by Becca Van
Although he was still searching for the cunt, he was also working hard to make sure the law fingered Jeremy Browning for his crime of embezzlement. When the asshole was dead, the feds and all the other agencies wouldn’t be able to ask questions and the case would be closed. Or so he hoped.
“Win-win for me.” Chad smiled and started following Tamika Darnel’s trail again.
* * * *
“She looks really happy,” Karter said as he peered through the window to the salon across the street.
“She does,” Zayn replied.
“She should,” Jace said. “She’s had a steady flow of customers all afternoon.”
Karter turned from the window and went back to stocking shelves. He chuckled as he met his brother’s gazes. “I can’t believe Tatum, Rex, and Shaffer got their haircut. Tatum didn’t stop scowling the whole time and looked as if our mate was torturing him.”
“Poor Tami’s going to be exhausted once she’d finished for the day.” Jace rubbed at the back of his neck. “It’s almost six p.m. Do you think one of us should go over there and tell her it’s time to close for today? If she keeps on working, she’s going to have no one left needing their hair cut.”
“Leave her be,” Zayn ordered. “She’ll finish when she’s had enough.”
“Word’s going to spread around the county about the only hairdresser within hundreds of miles. I don’t think there’ll be a shortage of people wanting their hair trimmed,” Karter said.
“You’re probably right.” Jace nodded. “Let’s hope having the salon in town will bring more single women for our friends to meet. It would be great if more of the shifters met their mates.”
“She’s just turned the closed sign on the door,” Zayn said. “I think it would be a good idea to eat out tonight. We’re not great cooks, and Tami is going to be too tired.”
“Good idea. Where are we going to take her?” Karter asked.
“Since she’s already sampled the food at the pub, why don’t we take her to the diner?” Zayn suggested.
“Okay.” Karter nodded his agreement. He’d been so excited when Tami had opened her eyes to find herself in her very own hair salon. He just hoped that she was happy, too. He’d been a bit put out, a bit hurt, over her questioning their actions, but after he’d thought things through, he realized she’d been in shock. It wasn’t every day three brothers bought and set up a business for a woman they’d known only just on twenty-four hours. If that.
It was hard for him and his siblings to think in human terms. Being shifters, they knew what they wanted and went after it as soon as they saw it. Call it animal instinct or whatever, but Karter and his brothers had never had a problem making decisions. He just hoped when they explained everything to Tami that she would choose to stay in Ambrose with them as their mate.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever be whole again if she decided to leave.
* * * *
Tami was weary to the bone after spending so many hours on her feet working, but she’d loved every minute of it. Cutting and dyeing hair was a passion of hers, and she was glad to be doing something familiar when her whole world had turned upside down.
After cleaning up and sterilizing her tools, she grabbed her purse, locked the back door, and walked toward the front. She didn’t have a key to get back into the shop tomorrow morning but guessed that Jace, Zayn, or Karter did. She opened the front door, turned the lock, and pulled it closed behind her. After testing to make sure no one could get in, she walked across the street to the surplus store and her men.
Wait! What? Since when had she started thinking about them as her men? Shit, Tami, you’re getting ahead of yourself. Slow down, girl.
Even though she’d been chatting with her clients while doing their hair, she’d also been thinking about her circumstances. Now that her father was gone, there was nothing for her in Las Vegas. She’d actually been thinking of finding her own place in another town faraway from all the glamor, glitz, and gambling. Tami had always led a quiet life, and none of that stuff had ever appealed to her. She’d been pondering for months on how to bring the subject up with her dad, but he’d died before she plucked up the gumption.
It wasn’t that she was afraid of her father because, as far as she was concerned, he wouldn’t have hurt a fly. What had worried her was that he would have been all alone in the big house. As far as she knew, her dad hadn’t dated another woman since her mom’s death twenty-one years ago, and even though she’d encouraged him to find someone else to love, he’d just patted her on the hand, shaken his head, and gone about his business.
Tami had asked him about her mom often when she’d been growing up, and while her father had spoken of her mother, there had never been any sadness in his eyes or emotion in his voice. Looking back now that she was older and hopefully wiser, she’d wondered if her father had ever loved her mom. She thought he had, since he doted on her, but as she’d matured, her dad had spent nearly all of his waking hours working.
It had taken her a while to realize that her Dad hadn’t been able to talk about his dead wife without any emotion because he’d been worried about breaking down. She remembered seeing moisture in his eyes and suspected the inflectionless tone had been his way of remaining in control.
When she was going through puberty and the hormones had been rife in her body, she’d actually resented her dad and his business. However, now that she was fully grown, she knew hard work was the way to get and stay ahead. Nevertheless, it had all been for nothing. Her father was dead, all of his assets and bank accounts had been frozen, including the company, and Tami wished she’d had more time with her father.
“Are you okay, baby?” Zayn asked.
Tami blinked as she came back to the present. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t noticed he’d walked into the shop. “I’m fine. Tired, but fine.”
