Legs

_xzá Copyright © June 2007 Dee Dawning Cover art by Cliff Vestergaard © June 2007 Amira Press, LLC Baltimore, MD 21216 www.amirapress.com No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Amira Press.

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Wxw|vtà|ÉÇ Dedicated to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Chapter One A large panel truck pulled in front of him, boxing him in. He was losing her. Drew jerked his head around, trying to see. Where is that red Mustang convertible? Something had to be done quickly. Desperately, he changed lanes, inadvertently cutting off another car. A horn blared as the offended driver pulled up close behind, riding his bumper. Gazing into the review mirror, he recognized the old middle finger salute and waved back as if to indicate he was sorry. With hurt feelings assuaged, the guy backed off. Ahh, there she is. She hung a left on La Cienega Blvd, then a right on Sunset Blvd. Following three cars behind, tracing the now familiar course, he relaxed when he realized she was likely heading to JoJo’s for the fourth Friday in a row. Sure enough, she pulled into JoJo’s valet lot. Mallory, baby! What do you see in this dump? You have way too much class for this pick up meat market. He quickly nudged into an empty space on the street across from JoJo’s. A wide-eyed valet watched her get out of the car. He handed her a ticket, gave her an up and down glance. Then he watched her graceful swaying gait as she sauntered the fifty or so feet to the entrance with obvious admiration. After she entered the club, the valet, shook his head, jumped into her Mustang and peeled out. He needed to go in, meet her for once and for all, to talk with her, get to know her as a person. Drew Stevens knew he had to enter her life in order to decide how best to handle his distasteful assignment. He knew whatever he did there was going to be problems—big problems. It was beginning to drizzle as he jumped out of his Nissan Xterra and ran partway across the street pausing at the center turn lane until traffic cleared. Then he dashed the rest of the way across Sunset and into JoJo’s. Located in West Hollywood, JoJo’s had a film industry motif. Movie memorabilia adorned every vacant spot. Because of it’s proximity to both the motion picture world of Hollywood and the business world of Los Angeles the clientele was an odd mixture of business types and performers, or in most cases, wanna be performers. As expected, Friday at JoJo’s was a madhouse. Drew spied Mallory beating a path through the buzzards toward the rear bar. He edged over to the front bar, where he could best keep an eye on her. Squeezing between two customers, he stood with his back to the bar in order to watch his fine-looking mark. As anticipated, she joined her friend Paige. Admiring his quarry, his mind wandered. She was so extraordinarily beautiful. Tall and lithe with cascading blonde curls, mesmerizing blue eyes, angelic face and fantastic legs. Ahh, those legs. They excited him. Sitting on her stool, her wondrous legs crossed, she turned and gazed across the room. A chill went through him when, for a fleeting moment, their eyes met. After months of following and learning everything I can about her, I’m falling in love with her.

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The bartender wrenched Drew out of his reverie. “What’ll you have, Buddy?” He looked over his shoulder. “I’ll take a Seven-Up.” “One Seven-Up coming up.” Drew returned to his thoughts, How can I do what I must? Can I get out of it? No, that won’t work, someone else will be sent. I must get close to her somehow, and protect her from the Prince. **** The lounge portion of JoJo’s had three bars – one to the left of the entrance, a service bar near the restaurant and the main bar, her friend Paige liked, in the rear. For girls, it was good because it was near the ladies room, but the bad thing was you had to pass through a multitude of bawdy drunks on the make to get to it. “Damn-it! Let go of me, you . . . And don’t touch me again . . . Creep!” Mallory shrilled as she extricated herself from the grabby hands of yet another rude, drunken God’s gift to women. Exactly, what is the attraction of this place? Mallory half thought, half mumbled to herself. Mallory wove her way through the masses of semi-intoxicated, on the make, male customers, perpetually searching for free hor’ douvres, half price Happy Hour drinks and if they got lucky—a one night stand. Well, I’m nobody’s one night stand! ”Hey gorgeous, have I –“ “Never.” She cut him off. “Baby, where ha –” “Hiding from you,” she said jerking her hand back. For four consecutive Fridays, Mallory’s friend of nearly twenty years, Paige Dillon, had begged her to meet for a drink at JoJo’s Bar and Grill. Having grown up together in Glendale, California, it was hard to say no. “God you’re beautiful, you wanna f –” “In your dreams, lover boy.” If Paige kept insisting on dragging her down there every Friday, she might have to reconsider the friendship.

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Paige sat at her usual seat at the bar, dressed in her tight-fitting Calvin Klein jeans and low cut rust-colored sweater. She’d positioned her leather purse on the next stool, her way of saving it for her friend. Mallory was getting used to the routine. Smiling, she handed the nutmeg dyed Prada handbag back to Paige and sat down. “I must be losing my touch. I was only accosted a couple hundred times on the way over here, that’s down from three hundred last week,” Mallory said with disgust. “Yes, the crowd is quite mellow tonight. Two hundred? I feel slighted. I only had a hundred propositions. I did have the pleasure of getting felt up though.” “That’s what you get for being built like Dolly Parton. Men love big boobs and well defined asses.” “Gee, I guess I really screwed up when I put in my order. I should’ve asked to be elegant, and long legged like you.” Paige sometimes seemed envious of Mallory’s glamorous appearance. “You know Paige; I’ve been meaning to ask you. Why do you insist on coming here, when you know we both get mentally gang banged on the way from the entrance to the bar?” “It’s where Robbie likes to meet. Don’t worry; I’m thinking of leaving him, and if I do, it’ll be just you and me and we’ll go somewhere else.” “Really, what’s the matter?” “Nothing in particular, it’s just not going the way I had hoped. Anyway, he should be here in another ten minutes and then all the losers will lay off. Until then, we can look at the positive side of getting propositioned and felt up by the goon squad.” The lady bartender came over and placed a napkin down in front of Mallory. “You mean there’s an upside to getting sexually mugged?” “Heck yes. Look at it this way. The first time you hear one of those inane pick up lines, you might think it’s clever, even funny. If a cute guy happened to be attached to it, you might be tempted to hook up and be out the door with him. However, having heard them all, we’re now immune.” Mallory rolled her eyes. She turned her head and noticed Kelsey. “What’ll you have, Mallory?” Mallory smiled. “Oh. Hi Kelsey. Don’t you look lovely tonight. I guess I’ll have the usual.” “Thank you. You look lovely too, as usual. One Strawberry Daiquiri coming up. How about you, Paige?”

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“I’m good, thanks.” Mallory scrunched her nose in disgust. “I was mostly immune anyway and the filthy lines never had a chance. Did you know there are guys who actually say things like − ‘Congratulations! You've been voted - Most Beautiful Girl in this room - and the grand prize is a night in bed with me!’” Paige laughed and responded with one of her own. “Here’s one I heard earlier, ‘If I told you that you have a great body, would you hold it against me?’” “Yes, that’s an old one. You, with the bountiful body, would get a line like that. Me, I have to settle for – ‘Excuse me Miss, can I buy you a mink?’” Paige laughed. “Don’t tell me someone actually offered to buy you a mink?” “Yes, I’m sure if I said okay, he’d probably come up with a mink glove at his house or some other way around it. You know, the lines that really offend me are the ones about oral sex, like − ‘I want to melt in your mouth, not in your hand.’” Paige cringed. “Ugggh! Some people have no class!” “Yeah, well, classless people are a fact of life,” The bartender chimed in, setting Mallory’s drink in front of her. “My former boyfriend used to say, ‘like it or not, if you’re good looking and have a pussy – you’re a sex object, so get used to it and go with the flow.’ Do you really have a problem with oral sex or is it assholes?” Mallory raised her eyes. “Not even. I love it. It’s just that it’s so personal, so intimate. I mean, think about it. A man has his face buried in your privates.” Hmm. It’s so sexy, thinking about it makes me wet. Her mind wandered before continuing, “Too intimate to be performed by, or on a total stran—” “There you are,” Paige said excitedly to Robbie, “What took you so long?” As Mallory turned her head, Paige’s boyfriend ambled up in his usual white tee shirt and Levis. Roberto, 5’10”, maybe one-eighty had those classic Latin good looks, but more brooding than Ricky Martin. “You know the usual suspects. Finished late, traffic snarls, get gas.” To Paige, Robbie gave a passionate deep throat kiss and hug. Mallory received a perfunctory, hug and cheek peck. “What’s doing, Ladies?” “Doin’?” Mallory responded. “We’re thinking of doin’ some of the disgusting Don Juan’s with their offensive lines. What’s to keep me from melting into the arms of some Romeo who says − ‘I think I could fall madly in bed with you.’” Robbie responded. “Hey, I hadn’t heard that one. How about – ‘if I had a nickel for every girl as beautiful as you, I’d have a nickel.’ But the one I really like is – ‘I'd like to name an orgasm after you.’” 4

“Yuck!” Mallory punched Paige lightly. “You let him kiss you with that mouth?” Paige giggled and hugged her boyfriend. “Don’t mind her, Robbie. We’ve been discussing some of the off color lines we hear from the skirt chasers in here, and Mallory’s doing a slow burn. Besides she has a thing about oral sex.” “I do not. I just told—” Robbie, who knew everything, cut her off. “She probably subconsciously wants to have oral sex with a stranger. Anyway, I can’t fault this rowdy bunch for moving on you two. You girls are, without a doubt, the best thing going in JoJo’s right now and you’re both mine. Why don’t we go into the restaurant and grab some grub?” JoJo’s Bar and Grill, was a large club divided into two halves—cocktail lounge and restaurant. The food was good and the drinks were generous. Robbie, aka, Roberto Hernandez, Paige’s main squeeze was a disc jockey on a Spanish language radio station. He and Paige had become an item about six months earlier. After Paige had sold him a house, she became not only his realtor, but also his live-in house companion. Mallory didn’t like Roberto much—she refused to call him Robbie. Paige was faithful to him, but she suspected it was one way. She figured his philandering would catch up with him eventually. All she had to do was bide her time. Though he’d never put a move on her, Mallory suspected her friendship with Paige was the only thing holding him back. “You guys go ahead. I’m going to finish my drink and head for home.” Shortly after Robbie and Page left, a short, overweight, balding man, donning a garish sport coat that resembled squashed caterpillars, staggered toward Mallory. Spotting potential trouble afoot, she quickly grabbed her purse and slid off her stool, prepared to make a hasty exit—too late. “Hi, I’m Cly-de and I been-n washing you. Kin-n-n I buy you a…oops s-sorry!” The man was soused. He stumbled forward into Mallory, pushing her back onto the stool. The stool slid out from under her and they both crashed to the floor. His half-full martini glass rested on one of Mallory’s breasts, the contents spilling forth while his face burrowed into her other breast. All eyes focused on the loud commotion and the room became so quiet, she could hear a pin drop. Trapped under the weight of the drunken man, Mallory yelled. “Get off of me you creep.” Suddenly, the weight was lifted off her, and a distinctive male voice said, “I think you’ve worn out your welcome here, buddy.” Mallory looked up and saw the most beautiful man she’d ever seen lifting the drunk up on the tips of his toes, ready to propel him across the room in a less than friendly manner. 5

Mortified, with the heat of a blush burning in her cheeks, Mallory quickly tugged her skimpy skirt back down over her thighs, covering her momentarily exposed pink panties. “Are you all right ma’am?” the man asked, smiling as he reached a hand down to help her up. Mallory was a little embarrassed and a lot in awe. She took his strong masculine hand. On her feet, straightening up her clothing, she noticed a large wet spot. She smiled shyly at the hunk, but instead of answering him, she asked the girl on the next stool to save her spot while she went to the Ladies Room.

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Chapter Two After seven or eight minutes in the restroom combing her hair and reapplying her makeup, Mallory returned. As she had hoped, the sexy man was still there and now occupied Paige’s seat. He hadn’t noticed her return and she studied his appearance in the back-bar mirror. His dark wavy hair enhanced his full oval face with high cheek bones and a strong jaw. His dark and mysterious eyes and his classic Roman nose made Mallory think of a god. She could also tell his shoulders filled the cut in his tan sport coat nicely. She loved what she saw, and decided to stick around. Slowly taking her seat, she continued to study him. He was engrossed in a basketball game on the TV behind the heavily neon-lit bar. He looked familiar. Then Mallory realized the man she had briefly locked eyes with, across the room had come to her rescue and was now sitting next to her. Mallory put her hand on his arm and said, “Excuse me.” His eyes sparkled when he saw her. “Hi. You’re still here. I thought you might have left. Are you all right?” “Yes. I want to thank you for helping me. That was kind of you.” “My card.” He was smiling. He had a fabulous smile, warm brown eyes with a glint of mischief, white teeth, along with perfect olive skin and a cleft chin. Expecting it to be the business card of a successful lawyer or doctor from nearby Beverly Hills, she gave him her most engaging smile and accepted the offering. Tearing her eyes away from his dreamy face, she read bold letters printed across the center. Mallory’s jaw dropped. IF YOU LOVE CUNNILINGUS, SMILE! Mallory started to laugh, but caught herself. Embarrassed, she felt flushed and thought she might faint. She started to take a drink, but the alcohol made things worse. She wanted some water and tried to get the bartender’s attention. She grew pale and felt a cold sweat, then clammy all over, but the thing that bothered her the most, the thing which really upset her, was that while her first inclination was to tell him, 'No thanks, buster,' her pussy said, Yes! Please, yes, yes. Her pussy pulsed, her clit throbbed, and blood rushed to both and fluid seeped from her vagina, soaking her panties. Yes, yes, please, I want his lips to kiss me . . . ! While the image of that gorgeous man’s face buried between her legs burned itself into her mind. “Would you like a sip of my Seven-Up,” he asked innocently. She took his full drink and downed it greedily. 7

“Bartender, another Seven-Up and one for the lady,” he said. “Her name is Kelsey,” Mallory managed to squeak out. “Kelsey, two more Seven-Ups, please.” “Two Seven-Ups, coming up.” Kelsey replied. When he looked back toward Mallory, Kelsey nodded her approval to Mallory. After Kelsey brought the order, she flashed Mallory a thumbs up. Mallory smiled but quickly downed her Seven-Up. “My name is Drew by the way.” Feeling uncomfortable for her extreme reaction to his little joke, Mallory took his offered hand. “My name is Mallory.” “Yes, I know.” “Oh?” “Sure, who doesn’t know? You’re Mallory Robbins, an up and coming movie star, super model and one of LA’s most beautiful people.” He paused to take a sip of his drink, “The woman with the most beautifully shaped legs in the world. So beautiful, they’re photographed even more than your stunning face. So beautiful, your agency has recently insured your legs for ten million dollars. That’s why tabloids call you ‘Legs.’” Almost recovered from her initial reaction, Mallory said, “I’m afraid you have the advantage over me. How do you know so much about me?” “Actually, I believe I have two advantages over you.” He flashed a mischievous smile. “First, I know all about you, and second, you smiled! Where would you like to do it?” Mallory’s, eyes widened. “You can’t be serious? I smiled because of the humor of the card, not because I want you to . . . you know.” “Are you sure? You’re saying no, but your body language is giving off a completely different vibe.” She leaned toward him and speaking softly asked, “Really. And just what is my body saying to you Drew?” God, why did I ask that? Keeping his voice low, “Look how you’re squirming in your seat and how fidgety your hands are. There’s hunger in those baby blues, your nipples just got hard, and you’re forcing yourself to keep your knees tightly together. You want to spread your legs and watch me bury my face between them, don’t you?” 8

Mallory could feel her pussy twitch. He’s right. My panties are soaked. Mallory swallowed. “You’re very forward. Are you always so blunt?” His voice took on a husky tone as he took her hand, stroking the palm with his index finger. “I suppose I am, but no one ever got what they wanted by being shy.” He leaned closer and whispered, “What I’d like to do is spread you in front of me and feed on you. I could pleasure you like you’ve never been pleasured before. You’d revel in it, I promise you that.” Mallory was taken aback. “Just how do you know that?” “If you weren’t interested, would you still be here?” Mallory didn’t answer so he continued, “I’m really very good. You should take advantage of my service. No strings attached.” If he keeps talking like that I might come right here. “No strings, huh? If I were to take advantage of your generous offer, where would you suggest we do this?” “That was my question to you, remember? I’m willing to perform oral sex on you anytime you want, any place you want, even right here and believe me when I tell you, I will make you fly.” “Right here on this bar stool?” This guy is too much. “Anywhere you want! Try me.” Lord! She was getting hot. “And all you want is to . . . no reciprocity, no sex afterwards?” “I expect nothing. Of course, if you feel you want to explore additional avenues; I’m very good at other things as well, but cunnilingus is my specialty. “Save my seat. I’ll be right back.” Mallory headed toward the restroom, but what she was really doing was searching for a place, any place, among the Friday evening mob that she could have some quality private time with Drew. The more she thought about it the more keyed up she got. She’s tossing out the rulebook. Hell, other girls never even heard of a rule book. If I do it, and I will regret it if I don’t, it will be the most salacious thing I’ve ever did. Make that the only kinky thing I’ve ever done. She remembered the time in school at Southern Cal when several girls started revealing the wickedest things they’d ever done. She couldn’t believe the things they had done. One cheerleader, claimed to have had sex with four basketball players in the locker room; another brought her fifteen year old sister into bed with her twenty-two year old boyfriend. It went on and on from amateur nude contests, to seducing a stepfather. Everyone laughed when she told them that the kinkiest thing she’d ever done was surreptitiously watch her roommate and her boyfriend make love for a few minutes before she snuck out of the 9

room. She’d failed to mention that she masturbated and couldn’t build the nerve to ask if she could join in. In the restroom, Mallory took off her soaked panties and put them in her purse. No harm in being prepared. There was no one at the sinks, so she quickly lifted the hem of her miniskirt and washed herself. Lord, she was wet! After rinsing and drying, she sprayed a little perfume on her neck, under her arms and on her mound for good measure. She laughed when she remembered the name of the perfume—Submission. All that preparation added to her anticipation and enhanced her arousal. She wondered if she should drag Drew into the ladies’ room but decided only as a last resort. Then, she remembered they had a special events room in the basement. Perfect! Mallory checked the room and decided it wasn’t suitable, unless she wanted to use a shaky folding table or the floor. It was time to do some reconnoitering. Behind door one was a large storage room. The next revealed a tiny cluttered office. Then, behind door three– perfect! A small room containing a desk with nothing on it and a couch. There was even a lock on the door, just right. **** “You haven’t changed your mind have you?” she asked when she returned. “Anytime, anywhere.” “No strings attached. Right?” “No strings. You’re in control.” Mallory grasped his hand and led him across the crowded floor then down the stairs. Mallory’s heart thundered as she led Drew to her secret hideaway. She didn’t know whether to keel over or run. She was entering uncharted territory. Mallory, goody-twoshoes wasn’t a snob. She just never felt a need to do anything overtly sexual, but Drew had aroused an unfulfilled fantasy and she was about to live it out. She led him into the room, shut and locked the door and asked, “What should I do? Where do you want me?” “Do? You don’t have to do much. Just lay on the desk or the couch and spread those gorgeous legs. I’ll do the rest.”

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Chapter Three Mallory agreed with Drew’s suggestion to use the desk. He lifted her onto the desktop and snatched a couple of cushions off the couch, laying them on the desk behind her. His hand took hers, warming her cold, trembling fingers. He seemed to sense her discomfort and flashed a reassuring smile. “I want you to watch me eat your pussy. You can do anything you want to me in return. But your gratification matters the most. This is all about you!” She returned a quick nervous smile. “I’m going to undress you. I want to make you feel good all over.” Mallory almost chickened out right then, I can’t do this. A kiss to her hand firmed up her faltering resolve. Tentatively, she nodded assent. As Drew slowly pulled off her short navy blue skirt, he smiled when it became obvious her panties were missing. She was astonished. What had seemed like a lark at first was for real and she was actually going to go through with it. Relax, this isn’t a basketball team; it’s a dreamy looking man who’s going to do delicious things to me. Button by button, Drew languorously unfastened and removed her fashionable print blouse. Next went her lacy ivory bra. Freeing the clasp in back, the nipples of her newly freed breasts responded to the cool currents as he pulled the bra straps from her shoulders, Drew cupped her un-tanned breasts, kissing her swollen nipples. She shuddered as pleasing pulses shot through her pussy. Carefully, he eased her down onto the cushions as if she were a porcelain doll. “Would you like to be kissed?” He flashed his beautiful white smile. “I do hope so.” She stared at those sensuous lips and white teeth. Of course, she wanted to kiss him. Just looking at that mischievous smile on his gorgeous macho face excited her. She nodded. His teeth grazed a taut nipple before he leaned up to plunder her mouth. She inhaled sharply when he broke the kiss and said, “Oh, the things I’m going to do to you.” As he retreated back to her legs. She watched as he carefully took her famous legs in his hands. His gentle fingers fondled each one of her well-manicured, feminine toes. Excruciatingly slow, his fingers progressed from her foot to the back of her knees. Moving upward still, he concentrated on the inner thigh, making sure not to encroach into the sensual apex between her legs. Bending her knees, he placed her feet upon the table and split her legs apart. Her pussy was totally bared. He scrutinized her vulnerability. She wondered whether being unclothed in front of a stranger or the anticipation of what was to come, was more of a turn on. ****

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With her legs spread wide, Drew dipped down to her sex and took in a deep breath, as if sniffing the cork of fine wine. Ahh, how I love the heady fragrance of aroused pussy. He couldn’t resist. His tongue took one slow lick up her slit. Mallory tensed and shivered. “Oh, God!” That was but a prelude. He had other things he wanted to do first. Straightening up, he moved beside her. He paused a second admiring her breasts which he thought were perfect for her lean, statuesque frame. Not too much—not too little. He massaged each nipple as he bent over kissing her shoulders and neck. She seemed to be getting antsy. He could tell she was almost ready. He moved his right hand down past her lightly rounded abdomen to her smooth mound, letting his fingers drape over her clit, giving it a gentle tap with his middle finger, while simultaneously moving his mouth up to her yearning lips, touching them tenderly. Mallory shuddered. He whispered, “Soon these lips and tongue will be where my hand is. Think about that as I kiss you.” His tongue urged her sensual lips apart and slipped into her mouth, dipping between her bottom lip and teeth, before pairing with her tongue. After the lusty mating of tongues, Drew continued his erotic mission, wavering momentarily to nibble on her lower lip, before continuing his journey to her ear. After pulling back her long blonde hair, his wet tongue laved her ear canal in preparation of the anticipated event. He whispered in her ear, “I’m going to eat that sweet hot pussy of yours now.” “Oh, yes. Please hurry!” she begged. Drew’s moist tongue headed south, leaving a path of cooling dampness across her heated skin, causing goose bumps to form in its wake on every accessible sensuous spot on her feminine body. Her neck, breasts, ribs, navel, hips and mound all gleamed from moisture as Drew finally arrived at the grand prize. His mouth dipped between her heated folds, inserting his tongue into her pussy with fervor. Wrapping an arm around each of her thighs, his right hand returned to her clitoris, massaging it with his middle finger. His left hand rose up to and fondled her nipples, massaging each, alternating between them. Drew opened his eyes and admired the length of Mallory’s sinewy, sensuous frame. Her back arched off the table and her head rolled from side to side as her hips thrust against his mouth. Her arms periodically slapped the desk and she moaned between sighs of his name. “Jesus, it feels so good Drew.” Occasionally, she’d run her long fingers through his hair, sometimes closing her fist around a handful and pulling as she elevated her clit into his mouth. “Don’t stop!” She moaned long and low. “That’s it, more of that, give me more . . . more . . . I love it!” 12

Breathlessly she hummed her pleasure. “Christ, you are so good. I’ve never felt this good...” Eating out this beautiful woman was getting Drew more than a little excited. He ached to take out his stiff cock and bury it in Mallory’s tasty slit. She was so hot, so sexed up, so out of control, he was surprised she wasn’t begging him to fuck her. He could probably get away with just shoving his cock in her but he had made a promise. Besides, it was against the rules. His erection was stretching his pants to the point of discomfort. He reached down, unzipped his pants and freed himself. He thought again for a second about thrusting it in but denied himself the pleasure. A deal is a deal. “That’s it . . . don’t stop. Oh God . . . so close” she uttered breathlessly. He promised her—only cunnilingus. He would get his repayment later. Besides, he was loving it. A steady thrumming beat suddenly surrounded, permeated the room. The music had started above. Drew began timing his oral affections with the rhythm and Mallory responded likewise. Jesus. He’d never wanted to fuck a woman so badly in his entire life. Her every word, punctuated by a thrust of her pussy against his mouth, made his cock jump with need. Moreover, the steady beat was making things worse. He had to make her come. Or he’d likely lose all control and ram himself into her depths. Fastening his lips to her swollen clit, he teased her weeping entrance with his fingers, and then thrust them into her. It was exactly what she needed to send her over the edge. Obviously feverish with need, Mallory half mumbled, half shouted “God I love to have my pussy eaten. Oh Drew . . . Drew . . . I can’t stand it.” Drew kept her snatch tight against his mouth, tormenting her clit with his tongue as his fingers fucked her, driving into her again and again until her body stiffened and she cried out in violent release. She came twice more as he gathered the cream pooling between her thighs. Finally, she sighed, her body going limp with satisfaction.

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Chapter Four Afterwards, he offered to take her to dinner, but she refused, far too embarrassed to sit across the table from him, acting as if nothing had transpired between them. Who was she kidding? She ran away from Drew because he was dangerous. She wanted more and more. She wanted more of his tongue and she wanted his penis. She had been afraid to get involved and now she regretted not going to dinner with him. As she drove her Mustang home, the memories of the event were flooding back. Mentally reliving the brazen incident, replicating the sensations she experienced with the use of her fingers, Mallory was distracted by her libido when she should have been concentrating on her driving and slowly she veered right off the freeway and almost onto the shoulder, correcting at the last minute. Mallory wished she could stop thinking about her erotic episode but every time she tried, she kept coming back to it. It was useless. She needed to pull over. Along side the road, she unbuttoned her blouse and reached in to her breast with her hand. She was glad she didn’t bother to put her bra back on. As her hand tickled a nipple, her other hand slipped under her miniskirt bypassing her skimpy panties straight to her clit. Her forefinger pummeled her nub with a gentle but persistent love tap. She pictured her nakedness and Drew’s sexy face lapping up her clitoris. “Ahh! Oh my God!” She climaxed. Perhaps she could finally finish driving home. Not even bothering to re-button her blouse, she started her car and pulled onto the street. Shit! Her mind returned right back to the sexy episode where she left off, as if she had merely pushed a pause button on a remote control. He had even offered to give her his telephone number but she told him no. How stupid. The best sex she had ever had. Sex she would have gladly paid for and she sent him away. She knew why too. She wanted him, wanted to screw him. She ached for his cock buried deep inside her. She wanted to fuck him then, but refused to let herself screw a total stranger and if she took his number she would have called him and in fifteen minutes, they would have been in bed. **** It was almost 10:00 PM, when Mallory pulled into her garage. She hadn’t arrived a minute too soon. On edge, she couldn’t get her marvelously lewd episode out of her mind. After changing into a crimson nightgown and robe, she thought for a second about fixing something to eat, but opted to pour a glass of wine instead. Maybe it would help dull the yearning she still felt. Lounging on the couch, she flipped on the TV. Usually, she watched the news, but she was considering something she had never done and wasn’t quite sure how to go about it— finding a naughty pay-per-view movie. She’d decided to try it, when the doorbell rang. 14

At the door, through the peephole she saw Drew. Mallory was exuberant. Similar to Pavlov’s dog, Mallory’s pussy became ravenous. She quickly undid the lock, the deadbolts and opened the door. Had he come to rescue the damsel in desire? He flashed his dreamy smile. “I just wanted to make sure you got—” Mallory laid a giant hot kiss upon his smiling lips. Laughing at his shocked face as she pulled away, she grabbed his arm and yanked him inside. She muttered, “What took you so long.” Putting both of her hands to his face, she positioned her lips to his for another long, passionate kiss. Her hands roved around his cheeks and through his dark brown hair. His hand found her breast, kneading and teasing her distended nipple, while his other hand grasped her buttock. She took his hand from her ass, kissed it and smiled. “You have experienced me au naturel and now it’s my turn.” Mallory turned to lead Drew to her bedroom, but he pulled her back into an embrace as if they were dancing the tango. They kissed once more as he lifted her into his arms. He kissed her ear and nibbled on her earlobe, sending shivers to her sensitive nether regions. As he carried her into the bedroom, he whispered in her ear. “You can see me naked and do anything you want, after I have an encore with your pussy.” After he deposited her gently on the side of the bed, she lay down with her head almost directly under him, looking up, admiring him as he undressed. He seemed to be about four inches taller than she was which would make him six foot. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him, yet he wasn’t skinny, nor was he muscular, except for his broad shoulders. He was lean and wiry. Tracings of dark body hair were located on a wide area of his chest running a narrow path down to the waistband of his briefs. When he pulled his underwear off, Mallory drew in her breath. Drew’s partially erect masculinity must have been close to seven inches long. He stood alongside the bed, almost directly over her, his half-erect sex jutting out from his flat abdomen. Mallory looked up past his scrotum at the bottom of Drew’s thick phallus. It was roughly a foot above her and she studied it for a second before reaching up stroking his shaft. It felt silky smooth. As she stroked his manhood, it began to rise and grow even larger. Scooting around on the bed so she was sitting on the bed with her legs over the edge on both sides of Drew’s legs, she started to take his large shaft in her mouth, but Drew stopped her. “Uh-uh. Ladies first, remember. Nothing could please me more than pleasing you and I already know going down on you drives you wild. After that if you still want to go down on me, fine—whatever pleases you.”

