“You took care of her?” Billy asked.
“All we had was one another.” She stared at the painting remembering her childhood. Billy caressed her belly, and snuggled up against her back. “I can remember her crying a lot. I just couldn’t seem to keep her happy.”
“Well, that’s not an easy thing to do. If your parents were fighting a lot and finances were so bad, I’m sure both you and your sister felt it.”
“Oh, we felt it all right. Especially when we went to school and our clothes were too tight and short, our hair a mess and we didn’t have any of the things other little girls had.” She tilted her head up, feeling the tears in her eyes.
“I didn’t even have a Barbie doll, Billy. I didn’t have any doll, or a stuffed bear I could snuggle with at night to keep my mind off of the problems and just be a kid.” She snorted. “Can you believe that? Out of all the different things I could have used, even a damn hug once in a while, I remember not having a bear to cuddle with. My poor sister was younger and in even worse emotional turmoil. God.”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with what you just said. You know our parents didn’t have a lot of money, but they did provide for us, take care of us, and sacrifice for us so we could succeed in life. I actually had a stuffed monkey I liked, a lot. Chester is what I called him.”
She chuckled as she held his arm tighter against her chest. She loved that they were talking like this and sharing experiences. It made her feel even closer to him.
“How did you and your sister drift apart?” he asked her. She hesitated a moment as she thought about his question.
“I kept that dream of escaping, having a better life, and not allowing my parents to suck the life out of me. Annette didn’t. By the time she finished middle school and went to high school, she’d already tried drugs, had sex, and was talking about running away. I tried to talk her out of it, but then she showed up at home less, snuck out at night, and I had my own problems.”
“Problems?” he asked.
She turned to look up at him. “I was taking care of the small house and doing the grocery shopping, or else we would have starved to death. I paid the bills and cared for my mom when she drank too much. After she died, my father’s business went downhill.”
“What did he do for a living?”
“He had a small construction company. That’s where I learned how to make a lot of things. I had to go there after school a lot because my mom was never around. I would get bored and would watch the carpenters working and they would teach me how to do things, especially when my dad was talking business, or trying to get a bill collector off his back. My dad tried to keep things from us about the relationship with my mom, but I heard them arguing at night. She cheated on him. A lot. Then she started over drinking and got sick. My dad was struggling to keep the house and to maintain his sanity and then he got hurt on the job.”
“Oh man, what happened?”
“At that point Annette was screwing around and left home. My dad fell on one of his construction sites along with three other workers, and he was investigated. It turned out he wasn’t operating the company the way he should have been. He got closed down, and even though he could have fixed the problems, he was at his wit’s end. He was nasty, verbally abusive, and I was sixteen and taking care of a cripple, working to pay the bills for the house, and he wasn’t budging. He was so depressed when my mom died, and then after the accident, there was no getting better. Every day his illness got worse, until one day, I walked into his room to wake him up, and he had died in his sleep.”
Billy squeezed her tighter. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that. What did you do next?”
“I sold off everything. Didn’t make a dime because money was owed on the house, and I focused and getting my life back. I finished school, paid off the bills, and then went to college.”
“That’s amazing, Michaela. You’re very brave and very strong,” Jake said as he joined them on the bed. Hal was there, too, now.
She looked toward the painting.
“I had a great job in Chicago in a corporate construction firm. I made smart investments and had a nice portfolio. Then I started to think about family more and more. You know being alone all the time on the holidays while all my friends and coworkers were with family grew old and depressing. So I decided to give Annette one more chance at keeping us a family. I decided I would try and if she declined, then I would take that trip to Tuscany on my own.”
“It’s not your fault that things didn’t work out. You tried, and nearly died doing that,” Jake told her.
“I know. But sometimes I feel guilty for a lot of things.”
Billy caressed her cheek and turned her toward him. “Guilty for what? You went above and beyond what any child or person should have to in that situation.”
“I watched my sister die after she told me she never wanted to see me again and that I was dead to her. I felt so hollow inside. I honestly don’t know why I turned to the left instead of the right. Most people would have turned to the right. Even the doctors said it was amazing.”
“You weren’t meant to die. You were meant to do more. Can’t you see that?”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t see that because I felt so hollow, so estranged from everything and everyone, including emotions for so long. It’s taken so much for me to let the three of you into my heart. And I’m afraid to hold on too tight, and that it might scare you away.”
“Never. You could never scare us away. This was meant to be, Michaela. We’re meant to be,” Jake told her and then leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She smiled.
“How about we get something to eat?” Hal asked.
“That sounds great. I’m starving.”
“So am I, but you are on the menu for dessert. Now come on.” Hal lifted her up and began to carry her from the room.
“Wait, I need to get dressed.”
“What for?”
“Well, you three are dressed in pants at least. Can’t I put something on?”
Hal shook his head. “Nope. I want these accessible as we eat so I can suck on you in between.” He leaned down and licked her nipple, pulling it between his teeth.
“You better give me something to wear or there won’t be any nipple sucking allowed.”
