Love, Lies, & Crime: Anthology

by Kimberly Blalock

  My fingers molded her flesh through her top as I replied between soft bites, “I’ll choose one tonight, amour. Je promets.”

  “Oui,” she whispered.

  By the time she finally screamed my name, the turkey bacon was well past burnt and on its way to dust. Not only did I give her physical release, but I also gave confirmation for starting the hunt that night. She was in such good spirits, she even went out to get breakfast and Starbucks. Bonus! I had the kitchen cleaned, even if it did still smell like burned barbecue throughout the house.

  We polished off breakfast and I sent her to work with a grin and hop in her step. Time for domesticated Gabby to get her shit done. I hauled the laundry out and separated them into their bins for washing. After starting the first load, I swept, mopped, and vacuumed the house. With another load in the washer, it was time for errands.

  Hours later, I finished applying my makeup in the vanity mirror. I needed to be at the club within an hour and finish dinner for Rosa. I checked the crockpot and tasted the delicious concoction brewing inside. Perfect! I scooped some into a bowl and slurped it down quickly.

  I ran through the house to make sure all appliances and lights were off before leaving. My drive to work flew by with the aid of violin sonatas seeping through the speakers and a Starbucks run. I walked through the side door of the club and skirted through the kitchen to the main office. Lieuv Valla was the owner and his Norse heritage gave him the most amazing features. He had the body of a God and the charisma to match. A deadly mix, if you asked me. The text he sent while I was on the road told me to go straight to his office when I arrived.

  Knock, knock. “Come in, vakker,” he called through the door.

  I rolled my eyes at the compliment before opening the door. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Ja. Maurice was fired today. That liten pikk was stealing money from me. I need you to cover tomorrow’s shift.” He twirled a small blade between his fingers as he spoke. The more his agitation grew, the faster the blade spun until it was a blur of movement. That alone was the reason I didn’t giggle when he called Maurice a little dick.

  The extra shift would give me more time to target someone if I didn’t find what I was looking for tonight, but it wouldn’t leave enough time tomorrow if it played out Rosa’s way. “Oui, I can cover it. I’ll call Rosa and let her know. Thank you for offering the extra shift to me.”

  He dismissed me with a wink and I spun on my heel, closing the door gently behind me. I quickly sent Rosa a text about the shift and sent a silent prayer for understanding. I still had ten minutes before I had to join Brit behind the bar, but the thought of standing around and waiting annoyed me so I walked to the bar after locking up my purse.

  Carmen earned the nickname Brit because she had only been stateside a year from the UK before landing this job. And her accent was seriously thick. Her wheat-colored hair flared out when she turned her head, brushing her shoulders as it settled back down hiding her slender neck. Her light brown eyes danced with humor right before she threw her head back laughing with a man across from her. The patrons were grouped together, talking and laughing while the alcohol seeped into their systems. This was the best time of the day for me. Everyone came in waves to get their drinks, giving me frequent breaks. Later in the night, the bar was constantly full of people with their hands out.

  “Gabby, darling!” Brit sauntered over and kissed my cheek affectionately. “You’re early. Not that I’m complaining, mind you.”

  I kissed her other cheek before I responded. “Only by a few minutes. How’s the crowd?”

  “Nothing rowdy yet, so…boring?”

  This is going to be a good night.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Drink after drink passed across the bar into waiting hands. Blues, yellows, reds, greens. Every color or flavor you could think of was tipped back and drained quickly. The club had its black lights on tonight, like every other Friday night, so flashing teeth and white miniskirts filled the room. In my heels, I towered over most of the women surrounding the bar, even some of the men. A small, little blonde with pigtails bounced excitedly midway down the bar between Brit and me. One of The Weeknd’s songs blared through the speakers and she decided to put on a show for the men surrounding her.

  Her small waist slowly twisted and rolled in perfect rhythm, pressing against any crotch within reach while her fingers trailed over jaws and down chests. Her seductive grin and heavy-lidded eyes captured the attention of everyone. Even some of the customers in front of me were craning their necks to catch a peek of her not-so-subtle show. I rolled my eyes and moved further away from her to pour more orders when the crowd cheered.

