by Sophie Oak
Zane shook his head. “Man, she’s not some high-society girl, and she never will be. She will never be some country-club woman. The girl likes to spend most of her time naked. How is that going to fit in at one of your charity balls? Face it, rich boy, your money’s gone. You’re down here in the mud with the rest of us, and you’re going to stay here.”
Nate’s blood was boiling, bubbling right under his calm surface. Zane knew where to thrust that knife in. All of Nate’s life he’d been groomed to take over his family’s business. He’d rebelled when he joined the DEA, but the ambition that had been bred into him never went away. Now that the family business and money were all gone due to bad investments, a crooked accountant, and the condition of the economy, it was up to Nate to get his position back. It didn’t matter that Callie had grown up here. Everyone had to leave the nest eventually.
It was a home with no future. He couldn’t move up here. He couldn’t get back what he’d lost in Bliss, Colorado. The most he could hope for here was another term as sheriff. No matter how nice the people were, Bliss was a dead-end town. “You won’t have to worry about us, man. You’ll have done your duty and sacrificed yourself. You’ve been trying to commit suicide for years. Well, I won’t stop you anymore.”
He would. Nate would lock his ass up if he had to, but he wanted to play this out to the end.
Zane was the very picture of half-contained rage. His muscles bunched and corded, his eyes flared. “I didn’t have to commit suicide, asshole. I just had to follow you. You think I wanted to join the fucking DEA? I went to make sure you didn’t get yourself killed.”
The words rolled out of Nate’s mouth before he could think to take them back. “Well, you could have saved yourself the trouble. I wasn’t the one who fucked up and blew my cover.”
When the punch came, it caught him across the face, and Nate’s head snapped back with an audible crack. His eyes closed against the blinding pain of every nerve in his face firing off. He reached his hand up to wipe the blood away. Zane stared at him as though he wanted to apologize but couldn’t force the words out of his stubborn mouth. It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t have accepted an apology. He needed something way more painful than an apology. This was a long time coming and something inside him thrilled at the thought of a fight.
Nate launched himself across the desk with no thought other than beating some sense into his oldest friend in the world.
The lamp on his desk fell to the floor with a crash. Zane shouted something, but Nate’s focus had narrowed. He pulled back his arm and brought it down with every bit of force he could muster.
Zane fell back with a groan as Nate’s fist met with his face. Zane was bigger, but Nate had always compensated by being more vicious. He didn’t pull his punches, and he didn’t pause to breathe. Zane was his punching bag, and he took all of his pent-up anger out on his big body. He got in a swift upper-cut to Zane’s chin. He landed a fist on Zane’s eye and noticed there was blood on his hands. His? Zane’s? Didn’t matter.
Zane finally managed to kick him off. Nate had the breath knocked out of him as Zane’s knee got him in the stomach. His ribs ached, and his back hit the desk. He lay there for a moment, taking in the extent of his injuries. Then Zane grunted, and Nate knew they weren’t done yet. Before Zane could get the drop on him, he brought up the heel of his boot and kicked him squarely in the nuts. Zane went down with a whimper, falling back into the chair he’d previously occupied.
“You motherfucker.” Zane moaned, cupping himself.
Nate wiped the blood off his nose. He was pretty sure it wasn’t broken. “Yeah, well, I’m not letting you sacrifice your ass to the Barbarians. We’ll find a safe place to hole up and figure out what they want with you.”
“Damn it, they want my head,” Zane shot back. He shifted in the chair. “If they don’t get mine, they’ll take yours or Callie’s.” He let his head fall back, and his eyes closed. Zane seemed infinitely weary. “I’m tired of all of it. It isn’t worth it, man.”
“You are so selfish. You always have been.” Nate managed to push his body up to a sitting position. He hissed slightly as he twisted. Damn, Zane knew where to kick a guy. He’d feel that impact for days. “Have you thought at all about how this affects Callie? The last time we left her, she was alone for six years. She’s not some girl you pick up in a bar and leave behind the next morning. She deserves better than that.”
