Chapter 9

As soon as Carrie logged off the Internet the phone rang.

"Carrie, it's Tom. You've been on the Internet again, haven't you?"

"Yes, sorry."

"I have the insurance company agreements for you to sign, and I can give you your check."

"Great, I can leave now. What's the address?"

He gave her directions, and she hung up. At the bottom of the stairs, she hollered at Darrin, who appeared hard at work. "Tom has my check, bro. I'll pick it up, make a deposit at the bank, and then I'm going to shop for a new dress for the show. Do you need anything?"

"No. Have fun."

Twenty minutes later, Carrie sat impatiently in the waiting area of the law firm where Tom worked.

Inside his office, Tom sat and debated whether to start his campaign to seduce Carrie now or wait until Friday evening. He didn't want to use Darrin and Carrie's incestuous relationship to achieve his purpose, but if he needed to play that card he would. He couldn't stop the images that frequently invaded his mind, images of Carrie moving sensuously to the beat of the music, images of Carrie's legs wrapped around her brother's hips while he fucked her, and the image he relived most often, the image of her expression when she climaxed. Watching her climax had excited him so much he had climaxed, as well, came in his pants like a teenager without even touching himself. Tom Wilson never wanted a woman as much as he wanted Carrie Cannon.

"Whatever it takes," he muttered. "If she'll fuck her brother, for Christ's sake, she'll fuck me. She should be easy." He reached for the phone and dialed the receptionist. "Please bring Ms. Cannon back to my office," he said.

I won't be able to stand and greet her, he thought, not with this hard-on. He picked up the phone and was talking to the dial tone when Carrie entered his office. Waving her to a seat in front of his desk, he pretended to close out his telephone conversation.

"Carrie, you look lovely today."

"Thanks, Tom."

He picked up an envelope and waved it in the air. With a big smile, he said, "This is your check. $28,500!" He pushed the envelope to the front of his desk and watched as Carrie bent forward to retrieve it. She wasn't wearing a bra, he realized as his eyes fixed on the top part of her breasts.

Damn, he's undressing me with his eyes, Carrie thought when she noted his gaze. She didn't like his lustful expression, either, and decided it might have been a bad idea to ask him to be her escort for the art show.

"You mentioned some papers I needed to sign," she said.

"Yes." He smiled and licked his lips. "Sorry. You're quite a distraction, you know." He hunted around on his desk and found the file. Opening it, he laid out the agreements she needed to sign. "Why don't you come around to this side of the desk, and I'll show you where you need to sign each document."

"Shouldn't I read them first?"

Another smile. "That's my job as your lawyer. They're fine. The insurance company dotted every 'I' and crossed every 'T', but the documents represent the final settlement we discussed."

Carrie shrugged, stood and walked around his desk. He handed her a pen and pointed to the first document. She bent forward and signed her name.

"Date it, too," he instructed, his eyes now fixed on her backside as she bent over to scribble the date. Carrie could feel his eyes on her, and she didn't like it.

A minute later, she signed and dated the last document. That's when she felt his hand on the inside of her leg just above the knee.

"Your legs are phenomenal, Carrie. So smooth, so shapely."

As she started to step to the side to get away from his intrusive hand, he squeezed her thigh and pulled her toward him.

"Get your filthy hands off me, Tom!" She pushed at his hand and with a jump pulled away from him and hurried to the other side of the desk. Angry, she picked up the check and placed it in her purse.

"Forget the art show. I've decided I don't like you very much." She turned and started to leave the room.

"You let Darrin put his hands all over you, though, don't you?"

Shocked, she stopped and turned to him. Swallowing, she reminded herself to deny, deny, deny. "You have a filthy mind. Darrin is my brother. He's never touched me inappropriately."

"He not only touches you, he fucks you!" Tom stated forcefully. "I saw the two of you last Friday, even watched him fuck you in the front seat of his car a parking lot."

Deny, deny, deny. "Liar! You're sick, Tom. You need therapy, not me." She turned to leave the room again, but he jumped up and pushed the door closed before she could escape.

"Sit down, slut! I wasn't the only one to see you. I have a witness. If you want to keep your secret a secret you'll do as I say."

"Like hell I will!"

Witness or not, exposure or not, she'd never let him touch her again. She raked her nails across his face, and then threw her knee at his crotch as hard as she could. He screamed, grabbed his scratched face and doubled up in pain at the same time. As she tried to move around him to open the door, he reached for her, clasping her blouse. She jerked away from him, and her blouse ripped.

