by Becca Van
“Thank God,” Nash said hoarsely.
Violet shook her head. “The asshole must have been told to make sure we watched, because the next thing I knew he was lifting me from the cushion and when he sat back down he put me in his lap.”
“Motherfucker,” Wilder spat out. He tensed and met Violet’s gaze worried his outburst would upset her, but thankfully, she nodded in agreement.
“He held my face so I couldn’t look away and made us watch until the movie was finished.”
Wilder was so full of rage his hands were shaking, but he tried to keep his ire from showing. First thing in the morning he was going to see Luke and Damon. These people were so fucking sick they needed to be behind bars.
“Did they make you do that often?” Cree asked.
Violet nodded. “On the fourth Sunday of every month.”
“Fuck!” Nash ran his fingers through his hair.
“Not long after I’d just turned twelve, Fleur, Rose, and I were starting to prepare dinner, but when I heard strange noises coming from the living room, I thought someone was sick or hurt and went to investigate. No matter how hard I try I can’t get that image out of my mind.”
Wilder wrapped an arm around her shoulders and eased her against his side when her trembling got worse. She leaned against him and shivered as if she was cold to the bones, but he was happy that she didn’t try to pull away.
“What did you see, honey?” Cree asked.
“Four men having sex with one woman. I didn’t realize what they were doing at first because I was too shocked at seeing them all naked, but when I did, I started to feel sick. Sara-Jane was crying and looked as if she was in pain, but she just let them do what they wanted. She didn’t make a sound or try to fight them. I ran back to the kitchen and threw up. Why? Why wouldn’t she have tried to fight them off?”
Wilder’s heart cracked when she turned to face him. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and her lips were trembling. “I don’t know, sweetness.”
“She let them rape her,” Violet yelled and then she was sobbing her heart out.
Wilder lifted her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her as she cried. Her whole body shook with the heaving sobs coming from her mouth, and he had to blink back his own tears. He glanced over at Cree and Nash to see they were also struggling with their emotions.
Guilt assailed him. No wonder Violet didn’t want to have a relationship. She had to have been scared out of her fucking mind while he’d ravished her mouth. He rocked back and forth as she bawled her eyes out, and he hoped that he hadn’t fucked everything up by moving too soon.
Please, God, please don’t let me have ruined everything.
After what seemed like forever, Violet’s tears slowed and finally stopped until she was hiccupping and gasping for breath. He kept caressing her back and rocking until her breathing slowed. When he gazed down at her and noticed she had her eyes closed, he thought she’d fallen asleep, but then her eyes fluttered open.
“I’m sorry. All I ever seem to do when I’m around you all, is cry.”
Wilder cupped her face and swiped his thumb over her tearstained cheek. “Don’t ever apologize for having a heart, sweetness. You have so much pain stored up, it needs to be purged.”
She nodded and licked her lips. “I need a drink.”
“I’ll get it, baby.” Nash shoved to his feet and raced toward the kitchen. He was back moments later with a glass of water and a box of tissues.
“Thanks,” Violet said as she pulled some tissues from the box and then drank the water down in one go.
Wilder hated to ask the question on his lips, but he needed to know if he and his brothers stood a chance with her. “Do you think we’d hurt you, Violet?”
“No,” she answered.
“That’s right, sweetness. I would rather cut off my own arm or rip out my own heart before I ever hurt you.”
“That goes for me, too,” Cree said.
“And me,” Nash stated.
“I know deep down that none of you or any of the men in this town would ever hurt someone weaker than they are, but after what I lived with, it’s sometimes hard to believe that I’m safe.”
“Did I scare you when I was kissing you, Violet?” Wilder caressed his thumb over her cheek. Her skin was so soft he couldn’t seem to stop touching her.
“Not at first.”
“Were you scared when Wilder made you come, honey?” Cree frowned.
“What did we do that frightened you, sweetness?” Wilder asked.
“It’s nothing you did.”
