Chapter 12

The dinner conversation flowed around the excellence of the meal, the foster-home system, and the War on Terror. They occupied the dining room in David's home. June had announced that she would prepare the meal that night in a kitchen with which she was familiar, and would cook subsequent meals in Darla's kitchen and serve them in the large dining room after more personnel occupied the compound.

Darla sat to David's left, Nora to his right. Flint sat next to Darla, and Patty sat between Nora and Maria Gonzales, who sat at the opposite end of the table from David. Little George was in a highchair between David and Darla. George's days in a highchair were about to end. Janice was helping June by serving the meal.

If the meal was designed to prove that June could cook, she made her point. The table was set to perfection with David's finest linens, china, silverware and crystal, accessories his mother had selected for him. Candles provided the light except for the chandelier, which had been dimmed to its lowest setting.

The meal started with a salad of baby greens, petite vegetables, sweet tomatoes, with a creamy tarragon dressing. This was followed by an appetizer of roasted sea scallops with cranberry beans velouté and basquaise peppers. The main entrées were small filets of beef served with a marchand de vin sauce, buttered asparagus, and Brabant potatoes sprinkled with fresh parsley. With Carol's permission, June had invaded Carol's wine cellar for the appropriate wines for each course. Cherries Jubilee topped off the meal. June, not Janice, served the flaming cherries over homemade vanilla ice cream, which brought her a round of applause from everyone at the table.

"June," David said after he tasted the cherries jubilee, "I've dined in many fine restaurants, but the meal tonight is the best I've ever had, bar none!"

"Hear, hear!" Flint shouted. "Beats the hell out of the food from any mess hall I've ever eaten in."

Flint's off-the-wall comment made everyone at the table laugh, including June and Janice, who were standing by the dining room table accepting their accolades.

Flint's going to be okay, David thought. He's already well along the emotional path that everyone must take to accept what I do.

After dinner, David pulled Flint to the side and told him about his last connection with Gordon Wilson.

"So," David said, "June called it. Her husband hired someone to kill her and snatch Patty."

"And the ploy to hold Patty for ransom is ingenious. It leads the authorities to believe that her husband had no involvement in his wife's murder or his child's kidnapping," Flint said and stared off into the distance for about five seconds. "And you're right. You're a hell of a weapon, David." He turned to his boss. "Let's put together a package about what we know and turn it over to the police — anonymously, of course."

"We will, but not just yet," David said. "Let's pull together some more pieces of the murder-and-kidnapping-for-hire puzzle first, like Pete's identity, for example. As reluctant as I am to do it, I'll spend more time in Gordon Wilson's past tonight. If he has met with the man named Pete, and I can connect with Wilson during that meeting, I'll be able to gather evidence against the hired killer, as well."

"Why are you reluctant about spending time in Wilson's past?" Flint said.

"Because he's a slimy, sick fuck," David hissed. "After I connect with him, I feel dirty, feel like I need a bath." He paused and added, "Do you have any questions about what I do that Darla didn't answer?"

"Yes, but I want to think about everything before I get into it with you." He looked around. "Where is Darla?"

"She and Nora went to her house to put George down for the night," David said. "Knowing those two, and I know them well, I suspect my wife will grill Darla about what happened between you and Darla this morning in the gym, and the details will jumpstart their libidos. In a half hour, more or less, I wouldn't be surprised if they were naked and having a sexy good time on Darla's bed." David watched Flint's expression to gauge his reaction to David's prediction.

Flint's eyes glazed over. "Jesus! That'd be a sight to see."

David laughed. "It is. Drop in on them in a while. They may or may not invite you to join them, but if they do, don't expect Nora to fuck you."

"She's your wife. I..."

"You misunderstand, Flint. If my wife decides to fuck you, she will, and with my full concurrence and acceptance. I don't own her; I just love her. The reason I told you not to harbor expectations about Nora is because she told me that she wouldn't fuck you until after my mother gave you a ride. Mom's older, not as dazzling as Nora and Darla, but I'm here to tell you, Flint, Carol Stanley Patterson has to be one of the world's greatest lovers. If my mother decides to take you into her bed, feel fortunate, because you will be very fortunate indeed."

"Jesus!" Flint huffed.

"You're record's stuck, Flint. You've gotta come up with a new word to express shock or amazement besides Jesus."

Flint laughed. "You're right."

"For what it's worth, Mom won't trip you until there's something besides lust going back and forth between you and Darla."

"Ah, hell, David, I already love her. I loved her before this morning."

"Does she know?"

Flint shrugged. "I showed her how I feel."

"I'm not telling you what to do, but... Showing your feelings is fine, but from my experience, Flint, a woman must hear the words before she truly believes a man loves her."

Flint pursed his lips and nodded. "From my experience, too. Does she love me?"

"You'll need to discuss that with her, good buddy."

Oliver Silversmith, also known as Pete Hershey, was not a hired killer. He was an agent for hired killers, and he'd just negotiated what he considered a very profitable contract, profitable for one of his contract assassins, profitable for the team he'd assign to kidnap the girl, and profitable for him. He would retain $125,000, or half the agreed upon fee. He would pay his assassin $50,000 for the June Wilson contract, and the remaining $75,000 would be paid to the team he'd select to kidnap the daughter. Expenses, his and theirs, would come out of the respective fees.

