by Tara Rose
“How fun. When will it be done?”
“That’s a good question,” said Felipe. “They’re waiting for Owen’s and Penn’s trial before beginning construction, in case JD Construction is out of business when it ends.”
“I heard about that. It made the national news.” Owen and Penn Rosen had been friends a long time, and had also been partners in petty crime as teens. Apparently they were still committing crimes together.
“Yeah. We know. And now that some people on this island believe the curse has been lifted, or was never real at all, their attorney is once again pushing for a change of venue, but Owen still refuses to leave the island.”
She took a sip of her drink. “He’ll never get a fair trial here. Can’t he see that?”
Rey shrugged. “Maybe he believes he will? This is his home.”
“They have direct evidence linking him. At least, that’s what the news stories say. How does he think people here won’t convict him? Workers were killed and hurt.”
“That’s true,” said Felipe. “A lot of them were so badly burned they’re still off the island recovering at burn centers. Merrick expects civil suits to pour in any minute now against the company, and possibly against the other family members.”
“He and Gary still work for their parents in the company, right?”
“Yes. Merrick is the project manager and Gary runs the office. Asa has offered help for their books because of course they no longer have an accountant.”
Asa Durante and Tim Raleigh had already been running Phoebe’s Playthings when Mattie left the island to attend college.
She tasted the appetizer, which was just as good as she remembered. “I can’t believe Jesse and Wendy’s own son would do that to them. Skim money for years and then set fire to their project.”
“Neither can they, but he did. The resort is still going to be built, but it had been on track to be ready for Christmas. Now, it looks more like the middle of summer. Merrick said if one more thing happens, they might scrap it entirely.”
“Which means Asa will get his original wish,” said Rey.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “Why would one of the CEOs of Phoebe’s Playthings care whether or not a resort was built?”
They exchanged a glance. “You have been away a long time,” said Rey. “Asa and Jesse are cousins. You know that, right?”
She nodded.
“Jesse had an affair years ago with Asa’s third wife, Dot. He caught them having sex in his office at Phoebe’s Playthings.”
Mattie frowned. “Well that sucks.”
“Yeah, it sure does. So when Jesse and Wendy decided to build Palace of Eris, Asa went nuts. He saw it as a slap in the face, although no one knew why at first. It’s not like a casino and resort would take business away from Phoebe’s Playthings.”
“Sounds like that hasn’t changed,” she said. “Asa is still trying to run the island.”
The guys chuckled. “True,” said Rey. “But get this. Turns out there was some bargain struck between Emilio and Daniel, and Jesse and Davis. They only agreed to give the construction job for building the Phoebe’s Playthings offices and plant to JD Construction in exchange for Jesse and Davis agreeing to make sure their sons worked for Asa and Tim one day.”
She knew that Tim was Daniel’s son, and Asa was Emilio’s. They took over the CEO positions from their fathers, just as their sons, Dallas Raleigh and Arizona Durante, would one day take over from Asa and Tim. “I had no idea,” she said.
“Neither did anyone until Kai Thilenique told us. Do you know who she is?”
Mattie nodded. “Yes. She’s an X-ray tech.”
“She’s also a sub now to Ian Raleigh and to Jagger.”
“Jagger is Davis’s son, right?” Their families were so convoluted that she was amazed she remembered as much as she did. How they all kept track of who was related to whom without a spreadsheet was a mystery to her.
“His older son,” said Felipe. “Brett is the other. And they both work at Phoebe’s Playthings, but Jesse didn’t keep his end of the bargain. Merrick, Owen, and Gary went to work for him and Davis at JD Construction.”
“Thilenique…isn’t that Jesse’s wife’s maiden name?”
“Yes,” said Rey. “Wendy’s brother was Kai’s father, but he was killed, along with her mother and one of her uncles, when she was an infant. Jesse and Wendy took her in and raised her.”
“So, doesn’t that make her Jagger’s cousin?”
“By marriage only. She’s not a blood relative to Jagger.”
Mattie nodded. Now she had it straight. “She must feel torn between both families, then.”
“They all do. Not only is there the mess between Jesse and Asa, who of course took offense when Jesse turned his back on the bargain that he and Davis had struck with Emilio and Daniel, but then the fires happened. And now Owen is awaiting trial for arson and involuntary manslaughter.”
“The news stations all said that Owen was skimming money from the company, and probably set the fires for insurance money, right?”
“It’s worse than that,” said Felipe. “He’s in debt for like a million dollars from gambling. He and Penn set the timers to start the fires, allegedly not knowing anyone would still be working on the resort that time of night. But they were already behind from the hurricane the prior month, so construction was ramped up to try and get them back on track.”
“Holy shit. But wouldn’t Owen know that? That construction was going on after hours? He worked there.”
“Merrick told us that Owen never paid attention to company memos. He and Penn both contend they didn’t know anyone would be there when the explosions went off.”
Neeva came back to take their dinner orders, and then Mattie asked Rey and Felipe about their current roles at Phoebe’s Playthings.
“I’m over the Central territory,” said Rey. “That’s Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.”
“And I have the Southeast territory. Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.”
