Stormy Desire [Desire, Oklahoma 12] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting)

by Leah Brooke

  “We gotta get the hell out of here.”

  “If the woman’s still alive, the boss’ll kill us.”

  “Don’t you think I know that? Fuck.”

  The man on the right rose slightly, crouching next to the fallen man. “Let’s go see if we can find the others.”

  The other man remained flat on the ground, still scanning the surrounding trees for Lucas. “That looks like a backpack over there. I’m gonna go get it.”

  “Don’t be stupid. It’s probably a trap. Christ. Why do I have the feeling these guys can pick us off anytime they want to?”

  “That’s bullshit. They probably already took off into the woods. They’re just small town—”

  With a grunt, he dropped his gun, grabbing his chest as he fell to the ground.

  “Lose the weapon.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Stormy grinned at Lucas’s deadly tone.

  Automatically lifting her gaze toward Lucas’s voice, Stormy stiffened when the man on the ground rose slightly, aiming his gun in that direction. “No!”

  Stormy shot without hesitation, horrified when the man on the ground cried out in pain and rolled to his back, the stream of bullets from his automatic weapon hitting the branch she stood on and then the trunk of the tree to her left.

  She jerked backward to avoid the barrage of bullets, grabbing at the branch in her struggle for balance but not wanting to drop her gun, and started to fall.

  Lucas suddenly appeared, shooting the hand holding the other man’s automatic weapon and kicking the gun away. “Stormy!”

  His anguished cry registered just as she hit the ground, the impact knocking the breath from her.

  Lucas rushed to her side, skidding to his knees beside her. “Stormy! Damn it. Were you hit? Tell me where it hurts, baby. Damn it! Answer me!”

  Struggling to draw enough air into her lungs, Stormy fought to sit up, gripping his forearm. “N-not h-hit.”

  The beam from two flashlights suddenly illuminated the area around them, allowing Stormy to see Lucas’s face.

  His features, hard as granite and just as cold, softened when she reached for him. “How bad are you hurt? And don’t even think about lying to me.”

  “Just got the breath knocked out of me. You okay?”

  Grimacing, Lucas glanced to the side when the man who’d rolled to his back started to reach for his gun.

  Lifting his own, Lucas aimed his gun at the other man. “Don’t even think about it.”

  “Fuck.” Holding his hands up, he fell back with a groan. “Liza’s gonna kill us.”

  Stormy looked up to see Devlin and Caleb approach, both carrying flashlights and guns. Shocked to see that they had a man walking in front of them, his hands apparently bound behind his back, she tried to get to her feet. “Thank God you’re all right. I heard the shots.”

  Devlin glanced at her before turning his attention to the men on the ground. “What the hell happened? Is she hurt?”

  Lucas scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fell out of the fucking tree.”

  The man in front of Caleb turned to glare at her. “Wish she’d broken her fucking neck.”

  “If she’d been hurt, you and your friends would already be dead.” Caleb shoved their prisoner to the ground, where he fell on the second man Lucas had shot. Rushing to her side, Caleb tucked his gun into his waistband and began to run his hands over her. “You okay, darlin’?”

  “I’m fine.” Brushing the leaves from her clothes, Stormy tried to get up, but Lucas gathered her against him, taking her weight as he lifted her to her feet. “What happened to the others?”

  Caleb went to the men on the ground, gathering their weapons and tying the men’s hands behind their backs with zip ties he pulled from his back pocket. “Left ’em tied to a tree in front of the cabin.” Turning his head, he winked at her out of the other men’s sight. “Hope a coyote doesn’t get to ’em before we get back.”

  The three conscious men sitting cross-legged on the ground looked around in a panic.

  “What? Coyotes?”

  “Are you kidding? Get us the hell out of here!”

  Devlin didn’t lower his gun until their assailants had been secured. Sliding it into his waistband at his back, he came toward her, shining the light over her from head to foot. “Would you mind telling me what the hell you were doing in the tree?”

  “Staying out of the line of fire.” Lucas glared at Devlin. “I almost had a heart attack when they stopped under the tree. I knew if they looked up—hell.”

