by Becca Van
Sammy slid from the stool to her feet, biting the inside of her cheek when her head protested the movement and her stomach churned. She sucked in a breath and sighed when the nausea settled.
No sudden movements and you’ll be fine, Sammy. The last thing you want to do is toss your cookies in front of all these handsome men.
That would just make her day.
Chapter Three
Maddox wanted to go into the living room, sit beside Sammy, and watch everything Axel did. Not because he didn’t trust the doc, but because he wanted to hear that she was going to be okay.
Other than when she blushed, she was as white as a sheet, and she looked downright exhausted. Axel checked her pulse, shined a penlight torch in her eyes, and then felt over the back of her head. She gasped, and he winced. Axel glanced his way and must have seen how worried he and Logan were. When he started talking, he spoke loud enough for them to hear. “You’ve got a good-sized egg on the back of your head, and I can tell from the way you’re squinting you have a bad headache, but luckily enough you don’t have a concussion.”
Sammy sighed out loudly with relief.
“However, you are dehydrated, which is probably part of the reason for the headache, and I don’t like the way your cheeks have hollowed out. You look exhausted. Have you been skipping meals, Sammy?” Axel asked gently.
“Yeah,” Sammy replied quietly, but Maddox was so in tune with her, he heard her answer.
“Why, honey? You need to take care of yourself so you can look after your baby.”
Sammy’s breath hitched, causing Maddox to think she was about to cry. He couldn’t stand being so far away from her, so he stood and hurried toward the sofa. Logan followed, and just as they sat on either side of their woman, Haden entered the room. He took in the scene at a glance and strolled over to one of the armchairs. Axel was perched on the sturdy coffee table in front of his patient.
“I’ve barely got enough money to buy food for Lily after paying the rent and the bills.” She stuck her chin higher into the air, crossed her arms over her chest, and frowned at Axel.
Maddox had a hard time keeping his laughter curtailed. Now he knew why Lily had done that earlier. She’d been copying her mother.
“The price of rent has gone up twice since I’ve moved into the apartment, and I’ve only been there six weeks.”
“Are you shitting me?” Haden asked incredulously.
“Did you sign a contract?” Maddox asked.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to stay and signed on for a month-by-month basis.”
“Do you know who owns the apartment complex?” Logan asked Axel.
“No, but I can find out.”
“Why?” Sammy cried, throwing a hand up in the air. “What’s the point? There’s nowhere else I can go. The apartment was one of the cheapest in town.”
“I have a solution,” Maddox said.
Sammy gazed at him expectantly.
He drew in a breath and hoped she didn’t laugh in his face. “We have plenty of room here. There are six bedrooms, and only three of them are being used. You and Lily can board with us.”
When Sammy shook her head, he clenched his hands into tight fists to stop himself from rubbing his chest. His heart was aching, but he tried to ignore the slight pain.
“You aren’t used to having a child under foot, and you’ll end up resenting us.”
From the conviction in Sammy’s voice, Maddox knew she believed every word she’d just spoken. He wondered why she’d think so little of them. Hadn’t they already shown her that they weren’t like that?
“You don’t know Maddox, Haden, and Logan very well,” Axel said. “Or me for that matter. They’re good men and would go out of their way to help someone in need. In fact, they already have. They could have let you go home without a backward glance, but instead, they brought you to their home and, from what Logan said, fed you and your daughter after I was called to come out. Are those actions ones from men who don’t care?”
Maddox wanted to thank and hug Axel for getting behind them.
“No,” Sammy answered quietly, her gaze on the fingers she was wringing together. When she raised her head, she met his, Logan’s, and Haden’s gazes one after the other. The expression on her face full of remorse. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“Don’t worry about it, baby. You don’t know us yet, but when you do, you’ll realize what type of men we are.” Maddox hoped so anyway.
She nodded and licked her lips. “Thanks for the offer, but I can’t accept. It would be too difficult for me to get Lily to the childcare center and to library by 9:00 a.m.”
Haden shook his head. “That won’t be a problem, honey. We’re up at the crack of dawn to start our chores. One of us can drive you and Lily to daycare and to work.”
“That would be taking precious time out of your day.” Sammy shook her head.
Maddox had a hard time controlling his frustrated anger. Sammy was looking for excuses to refuse their offer. His gut knotted with rejection, and the muscles in his neck and shoulders hardened with tension. He wanted to say, “the fuck it would” but bit his tongue instead.
“Do you really think we’d care about losing twenty to thirty minutes out of our day?” Logan asked testily.
Maddox glared at his brother, trying to silently tell him to shut the hell up. He was worried that Logan was going to make things worse.
“But—”
Haden surprised him when he slashed his hand in the air. “Where else are you going to get room and board for fifty bucks a week? If you keep going on the way you have, the way you are, you’re going to end up getting sick and in the hospital. Who’s going to take care of Lily then? Her father? Where the hell is he, anyway?”
“He doesn’t matter,” Sammy said quietly with so much sadness in her eyes, Maddox wondered if the man had died.
“Is he dead?” Logan asked gently.
Sammy shook her head but didn’t look as if she was going to explain.
