Dangerous Temptations

by Kelly Elliott

  Sydney

  “Syd, you need anything?” Mike called from downstairs as I sat on his bed the next evening.

  “I’m good.” I was exhausted from the drive home. I hadn’t slept much the night before after we’d found the journal.

  What happened to you, Quinn? I needed to know. That need was driving me to find out more, but… there was nothing more online. And I had no idea where to look next. We were out of clues.

  Mike walked into the bedroom wearing only a pair of sweatpants, fresh from a shower. “Find anything?”

  “No, and it’s driving me mad. There aren’t any more clues. It’s like we’ve gone around in a circle. What if we missed something?”

  Mike took the journal and laid it on the table. “Let’s get some sleep. You’ve been hyper-focused on this. Sometimes a little distance helps.”

  “So, do you walk away from some evidence to thoroughly review other pieces of the case?”

  “Yes.”

  I thought I had shifted my voice enough to insinuate sex would be the perfect thing to do in order to take my mind off of things. But apparently, when I wanted to be obvious, I wasn’t that way. Sigh.

  “Maybe I need to be investigated or questioned?” I moved my eyebrows up and down.

  Bam, there we go, Syd.

  Mike stood up and walked over to his drawer where he got his handcuffs out. “I think you might be right. But I like to cuff my suspects.”

  Something came over me the way it had in the graveyard. “Oh, no, do you need to strip search me, officer?”

  Mike gave me a crooked grin. “Take off your shirt. I need to make sure you don’t have any contraband hidden.”

  “Oh, yes, sir. I’m a law-abiding citizen. I would never do anything illegal.”

  I pulled Mike’s T-shirt over my head. After my shower, I hadn’t put on a bra or panties, and I sat naked before him. Mike’s eyes slowly raked over my body, which grew even warmer when I saw his cock stiffen under his sweats.

  “Officer, are you going to charge me?”

  “Whether or not you’re a law-abiding citizen remains to be seen. I need to do a more thorough search to come to a decision. Lie back and put your hands on the headboard.”

  Role-play was more exciting than I’d imagined. I put my hands back and grabbed onto the metal headboard. Mike leaned over me and I felt the metal of his handcuffs on my wrists. He nipped my ear before whispering, “If it gets too tight or starts to hurt, tell me, and I’ll get you out of them immediately.”

  Nodding, I whispered, “Okay.”

  Never before in my life had I done something this erotic. My pulse quickened. “Close your eyes,” he commanded, and I complied. “I’m going to put this mask on you to make sure I don’t give away my tactics.”

  I rubbed my legs together in anticipation, and a sleeping mask was put over my eyes. His warm touch caressed my body, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

  “Did you find anything, officer?”

  A finger entered me, and I rocked my hips for more friction.

  “Hmm, I think I might have found the jackpot. Should I investigate further?”

  “Yes, oh yes. Please. An officer should always do a very thorough search before he determines if his prisoner is guilty. Look hard.”

  “I think this is going to call for a very thorough inspection.”

  His finger stroked the inside of my walls, bringing me higher. It was driving me mad how he almost brought me to orgasm but then pulled back. I groaned in frustration.

  “Patience. Interrogations can take a while.”

  It didn’t take as long as I thought it would. I felt Mike settle in between my legs before he pushed in. “Mike, harder. I’m guilty. Just charge me.”

  “Oh, we’re confessing?”

  His strokes were long and deep, but not enough to make me orgasm.

  “Yes, I’m guilty. I did it. Just… I need to come.”

  Both hands palmed my breasts, massaging them. A gentle tingling radiated through them, and I cried out, “Oh shit. Harder. That’s amazing. Don’t stop. My nipples feel so good, Mike.”

  I was nearly going out of my mind as he pumped harder into me. On the last thrust, I saw stars, and Mike let out a low, guttural moan. The tingles on my breasts only added to the euphoria. Moments later, the handcuffs were undone, and the eye mask taken off. Mike was staring at me with love in his eyes. He’d told me he was falling in love with me, but I hadn’t said it back to him yet. I was too scared. But soon, I would. He kissed me gently before he pulled out and disposed of the condom. “You are incredible, Syd.”

