I groaned as I pulled myself up, sitting on the side of the bed, my head spinning. I stood up, padding over to the bathroom to pee.
When I was done, I stumbled back out, realizing quickly that since dawn hadn’t yet come, what I really needed was more whiskey. I headed back to the bedside table to retrieve the bottle I’d left there and froze when I saw a figure sitting in the chair by the window.
My heart raced in my chest at the sight of the intruder.
“Hello, Artie.”
“Who the fuck are you?” I barked.
Only their silhouette was visible, their face hidden in the shadows. I thought about the gun I had in my side table, but it was on the other side of the bed.
“Relax, Artie,” a woman’s voice cooed. She stood up slowly, and it was then I saw the outline of her body — all curves. She slunk over towards me, sashaying around the foot of the bed and standing in front of me.
I gasped as she came closer and I saw her face.
“Pepper!” I hissed.
A smile stretched across her face as she closed the distance between us.
“You recognized me,” she said.
She was much more beautiful than I remembered, her eyes sparkling in the dim light of the nearby lamp.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, quickly looking around the room.
“I wanted to see you,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’m alone. I hope you don’t mind that I broke in. I needed to see you without anyone else around.”
Fuck, she was sexy. Her voice was low and husky and my hands itched to slide over the curve of her hip. The black dress she wore clung to her like a second skin, it’s deep neckline putting her tits on full display.
“We’re alone,” I said.
“I know we have a lot to talk about,” she said, turning and walking away. My eyes landed on her ass and I felt myself swell.
“Yeah,” I grunted, wondering what kind of game she was playing.
“Do you mind if we have a drink?” she asked, grabbing my bottle of whiskey and pouring a glass. She handed it to me, then poured one for herself, taking a sip as she sat on the foot of the bed. She patted the space next to her and gestured for me to sit down.
I took a long gulp of the whiskey and sat down beside her, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume.
“You know if you pull anything, my security team will be here in seconds,” I lied, taking another drink. My head was still pounding like a drum and I hoped the whiskey would take the edge off.
“Of course,” she nodded. “I’m not here to fight, Artie. I really just want to talk.”
“About what?” I asked.
“About a bunch of things,” she shrugged.
“You’ve got some balls, lady. The entire Los Angeles Police Department is looking for you.”
“I know,” she giggled, flipping her long curls over her shoulder. “You can call them if you want, but I hope you’ll wait till after we talk a bit.”
“You stole my diamonds,” I said. “I saw you.”
“It’s true,” she nodded, biting her bottom lip. “I did. Sorry about that.”
I scoffed, shaking my head, taking another drink, the whiskey’s warmth spreading through me and slowly calming the hammering in my head.
“Sure you are…” I laughed.
“Well, Artie, you know…you’re trying to pin Tulsa’s murder on me. That isn’t nice of you, either.”
She stood up, standing directly in front of me, giving me a full and clear view of her tits. Her nipples jutted out of the fabric, just inches from my mouth.
“Maybe not,” I grunted. “Listen, if you give me the diamonds back, I’m sure we can work something out.”
Her eyes lit up as she leaned in close, her breath hot against my face, my cock now standing at attention.
“I was hoping you’d say something like that, Artie!”
Chapter 40
PEPPER
Spreading Artie’s knees, I stood between his thighs, my tits jutting into his face. I put a fingertip under his chin, lifting his face to peer into his eyes.
“Artie, you remember talking to me in the hallway, right?”
“Of course,” he said.
“You gave me your card. Told me to call you.”
“I remember.”
“I was going to call you. In fact, that’s why I came back that night.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asked, raising a wary brow.
“I mean, yeah, I took the diamonds, but that was after I saw you outside with your wife. I didn’t even realize you had a wife, Artie! I thought, you know…” I slid my fingertip down his chin, letting it drag through the hair on his chest. “I thought if I came back, we could have a good time together. I was going to surprise you.”
“You surprised me alright,” he said.
“I wish everything had turned out differently,” I said, pressing a thigh between his legs. He groaned and reached out and placed a palm square on my ass. I smiled at him teasingly.
“We’re here now,” I said. He pulled me closer and I swallowed hard.
“I want my fucking diamonds,” he growled.
“Oh, I brought them!” I said. “I was hoping if I gave them back, you’d call off the cops. Make up another story. Maybe blame someone else?”
“If you really give them back, sure,” he said, his palm squeezing my butt cheek hard. “And…well, you’ve gotta give me something for my trouble, though.”
I smiled, pressing my knee into his squishy groin. “Yeah? Something like this?” I asked, moving my knee in a circle.
“Yeah,” he said, a smarmy smile spreading across his hideous face. He reached up and grabbed my breast and I tried not to wince. “Just like that.”
“What about your wife, though?”
“What about her?” he barked, his face wrinkling.
“Are you sure you’re ready to be intimate with someone else? Aren’t you mourning her, Artie?”
“That bitch?” he laughed, shaking his head. “I’m so fucking glad she’s dead. I may not have pushed her over that fucking cliff on purpose, but I’m so glad it happened.”
“Oh,” I said. “Didn’t you love her?”
