Capturing Kylie [Slick Rock 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Kylie pulled the door to the bathroom open and stormed out without a backward glance. But Will didn’t worry too much about her dramatic exit, as one thought dominated his mind. She was attracted to him, better yet, to all three of them. He couldn’t wait to deliver the good news to his brothers.

  Chapter Five

  The days leading up to the wedding flew past. Kylie had worked really hard at avoiding the three Badon cousins, but whenever they were nearby, they took every opportunity they could to touch her in some way. She was getting mighty sick of being pawed.

  You’re lying to yourself, girl. You want them as much as they seem to want you.

  Kylie sighed and scanned the properties to lease in the local paper. Since Slick Rock was such a small town, there wasn’t much. She had found an apartment and a room to rent with two other girls, but as far as she was concerned, sharing was definitely out. If the rapist who had been stalking her ever found her, she would be putting other people in danger, and she wasn’t about to let that happen. It was bad enough that she was still living in Eva’s spare room, putting her and her men in the line of fire, let alone anyone who had no clue as to what was going on or could go down. She picked up her cell phone but hesitated with her fingers over the number pad. Did she really want to be alone and scared?

  Kylie had lived alone for the last few years and the last four days spent with Eva and her men had pushed her worries to the back of her mind. Yes, even the Badon cousins had had a hand in relieving her anxiety somewhat. Just as she was about to start dialing, a knock sounded at her door.

  “Kylie, are you ready yet?” Eva poked her head around the edge of the door and Kylie saw that her face had a light application of makeup.

  She glanced at the time on her phone and saw that it was nearly time to leave. “Shit.” She flung the paper aside and raced toward the bathroom. “I’ll be ready in ten.”

  “Okay, but why don’t you get a lift with Xavier and his brothers? My guys and I have to be at the restaurant to greet the other guests very soon.”

  Kylie hesitated at the bathroom door. As much as she wanted to ask Eva to wait for her, she couldn’t. That wouldn’t be fair to her friend and her fiancés. With a resigned sigh, she gave Eva a nod of her head and rushed into the bathroom. After the fastest shower on record, she donned her underwear and then applied a bit of makeup. She was glad she’d had the foresight to wash her hair that morning, and since she had planned to leave it down, all she did was give it a good brushing. She opened the closet, grabbed the black dress she planned to wear, pulled the zipper up the back with a little difficulty, and then slipped her feet into her black high-heeled shoes. She was just reaching for her purse and a wrap when someone knocked on the door.

  “Are you ready, Kylie?” Lachlan’s voice came through the door.

  Kylie sighed, trying to release the tension she felt at being alone with the Badon cousins, even if it was only for a short trip to the restaurant in the hotel, and tried to shore up her defenses as well. She was going to need every ounce of her control to keep those three men at arm’s lengths. With each day that passed, it was getting harder and harder for her to try to remain apathetic in their presence. With one last glance at the mirror, she opened the door to Lachlan.

  “Wow, you look so damn sexy, sugar.” Lachlan perused her body and whistled through his teeth. “You’d better stick close to us tonight, Kylie, otherwise you are going to have every single man at the dinner vying for your attention.”

  “Yeah, right.” Kylie stepped out into the hall when Lach stepped aside. “Let’s go.”

  Kylie didn’t wait for him, but hurried toward the front door. She paused mid-stride when she saw Xavier and Will waiting for them. All three men were wearing dress slacks and smart button-down shirts. Her body definitely liked what it saw, because her nipples pebbled and pussy clenched, releasing cream onto her panties. Thank God I wore a padded bra. At least they won’t be able to see how much they affect me.

  “You look good enough to eat, sweet thang.” Will grinned and then winked at her.

  Kylie met Xavier’s gaze and although he didn’t say anything about her appearance verbally, his eyes said everything. They ran the length of her body and back up again and when his gaze connected with hers, she could see the heat and hunger in it, but once again she chose to ignore it.

