poured him another glass of Scotch. “Drink this and relax. If you see I’m not giving him enough information, then you can chime in.”

He took a sip and gave her a nod.

“I’ll be right here, Baby. I’m sorry. I really am.”

The officer had his pen and pad out and asked.

“Who saw her last?”

“I did,” Steele said. “Arsen and I spent the night here and had met her new boyfriend. He’s an old client of Arsen’s. Arsen lost his case, and he went to prison but managed to get paroled. And I want you to take this down as well. It’s extremely possible Allen White murdered the women Arsen is being charged with.”

The officer’s brown eyes went wide.

“What?”

Steele nodded and Arsen sighed. Arsen said, “Just worry about finding the young woman for now. Don’t let anything else get into your head, except finding her before it’s too late. He’s not a quick killer. He takes his time. There’s still a chance she’s alive somewhere. Please tell me someone has some type of tracking device on him or his car.”

“I’ll find out.” The officer walked towards the door. “I’m going out to the car to call in some more officers to help with this. Just sit tight folks. This is probably going to take some time.” He left them alone and Steele went to sit by him.

“You know this is out in the open now? This thing you and I have.” She leaned her head on his shoulder.

He nodded and kissed the top of her head.

“So be it. I don’t think we were really fooling anyone, anyway.” His arm wrapped around her, holding her tight to him. “I love you and I never meant to hurt you, Baby. Seems no matter what, I’m doomed to hurt women.”

“You are not. Stop beating yourself up.” Steele stayed in his arms as the officer came back in.

“We’re going to need you to go to the station and give us your fingerprints, Steele. We already have Arsen’s and Allen’s on file. I assume you both have been in her room and touched some things?” he asked.

They both nodded.

The officer gave them a weak smile. “Okay, then. After we make the calls to her family to be sure she’s not with any of them, we’re going to get all we can from here. You’ll have to stay somewhere else in the meantime, Miss Gannon. But we’ll need to know where that is. I need you to understand that along with Allen White, you both are persons of interest in this case. No leaving town.”

Steele sighed and took Arsen’s hand.

“So, off to the police station we go and I’ll leave all my information there. I’ll be at his address if you find out anything.”

The officer gave them a wave.

“Get down there and we’ll get working on this right away.”

Arsen took Steele and led her away from the apartment. She looked back as she got into the back of his Suburban. Part of her knew if she’d never gotten into the car she was getting in now, this would not be happening.

As Arsen got in next to her she found herself falling into his chest and sobbing. “I don’t know what I’ll do if he’s killed her, Arsen!”

“Shh.” He held her tight to him. “Don’t think like that. Just have faith she’s going to be alright. We have to keep thinking positive.”

Please let them find her in time!

ARSEN

It seemed like time was always against them. It took hours for Steele to be fingerprinted at the police station. And then the two found themselves waiting to talk to Detective Fontaine.

She’d been assigned to this case as well. Something which Arsen knew was pissing Steele off.

“Does no one else work here?” she asked as they sat in little chairs on the other side of her little desk in the little room they’d been placed in.

Arsen patted her leg.

“Maybe this is for the best.”

The door opened and in came the detective.

“My, oh my! So nice to see the two of you again. Imagine my surprise when I heard Arsen was staying at the apartment the night that a young woman went missing. Well, I was flabbergasted. Then I see he had an alibi as he was in your bed, Miss Gannon. And here I thought you were just his assistant. You assist him in many ways, don’t you, Dear?”

“There’s no reason to act that way, Fontaine,” Arsen said as he ran his arm around Steele’s shoulders. “This poor girl is going through hell. Let’s try to be professional, shall we?”

She made a little huffing sound then gestured to them and said, “How long has this been going on?”

Arsen answered, “We met the night before I found out this one was part of my legal team.”

“And you swept her off her little, young, innocent, and very vanilla feet, didn’t you, Arsen?” The detective sat back in her chair and watched the couple as they held onto each other. “You seem very close now. Not so much this morning. But now, you two look like you actually love one another.”

Steele wasn’t even looking up. So not like her to take this woman’s crap and Arsen felt he was the reason for that.

“Please try to remain professional, Fontaine.”

“Do you two have a contract?” Her words had Steele looking up.

Arsen tightened his hold on her. It was he who answered.

“No.”

He prayed Steele would not tell what she considered to be the truth. Their contract was no more real than Santa Clause. He never meant it to be real and was just waiting for her to say she didn’t want it any longer and he’d tear it up.

Now the damn thing might really be a problem, fake or not.

Steele asked, “What would it matter if we did?”

Fontaine’s eyebrows went up.

“The man you’re all hugged up on might be a killer of his submissive partners, Miss Gannon. It wouldn’t be in your best interest to get into that with him. Nor in his best interest to get involved with anyone in that way. At least not until this is all figured out.”

“He’s innocent,” Steele said as she glared into the detective’s eyes. “I need you to stop fucking around with us and find my friend. Can you just do that, please?”

“You forget that you two could’ve been the ones who have her or have killed her. I need to know what kind of things have been going on. Did you guys ever have like some threesome with Gwen or foursome with her and Allen White?” The detective smiled at Steele.

Arsen ran his hand over his face as he felt Steele’s body go tense. He tried to hold her down as she stood up.

“Now you listen to me, you fucking bitch. I do not like you, not one fucking bit. The fact you came onto the man I love is a thing that has me wanting to beat the shit out of you. So, now you know that he and I are together, I better not even see you wink at him or I’ll tear you a new one.”

“Physical threats?” Detective Fontaine asked with a wink.

Steele placed her hands on the desk and leaned in close. Her tone was low and even as she said, “Physical promises, bitch. We’re leaving and you need to go find my friend. My boy here is a very good lawyer and if she’s found dead because you were fucking around with us so you could get your rocks off on our sex life, it’s you who’ll be sorry.”

Arsen got up and ran his arm around Steele’s waist, picking her feet up off the ground.

“She can be a real Pitbull, Fontaine. Do yourself a favor and find her friend and don’t ask us about what it is we do anymore. You know where we’ll both be. Let us know the moment that you find Gwen.”

He took Steele out of the room and placed her on her feet once he shut the door between the two women.

“I hate her,” Steele said under her breath.

“Really? I could not tell that,” Arsen said with a sarcastic tone.

Leading her out of the police station he took her to where Paul was waiting by his car.

“You guys ready to go home?” he asked as Steele got in.

Arsen gave him a nod.

“Please, Paul.”

Please don’t let anything else go wrong today!

STEELE

In a tub full of hot water, Steele leaned her back against Arsen’s muscled chest. He took a glass of red wine and placed it to her lips. She sipped it then he took a sip and set it back down.

“It feels good having it all out there. I’m relieved.” Arsen ran his hands through her hair. He’d washed it and conditioned it and she was feeling much more relaxed after his pampering.

She rolled over in his arms and placed her lips on his. Then looked at him. “Are you really glad? I mean this is a lot for you now. A real girlfriend and a real relationship on top of all the other crap. You think it’s what you really want?”

He pulled her over him, and she found his hard-on pressing to her.

“Want a ride?” He smiled.

She slipped over him and slid down his long shaft. She moaned as he filled her.

“That feels amazing.”

He kissed the tip of her nose.

“To answer your question. It is what I really want, Baby. I’ve never wanted anything more.”

He lifted her and set the pace. Her body moved up and down on him easily in the deep water of the large bath tub. Their wet bodies slid against each other’s and she twisted her hands into his hair which had grown nearly to his shoulders.

Arsen took her breast into his large hands and squeezed them, stroking both nipples with his thumbs. Steele moaned with the sensation.

Moving up and down him with an urgency she was startled when he stopped her. His hands on her shoulders. Holding her still. His dark eyes she found looking at her when she opened hers.

“You don’t come until I tell you to.” He pulled her mouth to his and moved his hands off her shoulders and fisted both hands with locks of her long hair.

He kissed her hard, his tongue running all over her mouth. She suddenly felt her body reaching the point she knew she had to wait for. His kiss was taking her over the edge just like his dick was as it filled her over and over.

She was falling over the edge and she couldn’t stop it. Steele tried not to let him know she’d climaxed. The moan which threatened, she managed to keep in and she thought she’d gotten away with it when he pulled his mouth back from hers.

He shook his head slowly.

“Naughty girl. What did I tell you to do?”

Her eyes were wide.

“I couldn’t help it.”

“Get out of the tub,” he ordered her.

“Arsen!”

“Do as I’ve said.” He let her go, and she got up and out of the tub.

“What are you going to do?” She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself.

With no emotion in his handsome face, he said, “Take that towel off and go lean over the side of the bed and wait there for me. You seem to need reminding of a thing or two.”

Steele gave him a look but his eyes were dark and she dropped hers and went to do as he’d told her to. As she leaned over the bed she found her stomach tensing.

Is he really going to spank me?

With her head laid on the bed, Steele saw him walk out of the bathroom with a white towel hung around his waist. His chiseled abs moved with each step he took towards her.

He stopped at the closet and pulled a leather belt out of it and bent it in half. She found her heart beating hard in her chest. Moving past her, she heard the drawer opening and then felt something soft being pulled across the skin on her back.

Her eyes were covered then with the soft material and he moved her hands up over her head. He wrapped something around them, binding them together.

His hands ran over her ass. Her body went hot in an instant. The leather of the belt she felt moving down her back then over one ass cheek.

She bit he lower lip as she waited for the first strike. Instead she felt him lean over her and grab her by the hair, pulling her head up. His body was against her back, his lips near her ear.

“Are you to come whenever you want when I tell you to wait for my command?”

“No,” she whispered.

A little bite he gave her neck.

“What?”

“No Sir,” she said as she blew out a breath.

The bite had her body tingling. She had no real idea of what he’d do, but somehow, she trusted him not to hurt her.

She felt the leather moving between her legs. It was soft and supple as he raked it over her clit.

“You want to come again, Baby?”

A low moan came from her as her answer. He leaned over her again. His mouth touched her ear.

“I’m going to use something else this time. See if you can figure out what it is.”

Her mind went blank.

“Arsen! What is it?” Her words came out in a shriek.

The deep sound of his laugh had her trying to get up, and he grabbed her and flipped her over on her back and hoisted her up. Her bound hands were placed over the bedpost, keeping her in place.

“Don’t you trust me, Steele?” The leather belt ran over her stomach.

She shivered.

“Yes.”

“Good. You do remember that I love you.” The belt ran down her stomach and he laid it over her sex, leaving it on her.

The cool leather rested against her clit. The constant lightweight of it had her throbbing for more. Then a humming sound filled her ears. The smell of cherries filled the air and then a warm, moist vibrating thing touched the opening of her vagina.

Arsen pushed her legs further apart. Then pushed the thing into her. It vibrated parts of her she didn’t realize would even like that. She felt him move his body next to hers.

He turned her face to his and kissed her as his other hand moved the vibrator in and out of her. It was an odd feeling. Like she was kissing one person and letting another fuck her.

She never thought about such a thing and found herself extremely aroused. His tongue stroked hers as his other hand moved down and rubbed the leather over her clit.

It was amazing. He pulled his mouth away.

“Do not come until I tell you to.”

She moaned a little, and he kissed her again. His mouth was wet and hot and the way he kissed was amazing. She could really focus on how his mouth blended with hers.

His tongue ran over her teeth. Something happened, and the vibration went faster. He pumped it faster and took the belt away to use his finger to stimulate her clit.

She had to focus on his kiss to stop herself from climaxing. Her legs were shaking from the need to release. When he finally pulled the vibrating thing out of her, he placed the wide tip right on her clit and she knew she couldn’t hold back much longer.

He moved his body over hers as he continued to kiss her. Her head moved along with him and when he pushed himself into her she arched up to meet him, desperate to let it out.

Arsen didn’t make even one stroke. He stayed perfectly still then pulled his mouth away. “Come.”

Her body crashed around his and he groaned along with her as her body pulsed around his cock. “Fuck, that’s amazing, Baby!”

He pressed into her as deep as he could go then pulled out and slammed back into her. Steele’s body was shaking as he began his assault on her. Slamming into her hard and fast.

It felt as if a Wild-man was on her. After repeated, hard thrusts he suddenly pulled out of her and took her bound hands from the bedpost.

She was jostled around as he moved her. He took her by the ankles and moved up with them until her heels were by her ears and she felt him press his hard cock into her again.

He took her bound hands and placed them over his head and around his neck. Then he moved them both as he seemed to be sitting back on his feet.

He began lifting her body, making her stroke him. She was amazed as he lifted her over and over. She had to say something as she was just too stunned. “Wow! You’re really strong, Arsen!”

His words came out a little strained as he was exerting himself.

“Uh, huh. And no coming until I say.”

“Of course, sir,” she said with a little giggle. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“And no talking. You’re distracting me.”

In their position, their mouths couldn’t reach the others to kiss so her mind wandered to what they must look like. A human pretzel was what she came up with.

The way his muscles felt around her body had her mesmerized. The sight deprivation let her hear everything. The little sloshing sounds their connected bodies made was kind of sexy and she found that along with the muscles moving around her and the little pumps he was making inside her too much.

Her body was about to let go and she had no idea how she was going to control that in the crazy position. So she resorted to the old Kegel trick and in no time Arsen was telling her to come as he climaxed.

As they caught their breath, Arsen began to untangle their bodies. He laid her back, removed her arms from his neck and let her legs go back down.

