Page 81 of Deeper

Callen

I pull out of Rylan and gently drop her to the floor. My dick twitches when her hand strokes between her legs. She brings her fingers up to her mouth and licks the aftermath of our fuck from her hand. I’ve just finished with her, but I could go again…and again.

Her boldness brings me back to life. A life I thought was gone before it ever started.

Manic and high off the stunt we just pulled, Rylan moves faster than my brain can keep up with. She has one of Elena’s wrists released before I can think about what we just did and the consequences. Rylan doesn’t do anything small. Simply flirting with another woman and pretending to pick her up wasn’t enough for our sick fantasies. We took it a step further, which hopefully never becomes too far one day.

Rylan’s lust-driven voice pulls me from my concerns. “You enjoyed this. Didn’t you?” she asks the woman as she unties the gag.

Elena seductively puts her fingers to her mouth and removes Rylan’s panties from between her lips. “You’ve told me more than once how beautiful you find me. Let me show you now just how attractive I also find you.” Elena rubs at her now free wrists and leans toward Rylan.

“Get the hell out of here,” Rylan fumes.

“I’m not mad about the shit you pulled. It was exhilarating. Let’s talk about what’s next.”

“It’s no fun if you’re into it. Don’t you get it? It’s your fear that I want. It’s the only thing I desire from you. You’re useless to me when you’re desperate and begging.”

The faculties in my brain begin to function again. This woman we picked up downstairs is about to walk away. This woman I pointed a gun at is about to walk away as a witness. She knows our names and probably has our faces memorized.

I don’t leave loose ends.

I don’t leave trails.

This woman is both.

“Wait! Wait a goddamn second! This is all going too fast. I can’t fucking think.”

The situation we’ve created becomes clear to me. Again, Rylan has caused me to act reckless and be completely careless. How could I have been so fucking stupid?

“I think she’s right. I should probably go.” Elena gathers her clothes from the floor.

“Sit. Just sit the fuck down. You’re not going anywhere yet.”

Elena listens and chews on her nails with an irritated scowl on her face. Rylan turns on the television at the same time as I grab her wrist and pull her toward the opposite end of the room. The commercial helps to hide our hushed conversation.

“Why am I so fucking stupid when it comes to you? Why do I throw away everything rational inside my brain when you barge in with a demand? We can’t just let her fucking walk away, Rylan. After everything illegal I’ve done, I’m not being put in jail for this.”

“She won’t go to the cops.”

“Oh, yeah, and why the hell are you so sure?”

“I didn’t go into this blind, Callen. You may have let your dick lead you into a situation, but I thought this out. From the beginning.”

“What are you talking about, Rylan? We didn’t even know what was going to happen until it happened. So, how exactly did you think this out, and how does your plan protect us?”

“Insurance. I took insurance.” Rylan’s voice rises, and she walks back toward a now curious Elena. “This is Margaret Elena Franklin. She has lunch every Tuesday at the Ridgemount Hotel. She graduated from Yale University with a degree in education. After only two years as an elementary school teacher, she became a principal. Some people credit her hard work to her fast move up the ladder, but others say her father’s vast connections are what gave her the leg up. She’s expected to be the superintendent by thirty-five and then, once she puts in her time, the board.”

“What the hell? How do you know all this about me?”

“I did my homework, Elena. You’re not going to breathe a word about what happened in this hotel room. You’re going to go back to your life, business as usual.” Rylan retrieves her phone from the floor and pulls up the photos before scrolling quickly through each one she took after coming into this room. “These are my insurance. These photos buy your silence. Your campaigning would end before it could begin if photos of you like this ever got out. What would the parents say?”

“You’re threatening me?” she questions as she stands.

“See, I knew you were smart. Now, get the fuck out, Ms. Franklin. Stay quiet about this, or these photos will leak.”

She indignantly huffs and turns her back on us. I have whiplash, trying to keep up with Rylan. I’m not sure whether to be pissed at myself, furious with Rylan, or extremely impressed by this stunt she just pulled off.

Rylan speaks up once more as Elena reaches for the door handle to leave, “And, Elena, this was only a fraction of what you deserve. Count yourself lucky.”

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