by Zara Chase
Sanctuary, Montana 6
Secrets in Sanctuary
Farah McLean is driven from Sanctuary, Montana, by the dispute that has raged for years between her family and the Baldwins, keeping her from the love of her life, Drew Baldwin.
A detective in nearby Billings, she returns home, having been shot in the line of duty, to find Drew is also back in Sanctuary, along with his buddy Isaac Kincaid. When she discovers that Drew left Sanctuary because of his feelings for her, their love for one another can no longer be suppressed.
Drew and Isaac share everything—including Farah—but their relationship can’t go anywhere without destroying their families unless, with time and determination on her side, Farah uses her detection skills to delve into the origins of the dispute.
Will she be successful, and will the stubborn patriarchs of the two clans accept her findings, even if she is…
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 49,592 words
SECRETS IN SANCTUARY
Sanctuary, Montana 6
Zara Chase
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
SECRETS IN SANCTUARY
Copyright © 2013 by Zara Chase
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-670-3
First E-book Publication: October 2013
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2013 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
Dear Readers,
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DEDICATION
For my fellow authors in the Sanctuary series—Corinne Davies, Jane Jamison, Melody Snow Monroe, Lara Valentine, and Alicia White. Thanks for the incredible ride, ladies.
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
About the Author
SECRETS IN SANCTUARY
Sanctuary, Montana 6
ZARA CHASE
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
Monday May 1st
“Farah, are you there?”
Farah McLean’s eyes flew open. She automatically reached for her weapon, but it wasn’t there. She sat up, sweat drenching her body, hyperventilating wildly. Hell, where was her gun? She had to find it before the bad guys got to her. Again.
It took a moment to blink the sleep from her eyes and remember where she was. As soon as she recognized the tranquil surroundings of the sunroom in her mom and dad’s house, her heart rate gradually returned to normal. Okay, that accounted for the where. The throbbing ache in her thigh, the bruising to her chest where the bullets had hit but the Kevlar vest had saved her life, reminded her why she wasn’t in Billings, chasing down villains and keeping the streets safe for the city’s good citizens.
“In the sunroom,” she called back, doing her best to keep the subsiding panic out of her voice. She wasn’t ready to think about the real reasons for her overreaction when her friend Aubrey had called out to her, preferring to blame it on being woken from a sound sleep.
Aubrey burst into the room, all five foot three inches of her. A bundle of suppressed energy, red hair flew out behind her like a firestorm lighting up a clear night sky. Concern clouded her golden-brown eyes as she leaned over Farah and hugged her tight.
“Ohmygod, how are you?” Farah tried not to wince as her bruises took the brunt of her friend’s affection. “I can’t believe you were actually shot.”
“What can I say?” Farah summoned up the brave face she’d already practiced on her family. No way would she admit to anyone that she’d been scared shitless and still had sleepless nights over the incident. “It goes with the territory.”
“Yes, but…” Aubrey peered at Farah’s face. “You look as pale as a ghost.”
Thanks a bunch. Just what I need to hear. “You should see the other guy.”
Aubrey’s eyes widened. “How can you joke about having a near-death experience?”
Farah cautiously lifted one shoulder. Even that small gesture hurt like hell. She felt like she’d been trampled on by one of the bulls her brothers were so fond of riding. “It’s that or never get back up on the horse again. I’m a cop, babe. It’s what we do to keep the rest of you fine Americans safe and cosseted.”
“I suppose, but don’t you dare put me through all that worry again.”
“I don’t have any plans for a repeat performance, that I can promise you.”
Aubrey mangled her lower lip between her teeth. “Are you really going to be okay? How lon
g were you in the hospital? I can’t believe I was away on a school field trip when the call came through, otherwise I’d have been there for you.”
This time Farah’s wince owed nothing to her injuries. “Don’t worry, I had plenty of company.”
“Your brothers went to get you.”
