by Becca Van
“Fuck!”
“Exactly.” Luke sighed. “I’ve got all the men on alert, and I’ve been able to get a photo of the asshole. I was just about to snap the image with my phone and send it out.”
“Good. At least we’ll know who to keep an eye out for.”
“Yeah. I hate knowing that trouble’s coming and not knowing what it looks like,” Luke said.
“You and me both.”
“If Catalina remembers anything, give me a call,” Luke stated.
“Will do.”
“From some digging we’ve done, her parents may not be the only people he’s killed.”
“Shit. Do you have proof?”
“Not yet, but we’re working on it and the sheriff is trying to find the mole in his department, but so far he’s got zip. Keep her safe.”
“You know I will.” Hank disconnected the call and met David’s gaze as he entered the house.
“What’s going on?” He glanced about as if looking for Cat.
Hank nodded his head toward the kitchen. “Her uncle will become the beneficiary of everything if she dies. He’s in financial trouble.”
“Shit!” David scrubbed a hand over his face.
“There’s more.” Hank paused.
David raised an eyebrow.
“Luke doesn’t think this is the first time he’s killed.”
“He doesn’t know where she is and you know we won’t let that fucker get to her. He’ll have to go through us to do so.” David snarled.
“Damn straight!”
“I don’t want that.”
Hank turned to see Catalina looking so pale and fragile in the doorway of the kitchen, but there was also determination in her eyes.
“Don’t want what, darlin’?” David asked.
“I don’t want any of you getting hurt. Not because of me.”
“We won’t.” Hank moved forward and took one of her hands in his. Her fingers were curled in tight to her palm and he gently pried them open. “We have military training, Cat. We can take care of ourselves. In fact, most of the men in this town can shoot if they have to, and I will tell you now, if the worse comes to the worst, they won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.”
“And if they miss? If you miss? What then? You can’t dodge a bullet, Hank.”
“We never miss.” Hank brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it, delighted when he heard her draw in a ragged breath. When she shifted from one foot to the other, he glanced down and his own breath caught in his chest. Her nipples were hard, poking at the soft fabric of her T-shirt, and from the way she had her thighs squeezed together, that wasn’t the only part of her body affected by his closeness.
David walked up to stand next to him and took her other hand in his, taking his time to thread her fingers with his. “Cat, we are retired Navy SEALs. We can out shoot and fight barehanded if necessary. He won’t get to you. We won’t let him.”
“I just…” Cat shrugged, glancing to the side before gazing at David and then Hank.
“You just what, darlin’?”
“I just…couldn’t live with myself if one of you got hurt.”
“We know what we’re doing, darlin’.” David lifted her hand to his cheek, nuzzled it, and then released their entwined fingers before kissing her palm.
Hank swallowed the growl of approval that formed in his chest when he saw her shiver. His heart rate sped up and his semi-flaccid cock twitched filling with blood so quickly he wondered how he was still standing without passing out.
“We’re all attracted to you, Catalina.” He hadn’t known that was going to come out of his mouth until he heard himself speaking the words, but he was glad it had.
She licked her lips, drawing his gaze to the tip of her pink tongue. His cock jerked, and he swore he felt pre-cum bubble from the tip. He could almost imagine how it would feel to have those luscious lips wrapped around his dick and that moist tongue licking up his length.
“You are?”
Hank was glad she’d spoken. The sound of her voice was enough to pull him from his lascivious thoughts.
“We are,” David answered.
“But…”
“This town is different to most. We don’t look down on people who are in polyandrous relationships.”
“I don’t either.” Cat frowned at Hank. “I don’t care how others live their lives. As long as they aren’t hurting anyone, are consensual, and happy, I don’t give a damn.”
“I didn’t say you did,” Hank said. “I was just letting you know so you could make an informed decision.”
He felt David tense beside him, but Hank kept his gaze locked with Catalina’s.
“About what?” She looked confused.
He knew he was going to have to be more specific. “Barry, David, and I want a relationship with you.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“You’re right.” Hank nodded. “We don’t know much about each other, but my brothers and I weren’t born yesterday. We’ve had a fair amount of women in our lives.”
“Why do I…”
“I haven’t finished.” Hank drew her toward the sofa, helped her onto a cushion, and sat beside her. David kneeled on the floor in front of her, and just as he was about to explain, Barry entered the room.
“We know our own hearts and minds, Cat.” David lifted his arm, resting it on her knee before caressing up her thigh and back to her knee again.
“We’ve never been attracted to another woman the way we’re attracted to you,” Hank said.
Barry hurried across the room and sat on Cat’s other side. “You’re special, baby. We could have something long lasting, but won’t know unless you are open to finding out.”
“And if you find out I’m not who you think I am?”
“That won’t happen,” David declared.
“How can you know that?”
Hank shrugged. “We just do. Call it maturity, experience, intuition, whatever you want, but we know you are the one woman meant to be ours.”
Chapter Six
David held his breath as he waited for Catalina to react. Her whole body had gone tense, and she held her breath as she stared from Hank, to Barry, to him, and back again.
