by Leah Brooke
“No. It’s not.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared back at her, wondering what she was thinking. He’d seen Caleb come out the front door and make his way around the house, so Lucas knew she was being watched from behind but doubted that she did.
“She’s gonna try to escape again.” At Hoyt’s approach, Lucas turned slightly to include him in the conversation, keeping Stormy in his line of sight. “I don’t think she trusts us to keep her safe. Also, she’s afraid someone here is gonna get hurt.”
Hoyt frowned and glanced in Stormy’s direction. “She tried that once and look where it got her. I seriously doubt that she would try it again.”
Lucas sighed. “You don’t know her. She’s too damned hardheaded. She thinks she can handle this on her own and doesn’t want our help at all. She thinks Logan would never forgive her if something happened to one of his friends. As far as I can tell, Logan’s the only person in the world she cares about.”
Shaking his head, Jake smiled faintly. “Gotta love hardheaded women. That explains why you wanted the clasp that you can lock. The key’s in the box.”
Hoyt, never slow on the uptake, smiled faintly, his narrowed gaze filled with amusement. “You’re going to put a tracker on her, one that she can’t remove.” Shaking his head, he smiled faintly. “I swear you people are more devious than the ones I used to work for.”
Jake glanced at Stormy again, his expression thoughtful. “Keeping track of them helps us to protect them.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Hoyt eyed Jake, his smile falling. “Did you put a tracker on Nat?”
Lucas divided his attention between Jake and Hoyt, still struggling to get used to the fact that after almost twenty-five years of marriage to Jake, Nat was now also married to Hoyt.
The tension between the two men had eased somewhat in the months since Hoyt came to Desire, but some still remained.
Jake frowned at him. “What do you think? She’s everything to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”
Hoyt scrubbed his chin. “I’m assuming she doesn’t know.”
“Of course not.” Jake’s lips twitched. “If she knew, she’d lose it in a heartbeat.”
Hoyt narrowed his eyes again. “Am I allowed to know where it is?”
Jake nodded, apparently trusting the man he shared his wife with. “In her wedding band. She misplaced it once when she was planting her flowers.” A brow went up. “I made sure she wouldn’t be so careless again. She thinks it’s because I’m possessive, which is fine with me.”
Hoyt frowned, prompting Lucas to wonder how Hoyt felt about Jake dominating Nat. “I’m sure you did.” Inclining his head, he glanced toward Stormy again. “I’m relieved to know we could track her if necessary.”
“I’m surprised Logan isn’t here.” Jake leaned back against Ace’s SUV. “He has to have heard what happened by now.”
“He has.” Seeing Stormy straighten, Lucas prepared to go after her. “He went to get dinner from the diner. He should be pulling in any minute. In the meantime, we have to keep Stormy out of sight and get the cars packed.”
When Stormy turned away, Lucas started after her, surprised when Hoyt closed in on his side and walked with him.
“Give me the address of the cabin and I’ll bring supplies.”
Stunned at the offer, Lucas paused, turning to face Hoyt. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I’d like to help.” Looking around, Hoyt ran a hand over his short hair. “I like how the people here stick together. I’m used to working with a team. I’d appreciate not being shut out of this, especially since I’m trained to handle a situation like this.”
Understanding how difficult it could be for an outsider to fit in, Lucas allowed a small smile. “Of course. I appreciate the help.” He rattled off the address, smiling again when Hoyt nodded, not bothering to write it down.
“Got it. You have my cell number. Let me know if you need anything else.” Hoyt glanced at Stormy as she made her way across the yard with Devlin following several yards behind. “I’m available for whatever you need.”
When Hoyt walked away, Lucas took the opportunity to watch Stormy and Devlin together.
He, Devlin, and Caleb had had their share of women in the past but had always been careful to make sure the women they were with knew the score.
Stormy was different.
None of them would play fast and loose with the sister of one of their friends, and the longer they spent with her, the stronger the attraction between them grew.
He could only hope that a week spent at the cabin would be enough time for word to get around that the contract had been cancelled.
They also had to learn the identity of Stormy’s client to make sure she didn’t pose a danger.
In the meantime, he had to shore up the walls that had begun to crumble the moment their gazes met as he’d pulled her from her wrecked SUV.
For the first time in his life, he’d come face to face with the reality of sharing a woman with Caleb and Devlin that dealt with more than just sex.
And it scared the hell out of him.
Chapter Thirteen
Stormy sipped her coffee and sighed. “Logan, I said I was sorry for taking your truck and wrecking it.”
She’d thought that her brother would have calmed down by the time they finished dinner, but his temper showed no signs of cooling at all.
“I don’t give a shit about the truck! You put yourself in danger by leaving that way.” Logan shoved the last of the trash from their dinner into the garbage can with far more force than required. “I can’t believe you would do something so fucking stupid!”
Unsettled by his anger, she wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, shooting a glance at Caleb and Lucas, who sat back in their seats, sipping from their own mugs, but the tension in their bodies belied their relaxed positions.
