Free to Love (The Colson Brothers Book 8)

by Reese Madison

  “When you save lives for a living you get a free pass on all that being nice bullshit.” I informed him.

  “Is that so.”

  “Cord.” I’m so over today and he’s not helping.

  “I just have one thing to say, then I’ll leave you alone. If you weren’t here today, he’d have died. We didn’t carry those shots until you ordered them on the last supply run.”

  “What’s your point Cord?!” I asked feeling my fuse getting shorter and shorter.

  “My point is, if you go to prison for murdering Peter we’re out a doctor. A damn good one. That paramedic is good, but I’m not sure he’s have been able to pull off what you did today. And like I said, we wouldn’t have had that giant needle thing you shoved into his chest. Let the FBO handle him.”

  “I don’t know where he’s hidden the pictures of him raping Eve. As soon as the FBI starts sniffing around he’ll upload them remotely. I can’t have Eve accidentally seeing that shit. It’s the internet Cord, there’s no deleting shit off social media, it spreads too fast. They could resurface in years and traumatize the hell out of her.” I looked up at him. “You can’t stop me Cord. I’ll take care of Peter in the spring. End of discussion.”

  “No, it’s not the end of discussion. Don’t force my hand on this Mykela. You won’t win this time.”

  I took one more draw from the bottle then launched it at him. It crashed against the back of now closed door. “I always win!!” Except when I don’t. “Shit.”

  Cord Colson

  Eve looked up from stirring sauce. “How’s the doctor?”

  “Bitchy as usual. Don’t go in the bathroom, she threw a whiskey bottle at me.”

  She tilted her head at me, and not in the cute way she does when she wants something. “What did you do??”

  “Pissed her off, like I always do. That smells good. Is there enough for all of us?” I grabbed a beer from an ice box built into the wall under the counter on an outside wall. This house has some rather unique energy saving storage spaces. This one happens to keep beer at the perfect temperature.

  “Of course. Why is she mad Cord? She needs to sleep.” Great, just what I need, a mother hen.

  Of course I relented because I happen to love her mothering, even if I wish she’d reserve it for the animals down in the barns. “I threw a little reality in her face trying to prevent her from going after Peter.”

  She shook her head and sighed. “Won’t do any good. Peter will die by her hand whether we like it or not. I don’t give a fuck about him, but if he costs me my wife I’ll kill him myself.”

  “Okay. Whoa.” I set my beer down and pulled her into a hug. “Nobody is killing anybody, and nobody is going to prison. I’ll tie you both to my bed is I have to.”

  She peeled back and looked up. “You’d kill him first if it meant protecting Myk, wouldn’t you?”

  “Obviously.” I closed my eyes and kissed her forehead. “We’re going to wait for him to come to us. I’ll talk some sense into Myk. When Peter shows his ugly face I’ll handle him. Even if he tries to run he’ll never leave this mountain. I’ll protect you and Myk with everything I have. You’ll be safe.”

  “My brother is crafty, sick, and violent. He has no moral compass. As cold as Myk is, she’s nothing compared to him. I’m really scared Cord.” She blinked big worried brown eyes up at me. “If anything happens to her…”

  “Nothing will happen to her. Or you. Or me.” I nodded over her shoulder as the sauce popped in the pan. “Stir your sauce. We’ll talk more about this later.”

  Eve

  I hate being the one everyone is trying to protect. I hate being the cause of tension between us. Why can’t my brother just go away??

  Myk ate two bowls of pasta and cheese then promptly passed out in the middle of the bed. Good. She needs the rest.

  I’m not in the mood for company, but I don’t want to be alone either.

  Cord is standing by the window lost in thought.

  I topped off my wine then went to stand next to him. “Penny for your thoughts.” I offered.

  He put his drink in his left hand and draped his right arm around my shoulders pulling me under his wing. “Nothing you don’t already know. Thanks for making dinner. I’ll clean up later.”

  “I cleaned as I went. The dishwasher is working on the rest.” I leaned against his strength. “Why do we love her so much?”

  He sighed. “I can’t speak for you Eve. I’ve loved her since I found her. The love grew. Changed. But it’s always been there, and it always will be.”

  “She’s my strength. My protector.” I looked up from under the beard that’s getting longer under his chin. “You protect her. She protects me. Who protects you?”

  He turned and quickly stole my lips in his. Before I know it he’s making love to me on the floor in front of the fireplace.

  My last thought before I fell asleep sated in his arms later was that I’m his protector. I protect him from the darkness that is Mykela. Our wife. Our love. We both love her. The reasons might be different, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful.

  We’d both die for her.

  Why?

  Because she’d die for us. Myk might be an asshole, but when she loves she loves hard. I know she loves me, otherwise I’d be out on my ass. If she didn’t care she wouldn’t have gotten so pissed at me she wanted to strangle me. I’m still not sure she would have stopped if it wasn’t for Cord.

