Loving Sanctuary [Slick Rock 12] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Becca Van

  Trick came out fully dressed and, after nodding to the door, left for the kitchen. Trent didn’t want to leave her, but he and his brothers had a lot to discuss and they needed to contact Luke. They needed to find out everything they could about Sabrina Brown and as quickly as possible.

  Trick was already on his cell when he entered the kitchen, and he didn’t need to ask who his brother was talking to.

  “So you found nothing?” Trick frowned and then sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Damn. Okay, we’ll have to talk to her when she’s better.” He paused to listen. “Yeah, I’ll let you know as soon as I find out anything. Thanks, Luke.”

  “She’s not on the run from the law, is she?” Trent stated more than asked.

  “No.”

  “Then who the hell is she running from?”

  Trick shrugged. “How the hell am I supposed to know? You know damn well that we haven’t been able to talk to her yet.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Trent scrubbed a hand down his face with frustration.

  “We need to protect her,” Tristan said as he looked toward the doorway. “She’s such a little thing. We can’t let anyone hurt her.”

  “No,” Trick said.

  Then Tristan decided to ask the question that had been circling around in his mind from the moment he’d seen Sabrina, and had been on the tip of his tongue when Trick had carried her into the master bedroom. “She’s the one, isn’t she?”

  “She could be,” Trick replied. “But don’t you two go pushing her. We don’t want her running away. You could fuck everything up if you get impatient.”

  Trent knew he was right. He and Tristan were always impatient, because when they saw something they wanted, nothing stopped them from getting it. But this time was different. He’d never been instantly attracted to a woman before, not like he was with Sabrina, nor had his brothers. Of course they’d been drawn to other women and had enticed them into their beds with those women’s consent, before making sure they knew it wasn’t permanent and was just for a good time. But this was way more than that. It was so different to anything he’d experienced before. They’d never taken a stranger in because she was sick or hurt. Although needless to say, they had stopped to help if women needed assistance because they didn’t like seeing any woman or child in trouble.

  The need to nurture and hold Sabrina was a yearning deep in his heart and soul. One he’d never harbored before. However, the need to protect her was a craving deep in his gut, almost like a living entity, and one he wasn’t about to ignore.

  The stunning woman in their master bedroom was all of his hopes and dreams, and he wasn’t about to let her go, not if he could help it. And from the resolute look on Tristan’s face, he felt the same way. Hopefully, when Sabrina had recovered from the flu, they could talk her into staying with them.

  From what they’d heard her mutter, that wasn’t going to be easy. She was going to be wary, and it was going to take time to gain her trust. He wanted to know who she was running from and why, and he and his brothers, plus the rest of the men in this town, would gather and watch and wait. Trent, Tristan, and Trick would be there to stand in front of her if necessary, and if everything else went to plan they would stand at her sides for the rest of their lives.

  Trent was brought out of his introspection when Tris nudged his elbow and handed him a beer. He took a sip and then glanced over at Trick. His older brother was glancing from him to Tris and back again.

  “Did you hear me?” Trick asked.

  “Yeah, I heard. Don’t worry, I know how important this is,” Trent said.

  “So do I.” Tristan leaned against the kitchen counter and swigged at his beer. “Did Luke have any information on her?”

  “Other than what we got off of her driver’s license, no.”

  “What about family?” Trent asked. “Did he find any?”

  “No. She’s alone,” Trick replied.

  “Damn.” Trent sighed. “That must be hard. She’s only twenty-four.”

  Trick and Tristan both nodded.

  “Luke was going to see if he could get a phone number for the address on her license and call it. He was worried that she could be running from a man.”

  “Fuck!” Trent wanted to slam his beer bottle onto the counter with frustration, but he didn’t. He placed it down gently before meeting Trick’s gaze again. “I hadn’t even thought about her having a man in her life. Jesus, I don’t even want to think about her being kissed, touched by—”

  “Stop it, Trent,” Trick snapped. “You’re getting too far ahead. We don’t know anything about this woman, and until we do she’s off limits. Understand?”