“Fuck no,” he replied, grabbing my other breast.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because she was a bitch. And turns out, she was a fucking dyke. I don’t know. She was trying to ruin my life anyway. I wasn’t about to let that happen.”
“Wow,” I said. “I didn’t know that.”
“Nobody did,” he said. “I kept all that shit to myself, Pepper. Tulsa was a nightmare. Nothing I did was ever good enough for her.”
“Oh, that does sound rough,” I said, nodding and smiling as he pinched my nipple. Bile rose in my throat and I quickly swallowed it down. He let go of me and grabbed his glass, taking another sip of whiskey. I smiled, my heart racing in my chest as I watched the liquid slide into his mouth. I walked a few steps away and then turned back to him, watching him drink as he kept his eyes on me.
I pulled my dress over my head, standing there in nothing but a garter belt and a pair of panties and a bra, black lace stockings covering my legs. Artie let out an appreciative whistle and I spun around to give him a good view.
“Artie,” I whispered sexily, “It sounds like Tulsa just didn’t know how to take care of a man like you.”
“She didn’t,” he agreed.
Slowly, I walked back to him, his hands pawing at my bare skin immediately.
“I can take care of you properly, Artie…if you let me.”
“Oh, I’ll let you,” he laughed. I took his glass, slowly bringing it to his lips and pouring more whiskey down his throat, before taking it away and setting the glass down. Gently, I pushed him back onto the bed. He fell back with a heavy thud and I crawled on top of his massive lumpy frame, straddling his waist.
He looked up at me like an eager puppy.
“When’s the last time anyone took care of you, Artie?”
&
nbsp; “I, uh…I don’t know…”
I stared down at him, watching as his eyelids grew heavy. I caressed his pock-marked face, staring down at him, watching his every move. His hands, running over my skin, slowed down, and I couldn’t help but smile as his eyes began fluttering.
“That’s it, Artie,” I said, leaning down and whispering in his ear. “You just lay back and relax. Just close your eyes and let me take care of you…”
Chapter 41
ARTIE
Shadows danced in the corner of my vision as voices murmured in my ears. My brain throbbed and the pressure of flesh on flesh pushed me down into the soft bed. I blinked my eyes open, trying to make sense of my surroundings.
Pain shot through my temples and I went to reach up and grab my head, but my arm wouldn’t move. My eyes shot open in alarm, looking at my hand. A cold silver bracelet was wrapped around my wrist and I tried to move it again, the sound of clanging metal shooting rays of pain through my head.
“What…the…” My voice sounded weak and far-away. I turned my head, looking up at the figure over me.
Even in my weakness, I smiled when I saw her, my cock responding to the feel of her on top of me.
Pepper! She’d brought me back my diamonds.
She was like an angel hovering over me, half-naked, her thighs straddling me sensuously.
I heard a sharp click and looked at my other hand — another silver bracelet wrapped around that wrist, too.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not into that…”
So, she was kinky. Fine. But she would be the one wearing the handcuffs, not me. I moved to sit up but I couldn’t muster the strength.
Why was I so weak? The bed started spinning as Pepper turned into four Peppers and then eight, all of her heads spinning around in a circle like a dream.
And then, just as quickly as she’d arrived in my vision, she was gone. Her warmth was replaced by a bitter cold. Her skin replaced with nothing but air and emptiness.
Her absence left me stricken. Now that I’d seen her body, heard her tell me how much she wanted me — I knew it, by the way — I didn’t intend to let her out of my sight until I’d had my way with her.
Maybe I wouldn’t even kill her.
I’d decide after I was done fucking her. If she was still alive, that is. I had an anger I wanted to release on her that I’d been harboring for a long time. I’d never let a woman get away with fucking me over like that, and I wasn’t going to start now.
Even if she was as fucking insanely sexy as Pepper was.
Fuck, look what happened to Tulsa. She was about to fuck everything up and I stopped her, didn’t I?
The room stopped spinning just as I felt the weight shift on the bed. I turned my head, looking for my sexy new slut.
Instead, like a nightmare come to life, I was greeted by the cold, vengeful smile of my wife.
“Hello, Artie. Surprise.”
Chapter 42
PEPPER
I’d put enough drugs in Artie’s whiskey to render him helpless just long enough for us to restrain him. By the time he came to, we’d already stripped him naked and handcuffed his hands and legs to each post of his bed.
Now, I stood back and watched the show.
The look on his face when he saw Tulsa was priceless.
Hell, I’d been shocked myself and I wasn’t the one that thought I killed her. When she sat down in my car, I thought I was seeing a ghost.
Most likely, Artie was experiencing the same sensation.
But once she began explaining herself to me, I knew she was very much alive. Now, I had the distinct pleasure of witnessing the epic scene playing out in front of me.
“Tulsa!” Artie cried, his eyes wide as saucers.
“That’s right, babe,” she said, her face inches from his. “It’s me. The wife you killed, remember?”
“I don’t understand,” he said, shaking his head.
“Cut the shit, Artie,” she said, her voice full of anger. She paced back and forth around the bed like a restless lion.
“You were going to leave me!” Artie spat.
