“I’m fine. I just appreciate how much you all care, and every day I love it more and more that we’re together. That Benny and I have men we can count on for love and support and protection, and I think I can finally feel happy and safe.”
“You think?” Pierce asked and stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. He cupped her head and hair and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“I know,” she said and he kissed her, and she kissed him right back.
“I’ll order the pizza. You guys go pick out the paint and stuff and we’ll get it done together. Then in a couple of days, once the smell of fresh paint is out of the room, we can move Benny’s crib in. Kendrick and Pierce were working on a high-tech monitoring system so that we can all hear him when he wakes or needs something,” Tex said.
“What?” she asked when Pierce released her lips.
He ran his hand over her ass and gave it a tap.
“Your soldiers are resourceful,” he said and winked, then suckled against her neck. She held onto his big muscles and then pulled back.
“Oh wait. We were going to do some more training in self-defense. I was getting good at that stuff,” she said.
“We can teach you at home. In the bedroom,” Pierce told her.
“In the bedroom?” she asked, pulling back.
“Oh yeah. Very complex and sneaky tactics,” Lou said and then slid his hand under her shirt and to her breast, cupping it.
“Lou!” she exclaimed and they all laughed.
“My kind of training. Good idea, bro. Let’s move,” Tex said and they gathered their things and headed out. Vye shook her head and felt her cheeks warm, but she held onto Pierce’s arm, hugging him as Frankie joined them. Something told Vye there would be no painting getting done tonight at all.
* * * *
Bailey, Turbo, Brady, and Cobra arrived at the apartment building just as Grisha arrived. They weren’t the only ones there tracking down Murdock to a woman’s apartment. Creagan, Nuvon’s main security guy, was there, and so were a bunch of police and paramedics.
They got out of the SUV at the end of the block after pulling up alongside Creagan’s SUV.
“What’s going on here?” Turbo asked Creagan, but Creagan looked right at Grisha. Bailey listened and just kept his mouth closed. These men were intense. Creagan was a mean-ass-looking dude with a scar down his cheek.
“Grisha, you didn’t need to travel so far for this. I have it covered,” Creagan said to him.
“I’m here. What do you have?” he asked.
“Two men who did some work for Nuvon had access to inventory lists and such. They did some side work for the boss. My associate, she came across some information and we were just coming by to check this lead when we came upon the scene,” Creagan said.
“Where is your assistant and what did you find out?” Grisha asked in a thick, Russian accent.
Creagan looked down the block and Bailey noticed a very attractive woman with straight, long brown hair walking toward them. She was dressed in a slim-fitting black business dress that hugged her figure. She looked classy and confident until she seemed to lock gazes with Grisha, and then she shyly looked away and pushed her hair behind her hair before she approached.
“What did the cops say?” Creagan asked.
She looked at Grisha and nodded, like she knew who he was and showed respect for him. Then Creagan squinted like that pissed him off, but that was just Bailey’s observation.
“A woman, Gay Colon, was beaten and knocked unconscious after some men broke into the apartment. Nothing was stolen, but the place was ransacked like they were looking for something. The one detective mentioned her only having family in Texas and that they were looking up a woman named Ella Brazzos. That’s all I got.”
Bailey looked at Cobra and knew that it was Tex’s woman’s aunt who’d been beaten up.
“When did this happen?” Bailey asked. The woman looked at him.
“When?” Grisha asked, eying her over.
“Two days ago, they think. They aren’t sure. The woman is in bad shape,” Anastasia said.
“Bailey, Tex’s girlfriend, this is her aunt’s place and she was involved with Murdock. You better contact Tex. If this happened two days or more ago, and he knows we’re all onto him and his buddies, he could be heading to Texas or already there,” Turbo said to Bailey.
“This is fucking crazy. Can this Tex guy and your friends handle Murdock and his buddies?” Grisha asked.
“They’re soldiers. Special Forces, and this dick abused and is after their woman. What do you think?” Bailey asked, then picked up the phone and called Tex, explaining the situation and the fact that they didn’t know how long her aunt had been hurt and alone in the apartment, but they assumed it was days.
