Acres, Natalie - Bridled and Bucked [Bridled 3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme)

by Natalie Acres

  Lantry snarled. “I’m gonna forget I heard that.” He gave Lynlee a hard stare. “They didn’t say anything to you?”

  “No.”

  “They didn’t hurt you did they?” Austin asked, stepping closer.

  Lynlee’s heart rate kicked up a couple of paces. Sometimes she ached for Austin’s touch. The longing often existed in his eyes but he never offered her anything more than a kind word, a note of concern, or a subtle hint of compassion.

  Then again, she should’ve felt extra special by that alone. Austin wasn’t exactly noted for his gentle nature. He was the kind of cowboy men would love to send to an early grave and women would mourn for the rest of their natural lives. He was a player through and through, a real heartbreaker, or at least he was prior to his interest in her.

  “No, Austin,” she assured him. “They didn’t get close enough.”

  “I would’ve killed them,” he stated flatly, looking away.

  Lantry shot him a sideways glance and then cut his gaze toward Lynlee. “So what happened?”

  “There’s really nothing to tell,” she replied, hoping to escape Lantry’s interrogation. “I was down by the pond, daydreaming. I heard something in the trees. A bunch of birds flew away as if they’d been disturbed and I looked up. That’s when I saw two men walking toward me. Like I said—”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got the part where you thought Royce and I were walking toward you.” A second later he added, “So they were good-lookin’ devils and that’s all you can remember about them?”

  She laughed. “I wouldn’t go as far as saying all that. As I mentioned, I didn’t get a good look at them.”

  He smirked. “Well then, now you know there couldn’t have been a resemblance. Hell, if there were marked similarities you and I both know what would’ve happened.”

  “What’s that?” she asked, hardly following him and not really in the mood for his typical teasing.

  “You would’ve jumped their bones instead of running straight for home.”

  * * * *

  Lantry’s phone rang. “Tell me you’ve got ’em.”

  “They got away,” Carlisle replied, regret thick in his voice.

  Lantry cringed. “Explain to me how that happens, please.” A second later, he added, “How in the hell did they get away when the three of you should’ve had them surrounded from the outside?”

  “They must’ve already known about the safe room. They’ve been here before, Lantry. They definitely had every intention of taking Lynlee and getting away with it.

  “There was a tunnel that provided an easy way out of that shed. We followed it all the way to the river where we found fresh tire tracks. Apparently, they’ve watched the house and our daily routines. With all the work they’ve done on that place, they must’ve been coming out here for days and making preparations.”

  Lantry studied Lynlee, watching as she snuggled with Heidi. His heart swelled with love. Lynlee was the epitome of a pure angel, even though he, Rhett, and his brothers had stripped her of any innocence. He wondered then what kind of new threat they faced now, vowing he’d do what was necessary to keep her safe once more. “They overlooked one thing, though, didn’t they?”

  “What’s that?” Carlisle asked.

  “They weren’t counting on Lynlee being as quick as a firecracker,” Lantry replied, shooting her a quick wink when she looked up. “If she hadn’t sprinted—”

  “They would’ve gotten her out of here without a problem. I’m telling ya. Someone took the time to plan the perfect abduction. If they’d nabbed her, they would’ve escaped without a trace.”

  Lantry took a deep breath. Running his fingers through his hair, he stared outside, deliberately turning his back to Lynlee so she wouldn’t see the look of concern washing over his face, settling in his eyes.

  “Who are we up against this time, Lantry?” Carlisle asked.

  “I don’t know,” Lantry replied thoughtfully. “But I’ll find out. When I do, I’ll be sure to make them understand. No one—and I do mean no one—messes with McCains or their woman.”

  Chapter Two

  Royce hurried up the red brick walkway, darted under one of the large weeping willows, jumped across the small rose garden, and leapt to the front porch. Swinging open the front door, he cried out, “Lynlee! Are you here?”

  Rhett matched him step for step, his fury apparent by the tightly drawn cords bulging in his thick neck, right along with his set, firm jaw.

  Lynlee walked through the double doors, her eyes wide. “I’m right here. Where’s the fire?”

