by J. L. Beck
The police have other ideas about letting me leave, and they wave us over. Two officers are questioning Cole and the man I’m assuming is Arnold, who’s a good two inches taller than Cole, putting Arnold around six-foot-four. I can’t hear what they’re talking about exactly, but Cole jabs his hands into the air, his face flashing red and blue from the police car lights.
Shit’s getting real. Even the illuminated palm trees planted in the center island where the four are standing bat their fronds, as if irritated by the situation. Eve is ruining everything, but something tells me she’s only beginning to mess with us.
War wraps me in the warmth of his arm and helps me across the concrete driveway toward Cole. Guess my rubbery knees are weaker than I realize because they collapse as soon as Cole reaches for me, and he ditches the terse discussion. He cradles me, as if he hasn’t seen me in months.
“I’m okay, sugar. Eve left before I could talk with her. Now that the police are here, I doubt she’ll return.…” He pushes back my hair, inspecting me.
Here Cole is, completely unaware of Eve’s threat against me, War, and Janet five minutes ago. I snake my hands around his neck that’s taut from the stress and pull him to me until my arms strain. “I know she’s gone because she tried to run us down on her way out.”
“The fuck she did.” Anger pours from his rigid body in waves, and his face matches the color of the squad car as he eases me back. He shoots War a flummoxed glare and mimics War by patting down my body, checking to see if I’m whole.
“I’m fine. Just shaken. But if it wasn’t for War, I’d…we’d be....” I glance away as Cole turns blurry, and I’m not one to let my emotions overtake a situation that needs clear thinking.
“Officer Soares. I want Eve located and arrested, even if her name’s still on the residents list, and I want to file charges against her,” Cole snaps, as if he’s a trap wanting a second shot at catching a tricky mouse.
I’m likeminded. At first. The policeman heads toward the other officer and leaves me standing there with my guys. “Arrested? Won’t that exacerbate the situation?” I whisper.
Cole draws me to him, and my ear meets the lapel of his jacket. He smells like spice and nerves, but I breathe him in anyway ‘cause after that move from Eve, I dare to think the worst, that this moment might not be happening if it wasn’t for War’s quick thinking.
“Sugar, I’m sorry, so sorry. I should have anticipated trouble from Eve…”
Anticipated? Before I can comprehend what Cole’s saying, he ushers me into the house, as if the night air is acid and I’m a delicate flower, which I’m not. But I let him hold me until we cross the threshold, knowing he’s as shook up as I am.
This is one reason why I love my guys and want to make our union permanent—they take time from the chaos so the three of us can regroup. Seems simple enough, but Janet’s still putzing around the cart, and Arnold’s still chatting up with the cops, as if he barely knows her and she’s not his wife. For fuck’s sake. Maybe I’m more of a baby than I realize snuggled up to my guys? Or maybe A and J don’t have the kind of marriage I’m fighting hard to form? My heart hurts for her.
War’s trucking right behind us and clears his throat as we enter the cathedral foyer. A grand chandelier hangs over a marble table centered in the room. Besides the floral spray on the table, a few Japanese vases, and a Monet—the one with the bridge over the pond of water lilies—the room is sparsely decorated. The white space sends a chill straight through to my bones.
Cole spins to face War. “We could have avoided this collision, somehow.”
The chandelier lights up the fear in War’s eyes, and tension weighs heavy in the room as he sets two pieces of luggage off to the side. “That didn’t go so well last time you met with her alone.”
My curiosity piques. “Last time? What last time?”’
“We were fucking kids that first time—” Cole abruptly ends his sentence.
There’s history between the three and, like always, these two believe I need protecting. “I know what it’s like to stand on the sidelines and watch a collision unfolding, like when War used to ride the bulls, get bucked off, and be lying on the ground as the bull charged right before the clown jumped in to save him. After tonight, I know what it’s like to be helpless and waiting to be rescued. But sometimes you have to rescue yourself, and we all need to take a fucking moment and stop blaming one another for things that happened in the past.”
I slide from Cole’s arms, landing a little unsteady on the white marble floor. Cole darts out his hand, but I wave him away. Even When Cole’s feeling off-kilter, which he obviously is by the way his body’s trembling and he’s glaring at War, he’s careful with me. I need to be as gentle with him—them. “We’ve handled trouble before. Thanks to War’s quick thinking—”
“That bitch could have killed you.”
“She called me.” War palms the air in defense.
Cole’s pupils narrow to the size of pins, as if he’s actually as shocked by the reveal as I am, which isn’t my Cole at all.
“I should kick your fucking ass...”
“No one’s doing anything to anyone’s ass.” As soon as the words roll out, I want to take them back. It’s the one thing I’m still shy about asking from them: for them to possess all of me. I bury the thought that creeps right back up. Frankly, if letting them claim my ass would erase what happened here tonight, as well as the tension, I’d ask them to take me right here on the hard, cold floor. “I’m only concerned because I don’t know if Eve was trying to scare us or actually trying to hurt us. Maybe she didn’t see us coming up the hill she was rounding—”
“She saw you. She’s not one to do anything that doesn’t have an angle. Which is why I wanted to talk to her face to face.” Cole pegs War with a hard glare, adding a sneer. He rolls back his shoulders, puffing out his chest. “Instead, you go and, what, warn her when she calls you?”
