Night is Darkest

by Jayne Rylon

  “Son of a bitch. Lacey, I know we fucked up. Me especially.” He spun her around to face him. Tyler crossed to bracket her between them. “But you never have to worry again. We’re not going anywhere without you. We love you.”

  She refused to cry. She’d had enough of that to last a lifetime. Instead, she nodded then laid her head on his chest while Ty settled his cheek on Mason’s shoulder to kiss her nose. He broke the tension as though nothing momentous had just passed between them.

  “Looks like it’s you and me for a while. I’m going to cook us some breakfast, then we can sample some of the facilities. Want to try horseback riding? Maybe go for a hike?”

  “That sounds like a plan. Except, if you truly love me, you’ll let me cook instead of subjecting me to burnt toast or more Spaghetti-O’s. They just don’t sit well for breakfast.”

  Mason barked out a laugh. “Good point. I could go for an omelet right about now but you should put some clothes on first. It’s still a little chilly in here.”

  He smacked her ass then swung her bag onto the bed for her. When she unzipped it, Rob’s gun glinted in a shaft of golden sunlight. Mason’s breath hissed out.

  “You can’t be carrying that around, Lace. It’s not a toy. You don’t have a permit.” His cop face returned in an instant. “Hell, you’ve probably never held a freaking gun before this one, have you?”

  She blushed. “No. I-I’m not sure why I grabbed it. It just felt right to have something of his nearby.”

  Tyler stepped between them, shielding her from the brunt of Mason’s displeasure. “I agree with one thing. If you’re going to have it on you, you better know how to use it. After we eat, and Officer Hardass leaves, I’ll take you to the target gallery for a quick lesson. We can get you the proper paperwork when we get back to town, okay?”

  “Thank you.” Something in her chest felt lighter, though she couldn’t say why it meant so much to keep the relic. Rob had seen the weapon as a tool of his trade, nothing more. Yet, for some reason, she felt compelled to keep it close.

  “Fine,” Mason grumbled. “Am I doomed to a lifetime of getting overruled by you two?”

  “Nah, we compromised.” Tyler winked at her.

  “Whatever.” He grabbed his jeans and a navy crew neck sweater then tugged them on. “Let’s get going. I want to hear the latest.”

  ***

  Tyler savored the delicate weight of Lacey’s hand in his as they strolled through the dappled patches of sun on the forest floor. They shared a companionable silence while they made their way to the range he’d spotted on the map of the grounds. He carried both his and Rob’s guns in the waistband of his jeans.

  Birds whistled in the branches overhead while animals disturbed by their presence rustled the brush. The air smelled like damp leaves and pine. The crisp morning had forced them to shrug into hoodies but didn’t require the bulk of heavy jackets yet. He could stay in this paradise forever. The prior evening would remain burned in his memory until he died and maybe beyond. To the depths of his soul, he understood his relationship with Lacey and Mason was fated.

  They rounded a bend in the rough dirt trail. Up ahead, a weathered wood stand sat at the top of a long, narrow clearing. A row of multicolored targets and an assortment of animal forms stretched into a line at the other end. A shed, covered in flecking maroon paint as well as a healthy dose of vines, perched at the entrance to the practice area.

  Ty fished out their room key to disengage the padlock. He jimmied the door until it creaked open. The dim interior overflowed with stacks of compound bows and hunting rifles. Shelves lined each wall of the storage space complete with neat stacks of ammunition in a variety of calibers. He selected a box of .40 Smith & Wesson cartridges.

  “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea, Ty.” Lacey worried that poor spot on her lip again. “We could just keep walking or head for the stables.”

  “Don’t be nervous, little one. There’s nothing sinister about a gun. You just have to respect it and get comfortable with it.”

  She inhaled then nodded. “Okay, show me what I need to know.”

  They squeezed into the first wooden cubby together. Tyler pulled the guns from his pants and set them on the counter in front of him. “Most important. This lever is called a safety. When it’s flipped on, the gun won’t fire. You should always check its position first. With a semiautomatic you didn’t load yourself, like this one, there’s no easy way to tell if it’s loaded. Assume that it is.”

