by Jane Jamison
Where are they? Why haven’t they called me?
They’d said that she was theirs, using the word mine several times. Had they meant it as a commitment? Or had they blurted it out because they were turned on? Should she confront them, demanding a reason why they hadn’t called her? Or try and forget it ever happened?
Like I could ever forget them.
She should’ve given them her number after their amazing time in the alley, but she’d been too dazed to think. Still, as she’d told Vera, she’d given her number to a lot of people around town. It wouldn’t be hard to get her number. As long as they were actually looking.
She wanted to tell them about discovering that someone was watching her. Not to ask for their protection—although part of her hoped they’d offer their help—but to have someone close to her know what she was going through. Although she was growing closer to Krystal and Stella, something held her back from telling them. They seemed to be lost in their own worlds, and she didn’t want them to worry. Besides, if Devin, Collin, and Will really wanted her like they’d said they did, then they’d want to know.
Maybe it’s all in my head.
Yet, since that night almost four days earlier when she’d heard the noise outside her window, she hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that she was still being watched. Not only that night but the following nights as well. Every time she’d dared to peer out into the darkness surrounding her house, she’d found nothing. Except, that is, for the one time she’d seen amber eyes staring back at her. She’d stared at the glowing eyes. Suddenly, a huge wolf had darted across the yard and disappeared into the trees.
Maybe my nerves are getting to me. Or the stress of trying to get the business up and running while my bills eat up my savings. Yeah, that’s probably right. It was probably nothing but a gust of wind that had shaken the leaves from the bush. I probably even imagined the sound. As for the wolf, it was someone’s large pet dog.
Yet, even as she tried to make sense of everything, she knew her theory didn’t hold water. If it had been the wind, leaves from the other bushes would’ve been blown off, too. And that animal had sure looked like a wolf.
“There she is.”
Will.
She whirled around, searching for him. When she saw the three brothers smiling at her from the other side of the street, she forgot all about chastising them for not calling her. She lifted her hand, and then, anxious to talk to them, to touch them, to perhaps even pull them into another dark alley, she darted into the street.
She wasn’t sure what happened next. Everything moved with such lightning speed, she wasn’t able to make sense out of it.
The men had waved back, their smiles growing.
Suddenly, their smiles were gone as their attention shifted to their right. Surprise, even alarm, had filled their eyes.
Will shouted, warning her. But about what?
In the next moment, he moved faster than was humanly possible. Scooping her up, his momentum carried them toward the sidewalk. Even though she landed on top of him, the force of their landing knocked the air out of her. His brothers landed next to them as though they’d thrown their bodies at her, too.
She flattened her hands against Will’s chest, her hair falling forward. “Why did you do that?”
Collin lifted her onto her feet as other people came rushing toward them. “Are you all right?”
Dragging in a breath, she answered, “Yes. Other than getting the air knocked out of me, I’m fine. What happened?”
He pulled her to him. The excited voices of others, asking if she was hurt, asking the men if they’d seen who was driving, surrounded her. She hugged him back, needing the comfort of his strong body.
“It was him, damn it.” Devin whirled toward the street, his gaze set on the distant horizon.
Will got to his feet, ran his palm along her arm as though to make sure she was safe, then stalked over to Devin. “Yeah, it was. The fucker tried to run her down.”
“Who?” she whispered.
“Let’s get her home. Now.” Collin kept his arms around her and steered her toward their pickup across the street.
She didn’t protest. How could she when she was shaking so much?
Will and Devin followed closely behind. As Collin helped her into the passenger side, Will hurried around to get behind the wheel. Devin pushed his way into the back seat.
“I still don’t understand what happened.” The crowd stayed on the other sidewalk, their discussion heated. “Shouldn’t we stay and talk to everyone? Maybe they can tell us something.”
“We don’t need to hear it.” Collin eased her toward the middle of the seat then hopped in beside her. “That asshole Duke tried to run you down.”
“What?” Until that moment, she’d been more stunned than afraid. “You saw him?” Her gaze found Devin’s through the rearview mirror.
His mouth worked as though he struggled with what he had to say. “No. I didn’t see him, but who else could it have been?”
“There’s no doubt in my mind,” added Will. “He’s in a shitload of trouble for what he tried to do to you.”
“Which is why he tried to kill you.” Will shook his head as he maneuvered the truck out of the parking space and onto the road. “The thing that doesn’t make sense is why he’d risk going after you in broad daylight and in the middle of town with eyewitnesses around.”
“The fucker knows he’s in for a world of hurt once he gets caught. Hell, he probably figured he didn’t have anything to lose and wants to get revenge. You know cats like him—” He stalled, looked at her, then hurried on. “I mean, guys like him strike first and think later.”
She shivered, her mind only now grasping the enormity of her situation. “He wants to kill me.” Even Collin’s arm around her couldn’t calm her fear.
“We’ll get him, baby. And we’ll keep you safe, too.”
“Damn straight,” added Devin. “From this moment on, you’re under our protection. Not just the pack’s.”
“The pack?”
Collin squeezed her hard. “Don’t worry about anything, baby.”
