Turning the Tide (Eastern Shore Swingers, #5)

by Phoebe Alexander

  “This is the search history Calvin was able to pull off their wi-fi.” He handed over the loose pages. “And we got a tracker on Jim’s car. He went to the airport yesterday.”

  Luke thumbed through the papers, scanning the searches: hotels in New York, flights from Salisbury to JFK, rental car sites, Google Maps, pages and pages of unfamiliar names, some of those sketchy sites where you can supposedly pay to find out people’s addresses and criminal records, that sort of thing.

  “Anything about those names strike you as interesting?” Calvin questioned, steepling his fingers together in front of his face as his dark eyes roamed over Luke’s features.

  His gaze flicked up to meet the detective’s, then back down to the names. Sam D’Angelo, Reuben Gortsch, Mario Minelli, Anthony Bernardi, Bill Barone, Robert De Luca.

  “Most of them look Italian,” Luke surmised. His jaw dropped. “The Mafia?”

  Calvin gave a little shrug and blew out a breath. “Trying to figure it out. I have some contacts in New York I’m waiting to hear back from, but I can confirm that Jim flew there yesterday.”

  “How the hell did he just up and leave the office?” Luke began to think about all the times Jim had been away over the past year or so, an inordinate amount of vacation and personal time. He had banked it all over the course of many years, so it wasn’t like he didn’t have it coming to him, but still...it had been a lot. Luke had always been there to cover for him. There was one day, one day in recent memory, they’d had to close down the office because one of Barbara’s doctor’s appointments at Johns Hopkins conflicted with a trip Jim had planned. They’d called all the patients and rescheduled. He hated doing that. Jim was pissed about it, wanted Barbara to reschedule. And now he was doing the same thing? What the fuck?

  Calvin shrugged again. “And Barbara did go to Washington DC on Tuesday, but she is back now. We don’t think she went to New York with Jim.”

  “How did she go without you knowing? I thought their house was being surveilled?”

  “We’re not entirely sure, to be honest. But we think they know they’re being watched, though I don’t think they know we’ve tapped into their wi-fi,” Calvin answered.

  This was too much. He just wanted to move on with his life, not be in the middle of some summer blockbuster action flick with a crooked partner who had ties to the Mob. How the hell did he get mixed up in all this? He just wanted to lead a lowkey life practicing medicine. Helping people. That was it. And maybe have a second chance at love, but that was probably asking too much.

  “So what now?” He couldn’t disguise his complete exhaustion with this entire exercise. “Can I just flee to Hawaii or something and wait for this all to blow over?” A momentary idea flickered where he picked Connie up, told her not even to bother packing, and then they both escaped to the airport, where they got on a plane and headed far, far away to a tropical paradise.

  Calvin offered a low, rumbling chuckle from deep in his chest. “I don’t know about Hawaii, but it’s not a bad idea to lay low for a while.”

  “Haven’t you already said that? I don’t know how to lay lower than I already am. I basically go home, here and The Factory, and that’s it,” Luke reminded him. “I haven’t even been to the grocery store.”

  “Right...the club.” Calvin’s lips spread into a sheepish smile. “Where my son works. I almost forgot you were involved over there.”

  “I wouldn’t say ‘involved’...but that is where I met Connie and your son.” He was not about to share the BDSM workshop information.

  “Is there any way you could stay there for the time being?” He folded his hands together as if he’d just come up with a brilliant solution. “Neither Jim or Barbara know about you going there, do they?”

  “Not that I know of, but they could be tracking me just like we’re tracking them, for all I know,” Luke worried. “I don’t know if Cap and Leah would allow that—plus I have a dog at home.”

  Calvin looked up for a moment as if searching for inspiration from a divine power. Then he returned his gaze to Luke, who witnessed a sense of resolution in the detective. “Let me make some phone calls. I am going to see if I can get you moved to a secure location.”

  “Wait, do you think I’m in danger?” Luke pressed.

