Theirs to Cherish

Chapter Twelve

FOUR hours later, Sean stared down at Callie’s sleeping figure almost swallowed whole by the surprisingly big bed. She was worn out, and when he bent to remove the terrible blond wig, she didn’t move a muscle. That alone told him how fatigued she was, as did the gray smudges under her eyes. He tossed the synthetic hair in the corner and carefully removed all the pins until her dark tresses spread across the white sheets. She looked so beautiful, it broke his fucking heart.

Thorpe stood beside him. “Is she still asleep?”

He nodded. “She’s exhausted.”

“Well, she’s not the only one.” Thorpe twisted his powerful torso, stretching and stifling a yawn. “We got her back, and that was a feat in itself, but we’ve still got a shitload to do.”

“Yep. Now that we’ve got distance between us and Vegas, we can sort through the facts and decide what comes next.”

With a nod, Thorpe headed out of the bedroom in grim silence, then out onto the dock, into the night. Sean followed. From the deck of their rented houseboat, moonlight glowed over the dark waters of Lake Mead. Now, just before the dawn, everything was shimmering and quiet, a hush of night before the riot of life that came with day prevailed. It was a welcome change from the last frantic few hours.

“I don’t think we were followed,” Thorpe observed.

“As deserted as the road from the highway to this private dock is, we would have seen anyone on our tail. Let’s just hope no one realizes that we’ve left Dallas yet or figures out how to track us down.”

After snatching Callie from behind Glitter Girls, he’d developed a plan to hole up and began to set it in motion. After her punishment, she’d given into weariness and all but passed out on Thorpe’s lap. She hadn’t awakened when they’d stopped at a twenty-four-hour superstore on the southeast side of Vegas. Once there, Sean had grabbed a ball cap and windbreaker from his bag and emerged thirty minutes later with a cartful of everything they would need for a week of isolation. If they needed more provisions, he’d deal with that later.

After leaving the vehicle’s keys in a magnetic box in the wheel well, they’d hopped in a taxi. Using the burner phones they’d picked up in Dallas, both he and Thorpe had made a few calls as they traveled southeast. The big Dom dialed Axel to check in. After finding out all was well at Dominion, he rang Logan for updates and gave him the number for a new prepaid cell. The former SEAL jotted down Thorpe’s new digits, swore to call only if it was an emergency, and said he was still looking into the guy searching for Callie at the airport.

Meanwhile, Sean reached out to Elijah to explain where they’d left his Jeep and to advise him to call Logan if he learned anything more about the military goon he’d seen flashing Callie’s picture at baggage claim.

Those tasks completed, he’d used his new phone to put through his final call, this one to a business he’d seen advertised in a brochure at their hotel. He’d awakened the old man in the middle of the night with a bullshit name and promised a wad of cash in exchange for a houseboat for seven days.

Shortly after that, they’d arrived at the marina with Callie and their bags. They set about casting off from the docks in grim silence. The minute the sun rose, Sean vowed to steer this fifty-foot luxury vessel to a secluded spot so they could get down to work. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but without known phone numbers, Wi-Fi, or other means to trace them, he hoped they could hide until he and Thorpe could figure out how to make Callie safe for good. Sean had no clue how long that would take or what they’d have to do. He was risking everything by disconnecting from his superiors. Not only could he be fired and Thorpe lose his business, but it was possible they’d be hauled off to jail for obstruction and hampering an investigation. Still, Sean didn’t see any alternative if Callie was going to have a future and he wanted to be a part of it.

But this road trip/search-and-rescue mission had shown him that tomorrow wasn’t simple. Sean knew he would never have gotten this far without Thorpe’s assistance, and he was surprisingly glad to have the man helping him keep her both safe and in line.

Over and over in his head, he kept replaying the way the Dom had punished Callie in the Jeep. She had lay sprawled across Thorpe’s lap, her backside all but bare to him, her cries resounding in the dark. Not even a blind man would have missed Thorpe’s peace at having her under his control, being the master of her beautiful vulnerability.

Callie hadn’t been immune, either. He’d asked if she was wet to establish that fact. The other man hadn’t had the chance to check, but Sean would have bet his job and his life that she’d been turned on by that manhandling. Thorpe had probably known it, too.

Yes, Sean suspected that Callie would have responded to his own discipline and submitted to him as well, but that quickly and with that much abandon? Sure, she’d complained about Thorpe’s punishment—that was Callie—but far more than sexual desire glued them together. They yearned for one another. Somewhere in her stubborn heart, Sean knew that she loved him, too. After all, she’d blossomed beneath his tender care just days ago, giving her body to him and a tantalizing chunk of her soul.

