Fantasy Bar

Publisher:  Pocket Books/Ellora’s Cave

ISBN-10: 1439131546 (Paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1439131541 (Paperback)

ISBN: 9781419904042 (Ebook)

Available now in paperback, in the To Serve and Protect anthology, at Amazon.com

Also available in the His Fantasies Her Dreams anthology at Amazon.com.

Available now in ebook format at Ellora’s Cave.

Futuristic Erotic Romance Novella

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Kiranda Vorkin is one of Meenus Prime’s youngest and most respected college professors. But on Klindor she’s known as Kira, half owner of Fantasy, a hedonistic bar where anything goes and every night is an orgy. When Kiranda shoots someone in self-defense, she panics and flees to Klindor in the hopes she can figure out what to do. It isn’t just anyone she shot—it’s Micas, the next Regent Elect of Meenus Prime. At Fantasy she disguises herself and gets lost in the wild, sexual atmosphere of the bar with a total hunk by the name of Jerrod.

Jerrod Scollin is the lead investigator assigned to find Micas’ killer. Unfortunately, the more he digs, the more he realizes just how sick his friend was. Following a tip, he heads to Klindor in search of a blonde, but what he finds is Kira, a feisty redhead with who makes his blood boil in passion whenever she’s near. The investigator side of him can’t shake the feeling she’s hiding something—he just never dreamed she’d be hiding a murder.

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Excerpt

“Oh, my God, Kira! What happened?”

Kira Vordak stumbled into the room and slumped onto the edge of Mirage’s velvet settee. Her back burned and needles of pain shot through her limbs. Her shirt clung to her bloody flesh, but she was pretty sure the wounds had stopped bleeding. With trembling hands, she removed her overcoat and swallowed back a sob.

“Oh, shit, Kira.” Mirage tugged at the blouse and hissed as the material broke away from the dried blood. The shirt slid down her arms and fell to the Oriental rug. “You stay right here. I’m going for the doctor.”

“No!”

“No? Forget it, girl. Your back is a mess and needs to be stitched. It’s way beyond my capabilities. But the second the doctor leaves the room, I want to know who did this to you.”

The door slammed and Kira laid her head in her hands, the fatigue and pain finally catching up with her. The rush of adrenaline she’d been relying on had vanished, leaving her weak and trembling. For the first time in hours, she felt safe. She knew no one could find her here. No one knew of her connection to Mirage and the Fantasy Bar on the small planet of Klindor.

She’d made sure to remain well hidden in the back of the transport from Meenus Prime, hoping and praying no one recognized her. She still couldn’t believe her stupidity. How in the hell had she gotten into this mess and more importantly, how the hell was she going to get out of it?

The door opened and she sat up straight then winced. Lightheadedness overtook her and she leaned precariously to the side, no longer able to keep herself upright.

“Help me get her to the bed,” the doctor ordered after a brief inspection. “It looks like she’s lost a lot of blood and we need to get these cuts closed.”

Kira wearily watched the doctor as he opened his bag. His eyes were shadowed, but his hair was thick and black, just brushing over wide shoulders corded with muscles that flexed as he moved. His face was masculine and tinged with a hint of Mediterranean. Certainly not someone she would consider a doctor. She always pictured them with glasses and thin builds.

He moved to touch her and she closed her eyes, bracing herself. His warm fingers brushed across her shoulder, reassuring her. “I’ll be as gentle as I can.”

She nodded and waited, her shoulders tense with nerves.

“Oh, God, there’s so many,” Mirage sighed. “Kira, what did this?”

She was so tired, so weak, she couldn’t open her mouth to speak. Instead, she remained silent while the doctor cleaned and sealed her wounds.

“Looks like a whip,” the doctor replied quietly. “See the jagged edges?”

“Oh, God,” Mirage sniffed and placed her hand over Kira’s when she flinched at the doctor’s gentle probing.

“She’ll be sore for a few days but she should be fine.”

“Thank you, Jaimee,” Mirage said as she walked the doctor to the door.

“You’re welcome. Call me if you need me.”

Kira watched as the handsome doctor touched her friend’s cheek with such tenderness it made her heart ache. To have someone touch her like that was her deepest wish, but she doubted it would ever come true. Especially now.

“How are you feeling?” Mirage sat on the edge of the bed and gently ran her fingers along the red and swollen tears.

“I’ve been better.” Kira tried to smile but it quickly faded. Her eyes drooped heavily and her words were sluggish. “I feel strange.”

“Jaimee gave you something to take care of the pain and to help you sleep. What happened?”

“I was leaving the university. I had a late class in intergalactic business trades and I stayed to grade papers. When I was heading home someone caught me from behind. He bound my hands and feet, gagged my mouth. I was so out of it from the hit to my head, I couldn’t put up a fight. I never even saw his face, Mirage, never knew who he was until…”

“Until?”

Kira swallowed her sob and squeezed her eyes closed, trying to block out the images, the pain. “Until I killed him.”

* * * * *

Jerrod Scollin stalked back into the brightly lit bedroom after stepping outside for some fresh air and a few much needed moments to collect himself. The stench of dried blood and death permeated the small space. He’d been an investigator for the high regent of Meenus Prime for almost ten years and he’d never become accustomed to that smell. Even now, it rolled his stomach.

Trying to turn his mind to other things, his trained eye took in the scene. Clothes and linens lay scattered about in disarray. Blood splattered the bedsheets and headboard. The lifeless body of his best friend Micas Lordakin lay across the foot of the bed.

