Switch Master: 6 (Ink and Kink) (9 page)

“You two good to go?” he asked, having knocked on the
driver’s window to hand the brush back to Teri.

“We’re good,” they said.

“Thank you, Taran. Sam’s got a good one in you,” Bella
praised.

“Samantha’s the best,” he replied.

“Promise not to hurt her,” Teri insisted. “Sam likes people
to think she’s tough as nails, but anyone can be hurt.”

“That’s right,” Bella added. “If you give her reason to cry,
we won’t care how many brothers or friends you have, we’ll see that you rot in
hell.”

Understanding that Teri and Bella were survivors of abuse,
Taran nodded. “My word as a Maddox, there’s nowhere safer for Samantha than
with me. Now you two get home and text when you get there, you hear?”

“We will,” Teri said as he stepped back.

Taran waited until they drove away before returning to his
truck. Once there, he opened the back door, found his snow brush in the
backseat and made sure it was safe to drive by cleaning off the windows and
roof.

A minute or two later, he climbed back inside the truck,
handing the brush to Luke, who stowed it under his seat. He and Samantha were
talking in roller derby lingo.

Apparently the kid really liked the sport. Couldn’t blame
him for that, Taran was becoming a fan too.

He’d ask Samantha about the safety of the Femme Fatales
given their need for a safe haven, but he felt confident that the ladies would
not risk themselves or the safety of others if they were still in danger.

“Is everything okay with Bella and Teri?” Samantha asked.

“They’re fine. They were making certain I mean to do right
by you, doll.”

“You call her that often?” Luke interrupted, laughing some.
“Surprised she hasn’t decked you. Underestimate the Femme Fatales and they’ll
kick a guy’s ass.”

“Combine that with the fact that I arranged for the women at
the safe haven to take weekly self-defense classes with Framingham police, they
can do it too,” Sam added.

“Heard about that at the football playoff party,” Taran
commented.

“Football? I love football,” Luke declared.

“Friends of ours play or coach for the Alexandria Griffins.”

“No fuckin’ way! They won the championship this year.”

“Way. Watch your language,” Sam corrected.

“Sorry. That’s awesome. Can I meet any of them?”

“You can. My friend Avery’s dating Hazard Osbourne, one of
the linebackers, and they live in Danvers. The players are represented by Alex
Grant, who’s a friend of ours as well.”

“That’s cool. Have no idea who Alex Grant is though.”

“You’ll meet him soon. He’s an agent,” she insisted. “Have
you heard of Druid Creek Castle?”

“Yep, people stay there for weddings and stuff.”

“He owns it. Along with his husband, who is a surgeon,” she
said. “If that’s a problem for you, be honest.”

Luke grunted. “What’s the big deal about being gay?”

“Nothing,” Taran answered.

Conversation changed from Alex to directions to Glenda
Davis’ home a few minutes away from Framingham off Route 9. After taking a
couple lefts and a right, they came to a duplex.

“Ours is the one on the left,” Luke pointed out.

Taran noticed the crooked driveway would need to be plowed.
A small two-door sedan sat in the drive, covered by snow.

He and Samantha waited with Luke while he used his key to
open the door and go inside. Warmth hit Taran in the face as he followed
Samantha inside, the kind of warmth that told him Glenda had made this small
place a home, despite the limited income.

Following the kid and Samantha to the small living room,
they found Glenda sitting in a comfortable old lounger. A safe electric
fireplace was turned on and a small flat screen sat on a rattan TV stand across
the room.

“Thank goodness you’re home,” Glenda greeted her nephew
affectionately. “I saw it was snowing and was so worried about you on that
skateboard.”

“I’m fine, Aunt Glenda.”

“Hi, Ms. Davis,” Sam said, turning toward Taran. “May I
introduce you to my friend Taran Maddox? He’s the lawyer we spoke about the
other day over coffee. I’ve asked him to help you and Luke.”

Glenda had dark-brown hair that’d started to gray, a kind
face and sharp eyes. She might be sixty, but she was far from being aged or too
addled to care for her nephew.

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” Taran replied, offering his
hand to her. He smiled and she accepted his handshake, smiling back.

“Do you think we need a lawyer this soon?” Glenda asked
worriedly.

