by Chloe Lang
Doms of Destiny, Colorado 9
Possessed by Passion
A murderer seeking revenge discovers how much Paris means to the Ryder brothers.
Paris Cottrell is keeping a secret from her ex-boyfriends, Dustin “Doc” Ryder and his brother Mick. Rather than confess, she decides to accept a position that will take her away from her hometown of Destiny and away from the two men who hold her heart.
Dustin has a secret of his own that keeps him from opening up and reclaiming Paris, the only woman he’s ever loved. He believes Paris and Mick are wasting their talents, so he continues to push, which is driving a wedge between all of them.
Mick tries to be patient with both Paris and Dustin, believing things will turn around and the three of them will be together again. But when Paris tells him about her new job he knows he can’t wait any longer. He must act now or will lose her again, and this time it will be forever.
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys
Length: 54,223 words
POSSESSED BY PASSION
Doms of Destiny, Colorado 9
Chloe Lang
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
POSSESSED BY PASSION
Copyright © 2014 by Chloe Lang
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-955-0
First E-book Publication: June 2014
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
This one is for my mom. She is brilliant, loving, and strong. The best example of what a woman can be I’ve ever known.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
About the Author
POSSESSED BY PASSION
Doms of Destiny, Colorado 9
CHLOE LANG
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
Ten years ago
Phoenix, AZ
Paris Cottrell stepped aside as two EMTs rushed down the hallway with a child on a stretcher, her blonde curls drenched in blood. Mick Ryder, one of her boyfriends, was by her side. They’d flown to Phoenix to surprise Dustin, Mick’s brother and her other boyfriend, but it looked like he was busy.
Dustin, the on-call resident in the ER, jumped into action. “What do we have?”
The EMT frowned. “She was in her mother’s car when a drunk driver ran a red light and hit them in the side. She’s five years old.”
Having been an RN at her dad’s clinic in Destiny for the past year, Paris knew how critical this situation was.
Before Dustin could act to save the girl, a crazed man with a gun bolted in through the ambulance-only doors and grabbed Paris, placing the barrel to her temple.
She saw Dustin and Mick turn their attention away from the child to the deranged man. Her heart skipped several beats. She’d already been in a few tough spots in her short nursing career, but this one topped them all.
“Nobody move a muscle.” The man’s arms were covered in needle marks, both old and fresh. Sweating profusely, the addict’s skeletal frame shook from obvious withdrawal, but his hold on her didn’t falter and the gun remained pressed to her head.
Assessing the horrible circumstance, she forced her mind to calm down. What can I do? The little girl needs attention now.
“Relax, buddy,” Mick said, trying to defuse the situation and clearly looking for an opportunity to pull her free of the gunman.
“You fucking relax, cowboy. OxyContin. I want all you have.” The man coughed several times but kept his hold on her firm. “Now. Or this bitch will hit the floor. Do you fucking hear me?”
Even though terrified, Paris knew every second that passed jeopardized the chance of the child’s survival. “Dustin, the girl.”
The drug addict screamed. “Shut up, bitch.”
She heard the doors’ locking mechanisms engage. The hospital’s security had to be aware of what was happening to them and was likely already in motion, implementing the procedures for this kind of event.
She tried to wiggle free, her stare remaining fixed on the blonde girl’s ragged dress. Any
moment, there should be a team of armed men arriving. But time wasn’t on the poor child’s side. “Please, Dustin. Help her. Please.”
He didn’t respond. When she looked into his gray eyes, she saw his familiar determination mingled with a rage that rarely came to the surface in him.
Dustin kept his tone low and nonthreatening. “You want OxyContin. Put the gun down. I’ll get you all you want.”
“Fuck you, Doc. I’ll give you to the count of ten to produce what I want. If you fail, this bitch’s brains will splatter on the walls of your precious hospital. One. Two. Three. Four.”
“Don’t do this, mister. There’s another way.” Paris realized the little girl’s breaths were getting shallower.
