I was sitting behind my desk, leaning back in my chair with my feet up on the edge, being careful not to scratch the woodwork. It was a failing of mine, but I liked it because it relaxed me. I took a deep draw on my cigar and puffed the smoke out in a long narrow stream. I shook my head. It was another failing of mine, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from indulging. I was equally weak when it came to my love of whisky, especially Old Forester and Old Crow, but the latter was hard to come by. There was always a bottle and two glasses in my filing cabinet. Why only two glasses some people ask me? That was easy to explain. There was one for me and one for my lovers. One was my secretary, the other was a regular visitor, one who always came after working hours, discreetly, but she never stayed too long.

Marlene was the visitor. Now there was a looker. She was tall, slim and very curvaceous, but elegant and refined. At least that’s the appearance she gave. Underneath, she was a wild and inhibited minx, and she was mine, well, for a short time anyway. Soon, she would be free to get on with her life without being dominated and living in the shadow of fear, provided, of course, I could pin something on her brutish husband. It was a risk, but the benefits would be more than worth it, so I kept convincing myself.

I first set eyes on her in the Dixon Club. It was a dark, rainy evening, and I had gone to the Dixon club for the first time. I had always avoided it because of the owner, a notorious gangland criminal, but that day I felt it was time to make a call. The room was filled with cigarette and cigar smoke, and a heavy aroma of stale beer filled the air. It was almost suffocating, but being a smoker, I didn't care.

Marlene was the main cabaret act, a singer with a sweet, sultry voice that made me shiver every time I heard her sing. I was hooked. She was divine. The first time I kissed her, I knew I’d kill for her, but then I tasted her, and oh, so sweet. From that moment, I called her my sweet songbird, because that was exactly what she was. That was four months ago, and we’d been on a journey of intimate sexual discovery ever since, a dangerous but pleasurable journey.

My trouble was, I had two songbirds. Penny, I fell in love with twelve months ago. She was my rock and cared little that I made love to other women. She knew we were bound by more than just sex. One day we might marry, but when, that’s anybody’s guess. She wasn’t concerned when. She was content. I paid her well as my secretary, and gave her so much extra too. She knew the score. My desires and lust were, however, torn between the two women. Even so, I knew one day I might have to make the ultimate sacrifice and give Marlene up. I laughed. It was more like I would be forced to give her up, but not by Penny.

I gazed at the clock. It was six thirty and she was due to call. The weather was foul, it was already dark, and I was getting concerned. Dave Leverman was a respected businessman, at least by those who didn't know of his ‘other side’. In the criminal world, he was a notorious thug, a killer, and was commonly known as ‘The Claw’ because of his favourite implement he used to teach his enemies and those who dared cross him a serious lesson. Those who didn't, often ended up dead. How did I know this? My little songbird, Marlene, and of course, Johnny the Snout. Unfortunately, Johnny was no longer with us, and nobody knew where his body was.

The building wherein I had my office was quiet, and most of the offices were now closed for the day. I was on the fourth floor, apartment four-two-eight, and I had only two lights switched on, both wall lights, one in the reception office and one in my main office. I sighed heavily, wondering if my songbird was coming. Penny had long gone home for the night.

There was a knock on the door, a gentle rapping that indicated she had arrived. I heard the main office door hinge creak, light footsteps tapping on the wooden floor, and then I smelt it: The distinct aroma of her rose-scented perfume. It was such a sweet scent, just like Marlene was such a sweet woman. I loved the taste of her, couldn’t get enough of her, but I had to limit our encounters, for two obvious reasons.

I glanced to my left as the door to my office opened slowly. My pistol was in my hand, a precaution because one never knew who might appear in one’s doorway, or what might happen in these dark days. My finger was twitching. I thought it would be Marlene, but could it be somebody else? Could it be somebody wearing the same scent, somebody sent to kill me?

I had enemies. What investigator didn't?

Dark days they were indeed. Prohibition had caused so much trouble, and not just for the distillers. Some said it caused more than it solved. I was of the latter opinion, but who was I to make a difference in this city. One false move, one bad word or comment said out of place could find you wearing a concrete overcoat or shoes, your body dumped where it wouldn’t be found for days or years, or maybe never found.

When the figure appeared in the doorway, highlighted by the outer office light, I relaxed, but only a little. Then she spoke.

“Dave is getting suspicious.”

I knew what that meant. I put the gun on the desk and Marlene took a sharp intake of breath. I knew why.

“You don’t trust me?”

“Of course I do, my sweet songbird.” I put my feet on the floor and turned my chair to face her.

