Uncovering Satisfaction [Satisfaction, Texas 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Diane Leyne

  “She sounded angry but not hurt, and I am sure she isn’t taking it personal. She’s undercover, remember? She said she was fine when I asked but added that dinner’s going to be cold. In fact, she sounded coldly professional and cursed the fact that she hadn’t thought of setting up a surveillance camera since she’s clearly become a target since becoming involved with us. In fact, I wonder if she knew she’d be a target or maybe she was hoping…I wouldn’t put it past her. ”

  “You seriously think she deliberately set herself up as a target? Really? She needs more than a spanking for that!”

  “Oh, she’s not going to be able to sit for a week after this stunt.”

  “Let me call Trace back and I’ll come with you.”

  “No, you don’t have to do that. I’m going to call one of the deputies to do that actual fingerprinting. I’m just going to wait with Nicola until either Joe or Mike arrive, and then I’m bringing her over here. Just save us a booth in the back.”

  “If you are sure…”

  “I am. She won’t want us to make a big fuss in public. We can save that for when we move her into your place tonight.”

  “So you agree with me now?”

  “I never disagreed, Micah. I just didn’t know how to convince Nicola. Now I don’t care what she thinks. If we have to, we can hog-tie her and just take her to your place. I can order one of those permanent ankle cuffs from Cole, and we can use it to chain her to the bed or something.”

  “You think she’ll put up with that?”

  “Do you care?”

  “Hell no. I just want to keep her safe. And if that means locking her up for her own protection, so be it.” Suddenly he grinned. “I just had the best idea.”

  “What’s that? I know that look, Micah. Usually it means we are both going to get in big trouble.”

  “Not this time. It’s just, when you talked about locking Nicola up for her own safety…She’d probably be pretty pissed if we put a permanently locking ankle cuff on her without her agreement. On the other hand, you just happen to have the keys to a pretty awesome place to keep someone locked up for as long as necessary.”

  Dace grinned. “You are fucking brilliant, Micah. I’ll lock her up there for the night, and if she cooperates, she can go into protective custody at your place. In the meantime, I’ve decided that I’m going to play the overprotective boyfriend, and if she doesn’t like it, tough. Are you with me?”

  * * * *

  Nicola hunkered down beside the SUV. She thought she could make out a handprint, but there was no guarantee that it was the perp’s. She wished she could just go upstairs and grab her own fingerprint kit, maybe her camera to take a few photos she could sent to friends at SSP, but she was just supposed to be a waitress, so she stood and turned and—

  “What the!” Nicola saw Leah standing, watching her from less than five feet away. “You scared the bejesus out of me!” Crap, she thought. I must be slipping if I let someone get that close without noticing.

  “I’m sorry, Nicola. Is something wrong?” Leah came closer and looked at the scratch marks. Putting a hand on the side of the vehicle, she leaned in.

  It was all Nicola could do not to scream at her to back the hell away, but mindful of her cover, she stepped away herself as she spoke, forcing Leah to follow her.

  “I don’t even want to look at it, Leah. I can’t believe someone would do that. What did I ever do to anyone? I’m new in town. I hardly know anyone.”

  Leah giggled. “You are sleeping with two of the hottest guys in town. I guess someone is jealous.”

  “Yeah, well, they could have thrown a drink on me or slapped me or something. This is going to cost a lot of money to fix, and I can’t afford it.” She tried to force out a few tears. “Who would hate me this much?” She sat on the steps and put her head in her hands.

  “Oh, don’t take it personally.” Maybe her act was working, because Leah sat beside her and put an arm around her. “We all love you, and we’ll all watch your back. And I’ll tell you a secret. Don’t feel like you are being singled out. There have been a few strange things going on around here lately.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, there have been a few things…Like Cara, who used to be the head waitress, falling down the stairs, and Judy—I don’t think you’ve met her—she got some anonymous letters that called her a slut, too. And then someone threw dog doodoo onto the porch of Margie Wainwright. She said that the club was an abomination, but people knew she wouldn’t have said that if Micah had wanted to play with her in the club.” Leah leaned close and whispered.

