“They aren’t going to shoot anyone,” Hazel sighed. “They’re going to put the guns away so we can explain.”
“There is nothing to explain. They lost the chance for your hand a long time ago. We are leaving, Hazel. Grab your stuff. I have the plane waiting at the tarmac,” Gabriel said firmly, standing his ground.
Steven didn’t know what the fuck was going on, or why Gabriel and Alex were here. But he knew for damn sure there was no way in hell these two men were walking away with his woman. He had been calm since this little adventure began. He kept his temper in check because he didn’t want to scare Hazel. He did everything Matthias told him to do when he felt himself about to lose control. Right now, he was about to fucking lose it, and there was nothing that could stop it. “I’m going to count to three, Gabe, and then I am going to shoot you.”
“Steven put the gun down!” Hazel yelled at him.
“One.”
“Damn it, Hazel, just tell him. He’s going to shoot Gabriel!” Alex shouted at her.
“Two,” Steven said and aimed.
“They’re my brothers!” Hazel screamed, throwing her arms around Gabriel, trying to protect him.
* * * *
In the small cabin at Starlight Pass, Steven and Neil sat at the small table across from Gabriel and Alexander. Neither one said a single word. They just glared at each other. Hazel emerged from the only bedroom. She stopped before them, eyeing the two chairs, one between her brothers and the other between him and Neil. Steven watched as she looked from chair to chair, unsure of which one to choose.
He knew which one he wanted her in, but he also knew what it meant to remain loyal to family. Deciding it wasn’t right for her to choose, he stood up and pulled the chair out for her. She smiled up at him and sat between her brothers.
It was the least he could do for her. She had been through enough already.
Sitting back down, Steven asked, “He is here, isn’t he?”
“We’re not sure. We think so,” Alex said. “After Braxton got the Marshals on their way, Gabriel told me what happened to Neil. Since Braxton is looking for him in town, I did some research. The Feds have been tailing the wrong guy.”
Sliding a picture across the table, Neil picked it up. “Motherfucker! I had him. I could have ended this yesterday.”
“Don’t worry, little brother. You’ll get your chance,” Steven said, looking at the photo. “It was too dark when Hazel and I left town. I didn’t get a good look at the guy. But if this is the man that Neil ran off, then he was the one following us.”
“We need to get Hazel off this mountain. We covered our tracks, but I still felt as if someone was behind us. I can’t be sure because I am not a tracker. But I don’t like it when the hairs on my neck stand up.”
“Can’t we just leave out in the morning, like we planned?” Hazel asked, looking directly at him.
Steven shook his head. “If we stay, we’re sitting ducks.”
“Baby, I know you’re tired, but I promise you once we get you to Celestial, we can hide you better, and then we can smoke out this asshole,” Neil advised her.
“But we only have two horses. How are we all going to get off this mountain?” she asked.
“We have our horses stowed not far from here. Alex, why don’t you and Neil go get the horses? I need to talk to Steven. Hazel, until we’re ready, why don’t you go and rest for a bit. You look tired, honey,” Gabriel suggested.
Steven felt like gritting his teeth. He wanted to punch Gabriel and whisk Hazel away from him. He knew that Gabe was only looking out for her, but damn it, that was his job. Instead, he just sat there as she slowly got up from the chair and did as he suggested. It didn’t take Alex and Neil long to grab their coats, leaving just him and the micromanaging club owner alone. “You can stop telling my woman what to do. I don’t like it.”
“And I don’t like you. You’re not good enough for her.”
“Get over it. She belongs to me and Neil.”
“I don’t see a ring on her finger, Steven, and I doubt you’ll get her to accept one, either.”
“Fuck you, Gabe.”
“You’re not my cup of tea, but thanks for the offer,” Gabriel sneered. “Leave my sister alone. I mean it. I want you to stay away from her. She’s been through enough already. I won’t have you messing up her life any more than it already is.”
