by Becca Van
She could hear them talking out in the living room and hoped none of them would come looking for her, because she needed a few moments to gather her defenses around her again. How could she have been so reckless and let them touch her again? How was she going to keep them away from her? And if she did let them into her life, would they let her be herself? Would they let her continue in her line of work or would they want her to quit?
But after letting them touch her again, she knew she didn’t stand a chance in hell of pushing them away. Maybe having a fling wasn’t such a bad idea. She’d never had the chance to do that before and those three men got her revved up like no other man ever had.
But if things went awry, would she be able to walk away with her heart intact?
Gypsy sighed and shook her head, then groaned when the movement made her head ache more. She walked back into her bathroom, grabbed the bottle of painkillers, shook out two, and then drank them down. When she heard a noise she turned toward the doorway and saw Perry leaning against the doorframe, frowning at her.
He didn’t say anything when he pushed off the door and walked toward her. He took her hand in his and removed the bottle of medicine from her hand before reading the label. He scrutinized her face for a few moments and then met her gaze again.
“Are you all packed, darlin’?”
Gypsy nodded.
“Good, then let’s go so you can rest.”
“I need to see my dad.”
“Can’t you miss visiting him tonight?”
“I can but I don’t want to.”
“What don’t you want to do, baby?” Leo asked.
Gypsy jumped because she hadn’t heard him come in. “I don’t want to miss visiting my dad.”
“You don’t…”
“She has a headache,” Perry stated.
“Shit!” Leo moved closer and tilted her head up when she would have looked at the floor. “Damn it, Gypsy. Why the hell won’t you talk to us? Would it have killed you to tell me or one of my brothers that you weren’t feeling well?”
Gypsy turned her head away, dislodging Leo’s hand. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You paler than normal and I can see the lines of pain near your eyes. You aren’t going to see Rick tonight. We’re going home and while we cook dinner you can have a shower.”
“Stop it!” Gypsy slashed her hand through the air. “Stop telling what to do. I’m a grown woman, not a fucking kid.”
She knew she was being snarky but her head was pounding like a bitch and she was sick of them trying to lay down the law. It didn’t matter that she would rather go to bed early, she always did what was necessary regardless of how she felt.
“We’re just trying to look after you,” Perry said in a calm voice.
Gypsy wondered if he was trying to relieve the tension between her and Leo, but she didn’t really care right at that moment.
“I don’t need looking after.” She pushed between them and walked out of the bathroom to find Ivan sitting on the side of her bed. When she went to pick up her bag Ivan wrapped his hand around her wrist, stopping her.
“You’re worn out, sweetheart. You have dark marks beneath your eyes and you haven’t been sleeping properly. Do you think we haven’t heard you pacing the floor each and every night? Do you think we don’t know that you’re worried about your dad’s business or your dad? You can’t keep this pace up, Gypsy.”
“I…”
“Shh,” Ivan whispered as he released her wrist and snagged an arm around her waist before pulling her down onto his lap. “You can call the hospital from our house and talk to your dad. I’m sure he will understand if you don’t see him for one night. Okay?”
Gypsy nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder. She was so tired and now that the pain pills were starting to kick in she could barely keep her eyes open. She snuggled into his body and felt the tension ease from her muscles. Ivan’s hand moved rhythmically up and down her back and she sighed.
She could hear and feel movement nearby but she was so comfortable she didn’t want to move. Ivan lifted her into his arms, and even though she knew he was moving she kept her eyes closed. A hand eased into her pocket and withdrew her truck keys but she didn’t protest.
The last thing she remembered was the sound of the front door closing.
Chapter Nine
Perry pulled the covers back on the bed so Ivan could place Gypsy on the clean sheets. Leo entered the room with Gypsy’s bag and watched as he and Ivan removed her boots and socks before covering her up.
After looking at her beautiful face one more time, Perry and his brothers left the room. They had their woman in the master bedroom and he just hoped they would be able to keep her there. No other woman had ever set foot in that room, and if he had his way no other woman but Gypsy ever would.
He hurried down the hall to the other bathroom after collecting some clean clothes from his room and then stripped off and stepped into the shower. He didn’t want to take too long cleaning up because he wanted to help his brothers start dinner, plus he was eager to see Gypsy when she woke up.
When he entered the kitchen Leo was on his cell phone, so Perry walked over to the fridge and pulled out the chicken breasts they put in there the night before to defrost. He also snagged three beers and handed them to his brothers.
Ivan’s hair was wet, so he figured he must have showered in the other bathroom. Leo was the only one left to clean up.
“She’s fine, Rick. We called the sheriff and he’s looking into it. We also brought Gypsy back to our place. There’s no way we’re letting her out of our sight. One of us will be by her side twenty-four-seven.” Leo paused as he listened to what Rick was saying. “Don’t worry too much, Rick. We’ll keep her safe. She was going to call you but took some pain pills because she had a headache. She can call you after dinner, she’s taking a nap right now…Okay, we’ll come in and see you tomorrow. Bye.”
“How did Rick take the news?” Perry asked as he started chopping vegetables for the stir fry.