  “You aren’t too bad yourself. Where did you find the nipple tingle stuff? It’s incredible.”

  He froze. “Wait, that’s not yours?”

  I hadn’t packed anything for my nipples. “Umm… no. Why would it be mine?”

  “It was in your bag. When you had me get your birth control, I saw it.”

  I giggled. “Well, I didn’t put it there. It must have been…”

  We came to the same conclusion at the same time. Mike looked like he might be sick, and I lost it, laughing hysterically. “Was it already opened?”

  “No.”

  I laughed harder. “So your mom put that in my bag. And you used sex paraphernalia that your mother bought on me?”

  It should have freaked me out, but it didn’t. After getting to know Paula, I accepted who she was the way Mike had accepted me with my flaws.

  “Syd, it’s not funny.” He took the container and tossed it across the room.

  “It’s so funny. So, sooooo funny. I wonder if your parents bumped uglies in your house.”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “They so did. Why do you think your dad wanted you to stay at my house? They had nookie in your house like kids.”

  He put his fingers to his ears. “I’m not listening. La-la-la-la-la-la-la.”

  I hopped off the bed and crooked my finger. “Come here, Officer Murphy. It’s time for my sentencing.”

  Sydney

  “Syd, I’m sorry, but it’s going to be an all-nighter. Bill’s sick, and I need to help cover his shift. We’re short-staffed since Doug is still out. He’s due in next week.”

  After the memorial service, Doug had taken two weeks off to mourn the loss of his daughter with his wife, Gladys. It was still hard to believe Vickie was gone. I would need to go see them soon and have Peggy over for dinner. When Doug planned to return to work, Gladys was going to come help Marie at the clinic. For as long as she wanted a job at the clinic, she’d have one.

  I curled up on my couch. “Maggie Maye and I are good. We’re going to go to bed shortly. Do you need anything?”

  “You.”

  I bit my lip, remembering Mike’s good-bye to me this morning before I headed to the clinic. “I wish you were here.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. It might be eight or nine. I get off in the middle of the night, and I’ll crash at my place before I come over.”

  I wished he’d come here, but I knew he’d be exhausted and I didn’t want to be clingy. It was hard being away from Mike.

  “Sounds good. Night. Miss you.”

  “Miss you, too, baby. Tomorrow I’ll be all yours.”

  “Good.”

  We hung up, and I laid my head back on the couch, still feeling out of sorts. Nothing else had been found on the journal. It felt like a dead end, and I’d never find the answers.

  There was a quiet knock at the door. I peered through the peephole to find Wesley.

  “Well, hey, stranger. Where have you been?”

  Wesley adjusted his suit jacket. “Can I come in? I hope this isn’t a bad time.”

  “Mike’s working late. Come on in.”

  Wesley walked in and took off his suit jacket. I went into the kitchen and poured him a glass of wine. “Come. Sit. Catch me up on all the crazy happenings.”

  In the living room, I curled up on the couch while Wesley stood near the fireplace and sipped
his wine for a second. “Sydney, we need—what’s that?” Wesley pointed at the journal.

  I felt guilty at having lied to him about making a copy of the flash drive. Biting my lip, I decided to tell him the truth. “I made a copy of the jump drive. And then I followed the clues.”

  “You went to the house on Commercial Street?”

  “Yes.” Then I froze. “Wait, how do you know about the house on Commercial Street?”

  “Fuck.” That put me on edge because Wesley never cursed. He was practical and sophisticated. “I need you to come with me. It’s time we talked.”

  “Wesley, you’re scaring me.”

  “Sydney, I would never do anything to hurt you. I swear it. But you need to come with me. Bring your computer and anything else you have regarding this. If I walk out that door without talking to you, I don’t know what will happen.”

  I stood. “What will happen when? To who?”

