by Marla Monroe
Billy was on his heels faster than a well-trained puppy. Craig couldn’t talk. He was dogging Billy’s just as closely. Right then, seeing Kayley was all that mattered. He wanted to hold her hand and watch her breathe so he could be sure she was alive and safe.
When they reached the curtained off area, the deputy pointed to the right area and then turned and walked back out. Billy hesitated at the opening for a few seconds, his hands opening and closing over and over as he seemed to be trying to prepare himself to face her. Craig had no problem going on in, but he wasn’t going to rush his friend. Billy’s attitude would set the tone for how things progressed between the three of them. He’d give his friend all the time he needed to get himself under control.
“Knock, knock.” Billy announced them before he slipped past the curtain’s opening.
Craig followed and nearly ran into the other man. Looking around him, it was like a punch in the gut. Kayley lay back on a stretcher wearing an ugly, puke green gown with a crisp white sheet drawn up under her arms. She was pale in the bright overhead light so that the bruises, cuts, and scrapes stood out, as did the bulky bandage on her left hand.
“Kayley?” Billy asked in a soft voice.
Her eyes opened despite the left one being swollen and bruised. She smiled crookedly then closed her eyes again. Billy shuffled forward until he stood next to the stretcher where he lifted one hand and carefully brushed a strand of her hair away from her face.
Craig had to swallow hard at the condition she was in. He kept telling himself that she was alive and that it could have been so much worse. He quickly slammed the door on what all could have happened to her, not wanting to go there, especially with her there in the room. He couldn’t afford to take a chance at scaring her after what she had just been through. He never wanted Kayley to be afraid of either one of them.
Billy turned to look at him. His eyes were bright, but Billy was in control. He leaned closer to Craig.
“As soon as we get her home and settled at our place, I’ll go back and load everything up and bring it back.”
“I’ll go get it, Billy. Why don’t you stay with her?” As much as Craig wanted to be the one to watch over her, he felt that Billy needed to be close to her right now.
“No. I’m too upset. I’m scared I’ll upset her without meaning to. You know how I am. It will give me time to cool off and her some time to rest. Things are going to change for her now and you and I both know it’s not going to be easy.”
Craig sighed and nodded. Billy was right. Their Kayley would fight them all the way. It was obvious she’d given up on them and had made up her mind to move on. She’d balk at them telling her what she could and couldn’t do, even if she hadn’t decided to tell them to go to hell. Things were going to get spicy over the next few weeks. That was for damn sure.
* * * *
Kayley was so glad to leave the hospital. All she wanted to do was to go home and take a hot shower to wash away the last ten hours. Her head hurt bad enough that she was nauseous, despite all of the medications they’d given her. Hell, maybe she was nauseous because of the drugs. Lord knows they had given her plenty. At least she didn’t feel like her body wasn’t her own anymore. That had been the scariest part of it all.
She sat propped between Billy and Craig. They’d been there when she woke up and hadn’t left except to stand outside the curtain while the nurse had helped her to change into the scrubs they’d given her to go home in. They’d kept what was left of her clothes for evidence. Just remembering that much set her body to shaking all over again.
“Are you cold, baby?” Craig wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tighter against him.
“I’m okay.” But she wasn’t. Not really.
“We’re almost there, Kay-Kay. Just a few more minutes.” Billy had never spoken so carefully around her before. That alone was enough to worry her.
She hadn’t opened her eyes since they’d left the hospital. She just wanted to pretend she was heading back home after a really long ride and forget everything. If she could just get her head to stop going back over it over and over again.
She felt a slight bump then gravel. That wasn’t right. There was not gravel where she lived. Her eyes flew open, and she instantly recognized where they were.
“W–what are we doing out here?” Damn the quiver in her voice.
“You’re staying with us tonight, Kayley. I don’t think you need to be alone after…after being injured,” Billy said in a gruff voice. “Craig’s going to watch over you while I go load our gear and bring it back.”
“I’m sorry I messed up your camping trip. You could just take me home, and you’d still have the rest of the weekend.”
“Shh,” Craig whispered next to her ear. “None of that. You’re not messing anything up. There’s no way we’d leave you alone after this.”
“I–I could go stay with Bea,” she began.
“You said Bea was sick. She can’t look after you, and you sure don’t need to catch whatever is wrong with her in your condition, honey.” Billy pulled up under their carport and turned to look at her. “Everything is going to be fine, baby girl. You’re safe here, and we’ll look after you. Now let Craig help you inside.”
Kayley slowly nodded her head then turned to look at Craig. He smiled at her before removing her seat belt and opening the door. After stepping down from the cab, he turned and helped her out. Only he didn’t put her down to walk, despite the paper shoe covers they’d given her to wear at the hospital. He carried her around the truck and inside their house after Billy had unlocked the door.
She’d never actually been inside their home before. She’d driven by the place thousands of times when she just couldn’t help herself and had to see them, even if it was just their house. The rooms were dark with the occasional lamp illuminating the darkness. It wasn’t until they reached a bedroom that Billy flipped on the overhead light so they could all see.
