Stronger With Us (The Strength Series Book 3)

by JA Hensley

  “Seriously, Colin, just tell me. Whatever it is it can’t be that bad.”

  He has the audacity to look at me with shock. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Bec has been giving you looks all through our meal, and you keep blowing her off. Just say whatever it is that she thinks you should and get it over with. You’re just pissing me off now.”

  Colin takes a deep breath, and Becca moves to stand beside him. He opens his mouth a couple times and closes it before he spits it out.

  “Becca and I are getting married this weekend in Las Vegas. I’d like you to be part of the celebration.” Becca has a huge smile on her face and pats my brother’s arm when he finishes.

  “I’m speechless, man. I’m more than honored that you asked. Of course, I’ll be there. I just need to be back in time to start my new job on Monday. Wow, my baby brother is getting married.” I can’t stop the idiot grin that breaks out on my face.

  “We’ll be flying back late Sunday night. Since this is such a last minute thing I didn’t have time to ask off.”

  “Who else is going?” I have to know if she’ll be there.

  “Kevin, Stephanie and her man, James, and Christin. We just want our close friends and family. Becca’s mother wanted to have a huge wedding and reception, but we weren’t feeling it. I’m sure there will be some grand party in the future, but for now, this is what we want to do. We’re going to charter a flight so we don’t have to worry about flying commercial. I have a buddy who has a plane, so all we have to pay for is fuel and fees.”

  “What about the old man? Are you going to tell him?” I really hope not.

  “No, he’ll find out when Becca’s parents do. Probably in a few weeks.”

  “I’m in. I guess I’ll head back to Tampa in the morning and get some of my stuff. I need to find an apartment, too. Suggestions?”

  “I think my old place is still available. If not, I’m sure there’s something in that complex. If you stop by on your way out of town you might be able to get it taken care of.”

  “I’ll do that. I’m going to head out. Congratulations, you two, I’m very happy for you. I’ll be back later this week ready to head out west,” I say with a smile.

  “We’ll see you on Friday, Jude. Thanks for coming over,” Becca says as she gives me a hug. I return the gesture and shake my brother’s hand before walking out to my truck.

  G

  “I’ve been waiting forever for you. Where the fuck have you been?” Jude says loudly as I enter his room.

  “Well, it’s good to see that you’re up and moving,” I say ignoring his outburst. “I’ve got your discharge papers here so you can get out of here. Will that cheer you up?” I ask with a sweet smile on my face.

  “Yeah, that will help. Where do I sign?”

  We go through the instructions for caring for his wound, and Jude signs everything. He starts to walk out of the room but stops suddenly and turns back to me.

  “How the fuck am I going to get to Colin’s place? Do you have a cab service around here that I can call?”

  “Actually, I’m going to be done with my shift soon so if you want to wait, I’ll take you,” I say before I fully think the offer through. Do I really want to do this?

  “Um, well, yeah, that would be great. I just realized I don’t have my wallet. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  Yes, I do, my brain screams but my mouth says the opposite. “No, I’m happy to do it. We’ll have to stop at the pharmacy on the way. Why don’t you wait in the employee lounge while I finish up?”

  Jude follows me down the hall and past the nurses’ station where Jonathan doesn’t hide the fact that he’s eye fucking him as he walks by. Thankfully I’m the only one who notices. I show Jude where to wait, and I make my way back to the main desk to finish my paperwork and end my shift.

  “Whatcha doin’?” Jonathan asks in a sing-song voice.

  “Paperwork,” I answer sternly.

  “You know what I mean. You’ve got agent hottie in the lounge. Are you giving him a ride or are you hoping he’ll give you one later?”

  “Oh my god, will you stop? He’s staying with Colin, who lives next door to Becca. I’m simply taking him home.”

  “Uh huh, sure. Girl, I’ve known you for years, and I’ve never seen you act this way around a man. Just get out of here. I’ll put the files together and send them to records. You’ve done all the electronic stuff, right?”

  “Yeah, I’ve just got to deal with the actual papers. Thanks, babe. I appreciate your help today.” I stand up and give Jonathan a big hug. He’s really the best person to work with.

