Angel Without

by Rhiannon Ayers

  Amber swallowed, cowering before the anger in his tone. She nodded. “I promise. Never again.”

  He regarded her in silence for a moment, before finally nodding his acceptance. Then he sighed. “Things weren’t…happy for me, living in that house,” he said finally. “Please don’t make me go into detail. Suffice to say, I had to leave. And I’ve never regretted it.” But his eyes went soft, and he gave her a sad look. “Except that I had to leave you. You’re the reason I changed my name to Allen. Because thinking about you calling me that name was the best memory I had of my childhood.”

  Amber gave him a watery smile. “At least I was able to give you one good memory.” She wiped more tears from her cheeks. “I’m sorry I didn’t know, Allen. I mourned you. And I missed you. Please, believe me.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment, squeezed her hand. Then he looked back up at her. “So, what brings you here, now?”

  Amber took a deep breath. “I need your help,” she said simply, hiding nothing. “I’m in trouble, and I didn’t have anywhere else to turn.”

  Chapter 2

  Allen listened to his little sister outline her predicament, growing more and more outraged with every word she spoke. Damn Robert Whitman. Damn that bastard for trying to destroy Amber the same way he’d destroyed Allen. And this Wes Walker guy sounded like a real piece of work. Imagine taking his insecurities out on a helpless woman. Amber couldn’t weigh more than, what, a buck twenty? Probably less. If someone breathed on her too hard, she’d blow away. And this guy used his fists on her? Tried to strangle her? Raped her? The more she told him, the angrier he became, until he was gritting his teeth so hard his jaw ached.

  “So I looked up your address,” Amber finished in a small voice. “I didn’t know about the reception—all I knew was there was a post on your Facebook page, saying you were at your lake house tonight. I don’t know what to do, Allen. I can’t go home. I can’t go back to my father’s house. I can’t let that bastard—either one of them—get their hands on me. But I’m out of money, and out of options. I didn’t know where else to turn.”

  He stopped her with a finger to her lips. Her wide, innocent blue eyes regarded him with astonishment, which he answered with a smile. “Hush,” he said soothingly. “You don’t have to convince me. I’ll help you, any way I can. In fact, you’ve come to the right place.” He gave her a reassuring smile, patted her knee affectionately. “Sidri and Tatum have some pretty powerful connections. Let me get them in here—then we can talk about our options.”

  Amber stopped him with a touch on his shoulder. “Before you do that, will you tell me about them? I know who Tatum is, because his name was on your wedding website. But I’ve heard Sidri mentioned several times now, and the guard at the front seemed to think she was in charge. Who is she? What is her part with you and Tatum?”

  Allen grinned hugely. “Sidri is my wife, just as much as Tatum is my husband,” he told her, practically glowing with happiness as he said the words for the umpteenth time that day. At her astonished look, he laughed. “I know, it’s unconventional. If the three of us could have gotten married, we would have. But, the short version of the story is, Sidri and Tatum have been together since they were kids, and they both fell in love with me. And I love both of them. So even though Tatum’s name is the one on the paperwork, really all three of us got married last week.” He paused, regarded her thoughtfully. “That’s not going to be a problem for you, is it? Because I’m telling you right now, I don’t give a shit what the rest of the world thinks. I belong to them, plain and simple. And I will love both of them until the day I die.”

  Thankfully, Amber didn’t seem put out—if anything, she seemed envious. “No, of course I don’t have a problem with it.” She bit her lip, cocked her head to one side. “Will you tell me how this all came about? How you figured out you could love two people?”

  No mention of the fact that one of them was a man. Allen breathed a silent sigh of relief. He’d been dreading having to deal with any negativity surrounding his bisexuality. Not because he cared how she felt about it one way or another, but simply because he didn’t want to mar this reunion with his sister by tainting it with a conversation about the right and wrong behind homosexuality. But, apparently, his baby sister hadn’t taken her father’s lessons to heart, because she seemed to have no moral objection to Allen’s relationship. Only honest, open curiosity about how it came about in the first place.

