Tell Me No Lies: The Black Orchid, Book 1 (15 page)

She poured the drink, her eyes never leaving mine. “You from Bragg?” she drawled, “looking for a little fun?”

I took the drink from her and threw a tip in her jar. “Something like that.” I hadn’t been a soldier in years, but I guess it was a hard thing to shake, even without the buzz cut.

“What’s your pleasure? I know somethin’ about every girl in here.”

I looked around the room. A few girls were dancing together by a jukebox. “Slim pickings tonight. I just want something soft and sweet.” I finished my drink and shoved the glass back toward her. “A pain whore.”

She picked up my glass. “But pretty, right?” she purred in nasal tones.

I barely nodded. I just needed to inflict some pain. Her face wouldn’t matter tonight.

She gazed around the room once and then back again. A slow smile crept across her face. “Her.” She pointed to a table in a corner. “She’s what ya wantin’.”

I threw down a ten. “Thanks.” Then went to the table.

The girl was young, maybe twenty-one with wavy shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair and big blue eyes. She turned to me expectantly. “You wantin’ to play?” She stood before I could respond. “You got a place we could go to?”

I took in her appearance; the black bra straps running parallel with her white tank, the faded low-rise jeans with the frayed edges and strappy sandals revealing aqua blue toenails.

She was no Rain. I wanted Rain.

Yeah, I could tie her up, smack the crap out of her with my belt and then fuck her until I came, but it would be empty, completely meaningless. I couldn’t do it.

Smiling at the girl, I made my apologies and stepped away.

There was an even better way to deal with my frustrations.

* * * * *

Thirty minutes later, I’d arrived at a local mixed martial arts gym I’d found with an app designed for precisely that reason. I liked to fight with my bare hands and I usually found a gym or ring to spar in wherever I happened to be.

And while sparring was great cardio and great for my reflexes, it was perfect for getting rid of the type of frustration I accumulated when I couldn’t fuck the way I needed to.

I stepped out of my truck, grabbed the duffle bag filled with athletic gear and headed for the small brick building. Even though it was late, there were a few cars in the parking lot, meaning there would be somebody I could step onto the mat with and beat to a bloody pulp.

Chapter Eighteen

I couldn’t call Charlotte. Haley was out of the country and probably busy. But I needed to talk out what had just happened.

Just when I thought I knew Kael, I discovered a new side to him. I wasn’t sure what to think about it or him. Did I like what just happened or was I repelled?

A part of me enjoyed the sensation of being manhandled like that, feeling like the man I was with was crazed with lust for me. But the other side of me, the rational sensible part of me was a bit concerned.

He’d been very rough. He’d hurt me…well, he’d created a lot of pleasure too, but with everything so new between us, it felt strange. Like those women who stayed with men who abused them. I wondered about the level of aggression he’d showed me.

It turned me on, but it also scared me. Without realizing it, I’d driven to the coffee shop. I looked at the time display on my dashboard. It was a little after 10 pm but they should still be open.

I stepped out of my car and glanced at my clothes. A little overdressed for coffee but it would just have to do. I stood in the entryway and looked around.

“I’ve never seen you here so late before.”

I jumped at the sound of a voice behind me. I turned to see Asa standing there in a blue pullover and faded jeans. His dreads were pulled back into a high ponytail.

“You are always here.”

He grinned. “So, it would seem, are you.”

The line moved and I stepped up to the counter and placed my order. Before I could pay, Asa stood beside me.

“I’ll have what she’s having and I’ll pay for them both.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know. I want to.” He paid for our lattes with organic skim milk and we moved to the end of the counter and waited for our drinks. “You must’ve just come from a hot date.”

I turned around, deciding to ignore him.

He whistled. “You look beautiful.”

Our coffees were ready. I grabbed them both, handed him his. “Thank you, Asa.”

He hesitated. “May I join you?”

What the heck. I asked for somebody to talk to and it looked like the universe sent me this guy. “Sure.”

I didn’t plan on talking to him about Kael though. Now that I was here and he was here, it didn’t seem very easy or natural to discuss what just happened, how I felt about or if I wanted it to happen again.

Asa led me to my favorite chair and pulled an ottoman alongside me. He began drinking his coffee while his gaze casually drifted over me.

