Summer Heat: Anthology

by Sonya Jesus

  “Well, he did give me a choice. He’d help me make it big in this town but I’d have to leave you alone.” I lean back against my couch and look up at her.

  She tilts her head angrily at first, but it’s quickly replaced with denial. “No! My brother wouldn’t do that…no way.”

  “According to him, he has plans and needs a level-headed partner…and that’s me, apparently.”

  “Plans! His fucking plans!” She paces the floor in front of me, completely losing control. “He’s an idiot, if he thinks he can finish what my father started,” she unintentionally admits.

  Oh my God! He’s an ignorant, asshole if he thinks he’ll be governor.

  “Listen. I’ve made my decision.”

  “Fuck you, you arrogant prick!” she shouts.

  Boy, did I dodge a bullet.

  “I’m fine with being that, Jennifer. Just go.”

  She stands stationary, staring at me as if she’s challenging my reasoning again. No, this is about that bitch at your job. I saw the way you were looking at her,” she interrogates.

  She’s certainly not the bitch of you two.

  I stand now thoroughly pissed that she has the audacity to insult Melody. I grab her underwear, shoes and purse - that I’m just noticing on my kitchen counter - and stand at the front door.

  “Time to go,” I say, opening the door and waiting for her to walk over to me and leave my house. This is why I don’t deal with women longer than a month. But it only took her two days. However, I feel this is the first time she’s had to work so hard to get and keep a man’s attention. That’s the only thing that’s bothering her, I know it.

  She finally stalks over to me, snatching her things from my grasp. She stares me down with the evilest, ‘I’ll get you back for humiliating me like this’ glare. But that shit doesn’t scare me at all. I slam the door behind her as soon as she’s far enough out.

  So, glad that’s over.

  I don’t waste another thought on Jennifer, but rather think about how sweet Melody’s pussy tasted as I lick my lips. I hope she allows me to get more of her. As I’m about to get undressed to shower, I hear a knock at my door. That sound has become a problem and I’ve only been her a few days. I look around my bedroom and living room to see if Jennifer left anything, but she hasn’t.

  “What!” I shout, swinging the door open, making Melody jump back. “Melody?” I say peering my head out to see if the coast is clear.

  “Expecting someone else?” she asks, as she stands in front of me looking sexy as hell.

  She’s wearing knee high boots, a very short dress that conforms to her thick body with her hair hanging at her shoulders. I’m practically drooling as she patiently waits for me to let her in. I step back unable to speak, giving her room to walk into my place.

  “You must want to get tied and fucked this time,” I say directly behind her, as she stands staring at my décor. I feel her tense as I let my hands roam her body, before spinning her to face me.

  She looks up at me through her lashes. “Yes, sir.”

  And that’s all I needed to hear.

  The Case IV:

  Best-laid Plans

  July. Thirty days later.

  I’ve been getting close to Dominic. So much so, that I’ve already learned the ends and outs of his business. I know all of his laundering contacts, who he gets kickbacks from, the officers on his payroll, and most important, I’ve confirmed that Nicolai is in fact his future governor. What is surprising, however, is Dominic has made sure to keep his brother’s hands clean. Besides the fact that Nicolai hates my guts - because he can’t understand why Dominic has let me get so close - he’s actually a decent guy. Too bad his future will be fucked once I take the Little family down.

  But does his hands being clean really matter?

  He still carries the Little name, which brings fear and the possibility of corruption with it. I doubt he’ll get very far with that. Which is why I think he’s buying his seat in the senate. After all, he needs to get his foot in the door. Therefore, he has to get rid of one of the senators in Michigan. The question is, which one? My plan is to figure that out which of the two senators they are going to target and set up a sort of sting to trap the Littles.

  “Thinking about something?” Melody rolls over, laying her thigh across my midsection.

  Somehow, she’s not only pushed her way into my heart, but she managed to sleep in my bed every night since I tied her up for the first time.

