by Tara Rose
* * * *
The next two weeks passed by in a blur for Gina. She and Zach tried to keep their relationship a secret at work, but every time they passed one another they exchanged smiles or had long conversations, with each of them standing much too close to the other. Gina caught the curious glances and whispered comments, but she didn’t give a shit. Bernie was too wrapped up in his never-ending quest to speed up construction downtown, and consequently Ellis and Chase were now his targets. He was convinced they were holding it up on purpose, which was insane, of course.
Harrison’s shoulder continued to heal, but he told her and Zach both that it was starting to take its toll on him. By the middle of the last week in June, Gina helped Harrison move into Zach’s house. They agreed it would only be temporary, but Harrison told Gina one night that he didn’t care if he ever went back to his shabby condo, as he called it. Harrison loved Zach’s house.
And since he needed help doing everything, it made more sense for him to live where someone was around to help him, rather than risk delaying the wound’s healing time. Because both men wanted Gina with them as much as possible, she moved into Zach’s house at the end of the same week Harrison had. Again, it was with the verbal understanding that it was only temporary, but Gina didn’t want to leave either.
When Gina knelt in front of them every morning, and when she did all the little things they asked her to do, such as pour their coffee or wait to begin eating until they both were ready as well, she recalled how worried she’d been about protocol and what Zach had told her. The transition hadn’t been all that noticeable, and it certainly hadn’t been full of anxieties, as she’d imagined it would be.
Gina enjoyed having someone to fuss over and promise submission to. That surprised her, because she’d always believed that to live a life of submission meant she’d be giving up who she was or would be expected to play housekeeper and maid. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, it enhanced her life in little ways she’d never have imagined it would. It freed her from the minute-by-minute anxiety that had always plagued her and kept her from relaxing enough to savor pleasures.
Zach and Harrison made sure she wasn’t doing all the work around the house and that her needs were taken care of as well. It was so wonderful having them both to talk to at the end of a shitty day at work. Now that Harrison was on strict desk duty, Dean had put him on the day shift because he didn’t want him at the station without plenty of help if he needed it. Consequently, both men were there at night to hold her and make love to her.
They hadn’t yet gone back to the club, but they promised each other they would as soon as Harrison’s shoulder was completely healed. As their play progressed, Gina grew bolder whenever both men experimented with various toys and positions, no longer fearful at first. She knew they would respect her limits. They had a lot of fun out of the bedroom as well, but they still had been unable to teach Gina the finer points of poker.
During their Monday morning meeting on July 1, Bernie moved to cancel the fireworks that were scheduled that Thursday night along Riverfront Drive, citing the fact that the man they all now called The Firestarter was still at large, and the diversion of a fireworks celebration would be too much for him to resist.
Every business owner along Riverfront and Market Street that hadn’t been impacted by the tornado was behind the decision to hold the annual display, despite the recent fires, and had promised to allow citizens to park in the lots adjacent to their businesses so that as many people who wanted to be there would have adequate parking. Everyone in Racy was tired of focusing on destruction. They had banded together, and they wanted to celebrate Independence Day collectively as a town.
A loud outcry went up as Bernie made his motion, and Zach stood up. “Bernie, you’ve gone too far this time. It’s one thing to harass your building commissioner and your building inspector and accuse them of delaying construction. They can ignore you and it won’t matter. But this is ridiculous. The celebration has been paid for and everything is set up. You cancel it now, and you may as well use those cardboard boxes in your office to pack up your stuff, because no one will reelect you next year.”
Everyone in the room stared at Zach, including Gina. Part of her wanted to stand up and plant a big, wet kiss right on his gorgeous mouth. She glanced toward Bernie, whose mouth opened and closed like a blowfish. No sound came out. His face was frozen in a look of pure shock.
“I move that we vote on Bernie’s motion,” said Zach, still standing. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Bernie.
“Seconded,” said Gina. She loved him so much at that moment, she was certain it showed on her face.
No one moved or spoke. They were waiting for Bernie. Finally, he called for the vote. All but two people—Dennis Connor and Morgan Riddle—voted to continue with the celebration as already planned. Bernie took his seat, but the look he gave Zach sent shivers up and down Gina’s spine, and not in a good way.
When Bernie glanced at her, narrowing his already beady eyes further, Gina wanted to hide under the table. It took all her courage to hold his gaze calmly, not daring to move a muscle in her body or her face. He finally cut his gaze back to Zach. “All right, Zach. Sit down. You got your vote. We’re having the fireworks as planned.”
As Zach took his seat, Bernie cut his gaze to Gina again. It was very quick, but it sent another chill through her bones. Then he looked at Zach the same way a scientist might stare at a bacterium under a microscope. “Be careful, Zach. Your own reelection is coming up next year as well.”
Bernie’s voice was quiet, but Gina didn’t like the undertone. She didn’t like it at all. Either he knew more about Zach’s personal life than Zach thought he did, or he was hinting about something worse. Something that he could do or have done that would cost Zach his next election. And because he’d glanced at her twice now in the course of this exchange, Gina couldn’t pretend it had been random. She was now absolutely convinced that Bernie knew she and Zach were involved.
