 
Back Door Betty

Fire in the Hole

A Novella

Janie S. Monares
Back Door Betty: Fire in the Hole

Janie S. Monares

Copyright 2012 by Janie S. Monares

Smashwords Edition

Published by dMon Publishing, LLC

Dallas, TX.

Editing by dMon Publishing, LLC

Front cover photo ©Fabian Schmidt | Dreamstime.com

www.dmonpublishing.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This book has been fictionalized and all persons appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Library of Congress Control Number LCCN:  2012949739

Paperback ISBN-10:  0985018054

Paperback ISBN-13:  978-0-9850180-5-4

E-Book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo

Audio Book available on Audible.com and iTunes

Vol. 1

First Edition

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2012 Janie S. Monares
DEDICATION

To my wonderful and oh so fabulous family: Dennis Monares, Don and Sybil Little, Tonya Little Phillips, Tammy Little Rock, and Julie Little. Of course my children too, but they will not read this until they're adults.
Back Door Betty

Available at most book retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and book stores throughout the world.

Look for, "Ship Mates III" and "Always Bite the Hand that Feeds You" in 2013.

Join Janie S. Monares on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/janiemonares

Signed copies are offered at: www.janiemonares.com and www.dmonpublishing.com. Betty Hatfield's Facebook page:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Back-Door-Betty-Fire-in-the-Hole-Betty-Hatfield/466409803401865
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Gail Jones: During the editing process.

Missy Jones Gnann: Proof-reader.

Tonya Little Phillips: For all her hilarious suggestions.

Tammy Little: For just being you, you always make me laugh.

Julie Little: My baby sister, she is just as wild and crazy as the rest of us.

Front cover photo © Fabian Schmidt | Dreamstime.com
the rape

Don't let Betty Hatfield's appearance fool you. Although she may appear beautiful on the outside with her long brunette locks, piercing sapphire blue eyes, and slender porcelain physique, she's a raging stick of dynamite on the inside. Her mixed martial-art skills and her intense police training will have you fooled. She likes it that way. A wolf in sheep's clothing is how she describes herself. A force not to be reckoned with, that's for sure. Years of built up anger engulfs her soul from a rape she endured as a bartender while employed at a prestigious Central Florida nightclub at the young age of twenty-one.

That horrific night haunts her daily. Her display of kindness and a generous offer to her sister's drunken boyfriend is how it all began. Darius, an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduate, sat alone at a table in Atlantis one evening waiting on Betty to close the bar and drive him home. Darius Marshall lived in the city of Daytona Beach Shores. The drive from Atlantis was twenty minutes; Betty didn't want to run the risk of him driving in the drunken state that he was in.

"Well here you are...home safe and sound." She smiled, pulling into the parking lot of his apartment building.

"Come in with me, stay the night...it's late. You shouldn't be driving the roads this time of night," he suggested.

Darius Marshall was arrogant and always full of himself. His blond feathered hair, pearly white teeth, and green eyes were what Betty's sister, Tanya, adored about him.

"Nah, I really need to go. I have to be at the car wash by seven-thirty in the morning," Betty responded, yawning.

Betty tended bar at Atlantis in the evenings and worked as a car detailer during the daylight hours in Orange City.

"I insist." Darius reached over the console and turned off the ignition of her white Z-28 Camaro.

Betty was still a little reluctant, but also very tired at the same time. What harm could come of it? He is her future brother-in-law after all.

"Oh, alright," she said. "I'll stay."

Darius led the way to his apartment on the first floor of the building. Upon entering his apartment, Betty noticed his two roommates seated on the floor in the living room playing video games.

"Follow me." Darius led her by the hand to his bedroom.

Betty glanced about the room and noticed pictures of scantily clad woman pasted all over his walls as if he were a teenager at the peak of puberty.

"You can sleep in my bed if you like, I'll sleep on the floor," he suggested, grabbing a blanket and pillow from the closet.

"No, that's okay. I'll sleep on the floor." She stood nervously, suddenly experiencing an uneasy feeling about the situation.

"If that's what you want." Darius tossed the blanket and pillow in her direction.

Betty spread the blanket on the floor next to the bed. The room grew dark as Darius shut off the lights. It was hard to fall asleep; that same feeling of uneasiness consumed her as she wondered if she had made a wise decision to stay. She could hear the shuffle of the blankets as Darius tossed and turned on the bed. Betty wished he would just finally fall asleep, but the way he was flopping around, she knew that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

A few moments later, Betty felt her hair being forcefully pulled. Darius yanked her by her hair and dragged her onto the bed next to him. Before she knew it, he was above her. She could feel his breath hot against her face, but couldn't see him.

"I've wanted you for so long, baby. You don't know how long I've waited for a night like this," he said, breathing heavily, panting, the horrible smell of stale alcohol emanating from his breath.

"Get off me! What in the hell are you doing?" she yelled, extremely frightened of what he had in store for her.

"Just relax. I'll be gentle."

Betty continuously struggled, trying to escape his grasp, but Darius was far too strong. He became frustrated with her intense efforts of trying to free herself. In the midst of his frustration, Darius knocked her head against the headboard with such brutal force that she collapsed to an unconscious state.

***

The sun beamed through the blinds directly into Betty's face. She peeked through blurry eyes at the clock on the dresser that displayed 6:03 a.m. Betty rose quickly, her head steadily pounded. She smoothed her fingers over the knot on the back of her head caused from the blow against the headboard. She started to panic as she saw Darius still asleep. She noticed the buttons torn from her blouse. Her panties were ripped at the crotch.  Oh my god! I have to get out of here! She quickly grabbed her handbag from the floor and immediately fled from the apartment.

She raced to her Z-28 and jumped in, but before she could shift into gear, she heard a knock on her window.

"Where are you going in such a rush?" Darius asked, apparently confused regarding why she left without saying goodbye.

Betty, startled, pressed the button on the console allowing the window to go down slightly.

"I have to be at work soon," she answered, her voice quivering, her hands trembling.

"I was hoping we could go to the beach. Can't you call in sick?"

What in the heck was his problem? Does he not realize that he raped me? "I must go!" Betty's window went up. She tore from the parking lot as fast as she could. The smell of burned rubber lingered from the pavement as she sped away from Darius Marshall.

She couldn't get home fast enough, accelerating down I-4 at ninety-five miles per hour until she finally saw the Deltona exit.

She rushed inside the house and sat upon the sofa thinking about the early morning hours.

Soon, her roommate emerged from her bedroom. Joanie immediately knew Betty was distraught. "What's the matter with you? Why do you still have on the same clothes from the night before?" Joanie asked, sensing something wasn't quite right. "You look like hell."

"I-I was raped," Betty stuttered, tears began streaming down her face.

"What?" Joanie questioned in disbelief. She quickly rushed toward the couch and sat, hanging onto every word Betty had to say.

"I gave my sister's fiancé a ride home last night from the club because he was drunk and his friends left him behind. When we arrived at his apartment, he asked me to stay the night because he didn't think I should be driving home that late. I lay on the floor next to his bed and before I knew it, he snatched me up by my hair, pulled me onto his bed, and then I was knocked unconscious. I awoke with the buttons ripped from my shirt and the crotch of my panties was torn. He acted as though nothing happened...even asked me to go to the beach with him." She cried, shaking her head back and forth. "I just don't get it."

Joanie's brown eyes examined Betty closely. Combing her fingers through her short, sandy blonde hair, Joanie appeared extremely disheveled by the news. "Grab your purse." Joanie stood, extending her hand to help Betty from the couch. "I'm taking you to the police station."
chapter one

Four years after the rape, Betty Hatfield, a graduate from Portland State University, received a degree in Criminal Justice. Before completion of college, she was offered a job with a police department in North Texas. The police department in North Texas wasn't the only department fighting for her. She had other offers, but North Texas enticed her the most. After accepting a ten-thousand dollar signing bonus and a fifty-five thousand dollar annual salary, she believed North Texas was the best fit.

The entire ordeal with Darius sent Betty into an unspeakable rage. She wanted revenge on that jerk and knew exactly how she would get it. The humiliating examination at the rape crisis center during that horrific day was more than she could bear. After Darius's arrest and the write-up in the newspaper, it forced Betty to attend college out of state. She wanted away from everything and anything that reminded her of Darius.

Tanya extinguished all contact with Darius, and when he posted bail, he high tailed it back to Georgia, his home state. Betty decided not to press charges because the investigator on the case convinced her that she would relive the traumatic event all over again while standing trial. The investigator also explained the attire she wore during that night could hurt her case. Her clothes were held as evidence at the police station, and she was sent home wearing used garments from the precinct's lost and found department. She often wondered if she was at fault because of her attire. Her boss at Atlantis always told her to wear as little as possible. She tried her best always to appear sexy, not slutty. The blouse she wore that night was a crisp white long-sleeve top that tied at the midriff, exposing a tiny hint of her abdomen. Her shorts were fairly short, slightly covering her butt cheeks, but the way she wore the outfit was classy, not at all resembling a hooker on the streets of Orange Blossom Trail, so she thought. Apparently, the investigator thought otherwise.

***

Betty arrived at DFW airport with luggage in hand. She was eager to start the police academy and move on with her life. She knew thirty-two weeks of hell was waiting for her, but all she thought about was revenge. Revenge grew deep in her family. After all; her great-grandfather times five was Preacher Anse Hatfield of the famous, 'Hatfield & McCoy's.' Revenge was in her blood. She knew she would get revenge on Darius Marshall; it was only a matter of time. The police academy would improve her fighting skills and eventually, the time would come to meet up with Darius again, and when that time came, he would wish that he never crossed Betty's path.

Betty hailed a cab at curbside. "Can you take me to the Conner Hotel in downtown please?" she asked, speaking to the driver through the crack of the window.

Betty had never been to Texas. The summer heat was brutal. One hundred and nine degrees displayed on the cab's dashboard thermometer. The traffic was horrible as well, major back-ups on the freeway were a nightmare, and she couldn't wait to hit the bed in the hotel.

Upon arrival at the hotel, she received her key and rushed to her room appropriately labeled, 'The Fantastic Suite.' Fantastic it was, with a forty-two inch plasma screen television, rain shower, magnificent view of the city, and three-hundred-fifty count bed sheets. She was in heaven, much better than the stuffy dorm in Portland.

She managed to save a substantial amount of money while she tended bar in Portland. Her mother and father paid her room and board at college as well as tuition so she was able to hoard cash to put toward living expenses while in North Texas.

Betty was in the center of it all. A car was the last thing on her mind. Everything was within walking distance. She had everything she needed right out her front door—upscale shops, fine dining, Katy Trail, and gorgeous executives running rampant throughout the downtown streets.

Betty sat at the suite's desk, powered up her laptop, and searched for a map to the police academy. Noticing it was eleven miles from her hotel, she knew she had to take a cab each day until she bought a car. Walking was simply out of the question.

At twenty-four, Betty was much more mature than those her age. The rape changed her life, causing her to become easily angered, distrustful, and alone. She had no one in her life. Well, except for her sister Tanya, who was a year younger than she, and of course, her parents. Tanya was immature, beautiful, and carefree. After breaking off the engagement with Darius, she went on a sexual rampage, screwing almost every man in sight. She didn't even care if they were married.

Betty didn't even trust women. The girls she went to high school with were the reason behind that, your best friend one day and then stabbing you in the back the next. She just assumed that's how girls were; it's in their genes, something you just can't get away from. She was friendless, no boyfriend, only focusing on her future career and seeking justice for Darius.
chapter two

Betty's alarm sounded. She had an hour to dress and prepare for her first day at the police academy. She crammed her athletic wear in her duffle bag, tossed her identification card in the zipper compartment, and stuffed some cash in her back pocket before hailing a cab in front of the hotel.

"Take me to 53120 Red Bird Center Drive please," she announced over the seat toward the driver.

Betty was nervous with absolutely no clue what to expect at the academy. Meeting new people was something she didn't care for; she was on a mission. A mission to rid society of disgusting perverts like Darius. She hoped thirty-two weeks would pass quickly with the goal of becoming a crime scene investigator.

Betty entered the classroom, her long brunette hair flowing down her back, sapphire blue eyes gleaming, and with her slender body, she captured the attention of her new fellow classmates. She knew she was beautiful, but didn't want people to misinterpret her beauty as a lack of common sense. She was quite intelligent and maintained the highest grade point average in one of the most prestigious criminal justice colleges in the U.S. Her mixed martial-arts skills also classified her as possibly one of the most dangerous females on the North Texas police force. Back in Portland, she used all her free time taking self-defense classes, even learned cage fighting. Her hands were considered deadly weapons, and if she ever encountered another incident as she did in Daytona, she was more than prepared.

Betty sat at a desk near the front of the class. She noticed the others were toward the back, congregated in clusters as if they knew one another. Retrieving her composition book from her bag along with a pen, she saw the instructor enter the classroom.

"Good morning, class. I'm Lieutenant Worthington," he announced, writing his name on the chalk board, his back facing the class.

Lieutenant Worthington appeared young, early to mid-thirties, muscular build, clean shaven, with a short dark brown buzz haircut, and deep chocolate colored eyes.

Betty, maintaining complete attention, remained focused on his every word and jotted his name down on a sheet of paper in her booklet.

"First thing's first," he said, spinning around toward the students in the class. "I want each of you to stand and recite your name." He nodded toward Betty, indicating she should begin.

Betty apprehensively stood alongside her desk, clearing her throat. "I-I'm Betty H-Hatfield," she stuttered. "I-I graduated from Portland State University with a BA in Criminal Justice." She slowly sat in her seat, nervously fidgeting with her knotted fingers.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Hatfield," Lieutenant Worthington said in his stern, authoritative voice.

The other students recited their names one-by-one. The remainder of the day was mainly orientation. The real hell was set to begin the next day. Betty wrote down plenty of material in her composition booklet. When Lieutenant Worthington dismissed the class, he asked Betty to stay behind.

"Yes, sir, you wanted to meet with me after class?" she queried, timidly glancing away toward the window. She was much too afraid to make eye contact with the lieutenant. For some reason, he made her incredibly nervous. Was she nervous because he was her superior dressed in full uniform, or was it his insanely good looks? All she knew was, he made her very anxious.

"Don't ya let all those guys intimidate ya, Hatfield," Lieutenant Worthington said, crossing his feet atop his desk. "Even though you're the only female in the class, don't let that discourage ya." Lieutenant Worthington spoke professional during class but when class ended, he allowed his Texas drawl to shine through.

"I'm not, sir." She swallowed hard, her hands trembled.

"Why are ya so nervous?" He noticed her hands shaking and her voice stuttering.

"I'm not sure." She shrugged. "I suppose that it's first day jitters." She cracked a slight smile.

"Take my business card. If ya need any help with anything, don't hesitate to call me...I mean that, okay?"

Betty slowly extended her hand, taking the business card from his grasp. She lightly grazed his index finger and felt a pleasurable stinging sensation rush through her body. "Thank you, sir. I will call you if need be. May I be excused now" She slowly glanced away, looking over her shoulder.

"My—my! Ya really are a shy one, aren't ya?" He smiled, hoping his words would place her at ease.

"Yes, sir. I guess I am."

"We need to break ya of that. After all, if you're gonna become a police officer, we need to toughen ya up and fast!" his voice displayed a slight hint of teasing.

"Whatever you suggest, sir," she said, tossing her duffle bag over her shoulder.

"You're dismissed, Hatfield. I'll see ya bright and early in the morning."

***

Betty arrived at her upscale hotel room. She removed her police academy uniform from her duffle bag along with her physical training attire. Skimming over the room-service menu, she ordered something for dinner. Turning on the television, she reclined against the headboard of the bed, imagining the pain she eventually would evoke upon Darius Marshall.

I'm going to ruin that man. She didn't quite know exactly how she was going to do it; she just knew his days were numbered.

After a few hours of television, a hearty meal, and a nice long relaxing bath, Betty retired to bed, anticipating her next day at the academy.
chapter three

Betty dressed in her uniform and strapped on her duty belt along with a 9mm handgun she had approved by the academy. Still unbelievably nervous, she took one last sip of cappuccino, and then went downstairs to hail a cab.

"G-good morning, Lieutenant Worthington," Betty addressed as she entered the classroom, trying to control her shaky voice.

"Good morning to you, too." He smiled, shuffling papers atop his neatly organized desk.

Moments later, class began. Betty, still sitting at the front of the class alone, focused her full attention toward Lieutenant Worthington.

"This week we'll discuss laws and procedures of the department. How many of you already have a position waiting for you after graduation?"

Betty slowly raised her hand, appearing like that of a child in grade school. She glanced around the classroom noticing only a few other hands extended in the air.

"Hatfield, what position are you assigned?"

Clearing her throat, she tried hard not to stammer. "I will be assigned with the forensics team at the crime lab under direct supervision of a crime scene investigator, sir," she explained, swallowing hard around the huge lump in her throat.

Lieutenant Worthington proceeded asking the other recruits questions about their future positions and also discussed the basics of law enforcement.

Finally the clock struck noon. Betty, extremely bored, couldn't get to lunch fast enough. She stood next to her desk and grabbed her purse from the back of her chair.

"Hatfield, can I see you please?" Lieutenant Worthington asked, hoping to catch her before she left the classroom.

"Yes, sir. "What can I do for you?"

"You're just not gonna ease up are ya? My—my, you're such a nervous little gal, ain't ya?" He sat relaxed in his chair, displaying a big Texas grin plastered across his face.

"I'll adjust soon I suppose." She shrugged, shyly peering down at her feet.

"What's for lunch?"

"Not sure. I was hoping to try out the deli down the block I suppose," she explained, not too confident of herself.

"We need to work on your self-esteem. After all, if you're gonna be workin' alongside me at the crime scene lab, ya gotta get over your shyness."

"Working alongside you?"

"Yep! After I'm done instructin' this course, I'm headin' out in the field as a crime scene investigator. I was an investigator before, but was asked to teach the police academy this go-round." He smiled. "Ha! I'll be honest. I knew I was gonna supervise ya all along." He playfully winked.

"That's wonderful, sir, but if you would please excuse me, I would like to grab a bite to eat. I'm starving." She placed her hands flush against her stomach.

"Well let me come with ya. We can get to know each other a little better." Lieutenant Worthington grabbed his cowboy hat from atop his desk and placed it on his head.

Betty's heart fluttered when he offered to join her for lunch. Something about him made her extremely fidgety, but in a good way. She didn't know why, but he strangely electrified her senses.

Upon arrival at the deli, Lieutenant Worthington pulled out a chair for Betty, inviting her to sit.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Worthington," she said, still anxious.

"Oh, please. When we're outside of class, you can call me Austin." He grinned.

Betty unwrapped her ham sandwich, fixated on his perfect smile, and deep, dark brown eyes. He was so friendly and inviting. She felt a sense of trust near him; her nerves were becoming more at ease.

"So, I take it by your drawl, you're a Texas native?" She stated without much confidence in her voice.

"Born and bred! How 'bout you? Where are you from?"

"I'm from Florida—attended college in Portland, and now I'm here."

"So what made ya wanna join the police department?"

"I've always been interested in the investigative field." She took a bite of her sandwich hoping Austin didn't see her chewing. She hated eating in the presence of men.

Betty couldn't help but notice the customers inside the deli staring at Austin and her. "Why are all these people looking at us?"

"When you're in uniform, you'll get it all the time. I'm used to it," he explained, sweeping the crumbs off the table into a napkin. "Examine them closely, you'll be able to spot the ones with warrants." He laughed. "They always appear extremely nervous. I think it's hilarious."

Betty glanced around the room, trying not to appear obvious. She noticed a man seated at a corner table, messing with his hair, and tugging at the collar of his shirt. "Is that one?" Her eyes motioned in the direction of the nervous gentleman.

"I bet he darn sure is," he whispered across the table. Austin glanced at his watch, noticing time was drawing near for class to resume. "Here, let me get that tray for ya," Austin said, picking up Betty's tray, tossing the trash in the garbage can.

"Thank you, sir."

"Nuh uh." He shook his finger at her. "Don't call me sir! Remember what I told ya...call me Austin when we're not in class." A wink shot from his right eye. "Can I get ya some Arbuckle before we leave?"

"Arbuckle?" Betty questioned. "What in the hell is Arbuckle?"

"Ha! Sorry, I meant coffee. I forgot—you're not from here."

"No, I'm fine, but thank you."

***

Betty relaxed in her chair and watched a video that Lieutenant Worthington played for the class. She was insanely bored and it took every ounce of energy she had to remain awake the remainder of the day. She began to dose off; her head leaned to the side, resting on her shoulder.

Lieutenant Worthington silently walked passed her desk with a ruler in hand.

"Wake up, Hatfield!" he yelled, slapping the ruler against the surface of her desk.

Betty jolted, startled by the loud smack. "So sorry, sir."

"I will see you after class." Lieutenant Worthington glared, demonstrating extreme disapproval of her lack of attention.

As the clock struck five, Betty remained seated as she watched everyone else leave.

"You must find my class rather boring," he sternly acknowledged.

"No, sir. I'm very sorry that I dozed off. It's just that—um, it's just—well, I've already learned all this material in college." She had been nervous, but for some strange reason, aroused at the same time. She could sense Austin knew it too; he was taking advantage of it, exhibiting his authoritative voice, knowing many women were weak in the presence of a man in uniform. Betty couldn't deny it, she was, in fact, turned on by him, but she would never let it show.

"What you learned in college is much different than what's on this video. This video explains many of the laws of the state...laws that are much different in the state of Oregon, where you attended college." He grabbed a thick heavy book from the bookshelf. "Here!" He tossed the book onto her desk. "You will read this entire book and write me a five-thousand word essay due the day of graduation."

Betty placed the book in her bag. "Is that all, sir?" She gathered her things hoping to leave.

"Wanna go have a drink?" He appeared arrogant, but smiling, assuming that she would take him up on his offer.

"No, sir. I don't believe in having cocktails with my superiors or instructors. It's a rule of mine."

"All right then, you're excused. I'll see ya tomorrow morning. Be ready for some hard core physical training."

"Goodnight, sir." She eased toward the door, sensing Austin's eyes staring at her backside.

Upon arriving at her hotel suite, Betty couldn't stop thinking about the offer Austin made for drinks. She did want to join him, but thought it was wrong because he was her instructor and soon to be her boss.

What is it about that man? She couldn't stop thinking about the electrifying feeling she felt as Austin grazed her finger when he handed her his business card. Betty reached into her purse and retrieved the business card he had given her the day before. She glanced over it, noticing his cell phone number. "Should I?" she asked herself. She wanted to call him but still wanted to stick to her rule of not socializing with her instructors or superiors. She sighed, placing the business card safely back inside her purse.
chapter four

Betty ran past her male classmates on the track as if they were at a standstill. The five-mile run was tough to conquer in the one-hundred degree Texas heat, but she managed to push through it, and was first to finish.

She walked a lap, sipping water trying to replenish her fluids. She knew she pushed herself too hard, but being the only female in the academy, she believed she had to prove herself constantly.

"There goes the brown noser," Kenny said to Josh as they ran by, knowing Betty heard him.

"Whatever!" she yelled. She could hear the two guys laughing in the distance as they left her behind.

"Good work, Hatfield!" Lieutenant Worthington said. "I believe you broke a record with that run."

"Thank you, sir." She took another sip of water. "With your permission, I'd like to go shower now."

"You're dismissed. I'll see you in class in a half hour." He glanced at his watch. "C'mon, get a move on, boys! We ain't got all damn day!" Austin appeared frustrated at the amount of time it was taking the others to finish.

***

Betty started the water in the shower. She was exhausted, her knees ached, and her head throbbed of a fierce headache. As she waited for the water to heat up, she rifled through her purse searching for aspirin.

After showering, she dressed in her uniform, and looked in the mirror above the sink, noticing something resembling a head ducking behind a locker. She turned around and slowly walked toward the locker. She stood erect, her back pressed against the locker, and her heart pounded swiftly. She took a deep breath and quickly jumped to the main aisle, hoping to startle whoever it was she saw. She saw no one. She rapidly shook her head back and forth, believing she may have been seeing things. Maybe the heat caused her mind to play tricks on her. Suddenly, she heard an echoing thud. She quickly turned toward the sound and saw a broom stick hitting the tile floor. She rushed toward the broom and saw a male figure running toward the exit. She quickly pounced on top of him, tackling him to the floor. "What in the hell are you doing in here, you fucking pervert?" she yelled, straddling his back, screaming loudly toward the back of his head. She noticed it was Madden, one of her classmates.

"I-I-I," he tried to speak.

Betty quickly grabbed the handcuffs from her duty belt and snapped them onto his wrists. "Lieutenant Worthington is going to love this!" she exclaimed, forcing him to his feet. "C'mon you perverted piece of shit, you're coming with me!"

Betty was ten minutes late to class because of the ordeal in the women's dressing room, but she assumed Lieutenant Worthington wouldn't penalize her when he saw her apprehension of Madden, restrained in handcuffs.

She opened the door and entered the quiet classroom where everyone was seated at their desks, studying.

"What in the hell is going on here?" Lieutenant Worthington asked in a raised voice, appearing shocked at Betty's prisoner.

"This fucking pervert was watching me shower in the women's dressing room! Luckily, I caught his ass!"

"What in the hell were you doing in there?" The lieutenant's eyes glared at Madden. "This is cause for immediate expulsion!" Lieutenant Worthington looked at Madden in utter disgust and then focused his attention on Betty. "Hatfield, do you wish to press charges of voyeurism against him?"

Betty, her hands still grasped at his handcuffed wrists, glanced at his face. "No," she answered. "Expulsion is enough for me."

"Are you sure?"

"Um, yea." She nodded. "I believe I've embarrassed him enough. He's done."

"Release the cuffs," Lieutenant Worthington instructed.

Betty unlocked the cuffs and freed Madden from the restraints. Humiliated, his head hung low, he walked toward his desk retrieving his duffle bag. Betty still stood in the doorway waiting for Madden to leave the class. As he slowly walked past her, he whispered," You haven't seen the last of me, bitch."

Betty shrugged off the comment, cleared her throat, and gained attention of the class. "Let this be a lesson to you men. Do not underestimate me because I'm a woman. I might appear small and weak, but my vast experience will prove otherwise." She took her seat and then opened her textbook.

After class, Betty grabbed her things, and walked toward the exit.

"Hatfield, can I see you for a second?" Lieutenant Worthington asked.

She stopped, glancing up toward the ceiling, sucking in a breath. What in the hell does he want now? "Yes, sir. What do you need from me now? It seems you keep me after class every day, why should today be any different?" Her sarcasm became abundant.

"What's with the attitude? Jeez—I was wantin' to tell ya how proud I was of ya, that's all."

"Sorry, sir. I'm still pissed off at Madden and the whole dressing room incident."

"Apology accepted. Now, ya wanna go get a drink with me?" He smiled, anticipating her answer.

"Sorry, sir. I can't." She couldn't look him in the eye. Deep down she wanted to go with him, but it was against her own policy with regards of seeing her superiors after hours. Lieutenant Worthington knew she wasn't being truthful; he could spot a fib a mile away. He was an experienced former interrogator and Betty's mannerisms gave her away. He knew she actually wanted to join him for drinks, but her rule wouldn't allow it, and he, respected her for it.

"Very well, Hatfield. I guess we'll stick with lunches then, since it's during class time." A shy wink shot from his right eye.

"May I be excused, sir?"

"You're dismissed."

Betty waited outside for a cab. Moments later she saw Lieutenant Worthington walking toward the parking lot. She watched him slide into a sleek black Corvette. It was a newer model she assumed because it didn't have the pop-up headlights. She saw the Corvette approach. Lieutenant Worthington stopped at the curb in front of her. His passenger window went down. "Hey, Hatfield! What are you doing out here?" he yelled from the driver's seat.

"I'm waiting on a cab, sir."

"Nonsense! Get in." He swung open the door, hoping she would honor his request.

She reluctantly slid onto the black leather passenger seat. She took in a deep breath, smelling his cologne mixed with the leather interior. "Thank you, sir."

"Where are ya staying?" he asked, squealing away from the curb.

"Why do you feel the need to take off so fast? Damn!" she said, trying to buckle her seatbelt. "I'm staying at the Conner Hotel in downtown."

"Wow! Isn't that place expensive?"

"Yes, but I don't care." She shrugged her shoulders.

"How about that drink now?" He grinned.

"No, sir. I need to get to my room and study."

"Alright." He huffed. "Can't blame a guy for tryin', though." Austin sped toward the hotel entrance.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Worthington." She grabbed her books from the floorboard, swinging open the car door.

"I told you to call me Austin when we're not in class." He smiled, appearing a tad aggravated that she insistently called him Lieutenant Worthington.

"Thanks for the ride, Austin," she replied, emphasizing 'Austin' before slamming the door.
chapter five

Betty's thirty-two weeks of hell finally came to an end. She achieved her goal by breaking every record of physical training there was and also graduated top of her class. She couldn't believe it was finally over, eager to begin her new job, and move into a place more permanent than a hotel suite. Lieutenant Worthington finally gave up on asking her out for drinks. He knew how much her rule regarding dating her superiors meant to her, so he didn't want to push it any further.

