by Eileen Green
“Jasper will get him, Marls. He’ll go to jail for a long, long time.” Cade soothed her.
* * * *
Cade’s heart ached with Marlowe’s words. Marlowe had never mentioned a conversation along the lines of what Danny admitted to. He had to wonder if there’d ever been a time she felt that Danny might turn on her like he had with Marjorie. She must have felt so alone, but she had a family with Cade, Cole, and Coraline, and they were going to make sure she knew she was loved and wanted for the rest of her life.
“I…we love you, Marlowe Sanderson.” Cole leaned over and kissed her reverently. “We hope you know we would never do anything to hurt you, mentally or physically, and we want you with us forever. Will you do us the honor of marrying us?”
The look of surprise on her face was priceless. Cade knew that she had only been back in their life for all of a day and a half, and he and Cole had hoped they weren’t pushing her too quickly, but they had already had their minds made up a long time ago. She was their woman, their mate.
Silence abounded for so long that Cade feared she was trying to find a way to tell them no. Her tears were still flowing, and her body trembled as she nibbled on her bottom lip. Then, her head began to nod. A smile appeared on her face. “Yes! Yes, I want to marry you both.”
Relief flooded Cade as he held her tight. He was going to be her lover, her mate, and her protector for the rest of her life, and he looked forward to every minute. Cole’s face mirrored Cade’s, and Cade was certain his brother’s emotions did too.
* * * *
“I’m not going to help you, Danny.” Jeff sat in the bar five miles outside of Passion on the highway. He knew he could drink there without having to deal with Jasper because the bar was just over the county line. Now, he was enjoying a drink after work at the mine and before he went home to his woman. Danny was just another aggravation in his day.
“You owe me,” Danny said over the phone connection. “I need you to find out what Jasper has planned for my daughter.”
Scrubbing his hand down his face, Jeff was trying to figure out why the hell he was friends with the man. They had met at the mine when Danny had worked there for a couple of months before being fired. They only hung out for beers now and then, and it was mostly to hear Danny bitch about whatever was in his wheelhouse that day.
“Why do you think Jasper would tell me anything?” Jeff inquired before taking a sip of his whiskey.
“He wouldn’t necessarily tell you, but he was at the bank earlier. I know your woman works at the bank. She should know why the bank was closed early, and that should say what plan Jasper has.” Danny sounded panicked, on the verge of irrational.
Jeff released a long sigh. Perhaps he could get him off his back. “I will talk to Ingrid when I get home. I’ll let you know when I talk to her.”
Danny chuckled. “I’m sitting outside your house right now. I’d get home as quick as possible if I were you. Ingrid looks really good in just her underwear.”
The phone connection dropped as anger built up within Jeff. He quickly downed his drink, tossed a twenty on the bar, and then bolted out of the bar. In the car, he waited for his phone to connect to the Bluetooth and then dialed Jasper.
“Kingston,” Jasper said harshly on the other end.
“It’s Jeff Pines. I have a problem.”
“What kind of a problem?”
“Danny Sanderson.” Jeff dropped the bomb, and Jasper was too quick to respond.
“What about him?”
Jeff drove into Passion as he explained the phone call with Danny. Jasper informed Jeff of what had been going on with Danny, on the promise he wouldn’t be backing up his friend. Jeff knew it was time to cut ties with the wacko.
* * * *
Her body was hot as she sat between her two men. They did that to her, and it warmed her even more. She had missed them greatly while she was gone. Had missed her hometown too. Now, Marlowe had to wonder if she had built up what she had thought she had heard twelve years ago to help her brain cover up her memories.
“How are you doing, kitten?” Cole asked quietly as he sat with his arm around her shoulders.
“I’m fine,” she lied. They had been in the vault for hours, and the walls seemed to be too close. She needed to get out into the wilderness and let her animal run free.
“You don’t have to be brave, Marls.” Cade squeezed her hand as he spoke. “It’s getting to us also.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, but I’m sure you don’t have an insane man who wants you dead out there somewhere.”
“I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with him all this time. I wish you had come to us, or at least Mom, to let us know what you were going through with Danny.” Cade reached out and lifted her chin up so she was looking up at him.
He was so good looking. His long dark golden-blond hair framed his tanned face, and his mustache and goatee made him more handsome. It was a new look on them, but Marlowe loved it.
“He would threaten us. He would tell my mother he was going to hurt me, or even kill me if she didn’t do what he wanted her to do. He would tell me the same when he wanted me to do something.” Marlowe closed her eyes as memories flooded her, as the strikes came to mind. “When he’d slap me on the head, my head would get all wishy-washy besides hurt. He would usually hit me on the arms or the legs, so it was easier to hide the bruises under my clothes. Sometimes he would hit my back or chest, but he knew there was too much chance of causing major damage.
“He hit mother once so hard in the chest that she stopped breathing. I was so scared and had to perform CPR on her because Danny just walked out. After that, he was a little more careful where he hit.” Marlowe was trying to hold back tears, but it wasn’t working very well.
Both of her men moved to hold her tighter. She didn’t want them to feel sorry for her or to feel guilty for not trying to protect her. That was the type of men they were, but as much as this was all out in the open now, Marlowe wanted to put it all behind her.