“Explain why you were scared then, baby.” Nash rubbed the back of his neck.
“When you were all crowding me, I had a flashback of what happened to Sara-Jane. It had nothing to do with…” Violet waved her hands in the air and blushed.
“So you aren’t afraid we’d hurt you?” Cree asked.
Wilder tensed as he waited for Violet’s answer. When he looked at Cree and Nash, he saw that they were in the same boat. They both had their hands clenched into fists.
“No.”
He released the air in his lungs on a long, slow exhale and the tension in his muscles eased.
“We still want to spend time with you, sweetness, but we are willing to ease back and go at your pace.”
Wilder frowned when she swallowed audibly and once more waited with bated breath as she thought over what he’d just said.
“I thought I left all that fear behind, you know. When I caught a glimpse of the guy that looked like Virgil, it brought everything back. I hate being scared. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life living with terror.”
“What are you saying, baby?” Nash asked.
“I-I think…I’d like…to spend time with you all.”
Wilder wanted to shout with joy, but he smiled instead. He couldn’t believe how fucking brave Violet was. She was so fucking strong. What other fifteen-year-old girl would have run away and traveled all alone? She’d put herself through school and college, and although she’d lived in an abusive household, she’d survived and waited for her chance to escape. That told him she wasn’t as fragile as she appeared. In fact, she was stronger than a lot of the soldiers he’d toured overseas with. Violet may be reserved and scared, but she hadn’t let her fear rule how she lived her life.
“Thank you, sweetness. I promise you we will never do anything to intentionally hurt you. We may fuck up from time to time, but as long as we keep our lines of communication open, I think we’ll be able to build a relationship with strong foundations.”
Violet gave him a tentative smile and nodded.
He could still see the uncertainty and wariness in those gorgeous mauve eyes, but it was up to him and his brothers to put her at ease.
He didn’t care if it took them years to earn her trust because he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Violet was worth it.
He was already falling hard and fast for her.
Chapter Seven
Violet was exhausted and could barely keep her eyes open. She was emotionally and physically drained, yet she felt better than she had for a long while. She’d finally told someone about the horrors of her childhood, and instead of looking at her horrified, as if she had two heads or something, Wilder, Cree, and Nash had all been angry on her behalf. Oh, they’d tried to hide their rage, but she’d have to have been blind to miss the fury in their eyes. She covered her mouth when she yawned and was about to remove her hand when she yawned, right on top of the last one.
“You’re exhausted, sweetness. It’s time we left you so you can crawl into bed.”
She glanced at her watch and was surprised to see it was almost one thirty in the morning. No wonder she was so tired, but the thought of being alone when Virgil could be hiding out somewhere scared her to death.
Wilder stood with her in his arms, waiting until she was steady on her feet, and then removed his hands from her waist. He leaned down, kissed her on the forehead, and turned toward the door.
<
br /> “Don’t go. Please?” She cringed when she heard the tremor in her own voice.
“What are you saying, baby?” Nash approached slowly, frowning.
“I’m scared.”
Cree scrubbed a hand down his face. “You’re scared of being alone?”
Violet nodded and lowered her gaze to the floor.
“Do you want me to stay with you, sweetness?” Wilder asked.
She lifted her eyes to his. “Would you?”
“If that’s what you want, of course I will, Violet.”
“This doesn’t mean…I’m not going to…”
“Hey.” Wilder clasped her hand and tugged her against him. “I won’t do anything but hold you in my arms while you sleep. Okay?”
“Okay.” She sighed out her answer, relief surging through her that he didn’t think she was offering more to him.
“Me and Cree are going to head out, baby.” Nash stroked a finger down her face.
She nodded and smiled, but called him back when he turned away. “Cree?”
“Yes, Violet.”
“Thank you for tonight.”
“Don’t thank me, honey. It was my pleasure to be with you.” He clasped and lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it before walking toward the door.
