Shades of Black (Closed)

[Cum_Inside]

This story deals with morally corrupt characters and plentiful discussion of rape, domestic abuse and very unhealthy relationships. Please be warned — nothing about this story is a feel good tale; really, it’s exactly the opposite. Dark, gritty, and horrifying in places. If these topics do not warn you away, I hope you enjoy the ride. ​

Erin Adler leaned against the nursing station desk while she waited for the physician to finish her assessment in bed E. Five hours after the brutal assault of Hannah Ricketts, Erin was the detective responsible for making sure the police force had all the details surrounding the attack. She’d been working on this case for months now.

Hannah so far had seemed quite reticent and in no mood to cooperate, but that may have been thanks the extreme distrust she’d developed following the incident; with a deep, blackened circle around her left eye and multiple lacerations to the skin of her cheeks, arms and hips along with finger-shaped bruises all over her torso, Hannah looked like quite the sight. Erin hadn’t had a chance to see the pictures of how bad the damage was below the belt quite yet, but the rape kit was being processed and soon enough Erin would know.

She’d know if it had been him.

Although she was pretty certain, the only conclusive way they’d be able to make the connection would be for DNA to finally be left behind or for Hannah to positively identify her attacker. The chance was slim but Erin wasn’t planning on giving up now. There were missing pieces to the puzzle but if they just had one good break those pieces would fall into place quickly.

The eighteen year-old brunette was the ninth case in the serial rapes of pretty teenage girls. There had been no leads up until the last victim, but slowly the story was being put together; multiple women consistently reporting the same physical characteristics, habits, etc. The assailant had been smart, never leaving a single trace. None of them described seeing his face, but they’d been able to give an approximation of his size based on the weight of his body forcing them into the dirt or against a darkened alleyway wall. There was no trace of who this guy was.

Up until now.

Hannah had told the responding officers that he’d bitten her before the case got passed over to Erin, but this was a departure from his usual MO. Hopefully teeth marks or salivary residue might give them the jumpstart they needed.

For five months he’d been always just beyond reach but there was suddenly some hope that she might be able to catch him.

Every victim was more brutal than the last and it was clear he was gaining comfort and learning. Practicing. Perfecting.

But talking about such a topic as though “perfecting” was an appropriate word felt wrong. Still, there was no other way to describe what was happening. Their perp was getting more and more savvy during each attack with less chance to find any evidence of his identity. Initially, the rapes had been in more public locations with sloppy clean-up even if it had been enough to narrowly escape any repercussions. Now, although victims were being taken in places that were still public, they were clearly planned well in the fact that there was not one person that had seen or heard anything and usually there was no semen, saliva, or the assailiant’s blood despite one of the girls potentially attempting to fight back.

Whoever he was, he was learning.

It had raised the hackles of the community and the police force in turn, but Erin had always had a morbid curiosity about these types of things; what drove a man to this?

She’d been on his tail since day one and she hoped that she’d get the chance to stare the sick son of a bitch down and ask him exactly what the fuck he was thinking about as he destroyed those girls - because other than the physical trauma there was underlying psychological shock there, too.

****

Dr. Grenier stepped out of Hannah’s room and walked purposefully towards Erin. Her expression was grim.

“Officer. I’d hoped that I wouldn’t be seeing you so soon.”

Erin raised one perfectly manicured blonde eyebrow and pushed herself away from the desk casually.

“Yeah, well, it’s not like I planned to see two rapes this week, doc. In this small town, well, one every five years is more than enough for me. But it’s only the tenth today and I’m dreading what the rest of the month will bring.”

Erin tilted her head, peering past Dr. Grenier with a frown.

“She up for visitors? You know that I need to ask her some questions. Plus I hear there may be some DNA.”

Dr. Grenier reached out and placed one hand on Erin’s arm. Her squeeze was firm but not painful, and the look she levelled Erin with was supposed to be a warning. It didn’t phase Erin in the least.

“We took a swab for you when we were cleaning her up. If you’re going to ask her, fine, but please… Erin, be easy on her, eh? Don’t interrogate the poor girl,” she demanded with a click of her tongue that promised vengeance if the cop didn’t listen.

Erin rolled her eyes.

“Oh, c’mon, Rachel. You know me,” here, she smiled a toothy grin. “I’m always on my best behaviour. Promise.”

Rachel Grenier laughed incredulously. “You? Bullshit! Speak to Natalie on the way by the desk and she’ll give you the swab. I mean it, Erin. The second I hear a peep out of her it will be time for you to go.”

***

Erin knocked gently on the door to 260-E three times before she peaked her head into the room.

“Hannah? I’m sorry to bother you. I’m detective Adler. I need to ask you a few questions about the attack but I understand if it’s still a bit too sensitive. I promise this will be quick and I’ll make it as simple as possible. Is that okay?”

Hannah, curled up in the bed with her knees to her chest, dark brown hair fanning out over the pillow with a landmark of bruising covering her face and shoulders under the thin paper gown, looked nothing short of pitiful. Erin fought her snort, doing her best to maintain an empathetic expression.

Hannah had been through trauma but Erin needed to cover ground quickly here to ensure that he couldn’t slip free of her again; she was so close.

Hannah sat up slowly, eyes wary, but her tone was aggressive, anything but the passive way she’d appeared initially. There was fire in Hannah as Erin had predicted: it seemed to be a common character trait among the victims that they had a bit of spunk. That didn’t matter — none of them had been strong enough to fight him off. There were no skin cells or blood underneath any of their fingernails.

But there was a very well defined set of teeth marks buried into the pale flesh where Hannah’s neck curved into the span of her shoulders, albeit shallow, but there regardless. Erin’s heart leapt and then dropped into her stomach. She tried not to let her excitement show through. Maybe a DNA match would be possible after all.

“I suppose that would be okay, but I’ve already been through this with the nurse and the doctor and…” said Hannah, blowing out a frustrated breath. “Whatever. I get it. It doesn’t mean I like it. Let’s just get this over with, please. I’m ready for this day to be over with already.”

Story of my life thought Erin, nodding sombrely as she gingerly perched on the edge of an old wooden chair next to the bed.

“Can you tell me about...”

****

Erin didn’t sleep that night; she was too busy waiting on the call where she was given a name from the saliva sample.

It all seemed too good to be true.

A break.

Finally.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Three days after speaking with Hannah in the hospital room, the DNA results were back.

Sitting at her desk in the precinct, Erin stared down at the manilla folder that seemed to be calling her name. She’d been waiting for this moment for days and it was all she had been able to think about since. Things had been relatively quiet in the meantime and it left lots of time for Erin to pour over all the old case files to ensure she hadn’t missed anything. Now that there was another victim, Erin had to be sure that any new details weren’t overlooked and further connection between girls couldn’t be identified.

Erin crossed her ankles under the desk and leaned forward to flick open the cover on the file.

The further down she read, the more frustrated she became.

Erin snatched up her phone and called over to the forensics lab.

“Adam,” she barked. “Please explain to me why this report doesn’t tell me shit,” she demanded. “I was expecting a name.”

As the person on the other end of the line began to make excuses and explain the results, Erin’s eyebrows drew tighter and her teeth clenched.

She should have known; everything had a catch. It was never that easy.

After resting the phone back in the cradle, Erin steepled her fingers and let out a loud sigh.

Inconclusive.

It didn’t seem real that there wasn’t any more information to go on following what should have been a strong saliva sample but Adam had mentioned something about contamination — the sample was obscured by what Adam thought was soap residue on the skin and in the wound bed; although Hannah had reported her assault, it was likely that she’d went home and cleaned up as best she could before deciding that a rape kit probably wasn’t a bad idea.

It stood to reason that the results of that might be inaccurate as well.

