CLUB DARK LACE: The complete Dark Lace series

by Measha Stone

  Drinking.

  Thomas’s hand fisted.

  “I have to get to the hospital.” He gritted his teeth. He couldn’t think about that now. Or let himself imagine her driving straight into the fucking trunk of their oak tree. From the look of the car, she hadn’t even touched the break.

  The cop nodded quietly and stepped away from the car. Thomas hopped inside, ignoring Mrs. Petrovski from next door’s worried glare in his direction. The town busybody would be up for another hour informing the rest of the block what she’d seen.

  Carefully, he pulled out of the drive in Susan’s Corolla, maneuvering around the police cars and groups of onlookers. Once on the main street, he hit the gas and headed for the hospital. Susan needed him. He couldn’t get any definite answers on her condition. Only that she was unconscious and had a head wound. How much more was wrong? Did she break her arms, ribs, her leg? What was wrong with his wife?

  Every new question punched the gas a little more.

  Thomas beat the ambulance to the Emergency room.

  Chapter 2

  Susan’s head throbbed, but the pain twisting through her stomach stole the show. She’d been home from the hospital for a week. Keeping her overnight for observation had been precautionary. She’d been lucky. The airbags had saved her life, leaving her with only a superficial headwound and a sore wrist.

  Her injuries weren’t bothering her anymore, though. The painful silence building in the house hadn’t healed, however. Thomas wouldn’t stay in the same room with her for more than a few minutes.

  He’d been so loving, so caring at the hospital when she’d woken up. But once she’d been cleared to go home, and he was given her blood results- a blood alcohol level of 0.15. Well over the legal limit.

  Why had she had those shots? She knew better. One drink. Thomas had imposed the rule of one drink if she was driving years ago after stumbling home in the middle of the night missing her shoes. Unlike most of her friends, she had no tolerance for alcohol. Two or three glasses of wine would lull her right to sleep.

  So why the hell had she been drinking appletinis? And when did she agree to the fireball shots?

  Just thinking about the drinks made her stomach roll.

  She gripped her cup of coffee harder. Thomas was late. He always made it home before her shift ended, but when she got home, he was nowhere to be seen. She’d texted him to let him know she’d made it home okay, but his only response had been the letter k.

  Deciding to get dinner started- reheated pasta from the night before- she left her coffee on the kitchen counter and opened the fridge. As she dumped the pasta into a pan, she heard the front door open and Thomas’s heavy footsteps head down the hall toward her.

  She swallowed back the urge to call out to him. When he was ready, he’d talk with her. Pushing him wouldn’t alleviate the gap between them. A separation her stupidity and carelessness caused. He loved that Porsche. He’d spent a year rebuilding it from the scrap heap he found it at, and now it was better off as scrap metal again.

  She let out a long, slow breath. Guilt weighed her down, but she deserved it. She’d ruined his car. She’d racked up a few thousand dollars in medical bills. All because she’d thought she could handle a few damn martinis.

  Why hadn’t she just called him? He would have come to get her. Sure, she would have been in a bit of trouble for disobeying the one drink rule, but at least he’d have his car. At least, she’d still have her husband.

  A tear slipped down her cheek as he entered the kitchen. She quickly turned her back to him and tossed the Tupperware container into the sink.

  “You okay?” he asked softly from behind her. Her body stiffened at the concern she heard.

  A quick swipe of her hand and a shake of her head, and she went back to the stove. “Yep. Fine.”

  He let out a harsh sigh.

  “Susan.”

  Her hand stilled over the pan, wooden spoon hovering over the sauce.

  “You’re not okay.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m not okay…we’re not okay.”

  The boulder sitting on her lungs, rolled to the side, letting some air in.

  “I know,” she said, dropping the spoon to the side of the pan. “I really messed everything up.”

  He turned her to face him, cupping her chin in his hand. It was the most intimacy he’d given her since she’d come home.

