by Tara Rose
When she came, she cried out loudly, shaking her head back and forth. It was the most intense orgasm she’d ever had, and it went on and on. Each man shuddered and cried out as well, and that only made her climax start up all over again.
By the time they each withdrew and Ryder took off his condom, all three were covered in sweat and Brynn was trembling. She’d never had an experience that had entirely shaken her to the core in such a way. She wanted to have it again and again. One of them gave her water to drink, and both men took turns holding her and stroking her, telling her how much they’d enjoyed that.
She couldn’t seem to stop trembling and crying, and knew she was simply overwhelmed by their love and care. And she knew it was love. Nothing else would cause them to treat her with so much gentleness and affection. The words were right there, ready to spill out, but fear held her back.
Finally, she drifted off to sleep, hoping when she awoke it would be to find out that Sean and Maddox had been wrong about seeing Eddie in Racy. She wanted the past to be where it had belonged all this time. Gone, dead, and buried. She wanted to be free to move forward with her new life in Racy. And she wanted both Hugh and Ryder to be part of that life.
She was so in love with both of them. And she wanted to be able to tell them that, without fear of reprisal or recriminations from people who were no longer part of her life. She wished that with all of her heart.
It had to happen. It simply had to. Because these were the men she’d always dreamed of being with. These were the two she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. No one else would ever be able to take their place. She knew that now. She’d known it from the moment she’d first looked into their eyes.
Chapter Fourteen
Hugh woke up Saturday morning to his cell phone ringing, but by the time he found and answered it, he’d missed the call. Ryder and Brynn were still asleep, and he didn’t want to wake them, especially once he realized the call he’d missed was from Sean. There could only be one reason Sean would call him before seven on a weekend morning.
He went down to the kitchen and started the coffeepot before calling Sean back. “Sorry. I was asleep.”
“I figured as much. And I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have bothered you at all if this wasn’t urgent. Can I come over? I want to tell you three about this in person.”
Hugh loved the fact that Sean assumed Ryder and Brynn had spent the night. It meant he accepted their relationship with her. But the hair on the back of his neck prickled at Sean’s words. Whatever this was, it wasn’t good. “Sure. I’ll wake them up.”
He went upstairs and woke up Ryder first, telling him what Sean had said. Then while Ryder woke up Brynn, he went in search of something for her to wear, since she’d come over here last night in only her club wear. He should ask her to move in. He should ask Ryder to do that as well. But first, they’d need to support her through whatever Sean had to tell them.
In a spare bedroom where he kept clothes intended for donation to charity if he ever got around to it, he found a pair of shorts and a T-shirt that would probably still be too big on her, but at least would allow her to be clothed in front of Sean. By the time he returned to his room with the clothing, she was sitting on the bed, and Ryder had his arms around her.
“She’s afraid to talk to Sean.”
Hugh held out the clothes. “Here, hon. I know they’re too big but they’ll at least cover you.”
“I can’t do it,” she whispered, giving him a look of desperation that melted his heart. “Not after everything we shared last night. I just want this nightmare to be over.”
“I know.” He sat next to her. “We both feel the same way. But let’s at least hear what he has to say, okay? We’re here for you.”
“But I still have to go home. I still have to go to work.”
“Move in,” said Ryder, glancing at Hugh. “I will, too. It’s a big house. And it’s safer than Minnie Hester’s Flower Shop or my house.”
Hugh smiled. “My thoughts exactly. We’ll take care of that today.”
She glanced from one to the other as if they’d both just suggested the three take a spaceship to Mars. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
She let out a loud sigh, and then almost smiled. “Um, okay. If you’re both sure.”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” How he wished mere words could convey all he felt for her.
“Neither have I,” said Ryder. He looked at her with so much love in his eyes, that Hugh felt certain she couldn’t misinterpret the expression. Surely she knew by now they both felt that way.
She nodded a few times, then finally took the clothes from Hugh. “Okay. All right. Yes. I want to do that. I don’t want to be alone.”
“Neither do we.” He rose and walked over to his dresser. Taking out a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, he tossed them toward Ryder. “Here you go.” He put on his own sweats and a shirt, and then told Ryder and Brynn that he’d made coffee, and would wait for them downstairs.
They weren’t far behind him, and after the three each poured themselves a cup, Sean’s voice was on the intercom. Hugh opened the gate, and then walked outside to greet Sean. “She’s going to be very upset by this, isn’t she?”
Sean nodded. “So is everyone who finds out. That’s why we have to keep this quiet. Dean only gave me permission to tell you three because Brynn is part of Eddie’s past.”
Hugh sighed as he led Sean inside. This was not going to be fun, but he was determined to help Brynn through it.
* * * *
Brynn took one look at Hugh’s face as he ushered Sean into the kitchen, and nearly started crying. She hugged her knees and gripped the coffee mug harder. Sean sat down in the same place at the table as he’d been Sunday morning, only this time he didn’t have a folder to open. He clasped his hands and glanced at each of them in turn, finally resting his gaze on her face before he spoke.
