Awakening Her Racy Passion [Racy Nights 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (28 page)

One week after the night of three hundred swats, as the guys now called it, was Valentine’s Day. Because it fell on a Friday this year, Luke wouldn’t let Ria off work because he knew he’d be too busy. Trent was off, though, because he’d volunteered to work the next four Fridays in a row. She was upset that she wouldn’t get to go out with them, but Wyatt and Trent both told her not to worry about it. They’d find a way to be with her.

She hadn’t spent the night at their condo on Thursday, and when she woke up Friday morning she answered a knock at the door to find a delivery for her. It was obvious what it was. Two long white boxes, each tied with a red ribbon. Ria ran up the stairs and then opened them, squealing at the sight of two dozen red roses, one from each of the guys. She dropped the cards as she read them.

Her pulse racing, she picked them up again, blinking several times to clear the tears. They’d each signed the card with the words “Happy Valentine’s Day,” but had also written the word “love” before their names. But did that mean they were in love with her, or were they merely signing the cards that way because it was traditional to do so?

She texted them each, thanking them for the roses. She had a gift for each of them, too, but hadn’t signed her cards yet. Now, she did, her fingers trembling as she wrote “Love, Ria” on each of them. Then she sealed them so it would be a done deal.

They texted back and told her that they’d see her later at work, and she wondered what the surprise was. She was disappointed that it sounded like she’d have no alone time with them, but considering she had never received roses from any man in her life, this was already a more romantic Valentine’s Day than she’d ever had before.

She went downstairs for her shift, placing their gifts and cards in a drawer in the kitchen where she knew they’d be safe until she could give them to the guys. Luke and Alexa were already in the bar, setting up. She made small talk, marveling at how easy it was to do so now. She and Luke had never gotten along this well, and sometimes Ria still waited for the other shoe to drop. It all seemed too good to be true.

As customers began to stream in, she was distracted by several college kids who were already too loud and drunk. She was bringing them another pitcher of beer when she heard Trent’s voice, and glanced toward the door to watch him and Wyatt come in, followed by everyone. Chase, Julie, Maddox, Sean, Annalise, Chad, Dustin, Marisol, Ellis, Rafe, Cherilyn, Thayer, Evan, Gina, Zach, Harrison, Olivia, Storm, and Cameron followed.

She plunked down the pitcher, ignoring the college kids, and ran over to Wyatt and Trent who each embraced her and kissed her on the mouth, right there in the bar. She didn’t even care that some people snickered. Her friends didn’t. They pushed tables together and Wyatt explained that since she, Luke, and Alexa couldn’t join them all tonight, they’d come here to be with them. Ria ran to the kitchen and retrieved Wyatt’s and Trent’s gifts, but then realized they might not want to open them with everyone around. She was about to put them back in the drawer when she heard noise behind her and whirled around.

“We have something else for you.” Trent held out a wrapped present.

“The roses were enough. Thank you so much for them. They’re beautiful. I have something for each of you as well.” She handed them their gifts, then took the box.

He and Wyatt exchanged a look that she couldn’t interpret, and then Wyatt cupped her face. “I wish this could have been more romantic tonight.”

“It’s perfect. You’re both here, and so is everyone else. Seriously. This is the best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had.”

They both smiled. “Thank you for saying that. Open your gift. I can’t wait any longer.”

She loved Wyatt’s enthusiasm, and tore off the wrapping to place the tiny box on the table. When she opened it, she gasped at the earrings. They were the black-and-gold ones she’d admired in Racy Jewelry last week when the two had wandered in with her, just for fun. “You remembered.”

“Of course we did,” said Trent. “Put them in.”

She took out the tiny studs she always wore at work and put in the earrings, glancing into the cracked mirror above the sink to admire them. “I love them so much. Thank you. Now open your gifts, although mine aren’t as nice as these.”

“Nonsense,” said Wyatt. “We didn’t expect anything at all. Thank you.” Wyatt opened his card first. “You signed it ‘Love, Ria’.”

She nodded, her pulse racing, but didn’t say anything. He was still smiling as he opened the gift. That was good, right? He wasn’t upset by how she’d signed the card. He laughed when he took out the tie with the Van Gogh print on it. “I don’t have this one yet.”

