Hey Spankos!
How are all my lovely friends doing today? I’m posting early because I’m headed to a high school reunion in Lake Tahoe. Whoo-hoo! Lots of old friends and fun. Note to self: please don’t drink too much. I can get waaaay out of hand and I hate hangovers. But unfortunately, it’s probably inevitable.
Really looking forward to leaving here early tomorrow and driving (hopefully not through too much snow) up to the mountains with the Hubby. And hopefully we’ll have a few romantic moments of our own. So, now I’m off to pack and get ready. 95 people are showing up to the reunion which is a huge turn out since I’m not sure the school had that many people in it when I went there. Very small. So we’re having a multi-year reunion because when I went to my last high school reunion with just my class there were eleven of us. Yes. Eleven. It was a great party, though. No spouses, just us. Awesome time.
But this should be spectacular.
And for you lovely people, a new story called Speeding Towards a Spanking. So sit back and enjoy the ride, here we go!!!!
Big hugs to all of you,
Michelle
Zane used his Blackberry to call his new wife. No answer. Which was weird. She said she was going grocery shopping, then running errands. She wasn’t expecting a call from him, but he missed her and wanted to tell her he loved her.
Marriage had turned him into a complete sap. He’d never been more in love in his life. He wished it would have happened before his mid-forties, but at least it happened. Lila was the most vivacious, talented, funny, witty, charming woman he’d ever met. And with her spiky red hair, cute face and amazing body, she was easy on the eyes, too. He couldn’t believe she’d agreed to be his wife.
Sure, there were parts of her that he wished weren’t there. She had a defiant streak a mile wide and was a notorious hellraiser/daredevil when he’d met her. He’d been good for her in that way. He’d put the wood to her early on and stopped her most self-destructive behaviors. Like free-climbing buildings and “car-surfing.” Reckless idiot. Just the thought of the first time he met her made him want to spank her all over again. She’d shown up at his studio window—five stories up—and then continued climbing the side of the building—with no safety equipment—until he’d pulled her inside and spanked the hell out of her. Which began their courtship, oddly enough.
So while he didn’t want to, his mind began conjuring reasons for why Lila wasn’t answering her cell phone. He hoped she wasn’t doing something crazy. While he’d managed to stop her from most of her craziness, she still pulled crap on him. Luckily, her little sassy streak turned him on. He liked taking her on. Maybe he’d been doing it a bit too much lately, but still, he was a sucker for this woman. A total sucker.
Which was why he had a funny feeling about today. Lila had asked just the week before if she could go climbing with a friend. But that was all she asked. She gave no details about the climb and wouldn’t make eye contact. After he gave her the third degree, Lila finally revealed that they would be illegally climbing a radio tower on top of the tallest building in San Francisco. She pleaded her case by saying that she wanted to take some photos for a new project from the tower. Zane put his foot down and hard. She sulked and pouted for a full day. Later, she came to him and told him she understood, they made love and he thought the matter was forgotten.
Until this moment. There was something about the way she said she was going shopping when he left her this morning. Something wrong. He was so distracted, he didn’t stop and question her. But he wished he would have. He knew the girl well. She was pullin’ something on him, he was nearly positive.
He was broken out of his reverie by a band-mate. “Zane? Earth to Zane? Are we practicing or what?” Snark, his bassist asked him.
“Yeah, sure, sorry. Just tryin’ to call Lila.”
Snark laughed. “I have never seen you like this. After twenty years of traveling the world and making love to women everywhere, to see you this… tethered, is freakin’ funny. And it’s good. I’m glad you finally found someone, man, who could deal with you. I told you you could find someone like I found my Fiona. And Joey found Linda. And Jimmy found Angel.”
Zane smiled. “Yeah, just took me longer, that’s all. But yeah, I got it bad for this girl. Just really bad.”
Snark jerked his head towards the practice area. “Good. Now let’s play.”
Still troubled, Zane nodded, picked up his guitar and headed over to where the rest of the band was waiting. They had to record an album soon and were practicing new songs. In six months, they’d go back out on tour. Something Zane was not looking forward to. Ever since he got together with Lila, he hated the thought of leaving her for even a day. That first tour after they got together was rough. He’d never been more miserable on the road before. Not until Lila got a break in her work and joined him. That was great. But when she left again, he could barely stand it. God, he loved his wife.
Lila sped around the racecourse, the g-forces slamming her head against the side of the cage. She barely had control over the car. And she hadn’t had this much fun in years. There were two cars ahead of her, but not for long. Lila couldn’t stand being anywhere but leader of the pack.
The back end slid a bit around the corner, she quickly straightened it out and hit the gas. Her heart pounding, her vision was razor sharp, all her senses were alive, dealing with the danger at hand. She darted from side to side, determined to pass the two cars in front of her. Finally, she saw an opening and jetted through it, nearly hitting another car. But she made it through! Problem was, she was going too fast now for the next turn. She applied the brakes carefully, but when she turned, the back slid out again, only this time, it looked like she was going to hit the wall.
At the last second, the tires caught and she regained control over her vehicle. She straightened out the car and slowed down, allowing all the other cars to pass her. She’d had enough terror for one day. She drove the car into the pit where Bobby John waited for her.
A good-natured country boy, Bobby John was forty-five with brown hair and ruddy cheeks. “Good one, Lila, freakin’ A, kid, you hit over 180! Damn, girl. I thought you were gonna lose it there a couple times. You are getting better and better. You sure you don’t want to compete here on amateur night?”
“I’d love nothing more. Zane would duct-tape me to the wall, though. Sorry.”
Bobby John looked disgusted. “Oh, man, why’d you marry that guy? He’s totally clipped your wings.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Does he know?”
“I’m not stupid.”
Bobby John belly laughed. “Ahh, yeah, to love honor and obey, huh?”
Lila smirked. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt me.”
“I never thought I’d see the day where a man would tame you.”
“And you still aren’t. I don’t lie to him, either. I just don’t mention what I’m doing.”
“Does it work?”
“So far… mostly.” Lila shuddered when she thought of the time that Zane caught her free-climbing the building after he’d forbade her to do it. Wow, he’s spanked her so hard, she’d had to sleep on her side for a week. The man was a tyrant.
©2008, Michelle Carlyle
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Dangerous Behavior, Conclusion
Hey there Spankos!
Michelle here. Late again. Oh, well. Working hard writing more spanking stories today and I lost track of time. Gotta run now, too, because I want to get to Target before the traffic gets bad. Rush, rush, rush, all the time!
I hope you have a great weekend. I’ve got a writer’s meeting tomorrow, then Hubby and I are going to take a nice walk along the San Francisco Bay. Yay!!!
Next week, I’ll be posting early because I’m off to a high school reunion next weekend being held in Lake Tahoe. I can’t wait to gamble and hang out with my old buddies.
So next week, a new story begins!
