Four Flames for Angela

by Rose Nickol

  She stopped for a sip of her wine and to take another deep breath. “We got close. Really close. He would sneak into my room at night when the older boys would try to scare him, and the parents let him sleep with me.”

  “So you’re twenty now? I don’t mean to insult you, but you seem older than that.”

  “No insult. I’m twenty-two. When I turned eighteen I aged out of the system. And I got the money my grandmother had left me. I used that money to adopt Todd. It took a while and it was a lot of work, but I couldn’t leave him behind.”

  “What about insurance and your parent’s house?” River asked.

  “The insurance money was used to pay the hospital bills. There was nothing left. The bank took the house. I was able to get a few things out and put in storage. Almost everything was gone through. The house sat empty for a long time and had been vandalized. Everything of value was either ruined or stolen. The police said they couldn’t find anything.”

  Rock made a mental note to contact some of his police friends and find out what he could. If there was anything Angie should have been given, he would get it to her. Now was not the time to say anything though and he continued listening.

  “While we were waiting for all the paperwork to go through, he was with me as often as I could have him. The first thing I did was buy the house so Todd and I would have a place to live. I’ve tried to live very frugally so that the money will last. Instead of going to college I decided to make a home for myself and Todd. Neither one of us has anyone else.”

  “What made you settle here?” Hunter asked. When she had told them about Henry, she’d told them that she had been moved around in the foster system.

  “It’s where Todd was. After I moved out of the last foster home they moved him again, and he ended up here. He had started in preschool and was doing well. I didn’t want to move him to another school so soon and take him away from friends. I found a house that I loved here, and so, here we are,” Angie explained.

  “What about your brother?” Sawyer asked.

  “Thomas was already in jail when Mom and my dad were killed. My mom was married to Thomas’s dad first. Thomas is nine years older than me. We got along okay before he started the drugs. I don’t remember a lot. After he got into drinking and the drugs, he was always picking on me and teasing me. Then he started getting in trouble. He always resented the fact that mom remarried and his dad was gone. He called me a spoiled little bitch and wasn’t very nice to me. After the last time I saw him, I didn’t expect him to contact me. It didn’t go very well. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he needs money. If he’s back with his old gang and back into what he was before, it won’t be long before he’s back in prison.” Angie took another sip of her wine.

  “What happened when he visited the house yesterday?” Hunter asked.

  Was it just a day ago that had happened? It seems like such a long time ago. Angie yawned. “He must have been released from jail and somehow found me. It could be Mom and Dad’s lawyer that told him where to find me. He has my address and forwarded several letters that Thomas wrote while he was in prison to me. He may have given Thomas my address. Thomas thinks I got all the money from the sale of the house and the insurance. He doesn’t understand that nothing was left and I’m spending what my grandmother left me. I’m pretty sure he’s doing drugs again and needs money for that. He was almost manic.”

  “Did you call the police and let them know he was harassing you?” Hunter pulled a blanket out of a compartment in the furniture and spread it over Angie when he saw her shiver.

  “No. I don’t want to get him in trouble. I just want him to leave me alone. He’s the only family I have left. But if he’s going to be a danger to me and Todd, I just want him gone. I’d help him if I thought he wanted it. I can’t give him a lot of money, but I’d help him get into a program or something. There’s enough for that.” Angie pulled the blanket up to her shoulders.

  “Do you think he’s the one that vandalized your house?” River was the one speaking this time.

  “I don’t know. It could have been. I don’t know of anyone else that would have done that. ” Angie felt herself starting to tear up. She’d tried to do the right thing, but what if she hadn’t? What if something happened and Todd had to go back in the system? She couldn’t let that happen.

  Rock got up and walked over to Angie, leaning down and giving her a big hug. “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll help you get it figured out. You and Todd have us now. You’re not so alone anymore.”

  “Why would you do that for us? Thank you, but you don’t really know us.” Angie returned the hug, and Rock sat back next to her.

  “Angie, we like you. We like you a lot and want to get to know you and Todd better. We want to be friends and maybe even more eventually. We know you’re the type of person who doesn’t abandon someone who needs and loves you. We know you’ll sacrifice to do what you need to. Look at what you’ve done for Todd already. There aren’t many twenty-year-olds that would take on the responsibility of a small child and everything that goes with it,” River said softly. “I know we’re all older than you, and I hope that doesn’t bother you. You seem so mature for your age that I don’t think the difference will bother us. Will it bother you?”

  “No. I’ve always been attracted to older men, and you don’t seem to be that much older than me.” Angie wasn’t sure how old they were.

  “Rock and I are thirty-four,” River answered and moved to where he could hold her hand.

  “I’m thirty-two,” Sawyer answered.

  “And I’m thirty,” Hunter commented next.

  “That’s not that much older,” Angie answered and gave each of them a big smile.

  “We can tell who you are just by your actions and how much you care for Todd. Actions say a lot about people. And yours tell us who you are and that we’d like to get to know you better. A lot better.” Hunter reached over took her lips in a deep kiss. “I like kissing you,” he said and picked up her empty wine glass. “Would you like more?”