He and Thorpe had already acknowledged they both loved her. And if she loved both of them . . . where the hell did they go from here?

Together, he and Thorpe eased into the galley to put away the groceries, ensuring all the food-related bags had been emptied.

“I think that’s everything.” Sean glanced around the room. Together, they grabbed most of the other bags—toiletries, clothes, and other necessities—along with the bottle of tequila he’d bought during his middle-of-the-night stop. “We should talk.”

Thorpe gave a tight nod. “Where we can keep an eye on Callie.”

“Agreed.” Sean’s thoughts raced as he backtracked to the bedroom in which she slept, Thorpe trailing behind him down the narrow passage. Inside, he walked to the far side of the bed, set the bottle on the nightstand, toed off his shoes, then climbed in beside her, trailing his hand across the chilled skin of her back. The other man stood, watching Callie with a hunger so strong, it was visceral.

In her sleep, she shivered, and Sean gathered her closer, sliding down to plaster his body against hers, wishing he could hoard her. But other than him, who did that benefit?

“Damn it, she’s freezing,” he told Thorpe. “Can you look at her foot? When you’re done, I’ll find some blankets for the bed.”

“Yeah.” Thorpe dug through the plastic bag dangling from his fingers until he found some cotton balls and antiseptic. With a wince, he flipped on the overhead light while Sean shielded Callie’s eyes.

If the sight of him holding her bothered Thorpe, it didn’t show. Instead, the big Dom simply cleaned her wound. He tended to her need, shelving his own, even when she moaned groggily and tried to squirm away. Sean watched the man’s big hand curl around her ankle to steady her so he could try to heal her. The visual metaphor struck Sean in the gut. Over the years, Thorpe had done that for Callie in nearly every other way. It was one reason she loved him. Sean wondered if his own broken trust with the girl could be repaired. Would she ever see that, even though he’d given her a fake name, his feelings for her had been very real?

Once Thorpe was done with his first aid, he turned off the light, casting the bedroom in shadow again. Sean flicked the rocker switch for the nightstand light, casting a dim artificial glow over the bed.

“It’s not serious,” Thorpe said. “Her heel will be tender for a few days.”

Sean nodded. “Good to hear.”

The other man looked away. Out of discomfort because Thorpe didn’t want to see him cradling Callie’s scantily clad body? Or out of respect because Thorpe believed she wasn’t his? Either way, the other Dom didn’t waste time squabbling or backbiting. Matters now were far too serious for that.

“Um, the guy who rented us the boat—Werner, wasn’t it?—said there was another bedroom down the hall, right?” Thorpe tugged at the back of his neck. “And a shower? If we’re done here, I think I’ll just grab those and—”

“We’re not. Stay.” Sean tempered his demand. “Please. We really do need to talk.”

There was no place in the small bedroom for Thorpe to sit except the bed. He stood, arms crossed, until Sean motioned to the mattress on the other side of Callie and passed him the bottle of tequila.

With a sigh, Thorpe sat on the edge and wrangled open the bottle, taking a long swallow.

“Sorry, I haven’t got any salt and lime.”

Thorpe shrugged. “It just slows down the drinking.”

He held out his hand for the bottle. “Amen to that.”

After taking a long swallow, he passed the tequila back to Thorpe. The alcohol was already warming him, but she still trembled with the chill.

“Callie needs a blanket,” Sean said. “Let me find one.”

Thorpe made to rise. “I’ll do it.”

It would have been so easy to let the other man see to the task, but what did Callie need? The answer wasn’t simple . . . but seemed so obvious. Sean swallowed hard.

“You keep her warm. I’ll find it. I think I remember where Werner said he stashed the rest of the bedding.”

Sean jumped up and prowled in the room’s little closet. He found a stack of blankets on a shelf, but loitered to see what Thorpe would do. The other man set the bottle aside and sank farther onto the bed. His gaze fell instantly on Callie, but he kept his distance until the girl shivered again. November had turned cold, especially out on the water. The boat had a heater, but Sean hadn’t found it yet. She still wore next to nothing. And judging by the look on Thorpe’s face, he was hard-pressed to forget that.

When she trembled again, he gathered her in his arms, closing his eyes as she settled against him with a little sigh. The contentment on his face spoke volumes to Sean. Even though everything was up in the air and filled with danger, in that moment, all was right with Thorpe. And Callie. The sight didn’t bother Sean. She was safe and content—and he was surprisingly good with that.

