by Avery Gale
Chapter 2
Alex wondered for the hundredth time just how long a person could sleep. He and Zach had taken shifts, sleeping in the chair beside Kat’s bed for nearly twenty-four straight hours, and she’d barely stirred. Katarina had finally fallen in to a fitful sleep after Doc Woods stitched up the worst of the lashes on her back and carefully treated all the other wounds, but she had only slept peacefully when either Alex or Zach kept her hand held securely in theirs. Even in her sleep she trusted them; each time they’d try to leave her alone, she had quickly become agitated. Whatever filled her nightmares caused agonized screams and pleading sobs that only seemed to settle if they were nearby.
“Did you ever think we’d get a second chance?” Zach’s quiet inquiry told Alex that his brother had felt him approach even when Alex knew he had not made a sound. Their twin bond had always been particularly strong; more often than not, it had been to their mutual benefit, but on rare occasions, it was damned unhandy. Both Zach and Alex had discovered that what another person is thinking and feeling all the time could make it very difficult to define yourself, and individuality had sometimes been a hard-won battle. It had taken them years to accept their differences, to feel secure enough to allow those traits to complement each other and work together.
Alex sighed and walked farther into the room, coming up on the other side of the bed before leaning against the warm glass of the window overlooking the gardens behind The Club. It was early afternoon, and the shadows were slowing creeping across the back acreage, what would become a wonderland of twinkling lights and vine-covered walkways and secluded hiding spots when darkness fell.
Alex stood watching Katarina sleep for a few moments before looking up at Zach. “No. I was afraid we’d lost her forever. I’d wanted to believe we’d get another chance, but as the years went by, I lost hope, I didn’t really believe fate would give me the opportunity to make it up to her, hell, to either of you.” Blowing out an exhausted breath, Alex continued. “You lost her and missed her every bit as much or perhaps even more than I did, and the loss wasn’t by your own actions, yet you never blamed me. Even now I am humbled by that fact.”
Zach’s eyes never left Kat’s soft face. In sleep she looked like an angel, her soft blonde curls fanned out over the pillow like a halo. Her skin had always reminded him of the finest porcelain, smooth and so white it almost glowed. Even with the bruises, her beauty was heart-stopping. Speaking softly, Zach said, “It wasn’t our time. It is now.” He paused for several long seconds before speaking more forcefully. “We have to make her see that, brother. In her heart, she knows that she is safe here, that this is where she belongs, that she belongs to us. We’ll fix this. We have to do whatever it takes to make sure the bastard who did this never gets another shot. Fuck, we have to make sure he never hurts any woman. Christ, Alex, did you see, really see what he did to her? That perfectly spaced slicing is the work of a well-practiced sadist. This isn’t the work of a true Dom or at least not one that would ever be allowed at ShadowDance.”
“Agreed. It’s a violation of trust on many levels. Katarina’s trust is going to be very fragile, and rebuilding it will take time, but the fact she felt safe enough to return and hide out here gives me hope.” Alex sat and watched Katarina for several long moments before speaking again. “I won’t let either of you down again, I swear it. We’ll work it out this time. She needs us, she may not know it yet, but she will.” Alex’s wistful tone was such a contrast to his Dom persona that it caused Zach to glance up to ensure the words really had come from his take-no-prisoners brother. Alex’s eyes were a softer brown than Zach had seen them at any time since Kat had left.
She’d been so young and so sure she understood what they’d want from her; they’d been so sure she would be disillusioned if she’d known the stark reality of their lives. They’d been real bastards, trying to save her from them. As long as he lived he’d never forget looking up to see her standing in that doorway, even with the harsh light streaming in from behind her, making her wild mane of blonde curls glow. He’d seen the way the fire and light in her eyes had been extinguished. Her look of utter defeat and disgust haunted him still.
“Zach?” Kat’s soft whisper brought him out of the tortured memory and back to the only woman he and his brother had ever truly loved.
