Salvation [Slick Rock 15] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Becca Van

  Carly took the handkerchief Brock offered her, and after wiping her face and blowing her nose, she remembered that she’d been asked a question. It took her a few seconds to remember, and when she did, she nodded.

  “How did you get here?” Ridge asked.

  “Bus.”

  “Where’s Shaun?” Brock questioned.

  Carly tried to control the trembling of her lower lip and chin, but she couldn’t. Her chest was once more tight with emotion, grief, and she wasn’t sure she could make her voice work to answer Brock.

  “Carly?” Bruce nudged her chin up. The concern in his gaze had tears welling again.

  “Dead,” she whispered her answer.

  All three men sucked in deep, noisy breaths.

  Bruce tensed, no doubt in shock, but then pulled her closer and hugged her tighter. “Is someone after you, baby?”

  Carly lowered her head and nodded. Another shiver wracked her spine as she remembered seeing the familiar car coming down the main street of Slick Rock. She sat up straighter, putting some space between her and Bruce before peering around Ridge and Brock out the side and back windows of the truck.

  “What’s wrong?” Ridge asked as he turned to peer out the windows.

  “Did any of you see a black Ford Ranger?”

  “Honey, you’re sitting in one.” Brock squeezed her knee.

  She shook her head and licked her dry lips. “Oh.”

  “This is the country, baby,” Bruce stated. “There are a lot of Rangers in this area.”

  “I need to leave.”

  “No!” Ridge almost yelled.

  “I can’t stay here. I think he’s already found me.” Carly covered her mouth when another sob escaped, and though she tried hard to circumvent the trembling in her body, that just seemed to make her quake more.

  Bruce cupped her cheek and tilted her head until their gazes met. “What you need to do is tell us what the hell is going on. Your brother was our best friend when we were kids. I know we haven’t seen each other for years, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we will do everything we can to keep you safe. Okay?”

  Carly wanted to say yes, but she was scared that Scott had found her already. These men were trained soldiers, but her brother had been, too. That bastard had managed to kill her only living relative because he was obsessed with her. Another shiver wracked her body, and she tried to wrap her arms around her waist but only ended up bumping Bruce’s arms.

  “Carly,” Brock said, drawing her gaze. “No matter what’s going on, we will protect you, sweetheart.”

  Carly sucked in a deep breath. “You can’t. He killed Shaun.”

  “Fuck!” Bruce growled as he clasped her chin in his hand so he could stare deeply into her eyes. “Yes, we can, and we will.”

  “He’s crazy.”

  “Doesn’t matter, darlin’,” Ridge stated in a calm voice.

  Carly shook her head. She had no idea what to do or where to go. It was a surprise to run into the Atkins brothers after not seeing them for years, and though this was the first time she felt as if she wasn’t totally alone, she didn’t want to put them in danger.

  “It does.” She pushed against Bruce’s arms, but he didn’t budge.

  “Stop, Carly!” Brock ordered. “You aren’t going anywhere, sweetheart. Shaun would want us to do everything we can to help you and protect you.”

  Carly didn’t respond to that because she knew he was right, but that didn’t lessen the guilt and terror that was warring inside of her. If that bastard hadn’t become obsessed with her, her brother would still be alive. “It’s all my fault.” She sobbed as the tears welled and rolled down her face.

  “What is?” Ridge asked.

  “Shaun.”

  “I don’t believe that for a minute,” Bruce said as he took the handkerchief from her hand before wiping her face and holding it to her nose. “Blow.”

  Carly’s eyes widened at being treated like a child. There was no way she was letting him do that to her. She frowned at him before taking the handkerchief back and blowing her nose by herself.

  “Let’s go inside and get you warmed up,” Ridge suggested before sliding from the seat.

  “I don’t—”

  “Have a choice,” Bruce said as he slid along the seat, taking her with him.

  When he was out of the truck, he gently lowered her to the ground and held her hips until she was steady. It was only then that she realized she didn’t have her bag. She glanced around frantically, wondering if she dropped it when she slammed into Bruce.

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  “My bag.” She was about to step away, but Bruce released her hips and drew her back up against his hard body. He was so fucking big the top of her head didn’t even reach his shoulders. All three of the Atkins brothers had grown tall and muscular. They all had to be close or over six and half feet.

  “It’s in the back.” Ridge gestured toward the bed of the truck.

  Carly shivered again. She was so cold inside and couldn’t stop shaking, which was ludicrous because it was a very warm day.

  “Let’s get you inside.” Bruce caressed a hand down her arm before lacing his fingers with hers.

  She took a step after him, but she was so tired and quaking so much her knees buckled.

  “Shit!” Bruce scooped her up into his arms and against his chest.

  Carly sighed and rested her cheek against his pectoral. She didn’t want to be carried into the hotel and draw unwanted attention, but she was exhausted and couldn’t even manage to walk on her own, so she resigned herself to being a spectacle and hoped like hell the people in the hotel didn’t stare at her for long.

  The moment they entered the hotel she felt the eyes on her and closed her own as she turned her face into Bruce’s chest. He must have felt her shaking even more because he whispered to her. “Everything is going to be all right, baby. You’re safe here. The men in this town look out for the women and children.”

