by Becca Van
“Don’t leave her alone for a second and make sure you ice her face and eye. She’s sore now but when she wakes up the pain and stiffness is going to be worse,” Jalen said, never once taking his eyes from their woman.
“I know what to do, and there’s no way in hell I’m leaving her side. I don’t want her trying to leave again.” Mica sighed.
“I don’t think she’ll try anything else tonight,” Dante said. He met Mica’s eyes. “I’m sorry for getting angry at you earlier. You aren’t to blame for what happened. Kat is stubborn, and once she makes up her mind, nothing’s going to stop her. I just wish she hadn’t gotten hurt.”
“So do I.” Mica rubbed at his face. “So do I.”
“Get her home and settled. We’ll relieve you from watching her when we get home. We can take it in shifts,” Jalen said.
“I was thinking of asking Luke for a few days off—without pay, of course,” Mica said.
Dante nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“I can’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind, either, but I’m not sure our bosses will be happy if all three of us put in for unpaid leave at the same time,” Jalen said.
“Maybe we could take a few days off each one after the other,” Mica suggested. “That way we don’t have to worry about leaving Kat by herself, and two of us are still working.”
“That sounds good to me,” Dante said.
“I’ll run it by Luke and Damon after explaining the situation and see what they think, but don’t get your hopes up. We have responsibilities to this town we can’t ignore.” Jalen gazed at his watch and sighed. “We need to get going and finish the rest of our shift. Make sure Kat’s comfortable when you get her home. She’s not going to be up to par for a few days, and while I feel like a bastard for saying this because I never, ever want to see her hurt, this might be a good time to shatter that cocoon she’s encased herself in.”
Mica nodded. “We’ll have to play it by ear and take our cues from her. I don’t want to send her running from us again.”
“None of us do, Mica,” Dante said.
“We’ll see you in a few hours.” After a last glance at Kat, Jalen and Dante headed toward the patrol car. They had reports to write up and other paperwork they needed to catch up on after they’d taken another tour around town and the outskirts of Slick Rock.
Jalen hoped the next few hours sped by, because he couldn’t wait to be back home with Kat again.
* * * *
Kat felt like she was floating. Though she was still in pain, it wasn’t as intense as it had been earlier. Strong arms supported her body and warmth seeped into her side, and it took her a couple of moments to work out someone was carrying her. She wanted to see who it was, but her eyelids were so heavy, and she was so tired, it took way too much effort. When she inhaled through her nose and smelled the familiar piney cologne, she knew it was Mica. She felt bad about leaving his house and not telling him. She’d seen him in the hospital and he’d looked almost frantic with worry. Kat knew how that felt, because she’d experienced the same thing after leaving Niki behind in Chicago.
“I’m sorry,” she slurred and frowned, trying to work out why she sounded like she was drunk. When she remembered the doc giving her some painkillers, she sighed with relief and then giggled.
“What are you sorry for, sweetheart?” Mica asked.
“L-leav-leaving. For making you consh…consh…worried.”
“Apology accepted, Kat.” Mica lowered her onto something soft, and she sighed when she figured out he’d put her on the bed. “I’m going to undress you so you’re comfortable, and then I’ll get some ice for your face. All right, sweetie?”
“’Kay,” she answered softly.
Kat laid still as Mica pulled her shoes off, then her trousers, shirt, and bra. She’d expected to feel pain as he lifted and moved her, but other than a couple of twinges, she didn’t feel much at all. He pulled a large T-shirt over her head, tugged it down under her ass, and then he lifted her into his arms again before setting her back on the mattress and covering her with the quilt. She heard him walking away from her and while she didn’t want him to go, she couldn’t seem to find her voice to ask him to stay. Turning on her side and curling into a ball trying to get warm didn’t help worth a dam. She was so cold she had goosebumps racing over her skin, and she didn’t think she’d ever feel warm again. Tears seeped from under her closed lids, trickling over her nose and across her face and onto the pillow under her head.
She didn’t register that the rustling sound she heard was Mica returning until the bed dipped beside her.
“Shit! Are you in pain, sweetie? Do you want me to call the doctor?”
“N-no,” she said. “I thought you’d left me.” Even though she could hear herself speaking the words and they made her cringe, her tongue had been loosened by the medicine and she couldn’t stop. “Everyone always leaves,” she sobbed. “Or they hurt me. Are you going to hurt me?”
Mica shifted closer, carefully lifted her head onto his chest and shoulder, and held something soft and cold to her aching, swollen eye and face. “I would rather rip my own heart out than hurt you, Kat. I’m falling in love with you, sweetie.”
Kat snorted. Her own father hadn’t loved her. How could anyone else love her?
She couldn’t help shivering when he brushed her hair back from her face. His fingers, while slightly rough with callouses, were warm and felt so good on her skin. Other than Niki and Rosita, Kat couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched her. Until recently that was. She’d liked having Mica’s and his brothers’ hands and mouths on her, stroking her and giving her pleasure. Now that she knew what she’d been missing, she craved to feel that way again, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t feel that way with anyone other than the Donnybrook men. There was a niggling in the back of her mind telling her to be cautious, but she was sick and tired of keeping herself apart from everyone, including her sister. Kat was closer to Niki than she was to anyone else, but now that her sister had her own men, she knew they wouldn’t be spending much time together anymore.