* * * *
“Yes, kitten. I’m here. We’re both here.” Zach’s words passed over her face like a gentle breeze. He smelled of soap, mint, and Zach. He’d leaned close to her to speak, then let his lips pass over her ear in a soft caress meant to sooth and comfort, but Kat felt the familiar tightening in her lower body. The tingling sparks that only the Lamont brothers had ever been able to ignite within her felt new, but at the same time held a peaceful familiarity. In that moment, Kat knew she had finally made it home. Letting the lull of safety wash over her, she knew deep in her heart it wouldn’t last, that she couldn’t stay, because it wouldn’t be fair to them. But in this moment she was truly safe. That feeling of safety was almost a narcotic, it would be addictive, and Kat knew she would have to move on as soon as she was able. She also knew that they would use their considerable resources to protect her, so until she was well enough to disappear again, she would stay. The challenge would be to not lose her heart to them…again.
* * * *
Alex watched his brother with Katarina and felt as if the whole world had shifted then stilled, and just for those few brief seconds, all had been right in his world. He didn’t know why the Universe was giving him this second chance, but he was going to find a way to make her understand that the three of them belonged together. He and Zach had always known they would share a woman. It wasn’t a decision they’d made consciously, it had just always been a given. He had been such a fool, he had ignored all the signs, and it wasn’t until Katarina had left them that they’d known for sure she was the one.
Marriage in Climax was not defined as narrowly as it was in other places. There were as many reasons the locals chose to share a woman as there were pluralistic couples, but once those relationships were formed, they lasted a lifetime. Infidelity was uncommon and never tolerated. And abuse of any woman or child was dealt with swiftly; protecting their women was the duty and honor of each man in their close-knit community. The care, protection, and satisfaction of the women was always first and foremost in every decision. Often visitors to their community commented on how happy the women appeared. It wasn’t just an appearance, it was a fact, and it certainly wasn’t an accident.
Stepping forward, Alex said, “Zach, go get something to eat. Get some rest. I’ll sit with her. She’s going to need you when she wakes up.”
“I don’t want to leave her, she’s so fragile,” Zach said, brushing his knuckles across her lips as he spoke.
“She’ll be fine. I’ll call you if she wakes. I want us to begin as we intend to go, and that means she needs to deal with us both. We both know she craves my dominance but will seek shelter in you if we allow it.” Alex had always been the more Alpha of the two of them. His no-nonsense approach was often softened by Zach’s more laid-back way of dealing with people, and that combination had made them effective soldiers and wildly successful businessmen. But anyone mistaking Zachary Lamont as a pushover would quickly see the error of that assessment. They were both Doms to their core. It was a long-standing joke among the other Doms at The Club that said the only real difference between them was technically just in their “communication style.” They had always been mirror images of each other, easily passing for each other, and most people had to actually talk to them in order to know which brother they were dealing with. Both were imposing figures, standing six foot two inches tall with broad shoulders and deep, muscular chests that were well defined by long hours spent in the gym. Their ink black hair, dark eyes, and golden tan skin highlighted their Native American heritage. But it didn’t take long in a conversation to know whether you were dealing with demanding Alex or the cajoling Zach. Their younger sister, Jenn
a, was the only one who never mixed them up, and she’d spoiled a lot of their fun over the years with her ability to tell them apart even at a distance.
