“I’ll try, but I think we should join the others. It was the plan, and where my brothers expect me to be.”
“Okay, but we will be making plans to spend some alone time together. To talk, and do more exploring of this sexy body,” Flynn said, and stroked her cheek, then tilted her chin toward him and kissed her.
“And maybe she can do some exploring of our bodies,” Cavanaugh added, and she felt shocked and nervous, but also aroused by the idea. That she could have some control and not just allow them all of it.
When Flynn released her lips, he held her gaze. “Sound like a plan?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Thank God,” Knight said, and Cavanaugh took her hand and led her back to the SUV.
“Wait,” Leif said, and she paused by the open door. “You’ll need these. No way are you walking around a party with no panties on,” he said, and bent down holding her tiny thongs. She held his shoulders and stepped into them as he pulled them up for her.
“Something tells me I would be fine with the four of you around me,” she told him, and felt his warm, large hands glide up her thighs, the material of her thong between his fingers as he fixed them and raised up. She cupped his cheeks, stroking along the scar.
“You four make me feel things, capable of things I thought I could never be capable of.” He moved his hands so his palm now slid along to her ass as he wrapped her up in his arms, her skirt at her waist.
“And you make us feel things we’ve never felt before.” She lifted up and pressed her lips to Leif’s.
“My God she has one hell of an ass,” Cavanaugh said, and Leif released her and lifted her up into the backseat and right to Cavanaugh, who pulled her onto his lap.
“Our turn for a sexy ride back to your place,” Cavanaugh teased, then cupped her breast and kissed her mouth as Leif chuckled, and now Knight drove the SUV and Flynn sat in the passenger seat.
“Take your time, bro, and take the long way,” Cavanaugh said, and started kissing her again and then caressing her body, getting her used to his touch. Suddenly, she wasn’t too sure if heading home was the right decision. Her body didn’t think so either.
Chapter 8
“I hate to say this, but those guys are pretty fucking likable,” Trek said to his brothers as they gathered in the kitchen. Jo slept in, and probably wouldn’t be waking up until the afternoon. She was so exhausted. They had all stayed up late. Most of their friends not leaving until about four o’clock. In fact, he had been worried when Knight carried Jo into the house, and to the other side to her bedroom. She had her own separate wing of the house, and privacy, as well. It made him think about the potential of her having a boyfriend, a lover, hell, four by the way they were all kissing her and she was kissing them back last night.
“I know what you mean. I got to talk to Flynn and Knight about their experiences, and of course their brothers. Seems Cavanaugh and Leif both suffer from PTSD like Jo does,” Blade said.
“Must be how they hit it off so well. She seemed very comfortable with them, and that hasn’t happened ever for Jo,” Morris said.
“She never even dated. I mean we don’t know if she’s had any partners because we’ve been away, and she’s an adult and could. Shit, I don’t even want to think about it,” Vetter said, and they agreed. “No, none of us do. I doubt she has. We all talk about everything and she would have mentioned it. It’s a fear she has. The intimacy, and remembering her abuse and abduction.”
“They seem to really care about her,” Blade said.
“Happens out of fucking nowhere,” Trek said, and then took a sip from his bottle of water.
“Ya think?” Vetter replied, and Trek smirked.
“Melina is fucking gorgeous, and her body, that personality and how friendly she is, damn if she wasn’t Jo’s friend I would have tried harder to make her stay,” he admitted.
“I think we all would have,” Morris said.
“Not smart, or fair to a woman as young as she is. We travel a lot. Our jobs are dangerous, she deserves regular men,” Blade said, and stood up to pour out his coffee.
“The attraction was there though. Big time.”
“It was that kind of night I guess. Did you see Danny, Corona, Briar, Cliff, and Ace with Amber? Jesus, the poor thing looked shell-shocked and ready to bolt,” Blade said and laughed. They did, as well.
“What the fuck was in the water at the martial arts competition?” Trek asked.
“I think that’s Jo. I wonder why she’s up already?” Morris asked with concern. Trek looked at the clock. “It’s 1:00,” he said.
When she entered the room, her hair was wet like she took a shower. She wore a sundress and carried her beach bag.
“What’s going on? Thought you would rest the day away in bed,” Morris asked her.
“My friends made plans last night to hit the beach and then chill by Gordon’s on the waterfront.”
“Oh no, you got designated drivers, or should we clear our evening plans?” Vetter teased.
She laughed. “After this diet, and all the energy I exerted, I’ll feel any alcoholic beverage right away. Doubt I’ll be that drunk, and yes, we have designated drivers. It’s called Uber,” she said, and laughed.
Trek cleared his throat. “The Fordom brothers are pretty nice guys, you dating them or what?” Trek asked.
She pulled out the bottle of water from the refrigerator. “It’s new, and does this mean you don’t hate them and won’t try to sabotage this relationship?”
“We wouldn’t sabotage it,” Vetter said.
“Hate is a strong word. We just want what’s best for you. Don’t want you making a mistake you’ll regret and maybe be a setback,” Morris said.
“I haven’t slept with them yet, Morris.”
“Whoa, hey, we didn’t ask,” Blade replied.
