Coming Out of the Dark: Second Chance Series - Book 1

by Joan Davis

  She thought she was free but deep down he could tell she knew better. She avoided looking people in the eye while she was in public. It made it easy for him to get close. He could smell her fear; fear he maliciously instilled in her. He had constantly told her she would never be free, that he would haunt her in life and death until he had his vengeance. Each lash of his belt had reinforced this belief. He knew the truth of it. His daddy used the same method to instill fear in him. Time was drawing near. She would soon be his, and he would know justice for his brother and for himself.

  CHAPTER 7

  A few days later, Risa’s dad got the opportunity to do a large job in Charlotte, NC. Because it would take more than a week, Bill had initially turned the job down. Risa knew he did that because of her, so she told him she would be fine and to go ahead and take the work. Now that she knew Samson was sending someone to watch out for her dad, it was easier to be away from him. She was a bit nervous about their separation but felt that she needed to be more independent.

  On the day her father left, Samson kept her busy from morning until night. He took her to one of his construction sites. Risa spent the day learning about what it took to build Green. Samson explained about recycled products and natural materials that were used in place of products that contained overt chemicals or that wasted natural resources.

  At first, she stayed close to Samson, but as her creative spirit was engaged, she began asking more and more questions. Buck O’Leary was one of Samson’s toughest site bosses. He was a no-nonsense, hard-ass who ate lazy construction workers for breakfast. He didn’t like questions, only getting the job done. Yet here he was, this behemoth of a man with a ready scowl for anyone who crossed him, smiling like a giddy school girl and falling over himself to answer all of Risa’s questions.

  “So here is where the master bathroom will be?” Risa asked, trying to picture the room that would come to life once they put up the drywall. For now it was all studs, wiring, and plumbing.

  “Yes ma’am, it will have a tub, walk-in shower, toilet and vanity. Safety bars will be put by the tub and in the shower, and we will be putting down non-slip tile throughout the entire room,” Buck said and moved to show Risa where each unit would be placed.

  Risa looked down at the blueprints and frowned. “Wont the showers have a bench seats built into them?” she asked curiously.

  “No, the safety bars are the only amenities the owners of the property requested,” Samson said looking down at the plans while frowning. “Why do you ask?”

  Instead of answering, Risa turned to Buck. “What about storage for inside the shower? Where will the people put things like shampoo, soap, and razors?”

  Buck smiled helpfully and said, “Well, we will be putting in soap dishes and there will room in the corners of the tub and shower to put down bottles and things while a person bathes.”

  “So, they will have to bend and reach down for things. I guess the grab bars will help, but it doesn’t make much sense to me,” Risa said, shaking her head.

  “What don’t you get, honey? It’s just a regular bathroom with a few safety features for older people,” Buck said and shrugged. “The layout of all the units will be basically the same. That way we can buy everything in bulk and save money. You know, the same fixtures, same tile. Each unit will look basically the same,” Buck said helpfully.

  “Well, if you are building a home for an older person, then I think that having a bench in the shower in case they need to sit down would be important,” Risa said thoughtfully, looking at the plans. “Also, why couldn’t you use the space between the studs to form recesses for shower storage. Two or three of them would be enough to hold any bottles or items someone might need, and that way a person wouldn’t have to bend and reach for items and risk falling. If you did it in all the units wouldn’t that be cost effective?” Risa asked, looking from Samson to Buck.

  Buck frowned and looked down at the plans and surprisingly, agreed. “You know, that’s not a bad idea young lady. Since this is the first unit, we could try it out to see what the costs differences are and see if the cost would fit in with our budget. We could probably use scrap lumber to frame out the recesses and the benches. The tile would be the only question. We would have to figure out the cost difference for the extra square footage we would need.”

  “Well, couldn’t you save money if you built in storage for towels and linens the same way to you would build the recesses in the shower? The only difference would be depth, and you could frame it out with picture molding and doors,” Risa said, pointing at the bathroom storage closet and vanity. “That way you could open up more space. Instead of a bulky, large vanity and closet cabinets you could place stand-alone pedestal sinks and maybe even a floating shelf and a seat with a mirror.

