Bound to Them (8 page)

“Her door doesn’t show signs of a forced break-in,” Quinn
said quietly, his face intense. Nash paced as Quinn and the deputy sat.
“Someone gave him a key.”

“Why would they do that?”

Nash stilled at Crista’s words. Damn, he hadn’t even heard
her walk up. Striding over to her, he took her arm gently and guided her to the
sofa. Sitting beside her, he grabbed her hand.

“We don’t know, ma’am. I’m Officer Reginald Mason, but just
call me Reggie.”

Crista remained tense. Obviously she didn’t trust the deputy
one bit. Nash didn’t blame her. He pulled her under his arm as Quinn moved,
sitting on her other side, surrounding her in their protection.

“Have you given your key to anyone, Miss Grayson?”

“No,” she said shortly.

“He’s not accusing you of anything, Crista,” Quinn kept his
voice quiet so only the three of them could hear. “Calm down, sweetheart.”

“Take a deep breath,” Nash whispered. “Just breathe,
darlin’.” Shit, he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and never let her go. He
hated seeing her like this. She deserved to be happy, safe, protected. And he
wanted to be the one to ensure those things.

She took a shuddering breath as the deputy questioned her.

“Mr. Sinclair told me this has happened before. Can you tell
me where?”

She gave him the details.

“When was this?”

“Umm, the first time was about nine weeks ago, then there
was another incident three weeks later. I’d hoped he had given up.”

“All right. And what makes you think it’s Andrew O’Ryan
doing this?”

She shuddered. “Because the way he sets the room up each
time is the same way he set up our fifth date. I think he believes it was a
good night and he’s recreating it.”

Nash didn’t like how pale she’d grown. She squeezed his hand
tightly.

“But it wasn’t a good night?” the deputy asked.

“Not for me. I broke up with him the next day. He wouldn’t
take no for an answer. He kept calling me and visiting.”

“You didn’t report this?”

She shook her head. “I’ve known Andrew for a long time, we
went to school together. I never would’ve thought him capable of this. I live
in a small town. Everyone knows everyone else’s business. They were all so
thrilled that Andrew and I had gotten together. He’s the golden boy. Everyone
knew we’d been dating. I know they’d have thought he was sweet, that he was
simply trying to win me back. The only person who knows the truth is my friend
Trudy. She lives next door to me. She saw the real Andrew.” She swallowed hard.
Nash got up and got her a glass of water. She sent him a grateful smile.

“We’d been dating for nearly two months when I started to
grow wary of him. He had these mood swings. One moment he’d be sweet and
lovely, the next he’d be angry, yelling, just nasty. I was getting really
scared that he would hurt me, and I decided to end things with him. About two
weeks after I broke things off, I came home to find him waiting outside.

“I attempted to ignore him and walk past. But when I tried
to shut the door in his face, he pushed his way inside. He’s not a big guy, but
he’s larger than me and he sort of slammed me against the wall. By the time I
caught my breath, he was inside and the door was locked. I screamed at him to
get out.” She shuddered and both Nash and Quinn moved closer to her.

Nash glanced over Crista at Quinn; tension was evident in
every hard line of his body, his gaze murderous. Good. They were in agreement.
O’Ryan would pay.

“He grabbed my hair and punched me, then he— Then he tried
to pull me along to my bedroom. I thought he was going to rape me. I was
screaming, fighting him. Trudy heard. She’s a real badass. Black belt karate.
She came racing through the back door and pulled him off me. Soon as he saw
her, he ran.” Tears rolled down her cheeks silently.

“It’s over now, baby, he won’t ever hurt you again,” Quinn
promised.

“And you reported this?” the officer asked, his gaze kind.

Crista shook her head.

“Why the hell not?” Quinn asked. “They couldn’t ignore your
injuries. What kind of sheriff do you have there?”

“He’s not so bad,” she said tiredly. “But he’s a bit blind
when it comes to his son.”

“Shit,” Nash said.

Crista looked up at him and nodded, realizing now that he
understood.

“I made Trudy swear not to tell anyone. She agreed, but only
if I stayed with her or Doug. I didn’t want to put her in danger so I went to
Doug’s. Three days later we left for a job in Riverside and I haven’t returned
home in five months.”

Nash heard the longing in her voice and wanted to smash O’Ryan’s
head in for terrifying her, for running her out of her home, for denying her
the sense of safety she deserved. No wonder she always looked so tired and
worn-out. He bet she barely slept.

“Well, I don’t know this guy, so you can tell me anything that
goes on, you hear?” the deputy said sternly. Crista nodded.

“Do you have a photo of him?”

“Umm, no. But he has a photo on his website. He’s a real
estate agent. I can write the web address down if you like.”

He nodded. “That would be great.” Crista rose to get some
paper and a pen, but Nash placed his hand on her shoulder.