After graduation, the class, along with Lieutenant Worthington met at a Fort Worth western nightclub to celebrate. Buckin' Bill's was well known throughout Texas. The club often housed country bands that performed on the weekends, and many famous musicians were discovered there.

Betty arrived at Buckin' Bill's in her new Laguna green MINI Cooper that she finally purchased two weeks before graduation. She stepped from the car dressed in tight rhinestone pocketed jeans, a fitted white tank top, and cowboy boots. The tank top accentuated her double D breasts, which people often assumed were fake because they seemed much too perfect to be real as they protruded from her tiny frame.

The physical training sculpted her body into terrific shape. She was thin, but toned, a body most women would kill for, and most men fantasized after.

Betty entered the club; all eyes gazed upon her. She glanced around the room trying to locate her group. She saw them finally, sitting at a table near the back, next to an arcade.

"Wow, Hatfield! You clean up good!" Jason, a fellow classmate said over the loud country music. He was gorgeous with his sandy blond hair, a muscular build, perfect white teeth, and a sexy southern voice to go along with it. Something about southern accents made Betty's pulse race. She found it incredibly sexy when an attractive man spoke to her with a drawl.

"Thank you, Jason." She smiled, motioning for a waitress. "I'll have a Zima with cranberry please."

"A Zima?" Austin questioned, his eyebrows raised. "Are we still in the nineties?" He boldly laughed.

"Ha-ha, you're so funny." She rolled her eyes, sarcastically.

A tall gentleman approached the table. "Hi, ma'am," the gentleman said, tipping his cowboy hat. "Would you like to dance?" he asked Betty while extending a robust hand toward her.

"Thank you...yes I would," she said, placing her hand in his as he led her to the dance floor.

She placed her left arm around his back, her right hand still held in his grasp.

"My, I must say, you're the prettiest lady here." He smiled, peering into her sapphire blue eyes. "My name is Adam Sterling by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Adam. my name is Betty." She smiled, resting her head on his chest as she followed his every step.

Adam's moves were smooth, soft, and his touch, gentle. She could hear the beating of his heart and could smell the scent of Mont Blanc cologne exuding from his clothes. The scent made her weak; she felt passion as he held her against his chest tightly. He was fanatically gorgeous, slender but toned, blond hair, his face displayed an ever so slight five o'clock shadow, and was over six-feet tall.

They danced to several songs, paying no mind to anyone. She looked up at his emerald green eyes. He smiled, gently brushing her brunette bangs away from her face. "You have beautiful blue eyes," he whispered.

She inhaled deeply, savoring his scent. "Thank you for the dance." She backed away. "I need to get back to my group now."

"Can I call you sometime?" he asked.

"Sure, let me see your phone and I'll add myself to your contacts."

He handed the phone to Betty. She proceeded to add her phone number to his contact list. "There, all done." She grinned shyly, handing the phone back to him before walking off toward her group.

Austin's expression didn't appear too pleasing. Betty assumed that he was jealous that she shared a dance with Adam.

"Wow!" Jason hollered. "You sure seemed all gaga over him." He laughed.

"Ah—shut up! You're being silly." She smiled, trying to hold back a laugh.

"That dude's still starin' at ya, darlin'," Jason said, holding up his beer in Adam's direction, tipping his hat.

Betty sat at the table, her back faced against the crowd. She glanced hesitantly over her shoulder. She saw Adam across the dance floor near the mechanical bull, grinning from ear-to-ear. Flashing Adam a flirtatious smile, she shifted her focus back to Austin.

"I don't know what ya see in that dude, Hatfield. He's only after one thing," he said, staring at her chest.

Betty snatched a napkin from the table, shoving it in her shirt, concealing her cleavage.

"Isn't that what all men are after?"

"Not me. I show ladies respect. That's just how I am." Austin acted cocky, believing he was moralistically better than other men.

"Is that why you haven't been able to take your eyes off my tits all night?"

"Well if you're advertisin' the goods, babe, they're gonna be looked at." He winked. "You can't tell me your intentions were innocent when you put that shirt on."

"That's none of your business," she said. "Besides, what I do with my big boobs is my own big business." She rose from the table. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

***

The next morning, Betty showered and dressed in her brand new police uniform. She stared at herself constantly in the mirror knowing she was the hottest female police officer in the entire city. She was gorgeous, she knew it, and wasn't afraid to flaunt it. Thirty-two weeks of training brought her confidence level back up. She was fierce and still remembered the main reason she joined the police force. Her goal was to learn how to conceal forensic evidence, so when she met up with Darius later down the road, she would never get caught. She learned everything that she needed to know and was eager for her revenge on Darius Marshall. His time was drawing near. A visit from Betty wouldn't necessarily be the death of him, but after she finished with him, he'd wish he were dead because of the pain that she planned on inflicting upon him.

Betty placed her 9mm handgun in her duty belt, grabbed her car keys, and walked out the door. She sat inside her MINI and headed toward her new job off Stemmons Freeway. She entered the tall building, hoping to see Austin, but saw no sign of him, whatsoever.

"Can I help you, Officer?" a faint female voice asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm looking for Lieutenant Worthington's office. Can you point me in the right direction?"

"Take the elevator to the second floor," she instructed. "His office is the third door on the right."

"Thank you so much." Betty smiled. She arrived at the second floor, approached the third door on the right, and saw Lieutenant Worthington's name displayed on the exterior door of his office. Betty didn't know if she should just enter or knock.

She took in a deep breath and lightly tapped on the door.

"Come in." She heard Austin's voice on the other side.

"Good morning, sir." Betty, surprised to see him not in uniform, but dressed in a custom tailored designer suit.

"Good morning, Officer Hatfield," he said, grinning. "You started on a good day. We get to head over to a residence of a victim who was sexually assaulted last night. We need to collect some DNA evidence that we must provide to the detective who is working on the case.

Betty was feeling some intense rage boil inside her gut. "Where's the girl...the victim?" she asked.

"She's over at the rape crisis center gettin' checked out. Why?"

"No reason." She shrugged.

"Are ya ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go," she said, following behind Austin.

"So, no Corvette?" She laughed, opening the passenger side door of the white Lincoln Continental.

"No, I can't drive that on duty. The city provides this hunk of shit for me."

Betty couldn't help but notice how gorgeous Austin appeared in his suit. He wore it well. Fitted in all the correct places, clean-cut, and sexy. She was fixated on his hand grasping the steering wheel. His hands were sleek, flawless, yet masculine. The way they peeked from the cuff of his crisp, white shirt underneath his jacket sleeve was enticing. Betty wanted to reach over and touch them.

"So, has that dude from the club called you yet?"

"No. Nor do I care. I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I have more important things on my mind."

"Like what?" He glanced at her, noticing her fidgeting with her hands in her lap.

"Ah, it's nothing." She shrugged. But she knew it was something. The only thing running through her mind was getting justice on that bastard, Darius.

"Why are ya so nervous? It's not me is it?"

Fuck, yeah! "Nervous?" she questioned. "I'm not nervous."

"You could've fooled me." He reached over and placed his hand atop hers.

She quickly pulled her hands from underneath his.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Your hands are trembling is all," he explained, hoping she wasn't upset with him.

"It's okay. I guess I am a little nervous with this being my first case and all."

They arrived on the scene where several police vehicles were parked in the driveway. She entered the house, following behind Austin, noticing it in disarray.

"What in the hell happened here?" Austin asked one of the police officers.

"The victim sure fought for her life. The alleged rapist snuck through her bedroom window," the officer explained. "Hi, I'm Officer Fairchild," he said, interrupted by Betty's beauty while extending his hand toward her.

"Nice to meet you," she said. " I'm Officer Hatfield." She shook his hand.

"Enough with the chit chat, you two. Hatfield!" Austin's voice stern. "Put on some gloves so we can get started on this mess."

They entered the victim's bedroom and saw blood splattered on the walls, a broken mirror, and a busted lamp.

"Did the police catch the rapist?" Betty asked.

"Sure did. Caught his ass last night. A neighbor saw him fleeing the residence, followed him, and phoned the police, informing us of his whereabouts," Officer Fairchild said, staring at Betty's ass in her police uniform as she bent over, retrieving hair samples, and placing them in a plastic bag. "His bond hearing is tomorrow at noon. His name is Mark Gallagher. The victim is supposed to identify him in a line-up this afternoon"

That's all Betty needed to hear. She hoped he got released on bond. She had plans for that asshole.

After retrieving blood samples, hair samples, and a comb possibly left behind from the rapist, Betty found a wallet peeking from underneath the bed. She knelt down to retrieve it. Flipping open the leather bi-fold, she saw the alleged rapist's Texas driver's license. With her cell phone in hand, she shut off the shutter sound on the camera feature and quietly snapped a picture of the identification. She quickly placed the phone back in her pocket.

"Sir, I found this," she said, handing the wallet to Lieutenant Worthington.

"Wow, this will sure convict him! What an idiot he is for leaving this behind."

"I bet it fell from his pocket during the struggle," Betty assumed.

"Let's get back to the station. We need to turn this evidence in," he said, locking the victim's door behind them.

Upon arrival at the crime lab, Betty was concerned about the victim. She wanted to check on her, knowing how frightened she must be. "Sir, do you mind if I head over to the rape crisis center and check on the victim?"

"You're not an advocate; you can't go over there and ask the victim questions."

"I realize that, sir, but I'm concerned about her."

"Trust me, she's in good hands," he said, grabbing the evidence from the backseat of the car.

Betty viewed the picture of the alleged rapist's picture on her cell phone, memorizing his address.

"What in the hell are you looking at, Hatfield? Let's get a move on!" Lieutenant Worthington yelled, waiting for her to get out of his car.

"Sorry, sir."

Detective James, a heavy set balding man, met Lieutenant Worthington and Betty inside the lab.

"She identified him in the line-up," Detective James said, not appearing at all surprised.

"That's wonderful news. Officer Hatfield found his wallet containing his identification underneath the victim's bed," Lieutenant Worthington said, seeming proud.

"Is that right? Wow! This is going to be one easy ass case. Too bad his bond hearing is in a few minutes. If someone posts his bail, he's a free man until the trial," Detective James expounded in disgust.

Betty began fidgeting with her fingers. She could feel her blood begin to boil. She needed an outlet; she needed to let out her anger regarding the rapist before she exploded. "Will you two please excuse me? I need to hit the head," she said, walking toward the restroom at the end of the hall.

She entered the bathroom and rushed toward the sink. She splashed some cold water on her cheeks and looked up at the mirror with intense rage plastered on her face. "I'm gonna get that bastard. You're mine, you piece of disgusting shit," she whispered.

She dried her face and met up with Detective James and Lieutenant Worthington.

Detective James's cell phone rang, showing Judge Gabriel's name on the screen.

"Thank you for the update, Judge. We're on top of it," Detective James said before disconnecting the call.

"Well, his bond was set at five-hundred thousand dollars. It appears he has a friend on his way to bail him out of jail. Damn drug dealin' thug! He's going to be released by the use of drug money! Pisses me off! I bet he jumps bail, I can just feel it," Detective James explained, disgusted.

I'll make that asshole wish he were dead. Betty began devising a plan to make him pay for what he had done.

***

That evening, Betty returned to her hotel suite. She was on a serious mission while practically turning her room upside-down, trying to locate something black to wear so she wouldn't be easily visible in the dark when she paid Mark a visit. She found a pair of black leather pants, black leather gloves, a black turtleneck, and red high-heel pumps with a red satin bow adorned on the back. She quickly dressed and pushed her long brunette hair into a knitted black watch cap as she glanced into the mirror. "There—no one will notice me in this," she said. "Now, I need to figure out how to get out of this room. If I go through the lobby, I'll be seen on camera." She sat on the edge of the bed trying to figure out a way to escape with no one seeing her. "I got it!" She jumped to her feet and rushed through the backdoor onto the balcony. She glanced down, seeing a car passing on the street. Her room was on the third floor with a fire escape. A perfect escape and a perfect re-entry for her plan. Her back door justice was in the making.

She reached into her luggage and retrieved some firecrackers she had purchased at the beginning of summer at a firework stand just outside of Dallas, and shoved them in the back pocket of her leather pants.

She grabbed her 9mm handgun and placed it against her back at her waistband, then dressed in her pink trench coat, and placed a set of handcuffs inside the pocket. She viewed the photo on her phone of Mark's driver's license and searched online for his address.

She sucked in a deep breath. "Okay, here goes nothing!" She stood on the balcony and trailed her way down the rickety, metal stairs of the fire escape. Observant of her surroundings and people, she made her way to the pavement, unscathed.

As she waited at the bus stop for the DART bus, her heart raced. Part of her wanted to back out, but the vengeance part of her insisted she proceed with the mission.

The DART bus pulled to a stop. She placed her foot at the step, knees trembling, and palms sweating. She sat alone toward the back, crouched down, hoping no one would stare.

Fifteen minutes later, the bus stopped in a ghetto neighborhood. Security bars protected many of the windows of the homes along the residential street. She never took into account that there would be bars on the windows.

As she strolled her way toward Mark's house, she was relieved to see there were no bars on his home whatsoever. She glanced at her watch, it was only 9 p.m. She'd hoped he was asleep in his bed after his day in jail. She peeked through every window of the house, until she came to one with a man lying face down, uncovered, and naked on the bed.

That's him! She pushed on the window, hoping it was unlocked. It pushed open. She saw Mark toss and turn on the bed from hearing the faint creaking sound of the window hinges. She held her breath and waited a few moments until she was certain he had fallen back to sleep. She retrieved the handcuffs from the pocket of her trench coat, and slid the coat from her shoulders, allowing it to hit the ground. She slowly slung her leg over the window sill and pushed the rest of her body into the house. She immediately ducked down, hoping he didn't see her.

She finally mustered up enough courage, took a deep breath, rushed toward the bed, and swiftly pounced on top of Mark's back. He awakened, his head turned, he felt the weight of Betty on top of him. Before he had realized what was happening, Betty had his hands in her grasp, handcuffing them, leaving him defenseless.

"So, I hear you like raping women, you piece of worthless shit!" She punched him in the back of his head. "You're never gonna want to ever hurt another woman when I get through with you!"

"You're a crazy bitch! Get the fuck off me!" he yelled, trying to struggle free from the handcuffs.

"I'm going to have a little fun with you!" She retrieved a firecracker from her back pocket.

"What the fuck are you gonna do with that?" he asked, alarmed at the firecracker she teasingly held in her hand.

"Frightened are we? Good! That's exactly the reaction I wanted from you." Still straddling Mark's back, she turned around to face his feet. She slowly spread his butt cheeks apart, he, still wiggling, trying to force her to stop.

"What the hell are you doing, you sick bitch?" he yelled, totally frantic.

"Stop moving so much, you coward. You're fucking up my plan!" Tired of struggling with him, she noticed zip-ties sitting on top of his dresser. Climbing off his back, Betty swiftly grabbed the zip-ties.

He spun around, sitting up on the bed. Betty grabbed her firearm from the small of her back and aimed it toward Mark's head. "You better lay back down if you don't want me to blow your fucking head off!" she demanded, her fierce glare displaying evil intent.

"What are you going to do to me?" he asked, shaking, his nerves getting the best of him.

"Aw, are you scared? Did you for once think about how that poor girl felt who you raped last night?"

"Just please, get it over with. Whatever you plan on doing, just please get it over with," he pleaded.

With the gun still pointed at his head, her free hand zip-tied his ankles together. "I said, be still!" she yelled.

She climbed atop his back, straddling him, staring down at his ass. She eased apart his butt cheeks, strategically placing the firecracker inside his anus. She saw a matchbook on his nightstand.

"Oh my god, what are you going to do?" he asked, immensely terrified.

"I'm going to make you never want to hurt or violate another woman ever again!" She lit the match and placed the flame at the fuse of the firecracker. "I will never get caught, and if I ever hear of you ever raping another woman, I will kill you!" She rushed away from the bed, standing in the corner, eagerly waiting for the firecracker to detonate.

Mark's screams were piercing, but the sound to Betty's ears was pleasurable. He lay on the bed wiggling and writhing in pain as blood spewed from his ass. She un-cuffed his wrists and zip-tied them together.

She escaped from the window, slipped on her pink trench coat, then disappeared down the street. She waited for the bus; her watch displayed 9:45 p.m.

Back in downtown, she rushed to a pay-phone and dialed. "Fire in the hole!" she yelled to the 911 dispatcher. "2458 Callander Lane! Fire in the hole!" She quickly hung up the phone.

Betty made her way up the hotel's fire escape and entered through the backdoor of her suite. She sat at the edge of the bed and peered into the mirror while her heart pounded rapidly against her chest. Profusely sweating, and constantly praying she wouldn't get caught, she suddenly felt a strong sense of vindication consume her. A snide, evil grin encompassed her face. Her cynical stare lingered in the mirror as if she were going insane. She slammed herself back onto the bed, took a deep breath, and eventually fell asleep.
chapter six

The next morning, Betty was awakened by a telephone call. "Hatfield, get to the lab, quick!" Lieutenant Worthington demanded.

Betty's hands were shaking out of control.  Oh, god. They found me out. Her mind raced. She rushed for a shower and quickly dressed in her uniform.

She jumped in her MINI Cooper, making her way toward the crime lab.

"You're never gonna believe what happened to that rapist, Mark Gallagher," Lieutenant Worthington said to Betty as soon as she entered his office.

"What...did someone kill him?" she asked, knowing full well what happened.

"No, someone shoved a firecracker up his ass, lit it, and it exploded in his anus!" He laughed.

"No shit?" she questioned. "Did the police capture who did it?"

"He won't tell anyone who did it; he's in the hospital right now getting his poop shoot repaired." Lieutenant Worthington still laughed, shaking his head back and forth. "In all of my years working on the force, I have never come across anything so funny in my life!"

Betty sat in the chair in front of Austin's desk. Did she pull it off? Was Mark, the rapist, not going to actually say anything? She felt relieved, but getting caught still weighed in the back of her mind.

"Ya hungry?" Lieutenant Worthington asked.

"Not really. Why?"

"Let me take ya to breakfast," he suggested, a smug grin plastered across his face.

"Alright, I'll let you take me to breakfast." She smiled; still relieved, knowing Mark wasn't going to rat her out. She knew he was most likely embarrassed of being violated by a woman, likely to keep his mouth shut.

Lieutenant Worthington grabbed his blazer and slipped it on, concealing his weapon that was draped across his chest. Betty thought he appeared extremely enticing and masculine, but immediately erased the thought from her mind.

While seated at a booth at a quaint diner, Betty glanced over the menu. As she glanced over the top, she could see Lieutenant Worthington smiling at her with a gleam in his eye, as if he were embarrassed about something.

"Something I said?" Betty asked, smiling. What was it about him? She never imagined she would ever be aroused by a man again after the rape in Florida, but something about Austin got her juices flowing. She wanted him badly.

"Nah...just well...um...you look absolutely beautiful," he said.

"Thank you." She smiled. She was curious why he even told her that. He knew he could get in a lot of trouble if she reported his behavior to his superior.

Lieutenant Worthington seemed awfully shy, a side of him Betty never noticed. She reached toward the salt shaker; his hand grazed her hand as they reached for it at the same time. A jolt of electricity shot up her arm, his as well. Betty's heart fluttered, the palpitations, rapid. He smiled, allowing her to take the shaker first.

"Would you excuse me please?" he asked as he rose from the table, heading toward the restroom.

What in the hell am I doing? He gazed into the mirror above the sink. I can lose my job if I flirt with her! He splashed some water on his face, shook his head, and exited the restroom, hoping the cold splash of water would calm his hormones.

"Everything okay?" Betty asked. Her eyes sparked of flirtation.

"Everything's fine." He smiled.

Betty couldn't take her eyes from his perfectly chiseled face. His dark hair, tanned skin, brown eyes, and slight five o'clock shadow made the desire for him even more intense. He reminded her of a Marlboro model in a magazine. She could envision him wearing a western shirt, tight jeans with chaps, a lasso thrown over his shoulder, and a sexy Stetson cowboy hat atop his head while standing next to a longhorn steer.

After finishing their breakfast they arrived back at the lab. Betty was engulfed in a large amount of paperwork and Austin was talking to someone on the telephone. Their office was small, barely enough to fit two desks. Austin liked it that way, especially the closeness of Betty's presence.

"Sir, my shift is over. Do you mind if I call it a day?" she asked, placing a folder inside the top drawer of her desk.

"Have ya found a place yet?" he asked. "You're still not living in that hotel, are ya?"

"I'm supposed to see a place today. Why? Do you want to come with me?" She smiled, biting the corner of her bottom lip; her eyes showing tempting desire. What in the hell am I doing flirting with my boss like this?

"Really? You want me to come with you?"

"Sure, why not?" She shrugged. "Let me go change my clothes in the locker room. I'll be out in a jiffy."

Standing in front of her locker, she felt a nervousness that enveloped her entire body. Why was Austin causing her to feel this way? She couldn't grasp it. Darius robbed her of her virginity, she never slept with a man after the rape, but for some odd reason, Austin's tantalizing, masculine appearance, and southern accent was beginning to weaken her defenses.

She slipped into a pair of tight, skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. Grabbing her Coach Signature flats from her locker, she slid them onto her feet.

She entered the office where she saw Austin still seated at his desk, sexy as ever.

"Alright, sir. I'm ready if you are," she said, bearing a slight, timid quiver in her voice.

"Well, let's get a move on." He smiled, grabbing his suit jacket from the back of his chair. "Follow me to my house so I can get the Vette."

Betty followed closely behind Austin in her MINI Cooper. They entered Harland Park, a very wealthy community that was well known throughout Dallas because of the numerous celebrities who lived there. Austin approached a wrought iron gate that swung outward. Betty slowly followed behind.

"Wow!" Betty exclaimed when she exited the car. "Your home is absolutely gorgeous!"

"Thank you. It's been in the family for years." He smiled. "Follow me."

Austin led her to the front door constructed of wrought iron and frosted glass. "Ladies first." He motioned Betty to enter before him. She stood in the grand foyer, mesmerized at the beauty the house possessed.

"I-I-I'm absolutely speechless." Betty peered throughout the house, admiring the beautiful marble tile, a formal spiral staircase, and the elegantly decorated interior.

"Let me guess," he said. "You're shocked that I live in a house like this?"

"Well, kinda." She smirked.

"It was given to me when my parents passed away. The house may appear new, but it's been in the family for many years."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry about your parents," she said, sympathetically.

"Ah, it's okay. It was about six years ago. They were killed by a drunk driver on the Dallas Tollway. That fuckin' drunken wrong-way driver—my parents never stood a chance," he explained, shaking his head in doubt.

"My gosh, that's awful." Betty knew he must have some sort of hatred toward drunk drivers, just as she felt toward rapists.

"Let me grab my keys and we'll take off," he said, removing the keys from the hook near the front door.

Betty followed Austin through the kitchen where they exited through a door that led to the garage.

"Flip on that switch, will ya?" he asked.

Betty flipped the switch and the garage door opened. She heard the Corvette's door unlatch.

"Nope! Don't ya dare touch that handle," he said. He rushed toward the passenger door opening it for her.

Betty sat in the car, watching Austin slide his gorgeous body into the driver's seat still dressed in his designer suit.

"Aren't you uncomfortable?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm used to wearing shit like this." He winked. "Why, do I look like a nerd or somethin'?"

"No, you look—um—you look—nice," she said, stopping herself from telling him he actually looked hot.

"So, where to?" he asked, the car stopped at the end of the driveway.

"Take a right, head toward Addison," she instructed.

The Corvette headed on Quorum Avenue where they approached a complex of several two-story attached townhomes. Each home displayed a different outside color scheme and featured characteristics that distinguished one from another.

"Wow! These are quite nice," Austin said"Yeah, I like them. Addison's a nice area, too."

After viewing the two bedroom, one bathroom townhome, she signed a year lease and retrieved her keys.

"Whew! I'll finally be out of that hotel this weekend!"

"Ya need help moving?" he asked.

"Nah, it's not like I have furniture." She laughed.

"Well, if ya need help, just let me know."

She followed him back outside toward his car.

"Would ya like to join me for dinner?" He'd hoped she would say yes. He wanted to get to know her better. He felt an attraction toward her, exactly the way she did him.

"Oh, what the hell. Let's do it." She smiled.

"Really? You're gonna go against your rule?" he teased, flashing a sinister wink.

"Sure am." From the corner of her eye, she glanced at his hand resting on top of the gear shift. She wanted to place her hand on his, but was too nervous in doing so. The sexual tension between them was escalating; wondering who would initiate the first move.

They were seated at a table for two in a dimly lit restaurant. The bench seat wasn't very long; they were forced to sit close to one another. Austin could smell the scent of Betty's lotion wafting from her neck. Oh how he wanted to kiss her, just take her in his arms and hold her, a feeling he had been longing for.

"So, what are we in store for tomorrow?" she asked, hesitantly peering into his eyes where she knew she could get lost.

"Let's not speak of work," he said, his voice seeming more serious as he lost his southern accent.

"Why so serious, Lieutenant Worthington?"

"Please, I told you to call me Austin when we're not working."

She cleared her throat. "Okay, Austin," emphasizing his name. "What are we in store for tomorrow?"

He took a sip of wine. "How about we not speak of work? Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"

Betty took in a deep breath. "Actually, no." She sighed, her heart throbbed.

"From the day you first appeared in my classroom, I couldn't get you off my mind. You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen."

"Thank you, but I highly doubt that." She nervously laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh...but you are." He peered deep into her bright, gleaming, sapphire blue eyes. "Your hair, your beautiful eyes, and your porcelain flawless skin are all I think of."

Betty, shocked at what she was hearing, didn't know how to react. All she knew was, she felt the same toward him. She had been relieved that he made the first move.

Austin leaned in; his hands gently cupped her face as he pulled her to his lips. The kiss was tender but passionate, a kiss that seemed to linger on forever. Finally Austin pulled away, peering somberly into Betty's eyes. "Let's continue this at my place," he suggested, whispering softly into her ear.

Betty took one last sip of water. "Okay," she said, grabbing her purse from the table.

Austin placed his hand upon Betty's thigh, caressing it ever so lightly as he drove home. No words were spoken; they were extremely nervous but aroused at the same time. As they approached the circular driveway, Betty began to feel hesitant about her decision to take Austin up on his suggestion.

Austin walked around the car, opening the passenger door for her. Slowly, she rose from the car, and followed him to the front door of his home.

They entered the foyer, still no words, and still yearning for one another.

"May I get ya somethin' to drink?" he asked, removing his jacket, tossing it over the back of the sofa.

"No, I'm okay." She smiled, shyly gazing down at the floor.

"Have a seat," he said, reclining against the arm of the sofa.

Betty sat on the other side of the sofa leaving a vacant cushion between them.

"You don't wanna sit next to me?" he asked.

"Um—well—okay," she said, reluctantly sliding toward him.

He placed his arm around her and gently kissed her cheek. She turned her head toward his lips, kissing him, savoring the taste of his tongue. The kiss was soft, his lips perfect. She felt safe in his arms, but also afraid of where this would lead.

His hand wandered down toward her breast, he could feel the strong palpitation of her heart against his palm. "Are you nervous, baby?" he asked.

"Y—yes," she said, swallowing hard.

"Don't be. I won't do anything to hurt you. I promise."

"It's not that," she whispered, slowly pulling away.

"What is it? You can tell me anything."

She cleared her throat. "You're going to be my first."

Shock appeared upon Austin's face. He removed his arm from Betty's shoulder, not knowing how to take the news. He didn't want to deflower her if he wasn't certain they were not going to acquire a serious relationship.

Betty peered seriously into Austin's eyes. "I was raped a few years ago. The man, who raped me, robbed me of my virginity. I've never been with a man ever since." A tear trickled slowly down her cheek.

"Oh, baby. I'm so terribly sorry. We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just—I'm a little scared is all."

"Well if you're uncertain of your feelings toward me, I'll understand. I won't push you," he said, holding her hand in his.

"I am definitely sure of my feelings toward you. From the moment I set eyes upon you during the first day of class, I felt something for you."

Austin smiled. "I felt the same for you, too."

She slowly leaned in, and kissed his lips, trailing her mouth to his neck, her hands strumming through his clean-cut, soft brown hair. "Please, make love to me," she panted in a breathless whisper.

Austin took her into his arms and carried her up the spiral staircase to his bedroom. He gently placed her onto his soft king-sized bed, still gazing into her bright sapphire blue eyes, passionately kissing her. Betty softly pushed Austin from above her. She, on her knees facing him; slowly unbuttoned his white shirt, then gently glided her hands beneath his collar, sliding his shirt from his shoulders, and watched as it gracefully fell to the bed. Both facing one another on their knees, she kissed his tight, robust, hairless chest. His pecs were hard, tan, and flawless. She placed delicate kisses atop his nipples, driving him into sexual delirium.

