Fate, p.12
Fate, page 12
I pulled into the driveway of the rental she used when she was in town, left the car, and pounded on the door.
The door opened, and Wendy stood there.
Buck naked.
“I’ve been waiting for you.” She opened the screen door.
“For God’s sake, anyone on the street can see you.”
“Do you think I care?”
No, she didn’t care. Wendy had a killer body, and she knew it. She loved showing it off…especially to me.
This woman had everything—beauty, brains, a family who seemed to love her. Why was she troubled?
The issues had emerged slowly in the six years since I’d met her. Little eccentricities that at first had added to her charm. Now? Pulling a gun on Murph and confronting Daphne in her dorm room? She’d graduated to the beginnings of insanity.
She needed help.
I walked in. “Put some clothes on.”
“I don’t think so. Drink?”
“No.”
“Mind if I have one?”
“Actually, I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Don’t be such a square, Brad. A few years ago, you loved to tie one on with me.”
“A few years ago, I was a teenager.”
“With the body and sexual prowess of a man.” She raised one eyebrow. “I miss those days, don’t you?”
No. I didn’t say it, though. Getting her angry wasn’t the best way to begin this conversation that I knew would end with her mad as hell.
“Sometimes,” I said. Not a lie. I missed a few things about those days, just not anything having to do with her.
She poured herself a glass of wine. Red. Always red. Wendy said once that red wine reminded her of the deep red of blood as it ran through arteries. I’d brushed it off at the time. Now it made me kind of nervous.
She took a sip. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Brad?”
I took the glass from her and set it on the table. “Go get dressed, and we’ll talk.”
She picked the glass back up and took another sip. “You want to talk to me? You’ll do it now, and I won’t be dressed. In fact…”
“What?”
“I don’t think I feel much like talking. That is, unless you get undressed as well.”
“No deal.” I yanked the glass from her again, drips of burgundy splashing onto her naked torso.
“Well”—she batted her eyes—“the bedroom is your domain, and I’m happy to talk in there if you’d like. You still have to get naked, though.”
Fine. If it took getting her into her bedroom to listen to me, that was what I’d do. I lifted my T-shirt over my head.
She sucked in a breath.
“Get in the bedroom. Now.”
She trotted to the closed door and opened it. “You going to finish getting naked now?”
“This is my domain, as you’ve admitted. I give the orders in here.”
She sat down on the bed, her body flushed with heat. “God, yes. You give the orders in here, baby. Always.”
“That’s right. Never forget it.” A pair of handcuffs sat on the dresser. “Where’s the key to these?”
“Top drawer.”
I opened the drawer, found the key quickly, and placed it in my pocket. “Grab a rung of the headboard.”
She moved slowly to the head of the bed.
“Faster!” I yelled.
She nearly jumped and grabbed a rung with her right hand. I quickly cuffed her wrist and clicked the other cuff into place around the rung.
“What are you going to do to me, Brad? I want juicy details.”
“Shut the fuck up, or you’ll get nothing.”
“But—”
I grabbed a roll of duct tape, also on top of her dresser. I ripped off a piece and slammed it over her lips. “I thought I told you to shut the fuck up. Since you can’t be trusted to obey me, I’ll take care of it for you.”
She moved her hips. Yeah, she was turned on. News to her, though. She wasn’t getting any tonight. At least not from me.
“You will answer my questions with a nod or shake of your head. Do you understand?”
She nodded, her eyes wide.
“Are you wet right now?”
She nodded.
“Do you want me to fuck you hard?”
She nodded, this time quickly with jerky movements.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint you, then. You’ve been a very bad girl, Wendy.”
She undulated her hips. She knew what I usually did to her when she was bad. I spanked her or flogged her. She loved that.
Not tonight, though. Not ever again.
“More questions first,” I said.
She nodded.
“Did you pull a gun on Sean Murphy?”
Her head remained still, and her cheeks went white.
“You must think I’m stupid. Did you really think he wouldn’t tell me? Now answer me, or you’ll get nothing. Did you pull a gun on Sean Murphy?”
She nodded slowly.
“Did you go to Daphne Wade’s dorm and tell her I’d hurt her?”
Again, whiteness flooded her rosy skin.
“Answer me!”
She nodded again.
Not that I needed her nod to know the truth. I never doubted Murph or Daphne. But now that she’d admitted it, we could move forward.
“You ever go anywhere near either of them again, you’ll regret it,” I said between clenched teeth.
Now her cheeks reddened again, but this wasn’t the turned-on blush of earlier.
I’d seen Wendy angry many times before. We were still in the bedroom, and in here, I was the boss. I moved toward her and unceremoniously ripped the duct tape from her mouth. “Don’t say a fucking word,” I whispered.
She kept her mouth shut.
“Let me tell you what’s going to happen here,” I said. “You’re going to leave Sean Murphy alone. He can take care of himself, but stay the fuck away anyway. He’s not your business.”
