Van, Becca - The Love of Three [Elite Dragons 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Becca Van

  A masculine yell joined her cry, and Stedman grabbed her hips, holding her still with his cock buried balls-deep in her cunt as he pumped her full of his cum. Ward bit her shoulder lightly and groaned with one last thrust. He froze behind her and shot semen into the depths of her ass.

  Alicia’s arms and legs were trembling, and she was no longer able to hold herself up. She moved and would have slumped down onto Stedman with a thump but for the strong arm that wrapped around her waist with lightning-fast speed. Ward gently lowered her down onto his brother.

  Ward kissed her neck and whispered in her ear, “Love you, honey.”

  Alicia grunted in response, her brain still too full of endorphins to be coherent, but that grunt turned to a groan when Ward gently withdrew from her body. Stedman wrapped two arms around her back and rolled them both onto their sides. His movement caused his softening penis to slip from her body, teasing her still-sensitive flesh.

  Even though she wasn’t asleep, she wasn’t fully conscious either. Alicia was floating on a cloud of euphoria and satiation. When gentle hands lifted her leg and a warm washcloth cleaned her up, she didn’t protest. She smiled and snuggled closer to Stedman, kissing his shoulder and listening to his heartbeat. Finally she was where she was supposed to be, wrapped up in the love of three men.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Stedman’s phone trilled right in his ear. He jolted instantly awake but didn’t want to move. His arms were wrapped around Alicia, and it felt as though they’d fallen asleep mere minutes ago.

  His training won out, though. He rolled over and read the text summoning him and his brothers to the living room of the main house. The time was just after 0100 hours.

  That’s never good. Even though he hated leaving Alicia alone in the house, he couldn’t disobey an order. When he looked up from the phone, he saw that Bronsin and Ward were already awake and on their feet. He and his brothers dressed quietly and rapidly, knowing without being told that something was drastically wrong. Stedman had a feeling that things were about to come to a head.

  Giving one last longing look at Alicia, he nodded to his grim-faced brothers. After making sure the house was secure with the doors and windows locked and the alarm armed, they left. Stedman lowered his mental shield. He didn’t feel anyone out in the darkness, but he glanced toward Bronsin and asked quietly, “You feel him?”

  Bronsin nodded. “Still here, but fuck if I know where.”

  “Or who,” Ward added.

  Coulter, Trace, and Corbin were waiting for them and had several pots of coffee ready. The rest of the team followed them into the main house. When they all had coffee mugs in hand, Coulter began to talk.

  “We’ve had another alert. A woman has gone missing, and it matches the previous MO. As much as I hate to say it, we have to investigate and see if we can find her.”

  “Where was she taken from?” Bronsin queried.

  “Livingston, Montana.”

  Stedman was pretty sure that was further west than Billings. And Billings was further west than Miles City. “So it’s close to the last two,” he said, “but further out than before.”

  “It’s safe to assume that they know where we are,” Coulter said, “given the tracking devices. If they’re moving further off, it may mean that they’re running from us. On the other hand, we’ll have to move faster to catch up.”

  Ward rubbed a hand over his face. “Did the alert come from our bosses?”

  “Of course. And before you ask, Corbin’s checked out the higher-ups, as far as he can.”

  “I haven’t found anything so far,” Corbin said, “but I have to be damn sneaky about it. They won’t like the idea that we’re checking up on them.”

  “I don’t like leaving when there could be trouble here,” Bronsin said. “If we’re assuming that they know where we live, we can’t all walk away. Someone has to stay behind and protect the women.”

  “We know,” Trace sighed. “We’ve already decided. Stedman, Ward, and Bronsin, you get to stay this time.”

  “Are you sure?” Stedman inquired. “We know you don’t like leaving Brooke alone now that she’s pregnant.”

  “No, we don’t,” Coulter said, “but we can’t expect to stay behind every time. That isn’t fair to the rest of you.”

