by Jamie Hill
He often thought he’d like to meet someone and settle down, but at twenty-eight he figured he still had plenty of time. When the right girl came along, he’d know it. She just hadn’t shown up yet.
And tomorrow he’d be meeting Mitzi Palmer-slash-Pomeroy, from Pomeroy’s Palace of Pleasure and Pain. The thought sent a shiver down his spine when it really shouldn’t have. He was secretly glad Nick would be there with him. Somehow, his being there made meeting her seem more tolerable. Nick was outspoken and easy-going. He could get along with anybody. Ben tended to be quieter, more reserved. Making conversation was sometimes tougher for him.
He fully expected finding things to talk about with Mitzi Pomeroy was going to be as uncomfortable as a tight pair of BVDs.
Ben closed his eyes and stuck his face under the water spray.
* * *
Addison Decker stood in front of her closet and sighed. What exactly does one wear to a meeting with a dominatrix? Of course the woman wasn’t living that lifestyle anymore, at least to Addie’s knowledge. For the past six months, she’d been a divorced housewife existing quietly in Atlanta. But Addie suspected old habits died hard. Mitzi would probably be wearing Victoria’s Secret lingerie under her clothes.
I could do that. Her lawyer’s wardrobe was bland and boring, consisting of pantsuits, jackets over skirts, conservative button-down shirts, and a few dresses. No one would ever know if she wore sexy skivvies under her uptight clothing.
Precisely the problem. No one would ever know. It’d been two years since anyone had seen her lingerie, let alone tried to get her out of it. In some ways, time had flown since she’d left Cole. In other ways, it had dragged interminably.
She shook her head to clear Cole’s unwelcome image. He was gone, and she was better off because of it. But she still had the wardrobe dilemma. What exactly does one wear when meeting with a client for her first big case with the Shawnee County District Court? She’d been in Topeka for a few months, but hadn’t been assigned anything major, until now. This case was big. She’d be working closely with her boss, the District Attorney, of course. But Jim was letting her take the lead on this one.
Nervous energy sizzled through her as she chose an off-white linen pantsuit with a soft lavender blouse. She would never wear pastels in court, but they’d be fine for the trial prep. She nodded and got dressed.
Addie liked to wear her long hair down as much as possible, but for court days and business meetings she pulled it back into a ponytail or French braid. Today she opted for the braid, and then stood in front of the bathroom mirror applying the slightest touch of makeup. She wanted to look polished, but not overly made up, and was satisfied after a few minutes that she’d achieved the look.
Late June in Kansas, almost July, and the weather was increasing past warm to downright hot. If she wore too much on her face she was afraid at some point in the day she might melt. Finishing the look with her trademark pink lipstick, Addie was satisfied she’d make a decent first impression. She’d heard the US Marshals could be an ‘old boys club’ and really hoped they wouldn’t give her grief about being a woman. A young woman, at that. She’d done well in law school and had advanced through the ranks fairly quickly for someone not yet thirty. The marshals would probably be fifty and stodgy. She could already see the looks on their faces when she entered the room. She just hoped they didn’t call her ‘hon’ or ‘darlin’’. Nothing grated on her more.
The meeting was scheduled for ten a.m. She put in a couple of hours work at her office before leaving for Witsec. Their offices were a short drive from hers, just enough time to get good and nervous. Part of her was wishing it was Sunday and she was pointing her red Mustang convertible in the direction of the nearest lake.
This will be fine. The first meeting was always the toughest as the unknown element bothered Addie the most. Once she met everyone and got going with the trial prep, she’d be more confident and comfortable.
The Witsec offices looked as sterile and monochromatic as the District Attorney’s space. Addie spoke with a receptionist whose nameplate read ‘Martina’. The friendly, middle-aged woman buzzed her through to the next office where she was met by a silver-haired man. Just as I expected.
He smiled and extended his hand. “I’m Chief Rhodes. You must be the ADA.”
She nodded and shook with him. “Addison Decker. Pleased to meet you, Chief.”