Wanting nothing but to get away from Tom, her hand found the doorknob, but he pulled at her, ripping her blouse further. "Let go of me!" she screamed as loud as she could. Turning the knob, the door opened a little. "Help!" she screamed through the partially opened door before he slammed it shut again.

"Bitch!" he shouted and backhanded her, striking her injured cheek.

She spun from the blow and nearly fell. Kicking out at him, the toe of her shoe connected with his shinbone. He winced but closed his fist and reared back to slug her just as the door flew open.

"What the hell is going on in here?" a man asked.

"He hit me and tore off my blouse," Carrie stated as she tried to arrange the tattered shreds of her shirt to cover her exposed breasts.

A woman stood behind the man at the door, and then another man appeared. Tears stung Carrie's eyes. The men and woman were staring at her. She pushed past them, and as she rushed down the hall, more doors opened, more men and woman could see her nakedness. She felt mortified. What could she do? She couldn't leave the building and go out to her car, not with her breasts exposed. In the elevator lobby, she noticed a ladies room and hurried inside.

Seconds after she entered the restroom, the door opened. Carrie spun toward the intruder, unaccountably thinking it would be Tom, but it was a woman, a woman with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Are you all right?" the woman asked.

"No, I'm not all right. The son of a bitch hit me and tore my blouse. What will I do? I can't leave here like this?"

"Do you want to call the police?"

"No! I just want to leave."

"I'll find something for you to wear. I'll be right back."

"Please get my purse from his room. I dropped it when he attacked me."

A few minutes later, the woman reentered the restroom. She carried Carrie's purse, some papers and a man's white shirt.

"Will this do?" she asked holding out the shirt.

Carrie nodded and took the shirt. Looking into the purse, she noted the check was still inside. After removing the remains of her blouse, she pulled on the man's shirt. It was much too large for her, but at least it covered her naked chest.

"Thank you," Carrie said. "What is your name?"

"Marilyn. Marilyn Short. What's yours?"

"Carrie Cannon. Tom Wilson was my attorney. I received a fairly large settlement today. I guess he thought I should have been more appreciative than I was."

"He's a pig. This is your copy of the settlement," Marilyn stated and handed Carrie the documents. "Are you sure you don't want to call the police?"

"No police," Carrie said as she stuffed the documents in her purse. "I just want this to end. Does Tom have a boss?"

"Yeah, me, but had a boss would more accurate. I just fired him."

"Good! Marilyn, part of my settlement included some funds escrowed for medical expenses. May I deal with you regarding those funds?"

"Of course." She reached into her pocket and handed Carrie her card. "You can probably sue my firm and win."

"I don't want to sue anyone, Marilyn. I would not have sued the Seven Eleven except I needed the money for plastic surgery because of this scar." She touched the side of her face and winced. "Damn! I'm bruised again." She walked to the mirror. Not too bad, she decided, not like being pistol-whipped. She wasn't bleeding, but wondered if she'd have another black eye. That's all she'd need - another black eye when her parents arrived in a couple of days. Damn!

"I'm familiar with your case. You deserved every penny you received and more. If you'll sign a release absolving the firm from any responsibility for this matter this afternoon, I'll..."

"Marilyn, I made a deal with your firm. The deal was fair then, and it's fair now. I don't want your money, and I don't want to sue." But I do need to give her an incentive to help me, Carrie reasoned. She added, "I also won't sign a release. Put a leash on your boy and muzzle him. If I don't see him or hear his voice for a year, I'll sign your release. Otherwise, I'll sue the hell out of him and you. I'll have the shirt laundered and will return it to you by courier."

Thoroughly pissed, Carrie pushed by Marilyn, opened the restroom door, stomped to the elevator lobby and jabbed the down button. When the elevator didn't arrive immediately, she remembered she was only on the third floor, so she moved into the stairwell and hurried down the stairs.

Her anger dissipated with each clack of her high heels on the metal treads of the stairs. By the time she stepped from the stairwell into the main lobby of the building, she was more worried than angry. Would Tom follow up on his threat? She didn't know him well enough to predict. Darrin knew the man, called him a friend. Perhaps her brother could foretell what Tom would do. She dreaded telling Darrin what had happened, but he needed to know, and needed to know now. She hoped Darrin wouldn't go off half-cocked and do something stupid like attacking Tom. More violence wasn't the answer. She and Darrin needed to put their heads together to minimize the fallout.

