WickedSeduction (13 page)

Marnie was leaning on them, suddenly noticing the sting.
“I’m a shitty patient.”

“Ready for another spanking, huh?”

She smiled briefly. “You didn’t wash without me, did you?”

“Do you even have to ask? Come on.” With her hand in his,
Tor led her into the bath, wonderfully quaint with old fixtures and a sweet
clawfoot tub filled with steaming water and foam.

She bumped his arm with hers. “You use bubble bath?”

“I figured you did. The closest I could come was my shampoo.
You like?”

His sweet gesture brought tears to her eyes. “Yeah. Smells
great. Almost as good as you.”

“Let me help you in, but watch your arm, don’t get the
bandages wet.”

“I thought you were going to wash the outline.”

“Later, with mild soap. Not now.”

He was babying her just as he’d said. Marnie couldn’t recall
anything feeling as wonderful. Wait—yeah, she could. Having him blindfold her
and position her body for his use had been amazing. She’d been more excited
than scared as she’d waited for him to spank her and wondered what he was
thinking as he’d studied her nudity, her legs spread shamelessly, ass lifted to
display both her openings.

When he’d mounted her, Marnie had felt vulnerable yet
protected, used and honored. Exactly as a man should make a woman feel.
Repeatedly, Tor had proven she could trust him without regret.

“Careful,” he said, his arm around her waist as he helped
her into the tub.

The warm, fragrant water was irresistible. She moaned
helplessly on the way down, making certain to keep her bandaged arm on the lip
of the tub.

“Good girl.” Tor kissed the top of her head and got in on
his side, facing her. The tub was surprisingly big, but given his height, Tor
had to bend his legs to fit.

He patted his shoulders. “Put your feet up here. Relax.”

With her legs spread out like an actress in a porn film? She
giggled. “Hang your legs over the sides of the tub and get rid of some of the
bubbles. I want to see your best parts.”

Tor lifted Marnie’s foot and kissed her toes. Bubbles clung
to his bristly chin. “You’ll see everything again once we’re finished here.” He
rested her foot on his belly. “Temperature okay? Need anything?”

More days like this. A lifetime if such a thing were
possible. Too bad they couldn’t spend forever in this tub and never face
problems, disagreements, hurt feelings.

“Do you ever get mad?” Marnie asked, the words again just
falling out of her mouth.

Tor ran his fingers over her toes. “Sure. Who doesn’t? But
I’m pretty cool with most things.”

“You don’t get in fights?”

“With guys? Like brawls?” He laughed. “The last time I hit
anyone was in grade school. The principal and my parents gave me so much hell,
I learned it’s better to walk away, unless you or someone you love is in
danger. Then, yeah, I’d fight to the death. Thankfully, most people are
civilized.” He regarded her. “You told me once not to hesitate bringing up the
past. Are you asking what you have because of your dad?”

Heat rose to Marnie’s cheeks. The familiar urge to flee
returned. She fought the feeling and decided to be up-front. Tor deserved no
less. “Not totally. I asked mainly because of Ethan, the guy I was living with
before I escaped to here.”

Tor stared as if he hadn’t heard her correctly. “Escaped?”

“Yeah. He’s a lot like my father was. I realize I should
have known better than to have repeated the past so easily but I refused to see
the signs at first.”

“Wait.” Tor held up his hand. “This guy hurt you?”

He made those awful days sound as bad as they had been,
giving Marnie nowhere to hide. She shouldn’t any longer. The time for the truth
was long past. “Bruised my ribs once. Pushed me down so hard another time, I
sprained my ankle. Broke my finger on another occasion.” She showed him which
one. “Other than the stuff I had to go to the ER for there were a couple of
black eyes, a split lip…”

She stopped, unable to go on, her mouth trembling at the
memories—how awful they sounded when verbalized. Marnie lifted her hand, asking
for a moment.

Water sloshed over the side of the tub as Tor moved toward
her, swearing at the confined space. He finally got close enough to put his arm
around her shoulders. “Cry if you want. Talk if you want. I’m here.”

She pressed her face against his shoulder, deep sobs racking
her body. All the unhappiness she’d ever felt pouring out.

