by Becca Van
“You know we’re never going to be normal citizens, old man,” Ajay teased.
“Hey, watch it, asshole.” Nash chuckled.
“How’s life treating you in Colorado?” Cael asked. “Do you like being a deputy?”
“We love it. Wilder, Cree and I have taken to this job like a duck to water.”
“Not surprising, really,” Brax said. “You’re all probably better trained than the sheriff and the other deputies.”
“Not true,” Nash replied. “There are a lot of retired military in this town.”
“What’s the draw?” Ajay asked. “Last I heard of Slick Rock there wasn’t much there, and the population was minimal.”
“That’s what me and my brothers heard, too, but the town is expanding fast. There are a lot of unusual relationships around the county and the locals have no trouble accepting them,” Nash explained.
“That’s right.” Cael clicked his fingers. “You guys moved there because you all like to share your woman. What’s her name?”
“Violet Sheffield,” Nash answered.
“You’re married. Fuck! Last I heard, you’d just moved to Slick Rock. How long’s it been?” Ajay asked.
“Three or so months. I sent you all an invitation to the wedding, but guessed you were out of the country when you didn’t reply. Maybe it got lost in the mail.”
“It must have, because we would have replied and sent you a gift. Shit, you and your brothers work fast,” Cael said.
“Not really,” Nash said. “When it’s right, it’s right. I remember you three sharing a woman a time or two. Have you thought about moving and settling down? This is a great place to live. All the men are protective of the women and children, those weaker than they are, and wouldn’t hesitate to step into the line of fire to keep them safe.”
Brax was about to respond, but Nash kept talking.
“Oh, I forgot. You were helping a friend take care of his sister. Do you still need to do that? Isn’t she grown up yet?”
Brax sighed with sadness and even though Nash couldn’t see him, he shook his head.
“She’s grown, but she’s also gone.”
“What?” Nash asked. “You don’t mean she passed away, do you?”
“No,” Ajay answered. “She took off while we were on one of our last tours. Her brother died while on deployment twelve months ago. We don’t know where she is or why she left without any word.”
“That sucks,” Nash sounded a little angry on their behalf. “Some people are so ungrateful.”
Cael glared at Ajay and quickly changed the subject. “Are there any decent jobs going in your town?”
“Can’t hire people fast enough,” Nash said. “A new hospital was built not long ago, and the city has already decided to expand it. Sheriff Luke Sun-Walker and Sheriff Damon Osborn were bemoaning just this morning about not having enough men on board. Hey, why don’t you apply for the job? There are plenty of new houses for sale or rent if that’s what you’d prefer. Slick Rock is on a growth boom and doesn’t look as if it’s going to slow down anytime soon.”
“Let us talk things over and we’ll let you know,” Brax said.
“Okay. Take care, guys, and don’t keep me waiting too long. I can put a good word in for you with the Sheriffs if you decide you want to come to Slick Rock.”
“Thanks, Nash. Take care. Later,” Cael said.
“Later, guys.” Nash disconnected the call.
“What do you think?” Cael asked as he met Brax’s gaze and then Ajay’s.
“There’s nothing keeping us here any longer,” Ajay said. “I’m in if you both are.”
“Brax?”
Brax rubbed at the back of his neck. He could tell that both of his brothers were eager to move forward with their lives. He was, too, but he couldn’t get Jaylynn out of his mind. Nonetheless, if he put his life on hold, he might end up looking back on his life when he was old and gray, and alone with years of regret. There was no reason for him and his brothers to remain in Fort Worth.
Everything they’d had here was now gone.
It was time to move on.
“Let’s find out what we need to do to become a deputy,” Brax said.
* * * *
“Are you okay, Jaylynn?” Enya asked.
Jaylynn looked up from the large bowl of blueberry muffins she was mixing to find Enya frowning in her direction.
“I’m fine. Why did you ask?”
“You look tired.”
