even imagine myself with another woman right now.”
“Don’t do this to me. I told you that I would not get into a relationship that has the potential to destroy me. I am already on the brink of that precipice. I have to go while I still can. I am sorry, Condor.” Sam pushed the door open, racing from the car and into the waiting plane.
He shut the door, firmly believing in the old wives’ tale that if you watch someone until they are out of sight you would never see them again.
Chapter 7
Sam called Seal at the end of the flight, and he was there to pick her up. She took him home, using him to sate her anger and fear with sex. Seal was ravenous for her, but on Monday morning when she asked him to leave, he did so without protest.
She drove herself at work, taking case after case and following every lead to exhaustion. Caroline watched her, but whenever she mentioned Brian, Sam seemed to turn to stone.
A month had passed since Sam’s return and Caroline’s hopes that the old Sam would return were slowly fading. She was extremely worried about her friend. “Sam, I’m leaving a little early, do you mind?”
“No.”
“Are you going to tell me what happened? Did he turn on you or something?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Have a good night.”
Caroline headed out to her car and drove directly to X-Dare. She marched inside. “I need to speak with the manager.”
“May I ask what the problem is?”
“No, it’s personal. I need to talk to him right away.”
“I’ll get him for you,” the young man said, picking up the phone.
A few moments later, a man appeared. “My name is Peter Race. Can I help you?”
“Can I speak with you in private?”
“I suppose,” he said, gesturing to a small side door. “This is the room we use for filling out resumes. We can talk in here.”
Caroline stepped inside, waiting until he shut the door. “I need to get in touch with a man from Florida named Brian. He runs or owns an X-Dare. I tried to get the number from information, but there is no listing.”
“The club numbers are private. Why do you need to speak with Brian?”
“Shit. A friend of mine met him, and she won’t call him. I need to let him know how miserable she is without him.”
“I presume you are here because I should I know this woman?”
Caroline hesitated. “She is going to kill me if she finds out about this. Samantha Bell.”
“Dragon Fire,” he said with a thoughtful sigh. “She has been a little off for the last month. Do you know what happened between them?”
“No, she won’t talk to me. We have been friends since elementary school, and I’ve never seen her like this. Ever since she got back from Florida, she’s been acting dead. She obsesses over her work, and if I call her house on the weekends, she doesn’t answer the phone. I’m really worried about her.”
“Well, I can’t give you Brian’s number. It’s private and unlisted. I can, however, call him and give him your message. Sam is strong, and she will snap out of it, even if he doesn’t call her. She has men pining for her, and they jump when she walks in. She will be fine.”
“I don’t think so,” said Caroline. “Please call him.”
* * * *
Sam disappeared on the following Friday night. She snuck out, only telling Linda that she was leaving, before she headed for the club. Under her stark business suit, she wore cutoff leggings and a tight cropped shirt. She changed in the car, slipping her cape overtop before walking into X-Dare. Seal saw her coming, and took a step back. Sam had become ever more hostile and he was getting slightly sick of her. She passed him by, walking directly into the leads lounge. Scarab was waiting. “Go strip and park yourself. I expect to see your hands shackled and your face bagged when I come in. I want to finish my drink.”
“What gives you the right to call and demand I come to you?”
“I felt like it. You came, didn’t you? Obviously you
“Don’t do this to me. I told you that I would not get into a relationship that has the potential to destroy me. I am already on the brink of that precipice. I have to go while I still can. I am sorry, Condor.” Sam pushed the door open, racing from the car and into the waiting plane.
He shut the door, firmly believing in the old wives’ tale that if you watch someone until they are out of sight you would never see them again.
Chapter 7
Sam called Seal at the end of the flight, and he was there to pick her up. She took him home, using him to sate her anger and fear with sex. Seal was ravenous for her, but on Monday morning when she asked him to leave, he did so without protest.
She drove herself at work, taking case after case and following every lead to exhaustion. Caroline watched her, but whenever she mentioned Brian, Sam seemed to turn to stone.
A month had passed since Sam’s return and Caroline’s hopes that the old Sam would return were slowly fading. She was extremely worried about her friend. “Sam, I’m leaving a little early, do you mind?”
“No.”
“Are you going to tell me what happened? Did he turn on you or something?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Have a good night.”
Caroline headed out to her car and drove directly to X-Dare. She marched inside. “I need to speak with the manager.”
“May I ask what the problem is?”
“No, it’s personal. I need to talk to him right away.”
“I’ll get him for you,” the young man said, picking up the phone.
A few moments later, a man appeared. “My name is Peter Race. Can I help you?”
“Can I speak with you in private?”
“I suppose,” he said, gesturing to a small side door. “This is the room we use for filling out resumes. We can talk in here.”
Caroline stepped inside, waiting until he shut the door. “I need to get in touch with a man from Florida named Brian. He runs or owns an X-Dare. I tried to get the number from information, but there is no listing.”
“The club numbers are private. Why do you need to speak with Brian?”
“Shit. A friend of mine met him, and she won’t call him. I need to let him know how miserable she is without him.”
“I presume you are here because I should I know this woman?”
Caroline hesitated. “She is going to kill me if she finds out about this. Samantha Bell.”
“Dragon Fire,” he said with a thoughtful sigh. “She has been a little off for the last month. Do you know what happened between them?”
“No, she won’t talk to me. We have been friends since elementary school, and I’ve never seen her like this. Ever since she got back from Florida, she’s been acting dead. She obsesses over her work, and if I call her house on the weekends, she doesn’t answer the phone. I’m really worried about her.”
“Well, I can’t give you Brian’s number. It’s private and unlisted. I can, however, call him and give him your message. Sam is strong, and she will snap out of it, even if he doesn’t call her. She has men pining for her, and they jump when she walks in. She will be fine.”
“I don’t think so,” said Caroline. “Please call him.”
* * * *
Sam disappeared on the following Friday night. She snuck out, only telling Linda that she was leaving, before she headed for the club. Under her stark business suit, she wore cutoff leggings and a tight cropped shirt. She changed in the car, slipping her cape overtop before walking into X-Dare. Seal saw her coming, and took a step back. Sam had become ever more hostile and he was getting slightly sick of her. She passed him by, walking directly into the leads lounge. Scarab was waiting. “Go strip and park yourself. I expect to see your hands shackled and your face bagged when I come in. I want to finish my drink.”
“What gives you the right to call and demand I come to you?”
“I felt like it. You came, didn’t you? Obviously you
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