Danger and Mayhem

by Becca Van

  Justice locked gazes with Tatum, and when the other man’s lips twitched and he saw an acknowledgement in the lion shifter’s eyes, he knew that he could smell the pheromones his wolf had started emitting the second he’d seen his mate. He wanted to speak up and tell her she could stay with him and his brothers since they had more than enough room, but he wasn’t sure his voice would work if he so much as opened his mouth. All his saliva had dried up, and it felt as if his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth. He gazed over at Weldon, who was sitting on her other side and trying not to make it obvious that he was staring. Rhys was standing right behind her again and didn’t look as if he was going to move anytime soon.

  Tatum shifted his gaze back toward her and replied, “There are no taxis in this area. As to renting a room, if you want I can ask some of the locals if they wouldn’t mind giving you a room for a few days.”

  “Oh, but I couldn’t put anyone out—”

  “We have a couple of spare rooms,” Justice spoke up. “You’re quite welcome to bunk at our house for as long as you want.” He held his breath as she turned to meet his gaze, and he was poleaxed by her amazing bright green eyes.

  All the air left his lungs in a whoosh as if he’d been punched in the gut. It certainly felt as if he had been hit. He was fairly certain he would have fallen to a heap on the floor if he hadn’t already been sitting down.

  His mate shook her head, blushed, and turned toward Tatum again.

  If he wouldn’t have been making an idiot out of himself or looking very creepy and stalkerish, he would have got down on his knees and begged her to come home with him and his brothers.

  “That’s great, Justice,” Tatum said, meeting his eyes briefly before looking at their woman again. “This is Justice Channing and his brothers, Weldon and Rhys. They’ve only been in Ambrose close to a couple of months. They’re trustworthy men and retired Marines. You’ll be safe with them.”

  “What’s your name, honey?” Weldon smiled at her.

  She licked her lips nervously, gazing from Weldon, to Justice, and to Rhys over her shoulder before turning to the front again. “Sierra Langley.”

  “Nice to meet you, Sierra,” Justice said, holding his hand out to her.

  She looked at his hand to his eyes and back to his hand again. He didn’t notice he’d stopped breathing again until she placed her hand in hers. Heat zapped from his palm, up his arm, and all throughout his body the second their skin touched. Her amazing green eyes widened and Justice knew she’d felt it, too.

  As soon as she shook his hand, she yanked hers away and Weldon immediately offered his hand in greeting, and then Rhys. From the way she shivered each time his brothers touched her, she’d felt the connection with them, too.

  “Nice to meet you all, too,” she said softly, shyly. Then she met Justice’s gaze with determination in her eyes. “Thank you for the offer of a bed, but I don’t think—”

  “Hi, I’m Pixie,” Tatum’s mate said as she moved closer to the counter. “I heard what you all were talking about. I can vouch that these three men would never do anything to hurt you. They’re retired Marines. They’re good, honorable men. I think it would be better if you stayed in their spare room. There are so many strange people in this town because of the country western music festival starting on Friday. The festival is the reason everything’s been booked out. All the residents of Ambrose are responsible and honest, but I can’t same the same for the visitors. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you the dangers about sleeping on the street or a park bench. You’ll be safe with Justice, Weldon, and Rhys, Sierra. I promise.”

  “But I don’t know them or you,” Sierra said. “For all I know, you could be their sister.”

  Pixie nodded. “You’re right, but I’m sure you can tell from our features we’re not related.” She picked up a pen and order pad and began to write on it. When she was done, she tore page off and handed it over to Sierra. “This is my cell phone number and the diner number. If you’re still worried or scared after spending the night in the Channing brothers’ home, give me a call and we’ll work something else out, find somewhere else for you to stay.”

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” Sierra frowned.

  “Because when I arrived in this town I was in trouble, and the people here rallied around me to keep me safe. Plus, we women have to stick together.”

  * * * *

  “Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” Pixie asked the Channing men.

