Chapter Nine
Melissa
After three weeks, I’d soon discovered the phone calls to Dallas weren’t enough. I missed the big idiot a lot. His scent, his body, his attitude… every last lickable part of him. At least I got to hear his voice most nights, but I was a greedy bitch and wanted all of him.
I was being emotional. Though not all the emotions had to do with missing Dallas. After two weeks of headaches with the business, I appointed Tate as CEO. I wasn’t cut out for the corporate world. I liked messing with computers too much. Tate had a few close friends within Jimmy’s crew, and he picked them to help him get things smoothed out within the workforce. To my surprise, the men who I thought were loyal to Jimmy and would have kicked up a fit over the change and Jimmy’s death didn’t. As long as they got paid, they didn’t give a shit who was in charge. In fact, Tate had told me they were happy with Jimmy finally pushing daisies. They thought him a sick and twisted motherfucker, but he was one who paid well. Then again, Jimmy’s most loyal men had died alongside him that day, so perhaps it wasn’t such a surprise.
Of course, I fired Jimmy’s old assistant Amber, and hired Tate a new one. A woman I actually liked. She was in her late twenties, had attitude, and could work under pressure. She was perfect, and what was also great was the fact she was stunning. I’d caught Tate admiring her a few times.
Della and I lived in the home Jimmy had bought for himself and me, only we spent all our time down my end of the house. She hadn’t gone to see her parents yet, and I often asked what was holding her back. Only she wouldn’t say, and I didn’t want to pester her. Not when she was smiling more each day. The smallest of noises could scare her and if a male got too close, she would cringe away. She still had a fair way to go to get back to the determined, fierce, and confident woman she’d been when I’d met her.
While I went to work, she stayed in the house and watched movies or read.
I could understand her need to want a vacation and relax after everything, but I worried it would drag out her road to recovery.
Handle still hadn’t left. He said he would at the end of the month. At least then they’d be certain no fallback would come to bite us on the butt. He stayed with Della at the house every day, and I was sure being in one place each and every day was starting to get to him. He was moodier than the first day I’d met him.
The police had finally put the whole scene at the house down to unsolved. They couldn’t confirm anything due to a lack of evidence. However, they eventually found out what a bad man Jimmy was after an anonymous email was sent to the lead detective with everything I had on Jimmy and what he’d done to young women—the kidnapping and raping. There wasn’t much evidence, but it was enough for them to know he was a piece of shit. I think, due to the fact they never knew what Jimmy had been capable of, they were quicker to place his case unsolved. I also had sent what I’d found on the detective who’d taken me to Jimmy. He was in debt up to his eyeballs, which was how Jimmy had him on his payroll.
Of course, when they’d told me who my husband really was, I broke down in front of them.
Having my name cleared from the case eased fear from my heart, and it also meant I could go to Dallas sooner. Though, we still didn’t want to risk moving suspicion to the Hawks, which could happen if I got on a flight and left town to move so I could get to know my boyfriend.
Boyfriend.
It was a funny word for Dallas. He certainly wasn’t a boy and we hadn’t started as friends.
Yet, he meant a lot to me.
Even that seemed crazy. A man I was still getting to know meant something to me already.
“Tiny?” he called through the phone, dragging me from my thoughts.
“Yeah, Viking man?”
“I asked if you thought of mentionin’ to Della to move here with you?”
My brows dipped, unsure. “I’ll see how things go once she sees her parents. I don’t know why she’s holding back.” I sighed. “Anyway, are you asking for her sake or mine… or Handle’s?”
He snorted. “All of the above, darlin’.”
“I knew Handle had a thing for her. I see him watching her—”
“Tiny, don’t go there, okay? My brother has his own shit to deal with. I ain’t sure if he’ll be good for her or her for him.”
“Yeah, I can see something’s on his mind and has been for a long time.”
“Never thought I’d get all mushy and shit, but I wish you were comin’ sooner my way.”
Laughing, I cooed, “Aw, you can be sweet.”
“Woman,” he growled low through the phone.
