Bound to Billionaires [Doms of Destiny, Colorado 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Chloe Lang

  “Follow me,” Eric ordered, in a tone she was coming to crave.

  “Yes, Sir.” She followed him to his desk. Five monitors. “Can I call the International Space Station from here?”

  “Why?” He sat in his chair and typed something onto his keyboard. It wasn’t actually a keyboard, but an image of a keyboard reflected on his mirrored desktop. “Is there an astronaut I should be worried about?”

  She laughed and he smiled.

  “Time to turn your eye into a key, little one.” He placed a metal box similar to the one outside and also with an eyepiece on his desk. “All you have to do is place your eye about an inch from here.” He tapped the end of the eyepiece. “I’ll snap some pictures and we’re done.”

  Old memories about her mother resurfaced, making her hesitate. “If I’m not with you or Scott, couldn’t Erica let me in?”

  He shook his head. “Only three people have access to this space—me, Scott, and Gretchen. You will make the fourth person.”

  “Gretchen?”

  He smiled. “She insisted. There’s times when we work through the night. She brings us meals. Besides, would you tell her ‘no’ about anything?”

  Megan smiled. “Whatever Gretchen wants, Gretchen gets.”

  “Now you’re talking. Until we figure out who is behind the cyber attacks and also used your IP at your home, you will be with either me or Scott at all times when we are at TBK. If we have to go, like I do now to conduct the videoconference, you will stay in here. Understand?”

  “Then I don’t need to scan my eye. I’m either with you or I’m already in here. See what I mean?”

  “Why are you nervous about this?” he asked.

  “It’s my eyes.” She then confessed, “My mother went blind six months before she died from complications to her chemo. I’m a little jittery when it comes to my eyes. Thank God, I have twenty-twenty vision. I could never wear contacts.”

  Eric placed his hand over hers. “Indulge me this, Megan. It’s only a picture.”

  “Okay. I think you’re being overprotective, but I’ll go through with it if it makes you happy.”

  “It does.”

  “What do you think will happen? A bunch of bandits will charge in here and you and Scott will take them on while I run into this safe place?”

  He cupped her chin. “Less than a week ago, Destiny had a shootout with the Russian mafia just a block from here. People were killed. I’m a guy who likes to be prepared. You matter to me very much, Megan Lunceford. Do this for me.”

  “Okay.” She leaned down and felt his fingers stroking her hair, working to soothe her fears some.

  In less than ten seconds, he was done. “I’ve got all I need, little one. You’re all set.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yep. You’ll learn to trust me.”

  “I do trust you, Eric.” Her heart thudded in her chest.

  “Eric, I’ve got the sheriff on the line. He wants to know if you have time to take a call?” Erica’s voice came from some hidden speakers near the desk.

  He clicked on one of the button images on his desktop. “I’ll be there in sixty seconds.”

  He stood up and pulled her into his muscled frame. “You better get started on the paintball project. Use my desk. I’ll be back in about an hour.” And then he kissed her, making her toes curl and her belly flip-flop.

  And then he was gone.

  The doors closed and she heard the lock engage. She pulled out her new laptop and placed it on Eric’s desk.

  As Megan turned it on and it started to boot up, she felt a smile spread across her face.

  * * * *

  The rental car left the highway for the road to Destiny, Colorado, a place not unfamiliar to its driver, but this trip was for an entirely different reason than all the rest. Megan the bitch was there. She’s fucked up my life for the last time. How she’d won over the Knight brothers so easily was a mystery.

  Time to get back the modem that had been planted at her house. Not difficult now with access to the top floor of TBK’s building in the tiny town.

  The gun in the passenger seat would solve everything. Soon it would be over. Really over.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Megan finished typing in the security assignments for Destiny’s Annual Paintball Extravaganza. Charlie Blake, Jason’s deputy, was going to be in charge of most of it. Everyone in town was sad about him tendering his resignation to Jason but most understood why. Charlie’s ex had moved to California with his kids. He couldn’t bear being so far from them, so he was moving there at the end of the summer.

