Chapter Three
Silas stiffened whenhe heard the underlying concern in Kyle’s voice.The man was stone cold when it came to security concerns.Silas had never met team leaders who could analyze a situation as quickly and accurately as the owners of the Prairie Winds Club.Their team of contract operatives was recruited from the upper echelons of their respective fields.Kent and Kyle were protective of all their members and employees, but knowing they’d moved Fallon from one of the cabins into the ultra-secure apartment above the club spoke volumes.
“We’ll be there in five minutes.I assume whoever you’re sending won’t need Fallon’s keys?”
Silas heard Kent laugh from out of the camera’s range at the same time Fallon asked, “Why wouldn’t they need the keys?”Carson stepped forward, drawing Fallon’s attention away from Silas’s phone.
“Car locks won’t stop anyone Kent or Kyle would send.To be honest, from the looks of your car, the locks probably wouldn’t stop most third graders.”Carson’s observation probably wasn’t too far off the mark, but Fallon didn’t appear to appreciate his sarcasm.
“That was just rude.I know the car isn’t anything special, but it got me here, and I didn’t even use the whole case of oil the salesman threw in.”
If Silas hadn’t noticed the corners of her mouth turn up a fraction of an inch, he would have believed she was really offended by Carson’s remark.What he didn’t know was whether or not she was kidding about the oil.If not, she would have a hard time convincing anyone at Prairie Winds the car was worth keeping.
“We’ll see you soon.”Kyle turned to his brother before disconnecting the call, his voice stern and dripping with sarcasm of his own.“What kind of moron has two first names?”The call disconnected as Fallon giggled.
“Probably should have been a clue.It makes him sound like a teeny bopper who uses his first and middle name on stage.”Fallon shrugged before walking to the car.“It’s hot.I hope this fancy truck has air conditioning.My body is going take a while to acclimate to these third level of hell in May temperatures.”
“Sweetheart, if you think this is uncomfortable, July and August are going to be a rough ride.”Silas let Carson lead Fallon to the passenger side as he slid behind the wheel and cranked up the air conditioning.He smiled when his friend helped her into the front, seating her between them rather than using the rear seat.
They were only two miles from the club, so they were passing through the large front gate within a couple of minutes.Fallon hadn’t said anything during the short drive, but Silas could practically feel the nervous energy pulsing around her.Parking in one of the spaces reserved for the club’s dungeon monitors, he was grateful they’d be able to walk Fallon along the shaded walk to the back entrance.
“Thank you for the ride.I’m sorry you had to turn your truck into a meat locker.”Fallon tried to shift her knees to the door, but the movement was stifled by Carson’s long legs.Silas wanted to laugh at the startled look on her pretty face when she realized he wasn’t moving.The woman was an open book, her emotions playing out on her face clearly.She was uncomfortable with her attraction to them, and he understood how strange it must feel if she didn’t have any experience with polyamorous relationships.He could also well imagine she wasn’t looking to jump from the frying pan into the fire if her previous relationship ended poorly.
It might take her a few weeks, but once Fallon had an opportunity to spend time with Tobi and Lilly West, Gracie McDonald-Drake, and Jen McCall, she’d understand the benefits of having two men focused on your pleasure.Like the other men at the club, Silas and Carson worked long hours and traveled more often than they wanted to.Most of the time, it would be easy for them to juggle their schedules so their submissive would never be home alone.If they were lucky enough to find a woman willing to be their wife, they’d make certain it was a decision she never regretted.
“We’ll show you to the apartment and make sure you’re settled.If you want to take a shower, we’ll make sure you have everything you need.”
“Oh, no, I’ll be fine.I’d appreciate some help with my bags if there isn’t an elevator.I don’t have too many, but they’re pretty heavy.I’d win a gold medal if packing was an Olympic sport.”
