Crossroads 2: Lacey's Last Chance (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Crossroads 2: Lacey’s Last Chance

  Lacey is at a crossroads. She hasn’t met a man she can trust. Her last boyfriend was abusive, cheated on her, and caused her to lose her job. She’s desperate to start over and begin focusing on what she needs and wants in life instead of what she thinks will impress others. The last thing she expected was to find three men she could trust, never mind ones she could love. She’s being cautious but Stone, Louie, and Junior are very persuasive. As she begins an exciting new career with their support and help and thinks her last chance at happiness has finally arrived, Lacey winds up having to fight for her life and battle a demon from her past.

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

  Length: 70,301 words

  CROSSROADS 2:

  LACEY'S LAST CHANCE

  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 2: LACEY'S LAST CHANCE

  Copyright © 2015 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63259-288-0

  First E-book Publication: April 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 2: Lacey's Last Chance 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 Lacey’s Last Chance.

  Lacey has sustained a painful past, her scars so deep that her self-confidence is barely there. Her insecurities cause her to make bad decisions and her need to please everyone but herself nearly destroys her life.

  In a moment when she is faced with the reality of her bad decisions and the fact that she is being manipulated, and that the man she trusted was using her, she finally realizes that it all must end. Lacey must swallow the fears of her inadequacies, put the past behind her, focus on what she wants and deserves, and take a chance at a new life.

  Men are off-limits.

  The fear of being hurt, used, and degraded are so strong that she fears ever trusting a man again. At this crossroads in her life, she is not only faced with starting over, but also with learning to recognize true love despite the fears.

  May you enjoy Lacey’s journey as she decides whether to give up on a happily-ever-after, or to hold on tight for a hell of a ride and risks worth taking.

  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

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  About the Author

  CROSSROADS 2:

  LACEY'S LAST CHANCE

  DIXIE LYNN DWYER

  Copyright © 2015

  Prologue

  Suzette didn’t want them to leave. Miles and Nikko hugged her between them. It was Monday. Back to work, and back to reality. She inhaled Miles’s cologne, absorbed the firmness of Nikko’s muscles against her body, and felt like the next few days away from them would feel like an eternity.

  “Damn, I’m going to be thinking about you all day, baby,” Miles whispered, then kissed her deeply. His hands, their touch, ignited so much within her. She felt so desperate, so out of control of her feelings. She felt so raw and exposed. That should have freaked her out and made her put on the breaks to gain a more realistic perspective, but how could she? Not with their hands on her like this. Not with her body craving theirs despite the multiple times they had made love together over the weekend.

  She turned towards Nikko as Miles released her. He cupped her cheeks and smiled softly as he stared at her lips. He told her numerous times over the weekend how much he loved her lips and loved kissing her.

  “You sure we can’t come back over tonight after our shifts?” he asked.

  She shook her head and smiled as she felt her cheeks warm.

  “No can do. I told you my entire schedule, and you guys gave me yours for this week. We’ll be lucky if we get to be together for a couple of hours on Thursday.”

  “Damn, what a hell of a time to fall in love with the perfect woman,” Miles teased her, then tugged on her hair.

  “You be sure to try and ice those bruises, even at work. It will keep the swelling down,” Miles added as he looked at her swollen cheekbone and eye. It looked a lot better than two days ago. She was glad. She didn’t like the attention it drew towards her.

  She stepped back from Nikko’s embrace. They were both so big, so sexy, and she immediately felt the loss of their nearness as they slowly walked toward her front door. She followed, since Nikko wouldn’t release her hand.

  He pulled her close, ran his palms over
her ass, and squeezed. Her pussy wept with desire. They had made love countless times, yet she needed them again.

  “I don’t want to leave you,” Nikko whispered.

  She ran her palms up and down his chest as Miles massaged her back.

  “It’s not like we’ll be apart for long. We need to do our jobs. Besides, you can both text me any time you want. It will make it easier.”