  “No problem, but you know I’ll expect a favor in return someday.”

  “I can live with that,” I say as I walk toward the lounge. For the first time in years I’m looking forward to something other than my job.

  I wake with a start. Apparently seeing Jude again is causing me some anxiety. Making my way to the shower, I remind myself that I’m a grown woman and I can control my urges and desires.

  Thirty minutes and a self-induced orgasm later, I’m throwing the last of my things into the suitcase. Stephanie and James are picking me up so there aren’t too many cars over at Becca and Colin’s while we’re gone.

  I like James a lot. He’s good to my friend who’s had a rough start to her adult life. They’re quite a contrast, though. He’s well over six feet tall and she’s only five-four. His brothers call him Runt, which is completely hilarious. I’m guessing that Jude will probably be able to look Runt in the eye. I’ve always had a thing for tall men. What the fuck am I thinking?

  Thankfully the knock at my door stops that train of thought.

  “Are you ready to go,” Stephanie asks with a big smile.

  “I am, are you surprised?”

  “Actually, I kind of am. You usually take forever to pack.”

  “Not this time. I love Vegas and I can’t wait to get there and see who I can play with,” I reply with a wink.

  “Oh, I’m sure you’ll find exactly what you need,” she says quietly as I follow her out to the SUV where James is waiting.

  The ride to Becca’s is fairly short and the conversation flows easily enough. James is laid back and always friendly. The hardest part is watching Stephanie hang on every word and look at him with true love in her eye. Not that I begrudge her any happiness; it’s just that I’m starting to think that’s something I want for myself but may never find. I’m sure that it won’t be much longer before these two get married and then I’ll really be the odd gal out.

  “Why are you pouting back there? What’s wrong?” Stephanie asks.

  “Nothing’s wrong. Sorry, I was just thinking. Don’t worry about me, everything’s fine,” I say with a smile that I just don’t feel. Stephanie is a genius, but she’s better with computers than people, so hopefully I can slip this one by her.

  “Okay, but if something is bothering you, I’m happy to listen.”

  “Thanks, my friend. I appreciate that but it’s all good.”

  When we arrive at Becca and Colin’s there’s a stretch limo parked at the curb. Kevin is putting his luggage in the trunk as we get out of the SUV.

  “Hey, guys! We’re almost ready to head out,” Kevin greets us. “There’s plenty of room in the trunk for bags.”

  Kevin is a nice guy. We hooked up once but there just wasn’t any chemistry between us. He’s been looking for a wife as long as I’ve known him, and I’m not the wife type. He’s a loyal friend and Colin’s former partner, and I know Becca trusts him completely with her soon-to-be-husband’s life.

  “Is everyone in the house?” I ask looking around for him.

  “We’re still waiting for Jude to show up, but, yes, the rest of the wedding party is inside.” I nod and head toward the house, hoping that Jude doesn’t show. It would be one less headache to manage this weekend.

  “God damn it!” I hear Colin shout from the kitchen as I walk in. Becca jumps up from the couch and run
s to him. I try not to listen to what they’re saying, but it’s too loud to ignore.

  “He fucking promised he’d be here. I should have known,” Colin says.

  “Let me see your phone,” Becca responds quietly. “He just said he is running late and he’ll meet us at the air strip. Honey, it doesn’t mean he’s not coming.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see the whites of his eyes. We might as well get going since everyone else is here.” Colin walks out of the kitchen and right past me without noticing that I’m sitting on his couch. He looks really upset. Becca comes out and sits next to me.

  “He has such a hard time trusting Jude with anything. He always expects the worst,” she mutters as much to herself as to me.

  “I think he has reason to be worried. From what I’ve seen of his brother he seems to be less than reliable.”

  “Jude is a self-fulfilling prophesy. He just does what he thinks others expect of him. Since they pretty much plan on him letting them down, he doesn’t make an effort to prove them wrong. It’s probably a consequence of growing up with an abusive father.”

