She shook her head. “Not that I know of. Jack?”
“No,” Jack said quickly. “Why?”
“Someone went through my desk.”
Their eyes widened.
“Wait a minute,” Jack said. “I went to the restroom right before Sandy returned and when I got back, a man was here.”
“What did he want?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “He seemed high or stupid or something. Said his neighbor killed one of his chickens but that was as far as I got. When I asked the man who he was, he called me a dumb shit and stormed out of here.”
“And you didn’t recognize him?”
Jack shook his head. “I’ve never seen him before. If he was messing around your desk, he was probably looking for money.”
Something about that statement just didn’t sit right with Givon. He didn’t want to believe that his office was corrupt but he couldn’t ignore his gut tightening as he stared at Jack’s innocent baby face.
All he could do was nod as if he believed him, making sure to keep his face blank.
“Okay. If you see him around town, you let me know.”
Damn it! He hadn’t believed anyone in his office was on the take. But he’d learned over the years to listen to his gut instinct when it started honking like a damn trumpet. He made a mental note to do a more thorough background check on Jack when his phone rang.
“Sheriff Halloran,” he answered.
“Sheriff, this is Detective Clark Christianson,” the man greeted. “I believe you’ve been trying to contact me.”
“Ah, yes,” Givon replied. “I was surprised when I discovered you’d been organizing an investigation in my jurisdiction without the courtesy of a call.”
“Part of the report, Sheriff, is an accusation that your department might not be as law abiding as possible.”
Indignation burned through Givon but he held back on voicing his anger. Then he thought about a way to verify the whereabouts of Merrie Walden.
“Miss Walden was perfectly fine talking with me,” Givon replied blandly.
A slight pause followed.
“You’ve…talked with her?” Detective Christianson asked.
“I did. How else do you think I got your number?”
“I must say, that’s surprising to hear. I was adamant with her and Mr. McClintock to call me if you came by.”
A sliver of satisfaction coursed through him. “Because I might be untrustworthy?”
“To keep her safe.”
“If that’s true, then what are you planning to do with the Demon Devils?”
“Shit,” the detective muttered. “How much do you know?”
“Not everything. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to call your captain to hunt you down.”
“Stay out of this, Sheriff, or I’m going to have to place a call to Division of Criminal Investigation. Wouldn’t want the DCI breathing down your neck, would you?”
“Is that a threat, Detective?”
“It’s a reminder that you’re not being portrayed as squeaky clean in this mess, okay?”
He clicked off, leaving Givon obsessing over that last sentence. Why would a detective from Cheyenne call Merrie Walden’s case a mess?
Chapter Seventeen
Merrie didn’t know what woke her up later that night, but one minute she slept soundly and the next moment she snapped her eyes open. She lay on her side, facing the window. The wind whipped the branches on the tree by the panes. A storm brewed, evident by the rumbles of thunder rolling across the land.
Perhaps that’s what had woken her. She tried to calm her racing heart, but her nerves vibrated with unease. Something was wrong. She didn’t know what it was—only that something was not right in the house. The glowing clock face showed it was close to two in the morning, so she sat up and listened intently.
Cautiously, she rose and slipped on her pants and slippers before going to the door and easing it open. Her heart thundered heavily, even though she didn’t know why. Something just seemed…off.
Storm clouds occluded the moonlight so she moved cautiously down the hallway, feeling her way along. Part of her felt like a fool for being scared. Then she heard a footstep downstairs and the hair rose on the back of her neck. She hurried to the bathroom since it was closest to the stairs and slipped behind the door. The crack where the door hinged provided her a peephole. It was dark, but a moment later, a shadow crept up the stairs until it reached the top, where it hesitated. It first went to Braden’s bedroom and opened the door. Next, it moved farther down the hall. As it drifted from her line of sight, she quietly tiptoed around the door to the stairs and flew down them, staying as silent as possible. Her hands shook and she breathed so shallowly, she feared she might pass out. The only thing that saved her was the knowledge that if she did faint, then the bad guy upstairs was going to get her.
There was no other conclusion except that he was there to hurt her. She didn’t know where Leo was and Braden had gone to the barn, so all she had was herself to rely on. Merrie picked up her keys, being sure not to make a sound. As quietly as possible, she opened the front door and dashed out into the night. The only place she knew of to be completely safe, was the office. Leo’s office could be barricaded, shutting her inside with all the bad guys locked out.
Leo’s truck was gone. That fact barely registered in her brain before she started sprinting down the driveway. Once she got to the edge of the property, she ducked into the tree line and used the darkness as cover. Her heartbeat roared in her ears as her fight-or-flight response urged her to run even faster. Unfortunately, her slippers weren’t that great on the dew-slicked ground. The brewing storm swirled leaves around as she continued as quickly as possible.
Once there, she unlocked the door, her hand shaking so badly she almost dropped her keys. Then she hurried inside and reset the alarm before heading to the phone. She picked it up and hesitated. She didn’t have anyone’s cell number. And she couldn’t call the cops. For all she knew, it might be the sheriff who had snuck into the house. So she decided to wait it out. She was safe, at least for now.
