A Place to Belong [Slick Rock 14] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Becca Van

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Better,” she answered as she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the sofa and placing her feet on the floor. She glanced toward the desk where another woman was sitting on the edge, staring at her.

  “I’m Catalina Heritage but call me Cat.”

  “And I’m Rachel Osborn. One of my husbands is a sheriff.”

  Sally quirked an eyebrow and hoped she didn’t look as tense as she felt. She was going for a “so what” look but when Rachel narrowed her eyes slightly, Sally knew she hadn’t pulled it off. “Is that supposed to scare me?”

  “No,” Rachel sighed as she leaned back in her seat. “We had the doctor come in and check you over while you were out. We were concerned you were sick, but he assured us you were fine other than being exhausted and maybe suffering from PTSD.

  “I have a story to tell you and you are going to sit there and listen. When I’m done, if you’re still not convinced that you’re safe here, Cat will tell you how she came to be in Slick Rock.”

  “Can I have a drink first?” she asked. Her mouth was as dry as the desert after her panic attack. While she appreciated that they’d called a doctor, she didn’t like the idea of being examined while she was out, but since it had already been done, she decided not to mention it. What she really wanted was to down a bottle of wine and get good and drunk. Maybe then when she went to bed later, she wouldn’t have the nightmare, but she wasn’t about to partake of any alcohol and lower her inhibitions. She needed to keep her wits about her.

  “I was on the run a few years back and ended up here. I was scared and alone but then I met my husbands, Damon, Sam, and Tyson. Sam runs a mechanic shop and, as you know, Tyson bought the hotel. Damon joined the sheriff’s department.”

  Sally nodded a thank you to Cat when she handed her a glass of water before the other woman pulled the chair from behind the desk and sat closer to her.

  Rachel cleared her throat before continuing. “I witnessed a bank robbery and murder. The perps found out because the stupid fucking media plastered my face, name, and other details all over the news. Anyway to make a long story short, my guys offered to protect me and we fell in love. A lot of the men in Slick Rock are retired military, law officers, ranchers, or in security. They hate the thought of women and children being scared or hurt. The men of this town protect those weaker than they are and would put their own lives in danger without a qualm if necessary.”

  Sallyanne heard each and every word Rachel had said and though the urge to spill her guts was strong, she didn’t want the other women looking at her with pity in their eyes. Would they look at her differently if they knew she been raped, almost killed by an evil gang leader?

  “My situation was a little different than Rachel’s.” Cat paused as she drew in a deep, ragged breath. “My parents won the lottery a few years back and since my dad’s brother was in debt up to his eyeballs, he decided to kill them to get to the money.”

  Tears burned the back of her eyes when she heard the pain in Cat’s voice. “I found them lying on the floor … Anyway, that asshole thought that if he got hold of me I would just hand the money over and he could go on with his life as if nothing had happened.

  “Hank, Barry, and David found me just outside their property boundary. I’d been shot and was sick because the wound had become infected. If it hadn’t been for my men, I’d be dead.”

  Sally hadn’t realized that she’d covered her mouth with her hand until a tear dripped onto the back of it. She lowered her hand and nodded to let the women know she understood what they were trying to tell her. She was safe in this small rural Colorado town and for the first time in years she felt an affinity to another person. Two, in fact. The women who’d just spilled their guts to her, a virtual stranger.

  “What made you all think I was in trouble?” she asked and then drank more water when she heard how hoarse her voice was.

  “You asked Tyson for a cash-paying job,” Rachel explained.

  “No one else I’ve asked that of has ever batted an eye.”

  “Most people don’t give a shit about others if it doesn’t involve them,” Cat said. “The people in this town are different.”

  “In more ways than one,” Sallyanne muttered.

  The two women looked at each other, grinned, and then burst out laughing. Sallyanne felt her face heat and hoped she just hadn’t put her foot in her mouth. She didn’t want to upset them since they’d been kind to her and told her their painful stories.

  “So I guess there’s no need to ask if you’ve noticed the unusual relationships,” Rachel said.

  Sallyanne shook her head. “It was a bit hard to work out in the beginning. First I thought that the women walking along the street holding hands with multiple men was just affection for a partner’s brother.”

  “When did you realize it wasn’t?” Cat questioned.

  “When I saw a woman surrounded by three men kiss each of them before they all went into the diner.”

  “It must have been a shock,” Rachel said. “I know when I first learned about the polyandrous relationships, it blew my mind.”

  “I don’t care what other people do,” Sally said sincerely. “As long as everyone agrees and is happy. Who am I to tell someone whom they can and can’t love?”

  “You are going to fit into this town very quickly,” Cat said.

  “I won’t be here long. I have to keep moving.”

  “Why?” Rachel asked.

  “Wait!” Cat held up her hand. “Are you going to tell us your name?”

  “Sallyanne, but call me Sally,” she answered, holding back on her last name. She wasn’t sure giving too much information away was smart and since she didn’t know these two women very well, she held back.

  Rachel smiled and nodded.

  “I like it,” Cat said.

  Sally shrugged. She didn’t mind that her name was a little unusual, two names joined together, but she was thankful that her mom and dad hadn’t named her Apple or something equally stupid.