She walked toward me, her fur stole still wrapped around her neck and draped across her chest. I stood up and we embraced, then kissed. She took off her stole and draped it across the back of the armchair. Her coat followed, but that was hung on the hook behind the door. She then sat at an angle on the edge of my desk, her legs split slightly apart, showing her stocking tops. It was a sight I loved to see, and could feel my cock hardening already.

I poured her a whisky, put the bottle beside her glass and then put my hand on her leg, just above the knee. She gazed intently at me as I started moving my hand upward along her leg, enjoying the sensual feel of her silk stocking. I felt her leg muscles twitch at my light touch, so I continued. My hand reached the hem of her wrap-over style dress and then I slid it underneath, passed the tops of her stocking and felt the smooth, soft skin of her upper thigh. I wanted to press on further, but she moved.

She wasn’t ready, and I thought she was going to get up and walk out of the office. She didn’t.

Marlene gave me a brief seductive smile, took hold of the glass, put it to her lips and tipped it back, swallowing the entire contents in one gulp. She put the glass back on the table and licked her lips seductively. Then she pushed her handbag across the desk and repositioned herself so she was sitting on the desk facing me, her dress pulled up slightly to reveal her upper thighs and stocking tops. She knew what this did to me, and was teasing me. I wondered if she was going to let me indulge.

“Pour me another whisky, Abel. I think I need it tonight.”

I did as she asked and watched her down it in one gulp. She eased herself nearer to the edge of the desk making her dress slide farther up her legs. When she lifted her feet and put them on the arms of my chair, I noted she wasn’t wearing any panties. My heart was beginning to thump in my chest, and my cock was rock hard with anticipation, straining inside my trousers and briefs.

Marlene leant back, her hands flat on the desk, her head angled backward, her pussy in full view. She was completely shaven. As I said earlier, she was a wild minx with a hearty appetite. I could smell the scent of her sex as I leant forward in my chair and wrapped my arms around her lower back. Taking a deep breath, I buried my head between her legs and licked her clit which was already looking swollen and sensitive.

I licked and kissed her gently at first, then a little harder. She squirmed and moaned with pleasure as I teased and stimulated her clit. Marlene lifted her legs and draped them over my shoulders, effectively clamping me to her. I loved being in this position. Her pussy was getting wet with her juices as she became more excited, so I licked the folds of her pussy, then probed inside with my tongue.

She tasted divine.

“That’s it, Abel, lick me hard, tongue me deeply, and make me squirm with pleasure.”

I was no longer shocked by her crudity. She was breathing a little harder and deeper now, trying to regulate it and focus on the sensations. Marlene went down on her elbows, which gave me easier access to her. I licked her all over, from her clit to the strip of flesh between her pussy hole and anus. She tasted of soap and pussy juice, a heady mixture of scents.

“Damn, that feels so good, Abel. Finger me too. I need to feel them plunging in and out as you lick my clit to the point of ecstasy.”

It wasn’t easy to finger fuck her in this position, but I managed to do it. I was obviously not getting them in deep enough to satisfy her, because I felt her wriggling her body so she could move her bum closer to the edge of the desk. I was soon able to plunge my middle two fingers deep inside her hot and wet pussy while still licking her sensitive clit.

My cock was throbbing and aching to be released from the confines of my underpants and trousers, and the constriction on it was actually beginning to cause me pain and discomfort. I stopped finger fucking Marlene, but continued licking her pussy and clit in turn while using both my hands to undo my trousers and release my cock. When I managed it, I sighed in relief and felt Marlene twitch as my hot breath was blown over her already hot pussy.

I resumed working my fingers in her pussy while gently massaging my cock, which was already leaking pre-cum. I desperately wanted to feel Marlene’s lips encase the head of my cock and then take it into her warm, moist mouth and suck me until I shot my load down her throat. I felt her wriggle her bum and understood what she wanted me to do. I lubricated the fingers of my other hand, a little disappointed at having to stop massaging my cock, and rubbed her juices all over her anus. Then I began gently pushing a finger inside, added a little spittle, and then used two fingers.

I didn't get far because she almost screamed with pleasure as her orgasm sent spasms throughout her entire body. I felt her legs clamping tightly around my body, pinning my head against her hot, wet sex. When she finally relaxed, I took a deep breath and sat upright, forcing her to relax her legs, which she dropped down and then sat up, her legs hanging over the edge of the desk.

“Fuck, that was intense,” she said in between breaths. She rubbed her fingers over her wet pussy and then licked them clean. “Mm! That’s delicious,” she cooed, her eyes wide and bright.

I could see she was still feeling the after-effects of her orgasm, and it was my desk that was being stained, not her dress, which was wrapped and balled around her waist.

