Siren in Waiting

Chapter Eleven

Bo felt like the world had just opened up and threatened to swallow him whole. How could she think that? How could she even think that he would become just like everyone else?

Walk away. That was the only thing to do. He should have known that there was no way she would stay. Trev McNamara walking back into town just as Bo got his shit together was proof positive that he wasn’t supposed to be with anyone at all. People left.

People leave you because you aren’t worth anything. You’re the reason Aidan left home. You’re poison, boy.

His father’s voice resounded through his head. It was always there somewhere deep inside him. It whispered to him that he wasn’t good enough. It was screaming now.

He’d lost Mouse. And he couldn’t blame anyone but himself.

He turned to go, but something made him look back at the house one last time. Maybe there was something he could do for her. Not because it would get her back, but because he did owe her. He owed her for all those years when he kept her at arm’s length even as she opened her soul to him.

The door banged open, and he heard something horrible.

There was no way to mistake the sound.

Gunshot.

Bo took those rickety steps two at time. He hit that crappy door at a full run, throwing his body into the house. He had to sidestep the now ruined box of the coffeemaker Beth had bought. He kicked it to the side.

“Mouse!” He screamed her name, his heart pounding in his chest. Terror absolutely threatened to overwhelm him as he looked at the skinny man in the center of the room with the revolver pointed at the stairs. Bo could smell the acrid scent of discharge and hear the scrambled hurry as Mouse tried running up the stairs. He got a flash of a slender man in a T-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap as he raised the gun again toward the fleeing woman. He wouldn’t miss this time. Bo could see it. In that one point two seconds he had to make his decision, he could see that the bullet would tear through his Mouse and she would fall, and Bo realized that it didn’t matter if she slept every night for the rest of her life in Trev McNamara’s arms. He loved her. She was half of his heart, and she could stop him from acting on it—but not from saving her.

He did the only thing he could. He rushed at the asshole with the gun before he could fire again.

There was a shout and a terrible stinging sensation in his right bicep, but Bo just remembered everything he knew about taking down a man.

Play it smart, Bo. Rush from your legs up. Send the power from the bottoms of your feet through your shoulder. Take him out at the waist. Breathe and hit him hard.

Bo hunched down and planted his shoulder squarely in the other man’s abdomen. There was a whooshing sound as the man hit the floor, the air obviously leaving his body. Bo got to his feet, springing up and kicking the gun out of the asshole’s hand.

“Mouse, call the sheriff.” Bo stared down at the man. Damn, he was really more of a boy. Austin? Allen? He recognized the young man on the floor. He was from another town, but he often came into Deer Run with his mom and sister. Fuck. That kid couldn’t be more than sixteen.

“You’re bleeding. Oh, my god, you got hit, Bo.” Mouse tore down the stairs. Her eyes were wide with horror as she pushed up the sleeve of his shirt.

He was bleeding, but it wasn’t serious. He could see that it wasn’t anything beyond a scratch. He kept a boot on his assailant’s chest. “I’m fine, honey. Go on and call Lou. Tell him he has a guest coming in.” Bo felt his eyes narrow. “I hope you like checkers.”

He heard Mouse on her little cell phone and finally was able to breathe again. She was fine. The danger had passed. And now he could see that shooting wasn’t the only thing the jerk had done. It looked like he was into graffiti, too.

Get Out

It was spray-painted on the wall of the parlor in a horrible lime green. It was the same color the hardware store had on sale the week before. He was a cheapskate criminal to boot.

“Are you the idiot who spray-painted Trev McNamara’s truck at the sheriff’s office this morning?” Bo asked.

What did this kid, who hadn’t even been big enough to enjoy football when Trev was a high school god, have against the man? And this kid wasn’t even from Deer Run.

“I ain’t talking.” The words came out in a hateful sputter. The kid tried to move, but Bo had fifty pounds on him. And now that he really looked at the young man on the floor, Bo could see just how fragile he was. The kid had moved past lanky and into gaunt. Bo searched his memory. Austin. His name was Austin, and he lived in a trailer park with his mom. He was bussed in to the county high school. He’d always been a little on the small side. He wasn’t an athlete, but now the kid looked downright sick. There were scabs on his face.

