by Becca Van
Pain ripped into her heart, making her gasp. Tears burned her eyes as jealousy reared its ugly head. If Cam, Phoenix, and Axel ever turned their backs on her, she wasn’t sure how she’d survive. She was already deeply in love with them. She just hoped they loved her just as much. Even though she wanted to tell them how she felt, she was worried she’d send them running in the opposite direction or that they wouldn’t be able to say those three not so little words in return. Since the age of eight she’d learned to keep her feelings locked away so they couldn’t be used against her and now was no different. Maybe one day soon she’d have the courage to speak about what was in her heart, but today wasn’t that day.
Enya exited the bathroom and after donning clean underwear she pulled the jeans and shirt she’d been wearing earlier back on. She could hear the men talking in the bathroom and while she was curious, she didn’t want to impinge on their manly time. She wasn’t stupid and knew that it was good to have some space from the opposite sex from time to time even if a relationship was new. They were also best friends and knew each other better than they knew her and she knew them. However, that didn’t mean she was envious of what they had or begrudged them having some bonding time. Right now, she wished she could talk to Delta or Violet and get their take on whether she was being a coward.
She pushed her thoughts aside and hurried toward the kitchen. Thankfully, Phoenix or Axel had put the chicken back in the fridge so it wouldn’t spoil while they’d been making love. After making sure the vegetables were prepped and heating on the stove, she cut the chicken breasts into strips and added them to the honey mustard sauce she’d set aside and mixed until the poultry was thoroughly covered.
Cam, Axel, and Phoenix entered the kitchen moments later.
“What’s that, honey?” Axel asked as he stared at the dish of chicken and honey mustard sauce.
Enya giggled and nodded. She laughed when Axel gave her a confused look. “Sorry.” She waved her hands in the air and sucked in a deep breath. “I was making a joke but—”
“But what, baby?” Phoenix said after closing the fridge. He handed the other two men bottles of beer and poured her a glass of white wine.
“The sauce is a mixture of organic honey, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, a little chili paste, and salt and pepper. Hence the joke.”
Axel was frowning and she was about to explain about his earlier question, but then the light switched on and he grinned. “I get it, honey.” He slung an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. “Do you need us to do anything? We were going to help you, but you were too fast.”
“No, everything’s done, we just have to wait for dinner to cook.” Enya sipped on her wine and glanced at the clock. She heated the stone pan she had already seasoned for when she needed to start cooking the chicken and turned it back on. Twenty minutes later they were all sitting at the dining table eating.
“Hmm,” Cam moaned. “This is fucking delicious, sweetheart.”
“The best chicken I’ve ever tasted,” Phoenix said after swallowing before shoving another piece of chicken into his mouth.
“Is there any left?” Axel asked. His words came out garbled since he still had food in his mouth.
“Axel, manners.” Cam scowled at him.
Axel shrugged and swallowed. “There’s no time for manners with you two around. I have to get in quick if I want to have more.”
Enya chuckled as Axel bent over his plate and began to shovel the food into his mouth. She didn’t care that he wasn’t being as polite as he should. He was in his own home and should be able to eat the way he wanted. If they’d been out, well, that was entirely different. She would have scolded him like Cam had. She waited until Axel was nearly finished before saying, “There’s more than enough for seconds. You don’t need to give yourself indigestion.”
“I’ve never had indigestion in my life.” Axel smirked and winked at her as he shoved to his feet and hurried into the kitchen. She glanced at Phoenix and Cam when they both rose and hurried after him. What ensued had her in fits of laughter.
Cam grabbed the serving spoon from Axel’s hand and shoved him aside. Just as he was about to scoop up some more chicken and sauce, Phoenix reached over Cam’s shoulder, snatched the spoon and shoulder checked him away. But he didn’t stop there, he grasped the large pan up and then raced back toward the dining area. He sat back in his seat with the pan in front of him. He wrapped his arms around the pan and hunched his shoulders so that Axel and Cam couldn’t steal any chicken. Enya laughed so hard she had tears rolling down her face and she couldn’t stop to inhale. She bent over and clutched her stomach.
Finally, when she had herself back under control, she straightened and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Food seemingly forgotten, Cam, Phoenix, and Axel were all watching her with big smiles on their faces.
“I love hearing you laugh, baby.” Phoenix shoved the pan away, stood and came around to her. He offered her his hand and helped her to his feet. “You two get to clean up. Enya and I are going to choose a movie to watch.”
“I can help—”
“That’s not the way it works, honey.” Axel grabbed the pan of chicken and carried it back to the kitchen. “You cooked, we get to clean up.”
* * * *
Perry snuck into the hospital and waited for the nurse manning the desk near the entrance to scurry away. Thankfully the small hospital didn’t have the security measures a larger one did and he didn’t have to wait to be buzzed into the wards and emergency department. He slipped through the door, closed it behind him and strolled down the hall as if he belonged there. It had taken a while to think up his plan but as soon as he had it right in his head he’d decided to make his move. He’d been waiting too long as it was for his vengeance already and the rage burning in his gut felt as if it was going to singe a hole right through his stomach.
