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Her eyes shot back up to Rae. “Hey, we have clients sign those all the time, so don’t go judging me for it.”
“This is different. Someone is missing, and this is pretty fucking important information for investigators.”
Devon shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. “They will ruin me if I tell. These are powerful people.”
“Then why tell me?” Rae felt anger simmering in her. “What the hell can I do with this information? If I tell investigators, it’s hearsay. It won’t fly.”
“I don’t know. I thought ... I just wanted you to know that someone believes you, and I’m sure the investigators will find something leading them to the party location, but it can’t be from me.”
“Where was the party, Devon?”
“Rae.”
“Where?”
Devon sighed. “The Coulter mansion.”
“Fuck.”
The Coulters were an old Oklahoma family who had owned several huge oil refineries during the first half of the twentieth century until they dipped their hands into the rapidly growing technology markets, pushing their wealth into the stratosphere. The Coulter mansion sat on the farthest outskirts of north Oklahoma City, far enough from the city lights to see more than a few stars and certainly secluded enough to avoid prying eyes.
And now, somehow, Rae needed to convince Detective Clearwater to believe a story involving one of Oklahoma’s elites that she heard from someone she couldn’t even name.
CHAPTER 19
RAE
2009
After the play party, Rae could think of nothing else. She wanted to do it all again, despite her hand throbbing with what she’d done to Farrow. Viv, however, wasn’t impressed. The first thing she said to Rae as they drove back to the condo after they left the party early made her want to shrivel up into nothing.
“What the hell was that, Rae?”
“What do you mean?”
“That wasn’t how I trained you.”
Rae glanced at her, but Viv was gripping the steering wheel hard, her eyes staring straight ahead. “But I did everything you said. I asked him what he liked, I used the paddle he wanted, and I—”
“No. You were not in control of your emotions. In fact, I don’t think you cared what Farrow wanted at all because you never once checked on him, and you ignored him using the safe word, not to mention the fact you did zero aftercare. I did. And I stopped you from doing more damage than what you’d already done. He said he didn’twant bruising, but you didn’t care. You were in your own little world, hitting him without intention.”
Action without intention is like slapping clay around, making a mess of it.Viv’s words coming back to her, her face burning with shame.
“Viv . . . I’m sorry.”
“Really, I’m upset with myself. You weren’t ready, and I should’ve seen that. It’s just I’ve never seen you look that ...” She paused. “Scary.”
Rae kept watching Viv as she drove, hoping she’d look at her and show her some sign of forgiveness.
“Sometimes I forget,” Viv said, almost in a whisper.
“Forget what?”
Viv finally looked at her, the yellow streetlights creating a shadow mosaic across her face. “How dangerous wounded animals can be.”
After Rae’s shift at Subway was over the following Monday, the overused muscles in her hand were still sore but improving. Her spirits, on the other hand, were in a nosedive. There was too much awkwardness with Viv now, and she didn’t know what to say or do to make it better. She knew she’d disappointed Viv, but she now realized she’d also made her friend look bad in front of a submissive and anyone else who might’ve watched the play session, which could’ve been many people since the small room had windows for easy viewing.
Viv wasn’t home yet when she entered the condo, so Rae decided to make her friend’s favorite dinner: pan-seared honey-soy salmon with steamed rice and salad, one of the many meals Viv had taught her how to prepare. She knew it was a weak peace offering, but it was something she knew how to do.
