She took a deep and unsteady breath. She would feel better once Millie arrived safe and sound.
* * * *
“You’re mine, and we belong together.”
Breaking into the apartment had been easy. Millie was still so conservative and reserved. She didn’t flaunt her achievements or the money she made. It was obvious by the apartment complex she lived in. The security was a joke and the only surveillance cameras were the ones outside the front door, and since they didn’t have a full view, he was able to keep his head turned to the left and remain undetected. He looked around the living room. Something wasn’t right. Through further investigation he entered her bedroom, and the sweet smell of her perfume filled his nostrils. He closed his eyes and adjusted his cock.
“Fuck, baby, I wish you were here right now. We’d make good use of that bed.” He moved closer, picking up what appeared to be a nightshirt. It was pink and frilly and smelled like her. He inhaled against the soft fabric and it tickled his nose. He wanted Millie so badly. His breathing grew rapid as he stared at the bedposts. He would tie her up against the posts of her bed and spread her legs wide for him to have his way with. He closed his eyes, imagining the feel of her soft skin against the rough palms of his hands. His hands were calloused from lifting weights and mopping floors. He did it all for her. He had waited too long and had planned every moment. But where was she? He knew his call would surely arouse her, but what game was she playing now? He enjoyed the chase as much as the capture. She knew that. Perhaps she was still a little frightened. He did nearly kill her. But it was only because he wanted her so badly. He wanted to brand her as his own. He wanted to know that she belonged to no other man than him ever again. The thought made him clench his teeth and growl. Where could she be? Who would make her leave me when Millie knew I was coming for her? Millie knew the rules.
Stacy. That bitch intervened. The anger caused him to clench the material in his hands. Then he controlled that temper of his just like the prison psychiatrist taught him. That ugly bitch thought she had healed Frank.
Dr. Sheila Perkins would die, too, that cunt. Sheila fell for his lies. She actually thought that he was in love with her, as she surely was with him. He played his role well and got what he wanted, an early parole. Thanks to the good doctor, he was released on good behavior under her continued care and her professional recommendation. Little did the warden or the parole board know, he had manipulated his own fate and used the kind doctor. But hey, it was her fault. Sheila was supposed to be a professional. But she was weak and needed the firm hand of a strong male to guide her. He was that man and there was no weakness around women.
She made his time last longer and drag on until he realized that Sheila was attracted to him. He had worked out vigorously because there wasn’t anything better to do. He even worked odd jobs around the prison to strengthen his case before the parole board. That, too, had been the good doctor’s advice. Well, he was nearly done with her anyway. He had his eyes on the grand prize. He wanted Millie.
Frank felt himself losing the edge and fighting the need to hurt someone. But he had a plan, a dream that had kept him somewhat sane when he was locked up. His sweet, beautiful Millie. She was so soft, petite, and voluptuous. She had natural beauty and she was reserved, never showing off her figure. She kept herself for him. She listened to him and accepted his control. There was no other, just him. He was aroused at the thought. He had taken her virginity. She was branded his woman from that very first moment.
His eye caught sight of an album on the dresser. He walked closer, noticing the jewelry stand was knocked over and no jewelry remained. It bothered him, but he was compelled to open the album. He lifted the leather book and opened the first page. His breathing hitched at the sight. He focused on her and not the man standing beside her who looked smug and narcissistic. He turned the page and then the next page. They were filled with pictures of his Millie with some sort of snotty bastard.
“Bitch!” he blurted out then threw the album against the wall.
He pulled open the dresser drawers. They were empty. He reached for another and found the same thing. Emptiness.
He walked toward the closet and pulled open the doors.
She ran.
His heart began to pound and a mix of anger and exhilaration filled him. This was going to be fun. She wanted him to chase her. Millie knew how much it turned him on when she ran from him. They played that game often. She would cry and beg for him to stop hitting her and would run only for him to chase her down, toss her onto the bed, and fuck her the way she liked it.
He began to search for clues as to where she might have headed. She didn’t have any family that he knew of except for Stacy and Anna.
He smiled then looked around the room for more clues. An address, a phone number, anything that would help him find her quickly so they could join their bodies once again.
He was in his glory and lived for moments like this. He was a hunter and Millie was his prey.
“Game on, baby.”
Chapter 4
Being back in Pearl already made Millie feel much better. She was miles and miles away from all her troubles and heartache. She had to admit that having a man as large and intimidating as Sheriff Wyatt Cantrell as her personal escort made her feel safer. Anna was one lucky woman.
“You look really good, Millie. Very sophisticated and grown up.” Wyatt winked as he looked forward again, being sure to keep his eyes on the road.
Millie laughed. She and Wyatt had grown up together until Millie’s mother had dragged her out of Pearl and to Connecticut when she was eleven. They had moved to New York City two months later. Her mother hadn’t realized how expensive it would be to rent a house and they wound up in the projects instead. But that was how she met Anna and Stacy.
“Thanks for the compliment. So how’s my girl Anna doing?” Millie asked.
“Keeping busy with the new shelter, the design and plans for the bed and breakfast, and the construction. Both Stacy and Anna want to be the first to share everything about it with you.”