“Answer me this, Gabe. How long did it take you to get into Annie’s pants after Jeff gave you the same ultimatum? ’Cause I can guarantee Neil and I beat your record by a mile,” he said, grinning, implying the obvious.
For the last two days, Steven had bitten his tongue, swallowed words, and took more deep breaths than he ever had in his entire life. He was done holding back for the sake of others. He tried to be polite and respectful, but damn it, he was fucking pissed off, and Gabe was just the punching bag he needed. Therefore, when the perfectly coifed man threw himself across the table, Steven was ready.
Gabriel’s fist connected with his jaw just as Steven sucker punched him in the stomach. On his back, Steven didn’t hesitate taking another jab at the club owner and rolling him off him. As Steven went to stand, Gabriel kicked him in the ribs, knocking the air from his lungs.
“Fucker! That hurt,” Steven shouted, swinging his leg out, tripping Gabriel. He landed hard on his back, and Steven jumped on him, punching him in the face.
He felt invigorated. This was what he knew. This he could handle. This was what he was good at. There were no rules, no breathing exercises, no one telling him to think before he acted. Hitting Gabriel again, he never heard the front door open, but when arms wrapped around him, he roared in rage. Kicking his way free, he attacked Gabriel, hitting him in the stomach with his shoulder.
“Steven, stop it!” he barely heard his brother yell. Steven was about to hit him again when he heard her crying. Looking over at the bedroom door, there she stood in the arms of Alex, watching him beat the shit out of her brother. The look of sorrow and regret on her face stopped him before his fist could connect with flesh again.
He had fucked up again.
She would never forgive him for this.
He knew it.
Getting to his feet, he turned to see the faces of everyone before him. His brother looked ashamed, disgusted even. Alex, concerned for his brother, was now kneeling next to him. Gabriel just stared at him with that blank look of his, but it was Hazel, with her grief-stricken eyes, who unmanned him. Never in his life had he ever felt so small, so insignificant, but with one look into her green eyes, she stripped him bare, and he didn’t like what he saw.
He wanted to be what she needed, prayed he had the ability to be a better man for her, but old habits died hard with him. All the training and preparation in the world wouldn’t be enough to make him the man she needed. He felt ashamed, not worthy to even be in her presence. “I tried, Hazel. I’m sorry,” he said, before he walked out the door.
Chapter Seven
Hazel felt her heart rip in two as Steven walked out the door. She made a move to follow him, but Neil stopped her, telling her to give him a few minutes. She didn’t want to wait. He needed her. He needed to hear that she understood. She wasn’t angry with him.
She was rather pissed at Gabriel, though, for interfering with her private life. She got that Gabriel felt the need to protect her, but she was a grown woman, able to make her own decisions. She refused to allow any man, even her own brother, to dictate how she would live her life. She lived that life once, never again.
Pushing past Neil, she grabbed Steven’s coat and ran out the door. Running through the forest, she searched for him. The temperature was dropping fast. He had forgotten his coat. He would freeze out here if she didn’t find him. Searching high and low, she strayed too far from the cabin. Looking around her, she began to panic. She didn’t know what to do.
“Steven!” she screamed loudly, praying he would hear her. She couldn’t let him go without telling him what she felt in her
soul. Her whole life she felt as if she was searching for something unattainable. Reaching for the impossible, she settled, making a horrible mistake. She paid for that mistake tenfold. Through all that pain, she believed that someone was out there. That someone walked this earth, searching for her. Her missing soul, someone who she could laugh with, cry with, even argue with. When she met the Conner brothers, her fear of the unknown stopped her from taking that leap. She knew even back then that Steven and Neil were something special. She didn’t make it easy on them, and yet they never gave up.
Her mother had told her once that love wasn’t easy. It was messy. Even when it got dirty, she should fight for what she wanted. Never give up, especially when her heart was involved. She didn’t want to acknowledge it when she first met them, but faced with the reality of losing them, she couldn’t stop herself from admitting the truth.
She loved him. She loved them both, desperately. God, she loved that stubborn, angry man. “Steven, don’t leave me,” she cried, falling to her knees.
