In Her Bears' Arms
Page 23
She pressed down to Maddox’s chest. Micah eased in behind her. A thrill ran through him. He ran his hands over the soft curve of her buttocks. She rocked backward. Maddox groaned.
“No time for playing.” Maddox slid a hand around her back.
Who was playing? He wouldn’t rush this and hurt or scare her. Surprising her could push her desire away. Not going to happen if he could help it.
Gable eased up close to her. “Let me feel your hand as they get you ready.”
She gripped Gable’s cock. She slid her hand up and down, drawing a moan from his friend.
Micah poured some oil in his palm. That might be a good idea. It could distract her. He slicked the lube on his cock before dribbling some over the tight puckered ring. She wriggled. He pressed a finger against the opening, pushing into her slowly. She stiffened but didn’t pull away.
“Just a little more, Dixie. We’ve done this before, but I never want to hurt you.” He drew back and added another finger.
“Don’t make me wait much longer.” She pushed back against him.
“Not too much longer.” He slid another finger into her.
She rubbed her hand along Gable’s cock, easing up and down the length. Gable groaned and his eyes closed. Micah stared rapt. Damn, that was so sexy.
Micah stroked his fingers into her a few more times before he pulled back. Just have to make sure she’s not hurt. He grasped his cock and guided the head to the pink opening. He pressed slowly into her.
She glided her palm from base to tip along Gable’s cock. Gable grasped her hand and pulled away. Micah nodded.
She moaned and rocked back. Her butt pressed against him. The inner muscles tightened around him. Heat pulsed through him. So good.
“And now we move, my mate.” Maddox pressed a kiss to her shoulder.
Micah drew back and then pulled her up to him. Maddox arched up and drew her down on him. They moved her between them. Micah sank into her. She clenched on him and pushed back into him. A lance spiked through him. He groaned and pulled her close. He wouldn’t last long.
Dixie groaned and tensed. “Harder. Something. I need a little more.”
“We can give you that.” Maddox drew her down onto him.
“Suck me, Dixie. While they love you, give me pleasure.” Gable eased up near her head.
She turned and took him into her mouth. Gable rocked into her. Her reddened lips stretched around Gable’s cock.
An aching pulse shot through Micah. Micah thrust into her and drew her up. She shivered and rocked down onto Maddox. Her lips firmed around Gable. She was taking them all.
Shudders shook her. She sucked at Gable until he cried out and sat on the mattress. Maddox gripped her hips and pulled her down on him as he shouted. Micah let go of the last of his restraint. He thrust into her. The slick grip of her flesh tore at him. The sharp ache rose until it consumed him. He lost control. A wave of heated pleasure slammed through him. He collapsed down onto her. His chest tightened, and his breath burned in his throat. He pushed up. His arms trembled. Damn, that had sapped the strength right out of him. Maybe they could go for another round.
“Let’s get our woman into the shower, and then we can all come back. Maybe we can start playing again if she’s not too tired.” Micah pulled back.
When they were together like this, it was hard to believe there was any trouble. But that person still lurked out there.
Chapter Thirty
Finally off. Dixie lifted her head to let the last rays of the sun bathe her face. It had been a long day, and she’d already had to change clothes. But at least it was over. She’d have to bring another set of extra scrubs up here tomorrow.
The latest round of flu seemed to be hitting teens especially bad. There were three on her ward, and the last one had come in puking. Unfortunately, before the antiemetic had kicked in, she’d taken a hit on the side. Not one of her best days at work.
Dixie strolled out to the parking lot beside Micah. It would be good to spend a couple uninterrupted days with her men and away from the hospital. Hopefully, in the next few days, they’d get news that the man behind the attacks was caught. John and the police here and in Connison were looking for him.
“Feeling good?” Micah glanced over at her. “I think Maddox was going to make fish tonight.”
“Yeah, I’m good, and he told me before we left to bring my appetite.” And she certainly would. The incident had happened right before lunch, and she hadn’t eaten. No appetite at all after being puked on. Not that she’d tell them that. The overprotective bears would go ballistic.
