“That’s good. You know I can eat you up any time of the day.” He trailed a finger down her belly to her panties and cupped her mound. She gripped his wrist.
“Daniel Spencer, I’ve got to get to work. Alice is going to be mad and your parents will wonder what’s going on.”
She pressed his hand away and he stepped back, swatting her ass before he took a seat on the closed lid of the toilet and watched her.
“No they won’t. Everyone knows that you’re with us.” She turned a nice shade of red. He loved doing that to her. Making her blush with dirty talk or things like what he just said. She was shy, reserved, and as they learned more about her life, they learned about how hard she had it. No family, no guidance, and one manipulative man she saw as a savior, a hero to whisk her away from the pain and the struggles in her desperation for love. He used her, manipulated her, and took advantage of her innocence. It wasn’t right. She could have died at his hands or in that fire.
He watched her dry her long blonde hair and he couldn’t resist reaching out and caressing her bare ass. He ran his fingers along the thong string between her ass cheeks and thought about how he and his brothers got to fuck that ass, and how they took her together almost every time they made love. In a week’s time he felt so desperate to make certain she knew that they adored her and wanted her in their lives forever. But she was holding back. Like with the nightmares.
She turned off the hair dryer and then began to fix her hair.
He caressed her hip and she turned to look at him, her arms raised above her head as she fixed her hair.
“Stay like that. God, you look incredible,” he whispered then leaned forward and kissed her breasts then lower to her belly.
“Danny, I really need to get dressed.”
She lowered her arms and placed them on his shoulders. He hugged her to him and felt her run her fingers through his hair then tilt his head back. She held his gaze.
“I want you to know that I feel it, too. That I would love to not go to work and to stay here and make love to you and your brothers all day long. Just to feel you hold me in your arms makes me smile and makes my life that much better. I want you to know that you, Jack, and Mike mean so much to me. I trust you. I want to be with you. But I have to work and make money to support myself.”
He smiled then kissed her lips.
“That makes me very happy. I’m glad you trust us.” He gave her ass a tap and then turned her around and gave her a gentle push toward the door.
“Hurry up and get dressed, or I’ll forget what you just said, tear those panties from that body, and have my way with you.”
She looked at him and he raised one of his eyebrows up at her. She quickly hurried from the room. She knew he was serious.
He waited a moment and took a deep breath. Danny had never felt like this about anyone. Ever. He adored her. Hell, he loved her. He needed to talk with Mike and Jack. They could move her into their place. They could have her quit working or maybe work less hours at the diner so they could have more time together. They needed to make plans for their future.
As he exited the bathroom and then walked into her room, he saw that she was dressed in her uniform. Tight black skirt. The short one. White blouse and comfortable white sneakers. She looked incredible.
She was buttoning up the blouse when he approached. He moved her hands and finished buttoning it for her.
“Marlena, can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” she said and then walked to the dresser, pulled out lip gloss, and applied it to her lips. She wore hardly any makeup and she didn’t need to. She was youthful, sexy, and naturally stunning. Too perfect for the likes of him and his brothers. He was shocked at the thought. Now suddenly his age was getting in the way.
“At night, when we’re sleeping, you moan and cry. It’s like you’re having a bad dream but you don’t wake up from it.”
She stopped what she was doing and stared at him.
She took an unsteady breath and he wondered if she would lie, or minimize what he knew was a problem, a struggle for her.
“I’ve been dealing with it for months. Since the fire. It’s no big deal,” she said and grabbed her small backpack and her car keys.
He took hold of her wrist and reached up and cupped her cheek.
“It is a big deal if you’re scared. I’m here for you. So are Mike and Jack.”
She hesitated a moment. “I know you are. That’s why I’ve let you stay with me at night. I need you holding me. It makes them less scary.” She leaned up and kissed him then headed out of the room.
He was shocked at her response. Relieved and kind of proud. But he still worried. She didn’t need to live with that kind of fear and concern. He wanted to take those dreams away forever. He just needed to figure out how.
* * * *
Marlena was in a great mood. She’d never felt so happy and almost at peace. She thought about the conversation she had with Danny this morning. Her nightmares weren’t so terrible or violent with him, Mike, and Jack holding her in their arms at night. In fact, she didn’t even wake up screaming and crying from them.
As she placed the order down in front of one of the locals, she heard the bell chime and looked up. Her heart caught in her chest. Her mouth gaped open and she felt almost faint. Detective Morgan. What is he doing here?
He read her face and gave a nod then took a seat at the corner table in the back clearly away from any eavesdroppers. She reached for the cup of coffee to bring over to another gentleman and it shook in her hand. She set it down.
“You feeling okay, Marlena? You look a little pale, honey,” Mr. Walker, who had a truck delivery business, asked.
“I’m fine. A little too much coffee this morning,” she said.
He smiled. “Maybe I shouldn’t have this second cup,” he teased but took the cup and immediately brought it to his lips and smiled.
