by Becca Van
“I think we’ve already taken the first step to doing that. She broke down for no apparent reason, and then she used anger to keep us at arm’s length when you told her our rules. She was trying to gather those walls back up around her heart,” Billy stated.
“When did you get to be so wise, little bro?” Tom asked with a grin.
“You’d be surprised what I’ve learned from women over the years,” Billy said with a chuckle.
“I’ve got a sinking feeling in my gut, and since my gut instincts have never let me down before, we need to keep an eye on Felicity. I think she’s gonna try and leave. I can’t tell you why I think that, it’s just intuition,” Luke said.
“I think I need to have a look at the car we have under the carport,” Tom said.
Luke looked at his friend as he rose to his feet and tried to figure out what Tom was going to do. He finally realized Tom wanted to make sure Felicity’s car was safe for her to drive. Luke and his friends whispered to each other as they worked on Felicity’s car. They made sure it was safe for her in case she wanted to go to town, with their permission, of course. Luke wanted to replace her old car with a brand new one, but knew Felicity would put up a fuss. He wondered how the old, rusted-out vehicle was still able to start. When he and his friends had done as much as they could, they crept back inside, washed up, and went to bed.
Chapter Six
Felicity was glad her internal alarm clock was still right on time. Her eyes popped open at 2:30 a.m., and instead of being groggy with sleep, she was wide awake. She rose from the bed, dressed quickly, went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and hair. She collected the last of her belongings, shoved them in her bag, and crept to her bedroom door. She listened carefully, making sure everyone was asleep. She could hear quiet snores coming from the two bedrooms next to hers, and she sighed in relief. She was going to have to be extremely quiet. She frowned, trying to remember if any of the timber floorboards creaked or groaned as she walked over them. She gave a mental shrug, as she had no idea. Since she hadn’t planned on sneaking out until tonight, she hadn’t taken any notice. Oh well, not much she could do about that now.
Felicity opened the bedroom door wide, walked back to the closet, retrieved the two small boxes of belongings, and then quietly crept down the long hallway. She was glad she had a pair of sneakers, as they were much quieter than boots. She was very careful to walk on the balls of her feet, not wanting to land too heavily with her heels. She leaned the two boxes against the timber doorframe of the back entrance then eased the exit open. Shit. She’d forgotten about the screen door. She placed her boxes on the floor, eased the door open, letting her breath rush out when the door didn’t squeak, and reached up, using the O-ring to keep the screen door propped wide. She crept to the other end of the house along the gravel drive, but when able, she moved off the gravel to walk on the grass. She wanted to keep her footsteps light and muffled as much as possible. She eased the back door of her car open, placed the boxes on the far side of the seat, and then crept back into the house. She retrieved her small suitcase and purse and made sure she had her keys ready in her hand.
The stab of pain to her heart caught her unawares, and she had to bite the bottom lip of her mouth hard enough to draw blood so she wouldn’t cry out. She took one last look around the bedroom, straightened her spine, and pushed her shoulders back, heading to the back door. She pulled the back door closed behind her, turning the knob so the latch wouldn’t click into place loudly. She froze when she heard a squeak inside. When she heard no other sound, she put the noise down to the timber structure of the house cooling and shrinking in the early hours. She placed her case onto the decking, reached up, and released the O-ring. She eased the screen door back into the doorjamb then slowly released the handle back into place.
Felicity picked her case up and walked down the steps, lightly along the gravel drive and grass. She eased her case into the backseat and closed the back car door, easing it into place with a quiet snick. She got into the driver’s seat, threw her purse onto the passenger seat, and put the key into the ignition. She released the handbrake, shifted the stick into reverse, took a deep breath, and turned the key in the ignition. Nothing happened. She turned the key and tried again, and again and again.
