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

  She walked cautiously around him to get to the living room. He heard her and Tommy speaking softly together before she came back and stood in the doorway, and stared at him in hesitation.

  He held his hands up again in mock capitulation. “You’re okay, honey. I’m not going to take you. We need to wait for Royce before this goes any further.”

  Fire flashed in her eyes. “But, I said…” She placed her hands on her hips.

  “I know what you said. But this bond we have and the way we feel is already over and beyond the level of friendship.” When he saw an irrational panic spark in her eyes, he knew he had to back off, for now. Clay looked down, biting back all the words that he wanted desperately to say before focusing on her again. “And there’s no sense in talking about this now.” He took the steps toward her, cupped her shoulders in his hands, and bent to be level with her eyes. “Give us a chance, Isabel. Together, the three of us can come up with a solution to keep you and Tommy safe.”

  “You don’t understand, Clay. People have tried to help me before. Two died, and one was just put into the hospital. I can’t, no, I won’t take that kind of chance again.”

  Clay stood to his full height, his hands on his hips. He needed to get her to understand this was different but thought it best to talk to Royce, and they’d both come up with a solution together before taking her on. “We’re going to wait for Royce to get home, and then we’ll talk.” His urge to shelter her rose.

  Isabel shook her head and wrapped her arms around her waist. “There’s nothing to tal—”

  “Isabel. We are going to talk about this. You are not alone. You have help now, honey. And for god’s sakes, don’t worry about us. Not only are we large, but we can also be mean sons-of-bitches when we need to be, and we have a whole town behind us.”

  Isabel couldn’t deny the intense feeling of relief she got at that moment. She knew it wasn’t a good choice to stay, but she didn’t have enough money or energy to run again at the moment, and she couldn’t come up with a plan that would keep them safe on their own. She needed to be sure she would be able to take care of Tommy, and she wasn’t so sure anymore she could do it on her own. Isabel nodded and waited.

  Clay pulled her into his arms and laid his cheek on the top of her head. “You won’t regret this, Isabel.”

  Isabel hugged him back. It had been so long since she’d been able to relax and enjoy the touches of somebody other than her son. Her soul seemed to absorb any form of affection she received from them, taking it in and restoring her feeling of normalcy, and of just being a woman.

  Clay rubbed his cheek against the top of her head before holding her at arm’s length and bending to study her expressions for a moment. “Good, Now I have to go check on some things in the barn. Oh, and Isabel, organize the cupboards any way you want. Just plan on putting the stuff you won’t use very often on the two top shelves. One of us will put them away when we get home tonight.”

  His eyes narrowed at her. “And, Isabel, no stools.” He placed a kiss on her forehead, walked to the kitchen door, and turned. “We want you to feel at home here.” He walked out the door.

  Chapter Eleven

  Royce pulled into his driveway at the same time the tow truck with Isabel’s car was pulling out and grimaced. He was not looking forward to that discussion with her. Clay told him she didn’t know yet because she was still sleeping, but Royce guessed it was more Clay was waiting for him to get home to help with the blow.

  He smiled as he sat in his truck with his hands draped over the steering wheel when he caught sight of both Clay and Tommy on the side of the house throwing a ball.

  This was something they’d always wanted, always dreamed of. A family. He hoped they played this right and took care of any threat against her and Tommy, then made it so she would never want to leave them. If that happened, they would have a ready-made family with hopes for more children eventually. The thought of Isabel heavy with their child launched a feeling of pure lust to his groin, making him hard. But then he’d been hard since they first saw her. Jesus, they had to have her soon, he thought, or he might explode from the tension.

  Royce exited the truck, adjusted himself in his jeans, and moved toward them. “Hey, guys.”

  Tommy ran and threw himself into Royce’s arms, surprising and delighting both men.

  Royce lifted him to eye level. “What are you doing, buddy?”

  “I’m throwing the ball to Clay, and he says I’m good at it.”

