Immoral Obsession

by Theresa Papa

  Changing position without a word, she kneels before me, frantically releasing me from my pants to suck me like a popsicle. With her hands on my thighs, she looks up at me, and I can’t wait any longer. Standing, I pull her up from kneeling and bend her over the arm of the chair. I let myself calm down a little as I step out of my pants, take off my shirt, and use one of the condoms provided on the table. From behind her, I’m enjoying the fact she’s playing with herself while she waits for me to fuck her. When I approach, I slide up and down her wet slit before plunging into her velvet depths. I watch myself disappear inside, stretching her open wide. We proceed to fill her in every way possible with the assistance of toys from the wall. When we have exhausted every position, and I am spent, she begs for more. I look down at her inquisitively,

  “Please just keep fucking me with the toys until you can do it again. It’s like every orgasm scratches an itch, but as soon as it’s over, the itch is back. The drug is wonderful to help achieve multiple orgasms in a row. When you’re ready, we can switch.”

  This is a man’s fantasy come true when a woman just wants it no matter how I give it to her. She squirts lube on herself and hands me a toy. I decide to enjoy the ramp up to arousal once more while I use the toys to please her. Then when I’m hard and ready, I fuck her everywhere all over again. Later, when the powder has worn off, I fall into the chair out of breath but sated, with her once again perched on my lap.

  As I leave the club, I take the vial of powder out of my pocket and put it in the glove box for safekeeping. I didn’t accomplish what I intended inside the club, but what happened was definitely worth the trip.

  Chapter 4

  Liz Pope

  While I lean up against the shelves in the grimy bathroom, I relax, close my eyes, and let myself indulge, for once, in my sweet memories of Tony.

  Nine years ago, I had just finished my sophomore year in high school and met him for the first time through my cousins Nico and Jaxson. The hockey game had just ended, and Jaxson, Nico, and Tony celebrated a win as they skated off the ice. I stood at the edge of the rink by the locker room door. Nico put his arm around me and teased me with his nickname for me.

  “Hey, Lizard, how’d you like our game?”

  “It was fun to watch you win.”

  The two others plunked over on their skates, and Jaxson put his arm around the other guy to pat him on the back as he introduced us.

  “Elizabeth, this is our buddy, Tony; Drag, this is our cousin Elizabeth.”

  Our eyes met, and a bunch of butterflies fluttered through my stomach. Tony tugged off his hockey gloves and extended his warm and smooth hand to shake mine.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Elizabeth.” He smiled with straight white teeth as his soft brown eyes looked directly into mine.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” I answered in a daze while I held on to his hand a little too long. Nico’s voice pulled me out of my bout of admiration with a question.

  “Hey Elizabeth, come out to eat with us. We haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “That sounds good! I’ll wait out here for you guys.”

  We went out for pizza together, and I had a great time with my cousins and Tony. I found out Tony was the same age as Jaxson, which was twenty, and that made him four years older than me. A Stanford student seeking a degree in business and finance, he was home for break.

  Nico and Jax picked up on our attraction right away. Jax suggested I take Tony home because he lives closer to me. I had driven to the ice rink in my own car, while Jax had picked Tony up before the hockey game.

  “Would you mind?” Tony asks.

  “Not at all. Let’s go.” I grabbed my bag and headed outside with all three guys behind me. The ride was fun. We talked about everything from the weather to what it’s like growing up in Winnetka where we both live.

  “I live on Brier, so you could turn here.” Tony pointed at his house, and I turned into the U-shaped driveway.

  “I live not far from here on Hoyt. We do live close.”

  “Hey, you want to stay for a while?” His expression was hopeful with no arrogance at all. Most older guys would think I should be grateful for the invitation; I’ve encountered many smug offers that I quickly turned down, but Tony seemed genuine and respectful.

  “Sure, I have nowhere I have to be right now.” I turned off the ignition and opened my door.

