“Please.” She didn’t think it was a hard request, but Tiny seemed determined for her to answer the question. He picked up his phone and hit some numbers.
“Hey, Dmitri. Yeah, man, I’m doing great. How about you? Really, the pups are making her that crazy, huh. Sure, I understand. Hey, I got a bit of a situation.” Tiny looked at her and she knew he meant business.
“Please don’t, I’ll tell you, just hang up the phone.” Tiny watched her as he listened to something Dmitri said.
“Yeah, sure, man. Anyway, the situation is, I need Becky’s recipe for that Kahlua cake she makes from time to time. No, my mom wants it. Great, have her email it to me.” He hung up the phone without another word.
“Start talkin’, little red.” He was dead serious.
“I called you because Travis isn’t home, and I can’t risk Becky or Millie.”
“Can’t risk them in what?” Grey asked, who was now sitting to the right of her.
“He would hurt them, or worse,” her voice getting lower and lower as she answered.
“Who would hurt them, baby girl? Who did this to you?” Sam asked.
“Billy.”
“Who is Billy, does he live with you or something?”
“Or something.”
“He is a boyfriend?” The questions seemed be coming in turns as the three men left nothing unturned.
“No, God no.”
“Did he try to do anything else to you other than what we can see?” She knew from the look on Grey's face that he was asking if Billy had touched her sexually.
“No, he didn’t.”
“Did someone else?” She squirmed in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable with these questions.
“Cece, we need to know, did someone do something they weren’t supposed to?”
“A few times, but nothing more than touching me.”
“Were did they touch you, baby girl?”
“Just my breast, it never went further than that. I smacked him in the face.” She still recalled her stinging palm as she automatically looked down at it.
“Good girl, but, love, we need to know who Billy is to you.” Cece swallow knowing this was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done. But she felt an odd connection with these men.
“He is, well…you see, Becky and Millie doesn't know.”
“Don’t know what, red?”
“Billy is my brother.”
Chapter Four
“What do you mean you don’t know where she is?” Billy started to shake with fear at the hooded man. Today he was joined by a woman who didn’t seem all that happy with him either. This is what he hated about his job. He was just supposed to watch her and make sure she never found her mate, and didn’t come into her power. They handpicked him to do this over others who wanted it.
“She was supposed to be at work, but she didn’t show up, I checked, and she wasn’t in her room. I have a feeling I know where she went, but she always comes home. She is too scared to stay away.” He wanted him to see he had the situation under control.
“If she doesn’t, then it will be your head that rolls. She needs to stay in the dark, if she discovers what she is, or what she is even capable of, the small human can screw with our plans. It was damn Lola and her sister who wanted bigger quickly, but the truth is it was better to be in the shadow and remain out of sight. Now we have everything in place and you screw it up. You are incompetent. I have run out of patients with you. Make sure she comes home, because if she doesn’t, we will come for you.” And in a black puff of smoke the two figures disappeared. Billy knew that if Cece didn’t come home and told anyone about him then all would be lost. However, they didn’t know her like he did, she always came home to him—always. He would make sure of it, and when she did, he planned to chain her to the bed until they finally came to collect her.
*****
“Wait, you have a brother?” Cece was so tired of this subject, and it frightened her that others might found out.
“Yes, he’s a half-brother actually, it seemed my dad had a fling when he was younger before my mother and produced the spawn of Satan. He controls everything, he has the house, the money, everything. I got smart-lipped with him last night and this was the result. I really don’t want to talk about it anymore. I just rather put it behind me and get to work. If he finds out, I don’t know what he would do.”
“You can’t go back there, and I swear I am gonna kill the fucker,” Grey snapped.
“Please don’t, he could hurt you. He and his friends.”
“You are not going back without us.” This time Sam was glaring at her.
Frustrated she sighed deeply, “Look, I understand you have this whole mating thing, I know all about it. Both my best friends have mates, and I don’t want that. I mean look at you two, and look at me. You both are hot, and shifters, and have a long life. I am a mere human, short, plain, glasses, and work in a library for heaven sakes. I have cat lady written all over me,” she snickered at her own comment, but it was true. The only boys, or men, that found her attractive were the wrong kind who wanted a quick fuck and made her feel dirty. Other than that, she was a friend to everyone. Hell, she never stood a chance with Becky and Millie as her friends. She was the homework girl, the one people saw through.
“You are so much more than that, you just need to believe in yourself.” Growling in frustration she stood, causing slight pain in her side, but she wasn’t backing down. She didn’t need these men messing up their life because of her.
“Okay, here is how it is. I am going to leave, you’re going to forget the whole night even happened, and we go our separate ways.” She turned to leave, but someone grabbed her arm. Shaking him off, she kept on walking. She was bound and determined to leave.
“You are really walking out the door to that monster?” Grey barked as he released his hold on her.