She nodded, fearing not only the rising emotions starting to overwhelm her but the threat of tears falling.
I’m a strong, independent woman, and I don’t cry.
She tucked her chin and closed her eyes. The rhythm of the pickup’s motor soothed her enough for her to regain control of her emotions. “Where are you taking me?”
“Home with us.”
As upset as she was, she couldn’t help but be thrilled. She’d wanted to have them with her, had wanted to see their ranch, and now she’d get a chance. “Why didn’t you call me?”
The brief silence that ensued frightened her. Had they planned on ever contacting her? Or had she gotten lucky when she’d seen them on the street?
“We had business that needed our attention,” answered Devin.
What kind of business kept them from making a simple phone call? Yet she wouldn’t ask. If she did, she might get an answer she wouldn’t like.
“It’s not what you’re thinking, baby.”
She couldn’t look straight at Collin. “It’s not?”
“We’re not trying to avoid you. You’re not just a good time in the alley.”
Needing to hear what he’d say, she forced herself to look him in the eye. “Then why didn’t you call?”
She hated sounding clingy, but she had to know. Their answer would affect her future. If they didn’t really want her, she’d either have to leave town for good or hold her head high and suffer through seeing them every day.
“We didn’t call because we didn’t have any news to tell you.”
She no longer cared how she appeared, clingy or otherwise. “I don’t expect you to give me the daily news.” Irritation built a barrier against the fear eating at her.
“We thought our friends were taking care of Duke.” Devin leaned forward. “We were hoping we’d be able to give you good news. When we f
ound out they hadn’t found him, we went searching for him, too.” He sat back, his shoulders slumping. “Not that it did us any good. We failed you, and you almost paid with your life.”
“Then you really weren’t avoiding me?” Hope filled her, along with relief.
“Hell, no, baby.” Collin hugged her tighter. “You’re ours, remember?”
Will pulled the pickup onto a side road that led to a two-story house. Although the outside needed a fresh coat of paint, the building was solid looking with a wide front porch and a red door.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
Will brought the truck to a stop and put his hand on her leg before shifting to face her. She was sure he could feel the trembles still running through her body.
“It means we want you as our woman. It means we’re committed to you. Even if you turn us down, we’re still yours, just like you’ll still be ours.”
“As your girlfriend? Your lover?” She didn’t dare say wife.
“As our mate.”
* * * *
Thirty minutes later, she sat on the couch in their comfortably furnished living room and tried to make sense of what they’d told her. “Let me make sure I understand everything. So being a mate is like being a wife. Mate is just the word people around here like to use.” Hadn’t she heard it enough times?
“That’s right.” Devin sat next to her while Will kept crisscrossing the room and Collin kept telling him to “sit your ass down.”
“Look, Arizona, we know we don’t know each other well, but with us, it doesn’t matter.” Devin leaned forward, his body intense as he tried to explain. “My brothers and I have talked about finding one woman to be our mate for as long as I can remember. We believe you’re that woman.”
“Yeah, baby,” said Collin. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but there are a lot of people who have a one woman with multiple men kind of thing going on.”
“Oh, I’ve noticed, all right.” Every time she’d noticed, she’d wondered what it would be like to be one of those women. Now she had the chance to find out. “But Devin’s right. We don’t know each other. How can you make a decision like that without knowing me?”
Will went to his knees in front of her. “Haven’t you felt it? Haven’t you noticed how we are together? It’s more than just sex. You know it is. I know you do. I can see it every time I look into your eyes.”
“Tell us you don’t want the same thing.” Collin’s eyes held bits of amber. “Tell us you don’t want us. Do that and we won’t push this any longer.”
She started to tell them exactly that. At least, that was what the rational part of her wanted. Yet when she glanced from one brother to the next, she couldn’t. “I can’t.”
“Then tell us you’ll think about it. That’s all we’ll ask of you right now.” The muscle in Devin’s jaw tightened as though he were biting back more to say.
She lifted a shaky hand to her hair. “Okay. I will.”
“You’re still shaken up.” Devin took her hand, catching it between both of his. “Shit. We shouldn’t have thrown this at you today. Not after…”
“No, it’s all right.” She gazed at her hand between his and felt the warmth travel up her arms to sear through her. “I’m not trembling because of that.” She gave them each a look then, putting everything she felt behind it.
“Then trembling right now is a good thing.” Will took her other hand between his.
“Yes, it’s a good thing.”
“Good, then come with us.” Devin jerked his head toward the stairs. “We haven’t given you a tour of the upstairs, especially of my bedroom.”
“Hold up. Why your bedroom?” Will shot his brother a hard look.
“Because it’s the biggest one. With the biggest bed.” Devin wiggled his eyebrows at her, obviously trying to lighten the mood.
“He’s got you there, bro,” added Collin.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Devin stood, her hand still enclosed in his.
She stayed where she was, suddenly needing them to know her darkest secret. “I have to tell you something.”
He glanced toward the second story and frowned. “Now?”
“Yes. Now.”
Sitting back down, Devin nodded, encouraging her to continue. “Then tell us.”
