by D W Marshall
“Thank you,” I say when he helps me down from his truck. He doesn’t let go of my hand as we make our way inside. Our table is ready for us, and we are whisked inside. There is a quiet hum of conversations, background music, ambient lighting, and mouth warming food that has me on near sensory overload. Taron pulls out my seat for me and I thank him.
“What would you like to drink?” The waiter asks.
“Can you suggest a red wine, a blend?”
He nods. “Might I suggest our House Table Red, it is bright and light-bodied, with a hint of sweetness. It is an Atlas favorite.”
Taron smiles at me. “We’ll take a bottle.”
“Sir, a bottle is—”
Taron interrupts him. “The bottle, please.”
The waiter nods. “Right away, sir.” The waiter scoots off and another person comes and places two water goblets and bread on our table.
The bread smells divine.
When a third person comes to our table my thoughts immediately go to what they could possibly be bringing us. Except this person brings a chair. I don’t recognize our guest with his head down, but my body does. It tenses and the tiny hairs on my arms raise.
“Mason,” I say, before he raises his head and faces us.
“Taron, I don’t think you’ve had the pleasure. This is Mason, the man who released me from his…establishment recently.”
“What the fuck do we owe the honor of your presence?” Taron stares at Mason and speaks through a clenched jaw.
“Now, now. Please do not get upset, Taron, is it?”
“It is. No doubt Mason is a fake name. I’ll ask again, why are you here?”
My heart is pounding so hard, people might mistake it for an added beat in the music.
The two of them appear calm and collected. I am sure that is not the case, especially for Taron. I know he carries a gun, and I am hoping he doesn’t pull it out and shoot Mason.
“Just know that I don’t mind getting my hands dirty, and I am packing just enough to take you out.”
Mason thrums his fingers on the table, glancing between us. He picks up the glass of water that our waitress sets in front of him. She might wonder if he is dining with us now, since our table was only set for two, but she rushes off. She must have felt the crazy bouncing off of him.
He looks different, his dark hair is now blonde and his once clean-shaven face is scruffy. Those dark, cold eyes haven’t changed, though. They’re just like his soul.
Mason laughs softly.
“There are at least ten men who have accompanied me here and that would mean a very ugly outcome for some of these fine guests. I actually come in peace.” He raises his hands to show they are empty.
I reach across the table and touch Taron’s arm. “Let him speak so he can be on his way.”
Taron doesn’t like it one bit. His eyes dart around the room and mine follow his line of sight. David and Finn are sitting ramrod straight, as are their dates. Added security, no doubt. Now that I am looking around the room, I notice a posture change in several patrons in nearly every corner and a few tables. Shit.
“Man, this place is jam-packed. All of your recent movements caught our attention and my people are in place as well,” Taron says.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” I ask Taron across the table.
Taron’s eyes never leave Mason’s, even as he speaks to me. His lips form a tight smile. “I didn’t really see any point in stressing you out. Besides, he comes in peace.” He lifts his chin to Mason. “You were saying?”
“Vio…Brinley, it seems I owe you an apology.”
I make decisive eye-contact with him. My stomach is flip-flopping, but I won’t show him he’s affected me. “For what? As far as I’m concerned, there are several reasons you should apologize to me—my kidnapping, my imprisonment, showing up at my house to threaten me…” Taking my innocence...ruining my life…
He takes in a sharp breath and smiles as he lets it out. Taron bristles across the table from me. I do my best to keep my breaths even and my face devoid of expression. I had a year inside The Chamber to perfect my expressionless face.
“The last one. Had I known that my presence was going to cause you to blow through the money I gave you to protect yourself from me I would have called instead. You have nothing to fear from me, I will not darken your doorstep again. I want you to be happy.” He takes a sip of water. “Though, I do agree with the training Mr. Batte is providing you with. Can’t be too careful these days, there are an awful lot of loonies wandering the streets.” He makes circles around his ear with his finger.
“Thank for the advice,” I say.
Taron clears his throat. “How can we believe you won’t visit Brinley again the second we lower our guard?”
Mason’s expression grows serious. He looks directly into my eyes. “Have I ever lied to you before?”
I shake my head. Never once in all the time that I’ve known him. I exhale a long breath.
“Well, thanks for dropping by to tell me,” I say. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder. Will there be anything else? I am on a date.”
He looks back and forth between the two of us with a proud smile on his lips. “I’m happy for the woman you’ve become. This man is definitely an upgrade from Logan.” He takes another long sip of water, nods to us, and excuses himself from the table. “Good luck to you, Brinley.” He walks out of the room. At least ten men rise from tables or put down drinks at the bar and follow him out.
“Follow him,” Taron says loud enough for his earpiece to pick up.
“Wait! Just let him go,” I plead. “You don’t think he has more men in here? They’ll wait to see what we do. He is the consummate planner.” I rest my hands on my face and take relaxing breaths to cool myself down. “I can’t keep doing this with him. I want to move on, and the sooner I’m off his radar the sooner I will be able to do that.”
Taron tells his guys to stand down and enjoy their dinner, then he leans back in his seat and smiles at me.