  “So why did my husband and Sheriff Luke Sun-Walker scare you enough to make you pass out?”

  “Shit!” Sally bit her lip when she cursed. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud but she couldn’t take it back.

  “Are you a criminal?” Cat asked.

  “What? No!” She was horrified that they would even think such a thing.

  “Sorry. I didn’t think you were, but I needed to ask,” Cat said in a calm voice.

  Sally nodded. She would have been suspicious if she was in their shoes.

  Then she remembered the last four years. She been so alone and the hunger to have someone to lean on was such a deep yearning in her heart, it brought tears to her eyes. She was so tired, physically and mentally exhausted. Surviving one day at a time had worn her down and so had the guilt of leaving her stepbrother behind. Yet each time she thought of him, rage and sadness permeated her body, heart, and soul. Had she done the right thing by taking off?

  The response in her head was unequivocally yes. If she’d stayed she’d definitely be dead. Some of the cops who patrolled the Bronx were in Angelo’s pocket, and wouldn’t have hesitated to hand her over to that fucker if they found her. She was sick of taking one day at a time. As a young girl, she’d imagined meeting the man of her dreams, getting married, and having a family of her own, but those dreams were nothing but that. There was no way she could have a relationship, let alone get married. She’d be putting her man in danger. Angelo wasn’t going to give up searching for her. Plus, there was the whole aspect of having suffered violence at the hands of a man. She wasn’t sure she could stand having another man touch her ever again. She would probably scream hysterically or freeze.

  The words he’d whispered in her ear echoed in her head. “I’m the only man that’s been in that virgin cunt. You’re mine, Sallyanne. No other man will ever touch you, kiss you, or fuck you. I’ll kill them if they so much as look at you.”

  “Sal
lyanne, are you okay?” Cat asked as she sat on the cushion beside her.

  She shook her head and drew in a deep shaky breath, and though she tried to blink back the tears burning in her eyes, they welled and rolled down her cheeks.

  “My stepbrother’s friend raped me and tried to kill me.” She couldn’t believe how calmly she’d said that. Inside her head she was screaming as the memories flashed across her mind. Her stomach roiled and she had to swallow so she wouldn’t be sick. It was only when she noticed the silence in the room that she noticed her eyes were closed and when she lifted her eyelids she expected to see pity in the women’s eyes. However, that was so far from the truth she ended up sobbing and laughing at the same time. Rachel and Cat were looking at her with sympathy, but underlying that understanding was a fury she’d never expected to see on another person’s face, especially not for her.

  Cat wrapped her arm around Sally’s shoulders and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”

  Sally nodded and stopped breathing as the pain in her chest expanded until it encompassed her whole torso. When she heard the wounded wailing with her own ears she wanted to cover them and drown the sound out, or tell whoever was making that tortured sound to shut the fuck up. As Cat held her and rocked her, she realized that she was making all that horrible noise, but no matter how hard she tried to stop it, she couldn’t.

  She was full of pain, horror, and grief. She’d pushed it all down for the last four years but it wouldn’t be contained anymore. No matter how hard she tried to stop crying she couldn’t. What was worse was that she couldn’t even draw a breath. Her cheek was on Cat’s shoulder and when she felt a larger, warmer, muscular body move in behind her, she couldn’t stop to react. Normally she’d have leapt away from a man, never wanted to be this close to one again, but she was too caught up in the turbulent pain and emotions surging through her body. When she was lifted from the sofa and she felt hard, manly thighs beneath her ass, she didn’t baulk. She slumped against the big, brawny body and nuzzled her cheek against the cotton-covered chest.

  After what seemed like forever, her tears dried, leaving a sticky, itchy mess on her cheeks, but she didn’t have the energy or the inclination to wipe them away. She was utterly drained and each time she drew in a noisy breath, her neck spasmed all on its own. Each inhalation sounded like she had a bout of the hiccups, but she had no control over her own body.

  Finally, her breathing slowed, evening out as did her racing heart, and she became aware of the delicious scent emanating from the man holding her. Sally had her face buried in the man’s neck and although she wanted to continue hiding, aware that her face was probably red and blotchy and her eyes no doubt swollen and bloodshot, she lifted her head and opened her eyes.

  “Are you okay, Sally?”

  She shivered as the deep resonance of the masculine voice washed over her and hoped he didn’t notice that her body was reacting to him. That scared the shit out of her and had her stiffening at the unwanted response.

  “Sally?”

  She glanced about the room to find that while Cat and Rachel were still there, five other men were now in the office, too. One she was sitting on, two others were squished up on the small two-seater sofa on either side of her and the man holding her, and the two sheriffs were leaning against the edge of the desk. Rachel was cuddled up with one of them and the bronze-skinned sheriff was frowning at her with concern. However, when Sallyanne saw the muscles in his jaw twitch, she realized that he was grinding his teeth and there was underlying anger in his eyes, but he was trying hard to repress it.