  Megan was falling in love with Destiny and its citizens with each passing day. They were quirky in so many ways but they had the biggest hearts she’d ever known.

  This was her second day at TBK and Megan was getting into the swing of things. Eric and Scott had brought a desk for her into TBK’s Presidential Fortress of Solace, which she had learned was the term used by the employees, including their executive secretary Erica, who wasn’t afraid to say it to the copresidents’ faces.

  She’d grown so fond of Erica. She had real moxie and a mouth on her that made Eric cringe and Scott laugh. The jealousy she’d felt for the girl was unwarranted. She was like a sister to the brothers. Her parents had died in the same plane crash as Eric and Scott’s. The tragedy of September twenty-eighth had hit the town of Destiny hard, leaving eight teenagers from three families orphaned. It was clear to her now that there was quite a bond between Erica and the Knights. She would bet the same bond existed with all the orphans. Erica’s brothers, Sawyer and Reed, worked on the Stone Ranch, which was owned by three other orphans, Emmett, Bryant, and Cody.

  It was about lunchtime, when the guys said they would be back. She was getting tired of being left alone in the PFS, as she liked to refer to it, but both Eric and Scott demanded she stay put whenever they had to be away. She was to open the door to no one. Strict orders.

  PFS had its own bathroom complete with shower, whirlpool bath, and the plushest towels she’d ever felt on her fingertips. There was a kitchenette and coffee bar that she’d raided twice already. Eric and Scott worked hard and long hours. She’d hoped to have a repeat of the other night when they’d made love to her, but there’d been no time. The hacker was still on the loose. Between the three of them, she bet they’d slept less than eight hours in the past three nights combined.

  She heard the lock disengage, and for the oddest reason, her body tensed. Why? The truth was she was nervous knowing whoever had used her Internet access at her home was still on the loose. She might feign aggravation to Eric and Scott about how overprotective they were, but actually she was glad for it.

  When Eric and Scott walked in, her shoulders relaxed. When she saw Jason, Destiny’s sheriff, follow them in, her tension returned. All their faces looked grim.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” Scott said. “We won’t be but a few minutes, and then we can go to the diner for lunch.”

  “What’s wrong? Did you find Kip?”

  “We did, but that’s not what this is about,” Scott said.

  “You found him? When? Where?”

  “Shh. There’s other fish to fry.”

  A sudden bout of nausea hit her. “Don’t give me that, Scott Knight.” Her heart was thudding in her chest like a rapid-fire gun. “I deserve to know.”

  Jason said, “Do you need a moment, fellows?”

  “When did you find Kip?” she asked again.

  “I’ll step out,” the sheriff said.

  “That would be great. This will only take a minute.” Eric’s tone had the edge that made her tremble. He clicked the button on the wall behind her desk that unlocked the door.

  The sheriff exited.

  Eric walked to one side of her and Scott walked to the other.

  She stood up and slapped her hands on the top of her desk. “Did you lie to me or not?” She could feel the manic tornado inside her grow stronger and stronger. I’m an idiot when it comes to
men. The mantra swirled over and over in her head, crushing her into a million pieces of despair.

  Eric leaned down. She turned her head to the side, refusing to be sidetracked by his kiss. Then she felt a sharp tug on her hair. She turned and saw it was Scott, not Eric, who had pulled her locks.

  She glared at him. “Liars.”

  Eric pinched her nipples, delivering a sharp sting. “Enough, sub.” His words were like a slap to her bottom, and her manic thoughts slowed.

  Tears welled up in her eyes. “I don’t understand. How could you do this to me?”

  “Do what exactly?” Eric’s tone was steady but firm. “Be clear.”

  His fingers remained lightly on her now-throbbing nipples, but she knew he would clamp down on her bits of flesh whenever Eric deemed necessary.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you found him? I’m still his wife. I’ve been trying to find him for five years.”

  “Why were you looking for him, little one?” Eric’s tone was softer than before but still just as demanding.

  “To divorce him, of course.”

