"Am I under arrest?" Rusty Beck looked at the weary-looking FBI agent, who was sitting across the table in the interview room. The hatred in his eyes was so strong that Rusty could actually feel it.
"How did you figure that out, Mr. Beck? When you were read your rights? When they put cuffs on you? Oh, maybe when they told you that you were under arrest?" Andy Flynn always used sarcasm as a way of dealing with the worst of the worst.
"Well, I demand my lawyer. And I'm not saying another word until she gets here." Rusty folded his arms and leaned back. His eyes stayed fixed on the agent in front of him, as to show him he wasn't afraid of him.
"Only 21 and already a criminal master mind. That's impressive." Andy got on his feet. "But I'll get you."
"Please," Rusty scoffed. "You've been saying the same thing to my grandfather for 20 years now, and where is he? In jail? Or having a blast in retirement?"
"Your grandfather can pull this 'I'm retired' act for the rest of the world, but I know that Louie Provenza will never let someone else run his business entirely on his own because he doesn't trust anyone else to do a good job. Not even his own grandson." Andy leaned on the table and looked down in the young man's firm eyes. A shadow of a doubt flashed in them for a moment. "I guess you are a disappointment for him."
Andy grabbed the folder from the table and walked out of the room and slammed the door. There was nothing he could do now, before Rusty's lawyer arrives. He entered his office and dropped the folder on his desk in anger. It was 10 PM on a Friday night, but he didn't have anything better to do anyway. He and his wife have been separated for months now and his children lived too far away; he saw them mostly on holidays. The strong desire for a drink or two has been nibbling his soul for some time now, even before he moved out of the house. Things with his wife haven't been going well for years, actually, but now that he's been living on his own, he feels truly lonely.
Andy leaned his head back against his comfortable office chair – one of the perks in working for the FBI – and immediately felt himself being drifted away. All those long hours have finally caught up with him.
It felt like only a minute has passed, but when he opened his eyes again, the clock on the wall showed that it was actually 11:00. At first, he thought that he was awoken by the ticking of it but as he became more lucid, he realized that it was coming from the hallway. It was someone's heels. He jumped to his feet and opened his office door.
Midway down the hallway, a woman in a light-grey dress was walking towards him. It was tight – allowing the beholder to appreciate her figure – and short, ending just in the middle of her thighs. When she got closer, he could also appreciate the dress' neckline, which wasn't too deep, but definitely stimulating the imagination.
"Enjoying the view, Agent?"
"Senior Special Agent Andy Flynn." He hated lawyers almost as much as he hated the criminals. But he couldn't ignore the fact that he found her gorgeous. "And you are?"
"Sharon Raydor. Russel Beck's lawyer."
"Ah, that's too bad," Andy muttered as he took a step back to let her in. "I was hoping you were better than that."
Sharon took a step inside but not more than that, fully aware of how close she was to him. "Oh, I'm the best."
A wave of her perfume reached him, intoxicating his brain for a few seconds. Sharon rolled her eyes, smiling, and turned around towards the desk. Andy could not think of anything else that he needed to do at that moment except to look at her as she walked.
"Well," Sharon said impatiently. "It's Friday night, I've got better things to do. So, either tell me what the charges are, or let my client go."
"Sorry to keep you away from you family. I assure you that you'll be able to go back to… your husband soon because Beck is not going anywhere."
Sharon smiled. She knew every trick in the book and thought it was cute how he thought he could get her to share information about herself without realizing.
"I'm divorced."
"Oh."
"Yes. Five years now. Took him for everything he had, too."
Andy scoffed. "Remind me to never marry a lawyer."
"Why marry when you can just… enjoy life?" She leaned forward.
Andy figured he should change the subject back to the point before something happened that he would live to regret; he always had a weakness for beautiful women.
"Right, the charges. Your young genius here is facing serious accusations. The other kid with whom he built his company, Gustavo Wallace, had disappeared, but not before he managed to hand us some evidence of Mr. Beck's embezzlement. He took advantage of his partner not being physically involved in the company once they started selling their software and reported lower income. He stole from his partner."