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She nodded and he gently pushed her back down on the bed, placing a pillow under her head. Once more, he started to undress her, grasping the hem of her red satin gown in his hands, lifting it just above her mound where he paused to kiss her clit. As he began to slide the gown higher, she raised her rear off the bed to allow him to push it to the middle of her back. The front of her gown was at the base of her breasts. Pausing once more, his two hands glided over her abdomen and ribs as his tongue dipped into her belly button. Mallory took hold of her gown and finished pulling it off, raising enough to slip it past her shoulders and over her head. He frowned. Smiling innocently, she said, “Just helping out.” Grabbing one of his hands, she kissed it then placed it on her breast; she then wrapped her long fingers around his neck, and pulled his face down toward her lips—kissing him. She whispered. “You’re wasting too much time, lover. You don’t need to warm me up. I’m already hot as hell.” Drew chuckled a little. “Okay. What’s your pleasure?” “I want you to take me to nirvana, like you did at JoJo’s.” “As you wish milady.” Drew receded down the bed and hovered over Mallory’s sexy pubis. Parting her legs, then her moist folds he paused for two seconds seemingly admiring Mallory’s waxed, fully visible pussy and apparently absorbing an aromatic whiff of it before his ardent tongue dove into her treasure trove. Mallory, instantly flashing back to her sexy encounter at JoJo’s, moved each of her legs, so her feet joined in the middle of his back and flattened her legs out horizontally. That opened up her steamy pussy for maximum access for Drew’s prodigious busy tongue. His tongue darted in and out of her privates, alternating between her ultra-sensitive clit and her luscious recess of femininity. Drew reached around her legs up to her breasts and fondled her nipples. For the second time that evening, Mallory was flipping out of control from scorching oral sex. Her arms and torso were in constant motion, making it difficult for Drew to keep his mouth on her bud. With his arms pinning her thighs, he utilized his fingers to spread her wet folds, delving his tongue even deeper into the depths of her chamber. Mallory was on the road to orgasmic bliss. Tension built up her slender body and her limbs stiffened. Gradually, waves of pleasure descended upon her. Building in her loins, spreading outward, it kept increasing in intensity, overpowering her. “Ohh God, I’m coming!” Mallory reached down and clutched the sides Drew’s head. She pushed her torrid pussy hard into his face, screaming for release. **** 16

Mallory’s so beautiful, so sexy, even fully dressed she aroused him and having her like that made him want to ravish her. But he would maintain. Besides, he could get into trouble if he fucked her. Mallory’s pleasure was foremost and any pleasure he derived would be peripheral and derived from giving pleasure to that woman—the woman he was going to make fall in love with him. Drew thought of the sighs and moans, as a sexual symphony and he was the conductor. Ultimately, the increasing sensations erupted into a slow developing orgasm, so great, so extensive, that Drew could feel her body clench tightly in the throes of her fervor, while Mallory screamed and cried, yelling various indelicacies. After she calmed, Drew asked, “What would you like now? Anything! I’m at your command.” Still catching her breath she whispered, “I want to feel you inside me. I’ve wanted that since JoJo’s. I was just too embarrassed to ask for it. Plus I didn’t know you.” Do I dare put my cock inside her? With a condom, no one should be able to tell. Drew laughed. “Do you know me now?” “No. I know this though. No one has ever made me feel as alive as you do.” Drew scooted Mallory back toward the headboard. Rolling a condom on his shaft, he gently spread her legs for the third time that night. His lips touched hers and began a long adoring kiss while she inserted his cock into her hot, waiting pussy. “Ummmm, I can taste myself on your tongue.” Even after her stupendous orgasm his larger than average member didn’t go in easily. He had to work at it, but with each successive stroke, he was able to inch his way further and further into her heavenly cavern. Finally, all of him was buried into her up to his hilt. “Mmmmm, that’s what I wanted. Ooh, Drew that feels so good, I could do this forever.” When Drew was fully inside Mallory’s pussy, her love juices began flowing, allowing smooth gliding strokes. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him in with each thrust of his cock and grabbed his taut ass, squeezing vigorously. Occasionally, in a loud breathy whisper, Mallory would encourage her lover on. “Oh Drew, I love the way you make love to me. This is what I wanted. Fuck me . . . fuck me harder. Give me more of your hard cock.” He didn’t get a chance to answer. Mallory grabbed his beautiful face once more, while he thrust his throbbing cock hard into her pussy, she kissed him and wouldn’t let go. She seemed to love the intense in and out motion of his cock with his balls banging into her bottom. With each stroke she gasped. “Mmmm, your naked body feels wonderful against me.” She half said, half groaned. With each successive stroke, she jerked upward slightly but she wouldn’t let go and managed to hold the lingering, luscious, tongue embracing kiss for minutes. 17

**** Ummm, She thought, I love the way he kisses, with his tongue invading my mouth the way it had my pussy. What’s more, I love the touch of his hands on my breasts as he strokes me. Mmmm, this is scrumptious, I never want to stop! They made love for almost an hour. Her full-length dressing mirror, located in a propitious location, allowed them voyeuristic glances at their naked reflection while in the throes of passion a few feet away. They tried every coital position they could think of, from missionary to Hollywood style, she, with multiple climaxes, before collapsing and falling asleep from exhaustion.

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Chapter Five Mallory’s eyes abruptly blinked open wide. A glance at her alarm clock told her it was 3:47 AM. She had been enjoying an erotic dream, a replay actually, of the oral episode with Drew at JoJo’s. Drew had been eating her pussy with abandon and she had been going out of her mind, when Drew had suddenly handed her an object wrapped in a handkerchief, without missing a beat and said in a voice that was muffled by her sex, “Can you hold on to this for me.” She took the object, un-wrapped it and screamed bloody murder. The object within was a severed finger. Mallory looked over at a sleeping Drew. She recalled her conversation with him at JoJo’s – ”Actually I have two advantages over you. First, I know all about you, and second, you smiled! Where would you like to do it?’ ‘I know all about you.’ He does know all about me! ‘Sure, you are the exquisite Mallory Robbins.’ How does he know all about me? ‘You are a rising movie starlet, super model and one of LA’s most eligible bachelorettes.’ Why does he know about me? ‘The woman with the most beautifully shaped legs in the world.’ He knows all about me, but I know nothing of him, except he’s a fabulous lover. ‘So beautiful they are photographed even more than your stunning face.’ Who is Drew? ‘So beautiful that your Agency has recently insured your legs for ten million dollars.’ Who is my dream-lover? ‘That’s why newspapers and others have begun calling you Legs.” Mallory was suddenly troubled. She gently snuck out of bed, making sure not to disturb the now suspicious character, who, three hours ago had made her feel on top of the world. She quietly grabbed his pants, sports coat, and crept into the living room. Silently shutting the door behind her, she turned on the light before going through his things. Leafing through his wallet, she found a California driver’s license with the name Drew Stevens and a photo ID of her recent super stud. On top of a half dozen credit cards, he had about a half dozen business cards – Stevens Investigations and a couple of hundred dollars. Hmmm, Stevens Investigations. That kind of explains the how, but it doesn’t explain the why? In addition to a wallet, Drew had some keys and about a buck in change. When she picked up the coat by itself, she noticed it was heavy on the right side; she reached in and felt a cool object. As she removed the object, she was shocked when she realized it was a gun. She needed some answers. Then she also found a pair of nylon flex-cuffs in the breast pocket of his coat, which gave her an idea. **** “What the f--” Drew awoke abruptly from a splash of cool water across his face. The lights came on temporarily blinding him. He tried to sit up but he couldn’t. Realizing his left arm was fastened to the headboard, fear crept into his psyche. He desperately tried to remember

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where he was. He grabbed the sheet to wipe the wetness from his eyes and face with his free hand and strained to remember. Where am I? Slowly his eyes became accustomed to the bright light and he perceived a vision of beauty. He relaxed. It was Mallory. Then he stiffened. She was holding his Walther P99 on him. “Mallory, what are you doing?” Mallory’s nostrils flared. “Nothing. We are going to have a little chat. A question and answer session. You just burst into my life, claim you know all about me, seduced me and I realized I know nothing of you.” Concerned, Drew asked, “Of course, but why handcuff me? And why hold my gun on me?” “Because you have it, that’s why. You come into my house and make wonderful love to me but you bring a gun and handcuffs. It makes me wonder.” “Mallory, Mallory. I would never hurt you. You are bright, caring, articulate and funny— certainly, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, let alone slept with. I adore you!” The fingers of his free hand combed through his dense dark hair. “I’m here to protect you.” Disbelief flashed in her baby blues. “Is that right? Go on, I’m listening.” “I will. I’ll explain everything but first put down the gun and release me.” “No, I’m afraid I’m not ready to do that just yet. You have to be more convincing than that.” Looking past Mallory, Drew’s eyes grew large and round. “Look out! Behind you!” “I’m not going to fall for that old li—” Abruptly, a chemically treated rag was forcefully held over Mallory’s nose and mouth, while the gun was stripped from her hand. Through a foggy haze, she could see the gun raised, trained on the struggling Drew and fired as she passed out.

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Chapter Six Mallory woke with a killer headache and no idea where she was. She remembered nothing and didn’t know how she got wherever she was. She was in a bed, apparently in a bedroom furnished in a Middle Eastern motif. She glanced at the dresser mirror and was shocked. Her waist long, blonde hair was trussed up, mostly covered by a scarlet scarf and she was wearing a matching scarlet veil across her nose and mouth. Rising on unsteady legs, she could see she was fully covered, by a red shawl. Mallory was terrified. She was dressed as an Arab woman of means. **** Sergeant Richard Carboni walked up to the desk of his friend and partner, detective John Goodwin. “We’ve got a hot VIP case in Westwood.” “But it’s Grommen and Samuels’ case next.” “I know. Consider it a compliment. Captain said the Chief wants his top team on this one. A top model/movie starlet—Mallory Robbins—is missing from her home after gunshots were heard about four AM.” “Sounds ominous. Let’s go!” “You always were a sucker for the pretty girls, Goodwin.” “You want to see a sap for pretty girls, look in the mirror, Carboni.” **** Mallory walked to the window and reached for the drape, when a woman entered the room dressed as she, but in blue. She let her veil down so Mallory could see her face and spoke in excellent English. “I am Morina, daughter of Ali by his second wife, Sylema. I am in charge of our master’s concubines. Your unequaled beauty has elevated you above the rest of the concubines. You shall have the honor of becoming Ali’s fourth wife.” A cold chill passed through Mallory. Perspiration appeared on her forehead and her cheeks flushed hot. She had progressed from alarmed to horrified. Her eyes grew wide. She was in code red. There was no higher. “I will not be anyone’s wife. I have been kidnapped. I am a U.S. citizen. I demand I be returned to America forthwith.” Anger filled her voice. While Morina gathered her thoughts to respond, Mallory dashed past her and through the door which Morina had left open, right into the arms of a behemoth. She flailed at him, kicking and screaming but he was too large. He smiled, shoved her back inside the room and closed the door. “It is useless to run. No one has ever escaped from here.” Morina said smugly. 21

Mallory studied this woman. She was young, probably under twenty. She was dark with obsidian eyes. Her face was triangular but attractive, with a small mole on the apex of her left cheek. Her friendly face was reflected in a bright, if sympathetic smile. Is this woman an enemy or a possible ally? “My father has personally selected you to be his wife. This is an honor you dare not refuse. Your life, like that of the one who soiled you, could be forfeit.” What did she mean—‘the one who soiled you?’ There was someone she recalled. Why can’t I remember? “Tell me about the one who soiled me.” “His name is Khalid, but you know him as Drew. He was supposed to deliver you, but never put his sex in you. He will be sent back to Saudi Arabia and beheaded.” “Beheaded?” A vision of Drew making love to her flashed in her mind. “For screwing me he gets beheaded?” “Yes, you are lucky you are an American infidel and did not know our laws or you could be buried to you neck and stoned for adultery.” “Adultery? What are you talking about? I’m not married. I don’t even have a boyfriend.” “You are betrothed to my father and another man had you. That is adultery in our country. He knew and slept with you anyway and will pay the price.” Mallory noticed a tear well up in Morina’s eye. “Do you know Khalid?” “Yes. He is nice to me. I had grown fond of him.” So Morina has a crush on Khalid, Drew, whatever his name is. “You said they were going to send him back to Saudi Arabia. Where is he now?” “He is here, under guard.” Morina apparently noticed that Mallory kept playing with her veil. “You may remove your veil if you wish. You need only wear it in public and in front of men.” “Really?” Touching her coverings she asked, “What about this scarf and shawl?” Morina laughed. “The head covering is called a hijab and the body covering is an abaya. You need not wear them either.” Mallory began shedding the objectionable garments. “Good these things are stifling.” Morina stood. “Let us go into the women’s area so you can meet everyone.” 22

She took Mallory’s hand and led the way. As they proceeded, Mallory stared at the view through the plate glass windows at a scene that looked eerily familiar. They were near the top of a high rise building. Close by, apparently part of the same complex, she could see two shorter towers. “I meant to ask you, where is here?” Morina seemed surprised but answered matter of factly. “We occupy the entire top three floors of the Babylon Hotel in Las Vegas, with the women exclusively on the top floor.” Las Vegas? The Babylon? Mallory didn’t know if she could take one more surprise. At least she was only three hundred miles from home instead of six thousand miles in a foreign misogynistic land. It was becoming obvious if she was going to get out of the mess, information would be a key. “I don’t think I’m ready for the women’s area yet. Is there somewhere else we could go? Maybe have a cup of coffee and talk?” **** “Where are we headed, Carboni?” Goodwin asked between sips of the coffee he brought. “4569 W. Rochester Avenue in Westwood Village.” “And.” “Two separate neighbors each reported hearing gunshots at about four in the morning. Dispatch sent a uniformed patrol car by and he reported the front door was wide open, nobody was there but signs of violence were evident.” “Such as?” “Blood on the sheets and wall of the master bedroom and a trail of blood drips clear out the door and to the curb.” “Hmmm, not looking good for our pretty lady.” “Maybe. A crime scene team is already there and Grommen and Samuels are interviewing the witnesses for us.” Goodwin frowned. “What are they doing there? I thought this was our case.” “It is. They were originally sent out, but the Chief wanted us. They’ll be working under us.” “Do they know that?”

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“Not yet but I’ll bet you can’t wait to tell them.” Goodwin smiled. “You mean you’re gonna let me have the honor?” Carboni pulled up to the curb. “Be my guest, partner.” **** Morina took Mallory to the outside pool area. Sitting at a table shaded by an umbrella, thirty stories up, with a magnificent view of the city, Morina ordered a carafe of coffee and pastries from the gelded waiter. Mallory wanted to garner as much information from Morina as possible. “Morina, I have a lot of questions. Tell me about Ali?” Somewhat haughtily, Morina responded, “Prince Ali is a Saudi prince. He is tenth in line for the throne of Saudi Arabia, yet he hasn’t set foot in Saudi Arabia in twelve years. He has lived in the United States for the last six years, the last three of which, have been here at the Babylon.” “He has rented the top of the Babylon Hotel for three years? He must be fabulously wealthy.” She laughed. “Oh no! He is fabulously wealthy, but he bought the hotel when we moved here.” Mallory frowned. “Really? That’s very interesting. So he pretty much controls everything that goes on here. What else can you tell me?” “Prince Ali—my father—is fifty-four years old. He currently has three wives and eleven children, of which six are boys. Father had the maximum four wives, but his second wife, Sylema—my mother—recently passed away, which is the reason he can now take you for his fourth wife.” Mallory placed her hand on Morina’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss, but why do you say he can now take me as his wife?” “It is widely accepted that four wives is the limit for Muslim men, who have the means. To take more would be presumptuous, since only our Prophet Muhammad, having taken sixteen wives, had more than four.” Smiling at the irony, Mallory said, “Sounds like it pays to be a prophet. Tell me more about your mother. When did she die? How old was she? How did she die?” Tears welled up in Morina’s eyes. “She died three weeks ago, right here. She was only thirty-seven.” Morina began sniffling, then sobbing. Mallory wondered if Sylema was sacrificed so the old man could marry her. 24

Distraught, Morina cut short their talk. “I have some business to take care of. Can we continue this later?” “Of course. One more question, please. You said Drew was to be executed because he soiled me. How could your father know this?” “While you were asleep he had you examined. The doctor found sperm inside you. The blood type matches Khalid and since he was found naked in your bed it was obvious. If the results of the DNA test confirm it, he will be executed.” Mallory suddenly felt more violated than she had when she learned they had kidnapped her. “Some doctor I’ve never even seen was messing around in my vagina? Ugggh. But wait. Drew was wearing a condom.” “So it is confirmed. You did have sex with him.” “Yes, but they can’t prove it.” “It doesn’t matter. He being naked and alone with you in your bedroom is enough in Islamic law to condemn both of you. Anyway, the condom was defective. There was a hole in the end.” “Morina, I have been kidnapped. I don’t know your father and I certainly don’t want to marry him. What can I do?” Mallory thought she saw sympathy in Morina’s expression. “I’m afraid there is nothing you can do. My father is one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. Your fate is sealed.” Flustered but unwavering, she responded, “But there are laws against this—this is white slavery. Powerful or not, they could lock your father up and throw away the key.” Looking tired, Morina stood up. “That may be, but Father has his own little fiefdom within the Babylon hotel. You’ve heard the marketing ploy—What goes on in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas?” Mallory nodded. “Well, it was invented in the Babylon Hotel. Nothing and I mean nothing, leaves the Babylon! I must leave now. I will take you to the women’s social area now.” **** Carboni sent Goodwin to help Grommen and Samuels question the witnesses, who had reported the gunshots and any other neighbors that happened to be home.

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Meanwhile, Carboni stayed out of the crime scene techs way and nosed around the remainder of the house. He looked in the kitchen trash and found nothing interesting, except a cocktail napkin from a JoJo’s bar and Grill. He bagged it and put it in his jacket pocket. He turned on the TV to see what was last watched and was surprised to see a screen from which you order adult films. He would have to check to see if anyone had ordered a movie last night. He then checked the answering machine in the kitchen. Three messages. He listened to Miss Robbins’s sophisticated voice invite the caller to leave a message. “Hi, this is Mallory. I’m sorry I missed you. Please leave a short message and the time of your call and I’ll get back to you.” Carboni hit the play button. “It’s Paige. I saw you with that gorgeous hunk last night. Hope you had fun. Call me.” He hit the next button. “Mal, it’s Paige again. Still looking to hear all about the fantastic guy you met. Call me please as soon as you wake up.” Carboni hit the button once more to hear the last message. “Mallory. It’s nine o’clock, I’m going to go over to Kelsey’s. She told me something at JoJo’s last night and I need to discuss it with her some more. Still want to hear about your dream date. Call me, please!” Hmmm. Paige, JoJo’s, Kelsey and dream date. Carboni thought as he wrote in his pocket notebook.

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Chapter Seven Paige was dying to talk to Mallory. She was itching to get the scoop on the gorgeous hunk, whose hand her friend was holding last night. She observed them both while she was having dinner with Robbie. They looked pretty chummy. She also wanted to talk to her about Robbie. Kelsey had told her something very upsetting the night before and she wanted Mallory’s take on the situation, but first she had to find out about her mysterious dreamboat. She had been awake since seven-thirty, but she forced herself to wait for a decent hour. After all, with a little luck, Mallory was up late, real late. A man answered. “Hello.” Ooh! The hunk is still there. “Mallory please.” “Who’s calling?” He sounds sexy. “Paige. What’s your name?” “Hi Paige. My name is Ritchie.” “Nice to meet you Ritchie. I hope you two had fun last night. Can I talk to Mallory now?” “Why not? Paige, what did you say your last name was again?” “I didn’t. It’s Dillon. What’s yours?” “Carboni.” “Ritchie Carboni. That’s a cool name. What do you do Ritchie?” “Actually, I’m a policeman—a detective.” “Really? You sure are good looking for a cop. Oops! Is it alright if I call you a cop?” “Sure. I’m used to it. How do you know what I look like, Paige?” “I saw you with Mallory at JoJo’s last night.” “Is that right? Where do you live Paige?” Paige was now suspicious. Why does he want to know that? “How come you want to know where I live?” “I don’t know, I guess you sound interesting. I thought I could come over and talk to you.”

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Something is wrong. With urgency Paige said, “What the fuck is going on Ritchie Carboni. I’m not bad looking but nobody would even give me a second look after being with Mallory. Where’s Mallory? I want to talk with her.” “And I want to talk with you. Miss Robbins is missing and we’re investigating her disappearance. I need to interview you. I’m going to send a patrol car over to pick you up. Is that all right?” Paige was stunned. Mallory was missing? Could that guy have kidnapped her? He was so cute. “Is this some sort of joke?” “I’m afraid not Miss Dillon. Miss Robbins is missing and I need to question you. Give me your address please.” “My address is 1614 Thirty-Second Avenue, Glendale.” **** Morina led Mallory into Prince Ali’s Twenty-first Century harem. Mallory scrutinized the enclosure. The focal point of the room was a huge natural appearing pool with one large and several smaller waterfalls discharging an unending flow of water. The landscape consisted of numerous lush tropical trees, large leaf and drooping shrubs and lush flowering perennials. The entire area was lit naturally from a large overhead skylight, where the sunny skies of southern Nevada filtered through. It looked like paradise, but Mallory suspected it was Hell. Scattered in and around the pool, in various states of attire were a score of women. A few of the women appeared older and a couple were not particularly attractive, but the majority were young, beautiful specimens of womanhood. Morina brought one of the beautiful ones with her. “Mallory this is Campbell. She will show you around, explain how I run things and introduce you to the other women.” Campbell reminded Mallory of herself, about the same size, blonde hair and blue eyes but with ten or fifteen pounds more than her constant one-twelve. As Morina walked away, Mallory asked Campbell, “Are you one of the wives?” Campbell smiled then laughed. “Heavens no! I’m a courtesan. Most of us are courtesans. There are two of the three wives here right now, one sister and two daughters. The remainder are courtesans, as you will be.” Revolted, Mallory snapped. “Courtesan! Is that a fancy way of saying whore?” Campbell’s friendly manner fell away. She thought for a moment before she answered Mallory’s rude accusation. “I suppose it is an acceptable way of saying whore, but few of us are here voluntarily. I will let what you said slide, as an emotional outburst. I remember

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how I felt when I was first brought here against my will. I was devastated. I even tried to commit suicide. Many of us have. Only Morina’s mother has succeeded.” Mallory felt badly about her outburst. “Sylema committed suicide? How?” “I’m not positive but if she didn’t commit suicide, she was murdered. What was left of her corpse was found on the parking garage roof, twenty-four stories below.” “I’m sorry for what I said. It was mean. I guess I’m in shock. I can’t believe they can get away with this in America. Aren’t there any phones around?” Campbell smiled, she had a friendly smile. She put out her hand and said, “Apology accepted. Let’s sit down at this table.” After they sat down, Campbell continued, “Now, as for phones, I’m afraid not. The guards have two way radios but I’m sure they have no outside access. Their boss, the chief of security has a cell phone but he’s rarely up here. The Prince doesn’t like ungelded males around his trophies.” “Trophies? Is that what you . . . we are?” “I’m afraid so and he will occasionally show us off. What’s the sense of having trophies if no one knows you have them, so occasionally he’ll bring a relative, a friend or a business man up here and let him select one of us. I’ve been lucky enough to be selected two out of the last three times.” “Was it awful?” “Pretty much.” “But isn’t that an opportunity to get help? Ask them to call the police?” “Not with friends or relatives. Muslim men in general don’t seem to have much respect for women, especially non-believer women. They feel this is our lot in life. I get the feeling that they believe we should feel privileged because we are pampered and live a life of luxury.” “What about the businessmen, the non-Muslim businessmen.” “When we’re selected by them, we’re drugged out of our minds. We can barely stay awake. I don’t imagine it’s much fun for the john but who cares. In some ways it’s better for us. We don’t remember it.” “This is like a nightmare. Morina says the Prince is going to marry me.” “Really? That’s surprising. Are you a Muslim?” “No.” 29

“Did you agree to convert?” “Heavens no! I only came last night and you and Morina are the only ones I’ve talked to. Campbell, do you know someone named Drew or Khalid?” “I know Khalid. He’s been in and out of here for about the last eight months. He’s one of the friends that the Prince has given the freedom to pick a partner. He picked me twice. It was the most enjoyable sex I’ve had here.” Not wanting to hear about Drew’s sexual exploits, Mallory cut her off. “Campbell, I had sex with him last night before I was abducted and they have him here. Morina says they’re going to send him to Arabia where he will be executed for defiling me.” “Were you a virgin?” Mallory shook her head. “Was it consensual?” She nodded. “Morina said it was adultery because I was betrothed to the Prince.” Campbell shook her head and said, “I’ll never understand the logic of these people. They have the strangest beliefs.” Mallory suddenly straightened as she remembered more of last night. “They shot him . . . I remember. He must be wounded. Campbell, is there anything we can do to save him?” “I don’t know how. It would be difficult at the least.” “But, somehow we must at least try to save him. Campbell, they’re going to behead him!” “That’s awful! I’ll tell you what. There are a couple of other girls that know and like him. Let me round them up and we’ll come to your room. Maybe the four of us can figure something out. What’s your room number?” “I didn’t notice. It’s in the middle. I’ll leave the door open until you get there.” **** Paige Dillon was ushered in to the suspected crime scene by the uniformed policeman Ritchie had sent to retrieve her. “This is Sergeant Carboni,” he said before retreating. She had been studying the sergeant and almost as an afterthought turned to the officer. “Thanks . . . ah . . . er . . . Officer Thomas.” Sergeant Carboni admired the diminutive, brunette doll. No more than five three with provocative bulges in all the right places complimenting her pretty face. “You’re too modest, Miss Dillon. You really are nice looking.” ****

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Tall, sandy hair, blue eyes, good looking. Under different circumstances . . . “Thank you, Detective. I saw three or four police cars and a van out there. What the heck is going on?” “As I told you on the phone, Miss Robbins has disappeared and we’re investigating her disappearance.” “Wait a second. Why are you investigating here? Did she disappear from here? Was she taken?” Sergeant Carboni stared at Paige and didn’t say anything at first. Then, “I think you have the way this works mixed up. We brought you here to ask you questions. Not the other way around.” “Fine! Can we get this over with?” “Sure. As you know, my name is Richard Carboni, I am a police sergeant and this is my partner Detective John Goodwin.” Paige shook his hand. Hmm, not bad either. Goodwin said, “Sergeant, can I have a second?” “Excuse me Miss Dillon.” Carboni and Goodwin stepped away. “Yes John.” “I need to check something in the kitchen. I’ll only be a minute.” Goodwin said, then smiled and continued, “Besides it’ll give you clear sailing if you decide to pursue this little honey.” Carboni rolled his eyes and frowned. “In case you haven’t noticed, this is a crime scene and Miss Dillon is a witness. I’m not about to put the moves on a witness no matter how attractive she may be. Just stick around.” “Yeah, whatever you say.” Returning to Paige, Carboni said, “I’m sorry for the delay. I’m going to record our conversation so there are no misunderstandings. Is that alright with you?” Paige nodded. “Let the record show that Miss Dillon nodded agreement. How long have you known Miss Robbins?” After five minutes of background and general information, Sergeant Carboni began to question her about the previous night. “You asked Miss Robbins to meet you at JoJo’s?” “Correct.” “And you had done this for five weeks in a row? Why did you ask her to meet you?”

