by Jayne Rylon
“Jesus.” Matt scoped out the droplets raining from her. “Stop jerking her around. It’s her arm. You’re making it worse.”
Story of their lives, really. She almost—though not quite—laughed.
“How bad is it?” The pale cast to Clint’s face had her wondering if he would drop her. He never flinched.
“Why are you asking me?” Matt shrugged and looked to her. “She’s the nurse.”
That he trusted her, even in these circumstances, meant a lot to Jambrea. Forcing herself to be objective, she peeked down at the laceration, visible through a tear in the robe. Relief flooded her even as the numbness granted by shock began to wear off. “It’s not horrible. Going to need stitches though. And it’d be good if you could help me elevate it and increase the pressure.”
Matt scooped her into his tree-trunk arms. Clint whipped off his T-shirt and wrapped it around her upper arm. He helped her lift it and banded his hands around the impact area. She tried not to ogle his bare chest and the sleeve of tattoos she admired. For the distraction factor, she allowed herself a glimpse or two. Damn him.
“Son of a bitch,” Matt grumbled as he and Clint took off in unison, jogging side by side. “Can we transport you or should we wait for an ambulance? Hanging around here doesn’t sit well with my gut.”
“As long as we’re not going far.” She yelped as they swerved toward their truck. Sprinting, they covered the open area in a quasi-crouch before she quite realized what they intended.
“How about to Mason, Tyler and Lacey’s house? It’s closer and more protected than the hospital.” Matt looked to her as he jammed the key in the ignition and whipped his truck from the parking spot. He’d already merged onto the street and floored it through a yellow light by the time she confirmed that would be fine.
Clint pressed his fingers over hers once more, stemming the blood flow while he hauled his phone out with his free hand. “JRad, change of plans. Jambi’s got a flesh wound. Upper arm. Left. We’re taking her to Mason. Call Lacey. Have her ready, please?”
A pause.
“It’s not your fault. It’s ours. We shouldn’t have taken the coward’s way. Let’s get Jambi cleaned up, then we can figure out the rest. She’ll be safe there for now. In a few hours, we’ll relocate. When we have a plan. Thanks, JRad. Keep your Lily close. You’ll meet us there as soon as possible, right?”
Another pause.
“Of course we want you both there. You’re still one of the Men in Blue, aren’t you?” Clint ignored Matt’s cursing to make sure Jeremy understood. “You couldn’t have known anyone was out there. The rest is on us. Unless you think we’re putting you in danger, get your ass to Mason and Tyler’s place. With Lily. See you soon.”
Jambrea tipped her head way back so she could meet Clint’s worried gaze. “Do you think he’s going to be okay?”
“Yeah. Lily will whip him into shape. Actually it might have to be him that does the spanking. I could hear her crying in the background.” He snuck in a caress over her wrist and the tattoo there. She hadn’t realized he’d noticed it before. “Quit worrying about everyone else for a change, wild thing. You’re most important.”
“Don’t call me that. And…it’s nothing.” Well, it felt like something, but the technician in her knew she’d survive just fine. “Skin and bones are a hell of a lot more durable than hearts and souls.”
“You can tell JRad that yourself in a bit.” Matt cleared his throat. “I’m sorry we fucked up tonight. The look on your face before you split. Shit. You didn’t seem half as hurt when you got shot. I know how badass you are. And we managed to crack your armor. We really screwed this all up, didn’t we?”
“Yep.” She wasn’t about to argue.
“What can we do?” Clint tried to jump in.
“Haven’t the two of you done enough?” Suddenly exhausted, she slumped against the seat. “Just shut up and don’t remind me of what an idiot I was. Ever again. We’ll be there in a few minutes, and then you can go. Leave me to Lacey. She’s damn fine at her job.”
“That’s not…” Matt began.
“You asked. That’s my answer.” She snipped at them to help her ignore the throbbing starting in her shoulder. “Zip it. Now.”
For once, they actually listened.
Sick as it made her, she missed the sound of their arguments.
