“And I’d never have met Alec, my husband.”
“Now, Mia, you can’t be blaming Jardin for the fact that you chose the wrong Malone brother to marry. You know you’ll always have my heart.”
Mia rolled her eyes at Maddox. “All the younger Malone brothers are terrible flirts, but I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that.”
“Hey, I resent that. I’m an excellent flirt.” Maddox dug into the slice of pie. “So, darlin’ you gonna tell me why you’re here and not back in New Orleans tied to my cousin’s bed while he and Carrick do terrible, unmentionable things to you.”
“Maddox!” Mia scolded.
Thea glared at him. “I was his personal assistant.”
“Saw the way he looked at you, darlin’. He wanted to be far more personal with you.”
Flick groaned. “That was horrible. I apologize for him, Thea.”
Maddox finished up his pie and wiped his face. “Does Jardin know you’re here, Thea?”
She shook her head. There was no point lying when he could easily find out.
“Didn’t think so. Way he and Carrick talked about you when we went out for dinner, I couldn’t imagine either of them letting you come here on your own.”
A blush filled her cheeks, and she gazed down at her coffee.
“Will you tell him I’m here?”
“That depends,” he said.
“On what?”
“On why you’re here. What happened? Did those two scare you away? Couldn’t stand the idea of a ménage? Or was it the fact that Jardin’s a sadist?”
“A . . . a sadist?”
Maddox grimaced while Mia hissed a warning at him. “Sorry. Figured you knew. You know they’re both Doms?”
“Yes, Carrick told me. But he never said anything about . . . what does that mean? That he likes to inflict pain?”
Holy. Shit.
“Only with partners who are consenting and want to receive pain,” Mia said quickly.
“I don’t think that I could ever . . . not that it matters. We’re not together.”
All three of them gave her varying looks of disbelief.
“Are you in trouble, Thea?” Mia asked. “We can help you. Jardin can help you. He’s a good guy.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. I don’t need any help. If you’ll excuse me, I have to pick my brothers up from their friends house.”
It wasn’t until after she’d fled that she realized she hadn’t asked the diner owner about her apartment.
“Where the hell could she have gone?”
Carrick watched as Jardin paced back and forth across the office. They were at the Malone family home. If you could call it a home. The place was enormous. And old. It was gorgeous, but it wasn’t exactly homey. Mostly, Carrick was scared to touch anything in case he broke it.
Then Gerald, the butler, would have his ass.
Jardin’s oldest brother, Regent, watched him with cool, dark eyes. Regent was scary as shit. If Jardin could be arrogant and cold, then Regent was ice. Pure, chilling ice. The only time he ever saw him warm up was around their sister, Lottie.
“She hasn’t used her accounts. We found her phone in the mall. We know she took an Uber from the school to the mall, but we lost her after that,” Maxim, the youngest Malone brother said.
Regent was the oldest then it was Jardin, Victor then Maxim. Lottie was the baby. And the only girl. Protected and coddled, especially after all that she’d been through.
“What are we going to do?” Jardin said.
“We’ll find her,” Maxim reassured him. “She’ll make a mistake and we’ll get her.”
“Course, once you find her you actually have to keep her,” Regent drawled. “Shall I have Gerald prepare the safe room?”
Both Jardin and Carrick glared at him.
“We’re not locking her up,” Carrick protested.
“No? Hmm. Letting her roam around on her own hasn’t worked out so well.”
“This isn’t the eighteenth century, Regent. We can’t just kidnap her and lock her up until she’s pregnant with our child,” Jardin said with frustration.
Regent sighed, looking disappointed in them both.
“There was just a misunderstanding,” Carrick said.
“What?” Victor mocked. He’d been silent up until then, sitting in a chair in the corner, sipping his scotch. “She didn’t realize she was yours?”
Jardin and Carrick shared a glance.
“We were easing her into it,” Carrick explained.
