Loving Attention

by Becca Van

  Hes clasped her hand and tugged her back into her seat. “Stay there and rest, honey. I’ll get the dessert.” Hes started clearing the table, and she was surprised but grateful when Jay and his cousins jumped up to help. She couldn’t even remember if anyone had introduced her to them.

  Rig scooted his seat closer to her and draped an arm over her shoulders. “You need to eat something, sugar. We don’t want you to end up getting sick.”

  “I’ll be sick if I put anything in my mouth, Rig.” Her eyes burned but she ruthlessly blinked her tears back. She had bawled like a baby in front of men she’d just met, and while she knew they wouldn’t say anything, she didn’t want to fall apart again. That was another lesson her father had taught her and Kat. If they ever cried, their father used to hit them and say, “Now you have something to cry about.” They’d learned to keep their emotions bottled up, but Kat had been so much better at it than Niki. In fact, she’d stopped trying to keep everything inside as soon as she’d been reunited with her big sister.

  “Jalen called earlier,” Rig said. “Kat’s worried about you. She and her men are on their way out here.”

  “I’m fine, Rig.”

  He leaned down and spoke quietly so no one else could hear him. “That’s the biggest load of shit I’ve ever heard. You don’t need to hide your grief from us, sugar. We’re here for you to lean on.” He cupped her cheek in his hand and pressed his forehead to hers. “We’re here for you, Niki. Don’t ever forget that. We don’t want just the good—we want the bad, as well. That’s what a relationship is all about, sugar. Sharing things with each other. We want to know when you’re pissed at us, when you’re happy, and when you’re sad. Don’t hide how you’re feeling from us.”

  She bit her lip to stop it from trembling and glanced toward the kitchen, where their visitors were helping Hes, before looking into Rig’s eyes again. “I can’t. Not here.”

  Rig sighed but nodded in understanding. Niki’s chest was so tight she felt as if it were about to explode, but she knew it wouldn’t. She’d felt this way many times before and knew that the tightness would recede eventually, but she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to keep herself from breaking down. Ever since she’d met Brent, Rig, and Hes, she’d been more open and honest than ever before, other than with Kat.

  She just hoped that the other men left before her sister got here, because Niki knew she would have an even harder time holding her mourning at bay when she saw her sister’s face. Kat hardly ever showed any emotion on her face, and Niki was counting on her sister’s stoic expression and her cool attitude to keep herself in control. If Kat fell apart, then Niki didn’t have a hope in hell.

  She was so tired. Tired of living with the violence she’d grown up with. Tired of being so scared and tired of losing all the people she’d loved. Were she and Kat next? Would their bodies be found dumped in the woods, too? Even though her father was dead, that didn’t mean they were safe. Vinnie had had a hard-on for her for years, and she suspected that if her father hadn’t been around, she’d have been raped, beaten, and six feet under long ago.

  Were her men in danger just because of association? That thought terrified her more than facing her own mortality. She didn’t know how it had happened, but she’d fallen in love with them so quickly. She swallowed around the constrictive lump in her throat.

  Niki didn’t think she’d survive losing anyone else she loved. She’d already lost so much, and yet she knew her tumultuous emotional torture wasn’t over. Maybe she should have taken a page out of Kat’s book and kept to herself. If she had, Brent, Hes, and Rig wouldn’t have targets on their backs, too. But what worried her the most was that they were so loving and protecting. She was frightened that they would stand in front of her and take whatever was coming her way.

  Niki began to wonder if she shouldn’t have escaped in the first place. If she hadn’t, then the Lyndon brothers and anyone else living in and around the town of Slick Rock would be safe. While she knew they were retired Marines and a lot of the men were also retired military and could likely take care of themselves, they weren’t indestructible. They could be killed by a bullet just like she could.

  She had no idea what she was going to do, but she hated just sitting here doing nothing. Maybe it would speed things up if she stood out in the open so Vinnie and his men could take a shot at her.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, stop right now!” Brent commanded.

