“I know.”
“And I fucked one of the subs there.”
The corners of her mouth turn downward. “I wish you wouldn’t tell me things like that. It hurts.”
“I know, but just listen to me. I was up there scening with her and something happened that’s never happened before.” She waits, and I feel the heat creeping across my cheeks when I say, “I went limp.”
Her face is a mask of pain. “And why are you telling me this?”
I stare at the floor, then force myself to meet her gaze. “I couldn’t keep it up because while I was fucking her, I was thinking about you.” Her eyes pop open wide and her mouth makes an O. “It’s true, babe. I couldn’t perform. All I kept thinking about was you, and it just knocked the wind out of my sails. And then afterward, we went back to a private room for her aftercare, and we talked. I’ve known her for a long time, scened with her a lot of times, and we’re really pretty good friends. We talked about it, I mean, about you and me.”
“And?”
“And she told me she thought I should take a chance.”
A single tear rolls down her face. “And then?”
I feel one well up and trickle down my cheek too. “I came home and cleaned out the bedroom so there’d be room for your stuff. I wanted to surprise you. It never occurred to me that you might think I wanted you to leave.”
I watch the tension disappear in her shoulders as she starts to sob. “I did! I thought you didn’t want me here anymore! I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted, so I was leaving. You scared me so bad, Dave. I thought I didn’t have a home anymore.”
“You’ve got a home here, little girl.” I move to the sofa, then pull her up into my lap and wrap my arms around her. With my lips against her cheek, I whisper, “I love you, Olivia. I want to see if this can work.”
“I love you too.” When she faces me, her lips find mine and I find myself falling into her like an Olympic swimmer off a high dive. It’s frightening and exhilarating all at the same time, and I want more. “My doctor won’t clear me for sex for a couple more weeks. Can you wait?”
I chuck her under the chin and grin. “Baby, I’ve waited all my life for you. I can wait a little longer, I promise.”
I still don’t want her to cook. I know it’s been four weeks and her doctor says she’s doing very well, but I don’t like the idea of her standing like that for an hour or two. She says I’m spoiling her. So what? I like that idea.
The pizzas show up and then everyone else does. I’ve bought some games for the kids, and all five of them are having a blast in the little den on the back of the house. I’ve also loaded them down with chips and pretzels in an attempt to avoid the sugary stuff so no one kills me the next day. Once they’re back there and busy, I tell our four guests, “Come in and have a seat. We need to talk.”
With everyone comfortable, Clint looks at me out the corner of his eye. “Okay, I know something’s going on. I could tell when I walked through the door. Spill.”
Without looking at Olivia, I just tell them matter-of-factly, “Olivia has moved into my bedroom.”
Trish looks ceilingward and sighs. “Well, finally. I thought you’d never get with the program.”
“Whaaaa . . .”
There’s a snort from one of the chairs. “Oh, for god’s sake, Dave. We all knew.” Steffen is grinning from ear to ear.
“Yeah. The two of you are perfect for each other,” Clint says in agreement.
“You really think so?” I’m dumbfounded.
“Absolutely!” Sheila is beaming. “Look at you. You’re the perfect complement to each other. And you’re obviously crazy about each other.”
“Obviously?” Now I’m really struck.
“Yes. Obviously. The way you look at her makes it more than obvious. There’s just one question.” Clint leans forward and stares me straight in the eyes. “What about the lifestyle? You’ve been in it for a long, long time. You’re used to having a bevy of beauties available at your momentary whim. Unless the little lady over there is very accepting and accommodating, that’ll be a thing of the past.” He glances over at Olivia, and we all turn to see her shaking her head. Clint directs his gaze back at me. “So, there’s the big question. How will you deal with that?”
“I have no idea. I’ve got to navigate these waters a knot at a time, just like everyone else. I don’t know what to say or do, just that I’m willing to try.”
Sheila directs her attention to the young woman on the sofa beside me. “Is that enough for you, Olivia?”
“It is. As long as we’re both willing to try, I think it’ll be fine. I love him and he loves me. Whatever’s supposed to happen will happen.”
“Speaking of what will happen, I’m glad we’re all here together. We have something to show you.” Steffen pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolds it. “Take a real good look at these and tell us if you recognize any of these men.”
When she realizes it’s a picture of police officers, Olivia snatches her hand back, then reaches shaking fingers to take the sheet of paper. We watch her study it carefully, then look up and around at us as she says, “I’ve never seen any of these men.”
A huge cloud of nervousness seems to just drift away from Steffen and Clint as Steffen says, “Good. Those are the men on the task force who are investigating the things that have happened to the homeless women over the last few weeks.” He stops and takes one of her hands. “Olivia, they’re going to want to talk to you. They’ve had no luck with the women still on the streets. They’re too afraid.”
She’s started to shake. “I’m afraid too.”
Steffen’s eyes are pleading. “Olivia, honey, so far they’ve found nine women dead with signs of the same kinds of assault you suffered. And there’ll be more if someone doesn’t help them.”
Bless her heart, she starts to cry, and I hug her into my side. “Why does it have to be me? Why can’t it be someone else?”
