Marrying the Marine-epub (19 page)

Earlier this morning, she’d tried to seduce him, and he’d turned down her advances. He’d stated he intended to keep his promise to her father. He wouldn’t touch her until he found her mother’s killer.  The more she thought about his promise, the more she disliked it. What if he never captured the killer? Then what? She couldn’t fathom living a life without Braylon. The thought pained her heart.

Just as she stuck her hands into the warm bubbly dish water, her old neighbor, Buddy Greene, appeared on the porch at the house behind hers. He turned a beer bottle up to his lips, swallowed, then tossed it in the bin. Was he back? she wondered, scrubbing the pot. God, she sure hoped not.

Bud had resided behind her father’s house a few years back and he’d been the worst neighbor ever. He’d nearly driven her mother crazy with all the loud country music and wild drunken fests he’d held at his home on many late nights. At one point her mother had gotten so upset until she’d called the police on him. Afterward, he’d moved out, and she hadn’t seen or heard from him until now.

Bud descended the steps and started crossing the lawn toward her home.

Oh God, here he comes.
Sandella pulled her hands from the warm water and as she dried them on the dish towel, a loud knock resounded on the back door.

She pulled open the back door. Bud’s striking green eyes sparkled when they met hers. He stood beneath the porch light wearing a wrinkled plain white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. A myriad of tattoos covered his body. The black dragon tattoo on his neck had the same color eyes as he did. So did the tattoo of the woman inked down the length of his right arm.

“Sorry to interrupt you,” he said, his fierce green eyes raking up and down her body, “but I was just about to make dinner when I noticed I needed an onion. Do you by any chance have one?”

An onion? Really?
“I’m sorry, but I don’t,” she lied, feeling extremely uncomfortable around him. “Have you moved back in?”
Please say no.

“Yep. Sure have.”

Darn.
“What brings you back?”

“My father decided to rent out the property I was living in to a family of four. He’s all about making that money, and I don’t blame him in the least bit.” He shifted sideways to look back at his home. “Considering it’s just me, this house fits my needs better anyway. The other place was way too big for just one person.”

“Who’s there?” Kane said, wheeling himself into the kitchen.

“It’s Bud from—”

Kane interjected, “What do you want?”

“Just came to borrow an onion, that’s all.”

“Well, we don’t have any.”

His green eyes scraped down to Sandella’s breasts then lifted back to her face. Thank God her father was sitting behind her and hadn’t seen the look of lust in Bud’s eyes. “That’s what this pretty gal of yours was just telling me.”

“Watch your mouth, boy.”

“Just giving a compliment…that’s all. Sorry to interrupt your dinner. Y’all be good now, you hear?”

“Have a nice evening.” Sandella closed the door. She then turned around to find her father clenching his jaws.

Kane’s eyes grew darker as he said, “There’s something about that man  I just don’t like. Don’t open up my door for him anymore. And keep the gun I bought you with you at all times. You got that?”

Although she’d left the weapon at Willa’s, she’d plan to keep it with her from this night forward. “Yes.  Bud  gives me the creeps too. He—”

“I’m ready!” Drew jumped into the kitchen with his arms spread wide wearing a homemade Halloween costume. He’d caked his face with white powder, painted his lips red, and had taken her eyeliner from her purse to draw big black circles around both his eyes.

Sandella looked at her father and they both burst into wild laughter. “And who are you supposed to be?” she asked, grinning.

Drew shrugged as if they should recognize his character. “I’m the Joker from Batman.” 

“If you want, I can run you to the store and pick up a costume.”

“Thanks, but I’m good just like this. Let’s go.”

“Not until after you eat dinner,” Sandella came back, still feeling uncomfortable about Bud.

“But—”

“No buts—” Her cell buzzed against her hip. She reached inside her pocket to pull out her phone. The name on the screen brought a smile to her face. It was Braylon.  “Hello.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at my father’s.”

“Is he there?”

“Yes. I just came over here to cook dinner. As a matter of fact, I’m on my way back to the estate in a few minutes. Adam is watching Royce for me, and he has a date tonight, so I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“The sooner you get back, the better. Officer Thompson is on his way over here now. May I speak with your father?”

