Cameron, Paige - Commando Cowboys Rescue Their Bride [Wyoming Warriors 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance)

by Paige Cameron

  “Do you want to come in?”

  “Not really. I need to walk.”

  “Then let’s go to the greenhouses and walk among my flowers, or I should say Mitch and Daren’s mom’s flowers. But she said they were mine when I got married.” Sara motioned for Morgan to walk with her around the side of the house.

  Three greenhouses were set to the side, each attached to the other. “There were two. Mitch had the third built to accommodate my love of plants.”

  “Mitch or Daren?”

  Sara didn’t answer at first. She opened the door to the first greenhouse and waited for Morgan to go inside. The fragrance of plants and earth scented the air. Sara strolled with Morgan around the area, pointing out various plants, and new ones she’d added. When they entered the second greenhouse, the scent of fruit trees and flowering trees sweetened the room.

  “Let’s sit here. I love the fragrances, and a bench has been placed strategically between several of the fruit trees to get the best enjoyment of their scent.” Sara sat and moved to the side to make room for Morgan.

  “Now, were you asking me a specific question back there, or inferring something?”

  Morgan felt awful and looked down at her hands. Sara put her hand over them. “I can see you’re confused and upset. Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  “You’re embarrassed. You think I might not understand or think less of you.”

  Morgan looked up at Sara. “You know. Are you married to Mitch and Daren?”

  “I talked with Mitch after Justin called, and asked how much I might tell you. What I say isn’t to go out of this room.”

  “I promise it won’t.”

  “Then yes, I am married to both of them, and love them equally. I couldn’t imagine my life without them in it.”

  “I know. I’ve seen the joy in your eyes, and I’ve wondered. You sometimes look at Daren in a certain way, and since I know you so well, I’ve suspected you might have feelings for him. I never suspected you’d married them both. I worried that it might upset your relationship with Mitch.”

  “Thanks for telling me. I’d better watch my expressions when I’m around people who know me. I’d chosen not to tell my family and you and Ellen because, at first, I was still getting used to the idea myself. And of course, the community prefers the townspeople and others don’t know. They don’t want the curiosity it might arouse.”

  “How did you decide to do it? I mean, it’s so controversial to everything we’ve believed in.”

  “I wrestled with the same doubts. I went to see my mother and considered telling her. I didn’t. I wasn’t sure what she’d think about me marrying two men. But it’s accepted here. In fact, it’s preferred. I’m treated with kindness and respect.”

  Morgan paced around in front of Sara. She stopped for a second. “What do you do in town and when you’re around others who wouldn’t understand?”

  “We had two weddings. One to marry me to both of them and another to marry me to Mitch with a license and all, to show any outsiders that he was my husband. The second marriage is just a legal technicality. Daren, in my heart and here in the community, is always equally my husband.”

  “I’m so confused.” Morgan threw herself back down on the bench. She plucked an orange blossom from a nearby tree and brought to her nose. “It smells heavenly. I don’t suppose you can tell me more about this community? Justin and Ethan told me some, but not where they came from, or exactly what they do outside of the ranch?”

  “You can’t be told everything unless you marry Ethan and Justin. All I can say is most everyone has a regular job here. Some of the children, when grown, have chosen not to live at the ranch, but to pursue other careers. What our men do when they’re gone is for good, not bad as I feared for a very short time when I first arrived.”

  Sara took Morgan’s hand. “I’m not sure what you do know, so some of this may be repetitive. Their five senses are heightened to a much stronger degree than the normal person’s. A few of them have one or two of their senses that are even more enhanced than the other warriors’.”

  She smiled. “When they’re on a mission or there is some threat, especially to a loved one, they go into what they call their warrior mode. I don’t want you to worry. Mitch has explained to me they can almost always control their change. They focus on one spot and their muscles, eyesight, sense of smell and strength intensifies. Their ability to plan and fight is superior to others. When they come out of their warrior mode, they have to work off the adrenaline hike in their system. But even in their everyday life, they are stronger, more capable, and always the most loyal, loving people I’ve ever met.”

