Nate hung up the phone and felt his stomach drop. It was worse than he could imagine. There really was a bounty on Zane’s head, or rather on his chest, and there was next to nothing the authorities could do about it. It was all rumors. No one undercover was willing to risk his or her assignment for an agent who had gone down in a blaze of questionable behavior. He knew Zane hadn’t done anything wrong, but his cover had been blown and no one had an explanation for how Ellis had come to find out Zane was a cop. Zane had left the agency without trying to fight for his job, but then he’d never really tried to fit in there in the first place. He wasn’t a “climb the ladder” kind of guy.

Luckily, Nate was. Nate understood how important contacts were. Special Agents Ben Leander and Marcus Worthington were on their way to Bliss. He’d had to call in a couple of favors, but now they had some backup. Ben and Marcus were two of the best-connected men the agency had.

Nate sat back in his chair. His head was starting to pound. He’d had to promise his old boss that he would give serious consideration to coming back in three months. It meant breaking the deal he had with Stefan. Stef might understand, but he had to consider Callie and Zane. He always meant to return to the DEA once Zane was back on his feet. He’d been on the fast track there, and he’d been told what happened with Zane hadn’t touched him. He would move up in the DEA and then look for a job in Washington. He might never get back the money his father had lost, but he could support Callie in the way she should be supported. He could give her a good life. He would find something for Zane. They would work it out.

He would buy a place with a guest house, and Zane could “live” there. Nate would marry Callie, and no one needed to know what their arrangement was.

That could work, right?

Of course, before they could figure out their living arrangements, he needed to deal with the problem at hand. Why were the Barbarians coming after Zane and not him? The question nagged at Nate. They had both testified in the trial that sent Ellis to jail. They had him locked up good and tight. The arrests and the trials were all solid. Years and years of information gathering had led to numerous arrests and the end of the largest drug operation in the southwest. Some of the group had gotten away, but given how large the operation had been, that wasn’t so surprising. The fact that any of them would risk getting caught meant Ellis was damn serious about hurting Zane. They hadn’t found all the money, but otherwise it had been a highly successful operation.

Those years with the Barbarians played in his mind. Zane had fit in there better than he had at the DEA. There was no bureaucratic bullshit to deal with or cocktail parties to attend. There was beer to drink. There were women to fuck and drugs to move. Zane had been damn good with the women and not at all bad with being the muscle Ellis needed to keep his business working. Nate had taken on the “guy who would do anything” role. It didn’t get him close to Ellis, but it kept him and Zane safe. No one wanted to mess with Nate Rush.

If only his reputation could keep them safe now.

He needed to find a place to stash Zane and Callie until he’d figured out how to get the Barbarians off their backs. Their place was a no-go. The front room was a wreck. He didn’t want to risk going to Callie’s. It would be too easy to figure out who the woman from the bar was and where she lived.

He heard the door to the station open. Zane and Callie were talking as they walked in, joking about something that had happened at the diner. Nate’s cock responded almost immediately as she laughed. He hardened painfully at the sound of her voice. The night before played through his head. She’d been so sweet. She’d opened herself to them and never made a complaint when they took her over and over, trading places, giving her not a second to catch her breath before one of them was on top of her again.

Callie smiled as she opened the door to his office and held out a white bag emblazoned with red lettering stating proudly it came from Stella’s Diner, established 1970. “Brought you some lunch.”

Zane crowded behind her, his hands skimming her hips. “I tried to get you the special, but Callie insisted on a boring old cheeseburger.”

Her face lit up as she passed Nate the bag. “Zane made a friend. Hal, the cook at Stella’s, now thinks he hung the moon. Seriously, he’s half in love with Zane because he ate the special.”

Zane shrugged and threw his big body into the chair across from Nate’s desk. It was the first time Nate had seen his best friend look comfortable in months, maybe in years. Zane’s face was open for once. Callie had done that. One more thing to be grateful to her for. He reached out and ignored the burger, preferring to pull her into his lap. It might make him a bastard, but he had to have her. Right here. Right now.

“Oh!” Callie gasped. Nate circled her waist and planted his face in the nape of her neck. It had only been a couple of hours, but he’d missed her. Callie wiggled, and her ass was right across Nate’s erection.

