Gemini (8 page)

When the meal was done they left the clutter on the table. It was too mellow a time for clean-up. Clay forced another glass of white wine into her hand and brought her to her feet.

“Come sit with me.”

He led her to the teak chaise. He sat back and tucked her in with him while Jace and Quinn scooted the two Adirondack chairs around so that, once they sat, they were in an arc that faced the mountains beyond the deck.

It was clear they spent time like this regularly, sharing a meal and then another six-pack on Quinn’s deck. Only, she guessed, they didn’t usually have a woman cuddled up with one of them.

Gemini rested her head against Clay’s chest, and he kissed her temple. “We have to talk.”

He sounded serious, so she lifted her head. But he kissed her again and tucked her back against him, his arm warm and safe along her shoulder. A little reluctant, she settled and looked over to where Jace and Quinn watched.

Clay stroked his thumb along her arm. “We have to expect Bryce to show up soon.”

Gemini shuddered and would have sat up if Clay hadn’t kept her contained in his arms. She met those gazes across from her, bright green and sweet blue, and knew that the three men had already had this talk. Jace and Quinn had known what was coming.

“I spent the last two days in Sacramento,” Clay said, warming her with his hands as if he knew she needed it. “Tomlinson has a security firm looking for you. And it won’t be hard for them to find you. It was necessary for you to get on the grid here, but it’s made the job easy for them.”

“You’d been gone for more than a week before he hired help,” Quinn added gently.

“He thought I’d be back,” Gemini said. “He wouldn’t believe—his ego wouldn’t allow him to believe—that I could really leave him.”

“Will he come for you himself, do you think? Or send his minions?”

Gemini lifted her head to look at Clay. “I don’t know.”

“Think about it,” he said.

She understood what Clay wanted. She took a moment to evaluate what she knew about Bryce. “He’ll come,” she said. “He’ll want to see me when he wins.” She looked from Clay to the others. “When he thinks he’s won.”

“It will be important to him.” Clay led her. “To win.”

“Yes.”

“So he won’t come right away. He’ll have the firm check you out first, learn what your situation is. They’ll be watching us.” He squeezed her arm. “You won’t be alone again, any time, until this is over.”

He looked over at Quinn, and Gemini knew the bit of freedom she’d had that day, that terrifying, lovely freedom, was gone. Quinn nodded, and Jace, too.

“We’ll move her to your place, Jace.”

“No.”

Quinn and Gemini spoke together. She found his gaze with hers. “I like it here.”

Clay was unmoved. “It’s too hard to defend.”

“Defend?” Gemini sat up, pulling insistently out of Clay’s grip. “What do you mean?”

Clay sat, too, so they were side by side on the chaise, their feet on the deck. “Honey, he’ll want to come for you from a position of power, yeah? He’s not going to walk into the bar one night with the hope that you’ll walk out with him. He’ll either come in force, when you’re vulnerable, or he’ll try to take Jace and Quinn and me out of the picture.” He looked at her, letting that sink in. “Or both. Probably that.”

“Take you out of the picture? How would he do that?”

“It depends. How mean do you think he is?”

Very
, was the answer. Gemini stood, having to pull her wrist from Clay’s grip to pace away. “Are you saying he could hurt you?” She looked from Clay to the others. “All of you?”

Clay stood up and followed her, planting himself in front of her with his arms across his chest. “I’m saying he could try.”

“No,” Gemini said. “I’m leaving.”

Quinn and Jace flanked Clay now, three big, broad-shouldered men penning her in against the deck rail.

Quinn smiled indulgently. “You’re not leaving, babe.”

Suddenly Gemini wanted to punch him. All of them. She pushed back against Clay’s chest, looking for more room, but, of course, he wouldn’t be budged. “What are you saying?” She looked in challenge at all three of them. “Am I captive here? I can’t leave by my own will?”

Quinn wasn’t smiling anymore. He lifted his hands, no doubt hoping for innocence. “Clay.” He nudged his forearm against Clay’s chest and, just like that, Clay backed off. With a look to Jace, he had that one backing up, too.

Gemini huffed in frustration.

“Let’s all take a breath,” Quinn said. “Gem.” He reached a hand out to her, but didn’t touch. “Come sit down.”

