The gustily wind whistles through the strands of my curls as I rounded to the back of the building to my car, attention downwards as I scroll through my emails for the next brand. I bid Annalisa a good day after our sip and tea at the bar, alcohol isn't meant for the weak and from the information she was processing, the liquor would have absorbed into her streams faster than normal.

Sounds of ambulances zoom in the distance, I scroll endlessly through the spams and updates of today's blogs until I enter the cooling shadow that is blocked by the bridge of the underground parking lot. The air shifts as tendrils of faint smoke drift into the air, a woman conversing in her car with the window rolled all the way down, parked at the very front, her echo sharply reverberating.

I dip my hands into my purse for my keys, the ends of my heels clicking onto the cemented ground as I raise my arm to signal the vehicle to start at the press of the button, when I finally lift my head and gasp to the figure standing at the passenger side of my car.

The end of a cigarette hanging from his mouth as it burns, and he inhales the vapor. At my lingering stare he lifts his eyes to meet mine. Styled in a long grey coat secured around him with polished black dress shoes. I never forgot those abysmal eyes, as he sat on my couch that day.

"Detective Carson." I force with a smile. My knees buckling to the sight of him standing mysteriously against my car.

With a final inhale he fills his chest with a bubble, before removing the cigarette from his jaw and scrunching the remains under his ends of his shoes. "Mrs. Campbell." He utters my name with accusation, the grey smoke flaring from his nose as he steps in closer to me.

My eyes steadily following his approaching figure move, lightly lowering my head in the process until he was closer. "How are you today?"

I blink, the scent of smoke clung onto his body was revolting and suffocates me around. I clear the gravel in my throat at his stern face. "I - uh-"

"Forgive the sudden appearance, I was hoping we could have a chance to talk more now that we were alone."

Unease wraps around me, driven by uncomfortably I round his mini frame. "Uh, I need to get home and -"

He blocks my path, "It will not take long."

"I would rather have my husband here." I reroute to the other direction.

He blocks my pathway again. "It is actually better he wasn't Mrs. Campbell."

My rows crease, "Excuse me?"

"Mrs. Campbell it is better we spoke in private."

"I gave you all the information that I know, I have nothing else to say."

"Mrs. Campbell -"

"If you don't mind I would like to head home."

Nearby our mini commission the woman that sat in her car begins to laugh hysterically with police sirens zooming nearby in the brisk traffic. The silence between detective and I simmering until it dissolves with his rough sigh. He reaches in his coat and I notice the sweat stains under his arms through the sky blue dress shirt underneath, and a gold badge pinned inside.

He pulls out what appears to be a small piece of paper.

"I already have your business card." I shrug.

"No." he put simply, unfolding the supposed card until it is now a full thin piece of paper. It crinkles in his hand. "Are you familiar that there has been an embezzlement of your husbands company for the past six years?"

"What does that mean?"

"It is imperative that we speak in private."

***

Secluded at the furthest booth in the restaurant the same bar tender from earlier that served Anna and I set our drinks before he casted me a look. Nice to see you too, long time no see, I speak inwardly to myself to feel better under his scrutiny.

For sure he must think I am an alcoholic.

I glanced down to the paper in front of me, observing the recent years of money being laundered from Phillips company and directed into a strange account, below it, was a history of complaints left by old employees that were deleted, stating they were shorted money on their checks. Every growing number only left me more in disbelief. Hundredths, thousandths, and now millions.

"This is a mistake, Phillip never spoke of any of this to me."

"Why would he speak to you about it?" he accuses darkly, deeply glaring at me above the rim of the glass as he took a sip of his Heineken.

"Well, he doesn't, but at the house he is calm and never really showing stress." I defend.

"Hmm." he huffs, his few words were beginning to be tiresome.

My shoulders slump with aggravation. "Detective I am really not understanding what is it your trying to say."

Folding his arms on the table, he leans in. "Why don't you put the puzzle piece together Mrs. Campbell. What do you think I am trying to say here."

Under the streaming country music that plays above our booths, my brain swirls with possibilities. Trying to wrap my head around it all, from across from me, he observed my silence, and my searching eyes. To anyone looking from another seat, they would have assumed two grown adults were playing the non-blinking game.

Finally, something clicks.

"You think my husband is stealing from his own company?" The words left a sour taste in my mouth. And as his brows relaxed, he leans his head back. I scoff appallingly, "Detective Carson that is beyond ridiculous, there is no way that is possibly something you believe."

"Not believe. Documented. As you see there."

His tone is beginning to irk me. As if my intelligence was being belittled. "I do not appreciate you soiling my husbands name and brand like this Detective Carson, Weren't you investigating a robbery? How did you jump to this?"