Fortunately, before she could really start to pout, they pulled into the wooded drive of her fellow nurse’s home. She’d known Lacey for years. They’d gone through a hell of a lot together, including the murder of Lacey’s brother Rob. A broken heart was nothing compared to that.
“Put me down.” Jambrea squirmed out of reach when Clint attempted to haul her from the mammoth vehicle. Lacey, Tyler and Mason jogged down the steps of their newish house to meet them.
She was thankful for Tyler’s subtle steadying hand on her uninjured elbow when the ground turned a little wavy. Accepting help from their neutral friend was much easier than relying on the sneaky bastards who’d carted her here. She went willingly into his arms. “Come on, Jambi. Let’s get you upstairs so you can lie down and let Lacey work her magic.”
“Get her some juice and a cookie or two if she can stomach them.” Lacey directed Matt toward the kitchen as she wrapped an arm around Jambrea’s waist. If any of them noticed her strange attire, they didn’t bother to comment.
Probably everyone had been in on tonight’s fiasco except her. The idea made her snarl at Clint, who attempted to follow them. “Stay away.”
“But…” He attempted to persuade her into allowing his tender faux-caring at her bedside.
“No. Don’t rile her up any more than you obviously already have.” Lacey cut that shit out immediately. “This isn’t the time. Her arm doesn’t look too awful. Still, it’s bad enough. She needs to stay quiet and keep her heart rate and blood pressure down.”
“I’m sorry.” He stopped instantly when he heard he put her at risk. If only he’d had the grace to do that before he’d screwed with her affection, and her body. He stared into her eyes when she peeked over her shoulder and she wondered about the extent of his apology.
“JRad is on his way. Razor too. He said Ellie, Lucas, Ben and Ryan were over there watching movies. Probably going to be a full house soon. Why don’t you guys start a list of all our favorite perps including those who’ve been sprung lately?” Tyler didn’t stop his progress toward the guest room.
Almost there now. She could make it.
From down the hall, Clint promised, “I’ll find out who did this, Jambi. You won’t be hurt because of us again.”
His vow trailed off as Tyler shut the door. The moment she was safe behind the barrier she collapsed, sobbing. Or would have if Tyler hadn’t carried her the last ten feet to the bed.
“There you go, don’t worry about him now. Matt either. You can figure out what to do about them when you’re in fighting form.” The sensitive guy always had a knack for reading people’s feelings. He’d know it wasn’t her arm causing all this agony.
“I don’t want to ruin your comforter.” Jambrea tried to resist, but he helped her sit on the cheery yellow linens anyway.
“Mind if we lose this robe?” Lacey nudged the fabric from her shoulder.
“What’s the point now? I think everyone’s seen my goods.” She tried to laugh. Instead, tears dribbled out of the corners of her eyes.
“That’s some fine merchandise, if you don’t mind me saying.” Tyler scanned her with a friendly yet assessing stare. And hell if it didn’t seem like he was serious.
Lacey smacked him on the ass. “If I were the jealous type I might not appreciate that, husband of mine.”
“Well, you’ve got two guys. Maybe I should get to check out two girls.” He shrugged as he swung his stare toward the woman he adored. No contest. The green heated up when he saw her imitation ire.
“How about you hand me some towels and a garbage bag instead? I’ll lay her down on them and the comforter will be plen
ty protected. The bleeding is mostly stopped now. You’re doing good, Jambi.” She strode to the restroom, washed her hands thoroughly and grabbed the supply kit she kept there. It wasn’t the first time she’d had to patch one of their friends. “I’ve got some topical anesthetic in here. I’ll clean you up and we’ll see how much is burn. Pretty sure a handful of stitches will take care of it.”
“I trust you.” Jambrea smiled up at her friend, and it was true. Not that she’d wish it on any of the Men in Blue, but if she had to return to a war zone, she knew who she’d want at her back. Hell, the hospital was pretty much as crazy as that deployment had been some days.
“So why don’t you tell me about the rest to take your mind off this. It’s gonna sting like a bitch.” Lacey got to work as soon as Tyler spread out the items he’d gathered. The tall, charming guy took Jambrea’s hand and she didn’t try to shake it off.