  “We’d better go or we’re going to be late.” Kylie stepped toward the front door.

  Xavier opened it and swept his arm out, indicating for her to take the lead. She headed toward their truck and had her hand on the back door when another hand covered hers.

  “Allow me, sugar.” Lach opened the door for her and then to her surprise, placed his hands on her waist and lifted her up into the truck. When her ass landed on the seat, she quickly scooted over to the other side of the vehicle and put on her seat belt. The three men talked about tonight’s dinner and the wedding tomorrow, but Kylie was too tense to concentrate on what they were saying.

  She had spent the day working on transcribing some medical texts and had been nearly finished when her e-mail alert had pinged. When she had opened the e-mail, hoping it was another batch of work, she’d had to cover her mouth to prevent a scream from escaping. Her eyes scanned the text.

  Don’t think you can escape me, bitch. I will find you and when I do, you know what will happen. Did you honestly think that leasing out your apartment and running would keep you safe? I warned what would happen if you went to the cops that night. Now you have to pay. Your time is running out, slut. Can you hear the clock ticking? Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

  Kylie had started to call the police, but before she had dialed the first number, she had flung her cell phone aside. There was nothing the cops could do until this fucker came at her. Until then she was on her own. Or she would be as soon as Eva and her men left on their honeymoon. She wasn’t about to spend the next three weeks in a house with three hot, sexy men. She was having enough trouble as it was not giving in to their caressing touches. Kylie was at breaking point in more ways than one. If one of them touched her one more time she was going to jump whoever it was and end up making a fool of herself.

  Something Kylie had never thought she would do was end up caring for one man, let alone three. Slowly but surely, however, those three men had worked their way under her skin and she was in danger of caring for them more than she wanted to. There was only one thing left to do and that was get the hell out of their vicinity and quick, before she did something really stupid.

  Kylie blinked when the truck slowed, and she realized that they were already at their destination. She had her seat belt off and the door open before the truck was turned off and then carefully stepped onto the side-step and down to the ground. The last thing she wanted right at this moment was to have one of them put their hands on her again. She was already going out of her mind with lust, and she didn’t need that augmented any more than it already was. Turning back to the truck, she reached up and grabbed her purse and shawl from the seat and closed the truck door. As she stepped back, her body bumped into a warm, immovable wall. Large hands landed on her shoulders and she froze as her breath hitched in her throat.

  “Next time wait for one of us to help you.” Xavier’s breath caressed her ear and she had a hard time controlling the shiver working its way up her spine and she could feel the heat emanating from his body.

  Damn him. Damn them all. Why can’t they leave me alone?

  The heat left and she realized that Xavier had stepped back. Kylie turned around and headed toward the door to the hotel without once looking at him or Will or Lach as they came close. She pulled the door open with more force than necessary and quickened her step when one of them touched her lower back. When she inhaled, she knew it was Xavier who was close and hurried over to where Eva was seated between Quin and Pierson.

  “Wow, you look hot, Kylie.” Eva smiled and hugged her and Kylie kissed Eva’s cheek before pulling away. “You are going to have to beat the single men off with a stick.”

  Kylie smiled and knew her smile didn’t reach her eyes when Eva frowned at her.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good.” Kylie smiled genuinely this time, glad that her friend had three men to love and take care of her and not wanting to put a damper on the night. She pushed her worries to the back of her mind, determined to get into the swing of the engagement party and enjoy herself for a change.

  Kylie slid into the seat next to Gray, the last seat on that side of the long table, and then looked around at all the people. The number of men present far outweighed the women, but from what she could see, the women who were attending the evening were already hooked up. The blonde woman sitting across from her had a man on either side of her and both men touched her constantly. She looked up, caught Kylie watching, and smiled at her.

  “Hi, I’m Tara Morten, and these are my husbands, Johnny and Clay.”

  “Hi, I’m Kylie.”

  “Ah, you’re Eva’s best friend.”

  “That would be me.”