  “You made a lot of mistakes, yeah. I’m sorry we haven’t really talked. I was so angry, so scared, I didn’t want to say the wrong thing.” His thumb ran along her jaw. Even after five years of marriage, it still surprised her how easily his touch soothed her.

  “I was thinking about it, and I’m going to ask for doubles for a few weeks. I’ll make the money to get the car fixed.” Now that she had his attention, she could push her plan forward.

  His eyes darkened and he dropped his hand from her chin, stepping back. “You think I’m angry about the car?”

  “It’s totaled. Completely ruined. I know how much- “

  “You think that’s what I care about? A hunk of metal?” His toned dipped and his hands flexed at his sides.

  “I- “

  “You could have been killed, Susan.” He spoke low with deadly control.

  The pan behind her sizzled and she quickly turned off the burner. Setting the kitchen on fire wouldn’t help her case.

  “But I wasn’t,” she stepped to him, placing her palms against his chest. Feeling the strength of his pecks didn’t scare her. He could probably snap her in two pieces if he really wanted to, but he wouldn’t.

  His hands wrapped around her wrists, holding her. He took in a shaky breath.

  “When I came outside, the cops and ambulance had just pulled up. All I could see was your head leaning against the window. Blood was all over her face and the airbag was still pushing against your chest. I couldn’t see if you were breathing, I couldn’t tell if you were just passed out or…” he stopped and closed his eyes briefly. “The cops wouldn’t let me get to you, wouldn’t let me open the door. They pushed me back. I watched them pull you out of that fucking car, bloodied and hurt, and wasn’t able to touch you. To help you.”

  “Thomas, I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Tears built in her eyes. She’d put him through so much. What if it had been her, finding him that way. The fear, the hurt, the panic must have been crushing.

  “Tell me what happened. You haven’t said.”

  A ball of fire formed in her stomach. Like she’d just swallowed a gulp of acid.

  “I drank too much at the bar,” she said softly. She hadn’t had to confess that to him, her blood levels did it for her.

  “Susan,” he tightened his grip on her wrists.

  “I had too much to drink and I got in the car. I shouldn’t have, and it was wrong.” She pulled her hands free of his hold and went back to the stove. “I said I’ll pay to fix the car,” she said quietly, wiping away a tear that fell.

  A fog of silence filled the room.

  After turning the burner back on, she picked up the spoon and forced herself to focus on dinner. Thomas stood silently behind her; his gaze heating up the room.

  “I’m going out tonight. I expect you in bed before I get home.” He wasn’t suggesting it, or asking, he was ordering her to bed after dinner. They’d been together long enough she knew his tones. He wasn’t looking for a discussion. He was done talking with her.

  The first real conversation attempt in a week, and she’d ruined it.

  “Yes, sir,” she whispered as he walked past her and out of the kitchen. Once the front door shut behind him, she turned off the stove and tossed the half-warmed pasta into the garbage.

  The truck he’d borrowed from the shop fired up outside. Pushing the curtains back from the front window she watched her husband pull out of the driveway and take off down the street. Once the truck turned off their street, she locked the front door and made her way to their bedroom. It was too early to sleep, so she picked up a book and
climbed into bed.

  Maybe sinking into the darkness of a murder mystery would keep her from worrying.

  How badly had she broken them?

  Chapter 3

  Thomas pulled his truck into the lot at Dark Lace. Being a Wednesday night, the lot was pretty scarce of cars. Which was fine. He wasn’t looking for a party.

  He’d broken his own rule, leaving the house the way he did. Hell, they’d both broken almost all of their rules over the past week. Not talking, hiding feelings. This wasn’t them. This wasn’t the way they worked.

  But every time he looked at her, he saw the fucking bruise still on her forehead and the image of her face covered in her own blood flooded him. The panic of that night drowned out the little voice telling him he was being an asshole. His wife had healed physically, but emotionally she was hurting.

  She thought he was mad about the fucking Porsche. Sure, he loved that damn car, but- fuck- he’d crush it himself if it meant she stayed unharmed. How the fuck could she think that was what pissed him off so bad?

