by Becca Van
Passion, Victoria 10: Jenna’s Destiny
Jenna Reason has just lost her sister in a car accident. She is overcome with grief, and she has to be the one to tell her brother.
Dach, Dallas, and Desmond King are elite SAS training officers and are immediately drawn to the upset woman. When they hear her tell their trainee soldier, her brother, Jeff, about the death of their sister, they vow to help the siblings through their time of mourning. The three men wait until Jenna is on the mend from her sorrow and begin courting her.
But when it is revealed that the deceased sister, Joan’s, accident wasn’t an accident at all, they need to find out who killed her. One perpetrator is arrested but the other one is still at large and no one knows who they’re looking for. Will they able to find the murderer before he gets to Jenna? Or will the King men lose the love of their life?
NOTE: This is original work in the Passion, Victoria series that has never been published.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romantic Suspense
Length: 48,974 words
PASSION, VICTORIA 10: JENNA’S DESTINY
Becca Van
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
PASSION, VICTORIA 10: JENNA’S DESTINY
Copyright © 2014 by Becca Van
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-080-9
First E-book Publication: February 2014
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of Passion, Victoria 10: Jenna’s Destiny by Becca Van from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Becca Van’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Van’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Harris Channing for all the wonderful artistic work that she has done on all the Passion, Victoria series book covers. Your depiction of the heroine in Hidden Emotions was spot on. You are very talented, Harris, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I would also like to thank Diana and all the amazing people who work at Siren-BookStrand for their continued support, hard work, and for sharing their expertise with me. Without you all, this series would never have been as good as it has become.
Lastly but never least, I would like to thank my supportive loyal readers. Without you all I would never be where I am today, so thank you all for the emails and your kind words.
I would especially like to thank Donna Briody-Bucella, Rhonda Hamm Butterbaugh, and Francie Rose Wright-Carr. You three ladies are a joy to know and I love talking with you all when I get the chance to get on Facebook.
You all have my undying gratitude, respect, and have worked your way into my heart. Thank you, ladies. This one is for you.
Love,
Becca, xxoo
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
About the Author
PASSION, VICTORIA 10: JENNA’S DESTINY
BECCA VAN
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
Dach King glanced up when he caught movement from his peripheral vision and had to concentrate really hard to continue barking orders at the trainee SAS soldiers he and his brothers, Desmond and Dallas, were training.
The black-haired woman walking toward the side of the training ground had his heart stuttering in his chest and his breath catching in his throat. She was slim yet had curves he could just imagine shaping with his large hands, and even though she wasn’t tall, she wasn’t short either. She was around five foot six but boy did her legs seem to go on forever. Dach couldn’t help but let his eyes wander the length of her body and when he saw the three-inch heels on her black boots, he amended her height to five three. He perused back up her body and had to stifle a groan when studied her face. From what he could see she was absolutely exquisite and he wanted to rush over to get a good look at her and introduce himself to her. He frowned when he realized that she was somehow familiar, but with the sun shining behind her, causing shadows to mar her face, he couldn’t quite see her properly. Instead of continuing to gawk, he turned his back on her and barked out another order.
Dach saw that his brothers Des and Dallas had seen her, too, and were having a hard time keeping their eyes off of her as well. He, too, found himself turning side on so he could keep an eye on her and the men they were training. When he glanced at her face again the lightbulb in his head turned on and he knew he was looking at Jenna Reason. She was the younger sister to one of their trainees, Jeff Reason.
When he glanced her way again he saw that she looked really upset and all he wanted to do was go over there, pull her into his arms, and offer her comfort. But since he had to finish u
p with his soldiers he couldn't. He began moving as he ordered the men to do fifty pushups, walking the line as if he was studying the action but moving closer toward her. When he was only a few feet away he stopped and, without making it obvious, looked at her gorgeous face.
