by Terry Towers
“For fuck’s sakes. Of course not. Just thinking that’s all.”
“Well, I hope you were thinking about getting ready to patrol the perimeter because that’s what we need to do. And we need to make sure the generator is still going strong. Check on the fuel situation. Try to visit some neighbors. Yada yada yada.”
“I’m ready when you are.”
“Good. Give me a minute.”
~ * ~ TT ~*~
Genevieve
The past week had felt like nothing short of a fairy-tale. A fairy-tale that I never wanted to end. I never imagined that I’d love the solitude of the mountain life but here I was. I was working like a mad woman, getting more done then I ever dreamed that I could achieve. And the guys—Brock and Tyler. Wow. All I could say was wow. And it was more than just the mind-blowing sex. Even though I never really bought into the whole insta-love thing, it seemed like I was falling fast and hard for my two dreamy men.
But there was one very disappointing detail to this love story. They’d made it quite clear that this was just a passing thing. And I had to eventually go back to New York; that was where my home was. That was where I’d built my life.
This thing I had with the guys was only temporary and as much as that hurt me to think about, I knew I had to stay strong and accept that fact. All I could do was enjoy it while it lasted…
Sitting back in the computer chair, I looked at the computer screen and the book that was nearly done. I’d given myself two months to finish it and here I was three-quarters of the way done in a week. It was crazy how much you could get accomplished in a short period of time when you had the proper motivation.
I was just about to start the next chapter when I heard the front door open. A wide smile spread across my lips. Brock had changed his mind and come home for a little morning pick-me-up.
Standing up, I ran a hand through my hair, a rush of adrenaline shooting through my system as my pussy clenched. Taking a deep breath in, I pasted the sexiest smile I could muster on my lips and made my way through the open doorway.
“I knew you couldn’t resist—” I wasn’t able to finish the sentence, as my words caught in my throat and my eyes widened as I stared at two strange men who’d entered the cabin, bundled in dark, heavy winter clothing covered in snow. They were so bundled up that all I could see was their dark eyes and not much else.
They saw me at the same time as I saw them, and for the span of a heartbeat the cabin became deathly quiet as they stared at me and I stared back at them. It was a very similar scenario as it had been when I’d gone out with the guys on snowshoes, but in this instance, I was the deer.
There was something in their eyes. It was cold and unwavering.
“Ohmygod!” I gasped. Me speaking broke everyone in the room from the temporary trance we’d been in.
The gun! I needed my gun.
Spinning on my heels, I fled the main room as if my life depended on it—and it did.
“Get her!” One of the men yelled, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps behind me.
I just had to get to the gun!
Entering Tyler’s bedroom, I grabbed the door and slammed it closed just as the first man reached the doorway. I attempted to lock the door, only to discover there was no lock. I cried out my frustration, forgetting the door lock and making a bolt for the nightstand.
As long as I got to the gun, I’d be fine.
The door was flung open behind me, but I didn’t dare take a second to look over my shoulder. If I didn’t make it to the gun before they made it to me, I was as good as dead. Reaching the nightstand I was about to pull the drawer open when I was tackled by a hard body, knocking the air from my lungs.
Taking a deep breath in, I released an ear-shattering scream as my body went down. I felt a sharp pain at my temple before hitting the floor and the world around me went black.
Chapter 14
Tyler
“At least the neighbors that we able to make it to on our rounds were all fine. We can only assume that the rest of the area will be just as well off,” I said as we drove back to camp.
“Yes, but what is concerning me is the two sets of tracks we saw near the neighbors’ place.” Brock stated.
“It could be anything or anyone. Let’s be honest: if it were the fugitives why wouldn’t they have just holed up at the neighbors’ place?” Despite my words I was as concerned as he seemed to be. We’d inquired and the family who was staying in that cabin where we’d found the prints told us it wasn’t theirs, but they were on the lookout. No one in their right mind would be out in the storm, though it did seem to be settling down now. Maybe we’d catch a break and we were seeing the end of it.
“Who knows what a couple of crazies will and won’t do? Psychopaths aren’t exactly known for being logical.”
“Just to clarify, psychopaths are very logical. You’re referring to sociopaths. They’re the ones who are careless and unpredictable.” Perhaps I shouldn’t be poking the bear right now; it was apparent that my partner was concerned about Genevieve.
Brock shot me a dirt look. “Fuck you. Can’t this thing move any faster?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “We’re plowing several feet of snow as we go. So no. We’re at maximum speed, Captain.”
“I could get out and walk faster than this thing is moving for fuck’s sakes.”
Raising a brow, I shrugged. “You’re welcome to try. Man versus machine, it’ll be great!”
Brock grunted and turned his head to look out the side window which only made me laugh harder.
Silence overtook the cab of the truck and since we had a solid thirty minutes before we got back to camp, I figured it would be a good time to broach a subject that was in dire need of being discussed—Genevieve.
“Hey Brock, there’s something I was wanting to discuss with you.”
He turned his head to look at me. “What’s that?”
“Genevieve.”
His jaw clenched and he nodded. “Okay. What about her?”