“You’re very supple. Not everyone can do that position.” He kissed her forehead and put her bound hands back over the bed post.

“More?” she asked. “And I didn’t have any real choice in getting into that position. You kind of pretzeled me into it.”

His lips pressed against her clit and she arched up as it was still pulsing and tender to the touch. The mere touch was about to set her off again.

“Of course more, Baby. You pulled your trick on me and I have to get you back.” The sound of the vibrator filled the air, and it was on her.

He moved it over her as it warmed up and vibrated her entire sex. She moaned and wiggled.

“Oh my God, Baby! Can I at least come when I want?”

“Hell, no! What kind of relationship do you think this is?” He leaned over and took one of her tits in his mouth. Licking it constantly.

She was writhing trying to hold it back. Her voice was shaking as the vibrator had her whole body vibrating. “But you love me, Arsen!”

His hot mouth moved off her tit, and he trailed gentle kisses over her chest and along her neck. Then his voice spread warmth over her as he said.

“I do love you, now come for me, Baby.”

Steele moaned loudly as she fell apart and the sound of the vibrator stopped, but the buzzing feeling in her didn’t.

He pulled her hands down and let them out of the bind then rubbed her wrists then her shoulders. Then he took the blindfold off and kissed her cheek.

With a smile, he said, “You do remember our safe word, don’t you, Baby?”

She nodded and ran her hand over his cheek.

“I knew I could’ve used it, but you didn’t hurt me.”

“I never want to hurt you. You need to always tell me if I do and I’ll stop. To excite you is all I want. To love you is my only priority.” His fingers ran over her lips and he leaned up on his elbow with his head propped on his palm so he could look down at her.

Her heart ached with how beautiful she thought he was. The man was changing right in front of her eyes and she wished liked hell it could just be like any other normal relationship without the constant threat of prison or any of the other things she felt hanging over their heads.

The truth was his ways did excite her. Even as he ordered her to get out of the tub and wait for him, she felt little fear he was actually going to hurt her. There was a part of her who loved it.

His changes were making him into a man who would be perfect for her and now that their relationship was out in the open everything would be great. If only they weren’t being implicated in the disappearance of Gwen, and the murders Arsen was still being considered for.

Arsen laid back with his strong arm around her.

“Good night, Baby. Try not to think about a thing. Worry never solved anything. If you wake up and feel upset or have any bad feelings, wake me up and we can deal with them together. You’re not alone, ever. I want you to know that. I’m here for you.”

“The same goes for you, my sweet man. I’m here for you.”

He chuckled. “Sweet. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that word being used about me.”

“Go to sleep, Arsen.” She ran her hand up to hold his bicep.

His strong arms made her feel safe, and she loved how they felt around her. Just before she fell asleep, one thought ran through her head.

Please let them find Gwen alive!

GWEN

Distant voices woke Gwen up. It was dark out and she was confused at where she was exactly. She listened to try to hear what the people were saying.

A woman’s voice she could hear saying, “You idiot! No one told you to take that girl. Now you have the cops looking for you. You’re going to have to ditch that car. They’ll find evidence you took her and then you’ll be back in prison before you know it.”

Gwen stayed perfectly still. She remembered what had happened. She’d gotten away. Somewhat anyway. At least she was on the other side of the fence and they couldn’t get to her.

Allen’s voice was a bit high as he said, “I can’t go back. Anne, you have to help me. This was all your idea. To get back at Arsen. The girl was a mistake. I admit that.”

“Look, you dimwit,” she heard Anne say. “This is getting much too complicated and Arsen will not get what he deserves if I don’t step in and completely take charge. So, first things first. You have to be punished for this. Get back inside while I figure out how to deal with you. Strip and put your hands against the wall and wait for me. However long that takes, your ass better be waiting just like I said or the punishment will be ten times worse. Arsen can tell you about not doing as I say. His body still bears the scars of disobeying me.”

Gwen’s heart went to her throat as she realized the woman must have been the big and powerful Arsen’s master at one time.

I have to get to Steele and Arsen before it’s too late for us all!

Part Ten: For Ever

GWEN

Cold night air had goose bumps covering her skin which felt every little prick of the brittle, dry, tall grass she crawled on her belly through. Gwen kept picturing herself as a military hero in a jungle somewhere.

Anything she could do to take her mind off the way her body was shutting down was what she was doing to get to help.

Haunting sounds of Allen’s cries as Anne whipped him with something moved through the night air. They seemed so far away and Gwen almost felt sorry for the psychotic bastard who’d kidnapped her.

She had to keep reminding herself that she had a mission. Her body would refuse to move at times and she’d have to stop and rest for a while. Each time she did that meant she was losing precious time.

Anne and Allen had their own mission. To ruin Arsen and kill Steele. Gwen had to make it to someone to get her to the police before it was too late.

If I can make it to the road without dying myself!

ARSEN

Steele slept fitfully in his arms, keeping him from sleep. Not that he could with all which was happening. The light from his phone caught his attention as he lay there in the dark, listening to Steele’s mumbles as she talked in her sleep.

He reached over to pick up the phone on the nightstand beside his bed to find a text. The number was odd, all sevens. He hesitated before opening it to read it.

With a swipe of his forefinger it was open, and it said

-We need to meet, you and I. Dawn in front of your apartment. I’ll be waiting in a blue Camaro.-

Arsen placed the phone back on the table and then he was really awake. Dawn was a mere three hours away.

His mind was racing with who it could be and if they could help him out of his current situations. Any of them.

Arsen’s problems seemed to keep building. Like all things which build up too high, he had hopes of everything crashing, but not down on him.

He held the love of his life in his arms. Never had he known love like he knew for Steele. Not even his first love had been so complete.

Finally, a real future with a wife and kids stood before him. Only a tall fence with sharp, pointed tops stood between him and that future. He had to climb that fence to get to the other side, and it felt as if led weights had been placed around his ankles, keeping him from doing it.

He lay his head back and closed his eyes as he thought about what he wanted for Steele and himself. A nice mansion with a swimming pool for their children. It would have to have some acreage with it and a barn for her horse and the many other animals they’d get.

Arsen wanted it all. The picture perfect life of a normal couple with a normal life. His heart wanted it so bad it ached.

Right after Steele had fallen asleep, Arsen had gotten up and went to his office. He got on his computer and made a purchase he hoped would be the beginning of the real thing for him and Steele.

Even though so much was happening, he wanted one constant, one thing in his control to help him get through that horrible time.

To have a plan and start moving towards his ultimate goal was a thing he needed and wanted. He just hoped Steele did to.

She grumbled about something and rolled away from him. He reached over and pulled her back to him as she was close to the edge of the bed and he was afraid she’d fall off with her constant dreams or nightmares. He wasn’t sure which.

Her long, dark hair had wrapped around her and he gently tugged it out from underneath her and brushed it back from her face. Arsen could look at her face forever and he planned to do just that.

His mind wandered to his past. Anne had taken him in when he was in his first year at Stanford University. Not sure what he was going to be at that time. He only knew he wanted to be something which had to do with the law.

Arsen wanted to prove to himself he could make something out of himself. He hadn’t seen Anne since she’d left him at the emergency room, just a few months before he turned eighteen.

He lived out of the old Chevy Cobalt he’d earned enough money while living in the foster home to buy. Working at the closest fast food place to the house he’d been sent to, he walked to it each day after school and worked until near dawn.

Arsen knew he had a limited amount of time with that roof over his head and he made good use of that time. The car had cost him two thousand dollars, and it got him around once he was out of high school and out of the foster home.

He went to the small, local college and applied for the financial aid he’d need to go to college. The two years in the small college had him in a dorm room with a party crowd.

Arsen knew he couldn’t get sidetracked by the other young men. He slept most times in his small car in the student parking lot of the dorms. The other guys always seemed to have girls in their beds with them and Arsen wanted nothing to do with sex at that time.

Sex equaled pain in his memory. He wanted none of either. His heart was still mending from the rejection his first love gave him.

Thanks to staying out of trouble, Arsen made excellent grades and was accepted to Stanford University after completing his Associate’s Degree at the small junior college.

On his first day there, after a horrific day of trying to get to all his classes and get settled in, he went to a small bar to get a drink after the tough day. That’s where he saw Beth’s mother.

She was tall, thin, and had long blonde hair. Mrs. Sinclair was not wearing her normal clothing, though. Her heels were tall and her dress was short. Minuscule.

The top of her shirt plunged all the way down to her pierced bellybutton. And Arsen found his mouth watering for the older woman who resembled the love he’d lost in her daughter.

He was too shy to go to her though. Arsen sat at the back of the small bar at a table alone in a darkened corner. He watched as his ex-girlfriend’s mother made some phone calls while she sat at the bar. She seemed to be waiting for someone.

That someone finally joined her. Another tall woman, wearing all leather. Her shiny boots had high heels on them and her short, blond hair was in tight curls under a leather cap.

Arsen watched with great interest as the two had another drink and talked as they sat on stools at the bar. Then Mrs. Sinclair got up and made her way to the ladies’ room. Which was behind Arsen.

His ability to breathe ceased, and he sat perfectly still, trying to become invisible as she walked towards him. Her boobs bounced, and he knew there was nothing between them and the barely covering top she wore.

Her light blue eyes moved to him and after a moment they lit up. She stopped dead in her tracks.

“Arsen Sloan! Is that you?”

He nodded slowly, unsure of how she was going to act. She was caught, busted by him. This was not the Mrs. Sinclair he, nor her husband and daughter knew. This woman was into some tough shit and he knew it by the way she was dressed and made up.

“Wait here,” she directed him as she went to the restroom.

He fidgeted in his seat. Arsen felt like running out of that bar as fast as his feet could take him. But he was paralyzed for some reason. The woman had him wondering about her.

Arsen knew Beth’s mother was twenty years older than him. He was twenty-one, making her forty-one, but she didn’t look old at all. Not one wrinkle. Not one ounce of fat. Not a trace of gray in her long, silky, blonde hair.

Her hand grazed his shoulder as she came back to him.

“Arsen, how have you been, darling.” Her lips touched his cheek and sent chills through him.

“Fine, Mrs. Sinclair.” He tensed and butterflies filled his stomach.

Arsen was a skinny thing back then. He’d not yet begun to do his strenuous work outs. It was she who had him start that.

His dark hair was cut short, and he wore a black T-shirt and blue jeans with Nike running shoes. Not quite the polished man he became.

She took the chair on the other side of the table and looked him over. Her hand rose into the air and her friend came over. She smiled up at the woman close to her age.

“This is Arsen, Sheila. What do you think about him?”

Sheila gave a nod.

“He’s got potential, I’d say.”

Arsen gulped. He felt on display or for sale or something. He looked down at the empty glass of rum and coke in his hand which was nearly trembling.

Mrs. Sinclair leaned forward and put her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her hands. Her fingernails were long and painted shiny black. Her eyeliner was dark black too, making her light blue eyes pop.

The other woman’s eyes were dark brown and her eyes were lined with a dark green liner. She was attractive in a scary sort of way. Her lips were deep red and so were Mrs. Sinclair’s.

The two woman gave off a vibe of sexy fear and Arsen wasn’t immune to it. He was nervous though.

Mrs. Sinclair’s breasts were about to pop out of her tight dress as she leaned forward and reached out to touch the top of his hand which was nervously running around the edge of his empty glass.

“Shelia’s apartment is only a few blocks away, Arsen. She and I were going to go out, but since we found you, we’d like to take you back to her place. How does that sound?” Mrs. Sinclair winked at him, making him extremely uneasy.

His voice was shaky.

“For what?”

Her dark red lips curled into a smile and the other woman who stood next to him placed her hand on his shoulder. Arsen looked up at her as she said, “We want to fuck you, Arsen.”

With the eloquent statement, he sat back and looked at both of the women with confusion riddling his expression.

“Why?” he asked.

Mrs. Sinclair laughed.

“You’re attractive and young. I assume you can fuck for days with your youth. It’s Friday night. I would guess you’re free for the weekend. We can have so much fun together, the three of us.”

Knots had formed in his stomach and Shelia gave him a wink.

“I’m going to go and get you a drink to help you decide. It looks like you need to loosen up a bit.”

With her exit, Mrs. Sinclair got up and moved around to where he sat. She tugged the chair he was in back a bit and settled on his lap...

“Arsen, tell me, do you not find me attractive at all?”

He nodded.

“You look different than you ever did when Beth and I…”

Her finger stopped him as she placed it to his lips.

“No mention of her, please. Nor her father. They believe I’m on a weekend retreat with my church group.”

His eyes widened.

“Church? Yeah, I remember you were all about church.”

She laughed and her mouth touched his ear.

“I may have lied a little about that, Arsen. The things which take me away from my little family are not quite as holy as I’ve made them out to be. As a matter of fact, they are anything but holy. I hope you decide to take us up on our offer. We have many toys that are sure to excite you. And Sheila really likes to be spanked if you know what I mean.”

He shook his head.

“I have no clue what the hell you’re talking about, Mrs. Sinclair.”

She moaned and ran her pointed, black fingernail across his smooth cheek. Then pulled her bottom lip between her perfectly white teeth.

“Ummm. I like the way you say that, Arsen. Say it again. But instead of Mrs. I want you to call me Mistress Sinclair.”

“Mistress Sinclair?” he asked as his brows furrowed.

Her body melted into his as she ran her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder.

“The sound of you saying that has just left me wet.”

