Shelby's Saviors [Slick Rock 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)
Page 1
Slick Rock 7
Shelby’s Saviors
Shelby Richmond has recently witnessed the murder of her family and, due to suffering PTSD, is on the run from herself.
Cord and Brandt Alcott are drawn to Shelby, and when she suffers a flashback in the Slick Rock diner, they help her through it and keep prying eyes off of her. When she asks about a job, they offer her a position as a receptionist for their security company and also a room for rent in their house. The two men slowly court Shelby into their beds, but she can’t let go of the past, and they don’t know if the love they have for her will be enough to keep her by their sides.
Evil follows Shelby to the small Colorado town, and her life is in danger. Will Shelby have the courage to hold on to love? Or will the evil take her choices away?
Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among siblings.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys
Length: 35,838 words
SHELBY’S SAVIORS
Slick Rock 7
Becca Van
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
SHELBY’S SAVIORS
Copyright © 2012 by Becca Van
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-514-4
First E-book Publication: October 2012
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2012 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 Shelby’s Saviors 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
I would like to dedicate this book to my very own hero.
Honey, you have been at my side through all the ups and downs and have been my pillar of strength. You continue to bolster me through my illness, and for that I will be forever grateful. You are my sanity as well as my breath.
I love you so much. xxoo
SHELBY’S SAVIORS
Slick Rock 7
BECCA VAN
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
“Fuck me, would you look at that,” Cord rasped. He’d never seen the woman walking down Slick Rock’s main street before, but she was captivating. Her hair was a combination of many colors, and all of them were totally natural from what he could tell. There were rich browns, lighter ones as well, and tints of red, gold, and blonde, which seemed to capture light within the strands.
Beside him, his brother Brandt said, “Whoa.” Both men stopped in their tracks and watched the woman heading into the diner across the street from the building that housed their cousins’ security company.
Cord exchanged a look with Brandt. They’d intended to head over to the Slick Rock Hotel after a long day of work, but sitting around in the lobby didn’t seem half as interesting as it had a moment ago.
Without a word, they changed direction and followed the woman to the diner.
Cord took the booth opposite the young woman and watched her from the corner of his eye. She was such a sexy little thing, no more than five foot one but voluptuous enough to suit his and his brother’s tastes. He wanted to know the color of her eyes and what her name was, but he didn’t want to be too forward and put her on alert.
The waitress came and took her order, and the sound of the woman’s light, feminine voice sent shivers racing up and down his spine, causing goose bumps to erupt all over his skin. Physically restraining himself from going over there and asking her name was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. Cord had never felt so drawn to a woman before, and from the looks his brother was giving her, he felt the same way.
He and Brandt had begun to share women in their early twenties but had never imagined they would have the opportunity to have a full relationship with one special woman between them. That was until they had arrived in Slick Rock and found that their cousins Giles, Remy, and Brandon were in the process of wooing the woman they wanted to share.
Kayli had accepted their overtures, and eventually she had let them into her bed and finally her heart. Now all three brothers worked from home and helped Kayli look after their baby, while Cord and Brandt held things down at the office.
They had been in the small Colorado town for nearly twelve months now and had just moved into their newly built house. Their cousins had asked them to buy into the security company after Cord and Brandt had retired from the police force.
Theirs wasn’t the only polyandrous relationship in Slick Rock. As far as he knew, there were five other unconventional marriages in town. Now that they were settled in business as well as in their house, all they needed was a woman to complete them.
Was she the one they had been waiting for?
A loud crash resonated through the room when one of the waitstaff was accidently knocked by a patron and she dropped the tray of dirty dishes she had been carrying. Cord saw the woman across from them jump, and then she just seemed to disappear from her seat. She slid from the seat of the booth and slipped beneath the table, curling up into the fetal position with her arms around her head, trying to hide her face.
What the fuck? Quickly moving from h
is seat, he hunkered down and cautiously reached out. Placing his hand on her calf, he ran it up and down her leg in a soothing motion. He was aware of Brandt standing behind him, trying to block the scene of the woman’s fear from prying eyes.