He stopped at my thigh and stared. And stared. I looked down too, ready to read him the riot act for being so obnoxious. I mean I knew my dress was short. And when I sat down it rode up even higher, but still.

Oh shit. A red handprint was clearly imprinted on the skin of my thigh. Heat crept over my cheeks as I looked up to meet his eyes.

He set his cup down. “Who did that to you?”

“Oh, this is nothing.” I tried to pull the hem down a bit, but he’d seen enough.

He leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Is someone hitting you? Tell me. I’ll make it stop.”

What the? “No, it’s nothing like that. It happened during— I mean, it’s fine. It wasn’t abuse.”

He sat back in the chair, his chest rising quickly. His eyes raked over my entire body, looking for more marks. His gaze fell on my neck. He leaned forward, lifted up my hair without asking my permission and trailed a finger down the side of my neck to my clavicle.

He was so close I could feel his warm breath on my face.

I moved away. “What is it? What do you see?”

He sat back, a look of disappointment on his face. “Is that Square Jaws’ handiwork?”

I gripped my coffee mug with both hands. I looked down, surprised to see my fingers were trembling. How did he know? “We went out tonight, yes.”

“See you’re not following my advice then.”

“Who I sleep with is none of your concern.”

He nodded, his face blank of expression. “You’re right. I’ve overstepped my bounds. Your love life is none of my business.”

I felt oddly embarrassed, as if my father had caught me making out with a boyfriend. “I didn’t sleep with him, we just kissed a little.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Looks like you did more than kiss.” He licked his lips. “So that’s what you’re into?”

I sipped my coffee, very uncomfortable with this conversation and confused about the intimacy of my exchange with this near stranger. “I’m not sure what
that
is.”

He shrugged. “You like it rough. Right? Whips, chains, paddles, gags.
That.
”

“I don’t know.” My face flooded with heat again. Well, I got my wish. I wanted to talk about it.
Shit.

“This was my first experience. There were no whips.” I shuddered at the idea. “No props or tools or toys,” I clarified.

His eyes cleared. “Oh.” He lowered his voice. “Did you like it?”

“I don’t know.” I tugged at my hem again. “I was a little overwhelmed by his passion.”

“Did he frighten you?” He sat very still watching me.

And I was reminded again of how weird it was that I was talking to him about this subject.

Did Kael frighten me? It felt weird to say that I was afraid of Kael, but there were moments when I was. But there was nothing to be afraid of, was there? He was just passionate.

“No. Yes. Maybe.” I finished my coffee and placed it on the table beside me. “I don’t know. He just took me by surprise is all. Next time I’ll be prepared.”

“There will be a next time? Is that the kind of relationship you want?”

“No. I don’t know. I need to talk to him, but—”

“Did he seem like the kind of guy you could talk to tonight?”

No, he hadn’t. He’d been like a wild animal. Words hadn’t been optional, they’d been rendered completely useless. But it was Kael. I would just tell him that I wasn’t into that, and he’d understand and that would be that.

“I’ll talk to him. It will be fine.”

“You don’t deserve to be treated like that. You’re a creative independent spirit.” He leaned in, lowering his voice. “You need to be cherished, treated delicately—your heart and your body. You remember that next time he wants to play caveman with you.”

My mouth dropped open. “It’s not like that between us.” I faked a smile. “My boyfriend treats me just fine.”

“Your boyfriend?” He nodded as if he were digesting complicated information. “You’re a couple?”

I stood up then, certain something was wrong with this scenario. A vague warning from Kael came to mind, something about strange men and flowers.

Asa wasn’t bearing flowers but he certainly was inappropriate.

“Thank you for the coffee, Asa.”

His eyes lit up. “It was my pleasure.”

“Oh.” I stepped backwards. He was a little too intense for me, especially after my night with Kael. “Okay, well, I have to go. Thanks for listening to me. As weird as that was.”

He smiled. “I hope I didn’t overstep. Let’s face it, I know I did. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. It’s just that I see you in here so often, I kind of feel like I know you. And when I saw that mark on you, those marks, I just got concerned.”

I felt like he was sincerely explaining himself, and that he probably didn’t mean me any harm. But it was still weird. He was the guy that kept talking to me at the coffee shop. Obviously he wanted more but I wasn’t interested, even if he was attractive in an obnoxious cocky way.