Nash cupped her chin in his hand, tilted her face up to his, and kissed her forehead. “Sleep well, baby. We’ll see you tomorrow. Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Violet watched as they left and wondered how she’d been lucky enough to find such kind, caring men. She still couldn’t get her head around the fact that they were attracted to her and wanted to have a relationship with her. Excitement fluttered in her belly, but the small adrenaline burst was short-lived. She was too tired to think anymore.
“Let me lock up while you get ready for bed, sweetness. I’ll be there in a few minutes. All right?”
Violet nodded and stepped back when Wilder released her. She hurried toward her bedroom. After gathering a clean pair of sleeping shorts and tank top, she entered the bathroom to use the facilities and got changed. She washed her hands and face, brushed her teeth, and fiddled with the tie in the end of her hair. Usually she slept with her hair down since it had to be bound all the time while working with food, but she wasn’t sure if she should. What if her hair got in Wilder’s face? Would he be annoyed or angry with her?
“Are you okay, Violet?” Wilder asked through the closed door.
She startled so badly her feet left the floor and she hit her hip on the edge of the bathroom counter hard enough to make her gasp.
Wilder burst through the door, and after glancing about to make sure she was safe, he walked over to her. “What’s wrong, sweetness? I heard you gasp with pain.”
“Oh. I um…” She lowered her gaze to the floor, but then she tilted her head up and met his gaze. “You surprised me when you spoke and I ended up hitting my hip on the corner of the counter.
“Do you want me to take a look?” Wilder frowned. “I can get you some ice?”
“It’s fine.”
“If you’re sure.” He quirked an eyebrow.
“I’m okay.”
“Why don’t you get under the covers, sweetness? I’ll be out in a minute. Okay?”
“Sure.” Violet hurried toward the door and closed it behind her. She switched on a bedside lamp and got into bed. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, but then she turned until her back was to the bathroom door and gnawed on her lip. She was nervous about sleeping with a man even though she knew Wilder wouldn’t do anything unless she wanted him to. It was tempting, after the kisses they’d shared earlier, but she wasn’t ready to take the next step. Even though he’d blown her mind by giving her an orgasm, she was still a little wary. Hopefully, she would be able to relax around him, Cree, and Nash when she got to know them better.
She held her breath when the bathroom door opened, and tensed when she heard rustling. Was he taking his clothes off? Violet didn’t know what to do. The urge to get out of bed was strong, but then she remembered how kind and gentle he and his brothers had been with her. They’d been horrified over the things she’d seen when she was a child, but not once had they tried to force themselves on her.
Her heart knew she was safe with the Sheffield men, but she needed to give her mind time to catch up.
“I’m going to leave my boxers and T-shirt on. Okay, sweetness? If you want I can sleep in my jeans and on top of the covers so you’re comfortable. Or if you’d prefer I can sleep in the spare room or on the sofa.”
Violet rolled to her other side so she could see Wilder. His jeans were undone, so the movement she’d heard had to be when he was taking his shoes off. “You wouldn’t fit on the sofa and I don’t have a spare bed in the other bedroom. You’ll get too hot if you sleep in your jeans.”
“So you’re okay if I take them off?” he asked.
Violet bit her lip and nodded.
“Thank you, love.”
She closed her eyes when he shifted closer to the bed, and while she was tempted to peek when she heard him lower the zipper, she squeezed her lids down tighter. A breeze drifted over her skin when he lifted the covers, and she held her breath as he got into bed.
She jerked when his hand caressed over her shoulder and opened her eyes.
“You need to relax, sweetness. Are you sure you want me to sleep in your bed? I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”
“I want you here, Wilder. I feel safe with you and your brothers. I’m just a little nervous because I’ve never shared a bed with anyone before.”
“Never?” Wilder asked in a hoarse voice.
Violet knew he was asking more than just about sharing a bed. “Never,” she answered honestly.