“Yep, all five of them.” Farah pulled a face. “This should have happened last month around rodeo day. That way I wouldn’t have had to spend the three-hour journey from Billings crowded out by male McLeans, all keen to tell me I’m in the wrong profession and don’t know how to take care of myself.”
Aubrey shook her head. “Wouldn’t have worked. They’d have just cancelled participating in the rodeo, and you’d have felt as guilty as hell. You know how they like to show off and try to beat the Baldwins.”
“Yeah, I guess. My brothers know all the tricks when it comes to making me feel guilty.”
“Only because they care.”
“Sure they do.”
Aubrey perched one buttock on the edge of the couch Farah was stretched out on. “You should be glad you’ve got people who do care about you, sweetie.”
Farah touched her friend’s hand, aware how much Aubrey regretted not being part of a big clan. “Yeah, I’m an ungrateful bitch who doesn’t know when she’s well off.”
“Aw, honey, I didn’t mean that.”
Farah glanced out the window at the pristine gardens coming to life in the spring sunshine, fresh green shoots and budding spring flowers sprouting up everywhere. A new beginning. Perhaps her brothers were right and that’s what she needed. Only problem was she loved her job, even if she could live without getting shot at again.
“I know you didn’t. Ignore me, I just got back to Sanctuary today and I’m feeling grouchy.”
“Your family’s smothering you with love, I take it?”
“And then some.” Farah did another eye roll. “I practically had to evict half of them from this room a while back so I could get some space. My brothers don’t seem to realize how big they are and how much space they take up, and Mom’s in full mother-hen mode.”
“You’re her only daughter. What else can you expect?”
Farah conceded the point with a weary nod. “Yes, I know she means well. It’s just that she makes me feel like I’m ten years old again.”
Aubrey smiled. “And to her you always will be.”
“I still can’t get my head around this business with the gold,” Farah said, probably looking as dazed as she felt whenever she thought about it. “All that money hidden in the old shack on the disputed land between our spread and the Baldwins’ place. It’s bad enough that the families argue over the land. Now the gold will give them a whole new reason to throw slings and arrows at one another.”
“The gold had been there for years, apparently.”
“So I gather. Who on earth could have put it there? Course, it goes without saying that the families won’t do the sensible thing and split it down the middle. Instead they have to argue over ownership when, far as I can tell, neither family needs the money.”
It was Aubrey’s turn to roll her eyes. “What else did you expect?”
“I’m predicting that most of that cash’ll get eaten up by lawyers’ fees.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
Farah blew air through her lips. “They’d be better off donating it to a good cause and being done with it, but obviously, that’ll never happen.”
“The tension’s worse than ever now, and poor Tatum feels totally torn between love for Will and Josh and duty to her family. You’d think both sides would be grateful to her for finding the damned loot in the first place.”
“Remind me again, how did she get to find it, exactly?”
Aubrey laughed. “I’ll let her tell you all the gory details.”
“Why isn’t she with you?”
“Aw, honey, did you take a knock to the head as well as everything else?”
Farah blinked back her surprise. “Not that I know of.”
“She’s a Baldwin.”
“All right, smarty pants, but she’s also a Baldwin who’s now my brother’s and cousin’s significant other.”
Aubrey’s smile faded. “She still isn’t welcome in this house.”
“Oh for goodness sake!” Farah shook her head carefully, because even that hurt. “When are they gonna let it go?”
“When ice caps melts?”
Farah sighed. “They haven’t said a word to me about it, none of them. It’s like they’ve made a pact to protect me from anything unpleasant. Every time I ask what’s going on, they deflect my questions. Do you have any idea how annoying that can be?”
“I can imagine.” Aubrey stood up. “You look beat after the journey, and I’m disturbing your beauty sleep, so I’ll leave you to get some rest. I just stopped by to satisfy myself you were on the mend and to bring you these.” She presented Farah with a lovely bouquet of pink roses and baby’s breath, looked around the room that had vases of flowers spilling from every surface, and flashed a rueful grin. “Guess a few people got there ahead of me.”
