by Jamie Begley
He wouldn’t, but the slut didn’t know that. Being a Porter did have its perks. One of them being that no one really knew how they would react. Greer had no compunction about inspiring fear in others.
“One day, the Porters are going to bite off more than they can chew.”
“When I want your advice, I’ll pay for it,” he advised Diamond, ignoring the waitress Dustin had screwed over.
He motioned for Diamond to go first. He wasn’t about to turn his back to the slut until Lindy walked away. With a hate-filled glare, she walked back behind the bar. That was when Greer went to stand at the front door where Diamond was waiting.
“My truck is parked outside the door. We can wait there for Holly.” Greer pushed the door open, holding it for Diamond.
She stopped midway through the door when a police car whizzed past with its siren blaring and lights flashing. “That was Knox,” Diamond exclaimed.
“Looks like he’s in a hurry.” Greer turned to see which direction the squad car was going. They were on the main street in Treepoint, leading toward most of the business and branching off to residential neighborhoods.
They watched as Knox’s car made a right. Greer frowned. He could see Diamond was becoming worried. Then she gave a horrified gasp when two police cars drove past them with their sirens piercing the night air.
“Holly!” Diamond took off at a run when they saw the blue lights from the street where her office was located.
Greer ran past her. He didn’t want to leave Diamond behind, but she couldn’t keep up with her high heels.
“Go on ahead!” Diamond screamed at him, pausing to take off her shoes.
Greer took her at her word, running toward Diamond’s office. Nothing scared him, but the sight of those blue lights had his legs running with a speed he hadn’t used since he ran track.
Diamond managed to keep up with him once her shoes were off. Both of them came to a stop when they saw Holly standing outside Diamond’s office building with a large jacket over her shoulders and Knox’s arm wrapped around her.
Greer saw the busted window in the door and took in Holly’s fear-filled expression as she answered Knox’s questions.
“Did you see who it was chasing you?”
“No.” Holly shuddered, leaning into Knox as if she was afraid who was chasing her would come back. “I didn’t see him. It was too dark. When he started running toward me, I just took off.”
“Are you okay?” Diamond asked as she moved to stand next to her friend.
“I’m fine. It just scared me more than anything. I thought he would leave when I got inside the building, but he broke through. He destroyed your office door, too. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just happy you’re okay.”
“He left when I told him I called the police.”
The sight of Holly being comforted by the heavily-built man wasn’t something he could stand. Porters took care of their own.
“What are you doing here?” Holly’s eyes narrowed on him. “Did you do this to pay me back for this afternoon?” There was no mistaking the accusation in her emerald-green eyes as she burrowed into Knox as if she was afraid of him.
“You think I did it?” Greer was sickened that she would think he had done something so low. He might have made no bones about how much he disliked her, but that she thought he would actually physically hurt her revolted him.
“He came into the bar right after you left. He’s been with me the whole time.”
He didn’t need Diamond to defend him, but it was better than seeing that fear on Holly’s face when she stared at him.
Diamond held out her arms for Holly when one of his deputies called out to Knox from inside. And Holly turned toward Diamond, growing more composed now that her friend was here.
Greer shoved his hands in his back pockets to keep from tugging her to him.
“Do you want me to get you some water?” Diamond offered.
“No, thanks. I’m fine now that I’m not alone. I’ve never been so afraid in my whole life as I was when I turned around and saw him running at me.”
“You’re safe now,” she reassured her.
“I’m going to go get my truck. I’ll be right back,” Greer said, seeing there were two deputies watching over the women.
“Where’s Dustin? I thought he was the one who was coming?”
“Since I was in town, Dustin asked if I could.” He didn’t want to worry her more about Logan when she was still trying to deal with the aftereffects of someone trying to attack her.
“You were with Diane?”
“Yes.”
“He shouldn’t have bothered you. You can go back on your date. I’m fine. I’m sober enough to drive myself home now.”
“I not going anywhere, other than to get my truck.” He turned on his heel, leaving the women and not letting Holly’s suggestion make him feel like a jerk. She knew he hadn’t wanted to pick her up. He never did anything voluntarily for her unless he had no choice.
He retrieved his truck and drove it to the parking lot where Holly and Diamond stood. He then turned on the heat before getting out.
“Get in the truck. I warmed it up for you. You can roll the window down when you need to talk to Knox.” He held the door open, giving her no choice but to climb inside the large pickup.
“I’m going inside to talk to Knox,” Diamond said when Greer asked her if she wanted to sit with Holly.
Greer shut the truck door, going to the other door to climb inside.
“I told you I didn’t need you to stay with me.”
He turned toward her. “You’ve lived in my home for about six years now; have I ever laid a fucking hand on you?”
“No.” Holly started crying again.
“Dammit.” He reached over, lifting her over the console until she lay across lap. “Stop crying. There’s no reason to be afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid of you. I might have wanted to kill you a time or two, but I’m not afraid of you.”
Greer’s lips quirked at her threat. Holly couldn’t hurt a fly. Any other woman would have killed him within two weeks of living with him.
“Did you see anyone leave King’s when you did?”
