Brooke, Leah - Raw Desire [Desire, Oklahoma 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Leah Brooke

  Going to her suitcase, she pulled out her low-heeled shoes, lamenting the fact that her injury to her hip kept her from wearing high heels. Slipping them on, she eyed Dillon as he finished knotting his tie.

  “Damn, you look good enough to eat.”

  Turning from the mirror, Dillon winked. “I was just thinking the same thing about you. Difference is, as soon as we get home, I’m eating you.”

  Wondering if she’d ever get used to their outrageous statements, she pressed her thighs together at the inconvenient rush of juices that dampened the panties she’d just slipped on.

  “Damn it, Dillon. Stop saying things like that. This is serious. I don’t want Danny to see I’m scared of him and his friends.”

  Ryder tossed the towels aside and started dressing in a dark suit. “When nobody’s looking, stick your tongue out at him.”

  She plopped on the bed and just as quickly jumped up again. “I can’t sit here. I’m going outside.”

  Dillon turned from the mirror and came toward her, taking her arm. “Good idea. You’re wound up tight. Ryder, we’ll be outside. Hurry up.”

  Caleb straightened as soon as they came through the door. When she’d met him the night before, he hadn’t looked nearly as intimidating as he did now. Dressed in a dark suit and wearing dark glasses, he looked cold and formidable. Walking toward her, he ruined it by whipping off his glasses and smiling playfully.

  “She’s jumpy, isn’t she? She must have walked back and forth from the window about fifty times in the last hour.”

  Keeping an arm around her waist, Dillon sighed. “She didn’t even sleep last night. Every time Ryder and I thought we had her settled, she jumped up again.”

  “I’m standing right here, you know?”

  Caleb sighed. “I checked again. Everything’s on time. Some of his boys showed up here earlier. Got a good look at Lucas and took off. Pussies. I half expected the son of a bitch to skip bail.”

  Alison shook her head. “He’d never leave Muskogee. He’s a big deal here. No, he’s convinced he can worm his way out of this.” Shrugging, she looked away. “Who knows? Maybe he can.”

  She blinked when she saw Devlin and Lucas approach from the side, struck speechless by the display of dangerous male and deadly threat the two of them made.

  She already knew Devlin, but the easygoing male she’d ridden with on the way here looked nothing like the dark-haired man with the cold expression who walked toward her now.

  Beside him, Lucas Hart, also dressed in a dark suit, his gaze continuously sweeping the area, looked downright lethal.

  It didn’t surprise her at all that Danny’s friends had taken one look at him and left.

  Even though she knew them, knew that they were here to protect her, she felt a chill go through her and moved closer to Dillon.

  Dropping a kiss on her head, he tightened his arm around her.

  “They make quite a statement, don’t they? You’re safe with them, and they’ll scare the hell out of Danny.”

  Caleb leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially. “Lucas practices that look in the mirror every morning.”

  Trying to imagine the grim faced man coming toward her making faces at himself in the mirror startled a giggle from her, the reaction she would bet had been Caleb’s intention all along.

  Shooting him a grateful smile, she smiled at Ryder as he approached and looked up, meeting Dillon’s watchful gaze.

  “I’m ready now. No matter how this turns out, I want to get it over with.”

  * * * *

  If she hadn’t been such a nervous wreck, she might have enjoyed the next several minutes a lot more.

  Instead she just fought not to throw up.

  Flanked by Dillon and Ryder, Alison walked into the courtroom, meeting the prosecutor’s encouraging smile before her gaze automatically flew to Danny. The supreme look of confidence in his eyes made her stiffen, the muscles in her back tightening one by one. Her stomach churned, burning and making her feel ill.

  It was the same smile he’d given her right before he pushed her down a flight of stairs.

  Surrounded by his family and friends, who took up the entire half of the courtroom behind him, he turned to nod at something one of them said, his look cool and amused when he turned back again.

