by Becca Van
Down, girl.
“Hi Dusty, how are you feeling?” the guy carrying the tray loaded with a plate and steaming mug on it asked as he walked closer.
“Okay.”
He nodded and then set the tray on her lap before taking a seat on the mattress next to her hip. He had to dislodge Airen’s legs before he sat. Airen huffed out a breath but didn’t say anything. She tensed as she glanced from one man to the other, and when she didn’t see any anger in their gazes, she relaxed again.
The man sitting so close to her offered her his hand. She glanced from his hand to his eyes and back again before tentatively reaching out to place hers in his huge paw. The moment their skin touched, tingling heat raced up her arm, into her chest, and spread out through her whole body. Her pussy moistened and clenched, and her nipples hardened into tight peaks. Damn it. Just stop, she told her awakening libido, but of course the fickle bitch didn’t listen.
“My name is Dr. Broden Higgins. I presume you’ve already officially met my brother, Airen.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “That is our other brother, Archer.”
“Dusty Cutter.”
“We know.” Broden released her hand when she tugged. “We needed to look through your purse to find out if you had any other allergies besides nutmeg.”
“Okay.”
Broden nodded to the tray on her lap. “Are you hungry?”
“Um, not really.”
“You still feel sick?” he asked. He placed the palm of his hand on her forehead checking her temperature. “You don’t have a fever.”
She shook her head, gnawed on her lip, and sighed when he removed his hand. “Just a little nauseous.”
“I made you some peppermint tea. That should help settle your stomach.” Broden picked up the mug of tea and handed it to her.
She took it. “Thanks.” She met each of their gazes in turn and drew in a breath. “Thank you, all of you, for taking care of me.”
“We weren’t about to let you die, sweetness.” Archer smiled at her.
“Certainly not.” Airen grinned and winked.
“I’m just glad you’re feeling and looking better this morning,” Broden said. “It’ll probably take a few more hours for all the swelling to dissipate. All you need to do is rest.”
She nodded. “Is there a hotel or motel I can stay in?”
“No!” Archer barked out.
Airen reached over and punched Archer on the thigh.
“Hey!”
“Hey yourself,” Airen snapped. “Watch how you speak to our…to Dusty.”
Archer gave her a chagrinned look. “Sorry.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“I’m sorry.” Dusty lowered her gaze, because she knew she was the reason for Archer’s surliness. He and his brothers had probably been up all night watching over her. She felt guilty for disturbing their chance to sleep.
Broden placed his hand on her thigh just above her knee over the quilt and caressed her leg. “You have nothing to be sorry for, baby. We’re just glad we were in the pub so that we could help you. As for renting a room, that’s not necessary. You can stay here. We never use this room, so it’s yours for as long as you like.”
“Oh but—”
“You’re awake. Thank God. How are you feeling?” Emmy asked as she strolled into the room with a big man behind her. Dusty remembered seeing him working behind the bar in the pub the previous evening.
“Much better.” Dusty smiled. Emmy had yelled for help when she hadn’t been able to breathe. The woman had had a hand in saving her life last night. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” Emmy glanced at all the men. “Why don’t you all go and have some coffee while I make sure Dusty’s okay?”
Broden nodded, and even though he rose and lifted the tray from her lap, he did so with reluctance. Dusty frowned over that but kept her mouth shut. She waited until the men had left the room, after lingering glances from Broden, Archer, and Airen.
Emmy hurried over to the door, closed it, and climbed onto the bed beside her. Dusty sipped at her tea and sighed as the liquid soothed her dry mouth, throat, and churning stomach.
“I hear the reaction was from nutmeg.” Emmy shifted until she was sitting sideways, facing Dusty more directly.
She frowned. “How did you know that?”
“Archer called Declan and asked him to spread the word throughout town. Any nutmeg that was here has now been trashed.”
“You didn’t need to do that.”
Emmy shrugged. “The last thing we want to do is make you sick or kill you, Dusty.”
“How did you know my name? I never introduced myself.”
Emmy blushed. “Declan told me after Archer called about the nutmeg. They had to look at your information, I guess.”
Dusty nodded. “Yeah, they told me.”
“You aren’t upset about that, are you?” Emmy asked.
She shrugged. “Normally, I would be, but since they did it for my health, no.”
Emmy blew out a relieved sigh. “So, how did you end up in Ambrose?”
“You don’t want to know,” Dusty mumbled under her breath.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to hear the answer,” Emmy replied instantly.
“How the hell did you hear that?”
“Uh…well.” Emmy sighed, blushed, and glanced away. Dusty knew that whatever came out of her mouth next was going to be a lie. “I have really good hearing?”
Dusty frowned. Although Emmy had posed her answer as a question and her voice was a little strident, what she’d said also rang true. There was something going on here, but Dusty had no idea what.
Emmy reached over and clasped Dusty’s free hand in hers. “I’ve already told you why I ended up in Ambrose, and I didn’t even know who you were. You can trust me and the men in this town, Dusty. I promise that if you’re in trouble, they can help you.”
