Keeley's Fight (The Protectors Series)

by Donn, KL

  “Are you sure, darlin’?” Tyler asked her this a little hesitantly, like he knew there was more to it, to her, than that.

  “Yes, I am sure. It wasn’t like the other times.” Putting her head down, she tried to avoid their stares, sure that they were looking at her like she was some charity case. She gasped in shock as Nathaniel put his hand under her chin and lifted her head up to look him in the eyes, as Tyler started probing her arm. Sucking in a sharp breath at the pain his probing caused, she watched Nathaniel as questions formed in his beautiful brown eyes that looked just like melted chocolate. She could get lost in those them so easily. “What?” She asked him.

  “Those other times?” He asked her.

  Keeley felt everything freeze around her as she realized what she said. A panic started to form in her chest. It was like a vise had her lungs in their grip, and just started to squeeze. She started to hyperventilate when Nathaniel picked her up and sat her on his lap, facing Tyler. He held both of her cheeks in his hands while Nathaniel rubbed his hands up and down the tops of her thighs, and whispered in her ear. “Everything will be ok my sweet, sweet Butterfly, nothing bad will happen to you again,” he promised her as he kissed her right behind the ear. Oh, how she wanted to believe in that promise so badly.

  “Darlin’, look at me,” Tyler told her, bringing her attention back to him. “It’s going to be alright. You don’t have to tell us anything yet, but we hope that when you’re comfortable enough with us you will. And baby, I can’t tell you how much I look forward to that day you really start to trust us, ’cause you can guarandamntee that we will always be two people you can count on.” Tyler ended that beautiful statement by giving her the softest kiss imaginable. Her first kiss, too. It was soft and sweet and over far too quickly.

  “Hey, don’t forget me, too! And your folks, they already love this girl like their own. So you boys tread carefully.” They all chuckled at Aunt Joy’s outburst. Then Keeley suddenly realized what she said.

  Slightly confused, she asked, “How do your parents know me?”

  “Uh, well, you see… Ma and the Dads came into your restaurant one night, about a month ago, after they got back from a trip.” Nathaniel stumbled out his answer.

  Tyler continued where he left off. “Ma has been nagging us for the last two weeks to go in and try out the awesome pancakes, ’cause we’re both suckers for a good pancake. Anyway, Ma and the Dads have been really persistent about us going, and it had to be at a certain time, too. So when we came in that night, we knew pretty quickly that it wasn’t the pancakes that were so great about that crappy ass place, it was you.”

  Keeley just sat there a little dumbfounded. First, she wondered who their parents were, and then she wondered what was so special about her. She was just nobody with nothing going for her. What could they possibly want with her? She wondered, not really realizing she had said all of that out loud, so they could hear her. She was startled at Joy’s outburst. “Now you listen here young lady, you are somebody to us. And I don’t care how long it takes, you will realize this sooner or later! Got it?!” Joy told her empathically before walking out of the room. She heard Tyler and Nathaniel laughing softly, while she just sat there with her eyes wide and mouth open in shock.

  “She’s right, Butterfly. You are most certainly something special to us,” Nathaniel told her.

  “Who are your parents? And why do you keep calling me Butterfly?” she asked him, still slightly shocked.

  “I call you Butterfly because you remind me of one. Graceful, elegant, unique, gorgeous, vulnerable, and you could fly off the second I look away,” he told her after he put her back on her chair and laid a soft kiss on her lips, like Tyler had. It was so soft that if she hadn’t been watching, she wouldn’t have known he’d done it. It left butterflies in her tummy, leaving a nice little hum of arousal for these two very sweet brothers that she was slowly becoming addicted to. “And your parents?” She asked when he pulled back.

  “Amber, Jackson, and Andrew Maxwell. Ma said they come in almost every night,” Tyler told her.

  “Oh yes, I know them. Nicest people I’ve met in my whole life. They tip way too big though.” She marveled at that.

  “They just wanted to make sure you were taken care of was all,” Tyler told her. “Alright darling, your arm is only sprained and bruised, some ice should help with that and limit yourself when carrying heavy things.”