Her hand took his and moved it under her short skirt. She pressed his fingertips to the edge of her vagina and then pushed two of them inside her panty-less pussy.

Arsen’s eyes went wide and his dick sprung to life in his jeans. A fact Mrs. Sinclair who sat on his lap noticed immediately. With a smile, she pumped his fingers inside her as they sat there in the darkened corner of the little bar.

She pumped them as he watched her in complete shock. He felt her wet heated flesh just inside her vagina gripping his fingers as she moaned and more wetness flowed around his fingers.

“You made me come, you naughty boy,” she moaned in his ear.

She pulled his fingers out of her and he watched as she placed them in her mouth and sucked the juices off them. His dick went even harder when she got up and kept his hand in hers, leading him to the ladies’ room just behind them. He followed like a puppy.

More like a lamb to the slaughter!

Arsen shook his head as he stopped thinking about that first time with her. Steele struggled in her dream and her wiggling had taken his attention from the memory.

As he looked at her he felt awful for holding her in his arms and recalling the first night with Anne Sinclair. The first night of many he and she shared from then on with him being her submissive partner. A thing he was just beginning to realize wasn’t something he actively agreed to at all.

Back to his memory he went. Recalling what Mistress Sinclair did to him in that ladies’ room in the back of that small bar that fateful night.

The lights in the small bathroom were bright as hell, he recalled. The bar had been so dark it made Arsen’s eyes squint when she pulled him into the tiny bathroom.

She closed the door behind them and locked it, pressing her body up against his as she did. His dick was hard and when her mouth fell on his, he ran his arms around her.

Something inside him was hungry for her though he couldn’t explain to himself why that was.

This was his only love’s mother for the love of all which is holy was what he was thinking as her tongue moved over his. Her hands were expertly unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans and his cock was in her hand before he realized it.

She jerked it up and down and he groaned with the sensation. She took a few steps back and sat on the edge of the vanity. Her short as hell skirt pulled up and her crotch ready for him.

From a small pocket at the front of her skirt she pulled out a foil packet and ripped it open with her teeth, spitting out the little bit of foil which got into her mouth.

Arsen watched silently as she placed it over his hard dick. Then looked up at him.

“I want you to fuck me now.”

His heart was pounding as he knew what he was about to do was more than wrong. In so many ways it was wrong. If Beth ever found out, it would horrify her. If Mr. Sinclair ever found out, it could well be the end of him. If he beat him nearly to death over his daughter what would he do to him over fucking his wife?

But Arsen’s dick was ruling his head, and he pressed himself into her as she sat on the top of that small vanity. She was wet and hot and her nails dug into his back as he pushed deep inside her.

“Fuck! You’re huge, Arsen!” Her legs moved to encircle him around his waist. “Lift me up and fuck me.”

He lifted her off the vanity but it was too much of a struggle to hold her up and make any type of strokes. His dick wanted more and messing around like that wasn’t going to cut it.

The floor was where he placed her then he went to work, stroking in and out of her as his breathing changed into something which sounded like he was having a panic attack.

Arsen’s body quivered as he all too soon came and he groaned with the climax. Only Mrs. Sinclair was not groaning. Her face wore a frown.

“That’s it?”

He looked down at her once he opened his eyes.

“What?”

“That’s it?” she asked then pushed him off her. “That’s not nearly enough. I’m taking you back to Shelia’s. That’s not enough for me. When’s the last time you had sex, Arsen? Shit!”

Arsen stood up and took the condom off, tossing it in the trash. He placed himself back into his jeans, zipping and buttoning them back up.

“Beth.”

Her eyebrows went way up.

“That was nearly four years ago!”

He nodded and washed his hands.

“Yep.”

She grabbed his wet hand before he could dry them.

“You’re coming with us. We can fix you up where you can make more than five strokes into a pussy before coming, Arsen.”

His head was fuzzy from the ejaculation and the one drink he’d had. Sheila was waiting patiently at the table as they came out. Mrs. Sinclair was shaking her head at the other woman.

“We have us as close to a virgin here as you can get without having an actual virgin.”

Sheila smiled.

“Did you get him to agree?”

Mrs. Sinclair grabbed the shot glass full of a dark colored liquor and handed it to Arsen.

“Drink this.” Her tone was commanding, and he tossed it down his throat without even asking what it was. “We’re taking him. He’ll want what we have to offer. He may not know it yet, but he will soon.”

Arsen looked back and forth between the two of them.

“Both of you?”

They nodded, and he shook his head.

“I don’t know. You just said I came too quick. How can I possibly….”

He was jerked by Mrs. Sinclair as they began to leave the bar.

“Don’t worry, we’ll show you how you can. When’s the last time you ate some pussy, Arsen?”

He gulped.

“Never.”

The women laughed, and it sounded a little evil to his ears.

Shelia’s hand gripped his ass as she walked behind him.

“Hope you’re hungry boy.”

The women walked some three blocks until they came to an old apartment building. The small apartment smelled like men’s cologne and leather. There was one sofa in the middle of the small living room.

Mrs. Sinclair pulled him right past that and into a small bedroom. A king size bed and one chair were all that was in it. His eyes roamed around and he found a door knob had been screwed into the wall and next to it hung a small whip and a pair of silver handcuffs. The keys to it dangled from one of the locks.

A sign hung over the bed. It was just one word written in thick black marker. ‘PEACHES’ had him wondering what the hell that was about.

Mrs. Sinclair reached into a closet and pulled out an odd looking leather thing. She handed it to him. Go put this on and nothing else, Arsen.

He held it out and noticed his ass and dick would be ready to go, but the leather would cover the front portion of his legs.

“Are these what the cowboys in the old days wore?”

She nodded. “Nowadays men who are into a unique sex life wear them. I intend to take you into that way with me, Arsen. Tonight will be your first lesson.”

Mrs. Sinclair smacked his ass and pointed to the attached bathroom. He went inside and looked at himself in the mirror.

“What are you doing, man?” he asked himself.

He washed his face and felt the effects of the shot taking him over. Changing into the chaps had him feeling ridiculous. He turned to look at his exposed, skinny ass cheeks in the mirror and his face heated with a blush.

Turning back, he found his dick visible, dangling between his legs and shook his head.

“I can’t go out there like this.”

The door opened and Mrs. Sinclair was holding out another shot of something to him.

“Drink this.”

“I don’t know about all this, Mrs. Sinclair.”

Her hand moved over his cheek, softly.

“Just take the drink and lets us teach you all you’ll ever need to know about pleasing a woman.”

Arsen took the drink as he thought about gaining some knowledge about sex. He was twenty-one after all with no real idea about it. And from what he’d just done with Mrs. Sinclair in that bar’s bathroom, he knew he was sorely lacking in that department.

But something inside him wanted more than just to learn about sex with some older women.

“I think you should only do that with someone you love, Mrs. Sinclair.”

She laughed and took his hand, pulling him out of the bathroom. His eyes quickly went to the woman strung up on the wall, facing him.

“I want you to eat Shelia out and make her orgasm. After that, you can tell me if you didn’t enjoy it.” She got behind him and pushed him towards the smiling woman.

“What if I don’t?” he asked as he looked over the woman who was naked and handcuffed, hanging from the knob on the wall. Her blonde curls pressed to it, making them bunch around her face. “Will you let me leave then?”

“I will allow you to leave only after we have fixed that early ejaculation problem you have. Now do as I say.” Mrs. Sinclair pulled the chair up and sat down on it close to the side of Sheila. “Kneel in front of her, Arsen.”

He shook his head and took a deep breath. Then he did as she told him to.

“I guess I just kiss it like I would a mouth?” He looked at the woman he’d only known as a housewife and mother and a supposedly Christian woman.

How wrong I had been!

She tasted like salt. His first impression of his mouth on the woman wasn’t a thing he found pleasant, but his damn dick did. It sprang to attention within seconds of his mouth pressing to her.

Mrs. Sinclair’s voice was low and controlled as she told him what to do. “Use your tongue and run it over her clit.”

He pulled back. “Where is that?”

She gave a heavy sigh. Reaching out, she pulled back Sheila’s folds and touched her clit, making Sheila let out a moan. Mrs. Sinclair arched her brows. “See how quickly that affected her?”

He nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then” she stuck her tongue out and made it into a point on the end and wiggled it. “Do that with your tongue over that little bud.”

He practiced a second, and she frowned.

“Not good?” he asked.

She leaned over a lot more and said, “Watch me, Arsen.”

He leaned back a little and watched as she placed her pointed tongue on the other woman’s body and his dick went even harder. He was mesmerized by the way her tongue moved over the swollen, red, pearl-like thing.

He was also mesmerized by the moans Sheila was making. Mrs. Sinclair took her hands and spread Sheila’s folds wide open and ran her tongue up and down them then her tongue went into her vagina and Sheila writhed in her bonds and moaned like it was the best thing ever.

All Arsen knew was he wanted to do that. So he pulled Mrs. Sinclair back by the shoulders. “I think I can do that.”

She smiled and moved to get behind him. Her front pressed to his back and her hand ran over his rock hard cock. He spread Sheila open as Mrs. Sinclair had done and began to feast on her as Mrs. Sinclair ran her hand up and down his cock.

She did it much better than he did when he did it himself. Her hand was softer and her strokes were slower and less insistent than when he did that to himself.

He supposed it was because he was always in a hurry. It most often happened in the shower and living in a dorm always meant someone was waiting to get into the shower next.

Arsen couldn’t believe the pleasure he was getting from licking this woman’s pussy. Her moans made him feel like he was the best lover in the world. His dick ached to be inside either one of them.

He just wanted to feel some type of tight, wet, heat surround his cock. He didn’t give two shits who it was in, it just needed to be inside a pussy. That’s all he knew.

When Sheila screamed his name, Mrs. Sinclair whispered in his ear.

“Put your tongue inside her.”

He did and found her juicy. Mrs. Sinclair let his dick out of her hand and stood up.

“Take her cuffed hands off the knob and lie her down on the bed. Keep her ass at the edge so you can stand while you fuck her.”

Arsen’s hands were shaking as he reached up and took the other woman’s hands off the knob and laid her on the bed. She held her cuffed hands over her head.

Mrs. Sinclair’s lips touched his ear as she whispered.

“I have a whip.” He felt the cool leather move across his bare ass. “You do not come until I say or I’ll give you a lash. I’m going to pop you once you’re inside her so you’ll know the sting and fear it.”

He turned to look back at her with fear in his eyes.

“You’re what?”

She grabbed his chin and pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him hard.

“Do as I say, Arsen.”

“Okay,” he said as he tried to catch his breath after the steamy kiss. “I’ll do what you say, Mrs. Sinclair.”

Pop! Went the small whip, leaving a burning place on his ass as he ran his hand to cover it. “Mistress Sinclair!” she corrected, sternly.

“Mistress Sinclair. Sorry, I forgot about that.” He rubbed his ass and turned back to find Sheila smiling at him.

“Your cock is huge and I’m about to come all over it.” The sound of foil made him look back at the other woman and she slipped a condom over his erection.

“Thanks,” he said.

His hands were shaking as he placed them on Sheila’s stomach. He pressed the tip of his wide cock to her vagina and watched as it slipped inside her.

Immediately, his body was shaking, and he felt the need to make swift thrusts. The first thrust he made coincided with a sharp pain on his ass as Mrs. Sinclair struck him with the whip even harder than she had the first time.

It burned, and he felt a whelp had formed. It didn’t quit burning, and it took his attention from the need his body felt to release.

“Move in and out of her slowly, Arsen,” Mrs. Sinclair told him.

She was a presence just behind him but she wasn’t touching him. A light over his shoulder had him looking back over it and finding her with a small camera in her hand.

“Christ, are you filming this?” he asked in horror.

“Shut up and fuck her.” Her words came out harsh and her nails dug into his ass. It made the whelp burn even more.

Shelia began to groan.

“He’s huge. It feels so fucking amazing.”

Mrs. Sinclair directed him.

“Tell her how she feels, Arsen.”

He had no idea how to explain it.

“She’s squishy and hot.”

Mrs. Sinclair rolled her eyes.

“How about something like this? Her pussy is hot and making my dick scream with need for her.”

“Nah, that’s not how it feels,” he said. “It really does feel squishy and hot and your vagina was tighter than hers is.”

Sheila raised her head and her eyes went wide.

“Stop filming! I don’t want anyone to ever hear that. Erase it, Anne!”

Mrs. Sinclair chuckled.

“Do some Kegels, Shelia.”

Shelia laid back.

“Ughh! Just don’t let him talk. It’s better if he doesn’t. He has no idea of what to say.”

Mrs. Sinclair moved to lie on the bed, her head near Sheila’s bottom and she angled the camera up to film him.

“I’ll narrate.” She looked at him through the camera. “Here we have a young male, twenty-one. Isn’t that right, Arsen?”

He nodded and smiled at the camera.

“Yep.”

“I’d like you to answer with, yes, Mistress Sinclair.”

His smile widened.

“Yes, Mistress Sinclair.”

“Good boy. I’m going to reward you with a nice blow job in a little while.”

His face went red as he pumped away at Sheila. “Crap! You have some shit in store for me, it seems.”

“You will be well educated when you leave our company at the end of this long weekend, Arsen Sloan. I assure you.” She moved the camera to film the connection their bodies were making.

“You getting that sloshing sound, Mistress Sinclair?” he asked.

