Julio had to give the man kudos. He had balls of steel or he was just plain stupid with a death wish. Considering the state of undress he and his brothers found him in, Julio was going with dumber than a box of rocks with a death wish. Though he had to give it to his sister. She’d managed to pick three men who were, by the looks of them, all evenly matched. If this conversation went south, there would be no winner, just a bunch of cuts and broken bones and one highly pissed-off sister. Julio needed to proceed with caution, because when his sister got upset that meant his mother got angry, and that was not a duo he wanted to tango with. Nope, his father taught him well, happy mother…live forever!
“Our sister is too good for you,” Julio said, standing his ground.
“You’re right about that, Julio. We don’t deserve her. We’re nothing but a bunch of grease monkeys, but we love her, and she loves us. All we want is to cherish her as I am sure you and your brothers do. It would be a lot easier on all of us if we could come to an understanding and learn to like each other. But I meant what I said, you make Vanessa doubt her relationship or shed one tear, and I will break every bone in your body.”
“Agreed, but the same goes for you and your friends. Our sister cries, you all die,” Julio stated firmly.
Nodding, Peter extended his hand and said, “Agreed.”
Julio waited for what felt like forever, just testing the man before him. Not that seeing him squirm for a few minutes wasn’t fun, but eventually, Julio looked him in the eye, extended his hand, and shook. Clapping Peter on the back, Julio grinned at the wince of pain he inflicted, and said, “Now, where can we find a cold drink and a good woman?”
Chapter Two
River Trinity slammed the door to her beat-up old Dodge pick-up, looked up at the blinking neon lights of the Rawhide Bar, and smiled. Oh, she really needed this. After the week she had, all she wanted was an ice-cold beer and maybe someone to help her warm her bed tonight. That is, if he could handle her exquisite tastes. She thought, living in Celestial and being so close to Treasure Cove, that it shouldn’t bother a man to give into her secular desires. However, trying to find a man to pick up a whip, or his hand for that matter, to spank her ass was harder than it looked. After a while, she had come to the conclusion that all the good men were taken, and all that was left were pansies and pussies.
Whatever happened to the good ole boys? The ones who took charge, not only in life but in the bedroom, she wondered, heading toward the bar. She’d give anything to find a strong man with firm beliefs that when the lights were out, she was his to do with in any which way he desired. Yet every time she tried to put herself out there, all she got were soft, fluffy men who liked to take things slow and gentle. If she wanted moonlight and roses, she would put on a dress and parade around like a fainting flower, waiting for some manly man to rescue her. River shivered at that thought, and then chuckled as she walked into the club.
River smiled as the smell of stale beer and smoke assaulted her senses. The loud music blaring through the speakers drummed in her ears as patrons laughed, danced, and talked amongst themselves. Heading toward the bar, she found an empty stool and sat, ignoring the lustful looks of the men she passed. This wasn’t her first time in a club, and it certainly wouldn’t be her last. Immune to the human surroundings, she knew they wouldn’t approach her in fear of bodily harm. It wasn’t that she didn’t mind good company, it was the octopus hands and lame one-liners she could do without.
She had dealt with her fair share of overzealous, stubborn, smart-mouthed men who thought their way was godsend. Her mere purpose was to service their every need with a smile on her face. Her last boyfriend was the king of jackasses, and someone she refused to think about a moment more. Regardless of the anger she currently felt, she chose to ignore everyone around her and try to have a little fun. It had been ages, and she was not opposed to doing it all by herself.
“Hey, River, what can I get you?” Curt Williams asked.
One of the three owners of the Rawhide Bar, Curt was the youngest. His older brothers, Adam and Ben, all owned the only bar in Treasure Cove. The Rawhide was a nice place, clean, with a good atmosphere. On the occasion, the club had its shenanigans, but that was where the brothers came in. Large, muscled, and with a take-no-shit attitude, the Williams brothers ran their club with an iron fist, and they had the strength to back it up. No one knew where they were from and no one really cared. Like some residents, the brothers just showed up one day and planted roots. They were honest men with a good work ethic and as far as River knew, they caused no trouble, and she liked them.
