Freedom to Trust [Freedom, Colorado 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

“Or something. If he’d only have a meeting outside by his front door, my life would be so easy.”

  “It’s forty degrees out.”

  Nikki wasn’t being serious, though in truth, she never felt this helpless. Jack Marr wasn’t a stupid man. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to catch him doing anything illegal.

  As a backup, she’d driven to Black Hawk earlier in the day and placed more recording equipment behind the Dumpster. “Conner and Harper plan to stake out the back of their casino for a few hours each night. I doubt Marr will make his next move so soon, but I don’t want to chance it.”

  “Did I mention Sussman called while you were out to dinner?”

  “No.” Of late, Dani’s mind had been on Lucas and Brady and not enough on the job.

  “He said the Marr contact was quite pissed that Sussman couldn’t deliver the goods.”

  She was afraid of that. “What did Sussman tell the guy?”

  “He promised him that he’d send us back again to attempt to get more evidence.”

  Dani twisted in her seat. “That means Marr should return to the casino.”

  “We can only hope. If his house is dark, we should head down there tonight.”

  “I think Conner and Harper can handle everything. They have a lot to lose if they don’t catch Marr.”

  “True, but if they say the men came, we’ll have to retrieve my equipment.”

  Dani twisted in her seat. “Sounds like a plan.”

  She dropped her head against the seat and said nothing more until they neared their destination. A quiet Dani wasn’t a good thing. It meant she was having second thoughts.

  When they turned down Marr’s street, Nikki spotted Zane’s vehicle behind them. She passed the man’s house, as did Zane. When she turned left onto Hampton, then another left onto Sheffield, she stopped. Her plan was to cut through the back of one of the neighbor’s houses that was dark, and come in from the backside of Marr’s house. She hoped he didn’t have motion sensors. That would suck.

  Once she parked, Nikki set up the devices so she and Dani could communicate.

  Dani unhooked her seatbelt. “His garage is in the front. How about if I drive your car back around? That way I can see if he leaves.”

  “Good idea. I’ll text Zane to stay on this street. That gives me two exit points.”

  Dani pushed open the door to change seats. “Be careful.”

  It was their pat phrase they always said. “You bet.” She pulled out her phone and texted Zane then put her cell on vibrate.

  With her weapon holstered and her case in hand, she slipped into the cold night and took off, staying in the shadows as much as possible. The wind whipped her cheeks, but with the clear sky, it probably wouldn’t snow. The leaves had long since fallen, so she could travel across the land without making much sound. When she arrived at his house, she plastered her back next to a lit window. Voices sounded and her heart rate doubled.

  She’d done this a ton of times, so why was she nervous now? Was it because more was at stake because of Mark? Or did she fear letting down her men?

  Don’t think. Work.

  When the voices retreated, she peeked in the room. One wall contained a huge bookcase, which might mean this was a den or an office. Two men were standing at the other end. She recognized Marr, but not the other man, who was about five feet eight inches and had thick arms and a shaved head.

  She placed the listening device on the bottom of the windowsill then moved away and set her parabolic listening device closer to the front of the house. Too bad she couldn’t get inside and place a bug. If she didn’t think Marr would have somehow learned her identity, she might have tried the old car broken down trick. Usually, the man of the house let her come in to make a call. When she asked to use the bathroom, she’d plant as many bugs as she could.

  Nikki moved toward the back of the house, not wanting to be spotted in the front. When she was far away, she dared to contact Dani.

  “Is he doing anything yet?” Nikki whispered. At some point the man with Marr would leave.

  “No. The same car is still in the drive.”

  Most likely it belonged to the bald guy. “I’ll head back to Zane and have him drive me around front.”

  “Cool.”

  Carefully, she made her way next to the house behind Marr’s and exited onto the street. She then walked briskly to Zane’s car. She tapped his window and leaned down so he’d know it was her. He popped the lock and she slid in.

  “So?”

  “The bugs are in place. Now we wait. Mind driving to his street to see if his accomplice leaves? Dani’s already there waiting to take some photos.”

  “You okay?”

  She smiled, but her lips faltered. “Yes.” She placed a hand on his arm. “Knowing you were here watching my back helped. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Without saying anything more, Zane took the next two rights to get back to Marr’s street. He drove by her car and parked half a block past the front of the house. Nikki placed the receiver on her lap and had her headphones in place.

  If her microphones picked up any voices, they’d be recorded. Through her headset, a noise caught her attention. The sound was muffled and the words unclear, but she caught bits and pieces like ruffies, bastards, and van. She hoped Holly could do some magic on the words.

  Nikki pressed the headphone closer to her ear and double-checked that the volume was on high. A door closed and the voices stopped. “Damn.”

  “What?”

  She’d almost forgotten Zane was in the driver’s seat. He’d kept quiet. “Whoever Marr was taking to is probably leaving. I need to tell Dani.” She replaced her headset for her ear buds. “Dani. Marr’s partner might be coming out.”

  “Roger that.”

  Zane placed a hand on her arm. “What do you want us to do?”

  “How about driving around the block? If the guy comes out and spots two cars in front, he might get suspicious.”