Tor stroked her hair, staying with her, not running away as
Marnie had feared. Rather than being comforted, she felt ashamed and tried to
pull away.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Tor asked.

“This isn’t fair to you. We’re supposed to be having a good
time. I shouldn’t be dumping all my stupid problems on you every time we’re
together. First my father. Now Ethan.”

“You’re not dumping anything. You’re sharing. I sensed you
were holding something back. Was this what you’ve been afraid to tell me?”

She nodded.

“Don’t be,” he said, easing her back into his arms. “I want
to know. You said ‘escaped’ before. You left without him knowing?”

“If he had, he would have killed me.”

Tor held her closer.

This time Marnie sagged into him, needing his comfort. “The
more I gave in to him, the more he tried to control me. If I was even a minute
late coming home from work or if I’d spent too much time getting stuff at the grocery
store, he’d threaten to kill me if I made the same mistake again. The
relationship—if you can call it that—deteriorated to the point where he began
to monitor every minute of my life. Even if I’d had enough nerve to go to the
police and they threw him into jail, Ethan would have only been there for a
short time. He would have gotten out like other abusers have, angrier than
before. What was I supposed to do then?

“No matter what I did to appease him toward the end, he kept
getting more violent. When he found out I’d been checking courses online for a
degree, he threw me against the wall and slapped me so hard, he split my lip
and bruised my cheek. He kept shouting that I thought I was better than he was,
but he’d show me. I couldn’t go to work for a week because of what he’d done. I
sold cosmetics at a department store. How was I supposed to show up looking as
I did? While I was healing, he kept berating me for sitting on my ass at home
instead of earning the money we needed. He has a good job supervising mechanics
at a garage but he expected me to turn my check over to him. He didn’t want me
having any money of my own.”

“You came here without funds?” Tor asked.

“I had what he gave me for groceries. Every two weeks, he
handed over just enough to get what he’d written down. He liked to live
large—steaks, good cuts of beef, the best cheese, imported beer. Those things
cost a lot. Rather than driving to the store, I drove here. One of the ladies I
worked with had just visited and said I’d love the area. About twenty miles
out, I sold my car and took a bus the rest of the way. The moment I arrived, I
started looking for a place to live and work. Alice knew from the start I was
in trouble and she opened her arms to me.”

Tears coursed down Marnie’s face as she remembered how
welcoming Alice had been, wanting to help in any way she could. “She gave me
some of her things to wear since I’d only taken a few changes of clothes. I was
too afraid to stick around and pack. I left everything else, including a note
telling Ethan I never wanted to see him again and that I’d told my uncles he’d
been abusing me. If he didn’t want trouble, he’d better leave me alone.”

Tor moved back so he could see her face. “What about your
relatives? Do they know where you are?”

“Too risky. I haven’t seen family for nearly a year, not
that I was around them a lot before then. Ethan wanted my full attention on
him. He called my relatives greasy beaners. My girlfriends were dykes or cunts.
I didn’t want him to threaten them so I’ve stayed out of their lives and kept a
low profile. No change of address for my mail. I don’t have a car registered to
me any longer. I don’t even have a phone in my name. The few bits of
information about me on the Internet are old. I’m as untraceable as possible
without changing my name or appearance.”

Sorrow, not judgment, filled Tor’s eyes. “If you haven’t
been back for nearly a year then you haven’t been visiting your mom’s grave.”

Her eyes filled again. A hurt so deep filled Marnie, she
could barely breathe. “I didn’t even get to be with her when she died. The
hospital called about a setback she’d had. They said to hurry over, she might
not survive ‘til morning. Ethan deliberately didn’t tell me. When I found out,
he shrugged, saying he wanted to teach me a lesson for being such a bitch
around him. Mamá died without me being there to say goodbye, to keep her from
being afraid. On the day of her funeral, Ethan took off work and wouldn’t let
me leave the house to attend.”

Marnie trembled with rage, the hatred she’d felt for him
returning. “I vowed then I’d leave no matter how long my plan took and that
neither he nor any other man would ever hurt me again.”

