Trusting Her Doms [Pleasure, Texas 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 7

  Okay, sheriff. You’d better get over here. If you don’t, I swear I won’t be responsible for what I do.

  Going back inside the house took everything she had in her. Her mother met her at the back door, the white of her eyes showing, the blood wiped away as best she could even though a trail of red still skimmed along her chin.

  “Honey, please don’t tell me you called the sheriff.”

  “Mom, he has to be stopped. I’m not going to stand around and let him hurt you any longer.” She jerked her arm out of her mother’s grip. “No, Mom. No more.”

  “What the hell’s going on with you two bitches?” Her father, spittle at the corner of his mouth, staggered to the kitchen. “Get your asses busy with dinner and stop the jawing. I’m hungry. I want my dinner, pronto.”

  “Fuck off.”

  At first, she was almost as surprised as her father was at her outburst. But she knew she was finished. There was no way she could stand around and take his abuse any longer. “The sheriff’s on his way.”

  In any other town, those words would’ve gotten an angry or fearful response. But not in Pleasure.

  Her father’s mouth twisted into a wicked grin. He snorted his derision. “What the hell for? For keeping my old lady in line?”

  “For assault. For beating your wife and threatening to do bodily harm to me.” Her anger made it hard to see straight, but she’d be damned if she’d lose control. If she did that, then he’d have already won.

  His laughter grated on her nerves, fraying them even more. “Where do you think you are, you dirty skank? Back at that high and mighty college of yours? That’s bullshit. Men in Texas, especially in Pleasure, know how to handle their women. Hell, Old Dick’s more than likely going to pat me on the back instead of hauling my ass to jail.”

  The horror of it was that it was true. But she had to cling on to a shred of hope that he was wrong.

  She whirled to her mother. “Please, Mom. Leave with me right now. We’ll find someplace to stay. I swear we will.” She wanted to tell her about the money she’d scrimped and saved throughout her college years, but couldn’t with her father so close by. It would pay the rent for a small, older home instead of the newer one she wanted to give her mother, but it was better than staying there.

  “But this is my home.”

  If there was anything worse than seeing her mother cry, she didn’t know what it was. “Mom, you have to leave. You can’t let him do this to you any longer. Please. I’ll get a better job and take care of you. Or you could find a job somewhere. Maybe at the market.”

  “And where the fuck’s she going to go, huh? An old worn-down piece of flesh like her? Shit, no one’s going to hire her to do nothing. She couldn’t make a dime selling her body with her droopy breasts and dried up skin.”

  Carly ground her teeth together and wished she was a man. If so, she would’ve pounded her worthless father into the ground. She took a step toward the back door, taking her mother’s arm to drag her along with her.

  The pounding on the front door was the only thing that stopped her. “Hey, Bill! Sharon? Hey, folks, it’s Dick.”

  Dick. Instead of saying it’s the sheriff. Like the good old boy he is.

  Carly tugged her mother along with her out the back door, avoiding having to go past her father. She hurried her along even though her mother didn’t put any effort into keeping up.

  “Honey, please, I can’t do this.”

  They made it around the house and to the front yard to find her father already talking to the sheriff. From the looks of things, her father had already started schmoozing his friend.

  “Come on, man.” Her father handed his friend a beer. “You know how it is with these women nowadays.”

  To her amazement and disbelief, the sheriff popped the lid on the can and took a swig. But then again, why was it so unbelievable? Dick and her father had gone to high school together. Or at least the two years her father had gone. They’d played football together, gone partying together, and had even gotten their first lays together.

  She came to a stop, her gaze darting from one man to the other. Why had she bothered calling the sheriff? There was no chance in hell that he’d take her father away. Still, she had to try.

  “Sheriff Ray, you have to arrest my father.”

  Both men faced her and her mother. Her father’s sneer grew while the sheriff gave her mother a quick once-over, noted her split lip, then still tried to get out of the problem.

