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  Chelbie breathed an audible sigh of relief as she sat up. “Dammit. That’s just freaky.”

  “Well, he didn’t even look your way,” Rich said. “So maybe he didn’t even know you’re here.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Nick said. “Maybe we should get going.”

  “Give it a couple more minutes,” Rich said. “In case he’s hanging out or something.”

  “Give me your keys,” Nick said, palm out to Chelbie. “I’ll go get the car and bring it around.”

  She dug them out of her purse and handed them to him. He walked out.

  “Be careful, okay?” Rich said to Chelbie.

  “I will. You, too.” She leaned in for a kiss and for a moment, he could forget the world existed.

  He got up to prepare for his second set while Chelbie left. He noticed Alexis watching her go and hoped the girl would get over her irritation. He couldn’t afford to have anyone there pissed off at him.

  Tom the owner was a good guy, but Rich didn’t want to cause any waves that might make him rethink having him play. Tom always had a waiting list of people who wanted to perform. If it wasn’t for the fact Rich needed the pizza job, hell, he could probably play every night. Except the tips usually weren’t good enough to equal what he made on just a Friday and Saturday at the pizza place.

  Focus.

  He shoved that all out of his mind and let the music take him away.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Friday morning, Nick was waiting on Rich to finish getting dressed so Rich could run him to work. The garage was busy and wouldn’t be able to look at Rich’s car until this morning.

  Please be good news. Please be good news.

  Nick had already called the repair shop’s owner and talked to him, asked that he call him first, not Rich, when they had an estimate ready.

  He knew approximately what his brother’s budget was. If the bill was too high, or it was so serious it wasn’t even worth trying to fix, he wouldn’t let Rich flounder.

  His brother worked too damn hard to have the rug pulled out from under him, again.

  Rich finally emerged, looking like he was still half-asleep. “I’ll drive up,” Nick said, feeling sorry for his brother.

  “Thanks.”

  They walked out and as Nick drew closer, he spotted a piece of paper tucked under his driver’s side windshield wiper.

  Shit.

  He glanced at it. It looked like both mirrors were still there.

  “What’s that?” Rich asked.

  “I don’t know.” Nick reached over and pulled it out from under the wiper.

  It was a pink piece of paper, maybe out of a notepad, lined, a ragged top edge where it was torn out.

  In blue ink, someone had written a terse note.

  She’s a cheating whore going after ur brother. Do you really want someone like that?

  “What the fuck?”

  “What?” Rich asked.

  Nick opened his door and got in, then passed the note to Rich when he got in the passenger side.

  “Da fuck?” Rich said after reading.

  “It’s safe to say Chelbie didn’t leave it.”

  Now Rich sounded wide awake. “You think? What the hell?”

  “I don’t know, but I don’t have time to deal with this. I need to get to work.” He backed out and got them headed out of the complex.

  “This is freaky,” Rich said. “And whoever it is can’t write worth shit. Who writes U-R instead of ‘your’ for a written note?”

  “That’s your takeaway from that? How about someone knows Chelbie is with us? And apparently one of us has a stalker?”

  “Who? No one knows. Well, okay, some people know. But this looks like someone pissed off. The people who know, know we’re together.”

  “I don’t know,” Nick said, “and, frankly, I don’t have time to figure it out right now. Let’s not tell Chelbie about it yet. I don’t want to worry her. Let’s wait until we can talk about it first.”

  “Okay.” Rich folded the note and stuck it in the glove box. “Great. Creepy way to start the morning.”

  * * * *

  Nick was at his desk and working when his cell phone rang a little after ten that morning.

  The repair shop.

  “You want the good news or the bad news?” the shop owner asked after they’d exchanged greetings.

  Nick leaned back in his chair, already rubbing at his eyes. “The bad.”

  “You’re looking at nearly fifteen hundred dollars, including tax.”

  “What’s the good news?”

  “It’s a simple fix.”

  “For fifteen hundred dollars?”

  “Yeah. Diesel fuel in the gas tank. Not sure how he managed that, because the fuel pump nozzles are different sizes. A diesel nozzle shouldn’t have fit in the gas inlet for that car. Not one that new. He must have accidentally poured it in from a jerry can or something.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. Tank has to be dropped and drained, flush the lines, new fuel filter, maybe new fuel pump. Probably can save the injectors. That fifteen hundred is a worse-case scenario and includes all four injectors, and the fuel pump, so it might be less. If the fuel pump can even be saved, but with the miles on the car, it might be better, since it has to be removed anyway, to go ahead and replace it now. No extra labor.”

  “Diesel in the gas?”

  “Yeah. From the smell of it, nearly straight diesel. If it was just a little bit, we might be able to get by topping the tank off with gas and just keep running it and replacing the inline filters. But based on the fuel gauge level, and the size of the tank, looks like there’s about maybe five gallons of diesel in it, or close to that.”

  “Huh.” Rich was no mechanic, but even he was smart enough to know not to put diesel in his car. “Okay. Do whatever it needs. Go ahead and replace the fuel pump anyway. Can it be finished today?”

  “Yeah. Maybe even by lunch.”