  “Nothing I can talk about.” I’ve been enjoying our undefined relationship, at the wrong time. A time when my life is full of secrets. Not just things I’ve kept from any and every one, but also anything to do with this whole Little conspiracy.

  It’s like I can’t tell her anything…about my past or present. But I actually can divulge my past, she hasn’t run from her submissive role, maybe she won’t be dissuaded by my baggage.

  She sits up suddenly, swinging her legs off the bed with her back to me. “Is there anything you can tell me?”

  Oh no.

  The sadness in her tone makes me feel like it’s now or never. Throughout this past month, I’ve had to remind myself that she means more to me than some monthly romp. I have to actually treat her respectfully, and most importantly, disclose my inner most dark thoughts. I swing my legs off the bed and stand to walk over to her side. She keeps her head down, as I sit beside her, placing my hand on hers.

  “You sure you want to know?” I ask.

  She finally looks up at me. “Unless you don’t want me to.”

  Her words pull at me, realizing the wrong answer will send her packing. “I want you to.” I squeeze her hand and begin my detailed story of being born addicted to heroin because my selfish mother decided her habit was more important than the health of her first child. You would think that once I was born, the doctor’s calling Social Services would be a good thing.

  But it just wasn’t.

  Turns out no matter how desperate some people want to parent and help an orphan, one being born addicted to such a harsh drug, became overwhelming for them to conquer. It was just too much care and responsibility involved.

  That became my life until I turned six, and believe it or not, my birth mother finally got clean and wanted me back. She came to visit me often, and I finally got to experience what life could be like with a real family…and a sober mother who loved and cherished her son. Unfortunately, she tried changing her life too late, and her heart gave.

  But my story didn’t end there.

  Two years later, a large family came to my rescue. A great couple took in foster children, but treated us all as their own. I’ve never felt so much love and devotion in my young life. So, of course I grew to love them immensely, over the eight years I was there. One night, I got so sick while they were out on a date. My foster brother called to tell them, so they left the restaurant early to get me some medicine from the pharmacy. As they were sitting at a light, a truck lost control and they were hit head on. They both died instantly.

  Who’s going to want a fifteen-year-old orphan? Nobody.

  So, I remained on my own until I was let free at eighteen. It was rough for me at first. I was homeless…I robbed people…but managed to not get caught. Eventually, I got my act together, put myself through school…and here I am. A controlling, sex crazed dominant who only deals with women for a month at a time, because I don’t want to be confronted with any more feelings of loss.

  I sit in silence, hoping she doesn’t begin to feel sorry for me. You can’t pity the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. That’s just not cute.

  But she doesn’t say anything.

  She stands, pushing her way between my legs, and lifting my head up in the palms of her hands. Her eyes devour me in an ‘I want you now’ sort of way. She kisses me softly and I follow her slow rhythm, wrapping my arms at her waist. She puts her weight against me and I fall back on the bed, as she follows on top of me. The hunger in our touch is impassi
oned by my willingness to let her in. The need for us to connect with more than words is overwhelming as she melts into me.

  Melody has brought more than lust to my life, but the possibility of love. And that’s what this feels like. Making love, for the first time in my life.

  ****

  I watch her as she gathers her things to leave for work. I hate it when we part, but I know we have work to do. Her job is clearly less risky than mine. So much so, that I sometimes want to tell her what’s going on in case something happens, but I can’t. I’ve already began a relationship while I’m supposed to be working undercover.

  I can’t do everything wrong.

  “You gonna walk me out handsome?” she says, leaning over me as I lay in the bed.

  “Of course.” I kiss her quickly, before getting up and sliding on the shorts beside my bed.

  We walk hand in hand to my door. As I open it, she begins to leave, but I’m not quite ready for that. I pull her back to me, and push her against the wall just outside of my open door, in the hall. I kiss her hard, pressing my erection against her. She giggles through our kiss as she hooks her free arm at my neck.

