County Sheriffs 1: Conquering Adversity (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Becca Van

  “Where are you parked, baby?” Clay asked.

  She stumbled as they exited the diner and tried to cover the gasp she made when Spence wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. Her body was filled with a yearning she’d never felt before and she knew it was all because of the two men touching her. Misha was concerned she wouldn’t be able to keep her lust hidden but gave her best effort to blanking her expression before looking up to meet first Spence’s and then Clay’s gaze.

  “Are you all right, honey?” Spence asked.

  She quickly lowered her gaze and nodded, hoping that the heat in her cheeks wasn’t visibly detectable to them in a blush.

  “Why don’t you go with Misha?” Spence suggested. “You can give her directions to our place.”

  “Sure thing.” Clay smiled.

  Spence winked at her and turned in the opposite direction from where her car was parked.

  “Lead the way, beautiful.” Clay swept his hand out in front of him, and when she started to walk, the hand he had holding hers squeezed as if to give comfort. She should have known that Clay and Spence weren’t clueless about her discomfort. They were sheriffs and probably noticed every little nuance on a body.

  The walk back to her car was done in silence but it wasn’t uncomfortable and fraught with tension. She retrieved her keys from her purse and hit the central locking button. Just as she sat in the driver’s seat, the hair on her nape stood on end. She glanced about the area and was just in time to see Phillip turn away from her and walk around the corner of a building. She gnawed on her lip as she debated with herself about telling Clay concerning the confrontation with the chef, but decided against it. It was his and Spence’s day off, and since she didn’t like thinking of work when she had down time, they probably wouldn’t either. She turned the key in the ignition and hoped she wasn’t making a big mistake.

  “How long have you been a sheriff?” Misha asked after taking the turn Clay indicated.

  “Five years.”

  “Do you like your job?”

  “Most of the time.” Clay glanced her way.

  She met his gaze for a moment before turning back to the road.

  “What did you do before becoming an officer of the law?”

  “We were all in the Rangers.”

  “All?” she asked.

  “Spence and the other guys we live with.”

  “How many people do you share a house with?”

  “Just Spence, but we all own the land and we built two more houses on the property. Dawson and Kent are on duty this weekend, but you’ll get to meet Cooper and Tanner.”

  Misha nodded. “What made you all buy a ranch?”

  “We spent years being deployed at the drop of a hat and lived in apartments we barely saw. Once we’d all served our time, we decided we needed to have a lot of space. None of us could stand living in a city full of noise and hordes of people. After fighting in the war, we needed peace and quiet.”

  “I can understand that. Thank you for keeping our country safe.” Misha glanced over at Clay just in time to see his lips curve up in a half smile. She squirmed in her seat and turned back to the road, hoping her cheeks weren’t as pink as they felt.

  “You don’t need to thank us, baby. We fought for ourselves. All of us needed to feel as if we were making a difference.”

  “And you still are,” Misha said and took the turn Clay directed her to.

  “Our ranch is at the end of this road.”

  Misha slowed the car when the cattle grate and gate came into view. Trees lined the drive, blocking any sight of the buildings, but seconds later, she gasped when she saw the ranch house. It was way bigger than she’d expected and it looked as if it had just had a fresh coat of paint. The siding was white but the trim around the windows was a blue color. She spotted a large barn and what was possibly a machinery shed. A few hundred yards west of the white house was another that looked very similar to this one. She pulled her car to a stop on the circular gravel drive and stared at the fountain and flowering plants to her right.

  “You have a beautiful home,” Misha said when she met Clay’s gaze.

  He smiled at her and her heart stuttered before pounding out a rapid tattoo in her chest. “You haven’t even been inside yet.”

  Misha couldn’t help but smile back. “I don’t need to. I can tell the inside is going to be as spectacular as the outside.”

  “Why don’t we go inside and see if you’re right?”

