Loving Sanctuary [Slick Rock 12] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Slick Rock 12

  Loving Sanctuary

  Sabrina Monroe has just found out something she shouldn’t about her boss, Harvey Noble, the founder of Integrated Computers and Software, and knows she’s in deep trouble. She hightails it out of town and bus hops for two weeks straight. Hungry, sick, and tired, she ends up stranded in Slick Rock, Colorado and collapses in a heap.

  Trick, Trent, and Tristan Wendall are attracted to Sabrina, and after the sheriff runs a check on her, and the doctor diagnoses her, they take her back to their place so she can rest and recuperate. When they find out Sab’s in danger they hide her away at a friend’s ranch just outside of town, hoping to keep her safe until the people after her are arrested. But how can the law capture someone when they don’t know who they’re looking for? When Sabrina is abducted, the Wendall men and the authorities aren’t sure they’ll find her in time.

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys

  Length: 49,364 words

  * D P G R O U P *

  LOVING SANCTUARY

  Slick Rock 12

  Becca Van

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

  LOVING SANCTUARY

  Copyright © 2014 by Becca Van

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63258-674-2

  First E-book Publication: November 2014

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Loving Sanctuary by Becca Van from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

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  This is Becca Van’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Van’s right to earn a living from her work.

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  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  About the Author

  LOVING SANCTUARY

  Slick Rock 12

  BECCA VAN

  Copyright © 2014

  Prologue

  Fort Collins, two weeks previously

  Sabrina Monroe stood at the slightly ajar door to her boss’s office, and her heart stuttered when she heard his voice.

  “I don’t give a fuck how you do it, just make sure that bitch dies and soon. If Sabrina goes to the cops, I’m ruined. I will make damn sure that I take you down with me if you don’t silence that slut.”

  Sabrina’s heart flipped in her chest, and the air felt like it had backed up in her lungs. She wanted to turn around and run away, but she couldn’t get her feet to obey her command. She should be turning on her heal and leaving, but she felt frozen, her mind disconnected from her body. She should have left as soon as she accidentally opened that e-mail and read it just before she left work over two hours ago.

  She’d left her cell phone in the drawer of her desk and had felt lost without it, so instead of waiting to get it the next day at work she’d come back to the office after hours. She hadn’t expected her boss to still be there. She’d thought she would have the place all to herself. Her heart pounded and she couldn’t breathe properly, but finally she got her feet to obey her brain and she turned around, snatched her cell from her desk drawer, and took off.

  She knew she was in big trouble after having heard him on the phone. She knew that he was telling whoever was on the other end of the line to kill her. She hadn’t been sure that Harvey had noticed her opening and reading that e-mail, but after hearing what he’d just said, her suspicions were confirmed. She’d always thought that Harvey was a shady character, because he always seemed so secretive. But she’d never had any proof that he was up to no good, that was until this afternoon and that dreaded e-mail. She’d often wondered what he was up to when he scheduled meetings after hours. Most people dealt with business during office hours and didn’t wait until the offices were empty to meet with clients. But again she’d had no proof of who he met or what he was doing.

  God knew who he’d been talking to, but it didn’t really matter. Her life was in danger and she needed to run. To hide.

  Sabrina wished she could go to the police station, but other than reading that e-mail, which she hadn’t thought to copy, she had no evidence of what her boss was doing. It would be her word against his, and since he was the owner of the large computer-and-software-manufacturing firm, she couldn’t see anyone believing her. She had to leave town. There was no time to go back to her shared apartment because when he found out she was missing from her office tomorrow, she had no doubt he would send whomever he was talking to after her. That was if the goon wasn’t already after her. For all she knew he could already be on his way to her home.

  Oh, God. She had probably put her roommate Nicole in danger. She would have to contact her before she left town. There was no way she could tell Nic what was going on. If her friend knew and her boss did send someon
e after Sab, she would be in peril, too. No. It would be better to keep her mouth shut. Hopefully Nicole would be safe since she didn’t know anything.

