by Becca Van
A Man’s World 1: Savage Construction
Gypsy Savage has spent the last five years trying to establish a career in “A Man’s World” within the construction industry. It’s really hard to get co-workers to take her seriously, but she has learnt to ignore the disparaging remarks regarding her femininity, or lack thereof.
Leo, Perry, and Ivan Chadwick are drawn to the confident, feisty, sexy Gypsy and will do everything they can to get themselves firmly entrenched into her heart and bed. But she has a chip on her shoulder concerning the male gender and keeps pushing them away.
The three men are determined to show Gypsy that the ignorant men she has associated with previously were totally wrong to label her with malicious nicknames, but getting her to believe is a lot harder than they expected.
When she gets hurt and her life is threatened, the three Chadwick brothers will do anything to keep her safe. But nothing is at it seems.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 49,135 words
A MAN'S WORLD 1: SAVAGE CONSTRUCTION
Becca Van
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
A MAN'S WORLD 1: SAVAGE CONSTRUCTION
Copyright © 2014 by Becca Van
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-795-2
First E-book Publication: June 2014
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
Dear Readers,
Thank you for your continued support. It means a great deal to me.
Becca xxoo.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
About the Author
A MAN'S WORLD 1: SAVAGE CONSTRUCTION
BECCA VAN
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
Gypsy Savage ignored the wolf whistles as she rushed toward the foreman’s office. Tears were burning the back of her eyes but she drew a deep breath and pushed them back. She’d just received a phone call from the hospital in San Angelo, Texas telling her that her father had been in an accident. Even though she hated working for Frank and his uncouth construction crew, she had persevered with the job because she loved what she did. But she hadn’t really been happy working for Frank and this was just the excuse she needed to tell him to shove his job up his sanctimonious ass, although she felt sick to her stomach with worry about her father.
When she got to the trailer office she didn’t bother knocking on the door or waiting for the asshole to tell her it was okay to enter. She grabbed the door handle and reefed it open. Frank’s mouth dropped open and she could tell by the scowl on his face and the rage in his eyes that he was about to give her a mouthful but she didn’t give him the chance to speak.
“I quit!” She watched with concealed amusement and glee as Frank’s mouth opened and closed a few times, making him look like a fish out of water, and with his drooping jowls and beady eyes that was exactly what he looked like.
Gypsy spun on her heel and exited the trailer. She was already racing toward her car when she heard Frank screaming at her. “Don’t bother coming back here begging for your job back, you little bitch. If I’d had my way you never would have worked here in the first place.”
If she hadn’t been so sick with worry for her father she would have laughed. After getting in her truck and putting her seat belt on, she started to drive away. Frank’s face was beet red and he was shaking his fist at her. Gypsy flipped him off and kept right on driving. It would take her just over an hour to get to San Angelo, Texas, from Brady. Her heart was beating so hard with anxiety and she felt sick to her stomach. The nurse who’d called her hadn’t been able tell her what had happened to her dad or what his injuries were, but at least they’d had her as next of kin to contact in case of an emergency.
She tried to calm her racing mind and heart, and push the worse scenarios away. For all she knew her dad only had a minor injury, but she couldn’t dislodge the ball of dread in the pit of her stomach.
Gypsy and her father had had a falling out five years ago and since they were both stubborn as mules neither of them had been willing to concede to apologizing first. Now that her dad was hurt she felt so guilty for holding onto her anger for so long, but she was a chip off the old block and had learned to be stubborn and tenacious from her father.
Rick Savage had raised her alone from the age of five years old. They had been so close at one tim
e, but as Gypsy grew up and asserted her independence they had ended up butting their heads together more often than not. Her mother had taken off when her dad had found out she was having an affair with one of his employees and that was the last time she and her dad had seen anything of the woman. Not that Gypsy really cared anymore. As far as she was concerned her mother could go to hell. She could still remember hearing her father crying at night when she was supposed to be sleeping. At the time she didn’t understand what was really going on but her heart had ached for both her mother and her father.
It had taken nearly twelve months for her dad to get things together, but once he had he had been the best father in the world. Gypsy had gone to work with him when she wasn’t at school and had helped her dad as much as she could. She’d grown up with a hammer in her hand and knew she wanted to be just like her dad when she grew up. Of course, her father had wanted her to go to college but she had thought that to be a waste of time and money. After a raising row with her father, she had stormed out of the house and taken off in one of his old work trucks. She had decided to show her stubborn father that she was right and could take care of herself, so she had packed up the truck with a minimal amount of clothes but all her precious tools, and she had taken off. She’d worked in various small towns around San Angelo, working in construction, and even though she had more skills than a lot of the foremen out there she had kept her mouth shut, her head down, and her ass up, and worked to save as much money as she could.
Gypsy’s dream was to own her own home as well as her own business and although she had enough money to buy land and build her house she’d never gotten around to it. She had begun to wonder if the guilt of not seeing and talking to her dad for five long years had been holding her back. She checked her mirrors and changed lanes. Gypsy had trouble connecting with other women and hadn’t made any real women friends. She’d spent the last two years sharing a house with two other women but they were really girly girls and she was a downright tomboy and none of them had been able to connect on an emotional level like other friends did.
Some of the men she’d worked with in Brady had labeled her a real ballbuster and that was so far from the truth it was almost laughable. Sure she was confident with her job, but after growing up helping her dad out with his business she had learned a lot and had every right to be confident and question some of the jobs that Frank had passed as safe and complete. But she’d also been labeled as an ice queen and she’d been really hurt when she’d heard that. She wasn’t made of ice and had feelings just like everyone else. Just because she didn’t accept dates with the men she worked with and didn’t flirt like other women they had figured she was butch or something.