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“I was supposed to meet my boyfriend. He couldn’t get there until seven and I didn’t want to be there alone until he showed up.” “So, Miss Robbins was to act like a chaperone, until your boyfriend arrived.” “Correct.” “What happened when he showed?” “We went into the restaurant part to eat. We invited Mallory, I mean Miss Robbins but she declined, saying she was going home, but I could see her from where I was sitting and she hung at the bar for awhile.” “Did anyone talk to her at the bar?” “Yes, a very nice looking man struck up a conversation. That’s who I thought you were. They talked for a minute and she appeared flustered. She left for a couple minutes then came back. She grasped his hand and headed for the back of the bar. I assume they went to sit in a booth.” Paige looked around at the uniformed and plainclothes men moving about. Wiping a tear from her eye, she demanded. “What happened here? Where’s Mallory? Why are you here?” “As I told you, I’m investigating Miss Robbins disappearance, and I’ll ask the questions Miss Dillon.” “Paige, please. Yes, but it’s only ten-thirty. Why would you be here already? Who reported her missing?” “No one reported her missing. There was a report of gunshots about four-thirty this morning.” “Gunshots! Oh my God!” She sniffled. “Was anybody hurt?” “Paige, please! I will ask the questions. As I was saying, uniforms were sent to investigate and the front door was left wide open. No one was here but there were some suspicious signs, so John and I were called in. Now, is there anything else that you can think of that might be helpful?” “I’d question the bartender at JoJo’s.” “I intend to.” “Her name is Kelsey. “All right, thank you. We’ll talk to Kelsey when we wrap up here, should be three or four hours. If you talk to Kelsey tell her to expect us. I think that’s all for now. Here’s my card. If you remember something you haven’t shared with us. Call me.”

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She glanced at his card. Sergeant Richard Carboni. She was being dismissed. “Aren’t you going to tell me what happened?” “Sorry, Miss Dillon, I’ve already told you more than I should have. How can I get in contact with you, should the need arise.” Paige didn’t like it one bit. Something happened to her lifelong friend and she didn’t know what. “Here’s my card. I sell real estate. Your not looking for a house, are you?” The detective smiled. He had a nice smile. She decided that she liked Ritchie. “I’m sorry ma’am not right now, but I’ll definitely keep you in mind. The patrolmen will drop you back home. I appreciate your help.” “I always ask. You never know.” “Of course, ma’am,” answered Sergeant Carboni, an understanding smile on his face. “Detective Goodwin, would you take Miss Dillon outside to the patrolman who brought her.” Carboni walked back toward the bedroom as Detective Goodwin began to lead her outside, but she broke away and ran toward the bedroom. There were three or four men in Mallory’s bedroom. Ritchie Carboni caught her and ushered her back out, but she looked over his shoulder and formed a metal image of the bedroom. As detective Goodwin forcefully grabbed her wrist and guided her outside, she recalled that image. There was a handcuff on the bedpost. Handcuff? My God! There was blood on the sheets and loose feathers from one of the pillows. **** Paige was not going to stand by and not know what happened to her friend. She decided to contact Kelsey and see what she knew. After all, she planned to call her anyway after what she told her about Robbie. “Hi Kelsey, it’s Paige. Stretching then rubbing her eyes, Kelsey answered. “Oh, hi Paige. What’s up?” “I didn’t wake you, did I?” She yawned. “No. Well yes. Don’t worry about it. What time is it anyway?” “It’s ten-thirty. I’ve been awake since six-thirty. Can I come over?” “What for?” “I want to talk to you about Robbie. I’ve been thinking about what you said and . . . well, I just need to talk with you about something else important. Can I come over?” 33

“Sure, why not? C’mon over. “Where do you live?” “I’m at my apartment. Forty-two, Sixty-two Orange, apartment seven, in Hollywood, but I warn you, my apartment’s a mess. I’ve been doing some decorating.” “I don’t care. Be there in twenty minutes.” In addition to the episode with the police that morning, Paige was unsettled from what Kelsey had told her about Robbie. Kelsey and she had become friendly and the night before Kelsey had opened up to her. “You know Paige, you remind me of a really good friend I had once. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I have grown fond of you and I really think you should know. I’ve seen your boyfriend with another woman twice in a nightclub on Los Feliz and the last time, I’m sure she was sucking him off near closing time, in a back booth.” She had been crushed. She wanted to ask Kelsey more, but Mallory showed up, right then so Paige acted like nothing had happened. She wasn’t surprised, she had suspected he was catting around for a couple of months, but that was the first confirmation. She was going to call Kelsey anyway, and then with the thing with the cops and Mallory, she had to talk to Kelsey. She knew Kelsey got off at two and probably didn’t have much sleep, but it was imperative she talk to her about Mallory and what she knew about the gorgeous hunk, whose hand Mallory had been holding last night. With Kelsey being right there, she should be able to shed some light on what went on. **** “What do you think Goodwin?” asked Carboni. ”I think she likes you.” “About her statement, lughead.” “Hey, she’s a hot number. If she looked at me the way she looked at you, I’d be on the phone asking for a personal tour of her favorite listing, with a special emphasis on the master bedroom. Maybe check out the whirlpool tub. Can’t you picture her in a tub? I’ll bet her jugs would float on the surface.” “Extremely humorous. For your information, we happen to be working a case and Miss Dillon is a witness. It would be very unprofessional of me to get involved.” “Not to mention fun!” A gloating Detective Goodwin said.

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“Seriously. What did you think, Goodwin?” “We need to question the bartender. As soon as we finish here, let’s head to her apartment.” “Yes, but what do you think happened here?” “It sounds like Miss Robbins picked up someone dangerous, who trussed her up on the bed and shot her. I’d be surprised if she was still alive.” “That would be a shame. She’s beautiful.” A crime scene tech approached them. “Yes, Miles?” asked Carboni. “Sir, it appears the victim was a male. We found a couple dark wrist hairs embedded in the handcuff. The handcuff is Police Department standard issue but can be obtained on the web. The blood type of the victim was ‘O’ Positive and we found vaginal discharge on the sheets and on the lounge over there. We also found a tiny bit of seminal fluid on the sheets mixed in with the feminine fluid.” “Goodwin, get on the phone with Miss Dillon and ask if she happens to know the blood type of the Robbins woman anything else, Miles?” “Yes, a couple of things. A bottle cap was found on the floor and has the faint distinguishing odor of trichloromethane.” “Chloroform huh? So, someone was knocked out?” “I can’t speculate on that, sir, but it is a possibility.” “We located two bullets in the wall–9mm, one directly behind the headboard and another about three feet to the right of the bed. The location of the blood and bullet behind the headboard indicate that the gunshot wound was not life-threatening. I suspect the victim was shot in the upper left arm below the shoulder.” Miles paused. “We also found several sets of fingerprints. We’ll have to take them to the lab for comparison and run the ones we don’t know.” “Good work, Miles. Let me know if you find anything else.” “Hey, Carboni.” “Yes, Goodwin?” “I got a hold of Paige. She said she would like to jump your bones.” “Damn-it, Goodwin. Can’t you be serious?” “Sorry, Boss. She said the Robbins chick had an AB something blood type.” 35

“She’s sure?” “Yes, apparently there was a blood drive in their school years ago. Paige’s is ‘O’ negative and they were full up on ‘O’ and didn’t need hers but they were tickled to get Mallory’s, which was fairly rare. That means it definitely is someone else’s blood.” “That’s good. I was just coming to that conclusion myself.” “C’mon, let’s go find the bartender. I’ll buy you lunch.” “Hold on a sec, Carboni,” said Goodwin as he bent down in front of the living room couch and reached under it. He stood holding something by the edges, a business card, “Stevens Investigations, Drew Stevens, Private investigator.” Goodwin grinned at Carboni and continued, “I’ll bet he had fun investigating her privates.” Ritchie couldn’t help but chuckle. He snatched the card. “Let me see that.” After looking at the card he continued, “This could be unrelated to the events that transpired here.” “True. Do you think it’s unrelated?” “No.” “Then we’ll hit Stevens’s office before you buy me lunch but first let’s call the cell number and see if he answers.” “Great idea, Goodwin. Why didn’t I think of that?” “Shut up smartass,” Carboni said, as he dialed the number. After five rings, he got voice mail. “Hi. I’m Drew Stevens of Stevens Investigations but I’m not here. Sorry you missed me. Business or pleasure, leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you.” Carboni looked at Goodwin, who looked back expectantly. “Like I figured, voice mail. Let’s hit his office.”

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Chapter Eight Paige knocked on the door to apartment seven. Kelsey came to the door, a pleasant smile on her face. “Hi Paige, come in. I just made a fresh pot of coffee.” Paige glanced around and saw a ladder located in the middle of a half-wallpapered wall. Newsprint and wallpaper tools cluttered the floor. “Ooh, this place is darling.” Kelsey beamed. “Thanks, you’re too kind. I’m hoping it’ll be darling when I’m finished.” “Oh, it will be I can tell.” She inhaled the compelling aroma of fresh coffee. “Umm! Coffee smells dreamy. What flavor is it?” “Raspberry Chocolate. Let’s go in the kitchen. Watch your step.” After they sat down and Paige enjoyed her first sip of gourmet coffee, she asked, “How come you’re fixing up your apartment?” “Oh, I own this eight-plex.” Kelsey explained, “I don’t want to be a bartender forever.” Surprised by Kelsey’s revelation, Paige felt her eyebrows inadvertently rise. “I know, I don’t seem like the land lord type, but in addition to this eight-plex, I’ve got a couple rental homes.” Now Paige was curious. “What kind of rent are you getting?” She laughed. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot, you sell real estate. If you come across anything that pencils out, keep me in mind. I may not be in a position to do anything but at least I’ll know what I’m missing.” “Here’s my card. I’ll definitely keep you in mind. Listen Kelsey, I’ve something very serious to discuss with you.” “What’s that?” Kelsey asked, just before taking a sip. “Mallory has disappeared. I’m worried sick something awful might have happened.” “Oow!” Kelsey jumped up, brushing the front of her tee shirt and jeans off. She had spilled coffee down the front of her tee shirt and jeans. “Oh shit, I’m sorry,” she said, trying to blot it up with a paper towel. Finally, giving up, Kelsey stripped off her wet top. “Damn, I just bought this shirt.” Paige stared nonplused by Kelsey’s braless breasts bared before her. As Paige watched Kelsey’s bare back and tight jean pockets undulate away from her, her shoulder length hair bouncing across her shoulders and disappearing into what Paige assumed was her bedroom, it suddenly struck her, Geez, my favorite bartender is cute. 37

“We can continue talking in here, while I change, if you want,” Kelsey, shouted from her bedroom. Paige thought about it and said, “That’s okay, I’ll just drink my delicious coffee. Take your time.” Seconds later, Kelsey walked through the door wearing a full length black and blue print silk peignoir and matching blue slippers. Paige thought she looked lovely. “I’m glad you told me about Robbie cheating. I suspected something was up with him when he kept trying to get me to ask Mallory about a threesome with us. At least I know somebody cares enough to tell me.” “A ménage huh?” Kelsey sat and took her hands. “I do care for you Paige. That’s why I told you. As much as it hurts now, it would be much worse if, God forbid, you got married and found out he was unfaithful.” “Now tell me what happened at Mallory’s and start at the beginning.” Paige took a sip of the tasty coffee. Remembering her friend, tears welled up in Paige’s eyes. “She’s missing. I called her this morning to see how it went last night and the police answered.” Kelsey’s interest grew. “The police were there? Why?” Paige whimpered, “They said someone reported gunshots. That’s why they were there so soon. There were lots of them and that yellow tape they spread around was all over. People were standing outside. A news van pulled up just as they were bringing me back.” Kelsey sat beside Paige and put her arm around her. “Now, now, just let it out, that’s what friends are for.” Paige bubbled over with tears. “Kelsey, it was awful. I ran into the bedroom and,” sniffles, “there was a handcuff and . . . blood.” She felt spent. “I’m so worried about my friend. You’ve been nice to me and very comforting, but the reason I came here was to gather information about what happened to Mallory after Robbie and I went in the grill. I saw her talking to a great looking guy and then she took his hand and led him to a booth. I need to know what you know.” “Oh! The Card Guy. I know what happened all right and she didn’t take him to a booth.” **** Stevens Investigations turned out to be a one room office in a run down Executive Suite on Coldwater Canyon in North Hollywood.

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After showing his badge, Goodwin addressed the receptionist. “Stevens Investigations, Have you seen him today.” The receptionist, a mildly attractive but overweight valley girl, between chewing her gum and blowing bubbles, answered, “Mr. Stevens rarely comes in. To bad too. He’s a real looker for an older guy.” A nod passed between the detectives which translated into, bingo. “Just how old is Mr. Stevens?” “I can’t be sure but I’ll bet he’s pushing thirty.” That time the detective’s nod translated to, ditz. Carboni, who, at thirty-three, never realized how elderly he was, asked, “I don’t suppose you have a way of getting a hold of Mr. Stevens.” “Only his cell phone. Have you tried that?” “Yes. How about a picture of Mr. Stevens?” “I wish I did. I’d blow it up, make a poster of it and hang it up in my bedroom.” “That good looking, huh?” She nodded. “He’s the whole package. Wait a minute. I just remembered. There should be Polaroid in his rental file, maybe his home phone number too. Wait here.” After a couple minute wait, she returned, passing a grainy photo to Carboni. “I guess it’s all right to give you this since you’re here on police business.” She picked up a ball point and wrote something on a scratch pad. “Here’s his address and phone number too.” Goodwin and he looked the photo over for a few seconds before putting it in his jacket pocket. He handed the slip of paper to Goodwin and said, “Your turn. See if you can get him on your cellular.” Looking back to her, he continued, “Thanks. This will help, but we’ll still be asking you for an in depth description later. Now can we have the key to his office?” Goodwin announced, “He’s not there – voicemail again.” She considered the policeman’s request, then said, “I would give you the key, but aren’t you supposed to have a search warrant or something?” Once again a nod passed between them, which translated that time into, not as ditzy as we thought.

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Goodwin took a turn. “Miss . . . What’s your name?” “Connie. Just think. If Mr. Stevens were to marry me, I would become Mrs. Connie Stevens.” “You mean like the Connie Stevens? Isn’t she before your time? Do you even know who she is?” Connie blew a bubble and answered haughtily, “I thought detectives were supposed to be smart. How could I bring up someone I don’t even know? I know she was very pretty and I kind of look like her. I used to look more like her until I took this desk job and put on twenty pounds. I get so bored, I snack too much.” Goodwin and Carboni glanced at each other. There was consensus in their eyes. More smart than ditzy. Smart alecky too! Carboni took a stab. “You should apply for police work. The Police Academy would shape you up.” “I don’t know. I’ve seen some pretty corpulent cops. All those doughnuts, you know.” This girl’s a riot. “Miss . . . Connie. You’re technically correct, but we have reason to believe that your elderly dreamboat may have been the victim of foul play. We need to see what’s in his office.” “Hmm! That puts a new light on things. I believe if the door is unlocked, you don’t need a warrant. Right?” “Right.” They both said. Connie reached in the center desk drawer and palmed something. “If you gentlemen will have seat and read a magazine, I’m going to go to the little girl’s room and when I get back you can see if Mr. Stevens left his door unlocked.” They both sat and watched as Connie went down the hall to the right. She came back after thirty seconds. “Ah, that’s better. I drank too much coffee this morning. Where were we now? Oh yes, Mr. Stevens’s office. You may go and see if Mr. Stevens’s door is unlocked if you wish.” Visibly dropping a key into her desk drawer, she said, “It’s suite 9.” “What was the key you dropped into the drawer,” asked Goodwin. “I went to the restroom. Remember? They keep the restrooms locked, keeps the transients and druggies out.” As the detectives strode towards suite 9, Connie put a second key into the drawer. ****

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Drew opened his eyes but saw nothing. He didn’t know where he was but suspected it was at the Babylon Hotel. He tried to scoot up a little but his left arm was killing him. He felt his left shoulder with his right hand and was surprised to find it bandaged. He racked his brain to remember what had happened. He had no idea how long he had been asleep or how his shoulder was injured. He elevated himself to his elbow using only his right arm. He spied the door by the light that emitted from underneath. After flipping his left leg over his right, he rolled over and off the bed. He stood up and searing white pain tore through his skull, and he almost collapsed. He lay back on the bed and racked his memory. What the hell happened? How did I get here? I need to get up and find out. Drew stood up once more. Even though his head was splitting, he rushed to the door. What the . . . the door is locked. He flipped the light switch and the light blinded him. After his eyes became accustomed to the light, he looked around. It wasn’t his suite. Nothing was familiar. Drew started banging, yelling, “Hey, let me out, where am I? Why is the door locked?” The door opened and there stood Musa and Mustafa, two bull sized men. Behind the two behemoths stood Jamal, his face etched with concern. “Jamal, am I glad to see you. Why am I locked up?” He stepped in and shut the door on the giant guards. “Boy, you really did it!” “Did what? What happened to my arm? How come I’m locked in this room instead of in my suite?” “Don’t you remember what you did?” “No, Jamal, tell me what fucking happened?” “You fucked the lady—the Prince’s fiancée—he knows it and is royally pissed. That’s what happened.”

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Chapter Nine Campbell ushered two girls into the room, shut and locked the door behind them. She put a finger to her lips, signaling Mallory not to speak. Campbell took her hand and led her to the walk in closet. The girls followed. Campbell said, “That’s better. I think the rooms are bugged,” Gesturing to her companions, “Mallory, this is Brenna Thompson and Tiffany O’Brien.” After they nodded and hugged, Campbell sat down cross legged and the others followed her example. Having come from the pool area, all three were wearing mini bikinis with matching coverups. They were lovely. Brenna was around five-three, short blonde hair and brown eyes. Raven haired Tiffany, was five-six and had piercing light blue eyes sometimes reminiscent of Irish backgrounds. Brenna’s figure was shapely and reminded Mallory of Paige. It made her wonder if Paige knew she was missing. “These are the girls I told you about,” Campbell said. “I told them about Khalid and they want to help.” Mallory bent forward and hugged Brenna and Tiffany. “Thank you. I can use all the help I can find. I don’t even know where to begin. Campbell, how can we even find out where they are keeping him?” “My guess is it would be on one of the two floors below. Where, I have no idea.” Mallory said, “Okay, finding out where Khalid is must be our first priority. Anybody have any ideas.” “The time when I was with him, he said he wished he could show me his suite on the twenty-eighth floor. Do you think he could be in his suite?” ventured Tiffany. “I doubt it,” replied Campbell, “he’s about to be sent to Saudi Arabia to be beheaded. I don’t think they would give him a suite. I don’t think they’d even give him a room, because he could break the window and jump out.” Brenna looked horrified. “But he would die from the fall.” “Beats losing your head,” said Campbell. “I wonder if Morina would help,” said Mallory suddenly. “Why would she help?” asked Tiffany. “I think she has a crush on him. When I was talking to her this morning she seemed pretty upset when we talked about him,” answered Mallory, “and when she talked about Khalid being executed, her eyes teared up.”

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“Really?” asked Campbell, “She would sure know or could find out where Khalid is. Do you think she could be coaxed into helping?” Mallory responded, “I don’t know. I could give it a try.” “All right, you do that. What else?” asked Campbell. “We’ve got to find a way to contact the outside. Any ideas there?” “Ideas?” Campbell said in answer to Mallory’s question. “I’ve been agonizing over that since the day I was brought here. If we could make contact with the authorities we could be rescued.” **** “God damnit, Kelsey! Don’t keep it a secret. Tell me what happened,” exclaimed Paige excitedly. “I’ll do better than that. I’ll show you.” Kelsey got up and went to her purse. She retrieved a little white card and handed it to Paige, who read it. She looked at Kelsey, who smiled and shrugged. She looked back at the card and read the five cannily provocative words that may have caused everything. IF YOU LOVE CUNNILINGUS. SMILE! Paige was perplexed. A sudden flush passed through her body, terminating in the places that made her squirm. She wondered if the card had aroused Mallory the way it did her. She was experiencing carnal urges of her own. Kelsey said, “He told her that he would do it to her, ‘anyplace, anytime, no strings attached.’ He was very good at it, he said. He was pretty foreword, but Mallory just kept listening to him. She left for few minutes to go to the ladies room. I figured that was it, but she came back and asked, ‘You haven’t changed your mind have you?’ When he said no, she grasped his hand and walked back toward the restrooms.” She could understand Mallory taking the handsome man, who had given her that card, somewhere to be alone, but a restroom? “My God, they did it in a restroom?” “No. I don’t think so. There are stairs by the restrooms going down to the all purpose room and offices.” Standing next to Paige in nothing but her thin, skimpy, peignoir, Kelsey put her arm on her shoulder. The combination of the card, what Mallory had ostensibly done and Kelsey titillating proximity had inflamed Paige. Why do I suddenly find Kelsey so attractive. “I . . .ah . . . think I . . . better call Sergeant Carboni. I’ll be right back.”

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**** The office of Stevens Investigations consisted of a single twelve by fourteen room, housing a five foot Formica desk, a leather executive chair, two fabric chairs facing the desk and a leather couch on the opposite wall. In addition there were two end tables, a mini stereo CD player, a dozen or so CDs, a TV/DVD combo and three four drawer legal sized file cabinets. “Take a look at this, Carboni.” exclaimed Goodwin, a few seconds after opening the first file cabinet. “Wha’cha got?” asked Sergeant Carboni, who was looking through the desk. “A file on Mallory Robbins.” “Really? Let me see.” Goodwin handed the large cumbersome file to Carboni who sat down at the desk before opening it. “John, see if you can find something, anything around here that would indicate what blood type Stevens is.” As Goodwin started checking for medical records or whatever, Carboni began to peruse the sizable file which had three dividers in it, each containing a separate letter sized manila folder. He pulled out one folder and it had a hundred or so clippings of Mallory from magazines and newspaper. Carboni admired the photos. God she is beautiful! Where are you Mallory? His musing was interrupted by the sound of his partner’s agitated voice. “What do you mean you can’t tell me? I told you, this could be life or death!” Goodwin screamed into his cell phone. Carboni glanced over to his red faced partner and waved to get his attention. “We don’t have time to come over there. We are at Mr. Stevens’s office right now looking for clues to his whereabouts. Just a second please. Yes, Ritchie?” “What’s the problem?” “I’ve got his doctor’s office on the phone and they don’t want to give out information over the phone.” “Is it the Doctor?” “No, it’s the office manager.” “I’ve got an idea. Give me your phone.” Unconvinced, Goodwin handed the phone to his partner. “Hi, this is Sergeant Carboni. Who am I talking too? Rose. Okay, Rose I understand why you don’t want to give out information over the phone but we’re hot on the trail of a kidnapping and possible assault. 44

Unfortunately we don’t have time to come down there. I’ll tell you what. Instead of you telling me what blood type Mr. Stevens has, I’ll tell you the Blood type we found and if Mr. Stevens blood type is something else, you say no and if it isn’t, don’t say anything. All right?” “Good. Type O Positive.” Silence “Thanks for your help Rose.” “Well?” asked Goodwin. “Our guy is ‘O’ Positive.” The second manila folder contained dozens of receipts and an itemization of expenses. A glance at the receipts didn’t reveal anything, though he needed to look at them closer when he had more time. The third folder contained forty-five photos of Mallory, surreptitiously taken in various attire and locations. Suddenly, a scrapbook crashed down on top of the folder, startling the detective. Carboni looked up and saw Goodwin with a sardonic grin. Goodwin said grinning from ear to ear, “You ain’t seen nothing yet, partner. Check out your beauty queen’s portfolio.” “Where did you find it?” “Same file drawer, stuck behind all the other files.” He pointed to the highest drawer in the middle file cabinet. “Good job.” Carboni opened the booklet. It was Mallory alright. A little younger, a little less sure of herself, more girl-like but still fabulous. Goodwin added, “I gotta admit, she is a looker.” He reached over and flipped the pages to the back of the book. “Check out the nudes on the last six pages.” Carboni immersed himself in the tasteful nudes taken of a younger, not yet famous Mallory Robbins. God, she is spectacular. I’ve just got to find her. He could sense Goodwin studying him as he ogled the Robbins portfolio. “You’re not getting personally involved, are you?” he inquired. Carboni was excused from responding when his phone rang. “Sergeant Carboni . . . Yes, Miss Dillon . . . All right. Paige . . . Wonderful . . . Yes, go ahead.” He wrote the address in his notebook. “Got it. Give us an hour and Detective Goodwin and I will be over.” “What was that about?”