“What?”
“You, impressed me. The way you stood up to him. I am in awe of you.”
I blush at the compliment. “Thank you.”
“So you really think he’ll let you be?”
I shrug. “I do. He never lied to me before. If I stay quiet, he stays gone.”
Taron looks back toward the door that Mason left through. He whistles through his teeth. “Would’ve been nice to get that fucker off the streets.”
I decide to change the subject before he sends the cavalry after him. Mason just called a cease fire and I can’t ask for anything better than that. If Taron goes all Rambo on him, that shit will blow back on me, or worse, Tabitha, and I just can’t have that.
“I’m not hungry anymore, at least not for food.”
His eyes dart to mine and they are savage.
“Do you trust me?” he asks.
“Absolutely.”
He directs his crew once more. “Guys, consider this dinner a last meal for a job well done. On me—”
“On us,” I interject.
He smiles at me and the action sends waves of heat and electricity between my legs. I don’t know what he has planned, but I hope it has something to do with us getting naked. Taron is the real deal. He shows me every single day that he isn’t going anywhere, and in all this time he has never judged me.
“—on us. And you will all be paid through next week. I will have new assignments lined up for you by then.”
When the waitress comes back to take our order, Taron tells her to run a tab on his card and shows her the tables to include; then he leaves her a nice tip.
We rush out the door to the valet station. It only takes minutes for the valet to bring the truck around, but it seems much longer. Once we are finally pulling away, I ask him to find a safe place to pull over.
“Are you okay?” he asks glancing over at me.
“Do you trust me?” I ask.
“With my life,�
�� he says.
“Then find a place.”
Taron drives his truck around until we find a residential street dense with cars and apartment. He parallel parks into a spot I would never successfully be able to navigate in a truck this size.
I get out of the truck and open the back door. I look in at Taron who is still in the driver’s seat. “Come on,” I say. “Get in the back with me.”
Taron smiles in confusion, but does as I ask. He gets out and opens his back door.
I hop up and pat the seat next to me. “Why don’t you slide in and take off your pants?” I reach for my pocketbook, grab a condom, and toss it on the seat.
“You know this is illegal,” he says, sliding in next to me.
“Who could see us in here with these tinted windows?”
Taron laughs and starts undressing to put on the condom.
“You ever have car sex?” I ask.
“No.”
“Good, then it’s first for the both of us.” I don’t waste any time. I jump up and straddle him, sinking easily onto his length.
He moans. “Why didn’t I know that you weren’t wearing panties?”
I grind slow circles, letting a calm come over me. His heat and girth are my panacea.
“I think I could just live like this—with you deep inside of me,” I say. “Couldn’t you?”
His lips take mine. “Yes,” he moans into my mouth.
With my knees on either side of him, I push up and sink down until the air steams between us. His hands grab my ass and push me down, his teeth and lips nip at my breasts through my dress. My heart is beating at an explosive rate. When I close my eyes, I am back there in the lavender room. I start to pull away from him, but he holds me in place, throbbing inside of me.
“Talk to me, baby.”
“I can’t breathe.” My skin crawls and I need to get out of this prison, this tight space. I push against his body, but his arms are vices around me.
“Let me go, please. I can’t, I have to get out of here!”
“Brinley. Open. Your. Eyes.”
When I do, I see Taron through tear blurred eyes. The pastel room vanishes.
“I’m here. I’ve got you. What’s my name?”
I blow out a wet breath through trembling lips. “Taron.”
“Taron who?”
“Taron Michael Batte.”
“Yes, girl, and who the fuck do I love?” His arms relax as my body does, but they stay around me.
“You love me.”
“Say it again.” His eyes never leave mine.
“You love me.”
“I love you so much it hurts.” His lips are feather soft as they touch mine. “Now, whenever you’re ready, keep your eyes on me and fuck me until you get it all. Take everything you need from me.”
I keep my eyes open as I work my sexpertise on him, and when I come, my eyes close on their own accord. It’s just like in the movies, I see stars and lights behind my eyelids. Not long after, he joins me.
He grabs my face between his hands and smiles at me, like he couldn’t be prouder.
“I’m going to marry you,” he says.
Light fills my heart and I smile so hard that my cheeks hurt.
“Well, it’s a good thing you are, because I fucking love you, too.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Things have settled down in my life. I graduated from college a semester early. Tabitha and I launched IMS, Internet Marketing Specialists, LLC. Taron and I purchased a small three-bedroom townhouse in Sherman Oaks and we rescued a sweet little mixed breed pup that won’t be little long, by the looks of his monster paws. We named him Fortune, because we both believe that fate and fortune and the universe brought us together.
My training sessions have been stellar, and I’m kind of a bad-ass. So much so that I have been teaching some free basic self-defense classes to teen girls and sharing some of my story with them without revealing anything that could bring Mason back into my life. If I can’t be part of what brings him down, I can certainly do my part to sharpen the minds and senses of the girls who could become victims of Mason, or someone even worse.
Tonight Taron and I are meeting Tabitha and Finn for “dining in the dark.”