Erin was irritated to say the least. The lead she’d thought she had was disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Underneath the lab report were the pictures Erin had expected. The visible wounds she’d noted the other day were prominent but so was the torn vaginal tissue from the assault. The pictures were graphic but it was important that they had investigated every angle. One of the girls had been tortured with both her rectum and vagina violated and that had been a God’s awful mess to look at. Hannah had gotten off lucky in that respect.

The perpetrator had been using condoms, was typically careful about leaving behind any traces of his DNA (up until this last incident) and was getting smoother with every victim.

Staring down at the details as they were, Erin was at a loss.

She just had to pray for him to slip.

Meanwhile, Erin had to follow-up with Hannah and see what else the teenager hadn’t told her.

 

[Cum_Inside]

It was almost a week before Hannah was back to work. She’d been so paranoid the first few days despite the tough look she put on that she’d relented and called work to ask if she could use one of her family days for her Wednesday shift. Her shift manager was luckily pretty easy to get along with and told Hannah to take as much time as she needed. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time in her banks to do anything more than return to the cafe before she was ready lest her bills went unpaid. The PTSD would take years to move past, if not never go away. She couldn’t afford to sit home in the silence of her apartment waiting for the shoe to drop.

On Thursday, Hannah worked behind the till diligently making drinks and saying little. Although she was able to paste on a smile for her customers, it dropped as soon as she turned her back to them. Most had heard rumours anyway, at least the regulars, and not one of them pushed. Hannah’s black eye was layered in foundation and concealer and if you didn’t know better you’d be none the wiser. Hannah was grateful for the courtesy.

On Friday morning, Hannah received a call from Detective Adler who wanted to go over some of the details of the case one last time. Hannah was frustrated, not wanting to go over it again, but she could understand why Erin wanted to speak when the other woman remarked dryly that there must be “something you’d forgotten to tell me.” Although she felt a bit defensive, Hannah felt duly chastised. Hannah agreed to see the detective on her morning break.

As much as Erin was pissed about being lied to, she also understood why the teenager may have done it. Omitting details wasn’t necessarily rare in this line of work and oftentimes the people investigating had no choice but to push for information that wasn’t readily available. Erin did her best to put on that empathetic, caring expression again as they sat down in the break room and shut the door.

Both women were quiet for a moment, measuring each other up.

Erin started. “Hannah, I know this is difficult for you, but I think we have no choice but to go over it again. I wouldn’t normally do this but the DNA sample we retrieved from your bite mark was inconclusive; the lab found too much soap residue obscuring the sample. We need you to tell us the truth. We know you went home and showered. Was there anywhere else you went before going to the ER? Anything else you didn’t tell me? I understand why you didn’t want to say anything but you have to understand,” Erin paused and levelled her with a serious look. She hadn’t said anything to Hannah in the hospital, but it was important she know.

“This offender has struck eight other times. You were the second woman last week — the risk for him to reoffend is very high and we need to stop him before things take an even darker turn, Hannah. He’s getting very bold, you see, and if you don’t tell me everything you know... I’m afraid that will only make this harder. On everyone. You won’t be the only one to have to live with this.”

Hannah’s mouth dropped, face becoming paler than the shining white tile floor.

“He’s... He’s done this... He’s done this to other girls?” She breathed. Her voice level started to rise. “I think that was important for you to tell me!”

Erin sighed, dropping her gaze for a moment and softening the serious curve of her mouth. “Yes, Hannah, it was. It doesn’t mean there’s not a better time - you were in shock. You had just been assaulted. I felt like reconnecting once you’d had the chance to get back to your regular routine and start processing what had happened. Can you blame me for that?”

Hannah couldn't and all of her anger faded out instantly, body slumping deeper into the chair. She nodded, accepting of that. “I guess that makes sense. Fine. Let’s start from the beginning...”

****

Twenty minutes later, Erin stood in front of the counter and waited for Hannah to finish mixing her latte, Boston cream donut in hand. She’d turned to prop her hip up on the counter much as she’d done that evening she’d first met Hannah. This was mostly to observe the people in the cafe which was a hard-fought habit of hers; Erin liked to people watch. Something inside her told her it was to always see the signs before an attack happened, but it wasn’t always possible. Still, it made her feel better.

The cafe wasn’t early populated right now, so Erin didn’t find much interest. Her eyes rocked over everyone only briefly before returning to Hannah who was only finishing up her caffeine fix. Erin smiled, reaching to take the extra large cup from the teen.

“Thanks Hannah. I needed this. I’ll let you be now, but you have my number if you need to find me,” she reminded, having pushed her business card across the break room table before they had left the tiny room. Her personal cell number was there as well as the precinct number. Erin was definitely a workaholic.

Hannah‘s fingers clutched a bit tighter at the paper cup for a moment and there was something dark in her eyes as she stared past Erin’s shoulder at a woman talking lowly into the receiver of her cellphone.

“I remembered something important,” she said after snapping out of what had appeared to be a daze but was now probably more of a flashback.

Her voice dropped exponentially and she leaned across the counter.

Erin mimicked her, her ear almost level with Hannah’s mouth.

“He whispered in my ear just like this. I don’t... I don’t remember exactly everything he said, but his voice... I... I wish I could forget what that sounded like. I know he promised to hurt me. He... knew my name, Detective. He kept saying my name.”

Erin reared back in shock.

Well. This changed things. Maybe Hannah was going to lead her to this sick fuck after all.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Erin cleared her throat and chased it with a large swig of her overly sugared drink, nodding casually even if her heart was pounding in excitement. Her face carefully masked her true feelings on the matter other than the momentary lapse in composure. Erin tapped two fingers on the counter before dropping a ten dollar bill into the tip jar.

"Good to know. Call me if you think of anything. Have a good day, Hannah," she remarked, stepping back from the counter and turning on her heel.

As she passed, she locked eyes with one of the patrons sitting by the window. This man was middle-aged, probably 40-50 years with a strongly muscled physique and graying hair at his temples. The head of hair he had was thick and just the kind that Erin enjoyed running her fingers through on long nights full of hot sex, but the flirty grin on his face was nothing new to her. Speaking of his face, it was ruggedly handsome.

Erin knew she looked good, but it was unusual for men to be so open about it in public when they weren't heading straight to bed from the bar. It was probably because she was wearing a pair of white suit pants and a matching blazer over a navy blouse which she had selected this morning in favour of her uniform. She was more than aware that her position in the force could be a bit intimidating. Today it had made sense to dress a bit more business casual due fact that she had planned to speak with Hannah again. It wouldn't do to draw even more attention to the teenager after the incident because Hannah was already struggling for control over her life right now and she didn't need the extra stress that she might get from having questions thrown her way after a detective had been in to see her at work. What drama could she be wrapped up in?

No. It just so happened that Erin could blend in very well when she wanted to, and her craving to catch this guy and finally crack the case was a pretty good motivator to encourage her to work even harder. Best to be mainstream and remain inconspicuous. This was purely selfish.

It didn't mean that she didn't throw a foxy wink back at the handsome gentleman with the strong features as she pulled the door open and disappeared through it.

I'll have me a slice of that to go she thought salaciously, naughty grin permanently fixed on her face for what seemed like the rest of the day.

****

It was two weeks later, about 11 o'clock in the evening when she got a call on her way home from work. She'd been pulling late nights and sometimes even overnighters in order to catch the unknown suspect. He'd been surprisingly quiet since Hannah's attack but the timeline guaranteed that any day now he'd be rearing for his next fix and Erin needed to find him before that happened. To date, she'd been unsuccessful even with the information Hannah had given her, but it had left a deep mark on her to know that he was probably stalking and meticulously choosing his victims before finally making good on his desire to hurt the women he'd chosen.

Tapping the Bluetooth "answer" button on the steering wheel of the standard police-issued Durango, Erin took note that it was from one of the cars on active duty.

"What's up Jay?" She asked curiously. "I just left the station."