He paused. “Are you challenging me?” Hal asked. Billy chuckled at their little banter. Hal would win, but Michaela sure looked up for the challenge.
“What if I am, Hollywood?” she asked.
He widened his eyes. “That’s one spanking coming up after dinner.” He kept walking and Michaela gasped. “Spanking? Spanking? Is he serious?” she asked Jake and Billy over her shoulder.
Billy and Jake laughed and also looked forward to that spanking even more than their bellies looked forward to that BBQ chicken.
* * * *
Hal could see how uncomfortable Michaela was with her nudity. She kept one arm crossed over her breasts and her legs crossed. He pulled the T-shirt from the counter and passed it to her. “Here, put this on.”
Her eyes widened.
“Really? It’s not against your rules?” she asked, pulling the T-shirt on very quickly. Then she looked down at the firehouse logo. “Engine 19. Nice. Huge on me, but nice.” She closed her eyes and inhaled the scent that brought a smile to Hal’s face.
“Stand up, let me see what you look like in it?” Billy said, and she rose from the table, spreading her arms wide. The T-shirt was practically to her knees. Jake chuckled. “I’ll get you a really nice sheriff’s department one for you to wear.” He took the last bite of chicken and winked at her.
“I think she looks fucking hot.” Hal pulled her into his arms and immediately placed his hand under the T-shirt and over her ass.
“I bet you say this to all the women you seduce. What, do you have a box full of these T-shirts on your truck?” she teased.
Hal got serious. “This is my T-shirt. I’ve never let any woman wear my T-shirt.
”
She ran her hands up and down his chest and then cupped his cheeks. “Really, Hollywood? Why do I find this hard to believe?”
He squeezed her tighter.
“It’s true. Ask my brothers. Maybe we gave away brand-new ones, but never ones we wore,” he told her.
“Why not?” she asked, holding his gaze.
He pressed her back and over the kitchen table between Jake and Billy’s plates.
As he leaned down closer to her lips, he used his hand to glide between her thighs and touch her pussy. “Too intimate of a gesture.” He kissed her deeply, and then pressed his fingers up into her cunt.
Michaela surprised him as she lifted her thighs up and against his waist. Giving his fingers better access to her pussy and some leverage.
He stroked her cunt while he kissed her deeply, as his brothers commented.
“Well, we did agree that Michaela would be dessert tonight,” Billy stated.
“Give us some room, Hal, you know how we love to share,” Jake added.
Michaela moaned as Hal maneuvered a finger to her anus and pressed up into her. He was pumping fingers into her ass and pussy while Jake and Billy pushed up her T-shirt and began feasting on her breasts.
I could get real used to this. Coming home every night to Michaela, spread out on the dinner table like a feast for her men. She’s absolutely perfect.
Chapter 7
“So you’ll keep me abreast of any updates?” Jake asked Alonso as he spoke to him over the phone in the sheriff’s department.
“Of course. I care a lot for Michaela, and just want her to be safe and happy. She doesn’t need this type of danger.”
“I should say not, Alonso. I have to tell you, from what you explained that your department and the Feds have so far, it’s like this Solomon is after something specific from Michaela.”
“I know, Jake. I’m thinking the same thing. I’m wondering why he hasn’t left the country.”
“I can’t figure it out either. You said that the Feds had a lead on the tracker Solomon hired? What happened to that?”
Alonso was silent a moment. “They lost sight of him, but they also discovered that Dipero was in the same area.”
“What? Why didn’t the Feds grab him?”
“They don’t have enough evidence to prove that Dipero killed Annette and shot Michaela. They’re trying to figure out who hired Dipero to kill Solomon. And obviously, they believe it to be someone of importance or they wouldn’t be giving this case a second glance.”
“Oh shit. Could it be that they just want to get rid of Michaela because she’s the only one who can identify the hit man and the fact that he was there at the apartment and shot both her sister and her?”
“Think about it, Jake. The Feds are involved. They had the gunman, the one who killed Annette and shot Michaela, in their sights, and they didn’t get the order to take him in.”
“Is this some political bullshit? Some organized crime going on in the government?”
Alonso chuckled. “We’ll just have to wait and see. You and your brothers do your part and protect Michaela. If these men find her, it won’t end nicely. Plus, if she even thinks they’re around Treasure Town, she’ll take off just to protect the three of you and everyone else in that town that has made her feel welcome. She’s that special and unselfish.”
“We’ll take care of her, Alonso. Be sure to keep me posted.”
“Will do.”
Jake hung up the phone and then leaned back in his chair. He missed Michaela, was worried about her even moreso now, and he couldn’t leave today to meet her for lunch.
* * * *
“Mr. Carlucci is busy right now. Perhaps I could help you with something?” Carlucci’s personal assistant told Clyde Duvall.
“Oh, I think that your boss is going to want to drop whatever it is he’s doing and come to the phone to speak to me. Just let him know it has something to do with some extracurricular activities he’s doing, and some recordings that could possibly be used to slander him publically and maybe kill his chances for reelection.”