She shook her head. There were three chairs there on the sitting area of the deck, and she wasn’t sharing again.

Quinn sighed. He walked over to the table and grabbed one of the cushioned wicker chairs. He set it so it faced the others and left his hands on the back of it. “Please,” he said.

He kept his gaze patiently on hers until she heaved out a breath and complied. Briefly, he rested his hands on her shoulders. Then he pointed Jace and Clay to the other chairs and took one himself. All earnest concern, he leaned forward, elbows on knees and hands clasped.

Gemini thought about standing up and making a break for it. She’d had enough of giving up her will to the male of the species. She couldn’t believe she was in this position yet again.

If her presence in Colorado Springs was putting these men at risk, then she would leave. They could posture all they wanted, but they wouldn’t stop her.

“What would Cap do in this situation?”

Except with words, apparently.

Gemini sighed and had to work to meet Quinn’s gentle gaze. He waited, lifting a brow, letting her know he expected an answer.

She bowed to the inevitable. “He’d keep me with him. He wouldn’t let me leave.”

“Even if that put him in danger of some sort?”

“Yes.”

“Because?”

She really didn’t like this. “Because it would unman him.”

Quinn nodded. “So, whatever else is between us”—he gestured to the other men—“all of us, any of us, you can assume we are acting on your brother’s behalf in this regard. There’s no way we can let you go unprotected. Beyond that, of course, is the fact that we don’t want you to leave us.”

“And
you
don’t want to leave
us
. That’s right, isn’t it, Gem?” That was Jace, who spoke gently but with a certain, clear intent.

She looked around at each of them. “I don’t want to. But if—”

Clay pushed to his feet, his impatience obvious. “We’re not pussies, Gemini. Tomlinson can make any attempt at us he wants. I say, bring it on. But we’ll be damned if he gets to you without going through us. So just get that through your head and get over it.”

Standing and turning her back on them all, Gemini looked out to the mountains. Frustration warred with shame—she’d come to them for help, after all. And she’d known Bryce was dangerous. With a heavy sigh, she looked over her shoulder at Clay. “You went to Sacramento for this? For me?”

He nodded.

“Thank you.”

* * * *

He was going to fuck her again, and soon. Clay figured her bed in Quinn’s place was as good a spot as any, and he only just held back from throwing her up over his shoulder and hauling her ass there right then. Quinn and Jace could gentle her along like a couple of little girls if they wanted to, but he was done. He wasn’t going to let her finish one more sentence about how she was going to take off in order to protect them. Or even start it.

And it wasn’t going to be long before he had her sweet body wrapped around his cock again.

It was a little messed up, though, with all three of them interested in her. He loved his buddies, and it was that which was keeping him from going all caveman on her. This was going to take some figuring out.

They’d talked about it as they’d worked out after their game. They were all three smitten, though he felt like a world class idiot to use that phrase even in his head. It was too damn soon to make much of it, but he knew his friends saw the same thing he did. Gemini was bright, gorgeous, and hot has hell. Her wounded vulnerability was like an over-coating of come-and-take-me pheromone that made her staggering, surprising sexuality entirely irresistible.

They all wanted her. But none of them could put a claim on her that superseded that of the others.

None of them wanted to give up whatever claim he had.

Jace suggested they draw straws. Quinn, no surprise, offered to arm-wrestle for it. Clay didn’t like those odds, one or zero out of three. He proposed a shooting match, but the other two didn’t like that, the wusses.

In the end, they came to a highly unsatisfactory agreement which had only one thing in its favor—it was the best they could come up with. They’d each pursue her in whatever way they chose. They all wanted her in the sack again and seemed to believe they could get her there. If they all succeeded, well, so damn be it.

It would be purely don’t ask, don’t tell. And, Clay added in his head, no holds barred.

In the end—they had to figure there would be an end—it would be Gem who made the call. And whichever two lost out, well, they’d just have to man up. They vowed it wouldn’t affect the friendship.

They didn’t talk about what would happen if she couldn’t or wouldn’t make a choice. Clay’s mind skirted with the possibilities, but his mind was kind of a dirty one, and he didn’t think the other two were going there.

