“I’ve had the opportunity to meet all of you. We’ve talked about your future plans and the goals of MMHPG. I hope by the time this night is through, all of you will make plans to remain with our racing team.” He paused, turned to Lucy, and winked. She winked back. The “our” factor apparently pleased her. “MMHPG will be relocating to Tennessee, and we hope to keep everyone on board as we help you and your families make the transition.”
Taking another drink from his glass, he sought out Graves and watched him. He was nervous. It took one Dom to see this in another. Despite his cool demeanor and cocksure attitude, Graves knew something was up, and he was probably trying to figure out a way to stop what they had planned for him. Then again, how did a man—even one like Graves—halt what he didn’t see coming.
Rex cleared his throat. “Tonight, after dinner, I’d like to invite you into the media room where we’ll show some highlights from MMHPG’s history. After you view some of the footage, I’ll ask for your signature on these contracts.” He held up a five-page agreement. “All of you are aware of the fact that contractual terms vary and are confidential.
“At the end of the evening, I believe each of us will have a clearer meaning of where we stand with one another.” He glared at Fred. “If not, we’ll certainly do what we can to clarify any questions you may have.”
With that, he sat down. Lucy patted his knee.
“That went well, I think,” Luke said, around a mouthful of food. “Old Fred over there is about to shit his pants.”
“Luke, please,” Lucy said. “We’re eating.”
Rex grunted. “I only have a taste for one thing right now.”
Lucy giggled.
“It ain’t that, sugar,” Rex grumbled. “Though I’ll want some of you a little bit later.”
“He’s talking about revenge,” Luke explained.
She left her hand on his leg and took a drink of her iced tea. “Fred keeps looking over here.”
“Good,” Rex said, putting his arm around her. “Let him get a load of this.”
His lips crashed against hers, and he sank his tongue deep inside her mouth, kissing her like the audience was there to view only them, acting as if he were a man in the middle of a public claiming. When he finished, he pulled away and stared down at the prettiest little vixen he’d ever seen. “Now, finish your dinner. You’ll need your energy later.”
* * * *
The images scattered across the projector several hours later in the media room. With the theatre-style seats occupied, there was standing room only at the back of the room. Fred had tried to make his way toward her several times. Once, Luke intervened. Another time, Rex caught her by the arm and pulled her into a corner.
Billy eventually grabbed her arm and pulled her to the wayside to discuss the terms of his contract. They’d offered more money but wanted three additional years in the form of an extended commitment, and Billy couldn’t sign anything without his business manager—Melinda, of course, managed him.
“You’ll have to discuss the terms with Rex,” Lucy told him, aware of Fred standing nearby. “He’ll give you time to talk to Melinda since she arrives tomorrow.”
Billy frowned. “I’m still the rookie here, Lucy, but I gotta ask you something.”
“Sure,” she said, realizing where this conversation was headed.
“Are you sure about all this?” he asked, tilting his head toward Luke and Rex.
“Don’t get me wrong. These guys are all right, but you…you’ve worked hard for what you’ve got, and it looks like you’re just turning everything over to them.”
Lucy smiled. “Billy, trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
He shrugged. “If you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
“I’m happy.”
Billy walked away, and Fred marched toward her. He took her by the arm and said, “I need to talk to you.”
She forced a smile and hurriedly scanned the room for Rex or Luke. When she couldn’t find them, she faced off with a demon. “I don’t have anything to say to you.”
He snarled. “We’ll see about that.”
Jerking her arm free of his grip, she said, “You have no business coming here, Fred. None whatsoever.”
“We both know that’s not true. My family sponsors two of your cars. Several of your drivers would walk off this team if I asked them, and the rest of them will go when I show them what kind of worthless whore they work for. Do you really want to piss me off tonight, Lucy?”
“She doesn’t,” Rex said, coming from behind them. “But I do.”
Fred released Lucy and faced off with Luke and Rex. Luke nodded toward the hallway. “We have a deal to strike with you, too, Graves.”
“I’m not interested,” he said, his cold glare sticking to her like glue.
Rex grunted and turned, walking toward the door. “If I were you, I’d walk this way, motherfucker. Otherwise, I’ll call Scott Delaney and warn him of things to come.”
“Who?” All the color drained from Fred’s face.
“You heard the guy,” Luke said, smiling as widely as Lucy had ever seen. “My brother gets around. Lucky for Lucy, wouldn’t you say?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Luke leaned in and whispered, “Maybe a few whips and chains will knock some memory back into ya.”
Fred stilled with the mention.
Luke stood a little taller. He was enjoying this. No question about it. “Scott Delaney and I go way back, Fred. It’s a small world, ya know?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fred remarked, agitated.
“That’s okay,” Luke chimed in. “I’m sure Scott kept some pictures. He’s a proud drag queen. I’ve been to several of his shows. I’m surprised you didn’t know about his fetishes. He has a bad habit of collecting friends, and mementos from the good times he shares with his guests. Scott still has photographs of the two of you playing with something that looks a whole lot like an impact wrench.”
Fred gulped.