“Whatever you have on tap.” River smiled, popping a few bar nuts into her mouth. Within seconds, Curt placed a glass of beer before her. Taking a sip, River sighed as the tasty yeast brew slowly moved down her throat. God, she loved beer. There was something about the cold drink that relaxed her. Of course, something else would relax her even better, but looking around the club, the pickings were slim, and she really wasn’t in the mood.
“So how’s the building going?” Curt asked, leaning against the bar in front of her.
“Good. The city council signed off on the permits. Now, it’s just gathering up my crew, where ever they are, and putting their asses back to work.”
“How long do you think it will take you to get the library up and running?”
“About three or four months or so,” she replied after another sip. “The town council was extremely particular about the build and the historical society wants it as accurate as possible. They’re going to be a pain in my ass, but nothing I’m not used to.”
“I hear that someone bought the land and is funding the rebuild.”
“I heard that, too. Apparently it’s an outsider. A Mr. Summerfield, whoever he is, is getting around town faster than Macie’s new waitress, Poppy.”
When Curt blushed and looked away, River knew that Poppy had popped Curt a few times. “That good?”
“Better. I think I’m in love, River. Poppy is amazing, and all those rumors about her sleeping around, they’re not real. She’s been with me for the last month.”
“Sweetie, if she makes you happy, that’s all that matters.” She smiled, then added, saucily handing Curt her empty beer glass, “You know what would make me feel better?”
Before Curt could answer, River heard a voice behind her say, “How about nice long roll in the hay with the man of your dreams?”
A shiver of unease trembled down her spine. Turning slowly, River didn’t know what to expect, but she knew she was about to kick some ass. The good-looking man behind her shouldn’t have surprised her. He was blond, gorgeous, and being a total prick. Men like him always got her gander up, and like all the times before, the devilishly good-looking man before her had her warning bells ringing faster than a tornado siren. A man may be a gift from the heavens, but when he was smug and rude, she had no sympathy for how his night was about to end.
Grumbling, River turned back around, smiling at Curt as he placed a fresh beer before her. This was what pissed her off to no end. No single woman could come into a bar and just have a drink. No, it didn’t matter where she went, as soon as she sat down, the dogs in heat hounded her mercilessly. God, she wasn’t really in the mood for this shit.
“Don’t be that way, baby, I’ll be the best sex you ever had. Everyone says I’m the best.”
Chuckling, River looked at Curt and said, “Did you hear that, Curt? The best sex I ever had. He says he’s the best.”
“That’s what he said.” Curt grinned, leaning toward her with a beer in his hands.
“Now all he needs is a partner.” River laughed.
“I heard about you,” the man said, getting snippy. “Charity said you were a prude.”
Ignoring the jab, River took a drink and then said, “Charity spread a rumor about me?”
“That’s odd. Aren’t you and Charity good friends?” Curt asked.
River winked, then nodded at Curt before she replied to the jacka
ss behind her. “Well, at least she spread something other than her legs this time.” River didn’t move quick enough before Curt spat his beer across the bar and started choking. River leaned over the bar and patted him on his back. “Damn, Curt, you okay?”
Coughing, Curt nodded. “That was just mean, River, funny as hell, but mean.”
“Naw, that was actually nice. I saw Charity the other night, fawning all over Zeus and Hades. That woman has no scruples. But, then again, neither do I. Us Celestial girls tend to go after what we want. Unlike some men who hide behind lame pick-up lines and get disgruntled when they don’t get their way.”
“Is there a problem here?” a deep, husky voice said.
Fuck a jalapeño on a stick! What is it tonight? Am I wearing fuck-me-I’m-a-slut perfume? River thought to herself, and sighed. Tonight was not her night. All she wanted was a cold beer, and maybe, if the mood suited her, a good roll in the hay. However, after looking around the club, she was perfectly content with her cold beer.