When the big Dom looked settled, Sean scooped up the blankets and spread a couple over her. She burrowed under them, looking even more relaxed.

Moments later, he sat beside Callie, who remained nestled against Thorpe, and combed his fingers through her silky hair. “I need to say a couple of things.”

Thorpe tensed. “Shoot.”

“First, we have to figure out who’s after Callie and why. My money is still on whoever had her family offed.”

“Mine, too.”

“Which means we have to dig deeper into Callie’s background. We’ll have to ask her questions when she wakes up.”

“Oh, she’ll love that,” Thorpe drawled.

“I’m sure. But as painful as she may find the mental jaunt through her past, I think it’s important. There’s no way she doesn’t know something. It may just take the right questions for her to remember it. Once we figure everything out, we’ll go from there.”

“Don’t you think she’s tried this a million times?” Thorpe looked up at him as if he was stating the obvious.

Maybe he was.

Sean shrugged. “I’m hoping that more heads are better than one. We can’t fail to try just because she hasn’t succeeded on her own. I’ve been studying this case for close to a year. I’ll have a better idea of the questions that need to be asked. Maybe that will make a difference.”

“Maybe.” Thorpe shrugged.

“I didn’t say it would be overnight. In fact, I’m betting it won’t be. But however long it takes, I’m in this for the duration.”

“Because you love her?”

Nodding, Sean held out his hand for the tequila. Without displacing Callie, Thorpe rolled over and plucked up the bottle from the floor, passing it over her supine form.

“Same as you.” Sean took a long swallow of the clear liquid from the bottle they shared.

Thorpe didn’t comment directly. “I’m not sure if she’s ready for either of us to feel that way. She doesn’t know how to let herself be loved because she never really has been.”

Sean didn’t even have to think about that. “As a woman? No.”

“I’d love a piece of that Holden pecker who tried to sell her out for cash as a teenager. I’d wring his fucking neck.”

“Actually, I’d like to get way more creative,” Sean mused. “I’d rip his throat out through his asshole after I’ve carved out his spine with a screwdriver and gouged out his eyes with a spork.”

“Remind me not to piss you off.” Thorpe looked both horrified and suitably impressed.

Sean smiled. “As long as Callie comes first, we won’t have a problem. She needs that. Based on her file, I think the only person, besides us, who openly loved Callie was her mother.”

“She was only six when the woman died.” Dismay spread across Thorpe’s face.

“Exactly.” Sean took another long swig of booze. “She and her sister had more of a mother-daughter relationship. By all accounts, she really loved Charlotte, but when the girl hit twelve, she started rebelling and they’d been having major arguments about her behavior.” He paused. “According to the autopsy, Charlotte was nine weeks pregnant when she died.”

“At fourteen? I know that happens, but . . .” Shock sent Thorpe’s brows into a frown. “Do you think Callie knew?”

“Only she can answer that. Lots of speculation about who fathered Charlotte’s baby . . .”

Thorpe’s frown became a scowl. “You think it was Callie’s prick of a boyfriend?”

“Holden apparently spent a lot of time at their house, and he was obviously an unscrupulous bastard. I’d say anything is possible.”

Thorpe ruffled a hand through his mussed hair. “Son of a bitch. If that’s the case, it could be another reason she doesn’t trust well. Being betrayed by her boyfriend and her sister at such a young age would be harsh.”

“It wasn’t as if she could rely on her father, either. My information says that, after her mother died, he left the girls’ care to hired help and began hanging out with people willing to take his money, primarily medical researchers. Seems he became obsessed with discovering the cure for cancer in his late wife’s name.”

“Oh hell.” Thorpe shook his head. “The girls were so young. They had lost a mother. They needed reassurance, guidance, and love. No wonder Callie wanted to run away from home and believed the first guy with a stiff dick who claimed to love her. She learned her lesson the hard way. How the hell is she supposed to recover from that while running for her damn life?”

“I’m not sure she has. I’ve tried to heal her as much as I could, but as you know, it’s a big fucking job.” Sean sighed. “She needs constants, people she can count on without fail.”

That thought seemed to sober Thorpe even more. “You’re right.”

“So if you want to head back to Dominion, tell me now. I’ll get you to land after sunrise. As long as you keep your mouth shut, I’ll understand.”

“What? I haven’t come this far to bail now. I won’t abandon Callie. Axel can manage Dominion without me. Lots of folks there will help. And Sweet Pea might seem like the most submissive creature ever, but she can run that place like a drill instructor when she has to.”