“I’ll get them.”

She nodded. “Thanks.”

“Who knows you’re staying here, miss?”

“Call me Crista. Umm, everyone on our crew knows. And my
next-door neighbor Trudy is watching my house.”

“Okay, so it’s possible someone told him where you were.
Especially if they didn’t know your history. My advice is to tell everyone to
keep an eye out for him. It’ll make it harder for him to sneak around. Everyone
will know what he’s doing and that you don’t want his attentions. Someone might
be trying to play matchmaker. I’d also advise you to move motels.”

Crista shook her head. “No, the other motels are too
expensive or dirty. We’re getting a good rate here. Besides, it wouldn’t be too
hard for him to find me. I’m sick of running from him. I want this over.”

She balled her hands into fists. Pride surged through Nash.
She might be terrified, but she didn’t intend to lie down and let this asshole
get the best of her. Not that he intended to let her fight this guy alone.

“It’s all right, deputy. We’ll watch over her,” Quinn said.
“You’ll keep us apprised of the situation.”

The deputy nodded. “I’ll go talk to Anita now, see if she
knows how anyone got a key. Then I’ll ask around in case anyone saw him. Call
me if you see him or if anything else happens, okay?”

Crista nodded and Quinn walked him out.

Nash ran his hand over Crista’s hair, holding her against
his chest, rocking her.

“I’m going to order us some dinner. What do you feel like?”
Quinn hovered over them.

“I’m not hungry,” she said listlessly. “I need to tidy up my
room.”

Quinn shook his head “I don’t want you going anywhere near
that room. We’ll get your stuff.”

She looked up at him and nodded. “Okay. I suppose I better
see about moving rooms.”

“No need,” Nash replied. “You can stay here.”

“But what about you? Where are you going to stay?”

“We’re staying here as well,” Quinn said firmly. “Although I
might see if they’ve got a bigger suite. I’ll call down. I’ll also order some
pizza.”

“Really, you guys don’t have to do this. I’ll be fine by
myself. Or I can go stay with Doug.”

Nash pulled back, tilting her face up. “Honey, I’ve been
working with you for over a month now and I’ve seen Doug maybe five times. And
each time he’s been drunker than the last. There is no way we’d trust your
safety with him. You’re staying close to us until O’Ryan is caught.”

Too exhausted to argue, she nodded, falling against him.
Poor thing. She’d had quite a day. He rubbed her back soothingly as Quinn spoke
quietly in the background.

“Pizza’s ordered. I spoke to Anita too. She apologized for
what happened but swears she didn’t hand out your key or see anyone around. It
wouldn’t surprise me if she left the front desk and he just reached over and
grabbed the keys. They aren’t locked away.” Quinn’s eyes were dark with anger.
“I told her we wanted all keys while we’re here or we’d take our business
elsewhere.”

“And she agreed?” Nash asked.

“Yeah. I can be very persuasive.” His smile held no
amusement. He reached down and ran his finger along Crista’s cheek. “How you
doing, Crista? Anita said they’d have a bigger suite available in a few days.”

“I’m okay. Kind of numb. I don’t want to put you guys out,”
she said, wearily rubbing her eyes.

“You’re not putting us out, so stop that nonsense right
now.”

Nash shot Quinn a quelling glance. Quinn took a deep breath
and let it out slowly, obviously trying to calm himself.

“I’m going to grab your stuff for you. You two stay here.”
His orders given, Quinn turned on his heel and left.

“Bossy bastard, isn’t he?” Nash tried to lighten the mood.

Crista snorted. “Yeah, I got that after he threatened to
spank me. You know, I didn’t take him for someone to make false threats.”

“He’s not. Neither of us are.”

She tensed and sat up. “Well, I’m not going to let him beat
on me. I’m not letting any man do that to me again.”

“Darlin’.” He leaned forward, reaching out, but she shied
away. He silently cursed Andrew O’Ryan. “Neither one of us would ever hit you.
Spanking you is a completely different thing. We would never abuse you.”

Crista looked at him, bitterness tainting her beautiful
green-blue eyes. “How do I know you really mean that? One day you might be
tying me up and spanking me, next day you’re dragging me by the hair and
punching my face while screaming you love me. No thanks.”

Nash stared at her thoughtfully. “Have you had a lover tie
you up and spank you, Crista?” he asked, unsurprised by the jealousy racing
through him.

She blushed and looked down, not answering. Nash sighed. “I
know O’Ryan was a bastard and he scared you. But you can’t taint me and Quinn
with his faults. We are nothing like him. Not all men are abusive assholes,
just like not all blondes are dumb.”

Nash ran his hand over her hair.

Crista sighed and nodded. “I’m just scared of trusting the
wrong man again.”

