“Me?” Lacey asked, then shook her head. “No, they’re a little older, more experienced than I am. We just seem to click together, in a not-so-traditional way.”

  This time, Cass chuckled.

  “Listen, any time you need someone to talk to, an older, not necessarily wiser woman who is used to these types of relationships and what they entail, you let me know.”

  “I appreciate that. I tend to hold things inside.”

  “Don’t we all? Heck, when I think about how closed-up I was and cautious when I first met Ray and Logan, it seems unreal. Now when I look back at when we first met, and how things progressed so quickly, I can’t seem to remember a time I hadn’t trusted them or held back. That trust will build stronger and stronger the longer you’re together. You’ll see.”

  Lacey pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and then exhaled.

  “Mrs. Slane, I think it’s going to take a little longer for me.”

  “Someone hurt you,” she stated. She didn’t ask.

  Lacey nodded.

  “My last boyfriend cheated on me and basically was using me. It cost me my career, which I don’t exactly miss, and cost me my confidence and feelings of safety and security. It was only natural for me to push Stone, Louie, and Junior away. Especially because it wasn’t the first time a man had hurt me.”

  Lacey looked out toward the water and then felt Mrs. Slane’s hand cover her hand.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really. I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to talk to my boyfriends’ mom about such things.”

  “You can if you want to. I won’t judge you. Hell knows I’ve been judged enough in my lifetime over marrying and loving two men. There are still parts of this country, never mind out of this country, that don’t recognize legitimate ménage marriages as real. But I don’t care. I love my men and they love me. We have three handsome, intelligent sons and hopefully one daughter-in-law very soon.” Lacey gasped as Cass chuckled.

  “Listen, they love you. Just be honest with them about what happened in you past to make you feel untrusting or need to take things slow. They’ll understand. They won’t want to lose you like they lost before.”

  “You mean Eliza? Yes, I know about her, and I told the guys about the man from when I was in college. Stone actually came to my rescue when Jeb, my ex-boyfriend, tried to assault me in the store.”

  “Oh my, that’s terrible. The nerve of him coming to the store, and after you were through with him.”

  “I know, that’s another thing. I don’t want them to worry or get angry or have to fight my battles for me, but I feel so safe when I’m with them that nothing can harm me. Isn’t that ridiculous?” she asked as she shook her head, then reached for her iced tea glass.

  “Lacey, that’s trust and love. Whether you’re ready to see that or not is up to you, but it’s there and it’s real.”

  “I want it to be, but every now and then something happens to remind me of the past, and I fear telling them because I don’t want then to worry so much about me.”

  “That’s because you love them, too, but strong, committed relationships don’t work that way. You need to trust one another. You need to be honest and not keep secrets or it will put a wedge between you all eventually.”

  Lacey thought about the flowers Tye had sent her. She should have told Stone who sent them and that the guy he saw was the man who had abducted her and raped her years ago, but she feared his reaction. Stone might have killed Tye right there, and she couldn’t let that happen. It was better left alone. What did it matter, anyway? From here on out, she would share her fears and any calls or contact to her from Tye. She had to, because she could risk losing her men. That would make Tye, and in some ways, even Jeb, have the last laugh on her.

  The waitress delivered their meals and they sat talking about the fishing the men were doing, the appointments Lacey had next week, and about the small boutiques around the corner that Cass thought Lacey might like. It was a fun afternoon she didn’t want to end. Cass was a wonderful woman that Lacey instantly connected to. The men were so lucky to have such great parents. She hoped one day to be half as great of a mom as Cass, and that thought had her thinking about her men and longing to see them in just a few more hours.

  * * * *

  “Hey, Mom, are you still with Lacey?” Louie asked his mom over the cell phone.

  “Oh, no, I’m not. She just headed to the parking lot and her car. Do you want me to go back that way to get her?”

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll try her cell phone. Did you have a good time?” Louie asked her.

  “Oh, yes. It’s beautiful down here across from the lake. The food was wonderful. I really like her, Louie. You and your brothers better take good care of her.”

