Please Save Me (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  She had no idea who had abducted her, even though there was really only one person crazy enough to do so, but it didn’t really matter. Joe wasn’t going to win. She had to stay alert and use anything she could to escape and survive. Turning her head until her mouth was over her shoulder, she began to rub at the tape covering her mouth. It was an exhausting process and her neck muscles began to ache, but she wasn’t about to give up. Even if it was only to get the tape off her mouth. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about suffocating.

  How long they had been travelling for, she had no idea, but by the time the van slowed down she had only managed to pry the corner of the tape off her mouth. Her head slumped against the van floor as exhaustion crept over her. She prayed that Dorian was okay and would alert her men and the authorities, and she wondered if he had seen her kidnapper.

  Thinking back over how she had found Dorian on the floor, she exhaled in relief when she remembered seeing his chest move. That meant he had been breathing. Thank you, God. But the angle of the gash on his head wasn’t a good sign. She didn’t think he had seen who had knocked him out. From what she could ascertain, he had to have been hit from behind. But there had been no one at the offices beside her, Dorian, and the glazier.

  He had to have abducted her. It couldn’t have been anyone else. Could it? But that didn’t make sense. What would a stranger want with me? She knew she should have listened to her intuition. The man had given her the creeps, but she couldn’t remember if he had finished the window. She hadn’t even looked at it, since her concern had been for Dorian. Shit, what if he’s working for Joe? No, that couldn’t be it. Too much of a coincidence. Isn’t it? God, she was getting a pounding headache, going around and around in circles, trying to figure out who had taken her. Just another pain to add to all her other aches.

  She nearly screamed with agony when the van came to a screeching halt. Her body went flying forward, and her head connected with something really hard. Nausea roiled in her stomach as agony splintered through her head, her vision dimmed, and then darkness swept over her once more, pulling her down into the dark abyss.

  Chapter Ten

  Gary had been a lot happier since Selina had come into their lives. Steve knew that Gary hid his true personality behind his lighthearted, humorous façade, but since their woman had shown up, his lover had become more serious and intent. Gary was always so hard on himself, pushing for perfection whenever he could but hiding his insecurities behind humor.

  Steve had sorted out the other site problem without any trouble and had driven to the other site to help his lover out. He was now standing beside Gary.

  “What the fuck is going on,” Steve inquired as he and Gary moved toward their foreman.

  “There is a problem with zoning. It seems the paperwork for the plan adjustments has gone missing, and we aren’t allowed to continue with construction until this mess is cleared up,” Hank Bridges told them.

  “What? That should already be done. I know damn well I filled in that paperwork. Shit, Hank. Leave it with me, and I’ll sort this out.”

  Gary looked like he was ready to explode. Steve had never seen him so pissed off before. His lover took a step toward the inspector, who was close to the house, looking it over, and Steve halted him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

  “Take a few deep breaths, man. You don’t want to go in there half-cocked and get him on your bad side. Take a minute to get your anger under control,” Steve murmured.

  “Yeah, okay. I know you’re right, but I know damn well I filled in that paperwork.”

  “Did you give it to Selina to copy and mail out?” Steve asked calmly.

  “Ah, fuck. I remember planning to. Wait, let me think a moment.” He frowned as he tried to remember. “Shit, fucking hell. I meant to give it to her yesterday, but with the shooting, I forgot about it.”

  “Can you remember where it is?” Steve inquired calmly.

  “In my jacket pocket,” he grumbled sulkily and turned away from Steve. He was back moments later after retrieving the papers from the car, striding forward with ire.

  “I’m sorry, man. I can’t believe I forgot. Fuck, how could I have been so stupid?”

  “Gary, stop it. You have nothing to be sorry for, and the problem is easily fixed. If it had been me, I probably would have lost the damn paperwork by now. You had your mind elsewhere yesterday, just as I did, and obviously so did Selina, because she usually asks for the papers if we haven’t given them to her in a timely manner. Just go and give them to the inspector now, and then construction can resume. No biggie,” Steve said quietly.

