Passion's Fury (The Doms of Passion Lake Book 2) (35 page)

Ash closed his hands around Caleb’s wrists.  “I won’t let that happen, bro.  If I can’t hack it, I’ll get help.  I promise.”

Simon tightened his arms, then released his brothers and stepped back.  “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starvin’.  There’s a twenty-four-hour burger joint across the street.  What say I make a burger run?”

* * * *

Kylie’s mouth watered as she sat down at the table.  The endless array of delicious-looking food spread out in front of her was like something out of a fairy tale.  It was a wonder the table didn’t collapse under the sheer weight of it all.  She reached for a turkey leg, but the instant she touched it, it vanished in a puff of smoke.  Then, one by one, all the rest of the succulent dishes did the same until she found herself sitting at an empty table.  Her stomach growled.  And suddenly she realized that even though the food had disappeared, she could still smell it.  Her eyes fluttered open.  For a moment she just lay there, trying to figure out where the hell she was.  Then she remembered.  She was in the hospital.  And Ash was—where was Ash?  She turned her head trying to locate him and found all three of the men she loved more than life itself sitting around the rolling bed table wolfing down burgers and fries.

“Hey.”

“Baby!”  Ash, Caleb, and Simon jumped up, nearly upending the table, and rushed to her side. “You’re awake!”  Each one bent over the side rail and placed a gentle kiss on her parched lips. “How do you feel?”

“A little groggy.”  She licked her lips. “A lot thirsty.”  Every word was an effort.  Caleb glanced around, saw the plastic pitcher on the night stand, unwrapped a Styrofoam cup and poured some ice water into it.  He placed a flexible straw in the cup, bent it, and held it to her mouth.  She took a few deep sips, and released the straw.  She lifted her hand to rub the back of her head.  “Why are hospital pillows made of concrete?”

“It’s one of life’s eternal mysteries,” Simon grinned down at her.

“Are you in any pain, sugar?” Caleb asked.

She shook her head.  “No.  Whatever they gave me is really working.”  She held out her hand and Ash took it.  “I need to know how badly Detective Bullard hurt me.”

Ash lifted her hand to his lips, then held it against his cheek, covering it with his own.  “You sustained three puncture wounds, one deep enough to bleed into your abdominal cavity.  The cut has been repaired and your abdomen drained.  You also sustained two fairly long gashes, which have been stitched up.  You lost over two pints of blood.  You’re going to be sore for a while and the doctor wants you to take it easy for at least a week, but he says you’re going to make a full recovery.”  The doctor had also said that if they hadn’t gotten her to the hospital when they did, she very easily could have bled out.  But there was no way he was telling her that.

Unfortunately the look on her face told him he didn’t have to tell her.  She already knew.  She had felt the life draining from her body with every drop of blood she’d lost.

“I knew you would find me,” she said, looking from Ash to Simon to Caleb.  “I never doubted that, not for a second.  The…the only time I was really frightened was when I realized that he meant to blow up the house after he—finished with me.  And I was afraid that all you would find would be…pieces.”  She looked back at Caleb.  “How
did
you find me?”  She shook her head in wonderment.  “It seems like such a miracle.”

Caleb smiled.  “A miracle named Jason Ingram.  He guided us straight to you.  He has a way with computers like Michelangelo had with a hammer and chisel.  He says he can’t wait to meet you at the weddin’ on Sunday.”

“He already has a special place in my heart,” she said, “for bringing you to me.”  She looked back at Ash.  “Sweetie, I know you’re blaming yourself for what happened.  But you mustn’t do that.  You absolutely mustn’t.  It wasn’t your fault.  It wasn’t anybody’s fault.”

“I shouldn’t have left you alone.”  The words were wrenched from him.  Emotions burst inside his chest, expanding like a balloon, driving the breath from his lungs.  He thought he was going to suffocate. 

“Don’t second-guess yourself.  You did what you thought was right.”  She shrugged.  “That’s all anyone can do.  I love you, Ash.  I love all of you.  I don’t blame you and I don’t want you to blame yourself.  You came for me.  You saved me.  I may have gotten hurt, but I’m going to be fine, and that’s all that matters here.”

