A warm hand stroked her back as Hank whispered, “Slow breath in, Nika.” She tried to comply, not very successfully, and the shakes got worse. “Slow breath out.” She could hear their voices but couldn’t understand what they were saying over the roar in her ears. She took a deep breath in on his next command and let it out at his direction.
Instead of getting worse until she needed to lie on the floor in case she passed out, the shakes stayed steady and then tapered off as she obeyed his instructions over and over. Panic attacks were horrible but knowing the two of them were right there to lean on made her rebound a little faster. She didn’t have to deal with it on her own that time.
At a gentle stroke on her chin, she lifted her head and a glass of orange juice was held out in front of her. “Drink, Nika.” Embarrassment filled her when she couldn’t even hold the glass straight because her hands shook so bad and Travis had to hold it for her as she took a drink.
Hank kissed the side of her head. “Subs trust in their Doms to see to whatever need they have, whether it’s small or large. You were strong all day, Nika, and we’re so proud of you.”
In surprise, she turned to the sound of his voice. “I’m losing it, and you’re proud of me?”
Her brain did a reboot as she took another drink and was finally able to hold the glass in her hand.
“You didn’t eat more than a bite or two at the evening meal and I’ll bet you were experiencing low blood sugar and dehydrated as well,” Hank said, tipping the glass to her lips with a nod. “Drink it all.”
When the glass was empty, she sat back, feeling weak as a newborn foal. Both men had pulled up chairs to her and were holding her hands. She was shocked to find that Grace and Grandma Kate were also standing in the room. When had they arrived?
Oh, yeah, when I was wigging out. Awesome!
Travis said, “Nika, your location was revealed by someone who, for whatever reason, has a grudge against you. You are not safe here. Yes, you salvaged the day in an…
amazing
way. But you have to see this from our perspective. It’s obvious those ladies love you. The asshole behind this, though, does not. It’s that person we’re worried about right now.”
“But—but if I leave the ranch, everyone will think I don’t feel safe here. I brought this down on their heads and—”
Grace took Travis’s seat when he offered it, concern in her eyes, and said, “Veronica, you’re not safe here. The person who did this was able to pinpoint your exact location using the Internet and possibly the GPS in one of your mobile devices.”
“Oh my god, Grace. I’m so sorry. I’ve endangered your anonymity, and maybe even your family’s safety—”
Grace scoffed and patted her hand confidently. “Don’t you worry about me or our safety. The guys, and every man on this ranch for that matter, are aware of the implications of today. They’re going to do all they can to keep me safe, but right now I’m more concerned about you, honey. We have to get you off the ranch.”
“I feel so bad for making everyone drop all their work today.”
Grace shook her head and said, “Don’t. Life happens and sometimes you have to back up and punt.”
“I can’t simply abandon my work either. I’m so close to being done with the next book. I can’t stop writing right now.”
Grandma Kate took her other hand and said, “Listen to me, sweet girl. You told me yourself you can work from anywhere as long as you have the Internet, right?”
Veronica nodded and looked around at her work spread out over the large table. “But Duke put a lot of work into setting up my work station. If I leave, he’d have to do it all over again or I’ll have to work from just my laptop without all my stuff. This is too much—”
Grandma Kate smiled and gently stroked her cheek. “Duke works in IT and security. Do you think he’d place more importance on your safety or on whether he has to move your setup to another location?”
“Well…my safety, I suppose. I think it’s too much…I can’t—”
Grandma Kate tipped her chin when she looked down at the floor. They couldn’t understand how she felt. “Look at me, sweet girl.”
In her peripheral vision, she saw Hank and Travis both watching her and her cheeks filled with heat but she focused on Grandma Kate.
“Veronica Benedict, for as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been a shy, introverted, and misunderstood person. It is simply impossible for you to understand and accept that a group of individuals would drop everything to help you, isn’t it? You feel that you have to make it up to people when they do nice things for you so they know you’re grateful. You feel there’s no way you can make up for today, don’t you?” Grandma Kate paused, silently requiring an acknowledgment and Veronica lowered her eyes as she nodded. Grandma Kate had the rights of it.
Taking a seat in front of her, Kate continued. “Sweet girl, in Lusty, and here in Divine, family means something different to folks than it does among the Montana Benedicts. You’re used to having nowhere to turn but to yourself, so when you come amongst those who accept you—when you find that there is someone to help you at
every
turn—you don’t know how to act, do you?” She glanced up and saw the blue fire in Kate’s gaze. She was indignant.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Seeming satisfied with Veronica’s quiet reply, Kate dropped her hand to Veronica’s knee and asked one of the men. “What’s the arrangement for her work space?”
Travis replied, “Duke said he’d be happy to come tomorrow morning, pick everything up—all of it—and move it. He also said he’s going to make it his personal mission to track down the son of a bitch who would do this to you.”
Veronica was surprised by that. Duke surely had more important work to do than that, but Grace cut her off before she could put voice to her thoughts. “Veronica, accept that people are righteously indignant on your behalf. Duke is an Internet
ninja
. If he said he’s going to find that jackass, he’s
going
to find them. You may not have had anybody who was willing to defend you before, but Kate is right. We do things differently here and you’re one of us now, no matter where you live.”
“Because of me you were cooped up all day and unable to even step out of your house.” It had to be said. Veronica felt awful about that.
Grace laughed until her cheeks glowed and she had to catch her breath. “Are you kidding? Yeah, it was
so
hard. I got to help my friend in a major way. I got to work on plotting a new series practically all day long while Rose Marie spent the day with her grandmother. I got served lunch and supper upstairs by three hot guys who love me. And I got a glass of wine and a bubble bath. It was
such
a hardship.” She took Veronica’s hand in hers and leaned forward. “Honey, this is what it’s like when you have more than one man taking care of your needs, and a community that loves you.”
