Tangled by Temptation [Doms of Destiny, Colorado 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Chloe Lang

  “You’re a nurse and a very caring person, sweetheart.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed, causing her to tingle all over. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.” He reluctantly stepped aside.

  “Thank you.” She and Paris walked into Cindy’s room.

  “Hi, Belle.” Cindy was sitting up in bed. She looked perfectly fine—and harmless.

  Is she?

  * * * *

  Shane felt uneasy allowing Belle to go inside Kip’s sister’s hospital room.

  Ever since Cindy Trollinger’s arrival in town, his gut screamed that something was wrong, very wrong.

  He still didn’t trust the woman.

  There were several reasons why he had given in to Belle’s request, though he would have preferred she remain in the hallway with him as Paris went inside.

  One, he’d already checked Kip’s sister’s purse when she was asleep. No weapons.

  Two, he knew there were no exit windows or doors inside the room. Anyone who wanted to get to Belle would have to go through him.

  Three, her damn gorgeous eyes.

  Four, her delicious curves.

  Five, her caring heart.

  Six, her fire and sass.

  And a ton more reasons that kept him from refusing her anything.

  He heard footsteps headed his way. By the sounds of the footfalls he knew they came from three men. He placed his hand on his gun, bracing himself.

  Once the trio came into view at the end of the hallway, he relaxed.

  Jason walked up to him. “Everything okay?”

  “Quiet so far.” Shane turned to his boss. “Belle and Paris are inside with her now. Sir, I am not sure we should trust Trollinger.”

  Easton nodded. “At the moment, we don’t have any evidence to disprove anything she’s told us. For now, let’s just stay alert, Shane.”

  “I’m going to be on guard duty with you, buddy. Black has assigned us eight-hour shifts. You should be able to enjoy some of Thanksgiving with Belle tomorrow.” Jason, like the entire town, knew he and Corey were dating her. One thing about Destiny, everyone here believed in love and romance.

  “Shane, you said Paris was inside, too?” Doc asked.

  He nodded.

  “I don’t want my nurse alone with the patient until we know for sure that Trollinger’s story is proven to be true.”

  “I agree.” Shane couldn’t shake the feeling that there was much more to Cindy’s arrival in town than any of them knew. “You know that Belle and Paris will think we’re all being overprotective.”

  “So?” Doc turned to Easton. “I want them safe. Period.”

  “You got it. There’s more news, Shane.” He told him about Kip breaking through the security and taking over the video transmission.

  Shane’s frustration mounted. How were they going to catch the brilliant psychopath? “That means he’s been on to our every move.”

  “The good news is Jena was able to narrow down the origination point of Kip’s transmission to the state of Washington.”

  “Could he actually be in Seattle like the letter said?” Shane began to wonder if his first instinct about Cindy was wrong. Maybe she was completely innocent and telling the truth.

  “As we speak there are agents going to check the box there and see what Kip left for his sister.” Easton sighed. “We’re going to go dark on all communications for now. ROCs are offline. Not ideal but necessary. Verbal only until Sean, Matt, and Jena come up with a new way to keep Lunceford out. Langley is heightening their security, too.” Easton turned back to Doc. “Will you be able to help us with this mission and keep Miss Trollinger here for a few more days?”

  “Yes. I still want to run some tests on her.” Doc stared at the closed door. “None of us are sure that my patient is or is not telling the truth. Knowing what we do about Lunceford, he might’ve drugged her with something that made her pass out. I should be getting the results from the blood test any minute.”

  Jason shook his head. “The woman says she’s never met her brother.”

  “When has that stopped Lunceford?” Shane wasn’t sure Trollinger had been drugged, but ruling it out would help them get closer to the real truth.

  They all turned as another set of footsteps echoed off the marble floors.

  Corey appeared, his face tight with worry. “Where is Belle?”

  Shane knew that he and his brother were in total agreement about the situation. He opened the door, unwilling to let another second pass without making sure both Belle and Paris were safe, especially Belle. “Inside.”

