Jordan, Olivia - A Bride for Two Studs [Male Order, Texas] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Olivia Jordan

  He opened the back door, gripped her arm tighter, and threw her in.

  “You don’t get to talk to me like that.”

  “Funny, I just did.”

  “Shut up.”

  Mark got in, started the car, and pulled out of the parking lot. Carissa was frantic. She thought about pulling out her phone and calling 911, and not caring whether or not he heard her, but she feared for her life. She wasn’t sure what might put him over the edge, and he could kill her long before the cops arrived. When he finally slowed for a stop light, she formulated a plan.

  As he drove through town, she waited patiently until he slowed down again, then popped open the lock on her door and rolled out while the car was still in motion. Unfortunately, she didn’t hit the ground gracefully, and she twisted her ankle on impact. Carissa didn’t care about the pain. She took off and started running, tearing through the neighborhood and screaming for help. Despite how hard she fought against the pain in her ankle, it kept her from running at full speed, and she didn’t manage to get very far before Mark tackled her, holding a knife to her throat.

  “Bitch!” he screamed. “If we weren’t in public, I’d slit your throat right here and now!”

  He looked up at the people who had heard Carissa’s screams and had stepped onto their front porches in order to investigate.

  “Get up,” he snapped, and pulled her to her feet. Mark took off running, gripping Carissa’s wrist so she was forced to follow, and he was running much faster than her injured ankle could move. Mark shoved her back into the car that had been left parked in the middle of the street, much to the annoyance of other drivers.

  Once they were both in the car, Mark hit the gas and ran a red light, just barely avoiding a collision with another car.

  “What the fuck were you thinking?” he screamed.

  “I was thinking that maybe I should try to get away from my crazy ex who’s holding a knife to my throat!”

  “Tough shit. You’re not getting away.”

  “What do you want? Do you want ransom? Because I’m not exactly loaded.”

  “Oh, I know you’re not, because you’re still in graduate school. Which is where I belong, too. Unfortunately, you decided to ruin my life.”

  “You’re the one who fucked our interview subject. You weren’t kicked out of the program.”

  “I had to leave because I couldn’t stand being around you. You broke my heart, and I couldn’t concentrate. Between the failing grade on that project and the fact that I got behind in all of my other classes because I was struggling to get over you, my GPA plummeted, and I was actually asked to leave. I wasn’t formally expelled, but the faculty put a lot of pressure on me to withdraw.”

  “That’s still your own fault.”

  “No, it’s yours. You left me, and you ratted me out to our professor. I was too distraught over the breakup to really recover from that little scandal you created. You caused all this. Now it’s time for you to pay.”

  “Well, I don’t have any money to give you.”

  “No, but your boyfriends do.”

  “I don’t have any boyfriends.”

  “Don’t lie to me, you little bitch. I’ve seen you with them. I’ve been watching you from the moment you got into town. Funny, how you’re doing the exact same thing you got me in trouble for last year.”

  “It’s different, really. Listen—”

  “No! You do not get to speak. You had your chance to save yourself, and now it’s too late. I tried to scare you out of town. I tried to get you to give up and run away. If you’d given up, I would have left you alone, and you wouldn’t be in this situation right now.”

  “You ruined my car, you asshole.”

  “Good thing you had your nice rich boyfriend to fix it for you.”

  “I could have taken care of it myself.”

  “You didn’t, though, did you? You just kept getting yourself more and more entangled with these guys. Well, I’m not going to let you get away with it. I’m not going to let you get away with doing the exact same thing that cost me my academic career.”

  “What? Are you going to call the department chair and report me? Nobody will believe you.”

  “I thought about that. Then I realized I didn’t really have sufficient proof. So I’ve just decided to get rid of you entirely.”

  “What?”

  “You ruined my life, Carissa. Not only did you destroy my career, but you’re thriving, doing the exact same thing I did that was apparently so wrong last year. I don’t want ransom. I probably could get a nice lump sum from your boyfriends, but honestly, I’m not all that interested. I just want you dead.”

  “So why haven’t you killed me yet? You’ve had the opportunity several times already. I don’t think you have the nerve.”

  “Oh, I do. But I have a very elaborate little plan worked out, and it’s much more fun if I torment you a bit beforehand.”

  Carissa knew she had to try the cell phone. She risked setting off his temper and getting shot, but if she was about to die anyway, she certainly wasn’t going down without a fight. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911.

  “911, what is your emergency?”

  Carissa wanted to cry at the sound of the dispatcher’s firm but calm voice. “I’ve been kidnapped. I’m stuck in the back seat of a blue car, and—”

  “What the hell are you doing?” Mark screeched. He reached back to swipe the cell phone from her hand, but she darted away just in time. “You’re not allowed to call the police! Put that phone down or I’ll shoot!”

  Mark swatted for the phone again, and when he missed, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his gun. But he wasn’t paying attention, and when he turned to aim the gun, he rammed the car into a tree.

  Carissa’s seatbelt wasn’t buckled, and her head slammed into the back seat on impact. After crashing backward, she steadied herself, her whole body singing in pain. She peeked into the front seat and saw that Mark was unconscious. Wasting no time, she opened the door and ran away from the site of the accident as fast as she could with her injuries.