Hugs and love to you all,
Michelle
Mitch followed Beverly inside. He’d been very quiet. She was nearly sure she’d blown her chances with him. While she should have been happy that Baldo would go down for his crimes, she found herself more upset that she’d lost an opportunity for a good man.
“We need to talk,” he said in a grave tone, his face hard.
“I figured.” She gestured towards the living room. He sat on the couch; she sat next to him, although with some more distance than before.
He gazed at her, apparently trying to collect his thoughts.
She couldn’t stand the silence and said, “I know, I blew it and I’m sorry. If I’d known I was trading a future with you for that bust, I would have called. I would have done something differently. I—”
He held up a hand. “Can I say something before you tell me what I’m thinking?”
“Uh…oh. Sure. Go for it. I deserve it. I blew it and I deserve you yelling at me and storming out—”
He held up his hand again. “Could I please be the one to speak my own mind?”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“Now. I neither will yell at you, nor storm out. We’ve got a future. But you need to know something here. I will not tolerate this behavior out of you. I won’t. You’re my woman, you listen to me. All the time. Not just when you want to. If you blow it again—and I really advise against it—I’ll yank those jeans right off you and take my frat paddle to you. Hear me? I mean it. No more BS. You listen to me, you take my advice. I don’t lay down the law often, and I mean what I say. I don’t use my words lightly. I don’t use extra words. You listen to me or you’ll spend most of your time standing.”
She nodded. “Sorry. Okay. I hear you. Wait. You aren’t dumping me?”
He snorted, chuckled and shook his head, exasperated. “How much of what I just said did you hear?”
“All of it.”
“You aren’t used to straight shooters.”
“Uh, no.”
“Well, I say what I think. Always. You will never have to guess what I’m thinking. But woman,” he said, the look in his eye darkening. All the hair stood up on the back of her neck. “Don’t ever disobey me again.”
She nodded emphatically. “I won’t.”
He pursed his lips. “Oh, you will and you’ll pay for it. But a couple times across my lap with the paddle ought to straighten you out. Speaking of which, I think I need to make that point clearer to you.”
“Wait!”
“No,” he replied.
He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her across his lap. Even worse, he pulled up her skirt and took down her undies. Then the most harrowing pain blazed her ass. She cried out in pain and surprise. It felt like he hit her with a wooden plank. Was that just his hand?
Mitch laid into her butt with powerful swats. Her ass roasting, she’d never felt this kind of agony before.
“I’m sorry!”
“What (swat) did (spank) I say?” he demanded, spanking her with scary force.
“I don’t remember!”
Which was probably the dumbest response she could have come up with.
He lit into her harder and faster, making her shriek. Sobbing, she could barely get a breath before he spanked her again. Excruciating!
“What did I say?”
“Not to do anything without you!”
“Then why did you?” He seared her ass with fiery spanks, her butt burned with raw, horrible pain.
“I’m sorry!”
“What part of stay away from Baldo, didn’t you understand?” he demanded, punctuating each word with a nasty swat to her aching buns.
“I won’t disobey you again!”
“You’re damn right, you won’t!” He yanked her up and cradled her, then kissed her almost as hard as he’d spanked her.
As angry as she was at the spanking, she wanted this guy like she’d never wanted anyone.
He pulled away, wiped her tears and looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world. “You are somethin’ else, Beverly. Something very special. I may never let you go.” His gaze moved to her lips, he kissed her.
She plummeted into a whirlpool of hot, luscious passion. Some part of her noticed she was in the air, being carried to her bedroom.
All at once, they were naked, limbs intertwined, the length of his massive body pressed against hers, his strong arms around her. He made love to her like a virtuoso, playing her body like it was an instrument he’d known forever. Pure rapture.
Afterwards, she lay on top of him, snuggling into his sweaty chest. A sharp swat to her rear nearly made her leap off. Her rear already hurt, this was awful! He followed with several more that bordered on blazing.
Tears stung her eyes. “Hey!”
He stopped and narrowed his gaze at her. “After that wonderful lovemaking, I pictured you on that floor, dazed, that man above you…” He glared up at her. “No more. I love you too much to lose you now.”
“You love me?” she stammered.
He broke into a wide smile. “More than anything, baby.” He brought her down to him and his lips closed over hers.
©2008, Michelle Carlyle
Michelle here. Late again. Oh, well. Working hard writing more spanking stories today and I lost track of time. Gotta run now, too, because I want to get to Target before the traffic gets bad. Rush, rush, rush, all the time!
I hope you have a great weekend. I’ve got a writer’s meeting tomorrow, then Hubby and I are going to take a nice walk along the San Francisco Bay. Yay!!!
Next week, I’ll be posting early because I’m off to a high school reunion next weekend being held in Lake Tahoe. I can’t wait to gamble and hang out with my old buddies.
So next week, a new story begins!
Hugs and love to you all,
Michelle
Mitch followed Beverly inside. He’d been very quiet. She was nearly sure she’d blown her chances with him. While she should have been happy that Baldo would go down for his crimes, she found herself more upset that she’d lost an opportunity for a good man.
“We need to talk,” he said in a grave tone, his face hard.
“I figured.” She gestured towards the living room. He sat on the couch; she sat next to him, although with some more distance than before.
He gazed at her, apparently trying to collect his thoughts.
She couldn’t stand the silence and said, “I know, I blew it and I’m sorry. If I’d known I was trading a future with you for that bust, I would have called. I would have done something differently. I—”
He held up a hand. “Can I say something before you tell me what I’m thinking?”
“Uh…oh. Sure. Go for it. I deserve it. I blew it and I deserve you yelling at me and storming out—”
He held up his hand again. “Could I please be the one to speak my own mind?”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“Now. I neither will yell at you, nor storm out. We’ve got a future. But you need to know something here. I will not tolerate this behavior out of you. I won’t. You’re my woman, you listen to me. All the time. Not just when you want to. If you blow it again—and I really advise against it—I’ll yank those jeans right off you and take my frat paddle to you. Hear me? I mean it. No more BS. You listen to me, you take my advice. I don’t lay down the law often, and I mean what I say. I don’t use my words lightly. I don’t use extra words. You listen to me or you’ll spend most of your time standing.”
She nodded. “Sorry. Okay. I hear you. Wait. You aren’t dumping me?”
He snorted, chuckled and shook his head, exasperated. “How much of what I just said did you hear?”
“All of it.”
“You aren’t used to straight shooters.”
“Uh, no.”
“Well, I say what I think. Always. You will never have to guess what I’m thinking. But woman,” he said, the look in his eye darkening. All the hair stood up on the back of her neck. “Don’t ever disobey me again.”
She nodded emphatically. “I won’t.”
He pursed his lips. “Oh, you will and you’ll pay for it. But a couple times across my lap with the paddle ought to straighten you out. Speaking of which, I think I need to make that point clearer to you.”
“Wait!”
“No,” he replied.
He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her across his lap. Even worse, he pulled up her skirt and took down her undies. Then the most harrowing pain blazed her ass. She cried out in pain and surprise. It felt like he hit her with a wooden plank. Was that just his hand?