  So he told her—though he left out all the sex—about how he’d fallen in love with Sidri right from the get-go, but had been unwilling to intrude on her relationship with Tatum. Then about how he’d been kept from seeing Tatum face-to-face for two years, and about their first, explosive meeting. He told her how the two of them managed to convince him the triad relationship they wanted with him would work, and about how he’d panicked and almost run from them.

  “Thankfully for me,” he said with a chuckle, “my lovers were smarter than I am. They knew I’d come back, even before I did. And they forgave me for being a coward. We’ve been together ever since, and I’ve never been happier. They changed my life.”

  Amber’s eyes were bright, her mouth curved in a sweet smile. “I’m glad for you,” she said quietly. “Really, really glad. You deserve to be happy. I’m glad you found two such wonderful people.”

  He nodded, throat tightening. He rose to his feet. “Sid and Tatum are waiting in the living room. Let me get them, and we’ll tell them what’s going on. Sid will know what to do.” He paused for a wink and a grin. “She always knows what to do.”

  Amber gave him a watery smile, nodding. He bent at the waist, cupped her cheek. “Don’t worry, baby sister,” he said huskily. “We’ll keep you safe. Robert Whitman and Wes Walker will never hurt you again. I promise.”

  Then, before he could break down in tears like a little girl, he strode from the room, anxious to enlist his lovers’ help in saving his sister’s life.

  They’d saved his, after all. They’d be able to do the same for her. He just knew it.

  * * * *

  Amber waited, head spinning from all the things she’d just learned about her favorite brother. Imagine, having the courage to accept the love of two people at the same time. It floored her, awed her, overwhelmed her. That Allen so clearly believed in their love for him—while also clearly not taking it for granted—humbled her down to the core of her being. She couldn’t imagine being that lucky, that blessed.

  And Allen deserved it.

  Wiping her cheeks for the millionth time that night—stupid, girly tears—she looked up as the door opened. Allen walked in, a huge smile on his face.

  “Amber Whitman, I’d like you to meet my husband and wife, Tatum McAlister and Sidri McKenna.” He stepped to one side with a flourish.

  And Amber’s heart stopped in her chest.

  The first to enter the room was Tatum McAlister. She recognized him from the photos on the website, but she’d had no idea he was so huge. Well over six feet tall, he was a walking mountain of solid muscle, his presence so electric he filled the room instantly. His blue eyes regarded her seriously, obviously reserving judgment, as he took two steps into the room and stepped to the side. His short blond hair was military-neat, his trim suit a match for Allen’s. He was the very definition of a man’s man.

  He’s a Dom. God help me, my brother is married to a Dom.

  Amber couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. She had no idea how she knew, no real reason to think the man standing there, watching her in complete silence, was a sexual Dominant. There was just something about the way he carried himself, the arrogant tilt to his chin, the sure set to his shoulders, that told her this man was in charge, in all ways and at all times. Just as the way his eyes tracked Allen’s movements, keeping tabs on him even as he assessed their visitor, told her that Tatum considered Allen his—period.

  And he scared the living shit out of her.

  Now the words made sense. I belong to them, plain and simple. Alle
n hadn’t been speaking figuratively. He meant it quite, quite literally. And if Tatum was a Dom, that had to mean Allen, her big brother whom she’d always loved more than anyone else in the whole wide world, was a sub, just as she was.

  Guess more things run in the family than I thought, she mused in wonderment.

  So, if Tatum was a Dom, and Allen was a sub, what was this woman, Sidri? Curious now, Amber watched the door—and immediately had her answer.

  Sidri McKenna wasn’t just a Domme—she was a force of nature. She swept into the room, a queen assessing her territory, that shrewd green gaze taking in the scene in a single glance. She was, far and away, the most beautiful woman Amber had ever seen. Thick auburn hair, those gorgeous green eyes, and a perfect heart-shaped face graced with full red lips. Her generous curves were lovingly displayed in a stunning silver dress that left very little to the imagination. It had an asymmetrical bodice, leaving one shoulder bare, with a cinched-in waist leading to flaring hips and a floor-length skirt. Strappy silver heels completed the look, but it wasn’t the clothes that made her so arresting.