I guess he was going to be difficult this afternoon. Fine. “What I’m wondering is your feelings on her?”
“I think she’s a good woman. She’s fun.”
“Okay, but that’s not what I’m asking.”
“I’m not into relationships if that’s what you mean.”
“You know, I’m going to call bullshit on that.”
He sighed. “Have you ever seen me in a relationship?”
“Nope. That doesn’t mean you don’t want a commitment. I’ve heard you go on when you’re drunk and not scared to tell the truth about what you really want.”
“Which is?”
“A woman to love you. Kids. A family. You want what almost everyone wants whether they admit it or not.”
“But you want it more, Tyler.”
Stopping the vehicle, I put it into park and turned to face him in the seat. “That’s what this is all about isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?” I could see the guilt written all over his face. He didn’t want to allow himself to feel anything for her because he would rather go without loving someone so I could have her instead.
“You do have feelings for her, but you’d rather self-sacrifice then admit it.”
“You’re full of shit. Just drive so we can get home, I want to make sure she’s okay.”
He had a point. Shifting the truck into drive I continued on, but the conversation was not over. “That is proof there. You care for her.”
“What if I do, man? Seriously? She’s going back to New York when that book of hers is done. This is a pointless conversation.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I don’t think we need to fight over her. I think the situation we have with her right now is perfect.”
“Let me get this straight, because I don’t think I’m hearing correctly. You want us to share her? In a relationship? You’re suggesting that we just all live her
e in the cabin as one big happy family. Have some babies and then play rock, paper, scissors on who gets to marry her.” He laughed. “That’s fucked up, man.”
“Well, I think you’re thinking a little too far in the future, but I think that we all work well together. The situation is ideal for all of us. If she wanted to get married, then I’d be fine with it being you. I’ve been married; it would be selfish of me not to give you that experience. As for kids...” I shrugged and laughed. “Whoever’s swimmers make it to the finish line wins.”
Silence overtook the truck again, but to my surprise a roar of laughter erupted from Brock. “You’ve thought this through.”
“I’m brainstorming. But the main point I’m trying to make is that I’m developing feelings for her and I know you are too. Seeing the way she looks at us both, I know she’s feeling the same.”
“So, what then? We ask her to leave her glamorous life in the big city to live with us in a small town in a secluded cabin?”
“I’m just saying that I think we should at least give her the option. She could have either one of us or both. It’s up to her. Does that sound fair?”
“And whatever she decides we’re going with?”
I nodded. “I’m happy sharing her if you are.”
He clucked his tongue off the roof of his mouth and then slowly nodded. “Okay. I’m on board.”
“Okay. It’s settled then.”
“It’s settled,” Brock confirmed.
~*~ TT ~*~
Genevieve
What in the hell happened? I groaned as I slowly came to. Why in the hell was my head killing me? I attempted to touch my temple, but my arms wouldn’t move. What the fuck?
Opening my eyes, I attempted to scream, but the scream was muffled. What in the holy fuck? My lips wouldn’t move. Looking down, I noticed I was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs, in the living room facing the sofa, my hands secured behind my back.
Ohmygod! It all came rushing back to me. The fugitives had broken in. I’d fallen. Hit my head. Oh God! Did they have my gun? Not that it mattered I was fucking tied up! Testing the binds at my hands, they were secure. Felt like duct tape, just like what was on my mouth. What was I going to do?
“You’re awake beautiful.”
Was he talking to me? That wasn’t the voice of the guys that I knew and was growing to love. Love?
“Looks like she’s awake and ready to talk. Or do whatever,” a second voice said
Looking to my left, I saw the two of them; they’d stripped off their jackets and winter gear and were in jeans and sweatshirts, sitting in the kitchen. One was of an average build with an overgrown dark brown beard and dark eyes, and the other was shaved bald, also with dark eyes. If I could wager a guess, I’d have guessed they were somewhere in their mid to late thirties. They were both staring at me as if I was dinner—or dessert—as it looked like they’d already been gorging themselves on the homemade jerky.
The thought of either of them touching me sent a chill through me.
“What are we going to do about her?” The bearded one said giving me a nod.
“Well, I’m thinking it’s been a fucking long time since I’d had female companionship so tonight might be the night to break that dry spell,” the bald one replied.
“You? We both have, asshole. There’s more than enough of her to satisfy the both of us. We’ll keep her nice and busy. No reason to dispose of her yet.”
I wasn’t sure which option was worse, the thought of them killing me or fucking me. Though the thought of them fucking me made me want to kill myself. I had a feeling that they wouldn’t be nearly as gentle as Brock and Tyler had been with me.
There was no choice. I had to get out of here. But how? There were guns sitting in front of each of the men on the table at the ready. Neither gun was mine. If only I could get to the bedroom. If I didn’t have my mouth taped shut, I would have laughed at the irony. I couldn’t even get out of the damned chair, let alone get my gun.
This was all my fault. The guys told me to keep my gun at hand. I hadn’t. My men had told me to keep the door locked, but I’d gone outside for a moment and hadn’t bothered and now here I was taped to a fucking chair with no way to escape.