The balloon in Ash’s chest deflated, leaving him with a sense of peace for the first time since that afternoon.  He lowered the side rail and bent down to kiss her, a tender touching of lips that was so filled with love her throat thickened.  She looked into his eyes.  “Any chance of my getting outta here?”

“You mean in the mornin’?” Caleb asked.

“I mean right now.”

‘I’m sure your doctor would advise against it.”

“Lucas is my doctor.  I promise I’ll go see him tomorrow.  But I can’t sleep without the three people I love most in the world.  And this bed’s not nearly big enough.  I want to go home.”

“Sorry, darlin’,” Simon answered. “You just had major surgery. You’re not goin’ anywhere until a doctor clears you.  But we’re not leavin’ you.  We’ll all be right here, so you’ll be able to sleep.”

“Can you take turns sleeping with me?”

Caleb’s look was pure reluctance as he slowly shook his head.  “Sorry, sugar.  As much as we’d love to, we don’t want to risk any chance of pullin’ your stitches.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t cry, baby.” Ash scooped a tear onto his fingertip. “You’re safe, it’s over, and we’ll be right here. For however long it takes. 

“I know. I know.” Kylie waved her hand vaguely. “I’m just being a big baby. I can’t wait to get back home and be in your arms.  For a while there I was afraid I’d never see you again.  That I would die before I had a chance to tell you how much I love you.”  Her jaw firmed.  “You say you’re not going to let me out of your sight.  Well, that works for me, because I have no intention of letting any of
you
out of
my
sight either.”

Caleb bent down and placed a soft, sweet kiss on her lips.  “Fair enough, sugar.  Nice to know we’re on the same page.”

EPILOGUE

Two Months Later

Kylie stood behind the screen at the back of the ballroom, peeking through the narrow gap between the panels to watch Clay Nighthorse escort her mother, looking lovely in her persimmon-colored silk suit and flowered hat, down the center aisle to her seat in the front row.  Caleb, Simon, and Ash’s parents and sister Amanda were already seated on the other side of the aisle.  She hugged her father’s arm, turning her head to smile up at him.

James Goodman was a fit, good-looking man in his mid-fifties.  His hair was silver-gray, his brown eyes twinkled behind wire-rimmed glasses.  He looked like the Certified Public Accountant that he was.

“I’ve never seen you look more beautiful than you do right now,” he said. He bent down and gave her a kiss on her cheek.  “Your Mom and I are so proud of you, sweetheart.  When we first found out that you were planning to be with three men, we couldn’t conceive of such a thing.  But now that we’ve met them and seen how much you love them—and they obviously worship the ground you walk on—we realize how perfect it is.  We’ve never met three finer men than Caleb, Simon, and Ash Rafferty.  So we’re happy to turn you over to their care and keeping.”

“Thanks, Dad.  I’m so glad you and Mom see how wonderful they are.”

“And their parents are lovely, too.  We’re looking forward to flying to Chicago and joining you all for a Rafferty family Thanksgiving.”

“I know.  I can’t wait.  It sounds like so much fun.”

The morning after they’d brought her home from the hospital, Simon had flown up to Philadelphia and brought James and Dorothy Goodman back to Passion Lake.  They had been horrified to hear about the awful things she’d been through and had added their unconditional love to the protective shield that Ash, Simon, and Caleb had carefully woven around her, making her feel safe without feeling suffocated. 

For the first few days, everyone had insisted that Kylie remain in bed, being waited on hand and foot.  And she hadn’t argued except to insist that she be allowed to attend Leah and Clay’s wedding.  Since all three of her men were members of the wedding party, they’d borrowed Lucas’s wheelchair again and Kylie’s parents had driven her to Marshall’s Hill in Ash’s Land Rover.  Ash had carried her down the aisle, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Goodman pushing the empty wheel chair.  He’d set her back down in it in the space at the end of the aisle that had been left open for it.  Sarah Marshall had given her a wave and a smile on her way past her to join the bridesmaids.  But Leah had startled Kylie by stopping and giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she’d whispered before once again taking her Uncle Everett’s arm and resuming the processional.  Kylie had made it through the ceremony and the nearly endless round of toasts afterward, but by the time dinner was served, she’d been in pain and white-faced with exhaustion, so Caleb had taken her straight home.  When Ash and Simon arrived later, they brought her a humongous piece of wedding cake, which she’d shared with her parents.