He’d met Jenna a couple of times. Once when she popped into the Four Passion Club one evening a few weeks back when he, his brothers, and their trainees had gotten together for a few drinks. They had chatted with her and tried to draw her into their conversations and even though she had answered their questions she had been a little introverted, and he’d put it down to her not knowing them very well. She’d spent most the time talking with her brother.
He and his brothers hadn’t been able to take their eyes off of her then and it seemed that was still the case. There was something about her that drew him in.
She was confident and independent, yet there was an air of vulnerability that she tried to keep hidden. And boy was she a stunner. But her beauty wasn’t the only reason he was attracted to her. He’d seen beautiful women heaps of times, but none of them had gotten to him so instantly before.
He’d seen her at the supermarket a while back and had stopped to chat with her, but after only exchanging a couple of words she had rushed off. She always seemed to be in a hurry and intent on whatever she was doing. But there was an air of innocence about her and her personality belied that experienced confident façade she seemed to try to portray.
No matter how many times he saw her, every time he laid eyes on her, he always seemed to be totally entranced.
The sun slid in behind a cloud and without the glare he was able to see her properly for the first time since she’d stopped on the edge of the field.
She had the longest, darkest hair he’d ever seen and even with her tresses secured up in a ponytail, the ends of her hair still reached to the top of her arse. Her skin was a milky white and her eyes were a vivid green, but when he looked into those emerald orbs and saw the tears in her eyes, he began to get really concerned. She was wringing her hands in agitation and shifting from foot to foot impatiently. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as if she was barely keeping it together.
He wanted to rush over there and ask Jenna what was wrong but after glancing at his watch, Dach knew that by the time the soldiers had finished their set of push-ups, it would be time to dismiss them for the day. Maybe then he could find out what was wrong without other ears around. The men pushed to their feet and then stood at ease waiting for another order from him but time had run out.
“Attention,” Dach commanded and was pleased to see the men obey and then salute. He and his brothers saluted back and then Dallas yelled, “Dismissed.”
The men scattered and Dach would normally already be heading toward his truck with his brothers, but he was in no hurry to leave today and neither were his siblings. Des and Dallas strode toward him purposefully and when they reached his side, Dallas, always impatient, asked the question that Dach had only just answered himself.
“Is that Jenna?”
“Yes,” Dach whispered back and grabbed Dallas’s arm when he started toward her. Then Jeff Reason appeared from among a scattering of soldiers and headed straight toward his beautiful, sexy sister. When Des opened his mouth he held up a finger to halt his brother’s speech. “Just wait. Something’s wrong. Listen.”
“Jenna.” Jeff reached his sister and then pulled her into his arms. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”
Jenna wrapped her arms around Jeff, leaned into his body, and began sobbing her heart out. She spoke incoherently but Dach was able to pick up a few disjointed words from her conversation. “Joan…accident…dead…”
Jeff groaned and sank to his knees with Jenna and held onto her tightly as he, too, began to cry. “My God. How?”
Shit! No!
He’d seen Joan and Jenna on the sidewalk as he drove by just the other day, and they’d looked happy as they chatted and laughed. A stab of pain pierced his heart at the loss of their young, vibrant sister. It didn’t matter that he’d never met Joan personally. He couldn’t continue to stand back when one of his soldier’s and Jenna were in so much pain. Dach couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to help, and from the worried look on his brothers’ faces, so did they. He nodded to them and walked over to the grieving pair. “Jeff?”
Jeff looked up and the agony Dach saw on his face got him right in the heart, but so did the pain of hearing such a gorgeous woman so broken.
Dach squatted down and clamped a hand on Jeff’s shoulder, offering what little comfort he could. “Can we do anything to help you?”
Jeff shook his head and then nodded but he didn’t say anything as he rocked Jenna in his arms and clung to her as he, too, cried out his grief. Jeff shook his head again and then changed it to a nod. He took a deep breath and then seemed to gather himself. After wiping his wet cheeks and eyes on his shoulders, Jeff rose to his feet, bringing Jenna with him. Jenna’s shoulders were still shaking and she’d buried her face against Jeff’s chest as if trying to hide her grief and tears from Dach and his brothers.
