STEAMPUNK ROMANCE: An Innovative Clockwork Steampunk World Adventure: The Complete Collection Boxed Set (Mystery Suspense Romance Short Stories)

by Haven, Rose

  Sally shifted forward on the counter and wrapped her legs around Evan’s waist, running her hands up his arms and over his shoulders. She cupped his face in her hands and drew him to her, kissing him deeply. His body responded immediately, his need for her bubbling up inside of him. He cupped her buttocks and lifted her off the counter, carrying her to his bedroom, her legs still locked around his waist. Once in his room, Evan set her on her feet and reached to pull her shirt over her head. Sally playfully slapped at his hand and, planting her palms against his chest, pushed him backward. She unbuttoned his shirt and discarded it on the floor before reaching for his belt. She undid his jeans and pulled them and his boxers over his thighs, pushing him down to sit naked on the edge of the bed. He reached for her and she took a step back, just out of arms-length and slowly undressed herself in front of him, swaying her hips as she moved and watching his eyes go dark with hunger. When she was naked, she took a step toward him and dropped to her knees in front of him, taking him into her mouth.

  Evan’s sharp intake of air spurred her on and she licked up and down the length of him, then drew him into her mouth sucking deeply. His hands came up to tangle in her hair and it was all he could do not to come right then. He groaned and pulled her up and onto his lap, crushing her mouth with his. She shifted slightly and slid herself over his throbbing erection, feeling it join her aching core. Evan grabbed her hips with his hands and held her still, afraid that if she moved he would explode. Once he felt the pounding need of his pulse slightly ebb, he guided her hips into a slow rhythm and she rode him while he buried his face in her breasts and scattered kisses over her collarbones.

  Feeling Sally’s slick warmth begin to tighten around him, Evan lifted her off of him, wanting to prolong her ecstasy. He laid her on her stomach and stretched himself over her, kissing her shoulders, neck and back. He came up onto his knees, pulling her up onto all fours where she opened up fully for him. He slid himself into her and thrust forward while simultaneously pulling her hips back toward him. He varied the speed of his strokes from quick to slow and this time when he felt Sally tighten around him he didn’t stop, driving himself into her until they both reached a fevered climax.

  Later as Evan lay staring up at the ceiling with Sally asleep next to him, he realized that he’d never been this happy in his life. Why, then, was he filled with such a strong sense of foreboding?

  Sally

  Over the next few weeks, summer faded into fall, darkness coming earlier and a crispness invading the air. Trying to keep her relationship with Evan a secret simply wasn’t possible anymore since she smiled like an idiot anytime she was around him. Most people in town were genuinely happy for them but there were a few jealous local girls who’d had their eyes on Evan before she came to town that gave her the cold shoulder in the grocery store. Whether it bothered Sally, or whether she even noticed it, no one really knew. She and Evan were so enthralled with one another, they seemed oblivious to most things. They settled into a routine, Sally spending more and more time at Evan’s ranch. On the nights that she worked until close, she stayed in her own place.

  One such night, she went to unlock her door and realized she didn’t have her keys with her. She patted the pockets of her jeans and jacket but came up empty. Fortunately Buck was still downstairs checking on inventory so she went to him in search of a spare.

  “Luckily I haven’t had a chance to change those locks yet,” Buck said, fishing a spare key to the apartment from under the till and handing it to her.

  “No worries Buck,” she stated, grabbing the key. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Sally went back upstairs and let herself in, searching around the apartment for her missing keys. Not able to find them, she decided she was too tired to care and went to get ready for bed. She opened her drawer to pull out her Mets shirt only to find it missing as well. She rifled through the rest of her drawers and checked the laundry hamper thinking maybe she’d just forgotten to wash it but it wasn’t there. Did she take it to Evan’s? She didn’t think so, but where else could it be? She was starting to feel a little freaked out when the phone rang, startling her so that she nearly jumped out of her skin.

  She grabbed the phone and looked down at the display: Evan. He always called to say goodnight but this time when she answered the phone, something in the tone of his voice made her hair stand on end.