Relief flooded Sean’s system. They both agreed that Callie had to come first. They might not have a lot in common, but they shared that belief. Now the conversation got tricky . . .

“Good. I’ve been thinking about this. I need your help with Callie. Sometimes you’re the only person who can reach her.” Sean sighed and tried to figure out how to say all the other things crowding his head. He should probably have a bit of sleep and a stiff cup of coffee before he even tried, but time wasn’t on their side. Once Callie woke, they’d have a fight on their hands. The dust between he and Thorpe had to be settled now.

“I’m here for her, whatever she needs.”

“Even if that’s both of us?”

Thorpe hesitated. “What do you mean?”

“She’ll probably need us both to protect her from whoever is searching for her,” Sean began. “I think it’s safe to assume that if they killed her family and took a shot at her, they want her dead, too. The more people she has watching her back, the safer she’ll be.”

“Agreed.”

“And you know how secretive she’s always been—for good reason. But if we’re going to pry her open so she’ll tell us about her past, we’re going to have to earn her trust. I’ll need your steady hand.”

Thorpe sat up and peered across the darkness at him. “Meaning?”

“After months of giving her my cover story, her trust in me is shaky at best right now. We can’t wait to grow it again before we find out what she knows. We need that info now.” Thorpe didn’t answer, but Sean could see the man’s mind turning. “You know I’m right.”

“Yeah.” Thorpe swallowed.

“Just like you know where I’m going with this, man. This woman has never had what she needs. As a little girl, she needed a mother, but hers died of cancer. As a teenager, she needed the support of her family, but her father was too distant, while her sister probably stabbed her in the back. She needed to finish growing up in a safe environment . . . and you know how that story goes. Now Callie needs us for more than protection. She needs us to finally make her whole.”

“Jesus . . .” Thorpe blew out a breath and raked a hand through his hair.

Sean pressed on. “You said yourself that I lacked the knowledge to properly guide her. But you don’t. She trusts you. And she loves you, too.”

Thorpe didn’t say a word at first, just held out his hand for the bottle. Sean passed it back, watching the other man guzzle down more tequila as he, no doubt, turned over all the possibilities in his head.

“I’d ask if you’re fucking serious, but you obviously are.” He shook his head of mussed hair. “I don’t recommend inviting me inside your picket fence, Mackenzie. I’m not good for her.”

That assertion was ridiculous. He and Callie fit together perfectly.

“Right now, I’m just trying to keep her alive,” Sean hedged. “If you want to go your separate way once the danger is done, I’ll help you find the door.”

He had mixed feelings about making that offer. Thorpe walking out on Callie would crush her. But if that happened, he’d just have to find some way to help her deal. Regardless, that was another problem for another day. He had enough to juggle now. He just had to trust that once Thorpe got close to her, he wouldn’t be able to walk away.

“But I want you to think about this. The only place where your age difference means a thing is in your head. And your worry about giving her enough tenderness? It’s bullshit.”

Even if it wasn’t, Sean would be happy to supply Callie plenty of affection. After all, if he couldn’t give her something, Thorpe might well edge him out of her heart. Or maybe that was his own fear talking because then he closed his eyes and remembered her trembling surrender, her cries that she loved him. He might have started out with Callie as a substitute for the needs Thorpe wasn’t fulfilling, but their relationship had progressed into something far deeper than he’d ever imagined when she’d been just a name on a file folder and a picture of a pretty girl.

“Cut to the chase and tell me what you’re saying,” Thorpe chomped impatiently. “Spell it out. I don’t want any gray between us.”

“We share her one hundred percent—at least for as long as she’s in danger. Everything we do for her, we do together. But you can’t half-ass this. You have to give her your all.”

Thorpe stilled. “So . . . you want me to discipline her?”

“When she needs it, yes.”

A deep breath. A pensive stare. A gulp. “Are you me giving a green light to sex?”

There was the question he’d known would surface sooner or later. How much of Callie was he willing to grant the other man . . .

Now it was Sean’s turn to hesitate. Honestly, he didn’t know how he was going to feel seeing Thorpe’s hands on her, his cock tunneling inside her. He might feel like slashing the Dom’s throat. But he also might take comfort in doing the right thing for Callie and watching her bloom. Either way, he had to put her first. If they didn’t force pertinent information about the past out of her, she might not live through this ordeal. His jealousy would be awfully moot then.

