Triple H Ranch [Slick Rock 13] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Cat’s alarm bells rang. She remembered hearing something on the news about the owner of a computer company being arrested for espionage and treason.

  “Shit, are you talking about Integrated Computers and Software, and Harry Noble?”

  Sabrina nodded.

  “You were his PA?”

  Again Sab nodded.

  “That must have been hell. Didn’t you get kidnapped?”

  “Yes,” Sabrina whispered and shuddered.

  “Oh. I’m so sorry. I am being so insensitive. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

  “I know.” Sab patted her hand. “I’m fine. But now I think it’s time to talk about you. You need to tell the sheriffs and the Heritages what you’re running from. I can promise you that they’ll keep you safe. They let me and my men hide out here while the law was trying to find the fucker that was trying to kill me. They’re honorable, noble men. I don’t think you would find more protective men than the ones who live here in Slick Rock.

  “I’m not trying to force you to stay or sway your decision. I’m just telling you how it is.”

  Cat nibbled on her lip as she tried to decide what to do. She was glad that she and Sabrina weren’t still talking because the men piled back into the living room with slices of apple pie topped with ice cream and cups of coffee. The men talked about the ranch while they ate the pie, and Sab told her about the shops in town and some of her new friends. The more she heard about Slick Rock, the more intrigued she became.

  Maybe it had been fate to end up here where the men were built with muscles and acted like modern day warriors, protective of those weaker than they. Maybe she would get to fulfill her dreams after all.

  She glanced at Sabrina when she tapped her arm. “Hank was talking to you.”

  Cat blushed and turned her gaze to him. He was frowning and looking worried, and that made her blush even more. The Heritage men seemed to always be giving her concerned glances. Maybe they thought she was cracking up. Sometimes she wondered if she was, too.

  “You need to tell us what happened, Catalina. The sheriffs and the men in town can’t protect you unless we know what kind of trouble you’re in.”

  Luke held up the phone he had in his hand. “Do you mind if I record this?”

  Cat shook her head, took a deep breath, and began to explain. “My parents won the lottery about five or so years back. They were so happy because they’d struggled for every penny they ever had. They bought a new house on the lake, a boat, a new car.” She paused as the emotions threatened to overwhelm her, aware of every eye on her as she tried to recite her and her parents’ life story.

  Hank rose to his feet, came over, and sat on the sofa cushion next to her. She had no idea when Sabrina had moved away, but as she glanced about the room, she realized the other woman and her men were no longer in the room. She heard a quiet murmur from the kitchen and was glad that they were giving her some space since she didn’t know them. She didn’t know the Heritage men or the sheriffs either, but she would continue because it could mean the difference between whether she lived or died.

  “My dad’s brother, who’d been absent pretty much most of my life, somehow found out about my parent’s good fortune. At least that’s what I suspect because he turned up on the door step after years of staying away.

  “I was so naïve and didn’t think anything of it, but I think my dad and mom knew why he suddenly showed up. I accepted my uncle’s appearance as a sign he wanted to spend time with my parents and myself and get to know us. I’d heard him apologize to them for not visiting because he’d been so busy with his real estate and business. I just took him at face value.

  “He was funny and kind to me, bringing me jewelry and trinkets any girl would like. I didn’t realize he had an alternative motive.”

  “What was that?” Luke asked.

  She could tell by his expression he already knew the answer, but she answered any way. “Money. Greed. You see, Uncle Max’s business was in trouble. He owes thousands of dollars and has no way to pay it back. He’d borrowed money to buy up large tracts of land and was going to build housing estates on them, but then the economy crashed. Homeowners were walking away from their homes, leaving them empty, and people who could afford to snap them up for a fraction of the cost did so.

  “The building industry was at a standstill. Why spend so much more money to build a house when you could buy one for less than half that cost?” Tears burned her eyes, but she blinked them back. Hank must have seen that she was struggling because he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side. Just having the warmth of his big, brawny body, his protection gave her the courage to continue.

  “The police in Lake Hayden dug into my uncle’s life and found out he was in so much debt it would take him nearly ten years or more to pay it back.”

  “Do you know if he asked your father for a loan?” Damon asked.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t think so. I’m sure my dad would have given him the money if he’d asked. My parents had a big win and would have been financially secure for several lifetimes.

  “My uncle must have decided that he deserved that money and there was only one way he was going to get his hands on it. He killed them.” Two tears rolled down her cheeks, and she brushed them away impatiently. A sob escaped before she could swallow the painful emotion building in her chest.

  Hank shifted, and then he lifted her onto his lap. Usually she would have scrambled away, but right now, she needed the human contact, the warmth of his body seeping into her cold skin.

  “It was the weekend, and I was going home for a barbeque and to have a nice day out on the lake, on the boat. The moment I opened the front door I knew something was wrong, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other as if I were on autopilot.

  “There was so much blood. Big pools of it under their bodies. They both had their eyes open but they couldn’t see anything. They were staring sightlessly at the ceiling.”

  Barry sat beside her, taking one of her cold hands between both of his larger warmer ones. She’d been so lost in the horror she hadn’t noticed when he’d risen.