  Thank God she always carried all her ID, credit cards, and bank details with her. It didn’t matter that she was leaving material things behind. Nothing mattered but escaping and surviving. If Harvey Noble or his hirelings caught up with her, she couldn’t see any of them letting her live. She knew too much. Harvey had said her name after he’d ordered his goon to find her and kill her. She felt sick with fear but couldn’t stop. She had to move and fast.

  Sabrina hurried down the street and looked about wildly, her heartbeat pounding in her chest every time someone even looked at her. She practically ran all the way to the bank, and after withdrawing as much as her daily limit allowed, she raced away. She stopped in the street and tried to think clearly, but that was damn hard when she was so scared. She looked about her again and nearly sagged with relief when she realized no one was taking any notice of her.

  Without consciously thinking about what she was doing, she opened her cell phone and removed the battery and then dumped it into a trash can. She started walking again without a destination in mind, and after she’d traveled another block she deliberately dropped her cell onto the sidewalk and was pleased when it shattered into several pieces and then dumped it into another trash can. Again she hurried forward, not caring where she was going but acutely aware of every person close-by.

  When she saw the pay phone, she walked over to it and picked up the receiver and dialed.

  “Hello.” Nicole’s familiar voice brought tears to her eyes, and she took a deep breath and swallowed around the lump in her throat.

  “Nic, it’s me,” Sab said.

  “Sabrina? Where are you? Are you okay? You sound funny.”

  “Um, I just got some bad news. I have to leave and I don’t know if I’ll be able to return. A family member died and I have to leave the state.”

  “But you don’t have any fam…”

  “Sublet my room out and sell anything of my things you like, or keep it if that’s what you want.”

  “Sabrina?”

  “I have to go. Take care, Nicole.” Sabrina swiped at the tears streaming down her face. She’d heard the bewilderment and worry in her friend’s voice, but it was better that she knew nothing. She couldn’t be hurt if she didn’t know what was going on.

  Could she?

  Please, God, keep Nicole safe.

  Sabrina replaced the handset on the hook and then started walking again, her mind in a whirl as she tried to figure out what to do next.

  She was only vaguely aware of the bus that passed her and then stopped as it pulled into the terminal. She glanced at the buses lined up awaiting their passengers and stopped in her tracks. She retraced her steps and, after making sure no one was watching her car, got into it and drove it to the nearest used car lot. She was just in time because the guy was starting to close up.

  Sabrina didn’t get anywhere near what the car was worth, but when she walked out of the guy’s office she had another thousand dollars in her purse.

  Should she take the chance and go to the police before she left town, or should she just get out of town and worry about contacting the police later? She watched TV and heard how witnesses had been killed even while in protective custody. Could she really put her life into someone else’s hands?

  No. Run.

  She got onto the next bus out of Fort Collins.

  Chapter One

  Present Day

  Sabrina Brown glanced behind her as she hurried down the street of the small rural Colorado town of Slick Rock. Her heart was racing, and she was so scared she was shaking and having trouble staying on her feet.

  She’d been running for the last two weeks, but no matter where she ended up she always felt like someone was watching her, following her. Whenever she’d looked, she’d never seen anyone taking any notice of her, and although she felt like she was getting paranoid, she couldn’t seem to help it. Her imagination hadn’t let up since that fateful afternoon two weeks ago. She was tired, hungry, and scared, plus she didn’t feel very well, and didn’t think she’d ever feel safe again. Being on the move was taking everything out of her. She was going through what little money she had left, because she’d been too afraid to use any of her credit cards. If she did that, then he and whoever he’d threatened on the phone to kill her would be on to her.

  Will I ever be safe again? Will I ever be able to stop and smell the roses?

  Sabrina couldn’t see that happening anytime soon. She was in a panic because she thought she’d seen someone watching her. Her chest was aching, and her hand was wrapped tight around the handle of her purse, and she was gasping for breath as she hurried along the street.

