The Perfect Plan [The Men of Treasure Cove 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Rebecca Joyce

  “You’re out far from town. What can I do for ya?” Davis asked, shaking the man’s hand.

  “Well, for starters, I’d be most appreciative if you would fight, ’cause I really hate it when it’s all one-sided,” the large man said, straight-faced.

  “Huh?” Davis said, lowering his hand and taking a step back. Something about the man was off, and he wasn’t too sure of what he meant. But when he bumped into a hard wall, Davis turned and realized that there were two of them.

  “Found the last one, Georgie,” the man in front of him said.

  “I see that, Billy. But why isn’t he on his ass?” asked the one behind him.

  “He didn’t throw down first. You know I won’t hit anyone unless they swing first,” Billy said, kind of hemming and hawing and looking at the ground.

  Davis didn’t know what the hell was going on, but with two towering behemoths, all he wanted to do was get the hell away from them. They were talking in riddles, and what he could decipher was that they wanted him to fight, and that wasn’t going to happen.

  “Look, gentlemen, I’m sorry you came out all this way, but we don’t have any extra work at this moment. If you want, I can give ya’ll twenty bucks and a ride into town. I know of a nice place where you can get something to eat,” Davis suggested, slowly moving out from between them.

  “You hear that, Georgie? Food. I am hungry.”

  “Damn it, Billy, stop thinking with your stomach. JJ said just grab ’em, hog-tie ’em, and meet him out back. So get to it. Grab ’em!” Billy shouted as Davis turned to run, but didn’t get far.

  Stopped dead in his tracks, he watched as four large men walked toward him, all looking the same but different. What worried him the most was the two bodies two of them carried over their shoulders.

  “Aw, shit! Is that Orin and Jacks?” Davis shouted.

  “Yeah. Sorry, man, but you understand, don’t ya? You should have just come to us and told us what ya had done. Now we gotta have satisfaction, you understand, right?” Billy said, walking up beside him.

  Davis looked dumbfounded at the large oaf next to him, concerned he wasn’t right in the head. Who in the hell were these guys? Runaways from the penitentiary!

  The closer the other four got, something deep in the pit of his stomach churned. Looking at the two beside him and the four in front of him, he counted. Four plus two is six.

  Six large men.

  Six large Neanderthals!

  “Fuck, you’re Lilly’s brothers!” Davis yelled as the two beside him grabbed his arms before he could get away.

  “Oh, you must be the smart one,” said what Davis assumed was the leader of the bunch.

  Fighting hard to break free, Davis shouted, “Look, can’t we just talk about this!”

  “Had your chance, little fella. Now it’s time to pay the piper,” the one called Georgie said, and Davis cursed Orin loudly right before a large fist connected with his face.

  * * * *

  Lilly stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her body. She was sore all over, and she didn’t care. Last night was amazing, and she only hoped that the boys wouldn’t mind doing it again.

  She felt her face heat as she walked into the bedroom to get dressed.

  Today was the day, the Christmas Eve party, and within an hour her family would arrive. Smiling to herself, she hoped that Orin and Davis wouldn’t be too upset that she foiled their plans, but she couldn’t in good conscience let them spring such news on her father.

  She knew her father wouldn’t give a damn if they had everyone in the state of Montana in this house. He was going to blow like Mount St. Helens, so she did the only thing she could do. She had her mother set up a meeting in town, and when her mother arrived the other day, Lilly and her mother drove into Treasure Cove to meet up with her father.

  She had to admit, he took it better than she thought, but she could tell he was still upset with her for withholding such a secret, and he was angry that he wasn’t given the opportunity to walk his only daughter down the aisle. Something he told her he had been waiting to do ever since she was a little girl.

  But when she told him about the baby, all the anger fled his face, and he accepted her decision. She just wished that Orin and Davis were with her so they could see that Jacks was right all along. Her father wasn’t some brute to be afraid of. He just wanted to know that his daughter was happy and loved. And when her mother confirmed everything that Lilly said, well, her dad said happily, “I can’t wait to meet my new son-in-laws.”