  * * * *

  Belle was startled when the door opened and in charged Shane and Corey, followed by Doc, Jason, and Mr. Black.

  “How’s my patient?” Doc walked over to Paris.

  “She’s doing well.” Paris handed him Cindy’s chart.

  Shane and Corey came up to Belle, one on each side. Corey put his arm around her shoulder and Shane grabbed her hand.

  Only three dates and they were already acting like she was in something permanent with them, something more serious than it actually was, something it could never be.

  Lead with your head, Belle, not your heart.

  Easier said than done. Shane and Corey might have been quite overprotective of late, but she definitely liked being the center of their attention.

  Why were Jason, Corey, and Mr. Black here? Did they have news about Cindy’s brother?

  Belle kept her eyes on Cindy, looking for any sign that Shane and Corey might be correct about her. They didn’t trust her.

  Were they right or could this woman, Kip’s sister, be trusted? Belle wasn’t ready to make the judgment just yet, still remaining cautious. So far, there’d been nothing to make her doubt Cindy, who seemed, at least on the outside, very kind.

  Was it only an act? She just didn’t know.

  Doc listened to Cindy’s heart through his stethoscope. “Quite the ticker, Miss Trollinger.”

  “I really am fine, doctor.” Cindy’s eyes were wide. She turned to Mr. Black. “I’ve met Corey, Shane, and the sheriff, but who are you?”

  “You know me, too, Miss Trollinger, though we’ve never met face to face. I’m Easton Black.” He extended his hand to her.

  Cindy smiled, shaking his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Black. You can’t imagine how thankful I am that you are here. I guess you’ve been told about the letter I received from Kip.”

  Belle noticed Cindy’s lips begin to tremble. She seemed honestly frightened.

  “I have. I’m assigning several agents to guard you, at least two a shift.” Easton turned to Shane and Jason. “These are the two men who will be just outside your door for the first shift.”

  The smiling face Belle had come to expect on Shane wasn’t there. In its place was a serious look that spoke volumes. It was clear he would keep any attackers away from the woman, but would also keep an eye on Cindy in case she turned out to be a threat as well.

  “Thank you, Mr. Black, but will you mind if I move to the hotel? Can they guard me there?”

  “Eventually we can set up something at the hotel for you, Miss Trollinger, but for now, I would prefer you stay here. This is an easier place to guard you. There is a single entrance and exit to this room. Once we assess the entirety of the situation, I’ll have my team move you.”

  “I would like you to stay put a little longer, too, Miss Trollinger.” Doc glanced at the monitors.

  Katy, Doc’s other nurse, walked into the room. “Quite the crowd.” The woman was young and had a ton of moxie. “I’ve got the results of our patient’s blood test, Doc.” She handed over the folder to him. “Should everyone leave? I can escort them out. You know…for HIPAA regs?”

  “They can stay.” Cindy glanced around the room. “I have nothing to hide.”

  Could the woman tell that everyone was on the fence about whether to trust her or not?

  Belle’s heart went out to Cindy. She also knew what it was to feel alone.

  Shane squ
eezed Belle’s hand. She looked at him and saw concern.

  “I’m fine,” she mouthed, wondering how he could get into her head so easily.

  “Katy, the patient has given her verbal consent. That covers the regs in my mind,” Doc said. “Miss Trollinger, do you take sleeping pills?”

  “Sleeping pills? No.”

  Doc’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have a prescription for Ambien?”

  “I don’t.”

  “Strange, because this shows it’s in your blood stream.”

  “Oh my God. How?”

  “You had mentioned the last thing you remembered was stopping in Twin Falls on your drive to Destiny. The next thing you recalled was waking up on the floor of Lucy’s, is that right?”

  “Yes. It’s all true.”

  Corey leaned forward. “Where did you stop?”

  “At a diner there. I think it was called Donna’s or Diana’s. I can’t remember. I got a cup of coffee.”

  “Did you talk to anyone?” Shane asked.

  “Just the waitress.”

  “No one else?”

