WRECKER (2 page)

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Oh.”

It was such an outpouring of information that she was a little taken aback, but wanted more too. He was quiet, and the only sound was the engine and the windshield wipers.

Theo was so well built, like a professional football player. It was hard to imagine him being injured. She looked out the window to the inky darkness, and thought of him ‘being patched up’. What that meant she didn’t know but it made her sick to her stomach. She imagined him injured and lying in some hospital bed, far away from home. On top of that his wife had walked out. It was awful.

He’d never spoken that much at once to her before. Weekly visits over coffee were usually terse exchanges.

“
Doing okay
?”

“
Fine.
”

“
Work’s good
?”

“
Just great
.”

She glanced at him nervously. He seemed angry. His hands held the wheel with a grip that made the muscles on his forearms flex. Anxiety threaded through her. Wait till he found out she had no way to pay for the towing. Not til Monday. Then she’d have to go to the bank and withdraw the money. She deflated a little more at the thought of her tiny savings being drained. The money she’d earmarked for her final semester’s books would go to a tow truck company instead. She sighed. Easy come, easy go.

They drove in silence. Clearly he didn’t want to talk anymore, which was fine. He was towing her car. She should set aside her silly fascination with him. This was business. Strictly business.

Her friends would be wondering where she was. She needed to let them know she wouldn’t make it out to the lake. She might have enough battery to call them. If she hadn’t been so astonished to see Theo climb out of the truck she might have remembered to get her phone charger out of the car.

Emma, one of the girls who would graduate with her in May, answered on the first ring.

“Why are you not here?” she shrieked. “Daphne made the most amazing margaritas and we’re about to have dinner.”

“I’m half-frozen. A margarita sounds awful. My car broke down.”

“Oh shit, girl. You can’t stay at
your
house this weekend. It’s Valentine’s weekend. Your crazy roommates will be partying non-stop.”

It was true. Ashley and Olivia had big plans for the weekend. They’d teased her about spending Valentine’s weekend with a bunch of girls. ‘Boring, nursing students,’ Ashley taunted. ‘Little goody-two-shoes,’ Olivia chimed in.

“It’ll be fine, Emma,” Sage said. “I put a dead bolt on the door. Nobody could get past that thing.”

Emma gave a wail of distress. Clearly, she wasn’t on her first margarita.

“Want me to drive back in the morning? Tomorrow is Valentine’s. You don’t want to spend it alone. I’ll
totally
come get you.”

There were cheers in the back ground and other offers from some of the other girls. Sage smiled. “No, it’s okay. I could use the extra study time. I pulled four extra shifts at the club this week. Ya’ll be good. Don’t let Becca drag the Karaoke machine out unless someone is taping her, especially if she sings any Shania.”

The phone beeped as it ran out of battery and powered off. She sighed and imagined the scene at the lake house where her friends were partying. The reason for the party – Emma’s boyfriend had just deployed and the party was a way for Emma’s friends to give her spirits a boost. They’d secretly agreed to bring Emma romance novels, or Chippendale calendars, or sex toys. Anything to distract her.

They had drawn cards to see what each would buy, and to her embarrassment, Sage had drawn the card to buy a sex toy. It came wrapped in plain brown paper, and it sat in the backseat of her broken-down car. Her face heated with embarrassment and she hoped he hadn’t noticed it. Which was ridiculous. Not like he could have guessed what was inside.

She set the phone on the dashboard. The silence seemed heavy and she itched to turn on the radio. Anything. She tried to think of some sort of conversation, but couldn’t imagine what to talk about.

“Would you like some coffee?” he asked. He tugged a thermos from his console.

Coffee sounded like the best thing ever and she was touched by the offer. First his warm coat and now coffee.

“This is some full-service wrecker company you run here.” She laughed at her own joke, took the thermos, and twisted the top off. The top served as a cup and she poured coffee, inhaling the aroma that filled the cab. The brew, slightly sweetened and creamed, left a path of heat down her throat as she sipped it.

“Your engine overheated,” he said.

She turned to look at him. “How do you know that?”

“I can tell.”

She groaned. “Is that expensive to repair?”

“Yes. Very. I’ll lend you a car.”

