by Becca Van
He didn’t like the thought of leaving her by herself so he, Cael and Ajay could start their new jobs as deputy sheriffs. Once he knew Jaylynn was out the woods and her temperature was lower, he was going to contact one of their bosses and ask if they could delay their start date.
Nothing was more important than Jaylynn and her health. He’d tie her to a fucking bed if he had to.
“What’s chronic fatigue syndrome?” Cael asked.
“Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, is a complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that can’t be explained by any underlying medical condition. The fatigue may worsen with physical or mental activity, but doesn’t improve with rest.”
“Fuck!” Ajay sighed.
“The condition is also known as systemic exertion intolerance disease, or SEID, or myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME. Sometimes it’s abbreviated as ME/CFS.
“The cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown, although there are many theories—ranging from viral infections to psychological stress. Some experts believe chronic fatigue syndrome might be triggered by a combination of factors.
“There’s no single test to confirm a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome or glandular fever. You may need a variety of medical tests to rule out other health problems that have similar symptoms. Treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome focuses on symptom relief.
“She’s not going to be working for a while. It can take months for the symptoms to ease and years for them to disappear altogether.” Phoenix shook his head. “I could be wrong, since I’ve already told you there’s no way to confirm my diagnosis. I’m hoping this is flu or glandular fever.”
“Why the antibiotics then?” Brax asked.
“Just in case she’s fighting a severe infection. They won’t harm her if she’s not, but I injected them just to be on the safe side,” Phoenix explained. “I’m going to leave you all, so you can get her into the tub.” He stood after closing his medical bag and dug into his trouser pocket. “Here’s my card. Call me anytime day or night if you need me.”
“Thanks, Phoenix.” Brax nodded.
“Yeah, thanks, man.” Ajay proffered his hand and shook with the doc.
“Thank you,” Cael said as he too shook the doctor’s hand.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Phoenix crouched as he rummaged in his bag. “Here, you’re going to need this.”
Cael took the digital thermometer.
“If her temp doesn’t lower, call me or an ambulance.”
“Do you think we’ll need to?” Ajay asked.
“I don’t think so. I think this is Jaylynn’s body’s way of saying enough is enough. She’s not going to be working for at least a week or maybe more. I’ll let Enya and Violet know before I head out.”
“Thanks again, Phoenix,” Cael said as he followed him out of the bathroom.
“Sure,” Phoenix replied.
Brax lifted Jaylynn onto his lap and started removing her clothes while Ajay filled the tub. If Jaylynn hadn’t been so sick, he would have draped her over his thighs and spanked her ass. She’d never done anything like this to herself before and he wondered what had happened to her to cause such an about face. She’d always eaten right and made sure she got enough sleep when she was younger. It was as if she’d become a different person after moving away from Fort Worth.
When she was on the road to recovery he was going to get all the answers to the questions running around in his mind.
Cael came back into the bathroom and closed the door just as Brax finished removing all her clothes. He lifted her against his chest and then handed her over to Ajay. He stripped off quickly and stepped into the tepid water in the tub and then took her back into his arms when his brother passed her over. Brax sucked in a fortifying breath and sank into the cool water.
Jaylynn whimpered and shivered but other than that she didn’t make another sound or move in any way. Brax had no idea how long he sat in the lukewarm water, but it felt as if more than an hour had passed. He took the opportunity to wash her and tried to keep his touch as clinical as possible. It was difficult to ignore his hard, throbbing cock, but ignore it he did. This wasn’t the time or the place to be lusting after their woman. Not when she was sick and unconscious. Of course, he couldn’t help his body’s natural response. However, he could disregard it.
“Ajay, call Luke and explain to him what’s going on. See if you can get us a reprieve on our starting date for our new jobs,” Brax ordered. “Cael, come and take her temperature again.”
