by Angela Wray
Nate grabbed his cell and called his mom and dad, telling them a man had attacked Ashton while she had been on shift in the ER, and they immediately said they were on their way. His motions were jerky. Ty guessed Nate was furious at him for having stilled Nate from charging the man who had hurt Ashton.
As Nate hung up, Ty relived the phone call with Ashton over and over in his mind. Hearing the foul things the man had screamed at her and the crashing of things, he knew in his heart that was his woman being beaten, and that he hadn’t been there to save her. Looking through the glass, he had to turn away when the doctor inserted a tube into the cut he’d made in her side. Feeling bile work up his throat at the sight of the blood snaking through the tube, he turned his back against the wall on the opposite side and slid down it. Pressing his palms to his eyes, he could barely contain the need to sob.
Just a little while later, Ty saw Nate’s parents come rushing up to them. They had been waiting almost an hour by then as the medical staff had done one thing after another to Ashton. When it looked like they were preparing to wheel her out, a doctor finally stepped out of the treatment room and walked toward them.
The four stood to meet him.
At the same time, Keith came jogging up to the doctor who had been working on Ashton, saying he was taking charge. Ty was so thankful that Keith would be taking over Ashton’s care. Knowing he was a successful surgeon, Ty was grateful for the connection—anything that could potentially save Ashton.
They talked, and the doctor led Keith to the back, and Ty could see that they looked at some X-rays and some sort of scans. Keith picked up her chart, going over it as he looked over all the pictures. Nodding and walking over to Ashton, he pulled down her blankets, looked at the tube sticking out her side, and then checked the various other ones. Putting her chart back on the gurney, he nodded again and walked toward Ty and the others.
Keith quickly explained, “Nate, Ty. Ashton’s going to be taken for an MRI. Let’s go into the personnel lounge and I will give you all the details I can.”
He led the four of them to the room. Ty took in the sight of the pineapple slices and spilled yogurt scattered all over the floor. Ashton’s phone was lying open where she’d dropped it during the attack, and Ty lost it, the control he’d barely clung to was gone. Ty didn’t’ remember moving to the couch but there he sat. His eyes burned and his chest felt as if it had been cleaved open. The pain hurt so badly, and the sobs just escaped from his throat. Lacing his hands over his head, he rocked forward wanting desperately for this all to be a dream. He would give anything just to feel the warmth of her skin once more.
Nate leaned down in front of him, and Ty looked up at him, his eyes full of tears. Nate wrapped his arms around Ty, holding him tight, and when the shudders slowed, he moved to the side.
Kneeling down in front of them both, Keith patted them each on a knee. “Ashton has a broken nose, two broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and possibly a skull fracture. We are sending her to radiology for an MRI. We are hoping there will be no swelling on her brain. Even if all goes well with the MRI and it shows clear, we will still have to keep her for several days because of the chest tube and to make sure she is having no trouble breathing. Once they get her settled in a room, you can go in. Go up to the third floor, and when you get off the elevator, go to the left. You will see a waiting room. Make yourself comfortable there, and a nurse will come for you when we get her situated. Right now I need to be with Ashton. I want to make sure everything goes well and she isn’t alone, okay? Go on up and she will follow in just a bit.”
The four went upstairs and sat in the waiting room, which was decorated in tasteful but subdued colors with comfortable sofas and chairs and a TV with the sound muted in the corner. Of course, none of them could sit down and relax. Nate’s father alternated between pacing and holding Nate’s mother’s hand. Ty stood in front of a window looking out into nothing, and Nate just sat by his mother, his body strung tight. They were all too shell-shocked and worried about Ashton.
Finally, after almost an hour, an older nurse came in and told them that Ashton was settled in her room. “You can all go in, but don’t try to wake her yet. She is being sedated because of the chest tube and the swelling to her head. Just hit the button if you need something. Dr. Jacobs arranged for Ashton to be placed in a suite. There is plenty of room for everyone. We are all praying for her. She is a very special young woman and I’m really glad she isn’t alone.”
