by Becca Van
“No.”
He looked over at Wilder and nodded, hoping the deputy would realize what he wanted. Thankfully he did.
“Can you tell me what happened, Enya?”
Enya frowned but opened her eyes to meet Wilder’s gaze. “I was asleep but was startled awake when I heard a scraping noise at the window. I got up to get my cell phone which I’d left on the kitchen counter, but before I was about to leave the room something was thrown through the window, breaking it.” She paused to take a shaky breath.
“I ran and dialed 9-1-1.”
“How did you get the cut on your hand?” Wilder asked.
Enya blushed and lowered her gaze toward the hand Camden was currently suturing and she quickly paled.
“Eyes on me, honey.” Axel shifted closer, his front pressed against her back. He heard her gasp and knew she felt his erection. He tensed as he waited to see what she’d do, but he was thankful she didn’t try to move away. She was either worried Camden would hurt her or screw up a stitch if she moved, or she wasn’t too perturbed about feeling his hard cock pressed against her ass.
“I did it.” She gave Wilder a chagrined look. “I was so scared that whoever was outside would get in and grabbed the biggest knife I’ve got from the knife block. When you knocked on the door my grip loosened. I didn’t realize the blade was in my palm until it was too late.”
“Do you know why someone would want to hurt you, honey?” Axel asked.
“No. The deputies already asked me that question, but I have no idea.”
“All done,” Camden said after placing the last stitch.
“Thank you.” Enya frowned as she met each of their gazes. “I’m sorry you were all called out to help me.”
Phoenix tapped her on the knee. “We would do anything for you, baby.”
Enya shook her head as her cheeks once more tinged a pink hue with her blush.
Camden gathered all the trash and placed it into a bag, removed his gloves and then sealed the plastic closure. “You can’t stay here, sweetheart. It’s not safe.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Don’t argue, baby,” Phoenix said in a firm voice. “We aren’t about to leave you here alone and vulnerable. That asshole could come back.”
“You can come home with us if you like, Enya. Delta would love to have you stay,” Wilder said.
“She’s coming with us,” Camden said as he shoved to his feet. “We need to keep an eye on that wound so it doesn’t get infected.”
“She’s going to need help for a while.” Phoenix tried to stare Wilder down and they all knew the deputy wasn’t intimidated in the least when his lips twitched with humor.
“I’ll pack a bag for you, honey,” Axel said as he rolled away from Enya to his knees at the edge of the bed and then stood.
“I don’t—”
Camden crouched, pushed an arm under her shoulders and helped her to sit up. “There’s every need for you to come with us, sweetheart. That hand is going to hurt like a bitch in an hour or so. I don’t have any painkillers with me. We have everything we need to take care of you at home. Plus, you’re going to need help to do things.”
“But you’re all my doctors.” Enya frowned.
“No, we’re not.” Axel offered her his hand as Camden gripped her upper arm. “We’re your friends and other than emergency treatment, if you need to see a doctor you’ll be seeing William Fortescue or his brother at the hospital, or one of the other local GPs in town.”
When he noticed Enya glaring at Phoenix as he began to open closets and drawers, Axel held his breath and waited for her to protest. However, when he felt her shiver and she sighed, he knew she had just capitulated.
“I’ll come by to the docs’ house so you can sign a statement in the morning,” Wilder said before he turned his gaze on each of them. “Make sure you look after her and keep her safe.”
“We will.” Camden nodded.
“I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Wilder waved and left. When Axel heard low male voices he didn’t have to ask what Wilder, Cree, and Nash were talking about. He heard Cree say, “We’ve got nothing.”
Axel sighed with frustration, but also relief. Although Enya had been terrorized and ended up hurt, he was just glad she had the wits and fortitude to call the cops. He didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if she’d been too scared to think.
“I think I’ve got everything you’ll need,” Phoenix said as he held up a small carry bag.
Axel frowned and wondered if their woman didn’t have many clothes. From the way Phoenix had his lips pulled tight and the frown on his face, he guessed she didn’t. He hated that she was struggling to make ends meet, but now that he and his friends were in her life, that was all about to change.
He knew that she was independent and would no doubt kick up a fuss when they started buying things, but he wasn’t about to let Enya make him, Camden and Phoenix back down, or away.
This was the chance they had been waiting for and there was no way in hell they were going to fuck it up. Enya could argue all she wanted and while they would listen, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t just go ahead and buy her whatever she needed and some things she didn’t need.
Axel had a feeling that their woman had had a very hard life, but maybe she would let them help her.
Hopefully, once they had her in their house, she’d never want to leave.
“Are you ready, baby?” Phoenix asked.
She shook her head and Axel couldn’t help but tense up. He didn’t know what he’d do if she changed her mind now. If he wasn’t a civilized man he would have slung her over his shoulder and carried her out kicking and screaming. And while that was tempting, they no longer lived in the dark ages and he knew doing such a thing wouldn’t be conducive to forming a strong relationship.
Even though he and his friends could be domineering and authoritative, especially in their jobs since they dealt with life and death situations on a regular basis, they were trying to form a partnership, not a dictatorship.