“My dress will look a mess now, all creased,” she said croakily as she gazed longingly into my eyes.

“But dry. The creases will fall out soon enough, especially if you get wet going back to the club.”

I hoped she was going to give me what I now craved, what I needed. If she didn't, I’d have to find release another way.

Marlene smiled warmly, took her dress off and put it aside.

Her body was exquisite. She was beautiful and sexy, her body comparable to a goddess, perfect in every way. Well, I thought so, and that was what mattered. She moved closer to the edge of the desk, leant back on her elbows and raised her legs once more. I dropped my trousers and guided my hard dripping cock into her pussy hole. It went in easily and I sighed in relief and pleasure. It was hot and wet. I started pumping away, desperate to fuck her deep and shoot inside her.

I bent forward and sucked her firm breasts, which she had released from inside her brassiere. I licked each nipple in turn and then rolled them between my fingers, occasionally pinching and pulling them, something Marlene adored and took great pleasure in. Marlene grabbed her legs behind the knees and held them back as I increased the pace of my thrusting. I knew I was getting close to climaxing, and I also knew Marlene would not let me shoot my load inside her. It was too big a risk. For a few moments, I thought she was not going to stop me, but then she did.

“Pull out, Abel, and I’ll suck you off.”

I pulled out and stepped back. My cock was dripping with her juices and I could feel it throbbing away, the blood pumping through the veins. Marlene quickly knelt on the floor and took my cock into her mouth. She bobbed up and down, sucking hard and taking my whole length inside. Moments later, I shot my load and groaned with pleasure. Marlene didn't break her rhythm, nor gag or choke. She swallowed every drop and then licked me clean with obvious relish.

When she stood up, we kissed hard. The taste of her juices and my cum mingled together was sweet and salty, and we licked each other’s lips until it wore off. I then pulled up my trousers and sat on my swivel chair, my gaze drifting between my sweet songbird and the door to my office. I was always alert, always expecting trouble. One did these days, especially in my line of work.

Marlene sat back on the desk, took her cigarette holder and packet of cigarettes from her handbag, slipped one cigarette into the holder and leant forward. “Light me up, sweetie.”

I took the lighter from the drawer of my desk, flipped the lid and lit her up. I didn't like her smoking, but she derived some pleasure from it, as did I from smoking my cigars. It was a bad habit, but in these stressed-out days, it gave some modicum of relief and comfort.

I watched her smoke, her poise so ladylike and elegant, just like the movie stars of Hollywood and the ladies of England. She adjusted her bra back over her breasts and sighed lightly.

“Thanks for the loving, Abel,” she said as she got off the desk, slipped her dress back on and wiped herself down. “I wish we could spend the night together, one single night without having to feel threatened.”

I had nothing to say in return.

Marlene smiled, shook her head and put her coat back on. Minutes later, I was sitting alone in my office once again. I knew it was time to confront ‘The Claw’. I shook my head. “You fool,” I said aloud. “What chance have you got?”

I sighed heavily, got up and put my jacket and Homburg on and walked out of the office. My pistol was tucked into the waistband of my trousers, hidden quite well by the cut of my jacket. It was a Colt 1903, a neat little thirty-two calibre pistol, and I never went anywhere without it.

Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting in the local diner having a meal. I chose the meatloaf, mashed potato and peas with thick gravy, one of Patricia’s specialities. I drank coffee and let an hour pass by. I glanced at the clock and sighed. It would be another hour before Callie was on, so I wasted more time by having apple pie and custard. It filled me up and I felt satisfied, as far as food was concerned. My appetite for sex was still strong, and I was hungry for it.

At nine o’clock, I was sitting at a small table in the Dixon Club, my back to the wall, my eyes scanning the clientele. It was surprisingly quiet at the moment, despite it being late. I watched Marlene enter and head for the door leading to the ‘private’ section where the singers and staff had their offices and changing rooms. She completely ignored me.

I expected nothing else.

I sighed and sipped my whiskey. I wanted to make it last. It was my second already, and that doesn’t include the two I had in the office. I was still drinking too much, but I didn't care. I would soon, but that would depend on the outcome of my activities. I saw Callie saunter across the room, another gorgeous songbird. I wondered how on earth Dave Leverman managed to find the most delicious, beautiful, and talented singers to perform at the Dixon. He paid well, that much I knew, but still, it was rare to have three in one club. I loved all three of his singers: Marlene, Callie, and even Lorraine.

Callie was the one I wanted to meet tonight. Despite having had sex with Marlene, I knew by the time Callie ended her stint on stage, I would be more than ready to indulge her needs. She walked onto the stage in her blue sequinned dress and blue heels, braless as usual for extra effect. She was a stunner, and all the crowd cheered. You could just make out the outline of her panties and her suspender belt when she bent slightly. It made my heart race.