“Should I lock the door?” Zane had one eyebrow elevated. He looked ready to join in on the fun Nate had planned.

“No,” Callie protested.

“Yes.” Nate moved a hand up to her thigh. He thought about the stuff he’d saved from the cabin. It was sitting in his bag at Zane’s feet. It contained everything they needed. They’d used Zane’s stash the night before, but Nate had always been better prepared than his friend.

Zane moved quickly, locking the door to his office with a click.

“Sheriff, this is incredibly unprofessional.” Callie sounded breathless, but she attempted to sit up.

He wasn’t about to let that happen. “No, Ms. Sheppard. You will mind me. I’m your boss. You’re my secretary.”

She went still in his arms. He worried for a moment, but then he felt a little shaking in her chest. She was giggling.

“Seriously? You want to play right here, right now?”

He didn’t want to play. He needed to play. He had a few hours before those DEA agents would show up and he would be confronted with his old life. He needed to be here with her, in the moment.

“I think we need to go over a few of your new duties, Ms. Sheppard.”

She turned her head and grinned at him. “New duties, huh? I take it you’re talking about something other than filing and sorting.”

“You better believe it.” He gave her a tiny shove, and she was on her feet. The small office suddenly seemed overly full with all three of them inside, but it felt perfectly intimate to him. “Slide your skirt off and hand it to Zane. He knows what to do with it.”

Her mouth crooked up, but she seemed to be game. Sweet Callie was a dirty girl underneath all that sugar. His heart skipped as he thought about it. She was a dirty girl for them and only them. She’d never been down and filthy with anyone else because she’d never really wanted anyone else. It made Nate feel ten feet tall.

Her hands went to the back of her skirt. She fumbled with it, the gracelessness of the act endearing to his mind. He looked at Zane, expecting hot anticipation on his face, but there was a smile there instead. It was the goofy smile of a man insanely into a girl who was hot for him, too. It was probably a lot like the smile on his own face.

She managed to undo the button on her skirt. He heard the sweet sound of the zipper sliding down and then she pushed the skirt off, revealing inch after inch of skin. She was lightly tan without a single tan line. He got hard as hell thinking about how Callie had managed that. He could see her sitting by the river in nothing but her own perfect skin. He would love to lie next to her, feeling the warmth of the sun caressing him.

Of course, professional men with a mind toward a big-time career didn’t sunbathe naked.

He shoved the thought aside as she handed Zane her skirt.

“I do know exactly what to do with this, babe.” Zane tossed the skirt in the trash can next to Nate’s desk.

Nate gave him a thumbs-up. Callie didn’t need clothes. “On the desk, baby. Spread your legs.”

“I’m going to need that skirt back,” she said as she dutifully hoisted herself onto the desk. It was neat, but she had to move a few files. She spread her legs and couldn’t seem to stop giggling. “This is starting to feel an awful lot like a gynecological exam. I’m not sure how sexy that is.”

He sighed as he looked at that gorgeous, plump pussy. She kept it perfectly shaved. He looked forward to performing that task for her. It would be a sweet intimacy.

“I bet your gynecologist doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about how pretty your pussy is.” Zane stood beside him staring down like he was appreciating a great work of art.

Her head came up. “I would hope not. She’s almost seventy and has seven grandkids.”

“I also bet she doesn’t do this.” Nate got on his knees. He leaned over and pressed a kiss on her pussy.

Callie’s head fell back. “Definitely not, Sheriff.”

He pressed kisses all over her pussy. Light butterfly caresses that had her quivering. Her clit started to peek out of its hood. “I like the way you call me Sheriff, darlin’. It makes me think of putting you in handcuffs and giving you a full body search. As a matter of fact, maybe we should do a little probing. What do you say, Deputy?”

Zane rolled his eyes. “No way. I am not your deputy, but I will most definitely help probe her. I have the perfect instrument we should use.”

He had something else in mind. “That’ll have to wait. If you grab that bag and look inside you might find what we need. It’s clean and ready to be lubed up.”

“It?” Callie asked with wide, curious eyes.

“Yep,” he replied. He took hold of her thighs and neatly flipped her over. “Put that pretty ass in the air, Miss Sheppard.”

“Nice. When did you have time to buy a butt plug?” Zane held the small pink plug in his hand as he poured lube across the plastic and readied it.

