Dusted Star

by Avery Gale

  For the first time in his life, Juan Rivera felt like walking away from the career he loved. His family would welcome him with open arms—hell, they’ been trying to talk him into joining the family business since they learned he was resigning his commission in the SEALs. Juan was straight up pissed, and he knew better than to say any more or make a decision until he’d cooled down. Turning to walk from the room, Kent West stopped him with a single word.

  “Wait.” Juan turned to the other man, schooling his expression. “You’re right. We fucked up, and we’ll set it right, I promise. Trust is essential, and we’ve betrayed hers and yours.” Sitting down on the corner of Kyle’s desk, a move he and every other member of the team knew Kyle hated, Kent let one of his long legs swing back and forth. “You know we aren’t going to let her leave, right?”

  Of course, he knew they’d do everything possible to keep her from leaving, hell, she was in danger and damned well didn’t need to be unprotected in Austin or New York. Shifting his frustrated glare from Kent to Kyle, Juan could see the remorse in the other man’s expression. Turning to Sam McCall, Juan asked, “What’s your wife’s favorite flower?”

  “Calatheas.” Sam answered without hesitation, a flicker of a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

  Turning to Trac, Juan nodded and said, “Take care of it. Weekly. For a year.” Trac’s brows lifted in surprise, but he didn’t argue. Turning back to Kyle, Juan studied his friend and boss closely before shaking his head. “Whatever you’re paying Jen isn’t enough. Fix it.” A slow grin spread across Kent’s face before he nodded once, then Juan turned and walked out.

  Tomorrow he’d make a healthy donation in her name to a local children’s charity he knew Jen favored. Every member of the Prairie Winds team was encouraged to adopt a local charity and many of them supported more than one. The Wests and their parents were believers in giving back, their generosity was just one of the many reasons he respected them.

  Walking down the long drive leading to the training center, Juan was grateful no one had followed him. He needed a few minutes to cool down before he tried to talk to Lakyn. Juan couldn’t let her walk away—he had to find a way to fix this mess. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and when he pulled it out, the simple message was from Micah Drake. “Side door.” Without questioning the directive, Juan heard the electronic lock disengage as he reached for the handle of the heavy metal door. Walking silently down the hall, Juan could hear Jen’s voice encouraging Lakyn to follow through on her punches.

  “Make the bag swing. Remember, you’re trying to hit the other side, not the one closest to you.” More thuds against the bag, then soft laughter. “Much better. I should have had Micah send pictures to the printer, we could have taped them to the bag. That would have been fun, but we probably would have gone through too much paper.”

  Lakyn’s soft laughter was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard—it was so much better than the emotionless speech he’d heard when he’d entered the office less than a half hour ago. Leaning against the wall at the end of the hall where he could see the women’s reflections in the glass at the front of the building, he watched as Lakyn vented her frustration on the bag. They were both still wearing their street clothes, and he understood why Jen hadn’t wanted to take time to change.

  The sheen of sweat reflected on Lakyn’s flushed face as she pounded her gloved fists against the heavy bag. Her form might not have been perfect, but she was putting everything she had into each punch. He flinched when she slipped and fell against the bag. Grasping it as is moved slowly away from where she stood, she groaned.

  “I’m so out of shape. When the stalking started, I stopped going to the gym because I didn’t want to be exposed long enough to walk down the street.”

  Jen’s mouth dropped open as she looked at Lakyn. “Why not take a taxi? I can see not wanting to go if you were worried the stalker was someone at your gym, but why not just call a cab? Holy crap, girl. You have to be making a shit-ton of money, and from the report I read, you don’t spend it partying or traveling to all the world’s hot spots.”

  “Taxis are expensive. Why should I pay some driver, who spends most of the three-block trip leering at me in the mirror, twenty bucks?”

  Juan was amused at the indignant look on Lakyn’s sweat covered face, but the shock reflected on Jen’s face made him snort a laugh and quickly step back when she seemed to sense his presence.