Chapter Twenty-One
Zach sat across from Gina at Nan’s Place Monday afternoon as they grabbed a quick lunch. She looked worried, and while he wished he could reassure her, he couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t sound clichéd or condescending.
He didn’t give a shit if Bernie knew and decided to out him. The residents of Racy, with a few exceptions, didn’t care who was into BDSM and who wasn’t, as long as their streets were plowed in the winter and the potholes were fixed each spring. Zach knew each of his constituents by name as well as sight, and he wasn’t worried about his job. He was, however, worried about Gina’s. He hadn’t missed the way Bernie had cut his gaze twice toward her or the look in his eyes as he’d done so.
It was their fault. They’d both carelessly flirted in the corridors for two weeks and hadn’t been careful about what they’d said to each other while doing so. But Zach wasn’t entirely convinced that Bernie’s words at the meeting this morning or his glances at Gina had come from anything they’d done during the past two weeks. Bernie had moles everywhere. Anyone could have said something to him. It’s not like he and Gina had hidden from the rest of Racy. They’d been seen in town, at the opening of Luke’s Bar, and at the hospital the night Harrison had been shot.
“I’m sorry,” she said for the fifth time.
He took her hands. “Please don’t be. I’m not upset. We’ll simply be more careful at work, okay? He can’t do shit to us outside the building, and he knows it.”
“Then why did he look at you like that?”
“Gina, how long have you worked there now? You know he hates me and anyone who stands up to him. I blew up this morning. I just couldn’t take it anymore. Cancel the fireworks three days before the event…what an asshole.”
“I know. The people in this town would have strung him up.”
“Maybe we should have let him cancel them then?”
She smiled at him, and his heart soared. There wasn’t a more beautiful sight
in the world than Gina’s bright smile. It made him crazy to think how they’d worked together for so long and yet he’d never seen past her brash exterior and her no-nonsense attitude. She was a vibrant, fun, sexy woman, and he’d eat one of the plastic menus in this restaurant if he wasn’t falling head-over-heels crazy in love with her. And that realization scared the shit out of him far more than Bernie and his gang of cretins ever could.
He’d never been in love. Or, if he had, he’d never let himself believe it. He’d never said the words to any woman, which helped explain why he’d gone through so many subs. Most women weren’t content to simply play, have sex, and be at his beck and call. Once upon a time, Zach hadn’t given a shit about that fact, but he did now.
And he also finally understood what a smug prick he’d been for so many years. He didn’t want to be that man any longer. Gina wouldn’t put up with that shit, at any rate. And she didn’t deserve it. She deserved to be treated like royalty and nothing less.
But Zach didn’t want to tell her how he felt. Not because he was still afraid of being in love, but because he wasn’t sure how Harrison felt. When they’d decided to give this ménage a go, Zach hadn’t thought this far ahead. In all honesty, he hadn’t believed at the time that Gina would be happy being a sub, especially to two men. No one was more surprised than he that she’d taken to it so readily, or that she constantly thought of new ways to bring the three of them closer. She had so much love in her, and no one had ever seen it.
He’d have to talk to Harrison. He wanted them both on the same page. Nothing less would do for Harrison or Gina. Zach was committed to making this work. This relationship was more than he’d ever expected or hoped for, and he wasn’t about to do anything to fuck it up.
* * * *
Gina felt uneasy the remainder of Monday, and she couldn’t put her finger on why. Every time someone that she didn’t know well glanced sideways at her, she imagined they were one of Bernie’s spies, watching her and waiting to report back to Bernie. She finished up her work quickly, anxious to leave for the day. As she was packing up her laptop bag, Zach came into her office and perched on her desk. Gina immediately closed the door behind him. “I’m paranoid now,” she said quietly.
“I’m sorry, Gina. I wish I knew what to say or do to make you feel better.”
She put her arms around him. “I’ll be fine once we’re all at your house having dinner. What are we making tonight?” The three had gotten into the habit of cooking together during the week, and they had a lot of fun trying out new recipes.
“That’s what I came to talk to you about. You and Harrison go ahead and make dinner without me. I’m staying late with Bettie and Sally. We still have a lot of last-minute details to iron out for the Fourth-of-July celebration, and we’d rather get them taken care of without Bernie around.”
“Oh, Zach…do you have to?”
“Yes, hon, I do. I’m sorry. It’s just for tonight and then we’ll have everything in place.” He kissed her on the tip of the nose. “I promise.”
“Well, okay. How late do you think you’ll be?”
“Not later than eight or nine. I’ll call you when I’m on the way home. Wait up.” He winked at her, and shivers ran up and down Gina’s spine.
* * * *
Harrison and Gina decided to forego making dinner because Zach wasn’t there, and instead ordered a pizza. Gina shared the day’s events with him, and he made a few comments, but his mind was on other things.
She finally flipped off the news and turned to face him. “What’s wrong, Harrison? You’re a million miles away tonight.”