  Dillon’s hand, already warm on her back, began to move, his fingers kneading the tense spot he already knew so well. Shifting his body, he kissed the top of her head, momentarily blocking her view of Danny.

  “You’re not alone, baby.”

  From the other side of her, Ryder slid his hand to her shoulder, bending until his lips touched her ear.

  “You let this asshole scare you and I’ll paddle your ass good.”

  The shock of Ryder saying such a thing in the middle of the courtroom had a giggle escaping before she could prevent it.

  Danny’s smile fell, his eyes hardening and his jaw clenching. He turned his head slightly, glaring at Ryder. Paling at whatever he saw on Ryder’s face, he shifted his attention to Dillon.

  If possible, he paled even more, his eyes widening before he hurriedly looked away.

  Intrigued by Danny’s reaction, and pleased to see him looking uneasy, she didn’t want to turn away, but the others coming into the courtroom behind her drew her attention.

  And the attention of everyone else in the courtroom.

  Lucas, Devlin, and Caleb, each imposing figures on their own, tripled the impact by walking in together.

  They drew every eye in the courtroom, the sounds of sharp intakes of breath echoing through the room.

  Turning slightly in her seat, and grateful for the arm Ryder wrapped around her shoulder, she swallowed heavily when all three men removed their dark glasses. As one, they stared directly at Danny as they took their seats behind her, the icy disdain in their eyes sending a chill through her.

  Dillon reached for her hand, cradling it in his, and leaned closer, smiling conspiratorially.

  “Scary, aren’t they?”

  Giving him a distracted nod, she divided her attention between Danny and the back of the courtroom, swallowing the lump that kept forming in her throat at the number of Desire’s residents who continued to pour in.

  Ace Tyler, an intimidating figure in his uniform, glanced at Danny in disgust, just as quickly dismissing him, shifting his attention to the attorney defending him. His lips twitched slightly before he turned away, but not before the attorney paled and then turned red, the red becoming even darker when his movements became so clumsy he knocked several files to the floor.

  Alison watched closely, a little amused at the look of anger on Danny’s face, apparently for being dismissed so carelessly.

  Brimming with confidence and authority, Ace surprised her further by removing his glasses and giving her a slow wink, taking a seat at the end of the row closest to the other attorney and turning to watch as the man fumbled and dropped another stack of papers.

  Erin Preston talked animatedly while walking in with two of her husbands. Her glare, filled with revulsion, didn’t appear to faze Danny at all, but the threatening look from Jared’s piercing stare did.

  Reese shook his head in resignation at whatever Erin said and grabbed her hand, bending to say something to her and hustling her to a seat.

  Erin shot him a look and tried to pull her hand away, but he held firm and whispered to her again, this time earning a soft laugh. Looking her way, Erin smiled and waved before Reese tugged her arm, pulling her down to sit in the seat beside him.

  He responded to Erin’s glare by leaning close and whispering something in her ear, something that had her eyes going wide and her face coloring before she shifted in her seat and hurriedly looked away.

  Through it all, Jared never stopped glaring at Danny.

  Linc Barrett, the deputy who’d arrested Danny in Desire, came through the door next with Nat and Charity, followed closely by Beau, the man who’d helped her in the club.

  Jesse came through the door wi
th Rio, followed closely by Michael from the bar.

  She recognized the next man through the door from the diner, one of Gracie’s husbands, who walked in speaking in low tones to another man, one more muscular than any man she’d ever seen in person before.

  A touch to Dillon’s arm got his immediate and undivided attention.

  “Yes, baby?”

  Warmed by his attentiveness, she tried to ignore Danny’s threatening looks from across the room and gestured toward the man who’d just walked in.

  “Who’s that man? I don’t remember meeting him. Does he live in Desire?”

  Turning in his seat, he nodded a greeting to the growing crowd behind them and squeezed her hand.

  “That’s King Taylor. He’s one of the owners of Club Desire, and if you don’t stop ogling him, I’m going to be the one paddling your ass.”