At the mention of Alabama, Mattie took another sip of her Hurricane. A big one. Then she glanced around for Neeva. She hadn’t realized one of them had Alabama. Clay’s family business owned a fetish shop, among other holdings. She had no idea if it had a contract with Phoebe’s Playthings because she’d never paid attention to any of that. She’d been too busy surviving, and hiding the abuse from her coworkers.
But was it possible that Felipe knew Clay? Her hands shook as she glanced around for Neeva once more. “I need another drink…”
She caught the look that passed between them when she turned her gaze back toward the table, but ignored it, and instead ate more of the stuffed crawfish balls, or whatever they were called. “These are delicious. So, what exactly do assistant vice presidents of sales do?” Her voice sounded too casual. Would they notice that?
“We oversee contracts from our territory,” said Felipe, “and run them all past Lucie Durante, who heads up the legal department. We bring in new accounts, and we hang onto existing ones. We make sure all orders go out on time and accurately, and basically we kiss our customers’ asses so they stay with us.”
“How do you bring in new business if you can’t leave the island?”
Rey grinned. “People come to us. Seriously. This company is the envy of every fetish shop in the country, and of every corporation who owns a fetish shop. We don’t have to go out and hunt up new business very often. Not anymore. But we do, just the same. We keep up with which corporations are looking to get into this market, or which shops are looking to expand their business. We also keep an eye out for smaller stores who want to team up with a strong mail-order product line.”
“Why is that?” She was grateful for the distraction of talking about business matters. Her hands had finally stopped shaking, and she no longer wanted to bolt from the restaurant.
“A lot of small stores only stay profitable by being able to special order th
ings for their customers,” said Felipe, “They can’t afford to stock too many things at once, but at the same time they need a reliable source for those special order purchases, to keep their customers coming back. We have a lot of accounts like that, especially in areas with a lower population. We help those shops who couldn’t stay in business otherwise.”
“That’s a great niche market you’ve filled.”
“You can thank Tim for that idea, actually. It’s about the only thing as CEO that he’s done well. But then he went and put his niece, Sallyanne, in charge of sales and she nearly ran it into the ground. Thankfully, she quit last month.”
“Who heads it up now?”
“Alaina Pembrooke and Mark Raleigh.”
“I know who Mark is, but I don’t recognize Alaina’s name.”
“That’s because she’s from California,” said Rey. “She’s been here about nine years now, and has done a fantastic job. She’s a sub to Jeff Raleigh and Taj Durante. They head up shipping.”
She nodded. “I remember them, too.” Neeva came over, and they ordered a second round of drinks.
Rey leaned back in his chair. “Okay. We’ve gossiped about nearly everyone on the island. Which brings us back to you again. You’re an intelligent woman, Mattie. Surely you know the rumors going around about why you came home.”
Her drink was empty and the appetizers were gone. So instead of relying on either of those as crutches, she traced the outline of a flower on the table. The tables each featured a tile design of the flowers for which the bar was named. “I’ve heard them.”
“Want to clear the air?”
She finally lifted her gaze to meet theirs. “Why is it so important that you know why I’m home?”
“Because we care about you, and the rumors are…let’s just say if they’re true, Felipe and I might test the theory that the curse has been lifted and travel to Alabama to take care of some unfinished business for you.”
Chapter Four
Rey watched the struggle on her face, and he knew it wasn’t necessary for her to confirm everything he and Felipe had heard. He knew it was true. And it was all he could do to stay in his seat because every fiber of his being cried out to hold her right now.
“It’s okay,” said Felipe. “You don’t have to tell us. But Rey is right. We care about you. We always have, but I don’t think that’s a secret to you.”
She shook her head, and it didn’t take a genius to see that she might cry soon.
“So let’s just leave it at this,” said Felipe, reaching across the table to stroke her arm. Rey felt sick to his stomach when she actually flinched a bit from Felipe’s touch. What the hell had that bastard in Alabama done to her? Felipe must have noticed it, too, because he moved his hand away. “When you’re ready to talk, we’re ready to listen. Okay?”
Neeva brought their second round of drinks, and Mattie picked up hers, but then placed the glass back on the table. Her hands shook, and this time Rey reached over to touch her. She didn’t flinch, but the pain on her face was horrible to watch.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I thought I could do this.”
“Hey, you have nothing to apologize for. Tell us what we can do.”
“I don’t know. I have to work this out.”
“You’re not alone, Mattie.”
“I know.”
“We have two great therapists on the island, if that would help.” He had no clue what to say to her, and hoped that wasn’t the wrong thing.
The corners of her mouth turned up. “I know that, too. I’ve seen them both. I’m currently deciding between the two.”
He nodded. “Good. That’s good. And we’re here for you, too. Even if all we can do is listen.”
She glanced around. It was a Friday night, so of course it was crowded in the bar. “Not the best place to talk about this.”
“I agree,” said Felipe. “Why don’t you come back to my place with us after dinner? You can take a look at Babs, and we can talk.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly, and Rey knew he had to jump in. “Only talk. We swear. Plus, we need your help figuring out which of us is going to take Bruce and Babs.”
