On My Own [Liberty, Wyoming 2] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Read online

  Damn, she was cute. Clay bit back a smile and slid a hand slowly up and down her jean-clad thigh, getting closer and closer to her heated core.

  The anger seemed to drain away, and her awareness went to the sweet spot between her legs that cried out for their attention as her legs involuntarily opened. She became aware of her position and tried without success to close her legs. A mewing sound came from her throat when Clay’s hand covered her jean-covered mound and pressed against the bud that begged for their touch. Royce pulled her shirt up and spread his hand across her stomach, pinning her tightly against his chest, at the same time running his thumb under the velvety soft skin of her breast.

  Isabel’s breaths sawed in and out of her lungs as she tried and failed to keep from giving in to them. Clay’s fingers pressed harder, making Isabel’s body clench as a wave of strong desire ripped through her.

  “Look how pretty you are, Isabel.” Clay’s voice gentled and wrapped around her like a hug.

  “Please-.” Isabel twisted, and her legs became restless, making the heels of her tennis shoes bang against the chair legs.

  Royce’s voice wrapped around her. “Please what, love?”

  Isabel arched, trying to get them to touch the areas she ached the most.

  “Royce asked you a question, Isabel.”

  “Mmmm?” The authoritative tone of Clay’s voice sent a shiver down her spine.

  A voice came from the living room that stopped them dead. “Mommy?”

  A sudden panic spread through her. “Let me up.” Isabel’s voice grew anxious. “Oh, my God. Let me up!”

  “Easy, sweetheart. Clay is going to get him. You just stay here for a bit.”

  Tears sprang from her eyes, and she pushed frantically at the arms that held her. “Please, Royce.” A cry tore from her throat.

  “Tommy’s all right, honey. Everything is all right.” He continued to coo at her and help settle her.

  “No, it’s not.” She pushed against his chest until he released her. She walked to the counter and leaned, trying to catch her breath. “Absolutely nothing is all right.”

  Royce slid his hand up and down her back. “We’ll talk about this later. Clay is bringing Tommy in.”

  Isabel turned at the sound of her son’s happy chatter and almost lost it. When was the last time she had heard this level of happiness from her son? She swallowed several times to ease the feelings of despair and inadequacy as a mother. She turned her face away and ignored Royce’s frown.

  Isabel walked to the kitchen doorway and held her arms out for Tommy, only to have Clay lift him higher before curling an arm around her waist. “I’ve got him, Isabel.” He and his brother shared a look. “How about we make lunch and then one of us can take Tommy out to see the horses?”

  Isabel shook her head. “No, I think we should be going. I think we’ve done enough for today.” She needed to get her burner phone and call Mora for their weekly check-in.

  Royce stood suddenly. “You’re going to eat and then we’ll talk.”

  Isabel moved away from Clay and crossed her arms tightly around her middle. “No, I want to go,” she said through clenched teeth.

  Royce braced his legs, put his hands on his slim hips, and raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Stop arguing with us. Let’s get Tommy fed, and then we’ll all go to the stables.”

  Isabel glared at him when Tommy agreed happily. Never again. They were not going to use her son as leverage against her. She’d already had that happen, and it wasn’t going to happen again.

  Clay and Royce saw a light dim in Isabel’s eyes before a calm mask descended over her features, making it impossible to read her.

  Clay threw his brother a look to back off. He was afraid they were pushing her to run from them, and that was unacceptable. They needed to slow down before they lost her. “If it’s okay with Isabel, of course?”

  Isabel looked shocked and confused that they were suddenly giving her a choice. Her emotions were going up and down so much today it was starting to give her a headache. She rubbed one of her temples. After a brief moment and a look at how happy Tommy was, she could give him this. The child had had so little pleasures for a while. He deserved it. She nodded. “I guess a quick lunch, and a short time with the animals would be okay, but then we have to leave.”

  Tommy whined. “Mom…”

  Clay rubbed a hand up and down Tommy’s back. “She’s right, and we have to listen to her. There will be plenty of time to spend here. Got it, buddy?”