  “Girl, I don’t know about you.” The two shared a laugh before sliding to the floor and leaning against the wall facing the windows. God love Jen, she’d made sure he could see Lakyn as they spoke. He listened as Jen tried to explain the rationale behind the decision to keep her brother’s visit to the hospital a secret.

  “Do you think Cooper has confided in you every time he’s been hurt?”

  He saw Lakyn’s shoulders sag, but he couldn’t hear her response.

  “If you’re going to walk away from Juan and Trac, you need to know they weren’t on board with the decision. Juan was particularly adamant you be told, but he was overruled.” Jen played with the hem of her shirt while she appeared to be choosing her words carefully. “You’re a movie star, have you ever had to play a scene the director’s way even though you were sure it was all wrong?”

  Lakyn nodded and he fought to stay hidden as Jen shrugged.

  “I’ve never seen team members stand up to Kyle the way Juan and Trac did. You have to remember, these guys are former military, respect for the chain of command is practically in their DNA. Arguing the way they did was very telling because it was so unusual—not unusual for me… but almost unheard of for the men on the team.”

  This time Juan saw a small smile play over Lakyn’s lips and felt a wave of relief sweep over him.

  Jen was amazing. She hadn’t told Lakyn to give them another chance, she’d simply given her all the information she needed to make the right choice. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket again and noticed Jen pull hers out at the same time.

  Cooper Hicks will land in Austin in an hour. Transported here immediately thereafter.

  Jen held her phone up to show the message to Lakyn. He’d expected her to spring to her feet, but she’d leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.

  “I guess I don’t have much time to get my temper under control. I’m so pissed at him for not returning my calls or messages. He’s never done that, and I’ve been going insane worrying about him.”

  What? She hadn’t said a word about being angry at her brother. They needed to have a long chat about sharing the things that upset her. Transparency was a large part of the lifestyle and… Oh my fucking God. Do you even hear yourself? How hypocritical are you?

  Shaking his head as he realized how insane it was to be frustrated with her, Juan stepped around the corner into Lakyn’s line of sight. He watched her eyes widen and fill with tears.

  “Cariña? What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Moving slowly to her side, he knelt in front of her and took her hand in his. “Why the tears, beautiful?”

  “I’m just mad. I’m totally pissed off, and I don’t even know why. Well, that’s not really true… it’s more like I don’t even know where to start. I’m mad as hell at my brother for not answering my calls and messages. Damn it to all to midget goats, he’s never done that to me before. I’m furious that a van with masked idiots tried to yank me off the street. I’m mad as hell someone put electronic monitoring equipment in my apartment—fucking hell, that’s just creepy. And I’m beyond annoyed no one told me Cooper was hurt… including Cooper. Now, he’ll be here before long, and I’m really not in the mood to be nice to him… and no one deserves that kind of greeting.” Her shoulders slumped, and she looked like a rapidly deflating balloon.

  Pulling her to her feet, he wrapped her in his arms and simply stood with her nestled against his chest for a long time, hoping the simple physical contact would help some of her frustration drain away. It seemed like forever before she finally relaxed in his ar
ms, and once again, he owned a huge debt of gratitude to his sisters for their lessons in the healing power of a hug.

  “If you’re finished here, let’s walk to the cabin and get something to eat before you get ready to greet your brother. I’ll bet food and a bubble bath will go a long way to setting you back on track. I know you don’t like feeling as though the world around is spinning out of control, but sometimes, you have to just stand very still and let things happen in their own time. Trying to control everything is impossible and exhausting.”

  “I’ve tried telling my loving husbands the same thing, but do they listen to me? Oh hell, no. Want to know who’s showing them the light? Their daughter… oh yes, indeed. Life at our house is getting more interesting by the day.” Jen rose to her feet and gave Lakyn a quick hug.