The voice on the other end was deep but sounded a bit hesitant when Jay began to speak. "Yeah, Chief said. Listen, I know you're on your way home but there was a call that just came in from SMU. Some girl was assaulted -- Chief said this might be your guy if you're interested in meeting me there, but..."

Erin had never hit the brakes so hard in her life as she hit the blinker and whipped the SUV into an empty parking lot to make a U-turn.

"What? But what? I'm coming," she barked, disconnecting the call before he could even answer her question.

Erin's foot was leaden as she sped through town with the lights on the plain black police SUV.

If she was fast enough, maybe guy would still be in the vicinity.

"Dear Jesus, I know I've been a terrible human being but please, please for once let things go right for me" Erin pleaded out loud into the empty vehicle.

****

SMU was the local university campus. It was a very diverse group but the student body was almost 60% teenage girls or young women in their early twenties. Erin wasn't surprised that their attacker had found his way there; only, she was shocked it had taken him this long. However, it was ballsy and maybe that was the only reason that he hadn't attempted yet. There was the potential for too many witnesses. His style had evolved and he was too careful for this. Erin wondered at the slip.

Pushing her way through the assembled crowd, Erin found her way to her coworkers, Jay and Ryan.

Jason "Jay" Rogers was fairly new to their precinct but he had a way about him that encouraged people to like him. It seemed impossible not to get along with him and Erin appreciated that he was a fast learner - she liked older men for a reason. With babies like Jay, sometimes it felt like babysitting, both at work and in relationships. Jason didn't leave her with that impression and she genuinely enjoyed the calls where they got to collaborate. His smile and easygoing manner were infectious.

His partner was a bit harder to handle but a damn good cop -- Ryan Henderson was almost reaching retirement age but he was calm and levelheaded with the experience to back that up. He was jaded but he could tell a mean joke with the straightest face. The fact that he had no problem taking tequila shots with her when the squad went out was certainly a plus.

Jay was speaking to the victim and trying his best to calm her tears.

Ryan was nowhere to be seen but she could hear his voice beyond the sea of onlookers.

"It's alright folks -- go back to your rooms," he was ordering firmly. "We've got the situation under control but please give us some space to work."

Jay was just finishing up with the victim now and heading Erin's way after ushering Victoria Ramirez to the on-site health clinic with her friends for a check-up. She looked fine and she was walked steadily if not a bit slow and it made Erin's eyebrows wrinkle in question. This girl didn't seem like she'd been hurt in the struggle at all and that was atypical, too. This was the second departure from the usual routine.

She leveled Jason with an uncertain frown.

"What happened?"

Jason nodded his head towards the cruiser he shared with Ryan. "Perp wasn't counting on a study group on their way back to the dorms after spending the evening in the library. Apparently, according to multiple witnesses, they heard some scuffling behind Dornan Hall. That's when they found our girl Victoria and her attacker. She was lucky that they found her because she got away with a few bumps and bruises but nothing further. He's in the cruiser if you want to speak to him. He's cuffed and ready to go. Boss said it was best to let you book him and question him since you've been leading this case since the beginning."

Erin's stomach dropped out from underneath her at the idea of detaining the one man that had haunted her dreams and every waking thought for several months now. He'd been out of her reach and only a stupidly lucky break had gotten Victoria off the hook and him in Erin's clutches. There was no solid proof that this was the same guy that they'd been chasing because it wasn't like him to be clumsy, but there weren't many rapists wandering around town, either. Especially not one who had big enough kahunas to tackle someone on a busy university campus. Luminous white teeth made their appearance as she smiled wickedly, fully.

"Trust me, I'm going to enjoy this a bit too much," she purred. Slapping Jay on the back, she tipped her head to him. "Thanks kiddo. You did good work here. Go help the old fart with the crowd, will ya? I'll take him in and buy you dinner next week sometime. Fuck, it must be my birthday," Erin snickered.

****

Forcing herself to take even steps towards the cruiser, Erin had never wished more than any other moment that the windows weren't tinted. She needed to see his face. Who was the man who had attempted ten rapes and succeeded in torturing nine women sexually (as far as they knew of)? She was certain that if he hadn't been surprised in the middle of the act several more girls would have been victimized by him.

Squaring her shoulders and taking one deep breath with her fingers curled around the door handle, Erin yanked open the door and leaned in to finally, finally lay eyes on the man she'd been hunting for months.

"Hello friend," she sing-songed. "Let's go for a ride."

 

[Cum_Inside]

Erin smiled so widely her eyes crinkled at the corners.

She reached out one small, delicate hand that had seen more pain and blood than this man had probably ever seen.

As she focused in on him, she was surprised to see the handsome man from the cafe slumped forward against the seat of the cruiser due to his overlarge size and the awkward positioning of his muscular arms handcuffed behind his back.

"Let's go. I feel like you need a bigger ride and I'm lacking for conversation, so we can talk on the way to the station. I'm Detective Erin Adler." Erin said, gesturing her head towards the large SUV in front of the sedan. "Of course, if you wanted to spend the night with my associates planning all the ways you're not going to be raping any more women in jail that can be arranged. I imagine you can find some cellmates who are into that, though." The statement was more a genuine consideration, pondering just how that might play out.

With a sigh, Erin curled her fingers around his beefy upper arm and pulled, clearly meaning for him to follow her. First, though, she paused with her mouth next to his ear. With slightly parted lips and a definite rasp in her voice, she delivered a statement that she hoped might have some visible impact.

"Or did you want to call me Hannah?" She breathed, pink lips just barely brushing against his earlobe.

Fuck, but he smelled so...

Amazing.

He was everything she had been hoping for.

A man like this didn't need to rape women in order to get laid. The fact that he chose to anyway... It stirred something primal inside her.

 

[Cum_Inside]

The suspect was cooperative as he was transferred into the SUV. He was a bit quiet maybe, but that was to be expected. Standing next to him as she opened the door and gestured him to climb inside, Erin was reminded once more just how petite she was compared to him; the top of her head barely reached the middle of his sternum and he was definitely almost twice as wide as her.

He was just about to climb into the backseat when he asked her about the cigarette. Erin pushed him along with a firm hand in the middle of his back.

“Smoking is a dirty habit,” she grumbled with a sneer. She considered letting him a cigarette but there was no way she was dumb enough to uncuff him. This guy could snap her in half with one hand probably, whether she gave him the opening or not. She’d be just another number at the end of his (unconfirmed) roster of victims.

“Get it the car and we’ll see what I can do about it, but I am not uncuffing you. First of all, are you going to tell me your name so that I know who I’m talking to? It might be a bit of a detour around that shake shack downtown for a bite to eat so I can’t spend the drive talking to myself.”

When he was secured in the back, Erin hopped into the driver’s seat.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Although she hadn’t been planning on offering him anything, Erin debated on the harm of following through and getting him that burger. This guy was bound to spend a few years in jail if he was convicted of the crimes that she felt he’d committed. There was little evidence and it was a shot in the dark, but she needed him to slip up. She needed something to hold him, because the intense vibe she got from him made her head spin.

“Mason, huh? Well, if you behave yourself I just might think about that. You’re probably starving after missing out on the taste of that teenage pussy back there,” she answered casually, flicking her eyes up into the rear view to watch for his reaction as she carefully shifted the vehicle into reverse and began to back up out of her parking spot.

She continued on before he could even comment. “I see why you like them. I myself prefer a soft, sweet innocent girl over those old jaded biddies my age. There’s something about the way they move and how eager they can be, really. It’s not any fun.”

Mason was quiet for the most part in the backseat behind the steel divider. Erin didn’t imagine there was even enough room for him to get those thick meaty fingers through the holes in the grate. It made her infinitely curious about the size of the package in his pants.