“Maybe we should talk about this.” Callie sounded uncertain, but she didn’t move from her place on the desk. She got on her hands and knees. Her heart-shaped ass was right there. He’d never be able to sit at this desk again without thinking about her gorgeous ass ripe and ready for use.

“No talking, Cal. You want to fuck us both, right?” Zane handed Nate the plug and his hand reached out to trace the curves of her ass. “We have to get you ready. We have to play with this hot ass of yours before we can fuck it.”

Zane had hit the nail on the head. Nate wanted to get his cock in that tight ass. He wanted to screw her ass while Zane fucked her pussy. He wanted her between them.

He took the plug and nodded at Zane, who still held the lube in his hand. He knew what to do. He poured a line of slick lubricant in between her cheeks.

“Let me spread those for you,” Zane said, his voice even deeper than usual. His eyes were caught on the globes of her ass. Zane’s left hand came across the small of Callie’s back. He gripped her and slowly pulled until Nate was able to see the puckered beauty of her backside. It was tight and closed. It would take work to get that gorgeous hole to admit him inside. His dick throbbed in anticipation.

Callie shuddered, her hips shaking slightly. Nate frowned.

“Baby, if you don’t want to do this, all you have to do is say it.” He didn’t want to push her.

“Bullshit she doesn’t want it. She wants it. I can smell how much she wants it.” Zane breathed deeply and his sigh was all satisfaction.

“Maybe so, but it’s rude to talk about it.” Callie sounded prim and proper even with her asshole on display.

“Get used to it,” Nate shot back. Now he could see that her pussy was dripping. She did want it. She wanted everything they could give her. “We won’t be polite with you. There won’t be anything staid about the way we fuck you. You’re ours. We’ll take you when we want, how we want. Be glad you don’t wear panties, baby, because I’d simply rip them off when I wanted to fuck my pussy. And this pretty ass is ours, too.”

Nate lined up the head of the plug and pushed in. The tight muscles refused him entry.

“Babe, you gotta relax. You gotta press back against the plug.” Zane gave her soothing advice.

“Really, Zane? Done this much?” She didn’t seem to be in the mood for advice. It was the most irritated he’d ever heard her.

Zane flushed. “No, but I’ve watched an awful lot of porn. You can learn the damnedest things on the Internet. Listen, babe, I am open-minded. If you do this and later on it leads to my dick sinking into this gorgeous asshole, I promise I’ll let you play with mine.”

“Me, too, baby.” Nate wanted in so bad, he’d promise her the moon. He could take his sweet Callie playing around with his backdoor if it meant regularly getting inside hers.

She groaned and leaned forward, going down on her elbows. The plug slid in as her rosy ass opened up. It was a lovely site. Nate worked the plug in and out gently. He fucked her with the plug, pretending it was his cock taking the virgin hole.

Zane groaned beside him. He was watching, too. He was probably thinking the same thing. Nate slid the plug in and pulled back out, noting the way Callie began to sway with the rhythm.

“Not so bad, huh?” Nate asked, adoring the way she clenched around the plug.

“It’s weird, but okay. I can handle it. I think it might feel good.”

Zane leaned over and kissed the small of her back. “It will, babe. It’s gonna feel so good. I promise, we’ll go slow. We’ll take care of you.”

Nate pressed the plug in one last time before he decided it was time to take care of her. She’d done beautifully for her first time. Next time, he’d have her wear it for a while, but for now, he wanted her comfortable. He needed to pay her back for her openness. He pulled the plug out and dropped it discreetly in his desk drawer. Luckily, he was responsible for cleaning his own office.

“That was lovely. Now turn back over.”

Callie flipped herself around, just a tad awkwardly. “Are you done?”

“Not by a long shot, babe. Now it’s your turn,” Zane said, proving he could read Nate’s mind.

Her face was covered in a pretty blush. Her legs dangled off the desk. Nate reached down and rearranged them so her knees were up, her heels on the edge. It left her open and vulnerable.

“Let me taste this pussy.” Nate let his fingers find her soft flesh, and she squirmed as he cupped her.

“Only if I can taste you and Zane after. I want you both in my mouth.”