“Come here, darlin’.” Wilder lifted his arm, and when she scooted closer he wrapped it around her shoulders.
She rested her head in the crook of his arm and inhaled his delectable cologne and manly scent. “You smell nice.”
Wilder chuckled. “I’m glad you like the way I smell, sweetness. You smell good enough to eat.”
“That’s because I’m cooking food all the time.”
“That’s not what I meant. I can smell your perfume, body wash, or shampoo and the natural scent you give off. It’s a delicious combination.”
“Uh. Okay, if you say so.” She yawned.
“Close your eyes, sweetness. You’re safe with me.”
Violet relaxed and closed her eyes and drifted to sleep in seconds.
* * * *
“Is Violet okay? Did you call Luke and Damon to set up a meeting?” Nash asked the second Wilder walked into the kitchen.
He’d heard Wilder enter the house just before eleven and had been on pins waiting for him to finish in the shower.
“She’s fine.”
“Did she have any nightmares?” Cree asked as he poured coffee into three mugs.
“No.”
“Did you talk her into coming over for lunch?”
“Yes. She’ll be here around one, and yes, she agreed to tell Luke and Damon what she told us last night.”
“Thank fuck. Those bastards need to be locked behind bars for the rest of their lives,” Nash said angrily.
“They fucking do,” Cree agreed.
“They need to be fucking castrated as well as have their dicks cut off,” Wilder snarled.
“Did you get to talk about anything else?” Nash asked.
“No. Violet’s not really a morning person.”
“What do you mean?” Cree frowned.
“She didn’t speak a word until she’d finished her first cup of coffee. She just sat at the kitchen counter and stared off into space.”
Nash grinned. “I can just imagine that. Did she sleep with her hair up or down?”
“Up. I wanted to tell her to take it down, but she was nervous and I didn’t want to push her,” Wilder explained.
“Why was she nervous? She asked you to stay.” Cree sipped his coffee.
Nas
h gazed at Wilder expectantly as he took a swig of coffee, too.
“She’s never slept with anyone before.”
Coffee spewed from Nash’s mouth, and he coughed and spluttered as he choked.
Nash laughed uproariously, and Wilder chuckled.
“You all right there, Bro?” Cree asked when he’d stopped laughing.
Nash gave Cree the finger but smiled. “Does that mean what I think it means?” He asked when he had his breath back.
“Yes.”
“She told you she was a virgin?” Cree asked.
“Not in so many words,” Wilder answered. “I knew she wasn’t experienced when we started kissing. She didn’t know what to do at first and tentatively copied what I did. When she stopped thinking and let the passion take over…well, you both saw what happened.”
“She has so much fire hidden in that small body,” Nash said.
“Shit yeah, she does.” Cree sighed.
“Just don’t go pushing her.” Wilder pointed at first Cree and then Nash.
Nash scowled at his brother. “You were the one pushing last night, Wilder.”
“Yeah, I know and it scared the shit out of me when she said she couldn’t continue. I thought I fucked up everything.”
“Thank fuck she didn’t kick us out.” Cree rubbed his hands together.
“There is that,” Nash said. “She’s a very forgiving, loving person.”
“Let’s just hope we can get her to love us,” Wilder said.
“One day at a time, Bro.” Nash clapped Wilder on the shoulder.
“Yeah, one day at a time.” Wilder nodded.
* * * *
Violet sucked in a deep breath and exhaled before she knocked on the door.
Just as Cree opened the door, a truck turned into the driveway. “Hi, honey. Come on in.”
She nodded and stepped over the threshold and glanced about the living room. She was too nervous to take much in and for a moment wished she hadn’t agreed to talk to the sheriff, but then she mentally shook her head. If she didn’t tell the officers what she’d seen when she was a kid, that would mean those sick assholes would be getting away with rape, let alone murder and abduction, and god knew what else they’d done. For all she knew, those bastards were still kidnapping kids from their homes, from their beds, and enslaving them on the cult land.