Sage's Story [The Town of Pearl 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  * * * *

  “You are so full of crap, Wyatt. Damn, you haven’t changed,” Dale stated as he stood in the sheriff’s office along with Virgo.

  Wyatt chuckled. “I’ve changed a lot. I’m getting older, and losing my Goddamn patience. It will be nice to have you guys in town. How are things going, staying with your cousins Matt and Quaid?”

  “It’s going well. Virgo and I are looking forward to working with them, and of course you and your deputies. Anna and her friends sure have established a reputable shelter and community for women. Matt and Quaid filled us in on the need for security, especially with the expansion of the Main Street Inn & bed-and-breakfast and restaurant,” Dale added.

  “Have you two been there to eat yet? It’s amazing. Lena, Sage, and Abigail are doing a fantastic job,” Wyatt told them.

  “We’re supposed to go there tonight. We’re meeting Matt and Quaid after they’re done at the dojo. That place Dalton and Hank own is keeping them busy. The entire town is booming,” Dale said.

  Dale looked at Virgo, who remained quiet as usual. He didn’t say much. It was part of the reason why they left Delite. All their friends were meeting women and starting families, and it seemed like there wasn’t any hope for him and Virgo. When their cousins called them, asking for some help in the town of Pearl, they jumped at the opportunity for a new start. They had been close to their cousins. The years they spent in Delite put a damper on their relationship, but since they got back, it was like they never left. Dale was already feeling positive about the move.

  “It is booming, and it gets harder and harder to keep the peace and make sure the riffraff stays out of town. My deputies are doing a good job, along with the separate retired military we’ve hired with the help from Matt and Quinn and their security firm. So, what about coming over to our place this Sunday for a barbecue? Everyone will be there. You can see Anna?” Wyatt asked them.

  “Yeah, and the triplets. Three boys. Anna must be beside herself with all the responsibility,” Dale stated.

  Wyatt ran his fingers through his hair. “They are a blessing, considering that we weren’t even sure if we were going to be able to have children. We were so concerned about Anna’s health after the attack years ago.” Wyatt looked at the photo on his desk of him, his brothers, Anna, and the three babies.

  “But those headaches and dizziness passed, and her health improved,” Virgo added, speaking for the first time. Dale knew Virgo wanted a family of his own. They talked about sharing a woman, being used to those types of relationships but also needing that continued support they shared working in the field in the military together. They’d saved one another’s asses too many times to count.

  “It’s the type of town we have here. The people are caring, compassionate, and everyone is willing to lend a hand. So what do you say? Yes to Sunday?”

  “We’d love to,” Dale replied.

  “Tell Quaid and Matt to come along, too. I sent them an invite but never heard back from them. I know they get caught up in doing some special work for the government, but they need to return calls from friends, especially the sheriff.”

  “Let me walk you guys out,” Wyatt stated.

  Just as they headed toward the front door, they could hear sirens and motorcycles approaching. Wyatt ran outside with other deputies. Sure as shit, there were five motorcycles, speed bikes, flying through town with a deputy on their heels.

  “Holy shit. Look at them go,” Virgo stated.

  The deputies ran toward their cars ready to join the chase as one of the biker’s did a wheelie going at least seventy.

  “They got themselves a death wish,” Dale added.

  “Find out who they are and bring them in. All of them,” the sheriff stated.

  “Any idea who they are?” Virgo asked him.

  “Not a clue. Too many of the young guys have bikes. A lot of them look alike. Usually no one speeds through town. That’s very stupid and dangerous of them. I’m going to have to find out who they are, and come down tough before someone gets hurt,” Wyatt told them.

  “Perhaps before someone gets killed. That was some professional riding,” Dale added.

  “They won’t be so happy when they’re in one of my cells for the night.”

  Virgo and Dale chuckled.

  “Quite the exciting town you have here, Wyatt. We were looking for a little R&R you know,” Virgo teased.

  Wyatt chuckled.

