A sound, soft, barely audible from the sitting room.
What the hell?
His gun in the nightstand. He had his hand on the cool metal when he heard another sound, closer, near the window.
Imagination?
Better be sure …
He moved toward the window.
* * *
“THE SON OF A BITCH is holding me up for eight hundred thousand.” Pierce told Stella as he hung up the phone. “He doesn’t give a damn what kind of trouble we could both be in.”
“With Nelda?”
“Not only with Nelda.”
Stella’s eyes narrowed. “But it’s Nelda who is pushing you. Why did you suddenly decide you had to send Gelber out of the way?”
“It wasn’t suddenly. I always knew that he could be a problem. So did Nelda. But the problem didn’t raise its head until Beth took off. Now Nelda wants every loose end tied up, and she’s pressuring me. The bitch won’t accept anything less.”
“And Gelber won’t cooperate without a fat bribe.”
“He thinks he’ll come out of this smelling like a rose.”
“Is that possible?”
“Yes, if he decides to hand my head on a platter to the district attorney. He could make a deal.”
“Then wouldn’t it be safer just to give him the money?”
“Easy for you to say,” he said harshly. “It’s not your money.”
“No, and I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. You need to give me a bigger allowance. You don’t like me to wear the uniform when we’re alone, but how can I afford to buy anything decent on the money you give me?”
“I don’t want you to be decent. That’s the last thing in the world I intend for you.” His gaze wandered over Stella as she sat with one naked leg over the arm of the black velvet easy chair. She was dressed in a gold silk robe that hugged her body and almost fully revealed the swelling of her breasts. Her red hair shone against the shimmering material, and she was totally and temptingly arousing. “But I like that gold thing you’re wearing. Wear it tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I’m taking you with me when I meet Gelber at the motel tomorrow morning. In fact, I think we’ll check into the motel before he gets there so that you can be ready for him. He thinks you’re hot. He wants to screw you.”
“Of course he does.” She smiled as she pulled the robe down to totally bare her breasts. “Isn’t he a man? But I thought you were mad at him. You want to give him a present?”
“Hell no, but I don’t want to be robbed by the bastard either. There’s a chance that I can bargain with him. I’ll bring two cashier’s checks for $400,000 each. I’ll see if I can trade one of those checks for a few months with you and your promise to do any service he asks of you.” His lips tightened. “And you’d better get him so hot that he can’t think of doing anything else but screwing you. You can do it. You can drive him crazy.”
“But only if I want to do it.” She got to her feet and stretched like a cat. “Beg me.”
“I don’t have to beg you. You belong to me.”
She took off the gold robe and dropped it on the floor. “Only when I choose. Haven’t you found that out yet? I’m becoming stronger and stronger every time we do it and you’re becoming weaker. You have more stamina than most men, or I would have left you before this.” She tilted her head. “A few months is a long time to be another man’s whore. Gelber isn’t you. I could drive him crazy. He doesn’t realize that I could break him in a few weeks.” She moved toward him. “Do you want me to do that?”
“Maybe.” His mouth was dry, and his heart was beating painfully hard. She was all silken naked sexuality and every step she took toward him was giving him an electric, tingling jolt of pure lust. “I’ll let you know.”
“You do that.” She slid onto his lap and wrapped her naked legs around his hips. “I think you’ll tell me to do it.” She rubbed her breasts against him as she made the adjustment. “Because you couldn’t do without me for more than a week or two, could you?”
“Of course I could, you arrogant bitch. You’re not—” His head went back, and he gasped as she started moving.
“Beg me,” she whispered. “I want you to beg me, Pierce. Like I’m going to