Chapter Ten
They were all enjoying the town festival and the picnic they set up around all their friends. They’d picked a nice spot by the sheriff’s department that had both shade and sun. Everyone was there—Laverty, Ford, Ghost, Evan, Lois, baby Connor, and the kids. Their dads, John, Bane, Scott, and their wife, Dora. Valentina and her men and the kids, as well as their other friends.
Tex was talking with Ford and Ghost, along with Frankie and Pierce. He could see Vye walking Benny in the stroller and heading down the sidewalk with Kenny tagging along.
“Looks like you guys are being replaced right now with Kenny for a stroll,” Ford said and Ghost chuckled.
“That boy has been obsessed with Benny and Vye since they came to Salvation,” Ghost stated.
“He’s a good kid,” Frankie said and Tex smiled.
“Did Ford tell you the story about the day Lois went into labor?” Ghost asked Tex and Frankie.
“No, he didn’t,” Tex said.
“Oh, you’re going to get a kick out of this one,” Ford said and began to explain about Kenny’s concerns over Vye and Benny and how he’d told Ford that he needed to assign the McCann brothers as her guardians. They looked at Vye the way Ford and his brothers look at his mommy Lois. The men chuckled as Vye and Kenny disappeared around the corner.
“That explains the sit-down Kenny asked us for earlier today,” Tex said.
“What sit down?” Ghost asked.
Frankie chuckled.
“You didn’t catch sight of the deep discussion we all had with him by the lake?” Frankie asked and smirked.
“Oh boy. That kid is too much. What exactly did you all talk about?” Ford asked.
“Seems he may take over your job Ford, when you’re ready to retire,” Tex said and Frankie laughed.
“I have got to hear this,” Ghost said and Ford narrowed his eyes and looking serious. It made Tex chuckle, but then they told him about the conversation and how Kenny laid down the law and made sure they knew how to be patient and understanding to a woman who had been abused and treated badly. They were shocked at how much the poor boy had witnessed of his own mom’s abuse. It made them think about how lucky Benny was not to be exposed to his violent father, or the circumstances of that life back in Pennsylvania. It just made them feel even more protective of Vye and Benny. They gained a great deal of respect for a nine-year-old little boy like Kenny.
* * * *
It was quiet and Vye and Kenny were walking back down the sidewalk toward the main event and crowds of people while Kenny was pushing the stroller.
“I like Tex, Kendrick, Pierce, Frankie, and Lou. They’re good men, and they love you a whole bunch,” Kenny told her and she smiled.
“That noticeable, huh?” she asked, knowing how in tune Kenny was to everything that was going on. He was so smart and caring. Lois and the men were lucky to have such a great son. In fact, she noticed most kids around here seemed respectful and kind. It was a small town. A very close knit one and it made it even more special of a place.
“Benny is going to have five dads who will love him, play ball with him, and teach him lots of cool stuff like my dads taught me and Waylan,” he said to her, and she smiled.<
br />
“I hope so. They really seem to love Benny and he likes them, too. Gets all excited and babbles, raises his hands out for them to pick him up whenever they approach. It’s comforting,” she said and then noticed a car ahead with tinted windows, and a man standing outside of it, right across the street from where they were walking. As they passed, the window rolled down and she gasped. Oh, God, no. Murdock.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Kenny asked as the car door opened.
“Kenny, get Benny out of here. Get him to your dad, to Tex and my men, now.”
“Wait. Why? Who is that?” he asked. She looked down at Kenny with tears in her eyes and a serious, firm expression.
“He’ll hurt Benny. You have to save him. I’ll distract him. Hurry,” she said and pressed against Kenny’s back. The boy walked quickly, pushing the stroller and glancing over his shoulder. She took a deep breath. She had feared this day would come. What would he do? What would he say to her? Would he want to hurt Benny? Take him? She glanced up the sidewalk. Kenny was far ahead and disappearing into the crowd.
