“Where?” she mumbled, not liking that he was leaving her.
“I’ve had more sleep than everyone, sweetness. Relax. I’m going to check on a few things.” He squeezed her hand lightly. “I won’t be long.”
Boyd replaced him and slid a warm, damp cloth over her skin. She would’ve protested and insisted she could clean herself but didn’t have the energy. When he was finished, Hugh crawled back in behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back against his large body.
She heard Gavin and Boyd talking softly but was too exhausted to really concentrate on the words. Hugh’s breath warmed her neck, and it sounded like he was asleep already. Boyd stretched out in front of her and brushed some stray hair off her face. She opened her eyes and met his dark brown ones.
“Do you know how amazing you are?” He stroked a finger along the side of her face and pressed a kiss against her nose.
She rolled her eyes, feeling self-conscious from the compliment. Not knowing how to respond to that, she shrugged her shoulders. “Amazing” was never a name she would use to describe herself.
“I see, I’m going to have to work on you some more.” He snuggled closer and lifted her arm so it lay over his ribs, and she curled against him as best she could. “We’re going to do everything to make you happy, River.”
“Thank you.” She smiled but it dissolved into a yawn.
“Our pleasure.” He settled down next to her and yawned. “Now rest. We’ll make sure you’re up for work.”
She hadn’t even thought about work until Boyd mentioned it. She craned her neck to see if there was a clock in the vicinity, because she didn’t have a clue what the time was. It looked like the sky might be starting to lighten, but she wasn’t completely certain. Not that it mattered. The warmth Hugh and Boyd were giving off was enough to lull her into a peaceful sleep. For the first time in countless years, River fell asleep without feeling the need to watch over her shoulder. She had three bears to do that now.
Chapter Twelve
True to his word, Boyd woke her up in enough time to get ready to go to work. She didn’t have any fear for her safety when surrounded by the brothers, ironic considering she had spent most of her life fearing bears. They had lied about not having a spare room. Gavin had placed her stuff in there but reminded her that it was a room for her belongings only. Her place was in the middle of that monstrosity they called a bed in the master bedroom.
All three of them insisted on taking her to the clinic. Gavin walked her in while Boyd and Hugh walked around outside. If the Keeper was within a hundred meters they would know it. Each of them came in and said good-bye to her. When Hugh escorted her into the clinic, Carol was grinning from ear to ear.
“Well, looks like I’m not the only one with an eye for brothers. Look at you, smile shining like a brand-new penny.”
River felt her neck grow warm. Damn, I’ve never blushed so much in my entire life.
“I’m going to go and check the cleaning supplies.”
River tried to distract herself as much as she could, but her thoughts continued to swirl around the McNamera brothers and how they made her feel. She spent almost all of yesterday sleeping in their arms, and when she wasn’t sleeping, they were making her feel things she never had before. She had always equated sex with something degrading that you did to procreate. Once they got out of the compound, she’d heard that it was supposed to be this wonderful thing. No experience in her past had prepared her for the way the brothers would make her feel.
They wanted her in their lives and not merely to further their species. They cared about her, and she knew her heart was already theirs. It was a terrifying thought, depending on anyone. What if she made a mistake and it caused them harm? What if this Keeper caught up to them and carried out his threat to destroy anyone she loved? She’d run and hid for so long. She didn’t want to do it anymore.
“River!”
Carol’s voice cut through the haze surrounding her thoughts. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“Wow, you have it bad already.” Carol pointed out the window. “You’ve been staring out there for twenty minutes, but I understand. When I met my guys, they totally overwhelmed and scared the hell out of me, too.”
“I…It’s…I don’t know what to say.” River flopped into one of the plastic chairs in the waiting room.
“Oh, we’re in need of a girls’ day.” Brenna grinned as she came out of the examination room. “Are there any more appointments for today, Carol?”
Carol made a big show of looking over the appointment book. “Why, no. It looks like our afternoon is completely free.”
River laughed at her friends’ antics. “We can’t leave the clinic. What if there’s an emergency?”
Brenna waved her hand dismissively. “With how overprotective the men have gotten around here in the last few days, I’d say nothing is going to happen without lots of warning.” She linked an arm through River’s. “Come on. Let’s go have a tea at the Shack. I tried to call Mai, but Gaspar and Vencel intercepted the call.”
That’s a relief. Mai had two brand-new babies and was a human mated to two wolves. If this Keeper got wind of them, then he might find himself a new target. There was no way she wanted to see that happen. Guilt pounded at her conscience. By staying here she was putting everyone she loved in danger.
She knew the McNameras would try to protect her, and she had to admit it felt good knowing that someone was watching out for her…more than good. But the thought of Hugh, Boyd, or Gavin getting hurt because of her made her heart clench. She could run into the woods and allow the Keeper to find her. But she remembered when Jessica went off because she thought she was safe. She almost died that day, and her Mates Marcario and Jelani practically went out of their minds with worry.
River opened the front door of the clinic only to find Lars standing against the wall outside. He was reading a paperback and had a bottle of water on the railing next to him.
