by Lori King
They stared at each other for several tense moments. Her eyes were wide and wary, searching his for answers. He tried hard to keep his expression a blank, steady mask so that she wouldn’t doubt the seriousness of his words. Finally she nodded slightly and dropped her eyes back to her hands.
“I’m going to be honest with you, Tyce, and with myself for that matter. I want you, too. I’m attracted to you and have been since I met you,” she said, and Tyce felt like the wall that separated them metaphorically was finally gone. A smile broke out over his face, and he reached out to take her hand. She stopped him and held her hand out to keep him back. “But…I’m also extremely attracted to Xavier and Noah. I can’t risk hurting two of you just to sleep with one of you. Robert Wicks is determined to find me and make me pay for wounding his pride by leaving him. He may even attempt to take me back to South Carolina. If he comes after me, I will deal with him. I don’t want one of you three to get hurt because of me.”
Tyce stared at her quietly, trying to decide how best to proceed. She had no comprehension that the three brothers honestly wanted a ménage relationship with her. On top of that she had volunteered a little bit more information about her ex. This was definitely progress. He wanted to push and try to extract every bit of information she would give him, but he knew that she would balk and freeze up. He finally sighed, and his smile softened.
“Love, we definitely need to talk more about your fears of the three of us and a relationship, but I want my brothers here for that conversation. For now, you just get dressed while I go make some calls and set up the meeting with the sheriff.” With that, he let himself steal a soft kiss from her lips, and then he forced himself to walk out of the bedroom and shut the door behind him.
An hour later Sidney sat on the sofa with Tyce on one side of her, Noah on the other, and Xavier pacing nearby as the sheriff questioned her and took her statement. Sheriff Calvin Limpkin, or Lumpy as he was affectionately called, was an older man in his late fifties with graying hair and a large potbelly. It was hard to imagine him protecting anyone or chasing down bad guys. She trusted him instinctively, just like she did the Dawson brothers. Her three guard dogs surrounded her in a welcome blanket of security.
She listened with half of her hearing to Sheriff Lumpy, and his deputy Joey Ruiz as they talked with her men. They were discussing the accelerant used to start the fire, and whether or not there was damage done to the vehicle before the fire. She didn’t care anymore. All that was clear was that Robert Wicks had caught up to her, and they were at an impasse. He would either find a way to attack her or get the picture that she was securely under the protection of three very large men and leave her alone. She highly doubted the later scenario was even a relevant possibility, but she could hope.
Instead of being attentive to the surrounding conversation, she focused on Noah, who sat beside her with one hand resting on her upper thigh, wrapped in between both of her small hands. Occasionally she would squeeze his hands, and he reassured her each time by returning the gesture gently. He was a beautiful man with strong, masculine features and warm aqua-blue eyes. There was no hint of the ice chips that existed in Xavier’s eyes or the midnight blue that she could see in Tyce’s eyes. Instead they were a clear sea-breeze blue that registered his emotions openly and honestly. When he caught her staring at him, he turned his head and smiled. It was a genuine smile that encompassed his whole being.
She returned the smile as her body warmed from the inside out. Oh my God. I’m in love with the Dawson brothers, she thought, and just that quickly the smile vanished and panic returned. Noah sensed her shift in emotions, and a concerned wrinkle appeared between his eyes as he tugged her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles softly.
“You okay, honey?” Noah said quietly. Even though it was barely a whisper, it immediately drew both Xavier and Tyce’s attention. Feeling all of the eyes in the room on her, she blushed and stared at her lap.
“Sidney, I know that this is hard for you, but we really need to hear from you what happened with Mr. Wicks and why you are so scared of him,” Sheriff Lumpy said. His voice was low, and when she finally looked up at him, his face was full of concern and tender compassion. She swallowed hard, trying to get past the ball of nerves in her throat.
“It’s harder than you realize. I haven’t talked with anyone about any of this. He always told me that if I ran to the police he would turn it around on me, and I would be the one to go to jail,” she said in a small voice. She cleared her throat, trying to delay baring her soul to this room full of strangers. What would Noah, Tyce, and Xavier think of her after they heard it all? Her thoughts skittered and bounced with anxiety, and she struggled to keep breathing normally. She could feel the panic heavy in her chest, and her palms were ice cold and sweaty.
“Would it help if the Dawsons left the room?” Deputy Ruiz asked politely.
“No!” Her response was instant and sharp, startling both herself and the deputy. She glanced over at Xavier, who had a small smile on his face and his arms across his chest. He looked inordinately pleased at her strong aversion to them leaving her. “No, that’s not necessary. They have offered to let me stay here. The least I can do is share with them what they are facing.”
Taking one last deep breath, Sidney plunged into the story of her living nightmare.
