Writing as Lana Dare

The Lost Collection, Volume 1

(Beaumonts’ Brand & Amanda’s Texas Rangers)

Erotic Romance, Historical, Western, Menage a Trois, MFM, HEA

Beaumonts’ Brand
Alone in the wilderness, Victoria Fowler hides as men stop at her camp. Ben and Wade Beaumont have been away for months driving cattle to their ranch in Montana. When they catch someone stealing food from their chuck wagon, they’re stunned to discover it’s a beautiful woman. This is no place for a woman alone. Both enthralled with her, they each think she’ll make a wonderful addition to their ranch. They offer to wed her.

Tory’s alarmed to discover they want to share her and even more alarmed that she’s even considering it. The two brothers are not what she’s used to and it isn’t easy to live in a harsh world she doesn’t understand–a world where a man will use whatever other men hold dear in his quest for revenge.

 

Amanda’s Texas Rangers
Amanda Keller’s only goal was to help her mother and sister escape her father’s abuse. She certainly didn’t need the two hard-nosed Texas Rangers meddling in her business.

Texas Rangers Zane Owens and Rand Sloane have their own mission. When they catch the raven-haired beauty about to shoot a man, they don’t believe a word of her lies but have no choice but to let her go. Once they find her again, however, all bets are off.

Amanda has no option but to lie to them and escape, only to find herself in more trouble than she bargained for. Soon, they not only rescue her, but outmaneuver her and make her an enticing offer of their own, one that would give her the escape she’s looking for.

But feelings have a way of sneaking in when she least expects it, turning her world upside down. In a town where their relationship isn’t accepted by all, living the way they are could be risky indeed, especially when men are willing to do whatever they have to in order to satisfy their greed.

Excerpt

Beaumonts’ Brand:
Ben came awake in an instant, his gun already in his hand. His hat hid most of his face as he saw the small figure work his way clumsily to the chuck wagon. Aware of Wade’s alertness beside him, he remained silent as he watched the figure look around nervously while stumbling forward.

Wearing pants rolled up several times and a shirt that hung down to his knees, the figure looked like a boy in his daddy’s clothes. Moving almost, but not quite silently, he continued to make his way closer and closer to the wagon, staggering like a drunk. The fire burned too low to see the boy’s face clearly. With the kid’s hat pulled so low, Ben wondered if he could even see. Once the boy got close enough to the wagon, he held on as though for support, and it took him three tries before he made it inside.

Ben waved back the hands that stood when he did, putting a finger to his lips as he and Wade moved forward. Tucking his gun away, he approached from one side while Wade approached from the other. Aware of his men moving in behind him, he waved them back, not wanting anyone to accidentally shoot the kid.

Wondering if this kid had anything to do with the four dead men, he shot a glance at his brother and nodded. Wade pointed his gun skyward and reached up with his free hand to grab the kid’s ankles, pulling him from the wagon.

The feminine squeal shocked the hell out of him as the small figure fell to the ground with a thud, drawing a knife that Wade quickly grabbed away.

Kneeling and holding on to her arm, Ben glanced over his shoulder. “Red, bring me a lantern.”

The small figure began thrashing. “Let me go. I didn’t do anything.”

He and Wade looked at each other in surprise. It was a female, one who sounded weak and breathless. He let go, not wanting to add to her obvious fear.

She staggered to her feet, backing away. Her hat fell off and a long, blonde braid now hung down her back. “Please don’t hurt me. I’ll go away. I didn’t steal anything, I swear. I just wanted some food.”

Red came running with a lantern and held it up, allowing them to get a good look at her.

John Dodge laughed, the sound of it making Ben clench his jaw. “Well, looky what we got here.”

Ben heard several gasps from behind him as the men realized it was a woman, one with a dirty, sunburned face. “We won’t hurt you.

Were you with those men we found earlier?”

Amanda’s Texas Rangers
“Oof!” A hard body landed none too gently on top of her, knocking the air out of her lungs as strong hands wrenched the rifle from her grip and another equally strong hand covered her mouth against her instinctive cry.

