Blackout (32 page)

“Why am I still paying for something I didn’t do?” Dare asks.

Miles turns his attention to him. “What do you mean?”

“I’m a registered sex offender.”

“You were as a minor, but those records in this state are sealed. That conviction doesn’t transfer to an adult, and I checked the adult registered offenders. You’re not there.”

“But I was…” Dare blinks, his teeth tugging on his lower lip. His whole life is screwed up based on the belief he could never be licensed or get a decent job with his criminal record. Poor Dare.

“Who told you that?” I ask. This explains how he purchased a handgun.

His body emanates warmth and safety, and the cold air conditioning tempts me to crawl onto his lap.

“I don’t remember exactly. Either the lawyer or maybe the cops. I was eleven, but I knew what it meant because the details scared me.” Dare strokes his temples. “I have to finish my senior year of high school, so I can enroll in the community college.”

That must be hard for Dare. School was important to him before our lives were turned inside out.

He reaches behind my back, pressing his thumb into the knobby parts of my spine. Fondness for me spreads in his eyes, thanking me.

Dare has a tough road ahead of him, but he has a shot now to attend vet school. What he’s always wanted since he was a little boy, and from his care of Shiloh, what he still wants.

“A lawyer needs to review the case and the evidence,” Miles adds.

“The blood is being retested against Teal’s mother,” Dare says. “Teal pulled off hair from an old brush of hers.”

“We need to protect Teal.” Miles wiggles his lips, which makes his newly grown mustache jiggle. “I don’t know how to do that. You’ve called the police.”

I glance at the court records. “Let me read the rest of these, but once Dare has the results from the DNA test, my dad can reopen the investigation.” This may be hard to solve because the rest of the evidence is probably long gone. We’ll need my memories, which may be completely gone.

“Your dad being home will help,” Miles says, leading us out. “Make sure he has a copy.”

As Dare directs me to his truck, he rests his hand on the small of my back. He opens the truck door for me. His eyes squint in the sun. “Are you sure there were two men?” Concern edges his words.

“Yes. You think the masked woman was my mama?” It they were masked, how will I know who they are?

Two men, not one. Terror seizes my throat. Graham’s probably dead, and I’m next. No one believed Dare back then, so why would they now? Is my stalker attacking Dare because I remind him of Mama and he’s jealous? Is that why Graham is gone?

“I know you don’t want to hear that, but that’s what I think.” Dare walks around to the other side to get into the truck.

“How’s Shiloh?” Why did the stalker hurt the dog? The cruelty of his actions roil in my stomach.

Dare pulls out of the parking lot. “He’s doing fine. Randy picked him up and took him to dad’s house.”

“What about your Shelby?” It was worth over a hundred grand, and now it’s destroyed. All I do is wreck his life.

He exhales. “It’ll cost me to repair the damage.”

“What about insurance?”

“I couldn’t afford full coverage on it. I’ll work on it as soon as I talk to my high school teachers and beg their forgiveness to let me graduate.”

“I’m sorry.” When my hand grips his thigh, his breath quickens, and his desire swells in his pants.

He grins, his rough hand grasping mine. “I’m driving, Teal.”

He stops at my house and kisses me, causing the butterflies in my stomach to flutter. “You should probably stay home tonight with your dad and talk to him.”

“I thought we were going to see your friends tonight. We may find someone who saw Graham the other night. Are you still going?”

“Probably. Your dad’s already angry. It’ll just upset him more. I’ll talk to Lisa and Graham’s friends.”

If he’s talking to her, I want to be there. “How about I meet you there?”

“No. I’ll pick you up. You shouldn’t be alone.”

I don’t like the fact he would go without me. He leans over to let me out.

Daddy watches us through the window. The twist in his brow and lips shows his disapproval.

Dare nods at the window. “I should probably not see you in.”

I don’t want him on the beach at night alone either. “See you at eight?”

“Seven, so we can eat first.”

Daddy steps onto the wide front porch. He lights into me the moment I climb onto it. “You cannot see him.”

I plod past him and into the house. “I turned eighteen. I’ll see who I want.”

His lower lip trembles. It’s not just anger curdling his lips but worry. “Not if you want to live in this house.”

“You’re kicking me out?” I don’t know where I’d go. Maybe Kami’s in the short term. College hangs on my tongue.

