CaughtInTheTrap (16 page)

He looked up at her. “What?”

Caught like a mouse in a trap, she pretended to stifle a yawn. “Sorry, I cut off my yawn.  Um, I don’t know what time you’re leaving in the morning, but I packed you some food.  It’s in the fridge in a brown bag.”

He nodded and took another sip of coffee. “So did you drill Shell about me?”

The melancholy she felt inside didn’t allow her a snappy comeback. “You have superpowers, Zach; I’m sure you heard our conversation.”

“Every single word including how I use women to relieve my sexual tension. Did you include yourself in that?”

An awkward ache balled in her stomach as he stared at her with different eyes. He appeared hurt.  It was no wonder he excelled at his job; his outside demeanor was frightening, but inwardly he did have emotions.  They were just buried deep.

She lowered her eyes to the floor and spotted a plump black ant crawling toward the refrigerator. He must have seen it too because his big boot squashed it before it reached its destination.

He wiped the remains of the ant off the floor with a paper towel and tossed it in the trash. Carla swallowed and shook her head. “I don’t think we should talk about that with Agent Shell here.”

“Maybe we should have talked about it long before now. From what I gathered from your rant with Shell is that you’re pissed we didn’t cuddle afterward.  I should have made you feel better and not used, Carla.  I’m sorry I didn’t.”

Whatever was between then was volatile and electrifying and it scared her.  Was he really sorry or being facetious? She had to back off and not get into a confrontation with him. If Agent Shell came into the kitchen, he’d be sure to see the tension and ask questions.  She rubbed the fatigue in her eyes.  “I’m going to bed. Have a safe trip, Agent Murphy.”

Zach gave her a curt nod along with a smug look. “You stay safe, Ms. Parker.”

Carla rushed to her room closing the door.  She stripped off her clothes throwing them in the closet. She threw on the short nightshirt that hung on the hook behind the door. The garment barely covered the top of her thighs and was perfect for sleeping in on a warm summer night.

Angry at Zach, she ripped the bedspread off the bed and yanked back the sheet. She turned off the light and flopped on the bed lying on her back to stare at the ceiling. Shoot! She pounded a balled fist into the mattress. “I forgot to give them the pillows and blankets.  Tough, they’ll have to make do without.”

Tossing and turning from the pools of sweat snaking around her neck, Carla sat up.  It was too hot in the bedroom to sleep.  The apartment was not equipped with central air and the windows were closed tight. The only fan she had was in the living room.  She fanned her face with her hand.  The air in the bedroom was stagnant.

I can’t take this!
Carla got on her knees and cracked the window open over her bed. She was on the fourth floor and it was impossible for anyone to scale the back of the apartment building without a cherry-picker ladder.

She let the breeze, albeit warm, bathe her face. “Ah, fresh air.”  Looking out over the parking lot she wondered if Yezhov’s goons were lurking around and how much were they getting paid to end her life? They didn’t know her or cared what her plans for the future were.

Carla’s eyes misted over listening to the kids who were out past curfew enjoying summer break. Their giggles cut through the silence and carried their voices over from surrounding streets.  She glanced at the moon.  It was bright and full and clear enough that the lunar highlands were easily visible.  It was Friday night and if she wasn’t under lock and key, she and Tonya would be out living it up.

At this hour, Tino’s would be packed, and she would be sipping on a piña colada or some other fruity drink while watching Tonya work her charm on every man in the room.  Both would be dressed to impress, but Tonya always stole the show.  It didn’t bother her that Tonya was popular with the men.  As her sidekick, she got in on the perks but didn’t have to fight off the belligerence of men since she was often lost in Tonya’s shadow.

Carla shoved away from the window and settled back in bed. Tears slid to the side of her face as she silently cursed Ty and Phil for destroying her life. She should’ve been suspicious when they asked her to rent the storage space.  They were both driving expensive cars and throwing money around like it grew on trees.  They should’ve been able to rent a facility on their own.  It was clear now why they hadn’t.  Her name was on the contract, and theirs wasn’t on it anywhere.  If the Feds found what was stored there, she’d be facing jail, and they would walk away, knowing she had nothing to do with their illegal activity.

A choking pressure built up in her throat, she wished she had answers why her cousins dumped such a criminal act on her. She would never think to do anything like that to them or anyone.  Especially if it meant someone could lose their life.

