"I think that would be a great idea. We can stay at your place or Max's until we go to the haven that was if anyone comes here looking for me they will find nothing."
"Ok, now that we have a plan in place why don't we head out to the house and sign the papers? Brielle, I would like for you to sign along with myself and Cole. We may be purchasing it with the money we have but this is our home...it will belong to the three of us and the family we create together."
"Are you sure?" She sounded hesitant.
Cole grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Brielle, sweetheart, we have not been more sure of anything else in our lives. Whatever we have is now yours. We are a family now and forever. From this moment on it is no longer just me, just Max or just you. It is us and no one is going to tear that apart, ok?"
"Ok, the three of us. I like that." She smiled up at him. He leaned down and kissed her. He couldn't help it. He loved kissing her and would spend the rest of his life taking every opportunity to do just that.
He looked over to Max, "Ok, are we ready?"
"Sure are." Max answered and walked to the door. He opened it and Cole allowed Brielle to walk out first with him close behind. He put her in the front seat of Max's and he hopped in the back. Max got in and they were off to the new house.
Chapter 24: Max (At the new house)
Max pulled into the driveway that led up to the house and looked over at Brielle. He was anxious to see what she thought of the place. He knew she had an idea of what it was like because she had gotten a glimpse of it when they had mated. But seeing the house in person was real and he wanted desperately for her to love it as much as he loved it. He knew Cole's thoughts on it because Cole had come with him when he did the first tour of the place when he found it. It was a beautiful 2-story house with a wrap-around porch. The long driveway that brought you to the house was lined with luscious apple trees that were in at the end of their blooming season.
"Well, Brielle, how is it so far?" He asked her, anxious for her answer.
She looked at him with a look of wonder on her face and tears in her eyes. "It is even more beautiful than I had seen in your visions."
He lifted her hand and brushed her knuckles with a tender kiss. "Let's go inside. The realtor is here and I am anxious for you to see the house."
The three of them got out of the car and as they made their way toward the front door it opened up and the realtor walked out. He felt Brielle tense. He looked down at her, startled to find her as white as a ghost. He looked up to see the realtor looking at her the same way. He wondered what was wrong. He stopped abruptly and turned toward Brielle, blocking her view of the realtor who was waiting for them on the porch.
Lifting his hand to cup her face he asked, "Brielle, honey, are you ok? What is wrong?"
She squeezed her eyes shut and he saw a tear escape the corners. Wiping it away he pulled her in toward his chest and wrapped her in a comforting embrace. Cole walked up behind her and massaged her back. He asked Max what was wrong and he could only shake his head. He had no clue what happened. Brielle pulled away from him and took a few calming breaths. When she opened her eyes he saw fear in them.
"She was one of them. She was at the place where my kidnappers took me. I saw her in my vision. I don't trust her, get someone else." She demanded and then walked back to the car.
"What the hell!" Cole yelled. Max just stared at Brielle, dumbfounded, before making his way back to the car.
"Brielle, are you sure you saw her?" He had to be certain. If she was helping those scumbags in any way he would make sure she paid.
"What, Max, you don't believe me? You got a thing for her or something? I guess I don't blame you, she is pretty with her golden hair and tight fitting suit dress. Why don't you go sleep with her and maybe you will get a better feeling."
Max was livid. He most certainly did not have a thing for the realtor or any other woman for that matter. He only had a thing for the jealous firecracker sitting beside him in the front seat.
"Look at me, Brielle." He commanded softly. He needed to make her understand that regardless of how little a woman wore or what she did to draw attention to herself, no other woman was going to capture his attention in any way. Brielle is all he wanted, all he would ever want.
When she finally looked at him he continued, "Get this through your head right now, honey. You are, and will always be, the only woman I look at, the only woman I want, the only woman I will make love to and the only one I want to ever make love to. Regardless of what anyone else does or says I will never, and I mean ever, do anything to put what we have in jeopardy. I will never betray us for anyone in the world. You are my life and I would die if I ever lost you, do you understand me? I could care less about that whore up on the porch, ok? I will call her right now, tell her we changed our minds about having her rep us and then I will call another office and have them send someone else out as soon as possible. I love you, sweetheart, and always will. Please don't ever doubt that. You would break my heart. Please sweetheart, trust me."
"I know. I really do. I am sorry. It's just when I saw her and recognized her from the vision, I thought you knew. I mean, I know you didn't know but I was just so emotionally upset from seeing her that I wasn't thinking. I am sorry. I love you guys and I know that I am safe, every part of me, with you."
"Ok then, we are set. Let me call and tell her after I turn this car around. Cole, would you mind calling Wes and letting him know we need to postpone his visit out here until we can find someone else to rep us?"
"On it." Came Cole's quick reply.
He leaned over and gave Brielle a kiss before starting his car and turning around. He took a peak in his rearview mirror and didn't miss the shocked and bewildered look on the realtor's face before it turned into a scorned look as she stormed into the house. Now wasn't that interesting? That look just confirmed what Brielle told them. He was going to have to have a good, long talk with Cole so they could come up with a plan. He knew one thing, he was going to have that woman followed. If he could find out where she goes and who she associates with then he knew they would find whoever was after Brielle.