He placed his index finger underneath her chin guiding her lips to his. She felt his hands underneath her t-shirt and seductively slipped it over her head. She knelt before him, her bra exposed to him, she, only wearing blue jeans. His fingers grazed a trail toward the button of her jeans; he slowly unfastened them, and slid her jeans down her thighs. She stood at the side of the bed, stepped from her jeans, and joined Austin back on the bed.

"My god, you're absolutely gorgeous," he said, gazing at her white lace bra and panties. He could see the outline of her areolas through the sheer white lacey fabric of her bra. He grew harder, wanting her even more.

She unfastened the button and unzipped his slacks. He tossed them to the floor, wrapping his arms around Betty, allowing her to fall gracefully back onto the pillow. The kissing grew more intense as they continued feeling the curves of one another's body. Austin slid Betty's panties down her long silky legs, and unfastened her bra, tossing it off to the side of the bed. They were naked. She wanted him, needed him, her body begging for him to finally enter her.

Austin finally succumbed to Betty's desire. She felt him slowly enter, she, engulfed in rapture. She held him tightly, close to her heart, feeling his heart rapidly beat against her chest. He gazed lovingly into her eyes. "You're incredibly beautiful," he whispered.

She hoped he didn't notice as a tear traced down her cheek. It wasn't a tear of sadness but a tear of joy because she knew that she finally could trust a man again; knowing Darius Marshall didn't ruin her forever.
chapter seven

The next morning, Betty awoke in Austin's arms. "Shit! I'm gonna be late for work!" she yelled, scrambling to get her clothes on.

"Relax, baby." He yawned. "I'm your boss. I won't reprimand you...unless you want me to." He winked.

"No!" She pointed at him with a serious look on her face. "You're not going to show me favoritism or cut me slack for anything. As far as I'm concerned, I'm your employee when we're on the clock," she explained, swiftly grabbing her purse. "I'll see you in an hour or so."

Betty jumped in her car and sped down the driveway. She rushed to her hotel room and took a quick shower. Afterward, she hurried to the lab, ran into the locker room, and then quickly dressed in her uniform.

She entered the office seeing Austin already at his desk. "How in the hell did you beat me here?" she asked, appearing shocked and confused at the same time.

"You're late, Officer Hatfield." He displayed a smug grin.

"I realize that, sir. It won't happen again."

"You better hope not," he said, bearing slight flirtation in his tone.

Betty sat at her desk and reviewed an open case of a serial rapist who was still on the loose. "How long has this dude been doing this shit for?" she asked.

"Who?" Austin questioned, but after seeing the file in Betty's hand, he realized who she was referring to. "Oh!  The Slapper. About a year now...he's smooth too, covers up his tracks real well. He's a smart one," Austin explained.

"Why is he called The Slapper?"

"Because the bastard slaps the shit outta the victims faces as he's raping them. They're all black and blue when he's done with them."

Betty became enraged as she sat, imagining the hell those girls had been put through. "No DNA was left behind at all?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing that we could find."

"Not even a single pubic hair could be found off the girls from the rape crisis center?" she questioned, not understanding the lack of evidence.

"Nope...nothing. The detectives and I believe he shaves so he can't be traced."

Betty continued looking through the files hoping to find something that had been missed. She noticed a specific area that the rapist targeted and he seemed only to target college students in the University Park vicinity.  Hmm, it appears as if he selects his targets on Friday nights between the hours of ten o'clock and midnight.

Lieutenant Worthington had been intrigued at Betty's determination. He had been impressed with the fact she was beautiful and intelligent. Both qualities that very few women possess.

She read further, noticing the rapist targets Caucasian women with a slender physique. Her mind began to race; Friday night was drawing near, and she wanted to play the part of a decoy to lure him to her.

"No one has ever been used as a decoy to try and capture this sicko?" she asked.

"Nope! Much too dangerous."

"Well not until now," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?"

She cleared her throat. "Oh, nothing," she answered, displaying a devilish grin.

"Any lunch plans?"

"Yes, sir. I have lunch plans. As a matter of fact, I'm going to take off now if that's okay."

"Sure...see ya back here in a little bit." He smiled as he watched her exit his office.

Betty sat in her car as pissed off as ever. She rushed to her hotel room to change from her uniform. Suddenly, thought of a place in the city of Garland that sells adult-oriented attire. She drove to the boutique and purchased a platinum blonde wig and a dress that only a prostitute would wear.

As she drove back to her hotel, Betty placed the items in her drawer, changed back into her uniform, and headed back to the lab.

Upon entering the office, she discovered Austin not at his desk so she continued looking through The Slapper's file. The more Betty read on, the angrier she became.

She had been engulfed in the file not realizing how rapidly the time had slipped by. She comprehended every detail that she could about The Slapper and then Austin entered the office with a contrite expression plastered upon his face.

"What's wrong, sir?"

"Well, I spoke with the detective working on the rape case involving Mark Gallagher. It seems a woman who wore red shoes is the person who is responsible for breaking into his home and shoving a firecracker up his ass."

"Red shoes?" she questioned, a little apprehensive.

"Yes. Red high heels with a bow adorned on the back."

Betty hung her head low and peered into the file hoping that Austin wouldn't see her expression. She was trying her damndest not to burst out laughing. Maintaining her composure, she cleared her throat. "Are we going to collect evidence at Gallagher's house?"

"Actually, no. This is a case we're just throwing at the back of the pile. That asshole got what he deserved." He belted out a laugh. "I bet he'll never rape another woman ever again."

"You can do that? I mean, put a file at the back of the pile?" Betty became confused at the way Lieutenant Worthington handled cases, but was relieved knowing that he had no interest in pursuing it.

"Sure can," he said, crossing his legs across the surface of his desk, appearing arrogant. "Now, what are we gonna do tonight?" he asked, in that sexy southern accent Betty loved so much.

"I'm packing and planning for my move this weekend."

"You probably don't have much, do you?"

"Not really, just a few clothes. I don't have any furniture, so I'll have to shop for some on Sunday."

"Where are ya going?" he asked, hoping she would include him on the hunt.

"Not sure." She shrugged. "Maybe IKEA."

"Do ya mind if I tag along?"

"If you want to come, that's fine."

"Is something bothering you? You seem as if you're somewhere off in space. You're very distant."

Betty sighed. "I'm just tired. I spent too much time on this file." She placed the file back in the file cabinet and closed the drawer.

"Well, if ya wanna take off and get some rest, be my guest."

"Thank you, sir," she said, retrieving her purse from the back of her chair. "Goodnight, Lieutenant Worthington."

"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed, trying to catch her before she walked out. "Can I call you tonight?"

"Sure." She smiled.

Austin reclined in his desk chair and wondered why Betty seemed to be playing hard to get. He was under the impression that they were an exclusive couple now, hoping he could see her whenever he wanted, and could call her without asking.

***

Betty sat at the edge of her bed and prepared for tomorrow night's task of luring The Slapper into her trap. She planned on wearing the red shoes again and had been pleased that Gallagher described them. It would now be her infamous signature, like a villain, but a good villain, only bad to those who cross her.

Betty's phone rang and she noticed Adam's name displayed across the screen.

"H-hi, is t-this Betty?" a quivering voice asked.

"Yes, this is Betty."

"Oh, good." He exhaled, relieved. "This is Adam. I was hoping you didn't give me a fake number at the club." He laughed, feeling reassured.

"Ah—no, I wouldn't do that. I had a great time."

"So did I. The reason I'm calling is because I wanted to ask you out to dinner tomorrow night."

"Oh, Adam," she said. "I'm so sorry, but I have to work. Maybe some other time." She hated the fact that she had lied, but she didn't want anyone knowing that she was actually disguising herself to try to lure a serial rapist out of the woodwork.

"Totally understandable. Hey, you call me when you're free. My schedule is flexible."

"I will. Thank you for understanding, Adam."

"Now where was I?" she asked herself after disconnecting the call. She snapped her fingers, "Oh yes!" She retrieved some firecrackers and shoved them in the pocket of the slutty dress that she had bought at the adult boutique. "There! Now all I need is tomorrow night to come along and then I'll be ready!"

She showered and shaved her legs, dressed in her white plush robe, and ordered room service for dinner. As she sat on the bed watching television, she heard a knock at the door. Peeking through the peep hole of the door, she saw Austin standing in the hallway.

"Shit!" She immediately grabbed the dress, shoes, and wig, and opened an empty drawer, frantically shoving them inside.

She took in a deep breath and managed to maintain her composure before opening the door. "Why, hello there." She smiled, inviting Austin into the room.

He kissed her cheek playfully. "Hello to you, too." He winked.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise, seeing you show up all unannounced."

"I'm sorry about that. I was passing by and thought I would drop in and say hi."

"I ordered some food," she said. "Did you want to stay and join me?"

"Sure, what are we having?"

"I ordered baked ziti. They always serve way too much, so there will be plenty for the both of us."

Austin walked slowly toward Betty bearing a serious look on his face. "Mmm...you smell good. What's that scent?"

"Lever 2000 soap," she joked.

He tossed his head back and laughed loudly. "Come here." Pulling her into him, he nestled his lips to her neck. She felt weak when he kissed her there, her weakest spot for sure, and he was beginning to realize that, so he used it toward his advantage.

Betty kissed him long and hard, her kiss invited him to go further. She wanted to feel his closeness again, she felt safe, a sense he could only make her feel.

The kissing ceased when they heard a knock at the door. Room service had finally arrived. They sat near the window at a small, round table. They longingly gazed at one another, deeply wanting each other the way that they did the night before.

"So, why did you really come over?" Betty inquired, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a paper napkin.

"I wanted to be with you—I can't get you out of my mind."

Betty knew Austin had been serious because when he spoke without his southern accent, he meant business.

"So, you just didn't use me as a one night stand?" She lifted her glass, taking a sip of water as she flirtatiously smiled. She noticed Austin couldn't take his eyes off her breasts that were slightly showing through the gap in her bathrobe.

She quickly closed the area, clinching it with her hand. "No need to cover it up...you're beautiful." Austin smiled.

"I'm modest," she said, taking another sip of water.

Austin noticed her hand slightly shaking. "Do I make you nervous, baby?" He displayed a sinister grin upon his face.

"A little." She shrugged.

"But, in a good way, I hope."

"Yes...it's in a good way." The sexual tension had been getting the best of her. She just wanted to pounce on top of him and get it over with. The butterflies in her stomach were becoming unbearable.

Austin slowly rose to his feet and calmly approached her. He bent down, kissing her on the lips as his hand slowly entered her robe, touching her firm breasts.

"Oh, Lieutenant Worthington." She breathed heavily.

"That's it, baby. Call me lieutenant, it drives me crazy to hear those words come from those beautiful, sensuous lips of yours."

"Take me, Lieutenant Worthington. I want you so badly," she demanded, whispering in a heated breath.

He gathered her in his arms and gently placed her on the bed. His hand grasped the belt of her robe, untying it, exposing the full front of her flawless silhouette. He gazed upon her as he smiled, his hand slowly brushing across her flat, toned stomach. "My god, you're in tremendous shape," he acknowledged, placing gentle, tiny kisses along her abdomen.

She felt his hand wander slowly between her thighs before he plunged his long, middle finger inside her moist folds. Kissing her lips, he sensed that she wanted him badly. As he disrobed alongside the bed; Betty stared at his ripped, muscular physique. His perfectly sculpted body made her powerless, wanting him to do things to her that she never experienced in her life.

He lay above her, fervidly gazing into her eyes, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I love you, baby," he whispered.

Her eyes shot open in surprise. She didn't know what to say. She believed that she loved him, too, but was afraid to say it. She never told a man that she had loved him in her life, well, except for her father, but that didn't count.

"I-I love you, too," she stammered, pulling him into her as her nails grazed alongside his back with each thrust, the kissing more intense, and the breathing more profound.

Moments later they embraced, exhausted, enjoying the warmth of their bodies touching underneath the blankets. He held her all through the night, not letting go, as if he were holding on for dear life.

***

Betty arrived at work before Austin. He had gone home after leaving Betty's hotel suite to shower and change clothes. Betty sat at her desk, nervous of what the night had in store for her. She had been eager to catch The Slapper and make certain that he would never harm another girl again.

"Hey, baby," Austin said upon entering the office, bearing a wide smile on his face.

"Remember, don't speak that way while we're working," she reminded.

"Ah—yes, I almost forgot about your policy." He laughed.

"I'm serious! I do not bring my personal life to work, it's strictly business at the office," she said, showing a determined look on her face.

"Whatever!" He rolled his eyes. "Here." He handed her a caramel Frappachino. "I got ya some Arbuckle."

"Thank you. That's sweet." She finally broke a smile through her scrutinizing. Sitting quietly at her desk, she tagged bags of evidence, and prepared them for the lab. She became bored and wanted something more exciting to do. Little did Austin know, as she worked, she was devising a plan to catch The Slapper.

Hours crept by as Betty grew more nervous with each passing minute. She knew she could pull it off, but was afraid that Austin would try to stand in her way by inviting her dinner. She had to make up something to tell him before he even had the opportunity to ask. An idea sparked in her mind and she was able to conjure up a plan. "Lieutenant Worthington, would you mind if I call it a day? I'm not feeling too well."

"What seems to be the matter?"

"I just started my period. My stomach hurts," she explained, retrieving a bottle of aspirin from her purse.

"Go ahead. I'll call ya tonight to see how you're doin'," he said. He surely didn't want to ask any questions. Female issues had been something that he didn't care to hear about.

She sat in her car, relieved she could leave work early. Now, she just hoped that Austin wouldn't call her when she snuck out to do her dirty deed.

"He's making this extremely difficult for me," she mumbled. "He's getting in the damn way!" Although she had been becoming angry at him and the situation, she still couldn't stop her devout feelings for him. Deep down she believed that she loved him; she just didn't expect a man to get in between her and her vigilante ways.

She sped off through downtown, making her way to her hotel suite. Determination is what she felt, a mission to inflict pure hell upon an asshole who should've been stopped a long time ago.

She entered her room and pulled her dress from the drawer along with the blonde wig. After sliding into the tight, hot pink tank dress, she positioned the wig on her head. She applied layers and layers of makeup and put on her red high heels that were adorned with the infamous bow. As she gazed into the mirror at her reflection, she thought that she looked way too familiar. Suddenly, it became clear to her. She resembled a porn star.

"If this get-up doesn't lure that bastard out, then nothing will!" She applied one last coat of lip gloss and anxiously paced back and forth in her room as she waited for the evening to draw near.

Her phone rang and she noticed Austin's name displayed on the screen. "Fuck! He's going to screw this up for me!" Disconcerted, she tapped the answer button on the phone. "H-h-hello." She fake yawned, sounding as though she had just awakened.

"Hi, baby. How are ya feelin'?"

"Not too well. I was asleep. I took a sleeping pill to help me get some rest."

"Do ya need me to drop by?"

"No!" she belted a strong voice into the phone. "I mean, no." Her voice changed dramatically to a more softer tone.

"Are you sure?" He raised a questionable eyebrow due to her sudden outburst.

"Yea, I'm sure. I'll be fine. I just need some rest. The first day of my period is always horrible."

"Alright, I'll leave ya alone. Call me if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you for worrying over me."

"I love you. It's my duty to worry about you."

Betty disconnected the call and continued pacing back and forth, restlessly gnawing on her nails. She felt a little more at ease because she believed that she did a superb job at convincing Austin of her fake illness.

Finally, the clock struck 9:00 p.m. and she grabbed her trench coat and shoved her gloves and firecrackers in the pocket. She went through the backdoor, snuck down the fire escape, and managed to make it inside the parking garage to retrieve her car without anyone seeing her. She headed out of downtown and headed toward University Park. Turning down an alley off of Preston Road, she knew that she could easily hide her car from the bustling traffic.

As the car idled alongside a curb, Betty strapped her 9mm gun to the inside of her thigh, secured a firecracker in the elastic of her thigh-high stocking, and held her keys in her hand along with a few zip-ties.

She walked slowly up the alley toward the busy street and spotted a bench in the distance where she thought that she could sit and wait for the rapist to reveal himself. Two long hours passed and she began to grow cold. The October winds were picking up speed and she started to shiver.

She heard some rustling in the bushes behind her. As observant as possible, she hesitantly turned her head toward the noise, just enough to see from her peripheral vision the silhouette of a male figure crouching down behind a perfectly trimmed bush.

Just act as if you're waiting on somebody. Pretend that you don't hear the rustling of the bush. Her heart raced and she knew it was about to go down. Standing from the bench, she fluently bent over, allowing the bottom of her butt cheeks to peek beneath the form fitting dress, knowing damn well that would excite him. She reached down, tugging on her thigh-high stockings, still managing to keep the man behind the bush in her peripheral vision.

Suddenly, the man raced from behind, and tackled Betty to the ground. Her keys and zip-ties fell into the grass, but Betty remained focused on where they landed. He bound her wrists in his grasp and dragged her behind the bush. She didn't scream while she allowed him to go on with what he had planned, but as she lay on the ground, staring up at The Slapper, she forced a swift, blunt kick to his groin.

He grabbed his crotch and tried to muffle the sound of his painful grunt. Betty kicked him in the face with the spike of her red, high heel shoe and stood, wrapping her fingers around his neck as she forced The Slapper's face into the grass. While straddling his back with one hand at the back of his head, she reached with the other, and grabbed the zip-ties off the ground. She remained atop his back and zip-tied his hands behind him. While forcing his face harder into the grass, she didn't ease up until she heard him gasping for air. The rage that she felt was empowering every single inch of her being. She wanted to kill him off, but knew that she couldn't.

As she continued to hold his head in the dirt, she whispered in his ear, "You've met your worst nightmare you sorry sack of shit! You're mine now, bitch!" She turned around and faced toward his feet still in a straddled position. Betty zip-tied his ankles together so he couldn't move a single inch. Pulling the firecracker from her thigh-high stocking, she dauntingly hung it in front of The Slapper's face.

"W-w-what are y-you gonna d-do with t-that?" he asked, stuttering.

"Oh, this little thing?" She smiled evilly. "This little thing is going to make you think twice before ever raping another woman again." Betty expeditiously forced The Slapper's jeans down to his knees. The force was so strong that she heard the jeans rip apart at the seams. Wedging the firecracker into the pucker of his anus, she struck a match, and lit the fuse. She rushed away and stood off in the distance, yelling loudly, "Fire in the hole!"

Seconds later, the firecracker detonated and she could hear The Slapper's muffled cries for help as he still lay face down in the dirt still bound.

Betty spotted a payphone not too far off in the distance. Immediately dialing 911, she yelled into the phone, "Fire in the hole! 278567 Preston Road, behind the old concrete bench near the bushes!"

She disappeared from view as she paced swiftly down the alley as she approached her car. Swiping the wig from her head, she tossed it into the passenger seat, and then fastened her seatbelt.

Before driving onto Preston Road, she saw five squad cars speeding toward the scene. The smuggest grin crossed over her face during the entire duration of her drive back to her suite. She felt deliriously overjoyed, knowing that she got another rapist off the streets of North Texas.
chapter eight

Saturday morning Betty awoke to a breaking news story on television. "This is the second time the Firecracker Bandit has struck," Clare Donner of Fox News said. "Mark Gallagher, a convicted rapist was the first target. The Slapper, also known as Becker Craden, was the second target, which took place last night at approximately eleven o'clock in University Park. The Firecracker Bandit is described to have placed firecrackers in the anus of her victims, igniting them, and yelling, 'fire in the hole' as it detonates, and then calls 911 to bring police to the scene. Police have not yet made an arrest and there are currently no suspects. The vigilante appears to be female because each victim describes her as having red, high heel shoes with bows adorned on the back. She is also described as slender, attractive, and very strong...mastering the skills of martial-arts. We will continue to update you on the story as we get more details."

Betty sat in shock at the edge of the bed. She had no idea that this would spark media attention. Did she remember to cover up every tiny detail that could possibly give her away?

Her phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts. "Baby, we need to head to the office," Austin said.

"Why?" she asked. "Today's my day off. I'm supposed to be moving."

"We need to investigate a case. I'm sure that ya heard of the Firecracker Bandit?"

"Yeah, I heard it on the news just now. Was The Slapper killed?"

"No, just hospitalized and humiliated."

"I'm sure he isn't as humiliated as those girls were who he raped."

"Maybe not, but I need you down at the lab."

"Alright, let me get dressed. I'll be right over."

Betty took a quick shower and dressed in her uniform. Her hands trembled while she tried strapping her duty belt to her waist. She felt a tad distressed, unsure of what to expect once she arrived at the lab.

***

She apprehensively turned the knob on Austin's office door.

"So glad that ya made it," Austin said, appearing as cocky as ever while taking a sip of coffee from a paper cup.

"Well, of course I made it. "You gave me no choice in the matter." She plopped herself down at her desk. "Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know. I want us to be exclusive; though, us not seeing other people, only each other," he said, trying his best not to smile, but found it difficult not to. Betty made him blissfully happy.

"No! Not that! About the case...the Slapper case!" she explained, appearing a tad irritated.

"Oh!" Austin tried erasing the look of embarrassment from his face. "Come with me." He motioned with his hand.

Betty followed Austin to his Lincoln Continental. "Where are we going?" she asked, seeming concerned, not quite sure where he was taking her. Guilt kept running across her mind. She felt as though Austin knew deep down what she had done. She tried her best to appear guilt free, attempting to maintain a serious expression upon her face.

The ride was quiet; neither of them spoke a word. Betty suspected perhaps Austin was a little embarrassed about the exclusive comment that he made when she didn't acknowledge it the way that he'd hoped.

Betty thought that she needed to start off the conversation to ease the tension in the air. "So...where are you taking me, sir?"

"University Park. Where the incident took place last night. We need to gather evidence. Those fuckin' civilians better not have messed with the crime scene. I made sure it was taped off, but I know how curious folk are."

Betty, still remaining a bit tense, stepped from the car approaching the scene.

"What exactly are we looking for, sir?"

"What do you mean? You should know. You forgot all about that training?" He shook his head in disbelief because she had the audacity to even ask such a question.

Betty knew exactly what to search for. She was just nervous, trying to spark conversation.

Slipping on a pair of latex gloves, she knelt to the ground, and began combing meticulously over the scene. "Please don't let me find anything that will incriminate me," she mumbled.

Moments later, she stood, brushing grass off the front of her pants. "The scene is clean, sir. I can't find anything."

"I can't seem to find a damn thing, either," he said, scratching his head, dumbfounded. "I just don't get it. Whoever this so-called Firecracker Bandit is; she's smart, as if she knows how to clean up a crime scene. I just wonder if she's gonna strike again?"

Betty shrugged her shoulders. "I believe you're right. We've been out here for two hours. Should we head back? I really need to check out of my hotel room."

"Sure, I'll drop ya back off at the station. You can leave from there. When ya come back to the office on Monday, I need ya to investigate previous rape victims. I have a strong suspicion that it may be a rape victim who has a vendetta against these local rapists."

Betty didn't say anything and had been shocked that he suspected what he did, but then again, he was incredibly intelligent, and she had to figure out a way to deter his thinking.

Betty's cell phone rang. Adam's name was displayed on the screen. She immediately tapped reject and slipped the phone inside her front pocket.

"Who was that?" Austin asked, curious of why she quickly dismissed the call.

"Oh, it was a telemarketer," she innocently told a white lie. A few seconds later, her cell phone chimed indicating a voicemail had been left.

"Ya want some company tonight?" Austin smiled teasingly, trying to conceal his flirtatious tone.

"I don't know. It all depends on how exhausted I am from the move."

"Why are ya becomin' so distant? Is it somethin' I've done?" He noticed that her demeanor toward him had been cold. He just couldn't understand the reason.

"I'm not distant," she answered. "I'm still a little sick is all."

"You would let me know if somethin' was bothering ya, wouldn't ya?"

"Yes, I would. Trust me, it's nothing you did, it's just me. Hopefully I'll feel better soon." She had hoped that he believed her. She was, in fact, a little distant. She didn't realize that he actually noticed it, but she knew that she better change her attitude before he becomes suspicious.

***

Betty arrived at her hotel room. She loaded her car with her clothes, and then checked out at the front desk. She had been eager to move to her new place. Hotel life had been becoming such a bore, not to mention, expensive.

As she entered her new townhome, she took in a long deep breath, and embraced the quietness. Addison was a gorgeous little town; well-known for its bars and restaurants. The street her townhome was located, reminded Betty of a mini-Manhattan; minus the crowds, constant honking horns, and emergency vehicle sirens.

Betty flipped through some brochures that the landlord had left on the island counter in the kitchen. She picked up her phone and ordered Japanese food for a late lunch. She didn't like the fact that she had to sit on the floor and knew that she had to get some furniture in her new home, and fast.

Noticing the light on her cell phone had been blinking, she listened to Adam's voicemail. "Hi there, just wanted to let ya know that I had a great time the other night, would like to do it again sometime. Gimme a call."

Betty remembered how great it felt dancing with Adam at Buckin' Bills. He was such a gentleman, and she thought that he was extremely handsome, but knew after what she and Austin had shared, it would be senseless to go on a date with Adam.

Betty dialed Austin's number. "Do you want to go with me to IKEA to shop for furniture?" she asked.

"Sure, I'll be over in an hour or so. I need to shower first."

"Okay, I'll see you then." She disconnected the call and carried her bags into her bedroom to unpack. She was relieved to see clothes hangers in the closet; at least she could hang her uniforms. The silence was bothersome; she knew that she had to purchase a television before she went nuts in the quiet, empty townhouse.

She heard the doorbell chime and was relieved that lunch had finally arrived. After finishing her teriyaki chicken and rice, she heard Austin knock on the door. Her heart fluttered ever so slightly with the anticipation of seeing him outside of work. She opened the door and saw him standing at her doorstep, appearing dashingly handsome. "Come in," she invited.

He kissed her cheek and walked through the entrance. "Ya really do need some furniture and fast." He laughed. "C'mon, let me take ya shopping."

Grabbing her purse, she took Austin's hand, and he escorted her to his sexy, sleek black Corvette.

Sliding onto the leather passenger seat, her eyes became fixated on his jeans. She could see the bulge of this thigh muscles putting a strain against the denim fabric. "You look incredibly handsome," she said, lightly trailing her fingertips along the inside of his forearm.

"Stop! That tickles." He giggled playfully, pushing her hand away.

"So, you're ticklish, I see," she teased. "I can use this toward my advantage." She winked.

"Okay—okay, you found my weakness, now let's get going!" He cranked up the loud sports car. Betty loved the tough, throaty sound of the engine.

As they approached the Dallas Tollway toward Frisco, Betty couldn't help but notice the fresh crisp scent of Austin's cologne. It was mesmerizing.

"What's the name of the cologne you're wearing?"

"Acqua Di Gio, why? Ya like it?"

"It's yummy." She guided his hand to her nose, sniffing his wrist.

Upon arrival at IKEA, Betty was discouraged when she realized how difficult the furniture would be to assemble. She finally took the advice of Austin and went across the street to a furniture store and ordered a living room, dining, and bedroom set. Luckily she was able to have a delivery scheduled the next day so she wouldn't be without furniture much longer.

"Allow me to take ya to dinner?' Austin asked.

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"There's this excellent Mexican restaurant just down the street. Ya feel like Mexican food?"

"Sounds good to me. I can go for a frozen margarita right now." She smiled, noticing chills on her arms. As each second passed, she felt entirely entranced by Austin. He was totally different from outside the crime lab, as if he were two different people. She didn't feel the butterflies while at work, she wouldn't allow it, but as soon as she saw Austin outside work, it titillated her to the core.

Once seated at their table, they ordered drinks along with an appetizer. She couldn't stop smiling at Austin, the butterflies were wreaking havoc in her stomach.

"Why are ya lookin' at me so silly?"

"Me?" She pointed to herself, shrugging her shoulders. "Nah, I'm not looking at you any different than what I normally do." She winked. But she knew that she was eying him differently, she couldn't hide it no matter how hard she tried, he made her smile, and she loved every minute of it.

As they sat across from one another eating their food, Austin took it upon himself to bring up the Firecracker Bandit. Betty didn't know how to react, hoping to disguise her guilt, in fear that he could read her mannerisms, and pin-point who the bandit actually was.

"I still can't get over whoever it is shoving firecrackers in these rapists asses." He sat, appearing to try to solve the case in his mind, but had no luck.

"I know, it's quite puzzling, isn't it?" She innocently took a sip of her cactus margarita while looking off in the distance, hoping not to establish eye contact. She knew that if she looked him in the eye, he would know.

"This is one pissed off woman. That's all I know." He laughed, grabbing a chip from the basket, dipping it in salsa.

Betty swallowed hard. "She sure is. I do believe that you're correct; though, regarding the insinuation of someone who was once a rape victim, taking matters into her own hands."