  Without responding, Zane eased onto the road and slowly drove around the block. She watched the dials light up on her machine. Her parabolic dish was picking up something. From the intermittent and low range, it wasn’t voices. Most likely, it was Marr’s man starting his car.

  “Do you need to remove your equipment?”

  Nikki shook her head. “Not until Marr returns to the casino and he’s caught. There’s no telling what I might pick up tomorrow.”

  When they circled back around, Dani’s headlights were on. She tapped her ear bud. “Dani?”

  “Some guy left Marr’s house. That you coming toward me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Want to follow him?”

  “Hold on.” She told Zane about the man.

  Zane motioned she hand over her gear so he could talk with Dani. Pushy man. If they decided to follow him, they only had seconds to decide. She passed the headset to him.

  “Dani?” Zane said. “Do not follow the man. If he’s headed to the casino, let Conner and Harper take care of him. If he’s going somewhere else, it doesn’t really matter.” Zane handed the ear buds and mike back to her and then did a U-turn in the street. “Let’s head back to the office.”

  He followed closely behind Dani. She didn’t like that he interfered, but she appreciated having the extra input. Other than taking photos, they probably wouldn’t learn much anyway. If the man spotted a tail, any possible operation might be curtailed or worse cancelled.

  She looked over at him. “So what do you think?”

  “Don’t know. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Marr repeating the fake women exchange in the next few days.”

  “That would be nice.” Their job would truly be over and the right men would be behind bars.

  Even though Zane had no expertise with surveillance, he had a keen sense about how to stay low. He understood that chatting during an operation could cause her to miss some key phrases. She relaxed back against the seat. When the company m
ade more money maybe they should hire a few males to do the more dangerous jobs. She could handle herself, but poor Dani had been a salesgirl at a department store when she and Holly had recruited her. Her skill was taking photos, not working with the bad guys.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” he asked.

  She opened her eyes and saw he was driving into the parking lot behind her building. She didn’t remember the trip. “Just thinking about the future.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  From his jovial tone, he was thinking the next hour was the future. “Yeah.”

  It wasn’t yet ten, but she’d told Mrs. Cunningham that if the job took her past nine that Mark should spend the night. Soon, she planned on changing her hours. More and more, it was looking like Freedom Security Services needed help. Working all day and doing surveillance at night wasn’t conducive to raising a kid or having a life.

  She pushed open her door then remembered what Garth said about letting the man help her out. Had she been afraid she’d get too close if she allowed him to do something for her? Zane jumped out and she waited until he came to her side. She gathered her equipment and let him take her arm to help her up.

  “Thanks.”

  Dani exited her car, but left it running. “Pop the trunk, Dani, will you?”

  Her friend did and Nikki placed her gear in back. The three of them stood in the cold. Should she kiss Zane good-night in front of Dani or ask him to come back with her?

  Dani must have sensed they needed privacy and turned toward her car. “Let me know if either Conner or Harper call.”

  Nikki smiled. “Will do.” She faced Zane. “Thanks for coming along.”

  He moved close and drew her into his arms. “I was hoping for more than a thank you.”

  She laughed. So he was angling for a little bed time. She leaned close and whispered, “You begging me to ask you home?”

  He puffed out his chest. “Milosinos don’t beg.”

  She lightly punched him in the chest. “In that case, would you honor me with your presence at my house so I can thank you properly?”

  He kissed her quickly. “That’s better. I see I’ll need a lot of patience to train you.”

  “That’s so wrong.” As much as she tried to keep cheer in her tone, she wasn’t sure he was kidding.

  “I’ll follow you.”

  Dani beeped her horn as she exited the lot. Zane waited until she scooted into the car before trotting over to his vehicle.

  Her pussy was going crazy, and her nerves refused to calm. Zane claimed to be some kind of Dom. While he’d only hinted at things like spankings, he’d made it clear he’d like nothing more than to tie her up and blindfold her. She was so not ready for any of that. The time she’d gone after the rapist, he’d snuck up behind and captured her. While her partner located her less than half an hour later, those thirty minutes being tied up and blindfold had scared the shirt out of her. The man’s bad breath and powerful punch to her jaw still haunted her. Logically, she knew the two were worlds apart, but she still hated the feeling of being so helpless.

  Nikki eased out of the lot and Zane followed close behind. Having him drive back with her calmed all her worries since it was nice to know she was safe. He pulled in next to her in the drive.

  Her nipples hardened in anticipation of making love with him. She’d leaned over to grab her purse when her side door opened. The Milosino men sure were gentlemen, but Nikki wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to it.

  When he held out his hand, she placed her palm in his and let him lift her. “Thank you, sir.”

  “I prefer Master if it’s all the same to you.”

  Heat raced up her face. She hadn’t been thinking of BDSM. As she eased to a stand, she glanced next door. The living room light was on. Mrs. Cunningham was awake, but Mark would probably be asleep. Disturbing him might cause more problems than they solved. You want Zane to yourself.

  “You thinking about Mark?”

  “Uh-huh. I feel bad that he has to sleep in a different bed when I’m at work.”

  “The solution is an easy fix.”

  She looked up at him. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

  “We can talk about it later. It’s cold out here.”