"He hit you?" Darrin said. Anger glinted in his eyes and his face became flushed.

"Yeah, but only after I made his face bloody with my fingernails and kneed him in his nuts. And after he hit me, I kicked him. I got more licks in than he did, Darrin."

"Good for you. I'd have beaten the son of a bitch to a bloody pulp!"

Carrie finished telling her brother the details of her conversation with Tom's boss and asked, "What do you think? Did I give her enough incentive to make sure Tom leaves us alone and keeps his mouth shut?"

Darrin pursed his lips. "I don't know, sis." He reached and brushed the pads of his fingers over her cheek. "How badly did he hurt you?"

"Just a bruise. I hope I don't get another black eye. Dad would have a conniption."

Darrin chuckled. "Yeah."

"And I don't have a date for the show now. Maybe Barbara or Phil knows someone who would like to be my escort."

"One of Phil's gay friends would make me happy," Darrin said with a grin.

"Sure. While you're out with classy, beautiful Barbara. Damn it! I won't be able to help it, Darrin. When I see you with her, I'll get jealous. I know I will."

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Gazing down at her, he said, "No need for jealousy, sis. I don't want Barbara. I want you, only you. Got it?"

Carrie smiled. "Got it." She gave him a quick kiss.

"Did you do the banking?"

"No, I forgot. Actually, I came right home to tell you what happened. I'll do the banking now and go shopping for the dress. Although, I can probably wear the dress I wore Friday night."

"Get a new dress. You deserve it. Go take off that silly shirt, and I'll go with you to the bank. I need some art supplies. I'll drop you off at the mall so you can shop and meet you after I purchase the art supplies. Maybe we can take in a movie or something while we're out."

"Be still my heart. A second date. I was starting to think I was a one-night stand."

"Get, woman!"

She laughed while climbing the stairs. At the landing, she turned and said, "I love you, bro - a lot."

"Yeah, and I love you, too."

When she turned and moved out of sight, Darrin went to a cabinet, unlocked a drawer and pulled out a revolver. He took it to the car and slid it under the front seat. He was washing his hands in the industrial sink in the studio when Carrie came bounding down the stairs.

"Let's go, bro."

"Be right with you." He dried off his hands. Carrie's ploy wouldn't work. Tom was a mean son of a bitch. He'd want to get even. Darrin had decided to give him a little more incentive to keep his mouth shut.

They used the drive-up facility at the bank to deposit Carrie's check, and Darrin dropped her off at the mall, stipulating when and where he would meet her and giving her ample time to shop. A half-hour later he stopped the car at the curb in front of Tom's house. He'd been to the house a couple of times for parties and knew its floor plan. Pulling his shirt from his pants, he stuffed the gun under his belt at the small of his back and let the shirt fall over it. Stepping from the car, he walked up the front walk and rang the doorbell.

"Who is it?" Tom asked from behind the door.

"Darrin Cannon. We need to talk, Tom."

"Fuck you! That bitch of a sister of yours got me fired."

"You got yourself fired, Tom. Let me in. We need to talk."

"No way! You probably just want to beat the crap out of me."

"I promise I won't hit you, Tom. I'd advise you to talk to me. If you don't, Carrie will swear out a complaint against you. You assaulted her, and she has at least a dozen witnesses. If you don't want to spend the night in jail, I'd advise you to let me in so we can talk about everything."

The door opened a crack, stopped by a security chain.

"Go ahead and talk."

Darrin noticed Tom's face was bandaged. Carrie had done a pretty good job on him. "Uh-uh, not out here. Let me in. I don't want the neighbors hearing what I have to say. I promise you I will not hit you, Tom."

"Just a minute." He returned in a few seconds and slipped the chain off the door. Stepping back, he said, "Come in, but I warn you I have a gun in my hand, and I know how to use it."

Darrin walked inside, holding his hands out, showing Tom he held nothing in his hands. He wanted Tom to feel safe. "Fix me a drink, Tom. Scotch will be fine. Over ice." He strode by Tom, moved into the den and plunked down on a barstool.

Tom followed him, looking confused.

"Carrie tells me you watched us in the parking lot of the club Friday night."

"That's right, and someone was with me. I have a witness, so it's not just my word against yours."

"What do you plan to do about Carrie and me, Tom? Fix me that drink. Scotch on ice, in case you didn't hear me the first time."

"I haven't decided yet. Incest is against the law, even in the State of Nevada. I could turn you in, or..."