Guilt tugged at her. She was drinking his coffee, sitting in his truck and wrapped in his jacket while she had no way of paying him, for towing, much less a car rental.

“I don’t know if I can afford to lease a car or have mine fixed right now. I’m in a little bit of a bind.”

“We can negotiate something.” His tone was neutral, but the words held an edge of threat.

She waited for him to say more. Negotiate? They drove in silence, the quiet broken by a crash of thunder that rolled across the hills and faded.

“What do you mean by negotiate?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

“You know what the patrons of the Cabaret say about you, Sage?”

The hair on the back of her neck prickled. His words felt like a punch to the gut. She said nothing, but watched the rain drops hit the windshield. She’d hoped for conversation, but this seemed like it was veering into territory she didn’t want to think about.

“Trey says you think you’re above everyone else… you’re too good to give a guy a lap dance.”

They came to a crossroad. He slowed the truck to take a turn down a road she didn’t recognize. Cold dread washed through her.

“He told me you owe him five thousand dollars. He says you’re desperate and desperate girls make the best dancers. I’m tired of hearing his bullshit.”

Her heart thudded against her chest. “I would never strip for him.”

“I’m glad to hear that. That’s why I’m giving you a chance to make five grand.”

Lightning flashed, illuminating rolling hills below them.

“Where are you taking me?” she whispered.

“To my home.”

Her throat tightened. Suddenly she didn’t feel cold anymore. Fright seared her insides. If he was taking her somewhere and keeping her or whatever he intended, no one would miss her. Her phone was dead. Not one person expected her for days. Not her roommates. Not her friends.

Don’t panic. Don’t beg or plea. Stay calm. Try to remember your surroundings.

They pulled into a driveway and a gate opened automatically. He drove through and down a sharp dip. The road crossed a bridge and up a hill and a short distance later they came to a house. It was a large, two story home with a few lights shining on a large porch. Two big dogs lay by the front door and got up wagging their tails.

She’d never been to his house. Whenever they spoke, it was him asking her questions, checking to see if she needed anything, but he never offered information about himself. She was far too intimidated to ask him anything. All she knew about Theo was that he was a loner, and, when you heard about loners in the news, that was never a good thing.

He drove past the house and she saw an enormous garage, with six overhead doors, one of them twice as big as the others. The oversized door started lifting automatically.

“How’d that happen?” she asked. “I didn’t even see you push a button.”

“I didn’t. The garage and my vehicles talk to each other. The garage sensed that my truck was loaded so it opened the large bay door automatically.” He paused to see if she had any more questions. Then he added, “I’m a fan of technology.”

They pulled into the huge garage that was more like an airplane hangar.
Who has a six car garage?
Her thoughts moved slowly, but she managed to take in a Range Rover, a pick-up truck, a vintage convertible Corvette and four motorcycles. One wall was lined with tools and cabinetry.

Her mind conjured up horrifying scenarios. Kidnapping. Restraints. Blindfolds. She searched the tools for some sign of what he might have in store for her.

“Is this something you do to stranded women?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Pick them up and force them to come home with you?”

He frowned. “No. This is the first time I’ve had a woman to my house since I left the Marines, two and a half years ago. I’m a bit of a loner.”

Holy shit…

He got out and came around to her side of the truck. Even though he was tall and muscular, his movements were fluid. He opened her door and drew her out. His coat slipped from her shoulders and he tossed it to the seat and shut the truck door.

The dogs trotted into the garage and sniffed her.

“Go on, boys,” Theo said quietly. The dogs stopped sniffing, but didn’t leave. Both sat down on their haunches.

“That’s Tango and Charlie. They’re retired Marines like me.”

She nodded. Her throat was tight and she couldn’t think of what to say. The dogs looked like German Shepherds but a little smaller. She wasn’t much of a dog person and didn’t want to get bitten, so she just stared at them.

“They’re search and rescue dogs, Sage. They won’t hurt you. They just want to say ‘hi’.”

“Hi,” she said automatically. Her voice sounded odd to her, like it belonged to someone else.

He held out his hand and she stared at it for a moment, then lifted her gaze to his eyes. There was no sign of threat or danger and she found herself slowly reaching for his hand. He wrapped his fingers around hers and smiled. The gesture took her breath. She’d never seen him smile before.

