Double Her Pleasure (11 page)

Megan couldn’t let Hines cover her face with the
chemical-soaked cloth, or she’d never see Garret and Trey again. His weight
pinned her down, but she thrust her head forward, her forehead connecting with
his face. Her hands clutched at his shirt, her nails digging into the skin
underneath.

He howled, and she tightened her fists and pulled. She
jerked her knees up and got close to his crotch, then repeated it again and
again as he tried to press the soaked cloth over her mouth and nose.

Then he was gone. As if lifted straight up from her.

“Bastard.” Trey’s voice preceded the sound of something
large, like a man, hitting the metal wall.

“He’s got a gun.” She struggled to sit up.

“I’ve got his gun.” A loud grunt followed Trey’s words.

Hands gripped her shoulders, pulling her to a seated
position, then onto a warm lap. Her blindfold was untied.

She blinked into Garret’s handsome face.

The worry in his eyes, the strain on his face nearly undid
her to tears, but she wanted to see every moment of her rescue.

“Hi, hotshot.”

His jaw quivered and moisture filled his eyes.

“Megan.” He pulled her against his chest and rocked her for
a few seconds. “I’m sorry.”

She pulled back to see him. “This is not your fault.”

He opened a small knife and cut away the bindings on her
wrists, then her ankles. “It
is
my fault. I should have never left you.”
Folding the knife, he stuck it in his pocket.

Thudding and grunts sounded from near the door.

Megan looked around Garret. Trey took a swing at Hines’s
gut. The man doubled over, his face bloody. He fell to his knees.

“Get up, you sick fuck.” Trey stood over him, the avenging
angel, ready to inflict justice. “Take another swing at me.”

Garret held her tighter, turning her away from the sight.
“You had him pretty badly beaten when we got here.”

“Did I?” The sinking feeling of adrenaline leaving her body
made her cold. “Hold me.”

He pulled her tighter against his hot body. “Anything you
want.” His hands skimmed up and down her arms, her back. In her rescue
daydream, it had been Garret pounding his fists into Hines, and Trey holding
her. She loved that Garret had found his nurturing side.

Sirens sounded from a distance, getting nearer.

Footsteps drew closer and Trey appeared, sitting on his
heels in front of her. “Megan. Forgive me for not being there to protect you.”

She looked into his eyes, seeing the torture he must be
feeling. “Of course I forgive you. Both of you. Thank you for rescuing me.”

“We were watching through the window, waiting for him to go
back toward the plane before we busted in.” Garret’s voice came low and
soothing.

“When we saw the gun, we knew we had to get in here.” Trey
tipped his head and took her hand. “You nearly had him, sweetheart. Looks like
you re-broke his nose.”

Closing her eyes for a second, she let herself smile. She’d
fought her fears, fought her demons, and the feeling of control she’d been
missing in her life flooded back into her. “There was no way he was taking me
from you.”

Red and blue lights flashed and the sirens stopped outside.

Trey picked her up into his arms, holding her against his
chest and kissing the top of her head. “It’s all over now.”

Sheriff Boyd ran in, followed by two uniformed deputies.
“Everyone okay?”

One of the men checked Hines’s pulse and handcuffed him.
“Alive.”

“Megan needs to see a doctor.” Garret pulled out his phone.

“No, I’m fine.” She could sleep for a day or two, but she
wasn’t hurt.

The sheriff held up his hand. “I just called Doc Guthry.
He’s opening the clinic.”

“But I really am okay.” She looked up into Trey’s eyes.
“Even though some people think I need to be carried.” Her lips curled. She
would rather stay right where she was.

“Well, we’re assuming you were unconscious.” The sheriff
stared into her eyes.

She nodded, the memory of the panic she’d experienced when
the cloth covered her face making her woozy.

The sheriff pulled out his notepad. “We’d usually send for
an ambulance in this situation, but the way Trey’s got you, I’m guessing he
wouldn’t turn you over to anyone else.”

Trey’s jaw tightened.

The sheriff nearly smiled. “We’ll need to take some blood
tests, make sure whatever was used to knock you out is out of your system. And,
you should get checked over.”