“Whenever you’ve been contacted like that, it’s always good
to have representation,” Taran said.

“Thank you so much for bringing Luke home, for everything.”

“Anytime, Ms. Davis,” he returned.

What caught Taran’s notice more than the modest furnishings
was the look of relief in Glenda’s eyes when she realized her nephew was safe.
She fussed over him for a good five minutes, told him she’d warm up some soup
if he was hungry, but Luke told her he wasn’t.

It was obvious he cared about his aunt. Even though he’d
told Samantha he’d run if he were forced to live with Daria, he was not going
to leave his aunt. Luke was cared for, and unlike some teenagers, he didn’t
plop his things down in the middle of the room.

He grunted something about putting his backpack away, stuck
his hand in his pocket and said he’d be in his room. It was a good bet that
Luke wanted to deposit Emily’s phone number in a safe place.

“He’s a good kid,” Taran told Glenda.

“Thank you. If I may be so bold, Mr. Maddox, how much will
this cost if we have to go to court? If I need to get a loan or work out a
payment schedule, I’ll do it. I can’t lose custody of Luke, not to Daria.”

“You don’t need to worry about the cost. This one’s pro
bono.”

“You don’t know us,” she said suspiciously, reminding him a
little of Luke.

“I do now. You’ll have to trust me to represent Luke to the
best of my ability. I’m excellent with families in situations such as this. If
you need recommendations or proof of my credentials, I’m happy to provide it.”

“If his father gets out of prison, I don’t know what will
happen to Luke. Russell’s a con artist who can charm anyone, including his son.
The minute he gets what he needs, he’ll disappear and break Luke’s heart all
over again.”

“From my experience, overturning a plea deal on an appeal is
highly unlikely. In the meantime, we’ll see what I can do to make sure Daria
has no legal recourse to force Luke to spend time with her, much less live with
her.”

“I wouldn’t have recommended Taran’s help if I didn’t think
he was the right man for the job,” Samantha assured.

“Luke’s all right with this?” Glenda asked.

“Ask him,” Taran answered.

“Luke,” she called out. “Can you come here a minute?”

“Comin’,” the kid replied in typical teen speak.

He came out of his room, absent of backpack and skateboard.
“Thanks for the ride home,” he said to Taran.

“No problem. Your aunt wants to know if you’re okay with
having me representing your case.”

“Yeah, sure, I’m good. When can I start work?”

“We’ll talk about that soon. Ms. Davis, if it’s okay with
you, I’ll call tomorrow to set up a time to meet with the two of you?”

“Please do. Sam has my number.”

“Thank you, we should go. Please take care over the
weekend.”

“We will,” Glenda said, including her nephew.

Taran took an instant liking to this woman. She was good
people. However she’d done it, she managed to keep Luke grounded throughout a
difficult situation.

He and Samantha headed out, with Samantha pausing to give
Glenda a hug and say something to Luke. They were back in the truck and heading
for Route 9 once he’d cleaned off the windows and roof again.

“What did Glenda Davis do for a living?” Taran asked
curiously.

“She was a secretary for the CEO of a corporation in Boston.
They had to downsize and her position was eliminated. They left her with a
limited severance.”

“How does she earn a living?”

“With the economy and job market the way it is, she works
for a temp service.”

“They have healthcare?”

“With help from Medicaid, they do.”

Taran kept his concentration on the road. Another inch of
snow had fallen while they’d been inside Glenda’s home.

“Need directions to my apartment?”

“I’ve a better idea,” Taran said.

“Let me guess. We go right to Boston and spend the weekend
naked.”

“Yes.”

“You’re serious.”

“Yes, very. I’ve got extra toothbrushes, plenty of food and
you can wash what you’re wearing now over the weekend.”

“Taran, are you sure you’re ready for this…us? Is this going
to happen?”

“If
this
means the two of us fucking a lot this
weekend, I’d say I’ve been ready since April.”

“Not that you’ve been counting,” she teased, her mood
considerably lighter. The kickass detective was nowhere in sight, only Samantha
Riley the woman was with him now.

“Hours, days, months, each one that passed without you
saying yes was hell,” he confessed.

“Don’t lie to me, pretty boy,” she warned, tensing up.

“That’s something I won’t do.” He could make that vow with
confidence.