  “Oh, brother. Come on, Mom. You raised us right.”

  He heard his mom chuckle.

  “Good answer. So how was the fishing trip?”

  “Stone caught the most. Looks like fish fry for dinner tonight.”

  “Well, get in touch with Lacey and invite her over, too. Your fathers will clean them up and I’ll stop at the farmer’s market for some fresh vegetables and potatoes, maybe make some German potato salad.”

  “Oh, yeah. We’ll be there. Let me hang up and call Lacey now.”

  “Okay, see you later, son.”

  Louie ended the call, but before he could dial Lacey’s number, Stone was calling her. He heard Stone leaving her a voice message.

  “That’s strange, Mom said Lacey just left. Why wouldn’t she answer the phone?” Louie asked.

  “Maybe she had it on vibrate or is on the other line or something. We’ll try again after we pack all this stuff up,” Stone said.

  “Did Mom say she what she was making to go along with the fish?” their dad Ray asked.

  “German potato salad and fresh vegetables. She’s going to the farmer’s market on the way home.”

  “Yum. Love that German potato salad she makes,” Logan added.

  Louie chuckled. His mom was a great cook and his dads always complimented her on it. He wondered if Lacey knew how to cook. They hadn’t even asked her. They just seemed to take over caring for her and helping her relax after her hard work.

  “What’s wrong, son?” Ray asked him.

  “I just realized that we don’t even know if Lacey can cook.”

  “How do you not know that? You’ve been with her for over a month,” Logan asked.

  “We just kind of take over cooking and caring for her at the end of the day. She’s worked so hard for the store and getting over the bad relationship she was in before. I guess we should have asked her if she wanted to help or if she enjoyed cooking,” Louie stated.

  “Well, you can ask her tonight. She’s a very beautiful, sweet young woman. You three be sure to treat her right.” Ray warned in that fatherly tone of his.

  Louie smiled.

  “What?” Ray asked.

  “Mom just said the same thing to me over the phone.”

  “Smart woman,” Logan added and they all chuckled.

  Louie smiled to himself. He couldn’t wait to see Lacey. They just needed to pack all this crap into the truck and head to the other side of the lake.

  * * * *

  Lacey was getting into her car when she heard her cell phone ringing. She was about to reach into her bag to retrieve it when she heard someone say her name. “Lacey?”

  She turned to see a woman standing there. She looked familiar, and as her brain processed who it was, she felt her gut clench.

  “I’m sorry to bother you. Do you remember me?” Tye’s present girlfriend. Of course I remember you.

  “I think I saw you at the art event in the city weeks ago.”

  “Yes. I was with Tye,” she said and lowered her eyes. The poor girl was practically shaking. What did she want? Lacey thought about what Suzette had told her, and about how this woman sought counseling from a social worker.

  “What can I do for you?” Lacey asked, unsure why this woman would want to speak to her. She stepped closer.

  “My name is Caroline. Um, you’re probably going to think this is strange, but I was hoping that we could talk. I know you know how Tye is. I guess I wanted to know how you got out from under his thumb. How did you make him lose his power?”

  She looked at Caroline, feeling kind of uneasy. Her gut clenched again, yet the sadness in the woman’s eyes reminded her of herself. She’d felt that lost at one point, that desperate for freedom.

  “What do you mean, how did I make him lose his power?”

  Caroline exhaled. “You know what he does. You know how he treats women. How did you leave him? How did you make it so that he was the one suffering and feeling all alone? How did you make it so you were irreplaceable?”

  “I wasn’t irreplaceable. He moved on because he had no choice. He chose a business deal over being arrested and charged with breaking into my apartment, holding me against my will, assault, and rape.”

  “He broke into your apartment and raped you?”

  Lacey held her gaze. She looked around and felt the uneasiness, the tears reach her eyes, and she felt compelled to help Caroline. She wanted her to know she could leave Tye and get away from him.