  After he pushed by Royce, Rhett—the greedy son of a bitch—lifted Lynlee in his arms, twirled her around, and held on for dear life. “Good God, I was terrified!” Rhett exclaimed. “You scared us to death!”

  “I’m fine,” she assured them, reaching for Royce and drawing him into an embrace. “I promise. No one hurt me. No harm done.”

  Houston, obviously reluctant about showing his emotions in front of the others, took a step forward. She smiled, tilted her head, and said, “You weren’t worried?”

  “Of course I was,” he snapped. “I’m always concerned about you.”

  “Then why don’t you get over here and prove it?” she dared him, standing between Rhett and Royce, never offering to advance toward him.

  Houston grunted, grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him, placing his hand on the back of her head and cradling her in his arms. He tilted her chin toward his and stared into her misty-blue eyes.

  Royce held his breath. Was this it? Was this the moment where one of the triplets finally made a claim to Lynlee, too?

  Houston’s lips traveled across hers. Lynlee jerked as if she couldn’t believe her mouth met his. Houston’s cheeks flushed. “Was it that bad?”

  Lynlee placed her tiny hand over her mouth, hiding a smile like a giddy schoolgirl might. When she dropped her arm, she said, “I kind of liked it.”

  A confession that took him by surprise, apparently, Houston locked his arms around her waist, preventing her from a swift getaway. “Me, too,” he admitted, smiling down on her.

  Royce wasn’t sure he could stand this. Not right now. Not when he wanted to wrap his arms around his woman and never let her go. “All right, you two, break it up. I need some Lynlee time.” He patted her bottom, took her by the hand, and pulled her to the nearby living room sofa. Taking a seat, Royce yanked her down to his lap. Allowing her time to get comfortable, he caressed her back and shoulders. “Tell me what happened.”

  “I really don’t want to go over this again. I survived Lantry’s form of questioning. Isn’t that enough?”

  Royce felt that familiar lump in his throat. He knew Lynlee loved him but sometimes he wished she would lean on him, depend on him, like she did Lantry.

  Rhett stood in front of her. “Lynlee, don’t be flip about this. What happened?”

  “Let Lantry go over the details with you,” she pleaded. “I gave the kitchen staff the night off and Blaine is helping me make homemade pizzas. I really don’t want to talk about the bad guys right now. Besides, Blaine will eat all the pepperonis if I leave him in there by himself long enough.”

  Houston grinned. “You’d better get back to your husband then.”

  Royce studied his younger brother. Was that jealousy he detected in Houston’s voice?

  Apparently realizing how his statement came across, Houston quickly added, “Blaine doesn’t know how to make a sandwich by himself and you’ve left him alone with dough and pizza toppings?”

  Lynlee laughed. “You have a point. He’s chopping vegetables. I didn’t think about it but I don’t think he’s ever used a paring knife.”

  “I heard that!” Blaine called out from the kitchen.

  Lynlee left Royce’s lap, and he watched her parade away, working that walk like only Lynlee knew how to do. When the double doors closed behind her, he shot Houston a direct question. “So we almost lose her and now what? You’re ready to jump in bed
with her and make yourself comfortable?”

  “Did I say that?”

  “You didn’t have to,” Rhett chimed in.

  “Now is not a good time,” Royce declared, wondering if he’d ever be able to stand by and watch three more claim the woman he loved. It was bad enough sharing with Rhett, Blaine, Carlisle, and Lantry.

  Houston strolled across the room, pursuing the wet bar. Once there, he poured himself a whiskey. He turned up the glass, shot the liquor down his throat, and releasing an “ah” he said, “I care about Lynlee. That’s a given. When I decide to show her how much is still out for debate. I’m not in any hurry.”

  “Won’t hurt my feelings if you take your own sweet time,” Rhett said.

  Houston took a deep breath, poured another drink, and consumed the second one faster than the first. “I never want Lynlee to think that I took her to bed because that’s what I was expected to do or worse, told to do. If we end up together at some point, I want her to know it’s because I love her.”

  “Oh, you mean, you don’t want her to think it’s because Daddy Cattlebucks told us to do her?” Dallas asked, entering the room.

