out of her. She wasn’t so stupid that she thought it would be a simple matter of turning over the evidence to the police, and then Joel would spend many years behind bars and cease to be a threat to her.
Doing the right thing wasn’t easy. It wasn’t supposed to be easy. If it were, then everyone would always go that route and the world would be a much better place.
But it wasn’t, because men like Joel Knight continued to grow and prosper at the expense of the women he owned and controlled, threatened and intimidated.
That was no longer going to be her, and if she could help it, it would no longer be the women he peddled to men willing to pay Joel’s price to use their bodies.
“Is everything all right, Lauren?”
Lily’s anxious voice cut through Lauren’s thoughts. Her smile was automatic as she stared back at the other woman. But the longer she stared at Lily, the more she knew she couldn’t lie to her friend’s face.
There’d been too many lies as it was.
“I don’t know yet,” Lauren said in a low voice. “Liam and Noah are talking to Seth about it.”
Lily put her hand over Lauren’s and squeezed. “You know that we’re here for you. All of us.”
This time Lauren’s smile was genuine. “I do know that and thank you. You can’t possibly know what your support means to me.”
“Oh but I do know,” Lily said. “It wasn’t so long ago that I was in a terrible situation. The Colters were wonderful to me. I’ll never forget what that felt like after living with so much pain and regret. You’ll get there, Lauren. You just have to give yourself time to heal.”
They were interrupted when the group of men walked into the kitchen. Lauren immediately pushed her plate away, relieved to have an excuse to be done with it.
Liam came to stand beside her and slipped his hand over her shoulder. “You ready to go? It’s getting late.”
She nodded, examining each of the men’s faces in turn, looking for some sign of . . . condemnation. But all she saw was steady resolve. Determination.
She slid from her chair and rubbed her hands down her pants in a nervous gesture. Noah reached for one of her hands and laced his fingers through hers. His hold was comforting and strong. He tucked her into his side and ushered her toward the door amid good-byes from the Colters.
The cool night air was a much-needed balm for her senses. She breathed it in deeply, savoring the crispness. For a moment she hesitated, staring up to the blue-black sky. Stars cascaded across the expanse, like glitter tossed carelessly from the hand of a child.
The mountain loomed over them, silhouetted against the sky, and the moon was just visible between two peaks. Around her, the pines, furs and aspens swayed with the gentle breeze, bringing to her the spicy scent of pine.
What was most remarkable was the quiet. Silence had settled over the land with the blanket of night. Only the occasional rustle wrought by the wind stirred any sound.
It was a peaceful place. The most beautiful place Lauren had ever experienced. She wanted it to be her home. Her haven.
A lifetime away from the hustle and bustle of her former life in the city. The shopping, lattes, delis, busy streets, honking horns, every other business a different restaurant, cell phones, traffic lights, constantly going, going, going and never pausing to simply breathe.
Here she could walk down the sidewalk in Clyde and never bump into another person. There wasn’t a single traffic light in the town, and only one stop sign, at the intersection of Main and Maplewood.
People smiled when she made eye contact. The citizens here were always willing to lend a helping hand.
On the day she’d moved into her apartment, though she’d had the help of Max and the entire Colter clan, they’d had no less than a half a dozen offers from passersby to get her furniture up the stairs.
And Margery, one of the regulars at the diner, had fried chicken and made potato salad and homemade rolls along with a pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade, and she’d brought it all to Lauren’s apartment so everyone could eat.
She felt . . . relevant . . . here. Like she mattered. She wasn’t just another number in a massive population. Here, she was one in a small crowd.
“Lauren?”
Liam’s voice drifted to her and she realized that she was still staring up at the sky, a dreamy expression on her face. And maybe she was dreaming. Or wishing on the scattering of stars glowing brightly in the distance.
“You ready, baby? We need to get you home.”
Reluctantly she tore herself away from the beauty surrounding her and climbed into the SUV.
“What did they say?” she asked softly as they drove back toward town. “And did you look at the disk?”
“We did,” Noah said grimly. “You’re right. There’s definitely enough information to put him—and several others—away for a long time.”
“They’ll cut a deal and roll on him,” Liam said.
“As for what the Colters said, they only voiced their unconditional support for you. They’re concerned for your safety, and they threatened to kick mine and Liam’s asses if we ever hurt you.”
Warmth traveled through her chest, squeezing her heart.
“We’re going out to their parents’ tomorrow morning first thing,” Liam said.
He angled in the front seat so he could see her where she sat in the back.
“Seth’s doing some checking for us, and we’re going to meet so that in essence as a family we can put our heads together and come up with the best plan of attack.”
Lauren blew out her breath. “Okay.”
Noah glanced in the rearview mirror and met her gaze. “You going to be all right with it?”
She nodded. “It’s me who has the problem. I do them a great disservice by thinking they’ll be disappointed in me. The truth is I’m disappointed in myself, and so I’m projecting that viewpoint on everyone else. They’ve been nothing but wonderful to me.”
A moment later, Noah pulled onto the side street of her building and then into the small parking lot in the back that was mostly used for the clinic. At the end, there was a designated spot for her use, but most of the time, if the clinic got busy, someone always took it anyway.
Liam opened her door, helped her out and immediately pulled her into his side, wrapping his arm protectively around her as they walked around to the side facing the street. They mounted the steps, Noah following closely behind and Liam waiting as she unlocked the door.
She flipped the wall switch, flooding the living room with light. Liam left her long enough to turn on the lamp in the corner and then he returned, turning the main light back off again.
“I like it better this way,” he murmured as he pulled her into his arms.
His mouth found hers in what was at first a tender kiss. But he grew more forceful, more demanding, taking her breath as he deepened the kiss.
He cupped her jaw in his hands as he stared intently down at her.
“Tonight, you tell us how you want it, Lauren. We’ll only do what you want. How you want. Show us.”
It required a lot of courage to be so bold. She was suddenly shy and self-conscious. Images flashed through her mind, tempting, tantalizing her. Was it possible? Was any of it possible?
Noah came up behind her, his hands closing over her shoulders. He leaned in to kiss her neck, moving her hair out of the way as his lips nuzzled her skin.
“This is what I want,” she whispered. “Both of you. Touching me. At the same time.” She turned into Noah, the warmth of his body wrapping around her slow and sensual. “I want you inside me.”
He let out a low groan. “I want to be there, honey. More than you can possibly know.”
Liam maneuvered her toward the bedroom. She was reaching for the fly of her jeans, when the three of them crowded in. Before courage deserted her, before she could overthink this, she began undressing, determined to take an active part in their lovemaking.
She pushed down her pants, and when she stood again, Noah was there, his hands sliding underneath her shirt, his palms warm and erotic on her skin.