Sheila’s head popped up off the bed.

“Arsen, shut the fuck up!”

“Sorry,” he apologized and went back to pumping himself into Shelia.

“Pull her knees up, Arsen. You can go in deeper like that and you may find something tight on her a little higher up there.”

He did as she told him to and Shelia moaned. “Yep, he’s stretching some new territory.”

Arsen felt it too and his dick twitched with a need to release. But the pain of the whip still was fresh in his mind. He tried to look at the wall and not think about what he was doing.

Then Sheila let out a shrieking groan and her body convulsed around his cock and he was about to come with her as her body just kept pressing and squeezing his hard cock.

Mrs. Sinclair’s words came from between clenched teeth, “Don’t you let it go, Arsen.”

He looked at the wall, trying to block out how her body was trying desperately to pull his along with her into that sweet ecstasy. Somehow he managed to control it.

Just as he did. Mrs. Sinclair moved back behind him. The leather of the whip moved over his ass.

“Come,” she told him with one quick word.

He tried, but the urge was gone.

“I can’t.”

The whip cracked across his ass leaving heat where it had touched.

“Come!”

The pain of the strike had his body nowhere near orgasm and she struck him again. Over and over she struck him until he was quivering and his knees gave out.

His dick had gone limp and every nerve ending was screaming at him. Mrs. Sinclair wasn’t letting up. The whip hit him all over his body as she kept cracking it and screaming at him to come.

Finally, she got close enough he could grab her wrist to stop her.

“Mistress Sinclair, please stop!”

Her eyes were wild as she looked at him. Then pointed to the sign on the wall.

“You don’t know how to read, Arsen?”

His voice was shaky with the pain which radiated all over his body. “What?”

“What does that say?” She pointed at the sign again.

“Peaches?” he asked in complete confusion.

“Yes. That’s all you had to say if it was too much for you.” She pulled away from him and stood back up. “Didn’t you know that? Haven’t you heard of a safe word?”

He shook his head.

“No.”

She held her hand out to help him up from his crumbled state on the floor. “I could’ve sworn I told you that if it gets too intense you are to say that word and we’ll stop immediately.”

Arsen shook his head and found Sheila sitting up.

“Yeah, I know I heard you tell him that, Anne. He must’ve not been listening. His mind was probably busy taking me all in as I hung on the wall, waiting for him.” She looked at Arsen. “You okay there, kid?”

He nodded. Red whelps covered his body. He watched as Anne Sinclair un-cuffed Shelia.

“I’m taking him to the shower to wash him down. Care to join us?” she asked the woman Arsen had just finished fucking.

She nodded.

“I’m starving. I’m going to order pizza.” Sheila looked at Arsen. “Pepperoni okay with you, kid?”

He nodded and felt Mrs. Sinclair’s hand slip into his. She led him to the bathroom and started up the shower. Her finger tips ran over the red whelps which covered his chest.

She smiled up at him.

“You have to admire the colors. The angry red makes your tanned skin look kind of white. It’s beautiful. Don’t you agree?”

Arsen did not agree. It hurt. He hurt all over his body as she’d struck him all over it. One had even landed on his dick and it burned as well.

He had no intention of staying with the women the entire weekend. In his opinion they were a little odd. Mrs. Sinclair reached into a little bag in the back of the medicine chest which hung on the wall next to the mirror.

She pulled out one little white pill.

“Open up,” she told him.

He shook his head.

“What is that?”

“Just something to stop the pain I know is running all over your body, Arsen. It’s not addicting. You don’t have to worry about that. Open up or I’ll have to paddle your skinny, little ass.”

His mouth opened quickly as he had no want to feel any more pain. She smiled and pulled her clothes off then removed his chaps and tossed them to the floor.

Her hand took his and led him into the shower. The warm water burned initially as it ran over the many welts, some which bled a bit. She picked up a clear bottle filled with a foamy dark liquid.

The bottle had a tip on it and she squirted it all over him and ran her hands to rub it all in. “This will take care of the places where your skin was broken.”

“Okay,” he said. His body was starting to grow numb with the liquid. “What is it?”

“An antiseptic with a pain reliever in it. It’ll make sure those places don’t become infected.” She ran her hand over his dick which was limp. “You know you should think about me. There’s so much I could teach you. I can have this body of yours very different in just the matter of one year. Wouldn’t you like to have muscles, Arsen?”

He thought about it for a moment.

“Like a personal trainer or something like that?”

With a smile, she said, “Something like that.”

Her hands running over his body was making it feel better. That or the pain killers both inside and outside of him.

“I’ll think about it.”

She took his dick in her hand and gave it a squeeze.

“You’ll think about it what, Arsen?”

“I’ll think about it, Mistress Sinclair.”

She smiled and released his cock.

“Are you going to college?”

“I am. I’m in pre-law. I’m not sure what I want to be. An aid, a paralegal, or what.” The pill must’ve been taking over as he found himself picking up a white bar of soap and rubbing it with his hands until he had handfuls of bubbles. He began rubbing it over her shoulders and she moaned.

“You should be an attorney, Arsen.” She turned to face him and moved his soapy hands to her breasts. “You’d make an excellent one. I could help you. I could even get us a nice apartment near the campus. Where is it you’re going to school at?”

“Stanford University,” he said and her eyebrows shot up.

“Prestigious! My, how did you manage that?” She moved his soapy hands to her pussy and moved his hands to rub it.

“Turns out, I’m smart.” He smiled.

“As am I, young man.” She moved to close the space between them and pulled his head down to kiss her.

His arms ran around her and his mouth was pliable as the pill made him lucid and his body was much more relaxed. She turned the water off and pulled him out of the shower and to the bed. She laid him back on it and went to the door.

She shouted out the door, “I’m going to fuck him. Do you want to watch? I’m going to put the camera on the dresser to record it.”

Arsen lay on the bed and chuckled. His mind was nowhere near as cluttered as it had been. Mrs. Sinclair was going to fuck him and video tape it. Possibly while the woman he’d just fucked watched.

He never saw it coming as he sat in the dark bar, drinking a little drink and thinking about what kind of sandwich he was going to get and take home for dinner that night.

Her damp hair hung in limp strands around her then make-up-less face. Then he saw a few tiny lines around her light blue eyes. But that was okay, he thought.

“Since I was much too hard on you about it the last time. You go ahead and come when you want to. I’ll be a lot easier with you this time.” She moved down his body, and he felt her mouth go over his limp dick.

His eyelids grew heavy, and he closed them. The way her mouth was sucking at him had his cock making little twinges here and there, but the pill had him not feeling much of anything.

Light filled the room as Shelia came in and turned the overhead light on.

“I want to be able to see it all,” she said as she came into the room. “The camera needs light to capture the footage.”

He placed his arm over his eyes to block out the annoying light. Mrs. Sinclair’s mouth moved off him for a second as she said,

“Hey, can you grab some nipple clamps and put them on him. The liquor and the pill have him not feeling a damn thing. We need to bring some type of sensation up in him. His dick is limp, and that’s no fun.”

Arsen found himself thinking he felt like their boy-toy. He wasn’t sure he liked that at all. He felt it when Shelia placed the first clamp on his little nipple. “Oww!”

“Good,” Shelia said then pinched his other nipple with the other clamp.

“Fuck!” he shouted as pain went through him.

It subsided pretty quickly, and he found his cock pulsing as Mrs. Sinclair’s mouth sucked hard at it.

A humming sound filled his ears, and he opened his eyes to see Shelia wearing nothing but a strap on nine-inch dildo which was thick and black and moving as she’d turned it on.

“Hey, I’m going to take you from behind while you do that, Anne.”

Shelia climbed onto the bed behind Mrs. Sinclair and Arsen watched as she pushed the dildo into the woman sucking his dick. When Mrs. Sinclair moaned, he felt it make his dick twitch.

As he watched the woman with blonde tight curls moving back and forth, her tits bouncing as she did and his line of sight included a woman with long, blonde hair bobbing up and down as she sucked him off he became aroused.

“Fuck me, you chicks are freaky!” he said as his stomach began to tighten and his dick hardened.

Shelia winked at him.

“Want to make an Anne sandwich, kid?”

He didn’t know what an Anne sandwich was, but he wanted to.

“Yep.”

Shelia pulled out of Anne and Anne released Arsen’s dick. She smiled at him.

“You’re going to take me in the ass.”

“I am?” he asked.

She nodded. “Get up.”

He stood up and watched as Shelia laid down, her black dildo standing up. Anne climbed on and slid down it.

“Fill the rest of me, Arsen,” Anne said.

“This is wild,” he managed to say as he climbed on the bed and found his dick easily moved into her ass. “This doesn’t hurt?”

“No,” she said. “Stroke along with me, Arsen.”

Her ass raised, and he went all the way into her. Then she went down on the dildo and he stayed where he was, letting his dick pull away from her.

She moaned like she loved it. “Now all at once,” she said. “I’m going to grind on this dildo while you fuck my asshole, Arsen. Got it?”

“Guess so,” he said as he moved back to fill her.

Anne wiggled on the dildo as Arsen moved in and out of her. It was all going fine for a while. Until he really looked at what he was doing.

He was fucking the mother of the only girl he’d ever loved. The girl who had thought him a loser after her father was able to beat him up.

That woman was riding a dildo the size of a donkey’s dick as she fucked another woman and he fucked her up the ass. It was sick, twisted, and nothing he had ever even imagined doing. Then the pill and liquor hit him hard, and he threw up all over the women beneath him.

The memory made Arsen nearly wretch out loud. He then realized it was fifteen minutes until dawn and at the very least he was going to see who it was that was supposed to be waiting outside to tell him something.

Gently he moved away from Steele and went to get dressed. He called Paul and asked him to go outside, with his gun. But he wanted him to act as if they weren’t together.

Paul joined him as he got off the private elevator. Arsen gave him a nod.

“Thanks for getting up at the butt crack of dawn for me, Paul. I have no idea who it was that texted me, but I’m grasping at straws here. I have to listen to anyone who has a thing that can possibly help us.”

Paul smiled, and the two bumped fists.

“I got ya, man.”

Arsen looked out the clear glass doors of the lobby and saw nothing outside. “I wonder if they’ll even come.”

“Gotta give them time, boss,” Paul said and leaned against the wall. One foot he placed against it and fiddled with a pack of cigarettes.

Arsen’s eyes went to it.

“When did you start smoking, Paul?”

“Since I started worrying about you, boss. I give quite a large shit about you, man.” Paul’s eyes looked a little glassy. “I’ll watch over her for you if something happens. I don’t want you to worry about that. I’ll take her everywhere and make sure she comes to see you on visiting days.”

“I hope that’s not necessary, but you have no idea how much it’s appreciated. You always have been an exceptional person, Paul.” Arsen found himself feeling sentimental about so much on that night and early morning.

“I know, Arsen. I know.”

“I’ve been recalling my relationship, if you can even call it that, with Anne Sinclair. I’ve come to the conclusion she kind of molested my naïve young ass back then. She made me something I wasn’t before.” Arsen looked away as he felt kind of sick to his stomach.

“When Steele and I have kids, and hopefully at least one will be a son, I would kill any bitch if she did the things to him, Anne did to me. I mean it. I would kill her.”

Paul nodded.

“And how about what you did to those women, Arsen?”

Bile rose quickly in his throat as his long-time friend reminded him of what Anne Sinclair had turned him into.

“Yeah, I know. I wish they were here for me to apologize to and get help for. The way Steele helped me. The girl hasn’t even realized it yet, just how much she’s helped me.”

Paul laughed a little.

“If I could turn back time,” he sang with his best Cher impression. “Right boss?”

Arsen chuckled.

“Yep.” He fidgeted a little then said, “Do you think it would be unfair of me to ask Steele to marry me with all this shit over us?”

Paul’s eyes went wide and his eyebrows ran clean up to his dark hairline. “Marriage, boss? You sure you’re ready for that? I mean, you haven’t known her long at all. Not to say I don’t adore her. I do. And I do think she’s good for you. If I can be honest though. I think you need to be sure you aren’t going to hurt her. Make her something she isn’t. You know like you said Anne Sinclair made you something you weren’t.”

A sharp pain stabbed Arsen’s heart. His friend wasn’t lying. Paul was no yes man. That was a thing Arsen had always respected about the man who drove him everywhere he went.

Arsen nodded.

“You’re right, Paul. I should wait. I need to make sure she understands what it is I really want from her. At this point she still thinks I need to be in control of all things, her included, if I’m to be truly happy. That isn’t the case though. It’s far from what I want.”

Paul looked at him with a frown.

“You sure about that, boss? I mean, you and having control over things is your deal, man.”

“It has been. Fuck! It had to be. If you had a clue about what I had to do to get out of evil Sinclair’s clutches you’d have a much better understanding. That woman ruled my ass with a hot mother-fucking poker for nearly four years. All through law school. Then the bitch took credit for all I had accomplished.” Arsen began to pace with the anxiety and anger which began to fill him.

“I suppose that was the final straw when she did that, huh?” Paul asked.

“You would think so, but that wasn’t it. I mean it was part of it, but not all of it. See, when I told her I wanted out of our contract which stated we would be in that contract. Get this shit, forever. And that I needed to move on with my life, she threatened me. Her husband and daughter didn’t know a thing about us. But Mistress Sinclair made sure to keep a video diary of our activities. She assured me her husband would hunt me down and kill me in cold blood without any hesitation.”

