Trusting Her Two Doms [Knights in Black Leather 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Marla Monroe

  She couldn’t help shivering at the sound of his deep voice. If it were possible to climax just from the sound of someone’s voice, it would be from his. The sexy low timbre seemed to pluck at her insides like a harp string, sending all sorts of fluttery feelings over her body. When he looked at her as he spoke, she could almost feel him stroking her clit.

  She shivered and looked away from him as he backed them into the parking lot and pulled out onto the drive leading to Wild Child Road. It dawned on her that she could now confirm that the rumors about Golden Shackles held some basis in truth. While she hadn’t seen the place when it was open to know for sure what all went on there, her imagination worked overtime to fill in the missing pieces. No doubt she didn’t know the half of it though. What little she did know both scared her and intrigued her. Her curiosity ate at her until she almost wanted to ask them to turn around. Instead, she remained silent as they negotiated the streets to where she lived.

  “How did you know where my house was?” she asked.

  “We asked,” Max said.

  “Oh.” She didn’t have anything to say to that.

  As they pulled into her drive, she was surprised to see her car sitting there waiting for her. When she asked about it, Sawyer told her that one of the deputies had it delivered so it wouldn’t be left uptown all night.

  When she climbed down with Sawyer’s help, she turned to tell them thanks for the ride, but Max walked past her toward her front door. She frowned and followed him.

  “Give me your key, Taylor,” Max said.

  “But I’m home now. You can go.” She still found herself digging in her purse for her keys.

  “We aren’t going anywhere, babe. You’re packing a bag and staying with us until they catch whoever is stalking you.” Sawyer took the keys from her and handed them to Max.

  “I never agreed to stay with you guys.” She slapped her hands on her hips.

  “Do you have someone else you want to stay with that you don’t mind exposing to the danger you’re in?” Max asked as he unlocked her door.

  “That’s not fair.” Taylor glared from one to the other.

  When she walked inside, Taylor screamed.

  Chapter Eleven

  Before she could even make sense of the scene in front of her, Max and Sawyer had her behind them, shielding her from the sight.

  “Max, take her to the truck. Let me make sure it’s safe. Call the sheriff’s office, too.” Sawyer’s voice had gone hard.

  “Come on, precious. Let’s go back to the truck.” Max wrapped his arm around her to guide her back to the truck.

  “No! It’s my house. I need to see what they did.” She tried to pull away from him.

  “Not yet, Taylor. Let Sawyer make sure no one’s still in there. Let the sheriff’s department look first. You don’t want to ruin any evidence.” Max sounded perfectly in control when all Taylor wanted to do was scream.

  “Why are they doing this to me? I don’t understand,” she demanded, knowing they couldn’t really give her an answer. Anger burned a hole in her stomach.

  She knew that they’d destroyed her living room. Had they carried the destruction all the way through the house? How could she ever fix it all? She didn’t have the money to replace it all. Thank God her parents had most of the original things with them in Florida, like her grandmother’s dishes.

  She let Max settle her inside the truck while he stood next to the door and called the sheriff. She could hear him talking, but with the ringing in her ears, Taylor wasn’t able to make out what he was saying. She’d gone over and over in her head what she could have done to make someone this mad at her. Nothing came to mind. She’d basically led a quiet life. All she’d ever done was work and go to school.

  “How are you holding up, honey?” Max asked, squeezing her leg.

  “Someone trashed my house, Max. I’m pissed and scared.”

  “I know. They’ll figure out who it is and stop them. Sawyer and I will keep you safe until then, Taylor. If you don’t believe anything else, believe that.”

  She stared into his dark eyes, trying to keep from allowing him to just take over everything. It would be so much easier to let someone else take over for a while, but what would be the consequences if she did that? Would she lose herself in the two men who were larger than life? Or would they become tired of dealing with her and her problems and walk out?

  “I can’t saddle you and Sawyer with my problems, Max. You have the club to worry about. You don’t need me and a stalker adding to it.” She broke his gaze and looked toward the house, waiting for Sawyer to emerge. “Do you think he’s okay in there?”

  “He’s fine. If there was anything to worry about, we would have heard all hell breaking loose. Sawyer can handle himself.”

  Seconds later, the sound of sirens broke the silence. By the time they’d pulled up behind them, Sawyer was walking back toward them, a grim expression across his face. Taylor knew by that look that it was bad.

  “Sawyer?” she asked as soon as he got to the open door.

  “Shh, baby. Let us take care of this for you,” he said.

  “Tell me what they did. How bad is it, Sawyer? I need to know.” She wasn’t letting him try to keep anything from her. It was her house.

  “Taylor,” Sawyer started, but she stopped him.

  “No. I mean it, Sawyer. It’s my house. I have to know what they did.”

  He stared into her eyes for a few seconds then sighed. “They pretty much destroyed everything inside, baby. I’m sorry. I’m going to talk to the deputies. They’re going to want to talk to you next.”

  She nodded her head because she didn’t trust herself to try and speak. At that moment, it was all she could do to keep from screaming in frustration and anger. They were slowly taking everything from her, and she still didn’t have a clue as to why.