“What did Trev ever do to you?” Bo asked, his voice softer now. He wasn’t about to let the little asshole up, but he wanted to understand what had brought this kid so low.

“Trev? Who is that? Are you talking about the druggie quarterback? What does he have to do with anything?”

“If you’re not here to piss off Trev, then why the hell are you here?” A cold feeling started in Bo’s gut.

The boy shook his head. His skin was a pasty white, like it hadn’t seen the sun in a very long time. “It’s a job, asshole. I was supposed to spray-paint the truck and then break in here and fuck some stuff up. It’s just a job.”

“Who hired you?”

The boy’s skin flushed, and his eyes widened. “No one. No one at all. I was just looking for drugs.”

“That’s not what you said a minute ago.”

But his head was shaking now. “I lied. I didn’t mean it. I was just making shit up. I was looking for drugs. I heard the lady who lives here has a lot of drugs.”

Mouse? He could barely talk Mouse into taking ibuprofen when she had a headache. She’d read something about potential liver damage. No one in the state of Texas would mistake Mouse for a drug user. “Bullshit. You’re scared. Who are you scared of?”

“I ain’t talking. Not to you. Not to the cops.”

Whoever had hired the little fucker had him scared shitless. He wasn’t going to move. Bo had to hope Lou could muster up the energy to look somewhat threatening, but he doubted the sheriff would be able to get the kid to talk.

“Bo?” Mouse’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Bo turned his head, never letting up on the pressure keeping the criminal on the floor. Mouse’s face was stark white, and it took everything he had not to pull her into his arms and promise her everything would be all right.

He couldn’t do that. She wasn’t his, not in that way. But at least he could say the words. “It’s going to be okay. Why don’t you call Trev?”

Bo could hear the sirens in the distance. Mouse ran to the door to let the police in, though he could have told her the door was kind of hanging on by a single nail at this point. No need for formalities now.

He hated it, but when the chips had been down, it hadn’t been his father’s voice that helped him. Never. But it hadn’t been Aidan’s, either. In that moment when he needed guidance, it had been Trevor McNamara’s patient voice that had come to him. Trev had spent hours teaching him the game when no one else had thought he could learn it. Trev had been the reason he’d made the varsity team his junior year. He’d never quite understood why Trev had been so kind to him, but it had stuck with him, even after all this time. Even under all the bitterness, there was still some warmth for the man.

“I ain’t talking.” The kid was crying now.

Nope. He wouldn’t talk. But that didn’t mean Bo wouldn’t figure out what the hell was going on.

“Seriously?” Trev stared at the door. It wasn’t where he’d left it. When he’d left this morning, it had been where doors customarily rested, in the doorframe. Now, long after the sun had gone down, the door was sitting on its side on the porch.

Beth smiled at him, a hammer in her hands. She’d changed into a pair of overalls and a little collared shirt underneath. She had slung a tool belt around her waist. It was pink and slightly prissy looking. It didn’t quell his desire for her. It just made him want to shove his tool where it would do the most good. “There was a little incident a couple of hours ago. I took care of it, but the door suffered. I’ve already reset the mountings. Now I just need a little muscle to get the sucker in place, and it’ll be good as new.”

Trev seriously doubted that, but he picked up the heavy door anyway. His back protested, but he managed to hold out until Beth was satisfied. She turned her little wrench and hammered something into place. When she pronounced it finished, Trev let go and hauled her close. Her time controlling things was done for the day.

“Hello.” He smiled down at her. There was a little sweat on her brow, but she still smelled sweet, like hard work couldn’t possibly mar her femininity. So fucking soft.

Those pillowy lips raised in a smile. “Hi.”

He loved how breathless she was when she talked to him. He wasn’t about to let her know that he felt the same damn way. He was the Dom. He was supposed to stay in control.

Damn, it had been a long day. O’Malley had put him straight to work. He’d thanked Leo as he left because if Leo hadn’t insisted on vigorous workouts during his rehab, Trev doubted he would have survived the day. As it was, all he wanted to do was cuddle up with Beth and make love to her over and over again. Well, and get fed. He would really like some food. But mostly the lovemaking stuff.

He closed the door. He was damn happy to see that she’d attached a proper deadbolt. He found it strangely sexy that his girl knew how to install a deadbolt.

