Better Half

Text Copyright © 2023 by Joseph Browning and Suzi Yee All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Published by Expeditious Retreat Press Cover by J Caleb Design Edited by Elizabeth VanZwoll For information regarding Joseph Browning and Suzi Yee Subscribe to their mailing list at their website https://www.joseph-browning.com To follow Joseph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joseph_Browning To follow Joseph on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joseph.browning.52 To follow Joseph on MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/josephbrowning Table of Contents Copyright Page Better Half (The Salt Mine, #19) Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Epilogue The Salt Mine Series 1. Money Hungry 2. Feeding Frenzy 3. Ground Rules 4. Mirror Mirror 5. Bottom Line 6. Whip Smart 7. Rest Assured 8. Hen Pecked 9. Brain Drain 10. Bone Dry 11. Vicious Circle 12. High Horse 13. Fair Game 14. Double Dutch 15. Dark Matter 16. Silent Night 17. Deep Sleep 18. Home Grown 19. Better Half 20. Mortal Coil 21. Numbers Game 22. Dirty Deeds Better Half – The Salt Mine Series 19 Chapter One Detroit, Michigan 22nd of September, 9:45 p.m. (GMT-4) –––––––– Denise Medlock eyed the concrete corridor stretched out before her. “Marcus, where are you taking me?” The first few times she’d asked, it had been playful, but as he led her through a series of service passages, suspicion crept into her curiosity. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise,” he teased her. “So you keep saying, but this is not what I had in mind when you said we’d end the night at the MGM Grand,” she rebutted. Billed as bringing Vegas to the Midwest, there was an entire resort a stone’s throw away: a huge casino, restaurants and bars, shows and exhibits, and lavish suites. That’s what she’d had in mind when she put on her sexiest dress and all the specialized undergarments required to keep everything alluringly in place. He paused his purposeful stride and gave her his full attention. “You’ll like it, I promise. Don’t you trust me?” His sweet earnestness melted her doubt. “All right, you can put away those puppy dog eyes,” she surrendered and gripped his muscular arm. “But not so fast. These shoes are for strutting, not for running.” He smiled to himself and let her set the pace. When they arrived at a metal door, he pulled out a keycard and slid it into the lock. With a mechanical click, they stepped out of the utilitarian employee area into the realm of the paying guest. The blue lighting running down the contoured walls was both calm and inviting, spaced at regular intervals like guide lights to a frosted glass door. The area beyond was dark and the printed sign beside it was plain as day: Pool Hours 9am-6pm. “What are we doing here?” she instinctually whispered as soon as she realized they were about to break the rules. “Give me a second and I’ll show you.” He opened the door using the same keycard. Despite being dimly lit, he moved through the familiar space undeterred while she hovered near the door. “Let there be light,” he dramatic announced as he dispelled the sinister shadows cast by the safety lights with the flip of a switch. As the oversized spheres dangling over the cabana decks flickered on, golden rays spilled over the pool and the underlit water glowed soft white. The drone of the circulating filtration pump faded as ambient music came through the speakers. On two sides of the pool were wooden decks with plush lounge chairs and oversized circular loveseats. On the nearest deck, they had been moved to accommodate a table set for two with a platter of chocolate covered strawberries and champagne on ice beside it. Set against the dark Detroit skyline peeking out through a panel of skylights in the back corner, it was utterly enchanting. She stepped across the threshold and did a 360, taking it all in. When she said nothing, he started to get nervous. “What do you think? “I think it’s lovely, but we’re not supposed to be here,” she replied diplomatically. “Which is the best time for a private swim,” he pointed out. “I mean, the guests aren’t using it now. Seems a shame to let all this go to waste.” She saw his point but couldn’t shake her worry. “Won’t you get in trouble?” He shrugged off her concern. “In a place this big, management won’t notice a few more towels in the laundry. As long as we put everything back before we leave, no one will even know we were here.” “What about security? They have cameras all over the place,” she pressed. “Already taken care of,” he stated confidently and came in close behind her under the ruse of directing her attention to a corner high along the wall. “If the cameras were on, there would be a little red light next to the lens.” She raised a sculpted eyebrow. “How did you manage that?” “I have my ways. Rest assured, we have the place all to ourselves for the night. We can dance, drink champagne, swim, hot tub, sauna...whatever you want,” he added suggestively in her ear. She leaned against him, his silky words finally tempting her. “There’s only one problem—I didn’t bring my swimsuit,” she replied coquettishly. “Come to think of it, I didn’t either. Whatever will we do?” he murmured against her fragrant skin. He breathed in the citrus undertone of her body wash and