“I know. I took inventory and then I ordered it online.”

“Thank you. I love it.”

Trent opened his card, and then his gift, smiling broadly at the tie with a painting of ambulances and paramedics on it. “This is amazing. Where did you find it?”

She grinned. “I have my sources.”

“All right. I’ll get you to confess it later. But for now…” He pulled her close and kissed her. “Thank you so much for the tie and the card.”

“And thank you both for the earrings. I love them.”
And I love you both, too.

“Let’s get you back out there before Luke and Alexa revolt.”

She took their arms and walked back out into the bar, her heart bursting with joy that they were here this evening to be with her.

The evening was very busy but a lot of fun because all her friends were there. She kept giving them glances, and wished she had words to tell them all how much this meant to her. The women kept calling her over to admire her earrings, and Ria beamed with pride when she saw that both Wyatt and Trent had put on the ties she’d given them.

About three hours after she’d received the earrings from Wyatt and Trent, Ria gathered up a bag of recyclables to take out to the bin in the alley. Normally Luke did that, especially once it got dark, as they were all a bit leery these days, but he and Alexa were busy and she wanted a quick breath of fresh air.

She glanced around as she walked toward the end of the alley where the recycle bin was, trying not to picture Gerry Homer lying in the grass with blood gushing out of his abdomen. She started to place the bottles inside the bin then stopped as a sound came to her on the wind from around the corner. This alley let out onto Riverfront Drive, but perpendicular to it was another alley that ran behind more shops on Riverfront, including Pearl’s antique shop and The Fit Bod.

She listened, and then heard two voices. Two of the same voices she’d heard inside the shop on Lawnview Drive two weeks ago. “Whiny” and “Like Claude” to be exact. Ria started to reach for her cell phone but it wasn’t in her pocket. She’d left it in the kitchen. She could picture it on the counter, plugged in to the charger.

The voices floated easily in the cold night, along with the sound of sloshing liquid.
Liquid
. Gasoline? Another accelerant? Where were they? She had to know. Ria peered around the corner, using the bushes for cover, although since they were bare, they didn’t offer much in the way of camouflage.

She saw the two men clearly illuminated by the street lamp. Their faces were lit, as was the can of gasoline they were splashing all over a pile of paper and twigs they’d stacked up behind the back door of Pearl’s store. She knew Pearl wasn’t inside, but that didn’t matter. She needed to let someone know they were about to set the shop on fire.

As she turned to run, her foot caught on a loose branch and she fell. The sound that escaped her throat must have been louder than she thought it was, because she heard footsteps behind her. Ria scrambled to her feet and tossed a beer bottle from the bag of recyclables at each man without even thinking. They both connected, and each man yelled in surprise as he put a hand up to his face.

She turned and ran like the hounds of hell were behind her. She could hear the men breathing hard, but she didn’t dare turn around to see how close they were. She’d never been so scared in her life. She couldn’t even scream.

She opened the back door of the bar, slammed it closed and locked it, and then ran into the bar where she finally found her voice.

Pandemonium broke loose as Sean and Chad took off out the front door of the bar, and the rest of the men at their table took off for the kitchen. Even Luke joined them. Harrison stayed behind but was soon barking into his cell phone. Ria heard police codes but didn’t know what they stood for. Then Harrison was standing on an empty table, telling everyone to stay quiet and calm.

The scene reminded her way too much of the night the tornado had hit, when Bonnie had heard the sirens before everyone else and had ushered them all into the basement. Only this time, it wasn’t a tornado. It was two men who had just tried to commit arson, and they were probably the same ones who had set fire to Pearl’s new shop.

Once everyone inside the bar had returned to their tables and the conversation was close to a normal din, Harrison finally went outside as well. Ria followed Alexa’s lead and collected empty pitchers and glasses, just to have something to do but her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. She glanced around for Trent or Wyatt but they weren’t in the bar. Had they gone outside, too? No…she didn’t want them out there. What if those men had weapons? What if they were stabbed, like Gerry had been?