  “You’re making me late, handsome.”

  “I know.” I kiss her once more and watch her walk down the hall before going back into my apartment.

  I just don’t see myself getting tired of her for some reason. She’s what has put a smile on my face every morning, as she graciously allows me to wake up to her this past month. I just wish we met sooner, then I may not be as sexually out of control as I am now.

  I’m clearly a deviant disaster.

  However, I think she’s grown to love that part of me…of our relationship. I finally go in the bedroom to take a shower, first texting Melody, and then placing the phone on my nightstand.

  It doesn’t take me long to get ready, because I’ve made myself late for my meeting with Nicolai this morning. Dominic wanted him to go over a few things with me, concerning his senate seat. I’m hoping he’s going to tell me the name of the senator they’re going after. This isn’t something I should be late for. Nicolai already hates me. I rush out of the house so fast, I forget my phone. I run back to the nightstand in my bedroom, but it isn’t there. It’s on the bed.

  Strange. I could have sworn I left it on the nightstand. Thinking it was just me rushing around, I leave for my meeting at their warehouse downtown.

  As I pull in, I see Nicolai’s car outside. Great, he’s already here. I hope he hasn’t been waiting too long or I’ll never hear the end of it. Opening the door, I see Nicolai sitting in a chair, with another empty chair directly in front of him.

  Does he plan on interrogating me?

  Suddenly, someone comes at me from the side, punching me in the face, and catching me off guard. Before I could react, I’m hit again and everything goes black.

  When I come to, I blink in the harsh lighting slowly. Nicolai eventually comes into focus, as he sits across from me. I look around the room, to see if we’re still in the same place, and we are.

  “Finally.”

  I recognize Jennifer’s voice, but don’t see her. I hear her heels clicking the floor as she stands beside her brother.

  “What the fuck is going on?!” I shout as I try to stand from the chair, now realizing they have me tied.

  I’m never the one that’s supposed to be tied.

  “You lied to me…I knew you were seeing that bitch!”

  I look at her confused. We tried to hide our relationship all month, and I thought I was doing well keeping it a secret. Apparently, I wasn’t.

  “I saw you two this morning…in the hallway,” she adds.

  Shit. Was she in my house, also?

  I think, remembering my phone was moved. Then I remember that damn recording was in it. But there’s no way she could have found it, and listened that fast.

  “You fighting your sister’s battles like you’re in high school…pretty messy if you ask me,” I say to Nicolai.

  “No one asked you. But you and I know, I’ve been waiting to have the reason to beat your ass.”

  He stands to remove his suit jacket and rolls up his sleeves. Jennifer backs up, but her eyes focus on me as she smiles deviously.

  She’s truly a bitch.

  “Well, I guess you better get this shit over with, before Dominic gets here,” I say, appearing unphased by the ass-kicking I’m about to receive.

  However, my statement comes across as if Dominic will choose me, over his family. The anger visibly builds in Nicolai’s face, and before you know it, I’m getting pounded.

  ***

  August. Three Weeks Later.

  So, here I am, sitting in front of this coffee shop, fully healed from Nicolai’s assault. Honestly, had Dominic not gotten to the warehouse when he did, I would be dead right now. It was like Nicolai took all his frustration of being kept in the background, instead of beside his brother, was taken out on me. As if, when I showed up, I took his place beside Dominic at the top of the proverbial throne.

  Because it took three weeks for my body to heal from the assault, I missed a lot of Little business. Something my superiors blamed on me, because I mishandled Jennifer. Instead of me caressing the situation, they found out I began sleeping with Melody. Boy was I in the shitter because of it. Captain Richards knew I failed, and seemed pleased about it, for some reason. The only good thing that came out of that whole situation was me being able to tell Melody the whole truth. She was upset at first, considering I could have died, but she never left my side, and nursed me back to health.

  However, this morning I got a text from an anonymous number.