Ajay exited the bathroom to make the call. Cael knelt next to the tub and inserted the thermometer into Jaylynn’s ear. He pulled it out when it beeped. “Ninety-eight-point-eight.”
Brax breathed out a sigh of relief. Her temperature was still slightly high, but was nearly back in the acceptable range. It was time to get their woman out of the bath, dried off and dressed. Then he and his brothers were going to pack her a bag and take her home with them.
He was so fucking glad they’d bought their own place with six bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large gourmet kitchen. He just hoped that Jaylynn liked the place, too, as well as the location and the acre tract of land with the landscaped gardens. There was a wraparound verandah where they could sit and enjoy a drink and when they got around to buying an outdoor setting, they could eat out there, too.
If Brax had his way, and he was determined he would, Jaylynn was going to do nothing but eat, drink and sleep for a month. He just hoped that Luke was agreeable to him and his brothers starting work at a later date.
“Let me take her.” Ajay had a large bath towel ready and waiting. He wrapped it around Jaylynn and then lifted her against his chest.
Brax got out of the tub, grabbed another towel, quickly dried off and dressed. He dried the moisture from Jaylynn’s skin while Ajay held her and when they were done, Ajay carried her back into the bedroom.
“Put her into bed while we find her some clean clothes and pack her things,” Brax said.
Cael entered the room. “When Luke heard what was going on with Jaylynn and our connection to her, he was the one to suggest delaying starting our new roles as deputies. He doesn’t want us distracted while on the job. He was pretty upset he hadn’t checked up on her lately, but Slick Rock is growing so fast, they can’t keep up. Crime is on the rise, and he wants to nip that shit in the bud before it gets too bad.
“He also said to contact him if we need anything.”
Brax was relieved that he and his brothers could concentrate on getting Jaylynn well. They didn’t have to worry too much about money because they’d received an inheritance from their grandparents when they’d passed away. Plus, they hadn’t had many expenses other than paying for rent and utilities when they were living in Fort Worth, but the rent had been cheap because they’d been on the outer edge of town and they were away so often, they hadn’t used much gas or electricity, so they’d accumulated a fair amount of savings in their own right, as well. He and his brothers were comfortably well off and didn’t really have to work if they didn’t want to, but all three of them hated being idle. Him the most. Brax had loved being a Marine, as had Ajay and Cael. Their parents had instilled good morals and work ethics in all of them.
He knew that Jaylynn hadn’t liked being told what to do when she was growing up, but it had been for her protection and there was no way he was going to change who he was for anyone, including her. Brax sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair back from her forehead and then checked her temperature by placing his palm over her forehead. It felt as if it was back to normal and hoped it didn’t spike again. Fierce possessive protectiveness surged into his heart as he stared at her pale, thin face.
If he had his way, she wouldn’t be getting out of bed for a week.
* * * *
Jaylynn groaned as she surfaced from sleep. She was aching all over, her throat was sore, and she felt as if she’d been hit by a truck. Even though she’d just woken up, she was too tired to move. The plus side
was that she was warm and comfortable. She frowned because her bed didn’t usually feel as good as this.
She forced her eyelids up and gasped when she realized she was in a strange bedroom. It was huge and nicely decorated, but it wasn’t hers. She frowned as she tried to remember where she was and squeezed her eyes shut with humiliation as the memory of fainting and then tossing her cookies after leaving work. Everything was hazy after that, but she had a bad feeling she knew where she was.
Tears leaked from under her eyelids before she could prevent them. It had been shockingly wonderful to see Brax, Ajay, and Cael again, but it had also been pure torture. She loved them from the age of eighteen and it had hurt to look at them, to see them laughing and happy with other women. She’d tried to keep her emotions hidden from them, but it had hurt too much to see them building a life without any chance of her being a permanent member in it.
She had no idea what they were doing in Slick Rock, but she could hazard a guess. They liked to share women and this town was accepting of ménage relationships without too much angst. Jaylynn decided the best course of action was to move on as soon as she was feeling better.
