by Scarlet Day
Blake felt for a pulse at Jake’s neck. “It’s steady.”
Kate saw them exchange a glance, and they both nodded, and then they situated themselves to pick Jake up.
“Wait!” The brothers looked up at her startled yell. “Moving might hurt him more.” Kate knew enough about basic first aid to know that you weren’t supposed to move someone if there was a chance they had a back or neck injury.
“Kate, it’s more dangerous to leave him here than it is to move him.” Kate looked into Blake’s eyes, and she knew he wouldn’t do anything that would put Jake in more danger. She nodded and took Jake’s hand, refusing to let go of it as Jake was carefully lifted and carried out of the room.
When they made it to the living room, they laid Jake on the rug. Drake ran to the kitchen and came back with a large first aid kit, and then the brothers set about checking his vital signs. Blake grabbed a small penlight and flashed it in Jake’s eyes while Jake checked his blood pressure. Kate’s hands roamed his legs, checking for broken bones.
Blake ran his hand around the back of Jake’s head and stopped. “I think he may have a concussion. He’s got a pretty large bump back here.”
Drake sat back and blew out a breath. “It could have been a lot worse.”
“But he’s unconscious!” Kate was trying not to become hysterical. It wasn’t working. “What if he has a brain injury? What if he doesn’t wake up?” It was her mother all over again.
The sobs broke from her body in wrenching gasps. Blake pulled her into his lap. “Shhh, sweetheart. He’ll be fine. We’re not going to lose him. I promise you.”
“But…but…” She couldn’t get any words out. The tears and sobs made it impossible to talk.
“Look at me, Kate.” Blake’s hard voice made her look up. His eyes softened. “Our bodies heal very fast. There are very few things that will kill us. His neck isn’t broken, his heart is still beating, and he will be fine.”
Kate stared into his eyes for several moments. She could sense he really believed what he was telling her. He wasn’t just saying it to keep her from hysterics. Her cat, which had practically been clawing at her brain, started to relax. The rest of her slowly followed its example. She wiped her wet face with the back of her hand and took Jake’s hand again. Blake settled her on the floor next to Jake and stood up then went to his bedroom.
Kate couldn’t take her eyes off Jake. She was willing him to open his eyes and squeeze her hand. Anything. But all he did was lie there and breathe. Well, that was something, at least. She couldn’t imagine what she would do if she lost him or any of the brothers. How was it possible she had only known these men for a couple of days, and already she felt like they had been permanently stitched into her life?
She had closed herself off after her mom’s death. Her aunt had begged her to move back to Texas and stay with them, but her aunt reminded Kate too much of her mom, and she just couldn’t see her every day without breaking down. She missed her two cousins, who were really more like sisters to her, but she hadn’t even talked to them in over three months. Her cousins were twins, but everyone always assumed Kate was their triplet when they were together. They looked so much alike. Their birthdays were only a few weeks apart, which had made them seem even more like triplets growing up.
With her heart miraculously starting to feel again since meeting these men, she felt guilty for avoiding her family. She would make it a point to call them when things settled down.
Blake returned to the room, talking on his cell phone as he walked. “Yeah, he’ll be okay. I don’t know how long he’ll be out, though, and we may need reinforcements. Just come to the house instead of meeting us at the dock.”
There was a long pause before he continued. “No idea. Bring them just in case, and we’ll pack light. We’re hoping to get out of here before it comes to that.”
His eyes met Kate’s as he listened to whoever was on the other end. “Thanks. See you soon.”
He turned to Drake as he disconnected the call. “They’re leaving now. Shouldn’t take more than an hour or so.” Drake nodded and went to his room.
Kate looked at Blake. “Your cousins?”
“Yes. The storm has moved north of them, and they can get off the ground. It should be calmed down enough for them to land once they get here.”
“Wait. What do you mean land?” Kate didn’t like where this conversation was going.
Blake looked at her blankly for a second and then broke out that sexy grin that drove her crazy. “They’re flying, Kate. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of planes?”
“No.” She gulped. “Not big ones, anyway.”
He grinned down at her for a moment and then sat down on the floor next to her, leaning back against the sofa and stretching his long legs out in front of him. He took her free hand in his and twined their fingers together then brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers. “Trust me, sweetheart. I’ll take care of you.”
She looked into his eyes. He really would take care of her. “I know.” She shook her head. “As crazy as it is, I know.”
He slowly lowered his lips to hers, and her cat purred in contentment. His tongue brushed across her lips, and she eagerly parted them, wanting him to deepen the kiss. His tongue delved into her, and he unhurriedly explored her mouth. The sensuous slide of his tongue and the closeness of his hard body triggered Kate’s desire, and she felt her blood begin to heat.
She couldn’t believe her body was doing this again, now, after everything that had just happened. She refused to let the fire consume her. There was no way she was going to get it on with Blake while Jake was lying on the floor unconscious.
Blake broke the kiss and looked intently at her. She glanced at Jake and back to Blake. “He’ll be fine, sweetheart.”
“No.”
“You can’t control the mating fever, Kate. If we don’t take care of you now, it will get worse. Believe me, you do not want to be going through it on the plane.”