“You don’t know that,” she replied immediately. “No one can help me.” Dusty tried to blink back the tears burning her eyes, but she wasn’t successful. A tear welled in each corner of her eyes and trickled down her face. She brushed them away impatiently. “Why did you tell me how you’d come to this town?”
“I saw a kindred spirit in you, Dusty. I can see the fear in your eyes and the exhaustion tearing at your soul. We women have to stick together when we can. Don’t you think?”
Dusty had never really had any close friends. She’d had people she hung out with in college and interacted with while working behind the bar in the pub, but she’d never really clicked with anyone on a deeper level. Maybe she’d closed part of herself off when she’d lost her mom and stepdad. Maybe it was because of the violence she’d experienced at the hands of her stepbrother, someone who was supposed to love her. And maybe she was just the type of person that didn’t get along with anyone. She mentally shook her head. She had friends when she was younger, when her mother was still alive, before she’d met her stepfather.
Dusty had always tended to be a loner, preferring her own company, reading books, listening to music, and watching movies. She’d been independent from a young age, since she’d never known her father, and her mom had worked long hours at two jobs before meeting Luke’s dad. She suspected she’d matured a lot earlier than most kids did, and that was one of the reasons she had trouble connecting with people of her own age. Of any age, really.
Emmy squeezed her hand to garner her attention. “I’m not going to push you if you don’t want to talk to me, but all the men living in this town are retired soldiers. They have skills that most men could only dream of. If you’re in danger, they can and will protect you. Most of the guys who end up serving our country seemed to have this engrained need to help and protect those weaker than they are. They are trustworthy and would never spill whatever you told them to anyone else.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Dusty blurted out. “I’m scared.”
&n
bsp; “I know. I’ve been where you are, but I can promise you that my men and their friends would stand in front of a gun to keep you safe. They all banded together when the fucker coming after me kidnapped me. If it wasn’t for them, I’d be dead.”
“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me, Emmy. I couldn’t live with that kind of guilt.”
“I understand. I felt the same way you do, but these men are more than meets the eye. They aren’t like other men. They’re big, gruff, and often authoritative, but they all have hearts of gold under their rugged appearances.”
“Does this town have special water or something?” Dusty blurted out before she could stop herself.
Emmy laughed. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But no.”
“They must have had some great looking parents.” Dusty smiled. Emmy nodded and cleared her throat as sadness flashed across her eyes. Dusty squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry if I brought up bad memories.”
Emmy shook her head. “None of the guys have any living relatives. That’s one of the reasons they banded together after they got out of the military. They hate being surrounded by lots of people or the stench of pollution and smog in a bigger town or city. This town was a ghost town over five years ago, but they bought it from the government and spent a lot of time and effort doing the place up. Word’s spreading about Ambrose being brought back to life, and just over a week ago, the town was inundated with tourists. Me and my guys hired some musicians to play at the pub for three successive days every weekend for nearly two months. There were so many people here, we almost couldn’t keep up. By the time the invaders left, the men were all antsy and grumbling, but we made a great profit to benefit the community. What was earned over that busy stint was given away to charities in the surrounding county.”
“All of it?” Dusty asked.
Emmy nodded. “It’s not my place to tell you why, but suffice to say, they wanted to help out other people in need. That’s the type of men I wouldn’t hesitate to give my last dollar to. You can trust them, Dusty.”
“I want to, but…” She shrugged.
“Just think about it.” Emmy patted her hand before rising from the bed. She turned to face Dusty again. “Oh, you’re probably going to be meeting Pixie soon.”
“Pixie?”
Emmy smiled. “She was in trouble, too. It’s up to her to tell you her story, if she wants to. Me, Pixie, and now you are the only women in this town. I’m hoping you’ll hang around for a while, but that’s your choice. Pixie met and married the unofficial leaders of Ambrose, the King brothers. Those three men have to be the most authoritative out of all of the guys. They’re huge and crotchety, especially Tatum. She’s about your size, but she stands toe to toe with them every time they piss her off. Those men would get down on their knees for Pixie, no matter where they were or who was about. Wouldn’t you like to have someone like that?”
Before Dusty could reply, Emmy turned and rushed from the room. She was left with her mouth gaping open like a fish out of water.
Why did Emmy ask me that question? I don’t know or like any of these men.
She snorted over her lie. She definitely had the hots for Broden, Archer, and Airen, but they didn’t know that. Dusty would be mortified if they knew how her body reacted every time they were near her. She was going to have to keep her guard up and her attraction hidden, but she wasn’t sure what to do about her situation.
It wouldn’t be right to take advantage of the Higgins brothers’ generosity by staying in their home, and yet she was tempted, but only because she was nearly out of cash. She huffed out a breath and tried to convince herself the latter was the reason she was contemplating on taking them up on their offer. However, she would find whatever work she could and pay her way. It wasn’t in her nature to mooch off of anyone, and she wasn’t about to start now.
What if the men in Emmy’s life were controlling her? She didn’t know the other woman from a bar of soap. Yet as that thought coalesced she quickly put it away. She had no idea why, but Dusty felt deep down in her gut, that Emmy had been totally honest with her. The other woman had been running for her life, too. Surely Emmy wouldn’t be encouraging her to stay if it would be placing her in danger.