“If I were you, I’d follow my brother. See if the two of you can’t strike a deal.”
“This isn’t over, Lucy,” Fred whispered, narrowing his sunken eyes.
“The hell it isn’t,” Luke said. “You might as well kiss her good-bye and say your apologies here. In fact, if I were you, I’d grovel for her forgiveness.
“Lucy won’t concern herself with you from here forward. She’s leaving you to us. Personally? I’d love to see your arrogant ass on the front of Sports World Galore with your hands on someone else’s lugnuts. Believe me, those pictures exist.”
Fred broke a sweat, and Lucy lost her fear. There was something to be said about blackmailing someone who’d spent the better part of three years discrediting everyone around him. There was something to be said about gaining the upper hand. Being in the driver’s seat never felt better, especially since the winner’s circle was just around the corner.
Chapter Eighteen
Rex slammed the door in Lucy’s face. He didn’t want her to see this side of him and he was perfectly capable of handling Fred on his own.
Luke took a seat on the sofa. He crossed his legs, bouncing his left leg over his right and sitting with his wrist bent, focusing on his watch.
“Do you mind?” Rex asked, resisting a smile.
“Your maturity leaves a lot to be desired,” Fred said, addressing Luke.
“Your tactics leave you wide open to karma,” Rex told him.
“I don’t know what Lucy’s told you, but I’m no threat to her.”
“Really? That’s good to hear,” Rex said, fixing a scotch and water.
“Would you care for a cock…tail?” Luke asked Fred.
“I believe I’ll pass.”
“Smart choice,” Rex said.
“What do you want from me?”
Rex sat behind the large mahogany desk. He shuffled a few papers, lifted the desk organizer, and pretended to be on a deliberate sear
ch. “I have something you want, actually.”
Luke grinned. “They’re in the closet. I had a few thousand copies made.”
“Ah,” Rex said, playing along. He strolled across the room, picked up a remote control off the end table in passing, and opened the folding doors to a closet packed with boxes. “Do me a favor, Fred. Pick out one of these DVDs. I wanna show you something.”
Fred didn’t move. “What kind of game are you playing?”
Rex said. “They’re all the same so just choose one. I don’t have all day.”
Fred stalked across the room, stared at the numerous containers in disbelief, and then opened the top of a box shoved in the far corner. He chose a DVD as directed. “This is ridiculous.”
“I couldn’t agree more. I’m trying to take over my girlfriend’s company so she can concentrate on her personal life and I’m doing damage control with old boyfriends. If you think you’re unhappy, take a peek inside my fury.”
“It ain’t pretty in there,” Luke told him, spreading his arms over the back of the sofa.
Rex snapped the DVD case out of Fred’s hands and headed for the entertainment center. After inserting the disc, he turned on the television and took a seat on the edge of the coffee table, fiddling with the remote until he found the volume. A loud, humming racket filled the room, alerting them to the surround sound system.
“There we go. We’re all set,” Rex announced. “Sit down, Fred.”
“I prefer to stand.”
“You’ll probably faint,” Luke said, winking. “But don’t worry, big boy, I’ll catch you when you fall.”
Fred’s face held an ashen color. He nervously lowered himself to the edge of a sofa cushion, staring at the television.
Rex watched Fred. He hit the play-option on the remote and the acts unfolded. They weren’t for the faint at heart. There, on the big screen, Fred’s dirty laundry was aired.
“I’m not sure I can stomach this,” Luke said, turning away.
“I can,” Rex said, focusing on Fred as the noises from a chain reaction male on male party filled the room. “Here’s the thing, Fred. I understand that you and Lucy have a torrid past.”
“I wasn’t with a man until after Lucy dumped me.”
“I know,” Rex sang, mimicking him. “I’ve done my research. That’s not what this is about and you know it. Lucy gave you the tools you needed to destroy her. She allowed you to pull her into a lifestyle she already wanted because we taught her about that lifestyle. However, she came to you with legitimate business needs and you mixed business with pleasure only because you wanted to later use it against her.”
“That’s not how it happened.”
“Are you denying the fact that you blackmailed her?”
“I haven’t released the videos I have of Lucy.”
Rex shrugged. “I want copies of what you have. Lucy wants children someday. I don’t want her to worry that one day, later on down the road, her children might stumble across footage of her and a former lover. I certainly don’t want my children to later see mommy tied up, gagged, and enjoying a good whipping from a man who obviously received his own share of spankings.”
About that time, smacking sounds filled the room. Rex turned toward the television and glared at the images unfolding there. Five men were on screen. Five fellows enjoying one another in a way Rex couldn’t begin to comprehend. He wasn’t prejudiced against gay men, but he wasn’t interested in watching porn, and that’s what this was—straight-up porn.
Turning the power off, Rex stood. He pointed to the far wall. “By the end of the week, I’ll have a warehouse full of those DVDs. If you even think about releasing the movies and pictures you have of Lucy, I’ll destroy you. It took me less than twenty-four hours to gain information about your private life. I spent another hour hiring someone to produce the DVDs. If you think I can’t ruin you in a day, you’re mistaken. Down here in the South, we take care of our own.”
