Trouble Travels in Threes [Trouble, Tennessee 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Trouble, Tennessee 3

  Trouble Travels in Threes

  The McCalls are taken to their knees when Markie is abducted and taken to an undisclosed location. The perpetrator terrorizes Trouble’s founding fathers by sending various photographs showcasing the progressive stages of his captivity.

  Unaware of Markie’s abduction, Draegan McCall finally makes his move on the petite blonde who makes his heart thump a little faster, but as soon as he makes his claim, two things happen—he discovers Markie has been abducted and his woman reveals an unexpected secret.

  Serena loves Draegan but she’s also drawn to another. Strong, handsome, and definitely attentive, Detective Bane Brice comes along with the right tools to pull a woman’s heartstrings—the willingness and ability to save someone Serena loves.

  Not at all eager to share Serena, Draegan finally accepts Detective Brice’s help with Markie’s case, but there’s an unspoken deal between them, one which could inevitably cost Serena one of the men she loves or ultimately give her everything she’s ever wanted.

  Note: This book contains double vaginal penetration.

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

  Length: 29,778 words

  TROUBLE TRAVELS

  IN THREES

  Trouble, Tennessee 3

  Natalie Acres

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

  TROUBLE TRAVELS IN THREES

  Copyright © 2015 by Natalie Acres

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63259-135-7

  First E-book Publication: March 2015

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2015 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Trouble Travels in Threes by Natalie Acres from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Natalie Acres’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Natalie Acres’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  To Rebecca Joyce, Tara Rose, Donna B. Buccella, and Rhonda VB

  Thank you for taking the time to review Beautiful Trouble at Bookstrand when it really mattered most. Your support and friendship are appreciated more than you know.

  And to Shirley Williamson, Lorraine Lesar, and Susie Pennington Richey

  Thank you for your support, continued friendship, and the emails that often serve as a gentle reminder or even an occasional wake-up call. It’s so nice to have you in my corner.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  TROUBLE TRAVELS

  IN THREES

  Trouble, Tennessee 3

  NATALIE ACRES

  Copyright © 2015

  Chapter One

  “Pink or purple?” Markie held up two Polo-style shirts. He cocked his head and thoughtfully studied one before checking out the other. “Purple?”

  Draegan McCall grunted. “Some men claim they hear voices inside their blasted heads. Me? I have one that follows me around wherever I go.”

  “Ah, doll. That’s real sweet.” Markie flitted across the room in his high-heel boots. “One of these days, you’ll miss me when I’m gone.”

  “Any idea when you plan to leave? I’ll throw you a helluva going away party.”

  “You got me.” Markie saucily licked his index finger, striking up an imaginary point.

  Draegan and Markie were as different as night and day, but they’d been best friends for as long as Draegan could remember. Wherever Draegan went, Markie followed close behind.

  “I’m standin’ in your room for a reason, sugar.”

  “I can see that,” Draegan said, staring at the red shirt he’d just purchased. If he’d taken the time to clip off the price tag, Markie wouldn’t have set his sights on something new.

  Markie huffed and puffed a few times, all for the sake of theatrics. He lifted his left arm and frowned at choice number one. “Um…ya know what? This one may be more lavender. When one thinks of purple, he thinks of a deep amethyst shade. Ya know?”

  “Amethyst?”

  “Uh-huh,” Markie sang, nodding his head up and down. “Like the pretty birthstone for February, which happens to be my—”

  “Birthday month. How could I forget?”

  Markie grinned, strolled across the room, and quickly pinched Draegan’s cheek. “Of course you wouldn’t, doll. It’s a month-long celebration.”

  “Always is,” Draegan muttered under his breath, unscrewing the top of his cologne and dabbing some on his neck.

  Feeling Markie’s gaze burning a hole throu
gh him, he turned around. “What?”

  Markie tapped his neck region then sliced his hand down the center of his body. He stopped right above his groin area.

  “Speak or leave,” Draegan snapped.

  “Start at the collarbone and dab all the way down, sugar.” He fluttered his eyelashes. “That’s what I do when—”

  Draegan slapped his hands over his ears. “I don’t want to listen to your X-rated memories, Markie. Please. For once let me go on a date without my gay friend offering pointers.”

