Their Temporary Sub [The Doms of Club Mystique 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Mardi Maxwell

  “If they were watching for her she may not have made it to the truck stop.”

  “She would have fought them. We haven’t found any signs of a fight.”

  “Yet.” Logan stood up.

  Luc nodded then followed the edge of the road as Logan went back to his side and kept pace with him. Luc found another print, signaled Logan, then kept going. The closer they got to the truck stop the less sign they found until Logan drew Luc’s attention and crouched down to examine the track he had found. Luc joined him.

  “She crossed the road here,” Logan said.

  Luc looked at the truck stop that was located about fifty yards away. “Maybe someone at the station or café saw her.”

  The two of them increased their pace until they reached the doors of the truck stop. Luc pointed to a large car parked at the end of the building. “Harry’s car is here. Let’s talk to him and see if any of his employees saw her or anything unusual last night.”

  As soon as they entered the truck stop, multiple pairs of eyes turned toward them. Luc ignored the attention they were drawing and moved to the counter where a young blonde girl sat winding a long strand of blonde hair around her finger as she read a celebrity magazine. He leaned down, read the nametag pinned to the front of her shirt, then stood up and said, “Hi, Cherry.”

  The little blonde shrieked then jumped off the stool and covered her heart. “You scared me,” she said, her southern accent as heavy as the eyeliner she wore.

  “Sorry about that,” Luc said. “Could you let Harry know Luc and Logan Ramsey are here to see him?”

  Cherry’s eyes widened as she looked from him to Logan then back to him. She smiled and stuck out her chest.

  Logan chuckled then said, “Baby, you’re too young. Be a good girl and call Harry for us.”

  Cherry blushed then reached for the phone. A few seconds later she said, “He said he’d meet you in the café.”

  Logan smiled at her then he and Luc made their way into the café. They slid into a corner booth with walls behind them and a clear view of the room in front of them. They had just ordered coffee when Harry came puffing up, grabbed a chair, and pulled it over to the table and flopped down.

  “My doctor says if I don’t lose some weight I’m going to die but hell it’s hard to diet when I own a restaurant,” Harry said.

  Luc grinned. He’d known Harry all his life and the guy was the same weight now that he’d been twenty years ago.

  The waitress brought over three cups of coffee along with a large slice of lemon meringue pie that she set down in front of Harry. Luc grabbed the pie. “Harry, you should listen to your doctor,” he said before he took a large bite.

  Harry’s belly shook as he laughed. “So, what can I do for you two cowboys?”

  “We’re looking for a young woman,” Luc said.

  “You and me both, buddy,” Harry said with another laugh.

  “This one sort of belongs to us,” Logan said. “Petite with long, golden-blonde hair. She may have been here sometime between midnight and seven this morning.”

  “I have surveillance cameras everywhere,” Harry said. “You’re welcome to look at the video.”

  Luc took another bite of pie and quickly swallowed it. “Anybody working now who was here during those hours?”

  “My cook works midnight to one.”

  “Can you get him out here?” Logan asked.

  Harry laughed. “Best place to find him this time of day is out back, smoking one of his stinking cigars. Come on, I’ll take you back there, that is, if you’re done eating my pie?”

  Luc took the last bite then washed it down with a sip of coffee. “Good pie, Harry, but not as good as Jane’s.”

  “Well, hell boy, nobody’s pie is as good as Jane’s but no matter how much I offer her she won’t come work for me.” Harry got up and led the way through the kitchen and out the back door.

  A large man wearing a pristine white apron sat on a wooden crate smoking. When the screen door slammed he turned his head. The right side of his face was covered with scars. He lazily took a drag from the cigar and puffed out several smoke rings. “Harry,” the cook said, his voice a deep, painful rasp.

  “Nate, these guys would like to talk to you for a minute.” Harry pointed at Luc and Logan.

  “I’m on my break.”

  Luc stepped forward. “Last night did you see a woman on foot coming from the south?”

  “Why do you want to know?” Nate asked.