  Tommy wrapped his thin arms around Clay’s neck and laid his head on his shoulders. “Yes, Clay.”

  Isabel’s eyes burned at the sight of this large man and her son and the bond they had already formed. What was going to happen when they had to leave? Maybe it was wrong to stay here another day. It was only going to make the pain that much harder to handle if they stayed and grew closer to these men.

  Royce wrapped an arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “Everything will be okay. I promise. I’m sorry I pushed. We’ll back off a bit so you can relax.”

  Isabel laid her hand on his arm around her waist. She wished everything would be okay but knew that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, so she just nodded her head. When she looked back at Clay and Tommy, her determination to leave faded, and something in her heart tightened at the sight of this enormous man holding her son so gently and talking softly, as his large hand slid up and down Tommy’s spine in a soothing caress. She could already tell there was a deep affection between the two.

  It had been a long time since Tommy had a positive male influence and affection. It saddened her to realize it was when Ethan was alive, and he probably didn’t remember it. He was too young, a few months from turning three when his father died, and now he was almost four. Her breath caught in her chest. Ethan had loved his son so much. It saddened her to know Tommy wouldn’t ever know his dad or feel how much he loved him. She would just have to do her best to show him pictures and tell him stories about his dad, so he never forgot him. But she knew it wasn’t close to actually spending time with his dad.

  “Okay, let’s eat, and then we can see the horses. Okay, sweetheart?” Isabel smiled when Tommy nodded his head against the hard planes of Clay’s chest.

  “Good. Let’s get lunch made. Who’s going to help me?” She chuckled, trying to push away all her negative thoughts for the time being. All three followed her. She was eager to see who actually helped her, and those who just got in the way.

  Chapter Eight

  Isabel made her call after putting Tommy down at his regular bedtime. The men had followed her back from their ranch, and then both had kissed her before reluctantly leaving.

  Isabel sat on the couch. Her gaze was centered out the window where she could just see the moon just starting to rise, as she waited. Her heart started racing when the phone kept ringing. Mora always answered quickly. After the ten rings, the phone was picked up, but then silence.

  Her grip on the phone tightened until her knuckles turned white, as fear raced down her spine. “Hello,” she whispered.

  “Isabel?”

  Isabel’s breath whooshed out. “Derek? Oh, God, Derek. You scared me.”

  “Hi, honey.”

  Fingers of dread hit the pit of her stomach at the concerned tone of his voice. “Derek, where’s Mora?” Tears stung her eyes when he didn’t answer. Oh, please god, no. “Derek?” Her voice shook almost uncontrollable.

  Derek sighed. “Isabel, Mora was in a car accident.”

  She felt the blood drain from her face, making her light-headed. She grabbed hold of the side of the couch cushion, preventing herself from crumbling to the floor. “Oh, my god. Is she okay?” A sob caught in the back of her throat. “Please, Derek, please don’t tell me we lost her too.”

  “She’s alive, but in the hospital with a broken arm and a concussion.”

  She sucked in a much-needed breath before asking, “What happened, Derek? And why do you have her phone?”


  “Her brakes gave out, and she went through an intersection and was broadsided by a truck.” Derek couldn’t keep the anger down that rippled through him since the accident.

  Isabel’s throat closed for a moment as she tried to gasp for breath. “Derek, I don’t think it was an accident.”

  Derek sighed in frustration. “We know that, honey. A few close friends that I trust are doing a secret investigation. We know Allister has a lot of people in his pocket, a lot in law enforcement, and we don’t want to get derailed.”

  “It’s my fault, Derek,” Isabel whispered as she tried to hold down the bile that crept up her throat. “She tried to help me. She thought because of her family, you being a cop and her father a judge, she was safe.”

  “Isabel, listen to me. This is not your fault. Mora has kept me up on what’s happening as a safeguard. She made me get this phone from her hiding spot. She was worried she’d miss your call, and it would freak you out.”

  Tears ran silently down her cheeks as she closed her eyes. “I want you to tell her not to worry about us anymore, and she needs to get as far away from this situation as she can.”

