by Marla Monroe
Scope nodded. He couldn’t always hear everything around him but had managed to fake his way through fairly easily. It only really mattered to the marines that his hearing wasn’t perfect. Gunner had tried to make his medical discharge not as hard by commenting that he’d just gotten his selective hearing early in life instead of during middle age.
After cleaning up the dishes, both men settled in the living room with the TV on. Since Scope could care less about what was on, Gunner normally chose the channel. Scope could pretty much narrow down his friend’s top four choices, the history channel, the Discovery channel, one of the sports channels, or HGTV.
Tonight it looked like HGTV won out. They watched the last of This Old House then continued into some show on building an amazing deck. Scope thought it would be cool to have one like what they had planned, complete with an outdoor grilling station and a wooden swing. Maybe they could look at that once they had the rest of the house finished. He was about to say as much to Gunner when the other man spoke first.
“Can’t do it until next spring. The house is going to take until fall to finish, and that’s not the best time to start an outdoor project.”
“How the fuck do you do that?” Scope asked for what was probably the millionth time.
“It’s written all over you face, man. You’re like an open book when it comes to what you’ve got on your mind. I don’t understand how you can shut it off some times and not others.” Gunner gave him that half smile he had.
“I’m relaxed more now. I wasn’t when we were overseas. Neither were you. You can relax more now, Gunner. You should try it. It feels good to not always be watching for danger and figuring the odds on if a dead dog on the side of the road is really just a dead dog or not. Here, it’s a dead dog.” Scope sighed and stood up, stretching as his aching muscles made themselves known.
Gunner muttered something that Scope didn’t catch. This time he didn’t bother asking what it was. He was pretty sure he knew what his friend had said.
I don’t relax when I sleep and the damn nightmares prove it.
“Going to bed. I’m beat. See you in the morning.” Scope walked out of the living room and down the hall to the bedroom he’d picked out when they’d moved in.
The house had five—four nice-sized rooms for children and guests, and one very large master suite. He hoped that one day soon they would be using that with their wife. More than that, he hoped it would be with Darla, and Tommy could pick out his bedroom as well. If he had his way, they would be a family, all four of them.
Chapter Four
Glad to get out of the house while they were cutting the granite for the bathroom, Gunner pulled up in front of the store and cut the engine. How Scope had convinced them to work so late, he didn’t know, but was glad they were. He wanted everything to be finished sooner rather than later. Having strangers in and out all the time messed with is inner sense of safety. More people meant less security and more chances for someone to mess with something. He knew it was just his paranoid brain working overtime, but that was just how he was made.
He had to admit, the house was looking really good. It was going to have all the bells and whistles he’d always wanted, like a huge, decked-out bathroom and speakers in every room. He would be able to listen to what he liked in any room in the house while Scope listened to the music he liked in another room. Since they usually liked the same type of music, it wasn’t always a problem, but sometimes when they were both in a dark place, he wanted some of the heavier-hitting dark classical music while Scope preferred really dark heavy metal.
The master suit was perfect with the two walk-in closets, one for his and Scope’s clothes and one for whoever they picked as their woman. They’d made sure hers had everything she might need, from a full-length mirror to a comfortable bench in the middle to sit on while she pulled on stockings or shoes, or just sat staring at her clothes. There were shelves designed for shoes and boots as well as those made to hold sweaters. The hanging system worked much like at a dry cleaner’s so that she could rotate her clothes according to the season without having to change closets or pack them away.
He grinned as he climbed out of the truck. Scope had even found an amazing set of drawings on building a perfect jewelry box for a woman. It was nearly finished now. The carpenter had been excited to build it, saying he’d show the different types to his customers and make even more money building them.
Even though he still thought pursuing Darla was the wrong thing to do, he couldn’t help picturing her in the role of their woman standing in the amazing closet in just her matching underwear and stockings. He’d have to pick out all of her underwear. He liked directing everything about a woman. Normally that either scared women away or pissed them off. Scope made it work though. His friend kept him from going overboard while keeping the lady happy and well spoiled. As much as he’d like that woman to be Darla, she deserved much better than them. She deserved one man who could take care of her and Tommy, who would love them both and make sure they were always safe.
Gunner walked inside and headed directly for the cooler set aside especially for beer. It kept it a few degrees colder than the other drinks, and no one under eighteen was supposed to be allowed inside. When he’d picked up the beer they liked, he stopped by the chips aisle to select some along with a couple of jars of dip.
While he debated which type of chips to go with, he overheard the clerk talking to someone. Whoever she was talking with wasn’t very respectful and needed a swift kick in the ass, but he wasn’t the one to give it to him.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t sell you cigarettes. You’re not old enough. If I did, it would mean my job and I need my job,” she was saying.
“Fuck your job. I gave you my ID that says I’m old enough, so you have to sell it to me. Now fucking hand over the damn cigs.”
“I have the discretion to not accept your ID as being legitimate. I know you’re only sixteen. Stop trying to intimidate me. I’m not selling them to you, so get out of here before I call the police.” The woman sounded firm enough, and Gunner couldn’t tell if she was nervous or not.