  “Well, from what I could see, you’re definitely better than me.”

  Tommy laughed and pushed against his chest to get down.

  “Tommy, will you go find the ball, but don’t go into the tall grasses, okay?” He watched the boy move away before turning back to his brother. “Isabel is sleeping on the couch right now. It didn’t look like she got any sleep last night. We have a lot to talk about. She told me some things that will piss you off. They certainly made me angry.”

  They both watched Tommy as Clay quickly recapped her story to Royce.

  Royce’s lips flattened. “Goddammit. How long has she been on her own?”

  Clay shrugged. “We didn’t get that far. I wanted you there before she told us everything.”

  Royce slapped him. “Thanks, man. How are we going to talk to her with Tommy around?”

  “I’m not sure. You have any ideas?”

  “Let me think about it. We need to have Tommy far away enough that he won’t hear all the yelling I’m assuming is going to take place after she finds out about her car.” Both chuckled. “Do you still have to go to Roy’s later?”

  Clay’s gaze stayed on Tommy. “No, I called him. I’ll catch up with him in a few days. I thought it best to get this over now, while it’s still fresh and she’s tired.” Clay glanced at his brother. “I’m not above using any means we can to get through to her.”

  Royce nodded and pressed his thumb into his temple to relieve the pulsating ache that started when his brother had called him earlier. “I agree.”

  Clay quickly moved the few steps it took to catch the ball Tommy threw off course. “Nice job, buddy.” He tossed the ball back. “Why don’t you go in and wake her? As much as I hate to, she set things out for supper, and she’s already going to be pissed I let her sleep this long.”

  Royce snorted. “By the end of the night, she’ll be pissed at both of us.” He waved to Tommy and went in through the kitchen and into the living room to see Isabel lying asleep under a thin blanket. Something in his chest clenched at the sight of her all curled up in a fetal position.

  She was so damn tiny, but god, her spirit could handle them. She had to be a brave person to run from the familiarity of her home, and after her husband died, alone and with her son.

  He sat on the couch by her hip and reached out to brush the hair that had come loose from her braid out of her face.

  He smiled as he watched her slowly awaken. He almost lost it when she opened her eyes, and a sweet tired smile burst across her face when she saw him. “Hi, sweetheart,” he whispered as he let his fingers skim across her cheekbones.

  “Hi.” She cleared her throat and stretched a little. “Where have you been?”

  “Work. Are you feeling better? Clay said you hadn’t gotten any sleep last night?”

  Shock and a fear unlike any he’d ever seen came into her eyes, and she sat up quickly, fighting to get the blanket off her, and looked frantically around. “Oh, my god! Where’s Tommy?”

  He grabbed her shoulders, keeping her from falling off the couch. “He’s just fine, honey.” He soothed her as he held her tightly against his chest. “Clay has him outside playing ball. He’s having a blast.”

  He watched her visibly relax. She drew in a deep calming breath before sitting back on the couch and closing her eyes and rubbing them.

  “I’m sorry we scared you. We certainly didn’t mean to.” Royce skimmed the hair from her face and looked at her closely.

  Isabel yawned. Even after the nap and the adrenaline rush from her terror flash, she felt like she was moving through molasses. She wondered how long it was going to take to get her strength back enough even to consider moving on.

  “What are you doing?” She squeaked when he picked her up and placed her on his lap, put his arms around her, and tucked her head under his chin. The hand in her lap started moving up and down her thigh, making goose bumps spring out over her body.

  Royce chuckled. “Well,” he drawled, “I could be wrong, but I think I’m holding you?”

  His mouth watered at her sweet scent as her body prepared itself for them. He wondered if she even noticed how quickly her body reacted to them, instantly warming. He was sure she could feel the heat in her abdomen and the tightness in her breasts. But did she know how easily her body responded to theirs? Moving toward them, wanting the closeness even when she fought against it?