  “Well, I can’t give you pointers anyhow.”

  “True.”

  “Agreed,” Markie said, shifting his weight between his feet. “Cause I like dick and you like pus—”

  “Markie! Enough!”

  “Just sayin’, sweets.” He stood in front of the full-length mirror with a serious expression stamped upon his face. “All jokes aside, what do you think?” He lifted both shirts and see-sawed his arms as he seemingly tried to reach a final decision.

  “What are you askin’ me?” Draegan stopped rummaging through his closet.

  Markie clucked, tilted his head sideways, and narrowed his gaze. “The pink really brings out my eyes. Don’t ’cha think?”

  “Ah for the love of God.” Draegan snatched his new red T-shirt. Hangers clanged together as he tossed his latest purchase at Markie. “Next time save us both some trouble and just ask.”

  Markie grinned from ear to ear as he juggled his shirts and caught Draegan’s. “You know I love ya, sugar.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Is that all?” Markie drawled, working his swagger as he sashayed to the center of the room with his arms spread wide.

  “I don’t have time for this,” Draegan said, dodging his best friend as he puckered up and blew kisses to the room.

  Harley and Mac, Draegan’s brothers, entered then, sporting their sheepish grins. Apparently it was just Draegan’s day for disruptions.

  “Are we interrupting something, man?” Harley teased.

  Mac laughed. “Seems we’re always missing the show. Did you pitch or catch today, Markie?”

  “Ha!” Markie smacked his lips. “I always catch, lover.”

  Harley elbowed Mac. “Keep that in mind. If Sable ever sends you packing to the couch, you have options.”

  “I’d hate to make big brother jealous. Speaking of which. What’s up with you, Draegan? Walking around this place in your underwear sort of invites trouble.” Mac jerked his head at Markie, but Markie was already wiggling his way into Draegan’s shirt, striking poses in front of the mirror, all of which were reenactments of Marilyn Monroe’s famous windblown white dress pose.

  “I don’t want to hear a word from either of you.” Draegan waved his fingers in their direction.

  “Wait a sec,” Markie said, whirling around to face them. “It just occurred to me.” He pointed at the alarm clock next to Draegan’s bed. “It’s nearly six o’clock and you smell like a freshly showered stud-slut.” He tapped his chin with his index finger. “I spy a handsome guy dumping a whole bottle of aftershave all over himself which he followed up with that expensive cologne right there on the dresser.”

  “Well how about that, Harley?” Mac grinned. “Looks like big brother pulled one over on us. Huh?”

  “What are you rambling about?” Draegan returned to his closet and considered his choices. He’d meant to wear his latest clothes before Markie stormed his room with his obvious hints.

  “Seems I might have heard something about a hot date tonight. Any truth to it?” Mac asked.

  “Let me guess. You immediately passed the news on to Harley and anyone else ready to bend an ear?”

  “Did you say date?” Markie dramatically pinched his nose and held his pinky high in the air. “Really, darlin’. If what Mac is sayin’ holds some truth, if I were you? I’d go shower again. You smell like a gigolo who has already had a few dates with the gents who wear the stuff that clears out sinuses.”

  Draegan sniffed a few times, glanced at his obviously amused brothers, and kept searching for something to wear. “I’m fine, Markie.”

  “He ain’t lying to you, bud,” Harley said. “I can smell you from over here.”

  “Don’t you three have somewhere you need to be?”

  “Right now?” Harley asked.

  “Yes. Now.” Draegan selected a long-sleeve white shirt and a pair of faded denim jeans.

  “Not really,” Mac said, leaning against the wall.

  “Me either,” Harley added, taking a seat on his dresser and helping himself to a scent test through Draegan’s lineup of cologne bottles.

  “No. No. No.” Markie hurried to Draegan’s side, grabbed his faded jeans, and tossed them in the closet. He thumbed through his clothes and a few seconds later, yanked free a pair of black jeans. “Oh yum. Too bad you wear thirty-fours. I’d love to sport these around. Never mind. Here.” He thrust the clothes forward. “Wear this. White shirt. Black jeans. Ummhmm, doll. You’ll make ordinary sex look like a thrashing fuck.”

  “Really, Markie?”