“This has to be kept from the general public. Maddox and Julie know, and of course everyone else on the force. Harrison has been given permission to tell Zach, but I don’t believe they will tell Gina. At least not yet. Chad has said he won’t say anything yet to Dustin or Annalise. Carson and Garrett are not going to tell Teresa. She has enough on her plate right now.
“How is she doing?” asked Brynn. Anything to delay this.
“She’s okay. Thanks.” He took a deep breath. “I finally heard back from several cop acquaintances in nearby states. Eddie Van Buren has three outstanding arrest warrants in Ohio and Michigan. He’s been living in both states for the past eight, and maybe nine years. I’ve let those precincts know that we believe he’s been spotted here, and I reached out to the precinct in Chicago where he was arrested for Zakia’s murder ten years ago, just in case.”
“Arrest warrants for what?” asked Brynn. She could barely get the words out. She knew what he was going to say before he said it, and she didn’t think she could handle hearing it.
Sean averted his gaze for a second, and the tears slipped out before Brynn could stop them. Hugh took her coffee cup and placed it on the table, and Ryder scooted his chair closer so he could put an arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his embrace as she watched Sean’s face.
He looked into her eyes again, with a mixture of regret and anger in his. “Rape and murder. I don’t know all the details yet, but he’s fled each city where he has outstanding warrants. Brynn, if I could turn the clock back, I would do so. I’m sorry. At the time, I did the best I could with the hand I’d been dealt. I don’t know what else I can say right now other than to tell you that both Maddox and I are very upset about this.”
She nodded because she knew if she spoke right now, she wouldn’t be able to get the words out anyway.
“We’ve given every cop here in Racy and in the other cities looking for Eddie a description of the car Maddox saw him driving. No one has seen it here since that day. We’re not even sure he’s still in the area. My best advice to th
e three of you is to go about your business. But just to be safe, we’re going to put a patrol on this house, on Ryder’s house, and on Riverfront as well.”
“Brynn is moving in here with me today,” said Hugh. “And so is Ryder. So watch their places if you want, but they won’t be there.”
“I might have to go back to pick up things as needed,” said Ryder, “but I doubt I’ll spend another night alone in that house. And one of us will make sure to be with Brynn at all times if she’s outside this house or when she leaves work.”
Sean nodded. “Well, all right then. That makes it easier. You both have my number, but let me give it to Brynn as well, and give me hers.”
Her cell phone was still upstairs, so Hugh left to go and get it. She took a sip of coffee, but still had no clue what to say to Sean, or even if words were necessary. It was enough to know that finally he and Maddox understood what she had gone through all these years. It wouldn’t bring back Zakia, and they might never be able to prove that Eddie had raped or killed her, but at least now she could stop imagining that either man doubted her.
And that meant if Ryder and Hugh had any lingering doubts, they no longer would. Her past was still where it belonged, except for Eddie. Where was he? Had he truly left Racy? And why had he come here to begin with? Was he looking for Sean and Maddox, or had he found out she was here? But if he’d been looking for any of them, why had he left?
“Are you looking for him in the towns around Racy?” asked Ryder. “Just because you haven’t seen him here doesn’t mean he isn’t around.”
Sean nodded. “We’re on it. We just spent weeks doing the same thing, looking for Ray Hammond. If Eddie is hiding out within one hundred miles of Racy, we will find him.”
Brynn shivered at the conviction in his voice. Sean was a scary dude in full-cop mode, but right now she was grateful for that. “Thank you,” she whispered. The words seemed inadequate, but she felt she had to say something. “For everything.”
He merely nodded again, but she saw in his eyes that he understood how much she was thanking him for. Words weren’t necessary, and she was glad of that right now.
When Hugh returned, Sean made sure all three of them had his cell phone number, and he had theirs, as well as Julie’s and Maddox’s numbers. “If you can’t reach me, one of them will know where I am.”
Once Sean left, Brynn rose and began to take out food from the fridge to make breakfast, but Hugh stopped her by placing his arms around her from behind and pulling her close. “Let us take care of that. And afterward, we’re going to get your things and Ryder’s so we can all live here together.”
She closed her eyes for a second and let his words wash over her. “Are you sure about this?”
“Of course I am.”
She turned in his arms and looked into his eyes, then gazed at Ryder as well. “Then answer me one question, Sir. If this hadn’t happened…if Sean hadn’t come over here this morning and dropped this bomb on us, would you both still want to live in the same house with me?”
“Absolutely,” said Ryder, at the same time as Hugh said, “Yes.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “All right. Thank you. It’s what I want, too. But I needed to know it was for the right reasons. Not only because of Eddie.”
Hugh kissed her. “I’ve wanted you here with me all week.”
“Same here,” said Ryder. “Honestly. All this did was force us both to stop being such babies about it and voice it out loud.”
“You two are incredible.”
Ryder moved closer and kissed her. “So are you. Now let’s eat. I’m starving. Someone wore me out last night.”
“Complaining, Sir?”
He gave her a molten look of lust. “No, and if you ask me such a ridiculous question again, I’ll paddle your sore ass until you beg me to stop.”
