Page 104 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

Maddie sat in her car, in silence, staring at the dashboard for a few minutes. She’d done it, she’d survived, she’d gotten through the whole lunch without losing her temper or worse launching herself over the table and killing the man with a steak knife.

Damn maybe she really was mellowing.

She sighed turning the engine on. She felt guilty, guilty that she had done it because it felt like a massive betrayal to her mother but she also felt a little proud too because the old Maddie, the selfish Maddie would’ve run for the hills by now, ditched Cole, ditched everything. The very fact that she was making this sacrifice for him spoke volumes about how she felt and yet she’d never be able to tell him, never be able to let him know.

She put the hotel address in the sat nav, pulled out of the car park and headed into the afternoon traffic. She was lucky in a way that Alfred had chosen today of all days. It had fitted scarily well into her schedule as she was now out of the office, interviewing the trafficked girls and hoping that it might come up with some lead before the two weeks Brandon gave her were up.

She parkedup in the tiny motel and turned the engine off. She’d driven almost the entire way lost in her thoughts, lost in the case, trying to put this all together because how did trafficked girls link in any way to stolen classified documents?

She got out, yanking her bag, and collected her key from the desk.

The room was small but obviously had been recently refurbished. She dumped her bag on the floor and decided she needed a damn good shower to clear her head.

She stood under the slow trickle and cursed the lack of water pressure, after the shower she’d had that morning this didn’t even come close. She washed quickly, grabbing a towel and then got out.

It was dark outside and she drew the curtains seeing the time on the tiny clock by the bedstand.

Sighing she tossed the towel back in the room, yanked on some underwear and a top and called Cole.

“Hey.” She said when he picked up. She could hear from his voice that he was tired and wondered how much of it was work related and how much was from the weekend.

“Did you get to the hotel okay?” He asked.

“I did. Wanna check out my room…?” Maddie replied putting the video on and seeing Cole’s face appear.

He was in the office. Sat at his desk. She knew he was going to work late, that he’d take the opportunity too for the days she was away but she still didn’t like it.

“Not up to my standards.” Cole stated after she showed the cramped ensuite and room that held little more than a bed and a desk crammed into the corner.

“No?” She teased switching the camera to front view and allowing him to see her face.

“What are you up to Maddie?” He asked and she could see the glint in his eye.

“Oh nothing.” She replied lying back on top of the bed and holding the phone out further from her face so that he could take the obvious hint that she was dropping.

“Are you bored Maddie? Do you want some entertainment?”

“Do you Cole?” She replied knowing she was already throbbing slightly at the thought of it.

“Put the camera down so your arms are free.” He ordered.

She smirked doing as she was told, balancing it against the side. “How’s this for an angle?”

“Take your top off.”

She sat up staring into the camera, gently teasing the tank top up before yanking it over her head.

“What bra is that?” He asked leaning forward.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She teased. It was new. She’d had to order a whole load of new lingerie from the amount he had ripped and cut off her over the last few months.

“Pull your breasts out. I want to see them held in your bra.”

“Yes sir.” She quipped leaning forward so that he would get a good view as she did it and she heard his groan.

“Now take your knickers off. Slowly.”

She moved rolling onto her front and bending right over so her arse was fully exposed for the camera and then bit by bit she inched her knickers down, hearing as Cole’s response got more intense.

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