“Then again,” she rambled, “I think it was more about the fact that you wanted to rip them apart. Those girls didn’t want it, but you gave it to them anyway. Isn’t that such a powerful feeling? There’s nothing better than watching how exhausted your partner is after an energetic bout of sex, so I bet this would be similar. Is that it? Inquiring minds want to know.”

Just then, Erin pulled in to the drivethru for a local greasy takeout. She ordered two burgers with the works and an onion ring for herself, smiling pleasantly at the boy in the window, a counterpoint to the conversation she had just been having with her prisoner, before paying and taking the bag. Erin did not stop to eat or to give Mason his burger; she had plans to give it to him a few miles down the road on an empty dirt road, but for now it appeared as though she’d disregarded his request entirely — those burgers were hers, not his. Except, now the thought about hand feeding him or even uncuffing him were insatiable, pounding through her head.

Erin has always liked dangerous. She had chosen this career for a reason, and though it was not to throw herself in the line of fire, something about this man made her want to. For the first time in months, the first time since this all started, Erin acknowledged that she’d liked this style. She liked the way he beat and bruised his victims before taking what he wanted from them. She was sick in the head, but Erin had sometimes imagined herself with those same injuries, left in the same positions as the girls in the case files. She was too old for his taste, but actually seeing Mason and having him so close made the aching in her groin so powerful she knew the break to give him a cigarette and a burger would be just as much for her as it would be pleasing him. She wanted to get sucked into his gravitational field and know what it felt like to have his sexual attention — Erin wanted it so badly.

Talking about his victims should horrify her. It should made her quiver with disgust and rage, but all it made her do was shake with arousal. Back at the university, Erin was disappointed to know he hadn’t been satisfied by that dumb bitch. She wanted him to succeed and keep the trail of traumatized young girls piling up in his wake, but Erin also wanted it to stop — she wanted to be the centre of all the pain and hate towards women he had locked up inside. She wanted to be the only woman he needed and to slake any of his negative feelings and energy from him.

Resolve settled in her gut.

She was fucking broken inside, darkened and cold and just as much of a degenerate as him.

When they finally turned off the pavement onto a narrow dirt road lined by trees that lead to hiking trails and a waterfall view, Erin put the vehicle into park in a parking lot obscured with large spruce trees that couldn’t be seen from the road. There were built-in trackers in all police vehicles and she couldn’t risk being discovered but it wasn’t probable that they’d be looking for her absence at the station unless this little stop took too long. Within the cover of the trees, there was nothing but pitch black forest surrounding them. The animals made the only noise.

Erin unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door and stepped down into the dirt underneath her black sneakers. She reached for the takeout bag and an almost empty pack of Marlboros she’d confiscated off a perp a few months ago and closed the door firmly. When she opened the passenger door of the SUV and looked up into Mason’s face, she hoped he could see a bit of the madness swirling in her eyes.

She only had so long to show him she was on his side and she knew just the way to do that.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Erin smirked at him, eyes narrowing a bit more playfully now.

“You mean you don’t know how many women you assaulted? I was hoping we could talk about that, but I didn’t wanna be too pushy on the first date, babe.”

Contrary to her words, though, Erin dropped the bag of food at his feet and flicked the box of Marlboro’s to the floor next to it. She smoothed her hands up his jean-clad thigh and felt the muscle there under her tiny hands. Fuck, but this man was fit for his age. He was gorgeous and strong and took what he wanted from life. Erin might be quite compact but she ran every morning and did her best to keep herself in good shape. She was, however, a go getter, and as her hands trailed from his knees higher and higher until her fingertips flirted with the heavy outline of his cock under the zipper she was planning on following through right now on a desire that had been capturing her attention every waking moment over the last several months.

Her smile was wicked now while she flicked open the button of his pants.

“Why don’t you tell me about how frustrated you are while I make you feel better, darling? You’ll be in tip-top shape when we get to the station; I hope your stamina is good because I don’t want you to tell those fuckers anything. I want to be the only one who knows what makes you tick.”

Erin’s fingers slipped inside his jeans and boxers to fish out his cock.

Her eyes widened, mouth parted in a happy gasp of surprise.

“It’s fucking massive,” she breathed, breaking eye contact with him for a second to look down at the penis she could barely wrap one tiny hand around. She needed to use both just to encapsulate it between her fingers. “No wonder you tore those tiny pussies to pieces. Ouch — I’m impressed, Mason,” Erin purred.

She was practically salivating imagining what was about to happen, but Erin couldn't wait any longer. She especially wished now that she’d been in those girls places, but she wanted to raise those stakes for him in order to keep Mason wrapped around her finger. Yes, she had no proof yet that he’d actually been the one to assault those girls but there was a heavy feeling in her gut that told her just how right she was about her instincts.

Bending over his lap behind the wide-open door, hidden behind the blanket of darkness, her red-painted mouth dropped and split wide around his dick. Her tongue curled and caressed the bulbous head of him, so girthy that her cheeks already reminded him of a chipmunk. Determinedly, Erin was going to take this entire cock even if it choked her.

 

[Cum_Inside]

There was something dark in her eyes when she looked up at him.

With a slow withdraw and a wet, slobbery 'pop', Erin drew her mouth off his dick.

"You only wish - if you'd gotten away with your evening plans unperturbed maybe we wouldn't have a hot date with the guys at the station. As it stands," she wiggled her eyebrows, nosing at the length of him which was hard enough to stand at attention all on it's own right now before she continued with "I think there'd be a lot of questions if I ended up empty-handed."

It didn't mean there wasn't an urge inside her to do it, though. Erin realized it would be stupid to uncuff this guy and give him the opportunity to beat the shit out of her, rape her and leave her lying in the middle of the dirt on a back county road but lord above did she ever want to feel the pain those girls had felt. She was more than a little bit masochistic. Fucked in the head, too? Most definitely.

Erin liked insinuating herself in cases like this for more selfish reasons than anything else, not as much interested in helping the victims as opposed to seeing the methods of the assailants and the damage they did, living vicariously through those poor things that ended up in a hospital bed or trying to pick out their attackers through a long line of potential suspects. Torture porn could only do so much these days and all the nonconsensual porn was too fake; Erin wanted to see real distress. Years after getting her job in the thick of things, finally she'd found exactly what she'd been looking for after all those years of finding herself in the darkest corners of the internet.

It was a good reason nobody ever had a reason to search through her browsing history - Erin's easygoing nature and sweet smile with her happy-go-lucky, overly friendly personality made her appear more harmless than anything. She was, really, but her mind was sharp and jagged, rough and agonizing in the intensity of it all. Her mask couldn't slip, but maybe...

Maybe Mason would be the first person to truly understand her.

That's why, when she spoke again the honesty in her voice was almost striking in the way it broke the silence of the night. As she'd been in her own head, Erin had never stopped stroking and working Mason to full hardness (massive, fucking massive!).

"I do want that, actually. I want to let you go and have you hurt me, but that would throw us both under the bus. You're gonna have to trust me if you want to get out of this mess and add number ten to the list, big boy."

After that, Erin spread her jaw wide and wrapped those warm lips back around his shaft. With hands on his thick thighs, Erin encouraged him to thrust as much as he could in this awkward position by squeezing at the well-defined muscle underneath her palms. Although Erin was pretty damn good at cocksucking she'd never had one as huge as Mason and it would take the best effort from both of them to sink his dick as far down her throat as she could feasibly manage. It would be a challenge to take him to the base but Erin was determined to show him just what he was getting.

Mason seemed to figure out what she wanted because after a few deep bobs of her head his hips rose up off the seat to lodge more of his shaft down her gullet. Erin choked a bit but also drove herself forward to swallow more, gagging around his prick at the same time he powered upwards.

She wanted every bit of Mason.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Erin sighed in pleasure at the first salty mouthful of cream on her tongue. By the time he was done, Erin’s lips were leaking in the corners it was so full. She had to take two big swallows in order to get it all.

