Dane

by Michelle Hughes

  “I know that sounded band, but we all want you.” Probably not the right thing to say, but I was floundering here without a net.

  “That’s crazy! Any of you could have any woman you wanted, so why would you pay me for, well you know.” She bit her lip, obviously unable to say the word, and I knew she was clueless on how gorgeous she truly was.

  “Sweetheart you’re precious to both me and Ian. We would love nothing more than to make you ours. The money doesn’t matter. Taking care of you would be as natural as breathing for us.” He lifted her chin, and I wanted to kick him in the balls, speaking to her so sweetly and offering kindness when it was his dick that wanted to fuck what was mine!

  The possessiveness I felt was like a kick to the gut, but I didn’t have time to think about that because if she gave in to him, she was lost. “You already know how good we are together, I’m giving you a better option here.” She pulled her chin from Nick’s grasp looking at me with something akin to shock.

  “Maybe I should just sleep with everyone in this house?” Her words made me step back, because I didn’t know her that well, but what if she was serious? “Oh my God! You think I’m serious?” Rolling her eyes she walked over to the island bar, shaking her head.

  “If that’s what you wanted, none of us would turn you away.” Nick looked at me in confusion, and I was sure he was a fucking idiot. He didn’t get she was telling us both to screw off.

  “Let me pay off the loan, and screw the idea of paying any of us back with sexual favors. I’ve been in the gutter before babe, and I’d rather help you out then see you do some of the shit I did to climb out.” Her sweet little face turned back to look my way, and I knew she was trying to see if I was full of shit or not. Obviously she read me right because she gave me a sad smile.

  “It’s not your problem. I appreciate the offer though.” Nibbling on that lip again, I wanted to take away all her worries and promise everything would be fine. If she accepted my offer it would. I’d never ask her for anything. “I’d still want you, and no matter how many times you said I didn’t owe you I’d feel like I did.”

  Exactly what I’d told Nick earlier, and I felt that maybe I knew her better than I originally thought. “Isn’t it better than turning yourself over to Blake? I know he’d make you his high priced whore. You deserve a much better life than that.”

  Once again her eyes filled with worry, and it felt like I physically suffered with her. “I need some time to think.” She let out a long deep breath, and I could tell she was more stressed than any person her age had a right to be.

  “Let’s eat lunch before Noah comes in screaming like a Diva and then we’ll give you a little time.” Nick’s calm tone seemed to make her relax, but I wasn’t sure if it wasn’t just something she did for our benefit. She nodded her head, and I knew this talk could be delayed at least a little longer.

  Maybe we all were a bunch of deluded perverts. Sitting through lunch, watching my roommates looking at her like she should be on the menu, I was sure of it. She fidgeted when her head lifted, noticing the scrutiny, and I wanted to line them up in a row and kick them each in the balls. Truth was I couldn’t take my eyes off her either, so maybe I deserved my own swift kick.

  “Does everyone here know?” Her softly whispered words were directed at me first, but she looked around the table with her cheeks flushing the most adorable shade of pink.

  “About what?” Colton, with no more manners than a pig talking with his mouth full, clueless about the subject but nosy as shit.

  “Um Blake, and the offer to help me keep my house.” I really wished she would have said nothing. The way my friends were eyeballing her any of them would take on the debt for a price. We weren’t used to dealing with a woman like her.

  “That motherfucker trying to steal your place, baby? I’ll put him in the ground!” Brandt, dropped his fork on the plate, and it made a loud noise. I’m not sure if it was the vehemence in his voice or the sound that made her jump, but I instantly went into protector mode.

  Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I pulled her against me, glaring at Brandt. “I got this covered.” Talk about staking my claim, I was done playing games, she was mine and they would back the fuck off now!

  “The hell you do. I won’t let you use her up and toss her away like those other bitches you’ve fucked. She deserves a hell of a lot more than that shit.” Nick was sitting on her other side, and he pulled her to him attempting to stake his claim. Not in this fucking lifetime! I pulled her back where she belonged.