“It’s only five in the morning, Enya. I’m not awake yet.”
Enya shook her head. “You’re a morning person. You’re usually bright eyed and bushy tailed at this time of the morning, even if you don’t talk much, but something’s changed over the last couple of weeks.”
“I was too hot and didn’t get much sleep.”
“That’s not gonna wash with me, girlfriend. It hasn’t been hot every night, and yet each morning those dark smudges under your eyes are darker. You know you can talk to me or the other women if you have a problem, don’t you?”
“I do, but I’m fine. Thanks for caring though.”
“Don’t forget I’m here if you change your mind, and if you decide you need me to lend an ear when I’m not around, all you have to do is call me. Okay?”
“Okay.” Jaylynn nodded. She quickly turned back to the muffin mix when tears of gratitude and emotion burned the back of her eyes. She’d never had any close female friends before arriving in Slick Rock. Other than her mom and a few female acquaintances at school, she’d never had any real friends. She’d spent most of her teen years around guys and wasn’t sure how to act around women. She’d always been a bit of a tomboy and not a girly-girl, which was one of the reasons she hadn’t really fit into any niche or clique while she’d been growing up.
Grief welled when she thought of her mom, dad, and brother. She missed them all so much. They’d been the only family she’d had, and they’d been cruelly taken from her. First her parents in a car accident and then her brother while he was fighting a war. Sometimes she wondered if the gods or the fates were punishing her for something she’d done in another life, but she didn’t even believe in reincarnation.
Jaylynn had resigned herself to living her life alone. It just hurt too much to love someone and then have them snatched away. She even used to dream about meeting the man of her dreams, but that had quickly changed to men of her dreams when Brax, Ajay, and Cael Rhodes had moved into a house across the street from her. They’d been so much older and had treated her like the kid she was. That hadn’t swayed her from her determination to be with them once she was grown up though.
Dreams and reality were so far apart though. Her childish dreams and heart had been shattered not long after she’d turned eighteen when she’d seen Brax leading a beautiful woman into his house by the hand. When she’d seen him kiss her right out on the front porch, she’d run to her room and cried so hard she’d been ill.
Those childish shattered dreams had put everything into perspective for her, which in a way had been a godsend. She poured her heart and soul into her studies and learning everything she could while attending the Culinary School of Forth Worth where she’d earned her Bakery and Pastry Arts Diploma.
Sebastian had been over the moon proud of her and of course, he’d loved sampling her baking, as had the Rhodes brothers. Even though she’d been helping Enya out with making the pastries, muffins and cakes for the last few months or so, she hadn’t revealed that she’d had professional training. However, she didn’t think she’d put anything over on Enya. She caught the speculative glances from time to time she’d given Jaylynn as she’d worked. Nonetheless, she was hoping Enya wouldn’t ask any prying questions. She still wasn’t ready to talk about her previous life and wasn’t sure if she ever would be.
Jaylynn pushed her depressing thoughts aside and lost herself in her work, creating edible works of art. She made a fluffy light chocolate torte, some apple and custard-filled pastries, the blueb
erry muffins and a couple of cakes. By the time she and Enya were done, she was exhausted. As much as she would have liked to climb back upstairs to the apartment above the diner, she was also scheduled to work the breakfast shift. She, Enya and Cindy would be taking orders, pouring coffee and cleaning tables.
Normally she loved working, but over the last couple of weeks with so little sleep, her passion was beginning to become a chore. She was tired, jumpy and stressed, but worst of all, she was all alone.
Even though she’d been devastated when her parents had died she’d still had Sebastian and the Rhodes brothers to hang out with when they were home from deployment. For that last couple of years, she’d had no one. Brax, Ajay, and Cael had been on missions so often, they’d only managed to get home for a day or two before heading out again.
Her brother’s team had stopped in from time to time, but most of them had lives of their own, girlfriends, wives, kids and other family members to spend time with. The only constant had been Jimmy, but he’d given her the absolute creeps.