  Releasing her, he went to the unconscious man, and felt for a pulse. “He’s still alive. Barely. Hoyt, Linc, and Rafe are on their way.”

  Moving out of Devlin’s arms, Stormy stared at the burning cabin and SUV. “I’ve brought nothing but trouble to all of you.”

  Devlin turned her back toward him, lifting her chin and dropping a hard kiss on her lips. “Oh, you’ve brought more than that.”

  “Oh? Like what?”

  Devlin pursed his lips, apparently weighing his words. “Let’s just say that you’ve brought some excitement to our lives that we hadn’t even realized we’d been missing.”

  Turning back toward the cabin, Stormy wrapped her arms around herself. “Yeah. Some excitement.”

  The longer she stayed, the worse things got.

  She had a strong suspicion that Kathy could tell her what she needed to know. Stormy blinked back tears of anger and shame.

  She’d called Kathy and brought this on the men who’d done nothing but try to help her.

  She had to do whatever it took to make it right.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Where’s my phone?”

  Devlin watched Stormy over the rim of his coffee cup, unsurprised that both Lucas and Caleb also watched her.

  She’d been unusually quiet since their return to Desire the night before, and it had really begun to worry him.

  After the fires had been put out, and the men they’d captured had been transported to the hospital under Linc’s and Rafe’s watchful eyes, Hoyt drove them to the hospital so that they could get Stormy checked out.

  Despite her objections, they’d taken X-rays and, to his and the others’ combined relief, had found nothing broken.

  Once they got back home, they’d all taken showers, and Lucas had been especially upset at seeing all the bruises covering her.

  She’d taken one of the remaining pain pills without objection and gone straight to bed.

  It had been enough to worry all of them, but it had been a long night, and they’d assumed she’d been exhausted.

  Lucas’s phone rang, and as he reached for it, he kept his attention focused on Stormy.

  “I have it, and no, you can’t have it back. I don’t want you making any more phone calls to your roommate.”

  She paced back and forth next to the kitchen table, clearly agitated. “If anything happens to her, it’s my fault.”

  Caleb looked from her full plate of food to her, his frustration apparent. “You called your roommate from the cabin. They didn’t find us by luck, Stormy.”

  She whirled on him. “I know that! I feel guilty enough about the cabin and your truck. I feel guilty because Kathy could be in serious trouble and it’s my fault. I have to check on her. She sounded really nervous. Scared. Something’s wrong, and I’m sitting here instead of protecting her!”

  Devlin’s chest tightened, knowing her well enough to know that she would try to leave again if they didn’t watch her.

  If she knew that her brother was involved, she’d be even more determined.

  Devlin set his cup aside. “And you’re gonna keep sitting here. Hoyt’s got some friends watching her, and I’ve got news for you, sweetheart. She’s with Eliza Ricci.”

  Stormy paled and stopped pacing. “What?”

  Gripping the back of Caleb’s chair, she visibly reeled back as if struck. “Dear God. Something’s wrong.” She seemed to gather her wits and looked to Lucas. “You have to help
me get in touch with her.”

  Lucas rose, shaking his head. “Since you’ve proven that you can’t be trusted, you can call her if you put it on speaker. Since I want honesty from you, I’m gonna tell you something. Logan’s there with Hoyt’s friends.”

  Stormy pushed against him, staring up at him in horror. “What?”

  Devlin cursed. “Why the hell did you tell her that?”

  “Because I want her to know that she can trust us.” His gaze narrowed on hers. “It’s also a two-way street.”

  Stormy looked truly stunned. “You let Logan go there?”

  Caleb reached out and caught her by the waist, pulling her onto his lap and dragging her plate of food to a spot in front of her. “Logan needed to go to her. Evidently, he’s been keeping an eye on you through her. Sounds like they’ve gotten to know each other pretty good. Make your call, and then I want you to eat. Get the information you need from your friend. We’ll go from there.”

  Devlin sighed. “Fine. If it seems that she’s in trouble, we’ll deal with that, and if it sounds like she’s in on it, Stormy can relax and do what the hell she’s told.”