“All right.” As the adrenaline left her body, she started to
shake.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can to take your statement.” The
sheriff glanced at Trey.

“I’ll bring her over there.” Trey started walking toward the
door.

Garret stood over the unconscious body of Megan’s stalker as
he lay on the concrete floor of the airplane hangar. He wanted to throw water
on Hines, wake him up, and use his fists to make the asshole unconscious again.

The sheriff walked over. “I can’t let you do it.”

Garret looked up into his eyes. How had the man known Garret
had the need to hit...something. “What if I wait until he wakes up?”

Sheriff Boyd just gave him a sad smile.

He shook his head. “I feel so useless.”

“Best use you can be, Garret, is supporting that woman of
yours.” The sheriff laid a hand on his back then gave a push toward the door.
“I’ll be along shortly.”

Garret jogged out and caught up to Trey, still carrying
Megan. They’d made it around the side of the building where they’d coasted the
truck to a silent stop.

He opened the passenger door for Trey and Megan.

“I can walk, you know.” Her voice sounded weak, like she’d
expended most of her strength.

Trey set her on the seat and she slid into the middle. He
got in after her.

As Garret walked around to the driver’s door, Ryker came
running from the small building used as the airport office. “You found her? She
was here?”

Garret strolled toward the man. “Sheriff’s inside. They’ll
probably need your statement.”

Ryker tried to look around him into the cab of the truck, but
Garret herded him away. “They’ll want to know the flight plan.”

“Yeah, sure.” Ryker held a paper in his hand. “Got it right
here. He was taking her to Mexico.”

Garret hadn’t expected that, but it could have been a
diversion. “Let the sheriff know, Ryker. I’ve got to get her to the clinic.”

“Yeah, okay. Sorry. Glad you found her.” He jogged off
toward the front of the hangar.

“Mexico.” Garret opened the driver’s door and slid behind
the wheel.

Inside, Trey held Megan close.

Hell, he wanted to wrap his arms around her, too. Nothing
had been as frightening as nearly losing her. And it had been a near miss. If
they hadn’t overheard that neighbor talking about Ryker, he and Trey would have
been driving fast away from her. From where she needed them.

A warm hand on his arm jolted him out of the bad scenario.
“I’m okay, Garret. You got here in time.”

Lifting her hand to his face, he kissed her fingers as he
smelled her scent. “I can’t help but think of what would have happened...”

His brother grunted. “We’re both feeling pretty damn guilty,
Megan. It’s gonna be a while before we can let this go.”

“I understand.” She leaned her head back against Trey’s arm.
“But if it’s okay with you, I’d like to get this night over with. Get us home
and in bed.”

Home. Garret started the truck. The meaning of the word had
never meant anything close to what it meant to him now. He shifted into drive
and pulled onto the highway toward town.

Home had been his parents, his brother, his ranch. Now,
Megan shone as a beacon of what his life could be like. Perfect. Priorities
began rearranging themselves in his mind, and damned if she didn’t come right
at the top.

They pulled into the clinic lot, helped Megan when she
insisted that she walk inside despite their offers to carry her, and handed her
over to Doc Guthry who got her settled in a room.

Garret paced the small waiting room. “Just seeing her
sitting on the floor, with him waving a pistol around...”

“Yeah. Man, I was tempted to grab the rifle from behind the
seat and blow him to hell.” Trey stood staring at the door to Megan’s room.

Garret got up in his face. “Tell me the truth. Do you think
she’ll forgive us for this?”

Trey’s brows lowered and he stared into Garret’s eyes. “She
said she forgave us already.” His jaw tightened as he looked back toward the
examination room. “We’re going to hold her to it.”

Garret went back to his pacing. Trey didn’t want to lose her
either. But there was a good chance that after she thought things over, she
would convince herself she shouldn’t have been so quick on the draw, forgiving
them. If she didn’t, her parents probably would.

The sheriff walked in. “How is she?”

“No word yet.” Trey’s gaze didn’t move from Megan’s door.

“What’d you find?” Garret crossed his arms, his fists so
tight, his knuckles cracked. Damn, he still wanted to find the fucker and pound
him good.