  Leaning into him, she tried to give him the smile she knew he wanted, but nerves kept her from pulling it off. Unable to keep her gaze from sliding to Danny, she clung to Dillon’s hand.

  “I just want this to be over with. If I end up getting arrested, will you come and see me on visiting day?”

  Ryder closed his arms around her from behind, pulling her close and bending to touch his lips to her ear.

  “I wouldn’t let them take you. You and I would make a run for it. We could be outlaws together.” He paused, thoughtfully. “Hmm, we’d have to get nicknames, though.”

  His outrageous teasing eased some of her nerves, and she looked up over her shoulder, smiling gratefully.

  “I love you, you know?”

  “All rise!”

  Purposely turning away from Ryder’s look of surprise, Alison’s gaze flew to the front of the courtroom, and with Dillon and Ryder’s help, she forced her shaky legs to support her.

  With her stomach tied up in knots, she watched the judge carefully for any signs of friendliness toward Danny.

  When he took his seat without showing any signs of recognition at all, Alison glanced toward Danny, who looked madder than hell.

  “What’s going on?”

  Even though she’d whispered, Dillon and Ryder both seemed to hear her.

  Helping her to sit again, Dillon gestured toward the man sitting on the other side of Ryder, a man Alison hadn’t even noticed until now.

  “Alison, this is Mark Reynolds. He’s your attorney. No matter what happens here today, he’s looking out for your interests. And from what I understand, he’s a shark.”

  Nervously, Alison leaned across Ryder to speak softly to the expensively dressed attorney. He even smelled expensive, making her wonder just how much all this was costing Dillon and Ryder.

  “I’m glad you’re on my side. I have a feeling I’m going to need a shark. What’s happening? Why does Danny look so mad?”

  Mark Reynolds leaned slightly toward her, glancing at her briefly before returning his attention to the proceedings. Except for the amusement in his eyes, his face remained devoid of all expression.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Alison. I don’t know about a shark, but I’m very good at what I do. As for what’s happening…well, I unearthed a few photos of the defendant and the local judge drinking beer together at a family reunion, hunting together, even attending a strip club together. Those kinds of photos sent to the right places…”

  Ryder rubbed her shoulder, unobtrusively straightening her in her seat and away from the other man.

  “And we get a new judge.”

  Unable to stop trembling, Alison looked in Danny’s direction to see him still scowling, talking animatedly in loud whispers to his lawyer.

  His parents, sitting right behind him, didn’t look much happier.

  Gripping Dillon’s and Ryder’s hands, she turned her attention away from Danny and sucked in a breath as the trial began.

  The prosecutor began his opening statement, giving a clear picture of Danny’s womanizing and drinking, his tendencies toward violence, and his drunk-driving record.

  It made her feel even more like a fool.

  She’d grown up in the same town and hadn’t been aware of half of the things the prosecutor named.

  When he started to talk about her and her injuries, she had to swallow several times, fighting back nausea.

  Aware of the anger coming off of Dillon and Ryder, she forced back tears and let her own fury surface.

  She’d been stupid, of course, because she’d trusted the wrong man, but she’d be damned if she let Dillon, Ryder, and the other people from Desire see her as a victim.

  She was strong. She’d come to testify, hadn’t she?

  Straightening her spine, she listened to the prosecutor finish his opening remarks and to Danny’s attorney begin.

  Several times his eyes darted toward where Ace sat at the end of the row behind her, and as she feared, he started his opening statement by blaming the entire incident on her.

  “My client didn’t set out to hurt the woman he loved. It was self-defense.”

  To Alison’s shock, everyone on the side of the courtroom where she sat burst out into laughter.

  The warmth and camaraderie settled even more of her nerves, and she found herself smiling at the look of mortification and anger on Danny’s face.

  The judge pounded his gavel.

  “I won’t put up with any more outbursts like that in my courtroom.”

  But the damage had already been done. Even several of the jury members smiled.

