When she turned around and marched toward the locker room, I noted that she seemed close in height and build to Marjorie, but lacked the curves and appeal that my girl had. My girl! I’m liking the sound of that.
This Karen was definitely no Marjorie, even pushing her nose up in the air as she walked away. What nerve.
I’D GONE TO THE bathroom, tailed by my security detail who I’d found out was named Catherine, or “Cat” for short, feeling like I was a child needing to go to the bathroom with someone watching over me. I understood the reasoning behind it, but I hadn’t had a note, a threat, or anything in over two months.
We were walking back to my desk when I heard my uncle screaming. “How the hell did this slip past security and manage to find its way up here? Have you called Derrick yet? Have Ethan and Marshall pull up the video feed to the lobby to see who delivered this.”
I watched as everyone scattered out of his office. My steps slowed as I neared my uncle’s door. I heard the elevator open and footsteps running my direction. I watched as Derrick ran past while a strong set of arms encircled my waist. “I just heard, love. Are you okay?”
I looked back at Ethan, feeling confused and alarmed at what was going on around me. “Why wouldn’t I be? What’s going on? What are all of you trying to keep from me?”
He tried to guide me toward the bank of elevators with Cat right on our heels. I planted my feet into the carpet and stopped. I pulled my arms down and out of reach from his grasp. “What the hell is going on?” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “I have the right to know. After all, it is my life we’re talking about.”
My uncle walked out of his office. His face was pasty white, like he’d seen a ghost. He was carrying an evidence bag with a picture and a note. The note read:
I looked over at the photo and saw it was a picture of my cousin Gabi’s headstone at the cemetery. Some wilted roses had been placed on the ground in front of it with a headshot of me propped up against the flowers. There was a picture of a clock in the foreground.
Ethan grabbed me as my knees gave way. I kept shaking my head, repeating over and over again, “No!”
Derrick bent down to pick up the bag I’d dropped containing all the evidence. He came face to face with me. “The person who did this just messed up royally.”
I knew I couldn’t be the only one with a dumb look on my face. I was thankful when my uncle asked, “Explain yourself Derrick.”
“The photo has the woman’s shadow cast along the ground. We can tell the length of her hair by the shape of the shadow. Also, given the time on the clock, we can figure out the height and possible weight of the woman through a mathematical equation.” He held the items up, with the promise of hope filling his face. “We’ll send someone out to the cemetery to see if she left those items out there on the gravesite. We’ll also want to see if there are any footprints or tire tracks we can match up.”
I looked at him like he was speaking some form of alien language. “You can really do all that based off of a shadow?”
“You’d be surprised what you can learn from a photo.”
Derrick started to walk away, when Ethan asked, “Have you found any leads on the women in question?”
“You want to go over that now?”
My uncle waved his hand toward his office where we could get out of the hallway and stop drawing attention to ourselves. Once we were inside, he depressed the button to turn the glass walls into solid, so we could discuss things privately.
“You have the floor, Derrick.” My uncle took his seat as we all waited for whatever bits of information we could discover.
“We can rule out Tiffany Rosen. She’s happily married to an Andrew Carmichael and living in Washington D.C. She’s a nurse at a local hospital, whereas he’s a congressional aide, looking to make a run for a seat in the house come the next election.” He went on to add, “Tiffany hasn’t been back to the Orlando area in seven years.”
“What about the other two?” I asked nervously, trying to keep the image of the photograph out of my head.
“Cassandra Blackstone moved with her parents to Atlanta, GA, shortly after she graduated college. She went on to get her master’s in psychology and became a counselor at a youth home for a couple of years until her parents and brother were killed in a car crash. The accident report states Mr. Blackstone had been driving when he suddenly swerved into the oncoming lane with an approaching semi. He then over-corrected his vehicle, causing it to go over the guard rail and landing on the expressway below, killing all three in the car instantly.”