  She’d started in her hometown of Fort Collins and had spent the last two weeks going from bus to bus, from one place to another, doubling back and then moving forward again. The bus had arrived at Slick Rock fifteen minutes ago, and there wasn’t another one leaving town for a week. She’d catnapped over the last two weeks but hadn’t really slept deeply, and when she had slept, it was no more than an hour or two. She was totally exhausted and so hungry. She’d managed to buy a heap of granola bars, but food had taken a backseat to her terror, and now she was paying for that. She was often lightheaded and wondered if one day soon she would pass out and just not wake up. She forced that defeatist, morbid thought aside as she continued on.

  Sabrina cursed her stupidity. She hadn’t even asked the driver when she got on the last bus where it was going because she hadn’t really cared. As long as it was away from Fort Collins, that was all that mattered. But now she was stuck and she had no idea what she was going to do. The next bus out of town wasn’t due to leave Slick Rock for another week, and the one she’d arrived on was already gone.

  She wasn’t sure how long her money was going to last. Especially since she was now going to have to find accommodation of some sort. She was so damn hungry her stomach was in constant pain and it felt like her stomach was pressing against her spine, so she decided to take the chance to stop for something to eat and a cup of coffee.

  Sabrina checked the road and, after making sure it was clear, crossed it. The moment she entered the diner she felt every eye turn her way. It was a disconcerting feeling to be the center of attention, and even though she understood it—a stranger in a small rural town—she didn’t like it. After a cursory glance around the room and finding numerous eyes on her, she lowered her head and hurried to an empty stool at the counter.

  Is it my imagination or has the conversation stopped?

  The waitress came over, and she put the rest of the patrons from her mind. “What’ll you have, honey?”

  “Coffee, black please, and some apple pie and ice cream.” Sabby didn’t usually start with dessert, but she figured the sugar would help circumvent the lightheadedness she’d been feeling. If she was still hungry after her pie, then she would order a decent meal.

  She glanced at the board on the wall, noting all the food and the specials, and her mouth began to water. When her vision wavered and perspiration formed on her brow, she clutched at the edge of the counter and inhaled deeply. The last thing she needed was to draw more attention to herself if she passed out.

  “Here you go, honey,” the waitress said as she put the mug and plate in front of her. “Enjoy.”

  “Thanks.” Sab picked up the spoon, unwrapped the napkin from around it, and dug in. She nearly moaned as the sweetness exploded on her tongue, but she held it in. She closed her eyes instead and savored the wonderful taste of apples, cinnamon, and pastry. She savored each and every bite and then scraped the remaining crumbs and melted ice cream up until there was nothing left. Now that her hunger was slightly appeased, she picked up her coffee and sipped it while perusing the menu.

  She tried to calculate how much money she had left in her mind, but after buying so many bus tickets she didn’t have a clue. And although sh
e wanted to pull her wallet out to count it out, she wasn’t about to do that in front of prying eyes.

  The waitress came back over. “Do you want more coffee and pie?”

  Sabrina would love more pie, but until she’d figured out her finances she wasn’t going to indulge. “Just the coffee, please.”

  “You’re not from around here, are you?” the waitress asked as she refilled Sab’s mug.

  “No.”

  “Did you come in on the bus?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you’re staying for a while,” the waitress said. “Have you got a place to stay yet?”

  “No. Can you recommend somewhere?”

  “There’s the Slick Rock Hotel just down the street, or the motel to the north.”

  “Can you tell me which one is cheaper?” Sab almost whispered her question so that no one else would hear.

  “That would be the hotel, honey.”

  “Okay, thank you.” Sab finished her coffee and left some money on the counter to cover her bill and a small tip. She slid off the stool, and as she turned the dizziness returned with a vengeance. Sweat popped out on her brow and her body began to ache, but what worried her the most was that her vision had dimmed and she couldn’t see a thing. She grabbed for the closest thing, which was the stool, and although she felt herself falling she couldn’t do a thing to stop it. She braced herself as best she could with her weak limbs, trying to prepare for the impact with the floor, but she never hit.

  Strong arms scooped her up, and then she was being cradled against a warm, muscular body. She wanted to open her eyes to see who held her, but she couldn’t. Her whole body was sensitive with pain, and she just didn’t have the energy. Sabrina whimpered as the sweat began to run down her face and formed all over her skin, and even though she must be hot, she felt so cold.