“You can never tell…never mind, you’re a vault.”
“Give me your initial impressions of them.”
“Sean is subject one. He’s the closest to home in case I chicken out the second he tries to shake my hand. He’s also a lot like Dad. They have similar backgrounds and interests. He’s an internet guy…”
“Well that could mean anything so I’m digging up every comma connected to him. Keep going.”
“Victor is subject two. A fisherman in Georgia. He’s really sweet…”
“Un-fucking-convinced of said sweetness. I’ll know every porn site he’s ever trolled by tomorrow. Let me find some crazy shit…” She growled. “Go on.”
Riya giggled. “Joshua is subject three. He’s an athlete and a college student…”
“Oh my fucking Christ, Riya! Rufie city and frat party gang bangs! He better not be a chemistry major. Next.”
“A rancher named Lucas is subject four.”
“Where is this ranch?”
“Montana.”
Tawny took a deep breath. “Let me get this straight. You’re going to some guy’s ranch out in the middle of BFE with sexual activity on the table. Did we not watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre together?”
She frowned in confusion. “He’s in Montana…”
“Oh god…who else?”
“My fifth subject is Ricardo, a policeman in LA…
“He’s going to be excellent at covering up his crimes and erasing his tracks. That’s comforting.” She rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers. “Continue.”
Riya was practically chipper. Tawny kind of wanted to choke her unconscious.
“Subject six is a big real estate guy in New York City named Hudson…”
Progress. “Good, I spend a lot of time in NYC. He should be easy to check out.”
“Max and Micah live in New York, too…”
“Hold the fucking phone. Why did you say their names like that?” She thought she was clever.
“Like what…?”
“Together all quick like that, why?”
“Um…”
No way. No fucking way was “all her pens must be positioned in a specific way on her desk” Riya considering a threesome.
“Are two of your subjects men you’ll be with at the same time?” She blushed to the roots of her dark hair. Oh shit. “As in, they outnumber you? As in, fucking you together?”
She wrung her hands. “See, I’m not altogether sure on that part. They’re really nice. I loved their essays.”
“I will die of a coronary before this shit is done.” Truth.
In the back of her mind, Tawny worked up a few contingency plans in case she had to kill people.
“I know you’ll check them out down to who else was born in the same hospital at the same time but…,” her smile was warm and happy, “these men are amazing.”
“They better be amazing, Riya. They’ll never see me coming if they’re not. I’m not remotely kidding.”
Chapter Ten
July 2012
It turned out that the men Riya had chosen for her dissertation were kind of cool.
She ran them through every criminal database, hacked their emails, and enabled the handy camera apps on their phones to see what they were up to when they thought no one was looking.
Wrong – considering the project was actually scientific research and therefore supposed to be completely confidential and anonymous – but necessary in her mind.
Careful not to share a single piece of information with her best friend, she scoped out the “subjects” over the course of several weeks to decide if her friend would be safe in their care and keeping.
Sean was a cute workaholic that had a great relationship with his mom and little brother. Sweet car, too.
Victor was waking up when she was going to bed and was probably the sweetest guy she’d ever seen. The similarities between him and Arnie made her smile.
Joshua trained constantly and didn’t seem to fit in with the other guys on his team who were jock stereotypes. His ability to recover after masturbation was insane.
Lucas either worked or slept. He seemed almost broken and she dug a little deeper. What she found made her want Riya to go meet him first.
Ricardo was in the hospital. She cross-checked his police file with his medical records and was relieved that it wasn’t a sexually transmitted disease. He’d recover by the time Riya arrived.
Hudson was a straight up freak that she had a soft spot for almost immediately. The dude was a true asshole but there was something about him that made her chuckle.
Max and Micah were similar to the real estate tycoon in that they worked fucking constantly and never seemed to have much fun. She’d never seen such physically attractive men who weren’t being paid to be so.
All in all, she felt better once she’d completely invaded every aspect of their privacy and stomped all over their civil rights.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone. Riya answered on the first ring. “Alright, bitch…I’m done poking and prodding at these guys.”
There was a long pause. “You like them, don’t you?”
“I mean…I guess. They have potential.”
She chuckled. “Tell me this…would you fuck them?”
“Hell yeah. Not gonna lie. I’d fuck them all.”
“That’s better than your background checks, which I want to know nothing about…ever. I can’t imagine.”
Tawny whistled a tune. “Yeah, let’s leave it at that.” She sighed. “When is this all supposed to go down?”
“I leave the last week of August. I’ll be gone for eight weeks. I’m spending between five to seven days with each subject at their home.”
“I’ll make sure I’m in New York when you’re done. You’re going to need some serious recovery. If your pussy doesn’t fall out from sudden overuse.”
“Gross.”
“Just sayin’ that you’ve let the thing grow shut. At this point, you’re practically revirginized.”