  “Isabel, you know she’s not going to do that.”

  “You can make her—”

  Derek chuckled, interrupting her. “Isabel, we’re talking about Mora, right? The short, blonde sprite you’ve known since you were eleven or twelve?”

  Isabel bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. “Yes, you’re right.” She rested a hand on her stomach. “Then you’ve got to tell her I’m throwing this phone away.”

  An angry gasp came through the phone. “Isabel, don’t you dar—”

  “And I will not be calling her again. She’s lost so much already, Derek. And because of my husband’s family. It was all so senseless. I can’t ask her for more.”

  Derek’s teeth snapped together, and the hand holding the phone tightened. “Isabel, listen to me. We’re working on this. We have evidence against Allister, and we get more every day. We’ll have him in a matter of days.”

  “I’m sorry, Derek, but I won’t take a chance with her life or her family.”

  “Isabel, don’t you hang u—”

  “Tell her I love her, and to please stay safe.”

  “Goddammit, Isabel! Don’t you dare—”

  Isabel turned the phone off, sat back, and drew her knees to her chest. A scream filled with devastation tore at her throat, and it took all her strength to hold it in. She curled into a ball, tightly holding herself as if to hold herself together. Sobs caught in her throat, at times making her gag and then swallow several times to push the bile down. At one point, she concentrated on her breathing because she started seeing black dots. That terrified her. She didn’t know if a person could pass out from crying uncontrollably. She couldn’t do that to Tommy. He depended on her.

  Several times she caught herself wishing the men were here. They would help her, stand beside her, and help take care of Tommy. They were so strong in body and personality. Every time they were together, Isabel felt so cared for, safe, and even loved. The thought of losing that devastated her already distressed emotional state. But she had to remember, she couldn’t let herself forget, she and Tommy might have to run again. She couldn’t let herself depend on anyone.

  An hour later, Isabel sat up when she felt she could finally take a deep breath. She raised the phone she’d clutched tightly in her fist the whole time, before she pulled it apart, breaking the parts one at a time until it was a pile of plastic. She stood and slowly made her way to the garbage can and dropped the pieces in, then slowly made her way to the couch and sat.

  The pain kept growing, wave after wave, with a power she’d never experienced before, even when her husband died. This might be more than she could bear. If it weren’t for Tommy, she felt like she’d lie down and not get up again for a long time. They’d find her and put her in the very place that she escaped from that still sometimes gave her nightmares.

  She was well and truly alone. Yes, she had her son, but she had no backup, no other adult to help or talk to. No adult to fall back on if she became desperate. How much time did she realistically think she had before he found her?

  Isabel stood and made herself get ready for bed and then lay next to her son, her eyes wide, her mind so chaotic she couldn’t seem to grasp even one turbulent thought. She finally gave up trying to sleep when the muted rays of dawn’s light bled through the bedroom curtains.

  Chapter Nine

  By the time Tommy was awake, Isabel had showered, dressed, and had two cups of coffee. She tried to concentrate on Tommy’s chatter, only catching every other word. Isabel was looking through their meager supply of food and made a quick list in her mind when they were able to go to the store when someone knocked.

  Isabel unlocked, opened the door, and looked up into the furious face of Clay.

  He stepped forward, urging her back before closing the door, leaned against the door and crossed his massive arms, and stared down at her. “Would you like to tell me, darling—” His voice lowered. “—why you didn’t ask before you opened the door?” His voice turned dark with menace.

  Isabel froze as the timbre of his voice sent shivers down her spine. He was right. She couldn’t ever let her guard down. “I…I…”

  Clay smacked his cowboy hat against his thigh and moved his head side to side slowly. “No. There is no excuse.” His eyes roamed over her features then narrowed. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

  Isabel shrugged, looked down, and wrapped her arms around her waist.

  Clay stood and cupped her shoulders. “Why?”

  Isabel shook her head and attempted to pull away from him.