Callie sang three songs, bowed to rapturous applause, and strolled elegantly off the stage. I headed for the door to the other corridor that allowed access to the singers’ rooms, not the one marked private. This one was where the likes of me were allowed to venture, but only because I had a pass, thanks to Callie.

I knocked on Callie’s door.

“If that’s you, Abel, come in. If it ain’t, you can bugger off!”

I laughed and opened the door to see Callie sitting on her chair, her legs crossed and a cigarette holder in her mouth, but the cigarette was not yet lit. I could see her stocking tops and she noted where my eyes flicked to. She twisted in her chair, raised her leg a little, and flashed me more of her thighs and stockings.

“You are a tease, you know that my sweet songbird.”

I closed the door and sat in the chair in front of her, crossed my legs and took out my lighter.

“Light me up, honey,” she said, her voice soft and mellow.

Her voice was lovely to the ears, and yet quite different to Marlene’s. She took a few draws and then puffed out a stream of smoke.

“So, did you fuck her?”

I stared at Callie but showed no reaction or emotion. “Fuck who?”

She smiled and took another puff of her cigarette. “You know damn well who: The star of this damned place.”

“Why, what’s it to you? I thought you didn't care what I did or who I did it with?”

Callie leant forward, the elbow of her left arm resting on her knee and her chin nestled in the palm of her hand. The other arm was resting on the arm of the chair. She smiled one of her killer smiles, the sort that could melt a hardened heart, but not mine.

“I don’t, but I expect you to be fresh and unsullied when you come and see me.” She sighed. “I may only be a plaything to you, Abel Gregson, but that doesn’t mean I don't care about you, or care for you, but you know I always want your full load inside me.”

“Yes, I know all that, sugar, but life is, well, shall I say rather precarious at the moment.”

Callie laughed again. “You can bloody well say that again. I sing in this damned club five nights a week, putting up with sods who leer at me, and that swine who demands more than he gives. The atmosphere is great, except for the stink of cigarettes, sweat, and stale liqueur.” She uncrossed her legs and pulled her chair toward me. Don’t you know he’ll kick me out of here soon, then he’ll replace me with new blood, just so he can say he has fresh talent to woo his mistresses, his wealthy business friends, and his fellow thugs?”

She wriggled so her bum was right on the edge of the chair and leant back.

“He’ll realise what he’s lost once you’ve gone,” I said as I put my hands on her knees and started caressing her stockinged legs.

“Yeah, right. I don't think so. That’s why you’ve got to do something soon. You said you had some dirt on him, so why haven’t you made your move?”

I shook my head in exasperation. Callie was a real live wire, a bit too hot-headed at times, but I couldn’t stop liking and loving her, nor could I rebuke her. She made me feel so good, just like Marlene, Lorraine and Penny. I had dug myself into a hole, one I couldn’t extricate myself from, not that I wanted to, not yet.

I moved my hands farther up her legs and under her dress, caressed her soft flesh at the top of her stockings, and then as she parted her legs, run one hand over her panty-covered pussy and clit. She moaned at the touch and lifted her bum off the chair. I grabbed her panties and pulled them down, took them off her and put them in my pocket.

“Eat me up, Abel. Lick me to climax and ecstasy and then fuck me hard.”

No embracing or passionate kissing this time, just straight in. It was typical of Callie. I knelt, buried my face between her legs, and licked her sweet pussy, then licked and sucked her clit. As I licked her clit, I fingered her pussy, which was getting wetter by the moment and then I thrust two fingers deep inside her. She gasped and moaned in pleasure. I was working quickly, anxious that somebody might burst in at any moment, despite Callie insisting we wouldn’t be disturbed.

One never knew with Leverman and his goons.

I licked so hard and fast, my tongue was beginning to ache, but combined with my fingering of her pussy, Callie was soon clamping her legs around my back and pulling me into her so much so, I was now finding it hard to breathe.

Moments later, she clamped her hands over her mouth to stifle her groans of pleasure, and to prevent herself from crying out as her body convulsed from her orgasm. She kept her legs tight around me, and then used her hands to pull my head hard against her sex. My hot breath was tingling her now very sensitive clit. She whimpered quietly, but wouldn’t release my head.

When she did finally release my head and took her legs from around me, I sat up and gazed at her intently. Her eyes were partially glazed over, her mouth was stretched wide in a smile of satisfaction, and her nipples were poking through her dress. They were quite large, much more so than Marlene’s and Penny’s, and were great to suck and play with.