Fred’s mouth twisted one way and then another. He looked like he was ready to cry. Then, his expression changed to one of stark fury. Enraged, he stood. “You have no idea what I can do to you if those films surface.”
Luke laughed. “Considering the fact you look like a human vacuum for one of the world’s most celebrated drag queens—and his groupies—you’re damn lucky you haven’t been on every magazine cover in the country. If I were you, I’d choose my friends more wisely.”
Rex issued his own warning. “You also might consider who you turn into an enemy. You never know what allies your adversaries might have.
“Lucy isn’t just my friend, she’s my lover, and she’ll soon become my wife. If you think I’ll let you, a man who takes cock better than she does, destroy her reputation, think again. Not only will I distribute copies of your performances, I’ll see you in court too. I’ll strip you of your credibility, career, family, and money. I’ll leave you with nothing.”
“We understand one another,” Fred assured him, rushing to leave.
“I hope so,” Rex said, sticking his hand out.
Fred looked down at Rex’s outstretched arm. He was clearly afraid to shake and for good reason. Rex wanted to kill him.
When he placed his palm in Rex’s hand, Rex said, “I like doing business with those who see things my way.”
Fred walked to the door and then paused. He turned and said, “You can look down your noses at me all you want, but I’ve survived in this world because I learned how to manipulate those around me. Lucy wasn’t singled out. She needed something I provided. In turn, she provided something I needed. It was personal more than business.
“On the other hand, in stock car racing, whether you’re behind the wheel or you’re waiting in the pits, you’d better have a set of balls if you’re to survive in this business. You’ll probably do all right, Rex.” A dry chuckle later, Fred added, “That is, until Lucy decides to cut you out of her life and move on to the next guy with a better set. And Lucy always shifts gears when least expected. You’ll see. She never idles anywhere long.”
Chapter Nineteen
Luke was still thinking about Fred’s parting words when he rejoined the party. He watched Lucy entertain her drivers, taking care to notice how she responded to the various men around the room. A couple of her team members had their wives at their side, and Luke noticed how she treated them as well.
As far as he could tell, she was the perfect hostess.
She lit up when she saw them. “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” Rex said, staring straight ahead.
“Think we’ll have any other trouble out of him?”
“No,” Rex answered her. “I think he understands he’s fighting a losing battle.”
“Is something bothering you?” Lucy asked.
Rex shook his head, but Luke knew better. He was probably thinking about a series of questions he wanted answered before they took their relationship much further. Apparently, little Lucy, the neighbor they’d adored, loved, pampered, and cherished, had a closet full of skeletons.
How long before another one resurfaced?
“Let her enjoy the party,” Luke said, watching from a distance when one of the wives tugged her away to discuss real estate agent recommendations.
“I will,” Rex promised.
“She made a mistake. She’s entitled to those like everyone else.”
Rex growled. “And we all face consequences when we make one. I’ll punish her for this, and she’ll think twice before she does something like this again.”
Luke snickered. “You look for ways to scold her. And lucky for us, she looks for ways to stay in trouble.”
* * * *
Rex’s cock was hard as he thought about the last time he really scolded Lucy. It was the week before she left. He’d thought he was putting her in training for the lifestyle then and had high hopes of introducing her to all sorts of delicious punishment. She’d come without permission, something that used to drive him crazy, and he’d left her t
ied up on the bed with a dildo in her pussy for over an hour.
He smiled as he remembered the tantrum she’d thrown. When he finally released her, she’d cursed him and thrown pillows against the wall, but in the end, she’d loved him hard, fucked him wild.
“How long do you think these people will want to be entertained?”
Luke smirked. “Probably not much longer. I overheard some of the drivers. Most of them are leaving for Nashville tomorrow morning. If you’ll notice, only the wives are consuming the alcohol.”
“What do you think about the company? Will Lucy miss an active involvement with the team?”
“Let me ask you a question. Is managing Lucy’s team something you want to do?”
“Not really.”
“Then don’t do it. You won’t enjoy your job, and you won’t be good at it. You have to be passionate about racing. These people who drive stock cars are competitive. Many of them grew up around racing. Some of them spent their lives preparing for the day when they could slide behind the wheel of a stock car and find a sponsor who believed in their abilities.
“These guys here, they know you don’t have their passion. Because you don’t, you’ll never earn their respect. Right now they just see you as the jealous boyfriend who wants to be a part of every aspect of Lucy’s life. That’s absurd. It’s insane. Give her some space. Let her do what she does best.”
Rex snarled. “I’m what she ‘does’ best.”
Luke slapped his back. “Sure you are.”
“I wanted to help her. She says she wants a family.”
“She can have a family. With our help, she can have it all.”
“How in the hell can she get pregnant if she’s always on the road with her race team?”
“We’ll buy a travel trailer and go with her. Besides, I’m not worried about that. The biggest concern I have where kids are concerned is that she wants to have enough to fill a little league team.”
Rex laughed.
“I’m not kidding.”
Acres, Natalie - Sex Drive [Country Roads 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11