Triple Threat_An MFMM Reverse Harem Romance Read online

  Triple Threat

  An MFMM Reverse Harem Romance

  Chloe Madison

  Copyright ©2018 by Chole Madison. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author. The reception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews and pages where permission is specifically granted by the publisher or author.

  Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that my result from the use of information contained within.

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Chapter one

  Rachel

  Chapter two

  Bryce

  Chapter three

  Caleb

  Chapter four

  Devon

  Chapter Five

  Rachel

  Chapter six

  Devon

  Chapter seven

  Caleb

  Chapter eight

  Rachel

  Chapter nine

  Bryce

  Chapter ten

  Rachel

  Chapter eleven

  Devon

  Chapter twelve

  Caleb

  Chapter thirteen

  Rachel

  Chapter fourteen

  Bryce

  Chapter fifteen

  Rachel

  Chapter sixteen

  Devon

  Chapter seventeen

  Rachel

  Chapter eighteen

  Caleb

  Chapter eighteen

  Bryce

  Chapter nineteen

  Rachel

  Chapter twenty

  Devon

  Chapter twenty-one

  Caleb

  Chapter twenty-two

  Rachel

  Chapter one

  Rachel

  “I don’t care about your damn deadlines. This aggravation isn’t worth burning the candle at both ends. My people have weathered all of the changes you have requested. Postponing until we iron out the problems is necessary. I thought I owed you the courtesy of coming here in person to give you the bad news,” I replied, feeling annoyed that I had to go to these lengths to appease him.

  I was dressed to impress in a dark pantsuit with the prerequisite suspenders over my feminine form.

  “I knew it was a mistake to get into bed with you. Rachel, you might want to recuse yourself from this project and maybe turn over the reins to Jonathan.” His tone was clipped and short like he couldn’t be bothered.

  General Roberts never did like women in the military and felt that their place was barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.

  His full mane of white hair showed his experience, although my research had confirmed he had never seen duty overseas. All of those medals he was proud of came on the backs of others doing the dirty work on his behalf.

  “Jonathan works for me and not the other way around. I don’t appreciate your patronizing tone. Need I remind you what I have done for you in the past? This relationship has been lucrative for all of us.” I was quite dramatic with my fingers clenched at my side and my lips curling in frustration.

  It was a good thing my long blond hair was tied back into a ponytail or it would’ve been flying all over the place.

  I didn’t appear to be intimidating at 5’5 and 120 pounds, but looks could be deceiving. I had spent years treating my body like a sacred temple. My lifestyle choices had helped me to avoid the heart attack that was destined to happen eventually.

  “These stall tactics might have worked on my predecessor, but they won’t work on me. I’m sure that it doesn’t come as any great surprise that there are other companies vying for our contracts,” he said with his voice a little higher in an attempt to intimidate me.

  His uniform was polished, and I could see my face in his shoes.

  “My father started this business and it was quite obvious that he wanted a son instead of a daughter. I turned him around by working diligently by his side to make this company a growing concern. Do you really think that I enjoy the stern looks of disapproval from those that camp out protesting what they consider acts against humanity?” I was trying to remain civil with my body language neutral—not taking the bait to lose my composure.

  General Roberts was depending on my company to come through with a weapon against terrorism.

  “I admit that I was skeptical when I came on board five years ago. Miss Waters, there have been some legitimate breakthroughs that have helped to fight terrorism here and abroad. I saw a proposal that Jonathan sent over about a potential biological weapon. Why haven’t I heard more progress about that?” he asked with his eyes narrowed and trying to stare me down.

  Jonathan had overstepped his bounds and I felt that I was justified in firing him, but then his genius would only fall into competitive hands.

  “He had no right to share with you anything that was proprietary to the company. Rest assured the punishment will fit the crime. Are you going to agree to push back this deadline or should I go over your head to the congressional committee? What do you think they will say when they learn of what you have been doing behind their backs?” I asked, to give him reason to be concerned by the possibility that his actions could have consequences.

  I agreed with him in theory about there being too many cooks in the kitchen, but I could use that leverage to make him heel at my feet.

  “There’s no reason to say anything that you’re going to regret. I’m a reasonable man. What exactly are you proposing?” he asked with his hands steepled on his desk.

  I didn’t like using threats, but it was the only language he understood.

  “I’m only suggesting that we wait until the end of the month. I have some trials that will determine the validity of my scientist's claim. We want to make sure that everything is being done to keep the bleeding hearts from knocking down my door.” I got up slowly and smoothed down my skirt with the smell of fear surrounding me.

  “You have until the end of the month and not one day later. Remember, everything that you are working on is under military purview. I would hate to cut your funding and cut my losses.” His threat was falling on deaf ears.

