Unlawful Desire

by Raven Dark

  Rock stood up and Ella did the same. “Well, if he was capable of storing dangerous waste once without getting caught, there’s a good chance he’s doing it again. Which means, if we can find it, we will stop him.”

  “Yes.” Annabella shook the landlord’s hand. “Sir, if this goes to court, will you be willing to testify?”

  He blew out a breath as he looked at Avery, then nodded. “You have my word.”

  A short time later they waited outside the building while Avery called his supervisor for a protection detail. Rock grinned at Annabella, taking her hands in his. “Now all we have to do is find evidence of the same violations elsewhere and we have him.”

  “Yep.” She looked at her watch. “It’s after six. We have less than a full day before the Mosses sign. We’d better hurry up and start digging.”

  “I’ll help,” Avery said, slipping his phone into his jacket pocket. “I have access to databases you two don’t. As soon as the detail arrives for the landlord, I’ll meet you at your hotel, Rock.”

  Rock clasped his shoulder. “Perfect, see you then.”

  * * * * *

  By noon the following day, the search was still in full swing, though none of them found any sign of suspicious activity on any of Scalder’s properties. Ella’s eyes had started to hurt long ago and she rubbed them looking into her empty coffee cup. Up all night after eight cups, she knew it was a bad idea to put more caffeine into her system. Even if she was in danger of sliding off the couch to the floor.

  “This is hopeless, you two.” She shook her head at Rock who sat beside her on the couch, his laptop open on his knees. Agent Sloan sat on the loveseat in the corner, perusing more dead-end reports. He’d left after midnight the previous evening and returned a couple of hours ago looking just as tired as Ella felt. “We have…five hours and there’s nothing here. He must have learned his lesson from the last time he was almost caught and covered his tracks too well.”

  Sloan shook his head. “Men like Scalder don’t stop until they’re caught. He’s too arrogant. He sees himself as untouchable.” His huge fingers flew over the keys as he spoke. Early morning sunlight made the silver streaks in his dark hair gleam. His giant frame made the overstuffed Lazyboy look puny and fragile.

  “Agreed.” Rock stopped typing long enough to squeeze Ella’s nape gently. “Don’t give up. He’s fucked up somewhere.”

  She sighed and tore her bun down, paced while she wound it back up. She looked at both men, then sat down and got back to work.

  “There has to be—” She cut off, staring at the page she found on a property Scalder had bought only a month ago. “Wait…”

  “What is it?” Rock moved over to look at her screen, and Agent Sloan set his computer aside before coming to stand at Ella’s shoulder.

  “Guys, look at this. Scalder’s made a recent purchase a week ago. Penman Estates.” She glanced up at Rock. “With all the crap he’s pulled at other properties, there might be a chance he’s been up to something there too.”

  Rock tilted the screen back a little to give himself a better angle and pushed up his reading glasses. He studied the purchase report and shook his head. “It’s in Kranton. That’s a two hour trip, each way. We have until five. Even if we leave now, we’d be cutting it close. If we don’t find anything, we’ll be out of time.”

  Desperation coiled in Ella’s belly. “We aren’t getting anywhere here. If there’s even a chance, we’ve got to try. We have too much to lose, and he won’t stop until we catch him.”

  A mix of doubt and hope flashed in Rock’s eyes. He closed his hand around hers with a nod. “You’re right, but if we’re going to go, we need to leave now. Avery?” He looked at the agent.

  Sloan scowled at his watch. “It’s noon now. We can be in Kranton by two. If we find what we’re looking for fast enough, we’ll be able to get back here and hit Scalder with whatever charge we can before the Mosses sign. I say we try it.”

  Ella looked from him to Rock. Rock stood up and grabbed his coat. “Let’s do it.”

  * * * * *

  They arrived in Kranton at nearly two-thirty. Construction on the roads choked time from their already skimpy deadline. One car on the tail of the other, they sped toward Penman Estates. Minutes later, they raced up the steps to the building and asked for the landlord.