The sheriff flopped down in a chair in the corner. “Let’s
wait ‘til Ms. Shore is ready to hear it, too. Then I don’t have to repeat it.”
He tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and in minutes, snored like a
chainsaw.

Ten minutes later, the doctor stepped out of the room and
shut the door. He strolled to the waiting room with his clipboard.

Trey and Garret met him in the hallway.

“She’s good. No physical harm, a little groggy from the
sedative he gave her, but she doesn’t have a bruise on her.”

Garret let out a long breath.

“I took some blood and I’ll have the lab analyze it, but
from the way she described it, there’s nothing to worry about there.” He
frowned. “Mentally, however, she may need some help.” He looked at Trey then at
Garret. “Professional help. This was traumatic for her, so be there if she
wants to talk about it.”

Garret planned to be there for her. Hell, he wasn’t going to
let her out of his sight for a long damn time.

The sheriff joined them.

“She’s all yours.” The doctor stepped aside. “I’m goin’
home, but take your time. Just make sure the door locks behind you when you
leave.”

“Thanks, Doc.” Trey shook his hand.

The doctor nodded. “She’s a very strong woman. I can see why
you boys chose her.” He walked away, pulling his car keys out of his pocket.

Trey’s brows shot up as he looked at Garret. “Damn. The
whole county knows?”

Behind him, the sheriff laughed. “Yeah. Reckon we do.”

****

Megan woke late the next morning alone in Trey’s big bed.
They’d spent an hour talking with the sheriff at the clinic before he let them
take her home.

She smacked her hand on the bed. The thing that made her
maddest was poor Inez being locked in her bathroom for twelve hours while Hines
waited for the right time to do his nasty shit. Her daughter had come from
Abilene and taken her mother home with her for a week, despite Inez’s protests
that she didn’t need a vacation.

Sitting up, she stretched her arms over her head. Her
nightgown tugged at her shoulders. It’d been the first time she’d worn it on
the ranch.

Giggling, she jumped out of bed and walked into the
bathroom. Her hair was a tangled mess, and she carefully unsnarled it.

Early this morning when they’d arrived home, her parents sat
at the kitchen table. They’d hugged her and cried as her men stood back,
looking decidedly uncomfortable for a few minutes before they left the three of
them alone.

Her mother insisted Megan should go back to Canada, to her
home, at least for a while to recover. They offered to find her someone to help
her work through her trauma. Megan understood exactly what that meant: spend
time
with
a psychologist and
away
from her men.

Megan had promised to think about it, and assured her
parents she would head to the guest house to discuss it in the morning.

After they’d left, Megan had sat at the kitchen table, and
Trey and Garret had come back into the room. They stood behind her, each one
placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I need to wash up.” She could barely stand, but she needed
to clean away the remnants of the night.

“A bath.” Garret had run upstairs to fill the tub with
bubbly water for her. Trey had fixed her a sandwich and a cup of tea, and
they’d left her alone in the big tub. She’d soaked and contemplated her life
for nearly an hour.

Her parents had a valid point. She should seek professional
help. There was a good chance she’d suffer some kind of a breakdown if she
didn’t. She could stay on the ranch. But the added stress of dealing with the
invasion, the destruction, and its effect on the whole McGatlin
family—including Inez—might be better addressed by everyone if she was not
here. Her presence would be a constant reminder of that night. Did she want to
do that to these wonderful people?

She rinsed off and pulled on the nightgown Garret had
considerately hung on the back of the door.

When she’d walked out of the bathroom, both men sat on the
edge of the bed facing her, wearing their briefs.

“You want the bed to yourself tonight?” Trey spoke so
quietly, she barely heard him. Were they still worried she was angry with them?

Taking each of their hands, she let the strain of the last
hours flow out of her. “Hold me?”

“God, yes.” Garret pulled down the blankets as Trey helped
her get settled between them.

They’d silently bracketed her and she’d drifted off in
seconds. They’d stayed close all night, whenever nightmares woke her, she felt
their hands caressing her stomach or her arm, and it had chased away all the
terrors.

This morning, though, she had a list of things to do,
decisions to make, and a life to start over.