“Because, honey, the women who are still out there are too afraid. They have no one to protect them. You’ve got all of us and you’ll be fine. Don’t you want this to stop?”
“Yes! But I’m too scared!” Now she’s almost screaming and my heart is breaking. I shake my head at the guys, but Steffen says the magic words.
“Olivia, just think: If Dave hadn’t opened that back door and seen you there, that could be you. Tonight. Tomorrow night. Last week or the week before. You could already be gone. Think about what they did to you. You can keep them from doing it to another single person. Help the cops help your friends, please, honey? We’re doing this because we love you and we want to see you get justice, you and your friends that those animals have already murdered.”
Her tear-filled eyes look around the little group gathered in the room before she whispers out, “What do I have to do?”
I hug her. “That’s my girl. It’s all going to be fine. They’re going to contact the task force first, feel them out, see what they say before you ever talk to anyone. We’re not going to just take you in there. And we especially don’t want any of the bad guys seeing you walking into the police station.” I kiss her cheek. “Baby, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You know that.” I feel her nod against my shoulder and I know everything’s going to be just fine.
All the kids are gone and I finish cleaning up the kitchen, then find her sitting in the middle of my bed. I’ve got to quit thinking that – it’s our bed. She’s just staring into space. “Whatcha thinkin’ ’bout?”
“About how scared I am.”
“I know.” I trace a finger up and down her arm. “I’ll be right there the whole way, I promise.”
“I know you will or I wouldn’t do this.”
“Good. Let’s get some sleep. I don’t know when this is going to take place, so there’s no point in losing sleep over it. And if Clint and Steffen don’t get the kind of reception they’re hoping for, it may never happen. They won’t let you go in there if there�
�s any question about your safety.” Dropping a kiss on her forehead before I stand, I tell her, “You’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever met. Now, I’m going to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. See you in a minute.”
She’s gone when I come back, but in just a minute or two she joins me and cuddles up against me. There’s something about her that sets my heart on fire. I don’t know if it’s the way she needs me, or her softness and vulnerability, but I need her here with me.
Bless Melina’s heart. She was right. Love always deserves a chance.
“So we talked to the guy who’s spearheading the task force. We told him we’d screened all of his men with the victim we know, and he was surprised. But he said he was glad.” Clint’s finishing his sandwich and Steffen’s just ordered another beer. The girls are down the mall, looking at coats. I gave them explicit orders to not come back until they’d bought Olivia a nice winter coat. She has my credit card, so I figure she’ll get something decent. If I know her, she’ll try to hit the clearance rack instead of buying what she really needs. I’m glad she’s not here for this conversation.
I’ve got to admit, for the first time since this all started, I’m nervous. “Are you trying to arrange a meeting for them with her?”
“Yeah, but we’re being very careful. It’ll be a public location, there’ll be plenty of guys around who know us, and she’ll be in a disguise. And we don’t want you anywhere near. They might be able to track her back to you. If they do that with us, she won’t be in our homes, so they won’t be able to find her,” Clint explains.
“That sounds good, except you’re going to have trouble convincing her to do this without me present.”
“I know. We’ll just have to work on that.” Steffen rises and throws a twenty on the table. “I’ve got to get back to the office. I’m sure one of you will make sure my wife picks up my kids on time, right?”
“Absolutely.” He takes the hand I extend and shakes it. “Thank you for doing this, for caring enough about her to help.”
“Dave, listen, that girl is precious. She’s got a good heart and she’s brave. She’ll be fine, but I’m glad to help be a part of her healing. I’ll talk to you soon.” With that, Steffen heads out, and I wrangle Clint into going and finding the girls.
As we walk, he tells me, “Oh, and by the way, while Olivia was at our house one night and you were at the club, she was asking Trish about being a submissive.” I guess I must look more than shocked because he throws in, “She was asking what that meant to Trish and to Sheila. She wanted to know if I ‘hit’ Trish,” he says with appropriate air quotes.
“And what did Trish say?”
“She said no. That’s not part of our dynamic. Same for Sheila and Steffen. She seemed surprised somehow, and Trish took that as a good sign.”
I just shrug. “Honestly, I don’t know what to do with that information.”
Clint shrugs too. “I don’t know. Just file it away, I guess. But she’s curious.”
I’m still pondering that when I send Olivia a text telling her that we’re looking for them and, according to the one she sends back, complete with emoticons – god, that girl loves that phone! – they’re in one of the department stores. We can see them across the store, and Clint and I are strolling toward them when I see something that sends me into a spiral of panic.
The girls are moving toward us in the aisle, and there’s a woman and a large man walking the opposite direction. When they near the girls, they move slightly to the side. But a look crosses Olivia’s face that I recognize – it’s the same look as the one on her face the morning she saw the security guard at the outpatient center. And to my horror, the man turns, looks back at her, and puts his hand under the back of his jacket.
I manage to squeeze out, “Did you see that?”
“I did. You start away from them so they’ll follow you. I’m going around the other way and intercept the guy, see if I can watch him for a little while. Get them out of here, all three of them.” Clint takes off at a fast walking pace around the perimeter of the store. I take a look at the girls, make a gesture for them to come to me, and head for the nearest exit door.