  “Enough!” Brandt stood up, towering over the table, glaring with enough heat to make us both sit back. You really didn’t want to screw with him when he was in that mode. His gaze lost some of the intensity when he looked at Erin, but she was visibly shaken by the strength just the same. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  She fumbled through the words and I wanted to pull her into my arms again because she didn’t deserve the inquisition. Grown men got the hell out of Brandt’s way when he was angry, and my first thought was to shelter her from his wrath.

  “So I’m taking that you and Nick both decided to take this on yourself without including the rest of us.” The look Brandt sent me was more pissed off than I’d ever seen him, but ask me if I gave a damn?

  “There was no need to discuss it. Like I said, I’ve got this covered.” Nick and Ian could jump off a fucking cliff for all I cared, she was mine!

  “How long have we been friends?” Brandt leaned down on the table, bracing himself on those arms that won him the title of baddest MMA fighter in Nevada.

  “What the hell does that have to do with shit?” Bringing up the friend card when we were talking about a woman was not part of our creed. He damn well knew that we helped each other out of situations, but Erin wasn’t part of that.

  “Seems to me that we just inducted our first female into the group. Either that or this house is getting split apart. We’ve had each other’s backs since high school. Do you think I’m going to allow this to cause a rift?” Glaring at me then Nick, he turned to Erin. “Come over here.” It wasn’t a pleasantry, Brandt could be nice if he was, but in this mode he was in, common sense said to bend. I wasn’t sure I liked him taking control of my girl.

  She didn’t even hesitate, and apparently his leadership extended outside the confines of our home, because Erin was no more immune to it than the rest of us. Standing there nibbling on that sexy lip again, I almost broke rank to protect my claim. It had always been this way with him, and normally it kept us working as a team, today I was definitely ready to challenge that ideal.

  “I don’t like discontent in my house, and to me these men are family, you feel me?” He was being an asshole, and I wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with his overbearing nature that we’d had years to come to terms with.

  “The last thing I want is to get between you guys. I should leave.” Hanging her head like she’d just committed a crime when it was our sorry asses that brought this on, I stood up to defend her.

  Brandt shot me a look telling me he was about to lose his shit, then turned back to her with a less volatile stare. “Do you think any of us would allow you to do that?” She trembled, and he could combust for all I cared, no one did that to Erin! “We’re going to work this out calmly in a way that you and everyone else can agree on. Understand?”

  She nodded nervously, and I held my ground waiting to see how this played out. When we put our head together as a team, there wasn’t a person alive that could hold us back. Maybe, just maybe that’s what she needed to keep her safe. I definitely wouldn’t allow her to be hurt, but Brandt wasn’t threatening.

  “Nick, how much we looking at to pull her out of debt?” The fire left Brandt’s eyes now that everyone was on board, and he spoke calmly, wanting the facts.

  “250 grand on the base loan, but that’s not the big issue. Blake holds the deed under one of his real estate umbrellas. The interest she’s built up on top of that tells me he’s persona
lly involved, and not wanting it to be bought out.” This was news and I wondered how Blake got involved.

  “Total damage.” A tick in Brandt’s jaw told me he understood what we were dealing with, and I was in the dark.

  “Half a million, give or take.” Nick answered his question then looked at Erin with a sad smile. “Honey who put this contract together for you?” What his question revealed was my girl had been scammed, and good. I wanted to get my hands around Blake’s neck so badly now I balled my hands into fists by my side.

  “Gabby helped me. I really had no idea how to finance anything and she got her daddy involved.” Biting on her sweet little lip, she didn’t seem to understand how bad her friend screwed her over. My opinion of that little bitch sank lower than before.

  “Blake ever hit on you baby?” Brandt had calmed way the hell down, and was talking to her like she was a kid now. It was damn condescending but better than his Neanderthal complex he liked to bring out with the guys.