"Is that all?" Sharon didn't seem impressed. She got clients off the hook for much worse.
"The false reports count as counterfeiting, as you may know. That's another charge. We have every single report that your client gave Wallace. He hid millions from him. And from us. Which, is, of course –"
"Tax fraud. Yes. Let's move forward." Sharon maintained her bored tone.
Andy stared at her for a moment, not sure what he wanted more – to punch her, or to…
"Now, once Wallace confronted your client about it all, Mr. Beck threatened him, which leads us to our next charge – extortion."
"I assume you have evidence to show me for all of these claims?" She leaned back, relaxed.
"You will see everything once this reaches the court. We're still investigating the disappearance of Wallace. Your client might be facing other charges like kidnapping or murder. We'll see." He smiled, feeling the victory.
Sharon knew that if such evidence indeed existed, Rusty was in a lot of trouble. But she also knew that the law is very maneuverable.
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Agent." She got on her feet, smiling at him.
Andy got up too and walked around the desk. "You should probably know that our prosecutor is going for the RICO act." He seemed very pleased with himself. He knew that pushing Rusty into a corner might get him to take a deal and incriminate his grandfather for a lesser sentence.
"Oh, so this is about Provenza? You could have said so from the start. I represent them both."
"That will change soon."
Sharon took a step towards him, clutching her purse's handle with both hands. She was close enough to him to touch a dangerous area by only moving a finger.
"If you think that Rusty will give up his own grandfather, you have no idea how wrong you are," she almost whispered. Her voice sounded quite menacing.
Andy looked in her bright green eyes and thought to himself that he could easily fall in love with a woman like her in another life.
Sharon started towards the door, demanding to see her client immediately.
The interrogation lasted hours into the night. When Andy needed a break, his partner, Russel Taylor, replaced him. Rusty Beck did not get a break even though his lawyer wouldn't let him answer any question they had for him. Eventually, they gave up but kept him in lock up for the time being.
"Excuse me, Agent Flynn?" A young agent was at the door. Interrupting Andy made him seem intimidated. "There's a lawyer asking to speak with you. She looked pissed, Sir."
"Great, just what I needed first thing on Monday morning. Who is it?" he got stayed in his chair.
"Um, Raydor something."
But Andy would have gotten his question answered even without the young agent's help, because Sharon Raydor appeared behind him.
"Excuse me." She pushed through and entered the office, staring at Andy with anger.
"Close the door, please," he said. It was now his turn to act bored. "How can I help you, Mrs. Raydor?"
"Do you think that I enjoy coming here? That I have the time for it? Because, believe me, the last thing I want is to see your face." She leaned on the desk with her hands. The sight of her was impressing but Andy tried to maintain focus.
"What is this about?" he smirked.
"You won't take calls from my firm and you've been keeping Rusty Beck in terrible conditions. Sleep deprivation, hunger –"
"Wow, wow, hold it right there!" He got on his feet and mimicked her lean, regretting that move right away. Their faces were pretty close now and he could smell the intoxication again. "Your boy genius is refusing to eat. That's not our problem."
"No, I'll tell you what your problem is: if you don't allow him to sleep, eat, shower or have any other basic human rights, I'll fight you to death. I'll get you dishonorably discharged. I'll sue you so hard that you won't even have a dollar of your pension left."
Andy knew that it was wrong. He knew that he was supposed to hate her guts. She was Satan's advocate. She was mean. She was heartless. That's why he was mad at himself for finding her even more attractive at that moment. A part of him hated that he had to resolve the issue.
"Fine. I'll take care of it," he hissed in defeat.
"You better. And you better start taking my calls, too, because the next time I have to come and find you, it'll be ugly."
"I doubt that," he said without thinking. Sharon arched her eyebrows, and he quickly added, "we don't take calls from lawyers here. That's what the prosecutor is for."