  She had no idea how long she’d been sitting there as she tried to figure out what to do. Nor how long all the men had been watching her. The kitchen was clean and there were empty dessert bowls on the table.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Niki said, hoping her face was no longer changing expression.

  “Don’t you trust us, sugar?” Rig asked.

  When she looked at him, she bit her lip. There was pain in the depths of his brown eyes, but he quickly tried to hide it from her, from everyone. She couldn’t let him or his brothers think that she didn’t have faith in them, because she did. “Yes, I trust you all.” She drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She did trust them, but that didn’t mean she didn’t worry about them.

  “We know you’re up to something, honey.” Hes frowned at her. “But we won’t let you.”

  She snorted, but thankfully the sound was drowned out by the dining room door opening, and Jalen and his brothers called out greetings. Niki surged to her feet and, as soon as she set eyes on her sister, hurried over to her. Kat was so pale and her face was tense and drawn. While it looked like she wasn’t affected by their recent news, Niki knew that inside she was breaking apart.

  She didn’t say anything but pulled her sister into her arms and hugged her tight. The pain in her chest increased, but Niki was determined to keep herself together. Kat had done so much for her over the years, and it was time to be strong for her sister.

  “Are you okay, Niki?” Kat asked in a whisper.

  Niki nodded, then drew back to gaze into her sister’s eyes. “What about you? How are you holding up?”

  Kat dropped her arms and stepped back and shrugged. “I’m fine.”

  That was the biggest lie Niki had ever heard, but she wasn’t about to call Kat out in front of everyone. Kat had so much pain stored up inside of her, Niki was afraid that if her sister ever cracked, she’d never be whole again.

  “Do you want something to drink?” Niki asked the new arrivals, but before anyone could answer, Hes spoke.

  “Come and sit down, honey. You’re exhausted. Rig and I can get the drinks.”

  “Do you have any wine?” Kat asked.

  Niki caught Mica frowning at Kat, and he stepped closer as if he was going to say something, but Jalen shook his head. Thankfully, her sister didn’t notice the interaction.

  “Why don’t we all go sit in the living room?” Brent suggested.

  Niki was tired and was grateful for his suggestion, but she was also worried she’d fall asleep if she got too comfortable. She’d just have to make sure she didn’t get too relaxed and end up closing her eyes. The ache in her chest would probably help her stay awake.

  Brent slung an arm around her shoulders when she got close, and he guided her into the living room. Once everyone was seated with beers and glasses of wine in hand, Rig broke the silence. “Who would step up to take over your father’s role?”

  Niki looked at Kat and while her sister’s expression was stoic, she saw a flash of fear in her eyes. Niki shivered as goose bumps raced over her skin. Her father had been an abusive, murdering asshole, but Vinnie Ramos was so much worse. That man would kill his own mother with a smile on his face to get what he wanted. He didn’t care about who he hurt or killed as long as things went his way. He was an unfeeling psychopath, and he scared the shit out of her.

  “Niki?” Brent laced his fingers with hers.

  “Vinnie Ramos,” she stated tonelessly.

  “The fucking asshole who tried to rape you?” Rig shouted his questio
n.

  Niki glanced about the room when she heard a few of the men suck in noisy breaths and make growling sounds. Kat, who was sitting in an armchair across from the sofa, had her arms wrapped around herself as if she were cold to the bone. Niki knew just how her sister felt.

  “Yes,” she answered.

  “We need to call Luke,” Hes said.

  “I already did.” Jalen sighed. “The sheriff already knows what’s going on, and he’s been working tirelessly with the feds and the chief of the Chicago PD. Simultaneous raids are going to take place all over the country tomorrow morning.”

  “So we have no need to worry?” Niki asked.

  “No, but that doesn’t mean you don’t remain vigilant of your surroundings or that we’re going to let you go anywhere by yourself,” Brent stated emphatically.