  “Hey, there, Sharon. Are you all right? Carly seems to think you’re hurt.”

  Her mouth fell open at the way he stared at her mother. He was challenging her to admitting the truth. Pushing her into lying once again.

  They didn’t have a chance if her mother wouldn’t tell him. “Mom, please. Tell him what he did.”

  Her mother cowered next to her. Whenever she dared to lift her head and look at the men, she’d quickly tuck it away again, averting her gaze. “Honey, I’m okay.”

  “Mom, please.” Her heart broke to see her mother so beaten down. “You have to stand up for yourself. Please.”

  “Is that right, Sharon? Is there something you want to tell me?”

  Her mother shook, her body trembling harder than ever. She turned sideways, gave the men another glance, then gripped Carly’s hand and squeezed it. “I can’t do this, honey. It’ll only make him madder.”

  “But we’ll leave. I promise you. Come with me and you’ll be safe.”

  “This is my home and he’s my husband.”

  “Sharon, I don’t mean to push, but I’ve got other problems to deal with. I need to get going. I’m thinking this was all a misunderstanding and you’re good to go. Am I right?”

  “I’m sorry, honey. I just can’t.”

  The world turned upside down then as her mother forced her hold on her away, then shuffled toward the front porch.

  Her father took her mother’s arm and she flinched, then stilled, her head bowed in submission.

  Carly couldn’t resist one last try. “Mom, please. For me.”

  Her mother didn’t look back as her father put his hand on her back and urged her to go inside. “Dick, my daughter went off to college and picked up some crazy ideas.” His dark eyes zeroed in on her. “I want you to escort her inside and let her get her shit. Then I want her thrown off my property. For good.”

  She sucked in a hard breath that burned her throat. Getting thrown out of the house wasn’t the problem. Leaving her mother behind was.

  “Carly, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

  Her anger finally had to get released. She screamed at the useless sheriff, uncaring how it looked to the neighbors who were peeping out of their windows. “Go screw yourself. If you had any balls, you’d do your fucking job. Instead, you’re going to let him keep hitting her until, one day, he hits her too hard and kills her. When that day comes, it’s her blood on your hands. Remember that.”

  She stalked past the two men, her father stepping away from her as she grew near. Flinging the door open, she headed for her tiny, makeshift bedroom, realizing that to go to her mother’s room would be a waste of time. Her mother didn’t have it in her to leave and no amount of urging would make her. If only she could force her to get out.

  It didn’t take long to gather her things. She was in and out of the house, flinging her suitcases into the trunk of her car. Her father leaned against the porch railing while the sheriff looked sheepishly on, his arms crossed and his feet planted apart as though he thought she was ready for a fight.

  Once she had everything loaded, she turned back to the house. A movement at one of the windows caught her attention.

  Her mother watched her, her sad eyes and stark pale face a contrast to the dark interior. Even from the road, Carly could imagine her mother’s body still trembling. She lifted a hand to her, the only farewell she’d get.

  Her mother started to lift her hand in return, but when her father whacked his hand against the side of the ho
use, her mother dropped the curtain and was gone.

  Shit. He won’t even let her say good-bye.

  She had no choice but to leave her mother behind. Taking her place behind the wheel, she didn’t look at her father or at the sheriff. Instead, she focused her attention on the road ahead of her and stomped her foot on the gas pedal.

  Carly was halfway to Suzie’s home when she remembered that her friend was out of town. But where could she go? Most of her good friends had moved away from Pleasure or had families to take care of. Visiting her problems on them didn’t seem fair. She pulled over to the side of the road and tried to think.

  She couldn’t go back home. Unless her mother called to say she was ready to leave, there was no reason. She’d rather sleep in her car than go crawling back to her father.

  She could keep driving until she found a new town and a new start. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that leaving would mean abandoning her mother. Maybe she couldn’t get her mother to take the step she needed, but she had to stay close in case the worst happened.