It took everything Nate had not to come in his jeans. He would fuck her mouth if that was what she wanted. He’d fill her up. But first, she was going to come and come hard under his tongue.

“That sounds perfect. Why don’t you start on Zane, baby? I’ll join in after I’ve taken care of you.”

Zane moved from Nate’s side. Nate looked over the expanse of Callie’s beautifully bowed body. Zane was pushing his jeans down. Callie’s head was at the edge of the desk. Zane cupped her chin and turned her head to the side. He pressed his cock against her lips. Her tongue came out, licking at the head. Zane put a knee on the desk so she didn’t have to strain as he slid his cock into her mouth.

He knew how good that felt. He loved it when that hot tongue ran all across his cock. She gave the best head. It was only fair she got some back. Nate breathed in her scent. Cream coated her pink pussy with a sweet, musky smell. His cock twitched. He leaned down and licked, gathering her juice as he went. He licked her over and over. She tasted so good. He slid his tongue through her labia and up to her clit. That pink pearl was fully out of its hood and begging for attention. Nate sucked it into his mouth and tugged gently.

“Oh, Nate!” Callie’s legs shook as she came. Her hands wound into his hair, tugging and pulling as she pushed her pussy against his face.

Nate got to his feet and his hand was on the fly of his pants when there was a knock on the door.

“Sheriff.” Logan’s voice cracked through the intimacy of the office.

Callie sat straight up and started fumbling for her skirt.

“Not right now, Logan,” Nate barked. He wasn’t going to interrupt this because Logan had trouble with a tourist.

“Sorry, Sheriff. I think it’s important,” Logan insisted.

Damn it. His cock would have to wait at least as long as it took to murder his deputy.

Zane cursed, too, but stuffed his cock back in his jeans. He helped Callie zip up her skirt. Nate nodded at Zane and sat back in his chair, pulling Callie into his lap. He needed her. He didn’t want his deputy to see that he had a monster erection.

Rye Harper had the right idea. He’d been the one to put up that sign that announced he was fishing. Nate needed a new one.

Don’t Commit Any Crimes – I’m Fucking My Secretary.

Zane unlocked the door and it swung open, revealing a red-faced Logan with a piece of paper in his hand.

Logan looked from Callie and Nate over to Zane and back again. His mouth came open and then closed. “Okay, well, I just wanted to tell you that some crazy-looking chick walked in a couple of minutes ago and handed me this note.”

He held the folded piece of paper out toward Nate. Callie struggled to get off his lap, but he held her close. It was time for Callie to understand he had no intention of hiding the fact that they were lovers.

“Give it to Zane,” he instructed. If he took his hands off Callie, he’d lose her. He fully intended to get back to his fun the minute he got rid of his deputy. Hell, he’d simply lift her up and bring her down on his dick.

Logan handed the paper to Zane, who immediately opened it and started to read.

Nate cuddled Callie close. She sighed and shook her head, as though trying to get him to understand how disappointed she was in his professionalism. He ignored her. He’d explained that he had no professionalism when it came to her. She would have to learn to live with it. “Thank you, Logan. Why don’t you go and write the tourists some tickets? We could use a new microwave.”

Callie slapped at him softly as Logan walked out. “He will be on the phone to his moms, his girlfriend, and everyone else he knows in just about…now. Do you know how the gossip mill works in a small town?”

Nate didn’t care. Let ’em talk. “You don’t think staying at our place last night escaped the town’s attention? How about what happened this morning? Baby, I assure you they noticed you were in Zane’s T-shirt and clinging to one of us most of the time.”

He pulled her close. This was what he’d wanted since that first day when he walked in and realized how close he would be working with her. He cuddled her close and was satisfied when she softened against him, her head lying against his shoulder. He kissed her cheek and was about to tell Zane to lock that door again when he saw the look on his partner’s face. Zane had gone white, his jaw tight. A slight tick in the muscle of his left cheek let him know his friend was deeply disturbed. After the events of the morning, he had a bad feeling who the note had come from.

Well, at least he didn’t have an erection anymore.

Callie was watching Zane now, too.

Nate sat up. “What is it?”

“Bullshit, that’s all.” Zane folded the note again, and Nate could tell he was trying for a nonchalant look. “So, we checking into a motel or what? I don’t think we should stay at Callie’s. I wouldn’t want someone chucking a fire bomb into her house.”