  Max climbed up next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She’d started shaking at some point and now felt as if she’d jar her teeth out of her head. When he closed the door and started the truck to turn on the heater, she whispered her thanks through clenched teeth.

  “I shouldn’t have brought you out in this weather without a coat. I’m sorry, precious. I thought we’d grab yours as soon as we got here.” He pulled her closer to him.

  A knock on the window startled her. One of the deputies from the night before stood outside the truck. Max rolled down the window.

  “Deputy,” he said.

  “I need to ask Miss Rizzoli some questions.” He nodded in her direction.

  “W–what did you need to know?” she asked.

  “Have you thought of anyone who would want to hurt you or who might be holding a grudge against you or your family?” he asked.

  “No. I can’t think of anyone who didn’t like us. I mean as far as I know, everyone liked my parents and my brothers.”

  “Have you spoken to any of them lately?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I was going to call them when I got home today.”

  “Where did you stay last night, Taylor?” he asked.

  “Um, with Max and Sawyer. They let me stay with them so I could leave the hospital. The doctors wouldn’t let me go home alone.” She felt heat rush to her face and knew she would be blushing again.

  “When’s the last time you were here?” he asked.

  “Yesterday morning before work. I didn’t go home at lunch or anything.”

  “Okay. I’m going to suggest that you continue to stay with Max and Sawyer for now, Miss Rizzoli. Whoever this is, he’s dangerous and is escalating out of control. It isn’t safe for you to be alone until we catch him,” the deputy told her.

  “Can I get some of my things to take with me?” Taylor asked.

  Resigned to having nowhere to go other than back with them, she wanted to at least have her own clothes.

  He looked down at his notebook before answering. “Um, ma’am. There isn’t a lot left, and we don’t want to take a chance on disturbing any ev
idence until we can get an evidence van here to go over the place. Maybe you should just buy a few new things to get you by for now.”

  “Oh, God.” She covered her face with her hands.

  “Easy, Taylor. We’ll take care of everything,” Max whispered in her ear. “Try to calm down for me, honey.”

  All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. This couldn’t be happening to her. With considerable effort, she wiped her eyes and sat up again, pulling away from Max’s strong shoulder.

  “I need to call my parents and my brothers and let them know what is going on.”

  “As soon as Sawyer is finished with the deputies, we’ll go back to the club and you can use the phone there.” Max didn’t try to pull her back into his embrace. He squeezed her hand and released it when the passenger side door opened.

  “We’re through here,” he said in a controlled voice, his expression tight and carefully neutral.

  “The deputy said there wasn’t much left. Is that true, Sawyer? Did I lose everything?” she asked.

  His face softened a bit, but there was an angry tick at the corner of his eye. “I’m sorry, baby, but I think you did.”

  Taylor just nodded her head and tried to keep from crying again. Nothing good ever came from crying. It was a waste of energy that she would need over the coming days. She had a business to run, and allowing herself to wallow in self-pity wasn’t going to do any good. All she had to do was survive long enough for them to find out who was doing this.

  Please let them find out soon.

  * * * *

  Max watched as Taylor paced back and forth in the communal living area of their apartment as she talked to her family. It was obvious by the way she fidgeted with her hair that the conversations weren’t going well. He could only imagine how upset her family would be about everything. No doubt they would be arriving as soon as they could make arrangements.

  As much as he knew she needed her family around her right now, Max wished they wouldn’t come so they could keep her to themselves. He didn’t want to lose what little ground they’d managed to gain with her.

  The sudden silence in the room had him looking over to where Taylor stood, staring at nothing, with the cordless phone in her hand against her leg. He wondered what was going through her head right then. She had such a lost expression on her face that he ached for her.

  “Taylor, honey. What did they say?” he finally asked.

  Sawyer walked over from the kitchen and handed her a short glass with a tiny bit of whiskey in the bottom.

  “Drink up, baby. It will help with the shock,” he said.

  She sighed and knocked back the whiskey like a pro. Less than a second later, the burn hit, and she coughed and gagged bringing fresh tears to her eyes.

  “Sorry. I’m not used to drinking,” she managed to whisper after a few seconds of catching her breath.

  “Come on and sit down, and you can tell us what your parents said.” Max eased her down on the couch then sat next to her.

  “They were upset, of course. They can’t imagine why anyone would want me to leave. The first thing they asked was if I’d upset some guy who wanted to go out with me. Then Dad asked if I’d had any trouble with the shop. I told them no, that I really hadn’t dated that much.”

  “Do they know you’ve been having trouble making ends meet, Taylor?” Sawyer asked.

  She shook her head. “I didn’t want them to worry. I was sure it would all work out soon. I mean, business has been good.” Her voice faltered.

  Max wanted nothing more than to hold her and take away all her worries. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen right away. She wasn’t going to give in and let them coddler her. She was a strong woman despite being a natural submissive.

  “When are they going to arrive, Taylor? Do they have somewhere to stay?” he asked.

  “What?” She looked at him with a strange look on her face. “They aren’t coming here. It’s too far for them to travel, and they know I can take care of myself.”

  He and Sawyer exchanged surprised looks. What parent would allow their daughter to go through something like this all alone? Maybe they knew her brothers would be on their way and trusted them to take care of her. Maybe they were in poor health and really couldn’t make the trip.