“I couldn’t take a chance of anyone knowing about it.” Marlowe took a deep breath. “Remember in the third grade when I had the chicken pox?” Both men nodded as they listened with total interest. “I had left something out on the living room floor, and Danny tripped over it. He got mad and hit me so hard that I couldn’t see straight for days. I had a large bruise on my jaw, and momma said that was going to attract unwanted attention. It was better to pretend to be sick for several weeks than it was have the county on our case.”
“Oh, kitten, I wish my mother had known. I know half this town would have taken care of Danny, and they never would have found his body,” Cole said sadly. “But we understand the part about being afraid.”
“After mom left, he would hit me, but not as much because I tried to avoid him by coming to your house. If he got mad at me, and struck me, he would tell me that it was my fault momma left. If I ever wanted her to come back, I couldn’t tell anyone about what he did.”
“God, I am so sorry you had to go through that. We just need to get past this little hiccup with Danny, and then we can all move on with our lives,” Cade said before he laid a kiss to her hair. “I want to put Danny out of our heads and get onto the more exciting things.”
He waggled his eyebrows as he smiled. She knew he was trying to lighten the mood, and she wanted that too, but she did have a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if something bad was going to happen.
She looked around the room at all the stainless-steel covers on the safety deposit boxes surrounding them. The baseboards were covered with stainless also. Above the boxes, there were a couple of vents, and that worried her. If Danny could shift into a rat, what were the chances he could get into the vents?
“I’m just so tired,” Marlowe said quietly.
“I know, baby girl. But it’ll be over soon. I promise.” Cade sounded confident.
Marlowe wished she could be as confident as him. Danny was pissed, and she knew what he was capable of when
he was angry.
“Just lean on us, Marls, and try to rest.” Cole pulled her head onto his shoulder as he spoke. “When we get home, we can sleep for a couple of days.”
Marlowe nodded as she tried to clear her mind. It was so full she doubted she’d be able to get much rest.
* * * *
Ingrid was a petite pushover, Danny found out. She was completely human, for when he stepped into her house after lying to her and telling her that Jeff told him to wait at the house, he had slapped her across the face, drawing cries from her. She had crowded herself into a corner of the couch, yelling for him to leave her alone.
Danny couldn’t stand the sound of her screeching. He reached down and grabbed her by her strawberry-blond hair and pulled her up until she was no longer touching the floor. She fought him, but her small fists and feet did nothing to hurt him in return. Doing what he was used to, he punched her multiple times in the face, chest, and abdomen until he finally got what he wanted from her. Tossing her to the floor with a maniacal laugh, he left her house through the back door and made his way to the bank through the back alleys.
Relief swept over him when the key worked in the lock. He pushed open the back door, disarmed the alarm quickly, and then made his way over to the vault. Adjusting the keys on the keyring he had taken from Ingrid, he found the one marked vault and slid it into the lock. With a quick twist of his wrist, he turned the key and was relieved to find it actually worked. Now he was going to get his revenge and he would be able to leave town.
Pulling open the heavy vault door, he gasped and focused on the people who stood within the enclosed space.
* * * *
This was it. Marlowe’s heart was in her throat, beating wildly as the sound of someone working on the other side of the door reached them.
The door opened, and Cade and Cole were on their feet and on guard within a nanosecond of hearing the door beginning to open. Marlowe was pushed behind them both, the need to protect radiating off both of them.
Fur began to sprout on her arms beneath the sweater she wore. Her teeth were lengthening, and she felt her tongue widen. Shifting always felt strange to her, but right now, it was life or death.
Yes, she had two macho men with her that would change in a second, but this was her fight also. Danny needed to pay for everything he had done to her as a child, and for what he had done to her mother. Marlowe wouldn’t kill him, but she wanted to scare him.
Her two men groaned, causing Marlowe to peek between their wide shoulders. Danny stood there, looking as wild as he had in the jail cell, but this time, he had a gun. She had to wonder where he had gotten it from, along with the keys to the bank and the vault, but right now, disarming him was the most crucial issue.
“I see these two freaks are protecting you as usual,” Danny taunted as he leaned against the doorjamb, the gun pointed at her. “But there’s nothing they can do for you. You’re coming with me.” He was waving the gun between the three of them. “No one better try anything either. I have nothing to lose right now, so shooting one of you won’t matter. Get over here, Marli.”
Anger consumed Marlowe at his threat. There was no way she was going to go with him for she knew he was going to use her to get out of town and then kill her. What she needed to accomplish had to be done within a few minutes of leaving the bank. Being Danny, he was proving to be an idiot. He was forgetting what she and the Younger boys were capable of.
Right now, she was going to play his game. Pushing Cade and Cole aside, she stepped between them. She took deep breaths to try to contain her beast until just the right moment. Both of her men put out a hand and grasped her wrists.
“Marls, don’t. He’s a loose cannon right now.” What Cade said wasn’t anything new. She hoped they would be ready to back her up as soon as she stepped from the vault, that Danny wasn’t quick enough to shut the door.