However, first she needed to find out where she was and get the hell out of here. She wasn’t going to hang around and let them treat her like their kid sister anymore. She impatiently wiped the tears from her face and opened her eyes again. After flinging the covers aside, she slowly scooted toward the edge of the bed. Even that small amount of effort left her feeling drained and her body felt as if it weighed a ton. She hadn’t been feeling well for a few weeks and knew she should have backed off working all the hours she could. Now she was sick and wouldn’t be able to work at all. She gave a mental “pfft”. She wasn’t about to let illness keep her down. Jaylynn had learned to be tough and to keep going no matter what. She’d had to when Sebastian had been on missions as well as the Rhodes brothers.
She shoved to her feet and bit her lip when her aching body protested. Taking steady deep breaths helped diminish the dizziness and when she was sure she wouldn’t fall on her face, she moved toward the closed door across from the bed. A sigh of relief emitted from between her parted lips as she tried to hurry across the room to another closed door.
After doing her business she stood in front of the long mirror over the vanity and washed her hands. This place was amazing, but she kept thinking of herself sharing it with Cael, Ajay, and Brax. There were four sinks and the door-less tiled shower with the glass partition was big enough to fit six people in it with room to spare. There were multiple shower heads and the décor was fantastic. The wall tiles were large and white with gray streaks and flecks running through them, and there was a line of dark tiles running down the middle of the white to break up the starkness. It worked well. The counter was white granite and the cupboards were a dark brown. The tiles on the floor were a smoky gray hue. The combination of colors was a great contrast.
Jaylynn opened one of the cupboards and grabbed a new toothbrush still in its packaging as well as a tube of toothpaste. As she brushed her teeth she couldn’t help but see how bad she looked. Her auburn hair was in a messy halo around her face, shoulders and beyond. The dark smudges under her eyes looked as if they were bruises, as if someone had punched her in the face and given her black eyes and there was no color in her cheeks at all. She looked like a skinny ghost.
Her arms and legs were much slimmer than they used to be and even though she was wearing shorts and a tank, she could see her hip bones and the bottom of her rib cage protruding starkly under the material. She looked like a skinny ghost hag.
When she was done with brushing her teeth and gargling mouthwash, she searched for and found a brush and started pulling it through her hair. It turned out to be a difficult chore when her arms were tired and as heavy as lead, but she persevered until her hair was no longer a messy nest.
“What the fuck are you doing out of bed?”
Jaylynn shrieked and startled so badly she had to grab the edge of the counter so she didn’t fall on her ass. Thankfully, she’d put the brush down before Brax had shouted his question. She met his eyes in the mirror as he stormed toward her and though it was tempting to turn and face him, she kept her back to him. It didn’t seem to matter that he could see her face in the mirror. She felt as if she had a little more control if she wasn’t staring directly into his eyes.
“Where am I?” she asked and tried to keep from wincing when her sore throat protested. Her mouth was so dry even after brushing her teeth and gargling. Jaylynn felt as if she could have downed a gallon of water without taking a breath.
“You’re in our home,” Brax answered.
He was so close she could feel the heat emanating from his big, muscular body and couldn’t stop from shivering. He took a step closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. It was tempting to lean back against him when she was so tired, but she remained still and tense in his embrace. If she gave in to the urges running through her body and he ended up rejecting her, her heart would break all over again.
“Why did you move here?” she asked as she briefly met his gaze before lowering her eyes and scowling at the sink. The pain in her heart at being so close to him and yet so far away made her ache, but she turned that ache into anger. It was the only way she’d be able to deal with him and his brothers and keep sane, as well as her love hidden.
“A few days ago,” Brax answered as he tightened his arm around her waist.
“Why? Are you following me? Why am I in your house? I’m not a fucking child.”
Brax removed his arm from around her waist, grasped her shoulders and spun her around. She blinked when her head swam for a moment or two at the fast, abrupt movement and then she glared at him.