It was then I noted the club seemed to be very quiet: Too quiet. I sensed something was wrong. It was never this quiet. One could always hear the noise from the main bar, even in the girls’ dressing rooms. I listened carefully, but could only hear the sound of Callie’s breathing. Moments before, all I wanted was for Callie to suck my cock and make me cum, but now, my mind was drifting, thinking, wondering what was going down.

“Wow, Abel. That was something else.” Callie wiped her pussy with a cotton kerchief before sitting upright and gazing longingly at me. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice and expression betraying her concern.

Callie took her panties from me, slipped them on, and made herself look respectable again. “You’re worrying me, Abel.”

“Shh!” I said putting my finger to my lips.

I stood up and walked quietly to the door and put my ear close to it. I heard the sound of people trying to walk without making any noise, followed by a door being thrust open. Then there was a gunshot. It echoed loudly, like a crack of thunder.

Callie shrieked and I told her to be quiet. She shrank back against the wall, and then slid down into a crouching position behind the chest of drawers. I cocked my head sideways and listened. I opened the door quietly, stepped out and walked down the corridor. I looked in the room two doors down from Callie’s and saw a man’s body lying on the floor, blood pooling on the carpet from a gunshot wound to the chest. I recognised the man. It was Frank Giuseppe, the proprietor of the tobacconist where I bought my cigars.

I wondered why on earth anybody would want to kill poor old Frank. He was harmless, guilty of nothing more than slightly over-charging the rich for their cigars and tobacco. Nobody checked, nobody cared, or that was the case until now. Now somebody had found a reason to kill him.

Marlene appeared from the adjoining room, her face wet with tears, her mascara running, and her eyes red from crying. Her face was contorted with fear and her whole body was trembling.

“You, you had better get out of here quick, Abel.”

I just stood motionless in the doorway, my gaze flicking between the body on the floor and Marlene. I then heard heavy footsteps approaching. I turned to face them, knowing who was it was.

“So, you thought you’d play around with another man’s wife, did you?”

I stared at Dave Leverman. He was holding a Colt M1911, a thirty-eight calibre pistol favoured by gangsters and criminals, and it was pointed at my head. I said nothing and kept my expression neutral.

“I heard you were the silent type. Oh yes, dames love guys like you, especially the insecure or the easily flattered ones.” He flicked the gun a few times as he spoke.

I noted it and knew he was nervous. It was a trait among the more highly-strung criminal types. They thought it was a sign of confidence and strength, but I knew them too well. I had studied them while I was in the police force, and even more so when I became a private investigator. You had to know who and what you were up against, and I had seen the tough, the over-confident and the insane, and so far, lived to see another day. Today, I wasn’t so sure. Four of his goons were backing him up, all with guns in their hands.

It proved my point. He was nervous facing me off, so he had to have backup, and plenty of it.

“Easy fella,” I said. “There’s no need for anybody to get shot tonight.” I glanced down and to my right. “Except for poor old Frank.” I turned my gaze back to Dave. “Why kill Frank?”

Dave just laughed. His goons followed suit, thinking it was the right thing to do, even if they didn't understand why.

“He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“The story of my life,” I rejoined.

“Well, this story ends here, prick,” said Dave with surprising ferocity.

I sighed lightly and shook my head. “I think not.”

“Oh, so you think so, hey prick?” Dave scowled and aimed his gun at my chest. “I could shoot you now and nobody would ever know, nobody would never find your body, and nobody would ever care.”

I tensed my body and slowly eased my arm backward, carefully reaching for my gun. I wondered if I could be fast enough to take all five. I doubted it, but I would make sure I hit Dave.

“I think, for the sake of those who find out that I killed you, and believe me, many will, I need to make it clear what happens to those who betray me, or try and take from me what’s not theirs to take.”

He held up his left hand. On the end of two fingers were his trademark claws, razor-sharp metal blades fashioned in the shape of an eagle’s claw. “A little carving is required first.”

My hand clasped my pistol. So far so good. Nobody realised what I was doing, and Dave’s over-confidence made him blind. I drew the gun and pointed it at Dave’s chest in one swift movement. His first shot hit me in the left shoulder, his second missed, but only by a fraction because I was already twisting my body. My first shot took Dave the chest, and then I fired five more shots, one for each of the goons, and the last to make sure Dave was dead.

I stood motionless for a few moments as my brain began registering what had just happened. I could feel the blood trickling down my chest, but the shock of having managed to kill all five men and having only been hit once myself seemed to dull the pain of the wound.

Then I heard Marlene’s voice and knew something was wrong. I turned to see her shaking, her face was white and blood was trickling down her chest, soaking her white dress. I rushed to her, grabbed her before she fell, and then knelt with her in my arms. It was then the pain from being shot struck me hard. I grimaced and took a sharp intake of breath, but then seeing the life draining from Marlene seemed to dull that pain.