  Isabel sucked in an astounded breath. She had the startling sense that her body already knew who it belonged to, and each time she saw them, the pull grew deeper and stronger. All they had to do was be in the same room now for her breasts to swell, a flush to cover her chest and face, and then an ache to begin deep inside her and spread out until her whole body was sensitized.

  Isabel took a few breaths and tilted her head back and narrowed her eyes at his sarcasm, only to freeze at the look of possessive masculine passion on his face.

  What was it about these two men that seemed to totally change her hormones and her way of thinking? With her husband, their sex life had been nice, calm, and regular. Isabel knew what to expect from him every time and had thought that was the way she liked it. Predictable. Now looking back and knowing how it could be, the overwhelming heat, and a need unlike she’d ever known raging through her, she knew how much her love life with her husband had lacked. Maybe if she hadn’t been a virgin when she and Evan got together, it might have made a difference.

  She watched in a daze when Royce’s head lowered.

  They both groaned the instant their lips touched. Her blood pumped feverishly through her body just like it had with Clay. She couldn’t understand how she felt the same crazy passion for both men. To most people, it would be considered perverted, but to her, it felt like the most natural thing in the world and like it was deemed to happen.

  The kiss took on a deeper level, pushing them closer to a mindless lust. His hand slid over her hip, up her stomach before it landed on her breast, and his thumb traced her nipple.

  Isabel stilled, her fingers dug into his muscular arms, and her mouth fell open in a deep moan.

  Royce lifted his head and watched the emotions cross her face as she concentrated on the feeling of his hand on her. His thumb scraped over her nipple, pulling another moan from her. He pinched her nipple, tightening it until her body seized. “Fuck. You’re so responsive. I could touch and taste you all day. I can’t wait until we get you naked. Hell, we’ll all go up in flames, and that sweet pussy I smell, I’m going to spend hours eating as much cream as you can give me or you pass out from the orgasms. Would you like that, sweetheart?”

  Isabel tried to concentrate on Royce’s words, but her focus was on what his hands were doing to her and the dark honeyed tone of his voice.

  The kitchen door slammed, making Isabel jerk to awareness and panic at the thought of her son seeing them like that.

  “Mommy. Randy and Maggie want me to play with their son. Is it okay, Mom? Please.”

  Isabel jerked off Royce’s lap and pulled her T-shirt down and turned toward the kitchen doorway.

  Royce stood and steadied her with a hand at her back.

  She frowned at the doorway and raised a shaky hand to her tousled hair, trying to smooth it back from her face, looking at Clay. “Who is he talking about?”

  Clay stood behind Tommy with a hand on his small shoulder. “Randy is our ranch hand. He, his wife, and three children live in that small house on the other side of the barn.”

  “Oh, I’ve never seen the other side. I just thought there were pastures back there.” She bit her lip, worried. Her first inclination was to say absolutely not. She needed him close, just in case they had to run again, but also, they hadn’t been apart since this started and she didn’t know how he would take being away from her.

  “Please, Mommy.”

  She turned worried eyes to Royce and caught Clay’s eyes in the kitchen doorway. “I’m not sure.”

  Clay moved Tommy to the side, walked to her other side, and slowly ran a hand up and down her slim back. “We’ve known these people our whole lives. Maggie has babysat for just about everybody because she’s so good with children. They have three of their children. Jack is eight, Stacy is six, and Joel is four.”

  Isabel looked from one to the other as she bit her bottom lip. “For how long?”

  “They want to have him for supper. They are cooking hot dogs and s’mores over a campfire.” All three waited quietly for her decision.

  Isabel’s worried eyes went to Tommy. The fear-filled part of her mother’s instinct was screaming no, but looking at her sweet son as he bounced excitedly, his expressive eyes shining with anticipation that she hadn’t seen in longer than she could remember, made the side of her blissful emotional instincts rise above the fears.

  “Do you trust us, baby?” Clay asked softly, gaining her attention.

