Chapter Twenty-One
Two Days Later
Fallon wiped tearsfrom her eyes and held her stomach.She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard.If she hadn’t already asked to have the video rewound twice, she’d ask again.Watching Jen McCall drop Hagen to his knees with a well-placed kick was the best thing she’d seen in years.Seeing him fall forward, face-planting two seconds later was icing on the cake.Taking a sip from the enormous margarita she held in her hand, Jen gave a negligent shrug.They’d taken advantage of Silas and Carson’s well-stocked bar, and the generous platters of snacks their housekeeper whipped up on short notice.
“He called me a bitch and then iced it by making a move I caught out of the corner of my eye.He should consider himself lucky because Silas was already vaulting himself over the bar.I still want to know how he pulled that off—it was like he was on springs.”The women gathered around all laughed as they toasted Silas for his impressive kangaroo hop over the chest-high bar.“Unfortunately, all the cameras were pointed in the same direction, so I’m the only one who saw it.”Jen raised her glass, looking around the room for the cameras she was sure had been set up for the group’s impromptu party, “Here’s to you, Silas.I may be the only witness to your amazing leap, but I promise to share the story of your athletic prowess at everyhopportunity.”
Groans erupted from the group celebrating Jen’s takedown of Hagen Brody as well as the men watching the video feed.Fallon had only been here two days, but she knew several things in the men’s family room had been rearranged while she’d dressed for the party.No doubt the décor changes were to made to accommodate cameras and microphones, but none of her guests seemed to care.Fallon didn’t fully understand the Doms’ obsessive need to monitor their submissives.When she’d said as much, Tobi blushed as several others laughed.
“Don’t pay any attention to them.They blame me for the over-the-top security measures, but I’m not the only one who seems to attract trouble without really trying.”Tobi turned to glare at Jen, whose faux look of innocence was enough to bring gales of laughter from the group.
“Before everyone gets mired in the blame-game quagmire, I want to ask Fallon if we’re still on for tomorrow.I’m looking forward to showing you where we are on the pharmacy project and getting your input before all the final plans are made.I know you only moved in a couple of days ago, and I hate rushing you…”
“But you’re going to do it, anyway.Really CeCe, you might as well drop the façade of patience.We’re two peas in a pod.We can’t pull off phony to save our souls.”CeCe stared at Lilly West for several seconds before her shoulders dropped in defeat.
“True enough.I keep thinking I’ll turn over a new leaf and morph into Little Miss Polly Patience, but my guardian angel is always putting out fires and never seems to have time to draw up a new plan.”
“Honey, you stay just the way you are.You’re a hero to children and their parents.”Lilly’s expression switched from compassion to mischief between one breath and the next.“Besides, if you change, I’ll be left as the only one who’s seen as openly demanding.You don’t want to do that to me, do you?”
“No pressure there, CeCe.”Gracie had been quiet until Lilly spread the guilt on extra thick.She loved the woman like a second mother and recognized the ploy.Hell, she’d seen the older woman use the same routine on Tobi a time or two.
“Remember the time Lilly tried to talk me into having another baby?Holy hell, she pulled every rabbit in Texas out of her hat.”Tobi leaned back, laughing as she thought back on one of the few times she’d actively avoided her mother-in-law.
“A couple of weekends spent babysitting the dynamic duo cured her of that notion.”Gracie giggled when Lilly threw a pillow at her.“Admit it, those two were a handful.You, of all people, should have understood what it was like having twins.”
“Of, I understood.But I wanted to be Wonder Granny, and I figured my odds would improve if more children were involved.”Letting out a dramatic sigh, Lilly’s entire face lit up as she laughed.“Damn, those two kicked my ass when I kept them.I’d no sooner get one out of a mess and cleaned up than I’d have to catch up with the other and start the whole process again.Del and Dean always seemed to have pressing business in Houston whenever the kids were staying over.Highly suspicious, but I could never prove Kent or Kyle were giving them a heads up.”
Fallon looked on as the group continued to banter back and forth, suddenly realizing how much she’d missed growing up with parents where the only constant was their inconsistency.Now they’d left her in an almost impossible position.Knowing they’d walked away from her without looking back went against everything she’d believed about her parents.Cherished memories she’d held close to her heart since she lost them were tainted with what seemed like the ultimate betrayal.Taking a deep breath, Fallon refocused on the here and now.
Looking around the open space, Fallon was surprised at how comfortable she felt in Silas and Carson’s home.They insisted it was her home as well, but until she could contribute financially, Fallon knew she wouldn’t feel one hundred percent at home.By the time her new friends had all been escorted to their cars and were all on their way home, Fallon was, once again, knee-deep in overthinking every detail of the past few years.