She opened her mouth, but I silenced her with a gesture.
“I’m talking now. You’re not to say a damned thing.”
She nodded jerkily.
“Murphy, or anyone else I know at school. You stay the fuck away. Especially from Daphne Wade.”
“You don’t know everything about your sweet, innocent Daphne,” she said.
“Did I tell you to talk?”
She shook her head.
“Right. I did not. Open your mouth again and I’ll tape you back up and leave you this way. You can think about it all night while you’re cuffed to the bed with no one whipping you or fucking you.”
She remained silent.
“I know who she is. She’s Larry’s half sister. They’re not close. Larry never lived with Daphne. He lived with his mother. Larry doesn’t know shit about her, and neither do you. She’s off your radar. Got it? You so much as go within a mile of her, and you’ll be sorry.”
She opened her mouth, but I motioned for her to keep quiet.
“You want a smack?”
Stupid question. She probably did want it. Wendy liked rough sex that pushed the boundaries. She was a masochist in that way, but in no way was she a true submissive. She liked the pain, but she’d never bow to anyone’s will.
Anyone’s except mine, that was.
I alone could control Wendy, and I meant to do it now.
“Any questions?”
She nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“What’s in this for me?”
The question I knew was coming, and the question for which there was only one answer.
Wendy needed nothing. She had her own money, thanks to her business acumen and my investments. She had a family who loved her and doted on her, though they seemed ignorant of her troubled ways. Perhaps because she was an only child. They couldn’t see her faults. She had a band of lackeys—Theo, Tom, and Larry—to carry out her business deals and other wishes.
She had no needs. Nothing I could offer her to keep her in line.
Except the one thing she coveted most in the world.
Me.
I was now taken, so I had to find another way.
To do that, I had to drive to the ranch.
Tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Daphne
My first nighter date turned out to be a nice guy named Jason Durham, who was nearly as tall as Brad. He was a football player, very muscular, and pretty good-looking too. Any other time, I’d be thrilled.
But all I could think about was what he wasn’t.
He wasn’t Brad Steel.
He made no secret that he felt he’d hit the jackpot with me. I was flattered, but I didn’t return the compliment. I couldn’t.
Nine o’clock rolled around. Only an hour until Brad.
Still another hour to fill with Jason. Patty was happy with her date, and she came clamoring up to Jason and me. “We’re going for ice cream. You guys want to come?”
“Sounds fun,” Jason said. “You up for it?”
“I…don’t think so.”
“Come on, Daph,” Patty said. “We’re just going over to the Cage on campus.”
“Oh, okay.” That was different. I could get quickly back to the dorm. “Sure. I’m in.”
We walked to the Cage. I didn’t need to talk much, because Patty was always a lively conversationalist, and Jason and Patty’s date, Rex, added to the talking as well. All fine with me.
We arrived and ordered our ice cream. Patty laughed when I ordered vanilla.
“All these flavors, Daph, and you want vanilla?”
“It’s my favorite.” Which it was. I liked chocolate, but vanilla always seemed creamy and perfect to me.
Patty laughed. “You know? It fits you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know…”
Was she alluding to my virginity? If so, it was none of the guys’ business.
“Don’t tell me,” Rex said. “We actually have a virgin here on campus?”
My cheeks warmed. I could deny it, but Patty would know I was lying. Why should I deny it anyway? It wasn’t anything to be ashamed of.
“Yes,” I said.
“Interesting,” Jason said. “Why are you waiting?”
“I’m not waiting. I just haven’t met anyone yet that I’m willing to do that with.”
He smiled. “Maybe you met someone tonight.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I thought we were getting along really well,” he said.
“Could we please not talk about this here? My virginity is not up for debate.”
“Yeah, of course,” he said. “Sorry.”
“I’m sorry too, Daph,” Patty said.
Yeah, she should be, but I wasn’t going to argue with her in front of two virtual strangers. We’d have words later.
“I’m willing to take that problem off your hands any time,” Jason whispered in my ear.
“Not really in the mood after this conversation,” I said quietly.
He nodded and took a seductive lick of his chocolate peanut butter in a waffle cone. Was that supposed to turn me on?
Because it didn’t. In fact, it kind of made me want to puke.
“There’s a big party at my dorm tonight,” Rex was saying. “What do you say we all go over there after this? The RAs are getting us a keg.”
“Sounds great!” Patty said. “You guys should come too.”
“I’m up for it,” Jason agreed.
I looked at my watch. Nine thirty. “I have plans.”
“At nine thirty?” Jason asked.
“No,” I said. “At ten, actually.”
“For fuck’s sake.” Jason shook his head. “You got a boyfriend or something?”
“Not if she’s a virgin,” Rex said.
I stood. “I think I’m done here.” I threw my uneaten vanilla cone into a nearby wastebasket.
Jason stood reluctantly. “I suppose I should walk you back.”
“Please,” I said, “don’t trouble yourself.”