"Funny you ask Mrs. Campbell. Rest assured the robberies are being investigated, but your husband's company has been on my radars for quite some time. You see -" he scoots in, leaving me in suspense as he lifts the lid of his glass to sip his liquor. "There have been multiple complaints from old employees in regards to this very company."

"Ok."

"And your husbands name has been a popular trend at the station. So when I learned that he was needing to be questioned, I jumped to the opportunity. Imagine my surprise when I did a recalculation on his website to find that the company tanked $600 million."

My breathing uneven.

"You see, how is it a striving company some how loses that mass of dollars. And there is never a police report about it?"

I felt the surge in me to defend my husbands honor, being his shield in this time of need. "He said he has it under control." I stagger trying not to choke on my spit.

Detective Carson lets his head fall. "Who said that?"

"Phillip."

"He told you that?"

"He just said that there was a wire and another tank, but that is it."

"And when did he say this?"

"The other day at the house."

"I thought you said he didn't speak to you about his work?"

My heart stills. I could suddenly feel my veins clotting. "He doesn't but he was just overwhelmed that -"

"I thought he never shows signs of stress when he is at the house?"

My nerves are ticking. "Listen he is a striving business man alright, he is still human at the end of the day." I impatiently slip the strap of my back over my shoulders and rose up. "We are done here, If you want any information you can reach out to Mrs. Yovich and -"

"You spoke with Mrs. Yovich?" he cuts.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I swallow.

"Where did you interact with her?" he steadily rose up to match me.

"You can contact her for information, I am done here, and with this, it was never our business to begin with, I don't need to sit here and be belittled by you." I huffed, a few men sitting at the bar turns to our booth in question.

"My apologies If I have offended you Mrs. Campbell." he gestures a reassuring wave to the men, dismissing the scene as something violent. "Please have a seat, tell me more on what you have learned on Mrs. Yovich."

"Why?" I demand. "What else could you possibly want to know that she has not already told you?"

"We never spoke to Mrs. Yovich, she left town the day we responded to the call."

My rigid frame weakens. "What?"

"Only her husband was present when we went in for an investigation. And he has not heard from her since."

Inconspicuously I cower my eyes, averting from his glare. "I uh ..."

"Is she alright? when was the last time you spoken with her? what has she told you about the robbery or at least what she remembers."

I kept piling more and more on my plate that I could not finish, why couldn't I just have nodded and played dumb the whole time? I could have gotten far at least, and now I threw Yovich under the bus, to be fair I didn't even know she was trying to escape town, but than again I could have just nodded and played dumb. Fuck me.

"I won't speak without a warrant."

"That's not how it works."

"Than I won't speak without a lawyer present."

"For what?" he questions, his frown casting me an expression that makes me want to walk into traffic.

"I do not feel comfortable speaking to you alone Detective Carson."

"And understandably so Mrs. Campbell. But I need to be able to secure your safety in the future."

My temperature drops, "What?"

"Please have a seat. I wasn't planning on telling you like this." He waves a hand to my seat.

What the hell. I clear my throat, unhooking the strap of my bag from my shoulders and settling down to the cushion. "What do you mean, secure my safety?"

"Your husband is on the verge of being charged with very high crimes. Robbery aside, there are one too many old employees out there, once who have filed a law suit against the company. Countless of charges filed have suddenly dropped with no trace."

I scramble to assort the statements.

"To put it simply Mrs. Campbell, your husband is facing life in prison. And your right behind him."

A breath gusts from me, the bottom of my lip violently quivering. "WHA-"

"However, upon checking your background and file, to me, you are innocent. I want to save you, and only throw him behind bars."

His eyes shift to my thrashing chest, fervently rising and falling at what awaits me.

"No need to worry yourself. I will do my best to keep you protected at all times. But to do so I just need your help."

I peer up to him through the silver brimming in my eyes. My ears long muffled from the thumping resounding in my chest and I read his lips.

"It's not much Mrs. Campbell ... You will -"

***

"Score!" Phillip screeched from the living room. I can hear him jump with glee in the kitchen before his feet strides towards the kitchen. Fuck, he is coming to me, I pre cringe, readying my body and as his scent become apparent I close my eyes and await for his palm to deliver a sharp slap to my ass.

"I don't get why I have to suffer every time, your team gets a score, Isn't it a good thing? don't i get a kiss or something?" I giggle soothing the burning sting with my palm.

"This is a kiss!" he roars, out of breath from the adrenaline. "Were making it to nationals!"

"Indoor voice babe," I laugh. "Or I'll go deaf by thirty."