Sandella placed her hand over the cell’s speaker. “It’s Braylon. He wants to speak with you.”

A dazed expression appeared on Kane’s face as he reached for the phone. “Hello.” It’d taken all of thirty seconds for them to speak with one another. When Kane was done conversing with her lover, he handed her the phone.

“What did he want?” she asked, slipping the cell back into her pocket.

“He didn’t say. All he said was he needed to speak with me in private. He’s on his way over.”

TWENTY MINUTES LATER,
Sandella pulled up on the curb of Colonel Barton’s home with Drew in costume in the passenger’s seat. “Have fun…and be good,” Sandella advised, smiling.

“Always.” Drew flung open the door, hopped out of the car, and walked coolly toward the front door. When he was halfway there, the front door suddenly flung open. Two teenage girls happily rushed up to him and bestowed him with a group hug. Her little brother was definitely growing up, she thought, smiling, then pulling away.
What does Braylon want to talk to my father about? It must be about the case.

After making a left turn at the stop sign, she made a quick right then proceeded to drive down the long dark road. A love song streamed from the car speakers, serenading her. Memories of the way Braylon had once sucked her throbbing clitoris into his hot mouth came cruising into her mind. Her nipples tightened beneath the fabric of her satin bra. Sizzling heat gathered in her core.
  Oh my,
it was throbbing.

She missed the feel of his long thick column buried inside her, pumping her, his sperm filling her to the hilt. The last time they’d made hot, steamy love, he’d cupped her buttocks and brought her sex up to his mouth. Then he’d trailed his tongue along the flesh of her labia before slipping it into her soaked entrance. He’d nibbled on her throbbing pearl, and had—

Red and blue lights flashing in her rearview mirror interrupted her sweet, sensual memories. The siren on the police vehicle whooped, then the cop car closed in on her. Darn, had she been speeding? She nervously pulled over to the side of the road.

As the officer strode toward her car, her pulse beat hard in her throat. She’d never received a ticket before. Once he reached her window, she hit the button, and the tinted glass rolled down.

When the officer ducked his head and leveled his striking green gaze with hers, her heart dipped. He wrapped his strong hands around her neck, squeezed, then slapped a strong-smelling rag over her mouth and nose.

Trying to ward him off, she dug her nails into the skin of his arm and tried to pry his forceful hand from her gagging mouth. As she fought to take her next breath, her vision blurred. Why had she been stupid and refused to carry the gun her father had given her? Everything in sight suddenly faded to black.

K
ane eyed Braylon speculatively as he towered over him.  “I’m not moving out of my own damn house unless you give me a good enough reason,” his voice boomed, confusion bouncing around in his hooded eyes.

Braylon had figured Kane would say as much. “I can’t give you specifics, but I have reason to believe the person who killed your wife may live close by.”
Very close.

Hitching his brows, Kane leaned forward. “How damn close?” He squinted.

“Let’s just say it’d be in your family’s best interests to move for a while.”

Kane shook his head. “I’m not going to let no devil of a man run me out of my own god damn house. If he even thinks about showing up here, before he even steps over the threshold, he’ll find out I’m no pussy.” Kane reached down in his pants and pulled out a pistol. “Braylon, meet Blaze.” He kissed the tip of the barrel. “Blaze here will fire a hot bullet in someone’s ass before they can blink an eye.”

Braylon should’ve known better than to try and convince a stubborn man like Kane to leave his own home. Truth was, he didn’t think he’d do it anyhow. But because he didn’t want Sandella over there at all, including in the daytime, he’d decided to give it a shot. “Just promise me you won’t use the gun unless your life is in jeopardy and it’s absolutely necessary.”

“I thought I was gone have to use it earlier today,” he said, lowering the pistol to the table.

Braylon’s overloaded mind jumped on the information he’d found out earlier today after he’d left Victoria Varn’s home.  Come to find out, one of Forest’s rental properties recently became available. For the last three Halloweens, a rape had occurred at one of his available properties.

The disturbing way local authorities had overlooked this mishap frustrated the fuck out of Braylon. Someone was covering up for Forest? Who? And why?

