by Tiffani Lynn
“It’s—”
He cuts me off. “Shhh. There have been too many mornings that I wished for this. I won’t walk away from the chance if you want it too.”
I hear the words and think that somehow he’s talking about more than a five-minute breakfast.
I nod and he grins and smacks me on the butt. “Get some grub, woman.” I laugh as I sit down to eat and he plops down in front of me.
“So what kind of cars do you work on at your job?”
“Any and all of them. I do specialize in the older models, but I work on whatever comes through the doors.”
“I bet you love working on those old cars. Is the Dodge Challenger R/T still your favorite?”
“Yeah, still haven’t found one to work on yet, but I look occasionally, hoping one will appear.”
We exchange a little more small talk as I scarf down my breakfast. Once we’re in the car, my stomach knots up again. I don’t feel like dealing with a bunch of reporters or the questions and stares that will come from my colleagues who likely now have seen or heard the news. Most of the people I work with weren’t working with me when everything happened with Darrien, so they don’t know. But those that were will have questions. I hated this part of the whole process, the stares from strangers, the looks of pity and the constant questions that even I didn’t have the answers to. It was better when no one knew, so I could skate through my day without an issue or sometimes even a thought about it at all. There is no chance of that now.
When we pull into the parking lot of the hospital, I realize why there were no reporters at my house this morning. It’s because they’re all here. I swear it’s every reporter from here to Denver. I don’t understand what is so fascinating about me. Once we park, I notice a hole opening in the crowd and Officer Dexter and Officer Rivers appear. I’ve never been so glad to see those two as I am now.
“I’m so thankful you called them.”
“The head of security already told me they were all camped out here waiting, so I thought it best to bring in help.”
“I appreciate it. I hate this. It’s like I’m some kind of sideshow act at a carnival. Don’t they think I’ve been through enough?”
“By the way they’re acting, I don’t think they care too much.”
I lean over and kiss his cheek. “Thank you for everything. I will see you tonight.”
“I’ll be here just like last night. Thank God you have the next few days off.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
I grin at him one last time before putting my game face on and opening the door.
Officer Dexter helps me and leans in to yell over all the reporters, who are trying to talk over each other, hoping I will talk to them. “Follow Quinn. I’ll stay right behind you. Don’t make eye contact and don’t say a word. It only gets worse if you engage them.”
I nod and follow Quinn through the crowd. We’re almost to the door when a female reporter pushes through the crowd and gets right up to me, thrusting a microphone in my face.
“What do you say about your sister being involved in a satanic cult?” The notion of my sister in a satanic cult is almost laughable but so shocking an allegation that it stops me in my tracks and I look her in the eye. She knows she has my attention and she smirks. Her perfectly coiffed blond hair, framing her little pixie face, doesn’t match her sinister smile.
“How dare you say that about my sister! Don’t start spreading lies about her now. Don’t you think she went through enough?”
“Well, I have it on good authority that your sister was often seen with members of a known satanic cult here in the—”
I lunge for her, ready to scratch her Goddamn eyes out! “Shut up!” I scream. Officer Dexter pulls me back with an arm around my chest and then drags me through the rest of the remaining crowd to the building as I fight the whole way.
“What kind of crazy bitch spouts stuff like that? She didn’t even know Darrien! Is she from the National Enquirer? I’ve never even heard this wild story before,” I huff as Quinn comes into the building, where we are stopped in the hallway.
“What’s going on?” I demand, emphasizing each word.
Quinn answers first. “I have no idea. I’ll put in a call to Detective Rasan. Could just be someone trying to make a story where there isn’t one.”
“But saying my sister was in a satanic cult? That’s ridiculous!” I can’t even fathom why they would say such a thing.
“Will Wes be here to pick you up after your shift or do you want us to come back?” Dex asks.
“Wes will be here. I can’t thank you two enough. I’m not sure I would have made it inside if I were alone.”
“No problem. I’ll call Detective Rasan and see if I can get you some answers. You’ll either hear from me or him before the end of your shift. I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this. I remember when Judson—that’s my husband—killed a drug dealer who came to our property to kill our son.” My gasp cuts her off. She had a drug dealer come to her home? Holy hell.
She waves her hand at me. “It’s a long story and the press had a field day with it and drove me crazy. Longest week of my life.”
Well, Officer Rivers did one thing for me, she took my mind off the stuff with my sister because now I can’t think of anything but a drug dealer showing up at her house to kill her son.
“Thanks again for everything,” I say once more, before I head further into the building to clock in and get started on my shift, wishing for once that I would have listened to Wes and called out of work today. A sex marathon with him seems like a much better idea than whatever work has in store for me today.
Twelve
Wes
Watching Jess disappear into the crowd of reporters had me cranky as hell as I steered my Bronco toward home for a quick shower. Thank God Dex and Quinn were there or I would have ended up in a fight as those reporters closed in around her. She’s had enough to deal with; the press hovering around her like vultures over roadkill is too much. I’m hoping most of them will clear out before the end of her shift.
