by Lucian Bane
She answered with barely a squeak and the intimidated, humiliated sound suddenly infuriated him. Because again, it did nothing for him when it should have.
He went out into the hall and told Bo, “Sorry man, a legitimate customer in there.”
Bo pointed at the door. “Her? I’m here to tell you that’s her.”
“Her who?”
“I just spotted her car outside. I didn’t get a chance to tell you yet man, but I was watching the alley that night. You know… that night. She got through and I’m sorry about that. I didn’t think nothing of it till Jay told me she was the one that hurt him with a stick that night.”
“Jay’s hurt?” Sade asked.
Bo’s eyes widened and he whispered. “She shattered his shin, busted his kidney and broke his trachea man.”
“What?” Sade hissed, his cock waking up again. “She stopped him?”
“Would have to be her. Dumpster was in the way man, it was dark. I couldn’t see too good. But I followed her when she left in that car. Got enough numbers on the plate to make sure.”
“Who was at the back entrance that night?”
“Sans man. And I checked with him. He said a woman knocked on the door and helped you in.”
“Holy fuck,” Sade whispered, looking off to the right. “Thought I’d dreamed that. I knew she seemed familiar.”
“You were pretty out of it.”
“And that’s her?” Sade pointed with his thumb to the door, his hard-on raging now.
“Pretty sure,” he said. “Could be a huge coincidence but I don’t think so.”
“How about I let you get a look at her?” And just what the fuck did she want? Was she undercover? “If you’re sure it’s her, code word ‘I’m blue’, if
not, ‘I’m red’.”
“Got it man.”
“Give me fifteen minutes and come knock again.”
Sade went back into the room and announced, “I’m really sorry to do this, but I’m going to have to reschedule.”
She lifted her upper body and pulled the sheet over her breasts but not before Sade caught a glimpse of the outer edge of the tiny mounds. “What’s wrong?”
“Personal family crisis.” He tossed his thumb at the door. “My father, actually.” He helped her stand and wrapped the sheet around her. “I’m really sorry.”
“Not at all, of course. Family is most important.”
He led her to the bathroom. “We’ll reschedule?”
“Of course, absolutely.”
She went into the bathroom and Sade paced, thinking. What would an undercover cop want with him? Had to be what she was. There were a million things, but why now? What particular thing?
She exited the bathroom dressed in her nun looking habit. Right on cue, the other door opened.
“Sorry to bother again.”
“No, it’s fine Bo.”
Bo glanced at the woman for several seconds and looked at Sade and nodded. “I’m very blue.”
Sade would have laughed at how stupid that sounded except he was too pissed. “Thanks man. I’ll be right there.” Fucking shit.
He left and Sade led little Miss Mercy to the front. “When would be a good time for you to come back?”
“Ohhh, anytime,” she said lightly.
So accommodating. He’d see about that. She wanted information on something and he’d have to find out what.
“Do I have your phone number?” he asked.
“Ummm, let me give you my cell.” She dug in her purse and got a pen.
Biting the cap off she wrote on the card that Sade handed her. “And my home phone too.”
Home phone? What kind of stupidity was that? This fucking woman was ruining an already horrible day. “Not a good idea to give your home phone out,” he said, putting the card in his pocket.
She waved her hand. “It’s actually a satellite phone, it doesn’t come with an address. I’m not that stupid,” she said with a laugh.
Clearly not since satellite phones were easy to track. Sade was still at plan A. Busting her before she got anything on him.
He may have strange kinks but he still knew when a woman was attracted to him. And she most certainly was. “I’ll call you when I’m done with my personal business.” He held out his hand and she regarded it, confused before realizing what he wanted.
She thrust her hand out and put it in his and Sade gave it a little shake with a smile.
He was back to extremely fucking hard now with this odd turn of events, and he could hardly wait to map out a game plan with the little Miss sweet Mercy.
****
Mercy drove home, frustrated. So much for that! I’m very blue. Who was that dude? Why would he say such a… weird thing in front of her? He seemed vaguely familiar. God what if he was one of the men she’d encountered that night?
I’m so blue, very blue. What did that mean? Seemed very code-ish.
And now she was down to a “Don’t call me, I’ll call you” scenario. Not that the majority of her wasn’t thrilled about getting out of that tattoo, out of all the touching he was doing. Was all that really necessary? Hand on her ass? Face all near her skin like a five-year-old in a coloring book!
She was pretty sure he was getting off too. Looking at the image. Sure he was. She didn’t buy that for a second. Touching her scars! More like molesting them. Sick fucker. And yes, she’d hit on his little broken box of naughties right off the bat. He liked to give pain. Just popped right out with it. No shame in his game. Like it was just fine and normal to like to hurt people. Then again, how would he not like to give pain? That was one of the trademarks of a life of abuse. Was he masochistic too? Usually they went hand in hand to varying degrees if she remembered right.
She’d have to break out her psychology materials and freshen up. To know what to look for, what to expect. How to handle it.
