Siren in Waiting

by Lexi Blake

  Trev’s heart ached for both of them. “I’ll take care of her.”

  “According to her, she doesn’t need any help,” Leo replied bitterly. “At least she probably won’t threaten her own brother with a restraining order. Bring Bo and Beth to The Club. I would love to see you. And call me. I expect to talk at least once a day for the first few weeks. Just because your sister hates me doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.”

  Leo turned and stalked off, his keys in hand.

  Liam shook his head and hefted his duffel. “He’s totally in love with your sister. I’ve got to text that whole conversation to Big Tag. I get bonuses when I bring him good drama.” He sobered a bit. “But seriously, she’s in trouble, mate. I don’t believe for a second she’s capable of hurting a fly, and that means her husband is the one making her do it. Leo can’t see around his butt. That’s how hurt the fucker is. Talk to her. See what you can find out and call Ben if you need some backup. I don’t know how long the English operation will last, but I’ll keep tabs on what’s happening here.”

  He was looking at that beer in the Irishman’s hand. “I appreciate it.”

  Liam finished the can. “And stop thinking about this shite. You don’t need it. You have better things to do with your time. Me, I got nothing but this beer.”

  “It doesn’t have to be that way.” He could get Li to a meeting, but it wouldn’t work if he didn’t have something he wanted more.

  A resigned look came over his face. “My story ain’t ending the way yours will. I screwed my life up a long time ago and there ain’t no going back.”

  “There’s always a way.”

  He shook his head and crushed the can. “Not for me.”

  “Hey, promise me something.” It was an impulse. “Keep your mind open while you’re in England. Sometimes a change of scenery helps.”

  “Maybe,” Li allowed.

  “And if you get the chance to find some happiness, take it, Li. Take it with both hands and don’t look back.”

  Li tossed the can in the trash and hopped off the porch, getting into Leo’s Jeep. It wasn’t more than a minute before the Jeep was flying down the road.

  “Is he gone?” His sister’s voice sounded small and fragile.

  Trev turned, ready to give his sister a piece of his mind. All thoughts of yelling at her fled when he saw the way her mascara had run down her face. His sister was always perfect. Since the day she’d discovered makeup and boys, she’d presented a perfect façade. It was gone now, and he could see the girl she’d been. He cursed and pulled her into his arms, wrapping his sister in a bear hug. “What are you doing, Shell?”

  Her head moved against his chest. “I don’t know anymore.”

  He held her for a moment, allowing her to cry, trying to be the solid rock he should have been all these years. Shelley had been on her own for far too long, and that was his fault. “Why did you marry him?”

  She pulled away, wiping her eyes with her hands. “I can’t tell you that. But you have to know that you’re not the only one who can screw up in a huge way. Um, I had to marry Bryce, or he would have sent me to jail. Don’t ask me. I’m not going to bring anyone else into this. Bryce didn’t have anything to do with what I did. He didn’t force me to commit a crime. But he did use it to his advantage.”

  And Bryce would pay for that. Trev decided not to push his sister on her secret. He could figure it out. She could go on believing no one knew, but he would find out and protect her. “What’s your husband into?”

  Her fists clenched at her sides. “I don’t know. I think it’s something bad. He doesn’t talk to me, you know. Look, at first, it wasn’t so bad. Bryce can be charming, and there was this odd part of me that wanted to make it work.”

  Because Bryce had, in effect, “claimed” her. He could see how his sister had fallen for it. Leo was right. Deep down, Shelley was submissive. She was looking for a strong man to take care of her and empower her. Bryce was not that man. And the one man who might have been able to do that was flying down the road toward Dallas. “Why do you have an account in the Caymans?”

  “I have no idea. I swear to you, I didn’t know that account existed until the investigator showed me. It’s apparently tied to my decorating business. I let him do my books. I’m not good with money. I just want to do what I do, you know? I thought about hiring Mouse…Beth to do the books, but Bryce threw a fit. He said he didn’t want to lose the money, that he could handle it. Actually Barry was the one who handled it before he died. That was when everything seemed to change.”