He led her inside, carrying her bag for her. She followed. It was an unthinking response. She couldn’t summon any strategy or any thought of fleeing or fighting. His hold on her hand felt firm. Not threatening. At least not yet. Everything felt dreamlike. Surreal.

They walked through the house until they came to a bedroom and a bathroom.

When he released her hand, she backed away from him. He ignored her, set her bag on the counter and flipped on the hot water.

“Please take me home.” Her voice was almost steady, wavering a little. “I promise I’ll talk to Trey about quitting the club.”

He shook his head. “A lot of girls walk into that club, thinking they’re going to make some quick money, but all they do is wreck their lives.”

“I’ll give it up. I swear.”

“Your little roommate…”

“Ashley?”

He shook his head with thinly veiled contempt. “Yeah, that one. Did you know she’s a prostitute? She turns tricks at your apartment, in the bedroom next to yours. Did you know that?”

Her thoughts spun. She wanted to deny it, but part of her realized it was probably true. In the last few months Ashley had huge amounts of money at her disposal. Men showed up at odd times. Sometimes she wondered if she was using drugs, her behavior was so erratic. She knew some girls were doing more than just dancing at the club, but she hadn’t wanted to believe Ashley was one of them.

“I don’t believe you. And if it is true, how would
you
know?”

“I take care of what’s important to me. I know lots of things about you. I know you need five thousand dollars to pay off Trey.”

“How do you know about that? Did he tell you?”

Theo grimaced. “I have connections. I’ve already paid your debt. You don’t owe him anything anymore.”

“So now I owe
you
instead?”

“Yes. You owe me. I’ve asked you many times if you need anything. If you don’t want to borrow my money I understand. I’ll just let you
earn
the money. That way you won’t feel indebted to me. ”

“
Earn
the money?” she said slowly.

“Yes, earn. Get out of those wet clothes and take a warm shower. Then you’re going to give me a five thousand dollar lap dance.”

“Say what?”

“A lap dance. You’ve seen plenty of them, now it’s your turn.”

He was going to pay her five thousand dollars for something he could get for fifty or less at the club. Why would any man do that? What else did he expect from her?

“And then what?” Fear made her throat dry, and her voice cracked.

He shrugged. “That’s it, one lap dance. I can’t touch you during the lap dance, can I? Isn’t that against the rules?”

She nodded. “It is.” It was also against the rules to
kidnap
the woman. She wanted to point that out too.

“I won’t do a single thing you don’t want me to do.”

Her concerns for her personal safety shifted. Maybe she
could
trust him. The thought of Theo totally focused on her, keeping his hands to himself, and respecting her boundaries as she commanded… yes, maybe that could work.

But what if she
wanted
him to do things? Her mind filled with images of things he would do to her, if only she asked him to, him approaching her boundaries cautiously and then shattering them when she asked him or begged him to.

Theo was a big, sexy beast she’d fantasized about a thousand times. His mouth kissing hers, his fingers lacing through her fingers. If she agreed to give him a five thousand dollar lap dance, where would that lead to next?

“Maybe we should have a safe word,” she said.

He blinked and frowned as if he wasn’t sure what she meant. “A
safe
word?”

She held her breath waiting for his response. So much depended on his answer. If he offered her a safe word, it would mean he wasn’t a monster. If he didn’t, it might mean all sorts of things.

“Right, a safe word. I pick a word, and if I say that word, you stop whatever it is you’re doing. A word like kiwi or something.”

His jaw dropped and his brows raised in obvious disbelief. “Kiwi?”

“Maybe that’s not a good safe word, I don’t know… I’ve never needed one, and I never asked the girls what kind of words they use. I just know they use them.”

“How ‘bout you say ‘no’ or ‘cut that shit out’?”

She shook her head in bewilderment. Whenever girls talked about this sort of thing she tried to change the subject. Now she wished she’d asked a few questions.

“I guess I could say something like that,” she said. “I don’t know how this works.”

“I bet we can figure it out. If you tell me to stop, I’ll stop. If you say ‘kiwi’, I might run to the fridge to get you something to eat.” His eyes glinted with a hint of amusement.

