A Christmas Treasure [The Men of Treasure Cove 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Rebecca Joyce

  “Wonder what’s going on?” Hazel asked, looking down the long hallway.

  “I bet they gagged her.” Emma snickered.

  “I heard Andy say that Braxton was going to bind her for the delivery. Apparently Charlotte is calmer when she is tied up,” Macie informed them. Just then, a loud cry emanated from the room down the hall. All the girls quickly turned their heads to listen.

  “Get her off!” Braxton shouted.

  “I’m trying!” Jordan yelled.

  “Charlie!” Janie screamed. “You let go of Braxton’s dick right now!”

  Their laughter erupted instantly as the girls choked and gasped, trying to contain themselves.

  * * * *

  Over at the Masterson ranch, the music was pumping loudly through the speakers as everyone laughed, danced and drank to their hearts’ content. Richard Masterson walked among his guests, thankful not be at the Jenkins house with the impending birth. Though everyone was happy for the occasion, none of the people in his house wanted to be privy to the joys of parenthood. Nope, everyone around him was single and liked it that way.

  Making his way through the small crowd, Richard saw his brother Nelson standing near the kitchen, talking with a pretty little brunette. “Hey, Richard, this is Patience Michaels. Her brother is that FBI dude, Landon. You know, the one that’s friends with Braxton?”

  Grumbling, Richard nodded. “I remember. I also remember that he almost arrested me when I told him he could go fuck himself.”

  “Yep, that’s the one!” Nelson said, then turned to the young woman. “Don’t worry about it, Patience…Everyone tells Richard that. It’s his enigmatic personality. Patience here is going to be the new schoolteacher in Treasure Cove.”

  “That’s good to hear since the town is currently in the throes of a baby boom.” Richard smiled, shaking the pretty woman’s hand. “Where’s Levi?”

  “In his room I think. You know he doesn’t go for this stuff. He’s probably on his computers doing background checks on everyone here.” Nelson laughed but sobered quickly when Patience blanched. “I was joking!”

  Richard looked at his younger brother questioningly, knowing damn well that that was exactly what Nelson’s twin was doing. “We need to find him.”

  Grabbing the rest of his brothers, they all went in search of Levi. They didn’t have far to look because Levi was exactly where Nelson said he would be, on his computers.

  They all walked into the office, Duke shutting the door behind them.

  Leaning against his desk, Richard pointed his finger at Levi and asked, “Just what in the hell are you doing?”

  Typing furiously on the keyboard, the youngest Masterson replied, “Working.”

  “No he’s not,” Nelson, sighed. “Mr. Conspiracy Theory over there is running the plates on that missing car Garrett Riley sent us.”

  “Why?” Duke asked. He knew his brother Levi was a complete nut job, but damn, it was just an abandoned car. There was no conspiracy around it.

  “I had to. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. Why would someone leave a perfectly good vehicle in the middle of nowhere?” Levi asked.

  “Because the car broke down, you moron. What the hell are they supposed to do, wait until the cops showed up and say here I am, arrest me?” Jake shouted.

  “I considered that plausibility, but after eliminating the extenuating circumstances, the data didn’t add up. I ran all the factors, and according to my findings, the owner of that car is in trouble. Now, I have narrowed the possibilities down to three scenarios that make the most sense, the first…”

  Duke grabbed his brother by the scruff of the neck and said, “Jake, hand me my gun.”

  “Whoa!” Levi said, shocked, putting his hands up in surrender. “Why are you mad at me?”

  “Because you’re an idiot!” Jake sighed. “You know something, Levi, for a genius, you sure can be stupid sometimes.”

  Duke shook his brother, getting his attention, and very clearly said, “You will not search the web, call a buddy, or enter that vehicle in any database. You will not photograph, fingerprint, or collect any DNA samples. You will leave it alone, or Jake and I will beat the living crap out of you, is that clear, Levi?”

  “But something’s wrong, Duke. I know it,” Levi exclaimed.

  “We know, Levi,” Richard sighed.

