by Iris Abbott
The two sisters embraced as soon as Natalie reached the trio. “How bad is it?”
Marla hugged her sister as hard as she could. The women gave and received comfort from each other. “I haven’t been inside yet, but Copper said it’s trashed. I imagine it’s pretty bad.”
“That stupid jerk, I hope he gets what’s coming to him and soon!” She glanced toward the sheriff and had the good grace to blush. “Not that I’d take the law into my own hands or anything,” she mumbled under her breath.
“I doubt you’ll get the chance anyway, with the Metal Cowboys lurking around,” Sheriff Davis said with a snort. “They have a code when it comes to this kind of harassment. It’s a code I share with them. I won’t be standing in Copper’s way when the time comes for him to do what he has to do.”
Copper nodded his thanks to the sheriff and then butted into the conversation. “Natalie, you shouldn’t have come here alone,” he chastised. “That sadistic son of a bitch could be anywhere, including between here and Metal Cowboys’ property. He’s got to know where the two of you are staying by now.”
“No one else was around,” she said defending her decision. “I wanted to be here, so I came. I’m no shrinking violet, as well you know, Christopher Ellison!”
****
Copper narrowed his eyes at the use of his given name. He didn’t let just anyone get away with crap like that. “You won’t be so feisty when Chrome hears about your latest stunt. And you better believe I’ll be telling him the first chance I get.”
“I don’t know why you’d bother,” she said in a huff. “He is not my keeper! And you don’t strike me as a tattle tell,” she taunted.
“Somebody needs to rein you in and make you see sense. Rob Storey is seriously unhinged. Making yourself an unnecessarily easy target does nothing to help your sister or the situation.”
Marla stepped between him and her sister. “He’s right, Natalie. Let’s go inside and see what kind of damage Rob managed to do this time,” she said with a sigh. “I can’t believe I thought I loved that sadistic jerk,” she said in disgust.
Copper hated the reminder of her intimate involvement with the psycho. “Good idea. Make a list of the damages and try to figure out if anything is missing.”
The two women cautiously entered the apartment and slowly started to look around. He could hear their exclamations of disbelief followed by a few words of profanity. He clenched and unclenched his fists and took several deep breaths, all while silently counting to ten.
He needed to let go of the worry for Marla long enough to concentrate on keeping her and her sister safe. He used his mobile phone to text Chrome a quick update then he turned his attention to Luke. “I was hoping we could keep this between us, but there is a lot of vandalism. The ladies are going to need to file a police report for insurance purposes. The manager of the apartment building is probably going to need a copy too.”
He ran a hand through the short reddish brown hair that was partially responsible for his nickname. He’d rather be using his fingers to squeeze the life out of Rob Storey, but he had to find the SOB first. He swallowed the dark rage that threatened to take over. He would be spending hours in the gym tonight punching a bag, after Marla fell asleep. He was going to need an outlet to rid him of some of the anger riding him, because he wasn’t going to let himself lose it in front of Marla.
Luke Davis nodded and cleared his throat. “Since this is going on the books, Marla and Natalie both should file a restraining order against Rob Storey that way both of them are protected, just in case he tries to hurt Marla by lashing out at her sister. I’ll take care of all the paper work. I’ll even bring it by your place tomorrow evening, for them to sign.”
“Do it at the end of your shift, and I’ll share some of my aged bourbon with you.”
“You got yourself a deal. I’m going to do a walk through and then go back to my office to fill out all the relevant paper work. Then I’ll swing by the Storeys’ place to see if I can get a drop on your woman’s ex-boyfriend. I hear he’s been hard to pin down.”
“The little weasel’s good at staying out of sight,” Copper agreed. “But he won’t be able to hide forever, and when he slips up, I’ll be waiting.”
Luke grunted. “I’ll get to work on a paper trail then. You might need it if this thing goes to shit fast. I want to take a quick walk around so I can make a very detailed report.”
