Blackout (29 page)

“It does.” My voice wavers.

“We have to figure this out soon before…”

“I know.” Before my stalker quits stalking and starts retaliating. The closer we get to the truth the more I put everyone who knows me at risk, especially Dare.

But I will risk my own life to save my sanity.

It’s hard to leave Lulu by herself, so she invited her male friend Jarod over. He turns into a pumpkin at ten though, but I’ll be home shortly after.

When I arrive at the bar, two cop cruisers are parked at odd angles in the front, like they’re pinioning in a suspect. Luckily Dare’s car isn’t here, but it should be shortly. I get the feeling they haven’t found Graham. He’s strong. How could someone catch him off guard?

I climb the wooden steps and overhear arguing inside. The usual dinner crowd has not arrived, so only a few bikers drink beers at the bar.

Carolina isn’t a big woman, but she stands within inches of Sheriff Tate. “What are you implying, Tate? I don’t appreciate you blocking my customers from parking and harassing them.”

Sam stays behind the bar, not offering anything. I don’t blame him.

“We just have a few questions.” Tate holds up his hands. “Then we’ll get out of your hair. Graham was in here last night, picking up one of your barmaids. We want to talk to anyone who might’ve seen them together.”

Tate nods at me. “I need to talk to you too.”

This means they haven’t found Graham yet, and that chisels a portion of my heart out. Why would someone take him? I can only imagine this ending one way—him dead.

Shannon struts up to Tate. “You might want to ask Darius Tucker. He and Graham had some words at the pier the other night.”

Bitch. How could she do that to him?

Tate takes out his notebook. “Now, we’re getting somewhere.”

Remy and Jimmy question several of the old bikers who grumble and pretty much tell them nothing.

Jackson, Randy, and Dare stroll into the bar, taking their usual seats at a corner table. Jackson puts his boots up on the chair beside him and nods to me. I walk over to their table to take their drink order.

Tate chews on a wad of tobacco. The juice tars his teeth and makes me queasy. “Speak of Satan’s brothers.” He trundles toward them.

“Where were you last night, Darius?” Tate kicks Jackson’s boots off the stool. “Your girlfriend Shannon says you and Graham got into it. Now what was that all about?”

“None of your business,” Dare says.

“I understand he’s missing, and you and Teal were the last to see him.”

I open my mouth to lie, but Jackson beats me to it. “I was with Darius. We were out searching for whoever is stalking Teal. We’ve been doing your job. Why haven’t you caught this asshole?”

Jimmy hooks his thumbs into his belt carrying his gun, a Taser, and a Billy club. “We’re quite capable of handling that.”

“Then why did Graham go missing?” Jackson adds. “This stalker keeps breaking into Teal’s house. What have you done? It’s not like this is a big town?”

Dare remains quiet, which is his best defense.

“We have a lot of tourists to question,” Tate says.

Jackson laughs. “We all know it’s a townie. Dare and Teal are dredging up the past, and someone doesn’t like it.”

Randy stares downward, digging a fingernail into the wood of the table.

“What do you know, Teal?” Jimmy asks, one hand on his gun. The Tuckers must set him on edge.

“I’m the one who called you, just after his mom called me. I told you everything I know earlier.” I scoot around him and walk to the bar to give the bartender my orders. I glance over my shoulder to see the cops harassing the Tucker boys. Sam fixes my drinks.

I return with a Coke for Randy and beers for Jackson and Dare.

Tate hovers over Dare. “You boys are always up to no good.”

“Unless you’re going to arrest me, you should leave before I call my lawyer.” Dare takes a swig off his beer then wipes his mouth off with the back of his arm.

“The usual?” I ask, smiling.

“I’d like a cobia dinner plate.” Dare’s gaze flicks over me, giving me a moment of confidence, then I think of Graham. The police haven’t found him.

“Burger for me,” Randy says, shrinking in his seat.

Jackson orders one too. I don’t say anything to Tate. There’s no point in riling them up.

Carolina catches my shoulder. “How are you doing? You should’ve told me about the problems.”

“It’s nothing,” I say, though I’m scared out of mind, except for the times Dare is watching over me. He’s always made me feel safe. “I do worry about Graham though. His mom says it’s not like him to not come home, and we didn’t part on good terms. Maybe he went out after to blow off steam.” I use Dare’s words.

