* * * *
Max was driving down the side streets of town when he noticed Gutry and another guy leaning against the side of a pickup truck. There were numerous items in the bed of the truck from what Max could see. Max didn’t care for Gutry one bit. Not when he was working for the family on the Triple C and definitely not after the way he went after Stacy. The thought of that man touching Stacy made him angry. Gutry had always drank too much, screwed around with women and got into trouble in a town outside of Pearl and wasn’t reliable. Charlie and Ben had felt bad for Gutry because he was a loner and begged for work. The Cantrell’s were good people that tried to help others the best they could. It was why Max decided to follow his father’s footsteps in becoming a lawman. It’s why Max decided to follow their other dad’s footsteps and help on the ranch. The Triple C was a family business and the town of Pearl was established by the Cantrell name decades ago.
Max looked back toward Gutry and the other guy. Gutry caught Max’s gaze and gave Max a dirty look before he tapped his friend’s shoulder. Max noticed that the friend was looking inside the bed of the truck. His deputy instincts warned him that they could have been looking to steal something. But right now, they were walking away from the truck and around the corner.
Max wondered what Gutry and his friend were up to. There had been a few robberies around town. Maybe Gutry and the other guy should be on the list of suspects? Max pulled the patrol car over behind the pickup truck. He would go inside the convenient store to see if Mr. Wilkins knew the guy that was with Gutry. That would be a start. Then later on maybe he could go see Stacy. He thought about her immediately after seeing Gutry. He just didn’t like the way Gutry paid so much attention to Stacy when she went to town.
* * * *
After talking with Investigator Pellot from New York, Stacy began to paint her living room. She decided to start there and make her way toward the bedrooms. The kitchen would be painted next, and by the time she made it to her bedroom, the smell of paint wouldn’t be so bad in the living room and she could sleep there until her bedroom was finished. As she painted the trim in the top corner of the ceiling, she thought about her conversation with Investigator Pellot. He had been very concerned over the incident with Millie and had decided to have her watched for a few days to ensure that the creepy guy wouldn’t return. Pellot had his suspicions about who the man might be that threatened Millie. He also stated that they found another young woman whom Weiner had harassed and attempted to sexually assault from five years ago. If she pressed charges, then there would be two of them to help build a case against Barry Weiner. Investigator Pellot also expressed concern over Stacy’s well-being. He warned her to stay alert to any new strangers in town or hanging around the streets. She was to call if Barry Weiner contacted her. If anyone or anything appeared suspicious, then she should call her boyfriend, the deputy. She hadn’t expected him to say anything like that, and she immediately told Pellot that the deputy was not her boyfriend. He continued to explain how Deputy Cantrell told him that he would watch over her and protect her. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what the investigator might have assumed from Max’s statement. Then again, she really didn’t care. She focused on painting the ceiling to the living room. She had already spent a good hour or so taping the ceiling and the molding. As she began to paint, she realized that the light-beige color added warmth and sophistication to the room and she hoped a feeling of welcoming and comfort. She already knew what furniture she would purchase once she budgeted out her money. She didn’t want to spend too much until she was certain that she had a job lined up. That thought brought on more thoughts of Max and Eric. How could she possibly work for them and cook for them and their cousins? She wasn’t even sure how to react when she saw them next. Part of her missed them terribly, and part of her was angry at Max for invading her privacy and telling the investigator that she was his girlfriend. The sound of her cell phone ringing interrupted her thoughts. She quickly reached back into her back pocket to answer the call.
“Hello,” she stated.
“Ah, I’ve missed your voice.”
Stacy jumped and knocked over the can of paint. It fell to the floor as she nearly lost her balance and fell, too.
“What do you want?” she asked Barry as she pulled the half-empty gallon of paint off of the drop cloth she had lain down to catch any spills. Now she would have to hit the hardware store again.
“There’s no need to be snippy, Stacy. After all, I’ve tried very hard to locate you,” Barry responded. She had to keep her cool and act like it was no big deal that he called her. She had the damn number changed and everything. What the hell.
“There was no need to contact me. I’ve got nothing to say to you, and I don’t ever want to see you again.”
“Well, the choice really isn’t yours, sweetheart. You see, you’ve become kind of an obsession of mine. For some odd reason, I can’t get you out of my head. I think about you all the time.”
“Maybe you should talk to someone about that? Perhaps the police?” she replied, trying her hardest to act tough, but the reality of his madness was becoming apparent. He really sounded crazy.
He chuckled at her retort then continued.
“I really want to see you. I think if I do, then I’ll be able to get you out of my head. I want you, Stacy. I want you by my side in work and of course in pleasure. You do know how big and strong I am? When I hold your petite, sexy body in my arms, you’ll know you’re loved and cherished. Won’t you let me take care of you?”
“Absolutely not! Are you insane or something? Didn’t I tell you no back at Mercer Enterprises? I mean, I broke your freaking nose for ripping my blouse and trying to rape me.”
“Oh, I wasn’t going to rape you, sweetheart. I just couldn’t resist that voluptuous body of yours. You are built perfectly for me. You’re exactly what I would order off of a menu if one existed that sold women.”