Wiping her lips with the back of her hand, Erin straightened up and fixed him with a raised eyebrow.

“Happy to be of service. Now, what do you think of that burger? Maybe a smoke for good behaviour? Then we’ll get on with it and you can take me home.”

She laughed at her own stupid joke, suddenly realizing just how much of a great mood she was really in. She’d never planned on the evening going so well, but Erin had always told herself that the best things came to those who waited when they were least expecting it. She’d sleep easy tonight.

****

The whole time Erin fed him the burger bite-by-bite and stood there between his thighs with the cigarette lit for him to take nice big puffs off of, she didn’t bother to tuck away his flaccid cock. Staring down at it even after she’d gotten her own treat, she was only reminded just how massive he was. No wonder he couldn’t find someone to keep him happy - that monster would be pretty daunting on a good day.

Erin had never walked away from a challenge and she didn’t plan on starting now.

While Mason polished off his “last meal” of sorts, Erin hummed away happily.

 

[Cum_Inside]

She laughed again.

“Oh, I think you’re exaggerating.”

With a naughty wink, she murmured, “why would you be locked up, Mason, if you didn’t do what I know you did? No alibi? Shame; guess you’ll have to find one.”

Erin said all this as her hand reached again for his girth, but this time to carefully tuck and zip him away.

It may have been a bit risky, but what about tonight hadn’t already been against the rule book? That’s why when Erin leaned in with one hand supporting herself on his powerfully muscled thigh to press her lips against his she couldn’t help but say in a whisper: “you were only a few seconds away from seeing Victoria’s. Damn meddling kids.”

 

[Cum_Inside]

Erin huffed a laugh against his lips. It wasn’t chastising or condescending; rather, it was a happy sound. Mason was learning, then.

“We’ll see what the next play is, big boy. Now, I think we have to get a move on.”

*****

With a sheepish wave, Erin was unapologetic when she showed up at the station 45 minutes later than she might have been expected. She laughed off the concern and simply excused herself with “had a flat tire. Hey, is there anyone that can unload the perp for me? I’ll see him in room 2, please. And is there a pot of coffee on? I’ll need something strong if I’m pulling an all-nighter with this guy. Preferably a dollop of whiskey in there, too,” Erin grinned.

*****

Instead of actually sitting in the interrogation room with Mason and her coworkers, Erin situated herself behind the glass looking into the small containment room rigged with cameras and two-way glass. She could hear and see everything as easily as if she was in the room, but for now she needed Mason’s hackles up, and putting herself directly in his line of fire when he thought he could count on her to hide his truths would be the end of the story — if he was pushed into a corner he’d most likely slip and Erin would get the confirmation she needed, but not if he felt comfortable in his hold on her to relax a bit and keep his cards close to his chest as much as he could.

While she’d waited for the coffee to percolate, Erin had slipped away to the ladies room and allowed her fingers to slide down into her panties and feel how absolutely sodden she’d gotten - a translucent string of fluid had been clinging to her fingertips when she’d pulled them free and slowly, indulgently, Erin had licked them clean before stepping carefully out of her underwear entirely and stuffing them into her pocket to stash in her locker when she got a moment.

No.

She needed Mason to sweat it out, and Erin knew just the guy who’d be able to rile him up in her place before she stepped in and played the role of the white-knight, soothing the sting of the evening’s events and adding more fuel to the fire that she was stoking between them.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Spencer Kaine, the detective who settled into the chair across from Mason, was well-known for getting the dirtiest details wrung out of some of the sickest fucks this country had ever put behind bars. He was was tall and thin, looked non-threatening, but had a silver tongue and knew how to work his way into someone’s head. It maybe said a lot that he knew how these criminals thought, but he’d studied extensively to get where he was and the experience didn’t hurt either.

His long lanky legs stretched out under the metal desk to which Mason was cuffed to.

“Why do you need a lawyer?” He asked casually, one dark eyebrow raising above the blue-eyed gaze Spencer pinned the other man with.

“Your phone call, sure. I just wanted to chat a bit first, if that’s not a problem? Erin said you could be a bit cagey, but damn. She’d be here herself if it wasn’t past her bedtime; you really kept her up late. Listen — I know what happened here, Mason; just a shame you have to go down for being in the wrong spot at the wrong time. If you tell me what happened, I’ll make sure you get the justice you deserve.”

Spencer kept his promises tight. Justice could mean more than one thing in these circumstances, but he hoped that Mason might ignore that fact with the idea that Spencer might be open to hearing just how “wrong” this arrest was, and the chance for a decent alibi he was being given. It was a trick to gain enough leeway and have Mason put his guard down, but maybe he’d slip a bit enough for Spencer to find a good hole to dig and bury Mason. When criminals were on guard, looking for an attack from every angle, usually it took a lot to break down those walls. Things could be a bit less labour intensive depending on the approach one took to get inside said walls.

Mentioning Erin, the wild detective with the absurd personality he’d spent the car-ride with might also loosen him up. Erin had a way of that, somehow. Her personality was infectious, but sometimes Spencer didn’t know if it was more in the way of a cancerous tumour or just the way the sun made everything it touched glow in the darkness, spreading far and wide.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Mason had an uncanny way of pulling her into his orbit; even though she knew that he realistically couldn’t see her through the glass, somehow Mason’s unfocused gaze burned right through her. Erin chewed the inside of her lip as she watched him.

Largely, he seemed unaffected by the goings on. His poker face was pretty tight and the relaxed body language he was putting out there even despite being cuffed proved that Mason likely didn’t believe that he’d done anything wrong. It was probably true that he only felt like he was definitely in the “wrong place” at the “wrong time”.

His pride surely didn’t allow for much more than that. Erin suspected, after only a brief interaction with him, that there were some sociopathic tendencies hidden under that rough exterior. That look in his eyes as he’d spilled his load down her throat...

Addicting.

There was a propensity for violence buried just underneath the surface and Erin wanted to see just how far he could go — nobody had ever said she was exactly right in the head, either.

****

Spencer sighed, leaning forward and curling his fingers together on top of the cold metal table. “No clue? I find that hard to believe.”

His gaze never dropped or wavered even as he spoke to the one person who might be able to draw Mason out of his shell: Detective Kaine’s voice echoed into the antechamber behind the glass, a playful tone summoning “Addie” into the room.

It was Spencer’s overly familiar way of addressing Erin, preferring to shorten Adler into the childhood nickname he’d used for the vast majority of their lives.

Erin and Spencer had grown up together and when they decided that they were both going to the Academy, he’d been a driving source of motivation and support even when others put Erin down or claimed that she couldn’t do the job simply because she had tits; ten years later, Erin was at the top of her game and one of the best officers six counties over — nobody dared make those sexist sleazebag comments anymore unless they wanted to find out just how she’d earned her spot.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t her skilled lip service.

****

Five minutes later, giving Mason enough time to sweat it out, Erin strolled casually into the interrogation room with her hands tucked into her pockets and one bulging manilla folder underneath her arm, held against her side.

Lowering her lean body into the seat next to Spencer, Erin dropped the folder onto the table with a loud slap. She reached forward and flipped open the front cover, spread out the pictures inside, and kept two bright eyes pinned on her target.

Spencer gestured at the pictures.

“Were these all instances where you were in the wrong place, too? Or... maybe you think that these girls happened to actually be in the right place? Tell me, Mason, what their faces make you feel?”

****

Ten different girls. Broken and bloodied, bruised and traumatized. Photos taken during various exams and documented for this serial rape case that was only beginning to ramp up.

Erin watched carefully. Did the pain these girls had been forced to endure make Mason’s dick hard? She fucking hoped so — he was everything she had been looking for. No matter what happened her, Mason was hers. She didn’t plan on letting him go, now. It had taken her so long...

