O.R.

What the fuck had happened? Arvin shot Jack’s girl, then blank. Cade frowned, his head pounded as he sat upright in his bed. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he leaned forward, elbows on knees. Mouth taste like someone took a crap in it and used his tongue to wipe. Forcing himself up, he ambled toward the bathroom, scratching himself along the way. He paused in mid scratch, looking down, he was naked. He frowned. Shaking his head he tried to clear away the cobwebs. Did I tie one on? He wondered. Nah. Drugged? Entering the bathroom, he bent and lifted the toilet seat before taking a leak. How did I get home? Shaking off, he walked back into the kitchen area of the apartment. Opening the fridge door he bent over and peered in.

“I see you are finally awakened,” said a female voice from the living area attached to the kitchen, startling him.

“Jesus!” he exclaimed, bashing his already aching head against the inside ceiling of the fridge with a loud clunk.

Soft feminine laughter greeted him as he closed the icebox.

Rubbing the back of his head, he walked through the little dining area separating the kitchen from the small living room. Seated on the edge of the chesterfield, attired very similarly to the way he had seen her at the Heller office building, was Hildegarde Helvet.

“Miss Helvet,” he said, hands quickly descending to cover his nakedness.

“I apologize if I frightened you,” she said, giving him a smile.

“What are you doing here in my apartment?” he asked, eyes narrowing.

“There are a couple of developing situations that currently require my utmost attention and rather than leave you in a state of limbo for however long, I’ve decided to return you here, for the time being,” she said, slight amused smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Cade looked baffled. “What is tarnation is going on here?” he asked, bringing his left hand up to his head and scratching.

“As I’ve said,” she started.

Interrupting her, “Yeah I heard what you said, but none of this shit is making any goddamn sense,” he growled.

“I am here as a courtesy,” she said smartly, frowning slightly.

“Listen, you are in way over your head young lady and you have absolutely no idea the kind of trouble you’re in, the kind of people looking for you, the damage they can do. In your perfect rich little world, you don’t see what happens when the lights go down,” he said.

She puts her hands together in front of her face and laughed a little, “Are you trying to protect me?” she asked.

He frowned, considering. “I’m just trying to tell you you’re not as clever as your think you are,” he said.

“If it will help assuage your chivalric heart, I have already spoken with Mr. Traynor about the issue of his missing personnel,” she informed.

Cade pursed his lips, “You spoke with Little Train?” he asked, eyes narrowing.

She smiled, “Of course, while you were, shall we say, indisposed,” she replied.

“What about the girl who was shot, what’s her name?” he asked, wondering what happened during the time he was missing.

“Clarice? She’s fine, in fact she’s with Mr. Traynor as we speak, giving him an opportunity to mend fences if I’m not mistaken,” she supplied. “I might not have been so generous, but it’s her decision.”

“What about Jack?”

“Clarice’s mother was somewhat displeased with the wounding of her daughter and has left Mr. Dalton in, shall we say, a little bit of a bind. The emphasis is on little,” she said, cheeky grin.

“Clarice’s mother?”

“Clarissa Heller,” Hilde answered.

Cade frowned and shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. “Okay,” he muttered. “How did I get here?”

Her smile widened, “I brought you here,” she said.

He scowled, “By yourself?”

She nodded,

He snorted, “Please,” he said. “You’re like what, a buck twenty, buck thirty and you carried me up here. Did that hallway lurker Demarco help you?”

“The oaf down the hall? Hardly,” she said, tone indignant.

Cade laughed. “I’m like two twenty, maybe a little more,” he said patting a developing paunch. “And you carried me up here, all by yourself?”

She nodded, extending her right hand palm up, and touching the center with the index finger of her left hand. “Right there,” she said, golden eyes sparkling mischievously as she played with him.

“Fuck off,” he said screwing up his face.

“No joke,” she said, returning her hands neatly her lap.

“Okay, tell me how a woman like you carries a guy like me up here? Explain that,” he encouraged.

She stood up, smoothing her dark skirt before fixing him with a smile, “When my other business is concluded, you and I will finish this conversation. Though I must admit, I find your consternation is very amusing and somewhat stimulating.”

He scowled, “If that means confusion, fucking ‘A’ right I’m confused.” He shook his head as she approached.

She put her right hand on his chest, playful smile on her face as she ran her fingers through his chest hair. “In the meantime, I am going to help you in regards to your investigation. Mr. Thomas Edwards has been located, unfortunately he was involved in a traffic accident just across the Mexican border. The authorities down there had some difficulty identifying him and sadly his remains were cremated. Truly a tragedy.”