Mitch laid into her butt with powerful swats. Her ass roasting, she’d never felt this kind of agony before.
“I’m sorry!”
“What (swat) did (spank) I say?” he demanded, spanking her with scary force.
“I don’t remember!”
Which was probably the dumbest response she could have come up with.
He lit into her harder and faster, making her shriek. Sobbing, she could barely get a breath before he spanked her again. Excruciating!
“What did I say?”
“Not to do anything without you!”
“Then why did you?” He seared her ass with fiery spanks, her butt burned with raw, horrible pain.
“I’m sorry!”
“What part of stay away from Baldo, didn’t you understand?” he demanded, punctuating each word with a nasty swat to her aching buns.
“I won’t disobey you again!”
“You’re damn right, you won’t!” He yanked her up and cradled her, then kissed her almost as hard as he’d spanked her.
As angry as she was at the spanking, she wanted this guy like she’d never wanted anyone.
He pulled away, wiped her tears and looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world. “You are somethin’ else, Beverly. Something very special. I may never let you go.” His gaze moved to her lips, he kissed her.
She plummeted into a whirlpool of hot, luscious passion. Some part of her noticed she was in the air, being carried to her bedroom.
All at once, they were naked, limbs intertwined, the length of his massive body pressed against hers, his strong arms around her. He made love to her like a virtuoso, playing her body like it was an instrument he’d known forever. Pure rapture.
Afterwards, she lay on top of him, snuggling into his sweaty chest. A sharp swat to her rear nearly made her leap off. Her rear already hurt, this was awful! He followed with several more that bordered on blazing.
Tears stung her eyes. “Hey!”
He stopped and narrowed his gaze at her. “After that wonderful lovemaking, I pictured you on that floor, dazed, that man above you…” He glared up at her. “No more. I love you too much to lose you now.”
“You love me?” she stammered.
He broke into a wide smile. “More than anything, baby.” He brought her down to him and his lips closed over hers.
©2008, Michelle Carlyle
Friday, April 16, 2010
Dangerous Behavior, Part Seven
Hey Spankophiles!!!!
You know what? Today is Friday. The day I post to my blog. Just figured that out. I shopped all day, came home, put away a bunch of stuff and I just got on my computer. I surfed the net, checked Facebook and all that when I noticed the date up in the right hand corner. Friday. Oh.
So my apologies, Paul and PK, I totally screwed up your Comment Competition. Who will go first? Who will catch on that Michelle forgot totally about it being Friday until right now? We’ll see.
Anyway, I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. My cousin is coming for Saturday dins and we have Scrabble buddies coming on Sunday. Yay! Company! House is clean, fridge is stocked, we are READY. Wheeeeeeee! Weather should be awesome, wisteria is blooming, orchids are blooming, camellias, roses, red hot pokers, the orange tree is blossoming, it’s amazing in the yard. So we’re gonna barbeque and drink some libations and generally laze about.
Next week, the conclusion of Dangerous Behavior and hopefully, I’ll remember to post on time!
Hugs and love to you all,
Michelle
Two hours later, Beverly was in a severe black suit wearing glasses, working on a laptop in the lobby of the Marriott. She knew the men were meeting in a hotel room. She’d bribed the front desk girl and gotten the connecting room next door. She’d set up a recorder with a microphone under the door and a flexible camera. She hoped she got some good info. She might be able to break this case herself. Then her bosses would never fire her.
Mitch kept intruding in on her thoughts, annoying her. She was barely going out with him and she was already worried about what he thought about her.
She was also worried about that penchant of his for spanking her. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure she could withstand another trip over his knee. As it was, sitting was no fun. Luckily, the chair she sat in was poofy enough to cushion her tender behind.
As she played Scrabble, she observed all the people coming and going from the hotel. She would wait for Baldo and then follow him up to the room. She wanted to make sure he went to the right place.
About ten minutes to nine, Beverly began to worry whether the information was correct. While the front desk confirmed the reservation, anything could have gone wrong.
A man strolled by her, she looked up as the man gazed down at her. Her heart nearly stopped. Baldo, in the flesh. A tall man in his early sixties, he had a bulbous nose, thinning gray hair and watery blue eyes. His features were severe, his face pock marked. He lit up and winked at her. Oh, God, he honestly thought he was hot. How disgusting.
She nodded and returned to her screen. That’s right, Baldo was a reputed ladies man. Yuck.
She watched out of her peripheral vision as he met another man, a short Mediterranean- looking guy and they left the lobby. She calmly closed her laptop, put it in her case, got up and casually walked to the elevators. Baldo was already gone.
She pressed the button, the elevators opened. She stepped inside and hit the button for the tenth floor. As the doors closed, she looked out into the lobby, a man caught her attention. Her heart stopped when she recognized him. Mitch. Her mouth gaped open, he spied her, his features hardened, the doors closed. Thinking quickly, she hit the button for the third floor. When the doors opened, she hit the closed button. That way he’ll think she stopped at the third floor.
Oh, dear, was she in trouble. It was too much of a coincidence that he was there. The Feds and the local police must be setting up Baldo. She wondered if they’d already bugged the room. Maybe she should back off. But what if she were wrong?
The doors opened, she quickly went to her room. Thankfully, she’d checked in under an alias. She quietly opened the door and slipped inside. She set down her laptop and opened the connecting door. She turned on the recorder and listened in with headphones.
“…I didn’t like coming here…” she heard Baldo say.
“Oh, stop whining,” said the other man. “I’m a respectable businessman, no one suspects my side work. Now… the heat is on this whole thing. I heard through a reliable source that the Feds may be on your tail. What’s up with that? Why don’t you stop that?”
“I don’t have all the control, you know. I’m only a councilman. But if all goes right, a congressional seat may be in my future.”
“You? A congressman? Wouldn’t that be sweet?”
“I think so. But I need you to do another job for me.”
“I figured.”
“There’s a journalist after me, a Miss Beverly Whelper. Works for the Chronicle. She was a friend of the Lydons. She’s been poking around, bribing some of my contacts. She lives in Burlingame. I need her taken care of. Make it look like a robbery/rape thing.”
All the wind got sucked out of her lungs; the room took a spin. She had to clutch the dresser for support. But when she put her hand out to brace herself, her hand slid, she fell forward and knocked against the connecting door.
Horrified, she pushed back, grabbed the recorder and was throwing it behind herself when the door opened. Both men stood there, staring down at her.
She screamed at the top of her lungs. The Mediterranean hitman dove for her, slamming her to the floor. She fought wildly, but the guy was a professional. He easily latched his hands around her throat and squeezed.
“Not here!” Baldo implored. “Not here! They know we’re next door.”
“I’m going to strangle her, then we’ll move the body,” the man said.
Black spots dotted her vision, she reached out and latched onto his balls with everything she had left.