  Carly thought that was an odd thing to say, but she didn’t respond to his statement other than nod.

  Bruce stopped walking and then sat down before lifting her to sit on the seat beside him. Carly kept her head lowered, using her hair to hide her heated cheeks and then sighed with relief when Ridge sat next to her and Brock took the seat opposite. She was once more cocooned between the three men, giving her a false sense of security. False because she knew without a doubt that Scott Gold wasn’t going to give up until he had what he wanted.

  Her.

  Chapter Two

  Bull couldn’t believe that Carly Gregson was here. She’d grown up from the little girl who used to follow him, his brothers, and Shaun around when they were kids. She was fucking gorgeous and had a body on her that would make any man drool. His dick had been at half-mast from the moment she plowed into him, and it took every ounce of his control to keep it from becoming a full-blown hard on.

  Seeing her so scared and upset had helped, but he hated that she was grieving and in trouble. He wanted to roar out his fury and find whoever had her on the run and rip them apart with his bare hands. First, he and his brothers needed to find out what the hell was going on. If they were informed, then they could take every step necessary to protect her.

  “Everything all right, Bull?” Tyson Osborn stopped beside their table, and Bruce could see the concern in the other man’s eyes.

  He shrugged to let Ty know he wasn’t sure yet but answered to the contrary. “Yeah, we’re good.”

  “What can I get you all?” Ty asked.

  Bull, Rocky and Ridge gave their orders, and when Carly sat staring at the table, Bull ordered for her as well. He had a feeling that the chicken and vegetables would be the first good meal she had in a long time. Her face was a little gaunt, and there were dark, bruise-like marks under her eyes, as if it had been a while since she’d slept. His gut was churning because of the sad look in her eyes, and every time he remembered the terror that had been in her gaze a
fter slamming into him, he was filled with rage. Whoever had put the fear of God into her was going down. No ifs or buts or maybes. That fucker was going to pay.

  A waitress came over with the drink orders, and after meeting each of his and his brothers’ gazes with a sultry, come-hither one of her own and getting no reaction, she spun on her heels and moved back to the bar.

  “Who’s Bull?” Carly asked as she lifted her head.

  “That would be me,” Bruce answered.

  Carly looked him up and down, a slight smile curling the edge of her lips. The humorous sparkle in her eyes had taken away that dull, pain-filled look. Bull wished he could do something to bring that sparkle back. She had been such a happy little girl, but now she was so sad and looked as if her world had ended. Which, from what she’d said about Shaun, it probably had.

  “Drink your wine, darlin’.” Ridge nudged the full glass closer to her.

  Carly drew in a deep breath, nodded, and then took a sip before sighing loudly. “Bull fits. You all are certainly big and muscly.”

  Rocky smiled as he leaned his elbows on the table. “Our size doesn’t have anything to do with our nicknames, sweetheart.”

  “You all have nicknames?”

  Bull knew what Carly was doing but decided to let her digress. The trembling which had been quaking her body was beginning to dissipate. Though they needed to question her and find out what the fuck was going on, hopefully by having her less tense she would be able to get her thoughts in order before telling them what had happened. Plus, being out in public and having other people hearing her story wasn’t such a good idea. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the other men and women currently enjoying a meal and night out, he just felt that Carly would be less self-conscious and more open if they were in private.

  “We do,” Brock finally answered Carly’s question.

  Bull had been so lost in thought he’d forgotten about it.

  “My nickname is Rocky, and as you already heard, Bruce’s is Bull,” Brock explained.

  “And what about you, Ridge? Do you have a nickname, too?” Carly took another sip of her wine.

  “No,” Ridge replied. “Our teammates thought that Ridge was good enough.”

  “They just couldn’t think of something else that matched your personality.” Bull smirked. “Since you were platoon sergeant and a real hard-ass the guys thought ‘Ridge’ was pretty apt.”

  “You joined the military?” Carly shifted in her seat as she glanced about the room.

  Bull scanned to make sure no one was watching them and was pleased to see that there were no eyes on them. The novelty of him carrying a woman into the hotel had worn off, thank fuck. The last thing he and his brothers needed was Carly trying to leave when she’d obviously just arrived and feeling like she was the center of attention. She was already nervous and scared enough without her fear being compounded by the locals. He’d never been more thankful to be living in Slick Rock, Colorado. If they hadn’t decided to move here, they would never have met up with Carly again and wouldn’t have been able to help her.

  “We did. Don’t you remember playing army games with us when we were just kids?” Rocky asked.

  Carly nodded. “Ridge always did like to boss everyone around.”

  “He still does.” Bull chuckled.

  “Fuck you, Bull.”

  “Did Shaun go into the military?”

  Carly’s breath hitched as she nodded. She picked up her glass of wine and drained the contents in one go.

  The waitress brought the meals out, and for the next fifteen or so minutes, they all concentrated on filling their empty bellies. Bull kept an eye on Carly, making sure that she was okay as she ate. She was so dainty and cut her food up into small pieces before putting it into her mouth and chewing. After every bite, she wiped her lips on the paper napkin.