  “She couldn’t even get anyone to sponsor her for membership, and after that, she started campaigning to get the club shut down.”

  “Why didn’t I hear this before now?”

  Leah laughed. “Oh, no one took her seriously. I mean I heard she even went to Dace and tried to get him to shut the place down, and when he wouldn’t do it, she threatened to support another candidate the next time he came up for election, so he would lose his job!”

  “Oh, no. Did she follow through?” Nick had to ask the question through clenched teeth. She would find Micah and Dace and slap them upside the head for neglecting to tell her this. Even if they didn’t take this woman seriously as a suspect, it was not up to them. She, Nicola, was the professional, and how the hell was she expected to do her job without all the information?

  “Too soon to tell. Next election is in less than a year. Rumor has it that she’s going to get her uncle, Elmer Ford, to run for mayor and maybe Deputy Andy to run against Dace. If they win, they won’t just shut down the club. Elmer will try to turn the whole county dry, which is hilarious because everyone knows he’s a drunk.”

  Nicola sat up and looked at Leah, who was still ticking names off on her fingers. “And they aren’t the only ones who would like to see The Whips and Spurs fail. There’s Betsy who used to wait tables and was fired for trying to sneak a camera into the club. And there’s Garth Ford, Elmer’s nephew. He is a wannabe Dom who got kicked out for ignoring a sub’s safe word. And there’s…”

  Her voice trailed off as a patrol car pulled up.

  When the deputy alit, she was shocked at the feeling of disappointment. She’d told Dace not to come personally so she could sound out one of the deputies and find out what they’d heard about what was happening. Now that he’d clearly listened, she was surprised to find that she was annoyed.

  Trying to shake off the feeling, she looked up at the deputy and gave him her most grateful smile.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dace walked over to where Nicola sat with Leah, with Micah right on his heels. He hadn’t been able to stay away. He looked at the other person with Nicola and glared. Regardless of what Nicola had said, he should have come right over instead of waiting. Now another man was beside her, comforting her.

  His deputy, Andy Bentano, was sitting far too close to Nicola and patting her knee. He supposed it might have been a gesture of comfort, but he’d seen the little fucker watching her when she was waiting tables the other night and he knew he was interested in Nicola. Dace just wasn’t sure if he was interested because he really liked her or because Dace liked her.

  He’d inherited Andy from the previous sheriff. Andy was competent. Barely.

  There wasn’t much Dace could do about him. He did his job, even if he only did the absolute minimum required, and he waited for a chance to get back at Dace. And Dace waited, too. He waited for a chance to have an excuse to fire Andy, but the man was connected, and he knew which lines he couldn’t cross. They’d both been waiting five years for their chance, and it looked like Andy thought Nicola was his chance. At least Leah was there as a kind of chaperone, but even as the thought ran through his head, Leah hopped up and hurried toward the diner.

  As soon as she left, Dace could see Andy’s body language changed as he leaned into her. Dace watched him rubbing her knee and her not pushing his hand away. He’d talk to Micah about a suitable pun
ishment for her. Andy he could handle himself, he decided as he walked toward the chatting couple. They looked altogether too comfortable together.

  He paused and frowned. Could Andy be the one, or was it his jealousy talking? It was probably jealousy, but he still had the urge to commit some police brutality on Andy for touching his woman.

  * * * *

  Nicola looked up and smiled. “Dace, you didn’t have to come all the way out here. Micah, don’t you have a bar to run? Andy has taken my report and dusted the truck for prints.” She turned to Andy and smiled. Dace had to suppress the urge to knock his teeth out.

  “Hello, Sheriff. I just happened to be driving by and found myself a damsel in distress. I’ve already taken her report. I did call Hazel at dispatch. Didn’t you check in with her?”

  “I’m off-duty, but Hazel should have called me.”

  “Why?” Andy’s tone wasn’t respectful. “I am on duty, and it was just vandalism. Just someone jealous of a beautiful newcomer, I’m sure.” Dace watched as he patted Nicola’s knee before getting to his feet. “Don’t you worry, Nicky. I’ll make sure a patrol car comes by your place regularly every night, and I’ll drive by myself whenever I can.”