She wondered if she was destined to be alone for the rest of her life, and though she wanted to have what Niki had, men to love her, she was scared to reach out and take it. But she was also sick of living with fear. Kat wanted Mica, Jalen, and Dante to love her as much as Brent, Hes, and Rig loved Niki, but she wasn’t sure she was the lovable type. Her mom had loved her and so had Rosita in her own way, but the men didn’t seem to see beyond her boobs, ass, and pussy. She had a heart and knew deep inside she was capable and loving, too, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever get the chance.
“I’ve never and will never lie to you, Kat. I’m not just spinning you a tale when I tell you I’m falling in love with you. My brothers and I knew the second we met you that you were different from any other woman we’d ever seen. You’re special, sweetie, and we’re hoping to prove to you just how special you are.”
“I’m not s-s-special.”
“Yeah, you are, but we can talk about this later. Just relax and go to sleep.”
Kat nodded, nuzzled her cheek against Mica’s chest, and let herself relax. She was so damn tired, and with the medicine still in her system, she didn’t have a hope in hell of fighting sleep off. Nor did she want to. Sleep was a luxurious oblivion she’d had so little of and she was going to take advantage of not having to think or feel pain for as long as she could.
She just hoped that Mica really did forgive her for leaving the house without telling him she was going.
If he didn’t, there would be no reason for her to stick around.
Chapter Eight
Mica couldn’t believe he was holding Kat in his arms. He’d been pleasantly surprised when she’d told him she was sorry for sneaking out, but her disbelief about his growing love hadn’t been a shock. It was going to take time and patience for him and his brothers to gain her trust, and he hoped she stayed around to give them a chance.
> After removing the ice pack from her face and eye, he set it on the bedside table and wrapped his arms around her. It felt so good having her against his body and in his arms. She was so soft and smelled so fucking good. His cock was rock hard, but he ignored that part of his body, just absorbing her femininity. Mica loved the sweet scent of her perfume or body wash and shampoo. Her hair smelled like coconut, and her body had a slight fruity vanilla flavor. He could have spent hours on end holding her and breathing her in.
Mica hated that she’d been treated like a mannequin by her father, as if she wasn’t a living, breathing, feeling human being, but now that she was free, he and his brothers needed to show her that not all men were like that fucker.
Kat shifted in her sleep with a moan, rolling away from him to lie on her other side. He hoped she wasn’t hurting her eye or face, but when she didn’t roll back, he suspected she was too deeply asleep and the medicine was still working. He scooted closer to her, spooning her from behind, caging her smaller body against his as he wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close.
After a while, he felt his body relaxing into sleep, and he hoped that Kat didn’t wake up when his brothers got home from work. His next shift started just after lunch today, and while he didn’t really want to go into work, he would. Jalen and Dante would be with her to take care of her and see to all her needs while she recovered from her injuries.
He wished more than anything that neither of them did anything to piss their woman off and send her back to her own home. He wanted her here when he got off work tomorrow night.
* * * *
Kat had no idea what time it was, but she felt properly rested for the first time in a long time. Her face and eye were sore, as was her stomach and other parts of her body, but she’d had way worse.
She opened her good eye, not surprised to find herself alone. Nevertheless, she’d been aware of Mica cuddling with her off and on through the night. Kat flung the covers aside, gingerly sat up on the side of the bed, and sighed when she only felt a slight throbbing around her eye, cheek, and fat lip. She was going to have to be careful of her lip when she brushed her teeth, as well as eating and drinking, or she would tear it open again. Getting to her feet, she was glad to experience no wooziness and quickly made her way to the bathroom. After using the facilities and washing her hands, she brushed her teeth and turned to the shower. She stripped off, and stepped under the warm water. This time when she washed she didn’t feel the need to scrub her skin until she bled. When she was done, she turned the tap off, stepped out, and dried her body with the large, soft towel. As she brushed her hair, she wondered what she was going to wear since she still had none of her own clothes here.
Even though she didn’t mind borrowing the men’s clothes, she couldn’t keep doing it. For one, they were way too big and long, and two, she wanted her own things. When she came out of the bathroom and spied another pair of boxers, sweats, and a tee, she dropped the towel and dressed. Just as she was pulling the shirt down, she stopped when she saw the dark bruising on the skin of her belly. Instead of getting angry over being abused yet again, she smiled, wincing when her sore lip pulled, but she was glad that she’d fought back.
Now that she wasn’t in too much pain, she remembered how empowered she’d felt. She hadn’t just stood there and taken a beating like she used to when her father was in a drunken rage. She’d never done that before since it would have been futile and just earned her even more pain, but not anymore. Kat would fight to her last breath if she needed to.
This time she hadn’t felt useless and helpless even if she still ended up getting hurt.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she frowned when she remembered Mica telling her he was falling in love with her. She shook her head. That couldn’t be right. They hadn’t known each other long enough for such declarations. Maybe she’d been hallucinating because of the drugs the doctor had given her.
