“Ronald and I would go to Striker’s and have our scenes.” She finally made eye contact. “We never had sex though.”
“I understand. I’ve witnessed and enjoyed many of the scenes.” Besides, no bodily fluids could be exchanged during at any time.
Her eyes watered, but they contained hope. “So you know that not all people are compatible in all ways.”
He wasn’t quite sure what she meant, but she seemed to need assurance. “Yes. Go on.”
“I’m a masochistic slave, but my hard limits are whips, only that didn’t stop Carl. He loves whips.” She turned her back to him and lifted her shirt. The scars and welts made him sick.
That was bad on so many levels. He wanted to kill the bastard himself, even if he didn’t murder this other man. A Dom should never ever cross his sub’s hard limits.
“You are right. He should never have done that. Did you report the abuse?” He knew she hadn’t. If she did, Carl would probably have killed her.
“I wanted to.” She hiccupped. “I told my sister and she told me to leave Carl. Only I couldn’t.” She sniffled. “A few days ago, Ronald and I were at Striker’s. We were in a room with a curtain when Carl burst in. You’ve met him, so can imagine what he was like when he was furious.”
“What about the dungeon monitor?”
She shook her head. “Carl was smart. He kept his voice low and said that if Ronald ever touched me again that he’d kill him.”
Threats alone didn’t mean he’d followed through. “What did Ronald do?”
“He defended our relationship and said he knew how to treat me right.” She dropped her head in her hands, and cried.
Gabe looked around. There were some children on the swings and a few couples talking on the far side of the park, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to them. “Did you hear from Ronald again?”
She shook her head. He sucked at comforting grieving people. His contact at the Bozeman PD said they’d found a body with the same type of bullet as that used on Karen’s sister. Could it be that Carl killed them both?
“I really appreciate you speaking with me. I would not mention this to anyone. If Carl is involved, try not to upset him.”
“I never try to upset him, but I always manage to.”
“Is there anyone you can stay with for a few days while I look into this?”
She shook her head. “Martha was the only relative I had.”
And Martha was dead. This was getting worse. “How about some friends?”
Once more she shook her head. “Even if I did, he’d find me. Carl keeps a tight rein on me.” She ran a finger over her collar—one that showed she belonged to him.
“I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, okay?” He stood, but Karen remained seated. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
She looked up. “No! If he saw me with you, he’d come after you, too.”
He wished there was something he could do for her. “There’s a shelter in Bozeman that takes in women in trouble. I could drive you there.”
“No. I love my husband. He’s just difficult at times.”
She loved a man who she believed was a killer? Women’s minds continued to baffle him.
“Call me if you become afraid. Or call 911. I’ll give Sheriff Bradford a heads up.”
She lifted her head and looked to the side. There was nothing more that he could do. Gabe walked back to his car, but when he slid in, he waited until Karen left. He wanted to make sure she was safe.
Next he called Ed Grimes. He didn’t like to disturb the detective on Sunday, but Ed always seemed to be at work.
“Grimes.”
“It’s Gabe. I might have something for you.”
He told him about the conversation with Karen French. “Could your corpse be Ronald Fletcher?”
“Give me a sec.” The sound of clacking keys reached him. Guess Ed was at work. Poor guy. “I just pulled up the man’s photo. Hold on a sec.” Gabe heard a drawer open and then something that sounded like a folder flapping. “Well, what do you know? Got the crime scene photos in front of me. Looks like our man.”
“So now what?”
“I’ll have our men check into Carl French’s whereabouts at the time of death.”
“What about his wife?”
“What about her?”
“Once Carl thinks the cops are onto him, he’ll know where the leak came from even if Karen is lying about the intensity of the argument.” He didn’t really believe she was, but he wanted to buy her time until he and Dylan could figure something out.
“We’ll be discreet.”
It was the best he could ask for. “Thanks. Keep in touch.”
“Don’t I always?”
“You’ve always had my back.” While Ed was older, they’d served together, and the one time he needed him, Ed was there.
* * * *
Ceci looked so cute eating the pancakes. Dylan swore she was moaning just to get him hard again.
“So what do you want to do today?” He wasn’t ready to let her go. Once the week started, all three of them would be busy. Hell, Gabe was already on the job.
“How about something that doesn’t involve mud or paint?”
He laughed. They had been pushing her rather hard in that direction. “How’s that butt plug feeling?”
She stuck out her tongue. “I’m getting used to it, but every time I move, I think of sex.”
“Love it. Tell you what, after breakfast, you can take it out.”
“Really? Will I be stretched out enough?”
He winked. “Maybe we’ll have to see later.”
Her pink mouth puckered. “But Gabe’s not here.”
“He might be later.” Dylan waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter. I like both ways, as does Gabe.”
“Oh.”
He wished he could see into her head. “How about going for a ride today? Just the two of us.”
Her eyes shone and she pushed back her plate. “Yes. Can we go now?”
“As soon as you finish your breakfast.” Dylan was worried about the amount of food she ate. If she wasn’t willing to take care of herself, then he needed to help.