  “We understand, man.” Bronsin sighed and rose to his feet. “I wouldn’t want to be away from Alicia either.”

  “We go within the hour,” Trace said. “Everyone is to stay in this house. No going to your own homes, and if you have any trouble, contact us immediately. We’ll turn back to protect our own first.”

  Bronsin was shaking his head. “More than one team needs to stay.”

  “You having one of your feelings again?” Stedman asked.

  “Not exactly. It’s just common sense. We shouldn’t leave the stud undefended.”

  “If two teams go and two teams stay,” Ward said, “the rescue won’t be impeded if there is trouble here.”

  “That’s if the woman even exists,” Bronsin muttered.

  “What?” Coulter snapped his head around and looked at Bronsin. “You think that this is all another setup, don’t you.”

  “Yeah, I do. Divide and conquer. They know where we are and they know we’ll come running if we get an alert. We also have every reason to think there’s a turncoat among the higher-ups, someone who might have planted these orders.”

  “But last time we had an alert, there really were two women who needed our help,” Lander said.

  “He’s right,” Seton said. “Trap or no trap, we can’t sit on our hands if that woman really has been kidnapped.”

  “Nonetheless, Bronsin makes a good point. We don’t want to leave the women vulnerable to an attack.”

  “That settles it,” Trace said. “Teams two and four go, and the rest of us stay.”

  “No doubt about it,” Coulter said, glancing at Bronsin. “I’d trust your gut any day.”

  Seton, Wolf, Lander, Bryden, Linton, and Codi all rose to their feet. They were leaving in less than an hour and had to check weapons and vehicles. Seton looked back over his shoulder to Stedman. “We’re leaving our heart with you. Keep her safe.”

  “You know we will, Seton,” Stedman replied.

  “I know.” Seton left, closing the door quietly behind him.

  Over the next forty minutes, the members of the Elite Dragons team secured empty houses, checked weapons and vehicles, and moved Janie and Alicia into the main house.

  Within the hour, they were gone.

  * * * *

  The rest of the night passed peacefully, but Stedman was unsettled just like his brothers and team leaders.

  He took one of the early morning watches and passed the entire time straining his eyes for some sight of their supposed intruder, without success. It was hard to forget Bronsin saying “divide and conquer.” Even with five of his teammates here, he felt as if they were vulnerable.

  Teams two and four couldn’t get back soon enough, as far as he was concerned, but Livingston was a solid twelve-hour drive. They got a check-in during the middle of the morning but expected to hear nothing else until they’d found their quarry.

  As they all sat down to lunch, a shiver of unease crawled over his senses. Coulter’s phone chose that moment to ring. He stood up, excusing himself, and walked into the kitchen to take the call. Stedman sat back from the table, craning his neck to see his leader and straining his ears over the women’s lively chatter to hear the conversation.

  Alicia touched his arm. “What’s the matter?”

  “Fuck!” Coulter exclaimed from the kitchen.

  Everyone fell silent, looking to Coulter as he entered the dining room in two long strides. He ignored the phone in his hand. “There was an attack on teams two and four. They followed a lead to an abandoned warehouse. It was an ambush.”

  Janie’s hands flew over her mouth. Brooke was squeezing her shoulder. “Are they okay?”

  “Everybody’s fine.” Coulter’s ey
es sought out Bronsin. “You were right. Divide and conquer. If they were attacked—”

  A large explosion reverberated through the air, shaking the ground. Windows and dishes rattled, and the earth moved beneath their feet.

  All the men’s heads turned to stare out the large windows in the dining room. Pushing to his feet, Stedman reached for his shoulder holster and took the pistol in hand.

  Through the window, he saw flames shooting from the machinery shed just beyond the stables.

  “Fuck! We have to get to the horses,” Stedman yelled. He and Ward were out the door with his team leaders on their heels.