“They’re lovely, thank you.”
“Anyway, I’d better get going. Have you got everything you need?”
Farah smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. “Oh no you don’t! I didn’t have to drive myself back, and I’ve been doing nothing but rest for nearly a week now. Visit for a little longer.”
“Sure, I’d like that.” Aubrey fell into a chair. “I hear you took a bullet to the thigh. They had to operate to get it out, right?”
Farah averted her eyes, not ready to talk about it. “Apparently. I don’t remember much.”
“And you were hit in the chest.” Aubrey gulped, tears seeping from the corners of her eyes. “If you hadn’t been wearing that vest—”
“That’s why they give them to us, babe.” Even so, Farah wasn’t about to admit it was the first time she’d had to face down a drug-crazed kid who’d do absolutely anything to avoid going back to jail, including shooting at armed cops, the idiot! She couldn’t think about what she’d had to do to save her life, and her partner’s. Not that she was traumatized, like all the so-called experts seemed to think. Shit, everyone around her imagined they knew better than she did what was going on inside her head. Now she was back in Sanctuary, surrounded by her family, that situation would only get worse. Welcome home, Farah. “And why we get paid top dollar.”
“How can you joke about it?” Aubrey asked for a second time, swiping away her tears, looking genuinely angry and upset.
“I’ve got your number, Aubrey Maxwell.” Farah wagged a finger beneath her nose. “You only want to talk about me so you can dodge telling me your big news firsthand.”
Aubrey blushed so deeply that the color of her skin matched her hair. “Busted!”
“And then some.”
“Come on, Farah. Noah, Riley, and I have been an item forever. It can’t have come as that much of a surprise. Besides, we spoke about it on the phone, you and I, for hours and you did agree to be my bridesmaid. I’m holding you to that.”
“Oh, I’ll be there for you, never fear.” Farah levered herself up on one elbow. “Now come on, give. I want to hear how you finally got my two big, bad brothers to grow up and actually propose.”
“Trust me, it wasn’t easy. I had to play hardball.”
“Hmm, I’m sure you played a blinder.” Farah regarded the still furiously blushing Aubrey with a combination of amusement and affection. “So, you’ve been hanging out with the pair of them for ten years and couldn’t choose between them.” She chuckled. “That’s just plain greedy.”
Aubrey shrugged. “What can I tell you?”
“Everything.” Farah waved a hand. “No, on second thought, nix that. I don’t need all the intimate details. Just tell me you’re happy.”
“Delirious.”
“Okay, but if those two don’t treat you right, just tell me about it.” Farah waggled her brows. �
��I. Have. A. Gun.” Well, technically speaking, right now she didn’t. Her weapon had been taken from her after the shooting and she felt naked without it. Still, that was splitting hairs. “I know how to use it, too.”
Aubrey smiled through her drying tears. “I’ll bear that in mind.”
“So how did you two…I mean three, get together.”
“Well, there was an auction at Consensual.”
“That kinky club outside of town? What were you doing there?” And why didn’t you wait until I was visiting home and invite me along? I’ve always wanted to take a peek inside. “I didn’t know you were into all that stuff.”
“I was too embarrassed to tell you.” Aubrey flashed an irrepressible grin. “But I’ve been going there for a long time, with your brothers, of course.”
“Oh, of course. What’s it like?”
Aubrey shrugged. “The periphery is like any ordinary bar. The guy who runs the place is a good friend of mine, and he’s perfectly normal, too. It’s only when you pass through the divide that things get interesting.”
“Define interesting.”
“They do all sorts of good stuff. They auctioned off a basket of sex toys for charity. The proceeds went to the cancer ward at the hospital because Aaron, the owner, has a son who was a patient there.”
“Oh well, that’s all right then.” Farah returned her friend’s grin. “Just so long as it was for a good cause.”
“That’s what I thought,” Aubrey replied, another grin breaking through her pious expression.
“Did you get the basket?”
“No, someone else beat me to it.”
