Stealing Hope [Midnighter Seductions 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Corinne Davies

“Did you see the size of that motherfucker!” Hope braced her hands against the dash and gaped out the window. She’d never seen a rabbit that huge in her life and when it hopped out in front of the truck she’d thought they were going to hit it.

  The dead silence in the truck caught her attention and she looked over at Eddie. The hair on his forehead hid his bushy eyebrows and he was looking at her as if she’d lost her mind. Her last comment rung in her thoughts and she felt her cheeks heat up. Dammit, that’s about as far from sweet decorum as I can get. “I like bunnies. I didn’t want you to hurt it.”

  “That’s a handy grasp of the English language you have there, Hope.” Eddie scanned the road and pressed the gas, starting them forward again.

  “I apologize for my language and if I offended you. I was involved in some sports in school and picked up a few colorful phrases. They are very difficult to purge from your vocabulary once they’re there.” That and she’d worked very hard to cultivate a different personality. She’d grown up a tomboy and spent most of her life being seen as one of the boys. Her friends were asked out for dinner and drinks. Guys asked her if she wanted to watch the game with them or discuss the latest MMA fight. She’d read a few books and magazines and they all basically said that if she wanted to get a guy’s romantic attention then she needed to change. It was much harder than she’d ever imagined and very frustrating at times.

  “Truer words were never spoken.” Eddie laughed. “It doesn’t bother me any. I’ve let a few colorful phrases fly in my lifetime. You just surprised me a mite.”

  “Are all the rabbits like that around here?”

  “They come in all shapes and sizes. Most of the little ones stay hidden though. Too many predators roam this area for them to want to come out.”

  “I bet it’s gorgeous out there at night.” She looked out toward the pyramid-shaped mountains. The sun was setting to her right and the sky looked blue and pink over the unique horizon. “Do people do a lot of camping out there?”

  “Sure they do. But it might be safer to drive out and then go home and sleep in a bed instead of on the ground where the rocks can dig into your back and the scorpions crawl into bed with you.”

  Hope suppressed a shudder of revulsion at the idea of scorpions coming anywhere near her. “Good point.”

  Eddie pulled up into the driveway of a small house. “Your aunt arranged for you to stay here. I took the liberty of getting a few things for the fridge to see you though a couple days.”

  “I really appreciate that, Eddie. That was sweet.”

  He shrugged and she was pretty sure that the pink in his cheeks wasn’t caused by the glow of the sunset. “I owe your uncle a few dozen favors.” He hopped out of the truck and helped her carry her things into the place.

  “I’ll pop on by later tomorrow and see how you’re doing. There’s a bike in the shed in the back if you like to get around on your own.”

  Hope brightened considerably. She hadn’t ridden a bike in years, but that sounded like a perfect way to stretch out her muscles tomorrow from all the sitting she’d done. “That sounds perfect.”

  “I’d expect everyone at the diner will know who you are if you pop in there. You won’t find a lack of people to talk to and it’d satisfy a lot of curiosity about you, I expect.”

  Life in a small town. “If I’m not here then check there first. I’ll buy you a piece of pie and a coffee.”

  “Now there’s a date I’ll not pass up.” He touched his fingers to the brim of his hat before heading out. Hope waved from the front door as he pulled out of the driveway. She took a few minutes to check out the layout of the house. Someone must have come by earlier and turned the air-conditioning on because the inside was nice and cool.

  There were only three doors off the main room, one to the bedroom, one to a laundry room, and the other to a bathroom. There was a large overstuffed sofa, chair, and coffee table in the one area across from the kitchen. A flat screen hung on the wall over a side table and a writing desk sat in front of one of the windows. The decorating was neutral, but there were lots of handmade blankets and sculptures around to catch her attention and spark her curiosity.

  Exhaustion pulled at her senses, but she didn’t want to go to bed this early. She’d end up awake in the middle of the night and unable to go back to sleep. After cooking up an easy dinner of scrambled eggs and toast, she sat on a barstool at the extended kitchen counter and ate, then took a glass of orange juice and went outside.