  “Don’t get all shrinky on us,” I say with a chuckle. “I know you want to help everyone, but he’s about to be your family and you know you shouldn’t psychoanalyze relatives.” I smile at her and nudge her shoulder.

  “He’d be much better if he found a good woman to call him on his bullshit and keep him in line,” she replies as she stands up. I’m stunned into silence by her words.

  “Oh, Christin, stop it,” Becca says pulling me up from the couch. “I didn’t necessarily mean you, though I do think it would be good for both of you.”

  “All right, that’s enough,” Stephanie says from the doorway. “Let’s get this show on the road without marrying off everyone in the group.” We both laugh and the tension is broken as we walk out of the house arm-in-arm.

  H

  I know Colin isn’t going to be happy about me missing the limo ride, but it couldn’t be helped. I had planned to be at his house this morning but between moving my shit from Tampa and getting settled in my apartment, I’m exhausted and I slept through the alarm this morning. Thankfully the neighbor’s dog was barking and woke me up.

  While I’m waiting for them to arrive, I need to figure out how to play it with Christin. This woman has me tied in knots, but I don’t want her to know that. In fact, I’d rather untie the strings and forget all about her. Well, not really. I still want to remember how her tight little cunt felt wrapped around my dick and the way her voice changed when my apadravya hit her in just the right spot. Fuck, now I’m hard and the limo is pulling into the parking lot. I think about golf until my dick goes down and I can get out of my truck without humiliating myself.

  Becca is the first one out of the limo and she runs right to me, jumping up and throwing her arms around my neck. I catch her before she takes us both down and return the hug.

  “I’m so glad you made it. Colin is too, just give him some time,” she whispers in my ear. I nod silently so she knows I heard her and help her slide back down to the pavement. When I look up again I see Kevin, Christin, Stephanie, and a man as tall as me that I don’t recognize standing at the back of the limo. Colin must be talking with the driver.

  I walk over to help unload the suitcases and introduce myself to Stephanie’s man.

  “Hey, I’m Jude, Colin’s brother,” I say holding out my right hand.

  He takes my hand and squeezes hard. “Nice to meet you, I’m James but everyone calls me Runt.” I must have a confused look on my face because Stephanie laughs and punches me in the arm.

  “Not because he’s short, silly. He’s the baby of five boys. How are you, Jude?” she asks with a smile.

  “I’m doing well, thanks. You look radiant, Steph, much happier than the last time I saw you.” She was still reeling from Rebecca’s kidnapping when I got to know her.

  “Yes, things are great. We’ll have time to catch up, though. Let’s go!” she exclaims as she takes Christin’s hand and pulls her to the small plane.

  I flew helicopters in the Marines so I’m fairly comfortable flying. However, there are seven of us plus a pilot and none of the men are small. I try to calculate the weight and the size of the plane to figure out if this is going to work.

  “It’s going to be fine. These planes are much more advanced than what we had back in the military,” Kevin says.

  “What are you talking about?” I ask, surprised he knows what I’m thinking.

  “I can tell you’re trying to figure out if the plane will hold us all. I did the same thing as we pulled up. It’s going to be fine. Besides, between you, me, and the pilot, we’ll get to Vegas with no trouble.” Kevin slaps me on the shoulder and moves to the plane. I’m left standing there, looking like an idiot. Colin gets out of the limo and walks toward me.

  “Let’s go, asshole. I’m ready to get this weekend started.” Yep, he’s pissed. This flight should be interesting.

  Once we’re all on the plane, I realize that it’s a little bigger than I originally thought. It’s a custom plane, with couches and club chairs instead of the standard seating. The women are all sitting together in the back and the men are up front.

  “We have to sit up here, the bride’s orders,” Kevin explains. I look back and Becca waves at me. I shrug and sit in one of the leather chairs.

  “So, what’s the plan for the weekend?” I ask my brother. I hope there will be time to find someone to fuck.

  “I can answer that,” Christin says from the rear of the plane. Colin just smiles and nods toward her.

  “She’s planned the whole thing,” Becca says with a giggle.