“It’s embarrassing.” She scrunched her eyes shut, and not because of the needles of pain that even Lacey’s deft touch couldn’t avoid creating. “Horrifying, really.”
“Worse than getting shot?” Tyler laughed. “Come on. It’s not like you to be dramatic.”
“I had sex with Matt and Clint.” She sighed. Why had it been so damn good?
“About time,” Lacey muttered.
Before Jambrea could correct her friend, she heard a squeak of a floorboard to their left.
“Um… I wasn’t eavesdropping, that was just a bad time to come in unannounced.” Izzy stood at the bedroom door, rubbing her distended belly. “Sorry, should have knocked. I can go downstairs.”
“Don’t bother.” Jambrea waved her off, then winced at the resulting sting. “It’s not like anyone can keep a secret around here. Especially not your sister, that bitch.”
“What?” Izzy came closer. She tucked onto the mattress beside Jambrea, opposite of Lacey since blood kind of freaked her out. Or maybe she simply hadn’t built up a tolerance to gore like the nurses had to in order to survive. The pixie rested her head on Jambrea’s shoulder and squeezed her tight. “What does Lily have to do with this?”
“I asked her to hook me up with a couple of guys at the club…”
The door squeaked again and Lily joined them. What was this, Grand Central Station?
“And I fucked up big time. I swear, Jambs, I interviewed a bunch of couples. But none fit you like Matt and Clint. I know how much you wanted them and they were down too. I thought if you could get past all your hang-ups you could work things out. I see now how that might have been a really, really bad idea. Forgive me?”
Lily joined them, crawling onto the foot of the bed, still encased in her leather garb.
Though Jambrea would like to give the Mistress a flogging of her own, she wasn’t really pissed. Deep down, the woman had done what she thought best. “Look, I know you all think that Matt, Clint and I are a perfect match. But obviously they don’t. Or they wouldn’t have waited for some arranged hookup to screw me. They wouldn’t have needed that out. So can we forget any of this ever happened and move on? I’ve wasted too long on something that’s never going to work.”
“But was it good?” Tyler asked, seriously. “Because you have chemistry. I can see it. The rest can be fixed. If you want it bad enough.”
“Fuck. Yes.” She winced more from the admission than Lacey’s light needlework.
“Jambi, why does it sound like you’re not happy? We’ve all been rooting for you three to get together.” Lacey hugged her gently, offering what comfort she could as she clipped the thread and moved on to bandaging the wound. Next she attended to the myriad scrapes dotting Jambrea’s front. “I’m not sure why this took so long, honestly.”
“Because they’re dumbasses.” Jambrea didn’t hold back.
“Gotta point there.” Razor nodded as he came in and stood near his fiancée and their unborn baby. “And they’re probably about two seconds behind me. JRad and the rest of the gang too.”
“Perfect.” Jambrea wished she could close her eyes and drift off. Even if the ruckus hadn’t been enough to keep her conscious, the tenderness setting in would have. Plus, she really wanted to hear about who they thought had done this.
None of their group would be secure until they figured that out.
“I can’t believe they waited forever to act on the sparks between you all. Why waste time? All of us know you only get so much before it’s too late.” Izzy might have been the littlest, but she was tenacious. They’d all done a lot of living in the past year or two.
“Hell, I didn’t even know it was them. Your sister blindfolded me. It could have been any two guys fucking me for all I knew or cared.” She tried to blow off the impact of their union, but inside something shattered, cutting her to pieces.
“The hell it could’ve.” Matt didn’t usually get riled like that. Thunderclouds brewed in his gaze. As soon as he noticed that Lacey had fixed her up pretty good, he continued, “I admit we should have done things differently. But blindfolded or not, some part of you knew it was us. Didn’t you?”
She didn’t answer right away.
“Don’t lie, wild thing.” Clint stood shoulder to shoulder with his partner, making it difficult for Lucas, Ellie, Ben and Ryan to fill up the last of the free space in the room.
“Jesus. Could this be any more mortifying?” She would have buried her face in the pillows, but Izzy, Lacey and Lily had her surrounded in an infinite group hug. “Does everyone need the details on my pathetic sex life?”