  Lucas dropped back into his seat, his eyes narrowed on Stormy. “We’re not there yet, but I’m hoping we’ll get there soon. Something tells me we’re gonna have more trouble from her than Nat and Hope give their husbands combined.”

  Adopting an innocent look, Stormy held out her hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. When I get my way, I’m no trouble at all. Give me my phone.”

  Learning that Logan also trusted Kathy made Stormy even more convinced that her suspicions about her roommate were wrong.

  Irritated at herself for letting their paranoia get to her, she met Lucas’s scowl with one of her own. “See? Even Logan trusted her. You almost had me convinced, damn it!”

  Dropping into the seat next to her, Devlin patted her arm. “Calm down, Stormy. Kathy’s being watched. Hoyt’s men aren’t gonna let anything happen to Logan.”

  Stormy stilled, wondering how she’d missed it. “How could they have kept it from me? I should have known that something was wrong when Logan didn’t show up last night or this morning. I need to call him.”

  “You can call him as soon as you finish talking to your friend.” Caleb lightly slapped her thigh. “When the hell are you gonna figure out that we’re on your side?”

  Stormy accepted the phone from Lucas. “It’s not something I’m used to. Only Logan’s been on my side, and learning about the kind of things he does with women—”

  Caleb chuckled. “You have no idea what your brother does with women.”

  Devlin pulled her from Caleb’s lap to his, nuzzling her neck while sliding a hand under the hem of her shirt. “I didn’t hear any complaining about what we did to you last night.”

  Stormy’s face burned, and she couldn’t help glancing at Lucas. “Yeah, but that wasn’t anything like I saw on the internet.”

  Caleb smiled and reached out to run a finger over her nipple, making her gasp. “I told you that it’s different for everyone. We’ll do more, but not until you’re ready for it.”

  Sha slapped his hand away, ignoring the warning look in his eyes. “I’m not a fucking child, Caleb.”

  Lucas sat back. “We’ve gotta do something about that mouth. Make the call.”

  Surprised that her hands shook, Stormy called Kathy’s cell phone and put it on speaker, setting it on the table in front of her.

  “Hello, Stormy. I’m glad you’re not hurt.”

  Hearing tears in her roommate’s voice, Stormy glanced at Caleb, unsure of how to proceed. Encouraged by his nod, Stormy swallowed heavily. “No thanks to you. It wasn’t until I called you that they knew where to find me.”

  “I know. I guess you didn’t know me as well as you thought you did.”

  Hearing the nerves and fear in Kathy’s voice, Stormy knew her friend was in trouble. “Yeah. I found that out the hard way. My brother was surprised, too.”

  After a pregnant pause, Kathy blew out a breath. “Yeah. I’m sure he was. He probably thought your friendship with me was sweet as apple pie.”

  Stormy frowned at the wording, her hand still shaking as she pulled the phone closer. “He did. So where do we go from here?”

  “These people are like Teddy Roosevelt. Hardheaded and determined to get what they want—no matter the price.”

  Stormy swallowed heavily as the picture began to emerge. “You should have kept your nose in your books, Kathy. Robert Louis Stevenson was one of your favorites, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes!”

  The relief in her voice told Stormy her instincts had been right.

  Nodding when Lucas frowned and mouthed, Kidnapped? Stormy focused on her conversation, her eyes burning with tears. “I want this over with. I’m too old for this. Where?” She held her breath, hoping Kathy would understand what she was asking.

  “Home.” Kathy’s voice broke.

  “Okay. I’m going to have to escape my guards. I’ll call you as soon as I can get everything taken care of and let you know when I’m on my way.”

  “Good.” Kathy’s sob tightened Stormy’s chest. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Where are you?”

  The phone disconnected abruptly, leaving Stormy staring at it.

  “Damn it!”

  Devlin tightened his arm around her and rubbed her back. “What? What was all that nonsense about?”

  Stormy pushed out his arms, too restless to sit still. “They have her grandmother. She makes the best apple pie in the world. Her name is Eleanor.”

  Caleb blew out a breath. “That explains the reference to Roosevelt. And when you said you were too old for this…”

  Stormy nodded. “I’d hoped she’d understand that I was talking about her grandmother. She did. They’re holding her grandmother at her house, which is in Memphis.”

