It was all over for four of Trouble’s founding fathers.
Chapter Two
“Who’s on the other side of the glass?” Ellie pushed her head forward like a little duckling might. She then narrowed her eyes as if she thought squinting would help.
Ryan watched Allister in his periphery. He sat erect with his hands on his knees. He looked as if he were ready to crash through that glass at any given moment. Ryan nudged Derek and tilted his head at Allister. “He needs to stay on this side of the window until we hear and see what we need to.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Allister never looked their way. “If anyone can get the truth out of her, Draegan can. Until he does, the last thing we need to do is show our faces. She sees us and she’ll swear we did something to lure her here.”
“He’s right,” Derek grumbled, acting far too suspicious. He hadn’t seemed too surprised to see her and Ryan wondered why.
“When it comes to Ellie, I’m seldom wrong,” Allister said, his sorrowful expression never changing.
Ryan wouldn’t argue there. Allister and Ellie had always had this odd connection. Soon after Allister entered the observation room, she made the first inquiry. She wanted to know who was on the other side of the glass. It was as if the little darling had sensed Allister there, perhaps felt his presence in some way. If her question didn’t prove the fact, the way her body language changed certainly suggested she and Allister shared some kind of supernatural bond.
Even after a couple of years, the link between them still existed.
Allister stood up and placed his palms to the glass. He looked like one of those hardened Navy SEALs that had trained them. His biceps flexed and he turned his head to the side, watching them from the corner of his eye. “Did he do that to her?”
“Yeah,” Derek replied.
The swell of her cheek, the blood on her shirt, and her split lip had been Ryan’s undoing, too. “He’ll get his, Allister. When he least expects us, Denny will know what it means to be on the receiving end of a few thrown punches.”
Allister nodded slowly, clearly making arrangements in his mind, plotting and planning the kind of retribution an abuser deserved. Two years ago, they’d tried to tell her. They’d had one shot, one glorious weekend, with beauty’s best and what had they done?
They’d spent it fucking instead of spending their time more productively. Like young men often will, they screwed away their weekend, enjoying the woman who was theirs to have—if only for a little while—when they should’ve been marking down their intentions, listing them out one by one.
Allister had warned them. They could enjoy Ellie for a short time but unless they told her how they felt, they would lose her come Sunday.
And sure enough, Allister’s predictions had come true.
They’d all known Ellie was making a mistake when she left their beds and ran back to her high school sweetheart. They’d enjoyed a reckless weekend in the mountains, a good time rafting, camping, and seeing the sights in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The weekend came and went and by Wednesday the following week, Denny had proposed to Ellie and the big news had funneled through the East Tennessee pipelines and landed at their feet without any explanation.
When Ryan had finally caught up to her, she’d confirmed three facts. Denny had proposed. She’d accepted. They were getting married.
“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Draegan asked, dragging Ryan from the past with the kind of question guaranteed to dig it all up again.
“There is no beginning. There’s just an always. Want me to start there?”
“Are you telling me your husband abused you even before you married him?”
“No,” Ellie replied, resting her thumb on her bottom lip.
“Then why don’t you explain ‘the always’ bit.”
“We were meant to be,” she said, a sinister giggle following her statement. “Can you believe that?” She ran her fingers around the rim of her coffee cup, clearly in deep thought. “Mom and Dad were friends with Denny’s parents. Dad and Mr. Marshall always thought we’d make a great pair. Truth told, the Marshalls wanted rid of him. Denny abused them just as much as he abused me. It started out with temper tantrums, flare-ups is what his mother called them.”
“Was he bipolar?”
“No. Denny had psychological evaluations throughout life. They checked him for bipolar, anger issues, social anxiety, narcissistic behavior patterns, you name it.” Her face was devoid of all emotion when she added, “Truth is, Denny was possessed.”
“You think he’s possessed?” Draegan never cracked a smile.
