Taken by Two(21)

“Addiction?”

“Yes,” he took a deep breath. Rex wasn’t one to share much, but he was little by little letting me, and Nate, in. “I brought her here to try to save her from her grief. Well, her grief drove her to drugs, which drove her to him.”

“Him?” I asked.

“Pablo Lazar,” Nate answered for him as Rex sipped his bourbon. “She left Rex for someone who could hook her up with drugs—they’re married now. Last time I saw her, in Bogotá, it was like she was a ghost—vacant, dead stare...” Nate shook his head as if the memory was distasteful.

Rex took another gulp and reached over and grasped our free hands together. “I didn’t mean to bring up pain, I was mostly wondering if I could change some things in this room? Make it more my taste?” I nodded my head toward the French doors leading into the room I occupied, even though I always slept with both men in Nate’s bed.

“Oh, sure, yeah—but you’re not leaving here to shop.”

“I can pick out some things online—I’ll pay. Or, I mean…I guess I don’t exactly have access to my funds…”

Nate smiled. “I’m loaded, Pen, don’t worry about it. And, King Rex is a lot wealthier than he projects in those same shredded jeans and tired black t-shirts every day.”

Rex glared at him. “Sorry I’m not sporting designer hipster jeans in the jungle like the male model here.”

“I like you both dressed exactly as you are,” I put my drink on the table and slid a hand across Nate’s knee, “and I don’t want to leave here, ever. But, shouldn’t I tell my dad I’m okay? They’ll be wondering, right?”

The two men shared a guilty look before Nate began to speak, his hand on my arm, his voice soft, his words carefully chosen.

“Penny, your father is the reason someone tried to hire Rex to kill you.” I sat still and absorbed the meaning of his words.

“Dad wants me dead?”

“No, but David Sedgewick is deeply involved with the cartels, with the drug trade. He launders cash through the casino, and they reward him for it.”

I was stunned. I knew dear ol’ dad wasn’t father of the year—but involved with drug cartels?

“Are you sure?” I couldn’t put any other words together. They sat silently, allowing me to absorb the news, before Rex continued.

“We’re sure, Princess. He has been for years. A lot of my work…Well, I’m very familiar with the DEA, let’s just say. His rival, Stewart Lynn, is the one who sent his henchman to hire me. The plan was to kidnap you, then make it look like you overdosed here in Colombia—blame the cartels and your father in a big public display.”

“Yeah…” I was incredulous. “Lynn is a bitter rival and running for office soon.” I was stunned.

“I’m sure someone else was hired when I refused. I don’t know who took the job—until I do, and neutralize that, you need to stay hidden.”

“Why would Lynn try to hire you?”

“He has contacts at the DEA, I’m guessing he figured that since I was out now, doing private business… That’s really all I can say.”

“Do you…do that?”

“No, baby, I don’t.” I was relieved to hear that, at the very least.





Chapter Eight





“Penny, come here.” Rex’s rich voice drew me to him, but I was stubborn. “No, just drink your drinks and smoke your smokes. I’ll just hang over here with my friends—oh wait, I don’t have any.” Rex leaned into Nate, the orange glow from the end of the fat cigar in his left hand flaring as he brought it to his lips and puffed. They were close, their legs touching as they sat on the stone bench in Rex’s garden at the side of the house. Nate leaned in even closer, his lips whispering something into Rex’s ear, causing a raucous belly-laugh from Rex. They are making fun of me.

I’d been at the compound with the two men for the prior weeks, and we’d grown closer. I felt like this was the home I’d always craved, but never knew existed. At times, however, I had growing pains from the sudden infusion of life with two men. In Vegas, partying and having random sex with lots of men was common, but I’d never lived with one. I was an only child, and my father was never around our day-to-day life. With Rex and Nate, however, I often felt like I’d been tossed into a frat house. I didn’t always understand them, and sometimes felt left out. The tension was magnified by the fact that I was younger. Nate was in his late twenties and had been on his own running a business for years, and Rex was in his forties—stubborn and set in his ways. At twenty-four, I definitely had a lot of growing up to do.