Chapter 25: Brielle (Later that evening)
As Brielle was packing her things and sorting them out for the move to Max's she began to go over the day's events. She felt terrible for the way she had overreacted at the house. She went over her actions a thousand times in her head and each time brought more shame than the last. Max had done nothing to deserve her jealous anger. He was only trying to find a way to keep her safe and how does she repay him? By accusing him of having a thing for the realtor. God! How childish he must think her to be now. The house was gorgeous, what she actually took the time to see of it, and she wished she would have waited a bit longer before informing the guys about the lady who was showing the house to them. She would have loved to see inside. If the outside was any indication of how the home was then she knew she would be amazed! The wrap-around porch was a dream. But because that evil low-life woman Brielle wasn't able to step one foot inside the house she would soon call home. Well, enough of this pity party Brielle thought. She slammed the top of her suitcase down and looked around her bedroom. Her, Cole and Max had been packing ever since they returned from their trip. They still planned on going out for dinner tonight but that all depended on how quickly they could get her things organized for the moving company that was coming tomorrow afternoon. Max said that he was able to contact another real estate company that was able to show them the house in the morning so at least she had something to look forward to. Moving into Max's, even though it was temporary, was making her a bit nervous. She had only lived with either her parents or in her own apartment, she had never shared her space with another person outside of her family. She lifted the suitcase off the bed and set it down next to the rest of the cases that would be going with her. The remainder of her things would be put into a storage locker at the back of Max's property until they were ready to move after closing
on the new place.
Walking out of her room she heard Cole and Max talking. She knew they were making plans for finding the scum that were after her and she didn't want to distract them so she went into the bathroom to freshen up.
After spending ten minutes or so fixing her hair and touching up her make-up she went in search of the guys. Her guys. She liked the sound of that. The guys were as different as night is from day but she loved both of them deeply. Not only were they different in their appearance but in their personalities and how they treated her as well. Max was the strong and sensual one. He was definitely a take charge guy and the one they would depend on to be strong for them. Cole was her fun-loving sentimental guy. He was her emotional equal and was the one who understood her emotions because they seemed to match hers.
"Cole! Max! Are you guys ready?" She called out to them as she walked toward her living room, glancing at the bare walls where pictures used to be displayed.
"We are in the kitchen sweetheart!" She heard Cole call out to her.
She stepped into the kitchen and walked over to Cole and kissed him on the cheek. She then walked to Max and did the same thing.
"Brielle, honey, I called your mom to fill her in. Of course she already had her suspicions of what was going on. She said she loves you and if you need her or Dani they will be there." Max quietly told her as he spread his arm around her waist and held her against him. She wrapped her arm around him and leaned into his shoulder. "Thank you for calling my mom for me. I know she worries and I really appreciate you taking a minute to think of her." Brielle felt so relaxed and safe with Max and Cole. She couldn't imagine what her life was like before these two amazing men walked into it, taking charge and commanding control of her heart and soul. Cole joined them, snaking an arm on Brielle's other side and kissed the top of her head. With both Max and Cole holding her in their arms she felt like a most cherished possession and she loved it. No matter what anyone thought or said she knew she was, without a doubt, the luckiest girl in the universe. Nothing was going to change that, no one was going to be able to take away from them what they shared. She would dare anyone to try.
Chapter 26: Cole (At dinner that evening)
Cole went over in his mind the conversation he and Max had in Brielle's living room that afternoon. He was scared out of his mind, worried that at any moment they would turn a corner somewhere and they would be attacked. He knew Max's place was the most secure place for them to be until they left for the "safe haven" but he still felt an unsettled feeling in his gut. Something was telling him that they were not safe here or at Max's. He would have to find a moment alone with Max to share with him what his instincts were telling him without worrying Brielle. Their poor Brielle had already gone through too much and he felt her pain and sadness, her uneasiness with how her life was at this moment. He knew she was happy with them, they weren't what was causing her strife. She was suffering from the same doubts he was, she felt safe with them but she knew that until the creeps were captured she was not truly safe from danger. He and Max would do everything in their powers to prevent that from happening and deep down he sensed that Brielle knew that and felt that.
They ordered their food and began discussing how Brielle would like to decorate the new place as Max tried drawing it out on a napkin for her. "Will we have enough room for you and Cole to have an office?" she questioned Max. "Yes, honey, we will. Cole's will be in the basement which has been finished and holds a fitness room. I will have an office in the other half of the basement."
Cole saw the excitement in her eyes as they planned their home and their future together. This time together is exactly what they all needed, a little distraction from the torment of knowing what may happen but not when it will happen. He didn't mind it at all. He would never get bored of watching Brielle. He loved the way she furrowed her brows and pursed her lips when she was deep in thought, how she raised her eyebrows and the way her eyes glittered when she had an idea. He absolutely loved the way she peaked at him and Max bashfully when she thought they weren't looking. There wasn't a single thing that he didn't love about this woman and he looked forward to spending every single day showing her just how much he cherished her.