“You looked as if you were a million miles away, darlin’,” Jace said as he moved to her side.
“I was.” She sighed.
“Do you want to talk about whatever is on your mind, honey?” Karter asked as he laced his fingers with hers.
“I was just thinking about my dad.” She shook her head. “I miss him so damn much. The worst part about all this is I don’t know if he was guilty. All those people who are out of a job have got to be angry and rightly so. I’ll never be able to show my face in Vegas again without accusatory looks.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, baby.” Zayn nudged Karter aside and pulled her into his arms. She pressed her forehead against his chest, wrapped her arms around his waist, and leaned into him. “You have no reason to feel guilty, Tami. If your father did steal from the company, that’s on him.”
“I know but try telling that to all his employees and shareholders. I’d be scared of getting mobbed if I ever went back home.”
“Do you want to go back, Tami?” Karter asked.
She glanced from him to his brothers and saw how tense they were. She had a feeling there was a lot riding on her answer, even if she wasn’t quite sure what. “I’d like to get some of the photos and my mom’s things if I’m ever allowed back into the house. They have sentimental value to me.”
“If you left, would you come back?” Jace asked.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. Right at this moment all she wanted to do was eat and sleep. And yet just thinking about leaving Ambrose and never seeing Zayn, Jace, and Karter again nearly brought her to her knees. She was so attracted to them, and they’d been so good to her by taking her into their home. They were protective, and they were also the first men who looked at her as if she were a sexy woman instead of an overweight plain Jane. No man had ever looked at her with desire in their eyes until them.
She’d be a fool to walk away from that without seeing if she could have a relationship with them. While she wanted to reach out and grab hold of them and never let go, Tami was scared. Scared of them looking at her differently if it turned out her dad was guilty. Scared they’d see her f
or how she saw herself and turn away from her in disgust. They hadn’t even seen her naked for god’s sake. If they did and saw her rounded belly and her thick thighs, they’d probably turn their noses up at her. She wasn’t sure she was brave enough to face such a rejection from these three muscular, handsome confident men.
Zayn, Karter, and Jace were her dream come to life, times three.
And that was another thing.
She’d never had sex before and wouldn’t know where to start. Her one and only boyfriend had looked at her with disgust in the end. Just before he’d broken up with her he’d told her that she needed to lose weight if she ever wanted to have and keep a man in her life. That asshole had almost gotten her naked. There she’d been standing in her bra and panties feeling shy and uncertain and then he’d turned his back on her and walked toward the door, all the while telling her how much she repulsed him. She’d been so self-conscious and embarrassed she’d never dated again.
Of course, she knew the mechanics of what went where, but what if she touched them in the wrong spot or did something they didn’t like. Would they take what they wanted and then drop her as if she were a hot potato?
Tami already had strong feelings for the Strike men and wasn’t sure she’d survive getting her heart broken.
There were so many things to consider, and that wasn’t even mentioning the person who’d broken into her home and had been following her around.
Did he think she had the money? If he did, did that mean her life was in danger? What if he found out where she was and came to Ambrose? Would he use an innocent person to get his hands on her?
Tami’s breath hitched as Dusty flashed across her mind. The woman was pregnant with her first baby on the way.
She wouldn’t be able to live with her conscience if anything happened to Dusty, her unborn child, or any of the other women.
Her mind was going around in circles. There was just so much to consider before she made a decision about staying in Ambrose, one way or the other. And yet the urge to seduce Zayn, Karter, and Jace was almost too strong to ignore.
Tami lifted her head from Zayn’s chest and reluctantly drew back.
“Are you hungry, baby?”
“Yes.”
“We thought we’d eat at the diner before heading home,” Zayn explained. “Is that okay with you?”
“Wonderful.” She smiled, but when Zayn didn’t return her smile, she lowered her gaze and turned toward the door. Tami had a feeling she’d hurt them with her non-answer in regard to coming back to Ambrose if she decided to go back home and pack up some of her belongings. However, she wasn’t about to string them along and lie to them. She didn’t like it when people lied to her, so she wouldn’t do it to them.
“Wait for us, darlin’,” Jace said.
Tami stopped and turned to gaze at the three sexy men. Her breath hitched in her throat, her nipples hardened, and her clit began to pulse. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep away from them much longer, but until she had made a decision it wasn’t right to make a move.
For the first time in her life Tami wished she wasn’t who she was. Maybe if her mom was still alive her father might be, too. He would never have stolen money—if he was even guilty—if her mother had been around. Her dad had told her about how strong her mom had been as well as kind. She was all alone with no living relatives, and sometimes she felt so fucking lonely even if she was in the midst of a crowd. Somehow Jace, Zayn, and Karter had taken that loneliness away, and she didn’t want to leave them.
Ever.
“Let’s go,” Karter said gruffly as he came up beside her and took her hand.
She glanced up at him but quickly lowered her eyes again when he stared straight ahead. He was hurt, and while she understood, she was hurting, too. How could he not understand that?