After my shower, I dress quickly and drive to work. The sky is gray with impending snow and I’m hoping it holds off until after Jess’s shift. When I walk through the door, I find Judson Rivers leaning on the counter, talking to Shaunda. He glances up and smiles at me and then turns to shake my hand. “Hey, man. How you holding up? Quinn told me what’s going on and I know from experience it sucks, or at least the part where the press is up your ass.”
“Yeah, it sucks. Thank God for Quinn and Dex. They escorted her into work tonight. It wouldn’t have been pretty if it were me doing it. I’d probably have an assault charge against me.”
“Listen, we are having some people over on Saturday for a grill in and I’d love it if you guys could join us.”
“A grill in?”
“Well, it’s a little cold to grill out so I’m grilling but we’re hanging out inside. It’s been too long since we’ve had anyone over, so we said to hell with it.”
“I’m sticking close to Jess, so I need to see if she’s up for it. I’ll let you know.”
“Sure, no problem. We’d love to have you guys and it would probably be a nice break from everything going on.”
“Great. I’ll let you know.”
As I’m walking through the shop toward my bay and the shit-hot 1969 Camaro waiting on me, my phone rings.
“Hello,” I answer.
“Hey, man. It’s Rajesh.”
“What’s up?”
“I’m sure you’ve seen the news.”
“No, I dropped Jess off at work and then showered and headed to work. What’s up?”
“I’ve got a mole somewhere here at the department. I’m working on figuring out who. We found a bunch of evidence that pointed to satanic rituals at Vogler’s house.”
“Okay,” I say slowly, trying to figure out what he’s getting at.
“A reporter got ahold of the information and turne
d it around, saying that Darrien was a Satanist. They ambushed Jess on her way into work about it. Dex said she was really shaken up by it. I called and left her message, letting her know what was going on. We don’t have evidence saying Darrien was into that kind of shit, but Vogler certainly was.”
“Of course she wasn’t involved in that shit. Darrien was a good woman, always doing the right thing, living life by the book. She didn’t have a hateful or horrible bone in her body.”
“I know, man. I just wanted to give you a heads-up. There is no telling how Jess is taking this and I didn’t want you to be blindsided when you pick her up.”
“Thanks, I’ll take care of it.”
We disconnect and I curse the press again. Trying to make a story something other than it really is.
I’m waiting in the hallway inside the doorway to the exit fifteen minutes before the end of her shift and my shitty mood hasn’t improved. There are still over a dozen reporters out there waiting for her and I can’t help but feel the tension in my shoulders, knowing how this will affect Jess. I get it though, because if someone was going after my sister, I’d want to fight every one of the assholes running their mouths about her—and she’s still alive and well.
The snow has started falling, so the roads and walkways are slick. I picked up Chinese food and have it waiting in the car for us.
When Jess appears about twenty minutes later, I can tell by the look in her eyes that she’s hanging on by a thread. She’s the strongest woman I know, but everyone has their breaking point and I can tell she’s reached hers. Thank God I’m strong enough this time to hold her up through this. She walks straight into my arms and I hold her tight.
“Are the trolls out there waiting?” she mumbles against my shoulder.
“Yeah, let’s get out there and get it over with. It’ll be okay. I talked to Rajesh today. They are just trying to start shit. Darrien wasn’t a Satanist.”
“I know. It just pisses me off that they would throw that out there.”
We fight our way back through the crowd and we’re both good about ignoring and not responding.
Once we make it back to her house, we’re quiet. She goes upstairs to take a shower and I warm up dinner. We eat in silence and then I guide her to the couch, where I stretch out and pull her on top of me. We turn on Friends and I rub her back as I work to get her to a relaxed place. After a little while, she manages to laugh at something Phoebe says, so I know she’s settling down and I decide to broach the subject of hanging out with my friends on Saturday. “Judson invited us to come over for a grill in on Saturday. It might be a nice escape from all of this. They have a ranch on the outskirts of town and I can guarantee there won’t be any reporters.”
“What’s a grill in?”
I chuckle a little. “He’ll be grilling but everything will be served in the house. Instead of a grill out, it’s a grill in.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“Yeah. What do you think?”
“I don’t know any of them. Not sure I’ll be great company.”
“You’ll be fine and you know Dex and Quinn, the police officers; they’ll be there. In fact, Judson is Quinn’s husband. My boss and her husband will be there and probably a few other people.”
“Ugh,” she groans.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, wondering why she’s putting up a fight.
“I need to tell you about how I know those cops.”
She sits up, straddling me, and I fight to keep my mind on what she’s about to say instead of what my body is feeling with her pressed against it. “Go ahead. You can tell me anything.”
“I joined a dating website, trying to get back out there again. I hadn’t dated at all since we split and my friends at work talked me into trying it.”
My stomach flips over. The thought of her on a date with another man makes me feel nauseous, but I keep quiet and nod to keep her talking.