The only nickname she’d ever liked had come from her father and he was the only man she would ever be able to be herself around. He was the only person in the world who seemed to understand her and she hated that she had walked away. Hopefully her dad would be okay and would accept her back with open arms. She had no intentions of leaving her dad ever again. He was the only family she had left and she just hoped she hadn’t left things too late.
After a nail biting hour and ten minutes of driving, Gypsy pulled into the parking lot of the Shannon Medical Clinic and headed for the entrance. She waited impatiently at reception for the woman to get off the phone, and then she asked where her dad was. When she had directions she hurried toward the elevator and the third floor.
She spied her dad’s room and, after taking a deep and fortifying breath, she pushed her shoulders back and entered. Gypsy was glad that her father had his eyes closed because hers filled with tears and she had to bite her lip when her chin wobbled. Her father had both of his legs in plaster casts, but from what she could see he didn’t have any other injuries. All of a sudden his eyes opened and he stared at her for a moment before he blinked and met her gaze once more.
Gypsy rushed toward his bed, bent down, and hugged him tight. “Daddy, I’m so sorry.” The tears wouldn’t be contained and flowed down her cheeks as she began to sob. “I’m sorry, Dad. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Gypsy. God, baby, I’m sorry, too.”
She kissed him on the cheek and then drew back while wiping the tears from her face, and sat down in the chair beside his hospital bed.
“I love you, Dad.”
Rick Savage reached out and took Gypsy’s hand in his. “I love you, too, pumpkin.”
“What happened?” Gypsy clutched his hand tightly as she waited for him to explain.
“I was up on a roof helping to lay the tiles.” Her dad sighed and used his free hand to scrub it over his face and she realized he was trying to hide the pain he was in from her. His face was pale and his lips were tight as if he was trying not to grimace.
“Do you need me to get a nurse?”
“No, pumpkin. I’m already hooked up to pain meds, but they haven’t had a chance to work properly yet.”
“Okay, but don’t try and be a hero just because I’m here. If you need a nurse let me get one or press the call button.”
“I’ll be all right in a few minutes, baby. I can already feel the drugs working their way into my system.”
“Good.”
“The safety barriers were up and I was tethered to a harness as well, but I slipped when a tile broke underfoot and started skidding toward the edge of the roof. My harness snapped and the barrier gave way and I ended up on the ground.”
Gypsy sat up in her chair as she squeezed her dad’s hand in a tight grip. “Shit.”
“Yeah, exactly.” Rick glanced away from her and she began to worry even more. Her dad had never wavered from maintaining eye contact before and she wondered if there was something he wasn’t telling her.
“Tell me about you. Where have you been and what have you been up to?”
There was a twinkle in her dad’s eye and since she knew him so well she knew she didn’t really have to answer that question. She leaned back in her chair and stared at him for a moment.
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“There are no flies on you, are there, pumpkin.”
“You knew where I was all along, didn’t you?”
“You don’t think I’d let my little girl go off into the big wide world without keeping tabs on her, did you?”
“Oh, Dad.”
“How did you find it working for that Frank asshole?”
“He’s a pig, daddy. He cut corners trying to save money, and when I wouldn’t do as he told me to and I argued with him, he’d go into a rage.”
“But you did things the right way, didn’t you, pumpkin?”
“I did. I also quit my job today. I’m coming home to work for you.”
“Are you coming home to live as well?” Rick asked.
“Sure, but only until I find some land and build my own place. How long do you have to be in here, Daddy?”
Rick grimaced and tried to shift but with both his legs in plaster and in traction he was having trouble. Gypsy got up and helped him move before plumping the pillows behind him until he was comfortable.
“I’m going to be stuck in here for about six weeks and then it’s going to take a few months of rehabilitation before I’ll be back to my old self again.” Rick reached out and grabbed hold of her hand again. “I knew you’d come home. I want you to take over running the business for me, pumpkin.”
Gypsy’s heart stuttered in her chest with love for her father. Her dream had been to work alongside her dad and build his business up even more, but with him out of the loop for the foreseeable future she was going to have to help run his company.
“Will Ray accept me being in control?” she asked.
“Gypsy.” Her dad paused to clear his throat and he looked really sad. The only time she’d ever seen him look that way was when her mother had up and left with another man. “Ray passed away, pumpkin. He had cancer and didn’t say anything until he could no longer work.”
She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the sob in
her chest. Ray had been like a second father to her. He’d often spent his free time with her and her dad when she was growing up, and now he was gone.
“Oh, pumpkin, come here.” Rick held his arms out to her and Gypsy moved up onto the bed and fell into his embrace. She was in an awkward, twisted position since she was trying to stay clear of his legs but she didn’t care about a little discomfort. She was back in her father’s arms where she belonged. The only thing that would make her feel better was if Ray was there with them, too, but that wasn’t going to happen.
Gypsy let go of all restraint and cried for all the lost time she missed out on with her dad and Ray. If she and Rick hadn’t been so damn stubborn and ornery she may never have left in the first place. Her dad patted her back and rubbed his hand up and down her in a soothing motion, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty at not being able to see Ray anymore. He’d been an uncle to her and she was going to miss him like hell.
“Come on now, pumpkin. Enough crying. Ray wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up. He knew that we’re like two peas in a pod and that one of us would give in in the end. We used to sit out on the back deck and talk about you all the time.”
“You did?”
“Of course we did. What else did we have to talk about? You are the most important person in our lives, sweetie.”
“And I ruined everything by going off in a huff.”
“No. You did what you thought you had to, pumpkin. Don’t beat yourself up. Ray and I kept tabs on you and could have come and seen you anytime we wanted.”