Merrie walked back to Leo’s office and closed the door, locking it before huffing and puffing to move the credenza in front of it. No one would get in now. She sat on the couch and pulled the throw blanket around her shoulders just as she heard a mighty clap of thunder and the sound of rain hitting the roof. She lay on her side and let the sound, as well as the knowledge that no one was going to hurt her, lull her back to sleep.
* * * *
Braden heard his phone ring but he ignored it. When it rang the second time, he reluctantly picked it up.
“Yeah?” he grumbled.
“My emergency call was bogus,” Leo practically shouted at him. “Get to the house and check on Merrie.”
Braden sat up and shook his head, trying to clear away the lingering sleep. “What?”
“My emergency call!” Leo yelled. “It was a fake! I was called away from the house, leaving Merrie alone. Go check on her, Braden!”
Braden didn’t even respond. He jumped from the uncomfortable single bed and grabbed his jeans. Seconds later, he sprinted toward his truck. Everything became a blur as the world narrowed into a single thought—Merrie was in trouble or Merrie could be hurt. If anything were to happen to her…
It seemed to take forever to get back to the house, although it was only a five-minute drive. Braden found the house dark. Foreboding. It had rained briefly, long enough to turn the ground muddy and slick. He jumped from the cab and ran up onto the porch. The first thing he immediately noticed was that the front door was unlocked. His heart gave a painful lurch but he tried to keep the panic at bay. As he stepped inside, he flipped on the entrance light and called out her name.
“Merrie! Merrie, where are you?”
Silence.
He ran upstairs to her bedroom. Her door stood open. Inside, he discovered her bed empty. He spun and began going through the whole house.
; “Merrie!”
Quiet reigned.
He ran downstairs, almost sliding out of control when he reached the bottom. Braden headed into the back of the house where the laundry room was located and stopped dead in his tracks. The back door hung open and the gouged wood around the door lock, as well as a puddle of water inside the threshold, told the story.
Someone had broken in. Someone had come inside their home and Merrie was missing. The two images warred in his brain, causing fear to constrict his lungs until all he wanted to do was hit something.
Rocks crunch and sprayed as a set of tires slammed to a halt. Boots rang across the porch and a second later, Leo called out.
“Merrie! Braden!”
“Back here, Leo,” he said, his voice sounding a little wobbly to his own ears.
The front door slammed shut behind him and a second later, Leo came to a halt next to him. “Where’s Merrie?”
Braden pointed at the door. “Look. Crowbar marks.”
“Shit!” Leo muttered. “Merrie?”
Braden shook his head. “Not here.”
Leo pushed the door open farther and flipped on the back light. The earlier rain had erased any footprints.
“So this happened before the storm,” Leo stated needlessly. “Do you think…Axe was here? That he took her?”
“I don’t know,” Braden growled as he stomped back toward the front door. Helplessness raged through him and he hated feeling so impotent. His mind raced in so many directions it had given him a headache. All he wanted was bury his face in Merrie’s neck and never let her go. Dear God, what had possessed him to think he could just push his affections for her aside?
“The keys!” Leo cried. “Her keys are gone.”
“The office.” Braden took off running to his truck with Leo on his heels. Braden’s heart hammered out hope. She had to be there! She just had to, because if she wasn’t… Well, he didn’t want to dwell on what that would mean.
Dread swarmed in his chest as he sped like a bat out of Hell, eating the half-mile distance as if it was nothing then skidding to a halt in front of the office. Leo jumped out and unlocked the door, barely managing to shut off the alarm as Braden pressed in after him.
Darkness shrouded the office. Silent. A tomb.
“Merrie!” Braden shouted.
Leo flipped on the lights before gesturing Braden to follow him. He hurried toward his office, Braden on his heels. When Leo tried to open his office door, the doorknob wouldn’t turn.
“It’s locked,” Leo stated. “I never lock this door.” He spared a quick, hopeful look at Braden before banging on the door.
“Merrie! Are you in there? Open up. It’s me and Braden.”
The faintest noise penetrated through the thick wood then Merrie called out.
“Yes,” she said, her voice muffled. “Wait. I moved your credenza in front of the door.”
Relief poured through Braden, turning his knees weak. He had to use the wall to hold him up so he didn’t collapse. Scraping and grunting followed then the lock clicked. As soon as the door swung open, he pushed Leo aside and swept her into his arms.
She stiffened, and for a moment, he thought she would push him away. But then she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him as tightly as he was squeezing her.
“Oh, my God,” he whispered in her ear. “I was so scared, Merrie. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Shh,” she soothed. “You found me.”
Braden let her go so Leo could hug her. She closed her eyes as she rested against his chest. Seeing her nestled in his brother’s arms brought up a wealth of tender emotions in Braden, emotions he’d previously run from. But the thought that something could’ve happened to Merrie, that someone could’ve taken her from them, brought what really mattered into crystal-clear clarity.
“Did you see who it was?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I heard a noise and hid. I knew if I could make it here, I’d be safe. So I snuck out and ran.”
He shared a dark look with Leo. Never again would they leave her alone, leave her defenseless. His stubbornness had almost gotten her hurt or worse—killed.
“Let’s go home,” he said.