Despite her sudden dead end, Mercy was pretty sure she’d never felt more alive in her life. This was just what she needed. To do something good. Not only was it the best form of therapy, it was useful. She enjoyed her work at the retirement homes, helping the elderly, but this… this was different. She was helping change a life maybe. Not preserve what little was left. And she was walking in her father’s legacy. That especially was awesome.
Chapter Four
Mercy bolted up in bed to the sound of her phone on the nightstand. Shit, she’d laid down for a nap. She snatched it up and squinted at the screen. Sliding her finger across, she answered, “Hello?”
“Mercy, it’s Sade.”
The deep low voice made her stomach flip. “Ohhh hey, is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine. Well, actually, it’s not. I just found out a friend of mine died yesterday and… it’s been rough.”
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Whatever,” he muttered.
“Take your time, the tattoo can wait. Do what you need to.”
“I sort of lost my shit at my apartment and demolished it. So, I’ll be spending a few days cleaning up that mess. You wouldn’t happen to know anybody that could stand to make a few extra bucks to help me out?”
“Oh, hmmm,” she pretended to think. “Honestly, I could really use the money. Between rent, school and bills, it’s tight.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“When can you start?”
“Tomorrow, if you need me to.”
He hesitated and gave a sigh.
“What’s wrong, that too soon? Whenever you need.”
“No, actually, family was due in this weekend and I was hoping to start right away. How early can you come in the morning?”
“I can come now if you need, I have nothing to do. You give me the address and I’ll be there with a bucket and a bottle of Mr. Clean, no problem.”
“I’ll pay you extra for the short notice.”
“It’s a deal,” she said, remembering she was supposed to need
the money. But she’d really do it for free. In a heartbeat.
He gave her the address and she hung up and googled it real quick.
Wow. He lived in Ridgefield? Go figure.
Mercy got dressed in her regular training clothes. They were all purpose, really. Easy to move in, nothing flashy or too classy. Not the monk type garb she’d worn earlier to the tattoo shop but nothing to take note of either.
She punched his address into the Juke’s GPS and listened to some of her father’s favorite classical music as she made her way to her destination. He lived in a condo. At least she didn’t need to worry about losing her life in this neighborhood.
Okay, show time. She locked up her car and slipped on her shades, ready to tackle a major clean up.
****
Sade had gotten the apartment nearly done before Mercy got there. No way could he have her see the place like it was. He didn’t need lunatic added to his rap sheet. His mind was nearly in the same state of chaos as his apartment. Miss Mercy was playing a game and he needed to get to the bottom of it. Too much of it was new to him. This game. This woman. This threat. At the same time, the danger was irresistible. She was like a sexual wild card. One he knew he could use once he figured out exactly what she was made of. Sade thought about it for a while, trying to remember ever having such a wild card before. He didn’t think so.
And oh how sympathetic she sounded. She’d taken his bait like a hungry big mouth bass, giving herself away. He couldn’t think of a woman who wanted him for anything but sex or money. And though she was physically attracted to him, that’s not what initiated whatever she was up to. And sticking his dick in an electrical socket would be more arousing than the idea of actual sex with her. Except sexorcisms. Always except sexorcisms. His usual rules and preferences didn’t apply in those cases. Which is why he loathed them. Being sexually driven to the point of indulging in things he hated on any given day was not something he fucking liked one bit.
He’d stick with the standard for little Miss Mercy. Be it fear, pain, or humiliation, he would have her squirming and writhing, and giving him whatever information he wanted.
The doorbell rang and he tossed the trash bag full of debris aside and headed to answer it. He opened the door and regarded her in this new look. “Miss Mercy.” The first thing she hit him with was direct eye contact. Not just direct, but penetrating. Searching. Sincere. It all felt like a challenge to Sade even though he was sure it wasn’t. But it challenged him regardless. He found himself very guarded with Miss Clueless for more than one reason.
“You okay?”
Add sympathetic. She was very good with that and it was something Sade wasn’t comfortable with. “I’ve been better.” The empty words came with a sweeping gaze over her extremely petite frame. He was again baffled with the idea she’d taken down Jay. Except for the stick and him knowing that the right technique could definitely manage it, he’d never believe it.
The second her eyes left his, she turned into a virgin. Maybe it was the no shirt. And the tattoos. And the piercings. “Wow,” she looked behind him.
He stood aside and regarded the remaining mess. “Yep.”
She entered and he perused her body as she went. “You get an A for…” she seemed to struggle for a word. “Okay, bad joke. You really lost it.”
He shut the door. “Yes I did. You want a drink?”
“You have coffee?”
The selection wasn’t a surprise. Would you like donuts with that, detective? “I can make some.”
“Oh. Nice.”
“What, I don’t look like the coffee type?”
She gave a little laugh. “Not really, no. More like the triple Red Bull type.”
He chuckled with her honesty. He was used to people lying to him for whatever reason. “I’ll put on coffee. I hope you like it strong.”
“That’s the only way to drink it. Tell me what to do, I’ll get started.”
He thought about that. He suddenly wanted so badly to have a violent
orgasm. “Just have a seat. I’m ready for a break.”
“Okay. Where should I sit?”