  Danny’s attorney floundered as he tried to get back on track, appealing to the jury, while looking nervously toward Mark Reynolds as her attorney calmly opened his briefcase and began to pull out a number of file folders.

  “It’s true! She came at him with a knife.”

  He went on to tell the jury that several witnesses would convince them of his client’s innocence, all the while keeping a careful eye on Mark.

  * * * *

  Sitting on the witness stand, Alison blinked at how much the courtroom had filled on her side since she’d last looked. Warmed by the support of people she’d never even met, she kept glancing at Dillon and Ryder.

  Their smiles of encouragement and the absolute trust and love shining in their eyes gave her all the courage and motivation she needed to get through this.

  The attorneys, including Mark Reynolds, approached the bench and spoke in low tones. Danny’s attorney argued vehemently, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying, but in the end, he and the prosecutor both sat, leaving Mark Reynolds to question her.

  “So, Miss Bennett, let’s go over the events of that day.”

  Everyone that had come to support her, even Lucas, Devlin, and Caleb, smiled at her encouragingly.

  Her gaze slid around the courtroom, stopping when she got to the two women who’d been friends all of her life.

  She’d known Tracy Johnson and Beth Gibson since kindergarten. They’d had sleepovers together, giggled about boys, and copied each other’s homework.

  As they got older, they’d shopped together, borrowed each other’s clothing, and spent hours talking about boys.

  They’d been best friends and confidants, but had backed away from her as soon as she started having trouble with Danny.

  Even when they’d visited her in the hospital, they’d been in a hurry to get away. The years they’d been friends, however, remained sharp in her mind, and she couldn’t be angry with them. Disappointed, yes, but not angry. They never wanted to leave their hometown, and so had to conform.

  They stood in the back with several of Danny’s friends, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

  Alison smiled at them, silently acknowledging that she understood their dilemma, and turned back to Mark Reynolds.

  “Okay.”

  “You and Mr. Peller were very close at one time, weren’t you?

  “Yes. He was my boyfriend for almost a year.”

  Turning her head, she met Mark’s gaze and, for the first time, caught a glimpse of the woman Danny had been with that day sitting in
the row right behind him.

  “Did you have a key to his house?”

  “Yes. He gave me one about six months ago. He liked to come home from work and find me there and a hot meal on the table.”

  “So is that why you went over to his house that day? To cook for him?”

  “No. I went over to get my sunglasses. I’d forgotten them there.”

  “And when you walked into the house, what happened?”

  Alison drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, hoping to loosen the knot in her stomach.

  “I heard voices from the bedroom, so I started to go there, until I heard what was being said. Then I stopped and just stood there kind of frozen for a minute.”

  “What did you hear?”

  “I heard Danny asking a question over and over in a rough voice. It took me a minute to realize what he was saying.”

  Mark Reynolds crossed his arms over his chest.

  “What was he saying?”

  Alison smiled at the groan from the other woman and spared a glance at Ryder. “Who’s your daddy?”

  Ryder laughed so hard he had tears streaming down his face, making it difficult for Alison to keep a straight face.

  Even Dillon looked like he was about to burst, and Erin had her face hidden in Jared’s shirtfront, her shoulders shaking.

  Alison didn’t dare look at anyone else and turned back to the attorney, whose eyes danced with mirth.

  Shaking his head, he faced her fully.

  “So what did you do then?”

  “I started upstairs.”

  “Did you go to the kitchen first to get a knife?”

  Alison shook her head and glanced at Danny.

  “No. I didn’t stop anywhere. I’d left my glasses in the hall table upstairs. I wanted to get them and leave without him even knowing I’d been there.”

  “Had he cheated on you before?”

  “Several times.”

  “So you must have caught him before.”

  “Several times. He wasn’t very discreet.”

  “But you didn’t know who he was with?”

  Shaking her head, Alison glanced at Danny. “No. He liked variety. I never caught him with the same woman twice.”