  I had always come through, but he felt it was necessary to put a fire underneath me.

  The office was adorned with photographs of his many years shaking the hands of the influential and elite. His desk had one family photo. His wife and daughter looked like they were putting on brave faces and forcing themselves to smile through clenched teeth.

  The American flag was in the corner, boasting his dedication to serving his country. The desk was old oak.

  I saw the way that he pecked at the keyboard like a chicken with two fingers. It was obvious that he wasn’t happy with how technology was taking over.

  He got up and approached me at the door with his hand out as some kind of olive branch of peace. I knew different.

  The strength of his handshake was his way of asserting his dominance over me. I had to face the man on his turf and stare down the enemy like we were friends. I was depending on him being impressed with my moxie, even though I was sweating through my dress shields.

  “Coming here every time is an exercise in futility. We both posture and try to gain the upper hand. Nobody wins when we are butting heads against each other. I’ve learned to coexist for the
sake of the project and the livelihood of my staff.” I was waiting for some kind of rebuttal and I could see his lip curling into a sneer ready to spew some kind of declaration of war.

  “You need to have a thicker skin in this business.” He put his two hands on my shoulders placating me and treating me like I was a lower form of human being.

  “I’m not going to justify that comment with a response. Try to keep your hands out of business that you don’t understand. It makes you look foolish.” I was doing my best to get the last word, quite aware that he was never going to allow that to happen.

  “Don’t forget who you’re talking to. One word from me can make you or break you.” He was squeezing my hand and using this open forum to bully me into compliance.

  This was no time to buckle under the pressure of the glaring daggers in his eyes. My father had taught me to stand up to an overwhelming opposition. He might’ve been rigid and demanding, but he gave me the tools to survive the real world. I wasn’t coddled, and being a single parent put him on a pedestal in my eyes. His death shattered me into a million pieces, but I persevered with his words of wisdom echoing in my ears.

  “It’s always good to let off some steam, but you need to learn to hold back. You have been quite transparent, and I know how to read between the lines better than anybody. It’s a gift that was passed down by my father. This conversation has been illuminating.” He was trying to push me out, but I wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

  He thought his firm handshake was going to render me speechless, but he found that he was in for a rude awakening. A lesser person would have cowered at his feet, but I was born of tougher stuff. He wasn’t going to get rid of me unless I was dragged out of the office feet first.

  I thought the meeting was going to be a waste of time, but it had given me a new insight into Jonathan’s agenda.

  General Roberts finally gave up and I walked down the hallway trying not to show the pain radiating through my fingers. I suspected him to be responsible for the unfortunate accidents plaguing me.

  I strolled with my back straight and my hands behind my back across the parking lot. My car was a nondescript black sedan with very little character.

  I had a meeting across town with an independent security agency run by three brothers.

  Chapter two

  Bryce

  “There’s no reason to get defensive. We agreed when we went into business that everybody would have equal say, but things have changed. I took it upon myself to throw a wide net to capture a big fish,” I said while busy playing with the change in my pocket.

  Bad investments had us scrambling with the debts piling up.

  “Bryce, you might be the older brother, but you only have 33% of the company. I appreciate the initiative, but you should have run it by us first,” Devon stated with his eyes on his cell phone playing a game.

  I sighed with annoyance at how uninterested he was in the day-to-day business.

  Devon was sitting across from me at the conference table in the office rented for just this occasion. I wanted to take that damn cell phone and throw it out the window.

  His choice of attire was an open-collared black shirt with a vest to match and black jeans.

  Caleb was quiet and reserved, standing in the corner like some kind of predator about to attack its prey. The black leather of his jacket was rough—like the man. The tribal tattoo on his face gave him a menacing air. He was standing comfortably at 6 feet tall, and carrying 200 plus pounds with not an ounce of fat on his body.

  “Are you going to stand there and say nothing? Your silence would be perfectly normal for a silent investor, but you own a stake in this,” I pointedly said to Caleb. He narrowed his eyes and barely registered that I had even said anything.

  “I’ll say something when I feel it’s necessary. Right now we need to concentrate on this meeting. I’ve done my due diligence and from my standpoint, Rachel has done an amazing job with very little praise for her competence.” He was stone cold and his detached personality had him standing like a statue.

  Caleb might have had this blank expression on his face, but his entire body was a work of art. Each tattoo depicted something memorable in his life that he wanted to record for posterity. There were five new ones in the time that we had been working together. Despite being partners, we very rarely saw each other. This was the one and only time we had been requested as a trio.

  We were pretty much nomads, jet-setting across the world at a moment’s notice to put out fires. There were many opportunities for independent security agencies looking to make their mark, but they were a dime a dozen. The revenue stream had dried up and we were looking to replenish what we had lost in a hurry.