  She was such a little thing compared to him and his brothers. They were all well over six feet, with him being the tallest, at six foot seven, and his older brother the shortest, at six four. Not that six four was short by any stretch of the imagination, but Bull had a good three inches on Ridge. Rocky came in between him and Ridge in age as well as height, standing at six five. Ridge was the oldest, at thirty-six, and Bull was the youngest, at thirty-three.

  Carly’s brother Shaun had been the same age as Bull, and there was an eight-year difference in their ages. She looked so much younger than her twenty-five years of age, but something in her eyes said she was so much older. She’d obviously been to hell and back, and Bull had every intention of finding out just what the hell she was running from.

  By the time they finished eating, Carly was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

  “Are you ready to go, baby?” Bull nudged Carly’s arm.

  “Where are we going?” Carly covered her mouth when she yawned.

  “We’re taking you back to our ranch,” Ridge said as he rose.

  “I could—”

  “You’re coming home with us, sweetheart,” Rocky stated. “Don’t argue.”

  Rocky got to his feet, held his hand out to Carly, and helped her up. His brother kept a hold of her hand as he guided her toward the door. Bull slid out of the booth seat, stood, dropped some cash on the table to cover their bill, with a generous tip, and hurried after them. When he reached Carly’s side, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pleased when she leaned against him. She was so tired her face was pale, and he thought that if she hadn’t been leaning on him, she would have been swaying on her feet.

  Bull helped her into the back seat and then got in after her. When she fumbled with the seatbelt, he brushed her hands aside and buckled her in. He sighed with resignation as he buckled up his own seatbelt. Now that Carly was back in his and his brothers’ lives, he wanted her staying. For good. He wanted to be closer to her, to feel her smaller body pressed up against his. He’d never been so attracted to a woman before, and he had a feeling that Carly was the woman they had been waiting for. His heart was full of warmth and joy at seeing her again, but also full of trepidation over what she’d been through.

  Before the night was out, he and his brothers were going to know what the hell was going on.

  Bull knew Carly was exhausted and they probably should let her rest first, but he didn’t want to go to bed without knowing what was happening. His mind was already in turmoil, and he didn’t know shit. Sleeping wouldn’t come easy tonight. He’d only end up tossing and turning as his mind tried to think of all the possible scenarios Carly had endured.

  No, it was better if they got the information they needed before even thinking about going to bed.

  He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her. Her brown hair was much longer than he remembered seeing it, and her hazel eyes had changed, too. There was more green in those pretty, little orbs now that she had matured into a beautiful, sexy woman. When she’d been little, the brown had been more dominant. Her face was paler than it normally would be, but that was a testament to how tired and stressed she was. Even though she had her forehead leaning against the glass window as if she were relaxed, the rest of her body was so tense, and from the way she occasionally rolled her head on the glass, he thought she might have a headache.

  “Are you all right, baby?” Bull asked.

  “Yes,” she answered immediately and quietly.

  Bull wondered if that response was automatic. It was also a lie. She was far from all right, but hopefully, now that she was with him and his brothers, she would be. If he had anything to say about it, he would do anything and everything to make her happy and see her smile again. She’d laughed often as a kid and had looked so carefree.

  When the hell had everything gone so wrong? What the fuck had she gotten herself into?

  “We’re nearly there, sweetheart,” Rocky said from the front seat.

  Bull glanced his way. None of them could keep their eyes off of her, including Ridge, who was driving. His older brother kept trying to see Carly in the rearview mirror.

  Carly
sat up with a sigh and nodded. Her lips were in a straight line, and there were creases at the corners of her eyes. She was in pain, but he doubted that she would admit it.

  How long had she been on her own, on the run? Weeks? Months? Years? Fuck!

  Bull shifted in his seat so that he was leaning with his back against the door, facing her more directly. She met his gaze for a second before turning to stare back out the window. He didn’t think that she was seeing the landscape as it passed by. Though it was now dark, the moon was full, making it easier to see.

  Ridge slowed the truck and then turned onto their road. The entrance to their ranch was at the end, and the driveway to the house was a mile long. Bull sat up straighter and watched Carly as Ridge drove over the cattle grate toward their new home. He hoped she liked the house as much as they did, because if he got his way, she would be living with him and his brothers for the rest of her life.

  “This is yours?” Carly asked, turning to meet his gaze with wide eyes before shifting forward in her seat to peer through the front windscreen.

  “It is,” Ridge answered as he stopped the truck and turned off the ignition.

  “Wow, it looks amazing.”

  Bull pushed the button on her seatbelt. “Apparently the house was built over a hundred years ago, but we were lucky enough to snap it up for a bargain price after the son of the deceased owner fixed it up.”

  “It looks brand new.”

  Ridge was out of the truck, opening Carly’s door before he even thought about doing it, but he didn’t feel envious or jealous of his older brother, which was a blessing. If he and his brothers got the opportunity to have a relationship with her, envy didn’t have a place in their home. The last thing they wanted to do was cause Carly any angst or make her think that she could cause a rift between them. He had a feeling if that were the case she would hightail it out of Slick Rock faster than he could blink.