Liberation

by Becca Van

  He chuckled to himself. The assholes wouldn’t find anything anyway. While he’d been searching for the deaf cunt, he’d changed his name. The surname he was using was his mother’s maiden name. Unless they went looking deeper, the sheriffs and the brothers would never even know he was related to the man who’d died in that bank in Chicago.

  Just as he was lining up the new booth seats so he could secure them to the floor the deaf bitch entered with three other men. He lowered his head hoping his cap would keep his face in the shadows as he watched her look about. She was tense and looked as if she was about to cry.

  You deserve everything coming your way, you cunt. You’ll be begging me to kill you by the time I’ve finished with you.

  * * * *

  Delta sucked in a deep breath as she Rocco helped her out of the truck. While she couldn’t believe how much work the construction crew had gotten through already, seeing the diner brought back the fear she’d faced last night. She couldn’t stop the shiver racing up her spine and making her body quake. She was glad that she had Ace, Rocco, and Major with her.

  Rocco slung an arm around her shoulders and tucked her in under his arm. Although the temperature was already up in the mid to high eighties, she felt cold to the bone and had goosebumps on her skin.

  “You okay, honey?” Rocco asked.

  She nodded, savoring the heat emanating from his body as she gazed into his eyes.

  “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Let me, Ace, or Major know if it gets too much. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  She leaned on him as they walked toward the entrance. All the windows had been replaced. The slashed booth seats had been removed and the men were pulling up the linoleum floor. As she walked in the door she saw that Luke and Damon were talking to a man she’d never met and from the tenseness around his jaw and lips, she guessed that he was Giles or one of his brothers.

  There was a lot of drilling and hammering going on but thankfully, she couldn’t hear any of it. Luke nodded and smiled at her and pointed toward the hallway with a quirked eyebrow.

  She nodded and followed the men. When she got to the kitchen doorway, she covered her mouth in shock. There were a few men picking up smashed crockery and dumping it into the trash, but seeing all the food strewn about the floor had tears welling in her eyes. There was flour and sugar everywhere. Bags of coffee beans had been slashed open and were spilling out onto the floor. There were packets of meat tossed about and the fresh herbs she had growing in pots looked as if they’d been ground under a heel.

  Delta almost jumped out of her skin when a hand caressed up and down her arm. She met Rocco’s concerned gaze and while she tried to hold back the sob in her chest, she failed.

  Rocco tugged her into his arms and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her forehead to his chest and hugged him back as she tried to get her emotions under control. She wiped her damp cheeks on his T-shirt, drew in a deep ragged breath and drew back.

  “We’ll help you get what you need, honey.”

  Delta nodded and then headed to her office. There was so much to do but she was determined to have everything ready to open the diner again as fast as possible. She wasn’t about to let some asshole ruin her dreams. With a determined set of her jaw she went straight to her computer as soon as she entered her office.

  There was no time for her to wallow over something that was out of her control. She would put every ounce of her energy into setting things right. She couldn’t afford to lose the plot now, not when she had staff relying on her for work. She might not be able to hear but she’d seen the shadows in Enya’s and Lilac’s gazes and knew they dealt with something terrible just as she had. While she didn’t know the women well, she wasn’t about to let things slide. Those women needed to work to survive just like most people did, but Delta had a feeling they needed companionship just as much as she did, even if she hadn’t realized it. They needed a place to belong and Slick Rock was that place in her eyes, her heart. Hopefully, Enya and Lilac would realize that, too.

  Delta pushed her introspection aside and glanced about the room from behind her desk. All the men had been talking earnestly and instead of trying to read their lips to figure out what was going on, she’d been lost in her own little world.

  She met Major’s gaze when he took a step toward her and waited for him to introduce her to the other man.

  “Delta, this is Giles Alcott, baby. He and his brothers run the security company in town.”

  “Nice to meet you, Giles.”

  Giles smiled at her and then gazed at Major before turning back to look at her again. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Delta. I want to apologize for the incompetence of my most recent employee.”

  “None of this is your fault. If you want to blame someone, blame the person who broke into the diner and destroyed it. But thank you for the apology and for getting started on fixing the diner up so quickly.” Delta could tell Giles still carried the guilt over what had happened, however there was nothing she could do about what he was feeling, even if he nodded as if agreeing with her.

  “Everything should be finished by tomorrow night and you’ll be able to reopen for business again, the day after,” Giles said.

  Delta gaped at him. She hadn’t expected things to be finished so quickly. “Wow, that’s fast. Thank you. Thanks so much.”

  Giles smiled. “You’re welcome. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to get in contact with me or my brothers. And I promise you, nothing like this will ever happen again.”

  Delta nodded and then waved when he waved at her just before he left the office. She had no doubt that he was going to personally inspect the security system himself.

  “Do you need help with anything?” Major asked.

  She gazed at her computer and shook her head. She was going to be sitting at her desk for hours placing orders, taking care of the paper work, and she’d emailed a lawyer to meet her just after lunch. She couldn’t see herself finishing the tasks she’d set herself before late afternoon.