  I was the only one after leaving the army to grow out his hair. Caleb was completely shaved except for a modicum of stubble. Devon was clean cut with no facial hair, and a light fuzz of blond platinum hair. It was quite apparent that we didn’t come from the same womb. Each of us had the same father, but different mothers. We never had much contact with him and we only learned about each other after his passing.

  We were three years apart in age, but I still felt that I was the glue keeping us together. This company was my way of offering up an olive branch to get to know my brothers. I wanted them to follow my lead, but they were stubborn. I found comfort in four-piece suits that cost a pretty penny. It reminded me of being in uniform.

  Caleb was fresh out of the Marines, and Devon came out of the Air Force.

  Discipline had always been a part of our lives, and something that we were vastly lacking growing up. I had this sinking suspicion our father had something to do with molding us into his image. Nobody said anything, but doors opened for us that would have remained closed for others.

  The awkward silence was deafening. Devon had exchanged the annoyance of the game with tapping his pen against his knee, getting on my last nerve. I was perusing the files and picking the best of the lot to prove that we knew what we were doing. There was not one disparaging word against us. We worked behind the scenes safely in the shadows where we were comfortable.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I apologize for my late arrival, but it was unavoidable. I only have a few minutes.”

  Just her voice hypnotized me.

  She was a force of nature, taking control of the room from the moment that she opened up her mouth.

  “We were beginning to think you were going to stand us up. In all honesty, everything we have read about you doesn’t do you justice.” I licked my lips, feeling parched and knowing that she was the cause.

  I was always looking for the next conquest and she stepped into my life like a lamb to the slaughter.

  “I’m in no mood to have you butter me up like a Sunday biscuit. Flattery is going to get you nowhere. Please don’t waste either of our time trying to impress me with past success. I know all about your financial problems. I wouldn’t be where I was without some inside sources. I wouldn’t be here unless it was absolutely necessary.” She wasn’t bothering to sit down, and already had our undivided attention.

  There was not one wasted motion. She was all about business.

  “You have the floor. By all means, tell us what has brought you here to our doorstep.” Devon's gesture to the floor was overly accommodating, but sometimes you could get more with honey than you could with vinegar. “We all have extensive training that you can utilize for a nominal cost.” Devon was all about nailing down the particulars, and could probably sell an Eskimo a refrigerator in the middle of winter.

  This translated into his personal life where he had failed—three times with three different women—to go down the aisle.

  “I suspect that I might have a fox in my henhouse.” I saw her cringe from a pain that I determined was localized to her wrist.

  “Put us to work on your security detail. We can be your eyes and ears, only reporting back to you. My talents are better suited to ‘personal’ security. Caleb is a master at surveillanc
e, and Devon can navigate technology like the back of his hand,” I said while envisioning how she would look sprawled out on the table in nothing more than her birthday suit.

  “That’s precisely what I was thinking. You took the words right out of my mouth.” I had this insane idea that I could manhandle her into submission.

  “Do you have any openings that you want to fill? Perhaps there’s a position that you can invent to put us to work. We don’t mind putting the work in to satisfy you.” Everything I said was laced with sexual innuendo thick enough that you could cut it with a knife.

  “Ahem, I think that I can find a good use for your talents where they’re going to do the most good.” She was pulling at the collar of her white blouse and I could see the telltale sign of arousal poking obscenely through the material.

  “I think it would be a good idea for the two of us to iron out the details over dinner.” My bedroom eyes left little doubt that I wanted her panties lying on my floor by morning.

  “What my brother is trying to say is that all three of us would be glad to entertain you for dinner. I have been known to work wonders in the kitchen and could certainly use a partner in crime.” It wasn’t hard to recognize that Devon was interested in her, but I took that as a challenge and was prepared to pull out all the stops.

  “I’ve listened to what you have said and read the file you sent over. I feel the threat is not necessarily to your business, but somebody feels slighted. It’s not uncommon for women in power to rub people the wrong way. It’s not your fault that you are good at your job. Men, in particular, can feel that you are threatening their manhood. I take orders and follow directions to the letter.” Caleb was marking his territory by becoming the center of attention, pacing back and forth like a true conditioned soldier thinking three steps ahead.

  “I’ve already taken the liberty of drawing up some tentative plans. I had some time to kill. I’ve always been a big believer that idle hands are the devil’s work. During the day, each of you will have different duties to perform and at night we will come together and compare notes. It means that we’re going to have to work long and tirelessly side by side.” She wasn’t very subtle, and I could tell her interest wasn’t on one man alone by the way that she constantly shifted her eyes from one to the other.