“You’re no fun.” Ceci returned to the table and stuffed the rest of her meal into her mouth.
If they’d been on more sure ground, he might have been tempted to place her over his lap and spank her. “Good girl.”
Besides riding, he had another surprise for her. Since they might be out for a few hours, he wanted to pack some food. Once he was convinced she had enough calories in her, he pushed back his chair. “Help me pick some snack food to bring.”
Together they gathered fruit, cheese, crackers, and filled two water bottles. He placed everything in a small sack that would fit in his saddle. “How about you put on some clothes, and I’ll get the horses ready?”
“Okay. I’ll meet you out there.”
“Works for me.”
He wanted to pack some extra items and surprise her. If it had been warmer, he definitely would have brought along some toys to try out on her. He was still in awe how much she liked the vibrating dildo. He’d bought nipple clamps, but she wasn’t ready for them yet.
Inside the barn, he saddled his horse as well as the one the neighbor kept here. Poor baby really seemed antsy to ride. He petted Fawn’s forehead. “You ready to go for a ride, girl?” She whinnied.
Footsteps sounded and when he turned around, beautiful Ceci bounced in. It did his soul good to see her so happy. She still had her little issues, like straightening the coffee cup so it faced her and running her finger over the cell phone when she wanted to make a call or when she answered it. Her idiosyncrasies were subtle, and had he not been watching, he wouldn’t have picked up on them. When she’d confessed about her former boyfriend, there had been relief on her face, but there had been much more. He yearned for the time when she would trust them enough to tell them her deepest secret.
She walked up to the smaller of the two
horses. “Is this the one you want me to ride?”
“Of the two, Fawn needs the workout the most. Gabe’s horse is rather temperamental and really only likes Gabe.” He nodded over to the Arabian. He’d been Gabe’s one big splurge. Because their neighbor, Matt Stegman, bred them, Gabe had gotten a sweet deal.
She stroked Fawn’s flank. “You want to take me on a ride?”
The horse snorted. Without asking or needing help, Ceci mounted with the grace of a practiced rider. He, too, climbed onto Blackie. With a slow kick to Blackie’s side, they left the barn and were greeted by the sunshine. She slipped up next to him. “Where are we going?”
“Someplace where we will have some peace.”
She grinned. “Kind of cold for having sex outside.”
He dropped his head back and laughed. “What have Gabe and I done to you?”
She grinned. “Me? I haven’t changed.”
Ceci had no idea how much she had. The women he met two months ago held everything back. Now she was more relaxed and willing to take a chance. The old Ceci wouldn’t have played paintball nor would she have allowed a man to place a plug in her ass.
Dylan squirmed in his seat as his balls hardened. He looked around at the vast plains nestled below the grand mountain range. There was a place where he’d set up a makeshift shooting range. While he used a bow and arrow to take down deer, he needed his rifle to shoot birds. Being a good shot didn’t hurt at paintball either.
He looked over at her. “Ready to pick up the speed?”
“You’re on, cowboy.”
Without waiting for him to lead, she kicked her horse and took off. Her laughter trailed behind her. His woman had something coming if she thought she could beat him. He had no idea where she was going, but he urged Blackie to catch up. As he drew near, he watched her for a full minute, admiring the way she sat on the saddle with ease. Ceci Armstrong was a woman to contend with.
Not wanting to lose the race that had no destination, he galloped next to her and kept going before raising a hand to slow down. She pulled up next to him.
“That was intense!” The glee on her face made this trip worthwhile.
He point to some trees. “Let’s tie up there.”
Her brows furrowed, but he charged ahead figuring she’d be right behind him. She was. When he stopped, he jumped down, and then helped her off the horse. He expected her to say she was totally capable of getting off a horse by herself. After all, she’d gotten on, but instead she leaned close and said, “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
They tied up their horses and then pulled his paintball gun from the side of his saddle. He waved it overhead. “Time for you to practice.”
“Are you kidding me? You brought me out here to shoot a gun?”
With his free hand he pulled her close and kissed her hard. Her return kiss made his dick throb. For a moment he wanted to toss caution to the wind and fuck his woman on the open range. While he didn’t own this land, his neighbor had given him permission to use any portion of it. Too bad the range hands roamed this area.
He grinned. “Did you think I brought you hear to have sex with you?” He tried to make it sound like the most ridiculous thought.
“Maybe.”
“Oh, sugar. You’re the best, but you deserve a bed.” He needed to tell her the stark reality. “Any of the ranch hands could come out here.”
“Oh.”
He held out his hand. “Come on. Let the master show you how it’s done.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ceci hoped her little slip about having sex out in the field didn’t make him think she wanted to be Dylan’s sex slave. She had learned one valuable lesson though while being with the men. She learned that she loved a certain kind of adrenaline—one that was safe. The paintball game has been cool because she’d been so focused on what was happening that she didn’t have time to think of anything. Same thing with riding. The wind in her face and a powerful beast under her made her forget everything. From now on when she visited her parents’ ranch she’d have to take the time to ride. And then there was sex. Dear God in heaven. That was the greatest high of all.
