To Hell... and Back

"More..." she begged me.

I let go of her nipple and she uttered a sigh of disappointment. I licked down her flat tummy to her weeping pussy, replacing my fingers with my tongue. Her fingers ran through my hair as I ate her out. She was mumbling something I couldn't understand. Neither of us seemed to have any inhibitions.

She raised her knees higher, exposing more of herself, including her cute little rosette. I wanted it like I wanted the rest of her. My tongue flicked over it ever so lightly. Her tight butt cheeks clenched.

"Ohhhhh. You are nasty Max."

She was so sexy when she said it.

I pulled her cheeks apart so I could rim her asshole. I dragged my tongue up her slit to her clitoris, and then sucked hard on that little nub of skin, pulling it out of its protective sheath. Her thighs were trembling against my face. It felt fucking fantastic for both of us.

"Max... Max... Max," she called out to me. Her throaty voice made me purr. I smeared my face in her wetness. I tasted her. I smelled her. I wanted her.

"Please... please... please..." she begged again. The public Heather was brash and sassy. In bed she was a needy bitch. The Oxy unleashed her inner slut.

I rubbed my finger against her asshole. She wiggled her pretty bum against it. The rosette winked hard and fast. She was on a rocket ship to someplace far away.

"Ummm... that's the naughty Max I want."

I started finger fucking her ass.

"Yes... that's what I want..." she said in a higher pitched voice.

Her hips snapped up and her body tightened. She stopped breathing.

I was making her cum and it was the best feeling in the world.

* * *

My phone buzzed. I pushed away an empty bottle on the nightstand and felt for my phone in the dark. It dropped onto the floor and I cursed. I fell out of bed naked and picked it up. The screen lit up.

"V. Singh."

Fuck... Lehka's father... Veehan Singh. He'd never called me before. I just stored his number in case of an emergency.

"Who is it?" asked a groggy Heather, pulling the sheet over her head.

I decided she didn't need to know. "I've got to take this." I went for the bathroom but kicked an empty vodka bottle on the way. It rattled against the trash can.

"Fuck!"

It hurt.

I stumbled into the bathroom and sat on the toilet. I pushed the door shut with my good foot.

I answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" I asked, panting, with my toes throbbing.

"Max?" It was certainly Veehan. Almost all of my conversations with the Singh household were with Eshana. She was the unquestioned ruler of the roost. I had no idea why Veehan would be calling me in the middle of the night.

"Yes... Veehan."

"I'm in a spot of trouble," he told me. I looked at my phone.

"It's 3 a.m."

"Sorry, sorry. I just haven't been able to sleep and I couldn't stand the... "

"What trouble?" I was half asleep. Please just fucking spit it out.

"I owe money... ". He paused, as if he couldn't choke out the rest.

"Everyone owes money," I said, trying to reassure him about whatever made him call me while I was sound asleep after a sensational night of fucking.

"To a loan shark."

That got my attention. Why in the devil would he be doing business with a loan shark?

"How much?"

"$150,000."

Fuck. Major league money. He was in deep. A gambling problem was my first thought.

"So how can I help you?" I asked him.

He spilled everything. It turns out that Lehka's medical bills drained their bank account and he was forced to borrow the money to get Lehka back into rehab. The loan shark had threatened him and demanded his loan be paid in full by the end of the next day. It was obvious he didn't have it. For that kind of money I was thinking a broken arm or leg for starters.

I calmed him down. I told him that I'd be there in the late afternoon and try to straighten it out. He asked me to promise not to tell Eshana or Lehka that he was in trouble. Neither of them knew boo about his dire situation. I didn't promise him anything other than I'd be there. He thanked me profusely and hung up.

Since I was sitting on the throne I decided to relieve myself before I went back to bed. I wiped myself and padded back to bed, this time watching my step. Heather sat up and the covers fell to her waist, exposing her breasts. She was a perfectly formed woman. Even in the low light, seeing her silhouette, I could see the conical breasts topped with gumdrop sized nipples. The wavy blonde hair down to the middle of her back. The flattened "U" shaped curve of her body from her breasts to her hips. She was still high and wanted to fuck.

"Come back to bed," she said to me in a raspy voice.

She patted the bed next to her.

She kicked off her covers so I could see her entire nude body. My eyes followed the curve of her hips to the upside down "V" of her legs and the puffy lips of her pussy, still wet from the sex we had a few hours earlier.