  Gary walked over and handed the papers over. After the inspector perused them, he nodded at Steve, pulled a stamp out of his pocket, and authorized the continuation of the building. Steve wandered over and shook the man’s hand and watched him leave.

  “See, no problems whatsoever. Stop being so hard on yourself, Gary. You don’t have to be perfect. No one is, least of all me. Just make sure you hand them over to Selina once we get back to the office. You know how she likes to have the documents and filing up to date. See you back at the office.”

  “I won’t be far behind you.”

  Steve waved in acknowledgement to Gary and headed toward his truck, buckled up, turned the key, and pulled away from the building site. Thank God he had Selina. She was such a fierce little thing. She was like a dog with a bone when she wanted something, and she didn’t give up until she had what she wanted. Now he could entrust her not only with his business but with his life and heart. God, he loved that woman. He was so glad she had come into his and Gary’s lives. She was the best thing to have ever happened to him and his lover. She completed them more than he ever thought possible and bound him and Gary together. She was right for the both of them. She was home.

  Steve pulled into a parking spot outside the office and felt a chill roll up his spine. He couldn’t see Selina through the new pane of glass, but she was probably in the back room filing. The thought of Dorian dogging her heels all day and driving her crazy made him smile. Dorian was a close friend, and even though he was a cold, brash, mean-looking son of a bitch when he was working, Steve would trust him with his life. Under that hard, tough exterior lay a heart of gold.

  He heard a moan of pain as he stepped through the entrance, and his radar went on high alert. Edging his way quietly around the room, he came to a sudden stop when he saw his friend on the floor. A small pool of blood seeped into the carpet beside Dorian’s head. Going to his knees, he was beside Dorian in seconds, just as his eyelids fluttered open.

  “What happened? Are you all right?”

  “Fuck. I feel like a freight train’s running through my skull,” Dorian replied in a low voice.

  “Where’s Selina?”

  “Damn,” Dorian muttered and was on his feet in a flash. He and Steve made their way through the rooms, but there was no sign of his girl.

  “It has to be Joe. Call the cops,” Steve snapped with frustration.

  “I’m so sorry, man. I don’t know who it was or how they got the drop on me. I was suspicious of the glazier, and if Selina’s face was anything to go by, when she saw him, she didn’t like that guy either, but he left without a backward glance after the window was replaced.”

  “You need to see a doctor. Sit down before you fall down,” Steve ordered Dorian.

  “No. I’m fine. I’ve had a lot worse.”

  “I’m sure you have, but it looks like you need stitches in your head.” Steve headed to the bathroom to get some antiseptic. He was back moments later.

  “Nah, just patch it up for me. Hey, I remember a funny smell before I was knocked out,” Dorian began and then hissed when Steve poured disinfectant on his head wound.

  “Sorry. What smell?”

  “It was like tobacco, garlic, and mint.”

  “Fuck, I know who it is. That sounds like Jose Santiago. He works for us, but he hasn’t been with us for long. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that reek
coming off of him. It was enough to make a grown man gag.”

  “Do you know where he lives?”

  “No, but I’ll bet money on it that his details are on Selina’s computer.”

  “I’ll find them, you call the local sheriff and tell them what you suspect. Wait! Why would this Santiago want Selina?”

  “I have no idea,” Steve replied.

  “Someone who works for you wouldn’t be questioned if they came into the office. They could pass on information,” Dorian speculated.

  “Joe,” they both said at the same time.

  “How long do you think he’s been here?” Dorian asked.

  “I have no fucking idea,” Steve replied and ran his hand through his hair. His gut had a knot the size of a football lodged in it, his muscles were so tight with tension he felt like he could snap at any moment, and he felt sick to his stomach. He was so scared for his woman, he was on the edge of control.

  Just as that thought coalesced, his lover came storming through the front door. Gary looked like he felt. Ready to explode at the slightest provocation, and he didn’t even know about Selina yet. Steve took a step toward him but stopped again. He was dreading this, because he knew Gary too well. His lover was going to go ballistic.

