by Fiona Archer
“How can he make it up to you, Chloe. Don’t hold back.” Caleb urged her on.
Flynn rolled his eyes. Silver-tongued bastard oozed charm. If he wasn’t a friend, he’d be spitting out those white teeth instead of eating a muffin.
Chloe tapped her finger to her chin, apparently deep in thought, playing the role of Caleb’s accomplice with great flair.
“Hmm, how about an afternoon off work? After all, I could certainly use the time right now and you’d think…What’s wrong?”
Her smile fell as she gazed from one silent male to another. Flynn winced at the confusion clear on her face. Reaching out, he smothered her small hand in his as Noah rubbed her upper arm.
“Little one, Gabe’s here to talk to you about the school and the measures we’ve got to take to protect the kids—and you.” Noah’s voice, though commanding, had an underlying thread of gentleness. “I want you to listen to what he has to say. Then we’ll talk it through, okay?”
“Okay.” Chloe nodded, but the rigid line of her body screamed her resistance.
Flynn leaned over and kissed the top of her head, then turned back to the others. “Go ahead, Gabe.”
Gabe leaned his arms on the table, his face resolute. “Chloe, I contacted the school board this morning. We’ve decided it’s best for you to have the three days off between now and the Thanksgiving break.” He held up his hand at her sharp breath. “This is in no way a measure against you, and I’ll be furious if you think otherwise. We believe this is the best way to protect the kids and you, too.”
“I see.” Chloe tugged her hand out of Flynn’s clasp and folded hers together on the table.
The hollow tone of her voice punched a hole in Flynn’s gut. Right in front of their eyes, she was erecting walls.
No fucking way.
“You really think the kids are in danger?”
“We don’t know, luv. But we’re not prepared to take that chance.” Flynn captured her hand again.
His heart clenched when she curled her fingers around his. A small win. He’d take it.
“What happens after Thanksgiving break? Do I get to return to work? I mean, who’s to say how long this could go on. Am I going to l–lose my job over this?” She swallowed hard.
Flynn cursed under his breath as she blinked against the tears pooling in her eyes.
Gabe shook his head. “Let me make this clear right now, your job is not in jeopardy. As for when you return to work, that will depend on the sheriff’s assessment. If he gives the all clear, we’ll activate plans we have to secure your class and you can return to work.”
“So, I just sit on the sidelines until the sheriff gives the okay?”
“Chloe,” Noah warned.
“I’m sorry, I’m just…I’m frustrated, okay?”
Flynn felt the tremor in her hands.
“You’ve got every right to be.” Noah rubbed between her shoulders.
“It’s just, my life is now on hold, and we don’t even know for sure that it’s Trent.” She shook her head when Flynn opened his mouth. “It’s true, we don’t.”
Caleb leaned in close. “Honey, there’s something else we’ve got to tell you. A friend of mine, a deputy over in the next county, got a call this morning. The owner of a motel on the highway identified Trent as someone who rented a room under another name. That’s not the act of an innocent person.”
“And there’s no chance he could be mistaken?”
The slim thread of hope in her voice ripped at Flynn’s heart. “No. Caleb drove over there and interviewed the owner. It was Trent. The bastard checked out late last night.” So fucking close.
“Well…I guess that’s that.” She sank back in her chair, his confirmation seeming to steal what remained of her pugnacious attitude.
“Honey, that’s why it’s important you don’t fight Noah and Flynn. They need your cooperation to make sure Trent can’t get to you,” Caleb said.
She groaned. “I never meant to fight them, Caleb. I just need to be heard. This is my life we’re talking about. Mine. Everything seems so chaotic. One minute I’m on a date and the next I’m here.”
“Chloe, everyone, from the school board, the teachers, our students, your friends, we all want you safe. Your stepbrother doesn’t stand a chance in hell of getting to you before the whole town sounds an alarm,” Gabe promised.
“But that’s what I don’t understand.” She waved her free hand in the air and swept her gaze around the table. “I’m new here. I mean, why would people want to get involved?”
Flynn had to bite down his curse. What, she didn’t think she was worthy? That was going to change.
