Page 283 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

“These pictures aren’t last night,” I told him as I thrust his cell phone back toward him. “None of them prove anything.”

“You’re right. The last photographs were taken a few days ago. The guy she sold those pills to overdosed shortly after in an alley near Syn.”

I gasped before quickly composing myself. “What were those pills?”

Easton grabbed his cell phone, then took a seat in the chair in front of my desk. “It’s a new drug similar to rainbow fentanyl, but much stronger. The cases began in Los Angeles, then the deaths started popping up all over the country. Many kids from influential families have died as they are being marketed to young, elite kids.”

“How do you know that she... I mean that I am responsible for all of those drugs getting out onto the streets? I haven’t even been to California in months.”

I had to remember to not give away Carley and had managed to catch myself this time. Easton’s face softened all while his eyes narrowed. “A few weeks ago when I was in Los Angeles, I was tasked with taking down a prolific trafficking ring. I’d manage to get almost everyone except a woman who looked just like you who also called herself ‘Gemini’ like you do.”

“What? I only used that as a safeword because it’s my astrological sign. You know I haven’t been to Los Angeles in a while. There has to be some mistake.”

“The only mistake is the one you’re making by protecting whoever this person is. Gemini is bad news and is knowingly responsible for selling poison to children. She needs to be stopped, and only you can help us.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Give this person up, or else you’ll be the one hauled into the station and arrested. All signs point to you right now, and you have no alibi.”

“I was at the club with you the other night.”

“We both know what that sort of publicity would do to a club like Syn. A person has already died outside its door. Do you want Hawke to lose the entire place?”

“N-No,” I stammered.

“Then confess to me once and for all, and I’ll figure out how to get you out of this. I’ll protect you, Shelby. I just need your cooperation first, so for the last time, who is this woman because we both know that she isn’t you.”

Nineteen

EASTON

Shelby looked ready to crack at any moment. So far the threat of jail and the loss of her life’s dream hadn’t been enough to make her spill. I needed something else, and knowing what that was, I waited for her to speak. When she still didn’t, I cleared my throat.

“Two agents have obtained a search warrant for your place, and they’re on their way over there as we speak. Drug sniffing dogs will be brought along with them, and if they find anything, you’ll go away for a long time.”

“Nothing can be proven,” she whispered.

“You’re looking at jail time in Colorado, and even more in California when you’re identified by some of those we’d already arrested back in Los Angeles. They have told us all about Gemini, and knowing the one in the ATM photograph isn’t you, there’s every chance they could still positively ID you. There’s no way out but to tell me the truth.”

Shelby got up at that moment, and I saw the slight wince as she did so. Visions of her body swaying as I lashed up and down her frame with my favorite single tail did enter my thoughts but I couldn’t think about sex now. If I couldn’t convince her to give up whoever she was protecting, my submissive would very likely go to jail as I threatened.

My submissive. I’d never before considered any of the women I’d scened with over the years to be mine, but I did with this one. Something about Shelby had caught my eye, and once I had her under my hand, she crawled beneath my skin. Now, she was as essential to me as the blood flowing through my veins. If I wanted even the slightest potential of having a future with her, I needed to fix this present issue.

“I wish we were at Syn right now so I could tie you up until you came to your senses.”

“Where I’m sure you would torture me for information,” she replied.

“I would.” There was no need to beat around the bush.

“Meeting you was the worst mistake I’ve ever made in my life.”

Her words stung, and this time I was the one to wince, only from a different kind of pain. Shelby looked straight at me, and I could see the fire in her eyes. She truly believed herself to hate me, which was usually a good thing. It was normally something I’d take great pride in fucking out of her. There was no time for any of that. In fact, I’d asked my boss to give me a few hours before he did move forward with warrants and such. That time was rapidly dwindling away.

“If it keeps your tight ass out of jail, it’ll be the best thing to have happened to you.”

She huffed. “You have nothing on me.”

“We don’t need the physical evidence. There’s enough to haul you in right now, and a half dozen others ready to single you out in a lineup to further their own cases. If you don’t believe me and want to take that risk, so be it. I’m only going to ask you once more before I let you deal with the consequences all on your own.”

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