  Her eyes went wide. “Yes,” she said reluctantly, clearly surprised she was telling the truth. For some reason, she trusted them with her life and, more importantly, Tommy’s life.

  “Maggie is here outside with Joel. Come and meet them.” Clay held out his hand, took hers, and pulled her along after him.

  Ten minutes later Isabel walked back into the kitchen, followed closely by Clay and Royce. Isabel relaxed after meeting Maggie and the family. But the look on Tommy’s face made her decision easy. She hadn’t seen him that carefree in so long, and to be able to play with other children was wonderful to see.

  She moved toward the counter where she’d left food for the night’s supper.

  Royce grasped her hand and started pulling her toward the living room. “Supper can wait, Isabel. We have some things to talk about.”

  Isabel dug her heels in. “I don’t think there is anything we nee—”

  Clay moved up behind her bending to whisper in her ear. “Move it. We are having this conversation.” His palm landed on her ass when she didn’t move fast enough.

  Her head jerked up, and her eyes narrowed. “You did not jus—” A startled screech flew from her mouth as she was lifted and put over a very muscular shoulder. One sharp hand landed on her ass.

  “Keep it up, sweetheart, and you’ll be turned over one of our laps.”

  For just an instant, in the depraved part of her brain, her heart jumped, and the pulse between her legs made her Isabel grit her teeth to keep from mewing in need. She levered herself up and looked at Clay walking behind. She growled at the smirk on his face. She was so angry she would have bitten him if he had been closer.

  Another sharp smack landed, tearing an angry scream from her. A hiss escaped when she was pulled from Royce’s shoulder and placed on the couch.

  Clay sat down next to her and gripped the back of her T-shirt to hold her in place when she moved to stand.

  Her frown moved into a shocked expression, then on to apprehension when Royce sat on the couch table in front of her, bracketing her legs with his, completely cementing her in place.

  Royce leaned forward until he was in her personal space. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

  Isabel watched Royce’s nostrils flare as he leaned forward. She leaned back, letting the cushions of the couch cradle her body. Isabel’s lips tightened, and her hands gripped the other on top of her legs.

  Clay bit back a chuckle and hid his smile when she jumped and jerked her head toward him when his hand landed on her thigh. “I want you to tell Royce what you told me today.”

  Isabel instantly felt a wave of something close to desperation twist her stomach. She crossed her arms over her chest. Her throat tightened, making it hard for her to speak.

  Royce leaned down and curved his hands on the outside of both her thighs. “Tell me, honey. If we put our heads together, we might just be able to find a solution.”

  Her eyes were drawn to the large callused hands on her thighs, warming the chill in her bones she’d had for months. She shook her head.

  Clay leaned in close and pressed his lips to the side of her head. “What are your other options at this point?”

  A sigh escaped her throat before she raised her eyes to first one and then the other man waiting patiently for her.

  A suffocating sensation tightened her throat and tears burned her eyes like acid as they did every time she had to remember that devastating day. She swallowed a few times, cleared the mass of emotion from her throat, and took a breath. “My husband was killed in a car crash with a friend of ours and their child. It was determined that it was intentional.”

  “Do they know who and why?” Royce asked, even though Clay had already told him this part, but he wanted to hear it from Isabel.

  “They suspect my brother-in-law.”

  Clay and Royce shared a look. “And?” Royce asked.

  Her grip tightened, causing her knuckles to turn white. “It was senseless. The only reason they can find is it’s about money. Just money.” The volume of her tone of voice dwindled as the words fell.

  She stood abruptly and held her hands up with her palms out. “Please,” she said when they tried to stop her from moving away. The men leaned back, giving her much-needed space to get her thoughts together. She took a few steps away and turned back to them.

  “Allister came to me the day Evan died. He acted very sympathetic and caring, never leaving my side, and helped me with all the funeral arrangements. I was so incredibly lost. I just gave in to him and was thankful for his help.” She twirled away suddenly and stared out the window.

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