by Tara Rose
“Not terrible. A few steps above the Shady Pines, for sure.”
“Before I forget to ask you, have you heard about any trouble between Bobby and Denise?”
Rowena frowned. “No. And you know Judy would run right over and tell me if there was. Why?”
“Bobby hinted that things weren’t right.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll talk to her when I get back.” She almost hated to ask, but had to. “Any more word on the two strangers?”
“Nothing.”
Rowena could hear country music in the background. “Where are you?”
“The Saloon. Don’t say it.”
She laughed. “Oh God. You stayed to eat, didn’t you? I made you like three week’s worth of meals. I even labeled the damn Tupperware containers so you’d know what was in each one.”
“I know. But Bobby looked like he needed to talk.”
“And did he?”
“No.”
“Then don’t call me at four in the morning when you can’t sleep.”
“I will call you. And when you answer, I’ll tell you in graphic detail all the things I’m going to do to your sexy body when you get back here.”
His voice nearly brought on an orgasm.
She glanced at Carma, who was sound asleep in the next bed. Eve was on the phone with Phil and Knox, but was spending more time laughing than talking. Rowena was certain that she wasn’t listening. “Oh yeah? Well, when I get back, I’m going to give you a blow job in the shower, and my mouth is going to be filled with warm water as I do it.”
He groaned into the phone and she glanced at Eve, who was completely ignoring her. “And then I’m going to tape up an old sheet at the end of the bed, between the two posters, and cut a hole in it. I’m going to kneel in front of the hole so only my asshole is visible, and you can fuck me in there while pretending to be in one of those sex places where you can have anonymous sex through doors and shit.”
“You’re killing me. You know I can’t answer you. The guys are all here.” His voice was soft, but she caught the undertones of desire in it, and that only made her want to tease him more.
“You started this.”
“I know.” He chuckled. “I’m going to go now. It’s too loud in here to talk and now I have a fucking hard-on.”
Rowena laughed and cradled the phone closer.
“I love you and I miss you. Call me in the morning when you’re on the road?”
“I sure will. I love you and miss you, too. And I really do hope you get some sleep tonight.”
“I will. Promise.”
After they disconnected the call, Rowena rolled over and tried to sleep, but images of a truck she didn’t recognize cruising past the house chased her down into dreams.
Chapter Ten
Van didn’t sleep well at all, but when he talked to Rowena in the morning, he lied and told her had. He didn’t want to bother her with the dreams he’d had of buildings on fire and strangers walking through town, armed with bolt cutters and crowbars. She needed to concentrate on driving, not on his wild imagination, fueled by greasy burgers and doughy onion rings from the night before.
He swore on the way to Mateo’s ranch that he passed at least two cars he’d never seen in town before, and that one of them was a vintage Camaro from the early seventies. In this city of approximately ten thousand residents, he knew everyone by sight at least, if not by name. He almost called Tommy then decided that was useless without a description of the vehicles beyond “red” or “white,” and without at least a partial license plate number. This sucked. It wasn’t like him to be so jumpy or suspicious.
They didn’t normally work on Saturdays, but with the holidays the past couple of weeks, Van wanted them to catch up to where they needed to be. Mateo was a good friend and a steady customer, and Van believed in keeping both close, and in treating them right.
As the morning wore on, he kept expecting to hear something else on the news, but there was nothing. He’d almost convinced himself that he’d been hallucinating yet more strangers in town, when Masio Washington, who monitored the police radio like a hawk, said something about Petronella Mandanici’s house being broken into.
Carma’s great-aunt Pet was one of the matriarchs of the Mandanici clan. The house her late husband, Battista, had built on Sunflower Trail, close to Nash’s estate and the Metcalf estate, was one of the homes where hidden stocks, money, and jewelry had supposedly been stashed. Battista was one of the four men who, along with Nash’s grandfather Colton, Dalton’s grandfather Bryce, and Jason Monroe’s grandfather, Jeb, had allegedly been the ones to hide everything. Most of it had been acquired illegally, if rumors were to be believed, and involved the Mafia.