  “How did you really meet Mitch?”

  Sara laughed. “That’s a long story.” She proceeded to tell Morgan about the kidnapping.

  “I’d have died of fright.”

  “No. You’re much stronger than you give yourself credit for, and you will find your own answers regarding your relationship with Ethan and Justin. Just as I did. I’ll support you whatever you decide.” Sara hugged Morgan.

  “When I met you and Ellen at college, it was one of the luckiest days in my life. And I’m ashamed to admit I have a few secrets I’ve never shared with you two.”

  “That’s all right. We always knew you were holding something back, and at the right time you’d tell us.”

  “My mother is the world-famous model, Gechina Flores, and my father is the well-known movie producer, Barram O’Malley. Mother kept her maiden name for her work.”

  “I never dreamed you—”

  “I know I don’t look like her. I favor my paternal grandmother, much to my mother’s regret.”

  Sara put her hands on Morgan’s upper arms and faced her directly. “You are beautiful in your own right. Surely you don’t long to be petite and blonde. You are you, and it’s wonderful.”

  Morgan pulled away and stood. “The other secret is that I am filthy rich. I worked to blend in with my friends. So see, I’m a big fake.” Tears running down her face, she ran back through the greenhouses and outside. She stopped long enough to wipe the tears from her face before walking briskly back to her cabin. It was all too much. She’d pack her things and demand to be sent home, wherever that was. She paid no attention to anything around her, but strode in the door and stopped short.

  “Hello, Morgan. Fancy seeing you here.” Bill sat in the chair by the fireplace, a gun in his hand directed at her middle.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Have you gone crazy? What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come for you, and for my money. They’ll be glad to give me my shares when I promise to kill you if they don’t. Right now you’re coming with me.” He walked across to her and grabbed her arm. “Mr. Brown is eager to see you again.”

  That did it. All the confusion, hurt, feelings of anger and loss rose from the pit of her stomach, taking her breath, and sending heat to her face. She exploded. She shoved him, and kicked him in the balls. He hadn’t expected resistance.

  When he bent over in pain, Morgan grabbed the gun that he’d dropped. She stepped back and held it out toward him as he got to his feet.

  “You bitch. Give me my gun. If I have to take it back from you, you’ll regret it.”

  “What I regret, Bill, is ever thinking you were a friend. You’d sell me to Mr. Brown, whoever he really is. And for that, I’m going to shoot you.” Her finger pulled back on the trigger, and the shot to his shoulder spun him around and down.

  “For threatening my life, you get this.” She shot him in the leg and he screamed in pain and for help.

  Her door burst open, Justin leading with Ethan right behind. Justin grabbed her wrist and took hold of the gun. “You can give it to me, honey. He won’t ever try to hurt you again. I promise.”

  She had to concentrate to get her finger to relax around the trigger. Finally, she let Justin take it out of her hand.

  “I wasn’t going to
kill him. Just make him wish he was dead. I’m a good shot. That’s one thing my father taught me.”

  Justin kissed her cheek. “He certainly did.”

  Ethan had knelt by Bill and called for Jack to come take care of him. “You’ll be taken to the hospital, and as soon as you’re recovered you’ll be put downstairs.”

  “No,” Bill screamed. “I don’t want my memory taken.”

  “You should have thought of that before you came here carrying a gun and threatening someone on this ranch. You also brought others with you, showing how much of a traitor you are to us and our country.”

  “You’re bluffing.”

  “No. Sahale is a good trapper. We sent him out to check our boundaries. We considered you might try something rather than arrange the meeting with the boss,” Ethan said. “Sahale found your cohorts and has them corralled. Some more of our men are riding out to help bring them in.”