“Let me see the note.” Nate leaned forward. Callie hopped off his lap and went to sit in the chair beside Zane.

“Who was the note from?” Callie’s voice cajoled, her hand rubbing a circle over Zane’s denim-clad thigh.

Zane tossed the note on the desk. “He’s someone Nate and I knew a long time back.”

Nate unfolded the note, all that arousal he’d had a few moments before turning into anxiety. “Shit. How the fuck does this bastard run things from his prison cell?”

The note was from Ellis, though not in his handwriting. The “crazy-looking chick” must be one of the women from the gang.

“He probably dictated it to his lawyer.” Zane’s face was perfectly smooth. To an outsider, it would look like he didn’t care, but he could see the wheels working in Zane’s head. “You know some of those lawyers are as bad as the assholes they represent.”

The note was simple.

Give up Zane or else.

It didn’t list a place to drop him off or give them a time limit. Just a simple threat. That was Ellis’s way. He would never tell you what he was going to do. He would rather his victim wondered. Nate let his gaze find Callie. She tried to get Zane to hold her hand, but he merely squeezed it and let it go again, shifting to get out of reach.

He knew in that moment that Zane was going to leave. Oh, he wouldn’t tell them. He would wait until they weren’t watching him and he would sneak off in a stupid attempt to sacrifice himself for the greater good. It would break Callie’s heart. It wouldn’t do much good for him, either.

“We need to think about moving Callie to someplace safe.” He didn’t want to get into it with Zane while she was around. It would worry her if they came to blows, and they just might. But when she was otherwise occupied, he was going to lay down the damn law with his partner.

Zane sat forward. He seemed perfectly happy to talk about something other than that note. “Absolutely. Maybe you should take her away for a while. You know, the two of you could go on vacation, maybe to the beach.”

Or they could have this out here and now.

Callie sat back, her mouth open in shock. “I’m not leaving. This is my home. I already had this fight with Stef. Why would I leave?”

Zane’s face hardened. “Because it isn’t safe for you. I don’t know if you noticed, but someone’s tried to kill you twice in the last twenty-four hours.”

“And I’m perfectly fine, thank you.” She stood up and crossed her arms defensively over her chest. “I’m going to make some coffee and check the phones. I still have a job to do, you know.”

The minute Callie was out of sight, Nate leaned forward. “Whatever you’re thinking about doing, don’t.”

Zane’s mouth was a flat, stubborn line. “You know it’s for the best. I’ll sit in that fucking bar until they come for me. I won’t go in alone this time. I’ll pack some serious heat.”

He would go down in a blaze of glory. Nate got the message. Only he’d made a promise to himself that Zane wouldn’t go down period. “Just sit tight. I’ve got this handled.”

“Like you handled it last time?”

The words cut through Nate like a knife to his heart. He felt himself pale as though he’d gone bloodless, and his eyes weren’t looking at Zane anymore, at least not the one in front of him. He saw Zane as he’d been that afternoon, laid out on a table, his skin smoking, blood leaking out onto the floor. When he’d uncuffed his partner, the big bull had managed to get up and beat the living shit out of a couple of his tormentors. It was only when he passed out from blood loss that he went down. He’d fallen and hit his head on a mounting block and slipped into a coma.

Nate hadn’t been able to catch him in time. He could remember how hard he’d tried to get to him, how the whole world seemed to slow down, but no matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t fast enough. He’d failed so terribly.

“Did you hear me?” Zane’s rough voice brought him back to reality. “I won’t let her get hurt.”

Blood rushed back into Nate’s body, pumping through his muscles with an angry vengeance. Damn it, how much did he have to do to make up for his mistake? Should he have rushed in to save Zane, guns blazing, when they were terribly outnumbered? He’d made the right call that day when he went for backup, and he was making the right one now.

“You think I intend to throw her to the wolves to save your ass?” Resentment bubbled up. He’d put his career on hold to take care of Zane, and had the bastard once said thank you? Now he wanted to accuse him of putting Callie in danger? “Let me tell you something, I will let them carve you up if it means sparing her a moment’s pain, do you understand?”