Nate opened the door to the hospital suite, and Ty’s eyes had trouble adjusting because the lighting in the room was so dim. The only thing illuminated was the light over the bed. Ashton had probes stuck to her head and chest and bags of fluids hanging off the bed that made him uneasy. Ty just wanted to go back to this afternoon and not let her leave the house. He should have found a way to make her stay home. She was battered and almost broken in appearance. He couldn’t help but feel so damn grateful that they would have a second chance to take care of her. She would never be out of their sight again.
Hours went by, and they finally sent Nate’s parents home once they knew that Ashton’s condition was stable. Periodically the nurses came by to check her vital signs and all the bags and tubes hanging from her bruised and battered body. People started dropping by with gifts for her well before dawn. The room slowly filled with flowers, balloons, stuffed nurse bears, cards, fruit baskets, and just about every other kind of basket imaginable.
By lunch, she still hadn’t stirred and Ty sent Nate home to shower and pack some things for Ashton. When Nate came back with lunch and a bag for them, they ate in silence, and then Nate sent him to the shower in the large bathroom in the suite.
Leaning against the tile, Ty thought he would toss his cookies in fear. It hadn’t happened to him since training, but he could gladly hug a toilet right now. When he stepped out of the shower, Nate was there waiting with a towel. He dried him efficiently and helped him dress. When he was done, Nate took him in his arms and they clung to one another.
After exiting the bathroom, Ty stretched out on the sofa, and Nate took up residence in the chair by her bed.
Late in the afternoon, Keith came in with two other doctors and introduced them as a neurologist and the chief of ER. They explained that Ashton should make a full recovery, and they were going to start testing the waters and back off on the sedation. The doctors said that she had a skull fracture, but it wasn’t depressed and wouldn’t require surgery. They were going to continue to control her pain, but let her come out of the sedation as long as the repeat MRI still looked good. Ty’s knees grew weak at the news. Looking over at Nate he was blinded by his gorgeous smile of relief.
The people from radiology came and got her, dropping off another bag of get-well stuff for her, and took her down, promising to take good care of her. Ty followed them despite being told he would have to stay in the waiting room of the radiology department. He didn’t care. He followed them anyway.
Nearly an hour later, they came back up and plugged her bed back into the wall. The nurses came in and checked her over, and a few hours later, each of Nate’s brothers dropped by. They had each sent various bouquets of flowers earlier, but they wanted to personally come by to offer their support to Ashton and also to Nate and Ty. They were there when the sweetest sight occurred—Ashton opened her eyes briefly, and one side of her pretty mouth quirked up. She flinched in pain and then closed her eyes again.
It was a couple hours later when she opened them again. Ty thought her eyes seemed a little clearer this time. He watched Nate brush the hair back from her face, his hand trembling like his own. Looking at one another, Nate smiled for the first time since everything had happened.
“Hey, baby. God, you’ve had us so worried. How do you feel? Do you need something for pain?” Ty whispered against her temple.
Nate leaned on the other side of her, and they shared a light hug, just breathing in the scent of her. The smell of the hospital almost smothered her sweet aroma. He was just
so grateful she was here and awake.
“Woman, you nearly did me in with fear. I don’t think I can ever go through anything like that again,” Nate said in a rough voice.
Pulling away from the crooks of her neck, they looked down into her face to see her give them a half grin before closing her eyes. The nurses came in because of the spike of some of her vitals, but she had already gone under again. They all smiled and reassured the two of them it was good. The head nurse quickly called Keith.
“So she came around?” Keith asked, walking in with her chart. “Did she say anything?”
Ty shook his head negatively.
Moving over the bed, Keith looked over her monitors and bags. Leaning down, he checked her pupils and a performed more reflex tests and then started talking to her. “Ashton, can you wake up for me? Ashton, wake up and answer some questions for me,” Keith demanded in a stern voice.
