by Avery Gale
Doc Woods met them at the emergency room entrance, barking instructions as they quickly wheeled both women into a single large examination room with two bays in order for him to better treat them both simultaneously.
“Update me,” he bellowed at the EMTs who’d brought the women in. Listening as he worked, he frowned then asked, “Never regained consciousness during the ride down the mountain?” Shit, that’s quite a drive, and I know that bus wouldn’t be the fastest sled around.
* * * *
The Club had been cleared quickly. The Masquerade would have to be rescheduled for a later date. Looking around the waiting room, Dylan had to wonder if the annual bash hadn’t just been relocated. He shook his head at some of the outfits he’d bet had rarely been worn outside of a fetish club. Thank God some of The Club members were community leaders. Maybe he wouldn’t be getting calls about this for the next month after all. If the situation wasn’t so damned dire, he might even find some humor in the fact that most of the Town Council was sitting around in little more than underwear under their coats and jackets. God, but I love this town and its crazy, quirky citizens. Well hell, there is never a dull moment, that’s for sure.
Katarina Lamont came bouncing, literally, through the automatic doors and headed toward him like the heat-seeking missile he knew she could be. At least her husbands, Alex and Zach, were on either side of her, and even though they had very little real control over her, they did seem to be able to distract her most of the time. And wonder of blessings, Jenna Lamont was right behind her, Colt Matthews nearly jogging to keep up with her. Damn pixies, neither of them are much over five feet tall, how the hell can they walk that fast? Katarina reached him first. “How are they? Have you seen them yet? Is Doc Woods here? Have they done a CT scan or MRI yet? When will they be moved upstairs? Did they regain consciousness in the ambulance on the way in?” He was amazed she hadn’t fainted into a heap from lack of oxygen, how did the woman talk and never breathe anyway? She paused about a half a beat before frowning, crossing her arms over her rounded baby bump and tapping her tiny little foot at him before speaking in that impertinent tone he knew drove her husbands both to distraction. “Well? Are you just going to stand there looking like I’m speaking Pekinese to you, or are you going to answer me?”
Finally Alex stepped up and took her elbow. “Love, I think you have overwhelmed Dylan a bit, perhaps if you’d ask your questions one at a time, it might be more conducive to a conversation, hmmmm? How about we all go over there and sit down and Dylan can update everybody at the same time.” Leading her toward a chair as she muttered about “Damned bossy men…not made of glass for Christ’s sake…Nobody ever tells me anything anymore…” Jenna grabbed her sister-in-law’s free hand and helped Alex move her over to a nearby sofa.
Dylan smiled and shook his head, looking over at Zach, who was watching the scene with eyes filled with love and mischief. “Damned but she is so much fun to live with, never even have to turn on the television for entertainment anymore, ought to just sell it.” He chuckled then turned to Dylan and grasped his shoulder. “She’ll be okay, man, you’ll see. They’re both strong women, this place has the best equipment available. We’ve already got a neurologist from Denver on standby in case it’s necessary. We’re all here for you, don’t forget that. Now, why don’t you update everybody on what you know so far?”
Dylan turned to face everyone in the room and took a calming breath before speaking in a steady voice. “I really don’t know all that much at this time. I spoke with Doc briefly just after we arrived. Melita has a gunshot wound to her shoulder, but it went through clean and didn’t hit anything major. She’ll need surgery to repair the damage, and they’ve already called in a specialist, and he’ll be here shortly.” He paused for several seconds before continuing. He was dreading relaying the more difficult information. “It appears the gunman was aiming for Rissa and Melita jumped in front of her to shield her. Had either of them taken the shot where it was intended…well, it looks like it would have been a clean heart shot.” He heard the gasps from those around the room. You got it, the SOB had intended to kill Rissa, no doubt about that.