  What options did she have? She could sleep in her car. That would work for a few days, maybe even a month, but it wasn’t a solution.

  Or she could rent a room at Dorothy Powton’s bed-and-breakfast outside of town. But that would take almost her whole week’s paycheck, making her dip into her savings. She was determined not to do that. Plus, the B&B was very popular with travelers along the highway so the two rooms she had for rent were probably already taken.

  She could stay in the market. Not with Little John’s approval, of course. The place did have a small room in the back with a wash sink and a cot. Sneaking in wouldn’t be that difficult since she worked there. But if Little John found her, he’d do one of two things. He’d either blow his top and fire her butt right then and there, or he’d use it as a way to get her to succumb to his sleazy advances.

  None of the choices were good.

  If only she’d taken the job at the club. Then she could afford to stay at a hotel out on the highway. It was a long drive for a job commute, but it was a clean place where she wouldn’t run into any locals. But it, too, would put her a long way from her mother and would make her use the money she’d worked so hard to save.

  If she’d accepted the job, she could stay there. The Casing men sometimes allowed an employee to stay overnight if the weather was bad or if they’d stayed late to attend to clients. Or at least, that was the scoop according to Myrtle.

  Taking the job—if it was still available—would solve the problem of where to stay. But she had to be honest with herself. She wanted the job, not just because of the money, but because of Hank and Ron. How could she have let a stupid spanking ruin her chances with them?

  “That settles it. I have to get that job.”

  * * * *

  Once she’d arrived at the club, Carly parked in the same parking lot that she’d used before. The lot was more crowded than it had been earlier in the day, but that was to be expected. She recognized some of the cars, even that of the preacher from the small church in a neighboring town. As far as she was concerned, if they didn’t mention seeing her there, then she wouldn’t mention that they’d visited the club. At least she already had that part of the job down pat. Now all she had to do was actually get the job.

  She couldn’t let getting spanked ruin it for her. Unlike the whippings her father had given her as a child that had quickly transformed into beatings later, she had to remember that the spankings people at the club would give her were all for entertainment. For theirs and for hers. She was sure they wouldn’t hurt. The one she’d gotten earlier hadn’t. At least not physically.

  But then the reaction was all on her end. Hank and Ron weren’t to blame.

  It’s all in a day’s work. That’s what I have to remember.

  Gathering her resolve, she strode around to the front of the building. Getting through the double doors would be easy compared to having had to coax Lucinda into opening the front gate. The older woman had finally given in when Carly had mentioned that she was there to “make up for messing up the interview.”

  She waited off to the side as a man and a woman, their bodies seemingly unable to separate, opened the door and stepped inside. Taking a moment to let them get farther inside, she grabbed the bronze handle and pulled the door open.

  A pretty young woman lifted her attention from the blinking lights on the club’s multiline phone and smiled. She wore a black studded halter along with a black skirt that flared outward at the bottom. “Hi. I’m Lindsey. Welcome to the Club at Pleasure Ranch. What’s your pleasure?”

  Another set of double doors separated the foyer and reception desk from the main part of the club. A man came out of those doors, opening them enough for her to get a glimpse inside, then hurried past her.

  Was that Milt Hial?

  She almost giggled. Milt was one of the most conservative people she knew. He was always talking about how “these girls dress nowadays with their bellies showing and their breasts about to fall out. It’s downright shameful.”

  Maybe he’s here with the preacher.

  But that was none of her business. She’d never open her mouth to anyone about either man even if she didn’t get the job.

  “Can I help you?”

  Carly returned the smile. “I’m sorry. I guess I zoned out for a second. Anyway, could I speak with Paul Casing please?”

  “May I tell him what it’s about?” The girl’s blue eyes sparkled under the strategically placed pink lights that gave her skin a fresh glow. Her blonde hair streamed down her back in that way Carly always envied. Her own brown curly hair went wild and unruly whenever she tried to let it grow that long. It was easier to keep it cut to just below her jaw.

