Risk

by Raquel Belle

  “Yeah, I watch a lot of crime shows. I know what you mean.”

  “Maybe he planned it or maybe she just said the wrong thing and he flipped or maybe she turned down an advance…could be a lot of things, I’m no expert, but the result is that he’s sick and he acted on his impulses and he did what he did. He wanted to have her. I don’t know what the hell he was going to do to her, but when you tie someone up like that against their will, it’s definitely not going to end well. There are only a few ways it could go. The chances she’d have walked out of there without getting hurt were pretty low. We’re just lucky that we landed up there when we did.”

  “Yeah.”

  “My opinion—that was the first in what might’ve ended up being a serial if we didn’t stop it. But, that’s not really my field, I’m more of a point him out and I’ll shoot him kind of guy.”

  “On TV that would have gone different.”

  “Real life is different. We got hella lucky in there with the timing.”

  “Didn’t seem like to me, you looked like you knew exactly what you were doing.”

  “I just read the situation, so I kept as close to him as I could so that if he did anything, I’d be in proximity to react. It’s a lot tougher to disarm a guy from ten feet out. Especially without a weapon. I’d have had to throw a can of beans at him.” Jack laughs.

  “God, that was freaky. If we’d gotten there earlier or later, everything could’ve ended different. Maybe he’d have panicked and shot her…or us…anything could’ve happened. If we were too late maybe he’d have locked the door and we’d have just gone on our way.”

  My mind is racing. There’s so much that could’ve happened.

  “Exactly. That’s luck on another level. Stuff like that happen to you a lot?”

  “I was in a hostage situation at a bank once. I held a guard’s bullet wound till we were rescued. Um, a pregnant lady flagged me down to take her to the hospital so she could give birth. I don’t know, stuff like that. I don’t know if that counts. But stuff like that happens.”

  “A lot of people go through life without even one story like that, Deanna.”

  “Well, a lot of people don’t leave the couch much,” I say, “maybe it’s just about being out there.”

  He laughs. “All I can say is that there hasn’t been a dull moment since I met you.” He turns to me, smiles, then takes my hand and kisses it.

  That’s when I know that everything is going to be okay.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jack

  The drive to LA is anything but boring and Deanna makes sure I know it every few seconds. From calling out Zzyzx Road to where the world’s biggest thermometer is, to even the Bonnie and Clyde Death Car…she points out all of them. Maybe if this was strictly a road trip we could have explored a few exits and checked them out, but she’s been to them anyway—and I’ve got to get to where I’m going.

  It makes me feel strange that I’ve never taken the time to do stuff like this before. Like…going to see the world’s largest ball of twine…I don’t know where that is but I heard about it once. I guess it’s just one of the quirky things civilians like to get up to. It makes life fun to see oddities.

  Maybe we’ll do it one day. Just not today.

  The thought makes me want to ask her though.

  “Hey, when this is all done, you want to go see the world’s largest ball of twine with me?”

  She looks like her face is going to split, she’s holding a huge smile back.

  “What? Is that not cool or something?”

  “I would love to go with you,” she says, then gives me a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “Well, alright then.” I smile. She laughs.

  We’re almost there so it’s probably time I called my guy to find out where we’re supposed to go. I reach back and start to dig in the bag.

  “Eye’s on the road,” Deanna says, “what do you need.”

  “Uh, could you grab one of those burner phones, please.”

  Deanna hops to the back, then pulls out a phone and the charging gizmo. They’re both encased in that plastic that even a rabid dog couldn’t chew through.

  “The box cutter should be in there somewhere.”

  “Oh, here it is,” she says.

  “Careful now.”

  “Kay, DAD,” she rolls her eyes.

  “Oh God,” I laugh, “you’ve ruined everything!”

  “Don’t you like it when I call you daaaaaddy?” She teases.

  “NO!”

  She laughs, “Yeah, that’s not my thing either.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief.