  “No, I don’t understand.” Trent stepped closer to Trick and got in his face. “She’s not married or engaged. There are no rings on her fingers.”

  Tristan stepped between them and shoved them apart. “Calm the hell down, Trent. You know as well as I do that means nothing in this day and age. Trick’s right. Until we know more she’s off limits.”

  “When did you decide to align yourself with Mr. Hard-ass?”

  “Shit, Trent. Stop thinking with your dick,” Tristan said.

  “My dick has nothing to do with it.” Trent moved around the counter and sat on a stool. “Well, maybe a little, but not all.”

  Tristan snorted and smiled, and then all three of them were laughing. They had always been like that. Snapping and snarling at each other until someone said something to break the ice and then they laughed to ease the tension.

  If anyone saw them they’d probably think they were nuts.

  Trent couldn’t wait to see what Sabrina thought.

  Chapter Three

  She groaned as she slowly began to wake, her hand sliding across cool cotton as if searching for something. “Why do I feel so bad?” she muttered.

  Sabrina felt like shit. Her body was achy, she had a headache, and her nose and her eyes were starting to run. When she opened her eyes and looked around, she found herself in a strange bedroom and bed. She shifted and realized that she wasn’t wearing her clothes anymore and wondered what had happened. Her brow scrunched as she frowned and tried to remember how she’d gotten to wherever she was.

  The last thing she remembered was eating apple pie and drinking coffee at the diner. After that everything was blank. She hadn’t felt well but had put it down to not eating or sleeping, but from the way she was feeling, she guessed she’d been wrong.

  She caught the sound of men’s voices and decided it was time to find out what the hell was going on. When she flung the covers aside and saw the large T-shirt covering her body, she gasped. She only had her panties on besides the shirt. Had they seen her nearly naked body? Heat suffused her cheeks, but she pushed her embarrassment aside. Maybe whoever had removed her clothes had done it to make her more comfortable. She was thankful because there was nothing worse than sleeping in her clothes as far as she was concerned.

  Her head swam for a moment as she pushed to her feet, and she sighed with relief when it settled again. She headed to the door on the other side of the bed and gasped with awe when she saw the massive bathroom. It was so damn big she could nearly have had a party in it. The shower was huge with multiple shower heads, and the spa bath was big enough for about six people. There were three sinks in the vanity, and a mirror took up the whole wall above it. It was beautiful, and she could just see herself relaxing in that bath, soaking her aches and pains away.

  Sab walked to the door near the shower and was pleased to find a toilet enclosed. After using the facilities and washing her hands she found a new toothbrush. She quickly brushed her teeth and then decided to go find whoever owned the house, and find out where she was. But first she needed to cover up. When she saw her clothes on the small sofa against the far wall, she walked over to them and pulled her sweater and jeans on. There was no way she was confronting anyone without a bit of armor in place. She’d never been comfortable showing her wares to anyone, and she wasn’t about to do i
t now.

  The timber floor was cool under her bare feet, and she took in her surroundings as she walked slowly toward the voices. There were four bedrooms, and she noticed that they were neat and tidy. The last bedroom she passed had a few clothes draped over the dresser, but there was nothing on the floor and the bed was made like the other two.

  The living room was huge. The furniture was large with a navy-blue leather sofa and reclining armchairs off to either side. A chunky wooden coffee table sat over a colorful navy-and-green rug. The flat-screen TV on the wall was ginormous, and from the look of the stereo equipment it was all the latest stuff. It was set in a long, low entertainment unit, and there were surround-sound speakers hanging in strategic places on the walls.

  She placed her hand on the wall separating the entryway from the living room as she wobbled, but sighed as she steadied and continued on. Sab loved the artwork on the wall, and when she saw a photo she changed direction and headed over to it.