Seeing her eyes raise a fraction, Keith kept on demanding for her to wake up. She finally opened them, and Ty could tell she was fairly lucid. She moved and answered the questions in a hoarse voice that made Ty ask if there was any damage from the bastard choking her. Over the course of the last twelve or so hours the bruises had darkened around her throat in the shape of a hand, making him grit his teeth in anger each time his eyes fell on them.
“No, we found no injuries that would indicate a permanent problem on her CT or MRI. It should improve in a few days. Mostly it’s just aggravating versus actually being painful. The bruising should come down as well. Ashton, honey, just rest and I will come back before my shift is over. Mike’s had his hands full trying to keep Sophie home, and he finally compromised. They are going to come see you in a little bit.”
Ashton nodded.
“Do you need something for pain, Ashton?” Keith asked before he left, and when she nodded again he walked out, returning with a syringe which he injected it into her port. Keith told them good-bye, and Ty watched as Nate climbed into bed with her, lying on his side to hold her as close as possible. Ty leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, sitting in the chair right beside the bed.
He watched the hours tick by. They each took turns sleeping in the bed with her while the other took the chair beside the bed or the couch. Ty had chosen to stay with her yesterday, sending Nate to get their things, but neither had left the room since. Nate’s mother had brought eggs and chorizo sausage along with homemade tortillas for them a couple hours ago, but Ashton had slept through her visit. She was coming back with dinner later.
Nate stretched and got up from the bed where he had been lying with Ashton. Ty took his place on the bed and held her hand, just waiting for her to wake up.
She came to several times during the night, but they didn’t get anything out of her other than a half smile or quirk of her lips. He desperately wanted to see her sassy personality again. Her attitude would even be preferable than this nearly comatose inactivity.
Getting up from the shitty bed, Ty stretched. His muscles ached, and he snorted at the thought they both had gone soft. Nate and he had spent weeks out in the field gathering Intel, sleeping on the ground on rocks and eating shit that most folks wouldn’t even consider, let alone actually digest. Mostly he was just frustrated that Ashton hadn’t really come around or talked to them yet. She had just burrowed against them when they lay down beside her, and although it was fucking fantastic having her in his arms, he wanted sparkle and life back in her eyes.
Just when he was at his wit’s end, waiting for some form of lucidness from her, she opened her eyes around midnight and whispered the words he’d needed to hear from her since this nightmare began.
“I love you, Ty, and I love Nate. I’m so glad you are here.” Her hoarse voice was a beautiful sound to him. Closing his eyes he thanked God she was going to be okay.
“Baby, we’d never be anywhere else,” Ty quietly told her, and the sheer relief made him tremble.
Chapter Fourteen
Four weeks later…
Ashton was going to kill the two men and probably get a pardon for doing it. If they told her “no” one more time to sex she was going to cut their nuts off. Storming through the house, she called Keith, demanding he come over right now, hanging up without allowing him to reply. Snorting, she knew that would get the Dom in Keith going, and hopefully he could convince her stubborn-as-a-jackass men to move their dicks, preferably inside of her.
The stage was set. She lay outside naked by the pool on a soft, plush lounge seat. The late afternoon sun was warm, but different. It was one of those last warm days of October, and she fully intended to use it to her advantage. She heard Ty and Nate’s hard voices calling her name, and when she stood, showing her nude body to the men, Keith coughed to cover his laugh, turning his back while Ty rushed to cover her up with a towel.
Immediately lifting her into his arms, Ty started inside to take her to the playroom. She could barely contain her giggle as she heard Keith reassure Nate that she could return to all normal activities as long as nothing hurt.
Looking down at her, Ty said through clenched teeth, “You are going to regret this, little tantrum princess.”
Her stomach somersaulted, but only with excitement, never fear.
By the time Ashton was restrained, bent over the bench, her pussy was soaked and she was trembling. Hearing Nate enter the room amped her need up further, and the swat to her ass made her cry out loud and long. The next several blows landed on the fleshy part of her ass, over and over, making it tingle and burn, and not completely in a pleasurable way. There was definite underlying pain associated with it. There was no doubt these men were out for her punishment. Only when she was sobbing did they pause.