  Logan put a hand on Luc’s shoulder. “She’s in trouble. Some bad guys are hunting for her.”

  “How do I know you aren’t the bad guys?” Nate asked.

  Harry stepped forward. “I’ve known Luc and Logan Ramsey since they were boys. They’re Marines.”

  Nate laughed, then looked toward the parking lot. “So, you’re Isabella’s two perverts?” He laughed again.

  “You know Isabella?” Luc asked.

  Nate nodded then puffed out a cloud of smoke that smelled like horse manure. “I saw your little gal. Around two, maybe a little earlier. She ran up to the intersection, stepped off the shoulder into the dirt then jumped back onto the shoulder and ran back to the south.”

  “Are you sure?” Luc waved his hand in front of him, clearing the wall of smoke.

  “Yeah.” Nate almost smiled before he took another puff.

  “Was she alone?” Logan asked. “Anybody following her?”

  “She was alone.” Nate stood up, his eyes level with Luc and Logan’s. “Looked like she knew what she was doing so I didn’t offer to help her.” He laughed again. “She’s damn good at laying a false trail. Good runner. Wasn’t even winded.”

  Luc and Logan thanked Nate and Harry and then they took off. Luc glanced back and saw Nate watching them. “That is one tough-looking bastard.”

  Logan glanced back then grunted. “I’d hate to meet him in a dark alley.” He sent Nate a last look then caught up with Luc. “Where do you think she was going?”

  “I’m not sure but she’s somewhere west of the intersection and she couldn’t have gotten too far. We’ve had people out looking for her since seven. She’s got to be holed up somewhere.”

  “We need to call the police department and see if anyone has reported a stolen vehicle,” Logan said.

  “Damn. If she’s stolen a car I’m going to use a paddle on her ass when we find her.”

  Logan used his cell phone to make the call while Luc checked in with Thor.

  “No stolen cars reported.”

  “Thor said he had ten guys watching the roads for her. No sign of her.”

  Once they reached the intersection they continued on south.

  “She has to be hiding out on the ranch somewhere. You take that side of the road and I’ll take this side,” Logan said.

  An hour later Luc stopped and knelt down. “Here, Logan.” He pointed to a small mark on the ground. “Looks like she stumbled.”

  Logan looked at the mark, then surveyed the area around them. “Only thing out here is trees and the river.”

  Luc pulled a bottle of water from his pack and took a sip. “Don’t forget Addison, Jenna, and Marisol. I think she’ll try to contact one of them.”

  “Then we need to make sure when she does we’re listening in.” Logan moved farther down the road. “Let’s see if we can find where she left the road. I’ll move into the field a few yards and you stay on the shoulder. If we don’t find anything on this side then we’ll search the other side.”

  Six hours later, dusty and tired, the two of them walked down their driveway. When they reached Cassie’s car, they stopped and leaned against it.

  “Damn, I’m tired,” Luc said.

  Logan pulled a bottle of water out of his own pack and squirted a stream into this mouth. “This is a hell of a car.” He tapped the top then leaned down and looked through the window.

  Luc frowned. “It’s too fast for her.”

  “I think that’s the whole point of a car like this.
” Logan admired it as he walked around it. “She and her dad rebuilt this car. That’s how she knows so much about it.”

  “He taught her a lot of things I’d just as soon she didn’t know.”

  Logan chuckled. “At least she’s never boring.” The sound of his voice faded as he rounded the trunk. “Luc?”

  “Yeah?” he asked, taking another sip of water.

  “Cassie left us a message.”

  Luc hurried to Logan’s side and saw the metal key case. He opened it and shook the key out into the palm of his hand then used it to open the truck.

  “That’s the sketch she drew of the tattoo on the back of Tyson’s hand.” Logan picked it up.

  “No, it’s not. That’s the tattoo on the back of Larry Taylor’s left hand. He and Tyson had the same initials.”

  “Oh, shit,” Logan said. “Cassie showed me that drawing yesterday and I told her I knew it was the tattoo on Tyson’s hand. She swore it wasn’t because he had never—” Logan cursed. “I think he’s the reason she’s afraid of anal sex. Dammit, I should have listened to her.”

