Dare to Trust

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  Their mom walked past Danny and went to the side of the bed. She reached out and caressed Marlena’s hand then leaned down and kissed her cheek.

  “Okay, little lady, you’ve got everyone in a state of panic and fear right now. I need you to wake up, and to fight for what you want,” she told her and smiled. She reached out and caressed her cheek.

  She looked at Mike and his brothers.

  “The three of you need to get over this cockamamie belief that you failed her. You did no such thing. You saved her before that man could kill her and you killed him, ensuring she would be safe forever. Now, you are the three most stubborn, toughest men I know aside from your fathers. I don’t expect you to keep this nonsense up. Marlena loves you and you love her. She survived. She’s going to get through this and you have everyone’s support in it. I want you to get cleaned up, shave those whiskers so that when Marlena awakes, she’ll smile at seeing her handsome men.”

  “Mom, she hasn’t awoken for days. It’s not that easy, anyway,” Danny told her.

  “It’s our fault that she’s there. She was under our protection, in our house when he broke in and took her. We hadn’t a clue,” Jack said.

  “And you two had a clue when Mickey Joe was stealing money from the register at Spencer’s for months? You had a clue when he was bringing in women and using your office as a private screw room while you two trusted him?” she said to them.

  “Mom, that’s not the same thing.” Danny said.

  “It’s not? You’re supposed to distrust every person and not leave them alone to take care of simple tasks and do their job without babysitting them? How have you succeeded in life?” she asked.

  “We left her alone knowing he was in the vicinity,” Danny said.

  “You left her upstairs, in your own house while she rested while you cooked her dinner. The sheriff said they all checked the house. He was that resourceful, that sneaky and conniving that he got to her. It wasn’t your fault. You were planning the next steps in trying to protect her. It was a window of opportunity to strike. You know this, too, Mike. You’re a deputy, you were a SEAL. Did every mission go as planned? Did the people you were sent in to take out, to rescue or to pull in for whatever reason, always where they were supposed to be or where you were told? Did you need to improvise and adapt? This situation was no different. That man got into your house long before any of you even arrived. He found a good hiding spot and he waited while you went about taking care of Marlena and ensuring she rested before dinner. It’s not your fault. The end result was that you saved her before she was killed, burned to death in some cabin by the man that tried taking everything away from all of you.

  “She’s your woman. You love her and she loves you. When she comes out of this she is going to be a mess. She’s going to be scared, timid. She’ll probably have nightmares and fear being alone. You three will need to protect her, console her, be patient with her, and build up her confidence again so she can live a normal life. A happy life with the three of you. Don’t you love her and want her forever?” their mom asked.

  “Of course we do,” Jack said.

  “Then don’t waste any more time feeling guilty or thinking about the what-ifs. Concern yourselves with loving her. With being the men she more than deserves after the heartache, the pain, and fear she’s experienced in life thus far. Be the men that I and your fathers know you can be for her, and love her, with all your heart and soul. It will work out just fine. Believe me, she trusts you. She won’t blame you for anything. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she cooperated in order to save the three of you from harm. Snap out of it. Your fathers and I raised good, honest, compassionate, strong men. She’ll need you, and nothing else will matter.”

  Epilogue

  Marlena sat on Danny’s lap as they swung on the porch swing. It was a beautiful fall day and she finally felt stronger then she had in weeks.

  Danny caressed her thigh and kissed her shoulder.

  “I love it out here. You guys have a beautiful view,” she said.

  “You say that every time we sit out here. I think you like this porch swing better than the big sofa in the living room,” he teased and she turned to look at him.

  “I love being here with you, Mike, and Danny. You’ve helped me so much. I think I want to try to go back to the diner.”

  He scrunched his eyebrows together.

  “I don’t know, Marlena. You’re still working with the therapist and trying to deal with the nightmares.”

  “I’m doing better. I’ve only had two episodes this week,” she said as she stood up and tuned to face him.

  “It’s only Wednesday,” Jack said from the doorway.

  She turned around, feeling frustrated. They were all so protective of her. She loved them for it. She needed to have them sleep with her and cuddle with her. She hadn’t gone anywhere, not even to town, without one of them with her. But she knew she needed to get control of her life again. She needed to fight for her independence and not fear Peter, who was dead and could never hurt her again. It wasn’t easy though.

  She heard the door open and she knew it was probably Mike. She inhaled as the soft breeze caressed against her hair. She smelled his cologne and knew it was Mike. It was strange, but she could sense when they were near, she could pick out their colognes, their scents from everyone else’s. God, she sounded obsessed with them.

  She felt the arm go around her waist and Mike’s lips kissed her neck.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  She turned in his arms and hugged him. He caressed his palm along her ass, squeezing her tighter to him. She smiled.

  “I missed you.”

  He chuckled low, his warm breath colliding against her neck.

  “I missed you more,” he said. It was a regular routine. Something they all shared with one another.

  She pulled back.