The guys would be back soon. Surely, they would. I just had to be patient and wait. As soon as the thought came to mind an even more disturbing thought came to mind—Brock and Tyler would be sitting ducks. As soon as they came into the cabin the fugitives would be waiting and armed.
Panic began to overtake me. What was I going to do? I’d never be able to live with myself if they were hurt or killed because of my negligence.
Damn, damn, damn. Hot tears of frustration sprang to my eyes. Why did I have to be so stubborn and pig-headed? This was all my fault!
“Oh darlin’ don’t you worry we’ll be gentle.” The bald one stood up, grabbed his gun and approached me.
I couldn’t place the look in his eyes, but what I did know was that I didn’t like it one bit. The look shook me to my core.
Stopping right before me, he leaned over so that our faces were roughly a foot apart. “Now, I’m going to take the tape off because we have some questions for you. If you answer the questions honestly and correctly nothing will happen. If you don’t then a lot of really bad things will happen to you. Do we understand each other?”
I nodded.
Smiling, he returned my nod. “Well good then.” He picked at one corner of the tape. It stung. When he managed to get a full corner, I cringed, anticipating the pain. I was right.
Bald Guy ripped the tape off with one violent yank, leaving my lips and the skin surrounding the area stinging. I gripped the rung at the back of the chair with all my strength to keep from screaming. If I didn’t know better then I’d have thought he’d ripped my lips clean off!
“As I said, this is the deal. If you answer honestly we can be friends. If you don’t, things will get a lot less friendly. Are we clear?”
Swallowing the lump that was forming in my throat, I replied. “Yes. Crystal.” Why did he have to stand so close to me? His breath smelled like ass.
“Good. First question. It’s an easy one. What’s your name?”
“Genevieve.”
“Good. See that was easy, wasn’t it?” He smiled but the smile was less than sincere.
“Yes.” He was going to ask about the guys, I knew it, and I didn’t know how to respond to him. If I told the truth then they’d know Brock and Tyler would be on their way soon, but on the other hand as soon as they saw all the men’s clothing they’d know. Or if they really searched the cabin they’d already know I wasn’t alone. The only thing I could do was buy some time or convince them that the guys were gone away and wouldn’t be back until next week.
“I can see you’ve already guessed my next question and are trying to figure out a lie to tell me. I’m going to tell you now that if you lie there will be consequences if you plan on playing games with me.”
“I wouldn’t—” I didn’t get a chance to finish my denial of his accusation. He balled his fist, drew his hand back and his fist collided with my temple, the side that didn’t already have a lump from hitting the corner of the nightstand. Or at least I think it was my temple; the impact made me black out for a second time.
Chapter 15
Brock
I breathed a sigh of relief as the cabin came into view. Finally. Home. But more importantly we’d be home for Genevieve just in case the worst were to happen. I couldn’t explain it, but I couldn’t get the really bad nagging feeling in the pit of my gut to go away. Something told me we needed to get home and one thing I’d learned over the course of my lifetime was that when you got a feeling that something was off then it normally was.
The closer we got, the stronger the feeling of dread I was feeling became.
“Are you okay?” Tyler asked.
“No. No I’m not. Something isn’t right.”
Tyler frowned and slowed the vehicle to a near stop. “Wha
t’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think we should drive up to the house.”
“Why?”
I stared at the cabin. “I don’t know.”
“We have no choice unless I back it up! I just can’t turn it around Brock.”
“Fuck!” Raking a hand through my hair, I conceded that we had no choice. Maybe I was just being paranoid. I waved toward the cabin. “Just go; it’s probably just my imagination. Just be on the alert.”
Tyler chuckled. “Those Spidey senses are tingling, huh?”
“I’m not joking, dude. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“Then what do you want to do?”
“I’m not sure. Just act normal going in but have your firearm ready.”
Tyler’s smile faded. “Okay. I got ya.” Parking the vehicle, we both switched the safety off our guns and got out.
As we neared the cabin, we remained quiet and attempted to keep in the shadows. About twenty feet from the cabin, I noticed what I was fearing most. Men’s boot tracks in the snow and they weren’t ours. Giving my partner a nudge, I nodded toward the tracks. Tyler caught my gaze and nodded.
The track led up to the front door of the cabin. There were no exit tracks; they were in there with Genevieve.
Jesus! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Keeping my hand on my gun, I reached the front door, Tyler in tow. I stood with my back against the wall on one side of the door, Tyler took the other side. Once we both had our weapons drawn and at the ready, I reached out and grabbed the door handle. Our gazes locked and he nodded. Twisting the knob, I pushed the door open and in a crouched position, entered through the doorway, a rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins.
“Drop your weapon and don’t move a muscle.” My gaze immediately went to a bald man standing behind Genevieve—who was secured to a chair—holding a gun to her head.
Genevieve had a black eye and there was a nasty looking bruise at the temple on the opposite side of her face. She was awake, but not overly alert. When she caught sight of me, she seemed to perk up. There was a piece of silver duct tape over her mouth keeping her from speaking, but her eyes shifted to the left.