Dangerous Territory

by Becca Van

  She wanted to go and find her other men and tell them that she loved them, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Lily and Maddox.

  She knew deep in her heart and soul that they all belonged together. She was finally going to have the family she’d always dreamed about.

  * * * *

  Logan had hardly let Lily and Sammy out of his sight. It had been three days since she’d been attacked, and while she was no longer hurting, she was still waking up periodically through the night with nightmares.

  At the moment, he, his brothers, and their woman were sitting on the back porch just finishing up dinner. Sammy was so fucking beautiful with the setting sun shining down on her blond hair, a smile on her face as she watched Lily and Haden together. Haden was helping Lily drink her water from a big girl’s glass. Brax, Ajay, and Cael had visited mid-Monday morning with a written-up statement for Sammy to sign and had informed them that Jason would be heading to jail while awaiting his trial for kidnapping and attempted rape. He hoped the presiding judge sent the fucker to prison for a long, long time.

  Shyann had visited after work on Tuesday, her men in tow to see how Sammy was doing. He’d sighed with relief when the other woman told Sammy not to worry about her job, that it would be waiting for her when she was ready to go back to the library.

  While Logan understood Sammy’s need to contribute to the household, to earn money, he didn’t want her and Lily heading into town, away from him and his brothers where they couldn’t keep her safe. He had a feeling it was going to take months before he wasn’t so edgy when Sammy and Lily weren’t at home.

  While Lily hadn’t known that something had happened to her momma, the little girl had picked up on the vibes and had hardly left Sammy’s side, too. Sammy had been trying to tell him and Haden something for two days, but every time she started, Lily would interrupt, crying for her mother.

  Logan wasn’t frustrated, but he was worried about his baby girl. Although he knew kids were resilient and bounced back quickly, he hated seeing Lily so clingy, so fearful. Sammy didn’t seem too concerned, and he wondered if her baby had been like this when she was with her asshole of an ex.

  That was something that was worrying him. He had a feeling that the bastard was going to cause him and his brothers trouble. Especially when he found out they wanted to adopt his child.

  He pushed his thoughts aside when Sammy got up and started gathering up the dishes. Haden jumped to his feet to help, and Logan decided it was a perfect opportunity for him and his brother to get their woman alone so she could tell them what was on her mind. He rose with Lily in his arms and carried her to Maddox. Haden and Sammy had already entered the house.

  “Maddox needs a cuddle from his sweet baby girl, Lily.”

  Lily smiled up at him, patted him on the cheek, and then smacked her lips to where her hand had just been, giving him a wet kiss. “Okay, daddy Lohan.”

  His heart surged with love and joy at Lily’s sweet words. He wrapped his arm around her little body and pressed his face into her neck as he tried to control his threatening tears. “I love you, sweet pea,” he whispered against her neck.

  Lily giggled when his beard tickled her skin. When he was no longer in danger of blubbering like a baby, he lifted his gaze to his daughter’s.

  “I love you, too, daddy Lohan.”

  He gave her a loud kiss on the check before passing her to a grinning Maddox. Maddox quirked a brow at him, but Logan shrugged. He couldn’t answer his brother’s unspoken question about Lily calling him daddy, but there was no way in hell he was ever going to ask her to stop.

  Logan grabbed the last of the dirty dishes and then headed inside. He smiled when he saw Haden hugging Sammy tight against his body, kissing her passionately.

  After placing the dishes on the counter, he turned toward Sammy just as she moved out of Haden’s arms. She reached out and clasped his hands in hers, staring up into his eyes. “I love you, Logan.”

  Logan felt as if his heart melted. He’d been longing to hear those words ever since he’d set eyes on Sammy. He tugged on her hands and pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. When he glanced at Haden and saw the smile and emotion in his brother’s eyes, Logan figured she’d just told him she loved him, too. Haden confirmed his thoughts when he nodded and placed a hand on his chest right over his heart. He was also thankful that his brother hurried back outside, leaving the two of them alone for a few moments.

  He loosened his arms and cupped her face between his palms. “You’re my fucking world, Sammy. You and our daughter have brought such joy into our lives. I love you so damn much, honey.”

  Tears of joy sheened her eyes. Logan lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her voraciously. If he could have, he would have lifted her into his arms and carried her to bed, but he had to consider his daughter’s innocence. There was no way he was corrupting Lily. Ever.

  She’d learn how the town worked when she was older. He, his brothers, and her momma would sit her down and discuss the dynamics of polyamorous relationships when she started asking questions. But not before.

  Sammy broke the kiss to gasp air into her lungs as she once more wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tight.

  Logan could have stood in the kitchen and just held her for hours.

  Sammy Reilly had plucked his heart right out of his chest, and he never wanted it back. It was hers to do whatever she wanted with it, but he knew she’d never purposely hurt him or his brothers. She was a wonderful person. Sweet and loving, and her soul was so bright, he was sure he could see it shining out through her gorgeous blue eyes.

  Sammy was his everything.