“You, too. Jim speaks highly of your work.”
Addie blinked, surprised. He hadn’t told her as much, but the compliment was nice to hear. “Thanks.”
“Come this way.” He led her into a conference room. “You’ll be working with two of my marshals on this case. Markham went to meet the plane coming from Atlanta, but Pierce will be with you shortly. Can I offer you some coffee or a bottle of water?”
“Water would be great.” Addie set her briefcase down on the table.
“We’ll be right back with you.” The chief gave her a friendly smile and exited the room.
So far, so good. He didn’t seem to be one of the ‘good old boys’, but then he wasn’t the one she’d be working closely with. She opened her case and began removing file folders.
“Hey.” A man joined her, handing over a cold bottle of water. “Nick Pierce, US Marshal. At your service.”
Addie was surprised for the second time. This guy was hot, with spiked blond hair and a cleft in his chin that rivaled Kirk Douglas’. He was also married, if the silver band on his left hand was accurate. “Addison Decker,” she replied. “Assistant District Attorney. Nice to meet you. Thanks for this.” She held up the bottle.
He grinned. “No problem. The fridge is stocked with water. Most of us guzzle coffee, no matter what the season or time of day, so there’s always plenty of that, too.” He dropped into a chair close to the one she’d chosen. “I haven’t seen you before. Last case I worked was with a tall ADA. Spacey, I think?”
She smiled and sat. “Rob Stacey. But he is a little spacey, so you were close. I’m kind of new. I’ve been at Shawnee County for several months, but it takes a while to get a crack at the bigger cases.”
Nick nodded. “Understood. I’ve been back here a number of months, myself. Before that I worked in St. Louis.”
“Back here?” She picked up on his wording.
“Yeah, I lived here for a while, a few years back. Went looking for greener pastures, and found out that Topeka was just the right shade of green for me.”
His smile was endearing, and she couldn’t help but return it. “What brought you back?”
He wiggled his left hand. “The love of a good woman. We were married three months ago.”
“Aw, sweet. Do you have a picture of her?”
“Of course.” He patted his pocket for his phone.
Addie smiled. “That’s one thing I like about technology these days. We have access to our photos and all kinds of information on our phones.”
“And we use them to crush candies and find hidden objects.”
She laughed. “Of course! I’m on level three hundred in Candy Crush.”
He shook his head, amused. “I only know one other person on a higher level than that. You’ll meet him later.” He started to scroll through his phone then stopped. “What am I thinking?” Nick stood and walked to the doorway. He glanced out and motioned to Addie to join him.
She stood next to him and looked into the big bullpen-style office.
“See the brunette with three empty coffee cups on her desk and that drop-dead gorgeous face? That’s my wife, Jordan.”
Addie smiled at his accurate description of the woman. She was very pretty and had at least three empty paper cups on her desk. She wore an intense, focused look as she studied her computer monitor. The only thing cuter was the look on her husband’s face as he watched her. “She’s beautiful. I’d like to meet her sometime when she’s not so busy.”
“I’ll make sure you do.” He returned to his chair. “Thanks. I think she’s amazing, but I’ve b
een accused of being prejudiced.”
“I’m sure you’re not.” Addie glanced up as two more men entered the room. The first was a large, wide-framed man wearing a cheap, crumpled suit with some type of stain on the necktie. His blond hair was as disheveled as his clothing.
The man behind him was partially hidden, but when he stepped out from behind the Chris Farley look-alike, Addie’s breath caught. This guy was anything but messy, with thick brown hair and a three-day beard growth. His suit jacket was stylish and worn with a light colored pinstripe shirt and dark jeans.
He tucked a pair of sunglasses into his jacket pocket and said, “Hey.”
“Hey,” Nick replied. “Where’s Mitzi?” He said the name with emphasis and a grin.
Addie knew the marshals had been talking about their witness, probably sharing many of the same comments and thoughts she’d had about the notorious woman.
“Freshening up.”