“And where can I escort you lovely ladies today?” he asked as he folded the corner of the page and closed the book.
Seeing Lars standing there as if nothing was wrong made River’s heart jump in her chest. She leapt at him and gave him a hug before he managed to drop the book. “I’m so glad to see you’re okay.” The last time she saw him, he’d been covered in blood from a gunshot wound. Part of her knew he would be fine, but to see him standing here like nothing was amiss was such a relief.
He lifted the side of his shirt where he’d been hurt. “See? Not a mark left. I’m fine.”
There wasn’t a blemish on his skin or any hint he’d been injured.
“Oh, my!”
River heard an audible gasp and looked over at the sidewalk where three women stood staring at Lars, especially the patch of bare skin he was showing them. She glanced at him and grinned.
“Morning, ladies.” Lars nodded politely in their direction, dropped his shirt, and then looked down at her and tried to look menacing. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you set me up.”
River had been surrounded by three men for the past forty-eight hours and wasn’t in the mood for any more dominant crap. She smiled sweetly at Lars and then turned to the women, who were obviously trying to figure out an excuse to hang around.
She held up a hand and pointed at Lars from behind it, pretending to whisper in a loud voice. “He’s single, too. Go to the Big Bear Brewery tonight. He’ll be there.” The three women standing on the sidewalk giggled and then headed back down the street, continually looking back at Lars.
Lars’s expression darkened. “You need a good spanking.”
River froze and could feel her face and neck heat up. Brenna and Carol started laughing hysterically.
“Ah, I take it by your stunned look you already got one.” Lars’s smug grin fired her temper.
“Look at her face.” Brenna hooted. “Oh, my god, River, I’ve never seen you blush like that.”
Carol stepped forward and wrapp
ed her arm around River’s waist. “Come on, River. I understand what life is like with three men. You and I are going to have many conversations.”
With her platforms, River was much taller than her friend, but she appreciated the show of solidarity. “I think I’m going to need it.”
River looked up at the radio station and waved at 3XTC’s DJ. Cris waved back and then looked as though he was texting someone. No doubt the men had asked him to keep an eye on things around town. From his elevated spot, he had a good view of everything, and she felt better knowing he was there. Even if she knew he was a terrible gossip.
* * * *
Gavin cursed as he read the screen on his phone.
“What is it?” Boyd asked as he unloaded a tray of clean pint glasses onto the shelf near the beer taps.
“River left the clinic. Lars, Brenna, and Carol are there with her, and they went down to the Shack, but I don’t like her being out.”
“Dude, we can’t lock her in a vat to keep her safe. She would run fast and disappear, and I wouldn’t blame her.” Boyd dumped a large load of ice into the ice sink and then reached for another one. They had a hundred things to get done before opening tonight, and Gavin was glued to his phone. “She’s made it this long without having us carry her everywhere. She can walk two hundred feet and be fine.”
“I know, but I can’t stand not having her here safe with us.”
Boyd understood that sentiment completely. In the short time she’d been with them, River had stolen the small part of his heart he still held on to.
There was a growl and something smashed against the desk in the office. “Motherfucker” echoed down the hallway.
Both he and Gavin glanced in that direction. “Do you want to give him a hand with the computer before he launches it out the window?”
“Not really. He must have gotten the text, too.”
Hugh stomped into the bar and looked around. “Is this place set up yet? I want to go get River now.”
Gavin and Boyd looked at each other in amazement. Hugh was always the most levelheaded one of the three of them. For him to be losing it like this didn’t bode well. “Hugh, we dropped her off less than three hours ago. What do you think she’s going to do if we try to bring her back now?”
Boyd watched Hugh pace back and forth across the small dance floor. He could see his big brother try to work out the probabilities and odds in his head. It was interesting seeing the naturally dominant side go to war with rational thought. Boyd was hoping the dominant side won and they could go get their woman. He wanted to be the voice of reason, but right now he wanted his Mate here by his side.
“She really is ours, and we’re standing around doing nothing while she’s out there in possible danger.” Gavin ran his fingers through his hair. “Exactly why can’t we go get her?”
“Because if she figures it out too soon, she’ll take off and we’ll have a hell of a time finding her.” Hugh lay his hand on their youngest brother’s shoulder and gave him a half hug. “We have to be very careful with her. She’s strong, determined, and stubborn. If she gets it in her head to go after this guy before we catch him, then life may end up a lot worse than trying to show a little patience.”
Hugh’s cell phone rang, and within moments of answering it he snarled so fiercely that Boyd was afraid his brother was going to shift into a bear where he stood. “I’m coming over there!”
Boyd recognized Gordon Roberts’s voice on the other end of his brother’s phone. “No, you’re not. As of right now, this is a crime scene. Craig and Jake are keeping it contained, and officially it’s a vandalism complaint.”
“She’s our Mate and this Keeper is not getting his hands on her.”
There was complete silence for a moment before Gordon spoke again. “I’m coming over there right now. Craig is going to go to the clinic and tell River what happened.”
“She went down to the Shack.”
“Cris has added you to his texting ring, I see. They won’t leave her alone for a moment, I promise. I need to talk to the three of you before this goes any further.”