He’d gotten those thoughts in his head, though, and he figured he’d be falling asleep with X-rated fantasies and a hard dick for the next while.

They’d go forward with the plan, murky as it was.

But the deal with Tomlinson was clear. The man was a conniving, vindictive son of a bitch. Clay hadn’t shared the full extent of what he’d learned about the bastard with Quinn and Jace. And for sure, Gemmy wasn’t going to hear about it.

Tomlinson played hardball. What he’d done to Gemini wasn’t the worst treatment he’d dealt to women. And when he fought, he made it personal, leaving bruises and blood behind. There were players in the party who respected him, but none Clay had found who liked him.

Reading the subtext, Clay understood that the respect was laced with fear. Tomlinson senior was a wealthy attorney turned state judge, and he didn’t hold back from throwing his weight around to make sure the son achieved daddy’s expectations for him.

Like father like son, they were both cheaters, too. They each kept a mistress in the same condo complex downtown.

Clay had spent some time thinking about his buddies’ vulnerabilities. Honest to God, he wouldn’t put it past Tomlinson to resort to brute, even lethal force, though it would surely be via a third party. But Tomlinson was one of those twisted fucks, and Clay figured he’d try first to hurt them in more subtle ways.

He wouldn’t find it easy. The three men weren’t saints, but they lived pretty clean. For sure, none of them had nasty little secrets that could be used against them. Clay was certain he’d know about anything like that.

But Jace was aiming for partner in his firm, so even hints of something dirty could set him back. The only thing Quinn cared about was the bar, but he’d borrowed heavily for it, and so that made him vulnerable.

They all had family—parents, some siblings. None were local, though, not since Jace’s granddad had left the cabin he’d kept up in the mountains a bit northwest of town and moved to senior living. So Clay figured it would be a stretch for Tomlinson to go after them. He’d put a word in to his dad and brother, just in case, and had told Quinn and Jace to do the same.

Clay didn’t worry about himself. He’d talked with his captain when he’d started his inquiries in Sacramento. His unit would have his back if Tomlinson tried anything dirty. And if the asshole was man enough to face him with a gun or a knife in his hands, well, Clay would be more than happy about that.

He was virtually sure it wasn’t going to happen.

What he didn’t trust, though, was whether Gem would be able to hold out against whatever Tomlinson brought. He wasn’t worried anymore, like he’d been the night they’d met, that she’d fall for her ex’s crap if he came wooing her. Clay knew her now—she was smart, and strong, and she was finding her backbone.

But she had feelings for Clay and Jace and Quinn, along with an over-developed sense of responsibility. If Tomlinson convinced her that he could put the hurt on one or all of the guys, she might cave.

Clay convinced himself it was going to be his job to be sure that didn’t happen.

And maybe it was self-serving, but he thought he might be most persuasive with his hard dick filling some hot, soft part of her body.

It was past time for it, anyway. He put out his hand. “Come on, babe,” he said. “You and I are going out.”

Gemini looked up at Clay. Jace and Quinn both stood as soon as Clay spoke. Their gazes were on him, and not seeming entirely friendly. Uncertain, she slowly put her hand in his.

Clay nodded as though giving his approval and glanced over to Quinn, giving the impression that he was unmoved by that one’s stare. “What time do you need her behind the bar?”

It was Saturday, and Gemini knew Mach One would start getting busy by five or six.

“Seven,” Quinn said, and something passed between the two men that Gemini didn’t get.

Clay nodded and made a kind of imperious motion with his head.

“Just the two of us?” Gemini asked, still unsure about what was happening.

“Yeah,” Clay said. “We’re not done.”

Quinn seemed to be watching carefully, but he stepped close and took her other hand. “It’s okay, sweetheart.” He touched his lips to her forehead. “I’ll see you at seven.”

Gemini nodded and turned to Jace. He wasn’t looking at her so much as appearing to square off with Clay. Apparently unconcerned, Clay met him glare for glare. Finally, he lifted a brow and Jace relented. “Yeah,” he said, coming to her. “I’ll see you later, Gem.”

He gave a little touch of his lips to hers.

She looked at Clay then and could see his impatience. She drew a breath and took a step forward. He nodded, almost like a pat on the head, she thought resentfully.