  “But I have to work. I have to find a place to live. I don’t want to go back to that shelter.” She panicked.

  “Calm down darlin’, we’ll help you figure something out. First, let’s eat this marvelous meal our aunt made, and worry about the rest later, alright?” Tyler said to her as Aunt Joy brought their lunch for them.

  Keeley couldn’t figure them out. People were never this nice to her, like ever. She’d never known such kindness before. Never known what affection was until now. Her parents were always hitting her and talking down to her, but these men and their family were so wonderful to her, and she was a complete stranger to them. She had never been more confused in her life. There has to be a catch. You’re nobody, Keeley. They want something from you; no one is this nice for nothing.

  “Why?” She finally found the courage to ask what she was thinking.

  Everyone looked at her slightly confused, not understanding. “What do you mean, why, Butterfly?” Nathaniel asked her. Oh, how she loved that nickname.

  “Why are you all being so nice to me? You don’t even know me. People are never this nice without wanting something in return. So I guess my real question should be, why are you being so nice to me and what do you want in return?” Blowing out a much needed breath, she waited. For what she wasn’t sure, yet.

  Joy came and sat down beside her, grabbed one of her hands and waited for her to look up, and when she finally did Joy spoke. “I am being nice to you because you are a nice, sweet, young woman whom I suspect has had a pretty shitty life, and I simply want it to get better. And I want to be a part of that better life. Now, what I want from you in exchange for this kindness; which is way too foreign to you for my comfort, by the way…, hmmm.” Keeley held her breath waiting. “What I want from you, is simply for you to be happy. Yes, you have to be happy.” Joy just smiled at her dumbfounded look before kissing her on the cheek and whispering in her ear, “I suspect these boys might have a different answer though.” With a wink at her, and a stern look towards Tyler and Nathaniel, she left them alone once again.

  Turning towards the men, she waited for them to talk. Finally, Tyler spoke up. “Darlin’, we’re being nice because it’s what you deserve from everyone you meet. You have done nothing wrong to be treated the way you have been up until now, and I swear if you give me, us, a chance, we’ll prove to you that we can and will take care of you.”

  Nathaniel interrupted him and started speaking. “We’ll treat you like the princess that you are. The only thing we want from you is your trust, honesty, happiness, and a chance. We are very attracted to you and want to see where this could lead. So, instead of answering us right now, how about we eat before this food gets cold, yeah?” He squeezed her knee and nudged her towards her plate of what she now realized was one yummy looking, overly large burger and fries, cooked to perfection.

  Smiling at them both she said, “I can’t possibly eat all this.”

  “Oh, I bet you can Butterfly, give it a go and whatever you can’t eat we’ll take to go, alright?” Nathaniel told her.

  Looking at him dubiously, she started with her fries and after the first bite dug in, wholeheartedly. They were the best fries she’d ever had. When she finished those, she looked at the burger thinking she’s not gonna be able to pick it up with her arm hurting so much. Just as she was about to say something, Tyler reached over and cut it in fours so she could grab it with one hand. “Thank you,” Keeley whispered with a small smile, and only feeling slightly embarrassed.

  She moaned the minute the burger hit her mouth. She could taste every
spice in the meat, the sauce on the bun was fabulous, and there was just enough lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese to make every bite pure perfection. Before she knew it, the meal was gone. Not even realizing she had finished, or that the guys finished before her and had been watching her eat, she felt utterly content and full. She hadn’t felt full in far too long.

  “Would y’all like dessert?” Joy asked as she walked in to clear their plates away. “Maybe some coffee, too?” She inquired.

  The guys looked at her for an answer. “Yes please, very much. That was the most delicious meal I’ve had in a really long time,” she said shyly.

  “Thank you Keeley, it’s always a pleasure to see my food is enjoyed. I’ll be back with coffee and dessert.” Joy winked and left them.

  “So about this no home and possibly no job thing, we would like to make you an offer, if you’ll hear us out, please.” Tyler implored.