  “Nothing can make being apart from you easier. You’re addicting, woman. Don’t you know that?” Miles teased, then kissed her lips.

  Nikko kissed her next as Miles opened the door.

  “You behave,” Nikko warned her.

  “That goes for you, too. The both of you,” she warned, and they smiled before they exited her apartment.

  Suzette leaned back against the closed door and smiled wide.

  “What a weekend,” she said, then pushed away from the door and began to head toward her bedroom to shower and get ready for work.

  She looked into the mirror and cringed from the appearance of her face. Was it better than two days ago? She wasn’t too sure as she absorbed the yellow, black, and blue coloring. Her cheekbone was bruised terribly, her eye discolored and ugly, and she had to head to Jacob’s school for the honor roll luncheon.

  Cover-up wouldn’t help this mess, but by now, after the media attention, the newspaper and television reports, pretty much all of Wellington would know what happened to her and how she’d sustained the injuries.

  She had so much to do. Plus, she wanted to visit Detective Murphy and his brother in the hospital, and she needed to fill out the incident report and get down all her notes at the office. Ned had called her all weekend and wanted to come over, until she explained that she had company.

  Then, of course, Aunt Marilyn wanted to see her and told her the kids were worried. She needed to spend time with them and assure them that she was okay and that she would never leave them.

  Suzette swallowed hard. Those poor kids didn’t even know the circumstances of their parents’ deaths, yet they feared losing her. Suzette got that insecure ache in her belly again. It made her wonder if she should really be with Miles and Nikko, even though she loved them and felt so protected and perfect with them. Over the weekend, when she got quiet or fearful, Nikko or Miles calmed her down, and she knew deep down inside that they would never hurt her and that she needed to take this chance. They were worth it.

  But that was easier said than done now that she was alone again, preparing for work and trying to figure out how she was going to fit in a relationship with two men who were SWAT officers.

  She gulped as she looked at the shower, started the water, and instantly remembered making love to them in there, too. Her cheeks warmed and her belly tightened. In one weekend, they had made love in so many parts of the apartment. She loved their bodies. They were perfection. She ran her hands along her skin, noticing the bruising on her hip from the incident at the Murphys’ house. Miles was pissed about that as well as Nikko. They expressed their anger about her bruises, about her being caught in such a dangerous, life-threatening situation. She couldn’t help but pick up on their instant protectiveness of her and she wondered if it could lead to problems.

  She recalled her sister saying that Michael was very possessive and jealous all the time. He wanted her home waiting for him. He didn’t want her out hanging with her single friends. He even made her think about quitting her job because of all the single men that worked in the office. Astella mentioned little things and then eventually told Suzette the truth. But her disclosure came a little too late. Pregnant with twins, nine months of no fighting and no abuse by Michael’s hands made Astella believe that things had changed. But they hadn’t.

  Suzette closed her eyes and willed the negative thoughts from her mind. Miles and Nikko weren’t like Michael. They were good men, strong men who had their own experiences and fears. They truly didn’t like seeing her bruised and injured. Even though they’d had sex so many times this weekend, and she knew she loved them despite her fears, she could slow this down a bit. Perhaps not seeing them all week would bring things into perspective for her and for them?

  It was going to be just fine. They weren’t like Michael. That’s what she needed to remember.

  * * * *

  Lacey cringed as she slowly climbed out of bed. He was gone, already at the gym, working out before showering and heading to the office. She grabbed her waist and looked down at the bruising on her hip. Finger marks and discoloration. Jeb had gripped her so hard last night. She knew he’d had too much to drink, but he was so fired up over the party they attended and the fact that one of the CEOs of the company was flirting with her.

  Jeb couldn’t stand Marc. Jeb couldn’t stand any man who looked at Lacey, wanting her, but he hadn’t exactly been perfect himself last night. She’d caught him flirting with some of the women. Hell, she was pretty sure he was caressing one woman’s leg under the table, but she was married. Not that it mattered. She’d seen plenty of married men cheat on their wives. Her gut clenched as she thought about Jeb. He wasn’t husband material. But she wasn’t as interested in having a husband as she was interested in having a companion, a man she felt safe with and could trust. That wasn’t Jeb.