Zane wiped blood from a cut under his right eye. “I never promised her anything.”
“You promised you would take care of her.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Nate’s fists clenched. He was just about ready to start the fight again. The first beating hadn’t gotten through Zane’s thick skull. “You can’t take care of her if you’re dead. Who’s to say that they won’t come after me next? Should I go lie down and die, too?”
Zane kicked out. His boot caught the edge of the desk, making it shake.
“You think I want to die?” His hands shook, but he stopped and took a breath. He sat like that for a moment. “Fuck you, Nate. Maybe what I want is to be free of you. Maybe I want to start living my life without having to measure up to your standards. I am leaving, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
The door slammed open, and Nate’s head swung around. He noticed Zane was looking, too, his face as white as a sheet.
“Callie, baby,” Zane started, but the words fell away.
There were tears shimmering in her eyes as she looked between the two of them. “You two through beating on each other?”
Nate noticed she was holding something in her hand. It dangled at the side, a nest of brightly colored vines flowing through her fingers.
Zane’s face went mulish again. “We’re done. Now, I gotta go. I have something to take care of. Nate can take care of you the rest of the day.”
He pushed himself out of his chair, but Callie didn’t move. Zane stared at his boots, obviously unwilling to force his way past her.
“Callie, it’s just something we do from time to time,” Nate tried to explain. It was true. At least once a year, he and Zane had it out. It was a guy thing. Callie paid him absolutely no attention.
“Tell me something, Zane,” she began. Her lower lip trembled ever so slightly. “Was I going to get another note? At least last time no one knew about it. I didn’t have to deal with the town pitying poor Callie, who can’t keep a man to save her life. If you wanted to leave, if it didn’t mean anything, why did you tell one of my oldest friends that I was your woman?”
Zane shrugged. He didn’t look up. Callie might not know it, but it was a sure sign that whatever came out of Zane’s mouth next was a complete lie. “I’m a good-time guy, darlin’. I like to fuck a pretty lady, and last night you were hot as hell. This morning, I want to move on. I don’t mean to hurt you, babe. I’m not the kind of man who settles down.”
“He’s being a self-sacrificing idiot.” Nate scrambled off the desk and forced his way in between them. He reached for her free hand. Despite the righteous ache in his bones, he felt the need to defend Zane, even against himself. “Don’t believe a word he says.”
Nate was surprised to discover his heart pounding. He knew why he was trying to save the big idiot’s life, but he was also trying to save the relationship—between the three of them. It was important.
“You stay out of this. It’s between me and Callie.” Zane stared past him at Callie.
She turned to Nate. “I’m not stupid, Sheriff. I know he’s lying, but in a way, he’s not. I can’t mean that much to him if he’s willing to walk away without a fight.”
Zane shrugged and gave her a grin that had Nate wincing. There was a wealth of arrogance on Zane’s face. It was his “I’m an asshole” expression. “What can I say? I’m that kind of guy. I’d rather not fight, babe. It’s easier to walk away.”
She held up the nest of wires in her hand. “I’m glad you like to walk. This is a good portion of your
motorcycle’s electrical system. I trashed it. I grew up with three brothers. They might not have been blood, but they taught me things all the same. I also punched holes in your tires and took a club to the headlight. You might have heard that if you hadn’t been beating on each other. You want to walk out on me, Zane? You will walk.”
Zane took the wiring from her hands, his face a study in complete disbelief. “Goddamn it, Cal. How could you do that? It won’t work. I’ll get it fixed, and I’ll be out of here by sunset.”
“Where are you going to get it fixed?” She held her cell up, mocking him. It was pink with fake diamonds all over it. It was ridiculously feminine, like Callie, and just like its owner, it could do far more damage than one could imagine. “I already called all the mechanics in town who might be able to do the work. They won’t have a place for you for weeks. They’re already calling their buddies in Del Norte and Creede. You’ll have to get that bike to Alamosa if you want it fixed, and no one will tow it for you. Good luck pushing it a hundred miles down the highway.”