“Bullshit,” Cade said, looking down at her delicate hand and feeling the warmth of it on his chest.

She smiled, “Of course it is, but for all intents and purposes it is sufficient to close the case,” she answered, moving her fingers lightly across his chest.

He frowned, deepening the lines permanently carved into his face. “What about Arvin’s missing crew?”

“Life is cheap in the criminal underworld, who can say?” she replied, moving a step closer to him, breathing in his male scent.

He coughed and took a step back, breaking contact, hand trying now to hide burgeoning excitement.

She let out a pent up breath and smiled, gold eyes practically glowing.

Looking back to her, he said, “I’ve half a mind to slap some cuffs on you and bring you in.”

She chuckled, moving closer again. “You could try,” she said, an intensity in her voice.

He backed out of the way, clearing a path to the door, face clouded.

She knew now was not the time and as much as she wanted to enjoy him, she sighed, stepping passed him, “I will be in touch,” she said.

He followed her to the door. “I want to get to the bottom of this,” he grumbled.

Pausing, she smiled, eyes locked onto his, “I promise you, we are far from finished, and I can guarantee you will get to the bottom ,” she said, sucking her lower lip into her before exiting the door.

Door closed, out in the hall, she leaned her back against it and counted three slow breaths, quelling her hunger. She chuckled to herself. Checking her watch, she started down the hall.

A door opened further up the hall, Demarco stepped out, basket of laundry tucked under a tattooed arm. A smile touched her lips. He looked up and saw her, then reached down for the door handle. He paused and looked again.

She paused a dozen paces from him, smile still on her faces, a baleful light shining out of her yellow eyes. “Demarco,” she said.

A panic look crossed his face as he recognized her. He pushed his apartment door open and hastily stepped inside.

Stopping at his door, she checked her watch again and frowned. “One day I am coming for that drink Demarco,” she said through the door. Turning, she continued down the hall, the time was drawing close.

After she had gone, Cade flopped on the couch, still able to detect a hint of her fragrance lingering in the air, delightful, sinful. It had been a long time since he had had stirrings like the ones she was bringing out in him.  He shook his head and chuckled softly. He wished he could heads or tails of the situation, but none of it made any sense. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Hilde was the lynchpin to unravelling the entire mystery. Her intensity was appealing and unsettling at the same time, like she knew something and she was taunting him.

Walking into the bathroom, he checked himself out in the mirror, there was no way she lugged him up here, he thought to himself, shaking his head. Looking down at his hard on, he laughed and shook his head.

Jessa

Despite taking advantage of their friendship, Jessa did enjoy the thought of spending intimate time with Selene, the girl was damn sexy and an absolute tigress in bed. She had to make sure Selene didn’t get a chance to get a good look at the substitute Jack Dalton, the glamour might not pass a thorough inspection.

Getting back to Selene’s apartment, Jessa became the aggressor, instantly all over Selene. The dark haired beauty with violet eyes gave back as good as she got, steering them into her lavish boudoir. Jessa pulled apart Selene’s blouse, scattering buttons across the floor, while Selene fumbled with the stamped metal button on Jessa’s black jeans.

Jessa reached into Selene’s brassiere and removed the tiny figure, bringing the man to her mouth and coating him in saliva while Selene crouched down and pulled Jessa’s pants down around her ankles.

When Selene stood back up, they shared a kiss before Jessa pushed her back to the bed, causing her to drop onto her bum.  Jessa removed the now spit slick man from her mouth and teased him around Selene’s mouth, before the dark haired woman could capture the tiny figure between her sensually full lips.

Jessa stepped out of her pants and began removing her clothing, peeling off her white top, while Selene removed her own bra. Caressing Selene’s cheek, Jessa took hold of one of the legs sticking out from between Selene’s lips, pulling the man free with a slight popping sound. Cupping him in her hand, she held the slippery man against her own left breast and caressed herself while Selene kissed her stomach, fingers dancing delicately across the outside of her panties.

Running her free hand through Selene’s silky hair, Jessa pulled the man away from her bosom and set him down on the bed near Selene.

The little man appeared to stumble, uncoordinated, almost as if impaired by some intoxicant.

Jessa pushed Selene onto her back and straddled her, moving quickly.

“Careful,” Selene warned, throwing a glance to the tiny figure staggering and trying to remain vertical.

Jessa timed it exactly, calculating and anticipating his movement so that as she moved, her right knee came down directly on top him, her weight crushing his tiny little frame into the sheet. Shifting her hips slightly, she drew her knee back approximately six inches, grinding the little body of the man across the silk sheet in the process, creating a pulpy red stain on the sheet. There were elements of flesh and bone but the stain was no longer recognizable as anything resembling what had once been human.

