Rewards of Bravery

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “This isn’t looking like a cut-and-dried case in any way. Sounds more complicated now that Isla uncovered the money trail by Stealth.”

  “Well, the sheriff doesn’t believe that Isla would be in any danger, and so far the investigation is in good hands with Ranger Alex Weathersen running it.”

  “Alex is in charge? Awesome. That makes me feel a lot better.”

  “Me too. Now, why don’t you have Ortley bring Isla by the department later today to discuss guardianship and precautions she should take while working there? We can go over any information we’re allowed to give her.”

  “Sounds good,” Montana said and stood up. “I just hope she doesn’t panic over this. Isla has been through a lot. It would make me happier if she wasn’t even working at that place, but she won’t quit because of this. She’ll help out and see things through. As long as her bosses aren’t somehow connected in any way, then that’s fine.”

  “Well, Alex will figure things out quickly. I’m sure he’ll be in touch if he gets further information for us.”

  “Definitely. Thanks, Kane, I appreciate you looking into this.”

  “Of course, and congratulations with Isla. She’s a beautiful young woman. She’s turned down several offers of guardianship, and now I know why.”

  “What do you mean several offers?” Montana asked.

  “Montana, your woman is stunning, young, professional, and sweet. You and Ortley aren’t the only ones who noticed those things. There’s no need to worry. She accepts your guardianship and you and your brothers as her men, and those others will pull back and look elsewhere.”

  “Jesus,” he said and ran his fingers through his hair, and Kane chuckled as he gave his shoulder a slap before Montana walked out of the office.

  Ortley leaned over to kiss Isla’s hip and then her thigh. The T-shirt she insisted upon wearing was pushed up to her hips. She began to stir and rolled toward him. She pressed her lips to his bare chest, and his cock came to life once again. As he slid a palm over her ass, she cuddled closer. It was such an amazing feeling, to have Isla spend the night, just exploring, touching one another, not even having sex, and being content knowing she was here between him and Montana. God, Montana wasn’t happy about having to go to work, but the plan would be to spend time with Isla later today and tonight.

  “Morning,” she whispered and tilted her chin up toward him.

  He looked down into her baby blue eyes. “Morning, gorgeous,” he said and stroked a finger along the crack of her ass.

  She reached back and pushed the shirt down. He rolled her to her back and raised her hands above her head. “Ortley,” she reprimanded.

  “Did I say to cover this sexy body up?”

  She squinted at him.

  “Why are you naked?” she asked, ignoring him.

  He gripped her wrists easily with one hand and then reached down and pushed the T-shirt, his T-shirt, up to her neck. “Need a morning snack,” he said and lowered his mouth to her nipple and suckled the tiny bud. She shifted her hips, and in this position, his cock was against her inner thigh as he straddled her one leg.

  “Ortley.”

  He lifted up and held her gaze.

  “Isla,” he said and kissed along her chest to her chin.

  She gazed over his chest and lips. “I want to talk,” she said, and he could tell she was serious.

  He released her wrists and grunted as he moved off her, raised the sheet up, and lay back against the pillow. She rolled toward him, adjusted the shirt, and rested on her elbow and forearm. He turned to look at her. The youthfulness and beauty of her face, those stunning blue eyes and thick eyelashes drew him in. As she used her eyes to gaze over his body, he reached out to caress her hair.

  Isla traced one of his tattoos. “You have a lot of muscles,” she said and ran her hands along his pectoral muscles and then over his waist as she moved closer. She sat up next to him and leaned her hand on the other side of his waist and against the mattress. He slid his hand along her thigh and to her rear pulling her closer. “How do you like being a drill sergeant?” she asked him and swallowed hard.

  “Does that scare you? My muscles, capabilities, and being a drill sergeant?” He squeezed her ass, his fingers nearly to her crack.

  She reached back and pushed down her shirt. “I think it’s cool, the drill sergeant part, but I guess the capabilities, these muscles, and scary tattoos are intimidating.”

  He used his other hand to cup her cheek. “I would never hurt you. Never use my abilities to bring you harm or pain. Only pleasure,” he said and hauled her up with one arm under her ass. She fell against his chest and kissed him. He kissed her back and ran his palms under her shirt, all over her body, and then she kissed his neck and whispered into his ear.

  “I appreciate your patience with me. Yours and Montana’s,” she whispered and kissed his neck in between her words. “When I was abducted, the men who took me prisoner did things, and said things to me.” He tightened up. He didn’t know details, only what he could find out from Montana. “I was so scared, Ortley.” She hugged his neck, and he continued to caress her.