“Oh, fuck yes, I was,” she laughed. “Did you ever wonder why, you prick?”
“Because of that whore you were fucking!” Artie shouted.
“Are you talking about me?” A woman’s voice said from beside me. I turned and saw America’s sweetheart, Evergreen Love, walk into the bedroom.
Artie’s eyes grew wider, which I didn’t think possible. My heart raced as I watched the drama unfold before my eyes. When Tulsa told me what she had in mind for tonight, it far surpassed my plan. I was more than happy to assist.
“Love!” Artie cried out.
“That’s right, you bastard,” she said, shaking her head and looking down at him with utter disdain. “I was such a fool, wasn’t I? I ignored all the rumors, no matter how loud they were. I starred in your movie, just to get a leg up. I even put up with you assaulting me — you sick, fucking bastard — and I didn’t tell anyone. I only stuck around because I fell in love with your wife. You never deserved Tulsa, you prick. And you never deserved me, either.”
“You’d be nothing without me, Love!” he shouted. I shook my head, pitying him. He looked so helpless laying all shackled and naked there like that, and yet he was still spewing his hate and misogyny.
“You know what we are without you, Artie?” Tulsa said, as Evergreen walked over to her and put an arm around her. “Happy. Free.”
“You’ll never be able to show your face in this town after this, Tulsa!” He shouted.
The three of us laughed and he swung his head around, wildly looking at the three of us. “Let me go, right fucking now!”
“We’re just getting started, Artie,” Tulsa said, her voice growing cold. “Pepper gave me my script back, by the way. That’s funny, because it’s the one thing I thought you did for me. I should have known that even that was a lie. You lied about everything, Artie. You lied about loving me for twenty-five years. You lied about our marriage, about being faithful and loyal. How many women did you pay off to keep from reporting your rapes, Artie? Dozens? Hundreds?”
“I never raped anyone!” he shouted, pulling on his cuffs.
“Liar.” I looked at the door and saw Genevieve Marie, the star of Artie’s first blockbuster walk through the door. She nodded at Tulsa and walked up to Artie. “You know what you did to me, Artie.”
“Me, too,” another woman said, walking through the door and up to the bed. I recognized her as Sara Villa, a well-known talk-show host. She walked up to Artie and leaned down into his face. “I’ll never let you forget what you did to me.”
Tulsa told me in the car she had a few friends who wanted to confront Artie, too, and I was all for it. She’d spent an hour making phone calls, getting as many people to come as she could, but as woman after woman after woman walked in, my mouth dropped. By the time the last one walked in, the room was full of at least a dozen famous and familiar faces, as well as others I’d never seen before.
Actresses, stylists, singers, directors and executives from all corners of the industry — one at a time, they confronted him, slinging their pain towards him, until they all stood around a very naked and vulnerable Artie.
But the real shock for me came when I saw Bea walk in. I gasped, “Bea!”, as she walked over to the bed, looking down on Artie.
“You always were a prick, weren’t you, Artie? Do you even know any other way to be? Do you remember me? I was your father’s secretary. Even when you were a snot-nosed teen, you were assaulting people. Did you think we’d all let you get away with it?”
My heart sank at her words. Not Bea…
Artie, true to form, lashed out.
“Let me go, you fucking cunts!”
Laughter bubbled up around the room, until it died down and another woman stepped up from the crowd.
“Remember me, Artie?”
“Dr. Larsen,” he said, his voice trembling. “Please help me, Doct
or!”
She looked down at him, shaking her head with pity.
“You sad bastard, are you going to pretend you didn’t try to assault me, too? If my nurse hadn’t come in the room, you may have succeeded. And then you called me the next week, wanting to come back, acting like nothing had happened.”
He stared up at her, pathetic and helpless.
“Men like you never learn,” she said. “You’re narcissistic. Egotistical. Misogynistic. You think women are put on this planet just for your pleasure. You think you can do whatever you want to us, just because of some perceived power you think you have.”
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” Artie said, his veneer cracking deliciously. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him squirm.
Dr. Larsen reached down, gripping him by the balls and squeezing tightly. His squeal was like music to my ears.
“Let’s talk about options, Artie…”
Chapter 43
STORM
Once I busted into Paige’s house, I followed the sounds of the squealing pig, my gun out, unsure what I might find.
I was exhausted. Once I realized Pepper had most likely come back to Los Angeles, I packed a bag and drove straight down on my bike. It wasn’t the hours on the bike that had exhausted me, it was the goddamned worry that consumed me. I had no way of reaching her, of knowing if she was okay, or if I was really even on the right track in finding her.
I still didn’t know.
I snuck through the dark house, hoping like hell I didn’t run into an overly aggressive security guard. I was here to check on Pepper, not kill anyone.
But, holy shit, did the sounds of the house confuse the fuck outta me.
First, I heard laughter. Then squealing. And then more laughter, and a bunch of muffled voices. It all seemed to be coming from upstairs. As I made my way through to the stairs, I couldn’t help but notice the stark white interior of the place. I felt like I was in an insane asylum or something. The only thing missing was people in white coats and padding on the walls.
THE HUSTLE: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK FOURTEEN) Page 16