by Tara Rose
“Well, we think it’s someone who doesn’t specifically know that Cherilyn is a member or he would have simply searched for her by name, but obviously he has his suspicions.”
Thayer leaned back in his chair. “Sean, don’t you think that’s a helluva leap? We have more than one female member in her thirties.”
“How many of them are widowed?” asked Chad quietly.
“No clue.”
“Probably not more than one or two,” said Chad.
“Okay. So what do we do now?”
“I have more.” Sean flipped off the projector and pulled a cardboard box onto the table. “We pulled this out of the river yesterday.” He pulled out a tattered, faded necktie with black panthers on it, and Cherilyn gasped. The room started to spin. Someone held a plastic cup to her lips and she drank cool water.
“This is why I was upset that you brought her.” That was Sean’s voice.
“Don’t you think she has a right to know this?” Thayer sounded pissed off, and she hoped it wasn’t at her.
“She’s okay now.” Evan’s blue eyes came into focus. “You are, right?” His face was filled with concern and tenderness, and her heart gave a strange lurch. Don’t go there.
“Where did you get that?”
“The river,” said Sean, sliding it toward her. “You can touch it. We couldn’t get any prints or DNA from it.”
“I gave this to Chuck. Or rather, I sent it to him. He had this thing about big cats, especially panthers. I thought it was just a silly thing but he loved it. He wrote to me that he’d showed it to all the men and women he served with.”
Memories flooded her senses. How would she ever get through this? And what did it mean that Chuck’s tie was in the Iroquois River? It hadn’t been among his personal effects she’d received from the Army, but at the time she’d been too disjointed to do an inventory.
“Is that the last time you saw it?” asked Chad.
She nodded.
“The man who was seen fleeing the gym Wednesday night jumped in the river. When we dragged it—”
“What?” She must have misunderstood Chad. “What did you just say? There was a second break-in?” Why hadn’t Thayer or Evan told her?
“No,” said Thayer. “Adison Kincaid installed an upgraded security system for us, and it rang straight to this station. He didn’t know a second code now has to be keyed in. The police got there before he could do anything and he fled.”
“He jumped in the river? Did you find his…” She couldn’t even bring herself to say the word.
Chad shook his head. “No. But we did find the tie. We’re assuming he had it on him.”
Cherilyn stared at it, trying to make sense of everything he and Sean were saying. “Why would he have it?”
“We were hoping you could shed some light on that,” said Sean.
She could only stare at him. She couldn’t seem to put together a coherent thought.
“Cherilyn, I won’t pretend to know how painful this is for you, but do you have any contact information, or even a list, of the men and women Chuck served with?”
She shook her head. “No. I really don’t. I can recall a few names, but he went into Basic Training less than a year after we were married. I really don’t know any of them. But I’m sure you can get that information from the Army, right?”
Sean nodded. “Maybe. We’ll have to have Dean reach out to the JAG in Indy or Chicago and see if they can help.” Dean Ramsey was the Racy Chief of Police.
She turned her attention back to the tie. Had Chuck given it to someone? But why would he have done that? The other possibility was too chilling to think about. But why would someone take it after he’d been killed, and then come here to Racy and break into The Fit Bod to look for her? It made no sense. She would have been easy to find. Anyone in Racy would be.
And why was someone who broke into businesses, hacked into computers, and jumped into cold rivers yet survived looking for her to begin with?
Chapter Eleven
Cherilyn didn’t want Thayer to leave her alone in the house. He walked her inside and waited until she’d turned on all the lights, and then he pulled her into arms. She didn’t feel arousal this time. She only felt numb.
All during the rest of the conversation at the police station between him, Evan, Sean, and Chad, Cherilyn had racked her brains trying to remember any of the people that Chuck used to write her about, or some detail he might have mentioned during a phone call that would tie this all together, but she came up blank.
“Will you be all right?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Thayer, and that’s the truth.”
“Want me to stay?” He hadn’t even hesitated, and her heart gave another strange lurch. She studied his face, looking for some clue that he’d said it just to be polite, but the question appeared to have been a sincere one.
“Look. I have an idea.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Why don’t I ask Evan to come over here once he finally tears himself away from Sean and Chad, and we’ll both stay with you? Do you have any popcorn? Actually I’m starving, now that I think about it. We could get Chinese or something. Or go to Nan’s Place and get take-out, and then stay up all night and watch really bad movies on TV.”
“You would do that for me?” She was truly overwhelmed and didn’t know what to say.
“Sure.” He opened his phone and called Evan. Cherilyn heard him say he was just about to leave. “Would you mind stopping at Nan’s Place? I’m pretty sure she’ll still be open. Pick up some greasy cheeseburgers and onion rings, and bring them over to Cherilyn’s. We’re going to stay with her.”
“That sounds perfect. Be there soon.”
“You two are pretty special, you know that?”
Thayer looked slightly embarrassed, which surprised her. He pulled her close again and stroked her hair. “Don’t think this is getting you out of your training, Cherilyn.” She shivered at the tone in his voice. “This is part of it, in fact.” He pulled away to smile at her.
“Oh, is it? What part, exactly?”
