by Becca Van
Tristan sat beside Sabrina and nudged her arm gently. “Do you want some more juice, baby?”
“No, thanks, but a cup of coffee would be nice.”
Tristan got up and hurried over to the freshly brewed pot and came back to the large table with mugs, cream, and sugar. Luke sat in the seat across from Sab, and Damon sat beside him. Both of them glanced at her, but she didn’t acknowledge them. Once more she was staring, but this time at the tabletop since he’d removed the empty glass.
He took a seat beside her, and Trick sat to her other side. Trent sat next to Tristan, and he could see that his brother was worried about Sabrina, just like he was. Trick covered the hand she had resting on the tabletop, and after lacing their fingers together, he brought her hand down to rest on his thigh while still holding it.
Tristan poured the coffee and handed the mugs out before pushing the cream and sugar toward Sabrina, but she shook her head before tugging her hand free of Trick’s and wrapped both her hands around the mug as if they were cold. She finally looked like she was back with them instead of lost in her head, and she nodded to Luke and Damon.
“Sabrina, these two men are the town sheriffs,” Trick began. “This is Luke Sun-Walker and Damon Osborn. Guys, Sabrina Brown.”
“Sheriffs.”
“Call us Luke and Damon, ma’am.” Damon smiled, clearly trying to put her at ease.
She tried to smile back, but failed when the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Please call me Sabrina, Sabby, or Sab. All my friends do.”
“Can you tell us what the problem is, Sabrina?” Luke asked.
Sabrina began to explain, and the more she spoke, the more worried the town sheriffs looked.
“Jesus,” Damon said and scrubbed a hand over his face.
Luke looked pale instead of his normal bronze tone, and his mouth pulled tight as he leaned his elbows on the table.
“My office is lucky enough not to have Noble’s computers, but I may have put you in more danger.” Luke paused to take a sip of coffee and swallowed audibly as if his throat were tight.
“Yes,” Sabrina sighed. “I figured that out when the guys told me you ran a check on me when I got sick and passed out at the diner.” Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the mug tighter. “I think the best thing for everyone in this town would be for me to move on.”
“No!” Tristan, Trick, and Trent said simultaneously.
Sabrina turned to meet each of their gazes before looking back at Luke and Damon. “If Harvey Noble is looking for me and has alerts set up on his computer then he is going to send someone or come after me himself. I would be putting everyone in this town in danger.”
Luke cleared his throat. “I don’t think you’re going to be safe anywhere, Sabrina. He is going to hunt you down until he finds you. He’s not going to give up. Surely you don’t want to spend the rest of your life on the run?”
“What choice do I have?” Sabrina asked, her voice becoming strident and then cracking on the last word. “Do you think I could live with my conscience if some innocent person in this town got hurt or ended up dead because he’s after me? I can’t do that. I just can’t.”
Sabrina pushed away from the table and hurried from the room. Tristan saw the tears streaming down her face before she left the kitchen. He immediately rose to his feet and went after her. He was concerned she would try to make a run for it, but that wasn’t an option. He didn’t give a shit if he had to spend every cent they had and hire a contingency of bodyguards to keep her safe. He knew deep down inside, in his heart, that Sabrina was meant to be theirs, and he couldn’t let her leave. No way. No how. Her leaving wasn’t going to happen.
He searched the house and sighed with relief when he found her in the master bedroom, lying on the bed crying her eyes out. She tried to muffle the sobs with her head under the pillow, but he could see her whole body shaking as she cried. His heart ached at the fear and turmoil she must be feeling. He felt just as tumultuous, but he wasn’t about to let his emotions rule. He needed to keep it together for Sabrina. He needed to help her to calm down and to stop and think before making any rash decisions, but his first priority was calming her.