  Deanna frees the important items, shoves the rest of the packaging back into the bags and returns to the front. She plugs the charger into the power outlet on the dash, finds the right adaptor and then plugs in the phone and brings it to life.

  “Now what?”

  I didn’t think I’d have company…like I said…I’m making this up as I go. I’d have called from a phone booth. Maybe she shouldn’t know too much about what’s going on. I hand her Terry’s card from earlier. “Might as well message Terry and let him know I’ve got a phone for now.” Maybe that’ll distract her.

  “Okay, I’ll send—This is Jack’s new phone, love, Deanna.”

  “Sure.”

  A few seconds go by and then she laughs.

  “What is it?”

  “Typical Terry, he said—Acknowledged, stay in touch.”

  I almost want to tell her to text him back—NO.

  “That it?” Deanna asks.

  Damn. I guess I’m going all in. I pull out a small notebook from my pocket, turn to a marked page and show it to her. “Dial that and give it to me.”

  Anton van Reenan. This guy’s seen it all, he’s been military, spec ops, private security…he’s got so many contacts and been so deep on either side his rolodex needs a rolodex. But no one can tie anything to him because he’s the most careful motherfucker I know.

  She taps some buttons, then passes me the phone.

  “Hello?” he answers. This guy’s accent sounds like concrete being mixed. It’s South African—Afrikaans. A Dutch offshoot. Everything he says sounds thick and heavy.

  “Hey, Anton. It’s Jack Morton, I’m almost in LA.”

  “I thought you weren’t going to make it, Morton. You had me worried for a second.”

  “Oh, some things came up the last couple of days so I didn’t make it to a phone, but I’m still on schedule, I’m about an hour out. You said to call when I was close so…what’s the plan?”

  “Go to the Sheraton Grand, talk to a woman at the front desk by the name of Caryn, tell her you’re picking up an envelope for Daniel Smith. Inside is a keycard for your room.”

  “Aw heck, Anton, you didn’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I did, Morton. I’m controlling the situation…and extending an old friend a courtesy.”

  I laugh, that’s something I told him once, the controlling bit, “Well that’s very nice of you. Free stuff is always great. Say, you’re not trying to put one over on me now, are you?”

  “I would never dream of it. You know me, Morton, I just like to take precautions. If you knew where you were going in advance…”

  “Say no more. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll let you know when I get there.”

  “Alright, see you then.”

  Click.

  “Looks like we’re going to the Sheraton Grand,” I tell Deanna.

  “You know how to get there?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll just punch it in to the GPS here,” she reaches for the screen on the dash.

  ***

  Los Angeles, the city of angels. The entertainment capital of the world. It’s also the smog and traffic capital of the world in my opinion. It’s a nightmare getting in. The sunsets look amazing though. Funny thing is, they say the smog is what makes the sunsets so good.

  I hate this place. It’s too busy. It’s too phony and it�
��s too corrupt. There are places here that charge $20 for a bottle of water. What’s wrong with tap? The valet at the hotel even asked if we were producers because he had a screenplay he was trying to unload.

  This town is not really that different from Vegas. It’s a city full of gamblers. They come from all over the world hoping for their dreams to come true. In a hundred years the population has risen from one million to eighteen. It’s one of the most densely populated areas on the planet…and I’ve been to India. It’s madness.

  After getting the envelope from the front desk, I ask Caryn to make a copy of the keycard and then we head up to the room. It’s a nice place. It’s not Fortuna, but it’s nice. The amenities are there and its fancy enough. I hope I’m not getting spoiled.

  Once Deanna and I are inside, we drop our bags in the bedroom, strip off and then head to the shower, together. It happens on autopilot. The shower is big enough and we hadn’t touched each other in a while. I think we both wanted to be with each other and this seemed like the thing to do.

  Sometimes I feel like I can’t think when I’m around her, the blood in my body only flows to one place. She’s perfect.

