Playing to Win

by Becca Van

  “Okay, have it your way, but if you start hurting, I want you to come and tell one of us. Okay?”

  Cindy nodded. “Thank you. I’ve worked for this my whole life, and I’m not about to let a fractured wrist stop me from doing what I need and want to do.”

  “Are you ready to go, sweetie?” Grant asked, coming up behind her.

  “Yes. I just need to get my bag.”

  “Let me help you, honey.” Jake winked as he clasped her hand with his and walked her back to the bedroom. “Is this it?” He pointed to the backpack she’d readied earlier, and when she nodded, picked it up, and slung it over his shoulder. “Geez, what the hell have you got in here?”

  “Exercise books, pens and pencils, and a few other things.”

  “Are you sure you’re going to need all this?” Jake asked as he followed her back down the hall.

  “I am.”

  “We need to head out.” Shane glanced at his watch, opened the front door and stepped out. Grant, Curt, then she and Jake trailed after him.

  Cindy opened the back door, ready to get into the truck, but turned to see what was going on when she heard feet scuffling on the ground. Shane rolled his eyes at his brothers’ childish behavior but was happy that Cindy didn’t seem shocked by it. She was smiling with amusement.

  “Cindy, come and sit up front with me,” Shane commanded.

  “It’s okay, I don’t mind—”

  “I do,” Shane said. “Curt, Jake, why don’t you take one of the other trucks? We were supposed to get a delivery of siding, but the delivery truck’s broken down. I need you to go and pick it up.”

  “Damn it,” Jake muttered as he nodded and turned away.

  “Jake, give me Cindy’s backpack,” Grant said.

  With a sigh of frustration, Jake spun back, shoved the backpack into Grant’s chest, and then met her gaze. “I’ll see you later, honey.”

  “That you will.” Cindy smiled then met Curt’s eyes. “Bye, Curt.”

  “See ya, Cindy.”

  Grant put her bag into the back seat, closed the door, then gripped her hips, and lifted her into the truck. She scooted into the middle of the seat so Grant could get in next to her.

  “Let me help you with your seat belt, baby.” Shane helped her with the belt, put the truck in gear, and drove down the driveway.

  * * * *

  Grant wiped the sweat from his brow onto his sleeve. He sat back and surveyed the work he, his brothers, and the two men they’d hired had done. The roofs were on the two cabins, and most of the siding was in place. All that was left was to install the kitchen and bathrooms and to paint the walls.

  While it was only spring, it was unseasonably warm, and he had a feeling they were in for a long, hot summer. Not that it bothered him any. He and his brothers liked working outside in the elements. If he’d been cooped up in an office all day long, he would have gone stark raving mad.

  He glanced toward the main hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cindy, but she’d kept inside most of the day. They were heading to her apartment after work to help her pack up her belongings and move her into his house. If he had his way, she would sit on her sofa, and direct and supervise what needed to be done.

  Though he hoped her landlord didn’t give her any grief by ending her lease early, he didn’t really care. He was willing to pay whatever rent she owed but had a feeling their woman would baulk. Cindy might be shy and quiet, but he’d come to know how independent and stubborn she could be. Grant couldn’t wait to have her safe and secure in their home. She was so sweet and caring, and he was already in love with her.

  Besides moving her in with them, he and his brothers had plans on all claiming her tonight. They were all going to make love to her together. At least as best they could since there were four of them. While he wasn’t jealous per se that Jake and Curt made love to her at the same time last night, he was a little envious. He shouldn’t be since he’d gotten to make love to her after Shane had taken her virginity, but sometimes feelings didn’t make sense. Grant would never tell Cindy though because he didn’t want her feeling guilty. Sharing her was so different from sharing the other woman he and his brothers had fucked. The excitement had been electric and off the charts, but none of his brothers had cared for the women they were fucking. This was totally different and was a learning curve for all of them.

