Caged Songbird

by Avery Gale

  Chapter Sixteen

  Brandt slammed the broken door of his office with enough force to rattle small building’s windows. Without a clear connection between Josephine Alta’s manager and the men who’d taken her from the diner, he hadn’t had any reason to hold him. Maria Randal had been close to singing like the low rent slore Jen had accused her of being until all hell broke loose. Sage McCall had the woman eating out of the palm of his hand until his lovely wife walked in. Brandt was sure the cat fight that ensued would go down in Pine Creek lore.

  Maria had launched herself at Jen almost as soon as she stepped through the door shouting Sage’s name. The pretty blonde had taken two running steps in Sage’s direction when Maria catapulted against her sending Jen ass over tea-kettle as Mama Morgan would say. And from there things had gone so far south Brandt was sure he’d seen an Andean Condor fly by. Thanks to the Wests’ intense training regime, Jen had handed Maria her ass in short order. And thanks to her husbands she’d been pulled off the woman before she’d been able to do any real damage.

  And now Brandt was in an untenable position. If he charged Maria with battery, he’d have to charge Jen also—and he didn’t want to do that. Hell, at this point, Jen McCall’s security clearance was higher than his own and just thinking about explaining a battery charge against one of Homeland Securities favorite contract operatives gave him heartburn. And wouldn’t it be fun to explain to the women in mom’s quilting group, who would most certainly show up in force to the hearing, why Jen McCall has two husbands? Not!

  But the icing on the cake was the two idiots who’d nabbed Josie slipping through Nate and Taz’s fingers. Proof you should never trade talent for luck. Kyle’s call had been a few seconds too late leaving the Ledek brothers at the mercy of the van’s halogen lights. Brandt cringed thinking about how painful it must have been to be hit with that much light while wearing NVGs. Personally, he was damned impressed Nate managed to keep his truck on the road. By the time their vision returned, the van was long gone.

  The alert Brandt issued for the van had only gotten one hit, but without a tag number, it was unlikely they’d ever be able to confirm the burned shell found a hundred miles from Pine Creek was the same vehicle.

  “Honey? Are you okay?” The sound of his wife’s sweet voice beside him had him turning to her with a smile he doubted reached his eyes. Joelle was one of the most intelligent people Brandt had ever met, and she would never be fooled by platitudes so he didn’t even try. He and his cousin, Ryan, had always dreamed of sharing a wife, and both fell for Joelle even though they met her at different times. And the gorgeous researcher wasn’t just their wife, she was also their sub.

  They’d promised her from the beginning, they’d require her to be completely open and honest with them in all things. But they’d also promised to be just as open and honest with her—or at least as much as their careers allowed. As a local physician, Ryan was bound by rules of confidentiality and Brandt often had a similar dilemma. But there wasn’t a chance in hell Joelle wouldn’t hear all about this from Tobi West, so keeping his lovely wife from hearing about this cluster fuck wasn’t going to be an option. Hell, he’d be surprised if she didn’t already know most of the juicy details.

  “Come here, minx. I want to hold you.” He loved the way she stepped eagerly into his waiting arms. She’d hesitated to show her husbands affection when they first returned to Pine Creek. It was, after all, a small town, and she’d been worried about fitting in, but only a handful of the people in town didn’t know the true nature of their relationship. Specifically, the catty women in his mother’s sewing circle. Nobody else cared.

  But he and Ryan had both known fitting in hadn’t been the only issue. And her discomfort with public displays of affection wasn’t surprising really since she hadn’t grown up in a home where physical contact was encouraged. Brandt and Ryan, on the other hand, had always known the healing power of touch. They’d managed to show her how powerful it was without even realizing what an impact it was having.

  Late one night, when she’d been snuggled between them, Joelle had confided how much she’d come to depend on their simple, often casual touches. Her head had lay cushioned against his thigh, his fingers running slowly through the soft waves of her hair as Ryan gently massaged her calves.