“I have to go with him so he doesn’t hurt anyone else.” She turned to look at both men. “I should have done this a long time ago.”
Cole took a step toward her but stopped when a shot rang out. He growled as he went to grab his left calf. Anger flashed in his eyes as he glared at Danny.
Marlowe twirled around as she held up her hands. “No! I already said I would go with you. Leave them alone!”
“Then get over here, girl! As long as they don’t do anything stupid, they’ll live,” Danny threatened.
Once Marlowe was close enough to Danny, he grabbed her right wrist and pulled her to him, seemingly distracted enough not to close the vault door. He positioned her in front of him, his left arm holding her to him. He pulled her out of the vault and moved backwards down the small hallway to the lobby of the bank, where he froze. Looking around, Marlowe saw Jasper, Dirk, and several other deputies standing in various places around the large room. They weren’t going to let her father leave with her.
Guns were drawn, and if Marlowe knew this town well enough, there were more outside, but more importantly, there was a deadlier force out there. Predators waited around town looking for the opportunity to take down the man who had shamed the town for so many years.
“Let Marlowe go, Danny,” Jasper ordered. “You can’t get out of town without one of us taking you down.” Jasper had a Glock in his hand, but Marlowe knew he didn’t need it. None of the people in the lobby needed a gun.
“You’re done telling me what I can and can’t do, Kingston. I’m taking Marli and leaving town, and as long as I have her, you guys will keep your distance. So, step back,” Danny ordered as he waved the gun toward Jasper. “I don’t care who I take out.”
“Danny!” a man with short black hair exclaimed as he emerged through the doorway. He looked frazzled, a wild look in his dark eyes. “What the hell did you do to Ingrid, you bastard?”
Marlowe felt Danny shrug. “She didn’t cooperate.” He scoffed. “I gave her the opportunity to do the right thing, but she fought me.”
The man lunged toward Danny and began to shift. Black fur erupted from his body as his clothing shredded and fell to the floor. However, before he could get very far, a gunshot exploded, and the man fell to the floor in mid-shift, half man and half bear.
Chaos began to emerge around her. Anger coursed through Marlowe in an instant, and she shifted as Danny was trying to hold off Jasper and the others. Her teeth elongated as the shape of her face changed. Turning, Marlowe sank her teeth into Danny’s right shoulder and heard him shout out his pain.
The gun discharged again, and she felt the bullet enter her right thigh. She snarled in pain, and she bit into his arm, feeling the warm blood fill her mouth as he began to scream. She heard the sound of feet running toward her, along with shouting. There was some jostling and gentle hands trying to pull her away from Danny, but she wasn’t willing to release the hold on her father that she had.
Finally, she heard Cade’s voice telling her gently that she could let Danny go, that Jasper and the men had a good hold on the man. She needed to let go and relax so her body could heal. It was then she remembered she had been shot.
The pain wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be, but it still hurt. She released her hold on Danny, nearly spitting his arm from her mouth, and then she turned toward Cade and Cole, who were both looking at her with concern and love. She knew they would do what they could to protect her, but they also had to know she would protect them if need be.
Lying down, she closed her eyes and willed her body to heal as her two men sat on both sides of her. She could feel their love flowing from them where their hands touched her body, and she savored it. She was home, and she wasn’t going to lose this ever again.
Chapter Twelve
The smell of snow was in the air as the wind blew through the town. Cheery orange and purple lights lit up storefronts while animatronic Halloween decorations moved, cackled, moaned, and scared the children that were trick-or-treating at the shops. Game booths had been set up on the side streets to Main Street on both sides. Redwood and Maple Streets w
ere filled with kids and adults playing carnival games and grabbing food from the vendors.
This was the time of year Marlowe missed the most. The fun atmosphere of a small town during the holidays, and she missed the snow. She smiled to herself that she was going to be able to enjoy both of them.
Tables and chairs had been set up on the ends of Redwood and Maple where they met Main Street so a person could partake in the fun food offerings and then people-watch while doing so. Marlowe was sitting at one such table, waiting for Cade and Cole to return with some food. She watched as a group of princesses ran screaming from a Frankenstein monster, one of the characters the town had hired to walk the streets as entertainment. A smile came to her lips at the thought of experiencing this event with a child one day. It didn’t matter, a boy or a girl. She would be happy with either one.
So much had changed since she had arrived back in her hometown two weeks ago. She had expected to come to town to photograph the devastating power of a wildfire that nearly took out the town. Marlowe had hoped to avoid everyone she knew but had run into the two men she had been in love all her life. She was still wildly in love with them, and with their never-ending love surrounding her, she was given a second chance at love.
A plate of funnel cake appeared in front of her, smothered in whipped cream, powdered sugar, and strawberries. A caramel apple and a cellophane wrapped block of pink popcorn was set down also. Marlowe missed this part of these events. Camaraderie and food.
Dragging in a deep breath to memorize the aroma of fried dough and sweetness, her stomach growled, and she smiled. Cade sat to her left while Cole sat to her right. “Thank you,” she said as she picked up her fork. She practically inhaled half the confection before setting down the utensil. “I’ve missed this.”
