Crossroads 3: Gut Instinct (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Crossroads 3: Gut Instinct

  Sonya is sweet, trusting, and inexperienced, but she must learn to follow her gut instincts or risk losing everything.

  She likes three very large, charismatic, powerful men who turn her on and intimidate her. When she signs up with friends for a self-defense training session, she never expects to be the only student or to get pulled in by mutual attraction and instant desires. She's taking a chance on three members of SWAT. They teach her some good techniques about keeping safe, but their techniques in bed overpower everything else until it's too late to turn back.

  Time and time again, her gut instincts warn her that the seemingly harmless Kenneth Mason is up to no good. But with her head in the clouds, she's ignoring those instincts, a decision that could cause her to lose her only chance to ever see her lovers again, or even to lose her life.

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romantic Suspense

  Length: 43,052 words

  CROSSROADS 3:

  GUT INSTINCT

  Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

  CROSSROADS 3: GUT INSTINCT

  Copyright © 2015 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63259-952-0

  First E-book Publication: December 2015

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2015 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Crossroads 3: Gut Instinct by Dixie Lynn Dwyer from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Dixie Lynn Dwyer’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Dixie Lynn Dwyer’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  Dear readers,

  Thank you for purchasing this legal copy of Gut Instinct.

  How often do you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach that something isn’t right? That maybe you shouldn’t walk down that street, or pass by that person standing by the corner? Or maybe you meet someone and something rubs you the wrong way, makes you feel concerned and on edge? It happens to all of us. It’s a natural instinct that helps to guide our decisions and heed caution when it activates. The key is to respect that gut instinct. It will never steer you wrong.

  The same can be said for Sonya, as she meets a certain man and her gut clenches, warning her to be careful.

  But, as she continues to meet him, and ultimately makes excuses, or dismisses that gut instinct to avoid him, she winds up in a heap of trouble.

  May you enjoy Sonya’s story.

  Happy reading.

  Hugs!

  ~Dixie~

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  CROSSROADS 3:

  GUT INSTINCT

  DIXIE LYNN DWYER

  Copyright © 2015

  Prologue

  That uneasy feeling crept into Sonya’s gut.

  She looked over her shoulder as she jogged down the street. She’d just made it into the clearing and onto the sidewalk from the trail in the park. There were more people around now, and she should feel less threatened. She tried shaking the feeling that someone was watching her, following her wherever she went. She couldn’t.

  As she glanced behind her, she saw the black car. She then looked around her, noticing the different people nearby. A woman walking her two babies in a double stroller, an older man walking and listening to his iPod, a couple of kids carrying a football and heading toward the park and the pathway she’d just come from.

  She wasn’t alone, and it was broad daylight.

  She was closing in on her spot, the place she ended and began her six-mile run. The exercise regimen she’d chosen to partake in six months ago on a whim to get into better shape and feel sexy and healthy had turned into an obsession. She loved running so much she’d gone out and bought a bunch of clothes, two new pairs of sneakers, an even a Fitbit to monitor her steps, the miles she ran, and calories she burned. She was feeling pretty good, and she wanted to fit into the dress she’d bought for the fall opening celebration at Wellington’s Hotel and Resort.

  As she sprinted the final few yards to the end point, she felt her heart pumping and then her feet and legs began feeling the toll of her long run as she came to a slower jog. She continued to walk and let her heart rate adjust before she stopped and stretched.

  The black car pulled to the curb, and then the engine stopped. She looked at it and then quickly looked away.

  “Sonya?” She heard her name and turned around toward the car. She was shocked to see Kenneth Mason walking around the front of the vehicle. It was some sort of a sports car, an expensive one.

  She was still breathing a little heavy as he stepped onto the sidewalk and came closer. He smiled wide, and she felt that twinge of concern, a gut instinct that warned her he was trouble. When she’d met him a few weeks ago at a big party her boss had insisted she attend, he wouldn’t leave her a
lone. She tried being polite, but it had cost her. He was creepy.

  “I thought that was you running. I saw you go into the woods on the other side, but I guess when I called out to you, you didn’t hear me.”