My hand quickly came up to stifle the empathy I felt for Cassie’s loss. I’d never liked the girl; she was always borrowing my clothes and jewelry and forgetting to return them, declaring they looked better on her figure than mine. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t wish this kind of misfortune on her. “What happened to her?”
“She was the sole beneficiary of their estate, ending up with $2 million dollars, plus the sale of her family’s house and personal items. She fell off the radar for about six months before showing back up here in Orlando. She ended up moving in with Sherry Wilson and then vanished.”
His phone beeped and he looked down to check the text message. “Perfect timing.” He looked up at all of us. “We’ve been trying to fit the final pieces of the puzzle together.” He shook his head, looking a bit grim with the recent news. “It’s not a pretty one.”
Ethan’s grip tightened on my waist, pulling my back into his chest. I knew he was trying to provide me comfort, but all I wanted to know was where these people were.
“Don’t keep us in suspense. Where the hell are they?” Leave it to my uncle to get right to the point.
“Cassie Blackstone went missing about a year after she moved into Sherry Wilson’s place. Sherry had called the cops and reported her missing, but the police checked things out and found some of Cassie’s things gone and her car vanished. They decided she’d left on her own accord.” He paused for a moment, looking back down at his phone at a new text that came through. “Sherry was found dead of an accidental drug overdose a month later. She’d been a user for about six months. Her last score of heroin was laced with toxic chemicals, killing her as soon as she shot up.”
“Oh my god!” I couldn’t help but call out. I could feel my legs turn to rubber underneath me and quickly sought out a chair with Ethan’s help.
“Is there any more?” Ethan asked.
Derrick nodded. “Yes. Sherry had a life insurance policy naming a charity as the beneficiary, since her parents had disowned her when she lost her teaching job because of her drug use. The charity is the same one listed on James’s insurance policy.”
“Foul play?” I asked.
Derrick shrugged. “Who’s to say? We figured maybe Cassie was our culprit, so we dug a little deeper and discovered a Jane Doe had been found on the side of the road, badly burnt beyond recognition. Near the body was a purse containing Cassandra Blackstone’s information. The police tried to get samples of DNA from her family, but with them all deceased and cremated, there was no way to get the evidence needed to prove it was her. The police didn’t have the resources to waste time on investigating, so they ruled it to be Cassie and buried her in a pauper’s grave.”
I couldn’t speak. I just trembled at all the horrible luck my friends had had since leaving college. I guess karma can be a real bitch. Ethan rubbed my shoulders and down my arms trying to soothe me. He had such a calming effect on me.
We’d all figured that was the end of the information, when Derrick added. “Cassie didn’t have any family left, but she still had a life insurance policy.”
My uncle piped up, “Let me guess, the charity in the Cayman Islands is the beneficiary?”
“Yes, sir. We have Sophia trying to crack into the backdoor of the charity to investigate their records. We want the whole story of who runs this charity and what exactly it’s used for. As far as we know, it could be a front for some kind of cartel, bouncing fun
ds around all over the world. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.”
Derrick’s phone beeped with a new message. He looked up after reading it. “We have a footprint and tire tracks at the cemetery. This person is getting sloppy and desperate. Tanner is talking with the security at the cemetery to see if he can get a car make and model. I need to run, but I’ll keep everyone abreast of the situation as it unfolds.”
We watched as he made it to the door, but then stopped. He turned and asked, “In light of everything, are we still going to move forward with the other plans?”
I looked up at Ethan, who seemed to be shrugging his shoulders and looking just as puzzled as I was. “What other plans?” I asked.
My uncle stood as he spoke, “The Shanty is set to have their annual Halloween open house night, where new people can come and check out the club with a cover charge and a non-disclosure agreement for the evening. The members will be asked to tone down their events and only certain guest are allowed back in the private rooms. We were going to keep you out of the loop, but given the new information having you in a very public place, with beefed up on-site security, might be to our advantage. It may force her to act.”