“I had a series of really shitty dates.”
I can’t help but smile a little.
“Don’t smile. I was lonely.”
“How shitty?” I ask, still trying to hide my smile.
“Ugh,” she groans. “Fine. One guy brought his mom on the date. Another guy thought we were jumping in the sack before we even got the check. Let’s just say he didn’t even get a goodbye from me. The worst one before the one with the cops was the guy who had a closet full of vagankles.”
“What the hell is a vagankle?”
“It’s a sex toy for someone with a foot fetish. It’s a plastic foot with an ankle that looks like a vagina. And it can be used as a vagina.”
“Ewe. What the hell?” I ask as I laugh.
“Exactly. I didn’t even know there was such a thing until he invited me back to his place. I used the bathroom and washed my hands. There wasn’t a hand towel to dry my hands on so I opened the closet door in the bathroom and a bunch of those vagankles came tumbling out onto the floor.”
My laughter fills the room. That’s the funniest shit I’ve ever heard. I settle down a minute or so later.
She continues. “Needless to say that date ended with me running out of the bathroom and down the stairs. I’m pretty sure I left rubber marks in the parking lot trying to get away.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, even though my smile grows wider, the relief too great to ignore.
“No you’re not. So, anyway, the last one I went on was with Simon. He seemed nice enough. We went out to dinner one night and it went okay. So, the next date he asked me to go hiking. I thought that sounded like more fun than digging for things to talk about with him again, so I said yes. On our way, we stopped at a store to pick up a few things. We went into the store and I had to pee before we left, so I went to the bathroom. When I came out, the store’s security guard detained me and was ready to arrest me for shoplifting. While the security guard was busy trying to drag me to the back room to wait for a cop to come take me away, Simon robbed the store. I was his diversion. He shoved a few flashlights in my purse when I wasn't looking, so the guards watching the security cameras picked it up and thought they had a shoplifter. The whole thing was awful and ridiculous. I couldn’t believe how stupid I was. It was humiliating. Officer Dexter and Officer Rivers helped to clear me.”
I’m not sure what to say. That’s a master manipulator right there. “What’s the guy’s name?”
“I’m not going to tell you that.”
“Why? I guarantee he won’t ever do that to anyone again once I’m finished with him.”
“I know and I don’t want you in trouble because of that asshole.”
I scoot to a sitting position so our lips are only a couple of inches apart. “I won’t get in trouble because no one will ever know I was there.”
“I’m not telling you. Just drop it. I didn’t ever want anyone to know about it, but I knew I had to tell you so that you’ll understand why I don't want to go. Those people have to think I’m an idiot.”
“They aren’t like that. They’re good people and you can never have enough of those in your life. Please go with me. If you hate it, we can leave. I promise.”
“Fine. I’ll try it, but if I’m not comfortable, you have to get me out of there.”
“I’ll do whatever you want,” I say, unable to avoid the double entendre.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s move on to better things.” Her voice changes slightly and I remember that husky tone. The one that makes me harden instantly. The one that’s usually a prelude to hours of exploring each other with hands and mouths, which ends only after we’re both exhausted and sated.
I grip her ass cheeks in my hands and pull her tight against me. “You ready to tell me what you want tonight?”
“How about if I show you?” she asks, her tone suggestive. Before I can respond, she’s wiggling out of my grip and sliding down my body and releasing my hard cock from the confines of my jeans. “Dear God! That’s incredible.” I groan. Her breath caresses my length
and I smile as she gives me the best head I’ve ever had.
Saturday arrives and I keep waiting for Jess to back out of the trip to Daisy Rivers Ranch, where Judson and Quinn live. She’s been antsy and quiet since last night and I know from experience that sometimes it’s just best to let her process things quietly. When she grabs her purse and house keys, I breathe a sigh of relief.
One side of her mouth tips up. “You thought I was going to chicken out, didn’t you?”
“I wasn’t sure. You were a little edgy yesterday and this morning, so I was waiting to see what was going to happen.” I pull her against me and kiss her hard on the lips. “I’m glad you’re going. I think you will like everyone. I forgot to warn you that there will be kids all over the place. They all have kids and seem to take them everywhere.”
“I love kids. It’s not them I worry about.”
“It’s not like you to be concerned about what other people think. Besides, Quinn and Dex already like you. The others will too. I’m ready to introduce you to them.” I grin and turn to go out the door when her question stops me in my tracks. This past week I’ve fallen back into a pattern with her that is familiar and perfect, but is probably an illusion due to circumstances.
“Do they know about us?”
“What about us?”
“That we’re divorced,” she says quietly, making my stomach plummet. I hate that word when used in relation to us.
“I’m sure they do.”
“Can we kind of…you know…not touch or anything in front of them. I don’t want to give them the wrong idea. I mean, everything is so confusing as it is.” She shrugs, clearly uncomfortable.
“Nope.” I take a step into her space.
“What do you mean?”