  She couldn’t believe how dark it was out here. Thousands of stars she’d never seen at home dotted the black velvet sky. The immense shadow of the Pyramid Mountains sat against the backdrop of the stars. A car honked as it passed, snapping her out of her thoughts. What the hell? The glass of juice was still in her hand, but she’d walked about twenty feet away from the house in the direction of the mountains. Oh, my god. I’m so tired I’m wandering. She took a sip and turned around and headed back. The door stood wide open and she worried that some creepy crawly had made its way into the house.

  After a thorough examination of the house with a broom as a weapon, Hope was convinced that she had nothing to worry about and flopped out on the sofa to watch TV. It felt so nice to stretch out and relax. Flipping channels, she found a movie that she liked and settled down to be entertained, but her gaze continued to return to the shadow of the mountains. There was something almost mystic about them, perhaps because of their shape. They looked like they belonged in Egypt and not New Mexico. I bet that’s how the town got its name. Wonder how many other stories there are about them?

  * * * *

  “You have to be careful of Midnighters. Pretty girl like you. Don’t think about going out at night. They stalk the shadows and live under the mountains.”

  Hope sipped at her coffee and enjoyed the feel of the sun on her back as she sat along the window of the diner. She’d woken up feeling better than she ever had before this morning. It’d been early, but the sun was up and shining down as she went for a bike ride. Her instincts were right last night. This morning she did feel stiff from all the sitting, and a bit of exercise had been the best thing. She’d happened on the diner Eddie had told her about and went in for breakfast. She’d been concerned about leaving her bike against the tree outside the diner, but she could see it from where she sat. Hopefully no one would try to steal it, but if they tried she’d see them.

  “What about stories of the Chupacabra?” She asked the man sitting next to her.

  “See now, them you have to worry about with your animals. My great-great-uncle had a goat farm out past Ghost Town Road…” Eddie had been right, there wasn’t a shortage of people to talk to and all of them had a story of something that happened to their pappy or friend or second cousin three times removed. Thankfully, she’d remembered to bring her phone and activated the voice recorder so she could play the stories back. Everyone was as curious about her as they were about her project. This was what she loved about this project. She wanted to hear every story she could from as many people as would talk to her.

  “Jorge, you have scared that poor girl enough for one day.” Dottie, the only waitress in the diner, came over waving her finger at him. “You going to have her running off back to the city or having nightmares for weeks.”

  “I didn’t mean no harm, Miss Hope.”

  He looked so worried that he’d upset her, Hope couldn’t stand it. “No, no I’m fine. I promise. I’ve heard a few scary stories since starting my research and I have a healthy respect for the night now.”

  “Just as long as you stay indoors at night, no wandering. I’d feel terrible if I heard the same thing happened to you that happened to the woman earlier this summer.”

  Hope smiled at him and patted his weathered hand. “I promise. I’ll be careful.”

  A grin angled though the deep grooves of his skin and he nodded at her. “You have yourself a nice day.”

  “You, too, Jorge. Thank you for taking the time to share your stories with
me.”

  He left and Dottie paused to refill Hope’s coffee cup. “That was very kind of you to talk to him for so long.”

  “Jorge is a sweet man and he’s filled with all sorts of fascinating stories about the area.”

  Dottie laughed. “That he is and he’ll talk your ear off from sun up to down if you let him.”

  “He mentioned something that happened to a woman earlier this summer?”

  “Oh yeah, poor thing, she must have gotten lost because her car was found on the side of the road. Sheriff figures it had overheated and she started walking for help. They found her purse and a suitcase a few miles down the road, at the base of the mountains.”

  “Did they ever find her?”

  “No, it’s like she disappeared. They searched for a couple weeks but most likely the wildlife got her. The strange thing is Kathryn over at the clinic says that her nephew David found her and brought her in for help. Kathryn said she was in perfect condition for someone who’d been lost in the desert for so long.”