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“That was Miss Dillon. She has some information. She said she couldn’t tell me. I had to see it.” “Couldn’t give the information over the phone, huh? I told you she was hot for you. Are you gonna bonk that babe or what?” Once more Carboni was saved from answering his partner’s embarrassing question as his cellular phone rang. “Sergeant Carboni . . . Yes, Captain . . . All right, Captain . . . We’ve only been on this a few hours. We’re not sure what happened yet . . . Yes, go ahead.” Carboni sighed. “Got it. Give us a few more hours and Detective Goodwin and I will give you a preliminary report.” “What gives?” “That was the Captain.” “I could tell that much. What’s going on?” “The councilman for this area called the Mayor and the Chief. It seems Ms. Robbins’s agent is friend of his and he wants action!” “We can look around for another half hour and then we need to go. We need to question the bartender. We can come back later if we need to. I’m going to bring this file and scrapbook plus the laptop I found under the desk. Was there anything else you came across?” A frown formed on Goodwin’s brow. “Actually, no. And that in itself is curious. Except for a few minor investigations—a couple of infidelity cases, an identity verification, some investigative work for a Westwood attorney and a child custody claim, Miss Robbins was his only case. I would suspect it wasn’t even a case and he had a fixation on her, except he received a lot, and I mean a lot of money from one client.” “How much and who?” “Three hundred seventy thousand from the Babylon Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.” Carboni whistled. “Babylon Hotel. Say, isn’t that owned by some Saudi bigwig? What could Stevens have done for them that he earned that much money?” “Maybe it’s for what he was going to do. Maybe it’s for kidnapping or killing Robbins. Let’s face it. He was stalking her like a hit man!” “I hope not. Before we go, you didn’t see a safe anywhere did you?” “No, why?” “I was looking through this address book and found what looks like computer passwords and a combination to a safe. The middle file cabinet looks a half inch higher. Let’s try to move it.” 46

They went over and pulled on it. To Goodwin’s obvious surprise, it slid out between the other two cabinets fairly easy. Located in the wall behind, they discovered a safe. “Well, I’ll be. Good find, Carb.” “Thanks. You’re closer. Try 15-24-16.” “Got it. Wow. Look at that.” Inside were several bundles of hundred dollar bills and two small notebooks. “How much is there?” asked Carboni. Goodwin leafed through the banded bundles. “There’s fifty- six bundles. Let’s see, that would be a hundred-twelve thousand buckaroos.” “Good, grab those notebooks and let’s go see Paige.”

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Chapter Ten – Babylon “I’ve been meaning to ask you, Campbell. How did they kidnap you and how did they get you here?” Mallory asked. “In my case, it was the easiest thing in the world. I came to them. I was a showgirl in Bally’s Jubilee show and word went around that The Babylon was willing to pay top dollar for showgirls.” Campbell scrunched her mouth. “My application was worded in such a way that it let them know I was unattached, and an only child whose parents were deceased, something all the abductees here seem to have in common. After the audition, they told me they needed me right away and I should quit Bally’s, then report for practice the next morning. They said I was going to be practicing a lot and they would provide me a room so I should let my apartment go. I never even got to practice.” A tear welled up in her eye. “They drugged me and when I awoke I was naked in the Prince’s bed.” “That’s awful.” Mallory looked at Brenna and Tiffany. “Is that how they got you girls too?” Brenna nodded and Tiffany spoke, “Pretty much, except I was an orphan from Bend, Oregon. My audition was in a warehouse in Portland. It was supposedly for some hush hush new show being developed for an unnamed Las Vegas hotel. They hired me and gave me airline tickets to McCarran Airport. There was a darling set of twins from Astoria on the same plane, with a contract for the production too. I thought we would be good friends all being from Oregon. We were picked up by the hotel van and the next thing I knew, I was a harem plaything. I have no idea what happened to the twins. I never saw them again.” Campbell continued Tiffany’s thought, “I’ve heard rumors that we are the lucky ones. The word around here is that scores more girls, maybe hundreds, have been taken, then sold in the Orient, Latin America, the Middle East, etc. and if we displease Prince Ali, that’s where we could end up.” “My God!” said Mallory dejectedly as her shoulders slumped, “What can we do? We can’t just sit here and do nothing.” **** When the doorbell rang, Kelsey jumped. “Who’s that?” Paige sighed, “Oh, it’s just Detective Carboni. I told you he was coming. Wait until you see him. He’s pretty cute. Partner’s not bad either.” “Thanks for the warning,” said Kelsey. “Just leave your robe on. It’s no big deal.” “I would like to have had enough time to put on make-up. You know what? I feel on edge.” 48

“Me too. That card and you comforting me seems to have whetted my appetite. Anyway, you don’t need makeup. You look great, but, I can see your nipples through the fabric,” The door bell rang again. Kelsey smiled. “Well, you said they were good looking. It’ll give ‘em something to look at,” she said hurrying to open the door. Paige came forward to greet the gentlemen. “Kelsey. This is Sergeant Carboni and this is Detecti—” “John Goodwin,” he said taking Kelsey’s hand. “Don’t you just hate formalities?” Goodwin was smitten. She wasn’t flashy like their missing starlet or stacked like Paige but there was a cute, wholesome, girl next door look about her with her pert hairdo and dark brown eyes. Sexy too. The outline of her nipples protruded through her gown. God, she’s hot. I wonder what it would be like to date a lady bartender. **** Carboni addressed Paige, “Before you show me, what you have, let me ask you.” He showed the Polaroid to her. “Is this the man you saw with Mallory?” “That’s him.” Paige showed the picture to Kelsey. “What do you think? That’s him, right?” It didn’t take Kelsey long. “Yep, that’s Card Man. What’s his name?” Sergeant Carboni looked puzzled. “Drew Stevens. Why did you call him card man?” “That’s what I wanted to show you,” said Paige. “Yes?” Paige started to hand the card to him but realizing the implication of what it said, had a vision of the handsome detective with his head buried between her legs. “This is a little embarrassing. Could we go somewhere to be alone, while I show you?” Ritchie seemed curious. He nodded, looked over her shoulder at the empty bedroom, took her hand and headed there, shutting the door behind them. **** Campbell said, “First let’s find Khalid. He would know what to do. Mallory, why don’t you sound Morina out? If she would help, it would make things a lot easier.” “Should I go find her?”

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“Yes, but not with us here. We shouldn’t show all our cards. After we leave, you can call her and ask to speak with her.” “But if my room is bugged, where can I speak –” then she remembered the outside pool area where she and Morina had shared coffee that morning. “Never mind, I know where to meet her.” She picked up the house phone and called. “Morina, this is Mallory. I need to talk with you. Can we meet where we met this morning, back on the pool deck?” “I guess so. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll be there.” Mallory arrived before Morina and took a seat at the same table they occupied earlier. It had a sun umbrella and she sat in the shade. She ordered a Café Latte and began to peruse a Harper’s magazine she’d found on an adjacent table. She was featured prominently throughout, including the cover. She wasn’t some unknown without family. How were they going to pull this off? She wasn’t like the other girls. She was well known and had an extensive family, an agent, friends, appointments for the next couple of months. How were they going to get around that? Then it hit her. They’re going to fake my death. If they succeed, I’m doomed. As Mallory’s Latte arrived, so did Morina. She ordered the same. Morina’s demeanor had changed since the morning, less friendly, more formal. “What can I do for you, Mallory?” “Morina, I want to thank you for coming. I feel I must tell you everything your father is doing here is not only immoral, it’s illegal and you’re involved up to your armpits. I’d hate to see you get dragged down with him when he gets caught.” Morina waved her hand and sniggered. “He will never get caught and while I do not agree with what he is doing, I am in no position to challenge him. I may be his daughter, but in reality, I am little more than a servant.” Mallory played her trump card. “Morina, your father has made a big mistake.” She turned the magazine and pointed to her picture. “I’m not some orphan off the bus from Kansas City that came here looking for a job. I’m famous, and I was kidnapped out of my home.” “Yes, I know. Magazines like that are how he discovered you … coveted you.” “You knew about this?” Mallory said stridently. “That makes you an accessory. They’ll catch him and you will be charged too.” Morina appeared to be getting uncomfortable, looking around, and refusing to lock eyes with Mallory. “I knew he was obsessed with you but not about the kidnapping,” she said softly. Maintaining pressure Mallory pressed her point. “You know he can’t get away with this. He has gone too far. I have an agent, friends, and family. They’ll all be looking for me.”

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“I’m sure he’s thought of that and has an answer.” She was obviously uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. “I do not want to talk about this. What is the reason you wanted to talk with me?” Mallory wasn’t going to let Morina change the subject. “How is he going to get around my notoriety? How? By faking my death?” **** Kelsey and Goodwin, who had sat down on the couch and ogling each other, barely noticed, but seemed to welcome their newfound privacy. Kelsey smiled and appraised him. Paige was right. He was good looking. Not great, but not bad, medium build, blue eyes, thin sandy brown hair, thin lips and a strong nose. He also seemed to have a pleasant disposition. She allowed herself to think. I wonder what it would be like to date a cop? To fuck a cop? Turning toward him, she interwove her fingers and placed her joined hands over his shoulder, Kelsey flashed an evocative smile and asked provocatively, “So tell me, John. Do a lot of women throw themselves at you . . . being a detective?” **** Carboni was attracted to the shapely young woman, and here he was in a bedroom with her. He needed to keep his mind on the case. A beautiful young girl’s life, the girl’s friend, may depend on him. Paige stopped and turned around. “Okay, Miss Dillon. What do you have?” “Kelsey showed me this.” She handed the card to Sergeant Carboni. He looked the card over and flashed a surprised look. “The man that Mallory went with gave this card to her. From this card, I think we can surmise what Mallory was doing last night.” “I think you’re right. I found the card pretty provocative myself. Who knows if a great looking guy offered to do that to me, no strings attached, I might have taken him up on it too.” “No strings attached?” “That’s what Kelsey said the man said. He told her that he would do it to her, ‘anyplace, anytime, no strings attached.’ And that he was very good at it.” He studied Paige. In some ways she reminded him of his favorite beach babe, Carmen Electra. He knew what she meant and thinking about it was making him hard. His hardness was getting uncomfortable so he subtly changed positions, adjusting his penis upward.

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She noticed the detective discreetly reach down to fiddle with his growing problem. Flashing a demur smirk, she asked, “I saw you smile when you read the card. Does that mean you love cunnilingus also?” He gave her a knowing smile. “Is that a proposition?” She smiled back flirtatiously. “Maybe.” Arching a single eyebrow, he asked, “What about your boyfriend?” “I’m looking to change boyfriends. Are you interested?” “Oh, I’m interested all right, but not here with my partner in the next room. Is there somewhere we could go?” Laughing she said, “There are plenty of motels on Hollywood Blvd or haven’t you noticed?” He examined her face. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” “I am if you are.” “I’ll tell you what. I need to interview you. I’ll take you to dinner, interview you and we’ll see what happens after that.” **** Goodwin could feel her breath on his cheek and in his ear. It excited him. He turned his head toward her but his gaze detoured from her cute girlish face downward where her robe had opened slightly and her womanly pink nipple was beckoning by sticking a half inch nub out. Though Kelsey seemed to want to move fast, John was taking it slow. Seeing her bare nipple had turned him on. He leaned his head sideways and forward and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, just behind her ear and whispered, “Your nipple is showing.” She kissed his cheek and looked down. “Oh my, I better cover it up.” After blandishing a winsome smile, she took one of his hands and placed it over the offending breast. “There it’s covered. Your move! What are you going to do?” A little unsettled, he kissed her gently while teasing her nipple with his masculine fingers. “I’d like to do plenty, but I’m on duty and I’m here to interview you.” She responded by whispering with a breathless voice. “As a public servant, your first duty is to help the public and I am a woman in distress.” Reaching behind his head, she pulled his lips toward hers while running a hand through his sandy hair. As his lips touched hers, she opened her mouth as his tongue split her ivory defenses and commingled with her tongue, she groaned. 52

Goodwin could only resist so long. Still tickling her nipple, his other hand slipped between the folds of her gown and worked its way down her torso. “And what is my duty, as you see it?” he whispered back. His roving hand had arrived at its destination—her vulva. His fingers alternated between gently stroking her ultra-sensitive clitoris and slipping between the folds of her labia, directly into her hungry humid pussy. Kelsey stiffened and pushed her bottom into his busy fingers. Even more breathily she responded. “Your duty, as I see it, is to take out your six inch shooter and use it to come … to my aid … to aid my distress.” She began stroking his enlarged love muscle through his pants. “Your cock feels hard and reassuring. I want to see your cock, to feel its silky texture, to put it into my mouth or my puss. She unzipped his fly and was about to pull his Johnnie forth, when he reached down and stopped her. “Christ, Kelsey, my partner is in the next room.” **** Sergeant Carboni rushed through the door dragging Paige behind him. “Goodwin, I’m taking Miss Dillon with . . .” What he saw gave Ritchie pause. Kelsey was recumbent on the couch, her flowing gown partially open and draped to the floor, her willowy naked body in partial view while one of John’s hands tended to her private parts. She had reciprocated by unzipping his fly and inserting her hand within. At first, he started to get mad, but refrained. Isn’t that what we’re contemplating doing? Then he got inflamed. Seeing the hot little bartender and his partner had electrified him. His zinger was about to burst through his pants and the answer to his dilemma was the hot little number who was holding his hand. He diverted his gaze and continued, “Me to ah . . . interview her in private. Can you . . . ah, handle Miss Knowles?” Kelsey giggled As Ritchie opened the exterior door and dragged Paige through, he heard Goodwin’s reply. “Consider her handled.” Then as he was closing the door behind them, he heard Kelsey giggle again and say, “You heard him, handle me. Are we gonna play hide the weenie or not?” **** As they left the apartment he gazed around. When he saw no one, he pushed Paige up against the wall and began to kiss her wildly. His large hands sought her ass and squeezed. His hands moved up to her chest. A couple buttons flew to the sidewalk as he jerked the flaps of her blouse apart. He reached in, pushed the bra up above her large breasts and began kneading them, rolling his fingers around her areolas, plucking her protruding nipples. He burrowed his hardness into her softness, over and over and over. His passion was contagious. She seemed to revel in his provocation, responding by pushing her soft pubic area back into his hard weapon. She put her arms around him and 53

began kissing his neck, then his ear. She lifted one leg and wrapped it behind his legs, nudging his groin even harder into her softness. He reached under her short mini skirt and pulled her panties down. He placed the palm of his hand flat against her vulva, moving forward and backward, between her legs. A groan emitted from deep within her chest. He jerked as she bit his ear lobe. As she moaned, her manicured fingers located and unzipped his fly. As she reached through the opening he felt her hand on his hard, naked cock, already protruding through the bonds of his briefs, but wedged against the sides of his pants. After freeing his captive member from its confines, she held his cock in her hand. She squeezed it tightly and released it. Then she began to massage it gently, aided apparently by the wetness emerging from the head of his erection. Ritchie lowered his head down to one of Paige’s hefty breasts and suckled on the jutting pink nipple. Simultaneously he inserted his fingers into her warm dripping wet pussy. As he did, she shuddered. She was massaging his cock and it was driving him nutty. He wanted her. He had to have her. Paige put her other hand on top of his head and ran her fingers through his wavy sandy hair. What they were doing was getting to her. He could tell she wanted him, but they were outside in partial view of the street, through mature shrubs and trees. In addition, she was against a wall of an apartment building between two doors. She kept glancing around as if fearing discovery, but when Ritchie put his fingers inside her, sucking on her tit, she no longer seemed to care. Throwing caution to the wind she sighed, “Mmmm, Ritchie . . . Ritchie. Christ, I must have you inside me. Stick it in!” Ritchie elevated her so that she could put his cock inside her. As she guided him in, he lowered her upon it. “Ooooh ah that’s it. Fuck me baby! Ahhhh. Fuck me harder! Ohhhh you feel so good inside me. No one ever felt this good. Ever! My boyfriend is history.” **** Morina seemed stunned. Her mouth fell open and she looked at Mallory with fear in her eyes. She rose and started to leave but Mallory grabbed her hand tightly and wouldn’t let go. “You’re not going anywhere until we finish our talk.” She hissed quietly. “Sit down before I yank you down.” “I could scream for the guards.” “You could, and when I’m Mrs. Prince Ali—your step mother, I will convince my devoted husband to get rid of you. Maybe they will find you on the roof of the parking garage like they did your mother or maybe you’ll end up as the favorite sex toy of some obese cragged faced drug lord in Asia.”

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She sat down. “Who have you been talking to? Are you accusing my father of killing my mother? Where’s the proof?” “I don’t need it. You know it and I know it.” Morina teared up. “I do suspect it. He had to possess you, but not just as a concubine. He wanted you to be his wife.” Morina couldn’t hold back any more. She started sniffling and tears fell copiously. When she started to whine, Mallory slid her chair next to her and wrapped arms around her. Morina hugged her back and snuggled her face to Mallory’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, I hated you. My father confided in me. He was sure you would not respond to a position as his lead concubine. Therefore, he said he would marry you even though he had four wives. I thought he was going to make an exception to the rule and when my mother was found dead, I realized he had her killed to make room for you. I callously blamed you, even though you knew nothing.” Mallory pulled away and grasped Morina’s shoulders. “Morina, you need to place the blame where it belongs. Your father is an evil man. He is a murderer, a fornicator and a white slaver. You owe him nothing” Mallory shook her. “Morina, look at me!” Morina raised her watering eyes. “I need your help. I am as much a victim as your mother was. All the women of the concubine are victims. Khalid is a victim. Will you help me? Will you help us?” She looked down again and gave a single nod, then looked up to see if Mallory had seen it. She didn’t need to look. Mallory hugged her again and said, “Thank you so much. You won’t regret it.” **** “Wait just a minute John.” Kelsey listened for car doors to slam and a car engine to start. Nothing. She rushed to the window. The obvious unmarked police car was sitting there. She cracked the window open an inch. She heard feet shuffling, heavy breathing and some panting to the right. Looking at Goodwin as she crept over to the front door she put her forefinger to her lips. She opened the door and edged her head out a fraction, stealing a glance at the couple in the heat of the moment. The sergeant had Paige pinned against the wall, sucking on her tits and fingering her cunt. She was stroking his dick. Kelsey licked her lips. She couldn’t make out what Paige whispered into the Sergeant’s ear but he lifted her up and she shoved his prick inside. Kelsey smiled. They were fucking in front of God and everyone. She had seen Paige score, she was not about to let her policeman get away. She closed the door quietly and glanced at Detective John Goodwin. He was on the couch with his semiautomatic jutting out through the folds of his pants. “We’re alone.” She glided over to him. “Don’t you think you could handle me better in my bedroom?”

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Trancelike, he nodded. “C’mon.” She grasped his built-in pistol and waltzed him into the bedroom, where she started undressing him. The detective kept fondling Kelsey’s lissome frame, which complicated her task. When John was fully undressed and naked before her, she sat down on the bed and admired her work. John had a medium build. Not muscular but nevertheless pleasing to her eye. He was roughly five ten, lean, with a light sprinkling of sandy colored body hair. She took hold of his silky shooter, batted her eyelashes and inquired, “I know this is a little late to ask you, but you’re not married are you?” **** Morina said, “Everyone must be sleeping. We must wait for early morning. Four would be good. Can you be ready at four A.M.?” Mallory nodded. “I will find out where Khalid is being held and come to your room at four. I will bring street clothes for you.” Morina got up to leave. “Hold up just a minute.” Morina looked questioningly at Mallory. “Campbell and two other girls are willing to help. Will we need them?” “I don’t know. I haven’t formulated a plan yet. When I have more information I will decide. I’ll see you at four. Be ready.” Morina started to leave once again. “Morina.” Morina stopped, turned and glanced at Mallory, a little confused. Mallory smiled and said, “Thanks.” Morina smiled tentatively, nodded and left. **** It was beginning to come back to Drew. JoJo’s, where he made a trip to an unused office, oralizing Mallory’s sex and later, at her home where he made blissful love to her. Then, Prince Ali’s brutes came when he was trussed up, left helpless by his true love. The Bruiser, Mustafa was going to shoot him. He guessed he did, but at the last minute, Jamal shoved his arm aside, saving his life. “Where’s Mallory?” 56

“Forget her,” Jamal said, “You can’t do anything for her. Beside she is the reason you are here.” “She didn’t cause me to be here. My uncle did.” “Listen, Prince Ali has been embarrassed. You knew the rules. You could seduce her but you were not to fuck her. Now you are facing beheading.” Jamal sighed. “I can get you out. The prince will permit a fictitious escape, but you must leave now.” “I love Mallory and I’m not going anywhere without her.” “Khalid, you are facing beheading in Riyadh. Surely life without Mallory is preferable to death.” “Not knowing I had abandoned my love to a horrible life at the hands of my vicious uncle.” “What do you mean horrible. She will become his favorite wife. She will live a pampered and privileged life of luxury.” “More like an unprivileged life of captivity.” “Khalid. You know I’m your best-friend, right?” “I think so. Yes.” Jamal got a sad look in his eyes. “Then I want you to know, what I have to do is out of friendship.”

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Chapter Eleven Standing naked in front of Kelsey, his dick in her hand, Detective John Goodwin flushed at her question and started coughing. After getting his cough under control he said, “Well, technically I am . . . I guess. Carol moved back in with her mother four months ago with Leah and filed for divorce. It hasn’t been finalized yet.” John smiled as something clever flashed in his mind. “That means I can fuck you, but we can’t get married.” Kelsey laughed, “Who said anything about marriage?” Kelsey leaned back on the bed and stared at him. “Do you want to fuck me?” John looked the comely miss over. “More than anything.” Her breasts were not quite what he thought would be average, but they were not tiny either. They seemed right at home on her taut athletic frame. Her midriff was perfect with an enticing rise around her naval and shaved pubis. He chuckled at the silly tattoo on her mound. “What made you get a tattoo of a spider?” A coy smile formed on her lips. “A few years back, I hung with a biker gang. One day they got me down on a pool table and said I had to bang all of them, but a bad ass named Spider intervened. We became close, if you know what I mean. The tattoo is for him.” “But why by your pussy?” Kelsey arched an eyebrow and flashed a naughty smile before answering. “Why detective, you should be able to figure that out. My pussy was his favorite part of my body. He once said that my pussy was the closest thing to his heart. He practically wore it out.” Kelsey sat back up. She reached around him and grabbed his solid buns and began to fall back, pulling John with her. “Let’s see if we can make my pussy your favorite part of my body.” He reached down and attempted to maneuver his throbbing cock inside her. Not doing a very good job, she finally guided him into her hungry wet pussy. A thought passed through his dirty mind, this sexy thing is eminently fuckable. **** He drove into her with hard smooth strokes, Ummm, It feels good. He fits perfectly. I think I’m going to enjoy being a cop’s girlfriend. She hugged him tight and whispered lustily into his ear. “Do you have handcuffs?” he nodded. “Good. You may not know this but I’m a wild and dangerous fuck. You may want to restrain me; I insist you restrain me.” “You want me to cuff you to the bedposts?” She nodded vigorously, so forcefully her brown hair was bouncing up and down.

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“I want you to fetter me, frisk me, give me face and then . . . fuck me hard! Then I want you to fuck me like the felons do it.” John was incredulous. “You want it in the ass?” Her hair was bobbing up and down again. “You have a problem with that?” “No, I guess not.” John pulled his Johnnie out and headed to retrieve his handcuffs. “Baby, if you want it in the ass, that’s where you’ll get it.” So much for my sweet wholesome girl next door. **** After a two hour dinner and interview a JoJo’s Grill, Paige invited Sergeant Carboni back to her home for a nightcap, hoping for a reprise of the spontaneous coupling they participated in outside Kelsey’s apartment. Carboni unlocked the door to Paige’s Glendale home and handed her the keys. Following Paige inside, he whistled. “Nice, real nice. You must do alright in the real estate business.” She was glad she had kept her home even though she was presently spending most of her time at Robbie’s. “I do alright. Would you like something to drink?” “Maybe later.” With a smile on his face Ritchie added. “First, after what happened to your friend, I think we ought to check your home out to make sure there are no prowlers lying in wait.” Appearing to get his drift, Paige responded, with a seductive smile, “Is that right? And where do you suppose these prowlers are most likely to hide?” His eyes held a naughty twinkle. “Why, your bedroom of course.” Paige couldn’t help it. She laughed out loud. Then she asked, “What if there’s more than one prowler?” “In that case, I’ll pull out my gun and shoot them.” “Your gun huh? It’s a good thing it’s a big one.” It was Ritchie’s turn to crack up. He grabbed Paige and pulled her close. She looked up, her lips inches from his. He bent down and gave her a tender kiss. It was the last tender thing they did. She responded hot and passionate, opening her mouth for his tongue. He grabbed and kneaded her incredible buttocks, then paused. “Let’s make sure there are no intruders in your bedroom.” He took her hand and ushered his curvaceous companion into her impressive femininely decorated master bedroom. Paige turned to face her escort, possibly to express second thoughts, but Ritchie took the initiative, grabbing her, pushing his lips against her. After 59

his tongue had thoroughly swabbed her mouth, he forced her backward toward the bed. When the back of her legs bumped into the bed, she lost her balance and tumbled backward. Ritchie used his advantage to jerk off her shoes and frantically stripped off her skirt and underwear. Ritchie made use of his first opportunity to view the entirety of Paige’s bodacious body. She was a little fleshy but the flesh seemed to be in the right places. Her breasts were bountiful—large with large pink areolas—just the way he liked them. Her naval had some kind of gem stone in it and her pubis was pronounced and, shaved except for a one inch by two inch patch. He got down on his knees, his mouth invading Paige’s freshly shaved sex. As his sense of smell savored the scintillating organic bouquet of her sex, his tongue darted between the folds of her sex, lashing deep inside her moist pussy and back out. He felt her legs wrapping around his head, her feet resting on his back. He pulled away enough to study this wondrous thing—a woman’s vulva. His arms circled her hips and his hands parted the petals of her sex to facilitate his scrutiny. Her mound, her cleft, divided by the clitoris above the vagina, the vision brought his desire to new heights. His face moved forward taking her clit in his mouth, sucking it in and tickling the end of it with his tongue. **** Paige was pleasurably shaken when he kissed her and shoved her back onto the bed, even as he tore her clothes off. The man was a wild animal. Is this what being raped is like? She exalted in the urgent tongue fuck he delivered and was pleased that Kelsey had convinced her to shave the previous week. Once she removed her blouse and bra, she was naked while he was still dressed. Not fair. She wanted him, every inch of him and she yearned to feel his unclothed body on top of her. She reached down. Feeling his head she moved it around in concert with the rocking motion she couldn’t help. His tongue was concentrating on her clit, in his mouth, sucking on it. She arched her back and pressed her vulva tightly against his handsome face. Paige thought Ritchie was fantastic, an incredible lover. He was urging her to new levels of ecstasy. Levels of which she had never dreamed, let alone experienced. She allowed herself a quick thought, Is this what Mallory experienced last night with her beautiful companion? Then she thought of macho Robbie, all take and no give. I can’t remember him ever doing this to me . . . for me. She moved her right hand from his hair down and around to his mouth, squeezing her fingers between his lips and her genital lips. She felt his tongue around her clit, licking it. She heard and felt humming. Hmmmm . . . hmmmm. It felt tickly and added yet another dimension to the plethora of sensations he was perpetrating on her poor defenseless swollen clitoris. Humming, sucking, licking, blowing, breathing, lapping, wriggling, he did it all. She didn’t think anything else could be done and then a long cool member assaulted her juicy cavern. The vibrator! He found my vibrator. She could hold back no longer. Paige had found orgasmic ecstasy but she wasn’t finished. After hugging her newfound lover she urged him back on his feet and began to undress him frantically. While she unzipped his pants he kicked off his topsiders. As she dragged down his slacks, he

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removed his shirt and tie, having earlier removed his coat. His bold erection popped out through the fly of his underpants. Paige paused and leaned back on her elbows to inspect her handsome new paramour. Mmmm, he looked better naked than dressed. His lightly haired, six one frame was both lean and muscular. Hmmm, did she want him in her pussy or her mouth? She licked her lips and leaned forward. After stretching his briefs to get them around his swollen staff, she dragged his underwear down to the floor, as she slid the head into her mouth; she felt it hit the back of her throat and began moving her head up and down the silky pistol. **** Waiting for Morina’s knock, Mallory couldn’t sleep. She looked at the clock on the dresser. It said 12:30 P.M. Three and a half hours to kill. She looked for something to read. Pulling the top drawer of the nightstand, she found a Qur’an. She had never seen a Qur’an. Oh well. She picked it up and began to read. She had never read a book like that. Unlike most books, page one was on the left and was in Arabic. Page two on the right, apparently repeated what one said, but in English and so forth, odd pages in Arabic and even pages in English. After reading for an hour, she grew tired and fell asleep. She awoke to a soft knock on her door. “Coming,” she said, equally softly. She looked through the peephole. It was Morina. Morina stepped in and to Mallory’s surprise was followed in by Campbell, both dressed in men’s street clothes. They both hugged Mallory, who looked bewildered. Morina noticing her confusion and said, “I decided that we needed Campbell but Brenna and Tiffany would be too many.” She handed a shirt, pants and a baseball cap to Mallory and said, “Hurry, you need to change and remove any makeup.” When Mallory was ready, the trio exited her room and headed to the fire stairs. It was locked, but Morina had the key. Silently, descending the stairs, Morina stopped after two flights. She turned to her companions and said, “This is it. He’s in room 2880. He’s supposed to have two guards but only from 7 A.M. to Midnight. Let’s hope my information is correct. After we find him we’ll continue down these stairs until we hit the parking garage, where I have an H3 Hummer waiting. Are you ready?” They both nodded. “Let’s go.” Morina unlocked the door and the threesome stealthily moved down the empty hallway. When they got to room 2880 an empty chair sat on each side of the door. Morina quickly unlocked the door and stepped in the dark room. Mallory and Campbell were right behind. Campbell reached over and flipped the light switch. The room was empty. Mallory went to check the bathroom, which was also empty. Entering the room once more, she shrugged and said “Nothing here. What do we do?” Morina was perplexed. “I was sure he was in here.”