Eventually after just a few days of complete bed rest, she’d felt strong enough to spend all her waking time downstairs.  But even though she was able to walk by herself, her men had still carried her up to bed every night. They had held her, talked to her, and encouraged her to talk to them, reassuring her that she was safe and loved and that the horrors she had endured would never be repeated.  That hadn’t stopped her nightmares, though, although at this point she hadn’t had one in nearly three weeks.

It hadn’t stopped Ash’s nightmares either.  Nothing had.  Over the next couple of weeks, he’d woken up at least a dozen times in a cold sweat, crying out as he relived the gut-wrenching horror of running into the store and finding Kylie gone.  Caleb had been at his wits’ end.  Until he’d talked with Jesse Colter and Adam Sinclair about what they’d done to get Sarah through the trauma of being kidnapping a couple of years back.  They had recommended Dr. Art Portman, an eminent psychiatrist who had recently moved his practice from Seattle to Richmond.  Dr. Portman had come to the Raffertys’ house and had spent nearly an entire week with them, talking to them, both individually and all together.

By the end of the week, the twinkle was back in Ash’s eyes.  And the melancholy that had haunted Kylie had finally dissipated.  Her smile was now back in full force.  Even her appetite was back, but not until after she’d lost over ten pounds. 

Since it was too cold for a garden wedding, they were in the ballroom at Marshall’s Hill, an absolutely perfect spot for a wedding.  Sparkling crystal chandeliers reflected off of window panes and enormous mirrors.  There were flowers everywhere.  The area at the far end had been turned into a pavilion draped with ivy, white lilies and red roses, while above it, in the musician’s gallery, a string quartet plus two flutes was playing classical arrangements of pop tunes.  At the moment they were playing
Open Arms
by Journey. 

A hush fell over the crowd as the side door opened and Judge Richard P. Walters walked in followed by Simon, Caleb, Ash, Clay Nighthorse, Lucas McKay, and Jason Ingram.  After meeting him at Clay and Leah’s wedding, Kylie had been devastated to hear his harrowing account of being forced to describe her ordeal outside John Bullard’s cabin. She had talked with him several times since then, and had become very fond of him. She’d been very happy when he’d told her he was thinking of quitting the spy business altogether, leaving D.C. and moving to Passion Lake.  He could do whatever hacking he needed to do from there just as easily.

Jesse Colter and Adam Sinclair walked down the aisle unrolling the white runner.  Then they went and took their place with the rest of the men.  Kylie’s heart clutched.  For the first time since she’d met them, the Rafferty triplets looked exactly alike.  They’d all three gotten the same haircuts and were dressed in identical black Armani tuxedos.  They were always sexy, but today they were positively drop-dead gorgeous, exuding a level of sheer masculine attraction that should be outlawed.  The rest of the men were no slouches either.

Kylie’s bridesmaids entered and lined up with her behind the screen.  In addition to Sarah Marshall and Leah Nighthorse, there was also Sharon Burrell and Naomi Kittredge.  Since Kylie’s kidnapping she’d become close with both Sharon and Naomi.  All four women were wearing red silk cocktail dresses, but each one was wearing a different style.  All four of them hugged and kissed Kylie.

Sarah peeked around the corner of the screen.  “Oh, my God,” she pulled her head back.  “It’s like a testosterone bomb went off up there.  Admit it, girls, our men are seriously hot.  I’m talking epically hot.”

“Speaking of hot…”Leah looked at Kylie. “You look so gorgeous, hon.  The red sash is the perfect touch.”  She leaned forward, continuing in a low whisper, to spare Kylie’s having to explain to her father, “It goes with your…um… jewel.” Leah had accidentally seen Kylie’s jeweled butt plug when Kylie had bent over in the dressing room to pick up something off the floor.