“Five. Six. Seven. Eight.”
She balled up her hand into a fist and slammed it into the man’s groin while stomping her stiletto as hard as she could onto his shoe.
The guy doubled over, his hold on her loosening.
She twisted free of the creep.
Mick and Dustin slammed the bastard to the floor.
She rushed to the little girl’s side. A quick check showed her pulse was ragged. Paris turned to the two EMTs. “Let’s get her away from here and into a room.”
They nodded and wheeled the little girl through the double doors with her following.
Even though she could hear the fight continuing behind her, all her attention was on the child. Pulling from all her nursing experience and her pre-med classes, she began working on the tiny patient.
The EMTs assisted her.
She heard a gunshot and felt her heart skip several beats. She prayed that Dustin and Mick hadn’t been hit, but couldn’t look to see. All her focus had to be on the little girl. This was where she was needed most. She and the two EMTs worked frantically on their patient.
After several heart-wrenching moments, one of the EMTs turned to her. “Doctor, her blood pressure is back to normal.”
“You did it,” the other one said with a smile. “She’s stable now.”
“We did it. And I’m not a doctor.” Though I’ve been accepted to the University of Nevada’s medical school. “I am an RN.”
“But you should be a doctor.” Dustin entered the room with Mick. As the door swung open, she could see the addict was on a stretcher, now in restraints. “Are you okay, Paris?”
She nodded. “Just a little shaken. And how about you and Mick? Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine.” Mick’s green eyes were wide with relief. He put his arm around her. “You’re shaking, honey.”
“I didn’t realize it until now, but I’ll be okay.”
A security guard rushed in, addressing Dustin. “Way to take down that guy, Doc. We caught it all on the cameras. The police are on their way.”
“Where is everyone else, Sal?”
“We cleared the area the second we spotted the gunman enter the hospital. Protocol, you know.”
“Get them back here as soon as possible.” Dustin frowned. “We’ve got a mess on our hands.”
Paris could hear sirens approaching. “Sounds like you’ve got more coming.”
Sal nodded, grabbing his walkie-talkie. “All secure in the ER. Please send the staff back. Who are these two, Doc?” He pointed to her and Mick.
“My brother, Mick. And this is Paris Cottrell, a brilliant woman. She’s an RN who helped out with our little patient during this crisis.”
Hearing Dustin refer to her that way filled her with pride.
“An RN? Wow. You can’t be more than twenty, young lady.”
“I’m nineteen. I graduated from high school when I was sixteen. Got my RN degree when I was eighteen.”
“I knew you were young, but you were so competent with this girl I was sure you were a Doogie Howser-type doctor.”
“She could be,” Dustin said with his typical tone of judgment that let her know she wasn’t living up to her full potential in his opinion. “Her IQ is 175.”
Paris turned to Dustin. “And you graduated from high school at sixteen, too, and got your bachelor’s when you turned nineteen. You also finished medical school in three years. And I bet you’re one of the youngest Doogie interns in this entire hospital.”
“What about me, baby?” Mick laughed. “I graduated from Destiny High early and got my law degree in half the normal time.”
“Wow,” Sal said. “All three of you are genius level, aren’t you?”
“I suppose so, but she is the most brilliant of us.” Dustin turned to the EMTs. “Since we’re short staffed at the moment, will you help us out and take our little patient to X-ray for me?”
“No problem, Doc.” The two wheeled the girl down the hallway.
Over the intercom, the announcement came. “All ER staff return to your stations, stat. Thank you.”
A seasoned, middle-aged nurse came into the ER followed by another security guard. The two seemed to be arguing.
“You were supposed to go to the area assigned, Shirley.” The security guard was clearly frustrated.
“I told you I have a job to do, Leland,” the nurse said to the man. “You’re not keeping me from it. I found a safe place in the medicine room, didn’t I? I wasn’t going to leave because I heard the siren.” Shirley turned to Dustin. “Doctor, I’m here. What do you need from me?”