She laughed. “You want to know.”
“We’re your brothers and we care about you. Want what’s good and right for you. You deserve the best,” Vetter said.
“As do the four of you. Which by the way, Melina is like a best friend to me, so if you’re looking for sex, please don’t mess with her. Her last boyfriend cheated on her with multiple women, and his father tried to seduce her into bed,” she told them.
“What?” Morris asked, raising his voice.
“Yeah, it was just last year. It took her months to find a better job and now she works for a different firm in Sussex. You guys were doing back to back missions and she stayed here for a month while she worked things out. Her ex harassed her, then his father, who worked for a company that was friends with the owner of the company she worked for and well, he tried seducing her into bed. When she told him about his son cheating, he promised her the world, to be his lover. The man has money and still sends her messages.”
“Are you kidding me? Did she ask for an order of protection for harassment?”
“No, she got the job in Sussex, with help from Kudo actually.”
They were all quiet and Trek was feeling angry and maybe a bit jealous. Knowing some guy tried to seduce her into bed and still contacted her, bothered him. Made his protective sensations come full circle.
“Is she going with you to the beach today?” Trek asked.
“Sure is. A bunch of people are, and then everyone will meet at Gordon’s.”
“So back to you and the Fordom men. How serious is this?” Blade asked.
She looked at them and worried her bottom lip. “I know it’s been years since we talked about me not dating. Not being intimate with any men. It’s been hard these four years. There hasn’t been anyone I’ve wanted to be close to, or sleep with.”
“But you want to sleep with them? With four men like them? Two with PTSD, scars, a limp, and two others who are still active in operations in the field, not just on computers?” Morris asked.
She looked at them and despite appearing uncomfortable, they were all close and talked about everything. “I can see myself with them.
The feelings are strong, and it will only be a matter of time when I won’t let the fears, the uncertainty, pull me back, and instead I’ll let go.”
“You’ve taken care of yourself for a long time, Jo. I’m not offering some older brotherly advice about precautions and things,” Morris said.
She laughed. “I have that area covered.”
“I just don’t want you to make a mistake and regret it,” he added.
“I don’t think it will be a mistake with them. I feel different when I’m with them. I feel whole and like me again. So much was taken from me. Ripped from me, but not that. I own it. I own my body, and I’m pretty sure that I’m going to give into the desires for more. As long as I’m in love, feel deeply, feel no regrets or uncertainty when that time comes, then I’ll be fine giving my virginity to them.”
“Virginity?” Vetter asked.
“Holy shit, Jo,” Trek added.
Tears fell from her eyes. “Those men, that time imprisoned like some animal, had taken so much from me. From my spirit, from my heart and soul. They didn’t take that. They came close, and you know exactly how close they came.”
“And you feel strong enough, sure enough in Leif, Knight, Flynn, and Cavanagh to give this gift to them?” Morris asked.
“I do.”
He rubbed his jaw and Trek spoke up. “Then that’s all that matters, but know if they hurt you, we’ll kill them, then bury them where no one will ever find them.”
She chuckled. “Thanks.”
* * * *
“What do you have?” Topaz asked his informant.
“I’m sending pictures through a secure server. It will take a little time. Looks like they’re one big happy family.”
“What do you mean?” Topaz asked.
“Jo competed in a martial arts competition and took first place. So whatever plans you have, you’re going to need to consider her capabilities.”
“Really? Now that sounds very interesting. What else?”
“She’s talking to four men, military, and her brothers and cousins weren’t happy when they showed up at the event. At least that’s what we could tell, however, things changed and they all hung out at a local bar then went back to Jo’s house.”
“You think she’s intimate with these men?”
“Not sure, but if she isn’t, then it will happen soon. I didn’t want to get too close.”
“No, don’t take any unnecessary chances. We need to keep those men busy. I’ll take it from here.”
He ended the call and then spoke to Fredrico.
“They need to be distracted. Let’s rattle their feathers and go ahead with the first hit. It will send them on a wild goose chase to Saudi Arabia. We stick to our plans. When we take Jo, Tanner needs to know it was me, and what my intentions are. I want them all to suffer, and if they’re stupid enough to come after us, then they die on their way.”
* * * *
Cavanaugh was typing away on the computer when he came across some information on Tanner Flemming. He took what he got from Danny, Corona, Briar, Cliff, and Ace, and then dug deeper into records from five and six years ago. He was able to dig up some documentation on the business finances and then more specific investments. A company by the name of Mercer Corp would appear only about once or twice a year under financial investments and fees.
“Hey Leif, pull up whatever you can on Mercer Corp. A company that was around about five years or so ago.”
“Location?” Leif asked.
“Not sure. If I look at these fees and bank transfers, the number orientations would indicate overseas. Try US first then make your way across. Maybe Europe,” he said, and continued to track the expenses in this company. He looked at Tanner’s financials and only one payment to this company took place. It was twenty thousand dollars.
“Got it. It’s located in the Middle East, specifically Baghdad. Went bankrupt four years ago and dispersed operations.”
“What kind of company?”
“Says environmental analysts and technical operations.”