That does it.
She burst into tears. Not delicate, feminine tears. She cried big, ugly, loud, red-faced, snot-slinging sobs that left her even more wrung out and embarrassed than she already was. Grace wrapped her arms around her and patted her back and let her bawl her eyes out.
She caught a glimpse of Travis and Hank, figuring they must think she was a special kind of crazy. But both men watched her with empathy and concern as they spoke quietly with Kate, and then Hank walked back to her bedroom.
When her sobs finally subsided, Kate handed her a box of tissues to wipe up the mess and said, “Veronica, listen to me now. I shudder to think what might’ve happened if it had been the horrible person behind all of this showing up on your doorstep instead of all those nice ladies. I realize that you weren’t alone here but what if you had been? I know we’re all coming at you and that makes you uncomfortable, but in this case, you need to let Travis and Hank take care of you. It’s not that you aren’t in your right mind, honey. You’re just not seeing things from a clear perspective right now. We—
they
—don’t want to stop you from getting your work done, nor do any of us believe you’re ungrateful. On the contrary. We feel like we’re saving you from yourself at the moment and we think you’ll agree tomorrow that they’ve made the right decision.”
Frowning in confusion, Veronica sniffled and said, “What decision?”
Her sweet Grandma Kate arched her eyebrows and in a steely tone said, “You’re going home with Hank and Travis where you will be safe. And you won’t argue about it, either.”
“But I can’t let that troll think they got to me—”
“And neither can you stick your head in the sand about your personal safety. I’m with them on this decision, sweet girl. And I think you will be, too, once you’ve had time to think about it. They’re worried to see you so upset and that’s not easy for two strong men like them. They have a need to take care of you and you’re fighting them on it.”
“I’m not. I just don’t want to give in to—”
“You’re not giving in to anything. You’re letting two rather dominant men do what they need to do, what comes naturally to them. My goodness gracious! For such a gentle, submissive young lady you certainly can be
stubborn
. That’s the Benedict in you, I guarantee.”
Veronica couldn’t overlook Grandma Kate’s use of those two terms, dominant and submissive, in practically the same breath, and wondered exactly how much Kate knew. But she had a point. Veronica needed to pull back and see the situation from all perspectives and not just her own. She was usually more than able to do that, as a writer, and she realized she was being a little selfish, too.
“All right. I’ll go pack a bag.”
Travis said, “Hank is already doing that for you, Nika. All you have to do is grab your notes and anything you need for tonight’s writing. The rest Duke will bring to the house in the morning.”
“But Travis—”
Travis was resolute as he said, “You’re coming home with us, Nika. No more arguing.” His eyes were warm but his words left no room for debate and his bossiness irritated her a little.
Grandma Kate grinned and leaned forward to whisper, “My girl, I’d listen to him. I hear that in order to be prepared for every inevitability, game wardens carry all manner of leashes and collars and other restraining paraphernalia with them. You push him too much and he might show you what I mean.”
Veronica paused for just a beat, her writer’s mind and kinky imagination roaring to the forefront, wondering exactly what kind of gear Travis carried in his truck. She glanced at Grace whose eyes twinkled as she clapped a hand over her mouth and giggled.
“Why, Fort Knox wouldn’t be as secure as you’d be,” Grandma Kate continued. “I couldn’t imagine a safer place than between a sexy sheriff and a fed, sweet girl.” Her smile had a naughty tilt to one side and her eyes gleamed devilishly.
“Food for thought, Grandma Kate. Thanks,” Veronica whispered, thinking it was time to give in. She’d clearly lost the argument.
But going home with Hank and Travis had risks of its own. “What about if people wonder about a woman staying with the two of you. That sounds risky to me.”
Hank returned from her bedroom carrying all of her luggage to the door and then located the leather messenger bag she used for her laptop and all her files and notes and handed it to her with a nod of his head, expecting her to comply. “You don’t need to worry about that, Nika. I live on sixty secluded acres. No one can see my house from the road. They won’t know you’re there unless we share that information.”
Grace lifted a finger and said, “Maizy thought the same thing, guys, when she was staying with the bears, but that creeper still managed to take those photos of her with the bears in compromising moments.”
“Those were all outdoor photos by their pool, or so I’m told. Nika will be careful, won’t you?”
Hank glowered at Grace like she wasn’t helping and Veronica had to giggle before she said, “More than likely, I’d be inside writing…although a nighttime swim with all the lights off sounds really,
really
nice.”
Hank and Travis both swung their gazes to her, lust warming their eyes before Hank said, “You could use my hot tub, if you’d like. I don’t have a pool.” His eyes clearly said, “
At least not yet
.”
Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself again that this was a temporary situation. She could easily grow used to being with people who thought this way, who were protective. But eventually, she was returning to Montana.
Thinking of her empty apartment back home chilled her.
* * * *
Travis looked up as Veronica appeared at the end of the hallway, looking thoroughly worn out and heart-achingly beautiful. Her naked loveliness and fragility called the primitive, protective part of his soul to the forefront as she hesitated at the end of the dim corridor.
While she’d taken a shower in the master bathroom, he and Hank had busied themselves rearranging Hank’s dining room, which got little use, and setting up the loaner laptop Duke had given them earlier. He’d be checking all of her electronic devices for spyware and whatever else the troll could have used to track her whereabouts before bringing them, and all of her other paperwork, references, and notes, to her the following day. It wasn’t ideal, but she’d be able to access all of her online files from the laptop Duke had provided and she wouldn’t be impeded from getting her work done.