Dustin gestured to the man who had threatened her. “He shot himself in the leg.”
“Motherfuckers,” the addict screamed. “Give me drugs. Now.”
“And as you can see he’s in full withdrawal from what I suspect is heroin.” He turned to Mick. “Got to hurry on this case, bro. I know you and Paris came to take me to dinner, but it’s going to have to wait a while. Go ahead and take her to the restaurant and I’ll join you as soon as I can.”
“Sure thing.” Mick slapped Dustin on the shoulder.
“You can’t go anywhere until the police get here,” Sal said. “They’re going to need statements from all of you.”
Mick nodded. “Tell them we’re in the cafeteria, Sal. This beautiful lady could use a cup of coffee and a chance to sit down.”
“Okay, but don’t leave the hospital.”
“You’ve got a deal. How’s the food here?”
“Not too bad,” Shirley answered, putting an IV in the back of the man’s hand. “Cafeteria is on the fourth floor.”
Not wanting to get too far away from Dustin, Paris was glad they weren’t leaving the hospital.
As Dustin and Shirley continued helping their patient, another EMT duo rushed in with an unconscious woman.
Dustin looked up. “What do you have?”
The taller of the two answered. “Middle-aged woman who was beaten with a bat by her husband. Blood pressure falling fast.”
Dustin leaned over the woman. “She’s crashing.”
More staff arrived and he motioned to two of them. “You’re with me on this case. Shirley, handle our shooter. Call Dr. Carpenter. We need to get him to surgery.”
Dustin had always been the kind of person who took charge. Seeing him remain so calm and in control in the craziness of the ER filled Paris with love and pride for the man.
Mick led her away from the ER to the cafeteria.
They had just gotten their coffee when two detectives came in to take their statements.
Nearly two hours later, they were still waiting on Dustin to arrive.
“So much for us surprising my brother, sweetheart.” Mick pushed his empty plate to the side. “This was a complete bust.”
“Not completely. The little girl survived. I wouldn’t call it a bust, honey.”
He smiled. “You did something amazing in the ER.”
“We all did.” She looked down at her half-eaten dinner of baked chicken and salad, still struggling with how to tell him and Dustin about the acceptance letter from the University of Nevada. Why should I tell them? I’m not going to be a doctor and I’m not going to go to medical school. “Dustin is long overdue for time off from his doubles at
the hospital.”
“Yes, he is. He’s worked his ass off. Once he breaks free of the ER, we can make sure he has a good time. He might want to crash tonight, but tomorrow, I think we should go dancing. How does that sound to you?”
It sounded wonderful. “That sounds good, but there’s something I want to talk to you and Dustin about first.”
Mick was the fun loving of the two brothers. “Sounds serious.”
“It is.”
Dustin was quite the opposite. Determined. Sober. Intense. Committed.
Committed to everything except to me.
“Don’t leave me in the dark, sweetheart. You have my undivided attention.”
“Okay. The reason I agreed to come with you to see Dustin is I had an agenda.”
Mick’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re sounding quite a bit like him. What agenda?”
“I’ve been dating you two for a very long time. You and I both know the reason we haven’t moved our relationship to the next level is because of Dustin.”
He reached across the table. “He can be an ass sometimes, baby, but he does love you.”
“Does he?”
“Of course he does, and so do I.”
“I love you, Mick. But Dustin, being Dustin, has always had a reason for not committing. All his reasons make perfect sense. When you graduated from Destiny High, he said we needed to wait until he and I graduated. I was willing to wait, but when I got my diploma, he then wanted to wait until I finished college.”
“I know, but you know how he is.”
“Yes, I do. Stubborn and bullheaded. His next excuse was waiting until he finished medical school. Now, it’s when he finishes his residency. And he never stops pushing either of us. I’m tired of hearing him talk about me going to medical school.”