The American Soldier Collection 8: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
Ellie Morison has survived assault and the loss of her only family member, her uncle. Trusting men is complicated, and she avoids them by absorbing herself in her work. When she meets four brothers, things change. As one of their exes tries to stir some trouble, Ellie finds herself defending them, and the soldier, Hunter, an amputee with a look of anger and distrust in his eyes she can relate to and connect with.
Ellie finds herself starting to like the four men, Justice, Hunter, Mace, and Seno Lawson, who make her feel special and protected. As Justice investigates a series of murders, and suspects her latest client, a wealthy man who wants to bed Ellie, trouble emerges, and so does Ellie's past, threatening to destroy any hope of a happy ending.
They are all survivors, but it seems their last fight may do them all in as a serial killer’s determination is relentless, and these five lovers are still holding onto their pasts instead of the promise of what could be in their future, together.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romantic Suspense
Length: 56,010 words
THE AMERICAN SOLDIER COLLECTION 8: SHE LOVES ME, SHE LOVES ME NOT
Dixie Lynn Dwyer
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
THE AMERICAN SOLDIER COLLECTION 8: SHE LOVES ME, SHE LOVES ME NOT
Copyright © 2014 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-651-1
First E-book Publication: April 2014
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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DEDICATION
Dear loyal readers, thank you for purchasing this legal copy of The American Soldier Collection 8: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not.
How do you take a chance when you’re so fearful? Can love really conquer all life throws at you, just as time tests everyone’s vulnerability? Can relying so much on others cause you to lose yourself? When the attraction is so strong, the bond incredibly pure, and the fears similarly shared by those you’re taking a chance on, is it worth it in the end?
Taking that chance, gaining that strength may help you face what’s yet to come. Having others alongside you, lending support, experiencing the same risks, may just be powerful enough to conquer it all.
Join Ellie, Mace, Hunter, Seno, and Justice as they face the demons of their pasts, and learn to take a chance on love, on vulnerability, and ultimately their last shot at happiness.
Happy Reading!
Hugs!
~Dixie~
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
About the Author
THE AMERICAN SOLDIER COLLECTION 8: SHE LOVES ME, SHE LOVES ME NOT
DIXIE LYNN DWYER
Copyright © 2014
Prologue
Ellie Morrison walked into the board meeting with confidence and attitude. She’d landed this job because she was creative, thought out of the box, and loved people. Her boss, Ernest, was not easy to please. But when most rubbed him the wrong way, Ellie seemed to say and do exactly what he expected from a loyal, capable employee.
She still felt self-conscious when men checked her out or tried to flirt, and especially in the workplace. Her therapist, Kate Rutherford, told her it would take time for that anxiety to ease. It had been four months since Paul assaulted her, and a year and six months since she lost her uncle Brian, her only relative, in a robbery gone badly.
She swallowed hard, tapped the stack of manila folders filled with the documents she’d worked on for weeks just for this meeting today.
“Gentlemen, it brings me great pleasure to present to you today, our ideas for the launch of your new state-of-the-art restaurant franchise.” She started to hand out the folders, and the seven men watched her, nodded, and took the folders. They opened them immediately, and she saw the instant surprise and, she hoped, excitement in their eyes.
“Miss Morrison, these are quite extraordinary ideas,” Luke Phillips said. He was Renaldo Sentinel’s right-hand man, his personal assistant, and his bodyguard. Renaldo was an entrepreneur, a multimillionaire with hands in many different businesses including imports and exports. He had wanted to incorporate some specific things that portrayed his personal love, in each restaurant. It hadn’t been easy to come up with an idea that would still be appealing to the eye and not so overdone with
artwork.
“Well, Mr. Phillips, Mr. Sentinel wanted to incorporate some Venetian artwork into the restaurants. There are many bold colors, very detailed images that could be used throughout the restaurants without being overpowering. These are just preliminary ideas, but I am certain we can find exactly what Mr. Sentinel is looking for,” she stated.