  “Thank so much, Andy. I feel so much better now,” Nicola gushed, and Andy smirked before turning and walking back to his patrol car. “Thank you so much, detective!”

  Andy preened in a way that set Dace’s teeth on edge.

  “I expect a report on my desk before the end of the day, Deputy Bentano.”

  Andy saluted insolently, put the car in gear, and then, with a wave to Nicola, drove off, leaving Dace standing, hat in hand and not quite sure how to proceed.

  * * * *

  “What a dickwad. Why do you keep him on staff?”

  “You didn’t like him?”

  Nicola wanted to laugh. Men could be so dense sometimes, even a smart guy like Dace.

  “Are you kidding me? Five minutes in his company and I feel like I need a shower… with disinfectant.” Nicola stood and walked over to the car. “He’s an idiot. He didn’t even notice the fact that there are no paint scrapings on the ground below the damage. The gouge marks are pretty deep. Since I am pretty sure I haven’t been driving around for a few days with slut scratched into my car, it has to have happened sometime today, but I’m at a loss as to when. I drove Leah home, and she never mentioned the passenger door. Also, I think Leah wrecked any useable prints…”

  “I’m back!” Leah bounded toward Nicola with a fresh-made dinner that Dace could smell from where he was standing, followed at a distance more sedately by Candy, who was carrying another smaller bag. “Andy, are you joining us? I’m going to have to ask Candy to make more.”

  He turned and watched as she stopped abruptly. “Oh, Dace. I didn’t realize it was you. Hey, Micah. Where’s Andy?” She looked around, craning her neck as if expecting him to materialize out of nowhere.

  “Working. What about you?”

  “Oh.” She looked at her watch and squealed. “Oh, no. I’m going to be late. Micah’s going to kill me.” She looked up and grinned. “Or maybe spank me some, if I’m lucky.” She grinned at Micah and then turned to Nick, and her smile faltered. “Sorry, Nicola. I mean, I was just joking around. You know that, right?” When Nicola just looked at her, she turned to Dace. “Maybe you can spank me instead?”

  “Sorry, Leah. Nicola’s the only one who Micah’s spanking, and he will have to wait his turn. Her ass is mine first.”

  Dace watched as Leah mumbled something unintelligible and thrust the bags into his arms before scurrying away. He was so surprised he almost dropped the bags but managed a last-minute save.

  “You are damned lucky, brother dear, I’m not making another batch of ribs if you ruin another one.”

  “Hey, don’t blame me for this one!” Nicola declared with a grin.

  “I can blame anyone I want, and this time I choose to blame my big brother. But that’s not why I came out. I’m hoping you can help me out.”

  “Sure. What can I do?”

  “Did you mean it when you said you liked to bake?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Know how to make pie?”

  “Apple, strawberry rhubarb, and banana cream are my specialties.”

  “I’ve been wanting to add some to the menu, but Noah, while a great cook, sucks at pastry. I don’t suppose you could help me out a bit. Maybe give me a few lessons?”

  “I’d love to.”

  “Great. Tuesday at noon? I’ll need Monday to go shopping, and you’ll need it to get your SUV repainted. Tanner Aronofsky does good work. It’s too late tonight, but if you want to take it over tomorrow morning, I can follow you, and then we can go pick up supplies for Tuesday’s baking orgy.” She turned toward the men, who were watching silently.

  “I know you have another type of orgy in mind, but you are going to have to wait your turn. I have dibs on Tuesday. Understand?”

  Candy grinned at Nicola as the men dutifully agreed with her instructions.

  “You just have to know how to talk to them. Big, bad Doms my Aunt Fanny.” She laughed. “Go have your fun, but she’s mine Tuesday.”

  * * * *

  Tuesday

  “You know, Candy, the secret of good pastry is having a light hand. It’s a delicate thing you have to work just so. I hate the machine-made pastry. It is just not the same, not at all.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Candy mumbled around a bite of cinnamon bun with homemade cream cheese frosting. “This is amazing. Have you ever thought of doing it professionally?”