  * * * *

  Bronsin stayed behind and locked up. He wasn’t leaving the women alone when trouble was on their doorstep. Glancing around the room, he saw the women were all pale with fear and worry for the men and horses. Even though he wanted to tell them everything would be all right, he couldn’t, because he wasn’t sure it was true.

  “Get to the living room, close the drapes, and stay out of sight,” Bronsin ordered. He turned toward the dining room windows, intending to close the curtains. He made the mistake of dropping his mental shields at that moment. The ominous feeling of something being out of place was ten times stronger than before. Where he had felt only one vague presence before, he now felt half a dozen all-violent, calculating killers.

  He had a moment of clarity in which he understood exactly what had happened. From the moment they set out to rescue the two women from that barn, they’d been playing into enemy hands. First the smugglers found their vehicles and planted listening and tracking devices on them. Then they put an agent in place to create chaos by hurting Alicia. Even the fact that the other teams had been lured so far away seemed like part of the strategy. Anything that took time and energy, anything that inconvenienced them or distracted them, was good for the enemy. Now they had been divided and were being attacked after the others had met with an ambush.

  And now the final blow. They wanted not only to kill everyone here, Bronsin realized, but to destroy their buildings, their equipment, and their weapons. What they wanted was nothing short of total destruction of the Elite Dragons and everything they stood for.

  “Bronsin!” Alicia screamed.

  Turning toward her, he saw her staring at him with horror. Looking down, he noticed the small bead of red a fraction of a second before he leapt to the side. He wasn’t fast enough. Wood and glass exploded everywhere as excruciating pain radiated from his chest and up his arm. He felt himself falling, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. His vision blurred, and the last thing he saw before darkness pulled him under was the beautiful face of his angel.

  * * * *

  Alicia had never felt such fear in her life. Not even when her own life had been in danger. Seeing Bronsin lying on the floor, unconscious with blood soaking into his shirt, was a living nightmare. She sobbed as tears cascaded down her cheeks, but she crawled across the floor and didn’t stop until she was at his side.

  “Alicia, what can I do?” Brooke called from the doorway to the dining room.

  “Stay out of sight and protect your baby,” she replied.

  Taking a deep breath, Alicia gathered her courage and pushed her fear aside. Bronsin needed her, and she couldn’t afford to fall apart now. Checking his pulse, she breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the strong, steady beat beneath the tips of her fingers. Looking around for something to use to stem the flow of Bronsin’s blood, the only thing she could see was a linen tablecloth hanging off the edge of the nearest table. Without a qualm, Alicia crawled to the table and pulled on the cloth. Food and dishes scattered everywhere, but she didn’t care. After folding the material, she lifted Bronsin’s shirt and whimpered when she saw the hole in his flesh and the blood welling out of it. She pressed the cloth to his injury and pushed down as hard as she could.

  She was conscious that Bronsin’s shooter might even now be making his way into the house through the broken window, but she couldn’t leave Bronsin’s side. In the aftermath of the explosion, she heard gunfire from beyond the broken window. Her heart pounded with fear for Stedman and Ward.

  She became aware of Janie crawling across the floor toward her. Another flash of movement from her periphery caught her eye, and she turned back as if in slow motion. Through the shattered window, Alicia saw a large, strange man moving stealthily toward the house.

  Alicia pulled the nine-millimeter handgun from Bronsin’s holster and studied it. She’d never held a gun before, but she knew there was a safety button somewhere. On the left side of the gun was a small switch, and when she flicked it with her thumb, it turned with ease. The weight of the weapon in her hand was unexpected, but she didn’t feel afraid this time. Her man needed her. He had been here to protect her and the other women. Because of them, he had been hurt. There was only one way the asshole outside was getting to Bronsin again, and that was through her.

  “Janie,” Alicia called in a soft voice. “Go back. Someone’s coming.”

  “No,” Janie replied just as quietly. “You can’t tend to your man and protect him at the same time.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “What about you?” Janie asked. “Do you think I want to sit by and watch you get hurt, too? We’re in this together. So just shut up and let me help.”

