Filed to story: The Mindf*ck Series Read Online Free
“Well, good, then you can-“
My phone beeps with an incoming call, and I groan, cutting her off mid-sentence.
“You need to let me go, don’t you?” she muses.
“Yes. Unfortunately. I’ll see you in about twenty though.”
“Be safe.”
I hang up and answer my call without looking to see who it is.
“Bennett.”
“I found a few things that could give us a lead. Where are you?” Hadley asks.
“Just left a few minutes ago. Take what you found to Donny. I’m going to crash for a couple of hours and get some sleep in an actual bed.”
“Your bed?” she asks, an edge to her tone.
“No. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Logan, we need to talk about something,” she says hesitantly.
“Which is?”
After several long seconds, she finally exhales a loud, frustrated breath. “Nothing. At least nothing for now. I’ll let you know if I find something.”
Weird.
“Right. So get with Donny on what you’ve found, and-“
“You seriously don’t want to look over this yourself?” she interrupts.
“Is it going to break the case? Will it lead us to him?”
“Well, no, but-“
“Then give it to Donny. I need sleep, Hadley. I’ll be back in as soon as my eyes aren’t trying to close on their own.”
A loud yawn sneaks out, as if cued, and she sighs harshly.
“Okay. See you later.”
Hanging up, I run the case over in my head and resist the urge to call Lana back just because I hate the idea of her being there alone with a single guy. A single guy who might be touching her because of their ‘workout.’ A single guy who is apparently trying to connect with her.
My grip tightens against the steering wheel.
I have to get ahold of this jealousy thing.
Chapter 5
To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.
-Confucius
LANA
I dodge a slow punch from Duke, smirking at how easy he’s taking it on me. He wants me to have some skillset in case things get out of hand. He walked in and demanded we spar so he can see what I need to work on.
He’s weak on his left side, constantly leaving himself open to attack. His form is sloppy, amateur boxing style at best. Most likely he was raised in a militant household where the father showed him a few techniques-archaic and outdated techniques.
In a real fight, I’d have him pinned and begging for mercy in under two minutes.
But I’m supposed to be a normal girl. I eat an excess of calories daily to stay a little soft, hiding the skill behind femininity so that I don’t tone up too much and cast a sheet of transparency over my fa?ade.
Duke is grinning when I throw a weak, pathetic little punch at his left. He easily bats it down, and I bite back the smirk I want to reveal. I love little secrets.
There’s a certain high you get from fooling the world into thinking you’re the lamb instead of the rabid wolf.
“Alright. Let’s train on the wall. Plemmons always chokes the women to the brink of unconsciousness. I’m going to show you how to break the hold, and you’re going to replicate it.”
I nod, following along as he wipes sweat off his brow. It’s good he’s not as apt at profiling as Logan. He’d notice I’m not sweating, meaning I’m in better physical shape than he is. You can’t fake sweat.
He stands against the wall and gestures for me.
“Hands on my throat.”
I do as instructed, overlapping my thumbs as I form a choking hold with my hands. It’s a terribly inefficient way to choke someone. A little bit of wire does the trick much better.
He grins down at me as I tighten my hold, and his arms dart up between mine, shoving them open in a blink. He spins me, and I let him, fighting really damn hard against my reflexes as he slams me against the wall. His hands go around my neck, and he arches an eyebrow as he squeezes just tight enough to piss me off.
“Do what I just did. Okay?” he asks, squeezing a hair tighter.
I feign imitation, acting as though I’m struggling to mirror his earlier movements, when I hear the door shut and something drop.
“What the fucking hell?” Logan’s voice has me grinning, but when I try to move, Duke holds me steady, gripping tighter to my neck.
“She needs to be prepared,” Duke says, tightening even more.
When breathing actually becomes difficult, my mind shuts down the little fuse that holds back my reflexes, and my hand shoots up between the stupid gap he’s left between our bodies.
A pained yelp leaves him as the heel of my palm connects with the soft tissue of his throat, and he falls backwards, choking on air as my senses slam back into me.
Ah, shit.
Logan smirks then recovers, banishing the reaction as Duke heaves for air. I don’t think I hit him hard enough to collapse his windpipe.
I hope.
“Sorry,” I say with forced contrition. “I panicked.”
Duke coughs and then a loud sound of an inhale resonates in my ears as he slowly stands. Thank goodness he’s breathing.
He rubs his throat, his cheeks flaming with a blushing hue.
“Good instincts,” he says, swallowing hard. “Just do that if he comes at you.”
Plemmons won’t leave that large space between our bodies. He’s an experienced choke-artist. Detective Duke is not. If you’re going to choke someone face to face, you give them zero room between your bodies.
But I obviously don’t point that out. A good, sane, non-stabby girl wouldn’t know that.
I move to Logan, wondering if he suspects anything, but he looks like he’s more amused than anything as he tugs me to his body, wrapping an arm possessively around my middle.
“You must be SSA Bennett,” I hear Duke say from close behind me, but I don’t turn around as Logan keeps me pressed to him.
With one arm still around my waist, Logan reaches over with his free hand, and I look over my shoulder as Duke shakes it.
Logan’s hand that’s on me slides down to my spandex-clad ass, and he rests it there, as though he’s proving a point. He’s cute when he’s jealous.
“I wasn’t aware homicide could spare someone to help watch after my girl,” Logan says, though I hear the edge he tries to hide.
A slow, calculated grin curves over Duke’s mouth.
“We’re taking the possible threat very seriously, SSA Bennett.”
“I’m sure it’d be a dream come true to get an arrest this high profile, especially in a field that is always overshadowed by the FBI, since we’re just down the road and all.”
Logan is taunting. Duke is arrogant. And I’m worried there’s about to be a sword fight in my living room. And not with actual swords.