  Sierra sighed with relief now that no one seemed to be paying her any attention. She was tempted to take up the men’s offer since she had nowhere else to go, but she was scared because she didn’t know them.

  She was so tired and sick of traveling from town to town, state to state. She’d been on the move for six long months. Before that, she’d been hospitalized for treatment of her stab wounds, and as soon as she been released, she’d gone to her apartment, finalized her lease, packed up as much stuff as she could, and climbed onto the first bus that came along.

  The police had taken her statement after she’d come out of surgery, but since she hadn’t been able to describe her attacker, there was nothing they or she could do. The police had taken the knife for evidence, but since her attacker had been wearing gloves, no DNA had been collected and fingerprints had been nonexistent. Even though she’d tried clawing at his skin, it had been through his clothes, and again, no DNA had been evident under her nails.

  Her roommate had also left their home to live with family because of the danger of living alone. While the manager of the apartment block had changed the locks, if someone was determined enough and had the means to break into their home, nothing would stop them.

  From the last time she’d called the officer on her case, the apartment had been re-leased to a couple of men. She was also frustrated that there were still no leads.

  Now, here she was with no job or job prospects, no home, and down to her last couple of hundred dollars.

  Sierra was running out of time in more ways than one but had no idea what to do. The last thing she wanted was to sleep on the streets. She knew the dangers of a lone woman out under the stars where any Tom, Dick, or Harry could find her. With all accommodation book up in the area, she didn’t have much choice.

  She glanced at the three men and couldn’t help but notice how big and handsome they were. Even though Tatum and Pixie had vouched for the Channing men, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t hurt her.

  Justice turned to lock eyes with her, and she couldn’t help but shiver as she stared into his amazing light blue eyes. They were a piercing blue hue that seemed to see deep into her heart and soul.

  She turned from him to find Weldon and Rhys watching her. Rhys had taken a seat next to his brother, but he was leaning against the counter and staring at her around his sibling.

  “What can we do to put you at ease?” Weldon asked.

  Sierra shrugged. After her last encounter with the male species, she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel safe in the presence of a man again.

  “There has to be something we can say or do that will make you realize we aren’t going to hurt you,” Rhys said.

  She sighed and turned to watch Pixie and her huge-ass man move about behind the counter serving people. She swallowed hard when tears threatened and quickly blinked them away. Whenever Tatum and Pixie looked at each other, she could see that they were deeply in love. Their gazes softened but heated with a hunger she’d never seen before. Sierra lowered her eyes to the empty coffee mug she was cradling in her hands. The intimate glances between the couple had her feeling like a voyeur every time she looked their way.

  Sierra’s belly rumbled with hunger, and it took her a few moments to figure out that she hadn’t eaten since early this morning, and then she’d only eaten an apple because she was on the bus and couldn’t very well ask the driver to stop so she could buy something more substantial.

  “Sierra?” Justice’s deep voice caused her to shiver. She turned
toward him and blinked when she saw three more big, handsome men standing nearby with a petite woman between two of them. “I’d like you to meet Preston, Gabriel, and Liam Louis, as well as their ma…wife, Elsa.”

  Sierra smiled at the quartet, trying to get her head around the last sentence Justice had said. Did he just say that Elsa had three husbands? Or had she confused the issue and she was just husband to one of the men? “Hello, nice to meet you all.” She smiled.

  “It’s great to meet you, too, Sierra. It’s so good to have another woman in this town.” Elsa winked at her.

  “Preston and his brothers are retired soldiers and Feds,” Justice explained. “If anything happened to you while you were under our care, they’d rip us all a new asshole.”

  Preston met her gaze. “Justice, Rhys, and Weldon are good men.” He dug into his pocket, pulled out a business card, reached around Justice, and handed it to her. Sierra took the card, looked at it, and then met Preston’s eyes again. “I promise I will be there for you if you call me. My brothers and the rest of the men in this town are very protective of women and children.”

  Elsa cleared her throat. “They really are, Sierra. I’d trust them with my life.”