Glaring at him, she lifted her cup again. “For a Dominant who’s supposed to be in control, you seem to have a hard time reining in that temper.” Clenching her jaw, she lifted her chin. “You feel like hitting me?”
He took her cup from her hand and slammed it on the table, spun her chair toward him, bracing his hands on the arms of the chair on either side of her. He loomed over her, his eyes shooting sparks. “You have no idea how close you are to being turned over my knee.”
Stunned at his threat, Stormy shoved at his shoulders but couldn’t budge him. “Try it and I’ll knee you in the balls.”
Logan’s eyes narrowed, a muscle working in his jaw. “I’ve never hit you in your life and you know it, but if you weren’t still recovering from a gunshot wound, you’d already have a hot ass.”
Devlin came up behind her, picking up her cup and wiping the spill Logan made when he slammed it down. “Easy, Logan.”
Lifting his gaze to Devlin’s, Logan clenched his hands on the arms of her chair so tightly that the muscles of his forearms bunched and shifted. “Don’t even think of defending her. You know better than I do how much danger she brought on herself.”
Logan shifted his gaze back to hers again, his eyes glittering in remembered horror. “When I think about how close you came to being killed…”
Reaching out to cup his jaw, Stormy smiled in apology. “I’m sorry.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rubbed her cheek against his, much like she’d done as a child. “You’ve always been my knight in shining armor, but I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m a grown woman, and I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.”
Straightening, he stared down at her, his hands on his hips and wearing a look that meant she’d reached the end of his patience. “When all this is over, you’re moving to Desire. And don’t waste your breath arguing about it because it’ll get you nowhere. I’ll move you myself.”
Devlin finished washing her cup and set it in the drain before turning and wiping his hands. “I’ll be glad to help you.”
Used to Logan’s arrogance, Stormy smiled. “I’m not movin
g to Desire. I’ll stay with your friends for a few days, and—”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “And you’ll do whatever they tell you to do.”
Devlin chuckled. “I’d like to see what that looks like.” He met Stormy’s glare with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, Logan. Now that we know how devious she is and that she’s an escape threat, we’ll keep a sharper eye on her. She won’t get a chance to leave again.”
“No. She won’t.” Holding what looked a bracelet in his big hands, Lucas rose, gave Logan a look that prompted her brother to step aside, and squatted in front of her.
He wrapped his hand around her ankle and propped it on his muscular thigh, shoving her pant leg up several inches.
Stormy jolted at the sparks of heat from his hand, jerking her ankle away.
“Be still.” Lucas’s cool tone and firm hold told her he meant business, giving her the sense that any rebellion on her part would be dealt with and leave her looking foolish.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she watched him open the clasp of the thick, silver ankle bracelet. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure I know where you are at all times.”
“What?” She tried to pull her foot away again, but he simply firmed his hold, pressing her ankle against his thigh as he wrapped the heavy ankle bracelet around her ankle and closed the clasp. “How the hell is an ankle bracelet going to let you know where I am?”
He took a small piece of metal she hadn’t seen and suck it in a hole on the side of the clasp, turned it all the way around until it clicked, and then removed it.
He slid her foot from his thigh, his fingers lingering on her ankle. “There’s a tracking device built into it. It’s attached to our cell phones. The clasp is locked so you can’t take it off, and it’s thick enough to be unbreakable.”
Stormy gaped at him. “You’re kidding!”
“I don’t kid.” Lucas rose and grabbed his jacket, tossing her beloved leather jacket over the back of the chair closest to the door. “Say good-bye to your brother so we can get on the road. I want to get to the cabin by nightfall.”
Stormy watched him disappear out the back door and turned to Devlin. “We’re leaving Desire?”
“Yes. We have a cabin in the woods. It’ll be harder for them to find us, and we can see them coming. Besides, we don’t want anyone from Desire to get caught in the crossfire. Thanks, Logan, for staying for the window guy.”
“No problem.” Logan shook Devlin’s hand, his gaze on Stormy’s. “Take care of her. She’s all I have.”
Stormy snorted, shuffling restlessly at Logan’s show of emotion. “You need to get married.”
“Not until I make sure you’re taken care of. I’ll be more comfortable when this is over and you’re living here permanently.” He glanced at Devlin. “And have been claimed.”
Stormy blinked, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. “Claimed?”
Devlin smiled. “Don’t worry. Anyone wanting to get to her is gonna have to get through all three of us. Don’t call her. We can’t take the chance that someone is tracing the calls.”
Stormy sighed and rubbed her head, where a headache had started. “Listen, I hate playing the part of damsel in distress. I need to help.”
Caleb came up behind her, bundling her into the leather jacket she adored. “Fine. You want to help? Put this on. It’s chilly out. We’re all packed. Let’s go.”
Sitting in the backseat with Caleb, Stormy nervously watched the clouds darken more with every mile.
“It looks like it’s going to rain again. How much farther?”
“Another half hour or so.” Caleb looked up from his laptop. “We’re expecting thunderstorms. Do you want to tell us what bothers you so much about thunderstorms so we can be prepared?”