Zach sat in the chair with his arms folded behind his head hoping to catch a few winks.  Carla’s face appeared.  He opened his eyes and saw Rodney staring at him. “What?”

“Talk to me, Zach.  What’s going on between you and Ms. Parker?”

“Not a damn thing.”

“Are you sure?” Rodney asked with a raised brow.  “She didn’t have a lot of nice things to say about you when we talked in the kitchen.”

Stretching his long legs, Zach sat up in the chair. “Who does, Rodney?  My job isn’t to make people like me.”

“She’s not your enemy but a person in your protective custody.  You didn’t have to treat her like shit.”

He frowned. “Did she say that?”

Rodney paused and leaned back on the sofa. “Not in so many words. Look, I told you how black women are.  They can be combative if you push them the wrong way.”

Lack of sleep and stress was causing Zach to develop one of those behind-the-eyeball headaches. Rodney was fishing for information, and he wasn’t going to volunteer to tell him anything.  He massaged his temples. “You’ve spewed a lot of bullshit about black women that ain’t true, Rodney.”

“Oh, like what? You’ve been with her for three days, Zach that doesn’t make you an expert in that area. Man, I’ve been here a few hours and the tension between you two is off the chain. What happened?  She is pissed at you about something.”

Zach raised his voice to loud but not shouting. “Hell yeah, she’s pissed! She’s been shot at, snatched away from her family and stuck in the damn woods with me for three fucking days. She has a right to be pissed at anyone that comes near her wearing a badge.”

Rodney’s chuckle was haughty. “That’s a load of crap and you know it. I know how you operate, Zach.  Did you sleep with her hoping to pry information from her?”

Zach’s frown deepened. “Stop with the fucking questions before this ends badly, Rodney.”

“You don’t get it. That girl is scared, and you’re making it worse.”

Zach kept his stare cold. Just like Rodney knew him, he knew all of Rodney’s techniques too. He grasped the edge of the chair and leaned forward. “Yeah, I did make it worse. See they sent an uncaring motherfucker to hold a frightened woman’s hand. I don’t have that cheesy smile or alluring charm like you do to make women feel at ease. I’m a coldhearted bastard that people love to fucking hate.”

Rodney shook his head returning a cold stare of his own. “That’s why you’re good.  You’re lying to my face, and I’m tempted to believe it.”

“What you believe doesn’t matter to me. I haven’t done anything I need to regret.  I got her this far alive; the rest is up to you now,” Zach said closing his eyes to relax.

“It is up to me to keep her alive and I will offer her comfort if she needs it. She’s alone with no one to depend on but me. I’ll be her protector and her shoulder to lean on,” Rodney retorted.

A sharp shudder ripped down Zach’s spine. The thought of Rodney touching Carla in a romantic way, irked him.  When it came to women, Rodney was the worse.  He loved to wine and dine them, impressing his style upon them.  Once he got them in bed, it was over after that.  His bitterness toward all women affected his ability to see good women still existed.  He used women to ease the pain of his ex-wife leaving him, unlike Zach who used them just for sex.

“Then this conversation is getting us nowhere. I will say this, do not use Carla. She isn’t your enemy either.”

Rodney chuckled. “Man, your skin is not as thick as you want people to believe. You got feelings for the young sistah don’t you?”

Zach shook his head. “Man, please.  I’m saying she’s inexperienced when it comes to smooth older men like you.”

Crossing a leg over his knee, Rodney asked? “How do you know that?”

“Simple, she talked, and I listened,” he said with a smirk on his face.

Flipping his hand, Rodney turned on the television. “She’s the same age as my sister.  I don’t mess with women under the age of thirty-five.  The young ones get clingy and needy.”

Zach chuckled. “Yeah you go after the type that will beat your ass after they realize you’ve just used them.  I can’t wait for the day to come when you’re calling me for help.”

“Why the hell would I do that?”

“Because one day you’re going to fuck up and mess with a woman that is friends or related to another woman you’ve slept with.  They’ll want revenge and get together to form a mob and come after your ass.”