Jaylynn had hated the way he’d stared at her, as if he could see through her clothes down to her naked body, but she’d never told Sebastian how she felt about his fellow soldier and friend. She’d been terrified of causing a rift in the team. If that had happened, the dissent could have been a distraction which could have gotten them killed. It seemed her worries weren’t so far from the truth. While she’d kept her mouth shut, it hadn’t prevented her brother from dying or Jimmy from trying to take what he considered his.
A shiver of trepidation skated up her spine. She’d never forget the angry resolve in his furious gaze or the intent in his tone when he’d screamed at her as she’d made her escape.
Jaylynn had been so worried that Jimmy would follow her, she’d driven for nearly seven hours straight, into the wee hours of the morning and slept in her car. As soon as she could, she’d bought another cheap car from a private seller and hadn’t transferred any of the registration details, since she’d wanted to make it hard for Jimmy to find her. After she’d swapped her things from one car to another, she’d sold her car for cash and kept right on driving. She’d made sure to pay the registration well in advance before a notice could be sent out, so the previous owner wasn’t alerted to the fact she’d never changed the personal information she was supposed to have. She bit her lip and hoped the Sheriffs hadn’t run a check on her. If they had, they may well have alerted the asshole to her whereabouts. She mentally shook her head. None of the sheriffs or deputies had questioned her about the car she hardly ever drove anymore. They may not even know she owned a vehicle. She kept it parked in a storage shed that was on the outskirts of town. When she’d first arrived in town she’d walked the few miles from the storage facility towing a small suitcase behind her.
She hadn’t been back since because she’d been making do, however, if she ever managed to save enough money to buy her own place, that might change. Her car was still packed with keepsakes from her deceased family, more clothes and other personal items. Maybe one day she would be able to look through the family photo albums and not be swamped with grief.
When she’d seen the town of Slick Rock, something had drawn her. She’d been amazed how protective the men were and how friendly everyone was and had decided to stay, but lately she’d been thinking it was time to move on.
She was starting to get paranoid and swore that she was being watched, yet whenever she surreptitiously glanced about, she never caught anyone staring at her. Maybe exhaustion was making her hallucinate.
It was hard to smile as she took orders and served customers when inside she was crying, but she was determined to get through her workday.
She glanced toward the door when Violet’s men entered and grabbed a booth close to the door. Violet was an amazing woman who had survived a hellish childhood in the clutches of cult members. Jaylynn admired how loving and kind she’d remained after what she’d endured. In fact, all the women she worked with were amazing with big hearts. They’d all been to hell and back and yet had come out the other side smiling and willing to help anyone in need.
Jaylynn would help anyone, too, but she wasn’t about to spill her guts and tell the other women about her life story. There was nothing harrowing in her past other than the death of everyone she’d loved, but the other women had lost people, too.
Jaylynn thought that Delta, Violet, and Enya were all wonderfully amazing, but she was no one special. She was just an average woman, living an average life and trying to get ahead. While she knew the other women would be all over her denying her claims if she voiced her averageness, Jaylynn wasn’t sure she’d ever believe them.
Sometimes, she wished she’d been with her parents that fateful night ten long years ago when they’d gone to the movies. She would have been with her family if she’d have died with them.
The loneliness was becoming increasingly hard to endure, but she would continue one step at a time. If Sebastian had been alive, he would have read her the riot act for indulging in a pity party. Normally, she wasn’t so pessimistic, but exhaustion was wearing her down.
It had been years since she’d had a vacation. The last time she’d had time off was after being let go from her previous job at the bakery close to her home in Fort Worth. Before that she’d been working and studying and even though Seb had sent home what money he could while he was on a mission, the rest of the money had gone to paying off the rest of her parents’ debts and her school fees. Now that all the debts were paid, she was trying to save for her own home, but at the rate she was going, it was going to take years before she had enough for a deposit.