Kat took the towel to the bathroom and hung it up on the rail then headed out to the kitchen. She could smell coffee and food, and her stomach was grumbling with emptiness. She didn’t hesitate as she walked along the hall and through the living room toward the kitchen, not even when she heard the three men’s low voices as they talked. Kat felt a bubbling inside of her she’d never felt before, but before she could work out what the emotion was, she was in the kitchen.
All three of the men turned to gaze at her.
“How are you feeling, baby?” Jalen asked.
“Are your eye and cheek hurting, love?” Dante asked.
“Your lip must be throbbing bad, sweetie. It’s so swollen. Do you want me to get you some ice?” Mica asked.
“I feel fine other than a little achy,” she answered Jalen, then gazed at Dante. “My eye and cheek don’t hurt much at all.” She looked at Mica. “My lips fine as long as I don’t smile, and thanks, but no to the ice.”
“Come and sit down, baby,” Jalen said as he stood. “I’ll get you some coffee and breakfast.”
“I can get it myself.” She turned toward the kitchen, but before she could take a step, Jalen grasped her arm.
“We know you’re capable, baby, but we like taking care of you.” Jalen released her arm, winked at her, and strode across the room after seeing her seated.
“How did you get the scars on your side and back?” Dante asked.
Kat didn’t really want to talk about it, but this was the second time she’d been asked that question, and she had a feeling the men weren’t going to stop questioning her until she’d spilled the beans. “My father.”
“Motherfucker,” Dante growled.
“Son of a bitch,” Mica snarled.
“Fucking bastard,” Jalen said from between clenched teeth.
“It was a long time ago.” Kat shrugged nonchalantly, but when she saw all three of them staring at her avidly, she knew she hadn’t played off her carelessness very well.
“How long ago?” Jalen asked as he placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of her.
Kat stared at the dark brew as she wrapped her hands around the hot mug. The day had started out better than any she’d had in a very long time, but it was quickly going downhill. She could feel the cold that hadn’t been in her heart and soul invading her body again. A shudder rushed through her body and goosebumps raced over her skin. The encroaching cold made it hard to breathe, but she didn’t want these three confident men seeing her at her worst more than they already had.
“Kat? Are you okay, sweetie?” Mica asked.
She nodded but kept her gaze lowered.
“Look at me, love,” Dante demanded firmly.
Without any thought, she met his gaze and hoped the tears burning her eyes weren’t visible. Her eyes widened when Dante shoved his chair back, rose, and made his way around the dining room table toward her. He stopped in front of her, and then without speaking, he removed the mug from her hand and helped her to her feet. Before she could ask what he was doing, he sat where she’d been sitting, then pulled her down onto his lap.
“I’m sorry, love. We’re not trying to upset you.” Dante embraced her with both of his arms, then he skimmed a hand up and down her back. After nudging her chin up so their gazes were locked, he slowly lowered his head toward hers. The soft comforting kiss he placed on her forehead was nearly her undoing, but she sucked in a deep breath, which enabled her to push her emotions aside.
Kat was amazed at how much body heat he was putting out. In fact, all three of the Donnybrook brothers always felt way hotter than she was. It was probably just her imagination, but that was what it seemed like anyway.
“How long ago, love?” Dante asked.
“Seventeen years,” she answered softly.
“And you’re how old?” Jalen frowned. “You don’t look much older than twenty.”
“Twenty-seven.”
“You were fucking ten years old?” Mica asked in a growly voice.
“Just.”
“Why?” Jalen snapped. “What did you
do to warrant such treatment from someone whom was supposed to love you?”
Kat blinked rapidly, trying to quell the threatening tears again. She exhaled slowly before inhaling again. “I’d like to know that answer myself. As far as I could figure out, he was so drunk he mistook me for my mom or one of the women he was screwing. Of course, I didn’t know that at the time. He was muttering to himself about teaching me to cheat on him.”
“Jesus.” Mica clenched and unclenched his hands as if he wanted to hit something or someone.
“If that fucker wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him myself,” Dante said.
Kat startled when she heard a loud thud and turned quickly to see what was going on. She gaped at Jalen when she saw him shaking out his hand. His knuckles were bleeding but it was the hole in the plaster behind her that shocked her.
“Jalen, you’re scaring her.” Dante scowled at his brother.
Kat shook her head. “He didn’t scare me, just startled me. Why are you so upset, Jalen?”
“How can you ask me that?” Jalen grabbed a paper towel, wrapped it around his knuckles, hurried toward her, and sank down onto his knees in front of her. “Baby, you were just a kid and your father fucking tortured you.” He cupped her face between his hands. “No one deserves what he did to you. No one deserves to be locked up and abused over and over again by one of the people supposed to love and take care of you. I’m sorry for what you and Niki endured, baby. So damn sorry.”
“I don’t want your pity,” she shouted at him, once more trying to keep her tears at bay.
“I don’t fucking pity you, Kat. I never have and never will. I’m saddened and angry at what happened to you and Niki, but not pity. You and your sister are so fucking amazing. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become, of who you are. Most people would have buckled and cracked if they’d endured what you and Niki did.”