  He was right. She fished her key from her purse, but before she could jab it in the lock, Zane slipped it from her fingers.

  “Allow me.”

  Once he opened the door, he stepped in first and flicked on the light. He didn’t move from the entryway as he searched the room.

  “You looking for the boogie man?”

  He faced her. “Can’t be too careful. You mentioned that Sussman doesn’t tell his clients who he hires to do surveillance, but with a little ingenuity, I bet someone could find out.”

  Her stomach twisted. “You think I’m in danger from Marr?”

  He shrugged. “Sussman told him someone messed up the taping of the exchange of women. I bet that pissed him off.”

  Criminals had come after her for less. She patted her sidearm. “That’s why I carry.”

  “Do you keep a gun by your bed?”

  Usually, she stored it in the car. She just happened to be wearing her weapon because of the surveillance. “I’m no rookie. So you better watch out, soldier.”

  He grinned. “Uh-huh.” He slipped her jacket from her shoulders then removed his. “Got a beer?”

  “In the fridge.” Both men seemed to like to have a drink when they stopped over, so she’d stocked up.

  They headed into the kitchen. He pulled open the fridge as if he lived here and grabbed a cold brew. “You want one?”

  “I think I’ll have a glass of white wine.”

  He looked around for where she kept her alcohol. “It’s in the pantry. I’ll get it.” While that wasn’t very romantic, space was at a premium in her tiny house.

  She let him uncork the bottle and pour her a glass. “By the way, I was able to snag two tickets to this weekend’s gaming convention in Denver,” he said.

  “Gaming convention?”

  He faced her. “It only comes here every few years. It’s radical. The manufacturers of new online games present their products. They even have old-fashioned games, such as pinball.”

  “I remember playing that.”

  “I was hoping I could take Mark for the weekend.”

  That’s not who she thought he’d want to take. If Zane loved the games, she figured Garth might, too.

  “You sure you want to be strapped with a kid for two days?”

  He moved closer. “Why is it so hard for you to believe I like Mark? His excitement is refreshing and wonderful.”

  Every time Mark smiled, it did light up her heart. “I get it. I wasn’t sure you did.”

  “I love kids.” He grabbed her hand. “Come over here.”

  He guided her to the sofa. Zane was more of a mystery than Garth for some reason. She sat down next to Zane and twisted toward him. “Tell me Mr. I-like-kids, how did you decide to be a forest ranger?” Sure that was off topic, and Garth had told her his side of the story, but she wanted to hear what Zane said.

  “It’s not all that interesting.”

  “To me it is.” She curled her leg under her and sipped her wine. Mmm. That went down smoothly.

  “You asked.” He inhaled. “In a nutshell, our father appreciated nature and taught us to respect the land. To us, there was nothing better than to ride the range, ski, and hike. I believe Garth mentioned we wanted to leave the ranching world to Josh and Drew.”

  “He did. In other words, you like to play all day.”

  He leaned back against the sofa and stretched out his legs. “Basically, but with that comes a lot of responsibility. During ski season, we have to constantly monitor the weather and know where the possible avalanches might occur. In the summer, we have to not only clear the paths for hikers but we must be aware of diseases that might destroy a forest, manage the streams, and make sure the campgrounds are properly maintained. But our most dangerous job i
s fighting fires.”

  She didn’t like that. The image of wild flames licking their way up the trees entered her brain. In one scene, she pictured a tree falling and crushing Zane. In another, the fire would surround and then trap him. She shivered. “You could get killed.”

  He dragged a hand down her cheek. “As could you in your job. We do it in part because Garth and I like the adrenaline rush. I bet it’s the same with you. It’s why you carry a gun.”

  “I guess our jobs do have something in common.”

  He scooped her onto his lap. “More than you can know.”

  Somehow he managed to stand and carry her down the hallway. “I can walk, you know.”

  “Where would the fun be in that?”

  He liked carrying her? She needed to stop questioning either man’s motives and just enjoy what Zane had to offer.

  Before he set her down on the bed, he nibbled her ear. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

  “Back atcha.” She’d been thinking about sucking on his cock all day.

  He flicked on the light with his elbow and walked over to the bed. He sat her up then knelt on the floor and clasped her hands. “Do you trust me?”

  The trust word sent her heart into overdrive. “Yes.”

  “Then let me make love to you. I want to savor all of you and make you soar like you’ve never flown before.”

  His words melted her heart. Zane was a hero in every sense of the word. If he wanted to take control while in bed, she’d give it a go. “That sounds wonderful.”

  He grinned. “Then get ready for a ride of a lifetime.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Zane crawled onto the bed and pressed on her shoulder so she’d lean back. “I want you to close your eyes and feel what my hand and mouth are doing to your body.”

  As soon as she did as he asked, her pulse slowed, knowing that every touch and lick would be divine.

  “I have one other request, babe.”

  She opened her eyes to gauge the seriousness of his request. “Yes?”

  “I don’t want you to touch me.”

  She lifted on her elbows. “I can’t touch the top of your head or knead your shoulders when you’re devouring my pussy?” She gave him a pout that she only used in dire circumstances.