“The bullet appears to still be lodged in Rissa’s upper chest. It’s likely Melita knocked her just enough off balance that the bullet didn’t hit her in the center of the chest. Rissa’s gunshot wound isn’t a life-threatening injury either, and she’ll be having surgery to remove the bullet as soon as they can do it safely.” He paused briefly, looking over at Mitch and Bryant with compassion before he continued. “The overriding concern with both women is their possible head injuries and brain swelling. So far, they don’t see any indicators of brain trauma, but those can take several hours to develop so they will be closely monitored.” Dylan stopped and just stood looking out over the heads of the people gathered, trying to rein in his worst fears and remember it hadn’t really been that long since they’d been hurt, but knowing every minute they remained unconscious, the dangers and risks increased.
“What did Doc Woods say? Have the specialists arrived yet? Alex, Zach, have you called our parents yet? Do you have the jet and chopper standing by?” Jenna’s voice sounded strained, and she appeared to be as tightly wound as Katarina. Colt stepped forward then knelt in front of her, wrapping his arms around her shaking shoulders, pulling her into his warm embrace.
When she started to hyperventilate, he pulled back so that she faced him. When her eyes didn’t come up to his, he spoke quietly to her. “Jenna, look at me.” When she still couldn’t bring her focus back to him, he spoke more firmly, using the Dom tone he knew she always responded to. “Pet, look at me right now.” Her eyes immediately met his. Mine, she is mine, all mine. God, but I love this woman with everything in me. I can’t wait to collar and then marry her. “Good girl, now breathe with me, nice and slow.” It only took a few seconds for her to settle down. “Very good, now, let’s hear the rest of what Dylan has to say, shall we?” With that, he picked her up and sat her on his lap so that her back rested against his chest and his arms stayed wrapped firmly around her chest, anchoring her with his warmth and support.
Dylan continued. “They are both still unconscious, and that is not a good sign, but we’re holding on to the hope that the combination of fear, being shot, and falling one on top of the other onto a concrete surface…Well, hell…Please say prayers for them both.” He turned on his heel and walked out into the hall knowing Mitch Grayson and Bryant Davis were right behind him. Without even looking back, he simply said, “Follow me.” His voice was gruff with emotion, but he knew the other men wouldn’t be able to settle in the waiting room until they’d seen Rissa for themselves. Mitch had been trying to claim the elusive little redhead for a year or more and Bryant was drowning in guilt for letting her walk out the door without an escort.
* * * *
Melita felt like she was listening to a conversation from underwater, must have been deep, too, judging from the feeling of pressure on her chest, and her head felt like a freight train was rumbling through it. Straining to make out the words, she knew one of the voices made her feel safe while the other didn’t sound familiar to her. “No, I’m staying here again tonight, I have deputies to cover for me. I’m not leaving her alone. Her cover has been compromised, she isn’t safe. Doc doesn’t know why she isn’t awake yet, I can’t even tell you how worried I am about that. Goddamn it, Alex, she was right there, right within my reach and now she may slip through my fingers yet again.” She’d recognize Dylan Marshall’s voice anywhere, the low timbre, the rough edge even in his lightest moments teetered on the edge of the role of Dominant that he filled so well. God, she had missed him and the lifestyle they had enjoyed together. Her love for him had never been in question. Vowing that if she ever surfaced, she’d tell him what a foolish mistake she’d made, she let herself drift back into the inky blackness.
* * * *
Mitch and Bryant stood on opposite sides of Rissa’s bed staring down at the fragile woman lying too sti
ll. “Jesus, could they plug her in to anything else?” Mitch’s exasperated question was rhetorical, but eerily echoed Bryant’s exact thoughts. Bryant had always been awed by Mitch Grayson’s special gift, but he’d understood the inherent challenges it presented also. They’d spent many nights on the deck at Pomola watching the river making its way down to the mountain valley below, drinking beer, and talking about anything and everything, including their views on long-term ménages. They had known it would take a very special woman, one who ignited electricity in both of them, and without even speaking the words, they knew that woman was lying right between them.