Given what Marnie had revealed, Tor wasn’t certain whether
to be more outraged or alarmed. He couldn’t imagine how Ethan could be so cruel
and vicious. Whether the SOB was still a threat kept playing in the back of
Tor’s mind during the following minutes. Not that he wanted to voice his
concerns and alarm Marnie more than she already was. She’d run once without
warning and might do so again—this time, not only to protect herself but him
too. Tor figured she’d worry he’d get caught in the crossfire between her and
Ethan and would do anything, even not seeing him again, to avoid such a thing.

“If you’re not okay with what I told you,” she said, “it’s
all right. I understand.”

“I’m fine. Doesn’t change anything between you and me.
Okay?”

Although Marnie nodded, she seemed uneasy for a while, as
though she didn’t trust they’d be together for long.

Tor did everything he could to put her at ease. Eventually,
she relaxed, enjoying the bath, falling asleep in his arms.

Late the following morning, Tor suggested she spend a couple
of days at his place to prolong their fun. Give him a chance to check on her tat,
make sure she was healing properly.

If Marnie sensed he wanted her close to also protect her,
she didn’t let on. “You’d have to take me to the shop each day. Pick me up
after my shift.”

“The place isn’t far from the parlor. I’d be heading in the
same direction anyway in the morning, and going past the shop at night on my
way here.” He ground his hips into hers. “You’re on my route, baby.”

“You might have a late or early customer like you did with
me.”

No one was like her. “I don’t work on Wednesdays for anyone
except you.”

She smiled. “Tell you what. We can meet for a late lunch on
whatever days you’re free. I’ll pack us something and we can eat in the park.”

“We could also go to my uncle’s place.”

Marnie pushed out her bottom lip. “You don’t think I’m a
good cook?”

“I don’t want you doing all the work. We’ll compromise and
alternate between Rafe’s and your stuff. Sound like a plan?”

“You’re on. Seriously though, we have to go soon or we’ll be
late for work. I still have to change clothes.”

“I offered you one of my tank tops after we showered.”

“Alice would love me showing up in your stuff.”

Tor brought Marnie back to her place well ahead of her
shift. Although she said he could leave her off at the curb, Tor insisted on
walking Marnie to the door. “My mother would smack me upside my head if I
didn’t. Besides, I think I left my gold chalk here the other day. The piece
wasn’t in my box when I sketched you last night. Must have fallen on the floor
here and rolled under something.”

A dumb excuse, Tor knew, but Marnie didn’t question him
coming inside her place. After a quick search under her bed and her bathroom,
he could see Ethan wasn’t hiding in either spot. “Not here. Damn.”

“Maybe the chalk rolled somewhere you haven’t looked. I’ll
keep checking and can bring it with me when we have lunch.”

They agreed on a day and time. Marnie gave him the shop’s
phone number and her email address so they could stay in touch during the
interim.

As Tor left her place, he decided to get her one of those
disposable cell phones as soon as possible. No way could Ethan locate Marnie
with one of them. If she argued against accepting his gift, Tor would simply
state the obvious—them talking dirty on the phone was much more fun than
shooting X-rated emails to each other or using Instant Messenger. A lot easier
too. Most of all, she’d have a way to contact him quickly if anything went
down.

Even the thought made him ill.

Back on the street, Tor entered the shop, knowing Marnie
wouldn’t start working for an hour.

An older woman who had to be Alice smiled from behind the
counter. “Welcome to Alice’s Wonderland. Looking for anything special?”

Time alone with her to talk. Thankfully there were no
customers in the shop. He approached with a smile and offered his hand. “I’m
Tor Avana.” He kept his voice low since the apartment was right overhead.
“Marnie did mention me, right?”

Alice grinned and shook his hand. “Repeatedly and with high
praise.“ She spoke as softly as he had. “Don’t tell her I said that. So good to
meet you, Tor.”

“You too. Thanks for helping Marnie out when she left Miami
and came here.”

Alice’s smile froze. She got a deer-in-the-headlights look
for a moment before recovering, feigning confusion. “Marnie told you she was
from Miami?”

“I know about everything, including Ethan.”

“Thank God.” She sighed loudly and pressed her hand to her
beaded top. “I told her she should tell you, but you know Marnie; she doesn’t
want to bother anyone with her problems.”