  “Sydney, I need you to trust me. Please.”

  There was an urgency in his voice. Wesley had been my friend for as long as I could remember. But this was scary. “Where are we going?”

  “My house.”

  “Okay,” I said, unsure what was happening but trusting my friend.

  I crated Maggie Maye before we left. Wesley’s shoulders were tense as we got to the car. He said nothing on our way to his house. The tension was thick as we pulled into the garage at the back of his house. The garage door shut, and Wesley got out. “Come with me.”

  There was something different about Wesley—he appeared almost daunting as we entered his house. My tennis shoes squeaked against the pristine floor while Wesley’s dress shoes made an almost clacking noise. I followed him into the living room.

  His house was traditional and refined. The leather couches were divinely comfortable and the heavy oak coffee table was a masterpiece of carved intricacies. I’d never felt uncomfortable around Wesley, but something was wrong. He had always been my go-to guy, but I felt something dark hanging over us.

  “Wesley, you’re making me nervous. What’s going on?”

  “I need you to tell me everything, Sydney. It’s a matter of life or death.”

  His abruptness brought me up short, and I took a few steps back. “How is it a matter of life or death, Wesley? What are you talking about?”

  He took my hands in his, his green eyes staring into mine earnestly. “I need you to trust me for a few minutes more, and then I will tell you everything. I promise.”

  We took a seat on the couch in his living room and I told him everything: the jump drive, the journal, the visit of the house on Commercial Street, the graveyard, and finally Harvard. “I have no idea what happened to Quinn, if the Alchemists even exist, the Truth-seekers’ involvement, or why my grandpa was involved in this.”

  “I need you to promise me you’ll hear me out.”

  That was not the response I expected. Slowly, I said, “Oooo-kay.”

  “I’m an Alchemist.”

  I jumped to my feet, and Wesley followed. My tongue felt like sandpaper as I tried to speak. “Y-yo-you’re wh-what?”

  “Sit and I will tell you everything. I have answers to all your questions. It’s not what you think.”

  What you thought you knew was only what they wanted you to know.

  I sat ramrod straight on the edge of the couch. Wesley unbuttoned his vest and loosened his tie. I’d never seen him this rattled before. “My father and my father’s father and his father and so forth were Alchemists. It’s something I was born into; it’s part of my heritage.”

  I stood again, horrified. “The witch trials? Innocent people were killed.”

  Wesley solemnly nodded. “Yes, that was an unfortunate series of circumstances. One that formed the Truth-seekers, who try to expose us. But that can never happen.”

  What he was saying wasn’t making sense. “Why?”

  “Because we keep the world from imploding. The Alchemists are all over the world. We’re members of every branch of government, business leaders across America, and involved with any other influential group you can think of.” Wesley paused, giving me a second to catch my breath. “What you uncovered doesn’t even scratch the surface.”

  “Wh-what do you mean?”

  Wesley gestured to the couch, and I sat again. “For example, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t assassinated. Alchemists saved him so that he would be able to share important intel in order to ensure the North retained their victory. The South was close to pulling a coup over on the North and taking back control. General Lee only surrendered when he had not been able to acquire the territory in Pennsylvania he wanted. We had a mole in the army that allowed us to get ahead of him. If Lee had gotten the resources he needed, I’m not sure where our country would be. The Alchemists were able to stop it.”

  His story wasn’t matching what the letters had led me to believe. “But everything I found paints the Alchemists as evil.”

  “Tell me about any organization in this world that’s perfect. Any significantly sized company has employees who are corrupt. At the end of the day, it’s whether or not we can tip the scales and do enough good while we weed out the bad.”

  I massaged my temples while Wesley stood and made his way over to his bar. Part of the story made sense, but so much of it did not. “What about the Truth-seekers?”

  “They’re good, too. Sometimes, historically, they’ve been misguided by the actions of our bad apples.”

  “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

  “You don’t. I have no tangible proof that I can offer you. I’m risking my life by telling you what I am because you’re that important to me. I’m asking you to trust me as your lifelong friend.”