"Suit yourself." She moved backwards and stormed out of the office, leaving the door open. Andy didn't move. He watched her strutting down the long hallway, her powerful presence filling the air with every step. He wondered if she left the door open on purpose, so that she could give him this little show.
Andy tapped his knee nervously. He was sitting on the courtroom's wooden bench, right behind the prosecutor. It was a simple bail hearing. There was no reason at all for him to be there. No reason at all, except for the one who just walked in. He was surprised to see Sharon Raydor at such a simple procedure. She was running a busy law firm and usually just sent one of her lawyers for such dry hearings. She didn't look at him once from the moment she set foot in the room. He was pretty sure she didn't even know he was there. In fact, she stood with her back to him on the other side of the courtroom talking with Rusty.
But then something happened. She leaned forward in a seemingly innocent attempt to whisper in her client's ear. Andy didn't exactly know why, but he just knew she was doing it for him. He had no doubt anymore about her awareness to his presence. It wasn't the first time she put on a show for him, trying to drag him down to a place he knew he wouldn't be able to ever leave.
She turned around and looked at the prosecutor, still ignoring Andy, and then walked over to him.
"ADA Tao," she said and he looked at her with surprise. His head was deep in the file in front of him. Unlike Andy, he wasn't following her every move and didn't see her coming.
"Sharon Raydor." He was flooded with revulsion at the sight of her.
Andy wished he could feel the same towards her; it would make his work on this case so much easier.
"Are you ready to lose this case?"
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of myself if I were you, Tao," she smiled, as if she knew something that they didn't. "Many before you have tried to put members of this family in jail and… failed." She looked at Andy for the last word.
"This time we have an airtight case." Tao closed the file, subconsciously showing her how sure he was of himself.
"We'll see about that." She walked back to her seat and started whispering with Rusty again.
Andy hated the feeling that he had. She was going to win and he knew it even if the evidence he had was quite incriminating. Still, there was something about her, some kind of dark magic that made him foresee a gloomy future.
Twenty minutes later, Sharon got her client released to house arrest and that bad feeling sunk deeper into Andy's soul. She was going to destroy his case and him in the process.
Andy was sitting in a fancy restaurant with a pretty companion. She talked and talked, but he had no interest in what she had to say. His recent encounters with Sharon Raydor made him realize how much he missed being with a woman. He's been so busy at work that he had let too much time to pass between doing that.
The woman's lips moved, but he didn't hear a sound. He looked at her face, but he didn't really see her. He saw those bright green eyes. They haunted him. He saw them every night before and after closing his eyes. It was a strange feeling after so long. It's been years and years since a woman provoked that in him.
Something caught his eyes behind the woman in front of him and he focused on it.
"I can't believe it," he muttered. The woman was sure that he was talking to her.
"What? What is it?" She turned around to see another woman being seated at a table across the room with a man. "Do you know her?"
"Uh… yeah… she a lawyer. I arrested her client a week ago." He couldn't believe she was there. He wasn't exactly surprised, since he did ask another lawyer from her firm-who happened to come and check on Beck-what her favorite restaurant was, pretending that he needed recommendations for good places. He couldn't believe he had such a great timing, though.
Sharon spotted him a few minutes later. Andy kept looking over his companion's shoulder, hoping to catch Sharon's eyes, and it finally happened. The man who was with her had his eyes on the menu and didn't see a thing.
Andy nodded at her. She didn't return the favor but crossed her legs slowly, her eyes fixed on his. He saw her saying something to her partner, and then getting up. The red dress she was wearing was very complimenting. She definitely knew how to choose her clothes. He watched her walking to the restroom, passing very close to his table, and disappearing behind the main door.
"Excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back." He walked away before his companion could ask him where he was going. A few quick strides and he was opening the main door to the restroom. He froze when he saw Sharon Raydor waiting for him there.
The little passage was empty. The doors to the gender-separated stalls were on each side of Sharon. She waited for him to enter, letting the door behind him close.