  “Sally?”

  “Yeah. Evan what’s wrong?”

  “Who is Casey Bishop,” Evan asked.

  Sally felt the edges of her vision blur and she nearly dropped the phone.

  “What do you mean,” she asked him, starting to shake involuntarily.

  “I just got a phone call. He said to ask you about Casey Bishop. That she was going to be dead soon and it was your fault. Sally, what the fuck is going on?”

  Sally felt her knees buckle and she slid to the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs.

  “Sally,” Evan yelled into the phone.

  “Evan please, I can explain everything, just please get here as soon as you can,” she said.

  “I’m already on my way,” he said and hung up.

  Sally sat on the floor gently rocking back and forth, feeling numb. She was still clutching the phone tightly in her hand when it rang again.

  “Evan?”

  “Guess again babe,” said a thick south Chicago accent. “Did you miss me?” And with that the lights went out.

  THE END

  Sally and Evan: Past Sins

  Evan

  Evan was about to turn off the lights in his office and head home when his phone rang. He looked down but didn’t recognize the number on the display.

  “Sherriff Cole,” he said into the receiver.

  “Hello Sherriff,” answered a low male voice with a Midwest accent. “How’s Sally?”

  “Who is this,” Evan asked, the hair on the back of his neck standing up.

  The stranger on the other end of the phone laughed. It was not a pleasant sound and Evan’s gut began to clench.

  “I said, who the fuck is this?” He was starting to panic.

  “Tell Sally I said hello,” the voice teased. “And ask her about Casey Bishop. Ask her if she knows Casey’ll be dead soon. And remind her that it’s her fault,” with that the line went dead.

  Evan wanted to throw the phone across the room. Who was that? How did he know Sally? And who the fuck was Casey Bishop? He punched in Sally’s number, praying that she would answer, while grabbing his keys and jacket and heading out to his truck. She answered on the third ring and he blew out a breath.

  “Sally?”

  “Yeah. Evan what’s wrong,” she asked from the other end of the line.

  “Who is Casey Bishop,” Evan asked.

  “What do you mean,” she asked him.

  “I just got a phone call from some guy. He said to ask you about Casey Bishop. That she was going to be dead soon and it was your fault. Sally, what the fuck is going on?”

  She didn’t answer right away and he could hear her breathing become ragged on the other end.

  “Sally,” Evan yelled into the phone.

  “Evan please, I can explain everything, just please get here as soon as you can,” she said.

  “I’m already on my way,” he said and hung up.

  A few minutes later, Evan whipped his truck into the bar parking lot, spitting gravel as he skidded to a halt. The rock in is stomach was getting bigger by the second. He sprinted across the lot and taking the stairs two at a time, noticing half way up that the lights in the apartment were off and the door was open. He unholstered his gun and crept as quietly as possible up the remaining steps. From the landing, he peered inside and willed the blood to stop rushing in his ears so he could listen for any sounds coming from the small apartment. Hearing nothing, he walked in, gun aimed in front of him. He reached for the light switch and the kitchen light came on, revealing signs of a struggle in the small living room. The vase was broken, the flowers strewn all over the f
loor and a dining room chair was overturned. Evan’s stomach began to tighten as he went carefully from room to room, searching for signs that Sally was here. Finding nothing in the small bathroom, he edged his way into the bedroom. Again, signs of a struggle were evident. Dresser drawers were pulled out, the clothes spilling over the tops, and the framed picture of the two of them at the town Labor Day picnic was on the floor. The glass covering had been shattered. Once he knew for certain that Sally wasn’t here, Evan called his night dispatcher and had an APB put out on her. He told the dispatcher to make it known that Sally most likely didn’t leave of her own accord. Evan raced down the stairs back to his truck, feeling useless and terrified. He had no idea where to look for her.

  As he started his engine, his phone rang again. He picked it up and the same voice from earlier came on the line.

  “Sorry we missed you Sherriff,” he mocked.

  “I swear to God, when I find you, you are going to wish you were never born,” Evan spit back.