  His hands tightened. “Whoa. Easy there, love. We can talk about this later with Royce,” he cajoled, as he held her gaze captive.

  She nodded her head but had no intention of telling them anything.

  “Let’s go get breakfast.”

  “I want pancakes, I want pancakes,” Tommy yelled from the living room floor where he sat and played with his toys.

  Clay chuckled. “If it’s okay with your mom.” He glanced quickly at Isabel, worry clear in his eyes. He squeezed her arms before pulling away from her. She was going to tell them today what was going on that was giving her sleepless nights and enough stress to form dark bruises under her eyes and new worry creases around her eyes and mouth.

  Isabel helped Tommy get his shoes on, waiting patiently for him to tie his shoes. “You did a great job, Tommy. Ready to go eat breakfast?”

  Clay held the door for them and smiled at Tommy’s excitement. He wished he saw just a little of that happiness in this sweet little woman walking silently beside him. Before long, he vowed, he and his brother would get her to laugh and relax with them.

  They walked into sudden silence as the diner door closed behind them. Clay ignored it, used to the nosy townspeople. Clay curved an arm around her waist when Isabel froze. “It’s okay, darling. They don’t mean any harm. They’re just curious about you.”

  Isabel pulled her head away from the diner customers, her eyes moving to Clay, and took a deep breath. “I know,” she said and turned to walk to the booth Tommy had already taken over. Carol was laughing at something he said.

  Clay stopped with a hand gripping her upper arm, preventing Isabel from sitting on Tommy’s side of the booth, and nudged to her move to the other side before having her slide over to make room for him.

  “Good morning, Carol.” Isabel smiled.

  Carol narrowed her eyes when she looked at Isabel, but a quick look and shake of Clay’s head kept Carol from voicing her concern. “What can I get you folks this morning?”

  “Pancakes, pancakes, pancake—”

  “Tommy, that’s enough, baby. Now sit down before you fall. Carol will bring you your pancakes. Okay, sweetie?”

  “Okay, Mommy.”

  Isabel dug into her large purse. “Here are some crayons and paper if you want to draw a picture.”

&n
bsp; “Ohhh. If you have the time, Tommy.” Carol smiled and winked at Isabel. “I could really use a picture for our fridge. It needs some color. It’s just plain old gray. Do you think you could you make me one?”

  Tommy’s face brightened. “Yes. I’ll make one now for you.”

  “That would be wonderful, young man. Now for you two. What would you like for breakfast?”

  “Could I just have a cup of coffee please?”

  Both Carol and Clay turned toward Isabel and waited.

  “What else, love?” His voice brooked no argument.

  “Just coffee.” She tore her eyes from them and looked out the window.

  “Carol. Bring her a couple eggs and toast please and the special for me. Juice for all of us.”

  Carol winked at Clay. “That sounds really good, sweetie. I’ll be right back.”

  Isabel watched the cars and people on the sidewalks and street without seeing anything.

  “Isabel?” He turned and rested his arm on the back of the booth, his other on the table, caging her in. “You need to eat something.” A soft growl escaped his throat when she continued to look out the window and ignore him. “Look at me.” His voice was gruff.

  Isabel turned toward him and waited silently.

  His hand cupped her cheek, ignoring her slight flinch. His thumb caressed her jaw as he cataloged how all the stress had taken a toll on her. Her skin was pale enough her freckles stood out blatantly. The dark smudges under her eyes grew darker by the day. “Let us help you.” His fingers speared into her braid. “No, Isabel. Don’t pull away from me.”

  “I don’t want to talk about this, Clay. Please.” Her voice grew softer, her eyes rushing to her son to make sure he wasn’t paying attention.

  “But—”

  “Excuse me, Clay.”

  Clay twisted his head toward the voice. “Hey, Grant.” He released Isabel to take Grant’s hand. “Grant Collins, I’d like you to meet Isabel and Tommy.” His hand landed on Isabel’s clenched hands on top of the table. “Isabel, this is Grant. He and his brother, Jake, own a large ranch outside of town. He and I have known each other our whole lives.”