Tanner (excerpt #1)
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Tanner
knocked on the door not knowing what to expect. Why had Mitch called
him? They weren’t exactly friends – not actually enemies either
– but with Mitch being Captain at the PHX PD and him being a
private detective their paths often crossed as did their ideas on how
a job should be done.
“Good! You’re finally here.” Mitch said as he yanked the door open.
“So I’m ten minutes late. You can take it out of my tip.” Tanner sauntered on into the small apartment.
“Cut the bullshit. I need your help. What are your rates?” Mitch snapped.amazon books
“Well that depends on what you want. Fifty dollars for a blow job, a hundred for a fuck or if you want me to fuck you – it’s on the house – kind of an answer-to-my-prayers sort of thing.” Tanner said with a smirk as he made himself comfortable on the couch; legs apart, arms stretched out across the back.
“Are you always this disgusting or do you save up all this shit just for me?” Mitch glared at him as he stood with hands on hips.
“I have to admit you are a special case, Mitchelson, and the thought of doing you is often on my mind. I figured that’s why you called me over here in the middle of the night. Surely if it was a police matter, you would call on one of your shining knights at the PHX PD.”
“No. This can’t involve them.” Mitch leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms.
“Don’t worry. I don’t kiss and tell.” Tanner tried one last barb at his old boss. He just couldn’t resist. Not since he had left the force to go into business for himself had Mitchelson had one kind word for or about him. In turn, he got his barbs in whenever he could and he would never under any circumstances let him know how much he really cared for him.
“It’s Kenny – he’s missing.” Mitch said.
“Oh shit – Kenny again! Why don’t you dump that jerk? He’s probably shacked up somewhere. Did you try Samantha?”
“She’s the one who called me. She’s frantic. They had plans for tonight and Kenny never showed up.”
“Like I said, he’s probably off somewhere getting laid. If he’s not with Samantha then he’s with whoever caught his eye.”
“No! He wouldn’t do that to Samantha. He’s in love with her. They’re talking marriage,” Mitch insisted.
“Christ! That guy’s not happy unless he ruins everybody’s life!” Tanner stood up and began to pace.
“He’s not like that!” Mitch protested in defense of his wayward detective.
“The hell he isn’t!” Tanner whirled on him. “Don’t tell me you’ve been taken in by him too? What is it, those soulful gray eyes of his or that nice round runner’s ass and body?” Tanner couldn’t help the jealousy that burned in his veins hearing Mitch defend Kenny.
“Nothing of the sort!” Mitch snapped but he turned his eyes away from Tanner’s and they both knew it was a lie. Everyone seemed to fall under Kenny’s spell. All the women and a good number of the men wanted to sleep with him and the rest all wanted to take care of him, help him out, make excuses for him.
“Jesus!” Tanner cursed and ran a hand through his dark blond hair and turned to stare out the window into the parking lot. “I wouldn’t trade places with him for all the tea in China,” he mumbled.
“Kenny’s a good guy,” Mitch said.
“He’s a nut and you and I both know that.”
“His arrest record is the highest in the department and he tries hard to follow the rules. Not like some people I could mention who absolutely refuse and just run off and quit when they can’t have things their own way.”
“Quitting the force was the best thing I ever did.” Tanner defended himself.
“Best thing for PHX PD!” Mitch sneered.
“I like working alone. I didn’t want or need some green kid just out of the academy to look after while I was on a case. And now I don’t have someone looking over my shoulder or have to make reports of everything I do in triplicate!”
“I’ll bet your record keeping is immaculate too,” Mitch said.
“So do you want to tell me why you got me over here in the middle of the night or would you rather just stand around throwing insults back and forth?”
“I told you. Kenny’s missing.”
“Isn’t that the sort of thing he does all the time? Was he on a case? Why don’t you have one of your own detectives look for him?” Tanner asked, curious now about this new mystery.
“Just in case … well … if he is with someone else – it would just kill Samantha.”
“They aren’t really going to get married; are they? I mean … hell! Do you think she knows about him?” Tanner asked and came back and sat down on the couch again.
“They’ve been seeing each other now for nearly three years.”
“You know what I’m talking about. Don’t be coy. She doesn’t have what he needs and you and I both know that.”
Mitch turned away, sat down at his desk and began to shuffle papers. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If they want to get married that’s their business.”
“Good! You’re finally here.” Mitch said as he yanked the door open.
“So I’m ten minutes late. You can take it out of my tip.” Tanner sauntered on into the small apartment.
“Cut the bullshit. I need your help. What are your rates?” Mitch snapped.amazon books
“Well that depends on what you want. Fifty dollars for a blow job, a hundred for a fuck or if you want me to fuck you – it’s on the house – kind of an answer-to-my-prayers sort of thing.” Tanner said with a smirk as he made himself comfortable on the couch; legs apart, arms stretched out across the back.