  He and Ryan had looked at one another, both of them shocked by her words. Neither of them had realized something they’d always taken for granted was having such a big impact. And since that night, they’d made it their mission in life to shower her with all the physical affection they could.

  Brandt didn’t care they were standing on the sidewalk in front of his office. Holding her was exactly what he’d needed. “Your hugs heal my soul, minx. I don’t know what I could have ever possibly done to deserve you. Personally, I think fate hoped you’d quiet the storm that was threatening to consume me.”

  His last mission as a SEAL had gone horribly wrong—hell, the only thing that had gone right was his return home. And he certainly hadn’t been as grateful for that gift as he should have been when several others hadn’t been as fortunate.

  He’d let the anger consume him until he barely recognized the cold, bitter man staring back at him from the mirror each morning. Brandt had been self-destructing from the inside out as his family watched in helpless horror. But something about the feisty pharmacy assistant at Pine Creek’s only drug store had drawn him in, and he’d slowly started to see life as something worth living again. Hell, his family would always worship the ground Joelle walked on for that alone.

  “I heard you had a pretty interesting day.” Her soft breath warmed the spot directly over his heart, and the irony wasn’t lost on him. Without her usual heels, Joelle’s cheek nestled between his pecs—so perfect he’d developed an aversion to those damned spikes she often wore. Once they started their family, he and Ryan planned to ban them from her wardrobe. They didn’t need her round with their child and teetering around on their small town’s wooden sidewalks.

  “Interesting? Yeah, to say the least. I wish we’d been able to wrap this up for Josie, but it didn’t work out that way. When she gets back to L.A., she’s going to have a hell of a mess on her hands. Firing her manager won’t be pleasant, and I doubt he’s the only one in her organization on the take. I’ve got a lead on someone out there who might be able to help put him behind bars for theft. But still, she’s going back to a mess.”

  “Maybe Colt will go with her, he’d be able to help sort it out.” He pulled back so he could look into her soft gray eyes, his brow raised in question. He simply waited for her to continue—what did she know that he didn’t?

  He’d never considered that one of his brothers might leave Pine Creek, and he wasn’t sure he liked the idea. It had been different when Brandt was traveling the country with the PBA, they’d all known he wouldn’t ride bulls forever. The same had been true when he’d joined the Navy, he’d always planned to return to the sleepy mountain town where he’d grown up.

  Joelle’s fingers slid gently along his chin, her smooth skin such a contrast to the five o’clock shadow. He knew his face must feel rough beneath the soft pads of her slender fingers. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think they’ll stay away full time. Remember, Josie came here when she needed a safe place to sort through things. Pine Creek is almost magical in its ability to make you feel protected…the people, the landscape…they work together to soothe ravaged souls.” She was right and once again she’d humbled him by pointing out the joy in something he’d simply taken for granted. He’d learned a lot about gratitude from his beautiful wife.

  Tobi paced the length of the solarium in the Morgan’s beautiful home barely noticing the lovely room Coral had claimed as her own. The mistress of the manor was sprawled over the floral cushions of a rediculously long sofa watching Tobi with mild amusement. “I’m glad this room has a stone floor. It would be a pity to see you wear a path in hardwood. Holy hot rods you’re walking fast enough to spark a fire on the
floors in the rest of the house. Slow down for heaven’s sake, you’re making me dizzy.”

  Tobi stopped, hands on her hips studying Coral for long moments. She was worried about Kyle. He’d gone with Colt to look for Josie and even though she knew they’d found her, the three of them still hadn’t made it back to the Morgan’s mountain ranch, and she was starting to get worried. So worried she was almost grateful Coral had distracted her. “Listen here little mama, you might as well get ready because anything and everything you come across for the next several momths will probably make you feel like you just stepped off a ride at the fair. Best just suck it up, sweet sister, because there is no escaping the fact your body has been taken hostage by terrorists.”