“There’s a reason why I had to stop Duke from driving while drunk.”
“We know, baby,” said Collin. “You care about others. It’s one of the things we love about you.”
“I do, but it’s more than that.” She couldn’t go to their bed without them knowing about her past. If it was too much for them to handle, then she didn’t want to spend another minute there. Every minute she shared with them would solidify how she felt about them.
I care for them. Or is it more? Do I love them?
If she didn’t already, she knew she would soon enough.
“There’s nothing you can tell us that will change our minds.” Will took her hand again. “Go on. Tell us.”
“I killed my best friend.”
She’d stunned them. That much was certain. For a minute, none of them spoke. In fact, she was surprised when Will and Devin still held her hand.
“You wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
She met Will’s gaze. “I didn’t mean to kill her, but her death is on me.”
“What happened, baby? You can tell us,” urged Collin.
She drew in a slow breath and prayed she’d have the strength to tell them everything. Since that awful day, she’d told only a handful of people. Most of them had turned away from her, either quickly in disgust, or slowly, drifting away over time.
“I was young and stupid. I thought I could handle my alcohol, but like Duke, I was wrong.”
“Don’t compare yourself to that asshole.” Devin’s voice held a growl that was a little frightening.
“I’m not. At least, not in the way you’re thinking. But I am like him in that I got drunk and got behind a wheel.”
“And your best friend was with you?” asked Will, his tone soft.
“Yes.” She sat up straighter, steeling herself against their possible rejection. “We had a wreck. One minute Darla was sitting next to me and laughing at something stupid I’d said. The next minute, she was lying on the road. Dead. If I hadn’t gotten drunk that night and decided to drive, she’d still be alive.”
“So that’s why you tried to take Duke’s keys away.” Collin eased closer.
“I spent time incarcerated for what I did. Because I was sixteen and tried as a minor, I got off easy.”
“Damn it, shortcake, you were only a kid. Kids, hell, even adults, do stupid things. It was a tragic mistake. You didn’t mean to kill her.”
She loved Devin for saying so, but it didn’t make Darla any less dead. “I haven’t told anyone else in Fate about what happened. Not even Krystal or Stella.”
“Then we won’t tell anyone, either. It’s your past to tell, not ours.”
She’d learned the hard way to make the break before the other person could. “I’ll understand if you want to change your mind about us. It’s hard thing to overlook.”
“We can’t overlook it, babe.” Will was the one to pull her to her feet this time. “Don’t you get it? Everything in your past, good and bad, has made you the woman you are today. Your past brought you here.”
“Then you don’t want me to leave?”
“Hell, no.” Will wrapped his arm around her and led her toward the stairs.
“Well, maybe.”
Stunned, she gaped at Collin. “You want me to go?”
He held up his hands as his brothers shifted to confront him. “Not because of the accident. It’s the other thing that I find hard to get past.”
“What other thing?” Was he serious? What else could make him change his mind?
“You know. The thing about you wanting men to work for you. Shit. Men working construction for a woman? It’s a sin against nature.”
She conti
nued to stare at him, not understanding. “You’re not serious.”
“What the fuck’s wrong with you, man?” Devin started toward him.
“Damn, guys.” Collin grinned. “I’m kidding, for fuck’s sake.”
Devin brought his brother into a headlock. “You’d better be. In fact, to make up for your lame-ass joke, you’re going to be the first to sign on with her.”
Collin broke free. “Sounds good to me. Since I’m the first, I’ll be her new foreman.”
“Whatever, man. As long as I’m the first to get her into our bed.” Will swept her up, cradling her as though she were a child. “Come on, babe. Let’s show you to your new bedroom.”
He moved quickly up the stairs then down the long hallway. Devin rushed past them and shoved open the door at the end.
The bedroom was a masculine hideaway with heavy dark furniture and dark blinds on the windows. Chocolate brown dominated the color scheme with only a few golds thrown in.
“I know it’s not to a woman’s liking, but we figured we’d keep it this way until we found the right woman.” Devin gazed around the room as though seeing it for the first time. “Now that we have, you can change it to suit your liking.”
“As long as you don’t make it too frilly.” Will set her down on top of the huge bed. “Just don’t change the bed. They don’t make them any bigger than this one.”
She stayed on her back, scanning the room long enough to get her bearings. Then her attention was back on the men. “I wouldn’t dare.” She didn’t say more, thinking it would commit her if she started redecorating, even if only in her mind.
“Did we bring her up here to talk about pillows or what?” Collin jumped on top of the bed, making her laugh. He began pulling off his shirt.
Her craving shot skyward. Her pulse picked up speed. Heat swelled outward from her core. “Hurry up. I need you. All three of you.”
The men started tearing off their clothes, not heeding the buttons flying or the tearing of material.
“Shortcake, let’s get those clothes off you.” Devin started toward her, but she held up her hand, stopping him.
“Stay back. I don’t want my clothes torn.” Her gaze skipped from one man to the next. They’d undressed quickly, tossing their clothes to the side, along with their boots. She took her time, drinking in their long, strong bodies. A woman couldn’t do better than having one of them, yet she had all three.