“To start you need to know that I grew up in foster care. My dad didn’t stick around after my mom got pregnant, and my mom couldn’t stay off of drugs long enough to be a mom, so the state took me when I was about three years old and put me in foster care. I bounced around a lot, never really staying in one home for long. I wasn’t abused or neglected necessarily, but I didn’t receive any affection or encouragement either. When I turned eighteen the state cut me off, and I was kicked out of the foster home I was staying in. I worked part-time as a waitress at the Greenville Truck Stop and had nothing to my name. I spent several months sleeping on the couch of one of the other waitresses before I was able to get a studio apartment. I still walked to work every day for the next two years. That’s when the Truck Stop went bankrupt, and I went to work for a local bar as a bartender, and sometimes I sang for extra money. I paid my own way through an accounting program with the money I earned in singing competitions and at the bar, just so that I could get out of there. I figured accounting was a field that was always in demand and would give me steady income during the day so that I could sing on the weekends. I met Robert right before my twenty-fifth birthday, just over a year ago, when he became a client of the accounting firm where I worked as a personal accountant. Robert Wicks is a spoiled little boy who comes from money. His father was a senator for South Carolina and ran a local printing company. Robert had influence and money. He was charming, funny, and he paid attention to me. I had never had anyone really honestly pay attention to me, and I was swept off of my feet. He took me out to dinner and movies, and even took me dancing with his wealthy friends. It was amazing…a whirlwind romance that they would write about in dime-store novels.”
Sidney released a shaky breath and let her eyes roam the room. Xavier now stood behind her now with his large hand wrapped gently around the back of her neck, stroking her soothingly. Tyce still remained on her left side with his arm around her shoulders and his fingers lightly dancing over her shoulder. Noah held her hand tightly in his own large grip. He had turned to face her so that their joined hands rested on her thigh again. The sheriff and his deputy were both seated in chairs across from her, leaning forward to listen as she spoke. There was no judgment or censure in any of the faces around her, so she continued.
“Robert was a very controlling person. He didn’t like my singing, so I stopped doing it rather than fighting with him. He didn’t like the clothes I wore, so I let him purchase a whole new wardrobe for me, and I wore what he wanted. It didn’t become physical abuse until I moved in with him about three months after we started dating. The first time he hit me was because I got home from work late and didn’t have a
chance to make dinner like he expected me to. It wasn’t horrible, it was a slap, and he apologized immediately, so I forgave him. He took me out to dinner and coddled me that night, so I really believed he regretted it. That slap turned into punching, kicking, tripping, throwing things at me, belittling me, humiliating me…” Sidney’s voice broke, and tears ran down her cheeks, but now that she had started she was compelled to finish. Like a dam opening for the flood waters, she had to let it out.
“I thought about leaving him. Especially when he would lock me in the garage naked as punishment for some imagined offense, or when he would tie me down and force me to have sex, just because I said I didn’t want to. I had nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. He had enough power and money to make me come back if I tried to leave. And he kept telling me how much he needed me. No one ever needed me before. Anyways, seven weeks ago I found out I was pregnant. I was shocked and scared, but I knew I had to tell Robert. When he came home that night and I told him…he nearly killed me. He beat me over and over, kicking and punching…I was crying and screaming on the floor, but he wouldn’t stop…”
Sobs interrupted her words, and Tyce leaned over and scooped her trembling body up onto his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, giving her the support she needed to keep talking. Xavier’s hand stroked her hair from behind them as Noah scooted closer until he could reach her, and he brushed tears from her face with his thumb before lacing his fingers through hers again.
“Then he just stopped, all of a sudden it was over. I remember him spitting on me before he walked out the door. He just left me there. There was so much blood. I don’t remember calling 911, but when I woke up in the hospital, the Doctor told me that it was a good thing I did. I could have bled to death on the floor.”
Her breath hitched again. She had never imagined that it would be this difficult to tell anyone about all of this. Her chest burned, and her head was pounding. She had to get this out so that she had some sort of relief. She had to empty all of the bad memories, and let someone help her face it.
“At the hospital, they told me that I lost the baby. They tried to convince me to go to a women’s shelter before they discharged me, but I went home to him like an idiot. I even went back to work the day after I was released from the hospital, but when I got home from work that night, it all went horribly wrong. I was supposed to have dinner ready when he got home, so I was nervous going in the door because I was running late. As I put my purse down, I heard them. He had another woman in our bed. They never even saw me standing there. They just kept fucking…I ran. I grabbed my purse and I ran. He kept calling my cell phone, threatening me, and I knew he was looking for me. Once I was pretty sure I had covered my tracks, I started looking for a way to make some money. I didn’t find real work until I came here, and Noah hired me. You already know I slept in my car, and I took my paycheck in cash so that there was no trail. I don’t understand how he found me. I was so careful.” Sobs wracked her body and she struggled to breath under the weight of the truth. Why had it taken her so long to see how abusive Robert was? Maybe if she had left earlier, she wouldn’t have lost her baby. The thought was more painful than anything Robert had ever done to her physically.
“That’s enough, Lumpy. Sidney needs to rest for a little bit,” Tyce said softly as Sidney cried openly into his chest.
She heard the other two men leave, and it took her a few moments to realize that her men hadn’t moved at all. They still held her and touched her, just like yesterday morning when she had broken down in their arms. They were still there for her. In fact they were there at the expense of their business, which was their entire life. Noah had left the bar when Tyce called him and relayed Sidney’s request that he be there, and Xavier had called in a couple of employees to work tonight so that he and his brothers could stay home with her.
