Emily's Protectors

by K. L. Donn

  Panting and out of breath, he collapsed onto her back breathing heavily into her neck. He watched up close as Coop continued to pump in out of her very wet and swollen lips, going as far back as her throat would allow until suddenly, she swallowed around his head and he went in as far as he could go. Dane watched as she devoured all of Coop’s cum. Seeing the pleasure on her face as she took from him was a sight to behold and not something he was likely to forget anytime soon.

  Withdrawing from her pliant body, he pulled his pants back up and her onto his lap as he sat down. With her breasts still spilling from the top of her dress, he watched in fascination as Coop slipped his fingers between her legs, making her entire body shiver before bringing his hand up and covering her in their combined fluids. “Fuck me, I like that. You’ll smell like us all day now.”

  “Not that I didn’t enjoy this, ‘cause baby that mouth of yours looked fucking amazing wrapped around my cock, but what brought it on?” Coop repeated Dane’s earlier question, making her blush deepen and her breathing to quicken.

  “Seems our girl heard someone else getting it on and decided she liked the idea.” Dane teased. “What I’d like to know, though, is where your panties went?” he asked, lifting her chin up so he could meet her eyes.

  “Umm, easy access?” She answered shyly.

  Stunned into silence, neither said anything for a moment before they burst out laughing at her flawless logic. She’s a treasure. The three of them were like two keys to one perfect lock. They just fit. Dane marveled watching her watch him. Seeing the emotion swimming in her eyes left him weak-kneed at times.

  Enjoying the moment they were having, after her spur of the moment and completely shocking mini-seduction, Emily was startled into jumping when Dane’s desk phone rang. Leaning her head against his chest while he answered it, she listened to his deep voice rumble in his chest while he spoke. Listening to his heart beat was soothing in a way she’d never found before.

  To just sit and relax and enjoy another person, or rather persons’ company was almost too foreign for her to bear. Opening her eyes to see Coop looking at her with such a soft expression filled with lust and longing, she got up and crawled into his lap, kissing his chest before settling in.

  Alarmed when Dane jumped out of his chair and yelled, “Bring it you chicken shit motherfucker! I’ll take you any day of the week and twice on fucking Sunday!” before slamming the phone down into its cradle. She watched him take a few deep breaths before gazing at her and Coop, who had gone still as a statue at his outburst.

  Kneeling in front of her, Dane grabbed her face and crashed his lips to hers, plundering her mouth. Dominating her. It was a kiss of ownership that had her melting into his frustrated frame. He nipped her lip before sucking on it to sooth the sting away, and she let out mewl of encouragement. When he pulled back slightly, she searched his eyes to find the blue had gone so dark it was nearly black, and the anger reflected back at her had Emily scared for whoever would be on the receiving end of it.

  “Dane?” she asked.

  “I’m gonna get him. You know that, right, baby girl?” he asked forcefully. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Placing her hand around the back of his neck and pulling him closer to her, she pressed her forehead to his and looked into his intense and emotional blue eyes and whispered, “I know Dane.” Kissing his lips lightly.

  Nodding his head at her, he got up. “I need to call Linc and see where they’re at with the Roswell lead, and then we’ll go from there. In the meantime, I don’t think you should go shopping tomorrow, Em. I need to know you’re safe, and we can’t if you’re out.” He tried telling her, but she wouldn’t have any of it. This lunatic had taken enough from her life; she didn’t want to give him this too.

  “No, I’m going,” she told him standing her ground.

  “Baby, I agree with Dane here; it’s not safe. Especially if he’s taunting this big bastard.” Coop tried to reason.

  “Look, you want me safe, I get that. I want me safe, too. But I refuse to give into him any longer. Until I met you two, I was ready and willing to give up. I just wanted my life back, or to be gone.” She tried explaining, shrugging at the disbelief plainly written on their faces. “I was; I just couldn’t do it anymore. But now I have you two, at least I hope I do, and I have Keels and Kenny. I don’t want to go back to that shell of a woman I was.” She told them passionately, just barely holding back from stomping her feet like a six-year-old girl instead of the twenty-two-year-old woman she was.

  When Dane grabbed her shoulders, she knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth. “Baby girl, I need —” She interrupted. “I know what you guys need Dane, but what about what I need?” she asked, feeling the tears clog her throat. “I have to do this for me; I need to be normal. And before you even try; my hip is fine. The wound was minor.” She tried a glare but seeing the worry etched in every line of his face, she softened her plea with a simple “Please, Dane.”

  “Fuck!” He thundered out, letting her know she had pretty much won the battle but certainly not the war. Forcing back the smile trying to break free, she struggled to keep it from her eyes and from the glare thrown her way from them both. She knew she failed miserably.

  “Three conditions and they’re non-negotiable,” Coop said harshly because Dane was grinding his teeth so hard she could hear, and he probably had lock-jaw. Eagerly nodding her head in understanding, she waited for their terms.

  “You have two guys with you at all times. They check bathrooms and dressing rooms before you enter, too,” Dane said between clenched teeth.

