Sidney’s Triple Shot [Apache Crossing] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

Apache Crossing

Sidney's Triple Shot

Sidney Rowe has been abused in ways that most people can’t even imagine. After a horrific miscarriage, she left behind everything she had to escape her ex-boyfriend. She finds refuge in the kindness of the three Dawson brothers. They give her a job and a sense of security in the small town of Apache Crossing.

Xavier, Tyce, and Noah Dawson have built their bar, Triple Shot, into a profitable enterprise. The three former Marines have also built a reputation for integrity in the community, but their sex appeal and charm are legendary. They enjoy their playboy status…that is until a jumpy, skittish Sidney stumbles into their lives needing their help.

Sexual tension explodes when the brothers decide they want to protect and share Sidney, but to have her they have to stop her ex from haunting her. Can they keep her safe and win her damaged heart?

Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among siblings.

Genre:
Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

Length:
98,838 words
 

Apache Crossing

Lori King

MENAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

SIDNEY’S TRIPLE SHOT

E-book ISBN:
978-1-62242-749-9

First E-book Publication: April 2013

Cover design by Christine Kirchoff

All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of
Sidney’s Triple Shot
by Lori King from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

This is Lori King’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. King’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

For the Righteous Perverts, my own little cave of insanity when I need to just break free.

For my husband who rides this rollercoaster we call life beside me, holding my hand, laughing with me, and wiping away my tears.

For my children who brighten every day of my life. I would be nothing without you three.

I hope to always Live, Laugh, and Love like today is my only chance.

~Lori

Acknowledgments:

I want to acknowledge each song and original artist that I used in the book, and thank them for inspiring my characters and I.

“Johnny and June”: Heidi Newfield

“Stand Beside Me”: Jo Dee Messina

“I Cain’t Say No”: Oklahoma (The Musical)

“Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”: My Fair Lady (The Musical)

“Friends in Low Places”: Garth Brooks

“Steam”: Ty Herndon

“I Wanna Love You Forever”: Jessica Simpson

“When You Say Nothing At All”: Alison Krauss

“Chapel of Love”: The Dixie Cups

“Breakaway”: Kelly Clarkson

“Soulmate”: Josh Turner

SIDNEY’S TRIPLE SHOT

Apache Crossing

LORI KING

Copyright © 2013

“Ms. Rowe?”

“Ms. Rowe, I need you to open your eyes for me.”

Sidney could hear the woman’s voice but it sounded like she was at the opposite end of a tunnel. What was going on? Who did she know that would call her Ms. Rowe?

“Sidney, you’re in the hospital. My name is Dr. Javier. It’s time to open your eyes for me.”

A slight crack of sharp light hit Sidney’s eyeballs burning into her brain, and she heard herself whimper. Another crack of light, but this time less painful, then another larger one until she could see a blurry figure in front of her.

“There you go, that’s a girl. Come on, open your eyes for me, Sidney. I’m Dr. Javier, and I’m taking care of you. Do you remember what happened to you?”

The woman wore a white lab coat, and had a stethoscope in her ears as she held Sidney’s wrist in her hand. The room she was in was small, and the only furniture was the hospital bed she occupied, and a small chair against the wall at the foot of the bed. A flat screen TV hung on the wall, and there were machines with tubes and beeping alarms on either side of her. Why was she in the hospital? What had happened? Forcing herself to remember, she felt tears leak from her eyes.

“My baby.” Her voice came out as a croaking whisper.

The doctor’s eyes met hers and the sadness there stabbed through Sidney’s heart. Her baby was gone. Robert had managed to kill their baby.

“I’m so sorry, Sidney. Fortunately, there was no permanent damage, but the pregnancy was already gone by the time you arrived in the ER. Do you remember what happened to you?” There was pity in her voice and her actions, and it grated on Sidney’s nerves. If she admitted what had happened to her they would make her file a police report, and that would get Robert in trouble. She didn’t want Robert to get into trouble. It would only end up causing more trouble for herself.

Shaking her head at the Doctor’s question she croaked more loudly, “Water?”

The Doctor lifted a straw to her parched lips, and she sucked gently. Surprisingly her body didn’t hurt much. They must have given her some powerful pain meds, because the beating Robert gave her should have left her in pain for days.

Dr. Javier set the cup aside, and stared at Sidney for several silent moments, before she asked, “Who did this to you, Sidney?”

Tightening her lips, Sidney let her eyes close, and she refused to speak. Robert hadn’t meant to hurt her, or at least she didn’t think so. It was all a misunderstanding. She surprised him with the news of the unexpected pregnancy, and his temper got the best of him. That was all there was too it.

“Look, I know you’ve been beaten, and probably more than just this once based on the x-rays, but you don’t have to live like this. Whoever did this to you, nearly killed you, and they did manage to kill your baby.”

“Me?” Sidney questioned in her froglike voice.

“Yes, you have bruises and cuts all over your body. That black eye will take at least a week to heal, and I was quite surprised that there weren’t any internal injuries from this attack. Was it someone you knew?”

Stop it, Sidney screamed in her head, stop asking me! There was no way she could tell this stranger and get her to understand what Robert was like. If he hurt her that badly it had to be by accident.

As if to prove her right, there was a knock at the door, and Robert’s face came around the corner. He was carrying a dozen roses, and he looked contrite.

“Sidney! Oh, darling, are you okay?” he said as he rushed to her side.

Sidney’s met the Doctor’s questioning gaze, and recognition flared in the woman’s eyes. Oh shit, now she knew. Turning back to Robert, she tried to smile at him.

“Excuse me, sir, but Ms. Rowe needs to rest, so I’ll have to ask you to leave and return during normal visiting hours.”

Robert looked up at the woman like she had lost her mind. “I’m not leaving her, she’s my fiancée.”

“While that may be the case, Mr…”

“Wicks. Robert Wicks.”

“Mr. Wicks, she has had a traumatic attack on her person, and she needs to rest. Perhaps we can go out into the hallway and talk about what has happened. Do you happen to know who might have done this to her?” Dr. Javier’s arm was between Robert and Sidney, and she gestured for Robert to move toward the door in front of her.

In barely a millisecond, Robert’s gaze went from open and concerned to ice-cold and hostile. “Look, lady, that’s my fiancée, and I have every right to be here. Hell no I don’t know what happened to her, now get out of my way.”

“Sir, I will call security if you don’t leave the room.” Dr. Javier didn’t seem to be intimidated at all by Robert’s anger, but Sidney’s stomach twisted. He had the same vicious tone of voice he used right before he lashed out at her, and this time there was a stranger in the way. Before she could make a noise to try and warn the woman, Robert’s eyes shut and when they reopened they again held the warmth and charm she had once fallen in love with.

“I apologize. You will have to excuse me for being emotional. It’s hard to see someone I love injured like this. I would be happy to discuss what has happened with you, but please give me a moment with Sidney first.”

The doctor held his gaze, looking suspicious and a little confused. That’s what Robert did, he spun people around and around with words and charm until they didn’t know what direction they were coming from or where they were heading. It was mind-boggling sometimes.