  “No thank you. Todd will wake up early, and he’ll want me up with him. I’m just tired and would like to go to bed now if you don’t mind.” Angie yawned and found the button to sit the chair up.

  “Come on, we’ll walk you up to your room.” Sawyer reached for her hand and pulled her up while River folded the blanket she had been using.

  All four of the men walked her up the stairs. Sawyer kept hold of her hand until they got to her bedroom door. “Good night, beautiful. If you need anything we’ll be at the other end of the hall. Just call out and one of us will be here.” He brushed a soft kiss against her lips and stepped away so that Hunter could take his place.

  “Thank you for sharing your story with us. Todd will be so much better off for having you in his life. Sleep well, darling. Call if you need us.” He pulled her into his embrace and brushed a kiss against her lips then handed her to River.

  “We’re all here for you and Todd. Try and get some rest.” He hugged and kissed her gently then turned her to Rock.

  “Everything my brothers said and more. We are all starting to care for both you and Todd. Anything you need, you call us.” He then kissed her hard and deep and pushed her into the room, shutting the door behind her.

  Chapter Nine

  After settling Angela in her room, the four brothers headed down the stairs. Rock went to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. “Anyone else want a shot?” His brothers nodded, and he poured one for each of them.

  They talked quietly for a while, not wanting to disturb their guests. “It feels good to have her and Todd in our home,” River said, looking up the stairs as if he could picture Angie and Todd in their beds.

  “Yes, it does. She’s a little younger than I thought she would be,” Rock said, voicing the concern they all had.

  “She’s very mature for her age,” Sawyer said. “Not many girls her age would give up their life to take care of a young boy. They must have
a very special bond.”

  “Anyone can see how much they love each other.” Hunter poured them each another shot.

  “They are both so easy to love.” Rock held out his glass. They all clinked glasses together and finished the shot.

  “I never thought our woman would already be part of a family. But I’m okay with that. Really okay,” River said, filling their glasses one more time.

  “Now to convince her she’s the one for us.” Sawyer held up their glasses for one more toast. They put their glasses in the kitchen and made sure everything was locked up before heading up the stairs.

  Rock and River stopped to check on their guests before heading off to the other side of the house. Todd was sleeping soundly, but when Rock opened Angie’s door, she rolled over and looked at him.

  “What’s the matter? Can’t sleep?” he asked softly, walking into the dark room. It was a cloudless night, and the light from the moon shone brightly. “Do you want me to close the curtains? Is the light too much?”

  He walked over to the window and started to darken the room.

  “No. It’s okay. I have a hard time sleeping in new places. I wish I had thought to bring something to read.” Angie stopped him closing the blinds and lifted herself up in the bed.

  “Come with me. We have a library downstairs, and I’m sure you can find something to you’d like.” Rock reached for her hand and pulled her from the bed. As she stood up, he pulled her against his chest and held her tight a minute. “Come on.”

  She followed him without thinking of reaching for her robe. He led her down the stairs to the back of the house.

  “We have a little bit of everything in here.” Rock turned on a light, and the room had bookshelves along three walls. The other wall was all window.

  Angie walked over to one of the bookshelves and started looking at the choices. “You’ve got quite a selection here.”

  “These are some my sisters donated. You might like one of these,” Rock said, pointing to some of the books.

  Angie put the book she’d been looking at back and walked over to Rock. He was holding a book by her favorite author in his hands. “Oh, I love her writing!” she said, taking the book from him.

  She opened it and started reading. “I haven’t read this one.”

  Rock guided her over to a large comfortable chair in the room. “This reclines and has all the features of the chairs in the great room. You’re welcome to read down here or take the book back to your room.”

  “Okay,” Angie answered absently, already engaged in reading. She didn’t even notice when Rock placed a soft blanket over her and left the room.

  Angie read the book by her favorite ménage author. As she was reading she realized it was about a single woman and four men and wondered if Rock had handed her that one on purpose.

  She kept reading putting herself in place of the heroine and wondering if she was ready for a relationship with four alpha men.

  * * * *

  Rock laid the blanket over Angie and headed up the stairs. She had been so engrossed in the book she was reading she hadn’t even noticed him leave the room. He was glad he’d been able to provide that escape for her. He’d have to remember to thank his sisters for suggesting they add some of their books to the library.

  He wished he could have provided a different kind of escape, but even after the afternoon they had spent, he felt it was still too soon.

  They’d tried to provide everything their future wife would want in their home. They knew there would be things she would want to pick out for herself and would be happy to help her when the time was right.

  Could Angie really be the one for them? She was a little younger than they’d expected her to be, a little over ten years younger than him and River. Would that be too much? The age difference, the fact that she would be shared by the four of them. It might be a lot to handle for any woman. They might never find what they were looking for.

  It had been a dream of theirs for many years to share a woman. A dream they thought might never come true. Then they found out that another set of three brothers were dating the same woman, and it was working well for them. Maybe there was some hope. They’d heard rumors about various towns across the country where multiple men and one woman was the norm, but hadn’t seen it for themselves until they met the Wild brothers. One night they sat talking and had learned about the men and how they were all dating the same woman.