“I’ll be fine.”
Caleb frowned, clearly not believing her. “Uh-huh.”
“What are you doing?”
“Still trying to get some information on your client. Ace is still waiting to hear from the FBI. His contact is running it through a facial recognition program but, so far, nothing.”
“I don’t understand what her game is.” Aware that Lucas and Devlin were both listening, Stormy leaned back, closing her eyes against the lingering headache, only to open them again. “Why would she lie to me about her name if all she wanted was to find out if her boyfriend was cheating or not?”
Devlin turned in his seat. “That’s what we’re trying to find out.”
Caleb closed the laptop. “Why don’t you close your eyes and try to get rid of that headache. It’s getting worse. Does it have anything to do with tension because the thunderstorm’s coming?”
Closing her eyes, Stormy got into a more comfortable position, trying not to think about the impending storm. “Do you think it might have to do with the fact that I’m stuck with three Neanderthals, an overprotective brother, and the whole world’s out to kill me?”
She must have drifted off because, the next thing she knew, the SUV had been parked and night had fallen.
Surprised to find her head pillowed against Caleb’s shoulder, she hurriedly straightened. “Sorry.”
Taking her hand, Caleb held her close when she would have pulled away. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I pulled you over here, or didn’t you notice that you were in a different seat belt?”
His voice, low and soothing, washed over her, adding to the intimacy of being alone with him in a dark car, in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere.
“Now that you mention it…” Pressed against his side, Stormy once again found herself contemplating what it would be like to have him as her lover. “Where are Lucas and Devlin, and why are we sitting here?”
He undid her seat belt and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “They’re checking out the house and turning the motion sensors on. You were sleeping, so I stayed here so you wouldn’t be alone.”
Even as he spoke, several lights came on, allowing her to see the cabin for the first time.
Admiring the wooden single-story house, Stormy leaned forward, looking around Caleb to see it better. “I’m not a child, Caleb.”
“No. You’re not—so stop acting like one.”
Whipping her head around, she tried to read his expression, hidden partially in shadows. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Sitting back, he turned toward her, playing with her braid. “You’re stubborn like a child who doesn’t want to eat their vegetables or follow the rules. You know you need help but keep insisting that you can do it by yourself, like a child who can’t yet tie their shoes. You ran away without thinking about the consequences. You had to know we’d come after you.”
Stormy shrugged. “I’d hoped you wouldn’t and planned to stop someplace for the night and tell you that I was all right. And I knew the consequences, but I also knew that staying in Desire put a lot of innocent people in danger. I couldn’t have lived with myself if anyone got hurt because of me. I made that clear.” Stormy shrugged and looked away, not wanting to admit how scared she’d been when the other men started shooting at her. “I was willing to take the risk. After all, it’s my risk to take. I’m the one who got myself into this predicament.”
“What do you think would have happened to Logan if you’d been killed?” Curling his arm, he drew her closer, propping her head against his shoulder and pressing his lips to her hair. “How do you think I would have felt? You also know there’s chemistry between us. If we hadn’t been interrupted before, things would have gone a little further, and you and I both know it.”
Stormy smiled in the almost complete darkness, determined to enjoy the feeling of being held. “I actually thought about taking you as a lover until I found out that you’re a Dominant.”
“And you’re scared I’d hurt you?”
“No. I’m just not willing to have sex with a man who didn’t respect me.”
Gripping her chin, Caleb turned her face to his, searching her eyes. “What have I done to make
you think that I don’t respect you?”
Sitting back again, Stormy shrugged. “You don’t trust me to take care of myself, something I think will get worse if I slept with you, which isn’t going to happen. I already told you that I’m on to you. Sweet words and fake gentleness is just your way of luring me in.”
“Do tell.”
Not about to let the anger glittering in his eyes intimidate her, Stormy slid to the other side of the SUV, propping a bent leg on the seat as she turned to face him. “There’s no other way of getting a woman to convince a woman to submit to you.”
“Is that a fact? You wouldn’t want to bet on that, would you?”
Stormy eyed him warily, enjoying their banter more than she would have imagined. “What kind of bet?”
“Well, since you think that the only reason I give you affection is to get in your pants, I won’t give you any. I’m willing to bet that I can not only arouse you but make you come, with no sweet talk or any show of affection at all.”
Stormy couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No. I’m not.”
“Sex isn’t always sweet and romantic, Stormy.” Leaning close, he lowered his voice even more. “Sometimes it’s hot and sweaty. The pleasure gets so intense you’re begging for release and wishing it would last forever. It’s raw. It’s just the need of a man who wants his woman more than he wants his next breath and a woman who knows just how much he wants her. And she wants him so much she burns.”
He leaned closer, his breath warm on her temple. “Because she knows that he can give her the ultimate pleasure. She wants to belong to him—to be taken by him—so badly that she’d do anything to get him to take her—even beg.”
Her breath caught at the husky intimacy in his voice, the ensuing ache in her nipples making it impossible to sit still. The steady throbbing in her clit made it even worse. “Does a Dominant really want her that much? I mean…”