PRESENT DAY

“I still can’t believe it’s not his motherfucking body.”

Caris lay on the bed, staring absent-mindedly at the 75-inch TV on the wall, across from their bed. Carol lay on his bare chest, watching Family Feud with him. He had spent the last five days processing what Carol had told him. He knew how they got here after it was all said and done, and his love for Carol had overridden any disappointments or judgements he’d had. He’d become okay with it all as time went on, and was focused on building his legacy with her.

This situation threatened all of that. Jail was looming large over their lives now, and his father’s prophecy looked truer as the days went by.

“You ever wish we’d never gone through with it, Carol?”

“Which of the its do you mean, baby?”

“The it that’s now becoming a thorn in our flesh.”

Carol turned to him. “You were spared the agony of the details, man. You didn’t even know what was done until it was done. What exactly did you go through with?”

“Wow, Carol. You’re gonna lay there and tell that to my face like I didn’t lose something that day?”

Carol sat up, still facing him. “Mr. Benton, were you called to the police station earlier this week? Did you have to field unusual questions from one of the most respected officers in the country? Did you have to listen to the IGP tell you that the national attention to the case is so high that he cannot intervene? Could you possibly find yourself in jail if something goes wrong here? Do they even know what your involvement in any of this is?”

Caris just stared at the TV while Carol lay back down. She wasn’t actually mad at him, but he was the only target available for her frustrations. 

Caris turned the TV off and looked at her. “Carol, I’m a great punching bag, but do well to remember that I’m your sparring partner, not your opponent.”

Carol backed down. “I’m sorry, my love. I’m just terribly frustrated.”

“I know, baby.”

Carol shifted her entire body onto him. The cuddle seemed to help improve her mood. “We need a backup plan, baby. The way this is going, I don’t know if we can beat it. I don’t trust Tembo to hold up if they get him. That man will betray a turkey sandwich if it’ll save his skin.”

Caris kissed the top of her head. “I think I have a plan. It’s going to take a few days, and it’ll mean leaving everything behind, but it could work.”

“You mean running away?”

“Yup.”

She lifted herself just enough to look at him. “Caris, you know I’m not a runner. We’ve built too much to leave behind and we know too many people to go down. Think of another plan.“

“Honey, I’ve called every minister and parliamentarian I know. I’ve called the Chief of Staff, I’ve called the head of the department that’s got this case. No one wants any part of it. Absolutely no one. We’ve become the hot potato that’s about to be dropped, and I’d rather be dropped on an island than in a jail cell. We could try to kill the –“

“That ain’t us and has never been us-“

“Exactly. We may not even have to go forever. All we have to do is be gone for just enough time for our friends to become our friends again. You know our people. Something else will happen that will get their attention, and interest in this case will wane. Then, we get the guy fired and the case dies with him. No lives lost, no properties seized, no jail time.”

For the first time in weeks, Carol smiled. He was right; that was the only scenario where she wouldn’t lose anything. Tembo could still out her, and he very well will, but she’d be out by then, enjoying the sweetness of her husband on some island somewhere, free from the threat of extradition. It could possibly take years, but they’d be back, and they could resume right where they left off.

Besides, they had so many properties no one knew of thanks to Kane’s wonderful gift to her all those years ago. They could disappear and no one would ever know.

There was a problem, though. She sat up on the bed. “Babe, it just hit me. There’s a slight possibility that our plane is probably being monitored now.”

“Babe, you’re not a suspect. Why would they be monitoring out plane?”

“Babe, if I was that inspector, I would definitely monitor the plane. A billionaire is dead and it turns out he willed his entire fortune to some girl who works for him? Even if I thought she was Mother Teresa, I’d still keep an eye on her.”

“Fuck. That could also mean your car too. They may be following you, you may have a tail.”

“Why do you think I park at our storage garage and take an uber from the back?”

“Smart girl. But if our mode of transport really is being monitored, then we need an alternative.”

“You think someone will lend us their plane?”

“Not just any someone. Someone who would be motivated to help us without knowing why.”

Carol thought for a second, and then she realized who Caris meant. “Guy, you sure she’s not seething from the deal we just did with her? I know I would if I sold 50% of a company just for a ride to an orgasm.”

Caris frowned. “Correction: an epic ride to an epic orgasm. We’re that good, Carol.”

