Edge of the Heat 3 (15 page)

Craig hung up and called Dennis’ phone. “We’re not waiting 45 minutes for the cops. You got an exit back there?”

“Yep.”

“Ok, work on it. I’m going in the front right now.”

Craig hung up, dropped his phone in his pocket and the lanyard holding his ID and badge into his shirt, just in case. He didn’t need to be strangled with it. He looked over the white, wooden door and door frame leading to the basement apartment first, and then knocked. “FBI, we have a warrant for the arrest of Lionel Erwin. Open the door,” he called loudly.

He listened and when he didn’t hear anything he counted to 20. Then he pulled his gun from his holster and tried the knob. Locked. He pulled his weight back on his left foot and heaved one kick with his right just below the door knob. The frame splintered with a satisfactory splitting sound. Craig tried the door again and when it wouldn’t open he gave it another kick. It swung inward. He entered the room, weapon held out before him, index finger on the trigger guard.

The basement opened up into one large room, dimly-lit and full of computers. It looked like all the monitors were off, except for one. Craig only spared it a glance; he took in that the computer seemed to be running a sequence of commands. He hoped it wasn’t deleting files. Oh well if it was. He wouldn’t touch it until he cleared the entire apartment.

He checked all the spaces behind furniture and in the one closet. “Clear,” he yelled, not knowing if Dennis could hear him or not. He checked the bathroom in the back and went around the corner to find one bedroom with sliding glass door. He unlocked it for Dennis and cleared the closet. “Clear,” he said again and went back out to the main room.

He holstered his gun and sized up the one computer that was running. Dennis came in, weapon out. Craig nodded to the computer he was looking at and said, “We seem clear. Block both entrances while I check this out.”

“Rear blocked already, I’ll do front.”

On the monitor was a never-ending screen of file names. Craig pressed escape on the keyboard but got no response. He typed kill and stop but still nothing. He looked at the tower associated with this monitor and his finger moved toward the power button. He caressed it, thinking furiously, but didn’t press it.

When Dennis came back in Craig told him, “I think there’s a bolt-hole somewhere.”

Dennis nodded and retrieved his gun from his holster again. Craig did the same. They looked around. Craig zeroed in on the closet. He opened the door again and ripped out all the clothes and jackets hanging on the bar. He pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and examined the inside. “Got it, cover me” he told Dennis, who came right over.

Craig holstered his gun and, using his penknife, pried around the piece of wood fit snuggly into the 4 foot by 3 foot hole in the back wall of the closet. It wiggled, but wouldn’t come out.

“Lionel, let go of it! We know you’re in there,” he called.

He tried again with no success.

He did his weight shift trick again and kicked the board hard with the flat of his boot. The board bent slightly and splintered just a bit, but ended up about 2 inches farther in than it began. A strangled cry rose from behind it.

“Lionel, just come out, Craig said quietly.

The board pulsed outwards and dropped to the floor. A too-thin
boy
squatted apologetically behind it, cradling his hands to his middle.

Craig sized him up, hope and excitement flaring in his belly. This was Lionel for sure, this version in front of him matched the version on his driver’s license picture, but he sure didn’t look old enough to drink legally. Craig could tell though, Lionel didn’t have any fight left in him, and digital-genius, was the key to so many things. Norman, Oberlin, and clearing Hawk’s name, if Craig could play him just right.

“Lionel, step out here, and let’s talk.”

M
id-morning sun streamed through the window, playing with the shadows in the bedroom. Vivian woke to a strange noise somewhere. She rolled over, but Hawk was no longer in her bed.

The noise that woke her came again. Whistling. She pulled some clothes on and padded silently down the hall finding Hawk in the kitchen. His back was to her. Bacon and eggs sizzled in a pan on the stove. He was whistling and even dancing a little to the tune in his head.

Vivian watched him, feeling surreal. She’d never heard him whistle, never really seen him look happy. He looked happy this morning. Lighter somehow. She peeked around the corner, feeling shy and guilty at the same time, but wanting to place the song he was whistling before he noticed her.

“Don’t worry,” he sang.