  Luc grasped his shoulder. “What’d she say, Logan?”

  “She said the guy with this tattoo would put his hand down on the mattress when he raped her and she could see the tattoo.”

  “That’s why they’re hunting her. They know she’s starting to remember more details and she’ll be able to identify them. We’ve got to find her.”

  “We will,” Logan said.

  “We need to search her things then we’ll talk to our brothers and Thor.”

  Chapter Six

  Cassie waited until after nine the next evening before she called Marisol.

  After one ring Marisol answered. “Cassie?”

  “Yes. It’s me.”

  “Everyone is hunting for you.”

  “The police?” Cassie asked.

  “No. Luc and Logan, their brothers, and Thor and his guys.”

  Cassie quickly told Marisol everything that had happened and that her memory was coming back. The more she talked the more Marisol cursed in Spanish. “Where are you, Cassie?”

  “Do you promise not to tell anyone? Not even Addison or Jenna?”

  “Listen to me. You’re not safe. Thor and the Ramseys are not the only people hunting for you.”

  “I know that but I don’t trust them anymore. They betrayed me, Marisol.” Cassie grabbed a pen and pad of paper. “You said your cousin might be able to help me.”

  “Cassie, you’ve got to call Luc and Logan. They’re going out of their minds worrying about you. Let them protect you.”

  “No. I don’t trust them now.”

  After a pause, Marisol said, “Promise me you’ll call Vincent and tell him everything you just told me.”

  “I promise.” Cassie wrote down the number Marisol gave her. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. I have a car now and I need to get going.”

  “Cassie, did you steal a car?”

  “No, I’m borrowing a friend’s beige tank. I’ve got to go now.”

  “Wait, don’t hang up yet. They found your case. The one with your sketches and all the informa—”

  Cassie heard Marisol yelling at someone then Thor came on the line. “Cassandra, tell me where you are right now.”

  Cassie took a deep breath then hung up. A few minutes later she called Marisol’s cousin Vincent Vitale. After introducing herself, she told him a short version of what had happened and then she asked him to help her prove her innocence.

  “I still have a lot of contacts in Chicago,” Vincent said. “I’ll see what I can find out about Julia.”

  “While you’re at it, check into her father, Don Wilson. I think he was dirty and that’s how Julia got involved with the drug gangs.”

  “Damn,” Vincent said. “Are you sure?”

  “My godfather, Thor Larkin, said Julia’s dad works for the DEA. He said they had to be transferred from Chicago to Dallas but there was just something about them I didn’t trust. At first they appeared to be the perfect family but they never asked Julia where she’d been or what she’d been doing.”

  “You think it was because they already knew?”

  “Yes.”

  “Cassie, I know Thor Larkin—why haven’t you gone to him with all this?”

  “He thinks I’m guilty. I tried to tell him the truth but he wouldn’t listen.”

  “From what you’ve told me all of the evidence points to you, hon,” Vincent said.

  “My point exactly—it’s too easy. I’d have to be a complete idiot to leave that much evidence leading right back to me.”

  Vincent cursed. “You’re right. I’m going to help you. Can I contact you at this number?”

  “Yes, but I’ve stayed here as long as I can. I’m leaving tonight.”

  “No. Cassie, stay where you are.”

  “I can’t do that. Eventually they’re going to realize I’m close by and this is the first place they’ll look. I’ll call you when I find another place to stay,” Cassie said then hung up. She got her backpack then grabbed the car keys from the hook where Addison kept them. After unlocking the car she threw her things on the front floorboard then started the engine, and used the remote to open the garage door. She backed out and a movement in the rearview mirror caught her attention. Luc’s large black truck pulled up behind her.

  The truck doors opened and Luc and Logan stepped out and walked toward her. She locked the car doors and kept the engine running. One of them tapped on her window. For a moment she ignored them then rolled her window down an inch. “Move your truck.”

  “Get out of the car, sugar,” Logan said.