  “Fantastic. Thanks. Don’t call my brother on it, okay? I’ll call him and handle it.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Nick hung up and stared at his phone.

  A weird note on his car two days after his brother’s car dies.

  Under really suspicious circumstances.

  The first call he made was to Chelbie, to see if she could pick him up when Rich’s car was ready. No problems there, and he asked her not to tell Rich that. He also didn’t mention the note to her.

  His second call was to his boss to see if he could leave early when Rich’s car was ready.

  Again, no problem.

  His third call was more problematic. Nick finally decided on a Chelbie approach.

  When Rich answered, he sounded sleepy “What?”

  “Sorry. Did I wake you up?”

  “No. S’okay. What’s up?”

  “Let me ask you what’s going to sound like a really dumb question.”

  “Okay.”

  “Did you put diesel in your car?” There was a moment of silence from the other end of the line. “Rich?”

  “What did you just ask me?”

  “I asked you if you filled your car with diesel fuel.”

  “What kind of idiot do you think I am?”

  “Probably not one. But let me continue. When was the last time you got gas?”

  Another bout of silence. Finally, “How about you get to the point and we backtrack from there, because I haven’t had enough coffee for this shit.”

  “The repair shop called me. The reason your car died was it’s full of diesel fuel in the gas tank.”

  “What?”

  Well, at least now he sounded awake. “Yeah.”

  “Okay, why did they call you?”

  “Because I called them and told them to, so you can be pissed off at me about that later. Back to the subject. How did diesel get into your car?”

  “I…I don’t know. But here’s what’s fucking weird. I was running late to the gig Wednesday and my fuel light came on. I
didn’t have time to fill up before I got there, so I parked. I even asked one of the waitresses to help me remember I needed gas so I didn’t run out on the way home. And when I got into my car…”

  “When you got into your car what?”

  More silence. “I sat there checking my e-mail, and then I realized the low fuel light wasn’t on and I suddenly had more gas registering on the gauge than I’d had before.”

  “About maybe a quarter tank?”

  “Yeah. Fuck.”

  “Second question. You don’t have a locking gas cap, do you?”

  “Shit. No.”

  “I get a weird note on my car this morning. Your car was tampered with two days ago. Anyone you can think of who’d do this?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Anything weird happen at the coffeeshop Wednesday?”

  “No. When I realized my car wasn’t running, that one girl, Alexis, she asked if she could give me a ride home. Sounded pretty intent on it. I told her you and my girlfriend were coming to get me.”

  “Son of a bitch.”

  “Wait. She’s just a waitress. Are you seriously saying she sabotaged my car just to get some alone time with me?”

  “I’m saying it’s pretty damn suspicious.”

  “I can’t just go accusing her of something like that.”

  “I’m going to call the mechanic back,” Nick said, “and tell him to get a locking gas cap.”

  “Not a bad idea. How bad’s the damage?”

  “Don’t know yet, exactly. He’ll let me know. I’ve already called Chelbie and she’ll come get me and we’ll go pick it up.”

  Rich went quiet for a moment. “You don’t need to save me.”

  “I’m not saving you. I’m saving my car from smelling like garlic for the next three weeks. That might turn Chelbie’s knob to eleven, but it does nothing for me, asshole.”

  Rich finally laughed. “Okay. I’ll pay you back.”

  “I know you will. Just be glad it’s an easy fix. You might have your car back for tonight. And if you can’t afford it, we can add it to the rent and I can give part of it to you as your birthday present. Okay?”

  “Thank you. I really appreciate that.”

  “Yeah? Well…don’t go getting mushy on me just because I love you, bro. We have to stick together. Even more so now.”

  “Yeah. Love you, too. What should I do about Alexis?”

  “I don’t know,” Nick said, “but I’ll tell Chelbie in person when she comes to pick me up.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  “You said thanks.”

  “Well, I’ll say it again, asshole. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, dick.” Rich was laughing as Nick ended the call. He set the cell phone on his desk, then picked it up again and called the mechanic back to add the locking gas cap to the bill.

  It was just too coincidental.

  And Nick didn’t believe in coincidences. Not like that.

  * * * *

  Chelbie was there to pick Nick up at three. When he got in, he greeted her with a kiss before giving her directions to the mechanic.

  “So, what was it?” she asked.

  He went for direct and told her everything.

  Chelbie’s hands tightened around the steering wheel. “Okay,” she said through clenched teeth, “I’m going to call Tilly and Mal and pay that little cunt nugget a visit.”

  “No, you’re not,” he said. “We have no proof, and Rich doesn’t want to falsely accuse her of something.”

  “Seriously? You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m not. We have to respect his wishes here. But I have a plan that might take the wind out of her sails.”

  “It better be a good one.”

  “I think Tilly would approve.”

  After picking up the car—only eleven hundred dollars, fortunately—Nick had Chelbie follow him to the coffeeshop, where Rich would meet them to swap keys.

  They were sitting inside at a table and receiving venomous glares from Alexis when Rich walked in a few minutes later.

  Chelbie got up and gave him a deep hug and kiss in greeting, making sure Alexis saw it.