Zane growled, baring his teeth. “Yeah, I got it, buddy. At least we’re in agreement on something. So, I’ll go and take care of this, once and for all. I would think you would be thrilled. You get the girl and ride off into the sunset, Sheriff.”

Nate’s fists came down on his desk, making the thing shudder. “Why do you insist on killing yourself? You know what? I’m tired to death of forcing you to live. You want to give Ellis the satisfaction of taking you apart, then go the fuck ahead. Who am I to stop you?”

Zane stood, shoving the chair back against the wall. He took up a lot of space in the small office. If only he had a big brain to go along with his bulk. Nate stood, too, facing down his oldest friend in the world.

“What are you waiting for, asshole?” Nate spat the question out. “The door is that way. I’ll take care of Callie, don’t you worry about it. I’ll take her out of this two-bit town and show her a real life. We won’t remember you at all.”

He didn’t mean a word of it. Even as the words spilled from his mouth, he knew that he would miss Zane. He would miss his friend forever, and there would be a hole no one else could fill. Why was he such a stubborn ass?

Zane hesitated. His face fell, but in the space of one breath to the next, he became hard as stone. “You don’t know her at all. She’s nothing but a freaking trophy to you, rich boy. You can’t take her away from here. This is her home.”

“Her home is with me and where I decide to make it.” Even if Zane stayed, that held true. Nate was the only one of the three of them with a lick of ambition. Callie was a sweet thing, and Zane spent all of his time reading books and watching baseball. It was up to him. He would pull them along and make a brighter future for all of them. Zane and Callie had grown up without. They had no idea what real money could do for them. Callie lived in a run-down, two-bedroom cabin. Zane had grown up in a shitty apartment in a nasty section of town. When he found a proper job, Nate would make sure she had the best house they could afford, where any kids they had would have every advantage money could buy. He would use his old connections to make her comfortable in society. She would adjust.

Zane shook his head. “Man, she’s not some high-society girl, and she never will be. She will never be some country-club woman. The girl likes to spend most of her time naked. How is that going to fit in at one of your charity balls? Face it, rich boy, your money’s gone. You’re down here in the mud with the rest of us, and you’re going to stay here.”

Nate’s blood was boiling, bubbling right under his calm surface. Zane knew where to thrust that knife in. All of Nate’s life he’d been groomed to take over his family’s business. He’d rebelled when he joined the DEA, but the ambition that had been bred into him never went away. Now that the family business and money were all gone due to bad investments, a crooked accountant, and the condition of the economy, it was up to Nate to get his position back. It didn’t matter that Callie had grown up here. Everyone had to leave the nest eventually.

It was a home with no future. He couldn’t move up here. He couldn’t get back what he’d lost in Bliss, Colorado. The most he could hope for here was another term as sheriff. No matter how nice the people were, Bliss was a dead-end town. “You won’t have to worry about us, man. You’ll have done your duty and sacrificed yourself. You’ve been trying to commit suicide for years. Well, I won’t stop you anymore.”

He would. Nate would lock his ass up if he had to, but he wanted to play this out to the end.

Zane was the very picture of half-contained rage. His muscles bunched and corded, his eyes flared. “I didn’t have to commit suicide, asshole. I just had to follow you. You think I wanted to join the fucking DEA? I went to make sure you didn’t get yourself killed.”

The words rolled out of Nate’s mouth before he could think to take them back. “Well, you could have saved yourself the trouble. I wasn’t the one who fucked up and blew my cover.”

When the punch came, it caught him across the face, and Nate’s head snapped back with an audible crack. His eyes closed against the blinding pain of every nerve in his face firing off. He reached his hand up to wipe the blood away. Zane stared at him as though he wanted to apologize but couldn’t force the words out of his stubborn mouth. It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t have accepted an apology. He needed something way more painful than an apology. This was a long time coming and something inside him thrilled at the thought of a fight.

Nate launched himself across the desk with no thought other than beating some sense into his oldest friend in the world.

The lamp on his desk fell to the floor with a crash. Zane shouted something, but Nate’s focus had narrowed. He pulled back his arm and brought it down with every bit of force he could muster.

Zane fell back with a groan as Nate’s fist met with his face. Zane was bigger, but Nate had always compensated by being more vicious. He didn’t pull his punches, and he didn’t pause to breathe. Zane was his punching bag, and he took all of his pent-up anger out on his big body. He got in a swift upper-cut to Zane’s chin. He landed a fist on Zane’s eye and noticed there was blood on his hands. His? Zane’s? Didn’t matter.

