“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She glanced at him and had to clear her throat so she could get her words out without mumbling.
Holding the printout and a list of the order she showed him it.
“It seems that neither yourself nor Mr. Spade were at fault for that order you thought you had doubled. This person, Marvin I believe his name is, had actually placed the second order and only a day after the first order by you. From what I could see here on this list of individuals working on this job site, Marvin, is an employee of Gavin, your client, and it was him who placed the order. Is that his job to do so?” she asked.
She felt his arm brush over her shoulder to reach for the document.
He stared at it a moment as Mr. Spade walked into the room, announcing that lunch was on its way.
“Son of a bitch. I can’t believe this. I should have followed my gut,” Mr. Reynolds said.
“What’s going on?” Mr. Spade asked, and Cora explained. Mr. Spade stared at Cora and then back at Mr. Reynolds.
“You said you didn’t like this guy either. I think he’s trouble and Gavin should be informed about him. For all we know he could be ordering shit and then taking it. This explains why the stuff was delivered to a nearby location and not the job site,” Mr. Spade said.
“He’s not an employee of Gavin?” Cora asked, and Beau shook his head.
She glanced back at the paper. This particular order involved high-end security lights and surveillance systems. That was big bucks on the open market.
“Interesting,” she said as she wondered if this guy was taking the product and reselling it on the streets at higher cost and major profit. She’d seen enough of this type of operation before in Chicago. Hell, she listened as Anthony described doing a lot of this stuff with Kever.
“What’s interesting?”
Cora looked up, as did Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Spade, to see Deputy Cason standing in the doorway in uniform. She swallowed hard as the men greeted him.
Cason’s eyes widened as he spotted her, and then he gave a small smile. Well, more like a smirk really. She felt very claustrophobic in this office with three men this big in here.
Mr. Reynolds began to explain what Cora found. She felt kind of badly for assuming the worse about this Marvin guy. Maybe it was just a mistake, but considering that it was his name signed for the other delivery to the same house for extra bulletproof glass, it had to be a scam.
“What makes you think that this guy was doing something illegal?” Cason asked as he walked closer to the desk. They were all watching her, and she swallowed hard.
“Maybe I’m wrong, but it doesn’t add up on paper. Listen, I was just trying to figure out what the heck happened with the order because these accounts and information do not add up.”
“You were thinking something. Explain what you think this guy may be up to,” Mr. Reynolds pushed, and she felt on the defensive as she began to explain her theory. The three men stared at her, and she couldn’t hold any of the men’s gazes. They were intimidating to say the least. But she explained her thoughts and they seemed to listen.
“So you see, he more than likely would get his hands on that double order without you knowing and then he would secure it elsewhere, act like the product was used on the site, and he would resell it for triple the cost on the streets. Street market value with high-tech surveillance paraphernalia is huge business. Throw in this full pallet of bulletproof glass and you’ve got big bucks coming in.”
The three of them stared at her, and Cason crossed his arms in front of his chest as he held her gaze.
“And you know this how?”
She took a deep breath and then released it.
“Most people who come from the city know about these things. It’s common knowledge,” she said, trying to convince them, but it seemed to make them more inquisitive.
“Does this knowledge have something to do with the work you did in Chicago that was confidential?” Mr. Reynolds asked.
She saw his concern and his almost interrogational form of questioning.
“As I said, this is quite common knowledge where I come from.”
“We’re aware of these types of illegal activities as well, but nothing this close to home. We’re going to have to call Gavin,” Mr. Spade said to Mr. Reynolds.
Mr. Reynolds stared at her. She nearly lowered her eyes from his intensity.
“Let’s grab launch and afterward, Cora, you and I are going over these orders in detail.”
“We are?” she asked.
“Of course. Since you’re our new office manager-personal assistant and you came across this important information I feel we need to get started right away.”
“You’re hiring me?”
“Unless you changed your mind about needing a job,” he replied.
“No, sir. I definitely need this job. Thank you.”
“We’ll discuss pay and hours later on. Then we’ll have a confidentiality contract drawn up as well. Sound good?”
“Yes. Thank you so much. You won’t regret this.”
As uncertain as she felt, the fact that they were giving her this opportunity and chance gave her hope for better days. She had a lot to prove. To Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Spade, to Arabella, her mom, and most importantly to herself.
“Well, damn, my day just got a hell of a lot better,” Cason chimed in, and when she looked at him he had an expression of excitement and satisfaction. He looked her body over and then winked.
“Come on, sweetheart, I’ll show you the way to the kitchen,” he said, and Cora swallowed hard, instantly feeling a mix of emotions inside. This wasn’t going to be any ordinary job, and these men were anything but ordinary.
With a hand at her lower back, Cason guided her along the hallway. She felt the instant warmth at her skin from his touch, along with such a protective sensation. She wasn’t sure it was the fact that the man was a deputy in uniform. She was attracted to him, just like she felt that same twinge of attraction to Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Spade. It made her instantly nervous.