“Oh my god!” exclaimed Jessa, looking down at the elongated smear on the sheet caused by pinning him to the sheet and moving, as she jerked herself back and away.

“Oh no!” Selene said, violet eyes filled with alarm, as she too looked at the human wreckage. “Jack!” she shrieked.

“I didn’t know he was there,” Jessa said, hands on her face, eyes wide with feigned emotion.

“Oh Jack,” Selene said, eyes welling.

“Oh Selene I’m so sorry,” Jessa said, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Selene.

Selene shook her head and returned the embrace.

Jessa held Selene’s head to her chest and stroked her hair. “I’ve never seen you so upset by the loss of a tiny,” she said.

Selene looked up, tears making her eyes red, mascara running. “He was something special,” she said.

Jessa nodded before disengaging and getting up off the bed. Walking out of the room, a ghost of a smile touched the side of her mouth, for all intents and purposes, as far as anybody in Hilde’s circle knew, Jack Dalton was dead. Depending on Lily’s disposition, he might soon be dead in truth anyway, except this way, Lily was exempt from blame.

In the kitchen, Jessa pulled a piece of paper towel from the roll and wetted it before wiping the drying smear of gore from her knee. Satisfied, she folded the paper and discarded it and filled up the teapot, turning on an element on the stove.

Selene emerged from the bedroom, head downcast, and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

By the time Selene emerged, face composed, Jessa had prepared two cups of tea. Selene came out into the living room and sat on the plush chesterfield, Jessa handed her the cup with the tea.

“Again I am so sorry,” Jessa said, sitting beside Selene and folding her legs under her. “I know you said this Jack was special to you and your circle, accidents happen in the heat of the moment, I just wish the little ones weren’t so fragile.”

Selene nodded. “It is the unfortunate reality of their existence,” she replied.

“You still want to…” Jessa asked, slight smile, eyebrow arched, flicking a glance back toward the bedroom.

Selene shook her head, putting the tips of her fingers on Jessa’s lips, her own lower lipping quivering.

Jessa nodded, restraining a pout, she was still feeling incredibly aroused, especially now. “Another time,” she said, feeling deflated and unfulfilled.

Selene nodded, “perhaps you should go,” she suggested.

Jessa nodded, “I’ll call a cab.”

Getting up off the couch, Jessa retrieved her purse. Pulling out her cell phone, she dispatched a quick text to Lily, ‘Fait accompli’ before ringing for a taxi. Gathering her clothes from the bedroom, she redressed.

Returning to the living she sat back down, facing Selene, “Car will be here in ten.”

Selene nodded, cradling the steaming cup of tea between her hands.

“Special or not, you know he was still just a tiny?” Jessa said, pursing her lips.

Selene turned her head, “I know, the sting will pass in time,” she said glumly.

Jessa nodded sympathetically. “We all go through it time to time,” she offered.

The buzzer on the wall near the door sounded.

Looking up, “Your ride is here,” Selene said, setting the cup down on the coffee table before getting up and walking Jessa to the door.

Embracing Selene and exchanging another kiss, more civil than passionate, Jessa walked out to the elevator. Taking the elevator down to the lobby, the doorman saw her and moved near the door, holding it while she walked to the yellow Chevy parked in front of the building, the cab driver standing outside the car leaning against the driver’s door.

A half smile crossed her face, he was cute, tall, the touch of grey in the stubble on his face gave him a rugged appearance and her need had yet to be satisfied as she felt a tingle.

“Where to beautiful?” the cabbie asked, voice gravelly, giving her a broad smile as she approached.

“What’s your name?” she asked, stopping in front of him, she always liked to know the names of her playthings, just made it seem more personal.

He beamed back and moved down the car, “Stuart, Stu,” he replied, opening the back door for her.

She grinned, “One of my favorites,” she said, ducking her head and getting into the car. Now, how to navigate the Covenant.

He smirked to himself as he closed the door, every once in a while the universe smiles upon you.

After Jessa has left, Selene went back to the bathroom and took a shower, washing away the traces of her emotional performance from earlier. She wondered who the poor unfortunate little one was who had been used as the decoy Jack.

Finishing, she stepped out and toweled off her immaculate body, wrapping her hair in the towel. Soon enough she knew, shit and fan were going to come together, and for the first time in a great while, she looked forward to holding the upper hand.

Throwing a sheer satin robe around her nakedness, she collected her cell phone and dialed Hilde’s number.