“Sounds like bullshit to me,” Cavanaugh said.
Leif laughed. “Yeah, I’d say so considering on the satellite images from that location four years ago. There isn’t anything but a small dwelling and a bunch of little shacks scattered around. Definitely suspicious.”
“Exactly. Let’s look deeper.”
“Where did you find this company and the money trail?”
“On Tanner Flemming’s financials. Once for twenty thousand. But on Ortley Flemming’s financials, numerous times. In fact, there seems to be credits back to his account for larger sums than what he sent to them. If you look at the records, you can see in between these account receivables, that apartment buildings were bought and there were several small investments.”
“Money laundering?”
“More than likely, but the Middle East? Definitely makes the connection to Fredrico and his dealings with terrorism. Let’s pull this together and send it to the boss, see how much more he needs for the case.”
“We should look more deeply at Jo’s father’s company and some of the offsets he sold off. Perhaps he’s still negotiating things with Porcini.”
“Okay.”
There was a knock at their office door.
“Come in,” Leif called out.
“Hey, heard from Jo. After the beach with her friends they’re going to Gordon’s for the night so she can’t hang out with us until tomorrow,” Flynn told them.
“I thought she had work all day,” Leif replied.
“She finishes up at seven.”
“Tell her we’ll meet her at Gordons. I’m not waiting until tomorrow night to see her,” Leif said, and Flynn chuckled.
“That’s exactly what Knight told her. Guess you two are going to be socializing a lot more having a woman like Jo as your girlfriend,” Flynn teased.
“Not all the time. We’ll set some rules,” Cavanaugh said.
“Sure you will,” Flynn added.
* * * *
“So what are you going to do?” Melina asked Jo about the men. Amber, Francesca, and London were with them. They spent the day on the beach, and then came to Gordon’s for dinner, and were now drinking fancy tropical drinks and enjoying the buzz. Well Jo was drinking raspberry vodka and club soda and feeling pretty good.
“It’s inevitable. I like them. A lot,” she said, emphasizing the word a lot.
Melina chuckled. “Of course you do. Who wouldn’t like men like that? They’re super hot, mysterious and well, they got life stories. You can tell, and that isn’t just because of the scars and Cavanaugh’s limp,” she added.
“Or Flynn’s superior, authoritative demeanor and Knight’s silent breeding personality,” Jo said, and they laughed as she deepened her voice and scrunched her eyebrows together.
She took another sip of her drink. “What about you, Melina? Jo’s brothers couldn’t tear their eyes off of you at Corporal’s or at their house,” Amber asked Melina.
“Kind of like you with Jo’s cousins,” Melina countered, and the others laughed.
“I think we all can see what they’re interested in and it isn’t a commitment,” Amber replied.
“What makes you think that?” London asked before Jo could.
“Just little things they said. Ace’s attitude when we talked. He kissed my neck and whispered things to me, but when I deepened the conversation and talked about what they like to do for fun or anything in the future, they all got weird and made me feel like I was just some chick they picked up,” Amber told them.
“They don’t date, and as you guys know, I rarely hang out with them because of the family problems and conflict we had. Their father and mine became enemies and we found out that we aren’t blood cousins.”
“That was so screwed up, but you think of them as cousins so who cares if they aren’t blood related?” Francesca said.
“She’s right. They care about you as much as your brothers do,” Melina told her.<
br />
“I suppose they do. It’s just hard to get past the other things. Anyway, I didn’t think I would ever meet a man, never mind men that make me want to do so much, and see them all the time. It’s different.”
“That means it’s special. Follow your heart. It will be worth it,” Francesca told her, and she smiled. That was when the song came on “Margaretville” and they all started to sing, making a scene but their other friends and their men were there. Jo was wiggling her hips, her cocktail in one hand and lifted in the air as she did a sexy dance. Her friends whistled as well as the crowds of men by the bar when suddenly a strong arm wrapped around her waist and lips touched her neck.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Knight asked, and she giggled and leaned back against him.
“Dancing, Knight. Enjoying some relaxing time. Dance with me,” she said to him.
“I don’t dance.”
She could feel his hips against her ass and his thick, hard cock. She swayed her hips with him. Pressed her hand back against his hip and they danced together, making a scene. Her friends whistled and the guys called his name and cheered him on, and she laughed and turned toward him.
“You do dance,” she said to him, and he looked down at her with a stern expression.
“No, I don’t.”
“You’re dancing with me,” she said, and held his hand and twirled herself around until he pulled her back into his arms and danced sexy with her on the dance floor until the music ended. When it did, another song came on and she was going to get him to dance some more, but he lifted her up and carried her toward his brothers. He set her feet down and ran his palm along her ass, cupped her cheek and kissed her. She felt her drink taken from her hand so she wouldn’t drop it. When he released her lips, she held his gaze.
“Long day in the sun and drinking?” he asked, eyeing over her top. She wore her green bikini underneath the tight fitting t-shirt dress in black. They were all dressed casual for the day and then walked here after the beach. She slid her palms up his chest and looked at him with a stern expression.
Healing Hearts 10: The Scars That Bind Us Page 11