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” Kylie whispered back.

“You think you’re the only member of this wedding party wearing…jewelry?”

Kylie glanced at Sarah, who just gave her a mysterious little smile and turned her head.

“Okay, you got me there.”

Kylie looked down at her silk wedding gown.  It was a fairly simple fit and flair design with a ruched bodice and a built-in corset that pulled her in in all the right places and accented every lush curve of her body.  It was devoid of ornamentation mainly because she hadn’t wanted the gown to draw attention away from the exquisite diamond and ruby necklace and matching earrings she was wearing.  Wedding gifts from her men.  She was officially marrying only Caleb, but they had rewritten the ceremony to include Ash and Simon in the exchange of vows because she was committing herself equally to all three of them.  Over the past week, the men had also mentioned the possibility of having a Collaring Ceremony at Club Risqué, sometime in the near future.  But no date had been set for that.

The last woman through the door was the maid of honor, her sister, Janelle Goodman.  She had taken a two-week leave of absence from the Royal Ballet before the start of their North American tour and had somehow managed, with Sarah’s and Leah’s help, to plan and execute a surprise bridal shower at Granny Grace’s Tea Shoppe that nearly everyone in the entire town had attended.  Janelle was petite and beautiful, with the slender figure, long, graceful neck and long, long legs of a classical dancer.  Her thick brown hair hung past her shoulders in luxurious waves from a center part on top of her head.  She and Kylie threw their arms around each other, holding on and rocking each other back and forth, as though stocking up on this feeling to get them through the long months apart.

“I love you, Kylie,” Janelle whispered in her sister’s ear.  “I’m so happy for you.  Your men are everything a woman could ask for in a life partner.  And you’ve got
three
of them, you lucky girl.  How fair is that to the rest of us poor schlubs?”

Kylie laughed.  “Sorry, Sis.  You’ll just have to find your own.”

A secret smile crossed Janelle’s lips.  “Actually, I think I may already have.  He’s the company’s new principal dancer, from Russia.  Name’s Mikhail Borochev.  He’s partnering me this season in Sir Kenneth’s
Romeo and Juliet.
  We’ll be at the Kennedy Center December 28
th
through January 3
rd
.  Let me know what date you can make it and I’ll leave four tickets at the box office for you—or as many as you want.   You absolutely have to see us dance together.  We are sooooo
hot! 
Everyone says so.”

Kylie’s hand went to her hip.  “You’ve been here nearly two weeks.  Why am I just now hearing about this?”

Janelle crossed her fingers.  “I didn’t want to jinx it.  Just come watch us dance.  I think you’ll see the connection between us.”

“We’ll be there, sweetie.  Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The quartet began playing Bach’s
Sheep May Safely Graze
, and Sarah started down the aisle followed by Leah, Sharon, Naomi, and, finally, Janelle.  There was a brief pause, then the music changed to
Bist du Bei Mir
, also by Bach.  Kylie and her father started down the aisle.  She wondered briefly what her father’s reaction would have been if he’d known that, in addition to the diamond-and-ruby necklace and earrings that everyone could see, she was also wearing a large, ruby-studded butt plug, a clit clamp, and diamond-and-ruby-studded nipple clamps that only her men were going to see.  Later tonight.  In the privacy of their dungeon, where the new gynecological chair Ash had installed was waiting for her.  They had promised her a truly special scene that had her practically melting with anticipation.  But she’d also earned a punishment, and
that
had her more than just a little apprehensive.  She was also wearing a bullet vibrator deep inside her vagina.  Caleb had the remote.  And as she approached the mid-point of her walk down the aisle, he turned it on.  Her eyes narrowed and she gave him a scowl. He just grinned, completely unrepentant, and turned it up another notch.  She stiffened slightly, but otherwise gave no sign that anything had happened.  Caleb just smiled at her and she was lost.  She looked at all three of them, tears of happiness welling in her eyes.  These men were her love.  Her life.  Her future.  And as she walked toward them and it with a singing heart and a joyful soul, she could hardly wait for this new adventure to begin.

THE END