“You don’t know them like I do. So just be prepared for anything,” Braxton stated.
“Are they dangerous?”
“Not really. They prefer fun to harm, and when I mean fun, think like a child. That is the only way you will manage to escape whatever it is they have planned. They are basically harmless, but man can they create chaos better than anyone I’ve ever seen. And to make matters worse, it’s controlled chaos.”
“You can’t control chaos, Braxton. No one can.”
Smiling, Braxton just said, “Just wait and see.”
“I ran the name Hickenbottom like you asked. The man is not nice. He was arrested ten years ago for beating up his son. Then two years later, he was arrested again for causing a disturbance at a gay rights festival. His latest arrest was five years ago, when he ran over two men, killing one of them and severely injuring the other. He is currently in prison doing ten to fifteen for second-degree manslaughter. The man he killed was his son and the other guy he put in a wheelchair was his son’s partner.”
“Fuck,” Braxton growled. “That means Zac was right.”
“That’s scary.” Landon chuckled. “What was Zac right about?”
“Zac told me that Sophie was just protecting one of her sons. That she didn’t intentionally attack Hickenbottom. And with what you found out, a lot of the pieces to this puzzle just don’t fit. If Hickenbottom attacked one of Sophie’s sons, then she was justified in her actions. No judge would condemn a mother for protecting her child. However, if Hickenbottom did hurt one of the boys, why did he do it? Why would he attack one of them?”
“From my report, Hickenbottom seemed to have issues with the gay community. Is one of Sophie’s sons gay?”
“No.” Braxton laughed. “Those boys cut a path through this valley shacking up with every woman they could get their hands on. No, none of the boys are gay, Landon.”
“What about bi? You’re bi. You are married to a man and a woman.”
Shaking his head, Braxton thought about that for a second but quickly dismissed it. “No. I don’t think so. Well, I definitely know that Jack and Brannon are not. However, now that I think about it, it was right about the time of Sophie first trial that Conner disappeared. He very rarely leaves the ranch anymore. If this Hickenbottom person beat up Conner, I could understand why Sophie went postal on him. From what I know, Conner was sick when he was born, and Sophie almost lost him. She has always babied him, and so have the others. However, I still don’t see him being bisexual. He may be quiet and reserved, but he’s just like his brothers.”
Just then, Braxton and Landon stared as Captain America, Batman, Superman. and Wonder Woman sped past on Harley Davidson motorcycles, their capes flapping in the wind. Braxton slammed on the brakes, and both men turned to make sure they were not seeing things. When they were positive they were still sane, they slowly turned back around, and Landon muttered, “We keep this to ourselves, okay?”
“Exactly,” Braxton replied, stepping on the gas again.
* * * *
Meanwhile over at the Crystal Tumbler, Hello Kitty and the Joker walked into the bar. Taking a seat near the window so they could alert the town when the villains arrived, neither one spoke.
It was an easy gig, except for the beautiful woman sitting across from him.
Apollo Humperdinck had loved Fairy Nicklebocker since the third grade when she and her family moved to Celestial. Soft, sweet, and full of energy, Fairy twinkled into his life and never left. Nevertheless, no matter what he did, or how much he tried, he never could capture her heart. Resolved to silently loving her, he had no other choice, and last year he set her free. It wasn’t easy, since she worked with him and he saw her every day, but he did what he had to. He stared dating everything and anything with two legs, and availed himself to his sexual prowess. He was a cicisbeo, a gigolo, a cad, but mainly he was a man whore.
“How much longer before they get here?” she asked, looking out the window.
“It shouldn’t be long now,” he replied lowly. “Thank you for making my brothers let me go.”
“I don’t know why you don’t stick up for yourself. If you don’t, they are going to continue to walk all over you.”
“They are meaner than me.”
“I don’t know…Lately, you seem to have taken a couple of pages from their playbook.”
“I’m sorry if I hurt you, Fairy. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. What’s done is done. There is no going back.”
“Still, I shouldn’t have slept with your sister.”