She turned. Zane’s hand shot out, hauling her back. Nate watched warily. Zane wouldn’t hurt her physically, but Nate was ready to beat the crap out of him if he pressed her further.
Zane had dropped the playboy act. His anguish bled through his eyes. “It won’t work. Damn it, can’t you see I’m doing this because I love you?”
A shadow crossed her face. “No, you don’t.”
“I am willing to die for you.” Every word out of Zane’s mouth sounded tortured.
“I know, but you’re not willing to live for me. That’s what I need. I’m nothing more than some fantasy to the two of you. I’m not real.” Her shoulders slumped as she turned. “I found us a place to stay until you figure all of this out. It’s well protected, and no one can sneak up on it. It’s on high ground in an old fort, but the group has kept it up well. We have rooms there. One for each of us.”
Nate crowded out Zane and reached for her now. Why was he getting punished? He wasn’t the one walking away. “Callie, I told you I’m not hiding our relationship.”
“No, but you’re planning a life with a woman I don’t know,” she accused softly. “Zane is right. I’m never going to fit in where you need me. It’s best if we call it all off now. I think the two of you should stay in Bliss until this group is caught. After that, Nate can head to wherever will give him the best salary, Zane can sit in a bar and drink himself to death, and I can move to Denver and go back to school.”
A savage anger swept over him. If he thought he’d been pissed at Zane, that was nothing compared to what he felt now. He had to force his hands to relax or he would bruise her. “You’ll go with me when I leave, darlin’. Make no mistake about it.”
The wary look on Callie’s face satisfied him. It didn’t match her words. “I won’t.”
Zane pushed against him. “Babe, you have to let me go.”
“I will. When you’re safe, you can go wherever you like. You see, I love you, Zane. It doesn’t matter that you don’t love me. It doesn’t matter that neither of you loves me. I’ll keep you safe if it’s the last thing I do, and then we can all move on.”
“I have no intention of moving on without you.” Nate growled the words. Damn it, he wasn’t moving anywhere without either one of them. He needed them. He needed Zane for friendship and Callie as his lover. They were his soul mates. Somehow he’d gotten two, and he wouldn’t lose either one.
Her eyes were clear now, though Nate could read the steady strength in them. “It’s not your choice. We’re playing by my rules now. We should get going. We need to meet with the director so he can go over the community guidelines. We’ll stay there while we sort this out. I’ve called a town meeting for tonight at eight. If some biker gang is threatening us, then we need to get the town involved.”
She pulled away from him. He checked the need to haul her into his arms. He wanted to show her that he wouldn’t be dismissed. He wouldn’t go down easy. There would be time for that when she’d calmed down. He had zero intention of sleeping alone tonight, but arguing wouldn’t help. He’d have to get physical. She was responsive. She wouldn’t be able to turn him down if he turned her on. “Where is this safe place?”
She paused at the doorway, her brown eyes slightly humorous. “The safest place I know—the nudist colony.”
Nate groaned. He was never going to survive the day.
Chapter Ten
The big office was exactly as she remembered it. It had been almost a year since she’d been in this space. The pool, the grounds, that was a different story, but she’d seen little of the inside of Mountain and Valley Naturist Community.
“Hello, Callie. It is so good to see you again, sweetheart.” Bill Hartman opened his arms, and Callie walked right in. He enfolded her in a hug. She heard Zane’s gasp, or maybe it was Nate’s. Probably Nate’s. He was the one who could be the most easily offended. After all, Bill Hartman was completely naked as he hugged her.
Callie ignored him. It didn’t matter what either of them thought. They were going to leave her, so she didn’t have to care about what upset them.
“You, too, Bill. I’m grateful you could accommodate us.” She broke off the embrace and stood back, taking in the man her mother had loved. He had never lived with them, but he’d funneled money their way. He’d been the reason her mother was comfortable in her final days.