  “I stood just beyond the entrance to living room frozen in shock, horror, and grief, but then I heard a noise in the kitchen. I knew I had to get out of there. I don’t remember forcing myself to move but I did. I was almost to my car when I heard someone shout. I turned to look back over my shoulder and saw him standing on the front porch, bloody knife in hand, blood on his clothes and face, dripping off the blade. I got into my car and drove to the police station.”

  “What did the police do?” David asked.

  Cat blinked and looked down. David was sitting in front of her, between her legs with his arms wrapped around her knees. One of his hands was moving up and down her shin in a soothing motion.

  “They put me in protective custody. I was handed over to the Coeur d’Alene sheriff’s department and sequestered away in a safe house.

  “You see, my parents left a will and he found it. I don’t know how he knew where it was, but there you have it. The police in Lake Hayden searched my parents’ files, found out who their lawyer was. Everything was to go to me, but in the case of my death, it was to go the only living relative alive. My dad’s brother.”

  “How long were you in protective custody?” Luke asked.

  “Three months.” She swallowed hard before taking a deep ragged breath. “I should have known I wouldn’t be safe.”

  “What happened?” Damon asked through clenched teeth. His jaw was flexing, and he looked so angry.

  She locked her gaze on Barry’s tanned hands as he rubbed her cold one to warm it. “He found me. I don’t know how, but he killed the deputy on duty. I ran, ended up in the Coeur d’Alene Lake swimming for my life. He shot at me, grazed my arm with a bullet, but I managed to escape and here I am.”

  Catalina had no idea how she got through reciting what had happened, but by the time she was finished, she was drained, utterly exhausted. Her arm was a dull ache, however it wasn’t hurting bad, but the pain in her head was hard to ignore. All she wanted to do was curl up into a tight ball and sleep, except every time she closed her eyes, she saw her parent’s bloody, lifeless bodies.

  She wondered if she would ever feel normal, if she would ever be able to smile, laugh, or close her eyes without seeing the gruesome horrifying image of her dead parents.

  The scene kept playing in her head over and over again, and no matter how hard she tried to push those horrendous pictures from her mind, she never quite managed to. Her body trembled, she began to pant, and sweat popped out over her skin.

  She tried to gasp in lungfuls of air, but it didn’t help. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, and couldn’t deal with any of it. Black spots formed in front of her eyes, and while she blinked, trying to get rid of them, they seemed to coalesce, gather in a thick haze over her vision until she couldn’t fight it anymore.

  She finally gave in, sinking into oblivion.

  Chapter Four

  David got up onto his knees when he heard Cat’s breathing increase. He cupped her face in his hands and cursed when he saw her eyes were glazed over with terror. “Cat, look at me. Cat?”

  “Fuck!” Luke shoved to his feet.

  “Do you want me to call Doc?” Damon asked as he stood.

  David glanced at Hank and Barry, unsure what to do. He didn’t want to scare Cat by shouting her name, but if it brought her out of her panic, he would. He was about to do just that when she passed out.

  “Shit!” Hank pulled her limp body against his, and David, who still had her face between his hands, gently eased her head back until it was resting on Hank’s shoulder.

  “She’s been to fucking hell and back,” Barry said as he got to his feet and began to pace.

  “She hasn’t left it yet.” David brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. She’d been so pale, but now that she was breathing normally, a little color had come back into her cheeks. “Let’s see how she feels after she wakes up. We can call Doc in if she hasn’t settled down, then.”

  Barry and Hank nodded their agreement.

  “How the hell did that fucker find out where the safe house was?” Hank asked angrily.

  “That’s what I want to know.” Luke sounded just as angry as Hank.

  David stood. “Here, let me take her to bed.”

  Hank rose, being careful not to jostle Cat too much before he passed her over to David. He sighed with contentment at having her in his arms, but his heart was aching for the pain and suffering she’d endured. He turned and headed to the master bedroom. After placing her on the bed and removing her shoes, he lifted her again, tugged at the covers before putting her on the sheet and covering her with the quilt.

  What he really wanted to do was get in bed and hold her in his arms, but he wanted to hear the sheriffs’ thoughts on how Catalina had been discovered when sequestered away in a safe house.

  * * * *

  “Did she stir?” Barry asked the moment David entered the room.

  “No.”

  “Maybe that’s a good thing.” David sat on the sofa.

  “You think he has inside information.” Hank’s question was posed as a statement.

  “How else would have he been able to track her?” Damon sighed before running his fingers through his hair.

  “Money’s a powerful tool,” Luke said. “Why haven’t we heard anything about this? Surely there should have been an APB out on her uncle, especially since he’s killed a cop?”

  “I don’t know,” Damon answered. “Maybe the sheriff is trying to keep a lid on it so the asshole isn’t aware there’s a huge manhunt searching for him.”

  “He’d have to be stupid not to realize that,” Luke stated. “What I don’t understand is why he tried to kill Catalina. He’ll never be able to get his hands on that money if she’s dead.”

  “He can’t be thinking straight,” Hank said angrily.