“Ok.” A laugh escaped her lips. Hearing him mock her safe word somehow diffused a little of her fear. It was almost like Theo had a sense of humor or something, which was impossible. He was far too uptight, buttoned-down and cantankerous to have a sense of humor.

He shook his head, giving her a look like
she
was crazy, and walked out, shutting the door behind him. She stared at the closed door in bewilderment. She was shivering, both from the damp clothes that clung to her and sheer panic. She stripped out of her scrubs and stepped into the shower. Warm water cascaded over her chilled skin.

Thoughts bounced around her head. She’d been brought here against her will and she should be terrified, but her fear was giving way to something else. Curiosity. Anticipation. Desire.

Rubbing soap along her skin, she imagined his touch. She knew he wanted to touch her and that he planned on doing just that. He thought he held her captive, but she held him captive too. The desire burning in his eyes surprised her. Even more it gave her a thrill of power.

Men had looked at her that way before. Boys in high school who didn’t appeal at all. There were a few guys in college who didn’t do it for her either. The men at the club really turned her off dating. Trey was as bad as the customers. Clumsy flirting. Nasty remarks. Heated gazes.

She stepped out of the shower and dried off. Dazed and disconcerted she searched her bag to find something to wear. The shower had left her feeling strangely calm. He
was
crazy, she was certain, but if he said he wouldn’t touch her, or that she could stop him on command, perhaps the night might turn from one of the scariest to one of the most exciting she’d ever known.

His father, John, was the kindest man she’d ever known. She thought about him and how he and her mother were enjoying another cruise. All John seemed to want to do was to spoil her mother. Maybe his son was not so different from the father?

If Theo had intended to harm her, he could have right there on the side of the road, or returned to the bathroom when she was naked. But he hadn’t. There was something about him, a protectiveness. It was there in the way he’d given her his coat, and coffee. In fact, it had always been there. Even when they met for their awkward coffee visits.

He wanted her. He wanted her to do something that was sexy and dirty and wrong. Something prohibited. The idea made her both anxious and aroused. Just being near him did that to her. For months and months he’d haunted her dreams. She’d close her eyes at night and the first image that came to her was Theo. The dreams she’d had about him always left her tangled in her sheets, drenched in sweat.

What would it be like to undress for him? To tease him? The girls who gave lap dances would grind against their customer’s laps, offer their breasts but coyly keep just out of reach, driving the men wild. It was hard to imagine doing those things with Theo, but thinking about it made a shudder of pleasure ripple through her.

Five thousand dollars
. It was unimaginable. Theo was her step-brother. They would have to continue seeing each other after that, at Christmas and Easter probably. He’d go on a date with some other woman at some point and then what?

This is my step-sister, Sage. I got her to do some pretty nasty stuff for five grand.

She pulled out the pajamas Daphne had given her for her twenty-first birthday. Daphne had made dinner for her and two other girls from school, giving them each matching sets of cranberry, silken pajamas. The gift had been a gentle reproach of Sage’s cartoon-inspired flannel favorites. She rubbed the foggy mirror. The top was a little snug, the bottoms were sassy boy-shorts.

She took out her contacts and put on her glasses. On the back of the door was a bathrobe and she slipped it on. It was huge and swallowed her just as his coat had, but wearing it gave her a little more confidence. Taking her hair out of her ponytail, she let her hair tumble past her shoulders.

Her hair looked a mess. Her curls had gone wild with the rain and humidity. She pulled out a drawer and found a brush. The drawer was arranged precisely. The combs all lay side by side, the tines all pointing the same way. She pulled open a few more drawers and found neatly stacked wash clothes, separated by color.

Who knew Theo was so very, very tidy? She wandered into the adjoining bedroom. In an instant she knew it was his. The room was dominated by an enormous four-poster bed. Staring at the massive posts she felt a wave of emotion sweep over her, part anxiety and part curiosity.

A corner of a pillow case poked out from the top of the comforter and she pulled the cover back to sniff the flannel material. His smell… it was sexy and did all sorts of things to her that were wrong. Just wrong. Even aside from the fact that he’d forced her to come here, kidnapped her really, he was her
step-brother
.