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Bucky Leddingham and his wife had cleaned it last time. Sarah gritted her teeth. At this rate, every penny she had would go out on cleaning fees.
“Fine.” She closed her eyes, fighting for patience. “What about my car? Can I have it?”
“Sarah,” Brock’s voice dropped, the vein of warning heavier now. “We’ll get you some clothes. You can come back to the ranch.”
“Maybe I don’t want to go to the ranch,” she told him, nerves and anger rising inside her as the three August men watched her carefully.
“Sarah?” Marly stepped forward, laying her hand on Sarah’s arm, watching her with an unspoken message Sarah fought to understand. “Can I talk to you a minute? Alone.”
Sarah looked at the expressions on the men’s faces. Male disgruntlement filled them all, a flare of dominance, of sexual suggestion lurking on their expressions.
She allowed the other woman to lead her to the front of Brock’s jeep. Turning back, she watched as the men huddled together, their voices low as they talked to the sheriff.
“Sarah, I don’t want to frighten you, but staying alone isn’t a good idea right now,” Marly told her, her voice soft as they stared at each other. “I know the men can get pretty forceful, but Brock will go crazy with worry. He’ll stay with you, and that will make Sam and Cade crazy. Please don’t force me to put up with all that male concern alone.”
There was a slow smile, a flash of laughter in her eyes. But Sarah also saw the feminine worry. She knew as well as Sarah did what each man would want if she went to the ranch. There lay the problem. Sarah didn’t want to face the complications, the inherent suggestion of agreement should she do as Brock wanted. And she knew that was uppermost in each man’s mind. It was there, that sexual knowledge, the edge of satisfaction in their eyes.
“You don’t want me there, Marly.” There was no sense in beating around the bush.
Sarah glanced at Brock. His raised his head to look at her, his light blue eyes zeroing in on her by instinct. Affection, worry, lust, she read each emotion in his expression. It terrified her.
“Sarah, I want you safe, for Brock’s peace of mind. If Cade is right then you are seriously in danger.” Marly’s declaration had her turning back to the other woman in surprise.
“What are you talking about?” she asked her, confusion filling her.
“Last year, Cade found pictures of me and him together. We thought it was my stepfather stalking me. After he tried to kidnap me, we were certain it was. But he swore it wasn’t. Even the bodyguards we hired weren’t certain after all the evidence came to light. Now Cade is convinced it’s something more. Something aimed at the brothers. Now, after your attack, and the pictures of you and Brock he received this morning, there’s no way we can ignore the threat.”
Sarah flushed, then paled. Her knees weakened, her stomach churning with an edge of fear.
“He saw the pictures?” She couldn’t look at Marly. A fury of embarrassment washed over her.
“Sarah, come to the ranch.” Marly gripped her arm in an effort to convince her. “It doesn’t matter who saw the pictures. They exist. That means you’re in danger. Don’t let Brock be hurt because of your stubbornness. Cade couldn’t bear it. Please.”
Sarah trembled. She looked in Marly’s eyes and saw acceptance, resignation.
“I will not sleep with all three of those men,” she bit out, ignoring the surprise Marly showed at her declaration. “I won’t do it, Marly.”
Bitterness edged the smile shaping the other woman’s lips.
“So you know?”
“Brock told me. And I won’t do it.” At least, she hoped she wouldn’t.
“They won’t force you, Sarah,” she sighed, in relief or disbelief Sarah wasn’t certain. “You’ll come to the ranch then?”
“Do I have a choice?” Sarah asked her, knowing she didn’t.
“Not a safe one.” Marly glanced over at the men then, smiling at her Cade.
Sarah caught the edge of adoration in the man’s gaze. It shocked her. How could a man love a woman that much and still touch another?
“We’ll talk at the ranch.” Marly caught the question in her eyes. “If you like?”
“I think we need to.” Sarah squared her shoulders. As far as mistakes went, she knew this one would be a doozy.
“Come on then, let’s relieve their minds. We’ll stop at Claire’s and you can get some new clothes. We’ll all come out tomorrow and see how much damage has been done.”
Marly led the way back to where the men still talked in low voices, their tones vibrating with an edge of violence.