  No matter what he and his brothers felt, they needed to present a united, loving front to Cindy. If they argued, they were going to have to do that outside or somewhere else she couldn’t hear them. He didn’t want her getting in the middle of him and his brothers.

  “Hey, what’s the frown for?” Shane asked as he came to stand beside him.

  Grant sighed and then explained his thoughts to his brother.

  “Don’t feel guilty about feeling a little jealous, Grant. It’s a natural emotion, and you weren’t the only one feeling a little green.”

  “You were, too?”

  Shane nodded. “However, you were right about keeping that under wraps. We can’t go telling or showing Cindy any of this.”

  “I know.”

  “We’ll work it out.” Shane clasped Grant’s shoulder. “We just need a bit of time to get used to the different dynamics.”

  “Okay. Yeah.”

  “Let’s get back to work.” Shane led the way into the first house, and they started on installing the kitchen. Curt and Jake were finishing up the siding and then would begin installing the bathrooms.

  Grant thought it might be a good idea to hire on more men. They still had a lot of houses to build. He suspected that more and more abuse victims would hear of Safe Haven and head this way. He just hoped he was wrong, because he loathed the thought of women and children being hurt, but he wasn’t about to bury his head in the sand either.

  The fact was that there were motherfuckers out there that got off on bullying and hurting someone weaker than they were. He thought that it was because it made them feel masculine, but in his eyes, it was pure and utter cowardice.

  * * * *

  “I’m getting a little tired of Shane and Grant ordering us around.” Curt scowled.

  “Yeah, me too. They’re treating us like we’re fucking kids.” Jake nailed the last piece of siding into place.

  “Next time Shane tells me to do something, I’m going to tell him to fuck off,” Curt snarled.

  “Are they trying to commandeer all their spare time with Cindy?” Jake asked. “Are they jealous of us for some reason?”

  “That’s got to be it.” Curt smiled humorlessly.

  “What do you mean?” Jake frowned.

  “We got to make love with Cindy together first,” Curt said.

  “You think that’s why Shane’s started bossing us around?” Jake asked. “He’s always been an authoritative asshole.”

  “I know, but he’s gotten worse since being in the Marines.”

  “We all have our bossy moments, Curt.”

  Curt nodded. “Yeah. I don’t know why I’m feeling so covetous. Maybe it because none of us has had any one-on-one time with Cindy.”

  “That’ll come. You know it will. Plus, it’s Cindy who’ll be making all the decisions. It’s up to her if we make love with her one-on-one, two-on-one, or all at the same time.”

  “True.” Curt snorted.

  “What?”

  “One woman can’t take on four men at the same time,” Curt said.

  “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” Jake stated. “We can’t let resentment into this relationship, bro. If we do, we’re going to fuck everything up.”

  “You’re right. What we need to do is make up a schedule.”

  Jake shook his head. “That’ll go over well with Cindy.”

  “What the hell are we supposed to do?” Curt snapped. “I’ve never felt like this before. This is nothing like screwing around.”

  “You’re right, it’s not. We’re playing for keeps. What we have to keep in mind is Cindy. Her needs and well-being come fir
st, second, third, fourth, and last in everything.”

  Curt grinned. “If she heard you or any of us saying that, I have a feeling she’d argue.”

  “She would. She can be feisty when she wants to be.”

  “She can. I loved seeing her going to toe-to-toe with Shane. I swear I could see flames in those pretty brown eyes.”

  “I’m still having trouble believing she agreed to be our woman.” Jake scrubbed a hand over his face.

  “So am I, but I’m mighty glad she did. I’ve never felt this happy in my life.” Curt gave Jake a chagrined smile.

  “You aren’t the only one.” Jake sighed. “What we need to do is sit down with our brothers and talk to them. Once they know how we feel, I’m sure they’ll see the error of their ways and back off.”

  “I sure hope you’re right.”

  “When have I ever been wrong?” Jake gave Curt an innocent look, and then they both started laughing.