That didn’t mean any of them wouldn’t lay down the law if it was a detriment to her safety.
He nearly groaned when Enya licked over her lush pink lips and had to close his eyes to get control of himself, but thankfully she began talking and he was able to push his lascivious thoughts to the back of his mind. For now, anyway.
“I need to use the bathroom.”
Camden moved up to her side and placed his hand on her lower back. “Do you need some help, sweetheart?”
She frowned up at him and shook her head vigorously. “No! I don’t need any help.”
While Camden didn’t smile, Axel could see by the twinkle in his eye that he wanted to.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed, Enya. We’re doctors. We see naked people often.”
“Well, you haven’t seen me naked and you aren’t about to.” She glared as if to emphasize her point and then stormed away.
Axel couldn’t pull his gaze away from her sexy toned ass or the sway of her hips.
Enya was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. He got hard anytime he was around her, or thought about her. It was rather embarrassing to walk around the small hospital with an erection, but thankfully he started wearing longer button-down shirts which covered his desire. Camden and Phoenix had taken to wearing similar shirts to him.
“We need to take her clothes shopping,” Phoenix said in a near whisper. “She’s got two pairs of jeans, the sweats she’s wearing and one pair of black trousers. Her underwear drawer is only a quarter full and she only has two pairs of socks.”
“Fuck!” Camden crossed his arms over his chest.
“We need to give her a couple of days to get used to us before we start ordering her around,” Axel said. “You know how women are. She’s likely to get her back up and storm out.”
Camden nodded. “He’s right. We need to be patient.”
“Easier said than done.” Phoenix sighed.
“I k
now, but if we want this to work and end up in a long-lasting relationship, we need to go at Enya’s pace.” Axel glanced toward the closed bathroom door down the hallway.
“Do you think William and his brother will be okay if we all took time off at the same time?” Camden asked.
“I don’t think they’d have a problem with it,” Phoenix answered. “They know we’ve been trying to court Enya.”
“Phoenix is right. If we let them know we’ll come in if we’re needed, I think they’ll agree,” Axel said.
Camden nodded. “There’s only one way to find out for sure.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed. He moved toward the window and spoke quietly in case Enya came back from the bathroom.
Axel quirked an eyebrow in query once Camden had finished his conversation and walked closer to them.
“We have all of next week off, but we’ll need to return the favor when they want a break.”
“Done.” Phoenix grinned and nodded.
“Whenever they want.” Axel smiled.
“This is going to be the best week of our lives,” Camden chuckled.
“I hope you’re right, Cam. I hope you’re right.”
Chapter Four
Enya had dithered in the bathroom as long as she could, but she knew she couldn’t stay here all night. One or all of the men waiting for her were likely to come and see what was taking her so long. After using the facilities and washing her hand, she’d washed her face, brushed her teeth and tried to brush her hair. It was really awkward when she couldn’t use her dominant hand and had ended up making her hair an even worse mess.
She packed her toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries she’d need and was just trying to close the zipper on the bag when someone knocked on the door. She startled and shrieked, the bag flying from her hand, the contents spilling onto the floor. The door burst open and Phoenix gazed about the room before looking her in the eyes.
“Move aside,” Camden ordered.
Phoenix took a step and when his toe nudged the bag she’d virtually thrown, he glanced down. “Are you all right, baby?” he asked as he squatted and began to gather the articles on the floor.
Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment when he picked up the tampons that had rolled out of the bag. When it didn’t seem to bother him in the least about handling feminine hygiene products, Enya relaxed a little.
“I’m fine.”
“Where are your shoes, honey?” Axel asked as he brushed passed Camden. He was helping Phoenix put everything back in her toiletry bag.
“At the front door.”
“Let’s head out then,” Camden said as he rose.
Enya nodded and followed Axel out of the tiny bathroom. She sucked in a deep breath of air, glad to fill her lungs for the first time since they’d burst into the room. She always had trouble breathing regularly around them, and while she tried not to show how these three handsome men affected her, she wasn’t sure she’d been successful.
She skirted around Axel when he stopped in the living room and hurried toward the kitchen where she’d left her purse and cell phone. After putting her cell into her purse and slinging the bag over her shoulder, she spun around and gasped when she slammed into a big, hard, warm body.
“You don’t need to rush, baby,” Phoenix said as he steadied her by grasping her upper arms. “Do you have your house keys?”
Enya wondered if she was doing the right thing by agreeing to go home with them, but the thought of being vulnerable, of that person coming back and getting inside her house, scared the shit out of her. She drew in a deep ragged breath and nodded as she held her keys up.
“We need to go. It’s late and I can see that you’re exhausted.” Phoenix moved to her side, slung an arm around her shoulders and guided her out.
Enya wanted to lean against him, wanted to soak up the warmth emanating from his body. She wanted to let go and just live her life for the first time in forever, wanted to get close to another person, people, but she couldn’t get what had happened when she was young out of her mind. Just thinking about being with a man caused her heart to skip a beat before it pounded against her sternum and her breathing to speed up. And yet she hadn’t experienced any of those things when Axel had kissed her. Well, she had, but not because of fear.