“Dude, all that’s going to do is make her egg you on.”
Brynn couldn’t help but smile again. How had these two done that? They’d turned a dangerous, frightening few moments into something playful and fun. She knew the threat wasn’t gone, and it wouldn’t be until the cops found Eddie, but at least right now, for this moment, she could relax a bit and enjoy their company.
She was truly blessed to have found this job, and to have found these two. Racy was where she was meant to be, and she wasn’t going to let Eddie or anyone else from her past ruin this for her. She was so in love with them both. One day she’d be able to tell them that. But in the meantime, she was going to take every second of time she had with them and make the most of it. She was going to live her life enjoying every moment, for the first time in years.
Chapter Fifteen
Ryder took one last look at his house on Honey Locust as they pulled away. He’d get the rest of his things later this week, and then he’d put it up for sale. It was right down the street from where he’d grown up, and it was close to Carson Decker’s house. He liked the neighborhood, but he wasn’t going to be spending much time here anymore. He’d known that for a while now.
He smiled as he drove his Notus van, following Hugh and Brynn in Hugh’s car. His neighbors must have been wondering last night and this morning why he wasn’t out driving around in the van. This was the first weekend he hadn’t volunteered to take call in years. He had a feeling he’d be doing more of that now, but that was okay. He made a lot of money without it, and it was nice to have a break, especially now that he had Brynn to spend time with.
The plan was to park the van at Hugh’s house, then come back for his personal car. He rarely used it because he usually drove the van, but there was no point in leaving it here since he was moving in with Hugh and Brynn.
It was nice to spend so much more time with Hugh now. They’d been friends a long time and they hadn’t had much opportunity the past few years to hang out this much together. It was like getting to know him all over again, and having a common goal helped. Ryder knew without asking that they were both committed to keeping Brynn safe, and to making her happy.
After they dropped off his things at Hugh’s home, then returned to get his car and parked that in Hugh’s massive garage, they drove to Brynn’s apartment on Riverfront. The apartment had been the same one used by Harper Montgomery when she’d first come to Racy the prior month. She hadn’t spent much time in it, either, before moving in with Hugh’s cousin Mason, and Lee Parker, who were both her Doms now. Maybe there was something in the air up here? All those flowery scents wafting up from Minnie’s shop below must be doing it.
“Everything I own will fit into my car and Hugh’s,” she said. “The apartment came furnished. I guess I’d better go downstairs and give Minnie back the key when we’re finished.”
She glanced around with so much uncertainty clouding her face that Ryder put his arms around her from behind and pulled her close. “It’s okay to give her back the key. You won’t be living here again.”
She leaned back against him, and his dick sprang to attention. This woman had captivated him, body and soul, and it was exactly where he wanted to be. “I hope you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.” He’d never been more sure of anything in his life.
After they loaded up their cars and Brynn had given Minnie back the key, they drove to Hugh’s house again. The home had ten bedrooms. They moved Ryder into one across the hall from Hugh’s, and gave Brynn one next to Ryder’s. She told them it seemed silly for her to have such a huge room and luxurious bathroom all to herself, but Hugh told her there were going to be times she’d want her own space, and this way she’d have it.
“That’s thoughtful of you. And very understanding.”
He put his arms around her. “This is new for all of us. It’s going to take a lot of getting used to. I never want you to feel like we have to rush into anything.”
“That’s right,” said Ryder, knowing he’d never want to sleep without her next to him again. “This is a huge adjustment. As long as we keep talking, it will be fine. Every Dom who has do
ne this—shared a sub with another Dom—whether they were friends first or not, has said the same thing. That it took commitment, keeping the lines of communication open, and the ability for each of them to get away to their own space, even if that was only for an hour or so.”
She finally smiled, and he watched the earlier doubt disappear from those pretty green eyes. “Well, you two would know. Racy certainly has its share of ménages. Why is that, do you think?”
“It’s the river,” said Hugh, with a totally serious face that had Ryder chuckling.
“Oh, I see. And I suppose there’s something magical about this branch of the Iroquois that isn’t found in any other river on the planet, then?”
Hugh nodded. “Yes, that’s right. But we try to keep it secret. I mean can you imagine what would happen if something like this got out? We’d be overrun with kinksters and tourists.”
She laughed, and to Ryder’s ears it was the most beautiful sound in the world. “Well we can’t have that. We don’t want to turn it into Chicago or New York.”
“Exactly,” said Ryder. “We like it this way. Small and close.”
“And secret,” said Hugh, winking at her. He nuzzled her neck, and then Ryder did as well on the other side.
“Aren’t you two tired from last night?” The smoky tone of her voice didn’t sound like she minded their kisses all that much.
“No,” said Ryder.
“Not too tired for this,” said Hugh, reaching under her top and unhooking her bra.
She giggled, and then Ryder pulled down her shorts and panties. “I think we should test out her new bed. Just to make sure it’s all right.”
“Oh good idea,” said Hugh, taking off her shirt and bra. “We should test out yours, too. I mean, there are plenty of beds in this house. We have to make sure you each have good ones.”