Nick nodded. “This is ADA Addison Decker. Ms. Decker, these are a couple more of Witsec’s finest.”
The handsome man stepped forward quickly, extending his hand. “Ben Markham.”
Addie took his hand and they shook. His skin was soft and warm. A tingle zipped down her spine and she struggled to ignore it. “Addie. You, uh, can call me Addie.”
He smiled. His teeth were perfectly straight and white, not that she usually noticed such things. She just couldn’t help it with him. “Ben.”
Nick waved a hand. “Addie, Ben, Ben, Addie. And?” He glanced at the other man.
“Tom Stone.”
Reluctantly Addie withdrew her hand and extended it to Stone. “Pleased to meet you.”
“You too, hon.” He shook her hand roughly.
Addie stepped back. She couldn’t remember which marshal stayed and which would be returning to Atlanta. The chief had mentioned a name, but for the life of her she couldn’t think of anything besides the hunky man with the gorgeous smile. She knew which marshal she’d prefer to leave, but something told her that might not be the safest choice.
A woman joined them. Addie recognized her from her photo. Mitzi Pomeroy. She looked nothing like Addie had expected, wearing a simple cotton blouse over faded blue jeans.
Ben turned to her. “This is Mitzi Pomeroy. Mitzi, meet Assistant District Attorney Addison Decker and Marshal Nick Pierce.”
“Hello.” The soft spoken woman shook hands delicately with Addie then Nick.
He motioned for her to sit and she did, across from Addie.
Stone looked at Mitzi. “Well, darlin’, now that you’re safely delivered, I can take off. You behave yourself, you hear? Good luck with the trial.”
“Thank you for everything.” She glanced at him with disdain, then looked away.
The man turned to Ben. “I’ve got time to kill before my flight out so I’m going to find a steakhouse and have a nice meal. I’ll catch a cab.”
Ben nodded. “Martina can help you with that. Thanks, Stone.” They shook hands and the bigger man left.
Addie inhaled and blew the breath out. The safer choice had just walked out the door. She was left with Mitzi, the hot and very married, Nick, and the even hotter, status unknown, Ben. It was going to be a long couple of weeks.
Nick grinned at Mitzi. “I thought you were going to give him a good thrashing if he called you ‘darlin’ one more time.” He looked at her sideways, as if sizing up her outfit. “’Course I guess you might not have kept many of your whips.”
Her eyes flashed with amusement. “Oh, you might be surprised. For the record, I despise those cutesy terms of endearment.”
Addie took her seat. “That makes two of us, Mitzi.”
Still grinning, Nick returned to his chair. “Duly noted, hon.”
Mitzi placed both hands on the table and leaned forward. “Marshal Pierce, I suspect I can do more with my whip than your fertile mind can begin to imagine. So if you want to play, then I say, bring it on.”
Addie cleared her throat and glanced at Ben. “Um, I’ll rein in my witness if you rein in your marshal.”
He smiled. “Now that’s gonna be easier said than done. But I’ll try.”
Mitzi and Nick looked at them and at the same time said, “That doesn’t sound like very much fun.” They both laughed.
Addie raised her eyebrows at Ben.
His sweet smile caused her cheeks to flame with heat. It was going to be a long couple of weeks.
Chapter Two
United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
Leavenworth, Kansas
“Lights out!” A guard called and the cellblock lights dimmed.
It was never truly dark in prison, but that was okay. He preferred being able to see something to pitch blackness.
A shadowy figure made his way past the bars then backtracked and paused. “You squeal yet, pigeon?”
“No!” He hopped up and approached the bars. Not so close anyone could grab him, but close enough to whisper and be heard. “I promised I wouldn’t say anything.”
“Promises are like babies. Easy to make, hard to deliver.”
“Look, I know I can’t force you to believe me, but I’m telling the truth. I’m not gonna talk. I saw what they did to Jason. What they almost did to me. I took the warning seriously. Being in here sucks, but it beats being out there—dead.”
