Surrender to Chance [King's Bluff, Wyoming 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Fiona Archer

  His gaze followed her as she smoothed her hands down her black skirt. Damn her sweaty palms.

  “Olivia—” Kane’s voice took on a deeper timbre, compelling her body to still. “You have no reason to worry. I’m not about to kick you out the door if you take a call from your mom. I hired you knowing she’d been unwell.”

  “I know, it’s just…” She broke off, unsure how to word her fears, or even if she should, deciding in the end to hold back on any true confessions. “I’m determined to meet the expectations of my clients and go beyond that. The last thing I want is you to have concerns regarding my commitment.”

  “If I do, be assured I’ll let you know. Until then, let’s make it through our first day.” His light humor set her at ease.

  She nodded.

  Kane was charming, but when he’d lowered his voice just then, she’d felt that edge of steel, one that commanded her to sit straight and still before she’d even realized what was happening.

  A sobering thought for a woman who’d vowed after her divorce not to let another man dominate her again.

  Deke, a security officer who looked like he lifted cars for weight training, escorted her to the control room in the basement. She stood in front of a white panel and had her picture taken for their records. Hopefully, her turquoise crepe blouse and chignon hairstyle were flattering, but she’d chew glass before asking the serious-minded guard to wait for her to perform a quick check in the mirror.

  The man gave her a keycard programmed to allow her access to the general foyer and admin area. She signed a slip of paper acknowledging receipt of the card and her compliance with all security measures.

  After meeting Kane in the parking lot, they climbed into his wine-red SUV and headed out on her tour.

  The next thirty minutes flew past. Kane provided a detailed commentary as he drove along a network of private roads, explaining the various buildings dotted over the property, including the staff quarters, storage facilities, and the lodge’s stables, which catered for guests wanting horse trail rides. The mostly timber buildings were set on meadows filled with grass that had turned a lush green from recent rains.

  The BDSM club, Kane informed her, was close to opening. He’d let the car’s engine idle in front of the building as he explained the effort going into getting everything ready, including training the club’s staff to the exacting standards of the resident Dom.

  She smiled and complimented him on the progress. The broad aspects of the BDSM lifestyle weren’t lost on her—she’d read plenty of kink-themed romances. The club would feature in some of her public relations work. In a town like King’s Bluff, where the lifestyle was not only accepted but lived openly by many people, the club was a positive story that needed to be told.

  How she would portray that message she had yet to figure out. Her wicked imagination offered up suggestions. Maybe have Kane model in a photo shoot?

  God, he’d be so gorgeous, his long legs encased in leather and those wide, muscular shoulders on full view as he stood before a willing sub.

  Yowzer!

  “One last stop.” Kane’s deep voice broke into her mind’s salacious wanderings.

  She started. Guilt at her thoughts warmed her cheeks. Ignoring his curious glance, she turned her gaze to face out the truck’s passenger window.

  The sharp trill of his cell phone cut through the cabin’s silence. Kane glanced at the screen before tapping to accept the call. “Alex, what’s up?”

  For a second, Olivia tensed. Just the mention of the guy’s name had her wary. Was he calling to complain about Kane hiring her? Would he demand she be let go? Was she bat-crazy paranoid?

  “Fuck!”

  She stared openmouthed as Kane thumped a closed fist on the steering wheel. Jaw clenched, eyes icy hard, he stared out the truck’s windshield at some point farther up the mountain as he listened to his brother.

  “Caleb been contacted? Right.” He nodded. “On our way.” He dropped his phone in the console beside him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Contractors at our new house discovered someone’s vandalized Alex’s bedroom.” With a vicious pull, he dragged the truck’s gearstick into drive, then started to pull forward. “The house is close. I need to stop in, see the damage.” Despite Kane’s obvious anger, he drove at a speed only marginally faster than earlier.

  She guessed this was the type of control it took to be a SEAL. No matter what disaster was around you, a SEAL had to think, keep his cool.

  It was something to be admired.

  “What did Alex say?”