  Curt felt much better after talking with Jake. He just hoped his older siblings stopped trying to command him and Jake as if they were soldiers following a platoon sergeant.

  * * * *

  Cindy enjoyed every minute of her day teaching Brett, Belinda, and Angela. It had been difficult signing to Angela with her wrist in a cast, but she’d managed to communicate well enough with the hearing-impaired little girl. Nevertheless, she was paying for it now. Her wrist was aching, and she was getting a bad headache. Though she didn’t get migraines often, she knew the pounding in her head and the scalp sensitivity was a precursor to one. She’d already checked in her purse at lunchtime to see if she had any over-the-counter painkillers, but the packet she’d pulled out of her bag had been empty. It must have been a long time since she’d needed them because she couldn’t remember emptying the packet.

  Thankfully her workday was over, but it would be an hour or so before her men had finished up. Even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she decided to use her time by writing up another lesson.

  It was hard to concentrate because the pain in her head was getting worse by the minute, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. She was used to ignoring pain and illness because she had to when taking care of her younger sister while her mom had been working.

  Though she loved kids and wanted to have some of her own one day, she was still young and had plenty of time. Cindy wanted to establish her career and pay off her student loans before she brought a baby into the world. She didn’t even have the money to purchase a car, and she would need a decent one as well as a baby seat and all the other things a newborn and child would need.

  She shook her head and instantly regretted it when the hammer in her skull pounded harder. Normally it wouldn’t have bothered her hearing the noise of nail guns and other powered tools being used, but she’d become increasingly sensitive to noise as the day passed.

  She’d thought about heading toward the kitchen, where the children and their moms were currently talking and laughing, to ask for something for her headache, but she had a feeling they hadn’t had much to be joyful over or to laugh about in their lives, and she didn’t want to interrupt. Plus no child wanted to interact with their teacher after hours or in a social setting unless absolutely necessary.

  She knew because she’d hated it when her mom went to parent-teacher nights. All the other kids had given her grief and bullied her since she’d been a good student and ahead of everyone else. Her schooling years had been difficult for her, but she was having the last laugh now. While they were all still in college studying and trying to get their degrees, or working at low-paying jobs, she’d started her career.

  A stabbing pain shot into her head and through her right eye. Cindy groaned and rested her head on her hand. She should have gone and asked one of the other women if they had any Tylenol or ibuprofen, but it was far too late. She already had a migraine, and her face had started going numb. Her head was throbbing from the base of her neck right up over her head and even her nose hurt. Her nose and lips felt unnatural as if they were made of rubber, and the aura over her sight was beginning to form. Flashes of light exploded in front of her eyes, and there was a large dark spot over her vision.

  Although she knew she should get up and ask for help, Cindy didn’t want to move. Her head was thumping so hard now, and her stomach was roiling. She was scared if she so much as moved a muscle, she was going to vomit all over the floor.

  Moving slowly, with one eye closed because of the pain and pressure behind it, she squinted to see if there was anyone around. The room was empty, and even though the light streaming in through the windows wasn’t directly on her or in her eyes, it made her head hurt even more, so she quickly shut her eye.

  Blindly pushing the work she’d been doing away, Cindy crossed her arms on the desk and lowered her head onto them. She was hoping that by staying still and resting the pain would eventually fade, but experience had taught her that that was wishful thinking. Trying to breathe through the nausea and hoping like hell she wouldn’t toss her cookies was probably a futile wish. The longer she sat here, the more her stomach churned, and though she wanted to get up and go to the bathroom just in case she was sick, Cindy wasn’t sure she’d make it. One, she was frightened if she moved, her roiling stomach would immediately revolt, and two, her head was pounding so badly she wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk.

  The only thing she could do was wait and hoped that someone noticed she was in trouble soon.