"Sorry, whoo! maybe not wear a thong while cooking for me?" He steps in an sucks in my lips, digging his tongue in my mouth. The burgers burn at the stove but he chooses the opportunity to squeeze my ass, locking me in his naked torso.

"Phillip." I huff for air, turning my head to the burning meat. "Let go," I muse, his attention now to my neck, grazing the skin with his teeth, before he whispers lowly in my ear.

"I hope your ready for the mask." He growls "Were going all the way this time. Wall, couch, stairs." he recited.

My skin burns. "Oh really?" I mused. "Go into detail."

He chuckles. "In due time, but for now be ready. I'm going to fuck you hard."

In the midst of robberies, police invading out home, to his company slightly tanking, I have no doubt there are frustrations welding up inside him, no doubt he will release a beast, for the first time I felt a surge of hope. Could this be settled finally? and I won't need to secretly fawn over The man Next Door?

Only time will tell, frankly I didn't even think he was still going through with it, after all he has been through. I look into my husbands eyes, wrapped my arms around him and saw all those years of memories together, how we met and how I fell in love with him from the start, and many more memories to come.

I sighed a tension, I chose my husband. "We need to talk."

hours passed by, dishes are done, our bellies are full and his game came to an end. I sit on the couch with my legs hooked over his waist as we swallow gallons of melted ice cream and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

"That's weird." I giggle, watching him add his favorite cognac to the strawberry custard. "I married a man, who loves Hennessey flavored ice cream."

"They should add that flavor to the Menu." He shrugged it would be the best seller. "By me of course."

I lick a spoon full of cookies and cream as the ASMR sound of a fireplace plays on the television. Cracking firewood with a dim glow of the kitchen light providing a scenery for the conversation to come. "What did you want to speak about?' he questions.

My stomach plummets, diving to the deepest part in me until it freezes in the process. But I choose my husband. As my appetite eludes me, the ice cream suddenly tasted bland and I lowered it from sight. "Detective Carson was standing in front of my car today."

Phillips eyes shift with rage, he too lowers his ice cream from sight, placing it on the stand before us. "What did he want?" he growls. His sudden shift sends shivers down my spine. "Did he threaten you or -"

"No! Phillip, no. Well I mean here is everything he said."

Phillips softly hold my hand, "Take your time." he assured me.

Somehow deep in my crane, I remembered it all, from the meet, to the bar, Yovich skipping out of town (but the affair), to being a little cornered mouse against the Detective, until it came time to the end when Detective proposes an option to throw him and jail.

A silence settles in the room, Phillips skin heating to the point I see the flames in his eyes, gently he lifts my knees from his waist, and I cross them. A boiling heat exudes from his demeanor, it frightens and excites me. He blows a breath through his nose, and gazes back at me with the most terrifyingly dark eyes I have ever seen.

"Get me to confess?" he repeats, before huffing. "Confess what is my question? a rumor? false reports that I have already proved a judge?" his dark gleam lightens, I watch his every move as he rises from the couch, his naked torso blushed and face in general were blushed with red.

"I was told never to tell you. But in the end, I am by your side until the end."

The red around him diminishes lowly and his pace began to steady. He looks over to me and gently comes over aside me on the chair. "And I will always be at yours, my love. Thank you for informing me." He sighs, but in the exhale was still a tension needing to be escaped.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just all of this is going on, and tomorrow is the charity ball."

My heart thuds. "What? why so soon, I thought it wasn't for another month or two?"

"It was originally, but at the board meeting we decided to kick it up a bit early, this robbery has scared many and they are planning to escape town, It's decided we will push it forward."

"Phillip I -"

"I know honey, trust me my assistant got his earful when he sent out the emails. But it was manageable. He twists to me and cupped my hand. "Will you be my date?"

"Phillip." My eyes twinkle, those words brought me back to the day we were at that restaurant for our first date. "Of course." I smile.

"Yes!" he cheers before exhaling a massive breath and rising up. "Let's go" he roars.

"What?"

I glare with question and he lifts me bridal style, the action so sudden I squealed, "Put me down you barbarian." I slap his back.

In response he delivers a spank to my ass cheeks, "Wait for the bedroom, naughty girl."

I blushed. Feeling his body tremble with excitement as we head up the stairs.

"I have so much to release tonight, sorry in advanced."

Finally my excitement leaks down, my nipples sharpen with excitement as we were finally headed for the bedroom. Tonight is the night, we are going to go at it like animals, this excitement is new and tonight my husband will surprise me with the most genuine sex, loving my body the way he used to when we were young. It is safe to say in this moment the sex will be magnificent.

It wasn't.