“Not good. He’s pissed and worried sick.”
“What the hell do we do?” Ivan asked. “How are we going to keep her safe?”
Leo scrubbed a hand down over his face. “She’s not to be left alone, ever. She rides to and from work with us or anywhere else she wants to go.”
“Oh, that’ll go down like a lead balloon.” Perry took a swig of his beer and watched a scowl form over Leo’s face.
“That’s just too damn bad.” Leo pointed a finger at him. “We need to keep her safe.”
“Hey.” Perry held a hand up, palm out. “You don’t need to convince me.”
Perry was all knotted up inside. That bullet must have come fucking close to Gypsy’s head. Fear clutched at his heart that someone wanted her dead. Maybe they should tell her to stay home, inside, behind locked doors. But as that thought coalesced he knew she’d never go for it. Gypsy wasn’t the type of person to be told what to do. They’d already been on the receiving end of her temper because of that scenario. He could just imagine how well it would go over if they told her to stay locked up in their house. Of course one of them would stay locked up with her, but he and his brothers knew she would baulk even if they suggested it. She took her responsibilities seriously and wouldn’t let anyone or anything stand in the way of getting a job done. After the houses they we currently working on were complete they had three more to finish.
Gypsy had been pushing them to meet a deadline. He and his brothers, as well as his cousins and the two new guys, were doing their damnedest to make that time frame. He just hoped that things didn’t start going awry. A niggle in the back of his brain had his mind working at fifty miles an hour and his gut felt like he’d swallowed lead.
“We need security round the clock.”
Leo paused. He’d been lifting his beer to his mouth, but now he was staring at him over the top of the bottle at him. “You think that they’ll try and sabotage the site?”
/> Ivan straightened from his slouched position against the counter. “Fucking hell. I didn’t even think of that.”
“It’s a possibility. Don’t you think?” Perry asked.
Leo and Ivan both nodded. Leo slammed his beer down onto the counter and pulled his cell off the clip on his belt. “Let me call the dads. They would know who to put us onto.”
Perry nodded and sighed with relief. Leo was right. Their three fathers had dealt with sabotage on sites before. They would be able to tell them who to call. Perry went back to preparing dinner and Ivan started helping him.
“Do you think Joe and Guy will come after her again?” Ivan asked.
“I don’t think Joe has it in him, but if his brother is leading the way it’s a definite maybe. Where Guy is concerned I wouldn’t put anything past that fucker.”
Leo ended his call. “Pop’s going to call a friend of his and get a recommendation. I should get a call back by the end of the night.”
Perry nodded. Now that they were taking more steps to see to Gypsy’s safety he felt a little more relaxed, but he knew he wouldn’t be totally at ease until whoever was after her was behind bars. It was going to be up to them to protect her. Even if she fought them tooth and nail.
When he heard a noise toward the door he turned his head to see Gypsy standing in the door. She looked so damn sexy with her face flushed from sleep and her hair slipping from her braid. He wanted to go over there and pull her into his arms, but he stayed where he was. “How are you feeling, darlin’?”
“Better. I’m sorry I conked out on y’all. Pain medicine seems to have that effect on me.”
Leo walked over to her and held his hand out. Gypsy looked up at him and then hesitantly put her hand in his. He tugged her the last couple of feet until she was up against his body and then wrapped his arms around her. “How’s the face?”
“Other than the slight discoloration it’s fine. The bruises will dissipate in a couple of days.”
“Why didn’t you come and tell us what Guy had done to you?”
Gypsy shrugged but leaned her cheek against Leo’s chest and rubbed. Perry wondered if she knew how telling that action was or even if she knew what she was doing. He doubted it very much. She tried to keep her distance, especially at work, and even though he understood why she did that, he didn’t like it. Now was the time to up the ante. He wanted her in his, their beds on a permanent basis, and not just so they could keep her safe. She was special and Perry cared about her deeply. He just hoped that he and his brothers could get her to care about them, too.
Leo kissed the top of her head and moved back. After guiding her to a stool on the other side of the counter he headed toward the door. “I’m going to clean up. I’ll be back in a few.”
Gypsy nodded and then directed her gaze his and Ivan’s way. Her eyes glazed over and a frown formed on her face. Perry could practically see the cogs turning in her mind. He watched her surreptitiously from his periphery. A range of emotions crossed her face. Concern and fear were the most prevalent but he’d also seen desire and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He and his brothers needed to learn more about her and her about them. Perry decided to get the ball rolling while they were eating dinner. If she opened up to them about her past, maybe she would talk to them about her current worries.
Once the stir fry was cooked and everyone was sitting at the table eating their dinner, Perry began talking. “My brothers and I were born and raised in Fort Worth. We learned our construction skills from our dads and after working for them for ten years decided to go out alone to make a name for ourselves.”
“Did you say…dads?”
Leo nodded. “Yes we have three fathers. They’re brothers and they all fell in love with the same woman.”
“Is that…” Gypsy hesitated as if searching for the right words.
“Finish that question, darlin’. You don’t have to pussyfoot around us,” Perry said.
“Legal?”
