Foul Play [Merricks, Montana] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by McKinlay Thomson

  “I slept well. That bed is the most comfortable bed I have ever been in.”

  “So, it had nothing to do with the men that shared it with you?” He was teasing her and she couldn’t help but tease him in return.

  “What men? I didn’t notice any men. Could you introduce me to them?” Sarah was smiling as she replied. James swatted her on the ass in retaliation, but was smiling, too. He kissed her again. Sarah broke off the kiss before things got out of hand. If he kissed her much longer she would have been ripping off her clothes and demanding satisfaction right there on the kitchen table.

  “What would you like to do today, little darling?” James asked. She slipped from his lap and went to pour herself some coffee. She returned to the table with her cup and sat down opposite James.

  “I was hoping we could go into town and explore more. I didn’t get to see much the other day. I was hoping there was a library or something I could look for work.”

  “Work? I’m not sure that’s a good idea, baby. Blake won’t like it,” he said.

  “I have to do something. I can’t sit around here all day. It will drive me crazy. You both need to work and can’t entertain me all day. With nothing to do, I’ll just sit and stew about what’s happening back home. I don’t know how long I’m going to be here and I need to find something to occupy my time.” Sarah had to make them understand that she needed to do something other than sit around the ranch. She was still mourning the death of her friend, and there was a drug cartel trying to find her. With nothing to occupy her time she would be pulling her hair out in no time.

  “I understand that you want something to do, but you’re supposed to be here for protection. How can we protect you if you’re in town on your own?” James told her. Sarah took a sip of her coffee before answering.

  “No one knows I’m here. I’m a whole country away, with a new identity. I’ll be fine with a job in town. I’ll keep my head down low and work. Blake will be close when he’s at the station. And you’ll both be just a cell call away,” she pleaded.

  “I don’t know, little darling. I don’t like it, but I can see where you’re coming from.” James sighed and then stood. “If Blake says it’s okay, then I’ll agree, too. You may be my woman, too, but he is your handler as far as Alex is concerned.”

  Sarah stood and placed a kiss on James’s cheek. One down, one brother to go. Hopefully Blake would get on board, too. She knew he would be the harder of the two to convince. It was his responsibility to protect her. Alex had asked him, and he took his job very seriously. But she felt she needed to do this. She was responsible enough not to abuse the privilege.

  It wouldn’t be blowing their cover story about her being a friend from out of town. They could just say that she had decided to stay on longer and that she needed to work whilst she was here.

  “Where is Blake anyway?” Sarah asked. She had finished her coffee and moved over to the sink to rinse out the mug. James came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He drew her back to lean against him. It was an intimate thing to do and Sarah loved that they liked to show affection.

  “He already left for work. We can head over to town and look around anyway. But don’t get too excited until you have talked to Blake. There is a good chance he will say no.”

  “I won’t, I promise. I’d love to still look around.”

  “Go and grab your things then, baby, and we’ll head off.” He let go of her waist, and she rushed to get her things. All she needed was her purse and jacket. They were soon on their way to town in James’s big truck, Sarah staring out at the landscape as they went.

  * * * *

  James pulled the truck off the highway and then went over the Mushy Creek Bridge. He had always loved the name of the creek. Mushy Creek was a stupid name, and that was why he liked it, he supposed. The founders of the town weren’t very inventive when naming the landmarks in the town.

  His truck rumbled over the wooden bridge that led to the old part of town. Stephie’s Bar and Grill, Silk Ties, and the rest of the shops were on the new side of town. The sheriff and fire stations, church, general store, and post office all remained on the other side of the creek. The old side of town also had the school, town hall, and library. All the buildings were the original buildings that were built back when the town was settled in the late 1800s.

  Coming to this side of the bridge was like taking a step back in time. All the clapboard fronts held original signs, and though they had been repainted from time to time, they still looked like they fell out of a scene from an old film.

  James pulled his truck up to the front of the general store and turned off the engine. He got out and went around to help Sarah down from the high cab.

  “Thought we could start here and make our way down to the library,” he told her as he took her hand and pulled her into the store.

  They took their time exploring the store and then made their way down the street. When they reached the sheriff’s station, Sarah begged to go in and see Blake. He knew she was busting to ask Blake about getting a job. He was tempted to say no, but Blake’s car was parked out the front, so he was there and James didn’t want to disappoint her. He’d let Blake do that and then he got to be the one to comfort her.

  They walked in the door and April the dispatcher popped her head over the divider to greet them.

  “Well, if it isn’t James Hammond. I haven’t seen you in a while. What brings you to this side of town?” she asked. “And who is your lovely friend?”

  “April, good to see you, doll. How are the husbands?” James took her hand and kissed her on the cheek.

  “They’re all good. Getting the ranch ready for winter. The usual.” She looked at Sarah, but didn’t say more.

  “April, this is a friend of Blake’s and mine. Sarah, this is April, an old friend and Blake’s dispatcher,” James said, introducing them.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Sarah. How are you enjoying our little town?”