Erin squeezed her thighs together under the table.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Spencer’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

It was a typical pattern; watching Mason’s eyes cut to Erin and the interest there was fairly predictable in a serial rapist - those offenders always seemed to prefer giving their attention to women or would-be victims. Why focus on the male detective that held no call for interest if there was a pretty face in the room that they could imagine lying in a heap underneath them?

Erin was pretty damn enticing, too. Spencer honestly didn’t blame him.

****

Erin’s poker face slipped away with a wide, shark-like grin.

“We’re not talking about me. I want to hear about you, Mason; I want to know what makes you tick. I know Victoria Ramirez is your type, but I want to know why you chose the others. Why don’t you tell me about that?”

 

[Cum_Inside]

Spencer bristled at the overly familiar way their suspect kept addressing Erin. With teeth grinding, Spencer tried not to let his irritation show.

Erin, however, leaned forward even farther over the table, moderately sized breasts pillowing together underneath her uniform blouse and appearing more pronounced the further she put herself in his space.

She laughed conspiratorially. “Trust me; I think that I’ve gotten all the information I need. I know what I want, Mason, and you can be certain I’m going to get it,” she promised breathily.

“Now. Unfortunately we can’t hold you for serial rape but we do have multiple eye-witnesses of an attempted sexual assault so it looks like you’ll be spending the night in a cell until the court decides what to do with you.”

With that, Erin rose smoothly from her seat after gathering up the photos.

“Goodnight boys,” she waved over her shoulder in a dismissive manner. “Be on your best behaviour, Spence: leave some for me tomorrow, eh?”

****

Following Erin’s blase departure, Spencer didn’t get anything out of Mason - as he’d noted earlier, the man was the most talkative with Erin present. Once she was gone Mason had no apparent desire to say another word. It was frustrating but not unexpected.

Maybe it was best to call it a night.

There’d be other opportunities to wring the truth out of him, after all.

****

For the first night in a long time, Erin slept like a baby with a wide, silky grin on her face.

 

[Cum_Inside]

The holding cell really must have felt like a cramped little box to a man like Mason; it was small and barren and Mason always made any space feel a lot smaller than it really was.

Erin watched him pace for a while the next day just out of his sight on the precinct cameras before the county’s public defender paid him a visit in one of the private offices down the hall. Due to client-defender confidentiality rules, there was no camera in that room to bare witness to any of the events or discussions, and Erin felt the resulting irritation.

She needed to be privy to every single thought Mason had - she needed to know what made him tick, what curled his fists in anger and what made that wicked smirk crawl across his face.

It took a couple hours for the defender to reappear with the one man that had been the root of a couple roaring fantasies this morning before work and Erin delivered a pleasant smile to the both of them from her post outside the office, waiting to escort Mason back to his cell. Depending on his court date, the town would either relinquish him to the city penitentiary or continue to hold him for a day or two further.

Before that happened, Erin had one thing she needed to confirm.

“Thanks, Jensen. I’ll take him from here. Call me when you’ve got the date arranged, kay?” That was basically a demand as Erin turned her back on the attorney and began to lead Mason away with a hand curled into his elbow, signifying her disinterest in the other man.

As they walked, Erin was mostly quiet for once. She wanted to assess his level of comfort with her, but she was also pondering and planning her next move.

Once she had her suspicions confirmed, Erin could start working her way back to the beginning and do what she needed to do in order to ensure Mason was fully within her clutches.

 

[Cum_Inside]

The deep rumble pulled her from her thoughts, and Erin turned her face up to look at the mountain of a man beside her. He really could do some serious damage if she let him...

“Oh, Mace, are you sad to see me? I thought you and I were friends now,” she teased, wiggling her blonde eyebrows comically. Even though the precinct was small and their walk was short, Erin did her best to feign a turtle’s pace with her “short legs” even though her height was maybe even above the national average for women; compared to Mason, Erin was an ant on the radar.

When they arrived at his cell, they paused outside of it. Erin gave the guard the signal with a brief nod, and she tried not to pout when Mason was abruptly pulled away from her and locked back inside, cuffs off.

She curled her fingers around the bars, leaning in close.

Just what would happen if he grabbed her by the hair and smashed her face against the prison bars? She couldn’t fight him off. At the very least, she’d definitely end up with some good bruises and maybe a shiner... maybe even a concussion? Not ideal, but to have his power on display like that...

Erin’s tongue darted out to moisten her suddenly very dry lips.

As much as she wanted to stay, Erin had one very big task looming on the horizon.

“I wish I could stick around, but I’m a popular gal, you see, and I have to actually make some headway today, Mason.”

 

[Cum_Inside]

She watched the way his temper rose to the surface in a big wave of endorphins before he managed to get a lid on it. He was so in control or on guard all the time with her, and it was nice to see his little slip. It was proving he was the man she thought he was.

****

While she waited, Erin sipped patiently at her latte, shortbread cookie crumbs kissing the tips of her fingers from where she’d been snacking. It was mid afternoon now and although Hannah had worked the opening shift today, she’d consented to meet the detective at a bakery just down the way after Erin had reached out in hopes of “making a connection on a suspect”.

Hannah was still a bit reticent about the whole thing, but there wasn’t much she had left to get excited about following her assault other than the chance that the blonde woman might put this sick motherfucker behind bars for good. After Erin had dangled the bait, there wasn’t anything else Hannah would have wanted to spend the afternoon doing.

Just as Erin lifted her fingers to suck off those clinging bits of sugary cookie, Hannah pulled out the chair opposite the detective and dropped into it. “Hey. You wanted to meet me? You said you had something to show me.”

Erin grinned back at her, waving down the barista.

“I sure do, but let’s get you a coffee and then we’ll go for a drive. It’s not exactly something we should be discussing in a place like this,” she said, nodding her head in the general direction of the other patrons.

Less than forty-five minutes later, Erin Adler watched with grim eyes as the brunette closed the door to her family’s home behind her, one hand clutching tightly at the steering wheel and the other pressed over her pounding heart.

What she wanted was so close, now.

****

The next day, Erin was reserved and quiet, attentive to the paperwork on her desk and her to-do list with an intense focus that threw her co-workers off. Whenever she was asked, she chalked it up to feeling a bit under the weather, and when word got around, people seemed to get the memo that she wanted to be left alone. Nobody questioned it when she went home early for the first time in months, thinking that her all-nighters and unending dedication to the job had finally left her exhausted. She needed her rest.

Before she left, she did wander into the cellblock to tell her newest favourite criminal that his trial for the assault of Victoria Ramirez would be happening the next afternoon at 1400 hours and to be prepared, but after glancing in his direction and seeing the haunted expression on his face that came from being caged, Erin didn’t have to fake the sick pallour her skin took on, belly wrapped in knots. Trying to appear undaunted, Erin put one foot in front of the other with her hands in her pockets and continued onwards.

She nodded to the guard and asked him to let her in Mason’s cell. “I’ve got some info from his attorney. I’d ask that you leave us be while I speak to him.”

The guard didn’t look convinced about letting a man the size of a mountain who was accused of assault be alone with the dainty detective, but she just rolled her eyes and lifted her shirt to reveal the weapon holster against her right hip. It wasn’t like she was defenceless, after all - not that she’d ever use a weapon against Mason Carter, but nobody needed to know that. “He likes me,” she added with a wink. “He’ll behave.”

Erin met eyes with Mason as the guard unlocked the door and let her step inside before closing the door and locking it behind her.

“I’m not going to be far,” he warned. “Don’t be stupid, Carter.”

Erin just laughed and waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal.

“Oh, he will. I have something he wants. Now, run along. I’ll call when we’re done.”

After the guard stepped away from them, Erin pulled her hands from her pockets and moved into Mason’s personal space. She bent down in front of him until the tip of her nose was almost brushing his and her hot breath warmed his lips with each word.

