L. Sellers - The Gauntlet Assassin

After dinner at Georgio’s, they climbed in Paul’s car and headed for Camille’s house in Capitol Heights. Rain beat down on the metal roof and they could barely make conversation. As they turned off Central Avenue, Camille suddenly asked, “Would you alter personnel files if you had a good reason?”

“That depends.” He glanced over to read her expression, but couldn’t tell much in the dark interior.

“Would you alter something for me?” She stroked his shoulder.

“I would do almost anything for you, Camille.” Paul paused. “Especially if we were lovers.”

“That’s good to know.”

Paul pulled into her driveway and shut off the car. “Do you have something specific in mind?”

“Come inside and we’ll talk about it.”

Camille poured two glasses of wine and they snuggled together on her couch, as they had on their last date. After a few minutes of kissing, Paul’s groin was almost bursting with anticipation. He distracted himself with occasional thoughts of Agent Franklin just to keep under control.

Lips pressed to his, Camille whispered, “I want you to add my name to the employment commissioner’s replacement list.”

“I’d have to delete someone else.” Paul slid his hand up Camille’s short red dress. She wasn’t wearing underwear and he almost came.

“I know.” She let him rub his finger over her clitoris. “No one will ever check the database, will they?” She sounded breathy.

Paul hoped it was his caress rather than her ambition making her horny. “Not unless something happens to Morton.” Paul could barely form the sentence. His erection wanted out of his pants and into her wet bliss.

“Will you do it for me?”

“I’ll think about it.” Manipulation was new to him, but he understood he had to prolong her quest for as long as possible.

“Maybe I can help you make up your mind.” Camille unzipped his pants and freed his penis. “Oh my. You are nicely sized.”

Paul grabbed her hand. “Let’s get our clothes off.”

He stood and led her to the bedroom. His pulse pounded in his ears. It was finally happening! He prayed their sex wouldn’t be a disaster.

Yet it was. Paul knew Camille was disappointed. His orgasm had come too quickly, despite his attempts to delay it with random negative thoughts. After rolling off her, he’d tried to bring her to a climax with his tongue, but she’d grown frustrated with his inexperienced effort. Now Camille was in the bathroom and he wondered what he was supposed to do next. His body wanted to sleep, but he suspected she would ask him to leave.

Camille came out of the master bath, wearing a robe.

“Should I stay or go?”

“You’re staying.” She reached into the nightstand and pulled out a small white tube. “Let’s try that again. I think you can do better.”

Wed., May 10, 9:55 p.m.

Lara brushed her disheveled hair and wondered what the fallout would be. The sex had been incredible, but she’d been celibate for so long, even bad sex would have seemed good. Caden had been forceful and hot in the beginning, burning straight through any hesitation she might have had, then tender and slow for the long haul. Just the way she liked it.

The encounter didn’t mean anything, she told herself. They were just two horny people who’d found some pleasure in each other’s company. Lara drank a glass of water and gave herself a minute to think. The contest rules forbade sexual encounters between contestants, but didn’t mention other circumstances. Still, she felt vulnerable, knowing Minda needed only one more reason to scratch her from the Gauntlet. She had to get Caden out of her room and get some sleep before her first round in the Battle tomorrow.

Lara opened the bathroom door and he was standing there, naked and smiling, his sexy eyes making her want to trust him. She started to back away, but he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to him. He kissed her forehead and worked his way down to her neck.

“You have to go,” Lara said, with little conviction. “I have to get some sleep.”

“I know,” he whispered, still kissing her neck.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself another moment of pleasure. Finally, she pulled back. “This might be against the competition rules and I don’t want to risk getting booted.”

He grabbed both her hands and held her eyes with his. “I know there’s something you’re not telling me about the man who killed Kirsten. I watched the video in the auditorium. When he saw you coming, he looked startled. He recognized you, then turned and fled.” Caden stepped toward her. “Please tell me. I’m a detective, and I can’t do my job without all the facts. You understand that.”

She did, but she also felt used. “Is that why you slept with me? To get the information you needed?”

He let out a soft laugh. “I fantasized about seducing you six months ago when you made the finals in the Oregon competition. Believe me, it was all pleasure.”

Any kind of attachment was not what she had in mind. Lara moved past Caden and grabbed her clothes from the floor. Her emotions were in turmoil and she regretted acting on her sexual impulses. Damn . When would she learn?

They dressed in silence and the guilt of not helping his investigation weighed heavily on her heart. What if Blondie killed the commissioner while she was competing tomorrow? How would she live with that? Intellectually, she knew she wasn’t responsible for Thaddeus Morton, but once she’d treated his wound and kept his secret, she’d taken ownership of his problem. Still, she couldn’t deal with Blondie and compete at the same time.

Dressed, she turned to Caden. “I’ll tell you what I can but you have to promise that most of it will never go in your file.”

“I don’t know.” He lifted his shoulders in frustration.

“Then I can’t tell you. I have too much to lose.” She looked at the door, willing him to leave.

“Come sit down and talk to me. We’ll take it one step at a time.” His eyes pleaded with her.

“I need your promise it won’t be part of the official record.”

“I promise.”

She wasn’t sure she believed him-cops lied to suspects-but she’d wanted to get the gunshot incident off her chest since it happened. Lara sat on the couch and he took a seat opposite her, just as they had earlier. She realized if she’d told him everything at that point, they wouldn’t have gone to dinner or ended up in bed. Maybe things had worked out this way for a reason. She scratched the thought and scoffed at herself. Shit happened and there was no rhyme or reason.

“Who is he?” Caden prompted.

Lara knew she shouldn’t think of him as Caden. “I really don’t know. I call the guy Blondie for lack of a name.” She took a deep breath. “I saw him in Eugene the day before I flew out here.”

Caden waited, like a good detective should.

“I responded to an emergency call through the freelance service I contract with. When I arrived at the house, a man came running out. He had a gun and when he saw me he fired. But I hit the ground and he got in his car and drove away.” Caden would want the details of the car, but not yet. Her throat felt dry.

“Do you want some water?” He was out his chair and headed for the sink before she could respond.

When he returned, she continued. “Inside the house, a man had been shot and I treated his shoulder wound. He begged me not to report the incident. He said Blondie was his lover and they’d had a fight. Considering how the victim was dressed at the time, I believed him.”

“Why didn’t you report it?”

Lara swallowed hard. “I was scheduled to compete in the Gauntlet. I didn’t want anything to derail that. I need this win.”