Dream Life

by Becca Van

She reached for shirt and jeans when Brigg started cleaning up but stopped when Tane waylaid the movement by placing a hand on her arm. She’d been so intent on not whimpering and gasping while Brigg attended to her injuries, she hadn’t noticed him coming back into the room.

  “We need to put the ice packs on your bruises, sweetness.” Tane sat on the sofa beside her as soon as Brigg moved out of the way. She reached for one of the ice packs, but he moved it out of reach. “Uh-huh, Shyann. You just sit back and rest, while we ice your contusions.”

  A shiver of heat skated up her spine at Tane’s authoritative tone. All three of the Tremaine brothers were forceful without being dictatorial. In fact, all the men she’d encountered in Slick Rock had confident attitudes and alpha tendencies. At first, she’d been worried that she’d leapt right into the deep end of a swimming pool with no way to get out, but after observing the men with their women from afar, she’d realized how much they loved their women and how much they were loved in return. Her stepdad, Collin Bradley, had treated her mother as if she was made of fragile glass. Her mom had been one of the strongest people she’d known. She’d had to be to raise Shyann for the first eight years of her life without a man at her side, working two and sometimes three jobs to pay for the rent and food as well as the utilities. When her mom had met and started dating Collin, she’d changed, but not in a bad way. She smiled and laughed more often, and her eyes had sparkled with happiness.

  Now she and Collin were dead.

  Tears of grief welled, and while Shyann tried to keep them at bay, they leaked out from under her closed eyelids and rolled down her face. She tried to breathe through the pain, the tight restrictiveness in her chest and throat, but it didn’t help. A sob escaped from between her lips, and she lifted her hands to cover her face.

  When gentle hands clasped her waist and lifted her, she gasped. As soon as her ass plonked onto warm, hard thighs and strong arms wrapped around her, she lost control.

  Shyann buried her face in the muscular chest of the man holding her and sobbed her heart out. She was only vaguely aware of work-roughened hands caressing up and down her back, over her shoulders and arms, as the painful storm raged inside of her.

  “Shh, sweetness,” Tane crooned soothingly. “Everything is going to be okay. We’ve got you, Shyann.”

  “Are you in pain, baby?” Raiden asked. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”

  “No,” she wailed.

  “What’s wrong, darlin’?” Brigg asked. “Tell us why you’re crying.”

  “They’re dead. He killed them. I miss them so much.” She gasped and hiccupped, trying to stop the flow of tears, but there was so much pain and fear inside of her, she couldn’t control them. She suspected the shock of earlier events and exhaustion was the reason for her breakdown, but she couldn’t seem to control her emotions.

  Shyann had no idea how long she sat there bawling her eyes out, but when the tears finally slowed and eventually dried up, she was so embarrassed she didn’t want to look at the three men. Would they look at her as if she’d lost her mind? Would they look at her with pity?

  She didn’t want or need anyone’s pity. She’d survived this long by herself and would continue to do so.

  “Look at me, sweetness,” Tane ordered.

  She shook her head and pressed her forehead harder into his sternum. However, she should have known he wouldn’t let her get away with hiding or ignoring him. He grasped her braid in his hand and tugged until she met his gaze. When she caught movement on either side of Tane, she glanced at Brigg and Raiden out of the corner of her eyes. It was only then she realized her precarious position. Without her awareness, Tane had somehow managed to turn her on his lap until she was straddling his waist. Raiden and Brigg were still holding the ice packs against her skin. Brigg’s arm was pressed against her naked back as he held the ice to her opposite hip. Raiden was holding the other pack to her bruised ribs.

  The contrast in heat and cold sent a shudder through her body. She was surrounded by big, tall handsome men, and the warmth emanating from their large frames seemed to seep right into her heart and soul. No one other than her mom and stepdad had ever cared about her wellbeing. Now these three men who didn’t even know her were all frowning at her with concern. Her heart flipped in her chest, and her breathing grew shallow.

  Shyann tensed as she prepared to get off Tane’s lap. Brigg must have seen her intention because he pressed his arm into her back a little firmer.

