Corruption by Eden Winters Read Free Book Online Page B

Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes. She’d stick out like a sore thumb at most of the drug buys Lucky’d been to. Her cashmere sweater
    screamed, “Mug me!”
    “Can anyone tell me what Ms. Vickery did wrong?” the teacher asked.
    Getting out of bed this morning and coming here where she doesn’t belong?
    Even from the back of the room, Lucky heard the disapproving snort. Ah, a lady used to getting her way, and who didn’t like being corrected.
    Lucky cringed. She’d better not be one of the rookies who’d wind up under his care.
    A stockily-built woman in the third row spoke up. “They’ll eat her alive if she’s waiting to be asked to sit down. You gotta
    show some attitude, honey. Park your ass like you own the chair.”
    A bit of lip-pursing betrayed the woman’s annoyance. She grabbed the vacant chair and nearly flung it down in her hurry to sit.
    With a practiced hand, Phillip poured white powder onto the table, forming two even lines. The guy appeared too at ease divvying up the goods. The
rolled-up dollar clasped in his fingers might as well have been a cobra the way the woman stared without making a move. Ah, the ubiquitous dollar bill. And that, boys and girls, is why ninety percent of US currency is laced with cocaine residue.
    “He who hesitates is lost,” O’Donoghue retorted. “Next!”
    Ms. I-Need-To-Update-My-Resume slunk away, replaced by a gung-ho officer candidate school dropout who also failed the savvy test, as did the next student,
    and the one after that. Lucky’s vision began to blur, his eyelids becoming heavier, and he no longer muttered, “No, you
    idiot…” for each attempt.
    “Schollenberger!” O’Donoghue barked.
    Given Bo’s years of military training, Lucky expected a sudden snap to attention. Bo didn’t. He took his time in standing, the
    picture of nonchalance. What a saunter! The man needed to strut his stuff more often. Lucky’s cock took notice. If Bo swayed like that while
    wearing chaps and nothing else…
    In no apparent hurry, Bo moseyed to the table, grabbed the chair, flipped it around backwards, and sprawled, arms folded across the back. Yeah, he totally
    fucking owned the chair.
    Phillip held out the dollar. Bo barked a laugh. “I may lead the lemmings to the sea, but I don’t follow them in.” Possums
    chewing briars didn’t grin so widely as Bo.
    Was this Bo? Mr. Meek-and-Mild? Champion of treed kittens everywhere? Bo strolled back to his seat, having fucking owned Phillip as surely as
    he’d owned the chair. Damn. Just damn.
    Lucky squirmed in his seat, imagining Bo bringing that confidence to the bedroom, tying Lucky’s hands to the headboard and having his wicked way.
    Oh hell. Gotta stop thinking about sex with so many people around.
    “Good, Mr. Schollenberger. You didn’t flinch, and you controlled the situation. The arrogance at the end, looking down on the shmucks
    who buy this shit… brilliant. Next!”
    The woman with attitude enough for half the room stood, and stood, and stood. Damn. She topped six feet, easy. Black Celtic designs added contrast to her
    dark skin, and her nose ring glittered in the light. Wait until Keith got a face full of her. Lucky might even have to violate his policy of not going in
    on one of the office’s betting pools. His money said she’d stomp Keith’s ass. She clomped up to the table, jerked the chair
    out, snatched the dollar bill, and sucked up every bit of the white powder from one line. Head held back, eyes closed, she uttered,
    “That’s the best you got? Man, you’re shitting me, right? This crap wouldn’t get a fly high.”
    Phillip better have used a placebo. Lucky watched the woman. If she went down, it wouldn’t be pretty.
    “Ms. Johnson, while it might be necessary to partake in dire circumstances to avoid blowing your cover, attempt to talk your way out of the
    situation first, if possible, okay?” The teacher rolled his eyes toward the heavens but didn’t attempt to hide the beginnings