"She's so clean. I mean, she leaves nothing behind at all. She's gotta have experience on how to clean up crime scenes. Not even so much of a strand of hair is left at the scene...nothing." Austin reclined back in his seat and noticed Betty's hands becoming a tad shaky. "You okay? You seem a bit anxious."

"I'm fine," she reassured, hiding her hands beneath the table. "Just dreading sleeping on the floor tonight."

"Ah, nonsense. You can stay with me tonight. I'll take ya home in the mornin' and I can help you when the furniture's delivered."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" She appeared a little apprehensive, but the invitation was one that she surely didn't want to pass up.

"Do I mind? Don't be silly." He smiled.

"Well, you'll have to swing by my place so I can get some clothes to sleep in. I need a toothbrush, too."

"You can wear one of my t-shirt's and I have a brand new toothbrush you can use."

After finishing their meal, and Betty taking a final sip of her cactus margarita, she grabbed Austin's arm as he led her to his Corvette.

"I think I've had way too much to drink," she said, buckling her seatbelt.

"Are you kiddin'? You only drank one margarita." He laughed.

"I'm a lightweight. One drink gets me schnockered!" She smiled, feeling a little nauseated from the alcohol.

"Schnockered?" Austin questioned. "I never heard of being drunk described as schnockered." He laughed.

When they arrived at Austin's house, he parked the car and led her to the front door, inviting her to enter the home before him. He was such a gentleman when he wasn't at the office. At the office, he continuously displayed an I don't give a shit attitude toward everybody.

"I still can't get over at how beautiful your home is. It's absolutely breathtaking. What did your father do for a living, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He was in the oil business. He wanted me to take over, but I had no interest in his profession. When he passed away, I inherited his entire company. I still have it, but it's inoperable at the moment. His rigs are on a ranch in McKinney. I have numerous firms offering to buy the ranch, but I still haven't figured out what I want to do with it," he explained, kicking off his cowboy boots and placing them by the front door.

"I would love to see it one day," she said.

"Perhaps one day I'll take you. It's pretty run-down because no one has cared for the property. We lived there during my childhood. My father bought this house as a gift to my mother because she hated living in the country. We had horses and cattle; it was fun while it lasted. My mother's main concern was my education. She wanted me to go to this ritzy, hoity toity high school here. I missed the ranch when we moved, but I eventually became accustomed to this place," he said, walking toward the kitchen.

Betty followed Austin to the large chef's kitchen. "Would ya like somethin' to drink, darlin'?"

"Darlin'?" she questioned, her eyebrows raised.

Austin's mother may have removed him from the country, but Harland Park sure didn't take away his thick southern accent.

Austin winked. "Yea, darlin'. Ya want somethin' to drink?"

"I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee to help rid me of this nausea." She smiled, fixated on the décor of the home.

"A cup of Arbuckle it is!"

"You amaze me. At the office, it's all professional. Your speech is perfect, but when you're in a casual environment, especially around me, your Southern accent is incredibly thick."

"Ha! You noticed that, didn't you?" He extended his hand, offering Betty her coffee. "I didn't realize that my accent was so thick until I moved to the city. It seems people who are born and raised in the big city of Dallas don't have the thick accent. As a high school student, all my classmates pointed it out to me. I was often teased about it and knew I had to hide my accent to fit in. It occasionally slips out when I give a speech or speak to a class, but no one really says anything about it. I guess I believe if I speak with the accent while teaching, I won't be taken seriously."

Betty smiled, taking a sip of coffee and followed Austin to the sofa.

"Ya wanna watch a movie?" He placed his arm around her as she sat alongside him.

"What do you have in mind?"

"How about a comedy?"

"Sounds good to me."

Betty set her head upon Austin's shoulder. Sleepy, she had tried her best to remain awake, but as the evening grew later, she couldn't fight it any longer, and finally fell asleep.

***

Betty had been surprised to awaken on the sofa with a blanket draped over her. Austin was nowhere to be found. She stretched and wandered around the kitchen hoping to find him, but there was no Austin anywhere. She started the coffee pot and trailed her way upstairs to see if she could find him.

As she reached the second floor, she could hear the sound of running water coming from a closed off room. She hesitantly opened the door and discovered Austin, naked in the shower. She watched silently as she witnessed him lathering up his hard body. Betty started to become aroused, so she decided to join him. Austin could sense a cold brisk breeze from the open door. He saw the door slightly ajar, and spotted, within the narrow door frame, Betty standing off in the distance admiring him.

"Wanna join me, baby?" he asked, demonstrating a dashing come hither smile.

Betty nodded and slowly inched her way toward the shower. Austin couldn't take his eyes off her as she seductively removed her clothes. She opened the shower door, wrapped her arms around Austin's tight muscular body, her head buried in his chest, squeezing him tightly against her smooth, naked warm flesh.

"You're so beautiful." His index finger trailed beneath her chin, guiding her lips toward his. Passionate kisses enveloped them, he desired her, wanting her with each savored kiss. He spun Betty around and grasped her wrists, positioning her hands high above her head, resting them on the shower wall. Her breasts were pressed against the wet shower tiles as Betty savored the heated trail of kisses along her back, her neck, and the feel of Austin's hand caressing her firm bottom, and then he entered her from behind. Enraptured in the moment, the love that they shared was intense. Austin loved her deeply; so deeply in fact, it was something he wished to hold onto forever.

"I love you so much, baby," he whispered, brushing her hair from her ear so she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin.

"I love you, too."

Caught up in the heat of the moment, Betty treasured each kiss, never imagining that she could allow a man to take down the wall that she had built up around her after Darius Marshall. How she hated Darius from robbing her of her virginity, depriving Austin of what he was entitled. The countdown was ticking for Darius, if he only knew of the hell Betty had been planning to evoke upon him, knowing that she wouldn't rest until her mission was complete.
chapter nine

While at her townhome, Betty rushed toward the bedroom closet hoping that Austin would stay behind in the kitchen so she could hide her incriminating clothes. She felt like kicking herself for not hiding them sooner. Her heart raced, hoping he wouldn't walk into the bedroom. In a frantic state, she shoved her red heels, wig, and skimpy dresses in a black garbage bag. She heard the doorbell chime, and had been relieved that it was the furniture company in hopes that they would deter Austin from entering the bedroom.

"Austin, can you let them in please?" she asked, scrambling to find a place to hide the bag. She quickly hid the bag behind some dresses that were hanging in her closet. She walked toward her brand new sofa, appearing innocent, and sat alongside Austin.

"I bet ya feel better now that you have furniture." He grinned, taking her hand in his.

"Yes, I do. It finally looks like a home now."

The delivery men assembled the last piece of furniture and left. Austin gazed somberly into Betty's eyes. "You know, I haven't felt like this toward any other woman in my entire life. Do you realize how much I love you?"

Betty, feeling a bit uneasy, knew exactly how he felt toward her. She wanted to feel the same way, but was still unable to let her guard down completely. "Yes, I do. I love you, too." She tried her best at convincing him that she did love him, but was still a little confused regarding her feelings. She sadly looked down into her lap. "I'm so terribly sorry."

Austin's eyes grew wide as he was puzzled by her comment. "What are you sorry for?"

"That I couldn't give myself to you first. I wanted so badly to save my virginity for the man I love and that bastard took it from me. I hate him for that." Betty's sadness began to transform to rage, but she knew that she must maintain her composure before Austin suspected that she was the Firecracker Bandit.

"Nonsense! I still considered you a virgin when we made love the first time. Rape doesn't count." His eyes looked sincere. "Believe me when I tell you that."

"If it's okay with you, I'd rather not discuss it anymore."

"Well, you brought it up."

"You think it's funny?" She sternly glared toward him.

"Not at all," he answered. "I was simply pointing out the obvious that it was you who started the entire conversation about rape."

"I'm sorry that I snapped. There's not a day that passes that I don't think of that horrific night. I hate that man so much."

"I know you do, he'll get his in the end, they always do."

Betty stood alongside the sofa in silence, looking down at her feet. Oh, he'll get his...believe me, that bastard will get his. Betty bent down and kissed Austin goodnight as the day was growing dark. "What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "What did you have in mind?"

"How about I take ya to the mall and buy ya something nice?"

"You don't have to buy me anything, but I would love to go anyway."

"I'll pick ya up around noon," he said, standing in the doorway.

"Okay." She smiled and then shut the door. She turned on her heel and headed toward the bedroom to get ready for bed.

***

Betty awoke the next morning to a gray, dismal, rainy day. Opening her laptop, she had been eager to schedule her vacation, also known as Darius's Dooms Day. She wanted to take vacation during Thanksgiving so that she could head down to Florida and see her parents as well. She knew exactly how she would plan her attack. She would fly to Florida and use her mother's car to drive to Georgia and then get the revenge on that dirt bag once and for all. I could drive to Georgia at night, my parents would never suspect a thing.

After checking Zabba Search for Darius's address, she knew exactly where he lived. It was a short four-hour drive to his residence from her parents house and she was more than ready.

Hearing the doorbell, she knew that it must be Austin arriving to take her to the mall. She quickly slammed her laptop shut and left it on the bed. She opened the door and saw Austin standing in the doorway.

"G'mornin', baby." He smiled, his arms embraced her. "You're not even dressed yet."

Betty stood before him, wrapped in his arms, barefoot, wearing a white, plush robe.

"I just woke up." She yawned, innocently twirling a strand of hair around her index finger.

"Well, get ready. I'm takin' ya on a shopping spree!" He smiled, walking toward the kitchen counter to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"It's really not necessary." Betty felt uneasy when he offered to buy her gifts. She always bought her own things and wasn't used to a man trying to shower her with extravagant items. "What mall are we going to?"

"Northland." He grinned, leaning against the counter in his blue jeans and black V-neck t-shirt. "It's an upscale mall in Dallas," he added.

Betty knew of Northland. It housed many fine designer shops. She wasn't really into the couture scene, but could tell that Austin was, due to his wealthy upbringing.

"Give me a minute." She turned and went into the bedroom to shower and change her clothes.

Betty came from the bedroom wearing a basic white t-shirt, a khaki blazer, jeans, and ballet flats.

Austin was awestruck on how form fitting the t-shirt was against her naturally large breasts. "Wow, you're a bombshell!" His eyes intently examined her as he raked them up and down her slender, opulent figure.

"Thank you." She grabbed her purse. "Are you ready?" She opened her lipstick case, seductively applying lip gloss to her sultry, soft lips.

"Ready if you are." Austin took Betty by the hand and led her to his car.

Upon their arrival at the mall, Austin took Betty into Tiffany & Co. "What are we doing in here?" she asked, puzzled, hoping that he wasn't about to pick out an engagement ring.

Betty was on the verge of an anxiety attack until she realized that Austin was guiding her to the earring counter. He pointed to a sparkly pair of half-carat princess-cut diamond studs.

"May I see those please?" he asked the associate standing behind the counter. Austin held the earrings up to Betty's earlobes. "They're quite stunning...simply beautiful." He pleasantly smiled. "I'll take these," he said.

The clerk reached underneath the counter retrieving a bag and box for the earrings. "Will this be all, sir?" the clerk asked.

"For now," he replied, handing the bag to Betty.

"You shouldn't have spent so much money, but thank you. "They're absolutely beautiful."

"Ah, nonsense! This is just the beginning. Get ready to be spoiled." He placed his arm around her, guiding her toward a quaint bistro outside Tiffany & Co.

As they sat at the tiny, two person table, Betty knew that she must inform Austin of her vacation plans to Florida. She took a bite of French bread and dabbed the corners of her mouth with a linen napkin. "Austin, do you mind if I take a few days of vacation to visit my family for Thanksgiving?"

Austin appeared a bit excited, assuming that he possibly would join her. "Not at all," he said. "Do you want me to meet your parents?"

Betty, extremely upset about him assuming that he would tag along, snapped, "No! I mean, I was hoping to go on my own." She peered down toward the basket of crusty bread, afraid to see the expression on Austin's face.

"Well, I'm sorry. I assumed that I would be joining you. I thought that it would be a perfect opportunity to meet your parents. He rolled his eyes. "Sorry that I jumped to conclusions." Austin appeared hurt, not expecting Betty to speak so harshly to him.

"It's not that I don't want you to meet them because I do, I honestly do. I'm just not ready."

Austin reached over the table taking Betty's hands in his, gazing into her eyes sympathetically. "It's alright, baby. I won't pressure you into anything that you're not ready for."

"Thank you for respecting my wishes," she said, softly. "It means a great deal that you understand."

As the day grew on, Austin showered Betty with more lavish gifts. Not only did he buy her Gucci and Louis Vuitton handbags, he also bought her a pair of black Christian Louboutin pumps from Neiman Marcus. As he led her to his car, they noticed someone speeding erratically through the parking garage. They witnessed a man step from a black Lincoln. Austin grabbed Betty by the arm, forcing her to hide behind a cement column. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Shh, be very quiet," he whispered, his index finger pressing against his lips.

Betty always carried her 9mm on her as did Austin. They crouched down and slowly inched their way toward the man who was acting suspiciously.

"What's he doing?" Betty asked, her hand resting on the trigger of her gun that was placed at the small of her back, concealed by her khaki blazer.

"I don't know. But, he's acting awfully peculiar," Austin answered. "You wait right here."

"Oh, no you don't! I'm not staying behind. I'm backing you up!" She insisted.

The suspicious man suddenly slammed his elbow into the driver's side window of a Mercedes. He grabbed a purse from the seat, quickly glanced around hoping no one saw him, and then hurried toward his Lincoln.

"Hold it right there!" Austin exclaimed, aiming his firearm at the suspect.

The suspect quickly reached into his pocket. Betty immediately determined that he was grabbing for a gun, so she fired a shot from her 9mm, hitting him right between the eyes.

The suspect dropped to the ground, showing no sign of life whatsoever. Austin quickly rushed toward him. "Oh my god, Betty." He bent down, looming over the suspect. "You better hope that he was reaching for a gun otherwise, you're in some serious trouble."

"Not to worry. I know he has a gun. I saw the butt of it peeking from his pocket." Betty casually walked toward the suspect, grabbed a tissue from her purse, reached in his pocket, and pulled out a 22mm. "See!" She held the gun with her tissue covered fingers. "And it's even loaded!" She emptied the bullets from the gun into the palm of her hand.

"You may have very well saved my life." Austin shook his head trying to focus on the suspect. "Call 911," he instructed.

Within minutes of the incident, a crowd began to form around the body. Blood seeped from the wound of the gun shot onto the concrete, and Betty, trying to maintain control of the crowd, tried answering questions constantly tossed at her from confused shoppers.

"Is he dead?" a voice shouted from a distance.

"Where are the police?" another voice yelled.

"I am the police!" she hollered, displaying her badge.

A few moments later, squad cars arrived on the scene along with an ambulance. "We need to call the coroner. This man's dead," an EMT confirmed.

Austin looked toward her. "You're gonna be placed on paid administrative leave for this you know."

"I know," she quickly assumed. "It's mandatory." Betty knew until the investigation was complete that she couldn't return to work.

After the body was loaded into the van, Austin had to drive Betty to the police station in which they were to give statements of the incident. Surveillance tapes from the mall parking garage were also in possession of the investigator on the case.

Betty sat in a quiet room prepared to give her statement. She was shivering, not from being nervous, but the room felt as cold as a meat locker. Austin could see her shaking as he glanced through the glass window of the door. He entered the room, offering Betty his jacket. "Here, baby, take this." He placed it over her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said.

Finally, the investigator entered. "If you would excuse us," he said, looking at Austin, indicating that he should leave.

"I'll see you out front when you're finished giving your statement." Austin closed the door behind him.

"Hi, Officer Hatfield, I'm Detective Dollanger. Would you mind stating your full name and rank, then proceed with your story of the incident that occurred at Northland Center this afternoon." He placed a small recording device on the table in front of her.

Betty cleared her throat before speaking. "My name is Officer Hatfield...Betty Hatfield." She looked at Detective Dollanger's expression, prompting her to proceed. "While Lieutenant Worthington and I were walking through the second floor of the parking garage at Northland Center at approximately three o'clock in the afternoon, we heard the sound of a car accelerating at a high rate of speed. After the car slammed on its brakes, Lieutenant Worthington and I saw a gentleman dressed in a blue t-shirt and denim jeans exit a black Lincoln. He walked toward a white Mercedes Benz, and then slammed his elbow into the driver's window, smashing the glass to pieces. That's when Lieutenant Worthington asked me to stay hidden from view. I refused because I felt that he needed back-up." Betty poured a cup of water. The detective saw her hands shake as she lifted the cup to her lips.

"Go on," Detective Dollanger urged.

Betty took a sip of water before she continued with her statement. "When the gentleman began approaching his Lincoln, Lieutenant Worthington yelled, 'Hold it right there!'  After the gentlemen heard Lieutenant Worthington, he went for his pocket when I observed the butt of a firearm sticking out, and immediately pulled my 9mm from my back, and shot the gentleman right between the eyes." She sighed. "After that, I rushed toward the gentleman, pulled the gun from his pocket, and emptied the ammunition into the palm of my hand."

Detective Dollanger grabbed the recording device from the table and shut it off. "Okay, well it looks like that's all I need for now." He gathered paperwork from the table. "You're free to go."

Betty took another sip of water before meeting Austin outside.

"How did it go?" Austin asked, escorting Betty to the parking lot.

"It went okay, I suppose." She shrugged. "I hope I don't get fired for this."

"You won't, it's just protocol is all. You'll be fine." He opened the passenger door for her.

The ride to Betty's house was silent. Austin could sense the nervous tension and wanted to make her feel more at ease, but it seemed everything that he tried doing, just irritated her more. He gently brushed the inside of her left forearm, hoping to calm her nerves. She abruptly pushed his hand away.

"C'mon, baby, I told you that you have nothing to worry about. It's gonna be alright."

"Whatever." She stepped from the car and made her way to the front steps toward the entrance of her townhome.

"You're not inviting me in?" Austin asked, confused, standing alongside his car with the door opened.

"Not tonight," she said. "I want to be alone. I hope you understand." She closed the door behind her and could hear the roar of Austin's engine speeding off in the distance. She knew that he was pissed off, but at the moment, she didn't care. She just wanted to put all the mess behind her and focus on Darius's Dooms Day.
chapter ten

The time finally came for Betty's trip to Florida. Instead of taking vacation time, she could take advantage of her paid administrative leave. After a cab had dropped her off at curbside, she boarded the plane with baggage in hand. She didn't like checking baggage, so she placed her items in the overhead bin, sat in her seat by the window, and read a book that she purchased from a gift shop inside the Dallas Love Field Airport.

As she read, she also reminisced about Austin and their relationship. The past month, Austin kept trying to get closer to her; whereas she kept him at arm's length. Betty knew that the rape was preventing her from opening-up to Austin, and until she could extract revenge on Darius, she couldn't move forward. Oh, how she wished that she could open-up to Austin. She dreamed of giving her whole self freely, but with a vengeful heart, and her previous Firecracker Bandit activities, she was having a difficult time coming to terms with the turmoil that she felt inside.

She reclined in her seat and couldn't stop her mind from planning on how she intended to inflict pain on Darius. She had such an evil grin on her face, the other passengers were somewhat taken aback. They were left to wonder what devilish thoughts were going through Betty's mind. The psychiatric examination she took before entering the police academy did show that she was normal, but Betty sometimes wondered about her mental health with the demented ideas that she seemed to imagine. Was she going to use firecrackers this time? She thought the firecracker route would give her identity away. She knew that she must be extremely careful on how she approached the upcoming event, and then suddenly, she came up with the perfect plan.

The plane touched down at Orlando International Airport. Betty grabbed her bags from the overhead bin and exited down the jet way. She arrived at baggage claim where her sister, Tanya, was waiting for her at curbside. Betty hurried toward Tanya, hugging her tightly.

"God! I've missed you so much!" Tanya said, looking Betty over, especially her new choice in couture handbags and shoes.

"It's been a while. What's it been? Six years?" Betty questioned.

"Something like that," Tanya answered, leaning back on her heels. "Well, look at you! Wearing those expensive red bottom shoes and carrying that expensive as all hell Louis Vuitton Alma bag!"

"It was a gift from my boyfriend." Betty proudly smiled.

"C'mon, let's get you in the car! Mama and Daddy are waiting on us. Daddy's making a huge dinner." Tanya grabbed Betty's luggage and tossed it in the back of her Honda CR-V.

Tanya was gorgeous, men constantly drooled over her. She had the biggest fake boobs on such a tiny one-hundred pound frame. Her hair was long, flowing, brunette, and always perfectly styled. She enjoyed making people laugh and often made a spectacle of herself. She could always make Betty laugh, even in the most depressive times, Tanya always managed to make Betty crack a smile.

"So, what's new with you?" Betty asked.

"I made manager at the bakery," Tanya said, adjusting the dials on the radio, hoping to find a good song.

"That's awesome! Congratulations." Betty smiled, proud of how far her sister had come. "I'm really happy for you. Are you seeing anyone?"

"Nah, I haven't been serious with anyone since I broke it off with that asshole, Darius."

After hearing his name, Betty wanted to spontaneously combust. "I need your help with something," Betty said, turning the volume down on the radio. "Now you have to swear to me that what I'm about to ask you goes no further than this car. I mean it, you can't tell anyone. You have to swear on our lives." Betty knew that she could trust Tanya with her life. They always confided in each other and never told a soul about the shenanigans they've done in their past that could land them in a sufficient amount of trouble.

"I cross my heart!" Tanya said, going through the motion with her forefinger.

"Well, the reason why I'm here isn't for Thanksgiving." Betty inhaled deeply. "I'm here to seek revenge on Darius."

Tanya's eyes shot open in surprise. "What? You can't be serious. Nah...seriously?"

"Yep, I'm dead serious. The whole reason I went to college and joined the police department was to learn how to properly clean up crime scenes. Knowing what investigators search for gives me an advantage," Betty explained.

"No shit?"

"Well that's just the half of it. I'm not sure if it made national news, but have you heard of the Firecracker Bandit in North Texas?"

Tanya shook her head back and forth. "No, it doesn't ring a bell."

"Well, I hunted down two rapists in North Texas and did some awful things to them. I don't want to go into too much detail, but put it this way, their assholes are ruined!"

"Are you serious? Jeez—I thought I was the crazy one!"

"No one is aware that it was me, so don't say a word to anyone," Betty demanded.

"Your secret is safe with me. Now, what do you plan on doing to ole Darius?"

"A few things came to mind while I was on the plane. One particularly stuck out in my head."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Tanya exited the ramp off Interstate 4 in Orange City, gearing her way toward her parents house.

"Well, because Daddy always has bags of cement mix in his shed, I was thinking about taking a little bit of it, some water, a funnel, and pouring it into Darius's asshole."

"What the fuck?" Tanya couldn't believe the words coming from Betty's lips.

"I want to hurt that mother fucker so badly. Who knows who else he has raped since me. I believe that if we put the fear in him, he'll never do it again."

"Well I'm pretty sure that'll fix him!" Tanya laughed. "When are we doing this?"

"Well, I was gonna do it on my own and use Mama's car, but because you're in on it now, I think that as long as we tell Mama and Daddy that we're staying the night in Daytona, they won't ask why we're gone for the entire night."

"Okay...how about Friday night...Black Friday," Tanya suggested.

"Sounds good to me."

The Honda made its way down the long, dirt road through the Ocala National Forest to Betty's parents house. As soon as the SUV approached the driveway, Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield hurried out the front door, excited to see Betty after so many years of being away at college and the police academy.

***

Thanksgiving Day was cool and brisk, leaves were covering the lawn, and Betty's father was on the back porch, deep frying a turkey in peanut oil. Betty missed spending time with her family. They were very close, but the rape that Betty suffered changed all that. She couldn't focus on the importance of family gatherings anymore, she was consumed with hatred, and it took over her entire soul. She believed that if she successfully made Darius pay for what he did to her, things would change, she would change. Betty hoped that she would then let her guard down and allow Austin in. If she didn't nip it in the bud soon, she knew that it would only be a matter of time before she was caught. Just one more time, and she knew that she would be through.

As the family all gathered around the dining room table, Mr. Hatfield recited the blessing before eating. The Hatfield's were a religious family, Betty was raised a Baptist and used to attend church in Apopka every Sunday when she lived at home with her family. Betty always tried to live by the Christian faith. The fact that Darius robbed her of her virginity, made her believe that he forced her to commit a sin because of premarital sex. She always vowed only to have sex with the man she would marry. After Darius raped her, Betty's morals went totally out the window. She couldn't comprehend that it wasn't her fault that she was raped, and her seeking justice consumed her every desire.

"Wow, this looks delicious, Daddy," Betty said, placing her napkin on her lap.

"What do you plan on doing while you visit?" her dad asked.

"Tanya and I are gonna get a hotel room on Daytona Beach tomorrow." Betty took a sip of sweet tea. She couldn't even look her dad in the eye because she knew of her cruel intention.

"The beach?" he questioned. "It's kinda cold for the beach, don't ya think?" He took a bite of his cornbread dressing, confused as why they wanted to visit the beach when the weather was becoming cooler with each passing day.

"I haven't seen the beach in a long time," she said. "I just want to wake up to the sound of the ocean."

"You girls are gonna catch a cold out there," Mrs. Hatfield said. "You better not forget your coats!" Mrs. Hatfield still treated Tanya and Betty like children.

"Don't worry, we won't forget." Betty glanced at Tanya as she sat across the table. They both smiled and playfully winked at one another.
chapter eleven

It was six o'clock in the morning on a cold, Black Friday. Betty entered Tanya's bedroom hoping to wake her so they could pack for their mini-road trip to Georgia. "Get up! We need to get a move on!" Betty nudged Tanya, trying to force her from bed.

"Okay! Okay! Just give me second...jeez!"

"I'll be in the kitchen making some coffee. My bags are already packed, but we need to stop off at Fairview Video on the way."

"Fairview Video?" Tanya questioned. "Why there?" Tanya sat up on the bed, her long hair in disarray.

"We need sexy disguises. You didn't think we were gonna to do this without disguises, did you?"

"I guess I didn't think that far ahead." Tanya stood and meandered her way into the bathroom.

Betty anxiously sat in the living room, eagerly waiting for Tanya to finish her shower. The anticipation was growing; Betty couldn't seem to contain herself. She heard her cell phone ring and noticed Austin's name on the screen. "Hello, baby," she answered.

"Good mornin', darlin'. How's my best girl?" he asked, sounding as if he had just awakened.

"I'm good. My sister and I are heading to Daytona Beach. We're gonna rent a room and visit some of the nightclubs that we used to frequent when I lived here," she explained, hoping that he didn't mind.

"Well, you gals just be careful. There are some real whack jobs out there."

"I know, we'll be fine. Don't worry about us."

"Oh, by the way, the investigation is over regarding the shooting. You can come back to work on Monday."

"So soon?" she questioned. "My flight doesn't leave out of Orlando until late Sunday night."

"I can pick ya up from the airport it ya like." He missed her so much already, and she wasn't even gone but a day at best.

"Sure, you can pick me up. I'll be flying into Dallas Love Field at ten o'clock."

"Sounds perfect, baby. I love you. I'll call ya later," he said.

"I love you, too." Betty disconnected the call. Tanya finally emerged from the bathroom all dolled up and ready to go on their trip.

Betty saw Tanya with her cell phone in hand. "Sorry, but you can't bring that with you."

"What?" Tanya asked, seeming confused.

"Your cell phone. They have GPS tracking on them; we have to leave them here."

"Seriously?" Tanya didn't like that idea at all. "What if we break down? How are we gonna phone for help?"

"We'll stop at a store on the way to I-95 and buy a disposable phone," Betty suggested.

"Alright." Tanya shrugged. "Let's get a move on."

Betty and Tanya loaded the back of her CR-V with their luggage ready to proceed with Betty's mission...getting revenge on Darius Marshall.

"Okay, so how is this gonna go down?" Tanya asked, carefully pulling out onto the highway.

"I've got it all planned out. First, we're gonna stop off at the store and get a cell phone and some zip-ties. Next we'll rent a room in Daytona, and then we'll hit up Fairview Video for disguises. I already snuck some of Daddy's cement mix and put it in a plastic bag. It's in the backseat along with a funnel."

"I can't believe we're doing this. I can't believe that fucking asshole did what he did. But don't worry, our secret is safe. No one will ever know what we're gonna do...no one."

After purchasing the phone and zip-ties, the girls made their way to a hotel on the shore of Daytona Beach where Betty paid cash for a one-night stay. After receiving the room key from the front desk, they drove their way onto I-95. Tanya played a Nine-Inch Nail's song, Head Like a Hole loudly through the speakers. "Do you remember this song?" Tanya asked.

"Ah...yes, I remember. We used to tantalize the guys on the dance floor at Club Europe." She laughed. "Hey, remember that creepy guy who would always sit in that dark corner next to the pool table and stare at us?"

"Yeah, I remember him," Tanya acknowledged. "I believe his name was Mike, but I'm not quite sure. I saw him one day, not too long ago, working at that car wash you used to detail cars at in Orange City on 17-92."