“I like the lock, darlin’.” He twisted the handle, happy it worked smoothly.

“I’m good with a drill. My dad taught me.”

He pulled her close. “I can show you how good I am with a drill.”

She laughed, her amusement sparking something light in him. The day might have been difficult, but it seemed to melt away now that he was here with her. “I think I know how good you are.”

She had a sexy little smile on her face, and his ego just about doubled because he knew he’d put it there. He kissed her, surprised at just how comfortable this whole “coming home” thing was. Even in this rickety old place. He looked around. Beth seemed to have been busy.

“Painting?” Trev asked, looking at the back wall of the parlor. It had been painted an odd orange color. Now there was large swath of white. It looked white. She had the lights off, so he couldn’t really tell.

She shrugged. “I just wanted to try it. I’m eager to get started.”

“I’m glad that all worked out. How did things go at the bank?”

“It was all right. There was a little trouble when I got back home, but Bo handled it. Oh, and I bought that coffeemaker you wanted, but I had a little accident with it. It kind of went in a million pieces. I promise I’ll get another one tomorrow.”

“Bo?” He couldn’t help the growl. From what he could tell, Bo had decided to play the dog with two bones. He’d talked to some of the hands. They all liked Bo, but they were universal in their praise of just how many women he could get into bed with. He’d done just about every girl in the county according to the hands. All of them except Beth Hobbes.

“He’s my friend.”

There was something about the way she said it, a tightness to her eyes that told Trev she wasn’t telling him everything. A little of his calm slipped away. He thought about pursuing it and decided against it. What if she told him she loved Bo? What the hell would he do then?

“I need to go get cleaned up. I thought we could go pick up some dinner in town and come back here. Is that okay?” Beth lifted herself up on her toes and brushed her lips against his. She immediately went back down, a little look of horror on her face. “Was I supposed to do that? I’ve read some books where the Dom doesn’t want the sub to touch him without permission.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Touch me all you like, darlin’. We’re not performing a scene or training. We’re just Trev and Beth right now.”

Her arms tightened around him. “Good. I didn’t think I would like that part.”

He wasn’t the type of Dom who required total power exchange. He’d seen it, and it worked for some, but he’d never be twenty-four-seven. In the end, he wanted to be taken care of too much and not because he’d ordered the sub to do it. Beth’s arms around him felt like caring, not the rote, practiced touch of long-held formality.

He kissed her long and slow as his mind drifted over the way he wanted this relationship to go. Submission in the bedroom. Long evenings of her naked at his feet. But part of the point to his dominance was to teach her how to stand up for herself. To give her a feeling of self-worth that seemed to be lacking though she had no reason for it. She was lovely and worthy, and he needed to show her all of those things. Some submissives needed the complete exchange, to lose themselves in another’s dominance, but for Beth, it was different. A Dom could free her.

His hands moved lower, his groin becoming distinctly engaged in this little “hello” kiss.

And then his stomach growled.

Beth pulled back, a little laugh bursting from her lips. “I won’t be long. Just ten minutes.”

He watched as her backside swayed in her overalls as she scampered up the stairs. His dick and his stomach warred, and he promised both they would get what they needed. He would have her undress in the truck on the way back from picking up the food. She would take it all off and sit on his vinyl bench seat while he told her everything he had planned for her tonight. Her pussy would be wet by the time they got home. She would leave a spot on his seat, and he would fucking let it sit there. His whole cab would smell like her. He could surround himself with her.

He started to go up the stairs. His cock had definitely taken over. His stomach protested, but weakly, as though it knew it had a weak argument. He was on the second step when he heard her phone ring. He thought about letting it go, but damn it, he knew who it was. He just knew it deep down.

He crossed the space between the stairs and the front hall table in three long strides and looked down at the number. Sure enough. Bo O’Malley.

Aidan’s words haunted him as well as his own damn fool memory. They had been friends. More than that. They had been close. Bo had been the kid brother he’d never had. Bo had looked up to him for something more than his ability to toss a football and get laid. Trev wasn’t sure what had made him befriend the younger man other than the fact that he looked so lost among the larger players. He could remember hearing his teammates laugh about the fact that Aidan O’Malley must have gotten all the muscle and intellect in that family. He’d known that the kid had heard it all. He’d watched as Bo had sunken into himself.

