by Jenna Jacob
It was Collin’s turn to pale and gape. The sight of Tori verbally bitch-slapping the cock-sucking troll made me nearly burst with pride.
McCoy and Robinson released me. Then the three of us stood, slack-jawed, while Tori continue to lash the prick with her wicked tongue.
“You get your manipulative, unethical ass off my property, or I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”
“You bitch!” Collins bellowed. “I never should have paid you a fucking dime.”
“Call her a bitch again, and I’ll bury your body in this backyard,” I growled.
Collin’s face turned crimson as he started to climb the fence.
“Motherfucker,” McCoy growled. “Darren, get her inside, now!”
As he and Robinson stepped toward the fence to stop Collins from climbing over, I tugged Tori against me and headed toward the house.
“Come on, Tyson.” I smirked. “You’ve knocked the son of a bitch around enough.”
“Me?” Tori gaped. “I’m not the one who tried to break his jaw.”
“No, you just ripped his dick off and emasculated him in front of God and everyone within earshot.”
She chuckled. “It felt really good, too.”
“I bet.”
Ignoring the insults Collins was screaming, Tori and I stepped inside the house.
“Before you say anything about us bugging out, I need to talk to Dad and make sure he’s on board with the idea.”
“Of course. I need to call the rental car company and exchange my sedan for a van, then we’ll need McCoy and his men to help us with a little bait and switch so we can drive to Tulsa without an entourage following us.”
“Sounds like you’ve done that before.”
“More times than I can count.” I didn’t like the flicker of doubt on her face. Leaning in, I kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry. It’ll work.”
A pensive expression lined her face as she nodded toward the empty kitchen. “I-I need to talk to you for a minute.”
The anxiety pouring off her filled me with dread. Banking my trepidation, I threaded my fingers through hers, and together we strolled toward the stove. Out of sight and out of earshot of Ed, Dustin, and Thomas still seated in the living room.
Nervous as hell, Tori licked her lips, sending my angst to triple.
“First, I truly appreciate all you’re doing, taking us out of here and all. I know you have no reason to trust me again, but seeing Collins and hearing him trying to bribe me again… I know what I did was wrong. I knew it was the minute I agreed to his deal. If I’d had another option, I would have—”
“I know, Tori.”
“Yes, but that’s never going to change the fact that you don’t trust me.”
“I’m working on that. I am.”
Sadness flooded her eyes. “I’m sorry I betrayed you. I’ll regret it until the day I die, but every horrible thing I did, I did to save Dad. His operation cost over two hundred thousand dollars. Sure, insurance and hospital write-offs lowered the out-of-pocket costs, but he couldn’t work and we were living hand to mouth. What little I had managed to save wasn’t going to come close to covering his medical costs. I’m not saying all this to try coercing you into forgiving me. I just want to know…what would you have done if you’d been in my shoes? What would you do if you weren’t rich and your dad, or god forbid, Dustin, needed an operation you couldn’t afford? How far would you go to save the most important person in your life?”
Like a lightning bolt of understanding, Tori’s questions seared through me…cauterizing my foolish wounded pride. It was all too gut-churningly easy to imagine the level of panic, fear, and utter helplessness I would feel if I couldn’t provide a lifesaving procedure for my dad or Dustin.
Stomach and heart clutching, I studied the images of Tori interacting with Ed and our son these past few days that flashed through my brain. She truly wasn’t an evil or malicious woman. Tori was a loving, caring, warm-hearted soul who’d been a victim of circumstances beyond her control.
The level of understanding wending through me brought with it a sense of peace.
Wrapping my arms around her, I held her tight and delved into her guilt-stained eyes.
“I’d go to the ends of the earth, just like you did, beautiful.”
♫
Tori
Though Darren hadn’t uttered a word about forgiveness or trust, knowing he finally fathomed my level of desperation during that time sent relief sweeping through me.