  “What’s going on? Where’s Selina?”

  Steve took a deep breath and exhaled. He moved to Gary and wrapped his arms around his lover, speaking quietly. He tightened his hold on Gary as he explained that Selina was missing. Tears formed in his eyes as Gary roared with pain and fury.

  It took both him and Dorian to hold Gary down. He knew if they hadn’t, Gary would have gone on a rampage of destruction through the office until his rage had abated and his common sense kicked in. Finally his lover slumped down onto the sofa, breathing heavily but once again in control. Dorian reached for the phone and called the police while he continued to talk to and calm Gary.

  Just as Dorian went back to searching for Jose on Selina’s PC, the law arrived, and Steve began explaining to Detectives Crispin and Russ what he knew. By the time they were finished, the detectives had a copy of Jose’s address and the sun was beginning to set.

  “Keep away from Santiago’s,” one of the detectives commanded from the entrance. “I don’t need you two getting in our way.”

  Steve exhaled heavily as the door closed with a click and looked at Gary. He could see the fear and pain clearly on his lover’s face and knew he probably had the same look in his eyes.

  “Do you want me to stake out Jose’s place?” Dorian asked.

  “Can you get in there without getting caught?” He held up his hand in placation when Dorian scowled at him. “Sorry, don’t answer that. I know you can. Yeah, if you can get to that bastard and find Selina, I’d be grateful.”

  “Okay. I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.” Dorian headed out.

  “So, what now?” Gary asked.

  “There’s nothing we can do until we know who has our girl. I guess we just sit tight and wait.”

  “Fuck that, Steve. I can’t just sit around doing nothing,” Gary yelled. “We have to find her, man. God knows what they’re doing to her.”

  “You think I’m not worried! Fuck, Gary, I’m so torn up I feel sick, but what else can we do?”

  “I don’t know, but I can’t just sit and wait. Did Dorian get the call from his buddy yet?” Gary asked.

  “What? Oh, no, not that I know of. I’m sure if the search on Joe had been completed he would have told us. These things take time, man. You know that.”

  “Fuck, I hate this shit,” Gary snapped.

  Steve knew exactly how Gary felt, because he was sick with worry as well. But it wasn’t just for Selina. He was scared that if they didn’t get her back, he would lose Gary, too, and that thought ripped pain through his chest so severely, he nearly doubled over with it.

  Chapter Eleven

  Selina had a jackhammer pounding inside her skull and a queasy stomach. Her shoulders were screaming with pain, her hands and fingers were numb, and her body was one big mass of aches. But she was alive. She thanked God she was still breathing.

  It took her a few tries to open her eyes, which felt glued shut, but when she had them open to slits, she wished she’d kept them closed. Bile rushed up, and she was just in time to hang her head over whatever she was lying on as she emptied the contents of her stomach. When she was finished she flopped back onto what she realized was a bed and whimpered with pain. Her vision was blurry, and all she wanted to do was drift back to the obliviousness of sleep. It didn’t take a miracle worker to know she was suffering from a concussion.

  But she wasn’t about to give in. Gazing around the unfamiliar room, she took note of the one exit and then let her eyes wander over to the windows on the left side of the room. The sun was just beginning to set, and she hoped that Gary and Steve knew she was missing by now. She prayed that Dorian wasn’t hurt badly and had been able to raise an alarm.

  Shifting on the bed caused her to whimper with pain and her stomach to churn again, so she held still and breathed deeply until the nausea was under control once more. She was so tired and thirsty, and she just wanted to be back in the arms of the two men she loved with her whole heart.

  She had never loved anyone the way she did Gary and Steve, and if she got out of this alive, she was going to ask them to marry her. Her current situation pointed out to her how precarious life really was. She didn’t want to lose Steve and Gary, since she had just found them. Life was too short not to go after something or someone she wanted with her whole heart and soul. If she survived, she was going to wrap herself around the loves of her life and hold on tight. There was no way in hell she was risking them slipping away from her.