  “My thoughts, too.” Mac laughed.

  “All right then. How about sex scootin’ to the boogie?” Markie said. “Makes a nice pump and grind suggestion. Don’t cha think?”

  Draegan wished they’d leave. “Guys, for the record, I’m not sixteen years old and preparing for my first car date.”

  “You’re goin’ dancing?” Harley asked, apparently just catching the sex-boogie mention.

  “Why? Something wrong with taking a lady out on the town for the first date?”

  The collective vote of “no” resounded in the room.

  Draegan entered the bathroom and grabbed a towel from the shelf. Sticking his head in the bedroom once again, he said, “Unless you’re here for a show, I suggest ya’ll make your way back downstairs.”

  Markie fell to the bed on his right side, propped his fist at the base of his head and fluttered his eyelashes. “No worries, sugar. I love a steamy shower scene. Gets the pipes all ready for the night ahead, if ya know what I mean.”

  “Somebody babysit Markie so I can have a stress-free evening.” He reached behind the shower curtain and turned on the water.

  Mac laughed. “If you’re taking another shower based on what Harley and Markie said? A stress-free evening probably isn’t in your near future.”

  Draegan stalled inside the bathroom door. “Do I need another one or not?”

  “Yes, sugar!” Markie exclaimed excitedly, fanning his face and crossing one leg over the other as he made himself comfortable on Draegan’s bed.

  “Knock it off, Markie,” Mac said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him to his feet. “Give the guy a break. His dream woman finally said yes to a date. The least we can do is let the man have some privacy before his big night.”

  Markie clucked and rolled his eyes. “All right. All right.” He stopped short of following Mac and Harley down the hallway. “Wait a minute….” He slowly turned. “Who exactly is the lucky lady?”

  Draegan’s heart skipped a beat before he even said her name. “Serena.” He was so far sunk, it wasn’t even funny.

  Shifting his shoulders, Markie marched back inside Draegan’s room. “In that case, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

  Draegan peered around the wall and stared at his brothers. “You guys owe me a few favors and I’m calling every last one of ‘em in. Now.”

  Harley and Mac looked at one another and shrugged. Then, they pursued Markie.

  “Wait right there, fellas,” Markie said, pushing his arms forward with his palms outward. “I’m needed here.”

  “No, Markie. You aren’t,” Draegan said, feeling more at ease the second Mac and Harley lifted Markie up and carried the lightweight away.

  “Yes! I am!” He twisted and turned one way or the other until he was hanging upside down. “Remember? Serena thinks we tag team. She said so herself. She’ll expect to see me at your side tonight!”

  “I don’t think so
,” Harley said, laughing.

  “She will! Ask Drae!” He leaned back as far as he could and yelled, “I’m tellin’ ya now, sugar. She’ll slam the door in your face if I’m not with you tonight. She thinks you and I go together like….like…”

  “Put him down so he can think, Mac,” Harley said.

  “Don’t bother,” Draegan said, standing behind them. “I’ve already set her straight, Markie.”

  “What?” Markie looked bewildered as Draegan’s brothers carried him to the front hall and down the circular stairs. “No! I’m telling you. Serena. Thinks. We’re. Together.”

  Draegan leaned over the banister and waved, taunting Markie to the very end. “She knows we’re like brothers. I explained everything to her.”

  Mac and Harley dumped Markie in the foyer. Clearly agitated, he scrambled to his feet and put his hands on his waist. “And just why in Harley’s name would you do somethin’ so doggone foolish?”

  Harley laughed. “I guess he was afraid you’d follow him to the bedroom.”

  “And what, pray tell, is wrong with that?” Markie shifted his shoulders and stood straighter. “For your information, Serena is a sweet and fragile young woman.” He glared at Mac before he turned to Harley. “She is the kind of young lady who needs to be handled with care.” He wheeled around and faced Draegan again and barked, “And for the love of Allister, the least you could do is let me be there when you make your first move!”

  “What’s Allister got to do with this?” Draegan asked, crossing his arms.

  “See there?” Markie grinned and jiggled his upper body. “Throw out the devil’s name and everybody stops and stares.”

  “I’m sure Allister would appreciate the comparison.” Draegan had heard enough for one day.