  “Shh,” Houston said, waving his hand toward the kitchen. “Lynlee might hear you.”

  Dallas shrugged. “We don’t have secrets in this house. Besides. Lynlee knows we’re all trying to figure out where we fit in her life.” A beat later he said, “If you want my honest opinion, I think if Dad had stayed out of this, we would’ve worked out our own feelings with Lynlee long before now. Since he didn’t, we’ve all resisted her. How we’ve done it is God’s secret, not mine. I’m attracted to Lynlee. We all are. We all love her, too, but for some reason—”

  “We’ve avoided the commitment,” Houston finished for him. “At least, I know I have. It isn’t easy giving up complete freedom.”

  “I ain’t worried about a commitment necessarily,” Dallas said. “I’m more concerned about walking around here like the rest of these fellas. They can’t sleep without Lynlee. They can’t eat without knowing where she is. They can’t start their day unless they’ve kissed her good morning. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  “You’re jealous, too, huh?” Rhett asked.

  Dallas shook his head. “Hell no. My day is coming. I’m just taking my time, too.”

  Rhett narrowed his gaze. “Have you been seeing someone?”

  “Of course not,” Dallas replied. “That would go over extremely well with Daddy Cattlebucks.”

  Rhett laughed. “Victoria is the one who hopes this all works out, you know.”

  “My mother doesn’t care who ends up with Lynlee in the end. All she cares about is our happiness. She lives in Victoria’s bubble. In her world, everything is champagne, roses, good sex, and lots of loving.”

  “I’m sure Mom would appreciate the way you describe her and her ‘bubble,’” Royce said.

  “I’m sure you’ll be happy to relay what I said verbatim,” Dallas said, scratching his head.

  Royce wondered when, if ever, his brothers would quit ribbing him about being the hotline between his parents’ place in Anderson and their farm in Asheville. Sure he talked to their mom and dad more than the others, but they were getting older. He called them daily to make sure things were okay. He didn’t call in daily reports. At least, not anymore.

  “I’d like to be inside Lynlee’s bubble,” Houston confessed, redirecting the conversation to the hottest topic they could discuss.

  “I’m sure you would,” Dallas teased. “And once you pop that first layer, what then?”

  Houston sighed. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll do precisely what the rest of these guys did. I’ll let her know that I plan to spend the rest of my life loving her.”

  “Well, keep up that turtle’s pace,” Royce said, joining him at the bar.

  “He’s right,” Rhett said, slapping Houston on the back. “You take all the time you need, buddy. I’m not itching to make room for you and the other two. In fact, it’s such an adjustment when we add more to the mattress, that I’m hoping the three of you don’t decide to jump in and surprise us all at the same time.”

  “That’s the way it’ll probably go down,” Royce muttered, staring over the brim of his glass.

  Houston faced him. “Royce, you don’t have any reason to act pissed over this. Blaine married Lynlee. Rhett and Carlisle were in her bed before they recited vows. They don’t seem to have a problem with any of this, but you, on the other hand, take daily assessments. You seem bound and determined to keep a record of what Dallas, Austin, and I are thinking, feeling, and planning, expecting a day-by-day accounting of what our goals are, apparently trying to note the changes as they occur.”

  “That’s not so,” Royce fired back, thinking Houston may have just spoken the God’s honest truth since that was the most he’d said in a few hours. Houston had the reputation for speaking very little and saying more than enough when he finally chose to open his mouth.

  Rhett took a shot of whiskey. “Yes, Royce, he’s right. I’ve noticed, too.”

  “Butt out, Rhett,” Royce said, irritated. He couldn’t have a conversation with his brother without outside interference.

  “Not a problem,” Rhett mumbled, tilting his head toward Lantry, Carlisle, and Austin as they approached the house. “Where have they been?”

  Houston and Royce exchanged a knowing glance. They would table their conversation about Lynlee and save the banter for later. There were more important matters to discuss, and while Royce was the oldest McCain brother, he rarely took the spotlight when the next one in line wanted the floor.

  Three additional McCains entered the house. Lantry slammed the heavy front door, traipsed across the foyer, and headed for the bar.