  She was like gravity. The moment she swept into the room, both men turned toward her, keeping her in sight at all times. It was obvious, more than obvious, that as big and intimidating as Tatum might be, Sidri was the one who held the reins for all three of them. Her overwhelmingly Dominant sexuality followed her like a halo of pure lust, drawing every eye in the room instantly.

  For the very first time in her life, Amber found herself attracted to another woman.

  A female Domme. Never, never in her life had she encountered one. Oh, sure, she knew they had to exist, just by thinking logically. If there were female subs, there also had to be male subs, and that meant female Dommes. She’d just never had the experience of being near one, up close and personal. Especially not one as powerful, as electrifying as Sidri McKenna.

  “Amber, look at me.”

  That deeply feminine, commanding voice rippled down Amber’s spine, making her gasp. She looked up into emerald-green eyes, found the breath frozen in her throat. If she hadn’t already been seated, she would have dropped to her knees, bent her head in submission. This woman was in command of all things, of all people, just by her very existence. And for a sexual submissive like Amber, there was literally nothing more erotic.

  There wasn’t enough air in the room. Amber’s mind went blank, her breathing erratic, as she tried to process the fact that her brother was married not to one, but two extremely, overwhelmingly Dominant people. She couldn’t imagine it, couldn’t even fathom it. Being around one Dom made her weak in the knees. Being around two, day in, day out…

  Sidri assessed her in silence for a moment—then walked over to the couch and dropped to one knee, gathering Amber’s hands in her own.

  This is wrong, a voice screamed in Amber’s head. This is so wrong. Dommes don’t kneel. I should be the one kneeling. She needs to get up. I should be at her feet, not the other way around. She was starting to panic, to hyperventilate, when Sidri cupped her chin and forced her to meet her gaze.

  “Amber,” she said soothingly, “you don’t belong to us. You are not ours. You have no reason to feel this way, do you understand me? We will take care of you, because you belong to Allen. But Tatum and I will not demand anything from you, and you have no reason to submit to us. Relax, now. Everything will be fine.”

  Easy for her to say. But Amber tried to nod, tried to get her breathing under control. Sidri held her motionless for a moment, then sighed quietly and rose to her feet. She shot a look at Allen, indicated the couch with her chin. He moved immediately, without hesitation, and sat next to Amber, gathering her hand in his once again. Sidri took a few steps back, stopping in the center of the room. She looked back and forth between the two seated before her, then said simply, “Explain.”

  Amber opened her mouth, but no words came out. Allen squeezed her fingers, and she glanced over at him to find him regarding her with equal parts wonder and confusion. He smiled. “It’s okay, I promise. Just tell them what you told me.”

  She nodded, tried to clear the glass shards from her throat. In halting, broken sentences, she told her story again, growing more confident as she went on. She heard a bass rumble when she got to the part about Wes raping her, turned to find Tatum scowling dangerously. The big man hadn’t moved, still stood on the far side of the room, but she could feel his anger like a warm blanket thrown around her shoulders. She stuttered to a halt, had to clear her throat a few times before she could get the rest of the story past her lips. Only the fact that neither Tatum nor Sidri moved a muscle during her entire recitation helped her get through it.

  “She needs a place to stay,” Allen finished for her, looking back and forth between his lovers with pleading brown eyes. “And she needs help getting those two jackwads off her back. Is there anything we can do for her?”

  “Of course there is,” Sidri said confidently. She pinned Amber to the couch with that hot green stare. “I have a few friends in the police department. We’ll take out a restraining order to start. In the meantime, I believe we have a place where you can shelter, a place that neither one of them will be able to find.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at Tatum, one eyebrow raised. The big man nodded, giving Amber a smile, though he still didn’t move any closer. “We just bought a row of townhouses in the Uptown District. The paperwork isn’t complete yet, so our names aren’t on the books anywhere. Even if Robert or Wes think to see if you’ve come to Allen for help, they’ll never be able to figure out where we stashed you just by checking the properties we own.”