She peeked at him. “All of us?”
He nodded. “Yes. All of us.”
Leo turned off the lights and reset the alarm to lock up. Merrie sat between them and Braden reached out and linked his fingers with hers. He was done fighting a battle he was never going to win anyway.
When they got home, Merrie walked them through what had happened and how she’d slipped out, knowing the office would be the only safe place until both of them showed up. They searched the house and discovered nothing missing, so the only conclusion Braden could draw was the fact that the intruder had indeed been after Merrie.
They nailed the back door shut and locked the front door. Merrie took a table chair and jammed it against the doorknob. Braden knew she needed the security right now so he didn’t say a word. And once everything was secure, he saw the relief sweep over her face.
“Are you going to be all right?” he asked.
“He knows where I am,” she said. “I’m no longer safe.”
“We’ll figure this out,” Leo replied, hugging her. “We should call Givon. He’s the sheriff and he’ll be able to help us find this man.”
“How can we trust him?” she asked.
“We have to trust someone, Merrie.”
She nodded. “Okay. I found a picture of the other man, the one with the long beard. And I called Detective Christianson but he never answered.”
“We’ll call again first thing in the morning,” Braden affirmed. “But right now I need to tell you how sorry I am for my behavior. I was pushing you away because—”
She placed a finger over his lips. “It’s okay, Braden. I get it. Yes, there is an age gap between us and I understand the hesitancy on your part. Even though I’m only twenty-three, I’m not a little girl.”
“Believe me, I do know that.” He took her hand in his. “When I thought something had happened to you, I…I panicked. I was afraid I wouldn’t have the chance to tell you that I’m…I’m falling for you.”
She smiled tenderly. “I know. I feel the same way.”
“I’m scared,” he whispered. “I’m afraid if I fall in love with you, you’ll leave.”
She encircled his waist with her arms and hugged him tightly. He had to admit that she felt good pressed up against him, as if she were a pillar of strength. And maybe she was, because she wasn’t laughing at him. She wasn’t running away. She might be tiny compared to him, but she had more strength than anyone he knew.
“I’m terrified too,” she admitted softly. “Panicked that you’ll push me away before I can prove that my age is just a number. It doesn’t define who I am or what I want.”
“What do you want?” he asked huskily.
“You—and Leo.” She looked at his brother. “Both of you. I realize this is unconventional and illogical, and hell, probably impractical, but there’s not a way to separate both of you from my heart.”
Leo leaned over and kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Let’s go with the illogical. The impractical. The unconventional. Tam Apo is wise in his judgment.”
Merrie took his hand and—while still holding onto Braden—began walking with them to the stairs. Her toffee-colored eyes shone with love, with a hint of wickedness shining through. Braden thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen and willingly followed her.
Chapter Eighteen
Braden placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her to his body. She rested her hands on his chest, feeling his heat burning through his shirt, his muscles rippling with every breath he drew. Leo moved in behind her, effectively sandwiching her between their two rock-hard bodies. Have one in front of her and one behind her rendered Merrie thoughtless. Before she could gather her wits and process what was happening, Braden swooped down and covered her mouth with his.
&
nbsp; As he probed her mouth with his tongue, an electrical current charged throughout her body. Voracious, he took everything she had to give and demanded more. Her juices leaked between her legs as need pumped hot and heavy through her blood.
Leo slid his hand around her to unbutton and unzip her jeans. He smoothed her pants over her hips then tugged her panties down. She wiggled her hips to help him. Bending, he took her shoes off and helped her step out of the ring of her clothes, leaving her naked from the waist down. Braden continued kissing her but he had to break away when Leo pulled her T-shirt up. Seconds later, her bra joined the pile of discarded clothing.
She couldn’t help moaning when Leo brushed his fingers through the curls around her pussy lips. She knew she was already wet. Just the thought of her two men making love to her urged her juices to overflow. Leo made an appreciative growl when he discovered how wet she was.
Braden broke the kiss and stepped back. He undressed, maintaining eye contact with her. First he teased her with his shirt, unbuttoning it slowly. The material slipped down his arms, billowing slightly as it fell. He pulled his boots off before working on his pants. Good Lord, the man was giving her a heart attack with his little strip-tease. By the time he bared his cock, all she wanted to do was lick him.
As she readied herself to do just that, he spun her around and she was forced to watch Leo do the same disrobing show—lust torture times two. Leo climbed onto the bed then beckoned to her with his index finger. She obeyed, following him on hands and knees over the mattress.
Braden’s hand on her head alerted her to what he wanted her to do. Happily, she bent forward to engulf Leo’s cock with her mouth. The position thrust her ass out and Braden positioned her legs a little wider. Movement on the bed jostled her slightly then Braden settled his head between her legs and started licking her.
Dear heavenly God! She straddled his face as he made a feast of her. Leo kept thrusting his cock slowly, gently, into her mouth and he held her face still as he face-fucked her. She loved giving head, loved having the power over a man, but she’d never been in this position before of giving and getting at the same time. Her brain and body sailed into euphoria as she let Leo take control. Still, she managed to use her tongue over his sensitive shaft, kissing the hole as she sucked him in.
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