The meal at the diner was fraught with tension, and Tami’s appetite waned. She ate half of the delicious-looking food by rote, not really tasting anything. The only consolation was that there were a lot of people in the diner chatting noisily. If there hadn’t been, the silence from their table would have been noticed.
She gave a relieved sigh when Zayn paid the check and they headed out. Tami leaned her forehead against the cool passenger door window as she tried to keep the tears at bay. Her chest was so tightly constricted with turmoil she was finding it hard to breathe, but she concentrated on keeping her breathing regulated because she didn’t want the men to realize how upset she was.
Tami was worried that if she started crying her chance to decide would be taken from her. What man wanted to be with a woman who cried all the time?
Chapter Eight
Jace’s wolf was growling, pacing, and trying to escape. His animal was just as upset and hurt as he was. Tami had hardly said a word since they’d left the store, but to be fair, neither had he or his brothers. He knew his siblings as well as he knew himself. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he and his brothers were worried about saying or doing the wrong thing, which would send her running back to Las Vegas.
All his hopes and dreams seemed to be going up in smoke right in front of his eyes. The one woman meant to be theirs wasn’t sure she wanted to hang around. He’d thought for sure that she’d want to stay after they handed over the deed to the hairdresser’s shop they’d set up for her, but it obviously hadn’t been enough. For a moment guilt assailed him. What if Tami thought they were trying to buy her love by giving her the business free and clear? That hadn’t been their intention at all, but he just didn’t have the energy to explain the facts to her. There was probably no way they’d be able to change her mind either way. He wasn’t about to waste his breath on someone who obviously didn’t care enough to hang around.
As soon as Zayn parked the truck, Jace got out of the vehicle and hurried to the front door. After unlocking it, he entered and almost ran toward his bedroom. He couldn’t be around her any longer. If he stayed, he might just end up trying to seduce her. His wolf grumbled his agreement as he shoved his head against the inside of Jace’s stomach. His animal wanted out so he could bite and claim his woman. Even though Jace wanted that, too, he wasn’t about to take Tami’s right to choose away from her.
After closing his bedroom door, he stripped out of his clothes and headed toward the shower. He’d been hard for hours, and while he was tempted to take matters into his own hands, he decided against it. A freezing cold shower would hopefully take the heat out of his aching cock. If not, he’d likely get a case of blue balls. What did it matter? Jace just couldn’t seem to find the energy to care.
Once he was done in the shower, he pulled on a pair of clean jeans and shirt before heading to the kitchen. Zayn and Karter were sitting at the kitchen counter, taking slugs of beer and staring into space. Tami was nowhere to be seen.
He squelched the urge to ask where their mate was but headed to the fridge instead. After grabbing a beer, he twisted off the top and gulped half the contents down in one go. With a sigh he leaned back against the fridge and studied his brothers.
“How do we convince her to stay?” Jace squeezed his eyes closed and rubbed a hand over his face. He hadn’t meant to ask that question, but it had been on the tip of his tongue for a couple of hours.
“I don’t know.” Zayn sighed.
“We can’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to do,” Karter said in a growly voice.
“I fucking know it!” Jace snapped.
“Keep your fucking voice down.” Zayn pointed at him. “We don’t want Tami knowing how upset we are.”
“She’s already upset.” Karter scowled at Zayn. “Didn’t you smell the pain on her?”
“Of course, I did. There was no fucking way I could miss it.” Zayn crossed his arms over his chest.
“She only has herself to blame for what she’s feeling.” Jace frowned. “All that pain and anxiety would disappear if she agreed to be ours.”
“Don’t be a fucking asshole, Jace.” Karter chugged the rest
of his beer before rising to his feet. “You don’t know for sure what’s going on in her mind.”
“That’s right, I don’t. None of us do, but we would if she’d fucking talk to us.”
* * * *
Tami had the fastest shower on record with the intent of crawling into bed and trying to sleep, but when she’d heard raised voices through the partially open doorway, she changed out of her pajama’s back into her clothes and crept down the hallway, through the living room toward the kitchen.
Being aware of their amazing sense of smell, she didn’t get too close to the entrance to the kitchen as she hugged the wall separating the living room from the kitchen. When she heard the brothers arguing over her, guilt assailed her. She’d caused this heated debate by her indecision. She was more than tempted to walk into the room, strip, and ask them to mate with her, but she wasn’t that brave. If she did agree to be theirs, it also needed to be for the right reasons, not because they were arguing.
None of them had even had the audacity to tell her face to face that she was their mate. She’d gotten that information from the other women while she’d been cutting their hair. What if they were wrong? What if they’d lied to her because she was the only hairdresser in town?
Tami quickly pushed that thought aside. There was nothing nefarious about Emmy, Pixie, Dusty, or Kenzie. They’d been straight with her from the start, and she couldn’t see them making shit up just to keep her around.
She bit her lip and stopped breathing when Zayn started speaking again, this time in a softer tone.
“She’s the best thing to ever happen to us. I don’t know if I could stand it if she decided to leave.”