He screamed and let go to clutch himself. Choking and gasping for breath, she tried to sit up. He punched her hard, her head slammed against the carpeted floor. She screamed as loud as she could.
The door burst open and Mitch was there, followed by several other suited men. Her assailant jumped up to face them. He didn’t even get a chance. With one solid hit, Mitch punched him flat. The other men rushed the hitman and subdued him,
Mitch fell to her side and took her in his arms. “Beverly, are you okay?”
She coughed. “Now I am.”
“Thank God,” he said so quietly only she could hear. He crushed her in a hug.
Baldo began blabbering. “I have no idea what’s going on here, this woman attacked us and—“
Mitch glared up at him and said, “Shut up,” in the most deadly tone she’d ever heard out of him.
Six hours later, she and Mitch pulled up at her house. Her deposition had been taken, Baldo was in jail, along with her assailant. As it turned out, the Feds had his room bugged. She’d almost blown the whole operation. Mitch was not happy with her. Neither were his bosses, nor the FBI. Luckily, she didn’t break the law. But they did give her a very plain warning.
Mitch followed her inside. He’d been very quiet. She was nearly sure she’d blown her chances with him. While she should have been happy that Baldo would go down for his crimes, she found herself more upset that she’d lost an opportunity for a good man.
“We need to talk,” he said in a grave tone, his face hard.
©2008, Michelle Carlyle
You know what? Today is Friday. The day I post to my blog. Just figured that out. I shopped all day, came home, put away a bunch of stuff and I just got on my computer. I surfed the net, checked Facebook and all that when I noticed the date up in the right hand corner. Friday. Oh.
So my apologies, Paul and PK, I totally screwed up your Comment Competition. Who will go first? Who will catch on that Michelle forgot totally about it being Friday until right now? We’ll see.
Anyway, I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. My cousin is coming for Saturday dins and we have Scrabble buddies coming on Sunday. Yay! Company! House is clean, fridge is stocked, we are READY. Wheeeeeeee! Weather should be awesome, wisteria is blooming, orchids are blooming, camellias, roses, red hot pokers, the orange tree is blossoming, it’s amazing in the yard. So we’re gonna barbeque and drink some libations and generally laze about.
Next week, the conclusion of Dangerous Behavior and hopefully, I’ll remember to post on time!
Hugs and love to you all,
Michelle
Two hours later, Beverly was in a severe black suit wearing glasses, working on a laptop in the lobby of the Marriott. She knew the men were meeting in a hotel room. She’d bribed the front desk girl and gotten the connecting room next door. She’d set up a recorder with a microphone under the door and a flexible camera. She hoped she got some good info. She might be able to break this case herself. Then her bosses would never fire her.
Mitch kept intruding in on her thoughts, annoying her. She was barely going out with him and she was already worried about what he thought about her.
She was also worried about that penchant of his for spanking her. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure she could withstand another trip over his knee. As it was, sitting was no fun. Luckily, the chair she sat in was poofy enough to cushion her tender behind.
As she played Scrabble, she observed all the people coming and going from the hotel. She would wait for Baldo and then follow him up to the room. She wanted to make sure he went to the right place.
About ten minutes to nine, Beverly began to worry whether the information was correct. While the front desk confirmed the reservation, anything could have gone wrong.
A man strolled by her, she looked up as the man gazed down at her. Her heart nearly stopped. Baldo, in the flesh. A tall man in his early sixties, he had a bulbous nose, thinning gray hair and watery blue eyes. His features were severe, his face pock marked. He lit up and winked at her. Oh, God, he honestly thought he was hot. How disgusting.
She nodded and returned to her screen. That’s right, Baldo was a reputed ladies man. Yuck.
She watched out of her peripheral vision as he met another man, a short Mediterranean- looking guy and they left the lobby. She calmly closed her laptop, put it in her case, got up and casually walked to the elevators. Baldo was already gone.
She pressed the button, the elevators opened. She stepped inside and hit the button for the tenth floor. As the doors closed, she looked out into the lobby, a man caught her attention. Her heart stopped when she recognized him. Mitch. Her mouth gaped open, he spied her, his features hardened, the doors closed. Thinking quickly, she hit the button for the third floor. When the doors opened, she hit the closed button. That way he’ll think she stopped at the third floor.
Oh, dear, was she in trouble. It was too much of a coincidence that he was there. The Feds and the local police must be setting up Baldo. She wondered if they’d already bugged the room. Maybe she should back off. But what if she were wrong?
The doors opened, she quickly went to her room. Thankfully, she’d checked in under an alias. She quietly opened the door and slipped inside. She set down her laptop and opened the connecting door. She turned on the recorder and listened in with headphones.
“…I didn’t like coming here…” she heard Baldo say.
“Oh, stop whining,” said the other man. “I’m a respectable businessman, no one suspects my side work. Now… the heat is on this whole thing. I heard through a reliable source that the Feds may be on your tail. What’s up with that? Why don’t you stop that?”
“I don’t have all the control, you know. I’m only a councilman. But if all goes right, a congressional seat may be in my future.”
“You? A congressman? Wouldn’t that be sweet?”
“I think so. But I need you to do another job for me.”
“I figured.”
“There’s a journalist after me, a Miss Beverly Whelper. Works for the Chronicle. She was a friend of the Lydons. She’s been poking around, bribing some of my contacts. She lives in Burlingame. I need her taken care of. Make it look like a robbery/rape thing.”
All the wind got sucked out of her lungs; the room took a spin. She had to clutch the dresser for support. But when she put her hand out to brace herself, her hand slid, she fell forward and knocked against the connecting door.
Horrified, she pushed back, grabbed the recorder and was throwing it behind herself when the door opened. Both men stood there, staring down at her.
She screamed at the top of her lungs. The Mediterranean hitman dove for her, slamming her to the floor. She fought wildly, but the guy was a professional. He easily latched his hands around her throat and squeezed.
“Not here!” Baldo implored. “Not here! They know we’re next door.”
“I’m going to strangle her, then we’ll move the body,” the man said.
Black spots dotted her vision, she reached out and latched onto his balls with everything she had left.
He screamed and let go to clutch himself. Choking and gasping for breath, she tried to sit up. He punched her hard, her head slammed against the carpeted floor. She screamed as loud as she could.
The door burst open and Mitch was there, followed by several other suited men. Her assailant jumped up to face them. He didn’t even get a chance. With one solid hit, Mitch punched him flat. The other men rushed the hitman and subdued him,
Mitch fell to her side and took her in his arms. “Beverly, are you okay?”
She coughed. “Now I am.”
“Thank God,” he said so quietly only she could hear. He crushed her in a hug.
Baldo began blabbering. “I have no idea what’s going on here, this woman attacked us and—“
Mitch glared up at him and said, “Shut up,” in the most deadly tone she’d ever heard out of him.