“I’d have to agree with your uncle. I want to keep you safe and will do whatever it takes to ensure that. This woman is getting impatient, not wanting to wait any longer. When one gets desperate, they get sloppy.” I was shocked to hear Ethan’s voice. He’d been so adamant about everything, making me wonder what changed.
He knelt down beside me in the chair and grabbed hold of my face with both hands. “I don’t like the idea of exposing you to harm, but with that many people there, as long as we stay close to security, you should be safe. I know I’ll protect you with my life if needed.”
Ethan stood and motioned for Derrick to wait up. “Can we get a ride with you? I think we’d like to go home for the rest of the day and figure out what we’re wearing to this party.”
Derrick held the door open as Cat and I left the room. I heard Ethan ask my uncle something, but it was barely above a whisper. All I could make out was, “It’s on schedule. Not to worry. I assure you, you’ll be pleased.”
“And the other details?” Ethan asked.
“They’re done and waiting for you in your email. Let me know your decision and we’ll make sure it happens.”
What the heck was he up to?
The ride home was quiet. I went into the bedroom and collapsed on the bed, whereas Ethan stated he needed to finish up some work on the computer first.
I tried to stay awake, wanting to feel the warmth of his skin pressed against mine, but I was a goner the moment my head hit the pillow.
I awoke with a start, trying to listen to the reason behind it. I heard a muffled, “No!” coming from the living room. I scrambled out of bed, still dressed for work, and ran toward the sound. I was startled to find Ethan on his stomach, his fist clenching the blue sofa pillow beneath him, while he rocked back and forth continually uttering, “No!” in soft whimpers.
I looked over to his computer and saw a few programs running data. He must have had his adrenaline crash, like me. I noticed he’d had the foresight to remove his jacket, tie, and shirt before lying down. He was a vision to behold; his hair was mussed just right, the scruff on his face growing faster than most five o’clock shadows, and that ass. I had to admit, I loved biting it when I had him tied down a while back.
He yelled out louder this time, making me jump. He was caught up in a nightmare and I needed to wake him. I placed my hand on his shoulder and he instantly grabbed my wrist, dragging me down to the floor in front of him. He lifted his torso up from the sofa, his eyes looking a bit dazed but starting to focus on me. His face filled with relief as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him. “Thank god. You’re okay.”
I ran my hands up through his hair, kissing the side of his face. “I’m not going anywhere, not without you, my love.”
It was approaching dinnertime, so I offered to cook while he finished up whatever he was doing on the computer. “Maybe for dessert we can spend some time in the tub.” I proposed, seeing where the night would lead.
I didn’t have to wait long for a reply, as he grabbed my nape, pulling me toward him where our lips crashed together. He lips moved with a hunger and a need I’d never experienced before, leaving me breathless and on the verge of collapse from the lack of oxygen. “Count on it!” He growled before taking my lips again.
I COULDN’T BELIEVE THE night of the Halloween party was here. Since I’d never been there during working hours, she’d explained that this was one of the few nights they opened the club up to the public for those curious about the lifestyle.
She’d added that since the Fifty Shades books had come out, many thought it would be fun to play, but soon concluded the BDSM lifestyle wasn’t for them; however, others who’d been hiding their needs, found comfort in discovering a place where they could explore with like-minded people. The phrase, “Safe, Sane, and Consensual,” was not just a saying, but a law when it came to the club.
My heart skipped a beat as I took in the outfit I’d picked out for her. The witch, she-devil, and nurse outfits were cute, but there was something to be said about the sexy French maid costume. The outer portion had definite appeal, enhancing her breasts, giving me thoughts of feasting on them later with a little whipped cream. But knowing what was beneath her outfit, a sexy garter belt, fishnets, and fine silks had me hard enough to knock on wood.
“Wow. You look like you fit right in.” Her eyes traveled over me with lust, making me harden even further.