  “Are you three the health inspectors I just called this morning?”

  “Health inspectors?” Ella and Rock echoed at once. Ella looked at him and Avery. This sounded promising. “No, we’re not, sir. We are here about your new owner, Jake Scalder.”

  The landlord widened his eyes. Rock introduced them all and Ella quickly explained about her father’s business and Scalder’s attempts to buy him out with blackmail.

  “I’m not surprised. I knew that man was trouble.”

  Hope rose in Ella, so intense it was like fire in her blood. “Sir?”

  The landlord went to the desk and pulled out an envelope. He took out several pictures and handed them to Ella. She studied them and her mouth dropped open.

  In what looked like a storage room, four large vats stood taking up the space, each marked with biohazard symbols. “Holy shit.” She handed them to Rock and Avery.

  Rock’s face paled. “Sir, where is this?”

  “It’s in a storage room. My janitor found them this morning. That’s why I called the health department.”

  “Show us,” Ella said. “Quickly.”

  The landlord snatched up his keys. “You got it. Come with me.”

  * * * * *

  “Damn, they’re gone!” The landlord swiped a hand down his face, tugging on his thick beard. “I don’t believe this.”

  Ella glanced around the storage room, heart plummeting into her stomach. The large room stood empty, except for a few old crates. It was the same room in the photos, but there was no sign of the vats. She blew out a breath and dropped her arms. “Shit.”

  Agent Sloan and Rock moved about the room, searching. Sloan shook his head. “There’s nothing here, you two. I see imprints of containers on the floor, but they could have been from anything.”

  Rock came back to her, running his hands up and down her arms. “I’m sorry, Annabella.”

  “But the pictures.” She nodded to the landlord who still held them. “Aren’t they enough?” She hated that her voice cracked.

  “No, n pictures of the barrels are enough to bring Scalder in, but with his lawyers, charges won’t stick. We need more, something that offers irrefutable proof there was waste stored here and he was behind it.”

  “Damn.” Ella looked at her watch, 3:05. After all their efforts, they had nothing. They had enough time to get back to Clayton-Moss before five, but if they were empty handed, they had no way to stop Scalder.

  “The Mosses, Dad, the orphanage.” She set her hands on Rock’s chest. He rubbed her arms again, looking as at a loss as she felt.

  “There has to be a way.” She made an angry sound and stalked passed him. Paced across the room, looking for anything odd or out of place.

  Ella froze.

  At the back of the room, the entrance to a small crawl space peeked up at her, all shadows and cobwebs. Deep within, something bright yellow stood out. Yellow, like… Her heart sped up.

  “Rock! Agent Sloan, come here!”

  Both men came running, with the landlord hard on their heels. She showed them the crawl space. Rock went to the wooden slats covering the space and tried to get inside until Agent Sloan pulled him back.

  “Wait, Rock, don’t. Don’t touch it.” He gave the landlord a nod. “Call the Health Department.”

  “I did. They should have been here.”

  Ella took out her phone. “I’ll call them again.”

  Sloan took out his own phone. “No, let me do it.” He grinned. “The FBI has pull.”

  * * * * *

  Twenty minutes later, they were standing across the street from a property now overrun with cops, people in biohazard suits and bu
ilding commission personnel. The site had been sectioned off with crime scene tape and biohazard signs keeping everyone but officials off the property. Health department officials maintained the ground where the barrels had been stored wasn’t dangerous anymore, but radiation was present in low levels and they wanted to take precautions.

  Two men in bio suits wheeled out the barrel from the crawl space and men swarmed around it.

  “Isn’t the barrel and the radiation enough to convict?” Ella looked at Rock.

  “No. This isn’t far from a waste disposal plant. A good lawyer can make the radiation look like it’s from the plant, and the levels aren’t lethal, so there’s no grounds for legal action. The barrel and the pictures are enough to bring Scalder in, but with his lawyers, charges won’t stick. We need something that offers irrefutable proof he was behind it.”

  “I think we might have that.”