She almost laughed. It was
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
. If that wasn’t out of character she didn’t know what was. She quickly turned and ran back to the bedroom, thinking she’d go out again and make a lot more noise this time. She did her business in the little bathroom and when she came back out he was waiting for her just inside the door, a tray of food in his hands.

“Hi,” he grinned.

“Hi yourself,” she grinned back, relief and love filling her chest. “Oooh, am I about to get breakfast in bed?” She flopped on the bed in anticipation.

He laughed. “Yes beautiful, I hope you like it.” He sat the tray down in front of her. Bacon, eggs, toast, orange juice and a single red rose in a tiny vase.

“Thank you.” She took a bite of bacon and asked “Where did you get the rose?”

“I’ve already been out this morning. In fact, that’s not all I picked up.” He tossed something small and gray onto the bed next to her.

She picked it up and started to giggle when she realized what it was. “Ahhh, no wonder you got up and went shopping so early. You men, that’s all you can think about.” She bounced the condom wrapper in her hand and grinned at him.

He raised one eyebrow at her as if to say,
I don’t think I’m the only one thinking about it.
She giggled again, caught in her own dirty thoughts.

“I’ll be right back.” He ran out the door and returned a moment later with his own food on a plate. He sat on the chair next to her and shoveled in three times as much food as he had brought her, still finishing before her. She marveled at his metabolism.

Vivian was just finishing the last of her orange juice when her cell phone buzzed on the nightstand.

“Ooooh, it’s my mom!” She slid the screen to the right and got up to pace the room and down the hallway like she liked to do when she talked on the phone. “Hi Mom!”

Hawk looked up nervously at the mention of Mom and quickly gathered the dishes to take to the sink. Then he disappeared into the computer room, wanting to see if there had been any news from Craig. He had sent his notes to Craig regarding the hacker and he knew Craig had attempted to pull an emergency warrant, wanting to move as fast as possible.

Vivian talked to her mom for an hour, and at the end of the conversation asked if she could talk to her dad, wanting a favor. Her dad said he would do what he could and Vivian hung up after telling them both she loved them. She sighed. Her adoptive parents were great and she knew she was lucky to have them. She couldn’t wait for them to meet Emma. And now Hawk. Her boyfriend? Was he her boyfriend? She shook her head, smiling to herself. She’d ask him later. Right now she could hear him click clacking away on his computer and she didn’t want to disturb him until she was ... ready.

She took a shower, allowing her mind to wander as she relaxed under the hot spray. She hoped he wasn’t planning on making her wait till this evening to use the condoms he had bought. Condoms, plural. At least she hoped he had bought more than one. She laughed and bet herself $100 that he did.

When she got out of the shower she took some extra time, setting her hair to dry in soft ringlets, lotioning her entire body in sweet smelling lotion, and putting on some light makeup. She explored her closet, knowing she didn’t have the kind of clothes she wanted here. All she had was shorts and t-shirts and light summer skirts. No lingerie. Nothing sexy at all, really. She settled finally on a long, flowy, skirt she knew needed a slip, but she wore it without a slip
or
underwear, plus a lacy tank top with no bra.

She stood in the mirror, looking at herself, trying to decide if she was being foolish or not.
No underwear? Really Vivian?

Really
, she decided. She felt sexy and free, and she was determined not to ruin it by second-guessing herself. She went out to read on the couch and wait for a good moment to interrupt him, thinking about her seductive secret.

Her phone rang again. She checked the caller ID. “Hi Dad,” she said softly, pacing the hall again. He had gotten what she wanted.

“Thank you so much Dad.” She hung up the phone, checked her hair, and went in to see Hawk.

She stood at the door, waiting for him to look up. When he did, smiling, she went to him, threw one leg over his lap, and sat down straddling him, the long skirt flowing around her legs.

“Guess what.”

He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on her chin. “What?”

Vivian gave him a carnal smile. “I secured an invite for me and a date to the campaign fundraiser at Senator Oberlin’s mansion tomorrow night.”

“You’re kidding! How did you do that?”

“I asked daddy to make a large contribution to his campaign to get me an invite.”

“And he did that for you? Just like that?”