But there was no way. I was head over heels in…something, probably love, with Kael. There was no room in my life for other men, not even as friends.

Despite how well meaning he seemed to be, Asa was just not getting the message.

“Right. Well, see ya.”

I grabbed my purse and fled the coffee shop. Note to self: avoid The Coffee Grind for a while. That guy was poking and prodding way too much into my personal life for comfort.

Chapter Nineteen

The doorbell rang and I almost jumped out of my skin. Where had the time gone?

My girlfriends at work had convinced me to go out with them again. And I, in need of a solution to my ex-fiancé problem decided to go. After four years of being strung along, I’d ended my engagement. It had been difficult but necessary. Now I was going out with my friends, meeting new men and generally making up for lost time.

What I wasn’t going to do was pine for a lost love like Rain had. I wasn’t going to waste time sitting on my ass when I could be meeting someone new, even if that meant going out every night with my girls to a new spot, then that is what I’d do.

I stood at the top of the stairs frozen like a deer in the headlights when Rain ran to the door and opened it. I had a perfect view of Kael when he stepped into our foyer smelling of fresh grass and amber and hugged my roommate.

Time seemed to stop as I took in his visage. His large frame appeared to fill the entryway. He was dressed casually in a pair of sandstone cords and a coral V-neck shirt. Still handsome as ever. I hadn’t seen him since Jamaica and it was startling. Brought back all of the memories I had of him in the woods with that poor, struggling man.

I felt like I was spying. Hidden in the shadows, I was not certain if I should go back to my room and hide or go downstairs and just act cool.

Haley solved the problem when she bumped into me on the stairs and almost stabbed me in the back with an umbrella. I yelped in surprise, blowing my cover.

She’d stopped by to borrow Rain’s Burberry umbrella. She left the next day for some French rapper’s video shoot in London and she said she felt pretty sure it would be raining there. Not to mention, how could she go to London without the appropriate Burberry accessories?

She glanced down the stairs. “Is that
Kael?”

Silently I nodded.

“Oh my God, he’s fine,” she whispered to me. “He should be modeling.” She reached for her purse. “Maybe I should take his picture and send it to my agent. Rivka would love his cheekbones.”

I grabbed Haley’s arm. “Stop.” I allowed my gaze to rake him from head to toe. “The last thing that arrogant SOB needs is more attention.”

“But I could totally see him becoming Stefano Gabbana’s next muse. Look at those eyes. They smolder. It’s like—”

“Haley!” I hissed in her ear.

She ripped her eyes away from Kael and looked at me. “Well, if you feel that strongly.”

Rain broke free of her embrace with Kael and stared up at us. “You two coming down or what?”

Rain looked her prettiest in a bright orange bohemian mini-dress with natural wooden platform sandals. She looked so happy. I wanted to puke.

“Charlotte, come down and speak to Kael. You haven’t seen him in forever.”

Rain and I hadn’t made up. We were barely speaking. But I guess she wanted to pretend like everything was fine in front of him. Which was fine with me. The last thing I wanted was for him to think he’d come between me and my best friend.

Rain waved her sister down. “And Haley you’ve never met him.”

Forcing a smile, I followed Haley down the stairs. I stood behind her while Rain made introductions. Haley chatted with Kael, then gave me a hug, kissed Rain on the cheek and told us she had somewhere to be.

When she was gone, I finally faced Kael. “Long time no see, Kael.”

His cold grayish eyes turned to me. His lips quirked upward. “Lost some weight?”

I could feel heat suffusing my face. “Yeah, a few pounds.”

“Don’t be modest,” Rain said with a big fake grin on her face. “She’s probably lost twenty pounds since the last time you saw her.”

His eyes traveled over my body. “That’s great. Keep up the good work. Weight loss is a lifetime commitment of healthy eating and exercise.”

I stood uncomfortably in the hall. I was planning my getaway when Rain looked toward the kitchen.

“I think I smell something burning.” She headed to the kitchen, calling over her shoulder. “Charlotte, keep Kael company. I’ll be back in a second.”

With Rain gone the room was quiet. I was left standing inches away from Kael. I cleared my throat several times.

His grin was unfriendly, eyes suddenly hard. “Awkward, huh?”

I refused to comment. I looked around for my velvet clutch, found it on the coffee table and snatched it up, placing it before me like a talisman. Anything to put some distance between us.