“Weird, Tawny. You know that’s not scientifically possible and it’s creepy to consider.”
“Use your vag. It’s great for stress relief and lowers blood pressure. That’s my PSA for the night.”
“You coming for breakfast tomorrow?”
“Fuck yeah, you like to cook and I’m practically starving to death. Also, I’d like a play by play on the costumes you’re taking with you to meet these guys.”
“Costumes…?”
“Or you can play it totally straight. That’s an option, too. I’d have a different persona for each of them.”
“I’m the control, Tawny.”
“Yeah, you keep using that word, Miss Jackson. At the end of this thing, I hope you’re still in full possession of all that control you think you have.”
Riya was quiet for a long moment. “Me, too.”
Two months later, Tawny was spinning out from anxiety.
“Hollow, I will go on a killing spree if these fuckers hurt her. You’ll have to bust me out of prison.”
“I have the unmarked van already sitting in the warehouse and we’ve run likelihoods just in case.”
“Remember to grab me between holding and court. That’s always best.”
“Not my first rodeo.” He went quiet. “She’s going to be okay, Tawny. She’s taken a huge leap of faith the last few years with you. You have to do the same.”
“I know.”
“How many times have you told me how smart and grounded she is? You know she’s got this. Have her back, I’ll have your back, and let her do the things she has to do to find peace.”
“I’m scared this will fuck her up.”
“Then you’ll pick up the pieces and start over. Believe in your friend, Red.” She could hear his smile through the phone. “You’ve trained her better than you think.”
“I hope to god you’re right.”
“I am. By the way, what are you wearing?�
�
“Not a fucking thing, duh. I love naked time. My neighbors hate me. What are you wearing?”
“Tactical gear.”
“Shit, that’s way hotter. You guys pulling those kids out tonight? I thought it was scheduled for next week.”
“Change of plans. The mom is in the hospital.”
“Fuck. Should I come up?”
She listened to him give instructions to his team. “No. Riya leaves tomorrow. I might have you handle something in your area.”
“Be safe. Send me details.”
“Will do. Hug her tight and let her go, Tawny.”
They disconnected and she crawled between the cool sheets of her bed. Staring through the full window wall at the ocean beyond, she wondered how much would change in Riya’s life in the coming months.
As long as her heart was still intact, she’d recover from everything else. It was both her best friend’s strongest and weakest feature.
She wanted her back safe and sound, if a little worse for the wear. It was the only thing she’d ever beg whatever deity was or was not looking out for humans.
“Riya is one of the good ones and I’ll lose it without her so…keep your eye on the ball. Please and thank you.”
Epilogue
August 2012 – Deerfield Beach, Florida
Watching Riya drive away was not easy. She stood in the driveway of the duplex and watched the rental until it was out of sight, cursing the tears on her face.
Her phone rang and she answered without looking at the caller ID. “Tawny, I need you to do a job.”
“Hollow…”
“You need to keep your mind occupied and this is right up your alley. Do you remember May?”
“Of course.” Memories flipped rapidly through her mind as she wiped her face. “Oh my god, of course. How could I forget? Tell me what you need.”
Three years before, a young woman called a women’s shelter from a gas station near Yeehaw Junction in Central Florida. Certain flags during her conversation with the operator got her routed to Hollow’s people.
A team was dispatched to pick her up but she was terrified of the men. Tawny arrived in record law-breaking time and talked the girl out of the bathroom she’d locked herself inside.
She said they could call her May.
She looked around fourteen or fifteen and she was clearly pregnant. Driving her to the nearest safe house, Tawny tried to get information but May was exhausted and severely dehydrated.
Hollow arrived the following morning but the young girl was too afraid to think clearly.
Crouching in front of the chair where she sat, he gave her a gentle smile. “My name is Hollow. I hear your name is May, is that right?”
The girl nodded and her fingers curled around the seat of her chair until the knuckles were white.
“I know you might not believe me right now but no one here is going to hurt you. I imagine all of this can seem overwhelming. I don’t want you to be afraid.”
“It’s big here. Everything is so open.”
“Were you in a place that was small?”
“And dark. Small and dark. The world is much bigger and even brighter than I knew.”
Tawny met Hollow’s eyes and both of them drew the same conclusion. May had been raised in captivity.
“How did you get to the gas station, May? Do you remember where you came from?”
“Somewhere cold. I rode in a box in someone’s truck. Water filled the bottom and I drank it. It was made from wood.” She held up her dirty hand. “I have splinters.”
Hollow glanced down and his eyes went wide. Softly, he murmured, “Get a medic.”
“I don’t want needles. I don’t want to be tied up.” She started to shake and then wet herself. “Please…please.”
“No one is going to put needles in you or tie you up, May. You’re safe. I think I know someone who would put you at ease in a way that is really important right now. You need to get well and keep your baby safe. Will you give it a try?”