Regent shook his head. “Easing her into it,” he repeated. “Ridiculous.”
Jardin made a noise of frustration. “Debating what we should have done isn’t helping to find her any quicker.
“She’d have to enroll her brothers in school, right? Maybe I can use that to find her,” Maxim mused.
“Why did she run in the first place?” Victor asked. “I assume it wasn’t just because the two of you wanted to tag team her.”
“Victor!” Jardin barked as Carrick scowled.
“We didn’t want to tag team her. Thea is special,” Jardin insisted.
“I’m sure you thought the same about Sally,” Victor said coldly.
“Sally was a mistake. And she never cared about either of us. All she wanted was my money.”
“And my cock,” Carrick added dryly. “Thea isn’t like that. She’s sweet. She’s loyal and smart. She’s the one for us.”
“And yet she ran away rather than tell you both what was going on,” Regent mused.
Jardin ran his hand over his face looking as exhausted as Carrick felt.
“She was protecting us,” Carrick said slowly.
Jardin froze, gaped at him. “Protecting us? Why would we need protecting? We’re two grown-ass men. She’s tiny. What could she possibly protect us from?”
“I don’t know, but think about it. There was obviously something wrong. She wouldn’t tell us what it was. Maybe it was because she didn’t trust us, but I don’t think that’s it. I think she was trying to protect us.”
Jardin groaned. “When I find her, I’m putting her over my knee. She’s not going to sit comfortably for a week.”
“There’s the brother I know and love,” Regent said. “Thought you’d disappeared for a moment there, you were being so reasonable and rational.”
“Shut. Up.”
“So verbose. Glad to see all that money we spent sending you to Harvard was well spent,” Regent replied.
“Regent, you’re being a dick,” Maxim told him.
“When isn’t he?” Victor asked.
“Like you can talk,” Regent replied.
Okay, if this kept going, it would turn into a schoolyard brawl. Nobody could be as cutting as these guys. They were harsh. They were controlling.
Yet, they had each other’s backs no matter what. And Carrick knew they didn’t give a shit that he and Jardin were in a relationship. Or that they wanted Thea in that relationship. They just had pasts that had turned them into the men they were.
Still, none of this was helping find Thea and her brothers. Where were they?
“I’ve been trying to find the father,” Maxim said. “Seems like he’s disappeared. Not a good guy. From what we’ve found, he’s an alcoholic and a gambler. Owes money to bookies, including one owned by Derrick Silvers.”
“Silvers,” Regent spat out. “About time we took him out, don’t you think, Victor?”
That was the first time he’d seen Victor smile since they’d gotten here.
“Taking out the trash was always my favorite chore.”
Maxim snorted. “Don’t think you’ve ever done a chore in your life.”
Jardin’s phone rang in the midst of their bickering. He frowned and answered it. “Maddox, I don’t have time right now. I’m going to have to delay coming to Haven. What? You’re fucking . . . how? Shit . . . yes, I want you to keep an eye on her! Can you take her to the ranch? Since when do you give a shit what the sheriff thinks? Yes,
Maddox, kidnap her . . . Fine! Carrick and I will be there by morning. Yes, I’m aware there are speed limits, you shit head. Hey, Mad? Thanks, man.”
Jardin ended the call and turned to Carrick. “She’s in Haven.”
Relief flooded him. Of all the places she could have gone, Haven was the best possible choice.
“He’s watching her?” he asked.
Jardin nodded. “Told him to take her to the ranch, but he reckons the sheriff would have his balls. He said he won’t take his eyes off her until we get there, though.”
“Since when do our cousins care about the police?” Regent asked. “Or any sort of authority.”
“They don’t,” Jardin muttered. “Either he’s being obstinate or—”
“He doesn’t want to scare her,” Carrick said softly.
“Doesn’t matter. We know where she is now. Let’s go get our girl.”
21
Thea headed back to the diner. She’d just dropped the boys off at school and it was her day off. She was determined to talk to the owner today.