  “If the Mob is involved, anything is possible. I’m still trying to understand why Jim is targeting you, other than just being involved with your wife. He could have asked to buy you out—why all this added stuff? Framing you for an affair, forcing you to resign and all that? And we know your wife has been hoarding money, yours and hers. What is she spending it on? I haven’t been able to get access to any accounts yet. I’m just waiting for them to log in via the wi-fi.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose between this thumb and forefinger as he tried to collect his thoughts. “If I’m in danger, does that mean Connie is too?”

  Calvin looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before his expression grew grim. “I am going to work on getting you both to a secure location. Go home and wait to hear from me, but be ready to go. Your dog too.”

  Only a few hours later, a gray van driven by Calvin Jr. arrived to collect Luke and Alfie. They drove through Ocean City, heading even further west on US50 than West OC. When they pulled up to a two-story farmhouse after barreling down a long, winding driveway, the first thing Luke noticed was Connie waiting on a blue porch swing with a plump redheaded woman. Calvin Sr. showed up moments later and confirmed they were not followed, then introduced Luke to his wife, Patty.

  “It’s great to meet you, Mrs. Mitchell.” He turned to the detective. “What are you going to do with my dog?” Luke bent to stroke Alfie’s long brown and white fur. The collie looked up at him with sad eyes, as if he knew they were about to be separated.

  “We’re going to keep him here, if that’s okay,” Patty Mitchell said. “I love dogs. Miss having one. We lost our Lucy last year, and I’ve been wanting to get one ever since.”

  Luke smiled at the way Mrs. Mitchell patted the edge of the porch swing to get Alfie’s attention. He sauntered over to her and licked her hand affectionately. It looked like he would be well-cared for here. The Mitchells lived on a wide piece of property with cornfields on either side and a vast woods behind their house. There was a lot more room here for a dog than back at his home on the north side of Ocean City with its tiny fenced-in back yard.

  “Alright, let’s get you two to your safehouse,” Calvin Jr. said, gesturing toward the van again. “You have all your stuff?”

  Luke and Connie both nodded. “What about Connie going to work?”

  She took Luke’s hand into hers and swung it back and forth while stepping toward the end of the porch. “Jim closed the office the rest of the week, so I don’t have to go back until Monday.”

  Luke blew out a breath. “I still can’t believe he’s screwing over our patients like that. What about me meeting with my lawyer tomorrow? He’s still waiting on some paperwork from Jim’s lawyer for the severance package. And if he doesn’t produce this supposed evidence proving the affair, we’re suing.”

  “Your lawyer is coming to The Factory via a secure transport,” Calvin noted. “I’ve already been in touch and made the arrangements. We’ll all be meeting at ten o’clock. Calvin is going to look at the video evidence and hopefully prove it’s been doctored.”

  “Wow, you guys have it all figured out.” Luke couldn’t help but gleam with gratitude. When Cap and Calvin Jr. both assured him Detective Mitchell knew his shit, he was skeptical. But so far the man was coming through with flying colors.

  “Just trying to keep my client safe,” Calvin Sr. said with a smile. And with that, he ushered the couple into the van his son was driving.

  Luke and Connie waved goodbye to the Mitchells and Alfie as they started down the long driveway.

  “I can’t believe Cap is letting us stay here,” Connie said, glancing around at the deserted club.

  “Calvin says it’s the perfect location beca
use they have cameras everywhere. He’s got a state-of-the-art security system set up. Who would have thought a swinger club would make the perfect safe house?” Luke brushed a stray blonde hair out of Connie’s eyes as they lounged on the bed in the dungeon.

  “It’s always been our safe place, I suppose, hasn’t it?”

  He nodded before bending down to press a soft kiss on her cheek. She nuzzled into his chest as the clock on the wall continued to tick off every second. It was a custom-made clock built inside a cage, and instead of hands, it had riding crops pointing to the numbers.

  There was silence for a moment before Connie piped up again, “So...we are in the dungeon.”

  He chuckled, the sound falling close to her ear, making her body vibrate against his. “So we are.”

  “And I’ve been a bad girl again,” she noted, turning to see his reaction to her confession.