  “Move your truck.”

  “Cassie, I want you to get out of the car right now,” Luc said.

  “No. I’m leaving.”

  Luc banged on the window. “You have five seconds to open this door.”

  “Or, what? You’ll accuse me of some other crime I didn’t commit? You said the sight of me made you sick.” She wiped the tears from her face, pissed off at herself for crying.

  Lights flashed over them and Cassie saw Thor pull in behind Luc. He, Jackson, and Cade got out and walked over to the car. She heard Luc and Logan talking to them then Cade pulled something from his pocket and a second later her door flew open.

  “Get out of the car, Cassandra,” Thor said.

  “Go to hell.”

  A growl rumbled from Luc’s throat. “Cassandra, you know the rules.”

  “Fuck the rules, Luc. You and Logan can fuck off. You betrayed me.”

  Logan shouldered Luc out of the way then bent down until he was on eye level with her. “There are men hunting you, sugar.”

  “I’d rather take my chances staying one step ahead of them. They just want to kill me, but you’re destroying my hope.” Cassie gripped the steering wheel then put her head down on the back of her hands and sobbed.

  “Dammit.” Luc tried to pull her out of the car but she wouldn’t, or couldn’t, let go of the steering wheel. Logan reached in and uncurled her fingers then Luc lifted her out and carried her toward Logan’s truck.

  Jackson glanced into the car. “I’ll get her things and put Addison’s car back in the garage.”

  “We’ll see you at the ranch,” Logan said before he followed Luc and climbed into the truck.

  Cassie sat on the back seat with her hands fisted on her lap and her head down. Her hair hung down on either side of her face, hiding her expression, and the only light in the truck came from the lights of the dashboard. She stared at her hands and tried to figure out how she felt about Luc and Logan now. They had turned on her and she wondered if she would have done the same thing if she had been in their place. The answer came quickly. She would have believed them because she had been falling in love with them from the moment she had met them. But, they didn’t love her. She was their temporary sub, or at least that’s what they wanted her to be, but they’d never gotten around to signing the contract. Now they never would.
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  By the time they arrived at the ranch house, she had decided she would answer their questions, and then she would depend on Vincent Vitale to help her. As soon as Logan parked the truck and Luc climbed out, she slid out behind him. She ignored the hand he held out to her and walked around him and up the sidewalk to the porch then into the house.

  Addison, Jenna, and Marisol came out of the living room and surrounded her.

  “Cassie, we’ve been so worried about you. Are you okay?” Addison asked.

  “Yes, of course.” Cassie forced a smile to her lips. “Sorry I missed your wedding, Addison, but I was tied up.”

  Addison smiled. “I understand.”

  “Have you eaten?” Jenna asked. “I could get you something.

  “No, thanks. I just need to talk to Thor and then I’m going home.”

  “To Luc and Logan’s?” Addison asked as Luc and Logan entered the house followed by Cade, Jackson, and Thor.

  Cassie shook her head. “No, to my home in Dallas.”

  “Sugar, you can’t go there,” Logan said.

  Cassie walked away. “I guess we’ll probably talk in the den. Isn’t that where the interrogations take place?” Behind her, she heard Luc curse and she smiled. Maybe it was time to turn the table on them.

  Cassie sat down and folded her hands in her lap. Once Thor and the Ramseys were seated she looked up and waited for the questioning to begin.

  Thor smiled at her. “Cassandra, first I want to apologize to you. We were wrong and we didn’t give you a chance to explain.”

  Before he could say anything more, Cassie said, “Apology accepted. Thank you.”

  Thor cleared his throat, then picked up her case and opened it. He held up her sketches of Julia, Jimmy, Mike, and several other people. “You drew these?”

  “Yes.”

  “They’re very good,” Thor said.

  Cassie decided she would use their own rules against them—don’t speak unless asked a question. After this she might be able to make up her own brochure on how to handle dumbasses who didn’t listen. She smiled and Luc gave her a quizzical look. She wanted to get up and bust a lamp over his head. Instead, she ignored him.