“Sure, we will be here. How long are you from the house?”
“I’m about twenty minutes out now, but I can make it in ten if I have to.” Something in Tiny’s voice told him it was bad. He agreed and hung up the phone.
Taking a deep breath, he rolled out of his nice warm bed, pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt before heading to the bathroom to wash his face and check over the first aid kit. Before he did though, he needed to call Samuel.
“Hey, Grey, thought you went to bed?”
“I did, well except Tiny called, seems he’s got a problem and needs our help. How far from home are you?”
“Well, I just pulled in.”
“Great.” He disconnected the phone. As he looked over the first aid kit, he wasn’t sure what he might need. Tiny had been in a few scraps, but being he was a medic in the military before he and Samuel opened their bar. He didn’t want to stay in permanently, as a bear shifter it was hard to maintain his aggression when it came to seeing women and children hurt. After two tours he left, he and his partner in crime, Samuel, were looking for something more. Together they opened their small bar, Grizzlies, and settled down.
He heard Samuel enter the house walking into the living room as he waited for Tiny.
“Any clue what type of trouble he is in? Shit, the first aid kit, damn it. It’s going to be a long night.” Grey nodded.
“Well, let me get some Vodka, he may need that too.” Grey nodded once again, letting his brain go over all types of situations in his head. The sound of gravel from their driveway had him standing. He went and opened the door to see Tiny walking around the other side lifting something out of the passenger side.
“Please tell me that’s not some dog you hit.” But as Tiny turned to face them he saw a small woman in his arms with blood and bruises covering her face, and by the looks of her—unconscious.
“Shit, Tiny, get her in here.” Samuel was next to him within seconds as he stated it was a woman. He ran over to his first aid kit and started laying things down on the table he might need, while Samuel helped Tiny lay her down on the couch. He was lost in trying to make sure he had the items he needed, that he missed Samuel growling at Tiny.
“What the hell, dude.” Grey looked at his best friend who was now taking a possessive stance next to the small woman.
“She’s my mate.”
“Fuck, man, well, you need to cool it and let me help your mate.” Samuel looked at him as his eyes flashed with understanding. As Grey walked over to the red-haired beauty, he was hit with a zap of electricity. She was his too. Suddenly the need to kill whoever did this to her took hold. He took a small cloth and cleaned the blood off her face. He needed not to think of her as his mate right now, but a patient.
“Tiny, how long has she been out?”
“She’s been asleep for a little over fifteen minutes.”
“Okay, we need to wake her up. We don’t know if she hit her head, and we don’t want to risk a concussion.” Running his hand along her less bruised cheek, he tried to get her to open her eyes.
“Come on, pretty lady, you need to wake up for me now.”
“Cecile, her name is Cecile, but she goes by Cece.” Cece, he liked it.
“Come on, Cece, you need to wake up for me now.” She started to stir, her eyes fluttered open. A silvery grey color looked at him for a split second before she tried to scurry away.
“Please, please don’t hurt me,” she cried out.
“Hush now, we are not going to hurt you, we are here to help you. My name is Sam, this big guy sitting next to you is Greyson, he’s going to look at your injuries. Can you tell me what happened?” Sam looked at her and his heart broke. This poor woman, his mate, was scared of them.
“Where’s Tiny.” She tried to sit up and winced. He zoned in to where she placed her hand.
“I’m right here, honey, I told you I was bringing you to some friends who can help.” Sam watched as realization hit her.
“Look I’m fine, I just need to sleep.”
“I don’t think so, baby girl. I think you’re not telling us the truth, I say let Grey check you out and then we can see about you sleeping some.” He reached for her hand, and was shocked she didn’t pull away this time, but looked at him.
“I’m fine, I don’t want to cause trouble for you too. I just need a place to sleep and then I can figure everything else in the morning.”
“Baby girl, you aren’t going anywhere, you are right where you need to be.”
“Why?” she asked in a whisper. Samuel knew she must have felt a connection to them. Never in a million years did he think he would find the one woman who would complete him. Even as a human, she would feel drawn to him.