  “Welcome to Slick Rock.” Clay smiled and Johnny nodded his head as if agreeing with his brother’s greeting.

  “Thanks.”

  Throughout the night Kylie met the other ménage trios and quartets and hoped she could remember their names. Often when she looked up, she caught a few of the single men eying her, but she quickly looked away, not wanting to encourage any of them. She was aware of Xavier, Will, and Lachlan watching her constantly but chose to ignore them. Kylie had spent some time talking to three other new arrivals in town, cousins to the Morten brothers, Danny, Cain, and Bruce Morten. Bruce, who was known as Brutus because of his sheer size, was currently sitting to her right at the head of the table.

  “How long have you been in Slick Rock, honey?”

  “Just a few days,” Kylie replied and didn’t like the gleam in his eyes as they ran over the upper half of her body.

  Kylie was beginning to feel the effects of being around so many people and picked up her glass of wine and took a big gulp. Her hand visibly shook as she placed the glass on the table and sweat popped out on her brow. Her breathing escalated and she was having trouble filling her lungs with air.

  “Would you like to go out to dinner with me and my brothers one night?” Brutus asked.

  “Um, no thanks. Excuse me.” Kylie shoved her chair back and rushed toward the hallway to the ladies’ room. She pushed the door open and sighed with relief when it shut behind her, closing out the noise.

  “Oh my God,” she sighed as she leaned on the sink. “I have to get out of here.” Kylie tried to control her breathing. She inhaled to the count of five, exhaled slowly, and repeated the action a few times and was glad that the escalating panic attack had receded. Turning on the faucet, she splashed her hot face with cool water and then let it run over her wrists and hands. After turning off the water, she grabbed some paper towel and blotted her skin dry. She glanced up toward the door when it was pushed open.

  “Are you okay, Kylie?” Eva asked as she moved further into the room.

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look it. Were you having another panic attack?”

  Kylie cursed under her breath. She had forgotten she had told Eva her reaction to being in a crowd, but she didn’t want to upset her friend, so she outright lied. “No, I just got a little hot and bothered.”

  “Was Brutus harassing you?”

  “No, he was just being polite,” Kylie answered through clenched teeth. When she realized that Eva was watching her intently, she relaxed her jaw and tried to smile but knew she had failed when Eva frowned at her.

  “You’re as skittish as a cat on a hot tin roof. What the hell is going on?”

  The fear that Kylie had been trying to keep at bay spiked and caused her skin to erupt in goose bumps, and a shudder wracked her body. Tears formed behind her eyes and she tried really hard to not let them fall, but Eva knew her too well. Eva rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight.

  “Tell me what’s wrong, Kylie. I’m not leaving this bathroom until you do.”

  Kylie held in the sob forming in her throat and took a deep breath. She hadn’t intended to tell Eva what was scaring her, but the words blurted from her mouth before her brain kicked into gear.

  “I think he knows where I am.”

  “Fuck!” Eva drew back and Kylie laughed because Eva hardly ever swore. “Why do you think that?”

  “I got an e-mail.”

  “What did it say?”

  Kylie repeated the e-mail word for word, since it seemed to have embedded itself into her brain, and then wanted to curse as Eva paled.

  “Wait here,” Eva commanded and rushed out.

  Kylie didn’t want to face Eva’s fiancés and their pity. She didn’t want to face the Badon cousins either. She felt like her life was careening out of control and she was heading for a crash landing. The best thing she could do was leave. She was already headed toward the bathroom door, intending on leaving through the rear exit she had seen as she had walked toward the ladies’ room, but before she had even placed her hand on the door handle, the door swung open. A very tall, dark-haired, muscular man entered the room with Eva and her men behind him. Eva stepped around him and introduced them.

  “Kylie, this is Sheriff Luke Sun-Walker. My men have already told him about your trouble.”

  “Hi, Kylie, it’s nice to meet you, but I’m sorry it’s under such harrowing circumstances.”