He’d been informed of his death prior to his arrival, but that didn’t prepare him for actually seeing it for himself. He’d been shot in the chest four times at point-blank range. His eyes still stared at the ceiling, focusing on nothing. Wasn’t it just last weekend they had been planning their yearly trip to Vingosa?

Think about your job, Jerrod, he scolded himself and pushed his grief aside.

There had been no forced entry, and as far as Jerrod knew, Micas didn’t have any enemies. Considering he was shot in the bedroom, he would bet Micas knew his killer.

“Find anything, Simas?”

Simas turned from his study of the blood-soaked bed linens. A lock of blond hair fell across his forehead and he brushed it back in aggravation. “It’s not his blood. It’s female.”

Jerrod frowned. “Female?”

“Yes.”

What the hell were you doing, Micas? “Can you determine what happened?”

“Not from what little there is here. I’ve run a scan. Whoever it belongs to isn’t in the system.”

“That just means she’s not a criminal.” Jerrod wandered around the room, looking for something, anything that would answer the questions running through his mind. What had gone on here? Had Micas been involved in something illegal? Had he brought home a prostitute that later turned on him? Had she been injured and was that why her blood was all over the room?

With a tired sigh, he dragged his hand down his face. So many fucking questions!

“Sir?”

Jerrod spun and looked at the young investigator standing behind him. Daniel. He stood a good three inches shorter than Jerrod and had to crane his neck slightly to look at him. He was new to the force, just out of the academy, but Jerrod heard he had excellent potential as a profiler. “Did you find out anything?”

“Yes, sir. The doorman said he saw the same woman Micas arrived with two days ago leave last night. She seemed upset so he followed her to the transport dock. She boarded a ship bound for Klindor.”

“Klindor?” Simas mused from his position kneeling by the bed. “Interesting destination.”

Jerrod nodded. “Especially for a woman alone. She was alone?”

“Yes, sir. As far as the doorman knows.”

“Now why do you suppose the doorman would follow her?” Simas stood and placed his hands on his hips.

“The guy said she was hot. He wanted to get her alone and sample her wares, if you know what I mean.”

“Her wares?” Jerrod asked.

“Yes, sir. He said Micas indicated the woman was a prostitute when he arrived with her the other night. He brought her in through the back entrance. She was slung over his shoulder and bound. Micas told him it was ‘all part of the S&M package’.”

Simas swore softly and Jerrod glanced at him. Immediately, a veil dropped over Simas’ expression. For a second, Jerrod wondered what the outburst was about, but he returned to the investigation. “Thank you, Daniel,” Jerrod mumbled then turned to sit on the only clean spot at the foot of the mattress.

“Micas was into S&M?” Simas whispered. “Did you know about this?”

Jerrod shook his head, his mind reeling from the possibilities. He’d known Micas since they were kids. They’d grown up together, playing in the same abandoned mines and flying the same spaceports. His friend had a wild side and sometimes even a cruel streak, but Jerrod had had no idea it ran to this extreme. S&M was one thing—and sometimes quite fun—but it was obvious from the amount of the woman’s blood on the bed it had gone beyond fun and turned quite deadly.

“What are you thinking?” Simas asked.

“Daniel.” Jerrod raised a hand and waved the young man over. “I need a physical description of the woman. Did you get one?”

Daniel related what the doorman had told him while Jerrod quickly recorded it in his mini-computer. “Blonde, green eyes. About five feet, seven inches tall, maybe one hundred and twenty pounds. He also said she had nice legs.”

“Nice legs?” Simas smirked. “That’ll narrow it down.”

Jerrod flipped his computer closed in aggravation. “That will be all, thank you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jerrod headed to the main living area, Simas following close on his heels. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Jerrod frowned. “What question?”

“I asked what you were thinking.”

“I’m thinking of going to Klindor to try and find the woman.”

Simas pointed to the computer. “Based on that description?”

“It’s all we have, Simas. You got any better ideas?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Besides, how many women arrive alone on Klindor? She shouldn’t be too difficult to track down.”

“Why don’t you let me go?”

“Why?” Jerrod asked. Simas never wanted to go out in the field. He preferred to work the scene, handle the evidence. What had brought about the sudden change?

Simas shrugged, not meeting his stare. “I thought since you’d just returned, you might want to stay here.”

“No. I’ll go. I have a higher clearance than you. I can get into places you can’t by flashing my badge as an employee of the Planetary Senate.”

“True, but Klindor isn’t officially a member of the Senate.”

Jerrod’s frown stopped Simas’ argument. “I said I’d handle it, Simas. Klindor may not officially be on the voting roster, but they try to stay on the good side of the regent. They won’t be a problem. Besides, I need you here. I want you to search this apartment from top to bottom. Find me something.” With a pointed look that brooked no argument, Jerrod pulled his coat collar around his ears to ward off the winter chill in preparation of stepping onto the private landing pad just outside Micas’ apartment.

“Even if we don’t like what we come across? Micas was your best friend, my mentor and possibly the next regent elect. What if this was self-defense, Jerrod? Do you have any idea what kind of a scandal that will raise? How do you explain the next leader of the Senate being shot because he was trying to kill a prostitute?”

“That’s why we need to find the woman.”

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To buy Fantasy Bar in e-book format from Ellora’s Cave, click here.