by Lacey Thorn
She inhaled a gulp of air, preparing to scream. Then his scent hit her. Charlie. Her fingers found the string, and light cast a gentle glow over them just as he tumbled her into his lap.
“Looking for something?”
There was no denying what she saw in his eyes this time. He wanted her. His look seemed to be asking her if she’d come downstairs searching for him. At the moment, she really wished she had.
“Movies,” she managed. It was hard to focus when she was draped across his lap. His upper body was still bare, and she could remember all too well the feel of his hair-spattered chest beneath her cheek.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded her head. Disappointment filled his eyes for a brief moment. He helped her sit up on his lap, making it easy for her to slip free and grab what she wanted. She surprised them both by doing just that, grabbing what she wanted.
She turned around, lifting her leg, so she could straddle his lap and face him. Slowly, giving him plenty of time to react, she lifted her hands to cup his face and leaned in. Holding his gaze with hers, she brushed her lips over his. Once. Twice. Then flicked her tongue out to trace over his bottom lip.
His hands had been clenched tight, resting beside her hips. But with a groan, he lifted them to touch her, pull her close. One closed in her hair, angling her head just as he took over the kiss, slipping his tongue inside and exploring her. It was everything she’d anticipated and more. She imagined his hands wandering over her body. Both of them naked with the smell of lust and sex in the air.
She pulled free, holding his gaze once more. Neither of them said anything for a long moment.
“What would you do if I kissed Dasan like this? Or Sam?”
“Do you want to?”
Honesty. It was always best. She nodded her head. Now seemed like a good time to test Kat’s theory, to see if Charlie was still into sharing with his buddies like Kat said he once was.
His smile was slow and easy. “I don’t mind if you want to kiss them. I don’t mind if you want to have sex with them. I just want to make sure you want me too.”
She lifted her brow. “What are you saying?”
“I think you know exactly what I’m saying,” Charlie answered.
“I want to be clear. Spell it out for me.”
Soft hands touched her shoulders, and she jerked a bit in surprise. Dasan was behind her. He was so quiet. She hadn’t even known he was in the room.
“He’s saying we’re okay with you wanting all of us. We’re not greedy. We like to share.” His lips found the shell of her ear and traced a path that had her shivering. “I’m right here if you’d like to give me a kiss,” he whispered.
She turned her head. He took possession of her mouth and owned it in that moment. He might be the quiet one, but there was nothing held back while he kissed her.
“We heard about your friend River,” Sam’s voice spoke softly from just outside the circle of light. “Charlie thought maybe you might be ready to think about having something similar for yourself.”
She sucked in air when Dasan freed her from his kiss. She was panting, her breasts heaving as she reminded her lungs to work.
“And what if I’m not ready?” she finally managed to ask.
“Well, then,” Sam said as he sauntered over to stand beside them. His finger traced her lips, still dewy from Dasan’s kiss. “We’ll just do our best to persuade you.” He leaned low and touched his lips softly to hers. “We can be very persuasive,” he promised.
She was counting on it.
Chapter Two
Tara looked at her phone as if it was a coiled snake. She told herself to ignore it, but she couldn’t. What if it wasn’t another picture? What if it was a legitimate message from someone she knew?
“Fuck,” she muttered and grabbed the phone.
She gave a startled yelp and almost dropped the phone.
“What’s wrong?”
She yelped again and swore she jumped about a foot off the ground.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that, Kat!”
“I didn’t sneak up. I walked.” She made a dramatic show of picking her feet up and stomping them back down on the floor. Then while Tara was distracted, she grabbed the phone from her. “What the fuck is this?”
“A picture.”
“Don’t be a smart ass, Tara. Who sent this?”
“I don’t know.” She gave a weary sigh. “If it’s anything like the others, it came from a disposable cell.”
“You don’t recognize the number?”
“No.”
“What do you mean others?”
Tara reached for her phone, but Kat batted her hands away as she accessed the stored pictures and scrolled through them.
“Holy shit, Tara! How long have you been getting this crap? Lots of Raymond and crime scene photos like this one.”
Tara sighed and sank down along the wall until she sat on the floor, her legs folded beneath her. “The first one came a few days after I killed Raymond.”
“And you didn’t say anything?”
“I traced it. If I’d found anything, I would have told you. But I didn’t see the point in making you worry. For God’s sake, you’re still recovering from a bullet wound.”
Kat rubbed her shoulder. “I’m fine.”
Tara doubted that. Physically? Kat would be fine. Mentally? Emotionally? Detective Marino had left his mark on all of them.
“You should have told me about this. Immediately.”
“I’m handling it, Kat.”
“Handling it? How? You yelped like a ghost had spooked you or something.”
“Not exactly what I want to find on my phone.”
Kat shook her head and slid down the wall to sit cross-legged beside Tara. “No one would expect to see that. It looks recent.”
Tara shuddered. “It does, doesn’t it?” She glanced back at the photo she’d opened on her phone. With the shock faded, she could see what Kat must have noticed immediately. The previous pictures of women had shown the same type of murder scene. Each revealed a woman bound with her throat slit, but those photos had appeared grainy and old, looking as if they’d been taken from a Polaroid camera.