  Morgan heard a siren, and an ambulance stopped at the cabin. Two assistants came in with Jack, the doctor who’d treated her after she’d been drugged. They soon had Bill in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

  “Will I go to jail?” Morgan asked.

  “No way, honey. You were protecting yourself.”

  “He was going to try and get the gun back, but I didn’t have to shoot him the second time.”

  Ethan laughed. “No, but I don’t blame you. Did he threaten to take you to Mr. Brown?”

  “Yes, how did you know?”

  “I think he owed him a great deal of money.”

  “Anyway, no charges will be brought against a woman protecting herself. It was his gun. He planned to use it on you, or take you to Brown to be sold to the highest bidder,” Justin said.

  “Did you two just happen to be coming to see me?”

  “Sahale radioed he had the accomplices cornered, but didn’t see Bill. Ethan and I started this way, and we picked up his scent. We were running full steam when we heard the gunshot. The second one almost stopped my heart.” Justin pulled her into his arms and held her tight and close.

  Ethan came up behind her and kissed her neck. “We both lost ten years off our lives, sweetheart.”

  “I was upset and angry, and then Bill threatened me with Mr. Brown. I just lost it.”

  “We’ll be very careful if we get you angry in the future,” Ethan said.

  Justin stepped back and looked into her eyes. “Did you talk with Sara?”

  “We talked. Nothing is certain in my mind.”

  “Well, my job is done for now,” Ethan said. “They’ll take all the prisoners in for questioning. Afterwards we’ll give them to our government contacts. The main guy has stayed elusive and free, but his time is limited. We’ll get him.” He looked directly at Morgan. “Anyway, I thought I’d take you with me to visit my hideaway in California for a few days.”

  “Really?” Her spirits brightened. “But what about Justin?”

  “I’ll be getting ready for an overseas assignment, but I’ll be here when you two get back.”

  “I mean, you’re all right with this?”

  “Darlin’, I thought you understood this is our culture. It’s natural to us.”

  “Still.” Morgan walked away from both men. “Justin, you said I’d never fit in here at the ranch.”

  “Never take what I say in anger seriously. I have concerns, but we’ll work them out. I love you. Seems I can’t live without you, so I’ll find a way for us to be happy together.”

  She turned to face Ethan and gave him a stern look. “Just because I agree to go with you doesn’t mean I’ll marry the two of you.”

  “I think we can change your mind.”

  “And if you don’t?”

  “We’ll let you go.” They both spoke in unison.

  Morgan studied their faces. She did love them. The idea of having both of them for husbands didn’t seem as strange as when they’d first mentioned it. In fact, she was beginning to definitely like the idea, but she wasn’t ready to totally commit herself just yet.

  “When do we leave?”

  “First thing in the morning. I thought you might contact your parents and see if they’d meet us in San Francisco. Ever been there?”

  “Once, when I was about twelve. I loved it. I’ll call my mother and see. There’s something I haven’t told you two.”

  She sat in one of the chairs by the fireplace and motioned to them to join her. “I’ll have a crooked neck if I have to look up at you.”

  Justin pulled a straight chair over and straddled it. Ethan sat in the chair across from her. She told them briefly of her parents’ identities and her wealth.

  Ethan took her hand and ran his thumb across the top. “You believe you’re not as pretty as her. I knew there was some reason for a beautiful woman to be that insecure. This explains it.”

  “She wasn’t kind to me. I was supposed to look just like her and all her friends would compliment her on producing a clone of herself. Instead, she got the exact opposite.”

  “How did your dad respond to the way she treated you?” Justin asked.

  “He loved mother completely. There wasn’t any room left for anyone else. I enjoyed the most expensive boarding schools, and occasionally went on trips with them.”

  “Darlin’, you won’t feel unloved or unappreciated with us,” Justin said. He’d moved closer and turned her face toward him.

  “One more question. Why are you afraid of dogs?”

