Chapter 14: The Unexpected Discovery
Dre dropped his keys into the ceramic bowl by the door, the clatter echoing in the empty foyer. The house was too quiet. Not a peaceful quiet. The quiet of held breath, of secrets whispering behind walls. He’d left the office early, a headache brewing behind his eyes that had nothing to do with the quarterly reports. It was Zoey’s face that morning, pale and tight, a closed door. It was Bow’s practiced calm over coffee, a veneer so thin he could see the fractures.
He headed for his study, his sanctuary. He needed the ledger, the solid weight of numbers that obeyed his will. Pushing the door open, the first thing he noticed was the light. The afternoon sun, usually barred by the half-drawn blinds, was streaming in, catching motes of dust in frantic, golden swirls. Someone had opened them wide. Then he heard it—a soft, wet sound, followed by a low, feminine groan.
It came from behind his large oak desk, the one that faced the window, the view of the skyline pristine behind it. He stepped silently on the plush rug, his heartbeat a dull roar in his ears. Peering around the high-backed leather chair, he saw a shape, a tangle of limbs on the floor.
Bow’s head was thrown back, her natural curls wild against the dark wool. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted. Kneeling between her splayed thighs was Zoey, her daughter, her face buried between her mother’s legs. Zoey’s hands gripped Bow’s hips, her braids sweeping the floor as she worked with a fierce, desperate intensity. Bow’s fingers were woven into those braids, not pushing her away, but guiding her, holding her close. “Yes, baby,” Bow whispered, her voice thick, alien. “Just like that. Right there.”
A man stood over them, his back to Dre. Tall, silver-haired, impeccably dressed in a suit worth more than Dre’s monthly mortgage.Mr. Stevens. One hand rested possessively on Zoey’s head, the other was unfastening his belt. Dre saw the expensive leather slide free, the metallic clink of the buckle. His mouth went dry, a desert of disbelief.
“Such a good girl,” Stevens murmured, his voice a velvet rumble Dre knew from a hundred board meetings. “Learning from the best. Your mother’s got the sweetest cunt I’ve ever tasted. Now let’s see if you’ve learned