Shannon spins around, huffing. She goes outside to wait on the tables on the beach. She hasn’t given up on Dare, though she has no problem hurting him.

The cops finally leave after they don’t gather much information. I wish someone had seen Graham and knew where he was.

Dare hangs out until ten when I finish up. He hands Randy the keys to his Shelby. “Take it straight home.”

Randy tightly holds onto the keys, like Dare will steal them back. “Why aren’t you driving it?”

“It’s safer at the house. I’ll drive the truck.”

Jackson laughs. “Sure you don’t want me to drive it?”

Dare slugs his brother in the shoulder. “Oh, hell no.” He wags a finger at Randy. “Straight home and drive the speed limit.”

“I might.” Randy gives him a devious grin, which elicits a low-throated growl from Dare. He dangles the Shelby’s keys in front of Dare. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of your baby.”

I walk outside behind Dare. He’s oddly silent.

“What’s up?” I ask.

He chews on a mint. “The transcriber called me back.” After he unlocks the truck, he hands me two copies of the manuscript.

“That was quick,” I say.

He doesn’t open the door for me. “I dropped off the sample at the lab that has the blood the cops found on you and me. You realize it’s probably your mom’s.”

“Daddy doesn’t think she’s dead. He said she went to Paris.”

His face tightens. “There’s no easy way to say this, but your dad is the most likely suspect in the disappearance of your mom.”

My hands shake with rage and uncertainty. “You’re not right. You’re wrong.”

“You also sold me out ten years ago,” he says, pulling his gaze away from me.

“No, I didn’t.”

He throws one of the thick manuscripts at me. When has he had time to read this? “I know I didn’t say you molested me.” God, don’t let me be wrong.

“Get in.” Dare slips behind the wheel of the truck.

“No.” I pick up my box of transcripts. It’s heavy and hurts my broken arm. I glance out at the dark road. I’ll go back to the bar and call a cab. I swear the bushes shake across the street. I blink, and the wind picks up. It’s just the breeze.

“Don’t be stupid.” Anger laces his words. “Get. In. The. Truck. Now.”

I shake my head and trudge toward the bar. My feet slide out from under me, and the box flies to the ground. I catch the truck before tumbling to the ground. “Don’t boss me around.”

“I’m driving you home.”

I struggle and writhe my body to free myself. “You don’t need to.”

He throws me over his shoulder and smacks my butt hard. “Stop it before you fall and break your other arm.” He shoves me into the truck.

“I can call a cab. You don’t have to drive or take care of me.”

He huffs. “You know that I do. I’d go crazy if something happened to you.”

I don’t move but stare over at the bushes while Dare gathers up the box and throws it into the back of the pickup. There’s no movement now other than the wind blowing through the brush and tossing sand onto the road.

He sticks the key into the ignition. “What’s wrong with you? Why did you lie to me about your testimony?”

“I didn’t.” I know I didn’t.

Dare’s window is rolled down, and all I can think about is someone grabbing his neck and dragging him out. One of us is next. Nightmares have plagued me always, but now they’re real and hunting me.

I’m shaking. “I didn’t. How could I? You were my friend.”

He shakes his transcript at me. “You need to read this.”

“You couldn’t possibly have read that whole thing.”

“I skimmed it, and trust me, you set me up. Was it to protect you dad?” He’s so close the car grease from working at the auto shop sticks in my nose.

“I didn’t, and quit saying that about my daddy.” I don’t like sitting here in the dark. Hair prickles on the back of my neck. My window is rolled up, and using my elbow, I lock the door behind me. “Can we just go?”

Dare screws up his lip. “I don’t get it. You made me believe you.”

“I wanted the transcript to see what was said. I don’t buy I sold you down the river.”

The bushes across the road move. A dark shape rises out of them. A pounding on the window behind me forces a weak scream out of me.

In one swift motion, Dare pulls me under his arm and his hand slips under my seat. He draws out the gun and points it at the window behind me.

My blood pulses in my ears, and my heart stammers while Dare’s is steady.

“What the fuck?” he says.

Laughter breaks out behind me, so I swivel around to peer through the passenger side window.

“Son of a bitch,” Dare says.

Randy is laughing. “Hey man, don’t shoot me.”

Dare snarls. “You’re lucky I didn’t. Why haven’t you gone home?”