"Now what are you doing here, Agent Flynn?" She folded her arms.
Andy came closer to her. Not that it took a lot of effort, since the place was pretty small. "We're in a restaurant, so… take a guess."
Sharon smiled. "I've never seen you here, and I come here a lot."
"Someone recommended it, actually. Wait, am I allowed to come here, or are you gonna sue me for that?"
Sharon took the last step that was left between them, showing him that she wasn't intimidated by him. "I would if I could. Believe me. I never could really stand law enforcement people."
"That's funny, I always say the same about lawyers."
They looked at each other for a moment, hearing each other's breaths.
"Are you going to release my client?" she asked.
"Not a chance," he smiled.
Sharon lifted her head a little, so their lips were closer. "That's too bad," she whispered.
Andy felt sharp waves darting through his body as it tensed up.
"Why? Easier job?" He stayed put in this war on power.
"No. Conflict of interests."
Sharon knew that he understood her intention. If she wasn't the lawyer in one of his cases, they wouldn't have had to restrain themselves from moving even closer. She was playing with his mind and he was falling right into it. This wasn't the first time she was doing something like that, but she couldn't remember ever enjoying it quite like this.
"Are you trying to make me step off from the case?" Andy was smarter than she'd thought. She didn't want to admit it even to herself, but she really did wish there wasn't any conflict of interests.
"Is it working?" She smiled. Andy could almost feel it on his own lips.
"Almost. You're very good at this, I'll give you that, but I've been trying to nail Provenza for two decades now and I'm so…" He looked down at her body and then back up. "Close."
"Good luck," she whispered, right before taking a step back, and then passing him on her way to the door.
Andy grabbed her arm right before her hand touched the doorknob, and pulled her into the empty women's stall. He put her against the wall, his arms also leaning against it on both sides of her. She looked at him for a moment, trying to get over the shock. The look in his eyes was a mix of anger and lust. Maybe he was angry because he couldn't have her without consequences, maybe he hated himself for wanting her. Or maybe he just hated her guts.
Sharon placed a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him to her, locking her lips around his before he realized what was happening. He took one hand off the wall and placed it on her back. The other went to the back of her head, grabbing her hair.
Sharon's arms met around his neck, bringing him even closer to her. She was pressed between the restroom's wall and his chest, and there was no other place she wanted to be in at that moment. Her tongue made rapid movements around his in a race against time. They both knew that it was wrong, and that it had to stop before it's too late.
Andy wanted to back away and end it. His brain was screaming at him to do it, but it was shut down by his primal instincts. He felt helpless. His hand was suddenly on her thigh. He didn't move it voluntarily, it had a life of its own.
Sharon felt him lifting her leg to his waist. Was this really happening? She could get his case thrown in seconds if this went any further. She took his other hand from her back and put it between her thighs. It was as easy as enticing a child to follow candy. She looked at him, waiting for him to break. He moved his hand a few inches up and found her crotch. She smiled at him, beautiful and evil, when he started rubbing his hand gently against her panties.
Andy knew that he had lost the battle, but not the war. If she thinks that she can win her case on a technicality like this, she was in for a surprise. He could play dirty too, if needed.
He moved her panties aside and rubbed with his finger, feeling her gasp against his chest. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, smiling. Andy watched her for a few seconds, feeling the pressure to unzip his pants. Instead, he dived to her neck and felt her hand crawling in his hair. She grabbed it, hard, but he didn't mind the pain. The angry part in him actually appreciated it. He wanted to cause her pain back, but he would never. Not without her asking for it. So he just turned the gentle rub to a fast movement.
Sharon moaned in his ear and frantically felt for his pants' zipper. The sound that it made when she pulled it open was like music to her ears, bells of victory.
Andy pulled back from her neck and placed his forehead against hers. She thought he was trying to stop the whole thing, or giving her the opportunity to do it herself. But there was no way she'd stop it now. Not even if there wasn't any case at all. Her hand crawled into his under pants and found his hard cock, showing him that she wasn't backing down.