  “Barry Bellows?”

  Shelley nodded. “He was Bryce’s business partner for six years. They started the real estate company. Barry had family here. He’s the one who brought Bryce to Deer Run. They met in college. After Barry died, Bryce seemed to lose it. He’s paranoid. I’m not allowed to answer the phone anymore. He goes on long trips. Sometimes strange people show up at the house at odd hours of the night.”

  “Like who?”

  “Do you know a man named Nelson Hall? He owns a garage two towns over. I’ve seen him with Bryce several times. Bryce told me Nelson was going to do some upgrades on his Escalade. Really? At two in the morning?”

  Trev closed his eyes. They had talked about the man earlier. He was the meth dealer. “Nelson Hall. Yes, I’ve heard the name. And he has a son named Austin.”

  He would have to send all of this to Ben and Chase in a report.

  Shelley nodded. “Yeah. He’s in trouble with the law a lot, from what I hear.”

  Trev could guess what kind of trouble that was. A nasty pattern was being laid out. He just couldn’t figure out how his brother-in-law was involved. “Beth said Bryce tried to buy her place.”

  “I love that house. I actually talked to him about trying to buy it when Maudine was alive. There was talk that she would need the money for a nursing home, but Bryce said no. He didn’t want to spend the money. Then he flew into a rage when he got back from Austin and found out the house had been auctioned off.”

  What had changed? He didn’t bother to mention to his sister that her husband hadn’t been in Austin. He’d flown to Mexico City.

  Trev needed to talk to a few people, but he had a horrible suspicion. It still didn’t explain why Bryce would suddenly want Beth’s house, unless he needed the money he would get from flipping it. But any money he would have gotten from the house would be months away. Bryce had talked about turning the whole place into a small shopping center. He would need to first buy the place and turn around and sell it, after getting through all the red tape of rezoning the property for business.

  Shelley’s voice trembled as she spoke. “He hates you, Trev. You need to stay away from him. I don’t think he’s stable anymore. It’s why I had to send Leo away. I’m worried about both of you. Bryce was so angry when you came back into town. He thinks it makes him look bad. He’s obsessed with his perfect image.”

  “Enough to kill someone over it?” If he discovered that Bryce was the one who sent Austin Hall into Beth’s house, nothing would stop him from hurting his brother-in-law.

  “I hope not, but then, I don’t really know him at all. You know, I haven’t even slept with him in over a year. I’m nothing more than a doll he takes out and shows off. I hate him.”

  He pulled his sister back into his arms. He hated Bryce, too. And he was going to figure this out. His sister was in danger. “You’re not going back home.”

  “Have you listened to anything I’ve said?”

  “Listened to and made a decision. You’re divorcing that asshole. You can stay with me and Beth and Bo for a while. I have some questions to ask. If I don’t like the answers, I’m sending you and Beth to The Club, and you’ll stay there until I deal with Bryce. Is that understood?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I know I haven’t earned the right to protect you. I know I left you high and dry for the majority of our adult lives, and it’s not f
air that I’m coming in and dictating to you now. You did what you had to do to help our mother, but that’s over now. The medical bills are paid off. I’m going to get you out of this situation with your husband. I’m back now, and I’m taking care of things.”

  Her face turned up to look at him. “The medical bills?”

  “Bo’s paying them off, and I’ll pay him back in a year.”

  “Trev…”

  He wasn’t going to listen to arguments about this. “No. I won’t accept anything less. If I have to tie you up and force you to Dallas, I will. If I tell Leo everything you told me, I assure you, he’ll help me. He’ll have a bodyguard on you before you can take another breath.”

  “I don’t think Leo Meyer will have anything to do with me again.” There was a sad longing in Shelley’s voice.

  Trev wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do on that front. In the two years he’d known Leo, he’d come to realize that the former Navy SEAL was an unbelievably tolerant man, but once he was done, he was through. He felt for his sister.