  Agent Sloan returned from one of the biohazard vans with an official in a grey suit at his side and a huge smile on his face.

  “I don’t believe this.” The official shook his head. “We found prints on the barrel. They’re Scalder’s.” He clapped both Rock and Ella on the shoulders. “Congratulations. It’s over, you have him.”

  “Yes!” Ella whooped. Rock fist pumped the air and he and Ella shared an excited hug. She squeezed him close. “Dad’s company is safe.”

  He nodded into her shoulder. “And the Mosses.”

  ‘You were right, we did it.” Ella drew back sharply and glanced at her watch. “Rock, it’s almost four. We only have a little over an hour to get back. We’ll never make it in time.”

  Rock squeezed her hand and took out his phone. He gripped it with white knuckles. “Yeah…Mike. We’re on our way.” A pause and Rock whipped around. “Well stall him! Don’t do anything. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  He hung up and Ella and Agent Sloan followed Rock back to the cars at a run.

  * * * * *

  They were back in Clayton-Moss by six. On their way back from Kranton, Sloan had put in a call to the CMPD and by the time they arrived at Scalder’s office, he was already being escorted to a squad car in cuffs. A local news crew had forced their way to the front to film the action, while journalists fought for the spotlight to report on the scandal.

  Ella gave Scalder a big smile when he looked up at her and Rock. “Game, set, match, Scalder.”

  “You haven’t won yet, Miss Clayton. I still have those pictures of you and McCarthy. I may not get what I wanted, but I can still make hell for the both of you.”

  “No you can’t.” Rock bent down and lowered his voice once Scalder was in the back of the car. “It helps to have people in the BDSM community on your side.”

  Sloan leaned in and Scalder gave the agent a look mixed with contempt and confusion. “I’ve already had an officer locate your memory card. They’ve confiscated everything, including your hard drives. Unfortunately, the photos have mysteriously been deleted.”

  Ella covered her mouth in mock shock. She hit the top of the car, giving Scalder a wink. “Have a nice time in lock up.”

  He shouted something at her, but Sloan slammed the car door cutting him off with a satisfying suddenness. As the squad car pulled away, Ella turned to Rock, slipping her arms around him.

  “Now, that is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  He laughed and pulled her against him. “Me too. You were wonderful today. The city is in good hands with you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Rock nodded and waved at someone behind her. Ella followed his gaze and grinned at Agent Sloan who was getting in his car. The agent waved before peeling out of the lot and disappearing down the road. Gratitude for him welled up in her. They wouldn’t have caught Scalder without his help.

  “So.” She turned to Rock with a smile when he spoke and settled his hands on her hips. “All’s right with the world.”

  Her thoughts turned to her father and her stomach clenched. She touched the collar Rock had given her, mostly hidden under her blouse. “Not quite. We still have to tell my father we’re engaged.”

  * * * * *

  A short time later, Ella got off Rock’s bike in her father’s driveway. Rock did the same, and when he straightened, he let out a heavy breath. He smiled, but it looked forced. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  Ella ran her hands up his arms, trying to infuse him with her love and support. Seeing this vulnerability in Rock made her heart swell.

  She led him through the mansion and found her father on the back porch sitting in his wheelchair, looking out at the fiery sunset. Hand in hand with Rock, she stepped out onto the porch and stood in front of him.

  Jonathan Clayton lifted his eyes, looking over the two of them. Foolish as it was, she’d been hoping for some sign of acceptance of Rock and her relationship, but his face was a cold scowl. Her stomach tightened, but she pushed her worries down.

  “Daddy, we have something to tell you.”

  He gave a gravelly huff and turned his chair away, rolling toward the back door to the house. Ella exchanged a look with Rock, her muscles coiling with tension. He was shutting them both out before they even told him the news.

  Rock made a low noise and strode after him. “Sir, I—”

  “I saw it on the news.” Dad’s tone was clipped as he wheeled himself into the living room. “What you two did to Scalder.” He turned to face them.

  Ella swallowed, nodding, unsure where this was going.