Six hours later, she and Mitch pulled up at her house. Her deposition had been taken, Baldo was in jail, along with her assailant. As it turned out, the Feds had his room bugged. She’d almost blown the whole operation. Mitch was not happy with her. Neither were his bosses, nor the FBI. Luckily, she didn’t break the law. But they did give her a very plain warning.
Mitch followed her inside. He’d been very quiet. She was nearly sure she’d blown her chances with him. While she should have been happy that Baldo would go down for his crimes, she found herself more upset that she’d lost an opportunity for a good man.
“We need to talk,” he said in a grave tone, his face hard.
©2008, Michelle Carlyle
Friday, April 9, 2010
Dangerous Behavior, Part Six
Hey Friends!
How are y’all doing this fine Spring day? I am blanking on my week. What did I do? Can’t remember. Memory is the first thing to go. Let’s see…nope. Nothing happened, apparently. Nice weather, worked on my vanilla novel and…that’s it. Hey, that’s pretty cool. A disaster-less week. I need to write this down. A whole week without drama. Yay!
Now that is something to celebrate.
Here’s the next installment of Dangerous Behavior, soon to be found in Hanky Spanky, my next upcoming release, slated for…who knows? Soon. Shortly. As soon as I get to it.
Now there’s professionalism for you.
Big hugs,
Michelle
A tornado of lust whirled up inside Beverly; her sex slicked with want. It had been a very long time since a man could do this to her. “It is taking all my inner strength to keep myself from ripping off your clothes.”
Mitch’s eyes dilated. A raw hunger grew on his face; he kissed her hard. Everything went blurry; she lost touch with reality. It was want on a scale she’d never felt before.
He tore himself away, his expression tormented. “Damn I want you. This is… crazy, girl. Crazy. I have to get to work. You have to rest.” His shoulders straightened, his gaze cleared. He broke up laughing. “Wow, girl. You got my number.”
“You? You got me on speed-dial, honey.”
He laughed and hugged her. A very loving, emotional hug. That was what was weird about this connection; it wasn’t just physical. It went beyond that. They were falling in love.
Talk about a scary idea. Yes, she needed sleep.
He pulled away, but kept his arms around her. “You get some sleep, I’ll see you tomorrow night. I get off at four-thirty. Is six too early?”
“No.”
He smiled. “You seem pretty sure of that.”
“I am,” she said, standing on tiptoes to kiss him. After making out for another few minutes, they pushed away from each other, laughing, but still held hands.
“Well, I know what we’re doing tomorrow night,” she said.
“Uh, yeah,” he agreed. He seemed just as astonished as she did at their connection. Delighted, but very surprised. “If I don’t get out of here now, I won’t. And I want you to sleep.” He brought her to him again, brushed some hair out of her eyes and ran his hand down her face. “You’ve been up too long. It’s not good to be up that long.”
“No, its not,” she said, gazing up at him, her vision fuzzy with hormones.
He kissed her on the forehead and released her. “I will call you tomorrow. Get some rest.”
“I have a feeling I’ll need it.”
His grin widened. “You will.” He winked, turned and went to the door. With one last look at her, as if he were memorizing her, he left.
Wow. She slid down into her chair, her bottom very tender, her lips swollen, her mind muddled by fatigue and lust.
She needed to stop thinking, take a shower and go to bed. She’d think about all this later. It was all too much.
Off in the distance, a phone rang. It was warm where she was. Beautiful and warm and Mitch was there. They were in a boat on a lake in the sun and they were fishing. Mitch wore a fishermen’s hat, complete with hooks in the brim. The sun glinted off the lake; underwater ferns bloomed beneath the sparkling surface. The air smelled clean, piney and fresh. But that phone kept ringing. It was really annoying.
“Is someone gonna answer that?” she yelled.
The phone got louder. Beverly awakened, the phone was nearly deafening. Damn and such a nice dream, too. The clock read four am. She’d been asleep for nine hours. Was Mitch calling her for some reason?
“Hello?” she asked into the receiver.
“Finally. Jefferson, one half hour. Red hot, red, red hot,” a man said so fast, she could barely get the words.
“Wait, who is this?”
“Alpha Omega Delta Four, Squad Leader.”
Of course. It was David, her paranoid-nutcase-computer-hacker friend, sounding like a coffee addict on methamphetamines. “Oh, Christ, couldn’t this wait?”
“Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no.”
“How many freakin’ Red Bulls have you had today?”
“That is not what this is about. You will be regretting tormenting me shortly here, if you’d just get your ASS out of bed and JEFFERSON.” Which was their code word for meeting at the President’s Café, a twenty-four-hour coffee house.
“Okay, okay, give me forty-five minutes.”
“One half hour. Red, red hot. Get ‘em while they’re hot, they’ll cool off if you don’t get down there NOW. Or as close to now as you can get.”
“I’m there.”
“Roger that.” Click.
David was so very annoying. If this was one of his breaks with reality, she’d slug him. She still felt like she had fifty-ton weights attached to all her limbs; her mind was thick with exhaustion. She needed at least another four or five hours to recover. But she’d play along.
Bev found David in the corner of the coffee shop on his laptop, every part of him vibrating, tapping or shaking. It was amazing how much movement he could make while sitting in one place. He noticed her as she approached his table.
“Sit, sit, sit, my friend, sit,” he jabbered at her.
“Dude, you need some Quaaludes or Valium or something. This is not good, my friend.”
“Love you too, Bev. Check this out. Check this out,” he said spinning his laptop around for her.
All she saw was a bunch of HTML.
“What does this mean?”
“Oh, of course, of course. See, this is an encrypted or was an encrypted email that was sent out on that lady’s computer. There was a whole attachment sent that you missed. It was in code, I broke the code, which wasn’t hard. The bad dudes are meeting today, this afternoon. The two on the email program. They’re meeting downtown at the Marriott for a meeting.”
She nearly jumped out of her seat. “Really? For sure?”
“For sure. See? Told you it was red hot.”
“Beyond that, it’s on fire. I owe you man, I owe you big time.”
“I love hearing that.”
She handed him an envelope with five hundred bucks. She usually paid him a lot less; he had no idea how much he was really worth to her.
When he opened the envelope, his already bugged out eyes popped out even more. “I love you even more,” he said.
“Buy yourself some more Red Bull.”
“Awesome. I wrote down the pertinent details for you, here,” he said, handing her a wadded up piece of paper. When she raised an eyebrow at the state of the note, he shrugged with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I was playin’ with it without realizing it.”
“No worries. Thanks and I’m outta here.”
“They’re there at nine. Just a few hours. Good luck.”
“I’ll need it.” Especially if Mitch caught wind of her game. She knew she should call him, but this was too good. She had to follow up on it.
© 2008, Michelle Carlyle
How are y’all doing this fine Spring day? I am blanking on my week. What did I do? Can’t remember. Memory is the first thing to go. Let’s see…nope. Nothing happened, apparently. Nice weather, worked on my vanilla novel and…that’s it. Hey, that’s pretty cool. A disaster-less week. I need to write this down. A whole week without drama. Yay!