Dylan led her to a large field. “Wait here.”
He trotted up to something that sat on some long-forgotten partial fence. He returned a minute later.
“Okay. Here’s what we’re going to have you do.” He grabbed her hand. “Let’s get you up close. When you hit the can off the post, we’ll have you move back.”
Her dad had tried to teach her to shoot, but she had little aptitude for it. Or maybe she had no interest. Back in high school life was all about cheerleading, boys, and her studies—not necessarily in that order.
Dylan handed her his gun. “This is different from the one you used.”
“No kidding. It looks almost real.”
“The pellets come out for as long as you hold down the trigger.”
She took the gun from him. “Any hints?”
“The farther you are from the target, the bigger the arc you’ll need to make. Just give it a go. I have more ammo in the saddle, but not too much.”
She wasn’t far from the can, but the target was small. She raised the gun, took aim, and pulled the trigger. The can didn’t move, nor was any paint visible. She looked around. “Where did the pellets go?”
“Let’s check it out.”
Together they made their way to the broken down fence. About three-fourths of the way there, she spotted her paint balls. “Aw. What happened?”
“This tells you that you’ll need to aim higher.”
She was determined to hit the damned can. “Okay.”
She traipsed back and aimed again. Once more the paint fell short.
“Let’s move you up. Often your opponents will be closer.”
She appreciated he wanted her to succeed. Three tries later, she splattered the can and knocked it off. “Yay!” She raised the gun over her head, then lowered it quickly, realizing that a raised gun meant she was out of the game.
“That was great, sugar. Now for your reward.” He removed the gun from her hand, dropped it on the soft ground, and kissed her.
Her body melted into his hard chest and all thoughts of warfare left her brain. When he slid a thumb between them and rubbed her nipple, her body ignited. This wasn’t good. She leaned back.
“I don’t think this is a good idea. You said cowhands could come by at any time.”
“True.” He made an exaggerated frown. “We’ll have to continue this later. I have one more thing I want you to try.”
“What?”
“I want to show you how to shoot a real gun.”
She stepped back and held up her hands. “Why?”
“Sugar. I want you to be safe. I’m not trying to scare you, but Gabe and I live a life that can be somewhat dangerous.” She hissed. “Don’t worry. We’re well trained, but shit happens. I’m not asking you to carry a gun—in fact, I don’t want you to—but you should know how to use one.”
What he said made sense. Maybe if Brooke had a gun when that terrible drug dealer came after her, Sarah wouldn’t have been kidnapped and almost killed. “Okay.”
“Good. I’ll be right back.” He picked up the paintball gun, strode to his horse and returned with a handgun.
“My dad tried to teach me to use a rifle, but I wasn’t any good.”
“A gun is lighter and might be easier to use. Ready to get started?”
She inhaled. “Yes.”
“Hold that thought.” He raced to the fence again and placed one can on one stump and a second can on the other post. When he returned he sidled next to her. “If you ever have to shoot someone it will be when they are close up, so I want you to stand within twenty feet of the can.”
“If I had a rifle, I’d be able to hit him.”
“But this isn’t a rifle. Give it a try.”
She loved challenges. She stretched out her arms and looked down the site. When she was more or less co
nfident her aim was right, she pulled the trigger, but the gun didn’t fire. She lowered her arms. “What happened?”
“Got to cock it, sugar.”
She ran her finger over the gun. “There’s no lever thingy.”
He grinned. “I was wondering when you’d notice.” He stepped next to her and slid the gun from her hands. “Watch carefully. To cock the gun, just slide the barrel forward and let go. That loads the bullet.” He handed it back to her. “You try.”
How did she not know that? Because she dealt with rifles or guns with levers. She wondered if cops had to be familiar with a lot of different weapons. Once more she lined up the site and pulled the trigger. The gun discharged but the can didn’t move. “That sucks.”
“It takes time.”
He had her step closer. She was now within ten feet of the second can. “I will hit the can. Hell, I can almost knock it over with my hand.”
“I doubt some bad guy will let you get within striking distance.”
Yeesh. He acted like he expected her to run into a criminal soon. They had a dangerous job and maybe he wanted her to be prepared in case one of the people they were investigating went crazy. Were they really thinking of being with her long term? The idea was highly intriguing but she didn’t want to get her hopes up.
* * * *
Her shoulder hurt from the gun recoil, but Ceci was pleased she learned the basic stance, how to aim, and how to shoot. Dylan said that the only time she’d ever need to use a gun would be if the target was close by, so she wouldn’t have to adjust for wind speed or distance.
They rode back to the barn and fatigue began to claim her. One perk of today was the whole time she was with Dylan, she didn’t think about needing order nor did she have the constant thought about how she’d failed John.
“Let’s take off the saddles and rub the horses down. I’m sure they enjoyed themselves as much as we did.” Dylan glanced over at her.
“I had a great time. I learned that it would take me years to be effective at paintball, but I felt more at ease holding the gun.”
Dirty Pleasures [Pleasure, Montana 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 12