"All that dude did was stare at us and smoke cigarettes." Betty laughed.

They finally veered off the interstate, taking the off-ramp to Fairview Video. Upon entering the adult novelty video store, the two of them couldn't stop giggling.

"Do people actually use this stuff?" Tanya held up a huge black double-sided dildo.

"Yuck! I suppose so, otherwise they wouldn't sell it."

Betty found the section of theme wear. She picked out a total full black latex bodysuit. The suit even had head-gear attached to it. The only thing exposed in that suit was the eyes, nose, and lips, nothing more. "Tanya, I think this is perfect for us. No one will ever identify us in this get-up."

Tanya doubled over, holding her stomach, laughing uncontrollably. "That's too funny! Alright, let's get it and get the hell out of here."

After purchasing their disguises, they jumped back in the CR-V. Tanya was still laughing from the embarrassment of the adult novelty store.

They waited at a stop sign. "Well, are you gonna go? We've been sitting at this stop sign with no cars in sight." Betty seemed confused as why Tanya sat at the stop sign for so long.

"Oh my god! I'm sitting here waiting for the damn light to turn green!" Tanya laughed.

"Only you, Tanya...only you." Betty shook her head in disbelief at Tanya's dinginess.

***

The girls pulled up to a truck stop for an early dinner. Betty made it perfectly clear that they are only to use cash on everything throughout their entire trip. As they entered the diner, they were quickly seated, and given a menu.

As they sat waiting for their food to arrive, they discussed more in-depth tactics of the mission.

"You just follow my lead and do everything I motion for you to do. We cannot speak during the mission. Darius may recognize our voices. I have everything that we need in the back of the CR-V. If you do everything that I tell you to do, this mission will be a success." Betty relaxed back in the booth, pouring sugar packets into her iced tea.

"You're not afraid of getting caught?"

"No...trust me; we won't get caught if you do everything as I say. I've learned a lot in college and the police academy, and I know what investigators look for. I swear, we will never get caught as long as you keep quiet."

Betty and Tanya sat in the booth for a few hours waiting for the day finally to grow dark. Finally, under the night sky, they climbed back into the CR-V. Tanya, confused on where they were going to change clothes, suggested a rest area off the main highway. Betty explained that there were surveillance cameras at rest areas, so that was a plan that wouldn't happen.

"We'll stop down the street from his house, jump in the back of your SUV, and change there," Betty said, retrieving the directions of Darius's house from her purse.

They slowly drove by his residence and observed only one car parked in the driveway. Betty could see a silhouette in the front window that appeared to be of a man. Betty knew that was, in fact, Darius Marshall.

"Stop right here, let's wait until he turns the lights out and goes to bed. After that, we'll change clothes." Betty reached in the backseat and retrieved some latex gloves. "Here...put these on," she said, tossing a pair of gloves to Tanya.

As they sat in the dark with the CR-V shut off along with the headlights, they saw Darius's lights flicker off. "Okay! Let's do this!" Betty jumped from the car, stuck a piece of duct tape over Tanya's license plate, got the disguises from the back, and they quickly dressed.

"Now remember, you do everything I motion for you to do, and no speaking," Betty reminded.

As the two stood on the massively dark street, Betty retrieved the bag of cement, the funnel, and the zip-ties. They slowly crept toward the house and up to the window of the room where they saw the last light flicker off. Betty placed her fingers beneath the window sill hoping that it was unlocked. Luckily for her, she spotted a crowbar resting against an old tire next to a tree. Betty pried the window open with the crowbar and draped her legs over the window sill, sliding inside as she held the window open for Tanya to follow.

Betty and Tanya stood in the corner of the bedroom watching Darius sleep. Tanya kept staring at Betty waiting to give a signal for the first approach. Betty whispered in Tanya's ear, "Stay right here until you get my signal."

Betty swiftly pounced on top of Darius, waking him suddenly from his sleep. As she sat straddled atop his stomach, she forced his hands underneath her knees while covering his mouth with duct tape. Betty motioned for Tanya to zip-tie his ankles. After Tanya had his ankles secure, she helped Betty flip him over, zip-tying his hands behind his back. Betty rushed into the bathroom and filled a cup of water from the faucet. Tanya stood back, allowing Betty to do what she had planned. Betty approached the bed; yanked Darius's boxers to his knees, and shoved the funnel in his anus. She could hear his muffled moans, but it only made her want to hurt him more. Tanya handed Betty the bag of quick drying cement and Betty poured the cement in the cup of water allowing it to mix. Carefully, poured the concoction down the funnel, allowing it to run through Darius's rectum. Betty sat atop Darius's back waiting for the cement to harden. He began writhing in extreme pain, which was making it difficult for Betty to hold him still. She grabbed the alarm clock next to his bed and slammed it in the back of his head. He was knocked unconscious from the blow. Betty heard the sound of a zipper and as she glanced toward the sound, she saw Tanya unzipping the opening at her crotch. Tanya stood on the bed, legs spread, and pissed on the back of Darius's neck, drenching his hair, and his mattress. Moments later, the two escaped from the window, closing it behind them.

"Oh my god! The feel of sweet vindication!" Betty yelled as soon as the doors of the CR-V closed. Tanya fired up her car, speeding off toward I-95.

"My god, these suits are making me sweat!" Tanya unzipped the front of the latex bodysuit, allowing her breasts to breathe.

Their adrenaline pumped hard; Tanya didn't realize that she was speeding.

"You better slow down," Betty urged. "Can you imagine what a police officer would suspect if he saw us dressed like this?"

Tanya exited the ramp and pulled over on a desolate, dark road where they could change their clothes without anyone seeing them.

***

It was four o'clock in the morning before they made it to the hotel. Betty was very smart on what type of hotel she rented for the night. She made certain that the room keys were actual metal keys and not electronic cards. She knew if she rented a room with an electronic room key, it would be logged in the hotel's data base at the time she entered. Instead, the hotel was the type where a person could park right outside the room, which made it easier for their mission.

Upon entering the hotel room, Betty grabbed all the incriminating evidence and placed them in a plastic garbage bag that was in the trash can. Tanya appeared nervous, pacing back and forth, with her hands upon her hips.

"Stop doing that! Just relax and sit down!" Betty demanded, shoving the latex bodysuits in the plastic bag, securing it with a knot.

"I can't help it, we're gonna get caught. I just know it."

"No we won't! Just do as I say and no one will ever find out!" But, Betty remembered Tanya peeing on Darius and realized that it could be traced to her sister. She avoided telling her, in fear of Tanya becoming more nervous.

Betty went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Tanya lay on the bed and tried to force herself to fall asleep, but had no luck. Her anxiety was getting the best of her.

Finally, Betty slithered her way between the blankets and the two fell asleep.

***

Betty and Tanya arrived back at their parents house that afternoon. Thankfully, Betty's parents weren't home, which allowed Betty the opportunity of burning the evidence. Betty hurried to the backyard, threw the plastic bag of wadded up latex bodysuits and gloves into a fifty-five gallon metal barrel, struck a match, stood back, and watched it go up in flames. As Betty stared at the fiery flames, she reminisced of the sweet revenge while blankly staring through the smoke, feeling numb, but proud of her accomplishment. She waited for the last flame to fizzle out before she went inside.

Meanwhile, Austin attempted numerous times to call Betty, but was unsuccessful. He became extremely worried, thinking that the worst possibly happened while she was in Daytona with her sister. He took it upon himself to enter Betty's townhouse, hoping to find some phone number that she had possibly written down where she could be reached in Florida. He was able to obtain a key from the office after flashing his badge and explaining to the landlord that Betty could be missing.

Upon entering the townhouse, Austin searched through drawers in the kitchen and found nothing that could lead him to Betty's parents phone number. Entering her bedroom, he searched through her dresser, but found no clues. Finally, he went inside her closet, searching pockets of hanging clothes, and suddenly, he came across a black garbage bag that had been concealed behind a few dresses. He carried the bag from the closet and placed it on Betty's bed. He quickly untied the knot, only to discover, to his amazement, Betty's infamous red high heels adorned with the red bow. He not only uncovered the shoes, but he also found firecrackers, her wig, and other outfits that she wore when completing her backdoor justice missions. He sat on the bed, stunned at what he had discovered. As he sat dumbfounded, he felt his phone vibrate, and saw Betty's name across the screen.

"Hello," he said, acting as if everything was copacetic.

"Hi, baby. Sorry I missed your calls last night, but my sister and I got totally wasted."

"It's alright; sounds like ya had a great time." The expression on his face showed his anger, but his voice disguised it quite well.

"I miss you so much. I can't wait to feel your arms wrapped around me." Betty felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, feeling like her guard was finally let down so she could enjoy the full emotion of her and Austin's relationship.

"Well, you sound terrific." He callously rolled his eyes. "I'll be at the airport to pick you up."

"Fantastic. I'll see you tomorrow night. Will you call me later?" she asked, unaware that he knew that she was the Firecracker Bandit.

"Will you answer your phone if I do?"

"Yes, like I said before, I was totally wasted last night...that's why I didn't answer. I'm terribly sorry."

"Alright, baby. I'll call ya tonight before I head to bed, okay?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Austin disconnected the call, staring at the bag of incriminating evidence.

He sat in silence, feeling lost, without a clue on how to proceed with the information that he innocently stumbled upon. He secured the bag and placed it back in the spot where he had found it, hidden behind some dresses in her closet.

***

Betty placed her cell phone in her purse after her conversation with Austin. She felt confident knowing that he believed her wasted story. She grabbed her laptop from her bag and began removing the hard drive.

"What are you doing?" Tanya asked, confused as why Betty was taking her laptop apart.

"I have to replace the hard drive. If we're ever suspected of the crime that we just committed, the police can confiscate my computer and use it as evidence."

"How's that?"

"They can check my search history. How in the hell do you think I figured out how to use cement in someone's anus?"

"Damn! You thought of everything, didn't you?"

"Believe me, when you have this shit drilled into your head for four or five years...it sticks!" Betty installed the brand new hard drive in her laptop. "There! Now, where can I dispose of this?" she asked, holding the incriminating hard drive in her hand. She snapped her fingers. "I got it! I'll destroy it and throw the remnants in Lake Mack!"

Betty went through the backdoor and found her dad's hammer resting outside on a shelf. She set the hard drive on the floor of the deck, clinched the hammer in her grasp, and smashed the hard drive to tiny pieces. Gathering the shattered mess, she placed the pieces in a bag, and jumped in Tanya's CR-V.

Once they arrived at the lake, Betty tossed the various pieces all over the water, spreading them about so they would never be discovered.

Tanya and Betty sat side-by-side in the sand, their feet in the water of the lake, trying their best not to laugh at what they had successfully accomplished.

"I never thought that you could pull it off, but you sure proved me wrong," Tanya said.

"I planned my revenge from the morning I woke up in that bastard's bed. I wasn't gonna rest until I got him back for what he did to me."

"I'm sure going to miss you. We used to have the best time together." Tanya stood, trailing her way toward the car.

"Yeah, we had some wild and crazy times, that's for sure. You can always come visit me if you want. I have a spectacular townhome in Dallas."

"I may take you up on that. We better head home, Mama and Daddy are probably wondering why we're not there for dinner," Tanya said, wiping the sand from the back of her shorts, before climbing into her car.

Upon entering the house, Betty's father had the six o'clock national news programmed on the television.

"A bazaar story comes to us from Brunswick, Georgia," the newscaster said.

Betty, shocked upon hearing the city, assumed that it had to be about Darius. She plopped herself down on the sofa, engulfed with the story that newscaster was revealing.

"It appears a male by the name of Darius Marshall was attacked in his own bedroom by two intruders last night. He explained the two intruders zip-tied his ankles and wrists together then poured cement through a funnel into his rectum. Mr. Marshall told authorities that he has no clue who would do such a heinous act, leaving the police of Brunswick stunned. Mr. Marshall is currently at Brunswick Memorial undergoing surgery. We will provide you with more details as they come in."

Betty looked toward Tanya and silently mouthed the words, "Don't say a word."

Tanya smiled and nodded.

After eating dinner together as a family one last time before Betty had to leave for Dallas, Betty packed her luggage, and retired to bed. As she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever get caught. Her cell phone rang and she saw Austin's name on the screen.

"Hi, baby. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good, still miss ya, though."

"I miss you, too. These few days apart from one another seem like such an eternity," she said, a smile beamed across her face.

"You sound so different, as if you have a certain glow about you," he acknowledged.

"Do I? I haven't noticed. Maybe because I'm finally around my family after so many years." But, she knew that wasn't the reason, knowing her vindication was why she was glowing.

"Well, I'll let you get some rest before your flight tomorrow. I love you, baby."

"I love you, too. Goodnight." Betty disconnected the call, rolled over, and fell asleep.

Austin sat, still confused on what to do about Betty. His emotions were getting the best of him. He knew it was his obligation to report her, but his heart just wouldn't allow it. He just pondered the thought of other things that she may be involved with that he wasn't aware of. Uncertain, he turned off his light, and went to sleep.
chapter twelve

Betty's plane landed at Dallas Love Field and then she trailed her way outside baggage claim to curbside. She spotted Austin's black Corvette, him standing against it, his arms folded, wearing jeans and a pale blue, polo shirt with flip flops.

"Boy, you sure are a sight for sore eyes!" She wrapped her arms around him, kissing his neck, which smelled of Creed. She loved it when he wore cologne, the scent drove her wild and he knew that, using it toward his advantage.

"Hi, baby...you're simply gorgeous," he told her. He believed that she looked her best in jeans, especially the one's she wore with rhinestones on the back flap pockets. Her tight, white sleeveless tank top left nothing to the imagination, either. He wanted to ravage her as soon as he got her home.

"Tell me about your trip." He sat in the driver's seat, eager to hear of her visit to Florida.

"It was nothing really." She couldn't look him in the eye. "Just hung out with my family, went out with my sister, and had a few drinks." She shrugged. "That pretty much sums it up."

Austin's Corvette accelerated up the Tollway toward Addison where Betty's townhouse was. As they reached their destination, he unloaded Betty's bags and followed her to the front door.

"You can just place my bags on the floor," she said, walking toward the refrigerator to get a bottle of water. "Would you like some?" she asked, tossing Austin a bottle of Fiji.

He caught the bottle, twisted off the cap, and sat on the sofa. "Are you gonna join me?" He patted the cushion next to him motioning for Betty to sit beside him.

Betty sat alongside Austin, feeling as relaxed as ever. She believed she finally could move on, as if the rape wasn't as detrimental to her the way it used to be.

Austin, feeling a little nervous, but excited at the same time, brushed his fingers through Betty's soft brunette locks, tucking a strand behind her ear, and kissed her bare, rosy cheek. She turned toward his kiss, lost in his stare, kissing him tenderly, feeling his arms wrap around her body as he pulled her into him. Their kisses grew more passionate, their breaths more heated to the point that they couldn't withstand it any longer. Austin swept Betty into his strong arms, carried her to the bedroom, and gently laid her on the bed all the while their lips still pressed together. The heat between them became more intense; he slid Betty's shirt above her breasts, savoring the flavor of her dewy skin with his tongue that trailed the deep valley of her cleavage.

"Take me already!" she demanded, a short halting breath escaped from her lips.

Austin unfastened her jeans, yanking them to her ankles, and then tossed them off to the side. He stood back admiring Betty in her pale, pink lace bra and panties. She was absolutely beautiful and he severely craved her.

Betty, enthralled in a heat of passion, pulled Austin onto her, forcing his lips upon hers. He reached behind her back, unfastening her bra, allowing her bare breasts to become totally exposed to him. He trailed tiny kisses down her neck, down her torso, to her panties, where he gently removed them with his teeth. She lay totally nude, wanting him immediately as he seemed to enjoy teasing her to no end. He stood alongside the bed, removed his polo shirt, and slid his jeans to his ankles, stepping from them, and joined Betty back on the bed.

"Do you honestly know how much I love you?" Austin's breath was heavy, warm, and sincere.

"Show me how much you love me, baby," Betty said, her nails digging into his muscular back, trying to force him inside her.

"You want to feel me inside you, don't you? Beg for it, baby, tell me how much you want me to make you scream," he demanded, his voice exciting her with every word.

"Yes...yes...Austin, please, you're teasing me. I need you now."

Finally, Betty felt the stiffness of Austin enter inside her. Never has their sex been so passionate. Betty thought it was because she had been so guarded because of the rape. Now she felt more relaxed, more comfortable to have sex with the man who she loved, fulfilling his and her every desire. He buried his face between her shoulder and neck, his lips kissing her skin, her tongue upon his earlobe, and her hands cupped against his tight derrière.

He rose from above her, rolling her onto her stomach, staring at her firm, round bottom. He reached beneath her, forcing her upon her knees as he entered her sweet spot from behind. Betty was insanely aroused, never feeling pleasure from that particular angle, it was spellbinding, her screams and moans demonstrated the intense pleasure that she encountered, increasing Austin's desire for her. His hands grasped her hips as he forcefully pounded himself harder and harder into her. Her folds grasped his member with her delicate pulsating muscle. As Betty's body started to tremble, she moaned in ecstasy, he satisfied her, exactly the way that he intended. A few seconds later, he echoed a jutting grunt as he joined her release, kissing the nape of her neck, his breath against her skin, embracing her as they fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

***

The next morning, Austin awoke and prepared coffee for Betty before they left for work. Betty, dressed in a white plush robe, entered the kitchen with a towel on her head, and saw Austin standing ever so casually against the counter. He grinned at Betty with a certain sparkle in his eye, which gave Betty titillating chills throughout her body.

"What's the matter?" Austin asked, shirtless, wearing only tight blue jeans, and standing bare foot.

"Nothing," Betty answered, too embarrassed to mention how sexy Austin appeared standing in her kitchen with his six-pack abs, chiseled pecs, gorgeous thick dark hair, and enticing eyes.

"Well, I need to head home and get dressed for work." He grabbed his polo shirt from the back of the chair, slipped it over his gorgeous chest, and kissed Betty goodbye. "I'll see ya in a few hours at the lab."

As Austin closed the door behind him, Betty sat on the sofa thinking about how she and her sister attacked Darius. She felt phenomenal, a feeling that she hadn't felt since the rape. Betty finished her last sip of coffee and dressed in her uniform. She was eager to get back to work after she was placed on administrative leave.

Meanwhile, at the lab, Austin situated himself at his desk wondering how he was going to let Betty know he knew what she had done to the two rapists in North Texas. He gathered files of previous rape victims and placed them on Betty's desk. He decided to let her go ahead and investigate previous rape victims, and not let her know that she had been caught. He had a plan for her; he just didn't want her aware of it quite yet.

Betty entered the office seeing the files placed on her desk. She knew what they were. She logged into the database researching the victims, acting as if she was really doing something, when in fact, she was just passing time. She wasn't going to investigate the women, she knew it was useless, but wanted Austin to believe that she was doing as she was told.

Betty glanced in Austin's direction, watching him type on his keyboard. She found him incredibly sexy, sitting there, in his gorgeous, custom tailored suit. Oh, how she wanted him to take her on the surface of his desk, but she wanted to remain professional.

"What's that look for?" Austin smiled, knowing she was thinking naughty thoughts because of the expression on her face.

"What look? I don't have a look."

"Oh, yes you do. I wonder what that pretty little mind is imagining right now. Could it be you wanting me to touch you in your naughty places?" he asked, still focused on his computer screen appearing busy just in case someone saw him through his office window.

Betty knew that she couldn't hide the look. She knew Austin could read her like a book. She stood beside her desk and approached the door, shooting a flirtatious look over her shoulder. "I'll be back in a few minutes. I need to go down to the forensics lab."

Betty stood in the hallway waiting for the elevator, which seemed to take forever. Upon entering the elevator, right before the doors closed, she saw an arm swing inward preventing the doors from shutting. Austin entered the elevator, standing against the wall, amorously smiling at Betty. She smiled, nervous because of the increased sexual tension. The ride to the bottom floor seemed to take forever even though it was only one floor away from their office. The doors slid opened and Austin allowed Betty to walk out before him, and he closely trailed behind her to the forensics lab.

The lab was desolate, not a soul to be seen, only her and Austin, alone. There were no words spoken, Betty knew why Austin followed her, and she was willing to succumb to his every desire. He was aware of her professionalism rule in the workplace, but knew after the way that she made love to him the night before, that had all changed.

Betty smoothly traced her way toward a table near the back of the vacant room. She gathered some files and held them securely against her chest. Austin, incredibly turned on, stared hungrily at Betty, which sent chills of excitement through her core.

"Sir, the papers in these files contain medical information regarding two women who were recently sexually assaulted. Did you want to examine them before I look them over?" She gulped hard, trying to remove the lump in her throat.

"Let me take a look." He pulled the files from her hands, tossed them aside, and passionately took Betty in his arms. "I want you, right here, right now!" He panted, breathing heavily against her neck.

"We can't do this here! What if someone comes in and catches us?" She loved the fact that Austin took the initiative and went for her at that very moment. She wanted to seem a little resistant, making it more exciting.

"Oh, baby, you want this as much as I do," he conferred. "Just trust me, let me show you how exciting this can be." Austin unfastened the buttons along her shirt, stripped her of her duty belt, and unzipped her slacks, allowing them to fall to her ankles.

"Oh my word! Your tits look so good in that bra." He cupped his hand over her breast, pulling the lace below her nipple, where he gently flicked the erect pink point with his tongue, driving her into sexual oblivion.

Betty wrapped his navy blue neck-tie around her hand, forcefully guiding his lips to hers, all the while relieving his penis from his zipper. She wanted him badly, so bad that she felt a tingling sensation flush through her entire body. It was electrifying, his touch—jolting, his kiss—intoxicating. She wrapped her legs around his waist; he rested her ass on the cold table, where she felt him enter her. The thrusts were powerful—intense. Betty swiftly unbuttoned Austin's shirt, yanked his undershirt above his chest, where she buried her face against his perfectly chiseled pecs. "My god, you have the sexiest body I've ever seen!" she whispered, almost out of breath from the sheer passion of the moment. She lay back completely on the table; Austin's hands were grasping her hips, her legs wrapped around his lower back, forcing his thrusts deeper inside. "Harder, baby! Harder!" she demanded. He placed his hand over her mouth preventing her screams from being heard, which made her heart race even more. Her back arched, toes pointed, legs clinched as she forcefully held his hips between her thighs with the heels of her feet at his ass. She felt his body tense, a forceful grunt escaped his lips. He collapsed on top of her, exhausted. "I love you, Officer Hatfield."

She gazed into his deep, dark brown eyes, "I love you, too, Lieutenant Worthington."

Back at the office, Betty and Austin situated themselves at their desks as if nothing had ever happened. Betty, a tad upset with herself because she allowed her sexual urges to get the best of her at work.

Austin seemed upset after hanging up from a phone call. He instructed Betty to assist him on a crime scene.

As they sat in his Lincoln Continental, no words were spoken of the sex that took place in the forensics lab.

"Where are we going?" Betty asked.

"Looks like we have a pimp on the loose! He's been pimping out teenage runaways for money and drugs." Austin glanced toward Betty wanting to see the expression on her face.

Betty clinched her fists tightly trying her best to hide them underneath her thighs. She hoped that after getting her revenge on Darius, she wouldn't be so angry toward these types of situations anymore, but she was wrong. She was pissed, and knew exactly what she had to do.

"Somethin' the matter?" Austin asked.

"No, nothing's wrong," she said, lying.

"I want you to know that you can tell me anything, no matter what it is, you can trust me." He tried his best to get her to confide in him.

"I know I can, sir. There's nothing wrong...I promise." She crossed her fingers, still hiding her hands underneath her thighs.

They finally pulled up to an old run-down crack house. The SWAT team previously raided the home, but the pimp was nowhere to be found, just tons of crack, weed, and a meth lab were discovered. As Betty entered the house after Austin, she saw several Polaroid shots of teenage girls plastered all over the walls. Austin and Betty slipped on their latex gloves, ready to comb the scene.

Betty had several bags, inventory label sheets, and marking pens. She gathered numerous bags of pot and several bottles of Oxyconton that was hidden underneath the mattress.

"Does anyone have a clue who this dude is?" Betty asked, writing the case number on the adhesive label.

"Sure do, but he fled, no one has any idea where the jerk took off to." Austin took snapshots of the sofa, finding a strand of hair as trace evidence. "And this is what's gonna put his ass away!" Austin lifted the hair with a pair of tweezers before placing it inside a paper bindle, sealing it in a plastic bag.

"Look what I found." Betty took a pair of tongs and retrieved a used, wadded up tissue that she had found underneath a dresser.

"Perfect!" Austin said. "I believe we've completed everything on the checklist. Let's get this stuff back to the lab."

As Betty sat in the car next to Austin, she couldn't help but ask, "Who exactly is this guy who fled?"

"His name is Jose Cruz. He's an illegal immigrant and is wanted in Mexico for first degree murder and rape. He's rumored to have been an enforcer of the Mexican drug cartel. Every time we're hot on his trail, he disappears. We've been tryin' to catch him for the past two years."

"Where does he recruit these young girls from?"

"He usually recruits them straight off the street. He targets Harry Hines Boulevard near Highway 635. That's where a bunch of teen runaways hang out, selling their bodies for money. He'll make them promises such as offering them free food and shelter, and as soon as he lures them in and establishes trust, he pimps them out, and threatens to kill them if they ever try to leave him."

"Isn't that where that one big adult novelty store is?" she asked, silently plotting a scheme in her mind.

"Yep! Sure is. You should see that area around lunchtime during the week. There are quite a few prostitutes that hang around in that area."

***

Back at the lab, Betty logged in all the evidence, and checked the database for Jose Cruz. She saw his ugly mug come across the computer monitor that displayed a sinister smug grin that angered her even more. Betty knew exactly what she was going to do; she just had to figure out when.

"How long will it take to get DNA confirmation back on the evidence that we just submitted regarding this Jose asshole?" Betty asked.

"About a day is all." Austin stood alongside his desk, putting on his suit coat, ready to leave. "Ya comin'?"

"In a little bit. I just need to catch up on some things first. I'll call you when I get home," she said, her face buried in the screen trying to obtain as much information as possible on Mr. Cruz.

"Don't forget to lock up." He leaned in from behind, kissing Betty on her shoulder.

"I won't." She smiled.

After Austin left, she could gain more information on the bastard who Betty was planning to take down. She was more at ease and no longer had to worry about Austin constantly glancing at her computer monitor. She wrote down as much information as she could, cleared her computer history and cache, locked up the office, and headed home.
chapter thirteen

Betty couldn't speed home fast enough. She was eager to devise a plan on how to take Jose down. She knew that if she were going to do this right, she had to dress and act the part of a teenage girl. She came up with a plan and decided on the night that the mission would go down. She chose Friday night because she had the weekend off. She was extremely eager to rid North Texas of the asshole who had seemed to get away with rape, murder, and sexually trafficking young girls for his own financial and sexual gain.

It was becoming late and Betty knew that she had to eat something before going to bed. She stood at the stove stirring some soup and heard her cell phone ring. She noticed Austin on the screen.

"Hey, baby, whatcha doin'?" he asked.

"Fixing some soup."

"Do ya feel like company?"

"No," she said, feeling exhausted because of work and the intense research of Jose. She wanted to go straight to bed after eating. "I'm so tired."

"Ah, it's okay. Did ya want to stay at my place tomorrow night? I can pick ya up in the morning and bring you into work with me," he suggested, hoping Betty would oblige.

"That sounds fantastic."

"Perfect! I'm looking forward to it. I'll see ya in the morning, beautiful," he said, disconnecting the call.

Betty poured the soup into a bowl, made her way to the sofa, propped her feet up on the coffee table, turned on the television, and ate dinner all the while thinking of her future encounter with Jose.

As she sat contemplating her plan, she knew that she had to dress in such a way to convince Jose that she was a teenage runaway. "Perhaps braiding my hair?" she questioned. She knew the only way to get the right idea on how to dress was to actually see a teenage runaway herself.

After placing her empty bowl in the sink, she jumped in her car, and proceeded toward the Dallas North Tollway, veering onto Highway 635 toward Harry Hines Boulevard. As she exited the freeway, she saw two women dressed in blonde wigs, high heels, and very scantily clad outfits. She knew that they were prostitutes, but they appeared to be adults, not teens. As she approached the adult novelty store, she saw several young girls standing behind the building. She drove her MINI Cooper slowly toward them with her headlights aimed directly on the females.

Betty suddenly stepped from the car and flashed her police badge. "What are you young ladies doing out here this late?"

"Just hangin' out," a girl who appeared no older than fifteen said.

"Do your parents know where you are?"

Neither of them spoke a word, just stared blankly at one another.

"So, you don't want to speak I see." Betty dialed the police department on her cell phone.

"This is Officer Hatfield. I'm at the corner of Harry Hines Boulevard and 635 behind the Erotica Palace. I have four underage girls standing out here possibly involved in prostitution. I need several squad cars here to escort these ladies to the police station where they can call their parents," she explained to dispatch.