She smiled, too, then wiped her hands on her apron and headed over to the detective’s table. But not before noticing Roy looking at her and the man in the corner. Detective Morgan stood out like a sore thumb.
“Good afternoon, sir, welcome to Spencer’s. What can I get you?”
He looked her over and gave a soft smile then glanced at the menu. He looked around them and then leaned forward.
“You look good, Marlena. I had a hard time finding you.”
“How did you?” she whispered.
“It’s my job to. Can you sit a minute?”
She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I don’t think so. I wouldn’t want to draw too much attention to us. Why are you here? Is something wrong?”
“We need to talk. It’s about Peter.”
She felt the tears reach her eyes and she pulled out the chair and took a seat. She leaned closer.
“What is it? What’s going on?”
“The woman, Maria, that Peter had as an alibi for the fire at your place—she turned up dead last week.”
“He killed her?” she asked and covered her mouth with her hand.
He nodded his head then leaned closer. “We’ve got men, detectives trying to track him down. When we raided his place looking for him, we found stuff. Evidence that links him to the fire at your place.”
“Oh God. That’s good then. You can find him, catch him, and arrest him for trying to kill me and for killing his girlfriend.”
“If we can find him. Marlena, there were things there. We found some upsetting stuff.
“Upsetting stuff?” she asked and then heard the bell ring. She had to bring the orders out. People were waiting for more coffee or refills on drinks.
“I have to get the orders out.”
“We need to talk. It’s important, Marlena. You’re in danger.”
She stood up and swallowed hard.
“I get off at four. We can meet out back and talk.”
“Okay. I’ll be back then.”
She stood up and so did he.
“You should
order something so it doesn’t look suspicious.”
He smiled and winked. “No wonder it was so hard to find you. You’re right. I’ll take a coffee to start.”
She headed away and continued working, worrying about what the detective found and also worrying about how to tell her men about him.
But that problem seemed to be taken care of for her. Ten minutes later, Mike, Jack, and Danny entered the diner along with Sheriff Gordon and Taylor Dawn.
Danny headed straight toward her, pulled her into his arms, and held her tight.
“Is the stranger Peter?” he asked, and she shook her head. He looked at his brothers and the sheriff.
“Who is he?” Mike asked.
Detective Morgan stood up. He pushed his dress jacket aside and all the men placed their hands on their guns. “Easy. I’m a detective,” Morgan said and showed them his badge.
“From Connecticut?” the sheriff asked, approaching with caution.
“Yes, sheriff. I just got into town to see Marlena, then I was heading to talk with you.”
“Why is that?” Mike asked.
Detective Morgan looked at Marlena and she slowly approached.
“He was assigned to my case back in Connecticut. He was the one who told me to disappear because they couldn’t prove anything against Peter and how he tried to kill me,” Marlena told them.
“What’s going on?” Roy asked and he placed his hands on Marlena’s shoulders and Rita and Regan joined them, too.
Everyone stared at Detective Morgan. He took a deep breath and released it.
“Marlena is in danger. I’ve been trying to find her for several weeks. Someone ran a check on the fire in Connecticut. I was tipped off.”
“That would be us. We were trying to figure out a full name to this Peter guy who tried to kill Marlena. We take care of our own around here. If she’s in danger then we need to know everything,” Sheriff Gordon told the detective.
“Then I suggest we all sit down and go over what I have. There’s no telling how close Peter could be to finding Marlena, but he’s pretty damn resourceful. And if I was tipped off about the calls and interest into the fire at Marlena’s apartment, then someone might have tipped off Peter. That’s why I headed out here right away. He’s got money, and he has connections. Someone is definitely keeping him well hidden, and knowing about what we found in his apartment, the man won’t stop until Marlena is dead.”
* * * *
Marlena washed up in the back bathroom of the diner. She held on to the sink and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was overwhelmed with emotions. News spread fast about Marlena being in trouble and the place erupted in support. Adele, Alicia, and Mercedes were there, plus the Ferguson men, the Dawn men, the sheriff, and townspeople, and even Parker, and some of the locals who owned the stores in town.
Mike wasn’t kidding when he told her that she had the protection of the people of Chance and that they were pretty damn resourceful.
She closed her eyes as the tears flowed. Never in her entire life, even for a moment, had she experienced such love and compassion. Never.
The door creaked open.”
“Marlena, are you okay?” She heard Rita’s voice and she nodded her head but didn’t turn around.
“Aww, baby. It’s going to be all right. My sons, the sheriff, all of us are here for you and will protect you from that bad man,” Rita said.
Marlena had told the crowd thank you, but she was overwhelmed as they all remained there while the detective told them about Peter, where they thought he might be, and what evidence they had to prove he was after Marlena. There had been pictures, and he even described what he planned on doing to her to make her suffer. All the people were affected by the information and all of them vowed to protect her. It was too much.
“Why are you hiding in here, when everyone is out there worried about you?”
“I needed a minute,” Marlena said and wiped her eyes and then turned toward Rita. The woman smiled softly at her as she caressed her arm.
