Cole walked over to sit next to Max who was sitting in one of the chairs across from Brielle. "Is there anything we can do for you right now? Are you comfortable?" He asked.
"I am fine, Cole. Thanks. I am just so glad to finally be home they aren't kidding when they say there is no place like it." She laughed.
"No, they definitely aren't kidding."
"Brielle, honey, dad just called and needs some help down at the restaurant. Do you think you would be ok if I left you here to Cole and Max while I went down to help out for a little while?" Turning to Cole with a knowing look she asked "You two wouldn't mind, would you?" When they shook their heads she then added "I didn't think so. I have soup in the fridge and a loaf of Brielle's favorite bread on the counter should she get hungry while I am gone. Here is my cell number if you need me for anything and the number to the restaurant just in case." She handed the slip of paper to Cole and then walked over to kiss Brielle on the head. "You rest honey and let these two take care of you. I will call to check in soon. I love you."
"Love you too mom. Tell dad I love him and I will talk to you later."
Her mom walked to the door, blew Brielle a kiss and winked at Max and Cole before closing the door softly behind her. Max and Cole both turned back to Brielle with a shocked look on their faces.
"Did you tell your mom? Does she know about us I mean?" Cole asked.
"No, I didn't tell my mom, yet. But I will. My mom and dad are very open minded people so I know they will understand. I don't think she would have a problem, she seems to like you guys too which is great. Besides, my mom has some kind of a "gift" that allows her to see things in the future. Other people don't believe me when I tell them but it is true. She cannot see everything, but she sees a lot of things before they happen and has scared me sometimes when she tells me. When you get to know her you will find that out. Where her and my dad grew up people are born with these different gifts and her gift just happen to be sight."
"But you are their only child, and a daughter at that. You don't think they will be upset when you tell them that you have decided to date two guys at once?" Max asked.
"I don't think she will be upset at all. As a matter of fact, I think they'll be thrilled that I have 2 guys that are willing to care for me. Wait until you meet my uncle Joe." She smiled after saying that.
"Who is your uncle Joe?" Cole asked. The more Brielle talked the more he wanted to know. There was a sort of mystery surrounding her that excited him.
"He is Dani's dad. And I guess I should tell you right now that when I say I am an only child I mean that I am my mom and dad's only child, but Dani is my half sister really. My uncle Joe is her dad, and she is the only child of my mom and uncle Joe. Does that help explain to you guys why my mom and dad would be ok with me seeing both of you?"
"Wait, you are telling us that your mom had an affair with your uncle?" Max asked.
"Not an affair like you are thinking. My mom, dad and uncle have been in a relationship since they were teenagers. But my mom was legally married to my dad about 25 years ago. My uncle lives with them. Dani is a year and a couple of months younger than I am."
"Oh my God! So you are saying that you were raised with two dads?" Cole asked in surprise.
"Yes, I was raised with 2 dads and one sister. However, when we are in public they are my uncle and cousin. My mom and dad grew up with my uncle Joe. They both loved my mom and she loved them both. Dad and uncle Joe decided that since they couldn't both be married to her that she would marry my dad and they had a commitment ceremony with the three of them. I always thought my mom was lucky to find two guys who could love her and care for her the way that they do. I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that I would ever be put in a situation where I would be dating, seeing, or however you want to label it, two men at once."
"Well, to be honest, I never thought I would find someone like you and be willing to share her. But since I have and it is with Max, I don't think I could feel any luckier."
"Cole and I both grew up with 2 dads too so I guess the three of us have something in common." Max laughed. "So that would explain why it wasn't so difficult for you to accept our proposition that you date both of us, huh?"
"Well, to be honest, it was a little hard for me. I mean, look at you guys. You are gorgeous! Having one man that looks like you two is one thing but having two of you? Now that is a girl's fantasy."
"Brielle sweetheart, have you looked in the mirror lately? Even with your bruises you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. And the more we spend time together the more I see your inner radiance. I am just surprised you don't already have a guy around that we have to fight off in order for us to be in the picture." Cole said.
"Ha! Ha! You are very funny. I happen to look in the mirror every day so I know what you are saying isn't even close to being true but I thank you all the same for your attempt at flattery."
"Brielle, if you even knew what I think about when I see you or hear your voice you wouldn't doubt one word of what I just said. And I promise you one thing right now, I will always be honest with you no matter what. I never want to hurt you and I know how much lies can hurt."
I leaned back in the chair and stretched my legs. How in the world this beauty could doubt herself I would never understand. She had long, midnight black hair that hung in waves past her shoulders. That alone was enough to grab my attention, but when you add that to the rest of her features and you have a bombshell on your hands. She was petite in a way that would inspire a protective impulse in any man. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe from any harm and knew that Max would swear the same. From this day forward Brielle belonged to them whether she liked it or not, and they protected what was theirs.