I watch Cole readying himself to launch at War. They both have a unique telling trait right before they start brawling, and War wears a white scar in his brow from when they fought over me when we were teens. For some people, it’s the only way to differentiate between the identical twins. But that’s not my concern right now. “Is that who you were talking to? I mean, how does Eve have your cell number, War?”
War glances out the open door, and he huffs. “Yes, it was her. I have no fucking clue how she got my number.”
“You going behind my back, again? Our back, now? Thinking of cheating on Maddie now that Eve’s up for grabs?”
War cocks his head to the side and launches himself at Cole, his right hook grazing Cole’s cheek as they both land up against the wall, tipping the Monet. “Fuck you. You want another?”
“Whoa, whoa!” I dive between them, risking my health, and jam my palms on each of their heaving chests. My ears practically bleed from the information I’ve received and what’s transpiring. Sometimes these two make me cray, cray. I push out my arms. “Stop fighting right now. I’m sure you each have your reasons for wanting to talk with Eve privately. Maybe you should.”
Warmth trickles down my face. Oh, hell. I split my gaze between the two. “If you’re having second thoughts about me...now’s the time to explore—”
“No, no.” War releases Cole, trading the brute for me. He clasps my wet cheeks. “I want you. We want you. But this shit with Eve is messy.”
“War’s dead on, sugar.” Cole fingers a lock of my hair. “She’s an old demon, believe me.”
I nod as tears crowd my throat. “You both want to protect me, and all I want is for us to build a happy life together. I’ll be devastated stuck in the middle trying to stop you two from pummeling each other. So, let’s stop arguing over who-did-what-and-why, especially when we all need to focus on how to stop Eve from returning, so we can focus on us. We don’t need any more scars. We need to all heal and move forward.”
“You’re right, babe. There will always be those trying to jam a wedge
between the three of us, and if Eve was here right now, she’d be winning.” War blows a breath and rakes his hair that’s trimmed tight along the sides and slightly longer on top.
The two have a minute-long stare down, Cole backing down for once. “But that’s not all she wants, and you know it…” Cole cautions as if he’s picturing her demands.
Maybe he is rehashing their past. Or the real villain of this story: the Pierce fortune. Clearly, I’m missing a huge piece of this backstory, but I’m not sure I’m ready to hear the details tonight. On a good note, looks like the art and vases are safe. But is my heart?
Chapter Five
Maddie
Another hour has passed, and I’m still a hot mess, sitting on a sectional couch that overlooks the terrace that’s lit up like a luau is about to take place. The fight’s done left my body. I need some fucking privacy, but the police are still hashing out details. Not sure what they’re waiting for, so I’m asking the question no one’s asking. “What are the police doing about Eve now? What other precautions can we take, so she doesn't come onto the premises in the future?”
Cole shoves his hands into his pockets and glances to the kitchen where the officer is finishing up with Arnold. “I’ll order the contractor to have the locks changed in the morning. We’ll have to check with the HOA to see if iron fencing and gates can be installed to secure the lot. The security system company has been alerted already, and they’ll send out a rep tomorrow to upgrade the system. The new installation will have both visual and audio capabilities that can be streamed to our cell phones via an app. If anyone enters the property, we’ll be alerted.”
“What about wolves. Can we order some big-ass dogs to roam the grounds in case of a power outage?” War chuckles as he’s sitting beside me stroking my thigh, in long, purposeful strokes.
It’s his nervous laugh and behaviors, similar to when my father’s questioning—more like interrogating—War about us three having children and raising them with two fathers, and other things War can’t possibly know about. No one’s a psychic or in possession of a crystal ball that can foresee the future. Although we are in Vegas, but that’s all smoke and mirrors. I reach for Cole’s hand while cupping War’s, calming his movement. I tug the two of them against my body that’s even more chilled than an hour ago, even though their warmth seeps into me, letting them know I’m here for them.
That’s how I’m wired. I internalize danger and trouble, similar to when I’m performing a delicate surgery as is necessary for my job as a veterinarian. I’m not one to spaz out during a crisis, like we had tonight, so at least I don’t holler and carry on. But this shit is getting ridiculous, and I’m numb, chilled, and I think the guys know because they’re doing that silent glance thing the twins have done since I met them when I was five. “I need some coffee or tea and these men gone. It’s not a murder scene; just a misunderstanding.”
“Janet, can you bring some tea for Maddie?” War calls out toward the kitchen where she’s busying herself.
A minute later, Janet’s standing over me. “Maddie. Here you go.”