Now that is something to celebrate.
Here’s the next installment of Dangerous Behavior, soon to be found in Hanky Spanky, my next upcoming release, slated for…who knows? Soon. Shortly. As soon as I get to it.
Now there’s professionalism for you.
Big hugs,
Michelle
A tornado of lust whirled up inside Beverly; her sex slicked with want. It had been a very long time since a man could do this to her. “It is taking all my inner strength to keep myself from ripping off your clothes.”
Mitch’s eyes dilated. A raw hunger grew on his face; he kissed her hard. Everything went blurry; she lost touch with reality. It was want on a scale she’d never felt before.
He tore himself away, his expression tormented. “Damn I want you. This is… crazy, girl. Crazy. I have to get to work. You have to rest.” His shoulders straightened, his gaze cleared. He broke up laughing. “Wow, girl. You got my number.”
“You? You got me on speed-dial, honey.”
He laughed and hugged her. A very loving, emotional hug. That was what was weird about this connection; it wasn’t just physical. It went beyond that. They were falling in love.
Talk about a scary idea. Yes, she needed sleep.
He pulled away, but kept his arms around her. “You get some sleep, I’ll see you tomorrow night. I get off at four-thirty. Is six too early?”
“No.”
He smiled. “You seem pretty sure of that.”
“I am,” she said, standing on tiptoes to kiss him. After making out for another few minutes, they pushed away from each other, laughing, but still held hands.
“Well, I know what we’re doing tomorrow night,” she said.
“Uh, yeah,” he agreed. He seemed just as astonished as she did at their connection. Delighted, but very surprised. “If I don’t get out of here now, I won’t. And I want you to sleep.” He brought her to him again, brushed some hair out of her eyes and ran his hand down her face. “You’ve been up too long. It’s not good to be up that long.”
“No, its not,” she said, gazing up at him, her vision fuzzy with hormones.
He kissed her on the forehead and released her. “I will call you tomorrow. Get some rest.”
“I have a feeling I’ll need it.”
His grin widened. “You will.” He winked, turned and went to the door. With one last look at her, as if he were memorizing her, he left.
Wow. She slid down into her chair, her bottom very tender, her lips swollen, her mind muddled by fatigue and lust.
She needed to stop thinking, take a shower and go to bed. She’d think about all this later. It was all too much.
Off in the distance, a phone rang. It was warm where she was. Beautiful and warm and Mitch was there. They were in a boat on a lake in the sun and they were fishing. Mitch wore a fishermen’s hat, complete with hooks in the brim. The sun glinted off the lake; underwater ferns bloomed beneath the sparkling surface. The air smelled clean, piney and fresh. But that phone kept ringing. It was really annoying.
“Is someone gonna answer that?” she yelled.
The phone got louder. Beverly awakened, the phone was nearly deafening. Damn and such a nice dream, too. The clock read four am. She’d been asleep for nine hours. Was Mitch calling her for some reason?
“Hello?” she asked into the receiver.
“Finally. Jefferson, one half hour. Red hot, red, red hot,” a man said so fast, she could barely get the words.
“Wait, who is this?”
“Alpha Omega Delta Four, Squad Leader.”
Of course. It was David, her paranoid-nutcase-computer-hacker friend, sounding like a coffee addict on methamphetamines. “Oh, Christ, couldn’t this wait?”
“Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no.”
“How many freakin’ Red Bulls have you had today?”
“That is not what this is about. You will be regretting tormenting me shortly here, if you’d just get your ASS out of bed and JEFFERSON.” Which was their code word for meeting at the President’s Café, a twenty-four-hour coffee house.
“Okay, okay, give me forty-five minutes.”
“One half hour. Red, red hot. Get ‘em while they’re hot, they’ll cool off if you don’t get down there NOW. Or as close to now as you can get.”
“I’m there.”
“Roger that.” Click.
David was so very annoying. If this was one of his breaks with reality, she’d slug him. She still felt like she had fifty-ton weights attached to all her limbs; her mind was thick with exhaustion. She needed at least another four or five hours to recover. But she’d play along.
Bev found David in the corner of the coffee shop on his laptop, every part of him vibrating, tapping or shaking. It was amazing how much movement he could make while sitting in one place. He noticed her as she approached his table.
“Sit, sit, sit, my friend, sit,” he jabbered at her.
“Dude, you need some Quaaludes or Valium or something. This is not good, my friend.”
“Love you too, Bev. Check this out. Check this out,” he said spinning his laptop around for her.
All she saw was a bunch of HTML.
“What does this mean?”
“Oh, of course, of course. See, this is an encrypted or was an encrypted email that was sent out on that lady’s computer. There was a whole attachment sent that you missed. It was in code, I broke the code, which wasn’t hard. The bad dudes are meeting today, this afternoon. The two on the email program. They’re meeting downtown at the Marriott for a meeting.”
She nearly jumped out of her seat. “Really? For sure?”
“For sure. See? Told you it was red hot.”
“Beyond that, it’s on fire. I owe you man, I owe you big time.”
“I love hearing that.”
She handed him an envelope with five hundred bucks. She usually paid him a lot less; he had no idea how much he was really worth to her.
When he opened the envelope, his already bugged out eyes popped out even more. “I love you even more,” he said.
“Buy yourself some more Red Bull.”
“Awesome. I wrote down the pertinent details for you, here,” he said, handing her a wadded up piece of paper. When she raised an eyebrow at the state of the note, he shrugged with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I was playin’ with it without realizing it.”
“No worries. Thanks and I’m outta here.”
“They’re there at nine. Just a few hours. Good luck.”
“I’ll need it.” Especially if Mitch caught wind of her game. She knew she should call him, but this was too good. She had to follow up on it.
© 2008, Michelle Carlyle
Friday, April 2, 2010
Dangerous Behavior, Part Five
Hello Cyber Friends!
I hope all is well with you. Okay, I can’t think of anything to say because I just woke up. Um… Oh! Happy Easter for those who celebrate. I’m going to my parents’ retirement home for their Easter buffet and will be seeing my family there. That will be nice.
Okay…obviously, I’m chock-full of titillating dialogue today. Wish I had something more interesting to say other than DUH. But I don’t. Next week, I promise, my personality will return.
So here’s the next part of Dangerous Behavior. I hope you all have a spiffy week.
Big Hugs,
Michelle
The man was searing her ass like it was a sandwich in a George Foreman Grill. She’d never felt this kind of pain before. Nor had she ever crossed a Neanderthal like this police detective.
He warned her to stay off the case she was currently investigating: tying a local politician to the deaths of some dear friends. The Caveman warned her that the man she was after was dangerous. Detective Mitchell Montgomery believed she was putting herself at unnecessary risk. That the community needed her and she was being reckless and self-destructive. To make his point clear, he spanked her and warned her. Then there was that bit where he kissed her and asked her out on a date. Which she’d refused. But when she’d ignored his warning about staying off the case, he’d tracked her down and was now barbecuing her ass. This man clearly meant business.