  “Then why?” Levi whined. Dear lord, there were times Duke felt like beating some common sense into his brother. Out of the five of them, Levi was the most confusing. Smart as a whip, great with computers, and he could always figure out the guilty party on CSI, before the first commercial, to the annoyance of Nelson. Sometimes, Levi was just too damn smart for his own good, but when it came to common sense, the boy was dumber than a box of rocks!

  Levi understood the mechanics of human nature, but when his exceptional scientific mind interfered, chaos typically ensued, which resulted in an ass whooping, and Duke knew if Levi didn’t let this go, he was going to put his size-twelve boot up his brother’s ass.

  “Because we already know about the owner,” Richard sighed.

  “How?” Levi asked.

  “Because we’re quicker than you, dumbass,” Duke quipped. “Jake traced the tags two days ago. The owner of the car reported it stolen. So whoever took the car is long gone by now. So back off, and let’s go have some fun.”

  “But whoever took the car is in trouble, I’m telling you,” Levi reiterated.

  “Levi, it’s Christmas. I don’t know about you, but I want to enjoy one day without scouting reports, intel on new customers, and pictures of dead bodies. Now, I am only going to tell you this once, so listen up, geek boy. Let it go,” Duke sternly said, releasing his brother’s shirt.

  “But—”

  “Let it go, Levi. That’s an order,” Richard said as he left the room.

  “Don’t make me get out the superglue,” Jake threatened as he turned. Levi blanched and shut his mouth. Smiling, Duke patted him on the shoulder and left, following Richard and Jake back into the living room.

  * * * *

  His brothers left. Looking back at his computer, he noticed the flashing red light, alerting him that he had a hit. Ignoring the threats of his brothers, Levi clicked on the flashing light and read the report’s contents.

  Within seconds, his fingers started flying across his keyboard.

  * * * *

  The night wore on, and still nothing. Hazel, Annie, and Lilly had made their way to the couch over an hour ago and were now sleeping. Emma had just returned from checking on the kids and stopped to look in on the men, who were all crashed in the playroom.

  The house was quiet once again as Macie and Emma sat and waited for the news, any news.

  “I am tempted to go and see what’s going on. I’ve had two deliveries, and neither one was as quiet as this. I’m telling you, Macie, Braxton and Jordan have bound and gagged her. I bet poor Charlotte is heaping mad, and when they let her loose, her men are dead. She is going to rip them from limb to limb,” Emma whispered, looking down the hall.

  “I’m starting to agree with you. When I had the boys, I yelled, screamed, and cursed. Hell, if I could have gotten my hands around Andrew’s neck, I would have ripped his head right off.”

  Snickering, Emma nodded. “I know the feeling. I just don’t get why it’s so damn quiet back there. I mean, minus the last outburst, you would think they are having a tea party back there, and why hasn’t Kelly come out to update us?”

  “Speak of the devil, look,” Macie whispered, nodding her head.

  Kelly O’Brian slowly walked down the hall looking as if she just lost the prize match with Mohammed Ali. The perky psychiatrist had definitely been run through the ringer. Her cute little ponytail was disheveled. Her clothes were in disarray, and she looked exhausted.

  Plopping in a chair at the table, she said, “Coffee. Need coffee.”

  Emma and Macie moved quickly to get Kelly what she wanted. When they turned to hand her the
hot cup, poor Kelly had her head on the table and looked to be sleeping.

  “Kelly honey,” Emma soothed quietly. “Here’s your coffee.”

  Kelly mumbled, “Thanks,” and took the cup, wrapping her hands around it.

  “How is everything?” Macie asked, unable to stand the silence anymore.

  Kelly slowly raised her head to look at them. Now, it was well known throughout the town that Kelly Conner O’Brian was one of the sweetest women anyone would ever know. Always the first to volunteer to help, Kelly would gladly give anyone the shirt off her back to someone in need. However, the look on their friend’s face at that very moment was anything but kind.