Andy pushed his pants a few inches down along with his underwear and felt himself crumbling under her touch. He could barely even recognize himself. He was a respected FBI agent with years and years of catching really bad people behind him. He's never let anyone throw him off the trail like this.
Sharon placed him at her entrance and looked him in the eyes, as if inviting him for a challenge. She was still deep in the power struggle, dragging him back down to her just when he thought he was going to get out.
Andy held her gaze firm and slid inside her slowly, watching her facial features soften more and more, the deeper he went. She finally let out air, realizing she was holding it in all the while. She closed her eyes again and laughed in pleasure or in victory. When she opened them again, Andy still had the angry expression on his face.
"Are you still angry, Agent Flynn?" She smiled.
He didn't answer, but it wasn't necessary. By the look of his face, if he wasn't letting his frustration out like this, he might have chosen another, less pleasurable, way. She preferred this one much better.
"Use it," she whispered, challenging him again.
Andy tightened his grip on her leg, which was still resting around his waist and sent his other hand to her ass. She smiled, taunting him, knowing exactly what was about to happen, inviting it.
He thrust inside her, letting all of his anger out. Sharon moaned. She was enjoying it, and it made him even angrier.
"Oh, god," Sharon muttered as he kept going. She tried to keep her balance with her arm clinging on the back of his neck, while her free hand tried to hold onto the wall behind her.
Andy moved the hair from her face. He kissed her open mouth, feeling her panting against him with every jolt.
There was a knock on the door and Andy put a hand on her mouth to keep her quiet.
"Excuse me?" the woman outside insisted.
"Answer her," Andy whispered.
Sharon squinted at him, unwilling to take orders, but the woman knocked again.
"Occupied! I'm going to be here for – ah!" Sharon moaned. She looked at him, surprised by his suddenly accelerated movements. It was now her turn to place a hand on her mouth, laughing.
Andy fought the smile that was forming on his lips, but lost. It was involuntary, a real joy.
Sharon closed her eyes again, and felt as if she was standing outside her body. Everything felt blurry and in slow-motion. His mouth on her jaw-line and his hands on her hips felt like the only thing near her. The rest of the world was miles away. It didn't take her long to reach that uncontrollable shivering under his firm grip – which she was grateful for. She knew that she'd crumble to the floor if it wasn't for him holding her.
Andy buried his face in her neck and gave in to her quiet, restrained moans in his ear. He gradually slowed down, riding the wave as far as possible. He knew that they'd have to go back to who they really were once this all ends. But for now, he just wanted to hold her, to feel like he could feel her hair on his face forever.
Another knock on the door startled them both. Sharon pushed him away and fixed her outfit. She combed her hair with her fingers quickly while he zipped back his pants.
"That was fun, Agent Flynn. I'm afraid this is where it ends for you, though." Her voice was low so that the person outside couldn't hear.
"Is that so?" He smiled at her and watched her as she smiled back and nodded.
"You know that your case will be thrown after that." Her hand was on the doorknob.
"Only if I admit that this even happened." He found great pleasure in seeing the smile disappearing from her face so fast.
"You wouldn't lie…"
"To get Beck the punishment that he deserves?"
Sharon let go of the doorknob and folded her arms. He could tell that she was getting angry.
"Come on, we both know the case will not be affected by what happened here. I'm just as professional as you are. I know that it hurts you to hear it, but it's true. I can do this and still be impartial."
He was still smiling, and Sharon felt like she could put a knife through his heart. She took a step towards him, once again getting too close.
"Too bad, Agent. We could have been good together." She fixed his tie and let her hands roll down his chest, along the silky path.
"Maybe in an alternate universe." His eyes sparkled. He was very pleased with himself.
"This is war. You know that, right?" She wasn't sure whether she was more angry or impressed.
"Oh, yeah. I'm willing to die for my cause," he said in an almost whisper.
"Famous last words." She unlocked the door and stepped outside, casting one last glance at him before disappearing from view.