  That statement cinched it for Sierra. Well, the other woman’s proclamation and the fact she was in a bind. There was nothing else she could do but take everyone’s word at face value. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she nodded and met Justice’s gaze. “If the offer is still on the table, then thank you, I would like to accept the invitation to stay in your spare room.” Her heart flipped and she stopped breathing when Justice smiled at her. He was breathtakingly good-looking, and she was shocked when her body responded to his handsome looks.

  “We’d be honored and pleased to help you out, baby.” Justice winked at her. “Have you had your dinner yet? Would you like me to order you something?”

  “I can order it,” she replied brusquely but sucked in a breath and tried to get her nervousness under control. “But thanks for asking.”

  “Sure.” Justice turned away and held up his finger. Tatum rushed over with a quirked brow.

  “I’d like to place an order, please,” Sierra said before Justice could speak.

  “Sure thing. What would you like?” Tatum asked.

  “I’ll have the roast beef and vegetables, please,” she replied immediately. Sierra had seen a plate of the roast being carried out to someone earlier, and she hadn’t been able to help herself from salivating over the delicious looking and smelling food. She was grateful when the brothers’ food was brought out to them and they started eating. Not long after, Pixie placed a huge serving of beef and vegetables in front of her, and she dug in.

  The men finished eating quickly and sipped at their coffees. While she was aware of them watching her from time to time, she concentrated on her food. She couldn’t eat it all, but she gave it a damn good try. By the time she was done, her stomach was so full she felt bloated but figured since she hadn’t been eating regularly, it wasn’t a surprise. Now that her hunger was satisfied, her weariness intensified, and she started yawning.

  Pixie placed the check beside her plate. “How was the food?”

  “Delicious. That’s the best roast I’ve ever tasted. My compliments to the chef.”

  Pixie smiled. “I’ll have to tell my other hubbies you said that.”

  “Other husbands?” Sierra asked and immediately wished she’d kept her mouth shut when the smile faded from Pixie’s face. “Forget I asked that. I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”

  “I don’t mind.” Pixie smiled again. “Tatum, Rex, and Shaffer are the loves of my life, and they love me just as much. If it wasn’t for my men and all their friends, I’d probably be dead.” She leaned closer and continued on in a softer voice. “I witnessed a murder and the killer saw me.” She swallowed audibly. “I fled my hometown and ended up here. The murderer came after me, but Tatum, his brothers, and the other men rescued me when I was in danger. I’m so happy, and I wouldn’t change anything even if I could.”

  “I’m sorry about the trouble you had,” Sierra said and couldn’t help thinking about her problems. Fear surged, causing adrenaline to course through her blood. If the bastard who’d stabbed her found out where she was, she had a feeling she’d be dead. She’d wracked her brain trying to figure out who she’d pissed off enough to hurt her, and the only conclusion she could come up with was the shelter. She’d helped countless women and children to change their names and find new lives away from their abusive fathers, husbands, partners, and siblings. The only problem was she had no idea who’d found out about her and who was now gunning for her. A frisson of dread shook her body, and her heart thumped hard and fast in her chest. She startled when a hand landed on her back, then began to caress up and down her spine.

  “Hey, are you okay, darlin’?” Weldon asked.

  She exhaled slowly, nodded her head, and forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

  Weldon scrutinized her face, and she quickly glanced away as she retrieved her wallet from the purse she’d hung over her knee. Her small suitcase was on the floor at her feet under the counter.

  “Are you ready to go?” Justice asked as he stood.

  Sierra placed the money on the counter with a tip and rose. “Y-yes,” she answered, even though she wasn’t sure about anything anymore.

  She just hoped she hadn’t bitten off way more than she could chew.

  Chapter Two

  Weldon was as excited as a kid at Christmas. He couldn’t believe how beautiful and sexy Sierra was. His inner wolf was driving him insane trying to get out so he could claim their mate, but as soon as he’d scented his and his brothers’ woman, he’d made sure to tighten the leash around the beast’s neck. His wolf wasn’t happy at being restrained, but he wasn’t about to let his animal get the upper hand and scare the fuck out of his fated mate.