“No you shouldn’t have,” she chastised.
“Can you ever forgive me?”
“Maybe, when I’m still not mad at you.”
“Are you really leaving?”
“Yes.”
“Will you come back?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll miss you while you’re away.”
“I know,” she sighed, and turned to look at him. Apollo wanted to take back so many things where she was concerned, but if he could only have one do over, it would be that night. That night, his life forever changed, and there was no fixing what he had done.
He was just about to try again for the millionth time when she grabbed his hand and squeezed. “They’re here!”
* * * *
It looked like a scene out of the movie It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Braxton groaned, Zac whistled, and Landon actually had the audacity to laugh. “Well, this should be easy enough.”
“This is so cool!” Zac grinned, taking in the sight before him. “Maybe I should take you up on your job offer, Braxton.”
“We’re never going to find her,” Braxton said, looking around the town of Celestial.
“This is a joke right?” Landon asked. “They can’t be serious.”
“Nope.” Braxton sighed. “This is just a ruse to keep us occupied.”
“Well, it’s working, dude. This shit is funny as hell.” Zac smiled.
“This is not funny, Zac. Everyone looks the same,” Braxton shouted.
“I’ve always wanted to play a real-life version of this game,” Zac said, spellbound as he looked at everyone around him. Running into the crowd, Zac shouted, “Let’s find Waldo!”
“God help us. We’re never gonna see him again, are we?” Landon asked stoically. Shaking his head, Braxton waded through the crowed, searching for Jack. He had to give the residents of Celestial kudos. They had literally outdone themselves this time. Every last one of them were dressed in the exact same clothing of red-and-white striped shirts, blue jeans, black shoes, and a beanie cap on. It was going to be like finding a nail in a haystack, only this time the haystack was about five hundred adult-sized Waldos.
Pushing his way through the sea of cloned Waldos, Braxton spotted Larry, Curly, and Moe from the Three Stooges as they exited the Cosmic Emporium and disappeared into the crowd.
“This town keeps getting weirder and weirder.” Shaking his head, he walked off toward the sheriff’s office when Little Bo Peep and her lost sheep started running from Goldie Locks and her three bears. “What the hell is going on here?”
“Oh, it’s a cosmic comic book carnival,” Pisces said, walking over to him, naked. Closing his eyes and asking for strength, Braxton looked up at the blue sky and replied.
“Pisces, go put some fucking clothes on.”
“I’m covered. See?”
When Braxton looked at the sheriff of Celestial, he groaned. “Wearing He-Man underpants is not clothing. Go put some pants on.”
“I can’t. I have to head over to the Love Den because Ma and Pa Kettle are refusing to participate in the body sculpting exercise that Beowulf set up. He’s real pissed and threatening to throw them out on their keisters.”
Pinching the brow of his nose, Braxton said, “I don’t even want to know what any of that meant. Just tell me you know where Sophie and her sons are at?”
“Haven’t seen them, but I did see a dish and a spoon walking toward the Best Lay Hotel a few minutes ago, just as Charlie’s Angels exited. Maybe if you find Mother Goose, she would have more information. Better yet, pray to the moon. The moon knows everything. Sorry I can’t stay and help ya, but I really gotta go. Bye!” Pisces shouted as he, too, soon disappeared in the sea of Waldos.
Braxton really hated this town.
* * * *
Jack, Brannon, Conner, and Katarina watched as Braxton turned and headed for the Best Lay Hotel. Everything was working according to the plan, and by the looks of it, the town of Celestial was having a blast. They had passed their mother and Aunt Anne, who were perfectly dressed as a dish and spoon, and smiled, knowing that the fun had just begun.
Across the street, standing in from of the Cosmic Emporium, the Three Stooges nodded.
Everyone was ready for phase two.
Jack pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial two. Within seconds, a female voice came on the line. “Macie’s Diner, Macie speaking.”
“Wilbur’s ready for Charlotte,” Jack simply said, and instantly Macie laughed.