“I know, darlin’. You barely know us. But I promise you, I
would cut my arm off before I would ever harm you.”

At a sharp knock on the door, he tensed. “Wait there.” He
didn’t even glance at her as he rose. Nash grabbed a gun from a drawer,
shocking her, then moved to the door. Looking out, he saw a young kid in a
pizza uniform.

“Darlin’, the pizza’s here, but to be safe I want you in the
bedroom, all right?”

Her eyes were wide as she stared at his gun, but she rose
without a word. Nash opened the door and paid for the pizza, placing the box on
the small table.

“Crista, come and eat,” he called out.

She appeared in the doorway, looking small and fragile
bundled up in the large robe.

“Why do you have a gun?”

“Protection. I kept it after I got out of the Army.” He
placed the gun back in the drawer and turned around to pull out a chair for
her.

She looked at him a little suspiciously. “I’m not really
hungry.”

“You’ve got to eat something. Come on, sit down.” Nash continued
to hold the back of the chair, waiting patiently for her to sit.

The door opened and Quinn walked in, carrying a suitcase and
laptop bag. “Good, the pizzas are here. I’m starved. I’ll just drop these in
the bedroom and join you.”

Crista sank onto her seat. Nash helped push her chair in
before taking the seat to her right. After opening the pizza box, he placed a
heaped slice on each of their plates. Quinn returned, sitting on the other side
of her. Nash and Quinn ate while Crista picked apart her slice.

“Crista.” Quinn spoke in a low voice. She raised her face
and looked at him. “Is something wrong with the pizza?”

“What? Oh no.” She shook her head. “Guess I’m just not
hungry. Did you want some more?” She was reaching for his plate when Quinn
grabbed her hand. “I’m full, sweetheart. I’d like you to eat a few more bites
though.”

He held a piece of pizza up to her mouth. “Eat.”

She glared at him. He stared back undaunted. Crista
deliberately took one bite before turning her head away.

“Stubborn,” he told her.

“Pot meet kettle.”

Nash’s lips twitched at her sassy reply, glad to see some
color in her cheeks. Quinn simply rose and walked to the fridge, pulling out a
couple of beers. “What would you like, Crista?” he asked.

“Beer,” she replied.

“I thought you didn’t drink?” Nash asked.

“Not usually,” she said with a shrug. “But I would like one
now.”

Quinn grabbed another beer. Popping the tops, he handed them
around. Crista took three big gulps then set the bottle down.

“Where is everyone going to sleep?” she asked, glancing
around.

“You take the bed,” Nash offered, grateful she wasn’t
arguing about the arrangements. “We’ll take the floor out here.”

“No. It’s your bed and I’m short enough to fit on the sofa.
Quinn, you should go back to your room.”

“No way. You’re sleeping in that bed,” Nash said.

She opened her mouth but he beat her to it. “Argue with me
and I’ll just have to forget I’m a gentleman and join you.”

“Maybe we both will,” Quinn added wickedly, his eyes
dancing.

“I don’t understand either of you,” Crista said wearily.
“You don’t even know me, so why do you care where I sleep and what I eat? The
other night you tell me you want me and then you barely speak to me for days. I
know you probably regret saying it, but you don’t have to avoid me. I’m not
going to hold you to it, you know.”

Nash clasped her hand. “We do want you. We haven’t been
avoiding you. We’ve been trying to give you some space. In hindsight, that
probably wasn’t the best idea we’ve ever had. Look, honey, why don’t you try to
push all of this out of your head for tonight? You’re exhausted and I think
you’ve had enough to deal with. Go to bed. Sleep. Everything will be better
tomorrow.” He stood and held out his hand. “Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”

Amazingly she took his hand and let him lead her into the
bedroom. He reached the bed and pulled back the covers. “Sorry, I should’ve
gotten the sheets changed.”

She shook her head tiredly. “Doesn’t matter. I’m so tired I
won’t notice.”

Leaning down, he kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams, darlin’.
Call out if you need anything.”

He walked out and shut the door behind him.

Immediately he turned to Quinn. “I’m going to kill this
bastard.”

Quinn tidied up their leftovers as Nash paced, fuming. “I’m
with you on that one,” Quinn agreed as he threw out the last of the trash then
sat on the hard couch—damn, his back would be killing him by morning. “She
looked so scared today.”

“I know,” Nash replied. “I don’t like the idea of her being
helpless against this guy. We need to teach her how to defend herself.”

“She’s not defenseless. She has the two of us.”

Nash turned to look at him. “And if we’re not around?”

“We just have to make sure we are. I haven’t known her long,
but I’m sure as hell prepared to stand between her and anyone threatening her.
I want to protect her. I can’t imagine letting her go now, Nash.”