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Mallory was very concerned. “Could they have taken him to Saudi Arabia without you knowing it?” “I suppose but I doubt it.” Campbell asked. “Now what?” **** Once more, Drew opened his eyes to darkness. He wondered if he was still in the room at the Babylon Hotel. The last thing he remembered was talking to Jamal. He glanced around saw faint light wafting in through an uncovered window. He began to rise and fell back into the bed, his head spinning. He felt around. The headboard felt familiar. He reached to his right and felt a nightstand. Reaching gingerly over the nightstand he located a table lamp and pushed the on button. Spears of blazing light assaulted his corneas. In reaction, he covered his orbs. Peeking through his fingers he was relieved to discover he was in his apartment in Los Feliz, California. Jamal, you son of a gun. Then he remembered Mallory. Jamal, you son of a bitch! Now, I’ve got to go back to Vegas and save Mallory from the marriage. First I need to let people know what’s going on. He grabbed his address book out of the nightstand and dialed a number he had never dialed before. **** Paige looked at the clock on her nightstand. 2:30 A.M. The phone rang again. What rude son of a bitch would call at this hour? She reached across Ritchie for the receiver. “Hello.” Softly he spoke, “Paige. Sorry about calling so late but this is important. Do you know about Mallory?” “What about Mallory? Who are you?” At the mention of Mallory, the detective in Ritchie sat up and turned the lamp beside the bed on. “You don’t know me but I know you. My name is Drew. Mallory and I were both kidnapped last night. We were both being held at the Babylon Hotel in Las Vegas and I got away. You need to report this to the authorities after I hang up. I need to go back and get Mallory.” “Hold on, Drew, I’ve got the authorities right here.” she handed the phone to Ritchie. Ritchie glared at Paige. He covered up the receiver and said, “Do you know how much trouble I could get in for being with you?”

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“Talk to him. It’s really important. If anyone finds out, I’ll say after what happened to Mallory, I was scared and you generously offered to sleep on my couch.” Smiling she finished. “After checking for prowlers with your gun, of course.” Ritchie smiled and spoke into the receiver, “Lt. Carboni here. What do you have? . . . Hello. Is anyone there?” Drew was thrown by the cop being there. “What are you doing there?” “Keeping an eye on Miss Dillon. I’m the lead investigator in the Mallory Robbins disappearance and I like to stay on top of my cases.” “Does that mean staying on top of Paige?” “Look Mr. Stevens, it really is none of your business, but Paige was scared after Mallory was kidnapped right out of her home, so I agreed to stay here tonight. Now, if we can get back to business, where are you and more importantly where is Ms Robbins.” “How do you know my name?” “We’ve been investigating Ms Robbins disappearance and you were the last person with her. You were in her bed weren’t you? You were subsequently shot. Where is Mallory?” Drew proceeded to tell Lt. Carboni everything. How he was digging into all details of her life following her. How they were kidnapped and taken to the Babylon Hotel where the Saudi Prince owner kept a concubine of kidnapped beauties, selling some of them overseas as courtesans to drug lords, wealthy businessmen, petty dictators etc. He then told how he suspected the Prince killed one of his wives to make room for Mallory as his favorite wife. “That’s it. That’s everything.” Drew stated, “Now, I need to get back to Vegas and rescue Mallory from captivity.” Ritchie’s head was overloaded. He still hadn’t digested everything, but he knew it was huge. “Mr. Stevens, do you have proof for everything you’ve told me.” “Yes, sure, I’ve got it all. They could crucify Ali on what I have.” “Then you must come in and talk to me, so we can get this SOB.” “I can’t. I love Mallory. I’ve got to save her.” “Mr. Stevens . . . may I call you Drew?” “Yeah, sure.” “What if you go on this fools errand and are killed? We can never get Prince Ali, if we don’t have your evidence.”

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“Don’t worry, I won’t get killed.” “But if you do.” “Alright. You win. I have an office in North Hollywood.” “I know, on Coldwater Canyon Road. We’ve been there already.” “Wow, you guys are good. Did you find my safe?” “Uh huh. We found a hundred twelve thousand and a journal. We haven’t had time to go through the journal yet.” “Good work. The journal contains all the information of the prince’s white slavery operation. The proof is in a safe deposit box in the Wells Fargo Bank on Santa Monica Blvd. near the 101 Expressway. There’s a key to the box in my safe. You can retrieve it or you may be able to get the bank to give you access. That should give you what you need to put Prince Ali away for life. I’ve got to go. I have a long drive ahead of me. Nice talking to you. It sounds like Paige is in good hands. Bye!” “Mr. Stevens? Wait . . . are you there?” He looked at Paige. “He hung up. Get dressed we have to go to Las Vegas. We have to intercept him before he commits suicide.” “Suicide?” asked Paige. “He’s going to try to free Mallory by himself. It’s a suicide mission. We’ve got to stop him. While you’re getting dressed, I’ll call Goodwin.” **** “What will we do?” repeated Morina, “I guess we will head down to the garage and get out of here.” “NO! We can’t leave. We can’t leave him behind. They could have moved him and if we leave without him, he could lose his beautiful head.” Campbell stepped up to Mallory. “Honey, we’ve got to leave. We tried and he’s not here. If we don’t leave now we may never get another chance.” “I don’t care. There’s no way I’m leaving without Drew.” Morina joined in. “He may have escaped. That would not surprise me. He is a resourceful man. Even if he has not, you may better be able to achieve his release from the outside. Mallory, I did not want to worry you, so I did not tell you. You are scheduled to be married to my father this afternoon – in ten hours. If you go back, by this time tomorrow you will be married to him and in his bed.”

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“I’m not going. That’s all there is to it. I love Drew. If I have to, I’ll make a deal with your father. I will marry him and willingly share his wedding bed if he will free Drew.” Mallory shivered as if the idea of marrying the Prince was chilling. “In the meantime, you and Campbell can go and get help from the outside.” Mallory glanced at Campbell. “Campbell, take the Hummer and go to LA. Look up my best friend Paige Dillon in Glendale. Her phone number is . . . Anybody have a pen and paper.” They looked through the drawers of the dresser and nightstand and found nothing. Morina spoke up, “In the Hummer is a cell phone. You could call your friend and then we could come back.” “Morina, you should go with Campbell, help her expose this viper’s nest.” “Na, I will not leave you here alone with my father. He can be a mean, temperamental person and my mother told me his sexual appetite can be deviant.” “I can vouch for that,” exclaimed Campbell. “Don’t worry Mallory. You need whatever protection Morina can afford and I can certainly blow the whistle on this operation. I’ve had three long years of dreaming up ways to do that.”

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Chapter Twelve “Ah my friend, I see you have awoken,” Jamal said smoothly, a Berretta 9mm in his lap, his dark eyes cutting into Drew’s psyche. Drew wasn’t expecting to run into Jamal; at least this side of the Babylon Hotel. “Cut the friend crap, cousin. You know damn well that my mother is Ali’s sister and your Aunt Magda.” Running a hand through his straight black hair, Jamal said, “Yes, but blood relatives can and should be good friends.” “If you were really my friend, you wouldn’t be sitting there with a gun in your lap.” Jamal lifted the gun up and pointed it at Drew. “It is precisely why I am here. Toss me your weapon.” Drew frowned and reached behind his back. He threw the Walther automatic to Jamal, who continued, “If I was not your friend, would I care if you went back to Vegas in a fruitless attempt to free the woman and get killed trying. In twelve hours it will be all over and your lady friend will be married and safely out of the country. Then, I can go home and get some sleep and leave you alone.” “You know that wouldn’t be the end of it. I would go after her. I would find her and if you or anyone else got in my way, I would kill them.” “Yes, I imagine you would. With your connections in high places both here and in the Gulf area, you could probably manage it. But then what? You are like the irresistible force and my father is like the immovable object. What are you going to do? What can you do?” “You’re right. You’re always right cousin. That’s why I’m going now, because as bad as the odds are, they will never be better.” Drew turned and headed for the door. “Khalid! Wait!” Drew turned back partially. “What?” “I could shoot you.” “I know.” “Aren’t you worried?” “Even I know you’re not going to shoot me to keep me from being shot.” “No, but I could wound you.” Jamal pointed the gun at Drew’s leg. “In the leg maybe.” “I have nothing to lose. I love Mallory and the idea of her being married to your father, no offense, makes me want to kill.” Drew turned back and headed toward the door. 66

“Khalid, please wait. Please.” Drew turned again and looked at his cousin. “Yes?” He threw the gun back at Drew. “Here. The odds are bad enough. With your bare hands they are zilch.” “Thanks Jamal, I owe you.” Jamal smiled at Drew. “I did not, you know?” “Didn’t what?” “Did not take offense at what you said?” Drew didn’t recall what Jamal was referring to and his confused face showed it. “My big prick of a father. Now, go, get your lady.” Drew turned once more and Jamal said, “Fuck it. Hold on cuzz. I am coming with you. I need a ride back to Vegas anyway. **** “Hey, Goodwin. Got a job for you.” “It’s two-forty, Ritchie. Take pity.” Carboni heard someone softly ask, “Who is it.” Then he heard the phone juggling around. “Are you with the bartender?” he asked. “Ahhh. Er . . .” Carboni smiled at his partner’s discomfort. “If you are, I assume it’s for a good reason, like guarding her, making sure nothing unpleasant happens to her, just like I’m doing with the Dillon woman.” “That’s right, Kelsey asked me to stay. I slept on the couch.” “Very chivalrous of you. Anyway, things are popping on our case. The short version is our shooting vic, Stevens surfaced, apparently in decent shape and told me quite a story about kidnapping and white slavery. I’ll fill you in later, but in the meantime he’s on the way to Vegas on a suicide mission. We’ve got to get there before him. I’m leaving shortly and taking Paige with me, since she can recognize Stevens. Kelsey has seen him and can recognize him too, so since we might need to split up, I want you and her to meet me at the Babylon Hotel.” 67

“Fine, partner, except I don’t have a car.” “Does Kelsey?” “Hold on.” After a minute, Goodwin said, “See you in Vegas.” **** “Boy, that was close, eh Jamal?” “A hundred three miles per hour, even at four thirty in the morning is reckless driving,” the officer had said. He thought the officer was going to take them in but Drew fast talked him. It was a gift he had, a knack to do or say the right thing. Like with Mallory. That silly little card brought down her defenses and made her pliable. Not pliable enough, he chuckled to himself. After all she had him tied up in her bed like a dominatrix. He liked that. He liked a challenge and Mallory was the challenge of his life. He never dreamed when his uncle set him up with the assignment to learn all about her that he’d fall in love with her from afar. When he realized he was setting her up for a kidnapping he had to help her somehow. That’s when he decided he had to meet her. He knew she kept going to this pick-up bar, only she always left alone. He thought he needed something to break the ice, something to begin a conversation about so he made up a silly little card on his computer about oral sex. He was going to tell her his old roommate in college gave him the card years ago and said it never failed, which was true and what was her opinion, but it worked! She got so flustered, before he knew it; he had her on her back in a back room and was giving her a facial. So much for the prim and proper, Mallory Robbins – supermodel, that’s only a façade. He had discovered and brought out the hidden repressed side of Mallory Robbins – a sexual tornado! He wondered what would have happened if Jamal and the two brawny thugs hadn’t shown up. With his talent for sweet talking, he probably would have talked her into not only releasing him, but making love again. There’s an experience he was looking forward too – making love to the woman he loved again. I hope I can make her love me as much as I love her. **** Detective Goodwin looked over at his new-found driving and sexual companion. He was having a hard time getting a handle on her. He just met her but in addition to being wild as the hills; she seemed loving, tender and needy. “Since we’re on a five hour drive and can’t have sex, we might want to converse and get to know each other.” She glanced at him but didn’t answer. “By converse I mean –” 68

“I know what converse means! Do you think I’m a retard? It means talk, as participating in verbal intercourse, as opposed to sexual intercourse.” She reached over and set her hand over Goodwin’s crotch. Her eyes snuck a look at him as he shifted his position. He began to stir. Her eyes bored into him. “We could, you know.” “What?” “Have sex. Well, you could have sex. I could lean over the console and give you a blow job.” Goodwin did a double-take. No stopping this shy thing. Blood surged into his penis at the thought of her mouth on his meaty member. She began to rub his member through his thin slacks and soon it was fully hard. She unzipped his fly and began to release his burgeoning truncheon from its confines, when he put a hand over hers. “It sounds wonderful, but I’d like to wait until we’re not moving. I just finished reading ‘Thinner’ and bad things happened to that guy after getting a blow job in the car. Besides, I’d really like to talk. Now that we’ve shared our bodies, I’d like to share our minds. I guess what I’m saying is, I want to get to know you.” It was obvious Kelsey did not like rejection. She pulled her hand out from under his and crossed her arms across her chest. “Fine! You’re the one who was going to get the pleasure. What the fuck would you like to know?” she said huffily. Goodwin ruminated on Kelsey’s question. What do I want to know? “I guess I’d like to know about your family, your childhood. Where are you from? Did you have a nice childhood?” “Well, yes, I suppose I did, if you throw out the fact that my step-father and step-bother used to pass me back and fourth. At least they never forced me into a threesome. I suppose that’s good.” John was stunned. He was sorry he had brought up the subject but he continued carefully. “Your step-father and brother had sex with you? How old were you?” “Thirteen through sixteen.” “That is horrible. That’s statutory rape and incest. Have you been to a psychiatrist?” “You mean now?” He nodded.

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Her voice sounded hurt. “What for? There’s nothing wrong with me. Besides, psychiatrists are no good. They’re just legal drug pushers. When I was fourteen, about four months after my stepfather started on me, I tried to tell my mother. She wouldn’t believe me. Swore I made it up. She sent me to one psychiatrist and then another, claiming I was a compulsive liar. I figured I could tell them about my stepfather, but they didn’t want to hear it. They merely wanted to give me drugs, so I wouldn’t have to remember getting raped.” Kelsey turned and questioned him. “So, tell me John. Why do you think I should see a psychiatrist?” “It seems like things are still bothering you.” “What do you mean?” Suspicion etched on her pretty face. “Well, you’re different than anyone I ever met.” “Is that right? How so?” Goodwin didn’t want to answer. With tension in her voice, she repeated, “How am I different, John?” He wished he’d never asked to talk. “For starters you’re forward.” “Since when is that bad?” “By itself, I suppose it isn’t but you’re also sexed up.” “Sexed up! Since when is liking sex abnormal? I didn’t hear any complaints twelve hours ago. All I heard was you panting and moaning.” “I didn’t say you were abnormal. I said you’re different.” “Don’t split hairs on me, Goodwin. Abnormal – different are two sides to the same coin. Let me tell you something, in the two hundred or so times I was raped, I began to see sex in a different light. Sex makes the world go around. You may not agree with that but it does. It’s why John Doe cheats on his wife Jane and why Jane Smith cheats on her husband John. It’s why on any given night, there are over six thousand hookers walking the streets of LA. It’s why there are over a five hundred girlie clubs in metropolitan LA. It’s why there are sex clubs where men and women go to fuck strangers and why twentyfive percent of the population visits a porn site at least once a week.” Goodwin risked a glance from the road. Her face revealed confluence of hurt and rage. ”I learned a long time ago as a victim of this sex-crazed world that it’s easier to go with the flow than fight it. It helped that I liked sex, anyway. Now, I’ve grown to love it – crave it. Is there anything else you’d like to know, Professor Kinsey?” **** Mallory asked, “What floor are we on?” 70

“The twenty-eighth.” answered Morina, “Why?” “It seems silly to descend twenty-seven flights of stairs to make a phone call then turn around and ascend the same stairs.” “No, we will take the stairs one flight and take the elevator from there.” “Since you have a passkey, why not find an empty room on the twenty-seventh floor and call from there?” “First of all, twenty-seven is all suites, as is twenty-five and twenty-six, all booked solid and occupied. Secondly, would you want a record of your phone call to your friend? She could end up dead or worse.” Campbell asked, “Worse?” Mallory answered for Morina, “Here!” Campbell asked, “Morina, how come you left the cell phone down there. Why didn’t you keep it with you?” “I suppose I could have if I kept it turned off. But the minute I activated it on our floor, security would have picked up the signal and I would be in detention. Of course, I could use it here, but that is a moot point since I did not think of it.” Morina, with a feeble attempt at humor, said, “Well, should we get our early morning exercise?” **** “We could put them in jail, you know.” “Who?” “Your step brother and father.” “Oh, that’s in the past. Don’t worry about it.” “But you were betrayed by your whole family. Even your mother.” “I know. I don’t like to think about it. It was my step-brother who betrayed me the most.” “Yeah?” “I was fourteen and he was sixteen. I thought we were close so I told him what his father was doing. He convinced me to tell my mother. When I told him she didn’t believe me, he came into my bedroom that night.” “And he had sex with you?” 71

“Uh huh. I think I was his first. He wasn’t very good in the beginning, but at least he wasn’t fat with bad breath. I preferred him, until he betrayed me. That’s when I got out of there.” “What? How did he betray you?” “It started on my sixteenth birthday.” “Go on.” “It started off nice enough. He brought me a birthday present, wrapped up all nice and pretty. Pink paper with red hearts, a red ribbon and bow. I was excited. I had just turned sixteen. The prom was coming up and I was going. The present was very light. I wondered what it was. I opened it. It was a sexy nightie. He was more excited than I was. He told me to put it on. After I put it on he said he loved it and he was going to give me a birthday fuck.” She looked at Goodwin. Tears were in her eyes. “Are you sure you want to hear this?” He nodded but didn’t—couldn’t say anything. “He had me lie upon my bed. He said he had a special treat for me but first he had to tie me up. He took some of my scarves and tied my wrists to the headboard and my ankles to the footboard. Despite my protests, he blindfolded me and then he left the room for ten minutes. When he came back he said he went in the bathroom to clean up for me. It was strange. I suddenly sensed brightness beyond my blindfold.” She stopped and shook her head, "This is so embarrassing. I can’t go on.” “Kelsey baby. I’m a cop. It’s like talking to a priest.” “But I’ve already told you too much. You won’t want me anymore and I wouldn’t like that.” She was crying. This tough little thing was crying. He saw a rest stop coming up and pulled in. After he parked, he pulled her close and hugged her. He wiped her tears away and then he kissed her gently. She responded by kissing him back hard. She pulled away and said, “I know you think I’m oversexed, but I really need to make love now. Could we go in your back seat and make love. It won’t take long, I promise.” Goodwin pulled out his cellphone. “Okay. Go ahead and get in back while I call my partner.” **** “Ginger. Boy, am I glad I caught you. This is Lt. Carboni. I need you to get some information for me. Like immediately.” “Hi Ritchie. I’ll certainly help if I can. What do you need?”

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“We’re on our way to Vegas.” “You and Goodwin?” “Yes and a couple of witnesses. We’re chasing down a person of interest who’s heading to Las Vegas but we have no idea what kind of car he drives. Look that up and pull a sheet on him too, will you?” “I’ll do what I can. What’s his name?” “He goes by Drew Stevens. That’s D as in delta, R as in Romeo, E as in echo, W as in Winter. Last name: S as in Sierra, T as in tango, E as in echo, V as in Victor, E as in Ear, N as in November and S as in Sexy Ginger.” Ginger giggled. “If you think I’m sexy, how come you never ask me out?” “Baby, you know the rules. No departmental romances. We have to get our lovin’ from civies.” Looking over at Paige who was scrutinizing him, he added, “Besides, I’m involved. Anyway, our guy apparently has a P.I. license because he has an executive office in North Hollywood. Can you get me that info?” ”It’ll take a few minutes. Give me your cell phone number.” Ritchie recited his cell phone number and flipped the cover of his cell phone closed. “A fan?” Paige asked a smirk on her pretty face. “You know how it is with us Brad Pitt look alikes,” He replied smartly. His cell phone rang. “Boy that was fast, baby. What do you have for me?” “Carboni?” Ritchie was embarrassed. “Sorry, Goodwin. I was expecting a call from Ginger.” “Baby? She must weigh over two hundred pounds?” Ritchie was now embarrassed for calling Ginger, baby. “Well, my dark side likes a little heft.” “Really? I always thought you were a lean and mean man.” Carboni wanted to drop the subject. “Hell, I like ‘em all. What did you call me for?” ”I thought you’d like to know where we are and what we’re driving.” “Yeah, go ahead.”

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“We’re passing through San Bernardino right now. We’re in a green Echo. Do you know what that is?” “Some kind of small Ford, isn’t it?” “Toyota. Where are you?” “We’re on our way up El Cajon pass.” “Looks like we’re about thirty minutes behind you.” “I hope that little put-put can make up the difference. We’re hanging around eighty.” “It’s not that bad, really. I’ll push it to ninety but if I get stopped, you’re paying the ticket.” “Just show them your badge and tell them its business. Have them call me if need be.” “What is Stevens driving?” “Don’t know. That’s what Ginger is checking for me. Oops, speaking of Ginger, her call is coming in. Got to go.” “Call me back when you can.” Goodwin said. “Carboni here.” “If you weren’t involved. You would owe me dinner for this.” “Will you settle for a dozen roses or a box of See’s?” “Flowers would be nice. Keep the candy; I’m on a perennial diet. I hope you’re sitting down, because what I have even astounded me.” “What do you have?” “Your boy’s full name is Drew Abdul Khalid Stevens. AKA Khalid Hassan, AKA Khalid Stevens. AKA Khalid Drew Stevens. He has two registered vehicles. A 2004 black Porsche 911 GT3, California vanity license PRVTEYE and a yellow 2007 Nissan Xterra, license SGY 665. Now, here’s the good part. Are you still sitting?” “Yes Ginger, I have trouble driving while standing. Hit me with the good stuff.” “I will but I’m saving the best for last. As you suspected, Stevens does have a California P. I. license, active and in good standing. He lives at 7213 Quinton Drive in Los Feliz. His mother is one Magda Hassan, AKA, the Sultaness of Oman. Pretty good huh?” “Yeah, you’re doing just great, Ginger. Do you have any more?” 74

“Keep sitting, you’re going to need it. Magda’s older brother is one Ali Abdula Saud, a member of the Saudi Royal family, wealthy beyond measure and reputed to be tenth in line for the Saudi crown. He doesn’t live in Saudi Arabia though, hasn’t for twelve years. He lives in Las Vegas. He owns the Babylon Hotel.” “HOLY SHIT!” Carboni swerved off the road on to the shoulder. “Let me get this straight. The guy we’re chasing is the nephew of the guy that owns the Babylon Hotel?” “That’s right. I see I finally got your attention. Now, for the good stuff.”

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Chapter Thirteen After his call to Carboni, Goodwin slipped into the back seat. Kelsey was naked except for her small mini skirt. She pulled that off and asked John to lie down. She undid his belt and unzipped his pants. She started to drag his pants off but he took over and pushed them down to his shoes, removed his shoes and pushed the pants over his feet and off. He was already partially hard and her experienced hands got him ready in seconds. She bent down, kissed him sat back up and straddled him, impaling herself upon her handiwork, moving more forward and backward than in and out. “Back inside my bedroom, tied up naked and blindfolded, Bernie, that was his name, did something he never did. He went down on me. No one had ever done that. Shelly almost did, but—” “Shelly? Wait who’s Shelly?” Kelsey’s back and forth pace increased. “She was a friend. I’ll get to her but let me finish while I have the nerve. Bernie was eating me and it felt really good. I loved it. Then all of a sudden a voice, not Bernie’s, boomed out. ‘That’s it Brian, climb in the bitches cunny!’” Kelsey whimpered, “Brian was Bernie’s best friend.” “Then another voice said, ‘Yeah, Brian clean that honey pot for me so I can make a fresh deposit of honey,’ bringing on several laughs. I panicked! I jerked and bounced. I thrashed back and forth so hard that Brian had to give up. I even jerked my right arm and leg loose from their bindings. ‘Thanks a lot,’ he said, ‘now, each of you grab an arm or leg so I can fuck the slut.’” She stopped moving for a second, then continued her movement and story, “‘Okay, but I get seconds.’ said a third unrecognizable voice, as he grabbed my arm, pulled off my blindfold and said, ‘We ought to let the bitch see who’s fucking her.’ ‘No!’ a fourth said, ‘She’ll be able to identify us.’” Kelsey’s tears fell to his chest as she paused again. Then after a shiver, another. Slowly she began to move again. “Then my step brother, Bernie, said, ‘No sweat, It’s her word against the seven of us and nobody believes her anyway. Just make sure you wear your raincoats. We don’t want to leave any jizm behind to identify us.’ For a few seconds the light blinded me. Then I saw six scrawny blemished faced teenagers with burgeoning libidos, Bernie with a video camera and felt Brian’s filthy dick enter me.” “Oww. What’re you doing?” John was enjoying the screwing but not the story. He was so pissed that he squeezed Kelsey’s tits so hard he left red marks. He also left bruises on her buttocks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Where is this Bernie? I want to beat the crap out of him. Really I do!” “I told you not to worry about it. Someone already has. Now let me finish. The whole ordeal didn’t last that long. Bernie jacked off and didn’t even get to me. One of the guys 76

tried to stick his dick in my mouth and I snapped at it. They decided that was a bad idea so they just concentrated on fucking me. The two that weren’t holding me had their hands all over me and Bernie got some real close-ups of everyone’s dick going in and out of me and my face after a couple of the shit-heads came on me. I have no idea why that thrills men so much. But three of the six did it. Afterwards, Bernie took some close-ups of my breasts and vulva. I think the whole thing was over in maybe twenty-five minutes.” Kelsey took a deep breath. “After they let go of me I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. I took a shower and a bath, and I repeated it. I was ashamed and appalled.” “But you were set up and raped. You did nothing wrong. Why should you be ashamed?” But Kelsey wasn’t listening. She was coming. She started moving erratically, pinching his shoulders and shivering violently, she screamed, “Ahhhheee.” She leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. “Shelly was my friend who lived next door. She was a lesbian but I didn’t care. After I came out of the bathroom, I threw on a robe and headed there. Shelly knew about my step-brother and step-father and believed me. I was a basket case when I got there and she took me into her arms and held me. After I had calmed down, she made a pot of coffee and handed a cup and saucer to me. I grabbed for it but I was so upset I dropped it on her. She ran into her bathroom. I followed her to apologize. She had taken her clothes off. Standing at the sink, she had just finished washing herself off. She pulled up fresh panties but paused as I began to cry again.” Kelsey felt his arms wrap tightly around her as he kissed the top of her head. “With her arm around my shoulder, she guided me to her bed. As we sat down my weeping increased. As I leaned in toward Shelly, my head rested against her breast. Her hand stroked my hair and comforted me.” She felt John stroke her hair. “When I calmed down again, I asked her if she found me attractive. She said very much so. I asked her if she would like to make love to me. She said she would, but she knew I was upset and wouldn’t take advantage of me. Her hand resting on John’s chest, Kelsey curled her fingers into a fist and accidentally squeezed until she heard him cry out. “Oww!” “Sorry.” “It’s all right. What happened next?” “Nothing. She continued to hold me and comfort me.” Kelsey went on as the tears ran down his neck and across his ribs. “I can still remember it. She was so tender. It was the first time I can remember feeling loved.” Kelsey began weeping uncontrollably. John ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the tears away. When she calmed down she continued. “I’m sorry. I have difficulty talking about this.” “I can see why.” 77

“After being raped maybe a couple hundred of times, it was the first time I felt loved. I didn’t forget getting gang raped, but it dulled the horror of what happened.” “I never went back to my home. I stayed at Shelly’s for two days. I wanted to make love again. I needed to make love again, to feel loved, but Shelly wouldn’t do it.” “Why not?” “She said it wasn’t right. She said if she did, it would be taking advantage of me. I told her she would help me by making tender love to me, but she was adamant. Instead, she made arrangements to send me to a small town north of Phoenix, where she arranged a job for me in a local bar. She bought me clothes, gave me money, supplied me with false ID and bought a ticket for me to Phoenix. I never wanted to make love with a woman again until this morning when I was attracted to Paige.” That seemed to surprise Goodwin. “You wanted to make it with Paige today?” “Maybe. I was attracted to her.” “Did you want to make love with Shelly as much as you wanted to make love with me?” “Yes and no. That’s why I just made love to you. With Shelly I felt love and wanted to share something with her, but different. You can’t compare the two. With a man I feel desired, possessed, lusted after.” “I can understand that you needed to be comforted after what your stepbrother did, maybe even wanting to make love with your friend, but why would you feel ashamed about what happened to you?” Kelsey, her head on John’s chest, began to whimper. He stroked her hair again to calm her. “I was very bad.” “But why? You were a victim. What do you have to feel ashamed about?” She continued to whimper. “Before what happened, I had a huge crush on my step brother’s friend, Brian. When he fucked me, I climaxed and when the others fucked me I pretended they were Brian.” Kelsey was crying again. “I came three times while I was being gang banged.” That shocked Goodwin. He stroked her hair a few moments more, then said, “We need to get going.” **** Mallory and her companions made their way down one flight of stairs then took the elevator to the mezzanine, a short walk to level two of the parking garage.