“Of all the clubs you had to come to that night four months ago, and again tonight, it had to be Dixon’s.” Marlene’s voice was weak and her eyes were glossing over.

“Where else would I go, my sweet songbird?” I asked and then kissed her tenderly on her lips. I was about to say more, but her eyes had closed. Her head fell against my shoulder and her body went limp. Marlene was dead. My sweet songbird was dead in my arms.

I shook my head and was shocked when a single tear ran down my cheek. I was not an emotional person, never was, but Marlene’s death hit me hard.

The next moment all hell broke loose. Women were screaming, men shouting, and then I heard the police warnings. The door to the corridor banged open and armed police stormed in, weapons in hand. I looked over my shoulder and saw Harry Reynolds, the chief lieutenant of the local station, someone I knew very well. He was staring at the bodies on the floor, his expression betraying his shock at the sight of five dead men, one of whom included Dave Leverman.

Harry smiled, albeit briefly. He sighed heavily when he looked up and saw me. “Abel Gregson, what the hell are you doing here?” Then he saw Marlene in my arms. “Damn. That’s all we need: A dead woman.”

“And Frank Giuseppe.” I nodded my head toward the door on my right.

Harry stepped over the dead bodies and gazed into the room. He shook his head and sighed. “What the….” He turned to face me. “I guess you have a full explanation for what went down here?”

“Of course I have, and I was justified in killing those scum. It was self-defence,” I said and looked at Marlene’s face. I wiped the hair from her brow.

The sergeant stepped forward. “How can we be sure you didn't murder Frank and Marlene, and then Dave Leverman when he tried to stop you?”

“Check the bullets that killed Frank and Marlene, and while you’re at it, you can take the slug out of my shoulder and compare the three. You’ll find they’re all from Leverman’s pistol. His is a thirty-eight, mine’s a thirty-two.”

I showed him my pistol, my Colt 1903. It was a neat little pistol that was easier to hide under your jacket.

“Right. You’d best get yourself outside and wait for the ambulance to arrive, and get that shoulder seen to. Then get yourself down to the station. I want a full statement from you.”

Before I could move, an ambulance crew came into the corridor. I was shocked by how fast they had arrived at the club and presumed somebody had phoned them at the same time they phoned the police. One of the nurses checked my wound, applied a pressure pad, and taking me by the arm, led me outside.

Two hours later, I was lying in a hospital bed, the curtains drawn around me and Callie sitting on the edge of the bed. The sheets were pulled down, and she was stroking my cock through my hospital pyjamas.

“I was so worried about you when I heard Leverman talking to you.”

I could see the strain in her expression, but despite what she felt about me, I knew it would disappear soon, as would Callie.

“I….” She started talking, but then went silent. She moved down the bed, pulled the front of my pyjamas down and took hold of my cock, which she started stroking firmly.

It felt so good, but with the blood loss, I wasn’t sure If I’d get very hard, let alone reach an orgasm. I closed my eyes and then felt her mouth close around the head of my cock. It felt so lovely, I sighed with pleasure. My mind was beginning to feel very fuzzy and I felt weak, but Callie continued, picking up the pace of her sucking. Despite how I felt, Callie was an expert cock-sucker, and soon had me shooting my cum in her mouth. She swallowed every drop and milked me dry. After drying me off, she pulled my pyjamas up, pulled the sheets over me and stood up.

Callie gazed at me with her puppy dog eyes. “I have to go now, Abel.” She bent down, kissed me tenderly and then walked away.

“Goodbye, my sweet songbird,” I said, knowing that this was the last time I would see her.

Dave ‘The Claw’ Leverman and four of his henchmen were dead, Marlene was dead, and Callie was free. I knew she would probably return to her home-town of Philadelphia and start her life afresh. I envied her.

The following day was bright and sunny, and I hadn’t got to the police station to make my statement, so I wasn’t surprised to see Lieutenant Harry Reynolds approaching my hospital bed.

After a bit of chit-chat, Harry took out a pad and pen and took down my statement. When it was finished, I signed it and he left. Then nurse Ophelia Turner appeared at my bedside.

“Now then Abel Gregson, I’m afraid we’re going to have to move you. Your gunshot wound was not as bad as the surgeon expected, and it missed vital arteries etcetera. So after a couple of days resting here in hospital you should be able to go home.”

“Why can’t I go now?” I asked, wishing I could go home and rest in the comfort of my own bed, and possibly, the administrations of the lovely Penny.