She hands me a piping hot cup of chamomile tea with milk, as if she read my mind. And for the first time, I see Janet. I haven’t really looked at her before because the darkness shadowed her features. I was focused on Cole dealing with a crazy woman and avoiding getting made into road pizza. She’s about the twins’ age, mid-thirties, with black hair that’s clipped into a loose bun. Like me, she’s not wearing much makeup, except for a bit around her eyes, making her seem exotic in that Pacific Island kind of way. And she’s tall and slim with muscular arms, as if she works out a lot more than I do.
“Can you show Maddie to our quarters?”
“Of course, Warren. Let me gather her things.”
“I can—”
“No. Maddie, I’m here to help you in any way I can, and you’ve been through a lot tonight.” Janet heads toward the foyer, grabs my luggage as the front door opens.
Office Soares comes into the living room holding a pad and a pen. “Before you go, I wanted to inform you we’ve located Ms. Devereaux at her condo.”
Cole punches to his feet. “Has she been arrested?”
“No. She’s denying ever being here or talking to Warren and was very accommodating.”
“I bet she was....” I murmur cockily. What? I’m pissed off and my jaw aches from grinding my teeth because I haven’t slept in nearly forty-eight hours, and this officer has wasted three hours of our time.
“I personally checked out the video at the guard station that clearly shows the silver Jag you all described leaving the community, but we couldn’t identify if the driver was Eve, nor were we able to confirm if the car used to force you off the road is the same as the vehicle in her possession. The vehicle leaving the community was void of license plates as shown in the video feed.” Soares flips over his pad of paper and pockets his pen, as if it’s a wrap.
I’m confused and take a sip of my tea. “Isn’t it against the law to remove the license plates?” The high pitch of my voice startles even me, when clearly there’s a lot more going on here than I’m privy to knowing.
“True, Maddie.” Officer Soares coins my name from Janet, or could be Cole. Hell if I know. “I don’t think Ms. Devereaux will bother you tonight. But as a precaution, I’ve beefed up security at the front gate, and I’ll be parked in front of your home all night.”
A flutter of relief fills me, and I relax my shoulders a bit. I suppose being in Eve’s shoes I’d have felt the urge to rush outside and shoo away a trespassing helicopter that randomly targeted landing in my backyard. Embarrassed as she must have been, denying she almost ran us down is a forgivable offence if it was an accident. I swerved, almost hitting a raccoon when I was upset and not paying attention to the roadway, once. But what bothers me is that she denied being here when clearly we all saw the woman. “Thank you...You say you’ll be parked outside tonight, Officer Soares? That seems extreme, unless I’m missing something you’re not sharing with us. Like she’s a serial killer…”
“She’s owner of an exclusive gentlemen’s club and BDSM gallery.”
I spit the tea I’m drinking and hope it doesn’t come out my nose. Now I see what the guys hid from me and why. Inadequacy rushes in, reminding me I will never be enough for them if they’re craving the likes of a glorified madam, ex-stripper, or whatever, who probably thinks porn is gallery worthy. A hand holding a handkerchief comes into view from the officer that I take. “Thank you.”
“It’s the least I can do. Richard Pierce Sr. was a contributor to the police force and an outstanding citizen. Whatever his sons need, I’m here to help, but tell me...which of these men is your father?” He pins me with his questioning stare.
Warren’s eyes practically bug from his face, but I hold up my hand and set the officer straight. “I’m both Cole and Warren Pierces’ fiancée, and we’ll be marrying as soon as we set a date. You’d better jot that down in your notes.”
Officer Soares glances at his feet for a moment, as if he’s waiting to be sent to the corner or the dog house, but I have my own problems.
He clears his throat, his cheeks pinking. “You have an ageless look about you, like you could be twenty instead of thirty five. My apologies.”
“I am a decade younger than my fiancés, and I do have a girlish look about me. But for the record, we’re here to make Vegas our winter home after we’re married.” I motion to his notebook. “So, should we have any further problems with Eve, you might want to add a scorned woman as possible motive.”
Soares pens some info in his notes, or maybe he’s covering up his embarrassment, but I give my guys a squeeze, letting them know I’m still here with everything and anything thrown our way. It’s to be expected—judgments. I push to the edge of the couch, taking a good, long drink of my tea before setting it on the glass coffee table. “I think we’ve all had as much as we can take tonight, and, frankly, all this stress has me craving a hot bath where I ca
n wash away some of the creepy-crawly feelings. So, if that’ll be all....”
The guys unfurl their arms from around me, and I’m missing their touch. As if they’re pillars, I’m bridged between them, and I’m not even aware they’re supporting me until I’m standing on my own wobbly legs. Definitely shock.
“This way…” Janet motions for me to follow her, and I do.
* * *
The bubble bath rises with steam, a bath towel that resembles a cloud floats on a little teak stool, and Janet closes the door behind me, leaving me alone for the first time in the strawberry-scented room.
I don’t want to break down, but my body has other plans. My eyes are like faucets as I replay the last two months where my life morphed from twin lovers I’d given my virginity to at the same time to twin fiancés who’d become overnight billionaires and inherited something the cat puked up. What if I’m not enough for Cole and War, this new life?