  “Well, I have to go,” Chelbie said.

  Nick stood. “Don’t I get a hug and kiss, too, baby?”

  Chelbie evilly grinned, giving him one as deep and sexy as the one she’d laid on Rich.

  Alexis’ jaw dropped.

  Rich—who’d been informed what to do—sat in a chair, reached out, and pulled Chelbie into his lap, slinging his arms around her waist and nibbling her neck. “Hey, no fair. You get her tonight and I have to drive pizzas.”

  “Don’t worry,” Nick said. “I’ll have her warmed up and waiting for you when you get home tonight. She’ll still have energy for you.”

  “She better.”

  They were sitting at a table closest to the counter, so Alexis heard every word. Nick could tell from the stunned look on her face that she had.

  Then the girl turned and slammed through the door to the back.

  The three of them burst into quiet laughter.

  “Okay,” Chelbie said. “I’m willing to chip in a third toward the repair costs. The look on her face was worth it.” This time, she kissed them both good-bye and really left.

  Nick stood, shaking with Rich after exchanging car keys. “See you tonight.”

  “Thanks again, bro. Thank god I’ve still got you.”

  “Yeah? Well, thank god I’ve still got you, too.”

  Left unsaid between them, they still had each other even when their parents had fucked up.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chelbie had an idea to get Rich’s mind off the car repair. And since he wouldn’t be playing at the coffeeshop the next Monday or Tuesday, it meant he wouldn’t have to worry about Alexis’ reaction for a few days.

  But there weren’t any afternoon events at Venture that Saturday. So once Rich was awake that morning, Chelbie coaxed him into getting up, showered, and dressed, and bringing a change of clothes with him for work later.

  When he tried to get her to fess up, she said, “Wait and see.”

  She rode with Rich while Nick followed in his car. As they pulled up outside Venture, he asked, “Is this the club?”

  “Uh-huh,” she told him. “Special occasion.”

  “What?”

  She held up a key. “Kel talked to Derrick and got permission for me to bring you today for a session.”

  “You’re shitting me?”

  “Nope. My bestie’s guy is the landlord and besties with the club owner. I have connections, my good Sir.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes. Now, would you like to take me inside and redden my ass properly, or sit out here and talk about it?”

  He grinned. “Get your ass moving.”

  She went in first to get the lights and AC turned on, then locked the outer door behind them. Rich looked a little wide-eyed as she gave him a proper tour and orientation about the club rules.

  “Now, technically, since we’re here alone, we could violate the no-sex rule. However, I promised to adhere to the club rules when I borrowed the key, so I’m going to do that. However…” She held up another key and jingled it.

  “What’s that for?”

  “Kel’s apartment next door.” She pointed at the space’s back wall. “Literally right over there. Shower and everything. It’s what I’m going to be renting. He gave me a key and the alarm code. As long as it’s just the three of us and no one else, we’re allowed to use it as much as we want.”

  “Then how come we’re over here?” Rich asked.

  She kissed him. “Because this is foreplay. That,” she said, pointing at the back wall, “will be the happy ending for you two. Club rules means you can make me come as much as you want with the Hitachi.”

  Rich pulled her to him, his hard cock grinding against her. “Then get your ass naked, baby, and point me to a bench.”

  * * * *

  The men were quick
studies. Chelbie had also borrowed a few other implements from Mal and Kel, and showed her men how to use them.

  Within fifteen minutes, they had her collared, cuffed, and tied down to a spanking bench.

  Within twenty minutes, Rich was holding the Hitachi to her clit while Nick used a riding crop on her ass and had her coming.

  Loudly.

  After an hour, she was worn out, and they’d used several of the paddles, straps, canes, and other implements on her that she’d brought. When they unclipped her from the bench, they wrapped a blanket around her and led her to a couch where they snuggled.

  “Fuck,” she whispered. “That was…fucking fantastic.”

  “Oh, we’re not done with you yet,” Rich joked, putting her hand over his crotch so she could feel his hard bulge through his shorts. “You promised us happy endings.”

  “And I never renege on my promises.”

  “You never renege on your promises…” Rich said.

  She grinned. “I never renege on my promises, Sir,” she said.

  “Good girl,” Nick cooed, kissing her. “We’ll get you trained yet. Or you’ll train us. Or something like that.”

  * * * *

  Walking into the club had terrified Rich at first. It meant this was real, this was a thing, and he was actually considering beating a woman he was quickly falling in love with.

  But when he saw how much harder she came, even harder than the night they had her double-stuffed with dildos, he quickly readjusted his thinking. This wasn’t a bad thing.

  Not at all.

  Once Chelbie had recovered and they cleaned the bench and packed their things, they waited outside for her while she shut off the lights and AC. Then they drove around the building to Kel’s unit.

  Ten minutes later, she had them both sitting on the couch, naked and on towels, and was alternating between giving them handjobs and blowjobs through the strawberry flavored condoms she’d surprised them with.

  Rich threw his head back and moaned the first time she went down on him, his hand buried in her short hair and trying to fuck her mouth. If it felt this good through a condom…