A part of me ached to confess the rest of my sins in the hope that Darren would be as understanding about my stint as a stripper. But I was too embarrassed to force those words from my tongue. No, that was one secret I would take to my grave.
“Go talk to your dad about us leaving. I’ll keep Dustin entertained.” I nodded softly. “Don’t worry. We’ll get through this.”
I hoped so.
Reluctantly easing from his warm, safe arms, I stepped into the living room and snagged Dad’s attention, then motioned toward the bedrooms. Concern etched his face as he silently followed me down the hall. By the time I was finished explaining Darren’s offer, relief had replaced Dad’s apprehension. I couldn’t help but smile as I saw him drag a suitcase from the closet as I left the room.
When I returned to the living room, Dustin was resting his sleepy head on Darren’s chest, listening to the story being read to him. McCoy and the others were gathered around the kitchen table, talking in low tones.
Darren arched a quizzical brow my way.
“He’s already packing.” I chuckled. “He voted Montana at first, but when I explained your folks needed to meet their grandson, he immediately changed his mind.”
“I’m glad. I’ll call and let them know we’re coming. Mom will make sure my place is cleaned and stocked with food when we get there. Is tomorrow soon enough for you?”
“Yes. Oh, yes. But what should I pack?”
“Whatever you think you’ll need or want. And if you forget something, we’ll have it delivered.”
Dustin rubbed his eyes and reached out to me.
“I think he’s ready for a nap.”
When I lifted our sleepy boy, he wrapped his little arms around my neck and nuzzled his face against my shoulder.
“Look at you, Mr. Mom,” I teased. “Picking up on his cues and stuff already.”
“It’s what dads do.” Darren flashed a toe-curling smile as he stood. “Let’s tuck our son in.”
The emphasis he put on the words our son filled me with a special kind of warmth I had no business feeling. I quickly reminded myself that Darren and I weren’t a couple…weren’t in a committed relationship—not that I didn’t ache and crave the fantasy. I couldn’t set myself up for a brutal fall by allowing my foolish heart to color outside the lines.
Lowering Dustin to the bed, I brushed the soft, dark hair off his forehead and started softly singing his song. Darren joined in, and I couldn’t help but smile. Our tuckered-out toddler was asleep before the second verse.
As we left his room, I softly closed the door behind me. Darren moved in close and took a step forward, leading me back until I was pressed up against the wall. He lifted his arms and placed his palms on opposite sides of my head, caging me in.
“Out of all the songs on the planet, what made you pick that one to sing to him?”
“I-I don’t know,” I stammered. The randomness of his question caught me off guard. “Why?”
“That’s the same one my mom sang to me when I was little.” I blinked up at him completely stunned. “The matching birthmarks, the same nightmare…the same song. They’re far more than coincidence, don’t you think?”
“It is kind of…bizarre.”
“Beyond bizarre. Especially when you consider we used condoms that night. Dustin shouldn’t even be here, but he is. Factor in this powerful connection between us…the one that kept us from seeking anyone else all this time. This is way more than coincidence. It’s…fate.”
/> The conviction stamping his features and tone sent butterflies dipping and swooping. Did I dare risk hoping that I’d bridged the doubt, disappointment, and distance between us? Had he forgiven me, or was this nothing more than him sharing an observation?
“Which means…?”
A slow smile stretched over his sinful mouth. “It means we see where fate take us. You willing to go for a ride?”
“I’m definitely willing. You?”
“Oh, yeah,” he murmured before brushing a feather-soft kiss across my lips.
“Tori, do you know where—” I snapped my head toward my dad who’d stepped from his room and stopped mid-sentence when he saw Darren and me. “Sorry. I was looking for my shaving kit. I’ll keep hunting. You two…ah, carry on.”
I rolled my eyes when he hurried back to his bedroom. Darren’s shoulders shook with silent laughter before he bent and brushed his lips against the shell of my ear.
“Ed needs to work on his timing.”