Renaldo Sentinel watched her intently. He was a very attractive man, with black slicked-back hair, and deep gray eyes. He was definitely an eye-catcher, and boy did he know it. In the short period of time she had known him, she had seen him with five different women. It was obvious that the bachelor was a ladies’ man.
“I’m not certain this is what Renaldo is looking for,” Luke added.
“Luke, I think that Ellie has done a wonderful job. I like the ideas, but I’m not certain on the preliminary architectural designs. Venetian art can be incorporated in numerous ways. However, I do prefer the more eye-catching images. Scenes of people in action, the gondolas, the masks and brilliant gold color. Perhaps it would serve you well, Ellie, to accompany me to Tratorra’s. This Saturday, seven o’clock good for you? I can have my driver pick you up.”
She wasn’t completely shocked. She was used to Mr. Sentinel’s controlling ways. But she wasn’t going to fall into instant obedience. After all, she didn’t want him thinking that she could be his next fling. So she followed her gut.
“I’ll have to check my schedule. I’ll call Luke later today. Now how about we get back to the files, and discuss the numbers. I believe they will be more than satisfactory and most importantly below your budget limit. That being said, we should still have room for any potential cosmetic changes.”
Renaldo stared at her, and Luke, well, he just seemed annoyed.
“We can discuss it over dinner, Saturday. I’ll have my people look over the contracts and I’ll sign them then so we can get moving on construction and so forth,” he said, standing up, ending the meeting minutes after it only got started.
She felt as if the wind was knocked out of her and one look at her boss and she saw that he was just as shocked.
“Don’t you have more questions?” Ernest Westerly, asked, rising so he could shake Renaldo’s hand good-bye.
Renaldo smiled and looked at Ellie. “If I have any questions, I’m certain that Ellie will be able to answer them. I must go now. I have another meeting across town in thirty minutes.” He left the room with his entourage, leaving Ellie, Ernest, and three other employees standing there in shock.
“That man has got a set on him,” Cecile stated with an attitude as she grabbed her laptop and binder before heading out of the room.
“Why didn’t you accept his invite to dinner, Ellie? A lot is riding on this contract. Three million dollars,” Ernest stated.
She looked at him as she gathered up her stuff. “Earnest, need I remind you that I’m not a perk to doing business with this firm.”
“Ellie, you know that’s not what I mean. Of course you’re not. I mean, it’s obvious that he likes you, and well, he is a very well-known man.”
“Please. I’m not interested. I don’t date, remember?” She started to walk from the room.
“We need this contract, Ellie. We’re one job away from laying off workers because it’s been so slow. If we land this job, we’re set for quite some time, never mind the publicity we’ll get, which means more high profile clients.”
She knew that construction and development firm was struggling. But they were still pretty well off.
“I’m still not going to lead him on in order to get this gig. He said he would sign the contracts.”
“Yes, at dinner with you Saturday night. Clear your schedule. Although I know you don’t have any plans.”
“Fine. I’ll clear my schedule, and I’ll go out with Renaldo, but if I get us this contract, I expect one hefty bonus check for snagging this job. And I mean big, Ernest. I don’t like playing games, and I certainly don’t like being bossed around.” She gave him a stern expression and then headed out of the room wondering how the hell she got herself into this.
Chapter 1
“I said that I’m fine. Just leave me the hell alone!” Hunter yelled at his brothers before limping from the room.
Justice ran his fingers through his wavy blond hair, and then looked at Seno and Mace, his younger siblings.
“I don’t get it. Is it me or is his attitude getting worse again?” Justice asked.
“It’s getting worse again. He’s in pain from overdoing it at the gym. You know that puts him in a wicked mood,” Seno said, and then poured the rest of his coffee down the drain.
“I thought he was past trying to prove himself to the world. What happened to Ray Anne?” Justice asked.
Mace snorted. “That bitch. I didn’t like her at all. I could tell that she was using him.”
“Hell, Mace, we know that she was using him but figured he was using her, too. It’s not easy for him to just jump into bed with any woman. Not with his hang-up about his leg.”