He stepped closer to me. “I know what you did,” he murmured. He was too close. I could smell the fresh scent of soap on his skin.

“I didn’t call the cops if that’s what you’re referring to.”

“That’s not what I’m referring to and you know it.”

I looked away, silently praying for Rain to come through the door. My heart was pounding and a sick feeling permeated my stomach.

I stepped away from him and Rain chose that moment to come bursting through the door.

The memories of that horrible night in Jamaica come flooding back.

I’d just returned from a nighttime hike with a group from our resort. I was lagging behind because I was a bit out of shape. Okay, a lot out of shape, breathing heavily and my legs were killing me. I told the tour guide to go on without me, I’d catch up with them in a moment, that I had a cramp or something.

Once they were out of sight, I simply sat on the ground and took a breather. Seriously, I just couldn’t walk another step, not after walking up and down an inactive volcano in ninety-degree hot, humid weather.

Once the tour group was out of earshot, it got very quiet. Just me and the sounds of birds and insects chirping. Then I felt it. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I could feel the weight of someone’s gaze on me.

“Help me,” a heavily accented voice said out of nowhere. My breathing became very shallow and my pulse was racing. I blinked a few times and then stared into the darkness.

That’s when I saw him. Kael. He was hiding behind a tree. He stepped forward and I could see clearly that he held a man in front of him with his arm around his neck in a headlock. His feet barely touched the ground as Kael dragged him a few yards.

With wide eyes, the man, fiftyish with graying blond hair, a potbelly and dressed in typical safari hunting gear gasped for air. “Help me,” he wheezed out.

Kael pressed his arm against the man’s windpipe. “I told you, not a sound.” Kael then looked at me. “Just keep walking. Pretend you didn’t see anything.”

Nodding, I stepped backward, felt my foot trip over a fallen tree trunk and fell to the ground with a howl of pain.

Kael stepped forward, dragging the man with him. “Are you okay, miss?”

Before I could answer, the trapped man stomped on Kael’s foot and shoved an elbow into his abdomen. Grunting, Kael loosened his grasp and the man wiggled free and ran in the opposite direction.

Kael looked at me. “Don’t move!” Then he took off after the man.

Horrified, I listened to the sounds of two grown men crashing around the woods, and then the sounds of fist hitting flesh. Grunts startled birds as they flew in droves out of their nests. I looked around in the growing darkness, wondering what to do. My ankle throbbed, had to be a sprain and I knew I needed to ice it as soon as possible and then wrap the entire area to reduce swelling.

A moment later I heard a gruff incoherent sound and then silence. I tested my foot, no it was impossible to walk on it. I couldn’t get away if I wanted to. My heart raced and I looked around for a weapon as I balanced on one foot. Kael appeared in the clearing breathing heavily and with sweat pouring down his face. I noticed a rip on his shirt and he had cuts on his hands.

“Where’s the other guy?” I peered into the darkness behind him.

“He’s dead.”

My hand covered my mouth. “How did he die?”

He sighed in annoyance. “His knife accidentally went into his neck when he refused to cooperate with me.”

He said that with a straight face. What kind of man was he?

“You didn’t have to kill him. You look…big and strong. Why didn’t you just wrestle him to the ground and handcuff him?”

“Well, that was basically the plan but I get pissed off when someone tries to slice my jugular open.”

Was I witness to a murder? Would I be considered accessory after the fact? I tried to hop away. “You’re right. I didn’t see anything.”

“Not so fast.” He moved toward me and I noticed a long knife dripping with blood dangling from his right hand.

“Get away from me!” My eyes fells on a large rock which I grabbed and held in front of me. “I will crack your skull with this if you come a step closer.”

He actually laughed. “Cute. Look, this is his knife with my blood on it. It was not my intention to kill him. You want to pat me down? I did not bring any weapons with me.”

I tried not to look at the muscles bulging under his shirt, his ripped arms or powerful thighs encased in formfitting black pants.

“I’m pretty sure your hands are lethal weapons.”

He glanced down at his hands with a hint of a amusement. “Maybe. But seriously, there’s nothing more I wanted than to bring this guy to justice so he could suffer the punishment he so desperately deserved, but he made the mistake of thinking he could take me.”

He looked in the direction of the deceased man. “A miscalculation on his part, obviously.” He dismissed the subject with a shrug. “You need help getting out of here. Let me help you.”