Stacy was mortified beyond belief. This man was a sicko.
“Please don’t call me again. I don’t want anything to do with you. I’m hanging up now.”
“You’ll be sorry, Stacy. If I have to come looking for you halfway across the country, I will, and the consequences will be fierce,” he exclaimed in an even stranger and evil-sounding voice. She clicked off the phone and began to pace the living room. As Barry’s words kept resurfacing, the fear that he might come to Texas, hunt her down, and kill her filled her mind. Before long, she began to cry then try to figure out what to do. Her cell rang again, and when she glanced at the number, she saw that it was private. She answered it even though Barry’s number came up as private, too.
“I don’t want to talk to you!” she yelled then clicked off the phone and tossed it onto the sheet-covered couch. A few seconds later, it rang again. She hugged herself, and the tears began to fall. Despite her mental desire to remain calm and not let that asshole get to her, it seemed her physical body was deeply affected. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her heart pounded inside her chest. She had to calm down. She couldn’t allow him to beat her down. Stacy wiped her tears with the back of her hand and began to clean up the mess she made. She gathered up the plastic that now had half a gallon of beige paint on it and decided that she might as well head to the hardware store for more. She needed four cans to paint the area she wanted to paint and wouldn’t want to have to quit in the middle of it to run out then. As she began to carry the plastic out of the living room to throw into the outside garbage, her cell phone rang again.
Frustrated, she decided to let it ring. On her way into town she would get the number changed and then call Millie and Anna to let them know the new number. She threw out the garbage and headed back inside to grab her wallet, keys, and the phone. It was ringing over and over again. She looked down at the caller ID and saw that it said private. There were also three voice messages. Now she was getting angry. She flipped open the phone as she walked out the front door.
“Listen, asshole, you can call me over and over again and I still don’t want to hear all the disgusting things you have to say. Leave me alone!” she yelled then clicked off the phone again. She turned the volume down and got into her car.
* * * *
“Fuck!” Max yelled as he hurried out of the office and to his patrol truck
“What’s going on? Is everything okay?” Sheriff Wyatt, his cousin, asked.
Max quickly explained the phone call and Stacy’s reaction.
“It sounds like this asshole is bothering her. You talked to the investigator this morning, didn’t you?” Wyatt asked.
“Yeah and I didn’t like what he had to say. It seems that Stacy’s friend Millie was being harassed for information. Stacy hadn’t called to tell me anything yet.”
“It sounds like he got her cell phone number and has been calling her. Make sure she gives you that phone. We can trace the calls or have the investigators do it. It could prove useful as evidence at a later date for a harassment suit.”
“Right now all I care about is seeing her and making sure that she’s safe, Wyatt. I feel like punching something.”
“Just calm down. It sounded like she was pretty upset.”
“She thinks that she can handle this herself. Eric and I feel otherwise. She can’t hide this information from us. If he’s bothering her or threatening her, we need to know about it.”
“I agree with you a hundred percent. Go check on her and let me know if you need my help with anything.”
“Thanks,” Max stated as he headed across the parking lot to his patrol truck.
Max just pulled out of the parking lot when he spotted Stacy’s car pulling into the hardware store. He pulled into the parking spot next to hers and got out of the car. As soon as they locked gazes, he saw the fear and the anger on her face. He hurried to her.
“What the hell is going on? Goddamn it, I’ve been trying to call you. Is that Weiner asshole bothering you and calling your cell?” he demanded to know, and apparently his anger was too intense for Stacy as she covered her face and began to cry.
Max immediately pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest.
“Oh baby, I’m sorry I yelled. I was so scared when I heard your words when I called. Tell me what happened. Is he calling your phone?” he asked, holding her tighter than he meant to, but she was shaking in his arms.
He released his hold to cup her face between his hands. The sight of her red cheeks all wet from her tears and the fear in her eyes broke his heart and fed his anger at the same time. He softly kissed her lips then hugged her to him. Stacy clung to his chest, her face wedged against his stomach indicating the significant difference between their heights.
“Is everything okay over here?” Wyatt asked as he approached. Stacy wiped her tears away and began to push against Max’s chest.
“That asshole has been calling her cell phone, Wyatt,” Max replied, and Stacy pulled away and turned toward Max’s cousin. Max held her hand then gently wiped some of the tears off her cheeks.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t care that he’s calling. He can say anything he wants. I’m going to change the number,” she stated as Max grabbed her hand and held it tight.
Max eyed his cousin as Wyatt stepped closer.
“I know we haven’t officially met, Stacy, but I’m the Sheriff of Pearl and Max is my cousin. He informed me about the situation in New York. We’re here for you, Stacy. My cousins Max and Eric will protect you. But the only way we can help you is if you cooperate with us. We need to know when this guy contacts you or anything out of the ordinary occurs. Do you have the phone?” Wyatt asked.
Stacy nodded her head towards the car.
“It’s in the car, honey?” Max asked.
“I tossed it into the backseat after I heard some of his voice messages. He’s crazy, Max. He said some things…I couldn’t listen to it Max.”
Max saw the fear and upset in her eyes and had the feeling that he was going to get angrier.