Noah snorted. “This isn’t LA, sweetheart. In King’s Bluff, we take care of our own.” He grasped her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “And make no mistake, Chloe, you are one of us.” He dropped a hard kiss on her lips before settling back in his chair.
Flynn allowed Noah a smidge of gratification at the blush that heated her face.
“What about my students and their lessons? Wednesday morning I had a Thanksgiving activity planned.”
Gabe smiled and nodded. “It’s all taken care of. Purdy’s volunteered to cover your lessons. We’ve adjusted her schedule. She’ll make sure the kids won’t miss whatever you’ve planned.”
“I see.” She heaved a sigh and pulled her hand free from Flynn’s grasp. “Then there’s nothing more to be said. Gabe, I’ll discuss the lesson plans with Purdy. In fact, I’ll phone her now. I need some special ingredients for the Thanksgiving cookies I’d planned to bake today in preparation for the activity.” She rose from her seat, shrugged off Noah’s outstretched hand, and walked out the doorway.
Digger rose from his bed near the pantry and trailed after his new mistress, but not before turning his head back to gift his masters with a regretful sigh. Traitor.
“That went well.” Gabe’s lips twisted before he sipped his coffee.
“Nothing like stealing the smile from a pretty lady.” Caleb sighed.
Flynn narrowed his gaze. “You think there was a better way of telling her?”
“Jesus, Flynn, you know that’s not what I meant.” Caleb met his glare with an even stare.
Flynn scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry. I’m feeling like the biggest bastard. She loves those kids. Now she knows her presence puts them in danger.” He grimaced before his voice hardened. “And that fucker’s out there, waiting for his chance.” Waiting for them, him, to fuck up.
His throat tightened, shame suffocating him. “Save me, God, I don’t want to die.” The private, only a fucking kid, had begged. Trapped, tank burning, while the boy’s blood soaked the ground. Glassy eyes. Lifeless eyes. And Flynn had been able to do fuck-all.
He drew in a shuddering breath. “I can’t fail her, Noah. She’s relying on me. I can’t let her down, not like Private Lewis—” Chains of guilt wrapped his throat, choking him. He stared at his coffee, avoiding the faces of the men. He couldn’t stomach their pity. He didn’t deserve it.
Noah grabbed his shoulder. “You didn’t let him down, Flynn. Fuck, he disobeyed your order. Give yourself a fucking break. You’re not responsible for keeping everyone safe.”
Flynn wrenched his shoulder free of Noah’s grip. “Tell that to his parents.” His chair screeched against the floor tiles as he thrust back from the table.
Regret and shame pooled like lead weights chained to his ankles as he dragged his feet out of the room. Because of his failure to lead, a kid had died in a desert shit hole. Failing Chloe was not an option.
* * * *
Chloe settled back against the plush cushions on the couch in the library. The crackle of burning logs in the fireplace drew her gaze away from the front windows and the snow-dusted landscape beyond. The radiating warmth from the fire’s vivid orange embers banished the numbness that had overtaken her since Flynn’s chilling confirmation that Trent had stayed at the motel.
He’d gotten close. Was still close. If it hadn�
�t been for Caleb doing his job…
A bitter laugh escaped. Cops. On one hand her protectors, and on the other, the men with the power to investigate her past and destroy her dreams. Irony was a bitch.
Trent wouldn’t stop until he’d reached his goal. Her. If he got his hands on her now…
A sob caught in her throat. Her hands gripped her thighs, fingers digging into her flesh as she battled a rising tide of panic.
Forcing in mouthfuls of air, she closed her eyes and rested her head against the leather of the couch. The burn of unshed tears threatened to unravel the thin ribbon of her composure, but she couldn’t, wouldn’t, give in—not to Trent, not to her fears, and, oh God, as much as it killed her, not to Noah and Flynn. At least, not out of the bedroom.
First act? Calm down. Okay. Good start. She glanced around her. Books. Always her savior. She walked over to one wall. Where were those murder mysteries? A book on the Italian Lakes? Yep, save that for later. Agatha, Dashiell, John La—
“Here you are. We wondered where you were hiding.”
She whirled around at the honeyed rumble of Caleb’s voice.
Walking with lethal grace, he crossed the room and lowered himself into one of the chairs. His sharp gaze, a cop’s gaze, surveyed her from tip to toe.