  “No thanks. I’m going to be here all day. Why don’t you all head on back to the ranch? I know you have chores that need to be done.”

  “You and Ace go,” Rocco said. “I’ll hang around here.”

  “You don’t need—”

  Rocco slashed his hand through the air and gazed at her determinedly. “There is every need, honey. I’m not about to let you out of my sight until the sheriffs catch this bastard.”

  “So you’re going to follow me around everywhere? You’re going to be bored out of your mind.”

  “I don’t care about being bored, Delta. All I care about is keeping you safe, just as Major and Ace do.”

  Delta’s heart swelled with emotion. They were so caring and loving. How could she not love Major, Rocco, and Ace back?

  She stood and moved away from her desk as Major walked toward her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against his body. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back. He drew away, leaned down and kissed her long, hard and deep. By the time he let her up for air, she was wet and panting. He tapped her on the nose, kissed her lightly on the forehead and released her. “Stay out of trouble, baby.”

  She nodded and when he turned away from her she gazed at his muscular ass encased in his blue denim jeans and licked her lips. When Ace moved to stand in front of her, she lifted her gaze to his. He was grinning because he’d obviously caught her staring at his brother’s butt.

  “Don’t go wandering off by yourself. Okay darlin’?” Ace asked, but she could tell by the determined set of his jaw that is question had really been an order.

  “I won’t.”

  “Good. You need to stay safe, Delta. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

  Her heart flipped in her chest and she was about to tell him she loved him, but he slanted his mouth over
hers before she could and then she was lost in his kisses and his taste.

  When he released her mouth, she was a shivering mass of need, but this wasn’t the time or place to give into temptation. Maybe tonight she would find the courage to tell the three men how much she loved them.

  * * * *

  Rocco sat on the sofa across from the desk and watched Delta work. She was so engrossed in what she was doing she didn’t even seem to realize she was gnawing on her lip. He wanted to get up and close and lock the door so he could make love with her, but there was no way in hell he was going to give into his urges. There was no way he wanted the men working about the place to hear the sexy noises she made when she came.

  He glanced at his watch and was surprised to see it was just after lunch time. He’d been so mesmerized by his woman, he hadn’t realized how fast the time was flying by. When he caught movement from the corner of his eye near the door way, he surged to his feet and hurried across the room, blocking the stranger from entering with his body.

  “Who the hell are you?”

  “Um, I’m Vincent Maloney. I’m a lawyer. Ms. Sykes requested a meeting with me.”

  “About what?”

  He shifted his weight to the side when he felt Delta behind him, blocking her view of the suited man. He wasn’t about to let anyone into her office until he was sure he wasn’t about to hurt his woman.

  “She’s asked me to draw up a contract for a partnership with two of her employees.”

  Rocco relaxed and stepped aside. He wasn’t surprised by their woman’s generosity, but he wondered why she hadn’t told him and his brothers about her plans.

  Delta shook the lawyers hand and indicated for him to sit in the seat across from her desk. Rocco moved to stand behind her and to the side. He needed to see everything that was going on so his woman wasn’t duped in any way.

  She glanced up at him over her shoulder and he had to bite back a smile when she rolled her eyes at him. When she turned back to face the lawyer, she picked up a pad of paper and began to ask questions.

  Vincent didn’t seem to think the way they were communicating was odd, so Rocco figured she must have already told her lawyer she was hearing impaired. Rocco read all of her questions and Maloney’s answers and leaned back against the wall when he was satisfied with the results. The suit wasn’t trying to gyp Delta at all. He was definitely on the up and up.

  Once the lawyer had departed, Rocco couldn’t keep his distance a moment longer. He bent down scooped her up from the chair and sat with her in his lap. She met his gaze and then she leaned in and kissed him. He kissed her back, passionately, twining his tongue with hers before gliding together as they devoured each other with wild carnality. He broke the kiss when he heard her stomach growl and cursed at himself for not taking better care of her.

  “Was there any food that was able to be salvaged in the kitchen?” Rocco asked after getting his breath back.

  She shook her head.

  “Let me call the hotel to send something over.”

  “I can wait till we get home.”

  His heart surged with warmth and hope. Delta already thought about the ranch as home. That was a very good thing. He and his brothers had planned to talk to her tonight and ask her to move in with them, hoping they weren’t moving too fast, or too soon.

  “Are you done for the day?” Rocco asked.

  “Almost.” She pressed her forehead to his and then kissed him lightly, lovingly on the lips. “I’m just waiting for a confirmation email from the suppliers.”

  Rocco stood, taking her with him and after kissing her again, he deposited her back in her seat. “I’m just going to check out front. Don’t you move from this office. All right?”

  “I won’t.”