Copper pointed at the door. “Forced entry here. I’m certain he knew the ladies weren’t in residence, because he didn’t use any finesse. He just wanted inside.”
The sheriff glanced at the shredded wood around the lock, snapped a couple of photos with his phone, and followed Copper inside the trashed apartment. He slowly turned around the room, a long slow whistle marked his progress. “This took a lot of rage. You better keep a close eye on your woman. If I were you, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight.”
Obscenities were spray-painted on the walls with a garish looking red paint. The glass table tops were shattered into tiny shards of glass, all the wooden furniture was destroyed, and the sofa and chair cushions were ripped apart with the stuffing strewn around the room. They stepped into the kitchen next. The floor, walls, and countertops were coated with a fine dust of a white powdery substance, probably flour. Fine grains of sugar were mixed in with the flour. The mixture crunched under their shoes as they walked. The remains of smashed china and glass dishes littered the cabinets and countertop.
Still snapping photos, the men moved down the hall toward the two bedrooms. Copper could hear the soft murmur of feminine voices in the room at the end of the hall. He was anxious to have Marla back in his sight and lengthened his stride. The tightness in his chest eased as soon as Marla came into view.
The sisters stood in the middle of the demolished room with their arms wrapped around each other. They offered comfort to one another. As irrational as it seemed, he wanted to be her sole source of comfort. The urge was overwhelming. He stepped behind Marla and wrapped his arms around her, gently transferring her from Natalie’s embrace to his.
Marla looked at him with wide brown eyes that glistened with tears. “He destroyed everything,” she said in a soft voice. “Even my clothes were ripped apart, but nothing seems to be missing. Who does this kind of thing?” she cried.
Copper lightly rocked her in his arms. “Luke doesn’t need us to finish doing his job, and there’s nothing left here that’s worth stealing. Let’s go back to the house. I’ll be able to breathe easier when both of you are on Metal Cowboys’ property.”
“You’re right, there’s nothing here left to salvage.” Marla shuddered. She pointed at a large pile of shredded paper. “Those are most of the original photos of our parents, completely destroyed. Thank God, Natalie and I made digital copies of all our family photos a couple of years ago. Those photos are irreplaceable since our parents are both dead.” Her statement was punctuated by a sob.
Copper wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “I should have come here by myself, spared you the bad feelings and visuals.”
Marla shrugged and grabbed his hand. “Let’s get out of here,” she said with a shudder.
They walked by the sheriff. He was busy taking photos, but he stopped long enough to say goodnight. He also reminded them he’d be by the house the following evening with papers for the ladies to sign.
Before they reached the front door, the loud roar of a motorcycle filled the night air. “Crap!” Natalie exclaimed when she got a look at the bike throwing gravel in its wake as it cut a path through the parking lot. “What’s he doing here?”
Copper wrapped an arm around Marla’s waist and guided her over to his bike. “Now that Chrome is here for your sister, you’re my sole priority. We don’t need to be standing out here in the open, let’s go.”
He threw her helmet at her and quickly straddled his bike. “Hop on!” As soon as he felt her knees press into his sides and her arms tighten around his waist, he opened up the
throttle and took off. He didn’t slow down until he was driving inside his parking bay in the garage. He could finally take a few deep breaths now that Marla was safely enclosed behind four protective walls.
Marla tightened her arms around him before climbing off the back of the bike. She wobbled when she tried to walk. “That was some ride. You were going faster than I thought possible on some of the back roads.” She shared a carefree laugh with him. “I thought I’d be scared, but it was exhilarating.”
“Nothing says freedom more than flying down the highway on a wide open bike. Copper pulled her close and held her as tight as he could without impeding her breathing. “You’re a natural on the bike.”
“Thanks. I was a little worried that I wouldn’t like it,” she admitted with a shy smile. “But it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.” She turned bright red. “Except for really great sex. And until last night, I didn’t know what that felt like either.”