“Keep looking at me like that and we’ll never make it to the party.” I warned her.
Her eyes went all innocent, as one of her fingers came up to her lips, gently sucking it in. “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. I’m just admiring the sexy Spartan guard before me.”
I had to laugh. I didn’t want to wear this outfit. I mean what guy in their right mind would wear a damn skirt? But her argument was sound. My chest did look good in this and the skirt fell low enough to cover the scars on my leg. It was a bit of a turn-on to know I could lift her skirt and mine and be inside of her within seconds.
Her laugh brought me back to reality. “What’s so funny?”
She pointed down to my crotch, “You are. Should I stand at attention and salute, because you certainly are?” She stood straight, putting her feet together, and lifted her hand to her forehead.
I looked down and saw the nice point she’d made, or rather I was making. I couldn’t help that my other head had a mind of its own. I tried to imagine myself immersed in a tub full of ice, and muttered to myself about old naked broads, resulting in some relief.
I’d never heard Marjorie laugh so much in her life. It was infectious and enticing, all at once.
I was headed her way with one goal on my mind, to pin her against the wall and kiss her until all the laughter stopped, when a knock came to the door. I pulled up the menu on the television and clicked on the camera to see two dapper looking gents with fake Tommy guns, and shirts that looked ready to pop open if they took too deep of a breath. Cat was with them, too, dressed in a flapper dress and headband of the era. Marjorie and I looked at one another, shrugging our shoulders.
I let them inside, while Marjorie went to grab her feather duster from our bedroom, to complete her look. I took the opportunity to ask, “Is everything in place?”
Derrick and Rick nodded, but didn’t say anything as Marjorie came back into the room. “Are we ready to go?” She asked.
Cat spoke up, “Ivan and Sophia are waiting downstairs in the limo for us.”
Everyone was eerily quiet as we headed toward the party. Marjorie finally spoke up and asked why all the security people were wearing 1920’s gangster attire. To be honest, I’d wondered the same thing.
Cat lifted her skirt, ever so slightly, to reveal she was packing heat. “We tried to figure out what we could wear to hide ou
r concealed weapons or pretend it was part of the costume. This was the only thing, short of wearing our military fatigues, but we figured those might be a bit more obvious and not blend in as much.”
“I can see that,” I admitted.
The club had a line that wrapped all the way around the corner. I turned to Marjorie and asked, “Is this normal?”
She shook her head. “No. You can normally walk right in without a line. This only happens on open house nights. That’s why they send out an email to the members asking who’ll be attending to get a head count. They only let in so many non-members after that. Once capacity’s reached, you can be standing in line for hours waiting for someone to leave. Surprisingly, some will stand here tonight for four or five hours hoping to get a peek inside the infamous club.”
Ivan dropped us off at the front door. Derrick took his position in the front, while Rick and Cat were behind us. Ivan and Sophia would join us in a few moments. Everyone in line complained as soon as we headed toward the door.
The bouncer, some burley beast of a man named Spike, gave Derrick a nod and opened up the corded rope so that we could pass. He turned back to the complaining crowd. “You all better shut it, or one of the owner’s here will make sure you don’t get access tonight.” He looked over at Marjorie, giving her a wink. “You take care now, Mistress M.” The silence that fell over the crowd was amusing.
The crowd outside was shocking, but the one inside was even worse. It was packed nearly wall to wall, with little room to move. Derrick plowed through. It seemed one look his direction, and people instantly moved toward the side.
He’d been clearing a path toward the bar for us where Gianna, Nate, Rafe, Dawn, Dane, and Marissa all were waiting, when a song came on and Marjorie started jumping up and down. She touched Derrick’s shoulder and yelled at him, “We have to dance. I love this song,” as she pulled me aside and started moving seductively to the music.
I Need You Too: Stand Alone Novel, Contemporary-Erotic-Suspenseful Romance, Psychological Thriller Page 17