“No, but I wasn’t paying attention, either.”
Treepoint was so small, everyone knew each other. He couldn’t think of anyone who would have attempted to hurt Holly. He and his brothers had their share of enemies, but he had grown up with all of them, and those people knew there would be repercussions for anyone trying to hurt a hair on her head.
Greer rolled the window down when he saw Knox and Diamond come out of the building.
“Find anything?” Greer asked Knox as he stepped to the door of the truck.
“Nothing but a bunch of glass and broken doors. Diamond called a locksmith. He’s on his way to fix the doors until tomorrow when we can buy a couple new ones. I watched the security footage from the hallway and Diamond’s office. Whoever it was, was wearing a hoodie, so we couldn’t make out his face. He’s about six-feet-two and around two hundred and fifty pounds. Other than that, there’s no way of knowing who it was until we luck out and get a fingerprint.”
Greer and Knox’s eyes met. Whoever had done the damage had done their damnedest to catch Holly. She was going to have to be watched closely to make sure they didn’t succeed next time.
Greer silently nodded his head over Holly’s, not wanting her frightened any more tonight.
“If you think of anything you haven’t already told me, call me immediately,” Knox told her. “If I find out anything, I’ll call.”
“All right. If that’s all that can be done, I’ll get her home now.”
He helped her back over the console after Holly told them good night. Then he turned the heat on higher as they left the lighted town behind.
“From now on, don’t go anywhere unless me, Tate, or Dustin are with you.”
“I’m sure it was just someone who wanted to sc
are anyone walking through the playground. Everyone takes that as a shortcut.”
“You’re probably right, but there’s no need to take chances. Do you think it could have been your ex? He’s on parole.”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t Mitch. The man who chased me was taller and heavier.”
“Just thought I’d mention him as a possibility.”
“He’s not,” she said firmly. “And let’s not say anything to Dustin until morning. You can go back to Diane’s, and I’ll talk to Dustin in the morning.”
“Hell, no. I’ll wait until Logan’s in bed, but I’m telling him tonight. I can see Diane tomorrow. I had already decided to stay in after taking you home. Logan wasn’t feeling well tonight.” Greer let her know he wasn’t staying home because of her, but because he was concerned about Logan.
“What’s wrong with Logan? Why didn’t Dustin call me? I could have come home after work.”
“He wanted you to have a good time. I told him to call you when I picked him up from school. The kid didn’t even want to go to the ice cream store.”
“You should have called me. I could have called the doctor’s office.”
“He just had an upset stomach. If he’s not better by tomorrow, you can take him to the doctor’s. You don’t have to run him to the doctor over every bellyache. You would make a sissy out of that boy if I let you.”
“You couldn’t be nice for ten minutes, could you?”
Her stark whisper had him feeling guilty.
“I’m sorry.” He hadn’t even meant to tell her that Logan wasn’t feeling well tonight. For some reason, Holly always brought out the worst in him.
“I’m so tired of always arguing with you, Greer. I know you can’t stand me, but I keep hoping that you’ll realize how much Logan means to me and give me a break, but you’re not going to. It’s just getting worse.”
Greer made the turn onto his property as he heard the defeat in her voice.
“Let’s not talk about this tonight.”
“Why? You have no problem hitting a dog when it’s down.”
It took everything in him not to snap at her, waiting until he parked in front of his house before turning toward her furiously. “Accusing a man of hitting his dog is fighting words in this town. Your first thought when you saw me tonight was to accuse me of trying to attack you, and now you’re accusing me of beating my dog? You’ve never seen me lay a hand on my dog,” he snarled.
Holly grabbed the door handle, opening the door, and Greer winced when he saw her miserable expression.
“Welcome to my world, Greer. How does it feel when someone misjudges you? You’re upset and angry because I said something you know isn’t true. Ever since the moment I met you, I’ve dealt with one accusation after another thrown in my face. You think you’re ready to be a husband and a father? Nothing could be further from the truth. You don’t care about anyone but yourself. You may have never hit a woman or a dog, but I’ve never seen you care about one, either.
“You can stop your worrying about Logan growing into a sissy. He’ll grow up to be a loving and affectionate man. Dustin and Tate are teaching him that, which is more than I can say about you! When you’re old and lonely, and Logan doesn’t want to come visit you at a nursing home, you won’t have me to blame, then.” Holly jumped out of the truck, making sure she was out of his reach before giving her final jibe. “And you can wrap that in one of your rolling papers and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine!”
8
Kentuckygirl: What’s your favorite ride at an amusement park?
Sharpshooter: The games.
Kentuckygirl: The games aren’t a ride. What was the first one you got in line for when you went?
Sharpshooter: My family was too poor to go to the carnival. When me and my brothers did go, we sneaked in and watched everyone else ride.
Kentuckygirl: Why can’t you just answer the question?
Sharpshooter: What was yours?
Kentuckygirl: I loved the merry-go-round.
Sharpshooter: That’s lame. At least the tilt-a-whirl is fun when you go around in circles. The merry-go-round is boring.