  I let out a big sigh as I thought about everything he was saying. I wanted to trust Wesley, but needed to know more. “But what about Quinn? And the man she grew up knowing was her father?”

  “He was an Alchemist who had to be dealt with. He chose greed and to use his power for his own self gain. Robert Collins joined the Alchemists for our ideals. Unfortunately, he got involved with the corrupt group. That drove him to become a Truth-seeker.” Wesley poured himself a drink and offered me one. I shook my head. For this, I needed a clear head.

  My head spun. “What about Thomas Hutchinson? Did the Alchemists kill him?”

  “Yes. He was not a good man, but he was also ready to expose the corruption. They intercepted him before he could expose everything.”

  “How do you know this?”

  Wesley tilted his glass and looked at the amber liquid. “We keep very detailed books of our history. There are receipts and correspondence written by our predecessors that corroborate all this. I understand without proof it might be unbelievable.”

  “Wesley, I don’t know what to think. Why would Grandpa be involved in this? Was he a Truth-seeker?”

  “No, your Grandpa didn’t leave you that coin. And the letter you found in your house was planted. We found that letter long ago in Peggy’s house. One of our corporations tried to buy the house, but Peggy wanted to sell it to your grandpa.”

  “Wait… if Grandpa didn’t leave me the letter, who did?”

  He sighed. “Leslie. She swapped it out for the letter he actually left you. When you got the letter, I knew someone had betrayed us. Leslie had left a trail, trying to frame someone else. However, she wasn’t aware of some additional measures of security we have in place. I had to lead her on for a bit to see what she was doing.”

  Wait. What?

  “Leslie? Your girlfriend?”

  “This is where it gets complicated. Leslie was here to take my place. She’d hoped things between her and me would become more. It was complicated.”

  “Your place?”

  “The high council has decided that I’m ready to take my role in leadership. I managed to buy some time in the hope that I’d be able to protect you. I thought everything was fine after I was able to get the evidence back from the police department. I accepted the position
, but then I found out Leslie was trying to create problems for you. She planted the letter in your house, hoping to get on the high council’s radar.”

  I was so confused. “Wesley, this is so much information. Why would she want to cause problems for me? I’d never met her before.”

  “Because she wanted to be the one by my side. She wanted me to choose her.” Wesley took a deep breath. “I wanted to choose you. It felt right for you to be the one to always have my back. I fell in love with you, Sydney. A long time ago. I also knew this life would never be for you, so I made the decision to not pursue you in that fashion.”

  I felt like my heart was in a vice grip. My head pounded. “I-I-I—”

  “You’ve fallen in love with someone else. I get that, Sydney. I expected it. I want you to be happy. It’s all I ever wanted.”

  My eyes shot to his, and I knew it was true. I’d been nervous to tell Mike that I loved him, but I did. I treasured Wesley as a friend—but only a friend. I wasn’t sure what to say.

  “It’s okay, Sydney. I don’t expect to change your mind.”

  My lip trembled. “Wesley, I—”

  He sat next to me and put his finger to my lips. “Please don’t. I don’t think I could bear hearing you actually say you don’t love me. I don’t want us to end this way.”

  “End? We don’t have to end.”

  “We do, Sydney. For now, we do. Leslie made a mess of things, and they’ll be watching you closely. I need you to give me the journal and destroy any other evidence you may have found. We’ll need to wipe your computer’s search engine history clean. You can never try to find any more clues. The next time, I might not be able to keep them away.”

  I grabbed Wesley’s sleeve. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “What did your grandpa always say? Let me think… ‘Time and distance may pull us apart, but—’ ”

  I finished it for him. “We’ll always remain friends if we keep each other in our hearts.”

  “Yes, that’s it. I want you to know that after Vickie disappeared, I searched far and wide for her with what resources I had. Everything was a dead end. And we weren’t aware of the secret passage in Beatrice’s place. It’s one of the few places that have remained a secret from us.”