Fuck. Aidan was right. Goddamn it. He wanted to kick something. He didn’t need this. He wasn’t responsible enough to take care of his own damn self. He didn’t have to do it. He didn’t.

Almost as if his fucking hand had a mind of its own, he picked up her cell and flipped it open. He was going to tell Bo off. He was going to tell the little shit to find his own woman. He needed a Domme, not a Dom, and sure as hell not him. He didn’t need that shit.

“Mouse, it’s me. Don’t talk. I got some stuff to say and I just want to say it.” Bo slurred his words, and Trev could hear the sounds of thumping country western music in the background.

He sighed. “Bo, it isn’t…”

“Hush, now, girl. I told you. I need to say this. I love you, Mouse. I always loved you, ever since we were kids, but it turns out I’m not very good at it. Hell, I ain’t been good at much of anything. I know that. But what you said today was wrong, Mouse. How can you think for one second that I would treat you like that? It doesn’t matter that you picked Trev. It doesn’t matter.”

Trev knew he should hang up. “Bo, this isn’t Beth.”

Bo went on as though he hadn’t heard a thing. “I would never treat you like the rest of the people in this town do. And I won’t be polite. I love you. There’s not a damn thing polite about it. When I see you on the street, I’m going to smile, and I’m going to talk to you because that will be the best part of my whole day. I’ll ask about you, and I’ll even ask how that fucker Trev is doing. Sorry. I’m a little drunk, baby. I know we can’t be friends the way we were. I know that. Hell, I even get why you picked him. He’s already taken care of you in ways I never have. That’s what I feel the worst about. I should have been strong enough. I should have told the world to fuck itself and just been with you. I don’t know why I’m like that. I’m just broken inside, I guess. But if you ever need anything, Mouse, you call me. I’ll be there. I won’t fail you again. I won’t. God, I just want to fade away, but I won’t do it because someday you might need me, and I’m going to be there. And if that fucker breaks your heart, then I’ll kill him. I know he’s bigger than me, but I don’t intend to play fair. I’ll follow his ass, and I’ll get him when he’s unaware. I swear it. I just love you. I’m sorry. I won’t call again, but I needed you to know that.”

The phone clicked dead, and Trev cursed. His stomach and his cock were going to have to wait because his conscience had just taken the forefront. He couldn’t leave the bastard out there. He just couldn’t. Anything could happen to him. Bo was drunk and hurting. It was a toxic cocktail. Trev would know. He wrote a quick note to Beth and ran back to his truck. He sighed as he put it in reverse. He wouldn’t have his sweet sub naked on the bench seat. He would have drunk Bo in his cab. It likely wouldn’t smell like Beth’s arousal. It would smell like puke. Yep. Shitty damn night.

And he had the additional problem of a promise he was about to break. He drove toward Aidan’s ranch as he dialed a very familiar number. Leo picked up, and Trev prayed he hadn’t hightailed it back to Dallas. If he had, then Trev was going to have to ask Aidan to come with him, and that might be disturbing. Trev was going to Dom the hell out of Aidan’s brother, and despite the fact that Aidan had asked him to do it, it might be difficult to watch.

“What’s up, Trev?” Leo’s voice came on the line. Trev could hear Lexi laughing in the background.

Trev just laid it out for him. There wasn’t a lot of time for explanations. “I’m going to a bar. I need you to come with me.”

“Uh, no. Not just no, but hell no. What happened?”

“Bo happened. I have to go and drag his ass out of a honky-tonk.”

“No, you don’t. I’ll let Aidan know. We’ll handle it. You don’t even need to walk into a bar at this stage.”

Trev rolled his eyes. What did Leo think would happen? He wasn’t going to turn into an alcohol-crazed maniac at the sight of a beer. He really wasn’t. Something deep and calm settled in Trev. He wasn’t even going to be tempted. He had a job to do, and it was far more important than that whiny asshole who lived in his soul and wanted to drink himself into oblivion. This wasn’t just for Bo. This was for Beth. Beth needed Bo, too. Hell, this was for himself.