Lulu hobbles into the great room. “I won’t let you do that. I have my own money, and if you kick out Teal, we’ll move into a house, and I’ll help her with college.”

“I don’t want you to see him.” Resignation creeps into his voice.

“I’m sorry. You should talk to my new therapist Miles. He believes Dare is innocent too. When the evidence is reexamined, you and I can reopen the case.”

“What is the point in doing that? There won’t be enough evidence to convict anyone else.”

It’s the same point muddling my thoughts. Tears prick my eyes, but I brush them away. “If nothing else, then to clear Dare’s name.”

Daddy grasps my arm a bit too roughly. “That boy is not good enough for you. He’ll always be some grease monkey.”

I shake him off, seeing regret simmer in his eyes. “You don’t get a say in that. You ran off Mama. I won’t let you chase Dare away. What did you do to her that she left me?”

His face crumbles. “You have no idea what she did to us.”

I plant my feet. “Then educate me.”

Muttering under his breath, Daddy closes his eyes. His face blanches. “She was cheating on me.”

I stop. The two men,
The Story of O
. Was she that twisted? “Are you sure? What does that have to do with me?” Spouses cheat all the time. She could’ve still seen me, been a mother to me.

“Lynn wasn’t always very nice to you.” Dad’s words are almost inaudible, but shame is written all over his face.

The memories are resurfacing. Me playing dress up. Her swinging me around, but I don’t recall her ever hitting me.

“Don’t listen to him.” Lulu shakes a finger at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. “Lynn was a good mother.”

Anger animates Daddy’s face. “She may have been your daughter, but she was never the person you’re describing.”

I have to get out of here. What Daddy just said is motive for murder. When I rush to the kitchen, my phone rings, so I pick up. It’s Graham’s mom.

“The police haven’t found him. You’ve had no word?” Weeping strains her voice.

This is my fault. If we hadn’t dated. “No.” If I would’ve gone with Dare that night.

She sobs into the phone. “He’ll come home soon. He has to.”

Guilt nicks my skin. I don’t think he will ever come home again. Whatever happened in the swamp ten years ago has probably gotten him too. My memories are not returning fast enough.

Unfortunately Daddy blocks the front door before I can scoot outside of the house that night. Dare is waiting in the truck for me.

Daddy scowls. “He doesn’t even have the decency to come to the door for you.”

“I told him not to come to the door. I’m going. You need to come clean as to what happened to Mama.” I can’t tell if it’s guilt or anger narrowing his eyes.

I don’t wait for an answer because I don’t know if I want to hear it. I run down the steps toward the truck and Dare and to safety.

He gets out of the truck to open the door for me. “Wow. You look like we won’t make it to the beach.”

I glance over my shoulder before I consider twirling for him. Daddy stands on the porch, his arms folded across his chest. His mouth drops when he realizes Mama’s clothes adorn my body.

“You shouldn’t wear her things,” he calls.

“Someone should. She won’t wear them again.”

I slip into the truck in one of her skirts and a short bright yellow tank sans bra that shows a hint of belly. It took all my willpower not to wear a light sweater to cover my breasts and a lot of encouragement from Kami.

When Dare slides into the truck, he takes a moment to cast his gaze appraisingly over my body. I’d like to think my face hasn’t turned several shades of red, but the heat searing my lips and beads of perspiration popping onto my upper lip tell me differently. I lick my lips, and Dare blows out a breath.

“Shit, Teal. You can’t do this to me. Maybe you should drive.” He leans over me and whispers in my ear, his breathe practically licking my neck. “If you keep doing that, I’ll take you right here and now.”

“Daddy is still watching us.” Anxiety bursts free in my voice.

“I don’t care. You’re killing me, Teal.” Dare puts the truck in gear and drives up the beach to where a bonfire blazes.

Everyone should be here, except Graham. The search party organized to find him turned up nothing. I scoot closer to Dare and lean my head against his shoulder. Tears tumble down my cheeks.

“I wish Graham would turn up,” I say between ragged breaths.

Helping me out of the truck, Dare clears his throat. “It’s doubtful that he will, but I’m glad it isn’t you missing.”

In front of the bonfire, Kami dances with Ryan so close they need a “Do not disturb” sign. She waves at me and draws him close against her pelvis. Her hands are locked around his neck.