  “They would touch me, act like they were going to rape me. I didn’t want to lose my virginity like that. I didn’t.” He felt the wetness against his neck and then her sniffle.

  “No, baby, of course not. God, you’re so strong. You survived, and they didn’t take that from you.”

  “But they did other things. Things that made me feel dirty, and that hurt.”

  “Shhh, don’t talk about it.”

  “I need to tell you. You know I’ve been seeing Charlie and getting counseling. I think you need to know this.” She lifted up and her cheeks were flush her eyes red, and still tears fell. “When you and Montana touch me, intimately, it feels good, not bad. I was scared at first. I panicked a little but focused on it being you, on it being Montana, and then I knew the difference. I knew I wanted more and could trust you.” She gripped his shoulders. “I want to make love to you guys. I do. I want to feel more. I just need more time.”

  “We won’t rush you, though I have to say it’s taking a lot of willpower to be in bed with you, and having access to this sexy body but not able to claim you fully. We’ll do it though. We’ll do it for you because that’s how much you mean to us.” She smiled and then pressed her lips to his.

  “I thought drill sergeants were supposed to be badass and have hearts of titanium and not be so sweet?” she asked as she rubbed her palms up and down his chest.

  He gave her ass a slap. “You tell anyone I’m sweet, and you’ll get a nice hard ass spanking.” He squeezed her ass, and she gasped and lifted up.

  She held his gaze as she slowly leaned down to kiss his chest but kept her eyes glued to his. “I won’t tell a soul, Ortley O’Rourke. It can be our little secret,” she said and then moved the sheet away from his body as she kept going lower and lower until she fisted his cock and feasted on him.

  He didn’t want to rush things, but damn, he was in love with Isla already, and he hadn’t been in love like this, maybe not ever.

  Isla was showered and dressed in the same outfit she showed up in yesterday. Curren knew she stayed the night. He walked by the bedroom door and saw her there between his brothers, a perfect body wedged between them, a firm round ass, and a side view of what had to be pretty abundant breasts. He couldn’t sleep before that glimpse of her, and add in him and Presley’s investigation into her life and who she was, and no sleep came to him. He was in a rotten mood, but seeing her walk into the kitchen made him wonder if Ortley and Montana were right, and that she was the one for all four of them.

  “Coffee?” he asked—well, barked. He was exhausted.

  She nodded. “I can do it though. Where are the cups?” she asked, and her voice cracked despite the way she straightened her shoulders.

  He scared her, and he felt badly, which was different for him. He didn’t give a shit how he made people feel. Not ever.

  Ortley ca
me in, still pulling on his shirt, and his hair was damp.

  “Morning. I’ll get it for you, Isla,” he said and walked toward the cabinet. As he got a cup then walked back, Ortley slid his arm around her waist and kissed her neck. “How about eggs, toast?” he asked.

  “I can help.”

  “It’s already done and under the servers,” Curren said, leaned back against the counter and didn’t take his eyes off her. She was young. So fucking young, but classy and sexy. A real knockout.

  Ortley uncovered the servers, and she held the plates. “Not too much on mine.”

  “Aren’t you hungry?” Ortley asked her.

  “I don’t ever eat a lot in the morning.”

  “The morning’s meal is the most important of the day. You should see what I eat during the week,” Ortley said.

  Ortley’s phone was ringing.

  “I got them,” Isla said and brought the plates to the table.

  “Excuse me a minute, it’s Montana,” he said to her.

  “Tell him I said hello.” Ortley smiled, and Isla nibbled her bottom lip.

  Curren grabbed her coffee mug and put it onto the table, brushing her arm as he set it down. He looked at her, and she stared up at him. “Sleep well?” he asked and gazed over her breasts and then back into her eyes.

  When her face went completely red, he was shocked. She was embarrassed by his words? By him knowing she was fucking his brothers all night?

  Presley walked into the room. “Morning,” he barked and walked over to the coffee machine. Curren had already filled him in on what he found out about Isla, and Presley had done the same with his friend in the government.

  Ortley walked back into the room, and he looked angry. Isla just took a sip from her coffee. His eyes locked onto Curren’s and then Presley’s, and Curren knew something was up.

  “How is Montana?” she asked him and held his gaze.

  “He’s good. We’ll go by and see him after breakfast.”

  “I want to go home and change first.”

  “I think we should just go see him.”

  “But I wore this yesterday, and people might notice.”

