County Sheriffs 3: Conquering Evil (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) Read online

  Tears welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Tanner couldn’t take not touching her more, so he shoved the covers down, lifted her from the mattress, and into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him so tight he felt his ribs move. Coop scrambled to his knees and caressed his hands up and down her lower thighs.

  “You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to, honey.” Tanner kissed the top of her head.

  Jasmine’s cheek rubbed against his when she shook her head. “I’ve had these memories locked up in a vault for far too long. The walls and doors bulge occasionally, and I have a feeling that—if I don’t let them out—when the memories explode, I will, too, and I won’t be able to put myself back together again.”

  “We’ll keep you together, Jasmine.” Coop squeezed her knees. “I promise.”

  She sucked in another ragged breath before releasing the air from her lungs slowly and then inhaled again.

  “I heard someone move in the master bedroom at the end of the hall, and without even consciously thinking about what I was doing, I began to walk toward that door. Just as I was about to push it open, Chuck opened it.” She swallowed audibly around the constriction in her throat, and the tears rolled faster down her cheeks. Tanner rubbed a hand up and down her back while hugging her waist tight with his other arm.

  “His eyes had no emotion in them. They were totally blank. He was holding a large carving knife, and blood coated the blade, was still dripping from the tip onto the floor. Drip. Drip. Drip.

  “I gazed past him and wished I hadn’t. Beverly and Deanne were lying on the floor covered in stab wounds and blood, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Blood had sprayed over the walls and ceiling in bright red arcs. Nothing in that room wasn’t covered in red, including Chuck.”

  Jasmine was gasping for breath now, and Tanner could see by the glaze over her eyes that she was trapped in those horrific memories. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear any more. His heart was aching for the pain and suffering she’d endured, but he also realized she needed to let the contents of that locked vault out into the open.

  “I don’t remember backing away from him, but when I blinked, I realized that I’d somehow made it to the living room. The front door was only a few steps to my left, but it was so far away. He was talking to me, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. Nothing made any sense. Just as I was able to get some semblance of control over my quaking body and turned toward the door, he came after me.” She began crying harder.

  Cooper lifted her from Tanner’s arms and pulled her against his body. She sobbed against his chest and hiccupped. Tanner didn’t protest Cooper’s actions. His friend needed to touch her just as much as he did. He shifted onto his knees, uncaring that his naked body contacted with Coop’s side. Their woman needed the both of them right now. He wrapped his arms around both Cooper and Jasmine, resting his chin on her shoulder.

  “I tried to fight him, but he was so much bigger and stronger than I was. He cut my arm first and then stabbed me in the hip. The pain. It was agony. I don’t remember screaming, but I must have. He was able to stab me five or six times before the police arrived. The officer shot him in the head just after Chuck plunged the knife into my shoulder. He fell on top of me, pushing the blade in so deep it came out the other side.”

  Tanner was glad the fucker was dead. He was so full of rage over the agony Jasmine had to have suffered he didn’t even care he was an officer of the law. He would have hunted that bastard down and shot him in the head at point-blank range. She sobbed so hard her whole body shook. Tears burned his eyes, and he tried to keep his breathing regulated so he wouldn’t lose control. He wanted to shove his fist through a wall and keep right on pounding into the plaster until he could no longer feel.

  “He killed them,” Jasmine wailed. “He killed them and then tried to kill me.”

  Cooper met his gaze over her head. His friend’s eyes were blazing with anger, and the muscles in his jaw were ticking from clenching his jaw so hard. Tanner couldn’t stand Jasmine’s pain, and he was scared she was going to make herself sick.

  “Shower.” He nodded his head toward the bathroom.

  Cooper didn’t respond verbally. He lifted Jasmine higher against his chest, stood, and headed into the bathroom.

  Tanner decided a long soak in the spa bath would be better. Their woman was shaking with cold, shock, and grief. He put the plug in and turned the water on. Thankfully the spigot was larger than average, which meant the tub filled faster. He checked the temperature and then nodded to Coop.

  Cooper stepped into the bath and sank down into the hot water. The warmth must have shocked Jasmine out of her memories because she stopped sobbing, with only an occasional hiccup shaking her small body.

  Tanner stepped into the bath, grabbed the shower gel and a sponge, and began to wash her back while Coop held her. When he’d rinsed the suds off of her skin, Cooper passed her over to him. He held her in his lap with her back to his front and watched as Coop washed the front half of her body. By the time they were done Jasmine was fast asleep.

  He’d never been more thankful that his bosses were also his friends. Tanner had asked Clay for the day off so he and Coop could watch over Jasmine after facing down four drunks the previous night.

  Now that she’d opened up with him and Cooper he felt closer to her than ever before. She was the love of his life, and he wanted to ask her to marry him and his friend, but he wasn’t sure she was ready for the big question just yet. Jasmine Urban had dealt with things no person should ever have to, and she’d kept others at an arm’s length because of the terror she’d experienced. Maybe now that she’d opened that vault she’d been talking about and let the horrors of years before out, she would be more accepting. Although he wouldn’t change anything about her, he wished he could go back and save her from such terror. However, she hadn’t let that bastard destroy her. She’d used his violence to become the strong FBI agent and profiler.