  “Who killed who, Shyann?” Tane asked.

  She closed her eyes and sighed with resignation. There was such determined resolve in Tane’s and his brothers’ eyes, she realized she wasn’t going to be able to leave until she’d explained her crying jag.

  “My mom and my stepdad were murdered.”

  “Fuck!” Raiden growled.

  “Oh, sweetness, I’m so sorry.” Tane released her hair, nudged Brigg’s arm away before wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her closer. It had been a long time since someone had held her, and she couldn’t stop her sigh of contentment at the human-to-human contact.

  “Did the police find and arrest whoever killed them?” Brigg asked.

  “No,” she answered softly and hoped the fear in her heart didn’t show in her eyes.

  Raiden cupped her cheek, turning her gaze toward him. “Do the authorities know who killed them?”

  “My stepbrother,” she replied without any intonation.

  “Shit!” Brigg rubbed at the back of his neck.

  “Fucking bastard,” Tane snarled.

  Shyann jerked over their outbursts and pushed against Tane’s chest.

  Raiden reached out, plucked her from Tane’s arms, and held her in his own. “Don’t be scared of me and my brothers, baby. We would never hurt you. We’re all angry about what happened to your parents.”

  She nodded and sighed as he caressed a hand over her head and hair as she relaxed against him, totally careless that she was still only in her underwear.

  “Did he evade the police, darlin’?” Brigg asked.

  “Yeah. They’ve been searching for him and have advertised his face on the TV and such, but so far he hasn’t been found.”

  “How long since this all happened, sweetness?” Tane frowned.

  “Months ago.”

  “There’s more, isn’t there?” Raiden gazed at her expectantly.

  Shyann nodded and gulped around the lump of fear in her throat. “He left a note on the kitchen counter. I didn’t even know it was there until one of the police officers found it.”

  “What did it say, baby?” Raiden asked.

  Shyann let him see the fear in her eyes and wondered if she’d live to see her next birthday. “You’re next, bitch.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Raiden said angrily.

  “Motherfucking asshole,” Tane growled as he shoved to his feet and started pacing.

  “Not happening,” Brigg shouted before standing.

  “What the hell is going on in here?” Brax raised his voice to garner everyone’s attention.

  Shyann gasped and tried to curl up into a ball, shielding her nearly naked body from the deputy sheriff’s gaze. However, it was totally unnecessary because Tane and Brigg had moved to shield her from view. She sighed with relief. It was bad enough that they’d seen so much of her, but they were medics and used to seeing bare people. The deputy was completely different.

  “We’ll explain soon,” Brigg replied. “Can you give us a few more minutes so we can help Shyann back into her clothes? I’ll let you know as soon as it’s okay to come back in.”

  “Okay,” Brax said before closing the door again.

  Shyann blinked when Tane and Brigg spun around to face her. Brigg grabbed her shirt and jeans, passing the first to his brother before crouching at her feet. “Turn her to face me, Raiden,” Brigg commanded.

  She was about to shift from her sideways position on Raiden’s lap, but never got the chance. He lifted and turned her before she even i
nhaled. She wasn’t exactly a lightweight, standing at five feet six, but the Tremaine brothers didn’t seem to have any trouble at all moving her about. They were so muscular and toned, she guessed they worked out regularly, or did physical activities that kept them fit and healthy.

  “Lift your foot, darlin’.” Brigg tapped her right calf lightly. When she lifted her foot, he slipped it into her jeans. She raised her other foot and pushed her other leg into her pants. Raiden grasped her waist, raising her ass off his lap, and Brigg pulled her jeans up over her thighs and hips, being careful of the bandage covering her grazed skin, before zipping and buttoning her up.

  “Lean forward, sweetness,” Tane said as he held her shirt out.

  Shyann grabbed for it. “I can dress myself, you know. I’ve been doing it since I was about five years old.”

  “We know you can, baby, but we don’t want you to hurt your aching muscles any more than they already are,” Raiden explained.