“Quiet!” The cold venom in the low tone whispered furiously against her ear had to be the most frightening sound she’d ever heard.

Pressed into the ground by the heavy weight on top of her, she whimpered as the rock at her hip dug in even more painfully, bringing tears to her eyes. She struggled for air, barely able to breathe through the large hand covering her mouth and nose.

Another voice sounded next to her other ear, barely a whisper that she had to struggle to hear. “Be still and be quiet. We’re going to back away from the edge slowly. If you resist, Zane, here, will break your neck. Do you understand?”

Amanda nodded once, her vision blurring from lack of air. Oh, God. There were two of them, and they were going to kill her. Her eyes flew open when she felt the hard bulge press at her bottom.

Or worse.

She’d heard stories about men who kept women alive for days, using them over and over until they’ve had enough of them. Then they’d kill them. She’d rather be killed outright than to have to endure that.

Even in this heat, a shiver went down her spine as fear clawed at her, along with something else, something decadent and dangerous. The man holding her didn’t smell sour the way her father did. He smelled like soap, leather and sweat, and the hand covering her mouth was free of grime. Even the slight beard brushing her cheek was soft, and she barely resisted the urge to rub against it. The strength of the body covering hers was apparent, his movements controlled and sure. Hard-packed muscles pressed over every inch of her back and legs, holding her so firmly that she couldn’t move at all.

He bent close, tightening his hand threateningly over her mouth. “I’ll take my hand away a little so you can breathe. If you make one sound, you’re dead.”

Amanda nodded again, gulping in air as soon as his hand moved away, trying her best to be as quiet as possible so he didn’t cover her mouth again. She found herself lifted slightly and pulled back from the edge, the man handling her as easily as he would a rag doll. Not until he’d pulled her several feet back and out of Rafael’s sight did he loosen his hold, still gripping her arm as he led her down the back side of the rocky ledge to the bottom where she’d left Midnight. The second he let her go, she spun and started backing away, stopping in her tracks when she got her first good look at them.

Holy hell. “Who are you?”

The one who’d just released her put his hands on his hips, his gaze hot as it moved over her. He looked just as muscular as he felt pressed against her. “We’re Texas Rangers, ma’am. What were you doing back there?”

Amanda’s Texas Rangers

Ménage Everlasting: Erotic Western Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M

Amanda Keller’s only goal was to free her mother and sister from her father so she could escape and never look back. Texas Rangers, Zane Owens and Rand Sloane, have their own mission and aren’t about to let the raven-haired beauty run off with the gold, especially when she’d already stolen their hearts.

Excerpt

Lying on her belly, Amanda Keller remained motionless as she looked down the barrel of her rifle to the group of men moving around below the ridge. Ignoring the fierce sun beating down on her, the rock poking at her hip through her trousers, and the trail of sweat slowly creeping down her neck below her bandana, she waited for Rafael Perez to step out into the open.

The brim of her hat kept the sun from shining in her eyes, but she had to keep blinking against the glint of light reflecting off of her rifle. She could only hope Rafael or one of his men wouldn’t spot it before she did what she came here to do. Surprisingly, none of them looked up in her direction.

Desperation burned like acid in her stomach and she had to force herself to keep her breathing steady as she waited for her shot. After she killed him, the others would be easy to control.

She had to kill the man first.

With every deep breath she took, the knots in her stomach just kept growing. She’d never killed anyone before, and the thought of having to do it now made her want to throw up.

But she could see no other way. She’d never be free if she didn’t and she didn’t have much time. She’d already been away too long.

Rafael, with his stringy black hair and confident swagger, moved among his men, barking out orders. He somehow managed to keep the horses or one of his men between him and the end of her rifle, but she knew that eventually she’d get the perfect opportunity. If not today…tomorrow.

It had taken her weeks to find him, and she’d been following his trail for the last three days, getting a little closer each day. This morning she’d caught sight of him for the first time.