As she stood by the table with their lunch containers spread out she glanced at all three men. Cason was watching his hands, Blade looked so serious and hard as he scanned his cell phone, and Beau? Beau watched her watch his friends and his eyes looked dark, untrusting, and dull. As they locked onto her eyes, she felt as if he could see into her soul. Reality struck. She wasn’t the perfect woman. She had past, secrets, and she hoped that these men respected that or she would be out of a job as quickly as she got into it.
* * * *
Cason watched Cora as she ate her salad and looked around the kitchen. She was so petite and sweet. Having her in their home, this close, was a shock for him. Over the past few months he watched her from a distance. She kept to herself and she was polite, but frazzled easily. He knew a little about her past. He had asked Brock about her. She had that same look in her eyes that Beau had. A lost, scared, and lonely expression that indicated they were fearful and hiding deep within themselves to avoid their own fears and their experiences. He was grateful to know that both Beau and Cora were in counseling.
When Beau returned from serving last year it had been more than a rough start living all together. Beau was on edge, suffered from PTSS badly, and was unwilling to seek help. Until that night. Cason would never forget how lost, how scared Beau was as he held the revolver in his hands and debated about taking his own life and even theirs.
It wasn’t his fault. Cason had seen many friends go through this readaptation to civilian life. Some failed, whether by committing suicide, getting involved with criminal activities, or overdosing. Others prevailed, moved on, and succeeded in a post-military life. That’s what he wanted for Beau. He watched Cora, listened to her sweet, calm voice as she answered Blade’s questions about her knowledge of contractual agreements and the terms they were insistent upon.
She was definitely trying to act completely knowledgeable, and that concerned him for one reason only. He di
dn’t want Cora to get hurt or to be taken advantage of. He cared for her. He knew it the moment he laid eyes on her that day in the Main Street Inn months ago. As everyone spoke around her, she took care of her two kids and then sat quietly, smiling ever so slightly with her hands folded on her lap and her hair flowing down her back.
This town, the relationships around them were special for so many reasons. To see men like themselves who had suffered with memories of missions gone badly, loss of fellow troops and emptiness in their hearts, this town gave hope of a future, of happiness and the opportunity to feel better about life and hopeful. Watching their friends find someone special to share their lives as a team, as one unit was incredible. Although the other guys denied wanting such a relationship, Cason still caught them, and their looks of envy, as they watched their friends find love and happiness. A perfect woman meant for him and the rest of his team was out there. They just needed to keep their eyes open so she didn’t slip through their fingers.
Cason looked at Cora, who just happened to look up from her salad and lock gazes with him. The same sensation hit his chest as her big brown eyes locked onto his.
Cora could be that woman.
He nearly gasped and lost his breath. The gut instinct was so strong and felt so right it shocked him.
Cora was special, but did she have what it took to mend such broken men as them? Blade’s broken heart and distrust of women seemed unmendable. Beau’s past and almost inability to get close and open up to anyone would prove to be a major barrier in starting a relationship. Then throw in Avery and Asher, the twin brothers who were reckless, a bit wild, and also unwilling to acknowledge that they even had hearts and could allow the vulnerability necessary to gain the love of a real woman. They would fight it tooth and nail as hard as Beau and Blade. Blade being the worse of them all after what his first wife had done to him. Yes, they were all hard, scarred retired soldiers. But Pearl had a special kind of magic surrounding it. Cason, despite his own fears of vulnerability and trust, wanted to feel some of that magic for himself and for his team.
Again, he looked at Cora. Could she be the one to heal them all? He wasn’t certain, but she was so beautiful, incredibly sweet, and yet timid and shy. Perhaps she needed all of them as much as he felt his team might need her.
Blade watched her with assessing eyes, and Cason felt almost defeated before he could feel any hope. If there was a God and Cora was meant for them, he hoped his team didn’t fuck it up. Second chances like these didn’t come around too often at all.
Chapter 4
“Arabella, I’m sure she’s perfectly fine and can handle it. If Blade and Beau didn’t think she could, believe me, they wouldn’t have hired her,” Smith told Arabella as they lay in bed and he held her in his arms.
She wanted so much for Cora. She didn’t want her to live in fear, worrying that at any point Anthony could show up ready to do her and the kids harm. Arabella was fearful of that, and she couldn’t even imagine how terrified Cora felt.
“I just want her and the kids to be safe and I want a future for them.”
Smith caressed her hip as Rex awoke and began kissing her shoulder.
“Then Cora working, establishing her own career and life here, is a great start,” Rex offered.
“I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know, Arabella? She’s a grown woman. She’s taking a chance and trying to be more independent. This is what Camille has been trying to instill in her. The drive to no longer be a victim but a survivor. She’s been working for a whole week now, has she seemed like she’s not happy or that she’s scared of the men?” Smith asked her as he caressed her hair and cheek while she lay against his chest. She felt so safe with her men. But not all men were good, and Cora might be trying so hard to succeed in obtaining and securing a job that she wouldn’t stay on guard.
“I’m used to protecting them. It’s been my life for years, and I worry, okay?” She tried sitting up, but Rex stopped her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and rolled her to her back. He pressed over her body, securing her in place.