“The fish is good.” Micah smiled. “You’ll like it and the sides he’ll make with it.”
“Well, then, I think we should get home then, because I’d like to shower.” Dixie sighed.
“Still feeling a little yuck from earlier?” Micah chuckled.
“Yeah, even though I cleaned up and changed clothes, I need to shower.” She shivered. Even the thought of the smell made her a little queasy.
“I understand. That’s happened to me a couple times when I worked in the ER.” He nodded. “At least we’re almost at the car.”
A dark shape rushed out in front of them. The man, a big bald brute, swung at Micah.
“Run, Dixie, back to the hospital.” Micah squared up against the man. “Get help.”
Dixie hesitated. She could help, but she’d also distract him. If she went, she could get security and call the police. She whirled around. A man stood in her way. Not as tall as the big man Micah faced, but this man had a tire iron. Fuck.
The man swung the tire iron at her. She skipped back. Damn. She might be able to dart past him, but she could also get hit with that bar.
“Bitch, you’re going to pay, just like the other men will. He’ll suffer just like my family has.” The man swung again.
The bar whipped toward her head. Dixie lifted her arm. It smacked into it. Pain shot up her arm. Oh, fucking hell. Bastard, as if she’d let that happen.
“And when he’s suffering and crushed by the emotion, I’m going to take him down.” The man smiled, and the tire iron swayed in front of him.
She took a deep breath. Rage pulsed through her. She wouldn’t let him do that. Not in this lifetime.
She flexed her fingers. Somehow, she had to get that damn weapon out of his hands. Once that was gone, he wouldn’t be so dangerous.
The bar swung through the air at waist level. She jumped back. Fuck, that could have broken some ribs. Her heart pounded in her chest.
She eyed him and the swinging bar. No fucking more. She lunged for it, gripping it. He yanked back. The bar slipped from her grasp. Her stomach clenched. His arm lifted, and she wrenched to the side.
The bar slashed down. It slammed across her shoulder and back. Pain exploded, and she cried out, stumbling away but turning to face the son of a bitch. If she didn’t, he’d probably swing at her head.
He dashed forward. The tire iron raised. He swung it down. She darted out of the way. Icy sweat rolled down her neck.
He swung it wide, and it clipped her arm. Pain slashed from her fingers to her shoulder. The same damn arm. She jumped backward. Son of a bitch. Damn it, she couldn’t let him hit her again. Next time, he might get something more vital or damaging with that damn thing.
He ran at her swinging. She dodged and lunged forward. Her pulse pounded. Not again. He wasn’t doing it again. She went in low, hitting him hard and fast. Thank God she’d grown up with brothers. They both tumbled to the ground. The man’s hand hit the pavement, and the tire iron skittered across the asphalt.
The man swung his fist. It crashed into her cheek. A growl rumbled through her. She reared up and doubled her fist, slamming it into his jaw. No way was he going to touch any of her men. Not again.
She hit him again, throwing all her strength into the blow. Rage pumped through her. Her skin prickled, and her bear pushed at her. She was so damn close to transforming and mauling the bastard. He deserved to die.
“That’s enough, Dixie. Don’t hurt or kill him. Let him face justice.” Micah eased up behind her. “We have help coming now.”
“He was going to hurt us and then go after Gable.” She bared her teeth at the man. Tremors ran over her body.
“And he failed. Now, he’ll go to jail along with his brother.” Micah touched her shoulder. “I’m all right, and you’re all right. Back off. See there’s a couple security guards here to help us.”
Dixie took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she was completely all right. Her arm hurt all the way up her shoulder, and her back ached.
“He’ll come back, and what’s to say he doesn’t have some other crazy-ass relative?” She glared down at the man. With one on the family tree, there could be another.
“We’ll handle that if it happens.” Micah patted her shoulder. “Now, come on. Get off him. I’m sure the security officers called the police.”