The whimpering sounds she made nearly broke his heart. This woman had obviously been to hell and back, and he wanted to haul her into his arms and offer her comfort, wrapping her tight in his embrace.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re safe here. No one is going to hurt you,” Cord said quietly but loud enough for her to hear. Keeping up the soothing motions of his hand and nonsensical noises, he felt the tension slowly leave her body. She lifted her head slowly, her fear-glazed eyes meeting his. They were such a beautiful color, a mix of brown and gold with flecks of green, but her irises were nearly drowned out by her dilated pupils. Holding her gaze, he extended his hand to help her from beneath the table and watched as she lowered her eyes. He pushed his attraction aside, more concerned about her well-being, and her face pinkened with embarrassment when she realized where she was.
“Are you okay?” Cord asked when she wouldn’t meet his eyes. She gave him a nod and finally lifted her arm and reached out for his hand. Tingling heat enveloped his hand and shot straight down to his crotch. The trembling of her fingers and palm pulled at his heart, and he wanted to get to the bottom of her fear and help her in any way he could. Her hand was so small compared to his, as well as really cold and clammy. Being as gentle as he could, he pulled her out from under the table, her ass sliding on the linoleum floor. When her head and body had cleared, he helped her to her feet. Keeping his hand around hers, he stood from his squatting position, placed his other hand on her waist, and helped her to her feet. Instead of sitting her back at her own table, he moved backward, gently guiding her to sit next to him in their booth.
“My name is Cord Alcott, and this is my brother, Brandt.” He indicated with his head as Brandt sat down on the other side of her.
“Shelby,” she began and then cleared her throat. “Shelby Richmond.”
“Pleased to meet you, Shelby,” Brandt said, and Cord saw the color rise in her face again. Even though she tried to hide her shiver, he saw that, too.
“Are you all right, Shelby?”
“Yes,” she squeaked out in a high-pitched voice, and then the color drained from her face, leaving her so white Cord was scared she was about to pass out. Her breathing was escalated, and he could see the rapid beat of her pulse in the hollow at the base of her throat.
Just then the waitress brought Shelby’s order and placed it on the table in front of her. She took his and Brandt’s orders and left again.
Shelby picked up her iced tea and gulped half the glass, her hand still trembling slightly.
Cord knew she was far from okay but didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was.
“Do you live in Slick Rock, Shelby?” Brandt queried.
“No.”
“Where are you from?” Cord asked.
“Illinois, Bloomington to be exact.”
“You’re quite a distance from home. What brought you here?” Brandt inquired.
“Um, I just needed a change of scenery.”
Cord realized that Shelby was becoming uncomfortable again, because she was fidgeting and squirming in her seat, so he changed the subject.
“We’re part owners of the local security company and have only been in town for a little over twelve months. We’re retired cops and love how the pace of this town is much more relaxed than the city.”
Shelby nodded, letting him know she had heard him, but kept her eyes lowered. She took deep breaths and released them slowly. This time when she reached for her glass, her hand was a lot steadier. It looked like little Shelby was back in control again. Finally she looked up and gazed to him then Brandt.
“Thank you,” she said so quietly that Cord found himself leaning toward her to hear her.
“You don’t have to thank us, Shelby, we didn’t do anything,” Brandt replied.
“Yes, you did. You kept prying eyes away from me.”
“We would have done the same for anyone, baby,” Cord stated. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“So, how do you like Slick Rock, darlin’?” Brandt inquired.
“I−It’s fine. But I’m not staying.”
Cord looked over to Brandt and knew his brother was thinking the same as him. Little Shelby was running from something. He wanted to pick her up, carry her out to the truck, and take her home, where they could keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe. When he realized where his thoughts were at, he knew that this woman was worth courting.
Shelby was pushing the salad in front of her with her fork, but she didn’t look to be interested in eating. Cord sighed when the waitress brought their order. He began to eat, hoping she would settle enough to do the same.