“It’s dark. I’d hate for something to happen to you.”
Okay, maybe my first impression of him was right. He was a nice guy after all. Why did the subject of my virginity turn a nice guy into a jerk?
“Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate it.”
“Hey, just because I’m not going to get lucky isn’t a reason to let you walk alone and get attacked.”
Right. My second impression was definitely on the money. Still, I’d take the escort back to my dorm. I took self-protection seriously after Mariel’s lecture.
He didn’t try to hold my hand or anything. We just walked back to the dorm pretty much in silence. When we got to the building, my nerves started to jump. What to say now? “Nice knowing you?”
“Nice meeting you, Daphne,” Jason said.
“Yeah. You too.”
“I have to tell you. I was thrilled when I saw you. You’re the most beautiful woman in our class.”
“You’ve actually seen all the girls in our class?”
“I’ve seen enough to know I hit the jackpot tonight. At least I thought I did.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve already met someone.”
“I kind of got that impression. He’s who you’re meeting at ten?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded. “Lucky guy. I’m…er…sorry about the shit we gave you about…”
“My virginity?”
“Yeah. That was immature. I don’t even know Rex.”
“Probably not a bad thing.”
He gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek. “If things don’t work out with your other guy, give me a call. At any rate, I’m really glad we met.”
Okay, back to first impression. Jason was a nice guy. He just acted like a jerk around Rex because that was what guys did. I still wasn’t thrilled that Patty had broadcast my virginity to our dates. Most likely she’d be out late or all night again, so our words would have to wait until tomorrow.
“Deal,” I said.
He smiled and walked away as I entered the building. It was nearly ten. I had to change into jeans before Brad arrived.
I was surprised to find him standing outside the door of my room.
He looked at his watch. “There you are. I was getting worried.”
“I still have a few minutes,” I said.
He grabbed me and planted a quick kiss on my lips. Sparks shot through me.
“Change of plans,” he said. “I have to go home to the ranch tonight.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. It’s important. Shit I have to do.”
“Oh.” I tried not to sound too disappointed, but inside I was devastated. I’d so been looking forward to more time with him.
“Hey,” he said. “Come with me.”
I widened my eyes. Had I heard him correctly?
“Yeah. Our house is huge. Plenty of room. You can meet my parents.”
“Don’t you live on…”
“The western slope, yeah. It’s a five-hour drive from here, and I have to leave now so I’m not driving all night.”
“Classes start next week.”
“It’s Friday. We’ll be back Sunday evening.”
“But there’s—”
“More orientation?”
No. Orientation was basically over. Now we had the weekend to get settled before classes began on Monday. “Not exactly.”
“Then come. Please.”
“What will I do while you’re doing whatever it is you need to go home to do?”
“You can hang out with my mom. You’ll love her.”
“Brad, no. This is too soon. It’s…weird.”
“I don’t want to be away from you.”
“It’s only two days.”
“I know.” His eyes got a far-off look. “Seems like years. But I understand. How was your evening?”
“It was okay.”
“Just okay?”
“Yeah. My date was a nice enough guy, he just wasn’t…”
“Me?”
I laughed. “Well…yeah.”
He stroked my hair. “Come with me, Daphne. I know it sounds crazy. It probably is. But I really want you to come.”
Drive off in the middle of the night with a guy I hadn’t yet known a week? Crazy. Completely crazy. I was batty to even be considering it.
But one look into his dark eyes, and I knew my answer.
“Okay.”
Chapter Thirty
Brad
Daphne fell asleep around midnight. We hadn’t talked a lot, just mundane conversation, except that nothing was mundane with Daphne. She looked like a dream in her first nighter dress. I almost begged her to keep it on, but it probably wasn’t the most comfortable thing to wear for a late-night road trip.
She wore jeans, flip-flops, and a Styx T-shirt, and she was sleeping peacefully in the reclined passenger seat of my truck.
She looked so peaceful and serene.
Had I made the right decision, asking her to join me? I had shit to do that I wasn’t looking forward to, but I’d still have time to spend with her, show her my home, let her see the beauty of the western slope. Peaches and apples were in season, fresh off the trees from our orchard. It was perfect timing all around.
Except for the stuff I wasn’t particularly looking forward to.
But that wouldn’t take long. Wendy had an Achilles’ heel other than me, and I had to take advantage of it.
Larry and Tom were already at school. As for Theo, I never knew when he’d show up. He might be around. Rodney Cates might be around. He and Theo’s sister were a couple that started all the way back in high school, and they spent time in Snow Creek sometimes.
Those days seemed like another lifetime, but when I returned to Snow Creek, it all came back to me like it was yesterday.
That wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
I’d had some amazing times in my hometown and on my ranch. I’d also had some dark times—times I wished I could take back, remove from my life.
Most of those times took place during my high school years as a member of the Future Lawmakers Club at Tejon Prep School in Grand Junction, a half-hour drive from Snow Creek.
The Future Lawmakers.