  “Don’t be too hard on Cooper, I have a feeling he’s already waging a hell of a war with his own guilt. I don’t want you to go too easy on him either, but you probably want to save the tar and feathers for another time.”

  Lakyn gave the other woman a quick hug and thanked her before they set out for the cabin. Juan wasn’t surprised to see Trac had already arrived, and he smiled as the other man fell in beside them as they moved down the hall. The frown on Trac’s face as they entered the master bathroom made Juan wonder what the hell his friend was thinking. When Lakyn met his glare straight on, Juan wanted to cheer.

  Good girl, don’t let him intimidate you.

  *

  Trac reached for Lakyn and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, Princess.” The simple words seemed inadequate, but they were all he had to offer. Any excuse he could give would sound as hollow as it would feel, and she deserved better than that from both of the men who’d promised to protect her. At first, he’d been angry at her for challenging the team’s decision, then he’d been just as pissed at Juan for reminding everyone he’d seen her reaction coming. He’d disagreed with the Wests’ decision, but he’d certainly understood their reasoning.

  Realizing he’d let her down had hurt, and he was grateful she hadn’t been there to see his initial reaction. One of the things he’d hated the most as a kid was his father’s habit of reacting first and thinking later. Trac has sworn he’d never follow in those particular footsteps and damn if he had very nearly made the same mistake.

  Fuck me, I know better—that kind of damage would have completely undermined the trust we were just beginning to build.

  Juan looked on for several minutes, then nodded to the door. “I’m going to shower in the guest suite, then make us something to eat. Don’t be too long.” Trac was grateful for the time alone with their sweet sub, it was a gift, and he appreciated Juan’s understanding.

  “Come on, Princess, let’s shower and find out what Juan’s making to eat. He’s an amazing cook, so we don’t want to miss out.” He helped her out of her clothes before stripping out of his own and leading her into the hot shower.

  Trac let his hands speak for him. He was careful to keep his touch tender but not sexual, this was about relaxation, not arousal. By the time he finished, her muscles were pliant beneath his fingertips, and her eyes had lost some of the wariness he’d seen when the three of them first returned to the cabin.

  Moving her to the other end of the shower, Trac positioned one of the side-mounted shower heads so it pulsed hot water between her shoulder blades. Her soft groan as the pulsing water continued to massage her back sent a surge of blood to his cock, and he fought the urge to push her against the wall and lose himself in her softness.

  Fucking hell, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d taken a shower with a woman without giving her at least one orgasm. As much as he thought she’d benefit from a release or two, she needed time to eat and settle a bit before her brother hit the door. Cam’s description of Cooper’s injuries listed a litany of superficial wounds that would look much worse than they actually were, so Lakyn needed as much fortification as possible.

  Finishing his own shower quickly, he shut off the water and led her out of the large enclosure. It didn’t take them long to dress and make their way to the kitchen where Juan was already hard at work. When Trac saw her eyes widen in surprise, he leaned down close.

  “This is what happens when you’re the youngest in a large family and all your siblings are female,” he whispered. “They were determined their little brother was going to be the catch of the century.”

  Lakyn sniffed the air, and Trac heard her stomach growl. He’d no sooner seated her at the table than Juan set a sizzling tray of meat and vegetables on the table between the three place settings. Lakyn’s sweet groan as she sniffed the air sent another rush of blood to his cock, and Trac had to fight the urge to shift the damned thing away from the zipper of his jeans. At this rate, he was going to have to take another shower—a very cold shower before meeting her brother. Damn.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Cooper looked out the tinted windows of the car before turning his attention back to Kyle West. “I didn’t expect the VIP treatment—I could have rented a car.”

  “You could have, but that’s not the way things work in Texas. We treat our guests better than that, and God forbid if Lilly West got wind one of her sons hadn’t greeted a guest properly.” Cooper suspected the man was only half teasing. He’d heard stories about the West matriarch, but he’d never met her. Kyle must have sensed the direction his mind was headed because he grinned and shook his head. “Don’t worry, you’ll meet her soon enough, and yes, she’s every inch the wildcard you’ve heard about.”