“Hi, guys, what can I get you?” Jaylynn asked as she poured coffee for Wilder, Cree, and Nash.
“You don’t need to take our order, Jaylynn,” Wilder said. “Violet already knows what we want.”
She bit her lip and nodded. She was about to turn away, but stopped when Cree placed a hand on her arm. She met his intent gaze briefly before glancing about the diner, looking to see if anyone else needed their coffee refreshed. “Are you all right, Jaylynn?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
“You look tired, honey.” Nash frowned.
“I was up at three this morning and here at four to help Enya with all the baking.”
Wilder shook his head, garnering her attention. “You’ve lost weight and you’re really pale. Maybe you should go and get a check-up.”
“Thanks for the concern, but I’m fine.” She turned away and hurried toward the far side of the diner, sighing with relief at her escape. She liked that the men who lived in Slick Rock and the surrounding county were protective, but sometimes they annoyed her with their overbearing, caring tendencies. Not because she didn’t like being shielded, but because it always reminded her of Sebastian, Brax, Ajay, and Cael.
She sucked in a breath and hoped the tears threatening to well weren’t visible. If the men in the diner saw tears in her eyes, they were likely to have conniptions.
If that happened, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep the tears at bay.
Chapter Two
No matter how hard he tried, Jimmy couldn’t get Jaylynn out of his head. She was the one who’d gotten away, and he was obsessed with her.
He’d gone back to the house the night she’d left and staked out the place, but she’d never returned. Night after night he’d wasted, hoping that she’d come back and be with him.
He’d had a thing for Sebastian’s sister since she’d turned eighteen, but he’d kept it hidden, just waiting for the opportunity to pounce. When Seb had been killed and a few others of their team injured while on a mission, he’d thought he’d be able to inveigle his way into her life by consoling her from her grief. Those asshole Rhodes brothers had stepped in and stolen his opportunity.
He’d retired from the Marines with dreams of making a life for himself with the sexy auburn-haired, green-eyed witch, but his dreams hadn’t come to fruition. At least not yet, but he wasn’t giving u
p. Jimmy knew deep down in his heart and soul that Jaylynn was perfect for him and he was perfect for her. All he needed was a chance to prove it. He’d thought he’d been getting somewhere when he’d kissed her. She liked dominant men. She had to since she always seemed to do what her brother and those Rhodes bastards ordered. He’d kissed her hard, trying to show her he was assertive the way she liked and more than masculine enough to handle her sexy little body, but the slut had kneed him in the balls and then the chin. He hadn’t been expecting that and she’d literally knocked him on his ass, and he’d nearly passed out.
Jimmy had done everything he could to find her. He’d hacked into the DMV, CCTVs and other avenues as he’d thought of them, but she had managed to elude him. He hated to think of her out in the world all alone, or worse, with another man. A red haze of fury slipped over his eyes and he roared with anger. She’d been gone for twelve long fucking months and still there was no sign of her.
He’d even broken into the Rhodes residence and tapped their phone, but those fuckers were gone on missions more often than not. Nothing he’d done had given him a hint as to where she’d run.
He shoved to his feet, kicked the chair across the room and then punched his fist through the wall. The pain of his knuckles splitting felt good. He’d learned to deal with pain and killing while training and soldiering in the Marines. Sometimes he wished he was still fighting in the war, holding an automatic rifle in his hands and taking insurgents down with a spray of bullets. He missed the camaraderie with his fellow soldiers, but he missed the aggressive violence, the killing more.
He’d made the decision to retire after Sebastian had died. He’d walked away unscathed but other members of his team hadn’t. Although they hadn’t been as severely injured as he’d first suspected, it had been too close of a call.
He paced about the room, trying to figure out how to find Jaylynn. He’d visited her house a lot over the years and while Sebastian had been earning decent money, he and his sister had lived frugally while paying off their deceased parents’ debts.