“You’re each really attached to your own agama, aren’t you?”
“Pathetic, isn’t it?”
She picked up her glass again and took a small sip. “Not at all. I think it’s endearing. But I’m not sure how I can help you decide this. If this offers any comfort, it’s likely they’ll mate quickly. You’ll then need to add some wet sand to their aquarium so Babs can bury her eggs in it. The place where she buries them will also need to be covered in grass, and you’ll need to make sure it’s kept in view of the sunlamp all day long. Her eggs will hatch in eight to ten weeks, so it won’t be long before the one who didn’t keep Bruce and Babs will have new agamas to take home.”
He and Felipe exchanged an amused glance. “You’re like a walking encyclopedia,” said Felipe. “And by that I mean it’s amazing how much information you carry around in your head on such an exotic animal.”
“I’ve taken care of a lot of them, though not as many as I have since coming back to this island.”
Their entrees arrived, and while they each tasted theirs and declared them delicious, Rey tried to think of something to say. He didn’t want to ask her again if she’d come to Felipe’s house with them, but he really hoped she would. He knew there was no way anything other than talking was going to happen, and that was fine with him. She’d been through hell. He only wanted to be with her, and find a way to help her through this, if that was even possible.
He’d been in the BDSM lifestyle since graduating from college, and because everything in that lifestyle was consensual, it made him sick to think of a man hurting or humiliating a woman out of anger, or merely because he was a sick bastard. Every type of play he’d engaged in, and each time he’d taken control of a situation, it had been with a sub’s consent, and with negotiation of the scene beforehand. There had been a power exchange, the way it was meant to be. Did Mattie know there was a difference?
She’d grown up on the island, and since most people on it lived a BDSM lifestyle, surely she knew about it. But had Clay colored her perception of BDSM because of what he’d done to her? Did she now associate it with abuse, as many people who didn’t know the difference do?
He was jumping to conclusions here. He didn’t know if Clay had touted himself as a Dom. And even more basic than that issue, would Mattie ever be able to fully trust a man again? If she couldn’t do that much, talking to her about BDSM was useless. At the core of any relationship, and especially a Dom/sub relationship, was trust. And she was the only one who knew if she’d be able to completely trust anyone again.
* * * *
None of them wanted dessert, and there were people waiting for tables by the time Neeva brought the check, so they didn’t linger. As prearranged by him and Rey, Felipe paid for their meals. Once they were outside, Felipe asked Mattie if she had driven downtown.
“I walked. I don’t live too far, and I like to walk. It clears my head.”
He and Rey had driven here in Felipe’s Jeep, so he asked her if she’d like to take a ride. “It’s a beautiful night, even if it is a bit cold.”
She gazed up at the sky. “You can really see the stars here. I’ve missed that.”
“Couldn’t see them as well in Alabama?”
“Not that close to Huntsville. It’s not a very large city, but there’s a lot of artificial light at night.” She glanced at each of them in turn, and the struggle on her face was obvious. He had to pin his arms to his sides not to pull her close and just hold her. He didn’t care if all they did was coo over Babs and then sit and watch TV. He wasn’t ready for the evening to end, but the last thing he wanted to do was cause her any additional pain.
“I would like to see Babs. Just to make sure she’s okay.”
Felipe resisted the urge to pump his fist in the air. Instead, he pointed toward his Jeep. “Yo
ur chariot, my lady.”
That almost brought a smile to her face. He opened the front passenger door and when she climbed in, her sweater dress hiked up a few inches, revealing more of her shapely legs. Felipe tried not to stare, but there was only so much a guy could resist. As she moved to pull the dress back into place, their eyes met. He averted his gaze for a few seconds, embarrassed to have been caught, but when he met her eyes again, she wasn’t even close to being upset.
Be careful.
No shit. He’d have to be very careful. They both would. He and Rey had discussed the possible details of this evening, but not much beyond who should pay for dinner. Neither man had expressed any hope that this night would be more than a casual thing. They’d both agreed that what Mattie needed more than anything right now were friends she could trust and open up to.
* * * *
Mattie considered it a testament to their charm that she’d almost made it through the dinner without the past rushing in, and that even once it had, they’d both been able to bring her back from the ledge with a few simple sentences. She wasn’t used to that, at least not from men.
Dinner had been delicious, and even though she’d been ready to pay for her meal, Felipe had scooped up the check before Mattie could ask Neeva to separate out her portion. She hadn’t wanted to be rude, so she merely thanked him. She knew they both likely had a shitload of money. All the Durante and Raleigh men did, and not only because they worked for Phoebe’s Playthings. They all had trust funds, too.
It wasn’t their wealth that made her uncomfortable. Nothing about either of them in particular made her want to bolt right now. It was the reality of being alone with them that hit home at that moment. She wiped her damp palms on her jacket and forced her breathing to slow down. She knew these two. She’d known them her entire life. They’d never hurt her, and she knew that, too.
There were just as easygoing and kind as she remembered them. And she loved it that they’d obviously stayed such close friends. But the last date she’d been on had been with Clay, and that now seemed like a hundred years ago.