“It is a lady?”
“Yes. She’s very gentle and kind. I think she’s the kind of person you need for a little while. Once you feel strong and you have your baby, I’ll help you get wherever you need to go.”
“It needs a family.”
“Your baby?” She nodded. “You don’t want to keep your baby, May?”
“He’ll kill it. If he finds out, he’ll kill it. It needs to be safe. It will never be safe with me.”
“You’re going to be safe, too. Let’s take one thing at a time. Tawny is going to drive you to a shelter and you’re to ask for a woman named Elizabeth. Will you remember?” May nodded slowly.
“I can’t tell them my name. There can’t be police.”
“I understand. No police. Just a safe place for you and your baby.”
“Until you find it a family.”
“If that’s what you want then we will find a safe home for your baby. Let’s get you cleaned up. You need food and water.”
Tawny thought back on the image of Elizabeth Clayton walking away from the shelter beside May hours after her rescue. Everything about the woman had seemed soothing, even from a distance.
A few months later, May gave birth to her baby, placed it for adoption, and disappeared off the grid with the money their organization provided. Hollow had never been able to locate her until now.
“You found her, Hollow?”
“I found her. Our girl learned a lot since the last time we saw her, Tawny. Someone gave her training.” There was a pause. “She’s been hunting the man I believe was her captor and popped up on my radar three days ago.”
“How?”
“She shot him as he exited the main courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale.”
“Holy fuck. Is he dead?”
“Wounded but it wasn’t a kill shot. She got away using the sewer system and contacted me yesterday. Refused to come in at first but the search is heating up and she’s afraid. She asked for you.”
“Where is she?”
He gave her a series of directions and she jogged to her car. “She’s safe for now but I’d like you to keep an eye on her until I can get her transported out of state.”
“Consider it done.”
“I appreciate it, Red.”
“Hollow?” He waited. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Keep moving, pretty girl. Before you know it, Riya will be back. In the meantime, you have a young girl to save.”
Disconnecting, she sent some positive energy to her best friend and checked the magazine in her gun.
Since she was a little girl, Tawny Ratliff had given no fucks. She didn’t care what people thought about her, there were few things she wouldn’t try at least once, and those traits had led her to the life she was meant to lead.
The end…not really.
Keep reading for a sneak peek of “The Barter System,” the first full novel of the series.
The Barter System
Research may be work…but that doesn’t
mean you can’t enjoy it.
Shayne McClendon
Tiny disclaimer…I limited the sexual content in “Pushing the Envelope” to give more readers a taste of my work. However! I cannot stress more strongly that while “The Barter System” is packed with incredible characters and an engaging plot…there is a lot of sex.
No, seriously. There’s a lot of sex. Just to let you know. I tried to substitute sex with cards or watching sitcoms but…it didn’t read the way I wanted it to.
If that’s not your cup of tea, check out one of my dramatic romances instead (hint, hint: “Completely Wrecked”).
Carry on!
Chapter One
Last week of August 2012
Riya O’Connell perused the profiles of each man she’d chosen to participate in the final stage of her dissertation. Page by page, she reviewed the data she’d gathered from them as well as her own carefully performed background checks for wha
t must have been the hundredth time.
The applications submitted to her website The Barter System originally numbered more than thirteen thousand before her six-month deadline in May. Potential subjects filled out a brief application and gave basic information about themselves and their non-sexual lives.
It had shocked her to see the number of bogus candidates – though she knew it shouldn’t have. A vast majority of applicants submitted false information about age, relationship status, employment status, and criminal history.
If someone lied about the little things, they were likely to lie about the big ones. She needed honesty if her data was going to be accurate. The rejected applications were numbered and now comprised the first fifty pages of her research. Not a single word would be wasted.
In the last three months, she’d trimmed the list to just over five hundred by sending out a questionnaire that had to be completed on a tighter schedule of ten days. The second survey was much more detailed and specific, asking general questions about sexuality and preferences.
Many men emailed her website with complaints about all the “work” she was making them do. Naturally, those potentials were culled immediately from the list of possibilities.
She would need – legitimate information – to submit with her dissertation. If a simple questionnaire scared them…they weren’t going to be up for the countless questions she planned to ask casually and formally.
From those several hundred “real” applicants, Riya narrowed the list once again by requesting an essay about why they wished to participate. More than three hundred men submitted their compositions by her third deadline.
The majority were filled with sexual fantasy and very little emotion. Those final-tier applicants had been painstakingly narrowed to less than thirty.
Of those, less than a dozen men remained in her “first choice” stack of files.
After serious internal struggle and a bit of juggling, her final eight men were chosen at the end of July. Only one change had to be made within the last few days and she was still unsure how she felt about it.
Pushing the Envelope: A Prequel from The Barter System World Page 5