"We have patrols on the way," the dispatcher replied.

Betty slid her cell phone in her back pocket. "So, are you ladies gonna tell me who you're working for?"

The girls each looked at one another. A black-haired petite girl spoke, "We ain't gotta tell ya nothin'!"

"Well, that's fine. Just save it for the interrogator then."

Moments later, two squad cars arrived on the scene. The officers placed the girls in the backseat and drove them to the police department.

Betty got back in her car; happy she got those girls off the street for the night, but knew that they would be right back there the next day. At least she saw how they dressed, so she knew exactly how to incorporate her plan this coming Friday night.

Betty entered her townhouse, tossed her keys on the counter, and dressed for bed. As she entered her closet, she had noticed the dresses that concealed her bag of disguises weren't covering the bag completely. That's odd, she thought, grabbing the bag, dumping the items onto the floor. She noticed that the red high heel shoes with the red bows were not properly placed inside the box. Someone had been there.

Betty sat on the floor, confused, pondering the thought of who could have been in her home. She placed the items back inside the bag and put it back in the closet. She climbed into bed still engulfed in thoughts of who could have been in her townhome while she was gone.

***

After dressing for work, Betty made her way to the leasing office hoping to speak with the landlord. As she entered the leasing office, she saw the landlord talking on the telephone. Betty waited for him to finish his conversation before she approached him. "Hi, while I was gone over the long Thanksgiving weekend, did someone go inside my townhome?"

"Um...yes...your boyfriend," he answered, clearing his throat. "He showed me his badge and said that he was concerned that you had gone missing and needed to get in your house to see if he could find a phone number on how to reach you," he explained, seeming slightly uneasy for divulging that information.

Betty felt a warm flush throughout her body. She knew that Austin found her out. What she didn't quite understand, is why he hadn't brought it to her attention?

"Well, thank you for letting me know. I just wanted to be absolutely certain that there wasn't an actual intruder rifling through my things," she said, closing the door behind her, walking back to her townhome.

Betty sat dumbfounded on the bar stool in the kitchen. She heard the doorbell ring knowing it was Austin ready to take her to work.

"Come in!" she hollered, hoping he could hear her through the door while she went to the bedroom to retrieve her bags.

Austin stood in the doorway waiting for Betty to come from the bedroom. She approached carrying several bags. "Wow...that's a lot of bags for just one night," he said.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay until Thursday. I really don't see the point in staying just one night since we live a good thirty minutes away from each other."

"That's fine with me." He smiled; pleased she wanted to spend more time with him.

Austin grabbed her bags and placed them in the trunk of the Lincoln Continental. Betty sat in the car waiting, fidgeting with the buttons on her uniform, trying her best to disguise her nervousness because she was aware that Austin knew of what she had done. She wondered when he would bring it up, she most definitely didn't want to say anything just in case he didn't put two-and-two together, realizing, she was in fact, the Firecracker Bandit. But, she knew that he was smart. Of course he was smart, his job revolved around solving cases. She hated not knowing how he would approach the subject, she wanted to just tell him, but was afraid. I'll just wait until after I catch Jose, she thought. "After that, I'm done, no more."

"What's that?" Austin asked. She didn't realize that she had said, 'After that, I'm done' out loud.

"Oh, nothing...just thinking out loud is all." She shrugged. "How about we stop off and get some coffee?" she suggested, blankly staring out the window as they idled on the Tollway in morning rush hour traffic.

They exited the Tollway and entered a quaint independent coffee shop known for its iced coffees. As Betty sat at a corner table, her eyes were fixated on Austin's derrière while he stood at the counter waiting on their order. She loved the way his backside fit in his suit. He was so tall and extremely sexy. She was pleased knowing that he was all hers.

"Here ya go, baby." He carefully placed the iced coffee on the table in front of her. Upon taking a sip, she flirtatiously flashed him a wink.

He smiled. "What's got your juices flowin' already?"

"Staring at that ass that won't quit!" she teased, looking down at the table, embarrassed at what she had just said.

"Ha! So, you like my ass, do ya?"

"Well, I can honestly say that it's one of the tightest I've ever grabbed." She laughed.

Betty, still wondering when Austin would bring up his findings, still was a tad uneasy that he knew. She felt the comfort of knowing that he wasn't going to say anything to anyone because if he were, he would've done it already.  Maybe he has a hidden agenda?

"Well, we better get to the lab. Are you ready?" he asked, standing from the table.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Betty tossed her empty cup in the trashcan and met Austin outside.

***

Betty sat at her desk viewing the files that Austin had given her the day before. She wondered why he even bothered giving them to her when he already knew who the Firecracker Bandit was. She was still baffled, trying to figure out what his intentions were.

She opened a file trying to appear busy and could see Austin in her peripheral vision glancing at her. She knew that he was probably laughing to himself as he watched her try to investigate something that was useless.

Austin received a phone call, which prompted him to rush from his office. Betty had no idea what the call entailed, but knew it was something important. She always knew if something caused Austin to bolt from the office without so much of saying a word, it was big. Betty wondered if perhaps, maybe, the call was in regards to Jose. She hoped that it was because she really didn't want to go through with Friday night's plans, but knew she had to do something quick to prevent that man from pimping out more teenage runaways.

Moments later he entered, slamming a huge stack of files on his desk.

"Something wrong?" Betty asked.

"Nothing that concerns you, don't worry about it," he snapped, appearing frustrated.

"When you're upset, it concerns me. Tell me what's wrong!" She still pried, but Austin did not budge. He didn't like displaying his emotions; he always tried to maintain that macho attitude to go with his macho physique.

He sat at his desk, his hands crossed, his forehead resting against them, staring down upon the files. "I told you, it's nothing. Let it go," he sternly replied.

"Yes, sir!" Betty exclaimed, sarcastically saluting. She buried herself into the files of previously sexually assaulted women.

After viewing the last file, she stood, placing them on the corner of Austin's desk. "I'm going to lunch. I'll see you in about an hour."

"We're not going together?"

"I don't care much for your attitude right now. I want to eat alone today." She left the office, slamming the door behind her.

She casually strolled down the street to a sandwich shop. She heard a voice yelling in the distance, "Betty! Hey Betty!" the voice hollered.

Betty glanced toward the voice and saw Adam waving his arms frantically, trying to gain her attention. He ran toward her after closing the door to his huge, black Dodge 4X4. He was incredibly handsome, wearing a western shirt, black cowboy hat, and boots. A true Dallas cowboy.

"Hey, Adam!" she said, reciprocating his hug. His embrace was strong; the smell of his cologne was intoxicating. She inhaled deeply, savoring the scent emanating from his chest.

"Why haven't you returned any of my calls?"

"I've been so busy. I just got back from Florida and now work is totally consuming my every minute. I'm so sorry, I wasn't avoiding you," she explained, gazing up into his gorgeous emerald green stare.

"Ah, no need to explain. Let me buy you lunch," he offered, placing his arm around her, leading her into the sandwich shop.

Betty felt confused. She experienced a sexual exuberance in Adam's presence, lustful abandonment, and desiring him to her very core. Betty tried her best to maintain her composure, but knew that her resolve was evaporating. Adam read her body language and planned to use that knowledge to his advantage. Both Betty and Adam felt the sexual tension and knew it was just a matter of time.

"Don't take this the wrong way but, DAMN! You are incredibly hot in that uniform!" he said, flirtatiously grinning.

Betty perched up straight, her posture perfect as she sat at the table, knowing her breasts protruded even more than usual when she sat in that position. "Thank you." She smiled, taking a tiny bite of her ham and cheese sandwich.

"I live right around the corner. What do ya say you and I head over there after we finish lunch?" he asked, hoping Betty knew of his intention.

Betty seemed very confused about her newfound sexuality. Her heart and mind wanted to say no, but her impetuous desire took over. Her heart rapidly beat against the walls of her chest, she felt weak, excited, experiencing tingles throughout her extremities because she knew that she was about to do something out of her normal realm. She longed to feel Adam inside her and could not suppress the desire any longer. "So, Adam, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"How old do you think I am?" He smiled ever so sexy, making Betty's heart beat faster.

"I don't know." She shrugged, feeling feverish from the tantalizing tease of his voice.

"I'm forty."

"Forty?" she questioned, stunned by his age, assuming that he was only in his early thirties at best.

"Yes...forty. Why? Does that scare you?" He knew the spark that she felt was intense. He could tell. The way she kept fidgeting with her hands and how frequently she crossed her legs led him to believe it.

"Meh." She shrugged. "Nothing scares me."

"Well, how old are you?"

"I'm twenty-six." Betty shyly looked away, nervously adjusting the pins in her French twist.

"My gosh! You're just a baby," he joked, hoping to ease the tension that she had been experiencing.

The thumps of Betty's heartbeat were so strong; she actually could see the buttons of her uniform slightly move by each pump.

"Shall we?" Adam stood, extending his hand.

Betty reluctantly took Adam by the hand as she allowed him to lead her to his truck. He opened the passenger door, helping her climb into the cab. Her nerves were running rampant; she could hardly breathe, all the while glancing around hoping not to see Austin anywhere. After all, the lab was only a block away.

As Adam drove to his high rise, luxury apartment, he gently placed his hand on the inside of Betty's left thigh. She felt faint, feeling the tingle shoot through her body, lustfully wanting to unleash the passion that she felt all over Adam.

Adam parked the truck in the parking garage and led Betty to the elevator to his apartment. Betty stood on the opposite side of the elevator and leaned back against the wall. She intently watched Adam stick a key in the key pad and press the button to the top floor. The doors opened directly to his penthouse apartment. Betty entered, mesmerized by how beautiful it was. The décor was typical bachelor pad style and on the walls hung desert paintings.

"Your apartment is absolutely gorgeous," she said.

Adam took her in his arms, holding her tight, allowing her to smell the scent of the Mont Blanc cologne emanating from his chest. The scent intoxicated her even more, causing extreme tingling between her thighs as her knees weakened. She couldn't hold back any longer, she wanted him badly and she needed to make him aware of exactly how much she needed him.

She ripped the snaps of his western shirt, exposing his flawless, hairless, herculean chest. He was tall, her lips at the perfect point to trail her tongue across the tips of his erect nipples. She pulled him harder into her; he could feel the palpitations of her chest against him. "Oh my god, t-take me n-now, I need you so b-bad!" she demanded in a halting whisper.

He whisked her into his hefty arms and carried her into his bedroom all the while their lips locked in a French kissing frenzy. He placed Betty on the edge of his huge king-size bed and swiftly unfastened every button on her uniform. Sliding her uniform blouse from her shoulders, he then removed her undershirt. She stood, allowing Adam to remove her duty belt, and slide her pants down her thighs. She stepped from her pants, lying back on the bed, letting Adam get a view of her in her satin bra and matching panties.

He stood before her, shirtless, wearing only his tight jeans. She could see the massive bulge demanding to be released from his zipper. Betty grabbed Adam by the waist of his jeans, her index finger sliding on the inside, feeling the outline of his boxer briefs. Finally, she unfastened his button, unzipping his jeans, and knew full well that she couldn't turn back now. Her desire was fierce.

As he stepped from his jeans, Betty saw how huge he was through his underwear. Her face displayed utter shock, never seeing a man quite so abnormally large in her entire life. She thought that Austin was well-endowed until she saw Adam. She was a little nervous, but excited at the same time.

Adam leaned in, kissing Betty on her soft lips, unfastening the back of her bra, allowing her breasts to be fully exposed to him. He kissed her neck, trailing tiny kisses at her cleavage where he worshipped her silky skin with the touch of his tongue, and the caress of his masculine fingers. His touch was electrifying; she wanted to feel him inside her at that very moment. His hands skimmed their way down to her panties, sliding them from her long, smooth, supple legs. He raised himself from above her and removed his black, boxer briefs. He was gorgeous, strong, muscular, no flaws whatsoever. He was the total package of what every woman fantasized about and Betty was about to have him all to herself.

He crawled onto the bed in hunger, his arm beneath Betty's back, his other between her thighs, lightly stroking her soft, wet, pink pearl. She was in an erotic trance, feeling his thick, hard erection against the inside of her thigh.

"Take me now!" she demanded. He placed his hand over her mouth, "Shh...don't speak, I'll let you know when it's time," he playfully teased, staring deep into her sapphire, blue eyes.

Betty couldn't take the intense sexual taunting any longer. She wanted him, right then, right there. He trickled tiny wet kisses down her body starting at her neck, her breasts, her nipples, then paused at the pink pulsating bare entrance that was begging for him to fill. The way that he trailed his tongue, the slight suckling motion of his lips, made Betty succumbed to what he had intended. He took pleasure in getting a woman off by just his tongue; he had a gift, a gift Betty treasured at that moment.

He felt the inside of Betty's thighs tighten against his face, her breathing—heavy, her nipples—erect, all the while him feeling her fingers run through his silky, fine blond hair. He slowly kissed his way toward her lips, kissing her hard, passionate, and she felt the plunge of his thick erection enter inside her dripping sheathe. She wailed, moaned, and held his perfectly chiseled face tightly against her cheek. He was amazed at how tight she was, knowing that his phallus was the largest she had ever had, and he took extreme pleasure in knowing that. He pounded harder and harder until he couldn't hold out any longer, releasing on her flat stomach, and she felt a tiny trickle of sweat from his brow fall onto her lips. The salty taste was engaging, she was satisfied, as was he.

After the intense heat of passion, she glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that she had been gone way more than an hour. She had no idea how to explain it to Austin and began to feel guilty that she allowed her sexual urges to overtake her morals.

Betty quickly dressed while Adam took a shower. She paced back-and-forth along the floor waiting impatiently for Adam to drive her back to the sandwich shop. He finally dressed, grabbed his keys, and escorted Betty to his truck.

The short ride was quiet, awkward, so Betty took it upon herself to start the conversation, "You can just drop me off at the sandwich shop," she said.

"Ya don't want me dropping you off at the crime lab?" he asked, confused on why she wanted to walk.

"I'm late. I don't want my boss thinking that I was out gallivanting around with you."

"Gallivantin'?" he questioned. "We weren't just gallivantin'. We screwed each other's brains out!" He impishly laughed.

"Well, still, I need to appear as professional as possible." She toiled her hair into a French twist, preventing it from touching the collar of her uniform.

"Now if I call ya, will you not avoid me anymore?" he asked.

"If I'm not busy, I'll answer or call you back."

"Yeah, right! You just used me as a one-time thing, huh? You're never gonna see me again, are ya?" he asked, hoping it wasn't true, waiting for Betty to reassure him that they would have another encounter.

"We'll see." She winked, jumping from the cab of the truck, closing the door as she headed toward the lab.

Betty went into the restroom and touched-up her hair and makeup in the mirror. Her lipstick was smeared from the outline of her lips and her mascara was smudged. She tried her best to clean herself up, but with limited tools, she had to make do with what she had. She moistened a paper towel, dabbed it underneath her eyes and around her mouth, trying to fix what she could, hoping it was good enough for Austin not to ask questions.

Betty entered her office, sat down, and not even a glance toward Austin.

"Nice of you to finally come back to work," he said, displaying a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh, wow...I didn't realize I was gone so long."

"So, why were you taking a two hour lunch?"

"I guess I got caught up in reading. I went to that sandwich shop down the block and read a book that someone had left behind." She bold-faced lied, but she couldn't tell Austin the truth.

"Whatever," he said, shaking his head back and forth in disbelief. "Must have been some good book."

Betty sat quietly at her desk and began to feel guilty with each passing minute. How could she have cheated on Austin, especially since he knows that she's the Firecracker Bandit? Betty was surprised that she couldn't keep control of her sexual urges. The desire and curiosity that she had felt with Adam got the better of her. He was so sexy and experienced. Something Betty was sure had to do with his age. She vowed never to do it again, she fed her curiosity, she was done.

Betty's phone vibrated in her pocket. She received a text message from Adam that read, I had fun. You're so freaking gorgeous!

Betty responded, I had a great time, too, followed by a winking emoticon.

Austin still appeared frustrated from the commotion that happened earlier that day. There was no use prying, she knew that it was useless, so she just allowed him to waller in his own mess.

Finally, at the end of the day, Betty locked the folders in the file cabinet. Austin, still absorbed in his work, didn't realize that it was already five o'clock.

"Crap! I can't leave yet. I have to finish this narcotic inventory list."

"Well, let me help you." Betty offered, placing her purse on her chair.

"Nah, just go get some coffee or something while I finish up here."

"Suit yourself." She shrugged, grabbing her purse, and leaving the office.

She walked across the street to a small café where she had bought a bagel and a cup of coffee. She sat thinking about Adam, deeply regretting what she had done. She knew that it wasn't like her to do what she did, remembering the vow that she had made to herself, only sleep with someone she loves, not a careless fling. She grabbed her phone and dialed Tanya's number.

"Oh my god! I did the most awful thing," Betty said.

"What did you do now?" Tanya asked, not surprised, judging by Betty's past mission.

"I screwed a man today whom I barely know! That's not the worst part; he's fourteen years older than me!"

Tanya laughed. "Is that all? Boy! That's no big deal. Hell, have fun while you can. Besides, older men are hot! They have experience; you don't have to tell them what to do."

"Well, you got that right! He sure knows his way around the female anatomy." She laughed.

"Tell me...tell me what he did!" Tanya begged, excited to hear the in-depth details of Betty's sexual escapade.

"Put it this way, the way he used his tongue...oh my god...it was intense!"

"Really?"

"Yes, and he has the largest dong on a man that I have ever seen in my life! It's even bigger than those we used to see in those dirty porn magazines we looked at when we were little." Betty laughed.

"Oh my! I remember those. There were stacks of those dirty mags in that old abandoned camper trailer down the street hidden in the woods. I still remember one page...a naked man standing underneath a waterfall, it was so funny."

"I remember that!" Betty snorted, busting out laughing.

"Are you gonna see him again?"

"I have no idea. It depends on if I can control my urges. I mean, Austin is awesome in bed, don't get me wrong, but my god! The eroticism that I get from Adam, it intoxicates me, like an addictive drug. Oh man, Tanya, I'm in so much trouble."

"Not if Austin doesn't find out. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? Besides, you aren't married to him or anything."

"I guess so. I just don't like lying to him."

"How would you feel if you discovered that he screwed some other chick?"

Betty sat, stunned by the question. She didn't even think about that. How would she feel if she discovered that he screwed someone else? "I would be hurt, I suppose. Not sure, everything's just moving so fast...the shit with Darius, trying to prevent Austin from finding out about Adam...I don't know what in the hell to do."

"Well, I'm coming out to visit you along with Mom and Dad during Christmas break. I hope that's alright."

"Sure, I can't wait!" Betty glanced out the window and saw Austin walking toward the cafe. "I guess Austin's ready to go home. I'll give you a call later. Love ya."

"Love you, too. Take care," Tanya said.

Austin entered the café and saw Betty sitting alone at a table by the newsstand. "Sorry that I took so long, baby...are ya ready to go?"

Betty took one last bite of her bagel and stood from the table. "Sure, let's get a move on."

During the drive home, Austin reached over, and placed his hand on Betty's hand. She slowly pulled it away, not feeling quite right because of what she had done that day.

"What's the matter, baby?" he asked, focusing on trying not to rear-end the car in front of him. The rush hour traffic on the Dallas North Tollway was hell.

"Nothing, just a little upset at the way you spoke to me earlier is all." She knew that wasn't the reason, she just thought that she would use that as an excuse, an excuse that would be believable.

"I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I was just stressed." He smiled, brushing his index finger softly against her cheek.

She grabbed his finger and guided his hand in hers. "It's alright, sweetie. I forgive you." She managed to crack a smile.

Upon arrival to Austin's massive estate in Harland Park, Betty hurried from the car, and rushed toward the front door.

"Why are you in such a rush," Austin asked, retrieving her bags from the trunk.

"I want to take a nice long, relaxing, hot bath; my back seems all out of whack for some reason." In all reality, Betty's vagina was killing her from the intense pounding thrusts brought forth upon by Adam, her well-endowed lover.

Austin fumbled with his keys before opening the door. Betty snatched her bags from Austin's hands and ran upstairs to his master bathroom.

Betty quickly turned on the water, undressed, and didn't waste any time jumping into the tub. As she sat in the water allowing the hot water to rush over her, she was finally relieved. She looked down, noticing slight bruising between her thighs. Shit! I can't believe that he bruised me like this!

Austin entered the bathroom, seeing her soaking in the large whirlpool tub. "Better?"

"Yes, I was so sore. This is doing wonders." She reclined back, relaxing, allowing the hot water to sooth her.

Austin stood and disrobed alongside the bathtub.

"What are you doing?" she asked, confused of why he was undressing.

"I'm gonna join ya, darlin'."

"Oh, okay...it may be too hot for you, though."

"Ah, nonsense!" He slid into the water, he facing her, taking her foot in his hand, massaging her arches.

"That feels so good," she whispered.

"This will make your back feel even better." He pressed the button on the bathtub that activated the whirlpool jets. "How's that?"

"Much better," she said, leaning back, her eyes closed, allowing Austin to massage more than just her feet. He began trailing his way up her calf, then, she felt his hands along the inside of her thigh.

"Oh, yes. Right there, baby," she said, seemingly in pure ecstasy. That was the spot hurting her mostly. His touch made it better, but she felt guilty allowing him to continue, knowing that Adam was the reason her thighs were in such extreme pain.

His hand halted at her entrance. Betty quickly closed her legs.

"What's the matter?" Austin asked, wondering why she wasn't inviting toward his touch.

"Um...I...um...well, I just started my period," she lied, hoping that he would stop because there was no way she could have sex with him with her vagina feeling the way that it did.

"We're in water. Who cares?" He tried persistently to open her thighs.

"I can't. I don't feel comfortable doing it while I'm on my period."

"Alright, I'll leave ya alone. When you're through with your bath, come downstairs. I'm gonna make ya a terrific dinner." He stood from the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Betty relaxed against the cold porcelain tub, relieved that he had finally left her alone. She was in such extreme pain, as if she was devirginized all over again.

***

Betty made her way downstairs, smelling an aroma of grilled steaks coming through the French doors from the outside patio. She stood behind Austin, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his back, hugging him tightly. He slowly turned, meeting her lips with his, holding a pair of tongs in his hand.

"You smell nice," he acknowledged, kissing her forehead.

"Thank you." She smiled, taking a seat at the umbrella covered table.

Austin placed the steaks on the table and prepared Betty a salad. He sat beside her, smiling from ear-to-ear, happy that she was in his life.

"What's with the silly grin?" she asked, feeling a little uneasy, hoping that he didn't suspect that she had been hiding a secret or two.

"It's nothing." It appeared that he wanted to ask her something, but was a little apprehensive.

"You seem anxious. Why are you acting so mysterious?" Betty became worried because she couldn't read his intentions. Was he going to confront her? She waited nervously, anticipating the worst.

"I'm so glad that you're here. I don't want ya to leave. What would you say if I asked you to move in with me?"

"Move in with you?" Betty questioned, shocked at the words coming from Austin's lips. "I just signed a lease not too long ago...I can't break it."

"I'm not asking you to break it. How about I pay it off and you move in with me?"

"I don't know. I have to really think about this," she said, staring down at her plate, not knowing what else to say.
chapter fourteen

Sitting at her desk early Friday morning, Betty anticipated her mission that evening. She knew exactly what she would wear and what excuse she would provide Austin with. She stayed the entire week with him, but explained that she couldn't stay Friday evening because of a delivery that she was expecting early the next morning.

Austin didn't bring up anymore suggestions regarding her moving in with him and she preferred it that way. She thought of Adam, how exciting their encounter was, and how she was beginning to yearn for him all over again. She finally started healing after he practically mutilated her when he screwed her brains out before. Adam sent her a few playful texts each day, she flirtatiously replied, but no other encounters were scheduled, which allowed her to focus on her mission. She knew all that she had to do was text Adam if she were ready for another rendezvous, but she was reluctant, afraid of Austin catching her because Adam's apartment was too close to the lab.

Austin sat at his desk, watching Betty engulfed in her work. He had a strong suspicion that she didn't have a scheduled delivery the next day, and wanted to try to pry out of her what her plan actually was.

"Did you want me to stay with you tonight?" he asked.

"No, it's okay. After the delivery, I may go shopping," she said, not able to look Austin in the eye because of her lie.

"You seem a bit tense. Are you alright?" He saw her hands shake a little as she held a manila folder.

"I'm okay, just a little stressed is all. I have so much paperwork to catch up on."

"Do ya wanna go to that deli down the street for lunch?" he suggested, still focused on her mannerisms.

"No!" she shouted. She cleared her throat. "I mean...no," she said in a more pleasant tone. She didn't want to run the risk of running into Adam again, especially in the presence of Austin.

"Well, where do ya wanna go for lunch?"

"How about Asian food?" she suggested. "There's a little Asian diner down the street."

"Alright...get your coat. I'll drive."

The weather became more frigid day-by-day. The overcast sky and the brisk wind pierced through them as they made their way to the parking lot. Austin, like the gentleman he was, opened the passenger door for Betty.

When they arrived at the Asian diner, Betty ordered her food, and sat at a table waiting on Austin to join her after getting their drinks from the soda fountain.

"Have you finished researching the previous rape victims?" Austin asked, placing a straw in his cup.

"Yes, but after researching, I discovered that they're all living out of state and they have no criminal history, so I assume the chances of them seeking revenge is quite slim."

"Well, how do you think we should proceed?" he asked, fidgeting with his chopsticks.

"I'm on it. But do we really want to track down a vigilante who's actually doing good for the community?"

"If the two men who were victims of the Firecracker Bandit decide to press charges, then we have to do something," Austin said.

"Well, as you can tell, I'm not jumping through hoops on this one." Betty glanced down at her lap. She had a strong suspicion that he was about to reveal to her that he knew she was the Firecracker Bandit.

"What was the name of the man who raped you a few years ago?"

Betty looked up, utterly caught off guard at the question, totally floored that Austin had the audacity to even ask. "Why?"

"No reason, just curious is all."

"Well, if you must know, his name is Darius Marshall."

"Darius Marshall...Darius Marshall...Where have I heard that name before?" He pondered, thumping his fingers on the table. "I know! He was on the national news channels not too long ago. Someone raided his home and shoved cement up his ass!"

"Seriously?" Betty acted as though she knew nothing about it.

"Yeah, he was at his home in Brunswick. He told authorities that two people raided his bedroom and shoved a funnel in his ass and poured cement mixture in it. Man! That must have hurt!" Austin squirmed in his chair at the sheer thought.

"Well, good. I'm glad that someone did that to him...fucking asshole deserved it!" Betty grabbed her tray and stood from the table. "Let's head back to the office."

***

Betty felt her cell phone vibrate in the pocket of her pants as she sat at her desk. A text from Adam displayed on the screen.  I'm at the sandwich shop, it read.

Betty swiftly texted, I'm sorry, I can't today.

"Who was that?" Austin inquired, wondering why she was so hasty to place the phone in her purse.

"Oh, it's my sister. She sent me a funny picture."

"Can I see?"

"Oh...um, I deleted it," she said, hesitantly. "I always delete pictures off my phone. It takes up too much memory." Betty hoped that was a good enough excuse so Austin wouldn't pry anymore.

Betty exited the office and entered the forensics lab. She grabbed a few bags that needed to be added to the database. As she sat at a table using the computer, she felt a hand slowly glide upon her shoulder. She turned, seeing Austin standing behind her, a playful grin on his face.

"You left so quickly." He smiled, looking at the information that she was entering into the database.

"I'm sorry; I suddenly remembered that I needed to log this information into the system. I intended to go back to the office as soon as I finished up here." She wished that he would leave. He seemed to keep prying into her business, which was weighing on her last nerve.

"It's okay, baby," he said, a flirtatious tone in his voice. He pulled the sticks from Betty's hair, allowing her brunette locks to cascade down her shoulders.

Betty sighed. She knew that he was horny and wanted another sexcapade while working, but Betty had far too much on her mind.

"Please stop. I'm really busy. Can we wait until tomorrow night?" she asked, hoping not to anger him.

"I suppose. Hey...ya can't blame a guy for tryin'."

Betty took the hair sticks from Austin's hand and restyled her hair into a French twist. "I'll be back in the office when I'm finished here."

Time flew by; Betty glanced at the clock on the wall noticing it was time to leave. She hurried back to her office, retrieved her purse, and rushed to the parking lot.

"Betty! C'mere...you didn't even say goodbye," Austin said, running across the street in his suit, trying to catch Betty before she left.

Betty spun around seeing him rushing toward her.  Oh, god, She callously rolled her eyes.

He grabbed her by the shoulders, gazing into her eyes. "Aren't you going to even kiss me goodbye?"

Betty leaned in and kissed his lips. She hoped it was good enough for him even though she felt numb, concentrating on her upcoming mission.

"We need to have a talk when you come over tomorrow. Somethin' ain't right."