  “It’s great to meet you, too. I haven’t really seen all that much of it, but I like what I’ve seen so far. Everyone I’ve met has been really nice.” Sarah and April shook hands, and James watched them as they sized each other up. He knew April was just watching out for their interests. Not wanting Blake to get burned again after Ellen, most likely. He quickly ushered Sarah to Blake’s office. God only knew what she would do if April questioned her about her intentions toward the brothers. He didn’t want a repeat of the bar, and April could go all momma bear when she defended her friends, too.

  He knocked on the door to Blake’s office and then opened it to let Sarah enter first. Blake was sitting behind the desk, talking on the phone. He gestured for them to sit and continued his call. It wasn’t long before he had finished, hanging up the receiver.

  “What brings you two in? Not that I’m complaining about getting a visit from my best girl.” He crossed the room and pulled Sarah to her feet, planting a kiss on her full lips.

  “Best girl! I better be your only girl,” Sarah told him. She was so cute with her hand on her hip. She was trying her best to glare at Blake, but couldn’t fight a giggle. James was so impressed with her. She had come a long way from the shy girl that had come into their home a few days before. With a bit more loving from the brothers, hopefully they could chase away all her insecurities.

  “Of course, there is no other woman. They’d be too worried to approach us after that display at the bar last night,” Blake said. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her more. James sat there wanting to join in the fun, but now wasn’t the time or place for loving.

  “Sarah wanted to ask you something, Blake.” James interrupted their kiss, smiling when Sarah turned to glare at him.

  “What’s up, baby girl?”

  “Well, I was talking with James earlier, and he said it was okay as long as you agreed. I wanted to look for a job in town.” Blake glared over at James and he smiled. Sarah had conveniently left out the part where he had said he didn’t
think it was a good idea.

  “What I said was that I understood why she wanted to work, but it wasn’t a good idea. However, I would agree if you did. It’s your ass on the line,” James told Blake.

  “Please, Blake. I really need to feel like I’m getting on with my life. If that is here, that’s all right. I just can’t sit around the ranch and wait. I will go crazy.”

  “I understand, baby. I do. It’s just harder to protect you if you’re not at the ranch.” Blake moved to sit back behind his desk. He was wearing his cop face and rubbing his chin, contemplating Sarah’s request.

  “I suppose putting down roots in the town isn’t a bad thing. You might be here a while.” Like forever if James had his way. Blake continued. “You have your change of identity papers. There is no reason to suspect you aren’t who you say you are. You just have to remember when you talk to people, not to give up too much information. This is a small town and people tend to pry.”

  “Not that anyone in the town would do anything if the truth came out. It is still better that they don’t find out who you really are,” James added. Sarah sat there quietly as James and Blake talked through the pros and cons of Sarah working. In the end they agreed that Sarah should be allowed to work.

  James liked the idea the more he thought about it. She was more likely to stay when this was over if she had a purpose and didn’t think she was a burden on them. Not that she had to work. They had plenty of money to look after their woman and provide everything she might need.

  “Thank you heaps, Blake. You won’t regret it, I promise. I’ll keep my head down. You won’t need to worry about a thing.” Sarah gave Blake a huge kiss and then walked over to him. “Let’s go get me a job.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sarah scanned another returned book into the computer and placed it on the trolley to be put away. She had been working at the library for four weeks now and still couldn’t believe her luck. After she and James had left Blake in his office that day, they had gone straight to the library. She thought that it would be a long shot to get a job in her field in such a small town. Jobs were usually held onto for a long time and snapped up quick when they did come available.

  Luckily for her, the librarian who was employed was getting older and finding the being on her feet for long periods harder each day. Her name was Ruby, and she had been working at the library for more than ten years. She had followed her son to town after the death of her husband and was living in a granny flat at the back of his property. She had told Sarah it was so she could be closer to her grandkids.

  Ruby had just been given permission from the city council to start looking for an assistant. Sarah’s timing was perfect. She liked Ruby instantly, the little old lady reminding her of the mother from the show The Golden Girls. She was short with curly, grey hair and was smart as a whip.

  She scanned the last book and added it to the trolley before pushing it toward the bookshelves. Sarah was finishing her shift in less than an hour and was looking forward to seeing her men. The library had been quiet today, leaving Sarah’s thoughts to wander. It was this idleness that she had been afraid of in the first place.

  The day had started out well enough. She had let her mind wander, mainly thinking about the brothers and how their relationship had progressed. She was in love for sure, though she had yet to tell them. She was worried that they didn’t return the feelings. Oh, they liked her well enough, always complimenting her and touching her affectionately, but they had yet to say any words of love. So, she was reluctant, too. Better to keep her feelings to herself for the time being.

  The sex was great. Each time they came together, she learnt new things about her body and theirs. Her orgasms were mind-blowing. She had fallen into the submissive role well and was more than willing to try new things with the brothers. They had shown her a world full of pleasures she had only dreamed about, and she loved every minute.