He made his selections and headed to the front of the store. He nearly dropped it all when he saw who was behind the counter arguing with the teenage punk. Darla. Why the hell was she working there when she worked at Rizzoli’s, too?
“You’re going to regret this, bitch. You just wait.” The teenage punk looked over his shoulder when he heard Gunner stomp toward the counter.
The kid hurried out the door with a nervous expression once he looked at the scowl Gunner made sure was on his face.
“Gunner?”
Darla’s pretty mouth curved into a smile just for him. He couldn’t help but like it. She was so pretty with her hazel eyes that flickered between colors depending on her mood or what she was wearing. He’d noticed that about her the first time he’d seen her at Rizzoli’s. He’d noticed a lot about her.
“I thought you worked at Rizzoli’s, Darla,” he said.
“Oh, I do. I work both places. How are you doing? I’ve heard the house is going to be a show place when you finish with it,” she said.
“Small town. I forgot how that was. Yeah. We wanted to be comfortable after spending so much time in dirty or sandy holes the last few years,” he admitted to her.
What the…? He didn’t usually talk about anything around people like this. It had to be her.
“I can’t even imagine what you all went through. I’m just glad you’re both home now. You deserve every little thing you can get in that house,” she said with a warm smile.
“Was that punk giving you trouble?” he asked, nodding toward the door.
“Oh, not really. They always try to buy cigarettes or beer when they know they aren’t old enough.” She didn’t look at him when she said it, so Gunner figured they were more trouble than she was letting on.
When he set the case of beer and his chips and dip on the counter, Darla busied herself checking him out
. She was quick and efficient, good traits in an employee. Why was she working at the convenience store? Was she that much in need of money? He thought about it and had to bite back a curse. Of course she was. She had a child who was more than likely growing an inch every week, if not every day. As a waitress, she probably didn’t even make minimum wage, and tips in a small town wouldn’t be much to add to her wages.
Why hadn’t they thought about that already? How in the hell was she making ends meet? Where was she living? Was it safe enough for her and a child? Fuck, he needed to talk to Scope about this.
“Thanks, Darla. Are you doing okay?” he asked. Gunner wasn’t much on small talk, but he felt like he needed to make sure she understood he was a friend.
“Yeah. I’m doing fine, Gunner. You’re going to have to plan an open house when you finish it. Everyone is eager to see what you’ve done with the place.”
Her sweet voice held his attention far longer than it should have. He nearly missed what she was saying. An open house? Let people walk around in his space? He inwardly rolled his eyes. That was something he needed to talk to Scope about as well.
“Um, how is Tommy? Did he have a good time at the ball park the other day?” he asked.
“He’s fine, too. Yes, he had a ball. Um, that was unintentional. He had a great time with his friend. Thanks for asking.” Her sweet blush amused him. Scope had said she did it a lot even with her darker skin tone.
“Be careful working here, Darla. Don’t walk to your car without someone watching you,” he told her.
“I will be. Good-bye, Gunner.” Her smile brightened the room for him.
When he had stowed the beer and snacks, Gunner looked around for where she was parked, but didn’t see a car that would be hers. He started the truck and pulled around back to find an old Ford Taurus parked beneath a light. That would be hers, and with it parked beneath a light, Gunner felt better about her safety.
As soon as he got back, Gunner unloaded the truck and quickly put away the beer and snacks. The house was blessedly silent at last. That meant everyone should be gone and he could relax. Out of habit, he walked around checking all the doors and windows with the exception of the master suite and Scope’s room. He’d check those later.
Knocking on the master’s double doors, Gunner waited to see if Scope answered. When he didn’t, he pushed open the door and looked inside. The bathroom door was open and no sound of running water could be heard. He was just about to close the door again when he noticed the French doors that led out onto a private patio were cracked open.
“Scope? You out there?” he called out.
“Yeah. Come on out. I’m going to love this patio,” Scope said from outside.
Gunner walked into the master suite and quickly crossed the room. When he looked through the French doors, it was to find Scope sitting on one of the Adirondack chairs they’d purchased for the space. A soft breeze swirled around the privacy fence to cool the area after a hot summer’s day had warmed the bricks beneath them.
“It is nice out here,” he agreed. “Did they finish everything yet?”
“They got everything cut and fitted, but they will be back tomorrow around nine to grout it all in. The electrician will be here about one tomorrow afternoon to recheck all the wiring we did for the stereo system. He’s also going to go ahead and put up the big TV in the basement so we don’t have to make another appointment with him later to do it,” Scope said, filling him in. “I figured that we can work around the TV when we get ready to finish that room.”
“Good idea. I hope there’re no problems with our wiring. I figure it was pretty straightforward, but you never know what sort of regulations a place has.” Gunner pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting one of the silent headaches that had started after the explosion. They never hurt, but they did play havoc on his eyesight at times. Eventually it would have come under the notice of his superior officer and his days as a sniper would have been ended anyway.