Felicity was biting her lip, with tears tracking down her cheeks, when the driver’s side door was hauled open. She didn’t have time to blink or take another breath before large, firm hands were hauling her out of her car. Felicity screamed with fear and shock as she was slung over a broad male shoulder. Her scream of fright was cut off when she realized who had her. She knew she was in trouble now. She had tried to leave, and in their eyes, she had broken the rules of their contract. She knew their brand of punishment was going to have her screaming in pleasure. She squirmed and squeezed her legs together, trying to relieve the ache in her pussy. A large hand came down on her ass, hard. The smack was enough to get her uncooperative lungs to fill with the precious oxygen she needed. She took a few big gulps of air then slumped in relief over the hard male shoulder. She felt dampness on her cheeks and realized she’d been crying as she fought to get air into her lungs. She knew deep down she was using her anger as a defense mechanism, but wasn’t willing to reason out the cause of it just yet. She turned her head and knew it was Luke carrying her. “Where are you taking me?” Felicity asked as Luke carried her through the back door. He didn’t even acknowledge she had spoken, just kept right on walking.
“Who do you think you are? I am going to report you to your superiors for kidnapping. Don’t think I won’t. You can’t watch me twenty-four hours a day. Just you wait, you bastard. I am going to hand you your balls on a platter. I’ve been waiting for this. You have no idea how much,” Felicity goaded as she slapped his back. When that didn’t get a reaction, she grabbed onto his belt, pulled herself lower down his back, opened her mouth wide, and bit his ass, hard. She gave a satisfied smirk when he yelped in pain. She couldn’t wait for her punishment. She was so turned on, and she knew Luke, Tom, and Billy would never lose control around her and hurt her.
Felicity went flying through the air. One minute she was upside down, biting Luke’s ass, the next she was squealing as she flew. She landed on the large mattress in the bedroom she had been using with a soft thud and a bounce. She opened her eyes to see three very large, tall, pissed-off men. They stood glaring down at her, their arms crossed over their wide chests, their hips thrust forward with aggression. Oh shit. Even though she knew they would never hurt her, she didn’t want the victory of their punishment to her to be too effortless. She saw them move out of the corner of her eye and knew her mouth was hanging open with shock. All three of them were stripping out of their clothes. Felicity rolled over to the other side of the bed until she was standing. She kept her eyes glued to the three men, heat creeping over her cheeks as they stood before her in all their naked glory. And glory it was. Their cocks were huge. She had never seen a cock in real life before, but she knew a stallion when she saw one. They were the perfect specimens of tall, muscular Adonises, and she couldn’t seem to drag her eyes away from their bobbing, pulsing appendages.
They were all big, but they differed in size and length. The only thing they seemed to have in common was the reddish-purple color of the heads, which looked painful and angry. She closed her eyes with a whimper and swallowed hard. She knew they must have heard her loud gulp, and then she couldn’t help a moan escaping from between her lips. She knew what they had in mind, like that was hard to figure out, but since she had never been with a man before, she was a bit apprehensive, but so damn horny she was beside herself with need.
Felicity didn’t hear them move, but shrieked when warm, firm hands grabbed her by her upper arms and gently pushed her onto the bed. She didn’t even get to twitch a muscle before two more sets of hands were holding her down and anchoring her to the bed. She felt her nipples harden and her pussy clench, dripping moisture onto her panties, making them damp. What the hell was
wrong with her? Why the hell was she so turned on?
Felicity yelled with pleasure as firm hands grabbed her clothes and stripped them from her body. She was lying naked in front of men for the first time in her life. She felt as if all her shields had been ripped away from her. She had never felt so vulnerable, but she was so horny she could feel her juices leaking from her pussy onto her thighs. She bucked her hips up and twisted this way and that, trying to get them to touch her cunt. She didn’t stand a chance. She screamed again with frustration as her arms were pulled above her head with some sort of restraints, and then her legs were given the same treatment. The only exceptions were her lower limbs, which had been spread wide before being secured in place.
