local police.” She smiled. “Not Quinn, even though he was at the apartment. He seems to want to work alone. Now why would he want to do that? I think that we should find out.”
His gaze narrowed on her face. “You don’t like him.”
“He didn’t like me. He’s either gay or a very cold fish.”
Pierce chuckled. “He didn’t respond, and your nose is out of joint. You want to punish him. Poor Stella.”
“Shut up. I didn’t really try. I only brushed up against him.” She shrugged. “But that’s usually enough. He’s not normal.”
“I agree. But we’ve got to find out just what he is.” He grimaced. “And I have to call Nelda to help me do that. It won’t be pleasant.”
“But what comes afterward will be pleasant.” She opened the top three buttons of her uniform, took his hand, and rubbed it against her breasts. “I like pretending to be Nelda for you. I like the pain and the fierceness. I even like kneeling naked for you because I know it’s just a game and that I’m really the one in control. But if I was really Nelda, I’d be the one hurting you.”
“But you’re not Nelda.” His hand closed on the fullness of her breast, and he squeezed with all his strength. “You’re just a whore I use whenever it amuses me.” He watched her expression for pain or weakness.
She only smiled and leaned forward and ran her tongue over his lips. “Or do I use you? Who is really the whore, Harry?” She stood up and buttoned her uniform. “Ask Nelda, why don’t you?” She moved toward the door. “I’ll be waiting for you in the apartment. I’ll give you a particularly good time if you find a way to get her to take down that snooty Quinn.”
He watched the door close behind her. He was as hard as a rock just the way she’d wanted him to be. Why could she do this to him? He’d taken her because he’d wanted a woman who was the perfect sex toy, but her sexual dominance over him seemed to be getting stronger every day. Even at this moment, when the situation was getting tense, she’d made him forget everything but her for that brief moment.
Forget her. Take what he wanted as he usually did and go about his business. But those taunts about Nelda’s dominance had been particularly annoying when he knew that he was going to have to tell Nelda that he’d lied to her about Beth’s being found and brought back to the hospital.
Dammit, just get it over with.
He reached for his phone and punched in Nelda Avery’s number.
* * *
STUPID BASTARD.
Nelda hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair.
Keep calm. Smother the anger. She’d managed to maintain an icy control with Pierce, but it had been difficult. She’d let him make excuses and had assured him that she’d find about that troublesome police detective.
She hadn’t let him know the fury and disgust that was tearing through her. Nor that he had forced her to make a decision she hadn’t wanted to make.
“What’s wrong?” George had come into her bedroom from his own suite. “Who’s calling at this hour? It’s almost midnight.”
“Pierce.” She pushed back from her Louis XV desk. “He’s causing trouble. Nothing to bother you with. I’ll take care of it.”
“You don’t want to talk about it?” He shrugged. “I’m just as happy that you don’t. I’d rather stay out of your dealings with Pierce.”
“That’s the problem. I believe I’m going to have to stop dealing through Pierce and handle the matter myself.” She went to the closet and pulled out a Louis Vuitton suitcase. “I’m going out to the coast. I shouldn’t be more than a few days.”
He went still. “You’re going to the hospital?”
“Of course not. That would attract far too much attention. I just need to be nearby to be more effective.”
“My dear, you’re always effective.”
She glanced at him to see if he was being sarcastic, but he only looked very weary. “In this case, I have to be.” She added softly, “For Rick’s sake. There mustn’t be any publicity that might take away the focus on what a fine president he’ll be.” She opened the case, which she always efficiently kept packed except for a few items she had to throw in at the last minute. “I’ll keep you informed of developments. Tell everyone I went to a spa to relax after the whirl of town meetings in the