I stop when I get out into the main part of the mall and wait. Within seconds, they shoot through the door, and Trish and Sheila are practically holding Olivia up – she’s pale and shaking like a leaf. Trish instantly asks, “Where’s Clint?”
“Keeping an eye on him until we can get out of here.”
Olivia’s starts to cry. “Dave, that was . . .”
“Trouble. That’s what that was. Whose car is the closest?” It takes us only a couple of seconds to figure out that Trish and Clint’s van is closest to where we are. Once we’re out of the mall and in the van, I feel much better. Trish texts Clint, telling him which mall door to go to for a meeting spot, then runs Olivia and me to my car. When we’re in the car, I try not to drive like a maniac out of the parking lot. Attracting attention is the last thing I need to do. In less than five minutes, my phone rings, and I pull over and answer. “Yeah.”
“I’m guessing he’s one of them?” Clint asks.
“Not a doubt in my mind.”
“Okay. I got a really good look at him a couple of times. I’ll go and check out the website, see if I can find his picture. She okay?”
“Yeah, shaken up, but okay. We’re going home.”
“Good. We’re dropping Sheila off at home and then picking the kids up from school. Call me when you get in and settled down.”
I smile over at Olivia, who’s still tense and shaking. “Will do. Thanks, son.” Ending the call, I look at her. “Everyone in this family is looking out for you, angel. It’s going to be okay.”
She shakes her head, and then a fierce look works its way into her eyes. “I want to talk to those cops, and I want to do it soon. I want that asshole off the streets, and I don’t want him to hurt anyone else.”
I reach over as I drive and take her hand with my free one. “We’ll be right there with you, baby. You can count on that.”
“We’re here and settled.”
“Good. Let me tell you what I found.” Clint is rustling papers around. “His name is Mark Falco. He’s been with the force for seventeen years. I did a little research, found out he has a wife and three kids. I have no idea if the woman with him was his wife or not but, based on her appearance, I’d say if he were going to have a girlfriend, she’d be much more of a looker than that.”
“Okay, so now what?”
“Well, I saw the two out in front of the club that night. It was dark, so I didn’t get a real good look, but I’ve thought about it and thought about it, and I think I’ve figured out who they were. Do you remember much about the one who came in and took the report from you?”
“No, I don’t. I was so shaken up that I don’t really remember much.”
“That’s okay. You can bet if they do this together while they’re on duty, they pal around together off work. We’ll catch up with them, I guarantee. Is she feeling better?”
“Clint, she wants to talk to the cops. She wants to get this over with.”
“Really? Okay. I’ll talk to Steffen and we’ll figure out what to do from here.”
“Thanks again, son. I appreciate it.”
“You’re quite welcome. Talk to you later.” I turn to Olivia and take her face in my hands. “His name is Mark Falco. We know who he is. And with that information, we can keep you safe. It’s going to be okay, baby, I promise.” My lips meet her forehead and she sighs as I kiss her, down the bridge of her nose, off the tip, and then on to her lips. They part for me, and my tongue seeks hers out to play, dipping and slipping and stroking. I’m more than aroused; I’m moved for this woman, and she is a woman. Every day I’m made more aware of that fact, and I’m looking forward to the day when I can discover everything about her that makes her incredible and amazing and unbelievable. “When’s your doctor’s appointment?” I manage to groan out.
“Two days.”<
br />
“Any more bleeding?”
“Nope. No pain either.”
“Olivia, I . . .”
She kisses me again hard, then whispers into my mouth, “I want you too. God, baby, I want you too.”
It takes me only an instant to wrap my arms around her waist and take her down onto the sofa, my weight on top of her, my mouths crushing hers. Her hands travel up my back and into my hair, and her fingers on my scalp drive me wild. I want to bond with her. I want us to become one. There’s no one else in the whole world for me. Just her.
“Let’s see if we can get in a little nap before I have to go to the club tonight. And you’re coming with me this time. If anything happens, I want it to be at the club where we’re surrounded by big, muscled-up Dominants who know me and will defend me to the bitter end – you too because you’re mine.” I smile, then repeat those words that warm my heart. “You’re mine. And don’t you forget it.”
“Not a chance, love, not a chance. Let’s go catch a nap. Two more days, Mr. Adams.”
Two more days. Two more very, very long days.
“Sit out here at the bar with me. I want to be able to see you.”
She lets out a little exasperated laugh. “I’ll be fine back there in the office!”
“No. I want you out here. I mean it. Don’t you leave my sight.”
“Okay. All right. I’ll stay right here.” I lean over the bar and give her a peck on the cheek, then go back to readying everything.
Twenty minutes after the club opens, I find myself in a predicament when Melina walks in and sits down at the bar. “Hey, stud! Wanna play tonight? I’m jonesing for that big old cock.”
The look on my face must’ve been telling because she says, “Oh. Just kidding.” Intuition intact, she turns and looks at Olivia. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Melina. And you are . . .”
Incredible Us Page 12