She bucked and twisted, begging them to make love to her, tears coursing down her cheeks with her need. She felt the mattress dip in on either side of her as well as between her splayed thighs. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see the pity on their faces at her desperation.
She had decided since she didn’t want to win, but didn’t want to give in too easily, she would ignore them. She prayed her body didn’t betray her too much and let them know they made her burn for their touch. But then she remembered she’d just begged them to love her. God, she was such a fool. She couldn’t even hide how they made her feel.
“You can tell us anything. You are going to have to learn not to lie to us, Flick,” Luke stated.
Felicity felt her heart clench as Luke inadvertently called her a liar. She remembered when she was small how she had accidentally broken one of her aunt’s precious vases. She had accused Felicity of breaking it on purpose and had punished her by sending her to her room without supper. The memory was a catalyst, and her emotions bubbled to the surface. She bit her lower lip, drawing more blood as she tried to hold back emotions she’d buried for years.
“Fuck, sweetheart, stop biting yourself. You’re bleeding,” Billy stated.
Felicity didn’t want concern for her welfare from them. She wanted to stay angry, knowing if they were to show her any form of sympathy she would break. She was so highly strung, and her muscles, tight, clenched, felt ready to snap from the least bit of provocation. She didn’t want them to show any emotions at all. The touch of a gentle finger swiping the blood from her chin and lip sent her over the edge. She felt tears begin to leak from the corner of her eyes. The more she tried to stop them, the faster they fell. Her chest and throat felt tight, and she was having trouble breathing. There was a huge lump in her throat, and her heart was racing, pounding against the wall of her chest. Her heart skipped a beat then slammed twice as fast as it should have. She felt pain below her sternum, her life muscle leaping and pounding. The feeling scared the shit out of her, making her wonder if she was having a heart attack. The keening of a tortured voice sounded loudly in her ears. She wanted to cover them and block the sound out, but couldn’t seem to move her arms. She tried to curl herself into a fetal position, trying to hold herself together, but couldn’t seem to manage it.
Felicity knew she was falling apart, but couldn’t seem to stop herself from splintering into a million pieces. She had been numb for so long, working herself into the ground, using her work to keep herself together. She finally realized she was the one making those horrible sounds. She had somehow managed to curl her body into itself as her mind and heart fell apart. She couldn’t stop the sobs wracking her body or the tears streaming down her face. She didn’t want to feel again. She’d tried to push her feelings and emotions to the back of her mind until she performed daily tasks in automation. She had been a breathing robot, not a female human being.
She was in her own private living hell, and the black hole was so deep she didn’t think she would ever be able to climb out of it.
* * * *
“Billy, go call Doc. Tell him to hurry,” Tom said in a tortured voice. He felt so helpless not being able to get through to Felicity. He saw the same tortured expressions on his brother’s and friend’s faces as well. They had no idea what was going on and no idea how to help their woman. They had never seen a woman so broken, in so much pain. He helped remove Felicity’s restraints and watched Luke cover her with a blanket, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white.
Billy was back in seconds, and Tom watched his brother open his mouth to speak, stop, and clear his throat several times before he managed to form any words. “Doc, ten minutes.”
Tom kept glancing at his watch. Every second felt like an hour. Every minute felt like a day. He walked over to Felicity and picked her up into his arms. He placed her on his lap and held her against him as he rocked her. He wasn’t sure who he was trying to comfort more. He was torn up inside, seeing his woman in such a state, and hoped like hell they hadn’t been the cause of such pain.
Tom saw Luke run to the door when he heard Doc pull up. He’d had his ears trained to listen for the man. His friend led Doc into the bedroom and stood back against the wall beside him, his muscles tight with fear that he, his brother, and his friend were the reason for Felicity’s condition. He wanted to slam his fist into the walls, hurt himself for the pain their little woman was feeling, but knew to do so wouldn’t make him feel any better. He, Luke, and Billy watched Doc administer a shot into Felicity’s arm after swabbing her flesh with an alcohol wipe. He took her blood pressure then listened to her heart. He saw the frown form on Doc’s face as the elderly man moved his stethoscope over her chest, then back to the region of her heart once more. He watched Doc lift her hand, turn it over so he could access the pulse point on her wrist, and time the beat of her heart against the second hand of his watch. Doc didn’t move for a long time. He just sat on the side of the bed using the tools of his trade, all the while stroking a hand down over her head and hair.