He stared at her for a few seconds, wishing he didn’t have to tell her what he’d learned today. She had enough on her mind with Bernie and his never-ending campaigns. But as usual, she’d seen straight through to his heart and sensed that something wasn’t quite right. It was only one of the many reasons he loved her so much. Would he ever feel comfortable telling her so? The last woman he’d said that to had been Sylvia. How ironic was that today?
“Harrison? Whatever it is, please just tell me.” She looked scared and worried tonight, and Harrison hated that, but he had to tell her. She’d find out regardless, and he’d rather she hear this first from him. “Gina, would you be upset if I brought up Sylvia’s name?”
She shook her head. “Of course not.”
“Sean and Chad uncovered some very disturbing news today. You know they’ve been checking into the backgrounds of just about everyone in town, right?”
She nodded.
“Turns out that Billy Cinder has a cousin named Kevin Newark, and now we’re ninety-nine percent sure he’s the Firestarter. We knew his name before today, but I couldn’t say anything.”
“He worked for both Claude Busler and for Les?”
“Yes. Kevin has a criminal record that neither Les nor Claude ever knew about. Les doesn’t do background checks when he hires people, especially when they come recommended by someone he knows…like Sylvia. And of course she kept his record a secret from Claude Busler.”
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“Let me guess. Kevin has committed arson.”
“Among other things.”
“Okay, I understand his connection to Busler’s. But what’s his connection to City Hall, other than the fact that he’s Billy’s cousin?”
“We think he was simply out for revenge. Billy and Sylvia have refused to help him anymore. That would explain both fires. Apparently they’ve been giving him money, but unfortunately for them that’s not all they’ve done.”
“What else have they done?”
“He has outstanding arrest warrants in two states, and they knew about them. They hid him.”
“Um…isn’t that a felony?”
Harrison nodded. “Yep. Sure is. Billy admitted everything today. And while he didn’t exactly flip on Sylvia, he said enough to make us believe she knew exactly what was going on with Kevin.”
“And now Billy works for the city…”
“Bingo. When this gets out, Bernie and the comptroller are going to look like damn fools.”
“Does Zach know?”
“Not yet. Gina, I shouldn’t even be telling you this, but when this hits the news, my name will be slung around as well.”
She frowned, and then understanding dawned in her eyes. “But…but you didn’t know about any of this, did you? Did you and Sylvia have anything to do with Kevin when you were married to her?”
He shook his head. “No. He came looking for Billy last year. I didn’t even know he existed until recently. But I’m still the chump who found Sylvia in bed with Billy Cinder, remember?”
She put her arms around him and pulled him close. Harrison closed his eyes as he inhaled her sweet scent, mixed with the smell of pizza. Only Gina could pull that off and still make it sexy as hell.
“Now you listen to me, Sergeant Kelly. You are not a chump. You are a gorgeous, sexy man and I am…I am crazy about you.” She pulled away and took his face into her hands, gazing into his eyes with what could only be called love. There was no other word for it. His heart soared and broke at the same time. This was going to hit the news, and the whole sordid mess would be dredged up again. What could he offer Gina in exchange for the pain that would put her through? And if she did love him, her reputation would be tarnished as well.
“Sylvia didn’t deserve you, Harrison. And whatever comes of this mess, you are not involved with it and never will be. The people in this town will know that, and they’ll support you through it. Zach and I know it, and we’re behind you one hundred percent. Do you understand me? If we have to come clean and tell the whole fucking town about our relationship, then that’s what we’ll do.”
“Gina…” The words were right there. He wanted so badly to say them, but they simply wouldn’t fall off his tongue. He was so in love with her. He pulled her close with his right arm, never wanting to let go. He could stay here, in this house and loving thi
s perfect woman, for the rest of his life, and be perfectly content.
When his cell phone rang, he silently cursed his damn job and his damn boss. It was Dean’s ringtone, so there was no way it was good news. Gina handed him the phone.
“Harrison, there’s been another fire. This time it was the warehouse.”
Gina jumped off the sofa and started screaming. Tears ran down her face. Harrison couldn’t even hear what Dean was trying to say. He dropped the phone and tried to comfort her, but she was running upstairs. He followed her, after picking up his phone and telling Dean he was on his way. No amount of persuasion on his part could convince Gina to let him drive. It was all he could do to keep up with her as they raced downstairs and out to the garage, toward her car.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Gina was breathing so hard she was sure she’d pass out. She should have let Harrison drive. Zach had to be all right. He had to be. Harrison tried calling Zach’s cell phone and his desk phone on the way, but both went straight to voice mail. She heard the police and fire-engine sirens long before she navigated the mess just east of downtown. They weren’t getting anywhere near the warehouse right now.
She parked the car and raced through the alleys and backyards toward the warehouse, with Harrison right next to her. She could smell the fire already. Tears stung her eyes, and her heart was ready to burst. As they turned the corner onto Maple Street, Gina collapsed to the ground, unable to catch her breath. The building was still smoldering and several trucks had hoses on it.
“Gina, come on…come over here.” Harrison was trying to move her toward a large maple tree trunk, but she shook him off and stood. She had to find Zach. “Gina, don’t…”