Her mouth dropped at the sight of the massive oversized bed and heavy wood furniture. Hardwood floors with warm looking scatter rugs next to the bed and in front of the huge dresser looked perfect with the dark green comforter and drapes. The room was huge compared to her tiny bedroom at home. She couldn’t help but wonder which one of them it belonged to. Whose bed was she taking?
Billy pulled back the comforter and turned down dark gold sheets that looked silky soft. When Craig started toward the bed with the obvious intentions of tucking her in, she panicked. Not without a shower.
“Wait!”
Craig froze.
“What’s wrong, Kayley?” Bill asked.
“I’m dirty. I need a shower.”
“A little dirt isn’t going to hurt the bed, Kayley. You need to rest,” Craig said.
“No. I need to get them off of me. I can’t stand it.” She looked up at Craig then over at Billy, knowing there were tears in her eyes but not able to help it. “Please.”
Billy’s jaw tightened as the muscles around his mouth worked. Then he nodded at Craig. “I’m going to head out to the river. Don’t let her get hurt, Craig.”
As Craig headed toward a closed door, Kayley watched Billy walk out of the bedroom and gently close the door behind him. She felt as if he couldn’t stand to be around her. Maybe now it was even worse.
“Okay, Kay. I’m going to set you on the counter while I run a bath for you.” Craig eased her to the counter in the huge bathroom.
She looked around, having not noticed when he first turned on the light how big it was. The counter had three sinks and a huge whirlpool tub. There was what looked like a walk-in shower on the other side of the tub, but she couldn’t really see around the corner to tell.
“Can’t I take a shower?” she asked. She really didn’t want to sit in the dirty water.
“You’ll get your stitches wet in the shower. I’m going to help you with your bath so you don’t get them wet. I won’t hurt you, Kayley. Okay?” He looked so serious.
She d
rew in a deep breath and nodded. She trusted Craig with her life, Billy too, for that matter. He might not like her much, but he was a good man and would never hurt her. She knew that all the way to her soul.
“Since we can’t let your knee get wet either, I’m going to keep the water level low. When it gets dirty, I’ll let it out and run more. I’ll get you clean, babe. You can count on that.”
She smiled and nodded. Maybe Craig understood how much she needed to feel clean. Just washing away the dirt and mud wasn’t enough. She had to get the feel of their hands off of her. She’d never be able to rest if she didn’t.
When he turned off the water and stood up, she prepared herself for the feel of his hands pulling off her clothes. She didn’t want to flip out on him. It wasn’t his fault, and she knew, gut deep, that he wouldn’t hurt her. Still, the fear was there.
“So, what made you think about cutting your hair?” he asked as he carefully pulled the scrub top over her head, dropping it on the floor.
“I–I just needed a change, that’s all.”
Craig kept his eyes on her face as he helped her down from the counter and then loosened the drawstrings that held up the bottoms.
“It’s cute. I like it that way. I liked it long, too.”
The scrub bottoms slid down her hips to the floor. Kayley stepped out of them and pulled off the paper booties with her toes. Craig held her arms while she stepped over into the water, hissing at the sting to her feet.
“Do I need to add more cold water, baby? Is it too hot?” The worry in his voice tightened her throat.
“No. It’s fine. I just have some small cuts on my feet. The water is perfect.” She allowed him to ease her down into the water, making sure to keep her left hand and knee out of the water.
“Okay. I’m going to wash your back and neck while you wash the front. Don’t use that left hand.” Craig handed her a cloth and some soap.
Almost an hour later, after changing the water three times and then leaning back under the faucet for Craig to wash her hair for her, she stood next to the tub while he gently blotted her dry with a huge towel. He’d never once said or done anything inappropriate and had taken great measures to keep her nudity to a minimum by covering her with a smaller towel while he washed her hair. She had to fight to keep from crying at how cared for she felt.
“I think you’re good and dry, Kayley. Stay right here while I get something for you to sleep in. It’s warm in here with the door closed. I’ll be right back.”
“Craig?” She stepped toward him. She wanted to ask him not to leave her there alone, but how crazy was that.
“I’ll be right back. I promise.” He kissed the top of her head then slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
After what felt like forever, he walked back in carrying a Mississippi State short-sleeved T-shirt. When he gently lowered it over her head then helped her pull the towel out from under it, she figured it had to be his since it was huge. When she buried her nose in the neck of it, she was sure of it. It smelled like him, fresh air and leather with the hint of whatever laundry soap they used.
She’d always associated a darker scent of woods and warm summer nights with Billy. Craig was more like a spring day just after a rain. Both of them together never failed to make her wet and needy. Except for maybe this time. She wasn’t herself, though. Things would be different tomorrow, she told herself. She would be fine in the morning.
She wouldn’t let Craig carry her to bed. Instead, she allowed him to hover near her while she walked gingerly across the floor to climb up into the big bed. He waited while she settled down before he covered her, tucking them down around her. Then he kissed her forehead and turned off the light before returning to the bathroom to clean up.