  “It is a quiet town. A peaceful one, and anyone who interferes with that or tries to defy the law, will go down fast. Don’t you worry. I’ll catch them, and there’ll be hell to pay.”

  Chapter 1

  Sage was working at the Main Street Inn waitressing tables in the restaurant. She felt so guilty as people talked about the reckless way some teenagers sped through town today on their dirt bikes. Reckless teenagers? If they only knew.

  She could hear Abigail greeting some more guests, and when Sage turned to see who they were, she nearly gasped. Quaid and Matt London. Pearl’s number one sought after bachelors walked in. They were dressed, as always, ready to snag attention in their designer button-down dress shirts, custom made in Dallas, along with their designer dress pants. Like true cowboys, they wore cowboy boots that looked only slightly scuffed up. They were both over six feet two, and muscular, lean and mean looking. As gorgeous as both men were, they had attitudes. They didn’t waste their time talking to anyone they didn’t have to converse with. That attitude added to their mysteriousness, but also their popularity.

  She knew that they were going to sit in her section. The three times they showed up here, they requested it. They watched her carefully, and she didn’t like it one bit at all. She thought about telling Kenny about how she felt, but something stopped her. It wasn’t a creepy sensation they gave her, but something else. Something she would fight feeling for as long as she possibly could. They were older, in their thirties, and supposedly retired military. They sure did keep the town safe along with Wyatt, Kenny, and the deputies. She heard that they had men working undercover who people didn’t even know about.

  As they looked up after greeting Abigail, she locked gazes with them and immediately wiped her sweaty palms on her apron. She turned and asked the nearby table with the McCafreys if they would like dessert, as she began to explain what the special was tonight.

  “It’s a warm, sweet peach cobbler with homemade whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel over the top. It’s just divine,” Sage stated, as she felt one of the London men brushed by her. A quick glance over her shoulder and way up, past her five-foot-seven-inch frame, she locked gazes with Matt. He had dirty-blond hair, dimples in his cheeks, and bright green eyes. He winked at her and she smiled. Quickly she turned toward the McCafreys and took their order all while her heart began to race.

  She felt so on edge. It had to be the damn guilt she felt for her wild ride through town today. She didn’t even want to contemplate the possibility that Quaid and Matt could figure out that she’d been the crazy, wild driver of the dirt bike. As well as the crazy one who bungee jumped along with her friends off the closed-down abandoned bridge in Turbank. They had started a small fire to keep warm that night, because it was fall and getting cold and the water below was freezing. After they bungeed off the bridge, they hit the water and then swam to shore. The fire got out of control and the smoke alerted someone to them being by the abandoned bridge. Needless to say, the sheriff of Turbank arrived with deputies nearly catching them. Her friends were upset because they had to leave their equipment behind and the cops confiscated it.

  But she knew what she was feeling right now was more than just possible guilt for doing illegal stuff. It was more than that. Her nipples were hard and tight, and her damn pussy felt like it was dripping cream. These two were so sexy, and authoritative. Her mind instantly fantasized about them, and half the things she imagined she figured weren’t even potential positions during sex. What the heck did she know?

  If there were men out the
re who could break down her resistance to intimacy, it would be these two.

  She heard another commotion and then saw Quaid waving someone over. Looking toward the door, her mouth nearly dropped to her chest. The guys from outside the sheriff’s department today were heading over this way. She felt her chest tighten. Her belly ached, her pussy clenched, and she turned away to clear off the other table.

  Holy shit. They’re so big and so attractive. Oh God, I’m shaking. I’m intimidated. Holy crap. I’m completely intimidated.

  She headed toward the kitchen with the dirty dishes.

  “Are you okay?” Abigail asked her as she stood close to her and with a look of concern. The older woman had taken on a grandmotherly role the moment Lena and Kenny saved her from Triumph and Detroit. The fact that her sons legally adopted her added to her instant protective state.

  “I’m okay. I don’t know what happened.”

  “Those men are quite big. Would you like Meredith to take that table? I’m sure that Quaid and Matt will understand.”