Dach was in a quandary. He wanted help the pair but he also felt like he should walk away and give them privacy, and when he looked at Des and Dallas, he saw that they didn’t know what to do either. When Jenna’s shoulders stopped shaking and she took a deep ragged breath, he sighed with relief. He hated witnessing her pain but was glad she wasn’t crying anymore. Jenna stepped back from Jeff but kept her head down while she wiped her tears away and then finally lifted her head.
His heart ached when he met her bloodshot and grief-stricken eyes and it was all he could do not to rub over his chest. She glanced away from him and took a step back when she looked to each side of him to his brothers. Jenna took another step away and then stepped half behind Jeff as if trying to hide.
“Jeff, what can we do to help?” Dallas asked before Dach could voice his last question again.
“I don’t know,” Jeff replied before reaching behind him to link hands with Jenna. He then tugged lightly on her hand and pulled her next to him, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Sirs, this is my younger sister, Jenna. Jenna, these are my training officers, Sergeants Dach, Desmond, and Dallas King.”
“We’ve met before,” Dach said but realized that Jeff wasn’t thinking straight and still in shock. “Hi, Jenna.” Dach tried to keep his voice light but what he really felt was pure and utter agony for her and Jeff’s loss.
He and his brothers had hoped to see her again and had planned to ask her out on a date and get to know her better, but he kept all of that inside. Now was definitely not the time to even consider broaching that subject. Des and Dallas nodded and even though his brothers watched her as intently as he did, they made sure to keep their focus on Jeff with her in their periphery.
“Hi.” Jenna nodded and even though she tried to smile, she couldn’t quite manage it and then she dismissed him and his siblings and focused back on Jeff.
“We have to go…” Jenna sobbed but covered her mouth for a moment. When she once again removed her hand from her mouth Dach heard her swallow audibly. “We need to go and see the police and then we have to…”
“What, honey?”
Tears began pouring down Jenna’s face again but this time she didn’t make any sobbing or wailing noises. She reached out and clutched Jeff’s hands in hers and gripped him tightly. “The morgue.”
“No.” Jeff shook his head and moisture filled his eyes again. All of a sudden he released Jenna, spun away from her, took a few steps, and then roared with pain.
Dach moved closer to Jenna when she swayed on her feet. She was so damn pale she looked ready to pass out. Her chin and lips quivered but she clamped them tight, as if doing so would help her contain her grief.
Dallas and Des hurried over to Jeff when he sank to his knees again and when Jenna turned away from the sight of her grieving brother and wrapped her arms around her waist and bent over, Dach couldn’t take an
ymore. He moved in behind her, wrapped an arm around her slim waist and pulled her back up from her folded position, turned her in his arms until she was facing him, and against his front. A deep guttural growl escaped from her throat and mouth and then she was thumping her hands against his chest.
Dach didn’t try restrain her hands but let her pour out her agony onto him. He knew she had no idea that the anger and grief were pouring out of her mouth, too.
“Joan! God, why? Why did you take my sister from me? Why? Why? Why? Why?” Jenna repeated her litany over and over again until she had exhausted herself. When she slumped against his chest, Dach wrapped her in his arms and held her tight.
He looked over to see that Des and Dallas were defending themselves from the wild punches Jeff was throwing and even though they could have retaliated, they didn’t. His brothers just continued to block punch after punch until finally Jeff bent over with his hands on his knees, while trying to regain his breath. Finally he straightened up and looked Des and Dallas in the eyes.
“Sorry, Sirs.”
“We’re off duty, Jeff, and are no longer your superior officers,” Dallas said. “You have no need to apologize but you need to get it together for your sister. You have to be strong for her, mate.”
Jeff nodded and looked toward Dach and Jenna and then glanced back at Des when he started to speak.
“Do you want us to come with you? I really don’t think either one of you should be driving.”
Jeff shook his head, met Dach’s gaze and then nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”
