“At a moment’s notice, those are direct orders from Nathan. Barishna is strengthening his business connections, and he was involved with this guy Portros.”
“Portros? Oh God,” she said and covered her mouth.
Frankie squinted. “You know him?”
“Of course I know him, and his buddy Locust. They’re so evil, and they’re like a militia or something. Terrorists,” she said to him.
“Fuck. Locust wasn’t with Portros or he escaped, I don’t know, but Portros is dead.”
“Oh no, that’s why Nathan is worried.”
“Yes, if Barishna finds out it was your brother’s team, and these other two teams, Tat’s and Flame’s, then they become targets.”
“Not just by Barishna, by Sierran. You have to warn Tat and them, too. Spartan needs to let them know at least the severity of the danger and who the men are.”
“If he does, then they learn about you and what you went through, Talia.”
“I don’t care. They could die. They could be hunted down and killed, and it isn’t right not to explain to them who the men are and why. You need to tell Spartan and Cesar to explain it. Tell Nathan or whoever gets in touch with him that Sierran more than likely is tracking Nathan, knows where he is, and will know where to find the others. He’ll kill them one at a time. I know him. He won’t give up.”
“You see how serious this is? You see now that you can’t get involved with Tat, Basile, Vacarro, and Spadaro?” Frankie asked her.
Tears spilled from her eyes, and she nodded her head. “But all the men, Tat’s team included now, need to know about Sierran and his capabilities.”
“I don’t think that Nathan is going to agree to that.”
“I don’t care. Tat, Spadaro, Vacarro, and Basile are in danger now because of that mission. It’s only fair that they know Portros’s friends will seek revenge. They have to. Spartan can explain,” she said, feeling sick with worry for the men. For all of them.
She thought of Sierran, her personal guard, Barishna’s right-hand man. He was always there, always present, and had seen her obey Barishna’s commands. Barishna had even allowed Sierran to touch her, to caress her hair, to touch her breasts. It was his sick way of showing his possession of her and power over her, but what he hadn’t seemed to care about was Sierran’s expression. She wasn’t stupid, and she knew the man wanted to do more than just touch her. Only Barishna being in charge stood in the way.
“Natalia.” Frankie said her name and touched her shoulder.
She gasped, stepped back, and stared at him. “I’ll stay away. I’ll do my best. I don’t want anything to happen to them.”
* * * *
“Of all the fucking men in that town, she meets them and they want her?” Woodrow asked, all pissed off and leaning against the wall in the house they were staying in. His arm was wrapped up, and he was in a pissed-off mood.
“They’re crazy, wild, and not the commitment types at all, you can tell. They’ll hurt her,” Bronco added.
“What the hell is she thinking?” Cole asked.
“She isn’t. They’re older, dominant and demanding men. They’re bullying her, and she can’t handle it,” Woodrow stated.
Nathan and Spade were on the speakerphone.
“I doubt that. She’s a lot stronger than she was a few years ago after it all happened. This has been rough on her, and we need to continue to keep her safe and secure,” Spade said.
“Frankie spoke to her this morning and set her straight. Told her that she needs to stay clear of this team of soldiers. Frankie told Flame that she knew who Portros was, and about his partner, Locust. She also said that Sierran is close to them, and we already know that he has eyes on me. Her concern was over Sierran finding out about us and about Tat and his team. She wants them made aware of the danger. I’m fine with that. It’s all because of the mission anyway and has nothing to do with Talia. That’s our doing with Sierran wanting us dead,” Nathan said to them.
“You need to escape from there and disappear. She knows more about Sierran than we do. He was her guard. He did things, too,” Bronco said to Nathan.
“Spade and I are fine. We know they’re around and watching us. They decide to make a move, then we take them out. We’re ready.”
“That’s if they don’t decide to sniper shoot your ass, Nathan. These men are ruthless, and now they’re pissed off to boot,” Cole said to him.
Woodrow exhaled.
“Sierran is the one who has been going around killing people for Barishna. Maybe we should start hunting him as well as Locust and take them all out. Flame and them are ready to assist. I’m going to call Spartan, but I need to know our plan of action. He knows Tat and his team well and mentioned a potential interest from them in Natalia. He’s going to have feedback on this,” Nathan said to them.
“Well, her protection comes first and not for nothing, but you didn’t see these men. They’re fucking fierce, and that guy Spadaro, he was smug about nearly killing me,” Woodrow said to them.
“You’re lucky to not be dead. Flame said you guys didn’t even see them in the woods around you and they were close. Now if it were other men, men working for Portros, then all three of you would have died. I’m going to ask Spartan for more information on them. In the interim, remain in communication with Flame and the team. Our new targets are Locust and Sierran,” Nathan said to them.
“Got it,” Woodrow said and then ended the call.
He looked at the others.
“I know you’re still pissed about getting shot, but let’s think about what we picked up on those men Tat, Basile, Vacarro, and Spadaro, and the respect Flame and his men had for them,” Cole said.
“Why?” Woodrow asked.