Paul frowned. “Um, she was a part of it. Why would he only kill you? He’d probably kill you both.”

“She had a special skill, the old bitch. She’d managed to record a ton of our conversations. She had me say certain things, I had no idea what she’d do with all that later.” Arsen stopped pacing as he saw the blue Camaro pull to a stop in front of the building.

The windows were tinted so dark he couldn’t see who was inside.

Paul’s hand on his shoulder made his look back as Paul said.

“I guess this little conversation is to be continued, boss. Looks like your five o’clock meeting has just arrived.”

Arsen walked out first and a few seconds later Paul walked out and leaned against the brick wall of the tall building which housed them both. He lit a cigarette and acted as if he was just another dude catching a quick morning buzz before heading out to work as he watched his friend.

The window rolled down and as hard as he tried, he couldn’t see who was driving. Arsen leaned in then stood up and turned back to look at Paul, then got in the car and it pulled away.

Part Eleven: For Fear

STEELE

The sound of the private elevator opening up in the entry room had Steele calling out from the kitchen where she was cooking breakfast, “Arsen, where have you been, Baby?”

“Not Arsen,” Paul said as he came into the kitchen. “I’ve been trying to call him and he’s not answering. Do you know if he left his phone here?”

“Check his office. I know it’s not in the bedroom.” Steele paused her stirring of the scrambled eggs. “Wait. You didn’t drive him? So he took the Jag? Where’d he go without his phone?”

Paul ducked out of the kitchen and went down the hallway to Arsen’s office. Steele followed and saw Paul pick the phone up off the desk.

“Here it is,” he said as he turned back to her.

His dark hair lay across his shoulders in waves. Not his usual look. Paul always kept his long hair pulled into a low cue and kept it neat at all times. He was clean shaven that night Steele first slipped into the backseat of the Suburban. Now he had a light beard, unkempt.

“Paul, you okay?” she asked as she watched him tap away at Arsen’s cell phone.

“Yeah, why?” he said as he stared at the phone.

“You look a little off. Your hair, your face. And do I smell cigarette smoke?” she asked as she looked him over and sniffed the air.

His blue eyes moved to look at hers.

“It’s just that I’m getting more and more worried about Arsen.” He turned the phone around and showed her the message Arsen had received earlier that morning. “He left with whoever it was who sent this message asking him to meet them this morning. Arsen just got into the car with a wave of his hand and they drove away. I didn’t get to see who it was.”

Steele’s face went pale.

“Was it a man or a woman?”

Paul shook his head. “I didn’t get to see a thing. The windows were tinted a dark black.”

“What kind of car was it?” she asked.

“A blue Camaro.” Paul pushed the button to call the number that was all sevens. A recording came on telling him that was not a valid number and he pushed the button to end the call. “Just as I thought. That number isn’t anything we can track him by. I should’ve chased his ass down and made them stop.”

Steele let out a sigh.

“Paul, don’t blame yourself. The man thinks he’s ten feet tall and bulletproof sometimes.”

Paul let out a laugh and walked out of the office.

“You don’t have to tell me that. I know that man better than anyone. He’s hard headed and completely self-destructive at times. What he did with women was…” He shut up and glanced at Steele.

Her cheeks had turned pink with embarrassment.

“I know. It’s okay.”

Paul reached out and touched her arm as they walked back to the kitchen.

“He’s different with you, Steele. He’s better with you.”

She nodded.

“I wonder why he would take off with someone.”

Steele gestured for Paul to sit at the table. He took a chair, and she brought him a cup of coffee.

“Thanks,” he said as he picked up the sugar bowl and put a couple of spoonfuls into the cup.

Steele made up two plates with eggs, bacon, and toast and took them to the table and sat across from Paul. After taking a bite of the eggs and a sip of her coffee, she asked, “Do you think Arsen can truly be happy with a vanilla woman like I am?”

Paul looked at her and smiled.

“You aren’t vanilla, Steele. I like to think of you as a brilliant variation of flavors. A little chocolate, a touch of vanilla and some spicy cinnamon.”

She smiled with the compliment. Then her cheeks turned scarlet as she thought about how many things she’d done with Arsen while the man across from her drove the car, a mere rolled up window between them.

Steele shook her head with the memories of all she’d done with the man in the back of that car. Her panties went damp with the thoughts which had flashed through her mind.

“It has occurred to me you know a lot about our sex life, Paul,” she said as she looked at her plate, not daring to meet his gaze as she felt him staring at her.

He laughed.

“I wear headphones, Steele. I have no wish to hear what goes on in the back of the SUV.”

She breathed a sigh of relief, but the fact was he knew what they were doing in the back of that car and that was embarrassing to her.

“Paul, do you think I’m a trampy slut?”

“Look at me,” he said with an air of authority she knew he’d learned from Arsen. She raised her head and did as he said. “You are no tramp, Steele. I could tell you weren’t one of those girls when I first saw you in your boots and jeans. You and he clicked. You had something. I know you would never have done what you did without that spark that instant connection you two had from the very start.”

“That night. Was he really waiting for me?” she asked then sipped her coffee. “It seems impossible to me. He’s so damn good looking. I just can’t imagine Arsen Sloan sitting in a car waiting for any woman to come outside.”

Paul laughed.

“I was surprised by him saying he wanted to wait for you. You’re right, he’s not the kind of man to wait on a half chance with a woman. He’s the guy who goes in takes who he wants and the women are grateful for the time he gives them.”

Steele looked away.

“He’s had more than his fair share of women, hasn’t he?”

Paul cleared his throat.

“I shouldn’t have said that. Please have that stricken from the record.” He laughed.

Steele did too.

“Paul, I can’t help worrying about where he is right now. And who he’s with. And what the fuck they’re doing.”

Paul shook his head.

“I’m sure it’s just a person who can help him find out more about the murders, Steele. He’ll be back before we know it and hopefully he’ll have some great answers that will get him out of all this shit he’s in.”

“It wasn’t Anne, was it?” Steele’s eyes were beginning to shine with unshed tears.

“It wasn’t her car.” He said, making her feel a little better.

She didn’t trust that woman at all. She knew she had a certain hold over Arsen because of all the abuse and she was afraid of Arsen reverting back to his old self. It had been a fear she’d had since she found everything out about the complex man.

“I’m supposed to be in my first class in half an hour, but I won’t be able to concentrate anyway. I’m staying home today. At least until Arsen makes it back.” She got up and put her empty plate in the sink.

Paul followed and asked, “You want me to hang out here with you?”

She turned with a smile.

“Would you? That would be so nice of you, Paul. It would help me not to get all crazy and jump to conclusions. I have to admit the pictures going through my mind of Arsen in a hotel room with Anne, or anyone really, keep coming in and haunting me. I love that man and jealousy is a thing which is nearly constant in me for him.”

“I assure you he’s not doing anything like that. I’m more worried he’s put his trust in someone who’s out to hurt him.” Paul took her by the arm and led her to the living room where they sat on a plush sofa.

“That is worse than what I’m thinking,” she said and sighed. “There is just no good scenario is there?”

He shrugged his wide shoulders.

“Well, there is one. He could be with someone who is helping him get to the bottom of all this shit.”

She nodded in agreement.

“That would be so fucking fantastic.”

The bell chimed with a call from the doorman and Steele made her way to the small box beside the elevator.

“Yes?”

“There is a Detective Fontaine to see Mr. Sloan.”

“Send her up,” she said then sighed. “Fantastic.”

Paul was behind her as she turned.

“What do you think this is about?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“No idea. It just keeps getting better and better around here.”

They waited for the detective and in a few minutes she was stepping off the elevator with a paper in her hand.

“I need to see Arsen,” she said.

“He’s not here at the moment. What’s that?” Steele asked as she gestured to the paper. “And what about my roommate, Gwen?”

“A warrant for his arrest for the other two women’s murders is what this is,” she answered. “We have officers looking for her, that’s the best we can do with no leads yet. Where is Arsen?”

Paul answered, “He left about five this morning with someone in a blue Camaro.”

“Five?” Fontaine asked. “That was quite a while ago. Doesn’t he have his phone? Let him know I need him back here ASAP.”

Steele sighed and walked towards the living room.

“You may as well come in and have a seat. He left his phone here. He’s been gone five hours now. Hopefully, he’ll be back soon.”

The detective sat down and crossed her long legs, the red pencil skirt raising up a bit and showing more of her leg than Steele thought was professional.

“How long does he usually take, Miss Gannon?” she asked.

Steele looked at her with a confused expression.

“Pardon?”

“To fuck?” Her cold eyes stared into Steele’s.

Paul laughed and sat down near the detective as Steele sat on the sofa across from them.

“Whoa. I better stay close to you Detective. This one here can be a real hell cat and I don’t want you to get hurt. You should really watch what you say.”

Fontaine’s eyes ran up and down Steele who was nearly a foot shorter and thinner than the tall woman.

“This little thing? She couldn’t hurt a fly.”

Steele knew she was being baited so her temper was even.

“Fontaine, you cannot goad me into a fight. Sorry. I’m worried Arsen has put his trust into someone he shouldn’t have. Perhaps you could find out who the hell that car belongs to? You do have the hook up to get that accomplished, don’t you?”

Paul smiled.

“Good thinking, Steele.” He turned to the detective. “The building has cameras out front. The car should show up on them at five this morning and you could get the plates and call them in. Then we’ll at least have a name for who he’s with.”

She nodded.

“Do you know why he would leave with this person?”

Steele nodded.

“Someone sent him a text from a fake number. It said they needed to talk. I suppose he found it was someone he knew. And someone he trusted enough to get into the car without saying a word to Paul.”

The detective laughed.

“Arsen should trust no one at this time and no one should trust him, either. The man is now being accused of all three murders and you, my dear girl, are quite the idiot for being alone with him so much. I get it, the man is a God. He has it all. Wealth, the body, the great looks. That hair is something I dream about.”

Steele smiled.

“It’s soft and silky and smells like Heaven. I love tangling my hands up in it when his mouth is making me climax.”

Fontaine’s brows went up high.

“Touché, Miss Gannon!”

“I told you, a hell cat,” Paul said as pink flushed his tanned cheeks.

“Speaking of your sex life with the accused murderer,” Fontaine said with a smile covering her red stained lips. “How rough does it get?”

Steele leaned up and gave the detective a smile. “Oh, it’s hot. But he’s never hurt me.”

“Perhaps you have a higher pain threshold than others,” she said as she uncrossed her legs and leaned back on the sofa.

Steele shook her head.

“Quite the opposite. I have a very low threshold for pain. He’s very gentle with me. He’s the kind of man who finds out what a woman wants and gives it to her. He’s kind of magical that way. Knows what I want before I do.”

“So, you aren’t worried he’s out there right now spanking some helpless female into submission because he can’t do that to you?” she asked. “People like that have needs, Miss Gannon. Maybe you don’t realize that.”

Paul cleared his throat.

“Okay, this is my boss and good friend you’re talking about Detective. I need to remind you Miss Gannon here is a law student and an intern for both Tanner Goldstein and Arsen. She is not to be treated the way you’re treating her.”

Steele smiled at Paul.

“Thank you, Paul.”

The detective’s eyes moved back and forth between the two rapidly.

“Hmm. What about you two? What’s going on here? Why are you two all alone in Arsen’s apartment?”

Paul laughed and shook his head.

“I would never go behind Arsen’s back and go after any women that’s his. It’s a matter of respect. And just so you know. If he is ever put in jail or prison, I will be escorting Miss Gannon to see him and anywhere else she goes. So you will see us together often if that happens. It doesn’t mean we’re fucking each other.”

Steele’s cheeks went pink, and she coughed. Then Paul stood.

“How about some coffee while you wait?”

The detective nodded.

“That would be nice. Thank you.”

The two women eyed one another while Paul left the room. Then Steele said, “Look, you can help here. I need you to understand some things about the man I love and would gladly give my life for. He’s a tortured soul. He doesn’t deserve what’s happening to him.”

“Said every woman involved with a killer ever,” Fontaine said with a sigh. “Poor girl. He did it. He killed those women. Now, I think there is a slight possibility the first one was an accident, but I think the sadistic man inside him liked it. It thrilled him. So he found another woman who liked that kind of stuff and went too far with it again, but this time on purpose. Getting his rocks off to it a second time. Then he knew one more who’d let him do that to her and he did it again.”

Steele shook her head.

“You don’t know him at all. He’s not that way. He has a soft streak. He can be tough and arrogant and even mean sometimes. But he has this soft spot.”

The detective laughed.

“So you think he has a soft spot for you?”

Steele frowned.

“He does. It’s not a thing I particularly like. He was weak when he was younger. Before Anne Sinclair got a hold of him and fucked him up royally. Somehow, with me, he’s going back to that weakness again. I hate I’m doing that to him.”

“Maybe he’s feeling secure for once,” the detective said as she looked around the room.

A fresh bouquet of colorful flowers filled a vase on a small table. It was the only thing soft in the room filled with fine, dark brown, leather furnishings. No other soft touches were in the room. It was entirely masculine.

“Maybe,” Steele agreed. “You know that Sinclair woman told Arsen she had a friend who was interning at the place the women are being autopsied at. She said that friend told her all three women had elevated chemicals in their bodies. She said they had been killed with some drug which is easily hidden in the body. I can’t remember the name of it. But I was wondering if you saw that on the reports.”

