by Jenny Penn
Kristen left her sitting there, thinking over all the things they had talked about. It was strange, but her conversation with Wanda had been very therapeutic. It felt as if a weight felt had been lifted from her shoulders, and now she was ready to tell her tale to Dylan and Brandon.
They were out fishing, as was their Sunday after-church tradition. Normally Kristen joined them, but that day she had chosen to have brunch with Wanda. Though it turned out she wasn’t the only one who had decided to handle other business that day.
That became clear as Kristen pulled up the driveway to find a massive pink Cadillac parked at the top. It was huge with tail fins, and it had a trunk that could damn near have fit her scooter into it. A convertible with a pure white interior, the car was a classic beauty and clearly for her, given the words written in cursive over the back of the trunk.
Pink Princess.
“Hey, princess!” Dylan hollered from the back porch as Brandon appeared in the back door. “Guess what we got you?”
Both men came rushing down as Kristen dismounted from the scooter. By the time her hands were reaching for the strap on her helmet, Brandon was there to brush her hands away and take care of the latch for her.
“Hey, beautiful.” He smiled down at her, dropping a quick kiss on her lips before stepping back to allow her to admire the Cadillac. “What do you think?”
“I…think it is so cool.” Kristen broke into a massive grin, feeling her smile wipe away what little worry clung to both men.
“It’s for you,” Dylan explained as if she hadn’t already figured that out. “We figured you’d like it better than a ring.”
“A ring?” Kristen blinked, her heart seizing. “Is that today?”
“No, beautiful,” Brandon murmured. “We know you need time, and while you’re taking it, we want you to be safe. So, with all respect, we’re asking you to give up your scooter.”
“We’re swapping with you.” Dylan wagged his brows at her. “So what do you say?”
Kristen hesitated to look over at the scooter. She loved her little bike. She’d bonded with it. She’d also bonded with her men and loved them too much to allow them to worry. It was clear from the car before her that, despite the fact that they hadn’t been nagging her, they had been worried.
That more than anything made up her mind.
“Yes.”
Dylan let out a whop and lifted her right off her feet as he spun her around. Kristen laughed as she clutched him, infused by his excitement and forgetting for a moment she’d come home to talk to them about Gwen. That conversation got put off as Brandon insisted they all pile into her car and take a drive down to the lake.
The thing was big enough with bench seats that they could have all fit into the front, but Dylan hopped into the back as Brandon tossed her the keys. Then they were hitting the road. With the top down and the sunlight shining on them, it felt as if the whole world were celebrating with them.
They ended up down by the lake, parked under the shade of an old oak, and they strolled along a stretch of sandy beach hand in hand. It was a perfect afternoon. Kristen hated to ruin it, but her thoughts drifted back toward her conversation with Wanda, and she found herself unable to hold them in.
Slowly, with a sinking feeling that she was ruining the mood, Kristen told them the whole long, sordid tale. They remained silent through it as she revealed the truth about Gwen’s pregnancy, her blackmail scheme, and how it was that her parents came to find out about them.
In the end, they didn’t shout or yell, or tell her they were disappointed in her. They simply hugged and kissed her and explained that it was time to go to the station house. Kristen had a statement to make.
* * * *
Wanda wouldn’t have been surprised to know that Kristen had gone home and spilled her guts. She’d known and met enough people to recognize that Kristen’s innocence went deeper than a simple hymen. It sounded as if her men were actually just as decent. If Kristen confessed everything, they’d make her give a statement.
How could they not?
The real question was whether the cops already knew about Gwen’s scheming. They must have searched her house by now, and if they had, they’d have found the blackmail material…unless, of course, somebody had removed it. That would be an interesting question to find the answer to, and a pivotal one because if somebody had removed the evidence they’d likely done it for a very obvious reason.
They’d killed Gwen.
Wanda didn’t allow that thought to push her ahead of herself. She’d run enough investigations to know that all questions had to be answered before any conclusion could be made. Kristen’s tale certainly brought up a lot of questions.
The most obvious one being, what was Dean’s real role in Gwen’s life? He was clearly the closest to her, but there was more than that. He’d been the one Gwen had turned to help her with her schemes, which meant he wasn’t to be trusted. Wanda would need to know the answers to the questions she asked him before she interrogated the man. That would be the only way to know when he was lying to her, and in those moments, he’d reveal his true motives.
Wanda didn’t even want to begin to guess at what they were, not until she had more of the story. Thankfully, Kristen’s tale had pointed her in an obvious direction⎯the mayor.
How had the mayor known who Kristen was?
Kristen hadn’t mentioned meeting him, and it wasn’t as though her position would have warranted his notice. What would was the fact that she was living with Gwen, but that was only if the mayor was doing Gwen. That didn’t seem like a far stretch to make, and it was the only lead she had.
Kristen had not given her the names of any of her cousin’s marks. Wanda hadn’t pressed for them, knowing when and when not to force an issue. She didn’t need Kristen to tell her the details, anyway. Wanda would find them out. She planned on starting work on that task right away, and as luck would have it, the very person she wanted to talk to walked into the bakery.
THE END
WWW.JENNYPENN.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I live near Charleston, SC with my two biggies (my dogs). I have had a slightly unconventional life. Moving almost every three years, I’ve had a range of day jobs that included everything from working for one of the world’s largest banks as an auditor to turning wrenches as an outboard repair mechanic. I’ve always regretted that we only get one life and have tried to cram as much as I can into this one.
Throughout it all, I’ve always read books, feeding my need to dream and fantasize about what could be. An avid reader since childhood, as a latchkey kid I’d spend hours at the library earning those shiny stars the librarian would paste up on the board after my name.
I credit my grandmother’s yearly visits as the beginning of my obsession with romances. When she’d come, she’d bring stacks of romance books, the old fashion kind that didn’t have sex in them. Imagine my shock when I went to the used bookstore and found out what really could be in a romance novel.
I’ve working on my own stories for years and have found a particular love of erotic romances. In this genre, women are no longer confined to a stereotype and plots are no longer constrained to the rational. I love the anything goes mentality and letting my imagination run wild.
I hope you enjoyed running with me and will consider picking up another book and coming along for another adventure.
For all titles by Jenny Penn, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/jenny-penn
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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