Ryan and I had a special connection, a shared experience that bonded us at the most fundamental of levels. It was his passion and fire that I loved about him. The closer we grew together, each facet of his personality seemed deeper than the last.
Finally, I loved Jason’s openness… while still maintaining something dark and brooding inside of him. In most ways he treated me as an equal, but I always felt possessed by him in bed. Taken in ways that made me feel deliciously dominated. Utterly free.
I had everything I wanted. A big, bright warehouse to go with my thriving new business. A wonderful, magnificent place to live. Four incredible boyfriends; each one strong and protective, each one loving, each one more gorgeous than the last.
And yes, a sex life to die for. Literally. As in, it actually might kill me if I wasn’t careful.
And who wants to be careful?
I thought about all these things as we re-emerged from the edge of the woods. The food would’ve been done a while ago. The others would already be enjoying it at the table outside, the one under the big maple.
Only they weren’t there.
The table was empty. So was the whole backyard. There was no sign of Dakota, or Ryan, or Jason.
Maybe they decided to eat inside?
It made sense. The back door to the house was wide open. But the grill…
The grill was belching white smoke everywhere. Like
it was on fire. Like something had been left on it…
“Sammara…”
Kyle’s voice was barely audible — a whisper on the wind. I froze as I felt his firm hand on my shoulder.
“Hide. NOW.”
I whirled… and he was gone. Slipped off into the trees, disappeared completely from sight in all the time it took for me to turn around.
My blood ran cold. I was crouching down along the path, not sure what to do. Where to go. What to hide behind, or—
FFFFWUMP!
I screamed as something came crashing out of the woods to my left. A man — no, two men — hit the ground so hard they must’ve been moving full speed. Or running. Or tackling…
Kyle!
I could see him in the grass now, rolling, churning, both arms wrapped around a large bald man with a bushy red beard. I screamed again, more loudly this time, just as the man punched Kyle hard in the face with one big ham of a fist.
Do something!
I was freaking out! They were moving so fast, grappling and switching places so quickly I didn’t know where to intervene. Kyle was on top… then the red-bearded man… then Kyle again. I glanced at the house, hoping to see something. Hoping to see Dakota, or Ryan, or Jason, rushing to our aid…
But I saw nothing. Nobody. Just the grill, the white smoke turning grey now. Flames were leaping up from the back as whatever was still on it remained unattended. They grew larger and more dangerous-looking. Licking upward…
“KYLE!”
If he heard me he didn’t respond. Or he couldn’t respond… not with the other man’s hands wrapping themselves around his throat.
SAMMARA!
My mind screamed, jolting me into action. My gut instinct was to throw myself on this man. To claw at his face, to pound my fists against his back — anything and everything to make him let go! But then I saw it. Lying on the ground, all sleek and black and deadly-looking.
I ran over and picked up the gun. It wasn’t the same pistol Jason had taught me to shoot with, but it was similar enough.
“GET OFF OF HIM!” I shouted.