  In the dim light coming from the hallway, Luke could see a devious sparkle glinting in her eye. “Is that so? How have you been bad?”

  “Because I didn’t believe Jim and Jasmine were lying about the affair,” she said. “Last time I didn’t believe you, I got spanked. And you said if I did that again, I would get punished even more.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh. She grabbed his hand and pulled it down between her thighs. He groaned when he felt the dampness that had seeped out onto her panties. How in the world did this woman get so wet for him?

  “You really get turned on thinking about being spanked, don’t you?” He leaned down to graze his teeth against her chin, then farther down to take a nibble right around her collarbone. She arched her back with desire underneath him, and when he inched his fingers toward her entrance, feeling the moisture soak into his skin, she shivered with delight. He loved his effect on her. He couldn’t think of anything more arousing than a woman who knew what excited her and wasn’t afraid to ask for it...to beg for it...

  The begging is coming, he thought as he pulled his fingers away from her pussy and brought them up to her mouth. “Here...clean off your fingers, bad girl.” She looked at him through half-lidded eyes as she slid her mouth around his index and ring fingers.

  “Wait,” she said, sitting up. “Why are you still wearing this?” She touched his wedding band with the tip of her finger.

  He sat up too, suddenly pulled out of his arousal by the attention drawn to his marriage—something he truly wanted to forget for a few hours. “Habit, I guess.” He studied her face, where he observed something that looked close to a pout, but it was hard to tell in the low lighting. “Does it bother you?”

  She didn’t have to speak for him to know the answer. No wonder she was having trouble surrendering her heart when he was still wearing his ring. He hadn’t even thought about it, noticed it. It had been on his finger for over twenty-five years, never once removed as far as he could remember. He tugged it down his finger and over his knuckle, wincing at how tight it was. He was a much younger man when Barbara slid that ring down his finger. A much different man.

  “Can you get it?” she questioned, eyes now wide.

  “Yes, just a second,” he said right as it popped off his finger and went flying across the room. They heard it clink against the wall or floor, some dark recess of the dungeon. He stroked a finger down her bare chest, their clothes long since discarded. There was nothing better than having her nude body close to his. He couldn’t get enough of it, especially after going so long without.

  “Are you going to go find it?” she questioned, her voice high and soft in the dark silence.

  “Nope.” He didn’t even want to think of it again, in fact. He lifted her into his arms and laid her across his lap. He didn’t have to tell her what he was planning to do, but her thighs tensing against his and her shallowing breaths revealed she had a good idea what was in store for her.

  “You really think you deserve to be spanked?”

  “Yes, Sir,” she uttered, bracing herself for impact.

  Before she could say another word, he brought his hand down hard on her backside, relishing the squeal that erupted.

  “Who does this ass belong to?” he questioned as he brought his hand down again firmly.

  “You, Master,” she moaned. “It belongs to you.”

  He spanked her again then slid his finger down, inserting the tip into her sex. She immediately spasmed around him, gasping at the unexpected intrusion. “Who does this pussy belong to?” he growled.

  “You, Master,” she said without hesitation.

  He may not have claimed her heart, but he would take what he could get at this point. “How badly do you need to come, my pet?”

  “Pretty bad,” she managed as he stroked his fingers in and out twice more then followed up with another harsh slap to her bare, reddening cheeks.

  “Pretty bad, Sir,” he corrected before striking her again. “I am going to make you work for your orgasm.” He needed light so he could select the appropriate tools. He commanded his sub to stay on the bed while he went to turn on the lights, dimming them slightly to make them less harsh. He could practically feel her body trembling as he opened the storage closet and brought out the plastic tote box containing the ropes they’d used at the workshop the day before.

  “What’s your safe word?” he questioned as he selected a length of rope to use.

  “Alfie, Sir,” she parroted back.

  He considered hog-tying her, but it would take a while, and he wasn’t confident in his abilities just yet. Instead, he simply tied her arms and hands together in front of her body so he could put her on her back and tease her mercilessly. She squirmed a bit while he was tying the knots, which earned her several more swift spanks—he’d brought out a riding crop and a paddle for any discipline she required.

