Sanctuary (New Reality Series, Book One) (12 page)

“I wasn’t
supposed
to look, but…” He glanced at Noah miserably. “I did. Three. Three bad guys.”

Ethan patted him on the shoulder and stood. “You can tell us everything you remember as we drive.”

A few minutes later, Ethan pulled the truck off the dirt road and put it in park. They were about a half mile from the cabin. They’d go the rest of the way by foot.

“Now, we need to be really quiet, okay, bud?” Noah squeezed Drew’s shoulder and looked down at the pale, scared face. “It’s gonna be all right.”

Drew nodded and a few tears fell down his cheeks.

“Loaded and ready,” Ethan said curtly, handing Noah his gun.

“Thanks. Ready?” When Ethan nodded, Noah drew in a deep breath. “Okay, you lead the way.”

* * * *

It had taken some effort, but Grace was finally able to separate the gardening shears into two long blades. She handed one to Chloe.

“Listen to me. Let me take care of it, okay? Only use the blade if you have to,” she whispered.

Chloe nodded and Grace wrapped her arms around her. “It’s going to be okay. Now, go sit with Callie by those barrels like we talked about.”

Once Chloe and the dog were against the back wall, Grace moved to the door and called out. “Excuse me?”

She knew guys like this. They saw what they wanted to, and in their eyes, she and Chloe were just a pair of helpless girls. Grace had no problem playing into that.

“Hello?” she said a bit louder.

“What is it?”

“I… This is a bit embarrassing but I need to…use the outhouse. Could you bring us? Please?” she asked, adding a little extra sugar sweetness to her tone.

“Back away; I’m going to open the door.”

Grasping the handle in her palm, she held the blade so it rested against her forearm out of sight as she stepped back. Sunlight burst into the shed when the door swung open. Something else she could use to her advantage.

“Ooh, that’s bright,” she exclaimed as she took a step forward. Pretending to trip, she fell forward onto one knee and her free hand. She gritted her teeth at the stinging jolt. Holding her other arm in front of her, blocked from the man’s sight, she shifted the blade.

“Damn!”

Jake came to her side and gripped her under the arm to drag her up. In a quick fluid motion, Grace pulled her elbow back then thrust forward, shoving the blade into the man’s middle. She heard Chloe cry softly behind her but focused on the man who was currently trying to make a sound—only succeeding in a wet gurgle. She jerked the blade upward and he went limp, slipping to the concrete floor.

Pulling the weapon out, she stood and turned to Chloe. “We need to move.”

The other woman rose and walked forward, staring at the body on the ground.

“Don’t look at him. Forget him,” Grace encouraged. “You need to do what we talked about.”

Chloe shook her head. “I can’t just run away.”

“You can, and you will!” Grace pinned her with a hard look. “Listen to me; I can’t do what I have to if I’m worrying about you. Drew needs you to be safe, honey. I need to know you’re both safe.” She turned and walked to the door. Cautiously, she looked around. “Okay, it’s all clear. Take Callie, go up the river a ways then hide until I or one of the guys come for you.”

Chloe nodded jerkily and patted the outside of her thigh. “Callie, with me.”

Grace watched them run toward the river and out of sight then began to make her way around the edge of camp, moving along the backs of the outbuildings. Finally, she was able to get to the rear of the cabin. Back pressed to the building, she pondered her next move. If she could get her hands on a gun… All she had was the blade. Her fingers were cramping from gripping it so tightly, and she just couldn’t think about the sticky fluid drying on her skin.

A rustling around the corner caught her attention, and shifting the blade slightly, she made her way to investigate. Just as she moved to ease around the corner, a thick arm came around her, pinning her arms tightly to her side, just as a hand clamped over her mouth. Grace struggled to free herself, bile rising in her throat. Then, Noah stepped into view, finger pressed to his pursed lips. Grace stilled. Ethan—it was Ethan holding her.

She nodded and he released her.

“Is Drew okay?” she whispered.

“Yes,” Noah replied just as quietly. “He’s hiding close by.”

Relief swept over here. “Thank God. I had Chloe do the same. Okay, there are two men inside. We have to draw them out some—“

“Drew said he saw three men,” Noah said.

Grace saw both of them look down at her hands. “There are only two now.”

“Jake!”

“Well,” she said grimly “looks like we don’t have to come up with anything to get them outside.”