She gulped. She hadn’t thought of that. Good grief, what would she do if happened then? She looked back at Jake, and the guilt pressed down on her. She hardened her resolve. She would just have to deal with it. She gave Blake her most stern expression.
“No.”
Blake shook his head and narrowed his eyes at her. “You are a stubborn little kitten, aren’t you?”
Kate stuck her tongue out at him. His intense gaze zeroed in on it. “Be careful, or I might find a better use for that.”
Kate quickly pulled her tongue back in her mouth and gulped. She had no doubt Blake could think up some very wicked uses, indeed. That thought caused an extra flash of heat to course though her veins, which did not help her resolve to behave herself. She needed to get her mind off the maddening urge to climb all over Blake, and small talk seemed like her only available option right now.
“So…um…where are we going, anyway?”
Blake’s eyes narrowed, and she knew he was on to her little avoidance game. He shook his head again and pulled her closer to him so she could lean back against his chest.
“Our family owns a place down in the Keys. It’s secluded, and we’ll be able to protect you there. I think you’ll like it. It’s beautiful.”
“Palm Beach is the only part of Florida I’ve ever seen. I didn’t have time to do any sightseeing before my mom died, and after that…” Kate sighed, and Blake tightened his embrace. “After that, I just didn’t want to do anything at all. I’ve spent the last few months sitting in the condo staring at the beach and trying to go through Mom’s things.”
“I’m sorry, Kate. I really am. I wish I could take the pain away from you.”
“You already are.” She turned and looked into his eyes for a few moments, trying to figure out how to say what she needed to say.
“I don’t really know how to explain it. It’s not just the whole turning-into-a-panther thing, either.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Wow, that has got to go on my list of
top five things I never thought I’d say.”
Blake kissed her temple and nuzzled his face against hers. “I know this has all been hard for you, sweetheart, but you’ve handled everything remarkably well.”
“That’s just it, though. I should be freaking out after all this, but I’m not. I had stopped caring about everything, Blake. I don’t think I even knew how to live anymore. But you and Drake and Jake have opened up my heart again. Actually, in the last couple of days, I’ve felt better—more alive—than I’ve felt in a long time.”
She sighed and relaxed against Blake’s chest. She meant what she’d said. She had sat on the balcony of the condo and watched the world go by. People played, laughed, and enjoyed themselves. She wasn’t part of it. She had been letting life pass her by.
She thought it was ironic that, now that she finally felt like living, someone wanted her dead.
Chapter Twelve
Kate woke with a start and looked around in confusion. She was curled up on the floor next to Jake, with her arm draped across his chest. She was relieved to see the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, indicating he was still breathing.
Blake was on his way to the front door, which was being banged on by someone outside. Kate guessed that was what had woken her up. She watched in apprehension as Blake looked through the peephole and then opened the door.
Two enormous men walked through the door into the house. Kate stood and watched as Blake exchanged hugs and slaps on the back with them. The men were as big as Blake, and both had sandy-blond hair and blue eyes. She could see the family resemblance to the brothers in their facial features.
Once they were finished greeting Blake, the newcomers turned to Kate. Blake started to return to her side, but before he could get to her, the cousins rushed past him, and one of them grabbed her around the waist, swinging her around in a circle and laughing.
“About damn time someone settled these boys down!”
The other cousin nudged his way in and gave her a big—and noisy—kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to the family!”
Kate was so shocked she couldn’t get anything intelligent out. “Um…thanks.”
“What do you mean ‘settle us down’?” Drake had emerged from his room to join them. “From what we’ve heard, your younger brothers are the ones who need some settling. Besides, you two aren’t exactly fine examples of domestic life.”
Blake rolled his eyes and finally made it to Kate’s side, where he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close to him. “Kate, these two idiots are our cousins, Brad and Bryce Dawson. Guys, this is Kate Darby, our mate.” There was pride in Blake’s voice, but Kate could have sworn she blushed from the hair on her head down to her toes. To be introduced as the mate of three men was a little embarrassing. Oh hell, it was a lot embarrassing.
Bryce chuckled. “Yeah, about that…boy, your mom is thoroughly pissed off.”
“What?” Blake stiffened next to Kate. She felt like her heart had just dropped into her stomach. She didn’t want to cause any family fights. “She ought to be thrilled! She’s been complaining for years we haven’t found our mate.”
Bryce threw his hands up in a defensive position. “Hey, don’t blame me. It’s your own fault. She’s not mad about you finding Kate. In fact, she’s practically beside herself. I think she’s already sewing a bunch of baby blankets.”
If Kate hadn’t been blushing before, she knew she would be now. Being the mate of three men was awkward enough. She hadn’t even thought about babies.
“Well then, what’s the problem?” Drake was now standing on Kate’s other side and had wrapped his arm around her protectively.
Bryce huffed and crossed his arms across his chest. “The problem, cousins, is that she had to learn the news from us, rather than getting a phone call from her sons letting her know the good news.”
“Oh. Hadn’t thought of that. We’ve been a little, um, preoccupied.” Kate was so shocked to hear the meek tone coming from Blake that she almost burst out laughing. Almost.