Kayley lay awake, staring over at the bathroom door where a thin line of light escaped beneath the bottom of the door. As long as she could see the light, she knew he was in there and she wasn’t alone. She felt silly for not wanting to be alone, but she couldn’t help it. Maybe going home by herself wouldn’t have been okay after all.
When Craig walked out of the bathroom, he left the light on and cracked the door so that the room wasn’t totally dark. Then he walked over to one of the chairs on the other side of the bed and sat down. Kayley realized that he wasn’t leaving her alone. She relaxed with a sigh and closed her eyes.
Chapter Seven
Billy unloaded the last of their things and stretched. It was closing in on five in the morning. He was exhausted and filthy. He needed a shower and something to eat before he went to bed. Instead of stopping off in the kitchen, he continued down the hall and carefully opened the door to the master suite where they’d taken Kayley. Craig stood up and stretched then walked quietly across the room to join him in the hall.
“How’s she doing?” Billy asked.
“She’s been asleep for about an hour now. I was afraid she was going to scrub her skin off before she finally agreed that she was clean, though.” Craig rubbed his face. “Is everything unloaded? Do I need to put anything away?”
“Naw, everything’s done. I just wanted to check on her before I took a shower and fixed us something to eat.”
“Get in the shower. I’ll make some sandwiches.” Craig headed down the hall.
Billy stared at the door where Kayley was safe in their bed. No one had ever been in that room before. They had their own rooms, and when they had a woman over, they had always used one of them. Maybe he’d always known they would settle down one day and want the room untouched. Now they were doing just that.
With that thought, he walked to his room and stripped as soon as the door was closed. The thought of a nice hot shower sounded like heaven. He quickly washed up and rinsed off before pulling on a pair of boxer shorts. He reached for his jeans, but the sound of Kayley screaming down the hall had him out the door and the six feet to her door in less than a second.
Throwing open the door, Billy raced into the room to find Kayley tossing and turning in the bed, whimpering like a child. He quickly pulled her into his arms and whispered to her that she was safe. Craig ran in before he’d even managed to sit back down on the bed.
“Nightmare?” the other man asked.
“Yeah.” He rocked Kayley in his arms. “You’re safe, baby girl. Wake up. It’s just a dream. Wake up, Kayley.”
Finally her eyes opened, wide and wild. She stared up at Billy then over at Craig before she stopped shaking. Her breathing slowly returned to normal, so Billy started to ease her off his lap and back to the bed. She clung to him like a spider monkey.
“Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.” Her voice broke, breaking his heart.
Billy closed his eyes and held her tightly against his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head. He wasn’t going to leave her like this.
“Shhh, baby girl. I’m here. I’m not going to leave you.” He looked up, and Craig nodded as he backed out of the room.
“It was so real. They were right here. They’d found me again,” she whimpered.
“It’s not real. They can’t get you here. Besides, they’re in jail. You’re safe, Kayley. I’d never let anything happen to you. You know that, right?” he asked.
She looked up at him with solemn eyes. Finally she nodded.
“Let’s get you settled in the bed. I won’t leave you, but you’re going to get cold.” Billy eased her toward the middle and pulled the cover up over both of them.
He hadn’t planned on sleeping with her, especially without clothes on. He just hoped he could maintain control of his wayward body until she went back to sleep. She didn’t need him poking her with his hard dick after what she’d just been through.
Five minutes later, Craig walked through the door carrying a box. Billy frowned up at him.
What the fuck? He mouthed at his friend.
Craig grinned and sat the box on the chair he’d been sitting in, handing Billy a beer and two sandwiches. He pulled out another beer and two more sandwiches
before setting the box on the floor and sitting down to eat.
Before he’d taken the first bite, Kayley’s head popped up.
“Can I have a bite?” she asked.
Billy immediately gave her the sandwich and picked up the other one. She didn’t even bother to see what kind it was before starting to eat like someone starved. Hell, she probably was. It was time for breakfast, and she’d fought for her life the night before.
After she’d managed to eat half of it, she looked up at him and handed him the rest of it with a tentative smile.
“That’s all I can eat. I’m sorry.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said, then finished off her sandwich, earning him a broader smile from her.
“I bet you’re thirsty,” Craig said standing up. “I’ll bring you back something to drink. I’d offer you some of my beer, but I don’t think that’s a good idea with all the medicine they gave you back at the hospital.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at Craig then relaxed back on the bed again.
Billy handed his friend his plate and empty bottle. When he started to get up, Kayley wrapped her arm around his and held on. He looked down at her to find her wide eyed with worry. She obviously didn’t want him to leave her. He slid back down in the bed and was almost immediately covered in Kayley. She rested her head on his chest and had one arm thrown over his belly in seconds.
When Craig returned, she rolled off of him to drain the glass of tea he’d brought, then handed the empty glass back before wrapping herself around Billy once again. Craig gave him an amused smile before hurrying out of the room. His day would come, Billy vowed.
Thirty minutes later, Craig returned wearing a pair of black boxers. The other man climbed into the bed on the other side of Kayley and snuggled up to her back. Was he crazy? She’d flip when she woke up between the two of them.