Witness Protection (The Witness Series) (4 page)

“Don’t knock it till you try it.”

“Won’t be happening.”

“You are giving me a challenge
every time
you open those pretty red lips, if you don’t shut them, I am going to slide my dick in there and shut them for you.”

I gape. “Does that really work on people?”

His gaze grows hungrier. “I have two women here, don’t I?”

“Then you don’t need my pretty red mouth.”

“We will see about that.”

“Dream on cop.”

“You aren’t bothering her, are you Ryder?”

Nate’s voice comes from over my shoulder and I am about to turn when he stands up behind me. I can feel his chest pressing against my back.

“Not at all.
I was just having a
nice
chat.”

I shift out from between them and walk back into the lounge, trying hard to control the thumping between my legs, well who knew it would affect me like that?
Geez.
We sit and we drink until we are all laughing stupidly. When Ryder takes Nicole
AND Stacey
off to his room, I can’t help the little sting that stabs into my chest.

I walk into my room
and flop into bed, trying to ignore the moaning and hissing I hear coming from the other room.
The thumping, the slapping of skin and the feral cries of pleasured women.
When it
quietens
down, I figure it is safe to get a glass of water. Sneaking out, I tip toe down the hall. I am passing Ryder’s room and realize the door is open, figuring he went out I keep walking. I halt when I realize he
in fact
hasn’t gone out.

I peer in and see a woman strung up on the
bed,
she looks as though she is doing star jumps. I am not sure from this distance which woman it is, but she is moaning and writhing as Ryder slaps her with a riding crop. I scr
eam, it wasn’t meant to come out but seeing a woman strung up like that, dug out my inner most fears and caused a tremble to rack my body. I turn and run.

“
ARI!”

I hear Nate’s voice, where did he come from? Oh
God
, was he in that room too? Jesus. I ignore his knocking but he just keeps on pounding.

“ARI!”

I swing the door open and glare at the two men standing at my door. Ryder is panting and has only a towel around his hips, Nate is full
y
clothed.
That is a good thing, right?

“Get away from me!”

“I told you what I was doing in there
.
” Ryder growls.

“I…I…you tied her up, she was helpless.”

“She has a safe word.”

I grip my head and rock
slightly,
Nate clicks and sits beside me.

“Oh, Ari, sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Ryder snarls.

“Think about it bud, she saw that girl tied up and helpless.”

“STOP!”
I cry.

Ryder sighs and walks in further. “Those girls can stop at
any
time
,
they only need to say one word and I will stop.”

“Nate,
are you into this…
Dom
stuff too?” I whisper.

Nate meets
Ryder’s
gaze and then turns back to me. “I don’t fuck women.”

“You want me to believe you are a virgin? I don’t think so
Nate,
I saw how well you bonded with those girls.”

“Those girls…were here for Ryder
only
.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I am gay Ari.” Nate says and I gape.

“Bullshit, you scream sex.”

“Nope
I’m
gay, gay as they come.”

“No, what?
So, you don’t do women?” I ask Nate.

“Nah
.”

“And
Ryder likes to be a cruel bully?
”

Ryder growls again. “
It’s
called BDSM and it is a sexual taste!”

“
The women love it, they sub
mit to him and he takes control,
”
Nate says. “You don’t need to keep worrying about it Ari, they want it.”

“Well no wonder you’re single. Jesus. Did your mother drop you on your head or something?”

Ryder stands and snarls a curse at me. “Back off.”

“Well excuse me, but you are
meant
to be a cop and here you are tying women and beating them with sticks.”

“It was a crop and she fucking wanted it.”

“Oh really?
She likes being
hurt
?”

“Go ahead and ask her, better yet stick your fingers in her pussy and see how wet she is. She wants me to fuck
her,
she wants her friend to watch.”

I gape. “You pig!”

“You are a
naive
little shit, don’t get on your high horse with me and start judging.”

“Enough you two!”
Nate yells.

“I don’t need this, I want a transfer.”
I demand.

Ryder laughs. “Y
ou can’t do shit. A sexual enjoyment has nothing to do with us protecting you.”

“Alright, just take a step back. Ari, those women do
in fact
like what Ryder is doing to them. He doesn’t force them or hurt them in anyway, what he is doing, they want. I wouldn’t let it go on if he hurt them.”

“Whatever.” I snap.

“Listen, we will tone it down while you are here but it is his room and his business, and this is his house.”

“Fine, ok, fine.”
I snap, throwing my hands up.

“He doesn’t often have two women…”

“It’s wrong.”

“It’s not fucking wrong, how is it wrong?” Ryder growls.

“Excuse me GI Joe but I just walked
in on you spanking Barbie, while she was tied to your bed. How is that not wrong?”

Nate snorts a laugh and Ryder glares furiously at me.

“Just because you have no sex life, doesn’t mean you can pick and prod at others.”