She did her very best to get off his massive thighs, but the man was horrendously large and strong. Each attempt only brought more unwelcome attention to her rear end. He simply yanked her back in place and swatted her harder.
He seemed to be relishing his power over her. He spanked each bun in turn, then the jerk fired into her sit spots, causing her to howl so loudly she made her windows rattle.
Abruptly, she was off his lap, standing on the floor, he was holding her by her lapels, his large pale blue eyes wild with anger. “What do I have to do to get through to you? You are off this case, do you hear me?”
She’d been up for thirty hours, she was exhausted, in tremendous pain, so frustrated that someone was stopping her from avenging her loved one’s deaths, she was at her wit’s end. She bawled like a two-year-old. “But I have to do it,” she sobbed. “They loved me, my parents didn’t love me, they loved me. They took care of me. I owe them! I owe them!”
His anger lines softened, his expression turned sympathetic. He brought her close and hugged her. Beverly lost it. She cried for a long time, he held her, petted her head and kissed her on the side of the face.
Finally, she calmed down.
“You okay, kid?” he asked gently.
She nodded. “Sorry, I’m bloody tired, too. I’ve been up for… like thirty-six hours.”
“You need to get some sleep.”
“I do.”
“Beverly… I understand now. I get it. But I need you to back off. You just don’t get the scope of what you’re getting involved in. The FBI is in on this and you didn’t hear it from me.”
She perked. “You think they’ll get him?”
“We can only hope.”
She thought of the evidence on her thumb-drive. But they couldn’t use it, it was obtained illegally. Still… Her conscience began to argue with her. To give it to them or not?
The information might help. She could keep a copy so if she decided to, she could continue on. But Mitch looked dead serious about this. And he obviously knew something she didn’t.
“You’re still not convinced,” he said.
“No. In two cases I’ve been involved with, the Feds had their hands tied. But I didn’t. I brought those assholes down.”
“I know. This is different. I’ve followed each and every one of your cases. I even heard you speak last year at the Mason Center.”
“You were there?”
“I was. And I know how much good you’ve done. But I’m telling you, this one could cost you your life. If Baldo and his friends caught even the slightest wind of your activities, you wouldn’t be around two seconds afterwards. They don’t play around. Trust me on this. Let the police do their job.”
She sat down on the couch; he sat next to her. She sat back and thought.
He studied her. “You have evidence and you don’t know whether or not you should give it to me.”
She nodded. “It was obtained illegally.”
“It still might help. Could give us a whole new direction, may blow the whole thing wide open for us.”
She sighed. “Okay. Okay, I’ll give it to you. But I make a copy of it first. That’s the deal, don’t argue with me, I’m really on the fence here. I’ve been screwed by you guys in the past, I mean, screwed.”
“I know. You made a couple people look bad so they got even.”
“Yes.”
“But this could be a good break.”
“I know. Okay, let me make a copy. And yes, I know you don’t like it. But I’m comin’ halfway here, give me credit for that.”
“I am. And I appreciate it.”
She got up. “Follow me.”
They went into her office. She took the thumb-drive Lyle had given her. “I’m not even sure there’s anything on this. But he’s never steered me wrong. He said there’s direct evidence linking Baldo to the Lydon’s death on here and there’s some visual stuff, but apparently, it’s no good.”
“Anything you’ve got will help. How long have you worked with this contact?”
“I’ve known him for fifteen years. He trusts me. I’d die before I gave him up.”
Mitch smiled. “I’ll bet you would.”
She copied the files over onto her hard-drive. She inspected the thumb-drive carefully, ensuring she got everything off of it. To make sure nothing could be traced back to Lyle, she transferred the information onto another thumb-drive. She handed it to Mitch.
He took it and nodded. “Thanks for this. I know you’re torn about it. But I want you to know, it’s the right thing.”
“I hope.”
“What did you get off Jones’ computer?”
She eyed him sharply. “I never said anything about that.”
He got a half-smile. “Don’t bother denying it.”
She sighed and regarded him. “I’m giving you so much more than I’ve given anyone at this stage of the investigation. Not even my bosses got this much.”
“Well, you’re off the case and I’m on it. So?” he asked.
“I got some emails he wrote. Got a guy working on finding the server, finding out who the other party was that Baldo was emailing. I’m nearly sure it was about the hit.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Okay,” she said, resigned. She called up the file and showed him the email.
He read it. He nodded, clearly liking what he saw. “Can I have copies of this, too?”
“Oh, why the hell not?”
She made copies and put them on the same thumb-drive as the other information she’d given him. She handed it to him. “That’s all I got.”
“What about the friend who’s working on this?”
“Haven’t heard from him. Don’t expect to for a while. He’s… a bit reality-challenged.”
Mitch laughed. “Seems like you got a whole stable of weirdoes working for you.”
“They don’t really work for me. They’re all too crazy for that. Contract basis only.”
“Well, they’ve served you in the past.”
“Let’s hope I don’t get them hurt with this one.”
“Yeah… So… You’re off of this, right?”
She didn’t like this. She didn’t like it at all. But he was right. “Yeah…” she grumbled.
He laughed. “Don’t sound so glum. I’m sure you have other stories that need your attention.”
“I do.”
“Good. I’ll get this to the right people.”
“Protect me. I don’t want to be hauled in there. I don’t do well with authority figures.”
“So I’ve noticed,” he said, with an amused glint in his eye. “Don’t worry. I protect my sources, too.”
“Good.”
“Especially when my sources are so damned cute.” He pulled her out of the chair and laid a lip-lock on her. Her knees gave, he put his arms around and held her tightly to him. His kiss was otherworldly, his effect on her, insane. She was crazy with desire for the man. She could feel his need, too, pressed against her belly.
He pulled away, his eyes heavy-lidded. “Go out with me tomorrow. I want you to tonight, but if I’m correct, you’re just about to pass out.”
“You just kinda woke me up.”
“When I’m with you, I want you to be lucid. Very lucid for what I want to do to you.”
A tornado of lust whirled up inside her; her sex slicked with want. It had been a very long time since a man could do this to her. “It is taking all my inner strength to keep myself from ripping off your clothes.”
His eyes dilated. A raw hunger grew on his face; he kissed her hard. Everything went blurry; she lost touch with reality. It was want on a scale she’d never felt before.
©2008, Michelle Carlyle
I hope all is well with you. Okay, I can’t think of anything to say because I just woke up. Um… Oh! Happy Easter for those who celebrate. I’m going to my parents’ retirement home for their Easter buffet and will be seeing my family there. That will be nice.
Okay…obviously, I’m chock-full of titillating dialogue today. Wish I had something more interesting to say other than DUH. But I don’t. Next week, I promise, my personality will return.
So here’s the next part of Dangerous Behavior. I hope you all have a spiffy week.