“Do you want to know a secret, Mason?” She breathed.

 

[Cum_Inside]

She released a soft breathy sigh at the way her name sounded coming from his lips. To be this close to him and have his full attention was so addicting — maybe not quite the same as the night she’d given him a quick blowie in the back of her SUV, but different in the way that this was risky with the guard only a stone’s throw away, even if he had listened to her orders and backed off. Erin wanted to bask in the heavy way Mason’s presence seemed to press against her body, the relaxed tone of his voice not hiding the dark intent in his eyes.

She wasn’t stupid — Mason would destroy her soon as look at her if he had the chance, but he wasn’t dumb either. Doing that would now would mean a lifetime in prison and she had no doubts he’d rather avoid that.

It didn’t mean that she wouldn’t encourage that later, though, in the privacy of her bed when Mason finally came home to her.

Erin closed her eyes for a moment and just inhaled his natural, musky scent, emphasized from the lack of hygiene that being contained in a prison cell for two days typically left behind.

When she opened her hazel eyes to lock into his once more, before dropping to the place he was exerting an almost painful grip on her thigh, hand large enough to clasp the majority of the muscle under his palm, Erin knew that there would be finger shaped bruises there tomorrow.

A lazy smile spread across her face.

Finally, she spoke, after a full minute of silence between them. Her voice was a whisper.

“I’m going to let you have what you need, baby. I want you out of this nasty fucking place,” her lip curled, “and back out there doing what you love. There’s the matter of your trial, though; tomorrow afternoon at 2 you’re going to likely be convicted of sexual assault. You’ll spend some time in jail but those serial rapes we both know you’ve done? I’m going to make that all go away and you won’t be looking at life in there. I think you’ll like what I give you in return for your cooperation, Mason...”

She paused, flicking dark eyelashes closed as her teeth bit down into her lip, weaving the fantasy for herself as well as him, thighs pressing more tightly together and trapping his large hand between them, close to her hot centre which was beginning to soak through her panties.

“You finally get the chance to beat the shit out of me, but what...”

Her smile was wicked again, now. “... do you think of pretty 18 year-old virgins?”

 

[Cum_Inside]

Her voice was tremulous, trying hard not to show him just how excited she was about the fact that everything she wanted was finally in her grasp.

“I’m going to give you a token of my love,” she gasped, eyes holding his intently. “I’ve been on this case for months. I’ve been following you for months. Now that you’re finally here and I can reach out and touch you...” her breath stuttered, eyes dropping to his lips for an instant, “I’m not going to let them keep you in a cage.”

With the gentlest touch of her mouth against his, Erin straightened up. She couldn’t allow herself to lose control now, and she knew that if she really kissed him the way she was dying to she wouldn’t be able to stop. Just the brief touch was enough to tide her over for now.

“I don’t strike you as the virginal type?” She pouted, but there was a humorous flash in her eyes. “I might have been saving myself for you. But yes... you’re right, baby — I’m not your virgin, but I hope to be at least mem—“

There was a clatter from the other end of the hallway, and the guard issued an exclamation of “shit!” Erin took a step back and peered out into the hallway to watch him pick up the cellphone he’d dropped, large ring of keys clanking and swaying against his hip. She frowned.

“I guess that’s my cue. I’ll see you tomorrow, darling,” she husked quietly. “And tonight... I hope you dream of us...”

With that, Erin signalled to the guard her desire to leave the cell, winking at Mason inconspicuously, and walking steadily away as she heard the key turning in the lock behind her.

*****

https://youtu.be/EAomhrDBkkw (to set the mood for this next scene).

Erin was alone at home.

For the first time in months, she’d loosened Amber’s leash a little and allowed for her daughter to spend the night with a friend even though it was a school night. Sometimes she was criticized by how strict she could be, but never by Amber; no, she knew better — but there were some parents who claimed Erin wasn’t a fun mom and was sucking the life from her 18 year-old daughter by keeping her locked up at home. Erin preferred to think of it as keeping the redhead safe; the detective knew just what kind of sickos roamed the streets and at least if Amber spent her evenings at home there was a noticeable decrease in the amount of danger she could find herself wrapped up in.

Erin expected good grades and for her daughter to keep up with her extracurriculars. She didn’t think that was too much to ask for, and she really didn’t care what anyone else thought. Amber never once complained.

Tonight, with the house dark and silent, Erin sequestered herself in the bathroom with only a handful of candles lit around the edge of the bathtub for light while she bathed, taking her time and sinking deep into the steaming hot water. Sinking down until she was submerged to just under her chin, ensuring her long blonde hair dangled out over the edge of the standalone soaker tub, she lost herself in the haunting tempo of the piano notes, rising and falling and leaving behind a dark echo of a melody that seeped into her skin and chilled her despite the bath temperature. She’d scrubbed her skin and underneath her fingernails until she was sure they were bleeding.

An hour later, when she rose from the tub and wrapped herself in a huge fluffy white towel, Erin padded with wet feet across the floor to the vanity.

Next to the clothes she’d shed by the garbage can as well as on the floor by the tub, Erin could see tiny specks on something dark on the stark white tile in the reflection of the mirror. She turned to look and sighed at the mess.

“Fucking Hannah,” she cursed. “Even when you’re dead you can’t do anything right! Messy slut!”

To be fair, maybe Erin had been a little overzealous when she’d driven the Swiss Army knife into Hannah’s chest for the sixtieth time, but... too late now.

Erin had already started the fire in the pit out back to burn her clothes anyway, but she’d been silly not to strip off her sweater by the front entrance instead of wearing it through the house. Now she’d need to bleach the place from top to bottom before the blood soaked into the hardwood.

Luckily, after combing the entryway and stairs, hallway and bathroom with a fine toothed comb looking for blood spatter, Erin was pleased to note that the only issues seemed to be localized to the bathroom tile.

Easy clean.

Now to dispose of the weapon.

Standing barefoot in the backyard in just her towel, Erin stared down at crackling fire with madness in her eyes.

The only cunt who could potentially identify Mason was dead and Erin could slowly pick her way through the rest of the victims and discredit them. After Hannah had confirmed Erin’s suspicions the other day, voice becoming shaky and body tensing in fear at the voice recording Erin had played for her in the car, Erin had to tie up that loose end. Hannah had been able to pick Mason out of a line-up or voices on the recorder and Erin couldn’t allow for it.

That, plus the way she’d left the body of the girl, there’d be no doubts that Mason Carter hadn’t been involved in the serial rapes; Erin was only beginning to set the scene.

Still, she hadn’t been able to help but take a photo of Hannah on her burner phone — one last memento for Mason and proof of how dedicated Erin was to his happiness and safety.

She’d burn the world down to show him how much he meant to her.

One dirty cunt at a time.

 

[Cum_Inside]

The night before the trial, Erin didn’t sleep.

She played a good game the next morning when she came into the station to find it abuzz with whispered conversation about finding Hannah Ricketts’ body in a ditch just outside city limits. Coworkers clapped her on the shoulders and expressed their own disappointment about the fact that the rapist was not only still out there somewhere, but the serial rape cases had just turned into a homicide investigation. They encouraged Erin to keep up the good work, though all of them were well aware there was nothing to show for the last ten months of trying to find the guy responsible. She’d be quite busy for a long time yet.

No murder weapon, no prints, no nothing. Just a body that had been dragged from a vehicle on a deserted stretch of road, apparently on something resembling a tarp, which the body had been wrapped in. The killer had even been smart enough to wear Hannah’s own shoes, because those were the only tracks in and out of the dump site. The boots had been recovered on Hannah’s mother’s porch, but there was no trace of DNA; it was assumed that the killer had lined the boots with some sort of plastic before wearing them.

It made Erin’s body warm with satisfaction.

Everything was shaping up perfectly.