“They’re on the way,” a man said as he came around in front of her. “Someone saw the men attack and rushed in to tell us. We’ll secure him. He won’t get away.”
She took a deep breath. Her hands clenched. If he even moved wrong, she might rip him apart. Her claws pushed at her nails, and the ache spread all the way across her hand. Throbbing pain pulsed up her arm.
She was so close to changing. The man had threatened what she loved most in the world. One wrong move…
She rose and took a slow step back. Micah pulled her a few steps back, and his arms encircled her. His warmth surrounded her. The security guards moved in and cuffed the man.
“What about the one who attacked you?” She looked over at him.
“They already have him cuffed.” Micah turned her to face him. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
“He hit me, but I don’t know how bad it is. My arm and my shoulder, the right one, my jaw, but I didn’t really feel anything until after he was down.” Dixie bit her lip. At least, not this searing, consuming pain.
“We’ll have them check you out. Since the police are on the way, we need to call Maddox and Gable, or they’ll gang up on me and I’ll be the one hurt.” Micah patted her back, the left side.
She rested her head against his chest. “Can’t have that. They might not like it when they have to help me nurse you back to health. Especially since they might be doing most of the work.”
“Yeah, they’d distract you every chance they got.” Micah smiled.
Two police cars pulled up on either end of the row. Micah pulled out his phone and dialed Gable. She smiled and waited. One of them would answer their cell. They wouldn’t go anywhere without that. Not when the person after them was still out there.
“No, we were attacked, and Dixie’s hurt. The police just arrived, but she’ll need to be seen before we leave.” Micah swallowed.
Dixie tilted her head. Micah pulled the phone away from his ear. They had not received that well. She grinned. But Micah should have expected that reaction.
“Tell them I’m not hurt too badly.” She stroked her hand over Micah’s chest.
“We won’t know how badly you’re hurt until they do x-rays and scans.” Micah shook his head. He put the phone back up to his ear. “Yes, the two who attacked us are still here. They’re in cuffs.”
She folded her arms across her chest. It wasn’t as if she were bleeding out. He could have said that she wasn’t too hurt without lying.
“They’ll be here shortly.” Micah curled his arm around her and kissed her forehead.
“Micah, Dixie, how are you?” John strode up to them.
“I’m all right. Some bruised knuckles and a punch to the ribs. It’s Dixie who’s going to need help.” Micah tightened his arm on her.
“How bad is it, Dixie?” John focused on her.
“I can talk first, because after the doctors finish checking me, I just want to go home.” Dixie clutched her arm close to her body. Her arm and shoulder throbbed, but she didn’t want to wait until after treatment.
“All right, I’ll have one of my officers question Micah while I interview you. I know he won’t want to be separated so this will all happen at the same time. Have you two talked to Gable and Maddox?” John swept his gaze from one of them to the other.
“Micah called them and told them that I was hurt. So I expect them up here shortly if they don’t get stopped for speeding.” She glanced at the entrance they usually used to get into the parking lot. It was far too soon, but she couldn’t not look.
John nodded. “Good. Why don’t you sit in the SUV while I take your statement?”
She exhaled. “That sounds good.”
She walked over with him to the SUV. He opened the door and stepped to the side. Dixie glanced up at the seat and winced.
“Are you more hurt than you told Micah?” John straightened.
“I don’t know how bad it is. I am in pain, but I want to get this over with so I can go home with my men.” She flexed her fingers. Hopefully, her arm wasn’t broken.
“Tell me what happened.” John slid his finger over his pad.
“We were leaving to go home, walking to the car. This big man jumped out in front of us as we neared it. Micah told me to run. I wasn’t sure if I should, but knew I’d distract him if I stayed. I turned, and the other man was there with a tire iron. He swung it at me. I managed to dodge that one. Maybe the next, too. But he hit me in the arm.” She licked her lips.
“Did he say anything to you?” John tilted his head.