  “Hey, Thomas. Didn’t think I’d see you here during the week.” Garrick slid onto the stool beside Thomas at the bar.

  “I don’t usually make the trip during the week.” Thomas took a pull of his beer. The club took a half hour drive from his piece of suburbia by highway. Not his typical haunt during the workweek.

  Garrick leaned his back against the bar, eyeing Thomas quietly for a moment. “I heard about the accident. Susan okay?” he asked cautiously.

  Thomas nodded. “Yep. She’s fine. A nasty bruise on her forehead, but otherwise, she’s just perfect.”

  Garrick’s eyes narrowed. “As convincing as that sounded, I’m gonna ask again. She okay?”

  Thomas blew out a breath. “No. She’s not okay. I mean, physically she’s healed up other than the bruise. But man, I can’t even look at her without getting tense. And when I walk in the room, I can feel her entire body tighten up. Like she’s waiting for me to go off.”

  “Have you?”

  “Have I what?”

  “Gone off? Yelled at her, talked to her, laid down the law, whatever you want to call it. From what I heard; she was pretty drunk off her ass.” Garrick’s eyebrows rose. “And I know you’re serious about her and her drinking.”

  “The woman has no fucking tolerance. Her levels were 0.15! Who the fuck let her in the driver’s seat being that drunk? Why didn’t she just call me?” Thomas rattled off the questions rattling around his head for the past week.

  Garrick let out a low whistle. “Shit, man. For her that’s bad.”

  Thomas took a long drink of the beer. Something stronger would be better, but he had to drive home. And unlike his wife, he knew when to call it quits.

  “What did she say?” Garrick asked.

  “About what?”

  “About what you just asked me.” Garrick crossed his arms over his chest. “Or have you not talked to her about it?”

  “She thinks I’m pissed about the car.” Thomas shook his head. “The damn car. What the hell is going on in that head of hers?”

  Garrick scratched the back of his neck. “That’s probably a good question for her to answer.”

  Thomas snapped his eyes to his friend.

  “Since when do you let shit fester this long? It’s been a week, Thomas. How long does she suffer for, how long do you let yourself suffer?”

  “I know what I need to do. What will put us back together again, but- “

  “But you’re still too worked up.” Garrick filled in for him. “I get it but let her know that. Tell her you just need time, but when you’re ready, you’ll be dealing with her. And correcting her thought process.”

  Thomas’s teeth clenched.

  “And if you want, handle it here.”

  “Here?” Thomas asked with raised brows. “We play here, Garrick. I don’t bring her here for punishments.”

  “Sounds like this isn’t going to be a typical punishment. And it might make you more comfortable with the DMs around.”

  Thomas never needed backup when it came to Susan. He handled her the right way every time, and emotions never ruled his actions. But Garrick had a good point. This wasn’t going to be an ordinary spanking. This was going to be the hardest punishment she ever received. But it wouldn’t happen until his anger had completely drained away.

  “Even if you’re not mad, remembering the panic of seeing her like that, it might be good to be in a safe place for this one.” Garrick stood from the stool.

  “Thanks. I’ll think about it.” Thomas pushed his beer away and got up. Susan should be in bed, but he doubted she was sleeping. With so much hanging unresolved between them, neither of them had been getting much rest.

  Chapter 4

  “We need to talk,” Thomas said immediately after entering the bathroom.

  Susan stopped mid step out of the shower, towel loosely wrapped around her chest and gave him her attention. She’d been awake when he came home the night before, but again they went to sleep in silence.

  “Okay,” she nodded. She’d do better this time. She’d say the right things and he wouldn’t march off on her. “I thought you’d left for work already,” she stepped completely out of the tub and tightened the towel around herself.

  “I’m going in late. I’ll drive you to work on the way.” He leaned against the bathroom counter, his gaze moving up and down her form. “Drop the towel.” He instructed.