  “G!” I scanned the faces in front of me for the person calling me. No one was paying any attention to me. Confused, I continued pouring and mixing drinks. “G!” This time I knew someone was calling my name. I glanced over the crowd and caught something moving behind the bar in my peripherals. My gaze locked in on the movement. Brit was flailing her arms to catch my attention, then pointed at the bar between us. Our showgirl was now dancing on the bar and causing quite a stir.

  Men shoved each other to get closer, some even rained down elbows to the others unfortunate enough to be in the line of fire. “Merde,” I muttered as I moved toward the walkie-talkie we kept back here for such instances. “Gate keepers, we have a Berkley show at the bar ensuing a riot.”

  “10-4. Show stoppers on the move,” the head of security answered.

  Now all I had to do was keep people from killing each other before the big guys arrived. Easier said than done. I sidled over as close to the action as I could without being in arm’s reach of the now swinging fists. The poor girl had stopped dancing and was now yelling at the men to stop. Day late and a dollar short, toots.

  The mood of the club became more feral by the second, clogging my throat with tension and excitement. The urge to jump into the fray had every muscle tensing with readiness. “Get down,” I called to the girl. If she fell in, I wouldn’t be able to leave her in there with the animalistic men. Her pigtails whipped around as someone grabbed her thighs and pulled her into the circle of fighting men. A gazelle caught in the lion’s den.

  A scream reverberated in my ears, shredding the last bit of restraint I had. I took a step, pushed off of the bar top, and swung my legs over the surface, kicking one of the men in the face before landing on the other side. In the middle of the swarm, the girl’s clothes were being ripped off as other hands violated her. My vision turned red in anger.

  My fists shot out to connect with any face within reach and retracted quickly, readying for another jab. I didn’t use enough force to knock anyone out, but enough to confuse or startle them so I could get to the girl. The shock of every hit travelled up my arm and back down to pulse at my knuckles. The pain didn’t slow me down or alter my direct path to the girl.

  The last man in my way received a hard hit to the kidney, causing him to crumple to the side in pain, giving me just enough space to dive through and grab the girl. A knee collided with my right side as I steered her toward one of the security team parting the crowd like the Red Sea. The jolt sent a streak of stabbing pain through my ribs, causing my lungs to expel the air inside of them. The security man took off his jacket and wrapped it around the small woman.

  “G, get back behind the bar!”

  A hand wrapped around my upper arm, pulling me in the direction of safety. With the female distraction gone, some of the guys in the crowd rained punches down onto anyone around them. As I was forced back to the bar, I kept my eyes peeled for any opening to do damage to the idiots surrounding me.

  “Okay, I’m safe. Now go get these assholes out of my face, please,” I told the man depositing me with Brit.

  “With pleasure,” he said with a Cheshire-worthy grin.

  Brit’s eyes were glued to the action unfolding in front of us, but my inner depravity yearned to bathe in the ongoing chaos. I needed a distraction to suppress the urge building inside
, ready to explode again. I scanned the area behind us for an idea when my gaze landed on the bucket of ice water we used to dip wash cloths in to cool us off. I grabbed two of the rags soaking in the water and spun them above my head, slinging water over a small radius of people. Their attention was slowly brought back to us instead of the fighting.

  “A round on the house,” I called out.

  The few looking at us immediately cheered and the orders flew in. Leaving Brit to handle the mass at that end, I scooped another wash cloth and performed the same trick at my end of the bar. The brawl lessened and the security team was able to grab the few still causing a scene and threw them out.

  When everyone had their free drinks in hand, the tension in the room switched from aggressive to sexual within minutes. The orders were constant and kept us busy for another hour, the incident all but forgotten to the intoxicated crowd. The magical hour of the end my shift closed in. I counted my drawer and placed all the large bills in a bag and zipped it closed, punching in the amount onto the screen.