“You’re a strong, brave young woman, and you’re perfect for my sons. They love you, and I know you love them.”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“But I don’t want to place them, the town, you, and Roy and Regan in danger. I love your sons. I would do anything to protect them.”
“And they love you.”
Marlena nodded her head and wiped her eyes again.
“Now, straighten out your shoulders, hold your head high, and be strong, like you have been. This man can’t have you. He can’t take you from us, from Chance. You remember that, and you help the detectives, the sheriff, Mike, and the others to get this guy before he even steps into town. Okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Rita pulled her into a hug and Marlena lost it all over again.
“If I had a daughter, I would want her to be as beautiful and as strong as you, Marlena. You’re family. You’re stuck with us, so get used to it.” She gave her shoulders a squeeze then wiped her own tear from her eye before walking out of the bathroom and through the kitchen.
Marlena took a deep breath and wiped her sweaty hands on her apron. She could do this. She could accept their help, their love and protection. Everything would work out fine, and Peter wouldn’t hurt any of them. If he did, then she would disappear and make Peter follow her so no one else got hurt. She’d face that fight if and when she had to. There weren’t any other options.
Marlena entered the kitchen to see Jack standing there with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked her over and he opened his arms wide. She practically ran into them and hugged him tight. The scent of his cologne, the feel of his strong, muscular arms gave her a feeling of instant protection and love.
He ran his hands along her back up and down and then kissed her forehead as she look up into his eyes, her head as far back as nearly her shoulders.
“We’re going to stop by the cottage and grab what you need. We’re going to bring you to our place. We have a security system in place and one of us will be with you at all times until this guy is located and found. Understand?” he asked in a firm tone that totally told her not to even think about arguing.
She parted her lips and he challenged her with one raised eyebrow and a firm expression. She bit her bottom lip.
“Is that necessary?”
“No room for discussion, and yes. It is,” he said. He seemed pretty upset. Had she missed something more when she escaped to the back bathroom for an emotional reprieve?
“Jack, is something wrong? Did Detective Morgan divulge more information?”
“He did privately, between Mike, Danny, and the sheriff and me. We’ll talk about it later. Right now plans are being made and the town is being placed on alert. That dick even considers coming here, we’ll know about it and take him out before he even gets close to you.”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Then they headed out of the kitchen and almost everyone was gone. She sighed in relief. She hadn’t realized that she didn’t want to face them again. It was a combination of embarrassment and admiration.
She glanced at Mike, who was talking with Detective Morgan and the Sheriff, along with Taylor. Alicia, Adele, and Mercedes were there and the second they saw her they approached.
“How are you doing, honey? Hanging in there?” Mercedes asked and drew her in for a hug. Alicia hugged her next and then Adele.
“I’m okay. I just want this over with.”
“I’m sure you do. This town is amazing, the way everyone has come together to help,” Alicia said.
“They put everyone on high alert and all women must be escorted around town and even on the outskirts until this situation is resolved,” Adele added.
“Is that normal protocol?” Marlena asked Jack. He placed his hand on her shoulder.
“Yes. It’s how things are done here. Protecting the women of Chance is priority and we especially take these precautions wh
en one is in danger like this,” Jack told them.
“Is it really necessary for every woman to be escorted and watched over?” Mercedes asked.
“It sure is. Men are being assigned as we speak,” Taylor said, joining them.
Marlena watched how Mercedes locked gazes with Taylor and then looked away.
“In fact, I’ll be walking you back to the sheriff’s department, Mercedes. So if you’re done here, we should head back now,” Taylor told her.
“But Marlena needs me,” Mercedes said.
Taylor was firm in his response.
“You’ll come with me now. Marlena has her men to watch over her and some additional plans to make.”
“I guess I don’t have much of a choice and need a babysitter,” Mercedes said with attitude and then hugged Marlena.
“Be nice,” Marlena whispered to her and Mercedes’s cheeks turned a nice shade of pink. Mercedes definitely liked Taylor, and it was obvious Taylor liked her but did his brothers, too?
As Mercedes said good-bye, the front door to the diner opened. Leo Ferguson was there and shook hands with everyone as he entered, but his eyes landed on Adele.
“There you are. Looks like my brothers and I will be your personal escorts for a while. How about we head back to the office and then I’ll drive you home?” he said to Adele.
“I’m okay. This isn’t necessary,” Adele said, appearing a bit nervous.
“It’s protocol, Adele. We’ve been assigned to you,” he said and she looked at Marlena and hugged her.
“Just cooperate. It isn’t a bad thing,” Marlena whispered.
“What for, they were ‘assigned’ to me. Wonderful.”
“I’m sorry,” Marlena whispered and Alicia hugged Adele and then stood by Marlena.
“Well, we should have lots to talk about tomorrow after this,” Alicia teased, and Marlena nodded her head.
“They’re going to be pissed at me. I can’t believe that everyone has been assigned protectors.”
“Not me,” Alicia said and smiled.
“Alicia.” Marlena and Alicia looked up to see the sheriff standing there.
Dare to Trust Page 11