He kicked his shoes off and then climbed up behind her before wrapping her in his arms and pulling her against his body. She stiffened and then relaxed in his hold. He didn’t say anything but just continued to hold her until finally the tears slowed and the hiccupping lessened. Slowly but surely, her breathing evened out and her body grew lax, and he knew she was asleep. He lifted the pillow from over her head and gently brushed the blonde strands of hair back off her face. She didn’t stir, and he knew she’d exhausted herself, plus she still wasn’t well.
Tristan didn’t want to leave her alone. He wanted to continue holding her so she wouldn’t wake up alone, but he needed to hear what they were going to do. He went to the closet, grabbed a quilt from the cupboard, and covered her with it, before placing a light kiss on her cheek and heading out.
He sat down and faced Trick. “Does the bank have any of Noble’s computers?”
“No,” Trick answered.
“Is there any way we can get an expert to get hold of one of their computers and search for that chip?” Tristan questioned.
Trent nodded toward Luke, who was currently speaking quietly on his cell in the kitchen. “Luke has a couple of buddies in the FBI and is giving them a heads-up. Hopefully someone there will be able to find what they’re looking for and get things rolling to arrest the asshole.”
Tristan sighed and nodded. “It won’t make a difference if they are able to indict Noble. Whoever he contacted about Sab is probably already on their way here. We have no idea who or how many assholes he’s sent to come after her. I’d bet my last dollar it will be more than one.”
Luke ended his call and came back to the table. “Justin Dumont is checking into it. He works at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC. They have a few computers in the human-relations section which came from Noble.”
“Shit!” Damon slumped in his chair. “That means that Noble probably knows all the agents’ names, where they live, and anything else he’d want to know. What the hell is he up to?”
“That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?” Luke sighed. “The only thing I can come up with is power and money. It doesn’t matter to some people how rich they are.”
“How is Sabrina?” Trick asked, changing the subject.
“She was crying her heart out, but she’s asleep for now,” Tristan answered.
“What the hell do we do?” Trent asked. “How the hell do we keep her safe?”
“She needs to change her appearance first and foremost,” Damon said. “We can get our women on board to help out. I’ll get Rachel to buy some hair dye and maybe you can get Felicity to get some colored contacts for her.”
“Good idea,” Luke said.
Tristan was pleased that the two lawmen were going to ask their wives to help make Sabrina look different. He hated having to do that because she was beautiful just the way she was, but hopefully, by changing her appearance, when the assholes sent to kill her came, they wouldn’t recognize her. He wanted her to have every chance she could to survive and hide.
“I think you all should come and stay out at the ranch,” Luke said. “We can protect her better away from town, and if these fuckers find her at least no one in town will be in the line of fire.”
“Wait,” Trick said. “You could be putting Flick and the kids in danger. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Luke rubbed his chin and frowned before he nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I don’t want my family in danger.”
“What about the Heritage Ranch, to the southwest?” Damon asked. “The three Heritage brothers were SEALs, but took over the ranch after their folks retired to warmer climes.”
“Yes,” Trick said. “I know David, Barry, and Hank Heritage, well. They come into the bank often. Plus, they don’t have any woman or kids to worry about. Let
me call Hank now and see if he’s okay with us staying with them.”
Trick made the call, and after explaining what was going on, he smiled and gave the thumbs-up. “Okay, thanks, Hank. We’ll be out to your place in a few hours. Do you want me to bring anything?” Trick paused and waited for a reply. “Sure, no worries. We’ll bring enough food to last the seven of us quite a while.” He disconnected the call. “That’s a go.
“I’ll organize my second in charge to take over at the bank.” He met Tristan’s and Trent’s eyes. “You don’t have any jobs for a few weeks, do you?”
“No.” Trent shook his head. “We intended to have some downtime. It’s getting colder and we’ve finished the jobs we had going. Since we’ve been working non-stop for the last two years, it was more than time to take a breather.”
“Thank fuck for that,” Trick muttered. “The more of us protecting Sabrina, the better.