“It’s my choice, and I have to, you don’t understand and don’t have to either.” She opened the door after she grabbed her shoes and saw she had no clue how to get home, and was only wearing Greyson’s shirt. But that didn’t matter, she needed to get out of this house, and away from people Billy could really hurt. Hell, Billy didn’t know anything of shifters or anything really. If he found out about them she was almost positive he would threaten to go hunting them. No, she would not be the cause of someone getting hurt.
“No choice, hell, look at what he did to you last night. What if he gets mad, huh, and this time you don’t wake up from it, then what?”
“Then no one needs to worry about me anymore. I said thank you for last night, but this was a mistake, one I can’t risk for my friends.” She turned and left, and for once she was happy no one stopped her.
Greyson stood at the door completely dumbfounded on what just happened and why he let her go. His bear was clawing at him with all his might and from the sounds from the kitchen, Sam had just put a hole in the wall. Both knew she was in trouble, but they hadn’t claimed her yet, and she pointed out some things that made sense. Not the whole her being unattractive, because she was, she needed to eat more, he knew that was true, but she was human. Normally when one mates with a human it never ends well. Either the shifter chooses to stay until one grows old and dies, or they soon follow. He knew his choice would be to follow, but he didn’t have a clue as to what Sam thought.
“We have to keep an eye on her, man,” Sam finally said as he ran his cut hand under some water. Turning to the left he spotted the nice hole he made and knew he wasn’t going to fix it.
“Look, I agree, but we can’t push her either, she is spooked and we just need to let her know we are here for her. Maybe try to woo her, but keep an eye on her as well.”
“That could work, but I don’t know if I should tell her friends.” He saw Tiny thinking and what a real pickle the poor guy was in. He knew he was between a rock and a hard place, but the good thing was, he didn’t have any loyalties to her friends.
“Do you have her address?”
“Well, you guys sit here and discuss anything you want, but she has a hell of a walk to get somewhere near the library, and I’m sure she has no clue how to find her way to the main road,” Sam stated as he grabbed his keys and walked to the door.
“Don’t scare her off. We need her to trust us, and maybe if we offer to sit and guard her at work, we can talk with her until then,” he stammered while he watched Sam shut the door behind him.
“She is a shy girl, Grey. She knows how to solve just about every problem, but this is the first time I have seen her unsure about anything. She is always sure of herself, but this, this I don’t know what to do with. I don’t like it. Hell, when I asked Becky if she knew about Cece’s family, all she said was she didn’t talk much and her parents died about two years ago on a trip overseas. Other than that, nothing. She opens up about what she likes and doesn’t like, just never anything about her home life. So this is a shock to me, but I am sure the girls don’t know as well. I say let Sam have his way and see what he comes up with. He isn’t going to back down. So let's see what happens. Until then, I am going to set up watch in places she walks.” Grey agreed and soon he was at his computer trying to find information about his new little mate.
*****
Sam pulled up just ahead of Cece as she walked down the small dirt road. He had to admit she walked a lot faster than he would have guess, but maybe that’s because she is used to walking.
“Cece, get in the truck and let me take you, you don’t have to walk.” She stopped and looked at him and it pulled at his heartstrings. Her face was still swollen around her eye and had a nasty black and blue color. Plus she was only wearing her tennis shoes and Grey’s shirt. “Come on, I promise I won’t do anything. I will take you anywhere you want to go, no questions asked.” He had so many questions but the fact was she would run if he asked. Trust is what she needed, and he wanted her to trust him more than anything.
“Really, you won’t ask me anything, just take me where I want to go and that’s it?”
“You have my word.”
“How do I know you will keep your word?” This was a normal question for people who didn’t trust easily, but he could almost guarantee that when she did, she did it whole-heartedly.
“Because I’m your mate, and I could never lie to you.” To him it was the truth, his mom could never lie to his dad and so on.
“Well, I hate to tell you this, but I have seen mates lie.”
“Really. Now that is interesting. Why don’t you tell me about these mates that you do know while I drive you to?” He left the question open ended hoping she would finish it for him.
“Work, the library. I have spare clothes there and I can work in the back categorizing items so I am not seen.” Sam let out a sigh of relief, she was at least going to let him take her there. Opening the passenger side door, he helped lift her up and he still could see the small twinge of pain on her face, but he kept his mouth shut. It was the best thing he could do in this situation. He went to help buckle her in, but she pushed his hand away. “I can buckle myself.” He nodded and went around to driver side.
Not one to sit in silence, he wanted to know more about her. “So how long have you worked at the library?”
“Thought you said you weren’t going to ask me anything?”
“Oh, I did, huh. Shit. I’m sorry.” Suddenly feeling like a child who had just been yelled at by the principal, he kept his eyes on the road.
“Since high school,” she responded after two minutes of pure silence.
“Wow, that’s pretty cool. Did you always want to work there? I mean, just by looking at you, I would have never guess you the type.” She laughed that time. He was serious though. Yes, she had a nerdy quality to her, but she was a sexy nerd and one he wanted to see more of, well, when she was healed.