  Dressed in a pretty yellow sundress that flowed down to her ankles, Lilly quickly dried her hair and left the room.

  With the house already prepared, all she had to do was wait for the guests to arrive. No matter what Orin had planned, and she knew it was going to be a doozie, she let her fears of the unknown flee her mind, and prepared for a day of happiness. Because in the end, her father already knew, she had her mother’s support, and all she needed now was her husbands to share in her joy.

  Happy with the turn of events, Lilly walked over the coffeepot. She poured herself a small cup, pleased with herself, and smiled. “What could go wrong?”

  That was when she heard the loud rebuttal of a shotgun.

  * * * *

  Orin, Davis, and Jacks stood side by side as six very large men walked around them. None said a damn thing, for the six hulking men each carried double-barrel shotguns. And when one of them shot a hole into the ice-covered pond right at their feet, they all knew that the shit was about to hit the fan.

  “Dude! What the fuck?” Orin yelled, looking at the hole near him as icy cold water splashed his pants.

  “You kiss our sister with that mouth, asshole?” said one of the brothers as he lowered his gun and shot another hole near Jacks’s feet.

  “Are you crazy? This water is freezing! Are you trying to kill us?” Orin shouted at them.

  “Not crazy. Just trying to teach you little fellas some manners,” another one said as he aimed his gun and fired from behind them into the ice.

  The sounds of ice cracking stopped all movements.

  This wasn’t good.

  “Look, Georgie, there is nothing you can do about it now. We married your sister, and we love her. Can’t we just go inside and talk about this,” Davis muttered and turned toward the man as he heard another round of cracking in the ice.

  “I’m not Georgie. He is,” said a man pointing to the one beside him.

  “Sorry, my mistake.” Davis groaned as Georgie shot another hole into the ice.

  * * * *

  Lilly could hear the steady ring of shots being fired and ran, just knowing something was wrong. Her heart beat fast as her adrenaline pumped furiously in her veins. Something in her told her that she knew what she was going to find, and as she rounded the barn, her assumptions were correct.

  There stood her six brothers, guns in hand, in the middle of the frozen pond, shooting holes into it and waiting for the ice to break.

  “What the hell are you Neanderthals doing?” she screamed, grabbing everyone’s attention.

  She watched as they all turned to her.

  Good, now that I have their attention, let’s see how they like a pissed off sister to boot!

  Walking toward them, she heard the first crack but ignored it and kept walking.

  “Lilly! Don’t move!” Orin shouted, pushing her brothers aside.

  She was pissed, and no amount of warning was going to stop her until she beat the crap out of her brothers. They deserved to have their skulls knocked together.

  Another crack.

  “Lillian! Stop!” her brother James shouted and moved toward her. Something in his voice stilled her movements, but she ignored him and kept walking.

  It was then that reality reared its ugly head as she heard the loud, constant cracking of the ice. Stopping where she stood, she looked up at each of the worried men before her, her husbands, running fast and trying to get to her, her brothers
right behind them with the same worried expression on their faces.

  “Oh God!” someone shouted, but it was too late.

  Lilly felt herself sinking, and soon, a coldness she had never experienced engulfed her.

  * * * *

  Jacks made it to the watery hole first and dove into the frigid water right after her. Searching the frozen, murky pond, he grabbed onto the lifeless hand in front of him and headed for the opening. Coming up for air, he pulled her close to him as several hands reached for them.

  “Hurry, we have to get her warm!” Orin said, picking her up and running for the house.

  All bickering conversation was halted when he kicked in the front door.

  “Get the heating blankets! Hurry!” he shouted as he headed for his bedroom.

  Jacks and Davis moved like a fire was set under their asses, grabbing everything they could think they would need. Throwing items at her bothers, they rushed around the house, gathering blankets, heating pads, alcohol, and most importantly, the frost bite kits.

  They all entered the room to find Lilly blue.