I looked into her glassy eyes. My eyes said yes to her.

She raised her knees up to welcome me.

"Who was that?" she asked as I crawled to the end of the bed.

I put my head between her legs and smelled the gaminess of her used pussy. "No one."

"OK."

She knew it was something important, but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

She put two fingers inside herself and then showed them to me, sticky and wet. She held them out for me. I took them in my mouth and swirled my tongue around them like it was an appetizer.

"Fuck me Max."

She didn't have to ask.

I started with a few licks to taste her sweetness and inhale her feral scent. She shivered. I moved up her body with kisses, stopping at her breasts, heaving with each breath she was taking. My hand snaked down to find her slickened pubes. My fingers curved inside her wet cunt. Her hips raised slightly off the bed. She moaned.

"Max..."

It turned me on to hear her say my name.

"Tell me," I said to her.

"You know... do you want me to say it?" she asked. There was desperation in her voice.

I pushed two fingers all the way inside her. The walls of her pussy was pulsing with desire.

"Uhhhhh," she uttered. "Max... fuck me... make me cum..."

Those were the words I wanted to hear.

I raised my hand up slightly to apply more pressure to the upper wall of her vagina and her soft, spongy "G" spot. She groaned, and started grinding her hips against my hand. I fucked her hard and fast.

"Oh yes! Fuck."

I could feel the muscles in her pussy tighten around my fingers. Her hips were gyrating as she panted and moaned. I kissed her. She put both of her hands behind my head to lock me into that kiss as her orgasms crested and fell. She let go as her muscles relaxed and her body stilled.

"You fuck me so good."

I sat up and opened the nightstand drawer. There was an unopened bottle of vodka in it. I twisted off the cap and took a big swallow, adding fuel to the fire that was burning between my legs. I tilted the bottle upwards while I guided her head to my pussy, drinking and admiring her perfect blonde hair as she ravished my pee scented pussy. If I was going to hit bottom I was going to do it in style.

* * *

It sucked to drive to Columbus, and even more so when you had a wicked hangover after two hours of sleep. I could still taste Heather on my lips when I got into the car. I ran through my mental checklist to make sure I'd brought everything I thought I'd need to help Veehan. He was in a very tight spot, and it would take a some luck to get him out. I wondered how Lehka was doing. She still didn't want me to call her, though fucking Heather, and even the drinking, didn't let me forget her. I was a piece of shit, but she was the one who pushed me away. I wasn't trustworthy when left to my own devices. Unfortunately, I found the bottle and then Heather found me.

It was easy to beat myself up. I was good at it. But it didn't solve anything. I tried to focus on helping Veehan and then getting home.

My first stop was the parking lot of the corner grocery around the corner from their house. I called Veehan and told him where I was. His car showed up a few minutes later. He was wearing a trench coat and a hat, holding it on his head in the stiff breeze. He tapped on the window of my car. I rolled it down.

"Max... so good of you to come." He smiled but I knew it was forced.

"How's Lehka?"

He filled me in. She finally went back to the rehab facility to finish her second stint. He told me that the remainder of her second time through rehab had gone well, thanks to a physician's assistant who was going through the program as well. The assistant was a young woman who Veehan described as "attractive." Her name was Alex. Veehan gushed about how influential Alex was in Lehka's rehab progress, and that the two of them had become very close. He started talking about seeing Lehka in the halfway house, with Alex, and his words faded out as I struggled with the reality that Lehka had met somebody else and that my time with her was finally over.

Veehan's news was a gut punch. I had to regroup if I was going to help him.

"Who is this loan shark Veehan?"

"Who?... ahh... his name is Evgeny... I'm not sure of his last name."

Fuck. Another Ukrainian.

"So where does this Evgeny do business?"

"In the back of Jade Palace... you know the Chinese restaurant in South Linden."

I'd heard of it. I ran across it when I was working a case in Narcotics with the Columbus team. It was in a dicey neighborhood.

"So you owe him the $150,000?"

"Yes... yes, that's right."

"How much did you borrow?"

"$40,000... but with the interest..."

I knew all too well. At 25% a week, it added up quickly.

"So Veehan, how much do you have?"

"Only $50,000 Max."

"I'll see what I can do."

Veehan's eyes lit up. "Thank you Max."