  Kylie couldn’t find her voice, so she nodded instead.

  “I’d like to come over in the morning and take a look at that e-mail. Does nine o’clock suit you?”

  “Yeah, that’s fine.” Kylie had barely finished answering the sheriff before the bathroom door burst open. She should have known that the Badon cousins would see something was going on.

  “What the hell is this?” Xavier asked, pushing his way into the now-crowded ladies’ room, and he didn’t stop moving until he was standing at her side. Will and Lachlan came forward until she was surrounded by them. Xavier was on one side, Lachlan on the other, and Will squeezed in behind, between her and the bathroom wall. She took a step forward but Will wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back up against his front. Their scent enveloped her and the tension that had invaded her body began to dissipate. Kylie frowned over that occurrence. She felt safe and protected and she didn’t want to move, aware now that she was surrounded by their heat and ensconced in Will’s arms. But the last thing she needed and wanted was to be attracted to these three men. What if the asshole who had threatened her knew where she was? How would she feel if one of these men, or God forbid, Eva or one of the other women got hurt because of her? There was no way in hell Kylie was about to put anyone else in jeopardy

  The walls to the room began closing in on her, and Kylie wanted nothing more than to escape. Sweat once more formed on her brow and upper lip and her breathing hastened. Her heart was pounding so hard and fast in her chest she looked down to see if the rapid beating was visible. Her legs began to tremble, as did the rest of her body, as adrenaline surged through her system. She pushed against the arms around her waist and was surprised but relieved when they released her. Her vision shimmered and everything wavered as she took one step and then another. She could see Eva and the men in front of her frowning, but she didn’t want their pity. She locked onto the only thing familiar and stared at her best friend as she moved. Her body felt like it was walking through quicksand, her limbs heavy and even though she felt like she was moving rapidly, she somehow knew she wasn’t. Kylie could see Eva’s mouth moving, but because of the way her blood was rushing through her body, any other noise was drowned out. Just as she reached out to Eva, darkness began to close in. It was like looking through a tunnel with the walls moving closer and closer to her. Her sight diminished until she could see nothing at all and then she sighed as the darkness swamped her.

  Chapter Six

  Lach moved fast and caught Kylie before she could hit the ground. He gently swung her up into his arms and looked at the sheriff. “Call a doctor and get them here fast.”

  Luke was already on the phone and Quin, Gray, and Pierson rushed forward to help him.

  “I’ve got her, but we need to get her someplace where she can lie down.”

  Gray held the door to the bathroom open and stepped back so he could get through. His brothers, Eva, and his cousins rushed through the dining room of the hotel to the foyer after him. Pierson hurried to the reception desk, explained the situation, and asked for a room key. The receptionist hesitated, but then sighed resignedly and handed the key to Pierson, who then led the way down another hall and opened the door to a hotel room.

  Lachlan carefully placed Kylie onto the bed and, with his brothers’ help, removed her shoes. He wanted to strip off her dress, but there was no way he was letting any other men besides his brothers see their woman half-naked. Xavier must have been thinking the same thing. His brother’s next words proved him right.

  “Why don’t you leave Kylie to us? We’ll make sure she’s cared for. You have guests to see to.”

  Lachlan waited until just he and his brothers were left in the hotel room before he gently turned Kylie onto her side and drew the zipper down the back of her dress. With his brothers’ help, they had removed her dress and then placed her under the covers. Just as they covered her up, a knock sounded at the door. Pierson opened it and let the doctor in.

  “What seems to be the problem?”

  Xavier explained about the threat to Kylie and then told the man she had just collapsed in the ladies’ bathroom. Lach also told him what he had seen happening to their woman.

  He and his brothers watched avidly while the doctor examined Kylie. He took her pulse and blood pressure and just as he was listening to her heart, she moaned and shifted on the bed and then opened her eyes. Lach sat on the side of the bed and placed his hand on her thigh, giving her a comforting caress.

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