by Ivy Nelson
It was difficult to comprehend that Marlie was dead. Darci was close to the woman, and they had worked on several fundraisers together in the past. They also frequented the same BDSM club. Now, Darci was sad that she had stayed away for a year just because of a breakup.
As she cleaned up the broken glass and soda, she thought about her visit to Exposure the other night, and she was grateful she had decided to go. She was deeply saddened at the thought of never seeing the feisty brunette there again. The two women had said a final goodbye as they were collecting their coats at the end of the fundraiser last night. Tears spilled down her cheeks as Darci thought of how short that final conversation had been.
After she had given herself a few minutes to cry, she dried her eyes and made a note to feature a memorial to Marlie on her blog. Then she sent a text to a few of her friends to see if any of them had more details about her death than the papers. She would also need to call Gary and see if Exposure was at risk. Exposure was incredibly private and off the radar but there were several other more public BDSM clubs that Marlie liked to go to. Maybe that’s how the press got ahold of her involvement.
She glanced at Marlie’s public Facebook page. It was filled with condolences and memories from friends. A shiver raced down her spine as she read details of her friends’ death. The murder had been brutal. As she read another article about Marlie, a name stood out to her. She picked up her phone and scrolled until she came to a familiar number.
“Michael, it's Darci. Is it true you’re the lead detective on the murder that happened last night? What can you tell me about Marlie Dixon?”
“Good morning to you too, Darci. You know I can't comment on an ongoing investigation,” the voice on the other end replied.
“Come on Michael. I'm not asking as a writer I'm asking as someone who lives the same lifestyle. Plus, I read you’re primary on the case.”
“I can't say much, Darci. But do me a favor and be careful.”
“You think it's a serial killer?” Darci questioned, feeling uneasy.
“Darci...” There was a warning in the detective’s voice. It was not a tone he used with her often.
“I know, I know you can't comment,” she said interrupting him.
“I'm serious Darci, you're too open about your life with that damn blog. Be careful.” He was scolding her now.
“This coming from the man who chases bad guys for a living?” she teased.
“I have a gun. You don't. Don’t make me come to your house and spank you,” he snapped. His tone was not at all teasing.
She huffed. Frustrated by her friend’s refusal to help her out. “I liked you better when you were just a cop. Goodbye Michael, I'm late for work. Call me if you can tell me anything.” Laughter rang through the speaker and she scowled at her phone.
“Bye, Darci. Come to the station sometime and bring me coffee.” His tone had returned to normal. Darci sighed. She couldn’t be angry at him.
“Oh, hold on a second. Did Tessa Heath get her report filed? Thank you for talking with her the other day.”
“I’m happy to help anytime, and you can bring me coffee in return. But she never showed. I assumed she got cold feet. Sorry I didn’t let you know. It’s been a little busy around here. I passed her name to Special Investigations though.”
“That’s odd. I’ll call her and check on her today. I wanted to help her get justice.”
After saying goodbye to Michael again, she flipped back to her contacts and found Tessa’s number. Straight to voicemail. She would have to try again later.
Even though it was Saturday, Darci had to go into work. Gathering what she needed, she headed to the Metro station. Her to-do list included writing a press release about Marlie’s death. Michael needed to give her more information. Maybe she could swing by his station and bribe him with good coffee. He was always complaining about the stuff they had at the station. She grinned, formulating a plan for later in the morning. It was OK to bribe a police officer when he was your best friend right?
“Hi Michael, are you in your office?” Darci was standing outside Police Headquarters.
“Yes, what can I do for you, Darci?” He sounded happy to hear from her and it made her smile.
“I’m outside the building. Can I come up?”
“Of course. You didn’t happen to bring coffee, did you?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.” She grinned as she ended the call. In her hand, she held a tray with two coffee cups and a box of fresh Danishes.
She entered the station and got on the elevator to go up to his office. When she got there, she knocked on his door but didn’t wait for an answer.
“Hi, Michael.” A bright smile was plastered on her face and she kept her tone cheerful.
After she placed the coffee and pastry box on his desk, she walked around to his side and kissed his cheek. Choosing a sweet treat for herself, she settled into one of his chairs.
He picked up the coffee looking grateful and started to drink. He paused, his cup halfway to his lips.
“Wait a minute. What do you want, Darci? You wouldn’t be trying to bribe an officer of the law, would you?” He scowled at her but drank the coffee. He groaned in appreciation.
“I would never do that,” she said, feigning shock he would even suggest such a thing. She could tell he wasn’t buying it.
“Oh, don’t give me that innocent look. We both know better. Spill it kid.”
“Come on Michael, I’m not asking you to give away state secrets. I need something to go on. The ACSL needs to issue a statement, and we can’t do that without details.”
“What details do you need Woman? Marlie Dixon was killed with a knife in her own bed.”
“Do you have any suspects?”
“Not yet, we’re following all leads,” he said with no emotion.
“And what leads would those be?” She wasn't going to let him off the hook that easy.
“Darci, you’re killing me. I can’t talk about this.”
