Chapter Twenty-Four
The house was coming along nicely, and it wouldn’t be long before they would be moving in. The basement was another story. Ciaran continued his private meetings with Parker. Cheyenne was worried that Kelli would find out. Quinn did his best to alleviate her fears.
“I know she’s your sister and you don’t worry that she will find out but it terrifies me.”
Quinn took extra safeguards in discussing things. “I understand but she’s family and we accept each other because of it. I do hate that I don’t have a place to talk about these things without fear of discovery. We need our own club so this wouldn’t be necessary.”
“Yeah, but having one that no one else knows about is unlikely.”
Quinn was moody, and Cheyenne felt some of the tension he had.
It had been months since they’d been able to scene with real equipment and while they did a good job of playing at home, it just wasn’t the same.
And it was lonely. They both missed the camaraderie of other couples who enjoyed the same play and lifestyle as they did.
A few short years ago, she would have been running in the opposite direction.
Now she yearned for the connection that the club and its members brought with it.
Quinn’s profession demanded discretion. In a larger community, it would have been easier to do, but in Elk Ridge, you literally knew when kittens were born. Keeping a kinky lifestyle secret would last about two seconds. So, they returned to creating their own space.
Quinn had made sure the stairway on that side of the basement was twice as wide as the other side, which was a normal width, and thankfully, neither Andrew nor Shane had commented on it.
The St. Andrew’s Cross would be a tight fit, but it would fit if assembled in the basement.
The angle due to the size required would make it a little difficult, and the fact that it was heavy would be a factor in moving it.
They knew a few men whom they could hire, and Parker would make sure it was camouflaged well before moving.
The second piece that would be added immediately was the adjustable spanking bench.
Quinn had been discussing the furniture with Josh, Ace, and Carter the other day and all three decided to bring the women and take a ride up to visit him and Cheyenne, see the house, the basement plan and just to spend some time together.
Quinn and Cheyenne would move in soon, and after that, the visitors would arrive.
“I think I’ll ask Richard and Ashley if they would like to come up too, although some will have to stay in the cabins. We don’t have beds in the other rooms yet.”
“Sounds good, just remember that we are entertaining clubbers so don’t mention it to your sisters-in-law. Well, they will know but don’t divulge anything else. I will remind the guys that that part of our lives is not for public knowledge, just like in Sheridan.”
“Right, I remember. I’m so excited. I miss them all and the club, a lot,” Cheyenne sighed.
Finally, the big day had arrived, and there were plenty of hands to help.
Cheyenne was so excited to move into her new home.
They easily rented the house in town to a deputy’s family, and a new lead on a large account that she needed to complete her business fell into her lap. Life was coming together nicely.
She had the O’Connor accounts and the safe house that Jocelyn ran, but if she could get this one last account, there would not be any need to have another.
This was another large ranch with several other businesses under its umbrella, like O’Connor Enterprises.
That would be something she would work on after her house was put to rights.
For this week, they were moving, cleaning, arranging, and settling in.
Cheyenne waited for the final inspection that the men said she should walk through with them, and then the final paper was filed for full occupancy.
She had been packing all weekend, grumpy and not very receptive when Quinn wanted to have some afternoon play.
He kissed her and pinched her bottom before letting her get back to her packing, which did make her giggle.
Since they hadn’t unpacked fully in the rental because of the expectation of this second move, it was less intense than the last. They also had furniture delivered from Missoula and from Bozeman for the new place and left some of Cheyenne’s older furniture in the house in town to be rented as partially furnished.
Both Cheyenne and Quinn had been working long, hard hours after their regular workday.
They were happy but tired. Such was the case on the day that the spanking bench and St. Andrew’s Cross were delivered.
“Quinn, don’t worry about that stuff tonight, please. You’re tired and it can sit in the living room until our help arrives tomorrow.”
Quinn’s weariness was obvious, but he needed to clear it out of the front room in case family showed up unexpectedly.
“Let me move the St. Andrew’s because it’s just two wood pieces unassembled.
It wouldn’t be so hard. I’m glad that Parker thought of assembling it downstairs instead of taking it down in one piece.
The bench, however, isn’t as difficult to distinguish if you have even a little imagination. ”
“Please, don’t do it.” Quinn didn’t slow down.
“Here, then let me help you.” Cheyenne reached to grab one end of the box and grunted with the weight of it.
“This thing is heavy. Let’s leave it until the morning when we have help.
Maybe the movers who are bringing the last of the new furniture would help. ”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll wait until tomorrow. Why don’t you go upstairs and get into the shower? I’ll throw a blanket over it, lock up and come join you.” His suggestion was clear.
“Hmm, I’d like that. Don’t be too long.”
“Nope, I need to get clean and I need you.” He reached over and kissed Cheyenne deeply.
“You’re just what I want tonight.”
“I could do with a little action, tonight, myself. Don’t be long or I’ll fall asleep on you.”
Cheyenne climbed the stairs and smiled. She needed some love after this long, hard week.
The shower was hot, and she relaxed for a moment before scrubbing the layers of sweaty dirt off, and then lathered her hair.
She was hoping Quinn would have come up in time to scrub her back, but maybe he used the downstairs shower or the guest bathroom down the hall.
Taking her weary body out of the soothing spray, she completed her nighttime rituals before walking down the hall to find an empty, unused bathroom.
She continued downstairs, looking for her man.
“Quinn, where did you go? You missed a great shower, and a great water play companion.” She listened and heard nothing. “Come on Quinlan, I’m tired and if I don’t find you soon, I’ll go to bed without you.” Nothing. Irrational panic rose up from her knotted gut.
Cheyenne methodically went through rear of the house before walking through the living room on her way to the offices and sunroom.
That was when she discovered that the basement pieces were no longer in the front room.
She walked quickly to the office and saw the door to the private basement open.
A door from their bedroom to the same stairwell led down to the office door and continued on to their private playroom.
She smiled at her husband’s one-track mind that rarely missed details nor left a job unfinished.
He must have taken the items downstairs alone and walked up the stairs to the bedroom.
A fact she would chew him out for later.
She started up the staircase to the bedroom.
As she reached to close the office door, she heard a groan and looked down towards the basement.
What she saw took her breath away as panic quickly reached its cold fingers out to squeeze her heart.
There on the steps, on his back was Quinn lying with his head on the cement floor and his feet on the stairs, one of the large wooden beams on top of him.
It appeared that he had been dragging the large wooden cross half down the stairs, and he tripped, landing backward, slamming his head on the concrete.
Cheyenne screamed his name but couldn’t get down the stairs very far at first. He groaned, and she called his name, fear freezing her mind.
Quinn didn’t move but responded. “Don’t call... okay... no one can know... listen...”
“Quinn, Quinn. I have to call someone. You’re really hurt.”
He didn’t respond again. Her cell was upstairs, so she ran into the kitchen.
As she grabbed the phone, she paused for the briefest of moments.
What should she do? He said not to call anyone.
She shook her head. Forget it all. He needs EMS. It could ruin his career, reputation, and possibly the ranch’s.
Maybe even the family’s reputation, but he was hurt, and it all meant nothing if he was injured or worse.
She wouldn’t finish that thought. It seemed as though it took forever for her to make her decision, but she knew time slowed down when pressure was put to bear on an important choice.
Cheyenne called Liam, Ciarán and the ambulance before grabbing some blankets in the office they’d used to protect the desk when moving it.
Then, straddling the beam, her feet on the two ends of stairway frame to get to him, she inched her way down and got behind his head.
She threw one blanket over him and one over the bench to hide it.
She knew not to move his head because they would want to put a collar on his neck. She didn’t want to hurt him more.