  The older home had a wraparound porch. We walked in the house together, and it was warm and inviting. The dark wood furniture and lush fabrics screamed luxury. In the living room was a tall curio cabinet filled with an extensive collection of dragons, all sizes and crafted out of many different mediums. I was drawn to the clever display as I took in each one separately.

  “Those belong to my mom,” Tony said as he came up behind me. “She collects them because of our last name. I know, it seems cliché.”

  He was so close that when I turned, we ended up nose to nose. He made no move to back up, so I was plastered against the curio cabinet. Warmth crawled up my body. Looking up into his eyes, I saw flecks of green and gold that I had missed from farther away. He smiled as if aware of my attraction to him. My breathing became deeper, and his scent surrounded me, making me lose any sane train of thought. I swallowed hard, cleared my throat, and found my raspy voice. “What is your last name? Jaxson never said it.”

  Still smiling, he ran his fingertip down the tip of my nose before he turned toward the kitchen. That simple gesture was so intimate, but then he walked away without telling me his last name. I wondered why at the time. At almost seventeen years old, I still didn’t know how to read guys. I had never had a boyfriend or even gone out on a date before. My father was too strict.

  I followed him into the kitchen where he poured us each a glass of lemonade.

  “Would you like to sit out on the porch? The weather is so nice today.” I nodded, and he handed me my glass before he led me outside.

  The mature trees all around the property swayed gently in the warm summer breeze. The fresh-cut grass permeated the air while the orange glow of the setting sun provided a backdrop for the view in the distance.

  The porch had a waist-high brick railing with a smooth cement cap surrounding the perimeter. Tony set his glass down and sat facing inward toward the house with his ankles crossed, still able to touch the floor with his feet. Since I’m vertically challenged, I decided to sit over in the corner so I could turn sideways, put my legs up on the ledge, and lean back against the house. When I was settled, I looked up. Tony watched me with a big smile.

  “What? I’m shorter than you, so I can’t reach if I sit over there,” I explained. He laughed while he pushed himself off the railing and came over to me.

  “You do look pretty comfortable over here.”

  “I am.” I smile and cross my legs at the ankle on top of the ledge.

  Tony took my lemonade out of my hand and put it down before he turned back to me. Since I sat up so high on the ledge, our eyes were parallel, extinguishing the height difference between us. He leaned his hip against the railing, then moved in to gently place his lips against mine. The kiss was so sweet and warm; he made me tingle inside.

  “It’s Dragonetti; my last name is Dragonetti,” he murmured against my lips. I opened my eyes to look into his. “That’s a great last name.”

  Then he asked, “Can I kiss you again?” I smiled widely and nodded enthusiastically. His fingertips caressed the curve of my jaw as his thumb rubbed my bottom lip. Then he looked into my eyes with a serious gaze and moved in once again. He took this kiss deeper, coaxing me to open to him. I placed my hands on his biceps, the muscles flexed as he pulled me away from the wall and into him. His open palm splayed across my lower back radiated heat through my blouse. I locked my fingers behind his neck and kissed him back as eagerly as he held me close.

  A loud bang wakes me out of my memorable dream of my first kiss with Tony. “Shit!” Shaking the cobwebs out of my brain, I
look around and shudder at the memory of where I am. The ugly cast iron bathtub still sits across the grimy mosaic tile floor on which I sit propped against the shelves in the warped particleboard vanity. To my right, the toilet’s been denied a cleaning for a very long time. And to my left is the bolted door that keeps me sequestered in this prison.

  Even though a noise woke me, it’s quiet now, so I climb up onto the vanity to get a look out of the transom window. My legs shake from my awkward position. I hold my balance with my fingers on the edge of the cloudy glass, then tilt my head so I can see out the crack. The exterior door is closed, and I can’t see anybody in the apartment. But something is not the same as before Marcus locked me in the bathroom. A bag of takeout on the card table suggests he’s returned. I stretch my torso to get a better view of what’s right up near the door I’m behind. To my surprise, someone is on their knees over a man whose hand reveals a familiar skull tattoo. A cramp travels up my neck, and I straighten abruptly to lessen the pain. While I instinctively bend my head down to rub the back of my neck, my eyes focus on a river of blood that flows into the bathroom from under the door. I freeze in shock as I watch it slowly puddle into the voids where mosaic tiles went missing long ago.