  “What happened?” Dottie had Hope fascinated by this story. Women who disappeared in the desert and turned up weeks later. They were only a few hundred miles from Area 51, there had to be lots of alien stories in this area.

  “You see, she disappeared,” Dottie leaned forward and whispered. “Right out of the clinic without a trace, like she was a ghost or something.”

  “Is she sure it was the same woman?”

  “Yup, Sheriff showed her and David a picture and they both said it was her for certain. That only leaves two other possibilities to choose from. Midnighters, or she really was a ghost wandering. David brought her soul in for help and she was able to pass into the light.”

  “Wow, what did the sheriff think?”

  “He’s a bitter old coot who thinks that everyone is seeing things. As far as he is concerned, that poor woman died out in the desert and the animals took care of any remains.”

  The bell chimed over the door and Dottie winked at her. “Hello, boys, what can I get you today?”

  Hope turned off her phone and opened her notebook to make some notes to herself as Dottie gave the people sitting behind her a menu. The hair on the back of her neck bristled and she became more aware of her surroundings. It felt like someone was staring at her. As she turned to look, a real live cowboy sat himself one stool down from her at the counter.

  “Good morning, Miss. I haven’t seen you around these parts.”

  “I only arrived last evening.” She smiled at him and rubbed the back of her neck. She glanced over her shoulder, but the people Dottie was taking an order from were out of her line of sight.

  “Good morning, Lucas. This here is Hope. She’s kin to Arlene Levey.”

  “No kidding. My mom and her were friends in school.” He stretched over and held out his hand. She slipped hers in his and shook it.

  “Nice to meet you, Lucas. Arlene is my aunt.”

  Lucas held onto her hand and grinned at her. There was a loud bang and rattle at the table behind them. Lucas let go of her hand and both of them looked back at what caused the ruckus. Four of the biggest men she’d ever seen were sitting in a booth. Two of them were staring at her as if they’d seen a ghost and the other two were calmly looking at a menu. She felt a shot of desire light up her pussy like the Fourth of July when her gaze locked with each of them and she turned back quickly.

  One had incredibly long, beautiful straight black hair that hung past his shoulders. He had almost a Native look to him with high cheekbones and a full mouth, while the other man had hair shorn close to his head on the sides and spiky at the top. They both looked tanned and were built like men who did a lot of hard work. Although, for all she knew they spent most of their time in a gym pumping up their muscles. They’re probably so vain they wouldn’t see me past their own mirrors.

  She hadn’t really got a good look at the two other men blocking them into the booth, but from the memory of her brief glimpse, they were massive men, even bigger than the two who’d been looking at her.

  “Do you know them?” Lucas glanced back at the table of men and then back at her. “They look like they know you.”

  Hope shook her head and shrugged. “Never seen them before in my life. Maybe they have me confused with someone else?”

  She fished her wallet out of her bag and pulled out enough money to cover her bill and leave a generous tip for Dottie. “It was nice meeting you, Lucas. Have a wonderful day.”

  “You, too, Hope. I look forward to seeing you again sometime.” His lips curled up into a gorgeous smile, but it didn’t fire her blood like the simple glance from the men behind her.

  “It’s a small town. I’m sure it’s a good possibility that will happen.” She gathered up her stuff into her bag and slung it over her shoulder and walked out the door to the diner. Her hands were shaking when she placed her bag into the basket attached to the handlebars.

  The heat had risen significantly since she’d arrived and the humidity along with it. She pulled her sunglasses down and covered her eyes, and only then did she carefully give in to the temptation that had been pounding against her thoughts. Pretending she was wheeling the bike around, she used the angle to glance back into the diner again.

  The two men still stared at her from where they sat. Her breath caught under their intense stare, and her dormant libido roared to life. Geez, I’d jump either one of them at this moment. Must be hormones or something. She realized then she was standing on the sidewalk staring into the diner at them. So much for a stealthy peek at them.