  “That’s already in the works, sweetheart,” Scott said. “He’s in prison. He can’t get to you, but he’s more dangerous than any of us imagined.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s a serial killer, little one,” Eric answered. “Scott went to see him the day you first came to work at TBK. That was his meeting in Georgia. Kip is in prison in Atlanta.”

  “I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me then. Don’t you trust me?”

  “Should we? You don’t trust yourself yet. Do you?”

  It was true. She didn’t.

  “Everything we’ve done, Megan, has been to protect you,” Eric said. “Time to come completely clean. I went to your house and got your modem when you were in New York with Scott. That, too, was to protect you.”

  She was mortified that he’d been in her house, her mother’s house. The condition it was in was horrific. “I’m so confused about all of this.”

  “Kip is in jail, but he’s had reach to the outside before and we believe he might have it again. There was no way we wanted you near him. If we told you, you would’ve wanted to see him, yes?”

  She nodded, recalling how hard she’d tried to locate Kip to hand him divorce papers.

  “Not possible. And we didn’t want you to have to struggle with knowing that. You’ve been through too much. We are cleaning things up. You’ll get your divorce. That’s what I want. That’s what Scott wants. And you? What do you want?”

  “I want that, too.”

  “You’ve got to learn to trust us,” Scott said.

  “And yourself.” Eric brushed the hair out of her eyes. “Just because Kip conned you doesn’t mean you don’t deserve happiness.”

  “Please wait.” Megan needed them to understand why, needed them to hear her story. “Hear me out, please, Sirs,” she added, hoping her submissive words would soften them.

  Eric leaned against her desk, releasing her nipples. “Okay. Talk to us.”

  She placed her head into his chest and let the tears fall. “Kip came into my life at my lowest point. My mother had died two months earlier. My grief was overwhelming. I wanted to die. Enter Kip, a charming, handsome guy who distracted me away from my sadness. He’s smart, maybe even a genius.”

  “We know, sweetheart.” Scott reached over and touched her cheek. “He’s also a fucking murderous nut, genius or not.”

  “This is the twenty-first century. I thought the closet was a thing of the past, but Kip showed me I was wrong. There are still holdouts in every part of this country that cling to bigotry. Kip knew that better than most.” The old memories rushed out of her like a flood, each syllable carrying ancient black pain, and with them, tears.

  Eric kissed her tears. “Keep going, little one. You’re doing great.”

  “One month of seeing me and he knew my weakness, my kryptonite. Men. I’m an idiot when it comes to men. He proposed.” Her words came in breathy shudders.

  “Tell us, baby,” Scott said, urging her on with gentle words.

  “I thought Kip actually cared for me. I even thought I had feelings for him. Even at twenty, I should’ve known better, but I didn’t. I said ‘yes.’ Next thing I know we’re in Las Vegas getting married. He had money to burn and he was making a bonfire of it. We stayed in a luxury suite at the Monte Carlo. I was a wreck. Twenty years old on my honeymoon. Then he dropped the bomb about what our marriage was really about—a sexless arrangement, nothing more. I was his beard so that he could pursue his ambitions unburdened by prejudice.”

  “What did you do then?” Eric asked.

  She shook her head. “Nothing. I didn’t know what else to do. I just didn’t want to be alone again. I was a fucking imbecile and he knew just how to use me. We went back to my mother’s house in Dallas. He settled in. A week later…well, you know the rest.”

  Although she stared into Eric’s eyes, she could feel them become intensely still. Neither said a word for what felt like an eternity.

  “Megan?” Eric spoke first.

  “Yes?”

  “Aren’t you tired of carrying all this guilt?”

  “Guilt?” she asked, confused.

  “Yes. Guilt. It’s quite a load you’re carrying, little one. You feel guilty about your mother’s death. You didn’t say it but I can see it in your eyes. You feel guilty for falling for Kip. You feel guilty for losing your mother’s possessions to the seizure. You feel guilty for not being able to get a divorce, for not being able to keep a job, and for even still being a virgin until you found us. Don’t you?”