I shook my head, my mouth too dry to speak.

He gazed at me for a moment and then spoke. “I think I can trust you. Can I trust you?”

I nodded. Sure, whatever it took to get out of these woods without a knife to the heart.

He nodded and smiled a devastatingly charming, yet entirely inappropriate grin. “I’m the good guy.”

My gaze went in the direction of the dead man. “I’m sure he doesn’t think so.”

“That guy was a very bad man. I’ve done the world a favor.”

“Do you have a badge?” Maybe he was some sort of law enforcement. That would make sense.

He cocked his head to the side, considering my question.

“Are you a cop or something?” I held my breath, praying the answer would be yes.

He shrugged. “Sure. I’m a cop.”

His tone was ambivalent and his eyes insincere. But whatever. Exhaling in frustration, I took a step away from him. “Can I see some ID?”

He chuckled. “You watch way too much television.”

“Actually I don’t. I just know that you’re supposed to show your ID if you’re a cop and you’re asked.”

He took a moment and cleaned the knife on his black t-shirt and then shoved it into a duffle bag hidden nearby in the brush. He brought out a large bulky case that held a phone that looked like a cell phone, circa the early eighties. He dialed a number and waited.

“Who are you calling?”

He began speaking into the phone. “I need to schedule a cleanup crew.” He stared at me as he spoke. “You should be able to pick up my coordinates with my GPS. You got it? Yeah, I’ll be clear in five. Roger that.”

He ended the phone call, stuffed the case into his bag, tossed it over his shoulder and then grabbed me.

I squealed. “What are you doing?”

“I’m carrying you back to the resort. You can’t walk the half-mile back.”

“How do you know which resort I’m staying at? I could have reservations at any number of places on the island.”

He looked at me as if I were not very bright. “Your water bottle.”

“What?” I looked down at the clear bottle sticking out from my backpack. Oh. The logo.

He tossed me over his shoulders like I was bag of potatoes and carried me the entire trail without another word. When we finally reached the brightly-lit entrance, he gently set me down on a bench outside the main door.

“I’ll tell the front desk to bring you a wheelchair or something.”

“Thanks,” I spit out.

“If you see me around,” his steely eyes lasered into mine, “we’ve never met, got it?”

“Yeah, I got it.” For whatever reason, he allowed me to leave with my life and he disappeared into the hotel. I sat there for a moment, completely flummoxed by a breathtakingly handsome man who could alternate between seriousness, humor and outrageous charm with a dead body a few feet away.

I had hoped to never see him again.

Then, enter Rain. She’d met a guy on the beach. It was of course, Kael. I kept my mouth shut. What could I say? Hey, Rain, are you sure about this guy? ’Cause I saw him murder a guy and that’s usually a major red flag.

And then, my God, she was just
so
damn happy. I could never find the right words or the perfect time to drop that bombshell on her.

I kept up with the Montego Bay news for about six months after we left. Oddly enough, there were no murders during that time period. Which proved that Kael was not a serial killer. But then again, maybe it proved he was just very good at hiding the bodies.

I hadn’t said another word to him since the night we met for dinner. All I could do was be a good friend and try to be supportive of Rain when I watched her meltdown when he stopped calling after the trip. I wanted so badly to tell her that for all of his good looks, charm and perfect manners, he was a murderer. That it was completely for the best that he’d turned out to be a jerk and just stopped calling.

But I couldn’t tell her any of this, because not only would I be putting myself in harm’s way, I’d put my best friend in jeopardy. He’d be forced to kill us both. Obviously a murderer doesn’t want any loose ends lying around.

I made a promise to myself. I would never divulge his secret but I’d do everything in my power to keep them apart. And if I ever had the opportunity to throw his ass under the bus, I would do so with relish.

I stood at the door, my hand on the knob. “I have to go.”

Rain looked at Kael, fake smile still plastered on her face. “She has a blind date tonight.”

He looked at me with interest. “Where’d you meet this guy?”

Before I could make up a face-saving lie, Rain chimed in. “She’s got a profile online. Been going out almost every night.”

He frowned at me. “Be safe. Lots of weirdos out there.”

As if he actually cared if I dated a psychopath or not. “Rain, my cell is on if you need me.” I gave Kael a pointed look.