  “If she doesn’t deliver that child soon, I am going to rip it from her body and beat her to death with its umbilical cord. She made poor Jordan cry after he was only trying to help soothe her, and she damn near castrated Braxton. We tried binding her, but it didn’t work. It only made her angrier. That’s when she gave Andrew a black eye. We thought having Janie in there would help, but even Janie is having a hard time keeping her calm. Nothing is working. She is almost ten centimeters dilated and refusing to do anything else. She’s currently playing Assassin’s Creed on the laptop,” she informed them, then took a long swig of her coffee.

  Emma glanced over at Macie, who looked frustrated. “She’s almost to ten, you say?”

  “Yep, and refusing to do anything. She’s ignoring the contractions as if they were just an annoying fly buzzing around her,” Kelly said.

  “Hmm,” Emma muttered.“Has Dad given her anything for the pain?”

  “Nope. He tried once, but when Charlotte threatened to shove that needle up his dick, he backed away.”

  “Kelly, would alcohol hurt the baby at this moment?” Emma asked seriously.

  “No, I don’t think so. The sedative Andy wanted to give her would have had the same effect. Why?” Kelly asked, looking up at her.

  “Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” Macie grinned.

  “Yep! You grab Jim, Kelly, go find Jack, and I’ll go get Jose.” Emma smiled brightly.

  “Are you nuts?” Kelly screeched loudly, inadvertently waking Hazel, Annie, and Lilly. “You want to get her drunk?”

  “Kelly, you’ve seen Charlotte drunk. She is a blast, and she is cooperative! That girl will do anything for a shot.” Emma laughed, remembering Charlotte’s bachelorette party at the Pleasure Cave.

  “What’s going on?” Annie asked, walking over to the group with Hazel and Lilly following.

  “They want to get Charlotte drunk!” Kelly shouted.

  “Not drunk, relaxed,” Emma quickly said.

  “I got ’em!” Macie shouted, holding bottles of Jack, Jim, and Jose in her hands.

  With bottles and shot glasses in hand, Macie, Emma, Kelly, Hazel, Annie, and Lilly walked down the hall, women on a mission. Nudging Kelly to the forefront, they walked into the “Room of Doom.”

  “Charlie, please push,” Jordan pleaded, holding her hand.

  “I can’t,” Charlotte cried. “I’m so tired. Please, leave me alone.”

  “Baby, I promise, you can sleep all you want later. Andy says it’s time to push,” Braxton insisted, running his hands through his disheveled hair. He looked exhausted and worn out. Emma’s heart went out to him. Charlotte had put them both through the ringer tonight.

  “I want drugs,” Charlotte whimpered, her head falling back on the pillows.

  “How about a shot of whiskey instead, Charlie?” Emma said, interrupting them. She grinned, holding up the bottle of Jack Daniels when they looked up at her. Emma didn’t flinch, not even when Charlotte screamed as another contraction wracked her body.

  “It’s too late for that, Emma,” Andrew said. “Push, Charlotte, I can almost see the baby’s head.”

  “Parasite, it’s a parasite that’s determined to kill me,” she cried. The girls looked on, knowing what would ease the tense situation, but until they got the okay from Andrew, they were unable to do anything.

  “Dad, it’s just one drink. It might help,” Emma explained, moving closer to her father. “Didn’t Grandma Jenkins have a drink or two when she delivered you and Matthew?”

  “Yes, but that was before we knew what the effects of alcohol had on unborn children.”

  “Dad, I’m pretty sure one shot isn’t going to make the parasite an alcoholic. Charlie is going to deliver regardless, and if a shot of Jack can calm her enough to get her through the delivery, shouldn’t we at least give it a shot?”

  “What could it hurt, Andrew?” Janie agreed. “The baby is coming either way.”

  “Fine,” Andrew relented. “One shot.”

  Opening the bottle of Jack, Emma poured a double shot into the glasses Macie, Hazel, Lilly, and Annie had. Annie handed her glass to Charlotte since she couldn’t drink and smiled warmly at her friend.

  Braxton and Jordan helped Charlie to sit up.

  “Just a sip now, baby,” Jordan whispered.

  “Fuck that!” Charlotte said. “Bottom’s up!”

