Page 63 of Love's Hot

Sitting staring out the window, Jess is taking in everything I’ve just said to her. Sipping on her coffee. After a few moments’ silence, she turns to talk more. “I can do this, I know I can. I want to catch these bastards. Is there another way we can look more intimate without full-on groping each other?” she asks, almost pleading with me.

“I was thinking all day about this too. How about tonight if we just do a lot of kissing on the neck from behind. You, standing in front of me with your back to my chest. I can pretend to be putting my hand up your skirt from the back but not really touching anything. Kissing you on your neck and pretending to nibble your ear. You need to play the part, though, with the noises and look like I’m driving you wild. No kissing on the lips. Does that help?”

The sparkle in her eyes returns a little. “Kane, you’re a good guy. Sounds awesome, but if you think we need to go further tonight, just do it and I’ll cope with it.” Pausing, she places her other hand over mine. “Don’t let her go, Kane. As soon as we’re back out, you chase her down and make her yours. You only get one chance with that sort of connection. I’ve never heard you talk like that before. Ever.”

“Well, there’s never been a Lilly before. I just don’t know if she deserves more than I can give her in this job. I mean, look at what we do, day in and day out. What if I go to work one day and never come home?”

“Then she cries for the days she’s missing you but she wraps her arms around herself to remember the days of love you shared. Hopefully looking down into the eyes of little Kanes that will bring her joy every day for the part of you she still has to cherish. We can never promise tomorrow, but we can live today full of love and make memories. Don’t make her choice for her, Kane. That’s not fair.”

I sit there feeling so emotional. Everything Jess just said really hit home with me.

“That’s what Lilly said to me once. That I was never giving women the chance to make a choice. None of them mattered before, but her…fuck, she turns me upside down and inside out every time.”

We both sit, sipping coffee, contemplating all that has been said and what lies in front of us tonight.

Jessie bangs her cup on the table.

“Fuck it! We’re going to get this bastard. You are going to get your girl and I’m not going undercover again and I’m going to be a mom. Something I’ve always wanted but was afraid to step back from work, worried that I would miss it too much. Or not give a child all the attention they deserve because my mind is all tangled in the job. Life is too short, though, and we’re missing out on our dreams because of the job. We have to balance both. We need to do this shit, Kane!” She’s up and pacing the room.

“That’s the spirit. Let’s go in there tonight and really get into finding out what the fuck they’re doing. The sooner we get the intel, the faster we nail them. Let’s talk over our plan. Another coffee?”

We both grin at each other and I know we’ve got this. We both have our cop persona back on and a whole lot of badass adrenaline to go with it.

I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to make Lilly mine, but every day I get closer to wanting it more than breathing.

***

After spending a few hours talking over our plans, we’re now standing outside a plain brick building that could be mistaken for an apartment building. There’s nothing to make it look any different than any of the buildings in the street. We’re down in the river district. There’s a row of shops across the road that are all closed now, of course, being ten pm. A few random people are wandering down the street, talking or walking arm in arm. Just like any normal night.

The guy we spoke to last night at the club on the other side of town said this was the new club that everyone was raving about. It’s one where there are fewer rules, and the sex is more hardcore. He’d been one night and said he was jerking himself off all night just watching the shows. He’s a voyeur like we’re portraying ourselves to be.

So here we are, standing at the heavy red timber door, knocking and waiting for it to be opened. The security that greets us at the door is a guy dressed in all black but just normal street clothes so he doesn’t stand out. After asking us a few questions and waiting for our answers, we’re then let through the next heavy door. Now things are getting real. We’re told the rules and have our phones taken, Jessie’s coat, and then we’re both given a pat down. It pisses me off, but I just grit my teeth and go with it. Mind you, the guy is useless at a search as my knife is still strapped on my ankle and ready should I need it at any time. He’s also more interested in just patting down Jessie in the inappropriate areas than doing it properly. Straight away I can tell we’re in a club that’s just a dirty street version of the clubs we’ve visited before now. It’s using the name of a sex club, but really, I think it’s just a backstreet place of abusing women. My skin is crawling already, and we haven’t even gone inside.

Now the acting starts as I take my hot “girlfriend” into a club for a little fun.

“Come on, AJ, let’s get in there and watch them punishing people so I can make you all hot and wet, all ready for me. I love how the punishment makes you so horny,” I say it loud enough so the staff can hear me but in a low enough voice they think I’m trying to be sexy.

“Oh yes,” Jessie moans at me.

“If you want to see some real punishment happening, go to the far back room. That’s where the real action is. Sounds like you both are really going to be into that.” Bingo, now we’re getting somewhere. The big dumb security guy starts giving us information. Strange that he would share that information straight away with new people into the club. They really have no idea what they’re doing here or how to disguise their illegal activities. Security is near non-existent. It’s like they think they’re above the law. Hence why my Sarge believes there’s a policeperson on their books tipping them off all the time. Saving them from getting caught.

“Thanks, man, my lady here gets all wet watching the women being flogged. I love watching her trying not to cum just from watching.” The guy just smiles at me and slaps me on the back.

“Well, she’s going to love that room. It’s where they bring in the special women. There’s so much screaming and crying. Until they finally submit, or they pass out from the pain. Either way, it’s fucking hot to watch them get so scared. Makes me hard as nails, if you know what I mean. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, we get them to use how we like at the end of the night before they get shipped out to their holding house. Gets rid of my problem in my pants from watching all night and not being able to participate.”

I feel Jessie stiffening under my fingers. I’m sure I’m leaving bruises on her arms where they’re digging into her. I want to grab this guy by the throat and slice it right open, watching the life drip out of him. I try to push past my anger to answer him with the glee I’m supposed to get from hearing such things.

“Fuck, can’t wait to see it. Can you show us where to go? I want to go straight there,” I growl which he takes as me being turned on instead of the anger that I’m trying to control. Tonight’s going to test every part of my training not to blow this case before we get the intel so we can take them down.

“It’s a little early for the back room to open. You’ll see it when it’s time. The red lights on the doorway will light up and then they’re ready. You’ll see people move in there so just follow them. In the meantime, grab a drink and enjoy the floor show as a warm-up, or any of the viewing rooms.” Just as he’s finishing, another couple comes through the door and he’s moving on to go through the same routine with them.

We move across to the bar and take a table in a dark corner of the room. I get two drinks and we already decided that Jessie is drinking tonight. I need to be fully alert and bringing my A-game. With the way the table is, there are some plants close by and Jessie already motioned with her eyes that her drink will be gradually disappearing into the plant. I’m glad that she’ll be alert, to help keep her safe, plus we need to work together as much as possible. I have a feeling that tonight is going to help with a major breakthrough. Something’s telling me we’re getting close.

Watching the couple on stage, the woman is bent over a bench and strapped down, while her partner is flogging her hard. She’s screaming out, counting the number of times she’s hit. He’s totally getting off on the pain he’s inflicting. You can see by the mound in his pants that he loves it. You can see her pussy and it’s glistening, she seems to be enjoying it too.

Jessie leans over to whisper in my ear, making it look like we’re getting cozy.

“I struggle to watch this kind of punishment. I’m not sure I’m going to cope with whatever the hell this other room is. Fuck, Kane, what the hell is going on here?” Feeling the way her breath is fast on my ear, I know what she means. My apprehension of what we’re going to find is making me feel like crap.

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