“Because you’re our mate.” Sam turned and looked at Grey when he spoke.
Shit, she was his mate too. He had heard of ménage matings before, but he and Grey have never been with a woman together, and by looking at their small mate, he was worried if she could take them both.
“I can’t be. I’m human, shit, wait mate. What are you guys?” She was starting to come out of the confusion she was suffering with earlier.
“Oh, baby girl, you got yourself two bears.”
She let out a small giggle, “Wolves, panthers and bears, oh my.” He didn’t get the joke, but as he watched her, she started to cry. Not wanting her to hurt, he sat next to her taking her in his arms. She grabbed his shirt as she cried. Not sure what to do, he rubbed her back in small circles, but the movement seemed to make her cry more. He stopped instantly. Instinct took over and he started to lift her oversized sweatshirt.
“No, please don’t.” But he held her hands, trying to calm her while he nodded to Grey who lifted it.
“We need to see to help you, love.” She did a small nod, but as the shirt went higher, his fury took hold. She had red welts and bruises all over her back. He closed his eye, trying to calm his frustration. Who would do this to a woman, especially someone so small?
Cece held still as Grey checked her back. She could only image what it looked like, the one part of her body she hated. The scars and bruises were there from before. Now she knew it had fresh welts and broken flesh from Billy’s belt. He held nothing back tonight. He was mad at her for God knows what.
“Cece, baby, I need to see everything. Can we take this off?” Grey asked her. She didn’t know if she should. He might not like what he saw, but right now she hurt too much to care, and if he knew what he was doing and Tiny trusted them, then she would suck it up.
“Okay,” her voice sounded so small, even to herself. As Sam and Grey pulled her shirt up, she winced in pain, her ribs were killing her.
“I’m sorry, love, I will try to be as careful as possible. Sam, check her face, see if she needs stitches.” Sam shifted so she was now sitting on the couch with her front to Sam, her back to Grey, but in her plain cotton bra. She went to cover herself, but stopped.
“Baby girl, hold still, let us check you out, okay?” She nodded and let Grey check her back. He was rubbing something on the bad ones, while Sam gently pressed on her eyes. She had never been punched in the face before. Billy had slapped her here and there, but it was the first time he actually punched her. “Nothing seems to be broken, her cuts are small.” Sam held her face and looked into her eyes. She could barely see as one eye was swollen almost shut. She tried to smile, but Grey touched her ribs, making her cry out.
“Oh, love, these are just bruised, but bad enough we need to tape them. Did you hit your head at all? Do you think you can lay on your front so I can clean your back?” Grey was going over so many questions with her that it left her head spinning.
“Umm, no, I didn’t hit my head, well not that way. And I can try, but does that mean I can sleep?”
“Yes, baby girl, but let’s move you to a bed, so you can relax better.” She nodded in response and Sam had her up in his arms carefully holding her in a way not to put pressure on her ribs. They entered a room that was filled with wood f
urniture and decorated in warm colors. She smiled, it was nice and welcoming. Sam made her stand and started to pull on her jeans. She went to protest when Grey came in.
“We need to look at everything to make sure you’re okay.” He smiled at her and soon her jeans were on the ground. She stood in her boring white panties and bra, covered in bruises and blood with her sexy mates. She shook her head, not wanting even to think about that. Hell, Billy would kill her, or them, if he found out. Once she was better, they could think of something to make sure no one got hurt.
Laying on her stomach on the bed, she was glad that it was extremely soft. Grey sat down next to her while he rubbed some cleaning gel and something else into her back, and parts of her legs. She lost track of where she was hit as she tried to tune it all out. The pain seemed to ease some, and before she knew it, she started to get drowsy again.
She thought about her friends, Becky and the soon to be twins, Millie and all that was Millie, to Travis, the big brother she wish she had, to Mike and his sad eyes. Her mind flitted to Billy and his friends. The vile things he did and wanted to do to her. Not wanting to be sick, she stopped the thoughts running through her mind, but found she was shocked when her mind drifted to the two men who were taking care of her. Greyson and his gentle touch and tone, and Samuel, the grumbly one with amazing eyes. Happy with that thought, she allowed sleep to take her.