Hugh looked at both him and Gavin to see if they agreed to all of this. Boyd took a deep breath and nodded. Gordon had a point. The entire town would know about this guy soon. There were people like Aiden and Gordon who were trained to take care of assholes like the one following River. Only he had a sick feeling that it was going to come down to the three of them, and if they failed, they would lose the most important person in their life.
Hugh disconnected from his call and tossed his phone on the bar. Gavin looked around the room, pointing at a couple of areas. “We need more cameras in here.” He pulled out a pen and paper from behind the bar and started writing down a list. “I won’t be able to get this done by tonight, but I can set up some extra lighting around outside…and for the house. We need more security lighting there and a more in-depth security system.”
Boyd watched his younger brother wander off, scratching down a list and muttering to himself. “Think he’s going to be all right?”
“About the same as you and I.” Hugh sat down on one of the barstools and played with a stack of coasters. “Do you think we have bit off more than we can chew here?”
“What?” Boyd leaned against the bar. “After packing up everything we know and moving three provinces away from home, building the bar, the brewery, our house, and meeting our Mate? What’s a threat or two after all that?”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time?” Hugh smiled slightly. “Gavin can do everything short of setting armed guards at the doors, and we’ll still run the risk of losing her.”
“Hugh, we’re only going to lose her if we hide things from her.” Boyd had given this a lot of thought in the last few minutes. Nothing like an epiphany to make things a bit clearer. His brothers were analytical thinkers. It was up to him to remind them that it all wasn’t black and white. “She had a life with no choices, and she got away from it. We can’t do that to her. She cares about all three of us, and so far the only time we really pissed her off is when we tried to make a decision for her.”
“They were logical choices.” Hugh tore a couple of coasters in half and then proceeded to shred them as he spoke. “I can’t change who I am.”
“And you shouldn’t. Trust me, there are going to be times she pushes your buttons till you bend her over your knee. She liked that too much.”
His brother grinned, and Boyd felt better that Hugh wasn’t looking so stricken. “She did, didn’t she? Her ass was the prettiest shade of red…”
Boyd could imagine what that would look like and adjusted his shorts. Hugh loved delivering spankings and he loved soothing all that irritated skin afterward. Gavin had his own fetishes. “Do you think Gavin has been up to his usual tricks yet?”
“No, there hasn’t been time. They were sleeping on the couch yesterday.”
A delivery bell rang. “What the hell would that be? There isn’t anything scheduled today.” Boyd and Hugh looked at each other and laughed. “How much do you think he bought?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t wait to see it.” Boyd dropped the cloth and followed Hugh into the brewery. Sure enough, Gavin was signing for a large brown box and grinning from ear to ear.
“Wait till you see what I found for her.” Gavin sounded like a kid on Christmas morning. He ripped open the top and lifted off a layer of tissue paper, tossing it over his shoulder.
He lifted up a beautiful black nightgown. It would be striking against River’s pale skin, but Boyd was a little surprised, since usually Gavin’s lingerie fetish took on a more risqué fashion, until he turned it around. A heart-shaped section of material had been cut out of the back, right where River’s ass would fit.
“You’re a fucking genius, Gavin.” Hugh grinned and carefully lifted the gown from his brother. “I can’t wait till she pushes me again.”
Boyd glanced into the box and saw a number of different colors and materials. He didn’t doub
t that everything Gavin ordered for River would fit her and would appeal to each of them. Hopefully this would help to take her mind off what had happened to her belongings. She was going to be devastated when she learned that her home had been ransacked. Boyd knew his scent was inside her home and on River’s bed, but he hadn’t considered the ramifications of his actions at that time. He never would have willingly increased the threat against her or expected that her stalker would tear apart everything she owned.
Never had he felt more appreciation to his brother for immediately shopping for River. He didn’t doubt there would be more packages arriving on a regular basis for their Mate. As soon as they did something to get rid of the shadow hanging over their happiness, he would breathe easier.
Twenty minutes later, the three of them were in Hugh’s office with Gordon. They folded the clothes and carefully repacked the box, and Gavin had taped it so River could open it up later.
“I appreciate you boys waiting for me to come by and talk to you. I didn’t want to have this conversation on the phone and risk anyone else overhearing.” Gordon sat down in one of the chairs to the side so he could see them all. Even though he was this town’s Alpha, he never acted like a ruler or dictator. According to the stories Boyd had heard, Gordon came here to start a family and live the way he wanted to without all the rules that govern so many other people. Everyone who had come to this town appreciated it, and no one ever considered trying to challenge him. Although Boyd wondered if there was more to Mr. Roberts than met the eye. He had a quiet, unassuming way about him, but often those were the most dangerous.
“River told you about her life before she came here?” They nodded in response waiting for him to continue. “She was very young when she and her brother and sister escaped. I don’t know if they’re really from the same litter or if they adopted each other, but it doesn’t matter. The breeding programs are alive and well out there and are a closely guarded secret amongst some of the Guardians.
Surrounded By Fur [3xtasy Lake 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11