  “Where’s Brooke?”

  “In the living room. She’s sitting on the floor behind the sofa. She wanted to come in here, but Martha and May wouldn’t let her.”

  “Thank God. She wouldn’t even hesitate if this was just about her safety. I’m glad she’s thinking of the baby.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Please, just keep Bronsin safe for me,” Alicia whispered to Janie without looking at her. Tears were running down her cheeks, but she was barely aware of them.

  “I will.”

  “Janie, tip one of the tables over.” Alicia gave a nod of approval when Janie crawled over to the nearest table. She winced at the shattering and crashing of dishes hitting the floor. But perhaps the noise would draw attention away from the living room.

  “I want you to stay there. I’m going to drag Bronsin over to you. Then he will be out of the direct line of fire.”

  “Alicia, let me help you. You can’t move that mountain of a man by yourself.”

  “Oh yes, I can,” she snapped. “If you move and put yourself in danger, I’ll shoot you myself.” Alicia turned to look at Janie with an apology on her lips. “Sorry, but he’s coming. Please, just stay where you are.”

  Alicia moved quickly. Using every ounce of strength and adrenaline she had, she placed her hands beneath Bronsin’s arms and moved him. She had him behind that table moments later.

  “Stay here,” Janie whispered and tugged on Alicia’s arm when she started to go back to the window and curtains.

  “I can’t. I have to do this,” she replied.

  “No, you don’t. All you have to do is stay out of sight.”

  “They shot him, Janie.” Alicia heard the pain in her own voice. She took another deep breath and pushed her emotions aside. “The others are still out there. They could be hurt or even dead. I can’t just do nothing.”

  “God, I wish I had a gun,” Janie sobbed.

  “Would you be able to use it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Check Bronsin and see if you can find any more weapons. You know as well as I do that when on a mission they’re packed full.”

  Alicia looked out the window. What she saw made her blood freeze. The large man who had been keeping to the shadows and scanning the house was running off to the east. He had managed to get close to the house without her seeing him and was now leaving, but why?

  She had her answer moments later. Another loud explosion rent the air. This time the house was the target. Debris flew through the air, glass exploded, and women screamed. Alicia didn’t care about the flying objects. She was on her feet and running. Her hands shaking as she shielded her eyes, she se
arched anxiously until her gaze connected with Brooke’s. She was coughing and her face was dirty, but she was unharmed, as were Martha and May. The sofa had saved them.

  Her knees nearly buckled with relief. She was just about to move across toward them when the man from the yard came through the big hole in what should have been the side of the house. The gun in his hand was aimed at her. She didn’t hesitate. Lifting her arm, she pointed and pulled the trigger.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The second explosion found Ward in the stables. The others were ahead of him, freeing the last of the horses. Before his next breath, he was out the door and scanning the area. When a bullet whizzed by and landed in the wood of the doorframe next to him he threw himself back inside.

  Without making a sound, he crept to the door on his belly and peered out. He needed to know how many of the fuckers they were up against so they could take them out and get to the women.

  Coulter caught his eye and pointed toward the back exit. Ward nodded that he understood. Then his team leaders disappeared out that rear door. Gunfire was all around them, and he couldn’t determine if any of it was close to the house. Taking a deep, calming breath, he signaled Stedman to cover him and then threw himself outside once more.

  Ducking and rolling, he didn’t stop until he was behind the large metal barrels of molasses which had been left outside the day the stud farm had been locked down tight. Now he knew there were four men gunning for this side of the building where they were. He and Stedman could take them out one by one if his team leaders didn’t get to them first.

  Using his heightened senses, he caught the faint sound of a boot scraping in the dirt. Another one of their attackers seemed to be breathing real heavy, and two more had just reloaded their weapons. Ward found their hiding places one by one and waited patiently. Stedman ducked his head out the door and with hand signals told him I’ll take the two on the right. He wanted Ward to concentrate on the ones to the left.