"Don't thank me yet," I told him. "We're not anywhere close to being out of the woods."

* * *

I still had some connections in the Columbus police department through Lehka. I called on a contact in Vice, Paige Halloran. Paige worked with Lehka and me on the sexual predator case and we got to be good friends during the case. Our relationship faded off as the case resolved, but I was eager to see her face again. I made an appointment that afternoon to see Paige in her office. She was writing some notes when I entered her office. She tilted up her reading glasses and looked at me with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Max, it's been forever since we talked."

Paige looked great. A brunette with shoulder length hair, full figured, and a roundy face. She had a steady live-in girlfriend last time we talked.

"I miss you. I'm terrible about picking up the phone and calling," I confessed.

"Nonsense. I could have called you. So how's Lehka doing? I heard about the whole Shevchenko thing. Awful business. I understand she's still on medical leave."

"She is, though I heard through her father Veehan that she's finished her stay at a rehab clinic and is now living in a halfway house."

"You haven't seen her recently? I thought you were together."

I wasn't surprised that everyone on the Columbus force knew our story. Gossip like ours travelled at the speed of greased lightening.

"Not any more. Since Lehka went into rehab she's really pulled away from me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Even though Lehka was closeted until recently, I kind of knew for a while and was happy she found someone."

Paige never hid the fact that she was gay. It made me wonder why Lehka and Paige hadn't hooked up before Lehka met me.

"So is there some way I can help her?" she asked.

"In a way. It's her father Veehan. He owes 150 large to a local loan shark. He only knows his first name. He said Evgeny..."

"Evgeny Melnyk. Does his business out of the Jade Palace."

"Yes... that's the one."

"You know how to pick them Max. Shrewd businessman. Runs everything by the numbers. Has a thriving loan shark business. His muscle will keep you away from him."

"You've been watching him..." I said, stating the obvious.

"Of course."

"But you haven't arrested him?"

"It's not that simple Max." Her tone turned a bit more professional and a little less friendly.

"When I hear that, it means what's going on doesn't make sense."

I got a real frown out of her. "Max. He runs a clean operation. He doesn't make trouble on the streets. Management here wants to devote our resources more to meth."

"So Evgeny is free to run his business?"

"As long as he doesn't make any trouble."

"Fuck. Hamsterdam..." I said reverently, as an homage to The Wire.

"Yeah. Kind of like that. We have bigger priorities, and someone worse would take his place, so..."

"I get it. Hands off. Or at least as much as I can. What can you tell me about him?"

"Young. Probably 35. Ukrainian from Detroit. Married. Two kids. Smart. He's built up quite a business. His kids go to the most expensive private school in Columbus and his wife is very involved in charitable work. He keeps his nose clean. No drugs. Just the loan sharking and money laundering. He figures out a way to get paid. I think Veehan has a big problem."

"Any dirt?"

"Not much. We don't think he uses drugs, but it's been rumored he has someone on the side. We don't know who. Doesn't have any priors. He's usually at the restaurant from 9 to 5. He keeps banker's hours so he can spend time with his kids."

"Sounds like he's a model criminal."

"He's smarter than most."

"I need to meet this man."

I thanked Paige and we promised to stay in touch. I didn't, but we did trade Christmas cards until she passed away. How she did is another story.

* * *

The Jade Palace was a Chinese restaurant in the older section of downtown Columbus, a stalwart for fifty years. The interior had intricate woodwork trim up to the ceiling, painted red of course, big round tables in the front with a long bar with lighting on the glass mirror behind the large selection of bourbons and whiskeys, two rows of high backed booths lining the walls in the back, and a koi pond in the waiting area. Old school, like me. I liked the feel of the place.

I went up to the hostess station. A tall attractive Asian woman was speaking on the phone. She put her hand over the handset.

"Can I help you?"

"Evgeny Melnyk," I said, hoping I got the pronunciation correct.

She pointed to the back as if it was a common request and resumed her phone call. I wandered through the two rows of round tables to the back where the booths were located. The booths had high walls, benches on two sides covered with red cushions, and a red velvet curtain for privacy. A perfect spot for Evgeny's storefront. Easy to find, yet with good privacy and only one way to gain access. Paige was right on when she told me he'd be there, between 9 and 5. I got there at 4:30.