  Kat snorted and when Niki gazed her way, she caught her sister rolling her eyes. Nevertheless, her sister couldn’t seem to keep her eyes from wandering over to Jalen, Dante, and Mica. Even though the three Donnybrook brothers weren’t looking at Kat, Niki was sure the men knew of her sister’s perusal. Their bodies were seemingly relaxed, but for some reason, she was able to pick up on the sexual tension sparking between the four of them. Niki just hoped that Kat opened up her heart and let the three men get close. She wanted to see her sister happy. She deserved the best that life had to offer after what she’d been through. And then Niki realized that she did, too.

  Even though she’d had an epiphany about being in love with Brent, Rig, and Hes, she’d still been holding part of herself back. She’d been scared that her happiness, the men she was in love with were going to be snatched away from her and she’d be left all alone again. While she knew there were no guarantees in life, she shouldn’t have been waiting for something bad to happen.

  Then and there, Niki decided it was time to be honest with herself and hopefully, after everyone had gone, her men.

  Kat drained her wine and rose, then said, “I think it’s time we left.”

  “You’re all welcome to bunk down here for the night,” Brent said.

  “No,” Kat said firmly. “I have to get to work in the morning. Shyann needs help to unload a shipment of books, and I said I’d help her. I’m not breaking my promise, and I will be at the library by eight.”

  Niki jumped to her feet as Kat walked toward her. She embraced her sister, squeezing her tight. “Stay safe.”

  “You, too,” Kat replied before she carried her glass to the kitchen and left through the back door. Dante and Mica hurried after her.

  Jalen sighed as he gazed the way her sister had gone. He turned to meet her eyes. “As soon as we hear anything, I’ll call one of your men to give them an update.”

  “Thank you.” Niki cleared her throat. “Be patient with Kat. She’s not as cold as she tries to make out.”

  “We know that, honey.” Jalen smiled at her, but Niki could tell he wasn’t feeling any humor or happiness right then. Knowing her sister, Kat had the men turning in circles like a kitten or a pup chasing its tail. She just hoped she stopped running one day soon. “You don’t need to worry about Kat, Niki. We’ll keep her safe.”

  “I know.” She nodded.

  “Let your men take care of you.”

  Niki nodded again and watched Jalen hurry after her sister and his brothers. She covered her mouth with a yawn, snuggled against Brent’s side, and let her eyes drift closed.

  Please let it be over soon. Please. Please. Please.

  Hes entered the living room after showing Jay, Jarrett, and Jeb to their rooms, and when he saw Niki curled up against Brent, her eyes closed and sound asleep, he sighed with relief. She and Kat had dealt with way more than they should have in their lives and were still dealing with the fallout of their father’s crimes. He just hoped the raids happening tomorrow morning put an end to the danger the sisters were in, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case. He and his brothers were going to have to remain alert, and he thought it would be better if Niki wasn’t left alone in the house. She needed someone with her to protect her if the shit hit the fan.

  “We need to get Niki into bed,” Hes said.

  “I was just about to.” Brent brushed a few strands of hair from Niki’s face, lifted her into his arms, and stood.

  Hes followed his brothers and their woman to the master bedroom. He closed the door behind him while Rig pulled the covers down. Brent lowered Niki to the mattress and then started to gently remove her clothes. Hes tugged her shoes and socks off. When she was naked and in bed with the quilt over her, he began stripping. “One of us needs to stay with her until we know the threat has passed.”

  “I agree,” Rig said.

  “So do I,” Brent agreed.

  Hes climbed into bed on Niki’s left, and Brent got in on her other side. It was Rig’s turn to sleep across the bottom of the bed. Niki had napped for about five minutes after lunch and then she’d walked to the kitchen to start working on dinner. Hes, his brothers, and the Sonny men had gone out to work. Hes had worried about their woman the whole time they’d been gone from the house. Brent had asked Niki if she wanted one of them to stay with her, but she’d assured him that she was okay.

  Hes hoped that Niki slept through the night without being disturbed by nightmares. She’d had a big shock today, and while she tried to hide it after her initial crying jag when she learned that Rosita had been killed, she was still mourning.

  He was sure that he’d have nightmares too if he’d gone through what she had. Even the horrors of war didn’t compare to being locked up and abused for years on end.