“I wasn’t hiding, just taking a break after lunch.” She cursed to herself. Why the need to explain?
Caleb lifted one ankle onto his knee and leaned back in his chair. “You don’t have to be nervous around me, sweetheart.”
“I’m not.” Her words rushed out. His lips quirked. Great. “I mean, I’m just a bit tense right now. The news of Trent, well, I’m still processing everything.”
“Understandable,” Caleb said and looked like he would have said more but for Noah entering the room.
“There’s my girl.” Noah walked over to her, a powerhouse of mouthwatering cowboy wrapped in denim. One long roving sweep of his devil-in-blue eyes and her body came alive like the desert after a flooding rain. Awareness fizzed over her skin. And without him lifting a finger. The battle-hard angles of his cheeks and the strong line of his jaw added to the dark coil of power that swirled around him.
His gaze kicked to hers. Warmth invaded her cheeks as his mouth—that firm, hard mouth that fit so right over hers—lifted up at one corner.
Noah caught her hand in his. “One of the hands called. Purdy’s on her way down the drive.”
“What? Do you guys have a lookout hidden away?” Chloe’s giggle dried up at Noah’s nod.
“One of the guys is working up near the front gate. He’ll ring ahead of any visitors.” He tweaked her nose and smiled. “You know us former Boy Scouts—got to be prepared.”
“You were a Boy Scout?” She tilted her head.
“Yep.”
“Hmm, somehow I can’t see you being a well behaved, respectable little Boy Scout. What was your favorite part?” She pursed her lips, fighting a grin. “Was it slingshot making, dawn raids on opposing scout camps? So, what did you excel at?”
“Tying knots.”
Her pussy throbbed hard.
Noah stared back, his eyes challenging, daring her to take him on.
She searched her brain for some quip guaranteed to put him in his place. Zip. She had nothing. All she could do was stare back. Was her mouth open? No. Okay. Wow, now that would have been tragic.
Flynn entered the room carrying a tray with coffee and some of the oatmeal cookies she’d baked earlier that morning. He looked around. “Someone mention tying knots?”
The ring of the doorbell was her get-out-of-jail-free card.
As Flynn greeted Purdy, Noah placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face the doorway. His touch, though gentle, burned through the fabric of her sweater.
A hint of stubble tickled the shell of her ear as he bent close. “When you least expect it, I’ll show you just how good I am at roping. That’s a promise,” he whispered.
“Buddy, just you try—ouch.”
Her hand flew to her bottom. He’d pinched her! Nobody had done that in…well…ever. Damn, that was hot.
Purdy burst into the room. “Chloe!”
The air left her in a whoosh as the blonde pixie strangled her in a hug. She squeezed back, gripping her friend as if her life depended on it. She’d never had a sister. That was okay. She’d settle for this any day.
With grins, they broke apart. Off to the side, she glimpsed the indulgent smiles of the men.
“Well, I see you’ve survived forty-eight hours with the Aussies. I hope you’re giving them hell, sweetie.” Purdy winked.
“Still a brat, I see,” Caleb commented from the corner of the room.
Her friend inhaled sharply and spun around.
“Hello, Purdy.” Caleb stalked forward, his eyes locked on his target like a laser-guided missile.
“Caleb.” Purdy nodded, her body ramrod stiff. “I’d been warned you were returning.”
His eyes sparked. “Warned? Am I that much of a danger?”
“More of a nuisance—like herpes.”
Noah and Flynn choked on their laughter. Caleb’s lips quirked a fraction, but his gaze never left Purdy. Chloe looked from one to the other.
Whatever story there was between these two, Purdy didn’t seem all too keen to start a new chapter. Curiosity scratched up against Chloe’s good manners. It would be so tempting to let this play out right here. She shook her head. Nope, sisters stuck together, especially against these men.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Purdy’s shoulders. “Say, girl, you and I have some catching up to do. How about we leave these reprobates and head into the kitchen for a chat?” She didn’t miss the flash of relief in her friend’s eyes.
“Now that’s a plan.” Purdy shared a smile.