She pouted, and he threw his hands up. “Fine, we don’t have any leads but damn it, Darci, you can’t print that.”
“Fine, fine, I won’t I promise. I just want to make sure you aren’t going to spin this as a negative on my community.”
“First, it’s my community too and second, I’m a police officer Darci not a journalist I don’t spin anything.”
Darci rolled her eyes. “No, but your boss, the chief of police does. We both know that job is pure politics.”
“I can’t control him. What am I supposed to do?”
“Promise you’ll warn me if you think something like that is coming.”
“I will, Darci. I promise. Can we just drink our coffee and be friends for a little while?”
She sighed, “Sure Michael. One more question though.”
He groaned but agreed. “One and that’s it. I mean it, Darci.”
“Why was her involvement in S&M put on blast in the papers? Was there an S&M aspect to her death?”
He closed his eyes. “You don’t miss much, do you, Darci? She was tied to her bed, but it wasn’t just a quick and dirty tie. He took his time, and it was someone who knows bondage the way the people in our world do. But also, she apparently went to the Midnight Diamond last night after her benefit. She was wearing the wristband and somehow the press got a hold of that little detail.”
Darci’s face paled at his words. The last thing the community needed was an impostor killing women and calling it BDSM.
“This is why I want you to be careful damn it,” he growled. “Now can we please enjoy our coffee?”
They spent the next twenty minutes catching up and enjoying the gourmet coffee and Danishes. She kissed his cheek again when it was time to leave.
“I noticed you were alone again at the club this weekend. You should let me set you up with one of my girlfriends to play with.” When he rolled his eyes at her suggestion, she flashed him a broad grin.
“Go back to work kid. You’re
bugging me. I play with plenty of the women at Exposure. Just because I don’t date doesn’t mean I’m not having fun.” She laughed as she walked out of his office smiling.
“And no more bribing police officers. I don’t care how good the coffee is,” he yelled after her.
Michael was one of her best friends. They met in college, though he was several years older than her. When he first learned of her lifestyle, he wasn’t thrilled about it. But once he understood that it wasn’t a bunch of men abusing women and that it made her happy, he accepted it and even did his own exploring as a dominant. Considering how they met, it was only natural he was protective of her. She put the bitter memory of their first encounter out of her head and made her way to work.
7
♥♥♥
Bradley stared at the headline crawling across his television as he watched the local news Saturday night. Marlie was dead? It didn’t seem real. Bradley didn’t know her well. She was not his kind of submissive and he only attended her benefit because of Peggy.
It bothered him that her connection to the kink community was out, but he felt secure with Exposure's protocols. It was a very hush hush club, but there were other much more public clubs and apparently Marlie visited all of them. Bradley couldn’t afford that kind of publicity. There was always a risk of outing, but Exposure held the least risk. Just to be safe, it might be wise to take a step back from the lifestyle for a while. That meant changing things with Peggy.
Despite their years of friendship, he had a feeling this wasn’t going to go well. Especially since she had been hinting at wanting what she referred to as a real relationship. She meant romance and the possibility of marriage.
Bradley had been clear with her from the beginning he wasn’t looking for anything like that. Not only did he not feel that way about her, his life just didn’t have room for that kind of commitment. He had urges and needs that paired well with a submissive's own desires, but he had to focus on his career and running a presidential campaign.
He stared at the television a moment longer before making up his mind. It wasn’t fair to Peggy to continue this experiment when it wasn’t what either of them actually wanted. He hoped he could count on their friendship to make the transition smooth.
He picked up his phone intending to call her when he noticed an e-mail alert. It was a notification that Darci Sanders had posted a new blog. He clicked the link and read. Her sweet memorial to Marlie Dixon brought a smile to his lips. He bookmarked the link to come back to later and flipped over to his contacts to make his call. It rang three times.
“Hello?” A soft voice answered. It sounded like she had been sleeping but it didn’t sound like Peggy. Recognition hit him as the voice on the line said, “Hello,” again.
“Darci?”
“That’s me last time I checked,” she teased with a yawn.
Damn it. His thoughts of Darci caused him to call the wrong person.
“It’s Bradley Givens. Sorry to call so late. I was trying to call someone else and ended up on your number instead. Let me take this time to ask if you want to meet sometime tomorrow. We can talk about your meeting.” There was no way he actually intended to let her meet with his boss, but now he felt bad for waking her up. He could at least make it appear as if he were interested in hearing her out.
“Sure. Sounds good,” she mumbled, still sounding half asleep.
“I’ll have my assistant call you tomorrow. Go back to sleep. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“S’OK. Goodnight,” she whispered, well on her way back to sleep. A smile tugged at his lips as he ended the call, and he couldn’t help but imagine the redhead snuggled in bed.
The mistake was probably for the best. A phone call wasn’t the best way to settle things with Peggy anyway. Forging a plan, he called Adara and asked her to set up a breakfast meeting with Peggy before his first meeting in the morning, and an office meeting with Darci Sanders in the afternoon. It did not surprise him that she answered the phone at this hour. Her swift response further convinced him Adara never slept. She was usually in the office well before he was, and unless he forced her out, she stayed later than he did. He couldn’t remember the last time she had taken a vacation.