“Charlotte is spinning her web of fire. ETA in twenty minutes, good luck.”
“Thanks, Macie,” Jack said before hanging up. “The hell kitten of Treasure Cove is loose, and she’s on her way.”
“Are you sure we can contain her? Once she gets started, nothing stops her,” Brannon asked, knowing damn well what Charlotte was capable of doing. He also knew that if anyone could distract the sheriff of Treasure Cove, it was his wife.
“She knows what to do. Besides, Rafe gave her something to keep Wilbur occupied for quite some time.” Jack grinned.
“What?” Brannon asked.
“A fire baton.”
“What!” Brannon yelled. “Are you fucking crazy? You cannot give Charlotte fire to play with. She is hostile enough as it is. Giving her fire is like adding gasoline to an inferno. She is going to burn this town down.”
“No, she won’t. There’s only enough juice in the baton to grab Wilbur’s attention. I may be crazy, but I ain’t stupid.”
“That still remains to be seen. Look, we can’t stand here and argue about it now. Just do me a favor. Call over to the Aquatic Fire Depot and let the boys know, just in case Charlotte gets a little devious. Conner needs to head over to the Crystal Tumbler. I will take Katarina over to the Flowering Tea Pot and wait for Conner’s call, and, Jack, be careful. Stealing a squad car is a real crime.”
“I won’t get caught, and I ain’t stealing it. I’m just moving it down the street and out of the way,” Jack replied before he ran down the street.
Conner had just ducked inside the Crystal Tumbler when he heard Braxton shouting at Landon.
“We have to go now! Someone is robbing the Treasure Cove bank!”
“What about the fugitive?” Landon replied.
“I don’t care. We have a real crime happening back in my town. Macie said she saw Caped Crusaders fleeing the bank, and the alarms are going off. We have to go now. You drive. I don’t want to wade back through that sea of Waldos to get to my squad car.”
“Fine, let’s go,” Landon said, hopping in one of the three unmarked vehicles that followed them into Celestial. Conner watched as the large black SUV peeled out of the parking spot and headed back toward Treasure Cove. After sending a text to his brother, Conner walked over to the Heaven’s Pleasures to do a little shopping for his lovely dove.
* * * *
Jack grinned as he read the text message on his phone and quickly donned a new costume. God, he loved this town and everyone in it. None of this would have been possible if they lived anywhere else. With such a free-spirited town and residents eager to help, anything was possible in Celestial. After zipping up, he carefully moseyed around the corner of the Love Den and spotted his mission. After carefully making his way so he wouldn’t trip, he wasn’t surprised to find the doors unlocked and the keys still in the ignition. It took him a few minutes to squeeze himself inside the car, but once he was in, he started up the car and slowly moved it down the street, parking behind the Rainbow Room where the Joker and Hello Kitty were waiting.
“Well hello, Gumby.” Hello Kitty smiled.
“Hey, pretty lady. Ready for phase three?” Jack asked, hugging one of his longtime friends.
“Yep, everyone’s ready. Did you get the file?” she asked, looking up at him. Jack grinned and handed her the manila folder. “Yep, everything you need is in here.”
“Good. I’m going to need at least ten to fifteen minutes to scan, read, and send the files to Matthew. He’s already texted me and said he’s standing by his fax machine waiting. Once he goes over the evidence, he will know if everything the feds have is circumstantial or damaging. Either way, we will know more and what to do next when I get the word. Once we know, I will text Conner, and he can release Mother Goose, the cat, and the fiddle so they can signal to the cow, who will jump over Moon. Once that happens, the dish and the spoon will run away. Don’t worry about her, Jack. I have everything ready. Your mom and Aunt Anne will be long gone before anyone realizes what has happened. All you need to worry about is the fallout. Because once Braxton and the federal agents have had enough, they will start arresting everyone, and then the jig is up. I hope you have your alibi ready, and make sure it’s a good one,” Fairy informed him sternly.