  “Wait. There was this guy who was walking past my table and he spilled his drink all over me. He told me he was sorry.”

  Jason brought out a pad and began writing on it. “What did he look like?”

  “Average looking. He did have a lot of tattoos. His accent seemed to be Russian.”

  Corey stiffened. “Are you certain?”

  Everyone in Destiny had suffered from the Russian mob. Could there be a connection? It was well known that Kip Lunceford was working with Anton, the son of a dead kingpin in the criminal organization.

  “I guess so, but why does that matter? The man had nothing to do with me passing out.”

  “He could’ve slipped something in your coffee without your knowledge, Miss Trollinger,” Mr. Black said.

  “But Ambien?” Shane shook his head. “That’s an odd choice of drug. Rohypnol would’ve been more effective.”

  “That’s true, but loss of memory is a rare side effect of Ambien,” Doc informed.

  “Oh my God. Are you saying that I might’ve been drugged?”

  “It’s a possibility.”

  Cindy looked so scared. Belle couldn’t help but feel for her. “Why? Does this have anything to do with Kip Lunceford?”

  “Miss Trollinger, I’ll call the local authorities in Twin Falls and see what we can find out.” Jason seemed to be coming around to believing the woman was telling the truth, though it seemed like the others were still on the fence. “Until we know for sure, you must remain here.”

  Cindy was trembling. “I sure could use a cigarette right now.”

  “You can’t smoke in here,” Katy snapped.

  Doc held up his hand. “Relax, nurse. Cindy is our patient, not our prisoner.” He turned to Black. “What if your agents escorted her to the side entrance to smoke?”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem at all.”

  “Perfect.” Doc handed the blood test to Paris. “Miss Trollinger, I want to run a few more tests.”

  “Do you think that’s necessary?”

  “It’s only a precaution to make sure everything is fine with you. For now, I want you to stay here. We will make it as comfortable as we can.” He turned to Paris. “I’ll talk with you out in the hall about the tests I want to run.”

  “Yes, sir.” The tension between Paris and Doc was easy to see.

  Cindy sighed. “May I ask for another favor?”

  Easton nodded. “Of course.”

  “Find Kip. Put him away. If you can use me to get to him, I’m willing to do whatever you want.” Tears welled in Cindy’s eyes. “Just don’t let him hurt anyone ever again.”

  Chapter Five

  Belle took one more look at herself in the mirror. She wore her hair up. The sweater she’d chosen was a pale blue. “Not bad for a break-up date.”

  God, she hated what she had to do.

  Shane would be arriving any minute to take her to the Thanksgiving dinner at the Dream Hotel. She still found it odd that Destonians still called the event “Dinner” since the meal actually started at nine in the morning with donuts and coffee from Lana’s Bakery Palace on the town square.

  Belle had learned the tradition had gotten started several years ago because of Gretchen and Ethel. The two women always went early to set up and to start cooking. One year, Ethel’s two husbands, Patrick and Sam, had brought them donuts. The next year, more men and women showed up to help and to enjoy the breakfast fare. Year after year, it grew until the whole town came.

  She and Amber hadn’t enjoyed many Thanksgiving meals after their parents’ deaths.

  She’d been looking forward to the all-day event that went into the night, ending in a dance, for some time. Now, she dreaded it.

  Ending it with Shane and Corey had to be done. It was the right thing to do. She wished the two handsome men could accept something casual, but both of them, especially Shane, seemed to want more from her.

  She’d never been alone with Shane or Corey. They always came as a duo for all their dates—all three of them. But Corey was on guard duty for Cindy Trollinger with Jo Black until two.

  Why am I so upset about breaking it off with Shane and Corey? The truth was that they’d really only just gotten to know a little about each other.

  Because, like Amber says, I always lead with my heart.

  Juan came into her bedroom. “Mom, Mr. Shane is here for you.”

  “Are you ready to go, young man?” She put her arms around her boy and gave him a hug.

  “Yes, ma’am. I also made sure all the other boys were ready, too. Aunt Amber told me we’d be leaving in fifteen minutes.”