Silas grinned over her ducked head at her swift response when Carson mentioned showering.Despite her jet-black hair and slightly tanned complexion, Fallon’s blush was a deep rose.Hell, Silas wasn’t sure he could remember the last time a woman in his care blushed.
“Don’t panic… yet, Cher.If you had let me finish, you’d know I was trying to tell you the shower in the apartment is a technological wonder.I’ve never met anyone who didn’t need help figuring it out.”
Carson’s voice was calm but firm enough for Fallon to see there were rules she’d need to follow.Her employment at the club would offer her some leeway with the club’s strict guidelines, but there were some points of protocol every submissive was subject to and interrupting was one thing none of the Doms would overlook.
“I’m sorry.I swear I’m not usually this jumpy or rude.It’s just that… well, you two are a lot, and the last time I trusted someone on sight, it didn’t work out well for me.”
That was the second time the hair on the back of Silas’s neck stood on end since he’d met Fallon.He understood the challenges between exes, but there was something more he hadn’t been able to identify.There was an underlying air of fear and vulnerability surrounding this woman, something he wasn’t sure she was even aware surrounded her.No doubt, the Wests would have many of the answers, and Cameron Barnes could fill in any blanks.
Silas had never met anyone as well connected as Barnes.For a man who claimed to be retired, he was still ass deep in alligators, as Carson was so fond of saying.Every time there was an incident involving the club or its members, Cam or Cooper was involved.Both men had worked for the CIA, and in Silas’s experience, there was no such thing as a retired Agency operative.The sound of Fallon’s quiet voice brought him back to the moment.
“It’s hard to imagine a shower so complicated, someone would need tech support.Are you certain I can’t figure it out?”
“Positive.Let’s go.”Carson wasn’t particularly patient on his best day and seeing the bruise on Fallon’s cheek pushed him past any semblance of being civil.By the time they reached the door leading directly to the apartment’s private elevator, Kent West was waiting for them.
“Damn, I thought maybe you changed your mind, Fallon.Did these two have to convince you my brother isn’t an ogre to work for?I’m Kyle’s good-looking and charming brother, Kent.Welcome to Prairie Winds.”
Fallon extended her hand, and Silas stood back, watching as it was quickly engulfed by Kent’s much larger one.Damn, her hand looked tiny in his monster mitt.It was all Silas could do to keep from growling at the sight of her hand in Kent’s.By the time he looked up from their clasped hands, Kent was grinning like a damned Cheshire cat.Kyle West might be considered the boss at the club, but it was an illusion.
Hell, Silas had known businessmen and women who believed they were dealing exclusively with Kent or Kyle when, in fact, they’d been dealing with both.They played alternating roles of good cop/bad cop easier than any pair he’d ever worked with, although they seemed to switch less frequently the past few years.There were few people outside their team of contract operatives who knew how skilled the men were or how well-respected they’d been as team leaders in the SEALs.
When Uncle Sam found out they were retiring, their commanding officer suggested they start their own team.Kent once told him it was the best career move they’d ever made.They had more freedom with their missions, could refuse a job they deemed too dangerous, and contracting was more lucrative than they’d ever dreamed possible.
Silas understood the monetary aspect of working independently, but he had no interest in the kind of work the Prairie Winds team took on.He’d worked in law enforcement until a few years ago.Private security let him follow an entirely different set of rules and paid exponentially better.He’d always wondered why taxpayers refused to acknowledge the importance of people who taught their children and those who protected them.Wages for teachers and law enforcement would never be enough incentive.Anyone choosing one of those professions did so because they considered it a calling.
“I had a flat tire.It seems the slick salesman who sold me the car neglected to mention there wasn’t a spare.If it’s alright, I’d like to freshen up before I start my shift.I might have underestimated how hot it would be in Texas.”
Silas grinned when Fallon tried to pull her sweat-soaked turtleneck sweater away from her skin.They’d have to make certain she had clothing more suited for Texas summers.If she thought it was hot now, she was in for a rude awakening.