* * * *
Alex sat on the bed beside Katarina, softly stroking the side of her face, talking to her as if she were a small child he’d been watching in sleep. She looked like a petite fallen angel, battered and bruised, but there was still an innocence about her that called to him. Letting his mind drift back to the last time he’d seen her brought spikes of pain lancing through his chest. He’d known she wasn’t ready for them, but she had been so stubborn and sure. So he’d made certain she’d gotten a chance to really see them in action. The fallout had been so much greater than he’d ever dreamed it might be. Rather than just pushing her to understand why she needed to wait, live her life, experience everything that could be found outside of Climax before “settling down” with them, she’d misunderstood the play scene she’d walked in on. The scene they had planned had been with a woman whose pleasure could only be found through a deeper edge of pain, and they’d been happy to oblige her. They’d been so caught up in the scene and had been so certain of Kat’s reaction, they had forgotten about her family history of domestic violence. It had been a catastrophic and unforgivable miscalculation on their part. Instead of just pushing her to understand, they had inadvertently scared her right out of their lives. Katarina had opened the door of their dungeon just as the last lash of his single-tail whip had taken the woman over the edge in to a screaming orgasm. It had taken Kat only seconds to take in what she believed was abuse and run. Kat’s memories of her mother’s long line of abusive relationships had triggered a panic they had naively never considered a possibility. By the time they had provided aftercare for their sub, Katarina had fled The Club. By the next morning, her small apartment was empty and she’d disappeared from their lives…until yesterday.
Where had she gone? They had looked, they’d hired others to look, and it was if she’d just vanished into the night. They’d put considerable pressure on Jenna, who had always been Katarina’s best friend, they’d demanded answers, but she had steadfastly insisted she didn’t know where her best friend might have gone. Jenna had always held them responsible for Kat’s leaving, and Alex had no doubt their relationship with their younger sister had suffered as a result.
He planned to find out how Katarina had just disappeared without a trace. Hiding is never easy, even when you were trained in covert operations and knew what you were doing, it was damned difficult. The failure rate of individuals in witness protection programs was testimony of just how difficult it was to truly become someone else. Hell, she hadn’t had any resources or training, and still, she had successfully eluded them. And how had she allowed herself to become involved with someone who would abuse her trust and her body so badly? How had she gotten away, and what kind of danger was she still in? It was going to be very difficult to go slowly when, in his heart, Alex knew the clock was ticking. That gut-level alarm system had saved his ass way too many times to ignore it now. Watching her, he wished she would just wake up and talk to them.
Chapter 3
Katarina had always had trouble waking up, but this felt different, it was more like being trapped inside a bubble that was slowly trying to fight its way to the surface through muddy water. She could hear people speaking, but their voices seemed muffled and distant, and she ached. God, everything ached, what the hell had she done? Keeping her eyes closed, she tried to piece together the snippets of information she could remember. She sure remembered the scene at that club in Las Vegas. Holy shit, how had she gotten herself in such a mess? And she remembered the woman who helped her escape. She really needed to check on Mia. Not many people would have taken that risk, and Kat wanted to make sure Mia hadn’t suffered for being such a brave, Good Samaritan.
She remembered driving all night to get away, making sure she got as far as away as possible from Cal. Kat knew without any doubt that getting involved with Calvin Robertson was the single worst decision she had ever made. He had seemed so perfect in the beginning, good-looking in a Vogue-meets-Dark-Shadows kind of way, successful, great family connections, and he shared her interest in BDSM and had said he was willing to “teach her everything she needed to know” to be the perfect submissive. He’d even agreed to her “no penetrative sex” rule until she was “trained,” at which time he had said they would renegotiate their time together. She had never intended to change her mind, but she hadn’t bothered to tell him that part. The whole idea of being trained to be a sub had sounded like a good deal…but the reality had been far more menacing.
Giving herself a mental slap to refocus, she remembered hiding her car in the trees and making her way to the lake; and then she was pretty sure she remembered hearing Alex’s voice and being held by Zach and knowing she’d have to leave again soon, but that was the end of it. Moving her fingers, she felt sheets that were obviously not her usual Walmart-knock-off version of fine linen, and warm callused fingers. What the hell? Struggling to get her eyes open and blinking against the brightness, Kat saw Alex gazing at her with a soft look of expectation. There was that sexy half smile that she’d seen in almost every dream she’d had since she’d become best friends with Jenna in elementary school. God, how she’d missed them both so much.