  “Doing what professionally?”

  “Baking. I can tell you that I could use a better source of baked goods, and I’m sure there are others restaurant owners who think the same thing. There are a couple of bakeries in Kinsdale, but none of them can hold a candle to this. You’ve got a talent.”

  “It takes time and energy to open a business. And education,” she added belatedly.

  “I know about your background. Dace told me you have an MBA. I know whatever happened traumatized you. And now you seem to have a kind of post-traumatic stress syndrome. I know you are working hard to be able to go back to work, but did you ever stop to think that maybe, deep down inside, you are not ready? Maybe you’ll never be ready. But you can have a new dream, a new purpose in life.”

  “To make people fat?”

  “To make people happy. Look at those faces!”

  She gestured toward the lineup of people waiting for the next batch to come out of the oven. “Your experiments have been devoured.” She turned to the crowd.

  “I’m taking a poll. I’m trying to convince Nicola to open a bakery here in Satisfaction. What do you all think?”

  Nick looked at the eager, happy faces and panicked. She turned and ran, pausing only to pick up her purse. She barreled right through the crowd and out the door. She hopped into her newly painted SUV and just started driving.

  By the time she got a hold of herself, she was approaching the outskirts of Kinsdale, retracing the route she’d taken on Sunday. She could see Leah’s parents place, and impulsively, she pulled into their drive.

  A quick look told her no one was at home, which wasn’t surprising on a Tuesday afternoon. Without pausing to think, she walked up the driveway to where she’d parked when she visited with Leah’s family. Something, a fleck of red, caught her eye. She squatted down and looked closer. She wished she had evidence bags with her. They were flecks of paint just the size and shape as if they’d been gouged from her SUV.

  “Can I help you?”

  Nick stood abruptly. Leah. Again. She looked at the younger woman’s open, smiling face. Could she be the one? If so, she had a pair of brass balls vandalizing Nick’s car on the days they’d been out together. On the other hand, what a great way to divert suspicion. Or maybe she just wasn’t very smart.

  “Damn it, Leah. You have to stop doing that.”

  “Sorry. Can I get you a coffee or something?�
��

  “I know this will sound strange, but do you have a couple of plastic baggies I could borrow?”

  “Sure.”

  Leah returned a few minutes later with a whole box. Nick pulled out two and carefully gathered up the paint chips, putting the bigger ones in one bag, and then gathered up the remainder, gravel and all, and put it in the other one.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I think my car was vandalized when it sat in your parents’ driveway.”

  “No!”

  “I am afraid so. These are paint chips. They are from when someone scratched slut on my passenger door. It happened here, when I was meeting your parents.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Was my door damaged when I picked you up? What about when you got back in after we had lunch?”

  “No.”

  “And then there are the paint chips. I’ll have them analyzed, but my gut is telling me that these came from my SUV.”

  “Have you asked Daisy?”

  “How would she know anything? She went home by herself.”

  “Oh, but she was outside when you left. I saw her. She was parked on the street and then she drove away after you did.”

  “Are you sure? Her car’s not that distinctive.”

  “But her hair is. Besides, I could even see the bags inside from our trip to Macy’s.”

  “Thanks, Leah.” She paused for a second, choosing her words carefully. “Are you…I mean, you care for Micah and Dace? I hope we haven’t hurt you, but…”

  “Oh, no, Nicola. I mean, I’ve always had a crush on them, but I do know they aren’t for me. It’s fun pretending, but I think that if they ever did like me back, it wouldn’t be so much fun. They are pretty intense guys, and I’m not really an intense kind of girl.

  “I used to think they were going to end up getting together with Daisy. She loves them so much. She tries to hide it, but I see her looking at them sometimes. And she’s so possessive when someone hurts them. Say, do you need anything else? I have to get ready for a date. Randy Borden is going to take me to dinner and a movie. He’s not as hot as Micah and Dace, and he’s not a Dom, not like they are anyway, but he’s plenty forceful and he makes me feel so safe and protected. I like him a lot, Nick.”