“Hold on a moment.”
“No problem.”
Clyde stared at the house as he sat on the corner. The little brunette was renovating the place all alone. It would be easy to nab her or just get what he needed from her. All he had to do was notify Solomon so he could go in there and demand the key to the security box.
“I hope this isn’t one of your bullshit ideas of a joke, Clyde. You know I don’t have the tolerance for that shit.”
“Sir, of course it’s not bullshit. I just needed to let your assistant know that this is a serious situation.”
“Explain.”
Clyde went on to explain about Solomon’s plan to sabotage the reelection, the thumb drive with loads of information that could not only incriminate Carlucci, but also a few associates in the political arena.
“This woman has this thumb drive?”
“That is what Solomon believes. Unfortunately, the woman is none the wiser. Solomon thinks that the sister, his girlfriend that your man Dipero killed, placed the thumb drive in a safety box with password access. Since Solomon is sort of on the run from your hit man and the cops, this woman is going to have to get that password and get the thumb drive for us.”
“So grab her and get me that thumb drive by tomorrow.”
“Oh, no can do. Let’s talk a little business, Carlucci. For one, I didn’t have to call you up. I got paid, cash from Solomon to track this chick and to get her to him so he could nail you to the wall and gain back his freedom. I want some big pay here on this one. Oh, and I also want Dipero off my ass. He’s been steps behind me, but if he comes in here killing this woman and making a mess, we’re all going down, and I won’t be the only one singing your name like a canary.”
“Okay, calm down. My assistant will call off Dipero. But you have forty-eight hours to get me that thumb drive.”
“Seventy-two hours. The sisters were estranged and this one may not cooperate or may not even know the password.”
“Get it done, or Dipero will take everyone out and no one will even know about the security box and thumb drive.”
Carlucci disconnected the call, and Clyde smiled as he watched the young woman head down the street from her house. She was one sexy piece of ass. He wouldn’t mind keeping her close and bringing her back to New York to the security box. Hell, he might enjoy a little playtime with her. He started the engine and headed in the opposite direction of the woman.
Soon enough I’ll get out of her what I came here for and Solomon will be clueless.
* * * *
Michaela was grabbing a coffee at Sullivan’s when Serefina joined her.
She was such a nice woman, and so pretty and easy to talk to. She wound up joining her for lunch and talking about town and how she grew up there.
“So is Treasure Town growing on you yet?” Serefina asked.
“It is such a nice town, nestled between the islands like this. It’s incredible.”
“Have you ventured to the outskirts and into some of the adjoining towns yet?”
“Nope. Too busy trying to fix up the house. This is the first time I even had a chance to come into Sullivan’s.”
“Oh man, then we need to go shopping and I can give you a tour of all the hot spots. How do you like The Station?”
“It’s nice. Burt and Jerome are so wonderful. I can’t complain. I only work the two nights.”
“I haven’t taken on anything other than this job here at Sullivan’s. I had some trouble a few months back, and well, I moved here, back home, to try and get control of my life.”
“Sounds sort of like me.”
“I hope not. I had a serial arsonist stalking me.”
“Oh God, that’s crazy.”
“Sure was, but my men and the other locals in town all helped to save my life. It was wild, but I’m finally starting to feel safe again. Well, with the help of Ace, Bull, and Ice. I don’
t know where I would be without them and my family.”
Michaela felt emotional. She didn’t have a family, but she did have Billy, Hal, and Jake. She was learning to trust them and count on them, too. She smiled.
“Thinking about your men?” Serefina asked, and Michaela chuckled. She could feel her cheeks blush. “Hey, no need to feel embarrassed. I know exactly how you feel. I came here from North Carolina after I lost my boyfriend to a fire I was trapped in.”
“Oh God, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. I was badly off, and really depressed. My family insisted that I return home, and when I did, the last thing I expected was to fall in love with three men. I tell you, it was scary. Then of course there was the serial arsonist. Well, I’ll tell the long story another time. I want to know more about you. Where did you live before here?”
Michaela explained about Chicago but left out all the drama from New York.
“Hey, it’s okay if you need your privacy. Believe me I understand. To be honest, I think you’re a really nice person. I’m also happy to see that Hollywood, Bear, and Jake finally found the perfect woman for them. They were pretty devastated when Lisa left them. At least that’s what Ace told me.”
“I don’t know anything about a Lisa.”
“Oh God, I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s not like I’m naive and thought that they were never with anyone else. I guess I’m just shocked that I felt instantly jealous.”
Serefina smiled. “I am so like that, too. Even when I was trying to ignore the attraction I felt for Ace, Ice, and Bull.”
Michaela smiled. “I guess when you care about someone, jealousy is a side effect.” They both chuckled.
“If it makes you feel better, I heard Lisa was a nasty, two-faced snob and no one thought she deserved those men. Not even their dad.”
“Yes, that does make me feel better.” She held her mug of coffee and smiled.
Hearts on Fire 2: Michaela (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 12