  “You are not to come until I give you permission.”

  “Yes, Master.” She looked at him with so much lust in her eyes, it took all his strength not to just impale her with his cock in one fell swoop. Somehow he’d have to be patient, even though his own desire was rampant, coursing through his veins like a lava flow.

  He pulled out all the stops once he realized she’d brought a veritable arsenal of toys in her luggage. “When were you going to tell me you brought all these things?” he asked, holding up the paddle for a visual reminder of what he would do to her if she lied.

  “I’m telling you now, Sir.” She flashed him a smile that was so smoldering, he had to fight back the urge to shove his cock in her mouth.

  Why fight it, though? he wondered as his erection strained against his boxer briefs. Because she’ll enjoy sucking my cock too damn much.

  He pulled out a set of nipple clamps connected by a silver chain. He had never used these before, but there was no time like the present to learn. He rolled her nipples between his fingertips, getting them nice and hard as she moaned in pleasure. He loved how sensitive her entire body was, but her nipples were even more responsive. He clamped one side on and felt a jolt shoot through her body as she winced in pain. He repeated the action on the other side.

  He was surprised to find a small butt plug and some lube among the goodies she’d stashed in her bag. “Have you used this before?”

  She shook her head vehemently, but it was obvious she was lying. He just knew she was; he’d learned her expressions so well.

  “Have you had anything in your ass before?” He fixed his eyes on her, waiting to detect another lie.

  “No, Sir.”

  “Why are you lying to me?” He turned her over onto her knees with her ass high in the air before smacking the paddle down with a loud crack right on the softest part of her cheek.

  He had never done anything anal. Not a touch, a rim job, and definitely not anal sex. Barbara would have probably called the police if he’d even so much as suggested it. But based on the way Connie trembled with desire when he swiped his finger down her crack, pausing ever so briefly at her tightly clenched hole, there was no denying she was into it.

  “I don’t know,
Sir. I haven’t ever had a partner touch me there,” she finally admitted.

  He spanked her again for good measure. “But you have used the plug?”

  “A few times,” she squeaked out. “But it’s been a while.”

  “Well, you’re going to wear it tonight, and eventually I’m going to claim that ass with my cock,” he warned her. He moved his hands to her hips just in time to feel the shudder of desire rock through her from head to toe and back again. Oh, there is no doubt she is into it.

  He squirted a few drops of the lube onto his finger and swiped it up her crack again, this time letting his fingertip slowly penetrate the hole. She moaned and pushed a little against him, and he immediately had the feeling she had underreported her experience with the butt plug. Well, he wasn’t going to take it slow and easy then. He spread some lube on the plug and then pressed it against her. Without warning, he gave it a shove, and though it met with some resistance, it slid into place accompanied by a loud yelp.

  “Don’t lie to me about your experience,” he said as he rotated the plug slowly as she adjusted to it. “You haven’t been fucked in the ass before?”

  “No, Sir, I’m not lying about that.” She struggled to balance on her chest with her hands still tied in front of her, so he turned her onto her back once more.

  “Let’s see what other goodies you have in here, shall we?” He rifled through the bag and pulled out a vibrator, a bullet and a rather large dildo. “Goodness. You like ‘em big and thick, don’t you?”

  He was fairly certain she was blushing, even in the dim light. The dildo was even bigger and thicker than him, but she wasn’t ready for that yet. First she needed some torture with the vibrator, so he flicked it on and got to work, first pressing it against her outer labia, then slowly moving it closer to her clit before back away again. She grunted in frustration as she squirmed in her bindings, obviously wishing she could use her hands to guide him to where she needed his touch.

  Satisfied her orgasm denial was building up nice and strong, he inserted the large dildo into her channel but didn’t move it. She bucked her hips against it, but he left it there, motionless. “You like that full feeling, don’t you?” he questioned as he switched from his position between her legs to the side of the bed next to her head.