  She was smart, sexy, beautiful, and so damn strong she took his breath away.

  Tanner just prayed that she would find it hard to leave once the case was closed. He loved her so much that if she wanted to return to Washington and the FBI he would follow her without a qualm. It would be hard being around crowds, but if that was what he had to do to follow his heart, he would.

  Being a retired Ranger and fighting for his country had left him with PTSD. In fact, all of his friends were the same. They hated being in noisy polluted cities and crowds. That was the reason they bought the ranch on the outskirts of Cody. It had been the best decision of their lives and though he hated that women were being killed, their choices and the serial killer had led Jasmine to him and Coop. She was the best thing to ever happen to them, but before they could ask her what her plans were and if she was willing to stay, they had to wrap up the case.

  They had to catch the fucking psychopath.

  * * * *

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Coop’s gravelly shout wasn’t as loud as it should have been because of his damaged throat, but he was very apt at getting his anger and point across. He was mad at her.

  Jasmine turned from the mirror she’d been looking into as she applied a light covering of makeup and met his angry gaze. A snappy retort flowed across her mind, but she didn’t voice it. “I’m getting ready for work.”

  “You’re not going.” Coop pointed at her.

  That just got her blood pumping faster through her veins. She was not a child to be told what to do. “Yes, I am.”

  “For fuck’s sake, Jasmine, your chin is still bruised and a little swollen.”

  “That doesn’t affect the rest of my body.” She took a breath, trying to level her rising frustration when she heard the stridency in her voice on the last word. She understood Cooper, Tanner, and the rest of their friends because she was observant and trained to psychoanalyze people. They were natural-born protectors, but she wasn’t about to let either of them stop her from doing
her job.

  “You’ve got a smart mouth on you, baby,” Coop said in a growly voice.

  Quick as a wink and trying to diffuse his anger, she waggled her tongue at him and replied, “Want to see what my mouth can do?”

  “I do.” Tanner grinned and winked at her from the bathroom door.

  Jasmine turned back to the mirror and applied a coat of mascara to her lashes. “You’ll have to take a rain check. If I don’t get my ass out the door, I’ll be late.”

  “Are you sure you’re up to working tonight, Jas?” Tanner asked.

  Jasmine nodded in reply and smiled at him. At least he had the courtesy to ask rather than trying to tell her what to do like Cooper had.

  “I don’t like you going out alone.” Cooper sighed and threaded his fingers through his hair. “My gut’s telling me the asshole is going to make a move soon.”

  Jasmine walked closer to Cooper and smoothed her hand over his shirt-covered chest, hoping to soothe him. “I have to do this, Coop. It’s my job.”

  “I know, baby.” He snagged her around the waist and pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m worried about you.”

  “I thank you for that, but you don’t need to be. I’m trained to deal with dangerous situations.”

  “That doesn’t make it any easier on us. We’re not going to be able to relax until you walk back in the door.”

  Jasmine rested her forehead on his chest and blinked rapidly. He could be an asshole one minute and, on the spin of a coin, say the sweetest things the next. Her heart surged, and her eyes burned, but she didn’t let the tears fall.

  “I’m sorry you’re going to be anxious. You don’t need to worry. Spence or Clay are going to be sitting down the block in case I need back up. Would it help if I texted you on my break and before I leave for home?” Jasmine tensed over the last word, not because she’d just made the biggest faux pas in her life but because it felt right. Being here with Cooper and Tanner, Jasmine felt as if she’d come home, as if she was meant to be here. As if she belonged for the first time in her life. She realized, in that moment, that when this case was done she didn’t want to leave, but she still had no idea what Tanner and Cooper wanted from her. Did they want a permanent relationship, or were they just taking advantage of an attraction and the opportunity to get laid regularly while she was around? Fuck! I hate not knowing where this is heading.

  “Jasmine?” Tanner’s voice drew her from her thoughts. The heat of his body seeping into her from behind felt so good she wished she could do what Cooper wanted and call in sick, but she wasn’t a wuss. She had a responsibility to catch the serial killer, and she wasn’t about to let her personal feelings get in the way, but the temptation to give in was strong.

  “Sorry, what did you say?”

  “I said we would be grateful if you would text us.” Tanner nuzzled her neck with his nose before kissing her skin.

  The actions of both these men were more than she’d believed them to be in regards to scratching an itch. Maybe they liked her more than she’d first thought. She just hoped she wasn’t trying to convince herself there was something more than physical attraction if there wasn’t. Jasmine wasn’t sure if she could handle feeling so much for them and having to wave her good-bye when all this was done. It would break her heart into a million pieces. They were such good men. They’d helped her face her past, and when she’d fallen apart, they’d held her and hadn’t let her fall. She felt as if she could rely on them for anything, and it would devastate her if she found out otherwise.

  “Okay.”