  She nodded and got out just as Spence drove a big black truck up behind her car. He was out of the vehicle before she could take a step. Clay and Spence moved to her sides, each taking her elbows in their hands, and led her toward the porch steps.

  “I love the wraparound veranda,” Misha said as she spotted the chairs on the deck. “And you have so many plants. Are you both into gardening?”

  Misha hadn’t had the chance to play in the dirt since her parents had died. She still missed the times she and her mom had spent outdoors pulling weeds and nurturing the vegetable and flower gardens. She’d forgotten how much fun they’d had just being together. She blinked back the tears that threatened once more, hating the fact she was still being so emotional over the death of her friend and parents. It was going to take a lot of time for her to come to terms with being so alone again.

  “Are you okay, honey?” Spence’s voice drew her back to the present.

  She cleared her throat and looked up to find him and Clay glancing at her with concerned frowns on their faces and when she realized why, she blushed. She’d stopped dead at the bottom of the steps and no doubt looked like a fool staring off into space.

  “Yes, I was just remembering my mom.”

  “She’s dead?” Spence asked in a gentle, deep voice.

  Misha nodded.

  “Do you have any family, baby?” Clay asked.

  She shook her head and ascended the steps, glad to be away from their concerned gazes and their touch. Misha was going to have to watch it, because each time Clay and Spence put their hands on her, she yearned for more. A hell of a lot more. But what worried her most was why they wanted to spend time with her. Was it because they were attracted to her? Which she knew was a given because she had seen lust in their eyes when they looked at her. Or was their interest because of Janice’s murder? Did they think she had something to do with her friend’s demise? Or were they worried she might be next on the killer’s list?

  No matter what their reasons, Misha wasn’t sure what to do. She wasn’t naïve but she was definitely innocent, and she felt as if she was walking blind. She wondered if she should just confront them and ask them what their game was but if she did, would she like the answer?

  She mentally shook her head because neither man had ever looked at her with suspicion. Misha began to wonder if there was something wrong with her. Was she so scared of opening her heart and getting it broken? It seemed that she was because she was looking for any excuse she could as to why these two men would want her company rather than facing the elephant in the room.

  They were attracted to her plain and simple and she was just as attracted to them. How the hell was she supposed to choose between them if one of them made a move on her? She knew the answer to that question, too. She couldn’t. The best decision would be to not let either man know how much she craved to feel their lips on hers, their hands on her body. There was no way she would ever come between men who had been friends for a long time. She’d rather take herself out of the equation before she caused a rift between Clay and Spence.

  In that moment, she hated herself for accepting their invite to ride their horses. She was about to say she’d made a mistake but turned when she heard horses’ hooves clip clopping on the ground.

  The two men pulled their horses to a stop at the bottom of the steps and eyed her over before glancing at Clay and Spence.

  “Misha, this is Cooper Ellis and Tanner Collins. Guys, Misha Colette.”

  “Ma’am,” both men said a
t the same time they tipped their Stetsons.

  “Hello.” Misha nodded.

  “I need a word,” Cooper said in deep gravelly voice, making Misha wonder if he’d injured his throat.

  Misha felt Clay tense beside her and knew that he’d picked up on his friend’s tone, too.

  “Let me give you a tour of the house, honey.” Spence threaded his fingers with hers and guided her toward the front door.

  “It was nice meeting you both,” Misha said over her shoulder, just before she entered the house.

  Misha hoped that whatever was going on wasn’t as bad as it looked. Even though Tanner and Cooper had been smiling at her, when she looked into their gazes, she’d seen unadulterated fury.

  Chapter Four

  Clay knew from the anger in Tanner’s and Cooper’s eyes something was wrong but before he got to ask what the problem was, Cooper began talking.

  “We need the CSU to be sent out to the northeast pasture,” Cooper snarled.

  Clay grabbed hold of the stair rail and hoped that his friends hadn’t found another body on their property. If that was the case, their serial killer was getting bolder, escalating in the murders and sending a message to him and his men at the same time.