Bryce punched Blake in the arm as he walked by him. “Yeah, well, believe me, the rest of us have heard plenty of it. You’ve got some serious sucking up to do.”
Bryce leaned down to Jake, looked in his eyes, and checked his pulse. Then he put his hand on his chest over his heart for a few moments. No one said anything, and Kate wondered what was going on. Finally, Bryce stood up. “He’s in a healing sleep. His pulse has slowed, so he should come out of it pretty soon.”
Kate was confused. She looked back and forth between Jake and Bryce. “How…? What…?”
“Bryce has a gift.” She turned to look at Blake as he spoke. “He can feel someone’s injuries.”
She looked back at Bryce in awe and then at Jake again. “Wow. So…he really is going to be okay?”
Bryce nodded. “Really. He’ll have one hell of a headache when he wakes up, but he’ll be as good as ever.”
Kate nodded and stared at Jake. She didn’t even realize she was crying until Blake reached up and wiped a tear that was falling down her cheek. She still didn’t understand how she could have these feelings for someone she had only known for a couple of days, but she knew without a doubt that her heart was quickly giving itself to these men. Her men. She had thought of them like that a couple of times before, but this time it felt different, and the thought struck her like a lightning bolt. She almost staggered under its power.
She looked up into Blake’s eyes and then to Drake before looking back down at Jake. These really were her men. Her cat growled its possessiveness, and Kate felt the rightness of it. Before she had an opportunity to examine her newfound conviction, the door burst open, and another man, who looked very much like Brad and Bryce but a little younger, poked his head in.
“Hate to break up the reunion, guys, but we’ve got company. We need to get her out of here, now.” He nodded toward Kate before withdrawing back outside.
Kate felt anxiety surge inside of her. She wondered if more panthers were out there or, worse, bears. Were they the ones who wanted her dead?
Her guys must have felt her fear, because they both tightened their hold on her. Drake pressed his lips to her ear. “We’ll get you out, darlin’. Promise.”
Bryce grabbed the backpacks that had been piled up and slung them over his back before opening the front door. Brad hoisted the still-unconscious Jake over his shoulders and headed outside. Drake brought Kate her shorts, which she quickly tugged on under Drake’s shirt. Blake and Drake ushered her to the door, flanking her on each side.
They walked outside and into a standoff. The man who had poked his head in the door and someone who looked just like him were standing protectively in front of the porch. Two other men were standing about twenty feet from them, facing the house. Kate’s cat growled warningly in her head. Whoever those other men were, her cat didn’t like them.
She heard a growl burst from Blake. “Get the hell off our land.”
“Give us the girl, and we’ll leave.” The man who spoke had black hair that hung down to his shoulders. He wasn’t quite as big as her men or the cousins, but she felt a deadly presence about him nonetheless.
Drake was the one who growled this time. “Not going to happen.”
The man chuckled, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “Well, well…it looks like the Taylor cats have found them a mate.” He sneered at Drake. “Too bad for you she has to die.”
A ferocious snarl erupted from Blake. “You’re not going to touch her.”
The man laughed his evil laugh again. “Your family couldn’t protect Jesse Landers. You can’t protect her either.”
Blake stepped in front of her. “And you’re not going to take on six of us.”
The black-haired man shrugged. “We’re just here to see if the rumor was true.” Shivers ran down Kate’s spine as his stare bored into her. Something about his eyes seemed to look into her, through her, like he could actually see inside her mind. He tilted his head to one side. “N
ow we know.”
Kate shuddered, feeling as though she’d just been violated somehow. Her cat yowled in her head, and she fought the dual urge to either fight or run. She tugged on the back of Blake’s shirt. “Please get me out of here. Now.”
Blake nodded and stayed in front of her while Drake pulled her off the porch and toward the side of the house. The cousins formed a protective wall around her, and they began moving away from the two strangers.
“You can’t hide her from us. She’s an abomination.” The menacing words made Kate’s urge to run grow.
Blake spun and growled at the man. “So are you.”
Kate was rushed around to the back of the house. She caught a quick look at the collapsed roof before her attention was drawn to a small lake behind the house. There was a small dock extending over the water and, to Kate’s horror, a small seaplane sitting in the water at the end of it. But between the fear of being in a small plane and staying here with the two men out front, she’d take her chances in the plane.
Kate was rushed onto the dock and helped into the plane, where she settled into one of the seats and quickly fastened her seat belt. Jake was placed on the floor at her feet, and the other guys took their own seats. Brad and Bryce took the pilot and copilot seats and immediately started up the engine. She was quickly introduced to Cash and Chase, the younger set of twins as they seated themselves in the seats behind the cockpit. Drake fastened himself into the seat facing Kate. When Brad piloted the plane away from the dock and turned its nose toward the longest portion of the lake, Kate’s apprehension resurfaced.
Blake was seated next to her, and he took her hand in his. It seemed as if she could actually feel a calming essence flowing from him and spreading through her own mind. She looked up at him questioningly, and he smiled his sexy grin she loved so much.
“Can you feel it, sweetheart?”
“You’re really doing that?” He nodded at her question. “How?”
