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