by K. L. Donn
With her body still buzzing with arousal from not one but two orgasms in such a short period of time, she wasn’t paying attention to everything going on around her.
She missed the glass shattering. The shot fired. And where the hell was that scream coming from? Why am I on the ground? Looking around, she saw a figure stop as they were passing by her window. The person had a ski mask on, but she could see their eyes.
Black. Soulless. Possessed. Then they were gone. Like smoke in the wind. She wasn’t even sure if they were there.
Turning when she heard the door crash against the wall, she smiled seeing her two knights in shining armor. At the tortured looks on their faces, she started to get scared as they rushed to her, Dane with his phone to his ear and Coop taking off his shirt. She didn’t understand anything until Coop put his shirt on her hip and applied pressure to it; the slice of pain radiating from it. That’s when she finally realized she’d been shot.
White lights flashed behind her eyelids. It felt like her hip and side was on fire. Being shot fucking sucks balls, she thought before passing out.
Looking at Emily lying in the hospital bed pale and attached to so many machines left a cold feeling in the pit of Dane’s stomach. He felt almost detached like it wasn’t really her. It shouldn’t fucking be her. He was more pissed off than he’d ever been in his life. The door was a distraction from the real purpose. Whoever her stalker was knew that they would send her to another room. Which means they were being watched.
“Fuck.” He blurted out making the other occupants of the room look at him in question. “He’s watching us. Has to be. No way he could have known we’d send her to another room otherwise.” He summarized while looking to Coop, who was sitting on a chair beside her bed, holding her hand. Then he panned to Creed and Linc standing at the end of her bed, having just flown in that morning. Creed had called him already when they were on their way to Emily’s house, so when they heard what had happened, they immediately came to the hospital.
“Look, guys, I’ve got some information that I don’t think you’re going to like.” Creed started. “This might be bigger than just a stalker. I tracked her back to all the places she’s lived since she left home. In each place, there’s been several gruesome murders.” He paused pulling up something on his phone, showing it to them. “This was the last girl. Nearly identical to your Emily.”
Looking at the picture in horror, he felt bile rise up. Forcing it down, he studied the photo. She was young, had curly blonde hair like Em; even her body was a damn near perfect match. “Son a bitch.” He bellowed handing the phone to Coop. The way her body had been carved up was horrifying— slices all across her arms and legs. The ones on her breasts were the worst. With the slashes going from her nipples and slicing down the sides of them to look like a star made him want to smash his hand through the nearest wall.
Watching Coop study the phone, he was unsurprised to see the constant laughter in his eyes dim, his jaw went as hard as granite, and his knuckles were white from squeezing the phone so tight. “He touches her and I’ll rip his fucking limbs from his body and beat him like a motherfucking piñata!” Coop promised on a dark growl.
“We’re fucking with ya, guys. This sick fuck needs to be taken out,” Linc said sounding just as pissed off as them. “There’s been a total of seven girls that we’ve been able to find so far. But I’m betting there was even more before he found Emily and fixated on her.”
“What else do you have? The police still think she’s faking this bullshit,” Dane said angrily. Every time he thought about the police from her hometown thinking she was off her rocker, he wanted to go smash their faces in.
“Actually,” Creed started with a sadistic smile in place. “We stopped in good ol’ Lincoln, Nebraska before coming here and it seems the detective assigned to her case was one of those good ole boys who thinks every woman cries wolf just because he was burned before. But after Linc did a little convincing, they’re more than willing to give us everything we asked for,” he said smugly.
Looking at Linc, he could only imagine what he did or said to convince them to his way of thinking. He didn’t know Creed and Linc’s entire background, but he knew enough that their mom was married to an abusive man at one point, for years.
Hearing a small moan cut off any other thoughts, Dane rushed to the side of her bed and carefully grabbing her hand with the IV in it. “Em? Baby girl, you’re ok,” he told her, leaning down to kiss her cheek softly as Coop did the same on the other side.
“We’ll go get the doctor,” Creed told them as they walked out.