“I’ll be fine, but I would prefer to have you with me. I promised I wouldn’t do this, but I have to break that vow.”

Leo was insistent. “No you fucking don’t. Aidan can do it.”

“He’s my sub, Leo.” There. He’d said it. He’d said it out loud.

There was a long pause. “Are fucking kidding me? Two days in this godforsaken town and you take two subs. Tell me something. Does Bo know he’s taken a Dom?”

“Not yet, but trust me, he’ll understand after tonight.” Trev pulled up into the driveway. “Are you coming or not?”

Trev watched the door. It flew open, and Leo was in the cab of the truck in a heartbeat. Trev didn’t bother to wait. He took off toward The Rusty Spur. The faster he got there, the less time Bo had to fuck up and get himself in serious trouble.

“This is a mistake,” Leo said. “I’m fine with you taking Beth. Beth isn’t going to be any trouble at all from what I understand. Bo is going to be a train wreck. He doesn’t even like the lifestyle.”

“Because he doesn’t want to recognize it in himself. I’m going to give him a choice. He can get with the program, or he can lose what he loves. He needs this. He knows it deep down, but once he figures out Beth needs it, he’ll come around.”

Leo stopped for a moment. “That could work. You know Aidan has been worried about his brother for a long time. He says their father was always really hard on Bo. Aidan was kind of like you.”

Trev snorted. “What? Addicted and irresponsible?”

“Smart. Great at school. Popular and athletic.”

Yeah, but Trev had thrown all of those things away. “Bo was very good at football. He was a good linebacker.”

“After you took him under your wing and forced the rest of the team to accept him. I talked to Aidan about it. I can fill in the blanks. Am I wrong?”

“No.” He’d pretty much done exactly that.

Leo was quiet for a moment. “Do you ever wonder why you did that?”

He knew where Leo was going. “Because deep down I was a Dom, and I recognized what he needed.”

“Yep. Are you sure you can handle this? You haven’t been outside The Club in years. This could end up being very stressful and chaotic.”

“Then I’ll make it unchaotic. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? Impose order?” If he couldn’t manage it, then he’d turn in his leathers, but he had no intention of fucking this up. “I can handle it.”

Leo slapped a hand on his thigh. “The fact that you called me makes me think you can. All right, then let’s take that boy down. After what happened today, I’m just glad you’re not still spanking your sub. I expected that girl’s butt to be red for days.”

The gravel crunched under his tires, and the truck rolled toward the honky-tonk. It was utterly dark this far from town. “What are you talking about? Why would I spank her? All she did today was fix the front door and start painting a wall.”

Leo whistled. “Wow. That girl is in real trouble. Do you have your kit? I have rope in my Jeep if you need it. You might need a spreader. I’m sure Aidan will let you use his barn. It’s fully equipped for a torture scene. What are her hard limits? You might want to push those.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I ran into Shelley at dinner earlier.”

“I bet you did.” His sister was walking a thin line. “She’s married. I wish she wasn’t, but she is. Cheating would kill her.”

Leo’s mouth tightened. “I’m not sleeping with your sister. I won’t lie. We have an odd connection, but she made her choice when she married that man. I’m friends with your sister. Nothing more. She needs a friend since her husband is such a fucking douche bag.”

“Holy shit, you asked her to leave him.” How much had been going on? Leo was a happy, affable guy on the outside, but Trev knew he kept a lot hidden.

“I haven’t touched her if that’s what you’re worried about. I haven’t kissed her or laid a damn hand on her, and I won’t. But I’m worried about Bryce. I’m worried he could be violent. He fits a certain profile. I believe he’s been emotionally abusive toward your sister, and that can certainly turn physical. The truth of the matter is I would like to do a little investigation into his background. Starting with his financials.”

Crap. Once again he’d been so involved in his own shit that he’d missed his sister’s problems. “I’ll take care of it. She’s my sister.”

Leo’s eyes narrowed. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Leo had been a SEAL and not the team’s medic. He’d been deadly, and though it didn’t show up often, that warrior was on his face now. “I’ll take care of it.” He shook his head as though to clear the violence of his thoughts. “She would be horrified if you started really looking into her marriage. She wants to protect you. Trust me on this. Let me take care of your sister. Besides, you have enough on your hands with your sub. Beth was shot at this afternoon.”

