pointed.
Johnny was a massive woman, sitting at the end of the bar, alone. Tori looked at Sam, then bent closer.
“Stay here,” she whispered. “Don’t talk to anyone.”
Samantha nodded, watching only out of the corner of her eye as Tori walked away.
Tori took her drink and sat down next to Johnny. The woman finally looked at Tori, then away.
“Too butch. Not interested,” she said.
Tori rolled her eyes.
As if.
But she kept her voice low.
“I’m looking for Crystal.”
“The bitch is gone. Not one word, just gone.” Then the woman turned to Tori. “Why the hell do you want my Crystal?”
Tori discreetly pulled her badge out and flipped it at Johnny.
“What the hell?”
“I’m with Homicide. A woman was found murdered,” she said quietly. “She went by Crystal on the street.”
The woman stared at her for the longest time, then narrowed her eyes.
“Get the fuck out of my face.”
The large woman pushed away from the bar and walked off, chains dangling from around her waist.
“Great, Hunter,” she murmured. “That went well.” But, at least they had a name. They could bring her in for questioning. She looked around for Sam, her eyes widening. “Oh, shit,” she whispered.
“I’m with someone,” Samantha said, but the woman sat down anyway.
“Don’t see anyone,” the woman said. Then she reached out and captured Sam’s wrist, pulling Sam’s hand toward her. “I’m claiming you.”
“You’re…
what?
“ Sam tried to pull her hand away, but the woman wouldn’t release her. “Get your hands off me.”
“Dance.”
“No.”
“I said yes.”
Sam’s eyes widened.
Then Tori appeared, grasping the woman’s arm and squeezing hard.
“She’s mine,” Tori growled. “Don’t touch.”
“Hey, man,” the woman gasped, releasing her hold on Samantha. “The bitch was alone.”
“She’s not alone. She’s with me.”
Tori moved between them, shielding Sam. She felt Sam’s hands grasp her waist urgently.
“Then she shouldn’t have looked at me.”
“She’ll be punished, don’t worry.”
Samantha’s hands tightened their grip, listening. Finally, the other woman shrugged.
“You better keep her on a tighter leash,” she muttered as she walked away.
Tori turned, meeting Sam’s eyes. She leaned forward, close to Sam.
“You okay?”
“Yes. I don’t mind saying, I thought about pulling my weapon.”
She heard Tori chuckle, then finally relaxed her hold on her.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Sam said.
Back in the car, Sam leaned her head back and sighed. She had been frightened. The woman scared her, with her spiked hair and chains. She couldn’t imagine the type of people that frequented that bar on a regular basis.
“Did you get anything?” she finally asked.
“Yes.”
Tori pulled out her cell phone.
“Sergeant Reynolds? This is Hunter. I need you to send out a unit and pick someone up.” A pause. “Leather Girls,” she said. “A woman named Johnny. She’s inside. We need her for questioning. She’s a large woman, military haircut, wearing a leather jacket with chains around the waist.” Another pause. “Larger than that. It’ll be another couple hours before we get back.” Tori glanced at Sam and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know she’ll be pissed if we hold her that long. Let me worry about that.” She tossed her cell phone on the seat and started the engine.
“She knew Crystal?”
“Yes, but she wouldn’t talk. We’ll question her later.”
“Where to now?”
“Bed of Roses,” Tori said. “It’s a sex club.”
“Sex club? What does that mean?”
“It means that anonymous sex is acceptable. On the premises,” Tori clarified.
“Like a brothel? They have rooms and such?”
Tori grinned. “Not exactly. Just lots of nooks and crannies.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “In the bar?”
“Yes. It’ll be dark. Women go there for sex, that’s all.”
“You mean, they go
Johnny was a massive woman, sitting at the end of the bar, alone. Tori looked at Sam, then bent closer.
“Stay here,” she whispered. “Don’t talk to anyone.”
Samantha nodded, watching only out of the corner of her eye as Tori walked away.
Tori took her drink and sat down next to Johnny. The woman finally looked at Tori, then away.
“Too butch. Not interested,” she said.
Tori rolled her eyes.
As if.
But she kept her voice low.
“I’m looking for Crystal.”
“The bitch is gone. Not one word, just gone.” Then the woman turned to Tori. “Why the hell do you want my Crystal?”
Tori discreetly pulled her badge out and flipped it at Johnny.
“What the hell?”
“I’m with Homicide. A woman was found murdered,” she said quietly. “She went by Crystal on the street.”
The woman stared at her for the longest time, then narrowed her eyes.
“Get the fuck out of my face.”
The large woman pushed away from the bar and walked off, chains dangling from around her waist.
“Great, Hunter,” she murmured. “That went well.” But, at least they had a name. They could bring her in for questioning. She looked around for Sam, her eyes widening. “Oh, shit,” she whispered.
“I’m with someone,” Samantha said, but the woman sat down anyway.
“Don’t see anyone,” the woman said. Then she reached out and captured Sam’s wrist, pulling Sam’s hand toward her. “I’m claiming you.”
“You’re…
what?
“ Sam tried to pull her hand away, but the woman wouldn’t release her. “Get your hands off me.”
“Dance.”
“No.”
“I said yes.”
Sam’s eyes widened.
Then Tori appeared, grasping the woman’s arm and squeezing hard.
“She’s mine,” Tori growled. “Don’t touch.”
“Hey, man,” the woman gasped, releasing her hold on Samantha. “The bitch was alone.”
“She’s not alone. She’s with me.”
Tori moved between them, shielding Sam. She felt Sam’s hands grasp her waist urgently.
“Then she shouldn’t have looked at me.”
“She’ll be punished, don’t worry.”
Samantha’s hands tightened their grip, listening. Finally, the other woman shrugged.
“You better keep her on a tighter leash,” she muttered as she walked away.
Tori turned, meeting Sam’s eyes. She leaned forward, close to Sam.
“You okay?”
“Yes. I don’t mind saying, I thought about pulling my weapon.”
She heard Tori chuckle, then finally relaxed her hold on her.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Sam said.
Back in the car, Sam leaned her head back and sighed. She had been frightened. The woman scared her, with her spiked hair and chains. She couldn’t imagine the type of people that frequented that bar on a regular basis.
“Did you get anything?” she finally asked.
“Yes.”
Tori pulled out her cell phone.
“Sergeant Reynolds? This is Hunter. I need you to send out a unit and pick someone up.” A pause. “Leather Girls,” she said. “A woman named Johnny. She’s inside. We need her for questioning. She’s a large woman, military haircut, wearing a leather jacket with chains around the waist.” Another pause. “Larger than that. It’ll be another couple hours before we get back.” Tori glanced at Sam and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know she’ll be pissed if we hold her that long. Let me worry about that.” She tossed her cell phone on the seat and started the engine.
“She knew Crystal?”
“Yes, but she wouldn’t talk. We’ll question her later.”
“Where to now?”
“Bed of Roses,” Tori said. “It’s a sex club.”
“Sex club? What does that mean?”
“It means that anonymous sex is acceptable. On the premises,” Tori clarified.
“Like a brothel? They have rooms and such?”
Tori grinned. “Not exactly. Just lots of nooks and crannies.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “In the bar?”
“Yes. It’ll be dark. Women go there for sex, that’s all.”
“You mean, they go
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