  “Nothing that I can repeat to a lady.” Kane heaved out a breath. “He flew in early. Arrived at the landing strip half an hour ago. Was on his way to the lodge when he got the call. He’s ten minutes behind us.”

  The muscles in her tummy clenched. Awesome. She’d be meeting him today and under the worst of circumstances.

  “You mentioned Caleb. You’re referring to Sheriff Caleb King?”

  “Yeah, Alex called him and Quinn Sullivan. He’s the head of our security.” He barked out a short, harsh laugh. “Christ, Quinn will be pissed. This is the third time in as many weeks we’ve had this shit.”

  “The logs on the road and the earth moving equipment.” He’d given her some idea at her interview.

  “And now this, whatever the fuck this turns out to be.” He steered the truck behind a grove of pines to reveal a large, two-storied timber building. Stones in shades of gray formed the foundations, front steps, and chimneys. At a quick glance, the design seemed similar to that of the lodge.

  Kane parked the truck in the circular driveway seconds before he jumped out. Two other trucks were parked off to the side, both sporting decals advertising local tradesmen.

  Kane met her as she stepped out of the vehicle, his face drawn into a tight mask. “We’re days away from moving in. Some of the furniture’s already in place. It’s not an active building site, but stick close to me anyway.”

  “Of course.” As he moved toward the front steps, she reached out to touch his arm. “Is there someone I can call for you while you inspect inside?”

  “No, thanks. Caleb and Quinn are already on route.” His long legs ate up the distance to the front door. She hurried to keep up with him, entering the light, airy foyer with its lime-washed walls as a middle-aged man dressed in a dark blue work shirt and jeans spoke to Kane.

  The workman shook his head. “Christ, I’m sorry, Mr. MacKenzie. We hadn’t gone upstairs until I needed the roll of cabling left up there yesterday. That’s when we saw the writing.”

  “Not your fault, Gil.” Kane gestured to Olivia. “This is Olivia Fletcher.”

  “Ma’am.” Gil nodded.

  She smiled. The poor guy’s face was crestfallen. “Hello.”

  Kane looked toward the two flights of stairs on his right, obviously eager to see the damage himself. “Sheriff King and Quinn Sullivan will be here soon. They’ll have questions for you.”

  “No problem.” He paused, as if the urge to once more apologize lingered. In the end he shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll be working in the home theater.”

  Kane looked behind him, as if checking to see where she was, before he headed up two flights of wide stairs. At some other time she’d have stopped to admire the gorgeous ironwork of the balustrade, but right now she concentrated on trying to keep up.

  At the top of the stairs he continued down the wide hallway. Various doorways gave Olivia a glimpse into the bedrooms beyond. Some had painted walls and carpet, while a couple were furnished. Not that she had time to study. Kane didn’t stop until he reached the last doorway. With the toe of his boot, he pushed back the honey-colored stained wood door.

  Fingerprints? It couldn’t hurt to check.

  She followed him inside the room. Make that a suite. It was massive with walls painted sage green.

  She wrinkled her nose. What was that smell? Pungent. It reminded her of her dad when he’d been working on his truck’s
engine.

  “Bastards!”

  Her gaze flew across the room to where Kane stood with his hands fisted by his sides, glaring down at the carpet. Anger seemed to roll from him like heat radiating off a desert highway.

  After a second’s hesitation, she skirted the king-sized bed to reach his side.

  That was when she saw it.

  Trees matter. Not Oil. Fuckers.

  Someone had used oil to paint the words into the thick carpet, then again on the river stone hearth in front of the fireplace. It had soaked through both porous surfaces to a dull flatness. Carpet was easily replaced, but no amount of cleaning of the stones would remove the stain.

  She turned back to see the room fully. “Oh my God.” Shock kept her feet locked in place, but didn’t stop the wave of revulsion that swept over her.

  Kane swung around, pushing her behind him. Hanging on the same wall as the doorway were two dead rats, held in place by heavy nails through the base of their tails. Above the poor creatures, painted in oil, were the names Alex and Kane.

  Kane gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry you had to see that, honey. Gil must have thought we’d known.”