  “What about your brothers, Taylor? What did they have to say?” Sawyer finally asked.

  “They were as much in the dark as I am. I even asked if they could remember anyone I might have upset or hurt without meaning to in case I just didn’t know it. They couldn’t think of a soul either. I’m supposed to call and keep them updated.” She sighed and hung her head.

  “You mean they aren’t coming to check on you either? What kind of brothers are they? I’d never allow my sister to go through something like this alone.” Max was furious.

  “I told them I was fine and not to come. They know I can take care of myself.” She quickly came to the defense of her younger brothers.

  “It wouldn’t matter. I’d go anyway. That’s what family does. They look out for each other, and especially our women,” Max said.

  The second it was out of his mouth, Max knew he’d said the wrong thing. Taylor’s eyes flashed, and anger filled her face.

  “Well I’m not one of your women. I take care of myself and always have. I’ve never needed anyone to stand up for me.”

  “Take it easy, precious. I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant that we were taught to always respect and care for all women. Our sisters and mother were to be cared for above everything else.”

  “Look. Things were different in my family. My parents loved us, but they were so much in love with each other that sometimes it fell on me to take care of my brothers. They’ve never known me to need their help. I’ve always handled everything for them and for Mom and Dad. Mom kept the books, and Dad took care of ordering everything and running the small kitchen area we had. I took care of the front. They just don’t see that I would need help. And I don’t.” She stood up and walked over to the bedroom where she’d stayed the night before and stopped in front of the door.

  After a few seconds, Max got up and walked up behind her. He hated seeing how her spirit was bending under the strain of everything. As much as he loved to dominate a woman, he didn’t like to see them break. Breaking Taylor was not what he wanted at all.

  “I respect how strong you are, Taylor, but sometimes even the strongest of us needs someone to lean on. Let Sawyer and I be what you need for now. We just want to make things easier for you. Let us help, precious.”

  When she relaxed in his arms, Max sighed in relief. He looked over his shoulder and nodded at his friend. Sawyer stood up and walked ahead of them to the bedroom and into the bathroom where he turned on the water. Without saying anything, they both undressed her, and once the water had filled the tub, Sawyer held her while Max undressed. He let Sawyer ease her into the swirling water where Max cradled her in his arms.

  “I’ll fix a cup of hot cocoa for her,” Sawyer said and left them alone.

  Max gently bathed her, then when his partner returned with the warm drink, watched over her shoulder as she sipped the rich coco. He hoped she would relax now and rest once they dried her off. It had been a long day for her.

  Once she finished and had handed the mug back to Sawyer, Max pulled her back against him so that she reclined in the soothing jets of the Jacuzzi. Ten minutes, and they would get her out and dry her off. If they were lucky, she would be halfway asleep by then. He and Sawyer needed to talk.

  When they eased her out of the tub, she didn’t protest. Instead, she stood still while they gently patted her dry. Sawyer carried her into the bedroom and settled her while he dried off and pulled on a pair of jeans and slipped into a pair of slippers. He joined Sawyer in the living room after kissing Taylor goodnight. It wasn’t like her to just accept their touch without some type of resistance. It bothered him.

  “I don’t like how withdrawn she’s gotten,” Sawyer said as soon
as he’d closed the door to the bedroom.

  “Me either. I’m hoping it’s just temporary and when she wakes up in the morning she’ll be back to her sassy self. She’s been through a lot in the last few days.” Max accepted the bottled beer and unscrewed the cap.

  “Do you think she’s wrong and her brothers will show up looking for her?” Sawyer asked.

  “I certainly hope so. I don’t have a lot of respect for a man who doesn’t take care of his family, regardless of what they say. If nothing else, they should call the sheriff’s department and ask what is going on.” Max took a swig of the rich, dark brew. It went down smooth.

  “What is our next step? We don’t have the resources here to handle things like we did back in Chicago or New York. I want to make sure she’s safe until they catch this guy.”

  “We keep her with us at all times and hopefully get her to trust us in the process. We’ll use her needing to be here to our advantage and convince her to give a relationship with us a chance. Nothing matters more than her right now, Sawyer.”

  “I agree.” His partner sighed and ran his hand over the bottle in his hand. “The Valentine’s party for the grand reopening of the club is in less than a week. How are we going to handle that with everything that’s going on?”

  Max sighed. He’d totally let that slip his mind. “Fuck! We have to go ahead with it as planned. One of us will stay with Taylor while the other tends to business. If she’s willing to participate and attend, it will be easier, but we aren’t forcing her, Sawyer.”

  “I agree. Everything is ready and has been arranged already, so all that is left is handling any details that crop up along the way. We need to talk to the others and let them know what is going on. I think they will understand that we may need a little more help during the party than we first thought.”

  “We’ll call them in the morning,” Max said. “Let’s go to bed. I have a feeling the next few days are going to be busy.”

  He had hoped they would be busy introducing Taylor to their lifestyle, but with everything that had happened, he didn’t want to push her too much too quickly. His cock jerked at the thought that she was in the other room, naked, and in his bed waiting on them.