  “Now, now Sherriff, there’s no need to get nasty,” the voice said. “My girl and I are just going for a ride to sort some things out.”

  “She’s not your girl,” Evan said.

  “Oh but she is. Did you ask her about Casey Bishop? Did she tell you all about that deceitful bitch,” now the voice sounded angry. Angry was not good, not for Sally.

  “Why don’t you tell me about this Casey,” Evan tried to get the guy talking more, trying to get even some piece of information that might lead him to where he was taking Sally. “Was she your girl?”

  “I thought she was,” the voice said, “I gave her everything. Nice cars, nice clothes, nice jewelry. But do you know how she repaid me,” he asked.

  “Let me guess, she left you, broke your heart” Evan said, trying to sound sympathetic, wondering what this had to do with Sally.

  “Oh I wouldn’t be worrying about my heart Sherriff. If I were you, I’d start worrying about yours,” and with that the line went dead.

  Sally

  Sally lay on the backseat of the car, hands and feet tied behind her back. The back of her head was sore from where Joey had grabbed a chunk of her hair and dragged her out of her apartment. She tried to rock herself into a sitting position but to no avail.

  “Don’t wear yourself out there sweetheart,” Joey said from the driver’s seat. “We have a long couple of days ahead of us.”

  “How? How did you get out,” she choked out, her voice raw with fear.

  “That’s all you got for me? No ‘hey Joey, good to see you’? No ‘you’re looking good Joey’? Honestly, I’m disappointed in you babe,” he snarled.

  “How did you find me,” Sally asked.

  “Tell me about your new boyfriend,” Joey deflected her question again. “Sherriff, huh? You really upgraded didn’t you? From criminal to cop, that’s a pretty big leap. Who exactly does he think you are?”

  “Just stop the car and let me out Joey,” she tried, “I’ll say you changed your mind and let me go. I’ll tell Evan not to come after you. He’ll listen to me.”

  “Oh I don’t think so babygirl, he was practically spitting venom through the phone. You’ve got this one hooked, don’t you?”

  “He loves me,” she said quietly.

  “I LOVED YOU!” Joey screamed at her, slamming on the brakes, the car fishtailing on the dirt road. He climbed out of the driver’s seat and yanked the back door open. He grabbed Sally by the arm and pulled her out of the car, tossing her in a heap on the dusty roadside. She lay there, too afraid to move, while Joey paced back and forth swearing under his breath. She’d seen him this angry before, when a customer didn’t pay or when one of his lower level dealers came up short on his cut. She’d seen him smash a customer’s face through the glass top of their coffee table. She’d seen him carve his initials into one of his dealers’ cheek when they tried to make a move for themselves. She’d seen the pacing. And she remembered what followed it.

  When Sally noticed him walking back toward her, she curled herself into as tight a ball as possible to deflect any blows, but they never came. Instead, Joey picked her up and dumped her in the trunk of the car and closed the lid without a word. Sally was equal parts terrified and grateful. She felt the car rock a bit as Joey climbed back behind the wheel and felt it start to move as he eased back onto the road. She rolled onto her side, trying again to work the binding on her hands but she was physically and mentally exhausted. She tried to count the stops and starts of the car; tried to keep time of how long he drove but the darkness of the trunk and the soft rumble of the engine below her soothed her into a fitful sleep.

  Evan

  Evan drove around town through the night looking for Sally.

  Who would’ve taken her and why? he asked himself over and over but could come up with no answer. And who was Casey Bishop? What role would Sally play in her death? The strange sense that maybe he didn’t know the woman he loved all that well crept up on him. Near dawn, and with no leads, he was forced to head back to the station. He knew he should be exhausted but the sheer adrenaline and fear for Sally’s safety urged him on. His radio started to crackle as he pulled into the station.

  “Sherriff,” Leanne greeted him as he strode in to the office. “I just tried to raise you on the radio. There’s a woman in your office to see you. Says she’s a Deputy US Marshal. Says it’s important.”