  Sage’s voice sounded from the doorway, “My children are not terrorists—at least not yet.” Coral’s husband reminded Tobi of Kyle in a lot of ways. Sage Morgan usually appeared to be all business, but she’d seen a softer side of him since she’d been in Montana. If Tobi had to guess, she’d assume it was because his beloved wife was pregnant with triplets.

  Coral rolled her eyes and grinned at Tobi. “Says the man with overachieving super sperm. I got sick yesterday just watching a food commercial on television.”

  “And what did I tell you was the solution to that problem, pet?” Oh damn, Tobi recognized that tone of voice. In the blink of an eye, Sage had flipped from adoring husband into Dom-mode. Yes, indeed, he reminds me more and more of Kyle every time he opens his mouth to speak. He must have sensed her unease because he gave her a quick grin and wink while Coral’s attention was drawn to the large windows lining one entire wall of the room.

  “Wow, it looks like it’s snowing up on the mountain. You can see it swirling in the moonlight. See? It looks like the mountian sprites are dancing. I’m so glad the moon decided to come out from behind the clouds even if it’s just for a minute.” She sighed softly and then shrugged. “The first snow is always so pretty. But then by April I’ll have cabin fever so bad I’ll be trying to hitchhike south. That’s the one thing I’ve struggled with since moving here…winter. Montana is much too committed to winter, I tell you.”

  “Winter isn’t so bad if you’re properly dressed for it, pet. And, maybe this winter will be easier since you’ll have warm boots and a heavy coat.” Tobi was willing to bet Coral’s wardrobe last year had been a point of contention between them, and she wanted to laugh. Doms could be downright anal about their subs being protected, whether it was from outside threats, the elements, or themselves.

  Sage’s expression softened as he continued. “I think changing all the lights in the pool area will probably help as well.” Tobi saw Coral’s questioning look and was glad she wasn’t the only one who didn’t have any idea what Sage was talking about. He grinned. “Mom was worried about you being stuck inside this winter. She said your balance won’t be good enough for you to navigate uneven, slick terrain and God knows how treacherous those damned plank walkways in town can get.” Did he just shudder?

  “Her suggestion was that we change out the lights in the pool area, replacing them with daylight spectrum bulbs so you will have the illusion of an outdoor oasis. You’ll be able to able to spend all the time you want in your own tropical resort if you start feeling boxed in.”

  Sage gave a negligent shrug as if it wasn’t a big deal, but Tobi knew this was a gift that he’d spent a lot of time and money turning into a reality. It had to have been damned expensive changing out all those lights. His efforts and thoughtfulness weren’t missed by his sweet wife either. When Tobi looked down at Coral, her friend’s eyes were bright with tears.

  “Oh, Lord, look what you’ve done. I’m going to cry…again. And why not? I’ve only cried about fifty times today. Of course, it is pretty late. Did you know I cried watching a Budweiser commercial yesterday? That’s just lame. It’s beer for heaven’s sake. I’m never drinking again, I’ll bet that’s when your sperm ganged up on me. I let my guard down, and three of those wily suckers nailed me. When will Colt and Josie be here? What are they doing, driving up there backwards? Did they catch the guys who took her? And where is Joelle? I thought she was coming home early? When did you change those lights? That’s just about the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  Tobi stared at Coral, trying desperately to not laugh at the way she’d skipped—no, she’d polevaulted from subject to subject. Talk about your stream of concious conversation. Damn, she’s going to give me some serious competition in that department. Now I know why Kyle and Kent give me those blank looks. Holy hatracks and hemorrhoids, that was amazing.

  Sage looked at Tobi and chuckled. “And she wonders how I know when she’s exhausted and needs to rest.”

  Tobi smiled back and nodded. “I hear that same thing from my husbands a lot, but I can’t say I truly understood it until now. That was really amazing. And maybe a little alarming since I was acutally able to follow it.”