Mateo came running over to listen to the police radio with Van’s crew, at the same time he called Carma. “Is Aunt Pet okay?”
Van glanced at him. “They didn’t say yet.” He took out his cell phone and called Tommy, who answered on the third ring. “Mateo is on the phone with Carma. Is her great-aunt okay?”
“What? How did you hear about that?”
“We have a police radio. Is she all right?”
“Yes. Let us handle this. Tell Mateo and your crew to stay put.”
“Will do. Thanks.” Van disconnected the call and told Mateo that Aunt Pet was all right. He and Tommy had known each other all their lives and Van knew better than to argue with him when he used that tone. He was a cop, after all, and Van knew Tommy wouldn’t tolerate a vigilante crew in Passion Peak. “Tommy is pissed off, so I can’t ask him anything else.”
Mateo punched the wall then winced and rubbed his hand. “I don’t give a fuck if he’s pissed off. This is bullshit. We have strangers running loose in town, breaking into houses. Why the hell weren’t they watching Aunt Pet’s house? They know who her husband was.”
Van stood and glanced around. There was no one here he couldn’t voice this out loud to. “They can’t be everywhere at once, but I agree they should have at least been watching her house, along with Nash’s and mine. However, there’s a question that bothers me even more. We all heard the news reports. They didn’t name names other than the town, this company, Jason, and Trace. So how do these people know which homes to target? How did they know that Nash’s estate, my house, and Petronella Mandanici’s house are among the places where stolen loot is supposedly buried? Who told them all this?”
* * * *
Rowena was exhausted by the time they pulled onto Turbine Trail. “Which condo is theirs?”
Eve glanced around then pointed. “The one with the porch light on and the bare wisteria vine out front.”
Rowena laughed, despite her exhaustion. “I don’t know what the fuck wisteria looks like in the winter.”
“Never mind. We’re here. This is it.” Eve barely waited until Rowena had put the SUV in “park” before jumping out and running toward the front door as it opened. The others got out, and Rowena watched a blond, blue-eyed man who looked nothing like Eve, and sporting a huge grin, come down the front steps and sweep Eve up into a bear hug.
“Hello, cowboy.” Next to her, Summer gawked at Evan, who did indeed look the epitome of a cowboy, with his faded jeans, plaid shirt, and dusty boots. The only thing missing was the hat.
Rowena gave her a sideways glance as the five walked toward the condo. “Should I call Dalton and Wes and tell them you’re leaving them to move to Racy?”
“Fuck you,” she whispered. Rowena laughed. She’d always liked Summer, and it was wonderful to see her come out of her shell like this. Six months ago, she’d have never sworn like that in public, even in a whisper. Dalton and Wes were obviously good for her.
Eve introduced everyone, and then they went inside to meet Thayer Denning, Evan’s best friend and business partner and Cherilyn Barker’s other Dom. Thayer’s warm gray eyes matched his handshake, and his dark hair fell over his face in a way that reminded Rowena of the lock of hair that always fell over Van’s forehead. She wished he
could have come with them.
Cherilyn was bubbly and just as welcoming as her Doms. Her dark bangs covered her eyes so much that Rowena wondered how she could see, and her dark eyes reminded Rowena of Eve’s. To say she glowed was an understatement. Apparently the ménages in this town were as good for the participants here as they were for those in Passion Peak. Maybe she and Van were missing out on something?
“The condo you’re staying in is three doors down,” said Evan. “It’s actually mine but I haven’t had any luck in selling it. Everyone wants to live on the east end of town in the newer complex.”
“We really appreciate it,” said Rowena.
“We’re happy to let you all stay there. There are two queen beds plus a sleeper sofa, and Cherilyn insisted on us buying new sheets and towels for all of you to use.”
“You didn’t have to go to that much trouble. And don’t worry about the sleeping arrangements. Felicity, Eve, and I brought air mattresses. Angela gets a bed the whole time since she’s preggo, and the rest of us will just alternate, or flip for it.”