  Damon leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees. “What if he gets off on killing? Most perps who murder for money would usually use a gun. Only sick fucks take pleasure in slicing people up.”

  “Fuck!” David clenched his fists. “You think he’s a psychopath? You think he’s killed before?”

  Luke ran his fingers through his hair. “That would make more sense. He’s obviously not right in the head. Maybe he’s changed tactics since he knows he won’t be able to get the money.”

  Barry ground his teeth and clenched his hands so tight his knuckles began to ache. He could never understand how greed could motivate people to murder, but his mom and dads had instilled good solid morals into him and his brothers. Not everyone was like-minded to them, but to kill for the pleasure of it—that he would never understand.

  Luke and Damon pushed to their feet and headed toward the door.

  “We’re going to look into this, guys. I won’t stop until I find whoever it is that sold her out.” Damon held his hand out to Barry after pausing on the timber deck.

  He shook both sheriffs’ hands and watched as they drove away. His eyes snagged on the barn as he glanced about. There was so much to do that had been put aside for the last eighteen hours or so, and although he knew he should get back to work, he needed to be with Cat more.

  “Barry, you stay with Cat. I don’t want her waking up alone. I’ll clean out the barn. David, you can take a couple of hands with you and fix the downed fence in the west pasture.”

  “Do you need help with anything?” Sabrina asked as she and the Wendall men came out the door.

  Barry noticed her eyes were red and puffy from crying. He hated seeing her upset, but there was nothing he could do about it. Plus, she had her men to look after her. Trick moved to her side and hugged her waist. Sab leaned against him and sighed.

  “You heard?” Hank asked as he met their gazes.

  Tristan nodded and swallowed before speaking. “Call us if you need anything.”

  “Thank you.” Barry stepped forward, shook the men’s hands, and then kissed Sab on the cheek.

  “Don’t rush her. She needs time to heal.” Sab clasped Barry’s hand and squeezed it.

  Barry nodded before stepping back.

  The Wendalls and their woman said good-bye to his brothers and left.

  Barry walked back inside, hoping that Cat would be okay when she woke.

  * * * *

  Cat cringed as she surfaced from sleep. She’d made a spectacle of herself by passing out. Again.

  She didn’t need to see a psychiatrist to know she’d had a panic attack. Her cheeks heated and she shifted restlessly. That was the instant she felt something heavy over her waist. She opened her eyes, blinked a few times, and turned her head to find Barry on the bed behind her. His blue-green eyes watching her intently. He gave her a half-hearted smile.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Better.” She cleared her throat because she’d sounded like a croaky frog.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “No.”

  “Thirsty?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll go and get you a drink and your medicine. How is your arm? Does it hurt?”

  “Not much.”

  Barry sat up, and she took the opportunity to roll onto her back.

  “I can give you some pain meds if you need them.”

  “It doesn’t hurt, really. Just a dull ache.”

  “Okay, but don’t hesitate to tell me or my brothers if you change your mind.”

  “Thank you.”

  Barry walked toward the door but paused when she called his name.

  “What is it, baby?”

  “Can I use your shower?”

  He hurried back over, sat on the bed, and took her hands in his. “You don’t need to ask, Cat. We want you to treat this place as if it was your own home. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Good.” He released her hands and stood again. “Go take your shower but be careful of the bandage on your arm. You can’t get the stitches wet. After you’re done, I’ll put a fresh one on for you.”

  Cat sighed as she stared at the ceiling. She really had nowhere else to go, but she was worried that her father’s brother would somehow find out where she was and hurt an innocent person to get to her. Just thinking about Hank, Barry, or David injured or dead caused her heart to ache. She wasn’t sure she could bear it if something happened to them. They had taken her into their home out of the goodness of their own hearts, and she could end up repaying them for that kindness by getting them killed.

  Those three men made her feel things she’d never felt before. They made her restless when they were close by, but she didn’t want to move away from them. There was a yearning deep inside, but she didn’t know what she craved. Her body reacted even just thinking about them. She didn’t need to be told that she desired them.

  Cat rolled from the bed and headed to the bathroom. She turned the shower on, removed her clothes, and stepped into the hot water with a sigh. Having a shower always managed to calm her a little. There was just something soothing about having hot water raining down over her head and body.

  She reached for the bottle of shampoo on the shelf and began to wash her hair. She’d only ever had one boyfriend, and although he’d pressured her to have sex with him, she’d held back. It wasn’t that she hadn’t found Brad attractive or arousing. It was just that she’d wanted to be sure that he’d loved her as much as she’d loved him. Or thought that she’d loved him.

  Turned out she’d been right to hold out. She wasn’t sure if it had been intuition on her part, but she hadn’t been ready to take the next step with him. And it was a good thing she hadn’t. She’d met him in the first month of going to college for her teaching degree and had been excited and flattered when he’d approached her. He’d been a football jock attending college on a scholarship. They’d been dating for six months when he’d started asking her and pressing her for sex, but she’d told him she wasn’t ready. He’d said he’d respect her decision and wait for her as long as it took, but the asshole had lied.

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