  “How did you…” Shyann stopped speaking when Tane pulled the shirt over her head. She threaded her arms into the sleeves as he held them out for her. As soon as the material was pulled down over her back and belly, she leaned back against Raiden again. She was tired after such a shock as well as the constant lack of sleep. When she started to yawn, she covered her mouth.

  She didn’t even notice she’d closed her eyes until she heard the murmur of voices. She opened her eyes and gazed at Brax, Cael, and Ajay Rhodes. They’d started new jobs as deputy sheriffs a couple of months or so ago. From what she’d heard on the grapevine, they were very good at their jobs. They’d thwarted a robbery at the supermarket only last week. She was thankful that no one had been hurt, that they’d been able to arrest the man who’d been holding staff and customers at bay with a gun.

  She really hated guns. She couldn’t understand why the government were stupidly stubborn about the American Constitution. It had been written over two hundred years ago. Times had changed so much but not necessarily in a good way. Almost anybody could walk into a store and buy a gun. It was crazy. Shyann wished that their government would pull their head out of their asses and just ban anyone other than the law and the military from being able to carry weapons as Australia had. Their idiot President had been taped saying that he wanted teachers to carry guns at school for added protection. There wouldn’t be any need for that if the gun laws were strict. It was ridiculous the way the government and gun lobbyists were so stubborn in their thinking.

  What were the teachers going to do if they had some lunatic or disgruntled, depressed or mentally ill student with a gun on a rampage? Wait! Don’t shoot I need to get my gun out first? She mentally snorted. The people in power were delusional and burying their heads in the sand. The only reason no one had taken a stand on gun laws was because they were scared they’d lose peoples votes and power. Power and greed. They didn’t give a shit about human lives at all. Not unless it was their own and how much money they could line their pockets with.

  “How are you feeling, Shyann?” Brax asked as he grabbed a chair before carrying it closer to her and the Tremaine men.

  “I’m okay.”

  “She tired, bruised, and grazed.” Tane frowned. “We need to do this as quickly as possible.”

  “This won’t take long,” Brax replied. Shyann glanced at Cael and Ajay, who were leaning against the wall and closed door to the office. They looked so handsome and fierce in their uniforms with their gun belts around their hips and the portable radios on their shoulders. Nevertheless, she wasn’t attracted to the three men in the least. The only time her body lit up was whenever she thought about Raiden, Brigg, and Tane or they were nearby.

  Shyann had only ever had one boyfriend, which had been such a disaster she’d vowed never to get involved in another relationship again, but now she was starting to rethink her knee-jerk decision. She mentally shook her head. The Tremaine brothers were so big and handsome, they probably had women throwing themselves at them. She wouldn’t stand a chance, and she wasn’t about to try and compete with anyone. She wasn’t desperate or foolish, and there was no way in hell she was going to embarrass herself. She’d relished the attention they’d been giving her, but they were only doing their jobs after all. There was no reason for her to read anything into their concern other than being trained paramedics.

  “Do you have any objections to me recording your statement, Shyann?” Brax asked.

  “No.”

  She answered Brax’s questions as best she could, but she hadn’t seen anything.

  The more she learned as Tane, Brigg, and Raiden explained what had happened and what they’d seen, the more frightened she became.

  “Did any of you get a good look at the driver?”

  Shyann shivered with fear. She’d had no idea that a truck had been aiming directly for her and Raiden. If Brigg hadn’t shoved his brother out of the way and then dove at her, they would have been seriously injured or dead.

  “I didn’t see anything,” Shyann answered.

  “The asshole had a fucking Stetson and shades on,” Brigg snarled. “There wasn’t much to see.”

  Brax nodded before clearing his throat. “We’ve already had the plates run. They don’t match the vehicle.”

  “What does that mean?” Shyann asked.

  “It means the license plates and/or the truck were stolen, baby,” Raiden explained.

  “Did anyone see what state was on the license plates?” She rubbed her arms when goose bumps erupted over her flesh.