Sitting at the counter again, she endured Doris’s glare. “You here for pie?”
Thea shook her head. “Just coffee please.”
Doris grumbled under her breath. “What about breakfast? You need breakfast. You’re just skin and bones.”
Uh, she’d have to disagree. But she didn’t want to argue with the scary waitress. “I’m fine, could I please speak to Peggy if she’s not busy?”
“And what you want with her?” Doris snapped.
“That’s for her and me to talk about,” Thea said firmly.
“She won’t come out for just nothin’,” Doris replied.
“Fine. I want to ask her about renting the apartment upstairs.”
Doris grunted. “It’s just a one-bedroom.”
Thea forced a polite smile. “That’s fine.”
“You got two boys, don’t you? They need their own space. Where they gonna sleep?”
“We’ll be fine.” Not that it’s any of your business. “Can I please speak to Peggy?”
“Don’t worry about bothering Peggy, Doris,” a deep voice said from behind her. A voice she’d heard in her dreams hundreds of times. That deep note of command that didn’t fail to make her shiver.
Fuck. How did people keep sneaking up on her?
“I do need to speak to Peggy, please, Doris,” she said firmly. She would not turn to look at him. She would not.
What was he doing here anyway?
It had to be that rat, Maddox. He’d called him. But would he really have raced here to see her? Why?
“Doris, do not get Peggy. Thea is not moving into that apartment.”
She turned on the stool to glare at him, shocked to see Carrick standing beside him. They’d both come? Jardin was dressed in slacks, a dress shirt and a jacket while Carrick had on a black T-shirt and black jeans. Jardin’s clothes were rumpled. He clearly hadn’t shaved for a few days and the dark hair on his face only made him look more dangerous. Both of them looked like they hadn’t slept, and Carrick’s hair was almost standing on end, as though he’d been running his fingers through it.
“You know what?” Doris said. “I got other things to do. When you people make up your mind, let me know.”
“What are the two of you doing here? And why did you just tell Doris I don’t need the apartment. I have to have somewhere to live with the boys. We can’t stay at the motel indefinitely.”
“We came here for you,” Carrick told her darkly.
Jardin crossed his arms over his chest. “You like it here? In Haven?”
“Um, yes.” Why was he asking? What did it matter to him? And why were they here for her? So they could yell at her for leaving?
“It’s a good place to live. People are kind of quirky, but our relationship would be more accepted here. But Carrick and I have careers in New Orleans. Take us a while to arrange to move out here.”
She blinked in shock. “You’re not moving here. I am.”
“Where you go, we go, rocket,” Carrick told her.
“But that’s preposterous. You . . . you can’t move here because of me.” That’s what they were saying, right?
Jardin moved into her space and cupped her face between his big hands. “When it comes to you, Thea, we will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe and happy. Living here will make that easier,” he mused. “The downfall is we’re close to my cousins. Interfering bastards.”
Her mouth opened then closed then opened again. “Why?”
She was aware they were in a public place, but she didn’t care that there were people watching. She had to know why.
Jardin moved her and Carrick slid in behind her, pressing his hard, hot body against her back. “Seems we didn’t do a very good job of telling you that you’re ours, Thea.” Carrick moved her hair to one side so he could kiss down her neck.
Holy. Shit.
Shivers of pleasure raced through her. Fuck a duck. That felt so good.
“Let’s remedy that now, shall we?” Jardin said darkly. “Thea, you’re ours.”
“We’re not letting you go.”
“So, you need to deal with the fact that we’re going to share you.”
“We’re also gonna share each other,” Carrick added.
Jardin’s lips twitched, no doubt reading the heat in her gaze. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a problem. I think Thea likes the idea of watching us together, don’t you?”
She started to shake her head. Then she remembered what Carrick had said about his family rejecting him for his sexual choices.
“I do. I think it’s fucking hot.”