“Tell me something,” Sean finally said. “Would you top another pretty submissive and dismiss the possibility of sex before you’ve even started the relationship? Would Callie believe you were committed to her if you refused to give yourself in return?”

“Shit.” Thorpe took several long drags from the bottle, looking floored. “So that’s a yes to sex.”

Despite the gravity of the conversation, Sean was almost amused by the man’s tension. “Is that a problem?”

“Oh, fuck no. Not at all.” Thorpe shot him a dirty glare. “But you knew that.”

“Just checking.” He grinned.

“She may think she’s taken her collar off, but I respect the fact that she’s still owned.”

And Thorpe sounded like he’d rather spit nails than admit that.

“So what are my limits?” the other man asked.

With a shrug, Sean rolled through the possibilities. “Only one: Everything we do with Callie, we do as a team. No Lone Ranger acts.”

Thorpe paused, frowned for a moment, then nodded. “I’m in. We need to make Callie feel safe enough to open up to us. It’s important that we establish our control and get whatever information she’s got in her head out soon. You’re absolutely right about that. It’s our only chance of her listening to us if danger follows her here. Beyond that . . . I’ve been hungry for her for years.”

So it was settled. They would share in Callie’s care. They would both Dominate her. They would both partake of her. And they would do it all together.

“You ever had a ménage?”

“Sure. Just for fun.” Thorpe tapped his thumb against the bottle. “This is different.”

Sean was glad he saw the distinction. “Completely. I don’t know how complicated it will be. But we’ll figure it out.”

“For her, we have to.”

“Exactly. The sun’s coming up.” Sean gestured to the graying sky outside the bedroom window as a mixed cocktail of relief and anxiety flowed through his veins. “First, we need some sleep before Hurricane Callie wakes and figures out where she is.”

“Sure. Yeah.” Thorpe braced himself on the mattress and pushed upright. “Do you want me to get out of your way and let you bunk down with your girl?”

Sean shook his head. Apparently, it was going to take Thorpe more than a few seconds to adjust to the idea of sharing her completely. “We both take care of her. This is our bed now. You need to stay with Callie in case she wakes up. She’ll be disoriented at best and furious at worst. Get her under the sheets, make sure she’s comfortable. Now that I’ve got some sunlight and I won’t run this boat into the shore, I need to anchor it someplace as secluded as possible.” He grabbed his shoes and thrust them on. “Back in ten.”

Sean didn’t wait for Thorpe to reply before he darted out the bedroom door. He picked up anchor and cruised the lake until he found a wide inlet with tall, craggy rocks on either side. He navigated to the middle, still away from shore, then dropped anchor again. It wouldn’t hide them from someone in a helicopter, but anyone else on the lake would be hard-pressed to find them.

Nearly forty minutes had passed. Exhaustion weighed his every limb, and nothing sounded better than tumbling into the bed with Callie and sleeping for long, uninterrupted hours before waking to make love to her.

When he hit the bedroom again, he stopped short in the doorway. Thorpe had fallen asleep on the right side of the bed with Callie spooned against his chest. They both looked peaceful, exhaling together in harmony.

The worry Sean had been trying to restrain jabbed at him. Naturally, he had concerns about letting Thorpe too close to his woman. Would she ultimately choose the other man instead? Or would Callie always need them both? Nearly three sleepless days hadn’t equipped him to answer that question now.

With a weary sigh, he shut the drapes, then shed everything except his boxer-briefs. He slid under the sheets, rolling over to kiss Callie’s forehead. She moaned quietly, then scooted closer to him as if seeking warmth . . . while Thorpe’s arm remained snug around her, his legs tangled in hers, his breath ruffling her long, loose hair. Sean drifted in the peace and slept.

COCOONED in warmth, Callie woke and squinted against the filtered light making its way through the curtains. The little bit she could see around her didn’t look at all familiar. It certainly wasn’t Dominion. No, wait. She’d left there and she wouldn’t rehash all the reasons that had been necessary. It damn well wasn’t her skuzzy dump of a Vegas motel either. And why did the ground seem like it was swaying slightly?

She forced one eye open—and the sights just kept getting weirder. A shirtless Sean slept on one side of her, his hard chest pressed to her own. His powerful torso rose above a soft, faded blanket. He looked damn good for a liar.

Behind her, hot breath spread unexpectedly across her neck. With a little jerk, she stared over her shoulder. Thorpe. Asleep in a rumpled white dress shirt and dark trousers. The five-o’clock shadow darkened his sharp jaw more than usual.