“Did she say who the friend is? Because I’ve been down there and there’s only two people who work there and there is no intern.” Fontaine leaned forward and tapped her long fingers on her chin.

“There’s not?” Steele sat up too and Paul came in with a tray of coffees.

“Here we go, ladies.” He sat the tray on the coffee table between them and handed them their cups.

Steele asked, “Paul, you were there when Anne Sinclair and Arsen talked, right?”

He nodded and took his place near the detective again.

“Yeah, why?”

“Tell her what all the old bat said to him.” Steele took her coffee and sat back.

After a lengthy discussion about all Anne had said, the detective was showing signs of having an internal battle with what the truth was.

“There’s a pretty good chance Arsen is being set up.”

Steele made a long sigh and sat up.

“So what are you going to do about this?”

“I think I should go downstairs and talk to the building manager and get the plates off that car if possible. If that’s Anne who he’s with she could be doing something awful to him.” The detective stood and took off to go downstairs. She looked over her shoulder. “I’ll be back. Stay here.”

“Finally,” Steele said. “Maybe the damn police will do something to help Arsen instead of trying so hard to make sure he rots away in jail.” Steele got up. “I’m going to change out of these clothes and into something more comfortable since I’ll be staying here instead of going to classes.”

She left the living room and went to the bedroom. The room she now shared with Arsen. Her body began shaking as she thought about where he might be.

Her mind kept taking her to awful thoughts. Him and Anne in a room somewhere. Anne beating him and fucking him.

Steele fell on the bed and tried hard not to cry. She got up and pulled her skirt off and kicked off the high heels. She unbuttoned her blouse and lay back down in her lacey bra and panty set Arsen had ordered for her.

Arsen had given her a whole new wardrobe. A car was being put together made specifically for her. He was taking care of her much better than she had ever taken care of herself.

Thanks to the way he had taught her to eat and exercise, she was firm and getting more fit each day. If he was going back to that life with Anne, it would devastate her.

Steele ran her hands over her body and imagined it was Arsen who was doing it. The last night he’d made her feel so good. He’d taken a long bath with her, they drank a little wine and then he took her to bed.

Heat had flushed her body with his first touch. His lips pressed against hers and took her away from all thoughts of Gwen. Even though she knew she should only be thinking about her friend and what might be happening to her, Steele wanted to be taken away for a little while.

Arsen could manage to do that with a simple touch. That night his touch was anything but simple as he ran his fingertips over her breasts and stomach. His lips touched her stomach, sending chills all over her.

His dark eyes gazed at her as he said, “One day this flat stomach will be round with our baby, Steele.”

She smiled and recalled the amazing feeling those words gave her. She hadn’t even thought about having kids.

“You want kids, Arsen?”

“With you I do,” he’d said. Soft kisses he made all over her stomach.

Her heart swelled with love for him and she knew he was it for her. No one would ever come close to being what he was to her. He would one day be her husband and the father of her children.

It seemed to be far away in a future which was not entirely certain. The dark cloud of prison constantly hung over the man’s shoulders. Steele shuddered as his lips pressed against her clit.

His teeth took it gently, and she moaned with the sweet feeling it gave her. He made a low growl and bit it a little harder. It sent waves of pleasure through her.

Her hands fisted the sheet beneath her.

“Arsen!”

His tongue flicked at the swelling pearl between his teeth and with every deft flick of his tongue she felt a jolt go through her, straight to a place deep inside her.

She was wetter than she’d ever been and finally she could take it no longer and groaned loudly as her body shook with the climax.

His fingers gripped into her ass and he moved his mouth to taste the juices he’d set free. His name came from her lips over and over as his tongue went in and out of her, making the orgasm go on and on.

Steele ran her hands down to run through his hair. He finally had had enough of her and moved up her body, kissing every inch along the way. Heat filled her as she waited semi-patiently for him to be inside her.

It was amazing when they were joined together like that. Two parts of the same person it seemed. Her body formed around his thick cock as he buried himself into her wet depths.

His breath was warm on her neck as he pushed himself into her.

“I will never get tired of how you feel when I first go into you. Hot, wet, and wonderful. I love you, Baby.”

Somehow every time he told her he loved her it still sent shock waves through her heart. “I love you, Arsen.”

So slowly it almost hurt, he moved inside her. Her stomach clenched with every long, slow stroke. He was making it last this moment with her and she knew it.

It was obvious Arsen was beginning to lose hope he’d get out of the legal mess he was in. He was getting more and more clingy. His hands always on her. As if touching her as much as he could before he was taken away and couldn’t do it anymore.

Even then his fingertips were flowing over her body as he made the slow strokes. His mouth was moving over her throat, teeth grazing her flesh. He was being more gentle than normal, more into the moment than he’d ever been.

Her hands ran over the tight muscles of his back and she found herself needing to feel him like he was feeling her. Making it last, taking him all in.

He could be taken from her at any moment and she was beginning to feel she needed to touch him all she could too. They may only have a small time left before the walls came crumbling down, breaking them in the process.

His hand moved back up her side and he leaned back and looked at her as he took her breast in his hand. His dark eyes were soft and filled with emotion. “You are a rare find, Miss Gannon.”

She smiled and traced his top lip with her finger. “As are you, Mr. Sloan.”

He kissed her fingertip. “I could look at this face forever.”

A tear escaped as she wanted to look at his forever, but she knew it might not happen for them. “With luck, you will.”

He kissed her cheek where the tear had fallen. His lips moved over her cheek as he said, “No tears, Baby. There is only you and me and right now. Let the future go for now. We don’t have any guarantees anyway.”

Her hands ran up to take his cheeks between them. She pulled his mouth to hers and tasted him with a deep kiss. She wanted that kiss to last forever.

Their tongues moved in unison with the others. Making sweet love to each other’s mouths while the bottom part of their bodies did the same. Every part of them seemed to be touching, moving against the others.

Every deep, slow stroke had his body moving slowly over her clit and she was beginning to feel the intensity from it. She arched up to get him to grind into her more.

Little eruptions were beginning to occur inside her. She tried to hold them back, but they just kept going and building until her body was shivering with the need to let it all go.

He pulled his mouth from hers and looked into her eyes.

“Do it, Baby. Come all over me.”

She grabbed his biceps and held them as she did as he told her. He kept moving slowly inside her, making it go on and on. He stopped and let her catch her breath. Then started up again.

With a smile he said, “How many times you want to come for me tonight?”

Her hand moved over his meticulously kept beard. “As many times as you want me to.”

He kissed her again, soft and slow like a fine wine, he was taking his sweet time with her. She felt adored by him.

A knock came at the bedroom door, taking her out of her memory and she sat up. “I’ll be out in a minute. Nearly done changing.”

She shook her head and climbed off the big bed she shared with Arsen. She looked back at it and found a tear rolling down her cheek.

If he was with someone else, she would never trust a man again. If a man could be that sweet, intimate, and loving, and still mess around, then she wanted no part of them.

A part of her was worried about that so much because he didn’t seem to even want with her what he’d done with all the other women he’d had sex with. The detective had struck at one of her major insecurities where Arsen was concerned.

His need to dominate, control, and physically test his partners. He didn’t do that with her and she knew it. He was gentle with her and listened to her. Catered to her instead of having her cater to his every little need like he made the others do.

Arsen didn’t treat her like the rest and that scared her. Did he go off with someone who he could be himself with? Was he unable to be who he was with her for some strange reason and need that control more than he or she even realized?

She pulled on a soft pair of jeans and a white lace shirt and her favorite boots then went out to face the detective and her shitty ways once again. Steele just hoped the man she loved would come home soon with a great explanation of where he’d been.

Steele found Paul and the detective looking over some papers as they sat next to each other on one of the sofas. Fontaine looked up as Steele entered the room.

“I called in the plates and should know something soon about that. I also got the autopsy reports out of my car while I was down there. Paul and I were discussing the fact that, though small, all three women have higher levels of succinic acids and choline in their systems.”

Paul added, “I told her about the fact a drug used in anesthesia is called succinylcholine and could’ve been the real killer of these women.”

Steele sat and listened as the detective said, “I think Anne Sinclair is the one who did the crimes or had them done. She has information she shouldn’t have about their deaths. You see, I made a call just to be positive. There are only two people who work there and are privy to this information. Both have worked with the department for many years and are very trustworthy individuals.”

“If Anne lied about having an insider,” Steele said. “Anne could’ve done it. She didn’t take Arsen’s leaving well at all. She left scars on his back from the beatings she gave him as she tried to reign him back in when he was through with her. Her way of domination was more than he could take.”

The detective frowned.

“It’s hard to think of that man as anyone’s submissive partner. He’s all man.”

Steele looked at her.

“He is. That’s how fucking bad Anne Sinclair is. Now, what are you going to do with that warrant now?”

The detective picked it up from the coffee table and tore it in half.

“This investigation is going in another direction as of right now. Anne Sinclair has moved to our main person of interest. I’m not saying Arsen is off the hook, but I think we’ve been sent in his direction so she can get some revenge on the man she loved to control so much.”

Steele let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

Finally!

She wanted Arsen to be there so damn bad so she could hug him and let him know it was all going to be alright. It was almost over. But he wasn’t there.

The fact was Arsen and Gwen were missing and Steele was helpless to do anything about any of it.

“So, what are we going to do about finding Arsen and Gwen?”

The detective frowned.

“Look, Arsen can’t officially be called missing yet. I know I’ve been messing with you, but the fact is he could really be fucking around right now. While hurtful, it’s no crime, Steele.”

“So you aren’t going to send out an APB for that car?” Steele asked. “Because I think you should do that.”

Fontaine shook her head, making her long, blonde hair fall around her shoulders. Steele noticed Paul looking at her with a little gaze in his eyes as she said, “I can’t yet.”

Steele stood up and paced.

“This is a lot of crap! Why do your hands have to be so tied?”

“It’s the law,” she answered. “You should know that, Miss Law Student! Sit down! You're annoying me.”

Steele looked at the tall woman with her too promiscuous clothing for a cop and asked as she gestured to the woman, “You don’t dress like any cop I’ve ever seen. What’s up with this?”

Paul looked at Fontaine too as if he was interested in knowing as well. The detective ran her hands over her low cut white blouse which was tucked into a tight, red skirt paired with red heels.

“If you must know, I was a model. I don’t like to look like a cop. I like to look like a model. Okay?”

Paul nodded.

“No wonder you’re so beautiful.”

Steele rolled her eyes.

“Good God!”

The detective smiled at Paul and ran a hand over his cheek.

“Thank you, Paul.”

“You're welcome.” He looked at Steele. “What? I like tough as nails women.”

Steele plopped back down on the sofa and shook her head.

“Anyway, back to what’s important. What can Paul and I do since we don’t have to obey all your little timelines and shit like that? I mean can we go look for that car?”

With a shrug of her shoulders, she said, “Once we get the name of who it’s registered to, I suppose you could see if you could find the person through the internet and who am I to say you can’t go looking for your boyfriend?”

“Then that’s what we’ll do! Finally, a break,” Steele said as she sat back. “Now if that damn information would get to you, we could get busy finding my man. I can’t wait to give him the good news.”

Her eyes darted up to Paul as he said.

“So, Fontaine, how about dinner tonight?”

Steele rolled her eyes and looked away. She didn’t want to witness the devastation the bitch detective was about to pull down on the poor guy.

“How sweet,” she heard the woman say in a high pitched voice. She looked back to find the detective’s hand running yet again over Paul’s face. “How about you shave though, before we go? I love the way you look all clean shaven and your hair pulled back.”

“I’ll go do that now.” He jumped up then hesitated as if thinking about doing something. Then he reached out and took Fontaine by the hand and pulled her up.

He took her into his arms and kissed her as Steele’s jaw dropped. Fontaine’s left foot lifted up behind her and her arms ran around Paul as she moaned.

Steele couldn’t look away. It was like a train wreck. You know there will be total devastation, but you have to keep looking anyway.

Paul pulled back with a smile.

“Just wanted to let you know what kissing me felt like with a beard.” He let her go and walked away.

Fontaine pressed her fingertips to her lips and turned back to look at Steele.

“Wow! Just, wow!”

Steele finally smiled. “He’s an amazing kisser, isn’t her?”

The flush on the detective’s face let her know he was. The women found themselves giggling, and the detective sat back down. Steele began to feel a bit better about Paul getting together with the woman who had made no secret about her wanting a little roll in the hay with Arsen.

Maybe with Paul to occupy her, she’d forget about flirting with Arsen.

Fontaine leaned forward and whispered, “Do you know if he’s into the BDSM stuff too?”

Steele shrugged.

“Not sure. But I don’t think so. If he tries to spank you, give it a try before you stop him. The first couple of whacks are pretty damn exciting.”

They broke into giggles again and both blushed. Fontaine’s cell phone rang, and she picked it up and answered, “Detective Fontaine.”

Quickly she took a pen and pad of paper from her purse and wrote something down then got off the phone.

“I have a name and address for you. But you aren’t going to like it. You sure you want it?” she asked Steele. “I mean I wouldn’t go there if I was you. It might lead to an altercation and that might end you up in jail. Going to a woman’s house and kicking her ass is a crime after all. No, I’m not giving this to you. You will definitely end up in jail.”

Steele stood up and moved quickly and swiped the pad out of Fontaine’s hand. The name Beth Campbell was at the top and the address was right underneath.