Then there were the numerous pictures of Raymond. The first had been a copy of the crime scene photo taken of him after she’d shot and killed him. Then there had been photos from the funeral, followed by older ones of him, when he was still alive. It was a sick, twisted game someone was playing.
“It’s different,” Kat said.
“How can you tell?”
Kat shook her head. “Look at her. Her throat is slit like the other photos, but she’s not tied up. Her arms are free.”
Tara looked at the photo again, focusing on everything except the victim’s throat. “Why is someone sending these to me? Why?”
“Several of the papers painted you to be a hero for saving us. Some made it seem like you were the villain.”
“So are these photos a cry for help? Or a threat for vengeance?”
“I don’t know, but I plan to find out.”
“Do you think I haven’t been trying?”
“Trying alone. You have help now. Plus, you’ve hit a wall with the numbers. Throw away phones. We need to dig a little deeper, and I know just where to look.”
“Where?”
“Where it all started.”
“I thought we weren’t going back there.”
“We have to go back eventually. We have cases to wrap up, an office to pack. Besides, there’s nothing there that can hurt us.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Kat nodded. “I’m sure. I…I think I need to go back there. To prove something to myself. Do you understand?”
Tara did understand. It was just how Kat was made. “I’ll go with you.”
“No,” Kat argued with a shake of her head. “You need to stay here. If you go with me, it might make it easier to get to you. If vengeance is on this person’s mind, I want it to be a
s difficult as possible to get to you.”
Tara shuddered again, wrapping her arms around her waist. “I killed him, Kat. I pointed my gun and emptied it into him.”
“After he shot me,” Kat reminded her. “After he threatened to kill all of us. You had no choice.”
“I didn’t have to kill him.”
“You weren’t exactly thinking clearly at that point.”
“I’m trained. I knew what I was doing.” Tara finally admitted the truth. “I could have shot for his hand, his knee, any number of places, which would have incapacitated him. But when I looked at him, all I could see was that night. All I could feel were his hands on me, touching me. He shot you. I heard you yell, and…I wanted to kill him. I wanted him dead. So I killed him.”
“You did what you had to do. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“But I…”
“No,” Kat snapped out, interrupting. “Just no. He doesn’t get to hurt us anymore. Not anymore.”
“Kat?” Tara was stunned as her friend crumpled beside her, sobs racking her body, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Tara pulled her close, and Kat rested her head on Tara’s shoulder. “We’re okay. We’re okay.”
“I couldn’t stop him. He hurt River. He hurt you. And I just stood there, powerless.”
“Oh, Kat.” Until that moment, Tara hadn’t really seen just how deeply he had hurt Kat.
“You don’t understand,” Kat wailed. “It’s all my fault, all my fault.”
“No, it’s not. None of us could have controlled anything he did.”
Kat wailed louder. “You’re so wrong.” She choked off her sobs, wiping furiously at her face. “I did this. Raymond hit on me at one of the parties. And I…I sent him sniffing in River’s direction. I told him she was more his type. This was entirely my fault.”
“Kat, that’s ridiculous. I don’t care if you made a neon sign that pointed toward River. You didn’t make him do the things he did.”
“I—”
“No,” Tara stated emphatically.
Kat sniffled in a breath of air and sat up. Wiping more tears from her face, she nodded her head. “I will find out who is sending you these messages. Find the bastard and make him stop. I need to do this.” She grabbed Tara’s hands and squeezed them. “I need to do this.”
Slowly, Tara nodded. As much as she wanted to say no, to scream it at the top of her lungs, she couldn’t. Kat needed it too badly. Kat needed to heal more than just her shoulder. She needed to heal some emotional wounds Tara hadn’t even realized her friend was carrying. She couldn’t hold her back from it. Besides, if anyone could track down the person sending the photos, Kat was it. The girl was tenacious, with no understanding of the concept of giving up.
“Thank you,” Tara whispered. “I’ll feel better, knowing you’re looking into it.” And she’d be worried as hell about Kat.
Kat bounced up, tugging Tara to her feet. “I’ll book a flight out tonight. I’ll leave you to deal with Charlie. Keep him distracted, please. I don’t want him interfering in this.”
“Distracted? You’re expecting miracles?”
“Please.” Kat shrugged off Tara’s questions. “Just shake your ass at him. Have sex. Trust me, one look from you and he’ll forget I exist.”
Tara thought of last night, the feel of Charlie’s hands on her, the heat of his kiss. “Nothing could make him forget you exist.”
“Maybe not,” Kat agreed as they walked up the stairs to Kat’s room. “But do your best. Keep him busy. In fact, it might be a good idea to keep one of them in your bed until we figure this out. For safety reasons.”
Tara laughed. “Safety reasons, my ass.”
“Whatever you need to hear to make it okay for you,” Kat said unrepentantly.
“I’m thinking about it.”
Kat turned to her, eyebrows almost disappearing into her hairline. “Seriously?”