Thanks to the description she’d gotten, he would have been easy to spot, even without knowing he was the leader of his slimy band of thugs. As she watched men all rush to do his bidding, she became more certain than ever that he was the one in charge…and her target.

It appeared Rafael and his men had stopped for a rest and a break from the heat, which gave her the opportunity to study him more closely. He looked younger than she thought he’d be but had the body of a man who drank too much and did too little.

Like her father.

He sat now, leaning up against a rock next to one of his men, who blocked any shot Amanda might have had and drank from a bottle of whiskey. She counted seven other men with him.

A year ago he had eight.

She blinked, trying to clear her vision as sweat trickled into her eyes, watching two of the men walk to the stream nearby and begin to refill canteens. She knew they’d be taking their horses for a drink as soon as they finished and sent a silent apology to Midnight, promising to get her a drink of the cool, clear water as soon as she could.

She’d emptied her own canteen about two hours ago, but knew it would be a while until she could refill it.

Doing her best to ignore the tickle at the back of her neck, Amanda kept her eye on Rafael, tightening her grip when he came back to his feet again. Damn. Her hands had become slick with sweat, but she couldn’t stop to wipe them now.

If he would just move away from the tree…yes…now turn just a little…

“Oof!” A hard body landed none too gently on top of her, knocking the air out of her lungs as strong hands wrenched the rifle from her grip and another equally strong hand covered her mouth against her instinctive cry.

“Quiet!” The cold venom in the low tone whispered furiously against her ear had to be the most frightening sound she’d ever heard.

Pressed into the ground by the heavy weight on top of her, she whimpered as the rock at her hip dug in even more painfully, bringing tears to her eyes. She struggled for air, barely able to breathe through the large hand covering her mouth and nose.

Another voice sounded next to her other ear, barely a whisper that she had to struggle to hear. “Be still and be quiet. We’re going to back away from the edge slowly. If you resist, Zane, here, will break your neck. Do you understand?”

Amanda nodded once, her vision blurring from lack of air. Oh, God. There were two of them, and they were going to kill her. Her eyes flew open when she felt the hard bulge press at her bottom.

Or worse.

She’d heard stories about men who kept women alive for days, using them over and over until they’ve had enough of them. Then they’d kill them. She’d rather be killed outright than to have to endure that.

Even in this heat, a shiver went down her spine as fear clawed at her, along with something else, something decadent and dangerous. The man holding her didn’t smell sour the way her father did. He smelled like soap, leather and sweat, and the hand covering her mouth was free of grime. Even the slight beard brushing her cheek was soft, and she barely resisted the urge to rub against it. The strength of the body covering hers was apparent, his movements controlled and sure. Hard-packed muscles pressed over every inch of her back and legs, holding her so firmly that she couldn’t move at all.

He bent close, tightening his hand threateningly over her mouth. “I’ll take my hand away a little so you can breathe. If you make one sound, you’re dead.”

Amanda nodded again, gulping in air as soon as his hand moved away, trying her best to be as quiet as possible so he didn’t cover her mouth again. She found herself lifted slightly and pulled back from the edge, the man handling her as easily as he would a rag doll. Not until he’d pulled her several feet back and out of Rafael’s sight did he loosen his hold, still gripping her arm as he led her down the back side of the rocky ledge to the bottom where she’d left Midnight. The second he let her go, she spun and started backing away, stopping in her tracks when she got her first good look at them.

Holy hell. “Who are you?”

The one who’d just released her put his hands on his hips, his gaze hot as it moved over her. He looked just as muscular as he felt pressed against her. “We’re Texas Rangers, ma’am. What were you doing back there?”

Beaumonts’ Brand

Alone in the wilderness, Victoria Fowler hides as men on a cattle drive stop at her camp. Ben and Wade Beaumont are surprised to catch a woman sneaking food and know they can’t leave her out here alone. Both enthralled with her, they each think she’ll make a wonderful addition to their ranch. Tory’s alarmed to discover they want to share her and even more alarmed that she’s even considering it.