“The part where you’d better not expect to spend a night alone after getting seriously creepy news, that’s what part. And the part where we tell you that one night in six months of eating the food from Nan’s won’t derail your work at the gym.”
“Ah, actually, true confession time.” Nan’s Place had been a local hangout famous for its greasy junk food since Cherilyn’s parents had been kids. “I’ve eaten there quite a few times recently.”
Thayer gave her a look of pretend shock. “I wish you hadn’t told me that. I have no choice now but to think up a suitable severe punishment.”
“I understand, Sir.”
His eyes turned dark and full of lust. “You tempt me beyond all reason, Cherilyn Barker. Do you even realize that?” His voice was so soft and full of awe that she just stared at him. When he kissed her, it was with plenty of passion, but it was also tender and emotional. Cherilyn tried to stop her thoughts from hurtling headlong into oblivion, but this night had simply been too full of the high of new experiences, followed by an icy cold plunge into fear.
He released the kiss as his cell phone rang, and she excused herself to the bathroom, more to get a handle on her feelings than any real need to use it at that moment. When she finally emerged, Evan was in her living room with bags of food that smelled like manna. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until that moment. Thayer picked up the TV remote as Evan divided up their food onto the coffee table, and soon the three were eating and watching All About Eve on one of the movie channels.
“I love this movie,” said Cherilyn, settling in between Thayer and Evan.
Evan started singing “Bette Davis Eyes” and Cherilyn laughed.
He pretended to pout. “Is my singing voice that bad?”
“No, not at all. It’s just funny that you broke out into song when I said that.”
“Fucking show-off,” muttered Thayer, popping an onion rin
g into his mouth.
“Not my fault you can’t sing worth shit.”
“Fuck you.”
Cherilyn couldn’t stop her giggles. “I love it when you two are like this. You do this at the gym, too. It makes doing squats and lunges a lot more fun.”
Thayer narrowed his eyes. “Just exactly how much time do you spend watching us when you’re supposed to be working out?”
A flush crept up her neck and she had to avert her gaze. She sighed out loud. “Guess I’m busted. Pretty much all the time, if you want the whole truth.”
“I think it’s fair to say we’ve done a decent amount of watching you, too, Cherilyn.” Evan leaned back against the cushions and put an arm across her shoulder.
“I’m flattered.”
“Oh come on,” said Thayer, grinning at her in a way that made her want to stop eating and take off her clothes. “You know you’re gorgeous. Guys look at you all the time.”
“If that’s true, I don’t know it,” she said quietly. “I really have shut myself off from life for a while now.” Thayer immediately looked guilty, and she wished she hadn’t said anything. “Time to talk about the elephant in the room, okay?”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to. Look, I don’t know where all this is going with us, but we can’t ignore the fact that I was married, and now my husband is dead. So, ask me anything you want to. Let’s get it all out in the open.”
Thayer nodded, and a look of relief passed over his face. “Okay, fair enough. I didn’t really know Chuck. He was several grades ahead of us, but everyone who knew him liked him.”
“I know. He was a good guy. And he was a good husband, too. We dated for three years before we were married because I wasn’t sure I was ready to settle down.”
“Do you think you’ll ever get married again?”
Evan’s soft question caught her off guard. She turned slightly to face him. “I don’t know. I’m not saying it was awful being married or anything, but I don’t need to be.”
“So what do you need to be?”
“I don’t know, Evan. Right now I want to keep hanging out with you two and see what happens, if that’s all right. I’m in uncharted territory here. I’d like to take some time and absorb it all.”
He nodded. “Absolutely. We know being in the role of a sub is new to you. The lifestyle is new to you. You need to figure out for yourself if this is something you truly want, twenty-four seven. Because that’s what it is, Cherilyn. A total commitment, just like marriage.”
“Can we talk about your lives for a moment?” She glanced at Thayer. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” he said. “What do you want to know?”
She pushed her food aside and picked up her water bottle to take a large drink first. “Well, I’ve been curious about something since the night of the benefit. And it’s none of my business, but I overheard you on your phone, talking to someone named Cassie.”
Thayer nodded. “Yeah. Cassie Alvarez. That’s over. It’s been over for a while, but it took me some time to realize it.”
“Was she your sub?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask why you broke up?”
“I let her go because she kept telling me that I wasn’t meeting her needs, but she could never tell me in what way I was failing her. I prefer women who are direct. I can’t give you what you want and need if I don’t know what that is.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “I’m not. It was a constant chore to try and please her without knowing what I wasn’t doing right.” He stuffed the rest of his onion rings into his mouth, wiped his hands on a napkin, and glanced around. “I’m still hungry.”
“Me, too,” said Evan.
“Want me to make popcorn?”
Evan grinned. “Now you’re talking. But don’t you have any more questions for us?”
She rose from the sofa. “Plenty of them. I’ll be right back. Do you guys want anything to drink besides water?”
“What else do you have?” asked Thayer.
“Well, I have a bottle of Silver Patrón that someone at work gave me for Christmas, but I haven’t opened it.”
“Hell, Cherilyn. Open it.”