“I ran into Darla when I stopped to get beer at that convenience store on the corner of Wild Child and Crossover,” he said.
“She must live close to it since that’s the same one we ran into her before. Was she doing okay?” Scope asked, his full attention on Gunner now.
“She’s working there, Scope. I don’t like it. It’s not the best place for a young woman to work. Plus it’s a little remote.”
“But I thought she worked at Rizzoli’s,” Scope said with a frown.
“She does. She works at both places. I started thinking about it, and there’s no way she could make a living and care for a child working as a waitress in a small town like this. Especially since you said Rizzoli’s isn’t open on Sundays and Mondays. I doubt she’s even making minimum wage as a waitress,” Gunner reminded him.
“Well, fuck! I thought we’d have some time to court her and let her get to know us better before jumping into her business. She’s really shy and quiet. I’m scared we’ll spook her if we move too fast.” Scope ran a hand over his close-cut hair in frustration.
“Slow down, Scope. We haven’t really discussed any of this. You’re including me on that comment, and you know how I feel about this. She doesn’t deserve the kind of life we’re talking about. People will talk, and it will hurt her. Hell, think of what it would do to her son to have the other kids teasing him about his mom living with two men.” Gunner hated bringing all of that up, but it had to be done. Scope needed to think it through.
“Well, everything’s changed now. I don’t want her working at a store like that. Hell. She shouldn’t have to work at all. She’s more than earned a better life than she’s got now.” Scope’s face held nothing but determination.
Gunner had been afraid of this. His friend had already been half in love with the woman since he’d left Perkins City. Seeing her now after all those years had only deepened his commitment to her. He loved her and wasn’t about to allow her to continue working somewhere that was dangerous.
Where did that leave him? She was all things sweet and beautiful, bright and good. There was no place for someone as cynical and acerbic as he tended to be. It wasn’t that he was sadistic or even depressed. Gunner was just practical, and experience had taught him that life wasn’t the bright and cheery world most people tended to believe it to be. Besides that, she deserved someone in her life who could give her all of themselves, like Scope. Gunner was a loner and always had been. He didn’t share parts of himself, much less let someone inside to discover all the black things he kept hidden deep inside of himself. No, she was much too good for him. He’d talk to Scope and settle that once and for all.
“We’re claiming her, Gunner.”
Chapter Five
“Now wait just a minute, Scope. I agree with part of that. You need to claim her and take care of her. I’ll help you in any way I can, but don’t include me in that statement. I’m not going to be a part of your family. She’s too innocent for what we’ve talked about. She would never be able to handle me or who I am deep down,” Gunner said.
Scope wasn’t buying it. He knew the man better than anyone alive. Even though his friend would disagree, there wasn’t anything that Scope didn’t know about the man. Gunner had talked quite a lot when he’d gotten drunk one of only two times Scope had ever known about. They’d just gotten back from an operation that had gone very wrong.
Despite all the examples of abuse and depravity that they’d witnessed while overseas, it still shocked them what people would do to each other to get ahead or just to make a point. They were supposed to provide cover and intel to their men on the ground moving into a village known to have been attacked several times by the enemy. While they remained hidden nearly two hundred yards out, they looked for dangers and insurgents.
Everything had seemed to be going well when a group of four children walked out of one of the buildings with their heads hanging down. Scope had known then that something wasn’t right. So had Gunner. They could hear through the men on the g
round just what was going down, but processing it and believing it took action. It wasn’t until the children started walking toward their guys that it registered as real in their minds.
If they let them reach their men, the enemy would detonate the explosives strapped to their little bodies and kill not just them but everyone around them. The villagers stood in front of their homes and shops, openly weeping at the helpless situation. No matter what happened, their children were dead.
Scope shoved the inevitable outcome from his mind and focused on the present and his problem with Gunner. His friend thought that Darla would run screaming from him if she knew what he wanted from her. He was wrong. If Darla didn’t like something she would say something. Yes, she was shy and reserved for the most part, but she’d never been shy about saying “no” or “screw you” if the situation warranted it. She could handle Gunner without a bit of trouble.
What he didn’t know that would be a sticking point was how she would feel about accompanying them to a club like Golden Shackles and allowing them to dominate her pleasure in front of others. She might be quiet, but she would know all about the club and the lifestyles that lived in Perkins City. You couldn’t grow up there without seeing it just about everywhere. They might not openly walk around wearing leashes, but the submissives did wear their collars, and ménage families didn’t hide their relationships when out in public.
How did Darla feel about all of it? Did she think it was silly or disgusting? Her own boss was in a ménage relationship. Surely she could see how happy Taylor was with her two men. Scope hadn’t met them, but he’d heard nothing but good things about them. They were the managers of Golden Shackles and were two of the most respected Masters in the BDSM world. Even he’d heard of Maximillian.
“You’re wrong, man. Darla would be just fine with you. She might be quiet and shy, but she isn’t someone who’s easily intimidated. Beneath those gorgeous eyes of hers is a will of steel. Remember, I grew up with her.” He smiled, remembering how she could be when she got her mind set on something.