  “I was just talking with Danny. I think it’s time I try to go back to work at the diner. Your mom said I could whenever I feel I’m ready. Maybe a day or two to start out. What do you think?” she asked.

  He licked his lower lip and looked at Danny and Jack, who now stood on either side of Mike and held her gaze.

  “I think if you feel that you’re ready, that it’s a great idea.”

  She smiled and looked at Danny.

  He crossed his arms in front of his chest. He hardly went to work because he was worried about leaving her. They never left her alone for months now. It wasn’t fair to him or to Jack and Mike.

  She reached out and touched his arm.

  “Danny, I love you, but it isn’t fair that I keep you from your job and the edition you and Jack have been wanting to do.”

  “We’ve talked about this, baby. We’re not taking that on. Not until you’re a hundred percent better,” Jack said.

  “I’m almost there. You two can’t hold out on your dreams because of me. There has to be a way to work this out.”

  They were all silent and then the thought hit her.

  “You know that I was an accountant back in Connecticut and I have my license?” she asked.

  Jack squinted his eyes at her but Mike smiled as if he knew where she was going with this.

  “And?” Danny asked.

  “Well, with business expanding you may need a little help with your accounting, and perhaps maintaining the books for Spencer’s. Maybe you’d consider offering me a job?” she asked and winked.

  “That’s an awesome idea. I love it,” Danny said and he pulled her into a hug and then kissed her.

  “Wait one minute,” Jack said and Danny released her. She was afraid that he was going to say he didn’t want to hire her or that he didn’t think she was capable. She felt the tears reach her eyes and she damned herself for being affected so easily. If she were going to get them to give her a little freedom to prove she was stronger, tearing up all the time wouldn’t help.

  Jack pulled her by her belt hoop closer to him.

  He ran his hand
along her hip then up to her breast, cupping it.

  “I think we need to do a little investigating into your credentials and abilities to make sure you’re able to complete tasks in a timely manner.”

  He pinched her nipple and she licked her lower lip and held his gaze.

  Danny reached over and began to unzip her pants and pressed them down, using his fingers to locate her pussy.

  “I can do a background check,” Mike said, maneuvering in behind her and thrusting his hips against her ass. She felt his cock and she smiled.

  “I can assure the three of you that I’m perfect for any position you need me in. In fact, my capabilities will impress you,” she said and gasped as Danny maneuvered his fingers up into her cunt, while Mike spread her thighs with his thigh, making her step into a wider stance.

  “What type of capabilities are we talking about, Miss. Courts?” Jack asked and he lifted her top, unclipped her bra, and cupped both sensitive, full breasts.

  “I take orders well, sir. Plus I like to think out of the box.” She reached toward Jack’s pants and unzipped them, then pushed them down and cupped his balls.

  “I think we need a demonstration,” Danny told her.

  She immediately lowered to her knees, bent forward, and pulled Jack’s cock between her lips. She stroked it with her tongue, twirled her tongue around it then pinched his balls.

  Jack gripped her hair and began to thrust into her mouth. Behind her, Mike stroked her cunt and then she felt his fingers press against her clit. She came hard, nearly losing focus on Jack’s cock.

  But then she reached to the side and worked Danny’s cock over his jeans. He unzipped them and whipped out the thick hard muscle and she slowly released Jack’s cock and then took Danny’s into her mouth.

  She suckled back and forth between them as both men allowed her to pleasure them one after the other.

  “Oh sweet Jesus, baby. You’re hired,” Jack said, and Danny and Mike chuckled.

  Marlena smiled to herself. She loved them so much. She would give them the world if she had that capability. But for now, she would love them with all her heart and treasure every waking moment they shared.

  She finally learned to trust again, and with that trust she gave her heart and soul to Jack, Danny, and Mike. Her lovers, her best friends, her destiny in a town called Chance.

  THE END

  WWW.DIXIELYNNDWYER.COM

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  People seem to be more interested in my name than where I get my ideas for my stories from. So I might as well share the story behind my name with all my readers.

  My momma was born and raised in New Orleans. At the age of twenty, she met and fell in love with an Irishman named Patrick Riley Dwyer. Needless to say, the family was a bit taken aback by this as they hoped she would marry a family friend. It was a modern day arranged marriage kind of thing and my momma downright refused.

  Being that my momma’s families were descendents of the original English speaking Southerners, they wanted the family blood line to stay pure. They were wealthy and my father’s family was poor.

  Despite attempts by my grandpapa to make Patrick leave and destroy the love between them, my parents married. They recently celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary.

  I am one of six children born to Patrick and Lynn Dwyer. I am a combination of both Irish and a true Southern belle. With a name like Dixie Lynn Dwyer it’s no wonder why people are curious about my name.

  Just as my parents had a love story of their own, I grew up intrigued by the lifestyles of others. My imagination as well as my need to stray from the straight and narrow made me into the woman I am today.

  For all titles by Dixie Lynn Dwyer, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/dixie-lynn-dwyer

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com