Gale, Avery - Jenna's Submission [The ShadowDance Club 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) by Avery Gale Page B

going to be able to avoid explaining her meltdown. She could only hope she could convince Colt to not tell her brothers. Even though they weren’t still actually Special Forces team members, she knew it was likely they still worked with the teams when doing their “contract work,” as she had heard them refer to it, and that would give Ted Scott the access he’d need to destroy her family. Personally, she was hoping they would give up that life entirely now that they were married and soon-to-be fathers.
    “Now, pet, I want you to explain to me what just happened here. I think I have a fairly good idea, but I need to hear it from you.” Colt’s voice was compassionate, but she knew it was still an order, not just a suggested topic of conversation.

    * * * *

    Colt watched Jenna gather herself up as if readying for battle. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her head as she rolled the satin edging of the blanket back and forth as if finding comfort in caressing its slick texture between her small fingers. Colt watched and waited, letting her get herself together. He smiled, thinking he could almost see her pulling her courage up into a protective cloak. After several long minutes, she finally spoke.
    “Do you remember when Ted Scott came to recuperate at ShadowDance?” Colt stiffened and Jenna looked up in alarm.
    “Sorry, pet, I didn’t mean to scare you. Yes, I remember when that happened. I’m afraid I wasn’t exactly his biggest fan, so I tend to react at the mention of his name. Please continue.” Colt hoped he’d been able to explain away his reaction and that she would continue to tell him a story he was dreading with every fiber of his being.
    “Um, yeah, well, that makes two of us…about the not liking him thing. Anyway, when he first arrived, I was really kind of, well, I had a crush on him, I guess you’d say. Well, I, oh God, I really don’t want to go into all the details, okay? But…” Colt watched as Jenna stopped to take several deep breaths before she was able to continue. “One night my mom and dad were going to be gone overnight. They didn’t worry about leaving me alone with Ted because Selita was always at the house. But then Selita was called to town to help a sick friend, and well, he overheard me assuring her that I’d be fine and not to worry. I really didn’t feel threatened by him, we’d sat and watched movies late into the night several times and he had never done any more that kiss me. Construction had started on The Club, and Ted had made some comments about its intended use. I had just blown off answering because I was too embarrassed to talk to him about that stuff, you know? I was so young, and even though now, when I look back, I realize he wasn’t really that much older than I was, he seemed a lot older…and a lot stronger, too.” Jenna had dropped her gaze with that last comment. Truthfully, Colt was grateful because he knew at the mention of Scott being stronger than she was, pure rage had swept through him like a storm surge, and he was certain she would have easily seen it in his face.
    “That night, he tried again to get me to talk to him about The Club. That’s when I figured out he must not be that close to my brothers, or he’d already know the answers to the questions he kept asking me. So I was making excuses about why I needed to get back to my room, you know, homework and getting things ready for homecoming, etcetera. I wanted back into my room because I knew the door locked. Now that I think back on how violent he became, I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have kept him out, but at the time it seemed like my only hope. I was too afraid to call Kat because I knew she would be frustrated with me for being alone with him, because she had taken an instant dislike to him when he’d first arrived.”
    After taking a few deep breaths, Jenna continued, “Anyway, I know it seems like I’m stalling, but I just wanted you to know why I didn’t do