  Evan could see into his office from where he stood. A tall, slender black woman was seated in the chair in front of his desk and although she looked pleasant enough, his gut clenched. Something told him she was not here to bring him good news. He walked across the room into his office and shut the door behind him, fully aware that about six sets of eyes followed.

  His guest stood and offered him a firm handshake. “I’m Deputy US Marshal Susan Fields,” she stated.

  “Sherriff Evan Cole,” he responded. “How can I help you ma’am?”

  “I’m here about a resident of your town Sherriff. A Sally Andrews,” she started and Evan felt his heart leap into his throat.

  “What about her,” he asked, his mouth going dry.

  “Sherriff Cole, Sally Andrews is under marshal protection. She was moved here after testifying against her boyfriend in a large scale drug case. The boyfriend, Joey Masso, struck his own deal to get out of prison but instead of going into WitSec himself, he chose parole. Fancies himself a bit of a badass. I called Miss Andrews to give her a head’s up that he had been released the day before yesterday but she hasn’t returned any of my calls. That in itself was enough to concern me but then I received a call from Joey’s parole officer last night. Joey never checked in with him and when the officer went to his home, there were signs that Joey had skipped town. I thought I should drive down here and check in on Miss Andrews myself. I went to her apartment but no one was there and the owner of the bar said he hadn’t seen her since last night when she left work.”

  Evan’s head was spinning. His instincts had been right all along. Sally had been running from something. From someone. “So you think he’s come here? To look for Sally?”

  “That is what I believe, yes. Are you and Miss Andrews acquainted,” Deputy Fields asked.

  “We are, yes” Evan replied. “Actually ma’am, were involved.”

  “Have you seen or heard from her in the past twenty-four hours,” she asked.

  “No, and I have reason to believe she’s been taken,” Evan admitted, feeling more hopeless as the time passed.

  “What makes you say that Sherriff,” Fields questioned.

  “I received a phone call from a man around eleven-thirty last night. He didn’t give a name. Just told me to say hello to Sally, and to ask her about someone named Casey Bishop. He said Casey would be dead soon and it would be Sally’s fault. I called Sally to check on her and she sounded very rattled when I mentioned the name to her. I went to her place and found signs of a struggle but Sally was gone. Who is this Casey Bishop? Another witness? Someone Sally knows?”

 
Deputy Fields looked at him gravely. “No Sherriff, Sally Andrews is Casey Bishop.”

  Joey

  Joey drove south for another hour before pulling into an abandoned gas station. His eyes were blurry and his head pounded. He leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes. He thought about Casey in the trunk. When he’d come home one afternoon, almost a year ago now, and found her gone, he’d panicked. His first thought had been that someone had taken her. Dealers had ways of moving their rivals out of the territory and those ways often included hitting you where it would hurt most. In Joey’s case, that was Casey. Once he’d gone through the apartment and saw that a handful of clothes, shoes and all of her toiletries were gone, he knew she hadn’t been taken. She’d left. And that made him mad. Really mad. He’d punched holes in the wall and broken a few dishes. Hadn’t he done everything for her? Given her everything? He’d tried calling but her phone was off. He didn’t leave her messages begging her to come back. He was a fucking man and men didn’t beg.

  When he’d first seen her sophomore year in high school, Joey was already dealing. Casey was quiet, kept mostly to herself and was pretty enough. He knew all the big dealers had a girl on their arm and he had aspirations to be the biggest of them all. He set out to make Casey his girl. She was an easy mark, few friends, shitty home life. She lapped up the attention he gave her like it was sustenance. In the beginning he thought it was a bit pathetic but then he did truly begin to care for her.

  One night, close to the end of the school year, Joey had taken Casey upstairs at a party and led her into a bedroom. She seemed nervous but didn’t stop him as he began to kiss her. She let him undress her and place his mouth on her large breasts. He laid her down on the bed and pushed himself inside of her, taking her virginity in quick, eager thrusts. He’d never told her that it was his first time too. After that, they were almost never apart for almost eight years. Until she left. Until she betrayed him.