  “Are you still there?” she asked, hoping that the phone hadn’t been disconnected during the scuffle.

  “Yes, I am. What happened?”

  “I was kidnapped, and the person who abducted me ran into a tree when he tried to shoot me.”

  “Where are you now?”

  Carissa peered around for street signs. “Near the corner of Thirty-Third and Oak.”

  “Are you injured?”

  “Yes, I twisted my ankle and got banged up pretty bad during the crash.”

  “What about your assailant?”

  “I think he’s unconscious.”

  “Okay, stay put and rest. We’ll have officers and an ambulance there in a few minutes.”

  “What if he wakes up?”

  “Then you run and call back. For now, though, stay put.”

  Carissa dropped onto the grass, hoping that she didn’t freak out whoever owned the house. She suddenly found herself completely fatigued. She knew she had to stay awake, because she probably had a concussion, but the exhaustion was just too tempting. Even as she heard the sirens coming up the street and knew that help was just seconds away, she succumbed to her body’s desires, curled up on the grass, and passed out.

  * * * *

  “We still don’t have a plan,” Perry said with a sigh.

  “You know what? We don’t need one.”

  “What?”

  “We don’t need a plan.”

  “Of course we do. We need to prove to her that we love her and that we can take care of her, and we need a grand gesture to show that.”

  “When was the last time I had a plan for anything?”

  “You do tend to fly by the seat of your pants most of the time. You’re also a master of the grand gesture. I mean, what about that horse you rode over on last week?”

  “A total impulse. I was just driving past a friend’s h
ouse on the way to your place, and thought about how hilarious it would be to show up riding one. So I asked for a loan. That’s all there was to it.”

  Perry’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? You pulled that off spur of the moment?”

  “Yeah. I always do. The horse didn’t impress her, though. I was disappointed about that. I thought I was going to make an awesome impression.”

  “Oh, it miffed her a bit, but I was watching her the entire time. I could tell that part of her was amused by your antics, even though she didn’t want to admit it. In the end it all worked out, didn’t it?”

  “Well, not quite,” Perry said, with a sigh.

  “The point is I like to improvise. It’s not like careful planning has gotten you particularly far in your love life.”

  “I suppose there’s some truth to that.”

  “So let’s go with my idea. Let’s make it up as we go along.”

  “You mean just show up at her house and see what happens?”

  “Pretty much, yeah.”

  “I don’t suppose we have anything to lose by trying it your way.”

  “Now that’s the attitude I want to hear!”

  They hopped in Del’s car and headed over to the Holt-Parker ranch. Neither wanted to admit to the other how nervous they were when they rang the doorbell.

  Iris came to the door. “She’s not home. Though even if she were, she doesn’t want to see you. You’re not welcome here right now.”

  “Wait, Iris, please. Just give us a chance,” Perry pleaded.

  “The chance isn’t mine to give, and anyway, it doesn’t matter since she’s not even at home.”

  “Where is she?” Del asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Do you really not know, or are you just saying that to get rid of us?”

  “I don’t know, okay? I took her to go pick up her car, and then she said she wanted to drive around alone for a little while. So I don’t know where she is, and I don’t know when she’ll be back. If you plan to camp out here pining for her, I suggest you do it closer to the curb, so you won’t get in the way of the gardener.”

  “Iris?” Wendy’s voice was frantic as it spilled into the hallway.

  “It’s just Perry and Del, Mom. I’m getting rid of them.”

  She raced in. “We have other things to worry about. I just got a phone call from the police. Carissa’s in the hospital. We need to go right now. Get moving.”

  “What happened?” Iris asked.

  “Just get in the car. I’ll explain on the way.” Wendy glanced up at Perry and Del as Iris raced off. “I suppose you could follow us, if you wanted. I can’t guarantee that Carissa will want to see you, and I’m not going to force her, but I know how you feel about her.”

  In an instant, they were back behind the wheel, peeling out of the driveway.

  “What do you think happened?” Perry asked as Del sped along behind Carissa’s family.

  “I have no idea, but something tells me it’s not a simple fender bender. Did you see the look in Wendy’s eyes?”

  “Yeah. Do you think she’ll be okay?”

  “I don’t even know what’s wrong with her. I’m just terrified.”

  Once they’d parked the car, Perry and Del raced to catch up with her family.

  “Anthony didn’t light our lawn on fire,” Wendy said as they walked through the doors of the ER. “The real stalker abducted Carissa from a coffee shop this afternoon.”

  Perry’s eyes started to well up as he was hit with a mixture of both fear and guilt.

  “I knew my own father wouldn’t do something like that. I can’t believe I doubted him, even for a second.”

  “I can’t believe any of us did. We all should have known better. Let’s think about that later, though.”

  Arthur hurried over from where he had been talking with the doctors. “The nurse says she’s still with the doctors. It will be a few minutes before we can go see her.”

  “I can’t believe this. I just can’t believe it,” Perry moaned.

  “The nurse said she’s roughed up, but she’s going to be fine. I’m not worried.”

  “So what happened exactly?”