“No.” JRad saved her. He put one hand on his wife’s shoulder though he didn’t take his stare from Jambrea. “We need to know anything that will help us figure out who shot at you and why, though. Can you think of anyone who would be pissed that you’d go to the club?”
Jambrea shook her head. “No one in my life would give a shit. Other than Parker, I only have you guys.”
More heat flooded her cheeks.
“Same for a bunch of us.” Lily patted her shin. “It’s the family you choose that counts. But you’re right, none of us mind if you want to flash your freaky side. Indulging at the club is your business.”
“Speaking of…” Matt took his shirt off this time. With both him and Clint naked from the waist up, Jambrea felt her pulse spike. Not helping.
Especially because his cover up attempt—as he clearly intended to drape the material over her—only highlighted the marks they’d left on her and revealed her handiwork. They all got a good look at the scratches she inflicted.
Razor whistled. “Nice job. I think I see why they’re calling you wild thing.”
“It’s because of her tattoo, asshole.” Matt whapped the youngest of their cop brothers upside the head with the lightweight cotton before stalking closer to her and holding it out. He helped her thread first her head then her good arm and finally the bad one through the holes. She swam in the damn thing, but it was better than flashing them all any longer than she had to.
“Sure, sure.” Razor winked at her.
“Knock it off.” Clint growled at the kid. “Why don’t you take a nap, Jambrea? I’ll stay if you’ll let me, but I get it if you’d rather one of the girls keep you company instead. We need to compile the list of people we’ve pissed off and then, when you’ve rested, we’ll go get your things. You’re staying with us until this is resolved.”
“Do you think just because you both fucked me, you get to boss me around?” Jambrea propped her hands on her hips despite the sting in her muscles.
“Holy shit. It’s a trap. Don’t say yes.” Razor took a whap from Lucas’s cane for that one though Ellie giggled a little in the corner. The light titter was enough to make it worth it. Jambrea hadn’t heard her that relaxed since the Men in Blue had rescued her from Morselli.
“You’d rather stay alone in your apartment when there are crazy people on the loose?” Matt crossed his arms. Nothing could get past that broad expanse of chest. The one she’d lounged on so recently. Shit.
Psychos taking pot shots or
certain death by sexual frustration.
She couldn’t say which would lead to a more hideous demise.
“I think it might be best to lock the three of you alone somewhere until you sort all this out anyway.” Mason looked to Tyler and then to Lacey. “I can’t say we were much better than you guys, but hell, don’t throw away years. We could have had so much more, if only I would have admitted…”
“Your dad made sure you couldn’t.” Tyler hugged his partner. Tears sheened Lacey’s eyes. “No sense in second guessing. We’re all who we are now because of what happened. No one will ever break us apart.”
Jambrea wished she could say the same. She peeked up at Matt then Clint to find them both staring at her. Clint rubbed his fingers over her skipping pulse, conveniently across her matching no regrets mantra. Damn them.
“Fine. But I’m not going anywhere without Parker. He’ll be hungry.” She wouldn’t budge on that point. “Give me a little while and then I’ll go with you. We’ll pick up my things and his travel bowl.”
“You’re worried about the stupid fish again, seriously?” Matt let his head bang on the wall beside him. “Someone tried to kill you tonight. Came too fucking close. Going to your apartment is crazy. Can’t we send one of the guys over instead?”
“He’s not just a goldfish. And he’s not dumb.” Jambrea knew it was ridiculous, but she crossed her arms, gasping as her wound scraped against the dressing Lacey had fashioned.
“You’ve got to learn to take what you can get, boys.” Lily patted Clint’s tight ass. “There is such a thing as compromise. If you’re each stuck in your corners, demanding all or nothing, you’ll only ever have three discreet points. Come together, just a bit, and you can draw a triangle, where you each get what you need.”
No one bothered to argue with the relationship expert.
Besides, fighting took too much energy.
“I could use a nap too.” Izzy volunteered. “Why don’t you all go brainstorm and come get us when you’re ready to head over to Jambi’s place? The rest of our guys can watch your back while you collect your stuff.”