  “Yes. It was the worse night of my life. I’ve never been so scared.”

  Caroline clenched her teeth and Lacey could tell she was fighting something.

  “Are you okay?”

  Caroline looked around them, then back at Lacey.

  “He did that to me, too. He re-enacted the night he broke into your apartment, assaulted you, and forced himself on you. He made me say things that I guess you said to him.” She looked at Lacey with almost daggers in her eyes. She was more than likely insulted and hurt by his betrayal. It made Lacey feel sick to her stomach. Does this mean Tye still wants me?

  “Help me. Please, Lacey, can we go somewhere to talk? Can you help me?”

  “I don’t know what I can do for you. I mean, there are people who can help you. Professionals.”

  She shook her head.

  “No. No, I talked to the social workers. They don’t get it. They think it’s so easy to leave him, to say no and stop taking the abuse. Let’s go somewhere and talk. Please, Lacey. I need help from you.”

  Lacey looked around them. “Okay. Come in my car. We’ll go grab a coffee.”

  Caroline didn’t quite smile as she walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle. Lacey wasn’t too sure about this situation. She was compelled to help Caroline. She empathized with her fears and with her need to get away from Tye. Lacey started the engine as Caroline put on her seat belt, then turned slightly toward her.

  “We can go to Penelope’s and grab some coffee, sit, and talk?” Lacey suggested as she started making her way out of the parking lot, turning the steering wheel to head right.

  “No. It’s too crowded there and in town. Someone he knows might see me. I know a place. Someplace we can talk without interruption. I’ll give you directions. Head toward the mountains,” she said and Lacey pulled out and headed that way. Her gut clenched the further away from town they headed.

  “What is the place we’re going to? I don’t know of any coffee shops this far off the main road.”

  “It’s not a coffee shop, it’s a private cabin. It belongs to my friend, and it’s where I escape to clear my head. It’s where I’ve thought of going to hide form Tye.”

  “I think we should stop at one of the local places along the way. Tye would never come out this far and stop in for coffee.”

  “You think you still know him well?” Caroline asked.

  She gazed at Caroline, and for some reason she felt like she saw a change in her. She seemed angry. Her gut warned her to be cautious and she slowed the car down as they came up on a dirt road and what looked to be a little dive of a place. “How about right here?” Lacey said, and put on her signal to turn in. She heard the click and looked at Caroline. The barrel of a gun was pointed inches form Lacey’s head.

  “How about you keep driving and do what I say or I’ll blow your head off right here, bitch.”

  Lacey gripped the steering wheel. He heart pounded inside of her chest and suddenly she couldn’t swallow.

  “What are you doing, Caroline? Why?” she asked.

  “Just drive. It’s not far from here.”

  Her car wasn’t really suitable for the rough terrain. The car bounced and rocked as she went over unsteady ground.

  “We’re going to get stuck here. The tires are going to blow out. Talk to me, Caroline. Did Tye put you up to this?” The blow to the side of her face came out of nowhere. Lacey hit the brakes as her head rocked to the left, nearly hitting the side window. She felt the sting of broken skin. Caroline hit her with the gun.

  “Drive the fucking car. There’s a road a half a mile up. Do it,” she screamed at her, pressing the barrel of the gun against Lacey’s temple. Lacey tried not to cry, but she was in pain and so scared. She didn’t know why this was happening. Tye had to have put Caroline up to this. He was a manipulator and brainwasher, and now she would end up in his hands once again.

  She thought of Stone, Louie, and Junior. She couldn’t risk grabbing for her phone, but if she went missing, they could use the phone to track her signal. God, did I have a full battery charge? I’m so bad at remembering to plug my phone in.

  “Right there. Head up it.” Sure enough, there was a road, and as they drove further up, they pulled into the back of a huge log cabin. It had to be worth millions, and it hit her. This was Tye Weathers’s private home. He had made Caroline abduct her. She felt so sick to her stomach. She was going to die here.

  “Park right here and turn off the engine. I’ll take care of the car later.”