  She kissed him on the cheek. “You and the other boys line up at the van and wait for her and your uncles.”

  “Can I talk to Mr. Shane first? Is that okay?”

  She nodded, feeling a little ache in her heart. Juan cared about Shane and Corey very much. Even though she would not be dating the two brothers after today, she hoped they would still visit Juan and the other boys. They were so good with them.

  She and Juan walked out of the house and onto the porch. Shane was tossing a football around with five of the orphans, who were smiling ear to ear.

  “Hey beautiful,” Shane said, causing a round of giggles from the boys. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes, I am.” As much as I can be.

  “You look gorgeous.”

  She smiled, heading down the steps.

  Amber’s three husbands came out the side door.

  “Boys, go get in the van.” Emmett’s firm tone was followed by a warm smile.

  Cody chimed in as Juan and the other orphans ran to the vehicle, “You know we’re going to have to get another twelve-passenger van when the other boys arrive.”

  “I’ve been looking into getting us a bus,” Bryant informed. “You know our wife. We’re going to outgrow these new buildings fast. I bet we’ll have fifty boys living here by the end of next year.”

  Emmett slapped him on the back. “That suits me fine.”

  Shane shook all three of the Stone brothers’ hands. “Looks like you guys are on target for the fifteenth for the dormitory and barn to be finished.”

  Cody nodded. “Lucas is not only a great architect, but he’s also quite the taskmaster with us and his crew.”

  “We’re all set for the ceremony the Friday before Christmas, too, aren’t we, Belle?” Bryant asked.

  She smiled. “Yes, we are. You know Destiny. Any reason for a party.”

  Amber came out of the front door looking stunning. “We better get going or we’ll all be late.”

  Shane came up to Belle and put his arm around her, making her warm all over. “Shall we?”

  She nodded, reminding herself she had to do the right thing by him and by Corey.

  * * * *

  “This is your first Thanksgiving in Destiny.” Shane squeezed Belle tight into his side, leading her to the truck. Whether
she knew it yet or not, she belonged with him and Corey. “Get ready to have your socks knocked off, sweetheart. Corey and I are going to keep you on the dance floor all night.”

  “I’m sure you will. We have to save a seat for Corey for the big meal.”

  “For sure. He made me swear that I would do just that. We’re all going to sit at the Blue family table.”

  “Shouldn’t I be at my sister’s table instead?”

  “With all those boys, the Stone family table is quite full. Besides, Amber is the one who suggested we sit at my family’s table.”

  “Sounds like her.” Belle stopped in her tracks. “Shane, this isn’t your truck. Whose is it?”

  He’d decided to leave his brand new Ford 450 Platinum at home since it had bucket seats. “It’s Dad Curtis’s.” Thankfully, his dad had agreed to let him take his completely restored baby, a 1976 Ford F100. The black beauty had a bench seat, so Belle could ride right next to him.

  Her eyes were wide with amazement. “It looks almost brand new.”

  “Both my dads love to restore cars and trucks. It’s a hobby that has actually paid off. They make almost as much money selling vehicles on the Internet as they do at Blue’s Diner.”

  “Wow, I had no idea.” She climbed into the cab, sitting in the middle just like he’d planned. “Is this one for sale, too?”

  “Why? Are you in the market, sweetheart?” God, he was certainly ready to take Belle off the market.

  She grinned. “Maybe.”

  “I’ll talk to my dads and see if I can work something out for you.” Even though Dad Curtis loved the truck, if Belle wanted it, he would find a way to convince his dad to sell it to her.

  He started the engine and put his hand on her thigh. “I’m glad we get a moment alone, Belle. I need to talk to you about something.” He needed her to understand why he and Corey wanted to keep her away from Cindy Trollinger.

  “Can we talk after the meal, Shane? There’s too much on my mind right now. Gretchen and Ethel assigned me to the team on stuffing. I’ve never made stuffing in my life.”

  “Sure. After is fine.”