“Do you know Ethan’s last name? Did Marnie ever show you his
picture or describe him to you?”

Alice looked worried again. “Why?”

“Given what she told me about him, I’m worried he’ll come
looking for her. I sense you are too. Just want to be prepared and keep her
safe.”

“Of course.” She looked stricken. “Marnie never mentioned
his last name. Want me to find out?”

“Please don’t. I’m afraid if she thinks either of us is
worried, she’ll run. You know, to protect you and me from him.”

“Right.”

“Do you know the name of the garage where he works?”

“I do. Auto something. Give me a sec.” She bit her lip,
shook her head, frowned…

“We could check online by pulling up the white pages for
vehicle services in Miami.”

Alice brightened. “I’ll have the page up in a sec.”

A few minutes later, she pointed at the computer screen.
“That’s it. Auto Aid AAA Service and Repair.”

Tor wanted to check out the website for staff photos but
couldn’t risk Marnie seeing him here if she decided to come down early.
Although he hated doing anything behind her back, he didn’t want her taking off
because of a misguided desire not to be a burden. “Keep an eye on her, okay?
Let me know if anything unusual happens.” He took one of Alice’s business cards
from its vintage holder and wrote his cellphone number on the back. “You can
reach me here.”

She held the card to her chest. “How will I know if he shows
up or is lurking around? I don’t know what he looks like.”

“Soon as I find a photo of him, I’ll email the picture to
you. What’s your personal email Marnie doesn’t have access to?”

“Right. She monitors the one for the shop.” Alice gave him
the address. “Is she going to be okay?”

“You bet.” He smiled as confidently as he could despite his
churning gut. “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

Tor would see Ethan dead first. As he’d told Marnie, he
wasn’t a violent man. However, if anyone threatened those he loved…

For Tor, there was no denying or sidestepping his feelings
any longer. He wanted Marnie in his life for the long run, adoring everything
about her.

* * * * *

Tor reached the parlor shortly before anyone else did, using
the time to bring up the Auto Aid website. As he’d hoped, there was a group
shot of the mechanics and their supervisor. Ethan Dobbs was taller than the
rest, possibly six-one or so, looked to be in his early thirties, wore his
sandy-blond hair in a modified crew, and was trim with muscular arms. Unlike
the rest of the crew, Ethan hadn’t smiled for the camera. He had the look of
authority about him, as though he ruled the world.

Not any longer, coward.

Tor had to check his anger to keep from driving to Miami to
confront the prick. Exactly what Marnie didn’t need—her new boyfriend giving
away her location and what she’d been doing these past months.

He cropped the photo so only Ethan showed and enlarged the
shot as much as possible without losing sharpness. After Tor had printed off
numerous color copies of his work, he emailed the photo to Alice. Next, he
called Dante’s private number.

His brother answered after the second ring. “Hey,” Dante
said. “This is a surprise. Not a good one, mind you, since I’m busier than
hell.”

Tor didn’t have time for their usual banter. “I need your
help.”

“What’s wrong?” Dante asked, instantly serious. “Did you get
hurt?”

“No. This concerns a woman I’ve met. Marnie Cruz.” Tor
spilled everything except the sexual parts. “I need to know more about Ethan.
Can you call your cop friends and see if they have anything on him? Assaults,
arrests, hopefully incarcerations that have put him away for a long time. If
not, I’d like a recent driver’s license for his photo and address.”

“You’re not thinking of confronting him, are you?”

“Of course not. I need to know if he still lives in Miami
and what he looks like in case he shows up here. Clearly, he’s a maniac. I have
his photo from the ‘net, taken at the garage where he works, but the license
will probably have a better shot of his face.”

There were clacking sounds in the background, as though
Dante were typing. “Where’s he work?”

Tor gave him the info. “Is there any way you can get the
cops to keep an eye on Marnie? She lives above Alice’s Wonderland, the giftshop
where she works.” He told Dante the address.

More typing sounds came from the other end of the call. “I
doubt the police would be able to provide much in the way of protection unless
something happened. This man hasn’t committed any crime.”

“Outside of beating her black and blue, threatening her
life, intimidating her, keeping her from her mother’s funeral?”