  She swallowed back the why hanging on her tongue, and slowly let go of the material, letting it pool at her feet.

  “I’ve missed seeing you like this. Naked…obedient.” He shook his head, as though to push away thoughts he didn’t want at the moment. “I don’t give a rats ass about the car. And it really pisses me off you think that’s what made me so mad.”

  She nodded mutely.

  “You have a drink limit. You know damn well anything other than wine hits you hard. I want to know why you drank so much, why no one tried to stop you from driving, and why you didn’t call me.” He folded his arms over his chest and crossed his ankles.

  Okay, so they were having this conversation in the bathroom. Sure, that’s normal.

  “I ordered an appletini cause I wanted to try it. I didn’t think it would be so strong, it didn’t taste like it had a lot of liquor in it.” It had tasted like liquid candy. “And I remember Patty telling me to call you, not to drive.”

  He raised a knowing brow. Patty, she worked on the unit with Susan for the past three years and knew her better than the rest of the nurses.

  “I think I said I would call you from the car. I didn’t want to wait in the bar.” Her shoulders dropped.

  He sighed. “Even with your low tolerance, you had to know ordering a second drink wasn’t allowed.”

  She couldn’t argue the point. “Yeah. I did. I- “she lowered her gaze. “I just- well, I fucked up.” She threw her hands up.

  “Want to add swearing to your list?” he asked with a firmer tone.

  “No.” she wiped her hands over her face. “I really messed up.”

  “Yeah, you did. But you still haven’t answered me. Why did you order the second drink?”

  She stared at his chin. He hadn’t shaved in a few days and the stubble was starting to cover his entire jaw. It had been a long time since he let his beard grow out.

  “Susan.” Her name struck like lightening in the room.

  “I – “she closed her eyes. “I just wanted to relax.”

  Time ticked off in her mind as the silence stretched and became heavier.

  “There’s more to it than that,” he said. “But we’ll get to the bottom of it during your punishment.”

  She snapped her attention back to his eyes. The severity of his glare unsettled her. He wasn’t ready to punish her, but she trusted him to know that.

  “Not today. Hell, not even tomorrow.” He raked his hand through his hair, messing up the dark waves. “Next week I’m taking you to Dark Lace. We’ll handle i
t there. Until then, no after work activities. Straight home after your shift. Your bedtime is nine o’clock.”

  “What about errands?” she asked softly, not sure about how much she could rock the boat without tipping them over.

  “I’ll take you. You are only to drive to work and back. Nowhere else for any reason.”

  “You’re grounding me?” she couldn’t hide the surprise. He’d never done something like that before. Forcing her to bed early, that was a typical punishment. He knew how much she hated going to sleep before eleven.

  He huffed a laugh. “I guess so. Did you ask for those extra shifts?”

  “Yes. I’m working a double tomorrow and Monday.” If anything, else became available she was first on the list to be offered.

  “Good. The overtime you earn from that should help pay your tickets. I called Jim about representing you in court. He’s positive you won’t have to worry about jail time since this is your first offense, but you’ll probably have a nice sized fine and possibly community service.”

  Susan gasped. She hadn’t even thought about the legality issues of what she’d done. Being so wrapped up in her own worry and fear about what happened with Thomas, she’d forgotten all about it.

  “I didn’t- “she moaned. “I’m so embarrassed. Your brother must think I’m a complete loser.”

  “Jim would never think about you. But he was worried, and so am I. You’ve never drank like that before.”

  She lowered her head. Couldn’t the bathroom floor just open up and suck her down already?

  “I’m really sorry you had to call him. And you lost your car.” She sniffled, unable to keep the tears from building. “And for ruining us.”

  “Hey.” He stepped to her and pulled her to his chest, enveloping her in his arms. “You didn’t ruin us. And I don’t want to hear any more about the car. I’ll either fix it or I won’t. It’s just a car. It’s you I care about.” He ran his hand down her bare back, soothing away some of the tension. “Now, get ready for work and I’ll drive you on my way into the shop.”