As I got to the end of the row of booths a large man stepped out from one of the booths and blocked my way. He was your stereotypical thug. Tight black tee shirt, black pants and a shaved head. With the tats, his body language said "I'll fuck you up."

"What's your business here?" he asked in a heavily accented voice. He tightened his abs, which made his shirt ripple. I guess it was supposed to scare me. I was in my civvies so I was nobody to him.

"I'm here to see Evgeny Melnyk," I told him. There was no urgency in my voice.

He looked at me again to assure himself that he'd never seen me before.

"Fuck off." He narrowed his eyes as if that was going to scare me as well.

I stood my ground. I took my wallet out of my purse and opened it, taking out a business card. I flashed it at him. "He gave me his card and told me I could see him."

He had to think about that one for a second. Then the lightbulb went on. "Mr. Melnyk doesn't have business cards," he grunted.

"But he does... see?" I held the card in front of him so he could read it. I think it was a card from my dry cleaners. As soon as he took his eyes off me I raised my knee up into his groin. All of the air came out of his lungs and he grabbed at a booth's curtain to catch himself before he fell over. The curtain rod gave way and he pulled the curtain over himself on his way down to the floor.

Another man stepped over his mate and confronted me, reaching into his jacket, presumably for his piece. At the same time, a smartly dressed man in the last booth opened his curtain and stood at the end of the walkway. He motioned to his man to stand down.

He paused and looked at me carefully before breaking out in a smile.

"The great Max Pemberton. As I live and breathe."

He was quick. My picture was taken in connection with Shevchenko's death. He must have seen and remembered the picture.

"You have a good eye Mr. Melnyk."

He smiled again. He was a charming man. Paige was right. Mid-30's, short cropped blond hair. Ice blue eyes. Medium height with a solid build evident under his custom tailored suit. The two goons started fixing the curtain rod.

"Come here and sit." He waved me into his booth. He sat on one side and I sat on the other. His dick sore henchman closed the curtain. Reddish-brown wood benches and a matching table adorned the booth. A half-finished dish of Mongolian Beef had been pushed to the far end of the table.

"Drink?" he asked me. I really wish he hadn't.

He was holding what looked suspiciously like a Manhattan. I thought he'd be drinking straight vodka.

"Is that a Manhattan?" I asked him, pointing to his drink.

"Of course it is," he answered, as if he was insulted.

I caved immediately. "I'll have one of those."

The Ukrainian held open the curtain a few inches and whispered something into his man's ear.

He sat back down. "Excellent choice. I think I'm going to like working with you Max Pemberton of the Cincinnati police department."

"You seem to know a lot about me Mr. Melnyk."

"Call me Evgeny. Olek Shevchenko was my cousin."

That explained a lot. Like why he remembered my picture. I wondered briefly if he was going to try to kill me. I dismissed that thought. He was too smart to kill a member of the police department. So he really was being nice to me.

"I want to say..."

Evgeny interrupted me before I could get another word out.

He held up his finger. "Don't say it." I was going to utter some tepid apology and he didn't want to hear it.

"Olek was an asshole," he offered gratuitously. "Kidnapping those women was irresponsible and reckless. It was his bad luck that he got you on his ass."

He was a smart dude. "So you're not angry with me."

"Of course not. You were doing your job. Olek went completely off the rails."

His man opened the curtain and handed Evgeny a drink. He pushed a napkin in front of me and put the drink on it. My pledge to Lehka was long forgotten. I picked up the drink and took my first sip. I tipped the glass towards Evgeny.

"Excellent."

"I give the bartender my own vermouth and bitters."

A man after my own heart. Why were we on opposite sides?

I took another long sip of the drink and savored it. "Veehan Singh owes you $150,000," I told him.

He took a sip of his drink and put it down. "Yes... yes he does."

"He doesn't have it."

"I know."

"I was hoping I could work something out with you."

"Like what?" he asked.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I need to do some digging."

"How much time do you need?"

"48 hours?"

"So that would be $150,000 from Veehan Singh and $5,000 from you for the two days."

These were loan shark deal terms. They were fair, considering.

"Done." I reached across and shook his hand.

I asked if I could stay and finish my drink. He agreed, and we ended up debating the Bearcat's chances of making the football playoffs. I was tempted to get a second drink, and then I remembered I was with a known criminal. The fond memory of the first one stayed with me for a while.