I gape. “That’s unfair, you know nothing about me.”

“And you know nothing about me!” He snarls and walks out.

Nate sighs
and rubs his head.

“Nate, I didn’t mean to walk in…”

“Look you are staying here and it’s not a bad idea for you to know what we like.
Ryder is complicated and very
sexual,
it is just something you have to learn to deal with.
”
He says, staring at his legs. Oh my, he cares for Ryder.
How did I not see this?

“You care for Ryder, don’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Have you been in love with a woman?”

“I have cared for women but no, I haven’t really been with or loved women
.”

“I understand
. I don’t think
it’s
bad that you prefer men, everyone is different. I am sad that someone so gorgeous has to be gay.”

He smiles and nudges me with his shoulder. “If I was straight, I would totally go for you.”

“Now you are just being nice.”

“Always.”

“I don’t really agree with what Ryder is doing, but I won’t bother him about it. It is his life, you are right about that.”

“W
ell it is out there now.”

“Sorry to ruin your night.”

“I am kind of
glad,
I hope he hits that girl real hard with that crop
.”
He grins, with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

I giggle.
“Ditto.”

Nate hugs me and then stands to leave.

“Goodnight Nate.” I whisper as he turns
to walk out.

“Night Ari.”

CHAPTER 2

Stupid stupid girl, she should have stayed in her car. Now, she has to die.
Pity
really, it will take me right off my course. Stu
ffed it all up she did.
She should have kept her mouth shut, should have just left and been quiet,
then
she might have lived. No, she goes and rats it out to the cops. Now everyone is scared, no one will let their teens out.
She is making my job very, very hard.

She will get what’s coming
though,
I will make a nice little effort for her. Might even drag it out a bit
longer,
let her really feel the effects of it. Listening to her scream will be a pleasure, oh yes, a pleasure. She will beg for
release
, I might even let her believe she has it, then, I will slice her throat inch by inch. I will fuck her fist though, starve her, beat her then I will kill her. Silly little Maya, she should have kept her mouth shut.

“Mother, I want to go out.”

I swing my eyes towards my next victim, little Vicky Elanor. Bad little girl she is, yelling at her mother all the time. They don’t even notice me, sitting in the booth beside them sipping my coffee. No one notices me, and that is just how I like it. Standing out is a bad thing, looking like everyone else is a good thing. I am down with all the rage in
Manhattan
right now. Jeans, shirts,
girls
sunnies. Why do men wear
girls
sunnies? These were made for women, big and bug eyed but no men had to take over and become far too feminine. All the same though, it keeps the suspicion away.

“I said no,” Vicky’s mother snaps. “Not while there is a killer on the loose.”

“Mother, it is just to
Jennifer’s
house.”

“No is no, end of story.”

“I hate you!”

I watch pretty Vicky stand and storm out, her mother rushes quickly behind her. Run mommy, get your baby and hide her away but it won’t work.
No, it won’t work.
Your little Vicky is going to sneak out, and it will be the last bad thing she ever does.

* * * * * *

“What, are you serious?” My little sister Sandy cries down the earpiece. It is the first time I have spoken to her
since I came
here
,
I finally got a phone I am allowed to use.

“Yes, I caught him
.” I whisper.

“So one is gay
and the other str
aight?
”

“
Pretty much
.”

“
Wow.”

“I know
.”

“So the straight one likes to whip and tie up women?”

“
Apparently
.”

“Weird!”

“Ryder being all dominant is just weird
.”
I mutter.

“Well I hope he ties you up.”

“Stop it!” I laugh.

“It is kind of sexy, right?”

“Kind of, you know me though, I am not weak.”

“I don’t think you have to be weak,
it’s
just a taste.”

“Sandy, stop educating your sister on sex!” I laugh.

She giggles. “I can’t help it, I read books.”

“
I bet, look I have to go, I love you sis.”

“Love you, BEHAVE!”

I peer out the bedroom
doo
r,
it is quiet and early thank
God
. I walk out and into the kitchen. Pasta and pizza boxes lay everywhere and empty beer bottles are strewn about.
Men.
I sigh and begin cleaning up, figuring I had better pull my weight. I hear Ryder’s room come to life again, when a woman moans deeply and he
groans along with her. That’s just sick. I pull out my
iPod
and shove in my head phones to drown out the noise.

I am in the middle of cleaning, singing and wiggling my bottom around in some serious sexy back style
when I
turn and face two men, and two women, all staring at me with amused expressions. Well hell. The women are dressed in next to nothing, looking all tall and glorious. I suddenly feel like a hobbit. I pull out my earphones and stare at the gaping faces.

“What?”

“
You look hot dancing around like that.” Nate grins, walking over and tucking his arm around my shoulder.

“I was cleaning.”

“Might be useful after all.”
Ryder say
s, wrapping an arm around blonde number three hundred and fifty two
.
There is another blonde beside him, who
knows
what number she is.