“Oh, did I tell you I decided I’m moving in with Julian?”
“The fuck?” he snarled. “I ain’t havin’ you in Ballarat when I’m in Melbourne—” He broke off when he heard my laugh. “Stop messin’ with me when I can’t punish you for it in person.”
“I can’t help it. It’s like it brings joy to my life. Anyway, I did decide to take you up on your offer to find me a house. But, like I said, as long as you get Julian’s help to pick.”
He groaned. “Darlin’, I can pick a house you’ll like without him.”
“Dallas, humour me, okay? You’re a manly man. I need a house that will be me—”
“I know you,” he clipped.
“You’re getting there, yes—”
“And I can send you the goddamn links to the houses. I do not need to have Julian come and look at each one with me.”
He acted like I was asking him to pull all his teeth from his mouth. I grinned at how uncomfortable a gay man made my Viking man. Still, I explained, “I’d like you two to spend time with each other. He’s my friend, Dallas, which means he’ll be around a lot. From the links you give me on the houses, I’ll narrow it down. But I’d like you both to see the places in person. Please.”
“Fuck,” he huffed. “The things you make me do, woman. Is this what being in a… in a r-relationship means? If so, you’ll owe me huge for it.”
Lying back on the bed, I burst out laughing. He cracked me up every time he choked over the word relationship. After calming down, I smiled, hearing his grumbling on the other end of the line. I knew he’d never been in a relationship before. He honestly never thought much of women, but it warmed me all over he wanted to try for me.
“Dallas, I’ll do just about anything for you if you do this for me.”
“Anything?” he asked, and I just knew his brow would have risen and wicked thoughts would be running through his mind. My Viking man liked a bit of kink—tying up, choking, spanking—so it was lucky he was the only man I’d let try those things on me. Just the thought of doing them with him turned me on.
He could punish me and order me in the bedroom all he liked, which I told him just the previous day. But it had to end as soon as we stepped out the door.
“Anything,” I purred, then added, “Within reason, of course.”
He snorted. “Yeah, Tiny, within reason.”
“Okay, let’s move on to something we don’t know about each other.” I had been asking him this question each time we called one another. I wanted to know everything there was about Dallas Gan. We’d started with favourite things, family, and dislikes. The question I was going to ask should have been one I asked at the start, which I realised earlier that day when I thought of it. “When’s your birthday?”
All I got was air on the other end.
“Dallas?”
“Shit. I don’t want anything.”
“Viking man, when is it?”
He grunted. “Coming up.”
“Dal—” There was a knock at my bedroom door. “Hang on one second,” I told Dallas, and before he could bitch about it, I pulled the phone away from my ear. “Come in,” I called.
Della opened the door enough to pop her head in. “Hey, um, can we talk for a second?”
“Sure. I’ll just say bye to Dallas, one sec.”
As soon as I had my phone up, Dallas said before he ended the call, “Call you later, Tiny. Go see to your girl.”
My whole body sighed, if that was possible, at how incredible he was. Then again, he was getting out of talking about his birthday, which was coming up. I just had no idea how soon that was. I’d have to do some investigating later if I wanted to give him a gift. Only what would a man like Dallas want?
“Sorry.” I smiled at Della and shook my head, putting the phone to the bed. “Come on in and sit.” I patted the spot next to me. She came in and sat, her eyes to her lap where she absently played with the hem of her tee. “What’s happening?”
“I was hoping that tomorrow you could take it off from work and we could, um, go get our hair done and stuff…. Then I’d like to go see my parents in the afternoon.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ve put things off enough. I need to move past it all, and that means seeing them. The thing is they, look, they’re not the same as they used to be. Losing Ashley hit them hard and then with me, when I wouldn’t listen and stay out of it all, it was hard for them. They don’t know where I’ve been. They think I ran off to deal with Ashley’s death on my own. They thought I stayed out of it all, when I didn’t. I’m not sure how they’ll be, but I need to tell them everything.”