Having about enough of this shit, she rounded on the new man and gasped. River didn’t know what to expect, but she knew she was about to kick some ass. That was, until she faced three of the largest men she had ever seen. All tall, standing about six foot six, wearing black T-shirts that looked painted on against their bulging muscles and tight stomachs. Her nether region wept, and her stomach flew away. Her breath ceased, and her heart stopped.
Dear Goddess in the cosmos, thank you, thank you, and thank you!
“Fuck off, asshole. I found her first,” the pretty boy said, pushing the newcomer. When the large hulking man didn’t move, and only growled, the one on his right stepped forward and asked her, “Is this man bothering you, ma’am? Please say yes.”
He, too, was huge, with his arms crossed over his massive chest. River wondered how he could do that, with his arms bigger than battering rams. Of course, the two men with him were just as big, and they looked dangerous. Their short, buzz-cut hair and their profound Southern accents let River know that they were not from around here. They were just simple strangers passing in the night, with devilish good looks and thoughts of hot sexual nights illuminating in their eyes. River looked each of the new men over, not missing a single detail. When she stopped at the juncture between their legs, she slowly licked her lips and smiled. Closing her eyes, she quickly gave thanks to the penis God and vowed never to curse him again.
“She’s mine!” the blond playboy shouted.
River rolled her eyes in frustration. Why couldn’t she just be left alone? Instead, everywhere she went she was perused by some of the world’s most unsavory, egotistical, and horny bastards on the planet. Looking at the pathetic excuse for a man, she stood up, only coming up to his chest. Her lack of height never stopped her, and she refused to allow the piece of shit before her to mess up her night anymore. “Oh, sugar, did you think you were gonna get some tonight?”
When the blond jerk smiled triumphantly, River wanted to vomit. Instead, she batted her eyelashes coyly and waited. She didn’t have to wait long.
“Oh, beautiful, I’m gonna fuck you so hard, you’ll dream of me forever.”
“That’s so sweet,” River said seductively as she lightly traced her finger down his chest. Huskily, she purred, moving closer to the man. She grabbed his cock, squeezed hard, and then said, “Baby, if I wanted someone like you in my bed, I’d buy a neutered dog.”
River knew it was a crapshoot to spout off to a man twice the size of her. It could go either way. The man would either take the hint or get violent. Well, this time the dice weren’t in her favor. Before she could remove herself, the asshole reached back and slapped her hard across the face, knocking her to the ground. It was nothing new for her to get into fights. Hell, she couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t fighting someone for something. However, all bets were off when it was a man.
Anger boiled up inside her. By the time she made it to her feet, the jerk was lying under one of the men, who was systematically beating him to a pulp. Strong arms wrapped around her waist. Before she could say another word, she found herself sitting at the bar, staring at the darkest set of chocolate eyes she had ever seen. Her cheek throbbed as if a fast-moving brick had collided with her face. She only knew how that felt because it actually happened before out on a construction site. But there was something different about this. This time it wasn’t a brick but a man.
Raised in Celestial, with a loving family and supportive community, it was almost unheard of for a man to strike a woman. Oh, River knew it happened, but there was something significantly different from fighting on the school playground with a bully and going up against a full-grown man who had the capability of snapping her like a twig. The more her cheek hurt, the angrier she got. She tried to move from the spot on the bar, but the strong hands from one of the handsome hunks were holding her steady. “Hold on there, River, let me see what kind of damage that asshole did,” the sweet, husky voice said. “I had a feeling when I first spotted you that you’d be trouble.”
“Sucks being right all the time, huh, professor?” River grumbled, trying to get a look at what was going on on the ground before her.
“Yeah, it does.” The man sighed, but kept attending to her cheek. “By the way, I’m Victor. That mountain on the floor pummeling that jerk is my brother Miguel. The one making sure it stays fair is Julio. So, explain to me, why did you provoke that man?”
