Free A Pair of Jacks (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Blaze Ballantine

necessary.
    Reno glanced at Jack. “We think he’ll show.”
    Marie put her fork down, staring at the two of them intently. “What aren’t you telling me? Why do you think Yuri will leave Europe and his arms deal to come after me when he can send a skilled assassin?”
    “Because we baited him.” Jack pushed back from his plate to return her stare. “We let him think you want to talk to him, that you have intelligence he needs to know before he finalizes the deal.”
    “Then why didn’t you just give him a map and tell him how to find me? That would have made it so much simpler for all of us.” Marie felt her cheeks flush.
    Jack hit the remote on the television, sending the room into instant silence. “He has to think you’re doing this on your own, without our knowledge. If he has to search for you, he’ll think you’re going behind our backs.”
    Marie lost her appetite in a hurry. The food she ate turned into a hard lump and now lay like a stone in her belly. Yuri was not a man to bait for any reason. She didn’t doubt Jack and Reno’s abilities, but they were limited by working within the law. Yuri would have no such limitations placed on him.
    Both men watched her expectantly while she wrestled with her anger. Finally, she controlled herself enough to speak in a low measured tone that belied her inner turmoil.
    “I’m going to need a tour of the property.” Marie looked from one to the other of the men. “I’ll need to know how to get into town if things go down wrong. And I want someone to take me to the arrowhead ridge that Walter told me about, so I know where the supplies are without wasting time looking for them.”
    “You don’t think we can protect you?” Reno asked. His dark eyes narrowed with what might be considered disappointment.
    Marie sighed. “I think you declared war with one of the most dangerous men in the world. It’s best we be prepared for anything, and I do mean anything, because he’s got it all at his fingertips and he’ll use it.”
    Jack’s easy confidence said he didn’t think Yuri Yanukovich would be a match for them on home territory. He pulled his plate close again and began eating. “We may have a few tricks of our own,” he said between bites of scrambled eggs and bacon.
    “I hope you do, Jack. I really hope you do. ” She got up from the table.
     
    * * * *
     
    Reno took a sip of coffee, watching Marie’s angry stride as she left the house to stand on the front porch. “That didn’t go so well.”
    “What did you expect? She’s out of her element here. She’s never seen us in action, but she’s seen Yuri, and knows what he’s capable of. I’d be pissed, too, in her situation. If someone were using me for bait, I’d want a fighting chance.”
    “So what do we do to distract her? It’s going to be pure hell if she’s pissed off until Yuri gets here. That could take a while.”
    “You’re right,” Jack agreed, shooting Reno an uncharacteristic brotherly grin. “Got any ideas?”
    Reno thought his brother should get laid more often. He was positively mellow this morning. “Yeah, I got an idea, but if I tell you, you’ll be more pissed off than she is.”
    Jack looked from his brother to the woman standing on the porch, letting the cool morning breeze blow her hair around her small shoulders. He snorted with amusement. “Yeah, I bet I know what your idea is, Reno, and it won’t fly.”
    “Listen to me, Jack,” Reno said. “Remember when we liked Anna Thompson in school? She liked both of us, and you said we outta give her what she wanted. I asked what you meant and you told me in great detail what you were talking about.”
    “Fuck, Reno. We were kids. I was showing off. I’d seen a book that had a ménage scene and it was weighing pretty heavy on my mind.” Jack chuckled. “I can’t believe you still remember that.”
    “Hell, Jack, I stayed awake at night for weeks just thinking about the mechanics of that,” Reno admitted,