Chapter 32
Lawrence was in a panic. He’d received word from one of his friends in the police department that a search warrant had been issued.
His first instinct was to get out of town, to hide somewhere.
He had enough money to lose himself for a while.
Several of the women he’d entertained in his private play space had been wealthy and he’d manipulated them into giving him access to their money.
Not to mention, he earned an excellent salary.
However, Lawrence also knew that leaving would imply guilt. So, when the knock came, he inhaled deeply, reminding himself that the police would never find the secret door to his playroom. It was well hidden, which was why he’d gotten away with his pleasures over the years.
His wife was out of town with the kids this weekend. He’d deliberately told her that he’d be out of town again this weekend, encouraging her to stay with her parents. He’d wanted this weekend alone so that he could prepare.
Just thinking about everything he’d done to his “playmates” over the past several years aroused him all over again. “Later,” he promised, thinking of the future and all the joys he would experience once he’d gotten rid of the police. He’d get his vengeance on Andi, and enjoy every moment of it.
Walking over to his door, he pulled it open and smiled. “Hello, gentlemen!” He ignored the female police officers standing behind the lead detective. “Jonsey!” he said, greeting the detective he’d played poker with just a few weeks before. “Come on in. What’s up?”
Detective Ben Jones stepped into the colonial style home, lifting the search warrant. “Lawrence, we need to search your place.”
Lawrence feigned surprise. “What for?” he asked, taking the paper and pretending to read it.
But when the words, “Illegal wire-tapping” popped out at him, he felt a spurt of panic.
He’d been so focused on ensuring that no one ever discovered his playroom that he hadn’t bothered to take his laptop down in the secret room! Damn it!
Still, he looked up from the warrant and spread his arms wide.
“Search away, boys and girls.” Then he stepped back.
If they bothered with the laptop, which was upstairs in his office, he could claim that the laptop was filled with proprietary information for his job.
Lawyer-client privilege was a beautiful thing!
At least, Lawrence hoped that would be the case.
However, would Laith back him up? The man had been screwing Andi for the past few weeks.
But Lawrence figured that his boss wouldn’t want that private relationship to come out in the open.
The guy was a prince or sheik or…something.
Probably not particularly important in the Lativa government or he wouldn’t be working.
Royals sat around ordering other people to work. They didn’t do the work themselves.
No, he was safe. Laith’s interest in Andi would fade. Besides, bros stuck together. Laith was a good guy. He’d ditch the bitch and…!
A police officer came down the stairs, carrying his laptop. “You can’t take that!” Lawrence called out. “That has proprietary information on it. The information on that computer falls under the attorney-client relationship and is protected by law.”
The officer hesitated, glancing at Ben. Lawrence did the same. “Jonesy, explain the law to her. She can’t take the laptop and violate attorney client privilege.”
Ben shrugged and jerked his head towards the doorway. “Take it for now. We’ll let the lawyers work out the details later.”
“Jonesy!” Lawrence snapped. But the detective didn’t even look up from the clipboard he was writing things down on.
He was too busy listing evidence to acknowledge his poker buddy? What the hell?
Lawrence pressed his lips together, feigning irritation in order to mask his growing panic.
If they opened that laptop, they would see the surveillance files.
That laptop didn’t contain only the surveillance from Andi’s apartment, it contained recordings of all of his sessions, all his training and pleasures with his ladies over the years!
Somehow, he had to get that laptop back! Sure, the legal files would be protected, but not the surveillance videos or the videos of his time in the playroom! And Lawrence had stupidly labeled those files by the women’s real names!
This was bad! Really bad!
Stepping back, he stood with his back against the wall of bookshelves.
He’d personally curated the books on these shelves.
He’d chosen the books for both their appearance and their titles.
Every time he looked at the titles, he felt a surge of power.
Not that he’d read the books, but everyone who came into his home was impressed.
And, he had read the summaries, so if anyone asked, he could easily discuss the topics contained within the text.
Ben sighed as more personal items were brought out in evidence bags. Lawrence watched, fuming when they took away the toys he kept in his bedroom. Those were more for the occasional one-night stand and weren’t anywhere near as risqué.