  He nodded and headed out pulling his cell phone from his pocket to call Major to come and pick them up. He was going to order take out from the hotel. Delta was a stubborn little thing and would never admit how tired she was, but she didn’t need to. He’d have to be blind not to see the dark smudges of exhaustion marring her soft creamy skin.

  He and his brothers should let her sleep after she’d eaten, but they were selfish bastards when they came to Delta. They had plans to make love to her together. The yearning to claim her as one was too strong to ignore.

  Other people would probably think and call them primitive but he didn’t give a shit. He and his brothers wouldn’t feel as if she was theirs until they’d taken her all at the same time.

  If that made them Neanderthals or throwbacks to the caveman era, so be it.

  He’d never cared what other people thought of him before and wasn’t about to start now. As long as Delta was on board with what they wanted, it was no one else’s business what they did in their home and in the bedroom but their own.

  “Rocco,” Major answered on the first ring.

  He’d never admit it, but big brother was just as eager if not more so to get the ball rolling on claiming Delta for all time. Usually Major was the most patient out of all of them but Rocco suspected he’d been watching the clock all day long. He couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice when he said, “Come and get us.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  “Stop by the hotel before heading to the diner. I’m going to order some take out. She’s exhausted.”

  Major sighed. “Maybe we should let her sleep after she’s eaten.”

  “Let’s see how things play out,” he suggested. “She called the ranch home.”

  “She did?”

  Rocco couldn’t miss the excitement in his brother’s voice. His heart flipped and butterflies started fluttering in his belly. “She did.”

  “That’s fucking great.”

  “It is.”

  “Do you think we should leave talking about her nightmares for another time?” Major asked uncertainly.

  Rocco had never heard or seen his brother indecisive about anything, but since they were playing for keeps none of them wanted to fuck up. Delta was the most important person in their world. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if they lost her before they truly had her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  As soon as the confirmation email came in, Delta shut the computer down and began to gather up her paperwork to file in the cabinet. She’d just turned toward her desk to grab her bag when she saw one of the workmen replacing the damaged door to the above stairs apartment.

  When he turned to the side and bent to pick up the new lock, she frowned. He looked familiar but she couldn’t remember ever seeing him before. She tried to see his face, which was hidden in shadows under the cap he was wearing, but he turned away and began to fix a new lock to the door.

  She sighed tiredly and pushed him from her thoughts. She couldn’t wait to get back to the ranch. After she’d eaten she was going to soak in the big spa bath and wash the long day away.

  She was excited about offering Lilac and Enya a partnership and hoped they agreed to come on board. Although she hadn’t seen Enya, Major had told her the men had been raving over how delicious the other woman’s muffins, cakes, and pies were.

  Delta was excited about sharing her business with them because she had a feeling they were going to be a resounding success. How could they not when there would be three chefs working behind the scenes to feed the people of Slick Rock? She was the least experienced of them all, but since the locals had filled the seats, she figured her food couldn’t be too terrible.

  She exited the office, closed and locked the door and started down the hallway just as Rocco was coming toward her. When she saw the scowl on his face, she guessed he wasn’t happy about something. He glared at her and she sighed when she realized he was unhappy with her.

  “What?” she asked as she stopped a few feet in front of him.

  “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

  “There’s no danger, Rocco,” she replied. “The place is swarming with men. If I’d been in danger all I had to do was scream.”

  Rocco glanced over her
shoulder, threaded his fingers with hers, and guided her toward the exit. Once they were outside he turned to face her again and clasped both her hands.

  “And what would you have done if someone had come up from behind you, placed his hand over your mouth and dragged you out the back?”

  A shiver of apprehension raced up her spine. She hadn’t even thought about that, and unless she was alert to her surroundings she might never know if someone was behind her. She tugged to pull her hands out of his, but he held fast.

  “I didn’t even think about it.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

  Rocco pulled her into his arms and hugged her, glancing about to make sure no one was watching them. When he saw the coast was clear, he backed her up against the brick wall and pressed his body into hers. “Promise me you won’t take those kinds of chances again.”

  “I promise,” she answered immediately. “I’m not going to purposely put myself in danger, Rocco, but I’m also not used to thinking about every little thing I do.”

  “You have to start, honey. Thinking, that is. We don’t want you left alone until the sheriffs have this asshole behind bars. I couldn’t take it if something happened to you, Delta. It would rip my heart to shreds if you got hurt. Don’t you know how fucking much I love you?”

  She gaped at him before snapping her mouth closed. She’d never expected to hear those words on a man’s lips in regard to her. Love and happiness filled her heart to overflowing and she couldn’t contain the tears burning the back of her eyes. She hadn’t noticed she’d closed her eyes until she felt him move restlessly. His muscles were bunched with tension and she felt terrible for not reacting sooner. She opened her eyes, sucked in a breath, and cupped his cheeks between her hands.

  “I love you, too, Rocco.”

  She didn’t get to say anything else because he slammed his mouth over hers and kissed her voraciously. She sank into him, savoring his touch, his manly flavor on her tongue, all the while tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.