  “Mother and I were walking when I was very small, four or five. A dog ran up barking and jumping at us. He bit her. She became hysterical. A kind man ran to us and called for help. Turned out the dog was rabid. My mother got distraught each time she got the injections.”

  Justin picked her up and sat in the chair holding her. Tears poured down her face. Ethan held tight to her hand.

  “We had a puppy. She had him sent away. No animals in the house. They all had the capability of being rabid. Mother was, and is, dramatic about any unusual occurrence in her life.”

  “Your fear of animals, especially dogs, developed after that?” Justin asked.

  “Yes. Although she did insist I take riding lessons. Somehow horses weren’t included in her mind with the other animals. As an adult, rationally, I know my fear is stupid, but I haven’t been able to totally get over it. If a dog runs toward me, my first instinct is to turn and run from them. The fear takes over.”

  “I’ll work with you and Rusty. I’ll train him not to jump on you. But you have to be willing to try and touch him, pet him, let him get to know you.”

  “I think I can do that. In fact, I want to. I need to get past these fears, especially if I decide to stay here.” Ethan and Justin gave her a big smile.

  “You are considering marrying us,” Justin said.

  “We’ll see. But I am ready to go to California.”

  “Call your parents and pack. We’ll leave first thing in the morning. Justin and I have to go to headquarters and take care of business. We’ll see you at the ranch house for dinner. A large group of us will be dining there together.”

  Morgan watched them walk away in the direction of the main house. She did love them, and a thrill went through her at the idea of not having to choose between them. To have them both as her husbands didn’t seem like a bad idea at all.

  * * * *

  Justin and Ethan went down the elevator toward the interrogation room. They found Sahale looking through the one-way mirror.

  Mitch shot questions at Mr. Brown. Brown, sitting across the table from him, had his hands and feet securely fastened to the chair. He stared sullenly at Mitch.

  “Has he said anything?” Ethan asked.

  “Nothing important. Threats of what he’ll do when he gets out of here. He said he knows lots of important people, but won’t name any of them.”

  “Good work, by the way.” Ethan clapped Sahale on the shoulder.

  “I should congratulate you two. Word is your lady friend took care of Bill.”

&
nbsp; “She certainly did. Justin and I ran quick as we could after hearing you didn’t have him, but we were too late. We heard two shots and thought for sure he’d killed her.”

  “How did she disarm him?”

  “Sheer luck and surprise. Plus the fact that once she got the gun she knew how to use it,” Justin said.

  A wide grin crossed Sahale’s face. “She’d be a dangerous woman to anger. She’s Sara’s friend. Do you think there’s any more like them?”

  “One more friend, but she’s different. Actually, they’re all three different. Ask Jack, he met the other friend. You and Jack thinking about settling down?” Ethan asked.

  “Jack’s thirty-two and I’m thirty-four, so we’ve thought it might be time to find the right woman. We’ll see, no hurry. We’ve got to see you two married first.”

  “Well, we’re definitely working on it.” Justin turned back to the mirror. Brown continued to deny any knowledge of a boss further up the line than Bill.

  “They’ll all have to have their minds wiped clean of us and the ranch before we turn them over to the government.” Ethan walked closer to the mirror.

  “That’s no problem. What worries me is who else knows about us because of Bill?” Justin frowned at Brown. “I wouldn’t mind having a few minutes in private with him. It makes me see red when I think of what he tried with Morgan, and my knuckles itch to make contact with his face.”

  “I imagine Mitch will keep Bill longer and have the machine do a mind search hoping to find out what specific information he gave out,” Sahale said.

  Mitch left the interrogation room and joined them. “He’s a tough old man. I’m not going to bother trying any harder to get information from him. We’ll send him and the rest, except Bill, to our contacts. The government guys can work on them. We’ll deal with Bill. He’s one of ours.

  “Sahale, before we use the mind sweep, I’d like you to put Bill in a trance and see what you can find out. Since he’s at the hospital in a weakened state, you might be able to get the answers from him without using our more intrusive methods.”