  By this time several construction workers had stopped what they were doing and were watching the animated woman Samson had brought to the site. They were amazed that Buck was not railing about having this woman coming onto his site and suggesting changes to plans that were already set in stone.

  Samson was thinking the same thing, but he was also contemplating the changes Risa was suggesting. “What do you think, Buck? Is it too late to run this by the investors?”

  Buck rubbed his scruffy chin with his hand, but then noticed his workers had stopped working, so he barked, “I’m not paying you people to stand around doing nothing. Get back to work.” He watched everyone scatter back to their jobs and then turned back to Samson and Risa. “Like I said before, we could use this unit to try it out and determine the cost savings, if any, and go from there,” Buck said grinning boyishly at Risa. “Young lady, you have a real eye for design.”

  Risa grinned back and said, “Thank you. That’s so sweet of you to say.”

  Samson frowned at Buck but said, “Fine. I will draw up new plans and we will present them and the cost estimates to the backers and get their decision.” Samson turned to Risa and said, “Come with me and I’ll show you the onsite office we use for meetings and planning.”

  “Oh but . . .,” Risa started to protest. She wanted see the rest of the unit, but Samson was already grabbing her hand and walking quickly towards a large trailer farther down on the building site. Risa looked over her shoulder at Buck and waved. “Bye! Thanks for being so sweet. It was nice meeting you.”

  Buck’s cheeks turned red, and he grinned back and waved. “The pleasure was mine, young lady.”

  Risa thought she heard Samson growl as they reached the trailer. He unlocked the door and practically dragged Risa inside with him. “Samson, what’s wrong with you? You didn’t even give me . . .” Risa shrieked as Samson shut the door and picked her up by her waist and slanted his mouth hungrily over hers. Without a thought she wrapped her arms and legs around Samson and returned his kiss.

  When Samson lifted his head Risa was breathing hard, she asked, “Wow, what was that about?”

  “You don’t like my kisses?” Samson growled and scowled at her.

  Risa hid a smile and said, “I do like your kisses, Samson, but I don’t get why you are being so grouchy.”

  Samson abruptly put Risa down and crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her darkly. “I’m sorry you feel like I’m such a disappointment. Maybe you should go back out there and flirt with Buck some more.”

  “What . . .,” Risa gasped? “You think I was flirting with Buck?” She started to laugh but put her hands over her mouth when Samson’s look got even darker.

  “I’m glad you think it’s so funny,” Samson said haughtily. He moved behind his desk and sat in his big leather chair. He bent over his paperwork and totally ignored Risa.

  Risa bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Samson, please don’t be angry.” She walked around his desk until she stood next to him. “Won’t you look at me?” she asked sweetly.

  Samson slowly put his paperwork aside, pushed his chair back and stared at Risa solemnly. He knew he was acting like an idiot, but somehow he wasn’t able to sto
p himself. I am jealous of Buck O’Leary. I am so warped, He thought to himself.

  Risa took the opportunity and squeezed in front of Samson and used her arms to hike herself up on the desktop and face him. “I really wasn’t flirting with Buck. I was just excited about all this new building stuff. I can see why you enjoy your work so much,” she said sincerely.

  Samson nodded and was about to admit that maybe he might have overreacted when Risa continued.

  “But you have to admit, Buck is a hard man to resist. I mean, really, how sexy is that pot-belly and scruffy double chin.” Risa looked dreamy. “A girl can only take so much before she breaks. He’s like an angry teddy bear. Did you get a load of those man-breasts? Be still my beating heart! Oh, and the sumptuous garlic breath from his Greek salad lunch . . . Samson!” Risa squeaked and burst out laughing as Samson jerked forward and pulled her to the edge of the desk and wrapped his arms around her.

  Samson growled low, “It’s not funny, woman.”

  “Oh, yes it is,” Risa giggled and ran her hand down his cheek affectionately.