  Jacks stopped dead in his tracks. Davis gaped in horror. “Hurry, we have to warm her!” Orin shouted as he quickly stripped off all his clothing. He then proceeded to remove her dress and underwear. With the help of Davis, they pulled back the bed covers, and soon Orin and Lilly were huddled together. “Fuck, she is cold. Hurry, Jacks. She’s cold as ice.”

  “What can we do?” the one called Georgie asked, holding his sister’s hand.

  “Get the hell out of my way. You guys have done enough,” Jacks shouted, and then he looked around the room at her brothers. He knew they were concerned and for some reason, Jacks couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. “Here, plug this in,” Jacks ordered the one closest to him, handing him the cord to the blanket.

  “We can’t put this directly on her. There has to be a barrier,” Jacks said, covering Lilly and Orin. He then placed the heating blanket on top of them. “We have to warm her slowly. If she warms too fast, it can cause cardiac arrest. Davis, see if you can get through to Doc. I am gonna need his help when I start her IV.”

  “What else can we do?”

  “There is going to be several people showing up soon, along with your parents. Entertain them,” Orin stated, moving closer to Lilly.

  “You can’t be serious. We don’t know how to entertain people. Shit, man, generally people see us coming and run the other way,” JJ replied in shock.

  “Not my problem. Go now!” Orin ordered and watched as the majority of her brothers left the room.

  Jacks moved swiftly, checking her vitals. He wasn’t happy with her heart rate. It was too slow. His mind was swirling with what needed to be done. There was a specific plan that needed to be adhered to. One wrong move and Lilly would die. First thing was getting her out of the water. Second was placing her in a dry environment. Third was the slow, rigorous process of warming her up, and that was what he concentrated on now.

  Davis came back into the room shaking his head. “Doc’s on his way. We’re on our own ’til he gets here. Here, I brought these,” he said, handing Jacks heated hot water bottles.

  Jacks instantly dropped them. “We can’t use those. Never apply direct heat like a hot water bottle or heating pad. I need the warm packs in the medicine cabinet. I can apply them to her neck, chest wall, and groin area. I have to avoid the arms and legs, because the heat will force cold blood back to her heart, lungs, and brain, causing a drop in the core body temperature that can be fatal,” he spouted off as if he was recalling something important.

  “I can get them!” Georgie shouted, leaving the room in search of the bathroom.

  Both Davis and Orin never interrupted him. They let Jacks work this through. This was his specialty. A licensed medic and volunteer emergency EMT, he’d trained for this for years, but never had to use his training. Jacks was good at what he did, and now was the time to prove that.

  “When she wakes and is not vomiting, I can give her warm, nonalcoholic drinks. Handle her gently. Don’t massage or rub her, because a person with hypothermia is at risk of cardiac arrest. I have to be gentle. I have to be gentle. Do not rush. This is not a race. It’s a marathon,” Jacks muttered, moving quickly around the room. “Davis, I need the saline solution. I am also going to need the warmer in the barn. Can you go get it and bring it in here? I need to warm up the IV fluids. I have to warm her slowly, internally as well as externally. Orin, you cannot leave her side. She needs your body heat.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, brother. You just do your thing,” Orin said softly, pulling Lilly closer into him. Orin shivered as he moved closer to her. She was freezing and suffering because he was too stubborn and proud to listen to her. Orin tried not to think of his selfishness, but the faults were piling up too quick to dismiss them.

  “Jacks, what can we expect? She wasn’t under too long, right?” Orin asked.

  “It doesn’t matter. She was under long enough, and she wasn’t dressed properly to warn off the cold. She might as well have been wearing a bathing suit. When you are exposed to cold temperatures or to cool, damp environments for any amount of time, your body’s control mechanisms can’t keep your body temperature normal, and hypothermia can result. Hypothermia happens when your internal body temperature is less than 95°F, with gradual symptoms such as shivering, slurred speech, slow breathing, cold, pale skin, loss of coordination, fatigue, lethargy, or apathy. Children and elderly people have a higher risk of developing hypothermia. But Lilly is no child, and she is not elderly. She is strong and fit. If we can get her core temperature back up slowly, she has a chance. We have to look out for signs of labored breathing and irregular heart rate,” Jacks said, putting together the mobile IV stand quickly. Grabbing two thermometers, he approached the bed.