“Letting her walk out that back door alone will haunt me until my last breath, brother.” The sadness in Bryant’s voice had Mitch looking up at his friend. When Bryant looked up, Mitch’s eyes held nothing but compassion. Bryant Davis had been a geeky college freshman trying to find his way around a campus larger than his entire hometown when Mitch Grayson had seemed to materialize out of nowhere with answers to questions Bryant hadn’t even had the courage to ask. Bryant had laughed to himself many times about how he’d wondered if the other man could read his mind, as it turned out, that wasn’t all that far off from the truth. “Her beautiful green eyes sucked me right in. God, what a bonehead mistake! Christ, Mitch, I fucking know the rules. I knew what all was going down, all the extra security in place that night.” Sighing and running a frustrated hand through his hair before continuing, he added, “I nearly fell into her gaze. All I could think about was how much I wanted her and that she obviously belonged to someone else. Fuck.”
Mitch understood how Rissa could scramble a man’s thinking. Hell, she’d been wrecking havoc with his for nearly eighteen months. His voice was low but strong, his words sounding more certain than he felt. “Hang in there, she’s going to be fine. The bullet is out, and she’ll have to do some rehab on her shoulder, but we’ll have fun helping with that and the massages afterward.” Smiling down at Rissa, he was struck by how small she really looked lying there. Her personality was always so large, it was easy to forget how truly tiny she was. He knew some of the staff referred to her as Tink, short for Tinkerbell and it was certainly an appropriate nickname.
“I have to tell you though, when she is all healed up, we’ll be having a serious session on a spanking bench, she’s racked up some rather significant punishments.” His soft expression and warm voice were a contrast to his words. Oh, he’d make her pay all right, but it wasn’t going to be as much about punishment as it was about getting his hands on her sweet body.
Leaning down right near Rissa’s ear, Mitch’s voice was pitched low and full of authority. “Clarissa, you need to wake up and face the music, sweetheart. You have some serious explaining to do. Master Bryant and I are waiting to hear what you have to say. Alex and Zach are also waiting for your explanation. If you don’t come back soon, I’m going to let Katarina in here, and you don’t want that, do you?” Smiling up at Bryant, he said, “You haven’t met Alex and Zach’s pregnant tornado yet, have you? She’s their wife and sub, well, at least she lets them think she’s a sub.” He chuckled to himself and then his eyes widened and his grin spread clear across his face as he watched Rissa’s grass-green eyes flutter open and her mouth twitch into a smile.
Her mouth felt like she’d eaten all the stuffing out of a good-sized sofa, blah! She blinked at the bright rays of the setting sun that were streaming in through the window of her room. Bryant immediately closed the shades and dimmed the room lights so the bright light wouldn’t aggravate the headache he was sure she’d have after that nasty fall. The goose egg on the back of her head had been so bad old Doc Woods had brought in a donut pillow for her. “Awww, sweetheart, welcome back. We’ve been mighty worried about you.” Mitch was speaking to her so sweetly, and his knuckles softly caressing her cheek were the most soothing thing she thought she’d ever felt.
“C–can I have a d–drink? My mouth is so dry, and my throat hurts.” She felt tears stinging her eyes, damn her throat was so sore and her head was throbbing. “What happened? Where am I?” She turned her head just slightly and when she made eye contact with Bryant, she gasped in surprise.
Bryant just stood perfectly still and watched as her mouth formed an O and then her face flushed bright red. Oh yeah, babe, you know exactly who I am and that you are in big trouble, oh little one, this is gonna be a mighty fine ride, indeed.
* * * *
When Mia finally opened her eyes, the room was dim, but the first thing she noticed was that there was a very large warm body lying next to her. God, she’d recognize Dylan’s unique scent anywhere, all dark musk and clean outdoors. She had no sooner opened her eyes and looked toward him than he came instantly wide awake and smiled a lazy smile and his drawled, “Well hello, darlin’, glad to see you finally decided to return to me,” warmed her heart through. Mia knew his words held a wealth of double meaning, and for the life of her, she couldn’t think of a single reason to protest.