  The one with long hair looked as though he was about to get out of the booth. Hope had no idea what she would say to explain her bizarre reaction to him. Spurred on by embarrassment and far too horny to speak to a man that made her react like that, she hopped on the bike and rode down the street. The small seat pressed up against her pussy as she moved and Hope was sure she was going to be the first person to orgasm while riding a bike.

  * * * *

  “If you don’t get out of my way, Storm, I’ll kill you before you take another breath,” Falcon snarled under his breath. He was trying desperately to try to form a ball of energy in his hand. Brother or not, he was going to blast the man standing between him and his Atan. All he managed to do was shake the table and rattle the cutlery. If Storm had felt the strike Falcon had thrown at him, it didn’t register on his face.

  “You’re lucky there isn’t enough energy in this world to do more than ruffle my hair.” Anger clouded Storm’s expression. “I’ll kick your ass for that when we get home.”

  “Move aside or I’m going through you.” It was Wolfe’s hand on his arm that managed to get through the hunger pounding in his veins. Falcon turned to snap at his own brother when the woman got up from where she’d been sitting. Falcon knew. He knew she was meant to be his and Wolfe’s, and if he hadn’t been so shocked he would have tossed her over his shoulder and headed for the portal. Derechos and Storm had ushered him and Wolfe into the booth, trapping them both before the shock had worn off.

  “Falcon, you know as well as I do we can’t grab her now. Do you think this is any easier for me?” Wolfe held his arm out and Falcon automatically reached out and they clasped each other’s elbows. The moment their markings lined up an iridescent light tracked along the lines from one arm to the other.

  “Damn, that’s pretty cool.” Derechos held out his arm. “Is it because an Atan is close or because she is theirs?”

  Storm and his warrior brother clasped arms, but nothing happed when the markings on their arms lined up. “So it only happens when a pair’s Atan is close. Good to know.”

  The woman got up and Wolfe tightened his grip on his arm. “We know who she is, but she doesn’t know us. We need to be careful we don’t scare her.” Falcon could sense the anticipation in his brother and the same need as he was feeling. Wolfe wanted to claim her as much as he did but was much more restrained.

  “So you want to sit here and watch her leave?” F
alcon took a good look at the woman. She looked delicate and fragile. She was nicely curved and he liked the way her shorts clung to her bottom and the gentle swing to her hips as she walked.

  He didn’t like the way that cowboy held her hand or the look on his face as he watched her she walked away. At least they knew one thing they didn’t before. “Her name is Hope.” Wolfe said her name as if it was a prayer and Falcon wished she would turn around. She left the building and lifted a wheeled contraption from where it was leaning against a tree.

  “What is she getting on?” Derechos asked. Falcon didn’t have a clue, but he knew that she was peeking at them from behind the dark glasses she put over her eyes. He could feel her gaze on his skin like a physical caress.

  “That doesn’t look safe. What if she falls?”

  Hope balanced on the thin contraption and used her feet to activate the mechanism that turned the wheels. It didn’t look safe at all. At least in the truck they had a metal shell around them. She didn’t have any protection at all on that thing.

  “Everything okay with you boys? That’s a strange kind of arm wrestling you’re doing.” The waitress gave them an odd look and then dropped her gaze to where they clasped each other’s elbows. The iridescent light that outlined their arm tattoos had faded, saving them from coming up with an excuse for the phenomenon. The only human that knew of their existence was Eddie and from what they’d seen and read about this world, they weren’t in any hurry to announce their presence.

  Falcon and Wolfe let go of each other and sat back, giving the waitress room to place their food. The four of them had discovered pancakes with real maple syrup and bananas. Wolfe might love candy covered pecans and real whipped cream from this world, but Falcon loved banana pancakes and syrup. They’d started coming here every morning for breakfast and he was going to miss them when he went home. He wondered if Destiny could adapt something in their world to taste like this.

  “How’s that big building of yours coming along? It’s such a big secret what you building out there. Will you give me a hint?”