“You’d be well-advised to remember that. The DA will be coming around soon offering you a deal. They know you’re guilty so you’ll never go free, but they’ll try and scare you with talk of the death penalty. Just remember in Kansas, the only crime you can get death for is first degree murder with aggravating factors. Your lawyer needs to figure your way out of that one, then the death penalty won’t be an issue.” He grabbed one of the cell bars. “Remember this. If you squeal, for the rest of your life you’ll be looking over your shoulder. The boss said to remind you that he will always be an issue, whether you’re in here or not.” The messenger smacked the bar for good measure then crept off down the darkened hall.
Trembling, he returned to his cot and sat on the edge of it. Never in a million years would he have dreamed things would turn out this way. It had all seemed so harmless when he was just starting out. Now he realized that nothing in life came without consequences.
He rolled onto the cot and curled into the fetal position. At times like this he was grateful for the bars on his cell door, not to keep him in, but to keep the rest of the world out.
* * *
Topeka, Kansas
Ben sat across from Nick in the conference room and shot him a look.
His partner smiled and closed his mouth. Nick liked to joke around, but he knew when enough was enough.
The sexy ADA opened a file folder and spread some papers out before her. As she read through them, Ben studied her, wondering what stroke of luck had brought them together on this case. The woman was a knockout with a genuine smile and curves in all the right places. Her skin was lightly tanned and her brown hair had sun-kissed highlights.
Sun-kissed? Where the hell had that come from? He knew very well where it came from, because from the moment they’d shaken hands all he could think about was kissing Addison Decker. Addie. The name sent a shiver down his spine in a good way. All thoughts, worries, and concerns, about Mitzi Pomeroy left his mind as he made a mental list of everything he needed to find out about Addie.
Starting with, Is she seeing someone? She didn’t wear a wedding ring which was encouraging, but still didn’t mean she was available. He’d make it his first priority to find out, before he let his imagination get too far out of control. That was a slippery slope, because he was already imagining how her pretty pink lips would taste, and how much he’d like to unfasten the band in her hair and let it fall around her shoulders.
“Mitzi,” Addie began, “I’ve got the basics of your story, but I’d like to hear it in your own words. Can you please walk us through the night of the murder?”
The witness drew a breath and hesitated.
Addie continued, “I realize it’s a bad memory, and reliving that night isn’t going to be easy or comfortable. But it’s going to happen at the trial, and we need you to be able to talk about it. At first you’ll feel emotional, and that’s okay. The more we talk, the easier it’ll get for you to detach.”
Mitzi nodded. “It was late. I’d just closed the Palace.” She glanced at each of them quickly. “That’s what we called the club. My husband named it when we first opened the place fifteen years ago.”
“What happened to him?” Addie asked softly.
Ben suspected she already knew. He did.
Mitzi seemed to steel herself to reply. “Eddie died of pancreatic cancer eight years ago.”
Addie nodded. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. He was my world, my rock, my everything. When he died I didn’t want to go on. The people at the Palace kept me grounded, and gave me a reason to keep living. The employees became like my family.” Her face saddened. “Eddie and I, we never had kids.”
Addie gazed at her compassionately. “I know this is tough, but you’re doing great. At some point, the subject is going to come up. People will want to know how a woman like you became the proprietor of a BDSM club.”
Ben frowned. “That shouldn’t matter.”
Addie shrugged. “And a rape victim’s sexual history shouldn’t come out in a trial, either, but it does. I don’t want there to be any surprises. That’s what trial prep is all about.”
Nick looked at Ben. “We don’t have to be here for this. If you’d rather let them talk alone, we can step out.”
Ben shook his head. “No, I think it’s important that we’re aware of the details and facts of a case. The better informed we are, the better prepared we’ll be.”
Mitzi nodded. “It’s okay. I’m used to the questions. Believe me, people used to ask me that all the time. Dominance and submission was a lifestyle choice Eddie and I made. After he was gone, I didn’t want to change everything we’d built together. Sure, I was celibate for a long time after his death. But I always remained true to myself and his memory.”