“I’ll get it, Max. Why don’t you go across to the diner and take an early lunch? Have something to eat, and then when you’re ready, you follow Stacy home then come back to the department,” Wyatt suggested.
“No problem. Come on, honey. Let’s get something to eat.
When Stacy entered the restaurant Francine’s, everyone said hello as usual, and Stacy excused herself to use the ladies’ room. Wyatt immediately called his brother Eric to inform him of the situation. He would meet Stacy back at her place then stay with her and paint. Neither one of them wanted to leave her alone.
* * * *
Barry paced his office. That bitch hung up on him.
How dare she do that?
When he got a hold of her, she would learn real quick who the boss was. He was already coming up with a plan. Once he located her, he could make the arrangements. Right now he needed to arrange his work schedule to be able to leave at a moment’s notice. In his position, that shouldn’t be hard at all. Maybe Stacy would call him back once she listened to his messages. She knew he was in charge. He explained some of the things he would do to her and what would happen if she didn’t call him back. He smiled to himself as he looked out the window at the city skyscrapers. He wasn’t liking New York so much anymore. With thoughts of Stacy came thoughts of the islands. He would take her away, somewhere far, far away from New York, from the United States, and from any interruptions by the stupid authorities and his crazy wife. Stacy was everything that Evelyn wasn’t. Stacy was gorgeous, sexy, and sophisticated. Why couldn’t she have just allowed him his way to begin with? Her stubbornness would be fun to break. It wouldn’t be easy, but he liked a good fight. He knew how he would restrain her. He would handcuff her to their bed, the bed that he would make love to her over and over again in.
Her body was a work of art. He wouldn’t want to scar it in any way, but he was prepared to train her to obey his every command. He closed his eyes as thoughts of Stacy filled his mind. His dick was hard since the phone call a few minutes ago. Damn, he wished he knew where she was right now. He would find her, grab her wrists, throw her down on her bed or against a wall, wherever she was, and punish her. He remembered the feel of her big breasts in his hands. They spilled over his palms and fingers no matter how hard he grabbed them attempting to cup the entire breast. She screamed, but he knew it was just an act. Even the way she dressed so conservatively for work was just an act. She would be his submissive little woman.
His cock grew harder and to the point of being unbearable. He locked his door to his office sat down in the chair behind his desk and unzipped his pants. He pulled his cock from confinement and stroked it slowly. He wanted to fantasize about Stacy. He could practically smell her unique perfume. It was never pungent or overwhelming. It was sweet and light just like her. He imagined her in one of those knee-length pencil skirts she wore to work. There was a short slip in the back that fell level to the back of her knees. He’d grab her by her hair, shove her shoulders and breasts to his desk, then rip the material of her skirt straight up the middle. She wore thong panties, he was certain of that. He never noticed panty lines on her ass in any skirt or dress pants she wore. The globes of her ass were perfectly round. For such a tiny thing, she sure did have a nice, plump ass. As his fingers dug in to spread her cheeks, he knew he wouldn’t feel bone. He hated a boney ass.
Barry stroked his cock faster just imagining his Stacy in such a submissive position. He’d spank her for being recalcitrant. Then he’d spread her wide as he leaned his body over hers and whispered in her ear.
You’re mine. You belong to me. I own this ass and every inch of you, including your soul.
Then he’d plunge inside her pussy from behind and fuck her hard and fast. Barry pumped his fingers faster over his shaft. The pre-cum began to lubricate his fingers. He felt himself losing control of his breath. He panted then reclaimed his composure. He couldn’t allow her to have any control of him. He would be her master, her one and only lover ever. He saw her face in his mind. Her cheek was pressed against the papers on his desk, her mouth open, moaning for him to fuck her harder and thrust faster. His balls slammed against her cheeks, echoing across the room. He held a fistful of her hair and tilted her head back toward him, making her scream her orgasm while she proclaimed her love for him. He exploded inside of her, filling her with his seed and possessing her in every way. They were bound now. They were one for all eternity.
The sound of the intercom interrupted his fantasy as Barry jumped forward in his seat. He ejaculated all over his hands and his desk. “Fuck!”
He reached for some tissues and quickly cleaned himself up then pressed the buzzer. His stupid, ugly secretary better have had a good reason for interrupting him. He hated the bitch, but his father-in-law liked her a lot. Susie was annoying and all prim and proper. Barry’s wife Evelyn had made sure that Barry got the ugliest secretary in the company.
“What is it?” he yelled into the intercom.
“Mrs. Weiner is here, sir. We tried your door, but it’s locked,” Susie stated, and he grinded his teeth as he cursed his stupid wife and her spontaneous visits to the office. The bitch knew he wasn’t faithful. She had to. Soon he wouldn’t have to worry about her. If Evelyn kept spying on him, she would wind up dead just like the others. Once Barry found Stacy, it wouldn’t matter anyway. He zipped up his pants and rechecked the desk. Everything looked in order and the afterglow of his release was shorter than he would have liked.
“Send her in, Susie,” he stated as he pressed the button to the intercom. Then he walked over and unlocked the door. Hopefully the private investigator would find Stacy in the next few days. Then he could begin his new life with his new wife and put Evelyn and the others behind him.