  The brothers had shown her how to kneel and display herself. Her freshly shaved pussy had glistened as they had inspected her. She had been flogged, paddled, tied to a St. Andrew’s Cross, blindfolded, and gagged. The brothers were inventive in their passions, and she had even progressed to calling them Master.

  They were even taking her to their club tonight. She was nervous and excited. James said he had bought her something special to wear, but he wouldn’t show her. She knew it would be revealing and felt sick at the thought of all her flabby bits being on display. James had flogged her butt good when she had expressed her concern, making her tell him between each swat that she was beautiful. The brothers had then shown her with their hands, mouths, and bodies how hot they thought she was.

  She still didn’t want other people to see her, but she knew she had to go anyway and that she should trust her men to keep her safe and happy, even from her own insecurities.

  As the afternoon wore on, her thoughts changed from the brothers to more unpleasant tidings. She thought about Jenny and hoped that she had had a beautiful funeral. She felt guilty that she was unable to go, but knew why she had to stay away. After a teary trip to the bathroom to clean up, she tried to think better thoughts, but that just lead her to think about home.

  Her family must be missing her as much as she was missing them. Her parents must be so worried and her sister must be frantic. They had always been close. Sarah was older by only eighteen months. They had grown up almost like twins, always doing everything together. It wasn’t until they hit university that they had decided to do their own things. Sarah had chosen to be a librarian, whilst Kate had gone on to do teaching. She now taught grade three at a small primary school. They had always lived near each other, but not together once they had gotten out on their own.

  Sarah placed another book on the shelf and picked up the next. When she read where it belonged she moved on to find the right row. The more she thought about her sister the more worried she became. What if Angelo tried to kidnap her sister to draw her out of hiding? She would never know, because she couldn’t contact home. Kate could be in real danger. Sarah knew this guy was ruthless. Why hadn’t Sarah asked about her family’s safety when she had the chance? No, calm down. Surely Alex would realize that was a possibility and keep them safe. He did this all the time and was good at his job. With the police hiding her, Angelo would surely know that harming her family would be useless.

  Sarah tried to shake off the concern she felt for her sister and concentrate on her work. The longer the afternoon went on, the more she worried something was going to happen to her family.

  Sarah glanced toward the reception desk. It stood empty, no customers waiting to borrow books. One quick call was all it would take. She could talk to her sister and tell her to be careful. Make sure her parents were all right. No, no she couldn’t. Alex said strictly no contact. Blake would hit the roof if he found out.

  She put her head down and continued with her work. It wasn’t long before she was glancing back at the reception desk and she would have to talk herself out of it all over again. As Sarah put the last book on the shelf, the bell at the reception went off to let her know someone was ready to borrow. She called out that she would be right there and rushed toward the desk.

  It was just one of the local women she had seen in here a few times now. They passed pleasantries and Sarah scanned her books. After she had left, Sarah stood at the desk and looked at the clock. Fifteen minutes to go and Sarah could shut the library and head out to meet Blake.

  She stared down at the phone. One call, just one call. The words went round and round in her head, tormenting her. She knew it was wrong. That they could trace her call and find her, but Sarah couldn’t help it. She had to know, and this was the only way. She picked up the receiver and dialed the international code and then her sister’s cell number and waited for the ring.

  * * * *

  Blake watched Sarah as she dressed. She was slowly putting on the clothes James had picked out for her to wear to the club. He could tell something was wrong with her
, but for the life of him he didn’t know what it was. She was fine when he’d dropped her off at work this morning, but when he picked her up she was quiet and withdrawn. More quiet than normal, which was saying something for her as she hardly ever said a word anyway.

  He had tried to draw her out of her funk, and all through dinner James had made joke after joke to try and get her to smile. Nothing had worked, and Blake was starting to get worried. Maybe she was just nervous about going to the club tonight. He knew she didn’t like to flaunt herself. James had chosen a fairly conservative outfit because of her body issues.

  The tight, black corset pushed her large breasts up but didn’t show any nipple, and the tight mini skirt fell a few inches above her knees. The rim on her lacey thigh-high stockings didn’t even show. The only color on the entire outfit was the red high heels that James had found. The heels weren’t very high, and she said they were comfortable.

  Sarah spun toward him but kept her head down. Blake walked over to her and placed his hand under her chin. He drew her face up to his, and he placed sweet nipping kisses on her lips. When she didn’t respond, he really started to worry.

  “What’s wrong, baby girl? You’ve been out of sorts all night. If you really feel this upset about going to the club we can stay home,” Blake told her. He pulled her into his arms and rested his cheek on her head. She was such a short little thing, her head only reaching his chest.

  “No Blake, please. I want to go to the club. I do. I’m just a bit melancholy tonight, that’s all. It’s such a big step in my life and normally I would be busting to tell Jenny, but I can’t and that makes me sad.”

  Blake wanted to believe her, he really did. But he could tell it was more than that and she wasn’t a very good liar. He decided not to press and, instead, to let things go. She would tell them when she was ready. They would work it out and punish her for not telling the truth later. Tonight was a big step in their relationship, and Blake told himself he had to focus on that.