  He paused, cocking his head to one side with a slight frown. “They are being renovated at the moment. Which might not be such a bad thing—you’ll be surrounded by construction workers during the day, so even if they do happen to locate you, they might hesitate to approach if the place is crawling with big muscle guys carrying wrenches and hammers.” He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, making Amber shiver. “We’ll just have to figure out how to keep you protected at night, is all.”

  Sidri crossed her arms under her breasts, regarding Amber thoughtfully. “I may have a solution for that, as well. Let me make a phone call. For now, why don’t you take her to get something to eat,” she said, indicating Allen with a nod. “We’ll have a guest room made up for tonight. Tomorrow we’ll see what we shall see.”

  And with a nod for Amber, a smile for Allen, Sidri swept from the room. Tatum followed, keeping to the far edge of the space, almost as if he knew Amber was afraid of him and had chosen to make her more comfortable by staying as far away as possible. The moment both of them were gone, Amber sagged back against the couch cushions, the breath leaving her lungs in a whoosh.

  Two of them. God help her, two of them were now part of her life, whether she wanted them to be or not. Doms never backed off, once they’d claimed someone. Granted, Sidri said they only claimed her because she was Allen’s sister, but that didn’t mean…

  “Hey, look at me,” Allen said quietly.

  Amber glanced at him, realized she had tears running down her cheeks. Her brother reached out a hand, wiped them away. “No one here is going to hurt you, okay? Sidri and Tatum are the best people in the world. Neither one of them will ever, ever do anything to hurt you. All right? Please, it kills me, seeing you frightened of them.” He paused, regarded her seriously. “Want to tell me why you’re afraid of them? Why you reacted that way when Sidri knelt in front of you?”

  “You’re a sub,” she whispered hoarsely. It wasn’t a question.

  Allen raised an eyebrow, nodded. “I am. And I gather that you are, too. But that doesn’t explain why you’re so afraid of Sid and Tatum.”

  She closed her eyes, buried her face in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she sat back on the couch and met his gaze squarely. “I’ve got…history. An old boyfriend. We were experimenting with…with D/s.” She stopped, blushing. The next words hurt coming out. “He tied me up. Beat me. Got off on it.
I haven’t been able to be around another Dom since.”

  “Oh, Amber,” Allen said compassionately. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, held her while she shook. “I’m so sorry, baby sister. I’m sorry you had to be introduced to it that way. But please, please believe me, as Dominant as they are, neither Sidri nor Tatum has ever used pain as punishment. And they would never, ever require something from a sub who doesn’t belong to them.”

  She nodded, tears still choking her throat. If only she could believe him. She desperately needed to believe him.

  They were still holding each other when Sidri poked her head back in the room. She waited until both of them looked up, then smiled kindly. “We’re all set. We can take you to the townhouse tomorrow. We’ll have one of our drivers bring a car for you, so you won’t be stuck at the house, but I would advise you to stay on the property as much as possible. Just to be safe.”

  Amber frowned. “A car? But I already have a car.”

  Sidri raised an eyebrow. “Yes, you have a car, which your father bought for you. He can have the GPS chip tracked. We need a clean vehicle to be certain you are flying under his radar. Don’t worry, Amber. We’ll keep you safe. The guest room is ready whenever you are. Allen?” And she turned that smoldering look on her lover. “Get your sister something to eat before she passes out?”

  Allen nodded sheepishly, stood, and held out a hand. Amber allowed herself to be drawn to her feet, but couldn’t make herself head for the door. Sidri gave her another assessing look, smiled softly, and disappeared. The moment she was out of sight, Amber heaved a sigh and followed Allen to the kitchen.

  Her brother made her a plate of leftover delicacies from the reception, and they sat at the kitchen island for a while, just catching up. He told her a little bit about what he’d gone through while he was a homeless runaway—though she could tell there was much, much more he hadn’t told her. He went on to describe being rescued by Buddy Sorensen, how the kindly old man had been lonely after losing his family and had taken him in out of the kindness of his heart. Then about how Buddy encouraged him to try photography, and about winning all those small-town competitions. When he got to the part about how Tatum and Sidri had been trying to find him, to hire him, she burst out laughing.