“Where is he, Sammy?” Axel asked the question that had been on the tip of Maddox’s tongue.
“New York.”
“Is that where you and Lily are from?” Maddox asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you divorced, honey?” Axel asked.
She shook her head again. “I’ve never been married.” She paused to inhale raggedly before continuing, shadows dulling her beautiful blue eyes. “I met Todd when he came into the restaurant I was working at. I was the administrative office assistant and also worked as a waitress. He and a couple of his friends came in for lunch. He flirted, but I ignored his come on. Every few days he was back, but this time he came alone and he always sat in my section of the restaurant. Eventually he wore me down. He was handsome and knew how to say the right things.”
Maddox cursed under his breath when she blinked back tears. He hated that she was on the verge of crying, but he and his brothers needed to know about her past. For all he knew, Lily’s father could end up coming out of the woodwork, demanding custody of his daughter. His heart flipped and thudded hard and fast at that thought.
“He changed when he found out I was pregnant. I was on the pill and took the contraceptive regularly, but nothing is foolproof.” She shrugged. “He got angry and his anger turned to hate. And then he started drinking more. He hardly looked at me, and when he did, he’d stare at my protruding belly with revulsion.” Tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks.
Maddox couldn’t stand the pain and the confusion he could see in her eyes. He draped an arm around her shoulders, then down between the sofa and her back, shoved his arm under her legs, and then lifted her into his lap. Her tears stopped as she stared up at him in shock. He’d much rather the surprise on her face than all that pain and sadness. He bit the inside of his cheek when she shifted on his lap to get comfortable and hoped she didn’t notice his dick was getting hard. Thankfully, she seemed oblivious, or if she was aware, she chose to ignore it, so he too push
ed his lust to the back of his mind.
“Todd didn’t even bother to show up at the birth of his own flesh and blood.” Her breath hitched. “Nor did he deign to visit while I was in the hospital. I tried,” she said, her tone tortured. “I tried so hard to show him how wonderful his daughter was, but he didn’t want any part of her. In the last twelve months we were together, his drinking got worse and worse. He started taking his anger out on me.”
Maddox’s whole body tensed with fury. He’d never understand how a man, or a woman, could deliberately hurt someone they were supposed to love, to care for. He ground his teeth as he inhaled and exhaled through his nose, trying to dispel the anger surging through his blood.
“Did he hit Lily?” Axel asked quietly.
“No, but the last time he punched and kicked me, he was trying to get to her. I ended up on my knees on the floor with Lily cradled against my chest, one of my hands under her head to protect her from the cold wood floor. Lily had been crying because she was teething and in pain. He was so drunk I could barely understand his shouted slurs. He said, ‘I shoulda fucking killed the bitch’ and that she was so much trouble.” Sammy shook her head, unaware that she was crying again. “Why?” She met his gaze as she asked her question. “Why would he hate his own daughter?”
“I don’t know, baby. Lily is a precious little angel.” Maddox gently wiped the tears from under her eyes, and when she slumped against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She felt so right, so perfect in his arms, and he knew for certain that she was the woman he and his brothers had been waiting for.
He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, how special, and that he and his brothers were attracted to her and wanted a relationship with her, but he swallowed the words back. Instead he savored her small body against his, the warmth emanating from her and the wonderful feminine scent drifting to his nose.
She smelled so fucking good, he could have sat on the sofa all night long just breathing her in, relishing her slight weight in his arms.
“That was the night I left.”
“How long ago was that, honey?” Logan asked.
“Twelve months ago. Lily was only two years old.”
“Stay here,” Maddox said, rubbing his chin gently on the top of her head, her hair tickling his skin. “You and Lily will be safe and won’t have to worry about all those pesky bills and such. Just think about it, baby. You’ll be able to save some money because you’ll no longer have to pay rent. You could buy Lily new clothes and whatever else she needs.” He didn’t add that she should buy herself some new clothes even though he wanted to, but since he didn’t want to embarrass her, he kept those words to himself. Plus, he had every intention of buying her and Lily a whole new wardrobe, but he’d give Sammy time to settle in first.
“How much are you going to charge?” Sammy asked.
Maddox’s heart surged with joyous excitement, but he didn’t let it show because she was once more looking up at him. He glanced at his brothers, quirking a brow in query.
“Fifty dollars,” Haden stated.
“What? Fifty dollars a week for two more people living in your home is nowhere near enough.”
“Yes, it is,” Maddox said. “You can’t count Lily because she barely eats enough to fill a bird. You don’t either for that matter. You can help out around the house, too.”
“I hate cleaning bathrooms.” Logan grinned. “If you want to take over that chore, I’m not going to argue.”
“I hate cooking.” Haden winked. “While I can, I do it grudgingly.”
“What about you, Maddox?” Sammy raised her gaze. “What do you hate doing?”
“Dusting,” he answered without any hesitation. “I don’t see the point since as soon as I’ve finished, dust finds its way back onto whatever I’ve wiped over.”
“So we can stay here for fifty dollars a week as long as I dust, cook, and clean the bathrooms? How many bathrooms do you have?”