  Chapter 5

  Tony Dragonetti

  The night has not gone well for me as I contemplate my next move in the passenger seat of Joe’s van. The mission to rescue my Liz, the girl who monopolizes my thoughts daily, is a bust. I blow out an agonizing breath and think about the proof that she and another young woman named Jennifer were being held against their will at a sex club. We had a foolproof plan that would have worked if Elizabeth were still held captive at Club Beta.

  Our plan worked for Jaxson, my good friend Nico’s brother. He was able to successfully rescue Jennifer as a favor to his brother’s girlfriend, Samantha. Jennifer and Samantha are best friends. But somehow, Elizabeth was gone. I guess I shouldn’t have built this whole thing up in my head. We just dropped Nico off at Samantha’s condo, and Jaxson took Jen home. Joe and I are headed back to the warehouse he uses to store all his police surveillance equipment so I can pick up my car.

  “Where do you think she was taken? Did you see any clues that they were on to you?” Joe asks as he maneuvers the van swiftly down Chicago Avenue.

  “They gave me no clues whatsoever. The host acted as if they were any random business that ran out of a specific product. They just wanted to offer a replacement. Like she’s an object or something! That’s what pissed me off!”

  “Club Beta is only about money, sex, and politics. Whoever owns it has the money to pay off the connections in politics to keep it running, so they all get their sexual fantasies taken care of regularly. But trust me, I get it. One thing I can’t stand is when people disrespect women,” he replies.

  Back at the warehouse, Joe and I pat each other on the back and say our goodbyes. Once in my car, I take a deep breath. I rest my head back on the cream truffle leather in my Storm Black Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. This car usually makes any bad day better, but worldly possessions mean nothing without the woman I love by my side. I engage the mechanism to put the top down so the force of the wind can clear my head. All the clues we had pointed to Liz was being held at the club. Now she’s vanished again, and we need to start over. If she would only trust me to take care of her, I could keep her safe.

  Usually the drive back to Winnetka on a nice night with the top down would relax and recharge me, but tonight, nothing will soothe me. My cell phone rings as I pull into my parents’ driveway. I’m living with them while I do renovations on a historical lakefront mansion I bought recently.

  Since my mother can always tell when something is wrong with me, I learned at a young age to avoid a drawn-out conversation, so I just tell her.

  “I’m worried about Elizabeth. She’s missing. I have Charlie looking into leads as to what happened, but we are at a loss. I don’t know what I’ll do if they hurt her.”

  “Do you mean she was already gone when you got there?”

  “She was.”

  “I’m so sorry, honey. I know how strongly you feel for her and how much you were counting on this to reunite the two of you,” she sympathizes. “Is there anything we can do to help you?”

  “No. Although, I might go there … to the lake house and bring Liz with me. Would you and Dad be all right with that? It might do her good to be around a family.”

  “We would love to have both of you here. But you said you can’t find her?”

  “Oh, Mom, I’ll find her. It’s just a matter of when.”

  “Okay, darling, we’ll see you when you get here.”

  Exhausted, I take a quick shower and fall into bed. Sleep takes hold rather quickly, though I wake a couple of hours later with unanswered questions flooding my mind. My wrist rests on my damp forehead, so I throw off the sheets in an effort to cool myself. With my body temperature finally more regulated, I relax into my memories of when Liz and I were together.

  It was the summer before we both graduated. She got out of the house on the premise of Jaxson’s birthday celebration. While all of our friends partied, we snuck off together to the pool house behind the Pope mansion. We’d only shared a handful of stolen moments previously, and I wanted more for us.