“Okay, we’ll go to your brownstone, but it’d be nice if
you’d loan me a shirt or something else to wear. You might want me to cover up
after you see my flaws anyway.”

Taran didn’t understand why she’d be concerned. “Never,
you’re my own blonde bombshell.”

“My hair isn’t naturally blonde,” she warned him, still too
tense for his liking. “It’s more of a dull brown. I’m not much of a shopper,
but I spend a small fortune on hair care. I have a thirty-eight-year-old figure
and my butt is big.”

What the fuck? Where’d his hot derby babe go all of a
sudden? To him, she was the sexiest woman alive. They were stopped at a red
light, giving him enough time to look across the truck cab at her.

“Samantha, you are beautiful.”

“If I disagree on your judgment what’ll happen?”

“If you disagree, it’s my job to make sure you know how
special you are to me. I don’t care about what makes you blonde or whether you
shop or how much makeup you wear. You are mine.”

“Should I be afraid of you?”

“Are you?”

“No, I wouldn’t have agreed to go home with you if I was.”

“Remember, no matter what happens when we’re together, you
have the ultimate control. Negotiation is always open, even if it’s a matter of
changing your safe word or claiming a headache.”

The light changed and they were soon making their way back
to Boston. Traffic was sparse, snow was falling fast and it’d probably be wise
to turn back and go to her place. But they were already on the highway and
plows had made the road passable.

“If I have a headache what happens then?” Samantha asked a
couple minutes later.

“I’ll take care of you until it passes. Same goes if you get
sick. I’m an excellent nurse.”

“Don’t be too nice, I might fall in love with you.”

“I assure you, I can be your safe place to fall if you let
me catch you. What’s really going on here, Samantha?”

“I’m panicking a little. I’m sorry. You’re so beautiful and
young and everything a woman could hope for.”

“I want you too,” Taran insisted. “You know that, don’t
you?”

“Yes. In all honesty, I’ve wanted you from the moment you
walked into the precinct with another woman draped on your arm. At the time, I
was so jealous I had to grab a cup of coffee to avoid saying or doing something
brash.”

“She was a bitch. I’m sorry I hurt you, doll. I should’ve
realized.”

“You couldn’t have known how I’d felt. I buried it and when
my chance with you came, I flipped out and pushed you away. I’m the one who
should apologize. I guess I’ve never really seen myself as attractive until you
looked at me.”

“We both flipped out a little,” he admitted.
“Subconsciously, I think I wasn’t ready to see you until I’d proven to myself
that I could support a woman such as you.”

“You were preparing for the bar. It was little wonder you
weren’t interested.”

“I always thought you were beautiful. Ethan told me he’d
kick my ass if I dared flirt with you and not mean it.”

“Maybe everything happens for a reason and this is our
time.”

“No maybe,” he corrected. “This is our time and we’re taking
it.”

Unwilling to take his hands from the steering wheel, Taran
gripped it hard. The roads weren’t too icy but he didn’t trust himself not to
touch her if he let go of the wheel. If he did, he’d pull the truck over at the
nearest exit, find a place to park and fuck her in the backseat.

It didn’t help that he could feel her eyes on him while he
drove. The heat of her gaze was as real as if she reached over and touched him.
Thinking about how long it’d take to reach brownstone, he figured he should
warn her to behave. He’d had a hard-on since leaving Glenda Davis’ house.

“Samantha, keep your eyes on the road. I want you so badly,
I’m about to pull off at the next exit I see.”

“You wouldn’t…”

Passing beneath a road sign advertising a well-lit rest stop
with a small motel, he gripped the wheel harder. It would take superhuman
strength not to take the exit.

“We’ve a mile for you to make up your mind. We can go to a
rest stop or make our way home, your choice.”

“As much as I’m tempted to choose the rest stop, it’s best
we keep going. The parking lot alone will be crowded with travelers waiting out
the storm. There’s a McDonald’s there if you’re hungry. “

“There’s also a fucking Motel 6.” Okay, great, reveal how
desperate you are, that’ll help seduce the sexiest woman he’d ever known.

“You’d take me to a motel?” she whispered, as if the idea of
fucking around in a cheap motel didn’t offend her in the slightest. “That’d be
a first. I’ve never gone to a motel with a guy.”