  Without a doubt, he had something on his mind, something he wanted them to hear straight from him.

  Small talk was made as the other two entered the family room. Drinks were poured. Then, Lantry strolled to the center of the room. “We’ve got a major problem.”

  Carlisle nodded in agreement.

  “How bad?” Dallas asked.

  Royce quickly recalled how Lee Marks, the Beaches and Lakes Serial Killer, made their lives a living hell the year before. “We’ve got another copycat, don’t we?”

  Lantry pursed his lips. “I don’t think so.”

  “So it’s not another lunatic swearing to be the protégé of Lee Marks?” Houston asked.

  “No,” Lantry replied. “At least we don’t think so.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Royce said. “Who else would want to kidnap Lynlee?”

  Lantry rubbed his jaw. “We have a few leads, but we haven’t come up with anything to suggest a possible link to Lee Marks.”

  Carlisle cleared his throat. “Lantry is following up on some names I gave him. There may be a possible connection between one of my clients and the two men who were here.”

  “Do you have anything substantial yet?” Royce asked.

  “We found a few prints in the safe house,” Lantry informed them. “I’ve sent them to Asheville PD. A friend of mine was the lead detective on a few high-profile cases. I trust him to move fast. We should know something a little later this evening.”

  “Why do you think this is related to you?” Royce asked, focusing on Carlisle.

  Lantry chuckled. “Everything is always about Carlisle, isn’t it?”

  “You’re such a smart-ass,” Carlisle said.

  “This isn’t the best hour for joking around, Lantry,” Royce said, thinking at times like these, Lantry could be quite annoying. He realized Lantry was used to working cold cases and made light of every case he ever worked, but for crying out loud—this particular incident revolved around Lynlee.

  “Carlisle’s secretary is missing,” Lantry announced. “If there’s a connection between her disappearance and Lynlee’s possible abduction, then Carlisle may be a potential target, too.”

  “What?” Royce asked, standing.
It was bad enough someone wanted his woman, but to think Carlisle might be a target—one that was constantly on the move and in areas where none of them could protect him—well, that was more than Royce could process.

  “I thought that might interest you,” Dallas said, waggling his brows.

  “What the hell are you babbling about?” Royce asked, still reeling because someone might want to harm his brother.

  “Did you hear what Lantry said?” Dallas asked. “Carlisle’s secretary, Tara Lang, is missing.”

  “Why would that get me all bent out of shape? I fucked her ten years ago. I don’t have feelings for her now.” Royce immediately felt ashamed of himself. Tara was a nice person. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.

  Dallas shrugged. “You never know.”

  “I seem to recall someone else in Tara’s bed,” Royce said, swinging his gaze back and forth between Houston and Austin.

  “We didn’t date her,” Austin reminded him. “She was a piece of ass and that’s all.” A beat or two later, he added, “But I really like her. Wherever she is, I hope she’s okay.”

  Royce grunted. “The two of you have been with her recently so I’m sure you’ll be persons of interest in the event the police start questioning old boyfriends.”

  Austin shook his head. “We may not be in Lynlee’s bed yet but we haven’t been with anyone—period—since we moved in here.”

  “He’s telling the truth,” Carlisle said. “Tara tried several times.”

  “I don’t know why you had to hire her, by the way. Looks to me like you’d show some loyalty and wouldn’t hire the ex-lovers of your brothers. That’s taboo…or it should be,” Austin pointed out.

  Carlisle shrugged. “You slept with her when she was my personal assistant. I warned you then if things went south, I wasn’t cutting her loose. Now, she’s the best paralegal in the business. She isn’t just a secretary. She could take over in a courtroom if I needed her. She’s that efficient.”

  “I’ll say,” Austin said, throwing in a crude grunt for effect.

  Royce sulked. He couldn’t help himself. If the triplets had been without a woman for this long, he could only imagine what kind of night they had planned for Lynlee when they all decided to get together. He swung his gaze toward Dallas, who snickered immediately. “I haven’t touched another woman in three months either. Go ahead. Give me hell. I know it’s a blasted shame.”