Chapter 1

"I said sit down, Mr. King." The man whom I had trusted as head of my personal security waggled his .45 at one of the cushioned chairs arranged around the patio table, but made sure the barrel remained pointed directly at me. Given the options presented, I decided to take the nearest chair. Martin smiled... or, more properly, he bared his teeth like a predator, in what passed for his version of a smile. "To answer your question, Sherree isn't home, and won't be coming back here until my business with you is concluded. Do I really have to say anything else?"

I shook my head. I had arrived home minutes ago with the expectation of sitting in a chair by the pool. However, instead of having an armed feral dog standing over, I had also expected to have my lush blonde bride sitting in my lap, celebrating my return home from the last date on my national tour in our traditional way, fucking and sucking ourselves into an exhausted heap.

"How long?" I asked quietly.

Martin didn't speak, but tilted his head as if asking what I meant.

"How long has she been fucking you?"

He was on top of me in two quick steps; the gun never wavered in his right hand even as he brought his left across my face in an open slap, the sound of which echoed across the concrete like a bullet ricochet.

When my eyes uncrossed, I pulled my head back from its leftward tilt and looked at him again. He was back on point, not close enough for me to reach before he could put a bullet somewhere in my body.