Now that she’d listed out the chores, Maddox wished he and his brothers had kept their mouths shut. She was working as well as taking care of her daughter, and they’d just added to her chores without meaning to.
He and his brothers were still going to pull their weight no matter what. There was no way in hell they were letting Sammy do all that plus what she already had on her plate.
“Three.” Haden frowned as did Logan. Looked like his brothers were thinking along the same lines he was, but that wasn’t a surprise since they knew each other so well.
“Deal,” Sammy stated, drawing his eyes, and he stopped breathing. The sadness was no longer there in her blue orbs. In fact, they were sparkling with happy excitement.
Maddox just hoped that the longer she was around him, Logan, and Haden, the more she wanted to be around.
He’d be devastated if she wasn’t attracted to them in any way, shape, or form.
His heart lurched at the thought.
* * * *
Sammy couldn’t believe the Keegan brothers had offered to let her and Lily stay in their home. Or that they’d called a doctor to check her over after her fall. She wanted to do something special for them to thank them, but she couldn’t afford to go out and buy them gifts. She still needed to pay her rent and her bills even if she was about to give her landlord notice. The manager of the apartment building lived in one of the apartments, but she didn’t think he owned the place. However, she could be wrong.
Now that everything was settled and the weight of worrying how she was going to feed Lily was no more, she was exhausted. The warmth emanating from Maddox’s body was so comforting, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
She forced her eyes open when she heard a rustle of clothes and gazed up at Axel, who was now on his feet.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Sammy. Let Maddox, Haden, and Logan take care of you and Lily. Okay?”
She bit her lip and nodded even though she had no intention of doing what he’d said. She was used to looking after her daughter and herself all alone no matter who was around or whom she was living with. She’d never had any help from Todd in regards to the housekeeping or their daughter, and she’d worked as many hours as she could while leaving her baby with a sitter.
“If you need anything, call me.” Axel dug into his pocket and pulled out a business card. He flipped it over so she could see the back. “Cam and Phoenix are my best friends, and they’re also doctors. Their cell phone numbers are here, too, just in case.”
“Thank you, Axel.”
“You’re welcome, honey.” Axel turned, striding toward the door with Logan right behind him.
Sammy clutched the card to her chest as if it were a lifeline, but she didn’t want to call Axel or his friends. At least not unless Lily ended up sick and needed medical care.
“Why don’t you head to bed before you fall asleep, baby?”
Sammy nodded and sighed sleepily. She loved feeling the vibration of Maddox’s deep voice against her cheek and ear. Her face heated when she realized in which direction her thoughts were going.
She’d vowed that she would never get involved with another man after what she’d experienced with Todd. She didn’t care that Maddox, Haden, and Logan were the epitome of everything good she used to dream about. Nor did she care that they were handsome and sexy. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself.
She didn’t want to be attracted to the three men, but she was. However, that didn’t mean she was going to act on the attraction. For all she knew, they saw her as if she was their sister. A twinge of pain stabbed into her chest, but she discounted it as indigestion after eating the thick salad sandwich since she’d been skipping so many meals.
Sammy shoved to her feet, trying to discount the warmth of Maddox’s hands on her hips. She tried to tell herself she didn’t like it when he or his brothers touched her, but she was lying to herself and she knew it.
“Let me show you to your room, baby.” Maddox stood, laced his fingers with hers, and guided
her away from the living room.
She glanced back over her shoulder just as Logan came back from seeing Axel out. His eyes were glued to her ass. Goose bumps pebbled over her skin, but she ignored the shiver of awareness skating up her spine. “Good night.”
“’Night, honey.” Logan winked at her.
She looked at Haden to find he was staring at her ass, too. Pink crept into her cheeks. “’Night, sweetheart.”
“Good night, Haden.”
She drew in a deep breath as Maddox guided her down the long hallway and hoped she’d made the right decision by accepting to stay with them. She wasn’t worried about herself per se—other than the fear that she might end up falling for the three caring men—but she was worried about her daughter. If Lily got attached to them and things didn’t work out, it would break her baby’s heart to leave.
Sammy was going to have to try to keep away from them as much as possible. She was going to guard her and her daughter’s heart even if it made her seem as if she didn’t have one.
She snorted at that thought.
Sammy didn’t know how to be mean and bitchy. It just wasn’t in her character.
She had a feeling she was going to end up in way over her head, if she wasn’t already.
Chapter Four
Logan pounced on Maddox as soon as his brother entered the kitchen. “Is Sammy okay? Was she happy with the room? You put her in the master bedroom, didn’t you? Did you check on Lily?”
“Shit, Logan, take a breath,” Haden said.
Maddox smirked, nodding his thanks when Haden handed him a beer. “Sammy’s tired, but fine. Yes, she’s happy with her room, and yes, I gave her the master. Lily looks like a little angel tucked up in bed, sound asleep.”
“We need to go and pack her stuff up first thing tomorrow,” Haden said.
Maddox shook his head. “What we need to do is go into town and pick up a car seat for Lily.”
“Fuck.” Logan combed his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t think of that. Does she need a crib, too?”