Chapter 12: Max
Max couldn't agree with Cole more. Brielle was a stunning young woman and it was thanks to the stupidity of the men of the world that he and Cole would be claiming her as theirs from here on out, and he dared any man to touch her again. If any person so much as caused her to shed one single tear they would be lying dead somewhere they would never be found. Just the thought of his Brielle in any pain was like a knife in the heart. Hopefully soon he wouldn't have to worry so much because if he and Cole had their way the three of them would be living under one roof and either he or Cole would be there with her at all times. They just had to bide their time until she was ready to take the next step, she already took the biggest one when she decided to give he and Cole a chance, he wasn't going to risk losing her by rushing her into more before she was ready.
He leaned forward and grabbed her hand. "Brielle darling, I am going to go in the kitchen to warm you up some soup. It has been a while since you ate breakfast and you need to eat to keep your strength up and give your body the nutrition it needs to heal. What would you like to drink?"
"Juice, please, and thank you for thinking of getting me something to eat. I didn't realize it was so late in the afternoon already and the medicine they have me on takes away my appetite. Glasses are above the sink and I have other beverages in my fridge if you and Cole would like something to drink too."
"I will take a look and see what you have. I will be right back." He stood up and bent over to kiss her forehead before walking to her kitchen. It was a brightly colored kitchen with apple decorations hanging everywhere. It had a homey feeling that he already associated with Brielle. He walked over to the sink and grabbed three glasses. He poured juice for Brielle, himself and Cole. He put the soup in the microwave to warm up while he took the drinks out to the living room. After setting the drinks on the table in front of the couch where Brielle was laying down he made his way back into the kitchen to get the soup and bread. He located a bowl in the cupboard near the glasses and carefully filled it with the container in from the microwave. He pulled a spoon out of the drawer near the stove and picked up the bag of bread and took them in to Brielle. Cole helped her sit up before he handed the bowl to her and set the bread on the stand near h
er juice.
"Is there anything else you need right now Brielle?" he asked her.
"No, thank you." After taking a sip of the broth she asked if they would like any.
"No sweetheart, " Cole said "We are fine. We just want to make sure you are taking care of yourself."
"Well technically you two are taking care of me so I guess I'm good." She laughed at her joke. He loved her quirky sense of humor. It was a balm in light of the tragedy she endured recently. It only served to strengthen his attraction to her. Don't get it wrong, he was extremely attracted to her physically, a man would have to be blind not to be, but Max had always found intelligence and humor far more attractive in women whereas Cole was drawn to appearance. It made sense if you took into account their chosen career paths, he being a lawyer and Cole being an owner of a gym as well as a personal trainer there.
As he leaned forward he asked her "Well, how would you rate our nursing skills, Brielle?"
She arched an eyebrow and her lips twitched as she fought a smile, "I would say you rate a little above the nurses at the hospital. I think I will allow you to keep your jobs, for now."
Turning to Cole he said, "I think we need to put in a little more effort if we are just a little above. I cannot settle for being little in any way. What about you Cole?"
"Oh ho! Definitely not! That is the last thing I would like to be described as. No, we need to work harder to blow them away with our skills." Cole started laughing. He joined in and before they knew it so had Brielle. Her laugh was melodic and floated to his ears softly. He could really get used to that sound. He wouldn't mind hearing that sound every day for the rest of his life.
"Well, I'll tell you guys what. I will raise my rating for you considering you are doing this without pay. I really appreciate you guys spending this time with me. I know there are many other things that you probably have waiting for you so that fact that you guys are setting all that aside so you can be here to take care of me blows me away. There is no comparing the care you are providing with the care from the nurses at the hospital." She looked from him to Cole before adding "Thank you so much." She set her bowl down and covered her face with her hands. "I am so sorry to waste your time. I feel like such a baby, not being able to get up and get things myself or take care of myself." She broke down into heart wrenching sobs that tore at his heart. He was out of his seat and kneeling in front of her within seconds. He wrapped his arms around her, consoling her. "Brielle darling, there is no reason, in this entire world, for you to be sorry. Do you hear me? You did not do this to yourself, you did not cause this to happen to you. Some sick bastard did this and if I get my hands on him he will pay, I speak for myself and Cole when I say that. It is not, nor will it ever be a waste of our time to be here with you regardless of the reason. Every moment we spend with you is a moment we will always treasure. If I could, I would take away all your pain and heartbreak you are going through. You are not a baby, in the short time I have known you, you've shown me how strong you are, how beautiful you are. I do not doubt that you are completely capable of taking care of yourself, but you need the rest right now and Cole and I feel to privileged to be able to be the ones here helping you. Please do not ever think that you are wasting our time or that we could ever think any less of you for needing help once in a while. We all need it more than we are willing to accept it. Please, just let us be here for you, let us do this little bit for you. I have every faith that this is a chance that we will not get much longer." He kissed the top of her head as she nodded her response to his words. He continued to just sit there and hold her, massaging her back and stroking her hair until she finally relaxed and moved away from him slightly. She looked at him and offered a watery smile. "Thank you, Max, for saying that. I am very thankful that you guys are here, there is no one else I would rather have with me right now than you and Cole." She looked to Cole and gave him a smile as he came over to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Brielle," Cole began "Everything that Max said is 100% true. We will always be here for you no matter what, ok?" She nodded her reply.