  “I need your help, Orin. I have to check her core temperature. Roll her toward you. I will do the rectal temp first,” Jacks ordered, and Orin did as he was told.

  Orin watched as Jacks inserted the anal thermometer into Lilly and looked at his watch, counting. When the time was ready, Jacks removed the instrument and read the temperature. Frowning, he helped roll Lilly on her back. Inserting the oral thermometer, he waited until he heard the beep and then removed it also. He never said a word, just wrote down the information on a clipboard and grabbed his stethoscope. After listening to her heart beat for a minute, he wrote that information down also. Jacks then proceeded to listen to her lungs and stomach. After he was satisfied, he pulled up the spare chair that Orin kept in the corner and began taking notes.

  “Did you hear a heartbeat?” Orin asked, stroking his wife’s colorless face.

  “Her heart rate is slow, but good,” Jacks replied, writing notes.

  “Not her heart, the baby’s?”

  “What baby?” several voices at once.

  Orin and Jacks turned to see all of Lilly’s brothers standing near the doorway, wanting answers.

  “She’s pregnant. Almost twelve weeks,” Jacks answered.

  “Oh God!”

  “Mom is going to kill us!”

  “Lilly is going to kill us!”

  Jacks watched as her brothers surrounded the bed. Their expressions turned from horror to happiness.

  “We’re gonna be uncles,” one whispered reverently.

  “A nephew,” another said softly.

  “We can take him hunting.”

  “And fishing.”

  “I can teach him chess.”

  “And how to ride a horse.”

  “I can teach him about girls.”

  “You come near my child and I’ll sic my husbands on you,” Lilly said, stirring and slowly opening her eyes. Jacks stared at his wife and smiled.

  Chapter 11

  Lilly lay cocooned on the couch, wrapped in blankets as Doc Jenkins checked her temperature and pulse. Though she told the older man she was fine, it was because of her insistent husbands that he was looking her over.

  In the meantime, L
illy stared at her six brothers all lined up in order of birth, as their mother ripped them all new assholes. Oh, watching Iris Campbell get her mad on was something to see, and Lilly just hoped that she would turn out just like her.

  Her father sat in the recliner, just nodding and agreeing with everything her mother was saying, and occasionally, Lilly would hear a “yep” and “uh-huh” being muttered from his lips. Lilly had to give her father credit. He sure knew when to bite his tongue and shut up, but when her mother rounded on her father and started yelling at him, well, that was another story.

  Her father sat straight up and allowed his wife to say her piece, but when she was done, he just smiled, and Lilly watched as her mother stood ramrod straight, for his eyes were gleaming some sort of retribution. But the way her mother’s face blushed, she knew it wasn’t going to be that bad, and maybe even fun.

  “Well, my dear. Your temperature is fine, and your pulse is normal. Other than the cold dip in the water, I don’t think anything’s wrong, but I want you to come into the office on Monday so I can be sure. Understand?” Doc Jenkins said, putting his stethoscope away.

  “She’ll be there, doc,” Davis said, grabbing her hand and kissing her palm.

  “Glad to hear it. Now, unless my medical expertise is needed anymore, I’m gonna go grab something to drink and enjoy this little party.”

  “Got your drink already ready, Doc,” Orin said, walking over to him and handing him the tumbler.

  “I’ll take one of those, too, son,” James Campbell said, getting to his feet.”And I would appreciate if my daughter would introduce me to her husbands.”

  Lilly looked at her father and smiled. She waited until Orin returned with her father’s drink before she said anything. With his drink in his hand, she began the introductions. “Dad, this Orin, Davis, and Jacks McDaniel, my husbands.”

  She grinned as each of her husbands shook her father’s hand, and when they were done, she wanted to laugh as each of them sighed in relief.

  “Boys, get over here. Meet your sister’s new husbands,” James Campbell bellowed loudly.