Frenemies, Part Eleven and News

Hey Spanko Friends!

How are you guys doing? I’m great. Other than I’m facing yet another birthday. Which I don’t mind, actually, but it has got me thinking.

At fifty-two, I finally realized that I’m going to die someday. So I need to take what time I have left and use it wisely. I also realized that I don’t have enough time for two writing careers. Only one. And while I’ve really enjoyed writing spanking fiction, I’m more drawn to my full-length vanilla novels. And I need to put all my energy into that career to make it work.

Which means Michelle Carlyle is moving on. I will have six or seven more books of stories coming out over the next couple years (of stuff I’ve already written), but I won’t be writing many, if any, new spanking stories nor will I continue the blog after this month. September 30 will be my last post. Which sucks because I’ll miss you people.

You people have been a wonderful part of my life. I accept myself and my predilections much more now and am no longer ashamed of my love of spanking. You guys have been so supportive and kind. And of course, some of you I’ve connected with on a personal level (Paul and PK especially), and will miss the weekly contact. But don’t worry, I’ll still be around. I’m not going too far. I’ll keep the Michelle yahoo account indefinitely so you can always contact me through there. But it is time I moved on.

Speaking of moving on, here’s the next to the last installment of Frenemies, we’ll conclude the story next week.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Hugs,
Michelle


Bryce awoke with a start from a terrible dream, his heart pounding, his body covered in sweat. Zoe had been in danger and he couldn’t reach her. Awful. He felt around on the other side of the bed and found her place empty. Adrenaline flooding his system, he leapt out of bed. “Zoe?”

Throwing open the master suite door, he strode down the hallway towards the living room. No Zoe in the bathroom, her office, nor the living room. Kitchen was empty. Gone.

Panic firing up all his limbs, Bryce flew to his laptop and turned on the surveillance loop. He watched as Zoe got a phone call. He turned up the sound and nearly lost his mind. A trap. Had to be. He ran to the bedroom, threw on some pants and raced out to his guards.

He hoped he got there in time to save her.


Lydia backed up. Zoe wished she’d brought her pistol. Her heart crashing in her chest, sweat beading on her forehead, Zoe stepped inside.

The door shut revealing a very scary-looking large man in a dark suit holding a huge weapon. About six four, the man had dark features and a square head. He smiled, chilling her to the bone. “Welcome, Zoe. I think you have something I want. Hand over the computer and then you’re comin’ with me. You don’t, I wipe out your friend.”

Upstairs, Buddy, Lydia’s fox terrier started barking.

“And her little dog, too,” the man sneered.

Everything slowed down. Lydia in danger. Her favorite dog’s life at stake. One large, nasty man creating all the problems.

Something snapped inside Zoe. Volcanic fury erupted from inside her. “No!” she screamed.

Roaring at the top of her voice, she lunged at the man and swung her computer, knocking the gun out of his hand. On the return swing, before he could react, she hit him across the face with the laptop, sending him reeling backwards. She followed, whacking him on the head and face with all of her might. Pieces flew off the computer, blood splattered everywhere, but she didn’t stop until the big brute was unconscious.

Panting, pouring with sweat, she finally stopped yelling and turned to Lydia.

She nearly fainted.

Another man, a wiry blonde creep, held a semi-automatic to Lydia’s head.

Buddy continued to frantically bark in the background.

“Caesar isn’t gonna be very happy with you when he wakes up,” the blond creep said. “I wouldn’t want to be you, lady. Now you get over here and bring what’s left of that computer with you or I’ll take out your friend and her stupid mutt.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Caesar’s weapon lying on the carpet.

Zoe rolled her eyes, pretending to feel faint. “I don’t feel so good.” She dropped the computer, then fell to the ground, falling so her hands were near the gun. But she didn’t move toward it. She pretended to be out.

“Goddamned it,” the man muttered. “Okay, Lydia, you don’t move. Caesar, wake up!”

Zoe opened her eyes to slits and watched the man. As soon as he bent down to retrieve the computer, she reached out, grabbed the gun and pointed it at the man.

His mouth open, he stared at her. “You bitch!”

“Drop your weapon or I’ll shoot.”

He narrowed his gaze. “You wouldn’t dare. Nice lady like you. Hey, we can do this without the—”

Zoe fired the gun off and missed him by inches.

Terrified, the guy let go of the pistol and it fell to the floor.

“Grab it, Lydia!” Zoe ordered.

Lydia rushed forward and grabbed the weapon.

The front door burst open. “Zoe!” Bryce, followed by three bodyguards, came in, all brandishing weapons.

He rushed up to her and then took in the scene and went slack-jawed. Then he chuckled. “Seems like you didn’t need our help.”

“Oh, yes, I did. I’m sorry, honey.”

He shot her a look that said it all. Death by spanking. “I know you are.” Bryce turned to Lydia. “Are you all right?”

“I-I will be.”

“Boys, take these gentlemen for a ride, will you? Find out who they work for.”

The bodyguards carried the large man outside, dragging the blond guy with them.

Bryce smirked at the sight of her bloody laptop. “Seems like someone needs a new computer. Wait, what is that?”

The laptop’s case had broken apart. Bryce picked it up and removed a small computer component. “This doesn’t belong in here. What is this? Well, I’ll be damned.” He turned to Zoe. “You may have just found what we’ve been looking for. I think this is the missing hard drive.”

She brightened. “Good. Does that mean I’m not in as much trouble?”

Bryce returned her smile. “No. It doesn’t.” The look in his eye went dark.

Eeek.

He came up to her, and with a tender look in his eye, he kissed her. When he pulled away, he whispered in her ear. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried.”

“I’m sorry, honey.”

“Not yet, but you will be,” he promised.

Double eek.

They didn’t leave until another bodyguard arrived to watch over Lydia.

All during the short ride back to the house, Zoe freaked out. Her heart hammering against her ribs, she wanted to run. She was already so sore, she couldn’t take much more punishment. But that wouldn’t stop Bryce. She’d blown it. Totally, utterly blown it.

He said nothing. As they pulled up in her driveway he sent her a look that made her blood turn to ice. “Wait for me in the bedroom.”

“Okay,” she replied glumly.

Her lower lip trembling, she shuffled into the bedroom and sat on the bed. She fought back the tears. Not only was she traumatized from her ordeal, she hated it when Bryce was mad at her.

After what seemed to be hours, Bryce walked into the room. “Well, you lucked out. That hard drive might have just saved your life.”

“Was it the one?”

He smiled. “Yes. It was. And now all the information is on several more servers. So many, they won’t know who to attack. A few more weeks and we’ll be able to get back to normal.”

“Thank God.” She stretched and yawned. “Well, I think I’d better go to bed.”

“Not yet, you’re not.”

“But I almost died, I think—”

“Don’t fire me up anymore than I already am. You’re in trouble, young lady. Big. Trouble.”

©2011, Michelle Carlyle