Trial by Fire (Sizzling Romantic Suspense) (All Fired Up)

by Taylor Lee

  Sam’s question broke through her internal machinations.

  “What was your relationship with Sherman Klein?”

  Laura folded her hands her lap and gave a small shrug.

  “He was Mike’s partner. Mike’s second in command. Or he was supposed to be.”

  Sam’s voice was pleasant. “We can discuss Mr. Klein’s relationship with Mike in a minute. My question was, what is your relationship with Mr. Klein?”

  Laura startled slightly. “I… I didn’t have a relationship. If you mean, were we more than friends?”

  When Sam didn’t respond, Laura hurried to explain. “We… we had dinner occasionally. Sherm and Mike were having trouble, and Sherm appealed to me to help him. I told him from the beginning there wasn’t much I could do. Mike wasn’t interested in my opinions regarding his business.” She added with a dismissive laugh, “Or my opinions in general.”

  Nate was impressed. By forcing her to answer his question, Sam got her to amplify not only her relationship with Sherm but also with Mike. Two points for the home team.

  Nate was glad when Sam pressed his advantage. “What caused the problems between Mike and Sherm?”

  Laura gave a coquettish giggle. “In my experience, the only thing that comes between men is money or women.”

  Sam smiled in return. “And in this case?”

  Laura shrugged as if daring him. “Both.”

  Sam took the dare. “I understand that Mike reneged on a $10 million stock option deal he had with Sherm.”

  Another point for the home team. Sam’s flat assertion worked. Nate could almost see Laura’s decision-making process at work. Clearly Sam already knew more than he should. But rather than being alarmed, Laura just reached into her personal file drawer and became the concerned confidant, relieved that she had a colleague she could confide in.

  “I… I’m glad you know about that, Commander. I was concerned that perhaps you didn’t… know about the problems between Mike and Sherm, and I didn’t want to be the one to get Sherm in trouble. By the way, would you object to me calling you Sam?”

  At the non sequitur, Sam’s lip tipped up at the corner. “Commander will do.”

  Laura backed up in her chair, not quite able to hide her surprise. One half point for the home team. It was a good move on Sam’s part but what he didn’t know was that he’d thrown down a marker in Laura’s sweet spot. Nate could have told him, no one including the charming debonair police commander could beat Laura at sexual one-upmanship. Except Nate, who was as skilled at the game as Laura was. Not a fact he was proud of.

  She crossed her long legs and leaned forward, her forearms on the table—which had the effect of pushing her breasts closer together and upward. She graced Sam with a saucy smile and a wink. “Of course, Commander. I assumed that you would want to be in charge.”

  A flush rose on Sam’s face. Nate chuckled. Laura’d earned that one.

  Naturally, Laura took her advantage and rubbed it in Sam’s face.

  “Why did you say that Nate wasn’t going to interview me?”

  It was a conscious tactic to undermine Sam’s confidence. They both knew that Nate was watching the interview, and Laura was making the point that she might not have been able to grab that small psychological advantage from Nate.

  When Sam didn’t answer, she persisted, bordering on the aggressive fighter that she was, but usually kept hidden.

  “Is Nate angry with me?”

  “Does he have a reason to be?”

  She sat up straight. “Absolutely not. I care about Nate and he cares about me. Even though he is angry with me now, in the long run he will admit that I was right.”

  “What are you right about, Laura?”

  “That even though we’re not together, we have a connection that no one can break.”

  Sam glanced down at his notes. “Is that why you sent him 103 email messages asking him to ‘reignite’ that connection?”

  Rather than being offended, Laura nodded in agreement. “Yes it is. I’ve found that bull-headed men often require over-the-top tactics.”

  “And you continued to send the messages even when Detective Stryker didn’t respond?”

  She sniffed. “I knew he would.”

  “But he hasn’t yet?”

  Her eyes hardened, a frozen cliff of blue shale.

  “He will, eventually.”

  Nate hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until she admitted that he had not responded to her overtures. Even though he knew it wasn’t necessary, a heavy burden lifted when she vindicated him. She’d sent over a hundred messages and he hadn’t responded once. It underscored the extent of her delusion. Not in a way that absolved her. Rather, in a way that made her more dangerous.

  “How did Sherman respond to Mike’s reneging on the stock options?”

  Sam’s quick left turn didn’t throw her. Laura was in execution mode. Nate didn’t know precisely how much she knew about the anger between Mike and Sherm. Or what Laura’s relationship with Sherm included. Friends with benefits? A fuckbuddie? But whatever it was, it was obvious she could see that her friend Sherm was going under. Rather than helping him, she simply got out of the way. While giving him a shove or two further under the proverbial bus.

  Her indignation was apparent. “How would you respond, Commander? Sherm worked for Mike for over thirty years, doing everything but wipe his ass. Then when it came time to reap some rewards, get recognition for being Mike’s obeisant little puppy dog, Mike didn’t so much as toss him a bone.”

  “Sherman was angry?”

  “I believe a more appropriate adjective is enraged.”

  Sam leaned back in his chair and studied Laura thoughtfully.