Ivan leaned over and covered the hand Gypsy had resting on the table. She turned her hand over palm up and Ivan threaded his fingers with hers. Perry relaxed back in his chair after taking another bite of food. She was becoming more relaxed and less reserved around them, but what pleased him the most was how tactile she was becoming. Gypsy liked them just as much as they liked her. And that was a good thing.
“It wouldn’t be if our mom had married all three of our dads but she’s married to the oldest brother. But that doesn’t mean she loves the other two any less,” Leo explained.
“How can one woman keep up with three men?”
“Our dads are the ones keeping up with our mom.” Ivan released her hand and pushed her glass of iced tea closer when she reached for it.
“How?” Gypsy asked curiously before putting another forkful of food into her mouth.
Perry nearly groaned as the silver fork slipped between her lips and then was slowly brought back out again. He’d never seen a woman eat so sensually before. Every time she ate he got as hard as stone and it was an effort to keep his mind above his belt. All he could see was Gypsy down on her knees with his cock sliding in and out of those luscious full lips. He shifted on his seat and adjusted the fit of his jeans.
“The dads make sure that our mother’s needs and wants are catered to. If she’s happy, then they’re happy,” Perry said.
“That makes sense.” Gypsy pushed her plate away and took a sip of her drink. “Does she sleep with all of them?”
Perry nearly chuckled when Gypsy’s cheeks turned pink but he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable and stop asking questions, so he kept his face expressionless.
“Sometimes they do,” Leo said. “Sometimes she just has one or two of them sleeping with her and on the rare occasion, she sleeps by herself.”
“They have their own rooms?”
“Yeah,” Ivan replied. “But they share the master bedroom nearly all the time. That room is our mother’s domain and she’s the one that decides who’s sleeping with her.”
“But what if…”
Leo quirked an eyebrow at her and her blush deepened. “Finish that question, baby.”
“What if she spends more time with one man than she does with the others? Don’t they get jealous? And how do they know who has fathered whom? How do they have sex? Shit!” Gypsy covered her mouth with her hand. “Forget I asked that last question.”
“Nothing you can ask us is taboo, sweetheart.” Ivan reached for her hand again and gave it a little squeeze. “We want you to ask anything you like.”
“Mom manages to spend equal alone time with each of her husbands, but there is never any jealousy. They love her and will do anything to make her happy. Regarding who fathered who, our dads don’t care. As far as they’re concerned we are all their sons and they are all our fathers.” Leo paused and looked at Perry.
“Sex between one woman and three men can be one on one, two on one, or three on one. Whatever our mother wants she gets and I don’t mean material things, although she gets those, too.” Perry grinned.
“Our fathers are pretty comfortably off financially and when Mom wants something they get it for her,” Ivan said. “She never asks for things but our dads take note of something she admires and you can be sure that one of them will give it to her within a week.”
Gypsy sighed and a dreamy looked crossed her face. Perry wondered if she was imaging them catering to all her needs. God, I hope so.
As they began to clear the table Leo’s cell rang. He excused himself and left the room. Perry glanced at Ivan and his brother met his gaze. He nodded to the doorway and quirked an eyebrow, but Ivan just shrugged.
“What was your childhood like, darlin’?” Perry asked.
Gypsy nibbled on her bottom lip and frowned as she thought. He wanted to reach up, pull her lip from her torture, and then lick over it, but he didn’t.
“I told you already.”
“All you said was that you went to work with your da
d,” Perry said. “I’m sure there’s more to you than that.”
Gypsy shrugged. “Not really, it was great in some aspects but lonely in others.”
“How so?” Ivan questioned.
“I got to spend all my free time learning and working with my dad, but it would have been nice to have spent time playing with other kids.”
“Why didn’t you?” Perry turned to face her after putting the plate in the dishwasher.
“My dad was always working and I guess he just thought it was better if I tagged along with him. I think he had trust issues with other people after my mother took off with another man.”
And so do you, darlin’, but hopefully we can get you to trust us. You’re beginning to, though, and that’s a good start.
“What happened to make you take off for five years?” Ivan asked.
Perry scowled at him and hoped that Gypsy didn’t clam up again or that she thought they were prying too much, but when she began to answer, the tension which had invaded his muscles started to release.
“He wanted me to go to college and I thought it was a waste of money because I didn’t see the need for further education with the work I wanted to do. My dad hadn’t gone to college and he’d done just fine for himself. We had a big argument and because I have a temper I ended up packing my bags and leaving. I was determined to prove to my dad that I could do things just the way he did.”
Perry looked toward the doorway when he saw movement from the corner of his eyes. Leo was leaning against the doorjamb and listening avidly to every word Gypsy said.
“I realized pretty much straight away that I should have just stayed and talked things over with him when we’d both calmed down, but we’re both so stubborn, and neither of us was willing to back down. So I went out on my own and worked my ass off, hoping to make a name for myself in the construction business. And I did, but I lost five years with my dad. The moment I got the call from the hospital I quit my job and came back home.”
“Your dad must have been beside himself when you disappeared. You weren’t much more than a baby,” Leo said as he walked further into the room.