  We’re soapy and her hair is wet the way I like it—it makes her look so fucking sexy. I can’t stop kissing her. I work my way from her mouth to her neck, from her shoulders to her breasts…I’m about to go further when I hear the phone ring in the bedroom. I don’t want to stop. I ignore it. I pick her up and she grabs the stem of the shower spout for support so I can taste her pussy.

  The phone rings again. Fuck. It’s got to be Anton.

  I put her down and give her a quick kiss. “Don’t go anywhere,” I say. I get out of the shower and wrap a towel around myself as I get to the phone. “Yes?”

  “Downstairs, Little Havana, fifteen minutes.” It’s him.

  “Right.”

  Click.

  Fuck.

  As I dry off I call to Deanna, “I have to go meet Anton, I’ll see you in a little while.”

  Then she’s standing there in a towel as well. “What? Just like that?”

  “What do you mean just like that?”

  “He can’t wait fifteen minutes?”

  “He is waiting fifteen minutes. This is that fifteen minutes.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  I laugh. “To be continued. I’m sorry, gorgeous.”

  I look for my boxers and can’t find them so I decide to go without. Then I turn around and see Deanna starting to get dressed too. “Fuck that,” she says.

  I’ve got one leg in my jeans when I ask, “What are you doing?”

  She pulls a Pink Floyd t-shirt on and I want to fuck her even more now. “I’m coming with you.”

  “You’re not, Deanna.”

  “I am.”

  “I’m not fucking kidding, Deanna. You didn’t listen to me at the gas station but you’re going to listen now. This is a one on one thing. You can’t come down there.”

  “Says you.”

  “Don’t do this, this is not kindergarten.”

  “I’m not doing anything, I can go wherever I want.” She puts her wet hair into a pony.

  God damnit. “Deanna,” I pull my boots on, “go have a soak in the tub, I’ll be right up. I’ll bring dinner back.”

  “No.” She ties her shoes.

  “Stop it,” I say as I shrug my jacket on.

  “You stop it.”

  I get to the door and she’s still following me. “Deanna, please.”

  “Please what?”

  I walk down the hall and push the button at the elevator. “Stay here!”

  She doesn’t say anything.

  The doors open and it’s empty. I get inside. She gets in with me.

  “Deanna!”

  ***

  Deanna

  Seriously? I was a minute away from coming and he stops? Anton isn’t that important.

  “What the fuck, Deanna?”

  “Don’t what the fuck, Deanna, me.”

  Suddenly Jack pounces on me. He pushes me to the corner of the elevator, he shoves one hand down my jeans and he puts one hand on my throat. My adrenaline kicks in, it’s fight of flight. Two fingers go up my cunt—which is still soaking by the way— I’m on the tips of my toes, balancing on his hand, my ass mounts the rail. His mouth goes to mine.

  I let him in and he starts sucking on my tongue. His fingers curl and he finds that spot on front walls of my pussy. His thumb finds my clit and starts rubbing. I can’t breathe. He’s taking my soul out of me.

  His fingers are working furiously, digging that magic spot. My arms are around him, pounding on him to stop, but it’s no use, he’s a mountain and I’m a Deanna. I’m in ecstasy and I have no control at all. It’s too much. I think my feet have left the floor, I’m riding his fingers right now, grinding myself on him, it’s pure instinct, my body just responds.

  My hips move of their own volition, bucking and twisting. He keeps sucking on my tongue. I can’t breathe. He’s consuming me…all of me. It builds and builds and builds some more till it all crashes down on me. There’s just electricity flooding my brain. I think my eyes are rolling back. I’m seeing sparks. I am not in control at all. I start shaking. Jack pulls away as suddenly as when he began.

  I drop to my feet. I’m stunned…unsteady. I brace myself on the side of the elevator car.

  It’s still radiating out in waves. I let out a scream. It’s the only way I can release the violence of that suffocating orgasm.