  She felt her heart begin to race a little faster.

  “No, I’m sorry, I didn’t. I had my headphones on. What are you doing around here?” she asked, knowing that he didn’t live in Wellington but, instead, closer to the city, a good thirty minutes away.

  He looked around them, smiling as if taking in the beauty of the surrounding area.

  His dark black hair was slicked back, neat and perfect. Even his clothing was perfect. His collared, white shirt was designer and tucked into his tan khaki pants secured by a designer belt in brown. Even his shoes were expensive and there was an air of arrogance around him as well.

  “I love it out here. Every weekend I come out to take in the scenery.” He turned to look back at her. He eyed her body, and the tight-fitting spandex bottoms and the tank top, which didn’t hide her well-endowed bosom at all. She swallowed hard.

  “The temperature is dropping. Shouldn’t you be wearing something more to ensure you don’t catch a cold with all that skin showing?” he asked, and his tone sounded like a reprimand to her. Who the hell was he?

  “Well, running is a hard workout. Before long, it will be too cold out here to even do any kind of running.”

  He crossed his arms in front of his chest and smiled softly at her.

  “What will you do to continue to stay in such great shape?” he asked, looking at her breasts and then licking his lips.

  Total creep. I need to end this conversation now.

  “I have friends who run a heavy exercise program through the community center. Anyway, I should get going. I have plans in an hour and need to get home.”

  “Do you need a ride? I was hoping we could stop and get a cup of coffee or maybe a smoothie if you prefer after such a…vigorous workout.” He emphasized the word vigorous, looking at her breasts again.

  “I don’t think so. Sorry.” She’d started to walk off when she felt the hand on her upper arm. In an instant she felt intimidated and wasn’t sure how to react. She also felt the firmness of his hand and had the feeling he was very strong and muscular, and she also felt as though he was trouble. That was the gut feeling she wouldn’t ignore.

  She raised one of her eyebrows up at him, despite the additional near half a foot he had on her. She looked at his hand and then at him, and he gave her a sassy sort of sarcastic expression before he released her arm.

  “Another time then?”

  “I’m really not interested. Enjoy the day.” She walked away, feeling his eyes burn into her shoulders as she walked, and that feeling of ickiness, of almost fear, told her she wasn’t being mean. She was following her instincts.

  As she walked, she wouldn’t turn back to see if he still watched her. She didn’t want him to misconstrue it for interest on her part or perhaps playing hard to get. Instead, she walked to her car, heard the roar of a sporty engine, then glanced to the left as his car went speeding by.

  She exhaled and wondered if it was just her insecure, inexperienced self being overly cautious. She was always intimidated by tall, capable men. Being inexperienced with men and with sex just added to her anxiety and made her question any ulterior motives. She knew that wasn’t the case with Kenneth. He put her on guard. He made her feel on the defensive, and she wasn’t that kind of person.

  When she got to her place, she looked around to make sure that Kenneth or that black sports car he drove wasn’t in sight. She didn’t see it, so she headed inside. It was times like these she wished she had taken up Felicia and Selina’s invite to move in with them and rent a house together. Even Joyce and Beverly had a place together, but Sonya was used to being on her own, living alone and fending for herself. Her tough childhood had hardened her heart in so many ways. As strong as she felt physically, especially after she worked out, mentally, and in the self-confidence category, she was weak. That was her downfall, and she knew it.

  She headed inside and dropped her keys by the front table after locking the dead bolt on the door. She still felt uneasy about Kenneth showing up today exactly where her running route was. Could it have been coincidence? Sure. Did she believe that? Not really.

  She walked by her dresser to look at her cell phone. She’d missed several calls, one from Lacey and one from Beverly reminding her about the fundraising event at the police department today and about being registered for the self-defense training and awareness classes. She hadn’t forgotten. She just worried about screwing up moves the officers taught her and getting embarrassed. Maybe the workshops would give her some insight into protecting herself from a potential attacker. With thoughts of that, she couldn’t help but think of Kenneth.

  Then she shook the thoughts from her head. She was being dramatic.