Trev nearly turned the truck into a ditch. “What?”

Leo handled it all with a calm sigh. “Shelley heard it from Patty who heard it from Wanda. Some kid named Austin Hall was in Beth’s house when she and Bo came home. The sheriff thinks he was looking for drugs. At least that’s what the kid says. He took a couple of shots at Beth, but Bo took him down. The sheriff says the kid’s in pretty bad shape, though not from Bo. Meth head.”

Trev forced himself to go very calm. His first instinct was to turn the truck around, find Beth, use the rope in his kit, and prove to her all the reasons she shouldn’t lie to her Dom. “All she told me was that there had been a little trouble, but she’d handled it.”

“Bo had a little scrape, but that was the extent of the physical damage,” Leo offered.

“She didn’t even call me.”

“She was probably afraid to. I don’t mean she was afraid of you. I mean she was afraid of being troublesome. She’s submissive, but she doesn’t understand the lifestyle. She doesn’t want to be a burden.”

The lights from the honky-tonk came into view. Neon reds and blues lit up the night. God, he’d loved this place once. He’d been allowed in despite the fact that he’d been underage. He’d been the quarterback who led the team to a state championship both his junior and senior years. He’d been a damn hero, so everyone looked the other way when he had a beer or two or ten. It had all started here.

Crap, he wanted to be back in The Club. Things had been easier there. He’d known there was no way he’d be allowed to step out of line. He could spend his evenings working with subs who never lied or tried to cover anything up. There wasn’t anything to cover up. Besides the occasional scene, he had no real ties to any of those subs.

That had been fantasy. This was real life. In real life, he could fuck up all he wanted and people would just help him along. In real life, in real relationships, he had to deal with the fact that he was going to get angry and irritated even with the best-behaved sub. Because she wasn’t just a sub. She was a woman, and women were irritating and aggravating and the only thing that made life really worthwhile. Fuck, he was in love with her.

He was going to spank her ass red.

He shoved the truck in park and got out. Leo was right behind him.

“So we go in, kidnap Bo, and get out.” There wasn’t a hint of worry in Leo’s voice. It was as though he wholly approved of the plan. “You know, I always did think Julian put far too much faith in contracts. A good kidnapping followed by some time on the rack. That’s what some subs need. A claiming. Everyone loves a good claiming. Lexi’s right about that. Now the whole ‘Dom submits to the sub to prove his love’ stuff is complete crap, but she’s right about the claiming part.”

Trev stopped and faced his mentor. He really was a pain in the ass sometimes. “I’m not claiming Bo.”

“Really?”

“Not in that way. I’m not taking him home and fucking him. It’s not going to be that way.”

Leo shook his head. “That’s what you all say. Then the butt sex starts.”

Trev turned. Leo was utterly obnoxious at times. This was one of those times. “I’m planning on talking to him.”

Leo slapped him on the shoulder as he fell in step with him. “That’s your first mistake. I don’t think talking to Bo is going to help. If you want your very own crazy three-way, you’re going to have to make it happen.”

“One of these days, Leo, you’re going to end up in a crazy-ass threesome, and I’m going to laugh. I’m going to sit back and laugh.”

Leo shook his head. “Not going to happen. A. I’m not even close to bisexual. B. Not interested in sharing.”

“I’ve met your brother. You have the same taste in women.” Wolf Meyer would probably have been all over Shelley, too. The Meyer brothers were incredibly different, but the same in some ways.

They reached the front steps. Trev got a little sick to his stomach. It had been years since he’d been inside a bar, and now he was going into the belly of the beast for a man who might hate his guts.

“I’ll kill myself before I share a woman with my brother. Wolf is intolerable. He’s my brother and I love him, but I want to kill him half the time. He has no organizational skills. He throws his clothes everywhere. He’s a slob, and he still eats like a five-year-old. I can’t live with Wolf much less share a woman with him.” Leo was looking at him with an outraged expression. It was actually slightly prissy.

All of his fear fled. He’d managed to make big, tough Leo Meyer look like a prissy schoolmarm. He could handle this.

Trev strode through the doors of The Rusty Spur certain everything was going to be fine.