Watching her intently he waited for her eyes to open, hoping she was alright and praying she didn’t hate them. Though he wouldn’t blame her if she did.
Watching her eyes flutter open and lock onto his, he felt great relief that her look seemed to soften even in pain. He could tell she didn’t blame them. “Hi.” She croaked out. Looking to Coop she put her hand on his cheek, rubbing it with her thumb.
Tightening her other hand around his, he brought it up to his mouth to kiss each of her fingers. “How you feeling, baby?” Coop asked her.
With a shaky smile she tried to play it off, but they could see the shadow of pain in her gorgeous green eyes. “I won’t lie, getting shot fuc—frigging hurts.” She amended when Coop narrowed his eyes at her. “But I’ll live. I think.” She tried to laugh but ended up groaning in pain as the doctor walked in followed by Kennedy and Keeley; who both had tears in their eyes.
“Miss Baxter, glad to see you awake.” The doctor greeted. “I’m Dr. Kosta. You were shot just above the hip bone; a complete through and through. No damage was done, luckily. It was a quick clean-up on our end.” He explained while reading her chart. Looking up at her finally, he said, “You’ll be able to go home in the morning. We have you on antibiotics to stave off infection. Are you in any pain?”
“A little bit.” She meekly answered.
Nodding his head, he said to her, “I’ll send the nurse in with some pain killers for you. In the meantime, do you have any other questions for me?”
Shaking her head no, he quickly left the room.
When the girls rushed forward, he and Coop quickly got up, telling them that they’d be outside before going to see all the guys out in the hall.
“You didn’t have to come. I’ll be fine.”
“Fuck that. Of course, we did, Emily. You were shot!” Kennedy exclaimed letting the first tear slip free. Emily watched it rush down her cheek and land soundlessly on the sheet beside her. Grabbing her hand, she tried to reassure them both that she would be alright.
“I promise, I’m good. It hurts like a motherfucker, but I’ll heal.”
“Language!” They heard Coop yell from the hallway, causing them to break out in a fit of girlish giggles.
“He’s always doing that.” Emily complained.
“Nathaniel and Tyler are the same with me, so I feel your pain, Emmy.” Keeley smiled wistfully.
“Oh my God, Keeley! With everything going on, I haven’t been able to see how you are? Dane told me what happened. Are you ok?” She worriedly asked.
Sighing, Keeley told them everything that happened that morning after they left. How she heard a vehicle pulling up and foolishly thought it was her men, but instead it was her father and he was there to kill her. They still didn’t know how he found her but suspected it might have been from the diner she worked at before meeting her guys.
She was so calm and collected after explaining it all that Emily wondered if she wasn’t holding back for her benefit. “Keeley?” she asked.
“Yeah?”
“How are you really? That couldn’t have been easy. I mean it was your dad. I just can’t even begin to imagine how you felt then and now.”
“I feel disconnected to it all, I guess.” Pausing in thought, she continued. “I mean he was never really a father to me, ya know? I always knew one day it would come down to him or me. Thankfully, Nathaniel and Tyler c
ame home early. If they hadn’t…” she trailed off. Not really needing to explain. Emily was grateful the guys arrived when they did. She might not have known Keeley for more than a few days, but they’d become fast friends.
“I’m glad you’re ok, Keels,” she told her softly, voice full of emotion and a lump in her throat at the thought of losing such a good friend.
“Ok, enough of this emotional crap, you two. Emily, tell me those two have made a move on you! I saw the way they watched you last night, and woo mama was it scorching H.O.T., hot!” Kenny said lightening the mood the way she seemed to have a knack for doing.
Blushing at the thought of her afternoon activities with the guys was evidently answer enough since they started ‘Oohhing and Aahhing’. She just shook her head at them. “They’re so sweet and caring and, and… take charge. But they intimidate me.” She admitted. “It’s not even their size, it’s the power they hold over my body and mind. When they’re in the same room as me, it’s like there’s nothing and nobody else around. I just want to be as close to them as possible. And I’m afraid that once they find my stalker they’re going to be done with me.” She finished softly, admitting to her biggest fear of being with them. They had the power to crush her, and she didn’t think she’d survive if they left her.