“Jake, where the hell are you?” The shout echoed through the trees.

Grace looked at Ethan then Noah. “I know your first instinct will be to say no but listen. I think I should go out in the open and draw their attention. Then you guys can come up behind them and take them by surprise.”

“Grace…”Noah shook his head.

“No, listen,” she repeated. “If they think it’s just me, we have an advantage. I say we take it.”

After several moments, Ethan nodded. “Fine, but you’re taking my spare.”

He reached around her, tucked the small handgun in place and pulled the bottom of her shirt over it. She took the opportunity to give him a peck on the lips.

“I’ll see you after,” she said when he stepped back. She gave Noah a quick kiss as the men shouted for their friend again. “That’s my cue.”

Steeling her resolve, Grace strode around the cabin and saw the two men were almost at the shed.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she called out. “Jake can’t come out to play right now. He’s been a naughty boy.”

Ethan quietly made his way along the tree line surrounding the camp. He and Noah had gone in opposite directions to circle around and come up behind the bastards who now had guns pointed at their woman.

“Drop the knife,” one of them yelled.

“Oh my God, you bitch. You killed him; you killed Jake!”

Ethan came to the spot he and Noah had agreed on and looked across the yard, past the scene that made him murderous, to the woods. He could just make out Noah’s form—only because he knew where to look.

“I said drop the knife.”

Ethan turned to where Grace was doing her damnedest to keep the bastards’ attention on her.

“Fine,” she drawled and tossed the blade to the side.

“How could you do that?” One of the men walked toward her. “How could you kill Jake like that?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Grace let out a humorless laugh. “You want to know how I could kill the man you joked with about all the perverted things you would do to me and my friend? Well, I’ll tell you how. It was the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Ethan’s blood boiled but when the man reached out to grab Grace, he lost his mind. He saw red. Before the bastard could even touch Grace, Ethan stepped forward, took aim and fired.

“Fuck!” Noah bounded out the woods, his gun trained on the remaining threat. “Drop it! Drop it now!”

Though he ached to, Ethan didn’t look at Grace or Noah. He was zeroed in on the man who, weaponless now, kneeled on the ground, shaking.

“You don’t understand what it’s like out there, man. We’re just trying to survive, find a place and make a life. We were doing what we had to—”

“No.” Ethan grabbed the man’s shirtfront and hauled him to his feet. “You were fucking with my family. The people I care about.”

He drew his arm back and punched him. Then he did it again. And again. And again.

“Hey, Ethan.
Ethan
!” Noah grabbed his arm before he could hit the man again. “Enough.”

Ethan released his hold and the man flopped to the ground.

Noah cupped his face. “You totally screwed up the plan, you know?”

“When he reached for her…” He shook his head slightly.

Bending his head, Noah kissed him gently. “I know, baby.” Another quick buss. “If you’re all right here. I’m going to get Drew and Chloe. Then we can figure out what to do with the bodies and this sorry piece of shit.”

Ethan looked past Noah to Grace, and his heart stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Noah turned just as Grace’s gun fired.

Ethan turned his gaze downward and saw the man he’d pounded, dead, a knife clutched in his hand.

“He was getting ready to stab you.” Grace said, dropping her arm to her side.

Ethan stepped around Noah and strode to where she stood. Catching her up in her arms, he covered her mouth with his. Her taste teased his senses, and he couldn’t believe how close they’d come to losing her.

“All right then.” Noah laughed. “I’ll just go get—”

Ethan snaked an arm out and yanked Noah into the embrace. They surrounded her, Noah at her back, Ethan at her front. As close as he had come to losing his lovers today, he wasn’t quite ready to let them go. He’d hug on and horrify Drew and Chloe shortly.

“Don’t move,” he murmured. “Just for another second or two, stay just like this.”

Chapter Seven

“Just get out already!”

Grace gaped at Chloe. The younger woman stood one hand on her hip and the other pointing at the door.

“Drew and I are taking care of dinner, and the guys want to take you for a walk. You’ve barely stepped foot out of the cabin in days, and frankly, we’re tired of your hovering.”

“Yeah!” Drew scratched his cheek, leaving a smudge of flour on his flushed skin. “We’re sick
and
tired of it.” Then he grinned and returned to mixing something in a bowl.

Ethan chuckled and took her hand. “You’re outvoted, sweetheart.”