  Samson caught her bottom lip with his teeth and then thrust his tongue into Risa’s mouth and plundered her sweetness. A bolt of pleasure shot down his spine as Risa slid her hands into his hair and massaged his scalp. He ran his hand up underneath the pink baby doll shirt that had been tempting him all day long.

  “Ah . . . Samson . . . Yes,” Risa wrenched her mouth away from Samson’s and arched her back as she felt his large hands close over her breasts. But Samson reached up with one hand and forced her mouth back to his for another passionate kiss. At the same time, he gently pinched one of Risa nipples through her bra. She whimpered as shudders of pleasure rushed through her body and centered between her legs.

  Samson unhooked the front closure of her lacey bra and peeled one cup aside. He pulled back and watched Risa’s nipple tighten as his callused, roughened thumb ran over it. Risa arched into his hand and cried out as Samson lowered his head closed his lips over her breast and sucked her nipple into his mouth.

  Risa clutched Samson’s head convulsively. “Oh . . . Mmm . . .” Risa loved his mouth on her. Pleasure coursed through her as Samson gently bit down. Shuddering with waves of sensation, Risa arched her back sensually.

  “Like that, baby?” Samson raised his head and spoke before capturing her lips again in a deep kiss.

  “Mmmm . . . I love your kisses,” Risa said breathlessly but couldn’t resist adding, “Just think what it would be like if you had a double chin. Why, I would probably be overcome with vapors.” Risa finished in a strong southern accent and batted her eyelashes at Samson and then completely ruined the effect by laughing.

  Samson groaned and dropped his head into Risa lap. “You are never going to let me live this down are you?” He listened to her laughter and couldn’t quite stay angry with her.

  As Samson looked up, Risa was shaking her head. “I vow to use this against you for a very, very, very long time,” she said with a great big sincere grin on her face, but gasp again when a loud pounding started on the trailer door. She looked down at her disheveled clothing and then back at Samson, who was now grinning broadly. “Samson . . .,” Risa said pleadingly.

  “Come on in,” Samson called out loudly, eyeing Risa with a naughty grin as she rushed to snap her bra closed and pull her shirt down before anyone could see her.

  “You are a very bad man,” Risa said in a frustrated laugh when Samson blocked her from hopping off the desk.

  “Bad is as bad does. At least that’s what my mamma always says,” Samson said in a miserable Forest Gump imitation; but he let Risa squirm off the desk and into the small bathroom to the right of the desk just as Conner and Mik entered the trailer.

  As the door to the bathroom slammed shut, Samson turned to his friends with a wide grin. “What’s up?” he asked.

  “That should have been my question,” Conner said with raised eyebrows.

  Ignoring that statement, Samson looked at Mik. “I thought you were going to be at the Landau Property today. Weren’t the contractors putting in the new windows and French doors we ordered?” Samson asked frowning.

  “It’s all done. We are ahead of schedule. That’s why we’re here. By the end of next week, all the interior and exterior work will be done. The only thing left will be linking the systems to yours,” Mik said and turned as the bathroom door opened and Risa stepped out.

  “You had the windows in Dad’s house replaced?” Risa asked Samson. She hadn’t been back to the house since moving into Samson’s home.

  Samson stood up and moved to her side, his protectiveness as natural as breathing where she was concerned. “Your dad and I thought it was a good idea. The old jalousie windows and sliding glass doors had seen better days. I was able to get a really good deal through a contractor I deal with, so it was relatively cheap to go ahead and do everything at once,” Samson explained and felt Risa’s hand tentatively clutch his T-shirt near the small of his back. Samson knew Risa tended to do this when she was unsure about the environment around her. Clutching his shirt seemed to ground her somehow.

  “That’s why Dad is taking all these jobs out of town, isn’t it?” Risa asked, and her hand tightened on his T-shirt.