“Slow down there, baby, there’s no need to give us the attitude,” Rex said, and she felt her chest pounding inside and her pussy cream with desire. Her men were very possessive of her, and she loved submitting to that possessiveness and love. She felt protected, and that gave her the confidence to profess her likes, her dislikes, her fears, and her anxieties. She knew they were understanding, but it seemed they were all trying to get her to give Cora space. Even Brock and Reno had been calming her anxieties about the men Cora worked for.
She locked gazes with Rex’s green eyes. “I worry.”
“I know,” he replied instantly. Smith turned onto his side and reached under the covers to cup her breast.
“She needs to do this on her own and without you on her back adding extra stress to her life. Things have a way of working themselves out and all these changes are a good thing, baby.”
“What’s your major concern with Cora working for the guys? They’re good men. They’re trustworthy,” Rex said.
She hesitated a moment, and then she held Rex’s gaze.
“I just don’t want another man to ever hurt her again. I want her to be happy. I want her to stay on guard, and those five men are some intense, almost scary men that can intimidate someone like Cora and manipulate the situation. I just think the environment may be too similar to the one she had with Anthony.”
“They’re not criminals and they sure aren’t abusive men. They’re respectful and they have their own hang-ups, fears, and pasts to digest. In fact, they’re a lot like Cora in that way. They know pain, they know about inner turmoil, and they don’t plan on letting down their guard just as Cora doesn’t,” Rex informed her.
“I’m trying here, truly I am, but I’ve been there for her for so long. I’m afraid if I let go and she fails that she’ll blame me, or that I’ll have to pick up the pieces. I just don’t know if I can do that,” Arabella said and felt the tears in her eyes. She didn’t know why she was being so emotional about it. She had been feeling this way for the past few weeks. Sometimes she would even get sick to her stomach.
Rex caressed her cheek as Smith played with her sensitive nipple.
“Baby, it’s time to release the strings and let her go. She needs to do this on her own,” Rex told her.
“And if she fails, so be it. It’s all part of life and there is no way that you could possibly protect her so much that she never fails or feels pain again. You love her and you’ll always be here for her. That’s what you need to give her and hold on to. Let her try, she may just surprise you,” Smith told her, and she smiled.
“How the heck did you get so smart about sister relationships?” she asked as she lifted her pelvis up against Rex’s crotch while she tilted her breast firmer against Smith’s large hand.
“I think I know what might make me feel a little better,” she whispered. They both looked so carnal and hungry.
“We know exactly what our woman needs,” Smith replied. Rex leaned forward and kissed her then made his way down her belly and straight to her mound with his lips. His tongue lashed out against her wet folds, and she felt it swirl and press up into her cunt. She moaned while they began to ease her mind about her sister and make her think of nothing else but loving her men. Smith suckled her breast and pulled on her nipple. She gasped and felt her anxiety lessen. The only thing she could think about was having her men deep inside of her loving her inch by inch.
She was so happy and content. Her men always made her feel better, protected, and loved, and she loved them for it. This was what she wanted for Cora. She just wanted her sister to feel safe again. She couldn’t help but to wonder if Cora ever would.
* * * *
“Liam, please cooperate this morning. I have to leave you today. It’s been a week of the same routine. You go to school, Aunt Arabella picks you and Julia up and takes you to grandma. I need to get to work.”
“I want to g
o with you.”
“You can’t, baby. Please listen to me.”
Cora was getting frustrated. The last thing she needed was to be late to the house today for work. Blade and Beau would be furious. Even now, days later, it still felt funny to call them by their first names, but they were insistent after she found some other problems with their business that needed attending to. Today they would go through a bunch of other files that were secure in a cabinet.
She’d had to look over their contractual agreement and had them add in a clause where she could quit at any time if she found justified reason. They tried to fight her on it, but then they gave in as she justified her concerns and need for the clause.
Julia was starting to get impatient as she waited in the parking lot with Liam and Cora.
“Please, Liam, you have to listen to Mommy and go to school. Kids aren’t allowed to go to my workplace.”
Julia moved closer to Cora and hugged her arm as Liam hung on Cora’s leg, pushing up her skirt.
She looked up to see Avery and Asher Davis getting out of their truck and walking closer. The kids clung tighter to her. She was starting to worry that she would be totally late.
“Good morning, Cora. Is everything all right over here?” Avery asked.
She still couldn’t get over how attractive these two twin men were. Dirty-blond hair to their shoulders, deep brown eyes, and taller than average, they were a sight. They towered over her, and especially Liam and Julia, who instantly went into fearful mode.
“It’s okay, Julia and Liam, these two men are two of my bosses,” she told them, and both children looked shocked as they stared up at Avery and Asher.
Both men looked at the kids and smiled. Avery knelt down and reached his hand out. “Good morning, little man, I’m Avery. What’s your name?” he asked, and Liam hugged Cora’s leg tighter. Avery shot Cora a look as if he couldn’t understand why Liam wouldn’t shake his hand or even look at him. Avery stood back up.
Soldiers of Pearl 2: Healing Souls (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 5