  “Yes, sir.” Rock’s jaw twitched, his hand in Ella’s tightening.

  Her father cleared his throat and locked his gaze on Rock’s face. “So, I take it now that you’ve saved my company, you think that gives you some sort of right to marry my daughter?”

  Rock opened his mouth, then closed it.

  “Dad….”

  He shrugged. “Well? Are you going to marry her or not?”

  The implications in his words sank in slowly and her eyes widened as she looked from her father to an equally shocked Rock. Ella let out a half chuckle, half sigh, leaning her head on Rock’s shoulder. Rock’s face split into a huge grin and he slid his arm around her waist.

  “Yes, sir. Yes, I am.”

  * * * * *

  A few hours later, as Ella prepared to go to a dance club with Rock, she released a long breath. She slipped on lace panties and a low cut, strapless black dress that hugged her generous curves and left her shoulders bare. She wanted to leave her pussy and her ass easily accessible to Rock anytime he wanted them, but for what she had in mind, panties on was even better.

  They’d talked about the kind of scene she had in mind before, playing it out the next time they had the chance, but would he do it? She’d only ever seen that kind of thing once, between Mac and Claire. The idea of Rock doing such a crazy, nasty thing to her set her on fire. Yes, definitely panties on.

  She stroked the collar that shimmered on her neck. I still have one thing left to do.

  CHAPTER 19: TABOO

  Three hours later, out of breath and grinning from ear to ear, Ella let Rock lead her off the dance floor at Club Visage. Mac and Claire lounged on a couch tucked in an alcove at the back of the room. Rock pulled Ella against him on the couch. For a few minutes they talked to Mac and Claire before Rock turned to her. His lips brushed her temple.

  “Having fun?”

  “With you? Always.”

  He tilted her chin up and bent his head, nibbling her ear. “I can’t wait to get you home, girl.” His lips left a burning trail down her neck, his voice a low rasp. “You’re gonna get it so fucking good.”

  Heat flared in her at his words. She opened her mouth to answer, but froze, eyes widening. Mac reclined on the other end of the plush black couch while Claire bent over his lap, head bobbing up and down between his legs.

  “Rock…”

  “Mm?”

  “Look.” When he drew back, she gave a discreet nod toward their friends.

  Rock barely looked at them. “Oh, yea
h, they do that.”

  “Since when? I’ve never seen them do anything like that in public except at the club.”

  Mac had his hand in Claire’s curly black hair, and his gaze caught Ella’s. His eyes gleamed. Claire’s fingers dug into his thighs and Mac’s jaw muscles clenched as he clearly tried to keep a neutral expression. Claire’s head bobbed a little faster, and Mac’s grip tightened on her. He muttered something to her, praise of some kind, knowing him. Music pounded loud from the speakers, drowning out all other sounds, but Ella could imagine the sensual sucking noises Claire made. Arousal licked at her pussy.

  She glanced around. People milled about their part of the floor, some close enough that if they looked down, there’d be no mistaking what they’d see. The heat in her core turned to an ache.

  Ella glanced at Rock. He stroked her hand slowly with his, but his eyes were on the couple. A bulge grew, tenting the front of his black leather pants. Ella swallowed as her heart sped up.

  It’s now or never. She leaned in, close to Rock’s ear, keeping her voice to what she hoped was a seductive purr.

  “I need to use the washroom, Sir.” He looked at her and she gave him a coy smile. “Join me?”

  Rock’s brows drew together for a moment before his eyes widened in understanding. Down to her last thread of courage, Ella didn’t wait for his reply. She turned and walked to the bathroom, weaving through the crowd. Hoping he followed her.

  Once in the washroom, she let the door close and looked around, checking the stalls. Empty. No one anywhere in sight. She went to the counter, trying to calm her breathing. Her heart thudded in her throat, excitement electrifying her blood.

  A moment later, the door opened and Rock stepped into the woman’s washroom with only a quick glance back at the club beyond.

  Ella fought a shaky grin and tried to look casual. “What are you doing in here, can’t you read?”