  Copper wasn’t sure it was possible for Lilly West to live up to her reputation, but he would reserve judgment.

  “Where is Lakyn?” He’d never had to face his sister looking like he’d had his ass handed to him, and the truth was, he wasn’t looking forward to it. If Cam had still been headquartered in Houston, Cooper would have detoured there until he’d healed enough he wouldn’t scare his sister spitless.

  “She’s staying in one of the cabins behind the club.” He and Kyle had only worked together a few times, but Cooper knew people well enough to know when he hadn’t gotten the whole story. Waiting for the other man to elaborate seemed to be taking an awfully long time, but he was determined to wait out the uncomfortable silence. Kyle finally chuckled as he turned onto what looked like a long drive.

  “Damn, I don’t know why I didn’t send Kent to pick you up.” When they parked in front of the club, Cooper raised a brow in question. Why hadn’t Kyle taken him the cabin where Lakyn was staying? Kyle shut off the car but didn’t get out. Turning in his seat, the other man studied him for several seconds before speaking.

  “I don’t have a sister, so I’m in unfamiliar territory here. I didn’t take you to the cabin where Lakyn is staying because she isn’t alone. She is with two members of the team.”

  “Are they her bodyguards?” Cooper wasn’t naïve, and Kyle’s obvious discomfort was a dead giveaway, but he’d be damned if he was going to make it easy on the man whose reputation as unflappable was practically a legend among SEALs.

  “Not really although I can assure you anyone wanting to get to her is going to have to go through them, particularly after the disaster on the river.”

  Yeah, Cam had already briefed him on the close call she’d had in New York and the second fiasco right under the Prairie Winds teams’ nose. Heads were going to roll when he found out who was targeting his sister.

  “Juan Rivera and Trac Hughes are both Doms although Juan isn’t as committed to the lifestyle as Trac. I’ll let them speak for themselves about their intentions, but I can tell you they are both honorable. You can believe anything they tell you.”

  Cooper considered Kyle’s words and was surprised at the relief he felt, knowing Lakyn had finally met someone who would look out for her. If Kyle vouched for them, the men were obviously stand up guys, but he’d need to meet them and decide for himself.

  “Two? Jesus, man, what’s in the water down here? Remind me to drink juice.”


  “Brother,” Kyle laughed and shook his head, “you look like you need something a lot stronger than juice. We’ll get you settled in one of the rooms above the club before hitting the bar. When is the last time you ate?”

  “Catalina had a sandwich and chips waiting for me when I got out of the hospital, but I slept on the plane, so I haven’t eaten anything since then.”

  “Catalina Adler?” When Cooper nodded, Kyle smiled and shook his head. “Damn I’d love to recruit her, but I’m not sure she and Jen could be corralled… Hell, I’m not sure the world is ready for that combination yet.” Cooper grabbed his small bag and followed Kyle into the large building wondering who Jen was, and why she and Catalina would be a threat.

  Seriously? What the hell am I thinking? Cat’s a threat on a good day.

  *

  Lakyn was getting tired of watching Juan and Trac try to stealthily check their phones. Whoever was updating them wasn’t sharing the information with her, and she was silently fuming. They’d finished dinner, and she was about to go upstairs to change when she caught Juan, once again, slipping his phone from his pocket. Stalking over closer, she stood with her hands on her hips and glared up at him.

  “I want to know what’s going on. I’m tired of being left out of the damned loop. Is my brother going to show up or not? Damn this is fucking annoying.” She’d no sooner finished speaking than she heard both men snarl something about language and a heartbeat later she was over Juan’s shoulder being carried up the stairs like a sack of potatoes. “What the fuck? Put me down.” A sharp slap on her ass made her freeze for a second before she started kicking.