Cherilyn gave Angela a wistful look. “When are you due?”
Angela smiled and placed her hands over her abdomen. “June fifteenth.”
“We’re giving her a baby shower at the end of May,” said Carma. “Maybe you can come?”
“I’d like that.” Cherilyn glanced at Thayer and Evan, who both shrugged.
“Sure,” said Evan. “Maybe we’ll close the gym and take the trip with you? That would be fun.”
“You’d close the gym for that long?” asked Eve. “I don’t believe it.” Evan and Thayer co-owned The Fit Bod, Racy’s gym.
The men laughed, and Evan nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. We wouldn’t. But we have staff who could handle things for a while. We’ll talk about it, okay?”
Cherilyn clapped her hands. “I’ve never been to Colorado.”
Felicity lifted her chin. “Not to change the subject, but do I smell olive oil and eggplant?”
Cherilyn grinned. “Yep. I hope you’re hungry. We ordered a feast from Gino’s Ristoranti. Come on. Let’s eat, and then we’ll help you settle in.”
* * * *
Sunday morning, Van searched for new stories about Trace Coleman or Jason Monroe online while he waited for Rowena to call. Racy was two hours ahead of Passion Peak, and it was seven in the morning where he was, but she might be sleeping in late. She’d done all the driving, and he knew she must be exhausted.
They’d talked last night after the girls got settled in at the condo where they were staying, and Van had almost told her about Aunt Pet’s house, but decided that wasn’t his place. He wasn’t sure whether Mateo and Blaine had told Carma yet, and he didn’t want to step on their toes.
Last night, Van had been able to learn that nothing was taken from the home. Pet’s German Shepherd, Goombah, had apparently scared off the would-be thieves. The property damage amounted to a broken pane on her back door, nothing more. Van thought it wasn’t very ingenious or smart of them to break into a house without first making sure its owner wasn’t there, or that she didn’t have a dog her own family wouldn’t go near because he was so mean.
He’d been online almost two hours, had drunk an entire pot of coffee, and was in the process of trying to make eggs and toast without also making a mess of the kitchen when his cell phone finally rang.
“Good morning. I’m sorry we slept so late.”
He smiled. “How is Indiana?”
“Cold, snowy, and you’re not here.”
“I had trouble sleeping last night, and not just from the food. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. I slept well despite having lost the coin toss for the other bed or the sleeper sofa. And actually, this air mattress isn’t half bad. I may just use it for the duration.”
“That’ll make you appreciate our warm, large, comfy bed all the better when you’re home again.” His dick was rock hard now. Perfect. “Do you have big plans today?”
“Yes, actually. Maddox McCree has invited us to his house for lunch, and we’re going to see his club. It’s not open for play today, but he’s giving us a private tour.”
Van laughed. “All right. Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?”
“Oh shut up. I’ll be with everyone. If I faint or something, there will be plenty of people around.”
“Oh, okay. That makes it all better then.” He scooped the eggs onto a plate and popped up the toaster.
“Are those cooking sounds I hear? You’re making food?”
“Trying to.”
“I’m impressed.”
“All right, smart-ass. You’re racking up points here. You do know that, right?”
“I know it.” Van suppressed a moan at the sexy tones in her voice. “How is Snowball? Is she miserable without me?”
“Yes. She’s moping around like she’s lost her best friend. I’ll pay extra attention to her. Promise.”
“Okay. I’ll call you later and let you know how the club tour went.”
“Please do.” He couldn’t help the smile in his voice.
“I heard that undertone. It’s a good thing I love you so much.”
“I know. Believe me. I know. I love you, too. Talk to you later.”
Van let Snowball jump up on the dining room table even though he knew Rowena would have a holy hiss fit if she saw the cat up there. He even gave her some eggs, but she didn’t want any of the toast. “Don’t blame you there. It’s a bit burned.”
This was going to be a long couple of weeks. After Van ate, he carried the dishes into the kitchen and Snowball followed. As he started to wash them, he hoped there would be no more news of homes being broken into. Maybe the men had been scared enough by the dog that they’d give up and go home now?