  * * * *

  As the sun rose over the mountains, she looked out the windows and watched as snow glistened like thousands of diamonds, blanketing the entire area. For the first time in days, the sun was shining. The house was quiet as everyone slept peacefully, exhausted from the night’s exertions, except for her and her parasite.

  Looking over at her husbands, she smiled, Asleep, neither moved as they lay cocooned around each other. They looked worn out, as if they were the ones who actually gave birth.

  She loved them so much. When she needed them the most, they were there and never left her side. She gave them hell, and they still stayed. She would always be thankful for them. Her life was better because of them. Turning her attention to the small bundle in her arms, she grinned. “You’re not a parasite, are you? Did you have to be so big? I mean seriously, you couldn’t have gone on a diet before you shot out my coochie? Did you not listen to that yoga tape I played for you?”

  The infant in her arms grunted and yawned. “Figures, you’re going to be just like your daddies, aren’t you? Just because you outnumber me doesn’t mean you get to have your own way. I am in charge always. It’s best you remember that now. What I say goes. Got it, buster?” she said, looking at her son.

  She still couldn’t believe her little parasite was here. He had his father Braxton’s dark hair and his father Jordan’s eyes. Of course, she knew that only one of them was biologically the father, but she didn’t care. As far as she was concerned, both men had a hand in the genetics of her son.

  When Andrew told her she had a boy, she was relieved. She didn’t know what in the hell she was going to do with a girl, and she was one! Nope, boys were what she wanted, and she just had her first. Boys were easier in her mind. She didn’t have to worry about all those female issues she had to deal with growing up. Charlotte decided at that moment, if she were ever going to have more, they would all have to be boys. “You know something, buster, I’m glad you’re a boy. Girls can be a handful. Of course, I’m not though. I’m pretty tame compared to the others. But boy howdy, you should see some of the girls around here. They have some nasty tempers. You’re lucky you got me for your tour guide in this world. We’re going to have so much fun. I have all the good games to play.”

  “Baby, he doesn’t understand you,” Braxton muttered, rolling over, snuggling closer to her.

  “Sure he does,” she replied. “See, he is looking right at me.”

  Braxton sat up and looked at his son, who was looking right at his momma. “Huh, I guess he is listening. What were you two talking about, anyway?”

  “That how lucky he is to have me for his tour guide, and that he should be thanking his lucky stars that he wasn’t a girl.”

  Kissing her cheek, Braxton smiled, lying his head back down on the pillows. “Baby, he has his whole life ahead of him. Right now, he’s just lucky he survived the night.”

  Epilogue

  Three days la
ter

  The snow billowed wildly around the car. The windshield wipers whipped frantically back and forth, trying to make the path ahead visible. The heater had stopped working thirty minutes ago, and the temperature dropped quickly. She could already see her breath. Moreover, to top everything else off, she was running low on fuel. Driving cautiously, she looked ahead in the dark night. All she could see were little white orbs of snow coming at her. It felt almost as if she was watching some Star Trek movie where the U.S.S. Enterprise warped into hyperspace. It was cool on television, but frightening in real life. She had no other choice but to continue slowly. At one point she thought if she sped up, it would help, but when she almost skidded off the road into a ditch, she dropped her speed to fifteen miles per hour, and putt-putted along. Safety was paramount. It wasn’t just her at stake.

  A small sign appeared out of nowhere. It was as if she blinked and it was there, like some beacon guiding her. Slowing down, she read the sign. “Treasure Cove, Montana…twenty-five miles ahead.”

  Relief washed over her. She could finally rest for the night and think of what to do next. She had been driving for almost two weeks, and she was exhausted. With only ten dollars left to her name, she needed to find some kind of work, anything that would pay her in cash. She couldn’t keep running forever, and she was tired of eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Of course, she refused to complain. It was the best she could do given the situation she put herself in, and with no other choices, she was stuck.

  Driving along the highway, she cursed her bad luck. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If she could have a do-over, she would have been at home relaxing in front of the TV instead of lurking around that abandoned stadium. She still couldn’t believe she saw what she did. Of course, she didn’t think anyone saw her. Man was she wrong. She had barely made it home before her first visitor arrived.