The hallway opened out into a large ward type room and there were a few private rooms off of it. The few nurses on shift were busy checking on patients and didn’t glance his way. When he heard men talking he moved closer to the room they were in and stopped just outside the door, making sure he kept from view in case they glanced his way.
“When are Camden, Phoenix, and Axel coming back to work?” one of the men asked.
“Monday, I think.”
“Their woman seems nice.”
“She does. I’m glad they’ve found someone to love. I was worried about them after they’d finished serving our country.”
“Yeah. Cam was more closed off than Phoenix and Axel though.”
“That’s true but they were all affected. Axel was hiding behind humor, but there was none in his eyes. I suspect they’re all going to be different men with Enya around.”
“Maybe we should go and visit tomorrow.”
“There’s an idea. We can see if Enya has any single friends.”
“I don’t think she’d tell us if she did.”
“You might be right.”
“They’re lucky bastards. That house they’re living in is real nice and if things go according to plan, they have more than enough room to have a few kids.”
“I want that.”
“I do, too.”
“Moving to this town was the smartest thing we’ve ever done. I just hope we can find a woman to spend the rest of our life with like the other guys in town.”
“Me, too.”
Perry moved away from the room, and when he spied one of the nurses heading toward the desk station, he walked over and gave her a friendly smile. “Hi, my cousin was brought in injured, and I was hoping to visit her to make sure she’s all right.”
“What’s her name?” the nurse asked.
“Enya Baker,” Perry answered, relieved that he’d heard one of the other diner bitches using her last name.
“Ms. Baker was released right after she was treated by Dr. Camden Brown.”
“Oh”—Perry frowned and then quickly smiled again—“I’m so glad she wasn’
t hurt enough to have to stay. Thank you. I’ll head over to her place to see how she’s doing.”
He nodded to the nurse and hurried away. Now that he had one of the assholes names, it should be easy to find out where they all lived. He pulled his phone from his pocket and swiped a finger over the screen. He paused in the hallway and searched Slick Rock for Dr. Camden Brown hoping that the home he shared with the other two was listed under his or all three of their names.
His lips curved up when he found the address. Grand Circuit. He hurried toward the hospital exit.
Now that knew where that bitch was holed up, he could go forward with his plan.
* * * *
Enya spent the rest of the night cuddling up with Cam, Phoenix, and Axel on the sofa. They watched two movies, a rom-com and an action. She liked both but being with her men was more enjoyable.
By the time the credits to the last movie were scrolling across the large TV screen, she was yawning every other minute and could barely keep her eyes open.
“Time for bed, honey.” Axel, whom she’d been sitting on, secured her in his hold and stood, taking her with him. She didn’t protest, but smiled up at him sleepily as she wrapped an arm around his neck and hung on. Enya wasn’t worried about him, or the other two dropping her when they carried her. They were strong and muscular and didn’t seem to have any trouble at all carting her weight around.
As soon as they entered the bedroom, he set her on her feet and helped her to remove her clothes. Axel and Cam arrived just as she was getting into bed.
They’d been taking turns sleeping with her, but she hated that one of them left for their own bedroom and tonight, for some reason she didn’t want any of them leaving. The bed was certainly big enough to accommodate them all, even if it would be a little awkward.
Axel and Phoenix undressed before Cam was finished removing his clothes and he turned to leave.
“Cam?”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
“Will you please stay, too?”
Cam gave her a soft smile and nodded. He dropped the shirt he’d picked up off the floor and then shucked his jeans. After tugging the top sheet out from under the mattress, he lifted the covers and climbed underneath. She grabbed one of the pillows and passed it down to him. “Thanks, sweetie.”
Enya sighed with contentment and closed her eyes but for some reason the hair on the back of her neck was standing on end. She’d been tired enough before they’d come to bed to fall right to sleep, but now, she just couldn’t seem to settle. She moved restlessly, trying to find a comfortable spot, but no matter how she positioned her body or head, she was unsettled.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Phoenix asked as he pushed an arm under her neck and shoulders before pulling her closer.
She rested her head on his chest and in the crook of his shoulder and while it felt right, something was bugging her. “I don’t know.”
“Have we done something to upset you, honey?” Axel kissed her shoulder and spooned her from behind.
“No.”
Cam caressed up and down her shin before wrapping his big, warm hand around her foot. “Was the last movie not to your liking?”
“What?” She lifted her head from the pillow and gazed down at Cam.
“Some people get anxious with edge of your seat movies. I thought that may be the case with you.”
“This has nothing to do with the movie.” She gazed directly into Cam’s eyes when he quirked an eyebrow. “I promise. I don’t know why I’m feeling so…jittery.”
Phoenix kissed the top of her head and reached over to switch off the bedside lamp. “Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing, baby. If that doesn’t help we’ll give you an orgasm.”
She blushed and blinked up at him but couldn’t see him now that the light was no longer on. He, Cam and Axel were so casual when they talked about sex. Just as she was about to say something, she didn’t know what, the world exploded.