The men she loved surrounded her. It was like a fantasy. It had to be a dream. They hated one another . . . or they had back at Dominion. The time since her departure from the club rushed back to her, her memories lingering on the ride in the silver Jeep last night, on Thorpe smacking her ass and Sean approving every gesture with his stare in the rearview mirror.

Last night, they’d been a team, united by their determination to capture her and bring her back to safety. Or so they claimed. Thorpe, she believed. Sean? She really didn’t know him or have any idea how much of what had passed between them was a lie. It had felt so very real. He’d sworn it was. And she had to admit that if he’d simply wanted to bring her in for the bounty or prestige, he probably would have done it in Dallas. He certainly wouldn’t be letting Thorpe tag along, either.

But even if he actually loved her, as he claimed, and even if every word Sean and Thorpe said was true, she couldn’t stay. Her life was too dangerous, and she wasn’t going to drag them into her muck. They had some foolish notion in their heads to be noble, heroic. By all appearances, they cared. Whatever their motives, Callie couldn’t let them.

Carefully, she inched to the end of the bed and crept off the mattress, shivering and steadying herself. Crap, it was cold this morning. She reached for the first garment she encountered, Sean’s shirt. It even smelled like him. Where were her shoes?

Inhaling his musk as she slipped it on, she glanced at them both, regret nearly bringing her to tears. They’d worked hard to track her down and “rescue” her, not really understanding that the job of saving her was bigger than them both, even with their forces combined. Their effort humbled Callie, and the guilt for leaving them again nearly took her to her knees. But she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she was the reason they found themselves behind bars.

The floor beneath her dipped again, a gentle rocking that confused her. Where the hell had they brought her? Tiptoeing to the window, she eased the dull white drape aside and peeked out. Water—and a lot of it.

Callie sucked in a stunned breath and tried to shove down her panic. Shit! Okay, keep it together. If they were on a boat, maybe they were docked. There had to be a way off, right? In her head, though, she heard Sean ask again if she liked to swim . . .

On silent feet, she dashed out of the room, down the little passageway, then found a door leading out to the expansive deck. Water everywhere, at the front of the boat, either side . . . Callie sprinted to the back of the vessel, heart pounding three times for every step she took. But all she found was more water. The nearest land, formidable rock formations that would be a terrifyingly steep climb, looked a hundred feet away—at least.

Her heart pounded so furiously that her blood vessels felt close to bursting. Her entire body flooded with adrenaline. Memories of nearly drowning as a kid and the brackish water filling her mouth, stinging her eyes, and rendering her lungs useless overwhelmed her.

If she wanted off this rocking prison, she would have to swim and climb and haul ass through the desert without shoes, water, or sunscreen. Hell, she was doomed.

Callie couldn’t stop herself. She opened her mouth and screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

Suddenly, she felt a hand cup over her lips, trapping in the sound. “Are you trying to bring every police officer and bounty hunter within a hundred-mile radius down on our heads?”

Sean. He growled the words in her ear as he bracketed her back with his solid warmth.

On her right, Thorpe stormed up and turned on her, looking disheveled and pissed off. He grabbed the back of her neck in a firm grip. His gray eyes looked thunderous as he pinned her in place with his stare. “Calm down, pet. Not another sound. You’re safe here. We intend to keep you that way.”

Surrounded. Trapped. Escape had been the only way she’d survived for nearly as long as she could remember. Now, these two seemed determined to keep her here on this floating hell and ruin their lives in the process.

She twisted away, dislodging Sean’s hand from her mouth. “Don’t do this! Let me go before you regret it.”

“I told you not to make a sound,” Thorpe reminded, his voice heavy with disapproval.

Behind her, Sean’s disappointment seeped into her, too.

She hated hurting them. The submissive in her especially hated disappointing them. Logically, it didn’t make sense, but that didn’t make the feeling less real.

“Let’s get her inside.”

Sean nodded. “Just in case this lake isn’t as deserted as we hoped. The last thing we need is a fellow boater hearing her and calling 911. If they come down on our heads and find her, I may not be able to control what happens next.”

Without exchanging another word, he wrapped one hand around her back, then bent and slid his other arm behind her knees. He lifted her against his bare chest as if her weight didn’t strain him at all. His shoulders bulged and his jaw tightened as he turned and made his way back inside the living quarters. He stared down at her with reproving blue eyes and gave her a slow shake of his head.