  She was the epitome of stunning with her long red wavy ass-length hair and her soft-looking creamy skin. Sierra was slim and petite compared to him and his brothers, but she had the sexiest ass and gorgeous set of tits on her as far as he could see. Her clothes weren’t skin tight and didn’t mold to the shape of her form, but when she moved, the T-shirt she wore pulled tight over her breasts and created a mouthwatering sculpture of her body.

  Rhys hung back to pay their bill while he and Justice guided her out of the diner toward the truck. He’d been so lost in eying her sexiness, he didn’t notice she was tugging her suitcase behind her until it made thud as it banged into the back of her heel.

  “Let me take that for you, darlin’,” he said and reached for the handle. His hand brushed up against hers, causing heated tingles to travel his blood, and from the way she gasped as they touched, she’d felt it, too. That gave him hope. Hope that she was as attracted to him and his brothers as they were to her. She snatched her hand away from the handle and quickly hurried after Justice. Rhys came toward him as Weldon lifted her bag from the ground. It wasn’t very heavy, and he wondered how many changes of clothes she had with her. A question he intended on finding out the answer to later.

  There was so much he wanted, needed to know about his mate. Was she on vacation? Was she in the process of moving? Did she have any family? What was her favorite color and food?

  More and more questions popped into his head until he was almost drowning in curiosity.

  Justice helped her into the back seat of the truck, while Weldon put her bag into the back and secured it so it wouldn’t slide around and get damaged. When he turned toward the other rear passenger door and saw it closing, he huffed out a frustrated breath. He should have known that Rhys would make the most of Weldon’s preoccupation while dealing with her luggage.

  Justice was in the driver’s seat, so he walked toward the front passenger seat, got in, closed the door, and buckled up. He turned to gaze at Sierra over his shoulder. “Where are you from, darlin’?”

  “Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”

  “You’re a long wa
y from home,” Rhys said. “Are you on vacation?”

  “Something like that,” Sierra answered before turning to stare out the side window.

  Weldon frowned with frustration. He had a bad feeling in his gut. Why was Sierra being so secretive? Was she still scared of him and his brothers? If that was the case, then how the hell was she going to deal with the fact that they were wolf shifters and she was their mate? Would they even get the chance to tell her? For all he knew, she could be biding her time until the next bus passed through town. Would she hightail it out of Ambrose when it did?

  She was a puzzling contrast. When Pixie had told her about the danger she’d been in, the sweet sickly scent of her fear had permeated his nostrils. He and his brothers weren’t the only shifters who’d scented her alarm, either. Dusty, her baby girl Rose, and Dusty’s mates had been sitting in the booth behind them close to the door. Weldon had heard Broden growling softly as if warning him and his brothers to stop scaring Sierra. Thankfully, Rhys had dealt with that issue by speaking to Archer telepathically through the communal shifter link.

  Tatum was the unelected Alpha of Ambrose. He’d taken on the job of leader with abject reluctance but had acquiesced after a vote had been taken. The link only worked because of Tatum. He’d bitten each of them on the wrist to create a bond between them, which also helped keep a semblance of harmony amongst them since they were all different species of shifters. There were polar bear shifters, Kodiak bears, panthers, lions, and wolves. Most of the time, wolves and large cats didn’t see eye to eye, nor did bears and felines, but that angst had been mostly eliminated thanks to their king.

  Weldon chuckled softly. He’d heard and seen Pixie teasing Tatum by calling him her king and bowing in supplication. While he and his brothers hadn’t been living in Ambrose that long, he knew damn well that Pixie was a pistol. She had to be feisty to deal with Tatum, Shaffer, and Rex. She might be a tiny woman, but she was fierce and wouldn’t let anyone walk all over her. Including her three domineering, abrupt lion shifter mates.