Excerpt

Victoria Fowler stilled. Coming to her feet, she turned, listening as the sound of approaching riders got louder with each passing second.

They were coming back!

She looked around frantically for the best place to hide. Eyeing her collection of weapons, she made a hasty decision. She kept the large knife strapped to her belt and dropped Frank’s knife into her boot. Buck’s knife, the one that he’d worn strapped to his own belt, would be too big to fit comfortably in her other boot, so she carried it with her.

She hadn’t been able to find Will’s knife and James’s had been broken. Wishing for the hundredth time their guns hadn’t been taken, she scrambled up the slope for cover.

The ungodly noise kept growing and her heart raced as she thought of the possibilities. Did they realize that there had been five horses but only four riders? Did they go through the saddlebags, find her clothing and decide to come back?

Scrambling up the ridge to an outcropping of boulders, she fought the waves of dizziness that nearly took her to her knees. She hadn’t eaten in two days and her body grew weaker with each passing hour. She’d hoped to find something among the destruction the men and the coyotes left behind, but the only thing she found had been the knives and her brothers’ remains.

Fighting nausea and dizziness, she raced up the hill, slipping on several loose stones. Once she finally managed to get behind the rocks, she stopped and listened, trying to quiet her breathing. The noise got louder and closer, far too loud to be just a few riders. Could it be soldiers? They’d run across many soldiers along the way, some not even knowing the aggression had ended.

Would she be rescued?

As the noise grew even louder, she heard raised voices and whistles. Peeking around the rocks, she blinked when she saw what looked like hundreds of cows.

Cows? Why would there be cows out here?

A horse came into view, the rider wearing a kerchief over his mouth and nose, hiding his face. Holy juniper. She’d never seen a man that big before. When his gaze slid in her direction, she hurriedly ducked back behind the rock.

The only reason for a man to cover his face that way would be if he were a bandit. But why would he have it covered out here in the middle of nowhere?

The cows kept coming and she blinked, wondering if she was seeing things. She peeked again to see another man, surprised to see he looked every bit as large as the first. The second paused next to the first and motioned to several other riders, who quickly rode ahead.

Both men wore chaps and cowboy hats, not the uniforms she’d hoped for.

They slowed and herded the cows into a ravine not far from where she hid. The two big men, along with several others, got off of their horses in the clearing as even more riders diverted the cows.

Panicked now by the sheer number of men, she slowly worked her way around to another large rock, putting a little more distance between her and them. With a sinking heart, she watched as a wagon brought up the rear and stopped in the clearing.

The two big men appeared to be in charge, barking out orders to the others. With their faces now uncovered, they walked over to the hole she’d been digging and paused when they saw the remains of her brothers.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she watched them get a shovel from the wagon and finish the job she’d been unable to complete. Silently thanking them, she sent up a quick prayer for her brothers’ souls.

Some of the men set up camp, gathering firewood and coming to the pond to fill pots with water. Others stayed with the horses, leading them to the pond for a drink while still more men stayed with the cows.

She tried to count them, but they moved around too much for her to keep track. The two who appeared to be in charge conferred with a grizzly older man, all three scanning the surrounding area the entire time. She moved around the rock to look out from the other side, staying low so they couldn’t spot her.

The smell of food cooking made her stomach growl and weakened her even more. The two larger men kept looking at the ground as though trying to follow a trail, but with all the prints on the ground, she hoped they wouldn’t be able to follow hers.

Approaching the small pond, they scanned the area, forcing her to duck down again. Lying on her belly, she looked through the tall brush down to where the two men studied the footprints around the pond. The way they kept looking at the ground, occasionally kneeling down to touch something, and then lifting their gazes to the rocks where she hid scared the bejesus out of her. Could they track her?

She would love to go down there and ask for help, but she didn’t yet know if she should trust them. Her life depended on her not making a bad decision. Staying hidden seemed the best option for now. Checking that her knife still remained in her belt, she hunkered down to wait, trying to ignore the tantalizing smells that drifted to her.

She would wait until they all fell asleep. Perhaps then she could steal some food.