“Why would that be a problem? Unless… oh, they said nothing about getting together again, did they? Men,” Penny scoffed in derision.
Paige gulped her shake again before saying, “Not a word, which has never bothered me before. Why now, and why them?”
Her evil twin laughed, jumped up and skipped around the table to bend down and hug her. “It’s about time!” she squealed before rapping her open hand against the back of Paige’s head. “You’ve not only fallen for one guy, but two. You hussy!”
“I have not!” Her denial came too fast, and even she could hear the lie behind it.
“I see you don’t deny being a hussy,” Penny tossed over her shoulder as she strode to a trash bin and tossed her empty cup. “I don’t know what your hang up is, sis. They’re great guys.”
“Guys, plural, neither of whom has shown an interest in me other than for sex, and they’ve gotten that, so now what?”
They both heard cars drive up followed by doors slamming. Penny peeked out of the window over the sink. “Looks like you’ll get the chance to ask them yourself in about one minute. Damien’s home as well.”
Paige hated the sharp claws of jealousy digging into her stomach from the excitement and pleasure reflected in Penny’s tone. And when Damien strolled in, his eyes zeroing in on Penny first thing, the pain got sharper. She knew it wasn’t envy for her sister’s good fortune in finding someone special she felt, but the fact she wanted the same thing for herself. With two men. God, I’m so fucked, and not in the good way, she lamented in silence, her pulse spiking when she heard Trevor and Troy’s deep voices. Then they entered the house and her heart executed a slow roll in her chest and her body sang with pleasure just from seeing them again. So fucking fucked.
“It looks like we get to kill two birds with one visit,” Troy drawled, his dark gaze moving over Paige’s face before shifting to Damien. “Like I said outside, we have something we want to run by Penny. Odds are, neither you nor Paige will like it.”
“Then we’d better all sit down.” Damien snatched Penny’s hand and led the way into his living room. Sinking down onto a leather recliner, he settled her on his lap, waving a hand toward the matching leather sofa the chair faced. “Have a seat and tell me what brings you here.”
Paige allowed Trevor to pull her onto the sofa between him and Troy and tried not to read anything into his tight grip or the way Troy laid a hand on her thigh in a gesture that smacked of possessiveness.
“You have chocolate on your mouth.” Trevor swiped a finger over the corner of her lips, his eyes gleaming.
“I just finished a shake.” With his mouth so close to hers, Paige found it difficult to think straight.
“Then I’ll save the candy bar I brought you for later.”
“I’m waiting.” Damien’s voice cracked with impatience, cutting off their byplay. Paige noticed Penny seemed content to let her new Master push them along.
“I spent a good part of the day tracking the newest members’ attendance at the clubs where there have been assaults,” Troy stated. “Every one of them has made a return visit since the date of the attack at that club, except for one new member of Sanctuary. Several ceased attending altogether after their second and third visits, at least to the best of each owner’s knowledge. Does the name Mitchell Garrison mean anything to you, Penny?”
She shook her head. “Nope, never heard of him.”
“If I remember correctly, I approved his membership a few weeks ago and met with him his first night. My assistant manager has been running things since Penny came home with me. Was Dalton sure this guy hasn’t been back? It’s a big place,” Damien questioned with a tight jaw.
“It is,” Trevor put in. “As are the other clubs. Which is what makes this theory a long shot, but still worth checking into.”
“I can’t find anything on Garrison, or several others. That by itself means nothing. I’m aware of that, but damn it, I have to start somewhere.” Troy pinned his stormy gaze on Penny. “None of the victims have returned to the clubs. I’m wondering what our perpetrator would do if he saw one of his casualties not cowed by his assault.”
A pregnant paused followed Troy’s statement before Damien retorted in anger, “Absolutely not.”
“No way,” Paige added with an emphatic shake of her head.
“Look, I understand, but—”
Damien cut Troy off with a slice of his hand. “No.”
Penny laid her hand over his and looked at him with quiet determination. “I want to do this. I need to do this.”
Paige could see Damien’s struggle reflected on his face and knew he would give this to Penny. If she wanted to continue protecting her sister, they left her with no alternative but to come clean about the notes she’d received after being at Sanctuary.
“No, Penny, there’s no need. They’d have better luck using me since he’s now fixated on me.”
Both Trevor and Troy leapt to their feet and glared down at her. “Explain,” Troy bit out, his hands fisted on his hips while Trevor crossed his thick arms.
Paige tried getting to her feet, uncomfortable looking up at their glowering faces, but Trevor palmed her shoulder, keeping her in place as he growled, “Talk.”
Narrowing her eyes, she returned their angry looks. “Don’t browbeat me. It won’t work. He left a note on my car after each time I was at the club. They’re in my purse.”
Damien rose as Troy stomped over to the small entry table where she’d set her purse. The two of them swore as they read the notes and then turned accusing eyes on her. “He threatened you.” Troy held up the second note, the one telling her to back off before she ended up worse than her sister. “And you didn’t think to tell us?”
Her frustration getting the better of her, Paige shook off Trevor’s hand and surged to her feet. “No, I didn’t. He didn’t leave a clue to his identity and since I wasn’t allowed back inside Sanctuary following the auction, there was no point. I haven’t heard from him since.”
“My God, Paige. He knows where you live,” Penny breathed, fear for her sister leaving her visibly shaken.
“I know how to take care of myself.”
The three men swore again before Trevor said, “Either Garrison isn’t our guy, or Dalton’s missed him the two times Paige was there.”
“All the more reason why I should go back,” Paige insisted. Troy scraped his hand through his hair, his frustrated look telling her he wanted to agree. “You know I’m right.”
“Only if I’m there too,” Penny stated in a hard tone.
“We’ll all be there.” Damien included everyone in his statement. “And neither of you will be more than a few feet from one of us.”
Trevor hauled Paige against him and tugged her head back with a grip of her short hair. “You won’t scene with anybody but us, got it?” He didn’t give her a chance to reply, just took possession of her mouth in a way that left her breathless and giddy.
When Troy pressed against her back, pinning her between them and whispered in her ear, “You’re ours,” she shuddered with sweet pleasure.
It can’t be that easy, can it? She’d always been skeptical of anything that appeared too easy, and when that was applied to the new, unorthodox relationship she shared with the brothers, her distrust rose a notch. But she wasn’t about to let that keep her from tasting the sugar-coated treat they’d just tempted her with. If it ended up being bad for her, at least she’d have the sweet high to remember them by.
“Okay.”
Chapter 16
“No one will approach us if they don’t lighten up,” Penny sighed. With a smile, she accepted the glass of wine Sanctuary’s bartender, Master Connor, set in front of her. “Thank you, Sir.”
Paige hesitated, hating to address a stranger with such formality. It had taken her weeks to give Troy and Trevor that respect, and they still needed to either remind her or prod her into doing so. But they’d drilled the rules of the club into her and she knew she had to su