“I’ve got the perfect alibi. Don’t you worry about that. You just make sure Mom and Aunt Anne are long gone and safe.”
“Done, now let’s put the icing on the cake, shall we?” Fairy grinned.
Chapter Thirteen
Katarina and Brannon were in position behind the Flowering Tea Pot, waiting to give the signal for Mother Goose to weave her magic. So far, everything was working perfectly, and the federal agents were running around confused and unsure what to do next. It was comical watching as each of the agents stopped every Waldo impersonator, making sure none of them was who they were looking for. To add to the confusion, poor Braxton and Landon were being pulled back and forth like a damn yo-yo. She wanted to feel sorry for the federal agent and the sheriff, but after witnessing what the town of Celestial was willing to do to protect the Kincaid brothers and their mother, she chose to ignore that pang of guilt and just go with the flow.
As it was right now, she had never had so much fun in her life. For so long, she felt as if she lived a half life, a stalemate, just waiting for her real life to begin. Now, looking around her and holding the hand of one of the men she loved, she knew that being with them would always be an adventure. She may have not liked how they started out, but she couldn’t wait to see how it all would end.
Her mind whirled as images of the prior night’s sex romp fueled her veins. Excitement for more seeped from her body, and with Brannon looking controlled and determined, she wondered what would happen if she were to distract him. She loved distractions.
Pressing herself hard along his long, hard body, she grinned. In her head, Brannon was a superhero, strong, commanding, and insatiable for her. Though he was dressed as a woman right now, she wouldn’t mind him walking around like this, as long as he held her. Willing him to growl, to tell her everything he wanted to do to her, she pressed harder against him, rubbing herself against his firm torso. She knew he wouldn’t say anything—he’s wasn’t much of a talker, especially in the sack. Nevertheless, a girl could dream. Moreover, she was dreaming, dreaming of images of him saying excruciatingly dirty things to her about how hard she made him, about how her pussy belonged to him, and how much he wanted her. Then he’d prove it by impaling her on it until she shuddered and cried, coming all over him.
Instead, he just stood there, barely holding himself upright as he looked out into the town, watching the chaos unfold. Grinding her pussy against his growing erection, she teased him. When he didn’t respond, she huffed in frustration. Get with the program, she thought.
Katarina was thrilled that at least his cock wanted to pla
y, though. She could imagine what it looked like, him pressing into her greedily as she bit his neck. She could feel his body around her, but more than that, she imagined how it would make him feel. She imagined she could force her need into him. You like that, don’t you? She pressed herself harder against him. You want more? You want me to make you come? He shifted, and she slipped around him. Katarina groaned. She lowered her face to his chest, licked, and bit at his flat nipples.
Brannon growled, and she felt pleased, until he pushed away from her.
She looked at his face as he scowled. To her dismay, he did not look pleased.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice coming out higher and more anxious than she’d been aiming for.
“This isn’t working,” he replied, pursing his lips.
The mood was broken.
“But you want this, I know it. I can feel your cock responding.” She narrowed her eyes and moved on him. A pang of pleasure snaked up her body. She felt her chest grow hot and bloom with blush.
He staggered back and fell against the mossy façade of the Tea Pot. He pulled her off him as if she were a rag doll. Katarina gasped at the loss of him and moved away defeated. Now her face was hot, too, and her eyes stung with the threat of tears. What had she done wrong?
His eyebrows drew together as he considered her, barely looking in her eyes. He glanced over at her and seemed exasperated. “You’re trying too hard to dominate me. You have me, kitty Kat. I’m yours. Just be with me because you want the pleasure, not because you feel the need to control everything. I love you, Katarina. I have since the first moment I laid eyes on you, but you don’t always have to be in control. We can love each other without all the domination. I don’t require it all the time, and I have a feeling you don’t either. Can’t we just make love for the sake of making love?” he asked, placing a hand on her hip, fitting along the curve perfectly, as if it were made for him.
The Mistress's Misfits [The Men of Treasure Cove 11] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 15