“I didn’t say I ‘think’ he is. I know he is. He could pick up a gun, kill me, wash the blood off his hands, have a wonderful meal with his parents in a public place, and then bed a few whores before four the next afternoon.”
“Chilling,” Derek said, shifting in his seat.
“Might be chilling, but it’s true.” Allister reclaimed his chair.
“Do you remember Denny the way she just described him?” Ryan asked.
“Yes,” Allister replied, looking straight ahead.
“When did the abuse start?” Draegan put his pen down and leaned back in his chair.
“Why does any of this matter?” Her elevated voice exploded in the speakers. “I don’t understand why you need to know all this. Don’t you believe me? Do you think I made this all up?”
“That’s not why we’re talking, Ellie. I don’t doubt you’ve been abused. We follow a certain protocol here and part of that includes finding out what we’re facing as a community.
“By coming to Trouble, you choose to leave your past behind and we promise to protect you. Trouble’s men will fight for you. They’ll fight for the other women here, and any child brought here will be protected as well.
“It’s our vow, our written guarantee. As long as you follow the rules in place here, Ellie, no harm will ever come to you again.”
“How can you guarantee that?”
“Our community was built on specific goals with a strong foundation. Every man here, even Markie, has been trained by former and current Navy SEALs. We fight for our own and when we fight, we fight to protect and to warn. No other—”
“Wait a second. Did you say Markie?”
Draegan smiled. “Yes, and before you ask. That Markie.”
“Why is he here?” Her entire body language suggested she was overjoyed by the news. She even smiled. “I’ll be darned. Markie is really here?”
“Figures,” Ryan muttered.
“Yep. Markie is well loved by every woman I know.” Allister turned his head to his left shoulder. “Harley, go get Markie. We may need him.”
“You got it.” The youngest of the five McCall brothers, Harley, exited the room.
“Good call,” Ryan said.
Ellie and Markie had once been real close. The son-of-a-gun had a roster filled with beautiful women he claimed for best friends.
“Markie’s story is Markie’s story,” Draegan said, forever protective of him. He and Markie were like brothers. “The only reason I mentioned him is because he has been known to go on shopping trips with some of the women. Ellie, he is trained. He can fire any weapon and put a man down quicker than I can.”
“If he’s trained, I imagine so. Tough guys probably never suspect Markie as a threat.”
“That’s the understatement of the year,” Derek mumbled. “He can bring me to my knees without so much as breaking one of his manicured nails.”
Bradley chuckled. “If he takes you to your knees, he probably wants you there for another reason.”
“I heard that.” Markie’s high pitched voice filled the room.
“That was quick,” Allister grumbled, never really a fan of Markie’s, but obviously willing to pull out all the stops, if necessary, to keep Ellie in Trouble.
Markie and his flamboyant self sashayed into the room. His white-cotton colored hair was stacked in soft pink rollers and he w
ore a short burgundy silk robe with a bold floral print and a sash tied in the front. “I was up. Met Harley in the hall and sent him for breakfast.” Markie’s southern drawl was Alabamian overkill. “Oh my!” He went to the glass and cried out, “Oh boys. Just you look at my baby girl.” He covered his mouth and muted a cry. He dropped his hand and waved his arm. Turning to the others with marked rage in his red cheeks, he quickly asked, “So when do we kill that despicable bastard?”
“If I could, I would,” Derek said. A real brute of a guy, if Derek made a threat, he generally followed through. Fortunately, Derek also played by rules, too. Unless a child was endangered, the founding fathers did not leave Trouble to go and rectify a problem. Generally, the exes showed up at their gates anyway.
Markie turned to Allister and frowned. “I ought to fuck that son-of-a-bitch up with Allister’s gun.” He fluttered his eyelashes, clearly taunting Allister. “Fuck means beat and gun means weapon in this case, sugar.”
“I assumed.”