  After Sage had led Coral from the room, Tobi leaned against one of the large glass doors and watched the snow fall softly in the distance and wondered what the garden patio would look like blanketed in white. There were three sets of French doors, and she wondered what the space looked like during early summer when all the flowering shrubs were in bloom…it had to be breathtaking. The long narrow room would transform into an outdoor space with a spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains in the background. It would be magnificent.

  Strong arms wrapped around her from behind and she instinctively leaned into Kent’s embrace. The man was rock solid in every way imaginable. His body was a fucking work of art. He was honest and treated everyone with respect. And he loved her.

  There were still times Tobi had to pinch herself to be sure it was all real. She had two amazing husbands, the best in-laws in the entire world, two gorgeous, brilliant children, and fantastic friends. Settling against him made her sigh in contentment. “What were you thinking about, sweetness?”

  People often made the mistake of underestimating Kent’s Dominant side, but Tobi recognized the command he’d just given her and she wasn’t about to deny him the honesty she knew he expected. “I was watching the snow fall and trying to imagine how this room looks in the summer when these doors are open.”

  While she’d been talking, he’d pulled up the skirt she was wearing. “Perhaps we need to incorporate a space like this in the new house. A nice shaded and very private terrace would be fun don’t you think?” Oh she definitely thought a private terrace would be wonderful. And it wouldn’t be difficult to add it to the existing plans. With two young children, the three of them were finding it more and more difficult to be spontaneous.

  They might be meticulous about planning their D/s scenes, but all three of them loved the spontaneous combustion that often erupted when they were together. Tobi was convinced the two of them had made it their mission to fuck her on every flat surface in their home, the club, and all the outbuildings as well as most of the outdoor spaces.

  “Such a good girl. A short skirt with easy access and no panties.” When his fingers slid through her wet folds Tobi felt her knees start to shake. “Oh, no, my love, not yet. Kyle is on his way and I want him to see my mark on your ass when he gets here, he might go a little easier on you but I wouldn’t count on it if I were you.” She knew he wasn’t really going to punish her, but he was definitely going to warm up her ass and that was fine with her.

  Colt held Josie’s hand as they walked into his childhood home and instead of feeling the releif he’d expected, all he could think about was the scene he’d set up as Kyle drove them up the mountain. He knew the other Doms would be ready, it was time to show his little songbird that she had a whole group of people she could trust even if he had to paddle her ass to get the message through to her.

  At the end of the hall leading to his suite, Colt turned her to face him. “You have ten minutes to shower, braid your hair, put on the shirt hanging in the bathroom for you, and get into the den. For every minute you are late, you’ll get five extra str
okes so I suggest you hurry.” Without waiting for her protest, he turned her toward the hall and gave her ass a solid swat. She glared at him over her shoulder but he didn’t give her the satisfaction of a response, Colt just raised a brow and pointed to the grandfather clock at the end of the hall.

  After another glare, she took off to the bedroom. She might not be ready to accept everything being a submissive entailed. But she was also smart enough to recognize an opportuity when it presented itself and she was also curious enough to take a chance this might be the something she’d been missing.

  Colt recognized her restless spirit—in many ways he’d been struggling with the same thing ever since his injury sidelined his bullriding career. Shaking his head to refocus, Colt took off running to the guest suite and hoped like hell his younger brothers hadn’t let him down.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Josie was absolutely certain she’d just set a world record for speed-showering, but her damned hair was giving her fits. The third time she attempted to wrangle it into a braid she screamed in frustration and pounded her fists against the marble counter. “I can’t do it. I’ve never been able to do anything with my hair. I’m going to be late, and it’s all because I can’t braid.”

  Excitement had eclipsed her fatigue, but now the exhaustion was once again threatening to steamroll her. “I’m never going to be good at this…why would Colt want someone who can’t even braid their own hair without having it look like a one-armed, blind, third grader did it?” Grabbing her small make-up case, she started shoving everything inside. She’d just get dressed and hit the road. What was the point of putting a lot of time into something she didn’t think could ever be a synched with her insane schedule?