After plugging his phone in for the night, he settled into reviewing his schedule for tomorrow. Primaries were just a few months away. His schedule was about to become hectic. He wouldn’t have time to maintain a submissive. Yes, ending this arrangement with Peggy was the best route. They would remain friends. He hoped.
His phone buzzed to alert him he had a seven-thirty a.m. meeting at Blue Duck Tavern and a one o’clock meeting in his office. He didn’t bother opening the alerts. Adara would automatically add them to his calendar whether he accepted the invites or not. She was efficient like that.
• • •
Five AM alarms ought to be illegal, Darci thought as she felt around in the dark for her squawking phone. Squinting, she turned off the alarm. An event invitation on her calendar app sparked her curiosity and she clicked, blinking her eyes to help her focus. There was an e-mail attached.
Miss Sanders,
Mr. Givens would like for you to meet him at the Blue Duck Tavern at 7:30 A.M. if you're available. Please accept this invitation if you are free, and I will place it on his calendar. If not, please respond with a time that would be more convenient for you.
Adara Kent
Administrative Assistant
Office of Bradley Givens
As the fog of sleep cleared, she remembered the phone waking her last night. She had fallen asleep in front of her computer. A vague memory of talking to Bradley surfaced. When he’d said his assistant would contact her, she didn’t think it would be so damn early. Her plan had been to get up early and do some research before tracking Tessa down. She still hadn’t heard from her.
Blue Duck Tavern was tempting though. It was an excellent restaurant that boasted one of the best breakfasts in D.C. She only ate there on rare occasions when her boss let her expense a meal with a potential donor.
Breakfast with Bradley Givens sounded like an enjoyable way to start the day, especially if it got her in the door with Sean Atleigh. The standard breakfast for Darci was a banana and a cup of coffee on the way out the door. Now her mouth watered at the thought of eating a coconut macaroon waffle.
In the shower, she took her time and enjoyed the hot water and lemon and ginger soap that had become her favorite a few months back. Drying off with a fluffy towel, she selected her favorite aqua blue dress and a pair of low black heels. Appropriate for the office, or a breakfast date. She considered special makeup but stuck to her natural look instead. It was just a business meeting anyway. He was with that woman that’s all legs, what's her name? Peggy? That’s right, Leggy Peggy. Giggling at her silly nickname for the blonde, she glanced at her clock. Already seven, better grab a cab instead of taking the metro. No sense being late.
As the cab pulled up in front of the posh restaurant, she spied Bradley walking in. She smiled as she climbed out of the cab and handed the driver some cash. “Keep the change,” she said as she rushed to catch up with Bradley.
He was checking in with the hostess when she entered the lobby. The navy-blue suit he wore looked tailor made to fit him. As the hostess was walking away, she moved up behind him and said, “I know you wanted to see me, but it's a little early for a business meeting don't you think?” He froze for a moment and then turned to face her.
“Darci?”
Why does he look surprised to see me? Did I read the e-mail wrong? Darci tried to quell her internal panic.
“I got your assistant’s e-mail. It said you wanted to meet here at seven-thirty.”
Bradley groaned.
“I wanted to see you but not here.” Darci quirked an eyebrow upward. “Not that I mind seeing you here,” he added. Bradley seemed flustered, adding to Darci’s inner panic and confusion. He pulled his cell phone from his pants pocket and appeared to be looking for something. Running a
hand down his face, he blew out a breath.
“My assistant got my instructions mixed up. Looks like I'm having a business meeting with Peggy and a break-up breakfast with you, Miss Sanders.” He cringed as soon as the words were out of his mouth. “That came out all wrong.” He looked mortified, and Darci couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease him.
“Break-up breakfast, huh? Not exactly how I imagined spending my morning, but if you're buying, I guess I'll manage.” She smiled wickedly, and he visibly relaxed.
“Well then Miss Sanders, I would say breakfast is the least I can do for dragging you out of bed so early.” The hostess came back to lead them to their table. As Bradley turned to talk to her, Darci let out a shaky breath. It wasn’t even eight in the morning and the day was already shaping up to be very interesting.
8
♥♥♥
I'm going to kill Adara, Bradley thought as he stared at the stunning redhead standing in front of him. How on earth did she get his instructions backward? Might as well enjoy breakfast.
“Shall we go eat?” he asked, motioning toward the hostess waiting to seat them. The restaurant employee seemed amused, having obviously overheard part of their conversation.
“I'm starving.” Darci flashed that amazing smile at him again, and he discovered he was happy to be sharing breakfast with this woman instead of with Peggy. Food made breakups easier, but Peggy would have to deal. It technically wasn’t a breakup anyway. There was a good chance she wasn’t going to see it that way though. He could always buy her lunch in the Capitol building's cafeteria. No. That was even worse than an office break-up.