“Don’t assume, sugar. In my world assuming is nothing more than an ass shared between you and me.” Markie waggled his brows and growled. “Now that’s a picture I could paint with all sorts of good—”
“Markie, please.” A peace maker with little patience, Bradley often stepped between Markie and Allister. Known for saying off-color remarks, Markie seemingly stepped things up a notch when he thought he could devil Allister.
“Where does he come up with this shit?” Allister asked, going to the coffee pot.
“Let’s focus on you for now, Ellie,” Draegan said in an elevated voice.
“Keep it down guys,” Bradley said. “Too much commotion in here. I’m guessing Draegan can hear us.”
“Ellie, be honest with me,” Draegan continued. “I know this is very difficult. Coming here couldn’t have been easy. Yes, we know one another and I hate this is uncomfortable for you. Since I also know Denny personally—and it’s fair to say I’ve heard about his recent activities—what’d ya say I make this part easy for you?”
“Okay.” Ellie nervously swiped her hair from her face and then jerked as if she’d thought of something. “I uh…I um…didn’t know where else to park…my car that is. It’s mine. I paid for it with my own money. Denny, he’ll, uh, see my car.”
“We’ll talk about your car in a minute.” Draegan emphasized her ownership in the vehicle. Ellie seemingly took great pride in owning something of her own.
Draegan took a seat on the edge of the table. His hips were parallel to her coffee mug and she quickly picked it up and took a sip. He stared at her full lips and Ryan could only imagine what he might have been thinking then. Draegan and Allister were brothers, so Draegan definitely knew about the group romp he’d missed.
Ryan could only hope he wasn’t entertaining his own ideas for Ellie. She wasn’t exactly Draegan’s type. Then again, he wasn’t exactly hiding the obvious. He took an additional minute to body surf.
Damn cocky bastard.
Allister returned to his chair with a Styrofoam cup in hand. “What the hell is he doing?”
“If you ask me, sugar, he’s trying to make her feel comfortable.” Markie rested his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Don’t you boys go and get any foolish suspicions now. Ellie doesn’t look the least bit interested.”
“I know Ellie a little better than you do, Markie,” Allister said. “And if that’s not a look of interest, I haven’t seen one.”
“Then work the brother angle, if ya know what I mean. Tell Draegan to do a brother a favor and keep it zipped.”
“As if—” Ryan deliberately trailed his voice and caught a scowl from Allister. Sure enough, Allister was thinking along those very same lines.
Hell’s fires wouldn’t stop him and the devil wouldn’t detain him. If Draegan had set his sights on Ellie then they’d need to make room in the bedroom, assuming they could ever lure her back to their beds in the first place. The only ace they were holding was a high one indeed—by Draegan’s own countless admissions, he wasn’t finished playing the field.
“Here’s what I think happened. Tell me if I’m right.” Draegan’s loud voice yanked Ryan back to the present about the time Draegan hopped off the table and went into detective mode, not that he had any legitimate experience, but he’d watched enough movies. Draegan had just stepped into his swagger when he stopped in front of Ellie. Apparently noticing another shift in her demeanor, he knelt in front of her.
Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and Draegan cupped her hands with his. “Look, Ellie. I’m not judging you. I’m the last person on this earth who would.”
She thinned her lips, setting them in a tight line. “I know.” Her voice cracked and she ducked her head. Then, she added, “It’s just—so—hard—you know?”
“Yeah, honey. I do.” He stood up and grinned at the glass.
“Fuck him,” Allister grated out. “He’s making a play for her.”
“Nooooo! Surely not! Are you absolutely certain we’re talking about the same Draegan McCall?” Markie snapped his tongue and his wrist at the same time. “And here I’m just full of disappointment now. I’ve had my eye on Draegan.”
“If you had your sights on Draegan then your disillusioned self deserves to be disappointed.” Harley thrust his arms forward. “Donuts are hot. Pass ‘em around.”