  “Uhm, ok, I’m listening,” she told him.

  *******

  “Well, Nate and I own our own security company, Maxwell Secures. We’ve had it for nearly three years now and we’ve been looking for a personal assistant for the last six months. Someone to handle appointments, take phone calls, come with us on meetings with old and new clients; basically, someone that can keep us on track. We both tend to get ahead of ourselves and then overbook, and well honestly, it can be a real mess. We have a secretary, but she’s getting ready to retire and move closer to her grandchildren. What do you think?” Ty asked holding his breath.

  “I, uh, I’m not sure I’m the right person for that job,” she responded with a look of defeat that he was slightly baffled by.

  “Why not, Butterfly?” Nate asked her.

  “I have no experience, I have no home, hell, I don’t even have an education for something like that. I was forced to drop out of school when I was fifteen to take care of everything.” She sounded so dejected when she forced that out, that Ty was surprised she didn’t just deflate right in front of them.

  “Baby, that’s ok. We wouldn’t just throw you into it. You would hang around with Julia, our secretary, for a couple of months; to kind of get the lay of the land and learn about the business, and the rest we would work on together.”

  “But only after you let your arm heel the rest of this week, just relax a little bit, ok?” Nate interjected.

  “But I’m just not good enough for something like this, I’ll screw everything up. I don’t even know how to use a computer. How am I supposed to do all this?”

  “You’ll learn darlin’, and if you would like, we offer to send our employees to school for any training they require, and you could go back if you’d like. Now stop worrying,” Ty told her. “About where to live; you could stay with us if you wanted, or I’m sure our folks would love to have you there, and I’d bet our Aunt Joy would love your company as well. Though I have to say, I’d really like you to stay with us, give us a chance to get to know one another better. Nate and I go back to work on Monday, so that gives us the next four days together.” Putting on his most charming smile, Ty hoped she’d take them up on their offer.

  Just as Keeley opened her mouth to say something, Joy walked back in with their coffee and dessert. “Here we are, coffee for everyone and a nice warm brownie sundae just for you, dear,” she said setting the dessert down in front of her. “And apple pie for the boys.” With that she walked back out.

  “I, uh, guess I really have no choice, huh.” She didn’t phrase it as a question.

  “Of course you always have a choice, and we will accept whatever you choose. Whether it’s what we’ve offered, or something you decide on your own,” Nathaniel told her.

  Keeley dug into her dessert with gusto, thinking over her options. She didn’t want to seem too eager in accepting what they proposed, but it sounded too good to be true. So she decided that she’d make them wait. She really wanted the job, though. She was a little nervous about it but thought she was a fast learner, and as long as she had someone to follow for a while she could catch on quickly. Where to stay though was a conundrum in itself. She wouldn’t go back home though; couldn’t really. A shelter was out of the question, too. She had stayed at one when her parents had failed to pay the rent when she was ten years old. It was terrifying. There were other families there too, but they had some really scary people that stayed as well, and she vowed never to go back. She still remembered the day she walked in on a young girl being raped by a man. He had her mouth covered and was hurting her so badly she could hardly breathe. Keeley shuddered thinking about what would have happened if she hadn’t walked in and screamed the whole place down. Everyone came running in, and thankfully that man had gone to jail, but she had never seen the girl again. She really hoped she had a better life now.