In his favorite chair in the basement is where he wanted her. Strapped down. Scared. Talking. Telling him what she wanted. “Wherever you want to.”
“I’ll sit here.” She sat on the kitchen stool while he ran down the fixings for coffee. Of which he had none, it would turn out.
“No coffee.”
He pulled out two cans of Monster drink and handed her one.
She laughed. “I knew it.”
“Did you?”
She popped open the can, nodding while he watched her take a drink. He remembered he had a stash then. And in that stash he had something that might make this night a lot easier.
“You mind if I take a quick shower?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. I’ll um…” she looked around.
“Wait for me,” he answered.
“Wait. Right. If you insist. Maybe I could kick everything to a corner at least.”
“Just wait. If you don’t mind.”
She shrugged. “No. Do your thing.”
“Unless you have to leave soon.”
“Nope. I’m off from school and work for a few days.”
He nodded. “I have family coming in.”
“You said that, right.” Her happiness for him made everything awkward, driving all the wrong needs in all the wrong directions. “My dad died about two weeks ago.” She nodded, looking around and Sade froze with that random, unemotional, dump of information. “So I get what you’re going through. I think.” She shrugged and nodded, turning her can. “Everybody processes differently.” She gave him a bright smile and boom. It finally happened. His cock hardened like steel.
“I’ll go grab that shower.” He headed to his room, adrenalin pumping. He located the stash and took one capsule out. He would only need half for her. He tucked it in his pocket and went to the bathroom. Everything had to be clean entering that room, but he would make an exception for Miss Mercy. Not for himself though. While showering, he washed his cock thoroughly, not sure what he might end up doing with her. She had a very unpredictable effect on him and he needed to be ready for what came. And if that was him, he definitely needed to be clean. Judging by the way it throbbed with that mere thought, his body was ready for that. He’d denied himself way past the justified point and his testosterone was at that reversing, shut down level.
Once he released, everything would reset. It always reset things back to the order he was accustomed to, fucked up as it may be, it was his order.
Dressing in spandex underwear and baggy flannel pants, he went out and found her in the kitchen washing dishes. He fetched a bottle of wine from his selection under the snack bar and two glasses.
“Oh, you scared me.” She glanced over her shoulder and turned off the water. “Celebrating?”
“Relaxing. Wanna join me?”
“I don’t drink,” she said, making him straighten. “Hardly,” she added. “One drink is fine though.”
“One it is,” he muttered, setting the glass on the counter. He poured their drinks. “Maybe we can locate the stereo remote so we have something besides silence to clean up to.”
“Any particular direction I can look in?”
“Not really, but I’m hoping near the stereo.”
****
Poor guy, Mercy thought as she looked through the mess of misery. Really wasn’t that bad though. He either didn’t have a lot of stuff or he’d never seen a true mess. But still, to think he’d lost his cool to this degree over a friend. That said a lot about him. Good things, she thought. She turned over another empty frame. That was like the third one she’d found. Had he taken the pictures out before she got here? Surely he didn’t keep empty frames around.
How sad that would be. What would it mean if he did? That he had no family? Nobody? Or that he hated family and friends? Maybe he just liked the look of the frames. Maybe he thought frami
ng nothing was something. He was a man, hurting, and that wasn’t a bad thing either. He needed help learning how to process, that’s all. All his signals were crossed and instincts seared from a life of constant pain, betrayal, and anger. She knew what that could do and she knew what it felt like to try and reverse it. It took her many years and she wasn’t a lifetime victim. Only half a lifetime.
“Found it,” he said. She turned as he aimed it at the stereo and muffled music came on. He grinned. “It’s for the one in my bedroom. Good enough.” He turned and then walked to the couch and sat, putting her glass of wine on the coffee table before him.
She followed him over and sat, getting her glass and looking around. “It’s really not as bad as I thought it was going to be. She took a small sip. Yuck. She was not a drinker and this was why. All booze was nasty to her.
She watched him down his wine and she took a bigger sip of hers. He was numbing out. She knew what that was like too. She stared down into the glass.
“You don’t like it? I can get you another kind.”
“No, no,” she said. “It’s fine.”
“Not a drinker I see.”
There was a tone about him. Like she was just meeting every virgin conclusion he’d drawn. Mercy was not the type to impress anybody and yet… She downed the wine and put the glass on the table, unable to resist a sour face as she swallowed the last bit. “Sorry,” she said. “That is clearly nasty.” Geeze, she shouldn’t have drank so quickly. And… wow, that was good wine.
“You okay?”
She looked at him and the room spun a little. “I’m fine. Just… wow. Drank that too fast I think.” Alarm filled her when the dizzy got extremely worse. “Sade?” she looked at him and her fears grew at finding him smiling.
“What?” he asked.
He was… mocking her. Oh dear God. Panic punched through her body and Mercy launched off of the couch only to fall into the coffee table when her legs lagged behind. She struggled and hit the floor, barely missing a face plant. Her head weighed a ton as she crawled, not sure where she was going. “Sade,” she whispered before collapsing.
****
Sade carried Mercy to his perfectly sterilized workroom in the basement. She smelled clean, thankfully.