“Not then, but a little later. He said that he was going to hurt Micah and me because it would hurt Gable, and then while he was at his lowest, he would go after Gable.” She balled her fists and winced. Pain lanced up her injured arm.
“Take it easy. I know that must have infuriated you.” John knelt in front of her.
“Yeah, it did. I barely managed to hold my bear in check.” She shook her head. “I’ve never come that close before.”
“But you did. Why don’t you tell me more about the fight?” He urged.
“He kept swinging that bar at me. I tried to grab it once, but he wrenched it out and hit me across the back and shoulders. I knew that if that hit my head, I’d be down and unable to protect myself. When I got the opportunity, I tackled him. He hit me, and I hit him back.” She licked her lips. Luckily, that move hadn’t gone wrong. “And then Micah and the security guard came.”
He asked her a few more questions. She answered. By the time he finished, Micah’s questioning also ended, and he waited for her. They were escorted into the hospital, and the nurses took her information and started the process. Dixie rolled her eyes. She’d worked with most of those nurses before. Luckily, the night wasn’t too busy, and soon she was taken back to the examination rooms.
Raised voices boomed even through the door. A surge of hope pulsed through her. Is that Gable and Maddox? She cradled her arm close to her body. Hopefully, they could get here before the nurses took her to x-ray.
The door opened, and a nurse stepped inside. “Here she is. No need to go all crazy bear on us.”
Gable and Maddox hurried into the small examination room. They strode over to the exam table and stood beside her, their hands stroking over her thighs.
“Have they seen you yet? Do they know if your arm is broken?” Gable leaned down and kissed her. “What about your cheek?”
“The doctor was in here, but I’m waiting on x-ray. They have to see if it’s broken.” She lifted her unhurt hand and traced her fingers over his cheek.
“Are you hurting? Have they given you any meds?” Maddox brushed her hair back.
“Not yet. They probably won’t until the x-rays are read.” She shook her head. No need to tell him that it was throbbing. He probably smelled her pain. “They wouldn’t want other meds running through my system if it’s bad enough to need surgery.”
The nurses came, and she suffered through the placement and moving of her arm as they x-rayed her arm and shoulder. They took her back to the room, and
she waited with her men. Maddox held her for a while, and then Gable drew her into his arms.
Eventually, the doctor came and informed her that she had a broken arm. The shoulder was simply bruised. They splinted her arm, and she’d have to make an appointment to be casted. The swelling was too bad, and it might become even worse. After picking up some pain medicine, she and her men headed home. She needed a good night’s sleep. Hopefully, tonight was the end of their troubles.
Chapter Thirty-One
Maddox pulled on his jacket and checked for his wallet and phone. With the man behind the attacks in police custody, life was finally getting back to normal. Roger Lewis and the men he’d hired were locked in jail and would probably be there for years.
He patted his jeans pocket. Keys there. Now, all he needed to do was round up their honeybear. Micah and Gable should be there and almost all set up. By the time, he arrived with their woman, everything would be ready.
He stopped. Better make sure. They could have had a flat tire or something. He pulled out his phone and pulled up a text message.
Are you there yet? Setting up? Wanted to make sure before I started out. Maddox hit send.
Gable: Here. Putting up the groceries. Micah’s preparing the bedroom. Will start dinner in a minute.
All right, leaving as soon as I get her in her jacket and on the bike. Maddox sent the message and then slid his phone back into his pocket.
Good. Everything on track for a fantastic evening. Maddox strode down the hallway. He glanced into the office. Not there. He continued on. She’d probably have to change clothes. Last time he saw her, she wore a skirt. That wouldn’t work for a ride.
He headed to the bedroom. She came out of the bathroom. Her makeup was fresh, and she wore a lower cut shirt than she wore earlier. Maybe she had plans of her own. As interesting as they’d be, unfortunately, they couldn’t take the time to play. Micah and Gable would be waiting for them.
“Hey, honeybear, how would you like to go for a ride?” Maddox smiled at her.