  The shadows of multicolored lights shimmered from the waves in the pool and reflected on her face. I purposely left the lights off to remain unseen and carefully guided her to the sofa, then pulled Liz onto my lap. Her petite form was perfect in my arms as she snuggled in, resting her head on my shoulder. The cover-up she had on over her bikini was scrunched up, and my right hand stroked her smooth, warm thigh. She trembled at my touch as I turned my head and rubbed my lips against hers. A small moan escaped her throat when I took our kiss deeper. My hold on her back gave way for her to recline, and we shifted so that I was now above her. I breathed in her scent as I traced her collarbone down to her breasts with my lips. She arched her back as my fingers gently pulled aside the cups of her bathing suit top to reveal her glorious breasts. It was heaven to finally be intimate with her; I wanted to make her feel good. My lips and tongue stroked her nipples while I gently kneaded them with my hands. I slid my hand downward toward the apex of her thighs and skated my fingers into her bottoms to find her already very aroused.

  “Liz, you’re so wet.” But when I put my cheek next to hers in the dark to kiss her again, there were tears. That’s not the kind of wet I was aiming for …

  “What did I do? Baby, please tell me. What’s wrong?” I wrapped my arms around her as she cried uncontrollably on my shoulder. I rubbed her back and consoled her until she just rocked with a few sobs intermittently.

  She never really explained why she was so upset that day. I wasn’t aware of her abusive childhood until almost three years later during the murder trial for the death of her father.

  Chapter 6

  Liz Pope

  In order to evade the press during my murder trial, my cousin Nico and I stayed on his yacht in Burnham Harbor. It was the perfect hideaway because no one bothered to look for us there. I count on that again as I put the code into the lockbox and grab the keys for the boat.

  Nico and his girlfriend were on board the yacht when I arrived an hour ago. I had to sit and wait while they docked the water bikes, changed for dinner, and then locked up. There’s no way I’d put them in danger by showing myself. I love my cousin Nico dearly for everything he’s done for me, especially when he made me see his shrink. Dr. Baxter helped me regain my memory and get strong mentally. When I finally took control of my own life after a horrendous childhood and many hours of therapy, I vowed to make the people who victimized me pay for what they had done. Nico is the only person in my whole life who cares for and loves me unconditionally. Even my own mother never did that.

  Keeping my eyes peeled to make sure nobody around sees me get on the yacht, I lock myself in below. A breath I didn’t realize I was holding escapes as I plop down on the so
fa. This is the first chance I’ve had to relax in days since Marcus Dent took me prisoner. I can’t decide whether food or sleep is more important. A deep growl from my abdomen makes my decision. As luck would have it, they left fruit, cheese, crackers, and an open bottle of wine in the refrigerator to fill my empty stomach. I savor the saltiness of the cheese and crackers while the wine heats my blood as it travels through my veins. Afterward, the white cotton comforter cools my skin when I crawl into a comfy bed in one of the staterooms. Quickly, I succumb to sleep, falling into the same nightmare I’ve had for the last few years.

  The gun is heavy and cold in my shaky hands as I walk down the hallway. Since I just came home from my last appointment with Dr. Baxter, my anger boils over, and I’m irrational. Through almost three years of treatment and hypnosis, I have finally found the reason for my blackouts. As an added bonus, I now remember my early childhood, which I had conveniently blocked out before. My early memories confirmed that my father had committed the ultimate sin against me. Now I’m going to make him pay.

  The plush carpet is buoyant beneath my bare feet and makes my entrance go unnoticed by the smug Bradford Pope. His home office is ostentatiously decorated with his desk facing the view of Lake Michigan out the wide windows.

  “Don’t move, Daddy!!” I yell with authority as I push the gun into the back of his neck.

  “Whoa, whoa, Elizabeth what are you doing?” He tries to move, and I push harder to make him stay put.

  “You listen to me, Daddy! I remember everything you allowed to be done to me as a child! And I now know you drugged me as a teenager to permit it to continue! You let me think I was ill and having blackouts! You’re a sick individual and—”