  Lucas sat forward, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Smart girl.”

  Stormy grinned. “Yeah. She’s really smart. Always reading, taking classes, and asking questions.”

  Sitting back again, Lucas inclined his head. “I meant you. You kept your cool and got the information you needed. I’m impressed.”

  Inordinately pleased, Stormy smiled again. “So, what do we do? I’m relieved that Kathy didn’t betray me, but I’m scared as hell for her grandmother.”

  Caleb rose with her plate. “Your food’s cold. I’ll fix you some more, and while you eat it, we’ll call Ace so he can inform the Memphis Police. We’ll work with them and come up with a plan.”

  Wrapping her arms around herself, Stormy nodded. “And then we have to rescue Kathy.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Sitting on the sofa between Devlin and Caleb, Stormy listened to Lucas’s side of the conversation with Ace Tyler, breathing a sigh of relief when Lucas chuckled.

  “Thanks, Ace. I’ll tell her.” Lucas disconnected and set his phone on the table beside him, his gaze holding hers as he sat back again. “Kathy’s grandmother is safe and sound. Her three kidnappers seemed almost anxious to get away from her. Apparently, she acts like a sweet little old lady who likes to cook.”

  Shaking his head, he smiled. “She cooked for them, and they liked her cooking so much that they actually went to the grocery store for her. Once she earned their trust, she started putting things in their food.”

  Caleb grinned. “Like what?”

  “Let’s just say that they spent quite a few days in the bathroom, not knowing which end to put on the toilet. By the time the cops broke in, all three men were so weak they barely put up a fight.”

  Delighted and almost dizzy with relief, Stormy laughed. “Good for her.” Reality crept back in. “And Kathy?”

  Lucas glanced at his watch. “We should hear something any minute.”

  She glanced at Devlin and Caleb, their stillness unsettling. “So, I won’t be in any danger after that.”

  Lucas shrugged, his eyes unreadable. “It doesn’t appear so.�
�

  “So I can go home?”

  Lucas continued to stare at her. “Is that what you want?”

  Stormy shrugged, irritated that going home didn’t sound as appealing as it once had. “Of course.”

  Caleb pulled her onto his lap. “We want you to stay here.”

  “I can’t.” Stormy sucked in a breath when his hands slid under her shirt and he undid the front clasp of her bra, roughly pulling the edges aside. “I have a job. A life.”

  Leaning back, he stripped her of her shirt and bra, turning slightly to angle her body toward Devlin. “You can have a life and a job here.”

  Devlin reached over and stripped her out of her socks, pulling her bare feet onto his lap. “You can also have something here that you can’t get in Nashville.”

  Sucking in a breath when Caleb cupped her breasts and began to manipulate her nipples, Stormy smiled. “You think I can’t get sex in Nashville?”

  Caleb tightened his fingers on her nipples, gently rolling them between his fingers. “I think you’d better not.”

  Although she expected the pleasure, it didn’t make it any less intense. Writhing on his lap, she lifted eagerly when Devlin reached for the waistband of her sweatpants. Wrapping her arms around Caleb’s neck, she lifted her face for his kiss, her body already hot with anticipation. “You gonna dominate me again?”

  “No.” The steel in Lucas’s tone had her turning to look at him, her heart beating wildly when she saw the glitter in his hooded gaze. “I am.”

  Devlin stripped her pants and panties from her, tossing them aside. “You belong to all of us now, darlin’.”

  Running his hands up and down her thighs, he stared at her mound. “I want to shave her first.”

  Rising to his feet, Lucas inclined his head. “Be my guest. I need to get some things from my room.”

  Stormy struggled to sit up, but Caleb kept an arm wrapped around her waist as Devlin got to his feet. “You’re going to shave me?”

  Devlin grinned. “Yep. You’re gonna love how sensitive you are once you’re bare.”

  Curling into Caleb, Stormy groaned in frustration when he ran his fingertips back and forth over her mound, but no matter how much she lifted into his caress, he wouldn’t move his fingers lower. “If it’s more sensitive, I won’t be able to stand it.”