Minutes prior to my storming off in a huff, Nate had told a joke. A joke I didn’t understand. “Hey Pen, what’s the square root of sixty-nine?” I, of course being decent at math and not getting that it was a joke, answered, “Uh, eight something, I’d need a calculator.” The men burst into peals of ridiculous laughter, and I felt targeted—ridiculed. My entire life, despite being a good student, I’d been treated like a dumb blonde. That night, my insecurities crushed down on me, and I made a mountain out of a molehill. As the men laughed at what I later understood to be a joke from Nate, the punch line being, “Ate something,” a sexual innuendo, I took it far too personally. I flew out of my chair, tossing my wineglass into the lush lawn, and raced toward the house.

“Fuck you both!” I howled at them as I made my hasty retreat. Rex’s head snapped toward me as I yelled at them.

“Penelope, if you act like a child, I’m going to treat you like a child.” His tone was stern, but Nate was laughing as he sipped his bourbon.

“You do anyway!” I turned to leave, but paused at the path to the house. I hoped one of them would chase me, preferably Nate.

“Oh do I?” I stood still, listening for footsteps behind me.

“Penny, come here,” he commanded once again, his voice serious.

“No.” I stood on the path facing the house.

“Okay, if that’s what you want—I’ll show you how a child is treated.”

I heard the men rise, Nate’s giggling now gone quiet. The curiosity was too much, and I turned to face them. Rex snuffed out his cigar in the heavy ashtray, and Nate followed suit.

Rex looked directly at me, the crystal tumbler of liquor in his right hand. “Come here or I’m going to spank that perfect ass.”

“You wouldn’t!” I squealed, my insides quivering in both fear and anticipation.

“Oh, Princess, I would!” He set the glass down and started toward me in long strides. I turned and ran toward the house, but Rex was too fast. In seconds he had me over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes, and was carrying me into the house.

Nate chased after us, calling to Rex, “Hey, hey, let’s slow down a minute…uh…”

“Slow down? I think your firm ass might be reddened to match hers.”

“Oh,” Nate answered, his words dripping with lusty need.

The anger dissipating, I smacked playfully at Rex’s back as he hauled me through the house, my billowy mini-skirt floating up to reveal my bare butt cheeks, my lacy thong leaving plenty of skin exposed. By the time he deposited me on the center of the bed, I was in peals of laughter. Rex maintained his stone-cold demeanor as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Over my knee, Princess,” he pointed to his lap.

I’d never been spanked—not as punishment, not erotically—never. But, I was no stranger to sexy BDSM books, and although I’m not into pain, the idea of Rex’s giant hand across my bottom, with Nate watching, had me soaking my panties. “Hurry or I’ll spank you harder,” he barked. I crawled across the bed toward Rex. The room was lit only by the golden glow of the bedside lamp. Nate was crouched on the floor in front of us, his back against the wall. The glimmer of excitement was mixed with concern—I knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to me that I didn’t want. As Rex said, I didn’t need one, but Nate would always be my knight in shining armor. As I positioned myself across Rex’s powerful thighs, I winked at Nate and smiled. He nodded and licked his lips, leaning back against the wall, his legs parting into a wide V.

Rex lifted my skirt and pulled my tiny thong panties to the side. “Fuck, Princess, you’re dripping wet,” he marveled, dipping a large finger inside me. He pulled it out, licked it, then slid it back in. I moaned a loud, wanton, “Ah!” as he pulled the finger out again. This time, he held it out to Nate. Without a word, Nate crawled over and sucked Rex’s finger, covered in my slippery arousal. As Nate sucked, I could feel Rex harden beneath me, his cock pressing into my legs through his jeans. He made one last dip into my throbbing pussy, this time holding his withdrawn finger to my lips. “Suck,” he commanded.

His large left palm spread across my ass, gently kneading, as I sucked my own fluid from his salty right index finger. “I’m going to pardon you, sweetheart,” he said, pulling my skirt back down over my ass. “No,” I blurted out, turning my face toward him. He smiled. “You’re such a naughty girl, Penny—you want to be spanked?” I pushed my lower lip out, “Yes, please, I’ve been so very bad.”