* * * *
It hadn’t taken Perry long to find the right house. He’d been watching the doctors every time they came to the diner and memorized their vehicles. One of the men had been nice enough to leave his truck parked in the driveway of the large two-story house and as soon as he’d seen it, he’d known he was in the right place.
After leaving the hospital he’d gone back to the shared rental he was staying in since he could no longer afford his own place, and gathered up his black-market rifle. He’d also spent some time doing research on the internet and had found out how to make Molotov cocktails and a couple of small bombs. He couldn’t believe how easy they’d been to make. He’d waited until his roommate had gone to bed and then gotten to work. Two hours later he was ready to take that bitch down.
Before leaving his place, he’d crept into his roommate’s bedroom and hidden the chemicals in the back of the asshole’s wardrobe. If the cops came calling he wasn’t about to take the blame for something the crazy guy he shared a house with had done. That thought made him laugh.
He’d been sitting in his car two houses down and across the road from the house, watching and waiting for them to go to bed. It was after midnight when the downstairs living room lights were turned off. Perry sat up straighter in his seat and glanced at the other houses just to make sure no one was watching him from their windows.
Thankfully, most houses had their curtains and blinds drawn so he needn’t worry about someone seeing him when he opened his car door. He shut the door quietly after popping the trunk of the car and gathered his things. He was reaching for the cocktails, but changed his mind and picked up the homemade bombs instead. From what he’d read online, the little beauties he was holding in his hands gave quite the bang and fire would quickly spread throughout the house. He figured if he got the wrong room, the smoke and fire would finish the job.
Perry slung the automatic rifle over his shoulder, grabbed the two bombs and closed the trunk, making sure not to make any loud noises. After another glance about, he jogged toward the docs’ house. The driveway was longer than usual since the block of land was on a large tract, maybe an acre or so. As he crept along the side of the drive keeping in the tree line, even he couldn’t help but admire the landscaping. Anger and envy surged through his blood. If he still had a job, he might very well be able to afford nice things, too. He had no doubt those fucking doctors were rolling in cash and probably that slut, as well. The diner was always full and since the bitch was a part owner, she had to be living comfortably.
Perry didn’t care if he killed them all. They deserved to die after destroying his life.
Keeping to the shadows, he scrutinized the house for a security system but as far as he could tell there was none. That was going to make this so much easier. Elation warred with the anger and jealousy and he had to swallow down the maniacal laughter forming in his chest. He wasn’t about to alert the fuckers he was here before he got the job done.
After another cursory glance about, he moved closer to the parked truck and studied the windows on the second level. There was a slight illumination coming from what he suspected was a bedroom and figured the light was coming from a bedside lamp. Now that he had his target all he had to do was throw his bombs, but he wasn’t sure they were heavy enough to break the glass.
He gazed at the ground and when his eyes alighted on a big rock edging a garden bed, he squatted down and picked it up. It was perfect. Not too big that it would be difficult for him to throw, but certainly large enough to go through a window.
Perry dug his hand into the pocket of the black hooded sweater he was wearing and pulled the duct tape out. He positioned one of the bombs, securing it to one side of the rock with the tape, and then did the same with the other. He was good to go.
This was going to be a blast, literally and figuratively.
He stood up straight, aimed and let fly. Perry ran as fast as he could back toward the road. The blast was bigger than even he’d suspected and while it hurt his ears it also sent him flying. The
sound percussion was so fucking loud he couldn’t hear a thing.
Perry shoved up to his hands and knees and turned to admire his work. All the windows on this side of the house had blown out. Smoke and fire was pouring out of the second story bedroom window.
He laughed until he had tears running down his face.
Now all he had to do was hide and wait. If those fuckers had managed to survive his bombs, he would get them with his automatic rifle.
It was a win-win.
Chapter Nineteen
Cam rolled from the end of the bed, grabbed his jeans and shoes and pulled them on.
Phoenix fell to the floor, tugging Enya and the covers with him. Axel rolled and landed on his knees on the other side of Enya.
Smoke wafted into the room, Cam could already see the glow as flames took hold. He sucked in a breath and glanced at his woman. If she hadn’t urged him to stay, he might well have been dead. It was his bedroom which had been targeted.
“Get dressed,” Cam yelled at the others.
“Enya, are you okay, baby?” Phoenix cupped her face between his hands and stared deeply into her eyes. From what he could see in the glow from the fire, her pupils were dilated with shock.
Axel tugged the covers away from her and caught the clothes Cam tossed their way. He and Phoenix helped her to dress fast and then pulled on their own clothes.
Cam wished for the first time since leaving the military that he had a registered gun, because he had a feeling whoever had just blown the house to hell was outside waiting for them. Luckily the master bedroom was on the opposite side to the road and backed onto forest. They might have a chance if they could get in and hide amongst the trees. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest, but the fear wasn’t for himself or his friends. He was terrified they wouldn’t be able to protect Enya.
The smoke and fire was spreading quickly and Cam knew they needed to move now. If they didn’t they were going to end up damaging their lungs or maybe even passing out from lack of oxygen.