Dusty was confused and not sure what the best choice for her was right now.
Maybe when the bus was due to return, she’d have enough money to buy another ticket and head somewhere else.
But the million-dollar question was, where?
Would she have to stay on the run for the rest of her life? Always being scared and looking over her shoulder? What sort of life was that? She’d never have a home of her own. Never meet someone she could have a relationship with and love. Never have the babies she’d dreamed of having when she was a young girl.
Dusty would age beyond her years living like that. She’d end up sick and burned out, and would die way too soon. Maybe Emmy was right.
Maybe it was time to stop running and ask for help.
I have nothing else to lose.
Chapter Four
Archer glanced toward the kitchen door, hoping Dusty would be out soon. He’d heard the shower turn on a while ago and hoped that their mate wasn’t shy and decided to hide out in her room.
Declan and Emmy had left a few minutes ago, and even though he and his brothers had plied the other woman with questions, she hadn’t been able to answer any of them. She had told them what she’d said to Dusty, though, and Archer hoped like hell that she’d listened.
Broden and Airen were sitting at the kitchen counter, staring off into space while sipping on their coffees. Archer’s Kodiak was playing up again, and he hadn’t wanted to get too close to his siblings in case his inner beast became more restless and aggressive. The last thing he needed was for Dusty to walk in on them while they were fighting.
It wasn’t often that he and his brothers or the other shifters got into physical altercations, but every now and then, it was good to blow off steam by fighting. Sometimes going for a run in his animal form just didn’t cut it when they had too much pent-up energy.
He hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes until he heard the light padding of bare feet on the hardwood floor and quickly opened them, staring expectantly at the empty doorway. She appeared seconds later, and Archer found himself on his feet walking toward her before he even thought about what he was doing. She stopped in her tracks and peered at him warily.
“Come and have a seat, sweetness.” He held his hand out to her and waited to see what she’d do.
Dusty drew in a ragged breath and stared at his hand for a beat or two, and then she placed her trembling hand in his. Unadulterated lust shot through his blood and straight to his cock. His Kodiak roared with approval at the physical contact and tried to force his way out. Archer shoved his animal down hard and sucked in a breath as he tried to control his wayward desire.
He lightly tugged on Dusty’s hand and led her across the room toward the large kitchen table and saw her seated. “Do you want anything to drink, sweetness? Are you still feeling sick? Are you hungry?”
The wariness left her eyes and face, and she smiled. That smile and the way her eyes twinkled, and her face lit up shot straight to his heart. Archer fell head over heels in love with her in an instant.
“I’d really like a cup of coffee, if you have any. I’m feeling much better and could eat something.”
“You look better,” Broden said. He’d turned on his swiveling stool so he could see Dusty. “The swelling is almost gone and the redness has faded.”
“I’ll get you something to eat,” Airen said as he rose. “How do you like your coffee? Will an omelet be okay?”
“Black and toast is fine.”
“You need more than toast, baby,” Broden said. “You didn’t get to eat your dinner. When was the last time you had a decent meal?” Broden stood and then walked over to the table after Airen had handed him a mug of hot coffee.
“Uh…yesterday?”
“Are you asking or telling, sweetness? Archer asked.
He watched with fascination as a blush rose up from her neck and over her cheeks. She wrinkled her nose and then glanced at him before quickly looking away.
Broden placed the mug of coffee in front of her before sitting beside her.
“Thanks.” She wrapped her hands around the mug of coffee and shivered.
Archer perused her outfit and frowned. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a thin sweater, as well as socks. No wonder she was feeling the cool temperature. They hadn’t turned the central heating on, and she didn’t have any thick layers.
Snow had started falling early that morning, and from the looks of things, it wasn’t about to let up anytime soon. He wondered if she had warmer clothes, but from the small bag she’d carried with her, he didn’t think so. He and his brothers were going to have to buy her a whole new wardrobe. They didn’t want her getting sick because she wasn’t dressed appropriately for the freezing temperatures. They were also going to have to be more vigilant where their mate was concerned. Shifters didn’t feel the cold like a regular human did.
“You didn’t answer the question,” Broden reminded her as he indicated for Airen to turn the heat on. Airen nodded and went to the control panel and started the central heating.
“What question?” Dusty nibbled on her lip and gazed at his brother from under her eyelashes.
Archer could tell from the way her shoulders were up near her ears that she knew very well what Broden was talking about. He turned his chair slightly, leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, eager to see how their mate would deal with his dominant brother.
“You know damn well what I’m talking about.” Broden frowned. “When was the last time you had a decent meal?”
She crossed her arms beneath her breasts, unconsciously plumping the feminine globes and drawing his gaze. He bit the inside of his cheek to hold back the moan forming in his chest when he saw how hard her nipples were. Archer licked his lips as he wondered what they’d taste and look like. Where those hard buds a light pink color or dusky rose? They might even be a milk chocolate hue. His mouth watered as he inhaled her honeyed-hazelnut fragrance into his nose and lungs. She smelled good enough to eat.