  “I’m going to sit down and have supper, watch the game with Bo, and deal with Beth. After that, I’m going into town for a few hours. I have some questions to ask. I expect you to stay with Bo. I expect you to mind him.”

  She frowned. “I don’t know that I like the sound of that.”

  “You’re my sister, but I’ll tie you up, too. Oh, I won’t treat you like Beth. I’ll leave your clothes on, but you won’t find the experience pleasant.”

  “I don’t know that I like the new you.” But he caught a hint of a smile through her tears.

  “Get used to it, sister.” He looked at her, his sister. No one else in the world knew what it had been like to grow up in their house. No one else knew how it felt to be loved by their parents. Each family’s existence was strangely individual, no matter how many events or emotions were universal. Only Shelley knew how their father had tickled them and called them “little bugs.” Only Shelley knew how their mother’s banana bread tasted on a cold morning. Only Shelley knew what it meant to mourn them. “I love you, sister. I failed our parents. I won’t fail you.”

  The tears were back. “Oh, Trev, she knew. Mom knew you were in rehab. Let me tell you about the day I fell in love with Leo Meyer. It was a week after you accepted the deal. You were still in the hospital under observation. Leo explained how hard detox could be on a body. He came to see our mom in the hospital. He sat down beside her, and he promised her that you would be okay. He swore to her that you were ready to change. When our mother died, she was so proud of you.”

  He felt tears prick his eyes. “I had given her nothing to be proud of. I had fucked up every opportunity given to me.”

  “And yet you chose to fight. You chose to fight for your life and your sobriety. God, you make it sound like you’ve had it easy. I can’t imagine the pressure you were under. Not many men would have the strength to walk away. You could have been one more cautionary tale, but you did it. You got through it. You get through it every day. She’s proud of you. She’s proud of how strong you’ve become. She’s proud of how you take care of the people around you. She’s proud of the man you’ve become.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “Because I’m proud.” She wrapped her arms around him, her love surrounding him.

  Trev looked over her shoulder and saw Bo standing there. He’d heard everything. Trev felt himself flush with shame. Bo was one of the people he’d let down.

  “I’m proud, too,” Bo said, his voice choking for a moment. “And I can speak for Beth when I say we wouldn’t be where we are without you. I need you to know that I forgive you.”

  His gut tightened. “Will you please tell me what happened?”

  Bo’s face turned down. “My dad got drunk one night in my junior year. Aidan had left town. Aidan was his golden boy, but he was angry that Aidan was pursuing music as a career. He didn’t think that was a masculine profession, if you know what I mean. Well, Dad got snockered, and he beat the shit out of me. I thought he was going to kill me. He pulled out his old Colt and shoved a bullet in it. He put it to my head and pulled the trigger.”

  Trev’s blood ran cold. How could someone do that to his own child? “Bo, I had no idea.”

  Bo simply shook his head. “I think Dad was shocked that he’d done it, too. He dropped the gun after it didn’t go off that first time. I ran. I ran to Austin, but I realized that if told my brother, Aidan would have killed our father.”

  Trev sighed. He couldn’t imagine it. He couldn’t imagine how helpless Bo must have felt. “Why didn’t you call the cops?”

  Bo shrugged. “Because they would have put him in jail and then Aidan would have had to leave college to keep the ranch afloat. Because I didn’t want to go into foster care.”

  “I turned you away, didn’t I?” He wished he could remember the night. Wished he had been a different person.

  “You weren’t mean about it. I’ll give that to you. You were never a mean drunk. You told me to get cleaned up and find some black-and-white clothes so I could join the party. But you wouldn’t let me in until I was dressed properly.”

  The annual Black and White Ball at his frat. Of course. He’d always been plastered for that. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing. Well, I did. I knew what I risked every time I took a drink. Where did you go?”

  Bo smiled. “Beth came and got me. I think that was the night that really solidified our relationship as friends. I started spending more and more time with her. I started to love her.”

  Shelley walked up and gave Bo a hug. “I’m sorry to hear that. How could you have ever come back here?”