“I love you, I’ve always loved you.” She felt the first tear slide over and trace down her temple by the time she continued. “I just couldn’t wait another second to tell you. I’ve made some very selfish decisions, but I never stopped loving you.” She searched his face for any thread of hesitation or anger and saw nothing but sincerity and hope for the future reflecting the depth of love she’d walked away from. She’d hurt him so badly she had had no idea how she was ever going to be able to make it up to him.
“I know, I heard it all, and you aren’t slipping away from me again, my sweet love. As soon as you get the all clear from Doc, we’re heading out for some much needed R & R. I need to know you are safe while some things are wrapped up here, but more than that, I just need you. I’ll always need you. Why I let you go so easily is a mystery I’ll never unravel. I think I was just so stunned my brain went into neutral and didn’t reengage for almost a year. And by that time you were so deep undercover I couldn’t get to you.” Dylan was gently stroking her silky hair back from her face, his touch tender, but his callused fingertips were sending sparks of desire pulsing through her entire body. Oh boy, some things never change, his touch still sets off a five-alarm panty drenching.
Mia was looking at him as if he held her entire world in his palms, God how he’d missed this sweet woman. Fire and ice, he’d always teased her that she was fire in bed and ice on the job, an irresistible combination, there was not a single thing he hadn’t loved about her. His total devotion and deep love had made her sudden decision to divorce him even more devastating. Had he been able to really step back and analyze the situation, he would have known something was seriously wrong. And he’d have never signed those fucking papers that night, but the time for looking back was over. He knew he was going to have to tell her that Petrov had eluded them and that her career with the DEA was all but over, but right at this moment, he just wanted to touch her, to make sure she knew exactly where she belonged…and to whom.
Chapter 33
One week later
“I could lie on this beach forever and never be ready to leave.” Mia had been released two days after she’d finally awakened, and it hadn’t taken Dylan and the Lamonts long to whisk her to the nearest airstrip and deposit her safely out of harm’s way. Oh, she knew she’d have to return sometime soon, that she’d never be truly safe until Petrov was dead or buried so deep in some godforsaken federal prison he didn’t have a prayer of ever seeing the light of day. But for now, she was going to enjoy her time with Dylan. They’d found a small chapel and remarried quietly the second night after they’d arrived. She’d heard Dylan talking to Alex and Zach’s wife, Kat, assuring her that yes, she could plan and host a reception after their return. Smiling to herself, she thought that those few words were about all he’d be able to get in edgewise. She could hardly wait to see Kat again. She felt like she was starting her new life and would have an old friend already waiting in the wings.
“What are you smiling about? You have a cat-that-swallowed-the-canary
grin that always worries me.” Dylan chuckled and reached over from his lounger next to hers and squeezed her hand.
“I was just thinking about Kat and how glad I am that I’m going to already have a girlfriend when we return to Climax. Kat was always so timid when I’d see her with Cal Robertson, but from what I overheard of your conversation with her, it sounds as if she’s come out of her shell.” Mia had laughed at Kat’s high-pitched scream when Dylan had told her they’d already remarried and during his multiple attempts to assure her that she would still get to play hostess.
Dylan returned Mia’s smile. “Oh, indeed, Mrs. Katarina Lamont might be small, but she packs a powerful punch. Hell, both Alex and Zach have always been two of the strictest Doms at their Club, but rest assured that little bit of a woman leads them on a merry chase. And if Grayson is right and she’s carrying multiples, oh hell, this is going to be priceless to watch.” They lay back in companionable silence for a long time, just enjoying each other’s company and the sound of the waves beating against the white sandy beach. The soft breeze carried the sweet scent of orchids and the gentle strains of an acoustic guitar playing in the lounge a few yards up the beach.