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A dumpy security guard was standing there when they exited the elevator. He gave them a passing glance but soon looked elsewhere. The casino was to the right and down an escalator. At five-fifty-five A.M. the casino was slow, yet fifty or so die-hard patrons played or milled about. Shops and the entrance to the parking garage were to the left. They headed to the garage. After walking through the automatic doors, Morina paused. “This way,” she said, turning left again. Spotting the silver Hummer, Morina pointed to it and quickened her pace. The others followed. Clicking her key, she unlocked the vehicle. “Campbell, take the driver’s side.” She handed the key to Campbell and went around to the passenger side and got in. “Get in Mallory.” “Hand me the phone. I’ll make the call and give it back.” Morina handed her the phone and Mallory dialed Paige’s number. Nothing. She looked at the screen and saw call failed. She dialed again. Same thing. She glanced at the screen again – no signal! Excitedly, almost crying she said, “Your damn phone doesn’t work.” “May I see it?” Mallory handed it to Morina, who tried unsuccessfully to call information, then 911. “Give it here,” said Campbell. “Too many steel girders here to get reception. Hop in Mallory. We need to get outside to use the phone.” “If I get in you may not let me out again.” “If you’re worried about that I’ll just take you to the roof of the garage.” Mallory thought that was probably all right and got in. Campbell handed the phone back over her head to Mallory and took off for the up ramp. The sun was coming up over Sunrise Mountain and the skies were clear. She glanced at the time on the phone. It was 6:20 A.M. There should be no problem making a call from there. On the roof, Mallory got out and made her phone call to Paige. After seven rings an answering machine came on. “Pick up Paige. If you’re there please pick up. I am at the Babylon Hotel in Las Vegas. They kidnapped me and want me to marry the owner . . .” Mallory’s emotions got the better of her and she couldn’t continue. After a minute, with Campbell holding her, consoling her, she stopped crying enough to try again. She got the answering machine again and continued her message. “Paige, his name is Prince Ali and he kidnaps all kinds of women, or rather he has them kidnapped. He keeps his favorites and after sampling them, sells the rest. Please call the police. I’m outside now but I’ve got to go back to save Drew. They’re going to behead him for making love to me.” Morina asked, “Are you done yet? It is dangerous here.” 79

“Just let me try her cell phone.” **** Paige felt her cell phone vibrating and then it began ringing. She pulled it out and flipped it open. “Hello.” “Paige, thank God. I thought I’d never get –” “MALLORY! Where are you?” “Ginger, Our vic has just surfaced. I’ll call you back to get the rest of the lowdown on Stevens.” “Mallory, listen, I have a policeman with me. I want you to talk with him. All right?” Mallory couldn’t stand still she was looking in all directions standing on one foot then the other as if she had to go to the toilet. “All right but hurry.” “Mallory, this is Sgt. Carboni. Are you all right?” “Yes, they kidnapped me and they –” “Mallory, we know everything, and we’re on our way there. Calm down please. Tell me where you are?” “I’m on the roof of the parking garage at the Babyl –” “We know you’re at the Babylon. Are you alone?” “I’m with two friends. We have a Hummer.” “You have a vehicle? Then drive out of there and drive to the Metro police dept, Paige and I will arrive in less than a half hour. If your friends don’t know where Metro is, drive to the freeway and head west, toward us.” “I can’t, I have to go back and rescue Drew. They are going to behead him.” “Mallory, listen to me. They are not going to behead Drew. They don’t even have Drew.” “Are you sure? We were going to rescue him but he wasn’t there. I assumed they moved him.” “Mallory, they don’t have him. I talked to him not four hours ago, but if you stay there they may get him, because he’s on his way back to rescue you. He said he loves you.” “He said that? He loves me?” 80

“Yes, he loves you and if you want to keep Drew safe, you need to get the hell out of there. If they were to capture you, Drew most surely would be killed trying to rescue you. Do you understand? We’re almost there and will intercept him and tell him that you’re safe.” “Mallory? Mallory? Are you there? Shit, I lost her!” **** “Move it Mallory,” Campbell yelled. “There’s a flock of Ali’s men headed this way. Get in, quick.” Mallory closed the lid of the cell phone and jumped in the driver’s side back seat. The nearest pursuer leaped onto the running board and tried to open the door handle, which Campbell had forgotten to lock. The door began to swing open so Mallory, hoping to dislodge him, shoved the door into him. It almost worked but at the last second before he fell, with his feet still on the running board, he grabbed onto the edge of the door. He and the door were both swinging wildly as Campbell began fishtailing around the virtually empty parking lot. Suddenly the man and the door were gone as Campbell ran him and the door into a parking light standard. Mallory looked back and saw the door and the guy rolling along. He came to rest with the door on top and was either dead of out of commission. “Good one Campbell!” Mallory yelled. The three other henchmen were close and playing matador with Campbell. They would stand still while she would try to run them over with the wide-bodied Hummer. At the last second, as she approached, they would shift to the left or right and try to jump onto the running board. Finally, one of them managed to get on the running board right where the missing door and Mallory were. Holding on with his right hand, he grabbed Mallory with his left hand and was about to pull her out, when she smashed him in the nose with the only thing she had – the cell phone. The phone slipped out of her hand and crashed into the pavement shattering, but the assailant let go of Mallory and put the hand to his nose. Holding on with only one hand, Mallory dealt him a swift kick to the groin, dislodging him. He followed the cell phone to the hard pavement and was out of commission. Just then another Hummer, a gold one, the bigger H2 came bursting out of the up ramp and headed straight for them. Campbell made a sweet running back maneuver faking right but going left. Leaving the bigger Hummer and the two pedestrian henchmen behind as she scooted toward the down ramp. Mallory looked back and got a passing glimpse of the bad guys before Campbell carried out the first of several two wheel turns. The guys on foot were following, running full speed and the H2 made a quick one eighty and was on their trail. “Good driving Campbell. Where did you learn to drive like this?” 81

“My whole family, back in North Carolina, drove stock cars. Me too, on ladies night.” **** Jamal, who had driven the last hundred miles, pulled into the last row of the self-parking area just north of the entrance of the Babylon. “How do you want to handle this cuzz?” Jamal wasn’t very large, maybe five-eight, probably one-sixty. “I want you to go inside, get Mallory and bring her out to me.” Jamal nodded slowly. “Sounds simple enough. Do you not want to get in on the fun?” “Naw, I’ve had enough fun lately. I think I’ll let you have some fun for a change.” “You are all heart cuzz. Why don’t you come along and give me advice and see how I do.” “I’ll tell you what Jamal. I’ll do better. I’ll show you how to cause some real damage.” Drew jumped out of the SUV and opened the back door. He lifted up the back seat and pulled out a Kevlar vest. “I know you’re a fashion guru, Jamal, but put this on. It might make things a little more equal.” Drew threw the vest to Jamal and put one on himself. “You might want to put your pea shooter in your belt as a backup and come over here and check out some of my goodies.” Jamal came over and whistled. Under a cloth was an arsenal of attack weapons. A sawed off sixteen gauge Remington shotgun, a Remington 700 sniper rifle, two compact mini Uzi submachine guns with ten extra thirty-two shot magazines, two Heckler-Koch G36 assault rifles with ten magazines, twenty hand grenades, and a tear gas/ smoke screen pistol. Jamal joked, “What, no flame thrower?” “What’s your pleasure, Jamal?” “Can I take more than one?” “Take whatever feels right.” “Can I take both Uzis?” “Like I said, take whatever makes you comfortable.” Drew reached in the hollowed out removed seats and pulled out two black trench coats. “Put this on. It’ll hide our weapons and carry our ammo.” Jamal put it on and Drew handed him six Uzi magazines and six hand grenades. Jamal picked up the Uzis. Drew slid his arms into his own trench coat, then grabbed the shotgun, loaded it and shoved it in one of the fabric loops inside his coat. He shoved a dozen extra shells in one 82

of the pockets. Looking over the remaining arsenal, he passed on the assault rifle, because of the limited use of his left arm. He thrust ten grenades into a couple of other pockets and the teargas/smoke pistol along with a couple shells of each. Drew replaced the rear seats then asked, “Ready to kick some ass?” Jamal nodded. “Then, let’s roll!” said Drew, just before heading for the Hotel. **** “Goodwin? It’s Ritchie. I’ve got the den of iniquity in sight. How soon will you be here?” “Ten minutes maybe. I just entered the valley and I’m approaching Blue Diamond exit. If I remember right that’s about ten minutes from the strip.” “I think so. I’m going to pull into the parking lot near the strip and wait for you. Look for me just north . . . well I’ll be.” “What?” “I think I found Stevens’s Xterra. SGY 665, that’s it. We’ve found his vehicle now if we can just locate him. John when you get here go to the main entrance to the Hotel, where their beautiful fountain and huge gaudy sign is and turn in, then make a quick left around the sign. Paige and I will be waiting here. Hurry” “I’m on it partner!” He looked over at Paige who had fallen asleep. Pretty girl, fabulous bod and a great lay. He was strongly attracted to her. He thought there was a chance something enduring would develop between them. He reached across the seat and kissed her lightly on the lips. She smiled and sighed. Moving her arms she stretched and turned slightly to a new position but didn’t waken. Ritchie left Paige, got out, walked over to the Xterra and tried the doors. They were locked. He tried peaking in the heavily tinted windows but saw zip. He started toward the front to find out if he could see better through the un-tinted windshield when he kicked something. He looked down and spotted a shotgun shell that had just finished spinning. He bent down, retrieved and studied it. 16 gauge. Hmm, you don’t carry a full sized shotgun across a casino. He knew it must be a sawed off shotgun. He also figured there was about to be a bloodbath on the top three floors of the hotel. He dialed the number for the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. When the automated operator came on he hit ‘O’ like he always did. “Police Department.”

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“Yes this is Sergeant Carboni, Hollywood division of the LA police Dept. I’m at the Babylon Hotel and . . .” All of a sudden, he heard an explosion and glanced in the direction of the central high-rise. Glass spewed forth from the top floor followed by a couple of bodies. Carboni was mesmerized, watching the falling bodies and glass. The bodies weren’t moving as they fell – they must be dead. He looked back up at the tower. He could barely make them out but he thought he saw two men and two women staring out the opening. Suddenly, Carboni heard a racket and looked up. Abruptly, two Hummers exited the parking garage and made a beeline for the main driveway. Each was jockeying for position, going airborne over speed bumps, trying to cause the other to run off the driveway and into parked cars. Instead each lost control and crashed into the Babylon’s hallmark fountain. Water was spraying straight into the air and gushing everywhere. A blue Echo pulled in the parking spot next to Carboni. It was Goodwin and the bartender. He jumped out and looked straight at the high rise. He had seen it also. Apparently Kelsey had also, for that’s where she looked as she got out. “Sergeant? Are you there?” Came the voice on the phone. “Sorry. I just witnessed an explosion from the top floor of the main tower of the Babylon Hotel. Broken glass and debris, including a couple bodies, fell to the top of the parking garage, located beside the hotel. I suggest . . .” More explosions a floor down. “Sergeant? You were saying?” “I was saying . . . I think you better get a dozen squad cars and four or five ambulances over here on the double! All hell is breaking loose!”

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Chapter Fourteen Thanks to Jamal, using his special key, Drew and he were able to ride the elevator straight to the women’s section on the thirtieth floor. When they got off the elevator, to their surprise, no guards were in the small anteroom just off the elevator. No one was manning the two desks that were usually occupied by guards. That was an unexpected break. Drew figured they would have to fight their way off the elevator. Jamal whispered to Drew, “Where is everyone?” Drew shrugged and signaled with his finger toward the adjacent reception room. When they peeked around the corner, they found Ali’s goons. More than usual, eight were standing at the window wall looking down at something. The reception room which acted as an entrance to the women’s area, doubled as a security room. It contained three more desks at which guards sat, a walk through metal detector and a conveyer image machine, just like at the airport. To the left was a wall of lockers in which to deposit prohibited items and an entrance to the changing/shower room where all visitors were required to shower and change into hotel supplied disinfected pajamas, socks and slippers. Ahead past the metal detectors were the double doors into the women’s area—what the guards euphemistically named Shangri-La. To the right, with a magnificent view to the west of the Strip and the valley were the windowed wall and the guards. Drew wanted to surprise them and take them out but Jamal was worried about drawing more guards. They settled on trying to sneak past the crowd, with guns out and ready. They moved stealthily past the deadly horde toward the doors to Shangri-La. They thought they would pull it off, but one of the guards happened to turn, saw them and started firing his 9mm. He was rewarded with a shotgun blast to the gut as Drew blew the offender away. That wounded the guy next to him; nevertheless, almost immediately, the entire group was down on the floor or scattering for cover, firing a fusillade of munitions. Jamal and Drew were forced to duck down behind the last desk. They were outnumbered and out flanked but not out gunned. Drew pointed at the double doors to Shangri-La, less than ten feet away. He whispered his idea to Jamal and he nodded, Jamal began giving the bad-guys a double dose of automatic Uzi fire, from the thirty-two shot clips as they both stood and scooted for the doors. Bullets riddled the doors as they passed through and shut them. With a huge grin, Drew started counting backwards, moving his hands up and down as if it was a New Years countdown, 4 – 3 – 2 – 1. Then like a conductor, he raised his arms calling for the crescendo clash of cymbals, the doors blew in as if on cue. As the doors blew in, one of the bad-guys followed, falling face first to the floor, a victim of the blasts of the four high power grenades, Drew had activated and left behind. “Khalid!” Drew heard his other name and looked around. “Khalid! Khalid, Thank God, you’re all right.” Drew turned around just in time to be mugged by two bikini clad beauties – Tiffany and Brenna.

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Brenna broke away and hugged Jamal. When she put her arms around him he flinched and yelled, “Oww!” Drew was concerned. “What’s the matter, Jamal?” “I don’t know but suddenly my back is killing me.” “Let me see.” Drew removed the trench coat, lifted up his shirt and examined the Kevlar vest. There was a slug located just above his left shoulder blade. “You were hit but the vest stopped it. I think you have a bad bruise. It’ll be sore for a few days.” Drew turned back to Tiffany and Brenna. “Have you seen a girl named Mallory?” “Yes, she escaped a few hours ago with Campbell and Morina.” “My sister,” Jamal screeched incredulously. Brenna said, “Yeah, isn’t that something?” Drew said, “Okay listen. We’re taking you girls outta here. You have four minutes to get dressed and get your things.” Tiffany said, “We can’t get dressed and get our things in four minutes. We have bathing suits on. What’s wrong with them?” “Nothing, at the beach or around the pool but they’re a little skimpy, even for Las Vegas, if that’s possible.” Brenna said, “Yes, you’re right. I don’t really have anything I want to take with me. Why don’t we throw our cover-ups on and get out of here?” Jamal grasped Brenna’s hand. “I agree. Let’s get going.” Tiffany ran the ten paces back to the pool and retrieved her and Brenna’s cover-ups and scooted back. After the girls had put the cover-ups on, Drew grabbed Tiffany’s hand and followed Jamal and Brenna into the demolished security room. As they walked past the blown out window wall, Drew said, hold on a minute. Looking thirty stories below, they watched as two Hummers raced up the main driveway each trying to make the other wreck. Instead they both crashed into the grandiose fountain at the entrance. Drew noticed that a half dozen of the women’s guards were running from the entrance to the parking garage toward the crashed and partially immersed SUVs. He wasn’t sure what was happening but he suspected it wasn’t good. Then he saw someone get out of the back seat of silver Hummer, scramble over the edge of the fountain and scamper into the busy traffic of Las Vegas Blvd South or as most people know it, The Strip.

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The person running from the accident, dressed in men’s clothing must have been a hundred yards down and two hundred yards away, barely visible to the naked eye, yet Drew had been watching this person for four months and he would recognize her anywhere. “It’s Mallory! Let’s hurry!” **** Goodwin moseyed over to Carboni. “What’s going on here Sergeant?” “We didn’t get here in time to stop Stevens, that’s what. He’s after his woman and heaven help anyone who gets in his way. I’d better call Ginger back and find out the rest of what she was going to tell me.” “Hello, Ginger? Carboni.” “Hi Sergeant. Are you finally ready to hear the rest of the scoop on our boy Drew/Khalid Stevens?” “Yes, Ginger. That’s why I called.” “Well for starters he’s a bad boy. I don’t mean a bad person. I mean a bad ass. A former marine and special forces member.” “Yeah, I think I’m discovering that for myself. Oh shit! Ginger, I’m going to have to call you back.” Carboni watched, somewhat surprised when a slightly built man got out of the silver Hummer, climbed out of the fountain soaking wet and scrambled, dodging traffic like a halfback, across the strip and headed for a large garish building. Kelsey, who had joined them said, “Boy. That guy is sure in a hurry to get to that strip joint.” Strip joint? Carboni looked once more across the wide eight lane boulevard. Sure enough the sign read: Chaz’s - Beautiful Girls - 24 hours - Totally Nude - Lap Dances $50. All of a sudden six rough looking pedestrians ran by with 9mms in hand. One peeled off to the gold Hummer, apparently to check on his friends. Then he glanced past the gunmen trying to traverse the busy street, horns a blearing, at the slender man. He wore jeans and a long sleeved shirt. A baseball cap hid his hair but nothing could hide that ass. It was Mallory! He needed to go and he needed Goodwin. He reached into his glove box and pulled out his spare gun, he showed it to Kelsey. “You know how to use this?” “Hell yes, I’m a bartender! I even watch football games! I can do anything a man can do except pee on a tree and I’m working on that.” Carboni smiled and looked at Goodwin. “You better hold on to this one.”

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“I intend to.” Carboni handed the 9mm Sig Sauer to Kelsey. “Don’t use this unless you have to. Go over to that silver car in the fountain—” “Yeah, yeah, go over to the silver Hummer and help Mallory’s friends while you and pretty boy go ogling at the all nude cabaret. Probably looking for your personal hummer.” “No, really. Didn’t you see those Neanderthals that just ran across the street?” Goodwin protested. Kelsey smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “I was just kidding. Cops should be here soon anyway. Have fun. C’mon Paige.” **** Mallory was cold wet and terrified in reverse order. She had seen the five men, guns drawn follow her, they would be there any minute. She had to hide. It was dark inside. Coming out of the bright morning light she couldn’t see anything except the spot lit stage where two well endowed women cavorted entirely in the nude. Oh shit! I’m in a girlie joint. Being only seven or so in the morning there were only a couple handfuls of customers. She didn’t know what to do. A burly blond man with tattoos came out of the rest room and was headed her way. She looked at the sign on the wall and realized there was a twenty dollar cover charge. She didn’t have twenty dollars. When she saw one of the cocktail waitresses, a pretty auburn haired girl wearing an aqua blue baby doll nightie, carry her tray through curtains next to the stage and one of the two girls, from the stage, a tall elegant dancer go through a similar curtain. That’s where she headed and stepped through the curtain. The auburn haired young woman turned and said, “Sorry, men aren’t allowed back here.” Mallory peeked back through the curtain. Five mean looking, brawny brutes were standing by the entrance searching for the person who had run from the Hummer. She turned back to the young woman and pulling off her cap, said, “I’m not a man. There are five goons out there chasing me, I need to hide.” The elegant dancer who reminded Mallory of Somalian supermodel and rock star David Bowie’s wife, Iman, and had just finished her set, agreed, “Yeah, I saw them coming in. A mean looking bunch. I’m Candy and that’s Mysta.” “I’m Mallory.” “Where did you come from, Honey? Do they know you’re a woman?” “I don’t think so. I came from the Babylon, top floor. That’s why they’re after me.” Mysta said, “So the rumors about the Babylon are true?” 88

“I don’t know what the rumors are, but there’re a lot of women there that are being held against their will. What can I do to get away from those men?” **** Sgt. Carboni and Goodwin stepped inside Chaz’s and stared at the wide backs of the five hoodlums who preceded them. They were looking for Mallory, but he doubted they knew she was a woman. A large blond guy sporting a van dyke beard and about a dozen visible tattoos tugged at the sleeve of his suit, and said, “That’ll be forty bucks sir.” Carboni gazed skeptically at the man who stuck his left thumb up, raising his arm in a gesture, which drew his eyes to a sign—Un-cover Charge—Twenty Dollars. He started to pull out his badge but decided against it. He glanced at Goodwin, who was preoccupied with the T & A gyrating on the stage. Hoping to get his twenty bucks, he tugged at his sleeve and got his attention. He whispered, “Twenty buck cover charge, John.” Goodwin whispered back. “Shit we left in such a hurry; I left my money clip at Kelsey’s. Why don’t you just badge him?” Shaking his head. “I don’t want to announce our presence.” Frowning, he pulled out his wallet and handed the guy, who surely doubled as a bouncer, forty bucks. He then stamped his and Goodwin’s hand. Carboni looked at the red stamp, then back at the guy. “What about them?” Nodding at the gang of five. He shrugged and said honestly, “You ask them. Besides, they’re from the Babylon. Same ownership. That stamp is good for twenty-four hours, so if you want to come back tonight it’s free. Bring your friend, he’s free too.” “Thanks,” said Carboni, though he didn’t know what for. “Now to get through this beefcake.” He nodded at the group who were still blocking the entrance. “Excuse me. We’d like to get through. Excuse me.” The motley bunch stared at the interlopers and glared as they eased past them. They headed for the bar and stood, backs to the bar, facing the stage, trying to decide what to do next. “What’ll you have?” Carboni looked over his shoulder at the bartender. “Coffee with cream.” “She’s off tonight.” Carboni looked sternly at the guy who was smiling, “Sorry, bad joke. One coffee with cream coming up. How ‘bout you champ?” 89

Goodwin answered. “I’ll have coffee too – black.” Ten seconds later he was back. “That’ll be twelve-fifty.” “Man, you guys are brutal. It just cost me twenty bucks to walk in the door.” “I don’t set the prices sir. I know these girls make a lot of money, but where else are you going to go and see beautiful naked pussy?” “He’s got a point.” Agreed Goodwin. “Maybe. I’m going to mosey around. You stay here, keep an eye out for our girl and come to my aid if I need it.” **** Mallory was incredulous. “I can’t walk out there naked. I’m just not built that way.” Candy who had Mallory down to her panties and bra, said, “I don’t see where you have a choice. Look, you say you’re a model. There’s a runway out there. Pretend you’re modeling; only you are modeling yourself. Believe me, with your looks and body, you’ll have those guys creamin’ in there jeans.” “That’s what I’m worried about. Do I have to take everything off?” Mysta took Mallory’s bra off and Candy dragged her last piece of clothing – her panties – off. “Except for shoes. This is an all nude cabaret. Now, we need to find you some heels. What size do you wear?” “Seven and a half.” “Fine, my shoes will work.” Candy put her arm against Mallory for balance and pulled her six inch purple platforms off then bent down and placed them on Mallory’s feet. “Boy. You have a great pair of legs, Honey” “So I’ve been told.” Mysta said, “Here’s a nice purple wig I use sometimes. It’ll give you a degree of anonymity.” She placed the wig over Mallory’s blonde hair. She kissed her on the cheek and whispered, “Good luck. I’ll call the cops while you’re performing.” After a swift shove in the back Mallory found herself, totally exposed, face to face with a score of hungry, longing gash hounds.