Was she finally ready to take the next step after keeping her distance from the opposite sex for so long? She wasn’t about to jump into the deep end only to end up sinking, but maybe she could descend those steps one foot at a time.
Enya blinked when Phoenix squeezed her. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t even noticed when they left the house. She lifted her gaze to his. “Did you lock the door?”
He frowned down at her. “Yeah, baby, I locked the door and even tested to make sure it was secure.”
“What about the broken wind—” She cut herself off as she gazed toward her bedroom window. There was a board of plywood covering the opening. “Who—” Enya didn’t get to finish asking her question, because Phoenix grasped her chin and tilted her face up toward his. He opened the back seat of his truck and then lifted her onto the seat. She scooted across and reached for the seat belt as she glanced to the front. Axel got into the driver’s side and gazed at her over his shoulder. Both Axel and Phoenix were frowning at her and neither of them had closed their doors.
“What?”
Phoenix clasped her chin between his finger and thumb and canted her head up toward the dim light in the cab. He leaned over her and stared into her eyes. “She’s in fucking shock.”
Enya blinked and raised a brow at him.
“Let’s go. Now!” Phoenix ordered as he pried the seat belt from her fingers and secured it. He shifted toward the middle of the seat and after putting on his own seat belt, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her against his side.
She shivered as his warmth seeped into her cold body and didn’t realize that her whole body was shaking until she jerked against him. How could she not know she was trembling? Enya realized she’d had the shakes earlier once the flight or fight hormones had worn off, but why was she quaking again?
When her teeth began chattering she wondered if she was finally losing her mind.
“You’re safe, baby,” Phoenix crooned in a calm, deep voice. “No one will ever hurt or scare you again. We won’t allow it.”
She nodded and while she heard conviction in his voice, she knew that if someone was out to get her, they wouldn’t stop until they had what they wanted. She just didn’t know why anyone would target her. There were no exes or enemies lurking in the wings as far as she knew.
Enya wondered if she’d zoned out again, because when she became aware of her surroundings, Axel had already reversed out of her driveway and was headed toward their house. Not that she knew where they lived but the destination was a foregone conclusion.
“When did the deputies leave?” She frowned up at Phoenix.
“While you were in the bathroom, honey,” Axel replied as he met her gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Did they cover the broken window?”
“Cree did that after he and Nash dusted for prints,” Phoenix answered. “I’m surprised you didn’t hear them hammering the nails in.”
“Me, too.” She sighed. Enya felt as if everything over the last couple of hours had been a dream. It was all so surreal. “Where’s Camden?”
“In the truck behind us, baby.” Phoenix caressed a hand up and down her arm as if trying to soothe her. “Why don’t you close your eyes, Enya? We’ll have you settled soon.”
Although she nodded in agreement, she kept her eyes open. After being scared out of her mind, she was worried that the past was going to come back and haunt her. She didn’t want to relive those horrifying years or moments ever again, but she had a gut-deep feeling she was going to whether she wanted to or not.
Maybe if she concentrated on something else other than someone trying break in, she could keep the horrific memories at bay. But what
? She nearly snorted. There were two handsome sexy men in the truck with her. She didn’t need to think or look more than next to her or toward the front of the vehicle.
She stared at Axel and took in his handsome profile. He had collar length brown hair, and green eyes. He and his friends obviously worked out regularly, because they were all muscularly toned and they were tall, although compared to her, everyone was tall. She was just shy of five-foot-two and guessed they had a foot or more on her. Even though she suspected he shaved every day, there was already more than a five o’clock shadow gracing his chin and jawline. There was a rugged handsomeness about him that would draw any woman’s gaze.
Phoenix was just as handsome with his short, black hair, blue eyes, and bronzed skin. Enya suspected he had some Native American in his ancestry and boy, did it look hot on him. He was maybe three inches taller than Axel. While they were all buff and sexy in the muscle department, Phoenix’s biceps bulged each time he moved and sometimes she wondered if he would rip the seams of his shirt or just tear it outright. It didn’t matter that she’d tried to keep her eyes to herself whenever he or the others came into the diner. She hadn’t been able to stop from staring at them, albeit surreptitiously. However, she wasn’t naïve enough to think the men hadn’t been aware of her scrutiny.
And then there was Camden. He was a blond haired, brown eyed Adonis who was quick to smile, but underneath that easygoing façade was a domineering alpha male. He was an inch or so shorter than Phoenix but taller than Axel. Singularly they were knock-your-socks-off sexy. Together they were every woman’s wet dream. They were successful in their careers, handsome and brawny and they could have their pick of women.
Enya had no doubt that they’d had women throw themselves at their feet. So, what did they see in her? Why were they even deigning to spend what precious free time they had trying to woo her?
She sucked in a shaky breath and mentally shook her head. Maybe they weren’t interested in her that way. Maybe they were just friendly and had big hearts. Did they see beyond the façade she tried to portray? Did they see the pain and horror hidden in her eyes?