"Everything's fine, I promise." Just so he wouldn't suspect a problem, she reached around, grabbed his derriere, and forcefully pulled him into her. She pulled the nape of his neck, pushed him to her lips, and forced a kiss. After she broke away from the intense lip-lock, she stared into his eyes. "You better be ready for tomorrow night!" She playfully smacked his backside, then jumped in her car, and fled from the parking lot.

Austin stood, dumbfounded, but excited at the aggressiveness. He liked this new side of Betty and couldn't wait to see her again, already planning their next encounter.

Betty arrived at her townhome, entered through the front door, rushed to her closet, and searched for the perfect outfit to take down Jose Cruz. She had remembered the teenage girls who wore short denim shorts and plain t-shirts. She also remembered that each of the girl's wore a red bow in their hair. Betty assumed that was the symbol that the predators looked for. It alerted the horny scum that the girls were in fact, prostitutes.

Betty slid into a pair of distressed, extremely short denim shorts. The shorts were so incredibly short; her butt cheeks could be seen from the bottom seams. She grabbed a red t-shirt from her dresser, slipped it over her head, and tied a knot in the back to accentuate the front while exposing her midriff. After taking the black plastic bag from the closet, she reached in, and grabbed her infamous red heels adorned with the red bow, and slid them onto her feet. As she glanced in the mirror, she braided her hair, and tied a red ribbon at the bottom of her locks. She draped the long braid over her right shoulder and applied makeup. She placed a few zip-ties in her back pocket, and hid a tiny 22mm Davis Derringer firearm in her bra, concealing it between her breasts.

Betty sat on the sofa anxiously waiting for the clock to strike ten. Finally, she grabbed her purse, snuck out the backdoor so she wouldn't be seen by the surveillance camera outside the front entrance of her townhome, and stealthily made her way to her MINI Cooper.

She hid her car down the street from the adult novelty store on Harry Hines Boulevard and then walked behind the building, but saw no other teenage girls standing around. Betty paid close attention to her surroundings, anticipating Jose's encounter. She was nervous, fidgeting with her hair, pacing back and forth, until she suddenly saw a figure of a man approaching from the distance. She turned her back toward him and pretended that she didn't see him. Moments later, she turned around, but saw no sign of the person who she thought was approaching her. Confused and possessing no clue where the man had disappeared to, Betty walked toward the edge of the building, and looked toward the service road, expecting to see someone. No one was in sight.

That's strange. She fidgeted with her hair again.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind. She tried to yell, but a strong hand covered her mouth and nose. She tried her best to force the heel of her foot into the pervert's testicles, but it resulted in an epic fail. He was totally overpowering her. Betty could feel herself passing out. She collapsed in his arms. He placed her on the hard pavement and put a chloroform soaked rag underneath her nose to ensure that she would remain unconscious. He took Betty into his arms and carried her to his vehicle that had been tucked away from the adult novelty shop behind a tree. He set her in the backseat and drove her to a secluded area that would be unfamiliar to Betty.
chapter fifteen

The mysterious man carried Betty upstairs to a cold, dusty room, and placed her on an old, wrought iron, creaky bed. The room was dark, had no electricity, and cobwebs dangled from the ceiling.

A match ignited as the mysterious man lit a candle, and placed it on the surface of an antique dresser, which sat by a drafty window. He approached the bed where Betty lay unconscious, lifted Betty's t-shirt, and removed the tiny gun that had been concealed in her cleavage. He unloaded the two bullets from the gun, placed it on the dresser, and felt inside her pockets, discovering the zip-ties along with her cell phone. He stood at the foot of the bed eagerly waiting for Betty to awaken.

Two hours later, the mysterious man kept pacing back and forth at the foot of the bed. He knew that she could awaken at any moment. Pulling a black blindfold from his pocket, he placed it over her eyes, and bound her wrists in front with the zip-ties that he retrieved from her pocket.

She squirmed so he assumed that she was waking, but her body went limp. The anticipation of her waking was building throughout the mysterious man's body.

The early morning hours were upon them, still dark, and the sun was not expected to rise for at least two more hours. Betty finally wakened, lying on the bed bound, her eyes covered, and confused about where she was. She could smell a musty scent in the air and she was extremely cold. "H-hello," she stuttered, still disoriented. "Who's there?"

"Shh." The mysterious man placed his index finger upon her lips.

"Where am I?" She sat upright, trying to wiggle her wrists from the restraint. "Who are you?"

The mysterious man spoke no words, just stood and watched Betty struggling to free herself. She constantly shook her head back and forth trying to slip the blindfold from her face, but was unsuccessful. "Please! Tell me where I am!" she begged.

She inched her way toward the edge of the creaky bed. Betty placed her legs off to the side, allowing her feet to touch the floor. She felt the mysterious man grab her ankles and he forced her to lay back on the bed and zip-tied her ankles together.

"You're going to rape me, aren't you?" she spoke angrily. "Go ahead! Do it!" she demanded. "But, you better kill me when you're through, otherwise I'll kill you!"

She heard footsteps in the distance and hoped that it was the sound of the mysterious man making his way down the stairs, and not someone else coming to participate. Not sensing anyone in the room but her, she tried like hell to free herself but couldn't. She realized her firearm was missing, which worried her even more, fearing that she could be shot with her own gun.  Oh god, how is this gonna look when the police department finds out about this?

She heard footsteps coming back up the stairs and sensed a body in the room. Suddenly, she felt the warmth of a wool blanket cover her. "What are you going to do to me?" she yelled but no response. "Answer me, dammit! Why won't you fucking speak to me!" She felt a hand at the back of her head, forcing it upward. The mysterious man placed a bottle of water to her lips. Betty took a big gulp and rested her head back down on the bed.

"What is your plan? You have me tied up, you're giving me water, you're not hurting me, what are you going to do?" A tear slid down her cheek, slipping underneath the blindfold. Betty was terrified that she was about to relive the horrible night when she was raped.

"Shh," the mysterious man whispered, wiping a tear from her face.

"Do you realize that I'm a fucking cop? Do you know how much trouble you're gonna be in?" she hollered, still trying to slip her hands from the zip-ties.

The mysterious man stood at the foot of the bed, staring at her, watching her squirm, waiting for his chance to remove the mask, and reveal to her who he was.

"I know who you are! You're Jose!" She managed to roll herself toward the edge of the bed and suddenly, fell onto the hardwood floor.

She lay on the floor, face down, still trying to wiggle her way free. He picked her up and gently placed her back on the bed.

"I need to pee!" she yelled.

The mysterious man gathered her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom. "You're gonna have to remove these zip-ties from my wrists because I'll be damned if I'm letting you pull my shorts down for me!"

The mysterious man unfastened the button on her denim shorts and gently pulled them down to her knees along with her panties. He then placed his hand atop her shoulders and guided her down onto the toilet seat.

She sat, crying, not knowing what he had planned. After she finished, he dabbed some toiled paper on her, stood her up, fastened her shorts, and led her back to the old creaky bed.

He sat at the edge of the bed, staring for a moment, and then covered her with the wool blanket.

"My boyfriend is gonna be looking for me. He's due over at my house any minute." Betty could sense the sun's beams upon her face from the window. She knew it was around 8 a.m.

Betty felt the mysterious man rise from the bed and heard his footsteps head downstairs. A few minutes later, she heard the sound of a car starting and driving off in the distance. With her heightened sense of hearing, she knew that she was alone in the house.

An hour had passed. Betty heard the slam of a car door. She heard footsteps rushing up the stairs and heard the mysterious man set something on the dresser.

He sat on the bed; she heard the sound of a wrapper. She felt bread upon her lips and smelled the scent of blueberries. The mysterious man fed her breakfast and gave her a few sips of coffee. She just couldn't understand what his master plan could be.

After finishing her muffin, he dabbed her lips with a napkin. The mysterious man slid the blindfold from her eyes and allowed it to dangle around her neck. Betty sat, in complete shock at who was revealed before her.

"What the fuck are you doing to me?" she yelled, wondering why Austin was sitting before her and not Jose. "Are you gonna cut me loose?"

"Baby, I've known you were the Firecracker Bandit ever since you were in Florida."

"Baby, I knew you knew," she said, sarcastically, mimicking the way he said baby. "Now cut me loose!"

"Oh, I'll cut ya loose in a few minutes. I still need to figure out what I'm gonna do about ya."

"What do you mean, what are you gonna do about me?" she asked, confused.

"Well...shall I turn you in?"

"I don't give a fuck what you do!"

"Is that right?" he questioned in a teasing tone, leaning in, and kissing her hard on the lips.

Betty backed away. "What was that for?"

"You look so sexy, sitting there, all bound...I know what you want me to do to you. I can see your body begging to be touched."

Betty felt a chill jolt her body. She was confused and excited at the same time. Austin leaned in and forcefully kissed Betty; his hand rested on the inside of her thigh, his fingers gently touched the outline of her panties up the leg of her shorts.

Betty was overwhelmed with emotion. Anger, fear, and even sick arousal. She was shocked at Austin's demeanor, but also excited. If he could satisfy her aggressive, sexual urges, she wouldn't need Adam anymore.

Austin replaced the blindfold over Betty's eyes. Her heart started beating wildly, her breathing more intense while she nervously anticipated his next move.

She heard the zipper of his pants as he stood beside the bed. She perched herself up on her knees, feeling the presence of Austin kneeling behind her, forcefully kissing the nape of her neck, and his hands slightly caressing her throat. His hands worked their way toward the hem of her t-shirt, he lifted it above her breasts, placing his hands upon her huge natural double-D mounds. "Please!" She breathed hotly into Austin's ear.

"I'll fuck you when I'm good and ready!" He playfully teased. His authoritative voice excited her, her knees quaked, her legs weakened, and she fell backward onto the bed.

Austin raised Betty's arms above her head, her wrists still bound, his face buried deep into the valley of her cleavage. He reached behind her back, unfastened her bra, allowing her breasts to emerge from their lacy dungeon. His kisses were fierce, his passion, hot. She could feel the stiffness of his erection against her leg, begging to be tamed. She slightly raised her knee into his erection, enticing him even more and felt his fingers at the edge of her panties, tugging the cotton shield to the side, and then he slammed himself into her. She screamed loudly, taking in the deep hard thrusts he forced upon her. She loved and hated every minute of it. Nothing excited and scared her more, her arousal peaking, her breath, halting; ready to savor the intense orgasm that he would soon reward her with. Her legs shook, her ankles still bound, her knees spread apart, her moans, piercing. Once he felt Betty's needs had been satisfied, he succumbed to his own desires and dropped to the bed. He cut the zip-ties from Betty's ankles and wrists, and held her underneath the wool blanket while the sun streamed through the window.

Betty lay, wrapped in his arms, not knowing how to start the conversation with him. How could he kidnap and taunt her the entire night? Was it to control her or show her how vulnerable she is? Betty was nervous. She had no idea what he had planned to do. Would he report her, or put it behind them?

As she lay with her back to Austin, he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into him. She finally mustered up enough courage to speak. "You really scared me. I thought you were gonna kill me!" she said, her eyes closed, placing his hand on her heart so he could feel how hard it was beating.

"I didn't expect it to end up this way. I was actually just gonna reveal myself to you behind the building on Harry Hines Boulevard, but I don't know, something came over me, and forced me to do what I did. I'm sorry, I honestly didn't mean to scare you...I just got caught up in the moment."

"What was that shit you put over my face?"

"Chloroform."

"You can't tell me that you didn't plan on kidnapping me when you had chloroform in your possession," she said, seeming a tab perturbed.

"You're right. I just wanted you to feel how those men felt when they were bound and tortured."

"You can't be serious! You're actually sympathetic toward those assholes?"

"Well...yeah, a little."

Betty was shocked at how far Austin could go without thinking about her. He knew she had been brutally raped and yet, he didn't hesitate to terrorize her. Betty started to doubt his true feelings. She sat up, glaring at Austin in utter disgust. "You're a real dick! How can you show any compassion toward them, and yet show none to me?"

Austin didn't quite know how to respond. "What's the deal with their asses? Why do you feel the need to shove firecrackers up their butts?"

"Because I know it's humiliating to them, just like it's humiliating to the women those bastards' raped! I will never forget that night I was raped! Those bastards' will never forget the night they had a firecracker shoved up their asses, either!"

Austin began finally to understand why she did what she had done; though, he never could allow Betty to continue breaking the law. He just hoped that he didn't traumatize her more by pulling the stunt on kidnapping her.

"And what is this place?" She stood at the edge of the bed, grabbing her gun off the dresser.

"It's my parents old ranch."

Betty walked toward the window, glanced across the miles and miles of acreage, and noticed several oil rigs on the property.

"When was the last time this place was cleaned? It's so dusty; I can't believe you allowed it to get so run down."

"It's been years," he answered, pulling on his jeans.

Betty toured the house, astounded at how enormous it was, almost fifteen-thousand square feet of an old colonial home. "I'm gonna clean this place up for you. It's a shame you allowed it to get like this." She shook her head in disgrace. "C'mon, drop me off at my car and I'll go buy some cleaning supplies. I want to go home and change my clothes and take a shower."

***

Betty noticed Austin's car parked along the circular drive when she had arrived back at the ranch. She had still been confused as why he let the home become in such disarray. Betty knew that the home had potential to be gorgeous and wanted to help Austin clean it up. The colonial mansion, like those you would see on plantations in Alabama, was breathtaking. The abandoned white mansion with emerald green trim, tall pillars, and second floor balconies gave the appearance of a stereotypical haunted house. There was a smaller home on the property, toward the back, which housed a caretaker. Jason only took care of the grounds, fed the cattle and horses, and made certain that no one broke into the mansion to vandalize it. The twenty acres of land was massive and housed several out-of-commission oil rigs. Betty knew the potential income the property could produce was massive. Her goal was to persuade Austin into taking better care of it and hopefully get the oil rigs back into production.

She entered the house and saw Austin's feet protruding from outside a cabinet underneath the kitchen sink.

"What are you doing?"

"Fixin' this damn pipe! It's clogged." He rose to his feet, brushing off the back of his jeans. "Now, we need to have a little talk, my dear."

Betty dusted off a chair at the kitchen table and sat down. "What do you wish to discuss?"

"Don't play coy with me. You know damn well what we're gonna discuss. Don't play stupid, you're not ignorant."

Betty did know what they were about to discuss, she was just afraid of the outcome. Taking a sip of bottled water, she cleared her throat, and looked up at him, batting her eyelashes, trying her hardest to look innocent.

"You're gonna have to resign. There is no way I can work alongside you knowing what you have done. I'm sorry to say this, but if you don't resign, then we're over, and I will have no alternative than to report you."

Betty sat in shock. She couldn't believe the ultimatum. "You can't be serious," she said, her mouth gaped open.

"It won't be long before people realize that you and I are dating. If you get caught as the Firecracker Bandit and people know we're a couple, I could lose my job. I think if you're no longer on the force, our relationship will survive."

"Well, what do you suppose I do for a career?"

He shrugged. "I don't know...get on the force with another city, but I don't want you working for our precinct anymore."

"You're a real piece of work! I can't believe you would ask me to resign or turn me in if I don't. Well, you know what? Screw you! I'm keeping my job. If you want us to be over, then fine...so be it!" Betty snatched her car keys, sped from the driveway, and left a cloud of dust in her wake.
chapter sixteen

Betty stormed into her townhome as mad as ever. She, still in shock from what Austin had said to her, and hurt at the same time, slammed herself on the sofa and propped her feet on the coffee table. She had so many different emotions rushing through her. She loved Austin, but was it really love or fear? As she thought back, he had pursued her relentlessly since the police academy. She was flattered, but was she truly in love with this man? Was staying with him worth losing her career or her freedom? Not only was her relationship at risk, but also her chances of incarceration for her former crimes.

After she showered and dressed, Betty felt her cell phone vibrate in her back pocket. She had assumed that it was Austin, but when she glanced at the screen, Adam's name was displayed.

"Hello," she said, still upset regarding Austin's ultimatum.

"What are ya doin', darlin'?"

"Actually nothing, why? You wanna hook up?" she teased, knowing full well what he wanted, what he craved.

"Sure do! Why don't ya come over?" he asked, hoping for another rendezvous like before.

"I'll be there in a half hour." She hung up the phone, grabbed her car keys, and rushed out the door.

Adam answered the door looking ever so debonair in his bare feet, no shirt, and tight blue jeans. His chiseled body aroused Betty to the extreme. As soon as she entered his apartment, she could smell his Mont Blanc cologne. Adam didn't waste any time at all. He grabbed Betty's car keys from her hand, tossed them to the table, slammed her against the wall, and buried his lips into the nape of her neck, the very spot that he knew made her weak. Betty wanted to play his game, act as though she were resisting, which aroused him even more. She forcefully pushed him away. He rushed her, tossing her over his shoulder, carrying her into his bedroom, where he slammed her onto his bed. She had her feet at his chest, trying to resist him from resting his body on top of her, but it aroused him to the core, spreading her knees apart, while he slammed his pelvis into her pubic bone.

"Quit resisting, bitch!" he demanded, holding her wrists above her head with one hand while removing her shirt with the other.

His demands made her quiver and he could sense her arousal. Unfastening her jeans, he yanked them down her legs as he carelessly tossed them to the floor. He was incredibly forceful with his hands; tearing her panties from her flesh, plunging a finger deep inside her pink pulsating folds. She breathed deeply, savoring his touch, feeling his finger move swiftly inside her, making her scream for more.

"You like that, cunt!" He panted. "Tell me how bad you want me, bitch! Tell me now, you fucking whore!"

Betty couldn't take the teasing any longer; she loved the way he played, the dirty words he spoke, and was hungry for his next move.

"Take me now! Oh god, Adam...I want you so badly!"

She felt the thickness of him enter her hard and deep. He savored every move, every rhythmic motion as her hips glided in sync with his thrusts. He rose, grabbing her by her thighs, forcing her bare ass toward the edge of the mattress where he stood alongside the bed, plunging her hard, her hips elevated, inviting every inch of him deeper and harder inside her velvety sheathe. He leaned in; his hands cupped her huge, heaving breasts. "My god, you're so insanely hot! I couldn't stop thinking of you, the taste of you, my god, I'm addicted to you!" He pulled out, and buried his head between her thighs, which caused her to release upon his lips. "You're a bad girl. I didn't give you permission to do that now, did I?"

"N-no," she stuttered.

"You're mine now, baby!" he said, flipping her over on all fours, still standing alongside the edge of the bed, holding her derrière, plunging himself deep inside from behind. His hands grasped her hips as he continued to slam her body forcefully into his. Her screams were loud, joyous, and pleasurable, the feeling had been painful, but erotic. She knew that he was going to bruise her all over again the way that he did before. He smacked her bottom, still slamming his thickness into her, flipping her onto her back, pounding her to the brink of ecstasy, grasping her thighs, controlling her, until he had finally finished, releasing himself onto her breasts. He fell beside her, lying on the bed, totally spent, but purely satisfied.

Betty went into the bathroom and wiped his semen from her chest, and then she joined him back on the bed. "Wow, Adam...just wow." She took in a deep breath.

"What?" he asked, stroking her long, brown hair.

"You just...um...well...you just fulfill me. I have never felt this way about anyone before. I can't explain it." She rolled into him, caressing his bare, hairless, muscular chest, her head resting upon his shoulder.

"You're the only woman I've ever been with who allows me to be myself."

"And how many women have you had?" she asked, assuming it was a lot.

"There's been a few." He laughed. "How many men have you had?"

"Two."

"Two?" he questioned. "You can't be serious."

"Yes...two. You and my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" He sat up, shocked.

Betty thought that she should come clean. After all, she was in a relationship with Austin, no matter how dysfunctional it was at the moment. "Yes, I have a boyfriend...well maybe not anymore."

"Why is that?"

"Put it this way, he gave me an ultimatum that I'm not too crazy about."

"What's the ultimatum?"

"Let's not talk about that now," she said, hoping he'd stop with the questions.

"Well, I'm bummed that you have a boyfriend," he said, disappointed.

"Like I said, maybe not anymore."

He grabbed her hand, studied her fingers, and kissed her knuckles. "Everything about you is perfect. Right down to the very tips of your nails." His expression turned serious. "I think I love..."

"You're so sweet. I must be going, though," Betty interrupted, believing Adam was about to reveal feelings that she didn't want to hear.

"Alright." He waited for her to dress and escorted her to her car. As she sat behind the wheel, her window down, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Be careful on the drive home, darlin'. I'll call ya later."

When Betty arrived home, she noticed Austin's Corvette parked along the curb in front of her townhome. She didn't see him sitting in his car, leaving her to wonder if he had swindled the landlord into letting him into her house without a key again.

She entered the house, Austin was casually seated on the sofa watching television.

She rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, the landlord let you in?" She tossed her purse on the coffee table.

"No, you left the door unlocked."

She was shocked that she had left the door unlocked, but it was understandable given all the stress she had been put through, including the ultimatum.

"Well, what in the hell do you want?" she asked, glaring sternly toward him.

"Have you thought about what I said?"

"The ultimatum?" she questioned.

"It's not an ultimatum," he replied.

"Well, then what in the hell would you call it?" she asked, standing before him, arms folded, waiting for him to explain.

"You left so fast, you wouldn't allow me to finish what I was proposing."

"Okay, then...well, let's have it."

He approached her, kneeling on one knee, taking her left hand in his. "Betty Hatfield, I want you to become my wife. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?" he asked, peering up into her eyes, nerves running rampant through his stomach, his hand shaking, praying that she would say yes.

Betty stood, confused by the question, wondering how she could say yes after everything that had just happened with Adam.

"I-I'm shocked!" she stuttered.

"Well?" Austin still kneeling before her.

"I-I...don't know. Ugh! I'm so freaking confused!"

"Why are you confused? Don't leave me hangin' here."

Betty had to think. What should she do? On one hand, she knew that if she didn't accept the proposal from Austin, there was a huge chance that he would report her. She had strong feelings for Adam, but how did he feel about her? Betty knew that whatever she decided to do, she had to think about the repercussions not only to her, but to her family. Her parents were not getting any younger and any scandal would literally kill them. Betty made a decision. "Come over here," she said, leading him toward the sofa. "Let's get a few things straight. If I resign from my position with the force, and I agree to marry you, will you allow me to start up your family's oil business again?"

Austin stared down at the floor, his elbows resting upon his knees. "Baby, I just don't know." He sighed. "There's so much involved...I don't even know where to begin."

"Why don't you let me worry about that?"

"I don't know. There's just so much work, so much legal shit, permits, licenses...I honestly have no knowledge at all about running a business, especially a multi-million dollar oil company."

"If you want me to marry you and give up my job, then I have to do this. I will not be jobless. Trust me, I will make your company a successful one, just have faith in me." She tried hard to convince him.

"Do you promise me you're gonna stop firecrackin' rapists poop shoots?" he asked, jokingly.

"That reminds me." She glanced down trying hard not to laugh. "I'm the one who cemented Darius's ass."

"I know...I'm not a complete moron. I just wanna know how you pulled it off."

"My sister drove me up to Georgia. We got a hotel room in Daytona before we left. We left our cell phones at my parents house, used cash at restaurants...all so we couldn't be traced," she explained.

"Do you feel better after getting revenge?"

"Sure do."

"Okay, so you won't feel the need to be firecrackin' buttholes anymore...marry me!" He pulled a one-carat diamond solitaire ring set in platinum from his front pocket.

Her heart raced. "Okay, I'll marry you!"

He placed the ring upon her finger and kissed her lips. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," she said, wondering if she had made the right decision with the thought of Adam weighing on the back her mind.
chapter seventeen

The Southwest jet landed at Dallas Love Field with Betty's sister and parents on board. Christmas was only three days away and Betty was excited to spend the holiday with her family, and break the news of her engagement. Betty tried her best to ignore Adam's constant phone calls and texts, but the temptation to call him weighed on her mind. She wanted to put that behind her and focus on her upcoming marriage and her new business venture of Worthington Energy.

After she submitted her resignation, she had dedicated all of her time researching past files on the oil company when Austin's parents had ownership of it. Just within a week's time, she had already requested an oil rig repair company to service the rigs on the property. She did everything by the book, from acquiring the proper permits, to establishing investors. Austin was significantly impressed at her take charge attitude, hoping that this would be a distraction and help her come to terms with her past digressions. If he could only put them behind her. Austin closed the Firecracker Bandit cases. The Brunswick police acquired no leads on the Darius case. Now, Betty could look to the future. A future for both of them. Austin hoped that Betty would behave herself and continue to cooperate with him.

Winters in Texas were strange, snowing one day, and eighty-five degrees the next, but Betty loved Texas winters, especially spending them indoors, curled up by the fireplace in Austin's warm embrace. She sure didn't miss the winters in Florida, though. You couldn't even tell what season it was most of the time. She still remembered sun bathing on Christmas Day in her bikini one year. Portland winters were brutal, which was something Betty didn't miss while she attended college. Most of the time, she had remained locked away in her dorm trying her best to keep warm, studying, and watching rented VHS tapes.

Betty stood alongside her MINI Cooper at curbside waiting for her family. She finally saw Tanya coming down the escalator. Tanya hurried through the automatic door, arms open wide, jumping into Betty's arms.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" Betty asked.

"They're at baggage claim, they'll be here in a little bit," Tanya said, opening the back of Betty's car, tossing her luggage inside. "I hope this car has enough room for all of us."

Betty saw her father coming through the door with more luggage. Betty organized the bags to fit in the tiny trunk. Her parents crawled into the backseat and Tanya sat up front.

"Okay, we're off!" Betty clicked her seatbelt, making her way toward Addison.

Betty pulled into her garage and helped her parents unload their bags as they made their way into the townhome. Austin was already there, preparing dinner and drinks, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Mr. Hatfield set the luggage on the floor and saw Austin standing in the kitchen.

"Dad, Mom, Tanya, I would like you to meet Austin. Austin, these are my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield, and my sister, Tanya," Betty introduced.

Austin wiped his hands on the apron that he had wrapped around his waist. "Nice to meet you, sir," Austin said, extending his hand to Mr. Hatfield.

"Please, call me Don."

Mrs. Hatfield embraced Austin, hugging him tightly, "No handshakes here! We're Floridians, we hug!" She smiled. "And please, call me Sybil."

"And this must be Betty's obnoxious, silly sister I've been hearing so much about." Austin smiled, staring in Tanya's direction.

"Yep! That would be me!" Tanya announced, proudly.

Austin arranged all the food on the dining room table. He could hardly wait for Betty to announce their engagement to her family. As they sat around the table, Betty poured everyone a class of champagne and eagerly stood, clearing her throat. "Mom, Dad, Tanya," she glanced at each of them as she spoke their name. "Austin and I are getting married!"

"Congratulations, honey!" Mrs. Hatfield said. "To love!" she said, raising her champagne glass as everyone clanked them together. "So, when's the big day?"

"I don't know." Betty shrugged, glancing in Austin's direction, hoping that he had the answer.

"I believe Valentine's Day would be a good day to set for the wedding. What do ya think, baby?" he asked, placing his hand on her thigh.

"Sounds perfect!" She smiled, leaning in, kissing him on the cheek.

After the meal, Mr. Hatfield sat on the couch and turned on the television.

"I've got this," Austin said, clearing the table, carrying the dishes to the sink.

"Aw, you're so sweet," Betty said. "Tanya, let's go on the back porch."

As they walked outside through the sliding glass door, Tanya could sense Betty had something important to say.

"Okay, I know you're dying to tell me something, what is it?" Tanya asked.

"I couldn't say anything over the phone in fear of my phone being tapped, but Austin knows about what you and I did to Darius."

"You're shittin' me!" Tanya slammed herself back against the chair. "You're joking!"

"Nope." Betty shook her head. "I told him."

"What in the hell did you do that for? Are you insane?"

"Remember when I told you about what I did to those convicted rapists here in Dallas?"

"Yes."

"Well, Austin found all the evidence and told me that if I didn't resign from the force, he would have to report me."

"Oh my word, Betty! What exactly did you do to those men? I mean, can you go into more detail?"

"I broke into a home and humiliated one man by tying him up with zip-ties and igniting a firecracker in the bastard's ass."

Tanya's eyes practically bulged from her head, still in shock at the news Betty had just revealed to her. "Does anyone else know?"

"No, I don't think so...only you and Austin."

"What else did you do?"

"I lured a man out of the bushes in University Park, beat him to a pulp, and ignited a firecracker in his ass, too."

"Was this worth losing your job over?" Tanya, still flabbergasted at what Betty had told her.

"Yes. My goal after graduating from Portland was to become a cop so I could do this sort of thing. It's all I thought about...revenge. I couldn't concentrate on anything else. After you had helped me get my revenge on Darius, I could care less about my career."

"So, you practically threw your life away for revenge?" Tanya questioned. "I just don't get it. You worked so hard, even graduated top of your class."

"Well, it's over and done with. I have to focus on Worthington Energy now."

