“You stay away from him. You stay away from every man in this place.”
“What? Are you insane or something, Tyler? Ya know what? I don’t need this. Let me go. If I have to stay away from every man in this place, then I’ll start with you and your brother.”
She began to move, but his hand gently yet firmly held her hip in place. He stared at her with such an intense expression she froze.
“You didn’t let me finish. You stay away from every man in this place except for Matt and I.”
Oh God, he didn’t just say that.
She swallowed hard and tried not to appear affected by his demand, but she
was
affected and both he and Matt knew it.
“You are out of your fucking mind!” she yelled, and he raised his eyebrows at her use of bad language. Is this how he treated women? Was this why women threw themselves at him and his brother?
“I can assure you, darling, that I am not out of my mind. You will do as I say.”
She was shaking at his words. His tone of voice and firm expression told every ounce of her to keep her mouth shut and just obey. But then came the recalcitrant attitude she often got lately when she was on edge or felt at risk of being controlled. Sal had controlled her and her heart was still mending.
“Or what?”
He stepped closer, and now his hard, muscular chest brushed against her oversensitive breasts, making her gasp. He noticed, of course, and she wanted to kick herself for showing such inexperience and weakness. The man obviously had a big enough head as it was. He really thought that he could just tell her what to do.
He gripped her hair a little tighter, causing her chin to tilt up toward him. He stared at her lips, then licked his before he spoke.
“There are different forms of punishment, Paula. Push me and I can promise you’ll have a very sore ass by the time I get through with it.”
Oh God, that sounded so hot.
She took a slow, unsteady breath and held his firm gaze. Matt yanked on her belt buckle making her look toward him, but Tyler’s hold was still firm and she felt the restriction and Tyler’s control. She was caught between the two sexiest men she had ever met in her life, and her pussy reacted and she creamed herself. She bit her bottom lip, hiding the soft moan that needed to escape.
Great, they will really think I’m easy and inexperienced.
But then she reminded herself that she was inexperienced.
“I’m going to let you slide tonight, Paula.” He moved the hand away from her hair and caressed her cheek with his knuckles as he stared down at her. She felt so feminine and small and totally aroused. They were making her crazy.
He held her gaze. “Next time you do something so stupid and you place yourself in danger, you’re going to get punished. Now we’ll be watching you, so behave.”
“Do you understand how serious we are, Paula?” Matt asked as Tyler moved his hand from her cheek and took a step back.
She shook her head. She hadn’t a freaking clue.
Matt reached for a lock of her hair and let it slide through his fingers as he held her gaze. “Things are gonna be different now. You watch yourself, honey.”
They allowed her to step away, and she just stared at them as they walked off back toward the bar area. She felt the chills run over her body. Both men just saved her from another bad encounter. Both men whom she had a crush on for months now actually showed some signs of care for her. There was no way what they said was true. How the hell could she stay away from all men but them?
God, Tyler was so bossy and authoritative as if he had every right to be that way with her. She thought about Susanna’s input the other day. Both Matt and Tyler were considered to be Doms. Could it be true, and if so, she needed to stay clear of them. He mentioned punishments, too. She couldn’t handle that. Sal had his punishments, too. He had left her naked, tied to the bed on her belly for hours while he watched TV because he claimed she hadn’t given him a good enough blow job. She gave herself a hug, crossing her arms in front of her chest as the tears reached her eyes.
“Double fuck!” she blurted out then pushed away from the wall and hoped that she wouldn’t have to face Matt or Tyler again. They were just too scary and made her want to lower her defenses that she had tried so hard to build.
“Fuck!” he yelled and carried on as he paced the office in his home. This wasn’t going as planned. Those fucking Depolis brothers were ruining everything. It was as if Tyler Depolis was meant to destroy his perfect world.
He continued to pace as he stared at the photographs on his wall. The ones of his latest victims stood out. He’d taken a great shot of the two brunettes as they lay there on the bed tied up and thoroughly fucked. He smiled then traced along the glossy print with his finger. They weren’t his Dixie Chix Paula. No, he had to wait for her. He had to hold off until the right time to take her with him and have her for as long as his heart desired.
“Damn, baby, why were you with those two Depolis brothers in the hallway? Fuck, baby, why did you let them touch you?” He ran his hand through his hair and kicked the tin garbage can across the room. It slammed into the wooden cabinet as he panted and felt his nostrils flare. He was so fucking pissed off right now. He thought that the two brunettes would ease the ache he had inside for Paula just while he waited, but no such luck. It had only been a few days, almost a week, and the need was growing stronger.
He thought about his options. He loved fire. He loved the way it looked, the control it made him feel. It helped to calm him. It also helped to cover his tracks so the police wouldn’t be able to find the bodies until they were burned to a crisp with most evidence undetectable. He had gotten away with it so far, and he knew he would get away with it again.
He thought about the hotel. It was amazing to watch and to know that he was responsible for setting the blaze. He stared at the hotel rooms. One in particular where two pretty young women had joined him for some fun. He soon realized that they were nothing but whores. They were whores who couldn’t compare to his angel, his sexy yet sweet little angel, Paula. He wanted to be part of her world. He wanted access to her life, her loves, her hates, her everything. But someone might see. Someone might be able to tell that he wanted her and then his plan would fail. He had to be patient. He walked over toward the window. Night was fully upon the town of Delite. Most people lay sleeping in their beds, believing that they were safe from harm, but he knew better. He was a master of the night. He was in control of their destiny, and tonight a message needed to be sent. Stay away from Paula and keep your nose out of my business or die.