  “Tell him it’s Carly Rivers. He’ll know what it’s about.” If she said she was there to try again for the job, would he give her the chance? Hopefully, the curiosity of why she’d come would bring him to the foyer.

  “All right.” She picked up the phone and punched in a button. “Um, there’s a Miss Carly Rivers to see Paul.” She paused, listening to a reply. “Okay. Sure will. Thanks.”

  Carly resisted the urge to squirm under her scrutiny. Instead, she took a quick look around, but saw nothing unusual about the place. A comfortable-looking black couch sat against a wall, but other than that, the room contained only the reception stand.

  “Someone will be out to see you in a few moments.”

  “Someone? Does that mean Paul? I mean, Mr. Casing?”

  “I couldn’t say. If you’d like to have a seat, they’ll be out soon. Would you care for a drink? Water or a soda?”

  “How about a Long Island Iced Tea? The stronger the better.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, but it’s a strict policy of the club not to allow alcoholic beverages in the foyer or outside. Would you like a regular nonalcoholic tea? We have sweet and unsweetened.”

  “No thanks. I was just kidding anyway.” She let out a tense breath, returned the girl’s constant smile, and then crossed her arms. “I’ll just wait. Standing, that is.”

  “Sure. Whatever you’d like. You just let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.” The smile remained in place when she answered a call.

  Had she imagined the extra emphasis on the word anything? What the heck did that mean? Did girls get it on with girls at the club? It didn’t matter either way to her. She was as accepting of alternative lifestyles as anyone, as long as she wasn’t required to join in.

  She studied the framed photo on the wall. A green pasture stretched out with enormous evergreens growing on either side. In the background were snow-covered mountains. Her guess would be that it was somewhere in Colorado or another state with a mountain range.

  “Carly?”

  She spun around to find Hank staring at her. As though he’d pushed a button on her, a swirling storm of emotions mixed with blatant need enveloped her. Her throat was suddenly parched, making her wish that she’d taken Lindsey up on th
at offer of water. The man was sex in the form of muscles and amazing bone structure. His body oozed a sensual need that even the plain black silk shirt and slacks couldn’t hide. His brown hair looked darker under the dim lighting and the stubble that caressed his jaws made her fingers itch to skim them over the softness. Or would it be prickly to the touch? She could imagine it being both. The spray of early gray at his temples added to his overall stud appearance.

  Stud. That’s it. He’s like a stud horse in human form. I always had a thing for stud horses.

  “What are you doing back here?”

  She had to think a minute before she could remember. “I changed my mind. I want the job.” She thrust out her chin, daring him to say no. “And you’re going to give it to me.”

  Chapter Six

  Carly knew she was pushing it to tell Hank that he had to hire her. He didn’t have to do a damn thing and they both knew it. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t. Or, if the glint in his eyes was any indication, that he didn’t want to.

  “Don’t you remember? You already had an interview and turned the job down.”

  Lindsey pursed her mouth. Whether to hold back a giggle or an exclamation of surprise, Carly wasn’t sure. At least the girl was nice enough to turn her back on them and pretend she was leafing through a file folder.

  “I know and that was a mistake.” She couldn’t stop now, no matter how gut-wrenching it would be to hear him tell her to go away. “I’m here to correct that mistake.”

  He glanced at Lindsey, then took Carly’s arm and tugged her through the double doors and into the club. She let him lead her a few feet inside, then came to a stop.

  “Whoa.”

  The club had been beautiful, classy in the daytime, but at night, it had transformed into a wonderland filled with laughing, happy people. Girls wearing the skimpy waitress outfit strolled around the room, conversing with clients seated at the tables and in the booths. Although the skirts were long enough to hide their bottoms, Carly knew they didn’t wear underwear, much to the obvious delight of the men, and some of the women, whose hands found their way underneath.