Detective Fontaine leaned closer, whispering, “If there’s anything you’d like to admit before we go through all this trouble, now would be an excellent time to do that, Arsen. I could slip you into my car and we could make a little stop at my apartment before we got to the station. If you know what I mean.”
Steele’s hand threaded into his and she gave it a squeeze.
“Nothing to admit and not interested, Fontaine.”
Steele released his hand before they walked off the elevator. His hand touched the small of her back, urging her to walk in front of him. He could feel her heart pounding and knew she was going to cut into him as soon as she found herself alone with him.
“Miss Gannon and I will go in my car and lead the way.” Arsen made his way with Steele to where Paul was waiting for them.
“Good morning,” Paul said with a grim look on his face. “Looks like you’ve already had quite a morning, boss.”
“Yes, I have. To add to the fun, you’ll be leading the other two cars to Club Fierce. This should be so much fucking fun!” Arsen held Steele’s hand as she slid into the car.
He slid in next to her as Paul closed the door.
Her beautiful face was pale as she turned to look at him. Before she could open her mouth to start what he knew was an argument that would affect his already sour mood, he pulled her to him and kissed her hard.
Her arguing could be done later. Right now he might be taken in if they found any reason to when they looked around his private room at the club.
Arsen released her from his kiss.
“I need you, right now, Baby. Get rid of the panties.”
She quickly did as he said. Arsen felt his body begin to shake, his eye twitch and the fear of going to prison and never having what he knew he could have with Steele filled him.
GWEN
The sound of birds chirping woke Gwen up as she had fallen asleep high up on the beam in the abandoned warehouse. Then the sound of a car starting made her sit up.
She listened like her life depended on it because it did. The car sounded like it was pulling away from the area and she quickly put the ladder down. Then climbed down off the beam near the ceiling she’d hid on many hours earlier.
Running to the door, she pulled it open only a little and found the back of Allen’s car moving down the steep road, away from the buildings. He’d see her if she followed.
She wrapped the towel around her tightly and made her way back to the building she’d been held in. To get her clothes back on and find a way out of there was all she could think about doing.
As she made her way into the building, she was pretty sure she’d been kept in, she saw a small table. On top of it were three syringes filled with some type of drug. She grabbed them and took them with her.
Allen would not be using those to aid him in killing anyone. She quickly found the room she had been in and her clothes were lying in a pile right where she’d been made to take them off.
She pulled them on, but she still had no shoes on as she didn’t have any on when Allen took her from her apartment. Making sure to take the syringes with her, she headed out to find a way out of the place.
To be able to see all around, she went and got the ladder from the other building and took it outside. Leaning it up on the side of the building, she climbed up and got on the roof.
A small ledge ran around it and after she emptied the three syringes, she left them up on the roof. After doing that, she looked around and found her only chance of escape was through the water. She’d have to swim around to get out and then it looked like she’d have to walk through some very tall grass to make it to the road which looked pretty desolate.
She climbed down and knew she had to try no matter how hard it looked to be. After a little prayer, she set off towards the water.
STEELE
His need for her was obvious as she moved to sit on his lap, facing him as he sat on the leather seat of the Suburban. Arsen’s body was quivering and his eye was twitching.
She had no comforting words. There was no way of knowing what was about to happen. They were on their way with the police to his private room at the BDSM club and anything could happen.
She had been upset with him for leaving things out about the beautiful detective, but that didn’t matter anymore. Not when Arsen so obviously needed her.
Steele looked into his dark eyes as she slid her body over his hard erection. His eye was twitching, and she placed her finger to it. His hands took her waist, and he lifted her up and down as they looked into each other’s eyes.
Arsen was afraid. For the first time, she saw the real fear of his situation coming out in him. She wanted to take it all away for him. Make it all better.
She knew she couldn’t actually make anything better, except for that moment in time. For the brief moments before they made it to the club, she could let him know she was with him.
Body, mind, and soul, she belonged to him and always would no matter what the outcome was.
He filled her as she moved up and down his long length. She placed her lips on his and kissed him. It started out gentle then it grew into a hungry, hard kiss.
She felt his urgent need, and she gave him all he wanted of her. She’d give her life for him if need be, she definitely could give her body to comfort him.
Steele took one of his hands and moved it to her breast. He moaned as he squeezed it through the fabric of her dark blue dress.
Arsen had laid the dress out for her to put on after they took a nice, shower that morning, which had been hot in more ways than one. Then he chose a suit which matched the dress perfectly.
She thought how adorable they would look, dressed comparable to one another. Arsen was a true romantic and didn’t even realize it.
The night before had been so normal, so down to Earth.
The two had eaten junk food and watched a sappy love story while making out now and again on the sofa. It was a blissful, normal night, and she’d loved it and could tell he did too.
After the day of riding her horse and the night of doing sweet things, she’d found the hard as nails man to be anything but that.