“Sounds interesting. I can’t wait to see them. It’s been too long. I understand that word is spreading already and they have a few women there now.” They approached the stretch of road before the Cantrell ranch.
“They have five so far. I think it’s going to be great and I have more deputies on duty to provide extra security, too.”
He winked and she smiled.
“Well, I guess I’m number six then, huh?” she whispered and her throat closed up for a moment as the urge to cry nearly overtook her.
Wyatt reached over and squeezed her clasped hands that were on her lap.
“It’s going to work out fine, Millie. You’re strong, you know how the business operates, and you’ve got all of us here to protect and support you. I’ve already been in touch with Detective Flynn. He’ll keep us posted on any changes.”
“I appreciate that, Wyatt. I was so scared. I think coming back home to Pearl was my only option.”
“We’ll stop by the ranch to see the women and then I’ll give you a ride over to your aunt’s place.”
“My aunt’s? I thought that she and Ron were on a cruise?”
“They are. Anna and Stacy fixed up the cottage for you last night.” He smiled. She shook her head.
“The same cottage that Stacy stayed in when she met your cousins?”
“Yep. They even stocked the refrigerator for you. Although I doubt you’ll have much alone time with those two. Stacy can’t wait for you to see Hope.”
Millie smiled. She hadn’t had a chance to leave New York and visit when Stacy’s baby was born.
“I can’t wait to see her.”
“She’s beautiful, Millie.” Millie could hear the sincerity in his voice. The Cantrells were very close and Millie was certain that Wyatt, Ben, and Charlie looked at Hope as if she was their own daughter. She was envious as the lonely feelings of inadequacy and isolation trickled inside of her. Those w
ere foolish thoughts because she knew she had Anna and Stacy. They were her family just like Aunt Marie.
“So when are you, Ben, Anna, and Charlie going to start a family?” Millie asked with a wink.
Wyatt sighed as if she had hit a sensitive subject. She was suddenly concerned.
“What’s wrong? Things are okay between you three and Anna, right?”
“Oh, yeah. Of course they are. We love her so much, Millie. It’s just that she’s still recovering from her injuries. She gets headaches still and sometimes gets a little dizzy.”
“Well, the doctors said that was normal and it could take a while. Especially since her concussion was pretty serious.”
“I know. She gets upset every now and then about it. I see how she watches Stacy with Hope, Eric, and Max. She wants to start a family as much as we do, but we need to wait just a little longer.”
“Well, there’s plenty of time to start a family. I’m sure she’ll be free and clear from those headaches in no time. So how is the crime around Pearl? Still maintaining the peace?” she teased, wanting to change the subject.
“You’d be surprised what types of things happen around town. Nothing serious, of course, but we do get a few stragglers from outside of Pearl that come in for the shops and to dine at Francine’s. Anna still insists on working some hours there. Jack and Mary Boslow love her and of course Francine up and opened another restaurant in Turbank. She’s mostly there.”
“Wow! Well, Anna is a great cook. I wouldn’t blame Jack and Mary for keeping her working steady.”
Just then, they approached the front gates to the Triple C Ranch. It was even more beautiful than she recalled.
“Oh, God, Wyatt, the ranch looks so amazing. It’s been so long since I’ve been back in Texas. I missed this so much.”
Wyatt smiled as he parked the truck. He pulled right alongside Anthony Lewis’s construction truck.
* * * *
Anna and Stacy nearly ran toward the truck as Wyatt pulled up with Millie.
“Excuse us, Anthony, our best friend is here,” Anna stated, and they took off for the truck. The moment Anna and Stacy saw Millie, the three women screamed then hugged one another as they danced in a circle.
“Oh, God, I’m so glad you’re here, Millie!” Stacy exclaimed and then Anna agreed.
“Damn, woman, you look good!” Eric exclaimed as he approached with Charlie and Ben.
Anna giggled as Eric lifted Millie up in the air and twirled her around.
“Oh, God, Eric, you haven’t changed a bit,” Millie stated.
* * * *
Glancing around at the small crowd that had formed, Millie felt incredibly happy and relieved to be with her family. She wasn’t alone. She was back home in Pearl where she belonged.
As the others greeted her, she caught sight of two very tall cowboys standing near a truck that said “Lewis Construction” on it in in bold, uppercase black lettering. One cowboy was holding a clipboard with papers and the other was chewing on a straw, staring at her. She felt his gaze through the crowd and she was perplexed by the mixed emotions. She felt her cheeks warm. He had that look that could make even the most experienced woman blush. She looked at Stacy, who raised her eyebrows as if indicating how hot the two men were. Millie tried not to laugh. That was so Stacy.
“Millie, let us introduce you to Anthony and Jeremy Lewis. They own the construction company we hired to start the project,” Stacy stated as if she sensed the men staring at Millie.
Millie smiled as Jeremy offered his hand first.
“Nice to meet you, Millie. Stacy and Anna were worried about you. Glad you made it to Pearl in one piece.” As she touched his hand, she felt a tingling sensation travel past her wrist as his words sunk in.