  Bo patted her back, accepting the affection. “The strange thing was after that night, my father actually calmed down. He never hit me again. We got along for a while. He was still a mean bastard, but he kept his distance. I stayed on because I didn’t have anywhere else to go, and I moved into the guesthouse. It was better after that. I loved this ranch even when I hated my dad.”

  Guilt threatened to overwhelm Trev. “But I could have helped you.”

  Bo shook his head. “Everything happens for a reason. I believe that now. We’re here today because we did stupid shit and got our asses kicked. We made mistakes and we learned from them. That’s what brought us here. I wouldn’t take a single one back. I wouldn’t be anywhere but right here, right now.” He cleared his throat as though banishing the deep emotion he felt. “Now, dinner’s ready. You two need to come inside. Apparently, we’re going to need our strength. Lexi already made a plate for Beth and headed out. She’s got five different plotlines to read to her. I think I saw Beth crying a little.”

  Trev laughed, the feeling of shame leaving him in an instant. He felt lighter. “Well, I don’t want to keep your stomach waiting.”

  Shelley stepped away from Bo. “I agree with Bo. I’ve made mistakes, too. Now’s the time to start fixing them. I’m going to wash my face. I’m sure I look a mess. Does Bo have to follow me to the bathroom?”

  He was fine with his sister’s sarcasm as long as she didn’t fight him on Bo’s bodyguard duty. “I think Aidan’s bathroom is safe enough.”

  Bo frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t know. I hear sometimes women get assaulted in there.”

  Trev snorted. “Damn, you heard about that, huh? Well, how about after the game, we go out and visit our sub? You know, we promised we would give her a little something.”

  “Eww!” Shelley put her hands over her ears. “Too much info, brother.”

  Bo and Trev were laughing as they entered the house together.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Beth looked up as Trev walked into the barn, Bo hard on his heels.

  “So, what do you think? I mean, I had the beta hero save the day in my last book. I think it’s time the heroine kicked some ass.” Lexi had a corkboard with about a hundred notes plastered to it.

  Beth was sure they were an incongruous sight. T
he serious writer, going over plot and storyline, with her personal assistant, who Lexi’d had to prop up with pillows so she could comfortably sit because said assistant was naked and bound in a whole lot of rope. They’d spent the first ten minutes of the session going over how it felt to be tied up. Serena Dean-Miles was serious about taking notes. Luckily, she was also serious about packing for her trip. Now they were plotting out what Lexi liked to call “end game.” “And when was the last time you had the Dom save the day?”

  Lexi bit into her lower lip. “I guess it’s been a while.”

  She shook her head. Since Lexi had started writing, she’d become known for her kick-ass heroines and quirky small towns. “It’s time. Throw Aidan a bone. Let the hero save the day.”

  Lexi shrugged. “Fine. I guess the alpha has to save the day every now and then. Hey, guys! How did the game go? I’m glad you’re here. I was just telling Beth that I should get a masculine opinion.”

  Bo’s eyes flared in panic. “Uh, I don’t read much.”

  “The Dom should definitely save the day, Lexi. Now, your Master requests your presence.” Trev’s deep voice didn’t leave a lot of room for disobedience.

  But Lexi was a brat to the end. Beth admired that about her boss. “Fine, but I’m not doing the dishes.”

  She grinned at Beth as she gathered her things. “I’m so glad you’re in the lifestyle now. We can have fun. I’ll show you all the best ways to top from the bottom.”

  Trev growled Lexi’s direction.

  Lexi took a step back. “Fine. Maybe not.” But the minute Trev’s back was turned, she mouthed the words, “I totally will,” and slipped out the door.

  “I love my sister-in-law, but I don’t think she’s a good influence on Beth.” Bo frowned at the door Lexi had closed.

  Trev shook it off. “Lexi is a brat of the highest order. She’ll be good for Beth. And besides, I don’t think Beth is about to let us choose her friends.”

  “Not for a second.” She was ready to obey Trev in the bedroom and in things that made sense, but she wouldn’t mindlessly follow him.