“Of course, my daddy loves me. I’m his princess.” Vivian said with a fake pout she quickly replaced with a real smile. “No really, he didn’t mind. I told him it was important.”

“Did you tell him why it was important?”

Vivian’s smile slipped. “Not yet.”

Hawk thought for a second. “So are you planning on going? I shouldn’t be seen in Westwood Harbor but you could take Craig.”

Vivian leaned forward and pressed her body against Hawk’s, and nuzzled his ear. His stubble was thicker this morning, sexy as hell, but rough on her cheek. “I thought Emma could go
as
me. No reason for me to go at all.”

Hawk nodded. “That might work, have you asked her?”

“Not yet. She’s at work. I have a message in to her to call me. Besides, I have plans tomorrow night.”

“You do?” Hawk raised that eyebrow again, making all the planes of his face hard and angular. Vivian felt a sudden urge to lick his jawline like an ice cream cone.

“Yep, big plans.” She tapped the side of her face like she was thinking. “How many condoms did you buy?”

A grin spread across Hawk’s face. “200”

Vivian threw her head back and laughed.
He bought 200 condoms!
“Well, I guess I know exactly what I’ll be doing tomorrow night.”

Hawk palmed her waist and gave her an appraising look. “Yeah, that might keep us through the week.”

She laughed again, gently grinding her hips into his lap, but being very careful with her most delicate skin that was completely unprotected against his rough jeans. “You talk big. But do you walk big?” she teased him, hoping to pull him away from the computer.

“I don’t know. It’s been so long, I may have forgotten how,” he breathed softly into her ear, then began to trail kisses down her collarbone.

Vivian felt excitement flare through her, and she also felt Hawk’s excitement straining against her through his jeans.
I guess I’m going to be able to pull him away from the computer after all,
she thought, and then she gave herself to him. Mentally, she made the switch from being her own person, to being his woman. Somehow he must have felt it, because his kisses on her chest became rougher, like he knew she liked it. His stubble scratched her deliciously and she heard soft noises of approval escape her throat.

His kisses trailed back up to her face and his lips caught hers, demanding, seeking. She gave him everything she had to give, kissing him with fervor and intensity. Their tongues meeting, exploring, learning each fold and channel.

His hands slipped down her waist to her thighs, then under her skirt, finding only bare skin. His fingers faltered for a second at the discovery, then found their confidence and explored fully. One of his thumbs, or a finger, she couldn’t tell what, skimmed over that bundle of precious nerves at the top of her sex, sending sweet thrills of pleasure through her body. Her mouth went slack and she moaned into his mouth. “Yes Hawk, oh yes. Please,” she asked, she begged.
Please more, please everything, please just keep doing what you are doing and keep being you
.

“Lift up for a second hon,” he told her softly. She planted her feet on the ground and did as he asked, her mouth exploring his again, her eyes closed, waiting for the moment when she could connect with his core again. She heard his hand touch the table briefly, then both hands disposed of his belt buckle and his pants quickly. His strong hands came around her waist again and pulled her back to him. She came down to bare flesh, hot enough to burn her but cool enough to sooth the burn. She straddled him, feeling the length of his hard, hot cock beneath her, sitting flat against him. He was pushed back in the office chair so that he was more laying down than sitting up, which gave her this delicious angle, but still held his head up high enough to meet her easily. She knew the chair was strong, she just hoped it was strong enough for what was about to happen.

He must have read her thoughts because he suddenly kicked out of his pants and picked her up, holding her under her thighs. She wrapped her legs around him so their middles stayed joined together. “Bed or couch?” he asked in a low, throaty growl.

“Couch.” It was closer, but really it didn’t matter where they ended up, if she had her way they would do it on every flat surface of her cozy cabin before they left. He walked her to the couch and laid her down gently. She lost contact with him briefly and cried out as the cold air replaced the hot pulsing skin. He dropped on top of her and pressed himself to her again. Her flesh cried out in joy at the reunion.

He kissed her and kissed her until she felt crazy with desire. She reached a hand down and found him, hot, hard, and ready for her. She tried to guide him to her but he told her, “Hold on hon.”