“You were there. You heard him,” River stated firmly.
“Yes, I was, but what I heard and what I saw were two different things.”
“Enlighten me then, professor, because the way I saw it the jackass had it coming.”
“Yes ma’am he did. But that man was twice your size. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that kittens aren’t supposed to play with dogs?”
“Well, this kitten has claws,” River grumbled.
“Yes you certainly do,” Victor smiled.
River grinned when Victor smiled at her. Something about his shy smile did something to her insides. Victor may be built for battle, but the man was a true softy at heart. If she didn’t know any better, she would swear that man preferred love to violence, and since he wasn’t the one pounding on the jerk, she chose to believe that her assumptions were correct. She liked that some men abhorred violence, and the more Victor tended to her cheek, the more she liked him. He was attentive, caring, and gentle. That said a lot, considering his build. Looks were deceiving, and she loved that she could still be proven wrong. “Well, I think you’re going to be all right. Maybe a little bruised, but I have a feeling it’s nothing that you’re not used to. What do you say about me buying you another beer, while Julio calls off the bruiser before we have to bail him out of jail again,” Victor said, looking at his brother.
The large man didn’t say anything. He just nodded, and then whistled loudly, halting Miguel mid-punch. Before River could blink, Victor swept her up into his strong arms and carried over to one of the tables. He gently placed her on one of the seats and then sat down next to her. Making herself comfortable, River soon found herself surrounded by all three men, each looking at her as if she were a sweet morsel, and they wanted a taste. She really didn’t know what to think of them, but she knew what she wanted to do to them. Her body was singing acapella, and the men before her were the perfect rhythm.
Curt walked over, placing a fresh pitcher of beer on the table. He knelt before her and asked, “You okay, River?”
“Yeah, I’m all right. Guess I let my mouth run away again,” she replied kindly, taking a sip of the cold beverage.
“Think you’ll ever learn?” Curt chuckled.
“Nope, who would recognize me if I started behaving?”
“Guess you’re right. Well, I better get back to the bar.” Curt smiled, getting to his feet, then looked at the men at the table surrounding her. “You guys better be careful. She’s a handful.”
“We can handle her,” the one named Julio spoke first.
River smile
d and said, “You must be the funny one.”
* * * *
Vanessa kept her eyes forward as Brice silently drove. When the night started, she never thought for one second that it would end up with him and his friends professing their love. Or her nosey brothers interrupting what was one of the best nights of her life. Nope, all she had planned on doing was soaking in her new tub and trying to get a good night’s rest. Instead, her world tilted and now she was heading to a home that wasn’t hers.
She wasn’t complaining. Well, maybe just a little bit.
Her brothers were idiots. She prayed that Peter and Carter didn’t rile them too much. Her brothers could be overbearing and a little on the stupid side when it came to her and their mother. For some reason, when their father passed, her brothers felt it was their duty, their responsibility, to take control of the women of the family, much to the annoyance of her and her mother. Nevertheless, Vanessa loved her brothers and enjoyed them when they were around, but she didn’t like the idea of them being in Treasure Cove unannounced.
Why were they here anyway? she thought as the fields rolled past. The night was dark, and there was little light, thanks to the cloud cover. She had seen the blackness before, but nothing would ever compare to the three nights she spent hunkered down in a ditch in Southern Afghanistan, slowly bleeding to death. That evening was dark.
Sighing, she turned and looked over at the man driving and smiled. Brice Venter was a bear of a man, but with the gentlest heart imaginable. She imagined, if riled, Brice could seriously hurt someone, yet would feel guilty afterward. He was just a big teddy bear, her teddy bear. Thinking of anything to break the silence, she asked, “How’s Colby?”
Brice chuckled. “He’s okay. Nothing a couple of gallons of calamine lotion and several oatmeal baths won’t cure.”
Her Dirty Doms [The Men of Treasure Cove 13] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2
