GRIND

I clenched my jaw and stopped as Watson stopped to reply to his partner.

“Let up on him? Do you know what this family does? Hell, all of them should have been locked away decades ago. Scum of the earth dressed high and mightily with tailored suits, eating their fancy caviar. They’re nothing but baby killers, dream snatchers, drug traffickers, sex slave workers…”

“What about my phone call. It’s my right!” I interrupted him. I hated hearing people say this shit about my family.

“Phones are down.”

“I have a right for some sort of communication! You just took me from my home, without any clothes.”

“Fault is yours. I gave you a chance. You broke the law, you pathetic scum, now live with the consequences.”

Anger surged through my veins as my fists balled up. I had nothing to do with any of these black file projects or secret funds. But no one knew of it. I couldn’t turn around and smack one on him because well, then I’d really go to prison prison.

“Are you really going to jail me like this? Naked?” I lamented and hobbled from his hard push until cold rail sliced open my lip and I rolled to damp cement. The taste of blood filled my mouth and onto the floor; Hitler tripped me.

“Oops. Better watch where you step.”

“Aw, come on man. That’s not a way to treat a man,” Jackson quietly chimed in.

“This man’s a criminal. He always has been trouble. This is where he belongs and I’m going to make it my mission in life to make sure he stays in this cell. Forever.”

The slammer rang shut. The blood stung from my busted lip and my ankle hurt like hell.

I shivered from the cold. It pierced my bone and I seriously was worried about my health with it being so cold like it was.

I gritted through my teeth as I called out to him with a fierce, hoarse growl as my face still lay flat on the ground and my hands behind me still cuffed. “You’re going to hear from my lawyer, Watson. You better believe it.”

His back was faced toward me and he stopped in his tracks. I saw Jackson and now another partner that arrived to the scene. His face was in shock, as well.

“Don’t you touch him. Don’t you feed him. Don’t give him water. Don’t give him a damn blanket. This hallway is off limits for the reminder of your shift, which reminds me...”

His feet were heavy and I swore they had spurs from a barbaric man in the Wild West. A bucket. A bucket was coming my way and the look on his face was dark and menacing.

Ice cold water slapped my shivering body, the salt burning in the cut of my lip. It stung like hell and all I could think about was the warmth of her as I forbade myself to look weak.

Oh yes, he’d hear from my lawyer about this inhumane treatment. If I didn’t freeze to death.

Chapter 14

KATE

* * *

His lips were on my ear again, biting on my earlobe, teasing me relentlessly as he filled me in every delicious way possible. I was coming from his sexy drives and persistent and passionate control as he thrust his hips and filled me deeper.

“Yes, Bradley! Yes! Yes!”

I awoke to find my hands in a ball, the sheets tightly clenched. I was breathing hard and could feel the sweat beads along my hairline.

And it was a dream.

God, what sweet torture. My core flinched and butterflies traveled up and down my system like it was an open border joining countries.

I will be in you.

Where the heck was Bradley? I threw off my covers, determined to find him, wherever he was, and pull him into whatever closet we were near. Heck, pull him behind whatever couch was nearby. So we could finally be together. Body and soul.

My need for him was so damn hot, I couldn’t take it.

I reached for my phone to see what time it was. 7 PM.

What! That was impossible.

Had I managed to sleep a full twelve hours? Was all that had transpired: one crazy, teasing dream?

I sat in a daze as I stared at the wall in lust and wonder. It all came flashing back to me. Everything.

No, it wasn’t a dream. It happened. It all happened and I needed Bradley. Now.

I practically ran into his room, busting open the door. But it was empty.

I quickly made my way into the sitting room, the man cave, everywhere he normally would hang out. I even peeked outside.

He was nowhere. Was he hiding from me? Had he changed his mind?

I finally found Mr. Fox in the kitchen inspecting the silverware. He held it high before polishing a knife and I suddenly felt super shy. Had he seen us last night? Or heard?

“Hello, Miss Meadows,” he greeted me without looking up from his task

“Um, hi. Hi, Mr. Fox.” I muttered sheepishly and looked down at my bare feet.

“I’m looking for Bradley. Have you seen him?” I tucked a loose tendril of hair behind my ear, my heart pounded wildly in my chest with apprehension and feeling embarrassed.

“Mr. Rainshaw’s privacy is my number one concern. I can assure you.”

There was something strange in the way he addressed the situation. Either he was uncomfortable because he knew of what happened in the hot tub or it was something else.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat. My nerves were going crazy.

“Is there something you want to tell me?”

Good God, he knows.

“Please don't go to the press.” It was all I could manage to say.

“Of course I wouldn’t. How indecent, exposing such a thing.”

Oh fuck.

“Well, he’s seen the police more than he should have in a lifetime. Between you and me, those country cops have it out for him.”

“Wait, what police? What are you talking about? Please tell me.”

“They were at the door this morning and wanted to question him.”

“Oh my god. At what time?”

“Right before 8AM.”

“And we haven't heard from him or anything?”

“Well, the phone lines are down. I just figured they had a few questions about that situation from last month.”

“What happened last month?”

“Something frivolous about him drinking and leaving the wine bottle in the sand.”

I shook my head feeling worried. “Oh no…”

“No one got hurt. It should just be a simple fee. I just figured he went back into the city with your mom.”

“My mom went back to the city?”

“She said she told you. She wanted to hunker down with a few of her cast mate friends. She said it was too depressing to do that here. There’s some party she’s attending.”

I nodded in a daze. She had mentioned something to me this morning but honestly I was so tired, I didn’t hear her say that part.

“In all honesty, I just work here and do my best to make everyone happy.”

I just stared at him with a blank look across my face.

“Is there something that happened?” he asked me.

“He broke into the library to bring back books for me. Which means he broke into the library. He hasn’t come back.”

“Let's go.” He nodded quickly, the worried look plastered across his face indicating that the message was understood loud and clearly.

It was cold and quiet. I couldn’t believe the law was still working but that’s the thing about government workers: we needed them rain or shine. We drove slowly but we finally made it to Suffolk County Sheriff’s office.

“We’re here to see Bradley Rainshaw,” I quickly said to a creepy man with a mustache so long and ratty that it belonged on a pirate ship.

“He’s locked up.”

“Locked up?”

“I'm afraid you will have to come back tomorrow. Unless you have an emergency to report.”

“Emergency? The emergency is that it’s freezing in here and he doesn’t deserve to be locked up like a criminal.”

“There's nothing that can be done here, miss.”

His words were as sharp as a knife. “And he is a criminal.”

“He doesn't deserve to be locked away like that.”