  Trav, my relief bartender, strutted behind the bar, smacking Brit’s ass then continuing toward me. His hair was always perfectly styled and facial hair trimmed neat. The thought of him spending more time grooming than I did caused my lips to curve in amusement. I could appreciate a man that took care of himself, showing effort in his appearance. But being that vain about your looks, conceited and shallow to the core, disgusted me. To say I wanted to watch him writhe beneath me in pain controlled by my hand was an understatement.

  “Waiting for someone?” His breath fanned over the skin of my shoulder.

  I’m Out by Ciara blared and I couldn’t have planned it better myself. I pointed to the speaker bumping with the beat and held up two fingers. “Peace!”

  His cologne hung in the air like a trail, which I waved away as I made my way to the head of security waiting at the end of the bar. “What’s up, Daniel?”

  “Boss wants to see you,” he shouted over the music.

  I nodded and he led me through the packed club to Lieuv’s office. He touched his earpiece then opened the door for me. “Thanks, Daniel,” I said as I moved past him, touching his arm briefly. He nodded and shut the door. Lieuv was shuffling through papers on his desk and clicking away on his keyboard. “You needed to see me?”

  He held up a finger signaling for a moment to finish what he was working on. After a few more keystrokes, he wrote a note and placed the papers on the edge of his desk. He straightened his shirt and took a deep breath with his eyes closed. His baby blues sought mine as his long lashes lifted. “I saw the fight on the monitors and before you ask, yes. I saw your action as well. The weight of the bottles and drawer count won’t match because of how many drinks you gave away, but it was worth it. You handled that rather well and I wanted to thank you personally before you left for the night.” While he spoke, he shifted in front of his desk, leaning back on the beautiful wood.

  I inclined my head, accepting the compliment and acknowledging the issue. “Thank you. I’ll cover the difference on Brit’s end count, and I already paid mine. My apologies for not asking permission.”

  He shook his head and chuckled. “No worries, vakker. You acted quickly and saved that girl’s life. As it is, she was extremely shaken up. But those men have been dealt with and she was taken care of. All is well, thanks to you. Now, unless you want to join me for the night, I need to get back to work.”

  A devious look settled over his features and I saw the invitation for what it was. That way madness lies. When a look or thought triggers Shakespeare quotes, run away. “Thanks again, but I have plans.”

  He shrugged. “Your choice, your loss. Maybe one day.”

  He turned his back to me and I exited his office. The song playing was a popular one and most people were dancing by their tables. The dance floor was jammed with bodies, triggering my excitement. I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth and my feet guided me into the fray. Jungle by X Ambassadors slid over my ears, coaxing the predator to the surface. My heartbeat accelerated as I appraised the swarm of oblivious people.

  The beat stroked my skin, heating me from the outside in. My hips swayed as my feet led me around the dance floor, feeling the different vibes radiating from the crowd. My senses dominated every movement, testing bodies close to me for their reactions. My body was coiled and ready to strike when I found the perfect prey. I closed my eyes and danced, matching the slow, powerful bass hits.

  Someone moved my hair from my shoulder and feathered their lips on my skin. Their eagerness to touch me was appealing, but uncertainty filtered through when they kept the rest of their body at a distance. I brought my hand up to dive into their hair but the person shied away, furthering my unease of this person’s motives. Fingers wrapped around my wrist and gave a quick squeeze before releasing me completely.

  I whirled around to punch this ballsy person, but only saw smiling, sweaty faces. Everyone around me was completely and utterly entwined with each other. Not one of them was looking in my direction, much less paying attention to me. Move.

  I pressed farther onto the dance floor until the unease drained away. Bodies swayed and rubbed against me. I danced in the center of the floor with my heart beating rapidly against my ribs. Sweat trickled down my back sending a shiver through me. When I opened my eyes, a tall, sexy, dark man was in front of me. He licked his lips as I assessed his gorgeous body with my eyes.

  He shifted closer until our clothing touched, testing my willingness I assumed. I lifted my hands to his chest and skimmed over the solid muscles. His hands smoothed over my hips and up to my ribs, his thumbs grazing the undersides of my breasts. I hooked an arm around his neck and pulled his lips down to meet my own.