“Totally.” I grinned.
With a low growl, Darren shoved away from the wall. “Go start packing. I need to make some phone calls and fill McCoy in on our plans.”
“I should start thinking about lunch first. Dustin will be starving when he wakes up.”
“We can send one of the guys to bring home Glenda’s tenderloins. It might be a while before you have one again.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“I’d do anything for you.” I knew by the way his eyes turned a darker shade of green that Darren wasn’t talking about food.
A shiver of desire slid down my spine. My nipples tightened like pebbles and a rush of cream slid onto my panties. Unable to stop myself, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him with all the love and passion in my soul. The sparks and fireworks I feared I’d never feel again ignited inside me. And the memory of Dad warning how they eventually sputtered out slid through me.
But what if they don’t? What if I can have a lifetime of sparks and fireworks with Darren?
As our hungry tongues swirled and lashed, I lost myself in each caress and clasp of his strong hands. I drifted away in the pulsating urgency ebbing and flowing between us, until I didn’t know where I ended and Darren began.
No, loving Darren wasn’t a choice. I was completely at his mercy…under his control.
The sound of the doorbell echoed like a gong in the narrow hallway. I would have screamed if my mouth hadn’t been filled with his sinful tongue.
“McCoy will handle it,” Darren murmured as he glided his magical lips to my throat.
And just as I was about to close my eyes and fall headlong into the sensations he commanded over me, I saw Dad striding from his room.
“Never mind me,” he chuckled striding past us. “Just checking to see who is brave enough to come calling.”
“Shit,” Darren spat as dad rounded the corner and disappeared into the living room. “He’s right. No one’s that brave or stupid.”
Dread instantly extinguished the flames of need licking my spine.
Darren stroked his hand along my cheek, then with grim resignation, he threaded his fingers through mine before we returned to the living room.
McCoy stood at the door with a padded envelope in his hand. He held it up. My name was scrawled across the front. “You expecting this?”
“No.”
“Do you want me to open it, or—”
“I’ll do it.”
As he handed me the package, my dread morphed into a barely contained panic. I had no idea why such a benign package had me in a choke hold of fear, but it did. With trembling fingers, I tore the top edge open and peered inside.
“What is it?” Darren asked.
“A note and a CD,” I replied, lifting them out.
Ignoring the note, I glanced down at the CD and saw the word, Cinnamon printed on the case. All the blood in my body rushed to my feet. Tears filled my eyes and I tried to shove the items back inside the envelope, but my hands were shaking too hard.
Darren snatched the CD and the note from my fingers and sent me a quizzical stare.
“Tori?”
“Don’t. Don’t look at that. Just put it back in the package. Please, Darren, don’t look at it.”
“I don’t even know what it is. Tell me. Tell me what’s wrong.” Confusion marred his handsome face. As he peered down at the CD again, his bewilderment deepened. “What does, Cinnamon, the hot spice mean?”
“Tori?” Dad stepped in, peered at the disc, then slid the note from Darren’s hand.
Please god. Not this, too.
“No. Dad, no,” I begged.
Ignoring my plea, he skated his eyes back and forth across the page as anger and disbelief warred over his face.
“What is it, Ed?” Darren prompted.
Dad didn’t respond, simply held up a hand to silence the man before he leveled me with a broken-hearted stare. “What else did you do to try and get money for my surgery, baby girl? Because whatever it was…whatever is on the disc, these people want you to pay them to keep it quiet.” He held the note up and shook it angrily.
Trembling in fear and embarrassment, a spark of anger flared. I was done…done being a victim. Done apologizing for trying to save my dad. Done being cast aside for not living up to someone else’s fantasies of me. Done letting the press and fans dictate my life. I was fucking done with everything.
“Too bad. They’re not getting a damn dime.” I sent a pointed stare to Darren. “From any of us. You’re going to want to save me, but you can’t. I made my bed. I’ll learn to live with the consequences.”