The bad feelings assailing him since he first saw the cracked door of Marla’s apartment began to fade away. His heart was still beating faster than normal, but now his increased heart rate was from anticipation and not anger at the stalker that was terrorizing Marla. His breathing was rapid and shallow too. This time it was caused by lust and potent physical attraction, not the helplessness he felt at not being able to control the situation, and spare Marla the fear and trauma caused by her stalker.
He didn’t care that anyone could walk in on them. He wanted to have Marla then and there. He snagged a condom from his wallet and laid it on the shelf in front of him. Mala watched him with widening eyes. He turned her so that she was facing away from him. “Use your arms to keep your balance.”
“Copper?” She gave him a questioning look over her shoulder.
He leaned into her and took her mouth in a deep kiss meant to incite her passion. He placed the palm of his hand in the middle of her back and urged her to lean her upper body toward the waist high shelves in front of her. He kicked one foot between hers and used it to spread her legs apart. The hissing sound of a zipper being opened was almost drowned out by the sound of their harsh breathing.
He moved in behind her, covering her with the weight and size of his body. “Can’t wait.” That was all the words he had time for. His hands snuck under her blouse and palmed her breasts. His fingers went right for the nipples, pinching and squeezing.
Marla made some kind of strangled reply that he couldn’t understand, but her body told him everything he needed to know. Her hips gently rotated, and she pressed her bottom into the bulging erection that was straining against the zipper of his jeans.
“Need inside you, now!” His hands slid down her breasts to undo the fastenings of her pants. As soon as they were loose, he yanked down her jeans and panties in one swift motion until they cleared her hips. Copper’s hands cupped and squeezed the perfect globes of her bottom before pressing against her.
Marla pushed into his caresses and released a strangled moan. “Hurry!" The amplified sound of their heavy breathing echoed through the garage.
He rolled the condom over his aching erection and lined up the head with her tight wet channel. His hands tightly gripped her hips. Copper thrust forward and entered her sheath in one forward lunge.
Marla screamed and begged him for more. He was happy to oblige. He jerked his hips back and forth, sliding his erection in and out of her welcoming sex. She pushed back, meeting every thrust of his body with one of her own, forcing him even deeper inside her.
Her muscles tightened around his sex, urging him deeper. His body felt like one giant nerve that was connected to his erection. Being inside Marla’s tight body was bliss, and he was in no hurry to give her up.
His hands glided from her hips and caressed their way up to her breasts. He rubbed and pulled on the pebbled nipples that stood at attention, begging for his notice. “One day, we’re going to get around to slow and sweet,” he teased.
Her muscles tightened around his erection, trying to keep him locked inside. “If the past twenty-four hours are any indication,” she said with a voice hoarse from desire, “slow and sweet are way overrated.”
He pounded inside her even faster. He dropped one hand from her breast and cupped the front of her sex. He placed his thumb over the hooded bundle of nerves and pressed down. Marla rose onto her tiptoes and screamed again when he touched the sweet spot he discovered the night before. The muscles squeezing his erection clenched harder and began to quiver around him.
“Let go,” he ordered. Her body tightened and then began to shake. He thrust three more times before finding his own release.
The sound of a loud motor and the straining of the garage door starting to open snapped them out of their erotic fantasy and back to reality. “Someone’s coming,” Marla’s startled voice prompted him to do something. “It’s probably my sister and Chrome! I don’t want them to see me like this!”
Marla pushed away from the shelf and quickly pulled up her pants. “I can’t believe we just made mad and passionate love, and neither one of us bothered to undress.” She glared at Copper when he threw the used condom into a nearby waste basket and zipped up his jeans. “You didn’t even pull your pants down,” she accused.
“I still made you scream, didn’t I?” He gave her a slow sexy smile.
She didn’t answer, but she did give him a dirty look. Right before Chrome’s motorcycle rolled into the garage, Copper threw Marla over his shoulder and carried her upstairs to his bedroom. He hadn’t had his fill of her yet. Copper was beginning to suspect he never would.