  Three men stood with their arms around each other’s shoulders. Two of them were on either side of the guy in the middle, who looked a couple of years older, and the two on the outside of him had to be twins. They were all handsome and fit, and she felt her breasts tingle as they responded to their good-looking faces and brawny bodies, and she muttered under her breath at the unusual reaction.

  When she heard laughing, she turned away from the photo and followed that sound. She noticed another hallway at the far side of the living room, which she guessed led to more bedrooms, but right now she needed to see who had taken her in. That was the only reason she could think of as to why she had woken up in someone’s bedroom. Someone had kindly taken her in when she’d gotten sick. At least she hoped that was the way of it, because if it wasn’t, she could be in deep shit.

  Sab hesitated outside the kitchen door and listened to their deep, rumbling voices. She had a feeling she was about to encounter the three men she’d seen in the photo, and even though she was nervous, she took a deep breath, pushed her shoulders back, and stepped into the doorway. Nothing could have prepared her for seeing them in real life. They were all so tall, inches over six feet, and so damn handsome that her breath caught in her throat, choking her.

  She covered her mouth when she started coughing, and the three men’s gazes immediately zeroed in on her. The one on the stool slid off and rushed to her side. He pulled her into his arms and started patting her on the back.

  “Are you okay, honey? What are you doing out of bed?” His deep voice rumbled against her ear, and shivers wracked her body. Her blood heated and so did her cheeks.

  When she was finally able to stop coughing and pulled out of his arms, she was relieved that he let her go. The man’s twin came up to stand beside his brother, and then he reached out and clasped her hand in his. His hand was so large it completely engulfed hers, and she couldn’t believe how warm it felt against hers. But that wasn’t all. When both of the men touched her, her body responded.

  “Come and sit down, Sabrina. You really shouldn’t be out of bed.” He led her over to the table positioned on the other side of the room and pulled out a chair for her.

  “Who are you?” she asked in a raspy voice. “Where am I?”

  The three men sat down at the table. The twins took the seats either side of her, and the other man sat across from her. He was the one who started speaking. “My name is Trick Wendall, and these are my brothers Trent and Tristan. You’re still in Slick Rock, but when you got sick and passed out, we decided to help you out and bring you home with us so you could recuperate.”

  “The doctor came and checked you over,” Trent said. “You have the flu, honey.”

  “Thank you.” She covered her mouth and coughed and then sniffed. “You wouldn’t have any tissues handy, would you?”

  Tristan got to his feet and hurried over to a sideboard she hadn’t noticed, grabbed a box of tissues, and set them on the table in front of her. She grabbed a couple and blew her nose, and then when she spied the trash, she got up and disposed of them. She went to the sink and washed her hands.

  “Do you want something to eat or drink?”

  Sabrina spun around to find Trick leaning against the counter nearby. “Do you have any orange juice?”

  He nodded, walked to the fridge, and got out the juice and then a glass from a cupboard, before pouring it into a glass and handing it to her.

  “Thanks.” Sabrina downed half the glass before coming up for air.

  Trick clasped her wrist to hold the glass steady, topped it up, and then released her again then put the juice back in the fridge. He guided her back to the table, and she sighed when she sat down. She was feeling a little better but still had achy joints and a runny nose. She grabbed more tissues and wiped it.

  “How are you feeling, Sabrina?” Tristan asked.

  “Okay. I’m a little achy and my nose is runny, but other than that I’m fine.”

  “You had a really high fever. We had to put you in the bath to lower it,” Trent said. “It seems to have done the trick.” He placed his hand over her forehead and then winked at her before removing it again. “The fever’s gone, sweetheart.”

  Her face heated when she realized that they had indeed seen her naked, but they had done it for medical reasons and not just to ogle her body.

  “How do you know my name?”

  “We found your wallet in your purse,” Trick answered. “The doc needed to know if you had any medical conditions or if you were allergic to something.” He leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face, and from his expression he looked a little guilty. “The sheriff ran a check on you.”