Ophelia smiled as she gazed intently at me. “Because you’re not strong enough. You lost a lot of blood, and we need to make sure there are no complications.” She quickly checked the bandage on my shoulder. “Well, it seems as if the stitches are holding. Now, up you get and I’ll take you to the other ward. You should like it there. It’s quieter with fewer patients.”

I liked the sound of that. I let the nurse take my arm and guide me out of the ward, along the corridor and then down another narrower one. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, opened a side door, and led me inside. It was a small room that I assumed was reserved for special patients, and I wondered if this was where I would spend the next two days. Ophelia led me to a door to the left and into a small treatment room. She closed the door behind us, pushed me against the cupboard and then started removing her uniform.

I watched with fascination as each garment was removed, and then the dress fell to the floor. My eyes widened in delight at the sight before me. Ophelia had a most gorgeous body, made so much more alluring by her white suspender belt, matching panties and brassiere, and black stockings. I could feel my cock twitching, my pulse increasing, and longed to give her everything she wanted, needed, and more. Her breasts were full and quite large for her frame. Her hips were slender, and her legs, well, they were even nicer than Marlene’s, and she had had exquisite legs.

She stepped closer, her arms by her side, the sound of silk stockings rubbing together reaching my ears. She smiled and licked her lips in such a seductive way, I was unable to take my eyes from her beauty.

“Abel Gregson, you delicious beast, I’ve wanted you since the first day I clapped eyes on you, that day you waltzed into this hospital to visit your friend, Donald.”

My eyes screwed up as I thought back to that day. I could not remember seeing this beautiful dame that day, but she had obviously seen me. “You have me at a disadvantage,” I said, not knowing what else to say. I was getting hot under the collar and my cock was now hard and erect, and probably clearly visible under my pyjamas.

Ophelia kissed me hard on the mouth, rubbed her hand over my stiff cock and then nibbled on my ear. “I want you to fuck me like you do your other women.” She kissed me again as she eased my pyjama trousers over my cock and took hold it with a firm grip. “I know you have several women you meet with regularly, I’ve seen you, wanted you, and now I’ll have you.”

Ophelia started stroking my cock and fondling my balls, and I had to be careful not to wrench my arm and shoulder, so I was limited in what I could do. I squeezed her breast, took hold of the bra strap and eased it off her shoulder. I then pulled her bra cup down to reveal a large, firm breast. I massaged it and then twirled the nipple between my fingers. She moaned, but before I could do anything else, she knelt and kissed the head of my cock. It sent a shock through my body. She then took my hot member into her mouth, enclosing it with her lips and sucked it hard. It was delightful. Having my cock sucked was always a delicious sensation, but for some reason, it had a greater impact on my senses this time. I presumed it was because of my current condition.

Ophelia bobbed up and down, slowly at first, but then increased her tempo, which was stimulating me fast. She was much better at sucking cock than Callie, and that I thought would be something hard to do. I was getting closer to my orgasm, and she sensed it by the pulsating and twitching of my cock. She took one long hard suck and then stood up.

“You taste delicious, Abel. One day, I’ll suck you all the way so I can taste and swallow your cum, just like your visitor did yesterday.” She licked her lips seductively.

I stared at her without utterance. I wondered how she knew, not that it mattered. I also wondered why she wasn’t going to do that after getting me to fuck her, knowing she wouldn’t want to risk getting pregnant. I let her move me so she was leaning against the unit and me standing in front of her. I watched her as she removed her panties and put them on top of the unit, then stand with her legs apart and her hips thrust slightly forward.

I moved my right hand toward the apex of her legs and then rested my hand against her neatly trimmed mound of pubic hair. The touch made her shudder, but not as much as when I moved my hand down and rubbed my fingers across her clit, and then across her pussy lips. I rubbed her clit gently, stimulating her slowly, occasionally running my fingers over and into her pussy, which was wet and hot.

Ophelia moved her hips to and fro and I got the message. I rubbed her harder and faster and soon had her moaning in pleasure as the excitement built within. I could feel the heat of her pussy radiating outward, my fingers were getting hotter and wetter, so I finger fucked her faster and faster. With my other arm in a sling, I was unable to play with her nipples, but she took care of those herself.

She pushed on the top of my head so I knelt down, sat on my heels and leant forward. I smelt her sex. It was exotic. Then I tasted her as I swept my tongue across her sensitive clit. I also detected the scent of soap. ‘What is it about these women who love to keep themselves so clean and sweet smelling?’ I wondered. I liked it because it allowed me to savour the scent of their womanhood tinged with rose, lavender, or whatever scent their soap contained.