TEN
The Metal Cowboys’ annual summer barbecue bash was in full swing. Once a year they opened up the garage and surrounding grounds to past and present customers, neighbors, and friends. There were at least two hundred people milling around, if you included the employees of the catering and security services. Such a large crowd of people, with most of them being strangers, made Marla more than a little nervous.
She shook hands with three more people and hoped that the smile she offered them didn’t look too fake. Copper introduced her to so many people that evening, she couldn’t keep track. She was good with names and faces, but everyone she met today were beginning to jumble together inside her head. Mara waited until there was a break in the conversation and moved Copper off to the side away from all the guests.
“I’m going to use the restroom and grab something else to drink,” she whispered into Copper’s ear.
“Don’t go too far,” he warned before wrapping his arms around her neck and giving her a loud smacking kiss that drew a few whistles and cat calls from the crowd.
“We’ve been talking about this for almost a week,” Marla reminded him. “I’ll be fine. You hired extra security to work the gate for the barbecue. No one is going to get on the property that isn’t supposed to be here.” She took a deep breath. “I just need a few minutes to myself,” Marla told him with a strained smile.
“Damn! I knew the Metal Cowboys should have postponed all social gatherings until your stalker is put out of commission. I want you safe more than I want to pimp the company and our bikes,” he grated out.
The tension and stress were beginning to wear on everyone, even a self-assured and confident man like Copper. Marla lightly touched his cheek with her fingers. “I just feel crowded, like the walls are closing in around me,” she admitted. “All I need is a few minutes alone, and I’ll be good as new.”
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. She pressed against him savoring the warmth and feel of his body for just a few seconds before stepping away. Once separated, she nodded at an approaching group of people. “I’ll be back before you even have a chance to miss me,” she promised.
“I’ll hold you to that.”
His sexy grin warmed her insides. “You make me feel safe and protected. Don’t ever doubt that for a second. I don’t give my trust lightly, especially to men, thanks to Rob. But I trust you, and I wanted to make sure you heard
me say the words.”
“You’re killing me, darlin’.” He placed a hand over his heart. “I won’t let you down. You matter to me. You need to know that.”
“I do!” She gave him a brilliant smile and started walking toward the house. Marla glanced at him over her shoulder and gave him a flirty wave goodbye. “I’ll be back before you know it, but I hope you miss me anyway.”
Marla slipped inside the house and into the deserted half bath on the first floor. She patted cool water on her face and sighed in relief when the refreshing cool liquid came into contact with her overheated skin. She exited the house, returning to the scorching heat of the Texas summer.
The inside of the Metal Cowboys’ residence was off limits to the guests, so the immediate area near the home was less crowded. She spotted an uninhabited area near the back door. Grabbing one of the many lawn chairs put out for the guests, she dragged it to the shady area she was eyeing. Marla took a deep breath and slowly let it out once she was seated in the corner by herself.
Foggy images from a lingering nightmare she suffered the night before still haunted her even though she was wide-awake. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Rob was coming after her soon. Thanks to Iron’s technology and surveillance skills, they knew that her ex-boyfriend was still in the immediate area. The fact that he had yet to make another move since trashing the apartment six days before had everyone on edge, especially Marla.
She knew Rob was hanging around for a reason. Whatever was keeping him there probably didn’t bode well for her. Her days were filled with anxiety over what he was going to do next. It felt like she was sitting around waiting for the other shoe to drop. She hated the uncertainty and tension created by the horrible feeling of impending doom. Participating in such a large gathering only made her apprehension worse.
Not even the tempting smells of cooking beef and tangy sauce filling the air could put Marla at ease. The pleasant aroma caused her nose to twitch. It even made her think about rejoining the party. She took another appreciative sniff of the grilling food but stayed in the private sanctuary she’d found for herself. She needed a few more minutes of coveted peace and quiet.