Zane finally managed to kick him off. Nate had the breath knocked out of him as Zane’s knee got him in the stomach. His ribs ached, and his back hit the desk. He lay there for a moment, taking in the extent of his injuries. Then Zane grunted, and Nate knew they weren’t done yet. Before Zane could get the drop on him, he brought up the heel of his boot and kicked him squarely in the nuts. Zane went down with a whimper, falling back into the chair he’d previously occupied.

“You motherfucker.” Zane moaned, cupping himself.

Nate wiped the blood off his nose. He was pretty sure it wasn’t broken. “Yeah, well, I’m not letting you sacrifice your ass to the Barbarians. We’ll find a safe place to hole up and figure out what they want with you.”

“Damn it, they want my head,” Zane shot back. He shifted in the chair. “If they don’t get mine, they’ll take yours or Callie’s.” He let his head fall back, and his eyes closed. Zane seemed infinitely weary. “I’m tired of all of it. It isn’t worth it, man.”

“You are so selfish. You always have been.” Nate managed to push his body up to a sitting position. He hissed slightly as he twisted. Damn, Zane knew where to kick a guy. He’d feel that impact for days. “Have you thought at all about how this affects Callie? The last time we left her, she was alone for six years. She’s not some girl you pick up in a bar and leave behind the next morning. She deserves better than that.”

Zane wiped blood from a cut under his right eye. “I never promised her anything.”

“You promised you would take care of her.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Nate’s fists clenched. He was just about ready to start the fight again. The first beating hadn’t gotten through Zane’s thick skull. “You can’t take care of her if you’re dead. Who’s to say that they won’t come after me next? Should I go lie down and die, too?”

Zane kicked out. His boot caught the edge of the desk, making it shake.

“You think I want to die?” His hands shook, but he stopped and took a breath. He sat like that for a moment. “Fuck you, Nate. Maybe what I want is to be free of you. Maybe I want to start living my life without having to measure up to your standards. I am leaving, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

The door slammed open, and Nate’s head swung around. He noticed Zane was looking, too, his face as white as a sheet.

“Callie, baby,” Zane started, but the words fell away.

There were tears shimmering in her eyes as she looked between the two of them. “You two through beating on each other?”

Nate noticed she was holding something in her hand. It dangled at the side, a nest of brightly colored vines flowing through her fingers.

Zane’s face went mulish again. “We’re done. Now, I gotta go. I have something to take care of. Nate can take care of you the rest of the day.”

He pushed himself out of his chair, but Callie didn’t move. Zane stared at his boots, obviously unwilling to force his way past her.

“Callie, it’s just something we do from time to time,” Nate tried to explain. It was true. At least once a year, he and Zane had it out. It was a guy thing. Callie paid him absolutely no attention.

“Tell me something, Zane,” she began. Her lower lip trembled ever so slightly. “Was I going to get another note? At least last time no one knew about it. I didn’t have to deal with the town pitying poor Callie, who can’t keep a man to save her life. If you wanted to leave, if it didn’t mean anything, why did you tell one of my oldest friends that I was your woman?”

Zane shrugged. He didn’t look up. Callie might not know it, but it was a sure sign that whatever came out of Zane’s mouth next was a complete lie. “I’m a good-time guy, darlin’. I like to fuck a pretty lady, and last night you were hot as hell. This morning, I want to move on. I don’t mean to hurt you, babe. I’m not the kind of man who settles down.”

“He’s being a self-sacrificing idiot.” Nate scrambled off the desk and forced his way in between them. He reached for her free hand. Despite the righteous ache in his bones, he felt the need to defend Zane, even against himself. “Don’t believe a word he says.”

Nate was surprised to discover his heart pounding. He knew why he was trying to save the big idiot’s life, but he was also trying to save the relationship—between the three of them. It was important.

“You stay out of this. It’s between me and Callie.” Zane stared past him at Callie.

She turned to Nate. “I’m not stupid, Sheriff. I know he’s lying, but in a way, he’s not. I can’t mean that much to him if he’s willing to walk away without a fight.”