Afraid of living the rest of her life without them, she cried for a life she would never have. She saw all her dreams slowly fading away as sorrow crushed her. Gasping for air, she let everything she kept bottled up inside her flow. She sobbed as she thought of all the dreams she had been too afraid to reach out and grab. Promises she made long ago seemed trivial and stupid. She thought she was brave for making a new life, but she forgot one important detail. Too afraid to love, she allowed fear to settle and fester within herself, and now it just cost her the loves of her life.
She couldn’t stop the tears from falling. She couldn’t feel the cold air around her. She was numb. She lost him. He was never coming back.
“Oh, please don’t leave. Don’t go,” she whispered
Warm arms came around her, lifting her. “Never, baby. I’ll never leave you.”
“Steven,” she sobbed, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. “I thought you left me. Please don’t ever leave me. I need you. Oh God, I need you.”
He just held her. His arms, strong around her, never weakened. She needed him, and he was there. He didn’t leave her. He stayed.
“I’m sorry, Hazel. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just needed a moment to regain my composure. I was going to come back.”
“You can’t ever do that again. I thought, oh God, I thought…” she cried harder.
“I know, baby. I know,” he soothed, rubbing her back and arms.
Taking a deep breath, she gave him a playful shove. “I’m serious, Steven. Don’t ever leave. Stay and talk to me. I don’t care how angry you get, don’t ever walk away. I know all the professionals say to leave when it gets to heavy, but I would rather you stay and argue with me than leave me feeling helpless.”
“Hey.” He grabbed her wrists, holding them close to his heart. “I love you. You want me to stay and fight, baby, I will. We will figure it out, but know this, I will never leave you.”
The feel of his warm fingers on her skin encouraged a twinge of something intimate inside her. She stared at him while he held her. She wanted him to pull her closer and kiss her. With the expression on his face, she guessed similar thoughts were whirling around in his mind. He was waiting for her to say something. His eyes never left hers. Open and bare before her, he opened his soul and let her see him, the real him.
It was now or never. Gathering all the courage she had left, she let go and took that leap of faith, and said, “I love you.”
Steven kept his eyes on her while he tugged her slowly toward him. A sliver of space separated their bodies. She could feel the heat emanating from him. He released her wrists and slid his hands slowly over the curve of her shoulders. He watched her while he touched her, somehow making the connection more personal. She shivered and before she could take a bracing breath, he drew her into his arms, wrapping her up in a hug so tight, so comforting, that she actually sighed.
Hazel sank into the moment and turned her head to rest her cheek against his chest. Her arms came up to encircle his waist, and she held him, immersing herself in his strength and warmth. His heart beat strong and steady beneath her cheek, his chin resting on the top of her head while he kept her close. She had no idea how long they stood there like that, but the feel of his palm stroking her spine, squeezing the back of her neck before it slid down again, felt so good she didn’t want him to ever let her go.
She could’ve sworn he placed a soft kiss on her hair before he eventually clasped her arms to pull her back from him. The separation made her want to cry out in protest. Hazel looked up at him, still dazed by the contact.
Sweeping his thumbs over her shoulders, he whispered, “You are my soul, Hazel.”
She moistened her lower lip and shook her head, overwhelmed by the tenderness of the moment. Her body swayed toward him of its own accord. She laughed, a little uncomfortable with his confession. A look of amusement passed over his features, and he tugged her back into his arms. She loved hugging him tightly, rubbing her cheek against his chest, soaking up the solid heat of him. His hands warmed her back, his fingers flexing against her muscles in a rubbing, massaging motion that had her closing her eyes to savor the touch. Hazel’s own palms moved tentatively over his spine, stroking, soothing.
He located a sore muscle just above her shoulder blade, and she arched her back, pressing her body closer. She heard and felt the groan that travelled through him, and a responding tingle of excitement hit her deep in her belly. Even though she’d always found him physically attractive, she hadn’t been able to see him as anything other than just the annoying rancher with a bad attitude. Now she could barely remember what it was about him that had rubbed her the wrong way.