Dare motions for me to roll down the window, so I do. “I wanted to let you know I’m fixin’ to drop off Jackson first, so you wouldn’t get mad.”

“Whatever,” Dare says. “Go home.”

“I’m going.” Randy walks to the Shelby where Jackson waits. “See ya, Teal. Keep that boy out of trouble.”

As Dare drives me home, silence fills the void and stretches the chasm between us. We’re always at odds, and I can’t search the transcript until he drops me off. I don’t want him to go because I feed off his strength.

When we arrive at my house, Dare parks on the grass or rather sand between Kami’s house and mine. He pulls out the gun from underneath the seat and picks up the box from the back to carry them inside. I don’t know if he plans on spending the night or not. Why would he after what he said, though I want him to for more than one reason?

I check on Lulu first, and she’s fast asleep. Dare walks into my bedroom, places the gun on the nightstand, and opens up the transcript to a page he must’ve memorized. How can I be wrong?

He reads from it. “Kirkland, ‘Are you sure Darius Tucker didn’t touch you?’ You, ‘I don’t think so.’ Kirkland, ‘Are you sure?’ You, ‘Maybe, I guess so. I don’t know.’”

That’s not what I remember about my testimony. “What does it say before that? I told Kirkland you didn’t do anything.”

“I haven’t read the whole thing, but that’s enough right there to prosecute me.”

“What about when I was hit in the head?” That I don’t remember at all.

“On that point, you say ‘you don’t remember anything. That you could’ve fallen for all you know, even though it looked like you were struck by a baseball bat.’”

“This doesn’t help my case.” He drops the transcript on my bed. “I hope the evidence gives me something more.”

I swallow down his despair. This can’t be right. I know he didn’t touch me. “I’ll drop these off to Miles in the morning. Maybe there’s something that we’re missing. We haven’t read the whole document.” Please let there be some words that negates what he’s found. He’s not guilty.

“I haven’t read the whole document,” he says. “You’re probably right.”

I prop my head up with two pillows. Dare removes his flip-flops, like he’s staying. Resting his head on my stomach, his arm wraps around my back.

“Why are you here? I thought you were mad.”

“My good sense tells me to leave, but I can’t. Yesterday your lips were all over another man, and it hurt.” Dare’s lips brush against mine, tender and sweet. “I like you too much. I keep telling myself that you were only eight, and you don’t really remember anything. I keep making excuses for you.”

He kisses my stomach. “I can’t leave you.” His head lifts up to lock eyes with me. “I couldn’t stand to see you hurt.”

I wish I didn’t need him. It would be easier and safer for him.

A craving flares in my belly, responding to the touch of his hand rubbing my hip. Miles believes I wasn’t molested at all, so we need to find the evidence to prove that.

“Take off your skirt,” he says, not waiting for me to oblige. He unzips my skirt and shimmies it down and off. His fingers slip off my panties next, and my heart rate picks up. He turns down the lights but leaves enough of a soft glow to illuminate us.

His finger slides along the cleft, then his tongue laps along the folds. I moan softly, though I’ve never woken Lulu up before. It makes me nervous that she’s right down the hall.

No guy has ever done this for me or even offered. He lapped me up like sweet milk the other day before I was tossed into the river.

I don’t get why Dare is here. Does he like me that much that he cannot say no? I have a hard time not giving in to him myself.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I bite my lower lip. His tongue and two fingers tickle and send tingling sensations up to my nipples. “Oh Dare.”

His fingers rub smooth circles into my hips as his tongue dips inside me, sending waves of pleasure. “I like it when you say my name.”

My hips arc toward his mouth while he sucks on my
moule
. His hands reach around to my ass where he squeezes them roughly.

His long fingers probe inside me, and I cry out from the strong surge building into a climax. I don’t want to come without him.

I pull away from him, my body screaming for his touch. “Would you…come inside me?”

“Whatever you want.” He drops his shorts and tugs off his briefs. His engorgement stands proud on his muscular frame. In the soft light, he’s magnificent to gaze upon.

As he descends onto me, I lick my lips. His knees part my legs where he settles between them. His hand locks onto my hair just before he slips into me. His lips part, inclining toward me, his tongue brushing mine. I whimper from the sensation of him filling me, the taste of whiskey and of him on my lips. I eagerly curve my hips to meet each thrust.