“You know what I mean.”

Tor did and knew he wasn’t being fair. “I’m afraid Ethan
will kill Marnie if he finds her. Couldn’t the cops check on her each night as
a favor to you?”

“Maybe, but they might want to talk to her too so they know
what they’re up against.”

“Out of the question. She’s skittish as it is. Some of her
uncles are cops and did shit for her mom when she needed help. Marnie doesn’t
trust the police. She won’t tell them anything. Believe me, she’ll run first
and I might not be able to find her.”

Dante was quiet a moment. “You really love her, huh?”

Tor smiled then sighed. “I think I’m losing my mind.”

“Yep, that’s love. Congratulations, by the way.”

He laughed. “You’ll adore Marnie when you meet her. She’s
gorgeous, sharp, sweet. Fuck, I can’t say enough to convey everything she is. I
can’t wait for you and Lauren to have dinner with us.”

“Me either. I’ll call my buddies now and will get back to
you as soon as I can.”

“Thanks.”

Tor ended the call and researched Ethan on the ‘net in case
the cops didn’t pan out. There were over three hundred thousand hits, most
having nothing to do with the Ethan he wanted. Tor was checking out records
sites that promised to find dirt on anyone when Lauren came down the hall.

“Afternoon, Tor.”

“Hey. Can you come in here for a minute?”

She rounded the jamb. “Sure. What’s up?”

“Is Jasmina here?” They generally arrived at the same time.

“Right behind me,” Lauren said. “Jasmina, can you come to
Tor’s station for a sec?”

The young woman joined Lauren.

“Inside,” Tor said. “Close the door.”

Lauren and Jasmina exchanged a glance but did as he asked.

“This is about Marnie,” he said, keeping his voice low
should Van Gogh, the other artists, or clients suddenly show up. “What I’m
going to tell you stays between us, all right?”

For the first time in weeks, Tor saw a spark of the old
Jasmina.

“Is Marnie okay?” she asked. “She’s so nice. She didn’t get
hurt, did she?”

Lauren went to him. “Is her tat all right? Please don’t tell
me she’s in the hospital because of it.”

“She isn’t. This is about the guy she used to live with. He
was abusing her.”

“What?” Jasmina frowned. “The bastard. How dare he? Did he
come here?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.” He handed her and
Lauren one of the color copies he made. “Either of you see this guy here
before?”

Lauren studied the photo and shook her head. “Never saw him
in my life. The picture’s not the greatest but he doesn’t look familiar.”

“I asked Dante to call his friends on the force,” Tor said.
“See if they could provide a driver’s license with a good head shot.” He turned
to Jasmina and felt bile rise to his throat at her expression, the way she
stared at the photo. “What?” he asked. “Has he been here?”

“I don’t know. There’s something about the mouth but I’m not
sure. Like Lauren said, the photo isn’t the best.”

“What about the mouth? When did you see it?”

Jasmina lifted her shoulders. “I’m not sure. I could be
wrong. When Van Gogh inks in the window, there are always a lot of men
watching.”

Tor frowned. “Those guys are old.”

“Not all of them,” Lauren said. “We’ve had lots of younger
men walk in and ask for tats because of Van Gogh’s work.”

“Not him,” Jasmina said, jabbing her finger into the copy.
“I would have remembered the hair. It sucks. I hate modified crews.”

Tor didn’t bother pointing out that Ethan might have let his
hair grow in the time Marnie had been gone. Hell, he could be wearing a wig
these days. If not… “You notice any guys here with dark-blond hair?”

“All the time,” Jasmina said. “Along with those who’ve
shaved their heads or have dark hair. The only guys who stick in my mind are
the ones who have Mohawks or dyed their hair weird colors. Sorry.”

“Not your fault. Keep an eye out though. Let me know if you
see him hanging around.”

Jasmina squeezed Tor’s shoulder. “We won’t let anything
happen to Marnie. I’d gouge out the SOB’s eyes first.”

Tor smiled. “Thanks. Good to have you back, by the way.”

Jasmina’s face flooded with color. “I know I haven’t been
easy to live with.”

“Not a problem,” Lauren said, rubbing Jasmina’s back. “We
understand.”