She’d grown so fond of Erica. She had real moxie and a mouth on her that made Eric cringe and Scott laugh. The jealousy she’d felt for the girl was unwarranted. She was like a sister to the brothers. Her parents had died in the same plane crash as Eric and Scott’s. The tragedy of September twenty-eighth had hit the town of Destiny hard, leaving eight teenagers from three families orphaned. It was clear to her now that there was quite a bond between Erica and the Knights. She would bet the same bond existed with all the orphans. Erica’s brothers, Sawyer and Reed, worked on the Stone Ranch, which was owned by three other orphans, Emmett, Bryant, and Cody.
It was about lunchtime, when the guys said they would be back. She was getting tired of being left alone in the PFS, as she liked to refer to it, but both Eric and Scott demanded she stay put whenever they had to be away. She was to open the door to no one. Strict orders.
PFS had its own bathroom complete with shower, whirlpool bath, and the plushest towels she’d ever felt on her fingertips. There was a kitchenette and coffee bar that she’d raided twice already. Eric and Scott worked hard and long hours. She’d hoped to have a repeat of the other night when they’d made love to her, but there’d been no time. The hacker was still on the loose. Between the three of them, she bet they’d slept less than eight hours in the past three nights combined.
She heard the lock disengage, and for the oddest reason, her body tensed. Why? The truth was she was nervous knowing whoever had used her Internet access at her home was still on the loose. She might feign aggravation to Eric and Scott about how overprotective they were, but actually she was glad for it.
When Eric and Scott walked in, her shoulders relaxed. When she saw Jason, Destiny’s sheriff, follow them in, her tension returned. All their faces looked grim.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Scott said. “We won’t be but a few minutes, and then we can go to the diner for lunch.”
“What’s wrong? Did you find Kip?”
“We did, but that’s not what this is about,” Scott said.
“You found him? When? Where?”
“Shh. There’s other fish to fry.”
A sudden bout of nausea hit her. “Don’t give me that, Scott Knight.” Her heart was thudding in her chest like a rapid-fire gun. “I deserve to know.”
Jason said, “Do you need a moment, fellows?”
“When did you find Kip?” she asked again.
“I’ll step out,” the sheriff said.
“That would be great. This will only take a minute.” Eric’s tone had the edge that made her tremble. He clicked the button on the wall behind her desk that unlocked the door.
The sheriff exited.
Eric walked to one side of her and Scott walked to the other.
She stood up and slapped her hands on the top of her desk. “Did you lie to me or not?” She could feel the manic tornado inside her grow stronger and stronger. I’m an idiot when it comes to
men. The mantra swirled over and over in her head, crushing her into a million pieces of despair.
Eric leaned down. She turned her head to the side, refusing to be sidetracked by his kiss. Then she felt a sharp tug on her hair. She turned and saw it was Scott, not Eric, who had pulled her locks.
She glared at him. “Liars.”
Eric pinched her nipples, delivering a sharp sting. “Enough, sub.” His words were like a slap to her bottom, and her manic thoughts slowed.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I don’t understand. How could you do this to me?”
“Do what exactly?” Eric’s tone was steady but firm. “Be clear.”
His fingers remained lightly on her now-throbbing nipples, but she knew he would clamp down on her bits of flesh whenever Eric deemed necessary.
“Why didn’t you tell me you found him? I’m still his wife. I’ve been trying to find him for five years.”
“Why were you looking for him, little one?” Eric’s tone was softer than before but still just as demanding.
“To divorce him, of course.”
“That’s already in the works, sweetheart,” Scott said. “He’s in prison. He can’t get to you, but he’s more dangerous than any of us imagined.”
“What do you mean?”