  Mik spoke before Samson could answer. “Risa, your dad is doing what good fathers do. He is protecting his child, even if you are an adult. It is no less than any man would do to protect his family.” Mik rarely spoke to Risa. He tended to give her a wide berth, so his words surprised her.

  “Thank you for saying that,” Risa said kindly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even say hello to either of you. How are you both doing?” Her grip on Samson’s shirt relaxed.

  “We’re all good, sweetheart,” Conner said and grinned at Samson’s brooding stare. “Like we were saying, you and your dad will be able to move back home in a couple of weeks. You have got to be tired of Samson’s cooking.” Conner winked at Risa. His green eyes twinkled and his dark blond hair fell rakishly over his forehead.

  Risa felt her heart skip a beat at Conner’s pronouncement of her and her father leaving Samson’s house. She hadn’t even thought of the possibility, even though she should have known they couldn’t stay there forever. “Samson has been more than generous to me and Dad,” she said.

  “Risa and Bill are more than welcome to stay as long as they wish. We’re in no rush with any of this. I want to make sure everything is perfect before anyone goes anywhere,” Samson said sternly, glowering at Conner.

  Mik took a seat on the couch and said, “I agree. Having everyone in one spot makes our jobs easier. Until we get a bead on the man that attacked you, Risa, we need to be as cautious as possible.”

  Risa was staring at Mik and suddenly asked, “That white chunk of hair, its natural isn’t it?”

  Without missing a beat Mik said, “Yes, I was wondering when you would ask. You have been wondering since I met you.” He grinned at Risa as she blushed.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to bother you,” Risa said shyly.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you finally feel comfortable enough around us to speak freely. I have questions, too, so don’t be surprised if I zing one at you now and again,” Mik said and gave her a beautiful smile that transformed his intense, dark features. “That’s why we were all goading you at the party to talk to Jose about his tattoos. We knew you were about to explode with excitement.” All three men laughed.

  Risa laughed in embarrassing delight. “Was I that obvious?”

  “Well, your intense stare whenever you caught sight of one of us was a bit disconcerting. It made more sense when your dad told us about your artistic ability. We were all worried we were upsetting you with our presence,” Mik said with evident relief.

  “To be honest, you guys did freak me out at first. Thanks for being so kind all the time. You are right, I was studying you. I do that a lot. If I get too intrusive, just tell me,” Risa said grinning.

  “Well, now that we have established t
he mutual admiration you all have for each other, can we get back to the subject of security,” Samson growled and grabbed Risa’s hand and led her to the other couch across from Mik. He sat her next to him.

  Risa looked up at Samson with innocently-raised brows, while playing with her chin and grinning.

  Samson growled, “It is not the same thing. Cut it out.”

  “I’m just saying,” Risa said, shrugging with a smile.

  Conner was looking at them confused. “What am I missing?”

  Samson elbowed Risa gently and she relented. “It’s just me being weird, Conner, don’t worry about it. What other changes has Dad made at the house besides the windows and the French doors?”

  Conner looked at both of them for a moment before taking a seat on the same couch where Mik was seated. For the next hour they discussed the changes to the Landau property. They even called out for lunch and ate in the trailer. As Conner and Mik rose to leave, something occurred to Risa.

  “If you guys are here, who is with dad?” she asked.

  “Jose went with him, and Chris is at your house watching out for things,” Conner said with a shrug.

  Risa began to laugh. “No way,” she clapped her hands with glee.

  “Well, yeah, it was his turn. What’s the big deal?” Conner looked at Samson and Mik, but they shook their heads, just as confused.

  When Risa stopped laughing she said, “You sent poor Jose into the lion’s den. I’ve met Mrs. Thomas Jefferson Smyth of Charlotte, North Carolina. She is the queen bee of the Daughters of the American Revolution set, and she is oh so proper. What I would have given to be a fly on the wall when she first caught sight of Jose.” Risa laughed again. “Dad and Jose must have their hands full. I can’t wait to find out how it went.”

  Mik grinned down at Risa and then looked at Samson. “She has a bit of a twisted sense of humor, doesn’t she?”