She pulled her hand away quickly and gave a scolding look to Stacy. Stacy cleared her throat and shook her head. Did that mean that Stacy hadn’t informed the strangers about her situation in New York? Damn, she hoped not.
“I’m Anthony,” the other man stated, and she turned back to him. She shook his hand as not to be rude and she noticed that his hair was crew cut short as opposed to Jeremy’s who had his tied back neatly. Looking back at Jeremy as she released Anthony’s hand Jeremy winked at her with chocolate eyes. He was a flirt, she could tell immediately, and damn if her body didn’t react instantly to it.
“Nice to meet you both. So what is this secret project you two have been hiding from me?” Millie asked.
“No secret, just something we think that you’ll be interested in helping out with and being part of.” Anna winked at Stacy.
“What is it?”
“Jeremy, can you show Millie the blueprints of the construction site and the main page?” Stacy asked.
“Sure. It would be my pleasure.” Jeremy smiled at Millie as he looked her over again. When he and Anthony turned away, Anna gave her a nudge in her shoulder and a wink. She shook her head at her friend. Millie was done with men, especially the flirtatious kind. Plus, she was doing her best right now not to break down and cry. She had no idea what would come of her leaving New York and losing her job so suddenly. For all she knew, Frank wasn’t even in New York and was just messing with her like always. But he had sounded so confident. She had done what Stacy and Anna told her to do and what Detective Flynn suggested and left town. She had contacted Detective Flynn and given him Wyatt’s number at the Sheriff’s Department as well. Wyatt was also the detective that arrested Frank and helped Stacy save Millie’s life. Although he had no grounds to locate Frank and arrest him, he suggested that she take Frank’s threats seriously and take a vacation. She swallowed hard as she tried her hardest to submerge her emotions.
* * * *
Jeremy opened up the blueprint on the hood of his truck and then realized that Millie was too petite to see that high. His truck was an extra-wide load and very big, just like him and his brothers. He and Anthony were tall, stocky, and muscular, while his brothers, Dalton, Hank, and Marco, were trim and fit, keeping their military physiques like true martial artists.
“Grab the other end, Anthony, so she can see it better.”
Millie slowly moved closer and he noticed she kept her hands clasped in front of her as if she were afraid to get too close to either of them. Jeremy smiled. She was a mighty fine-looking woman, with brown hair tied up in a ponytail and dark blue eyes that almost looked too large for her smaller features. They were the first thing he noticed about her. Then, of course, he noticed her hourglass figure. She was a knockout and dressed very conservatively in a black, sleeveless one-piece dress and a white sweater. She looked sweet.
“Is this a new development you’re putting in on Cantrell’s land next to the shelter?” Millie asked.
“This is something we’ve talked about in the past but with no real direction. Your ideas and accomplishments in New York kind of helped us zero in on our idea, Millie. As you know, we built the women’s shelter so that women in trouble or on their own with no place to go can come here and have a new start,” Anna stated, and Millie smiled. Jeremy watched as the tears hit her eyes and she lost coloring in her face.
“We want you to be part of this, Millie. We have a new friend, Lena, who has some really great ideas as well. She’s had to deal with so much on her own, just like Anna and me and, of course, you, too. The four of us will organize and run the place. We were thinking about making a series of specialty shops. Maybe a place where you can sell the jewelry you make and other women can sell things they’ve made as well,” Stacy added.
“Yeah, we’re going to have small cottages, some single and some multifamily, so that women can share or so that women with children can live there while they work. We’ll have child care services and we’re even thinking about other forms of income for the women so they can eventually support themselves,” Anna added.
“I’ve been in contact with some government agencies offering education grants and scholarship programs we can do online. Plus, with your background as a fundraising co
ordinator and financial coordinator, we could maybe use your connections to help us expand and really help these women out,” Stacy stated.
Jeremy remained, watching Millie. She looked shocked, but he saw something else in her eyes, something that made him feel like she knew how the women felt and perhaps had been in need at one time herself, or maybe she was just touched by the idea Anna and Stacy had.
“This is amazing. This is exactly what I’ve been wanting to create in New York.” As she said the words she covered her mouth and began to turn away. Anna and Stacy were immediately by her side.
“It will be okay, Millie. He can’t get to you here,” Stacy whispered, but Jeremy heard her. Immediately, he felt as if a fist tightened around his heart. Was this beautiful, sophisticated-looking woman in some kind of trouble?
He looked at his brother, Anthony, who held the same concerned expression. Anthony was a control freak. He ran their business and he ran it well. If he were concerned over Millie, he would get the answers he was looking for. Jeremy hoped that his brother remained quiet.
“Why don’t you guys call it a day? I’m sure Stacy and Anna picked your brain all afternoon about the construction.” Wyatt placed his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder as he watched the ladies head toward the house.
“Is she all right, Wyatt? I mean, is she in some kind of trouble?” Anthony asked and Wyatt looked at Jeremy then Anthony before he glanced toward the women as they headed for the porch.
“It’s not my place to say, but thanks for your concern.”
“She seems real nice and Anna and Stacy talk about her a lot,” Anthony added.
“Yeah, they’ve been friends for many years. All three of them went through a lot of hard times back in New York.”
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