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Chapter Fifteen On the way down, Drew had Jamal stop the elevator for a couple of seconds at the twenty-ninth and twenty-eighth floors and unloaded the remainder of his grenades. As they descended in the elevator, they could hear explosions above from Drew’s deadly offerings. Once outside the hotel, Drew wasted no time. Tiffany couldn’t keep up as he sprinted down the hotel entrance toward the cabaret to which Mallory had headed and fell back with Jamal and Brenna. He was about fifteen furlongs ahead of Jamal and the ladies when he saw Paige and the bartender. They were helping Campbell and Jamal’s sister, who appeared to be shook up but all right. That meant the plain clothes detectives were there. He hoped they had followed Mallory. All of a sudden out of the periphery of his vision he saw someone from the other vehicle draw a bead on him. He dove to the ground as a bullet whizzed through the vacated space, flipped a summersault and came up firing his Walther. The assailant slouched down with bullet hole in his forehead. Drew turned and pointed at the silver Hummer, indicating Jamal and the girls were to stay there and help, while he continued into the danger zone. **** Mallory froze. The music was playing and another performer was gyrating to it, but Mallory couldn’t bring herself to move. Being a model, it wasn’t uncommon to be naked around people. It was unavoidable at times in photo shoots but mostly it happened at fashion shows, where the necessity for quick changing transcended modesty. However, that was around other models and helpers. Most of the men were gay and those who weren’t were jaded from being around so much naked beauty. But those men weren’t gay and they weren’t jaded. They were hard core roosters. She could feel their eyes fondling her body. She was mortified! The slimmest and meanest looking of the five thugs broke away and rooted himself at the foot of the stage. He was close enough that, with the ancillary light, she could see his cruel face. He wore a thin mustache and his dark obsidian eyes were full of malice. She deferred her glance and may have been saved by two distractions. Mysta suddenly joined the twosome on the stage and the nasty man glanced her way. She settled right in front of him and started to perform some extra-curricular activity to garner his attention. Then the patron to her left stood and touched her hand. “Well, if you aren’t the prettiest darn thing I ever did see! Sweetheart! You and me, we dun gotta do us a lap dance afore I go. What’cha say, Dahlin’?” Mallory studied the man. He wasn’t bad looking and she did want to get away from the man with the angry scowl, but she didn’t want to do a lap dance. She had never done a lap 91

dance. She didn’t know how to do a lap dance. “Sorry, I can’t do any lap dances until my set is over.” “Seems to me, little lady, that you-is just-a standin’ dere waiting for me to take ya off the stage. Where’s tha manager?” The tattooed bouncer had come over, a scowl on his face, to see what the ruckus was. “The manager doesn’t come in till four. What do you want?” “I have to catch a flight back to Texas but before I go, I wanna lap dance wit this lovely creature.” By now another goon had joined the angry one and was watching with curiosity. The patron continued, “Tell you what, I gotta be outta here in fifteen minutes. I’ll pay ten times the regular rate to take the lil’ darlin’ for a lap dance right now.” The bouncer looked at Mallory. “You’re new, aren’t you?” She nodded. “Ever done a lap dance?” She shook her head. “You may as well get it over with. Go on.” Mortified but ambivalently pleased to be leaving the scrutiny of the slimy one, her lap dance partner helped her off the stage and they headed toward the private room, while the meat hounds looked on enviously. **** Halfway across the boulevard, Drew realized that Ali’s henchmen would recognize him. He needed a disguise. He ran back across the street to his Xterra and went through the console. He pulled out a pair or horned rimmed glasses, a stick on faux red birthmark which he applied to his temple and a peel and stick moustache. He couldn’t use the shotgun or grenades in the cabaret, so he left them in the back of the Xterra. He then reached in the back seat and grabbed his cowboy hat and took off for Chaz’s. “Hi cowboy. Twenty dollars please.” Drew looked at the burly tattooed man on a stool who pointed up at a sign. Uncover Charge—Twenty-Dollars. Drew handed him a double sawbuck, had his hand stamped and looked around. The only women visible were the two scantily dressed cocktail waitresses and the undressed ladies parading on the stage and runway. Obviously, Mallory was not out here. Ali’s men were though, moving about, checking the patrons. Then he spotted Hafez. Generally the goons who were there weren’t particularly bright. Not so with Hafez. He was smart and nasty. They detested each other and Drew knew, given the opportunity, Hafez would delight in sucking the life out of him.

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Hoping his disguise would hold, he decided it would be a good idea to stay in striking distance of Hafez. **** On the way to the private room the patron tried to converse with Mallory. “You know Missy, you dun look a lot like that ‘Legs’ woman I sees in magazines all da time. What’s her name? Robbins, dat’s it, Robbins.” Mallory gave a nervous smile. “I hear that a lot.” “Fact is, Baby Doll, I wuz sure you wuz her. ‘Cept for your violet hair and I think y’are prettier than’er.” “Ah ‘ere we are” The man opened the door and bid her to enter. Fortunately, the private room was empty. Mallory looked around the square room. It was painted red, with a dark stained paneled wainscot. Paintings and photos of nude women alternating with mirrors, which dotted the wall above the wainscot, were obviously placed there to set the mood for what went on there. There were two couches, three armless chairs and four end tables. Mallory turned to the man and said, “I’m sorry, I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.” “Well, Dahlin’, I’ll sit on this here chair.” He sat on the chair. “And you sit on my lap facing me and rub your sassy back and forth against me in time with the beat of the music.” Mallory did as suggested. She sat on his lap facing him but she didn’t move. This is so humiliating. “Well.” He said. “You gonna do sumtin’ or not.” He really is pretty good looking. I just wish he were Drew. Slowly, she began to move back and fourth, her naked bottom grazing against his clothed groin. The sensation spreading through her made her think of Drew eating her pussy. As she increased her movement, her sex against the man’s slacks, she pictured Drew. She could feel his erection through his slacks and she relived Drew making love to her. Suddenly craving Drew’s husky cock inside her, moving in and out of her was making her wet. Her salacious movement was inflaming her libido. A moan emanated from deep within her. Mallory’s fingers sought out her nipples and massaged them. It all felt so good to her, she moved even more excitedly, wishing it was Drew, wanting it to be Drew. Mallory suddenly began to feel a new, yet familiar sensation begin to develop in her vulva, but she felt it all over her body. An extremely enjoyable, tickly wave of pleasure washed over her. An orgasm was coming. Past the point of return, it suddenly exploded upon her being. She began rocking sideways back and forth. She screamed loudly, ahh, ahh, ahh, 93

ooh, eeeeehaaaah uuuuh ooooooh and grabbed and hugged the head of stranger to her bosom—the stranger whose lap she had dampened. **** Mallory heard someone come in and looked in the mirror on the wall. It was the mean angry man. “My my, aren’t we having a good time.” The intruder said. Mallory slid off her dance partner’s lap, rolling over to sit on the adjacent couch. She stared at the interloper. He was an evil looking one. He walked up to Mallory. “But I’ll tell you, it’s the customers that are supposed to get their rocks off, not the dancers.” He reached up and yanked the purplish red wig off and Mallory’s long blonde hair flew loose. “Miss Robbins. I knew you looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out why.” The stranger spoke up, “Well I’ll be darned. You are that ‘Legs’ woman. No wonda you es so hot.” Then staring at the intruder he said. “Hey, man. In case you can’t read except that crazy scribbling y’all do, this is a private room. Did y’all hear me? Private! I’m paying top dolla to be in here alone with this prime piece-o-tail. Ya hear me, Abdul? So get the fuck outta here!” “Let me tell you something, you Texas piece of shit. She shouldn’t even be here. She is supposed to marrying my Prince and I’m going to take her back. You know what that means?” “No dickbrains. What does that mean?” “That means nobody on the outside will ever hear from her again, so I can do anything I want to you and she won’t be in a position to tell anyone.” Mallory spoke up. “What are you talking about?” “I’m talking about snuffing this big mouthed braggart and cutting him up into pieces.” “Don’t worry Dahlin’. I’ve seen his type afore. He doesn’t have the nerve to kill me.” Hafez pulled his 9mm, and said, “Oh yeah? Say goodbye to him Miss Robbins.” **** Drew heard something. It sounded like a woman climaxing. Hafez must have heard it too, because he ran down the hall, toward the source of the noise. He watched Hafez go down the hall, open a door and step in. Drew followed and put his ear to the door. Then Drew heard three shots and was about to bust in when four bruisers started toward him. “This isn’t the men’s room.” He started walking toward them. ”Where the hell is it?” “Next to the bar.” One of them said. 94

When he was past them, he turned around and said, “Hands up. You’re under arrest.” Two of them swung around, guns in hand and Drew drilled them, before they got a shot off. The other two ducked into the room. Where he assumed they joined Hafez. He started back toward the private room, when he heard four more gunshots. Drew was confused. What’s going on in there? Drew listened at the door once more. He could hear a woman crying hysterically. Drew knocked on the door. “Mallory?” “Drew? Is that you?” He opened the door and jumped inside, his Walther, 9mm extended in a two hand position. The sight he beheld was confusing. The bodies of Hafez and his two cohorts lay on the floor apparently dead. Hafez was shot in the forehead and the eye. Mallory sat on a couch naked and beautiful, her legs tucked under her. Next to her was a nice looking man in a sports coat. Detective Goodwin crept up stealthily and stuck his gun in Drew’s back. “Hold it right there cowboy. Put down your weapon and don’t move.” As Drew started to put his Walther down Goodwin’s eyes roamed the room for anymore danger points. His eyes passed Mallory and as they registered what he had seen they went back there and remained. Mallory Robbins! And she is naked. Realizing the detective was distracted, Drew made a move. After stomping on Goodwin’s left foot, he reached behind his back with his right hand, while simultaneously turning. After grabbing the wrist of Goodwin’s gun hand, with surprise and leverage on his side, Drew had Goodwin on the ground in seconds. Holding his arm in an awkward position with his foot on Goodwin’s shoulder Drew once more turned to Mallory and the man in the sports coat. Mallory was staring at him queerly, through teared eyes, until he removed the fake moustache and glasses. Recognition registered, Mallory ran up to him and hugged him. He slid the gun in his belt and hugged her back. She kissed him hungrily. With his arm still around Mallory, Drew looked over at the man in the chair. “Sergeant Carboni, I presume.” Carboni raised his hand in acknowledgement. “In the flesh. And that poor man under your foot is my partner. I would consider it a favor if you would let him up.” Drew looked down at Carboni’s partner, shrugged, took his foot off his shoulder and helped him up. “Sorry ole bean. Can’t be too careful. You could have been a bad guy you know.”

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A few of the patrons and employees, who hadn’t scattered, began to show up at the door. Goodwin, close enough, kicked the door shut, stating gruffly that it was a crime scene. Afterward, he pulled out his cell phone and called 911. Drew took off his coat and draped it around Mallory, cloaking her nakedness. Then he zeroed in on Carboni. “Did you enjoy my girlfriend’s performance?” **** Carboni recalled for a second Mallory’s exhilaration, her enormous orgasm, her pulling his head to her breast and he sucking on her tit. He couldn’t help it. His orgasm followed, his semen mixing with her juices leaking onto his lap. Carboni answered carefully, profoundly, “You are the luckiest man in the world.” Meaning every word. A spark of anger flashed in Drew’s face. However, it turned to a smile. “I am, aren’t I?” Mallory seemed far from angry though. He had kept the bad man from taking her. She had obviously enjoyed their lap dance and would likely cherish the memory. The fact that he had climaxed too, would be their secret. “You are the Sergeant I talked to earlier?” she asked. He nodded. “Boy, you sure had me fooled. I was sure you were some cockhound from Texas.” She got up, bent down and hugged him. “Thanks.” Her lovely breasts flashed again until she stood up. He recalled the photos he had seen of her in her portfolio. He was getting choked up that she was safe. As Goodwin had worried, he now admitted to himself that he had gotten emotionally involved. Choked up and wanting to change the subject, he pointed to a camera over the doorway. “We need to retrieve any recordings for Mallory’s sake.” Above the door, a video camera was mounted, aimed directly at them. He knew Drew would immediately know what he was worried about. The tape, of course, would be culpatory evidence of the shootings, but if the media managed to somehow get hold of it, they would have a field day at Mallory’s expense, not to mention that Mallory’s lap dance would probably be plastered all over the Internet. Drew looked at the camera and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll get the tape.” Mallory led Drew over to the couch and sat down, pulling him down next to her. She appeared pleased that her ordeal seemed to be over, she leaned into him and relaxed. With the arrival of Drew, and subsequently being covered by him, Mallory seemed calmer. However, she was still shaking a little, even though she was relieved. The last day and a half had been a nightmare, a horrible experience that would likely haunt her for the rest of her life.

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Chapter Sixteen The medics had arrived and took the occupant’s from the Gold Hummer, which had rolled over. Medics were working on Campbell and Morina, who were less severely injured and refused to go to the hospital, where a vindictive Prince Ali might get at them. The Metro uniformed officers had begun investigating the accident, but had called in detectives since it was obviously more than an accident. Ambulances and investigators had already arrived at the hotel to investigate the explosions and events on the top floors of the hotel. A dozen fire trucks had appeared, with some still on the way, brought by the fire alarms triggered by the explosions. With the fire alarms blaring and sprinkler systems on the top three floors gushing forth, many of the guests had vacated the premises and were standing around, a safe distance from the hotel. Of course, such a spectacle cannot take place without reporters and they were there and still coming. Metro Detective Winston Bromley counted seven TV news vans, four helicopters so far and that didn’t count print reporters. Detective Bromley was questioning Kelsey, when, despite the noise from the traffic right next to them on The Strip, she was sure she heard gunplay coming from the nude cabaret. “Did you hear that?” Detective Bromley nodded and Kelsey said, “Let’s go!” **** It was Candy’s turn to wait tables and if a customer wanted, to perform a lap dance. ‘Lap dance.’ Made her think of Mallory. Poor thing had to take off her clothes and do a lap dance in the first five minutes. She remembered three years ago, when she took off her clothes for the first time. She almost fainted. She was shaking so bad her teeth were chattering. Sounded like castanets keeping time with a Salsa number that was playing. But, like they say, you can get used to anything. Walking around au naturel, in front of hundreds of men seems natural, like taking a shower. Having horny drunken perverts glaring at her pussy used to bother her but no more. She felt like it gave her power over the jerks. Pussy power! How things had changed. How her attitude had changed. She hoped Mallory was okay. At least the guy that picked her was nice looking. Real nice looking. Like a sandy haired Hugh Jackman. For a second she wished she could sit in his lap. Going back to the private room with him was the best thing for Mallory, since that mean bastard, Hafez, was zeroing in on her. Thanks to Mysta, his attention had been drawn away while Mallory and the nice looking guy left. The creepizoids! They were still milling around, looking for the slender man they chased in here. They even went in back behind the drape and into the locker room until Pete chased them out.

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What is that? It sounds like a woman having a climax. Candy started laughing. Way to go Mallory. You’re starting your life as a nude with a bang! **** Mysta was doing her thing. This was her last set and she got off at nine—forty-five more minutes. It was a long night but she had made a killing. Almost a thousand bucks by her count and she didn’t even lay anyone that night. Men get very generous when they see pussy. She wouldn’t have minded laying the guy Mallory had left with. In the days when she had sex for fun, she would have fucked his socks off. But she wised up since then. Her pussy was a commodity. No one got between her legs without long green. A gaping customer waved a twenty at her and set it on the runway. He looked like a construction worker. She wasn’t supposed to let customers touch her, but she made exceptions. Under a five, she smiled. For a fiver, she cupped her breasts and stood directly in front of him, stooped down and spread her legs for a clear view of her puss. For a saw buck, she did the same thing, but took the Mysta out of mystery by spreading her labia with her fingers. For a twenty she went even farther. She sat down right at the edge of the stage, knees bent and spread. She made eye contact, rolled her tongue over her lips and looked down to her twat. He picked up the twenty and folded it several times until it was the size of a quarter and with it between two fingers shoved it into her vagina. She placed her hand over his to hide what was going on and let him move his fingers around inside her for a few seconds. She waited for the question that almost always came. “How much?” “You’re not a cop?” “I’m a horny carpenter and you turn me on, big time.” “Two-fifty. I get off at nine. Get a motel room next door and wait for me outside. I don’t want management to know.” After enjoying about a half minute of being fingered, she pulled his fingers out, put them in her mouth and sucked her juices off. “What’s your name?” “Jack.” “Well Jack. Go take a shower and I’ll see you at nine.” Jack smiled and got up to leave. Mysta called to him. He turned and she said, “Oh, Jack. One more thing.” “What?”

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Mysta winked. “Don’t Jack-off!” No sooner had Jack walked out the door and she heard a woman having a convulsion of bliss. She smiled and decided it must be Mallory hitting the Jackpot on her first lap dance. Way to go girl. Mysta noticed a customer on the other side of the runway waving a ten. She sashayed over to him and said, “So you’d like to see my pussy up close and personal huh?” He nodded animatedly never taking his eyes off her. “You a cop?” He shook his head vigorously. “Good. If you add another ten to that, you get to put it inside me.” He reached for his wallet, put the ten back and pulled out a twenty. He had inserted the money in the slot and was receiving the allotted thirty second playtime. She figured he was just about to pop the question when gunshots rang out. Everyone ducked for cover, except for Mysta who was exposed in more ways than one. She jumped into the customers lap, fingers and all. What she didn’t realize until she jumped was that, apparently while masturbating, he had his Johnnie out and ready. He pulled his fingers out and replaced them with his larger member. Ummm, it does feel good. She had been getting horny with all the excitement and didn’t want to stop so she started moving her snatch with gyratory motions. She said, “I usually get two-fifty for this but under the circumstances and since I have another date in forty minutes, I’ll settle for a Ben Franklin and a U.S. Grant.” With the showroom now virtually empty, the customer stood, picking her up by the ass and kneeled on the floor. He laid her down, then got on top of her and began pummeling her. “How about a U.S. Grant?” Four more volleys of gunfire rang out, people were screaming and running and here she was getting the most exciting fuck in her young life, haggling over a price with the John as he was already doing the deed. “A U.S. Grant? I get that for a fucking lap dance.” She rolled him over and sat on top. She picked up his hands and placed them on her nipples. Ooh, this all feels so good! “Maybe you haven’t noticed but you’re getting the real thing. If I don’t at least get a Ben Franklin and a U.S Grant I’m out of here!” “Okay. I agree to a C Note if we do it doggy style too.” More gunfire and more pandemonium. She looked down on him. He wasn’t bad looking. Not George Clooney but maybe Owen Wilson. “Aren’t you scared?” “I’m too turned on to be scared. I’ve been watching you all night. You are so hot. You put all the other girls to shame. What about you? Aren’t you scared?” Hmmm. She liked what he said, that made a difference, “Yeah, I am actually, but fucking while all this is going on is such a rush, I’m even going to settle for your Franklin and do it doggy style, but if you try to stick it up my ass, it’s going to cost you a U.S. Grant. Agreed? What’s your name anyway?” “Agreed. Name’s Owen.” **** 99

Drew decided there was no time like the present to retrieve the tape so he went out to the show room to look for the recorder. The room was empty except for a man and one of the dancers who were going at it on the floor—doggy style. As he was stroking her hot and heavy, she looked up at him, smirked and said, “You’re not going to tell my mommy are you?” Drew laughed. “Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.” “Good. My name is Mysta. You’re pretty good looking. You wouldn’t be interested in seconds would you?” “You’re pretty sizzling yourself but no thanks. My girlfriend is in the next room.” “Mallory is your girlfriend? Is she all right? She was so scared. She was afraid to take off her clothes too. Even with that great figure.” “She’s fine. All the bad boys are dead. Say you wouldn’t know where the recorder is for those cameras in the private room would you?” “It’s behind the bar but it’s broke and the manager never got it fixed.” “Thanks Mysta and may God grant you and your partner the mother of all climaxes.” “Thanks . . .What’s you name?” “Drew.” “Thanks Drew.” Mysta winked. “You come back and see me, okay?” “Okay!” **** Once Kelsey and Bromley’s vision became accustomed to the dim light, they could see that the show room was empty with the exception of a fornicating couple. She was naked and bent over the runway taking it the ass and he was fully dressed except for his cock which was packing her poop chute. “Don’t forget, this is worth an extra U.S. Grant,” the woman said. Kelsey put her hand to her mouth and giggled. Bromley spoke up, “Excuse me. Police. We heard gunshots. Do either of you know where they came from?” The girl looked up and smiled. “Looks like you caught us. Check the private room, to the left of the bar.”

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They headed to the bar and saw two bodies in the hall to the left. Stepping over the bodies they opened a door with a sign that read PRIVATE ROOM. The room contained three more corpses and four live individuals: the subjects of their investigation—Robbins, Stevens, Carboni and his partner, Goodwin. Bromley took a second to take in the spectacle of the corpses, a partially clad beauty, her apparent boyfriend and two Hollywood detectives. “Sgt. Bromley, Metro. Is everyone all right?” “Sure, just a little target practice. They missed and I didn’t,” said Carboni. Kelsey ran over hugged Goodwin and whispered in his ear, “When this is over I have big plans for you. There’s a couple fucking on the stage out there and it got me going again.” Remembering his time with feisty little bangster bunny, Goodwin smiled after a stirring passed through his sex. Bromley asked, “Has anyone called the authorities?” Goodwin assured him, “I called 911, seven or eight minutes ago.” Bromley looked at him. “How long did they say it would take to get here?” “They didn’t.” Addressing Carboni, Drew suggested, “I think one of you should follow-up while I take Mallory and find her something decent to put on.” Carboni nodded and then said, “You heard him detective. Get on it.” Goodwin addressed the Las Vegas detective, “Bromley. Can you check on that for me?” He nodded. “In the meantime, Miss Robbins, I’d like to know what went on here before you do that.” Goodwin took a recorder out of his jacket pocket and turned it on. “Who wants to go first?” “Where would you like me to start,” asked Mallory. “Eventually, I want the whole story but for now, just what happened here.” “Well all those dead guys who are lying on the floor were chasing after me and they followed me in here.” “Into this room?” “No. Into this building.” “Then what?” 101

“I was dressed as a man so I don’t think they knew who I was. I didn’t know this was a girlie bar when I ran in, but it probably was a good thing because they were looking for a man. I ran behind the drape where men aren’t allowed and two of the dancers helped me. They undressed me, put a reddish purple wig on me and threw me out on the stage.” She pointed at Hafaez. “That nasty man came over and stared at me. I froze. I was so scared I couldn’t move. Then this gentleman stood up and said he wanted a lap dance with me and dragged me away from the nasty man.” Sgt. Carboni walked over to the coffee table, picked up the recorder and turned it off. “I can tell you what happened from there, partner. Continuing would be a waste of time and we have unfinished business. Right Stevens?” “Right, Sergeant. Prince Ali’s forces are depleted right now. We’ll never have a better opportunity to nab him.”

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Chapter Seventeen – The Assault “Goodwin. Including Stevens and us, how many armed law enforcement personnel are here right now?” “Probably fifteen or so.” “Good.” Carboni addressed Bromley, “Sergeant, can you arrange to have all your personnel ready to assault the top three floors of the Babylon.” “I can do better than that. I have the Captain on the phone and he’s on his way here with six detectives. He also ordered all patrol and traffic officers in the area here. He said a ten man SWAT team is already on the way here and should be here in twenty or thirty minutes.” “Hold on, Sergeant. Wait a minute,” cried Drew. “What everyone is proposing is a prescription for a large and messy hostage situation. Look, my friend Jamal and I got up to the women’s floor and I see no reason we can’t do it again. I suggest I lead a small party up there to at least secure the top floor and if they’re not wise to what we’re doing begin to evacuate the women. Mallory, how many women are up there?” “I saw about thirty but I wasn’t there very long. I doubt if I saw all of them. Where’s Morina? She would know exactly. She was in the vehicle with me when we crashed.” Carboni opened his flip phone and called. “Paige? It’s Ritchie.” “Yah, Mallory’s fine. Are the occupants of the SUV all right?” “Can you bring them across the street to the cabaret?” Carboni snuck a look at everyone and whispered, “I miss you too.” The medical technicians arrived and shooed everyone out of the room, while they checked the five corpses for signs of life. One medic said to the other. “Man, I was over in Iraq and this reminds me of Baghdad. How many dead does this make?” “By my count, eight and I have a feeling we’re not finished yet.” Right after the medics arrived so did another crime scene team and the coroner’s people. Drew and Mallory snuck off to find her clothes. Mysta apparently finished her encounter and moved on, but Candy was hiding in the back room where Mallory’s clothes were hanging up to dry. Candy and Mallory hugged and Mallory introduced her to Drew. Goodwin came looking for them. “Carboni has talked to Morina. Apparently she is Ali’s daughter and was in charge of the women’s section. He wants you back there.” Drew nodded at the information that he already knew. 103

Dressed and safely ensconced within a bevy of law enforcement officials Mallory was apparently beginning to feel like herself. She took Drew and Candy’s hands and said, “Let’s go see what the Sergeant wants.” **** Carboni took the opportunity to call Ginger back. “Hi Ginger. Carboni here.” “I can tell. How’s it shaking Sergeant?” “Oh we’re doing good, five dead bad guys and fixing to do more but I think our guy Stevens is doing better and that’s why I’m calling. Let’s have the good stuff about Stevens” “I’ve dug up even more. I told you Stevens’s mother Magda is the Sultaness of Oman. It seems his father is an American citizen. An important one. Magda attended George Washington University, back in 1978 and met and became involved with another student, one Scott Stevens. She became pregnant and they married. Their marriage lasted long enough for Drew to be born and then was annulled. How you get an annulment after a child is born, I don’t know, but her family did it. Apparently part of the annulment agreement was shared custody. Six months here and six months in Oman each year. After he reached the age of majority he remained in the U.S. occasionally visiting his mother. In 1998 his father got him in the FBI.—” Something registered in Carboni’s mind. “Scott Stevens. Wait a minute. Are we talking about Scotty Stevens the Deputy Director of the FBI?” “The one and only.” “Phew! Holy smokes. Is this an FBI operation?” “I couldn’t find that out. If it is, it’s a deep one.” “Thanks Ginger, I owe you.” “You sure do. A movie and a roll in the hay would be nice, but since you’re involved I’ll settle for lunch, unless your lady friend is into sandwiches.” “I don’t know if she is, but I wouldn’t have the nerve to ask her.” “Bye coward. I’ll be looking forward to our lunch.” After he was finished laughing, he asked Goodwin, “Go round up Stevens, will you?” **** Everyone was sitting around in the main showroom. Candy went behind the bar, and brewed a pot of coffee, which almost everyone gratefully accepted. 104

Drew noticed Jamal, Brenna and Tiffany had accompanied Paige, Kelsey, Morina and Campbell. Drew noted there was a bounty of beauty in the room. Carboni addressed Drew. “Okay Stevens, it’s time we get into the nuts and bolts of this proposed operation. How do you propose to get to the top floor?” “Like we did before. I’m glad Jamal is here. He is in possession of one of three elevator keys which allows the user to go directly to the thirtieth floor. I suggest that you, I, Jamal and Goodwin go up there. Secure the top floor and begin sending the captive women down in the elevator.” “No, you must send all women down,” Morina warned, “even those who wish to stay. My father is not above using family for hostages.” “Good point,” replied Drew, “we’ll send all women down.” “I’m going with you,” stated Campbell, “the women will need to see a familiar face. One they can trust.” “I’m going too.” said Bromley. “Somebody from Metro has to be there to make sure you cowboys don’t fuck things up.” Drew looked questioningly at Carboni, who said, “Bromley yes, the young lady, no way! Miss, I’m afraid I have to nix that. It’s dangerous and you’re not even a police officer. Besides, there are liability issues.” Campbell’s facial features twisted, as she snarled, “Liability issues? I’ll sign a fucking indemnification. What about Khalid? He’s not official.” “You mean Drew. Yes he is. He’s FBI.” Drew was surprised but hid it well. Campbell retorted, “You guys don’t know shit. Three years I spent there, waiting for somebody to rescue me.” Campbell’s voice became softer and more rational. “Many of those girls have been there longer. Being held captive and having no will of your own is a humbling experience. They will be scared and reticent. That is all they have known for years. I must go. They are my family.” Carboni’s gaze fixed on Drew, trying to determine his take on bringing a woman. “I know Campbell, she is a trooper. I would trust her in a fight, if it comes to that,” assured Drew. “Okay, Campbell goes. She can take the women down to safety. Anybody have anything else to say.” Jamal stood up. “For those of you who do not already know Morina and I are siblings. We have the same father—Prince Ali. Yes, we feel bad about turning on him, but he turned on us first when we were children, letting his insatiable prurient tastes take precedence over 105

our welfare. Despite the fact that he betrayed us, he mistakenly trusted us, thinking that blood is thicker than substance. No one knows that hotel or the people who work there better than my sister or me.” Jamal went on. “Do not think that Ali has never thought an assault on his fortress was not possible, just the opposite. He has been preparing for this since he bought the hotel. I would estimate that even with the loss of twenty or so men today, he still has a fifty heavily armed warriors and now that we have lost the element of surprise. They will be dug in and waiting. And unless the charges we set earlier on the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth floors made access to the express elevator impossible, they will have disabled it. If that is the case, and I have no reason to doubt it, the stairs will be our only access.” Drew said, “Jamal is right. And if they set explosives in the stairs then the only way we could access the thirtieth floor would be by helicopter, from the roof.”