Several girls eye Dare. His shorts hang low on his narrow hips, and his V-neck tee defines the strength in his shoulders and chest and the tats spiraling his forearms.

Sunny Jarvis, Lisa Skittleharp’s closest friend, slings her arm around Dare’s neck while her free hand grips a bottle of Jack. From her dull eyes, she’s been drinking for a while. Lisa sits in a lawn chair along with her friends. Her chin quivers. Her eyes are rimmed red, like she’s dying. I don’t know what could possibly be wrong in her perfect life. Dare notices while he unleashes himself from Sunny.

“I need a beer,” he growls into my neck, “and you? I think you need some of me. Do you want a beer?”

“No thanks.”

It’s hard for me to ask about Graham when some of his friends had hurt me, but I do. While Dare finds himself a beer, I approach a couple guys and a girl who were friendly to me at Harley’s. “Did any of you see Graham on Sunday night?”

The girl shakes her head, wiping back tears. “He wouldn’t just disappear like that. I can’t understand how anyone could’ve taken him.”

“Me either,” Graham’s other friend says. “He had a black belt in Jiu Jitsu.”

“Thanks.” I trudge back to Dare. He’s talking to men his age. I don’t really know them.

Dare’s hand presses against my belly, and his fingers dip below my skirt. I don’t know why he unsteadies me. As usual, he has to hold me up.

“Steady there,” Dare’s hand travels along my neck, trailed by tender kisses.

My hand slips under his shirt and along the edge of his shorts. He pulls me close to him.

“I love the way you mold to me,” he whispers, his breath firing shivers into my breasts, so that my nipples tighten. Pressing his solid chest into mine, he smiles at them. “I love that you’re not wearing a bra, and your breasts are hungry for me. Let’s go back to my house.”

I’d like to let go, but with Graham missing and our lives at risk, how can I? “Daddy wouldn’t like that.”

Dare sucks on my neck then my lips. “We won’t tell him.”

The problem is I feel so safe with him I’d fall asleep and not wake until morning. When his hand grazes my cheek, I lean into his touch.

Leading Ryan by the hand, Kami joins us. “You two need a bucket of ice. Any word on Graham?”

“No.” I choke on the simple word.

“Come on.” Ryan tugs on Kami. “Let’s take a walk.”

“That’s not what he has in mind.” Kami laughs. “I will see you two later. Maybe.”

Ryan tucks his hand in the back pocket of her cutoffs and leads her into the darkness of the beach.

I shudder and call out, “Be careful.”

“I like that you don’t need anything to be ready for me. That you need just me.” Dare’s hand slips over the hill of my ass and stays there. “Come on.”

Sunny’s eyes never leave Dare’s body, her gaze lingering on him. It doesn’t surprise me.

Dare steers me down toward the water. The waves crash and froth onto the beach. The salty air curls my hair around my face and blows into my mouth. His finger pushes the strands of hair out of my mouth while his finger dips into my tongue. I suck on it slowly.

He lets out a slow breath. “We’d be safer at the cabin.”

He’s right. The bonfire bathes us in a warm light, and his groupies watch over us, but at his cabin, we could be alone. The sex, the closeness, and intimacy drive me forward and keep me on target of regaining my memories. I don’t know if I could’ve done this without him.

Dare sets his beer into the sand, plops down, and pulls me onto his lap. “You have no idea how amazingly hot you look.”

His fingers dig into the back of my neck, shoving my mouth into his. The fire on his tongue stirs the cells in my mind that I thought once dead. His tongue twists in my mouth, expertly controlling my entire body. I so want him. He owns me.

He tugs on my hair, and I lose myself in the kiss. “Let’s go to my house. I don’t want to be here. I want to be inside you.”

Lightning skitters across the horizon. I have often watched storms race along the coast, and some never touch the shore, always in the distance like a faraway thought or a lost memory.

The faint sobs of someone crying grow louder and eventually drown out the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand. Dare doesn’t look up but focuses on overpowering my lips. Lisa Skittleharp distracts me as she stumbles into my line of sight and falls onto her knees and into the water, weeping like her entire family was killed in an auto accident. She’s wearing a skimpy bikini along with a scarf tied at the waist barely covering her butt floss bottom.

Dare stops. “What the fuck?” His head swivels away from me. “Give me a moment. I won’t be long.” He rolls his eyes and picks me up to let me stand. “Don’t go anywhere.”