He caressed her thigh over her knee and down her shin. “Breathe, honey.”
She exhaled and drew in a deep breath. Her eyes were wide as if she were a deer caught in headlights, but when he glanced down, he saw that her nipples were hard.
“I don’t know what to say.” Her voice came out a little breathy, and when he met her gaze, he noticed that her pupils had dilated. When he glanced down to her chest, he realized she was also panting. She wasn’t as immune to them as she tried to portray.
David decided it was time to change to subject when she squirmed uncomfortably. “What’s for dinner?”
“Steak and salad.”
“Why did I ask?” David grumbled.
“You don’t like steak?” Cat asked, blinking at him with astonishment.
David tilted his head back and laughed. He couldn’t help it. The surprised look on her face just tickled his funny bone. There wasn’t a rancher he knew that didn’t like steak. When he had his mirth under control, he met her gaze. “Yes, I like steak, thankfully, because that’s all we seem to eat.”
Cat nodded and licked her lips as she continued to stare at him. When she crossed one leg over the other and pressed her thighs together, all his humor fled.
“You’re not a vegan are you?” Barry asked.
“No.”
“Thank God for that.” Hank stood and offered a hand to Cat.
David nearly smiled when she took it without any hesitation. She might be a little shocked over their declaration, but she trusted them, at least on a subconscious level. That was a start. One he and his brothers could build on.
He shoved to his feet and met Barry’s gaze before smiling and nodding at his brother. It might take a little time, but if they took things slow with her
“What can I do to help?” Cat asked.
Hank had already started chopping the veggies for the salad, but when he lifted his head and scowled at Cat, David moved in behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders when she stepped back. Of course, having a knife pointed at her after what she’d been through wasn’t the smartest thing to do.
“Back off, Hank. You’re scaring her,” David said angrily.
“No, I’m not.”
David stepped to the side and looked at Cat. His lips tugged at the corners when he saw that she was scowling at Hank. “She’s pissed because she asked to help earlier and I wouldn’t let her. The doctor’s orders were to rest.”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t feeling up to helping.” Cat planted her hands on her hips.
David chuckled drawing her glare to him. Her lips twitched and when he met her gaze, he could see that she was holding back her humor.
“Come on, honey. You can help me set the table.”
“At least someone around here doesn’t think I’m useless.”
David’s smile fell from his face at the word she used. He didn’t stop to think about his actions as he clasped her shoulders and pulled her into his arms. He mentally cursed when she flinched but was glad she didn’t struggle to get away from him. “Firstly, never call yourself that again. Secondly, none of us think that you’re useless as you put it. We are trying to make sure you don’t push yourself so you can heal.”
“We’re only trying to make sure you don’t get sick, Cat,” Barry said. “We can tell that you’ve recently lost weight. You’d collapsed with exhaustion and had a fever since you were fighting an infection.”
Cat sighed and the frown on her face dissipated as she nodded. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually so antagonistic.”
David nudged her chin up and stared into her eyes. “You’re still tired, darlin’. You have dark smudges beneath your eyes and you’re healing. You’ve been through a lot. Give yourself a break.”
* * * *
The moment David pulled her into his arms she’d struggled to hold herself together. Her confrontation with Hank had been a ploy. One she didn’t even realize she needed until she’d scowled at him. What irked her more was that they were all right. She was beyond exhausted and no matter how many times she told herself she wasn’t tired, scared, or lost she just didn’t believe it. Everything that had happened to her seemed to have happened to her a long time ago, yet each time she closed her eyes she saw her parents dead on the living room floor of their home, blood soaking their clothes and pooling in dark stains beneath their lifeless bodies. And if that weren’t bad enough, the terror and horror that had been etched on their features for all time, wouldn’t be pushed to the back of her mind.
She didn’t even realize she’d closed her eyes until a tear leaked out from beneath the lid and rolled down her face. The constant ache that had been in her chest grew bigger and more painful and while she tried to drew in a deep breath before exhaling, which was hard since her throat felt as if it were closing up making it a struggle to fill her lungs, the pain in her chest just seemed to get worse and worse. Even though she tried to hold back the sobs, it was impossible. She thought she’d cried enough tears, but the grief just seemed to surface any time it wanted. The pain she’d been carrying around for months wouldn’t be held back any longer.
She didn’t have any other choice but to give in. Cat clutched at David’s cotton shirt in a death grip, scared that if she let go she would fall into a big black hole she would never be able to climb out of again. A strong muscular arm shifted to beneath her knees and her feet left the ground. She didn’t care where she was being taken—all she cared about was the compassion and warmth being shown her, from virtual strangers. It felt as if she hadn’t been held against another warm body for years, and although she continued to cry, she soaked in the human contact.
David sat and after placing her ass on his muscular thighs his arms wrapped around her body and he began to rock back and forth in a soothing comforting rhythm any mom would do to appease a small child.
Cat had no idea how long she cried for, but as the tears slowed, she realized the knot of grief in her heart was smaller than it had been. She knew those empty places her mother and father had been would never be filled again, but the pain was smaller and little easier to handle.