Tom breathed a sigh of relief when Felicity’s sobbing finally stopped and her breathing slowed, occasional hiccups making her shudder as she finally slipped into sleep. He watched as Doc removed his fingers from her wrist, pulled his stethoscope away from her chest, got up from the bed, and headed out to the kitchen. He took a seat at the large dining table and looked up to him, and Tom knew he had the same tortured expression on his face as Billy and Luke.
Tom could tell Doc was gathering his thoughts by the frown of concentration on his face. The elderly man watched him as Tom put the coffeepot on, the mundane task helping to keep his concerns under control.
“Felicity was having a panic attack. I think she’s been bottling up emotion and pain for a long time. I don’t know what you did to break through her reserves and I don’t want to know.” Doc paused, putting his hand up to stop any interruptions. “I’m just glad you did. That little girl was heading for a nervous breakdown. I don’t want her working for at least two weeks. She is totally exhausted physically, but more so emotionally. I want one of you with her at all times. If you have any concerns at all, call me. If she shows signs of having another one of these episodes, call me. I don’t care what time of day or night it is. If I’m not available one of the other doctors in the clinic will come out.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t our fault, Doc?” Luke asked.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Doc replied, taking a sip of coffee from the mug Tom placed in front of him. “You three need to get that little girl to open up to you. She needs to get rid of those hurts she’s got buried deep inside her. You need to really listen to what she says when she finally opens up. That little girl needs understanding and the love from all three of you.”
Tom helped as Doc rose from his chair when he finished his coffee. He said good-bye to him, Billy, and Luke and drove away from the Double E Ranch.
Chapter Seven
Felicity woke up feeling like she’d been in a train wreck. Her body felt heavy, tired, and achy. Her face and eyes felt swollen and like she had sand beneath her eyelids. It took her a few moments to pry her glued eyelids open. She turned her head, looking around the room she had been sleeping in recently. She frowned, speculative over why she was still at the Double E
Ranch. Memory slammed back into her brain. She gasped, her body trembling as she realized she’d fallen apart in front of her bosses and the sheriff of Slick Rock. She felt the slide of the comforter beneath her body, realizing she was totally naked and covered in a large, heavy blanket. She pushed the blanket aside, heading into the bathroom. She definitely needed a shower. Although her body felt lethargic, her mind and heart felt peaceful for the first time in years.
Felicity stepped into the shower, scrubbed her hair and body, and then let the shower spray over her aching body. The hot water did wonders for her muscles, making her reluctant to get out. She leaned her head against the cool tile wall, relishing the warm water easing her pains. She didn’t hear the bathroom door open, but when she felt a cool gust of air, she opened her eyes to see Tom and Billy watching her through the open glass door of the shower.
“Are you all right, sweetheart?” Tom asked, scrutinizing her face.
Felicity smiled, nodded her head, and then turned the taps off. She stepped down out of the shower, and Billy pulled a clean towel from the countertop, enveloping her within its warmth. Tom grabbed another clean towel then began to rub her hair dry. She had never felt so pampered in her life. She closed her eyes with a sigh of contentment and leaned back into Billy. When they had finished drying her, Billy left the bathroom and was back in moments with some of her clean clothes. He helped her dress then stepped back as Tom picked up a comb and began to untangle her long black hair. He didn’t hurt her once. He began at the bottom of her hair and worked his way up to her scalp. Once done, they left Felicity to brush her teeth with the suggestion she join them in the kitchen when she was done.