She would have squirmed and scrambled out of his arms if she thought it would do any good, but Thorpe walked right behind them. No doubt, he’d haul her back if she tried to run—and provide her some sort of extra “motivation” to stay. And if she did flee, what then? Swimming to shore and walking back to civilization without any protection from the desert sun or a cent to her name just wasn’t an option.

“We’re not hashing this out again, lovely,” Sean said. “We told you last night that you were not to leave again without our permission or there would be consequences. Do you remember that?”

“This isn’t about me being disobedient. It’s about you two losing everything to try to save me when you can’t. No one can. I appreciate you wanting to help, but I wouldn’t be able to handle it if you wound up convicts over something futile.”

Sean sighed heavily as he lowered her to the bed and looked at Thorpe. “She’s not listening.”

“She has that nasty habit at times.” Thorpe approached her and took her chin in his hand. “Your situation isn’t futile. Have some faith in us.”

“Thorpe—”

He sent her a sharp stare and held up a finger to silence her. Damn if it didn’t work. He’d run hot and cold with her for years. Why the hell did she still respond to him so completely?

“It’s not open for discussion. When was the last time you ate?” he asked.

With a frustrated sigh, Callie mentally retraced the previous day. “Breakfast yesterday. Then I had a handful of almonds about three o’clock.”

They both looked at her with glaring disapproval before Sean clenched his fists. “Damn it, Callie.”

“It just wasn’t the most important thing on my mind.” Their frowns deepened, and their concern for her made her feel small, as if she’d messed up even more. “Sorry.”

“Not yet, but you will be,” Thorpe promised before he turned back to Sean. “How are your kitchen skills?”

“Passable. I’ve been feeding myself since college.” He shrugged. “I won’t poison her.”

“Good. Mine are terrible. It’s why God invented takeout.” Thorpe smiled wryly.

“I can feed myself, guys. If it will make you feel better, I’ll grab something and eat it all like a good little girl if you’ll just let me go.”

“Not this again.” Sean sounded at the end of his rope.

“She doesn’t understand . . . yet,” Thorpe drawled. “First, she needs food.”

“And a shower,” Sean added.

“True. God knows how many fucking germs were breeding at Glitter Girls.” Thorpe speared her with a glare. “Eventually, we’re going to have a long discussion about why you chose that place.”

“You mean you intend to punish me again.” She rolled her eyes.

“And then sometimes she catches on so quickly . . .” Thorpe smiled Sean’s way.

“I’ve been sure for a while now that she chooses not to ‘get it’ at least half the time because she’s just stubborn.” Sean sighed.

Callie balled her hands into fists. “Stop it! You’re not my Dom anymore—if you ever truly were. I took off my collar. And before either of you tells me again it doesn’t work that way, you both know that BDSM is safe, sane, and consensual. I’m not consenting. And you.” She turned to glare at Thorpe. “Yes, you’re the big bad Dom or whatever. But damn it, that doesn’t give you any right to keep me against my will. You have to let me go!”

They both tensed, then Sean shook his head. Instead of persuading them to release her, she’d hurt him. Pain was carved into his expression. By all appearances, he’d sacrificed everything to help her, and she’d thrown it in his face. Thorpe, too. A glance at her boss didn’t show him any less ruffled. He mostly looked pissed off, except his burning eyes . . . Anguish lay there.

Callie dragged in a tight breath, everything inside her feeling as if she’d screwed up again.

“That’s not going to happen,” Sean vowed softly. “If you still want to leave once you’re safe, I’ll take you wherever you want to go and leave you with my well wishes.”

If he wanted to arrest her, would he really make that offer? He’d have to be the worst kind of con artist . . . and foolish or not, Callie just couldn’t believe that about him.

Thorpe stared, his face closed up tight. “Until then, you’re staying here with us. We intend to keep you safe and solve this mystery. You can count on that, pet.”

Their selflessness—along with a hefty dose of guilt—flogged her all over again.

“Guys, please.” Tears prickled her eyes. “I don’t want you to do something that will destroy your future.”

“We don’t want you running for the rest of your life. And I don’t want to have this conversation again. Our decision won’t change. If we have to keep you against your will . . .” Thorpe shrugged.

“You can’t do that forever. You both have lives.” She sighed tiredly. “Mine is screwed, but yours don’t have to be. I can’t prove that I didn’t kill my father and sister. The crime is way cold, and no amount of investigating now is going to—”

“The FBI doesn’t want to arrest you,” Sean cut in.

“What?” She couldn’t have heard that right.