Their food arrived and they dug in. He enjoyed watching Brielle as she ate. She wasn't one of those girls who ate lightly like a bird, she ate with appreciation of the food and it did her body good too. She looked up then and caught him staring. She set her burger back on her plate and wiped her mouth before asking, "Is everything ok? You are staring at me."
"I'm just enjoying my view. I love that you enjoy your food that's all. You are beautiful even when you are eating." He couldn't hold back the smile that appeared on his face when her face flushed with embarrassment. "Brielle, sweetheart, there is no need to be embarrassed. You need to eat and you are absolutely beautiful in every way so don't ever worry. I was just thinking about how lucky I feel as I was watching you. Please don't let my staring stop you from finishing your food." He pleaded with her.
"Oh, I won't. I love a good burger. I was just hoping I didn't have something on my face or stuck in my teeth." She laughed. He and Max joined in. Laughter was good, they needed more of it. Things have been too serious lately and he relished the break from all the drama that had been following them the last couple of days.
"Well, boys, I do need to go use the little girls' room. I will be back in a couple of minutes. Don't miss me too much!" She teased and then walked off to the bathroom.
He turned to Max, "So, what do you think we should do? I mean, I am sure we will be watching her in shifts but do you think Wes or Jax would be willing to send someone out to guard the outside? I know you made some calls earlier but we haven't had a chance to talk about them."
"Wes said they have a some guys that they will send in shifts. 2 guys each shift, in 8 hour shifts, to keep watch. They are ex SEALS and part of our pack so we can trust them. He says they have great instincts and have protected several diplomats in years past. If someone were to approach our place they wouldn't get very far with them around. We will also have an additional guy that will keep watch right inside each shift. When we get to the new place we can hire some of our own but I told Wes that for right now the guys he is sending will do just fine."
"That sounds like a good plan. We will need to have them check out your place before we bring Brielle inside, just to be on the safe side."
"I agree. We will have them do an interior check before we even get out of the car when we get to my place tonight. By the way, hasn't Brielle been gone quite a while? She said she would be back in a couple of minutes and it has been enough time."
"You are right," Cole glanced at his watch, "I think she has been in there a good 5 minutes. Let's give her a couple more minutes and then check on her. She is a woman and you know how they can be."
As soon as he finished his sentence they heard a screaming coming from the direction of the restrooms and then a woman came running out, yelling, "Someone call 911! There was a woman in the bathroom that was just taken through the window. She was fighting the guy off but he took her. Someone, anyone, you have to help!" The woman was crying now. The man behind the counter got on the phone. Cole and Max ran over to the woman who was hysterical by now.
"What did the woman look like ma'am?" Max asked.
"She was a tiny little thing. She had long dark hair and bright green eyes. She was so nice, we were talking about babies seeing as I am expecting, and she congratulated me. Then we heard a glass breaking and a guy with a gun came through the window. He was creepy looking with shaggy hair and he told her to get out. She tried to fight but the guy just knocked her upside her head with the gun and picked her up and threw her out before he climbed out! You have to help her, please!" She dropped her head to her hands and began sobbing.
"Ma'am, we will do everything in our power to help her. Can you stay here and wait for help. I am sure the police will need your statement as a witness. We are going after our girl. Thank you." M
ax said. Then the two of them walked away.
At that moment Cole felt like someone had just twisted a knife in his gut. They had Brielle and he knew what they planned on doing to her. So help him God, those animals were going to pay!
Chapter 27: Max
Max couldn't believe those bastards were able to get Brielle from right under their noses! He slammed his car into reverse and sped out of the parking spot. Putting the car in drive he raced away, calling Wes while he was driving.
"Hey Wes, it's Max. Brielle has been kidnapped. We need you."
"I'll be there. Meet you at your place in 10 minutes."
He decided to call Brielle's parents. They had a right to know what was going on with their daughter. Since her dad was an Alpha he may have some connections of his own that he could utilize to help find her.
"Janice, it's Max. I have some bad news." He began, but she cut him off. "Max, honey, I know. Mark and I will make a few calls and meet you. Where are you heading right now?" She answered in a calm voice. How in the hell could she be so calm when some sick mothers had her daughter? "We are meeting at my place. If you would like I could have Cole text you my address and we will meet there. I have my friend, Wes, meeting us there. He is calling a few guys he employs, ex SEALS, and they will be aiding us in our search."
"I will call Dani, she would want to be a part of this. We will see you soon. And Max?"
"Yeah?" He responded harshly.
"Try not to worry too much. When you worry and become angry it clouds your senses. You will want all of your senses operating to the best of their abilities when we head out to search for her. Trust me on this, ok?"
"I will try, Janice, but it's just so damn hard knowing she is out there, somewhere, and there isn't a damn thing I can do right now to prevent her from being harmed. I feel so helpless."
"I know, honey, but she is a tough girl and she will get through this. She is strong and I know with all of us out there working to find her she will be ok. We will find her and bring her home where she belongs, with all of us. I will see you soon."
Saving Brielle: The Celestial Mating Series Book 1 Page 10