Murdock closed the space between them, eyed her over, and grabbed her arm.
“Let go of me,” she demanded and yanked her arm free.
He lifted his shirt, revealing the gun.
“I’ll start shooting fucking people. You think I fucking care?” he said and pulled her along toward the car.
“Why are you here? I left and you wanted nothing to do with me.”
“That’s not how this works,” he said and pulled her close, inhaled against her neck, and ran his hand over her ass. “Fuck, baby, you look damn good. Super fucking sexy. I missed you,” he said to her and she pushed away, only for him to grab her arm hard, instantly causing bruises. She glanced over her shoulder. She didn’t want anyone getting hurt over her. These people in this town were good people.
“I can’t fucking wait,” he said and pulled her past the car and toward the side of the building. He shoved her ahead of him and she fell to her knees, crying out as her legs scraped against the ground.
He was licking his lips and then snorting like he’d just done coke or something. Anger pooled in her belly. That hatred so raw and intense, she hated like never before. Her happiness was at stake here. Her life with her men, with Benny, was all jeopardized by this man and what he thought he had a right to.
“Stay away from me, Murdock. I don’t belong to you anymore.”
“Oh, you think so. Do you?” he asked and grabbed her dress, ripping the material as he pulled her close. She struck him. Right in the throat, stunning him. As she ran past, Detrix was there, pointing a gun at her.
“I don’t think so, honey. We traveled far to get here to you. I was promised a nice, sweet piece of ass like you and I’m going to get it,” Detrix said as strong arms wrapped around her waist, and a hand cupped her breast hard.
“Ouch!” she cried out, struggling to get free.
“You bitch. You’ve forgotten where your place is,” Murdock said as he lifted her up and pulled her back between the buildings. She screamed and kicked at him and then remembered the training her men had given her. Where were the men? Hadn’t Kenny gotten to them by now?
She slammed her head up and back hard, hitting Murdock in the nose. He grunted and then yelled. He dropped her to the ground and kicked her. When he reached down to pull her up. He struck her in the face just as she saw the gun in his waistband and Detrix walking closer, gun still on her. She didn’t care. She wasn’t letting these men rape her or destroy what she had here in Salvation.
As he bent down again, she reached for the gun and then fell back to the ground, her face throbbing, her lip bleeding. She fired the weapon. Murdock raged as the bullet hit his shoulder and he attacked.
* * * *
Tex’s phone started ringing and, glancing down, he saw it was Bailey calling. As he answered, his eyes locked onto the sidewalk and Kenny running, pushing the stroller alone.
“What the hell?” Frankie said and took off with Ford and Ghost. Kenny was yelling.
“Bailey?”
“Get your woman and her baby. Her ex could be there. Him and his crew of shit beat up her aunt and left her for dead.”
“Fuck. He’s here. I have to go.” He ended the call and ran.
“It’s two men in a car. Vye told me to get Benny away from them as quickly as possible and get help. She’s in trouble, Daddy.”
“Where? Where is she?” Frankie asked.
“Down the block across from the post office,” he said and Ella came running over with Lois and the others.
“Hurry,” Ford said as Kendrick, Pierce, Frankie, Tex, Lou, and a bunch of other men started running down the street, guns drawn. When they heard the gunshot, Tex felt his heart drop to his stomach.
“Vye!” he yelled out as they got around the corner, saw the man with the gun, and more shots rang out.
* * * *
“You fucking bitch!” Murdock roared and jumped at her. Vye fired the gun again and again and rolled to her side. She’d gotten up when the next shot rang out, and something slammed into her shoulder and sent her forward to the ground. Two more shots went off. She realized as she lay face down on the ground and that she felt numb aside from the pain in her shoulder, which was excruciating.
“Vye. Oh fuck, he shot her. Call and ambulance!” Frankie yelled out and was down next to her.
“What a fucking mess. She killed him. I got the other one,” Ford said and she could hear the radios going off and sirens blaring.
Frankie and Tex were there.