We hold hands walking into the restaurant. I really don’t know who loves to touch who more. These last six months have been a sexual awakening, his sexpertise rivals mine and we explore with my eyes opened and closed.
“Are you ready for this?” I ask.
“Nope. Not one bit,” he says and I laugh at him.
“Chicken.”
When we arrive at the restaurant, they are already there. Tabitha looks adorable with her hair in a messy bun and dressed in skinny jeans with a floral top. I hug her and then Finn. The guys bro hug and Taron hugs his sister.
“Okay, now that the pleasantries are out of the way. Who do we have to thank for the stupidest idea in the world?” Finn asks, his expression marred with annoyance. “It has to be you, Taron.”
Taron shakes his head and laughs. “Ha. Nope, this is all Brinley. I mean I made the reservation, but she chose the spot.”
Tabitha jerks her arms in frustration. “Dammit, Bee, I owe Finn twenty bucks. They could be feeding us bugs for all we know.”
I laugh and steer her inside. After our phones are taken and we are given a list of instructions, we are led to our table. The waitress gives a string of more information about the menu for the night, takes our drink orders and leaves us.
“Before this crazy night gets underway, I have something I’d like to say,” Taron says into the darkness. His voice sounds so strange projecting into the air. It doesn’t meet my ears the same way it does when I can see him.
“Brinley, where is your hand?” We fumble around for each other, laughing, until we are touching.
“Are you sure this is you and not Finn or Tabitha?” I ask.
“Come on, sis, do I have man hands?” Tabitha’s voice sounds higher than normal.
“You don’t. I promise.”
“I think I have the floor,” Taron interrupts.
We all laugh. It is so weird that we can’t see each other.
“We have been through so much together in the last six months,” Taron says. “I am so proud of you and how brave you are, but you also aren’t ashamed to say when you’re afraid. You are the strongest woman I know—”
Tabitha clears her throat.
“Shut up, Tab, she is,” he says.
“I know.” She makes a kiss-smacking sound and I don’t have to see her to know that she is smiling.
“I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know all of your quirks, slaying dragons with you, and loving every moment with you.”
Tabitha’s coughing makes me giggle, but then I realize what this could be. It can’t be, not in here. I stop laughing and listen.
“Brinley Avery Bishop. When I get what I want, I don’t let go.” Taron’s voice sounds steady and sure. “You are mine and I am yours, and I want to make it legal and official. Will you marry me?”
The room is quiet enough to hear a pin drop, and the darkness makes the whole thing comical. I break into the silence with laughter. He just proposed! I am looking at the space where he should be and nothing is there. I can’t breathe I am laughing so hard.
“Yes,” I say through the laughter, sounding like a drunk.
“Did she say yes?” Tabitha asks.
I take a couple of deep breaths. “I said yes.”
The room erupts with laughter. And I realize that we could all walk out of this restaurant and no one would know who got proposed to and I love it. This is the most strange and awesome proposal. As a joke I think I will make an all-black post when I announce our engagement on social media. Soft lips kiss the back of my hand, followed by the cool metal of a ring. When he lets go of my hand, I touch the bumps and grooves of my ring, wishing I could see it.
“I told you we were going to be sisters for real one da
y,” Tabitha says.
“You two are next,” I tease and get silence from them.
“Taron, did they run off?” I ask.
“We would never know in here,” he says.
“We’re still here,” Finn says.
We enjoy dinner in the dark together and nothing could be sweeter. I can’t wait to get home and show my fiancé how much I appreciate everything he does for me every single day.
Sitting here with my family, I think about how much my life has changed. I may not have had a perfect start to my adult life. In fact, I could write a book about my experiences. I’m sure I will be faced with more difficult decisions in the future, but I am strong enough to take on anything because I survived a monster. I survived The Chamber.
Read Shattered Sapphire, the next sinfully delicious book in The Seven Chamber Series, and one of my favorites!
Shattered Sapphire Excerpt
Prologue
I can’t believe these girls. Not one of them can appreciate how good we have it here. Why would anyone want to leave this place? The Chamber is perfect. Sex is just sex. I mean, I have told them all this fact at least a million times. They need to seize this moment because we will not have these bodies forever. Not one of them thinks like me, but one day they will.
I have treated each day here like an answered prayer—like I hit the lottery. And because I’m too much of a chickenshit to tell Mason that I want to stay, I’m being shipped home this morning with the rest of my weak sisters. Don’t get me wrong, after a year of being in their presence, they have all grown on me to the point where I can really call them “sisters.” Still, to say we have much in common would be a lie.
I am an island.
The only person I’ve ever met who I have anything in common with is Mason.
It’s my own fault. There is no one else to blame but me. It’s not like I have any excuses. During the past year I had nothing but time and
opportunity to tell Mason that I wanted to stay, especially when he sent for me so many times during my year of welcomed captivity. In my defense, I thought we were getting serious enough that he would want to keep me. I believed that what we shared was the start of something. My pride got in the way because I obviously got it in my head that what was developing between us also meant something to him. I wanted Mason to want me to stay—I wanted him to want me. My desire was for him to show me that he felt the time we shared together was special.