“Trent, I want you and Tristan to get a heap of supplies, and don’t forget to pick up some clothes and other things she’ll need. I want to be out at the Triple H Ranch before sundown and don’t want to have to come back here unless absolutely necessary. I’ll pack you both a bag and meet you at Hank’s place.”
Luke and Damon stood. “I’ll let you know if Justin finds anything and if he’s able to bring Noble in for questioning.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Trick said as he rose to his feet. “Do you think Dumont will inform all the other agencies?”
“You can count on it,” Luke replied. “I’ll bet as soon as I hung up he was calling the CIA and anyone else he could think of.”
Tristan stood up and went to the drawer they kept a pad and pens in then removed both items. He looked at Trent. “Help me figure out what we’re going to need in town. It’s better we write a list before heading out. I don’t want to forget anything.”
When they’d finished, the lettersize page was full with everything he and Trent could think they’d need, from food and drinks to clothes for Sabrina. Tristan hated shopping, but he would do anything to make their woman’s life easier, and he knew it was going to take a few hours to get everything together.
“What’s going on?”
Tristan looked toward the doorway to see Sabrina leaning against the frame and looking sleep flushed. Her face was a healthy pink color, and although her hair was hanging around her head in disarray, to him she was sexy and beautiful.
Trent moved before he could and didn’t stop until he pulled her into his arms. Tristan watched as her eyes slid closed, and then she looped her arms around his brother’s waist and snuggled in. He smiled, happy that she seemed to be becoming more comfortable with their displays of affection and settling in a little more. His brother looked happier than a pig in shit.
Since they were standing side on, he could see both Trent’s and Sabrina’s faces, and they both looked content. Although content was too weak a word where Trent was concerned. His smile was nearly wide enough to crack his face. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head and then he inhaled deeply, and he smelled her fresh, clean, womanly scent.
His dick twitched in his pants. He didn’t have to be close to her to remember what she smelled like or what she felt like when he’d been holding her. She was it for him and his brothers. The one and only woman they wanted to spend the rest of their lives loving and holding.
Tristan smiled at her when her lids popped open. Trent led her over to the counter and seated her on a stool.
“We are going to be staying at a friend’s ranch for a while,” Tristan said. “We were just compiling a list of everything we’re going to need to see us through.”
“Oh. Okay.” Sabrina turned to look out the window, her shoulders slumping when her head turned. She reached up to her hair, but instead of pushing it back like he thought she would, she brought it further forward as if she were trying to hide from them.
Trent sat on the stool next to her and raised an eyebrow at him in question, but since Tristan had no idea what was wrong, he shrugged.
Trick entered the kitchen after seeing Luke and Damon out and smiled when he saw her sitting on the stool, but the smile faded when Tristan shook his head. He and Trent both raised their hands slightly trying to tell Trick that something was wrong with Sabrina but they didn’t know what. Thank God they knew each other so well, because from the frown that crossed his brother’s face, Trick understood.
“Sabrina, are you all right, sweetheart?” Trick moved around until he was standing behind her.
“Yeah, I’m fine. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to have a shower before I leave.”
Trick clasped her shoulders and turned her on the swivel seat until she was facing him. “Leave? Why are you leaving? I thought we’d already decided that it was safer for you to stay with us.”
“But—”
“Ah shit.” Tristan realized she’d gotten the wrong impression when he said they were getting ready to leave for a friend’s ranch. He hurried around the counter until he was standing next to Trick and cupped her face between his hands. “Baby, you’re coming with us.”
“I am?” Her question was asked in a quiet voice, and then her lower lip trembled and he noticed the glint of moisture in her eyes. That nearly undid him. To see her so emotional and unsure was like having a knife stabbed into his heart.
He nudged Trick aside and lifted her up against his chest. She hooked her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She looked so scared and vulnerable, but also beautiful and sexy. His body hardened, his cock filled with blood, and his balls swelled. He couldn’t hold back with her anymore. He needed to know what she tasted like, needed to feel connected to her physically as well as emotionally.