Tara thought for a minute, remembering early this morning—the kisses, the touches, the promise of so much more. It had taken all of her willpower to push away. She’d been almost to the door when Dasan called her name. She’d turned just in time to watch Charlie head toward her with a stack of movies in his hands.
“Isn’t this what you came here for?” The question was laced with lust and challenge. All she had to do was shake her head and reach for him. Then they’d all finish what had been started in that chair. But she nodded instead and reached for the movies before fleeing. She’d wondered all night what would have happened if she’d stayed.
She’d finally fallen asleep after the third movie with Kat and dreamed of Charlie, Dasan, and Sam. It had been vivid, carnal. She’d been so hot and wet when she woke up, even the detachable showerhead hadn’t given her relief.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Seriously. I think… No, I know I want to experience it, them, at least once in my life.”
Kat laughed. “I can’t believe it! I’m so excited for you. First, River. Now you.”
“Whoa, don’t get carried away,” Tara interjected. “It’s not the same. River’s in a long-term relationship, or at least, that’s her plan. I’m just opening myself up to experiencing something new.”
“Semantics,” Kat said dismissively. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll be next. Three smoking hot guys all for me. At my beck and call. Obedient to my every order. I like the sound of that.”
Tara laughed. If there was anything Kat didn’t need, it was an obedient man. She needed one to keep her on her toes, to keep her engaged and coming back for more. Tara wished that for her, times three.
“Book your flight,” Tara ordered. “I’ll get your bag packed. You’ll just make a mess of it anyways.”
Kat nodded and reached for the phone. “We’ll have this figured out in a few days. You’ll see. Everything will be fine.”
“I want you to call me as soon as you land. I mean it, Kat. No distractions. I want you to promise to call me every day. Call and keep me posted.”
“I will.”
“Don’t just say it, mean it.”
“I do! I will!” Kat vowed. “And you let me know if you get any more pictures. Forward them to my phone.”
Tara nodded. “I will.” She looked away, busying herself with packing for Kat. Who knew what rest and relaxation could mean? It looked as if she’d be thoroughly engaged for the next little while. Maybe longer? No, she couldn’t let her thoughts circle in that direction. If she decided to indulge in a little fling with Charlie, Sam, and Dasan. Well, that’s what it would be. A fling. Nothing more.
“Give me a ride to the airport?” Kat asked.
“Absolutely. When’s your flight?”
“I should have just enough time to get there.”
“Kat! You’re not even going to let your brother know?”
“Hell, no.” Kat shook her head. “I’m leaving that to you.”
“I thought we were friends.”
“We are, which is why I trust you to take care of it.”
“I swear, Kat.”
“It should be a piece of cake for you. If he starts yelling, just take your shirt off.”
“You want me to do a strip tease for him?”
“Hell, yeah. By the time you all come up for air, I’ll be long gone. No time for him to tell me I need to stay here until my arm is healed. Besides, my arm is healed.”
“Let’s get going then. I’ll need to stop on the way back and get some really cute panty sets.”
“Now you’re talking!” Kat enthused. “Go with green. It’s always looked amazing on you.”
“Why, Kat, I never knew you noticed.”
Kat laughed. “Whatever. Let’s hit the road before they head in.”
“Grab the keys to one of the trucks for me,” Tara said. “I’ll grab my purse and meet you out there.” She grabbed Kat’s suitcase and headed to the door.
Her mind was filled with so many things. River. Kat. Would any of them ever be the same post Raymond Marino? Somehow, she doubted it. Charlie,
Dasan, and Sam. Could she really have sex with all three of them? The desire was there, but was she willing to act on it?
And what was the agenda behind the pictures being sent to her? Was it just head games? Or with the last picture was it becoming a more blatant threat? Did someone want her dead?
Depending on what Kat found out, it might be time to call the police. It’s what she would tell anyone else to do. But actually doing it? That would be like admitting she was incapable of taking care of herself. She couldn’t do it. It was one of many things she had in common with her best friends. None of them seemed to know how or when to ask for help.
She heard the truck horn beep and shook off her thoughts. It was time to get Kat on a plane. She’d figure out everything else later.
The horn beeped again. Kat never had been very patient.
Tara hit the stairs at a jog. One way or another, everything would change when she walked back in the front door later. Alone.
Chapter Three
Charlie paced the floor. His eyes flicked over to the Grandfather clock. Where were they? Neither had really left the house since they’d arrived. Kat was probably just going stir crazy and had convinced Tara into a night out. But, neither of them was answering her phone.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Dasan said for the hundredth time. But Charlie could tell his best friend was just as worried. Dasan might appear at ease, but Charlie had known him too long. It would be more accurate to see Dasan as a coiled snake, preparing to strike when and if needed.
“Truck pulling in,” Sam said as he entered the den. “Looks like Kat and Tara are back.”
“Guess we’ll find out why neither of them could find the time to answer the damn phone.”
“You worry too much, Charlie,” Dasan said, making Charlie snort.
The door opened and shut, and they all stared at the doorway.
“Charlie? Dasan? Sam?” Tara’s voice filled the corridor and echoed around them.