“I’m too slick for that,” Rodney laughed. “We move around a lot so the chances of me hooking up with the same woman twice, is slim. And I don’t leave any breadcrumbs for any female to come looking for me.  In a way, I’m just like you only I don’t limit my choices; I’ll do any woman, I don’t care what skin color she is.”

“Damn, your ex-wife turned you into a dog,” Zach said fighting off the fatigue setting in.

No longer kidding, Rodney frowned. “What are you, Zach? You ain’t celibate. You have no emotional attachment to the women you’re screwing. I don’t recall you calling them the next day to ask how they’re doing.  Hell, do you even provide any romance leading up to the act or any afterward? Don’t judge me if you can’t answer any of those questions honestly.”

Zach felt his blood heating.  He and Rodney ribbed each other, but now it was getting personal.  He saw the fan sitting in the corner of the room.  He got out of the chair and picked it up. “It’s hot in here; I’m gonna take the fan to Carla to use; unless, you have something to say about that?”

Rodney shrugged his shoulders. “Take it to her. I don’t have anything negative to say.”

Zach reached for the doorknob and pulled back his hand. Using the knuckle of his index finger he knocked. “Carla, are you asleep?”

“What do you want, Zach?”

He opened the door, and the moonlight drifting through the window outlined her body on the bed.  The way she was positioned on the bed reminded him of the many gory crime scenes he’d see in his ten-year career. Almost all the cases he worked involved crimes committed against women.  When they weren’t found by everyday citizens on walks in parks or desolate areas of the woods, they were found in their homes in bed.

The curtain above her bed danced with the hot breeze filtering into the room.  “Why is the window open?”

“I’m hot,” she said sarcastically.

“Here’s your fan.  Where is the plug?”

“Behind the bed. I’m not about to move now that I’m not sweating anymore.”

He knelt on the floor looking under the bed for the electrical outlet.  Plugging it in the blades of the fan whirled.  Carla released a sigh of relief. “You should be able to sleep now.”

She sat up on the bed tugging the nightshirt down. “You have me so confused. Are you actually being nice to me?”

He grinned. “Well, I like to keep ‘em guessing.”

Carla scooted to the edge of the bed.  He could barely see her in the darkness even though he was standing inches away from her.  He felt her hand take hold of his squeezing it gently.

“Sit down, please.”

He did as commanded, and his upper lip moistened a bit with sweat.  Zach swung his gaze to her; a smile in her sexy brown eyes was visible thanks to the bright moonlight.

She leaned her body against his arm and nuzzled at his neck, just below his ear. “You’re pretty amazing you know that?  I could never do what you do for a living.”

“My job isn’t for everyone. But, I have to admit you’ve impressed me, Carla.  Other than your bitching and calling me names, you’ve shown me how courageous you are.  I applaud you.”

She giggled lowly and traced a finger up his arm. “You like me don’t you?”

“What are you doing?” he asked suspiciously yet not moving away from her as she got closer to him.

Her lips gently worked the sensitive flesh of his neck, leaving behind a warm trail when they moved on.  He closed his eyes and relaxed completely. Her lips worked their way up to his ear.  His lower body started to respond to her delicate temptation.

Carla laughed as Zach responded with a low moan as she nipped gently at his ear lobe.

Zach took a deep breath; he had to put a stop to this.  He was becoming addicted to this pain in the ass.  They stared at each other and then her kiss, that started soft and sweet but quickly grew in intensity as she poured every emotion she harbored over the last several stress-filled days into it. Carla moaned against his mouth, and her hand came up to slip through his hair.

Zach reached around her and grabbed the curve of her hip, pulling her across his lap with a hungry moan. He deepened the kiss until he was breathing heavily from the intensity. Zach’s lips left hers and traveled down her chin, her neck, and above the low neckline of her shirt. His tongue came out to taste the skin between her breasts and then slipped upward, leaving a hot, wet trail from her breasts to her ear, where he nibbled gently on a tiny earlobe.

Carla gasped as his hand slid up her bare leg and rested between her soft thighs. He could feel her heat through the thin fabric of the silk panties. The crotch of his jeans had become uncomfortably tight, and Zach had to bite back a moan as her hand roamed under his t-shirt tweaking the nipple ring. He slipped an investigating finger under the rim of her underwear, feeling her moistness.  Carla unhooked his belt and lowered the zipper of his jeans reaching inside to fold her fingers around him.