“Hello there, beautiful. Welcome back to the land of the conscious. We’ve been waiting for you to open those gorgeous blue eyes.” Alex spoke softly, and Kat knew too well it wasn’t his usual tone; this version of Alex was comforting and sweet, but it wasn’t the run-to-the-roar Alex she’d fallen in love with as a child and had never been able to put out of her mind. That Alex was well used to giving orders and having them followed immediately. Yes, that Alex was a Dom through and through. Alex spoke again, bringing her mind back into focus. “Zach will be here in just a minute. I sent him a text when I felt you starting to stir.”
“How long have I been sleeping? Can I get a drink of water?” Kat’s throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper. Hoping the water would help clear the cobwebs in her mind, she sipped at the cool water from the cup Alex held up to her parched lips. Groaning inwardly, Kat could only imagine how she must look. “I’m sorry I’ve been so much trouble. I promise to be out of your way just as soon as I can get some clothes and get back to my car.”
Alex just watched her, and if she hadn’t known him so well, she might have missed the slight tightening of his jaw before it relaxed again. He wasn’t happy with what she’d said, she knew he wouldn’t be, but that was just too bad. It wouldn’t be safe for her to be here, and they’d had their chance seven years ago; and if they didn’t want her, she wasn’t going to stick around and give them another shot at destroying what little pride she’d been able to salvage the last time. Damn and double damn, the huge target she’d managed to paint on her back would keep her on the move for years if not forever. She was just so tired and sad. How had her life spiraled out of control again after years of piecing together her heart and building a new life for herself? It would be so nice to just let go and let someone else take care of things, but she would never ask them to risk the trouble she was sure to have following her.
Alex’s steady gaze was starting to unnerve her, but she wasn’t going to let him know it…much. Alex and Zach both favored their father, and owing to Daniel Lamont’s Native American heritage, their eyes were so dark it was often difficult to discern the slight shift in the depth of the color depending on their mood. They had hair the color of coal that was always so shiny, Kat had often wondered if it was as soft as it looked. After what seemed like several long minutes, Alex said, “You have been sleeping for a little over twenty-four hours. I don’t even want to think about how exhausted you had to have been; we’ll be discussing the importance of taking proper care of yourself, among other things, when you’re feeling better. For now, let’s concentrate on getting you freshened up and then getting you something to eat. How’s that sound?” The answering growl of Kat’s stomach kept he
r from denying how hungry she was. Frowning, Alex asked her, “When did you last eat?”
Oh boy, that sounded a lot more like the Alex she remembered. He seemed to be trying to hold Master Alex on a tight rein, so this probably wouldn’t be a good time to push him by dodging his question.
“Well, um, today’s Friday, right?” Kat inquired, then winched at Alex’s expression.
Alex’s brows knitted together, and he was growling under his breath. The only thing she heard was a snarly “Jesus” before Zach came through the door, saving Kat from having to deal with the decidedly crankier Alex.
* * * *
“Kitten, you’re awake! How are you feeling, darlin’? God, we’ve been so worried about you.” Zach sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand and running the backs of his knuckles softly down the side of her cheek, and without meaning to, Kat leaned in to his touch, taking comfort in it when she knew she should try to keep some distance between them. “You ready to get up out of that bed and take a shower? We tried to get as much of the pond water off of you as we could, but Doc Woods didn’t really want to share you so much.” Zach grinned at her, his eyes alight with mischief.
“Doc Woods?” Kat groaned. “He won’t tell anybody about me, will he? God, if he lets anyone know he’s seen me…Damn, I gotta get out of here. He’ll come here. You don’t know how dangerous he is. It won’t be safe for you. I can’t stay. Where are my clothes?” Kat was near panic mode, trying very hard to not hyperventilate. By the time she stopped for a breath, frantically looking around for something to wear and trying to throw the sheet off until she realized she was naked beneath it. Damn, how had that happened? She didn’t even want to consider all those possibilities.