“No, you’re not a child, but you’re fucking acting like one.”
She poked him in the chest. “I don’t give a shit what you think of me. You have no rights over me whatsoever. You’re not my fucking brother.” She flattened both of her hands against his chest and shoved him as hard as she could. He didn’t so much as sway and that just mad her madder.
Tears threatened again, but she kept them at bay. Jaylynn was so tired and weak she just didn’t have the energy to deal with Brax’s shit.
“Let me go.”
“Never.” Brax didn’t give her a chance to respond before he swept her up off her feet and carried her out of the bathroom.
“Hey.” She slapped his shoulder. “Put me down. I wasn’t finished in the bathroom.”
“Yes, you are.”
“You’re a fucking Neanderthal.”
“Watch your mouth,” Brax ordered before letting her go.
Her cry of fear hurt her sore throat as she fell. The breath in her lungs whooshed out when she landed on the bed. She placed a hand over her racing heart and scowled at him. When he sat on the edge of the mattress she scrambled as far from him as she could. She hated the way her body was heating in his presence. Even in her weakened state her breasts had swollen, her nipples hardened, and her pussy was growing wetter by the second. Even her traitorous clit was beginning to throb as it filled with blood. She tugged at the covers angrily and pulled them up to hide her reaction to him.
“Do you have any idea how fucking worried we’ve been about you?” Brax asked irately. “We’ve spent every spare moment we’ve had searching for you.” He rubbed at his chin with agitation. “And when we finally find you, you’re so fucking sick you pass out. What the hell, Jaylynn?”
She kept her gaze lowered and plucked at the quilt. “You don’t need to worry about me anymore. I appreciate everything you’ve done through all those years to make sure I was okay, but I don’t need you to look out for me anymore.”
“Bullshit!” Brax snarled. “Have you even looked at yourself? You’re so fucking skinny your ribs and hip bones are showing. You look as if you’ve gone ten rounds in the boxing ring and you’re as pale as a fucking ghost. You need a keeper, baby, and we’re just the men to take care of you.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t need anyone watching over me. I’m a full grown-assed woman. Where are my clothes? Can I borrow the phone? Shit! What time is it? I need to call a cab. I’m probably late for work.”
“You’re not going anywhere, honey,” Ajay said as he entered the room, a tray with food and drink in his hands.
Cael was right behind him and had several bottles of water.
“Yes, I am.”
Brax climbed up onto the bed, sitting so close to her she could once more feel the heat from his body and smell his amazing tantalizing scent. A shiver of desire raced up her spine, but she was able to suppress it and keep it from showing. When he cupped her face between his large, warm, calloused hands, she tried to pull back, but he didn’t let go. “Your clothes are in the dresser and closet, what there is of them. We moved here because there was nothing keeping us in Fort Worth anymore. We’ve retired from the Marines and decided to relocate when our friends, Wilder, Cree, and Nash Sheffield, called. Had we known you were living here, we would have been here faster. You have a month off with paid sick leave. You have suspected glandular fever, Jaylynn. Dr. Phoenix Carter treated you and ordered you to rest and that’s exactly what you’re going to do.”
Ajay had set the tray on the bedside table and taken a seat on her other side. After putting the bottles of water on the other side table, Cael had climbed onto the end of the mattress near her feet. She was surrounded by her dreams and heartache and didn’t know what to do.
“You have no idea how fucking sick you were, do you, honey?” Ajay asked as he threaded his fingers with hers.
She shrugged, hoping her nonchalance would make them back off. Of course, she knew how ill she’d been. She still felt dreadful but there was no way she was going to admit it. When Ajay lifted her hand to his mouth, she couldn’t stop herself from following his movement and when she met his hazel eyes, she couldn’t look away. He kissed the back of her hand before lowering it to his thigh. He covered her hand and kept it trapped between his denim covered muscles and his hand.