  He knew hers wasn’t since Rob would never leave it lying around that way, not to mention the fact that he’d personally verified it after she’d pulled it on him the other night. So he handed her his identical weapon then gestured for her to proceed.

  “Go ahead. Check the safety then pick it up. Always point the barrel away from yourself.”

  She curled hesitant fingers around the grip then did as he instructed. “It’s always heavier than I expect.”

  “Yeah, we’ll get to that in a minute.” He mirrored her actions with Rob’s gun. “Now, press this little switch here to release the magazine.”

  The metal container hit the surface of the shelf and spilled bullets. “Damn!”

  She grabbed for them and, in her instinctive reaction, tilted the barrel.

  “Stop.” The stern tone shocked her since he used it so rarely.

  She froze. When she realized her mistake, she grimaced. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

  “Yes. It’s the same way Rob and Mason taught me. Your focus has to be on the gun at all times. Everything else is background.”

  “I understand.” She collected the scattered ammo while keeping the barrel aimed straight down the range. He swapped their pistols, feeling odd about having his out of reach.

  “Perfect. There’s one more critical step. The top of the gun slides back to chamber the first round in the magazine. Once you start firing, the action of the gun will take care of this for each remaining bullet.”

  “How many will it hold?”

  “If you use .40 caliber in this gun, you get twelve shots.”

  She nodded, still keeping the barrel aimed away from them. She learned faster than he had.

  “To be sure the gun isn’t loaded you can make to chamber a bullet while the magazine is detached. This will eject the loaded bullet, if there is one.”

  She mimicked his action but nothing happened. “It wasn’t loaded.”

  “Right.” He beamed. “You’re doing great, little one. To load it, we’ll fill the magazine.”

  He cupped her hand. Together they shook the cartridges into the hopper.

  “Then snap it back in. Now you’re ready to chamber the first round, switch off the safety and shoot.” He set his gun on the shelf then moved behind her. “For the first few, I’ll guide you. Then you’ll try it on your own.”

  “Do I need to shoot it to know how? I mean, I know enough now not to hurt someone, right?”

  “If you don’t plan to use it, there’s no point in toting it around. It’s not a paperweight, Lace.”

  She released the tension in her shoulders with one long exhale. “Show me.”

  Tyler squatted to adjust her stance. “Keep your legs spread, one slightly in front of the other.” He put his arms around her then extended her arms. “Lock your elbows. For now, you’ll use a two-handed grip.”

  His hand blanketed hers as he folded it over the top of the barrel then slid it back to chamber the round with a smooth action. Then he guided her thumb to the safety, flicking it over to the other side. He aimed their joined hands toward the closest target. “Curl your finger over the trigger. When you’re ready, go ahead and fire.”

  A shot echoed through the quiet morning. The peaceful twitter of birds morphed to angry squawks as they took flight. The power of the firearm awed him like it was his first time. His cock bulged against the seam of his jeans. Damn, he should have put on some fucking underwear. He always had this reaction to target practice. Having Lacey tucked a
gainst him increased the effect exponentially.

  “Did I even hit the target?” She sounded glum.

  “Nah. No one does their first time, little one.” He nuzzled her fragrant hair under the pretense of realigning their aim. “Let’s empty this magazine together, then you’re going to try it by yourself. Ready?”

  The gun fired in rapid succession. He controlled the kickback, guided her closer to the target and counted the shots. When the gun clicked, he didn’t even have to remind her to verify all the bullets had been disposed of. She released the magazine and chambered air like a pro.

  “Jesus, woman.” He stepped back to keep from throwing her to the ground and ravaging her in the wild grass.

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No. You’re amazing, remember? Want to try it solo now?”

  She grinned. “I wish I’d done this a long time ago. It’s empowering.”

  Tyler swallowed hard at the sight of her wicked grin and confident but cautious posture. He had to clear his throat, twice, before he could talk. “This time, try counting while you’re shooting. Remember, you have twelve bullets. Technically, you could chamber the first then load one more in the magazine for thirteen but don’t worry about that now.”