  Unknown Sender: Be in front of your usual coffee shop at 12 p.m.

  Initially, I was nervous, but I realized the text had to be from someone I knew, because who else would know where my usual coffee shop is.

  It’s exactly that time when I see the reason for me being here. Captain Richards is nervously pacing down the block and enters the building right beside the coffee shop. As I get out of my car and cross the street, my arm is pulled, forcing me to turn around. I see it’s Jennifer, and snatch my arm away immediately.

  “I don’t care what you say, you deserved it. Asshole!” she says.

  Her words anger me instantly, but I know now it was her that texted me. It must be for a good reason, or she wouldn’t be caught dead seen with me. Still, the fact that I still need her for information annoys the shit out of me. She almost got me killed because she’s a fucking nut. “What do you know?”

  “Follow me.” She doesn’t wait for me to respond. She walks away, and turns down an alley.

  I have no choice but to follow her. As I turn down the alley, I see her standing beside a familiar face.

  “McCollum?” I whisper now in front of them.

  He smiles. “Actually, it’s Collin Baum…F.B.I.”

  What the fuck? I knew something was going on.

  “What’s going on?” I ask confused.

  “Well, I told you to be careful with that recording…she found it in your phone.”

  “I knew you got to my phone. Why didn’t you tell your brother?” She could have taken care of me right then and there.

  “Listen, as pissed as I was…I want to get out from under the Little name. It’s holding me back.”

  And she’d be right. She’s worth way more than that.

  “Where do you come in?” I ask the man I now know as Collin.

  “We’ve gotten close in the time I’ve been under cover. She came to me with the recording, thinking it was an opportunity to be free of them. I told her she was right, but because you and I are both under cover. She agreed to help me, but she will not testify.”

  I wouldn’t think so. They’re too close of a family.

  “That all sounds legit, but why is Richards here? I get the feeling he can’t be trusted.”

  “You’d be right. He can’t. Jennifer found out about a big meeting going down today. We need to get in there and bust thi
s up now. Maybe we can get them in the act.” He smiles excitedly.

  “I guess, you should get out of here then,” I say to Jennifer.

  She doesn’t say anything else, just smiles and leaves. I’m sure hoping that she will lead a normal life after today. But, I suddenly get nervous realizing it is at least three of them and their henchmen…and just two of us.

  “Will we have help?” I ask, trying to mask my jitters.

  “I’ve already got backup surrounding the place,” Colin says.

  “Let’s do this, then.” I pull my gun out and so does he, as he paces quickly through a side entrance of the building that Richards also went into.

  As we get closer, I hear loud voices, as well as someone getting brutalized with what sounds like a fist. A sound I now know all too well.

  “You’re gonna step down…or I will kill your family and make you watch.” Then I hear a face being punched. I immediately recognize Dominic’s voice.

  “Dominic, you can’t do this. I can’t keep covering this shit up. You already dodged a bullet with Lyndsey.” And that’s Captain Richards.

  Did they know I was a cop the whole time? No way!

  “You should have told us about him immediately,” Nicolai responds. “I told you not to trust him.”

  I wonder why Captain didn’t say anything. Could he have grown a conscious?

  “Enough with this! You’re done if you don’t do as I say!” Dominic shouts.

  Just then, Colin picks up his walkie-talkie. “Go now.”

  Before you know it, agents are busting in every entrance possible. I follow Colin in, once the agents have everyone arrested, and the hostage is safe. As we walk in, Dominic, Nicolai and Richards are on their knees, in cuffs, and with their heads down. Defeat is exuding from them and I’m especially enjoying that sight from Nicolai.

  Fucking bastard! “Karma is a bitch, ain’t it?” I say gloating, standing over them.

  The three of them look up at me with looks of shock on their faces. I walk in front of Captain Richards as he stares up at me in shame.

  “You’re a disgrace to the badge. I can’t believe I actually looked up to you.”