Steven dipped his head and left a soft kiss on her temple. He kept her snugly against him with one arm while his other hand tilted her chin. She clutched his waist and held her breath as she gazed up at him, wondering what she’d find in his expression.
His hazel eyes were intense as they met hers, his jaw clenched while he looked her over. His thumb swept across her lower lip, and his mouth tilted in the slightest of smiles. He leaned closer and said in a low voice, “You are mine, Hazel Montgomery. You belong to my brother and me, and never forget that. I am going to marry you, and you will say yes.”
“Yes,” she whispered, nodding her head. His hand curved around her neck, and he pulled her up on her toes to press his mouth to hers. Her eyes closed, and a sigh rippled through her. She grasped his T-shirt and held on. Her heart thudded, and her stomach plummeted at the suddenness of it all. One thought filled her mind in that moment. He loved her and wanted to marry her.
The kiss started out slow. His warm, firm lips coaxed hers to respond. She let him pull her along with him, opening her mouth to accept the silky invasion of his tongue. Just the tip flicked over hers then retreated. His hands resumed their arousing caresses up and down her back.
Hazel trembled in a quick shiver, flattening her palms against his chest. She no longer noticed the chill in the air, the tiredness in her bones. Her mind focused entirely on Steven, still reeling at their change in circumstances. She leaned into him. A moan came from her as her arms slid around his neck and her tongue thrust against his. The connection went deeper. The kiss turned wilder. His hands supported her while his mouth took control, guiding, arousing. She couldn’t get close enough. The urge came over her to climb his body and clamp her legs at his waist.
Steven’s fingers tightened around locks of her hair. He broke the kiss and tugged her head back. His lips moved over her exposed throat, flicking his tongue there. He sucked lightly. The sensations drove her to the point where she wanted to beg him for more. He dipped his tongue into the hollow of her throat, and her mouth popped open. She let out a sigh, neediness growing inside her until it took on a life of its own. She sank her hands into his hair and pulled him up so she could bring his mouth back to hers.
“Make love to me,” she said breathlessly, brushing her lips over his.
His teet
h nibbled her earlobe while he gripped her ass and pulled her against him. “Your wish is my command,” he replied. She heard the laughter in his voice. His erection was impossible to miss. Desire rolled through her, and she laughed when she least expected to want to laugh. His husky chuckle vibrated against her throat. “Here?”
Hazel’s eyes flickered open, sweeping over their surroundings. They were still alone. At this late hour, no one would see them, and she prayed her brothers didn’t come looking for her. “Oh yes.”
He groaned and took her mouth again. One hand cradling the back of her head while the other squeezed her ass, grinding her against his shaft. He was hard, so hard. She slipped her hand between their bodies and stroked him. Her fingertips ran along his stiff cock. He growled as his tongue swept over hers. His hands grew more demanding. She massaged his dick, wanting to feel his silky skin without any barriers, to have him thrusting inside her, filling her, making her come.
Steven pulled his mouth from hers and spent one breath-stealing second looking into her eyes, and then he turned her, pressing her against the nearest tree. She’d expected him to drag her to the ground. Now her stomach sizzled in anticipation. Hazel closed her eyes as his hands slipped under her T-shirt and smoothed over her ribs, roaming upward to her enclosed breasts. She let out a harsh breath, her ass pushing back against him. His hands kneaded her flesh, his thumbs slowly sweeping over her hardened nipples.
Steven leaned down and kissed the back of her neck. His fingers tugged the cups of her bra down, shoving them under her full breasts. He teased her nipple with one hand, the other drifting over her stomach to work on the button at the waistband of her jeans.
He released the button and dipped his hand inside. He slipped his fingers under her panties to discover her warm stickiness. The rapid change in movement and the confidence behind his touch had her heart pounding. She pushed back even harder and let out a whimper, needing to feel his cock.
Fighting for Hazel [The Men of Treasure Cove 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 13