  She looked at Meredith with her long blonde hair and big blue eyes as she licked her lips, already drooling over the four men, and Sage got angry.

  “Hell no. I can handle it.” She took a deep breath as Abigail smiled and then gave her a wink.

  “They like you, Sage. They’re good men.”

  “What?”

  The older woman just winked and smiled.

  Sage walked right over to the table.

  “Good evening, gentleman, I’ll be your server this evening. Could I start you off with a drink from the bar?” she asked, pen and pad in hand.

  All four men stared at her.

  The two big ones looked her body over and she could have sworn she felt their touch. Someone cleared their throat and she turned to see Quaid watching her, smiling.

  “It’s good to see you again, Sage. You look fantastic.” She felt her cheeks warm and then Matt leaned back in his chair and looked her over with a very pompous, stuck-up kind of way. She recognized that look. He thought he had a chance with her. She raised her eyebrows at him in challenge and one of the big guys chuckled.

  “I’ll take a Jack Daniel’s and coke please,” the one big guy who chuckled stated and she wrote it down. Then the other big guy said a Bud, then Matt and Quaid rambled off their orders of Bud as well.

  “Sage, meet our cousins from Delite, Texas, this is Virgo and Dale London.” Dale, the Jack Daniel’s guy, reached his hand out for her to shake. When they touched, she felt that spark of something but then quickly pulled away to shake Virgo’s hand. Both men were so big, her hand was lost within their much larger ones. She had some crazy thoughts run through her head, but quickly recovered.

  “It’s so nice to meet you. Welcome to Pearl. Are you visiting long?”

  “Depends,” Virgo stated. The man had short, crew cut, dark brown hair styled like a typical Marine would with the top slightly higher and flat. He was filled with muscles, so much so that his shirtsleeve looked about to bust open. His blue eyes sparkled as he held her gaze. Dale was nearly identical, but his eyes were green and he looked more approachable. She must have been staring too long because Matt tugged on her elbow, making her jerk to the right.

  “Problem, Sage?” he asked. She recovered quickly.

  “No, just trying to see the resemblance between the four of you. I’ll go put these drink orders in and then give you time to look over the menu. Tonight’s specials are grilled sea bass with wild rice and fresh asparagus, and a sixteen-ounce porterhouse steak, with baked potato and green beans.”

  She started to leave when Matt took her hand to stop her. She nearly dropped the pad and pen she held in her hand as she locked gazes with Matt. “What about that peach cobbler you were describing earlier? Sounded real good, Sage.”

  She immediately thought he was trying to be a smartass. Being used to men like this, she gave it right back to him. “We haven’t gotten to dessert. Maybe the appetizers and entrees will be too much for you to handle.”

  He looked her body over, as he released her hand. She did the same and it nearly backfired on her.

  “I think I can handle it. We’ll talk dessert later, doll.”

  She shook her head, and he chuckled before she walked away.

  * * * *

  “That’s one beautiful woman,” Dale whispered as he watched Sage. Matt smiled and then looked at Quaid.

  “You think so, Dale?”

  “Of course. Who wouldn’t? She’s stunning, kind of has a sweet yet tough attitude.”

  “What about you, Virgo? Do you think she’s pretty?” Matt asked.

  “There are lots of pretty ladies around here,” Virgo replied.

  Dale leaned back and huffed. “That’s not what they mean and you know it.”

  “What do you want me to say? I’m not into messing around with inexperienced women.”

  “That’s not what we’re asking, Virgo. You know that we feel the same way. We don’t sleep around. Hell, we’ve absorbed ourselves in our work,” Matt said and then ran his fingers through his hair.

  “What exactly are you two trying to get at?” Dale asked, just as Sage returned with their drinks.

  As she placed them down, some guy walked by and touched her waist.

  “Hey, Sage,” he stated and winked. She smiled up at him. Matt felt his gut clench. He was so damn jealous. He had no right to be. She wasn’t his and Quaid’s.

  “Hi, Davie.”