Kentuckygirl: I thought you hadn’t ridden any rides? How do you know the tilt-a-whirl is fun if you’ve never ridden it? Or that the merry-go-round is boring?
Sharpshooter: I may have been exaggerating.
Kentuckygirl: Do you do that often?
Sharpshooter: Only when I’m trying to feel sorry for myself, so you’d go to the carnival next Friday.
Kentuckygirl: I don’t think it would be a good idea. We’re just friends. Going to the carnival would be like going on a date.
Sharpshooter: So, you’re saying you’re never going to meet me? Why did you even message me if you weren’t interested in a relationship? I was upfront. I’m looking for a relationship.
Kentuckygirl: I was upfront, too. I said I wasn’t. I was only looking for a friend, and you’re a good friend. I don’t want to lose your friendship. Besides, you wouldn’t like me if you met me.
Sharpshooter: Why not?
Kentuckygirl: Because I love merry-go-rounds, and you’re a tilt-a-whirl kind of man.
Holly stared morosely into her tea cup. She’d had a sleepless night between Logan waking intermittently with his stomachache and seeing the man chasing her in her dreams. She had simply given up the struggle to sleep, going to the kitchen to make herself coffee.
When she heard one of the bedroom doors open then the bathroom door close, she knew it was Dustin by the sound of the shower running.
She had lived with the men long enough to know their habits. Dustin took his shower every morning; Greer took his at night. Greer liked to stay out a night, sometimes not coming home until morning. Dustin came home every evening after work to spend time with his son. He would stay out on Saturday nights, but he always made sure that Greer stayed home those nights.
“Morning.”
She braced herself at hearing the voice behind her.
“Morning.”
Seeing Greer head toward the kitchen to make himself a plate for breakfast, she mentally prepared herself for another argument. No matter what, he would find something to antagonize her with. This morning, she was too tired and drained to deal with him.
“You need a refill?”
Lifting surprised eyes to him, she nodded.
“I heard you up early this morning.” Greer brought his coffee cup and the pot over to the table she was sitting at, pouring them both coffee before taking the pot back to the kitchen. “Logan feeling any better?”
“I think so. He’s still asleep, but his fever is down.”
“He was running a fever?”
“Yes. I called the doctor this morning. He says there’s a virus going around town and he should be better in a couple of days. Diamond said I can work from home today, so you won’t be bothered with him.”
Holly noticed the muscle in his cheek twitch, but he remained silent as he drank his coffee. Then Dustin came in dressed for work.
Coming to her side, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You okay this morning? I heard you up after I went to bed.”
“I had a little trouble sleeping. I’ll take a nap this afternoon when Logan does. You want me to fix you a plate?”
“I can. Finish your coffee. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep either if someone had been chasing me in the dark.”
Her mouth curled into a smile. “Yes, you would. You’re not afraid of anything.”
Dustin’s handsome features brought a smile to any woman’s lips. His features weren’t as mature as his older brother’s, his boyish face lacking the lines of maturity and experience that age would bring. His was much softer and gentler than Tate’s and Greer’s, but what Dustin’s looks lacked in maturity, there was no doubt about him being a player with a body she had heard more than one woman confide they wanted in their beds. Holly always shied away from those conservations as if they were talking about her brother.
> The women were always trying to find out if she and Dustin were in a relationship. When they found out they were only friends, that was when the confessions started. Most of them ended with pleas to tell Dustin to call.
Her eyes moved to Greer. He, on the other hand, had no soft or gentle features. Each nook and cranny of his face was sculpted in hard angles and curves. His bottom lip was sensuous and had a woman torn between staring at it or his eyes, with a nose that had been broken, marring the perfection of his looks. The expression he inevitably gave to a good-looking woman made her think of satin sheets and dirty sex. His skin was usually sunburned in the winter, until the summer came and it turned a golden tan. He didn’t have a spare inch of soft flesh on his body, and the times she had bumped into him in the hallway were like running into a brick wall. There wasn’t a soft thing about him.
Stormy grey eyes stared at her as he lowered his coffee cup. “You don’t think he gets scared? You should have seen him last night when I told him what happened to you. Everyone has something they’re afraid of.”
Holly couldn’t help herself. “What are you afraid of?”
When he didn’t answer, Dustin did.
“When Pa was alive, Greer was afraid of going to the barn. We all were. When our pa gave you an order, you did it or you’d regret it. Pa made you go to the barn and wait for him there. I don’t know what was worse: the wait or the whipping.”
“The whipping.” Greer took a piece of toast off Dustin’s plate when he sat down next to him.
“You could go make yourself one.”
Greer shrugged. “Why should I when you can carry it to the table for me?”
He was trying to steal a piece of bacon when a knock came to the door.
Holly started to get up, but Greer was already rising from his chair.
Opening the door, he let Knox in.
“Sorry to interrupt so early, but I wanted to bring Holly’s purse to her. Diamond forgot to give it to you last night.” Knox set it down on the table in front of her.
“Thanks. Can I get you some coffee before you leave?”
“No, thanks. I need to talk to you alone.” Judging from Knox’s serious expression, whatever he wanted to say wasn’t going to be good.