“Fine,” she said in exasperation. “But, lock the door behind us, and—”

“Out!” Chloe snapped.

Ethan pulled her to the door where Noah waited with a small smile. He took her other hand, and together, they walked down to the river then continued to stroll along its edge. The sun shone brightly, and the balmy breeze whispered over her skin.

Noah sighed. “Probably one of the last warm days left. It’ll be getting cold soon.”

Grace’s vision blurred. This was it; what she’d been afraid of. The men had been acting strangely since the…incident, a bit distant, and she’d walked in on them whispering several times, only to have them clam up as soon as they saw her.

They were moving on.

Pull it together. You expected this
. And she had. She’d thought she was prepared for this, but now that it was upon her, she realized she never could be. She was in love with them. Her Noah and Ethan. They’d leave a huge hole in her life and heart. But she’d survive; as much as she hurt, she knew that. They were the ones who had shown her she could survive anything.

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Noah said. “Are you all right?”

“I am. I promise I…” She trailed off when she saw a quilt spread on the grass right in front of them. “What’s this?”

“We figured we’d sit a spell,” Ethan said, “talk, maybe fool around a bit.”

Grace let out the breath she was holding. She could get behind the fooling around. And enjoy every second she had left with them. She turned to Ethan and, releasing Noah’s hand, she pressed up again Ethan. She tried to pull his head down but he pulled back with a laugh.

“Let’s talk first.”

“Hmm,” she pulled harder, “I don’t want to talk right now. I’d rather enjoy that mouth in a different way.”

He surprised her by removing her hands and taking a couple of steps back. “Nope, talk first, then hot fun.”

“Why do you want to ruin it by talking first?” she asked, cringing at her petulant tone. She turned to Noah, who also stepped back.

“Why would talking ruin anything?” he asked curiously.

“All right, we’ll talk then,” she agreed. “I’ll make this easy and fast. I’m okay and I’m going to be okay with Chloe and Drew. I’m going to miss the hell out of you.” She looked at Ethan. “We all will, but I’ll always be grateful for everything you both did for me.”

“Grateful?” Noah parroted.

“And I’m not upset,” she assured them. “I knew from the beginning this was going to happen.”

“So you’re not upset and you’ll miss us?” Ethan asked tightly.

“Exactly where do you think we’re going, Grace?” Noah’s voice was even, deadly quiet.

“Wait,” Ethan said before she responded. “You think we’re leaving, and you’re not upset.”

Grace shook her head in confusion. “Of course I’m upset you’re leaving. What I mean is I’m not mad
at you
.”

“Oh well, thank fuck for that,” he snapped then he stalked forward. Grace backed up and bumped into Noah. Ethan crowded close. “Let me make something very clear. We’re not going anywhere.”

“You’re not?” she squeaked.

“The only way we’ll ever leave is if you ask us to,” Noah said, his breath against her ear.

“And honestly, probably not even then,” Ethan added.

Noah spun her toward him. “Gracie, we’ve built something here with you. A home. A family. And there’s one thing we could never walk away from, that’s our family.”

“Oh…oh…” Tears wet her cheeks and relief clouded her mind. “Thank God.”

“We’re your present, sweetheart,” Ethan said behind her. “Your right here, right now.”

“But we want to build a future with you. With you and Chloe and Drew.”

“I want that too,” Grace whispered.

She wrapped her arms around Noah’s waist and kissed him. It began gentle and sweet, but quickly grew frantic. Grace gasped as Noah pulled away. Then the world blurred, she was pressed against Ethan, and he took her mouth. His taste mingled with Noah’s, and Grace thanked God for the day these two stumbled upon her camp. Ethan broke the kiss long enough to strip first his shirt than hers. She laughed as their hands fumbled together as she reached for his pants and she reached for his. Finally, Ethan moved to his knees, bringing her down with him. Lying back on the quilt, he smiled up at her. Grace climbed on top of him, straddling him.

Noah knelt behind her, between Ethan’s legs, and his hot skin pressed against hers. She realized he must have undressed while she and Ethan had. Kissing his way down her back, he rested his hand on her spine. With gentle pressure, he guided her down to lie on Ethan’s chest. The movement caused the tip of Ethan’s cock to slide between her folds, and she bit her lip to keep from whimpering. Ethan nuzzled her neck, kissing and nipping.