Chapter 18: PredatrinThe knog on the door was loud and insistent.

  dy secured the before daring to open the door. “Y . . . yes?” Peeking through the crack she saw a very determined, very official-looking man standing impatiently outside, and an equally serious-looking woman waited behind him. “ I help you?”

  “Federal agents,” the man stated. “Special Agent Fosters.” He jerked his thumb at the figure behind him. “And this is Special Agent Abimbo.” His eyes widened in surprise at what he saw. “Uh, miss. We need you to open the door, please.”

  dy face glowed bright pie the cool air wafting in from outside. “It’s, um, not really a good time. . . .” She looked back at the room and down at herself and her blush deepened. From behind her came the sound of water running in the shower. “Please, officer, couldn’t this wait until m?”

  His eyes glittered, and a muscle in his jaw twitched. The man held out his badge. “I’m sorry miss,” he said, sounding anything but. “But I really must insist.”

  After gng at the badge, blinking fusedly at it, she relutly unhooked the and stepped babsp; The door swung open and the two officers strode into the room.

  Her long, slender legs shimmered in sheer white stogs as she skittishly flounced across the room. Flustered by the ued interruption, dy tottered unsteadily in four-inkle- stilettos, the impossibly thin heel atuating the smooth, lean curve of her calves. Thin white garters straiautly across her slim derriere as she carefully bent down to collect the insubstantial red gown tossed haphazardly across the pushed-together beds. She fumbled to slip into the garment as the man gazed with open admiration at this vision of youy. There was nothing i about the sheer merrywidow to which the garters attached, nor in its plunge front over which her bountiful breasts spilled. In the dim light of the room, her makeup glimmered beautifully, and her golden-hued skin drew a warm trast with her lingerie.

  She finally mao pull on the gown, though it did little to cover her. The yers of sheer fabric did little for her modesty; rather, it simply added to the seductive allure of those hidden pces. The halter gow her entire back open and one leg slid sensuously free of the high slit. The gown also did nothing to hide the fact that she wasn’t wearing any panties.

  dy nervously smoothed down her front with a lightly trembling hand. Her eyes glistened with barely-repressed tears and her lower lip trembled, much like a young child caught doing something naughty.

  The man who had spoken at the door stared openly at the space between her legs. “Miss--?”

  “dy,” she said, velvety pink lips parting in a timorous smile that disappeared almost immediately. Her face had an almost luminous sheen in the dimly--one could even say romantically--lit room. “Um, dy Belmy.” She nervously crossed her arms beh her breasts, uncrossed them, and finally tangled her fingers in the mesh fabric of the gown over her veiled muff.

  The man’s eyes swept the room as an amused smile danced along the female agent’s full lips. She held a tablet and was tapping in names—no doubt running a search. “The motel office has a Miss dy Belmy registered in room four, along with Wendy Jones. Mother and aunt?”

  dy chewed on the er of her lip. Brilliant green eyes ringed in smouldering hues shoh thick, improbably long shes. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken it. Oh, I k!”

  The man raised an eyebrow.

  “The boy at the ter. Tim. He was so cute and shy, and nice, and he offered to put me in this room instead and only charge me for the cheap room, and I didn’t want him to get in trouble but I didn’t think he would, and it’s just this oime, I promise, and . . . .”

  “Easy there, Miss Belmy. Please.” The shimmering dusting across her exposed ned breast drew his gaze. He licked his lips and something dark entered his eyes. “And your. . . aunt?”

  dy shook her head. Those long, dangling earrings fshed and danced beh the sweeping curtain of blonde hair.

  “Miss Belmy?”

  She nibbled on her lower lip for another moment before answering. “I’m not here with my aunt, okay?” Her voice sounded hoarse with petunt frustration and teary embarrassment. “I registered under her she’s not here.” She jerked her thumb towards the bathroom. “I’m with . . . him.”

  The evidence was clear to see. An open bottle of wine and the two half-finished gsses, one whose rim was ringed with pink lip-prints. Bed sheets half drawn back but slightly ruffled in the middle, as if someone had been ying there in waiting. An unopened lying in wait on the nightstand. A messy trail of men’s socks and boxers led into the toilet. Retly lit dles were scatted around the room, the naked fmes dang in the cold January air from outside. Sweet, floral perfume wafted from the nervously fidgeting girl standing half-naked befent Fosters, even as her nipples tightened and grew ere the cold air.

  The muscle in the man’s jaw jumped. He released an angry grunt. He looked aside to his partner, whed.

  “I’m sorry to have disturbed you, Miss,” the man said. He did not sound sorry. The way his eyes raked across her suggested he’d much prefer to disturb her some more.

  dy took a hesitant step babsp; “Is there some kind of problem?” she asked, clearly ed. “Is there any danger?”

  He grinned and shook his head. “Nothing you have to worry your pretty head about,” he said.

  “Really?” Her lips split in a hesitant smile. “That’s a relief.”

  The oke for the first time. Her face was beautiful though severe, and she offered a wide smile that fell very short of her eyes as she examined her target. “While we’re here. . . .” she suggested. By the tone of her voice she didn’t sound in any hurry to leave, whily intensified dy’s nervous blush. Her eyes kept slowly sliding over the tours of the young girl’s body before settling over the shadowy area between her pale thighs.

  Agent Fosters sighed. “Yeah, go on.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out an 8x10 photograph. He approached dy ahe image out for her to see. “We’re looking for this individual.”

  She carefully exami, absently chewing oip of her hair. “Is she dangerous?”

  The man's jaw ched. “Yes. Very.”

  “Oh my.” dy eyes were wide with fear. “I guess it's good then that you definitely look like you take care of yourself.”

  The door to the toilet cracked open. “Hey, dy!” called out a deep, baritone voibsp; “You in’ or what?”

  “Maybe we’ll just leave you to it,” the man said. His eyes seared across her a final time: lips, tits, pussy. He smiled, a predatrin. “Have fun.”

  Beh her striking makeup dy blushed a hot, fiery red.

  The man and woman stepped out of the room. The door locked behind them. dy leaned against the shut door, closed her eyes and released an exhausted sigh.

  When I opened my eyes, I steeled myself for what came .

  With deliberate, careful steps I crossed the room. I pulled out one of the cases K had stowed beh the bed. She’d left it unlocked . . . just in case. When I lifted the lid the ons inside shone dully in the faint light.

  The guled fortably in my grip. I slotted in the magazine and disehe safety and chambered the first round.

  I’d put up with a lot over the few days. I’d endured enough. Sometimes you y bad put up with the bullshit life throws your way. And sometimes, you tell fate to go fuck itself and take charge of your situation.

  K stepped from the bathroom, her firearm held low but ready. Without hesitation I levelled the gun at her.

  She raised one eyebrow inquisitively. “David?”

  “Care to expin, Agent K,” I asked, “why the feds were looking for you, not me?