She had asked me to leave the video I’d had on Ashley with Jimmy out of what I sent to the detective who had been on the case. She’d been the one who wanted to tell her parents what we’d found and not the police. I did as asked. It wasn’t my sister. I could only hope they understood why vengeance had burned inside of Della to take Jimmy down and why, in the end, it blew up in her face, causing her to live her own personal nightmare.
Her sister had meant everything to her.
I would have done the same, even if my mum had asked me to stay well away from it all.
“I think they’ll just be happy to see you,” I said gently.
She shrugged. “We’ll see.” Looking up, she asked again, “Will you come with me, haircut and then parents?”
After rolling my eyes, I winked and replied, “Of course I will. No matter what, Del, you and me, we stick together.”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “I’ll go tell Handle what our plans are.”
“You know he’ll come, right?”
She nodded, her jaw clenching. “I know.”
“What will we tell your parents about him? Can’t say he’s your boyfriend.”
“Maybe he can be your security detail for the day?”
“Yes, that could work. After all, Jimmy’s death and my taking over the company and appointing Tate as CEO has been all over the news.” I’d had many calls in the first two weeks with people wanting interviews. I declined each and every one, stating I just wanted to get on with my life. Most had left it, thought there were a few pesky ones still hounding me. Another reason I couldn’t up and leave for Melbourne. I was hoping they would all go away after they found out about Jimmy’s double life. Then again, it could draw more attention my way once more.
Fuck.
I hadn’t thought of that.
After Della had left, I put all depressing thoughts out of my mind and picked up my phone again. I pressed in the stored number and waited.
“Hello, my cheese to my mac,” came cheerily from the other end.
“Hi, Julian. Are you over your little snit?”
He huffed. “If you mean by keeping all your juicy information about what Dallas Gan is like in bed, then no. However, you may redeem yourself once you are living closer to me by buying me chocolates, flowers, and candy every day for the rest of your life.”
The morning after Dallas had left, I got a phone call from Julian ripping me a new one with how worried he’d been for me. He said he’d felt like a shit losing contact with me in the first place, but even more so when he knew he could have helped me if we’d still been close. We argued over the fact it was both of our faults we’d lost contact once again; the first time was when I’d been in Ballarat. We’d yelled over the fact we were both stubborn when I didn’t reach out for his help, like he hadn’t when he had his situation with his parents. Eventually, we forgave each other and promised to tell one another everything from then on. Of course, it didn’t last long when I refused to tell him every detail of Dallas’s body and how he pleased me in bed.
“Will it help that I’ve asked Dallas to take you with him to see the houses I’m thinking of buying?”
“Hmm. Okay. Actually, oh my God, yes! A full day of torturing… I mean getting to know my bestie’s man is perfect.”
“Go easy on him, please. I do want you two to get along enough you won’t get banned when he’s around.”
“Fine,” he sighed, and knowing Julian, he would have said it with an eye-roll.
“I also need to ask a favour.”
“What’s that, my icing to my cake?”
“Dallas’s birthday is coming up, and he won’t tell me what date. I don’t even know how old he is or what to get him.”
“You don’t know how old he is? The man you’re dating?”
“Shut up, we’re still getting to know one another.”
“Maybe I should be the one dating him, at least I know how old he’s turning…. Kidding, poppet. You’re man enough for me.” I burst out laughing. Mattie must have caught him talking shit once again. “Anyway. He’s turning the big four-o.”
“Forty?” I breathed.
“Yes.”
“Butternut, it’s only nine years difference between the two of you. Don’t stress.”
“Oh, no. I won’t. I was just surprised. He looks good for his age.”
“That he does. Not as good as my Mattie though, love you, poppet.” I heard him blow a kiss to his man.
“Julian?”
“Yes? Oh, I have to go. My man just gave me ‘the look.’”
“Julian!” I snapped.
“What? I love you, I do, but I’m not missing out on any action for you.”
“Jesus.” I sighed. “Can you please just find out when his birthday is and an idea of what to get him?”
“Of course, and I already know what you can get him.”
“What?” I asked.
“You.”