  Convention be damned. She didn’t care that she would probably be the subject of gossip and labeled a whore for loving two men. Life was too short to worry about what other people thought. She knew in the eyes of God it couldn’t possibly be wrong to love two men.

  Footsteps sounded outside the closed bedroom door, and Selina quickly closed her eyelids and concentrated on breathing deeply. Maybe Joe would leave her alone if he thought she was still unconscious.

  Curses followed the footsteps when they stopped inside the door to the room, and Selina was secretly pleased she had made a mess. Whoever had taken her would have to clean up after her.

  “Jose, get the fuck in here and clean this up.”

  Oh shit. She knew that voice. It was Joe. She also knew that name but couldn’t quite remember where she’d heard it before. Jose came shuffling into the room, and the smell of bleach wafted to her nose. That mixed with the scent of garlic, tobacco, mint, and cologne was enough to make her want to toss her cookies again.

  “Why do I have to clean it up? She’s your responsibility. You’re the one who wanted to kidnap her,” Jose whined.

  “Just do the hell what you’re fucking told,” Joe commanded.

  “She’s nothing special. Why did you want her anyway?”

  “Mind your own fucking business.”

  “Sure, man, don’t get your panties in a twist. You know the bosses are gonna find her.”

  “Are you sure you weren’t followed or didn’t leave a trail?” Joe asked.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. Fuck, that guy in the office with her was one big, mean son of a bitch. I’m glad I was able to knock him out and didn’t have to shoot him.”

  Hands grabbed at her upper arms and moved her across the bed, and even though she bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood, she couldn’t stop a cry of pain from erupting between her lips.

  “Ah, so you’re awake. Been playing possum, have we? Leave us,” Joe snapped.

  Selina heard the door to the bedroom slam closed and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still very hazy, and her stomach revolted with the movement as Joe continued to drag her across the mattress.

  “What do you want?” she asked in a croaky voice. “Why are you doing this to me, Joe? I’ve never done anything to
you.”

  “You see there. That is the problem. You weren’t supposed to break up with me. I am the one to end relationships if I feel they aren’t going anywhere. You didn’t have to get a restraining order on me. Now, that wasn’t very nice at all.”

  “You’re crazy,” Selina whispered as she looked into his blank eyes and knew that her statement was true. Joe was definitely lacking something in the brain department.

  “That might be so, but you and I are going to have some fun real soon. No one breaks up with me and gets away with it. Now, let’s see about getting you cleaned up. I can’t have my bride looking and smelling like something the cat dragged in, now, can I?”

  Selina held still while Joe worked on removing the rope from about her wrists. When her hands were released and hung uselessly by her sides, thousands of tiny needles of excruciating pain traveled down her arms to her fingertips as blood flowed back into her starving limbs. Tears rolled down her face, and she whimpered in pain. Once the rope was removed from around her ankles, Joe pulled her to her feet and she stood, swaying as dizziness assailed her.

  He grabbed her by her wrists and pulled her into the bathroom adjoining the bedroom and began to remove her clothes. She tried desperately to get her mind to command her useless limbs, but no matter how hard she tried to move, her arms wouldn’t obey her brain. Tears streamed from her eyes with shame as she finally stood before him naked. Turning on the shower, with one hand still shackled around one of her wrists, he then pushed her into the cool water.

  “Wash your hair and body for me, my love. I want you squeaky clean for the wedding,” Joe insisted.

  Selina couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Surely he didn’t think she would just stand at his side docilely while they got married? Turning her head toward the door when she heard it close, she sighed with relief when she realized Joe had left her alone.

  Working quickly, she shook her arms hard and fast, speeding up the circulation in her limbs, and then set about washing herself. She was done in minutes but left the shower running as she dried and dressed. She went to the small window high up in the room and tried to reach it from the floor, but she wasn’t tall enough. Growling with frustration, she looked around the room to use something to climb on. Spying a small plastic trash can, she pulled it across to beneath the window, held her breath, and stepped up. She prayed it would hold her weight and be tall enough to give her the added height she needed.