  “Was Mike a vindictive man?”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Was he being capricious, careless? Taking Sherman’s options just because he could?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Or because he believed Mike wronged him?” Her smirk said it all.

  “I take it, that it was the latter? Your husband believed Sherman had wronged him?”

  Laura gave a bored sigh. “Yes. And at the risk of repeating myself—”

  “Ah yes. I believe that you said in this case it was both money and women that came between your husband and your ‘friend’.”

  At Laura’s dismissive shrug, Sam changed course.

  “Was Mike involved in the BDSM scene?”

  Laura’s eyes widened. If he didn’t know her better, Nate would have read her expression as shock. But Nate did know her. Her relaxed crossing of one leg over the other, slightly hiking her miniscule skirt several inches higher, gave her away. The fact that the table stood between her and Sam proved the point that the only people who could have seen her provocative move were those standing at the observation window.

  Consummate master of the stage that she was, Laura managed to play the shocked innocent with her face and upper body, while edging into a mild strip tease with her lower half. Nate had to give her credit. She knew how to play her audience. All of them.

  She stammered, “Do you mean whips… and chains? Awful painful things like that?”

  Sam’s gaze was steady, not reacting to her shocked litany of what BDSM might include.

  “You know, Laura. Things like the cross that Mike was hung on. The fact that he was whipped. That he was dismembered, which like rape, is a violent act with sexual overtones.”

  “Oh my God! You think that someone who knew how to do those kinds of things killed Mike?”

  “We haven’t determined a profile of the killer… as of yet.”

  Once again, Laura became the earnest confidant. “Believe me. Mike wasn’t sexually… adventurous. He considered it outrageous to keep the lights on during sex. I don’t know about your sexual habits, Commander, but older Scandinavian men tend to be… repressed. Overt sexuality disgusted Mike. Trust me, I would know if Mike was into such… unusual acts.”

  “And Sherman Klein? Would you know if he was?
”

  “For Sherm’s sake, I can only pray not. If Mike had ever found out something like that, there is no telling what he would do. He would fire him, of course. And knowing Mike, he would use it to take away every bit of dignity that Sherm had.”

  She stopped, a range of emotions playing over her expressive face. Then, as though realizing that she may have said too much, she shook her head and held up her hands, indicating she would say no more. She didn’t have to. The damage was done.

  Sam let the silence stand for a long moment.

  “I understand you had an unusual prenuptial agreement.”

  She threw him an interested glance. “Unusual? In what way?”

  “Most pre-nups that I’ve seen protect the wealthier of the partners. In your case, the agreement was in your favor.”

  She sniffed. “Why would I agree to something that was not in my favor, Commander?”

  Sam lifted a hand conceding the point.

  Laura couldn’t let the insinuation pass. “I’m not sure you are aware of precisely what Mike was getting access to, Commander.”

  With a slight smile acknowledging her point, Sam continued. “Were you concerned that at some point in time, Mike would divorce you?”

  She virtually purred. “The more likely occurrence, Commander, was that I would divorce him. It’s been my experience just as with Nate, men don’t tire of me. On the other hand… I’m adventurous. I like… new things.” She openly perused him. “New kinds of experiences.”

  Nate chortled. Sam managed not to blush, and merely consulted his notes.

  “Did Mike have insurance?”

  “Yes. Some. Mostly on the business. Key man insurance and the like. The business, not an individual would benefit. “

  “I see. And his personal wealth?”

  Laura shrugged, a tiny smile curling her lips. Tapping a sharp bright red enameled fingernail against the table, once again, she dared him.

  “It’s significant.”

  Chapter 26

  Laura shoved down her annoyance. So the handsome commander hadn’t buckled. He’d pretended he wasn’t interested. She snorted and reminded herself that it wasn’t as though he could ultimately resist her. It was only a matter of time. She’d pretend to be surprised when he found an excuse to come to her house. To ask her a question, he’d “forgotten” to ask. God. Men were so transparent. So predictable.

  Too bad for the hunky commander. And he was a hunk. Mmm. All that dark skin and a body that screamed sex. She giggled. Commander. That’s what he told her to call him. She tugged at her lip with her sharp teeth. We’ll see, Mr. “tall, dark, and handsome,” who’s the commander….

  But as enticing as he was, Commander Carter was nothing compared to the man that she knew had watched the scene play out from behind the one-way mirror. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, imagining Nate watching her. Her body quivered at the thought. Was he still angry with her? Probably. But, he’d get over it. Then again, anger wasn’t all bad. In the right men, it was an aphrodisiac. The trigger that blew away restraint. Engendered passion. She smiled. Passion was much too tame a word, a concept. She preferred rough, hard sex. The kind she knew simmered beneath the surface of one overwhelmingly sexy man. She caught her thoughtful reflection. What was it about Nate that made him such a draw? That she was willing to… she smiled. Willing to do anything she had to—whatever was necessary to snare him? To convince him that there was one woman and one woman only who was his match.