He closed the curtain and walked over to the cabinet by the door. He pulled out his black duffel bag and went over what he needed tonight. But first, first he wanted to hand deliver a message to his woman. To know that he placed it so close to her and right where she could find it brought him pleasure. All while he began to get rid of the one man who showed himself as competition tonight. Tyler was going to get his.
He smiled as he ran his hands along the long lighter. “I wonder if the arson investigator could put out his own fire?”
* * * *
Paula walked into her bedroom and over toward the nightstand. She was so tired. She sat on the side of her bed and placed her face in her hands. Her head was spinning. She hadn’t seen Tyler or Matt in the last few days, but somehow she felt that if she spoke to any other men or appeared to be flirting, then they would find out. She wondered how the hell they did that to her? How did they make her feel so out of control and controlled by them at the same time?
Frustrated both mentally and sexually, she leaned down and began to take off her boots. Again, she thought about them. Matt had come in yesterday and had a quick beer with some friends of his. When she looked up from talking with a few men at the bar and served them drinks, he caught her eye and raised his eyebrows at her. She quickly turned away and lowered her head. How did he do that? She sounded like a damn broken record to herself, but she really was starting to believe she was losing her mind.
As far as Tyler was concerned, thank goodness he hadn’t been around to catch her doing something he thought she shouldn’t be doing. Just the thought made her heart pump faster. She had heard that two other bodies were found in the fire at the hotel and that Tyler, being the arson investigator for the town, had to call in some help. A detective from Dallas he knew had joined him, and they believed that the fire was arson and was possibly set to cover up a murder. Susanna had heard the sheriff talking with Tyler over the phone.
That had given her the chills and hadn’t sat right with her or her friends. They knew about bad people, and the thought that someone so bad was hanging around Delite or possibly living here made them all uneasy.
She stood up and decided not to turn on the light. Instead, she grabbed a tank top and a pair of shorts and headed toward the shower. She took a quick shower and dried her hair before heading back into her bedroom. Feeling a bit more energized, she turned on the bedroom light. The moment she turned the light on, she saw the flower on her bed and a yellow envelope. It was just like the other ones she had gotten. She looked around the room toward the door that was closed, then the window that was open. She clutched her throat and looked around the room, staring at the closet. The thought that someone might be there, hiding in there, scared her to death, and she ran out the door and down the hall toward Ava’s room.
Ava happened to be coming out of the bedroom with her robe on.
“Oh God, Ava, I think someone snuck into the house. I think they might be in my closet.”
Ava grabbed Paula and pulled her into her room.
“Here, call 9-1-1. I’ll grab my gun.”
Paula was shaking as she held Ava’s phone and made the call.
“You stay behind me and use this if you need to.” Ava handed Paula a baseball bat.
Slowly they made their way down the hallway and to Paula’s room when they heard the sirens in the distance.
Elise came out from her room.
“What’s going on?” she whispered as she saw Ava with a gun.
“I think someone broke in,” Paula whispered back. Now Elise looked worried. Juliet came up the stairs with Alexa and Sally. They were carrying bottles of water and talking.
“Shhh,” Ava whispered and waved her hand. They immediately came closer and asked what was going on.
Ava explained, and together they headed toward Paula’s room.
“I’ll open the closet door so you can shoot the asshole,” Elise whispered, and Ava nodded her head as she pointed the gun at the door.
They were totally scared. Paula felt Juliet’s hands on her and Sally and Alexa stayed by the bedroom door. Then they heard sirens in the distance and doors slamming.
Ava waited as Sally whispered that Sheriff Parker and his deputies entered the house. They were making their way upstairs.
The women faced toward the door. Elise stood by the closet about to open it when the sheriff and deputies, Tommy and Vic Ollsen, gave her a look and nodded for them to head out of there.
Other police arrived and the women filled them in on what had taken place.
Paula watched as Deputy Tommy Ollsen opened the closet door.
She covered her mouth, scared of what he would find, and as the door opened and the sheriff aimed his gun, they gasped at what they saw.
* * * *
“It’s empty. No one is in here,” the sheriff stated as his men looked around the room.
“Tell me what happened and why you thought someone broke in here.”
“I had the lights off when I arrived home. I took a shower and when I came out, there was that envelope on the bed and the flower. My window was also opened.”
The sheriff took a look at it as Deputy Vic Ollsen walked closer to the window.
“What’s with the envelope? Maybe one of the others placed it there?”
The women all stated that they hadn’t left it, including Susanna, who now joined them in Paula’s room.
“What’s going on?” she asked as the sheriff looked at Paula.
“Fess up, darling. Y’all know what’s in the envelope?”
Paula remained silent a moment, and the sheriff had the feeling that she wasn’t being completely honest. He knew that each of the women had gone through some trouble in the past. Susanna gave that much information up but not much more.
“Is that the same letter that came to the club a few weeks ago?” Susanna asked, and Paula shook her head.
“Paula, honey, tell us,” the sheriff stated.
“I’ve gotten a bunch of them. Some kind of secret admirer I thought, until the last one I got. It seemed more intense.”
The sheriff looked at the bed then at his deputies.
“Tommy, call in Detective Louis. Ladies, please exit the room, and Paula, you stay right here.”
“What’s going on, Sheriff?” Paula asked, and he gave Susanna a stern look before Susanna ushered everyone out of the room.
He could hear Tommy calling Louis over the radio.
“Just a precaution, honey. Now, did you save any of the other letters this secret admirer sent to you?”