  * * * *

  Todd was sick of fucking waiting. He’d spent the last week staying at the motel and exploring the town. He was aware of the suspicious glances he’d been getting, but he didn’t give a fuck. Luckily, he’d come up with a story about how he was a salesman who was taking a short break and doing touristy things. He’d planned that scenario out before he arrived in Slick Rock and had been lucky enough to purchase a secondhand suit in a thrift store a few towns back.

  He’d been to the library several times, wishing he could ask after his ex slut, but that would’ve just drawn eyes his way when he got the bitch in his hands. The last thing he wanted was to have any of the sheriffs and deputies he’d seen walking around town and in patrol cars after him. They were all big fucking men, and from the way they carried themselves, he suspected they had military training. He didn’t want to tangle with any of them. Ever.

  Three of the deputies visited the library regularly. Sometimes just one of them. Sometimes two, and other times all three of them. It had taken him a few days to realize they were all with one woman. It had been hard not to sneer at her whenever he came face-to-face with her in the library. He hadn’t signed up for a membership, of course. That would meant he’d have to hand over his personal information. Not that he would have been honest, but he didn’t want anyone checking him out.

  Every day he was here, he felt as if he was in more and more danger, and he was waiting for the credit card to be canceled, which would put an end to all his lies and maybe even destroy his chances of getting what he wanted.

  He’d thought about following the lead librarian after she’d closed up for the night, but she was always picked up from work by one of the cops she was screwing.

  Right now, he was holed up in his room, slugging down a six-pack of beer. He’d eaten dinner he’d ordered from room service, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stay low. He hadn’t left his room all weekend because he didn’t want to draw more attention to himself than he already had.

  Each morning over the last week, he’d walked the town, searching, but he’d never spotted the cunt. Todd began to wonder if she’d seen him and taken off.

  He’d just finished eating a late breakfast in the diner and was about to head out on his pretended foray of being a tourist and doing touristy things, when he heard his ex c
unt’s name. Keeping his head lowered as he wrapped his hand around the empty coffee mug, lifting it to his mouth as he pretended to sip, he glanced toward the young woman pouring coffee into another woman’s empty mug.

  Joy surged into his heart when he heard how his ex had been hurt by a ranch hand, but when he heard the waitress say her three men had saved her, rage like he’d never known replaced the joy.

  Lowering his empty mug to the table, he stood and then walked slowly to the counter. It was difficult to ignore the red haze of rage over his eyes, but he paid for his meal, adding a generous tip.

  He couldn’t believe his ex was fucking three men, but he should have. She was a fucking slut and opened her legs to get what she wanted. As he turned toward the door to leave the diner, he almost rubbed his hands together when the stupid waitress mentioned the name of the ranch.

  Now that he knew where his slut and brat were hiding, his life would be a whole lot easier.

  Todd was going to spend the day scoping things out, and if that wasn’t going to work, he’d think of something else.

  One way of the other, he was getting the fucking slut and brat back.

  If the men she was fucking owned a ranch, then they were probably loaded. The fury began to dissipate at that thought. He could use both of them to blackmail the assholes she was screwing.

  He would demand they hand over a million dollars, but first he was going to screw his ex cunt into submission, right in front of the brat she tried to foist on him.

  Now that Todd knew what a slut she was, he knew without a doubt that she had to have been fucking around behind his back. That little bitch probably wasn’t even his, but that didn’t matter.

  Nothing mattered but getting out of the hole his bitch of an ex had dug for him.

  She needed to pay, and he’d make sure he ruined her life just as she’d ruined his.

  * * * *

  “I have to go,” Sammy stated, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. “I have an obligation to show up to work.”

  “You don’t need to work, baby.” Maddox cupped her cheek. “We have more than enough money.”

  “I don’t care about your money, Maddox.” She stared into his eyes. “I like working, and I like paying my own way.” While Sammy did like paying her own way and working, she also would have loved spending all her time with her daughter. She’d already missed out on so much, and if she didn’t bring money into the household, she’d feel guilty.

  “Come sit down, honey,” Logan said, as he carried plates of food over to the table. Lily was sitting up in her new high chair, and Haden was helping her with her breakfast of scrambled cheesy eggs and toast. There were also pieces of cut-up apple and banana for her baby to eat. Sammy was glad that one of her men had added fruit to Lily’s plate.

  She went to grab the chair and pull it back, but Maddox beat her to it. He pulled her chair out, and as she sat, he pushed it back in. All her men were so solicitous, and while she loved that they had wonderful manners, she wasn’t used to it. It made her belly flutter and her heart fill with love.

  When everyone was seated, Maddox on her right, Logan on her left, and Haden and Lily near the end of the table, the guys started eating. Sammy picked up her fork, too.

  “Wouldn’t you like to spend more time with Lily, sweetheart?” Haden asked.

  She nodded because it was the truth. “I’ve missed out on a lot of firsts with my baby,” she said. “I’m just not used to not working.”

  Logan rubbed up and down her back. “You’ve no need to feel guilty about not working and bringing money into this house, honey. We own this ranch free and clear since we inherited it from our folks.”