“No!” Ria dropped the empty pitcher she’d been carrying and ran toward the front door. Alexa called to her, but she didn’t stop. She hardly felt the cold air as she rushed outside to find the bar surrounded by cop cars. She glanced around, looking for a familiar face, and there they were. Standing in a circle with Maddox, Rafe, and Ellis.

Trent turned and spotted her. “Ria, come over here. Sean needs your help.”

She ran toward him and didn’t care that everyone was watching. She threw herself into his arms, crying. “I was so afraid. I thought something had happened to you both.”

He brushed away her tears. “We’re fine, we’re fine. The two men are in the back of Sean’s cruiser, but he needs to know that you can identify them by their voices.”

“Not only their voices. I saw their faces, two weeks ago and tonight. I’m positive.”

Sean came sprinting over when he spotted Ria, and Wyatt told him what Ria had just said. “Are you sure?” asked Sean. “Could you testify to that in court?”

“I’m positive.”

“All right.” He turned toward Chad and Harrison. “Get them out of here.”

She searched Trent’s and Wyatt’s faces “Is it over?”

“It will be,” said Wyatt. “And it looks like your eavesdropping stunt two weeks ago may have saved the day.”

Storm came around the corner, followed by Cameron. They carried the gasoline can in a large plastic bag. “Not to mention she saved Pearl’s existing shop. They were about to torch it, and I’m sure the shops around it would have gone up as well.”

Trent nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear. “We may never punish you for gossiping again.”

She laughed, but only because if she didn’t, she knew she would start to cry again.

Wyatt pulled Ria close. “I’m so proud of you right now.” His voice was soft and full of love, and Ria’s heart soared. “Let’s get back inside, but when we’re alone with you again, we’re going to show you how grateful we are for what you did tonight.”

She shivered, but not from the cold.

* * * *

Sunday morning, Wyatt and Trent called Ria to tell her that the two men had confessed to arson, and had ratted out their contacts from Philly and Louisville. The case had been turned over to the FBI, so Racy was now officially done with it. Pearl’s new shop would be built, and Ned would serve out his jail sentence.

“I’m glad it’s over, but I wish Gerry hadn’t had to die for it. Did Sean, Chad, or Harrison ever say why Gerry had no coat that night?”

“Yes,” said Wyatt. “He’d stolen money from one of the farm houses out on US 231 where these men have been holed up, and Ned saw him do it. Gerry ran and Ned followed him, then killed him in the alley.”

Ria shook her head. “What a waste.”

They agreed with her. Then they changed the subject and told her that they were taking her to Maddox’s club that afternoon, before her shift, just so she could see it.

“Can’t that wait until we can play there as well?”

“No,” said Wyatt, “it can’t. Trent and I think you should simply tour it first, and we’ve waited long enough for this.”

She knew better than to argue the point, plus she’d been anxious to finally see the club for weeks now. Ria knew something was amiss as soon as they pulled onto Maddox’s property and went around the back. She recognized all the cars parked next to his house. “What is really going on? Why is everyone here?”

Wyatt grinned like the Cheshire Cat. “Just come inside.”

“You two told me this was only a tour.”

“It is,” said Trent, taking her hand. “But we have a surprise for you as well.” He looked like a kid on Christmas morning, so she didn’t say anything else because she didn’t want to ruin this for them.

Once inside, they led her to a set of double doors at the end of the main hallway. Ria’s head swiveled around but she’d have to admire the opulence of Maddox’s house another time. These two were in a hurry. Just before they opened the doors, they told her to close her eyes.

“Take tiny steps,” said Wyatt. “There are three stairs in front of you, and then you’ll be on the main floor.”

Ria did as he said, her heart hammering. She could feel the others standing in the room. What was going on?

“Okay,” said Trent, when they reached the main floor. “Now you can open your eyes.”

It wasn’t a shock to see everyone who had been at Luke’s Bar the other night, but when Wyatt handed her another wrapped gift, she stared at him, confused.

“We had planned to give you this Friday night, but then all hell broke loose, so Maddox let us use his club this afternoon instead. And, it’s more fitting that this be given to you here.”

“Should I open it now?”

He smiled. “Yes, but before you do, there’s something we have something to tell you. We should have told you a long time ago.”