*****

Well, not everything.

She didn’t even bother to hide her sour glower when the Judge sentenced Mason Carter to a year, less with good behaviour, because nobody would doubt the reasons for said scowl; it had been a brutal day already for Detective Adler, what with the murder and now with the seemingly minimal sentence for another one of her creeps.

She didn’t even stay til the trial was concluded - as soon as the ruling was announced, before they took him away, Erin had raised herself from the pew and stalked out of the court room in a fit or irritation.

****

Hey there, Mace.

I hope prison is treating you well, even if you don’t deserve to be there in the first place. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a month since you’ve been gone, but at least time is going by quickly on this end. I know it probably doesn’t feel that way for you, but I wanted to give you something to keep your spirits up. I sent you a goodie box of treats and things that might give you some comfort along with this letter, so you can pick those up from the warden when you get a craving. I’d try the raspberry shortbread cookies first if I was you! Make sure to shake out the bottom of the box for crumbs because you will not want to miss a bite.

It’s been hard without you, baby. Your side of the bed is so cold and the house is quiet; both me and that moody teenager miss you like nobody’s business. I hope you’re behaving in there so you can come home soon — call me once in a while, eh? It will be so good to hear your voice. I got a new phone a couple days ago, so the number is 736-937-1320 if you wanna call. I dropped mine on the way home from work the other night and it basically, well, it had the shit beaten out of it. There was no saving it. Because I’m all over the place for work, it was important. Speaking of — they’re sending me out of town for a few weeks so I won’t be able to write or visit, but know that I love you and always want the best for you, baby. Think of your girls.

Forever Yours,
Eden

****

Tucked beneath the lining of the box of raspberry cookies, where she knew the prison warden wouldn’t be searching, was one single newspaper clipping that talked all about how miss Hannah Rickett’s killer was still at large; the man responsible for nine rapes and one homicide was in the wind, and there were no viable leads to be found anywhere.

****

 

[Cum_Inside]

She’d waited to read the letter. Although it had arrived on her doorstep just before work that morning and she was dying to know what the contents were, Erin knew she wouldn’t be able to maintain her focus all day without reciting each and every word Mason had penned until they were etched permanently into her skull. That was a depressing thought considering he’d likely only bothered to send her a big “fuck off” and not anything that she’d been dreaming of him saying to her. The temptation was too much, but Erin folded the paper into tiny little squares and tucked it into her bra, the cup holding the paper tightly over her heart as she worked diligently enough that she was able to clock out a bit early.

Erin practically devoured his words, heart thudding in amazement. He’d done more than respond to her — he’d actively encouraged her and even opened up! Mason had, for some reason, suddenly decided to trust her.

The thought that he’d been working out... She could only look forward to the bruises and black eyes he’d give her when he got out. Mason was a big guy already and he could do a ton of damage if he only wished it, Erin had seen it first hand, after all, but to have him working hard to become even more imposing just revved her gears in a way not much else did these days.

****

It was another two days before Erin could manage to find the right time to go on that little moonlit stroll that Mason had recommended for her.

It was tricky, considering it was in the middle of a bustling university campus, but Erin had taken the time to plan carefully. She’d gone to bed at a decent time, pressing a gentle kiss on the top of Amber’s head as she passed by the couch on her way upstairs, setting an alarm on her phone for 0230. Considering it was a Tuesday night, most students would be safely tucked up in their dorms and out of her way by the time she reached the campus.

With only her phone’s flashlight to guide her (but only once she was safely in the cover of the trees), Erin began her search.

Almost an hour later, having had no luck, Erin was about to call it quits when she stumbled over a branch buried under a pile of wet leaves. She cursed as she went sprawling, hands braced out in front of her to catch her weight, intent on not smacking her head on any rocks or debris she might not be able to see. When she forced herself up onto her feet, sliding in the mud, her irritation about how much it had rained this past week was raging anew.

“Fucking hell,” she sneered, staring down at her now soaked leggings, saturated with a slimy coating of the mud. She kicked at the stupid branch that had knocked her off balance and turned back the way she’d came. Just as she was twisting her body away, her flashlight shimmered across a dark rounded shape tucked just under a bush, about fifteen feet away from her.

She scrambled forward, fingers reaching forward greedily towards what turned out to be a backpack.

Ripping open the zipper, Erin moaned at the contents of the bag.

“Oh, Mason,” she breathed in wonder.

He really had trusted her if he’d told her exactly where to find his rape kit, for there were thickly lined leather gloves, condoms, duct tape, and even a knife, though there’d never been any evidence of him using one for any of his victims. Some rope, a mask for his security, and several photos of Victoria Ramirez prior to the attempted assault.

So he’d been stalking these girls before attacking.

Something about knowing that these assaults were premeditated and not just a split-second decision made it hotter than she’d imagined before.

****

Included in this week’s care package were three packs of the very same cigarettes she’d bought for him the night she’d sucked his cock in her cruiser.

Mace,

I’m so glad you liked the cookies, and I know you’ll feel a lot better with the cigs - I know how it feels when the craving becomes too much and you just need with all of your being one hit... Let me know Friday about 10 when you call if there’s anything else you need, baby.

As far as that wayward daughter of mine, you know that she adores you. She’s always been Daddy’s girl, even if Daddy is her step-father. She needs you around to keep her in line but she’s been behaving well enough. The two of us are getting by without you but we miss how well you take care of us.

I’ve been doing my best to stay active, too. The other day I went for a run and it took my through the walking trails where we met just like you said to do. It made me pause, taking in all the memories, and remembering how it felt to spend time there with you. There were so many things that reminded me of how we’re perfect for each other. I found that spark again, and I need you to know how much I love you.

Only yours,
Eden

 

[Cum_Inside]

By Thursday, Erin had memorized every single item in the bag. She spent hours envisioning just how he'd used them in the past on previous girls and what creative methods he would come up with for her. There were a couple objects that tied up some of the loose ends that certain victims had left them with, but nothing that really could be traced back to him without his kit that she now had in her possession and vowed that nobody else would ever see again.

Though the work week was hectic, Erin felt like passed by as quickly as water through a sieve.

She was antsy and excited on Friday morning, stepping away from her desk at 0945 for a coffee break that she planned to extend for as long as she could possibly could to calm her racing heart.

Taking a steaming mug of caffeine with her out to the car, Erin locked her doors and ensured that all the windows were rolled up while she attempted to get her excitement under control and drink her coffee in peace.

****

Amber was out tonight; she'd been planning to watch her the varsity volleyball team before spending the night at her friend Lauren's. Erin had planned this call to happen when she had the house to herself, after all, just in case things got a little... hot. With the lights dimmed and a couple candles lit for ambiance, Erin had stripped down to a thin light blue lacy negligee even if she was fully-aware that Mason wouldn't be able to see what she was wearing. It was more for her enjoyment, really.

The cellphone rang at exactly 2158. Erin sucked in a deep breath in preparation, ignoring the butterflies in her belly and answered the phone.

Despite having only spent a short amount of time with him, the moment his voice washed over her in a familiar deep rumble Erin felt all the stress she'd been carrying over the last several weeks wash away.

"Mace," she purred. "How have you liked my presents? I'm terribly lonely without you. I can't forget the way you tasted on our first date and I can't wait for more."

 

[Cum_Inside]

He was in a playful mood tonight. Erin grinned widely, settling back in bed against the pillows on her bed and spread her thighs, fingers ghosting around the lady fabric that covered her breasts. “I’d like that a bit too much, baby, and you know it. I have no fear, but I imagine you could show me what it means to feel that way at some point. I think you must have thought about wringing my neck a few times over.”

She paused, just luxuriating in the sound of his breathing on the other end of the line before she continued.

“Amber has said that she’d probably drop some money off for your commissary if she could, but the distance makes that a little hard right now, babe. I’m over it already.”