“Justice, we’ve seen the signs before. The self-destruction, the drinking, the pushing over the limit. We don’t need him relapsing. Quantum won’t take him back into the unit if Hunter fucks this up again,” Mace stated.
Justice thought about that a moment. If it weren’t for Quantum, the whole lot of them wouldn’t even be alive right now. Their team leader, their commander from the military, helped Justice, Seno, and Mace to save Hunter when he was captured and tortured by insurgents. Hunter had survived a roadside bomb when the rest of his team hadn’t. Then he was dragged through the streets and held captive for three weeks. It took Quantum and some friends in the government to locate Hunter and then to initiate a secret plan to go in and get him out of there. Justice, Seno, and Mace would never forget that mission, or the heartache and the difficulty they faced seeing their brother, the youngest of the four of them, cut up, bloodied, and dying. They all had the scars to prove that mission took place, but Hunter had the ultimate one, a prosthetic leg.
“I’ll talk to him in a little while. You know, try to settle him down, find out about Ray Anne. We also have plans to meet Quentin, Axel, Deacon, and L.T. at Casper’s tonight,” Mace reminded him.
“Oh yeah, damn, I forgot about that. Quentin called last night and said that Mariah and her friends were meeting for drinks at Ray Ray’s down the street and then would head over to Casper’s,” Justice added.
“I’m surprised they even let Mariah out of their sights,” Mace stated and chuckled. They all did.
“Like you wouldn’t act the same way if you had a girlfriend who looked like Mariah and after everything she went through and was nearly killed?” Justice asked. He felt that twinge of need in his chest. He and his brothers were close, but their lives, their pasts were so fucked up they feared intimacy. That was why they never took any woman seriously and pretty much stayed away from the ones who wanted to latch on. It was easier to not feel anything than it was to risk feeling something for a woman only for her to let him down. There wasn’t a woman he could count on, but his brothers he always could.
“You’re right. If we found the perfect woman who had all the qualities and things we each desired, she’d be right beside one of us at all times or at minimum in bed where we could thoroughly keep an eye on her,” Mace stated.
Seno laughed. “That didn’t quite work out with Renee did it, bro?” Seno teased Mace.
“Renee was fun, and I enjoyed the time we spent together but she wasn’t right for us,” Mace replied.
“She was never right for you either,” Justice added.
That bitch was so rude to Hunter. She made comments about his prosthetic, and about him not being whole. Justice was glad that Mace saw through her hurtful, true colors and got rid of her. A lot of women were like that. Superficial, not empathetic, and just not knowledgeable of the mental and physical difficulties involved with having a prosthetic leg. Their brother was whole, and he was more than capable of handling anything any of the
rest of them could handle. Proving that all the time led to days like today when Hunter was in pain from overdoing it at work and helping to train other soldiers like himself to defend themselves minus a limb or two.
“Yeah, definitely talk to him and calm him down, or he’s going to be hell to deal with tonight at Casper’s,” Justice stated.
They were all quiet for a minute until Mace spoke. “Do you even think it’s possible to find someone who could accept Hunter for who he is?”
Justice looked at Mace and then Seno. “Oh, I think it’s possible, but I’m starting to wonder if Hunter can ever open himself up to that kind of vulnerability and allow someone in. He’s been stuck in a wounded, defensive soldier state of mind for more than three years now. It’s going to take a miracle and someone with a hell of a lot of courage to break him down.”
“Thanks for knocking the wind out of my sails, Justice,” Mace replied.
Seno snorted. “A woman as perfect as that may not exist, and we may need to make the decision none of us have been wanting to make.”
“I’m not giving up on Hunter. We didn’t back down then when they said to forget about him, that he was as good as dead. I’m sure as hell not giving up on him now. He’ll come around, and if we find that woman we’ve been hoping to find for us to share and feel complete with, then Hunter will have to be part of it. It’s the kind of relationship that would work best for all of us just as it has for our friends. Soldiers who have been what we’ve been through, brothers who’ve served in the field of battle like we did don’t know any other way but together, one team one unit.”
The American Soldier Collection 8: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 1