“Yes, we are.”

Carol gave him that very familiar look. She sat back on his legs as he lay down and then said right to his face, “Now, I’m not saying I want anything. But, if my husband just happens to want to give me an epic ride to an epic orgasm, it would be my wifely duty to oblige.”

Caris shook his head and spun her around and she laughed and gave him the view between her legs.

*****

TEN YEARS AGO

Carol ran out of the bedroom, her heart racing, and her mind in shock.

She’d known that Bishop Charles would be an extremely difficult target, but he proved way tougher than she’d thought. Trista was already out of the gate by the time Carol finally fled through the front door. They’d been trying so hard to seduce the Bishop and they’d been failing, but his wife walked in unexpectedly and the sight was enough to convince her.

First, she threw her shoes, then she started throwing anything in sight, then she shouted something about a gun. At that point, it was over. They didn’t even need the bodycams; Carol overheard the woman calling the Archbishop right as she was getting to the door.

Once they had driven far away from the house, Trista took the bodycam off and gave it to Carol.

“Goddamn Carol! Did you know his wife was home?”

“Hell no, Tris! Why the hell would I put us in that danger? She was supposed to be on some women’s retreat. I don’t even know why the hell she was home.”

“Please tell me we didn’t fail the op cos I’m not about to retry this.”

“Don’t worry about it, Trista. We got the footage of his wife raising all hell up in that bitch. That’s all we needed. We got him.”

Trista heaved the biggest sigh of relief. “Thank God!”

Carol shot her an amused look. “I wouldn’t be thanking God if I were you. My whole experience of church life may be an all-girls catholic boarding school, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t take kindly to people framing his honest servants. That’s your assistant head pastor you just framed, you know.”

“Well, grace is a thing that exists and cannot be abused, so I’ll be alright.”

Carol shook her head. “Well, you’re certainly taking full advantage of it, going from framing a pastor to having a lecherous night. Going from abusing grace to abusing dicks. Where exactly do I drop you off, you abusive whore?”

They both cackled as Carol drove to Trista’s desired destination.

*****

Carol finally got home, fully relieved that the deed was done. Yeah, Kane may not like the way it came out, but this was more than enough to get the bishop in hot water. They’d worn masquerade masks, so he didn’t know who they were. The footage could be edited to make it seem like his wife had caught him in the act, though in truth, he was a few seconds from causing physical harm both to Trista and to her. A few seconds too late though, poor guy.

She locked her main door and was just about to walk past the living room when she noticed something in the dark.

She turned on the light, and found Stella waiting on her couch.

This woman was sitting in the couch, covered with a duvet, and only her face could be seen. She held up her right hand and let the single key in it hang from its key holder, answering Carol’s unasked question of how she even got into the house in the first place.

“Did you accomplish the mission?”

“Yeah, but not how he’d like.”

“But you got the guy?”

“Yeah, we got the guy.”

“Where’s Trista?”

“Having a night on the town. You know how she rolls.”

“Good. I didn’t walk into the lioness’ den with any intention of sharing.”

“Sharing?”

Carol’s question was quickly answered when Stella cast off the duvet. She had laid a cloth on the sofa, and that was the only piece of material in sight once the duvet came off.

Stella slid her legs apart like an elevator door as she stared Carol down and licked her lips. Carol smiled and shook her head. “You can never have enough, can you?”

“Enough’s not a word in my vocabulary.”

Carol badly wanted her, but she needed something from her and she was going to get it, Karla Beest style.

She walked over to Stella and put her fingers in her mouth, swirling them around and playing with her tongue. Stella tried to cup her breast, but Carol slapped her hand. Carol then moved her wet fingers slowly down Stella’s body, using the tips of her nails to lightly graze over her. Once she got to where she wanted to go, she started a light massage, slowly cooking Stella with pleasure.

Stella tried again to touch Carol, but Carol threw her hand away. That, coupled with the ongoing massage, was starting to make Stella crazy. “Oh, I love it when you take charge like that!”

Carol knew she had her. “I have questions, you have answers. Prepare for a pussy interrogation, Stella.”

This sounds… pretty raw. And uh, you might wanna brace yourself for the next episode, coz with those last words of Carol, it’s gonna get really risque…