  Olivia swallowed. “It’s okay. Just a shock that’s all.”

  “Kane?” A loud voice bellowed from out in the hallway.

  “In here.”

  Seconds later, Alex MacKenzie strode into the room. Tall and broad shouldered, with short dark hair peppered with silver at the temples, his casual clothes of jeans and a black T-shirt did nothing to dampen his aura of power. If anything, his unpolished appearance magnified the sheer rawness of his authority. His tanned forearms, corded with muscle, were testament to his physical strength, one matched by his personality.

  He stalked farther into his bedroom. For the first time she saw him without any distractions. As a man. As an alpha. Because that was what he was. No denying it. Here was the leader of the MacKenzies. And God help anyone who got in his way.

  His gaze landed on his brother.

  “Over there.” Kane nodded toward the wall.

  Alex turned his head to inspect. Olivia squeezed her hands into tight balls, expecting to hear curses. None came. Only continued silence as the older MacKenzie’s gaze turned icy cold.

  She would have preferred yelling.

  Finally his gaze sharpened on her.

  With all her might, she locked her knees in place, battling the instinct to take a step back. Unlike their first encounter, this time his anger was directed elsewhere, but that didn’t lessen the impact.

  “This is one hell of a first day for you, Miss Fletcher.” A hint of sympathy warmed his voice.

  He sounded almost…nice. Where was the curt dismissiveness she’d expected?

  She stiffened her spine. Showing weakness to this man was not a good idea.

  “I’m not easily intimated, Mr. MacKenzie.” Her heart thumped against the walls of her chest. Thank God he couldn’t read her thoughts.

  * * * *

  Alex studied the pulse point at the base of Olivia’s throat. Beating fast for someone in control.

  Brave. Stubborn. And lying through her teeth, but who could blame her? Which reminded him, he owed her an apology.

  “I didn’t say I’d shoot the bastards.” A male voice boomed at the end of the hallway and drew closer with every passing word. “Just that I’m losing patience. Don’t worry, Caleb, if these little fuckers are caught by my men, they’ll be contained and restrained until your deputies arrive.”

  Quinn Sullivan’s massive bulk surged through the doorway. He turned his shaved head to take in the room’s occupants. His gaze lingered a few seconds longer on Olivia before he faced the mess on the wall. “Motherfuckers!”

  Caleb King brushed past Quinn to stand at the foot of the bed. The tall, blond lawman had his sheriff’s badge pinned to the beige shirt of his uniform. The jeans were his one concession to informality. After looking at the wall, he let out a low whistle. “Someone’s feelin’ nasty.”

  As Caleb turned to face them, his gaze landed on the woman standing close to Kane. A smile broke out on his too-handsome face. “Olivia Fletcher. I heard you were back in town. You’re all grown up since I last saw you.”

  Noah King, previous owner of the land they were standing on and a man Alex now called a friend, was right. The cop could charm a female into confessing to any crime—real or imagined.

  And there was Olivia’s smile in return. It lit up her face as she spoke. “Caleb. It’s great to see you again.”

  An unfamiliar annoyance scratched at Alex’s normally cool control. Impatience. That was all. Been a hell of a morning.

  Quinn moved in, his hand out toward Olivia. “Quinn Sullivan, Miss Fletcher. My wife, Reagan, tells me you were a friend of hers in school.”

  “Yes, of course. I was with Reagan Saturday night.” She seemed to catch herself, then took a half step away from Kane. Strange. “It was great to see her again.” Her eyes grew bigger as Quinn towered over her, offering her a quick smile. Despite his ability to kill a man in less than three seconds, the giant always tried to put women at ease. She added, “And please, call me Olivia.”

  Not surprisingly, it was a concession she had yet to offer to him. He wouldn’t hold his breath.

  Quinn nodded. “So you’re the lady that’s gonna tell the world what upstanding guys they are?”

  “Well”—her gaze skipped over him to land on Kane—“that’s the plan.”

  She was avoiding looking at him directly. He deserved it. He’d been an ass. But right now wasn’t the time for his apology.