  Matt noticed how Dale, Virgo, and Quaid looked at the young guy and then back at Sage.

  “So, have you decided on dinner? Any appetizers to start?” she asked, looking a bit more comfortable than when she first came over. The guys rambled off their orders.

  “Looks like the porterhouse all around, darling,” Quaid told her and then winked.

  She smiled, and Matt’s hardened heart seemed to soften a smidgen. She was the only woman capable of that. It was killing him to not make a move. But she was young, twenty-two, and resisted any of his little flirtatious comments. Hell, she ignored Quaid’s, too. Besides that, he knew about her past, or at least the basics. Originally from Detroit, an orphan caught in the middle of a huge murder and drug-dealing operation that somehow involved Lena. Kenny Jones legally adopted her at the age of sixteen along with his brothers. She had her college degree, obtained early because of her work ethic and excellent grades. She was offered numerous jobs as a paralegal in Dallas and hadn’t made her decision as to which one she would take. Something held her back.

  “So what’s the deal?” Dale asked them.

  “We’ll discuss it at the end of the night. See what you have to say then,” Quaid stated and Matt smiled. It seemed that his brother was thinking what he had been. Perhaps their cousins Virgo and Dale would find Sage attractive, just like they did. Virgo and Dale were lonely, and wanted to find that special woman to share. They both had trust issues, but were loyal and strong-willed men. Bringing them here, and introducing them to the woman Matt and Quaid hoped would accept their advances was a step in completing the dream they all shared about sharing the same woman, and living together to provide her with more than she could ever ask for.

  * * * *

  Sage made her way over to Mr. Brent Pierson. He was a very attractive man, in his late thirties, who had been visiting town for the last two years. When she was attending college in Croton, outside of Turbank, she bumped into him at two separate clubs her friends hung out at. He was an entrepreneur, who made most of his money in investments. He loved Pearl and visited numerous times a year, but mostly in the summer months when the major activities occurred throughout the spring and summer through Memorial Day and Fourth of July. A few times he came during Fall Festival.

  There were bets amongst her friends that he was searching for the right woman. He was a really nice man, but there was something kind of mysterious about him. He had hinted around about her paralegal degree, and about looking for work and letting him help her. She declined his offer for no
w. She wasn’t quite ready to leave Pearl.

  “Can I get you another glass of wine, Brent?”

  He smiled at her instantly. “If I haven’t told you yet, you look lovely this evening, Sage.”

  “Thank you. Have you enjoyed your first few days here?” She held on to the chair in front of her as she absorbed the man’s attire. Dress shirt, first three buttons undone, which told all he was looking for action. However, he wore a long-sleeve shirt, crisp white, freshly ironed, and a real gold Rolex watch. Not some knockoff. She admired it last year, and he told her it was a gift from an ex-girlfriend.

  “I have been. I heard about the celebratory dance party at the dance hall in Turbank. I may go check that out.” He held her gaze as she smiled sweetly.

  “Well, if you’re looking for a good time and to meet some new people, that’s the place to be. My friends are going. I’m not sure if I am yet. I may be working.”

  He scrunched his eyes together. “Surely Abigail will get someone to cover for you. You only live once, Sage.” He winked. She chuckled. Sometimes she thought he was flirting with her. Soon she realized the man was just that charismatic.

  “Well, I’d better get back to work. I’ll be by to check on you shortly. Can I bring over another glass of red for you?”

  He winked and nodded, and when she turned around, she noticed the big guy, Virgo, was staring at her. She felt the tightness in her chest, and her cheeks felt warm. She walked over to the table.

  “Your meals should be right out. Can I refresh your drinks for you, gentleman?” She asked.

  “Sure, honey. Bring us another round,” Matt told her and winked. She nodded her head and smiled as she walked away.

  * * * *

  Virgo was watching the man she had been speaking to. The guy hadn’t taken his eyes off her at all. He was interested, and for some strange reason Virgo didn’t like that. The man was much older, too, and looked kind of stuck up.