Zane shrugged and gave her a grin that had Nate wincing. There was a wealth of arrogance on Zane’s face. It was his “I’m an asshole” expression. “What can I say? I’m that kind of guy. I’d rather not fight, babe. It’s easier to walk away.”

She held up the nest of wires in her hand. “I’m glad you like to walk. This is a good portion of your motorcycle’s electrical system. I trashed it. I grew up with three brothers. They might not have been blood, but they taught me things all the same. I also punched holes in your tires and took a club to the headlight. You might have heard that if you hadn’t been beating on each other. You want to walk out on me, Zane? You will walk.”

Zane took the wiring from her hands, his face a study in complete disbelief. “Goddamn it, Cal. How could you do that? It won’t work. I’ll get it fixed, and I’ll be out of here by sunset.”

“Where are you going to get it fixed?” She held her cell up, mocking him. It was pink with fake diamonds all over it. It was ridiculously feminine, like Callie, and just like its owner, it could do far more damage than one could imagine. “I already called all the mechanics in town who might be able to do the work. They won’t have a place for you for weeks. They’re already calling their buddies in Del Norte and Creede. You’ll have to get that bike to Alamosa if you want it fixed, and no one will tow it for you. Good luck pushing it a hundred miles down the highway.”

She turned. Zane’s hand shot out, hauling her back. Nate watched warily. Zane wouldn’t hurt her physically, but Nate was ready to beat the crap out of him if he pressed her further.

Zane had dropped the playboy act. His anguish bled through his eyes. “It won’t work. Damn it, can’t you see I’m doing this because I love you?”

A shadow crossed her face. “No, you don’t.”

“I am willing to die for you.” Every word out of Zane’s mouth sounded tortured.

“I know, but you’re not willing to live for me. That’s what I need. I’m nothing more than some fantasy to the two of you. I’m not real.” Her shoulders slumped as she turned. “I found us a place to stay until you figure all of this out. It’s well protected, and no one can sneak up on it. It’s on high ground in an old fort, but the group has kept it up well. We have rooms there. One for each of us.”

Nate crowded out Zane and reached for her now. Why was he getting punished? He wasn’t the one walking away. “Callie, I told you I’m not hiding our relationship.”

“No, but you’re planning a life with a woman I don’t know,” she accused softly. “Zane is right. I’m never going to fit in where you need me. It’s best if we call it all off now. I think the two of you should stay in Bliss until this group is caught. After that, Nate can head to wherever will give him the best salary, Zane can sit in a bar and drink himself to death, and I can move to Denver and go back to school.”

A savage anger swept over him. If he thought he’d been pissed at Zane, that was nothing compared to what he felt now. He had to force his hands to relax or he would bruise her. “You’ll go with me when I leave, darlin’. Make no mistake about it.”

The wary look on Callie’s face satisfied him. It didn’t match her words. “I won’t.”

Zane pushed against him. “Babe, you have to let me go.”

“I will. When you’re safe, you can go wherever you like. You see, I love you, Zane. It doesn’t matter that you don’t love me. It doesn’t matter that neither of you loves me. I’ll keep you safe if it’s the last thing I do, and then we can all move on.”

“I have no intention of moving on without you.” Nate growled the words. Damn it, he wasn’t moving anywhere without either one of them. He needed them. He needed Zane for friendship and Callie as his lover. They were his soul mates. Somehow he’d gotten two, and he wouldn’t lose either one.

Her eyes were clear now, though Nate could read the steady strength in them. “It’s not your choice. We’re playing by my rules now. We should get going. We need to meet with the director so he can go over the community guidelines. We’ll stay there while we sort this out. I’ve called a town meeting for tonight at eight. If some biker gang is threatening us, then we need to get the town involved.”

She pulled away from him. He checked the need to haul her into his arms. He wanted to show her that he wouldn’t be dismissed. He wouldn’t go down easy. There would be time for that when she’d calmed down. He had zero intention of sleeping alone tonight, but arguing wouldn’t help. He’d have to get physical. She was responsive. She wouldn’t be able to turn him down if he turned her on. “Where is this safe place?”

She paused at the doorway, her brown eyes slightly humorous. “The safest place I know—the nudist colony.”

Nate groaned. He was never going to survive the day.