"We better get inside, it's freezing out here." Tanya stood from the table, waiting for Betty to enter the house before her.

Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield retired to bed. Tanya slept on the sofa because of lack of space, but she didn't mind. She was eager as ever to watch late night television.

Betty watched Austin from the bed, gazing at him while he brushed his teeth in the bathroom. She always thought he looked incredibly sexy in just jeans and nothing else. Just looking at his muscular back was such a turn on. She resigned herself to life with Austin and was determined to use her feminine powers to do everything to make it work.

After removing his jeans, Austin finally slid underneath the covers and kissed Betty on the lips. Betty trailed her hand across his six-pack abs, kissing him on the chest. "You're so gorgeous," she said, gazing into his eyes.

"Nope, sorry, we're not having sex with your family here." He smiled, leaning over, turning off the lamp next to the bed.

"Seriously?" Betty slammed herself back against her pillow, crossing her arms, and pouted like a child. So much for feminine powers!

"Yes, seriously." Austin kissed her forehead. "Goodnight."
chapter eighteen

Christmas Eve had finally arrived. Betty could smell the cornbread dressing her mother had been cooking in the kitchen. It was such a magnificent scent, a smell you knew the holidays had arrived. Mrs. Hatfield baked her infamous dressing during Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was a recipe that had been handed down from Betty's grandmother. As Mrs. Hatfield removed the dressing from the oven, Betty snuck over to the counter to sneak a little bite.

"God, Mom! This tastes so good," Betty said, her eyes rolled in the back of her head, savoring the taste of peppers, cornbread, and onions.

"Okay, that's enough!" Mrs. Hatfield placed the dressing in the refrigerator. "I need one of you gals to run to the store and pick up a few dozen eggs," Mrs. Hatfield said, frantically looking through the refrigerator.

Betty grabbed her keys. "C'mon, Tanya, let's go!"

Tanya and Betty sat in the MINI Cooper, waiting for the car to warm up. During the drive to the store, Betty felt her phone vibrate. She picked it up, but it slipped from her gloved hand and onto the floor. Tanya grabbed it off the floorboard and glanced at the text.

I want to fuck you hard right now! The text read.

"Who is this from?" Tanya asked, holding the phone so Betty could see the screen.

"Give me that!" Betty snatched the phone from Tanya's hand, tossing it inside her purse.

"Well, who is it?"

"Um...uh...it's nobody."

"Nobody, my ass! Who is it?"

Betty smiled, but was incredibly embarrassed. "It's a...um, a guy who I met a while ago...the one I told you about with the massive dong."

"Alright! Spill the details!" Tanya shifted herself in the passenger seat so she could focus on Betty's every word.

"Okay, but you can't tell anyone! I mean it, Tanya, if you tell anyone, I'll never confide in you again."

"I swear, I won't say anything."

"Well, his name is Adam. He's insanely hot, a total cowboy, wears the whole shebang...boots, jeans, western shirts, and cowboy hats...and his body! Don't get me started on his body."

"Yeah...yeah, tell me more," Tanya urged.

"I met him at a nightclub the night that I graduated from the police academy. We shared a dance together. He was so smooth on his feet, and his scent...oh my god, he smelled so good. I would bury my face in his massive, chest as he held me close, just so I could get a stronger whiff of his cologne. He's so tall and has the most gorgeous emerald green eyes I have seen on a man. And let me tell you about his hair...so incredibly soft, like silk. I love the feel of running my fingers through his beautiful blond hair when he has his face buried between my thighs."

"Wow! Sounds like you got it bad for this guy. Does Austin know about him?"

"No! Austin knows nothing about him."

"Did you and Adam have sex more than that one time you told me about?"

"That's a silly question." Betty laughed. "He fucks me like I've never been fucked before! He's so aggressive; it excites me to the extreme."

"You like it aggressive?" Tanya wondered. "I mean, after being raped, I find it hard to imagine that you like aggressive sex."

"That's the only way I like it. I don't know why, I just do."

"How many times did you guys do it?"

"Twice and it was awesome! I decided not to see him anymore after Austin proposed. Austin believes that he's the only guy I've ever had sex with. I can't tell him the truth, it would kill him."

"I wanna hear about your first sexual encounter again," Tanya said.

"I was on my lunch break; Austin was acting like a total jerk in the office, so I went down the street to the deli for a sandwich. Adam saw me and bought me lunch. He flat out asked me to go back to his apartment and I said yes. I was nervous, I knew what we were gonna do, and I wanted it just as much as he did. As soon as I entered his apartment, he practically ripped my uniform from my body, tossed me on his bed, and had his way with me. God, it was intense." Betty became aroused just thinking about it.

Tanya grabbed Betty's cell phone from her purse.

"Hey! What are you doing? Give me that!" Betty tried taking the phone from her, but she couldn't hang on to the steering wheel and grab the phone at the same time.

I want to fuck you, too! Tanya texted to Adam.

"What did you just text? Oh my god, Tanya, you better not have texted what I think you did!"

Finally, pulling into the parking lot of the store, Betty grabbed the phone from Tanya, glanced at the text, only to see a reply from Adam responding to the text that Tanya recently sent him.

When, baby? I need you now! the text read.

"Dammit! Tanya, I haven't replied to him in days, now he thinks that I'm into him again!"

"Well, aren't you? I could tell by the way you acted when you described your encounter, you still like him."

"It doesn't matter. I'm getting married."

Upon entering the store, Tanya saw a coffee shop. "Let's sit and have a cup of coffee...my treat."

"You just want to sit and talk about this whole Adam thing." Betty laughed. "I know how you are."

"Yeah...so what." Tanya shrugged.

"Why don't you tell me about your love life?" Betty asked, trying to change the subject from her and Adam.

"My love life is nothing compared to the wild sex you've got going on. Spill some more."

Betty emptied a few sugar packets into her caramel macchiato. "Well, I told you all the exciting stuff. There really isn't much more to tell."

"Why are you marrying Austin if you still have the hots for Adam?"

"C'mon now, you don't need to go there."

"Sure I do. Why are you marrying someone when you are totally infatuated with someone else?"

Betty sat in silence for a moment. She worried about the same thing, wondering if it were right to imagine Adam making love to her, while Austin was inside her at the same time. But, Betty knew in her heart the true reason. She believed that if she didn't marry Austin, he would report her, and she didn't want to risk prison time.

"I don't know." She shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. "I guess it's like this...I do like him a lot, he does make me happy, and tells me that he loves me all the time."

"But, do you love him? You shouldn't marry him unless you love him."

"It can grow into love, I suppose. I tell him that I love him, isn't that good enough?"

"Why do you tell him you love him if you don't?"

"I felt obligated when he told me that he loved me. Now, that I think about it, there hasn't been a time since I met Austin that he hasn't pushed me to stay with him. I am so inexperienced in this area and he is such a forceful man. At first I believed that I was infatuated with him and his determination. I fear now I am an obsession for him and at times I am a little afraid of what he might do if I leave him. Not only for me, Tanya, but for you as well."

"I'm not gonna let you do this! I'm not gonna let you spend the rest of your life with a man who you don't love."

"Just let it go. I know what I'm doing." Betty wished like hell Tanya would quit nagging. It was weighing on her nerves.

"I'm not gonna just let it go!"

"You have to! My god, Tanya, I am invested in this man now. I am running his business and can't just up and leave! I made a choice here. You have to respect that."

"Well, we better get eggs for Mom before she gets pissed that we've been gone far too long."

***

After Tanya's response to Adam's text, he wouldn't leave Betty alone. He was eager to have her, and constantly texted and called, hoping that she would reply again. Betty finally became fed up with him and shut the volume off on her phone.

Back at the townhouse, Betty couldn't even look at Austin because of the conversation she and Tanya had at the store. She had a hunch that Austin could see through her and he probably knew exactly what she was feeling. He could read her like a book and the thoughts sent chills through her.

Betty stood in the kitchen while helping her mom prepare deviled eggs, and her dad, sister, and Austin sat on the sofa watching television. Mrs. Hatfield could sense Betty's nervousness, watching her hands shake as she sliced the eggs in half.

"Shoot! There's something I need to do," Betty said, snatching her purse from the table. "Austin, I'll be back in a little bit, I forgot something at the ranch."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Tanya asked, rising up from the sofa.

"No, I'll be back soon." Betty slammed the door behind her, rushed to her car, breathing heavily, knowing that she shouldn't do what she was about to do.

Betty's hand shook as she tried to start the car. She relaxed into the seat, reluctant to shift the car in reverse. She grabbed her cell phone and viewed Adam's last text, I'm waiting, it read.

I'm coming right over, Betty responded. She made her way onto the Dallas North Tollway, speeding toward his apartment, her heart beating swiftly, her palms sweaty, and her lips quivering.

When she arrived inside the parking garage, she saw Adam standing casually against the wall next to the elevator, his arms folded across his broad chest, wearing tight jeans, cowboy boots, and a black fitted V-neck t-shirt that accentuated all of his marvelous muscles bulging at the seams.

Adam slowly approached Betty's car. He opened the driver side door; his eyes were focused on her legs as she exited the vehicle. She was gorgeous; he was mesmerized by her beauty, his doubts of ever seeing her again finally subsided. She stood before him, her hair in disarray from the wind, her gleaming sapphire blue eyes staring at his luscious lips, her cold fingers inside his shirt trailing up his back, all the while pulling him into her, savoring the sweet taste of his tongue.

"I've missed you so much," Adam said, brushing her brunette bangs from her face. "My, god! You're so gorgeous." He pulled her into him, kissing her hard. She felt his erection growing against her thigh.

Adam led her into his apartment. Upon entering, he slammed her against the wall attempting to rip the sweater from her body.

"Stop! Not right now, we need to talk," Betty said, pulling away, quickly fastening the buttons on her cardigan.

Adam took her by the hand and led her to the black, leather sofa. "Okay, what is it you need to say?" he asked, grabbing a beer from the coffee table, taking a sip.

"Adam, I'm engaged. We can't do this anymore." Betty peered down at her feet, afraid of looking him in the eye.

"I don't know what to say. I kinda figured somethin' like that was goin' on. Do ya want me to leave ya alone, then? Cause I will." He smiled, disguising the hurt that he felt inside.

"I don't know what I want. I just don't know what to do. Ugh! I'm so damn confused." Betty appeared extremely agitated. Adam noticed her hands shaking; he slid close to her, taking her trembling hands in his.

"Baby, all you have to do is just tell me. I won't be upset...a little disappointed...but not mad, I promise."

Betty felt a sense of calmness, knowing that she could trust him. "I've done some really horrific things in my past." She stared up at the ceiling, fighting back tears. "Oh, god! I can't believe that I'm about to tell you this!"

"Go on, baby. I'm listening," Adam said. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine, but thank you." Betty smiled. "Alright, here goes." Betty inhaled deeply, swallowing the huge lump in her throat. She shifted herself toward Adam, looking him dead square in the eyes. "I was raped a few years ago when I was a bartender in Florida. He was my sister's fiancé at the time." Her hands shook even more vigorously as Adam held them tighter.

He brushed a curl from her cheek, and fingered it behind her ear.

She continued, "After the rape, I vowed to get even with him. I didn't press charges because I was afraid of court. I was told that I would be humiliated on the stand, so I had decided to drop the case. Because of my intense rage, I went to college to become a crime scene investigator so I could learn how to cover up crime scenes. My whole intent was to gain the knowledge and seek revenge on that bastard." A tear streamed down her cheek. Adam endearingly wiped it away with his index finger.

"Go on, baby, I'm listening," he said, stroking her hand and forearm, trying his best to put her at ease.

Betty grabbed a sip of Adam's beer and gently placed it down on the coaster. "After college, I was accepted into the police academy and took a position with the Crime Scene Unit. I had firsthand knowledge of rapists in the city. I knew where they lived, when their court dates were, when they were released on bail, I knew it all, and I took advantage of that information." She looked down to the floor, swallowing hard. "Adam, you are holding the hands of the Firecracker Bandit."

He abruptly pulled his hands away with an expression of horror across his face. Adam slammed his back against the arm of the sofa, staring at Betty, feeling confused. He was nervous, a bit intimidated, but intrigued at the same time. He sat in silence, waiting for Betty to continue on with her bizarre story.

"That's not all. I got revenge on my attacker in Georgia."

"Oh, my! I don't know how to take this." He stood from the sofa and walked toward the balcony.

Betty grabbed the beer from the coffee table and followed him. As Adam leaned over the balcony, watching the cars down below, she placed her arm around him. "Please say something. Don't shut me out like this," she pleaded.

He turned toward her, his index finger beneath her chin, tilting her face toward him. "Your secret is safe with me." He smiled, pulling her close, embracing her tightly.

She buried her face into his strong pecs, inhaling the scent of the cologne that she loved so much. She could hear the sound of his beating heart as her ear rested against his chest. Adam stroked her hair, hugging her tighter into his body. She pulled away, gazing into his stare. "That's not all." She placed her head against his chest. "I had to resign because my fiancé told me that if I didn't, he would report me." All the tears she kept bottled inside for so long finally let loose.

Adam continued to hold her, rocking her back and forth in his embrace, insuring her that everything would be okay. "It's okay, baby. Let it all out."

She cried for fifteen solid minutes.

He finally led her inside from the balcony. "I want you to know that I'm here for you. Do you really want to marry that guy?"

Betty thought for a moment, dwelling on the question. "Actually, no...no I don't want to marry him." She felt relieved when she said it out loud.

"Then why are you going through with it?" He plopped himself onto the sofa.

"Because I'm afraid if I back out, he'll report me to the FED's."

"Well, my lease is up at the end of this month in this apartment and I'm moving back to Morocco," he said, crossing his legs on the coffee table. "Ya wanna join me?"

"Don't joke about something like that 'cause I might just take you up on your offer." She laughed. "And Morocco?" she questioned. "Why in the hell are you moving there?"

"I recently bought a house there and I have a successful business. What do you think I do for a living?" He chuckled, knowing that she didn't care before, but was now intrigued.

"I have no clue." She shrugged. "What do you do?"

"I own a Semi-Conductor company," he said, arrogantly. "I opened one out here, but now that it's finished and I have someone competent to run it, I no longer need to stay in Dallas. Now I can focus on the company I own in Morocco."

"Is that a fact?"

"Sure is. And I'll have you know, if you go with me, there's nothing the United States can do to you for your crimes over there. The United States doesn't have an extradition treaty with Morocco."

The thought of fleeing the United States with Adam began to seem even more enticing. "You're only joking. You wouldn't take me with you." She laughed.

"Come here, sit down beside me." He patted the cushion indicating she sit next to him.

"Look at me." He placed the knuckle of his index finger beneath her chin, guiding her to look into his eyes. "Now, I don't know what it is about you, but ever since I saw you that night at Buckin' Bill's, I knew that you were meant to be with me."

Betty attempted to speak, but Adam placed two fingers upon her lips. "Shh, don't say anything. Now, I know ya might not feel the same toward me, but if you come with me to Morocco, I guarantee you, you will fall in love with me." He winked, leaning in, tenderly kissing her soft, sweet lips.

Betty slowly pulled away, gazing into his entrancing emerald green eyes. She felt numb, without a clue on how to handle the offer that he put in front of her. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She glanced at it, seeing her mom's name displayed across the screen.

"Shh, don't say anything. No one has a clue that I'm here," she said to Adam before she answered the call.

"Dinner's almost ready, are you coming back anytime soon?"

"Yes, Mama. I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

Betty stood from the sofa. "I really must go. My mom has dinner prepared so I have to go before Austin suspects anything."

Adam stood before her, placing his arm around her, pulling her into him. "You think about what I'm offering you."

Betty glanced into his eyes. "I'll think about it." She grabbed her purse and walked toward the door.

"Don't think about it too long. You only have a few days to make your decision. Let me walk you out."

Adam escorted her to the car. She sat in the driver's seat, her window down and as Adam rested his chin on the top of the door, he leaned in. "Give me a kiss," he said. "Oh! I almost forgot!" He reached into his back pocket, retrieving a sterling silver necklace adorned with a silver heart pendant.

"Oh, Adam, you're so sweet. When did you get this?"

"Don't worry about when I got it, lean your head down so I can put it on ya."

Betty leaned forward, allowing Adam to fasten the chain to her neck. "There! Beautiful—just like you."

Betty ran her index finger across the heart pendant, taking in a deep breath. "Thank you."

"Now, give me a kiss," he said. "I lov..."

Betty interrupted and gently kissed his supple lips before pulling from the parking garage.

***

Betty hurried through the front door hoping that Austin wasn't too concerned about why she took so long to get back. She noticed that her dad and Austin were seated on the sofa still watching television. Betty saw Tanya sitting on the back porch drinking coffee while her mother was preparing the table for dinner. Betty went through the sliding glass door and plopped down in a chair beside her sister.

"What's wrong with you? Looks like you saw a ghost!" Tanya asked.

Betty, extremely winded was dying to tell Tanya about Adam. "Oh my god, Tanya. You're not gonna believe this," Betty said, trying to catch her breath.

"What?"

"I just left Adam's apartment."

Tanya quickly put her coffee cup on the table and turned toward Betty, eager to hear what she had to say. "Spill!"

"I told him everything...I mean everything! The rape, what you and I did to Darius, me being the Firecracker Bandit...I told it all!"

"Okay...okay, calm down a minute. What did he say?"

"He invited me to move to Morocco with him. He owns a Semi-Conductor company there and a home. He wants me to move there with him."

"Are you? I mean...you better!" Tanya thought this was a perfect opportunity for Betty to escape the blackmail relationship with Austin.

"Um...well." Betty hesitated for a moment. "Well...you're coming with me!"

Tanya slammed herself back in her chair, crossing her arms, a look of shock on her face. "Me? Come with you?" she questioned, shaking her head. "No...nuh uh. I can't."

"Tanya, you have to. If I leave Austin, he will get revenge on me by reporting you to the Brunswick Police Department for what we did to Darius! If you come with me to Morocco, we'll be safe. The police cannot touch us over there."

"Well, as intriguing as all this sounds, I just can't up and leave my life on a whim...I have a job!"

"Adam is loaded; he would probably give us money to open our own bakery. Isn't that what you've always wanted...to own your own bakery?" Betty tried her best to convince Tanya to go with her. "You can do all the baking and decorating and I'll focus on the financial aspect of it. C'mon, what do ya say?"

Betty could tell that Tanya was thinking hard about it, but still reluctant to make a decision at the spur of the moment.

"I don't know, I'm scared. What are we gonna tell Mama and Saddy? I mean, will we ever see them again?"

"Yes, we'll see them. They'll just have to fly to Morocco to visit us."

Mrs. Hatfield poked her head through the crack of the sliding glass door. "Come on in, dinner's ready."

The conversation around the dinner table only focused on Mr. Hatfield and Austin. They mainly spoke of sports. Mrs. Hatfield could sense the tension between Betty and Tanya, knowing that they were conjuring up something. Mrs. Hatfield knew how troublesome those two girls were every time they got together, she just couldn't figure out what was going on this time. Tanya and Betty kept glancing at one another, trying to hold back laughter. Betty could sense that Tanya had made up her mind; she was definitely along for the ride.

Betty stood from the table with her cell phone in hand. "I'll be back in a second. I have to make a quick call to an investor regarding the ranch," she lied.

While she stood on the back porch, Betty quickly dialed Adam's number, hoping that he'd answer so she could tell him the great news.

"Hi there, beautiful."

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I'm on board with the idea. If the invitation still stands, I would love to go to Morocco with you." She eagerly waited for his response.

"Really!" he said, loudly. "Seriously? You're coming with me?"

"Yes, but because my sister is involved in what I did in Brunswick, she must come too, otherwise Austin might report her to the Brunswick police to get revenge on me."

"Not a problem! Oh my god! You've made me the happiest man alive right now."

Betty could tell that Adam was beaming with delight on the other end of the call. "When are we leaving?"

"My flight leaves on the 31st. New Year's Eve at 6 p.m. What's your sister's name? I'll go ahead and book you two a flight so you guys can fly with me."

"Tanya Hatfield."

"Okay, you start working on your way out with Austin, and I'll order the tickets."

My way out with Austin? Betty pondered over those words. How was she going to tell him? Or was she? "Alright, I'll talk to you later."

After helping her mother with the dishes, Betty motioned for Tanya to join her in the bathroom. "I want you to sit in here and talk to me while I take a bath. There's a lot of things to go over before we go to Morocco," Betty explained, pouring bubble bath under the running hot water. She hoped that the loud sound of the water would muffle their voices so no one could hear them through the door.

"I haven't agreed to go," Tanya said.

"Oh, shut up! I know you're coming with me. I could tell that you made your decision while we were eating dinner."

Betty and Tanya were like twin sisters. They could read each other like a book. "Yes, you caught me." She smiled.

"Do you have a passport?" Betty asked.

"Not with me. It's at home in my panty drawer."

"Can you call the neighbor and see if she can get it and overnight it to you?"

"Yeah, I suppose so. When are we leaving?"

"New Year's Eve. It's gonna be so awesome...starting the New Year with a brand new life." Betty reclined against the back of the tub allowing the hot water to rush over her stomach.

"What are you gonna do about Worthington Energy?" Tanya asked.

"Oh, screw Worthington Energy! Austin's not dumb, he can figure all that shit out on his own."

"Oh my god! I'm so nervous," Tanya said, sitting on the lid of the toilet as cold chills rushed through her body.

"Me too! It's gonna be a new adventure." Betty stood from the tub while bubbles slowly trickled down her body. "Hand me that towel, would ya?"

Tanya handed Betty a towel, and Betty wrapped it around her body, tucking it in at her cleavage. Betty looked into the mirror, grabbed cucumber melon lotion from the counter, and smoothed it over her legs.

"It's hot in here. I'm gonna go watch television with Dad," Tanya said.

Betty stood in her closet trying to find her flannel pajamas. She felt Austin's breath on the back of her shoulder. "I haven't seen you that much today. I miss ya," he said, planting a kiss at the nape of her neck.

"I know...I'm sorry. There's just so much to do with the ranch if we want to launch this company at the start of the year."

"Well, you shouldn't be working on a holiday."

"There's no rest when you own your own company," she said. Just then, Betty realized the hurt that she would most likely inflict on Austin when she leaves him. She didn't want to hurt him, but she believed that she had no choice in the matter. She decided to test the water. "So, Austin. I was wondering, what if you and I postpone the wedding until the summer?"

Austin backed away, seemingly shocked that Betty would even ask such a thing. "You don't want to marry me on Valentine's Day?"

"I want to marry you, but not so soon. Maybe a year or two..." She shrugged, looking down at her feet, afraid to see the expression on his face.

Austin walked from the closet, and plopped himself onto the bed. "You're marrying me come February 14th! No if's, and's, or but's about it...you will marry me," he demanded.

Betty was resolute. His demeanor proved to her that she was more of a possession to him than an equal partner. It reminded her of the way that she felt at Worthington Ranch when he had her under his control. She was furious with herself for thinking that this man was worth a minute more of her time.

"Who in the hell do you think you are? You can't make me marry you!" she yelled in a loud, stern voice.

Austin picked up his cell phone. "All I have to do is push this one button and you're done with! Do you want to test me? Trust me...I will do it!"

"Just calm down. It was only a suggestion. Of course, I'll marry you on Valentine's Day, sweetie. I'm just a little nervous is all. It's a huge step for us." She smiled, stroking his hair, trying her best to calm him.

"Please don't ever tease me like that. I love you so much...it would rip me apart inside if you didn't want to marry me anymore."

"I won't. I promise." Betty leaned in, placing one arm around him, hugging him, her other arm, behind her back, devilishly crossing her fingers.

***

Early New Year's Eve morning, Betty drove her parents to the airport. Days earlier, Tanya had explained to her parents that she was staying behind to help Betty with some final touches at Worthington Ranch. They planned on telling Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield about Morocco as soon as they arrived in Casablanca. They didn't want anything or anyone stopping them. Austin was under the impression that Betty was packing up her things to take to Worthington Ranch where they had planned on living at the start of the New Year. Little did Austin know, all those boxes so neatly tucked away, were being shipped to another country.

While Austin was at the crime scene lab, Betty had been at home rushing her boxes to a package store, where she had them shipped to Adam's home in Morocco. Tanya was a little worried about not having her items with her, but Betty explained that she could wear and use whatever she wished of Betty's until she could buy her own things in Morocco.

Betty and Tanya dropped off the last box at the shipping store. Tanya was nervous, as was Betty. "What are you gonna do with your car?" Tanya asked.

"I'm gonna sign over the title and donate it to a shelter for abused women. That's where we're headed to next."

After Betty donated her car, they phoned for a cab to pick them up and take them to DFW airport. As they sat in the backseat, Betty's legs trembled. "I'm so nervous!" She laughed. "I haven't seen Adam since Christmas Eve!"

Tanya looked at her cell phone. "There's one more thing that we need to do."

"What's that?"

"Toss our cell phones!" Tanya held up her phone, let her window down, and tossed it onto Highway 635.

"Oh my god! You're crazy!" Betty laughed. Betty pulled her cell phone from her purse and stared long and hard at it. "Once I do this, it's over between Austin and me." She took a deep breath, covered her eyes with one hand, and tossed the phone with the other. "Woohoo!" she yelled. She and Tanya slapped each other a high five. The cab pulled up along curbside, Tanya and Betty retrieved their bags from the trunk and walked toward the check-in counter. Betty could already see Adam standing in the distance with big, beaming smile spread across his face.

Tanya displayed a dumbfounded expression. "Oh my word! Is that..."

Betty interrupted, "Yes, it's Adam."

Adam rushed toward Betty, arms open wide, swooping her into his embrace, and spinning her around in circles. "Boy! Are you a sight for sore eyes!" he said, kissing her forehead. He turned to look at Tanya. "This must be your sister."

"Hi, I'm Tanya," she said, extending her hand.

"Gimme a hug!" Adam put his arms around Tanya, hugging her tightly, lifting her from the ground, bobbing her up and down.

"Nice to meet you." Tanya laughed. "My god, Betty. You weren't exaggerating when you described how gorgeous he is."

"Oh, really?" Adam glanced toward Betty, smiling as big as ever. "Well, let's get you two checked in." Adam grabbed their bags and headed toward the ticket counter.

They arrived at the gate with an hour to spare. Betty sat, her legs nervously bouncing up and down, hands shaking, while she constantly glanced about the airport hoping that she didn't see Austin. Adam could tell she was anxious. "He has no idea that you're here, baby." He smiled, taking her trembling hand in his. "It's gonna be alright. I won't allow anyone to harm you, I promise."

Betty felt a sense of calmness when she heard Adam speak those words. She knew what she was doing on a whim was risky, but her instinct assured her that what she was doing was the right thing. She adored Adam from the start, but was unaware he had strong feelings for her, until he tried to reveal them on Christmas Eve night. She just never expressed her feelings first, in fear of him not feeling the same way toward her. She assumed that all he wanted from her was sex, nothing more, but the discussion that they shared that holiday night, enlightened her, and she fell madly in love with him.

Adam leaned in, whispering in her ear, "I love you, beautiful." He was finally relieved that he got to tell her without Betty interrupting him.

Her heart fluttered. She smiled. "I love you, too."

Finally, a voice over the loudspeaker made an announcement, "Delta flight 3324 nonstop to JFK now boarding."

"That's us." Adam grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair.

"JFK?" Betty questioned.

"Yes, we have to change planes in JFK then we have a non-stop flight to Casablanca, Morocco."

Adam escorted Betty upon the jet way, Tanya trailed closely behind. As they took their seats in first class, Betty blankly stared out the window. "I would just die if I saw Austin right now," she whispered.

"Don't worry. He has no idea that you're here." Adam gently placed his hands upon Betty's in her lap.

The plane slowly made its way toward the runway. Betty sat back, clenching onto to Adam's hand, waiting for the plane to pick up speed before it ascended into the sky.  This is it. Her heart raced, her palms sweaty as she glanced out the window one last time before leaving Texas. The plane sped down the runway catching air. Betty held Adam's hand close to her heart, gently kissing his knuckles. She placed her head upon his shoulder, where she felt safe; knowing for the rest of her life that she would never have to worry. All the threats and obsessions ended and a new life was just beginning...
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janie was raped in 1994 when she offered a drunken friend a ride home from a Deland nightclub, where she tended bar. A simple offer of kindness turned into a horrific nightmare that haunts her daily. The events in the first section titled, "The Rape" are true. Janie decided to write this book in order to help cope with the horrific event. To this day, she cannot even look at a clock that displays 6:03 without remembering that early morning in 1994.

Janie is a three-time International best-selling author. Her novels of the, "Ship Mates" series hit #1 on Amazon as well as her collegiate book, "Essays of the Criminal Justice System."

Janie is a Columbia honors graduate where she focused on Literary Arts and received a degree in Applied Science in Business. She recently opened her own publishing company, dMon Publishing, LLC in Dallas, Texas in October of 2012.

Janie has four children and a husband and they reside in Frisco, Texas.