  I’m dazed. I don’t know what’s going on…I can’t balance. I feel like I’m going to fall. The orgasm was that strong. The elevator dings and the doors part.

  Someone wearing a suit gets in. I’m still shaking, I can hardly stand. What the fuck did he do to me?

  “You look a little worse for wear ma’am. Maybe you ought to go lay down.” Jack says. I’m still gasping for breath. I hold the railing. My knees are rubbing together, my pussy is throbbing. I can’t see straight. Then he steps out and the doors close.

  Oh. My. God.

  I’m still shaking.

  The guy in the suit is looking at me like…well I don’t even know. He’s just confused. Hey buddy, you try getting fucked in sixty seconds on an elevator and see how frazzled YOU feel.

  I ride the car till the suit gets to his floor. The doors open. He gets out.

  I don’t even consider not doing it…I push the button for the lobby.

  “Nobody does that to Deanna and gets away with it.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jack

  Little Havana is the hotel’s restaurant. I saw it on the way in. It’s kind of hard to miss in fact, it’s very colorful, and right now, not very busy. I walk in and choose a booth all the way at the back in a corner. With my back against a wall I know I won’t be getting any surprises from that direction. Also, I can see the whole place so I can spot trouble way before it spots me.

  The tables are quite big, about three feet across. The seats are red leather—rivetted. It’s fancy. Long draped tablecloth fancy.

  I order a coffee when the waitress shows up—she brings it immediately. Good service. While I sit there waiting for Anton, my thoughts stray to Deanna. The fact that she doesn’t seem to be taking this seriously is troubling. I told her this morning that she was going to have to listen to me and trust me. The day isn’t over and she’s already disobeyed me twice. The first time she put herself in danger by walking into that store with me.

  Why won’t she listen?

  I catch myself shaking my head without realizing.

  I guess I can’t expect her to follow orders like we’re a unit and there’s a chain of command. I mean, we’re just two people, equals. Nobody controls anybody. Isn’t that what a relationship is? Is that what this is? A relationship? After two days?

  “For the love of—” I’m torn from my reverie when I see Deanna determinedly walking toward me. She has fire in her eyes. I stand. “Deanna, get out of here now!”

  She p
ushes me down on the seat and climbs on top of me. “Thought you could get away from me that easy, huh Jackhammer?” She starts undoing my belt.

  “Deanna, we’re in a public space, a restaurant, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” I push her hands away but she doesn’t stop. “Shit!” I see Anton through the glass, he’s almost at the entrance. “Fuck. Get under there,” I push her under the table and sit up.

  Deanna works on my pants like a ninja and pulls my cock out. I can’t help myself, I’ve got a boner you could hang a wet bath towel on. I know Anton has seen me but I don’t look up, it’s a delay tactic. I need him to cover more ground before I acknowledge his presence. Deanna takes me in her mouth. Please, universe, help me get through this.

  The waitress approaches him but waves her away. When he’s almost at the table I sort of half raise myself like I’m going to stand and greet him, but he does exactly what I expect—he puts his hand up and says, “No, don’t get up.” I use the maneuver to adjust myself so Deanna has better access. If this is going to happen I might as well enjoy myself.

  He’s wearing a blue suit. He’s a bit shorter than me and he’s in good shape—guys like us never let ourselves go. He’s blond but greying. He’s got blue eyes, they look sharp as ever, he’s forty-five years old. He slides in to the booth and puts out his hand. I take it. “Anton.”

  “It’s good to see you back in action, Morton,” there’s that cement accent of his. You get used to it.

  “You too, it’s a been a minute,” I say.

  “I heard about that business up in Canada. Bastards nearly got the better of you.”

  “Almost,” I say, and grimace, but not because of what he said, it’s because Deanna is mouth fucking me like a pro. She’s sucking my cock with a vengeance, pumping the shaft with one hand and massaging my balls with the other. I shift a bit to pull back and she takes the signal to slow down. Anton on the other hand takes my brevity to mean that the small talk is over.