  How could he see into her so deeply? She sighed, pressing her head into his chest. “Yes. I do. All you said is true. I wanted to save my mother. I hated seeing her waste away little by little during all those fucking rounds of chemo. I made her fight even after she was ready to go.” She couldn’t tamp down her sobs any longer. “You know I was alone when she died. When they wheeled her body out of the room and shut the door behind them, I–I…thought I’d never have a family again. I want to be the kind of woman you guys need. I do. I promise I do.”

  “You are already that woman, Megan,” Scott said.

  “No, you don’t understand. I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you.”

  Eric’s face darkened, and she felt a shiver shoot through her. His displeasure was terrifying to look at, so she turned her gaze to the floor.

  She felt his fingers on her nipples again, tightening even more, pulling her attention back to him and away from her doubts. “You don’t think we know what you deserve?” His icy-blue stare reached deep into her, blasting away uncertainties. “We know.”

  Eric’s lips crashed against hers, making her dizzy. One of his hands was on her neck and the other was on the small of her back. He pulled her in tighter into his kiss. She parted her lips, surrendering to his advancing tongue. He deepened their kiss, and she felt her whole body begin to melt into his. A tingle spread from her belly down her thighs.

  Without a word, Eric ended their kiss and turned her to face the other Knight in the room.

  “We know what you deserve,” Scott said. And then he pulled her into his body, pressing her mouth with his. Her head spun, not with doubt this time, but with knowing. They were her knights, her men. Tremors spread through her, heating her body up.

  And then the kissing ended just as suddenly as it had begun. Her lips were throbbing as much as her nipples were now.

  “She wants more, bro.” Scott sent her a wicked wink.

  “Not now. Jason is waiting for us. I told him it would only be a minute. We’re past that.” Eric looked at her. “Unless you don’t mind if Jason watches.”

  She gasped.

  He laughed and so did Scott.

  “Our Megan is something else, isn’t she?” Scott asked.

  “That she is.” Eric punched the button again, and the big doors unlocked and opened.

  Megan knew her cheeks had to be
bright red, but she hoped Jason wouldn’t notice.

  The sheriff walked in and smiled. Damn, he knew what had happened. Were all the men in Destiny in cahoots?

  “Give it to us, Jason. What do you have for us?”

  “Sorry, guys. Still no sign of Vicky. Her condo looks like she left in a hurry.”

  “Fuck. Is that all?”

  “No. I actually have a favor to ask.” Jason opened the file on her desk. The police photos inside were of a bloody murder with two bodies. “These are the two tattooed thugs we got last week who were going to testify against Sergei’s father, Niklaus.”

  “Protective custody isn’t what it used to be.” Scott spread out the photos, and Megan thought she might actually get sick.

  “You’re telling me,” Jason said. “That’s why I’m here. I smell a rat and a cyber one at that.”

  She couldn’t seem to make herself look away from the images of the dead men. Her stomach lurched again, but she was able to breathe through it.

  “What makes you think that?” Eric asked.

  The sheriff shrugged. “Just a hunch, but I’ve learned a long time ago to trust my hunches.”

  “So much blood.” The memory of the day her mother’s nose started bleeding washed over her like a sickening wave. It happened during her last chemo infusion and the doctors and nurses were trying to get the bleeding to stop but it wouldn’t. It never did.

  Eric moved in front of her, blocking the images from her view. “This is too much for you, isn’t it?”

  She nodded.

  “That’s what I thought,” he said. “Jason, we’ll take this to the conference room.”

  “Can’t, bro.” Scott shook his head. “Techs have it for a video meeting with New Delhi.”

  “Then let’s use room five.”

  Scott typed something on his iPad. “It’s free until two.”

  “We don’t need it for more than fifteen minutes, right, Jason?” Eric asked.

  “Sure.” The sheriff looked at her. “I’m sorry, Megan. I’ve been in law enforcement so long I forget about how these kinds of pictures can impact people.” He tapped the now-closed file on her desk before picking it up.