  My tongue teased and tasted him as we grinded against one another to the rhythm. We explored with our hands, his movements growing in intensity as the passion between us built.

  A hand gently tugged at my hair, breaking the kiss. I locked eyes with Rosa as she ran a finger over my swollen lips. Her eyes broke away to take in the male before us. She wet her lips and pulled him down for a kiss.

  He was more than willing to reciprocate her affections, which made my target even more desirable. We stayed on the floor until she was confident he was a good choice, then lured him away. The exit sign acted as a beacon, showing us the way out of there and onto the path we so desperately needed to travel. As we neared the door, Rosa and I walked hand in hand and ignored the guy trailing us, drawing no attention from anyone around us.

  I felt a prickle of awareness roll down my spine, causing me to scan the faces around me. Dark, piercing eyes stood out as I scanned, but were gone when I looked back in the direction I caught sight of them. Snap out of it, G. The bouncer nodded at us as we waltzed out and headed toward my car. The parking lot across the street was packed and I was parked in the back so it took a few minutes to leave. Rosa rode in the back with our playmate for the night to keep him thoroughly seduced. She had taken a cab to the club, as per usual when she met me there. Glances in the rear view mirror let me see how much she needed this.

  Rosa led the man into the house while I shut off the engine inside our garage and pressed the button on the wall to close the door. I entered the house and found them lying on the couch. Rosa was topless, that much I could see over the back of the couch. Her nipples peeked at me as her breasts rose and fell with every moan. She threw her head back as I neared them and my knees nearly crumpled at the sight of such beauty. His hands traveled up and cupped her breasts, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I reached for the stereo remote and set it to play our sex games playlist.

  I walked around the couch until I faced them, loving every moan that met my ears and movement I caught. Our cushions were wide enough for both of them to lie comfortably across them and long enough that his feet and head didn’t touch the arms. My legs brushed the couch as I kneeled and reached out to explore his midsection with my hands. I kissed the top of each of Rosa’s breasts before returning
my attention to our guest. His hands squeezed my breast through my shirt then slid down, dipping under my skirt. I spread my knees wide inviting him in and my tongue flicked along his abdomen and chest, following every curve and divot I discovered as I ground against his long fingers.

  Rosa’s nails dug into the back of my neck before her fingers untied the knots of my halter top, ripping at the material then tossing it aside. She stepped off the couch and made her way to the stash of condoms we had specifically for this reason. When she resumed her position straddling his hips, he grabbed one of my legs and pulled. “Sit on my face,” he whispered to me.

  I did so and his mouth immediately sought my core. We both rode him until we screamed out in pleasure a couple of times. We switched places and continued to play with him well into the night, fueling our passion and fulfilling our forbidden craving. Women were meant for love and trust, while men were used to subdue the raw instincts that lived inside of us.

  When he was closing in on his pleasure, I caught Rosa’s stare. She nodded and crawled from her position to reach for the belt we kept under the couch. “Sit up,” I said as I pulled on his arms, shifting him so that he was sandwiched between me and the back of the couch as I resumed riding him. Rosa moved behind the couch and I picked up my pace, placing my hands on his chest and pushing him back against the cushion.

  His eyes rolled back and he dropped his head, chasing his orgasm. Rosa expertly looped the belt around his neck and pulled as tightly as she could, leaning back with all her weight. His hands flew to the leather cutting off his air supply, frantic to loosen it. His fingers dug into his skin and his body bucked repeatedly, trying to throw us off. A few sounds escaped through his open mouth as his face blushed a bright red. Veins pressed against his skin and vessels exploded in his eyes.

  Natural instinct kicked in and his arms flailed but Rosa loosened her grip then yanked as hard as she could. My body was on fire with arousal at the sight of my powerful lover draining the life force of our play toy. His eyes bulged from their sockets and I called out to her, “Almost there!” A couple fast, deep pops echoed through him as she twisted the belt to the side and his body instantly fell limp, and we reached our climax. I locked on her passion-glazed eyes and whispered, “Je t’aime.”