The last piece of ice surrounding her heart melted as the weight of her secrets lifted, and she sighed heavily into Tyce’s neck as the tears finally slowed. A hand under her chin brought her swollen eyes open, and she lifted her head to look directly into Xavier’s eyes.
“Thank you for telling us, baby. We needed to know. I’m so sorry he hurt you so badly, and I promise you that we will protect you with our lives,” he said as they shared a profoundly emotional moment. His gaze never wavered from hers, and he never once looked at her like she wasn’t worthy of him. His eyes held a slew of emotions that Sidney couldn’t quite accept yet, and she finally smiled a little at him.
“I know. I believe that you three will do everything in your power to keep me safe,” she said, and all three men smiled broadly.
It was Noah who shocked her to the bone with his words. “Damn straight, honey. You’re our woman now, and nobody threatens a Dawson.”
Sidney jerked her head around to gape openmouthed at Noah. “What?” she whispered.
Noah and his brothers exchanged a look before he smiled a little guiltily at her. “Sorry, I guess I got carried away. Maybe I should have reworded that. We hope that you will be our woman, but we will protect you regardless.”
“What do you mean your woman?” she asked, her voice still a shocked whisper. She was afraid to hope that he meant it like she wanted him to.
Xavier tugged on her chin again until she turned her dumbfounded eyes back to his. “Sidney, you know in your heart how we feel about you. We want you as our woman, long-term.”
“All of you? And me? Together? All of you?” she squeaked, feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Fantasizing about it and being asked to participate in it were two completely different things, and she wasn’t sure if she could handle a relationship with all of them. Who am I kidding? This is exactly what I wanted and didn’t think I could have, she thought. The thought drew a small smile to her lips, and she dropped her gaze to her lap again. She fidgeted under their watchful eyes, unsure of the right thing to say to them.
“Love, if you keep squirming like that, I’m going to take you right here on the couch.” Tyce growled against her ear, and she gasped, realizing that his cock had hardened and was now pressing into her soft ass.
“I…I…” she stuttered and felt her whole body tingling. She didn’t know how to tell them she wanted them, too, and she really was a little scared of taking them all on at once.
“Shhh…it’s okay. We’re pushing you too fast. We’ll just back off and talk about this later,” Noah said, trying to soothe her.
“No, Noah. That’s not it. It’s just that…well…I’ve never even heard of a real relationship like what you guys are asking me for. What would people say? Isn’t that illegal?” she asked, blushing at her ignorance.
“It’s not illegal to have a relationship, but it is illegal to marry more than one person. If we get that far, I would be your legal husband, because I’m the oldest,” Xavier said, and her face paled. They were talking about marriage now? When did they jump ahead to that?
She wasn’t going to start a relationship with three men. It was just a dark fantasy. There is no way they would find support in the community. She finally spoke again. “If people found out, they would shut your bar down.”
Noah laughed out loud, drawing her attention. “Actually, honey, Apache Crossing has a few unusual relationships around here. The population is fairly open-minded and wouldn’t really care one way or another.”
“Unusual relationships? There are people living here like that?” She couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice. She had envisioned dating one of these brothers, but certainly not all three. Now to find out that they really wanted to share her just blew her mind.
“Well, let’s see, there’s Ridge and Zane Anderson who own the hardware store. They are married to Marie Blake. Marie’s mother Jessamine was married to Josiah and Nathanial Blake. That would be Nathan and Jaxon Blake’s grandparents,” Noah said with the twinkle of amusement in his eyes, and Sidney realized that her mouth was hanging open when Tyce put his finger to her chin.
“Of course we a
lso have Benjamin and Isaac, those two boys have been together for at least a dozen years now. They run Apache Estates, the local real estate company, and are two of the most honest men I’ve ever met. There’s also Melanie and Darcy, who drove to Iowa last summer when they made it legal there for them to get married. I think you met Darcy at The Bop. They are great women who are always laughing,” Noah said, and he started to laugh. “Honey, you should see the look on your face right now.”
Sidney blushed and ducked her head to stare at her lap. “I’m sorry, but this is new to me.”
“Don’t be sorry, love. We want you to ask questions. The last thing we want is to scare you off,” Tyce said softly, and he kissed her temple.
After a tense silence she spoke again. “How does it work exactly? And is this just a fling to get rid of some itch you have?” she asked, forcing herself to look them each in the eye as she spoke.
“You are not a fucking itch. Get that out of your head right now,” Xavier snapped angrily, and she flinched, pulling herself farther away from him and into Tyce.
“It works however we make it work, love. We just need you to be open-minded and let us show you how good it can be between us,” Tyce said softly, trying to soothe the rough edges of Xavier’s frustration. His arms held her protectively, and his fingers stroked her ribs on one side and her upper thigh on the other. It was deliciously wicked to be sitting on top of his hard erection with him snuggling her deeper into his embrace and running his hands over her.