  “The clothes don’t matter. You’re with me, and with Montana. No other men should make a difference,” he snapped at her, and Curren was wondering why.

  “Ortley, what’s wrong?” she asked, placing her napkin down and looking at him.

  He slid his arm over the back of her chair and then exhaled. “Two things. One, you didn’t tell us about all those men asking for guardianship over you and asking you out.”

  She looked away. “Why does it matter? I was hanging out with Montana, then working and spending any free time with you guys.”

  “You still should have said something so Montana could set them straight. Now when these men find out about the incident at work you’re involved in, they’ll be trying to protect you when that’s our job.” He raised his voice.

  She caressed his thigh, turned toward him, and cupped his cheek. “Ortley, you’re scaring me. I didn’t do anything wrong. No one has asked me out in days.”

  “Days?” Presley chimed in. She glanced back at him and Curren.

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m with you guys. We’re taking things slow, like we talked about last night and this morning,” she whispered.

  “Slow?” He shook his head. “That incident at the real estate firm has gained the attention of the FBI. Our friend Alex Weathersen is a Ranger, and he’s involved. They don’t think that it was an accident Sam was hurt in, and Friday night someone broke into his apartment, ransacked the place like they were searching for something.”

  She covered her mouth with her hand. He put his hands on her hips.

  “She’s in some sort of trouble, that’s what the sheriff and Montana think?” Curren asked.

  “Not necessarily, but we aren’t taking fucking chances. This is going to be a mess. They’re saying you’re fine, but now with the breakin, this guy Sam in the hospital, and recent investigations show no money in his bank accounts, and there are bills he owes money on, something bigger is happening. We just don’t want you caught in the middle, Isla. You’ve gone through enough.”

  “She should quit the fucking job,” Curren said.

  “Oh, God,” she said, and Ortley pulled her into his arms.

  He locked gazes with Curren. “We have to meet the sheriff and Montana at the police department. Montana believes she can keep the job and that she’s safe, but we think she needs to stay on guard.”

  “We’ll go with you and get to the bottom of this. God knows that company, and Hagerty could be involved with something illegal. She’s young and impressionable, could be easily manipulated if not protected. Let’s see what Kane has to say,” Curren said to Ortley.

  Ortley pulled back. “It will be okay. You trust us to take care of you and protect you, and that means guardianship over you. It’s where we’ve been heading for the past month. You’ll accept our guardianship, and with it, our protection over you so you can make the right decisions and know we have your back. Understood?” Ortley asked.

  She nodded. “Montana has wanted that for a while. I’ve been thinking about it too, and considering the fooling around we’ve been doing, it would be a good idea as a position of commitment on all ends.”

  Ortley cupped her cheek. “You’ll be ours officially, and we’ll be yours.”

  He pressed his lips to hers, and Curren wanted to be part of that too. But how could he be? He didn’t know Isla, and she didn’t know him. He didn’t trust easily, nor did Presley, but the attraction was there. He would need to spend time with her. That was the only way.

  “This could be a problem,” Gus Flora said to Fay Sween.

  “A fucking accountant newly hired at Hagerty’s firm found a money trail. That led to the sheriff being called and then an investigation starting. Our guy Spence broke into the apartment looking for that key to the safe-deposit box. Now of course the cops are investigating the car accident and putting things together like it was a hit. My guy on the inside of the department says feds are getting involved.”

  “Fuck! This whole fucking thing could go under and all because of that greedy dick Sam and his gambling habits. Why the hell was he stealing from Hagerty? This deal, all the illegal documents and shit, could be uncovered, and all over Sam’s bad habits,” Gus said, and he paced in front of his desk.

  “We could kill him. Make something go wrong in the hospital. A dead man can’t speak.”

  “No, too fucking risky. We need that key. That’s all. We find the key, and Esmal Kabin’s business goes undetected. We don’t find that key and someone else does, then those files will incriminate all of us, including this firm, my companies, the illegal drug deals, and prostitution ring, and all my clients as well. If Esmal Kabin finds out about any of this, I’m fucked. He’ll kill me, you, and anyone else he thinks might rat him out to the feds. We have to find the key.”

  “So what do you want me to do next? Where can I look?”

  “The office. Maybe in his desk, or in belongings there. What did you say about the new woman, an accountant working there that found the money trail? Who is she? Where does she live? Can she be manipulated?”

  “I don’t have anything on her. I didn’t think you wanted me digging to be honest. I kind of feel like going after her and hoping she has the key is fishing, plus it will bring the attention to all of us.”