Carrick relaxed behind her and she knew she’d made the right choice.
Jardin cupped her face in his hand. “And what about being with the two of us? How does that make you feel?”
She cleared her throat. “Should we really be talking about this here?”
Jardin didn’t look around, he kept his gaze on her. “Don’t worry, this probably won’t be the craziest thing they see today.”
“Damn straight it won’t,” a man called out.
“Mr. Mac, please keep your comments to yourself,” Jardin called back without missing a beat. “We wait to talk, we risk you running on us again.”
“I didn’t run from the two of you,” she whispered.
Something like relief filled Jardin’s face, before it went back to arrogant. “Good.”
Carrick was still kissing his way up and down her neck.
“Carrick can you please . . . can you please stop?”
“Nope,” Carrick told her. “I’m determined to show you that you want to be with us.”
“That’s . . . that’s not the problem! Although I’m still unsure why the two of you would want me!”
Both men stiffened.
“Told you,” Carrick said mysteriously.
Jardin nodded. “We’ll work on it. For now, all we need to hear is that you want us as much as we want you. That you want to be in a relationship with us.”
“I . . . of course I want to!” Who wouldn’t want to be with the two of them? They were gorgeous, loyal, and smart. Charismatic. Powerful.
“Good. It’s settled then. You’ll come back with us to New Orleans, then we can make a decision on where we want to live. Here or there. We’ll figure it out. Now, did I hear you say you’re staying at the motel? Let’s get your stuff and your brothers from school. I assume that’s where they are?”
“Wait!” she said, grabbing hold of Jardin’s wrist as he stepped back.
Coldness filled his gaze. “You better not be telling me no, Thea.”
It would take a stronger woman than her to tell him no except . . .
“I can’t go back to New Orleans.”
Carrick shifted around to stand next to Jardin. “And why’s that, rocket?”
“Because if I go back there, I’m dead.”
22
Carrick watched Jardin pace up and down the small mo
tel room. It had two double beds, a tiny kitchen area with a microwave sitting on a counter and a mini fridge, and a bathroom off to the side.
It was a sign of how agitated Jardin was that he wasn’t griping about where she’d been staying. He’d likely get to that later. Carrick took the chair that was under the desk. He sat and looked over at Thea, who was fiddling with the coffee maker.
“Thea, come here,” Carrick said gently.
“I’ll get some coffee on. Coffee makes everything better. Right?”
“Nothing is going to make this better,” Jardin growled.
“Thea. Come here.” He made his voice firmer this time and she turned away from the kitchen area and walked over to him. When she was about a foot away, he reached out and lifted her onto his lap.
“Eek! Carrick!”
“Hush,” he murmured to her, wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly. “I need to hold you. It’s my happy place.”
She made a scoffing noise, but she settled onto his lap without another word of protest. He wrapped his big arms around her. He wasn’t lying. He needed to feel her against him. To know she was safe.
“When do you think he’ll stop pacing?” she asked.
“When he’s calmed down enough.”
She sighed. “At least one of you isn’t angry at me.”
“Don’t mistake my calm for meaning I’m not upset, Thea. I’m fucking livid. That we didn’t make it clear what our intentions were, that we held back for fear of scaring you, that you kept something from us. Something that was threatening you. I’m damn furious, rocket. It’s just that I show it in different ways. But to make it very clear,” he turned her on his lap and cupped her chin in his hand, “you’re in big trouble. And once Jardin is back in his head and we’ve learned what’s going on, you’re going to find yourself unable to sit for a week.”
Heat entered her gaze before she narrowed her eyes at him. “You can’t spank me.”
“We damn well can,” Jardin replied, coming to stand in front of them. “Something or someone threatened you and instead of telling us so we could take care of it, you ran. From us! You put yourself in more danger. There’s more than one spanking owed.”
She gulped. “But we’re not in a relationship—”
Jardin's Gamble (Haven, Texas Book 9) Page 17