  “We put a tracker in both your phones,” Coop told her sounding more reasonable than the clearly frustrated Dane.

  Nodding her agreement, she waited for the third condition with baited breath.

  “You, and only you, will call us every hour on the hour from the minute you leave our sight,” Dane told her. “And Emily…” He questioned, waiting for her full attention. “You breach any of these terms and you’re going over my knee this time, and I promise you, baby girl, you won’t like it.” He threatened only turning her on further. She must be a masochist because the thought of having Dane’s hand print on her ass left her panting for breath and her pussy juices sliding down her leg.

  “Ok.” She agreed before they could change their minds.

  “Good. Now, we’re going to go find Nate and Ty and give the guys a call and see where they’re at. You gonna go hang with Keeley again?” he asked her.

  “Yes, we’re refiling everything. Great fun.” She retorted sarcastically, leaving the room in search of her friend.

  “Oh my God, Emily!” Keeley slammed her head down on her desk, but not before she saw her bright pink cheeks. “I can’t believe you heard that. I’m so embarrassed.” She moaned.

  Laughing at her friend, she decided to tease her a little. “Would it help if I told you it provided a great start to our own little impromptu session?” Laughing at the horror written on her face when she looked up, Emily nodded her head.

  “Well, ok, maybe a little. But shit. I wonder how many other people have heard us?” She wondered aloud.

  Shrugging her shoulders, Emily smiled in remembrance of what they’d done not too long ago in Dane’s office. She’d nearly died when Coop walked in until she realized it was him. Having him join her and Dane so smoothly had felt natural. Like it was meant to be.

  “Keeley?” She questioned.

  “Yeah, hun?”

  “How did you know you’d be ok with this type of relationship? How do you cope with it?”

  She queried hesitantly.

  “Well, it wasn’t hard, honestly. They really didn’t give me much of a choice. They just sort of took over once my father kicked me out,” she explained sadly. “A day after we met, they swore they knew I was the one for them. Really, who was I to argue? I knew they were different the second I laid eyes on them,” she told her wistfully.

  “But what ab
out the naysayers? How do you deal with the hurtful whispers behind your back?”

  “Hmm… At first they tried to hide it. Once I was more comfortable with the three of us, I noticed it more often and I generally ignore it. Unless someone gets right in my face, then I usually just smile and ask if they’re jealous. Or if one of them has gotten me wound up, I’ll kiss them both. That shuts people up really quick,” Keeley told her with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “What’s brought this on? I thought you were adjusting? I know it’s only been a few days, but you’d be surprised how close you can get in such little time.”

  “Nothing really. Well, there was this nurse in the hospital that was really snarky about finding us lying in bed together. We haven’t really gone out, other than that. But I’m not forward enough to actually do something so in your face if someone were to approach me,” she explained.

  “Let the guys help you deal with it. They knew when they chose this type of relationship that others wouldn’t be as accepting of it as some. It’s all about trust and honesty. You need to trust them to deal, and they need to be honest when it happens and you have questions. Don’t be afraid to communicate with them… about anything,” she winked while saying the last part, making Emily’s mind go back in the gutter.

  Grabbing Keeley’s hand, she squeezed it in thanks. Picking up the next file to be put in her intricate and slightly neurotic filing system, Emily was lost in thought for the first time thinking of the future and how she might have one. What it will hold for her. She hadn’t thought about more than the next day in so long, she never realized how much she longed to plan ahead.

  Before long, she would hopefully be able to see her mom face to face again. Maybe convince her to move down to Austin. It was such a gorgeous city. She had often found herself driving around at night, just to see the lights and the vibrancy of it all. She hated to admit she did miss Nebraska, but she knew she wouldn’t go back. Not permanently, anyways. She wanted to build her life here, with Dane and Coop.

  She would love to be able to plan her wedding, have children, and be normal again. But she couldn’t do that until her stalker was caught, and she was very much looking forward to that day.

  Working diligently through the afternoon, she was shocked when all four men came out looking very grim-faced and more than a little pissed off.

  “All right ladies, time to call it a night, shall we. I believe Dane and Coop might have plans with Emily,” Nate told them, grabbing Keeley’s hand and waving good night.

  Turning to look at her men— woo, her men? Where’d that come from? She looked at them expectantly. “Plans?”

  Nodding their heads at her, Dane motioned her forward to follow Coop out the office’s front door while he locked it and set the alarms. She admired her view of Coop’s nice tight sculpted ass. Sighing at the sheer perfection of it. Round in the most delectable ways, his jeans did things to it that should not be legal. They molded and formed and showcased his ass in such a way that she wanted to nibble on it.

  Jumping when Dane put his hand on her back, she ducked her head to hide her embarrassment and followed along as he guided her to their truck. “Ooohh!” She squealed slightly and laughed when Dane picked her up and deposited her in the front seat before pushing her over to the middle so she was sitting between him and Coop. When he buckled her in, her heart melted and might have cracked just a smidge at his thoughtfulness.