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Chapter Eighteen – Prince Ali Carboni asked all unofficial participants to step outside while they formulated a plan, except for Jamal, Morina and Campbell. Mallory was joined outside by Paige, Kelsey, Candy, Tiffany and Brenna. After Mallory hugged Paige and all the other girls, Paige began to quiz her friend about what happened. That was the first time Paige and Mallory had to talk and Mallory was telling her about the first night with Drew when an explosion drew all their attention. The remaining members of the group were sitting at the runway portion of the stage. They were discussing the most probable methods for extracting the harem women from their prison, when Paige dashed in wide eyed, her face all red, screaming. She ran headlong into Carboni but couldn’t speak, so she pointed to the door. They all rushed outside in time to see the end of the tragedy. Two helicopters, out of control locked together in a final embrace crashing into the roof of the central high rise, engulfing the roof in flame. Just before the doomed helicopters hit the roof a larger helicopter took off from the roof. So much for rescuing the women with helicopters. Thought Carboni. “What the fuck happened?” demanded Drew. All the women seemed to be hysterical. The least hysterical was Kelsey so they began to question her. “There was a large explosion so I looked up and this news helicopter, I think it said Channel Six on the side was smoking from the back portion. There was a faint trail of smoke going back to the roof.” “An RPG.” Drew said, “They shot a rocket-propelled grenade at it. Go on.” “Well, the back part of the helicopter was missing and it began to spin around wildly out of control. Another copter from Channel Ten was in the way and they collided. It was almost as if they were suspended in midair for a few seconds, then they headed for the high rise. You saw what happened after that.” Campbell and Morina ran up to Sergeant Carboni crying. “We’ve got to go in there and get those women. Right now, we can’t wait. Do you realize they could all die?” Bromley’s phone rang. While he took the call, Carboni tried to calm the ladies. “Look ladies, we will do something but we have to come up with a plan. We can’t just run in there willy-nilly. Some damn good men could get killed.” “Lieutenant—” “Sergeant.” Carboni corrected.

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Campbell said, “Sorry, Sergeant. You and all policemen are expected to risk they’re lives. They risk their lives for a living. But those women aren’t supposed to risk their lives. They’re victims. Your men need to risk their lives to save those women.” “Risking their lives is one thing, throwing them away is another.” “Just a second Campbell,” said Carboni. “Yes Sergeant.” Bromley relayed the message he just received, from a reporter he worked with, to Carboni. Who then repeated it loudly to everyone, “This hasn’t been confirmed but I have been told that a good sized helicopter landed on the roof and picked up about a dozen passengers. One of whom is suspected of being Prince Ali. Several of the news helicopters were hovering about and taping the planned departure. It seems they took exception to this, because one of the passengers disembarked and fired a RPG into the nearest helicopter, and then hopped back on for takeoff.” Bromley continued, “The RPG struck the helicopter in the rear section, causing it to lose control. Spinning wildly it spun into another news helicopter. The ensuing crash sent both copters into the roof and top floor. The other helicopter lifted off the roof and headed in the direction of McCarran International Airport, which is only three miles south of here, most likely to catch a flight out of the country.” “That’s great but according to Morina there’s sixty-three women in the Harem in danger.” Campbell insisted. “Don’t forget the fire sprinklers went off and it’s keeping the fire from spreading.” “Lieutenant, I mean Sergeant. I may be a blonde but don’t for a minute believe those blonde jokes. I’m no dummy. I know the biggest danger to those women is smoke inhalation and that’s why we have to get moving.” Jamal grabbed Drew and pulled him away from the group. “Cousin, I really screwed up. I should have known my father wouldn’t sit tight. I feel so guilty. We must do something.” Drew put his arm around his blood friend. “Jamal. I must go after Ali but I have an idea. After I leave, tell your idea to the Sergeant Carboni and Sergeant Bromley make sure that firebrand Campbell knows too. But I must go.” “Cousin?” “Yes, Jamal.” “What is my plan?” “Of course. How stupid of me.”

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**** Drew rushed across the Strip, where the traffic had suddenly come to a crawl with all drivers rubbernecking the strange events that had befallen the hotel. Hopping in his Xterra he backed out and drove to the side street. He was going to take the strip but with traffic backed up he decided to take the sidewalk. He made a left hand turn onto the sidewalk, honking and scurrying pedestrians as he went. The McCarran Executive air terminal was on the far side of the large airport from the main terminals about three miles up the Strip. Drew rolled down the window and stuck his bubble gum red light on his roof and activated his siren. By the time he reached Tropicana Avenue the traffic jam had subsided enough to get back on the street. He jumped the curb, cut off some cursing northbound drivers, jumped the median and was finally heading south toward the private airport. He was still a mile from the airport and sixteen minutes had passed since he had seen the helicopter take off the roof. Not good. They probably got there and disembarked in ten minutes. Ali would have called ahead and had his pilots and attendants ready the plane and set flight plans making sure the plane was ready to leave the minute the prince boarded. Five minutes max to run from the helicopter to the all green private Boeing 737, so the plane was likely taxiing to the runway where it would wait for its turn to take off. Please be busy. **** Jamal and Campbell were on the roof of the intermediate twenty six story high rise. The central high rise was two hundred-fifty feet away and forty feet up. “I hope we can make this contraption go uphill like that,” worried Jamal out loud. “I hope we can make it work period,” said Campbell, dubiously. “Lieutenant, are you sure this harpoon thingy is going to work?” The swat team arrived minutes earlier and upon the recommendation of Sergeant Bromley and subsequent instruction of Captain Hardy, was working with Jamal. “Yes Ma’am, Guaranteed. And it’s Captain. Captain Granger.” “Sorry Captain.” “It’s all right. I understand the stress you’re under.” Jamal said, “Okay, Captain. Do you want to explain to me one more time what you are going to do?” “It’s very simple really. We’re going to shoot this claw over to the top floor of that taller building and once it catches on something good and solid, we’ll send Sergeant Hopkins up there to send the women back on this motorized chair. For the next six trips one of our armed men will go over there on each trip to cover the entrances to make sure none of the bad guys try to interrupt the rescue.”

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“It is very simple, except you made one mistake Lieutenant.” “It’s Captain, Ma’am. What mistake did I make, Ma’am?” “Yes, sorry Captain. The mistake you made is that I’m going to precede Hopkins.” Captain Granger of the Las Vegas Metro SWAT team was perplexed. “And I too, will precede Hopkins, Captain.” Jamal said. “I can’t allow that. This is highly irregular. You’re both civilians.” “And we’ve both indemnified your department. Ask Captain Carboni.” “I will. Hopkins. Shoot the projectile will you?” Granger stepped a few paces away to call Bromley while Hopkins aimed and fired the harpoon. “Perfect,” Hopkins said with glee, “Now, let’s see if we can catch it on something.” “Fantastic,” He yelled, “Now, let’s attach the motorized chair.” Granger came back. “Hopkins. The lady is going first. They all know her and she will calm them down and organize them for transport.” “Whatever you say Cap’in. Ma’am the chair will be ready to go in two minutes. It’s real easy to use. There’s a forward and reverse button. You have to keep holding the button down. If you release it the chair stops.” “What about me?” Jamal asked the Captain. “I asked. They said they never agreed to let you go.” “But it was my idea.” “And a good idea it is, Sir.” Jamal took Campbell aside. “I need to talk with you.” “Yes.” “First of all, I want you to take this.” She took it. “I want you to know that I never agreed with what my father was doing. I despised what he was doing. I hope you will not think I am like him.” “You know Jamal, in the three years I was there I never saw you much and that’s good. You could have come up to our floor and have taken the maiden or maidens of your 110

choice but you never did.” She kissed him on the cheek and ran to the chair. “I guess that’s why I believe you.” Jamal rubbed his cheek as he watched Campbell traverse the chasm between the two monoliths. He smiled and the further she retreated, the more his smile grew. He was glad she had taken his gun. **** Campbell made the mistake of looking down. She started to feel nauseous. She leaned forward as she began to throw up and disrupted the chair. The mic they had attached to her blurted out. “Keep still Ma’am. You can unbalance the unit if you’re not careful. Even get the motor off the track. Then we’d have a mess.” “Ok sorry. I made the mistake of looking down and started throwing up. I’ll be more careful. Hopkins. How come this is moving so slow?” “It moves pretty slow on a straight shot but you’re going uphill. Looks like a twentypercent grade. You’re probably zooming up there at about a foot a second, should take about four minutes to get there. Coming back will only take half as long.” “That’s reassuring.” **** Drew searched for the green airplane that was painted to resemble the Saudi Flag. What a fake, Drew thought. He was a better Muslim than his uncle and he didn’t even practice. At least he respected Islam, the religion of his mother and stepfather, the Sultan of Oman. He couldn’t spot the plane. He needed to get closer to the field. He pulled in a rental parking lot that abutted the field. There it was, right at the end of the taxiway. It was behind two smaller private jets scheduled to get the green light first, but it jumped the line and edged in front of the queue. Drew was off to the front and side of the plane about four hundred feet. Not even waiting for the go ahead it turned onto the runway. With brakes applied it revved its four Pratt Whitney engines. Drew had to do something. Or Ali was gone. He buckled his seatbelt and crashed through the chain link fence about the same time the Boeing released the brakes and shot forward. **** Campbell arrived at the high rise safe and sound. The crash and fire was located on the west side of the building and she was on the east side and the sprinklers had not activated here. She grabbed the first girl she could find, a young tyke in a bikini. She didn’t recognize her and asked as she strapped her in. “What’s your name?”

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“Tish.” “How long have you been here?” “Since yesterday. I’ve been hiding.” Campbell sent Tish on her way and she yelled back as she went. “Stay away from the pool area.” She figured, based on what Hopkins said she had approximately seven minutes to locate the rest of the women. She was in the Spa area just off the pool area. She marveled that the smoke wasn’t too bad here. Where was everybody? She peeked around where the pool area was and discovered where all the women were. Many of the guards too! The sprinklers were active here but the guards weren’t paying attention. There were about sixteen guards. Some were holding the women at bay. Some were chasing after women and four of the unlucky women were being raped right on the pool deck or in the pool. When the prince is away, the creeps will play. Campbell backed away to use her mic without being heard. “Carboni, can you hear me?” “Go ahead, Campbell.” “I found the women. There’s a little problem. They’re all being held in the pool area by the guards, sixteen of them who are trying to get an orgy going. This ought to make it easier to get up here and help, right?” “It would seem so.” “Well hurry up then.” “Campbell? Where are you?” “I’ve got to go. Sergeant Hopkins is looking for me.” Campbell went and intercepted Hopkins. “The guards have all the women under guard in the pool area and they seem to have an orgy on their mind. How are we going to get the women away from the guards?” Hopkins frowned. “How many are there?” “Sixteen.” “They aren’t supposed to be with the women are they?” “No, but Ali is gone.”

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Hopkins stomped his foot. “Shit! We can wait for a couple more of my team to get here. I’m sure we could take them then.” “That would be fourteen or fifteen minutes. They could be in the middle of a full blown orgy by then. Besides, I’m worried they may start shooting the women after they rape them.” **** Drew had his superchargers blazing attempting to speed up and intercept the fast moving green monster. He was doing 130 but the plane appeared to be going faster. It was pulling away and Drew was going to lose it in about five seconds as the ailerons were being set for lift off, so he swung hard right where his high roof clipped the bottom of outermost engine. It wasn’t much of an impact but the effect was amazing. It threw the plane off slightly and slowed the planes momentum enough where it couldn’t lift off within the remaining runway. Instead they dropped the ailerons down and reversed the engines in an effort to stop. It was too little too late as the behemoth went crashing through the perimeter fence, across Tropicana Avenue and crashing into an empty apartment complex that was scheduled for demolition. The slight impact was even more disastrous for Drew. His top heavy SUV started skidding sideways at a hundred twenty. When Drew corrected, it skidded the other way and began to roll over. It rolled and rolled some twenty times before it came to rest. The fire trucks hurried to the plane and Drew’s vehicle but the Xterra exploded into flames, seconds before they arrived. **** “What do you suggest we do, Ma’am?” “I think we should set up a decoy.” “I don’t know.” “You’re the big bad SWAT member. Don’t you have any ideas?” “Maybe I should go take a look see. Which way is it?” “Through that door and to the right.” Hopkins went creeping along tippy toe. After about two minutes he returned. “It looks like six of them SOB’s are now busy banging away, seems two more of them poor lady folk got caught, so we’re down to ten actual thugs that aren’t indisposed. I have an idea but we need at least one more guy. Gilliam should be here in another minute. Let’s wait for him.” “Okay but then we have to do something. Now what’s your plan?”

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Campbell was a well built, sexy woman, so it was no surprise when all the guards who weren’t indisposed began chasing after her. She had stood in the doorway, naked as a baby from her panties up and taunted them. “Hey, does Prince Ali know what you’re doing to his women? Wait till he finds out.” As they began to run toward her, she turned and ran down a hallway which ended in a narrow room with three desks, one at the end and one on each side. Campbell raced for the desk at the end and picked up the thirty-two shot Uzi Jamal had given her and ducked behind the desk. The ten guards which had chased her were sitting ducks as Gilliam, Hopkins and Campbell all opened fire. Campbell and Hopkins rushed back to the pool area, while Gilliam made sure they were all dead. When Campbell and Hopkins came in the pool area, the Don Juans had abandoned their conquests, after hearing gunfire, for the safety of an AK 47, only they weren’t fast enough. Like shooting ducks in a video game all six succumbed in seconds. Suddenly, a huge explosion shook the building giving new urgency to their exit plan. Campbell dressed hurriedly as Hopkins scrambled to get the women out of the building. Campbell called Carboni on her radio mic. “We got all the bad guys in the women’s area.” “Good we’re about to take on whoever is waiting for us on the twenty-eighth floor.” Campbell signed off and joined Hopkins who greeted the women and hugged them before sending them to safety and freedom. Hopkins asked, “Wherever did you learn to use a gun like that? You were spectacular.” “My whole family back in North Carolina were gun enthusiasts. My daddy and brothers taught me all about guns.” After two hours and thirty-two minutes all the women and the SWAT members were back on the mid-rise tower. Campbell hugged Hopkins and thanked him for everything. Hopkins held her hand and wouldn’t let go. “You know you made quite an impression on me.” “And you made an impression on me.” “You wouldn’t want to go to dinner and a show with me some night would you?” “Sounds divine . . . what’s your first name anyway?” Hopkins looked hopeful. “Billy. It’s William Hopkins but I go by Billy.” “Well, Billy, thanks for asking. It does sound divine, but I think I got me a boyfriend. If it doesn’t work out though, I’ll look you up, I promise.” Campbell walked over and hugged Jamal. “I was so worried for you my teeth were chattering,” he said. 114

“I was worried too. You want to blow this place?” “You’re asking me to leave with you? After what my father did to you?” She nodded. “Campbell you are too much. Let’s blow this place.”

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Chapter Nineteen – The Funeral After finding a man who she could truly love, cruel fate took him away. The coroner had said that Drew had been burned so badly, the casket had to remain closed. The irony was that Drew had died in vain, because Prince Ali was not on the plane Drew had stopped from taking off. Sergeant Carboni figured he must have used the plane as a decoy while he slipped away on a commercial airliner. The funeral was held at Palm Mortuary. Drew’s Mother, Magda, along with her husband, the Sultan, flew in from London to attend the ceremony. His well known father, Scotty Stevens also attended. Jamal gave a stirring eulogy, which brought tears to everyone’s eyes, especially when they heard Mallory sobbing out loud. Approximately three hundred attended the somber affair to honor their fallen friend or relative. Ritchie Carboni was impressed. He wished he could have gotten to know the likable man better. Mallory was grief-stricken. Her beautiful face looked drawn and weary. She would cry at the slightest provocation. Ritchie was worried about her. He and Paige needed to watch her closely. They would take turns consoling her. The funeral was headline news. It seemed that Drew Khalid Stevens was well known. He was formerly a well liked army ranger who had served heroically in Afghanistan, earning a silver star for bravery and a purple heart for being wounded. The funeral was covered on all major network news programs and made every daily newspaper in the country. After Drew’s body was interred, Jamal held a party, a belated wake if you will, which he called a celebration of Drew’s life. Blow-ups of Drew from birth to thirty-three, the age of his death were spread throughout the hall. Over a thousand flower arrangements had been sent to the funeral and the overflow was on display around the hall. Both Stevens and Magda came up and introduced themselves to Mallory. Magda hugged Mallory. She held her out at arms length and said, “Let me look at you. You are every bit as beautiful as Drew told me. He was smitten with you, you know? He told me he wanted to marry you.” “And I wanted . . . to marry . . . him” Mallory began to ball again. Magda hugged and caressed her like she would a distressed child. “I hope you don’t mind but I will always think of you as the daughter-in-law you should have been. I want to be your friend and confidant. If there’s ever anything that you want or I can do for you, you must call me or come to me. Unlike my brother, the Sultan is a good man, a progressive and a friend of the West. When you feel up to it, I would like you to visit us.” Scotty Stevens embraced Mallory as well. “Just remember,” he said, “Drew was doing good work. He helped free dozens of captive women from a degenerate, hopeless life and we hope to free scores, maybe hundreds more who have been sold overseas.” Mallory 116

nodded and he went on, “He loved you, you know? You were all he talked about. All he could think of. He agonized on the problem of how to keep you from being taken and not blowing his cover.” Mallory began weeping again and Stevens held her head to his chest and patted her back. Like Drew’s mother, his father said he thought of her as family and if she needed anything, he would be there to help. He left her with the number to his direct private line. Mallory was a zombie. She didn’t talk, or eat. She couldn’t sleep and when she managed to eat, it wouldn’t stay down. Mallory lost five pounds that first week and five the next, down to a dangerous one hundred-two. The hot sexual attraction between Paige and Sergeant Carboni cooled as they looked after Mallory. She was going downhill quickly. Her agent and all her friends were concerned, especially Carboni and Paige. However after Goodwin went back to his wife, Kelsey to everyone’s surprise, took up with Paige, who had dumped Robbie. When Paige found less and less time for Mallory, Carboni gladly filled the gap spending as much time as his job allowed with the inconsolable starlet. Nevertheless, Mallory continued to go downhill. She lost another four pounds and at ninety-eight pounds on her five nine frame was beginning to look like a walking corpse. Carboni was in despair and then a miracle happened, followed by two more. Campbell visited Mallory and she reacted as if they had known each other for life instead of one harrowing day. Campbell asked her to be maid of honor at her wedding to Jamal. She was going to wed Jamal in three months. That seemed to really pick Mallory up. She had a purpose in life. It was a little thing, but it gave her something to look forward to. Campbell said, “Jamal is such a sweet man, the opposite of his father. He had a crush on me right from the beginning, yet he refused to let himself come and take me. He said he didn’t want me unless I wanted him too. I’ll tell you, it wasn’t long after we started dating that I wanted him. But I’ll tell you about that sordid girl stuff when your handsome Captain isn’t around.” She winked at Carboni. “It’s Lieutenant, Campbell. It was Sergeant but I got promoted to Lieutenant.” Mallory turned and gazed at Carboni. It was like the first time she noticed him since the escape. He really is handsome. “Oh that’s right. I guess I keep thinking that, because after all the good work you did, you should be a Captain.” Campbell laughed. Looking back to Mallory and smiling, she continued, “Anyway, I was reluctant to accept Jamal’s marriage proposal because of what went on in the harem, especially knowing how much Muslim men value the purity of women, but he says he doesn’t care if I had sex with others, before and during my time at the Babylon. He feels terrible about what his father did to me and the others and is amazed that I don’t blame him. Hell, he was instrumental

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in getting everybody out. He said he loves me and wants to make up for what his father did. I told him I loved him and to forget making things up.” Mallory was delighted. Drew liked Jamal and that was good enough for her. Then miracle two happened. Campbell, sensing Mallory was in trouble, called Jamal and told him she was going to stay on for a couple of days and visit with her new friend. The first morning, while having coffee, Mallory ran to the bathroom. When she came back Campbell asked, “What happened?” “I don’t know. For the last two weeks, I’ve been getting sick in the mornings.” Campbell jumped up. “Get dressed.” “What for?” “We’re going to Planned Parenthood.” “What for?” “I think you’re pregnant.” “But I can’t be. I only had sex with Drew one time and he wore a . . .” Mallory stopped when she remembered what Morina had told her. The doctor found sperm inside you. “Let’s go. I’ll be dressed in five minutes.” **** Malloy was delirious with joy. The results of the test were conclusive. She had been given back her Drew, or to be exact his progeny. “This is such fabulous news. Let’s celebrate. Let’s have lunch. I’ll treat.” It was a beautiful day, Mallory picked her favorite Coffee and Bread shop on Sunset Blvd. Sitting outside, Mallory ordered turkey on croissant sandwich that filled the plate, a side of fries and iced tea while Campbell ordered a Cesar salad and iced tea. “Are you going to be able to eat all that?” Campbell wondered aloud. Mallory nodded, while she finished chewing and swallowed the bite of her sandwich she had just taken. “Yes, I haven’t had a decent meal since the escape. I was, am heartbroken, but now, I have a little piece of what I lost growing inside me and it needs to be fed. I’ve never felt like this before—so needed.” Campbell had an idea. “Since you’re in such a good mood, having so much fun for a change and feeling so needed, how about I call up Ritchie and see if there is anyway he can join us?” “Good idea. I can’t wait to tell him about the baby.”

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That led to miracle three. When Carboni arrived, Mallory had a new appreciation of the handsome detective. When he hugged her, she hugged him back harder and longer. Her face was bright and cheerful. As he sat down, Mallory scrutinized him. Things had changed. She no longer saw the nice man who was trying to make her hurt go away. What she saw now was a very good-looking man; a good and loving man, who was a potential lover, husband and father for her baby, Drew’s baby. **** Ritchie was a little overwhelmed. Campbell was lovely as usual and grinning like a Cheshire cat, but what was unsettling was Mallory. After six weeks of unabated miserable grief, she was suddenly radiant. Her face beamed happiness. She stared at him. It was different. When she looked at him before, it was as if she was looking through him instead of at him. She was gazing at him with intense interest. Mallory leaned forward. She kissed his cheek. “You’re so good to me and I just ignore you. I don’t deserve you.” There was a new look in her eyes. Something he had never seen unless she was talking about Drew. But they weren’t talking about Drew. “Please don’t talk like that. You just went though a horrible ordeal and lost the man you love.” “That’s no excuse to ignore my most devoted friend. Things will be different.” She took his hand and he felt something pass between them. He was suddenly happy. She kept holding his hand and then put her other hand on top of their two hands. She looked at him dreamily and said, “Campbell asked you here so I could tell you something which makes me really happy. Guess what?”

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Epilogue Jamal went to the Watergate apartment as directed. He rang the doorbell and a voice said, “Come in. The door is unlocked.” Jamal stepped inside. The man was staring out the third story window. “Everything is going as you planned.” “Tell me.” “After a bumpy six weeks, where it looked like we were going to lose her, she has turned it around with my fiancée’s help. Things began to fall into place when she learned she was pregnant. She started seeing the starry-eyed police lieutenant in a different light. She has started a business and it hasn’t been announced yet but she and the lieutenant are planning on getting married in four months.” “Tell me about the business.” “Well, Campbell had asked her if she could inquire if her agency could use Tiffany, who had modeling experience. When they said they had no openings, she started her own agency. She is still under contract with her original agency so she can’t model for her agency for two more years but with a nucleus of Tiffany, Brenna and Candy – the nude dancer from Chaz’s, along with a few other beauties from the Babylon, her agency is making quite a splash.” “What is the name of her agency?” “Do not laugh. It’s Harem Inc.” He chuckled, “I love it. She always had a sense of humor.” “How’s Morina?” “She is doing great. She has taken over as entertainment director after the previous one was arrested and our main show Tower of Babel is doing better than ever. She and a police sergeant named Billy Hopkins are seriously involved. Again, the work of my matchmaker fiancée.” Jamal went on. ”Hopkins was the Swat team member that went over to the tower with Campbell. Afterwards he asked her out. I was worried for a minute but she declined and later introduced him to Morina.” “Tell me about Carboni.” “A good man. He had a brief fling with Paige but it is over and he is devoted to Mallory. In fact he idolizes her.” “Yes, I thought he would be a good match.”

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“Tell me about the wedding.” “Are you sure you want this wedding to go forward?” “Why would I want to stop a wedding I helped set up?” “Because it is you cousin, who should be walking down the aisle with this extraordinary woman. Not the police Lieutenant who picks up your scraps.” Khalid turned around with intensity in his eyes. Jamal wondered if he would ever get used to the disfigurement Khalid had suffered on the left side of his face and neck from second and third degree burns in the accident. “Do not talk about the lieutenant in that manner. I will not have it. How many men have the fortitude to marry a woman who is carrying the child of another? And do not think for a moment that my heart does not ache for this woman, but look at me. She would cower before my hideous countenance. Even you have trouble looking at me, Jamal.” “Perhaps, but there are doctors who can fix you up like new. It seems you should let Mallory decide. After all she loves you, as you love her.” “No! True, I’m counting on the doctors to make me look presentable but as good as new? It is doubtful. Besides, you do not understand.” Drew paused as if to control his emotions. “It’s true that I absolutely adore Mallory, but I had four months of following her and learning all about her to fall in love with her. She had six hours of glorious sexual fulfillment with me. She confused sexual attraction and sexual bliss with love. It wouldn’t last. It’s not really love. There’s a chance it could grow into love, but it’s only a chance.” A pained sigh escaped from deep within Drew. He leaned on his desk and found the strength to continue. “My dear cousin, I’m a repulsive shell of what I was and she thinks I’m dead. “Then there’s the fact that you and my father both agree the best chance we have to catch the scourge of our blood; the psychopath that you call father, my mother’s brother, I must remain dead, totally under cover.” With newfound resolve Drew continued, “Moreover, after I catch or kill him, a larger more important task will be at hand. We must find and rescue the numerous young girls that he has sold into sexual purgatory.” “Does Campbell still want to work with me in this endeavor?” “Yes, after our wedding, the thing she talks most about is rescuing all these unfortunate women.” “Good. In the meantime, cousin, I will continue to sacrifice my love for Mallory. It is necessary to do this for her sake as well as to rededicate myself to my dual mission. Please continue to look after her and make sure the wedding goes forward.” 121

“As you wish Khalid. May Allah be with you.” THE END

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TuÉâà à{x Tâà{ÉÜ I write because I’m compelled to. Too many ideas are floating in my head and I have to expunge them on paper. In the two years I have been writing seriously I have written three published novels and three published short stories, with a half dozen in the works. When it comes to erotica, I only write straight sex, between two and sometime three partners. I have done f/f but I stay away from deviant sex. To me sex is a celebration of life and I treat it as such.