  She slowly got up and felt the achiness in her breasts. He had been extra rough last night. It was like he wanted to cause her pain and got off on doing it. The expression in his eyes lately scared her. But when she thought about breaking things off, she feared his reaction. Meanwhile, he was the one saying that they weren’t exclusive. That brought tears to her eyes. It was a man’s way of saying he could fuck who he wanted, when he wanted, and that she was a regular lay.

  She didn’t need this shit, but Jeb knew people. He was friends with some of her friends, though not her closest friends. God, what Suzette, Sonya, and Bethany would do to her if they knew she was taking this kind of treatment from Jeb. They were only dating for the last few months, and technically heavy for the last two weeks.

  Lacey could break things off now, but perhaps he would make her work life hell. He could spread rumors. He could bad-mouth her, or even say she was an easy fuck. Men did shit like that to women all the time. She witnessed it at work. She hated that job, too, but it paid the bills. It was steady and she was used to it. She feared change. She feared being out of her comfort zone.

  She felt the tears in her eyes and then she swallowed hard. Her entire life, she suffered by the hands of controlling, abusive men. She thought landing a sexy, good-looking executive like Jeb meant that she was somebody, that she finally was seen as important, special, and worthwhile. Meanwhile, she didn’t feel worthwhile. She felt used.

  She glanced at the clock. She should have left for work ten minutes ago. She needed to shower and get ready. She didn’t want to be here when Jeb got back. He would probably yell at her for being late to work.

  He told her to be gone before he got back, and that he had some sort of meeting. It made her think about how she truly felt about Jeb. He wasn’t right for her, but when she thought about leaving him, she felt scared. Was she really fearful he could hurt her? God, I’m so stupid.

  She walked to the bathroom and started the shower. It would have to be a quick one. She didn’t have time for much. She made quick use of the bottle of shampoo and conditioner in one. She washed her hair, then scrubbed her body, trying to get that feeling, those sensations of dirtiness, out of her mind. She knew it was psychological. She was creating her own problems with this relationship. Jeb really wasn’t that bad. They looked good together. Maybe she was reading into his possessive behavior. Maybe he actually loved her and was just scared to admit to it. He was older, and she was a lot younger than him. That had to be it.

  Her gut clenched. She was trying to make this into something it wasn’t because she feared being alone.

  But then that pain, that instinctual sensation, felt strong. Things weren’t right. She needed to get out of this relationship. Hell, if it all turned to shit, she could alw
ays start her own business. She was great at numbers, working finances, and dealing with people. She had plenty of money saved. She could forget all about the executive world and open up her own business. She loved collecting art and antique furniture. She also loved the more upscale log cabins, and designing. Maybe she could open a store that sold more modern designer furniture, artwork, and accessories for those upscale cabins? That would be great, although she might not be able to do that on her own. Maybe Bethany, Sonya, or even Suzette would want to be partners?

  When she thought about Suzette, she felt her stomach ache again. She should call her and talk to her about Jeb. She was her best friend.

  She shook her head. Poor Suzette had been through enough this weekend. She could have died.

  The tears filled her eyes. Lacey had been so worried about Suzette and what happened to her. She’d told Jeb, and he had shaken his head and bad-mouthed Suzette, saying that since Suzette worked with lazy, dysfunctional losers who mooched off the system while the rest of them worked our asses off and paid for it all, that she deserved it. “Maybe she’ll wake up and quit being a social worker and do something that helps herself.” That’s what Jeb had said.

  Lacey had started to argue with him and say that what Suzette did was noble and kind and that she loved helping people in need. But Jeb got nasty. He’d gripped her face and then slapped her ass, dismissing her views and minimizing what Suzette did for a living. She’d felt degraded, and it wasn’t right.