  “Right.” She gave a crisp nod then set off on reloading the weapon. “I’m going to hit the target, even on the edges, with each shot this time.”

  He didn’t want to rain on her parade but, at this distance, he doubted it. “Remember how you mentioned the weight? When you shoot by yourself you’ll have to aim a little higher than you think you should because the gun will tend to sag in your grip. You also have to brace yourself against the kick. Take it slow…”

  The bang of another shot drowned out the rest of his direction. This time, she hit the target about a third of the way in. Impressive. With a slight pause between rounds to adjust, Lacey emptied the magazine once more. Not only did every bullet penetrate the target, but each shot came closer to the center. When she finished, she made sure the chamber cleared then set the gun on the shelf with the barrel pointing away from them.

  “Nothing to it.” She dusted imaginary lint from her sleeves then tossed a spectacular smile over her shoulder.

  His heart lurched.

  “One last note, little one.” He had her full attention. “Never point a gun at someone unless you’re prepared to pull the trigger.”

  She nodded.

  “Good job, kid.” Mason’s deep timbre filled the range.

  They both turned, startled. He’d snuck in undetected.

  “You’re a natural. Now get your asses over here so I can drive you back to our cabin. Watching you shoot turned me on.”

  “What’s new about that?” Tyler teased.

  “Gotta point there. But you’ll be ready to burst through those designer jeans when you see what I managed to gather in my travels.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Close your eyes and turn around.” Lacey obeyed Mason’s command. A band of supple fabric that smelled like the guys’ spicy laundry detergent covered her eyes. She reached out on instinct, her hand encountering the solid wall of Ty’s chest.

  “What are you doing?” Curiosity, more than nervousness, prompted her question.

  “Blindfolding you.” Mason tugged the knot tight. “I don’t want to spoil my little surprise.”

  She shrieked when he swept her off her feet, into his arms.

  “I won’t let you fall, doll.”

  Disoriented, it surprised her to hear Ty bounce up the stairs and across the porch of their cabin a moment before Mason began to ascend. The creak of the door sounded then she turned in midair, presumably as he carried her over the threshold.

  “Holy shit, Mason. You weren’t gone that long. Where’d you find this stuff?” Awe mixed with desire to roughen Tyler’s voice.

  “I went to Ferndale to call the chief but he didn’t answer. So I rang JRad instead. After we talked…” He paused, probably mouthing something to Tyler.

  “Hey! If you’re going to tell secrets then I deserve to know, too.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about right this minute, Lace.” He continued before she could ask more questions or lose the spirit of the moment. “I asked JRad to do a web search for goodies.”

  “Oh my God.” Lacey’s cheeks heated. “You didn’t!”

  “Fuck. That punk wasn’t lying, was he?” Mason’s fingers tightened on her ribs and knee. “You dated JRad?”

  Tyler cursed under his breath. With her sight stolen, audio inputs seemed amplified. “At least we know he didn’t sleep with you.”

  “You hypocritical barbarians! How many of my friends have you fucked?”

  She could have heard crickets chirping if there had been any. Then the world lurched as Mason dropped her onto the mattress where she bounced. Though the blindfold stayed put, she came up swinging, trying to locate one or both of those jerks.

  Instead, tickling fingers snuck beneath her flailing arms, attacking her vulnerable ribs.

  “Even though we were complete morons, we hated watching the hope in other men’s eyes when they looked at you,” Tyler confessed while they destroyed her ire. “Mason would go insane every time he saw you dancing with some lucky bastard at a party or heard you’d actually said yes to a date with one.”

  “This is for all those times, doll. I want you to know who you belong to.”

  “I’ve always known,” she whispered between bouts of laughter as the devilish teasing wormed onto her sides and the backs of her knees. The idea of them claiming her appealed. She’d thought they didn’t care, or worse, didn’t notice when she taunted them by flirting with other guys.

  “If it makes me a savage, so be it.” He growled when she quit fighting the onslaught.

