Free BITCH (A Romantic Suspense Novel) by Cay Calloway

at some point, are you hurting the work you're doing?"
    "It never hurt my work. I kept a near-perfect clear rate, and of those, conviction rates—well, they are what they are."
    "So, not as great as you wanted?"
    "That's not on my head," Erin growled, flicking a hair out of her face a little too sharply. "It's the District Attorney's job at that point."
    "That's sweet," Roy said. He looked up at the woman who had finally approached. "Could I get the Teriyaki Chicken, white rice?"
    Erin ordered just a bit of fried rice. She still wasn't very hungry, after all. 'Big breakfast,' she claimed.
    "I don't want to fight with you, Erin. I think we're close to making a break. If we're lucky, we can get whoever took your sister before he takes someone else." He leaned in close. "So I need you to stay away from that guy. That Hutchinson guy. I think he's dangerous, and I don't want to see you get hurt."
    "Okay," she said, electing not to mention that he'd been inside her earlier that day. "Done. Anything else?"

Fifteen
     
    Erin's breath caught in her chest. She hadn't left her door open. She reached for the pistol that should have been at her hip. Nothing. She closed her eyes a moment to run through her options.
    She had the pepperbox in her purse. That would be enough. She took it out of its holster and hefted it in her hand. Quickly practiced pulling it up into line, and then dropped it to the floor. Finger off the trigger. Safety off. Okay. She put her shoulder down and knocked the door open hard enough to hurt if someone was hiding behind it.
    The door knocked loudly into the wall as she sailed past, checking the inside corner before continuing. Nothing in the kitchen area. Nothing in the living area. Nothing in the dining area. The front room was empty. Which left the uncomfortable choice. Bathroom or bedroom? She'd have to walk right past the open door to one to get at the other.
    Too dangerous. Too dangerous by a long shot. Erin pressed her back against the wall, surveyed the room. Empty. It was time to pick. She turned back into the hall and shouldered open the door to the bedroom, brought the pistol up hard.
    "Honey, I'm home."
    Craig smiled at her from his seat at the head of the bed, his back pressed against the headboard.
    Erin cursed. "What are you doing here?"
    "I thought you wanted to see me," he said, mimicking a pout. "Are you saying that you don't want to spend time with me any more?"
    "I'm saying that you don't get to come into my apartment any time you damn well please."
    "But it was so fun."
    "Get out. You want to come see me, you tell me first."
    "Fine. Here, I thought I was doing you a favor here. Trying to teach you an important lesson about personal safety."
    He slipped off the bed as she told him to get out, slowly taking the walk across the room. He stepped closer to her until her back was pressed against the wall, their bodies pressed together.
    Erin could feel the gun pressed between them, as well. She wanted to pull the trigger. Wished that she had, more than ever. This was the guy who did it. She was sure. It was definitely the guy.
    "Where you been, out in a dress like this?"
    "It was laundry day," she answered. "Get out of my apartment."
    Erin's phone buzzed.
    "What's that?"
    "Nothing."
    "No," Craig laughed. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't nothing. You got someone texting you? One of your girlfriends, maybe?"
    "Maybe," she answered. "Get out of my apartment."
    Craig reached between them, forcing a gasp out of Erin's lips as he ran a hand up her thigh, grazing over her mound. Even through the fabric of her dress, she could feel the desire already mounting.
    His hand kept moving until it closed around the barrel of her pistol. She should have fought for it, but she didn't. Instead she let Craig take it. He stepped back a bit, turned his hand over.
    "Nice piece." He tossed it on the bed. "I just came by because I realized I hadn't tried your mouth yet."
    "I told you to get out."
    "But you're not going to make