But before he disbursed the contracts and first-half payments, he had to know what he and his men would be up against. Silversmith prided himself in fitting the right man to the job, in this instance, the right man and right abduction team.

A knock sounded at his door.

"Enter," he said, and a man named Noel Perry stepped into the room.

The middle-age man didn't look like an assassin. Perry looked like an accountant or a clerk, and his appearance allowed him to function at optimum during the assignments Silversmith gave him.

"You wanted to see me, sir," Perry said.

"Yes," Silversmith said and handed Perry a piece of paper. A name and address was written on the paper in Silversmith's angry-looking script. "Check that man out. He is harboring a contract target, a woman named June Wilson. She's that man's cook. A ten-year-old girl named Patricia resides at the same address. She, too, is a target, but for abduction, not death. The girl is June Wilson's daughter."

Perry memorized the name and address and laid the paper back on Silversmith's desk.

"How much time do I have?" Perry asked.

"It's Friday. Let's say Wednesday next week," Silversmith said.

Perry nodded and left the room. Silversmith knew he'd be on the next flight to Phoenix, Arizona.

Flint hesitated. The door to Darla's bedroom suite was closed. Were Darla and Nora naked on Darla's big bed? Licking each other's pussy? The need to know, to see, overcame his hesitancy. He knocked.

"Who is it?" Darla said faintly.

He reasoned her voice sounded faint because she had spoken from her bedroom. Between the door and her bedroom was a sitting room.

"Flint," he said loudly, his voice cracking.

He heard murmuring voices. Darla wasn't alone.

"Come in," Darla said.

Flint opened the door and walked through the sitting room. The sight before him when he entered the bedroom took is breath away. Darla was propped up against pillows at the headboard, and Nora had her face between Darla's legs. Both women were naked.

"Jesus!" Flint breathed, forgetting that he had to come up with a different word to express his shock or amazement.

Darla giggled. "Sexy, huh?"

"I'll say," Flint said after he finally found his voice.

"Shuck your clothes and join us," Darla said. "You fucking Nora is verboten, but I think we can come up with other combinations and permutations that will interest you."

Moments later, Darla laughed gaily while watching Flint hopping around trying to remove a sock. When naked, Flint stood feeling a little foolish. He didn't know what to do.

Darla pushed at Nora, and Nora raised her gorgeous face from Darla's pussy. She turned her head, licked hr lips, and looked at Flint.

"Nice cock, Flint," Nora said. With a come-hither motion, she beckoned to him with an index finger.

He stepped forward until Nora could reach out and wrap her hand around his erection. With a natural turn of her wrist, she stroked him, which pulled a groan of pleasure from his mouth. His hips moved slightly and rhythmically with the stroking hand.

"Darla adores being eaten while she's being fucked. She says it's the best of both worlds," Nora said. "I agree with her. Lie in the center of the bed on your back. She'll sit on you with her back to your front, and I'll eat her." Nora chuckled. "Will you mind if my tongue slips and licks your nice cock once in a while?"

"Dumb question," Flint said as he moved onto his back on the bed.

Darla straddled him, facing away from him, and took his cock in her hand. As she raised her hips, she stroked the hard shaft, and then settled it in place. She slowly sank down around his length.

"Sexy," Nora breathed.

"I'll say," Flint croaked. He was having a hard time believing he wasn't dreaming. He laughed under his breath. Every man's dream, indeed.

"Spread your legs a little so I can get between them, Flint," Nora said.

Moments later, Flint felt a dainty hand fondling his balls as Darla started to ride him. He grabbed her hips and helped her move, and that's when he first felt Nora's busy tongue. Darla blocked his view, but from what he could see, Nora had her face between Darla's sliding hips.

"Lick me, Nora! Lick me," Darla said. "Fuck me, Flint! Fuck me."

Flint fucked and Nora licked, and Nora wasn't careful about licking only Darla's cunt. Once, she blatantly lifted his testicles and wriggled her tongue on the underside of the sack. She didn't try to take one in her mouth. With the way Flint was moving, that could have proven painful.

Can I hold back my climax long enough for Darla to get off? Flint asked himself. So close! So fucking close.

"Oh, fuck!" Nora suddenly moaned.

Then Darla let out a pleasurable yelp.

"What?" Flint said, his arousal dipping a little.

"David just joined us," Darla said.

"Huh?" Flint said looking around.

"His ghost," Darla clarified. "David's ghostly fucks are amazing, Flint."

"Oh, god, he's filled my cunt to the brim with an invisible monster cock," Nora said.

"And he's sucking both of my breasts," Darla said. "Don't stop, Flint! Fuck me! Fuck me while my brother sucks my tits. Fuck me while Nora licks my cunt! Fuck me while my brother fucks Nora. Oh, fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

Flint responded with hard, quick thrusts. David's presence had taken the edge off just enough. He'd last now — maybe. Darla's cunt was amazing. So lively!

"Fuck, he's fucking me and licking my clit at the same time!" Nora exclaimed.

"Don't stop licking me!" Darla said to Nora. "Close. I'm close. I'm... Yes! Ah! Yes!"

Flint felt Darla's cunt flutter in orgasm, and with a roar, he grabbed her hips and buried his ejaculating cock as deeply as it would go.

"Coming!" Nora exclaimed. "Fuck it to me, David! Yes! Coming!"