  She tugged her knee-high stiletto boots over her tights. The black leather bomber jacket hanging open over her bustier completed the picture. Tucking a pair of leather gloves into her oversized shoulder bag, she ran through a mental inventory. Pistol, check. Knifes? Two of them. Matches? Those were for later but she wouldn’t be coming home in between. Condoms? Of course. Oh, she almost forgot. She stopped in the garage on her way to her Jag convertible and took a handful of zip-ties from her tool kit. So much more convenient than rope. And more effective. Impossible to take off without a knife. And she would be the only one holding a knife tonight.

  ~~~

  She let herself in with her key, taking care not to make noise. She wanted to surprise him. Sneak up on him. To make sure he’d done what she told him to do. She knew he would. He was such a pussy. She purposefully was late. Let him stew. Worry that she might not come. She knew that the anticipation was intoxicating. Like all her erotic weapons she used it to heighten his tension. Make him even needier than he already was.

  The lamp in his study cast eerie shadows across the room. As expected, Sherm was in place. She could smell his anxious sweat from the doorway. Mixed with his arousal, it was a heady odor. One she’d caused before she’d even entered. As instructed he was naked, standing on a three foot stool, a noose around his neck. He’d secured the end of the rope to a reinforced hook on the ceiling beam. He was holding a heavy plastic bag. She always brought the zip-ties.

  They’d been toying with erotic asphyxiation for some time. Sherm was a natural for the dangerous practice. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he was a ‘gasper.’ Anything for a high. He insisted he’d never climaxed as excruciatingly as he did when they cut off his oxygen just as he ejaculated. Said it was like mainlining an eightball of crack and heroin. The stunning thing to Laura was how willing he was to give the control to her. He was certain she’d cut him down at just the right moment. And she usually did.

  But tonight she’d planned a variation on the usual theme. It was a surprise. A niggling part of her hoped that he would go out riding the crest of a climax. It was the part that appreciated the fact that the clueless man had inadvertently made her tasks so much easier. Ultimately what he did in his last seconds were not her concern. She had enough to do without worrying about his pleasure or lack of it.

  She circled him, smiling at the way his eyes widened in excitement at the sight of her.

  “I see my sugar buns is all ready for a night of pleasure.”

  At his low animal growl of anticipation, she drew on her leather gloves and tucked several zip-ties into her jacket pocket. She pushed a chair next to him and clambered up onto it. When she stood up straight she was a couple of inches taller than he was.

  His breaths were coming in short pants. Almost gasps. Her voice was low, husky.

  “Are you ready, baby? Ready to fly?”

  Knowing he was not permitted to speak, Sherm merely groaned in affirmation.

  “Let’s tie your hands behind your back, first, sugar buns. Just to make sure you can’t change your mind.”

  Sherman shivered with anticipation when she pulled the ties tight. Reaching for the thick plastic bag he clutched in his hand, Laura draped it over his head. With a quick twist she knotted it at the base of his skull then whipped the longer tie she’d brought around his neck and snapped it tight.

  The bag instantly clouded with moisture from his gasping breaths, but she could see his eyes widen in a mix of terror and excitement.

  She climbed down from her chair and smiled up at him. She gave him a small salute and kicked the stool from beneath him. Fortunately, his muffled cries of surprise lasted a reasonably short time.

  Meanwhile, she had a message to write. Ignoring the frantic kicks of the man swinging wildly beside her, she opened his computer and pulled up his e-mail. Her long practice writing messages to Nate had made her a virtual speed demon on the computer. Her message was involved, it needed to be exactly right. By the time she’d finished, Sherm had stopped thrashing. Knowing he’d evacuate his bowels at any minute, to avoid the unpleasant sight, she quickly cut the ties securing his hands and surveyed the room. Confirming that the scene was exactly right, she headed for the door.

  As she revved up her racy sports car and backed out of the driveway, Laura allowed herself a satisfied smile. The night had begun well. The following act would be the most interesting. Surprisingly, her next target had thus far been more of an adversary than she’d expected. Who would have thought the litt
le firefighter had a backbone? But then, Laura knew what she was willing to do to capture Nate. Her shrill laugh shattered the still, dark night. Let Erin try to put up a fight. All the better for the scene. The more realistic, the better.

  ~~~

  “You weren’t half bad, hotshot. You managed not to respond to at least half of her ‘come-ons.’”

  Gazing at him from across his desk, Nate grinned at the flush of crimson that stained Sam’s cheeks.

  Sam muttered, “Thanks, I guess.”

  “No, buddy. You did great. We got what we needed and more. She was doing her best to torment you, and you survived. Good work.”

  Sam breathed a loud sigh. “You know this, Nate, but I’m going to say it aloud, for the record. The woman is certifiable. A Grade A, First Class Sociopath. She could be a case study in any psychology department. They could write textbooks around her.”

  “I’ve never put a label on her, but now that you say it, Sam, you’re probably right. Not that it excuses her, but at least it explains some of her actions.”

  “The clincher was when she calmly asserted that she’d sent you over a hundred messages and that even though you hadn’t responded, she was sure you would. That’s how twisted her view of reality is.”

  Nate murmured. “Hadn’t thought of it that way. I will tell you that I appreciated the hell out of you for getting her on record saying that I never responded to her.”

  “It was essential. For the record, and especially for you, Nate. The rest of us believed you, but I wanted to hear her say it.”