  “The corpse isn’t human,” Tanner said, obviously seeing Clay’s distress.

  “Thank fuck.”

  “Yeah,” Cooper agreed with a sigh, removed his hat, and combed his fingers through his hair. “When will the profiler get here? This bastard is one sick fuck.”

  “Hopefully on Monday. She’s just helped wrap up a case in Miami,” Clay answered. “What did you find?”

  “One of our pregnant cows.” Tanner clenched his teeth, making the muscle in the side of his jaw tick.

  “If it’s our perp, he’s sending us a message. That psycho hamstrung the heifer, nicked an artery, and cut her belly open while she was still alive. He tore the baby from its mother’s womb, mutilated the calf and then finished off the heifer.”

  “Christ!” Clay hurried down the steps and away from the house, thankful that Misha was inside behind closed doors with Spence and hadn’t heard any of the gruesome details. “Did you find anything?”

  “Nothing,” Tanner spat his reply.

  “It’s probably pointless to send out a CSU. This fucker is meticulous and I can’t see him messing up on an animal. Did you take swabs anyway?”

  “You have to ask?” Cooper scowled.

  “No. Sorry, I know you both would have been thorough.” Clay sighed and glanced toward the house.

  “She’s stunning.” Tanner smirked when Clay pinned his friend with a glare.

  “Keep your eyes to yourself,” he ordered and then smiled when he realized that Tanner was yanking his chain. It felt good to be able to smile after being told about the mutilated cow and her baby. “Do you really need me to come out?”

  “No,” Cooper answered. “We’ll deal with the mess. Just make sure to keep your girl away.”

  “She’s not our girl yet,” Clay said.

  Tanner chuckled. “With you and Spence, she doesn’t stand a chance.”

  “You think so?” Clay questioned.

  “She hardly glanced our way.” Cooper grinned. “Only had eyes for you and Spence.”

  “Are you sure this is the time to start courting?” Tanner asked the question that had been niggling in Clay’s mind.

  “Not really, but we’re not backing off so some other man can cut in. We’ve been looking for someone to settle down with ever since we retired from the Rangers. We aren’t about to let her slip between our fingers.”

  “If that fucker is watching, he’s going to end up targeting her.”

  “I know. That’s why we’re going to suggest she move in with us.”

  “Shit!” Tanner chuckled. “I can see that going down like a lump of lead.”

  “Yeah, but I’d rather have her pissed at us than dead.”

  “Good luck,” Cooper said before he and Tanner nudged their horses back the way they’d come from.

  Clay glanced about, searching the distant tree line and the surrounding hills. Right now, he wished he had a pair of high powered binoculars in his hands because although he couldn’t see the sick fuck, he could feel him watching.

  With a sigh of frustration, he turned toward the door and Misha.

  Misha and Spence were coming down the stairs just as he entered the house. He found himself smiling when he saw the curve to Misha’s lush lips. There was a sparkle in her eyes that hadn’t been there before and seeing it had his breath catching in his throat and his cock hardening in his pants. It was really difficult to remain where he was instead of going over to her and pulling her into his arms like he wanted, needed to.

  “So what do you think?” he asked, hoping that conversation would get his mind out of the bedroom.

  “It’s amazing.” Misha sighed as a dreamy expression crossed her face. Her blue eyes glazed over as if she was imagining something and Clay wished like hell it was about him and Spence. She blinked and the haze cleared from her eyes. “You’ve all done a great job with the hardwood floors, bathrooms, and kitchen.”

  “It was definitely worth the hard work, that’s for sure,” Spence said as he met Clay’s gaze but he gave his friend a slight shake of his head. Spence moved to Misha’s side as she stopped near the back of the sofa. “Are you ready to go horseback riding, honey?”

  “Oh yes,” she replied with excitement.