After he flipped the box top and grumbled about the limited choice of glazed-only, Markie turned to Harley and said, “I’m not the one doomed for unhappiness. From what I can tell, your brother here is gonna have a hell of a time if he’s on one side of Ellie and Draegan’s on the other.”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we have to build it. For now, I’d like to listen.” Allister waved the offered donuts away.
Ryan couldn’t help but feel his angst. Draegan was an alpha of all alphas and Allister wasn’t far behind him. The last thing any of them would want was another McCall in Ellie’s bed. “I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. It’s not as if we were sharing Ellie just yesterday. It’s been two years.”
“Believe me,” Allister grumbled. “I know how long it’s been.”
Derek laughed. “I’d say the head with the evidence there has it down to days and hours.”
“You ain’t lying,” Allister said, sniffing and grinning.
Finally he was easing up a little. Maybe by the time Ellie set her sights on him, he’d wear a smile and pitch a few pleasantries, too.
“Wait a second.” Bradley cupped his ear. “What’d he just say?”
Markie took a bite of donut. “They’re talking about when Denny first started abusing her. I would think the lot of you fellas carrying a torch for her would sit up and pay attention.” Markie was the only person Ryan knew who could carry on a conversation with four or five individuals while eavesdropping on a few other discussions at the same time.
Draegan said, “Ellie, you made a crucial mistake when you told your gal pals about the time you spent with some of Crestwood High’s bad boys. I’m two years younger than you and Allister. I was a senior in high school when I heard the story about you, my brother, and the others. And what I heard didn’t come from Allister.
“Even though y’all had been out of high school a couple of years, not everyone had scattered yet. Most of your graduating classmates remained in the area and they were all too happy to spread all sorts of news through the rumor mill.”
She stared at him blankly.
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“Yes.”
Derek pointed at the glass. “Does that look like regret to you? Look at her, Allister. I’ve heard you moan and groan about her guilty conscience until it’s an old newspaper with faded print. Now you have the facts. She does not regret her time with us. Look at her face.”
“Yeah I see her face,” Allister replied tightly, implying he couldn’t see much more than her bruises.
“Shh,” Bradley said. “For once, be quiet. We might learn something.”
Ryan had already learned his lessons where Ellie was concerned. If he had half a second chance, he wouldn’t blow it the next time around.
“Here’s what I think happened.” Draegan dragged his chair around to the other side of the table. The metal footers raked across the concrete floor and Ryan shuddered. It served as a warning.
Draegan had decided to get comfortable, maybe even cozy with Ellie Hunter.
“I don’t know if you remember this or not, but Denny played football with my brother. He and Allister were acquaintances for more than ten years.”
“They were never friends.”
“Agreed. Some of the guys might even argue that Denny was jealous of my brother. I’m sure Denny had trouble swallowing a bitter pill when he found out his girl, the woman he married, had a last fling with the man who had beaten him out of pretty much everything all throughout life.”
“It wasn’t a last fling.”
“How would you describe it?”
“Not as a fling,” she said quietly. “How is Allister?”
Draegan left his perched seat, turned to the glass and smirked.
“Oh boy,” Derek muttered. “This ought to be good.”
“Shh.” Bradley hushed them. “She might ask about the rest of us.”
That was all Ryan cared about at the moment, too.
“Draegan? He is all right. Isn’t he?” She seemed frantic then.
Draegan slowly faced her. His chiseled jaw tightened, flexed. He quickened his pace and walked to the table. “Why do you ask?’
“It’s important to me. I’d like to know.” Her lips trembled. She searched his face. “I need to know he’s all right.”
Draegan was apparently reading her appropriately. “Why?” He narrowed his dark eyes. “Why do you need to know, Ellie?”
“Just tell me he’s okay and we’ll move on!” She jumped from her chair and ran to the door. “I need to get out of here.”
“It’s not happening,” Draegan said, waving his fingers at her vacated seat. “Not until I finish my story.”
“And I won’t listen until you tell me Allister is alive and well!”
Here Comes Trouble [Trouble, Tennessee Prequel] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2