“Well, think about it—would it be so bad for Natalia to have four SOJ soldiers watching over her, being that close to her and protecting her just in case Barishna and his men locate her?” Cole asked.
“You saw them. You know what she went through. Those men were aggressive, demanding, and want her for sex and nothing more. Their service comes first, and they’ll leave her for a mission like nothing.”
“You don’t know that, Woodrow. We all feel extra protective of Natalia, but she’s a beautiful, sweet, charismatic woman, and it’s only natural that she doesn’t want to be lonely,” Cole said.
“Well, let her not be lonely with other men. Not them. They’ll hurt her,” Woodrow said.
“I don’t think they will. In fact, they might be the kind of men that are exactly what she needs. Ones who will push for her to be strong and to confide in them. Three years she was alone. NO relationships. Nothing. I just want her safe like you do,” Cole said.
“Well, the decision has already been made,” Woodrow stated.
“And you think those men, if they really want to be part of Natalia’s life and they care about her already, will take that order and accept it?” Bronco asked, with one of his eyebrows raised up.
Cole chuckled.
“Fuck no,” Cole said.
“Goddamn it, they’re going to wind up being part of this fucking family,” Woodrow said, and Cole and Bronco chuckled.
* * * *
Tat was driving around the complex, trying to see if Talia’s car was parked somewhere else. She didn’t answer her door, and he had a feeling she was completely avoiding him on purpose. He had told her he wanted answers today, and that was why he was here alone—so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed by all of them. Now he was pissed off.
He was going to get out of the truck and punch in the code for the town house because he knew it, but he didn’t want to scare her or make her think he was breaking in and going to hurt her. He hated this feeling in his gut. Something was wrong. She was scared, and after making the decision to make her their woman, he wasn’t going to turn back and walk away from her.
Right before he turned off the ignition, his cell phone rang. He hoped it was her, but then saw it was Spartan.
“Hey, Spartan,
what’s up?”
“Getting ready to meet with Talia, but she isn’t home yet.”
“You and the team need to leave her alone.”
His gut clenched tighter.
“Say that again,” he stated, his voice immediately firm and the anger apparent.
“No questions, it’s an order. It’s for her safety and protection that you and the others do not pursue her.”
“Why not?” he asked, trying to be calm, but every ounce of him tightened in anger.
“Seems that mission you were on involves some individuals who could look to come after you because of your association with those two teams.”
“You mean Flame and his team and those guys Bronco, Cole, and Woodrow?”
“Yes.”
He thought about it a moment. “What does it have to do with my team and I talking to Talia?”
“Tat, you need to accept this. If things blow over months from now, then perhaps something could work out, but right now, she has been told to stay clear of you and your team, and you need to do the same. I want you vigilant in making sure you’re on guard at all times in case these men who knew the guys you all helped take out come looking.”
“Here? You think they’re going to hunt down me and the team for assisting in that raid when everyone is dead? What the fuck is really going on here? We knew something was up with her, and today she was going to explain because I told her I wanted honesty.”
“You need to stand down.”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?” Spartan asked, raising his voice.
“I’m not standing down, nor are the others. We’re getting to know her. We care about her, and we want her in our lives.”
“Like a commitment want her in your lives, or just in your bed?”
“In all the fucking years that you’ve known me, Spartan, have I or any member of my team talked about making a commitment to a woman, never mind date one consistently? What the fuck do you think I mean?”
“Goddamn it, Tat. This is going to turn into a fucking shitshow so damn fast. Fuck, I’m between a rock and a hard place.”
“You don’t have to be if you involve us completely in on what’s going on.”
“That isn’t my call.”
“Last time I checked, you’re our fucking commander. You also give orders and commands to Flame and his men. Now I don’t know about these other guys, but I would assume you have more pull and authority and obviously have been aware of Talia’s situation for a while. They trust you, and you need to trust us.”
“It isn’t that simple. It’s been three years. That woman has been recovering and living through things and keeping people away for a good reason.”
“So she is in danger, and there are men looking for her? To hurt her or kill her?”
Spartan was silent.
“Spartan, we’ll do this the hard way and by the rules. We’ll claim guardianship of her and be her protectors, and we’ll see her, talk to her about what happened in her life and who is after her. We aren’t backing down, and any person who stands in our way will get run over,” he stated.
“Goddamn it, Tat, you can’t push her to talk about what happened to her. She may not be ready to be intimate with you guys. To allow you to claim her fully. You need to understand that she was hurt. It was despicable what she went through, and it isn’t over. She spent a full year recovering from her physical injuries. Two years in hiding here in Repose, and the danger is as strong as ever. In fact, because of the last mission, and how close Bronco and the team are to taking down those who hurt her, the danger is coming closer. Those men could track you and your team here, and then see her and that’s it. They’ll do whatever is necessary to take her back.”
“Back to who and back where?”
“Back to Italy. Back to the man her own father sold her to.”
Tat instantly saw red. The shock, the thoughts running through his head, were outrageous. “Son of a bitch.”