  While she quickly responded to her friends in a quick text, she thought about her mother. She always put Sonya down. Sure, the way she acted out and put everyone down, including her husband, had a lot to do with her addictions and depression, but Sonya was her only daughter. Why was she so cruel to me?

  She felt the tears fill her eyes, and she wiped them away before they fell as she began to undress. She started the shower, waiting for it to get to be the right temperature as she peeled off her sweaty clothes.

  This was why she worked out so hard, sometimes to complete exhaustion. Her mother always pointed out her faults. When she was a child, her mother had called her obese when she’d been chubby, like a typical kid with baby fat. Then, in adolescence, when she matured and her figure changed dramatically, her mother had told her she looked like a prostitute and that she should hide her breasts, wear bigger clothing so no one could see her figure. That girls would make fun of her and boys would want to touch her and use her body.

  Sonya stepped into the shower and hung her head under the spray of the hot water. It felt so good and relaxing. She’d really pushed it this morning. She stretched forward and opened her eyes. She looked down at her abundant breasts and felt the twinge of uneasiness, or maybe it was shame. Despite trying to put her mother’s actions and words behind her, it appeared the memory of them was still strong. It didn’t make her hide her figure but still made her self- conscious. She also didn’t trust any men. She chose being friends with some men, but as soon as they showed an interest, she pulled away and stopped talking to them, except for Jay Bird, Caleb, and Big Guns. She couldn’t help but to smile just thinking about them.

  They were so big, so strong, and had incredible large personalities. Big Guns was the quietest, most soft spoken, at least around her. He reminded her of a great big teddy bear. He would probably be furious that she thought of him in that way, but she did. She liked him. Hell, she liked Caleb and Jay Bird too. They’d been friends since elementary school. They’d been in the military together and even the police academy together. She absolutely hated when women flirted with them or when she heard they hooked up with someone. She was jealous, but she was also too shy. Maybe not even their type because they treated her like a baby sister.

  She grabbed for the shampoo and started lathering up her hair. She lifted her arms and then took in the sight of her body as she tilted her chin to her chest. No matter how hard she ran and worked out, she would always have hips, ass, and boobs. Even her belly wasn’t super flat, but she was in the best shape of her life. She had to be with friends like she had that were super sexy. At least that had been a plus. They’d taught her a lot about being beautiful on the inside and then feeling beautiful on the outside. In fact, she had a very sexy dress picked out for this upcoming weekend and the fall opening celebration.

  With thoughts of that and then getting ready for today’s events at the police department, she finished up her shower and worried about what to wear.

  * * * *

  Kenneth Mason pulled his Mercedes up the long driveway until he reached the estate. No one even knew th
is was his home. They thought he lived only in the penthouse in the city. That was his cover residence, the one he threw parties at and showed off his money and stature. No, here, here was his home and where he and his brother stayed. He heard the moaning and then the sound of something breaking as he entered the house on the first floor. There was a deep, stone-like basement below. That was where the game chambers were.

  It sounded as though his brother was keeping their slave busy.

  Kenneth walked into the kitchen and washed his hands. He noticed the dishtowel was crumpled up on the counter and a dirty plate was in the sink. Damn it, Nathan, all I ask is for you to respect my need for order and cleanliness. What could have possibly happened to make you forget and leave this fucking mess?

  He clenched his teeth and washed the dish and fork then dried it, put it into the cabinet where it belonged, and folded the dishtowel. He neatly placed it just three inches from the edge of the sink and exactly where he expected it to always be neatly placed.

  He heard the mumbled screams from the basement below. He smiled. How had she lasted so long? Three weeks and she was still alive and breathing, still fighting as if they would free her. Her replacement was just about ready to be taken. Kenneth just needed to gain a little bit of trust. He needed to learn more about Sonya. He had been searching for someone just like her for so long it was hard not to be impatient, but he sensed by her reaction to him today that maybe he was pushing a relationship too quickly. He didn’t want to spook her. He needed to ease her mind and make her think that he wanted friendship. He couldn’t screw this up. He would do anything for his big brother. Nathan needed Sonya. She fit into the fantasy of a wife that he wanted, and a wife she would be for Nathan.