He’d told her he could be himself with her. The man he never knew he wanted to be until he found her.
Steele’s body moved over Arsen’s hard cock and both were breathing hard. Her dress had buttons closing the top of it and he undid them, pulling one breast from her bra and placing his mouth on it.
He bit the nipple, igniting a groan from her. Then he sucked it hard. His hands bit into her waist as he tightened his grip on her and moved her faster.
She supposed it wasn’t enough for him when he lifted her all the way off and placed her on the floor on her hands and knees. He tossed her dress up over her back and began ramming into her from behind.
With hard pants and low moans, she found him pounding into her. Animalistic in nature and she knew he needed the intensity to help him stop thinking about what might happen. She was his drug to ease the fear, and she was glad to be what he needed.
His body went tense and she could tell he was clenching his teeth as he said, “Come!”
Her body did as he had commanded and his cock pulsed inside her. A loud groan came from him as he let go of all the fear he’d had.
They stayed still until it was all over then he pulled away from her and offered her a handful of tissue to clean up the mess his attention to her had left.
In silence, they cleaned themselves and sat back down on the leather seat. He reached over and buckled her seatbelt.
“Please try to remember I want you to wear this.”
Her hand grazed his perfectly manicured bearded cheek, and she said, “I love you, Arsen.”
His hand moved over hers and he looked at her.
“I love you.”
She saw the tears glistening in his eyes, but they never fell. She knew he wasn’t about to let them fall. Holding it all together was what he was trying to do. So she would help him t
o do that.
“Arsen, I don’t want you to think for one second that I’ll stop seeking justice for you if they take you in after this. I’ll get that little bastard myself and make him confess. I swear it to you.”
His smile was sweet when he said, “I let that one slide, Steele.”
“My cursing is necessary when talking about Allen White, Arsen.” She ran her hand through his hair.
He took her hand and kissed her palm.
“I can see you’re very passionate about that. But, I don’t want you in harm’s way. If they take me in, you have to promise me not to go find Allen. I mean it. The man is more dangerous than you can fathom.”
“Arsen, I can’t promise you that. I have to do something. I can’t just sit back and watch you go down for something you didn’t do. I can’t…” Her words were stopped by the finger he placed to her lips.
“Paul can take care of it. He has the means to do it and I have faith in him. If they take me, I want you to stay at my apartment. Only go back and forth to school with Paul. Stay safe until I can get free. And come to every meeting they have as part of my legal team. And stay the fuck away from Allen and even Gwen if she’s going to be with him.” He pushed a lock of her dark hair back and kissed her cheek then whispered, “Promise me.”
It was the last thing she wanted to promise. In the end, though she said, “I promise, Arsen.” She would do anything for him.
If it meant sitting back and letting Paul do the dirty work, then she’d do it, if that’s what Arsen wanted.
She looked out the window as they entered the alley where the entrance to the BDSM club was. Three police cars were there, waiting for them.
Then it was her turn to feel the fear of losing Arsen run through her veins. It left her cold and on the verge of tears.
ARSEN
The smell of the club fresh in the morning after a night of debauchery had his stomach lurching. Sex and alcohol filled his nostrils and made him fight the urge to turn around and leave the dimly lit place.
Steele was at his side as they led the way into the club and towards his private room. Shadows seemed to be everywhere just outside the lit areas. He had the distinct impression others were hiding away in the dark to witness the fall of the great defense attorney who was Arsen Sloan.
A familiar aroma wafted past him and he turned to see if he could see the person hiding in the dark. If he was able to walk away to look, he was sure he’d find Anne Sinclair.
She made her own perfume, vanilla, lemon, and a touch of whiskey. He was positive she’d come to watch him go down. Or maybe she was going to try to help him.
With that woman, he could never be sure.
As they came down the hallway he thought about what was about to happen to him. It seemed like a march down the corridor to his death sentence.
The back of Steele’s hand rested against his and he glanced at her, finding her looking at him. Her eyes told him to have faith. He was trying, but the fear was pressing him and it was taking a toll on him.
His stomach began to ache, and he prayed his old weakness of throwing up when he was upset didn’t come back.
He stopped in front of the door to his private room and unlocked it then took Steele’s hand in his and stepped back for the detective and the other officers to enter what had been his secret life.
“Can you turn the lights on in here?” Detective Fontaine asked him as she passed in front of him to enter the dark room.
He let Steele’s hand go and walked in first, turning the lights up as far as they’d go. It wasn’t completely bright as the light was yellow. Arsen stepped back out of the room and into the hallway with Steel and Tanner.
They watched as piece by piece, Arsen’s things were taken from the room. Each and every single thing was picked up, placed in plastic bags and spirited away to become evidence in the case against him.