Tristan held her gaze as he lowered his head slowly. Her eyes widened slightly before her lids drooped in an unconscious sexy come-on that he couldn’t ignore. His lips met hers, lightly, softly, as he brushed them back and forth, testing her acceptance of him. Her lips parted as she exhaled, and then he changed the angle of his head and devoured her.
His tongue entered her mouth and slid along and around hers. He loved the sexy little whimpering sounds she made as he kissed her and kissed her some more. Her arms tightened around his neck, and her legs gripped his waist. Without taking his mouth from hers or opening his eyes, he nudged the stool away and lowered her ass to the granite counter before gripping her hips and pulling her covered pussy against his jeans-covered erection. She moaned and he growled as she rocked her hips against his hard cock.
It would have been so much better if they had been naked and he had been buried deep inside her wet heat, but he was already pushing his luck by kissing her so hungrily. Tristan had never been so starving for anyone before and knew no matter how much he kissed her or touched her, it would never be enough. He would never get tired of kissing or loving her, but she still had no idea that he and his brothers wanted to have a relationship with her. He couldn’t, wouldn’t do anything more than he already was before they told her what they wanted.
With a regretful moan, Tristan withdrew his tongue from her mouth and eased the intensity of the kiss down until he was sipping at her lips. Finally he made himself lift his head, but instead of moving back he pressed his forehead to hers. They were both breathing rapidly, and it was damn hard not to give in to his desires and take her mouth beneath his all over again. His breathing finally slowed, and as he loosened his hold on her hips, her legs dropped from around his waist and her arms unhooked from around his neck. He took a step back, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze, so he took her chin in his thumb and finger to gently force her head up.
Pink crept up her cheeks and she tried to glance away, but he wasn’t about to let her. “Why are you embarrassed about what we shared, Sabrina?”
She glanced off to the side and then her lids lowered, but the pink hue in her cheeks became more pronounced.
“Look at me, baby,” he ordered and was pleased when she complied. “My brothers and I are very attracted to you. W
e want to have a relationship with you.”
Her eyes widened with shock, and then she looked over to Trick and Trent with narrowed eyes. He saw incredulity in her gaze, but that wasn’t all. There was also anger. Her mouth opened as if to refute his claim, but he placed his finger over her lips before she spoke.
Trick moved in closer, and Tristan released her chin before stepping back slightly. He didn’t have to look to his left at Trent. His brother hadn’t moved away since he’d started kissing her. He had no doubt that he was just waiting for his moment, for his first taste of Sabrina, too.
Trick reached for her hand and threaded their fingers together. “Slick Rock is known for its acceptance of out-of-the-norm relationships. The people in this town don’t judge or slander anything or anyone that’s different.”
Trent placed his hand on her knee and squeezed. “There are a lot of polyamorous relationships here, darlin’. Luke, the sheriff, shares his wife with his good friends Tom and Billy Eagle. Damon and his brothers Sam and Tyson are married to Rachel.”
Tristan decided it was time he had a little input, too. “As far as we know there are eleven polyandrous families in this town. It feels like we’ve been waiting a lifetime for the right woman to come into our lives, baby.”
“And we believe you are that woman,” Trick said in a calm, confident voice.
Chapter Five
Sabrina could barely comprehend what they were saying. Her brain was fried after such a passionately carnal kiss. She was so damned horny her insides were quaking and her panties were soaked through.
The words each of the men had spoken echoed through her mind, and the more she heard them, the more she wanted to reach out and grab hold of them. At first she’d thought they were joking, but not in a humorous way. She’d thought they were playing some sort of game with her, but as she looked from one man to the other she could see they were totally serious and sincere.
She’d never felt pulled in so many different directions at once and had no idea what to do, or what to think, or what to say. And how could she even consider having a relationship with one man, let alone three, when her life was in danger? She didn’t know how many tomorrows she had left, and if she started something with them and one of them got hurt, she couldn’t bear it.