  “We’re staying at Vdara. It’s a non-smoking, non-casino hotel just off the strip. We’ll have a limo take us from the airport to the hotel. Then we’re going to split up. The men go their way, and we’ll go ours. Becca is staying in my room tonight so Colin doesn’t see her before the wedding. Tomorrow, the girls will spend the morning in the spa and then we’ll walk over to Aria for the wedding. We’ll meet you boys there. We’ve booked the chapel and it will be elegant, no Elvis is marrying my friend. Then, we’ll go party it up either at the nightclubs and casino at Aria or somewhere else in Vegas. Our flight back to Florida leaves at six o’clock Sunday evening.”

  “Damn, girl, you’ve got it figured out,” Kevin says excitedly.

  “Yes, I do. So, unless you have any further questions, we’re going to start ignoring all of you and get back to our girl stuff,” she says turning her back to us.

  “Well, there you have it,” Colin laughs. “We have until tomorrow afternoon to do whatever we want.”

  “Within reason,” Becca shouts from the back.

  “Fuck, does she have supersonic hearing?” Runt asks in a whisper.

  “Yes, I do. You’d be wise to remember that, Mr. Owens.” All the women laugh out loud.

  “How do you feel about checking out You Betcha for a little bit,” Colin asks us.

  “What is that?” Kevin responds.

  “It’s a casino that our parents’ former neighbors own. It’s a small place, but I’d love to see them again,” I answer. It would be great to visit Clarence and Anne and see how they’re doing.

  “I’m in as long as they serve alcohol and there are poker tables,” Kevin adds.

  “Me too,” James chimes in.

  “All right then. We’ll get checked into the hotel, change, and head out. It’s going to be a great night!” Colin says and we all nod in agreement.

  I

  Even though the flight took three hours, it seems like we’re landing as soon as we got up in the air. Thankfully the guys honored our request to stay in the front of the plane. It was awkward enough to be in the same space as Jude.

  Once we’ve gotten our luggage from under the plane we pile into the limo. I get stuck sitting between Kevin and Jude, of course. Stephanie and Becca are snuggled up to their men like they haven’t seen them in weeks. It’s sickening, actually.
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  “So, where are we staying, again?” Jude asks with a sarcastic tone. I look at Becca and roll my eyes.

  “Vdara, dumbass,” Colin retorts. “If you’d pay attention you’d know this shit.”

  “I’ve never heard of it so I couldn’t remember the name. Sue me,” Jude grumbles.

  “It’s a really nice hotel. My friend, Eric, recommended it to me. He says that he stays there every time he comes to Vegas. It’s really quiet, and Eric says the views are spectacular.” I give Becca a smile.

  “It sounds wonderful. Thank you, Christin, for putting this all together for us,” Becca says with tears in her eyes.

  “Anything for you, my sweet friend. Truly, anything,” I whisper, trying to keep my emotions in check. I’m not normally a touchy-feely person, but right now I could bawl like a baby. Maybe I’m going to start my period soon.

  “All right, once we get checked in, we go our separate ways,” Stephanie says with authority. “Becca and Colin can’t see each other until tomorrow at the wedding. So, you boys need to make sure you stay out of trouble, and be dressed and in the chapel by noon. If you’re even a minute late, I’m going to send Christin to find you, and believe me, you won’t like it.”

  “I think I might,” Jude whispers in my ear. I shoot him a death glare that I’m really not feeling. I wouldn’t mind going to find him later. I shake my head to get those visions out.

  “Looks like we’re here,” Becca says excitedly. I can’t help but smile at her. She deserves this weekend, and I’m thrilled to be here with her.

  We all get checked in and up to our rooms. Becca is staying with me and Colin has the big suite one floor up for tonight. Stephanie and James are across the hall. Kevin is next to them and Jude is next to me.

  “Ladies, let’s meet in my room in fifteen minutes. Then we’ll get going,” I say as I open my door.

  “Guys, come upstairs and we’ll put a game plan together,” Colin says. “I’ll miss you,” he whispers as he bends Becca over backwards and kisses her thoroughly. When he brings her upright again, she looks a little dazed, but incredibly happy.