  “They were Texas plates, Shyann,” Cael answered.

  She nodded, and while she hoped that whoever had nearly run them over had just somehow lost control of their truck, she knew that wasn’t the case.

  Shyann had a bad feeling that her stepbrother had managed to find her and was here to end her life.

  * * * *

  When Tane felt Shyann shiver next to him, he wanted to snatch her from his brother and wrap her up in his arms. He had a feeling she was thinking about her brother. As soon as Brax finished with his questions he rose to his feet, but Tane stopped him.

  “There’s more we need to tell you, Brax,” Tane said as he glanced at his brothers and then met Shyann’s gaze. He quirked an eyebrow at her in query, and when she nodded he sighed with relief. If she was in danger—and after what she’d told them, she definitely was—they needed to rally together so they could protect her.

  Shyann had come to mean so much to him already. The more time he spent with her, the faster he fell.

  He had a feeling before the day was over, he’d be head over heels in love with her.

  Brax’s frown creased his face as he stared at Shyann. He and his brothers had just told them about her stepbrother, and while the deputy tried to keep the anger from his face, Tane would have had to have been blind to miss it.

  When Shyann’s breath hitched as she lowered her gaze, he realized that she was worried Brax was angry with her. The deputy must have noticed the same thing.

  “Look at me, Shyann,” Brax commanded.

  Shyann took her time raising her gaze to meet Brax’s eyes. “You have nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. I’m not angry with you, honey. Just the emotional pain and the fear you must have been, are still living with. Thank you for letting your men tell me about your stepbrother. Everything that has happened is on him. Okay?”

  Shyann swallowed audibly and nodded.

  Tane caressed a hand over her head and kissed her temple when he saw tears pooling in her eyes. She was so fucking sexy and amazing. He had no idea how she’d dealt with such trauma on her own. She was so fucking strong.

  Brax stood, turned, and walked toward the door. Cael opened the door, and he and Ajay stepped out in the hallway. Brax paused and turned to look at Shyann over his shoulder. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be on your own right now. It’s too risky. The incident may have been an accident, but until the asshole is caught, we won’t know for sure. Do you have someone you can stay with?�
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  “I’ll be ok—”

  “She’s staying with us,” Raiden said emphatically.

  “Oh but…”

  Brax turned toward them fully, holding his hand up to cease Shyann’s protests. “You can’t be alone right now, Shyann. If you don’t have anywhere to stay and you don’t want to stay with the Tremaines, you can stay with us. Jaylynn would love to have another woman around.”

  Tane held his breath, all the time scowling at Brax for the offer he’d just given Shyann. He didn’t want her staying with anyone but them. He would have growled at Brax like a rabid animal if it wouldn’t have scared the frightened woman in his arms.

  Please, let her stay with us. Please, let her stay with us.

  Chapter Four

  Shyann’s first instincts were to jump at the chance of staying with Jaylynn and her men, but their relationship was so new, they had to still be in the honeymoon stage. If she accepted the invite, she would be impinging on their privacy. No one wanted to a mood breaker or relationship inhibiter.

  The thought of being all alone with her brother at large in Slick Rock terrified her, even if she wasn’t sure it was him who’d been driving the out-of-control truck. If she accepted the Tremaine men’s offer, she was going to have to try and keep her attraction to them hidden. Just thinking about being in their house and seeing them all the time had her nipples beading into hard points and her pussy clenching and moistening.

  “Shyann?” Brigg laced his fingers with hers, raised her hand to his mouth, and kissed the back of it.

  She shuddered as another spike of heat coursed through her blood, her clit throbbing with hunger. After glancing into each of the men’s eyes, she gazed toward Brax. “Thanks for the offer, but I think it would be better if I stayed with Raiden, Brigg, and Tane.”

  She looked at Tane from the corner of her eye when he sighed with what sounded like relief. Was he happy she’d accepted their invite, or resigned to having a woman cramping his and his brothers’ social life? That thought had her mind wandering even more. What if they all had girlfriends? Would their women get angry because they were helping her out?