Big Hugs,
Michelle
The man was searing her ass like it was a sandwich in a George Foreman Grill. She’d never felt this kind of pain before. Nor had she ever crossed a Neanderthal like this police detective.
He warned her to stay off the case she was currently investigating: tying a local politician to the deaths of some dear friends. The Caveman warned her that the man she was after was dangerous. Detective Mitchell Montgomery believed she was putting herself at unnecessary risk. That the community needed her and she was being reckless and self-destructive. To make his point clear, he spanked her and warned her. Then there was that bit where he kissed her and asked her out on a date. Which she’d refused. But when she’d ignored his warning about staying off the case, he’d tracked her down and was now barbecuing her ass. This man clearly meant business.
She did her very best to get off his massive thighs, but the man was horrendously large and strong. Each attempt only brought more unwelcome attention to her rear end. He simply yanked her back in place and swatted her harder.
He seemed to be relishing his power over her. He spanked each bun in turn, then the jerk fired into her sit spots, causing her to howl so loudly she made her windows rattle.
Abruptly, she was off his lap, standing on the floor, he was holding her by her lapels, his large pale blue eyes wild with anger. “What do I have to do to get through to you? You are off this case, do you hear me?”
She’d been up for thirty hours, she was exhausted, in tremendous pain, so frustrated that someone was stopping her from avenging her loved one’s deaths, she was at her wit’s end. She bawled like a two-year-old. “But I have to do it,” she sobbed. “They loved me, my parents didn’t love me, they loved me. They took care of me. I owe them! I owe them!”
His anger lines softened, his expression turned sympathetic. He brought her close and hugged her. Beverly lost it. She cried for a long time, he held her, petted her head and kissed her on the side of the face.
Finally, she calmed down.
“You okay, kid?” he asked gently.
She nodded. “Sorry, I’m bloody tired, too. I’ve been up for… like thirty-six hours.”
“You need to get some sleep.”
“I do.”
“Beverly… I understand now. I get it. But I need you to back off. You just don’t get the scope of what you’re getting involved in. The FBI is in on this and you didn’t hear it from me.”
She perked. “You think they’ll get him?”
“We can only hope.”
She thought of the evidence on her thumb-drive. But they couldn’t use it, it was obtained illegally. Still… Her conscience began to argue with her. To give it to them or not?
The information might help. She could keep a copy so if she decided to, she could continue on. But Mitch looked dead serious about this. And he obviously knew something she didn’t.
“You’re still not convinced,” he said.
“No. In two cases I’ve been involved with, the Feds had their hands tied. But I didn’t. I brought those assholes down.”
“I know. This is different. I’ve followed each and every one of your cases. I even heard you speak last year at the Mason Center.”
“You were there?”
“I was. And I know how much good you’ve done. But I’m telling you, this one could cost you your life. If Baldo and his friends caught even the slightest wind of your activities, you wouldn’t be around two seconds afterwards. They don’t play around. Trust me on this. Let the police do their job.”
She sat down on the couch; he sat next to her. She sat back and thought.
He studied her. “You have evidence and you don’t know whether or not you should give it to me.”
She nodded. “It was obtained illegally.”
“It still might help. Could give us a whole new direction, may blow the whole thing wide open for us.”
She sighed. “Okay. Okay, I’ll give it to you. But I make a copy of it first. That’s the deal, don’t argue with me, I’m really on the fence here. I’ve been screwed by you guys in the past, I mean, screwed.”
“I know. You made a couple people look bad so they got even.”
“Yes.”
“But this could be a good break.”
“I know. Okay, let me make a copy. And yes, I know you don’t like it. But I’m comin’ halfway here, give me credit for that.”
“I am. And I appreciate it.”
She got up. “Follow me.”
They went into her office. She took the thumb-drive Lyle had given her. “I’m not even sure there’s anything on this. But he’s never steered me wrong. He said there’s direct evidence linking Baldo to the Lydon’s death on here and there’s some visual stuff, but apparently, it’s no good.”
“Anything you’ve got will help. How long have you worked with this contact?”
“I’ve known him for fifteen years. He trusts me. I’d die before I gave him up.”
Mitch smiled. “I’ll bet you would.”
She copied the files over onto her hard-drive. She inspected the thumb-drive carefully, ensuring she got everything off of it. To make sure nothing could be traced back to Lyle, she transferred the information onto another thumb-drive. She handed it to Mitch.
He took it and nodded. “Thanks for this. I know you’re torn about it. But I want you to know, it’s the right thing.”
“I hope.”
“What did you get off Jones’ computer?”
She eyed him sharply. “I never said anything about that.”
He got a half-smile. “Don’t bother denying it.”
She sighed and regarded him. “I’m giving you so much more than I’ve given anyone at this stage of the investigation. Not even my bosses got this much.”
“Well, you’re off the case and I’m on it. So?” he asked.
“I got some emails he wrote. Got a guy working on finding the server, finding out who the other party was that Baldo was emailing. I’m nearly sure it was about the hit.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Okay,” she said, resigned. She called up the file and showed him the email.
He read it. He nodded, clearly liking what he saw. “Can I have copies of this, too?”
“Oh, why the hell not?”
She made copies and put them on the same thumb-drive as the other information she’d given him. She handed it to him. “That’s all I got.”
“What about the friend who’s working on this?”
“Haven’t heard from him. Don’t expect to for a while. He’s… a bit reality-challenged.”
Mitch laughed. “Seems like you got a whole stable of weirdoes working for you.”
“They don’t really work for me. They’re all too crazy for that. Contract basis only.”
“Well, they’ve served you in the past.”
“Let’s hope I don’t get them hurt with this one.”
“Yeah… So… You’re off of this, right?”
She didn’t like this. She didn’t like it at all. But he was right. “Yeah…” she grumbled.
He laughed. “Don’t sound so glum. I’m sure you have other stories that need your attention.”
“I do.”
“Good. I’ll get this to the right people.”
“Protect me. I don’t want to be hauled in there. I don’t do well with authority figures.”
“So I’ve noticed,” he said, with an amused glint in his eye. “Don’t worry. I protect my sources, too.”
“Good.”
“Especially when my sources are so damned cute.” He pulled her out of the chair and laid a lip-lock on her. Her knees gave, he put his arms around and held her tightly to him. His kiss was otherworldly, his effect on her, insane. She was crazy with desire for the man. She could feel his need, too, pressed against her belly.
He pulled away, his eyes heavy-lidded. “Go out with me tomorrow. I want you to tonight, but if I’m correct, you’re just about to pass out.”
“You just kinda woke me up.”
“When I’m with you, I want you to be lucid. Very lucid for what I want to do to you.”
A tornado of lust whirled up inside her; her sex slicked with want. It had been a very long time since a man could do this to her. “It is taking all my inner strength to keep myself from ripping off your clothes.”
His eyes dilated. A raw hunger grew on his face; he kissed her hard. Everything went blurry; she lost touch with reality. It was want on a scale she’d never felt before.
©2008, Michelle Carlyle
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