  She drew back from Cooper and caressed his stubbled cheek with her palm. She went up on tiptoes and kissed his chin. Just as she was lowering back down, Cooper lifted her from her feet until she was almost eye level with him. He slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her wildly, passionately. They were both breathless when he broke the kiss and he slowly lowered her back to her feet. He gripped her upper arms and smirked when she swayed. When she was steady once more, he tapped her on the nose.

  “Be careful and stay alert.”

  “I will.” Jasmine ogled Cooper’s ass as he walked away.

  Tanner clasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Do you have your weapon, honey?”

  “Yes.” Jasmine turned side on and lifted her shirt so he could see the Glock she had tucked into the waistband of her jeans. “I have a .22 strapped to my left ankle and a knife to my right.”

  “Good. If anything goes down and you need help, get someone to call us or, if you can, call us yourself. Okay?”

  “Okay.” She agreed, but there was no need. She had a tracking device hidden under the lining of her boot, and she was wearing a mic in her ear. The speaker was a small disc she’d sewn under the collar of her shirt. No one would realize she was wired for sound. “Who’s monitoring tonight?”

  “Clay and Spence.”

  Jasmine nodded in acknowledgment and then stepped into Tanner’s arms when he spread them out. His arms came around her body, and she sighed with contentment. When all this was said and done, she would find the courage to ask these two wonderful men where this relationship was going. If she could lure and take down a serial killer, she should be brave enough to face the truth.

  Tanner kissed her just as voraciously as Cooper had. If she didn’t have to head to the inn, she would have stripped and led both of her men back to bed for some serious lovemaking.

  She gulped air into her lungs when Tanner released her lips. “Try and get some sleep. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  “Stay vigilant, Jas.”

  “I will.” Jasmine headed out to the car and another night of tending bar and dealing with drunks. She hoped to avoid a repeat performance of the previous night.

  Drunk people could be such assholes.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Cooper couldn’t relax no matter how hard he tried. He’d been flicking through the TV channels for over an hour and hadn’t settled on anything. He’d paced around the house, trying to find something to occupy his time, but again, he had trouble concentrating. His gut was knotted and churning, and the hair on his nape was standing on end. He’d even grabbed a pair of night vision binoculars and scanned the area around the ranch, but he hadn’t spotted anything or anyone. He wished he had a thermal imaging lens, but he was no longer in the Rangers and the equipment they’d used had been government property. He hadn’t expected the need for such things, and though they were expensive at around five grand to the top of the range, he wouldn’t have balked at spending that kind of money.

  Protecting Jasmine was worth every penny spent. He would give his own life if it meant she could continue to live. He loved her that much.

  “What time is it?” Tanner asked as he entered the kitchen and opened the fridge door.

  “Just after midnight.”

  Tanner shut the fridge and turned to face Cooper. His hands were empty. Neither of them drank much, and though it was tempting to slug down a bottle of beer, they needed all their faculties about them, just in case.

  “What time is her shift supposed to end?”

  “She didn’t say, but her usual knock-off time is around one.”

  “That means she should be here in just over an hour. Thank fuck. We’ll be able to get a few hours of shut eye before we have to get up for our shift.” Tanner threaded his fingers through his hair. He was debating with himself on whether he should head to bed so Jasmine wouldn’t know he’d been pacing the hours away when his phone rang. He unclipped it from his belt and looked at the display screen to see Clay was calling. His heart flipped in his chest, and every single muscle in his body tensed. He sucked in a breath and released it before answering the call.

  “What’s up?”

  “Another body’s been discovered.”

  Tanner’s knees wobbled, but he shoved his fear for Jasmine away. Clay wouldn’t call him on the phone if anything had happened to their woman. “Another woman?” He met Cooper’s hard gaze. His friend looked as if
he was about to pass out. He was as pale as a ghost. Tanner shook his head to reassure Coop. Cooper sank down onto the stool on the other side of the counter. “Hang on a sec, Clay. I’m putting you on speaker phone so Coop can hear you, too.”

  “No.”

  “Ah fuck, not a kid?” His heart stopped while he waited for Clay’s answer.

  “No.”

  “A man then?”

  “Yes.”

  “What the fuck, Clay? Stop hedging and just spit it out.”

  “The guy who started the attack on Jasmine last night.” Clay sighed.

  “You’re shitting me.”

  “No.”

  “Geezus, that fucker has to be watching closer than we thought. How the fuck haven’t we spotted him?”

  “He has to have changed his appearance.”

  “Has anyone let Jasmine know?” Cooper’s voice was more gravelly than usual.

  “I sent her a text. I need you and Cooper to meet at the crime scene unit with Spence.”

  “I don’t like this,” Tanner said. “It could be a diversion.”

  “I’ve already thought of that,” Clay replied in a modulated voice. “I’ll be staying here outside the inn and continue to monitor Jasmine. Kent is staying with Misha and Bella. I know you’re worried about Jasmine, but I need you two to meet up with the CSU and coroner. As soon as you get to the scene Spence will head back here to me.”

  “Shit!” Cooper stood and began to pace. “Let me guess. The body was dumped near the resort.”