The sound of electric screwdrivers had him peeking in. He found several officers taking the bondage bed apart and others took it out in pieces. In the end, the room was completely empty.
The detective came out last and winked at Arsen.
“What a collection, Arsen. We’ll be in touch. Don’t leave town.” She sashayed away, her skirt moving with each step.
“I hate that woman,” Steele whispered.
He ran his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side as Tanner followed the detective and they were the last in line so no one saw them. He kissed the side of her head.
“At least, it looks like I get to go home and that’s more than I expected.” He made his way out of the club but stopped as an older woman stepped out from behind the door of the coat check room.
“Mr. Sloan. Are you going to wish to continue to pay the rent on that room?”
He shook his head and handed her the key.
“No matter what happens now, I’ll never be back here.”
She nodded and Arsen and Steele went up the stairs and left the building.
As they climbed into the back of his car Steele looked at him.
“So that’s really over for you, Arsen?”
He nodded. “It is.”
Arsen found Steele studying him. He placed her seatbelt on and kissed her cheek.
“That had to have been brutally hard, Arsen.”
“It was and now it’s over. Saved me the work of having it done myself. No big deal, Steele.” He sat back and rubbed his temples.
She knew it was a big deal. A really big deal. So much was happening to this man at one time. It wasn’t fair, in her opinion.
Her hand ran over his leg.
“We should go to my apartment and see if we can find Allen. This needs to stop. I’m getting worried about your mental state, Arsen.”
Arsen pressed the button to roll the window down to the front seat.
“Paul, let’s go to Steele’s apartment. And do you still have that gun in the glove box?”
“It’s there, Boss,” Paul answered.
“Good. I’ll need your help. Make sure you have it on you and that it's loaded, please.” Arsen sat back and ran his arm along the seat behind Steele.
She looked at him with her mouth ajar. “Arsen, you can’t kill him!”
He chuckled. “I know that. Just try to relax. It looks as if we’re going to have one long-ass day.”
Arsen settled back and tried to find the hard man he’d been before Steele came into his life and had him actually giving a shit if he lived or died. If he had freedom or not, and if he could be around to make a new life with her or not.
Seems like that man has all but disappeared!
GWEN
The water was deeper than she ever expected and she’d been without anything to eat or drink the entire time which she thought might have been a couple of days.
Her body was weak and the constant swimming she was having to do in the frigid water was hard and she was fearing she wouldn’t even make it out of the water.
She also found she was going to have to climb up a steep bank once she did get to the water’s edge. The odds just kept building up against her.
Something rough brushed the bottom of her leg and she pulled them both up and paddled her arms faster. The idea there were sharks in the water was one she’d pushed back in order to even get into the water.
It spurred her on to move much faster and ignore the weakness in her arms and legs. The edge was much closer, and she found herself at it. She stuck her hands into the mud wall and hoisted her body from the water.
Once all the way out, she paused and looked back to see if she could see anything. The water was deep even at the edge and she moved up even faster as she saw something coming up to the surface at a high rate of speed.
She made it over the edge and fell onto the high, grassy top just as something sprung from the water and fell back, making a splash. She’d not been able to see what it was, but she guessed it must’ve been a shark.
Gwen lay back on the dry grass and tried to catch her breath. He
r heart was beating harder than she thought it ever had in her life.
“If I lived through that, I can live through anything,” she said to herself.
But as she laid there, it became harder and harder to make herself get up. Her body was giving out on her. With no food and no water, it was without fuel. Any residual energy it did have was just used up swimming, climbing, and freaking out about being eaten alive by a shark.
Her eyes closed.
“I just have to rest for a little while. Just a little while,” she muttered to herself as she fell asleep.
STEELE
As they looked all over the apartment, it became obvious Gwen had not been back at home. The blanket was still gone and her phone still right where Steele had left it.
“He’s taken her, hasn’t he?” Steele asked Arsen.
“We need to report her missing.” Arsen took his cell out and handed it to Steele. “Call 911 and tell them your roommate is missing and you believe a parolee named Allen White may have taken her.”
Steele’s hand was shaking as she took the phone.
“What did I get her into, Arsen?”
“Don’t blame yourself. This is entirely my fault. Make the call while I find myself something to drink.” He walked away, leaving Steel alone in Gwen’s bedroom.
After making the call, she found Arsen in the living room. He’d had to go out to his car to get a bottle of Scotch and had it on the table in front of him. A small glass of the amber liquid was in his shaking hand.
She sat down next to him.
“They’re sending out an officer.” She bit her bottom lip. “Arsen, where could he have taken her?”
He shook his head.
“There’s no way of knowing. I can’t believe we were right here in this tiny-ass apartment when he took her and we didn’t hear a thing.”
The ice rattled in the glass as he lifted it to take a drink. Steele placed her hand on his leg. He was tapping his foot incessantly.
“Arsen, you need to try to calm down, Baby.”
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