Chapter Three
“So, we have no clue who the hell beat this woman? How the hell is that even possible?” Sam was yelling at Tiny while he washed his hands. He had some of Cece’s blood on them still and it sickened him. His mate, hurting and bleeding.
“She didn’t tell me anything. She called and asked for help and I picked her up. I put her in the truck and drove here.”
“Did you see a car?”
“No, she was walking, she normally walks everywhere.” Tiny took a drink of the beer that Grey had given him, before he too joined in a drink.
“Someone close had to hurt her. Does she have any family, an ex or anything?” Grey was asking the questions now, but he couldn’t think of anything but the small woman upstairs sleeping soundly.
“As far as I know she is a loner. Becky and Millie, those are her best friends and great people. She didn’t call them, so there must be a reason. Those three are joined at the hip, and as for a boyfriend, I don’t think she has even looked at a boy. Sure she has kissed them, hell, even I've kissed her,” Tiny said, right before Grey lunged for him.
“You kissed my mate.” The sound was similar to what was coming from him. Tiny held his hand up trying to push Grey off him.
“Ya’ll need to calm down some. We did Tequila shots a couple months ago, and we kissed. Nothing more than that. Look, she is like a little sister to me. Nothing more.” Grey released him before helping him stand.
“Make sure it stays that way.” A simple nod was all Tiny gave, before he said he was tired and heading to bed. It was the norm for him to stay with them. Both he and Greyson had a large house, mostly because they were large men. They couldn’t afford to get some type of small apartment where they would be cramped and break everything in their path. Suddenly making him worry about their tiny mate. She was a lot smaller woman than he normally took out. He usually picked women who were tall and slender, but his mate, she was curvy, but in a soft sensual way. Tiny left, and he and Grey sat at the table talking about what to do now.
“We take turns keeping watch. She might try to leave, with still no clue who did this to her. But my gut says it’s someone close,” he said.
“I agree, we need to have someone in the room with her to make sure she is okay…” just as the words left his mouth he heard crying. Knowing it wasn’t coming from Tiny as the over grown bear was starting to snore. He ran up the stairs two at a time to Cece’s room. As he pushed open the door he saw her laying on her side in a fetal position crying in her sleep.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she muttered in her sleep. The sight made his bear want to claw its way to the surface and hunt down whoever did this to his mate, and then wrap her up and keep her safe. He wasn’t sure what to do, but looking at Greyson, he nodded and left the room, Grey was going to handle it. Normally he would be jealous as hell and pissed off, but Grey was the soft one, he would know how to help her. He would demand answers and want her to stay put. Taking watch downstairs, he grabbed a blanket and laid on his favorite easy chair before closing his eyes.
*****
Grey walking into the room watching Cece cry in her sleep. She was repeating herself over and over and he knew she was dreaming about her encounter. Laying on the bed next to her, he picked her up so her head was resting on his chest. She seemed to calm down some and the crying stopped. She unconsciously started to snuggle closer before settling in. Something so simple seemed to calm his bear. Unable to stop himself, he ran his hand up and down her arm until her breathing evened out and she was back asleep. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to sleep, he reached over and pulled out a book from the top drawer of the nightstand. He and Sam would be the laughing stalk of their families had they known they both were closet nerds. He enjoyed good medical journals along with trending business opportunities, were Sam, he was the numbers person. Grey used to joke he was a mini Rain Man. But it helped them get the bar and the house they have now. Sam was big into stocks and bonds and knew where money should go following the trend. It paid off when they hit one and doubled their income.
Flicking on the small light next to him, he made sure it was set low so Cece could sleep while he read on. He did his best to concentrate on the words on the page as he read over a study of adults who were searching for pills to make them look younger through natural remedies. It really wasn’t his type of study, but it was something. Before he knew it his eyes had started to close, he shook his head to try to snap out of it, but it didn’t seem to work to well.