  A police officer approached. “You’re Carissa’s family?”

  They all nodded. “Officer, can you tell us what happened?” Wendy asked.

  “Fortunately, yes,” the officer replied. “Carissa wasn’t unconscious for very long, and we’ve already managed to get a full statement from her. It appears that her ex-boyfriend decided to take out a little revenge. He took her from the coffee shop at knifepoint and threw her into his car.”

  Perry and Del looked at each other, and Perry could tell that Del felt as guilty as he did.

  “I feel like such a failure,” Perry said.

  “Me, too. We should have protected her.”

  The officer shook his head. “From what I can tell, Carissa has nerves of steel. She rolled out when he was slowing down at a stoplight. She tried to take off, but twisted her ankle during the fall, and didn’t get very far before he caught her and dragged her back.”

  “It just keeps getting worse, doesn’t it?” Perry rubbed his temples, trying to soothe the headache that was threatening to get worse.

  “It was pretty bad,” the officer said. “Still, she managed to cause quite the scene, and as a result, there were witnesses who can back up her story and also took down his license number. When they were back in the car, he told her he intended to kill her, and Carissa actually called the police while she was in the car. As he was threatening her with his gun, he crashed into a tree.”

  “Excuse me,” the nurse said, coming up to the family. “You can go visit Carissa now. She sustained a pretty bad sprain, and she has a mild concussion from the car accident, and of course she has some cuts and bruises, but she’s going to be just fine.”

  “Do you know what happened to the guy who abducted her?” Perry wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but couldn’t help but ask.

  “He sustained a pretty bad concussion and has a few broken bones, but he’s stable.”

  “We have police guarding his room, and they’re going to be asking him questions as soon as the doctors are satisfied that he’s able to do so,” the officer said. “He’ll be transferred to the jail as soon as he’s healthy enough.”

  The whole family breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Now, I’m sure you’re eager to visit her. She’s in room 17, whenever you’re ready.”

  Wendy turned to Perry and Del. “I’m sure on some level she wants to see you, but perhaps you should wait out here while the rest of us go in. We’ll let her know you’re here and make sure she’s interested. She’s had quite a day, and I don’t want to shock her.”

  Perry and Del nodded, then sat down on the plush waiting room couch as Carissa’s family disappeared down the hall.

  Perry kept shooting worried glances at Del as they waited, and Del returned them with equally nervous expressions, but neither of them said a word. Finally, Carissa’s family came back into the waiting room, and they all had smiles on their faces.

  “Carissa is doing remarkably well, considering the day she’s had. She wants to see the both of you. We’ll wait out here and give you three a little privacy.”

  Perry and Del rushed into Carissa’s room. She was propped up with pillows, and a little pale. The lack of color in her skin made the bruises and scratches stand out. For Perry, though, the fact that she was alive was the most beautiful thing in the world.

  “Hey,” Perry and Del said in unison.

  “Hey.”

  They sat down on either side of her bed, each one taking a hand. Carissa started crying.

  “What’s wrong, babe?” Perry asked, brushing a tear from her cheek.

  “I–I–I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “Why wouldn’t we come visit you?” Del asked.

  “Because I accused your father of trying to hurt my family, and then I broke up with both of you. I’m rea
lly not sure I’d want to come visit me if I was in your shoes.”

  “I had a feeling that Mr. Williams was the wrong guy,” Del said. “I’m relieved that my hunch was true. I’ll admit it was pretty suspicious, especially due to the way he treated you before.”

  Carissa nodded. “I’m sorry that I was willing to accuse him with such little proof, and I’m sorry I hurt us all. I was just trying to protect myself and my family.”

  “It hurt like hell when you called it off with us,” Del said. “We spent the entire day moping around, feeling miserable. In spite of the pain, though, we knew you were just trying to protect yourself.”

  “So you forgive me?”

  “Of course we forgive you,” Perry said. “We adore you.” He leaned over and kissed her, relieved to feel the warmth of her lips pressing against his again.

  “In fact, we have a question for you.”

  Perry looked at Del, both eyebrows raised. What on earth is he doing, and why the hell don’t I know about it?

  Del got out of his seat, dropped to one knee, and pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket. He flipped it open to reveal a full-carat diamond solitaire ring.

  “Carissa, we love you. We completely adore you. We never want to be apart from you again. Will you do us the honor of marrying us?”

  Both Carissa and Perry stared at Del with their mouths hanging open.

  “How long have you had that ring?” Perry asked.

  “I was just window-shopping last week after helping Carissa deal with her car repairs. I happened upon it and thought she might really like it. At that point, I wasn’t quite sure about my feelings for her, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared, just in case.”

  “You’ve been carrying it around ever since?” Carissa asked, her voice breaking again.

  “Yep. You never know when the moment is going to be right. So what do you say?”

  “Yes, of course, yes.”

  “Wait a second,” Perry said. “You planned to pop the question this morning, didn’t you? We were going to walk up to her door while she was still mad at us, and you were going to propose, weren’t you?”

  “I really don’t know. I had the ring, but I hadn’t decided one way or another. I was just going to go until the timing felt right. Everything felt perfect five minutes ago.”