Ty came around to look at her face as if to judge her pain level. Looking over her head to Nate, she saw him nod and felt lube being poured down the crack of her ass. Nate’s large finger pushed in and then a second, making it stretch and burn. Breathing deep, she turned herself over to the pain, seeking the pleasure hiding in the act. When she felt the hard tip of something being pressed into her, she pushed out, and the hilt of a plug seated inside her made her cry out in discomfort. She panted through the torment of the plug, and begged for more. Desperate to feel the edgy pleasure she would always associate with the feel of both men embedded in her body. Ashton was rewarded with Nate thrusting into her pussy. His girth made her ache and cry out, but at the same time it filled her in a way she’d long been denied by them.
* * * *
Nate moved in, thrusting his cock into her pussy. He wanted to blow so damn bad, but he wouldn’t yet. This was supposed to be punishment. If he came now he knew the heat from his ejaculate would push her right over. He stroked hard into her, careful not to touch any part of her body except her pussy, keeping his hands at her hips and his pace almost inhuman. When he could feel the tiny, delicate muscles begin to clench and tighten, he jerked out of her, leaving the quivering, sweet haven.
Ty then shoved into her, his body flush with their woman’s, obviously wanting to do nothing more than fuck her pretty little brains out. However, Nate watched him keep his plunges measured, the driving force behind them careful, even in his desperation. Ty and he had suffered just as she had all these weeks.
We were being considerate, damn it.
This was the thanks they got for taking care of her, for going without their own pleasure. Never as a Dom had he ever been treated with such disrespect. Well, the next time she thought about acting like a bratty little sub, she would think of this moment and how they mastered her body.
On and on, they traded positions, never allowing themselves or her to find the release they craved. Nate was so desperate to come that when Ty withdrew from her this time and nodded to him, Nate nearly collapsed in gratitude. Releasing her from the restraints, Nate lifted her body and carried her to the large bed they had in the playroom. Seeing Ty approach over Ashton’s shoulder he fisted a hand in her pretty curls and pulled her mouth down to his own, her arms bracketing his head. Ru
bbing his tongue around her small one, he gasped when he felt Ty’s hand slicking Nate’s own cock with lube. He broke away from her mouth and sucked air. Reaching down, he gripped the stalk of his cock and lined the head of his dick up with her puffy, wet lips. Nate angled his hips and his member pushed in, her pussy swallowing his length in one fluid motion.
Ty moved in behind Ashton, clearly watching her pretty cheeks lightly bounce against Nate’s thighs. Nate felt Ty grasp the base of the plug, easing it from her ass. Hearing her hiss and moan, her cheeks flushed and mouth wet from their kisses, Nate couldn’t refrain from taking her lips again. Continuing to kiss her as Ty pushed the swollen head of his cock into her using shallow in-and-out movements, he could feel as Ty worked his shaft deep into her rectum, her heat and muscles pulling Nate’s own cock deep, all the way to his balls.
Starting an alternating rhythm, Nate pushed in while Ty pulled out. Ashton was thrashing, desperately trying to push back against them both, crying out that she would die if they didn’t give her more this time. Nate could feel her body vibrating with need for a long-awaited orgasm, one that they finally granted her when they shoved into her together, and her body jerked and shuddered. On the second thrust together it was too late to withhold anything more from her, and she clamped down on him, her pleasure soaring.
God, he loved watching the barrage of emotions displayed on her face. Her shiny pink lips opened as she screamed silently.
Nate felt her go limp and knew she was nearly incoherent. Her pussy was so tight and hot his balls felt as if they were going to explode. Feeling the pulsing aftershocks was more than enough to push him over. Plunging deep against her womb, he spilled every drop of seed housed in his balls. He could feel Ty through the tiny membrane that separated the sweet spaces and heard him cry out his climax too.