After an hour, the police searching the home slowed down. Ben finally turned to Lawrence. But as punishment for being an ass, Lawrence refused to look at Ben. The rejection would last right up until their next poker game.
“We need to search this room. Would you step into the kitchen or out onto the front lawn?”
Lawrence’s eyes snapped to Ben’s, his heart pounding. But no, the police wouldn’t find anything. They’d have to go through all the books on this bookshelf to find anything!
So, he stepped aside, waving magnanimously to the room.
“Whatever,” he snarled and moved into the kitchen.
He’d act like he wasn’t even interested.
He’d make a sandwich, he thought to himself.
Yeah, a sandwich and a beer. That’s what he’d do!
What better way to prove to the idiots that he wasn’t concerned!
He’d just taken his first bite of a sandwich when he heard the sound. The swooshing sound! No! Oh, hell no! Lawrence didn’t even hear the crash of his beer bottle hitting the floor. His whole focus was on racing towards the sound and stopping the police from finding his…!
“You can’t go down there!” he bellowed. Immediately, two officers grabbed his arms, pulling him away from the now open hidden door to his playroom. “Stay the hell away from there!”
They ignored him. “I’ll sue every damn one of you!”
All but the two officers holding him back and one more, who stood in front of Lawrence, his hand lightly resting on his weapon, went down the stairs.
Even from where he stood, Lawrence could hear the terrified screams of the woman down in the basement.
Damn, he loved those screams! He’d given that woman that fear.
He’d shown her pain but the woman, he couldn’t remember her name, hadn’t yet realized how pleasurable pain could be. She needed so much more training!
Now it would all be for nothing!
“Get away from me! Don’t touch me!” he heard her scream.
There were several muffled voices. Lawrence assumed they were Ben and the officers.
Several minutes later, there was sobbing.
He heard the clanking of the chains and Lawrence tried to pull free from these bastards so that he could go down into his playroom and see the woman one more time. Just once more!
Suddenly, his wrists felt the cold snap of handcuffs. He looked around, ready to blast whoever had dared cuff him! The indignity of being handcuffed was just…!
“We need an ambulance down here!” someone called up the stairs.
“She’s fine!” Lawrence yelled, pulling at his arms again. “She wants to be down there!”
A moment later, Ben carried a woman up the stairs. She was whimpering, hiding her face in Ben’s shoulder as he carried her out of the basement, out of his playroom!
She was no longer naked though. She had Ben’s shirt wrapped around her. The woman looked like she was drowning in the oversized shirt but what truly infuriated Lawrence was that the damn shirt covered up his art.
When she saw him, the woman ripped herself out of Ben’s arms, screaming like a banshee. Lawrence felt her nails rip through his face, drawing blood. He screamed in pain.
“How do you like it, you bastard!” the woman shrieked, continuing to rake at his face and neck. Lawrence pulled away as far as the officers holding his arms would allow, which wasn’t much.
Thankfully, two officers restrained the woman, pulling her out the door.
Lawrence turned to glare balefully at Ben.
“I’m going to sue you all!” he snarled. “You invaded my privacy. You allowed me to be hurt while in police custody!” He felt the blood trickle down his lip. “Get me medical help! Immediately!”
Ben sighed, writing something else down on that clip board. “An ambulance is on the way, but our priority is the victim, Mr. Hoffmeier,” Ben replied.
Lawrence swallowed past the thick lump growing in his throat. If Ben was using his last name, Lawrence knew he was in big trouble! After a stunned moment, Ben walked over to stand directly in front of Lawrence.
“Mr. Hoffmeier, you have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. You have the right…” he continued, reciting the Miranda warning he knew by heart. He was being arrested? But…they hadn’t even looked at his laptop!
“On what charges?” Lawrence demanded.
Ben’s eyes widened, then he sighed. “Kidnapping. Assault. I’m guessing that rape charges will be added.” He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. When someone answered, he said, “We need a CSI team in here. I want to know how many victims have been in that hell hole.”
Then Ben looked at the officers holding Lawrence’s arms. “Get him out of here!”