  Maddox took over explaining. “Our parents also had life insurance policies. We have nearly ten million dollars in the bank, baby. Cattle prices have been high for the last five years, and we can’t see that changing anytime soon. We can afford whatever we want, whenever we want. You can stay home with Lily if that’s what you decide you want. However”—he paused to gaze at each of his brothers, before meeting her eyes again—“if you still want to work at the library, you can, but I would rather Lily didn’t go to the daycare center. We can hire a nanny to take care of her here.”

  Sammy couldn’t believe her men had so much money. She was sad that they’d lost their parents because she knew how that felt even if her mother would never have made mother of the year. “How did you parent’s die?”

  Logan bent and kissed her on the temple. “They died in a freak accident. They were on their way back home after being on vacation. The roads were icy. A semitrailer lost control and hit their car head-on.” He sucked in a ragged breath.

  Sammy laced her fingers with his, squeezing his hand in a show of comfort. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.

  This was the first chance she’d had to spend all her time with her daughter. She didn’t want to miss any more of Lily’s firsts than she already had. When her baby headed to school, then she could work again, but right now, she wanted to be home with her child and her men. While other women were happy to go out and work as well as juggle family life, she cheered for them, but Sammy had always been the one to wear the pants in her one and only relationship. That was when she wasn’t being beaten for the slightest infraction Todd had made up in his own mind. She had the opportunity to be with her daughter until she was ready to face the big wide world, and she was going to take it.

  Sammy would type up and hand in her resignation when she got to work this morning. She and Shyann could discuss how much notice she’d need so her boss could find someone to take her place.

  She met each of her men’s eyes, smiled, and nodded. “I’ll give my resignation today.”

  Maddox, Logan, and Haden all smiled at her, taking her breath away. If she’d had time to and if Lily was asleep, she would have ordered them all back to bed.

  All three of the Keegan brothers set her heart and her body on fire.

  She loved them with her whole being.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Todd sucked in a shocked breath as he drove past the oncoming truck. In the front passenger seat was his ex cunt. She’d looked as if she’d been laughing. Anger bubbled in his gut. She didn’t deserve to be happy, and he’d make sure she suffered just as he’d suffered because of her.

  Ignoring the urge to slam on the brakes and race after the vehicle was difficult, but he wasn’t about to bring attention to himself. He slowed the Beemer when he sighted the sandstone fenced gateway to the ranch he’d been looking for. There was a timber arch of the entrance with the Rocking K burned into the wood. The driveway was long, and there were too many trees for him to see much as he idled by, but he wasn’t about to turn and drive toward the house. Five minutes later, he found a safe place to pull onto the side of the road behind a couple of big aspen pine trees, obscuring his car from view.

  After making sure there was no one about, he turned off the ignition, got out of the car, locked it, and started walking. When he came to a place in the wire fence that had some slack in the metal strands, he slipped through and hurried toward the huge fucking house he could see in the distance. Thank fuck the driveway was lined with trees and bushes because he used them to keep hidden.

  The closer he got to the house, the angrier he became. There were cattle everywhere, lowing and grazing on the green grass, and stacks of hay strewn about the various paddocks. The house was a fucking mansion, and the ranch looked rich.

  Todd decided to raise his ransom money to two million bucks as he gazed about. He startled when he heard a whistle and ducked in behind the massive trunk of an oak tree, holding his breath as he hoped he hadn’t been seen. Air whooshed from his lungs with relief when no one shouted and he didn’t hear anyone heading his way.

  Peeking around the trunk, he gazed toward the barn and other out buildings. He saw two men riding away from the house on two big horses. There were more men on horses in the distance, but they were so small he didn’t think any
one had seen him.

  When it was safe to move, Todd headed back toward his car.

  Now all he needed to do was figure out how to get his hands on the bitch and her brat.

  * * * *

  “I’m going to miss you, Sammy.” Shyann pulled her into her arms, hugging her.

  Sammy embraced Shyann. “I’ll miss you, too, but you’re going to see me every day for the rest of the week.”

  “I know, and I’d better see you in here regularly.”

  “We’ll have you all out for a barbecue one day soon,” Sammy said, glancing from Shyann to Kat.

  Kat smiled and then glanced at Shyann. “I know someone who’d jump at the chance to work here.”

  “Who?” Shyann asked.

  “My sister, Niki,” Kat answered, wringing her hands. “She should be here in a few days. I’m sure she’d be happy to have a job.”

  Shyann nodded. “Bring her by so I can meet her. Where’s she coming from?”

  Kat gazed about and looked ready to bolt. Sammy saw the haunted, scared look in the other woman’s eyes. She took a step toward Kat but stopped when Shyann gave a slight shake of her head.

  Kat sucked in a shaky breath and met their eyes one after the other. Her brown eyes were filled with a resolved determination. She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter where we’re from.” She lowered her chin to her chest and then looked up again. “All that matters is that I’m here now and soon so will my sister.”

  Shyann nodded and smiled, though Sammy could see the concern in her eyes for Kat. Sammy was worried about the other woman, too, but she held her tongue.