  Please let someone see me. Please, please, please.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Grant glanced about when a cold breeze brushed up his spine. There was no reason for him to be feeling worried, but that’s what he was. The longer he gazed about, the bigger the knot of concern in his gut grew. While he wasn’t sure what was going on or why he was feeling the way he was, he’d never discounted an intuitive instinct before, and he wasn’t about to start now. His gut had saved his life more than once while he was a Marine.

  He took a step toward the main building of Safe Haven and then another and another. Though he didn’t think about increasing his pace, he started jogging and then running toward the building. There was something wrong.

  Hoping he didn’t scare the shit of the women and children currently using the hall as their home, he leaped over the steps to the landing and burst through the doors. Scanning as his feet skidded on the varnished hardwood floors, he spied Cindy near the back of the room with her head down on a table. “Cindy, are you okay?” he asked as he hurried toward her. His concern grew when she didn’t respond or so much as move a muscle. He was at her side a moment later and crouched down next to her. “Cindy?”

  “Grant?” she whispered in a voice so filled with pain his heart stuttered.

  “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

  “Migraine…sick.”

  “Do you have medicine?”

  “Gone.”

  Grant dropped to his knees, grasped his cell phone from his belt, and started punching in numbers. He was aware of his brothers heading their way, but he ignored them. Right now, their woman needed medical help, and he was going to make sure she got it.

  “Hey, Grant, what’s up?” Dr. Phoenix Carter answered.

  “I need you or one of your friends to get to Safe Haven,” Grant said.

  “What’s going on? Is someone hurt?” Phoenix asked.

  “It’s Cindy. She’s got a migraine and doesn’t have anything to take for it.”

  “Fuck! I can’t leave right now. I have a patient due in two minutes. Cam and Axel are at the hospital helping Will and his brothers. How about I call one of the Tremaine brothers and send them to you?”

  “Please, and Phoenix, tell whoever you send to hurry.”

  “Will do.” Phoenix disconnected the call.

  “What can we do to help you, baby?” Shane asked.

  “N-Nothing.” Cindy inhaled and moaned. “Just leave me.”

  “Not going to happen, sweetie,” Grant stated emphatically. “Do you want m
e to lift you up and carry you to the sofa?”

  “No,” she groaned. “Oh, god. Bucket!”

  Jake and Curt turned, searching for a receptacle of some kind. Jake found a small trash can and brought it over just in time. Cindy gagged and then vomited into the can. Grant held her hair away from her face while Shane gripped one of her shoulders so she wouldn’t topple off her chair.

  He hated seeing her in so much pain and sick to her stomach, but what was worse was how useless he felt. He and Shane liked to be in control. Grant would have gladly taken her pain and illness into him rather than seeing her this way, but since that wasn’t possible, all he could do was help her as much as he could. He sighed with relief when she finished throwing up. Curt rushed toward the kitchen, stopping in the doorway to ask one of the women something. When Grant saw a woman hand him a glass of water, he was glad. Cindy would need to rinse her mouth, and while he hoped that Curt hadn’t scared the women and kids with his presence, right now Cindy was their priority.

  “I have some water for you, darlin’,” Curt said as he crouched down near their woman. When she reached out a trembling hand without opening her eyes, his brother clasped it in his. “I’ll hold the glass to your lips. Okay, Cindy?”

  “Yeah,” she answered shakily.

  She took a few sips filling her mouth with water, swished it around to rinse, and unerringly spat into the trash can.

  “Do you think you can lie down now, baby?” Shane asked.

  “I don’t know,” she replied. “My stomach’s still churning, and I’m worried if I move, I’ll be sick again. I think it’s best if I stay here.”

  “Whatever you want, sweetie.” Grant caressed a hand up and down her back. When he heard footsteps heading their way, he once more sighed with relief to see Brigg Tremaine with medical equipment in hand.

  The big paramedic nodded to them and then squatted next to Cindy when Curt and Jake moved aside. “Not feeling so good, are you, Cindy?”