“Fellas, you know where we’ll be. Call if you need rescuing.” With a wave of her free hand, she steered Purdy out the door, but not before she spied the men standing with their hands on their hips. How sweet to finally turn the tables.
In the kitchen, Chloe grabbed mugs as Purdy sat down at the table.
“I’m guessing Gabe has kept you up to date on what’s been happening? He told me this morning you’ve offered to take over my class until Thanksgiving break.” Chloe poured coffee as Purdy arranged a few oatmeal cookies on a plate.
“Yeah, well, I guessed you’d feel happier if it was me compared to someone else. And, my schedule was lighter.” Purdy glanced at Chloe, uncertainty painted across her face as her finger traced the rim of the plate.
Chloe pushed out a sigh as she sat down at the table. “It’s okay. I’m not angry with you or anyone else. Frustrated, sure, but that’s beside the point.” She reached across the table and squeezed her friend’s hand. “I’m lucky to have you, honey. And I know the kids will be fine with you.” Her frown turned into a mock scowl. “Just don’t get too comfy.”
“Oh please, we both know those kids adore you. I’ll be nothing more than a novelty. You’ll be back in the classroom before you know it.”
“Will I?” She could hear the tremor in her voice. She hated the sound of defeat. Blinking rapidly, she scrubbed her hands over her face, smudging away stray tears.
“Of course you will.” Purdy moved to sit at the end of the table, closer to Chloe. Reaching over, she grasped Chloe’s hand in hers and squeezed hard. “Honey, I can’t imagine what this must be like for you, someone stalking you like that. I know you don’t trust easily, and it’s obvious you have your reasons for that. But, I’m here whenever you want to talk to me.”
If only she could confide in Purdy. God, she wanted to. The truth was bursting to break free.
“Ignore me, Purdy. I’m just having my own pity party.” She shrugged. “In truth, I’m feeling a little vulnerable today—on all fronts.”
“Ah, those boys, they can be a lot to contend with. Are they playing the alpha card a little too hard?”
Chloe dragged a hand through her hair. “They have t
his need to control me. If I don’t follow their every decree, I have threats of spankings!” Heat flared across her cheeks at Purdy’s bark of laughter.
Sure, it wasn’t Purdy strapped to a spanking bench, her bottom up in the air, the intoxicating, sweet bite of pain spreading across her bottom. Fingers straying so close, then dipping—Stop.
She narrowed her gaze. “Thanks for the show of support. Maybe I’ll ask Caleb to come in for some coffee.”
“Hey, no need to turn evil.” Purdy raised her hands in surrender. “Okay, let’s clarify something here. Do they make you follow their orders on everything, or is this more to do with protecting you?” Her friend’s lips twitched at Chloe’s loud sigh.
“Well, they keep saying it’s for my safety, but that’s a pretty broad argument.” She sat back in her chair and sipped her coffee before continuing. “As grateful as I am for their protection, I could use a break from ‘Strike Force Alpha’ for a few hours. Sometimes it feels like they’re watching my every move. I know that’s unfair, but when you add in the stress of Trent and whatever crazy-ass plan he’s working on…” She broke off and closed her eyes for a second. The spike of fear his name always induced morphed into a flash of anger. Her fingers gripped the mug tighter. Nope. No more power to Trent. Not today.
Seconds ticked by before she opened her eyes. She glanced over at Purdy. “Things have developed kinda fast. Noah’s told me he loves me. And, Flynn, well, he hasn’t said so, not in words, but I think he feels the same way.”
“And you? How do you feel?”
Chloe puffed out a breath. “Confused. Scared. I mean, think about it. I’d be living with two men. How does that work in everyday life? Besides, it’s too soon for love. How can I be sure?” She sat up in her chair. “Why are you wearing that silly grin?”
Far from hiding it, Purdy’s face split wider, her eyes shining. “The fact you’re even asking yourself if it’s too soon speaks volumes. Who said there was a timetable to falling in love?” She paused, seeming to think about her next words. “As for the dynamic of a ménage lifestyle, ask the guys. Talk to them, Chloe. My guess is Noah and Flynn are giving you time to adjust, to form questions. And they’re Doms.” She shook her head. “Face it, honey, they’re not walking away. Whatever’s holding you back, let it go. It’s time for you to be happy.”