  It took a moment for those words to compute, but when they did, fear formed and lodged in her chest. She jumped to her feet and stumbled back. If Trent hadn’t jumped up and snagged an arm around her waist she would have fallen over the chair behind her. She clutched at his arm and tried to get her terror under control, but she was breathing too fast, and because she was still unwell, dark spots formed in front of her eyes.

  “Shh, honey, you’re safe. Hold your breath for a moment and then exhale.” Trent shifted her in his arms until she was standing side-on to his body and his hand rubbed up and down her back. “Good girl, now breathe out. There you go.”

  Sabrina leaned against him as her legs turned to mush. If he hadn’t been holding her, she would have landed on the floor at his feet. She squeaked and gripped his shirt when he swept her up into his arms, and then he sat back down at the table, plonking her in his lap.

  Her frantic mind began to slow, as did her heartbeat and breathing, and she was able to think a little more coherently.

  “Why did you call the sheriff? You have no idea what you’ve done. He’s going to come here and I’m going to die.” Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over. Sabrina cursed her weakness, but she was so tired, everything was catching up with her, and being sick on top of it all, well, that didn’t help.

  She grabbed at the tissues and pulled some from the box, and buried her face in them. She tried so damn hard to stop crying, but the more she tried the harder it was. The tears seemed to flow from her eyes faster, and then she started sobbing. She was embarrassed over her emotional display, but the turmoil which had been roiling inside of her obviously needed to come out. She was aware of the silence and Trent’s hand caressing up and down her back, over her head and hair, but she kept her cheek pressed against his chest and her eyes closed.

  She didn’t want to see the expressions on their faces. She’d heard how a woman’s tears could make men uncomfortable, but that was the least of her worries right now. She didn’t know what to do. She had no way of getting away from Slick Rock until the next bus out of town, and from what the bus driver had said that was at least a week from now. Oh, why didn’t I ask where I was going? I’ve probably put these kind people in danger, too.

  Finally her tears slowed, as did the sobs, until she was hiccupping. She reached for more tissues, keeping her gaze down, wiped h
er face, blew her nose, and then hopped up to discard the used tissues in the trash, and then she took the time to wash her hands at the sink again. By the time she was finished, she felt a little more in control and gazed at her reflection in the window over the sink. She couldn’t really see herself properly but she didn’t really need to. She sighed as she envisaged her red, bloodshot eyes, red nose, and shiny cheeks, but since there was nothing she could do about that, she mentally shrugged her shoulders and then made her way back to the table.

  This time when she sat down, she took the seat at the end of the table. Now that she didn’t have a man either side of her and one directly across from her she felt less hemmed in. She raised her head and jutted her chin out with attitude, just daring them to say anything about her breakdown, and waited.

  She flinched when Trick’s chair scraped on the floor as he pushed it back, and she watched as he got up, walked down the table, and took the seat to her left. He reached out, gripped her wrist, and placed her hand on the table palm up. The tip of his finger traced the lines of her hand, tickling her skin, but she didn’t laugh. She was a little uncomfortable about having him touch her since they’d only just met, but she didn’t say anything. He finally looked up and locked his brown eyes with hers.

  “You’re not going to die, Sabrina. My brothers and I will do everything we can to protect you.” He released her from his gaze when he looked back down at her palm. “See this line here?” He traced the tip of his finger of the line, and she gasped when her hand began to tingle and goose bumps broke out all over her skin. “This is supposed to be your life line. From what I can see you haven’t lived near long enough to be facing death.”

  Sabrina tried to pull her hand away, but his grip on her wrist tightened.

  “You’re going to have to tell us everything so we can keep you safe.” Trick’s words were a demand, but she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to get him and his brothers involved in her problems.

  She shook her head, and this time when she tugged at her hand he let her go. “The best thing I could do is to leave.”