“Yeah,” he said, glancing down at Snowball. “And maybe unicorns will dance down Jupiter Street this spring?”
Chapter Eleven
Rowena twirled in slow circles, trying to grasp all the books in Maddox’s library. The others were down the hall in the club, but Rowena had had a difficult time taking full breaths while still standing on the three stairs that led down into the sunken room. She’d bowed out of the tour with the excuse that she was simply tired and needed to sit down for a while. If anyone thought she was lying, they hadn’t shown it.
“It’s really amazing, isn’t it?”
She whirled around to face a pretty woman with intelligent blue eyes and brown hair that hung to her shoulders. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater, but it was her three-inch heels that caught Rowena’s eyes. “I love those. Where did you get them?” They were navy, like the sweater, but studded with rhinestones. She wondered if Van would like her wearing them…and nothing else?
The woman laughed softly, walking forward with her hand extended. “Tye Me Up. The fetish shop here in town on Lawnview Drive. Kari Tye and Alexa Monahan own it. I’m Julie Carruthers, and you must be Rowena Whitney. Maddox said you were in here, resting from your long drive.
Rowena shook Julie’s hand. “Nice to meet you. So, you live here then, right?” Eve had explained all the triads, but Rowena was still trying to keep all their names straight.
“Yes, I do. Maddox and Sean Brennan, who unfortunately is working second shift today, are my Doms. Sean is a detective on the Racy police force, and he lives here as well.”
Rowena faced the center of the library again. “How many books does Maddox have in here?” She wondered if he and Julie had ever had sex in here. How many rooms did he have in this mansion? Had she and her two Doms christened each one yet? Van always joked that they still had a few rooms in their house where they hadn’t yet fucked.
“He has 4,729.”
Rowena laughed. “Did you count them?”
Julie’s smile was warm and comforting. “No, but he did. I had the same reaction as you the first time I saw this room. I wanted to curl up in one of those chairs, light a fire, and just read.”
Julie crossed the room to one
of the shelves and ran a manicured nail along the spines. “I try to spend at least a few hours in here each week. I figure by the time I’m old enough to retire, I might have read a tenth of them.”
“What do you do?” Eve had told her that, too, but she couldn’t recall it right now.
She turned to face Rowena. “I’m a psychologist. I have a practice here in town.”
Had she been set up? No. Julie’s eyes didn’t hold any hint of that. “What a coincidence.” Rowena took a seat in the nearest chair as frustration and confusion washed over her.
Julie sat across from her and crossed her long legs. “Why is it a coincidence?”
“Because Van, my husband, and I were just talking about me seeking one out.”
“I see. Does that have anything to do with the reason you aren’t in the club with the rest of them right now?”
“Partly. I suppose. I seem to have issues once inside them.” Why was she telling this to a stranger? What was it about this woman that put her so at ease? Had Carma told Julie about her? That seemed unlikely. Then again, Carma’s cousin, Annalise, lived here in Racy, too. They had plans to visit her, Chad, and Dustin tomorrow. It’s possible that Carma had said something to Annalise, and Annalise had then talked to Julie.
“May I tell you a story?”
“Sure.” Anything to keep from having to talk about her dilemma. She’d come here to see another club, and now she couldn’t even get past the threshold. How the hell was this ever going to work between her and Van?
“The first time I set foot inside this house or the club was on Alexa’s birthday, almost a year ago in February. Kari, her best friend, threw a surprise party for her here. I had known both Maddox and Sean in school, but nothing ever happened. To say I was a wallflower is an understatement. And those two were like Greek gods. We worshipped them.”
Rowena smiled. That was Van’s past, too. Every girl in school had drooled over him.
“Maddox was flirting with me, but I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I mean, me? And him? Not possible. But that very night…” Julie uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. “Not only did I get my first introduction to a BDSM lifestyle and impact play, but Maddox and I became lovers. All because of a birthday party.”