Nash let out a deep breath. “Me too. But what if she can’t
handle the two of us? I’m terrified of scaring her off.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a problem,” Quinn drawled.

Nash frowned. “Do you seriously think she could handle the
two of us in full Dom mode? Not just one of us but both? That’s a lot for any
woman, especially a little innocent who doesn’t even realize what she is.”

“Like I said the other night, I think Crista knows more than
you think. She’s here, isn’t she? We told her the other night that we wanted
her and here she is. Plus, have a look at this.”

Quinn grabbed her e-reader and handed it to Nash.

“What’s this?”

“An e-reader.”

“I know that,” Nash said with exasperation. “But why are you
giving it to me?”

“It’s Crista’s. When I picked it up it flicked on. It must
have been in sleep mode. Look what was open on it.”

Nash glanced over at the closed door. “You looked at her
personal stuff? Don’t you think that’s an invasion of privacy?”

“Totally,” Quinn agreed. “But you can learn a lot from
sneaking around. Take a look.”

“Jesus.” Nash stared at the screen, his face shocked. “This
is…”

“A story. About a hot ménage. A hot BDSM ménage. That girl
has some secret desires. Needs that we can help her with.”

Nash shook his head. “Just because she reads about BDSM
doesn’t mean she’d enjoy it in real life. This could all be fantasy.”

“Could be. But what if she is interested in learning more?
What if the idea of two guys turns her on? We don’t know unless we talk to
her.”

“I don’t know. You heard what O’Ryan did to her. How are we
ever supposed to get her to trust us?”

“By showing her that we are nothing like that asshole. Look,
how about we bring the subject up, see what Crista thinks?”

Nash grew quiet, apparently thinking. Quinn shifted
impatiently.

Then Nash nodded. “All right. She did talk about getting
tied up and spanked today, and I got the feeling it was more than just a
throwaway comment. There was this sort of wistfulness in her voice as she said
it. I just don’t want to scare her off. If she runs then we can’t protect her.”

“She’s not going anywhere. We’ll make sure of it.” Quinn
took Nash in his arms, kissing him deep. Arousal seized him, sizzling. “Feels
right, doesn’t it? You can’t deny how much you love being in my arms.” He
gripped Nash’s bottom lip between his teeth, biting down. “I want you. You’re
the fucking sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Watching you work without your shirt,
those muscles gleaming with sweat… Damn, it was all I could do not to bend you
over a sawhorse and take you.”

Nash grinned.

“I’m sure the rest of the crew would’ve loved seeing that.”
Nash’s eyes grew serious. “Crista’s scared of falling for someone like O’Ryan.
She’s been traumatized. She seems to think that spanking is just another form
of abuse.”

“Well, we’ll show her otherwise. I guarantee you, she will
thoroughly enjoy being our sub. She was born for it. She needs us. I’m not
saying she can’t take care of herself, but she shouldn’t have to do everything.
Not when she can lean on the two of us.”

Quinn stripped off his t-shirt. He threw it away, watching
hungrily as Nash did the same. He tugged Nash’s jeans and boxers down until the
other man stood before him, naked, his cock thick and stiff. Quinn grabbed the
other man’s dick, moving his hand in long, fluid motions, squeezing slightly.
Nash bit his lip, throwing his head back as Quinn continued to run his hand
over his shaft.

“What if she wakes up?” Nash placed his hands on Quinn’s
shoulders.

“Then we’ll ask her to join us.” Quinn cupped Nash’s balls
gently, rolling them around in his palm.

“Damn, that feels good.” Nash moved his hand to Quinn’s
jeans. “Off,” he ordered.

Quinn quickly shed the rest of his clothes. He clasped
Nash’s face between his hands and kissed him hard, rubbing his cock against his
lover’s.

“I missed you.” Leaning down, he swiped his tongue across
Nash’s nipple before biting his chest. Nash let out a low groan. “God, how I
missed you,” Quinn said fervently.

Nash surrounded Quinn’s dick with his hand. Heat raced over
Quinn’s body as the back of his legs tingled in anticipation of the shattering
orgasm he knew was coming.

“That feels so good. I can’t last, Nash. Let me, say yes.”

Much as he’d love to simply take control, Quinn knew better.

“Yes,” Nash hissed. Quinn wasted no time. He grabbed his
jeans, pulling out his wallet for a condom.

“Turn around, lean over and rest your hands on the seat of
the sofa. I can’t be gentle, Nash,” he warned him.

Nash just grinned. “Like you ever are.”

Crista had never been so turned-on in her life. She knew if
she reached down and touched her clit she’d go off like a rocket. But then she
might miss something and she couldn’t bear that.

She’d been woken by a noise. By the time she’d worked out
where she was, she’d been fully awake and thirsty. Opening the bedroom door,
she’d encountered a sight she hadn’t expected.