  She was so fucking strong. Many people would have broken way before Kat and Niki. The Russo sisters may have shed a few tears but they were still here, still breathing.

  They hadn’t given up, and he was determined that they never would.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Niki woke up feeling more tired than when she’d fallen asleep on the sofa after dinner last night. She’d been plagued by dreams and hadn’t had much sleep. It was still dark and when she gazed at the clock, she saw it was only four in the morning, but she knew she wouldn’t be getting any more shuteye.

  With a sigh of resignation, she carefully extracted herself from between Brent and Hes, trying not to wake them, and stepped down to the floor. She entered the bathroom, closed the door behind her, and flicked the light on. After doing her business, she stared at her drawn face as she washed her hands. There were dark smudges under her bloodshot eyes, but there was nothing she could do about the way she looked. She brushed her teeth and hair and was contemplating having a shower when the door opened and Brent strode in.

  She couldn’t help but feast her eyes on his tall, sexy body. He and his twin brothers were so handsome and muscular. Heat flared to life in her belly, womb, and pussy, but she tried to quash her lust. A blaze of need skated up her spine when she saw that Brent’s cock was hard. The tip of his dick was poking out above the waistband of his boxer briefs.

  “Are you okay, baby?” he asked as he walked toward her.

  “Yeah,” she replied.

  He cupped her face in his hands, staring intently into her eyes. “You need to go back to bed and try to get some more sleep.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not going to be able to sleep anymore, Brent. I have too much on my mind.”

  “We can fix that, baby.”

  Before she had a chance to ask what he meant, he slanted his mouth over hers.

  The simmering warmth in her belly flared higher and she moaned. She twisted and tangled her tongue with his and stepped closer to him. Her hard nipples ached when they brushed against his chest.

  Brent dropped his hands from her face, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her against him. His cock pulsed against her belly and she whimpered. Niki was so turned on she climbed up his body and clung to him as they consumed each other. She gasped for air as soon as he broke the kiss and squeaked as he lowered her bare ass onto the cold granite counter. He
chuckled against her neck, licking and nipping at her skin, making her even more needy for him.

  She sifted her fingers into his hair and clutched at the strands whilst he swiped his tongue over first one throbbing nipple and then the other.

  Niki needed him filling her, needed his cock buried deep in her pussy and fucking her hard and fast. She arched her chest toward him and moaned as he suckled firmly on one peak, then again switched to the other. She caressed her way down his chest, over his washboard abs, and delved into his boxers. She gripped his dick firmly and began to pump up and down.

  Brent growled and straightened. He stepped back and shoved his boxers down, Niki slid from the counter to the floor and knelt at his feet. Before he could stop her or kick his underwear away, she wrapped her hand around his thick, hard dick, opened her mouth as she leaned forward, and twirled her tongue around the head. Then she sucked him in.

  “Fuck!” Brent groaned. “You mouth feels amazing, baby. So fucking hot. Wet.”

  Niki hummed as she bobbed her head, stroking the rest of his shaft with her hand. Her clit was throbbing, her inner muscles clenching, and she was leaking juices. She was on fire and she wanted her men to douse the flames, but first she wanted, needed to pleasure Brent. She wanted him coming down her throat so she could taste all of his spicy cum.

  But Brent had other ideas.

  He stepped back, pulling his cock from her mouth, and then he hooked his hands under her arms and lifted her to her feet.

  “I want you, baby. Right now!” He swept her from her feet and turned toward the bedroom.

  She gasped when she saw Hes and Rig standing in the doorway, staring at her with so much desire she shivered.

  “So do we,” Rig said hoarsely. He and Hes backed up into the bedroom and Brent strode after them.

  Instead of placing her on the bed like she’d expected, he carried her to the end of the mattress and sat down with her in his lap. She moaned when his cock nudged up against her folds. Niki didn’t want to wait any longer for her men to make love to her. She was so wet cream already coated the inside of her thighs. She grasped Brent’s biceps, shifted higher onto her knees, gripped his cock, then aimed it at her entrance and sank down over him. She didn’t stop until he was lodged in her pussy so deeply she could feel him against her cervix.