  “Sally?” Rachel calling her name in a soft voice drew her attention but she couldn’t hold the other woman’s gaze for long. Her eyes were red and her lashes were wet, and she figured that her breakdown had upset her. “This is Damon Osborn. He’s one of my husbands.” She jerked her thumb to the other sheriff. “This is Sheriff Luke Sun-Walker. Will Blanchard is holding you, and his brother, Frank, is to your left. Rick on your right is also Will’s brother.”

  Sally nodded and then nudged the arms wrapped around her waist. Will immediately released her and she jumped from his lap before rushing toward the door.

  “Sally.” Cat rushed over to her and clasped her hand. “You don’t need to be scared. None of these men will hurt you. They’d lay down their lives to protect you.”

  “Do they know?” she asked in a raspy voice. Her throat was sore from all the crying. Though she cleared it, it didn’t help much.

  “Sally, do you want some water?” Will asked.

  She turned to look at him over her shoulder and nodded. He was on his feet and across the room quicker than she could blink. The man was fast for someone so big and the way he moved reminded her of a large cat. He moved with a feline grace that had her breath catching in her throat. After he filled the glass from the jug on the desk he turned and slowly walked toward her. She must have tensed or done something to show him she was wary, because he stopped and beckoned Cat over. Cat took the glass and, after moving back to her side, handed it to her.

  “Thanks,” she whispered before downing half of it in one go.

  “Why don’t you come and sit down, Sally?” Frank patted the seat Will had just vacated.

  She eyed him and Rick. They were all big men and she could tell by the way the sleeves of their T-shirts were strained over their biceps that they were strong. They could probably squish her like a bug with the flick of a finger. She shook her head and stepped sideways so that her back was to the wall. She didn’t want anyone sneaking up on her from behind, especially when she’d been standing in an open doorway.

  She glanced at Cat again to find the other woman frowning at her and it was then that she remembered that she hadn’t answered her earlier question.

  “Did you tell …” She licked her dry lips and drank the rest of the water.

  “No. It’s your story to tell.”

  Sally sighed with relief and noticed that all the men were looking at her expectantly. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to relive that horrifying night four years ago yet again. She wondered if she asked the other women, if they would tell the two sheriffs for her.

  “Thank you.”

  “Sally, are you in danger?” Will had backed away from her while she and Cat were interacting. The tension in her shoulders lessened a little, but she been so tense for so long, she wasn’t sure she remembered how to relax, nor the last time she hadn’t been in pain because of that tension.

  She nodded. She swallowed around the lump in her throat and said, “Yes.”

  “Are you up to telling us?” Damon asked.

  “I–I don’t k–know.”

  Will pushed off the side of the desk he was leaning on and slowly walked toward her. She stiffened her spine and bit back a groan when the muscles in her neck, shoulders, and upper back spasmed. Will stopped and held his hands up in the classic “I mean you no harm” pose.

  “I won’t hurt you, baby. I promise that all I—all we—want is to help you.”

  She stared into his sincere green gaze and sighed with frustration. She’d believed Cat and Rachel when they’d said that none of the men in this town would hurt her, but it was hard to let go of her wariness after what she’d experienced at the hands of the opposite sex and having to deal with men who only ever saw her as a sexual object. Working in hotels had seemed to make some men think her body was there for their enjoyment. She’d often had to slap groping hands from her ass and other attributes. She finally nodded to him and waited to see what he’d do.

  “I can see that you’re hurting, baby. Will you let me hold you while you tell the sheriffs your story?”

  Chapter Four

  Rick held his breath as he watched Sallyanne. She was looking at Will with such a deep yearning and such pain in her eyes, he had to blink back the tears burning the back of his. The urge to rub the ache over his heart was a compulsion too hard to resist, so he placed his hand on his chest and stroked, trying to relieve the pain. His pai
n was minimal and he knew he didn’t even have an inkling of what Sally was feeling. His gut hurt for her, too. There was a wealth of agony and sadness in her eyes and though he wanted to hear what had happened to her, he was also scared he wasn’t going to like her story one little bit.

  Will took another step toward her and spread his arms, offering her the comfort she so desperately needed. Rick had to clench his jaw when she flinched and then he swallowed the angry growl forming in his chest before he could let the sound loose and scare her even more.

  The moment he’d seen her sitting at the bar, he’d known that she was the right woman for him and his brothers. How he knew that, he wasn’t sure. Call it gut instinct or intuition. His body had responded instantly and while he’d seen other beautiful and pretty women that made him take a second look, his body had never reacted so immediately before. However, it wasn’t just because he desired her.

  Rick had felt an emotional affinity with her before he’d even known her name, and from the way his brothers had been eyeing her hungrily and the blazing emotions in their eyes, they felt the same way.

  He drew in a deep ragged breath, held it for a moment or two, and then slowly and quietly exhaled. He could see the unadulterated fear in Sally’s eyes, but the hunger in them belied that terror. If he could will her with his mind, he would have urged her to take one step toward Will, but that was wishful thinking.

  And then, as if she’d read his thoughts, she took the first step toward his brother and then stopped. She was only five more steps away from Will, and Rick wondered if she was brave enough to take them or if she needed to be met halfway.

  “I promise not to hurt you, Sallyanne. I could never harm a woman or child,” Will said in a quiet voice. “My brothers and I were in the military and did everything we could to keep innocents safe.”