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Risen To The Top CHAPTER 122
Rachel padded out to the mailbox in her flip-flops. It was nearly nine o’clock Monday morning, and the mailman had just made his rounds.Mrs. Hoades was wearing the expensive silk robe her husband had brought back from Japan years ago. The smooth fabric caressed her bare skin underneath. She loved the feel of the sash as it cinched her waistline.She and Aaron had been experiencing an on-again-off-again married couple affair, between bouts of Aaron’s foul moods. On a warm sunny morning, as most days in New York were, she was grateful for the rise and fall of their shared emotions. Passion was strong in their family—all sorts of passions.He’d taken off for an early appointment at the office. But not before he said he was sorry for several things yesterday, stopping short of apologizing for his tone with the soldier. He finally admitted that perhaps he was overreacting about the cat incident. She was relieved he agreed that they’d s
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 123
Aaron Hoades arrived the same time Detective Ryan Dole did. Tori directed her dad upstairs. Dole eyed her, nervously hitched his pants up by the waist and sighed.“You got any ideas who could have done this? See anyone?” he asked.Tori shook her head. No.Dole poked the letter with the end of his pen. “You use these to open it?” He pointed to her crumpled pile of rubber gloves.Tori nodded. Yes.“You see anyone outside last night or this morning?” he asked.“Nope. But around midnight I thought I heard the mouth of the mailbox open. Thought maybe my Dad put something in there.”“Your Dad put something in?” Dole was frowning, alert with concern.“No. Didn’t see him. Just heard the flap squeak. It was too dark to see who it was.”“What made you think it was your dad?” Dole wanted to know.“Who else would put something in there or take som
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 124
“Sean.” Tori worked not to sound too needy, but her knees were shaking. She bit her lip.“Tori, I’m sorry about last night. Maybe—”“Ah, I’m in the middle of—”“Sure. I can call back later.”“No.” Was that a plea? She looked to the faces of her father and Detective Dole, who stopped their conspiratorial whispering to watch her.“Tori, what’s wrong?” he asked.“Can you come over? The police are here.”Dole put his finger to his lips and her dad frowned.“What’s happened?” Sean asked.“Just—I can’t go into it on the phone. Can you get over here?”“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Is someone hurt? Did someone hurt you?”“No, I’m fine. Everyone’s fine.” It was a lie and a gross misstatement, but it hopefully gave Sean enough of an excuse to come to the house. Besides, the blood in the mailbox didn’t belong to—
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 125
He recalled Tori’s tale about the cat. How angry he felt as she was telling him. Bad guys were one thing. He could deal with those, no problem. But he was not trained to deal with a sick, twisted individual, a crazy person who hurt animals. He knew about zealots, evil men who knew only death and destruction. It was easy to send them back to the source as they called it. But someone with his own private war against a family, against Tori? He felt ill prepared. But he damn well had to try, even if it wasn’t wise.Dr. Hoades was at the opened front doorway. “Sean. The detectives here need to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind.”“No, sir. I don’t mind. Someone going to tell me what’s going on?” Instinct made him take Tori’s hand as he followed the doctor into the house. He smelled coffee. Rachel called to him from the kitchen and, yes, he certainly did want a steaming cup. Black.He was led to the living room, where he took a s
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 126
He could recognize certain signs of battle stress, what it does to a man. This guy who left the letters and killed Tori’s cat, whoever the hell he was, had made close friends with Dr. Death. Almost like the cretin didn’t have anything left to lose.Driving up and over the New York Bridge, he remembered back to the day he got his first tattoo. The artist at Monique’s shop gleefully palmed his flesh, like Sean was a virgin canvas. Well, he had been. The owner sent Monique over to shave Sean’s leg before the old fart could begin. And that was a real nice treat. Sean knew next time he’d ask for her. She had the softest hands and biggest tits…He glanced over at Tori and she smiled back at him. He felt like a heel. But he could see in her eyes she trusted him. Thing was, did he trust himself? Was he taking her home to protect her or for the fantastic sex?The crusty old guy with rough hands had talked to Sean that day while drawing the
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 127
Tori woke up in Sean’s motor home hearing the gentle roll of the waves in the distance. She could feel the soldier was in a deep sleep. She remained nestled in his warm embrace; her body spooned in front of him, her back resting against his chest. Air whistled through his teeth. She turned to look at him over her shoulder. His deep rose-colored lips were smooth and just waiting to be kissed. She squirmed to roll over and face him and his arms tightened around her waist at first, then his hands lowered to the cheeks of her ass as he allowed her to turn in the bed. The sheets were musty, pulling up from Sean’s corner, exposing the mattress underneath.He pressed her to him, his large hands on the back side of her waist, pulling her toward him. She felt his hardness as she played with the hair around his ears and kissed him. Several kisses later, he adroitly encased himself in a condom, moved on top of her, on his hands and knees, making entry into her swollen s
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 128
* * *This was the part of relationships Sean couldn’t handle. He’d gotten involved sexually, and was now looking at the woman he was going to have to hurt, and he hated himself. Part of him looked for a way out, any way to allow him to spend more time in her company. But, as much as he wanted it, signals were coming to him loud and clear like those damned red extraction flares. Part of him wanted to be rescued. The other part wanted to fall down a hole and take Tori with him.That was no way to live. No way to treat an innocent. And he knew better, had told himself to watch out for this very thing.You dumb son-of-a-bitch.He needed to think. While Tori was anywhere close to him, when he could see her hot with arousal, hear her moaning—even the sound of her breath as she lay sleeping or the taste of a quick kiss—he was distracted. That part of him, the part that always figured everything out, was grossly disabled.
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 129
* * *Sean was grateful at first that Tori didn’t want to talk as he drove her car back to her parents’ house. But soon the thickness of the dark space between them pressed against him and raised his hackles. It was always like this when he was ready to walk into harm’s way. He’d learned to pick up the hotheads—people with strong emotions and the weird energy emanating from the insanity of life under extreme pressure. His training gave him the instincts to recognize when those around him were overwhelmed and would do things they normally wouldn’t do.He’d asked her if she wanted to go somewhere for breakfast, but she politely declined. Part of him was grateful for that.As the blocks leading up to the Hoades family home passed, he began to relax. He was getting more and more confident a major scene had been averted. She was a strong girl. God, how he loved that about her. She bore her pain silently, didn’t go bringing down the whol