“You wanna borrow my glasses because I am sure you are looking at the wrong person. Anyway, to answer you, yes, I have always wanted to. Something about books and learning something new called to me. Then when things started happening with my friends, well, it became useful, you know. Like I was meant to know this stuff to help. I know it sounds corny, but with them all being so amazing just by themselves, it made me feel like one of them.” She looked down at her hands and he couldn’t help himself when he leaned over and grabbed them in his. Both her hands fit inside his one. Damn she is tiny. The heat that started to radiate off this small connection made him groan with need. He had never felt so needed and desperate to get inside someone’s panties before. It seemed his bear agreed too, but Cece was different, she was wounded and he needed to tread lightly with her until he knew he could get her out safely.
He pulled up to the library and she directed him to the side entrance for him to drop her off. He did, but before she got fully out of the truck he handed her his number.
“Call me, I mean it. I am not letting this go, I will be back with lunch for us. I need to work out a schedule with Grey and Tiny, but while you’re at work we will be here to protect you.”
She went to say something but he placed his finger on her tender lips.
“Don’t fight me on this one. I know you don’t know us, but let us build your trust.” He kissed her cheek and a blush spread across her face. Wanting to say more, or do more, she slid by him and ran into the door. Looking at the building, he noticed this was the employee entrance while the main one held cameras. He needed to run security by Grey and get Tiny on board, but if he had his say, she would not be going to her house tonight.
Chapter Five
Cece walked into work knowing she had to get home later tonight, but sooner than when her shift ended. Billy would know she left and didn’t show up at work. He always seemed to know what she was or wasn’t doing more than anyone else. She would have sworn he put a tracker on her, but then someone would have picked it up. She walked to her locker and pulled out her spare clothes she always kept. Because the library was kept cold, she was always allowed to wear sweaters, which fit her just fine. Slipping on a pair of jeans and her normal shirt, she went to the bathroom to wash up again. As she looked in the mirror, she was shocked at the job Billy had done this time. She wasn’t big on make-up at all, but over the years she had gotten pretty good with covering bruises. As she reached into her small spare make-up bag she applied her war paint as she liked to call it before heading into work. Her boss wouldn’t question it, he never did. As she walked into the backroom she spotted the pile of books that had been torn. Sitting down at the small desk she got busy with her task of repairing the parchments and tried to avoid her wondering mind as it floated from Billy to the two men who were fated for her. Fated, yeah, like that wasn’t a joke within itself. She had done everything to avoid boys and men. She had a boyfriend once, but when Billy found out, well, she was reminded of that night when a cold spell had hit and her wrist throbbed. Billy had broken her wrist, but she simply claimed she slipped on the steps.
The time seemed to have flown by as Mr. McDonnell cleared his throat.
“Hi, Cece, I’m sorry to bother you, but a young man has asked if you were in, and if so could you go met him for lunch. As you know I am not a fan of being a messenger, but since this is a rare thing for you, and you lost track of time, I thought it was best to tell you.” Cece wanted to roll her eyes at the old prune. He didn’t like her very much, in fact he didn’t want her hired, but wanted someone else. But the heads had found her more qualified for the position.
“Thank you, Mr. McDonnell. I won’t be long.” She set her items down and headed up the stairs to the main portion of the library. There she saw Greyson standing looking all around the place. He looked out of
place somewhat with his looks, but he seemed to be looking at various sections more intently than one who hasn’t been in the library before.
“Hi, Greyson, what can I help you with.” He stopped, turned around, and looked at her for a second before he lifted his hand to her face, grabbing her chin and tilting it in different directions.
“You did good covering it up, but I can still see it, love. I wanted to take you to lunch if you have enough time. I mean your boss seemed kinda like a tight ass.” He laughed at himself and she couldn’t help but giggle in return.
“Yeah, he is, but it’s okay. I have only forty-five minutes, and I don’t want to go into town.”
“That’s okay, I thought ahead. Come with me.” She went to say something, but he grabbed her hand and started heading out the door. She followed silently as he led her to his truck. What is it with men and their trucks? He said nothing but pulled the back down and lifted her to sit down. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching her.
“What’s wrong, love? You going to get in trouble being seen with me?” She blinked because she didn’t think she made it that obvious.
“Something like that. Look, I am known as the loner, that’s all. People can talk.”
Greyson knew her worries, and he had that already covered. Sam was now home working on background information on her and her family: birth records, death certificates, wills, everything to do with her. He didn’t want her to know, but he had no problem using that information to help gain her trust and to remove this Billy.
“Look, Cece, its okay. It’s the middle of the day. I parked far enough away that not many eyes will be looking this way.” He watched her as she looked around and seemed to realize what he had done. “But I did bring some food. It’s simple, but I figured since you didn’t eat breakfast that you would be hungry. I picked up some fried chicken, potato salad, green beans, and for desert, honey buns.” Okay, so maybe he wasn’t really thinking about her too much with the honey buns as his bear growled at the possibility. But her giggle was worth it.
Bear it All Page 3