“Fuck!” Steele threw her hands up in the air and stomped her foot. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

“Know her?” Fontaine asked with raised brows.

“The name of the girl who was his first love was Beth. She’s Anne Sinclair’s daughter. This is most likely her.” Steele fell back on the sofa and put the pad of paper on the table.

“Anne Sinclair was fucking her daughter’s old boyfriend?” Fontaine asked with shock and a lot of disgust on her face. “That’s sick!”

Steele pulled out her cell phone and went to search the woman on social media. In no time at all she’d found her and when she pulled up her friends and family it was all there. Her mother was Anne Sinclair.

Arsen had gone off with the one other female he’d ever loved and been gone a damn long time.

“I’m sorry, Steele. I really am. All shit aside, the man’s a fool to let you go.” Fontaine went to sit by Steele and ran an arm around her shoulders. “This sucks. Everything might well be over with Arsen’s troubles and you two could be getting on to a life together then in one fell swoop, an old flame comes in and takes him away from you. Life sucks.”

Paul came back in all smiles and a clean-shaven face with his hair pulled back neatly and a killer Armani suit on. He stopped and looked at the two women on the sofa.

“What the hell? I thought you two hated each other.”

Fontaine hugged Steele.

“I don’t hate anyone. I’m just kind of bitch is all. We found out whose car that is and the fact Arsen’s been gone so long just hit her.”

“Like a brick upside the head,” Steele added. “He’s with Beth. The Beth. The fucking Beth who let her father beat him nearly to death. The fucking Beth who left him the destroyed kid he became because of her. Then her mother swooped in and nearly finished him off. That fucking Beth.” Her eyes went to Paul.

His mouth hung open and then he gulped.

“We have to save him. What’s the address?”

Steele laughed.

“Save him? Ha! From what? Come on, Paul. Wake up. Smell the fucking shit. Read the writing on the wall! He’s with her, fucking her. Lying in a bed somewhere holding her and telling her he forgives her and wants her to marry him and have his babies. That’s what’s taking so long.”

Paul’s head shook.

“No, Steele. He wouldn’t do that. Something's not right. You have to trust him.”

“That’s what he always tells me. Trust him. I have to trust him.” Steele’s body was shaking and Fontaine hugged her tighter. “I did trust him. I trusted him when he tied my hands up. I trusted him when he hung me up and smacked me with his belt until I cried. I trusted him so many times. One too many though it seems.”

She began to cry and Fontaine let her bury her face against her neck.

“Shh. It’s going to be okay, Steele. There are other fish in the sea.”

Paul threw his hands in the air.

“Stop crying, he’s not doing what you two think. I know the man. I know him like you two don’t. Steele, he loves your ass. Completely loves you. I’ve never seen him like this. You have nothing to worry about, I promise you.”

“I need to be alone,” Steele said then pulled herself out of Fontaine’s arms and ran to the bedroom.

Paul called out, “Steele, don’t do anything stupid. Promise me!”

She slammed the door behind her. The man she loved was with his old girlfriend. The social media site had said she was married with three kids. Steele knew the woman would throw all that away to be with Arsen again.

The billionaire who now was built like a brick house and gorgeous. Fuck yes, Beth would throw away her marriage and kids for the man and Steele knew it without a doubt.

Steele was a shaking mess as she fell on the bed and cried her eyes out. Paul was just sticking up for his friend. Defending the Bro Code. Steele wasn’t stupid.

It had all been too good to be true and now it was over. The end of it all. Arsen was off the hook, mostly anyway and he was done with Steele.

That much was obvious.

She pulled her clothes off and went to get in the deep jetted tub to try to blast away the sadness. Her body ached to feel his touch. Her heart ached so bad she felt it in her soul.

Steele wasn’t sure she could take it. The pain was too great. Their nights and days had been filled with pleasure and it was over. She would die alone because he’d ruined her for any other man.

No man would be able to ignite in her what he had. No other man would capture her attention the way he had. No other man was Arsen.

Gorgeous, crazily lovable, Arsen.

Steele lay her head back and let the tears flow as she thought about the way he touched her. The way he made her feel.

His lips on her lips, their hips touching as he moved inside her. When he was behind her, the way his hip bones made contact with her ass. Everywhere his body touched hers sent little jolts of electricity throughout her body.

And that is over!

Her hands moved over her body, pretending they were Arsen’s. She cried as she touched her breasts and knew his hands would never squeeze them again. She ran her hands over her stomach. The place he told her only the night before he wanted to see filled with their child.

That wasn’t going to happen. No. He’d have children with Beth. His first love. His true love.

Steele might have been a little something to him, but the second Beth showed up, BOOM! He was hoping in the car with her and gone in a flash.

He didn’t even tell Paul, his best friend, goodbye. He just got into her car and went away with her.

Steele ran her hands down to where he made her the most happy. In between her legs Arsen had made her feel like no other ever had or ever would. His mouth brought her complete pleasure as did his large cock.

Now he was most likely plunging it into Beth’s horrible pussy. Making her come over and over again. Sending her to another place where only the two of them existed.

Steel went under water and stayed until her lungs burned with the need for oxygen. She wanted to drown. Let him find her dead in his bathtub for all she cared. Then he would know what he’d done to her.

Why did he have to wait that night outside that damn club for her? Stalk her? Make her his?

He should’ve left her alone. She would’ve better off. Now she was broken. More broken than she ever knew she could be.

With the flip of a switch she went from being the most in love she’d ever been to being at the lowest place in her entire life.

Steele pushed her head up from underneath the water and gasped for air. She shook her head.

What was she doing?

Was she really going to give him up without a fight?

Was she going to kill herself and let Beth have her man?

“No, I am not!” she said out loud.

“That bitch gave him up. She can’t have him again. She had her chance and she let him go. Fuck her!” Steele climbed out of the deep tub and grabbed a towel.

“Bitch, better get ready!” She marched to the closet finding a nice set of yoga pants and a matching shirt. She was going to dress for this little encounter.

Putting on clothes she could move in, she was preparing for the battle for her man. Arsen was damaged and Anne and Beth were people he had to be protected from.

Steele had been sent to him. Not only to love him, but to help him be strong in the face of those who had hurt him so badly they nearly broke the man.

If Arsen had fallen victim to Beth’s charms again then Steele would help him see why Beth was not good for him. It wasn’t as if that was a lie. The girl had watched her father beat him and yelled at him to get up and fight a man twice his age and size.

Beth wasn’t good for him, no matter how much she may have changed, and Steele was, at the very least, going to fight for the man she loved more than life itself.

After putting her hair in a braid to be sure her hair couldn’t become a target if Beth was going to fight back, she marched out to find Paul and Fontaine exchanging phone numbers as they sat so close to each other their legs were touching.

“If you don’t mind my interrupting your little date, I’d like to go to this woman’s house. I’m going to fight for my man. I will not go down without a fight,” Steele informed them.

“I can’t let you go and assault anyone, Steele,” Fontaine said with an exaggerated eye roll.

“I’m going one way or another. I memorized the address, Fontaine.” Steele headed towards the elevator and Fontaine got up as Paul took her hand and pulled her up with him.

“I have to take her. I told Arsen I wouldn’t let her out of my sight.” He pulled her along. “You can come with us if you want. I’ll let you ride up front with me. It’s a bench seat, so you can sit right next to me.”

Steele looked back to see Fontaine grinning like a school girl.

“I have to take my own car. I’m still on duty. I’ll lead the way and I’ll go talk to whoever it is that’s home there. Think you can keep her locked in the car until I get things figured out?”

Paul smiled and kissed the tip of her nose.

“Not a problem. I have the master control up front. I got your back, partner.”

“Dear, Lord!” Steele said as they all stepped into the elevator. “This is going to be excruciating!”

Paul laughed as the doors shut.

“Now, now, princess. Others like to go to the ball too, you know.” He slipped his arm around the detective and pulled her in close to his side.

“Whatever that means,” Steele said. “I just want to get to Arsen as quickly as I can. The wait is killing me.”

The trip down the elevator from the penthouse to the ground floor seemed to be taking forever. Everything was taking forever in Steele’s mind. She couldn’t get to Arsen fast enough.

She knew the chances of him being at that address were slim to none, but Beth’s husband might be and that was one step closer to her finding Arsen.

If Arsen thought Anne was harsh, he’s going to have to come up with a new word for me!

GWEN

Inch by painful inch, she’d crawled through the tall grass until she finally came to the edge of the road. The sun was up and had been for a while. Morning dew was still covering the grass, and she was soaked from it.

Her body shivered with the wet cold. She knew she had little time. Exposure, exhaustion, starvation, and dehydration were all combining to take her life away.

She just kept praying and focusing on breathing each breath. The idea of saving Steele and Arsen kept her going. If she never did another thing in her life, she would’ve accomplished saving a couple of people from terrible fates.

The sound of wheels smashing the gravel along the road made her look up, and she saw the headlights of a car coming towards her through the foggy morning. The person pulled to a stop and got out.

She saw a tall, slender woman with blonde hair. She didn’t say a word as she was too weak and the woman didn’t speak either. She just picked her up and placed her in the back seat of her large sedan.

Gwen was saved. She would make it. She could complete what had taken her nearly two days to work at. The swim, the shark, the long crawl.

It had all come together and had worked for her. She would be able to save Arsen and Gwen now. She closed her eyes and just took in one breath after another and thanked the Lord above for the woman who had stopped and picked her up off the side of the road.

Soon, she’d be hooked up to an I.V. of fluid which would fill her veins and bring her back to life. Food would be in her empty stomach and fresh clothes, be it a hospital gown which would surely be gaping in the back, letting her ass show, but it would be clean and dry covering her tender flesh.

It was all about to be over. The pain, the agony, the near defeat. Allen White would be behind bars in hours. Anne Sinclair and her boy toy as well. All would be over and Gwen would be in a nice, safe, dry hospital bed, sipping on some refreshing beverage.

The radio came on and played some old rock. A little old time rock-and-roll, Gwen thought to herself. Yeah, some good old rock and some food and water and fresh clothes. That was just what the doctor would order.

And when Steele saw her and found out she had the words to bring her complete happiness, then she’d be a hero. She knew Arsen would insist on rewarding her, so life was about to get real fucking easy.

And she’d let him do it too. She’d let him give her a reward, and she’d take some time off school and work and just lounge around for at least a month. Do nothing but sit by the pool and sip Champagne cocktails and eat fancy things she’d never eaten before.

French foods she’d heard of but had never seen. Escargot, Vichyssoise, and other foods she’d never tasted. It occurred to her in all her twenty-one years of life she’d never had one bite of spinach.

She was going to try every food on the planet. Every drink in the world. She was going to live, damn it!

No more living like every day is a given. Gwen would live every day as if it were her last. Try everything. Find a good-looking guy and kiss the mother fucker on the mouth before he even got a chance to speak.

Dance in the rain, watch an old movie where all the actors have died already and fall in love with the leading man. Crazy shit like that is what Gwen was going to do when she got well and got out of the hospital.

Her eyes felt heavy and her body was beyond tired. Though she knew it was over, she was growing kind of worried. The woman wasn’t speaking at all. The car didn’t feel as if it were speeding to the nearest hospital.

It seemed to be going slow, as a matter of fact. It took everything she had in her to pull her eyelids open. Her vision was blurry and that concerned her. She didn’t need to wear glasses so what was happening to her?

Suddenly she realized she wasn’t taking breaths. She pulled in some air and her chest hurt really bad when she did.

After all she’d made it through, was this it? Was she supposed to kick the old bucket now? Throw in the towel?

The numbness was moving over her body in slow increments. Her toes, then up her calves, over her thighs and now her stomach which had been in a constant state of pain was growing numb.

Was her body completely shutting down now she was so close to being saved and saving her friend?

If she died before telling anyone what she knew, she’d have done it all in vain. She took in slow breaths and closed her eyes. She was so tired, and it had seemed like it had gone on so long.

The ride was taking forever. If the fucking broad could speed the fuck up she might fucking live.

She wanted to scream at the woman to hurry the fuck up. She didn’t have much longer and people’s fucking lives depended on what she had to say.

Her words came out quiet and scratchy. “Hurry, please.”

She doubted the woman could even hear her over the radio she had so fucking loud for some damn reason.

Who the fuck picks up a nearly dead person off the side of the road in a desolate area and places them in their car and turns fucking eighties rock up so loud? Who does that kind of thing?

An idiot? A sadistic person? A narcissist who wants to hear what she wants to hear and fuck all the others, especially the dying chick in the back seat?

This woman was a piece of work. The car stopped and the sound of buttons being pushed Gwen heard as the key pad made little clicking sounds. Then there was the sound of scraping of what she thought was a metal gate opening.

Where the hell is this woman taking me?

The car lurched forward, bumping over the rails which held the gate in place. Then she heard it close with a resounding bang. The car moved ahead slowly. One curve it went around then the car went in another direction around another curve.

It was taking a while to get where they were going and Gwen knew it wasn’t any hospital. There were no gates keeping anyone from an emergency room parking lot. Not one.

Something else was happening to her. Something awful. Something which would end not only her life but Steele’s and Arsen would go to prison.

Why can’t things just work out? Why can’t things go right for just one minute? One break? One little break in the chain of crap she’d had to deal with since Allen White took her from her apartment?

Gwen laid perfectly still as the car pulled to a stop. She crossed her fingers that she’d been wrong. The woman turned the radio down then shut the car off.