  Sitting in the quiet truck for a few minutes before Coop started it up and they were on their way to wherever they had planned, Emily was rattled and confused. They’d never been so silent before. Whether they were mad, horny, or happy, they always had something to say. But the silence was killing her and also worrying her like crazy. She needed to know what was going on.

  “Dane?” she whispered out in the quiet truck cab.

  Putting his hand on her thigh and squeezing it tightly was all the answer she got.

  Well shit, it must be bad, she thought, feeling upset that they weren’t confiding in her about what was going on when it most likely had something to do with her.

  He was reeling, no doubt about that. The information they’d just gotten wasn’t what they wanted to hear. They had found something in Roswell alright; the body of Henry Stubbs, the man they originally thought might be her stalker. Having it confirmed that he wasn’t their man wasn’t exactly the best news because now they were back at square one. Coop had held out hope that it would prove he was the one stalking her; only because that meant she didn’t have a serial killer/rapist after her.

  He was terrified; he couldn’t lose her. Not now that they’d found her. She was too important. She brought a lightness to their lives that was missing before. They were closer together than ever before. They needed her. He didn’t have to ask Dane how he felt; he only needed to look at him to know he was every bit enthralled with her as he was.

  Just the thought of losing her left him breathless and had his chest tightening to the point he could barely breathe. They weren’t sure how to tell her what had happened. Not knowing how she would react was the hardest part.

  She would ask questions, want to know how he died, and then she would blame herself. He knew that like he knew the sun would set every night. The torture he must have gone through, the pain and humiliation. Henry had been chopped up like a cow at slaughter. Body parts were all over an empty and abandoned warehouse. Blood sprayed across every surface. The worst part, though, was his dick and balls had been chopped off and shoved down his throat. The word MINE carved into his chest with a picture of Emily smiling and happy, literally nailed right underneath.

  So they remained silent. Knowing full well it would raise flags but not knowing how to tell her that it had happened. And not knowing what it meant for her. If he was totally honest with himself, he didn’t want her shedding another tear over this asshole. It broke his heart that she thought any of this was her fault. Or that she would try to walk away was his biggest fear. Thinking she was endangering them was unrealistic in his mind.

  Feeling her stare on him was mildly unnerving, and he could practically feel the questions rumbling through her mind in the rapid fire way he was sure she would throw them at them, too. He and Dane had decided that they would tell her once Linc and Creed got back to town the next day. That way they would have all the facts, and hopefully, more answers than they currently lacked at the moment. Plus, they knew how excited she was for her shopping trip with Kenny the next day, and they wanted her to have that little bit of normalcy before her world went upside down again.

  Clearing her throat, she tentatively asked, “Whe —- where are we going?”

  “Shit,” he whispered realizing their mistake the same time Dane obviously did when he grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing each of her knuckles.

  “We’re gonna grab the Chinese take-out we ordered and then head home for a quiet evening. Maybe help Coop unpack those boxes he had delivered today.”

  “Boxes?” She questioned, looking between them.

  “Uh, yeah. I had my stuff moved into Dane’s house today.” Coop answered sheepishly.

  “Oh,” she whispered with a frown marring her beautiful brows. “Why don’t you live together? With everything Keeley has told me, you guys have wanted to share a woman like Nate and Ty do.”

  “I don’t know that there’s an actual reason, really. We retired together but finding a place we could both fit,” he said as he laughed eyeing up Dane’s size, “was difficult when we first got out, so we had separate apartments. Then Dane found the house and bought it without telling me and here we are.” Coop explained, not ready divulge that he used to suffer from such severe nightmares that he was afraid he would hurt someone else if they tried waking him. He wasn’t lying, just omitting some of the truth in his answer.

  “Huh,” she replied.

  Catching Dane’s raised brow at his not so truthful answer, he shook his head slightly. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed or ashamed, it was more that he wor
ried that she might think of him as less of man. He suffered severe PTSD after leaving the Marines and it took him a few months before finally admitting it and getting the help he needed to cope day to day. He still had nightmares, just not as frequently or as bad as he used to.

  If it hadn’t been for Nate and Ty admitting to him that they had suffered as well and explaining what they went through, he might have never conceded to it. Some days he felt like Dane suffered more than he did because he had to watch his best friend slowly die inside. For as long as Coop could remember, Dane had been his rock; the one person he could trust with anything. But the nightmares debilitated him, left him cold and lifeless. At the time, he’d been ashamed of his weakness. Now he felt like it made him a stronger man.

  While he didn’t think Emily would judge him, he didn’t want her to have to worry about him either. They were so infrequent that he didn’t really think about them anymore.

  Shaking off his slightly morbid and depressing thoughts, they pulled up to the take-out place. Putting the truck in park, he said to them, “I’ll run in and grab it.” Hopping out he ran inside, bumping into the one person he had hoped to avoid for well… ever.

  “Cooper, baby.” She purred trying to grab his arm when he sidestepped her.

  “Cherise.” He nodded in greeting. Not wanting to encourage her, he turned his back and stepped up to the counter. “For Cooper Sheppard,” he said to the hostess. After handing him his food and paying the bill, he turned back around to see Cherise still standing there.