  He walked down the hall to his room and saw the light was still on in River’s room. He knocked softly on the door. “Todd doing okay?”

  “He was sound asleep. I tucked the covers around him and made sure the puppies were okay. I’ll get up early and make sure they get out before they wake him up,” River said, gazing out the window.

  “Good plan. I’m not sure I would have thought about it.” Rock ran his hand through his hair.

  “I heard you take Angie down to the library. Was she having trouble sleeping?”

  “Yeah. I showed her the books the girls brought over, and she was busy reading when I left.” Rock leaned against the door jamb.

  “Have you looked at any of those books?” River asked, walking back over to the chair in the corner of his room.

  “No. You and Hunter put that box away while Sawyer and I did something else that day.”

  “Some of those books are hot! I mean sexy fucking hot. I didn’t know the girls read stuff like that.”

  “Sounds like I need to look at some of them,” Rock said in amazement.

  “Yeah. There’s a few with polyamorous relationships in them. It would be good if she read a few of those,” River said with a smile.

  “I didn’t even look at the book I handed her. I wonder if it was one of those? I hope she doesn’t think I picked one of those on purpose. Now I definitely need to look at the books they sent. We better call it a night. Especially if we have to take the puppies out early. I’m heading for a cold shower. You?” Rock walked to the door and turned to look at his brother.

  “Already been there. Yep. I think we’ve found her, brother. Only time will tell.” River sat on the side of his bed.

  “Good night.” Rock closed the door and went to his own room.

  Chapter Ten

  Angela slept later than she had in a long time the next day. She’d fallen asleep reading in the library, and the sun was shining brightly in the windows when she woke up. She sat up and looked around for a clock. How late was it? The puppies need to be walked, and Todd should have been up by now. They were lucky there was no school today due to teachers’ work day or something, so she didn’t have to worry about that.

  She listened and the house was still quiet. Maybe it wasn’t as late as she thought. She picked up her book and started to take it back to where she’d found it when a voice said, “If you want to finish that, you can take it with you.”

  “River! You startled me.” Angie took a deep breath and turned to see him leaning against the door jamb, looking way too yummy.

  “I just came in from walking the dogs and thought I’d check on you. Todd is having breakfast in the nook with Hunter and Sawyer if you want to join them.”

  “Great. I need to get my robe first,” Angie said, looking down at the long T-shirt she was wearing.

  River pulled one arm from behind him and held out the robe they had loaned her last night. “Oh, thank you,” Angie said, taking it from him and pulling it on. “Where’s Rock?”

  “He’s finding a cleaning crew to work on your house. After we’ve all eaten we’ll head over there and see what needs to be done.” River helped her with the robe and leaned down to brush a kiss over her lips. He took her hand and led her to where Todd was sitting with Sawyer and Hunter.

  “Morning, Angie,” Todd said, barely looking up from his waffles. He stuffed another bite in his mouth and grabbed a drink of milk. “Look, Angie, waffles and they didn’t come from the toaster.”

  “I see that. You’re a lucky little boy.” Angie walked over and ruff
led his hair before sitting in the chair River pulled out for her.

  Hunter got up and walked into the kitchen. “Coffee, juice, or milk? Butter, syrup, or jam?”

  Angie started to get up when River put on hand on her shoulder. “He’s got this, just relax.”

  She eased back down and smiled when Hunter set a cup of coffee and a glass of juice in front of her. It felt nice being waited on. No one ever took care of her. She took care of everyone.

  After breakfast, Angie went upstairs to dress and gather up their things. She was surprised to find that someone had tidied up Todd’s room, and all his things were in his duffle. She turned to see Todd beaming in the doorway. “Did I do good?”

  “You did all this?” Angie asked and pulled Todd in for a hug. “Good job!” She let him go and held her hand out so he could high-five her.

  River was standing behind him. “He had a little help, didn’t you, buddy?”

  “I did. Does River get a hug and a high five, too?” Todd asked, turning to look at the big man.

  “Well?” River looked at Angie.

  “Sure. I guess he deserves a hug, too.” She turned and held her arms out to River.

  “I think there’s a conspiracy here,” she said into his ear.

  “One hundred percent, baby. Any excuse to get you in our arms.”

  Angie felt a shudder run down her skin. Any time one of the men touched her she got a tingling all over.

  “Come on, Angie, we got to go home and fix the house.” Todd tugged on her pants leg.

  * * * *

  It had been two weeks, and nothing more had happened. Angie and Todd’s life was getting back to normal. She hadn’t heard anything more from Thomas, and life was good. She was excited. Todd was spending the weekend with Felicia, one of the girls who had been at the barbecue. She and her husband, Charlie, had one son, Dustin, and a daughter. Rachel.

  Todd was as excited as Angie was. River, Rock, Hunter, and Sawyer were taking her to a night club that was owned by a former firefighter and the place that most of the station hung out at.