He must have fallen asleep as the sound of whimpering woke him. Opening his eyes he was first confused as to why he was in the guest room, and then he remembered. He looked next to him and saw that Cece wasn’t in bed. Snapping his eye open all the way, he jumped out of bed looking for her. He called out her name and nothing. He heard movement from the bathroom and automatically opened the door.
Cece gasped as she held her oversized sweater to her chest.
“Um…sorry, I will be right out.” She lowered her head to avoid looking him in the eyes.
“Do you need some help, love? Leave it off for now, I need to look at the wounds to see how they healed.” She stood still, rooted to the spot she stood in. Grey didn’t bother asking her if it was okay as he walked in and stood behind her. The welts had gone down some, but he saw several other scars from before. This wasn’t her first time. He ran his hand along some of the bruising, causing her to gasp.
“Does it still hurt?”
“Some, but I can handle it. I’m sorry I bothered you and your friend, but I really need to go. I have to be at work.” She went to put the sweatshirt on and he could see that wasn’t going to be easy, and it was covered in her blood.
“You need to stay here and talk to us. I can get you a clean shirt, follow me.” He grabbed her hand and started to pull her with him. She whimpered as he must have pulled to hard. “Oh, love, I’m sorry.” He slowed his steps as she followed in turn. Opening his door, he pulled her inside while he released her hand and found her a t-shirt. He knew it was going to be extremely large on her, almost like a dress, but it was clean and he could wash her clothes, or get her some that fit.
Cece slipped the shirt on as she turned her back away from Grey, but that seemed to make matters worse as he growled when she winced from her ribs. Damn, Billy. She really was lost this time. She knew he would find her gone, but then again, she did have to open the library early this morning, so maybe he wouldn’t think anything. After the shirt was pulled on she started to leave, but Greyson stopped her. “We need to talk, Cece.”
“There is nothing to talk about. I was…umm
...jumped. Yeah, I was jumped. I just need to get to work and forget everything,” she lied.
“You know we are shifters and being a bear we can smell when something is off, and you, my dear, are lying. But you need to eat and get your health up first before you go to work.” She went to argue, but like a damn caveman he scooped her up and carried her down the massive stairs and into the dining room that was suddenly spread wide with food. Tiny and Sam were in the kitchen cooking and the smell of coffee filled her nose. He sat her down and not wanting to be rude, she shifted gingerly in the chair as a cup of coffee was suddenly placed in front of her.
“Just the way you like it, one sugar, lots of milk.” Tiny winked at her. She felt bad now calling him to help her, but even if Billy knew what she did with the food, he wouldn’t forget the beating he dished out. It was always her fault and he threatened to kill her if she told anyone he did it. At first she was fearful for her life, but then when she stopped caring, he threatened her friends. That is why she stayed.
“Hey, baby girl, you okay? You’re shaking like a leaf and didn't hear us.” Sam was kneeling next to her as he rubbed her leg, looking at her with concern.
“Yeah, sorry, I’m fine, I just need to head to work.”
“Already taken care of, you’re sick. Your boss is a dipshit by the way,” Tiny said as he set down yet another plate of food on the table.
She jumped at the outrage she suddenly felt. Shit, what if he called the house and told Billy, she called out.
“No you don’t understand, I have to go to work, or home. I can’t stay here, I have to go.” If Billy found out, he and his creations would be nothing but trouble.
“I don’t think so, you need to rest, heal, and gain your strength. But I need to know, Cece, why did you call me and not Becky or Millie?” The room grew deathly quiet as Tiny asked staring at her.
She honestly didn’t know what to say, she wasn’t used to not having the answers. Things came to her easily and it seemed ever since she was able to read, the knowledge of other things popped in her head. She never questioned any of it, but this situation had nothing to do with reading and breaking down information from books, she was out of her element here and didn't know what to do.
Bear it All (The Hidden Pack) Page 2