“If the bureau took an interest in this case and wanted you behind bars, you’d already be locked up. I was just sent to watch you, look for any clues, nothing more. They wouldn’t give me that directive if they believed you’d committed a terrible crime.”

The news impacted her like a two-ton bomb, both blowing her away and creating one hell of a crater in her thoughts. “The Chicago police still have an APB out on me.”

“They want to question you, but that’s not my jurisdiction. I only care about my orders. Uncle Sam hasn’t given me any indication that you’re regarded as a criminal.”

Callie blinked. She wasn’t actually wanted for murder? After nine years, she didn’t even know how to process that possibility. “Then why the huge bounty on my head? Because of that, I almost bit an assassin’s bullet in Birmingham. I literally ran out of Arkansas with a pair of bounty-hunting goons chasing me. I’ve crossed paths with both sorts over the years and—”

“Both are definitely after you, pet,” Thorpe cut in.

“And I think someone powerful is behind the bounty or I wouldn’t have been assigned to keep tabs on you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I wasn’t at liberty to blow my cover, lovely. I’m still not . . . but I won’t lose you.”

“We’ll have a nice long chat about everything later,” Thorpe cut in. “In fact, we’re going to talk about many things. For now, believe that you’re not going to jail and that you can trust us with your life. Other than that, we’re not saying another word until you’ve showered and eaten.”

“Well put,” Sean agreed, slapping Thorpe on the back.

When had they become the Domination Duo, able to command shivering subs with a single glance? Weirdly, they not only seemed able to tolerate one another, they functioned like a team.

“Understood?” Thorpe asked.

Callie gaped at them. She didn’t have any illusions that she’d find the conversation pleasant. She knew it would be pointless. After all, she was accustomed to living alone, running and hiding for her life. The guys were tough, but not cut out for that life.

“If you want to help, then let me have a car and fifty bucks. You go home and try to figure out who wants me dead. Once that threat is stopped, then . . .” What? She’d just look them up? In another ten years, they’d probably both be married with kids and wives who wouldn’t appreciate a Callie blast from the past. “Then I’ll be safe.”

Sean and Thorpe exchanged a glance. “I appreciate your independence, lovely—to a point. But not when it comes to danger. Until now, you’ve done well keeping yourself safe, but you won’t be doing it alone anymore.”

“That’s final. Don’t ever run from us again,” Thorpe added.

Like she could keep that promise. “A-all right.”

“All right, Sir? Isn’t that what you meant?” Thorpe raised a demanding brow. “Not only did your response lack conviction, it was also short on respect. Unacceptable, pet.”

Callie cast her gaze down. A thousand thoughts thundered through her head. They’d spent time and money, encountered violence and put themselves on the line to help her. Yes, it was for nothing. They were being stubborn, bossy, foolish, and pig-headed. And she wanted to throttle them. But she also hadn’t thanked them for all they’d tried to do for her, much less shown respect.

Both flustered and humbled, she looked from Thorpe’s forbidding countenance to Sean’s questioning stare. Easier to start where she could see a little softness. Then she’d figure out how to proceed from there.

She rose to her knees on the mattress and scooted closer, lifting her arms to Sean. “Thank you. I’ve put you through a lot. I know what you’ve risked. I wish you hadn’t.”

He crushed her against him. “I told you why, Callie. I love you.”

So easy-breezy for him to just put it out there. She’d never had the luxury of saying those words openly to anyone. They implied the promise of tomorrows she’d never had.

Callie could only hope that somehow her life wasn’t doomed to end badly. Even if it was, she had his affection and devotion right now. How many years had she spent utterly alone and aching for someone to give a shit about her? Too many to count.

Was she really going to throw it away? Couldn’t she have them for a day or two? Couldn’t she give Sean the love filling her heart in return? Thorpe the obedience and devotion he deserved?

“I fell for you at Dominion.” She cupped Sean’s cheek and met the sincerity of his blue stare, so open. His dashing little smile creased the corners of his eyes and lifted her heart. “I love you, too.”

Sean caressed a broad hand down her tangled hair, deepening the connection of their stares. Inside, she could feel him, his caring, his understanding. She’d been lucky when the FBI assigned him to watch over her and had a feeling that he always would if she let him.

Now for the hard part. Callie only hoped that Sean would understand that her feelings for Thorpe didn’t mean that she cared for him less.

She drew in a shaky breath and turned to Thorpe, already searching for the words to tell him how grateful she was for all he’d done and somehow confess everything he meant to her. Before she could unscramble her thoughts, Thorpe zipped around and strode out the door, shutting it with careful quiet behind him.