“Are you always this disgusting or do you save up all this shit just for me?” Mitch glared at him as he stood with hands on hips.
“I have to admit you are a special case, Mitchelson, and the thought of doing you is often on my mind. I figured that’s why you called me over here in the middle of the night. Surely if it was a police matter, you would call on one of your shining knights at the PHX PD.”
“No. This can’t involve them.” Mitch leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms.
“Don’t worry. I don’t kiss and tell.” Tanner tried one last barb at his old boss. He just couldn’t resist. Not since he had left the force to go into business for himself had Mitchelson had one kind word for or about him. In turn, he got his barbs in whenever he could and he would never under any circumstances let him know how much he really cared for him.
“It’s Kenny – he’s missing.” Mitch said.
“Oh shit – Kenny again! Why don’t you dump that jerk? He’s probably shacked up somewhere. Did you try Samantha?”
“She’s the one who called me. She’s frantic. They had plans for tonight and Kenny never showed up.”
“Like I said, he’s probably off somewhere getting laid. If he’s not with Samantha then he’s with whoever caught his eye.”
“No! He wouldn’t do that to Samantha. He’s in love with her. They’re talking marriage,” Mitch insisted.
“Christ! That guy’s not happy unless he ruins everybody’s life!” Tanner stood up and began to pace.
“He’s not like that!” Mitch protested in defense of his wayward detective.
“The hell he isn’t!” Tanner whirled on him. “Don’t tell me you’ve been taken in by him too? What is it, those soulful gray eyes of his or that nice round runner’s ass and body?” Tanner couldn’t help the jealousy that burned in his veins hearing Mitch defend Kenny.
“Nothing of the sort!” Mitch snapped but he turned his eyes away from Tanner’s and they both knew it was a lie. Everyone seemed to fall under Kenny’s spell. All the women and a good number of the men wanted to sleep with him and the rest all wanted to take care of him, help him out, make excuses for him.
“Jesus!” Tanner cursed and ran a hand through his dark blond hair and turned to stare out the window into the parking lot. “I wouldn’t trade places with him for all the tea in China,” he mumbled.
“Kenny’s a good guy,” Mitch said.
“He’s a nut and you and I both know that.”
“His arrest record is the highest in the department and he tries hard to follow the rules. Not like some people I could mention who absolutely refuse and just run off and quit when they can’t have things their own way.”
“Quitting the force was the best thing I ever did.” Tanner defended himself.
“Best thing for PHX PD!” Mitch sneered.
“I like working alone. I didn’t want or need some green kid just out of the academy to look after while I was on a case. And now I don’t have someone looking over my shoulder or have to make reports of everything I do in triplicate!”
“I’ll bet your record keeping is immaculate too,” Mitch said.
“So do you want to tell me why you got me over here in the middle of the night or would you rather just stand around throwing insults back and forth?”
“I told you. Kenny’s missing.”
“Isn’t that the sort of thing he does all the time? Was he on a case? Why don’t you have one of your own detectives look for him?” Tanner asked, curious now about this new mystery.
“Just in case … well … if he is with someone else – it would just kill Samantha.”
“They aren’t really going to get married; are they? I mean … hell! Do you think she knows about him?” Tanner asked and came back and sat down on the couch again.
“They’ve been seeing each other now for nearly three years.”
“You know what I’m talking about. Don’t be coy. She doesn’t have what he needs and you and I both know that.”
Mitch turned away, sat down at his desk and began to shuffle papers. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If they want to get married that’s their business.”
Tanner (excerpt #2)
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Mitch lay in bed and cursed his luck,
cursed his life, the people he worked with, Kenny and Samantha, and
most of all he cursed Peter Tanner! He hated that smirk that seemed
to be constantly plastered on his face; hated those green eyes that
mocked him and hated the way he swaggered when he walked. He hated
the way he dressed in those tight jeans with the tell-tale bulge
outlining everything beneath the denim, hated the way he bent the
rules or ignored them completely and hated the way he looked in that
tiny black Speedo with the water making his body glisten in the sun
and all the women and half the men staring at him like he was some
kind of matinee idol. He hated the movie-star good looks and the way
the dark blond hair curled into ringlets when it was wet.
Yeah, he hated Peter Tanner and the thing he hated most about him was the way Tanner haunted his dreams. Real life he could handle but his dreams were beyond all control.
Yeah, he hated Peter Tanner and the thing he hated most about him was the way Tanner haunted his dreams. Real life he could handle but his dreams were beyond all control.
©2011-2012 Donna McIntosh