  Quinn began taking pictures with his phone as he looked closer at the mess on the wall.

  Caleb hooked his thumb toward the rats. “Is that the only damage?”

  “There’s more here.” Kane jammed his hands on his hips, his jaw tight.

  Alex strode over to see for himself. Oil stained his carpet and the river stones he’d personally cleaned off with a wire brush to make the hearth of his fireplace. A surge of anger flooded his system, excoriating his insides like acid on metal. A cheap stunt. For what? The message seemed off somehow. The insult at the end made it seem personal. And the rats? “You think this is environmental vigilantes?” He didn’t bother to hide the doubt in his voice.

  Kane shook his head “It doesn’t fit their normal modus operandi. They haven’t raised any recent objections to us being here. Our efforts to keep a low carbon footprint on this site are well publicized.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “It makes no sense.”

  He agreed. MacKenzie Corp had spent tens of millions of dollars improving their processes and opening dialogues with environmental groups. “Agreed. That’s not what’s happening here.”

  Kane met his stare head-on. “Which leaves us with another possibility.”

  His gut curdled with unease. “To access the house when nobody was here, they’d need the code to deactivate the alarm system. This was an inside job.”

  Someone—an employee, contractor, whoever—had betrayed them.

  Caleb’s frown matched the seriousness of his gaze. “For most people, finding abuse on their wall would be shocking. But you guys are ex-military. It takes more than vandalism to rattle you. Either the assholes that did this just wanted to yank your chain, or they weren’t smart enough to think their plan through.”

  “Either way, they’ve pissed me off,” Kane said, his voice hard.

  “Do you have CCTV?” Olivia flicked her gaze over the men. “When I was getting my photo I.D. this morning, Deke had a bunch of screens showing live feed in his control room. I just thought”—she shrugged—“maybe you had some cameras here.”

  Smart thinking. Quinn had already told Alex on the phone he’d be reviewing the tapes.

  “Got it covered, Olivia.” Quinn gave her a smile. “We have cameras installed outside the house. We’ll study the tapes as soon as we’re done here.”

  “Oh, okay.” She nodded.

  “It was a good suggestion,
Olivia. Thanks.” Alex admired her initiative, which highlighted both her professionalism and confidence.

  “One of my deputies will dust for prints, but I’m guessing that like the break-in at the tool shed, we won’t find anything.” Caleb’s sigh of frustration mirrored his own feelings. “I’ll be downstairs taking statements.

  “Thanks,” he said absently to Caleb as Kane walked over to speak to Quinn. He heard Olivia ask a question about insurance but kept staring at the damaged hearth.

  He was trained to track down an enemy and neutralize them. In desecrating his home, this scum had offered himself up as his new target. Kane’s, too.

  A threat to MacKenzie Corp was bad enough. Now it had turned personal. Why? What had changed in the last week? Or was the timing incidental to some grand plan?

  One thing was for sure. He aimed to find out. And then he’d act. Decisively.

  Chapter Four

  Two hours later, Kane jogged up the back stairs from the basement control room to the ground level. Frustration gave him extra impetus with each stomp of his booted foot on the concrete. An hour and a half of studying surveillance tapes of their retreat, and all access roads had provided the bare facts. Happened around three AM. Two intruders. Male, judging from their builds. Wearing dark clothes and ski masks.

  Earlier, when he’d driven back to the lodge, he’d made a hasty excuse, having to ditch their plans for lunch. Olivia had assured him he was needed elsewhere. She would talk with some of the on-site staff to get a feel of the place, and then see him back here tomorrow morning. Within fifteen minutes of the men entering Deke’s control room, a tray of deli sandwiches and drinks, enough for all five, had arrived. He knew instinctively Olivia had suggested this to the staff.

  Thinking on her feet. Alex’s thoughtful stare at the food told him his brother knew it, too.

  Back in his office, he punched in her cell phone number to see if she was still around. She answered on the second ring.

  “It’s Kane. I’d like to see you in my office if you’re still here?”