Kane cleared his throat, jarring Braylon from his deep thoughts. He then continued. “He just looked like he was up to no good. I could see it in those evil green eyes of his. I’ve always been a good people reader, and something ain’t right about him. Talking about he needed a damn onion.”

“Who?”

“Bud. He’s moved back into the house right behind me.”

Buddy Greene is back. Fuck!
“And he came to visit you today?” Braylon’s mind whirled.

“Not visit. He showed up on my back porch claiming he needed to borrow an onion. Mr. Crow’s store is right there on the corner, and it wouldn’t take him any time to get there. I think he came here to get fresh with Sandy.”

Braylon’s gut churned violently. The fact that Bud had showed up for no good reason had his temples bulging. “I—” His cell phone buzzed. “Excuse me,” he said, pulling it from his clip. “Everything okay?” he queried Officer Jeff Thompson.

“I don’t know. I’m here at the Wexlers’ estate and Sandella hasn’t showed up yet. Adam is here with Royce, and he said he hasn’t heard from her.”

“Let me follow up with that,” he said in a calm tone, not wanting to alarm Kane. “As soon as I find out something, I’ll call you.”

“Likewise.”

Braylon ended the call and as he hurried toward the front door, Kane wheeled behind him. “If you change your mind about moving out to the estate, please let me know. In the meantime lock up.”

“Thanks for offering and for your concern, but Blaze and I are staying right here.”

Now inside the car, Braylon threw the car in reverse, sped out of Kane’s driveway, and headed for the vacant rental property Forest owned. His stomach wrenched with anxiety as he dialed Sandella’s cell. The phone chirped in his ear eight times before he finally hung up. 

With fists clenching the steering wheel, he zoomed across the bridge. If his theory was correct, Sandella was in grave, grave danger. Horrific thoughts coursed through his brain threatening to make his heart collapse.

DRUGGED OUT OF HER MIND,
Sandella felt her body lifting from the trunk of the car. Then it seemed as if she was floating in the air. The sound of branches snapping beneath a pair of hard shoes assailed her ears. Her captor was carrying her through the woods. 

With her eyes closed, she swayed her head side to side struggling to fully awaken. She then forced her eyes open. Her blurred vision fought hard to stabilize as she focused in on the half-moon glowing in the sky. Then her eyes honed in on the masked man toting her.

A horrid memory attacked her mind. She’d been taken against her will. Bile into her throat. As the man mounted the steps to the house surrounded by woods, the floorboards creaked.

“You’re awake.” His dark, throaty voice terrified her and she shivered. When he pulled open the heavy wooden door, it gave off a resounding squeak. He stepped over the threshold and kicked the door closed behind them.

Inside the house reeked of mothballs. He strode past a brick fireplace, rounded a corner to the left, then ended up inside a dark bedroom. He switched on the light.

“Whyyyy me?” Sandella slurred.

He pinned her with a wicked green stare, then dropped her on the mattress. As he peered down at her, he tilted his head.  “Why not you? Why not your mother?”  He plopped down on top of her.

Sandella screamed. As her body writhed beneath his strong masculine build, she clawed at his face and snatched off his mask.

A lopsided grin was plastered on Buddy Greene’s face. He reached between them and fumbled with his belt. The sound of his zipper lowering scraped her ears.
Oh God no. He’s going to rape me.
“Heeellllp,” she wailed.

“Are you as good as your mother?” Using rugged force, he pinned her arms above her head, then pried her thighs apart with his knee.

“Please don’t do this,” she wailed.

“I promise you’ll like it.” The stench of alcohol poured from his hot breath down on her face.

Fearing for her life, tears rolled down her eyes. Panic raced throughout her. Her legs went numb. Her body stilled. Fisting her hands, she braced herself for his assaults.

Pooowww!
The sound of gunfire popped Sandella’s eardrums. She glanced up and there was a big, black hole in the ceiling. With his jeans puddled around his hips, Bud jumped off of her.

Braylon stood at the end of the bed aiming his weapon at Bud’s chest. “Did he hurt you?” His angry voice echoed, bouncing off the walls.

“No. Not yet,” she cried, scrambling to her feet. She hurried to Braylon’s side.

“Turn around and put your hands behind your back.” Braylon reached into his holster and whipped out his handcuffs.