Ophelia jerked as my tongue touched her clit, making me smile inwardly. She was another with a hyper-sensitive clit. I wondered if it was because she didn't get touched or licked very often, or brought to a climax by being caressed and rubbed wildly by a lover. I licked the full length of her pussy, outside and inside, then her clit and then back to her pussy. I licked harder and faster and began finger fucking her again. After a few deep and fast strokes of my fingers, and the frenzy of my licking, I felt her hands grab the back of me head and force it hard against her.

Her whole body shuddered from the sheer intensity of her orgasm, and kept trembling for what seemed ages afterward. I licked her continually as the sensations lessened, savouring the taste of her sex and scent of her body.

When I stood up, she grabbed my cock, which was still hard and erect, and began stroking me hard and fast. As I was still highly aroused, I knew I wouldn’t last long at the rate she was stroking me. After a few moments, she stopped and guided my cock toward her waiting pussy. I had spread my legs a little to lower my body a couple of inches, and Ophelia raised one leg and wrapped it around me as my cock slid easily inside her.

I started pumping hard, thrusting my cock as deep inside her as I could, knowing I was close to climaxing, and because I was concerned about somebody coming to find us. I really wanted to make it last, to prolong the pleasure as long as possible, but knew it was not prudent to do so.

She was kissing and nibbling my neck to help keep her from making any noise. I suspected she had been fucked this way before because she was so good at holding her position. I felt her nails digging into the soft flesh of my buttocks as she gripped me hard against her. My movement was momentarily restricted, and I thought she was about to release me.

I was wrong.

She gripped even harder and then groaned deeply as a second orgasm wracked her body. Moments later, I came and shot my load deep. She sighed with delight as she felt the warm fluid spurting inside her. I was still surprised she didn't stop me, but assumed she knew nothing would happen. I was breathing hard now, as was Ophelia. We broke apart, she put her leg down, and before I could do anything, she knelt and sucked me dry. It was a wonderful feeling.

“That was a most exquisite session, Abel. You’re so damned hot, and you certainly know how to pleasure a woman.”

I smiled and then kissed her. “You’re pretty hot yourself, Ophelia, and very sensual.” I pulled my pyjamas up and Ophelia dressed quickly. A few minutes later, we were back in the main corridor walking toward the smaller ward where I was to spend the next two days.

We walked in silence, nurse and patient heading from one ward to another, attracting no stares or comments from those we passed. Once she had me settled in my new bed, she leant nearer and whispered in my ear. “I’d love to repeat that tomorrow, perhaps, or maybe soon after you’ve been discharged.”

“I’d love that too,” I replied.

I reached over to the cupboard to my left, having noted my belongings were already there, and grabbed my wallet. I opened it, took out a card, and gave to Ophelia. “Give me a call anytime,” I said and winked.

Ophelia smiled, put the card in her pocket and walked off.

I laid back, my head resting on the soft pillow, and pondered what had just happened. Ophelia certainly was a hot, sensual woman, and I knew I would love getting close to her again.

Three days later, I was sitting in my office, despite being told by the nurse that I was to rest at home for a least a week. There was a glass of whiskey next to the bottle on the desk, my feet were resting on the desk, and I was feeling rather tired. Penny had been wonderful, helping me with everything because I was still unable to use my left arm. I had not had any sex since my time with Ophelia in the hospital, and had not yet heard from the police about the murders in the Dixon Club.

I was trying to avoid worrying about it. Inspector Harry Reynolds had popped into the hospital a second time to see how I was, and I was now expecting him to call at my office. There were things to wrap up, but I knew I was in the clear, and I hoped would not be called to account. I had also learnt from Lorraine that Callie had left the club and moved back to Philadelphia. Penny was pleased, of course, and although saddened at the death of Marlene, whom she did like despite her sexual liaisons with me, was glad the singer would no longer be part of my life.

Penny walked in, her smile gone, but looking as gorgeous as ever. She was so hot and glamorous, and I could tell she was was impatient to get me home and alone. She sat on the side of the desk, angled her body toward me and folded her arms across her chest.

“It’s time you took me home and made love to me, Abel. I haven’t been fucked by you for almost a week, and I’m getting frustrated.”

I gazed at her and sighed. “My sweet, sweet angel, why don't you lock the outer door, turn the outer office light off and then pour yourself a large drink.”

She stared at me for a few moments. “You pour me a double, and then we’ll see how you perform.” Penny smiled, turned round and went to lock the door.

I loved Penny and Penny loved me. I thought it was time to make an honest woman of her, and an honest man of me. First, however, I would tease and stimulate her, and make her suffer before bringing her to a powerful climax.

I was horny as hell.

With Callie and Marlene out of my life, and knowing I would probably never see Ophelia again, I needed Penny all the more.