“Emily,” Kenny said firmly causing her to look up into the younger woman’s beautiful blue eyes. “I’ve known bulky and bulkier almost my entire life, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that they wouldn’t start something with you just to pass the time while on a case.” The conviction in her gave her hope. “The only way they’d be with you is if they were with you.” She emphasized.
“Thank you.” Smiling, she gave Kenny’s hand a squeeze for the hope she had just instilled in her heart.
Standing in the hallway, Coop was itching to get back into the room with Emily. She’d scared a good ten years off his life. Such a bold move was not something any of them expected. Neither was Emily getting hurt. Knowing it could have been prevented was what pissed him off the most. One of them should have stayed with her.
“We need to move her out of her house. Is one of the safe houses up and ready yet?” Dane was asking Nate.
“Fuck! No. There was an issue with the piping or some fucking bullshit. What about your house, Dane? It’s tighter than Fort Knox.”
“Shit. Yeah, ok. My place it is then,” Dane said reluctantly, making Coop frown and wonder why he hadn’t suggested it in the first place. They always knew that when they found that one special woman for them to share, they would live at his house. Realizing he’d have to wait until later to question him about his reluctance, Coop tuned back into the conversation at hand.
“Did you guys see him there? Get anything at all?” Creed asked.
Shaking his head in the negative had Coop even more pissed off. This asshole kept getting one step ahead of them, and he didn’t know how much more Emily was going to be able to take. He knew with every threat the fight was leaving her. That she was ready to give up. She may not have said it out loud to them, but he could see it in her eyes every time they talked about it, or she got some new threatening note. Her eyes would go dull and flat. He could see the light bleeding out of her.
Before he realized what he was doing, his fist was in the wall next to her door. He was out of breath and could practically feel the anger rolling off him in waves. His ears were ringing in rage, and he knew the guys were talking to him, trying to calm him down. But he heard nothing. Nothing at all. Until… “Cooper?” Emily was beside him whispering his name, one arm wrapped around Kenny’s shoulders and one hand on his wrist of the hand in the wall. “Please, Cooper,” she sobbed.
Getting his rage under control, he shook the guys off his back and scooped Emily up in his arms, mindful of her injured hip. He carried her back into her empty room, slamming the door behind them. Rubbing her hand along his neck she whispered, “What happened, Cooper?”
Laying her back on the bed and climbing in beside her, careful not to pull on her IV, he slowly rubbed his hand along any part of her body he could reach. "Rest, baby girl, we’ll talk later. I got you now,” he whispered in her ear and laid a light kiss on her pulse.
Almost as soon as her eyes closed she was out cold. Laying with her in his arms gave him a sense of relief knowing no one could get to her there. But when he wasn’t around? That’s what scared him most. She’d come to mean so much to them over the last few days that he didn’t know what he’d do without her in their lives.
She owned a piece of his soul he didn’t think he’d ever get back, nor did he want to. He just wanted Emily. Safe, happy, and loved. He knew Dane felt the same because he could see it in his eyes when he looked at her. Which is why he was so confused about his hesitance to have her staying at his house. It was eating at him not knowing why, but holding her while she slept was more important than grilling his best friend right then.
He must have fallen asleep watching Em sleep because the next thing he knew he was being jolted awake when he felt the already too small bed dip on the other side. Looking over he saw Dane crawling in with them, trying not to laugh at how his big-ass body was gonna fit. He shook his head as he watched him carefully pick Emily’s sleeping body up and scoot under her so his side was pressed to Coop’s front and she was lying flat on top of Dane with her face looking towards him.
Dane wrapped his big arms around her while he drew circles on her back. He was surprised the movement didn’t wake her up. At her sigh of contentment, he knew they were gonna be alright.