“Shh, you’re okay, darlin’. We’ve got you.”
Just hearing David’s deep comforting voice was enough for her tears to stop altogether. She drew in a deep ragged breath and felt two other hands squeeze hers. She hadn’t even noticed that they were being held until then.
“You okay, baby?” Barry asked.
She nodded and wondered when he’d taken her hand, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered at the moment except putting one foot in front of the other and taking each day as it came. Her mind felt clear for the first time in months, not spinning around in circles with fear, grief, and anxiety, letting her think clearly for a change.
She felt safe here surrounded by these three men, and although she was sure her uncle wouldn’t give up looking for her, she knew he couldn’t know where she was. How could he when she used public transport? Plus, he wouldn’t be able to hire anyone to search her out since he was apparently in debt up to his eyeballs.
Cat exhaled slowly and tried to figure out what her next move should be, what her parents would want her to do. The answer was immediate and unequivocal. She would be safe here in the small rural Colorado town. Hank had told her that most of the men that lived here were retired military and tough ranchers. They knew what it was to fight to survive and to protect. How could she walk away from that?
She finally opened her sore eyes and sat up, before meeting each of their gazes. They were all so close, and her body reacted to their masculine scents, brawny muscles, and handsome rugged faces.
Hank’s blue eyes were looking a little sad, but beneath that sadness she saw determination. She glanced over at Barry, his blue-green gaze seeming to see through the outer core and right into her soul. And then there was David. He was younger than his brothers with green eyes and brown hair, and although she knew from the laugh lines near the edges of his eyes that he probably laughed often, he looked so damn serious. There was also an underlying sadness in his eyes that she was curious about, but she didn’t have the right or feel it was appropriate to ask about it. If he ever wanted to talk to her, she would listen, but she wouldn’t push for answers because she knew how upsetting that could be.
Cat knew in that instant that in the short of amount of time she’d known them, that she trusted them implicitly. They had all stepped up, helped out a stranger without any hesitation or qualm. They might look a little hard around the edges from being in combat and working a ranch, but they had wonderful caring hearts.
“Catalina?” Barry nudged her chin up with a finger from his free hand. “Are you all right?”
She nodded and licked her dry lips. “Yes. I’m sorry I…broke down.”
David ran a large warm hand up and down her back. “You have nothing to apologize for, honey. Most people would have cracked long before you did.”
“David’s right, sweetheart.” Hank brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “You did what you had to do to survive. You kept yourself together and escaped. You’re a strong woman, Catalina Ball.”
Cat shook her head. “I don’t feel very strong.”
“Many people would have crumpled long before you did, honey,” David said. “Men included. You’re a survivor, Cat.”
She blinked back more tears, and while she knew she would always miss her parents, she knew that they wouldn’t want her to grieve them forever. A little more of the pain in her heart and soul dissipated, and she felt better than she had in a long time. She wondered if maybe her parents were watching over her from Heaven and had, in fact, guided her to be here in this place, with these men at this time.
Cat met each of their gazes again but this time as she looked into Hank’s, Barry’s, and David’s eyes she saw more than protection and determination to keep her safe. She saw solace, but underlying that was an emotion she couldn’t or wasn’t quite ready to define.
She had no idea where she found the courage to reach out and grab onto what was on offer, but once she moved, she couldn’t make herself stop. She palmed David’s cheeks, and although his muscles and body tensed underneath her, she wasn’t scared. In fact, for the first time in months she felt protected.
Cat moved her hands to David’s shoulders, relishing in the powerful strength beneath the tips of her fingers and the palms of her hands. She heard him draw in a deep breath, but when she caressed her hands to the back of his neck and he remained still, she knew he hadn’t yet exhaled. Her fingers felt cool on his warm skin and before she could get a hold of herself, she looked up into his heated green gaze.
She didn’t want to think anymore. She wanted to feel, to know that she was alive in a world that had been turned upside with horror, violence, and grief. She needed to feel something other than pain so badly, but she knew that no other man or men would be acceptable to her.
Cat tugged David’s head down, keeping their gazes locked to the last minute before shifting her eyes to his full manly lips. She didn’t stop to think about what she was doing, was tired of thinking. It was time to feel.
She breached the gap between his mouth and hers, his coffee-scented breath exploding from his lungs as his hands began to caress up and down her sides while he let her take the lead.
Cat wasn’t that experienced with men. The one boyfriend she’d kissed couldn’t be called experienced. Her parents had taught her to respect herself and her body, and while she’d been curious about sex, she’d wanted to hold out and make love for the first time with someone she loved. She wasn’t like the other women her age, going from man to man, bed to bed. There were so many reasons she’d refrained from having sex, and her health had been one of them. Sexually transmitted diseases were rife, and although condoms could prevent some of them from being passed on, she hadn’t been curious enough to give into the urges running rampant through her body. However, these three men were making her have second thoughts, and they seemed to have awakened her sexual hunger like no other man ever had. Just looking at them had her aching, wet, and feeling wanton, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to hold out with them. She was drawn to them so much sometimes she couldn’t think straight.
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