“Benny?” she asked, voice cracking and tears rolling down her cheeks.
“He’s okay. Kenny did as you said and got him away from trouble. Oh, God, baby. We should have been protecting you,” Frankie said.
“It hurts,” she moaned and cried harder.
“Let me see. Carefully roll her over,” Lou said and she moaned and grunted.
“Fuck. There’s so much fucking blood,” Pierce stated. Lou ripped off his shirt. She saw all the men around her, and then Lou pushed the material of her dress to the side and pulled off his shirt and applied pressure. “It looks like it went right through. Where’s the fucking ambulance?” he asked.
Frankie caressed her cheek.
“Just relax. You’re going to be okay,” he said.
“Murdock?” she asked.
“Dead,” Tex stated.
“I wouldn’t let him take me, Frankie. I wasn’t leaving you guys or Salvation. Benny and I love it here,” she said and felt cold and dizzy. She shivered.
“Paramedics are here. Let them in, Lou,” Tex said and then she closed her eyes and leaned back. She wasn’t going to die. She wasn’t going to leave her men. Benny deserved to have his mamma and dads that will love him.
“You stay strong, baby. We need you,” Pierce said to her.
She must have passed out or something, because she felt her body jerk and then she was being lifted into an ambulance on a stretcher.
“I’m not going anywhere. Wait for me. I love you,” she said to them.
The paramedics were talking to her and tending to the bullet wound. She heard them say different things over the radio as sirens blared and the ambulance took off to the hospital. She kept her eyes closed and thought of her men and of Benny. Murdock was dead. He could never hurt her or her family ever again. Never.
Epilogue
The sound of Benny crying woke Vye up from a deep sleep. She started to move when a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer.
“Don’t even think about it,” Tex said, then kissed her forehead and then the scar she had from the bullet wound. She blinked her eyes and stared at him as lips kissed her shoulder from behind her.
“Lou’s turn, remember?” Frankie asked and smoothed his palm up her thigh to her belly. She closed her eyes and relaxed between them.
“What time is it?” she asked a few minutes later.
“Almost seven,” Kendrick said from
the doorway.
She adjusted herself between Tex and Frankie, cringing as her shoulder ached.
“Stay in bed a little longer,” Tex ordered.
“I’m awake now, especially with these two hard things pressing up against my ass and my belly,” she said and Tex chuckled.
“You aren’t tired from the long night of lovemaking?” Frankie asked, cupping her breast and kissing along her neck. She shook her head and eased back against him just as Tex started to lower his mouth to her breast. As his hot mouth suckled her nipple, she moaned.
“I’m awake, too,” Pierce stated joining Kendrick in the room. Her men all gathered around her, kissing her softly, caressing her body. She wanted more. Craved more, despite the pain she was still in. It had only been a month. She was excited though. Aunt Gay was able to travel now and she was going to move out to Salvation, right down the road from the farm. She was going to babysit Benny as Vye finished her college degree and worked at the training center with her men.
She moaned as Tex suckled her clit and then slid a finger up into her pussy.
“Yes. Oh, that feels perfect,” she said and Frankie chuckled.
“Damn, baby. I love you so much,” Frankie said and kissed her lips.
“As do we. I’ve got the lube. That ass is mine this time,” Kendrick said.
“Me next,” Pierce stated and then it was on. Tex grabbed her hips and rolled to his back, taking her with him. She gasped, and then pushed away the feelings of aches and pains from her shoulder and focused on her men, their bodies, and those thick, hard cocks of theirs. She was in heaven. She lifted up and aligned her pussy with Tex’s cock and slid down over his thick, hard cock. He moaned and so did she.
Hands landed on her hips and then she felt the cool liquid and then Kendrick’s mouth on her shoulder.
“I love making love to you, woman.”
They all mumbled in agreement and then she felt fingers of lube press into her ass as Tex began to thrust upward. She rocked her hips and rode him, then pressed back against Kendrick’s fingers.
The American Soldier Collection 18: This Cradle Won't Fall (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 13