  “No!” She looked disgusted at the idea, but then an expression of confusion fell over her beautiful face. “He has given me some looks that I didn’t think were appropriate though.” How anyone could be that naïve was a mystery. She didn’t seem to understand where Brandt was going. Erin had been a walking target for a piece of shit like Blake.

  “Talk to your contacts at the bureau, Nick. See if there’s any way to get those extra fees dropped. I’m sure he covered his ass though.”

  “The house isn’t worth all this. I can start over.” Her face dropped, and I wanted to go buy her a new one just to make her smile again. The look on her face was enough to make me feel sick to my stomach, and Blake was on the top of my shit pile for what he attempted to do.

  “Not going to happen. Until this is settled though, I think you should move in with me.” This would be a first, I never allowed a woman to sleep over more than a night, but none of that mattered.

  “She can use one of the guest rooms.” Brandt interjected, and I wanted to punch him again. “I’m with you on she’s not safe there until that contract is void, but she doesn’t need to feel obligated to you or anyone else.” He wasn’t backing down, I could see it in his eyes, and maybe he was right. The last thing I wanted was her to feel like she owed payback.

  “I can’t take advantage of any of you that way.” She looked pleadingly then Nick, and finally Brandt. As far as I was concerned she’d earned the right to become part of this family.

  “You’re not taking advantage of anything, baby. We’ve just adopted you as our little sister, trust me it’s a first to allow a woman inside our little group.” Brandt chuckled, and in his mind this issue was over.

  I hoped she didn’t take that literally because I planned on taking her to my bed at the first opportunity. She looked confused as hell and I knew there was much she didn’t know about this group of men she was now part of. “Maybe you should explain how things work?” Shaking my head at Brandt I grinned, pleased that a crisis had been avoided.

  “Let’s take this to the living room and get comfortable first. By the way lunch was great, guys. Noah you’re one hell of a teacher.” Nick and Ian seemed to burst with pride over his words, and Noah looked confident at his skills as tutor. Lunch had been great and I added my appreciation in, now that the world wasn’t falling around our heads again.

  “I’ll clear the table and join you guys, oh and little lady in a minute.” Colton took the shit job, and we sent up a round of thanks. None of us liked cleaning up, and for him to offer was a fucking big deal. Apparently he was coming to grips with our new initiate.

  Following Brandt and Erin into the living room, I wondered how this conversation would play out. She knew nothing about us really, and our way of life might confuse to someone like her. Hopefully she could accept what we offered, because otherwise Nick and I were butting heads and that wouldn’t end pretty.

  She sat down on the couch with Brandt on her right, I joined on the left, and the other guys filling up the recliners and love seat. “Guess we need to fill you in about how we met, and reason we’re all living together.” Brandt face was serious and he seemed to contemplate how to put this out there in terms that made sense. Truth was our bond was fucked up.

  “Let me start by saying that we come from shit. Not one of us had a pot to piss in growing up, and we all got our own horror stories about childhood but that’s up to the guys to fill you in on. We were poor white trash, guess that’s the best way to label us?” Brandt chuckled, and all of us grinned or nodded remembering exactly where we came from.

  “Definitely not the case anymore.” Erin grinned, and I swear it made her seem like a goddess she didn’t seem to judge just accepting where we’d come from and what we were today.

  “No, sweetheart, we overcame that but only because we had each other.” He patted her leg, and I would let that slide since it was an innocent thing. “We grew up in the same trailer park, went to the same high school, and became almost like our own gang. Blind fucking luck, or fate depending on how you look at that we wound up together.”

  “Not sure how you were raised, but we were lucky to have clothes and shoes. I won’t talk about their lives, but my dad was a mean ass drunk who used me as a punching bag and didn’t have time for a snot-nosed brat ruining his fun.” I wanted to offer sympathy to him but knew he’d kick my ass for trying, life had sucked for all us as kids.

  “Anyway. Our folks pretty much didn’t give a shit what we did as long as we were out of their way, so we started hanging out together. Sneaking booze, pot, and throwing down with the other chicks living the same fucked up lives we did.” Brandt’s story took me right back to those days which in retrospect the only good parts was the getting high and fucking.