Gwen felt the cool, wet wind as the woman opened then closed the driver’s side door. Her shoes crunched against the gravel of the parking lot or whatever it was she’d stopped in.

It took a long time it seemed to Gwen for anyone to come back to the car to get her. Maybe the woman had forgotten about the too weak to speak woman in her back seat.

Maybe she was picked up by a senile woman who shouldn’t be driving in the first place. She placed Gwen on her back and that made it harder for her to move than when she was on her belly.

She tried to pick her head up but she couldn’t. She couldn’t even get her eyes to open. Then the sound of two sets of feet crunching the gravel she heard faintly. They got closer and closer.

They stopped right by the car.

“Yeah, it’s her,” a man’s voice said. “Where’d you find her?”

A woman’s voice filled her ears.

“On the road, you fucking idiot. Get her out of there and then we have to clean the car so there’s no evidence of her in my car.”

Gwen knew the voices. She knew it was not her fate to save her friend and her friend’s new boyfriend. It must be her fate to end up back in Allen White’s hands.

Her fate to end her life at a mere twenty-one years old at the hands of Allen White and his partner Anne Sinclair.

Gwen felt the air swoosh past her head as the back door opened. Her limp body was picked up by Allen, no doubt. The sound of gravel crunching under shoes she heard again.

She wanted to cry, but her body had no water to make tears. She wanted to scream, but her body had no strength to do that. She wanted to live, and that was a thing her body seemed to not want either.

All was against her. All was over. All was lost.

He placed her on the bed with broken springs. The one he’d chained her to a few days before. He didn’t bother to put the chains on her that time. He and Anne knew she didn’t have the strength to go anywhere.

“Get the bleach and I’ll get the vacuum cleaner and we’ll get busy on the car. My daughter called me and she’s waiting for me at my house. She was excited and said she had a surprise for me. I hope it’s a nice purse of a pair of expensive shoes. Her husband makes a lot of money and every once in a while she surprises me with some expensive gift. She’s thoughtful that way. I raised a good girl,” Anne said as they left Gwen near death on the bed.

Concentrating on taking in slow breaths, Gwen tried not to fall asleep. She had to hold on. Had to try not to die.

Hope should be long gone, but she found she couldn’t give it up.

I have got to hold on!

Part Twelve: For Fortune

ARSEN

The hours had passed at a snail’s pace as Arsen and Beth waited for her mother to arrive at her home where they were waiting for Anne Sinclair. They sat on the sofa, leaving space between each other.

“When I found the tapes, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Beth told him.

Arsen ran a hand over his face.

“It’s hard to believe after all this time the woman still has those. I thought I’d destroyed them all.”

“Seems three made it without you finding them. It seems my mother was adept at hiding things.” Beth stood up and went to look out the front window. “Where is this woman?”

“She made my life hell for a number of years, Beth. She changed me. Well, your father and you did too, but Anne really changed me,” he said as he looked at his watch. “It’s been hours. Where do you think she is?”

“No telling. I can’t say I know the woman anymore. I had no idea who she was and what she was capable of doing until I found those tapes and then when I found the files she kept on the women in your life that really freaked me out.” She went back to her place on the sofa.

Arsen barely saw the former Beth under the years of cigarette smoking and obvious alcohol abuse. The glass of vodka in her hand was a constant thing since they got into her mother’s house at six that morning.

She sipped at it, but it seemed she needed to hold the glass more so than drink the alcohol it held. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, the dark roots showing.

Arsen was surprised to find he had absolutely no residual feelings for the girl who was his first love. It seemed the way things ended had really cauterized the wound she left in his heart all those years ago.

“I’m really glad you told me about this, Beth. You have no idea how much this shit was going to cost me. Your mother has a knack for fucking up my life. This time would’ve been beyond devastating.”

She ran a finger around the rim of her short glass.

“How did you leave her if she had so much control over you?”

“It wasn’t easy and I have the scars to prove it.” He looked away at the memories he tried hard not to think about.

“Tell me, Arsen.” Beth pulled her feet under her and looked at him with a sadness to her eyes he didn’t remember ever seeing in them before.

“One day just before my graduation day, I came home to the apartment she’d rented us. I had a few of my final grades and brought home the papers with them on it. It struck me when she commented how well she’d taught me. And how great it was going to be when I became a lawyer and could support her, finally.” He stood and walked to the window.

“So she was planning to leave my father then and marry you?” Beth asked.

He shook his head.

“No. She told me she would never divorce your father. He was the person she stood behind to show the world she was a normal woman with a normal family. Not the freak show she hid from most people.”

“Then why did she think you were going to support her, Arsen?” Beth re-situated herself on the sofa and took a tiny sip of the vodka.

“No idea. She used the shit out of me. In all ways. I mean all of them. I suppose she thought because she rented the apartment, that was taking care of me. The fact was, I didn’t need her to do that. I had a job at all times. I could’ve taken care of myself with no problem.”

“Then how did she justify that?” Beth asked with confusion riddling her face.

“I don’t know. How does anyone know what goes on in the mind of an insane person?” Arsen went back to sit down.

“Sure you don’t want something to drink, Arsen?”

He shook his head, making his dark, silky hair which had grown to his shoulders, bounce off them.

“No, thank you. So getting back to how I left. She was away for the week. You know back home with you guys. I had overheard her talking on the phone to one of her friends how she’d built me into the man I was becoming and what a great investment she’d made in me. Like I was a damn animal she had trained.”

“That’s when you decided you wanted no more of life with her?” Beth asked.

He nodded.

“Yes. So I left. I rented an efficiency apartment and went to a different BDSM club. I found a young woman there who later became my first sub. I have to admit I was hard with her. I had learned from the hardest and that’s how I treated her.”

“Oh, Arsen.” The disapproval in Beth’s voice made him flinch.

“Anne came to my apartment once she was able to track me down and she found the poles I had purchased. She put them to good use on my back as she tried to beat me back into submission. I wouldn’t go back to that though. No matter how many times she hit me, I wouldn’t go back. She eventually gave up. Or so I thought anyway. I had no idea she would go this far to punish me for leaving her.”

Beth got up and left the room. Arsen could hear her getting sick in the nearby bathroom. It made his stomach knot. He paced around the room and wondered why he’d said so much to her.

She didn’t have to know all of it. But somewhere deep inside him he was glad she knew her mother now. It was Anne’s time to be found out. Just as she had made sure his private life had been made public.

Beth came back in with her face shining from the water she’d splashed on it. “Sorry.” She sat down. “I just couldn’t stomach it any longer. She is my mother after all.”

He nodded.

“I suppose I shouldn’t say any more about her.”

“Probably best.” She laughed a little. “All this time we thought she was so into church. Were we fools?”

Arsen sat back down.

“I finally met the one for me and Anne is threatening that relationship as well.”

“The one for you? A new submissive?” she asked as she took another drink of the vodka.

“No. Not a sub. A real woman. An equal to me in all ways. And in some areas, she’s far superior to me. My body, mind, and soul love and need her. She will be the mother of my children someday. If I can get this legal crap off me then I plan on making that woman my wife.” Arsen’s eyes drooped a bit at the corners. “If she’ll have me, of course.”

Beth fidgeted in her seat.

“She’s a lucky girl, Arsen. I was an ass back then. I can’t tell you how many times I thought about what happened and wondered why I reacted the way I did. I still can’t tell you exactly why. I am sorry though. Not that I expect forgiveness because I don’t deserve it. And after finding out what my mother did to you, I really don’t deserve it.”

“I allowed it. I allowed it all. No one held me captive. I came back to that apartment day after day. And as far as forgiving you. I hadn’t. But I do now. I see no reason to hold hate in my heart any longer. You were a kid. I can’t hold you responsible for what your father did to me.”

Beth looked away, tears filled her eyes.

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

He scooted over and gave her leg a pat.

“Sure you do.” He took the glass of alcohol from her hand and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. “Let it go, Beth. I see you clutching that glass like it’s a lifeline. You don’t need it. Whatever you're holding on to, let it go. I forgive you. If you’ve done other things to hurt people, let that go to.”

Beth ran her hand over his meticulously kept beard.

“You turned into such a gorgeous man, Arsen.”

He drug his knuckles across her cheek.

“Beth, you’re more than you’re showing right now. You said you have a husband and kids. I think it’s time you step up and take charge of yourself and get it together for them and yourself. This part of your life is over. Done. You can’t go back a change a thing. But don’t let it take the rest of your life from you.”

“What’s her name?” she asked him.

His eyes sparkled. “Steele Gannon. She’s sweet, kind, and at times stubborn. And I love her with more than I knew I had in me.”

“Does she know she’s the luckiest women in the world?” Beth asked with a smile.

“I think she does.” He winked and chuckled. The sound of gravel crunching in the drive had him jumping up. “Is that her?”

Beth ran to the window.

“Yes! Quickly, go hide and make sure you have that recorder on.”

God, I hope this works!

GWEN

Lying on the mattress, barely breathing, Gwen managed to pull her eyelids open when she heard a noise near her. Allen had several bags of some clear liquid and an IV stand with another bag strung up on it.

“I’m going to get you better, Gwennie.” His voice was cheerful, and he was smiling.

She closed her eyes and wondered what the hell was happening.

Not sure how much time had passed, Gwen woke up and felt so much better she couldn’t believe it. Her arm was immobilized, and she looked at it to find it secured to a board and an IV was running into it. She moved her head to find Allen sitting there.

“Hi, sleepyhead.” He got up and came back with a bowl and a spoon. “I have some soup here, if you care for some.”

She nodded. Allen helped her sit up in the bed and gave her a bite of the soup.

It hurt to swallow, but she managed and before she knew it, she’d eaten the entire bowl of chicken soup.

“Thank you,” she managed to say.

Allen smiled and went away only to come back with something to drink. He put the straw to her lips, and she took a sip then he yanked it back.

“Not too much or you might get sick.”

She nodded.

“What are you going to do with me?”

“Let you go after I get you better. See, I’m going to be leaving town after I do what I’m going to do for someone. I’ll set you free then.” He looked at her with a frown. “I’m sorry about all this. You are an innocent person in this. I should’ve never taken you. I’m sorry.”

Her head was spinning. He was going to let her go, but then she remembered his plans for Steele.

“Allen, what about Steele? She’s an innocent in this too.”

“Yeah but taking her will hurt Arsen and that’s what I want to do. Sorry about her. You’ll get over it though. If I’ve learned anything it’s that people get over stuff.” He gave her another sip of the drink which she found tasted like apples.

“It that apple juice?”

“Yes. I know it’s your favorite.” He gave her a little pat on the shoulder. “I listened to you when we were talking all those times.”

Gwen found a little shine in his eyes and thought she might be able to use any affection he had for her to her advantage.

“So I overheard some things you and that woman said to each other. Want to tell me what all happened between you two?”

“Anne Sinclair is the woman behind everything. She came to see me while I was in prison. She gave me the idea to start talking about God and using that to impress the parole board. Then when I got out she found me again. She told he how Arsen deserved to be punished for what he’d done to us both.”

Gwen nodded. “She was his master or whatever they call it, right?”

“Mistress. Yes, she was. He ran away from her or something like that. After she put him through college and made him the man he became, he left her flat.” Allen stood up and left the area then came back with a chocolate bar and another pillow.

He propped it up behind Gwen and gave her the candy.

“Thank you,” she said and took a bite of it. “Please, go one with your story, Allen.”

Taking his seat again, he said, “Since I was the only case he ever lost, I think he was punishing me for my mistake. So I think it’s perfectly acceptable for me to punish him.”

Gwen took a sip of her drink and tried to think of a way to convince Allen that Anne was using him. She took the straw from her lips and said, “I guess you’re too close to see it for what it is, but that woman is using you, Allen.”

His eyebrows cocked in surprise.

“I don’t think so.”

She nodded.

“I can see it. You should really think about it. And I heard what she did to you. Are you into that kind of thing?”

He shook his head.

“No. But she has this way of making you think you are. You know?”

“No.” Gwen looked down and tried to look as sad as she could. “I hate she hurt you like that, Allen.”

“You do?” he asked. “After all I’ve done to you?”

“I forgive you, Allen.” She looked up and caught his eyes. “I want to help you get out from under her. I can see the writing on the wall, Allen. She means to toss you under the bus when everything goes down. She doesn’t want to have you as a loose end.”

He looked worried.

“You might be right.”

“I think you and I should pay her a visit,” Gwen said. “Has she told you where she lives?”

With a shake of his head, he said, “No, she hasn’t.”

“Hmm. Wonder why not?” Gwen eyed him carefully. “How about you let me take a shower and freshen up a little then we go find her? We can Google the bitch and give her a surprise visit. Bet she won’t be expecting that. Then you can set her straight how you will not be her patsy.”

Allen smiled. “You know what, you might be right. I think I will pay her a visit.” He got up to help her up. “Let’s get you all cleaned up and pay her a visit. I’m done being her whipping boy!”

Thank God! Finally, a break!

STEELE

As Paul pulled up behind Detective Fontaine at the address they’d found for Beth, Steele rolled her window down to listen to what was said.

Fontaine rang the bell of the small, blue, wood-framed home with toys littering the front lawn. A tall, pot-bellied man with a large bald spot on his head and light brown hair around the bottom of his head answered the door.

Steele noticed no car was in the drive. Her hands were wringing in her lap as she listened hard to what was said.