"I think I need to go lay down in my bed for a little bit. Will you guys be ok here while I go rest a while?"
"Of course we will." Cole said. Max and Cole both stood up and walked her down the hall to her bedroom and tucked her into bed. They each gave her a kiss on her cheek before turning off her light and walking back out to the living room. Max cleaned up the remnants of her lunch and took them to the kitchen sink. He placed the left over soup into the fridge and wiped down the counters before joining Cole back out in the living room. He relaxed in the overstuffed chair he was using earlier, stretching his legs and leaning his head back. He decided now would be a great time to catch up on some extra shut eye.
Chapter 13: Brielle (Early hours of the morning)
She was walking home from work. The night was chilly and fog surrounded her. She heard the footsteps and then someone grabbed her. She tried to fight but he was too strong. He knocked her to the ground and laid himself on top of her. She kept struggling, screaming for him to get off her and let her go but he wouldn't listen. "No! Stop! Please don't do this." She cried, but he just laughed. She turned her head away to avoid the nasty smell of his breath. He began cutting her and hitting her. She yelled again before he knocked her unconscious.
Brielle felt hands on her, shaking her before she heard a voice calling out for her to wake up. "Brielle sweetheart, it's Cole. Wake up honey, you are having a nightmare. Brielle, open your eyes and look at me."
Brielle slowly opened her eyes and looked straight into Cole's emerald green eyes. She felt the wetness on her cheeks. Cole brought his hands to her face, using the pads of his thumbs, he wiped away her tears before drawing her into his arms. She went willingly into his strong, comforting arms.
"Shhh, sweetheart. You are safe. Max and I are here and no one is going to hurt you, do you hear me? I have you, you are ok." His words were soothing to her as she tried to shake away the nightmare. She nodded her head as she allowed him to hold her in his arms. She tried to push the nightmare out of her mind but she couldn't. As she shut her eyes she just saw flashes of the attack. She started to shake and the tears came again. She felt the bed dip again and then Max wrapped his arms around her too. "Brielle. My darling Brielle. We've got you. It was only a nightmare." Max said to her. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. "Would you like to talk about it? Sometimes that helps." He asked. She shook her head no before falling against Cole's chest. His arms folded around her and Max gently smoothed her hair away from her face. It felt good to have them both here comforting her. They made her feel safe and cherished, like nothing in the world could harm her. She felt special.
"Could I get something to drink? My throat is dry." She said as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks. Cole looked down at her, placed his hands on her face and looked into her eyes. "Of course you can sweetheart. Anything you need or want you only have to ask. We would give you anything, I hope you will come to know that and trust us." He kissed her forehead and stood up. He leaned over and picked her up and carried her to the couch in her living room. As she made herself comfortable Max walked in and handed her a glass of juice and a pill. "It has been a while since you have taken anything for your pain." He said as he set the pill in her hand. She placed it in her mouth and swallowed it, chasing it down with some juice. "Thank you." She told them as they both took a seat across from her.
"Sweetheart, would you like to talk about your dream at all? Is there anything we can do to help assure you that you are safe?" Cole asked. "No, thank you. You guys are wonderful. My dream was just filled with scenes from my attack. The doctor said that I may be plagued with nightmares for a while. If I need anything to help me sleep they said that I could call the doctor and he would prescribe something but I do not want anything yet."
"Well, your mom called while you were resting and wanted us to let you know she will see you in the morning. She is sending your cousin, Dani, to watch over you
tonight. She should be here after you eat dinner." Max told her. Then he jumped out of his seat. "Which reminds me, are you ready for anything to eat?" He asked. "Maybe a little more soup. My stomach can't handle more than that right now. Thank you Max." He smile at her before turning and entering the kitchen.
When he returned with the soup she thanked him as she sipped the warm broth. When she finished she set the cup down and looked at the guys, no men. They were definitely men. Cole was so very handsome with his blond hair and eyes so green they looked like someone placed emeralds in them. He always looked at her as if he worshipped her. No matter what mood he may be in when he looked at her his eyes held a warmth and a smile that made her feel like she was home. She was so drawn to him because of that. Then she looked to Max, he was strong and confident which made her feel safe and protected. His dark black hair and crystal blue eyes gave him a sharp, hard look. He was someone you did not want to mess with, but he always looked at her as if she was the most precious possession in the world and she knew when she met his eyes that he would never allow harm to come to her if he could help it. She cleared her throat and then asked them. "Are you guys missing anything at work today?"
"I have someone watching the gym for me right now, a good friend who has been working with me for a long time." Cole answered. "Besides, I would close it down if I had to in order to be here for you."
"I have a very capable legal analyst who has been with me since I started at the firm. He will contact me if there is anything he is not able to manage without me. Please Brielle, do not worry about us. Let us worry about you, ok?"
"I just do not like being dependant on anyone. I have never had to be since I was 18 and it is hard to rely on others for your care. I am used to being the one that others depend on so this will take some getting used to." She answered.
Saving Brielle: The Celestial Mating Series Book 1 Page 5