  So, lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize she had finished her dessert until it was all gone. Deciding that she would accept their offer of not only the job but to stay with them as well, she felt a little better. Keeley knew it was moving fast, and maybe it wasn’t wise to move in with them so quickly, but she was attracted to them and felt like maybe they were sincere in their need to keep her safe. Sipping her coffee she watched Tyler from the corner of her eye, really studying him this time. His eyes were an amazing hazel color; almost green rather than greenish-brown, but they were beautiful. He was full of muscles, too. Drool worthy. It was only four in the afternoon and he already had a five o’clock shadow, which she found really suited him. Made him even more masculine. His lips looked fuller with it, and much more kissable. With that thought, she remembered the angel soft kiss he’d given her. Not realizing what she’d done until it was too late, she had closed her eyes and put her fingers to her lips with a soft, small smile, thinking about it. About the way he smelled; like sandalwood and some spicy cologne that wasn’t overwhelming but just enough to tantalize her senses, and his breath smelled faintly of mint, like he’d just brushed his teeth not long ago and coffee, really strong coffee. His lips were so soft like a feather. Hearing a strangled moan her eyes flew open in shock, and an intense blush rose up her chest and neck into her face, as she looked Tyler in the eyes. He knows was her first thought, followed closely by holy crap, the desire in his eyes was heady. His lids drooped so low she could see he was fighting this battle of desire back. What shocked her most was that it was for her. She’d never had anyone look at her like that before.

  “Whatever you were just thinking about darlin’, I sure as hell loved the way it made your face look. Happy, dreamy, satisfied.” Tyler said that last part with a whole lot of pride, making her laugh softly at his arrogance and how right he was. Not that she’d admit it just yet.

  Looking over at Nathaniel to see his reaction to Tyler’s flirting, she saw he had a similar look on his face that made her think about the way he’d kissed her as well.

  Eyes open this time, she remembered how he held her when she was going into panic attack mode, and how the kiss he left on the back of her ear made all kinds of butterflies flutter around her stomach. The desire that small kiss ignited in her was nothing like she had ever felt before. And if she was honest with herself, she really wanted to feel it again. Soon. When his lips touched hers shortly after that, he smelled all natural and woodsy, like he worked with fresh-cut wood a lot. His lips were slightly rougher than Tyler’s, and she found she liked that, too. Nathaniel seemed like he was a little more wild and untamed than Tyler is. He had this look about him that just screamed Alpha, and he was so large, he had muscles on his muscles. His size and muscle mass should scare her, but all it did was turn her on. Looking at Nathaniel now he looked like a predator, all growly and his eyes were pure desire, the black of his pupils taking over the brown of his irises. She felt so wanted by them, from a simple look and small touches. She loved it.

  Clearing her throat and shaking off her lustful thoughts, she wanted to get back on track about the living arrangements. “So, I think if you really want me to, I’d like to stay with you both until I’m back on my feet. If th
at’s ok, of course?”

  The biggest smiles she had ever seen graced their handsome faces, and she felt a huge sense of relief that she was the one to make them so happy. Keeley found that she wanted to please them. “Of course, it’s alright, darlin’! It’s why we suggested it,” Tyler said so enthusiastically that she couldn’t help but laugh a full-on belly laugh. She was filled with a renewed sense of hope for her life.

  “But first, I think we need to go shopping for some new clothes,” Nathaniel told her, and before she could voice any objections, he held up his hand and said to her, “Hear me out, please.” When she nodded, he continued. “You’re going to need some new clothes for the job and for comfort while you heal. Ok?”

  Thinking it over, she knew what he said made sense, but it didn’t make accepting their help any easier. “Ok, but will you let me pay you back at least?”

  Seeming to ponder this for a minute Tyler said, “How well do you cook?”

  Smiling, she replied, “I love to cook!”

  “Great! Then when your arm’s all healed up you can cook,” Tyler assured her, pleased with himself.

  Chapter 6

  After saying goodbye to Aunt Joy, they left the restaurant and made their way to Nate’s truck. He helped Keeley into the front seat, ran around to the driver’s side, hopped in and started the engine while everyone buckled up. Putting the truck in gear, they started heading to one of the boutiques downtown.

  “Where are we going?” She asked, unfamiliar with the route they were taking.

  “Our little sister, Kennedy, works at a nice store just a few blocks away. I called her before we left, so that she’d pull a few things out for you to look through,” Nate answered her.

  “Oh, ok,” she replied. He could tell she was feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing, and wanting to reassure her in some way, he said, “It’s alright Butterfly, we want to do these things for you.” Giving a reassuring smile, he caught Ty’s eye at the way she smiled when he called her Butterfly.