“But they’re trying to extort you for what’s on that disc,” Dad reiterated.
“I realize that. The slimy pigs have obviously been watching the news and think, by threatening me, they can make a quick buck.”
“What’s on the disc, Tori?” Darren asked softly.
Suddenly, I was back in that dark, disgusting club. The spotlight was burning into my innocent flesh while men of all shapes and sizes, all walks of life, leered at me, mentally fucking me inside out with their lecherous stares. Rubbing their erections, licking their lips, and whistling as they hollered lewd, sexual comments of the depraved things they wanted to do to me. Though every night I wanted to throw up, I tried to ignore them as I danced across the stage, peeling my clothes off—one scanty piece at a time—before gripping and grinding the metal pole and praying those same nasty beasts would toss more than dollar bills on the stage for me.
Dragging in a deep breath, I lifted my chin and turned to McCoy. “We need a few minutes in private, please.”
“We’ll be right outside the back door if you need us.”
“Thank you.”
After the three men filed outside, I turned to Darren and my dad.
“You two need to sit down,” I instructed, gathering all the confidence I could muster.
Wearing matching worried expressions, they both sat and stared at me expectantly.
“What I’m about to tell you is going to disappoint, anger, and maybe even repulse you, but I’d rather you two hear this from me than from trolls like Collins or social media. You can condemn me and judge me all you want. I only ask for your understanding.”
“Spit it out, Tori.” Darren’s tone told me he was done listening to any more caveats.
“Fine. When I found out Dad needed surgery, I knew I’d never be able to earn enough emptying bed pans and giving sponge baths at the nursing home. I knew if I didn’t do something”—I slid a glance to my dad—‘you would die.”
“We both know you were under a tremendous amount of pressure. Just tell us what’s on the disc,” Darren pressed.
I sucked in a deep breath and pushed the words off my tongue. “I was a stripper.”
Darren’s brows shot up and a perverse look of intrigue danced in his eyes.
Seriously?
I’d expected fire to come shooting out of Darren’s eyes or for him to stand up and walk out the do
or. But he didn’t do either.
Unfortunately, Dad didn’t take the news well at all. He issued an ugly curse and hung his head.
“Cinnamon, huh?” Darren prompted.
“It was the name they chose for me to use.”
He started to chuckle, which completely blew my mind.
“What the fuck are you laughing at?” Dad barked as he launched off the couch and started to pace. “My daughter…my pride and joy had to strut around, taking her goddamn clothes off on stage for a bunch of degenerate perverts because I failed her…failed to provide for her enough to pay my own medical bills.”
Darren stood and held up his hands.
“I’m sorry, Ed. I didn’t mean any disrespect to you or Tori. It’s just that cheesy name they gave her…” He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and wiped away his smile.
“I don’t give a damn what they called her. My baby girl had to stoop to that level because… Fuck!”
“Daddy, it’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault. Shit happens.” I slowly approached him, praying he wouldn’t reject me…my compassion or my touch. “I didn’t do it for very long. It was too degrading and… Well, I wasn’t much good at it. I didn’t make near the money the other girls did, so I quit.”
Darren scowled as if doubting my claims of performing poorly as he clapped Dad on the shoulder.
“I’m not any happier about this than you are, Ed. In fact, I’d like to go to that strip club and beat the prick trying to extort money from her to death with a stripper pole.”
“Shut up, Darren. You’re not helping,” Dad snarled.
“I’m not done yet,” he countered. “A few minutes ago, a very wise woman asked me a couple of questions. Now I’m going to ask them of you.”’
My heart nearly burst with love when I realized what Darren was about to do. Chin quivering, I sent him a grateful smile. He winked and turned his attention back to my dad.
“What would you have done if Tori was the one who’d needed that new kidney? Would you have let her die, or would you have done anything under the sun to find a way to pay for the surgery she needed?”
“I’d sell my soul to the devil to save her,” Dad growled.