  Clay cleared his throat as he took in her flushed cheeks and sexy body and wondered if Spence had taken the opportunity to kiss her. He locked his gaze on her lips but they weren’t swollen or red. He met Spence’s gaze again and his friend’s lip twitched letting him know that he hadn’t missed out on anything. “Can you tack up the horses? I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “Sure,” Spence replied as he clasped Misha’s hand and led her toward the door. “Come on, honey. Let’s go find you a horse.”

  “I hope you have at least one that would be good for an inexperienced rider,” Misha said as she and Spence headed out.

  Clay hurried into the office and the safe where they kept all ammunition under lock and key. There was no way in hell he was going out riding without any sort of protection. After grabbing the bullets and securing the safe, he unlocked the armoire and the hidden cubby hole in the top where they kept the semi-automatic rifles. He loaded each gun with bullets and went to meet Misha and Spence.

  * * * *

  Misha knew the second she saw the guns that something was wrong, but wasn’t sure if she should ask outright or wait until Clay or Spence told her what was going on.

  She stood in front of the bay mare, petting its nose as the two men disappeared into the barn to bring the other horses out.

  “Are you ready, baby?” Clay asked as he handed the reins to his stallion over to Spence.

  “Yes.” Misha moved around to the left side of her horse, grabbed the pommel, and lifted her leg toward the stirrup. She didn’t get the chance to place her foot in the metal stirrup because Clay grasped hold of her waist and lifted her up into the saddle.

  “Put your feet in the stirrups so I can check the length,” Clay ordered.

  Misha did as ordered and nodded when she felt comfortable.

  Spence took the lead and Misha nudged the mare to start her walking.

  They rode in silence as they headed away from the barn toward the north. When Spence and Clay pulled their mounts up on either side of hers, she couldn’t remain quiet any longer.

  “So, are either of you going to tell me why you brought your guns?”

  She glanced at first one and then the other man and caught Spence nodding at Clay with his eyebrow raised in query. “I’d like to know myself,” Spence said.

  Clay drew in a deep audible breath and proceeded to tell them about the cow Cooper and Tanner had found. With each word he spoke, the knot of dread in the pit of her stomach grew bigger and bigger. She covered her mouth with her hand when her lip
s trembled with fear, and though she was thankful Clay hadn’t gone into detail of the cow’s and calf’s demise, she felt sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to even imagine what had been done to the animals, let alone her best friend.

  Her whole body began to quake and her hands were shaking so much she ended up dropping the reins. In the next instant, she was being lifted from the saddle and onto Clay’s lap.

  “Don’t be scared, baby. We won’t let anything happen to you,” Clay whispered against her ear, his arm squeezing her middle with reassuring comfort.

  Misha lowered her hand and grabbed hold of his warm forearm with cold fingers. “You can’t promise that. I know you believe what you’re saying but this man, person…is sick.”

  Clay gently grasped hold of her chin and turned her gaze up to his. “I can. We’re trained Rangers, baby. We aren’t about to let this fucker get close to you.”

  There was such conviction in his voice, she almost believed him, but if this guy was taunting the retired trained military men, who were also officers of the law, and this sicko had his sights set on her, she didn’t stand a chance in hell of surviving. She nodded anyway.

  Misha had been so consumed by fear she hadn’t realized they’d started moving again until they stopped and Spence lifted her down from Clay’s lap. He made sure she was steady on her feet before removing his hands from her waist and looping one around her shoulders.

  “Look, honey,” Spence said in a low voice.

  Misha followed where Spence was pointing and the fear began to dissipate when she saw the slow flowing creek down the slight incline and the deer drinking at the water’s edge. She should have pulled away from Spence’s embrace but knew she’d startle the deer into flight if she did. At least that was what she told herself. It had nothing to do with how right it felt, feeling safe and secure tucked under his arm. And, although she was still frightened of the psychopath killing women, she’d also felt as if she was meant to meet these two handsome, sexy men. She just hadn’t worked out the why of it yet.