  Two giant hands secured her arms above her head. “Strip her, Tyler.”

  He rid her of her sneakers then socks so fast she thought they’d vanished. Next, his hands fisted in the extra fabric at the ankles of her curvy jeans. He yanked them from her, still fastened. Her black thong provided the only barrier from their prying eyes. Though she couldn’t see, she sensed their stares on her pussy.

  “Damn, that’s hot.” Mason pressed one of her hands to the bulge at his crotch. She basked in his excitement.

  Tyler’s more graceful fingers cupped her hips, keeping her still as Mason did his part. She tested his firm grip but didn’t manage to squirm more than a centimeter. Her fleece pullover and long-sleeved shirt disappeared together. A single finger dipped below the string of her bottoms to test her arousal then painted a wet trail along the embroidered edge of her matching bra.

  A moist sucking sound came a second before Mason moaned, “Delicious.”

  “Roll her over.”

  Tyler rotated her hips until her face nestled against the flannel sheets. Callused hands opened the clasp of her bra then reached beneath her to free her breasts. The contact with the fuzzy fabric she lay on caused her to moan. Then Ty peeled her thong off.

  With simultaneous motions, Mason’s hands stroked from each of her shoulders, along her arms to her wrists while Tyler’s patted her ass then trekked across her thighs and calves to her ankles. They tugged at the same instant, spreading her limbs to the four corners of the bed. Cool air danced over her exposed pussy and ass.

  “Stay still, little one.” Tyler’s reminder made her aware of her restless movements.

  “I can’t.” The need for them overwhelmed her inhibitions.

  “Then we’ll help you.” Mason’s matter of fact response accompanied the snap of something restrictive around her wrists. They felt velvety yet unbreakable. A flash of apprehension blocked out her pleasure before she could rein it in. In the artificial darkness, her mind skipped to the black warehouse where she struggled, rending her flesh on the metal manacles, but still couldn’t get loose.

  “Shh.” Tyler came beside her in an instant. The restraints were removed. “You’re safe. It’s us, Lacey. We would never hurt yo
u.”

  “Unless you ask for it, doll.”

  “S-sorry. I know that. Really, I do.” She rebuilt the vision in her mind until she saw herself held open for whatever pleasures the men wanted to bestow. “Please, tie me up.”

  When fingers unknotted the blindfold, she thought they had quit.

  “No! Please, I need you to replace the nightmare with something beautiful.”

  “Shush, little one. We’re not going anywhere.” Tyler’s reassurance came close to her ear.

  “But you’ll do better if you watch us. I want you to know who you’re with. That you’re safe.” Mason finished Ty’s sentence. “Just remember, we don’t want you to turn around. If you do, you’ll be punished.”

  She blinked against the sunlight while she considered defying them on purpose. “What will you do to me?”

  Mason groaned. Ty’s cock jumped against the back of her thigh. When had they shed their clothes? “You’re not ready to find out yet. So you’d best behave, doll.”

  “Yes, sir.” The appellation seemed appropriate given the circumstances.

  His pupils dilated. “Do it, Ty.”

  They captured her wrists and ankles once more. This time she watched as Mason threaded the sturdy fur-lined leather around her until she couldn’t escape the snug yet comfy binding. He pushed a shiny D-ring through a slit in the band then clipped it to a fastener he must have secured to the fancy headboard before catching up with them at the range.

  Tyler worked with efficient movements until her ankles became immobile as well. She gave an experimental tug. Nothing budged.

  “That’s right, sweetheart.” Mason’s erection bobbed in time with his heart. “You’re not going anywhere. Now, would you like to play a game with us?”

  The sweeping strokes of Ty’s hand kneading her ass distracted her from the question.

  “Answer me.”

  Her eyes shot to Mason as she struggled to think of what he’d said. “A game? Y-yes, sir.”

  “Good girl.” He ground his cock against her palm but when she tried to squeeze him, he pulled away. “Here are the rules. I want to test you. Give you a sampling of my favorite varieties of torture. Some will hurt, some will leave you begging for more.”