  “We figured out in senior year if we didn’t get our shit together, then we’d end up in jail and I came up with a plan to rise above all that crap we’d been born into. Figured with shitty grades the only way out was joining the Army.” Ian groaned over that memory and I couldn’t say I wasn’t there with him. The shit we learned had made us stronger but it hadn’t come without a price.

  “Needless to say, none of us wanted to be lifer’s so we made a plan to pull out after our time was us and decided to go into business together. We rented a piece of shit house and worked different jobs, using what we’d learned in service, and pooling our money together until HUNKS finally opened the door.” He skimmed over lots of important details but there were personal to each of us and I knew he was loyal to us first.

  “You had each other’s backs.” Erin seemed impressed and I knew it was because she didn’t know some of the shit we’d done to get where we were now. “I think that’s pretty cool.”

  “I don’t know if it’s cool or not, but it worked out in our favor. When I tell you we’ll take care of you, I’m not just blowing shit up your ass, sweetheart. We don’t welcome outsiders in, but there’s no way we’ll stand by and let Blake fuck you over. I’ve dealt with fuckers like him before.” Erin probably didn’t know that his anger wasn’t directed at her, and I put my arm around her shoulder for support.

  “The last thing you have to worry about is any of us hurting you.” I smiled, hoping to take some of that nervousness out of her eyes that was now there. “Men like Blake prey on the weak, not saying you are but he probably sees you as such.”

  “You moving in here will give us a little sanity while we see how far he’s willing to move on your house.” Ian looked ready to beat the living hell out someone, and I knew it was because of his own nightmare of a past. “Would you trust enough to let us help you?”

  “Mr. Blake has almost made me a little uncomfortable, but I’ve never seen him as the type that would push me for something I didn’t want to give.” She did not understand how pieces of work like him operated, and I wished she didn’t have to find out.

  “That’s because he hasn’t had the opportunity to show his true colors to you yet. Talk to any of those women he’s employed for sexual favors,
and I bet she’ll give a different view.” Nick leaned forward in his chair, pleading with his eyes for her to take this seriously.

  Nick knew more than he was saying, I could read it in his face. “Stop candy coating it. She’s not that little girl you wanted to save anymore.” In some ways I was glad he was treating her with kid gloves, since he normally shot to the chase, but this wasn’t a time to keep secrets.

  “He’s right, Nick. We can’t keep her in the dark if we’re going to protect her.” Ian clapped him on the back, giving him a small nod. “Listen baby, I know it’s hard to see your friend’s dad as the monster he is, but he gets those girls of his strung out on heroin, then puts them to work. Those are the lucky ones. My friend on the bureau believes he’s also selling them off to slave trades in other countries. Blake’s going to slip up one day but right now all we have is circumstantial evidence.”

  His words made her gasp and I wanted to kick him in the nuts for giving her so much information. Covering her face with her hands, she hyperventilated as she sobbed, and I knew we’d just pushed her to where she understood how much danger she was in. “Nice, asshole.” Pulling her hands away, I grabbed her chin, forcing her to look in my eyes.

  “He won’t get near you. Breathe princess. You’ve got a six man hit squad willing to protect you with their lives. Nothing to worry about.” Forcing myself to smile calmly as the terror filled those beautiful baby blues, I knew I’d take a fucking bullet to the brain before I let anyone lay a finger on her. Obviously I wasn’t the only one, because all the guys crowded around here, looking ready to defend her all they had, and I was proud to call them brothers.

  chapter Ten

  Protected

  Erin

  Surrounded by all these men that looked capable of taking on any battle, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or freak out even more. Controlling my breathing by keeping my eyes trained on Dane’s, I decided that taking their offer was probably my smartest move. “Um, guys? Kind of need a little space.” Laughing nervously it was hard to come to grips with the idea these huge, gorgeous, hunks would all defend me. The look on their beautiful faces told me that’s just what they’d do though.