“If you make the decision to pursue her anyway, you’d better be prepared to protect her with all you have, because the last information she got was to stay far away from you and your team to protect you, and to be ready to leave Repose at a moment’s notice and never return.”
“My team and I will stand by our decision, and then we’ll set up a time and location with Talia to meet with you and talk about everything, set a plan in motion, and help to resolve this. Whoever gave the orders to stand down and tried to keep us away from Talia should be on standby to discuss that with us and to know we aren’t leaving her side.”
“Are you certain Talia feels the same way about you and the others? Are you certain you’re willing to wait to fully claim her?”
The fact that Spartan was saying these words to Tat made him feel even angrier but also even more protective of Talia.
“Yes. I’ll call you soon,” he said and ended the call.
He stared at the condominium complex and then thought about Spartan’s call. He needed to inform the others of the decision he had made for all of them and ensure they were on board. Then he was going to go into her town house and make her see that they were not leaving her, but instead would become her full-time bodyguards, and promise to destroy the danger haunting her, forever.
* * * *
Talia tried to focus on her work and get some other things done ahead of time, but she just couldn’t concentrate. Tat came banging on the door hours before and then went away. So badly she wanted to let him in, to defy her brother’s orders, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t put Tat, Vacarro, Basile, and Spadaro in further danger than they could be already.
It was unfair, how she finally started to feel something, and like maybe, just maybe these four men could help her to heal, to feel alive and free, only for them to be taken from her. What were the chances that of all the military teams that Spartan could have assigned to that latest mission, it turned out to be Tat and them? It was her bad luck, her destiny to be alone, miserable and never be loved.
She went upstairs to her bedroom to lie down. It was getting later in the day. By now, Spartan had more than likely ordered Tat and them to stay clear of her. She felt the tears flow as she plopped down onto her bed, hugged the pillow to her chest, and cried. It wasn’t fair. Even now, from afar, Barishna destroyed any chances of happiness she could have. Her brother and his team, their friends, and even Tat, Basile, Vacarro, and Spadaro were in danger from these maniacs. It was insane. Barishna was a normal businessman in Europe. He had started out with small companies, bought out others that were failing and improved them, and then resold them for profit. He was all business and then got more and more greedy. He set his sights on her, and that was it. Her father was weak, lacking in any morals in his own life as he bedded women her age, and did dirty business deals without a care for Talia. Eventually all that stuff led to killing, to corruption, to evil men like Portros and Locust. She was glad Portros was dead, but scared that Locust wasn’t and that Sierran was hunting her brother and all the other men too now.
She was drifting off to sleep as the sun set and the loft began to darken when she heard the banging on the door. She clutched the pillow tighter and cried, forcing herself not to answer the door. Not to let Tat know she was there, but the man was determined, for only a few seconds later, the sound of voices, of their footsteps, echoed from downstairs, and then Tat was running up her stairs as she sat up. She knew she must look a mess. Red eyes, makeup smeared, her tank top hanging low, and a look of shock on her face.
She forced the words from her lips as the others came up behind him, each one looking angrier, more concerned than the next. “You shouldn’t be here. You need to go.”
“No,” Tat said and went right to her, climbed up onto the bed, and pulled her into his arms. He rolled her to her back, pressed between her legs, and cupped her cheeks. The tears fell, and she could hardly see him.
“You have to,” she said and cried.
“No, baby. No one can tell us that
we can’t have you as our woman. That we can’t claim guardianship of you, protect you and love you. No one can. Not an order from our commander or the men who think they have a right to tell you who you can and cannot let close to you. We want you. We aren’t going anywhere, and that’s the fucking end of this discussion,” he said and pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her.
She kissed him back, absorbed his words, his commanding tone, and she knew there would be no arguing. She didn’t know, however, what problems this would cause and whether they would realize the danger they were now in, but she knew what she needed to do. She needed to tell them everything and then let them make a decision on their own, and if they still wanted her, then she would take this chance and she would make love to them, and let them claim her completely, no matter how scared it made her.
Tat released her lips and lifted up. He got up and offered his hand, and she took it, and he pulled her to a standing position by the bed. They were a sight, the four six-foot-plus men of muscle, of power and military capabilities, looking so intense and also possessive. Tat slid behind her.
“We need to know that you accept us. As your guardians, your lovers, and protectors,” he said to her.
“I want to, I do, but you all need to know everything I can tell you before I let you make such a decision.”
“Like we would change our minds?” Vacarro asked and pulled her into his arms and then kissed her.
She moved her hands to his back and hugged him tight, and when he released her lips, she laid her cheek against his chest. He moved his hand along her ass and under the trim of her shorts she wore.
She stared up at him, and then Basile spoke. He reached for her, and Vacarro released her to him. “We will stand by our statement. You will never feel pain or feel unsafe again. Not as long as you accept us as your guardians,” he said and then pressed his mouth to hers.
She kissed him back, loved how content she felt when each man kissed her so possessively. She was on tiptoes with each of them, and she still needed them to lift her up and against them to kiss her fully.
Sons of Justice 10 Deliver Us from Evil Page 12