“How long will you be stayin’, little one?” Brandt queried.
Cord held his breath while he waited for Shelby to answer. He didn’t want to hear that she would be moving on. Exhaling slowly, he watched her expectantly and saw a gamut of emotions flit across her expressive face. She went from concern to fear and finally resignation and then lifted her eyes to Brandt.
“I don’t know, but I need a job. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone hiring, would you?”
“Maybe. What is it you’re looking for?”
“Just a way to earn some cash. Enough so I can get my radiator fixed, and then I can move on.”
“You having car trouble, baby?” Cord inquired. He caught himself hoping her answer would be yes. Normally he wouldn’t wish car trouble on anyone, but…
“Yeah, my radiator boiled just as I hit town. I haven’t even had a chance to take it to a mechanic yet, but I know that I’m going to need a new one. Probably other things as well.” She sighed.
“Well, it just so happens that we know both the shops in town. One is fairly new, but I’d trust the Badons with any of my vehicles,” Brandt stated.
“You have more than one car?”
“We have a truck each and take them to Quin, Grayson, and Pierson Badon whenever we need something done. If you like, we could take you over to their place after we’ve eaten and they’ll give you the lowdown,” Cord suggested.
“I don’t have much of a choice,” she replied on another sigh. “What about work? Do you know where I could get a job?”
Cord raised an eyebrow at Brandt and knew his brother understood his unspoken question when he gave a slight nod. Shifting his gaze back to Shelby, he noticed she had actually started to eat rather than play with her food. Hoping she was relaxing now that they were talking with her, he tried to reach out to her.
“As it happens, we have a need for a receptionist and administration assistant. We need someone to answer the phones, do the filing, and such. Do you think you may be interested?”
“Yes,” she answered quickly, as if she was grabbing onto a lifeline, unwilling to let go.
“What did you do before you left home?” Brandt asked.
“I worked in sales for a telephone company.”
“Well, that definitely means you have computer and phone knowledge. I think you’d be perfect for the job. What do you say, Shelby? Do you want to come and work for us?” Cord queried.
“I think I’d be stupid to turn you down,” she answered. “Do you know where I could find a room to rent?”
“You can stay with us,” Brandt said and quickly continued before Shelby could interrupt him. “We have a brand-new house with more room than we know what to do with. It would be nice to have other company around rather than just ourselves.”
“I’m not a charity case,” Shelby said belligerently, narrowing her eyes at first Brandt and then Cord with a firm stare.
“Never thought you were, little girl. Board is fifty bucks a week, meals and utilities are included,” Cord stated in a firm voice. He was loathe to take her money, but he knew damn well
she would balk if he didn’t. Shelby was obviously a woman who was self-reliant, and she wasn’t about to give up her independence for anyone.
“Tell me about the job and pay,” she commanded, thrusting her chin at him as if going into battle.
Oh darlin’, you are so fucking sexy. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms. The idea of holding a naked Shelby in his arms was even more appealing. Pushing his lascivious thoughts aside, he began to tell her what they expected of her and what her pay would be. When he was done he let her think over her decision as she finally finished her salad and iced tea.
“Okay, I accept. Thank you.”
“No, thank you. You are going to save us a lot of wasted time by answering phones and the like,” Brandt said. “Are you finished, Shelby?”
“Yes.”
“Then how about we get your car over to the Badons’, and then we can get you settled into your room?” Cord suggested.
“Okay.”
Brandt moved out of the booth first and turned back to help Shelby to her feet. Cord heard her gasp as his brother’s hand enveloped hers, and he knew she was feeling the same thing he had when he had touched her. She pulled her hand back quickly as if she had been singed and followed Brandt to the door. Cord wanted to know if she was affected by his touch, too. Shelby had been too lost in her world of panic when he’d touched her previously.
He placed his hand down low on her back, just above her ass, and nearly smiled when he saw a slight shudder run the length of her spine. Oh yeah. She wanted him just as much. Now he and Brandt had to convince her to begin a relationship with them. But not too quickly, or they would send her running.