Waking up the next morning much warmer and comfier than when she fell asleep, Emily took stock of her body and realized she had three hands on her and one huge-ass body underneath. Opening her eye’s she was immediately met with Cooper’s face, soft in sleep. He looked peaceful. Less harsh. Definitely not as angry as he was the night before.
He’d scared her. She thought something bad had happened; well, worse than being shot anyway, she thought sarcastically. The fierce look on his face and the rage simmering in his eyes, making them appear almost black, had her shaking on the inside, but she knew with every fiber of her being that he wouldn’t ever hurt her, so she went to him. She had no idea what she would do if he had rejected her, but he didn’t, and she honestly hoped to never have to find out.
Feeling a bulge under her hip, Emily wiggled a little bit. “Baby girl, don’t start that shit again,” Dane said, his voice sounding sexy as hell all sleep roughened.
“Ssshh,” she said. “Don’t wake up Cooper.” She couldn’t help but to run her fingers through his silky, dark locks.
“Woman, a bomb could go off next his lazy ass and he wouldn’t wake up!”
“Fuck that. Your snoring ass woke me up at dawn, dickwad.” Coop shocked them both with his comment.
“Language, you two.” She tried to sound as stern as they did when they scolded her, but she ended up laughing before moaning in pain from the strain on her hip from not moving all night. “Damn, that hurts,” she complained.
A knock at the door had her ready to jump off the bed, but Dane’s arms tightened around her and Coop’s hand whipping out a gun from the back of his pants and pointing it at the door had her frozen in shock.
“Oh, put it away, big boy. The worst I got is painkillers for your girl.” The nurse joked. “How are you feeling, Ms. Baxter?” Could you be more formal, lady? She wondered in her head.
“Uhhh, ok, I guess,” she said following the nurse around the room with her eyes.
“What’s your pain factor right now? I don’t imagine sleeping on this beefcake was too comfy on your wound all night.” She pointed out, sounding slightly bitter and a tad bit jealous.
Not sure what to say to that since it sounded rhetorical, she just shrugged her shoulders in answer.
“When can we take her home?” Dane asked the nurse sharply.
“We?” she asked, shocked.
“Yeah, when can we take her home? You hard of hearing?” Coop repeated so
unding pissed off.
“Hmmph, no, just surprised is all. I didn’t think a woman flaunted herself so cheaply nowadays is all.” The insult stung. She wouldn’t lie; it hit her right in the heart of every single one of her insecurities. She’d been afraid of the judgment from other people but knew that if she wanted things to happen with Dane and Coop, she’d have to get over it. Didn’t make it hurt any less, though.
“Are you fucking kidding me, lady? Who the fuck do you think you are to judge any of us?” Cooper practically screamed while getting out of the bed to stand without jostling Emily around too much.
Seeing the nurse shrink back slightly at his tone had her almost feeling bad for her, but not quite. Feeling Dane’s chest vibrating had her looking down into his laughing eyes. Scowling at him in reprimand had him burying his face in her neck, where he tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle his laughter at the shock written across the nurses face.
“Yo – you can’t speak to—” she sputtered out when Coop interrupted again. “Think about what you were just gonna say and then run through the bullshit you said to our girl just a minute ago, lady, and then you spout this self-righteous crap at me. Until then? Get the fuck gone,” he said stonily. Standing at the end of the bed at full height, arms crossed, feet apart, and fury in his eyes.
She’d never been more turned on than at this moment.
Watching the nurse bustle out of the room like her ass was on fire would have been comical if her panties weren’t wet and Dane wasn’t rubbing his erection against her core. “Baby girl.” Dane groaned out, putting one hand on her ass and squeezing.
“Fuck, I can smell her arousal from here. Time to go home,” Coop said before walking out to find the doctor.
After a long three hours of bureaucratic bullshit between the doctors about not wanting to release Emily yet— even though they were told what a judgmental bitch the nurse was being— they still had to fight to get her released before their impatient, smart-ass girl decided she was just walking out. Well, more like hobbling out since she was limping from her wound.
