Free Midnight Sex Shop by T. A. Grey

even wanted to be mad at him for leaving, but she
couldn't. Especially not when he left a dozen red roses next to her and note
that said: Can't wait, Cade.
    She swiftly pocketed the
note in her jeans and went to find Carlos. Her video tape should be ready
today.
    She passed Sara in the hall.
Today she wore an outfit that reminded her of the Hooter's waitresses. Short
athletic-looking daisy dukes and a tight white tank top thrown together with
some white socks and tennis shoes.
    "How does it feel to know
you’re used goods?" she sneered when she tried to pass her. Lina froze in
her tracks and laughed, then kept right on going.
    "How does it feel to be used goods, Sara?" Lina didn't turn to see her reaction and instead
climbed down the stairs to the control room.
    Carlos didn't say a word
when she entered, just lifted a VHS tape, and waved it at her.
    "You got everything I
needed?" He nodded and she barely restrained from rolling her eyes.
"Well unless you want me watching this in here with you, you better tell
me a place I can go."
    He flexed his jaw as if
making him talk was pissing him off. "There's a security office in the
back."
    She rolled her eyes. "And
where might that be, Carlos?"
    He shrugged and her great
patience was finally at its end.
    "Listen, I fucking get
it. I do. You don't like cops. You think you're the first asshole I've met who
doesn't? Well you're not. I'm used to this shit dammit, but a girl or boy may
be in trouble. We get missing kids all the time in the city most whom are never
discovered, and there might be a client here using some for pornography. So why
don't you take the stick out of your ass and open your damn mouth."
    Carlos stared at her with
wide eyes. Then finally, he sighed in defeat. "Yeah, you're right. Down
the hall, door on the left. It should say 'security.' But I still don't like
cops."
    "And I still don't like
you," she said and closed the door. She found the room exactly where he
said. She popped the movie in and took out her notebook, ready to do some
traditional investigating.
    What she saw had a nasty
feeling sitting in her gut. She rewound the tape
then played the scene. Again. Again.
    The bouncer's story was
right. He had escorted a client on that night to his car. But what he probably
didn't know was that Sara came out right after him and had a few words with the
client. The client was also the same nervous man she'd met before, Mr. Darrel
Krentsky. Shit. She should have seen it coming.
    She ran down the hall until
she found Sara who didn't look happy to see her.
    "Listen, whatever it is
between us has to stop. I need to know everything about your client. Mr. Krentsky."
    Sara's eyes widened. "What
for?"
    "Can't say that, but I
need your file and all the information you have on him now."
    Sara nodded quickly.
"Come on, it's in my office." Lina followed her and already was
feeling guilty for her earlier comment. She started to apologize, but Sara went
to a filing cabinet and pulled open a drawer. "Have a seat, I'll dig it
out. Darrel Krentsky, you said?"
    Lina pulled open her notepad
to check the name. “Yeah, Mr. Krentsky.” She never saw the blow coming. But she
sure felt it. Pain exploded in her head, her eyes rolled into the back of her
head, and she slumped to the floor.
    "Fucking bitch,"
was the last thing she heard before her eyes closed.
     

Chapter
12
     
    Lina opened her eyes on a heartfelt groan. Her head felt like
someone had hit her with a bat. Which, she thought grudgingly, was a very real
possibility.
    The light was too bright as
if someone had a floodlight pointed at her face. She squinted, her eyes watering
and head throbbing in the back where she'd been hit.
    She took stock of her
situation and her body. She was tied to a chair with her arms around the back.
She moved her arms, testing the ropes. Not bad, but if she could just tuck her
thumbs into her hand then she might be able to wiggle...
    "Oh, good, you're
awake."
    Lina knew that voice and
hated it with a