He pulled away. Bill’s clear blue eyes gazed down on hers, and Callie felt a bit strange. She was wearing clothes in a place where she had always felt comfortable being herself. Now she warred with the instinct to keep her armor tightly in place. She didn’t want to be naked in front of Nate and Zane. Naked in front of them meant something different.
Bill nodded as though coming to a decision. Callie was pretty sure she knew what it was. He was going to let her choice to be clothed go unquestioned for now. Callie felt infinitely grateful. Bill took a step back and walked around to the chair behind his desk. He sat and indicated she should as well. There was only the heavy leather couch, and Nate and Zane were already there. They had left a spot for her in the center, but it would be tight. She sat down gingerly, trying to maintain her own space.
“I’ve informed our security team to keep a watch,” Bill began. “We’ll patrol the area on a regular basis to make sure no one sneaks up on us. And of course we’ll have someone monitoring the security cameras at all times.”
Zane’s arm slid across the back of the sofa. She sat forward, avoiding his touch.
“We appreciate it,” she said politely.
“You have patrols? And security cameras? What kind of security does a nudist colony need?” Nate asked with all the subtlety of a bull.
“Naturist, please, Sheriff,” Bill corrected with not a drop of condescension in his voice. Of course, he was used to people belittling his lifestyle. They all were. “We’re a small community, but we need the same things others need. We’ve beefed up our security recently. We now have cameras at every entrance, and we’ve made certain that our living quarters are safe. We’re isolated. That has advantages and disadvantages. It gives us the freedom to live as we choose but leaves us open to those who would take from us. We’re a wealthy community. We must protect ourselves.”
Beside her, Nate was now sitting up straight as an arrow. “You said you recently upped your security. What’s gone on that made you feel the need?”
Bill shook his head. “Times change. We recently reevaluated and chose to refresh our protocols. Rest assured, we can protect Callie and your friend. Our position on the mountain is unassailable. We know if someone sets foot anywhere close to the actual living area of our community. We own about two thousand acres of land on and down the mountain. Our closest neighbor is a horse ranch where the former sheriff lives. He has good security, as well, so we watch out for each other. My point is that as long as you stay on the grounds, we should be able to protect you.”
“Exactly how will you protect us?” Nate’s voice took
on a harsh, suspicious air.
Zane’s hand found the back of Callie’s neck, and he cupped her nape in his big palm, the connection so sweet that it took her a second to remember that it wasn’t real. She stood suddenly while Nate continued to interrogate the director.
“You better have a permit for every gun you keep in this place.”
Bill’s gaze went positively arctic. It was at times like this that Callie remembered the sixty-year-old had once been a Special Forces soldier. He’d also run a monumentally successful business. He’d retired at forty and spent his time running his true love, this peaceful community.
“Sheriff, I believe you will find there is no permit required to purchase either shotguns or handguns in the state of Colorado. And none of us needs a permit to carry concealed. We don’t conceal anything here.”
Callie stepped forward. Her heart ached a little. She hadn’t meant to bring down Nate’s condemnation on a place she loved so much. Tears pricked her eyes. How could he not see how much of her was here, in this place, in Bliss? He could take her out of Bliss, but she would always be the same girl. She could never be what he needed. “I’m sorry, Bill. I think I’ve made a mistake. We’ll find somewhere more suitable.”
Bill opened his mouth, but Nate stood up, hat in his hand. “No, Callie, we won’t.” He was quiet for a moment. “I apologize, Mr. Hartman. I know the gun laws. I’m a bit on edge, and it has me growling at everyone. You upped your security when I took over as sheriff.”
She turned to Nate. “It had nothing to do with you, I’m sure.”
Zane’s eyes looked back and forth from the director to Nate. “You’re wrong, babe. Nate made an ass of himself at some point in time. Your friend here was worried he wouldn’t give a crap about the hippie nudists if something went wrong. I bet he didn’t have trouble with the former sheriff.”