The look on his face made her laugh. “Are you sure? This is probably a really bad combo. Nan’s food, microwave popcorn, and tequila.”
“More than likely we’ll all be sick by morning.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” asked Evan.
When Cherilyn returned with a bowl of popcorn and the bottle of tequila, she placed both on the coffee table. “Don’t eat it all before I get back with the glasses.”
“Hey,” said Thayer. “Who’s the sub here?”
She giggled and went into the kitchen to get glasses, then settled between them again. Thayer poured them each a shot, and then he raised his glass. “To bad food, great booze, and Bette Davis.”
“Hear, hear,” said Evan. After he took a sip of the tequila, he closed his eyes and made a sexy noise in the back of his throat. “That is fucking good. Okay. Cherilyn, what other questions do you have?”
“Well, now I know Thayer’s recent past. What about yours?”
He sighed. “Her name was Jessica Winters, and she was my sub for about two years. But she didn’t really care for the lifestyle. We were so on again, off again that I might as well have been alone. I was never sure what would happen from day-to-day with Jess.”
“It sounds like you each went through similar situations.”
Evan shrugged. “Not all women who become curious about this end up liking it. That’s why it’s important to take the time to get to know people.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Guess we really didn’t do that with you, did we?”
“Well…no, but I don’t feel like you pushed me or anything. I’m just a bit overwhelmed, and what we learned tonight at the police station didn’t help.”
Evan pulled her close with one arm. “Hey, we are not going to let anything happen to you, okay? We’ll figure this out. Chad and Sean are really great detectives.”
“I know.” She shook her head and took another sip of tequila, letting the warmth thaw some of the chilly fear that had wrapped around her heart. “I don’t want to talk about that. Let’s eat popcorn, get drunk on tequila, and watch the rest of this movie.”
“A woman after my own heart,” said Thayer, raising his glass again and giving her a wink.
“I’ll drink to that.” Evan raised his glass, too, and gave her a look that was nothing short of admiration.
Chapter Twelve
Cherilyn woke with a headache and a taste in her mouth that made her wonder if they’d accidentally eaten cardboard last night. She knew they’d watched three movies, and that half the bottle of tequila had been empty by the time they all crawled into her bed. The guys had fallen asleep quickly, which was just as well, because right now everything hurt. If she’d had more sex last night she wouldn’t be able to walk today.
She crawled over Thayer’s half-naked body and tiptoed to the bathroom. When she emerged, both men were still asleep. Cherilyn smiled as memories of being with them at Maddox’s house filled her mind. Last night she’d told them she was overwhelmed, and that was the truth, but right now all she wanted to do was have a repeat of that scene in the private room upstairs.
A shiver ran down her spine as she recalled what it had been like to have her pussy and ass paddled and flogged, and how it had felt to have a dick in her pussy and mouth at the same time. But despite the eroticism of that experience, everything hurt this morning. Not only the muscles in her arms and legs, but her asshole felt bruised, the inside of her mouth was tender, and her pussy was sore. But it was a sweet, delicious ache. The kind that only came from great sex and plenty of it.
She went downstairs and made coffee then cleaned up the mess in the living room from last night. She didn’t even mind straightening up after them. Thayer and Evan hadn’t left her alone, and one evening of indu
lging in food and drink wasn’t going to turn them all into gluttons. It had been exactly what she’d needed last night, and somehow they’d known that.
A cell phone rang, and she searched around for the source. It was Thayer’s, and the caller ID said “Dave Pell.” The gym manager. The gym! “Oh, fuck,” she whispered. What time was it? She raced upstairs with the phone but it went to voice mail before she could rouse Thayer.
“It’s almost seven,” she said. “Don’t you guys open at six on Saturdays?”
Thayer’s eyes finally looked like they were focusing. He took the phone from her and just stared at it.
“Do you want me to call Dave back for you?”
He shook his head. “No. No, I’m okay.”
“I’m making coffee. Do you want something to eat?”
Thayer placed the phone on the nightstand and pulled her close. “You. I want to eat you.”
Cherilyn giggled. “Thayer, as delightful as that would be right now, shouldn’t you call Dave back? He’s probably wondering where you guys are.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
Cherilyn extricated herself from his embrace. “I’ll make breakfast.”
“Cherilyn, thank you.”
She stared into his stormy eyes, wishing they could simply spend the day in bed. All three of them. “Thayer, I don’t know how to thank you and Evan both for last night. All of it. Not only the club, but for staying here with me and making me laugh, and just hanging out. It was perfect.”
He held out his arms and she snuggled back into them. “You’re perfect,” he whispered.
“And you need some coffee. Wake up Evan, okay? I’ll wait for you both downstairs.” Cherilyn knew he was still half-asleep, but his comment unnerved her, just the same. She had to keep her emotions in check or this would end in disaster.
She busied herself by making scrambled egg whites with a few fresh veggies tossed in, and oatmeal. By the time she finished, both men strolled into the kitchen, dressed but looking groggy. She dished out the food and poured herself a cup of coffee. “I wasn’t sure if you two drank coffee.” There was still so much they didn’t know about each other.