How many other people in her life had been sent to retrieve what her dad gave her?Had there been people watching them in the café when her dad gave her the puzzle?Did he realize she’d be targeted, or did he assume she’d open the damned thing immediately and turn the information over to authorities?Why push the responsibility over to her?Was she so expendable he didn’t care about painting a target on her back?After graduating from high school, her parents had both become oddly distant, but she’d assumed they were trying to make her independent.Now she wondered if there wasn’t something else behind the shift.
“Sweetheart, I don’t know where your mind has gone, but we need you to come back to us.”Silas’s smooth voice lured her out of the melancholy mind-space she’d been wandering around in.“We need to talk to you about the letter.Have you decided what you want to do?”
“You can take your time, Cher.Nothing says you have to decide right away.”Carson’s assurance helped her relax.Fallon hadn’t realized how much pressure she was putting on herself to make a decision.
“Why would they walk away and leave me holding the bag?I didn’t know what they were into, and this is one case where ignorance is definitely not bliss.”Pausing to gather her thoughts, Fallon stared at her lap, willing her fingers to unclench.Pulling in a deep breath, she looked up to see the concerned looks on Silas and Carson’s faces.“I know I could do this without you, but… well, I don’t want to.”Huge smiles spread over their faces; the change made them look like the carefree boys she suspected they’d been while growing up.One grew up in the mountains, basically raised by the entire community, while the other was raised by an extended family in the bayous of coastal Texas and Louisiana.
“We’ve waited so long for you, Cher.Knowing you are making the choice to let us help is huge.”
“Carson is right.It’s one thing to admit you need help—and I want to make it perfectly clear we never want you to hesitate to ask for our assistance, but it’s next level to know you are capable of handling a situation but know we can make the process easier.Some Dominants want to micromanage their submissive’s lives, but we prefer to manage our play while partnering with you in life.”Fallon’s eyes filled with tears as she listened to Silas describe the kind of relationship she’d always dreamed of having.
“We’ve never wanted a twenty-four-seven slave.Someone who mindlessly follows every command with no thought for their own needs holds no appeal.”Silas pulled her hands into his as he spoke.It was a small act but felt so intimate she could practically feel the connection between them strengthening.Fallon felt the same link with Carson and wondered why it happened so quickly.Maybe it was something she could talk to CeCe about tomorrow while they toured the pharmacy construction site.
“Mindlessly following orders isn’t going to happen.I was a well-behaved kid, and look where it got me.”As an only child, Fallon didn’t have the luxury of blaming a sibling if a chore wasn’t done or something was broken.She’d always rolled her eyes when people assumed she was spoiled simply because she didn’t hail from a large family.For her being an only child meant your parents only had one kid to watch, so they didn’t miss even the smallest infraction.
“Remember, our focus is on your safety, pleasure, and happiness.Everything we do will be with those things in mind.Until we know each other better, we’ll depend on the stoplight system during scenes.Outside of D/s play, communication is still paramount.If you have a bad day, we want to hear about it.”When they first met, she’d assumed Carson was the stricter of the two, but she was seeing a different side of him the more time they spent together.
“If you are concerned about someone or something, we want you to feel comfortable enough to come to us with whatever is bothering you.We’ll do our best to listen without trying to solve every problem, something I have heard our female friends complain about too often to count.”Silas grinned, and Fallon nodded in agreement because she’d heard friends and coworkers make the same observation.
“I’m meeting CeCe at the pharmacy site first thing in the morning.If one of you could give me a ride, I’d appreciate it.She said it wasn’t far and offered to give me a ride back after we finished.”The men frowned at each other, making her wonder what she’d said wrong.
“I’ll be able to take you.Carson has an early staff meeting tomorrow.If CeCe can’t drive you back here, ask her to call me, and I’ll pick you up.She’s right, it isn’t fair, but we haven’t been able to confirm Brody has left the state.”Fallon was sure he’d have left as soon as he found out she no longer had the contents of the puzzle.In some ways, it was a pity he’d left before she had the chance to tell him exactly what she thought of him.Giving a mental shrug, she knew it wouldn’t make any difference to him, but damn, it would feel great to unload some of her anger on one of the people who deserved it.
“As far as my parents.I’m going to take some time and think about whether or not I want to contact them.I haven’t asked, but I bet someone in the Prairie Winds group has already checked out the phone number in the letter.”Silas and Carson’s expressions never changed.Damn, they had the best poker faces she’d ever seen.She might feel ambivalent about contacting her parents after the way they’d abandoned her, but she was confident the men in front of her and their friends were already tracking down the elusive pair.“I’ll bet the number is no longer in service.Who knows where they finally landed?”The only change she saw was a slight tightening of Carson’s jaw.“I’m right, aren’t I?I don’t know Cameron Barnes well, but I’ll wager a steak dinner he’s already put his nose to the ground like a bloodhound determined to track them down.If he’s found someone matching their description, he’s sent someone to check.”
“I love smart women, but it’s damned hard to keep anything from them.”Silas chuckled as he shook his head.