  “You don’t have to do this. You don’t need to listen to Tye and be his puppet.”

  “Get out of the car,” Caroline stated firmly.

  The moment she did, Lacey ran for the woods. The bullet whizzed by her head, nearly hitting her, and another hit the ground almost against her shoe.

  She stopped as she came to the edge of the road and saw how steep it went down.

  Caroline pulled her around by her arm. She looked wild and fierce.

  “You want to die now, then so be it. If I had my way, you would be dead, but this wouldn’t be over. It all ends here. Now move. Time is ticking.”

  She gave Lacey a shove and Lacey walked toward the side door. It led to a hallway and then a staircase. It was dark and Lacey couldn’t see a thing. She took small steps and it was too late when she felt the shove to her back. Lacey tumbled down a large set of wooden stairs, cutting her arms, her legs, and banging herself up everywhere. By the time she hit the bottom, a light came on as she lay on her back, moaning in pain.

  Footsteps echoed in what appeared to be a basement.

  Caroline kicked her. “Get up. You’re pathetic.”

  She kicked her again in the ribs and Lacey pulled herself up, tears rolled down her cheeks as the pain radiated through her body. Her elbows and arms were bleeding. Her capris were ripped on her right thigh. She saw a bed and Lacey stopped walking.

  “Take off your clothes.”

  “No,” Lacey replied instantly.

  “Take off your fucking clothes now.” Caroline swung the butt of the gun at Lacey’s face, hitting her jaw and cheek. She fell to the side of the bed and Caroline gripped her hair and yanked it back as she placed the gun to Lacey’s mouth.

  “I’ll kill you. I don’t care. I don’t want you here. I don’t want him to ever think of you again.” She shoved her head downward and pulled the blouse from Lacey’s body.

  “Get undressed.”

  Slowly, and in a lot of pain, Lacey lifted her camisole up over her head and dropped it to the floor. Then she unclipped her capris, slipped off her shoes and took them off next.

  “Get on the bed.”

  “Please don’t do this.”

  “Get on the fucking bed!” Caroline screamed at her, the gun shaking in her hand, and Lacey knew the woman was out of her mind. Had Tye put her up to this, or had Tye made this woman go out of her mind? She wished she had never stopped to talk to her. She wished she wasn’t a caring person who empathized with this abused, demented woman.

  “Click on the handcuffs. That side first.”

  Lacey was breathing heavy, tears rolling down her cheeks. Somebody help me. God, please, let someone have seen us. Let the guys be looking for me. Someone please help me.

  * * * *

  “Suzette, she’s not answering her phone. She’s not at the shop or at her apartment. We’re worried,” Stone told Suzette.

  “She was supposed to stop by my place if she had time after having lunch with your mom. Did your mom see her leave with anyone?” Suzette asked.

  “Stone, I just spoke with Bethany, she said that Lacey didn’t call this client she was supposed to contact about work. That was over an hour ago,” Louie said to them.

  “Oh, God. Do you think someone took her?” Suzette asked.

  “Jeb? You think her ex would be so crazy he would take her against her will and hurt her?” Stone asked Suzette.

  “I don’t know. But she did get those flowers from Tye. He showed up at the store the day before the grand opening. It shook her up.”

  “Who is Tye, Suzette?” Stone asked.

  “Tye Weathers. The guy who she was involved with in college. The one who hurt her so badly. Oh God, we need to call the police.”

  “We’re on it. Call Miles and have him pick you up and bring you to us,” Stone told her. He disconnected the call and explained things to his brothers.

  “Those fucking flowers were from him and she didn’t tell us?” Junior asked.

  “I walked in on that guy leaving the store. She acted like it was no one, and I asked about the flowers and she knew they were from this guy,” Stone said, running his fingers through his hair.

  “She didn’t want us to get angry. She knew when she told us what he had done to her years ago that we would react instead of remain calm,” Junior said.

  “Yeah, well, look where the fuck that got her,” Stone yelled.