  He carried me off to bed where he fell asleep with his big warm body half on top of me.

  I rolled to feel for Myk and sidled up to spoon her from behind. “You asleep?” I whispered just in case she is.

  “In and out. Get some sleep wife. I’m going to need your help in a few hours.”

  “I love you.” I hugged her to me as Cord clumsily wrapped his big heavy limbs around both of us.

  I laughed. Mykela groaned. Cord laughed and within seconds snored softly in my ear. I pushed him off enough so I can breathe and fell asleep myself. I can’t remember ever feeling so comfortable in my life.

  Mykela Colson

  The surgery was a success, but I need to keep a close eye on the patient for the first twenty-four hours so I moved in with Lopez and his wife Wendy for the duration. Mark is the retired paramedic set to take over watch when I go back up to the big house. He’s been awake longer than me at this point, so I took first watch.

  Wendy & Lopez’s house is not big enough for all of us so I sent Eve and Cord home. Wendy started cooking to keep busy. I sat back with a bottle of wine Cord brought me to watch TV.

  The pounding at the door had me reaching for my bag. How many fucking emergencies happen up here on a daily basis??

  Wendy opened the door allowing a snow-covered woman with dark curly hair to come crashing through. I remember this one from my rounds weeks ago, but I forget her name.

  She started for me so I stood. “You bitch.”

  “Excuse me??”

  “Cord told me you were here on vacation. Clients. Not his fucking wife and her little whore.” She spat at my feet.

  I punched her in the face knocking her into the coffee table. “Don’t talk about my wife like that.”

  Wendy ran over and shoved me into her kitchen. “There will be no violence in my house!!”

  I shrugged and went to see what’s on the stove. Smells good in here.

  “Get out Denise. Dr. Colson saved my husband’s life. Your sex life is none of my business. Take your problems up with Cord. Leave us out of it.”

  Denise pushed past her and cornered me just as I had taken a mouthful of cornbread putting her finger in my face. “You left him seven years ago. What gives you the right to come back after all this time??”

  I swallowed and grabbed her wrist finding the pressure point I want and backed her to the kitchen table. I leaned in as the pain reached her now swollen face. “I didn’t come back. He brought me back. Take your skanky ass home and mind your own business. Talk about my Eve like that
again and I’ll end you. I’ll end you in a glorious, calculated, bloody mess that will take so long you’ll scream between begging for me to end your life.”

  She spat in my face. I decked her twice before throwing her bloody ass out into the snow.

  Wendy is on the phone with Cord. Great.

  I sent a text message to the paramedic Mark telling him I needed to leave and to come over immediately.

  Wendy sat me down at the kitchen table then proceeded to get me some unnecessary snow for my hand. She filled the plastic bag and covered it with a towel before handing it to me. “You young lady, have a dangerously short temper.”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry I let it get the better of me in your house. I’ll be gone in a few minutes.”

  She sat down in front of me with coffee mugs and a bottle of whiskey. “I’m not asking you to leave, but you shouldn’t have hit that young lady. She’s right to be upset you know. Cord and her have been keeping company for a couple years now. He tossed her out with a lie and brought in two young ladies to replace her.” She gave me a mothering look like Eve gets when she’s scolding me. “I think she has a right to be mad.”

  I sat back as she spiked my coffee. “Cord never mentioned her.”

  “Of course he didn’t, men are stupid like that.” She spiked her coffee then held her mug up like she wanted to toast to something. “Although I will commend you for not spitting back in her face, or worse. That was just plain nasty.”

  I lifted my cup and laughed. “Yeah, that almost got her killed.” She thinks I’m kidding.

  Cord crashed through the door just as our coffee got almost too cold to drink. His frantic blue eyes searched the rooms until they landed on me at the kitchen table. “Get in the truck.”

  Wendy stood. “It’s okay Cord honey. This is really your fault.” She got up and patted his shoulder. “Go easy on her. Denise spat in her face, twice. I’m going to check on my husband.” She left us alone in the kitchen.

  He sat in her spot. “What the fuck happened?”

  “Denis happened. By the way, thanks for telling me you’d been fucking her for the last two years. She probably thought you were going to marry her one day.”

  “I’m already married.”

  “Did she know that??” I asked pouring whiskey over cold coffee. Fuck it.

  “No.”

  “You are such an idiot sometimes.”

  “I told her it would never be more than physical. She acted like that was enough.”

  “Yup. You’re an idiot.” I stood to get the door when Mark knocked.

  Mark didn’t care why I was leaving, he sat on the couch and turned on a football game that was obviously more important.

  Cord and I left in his truck. He’s palming the steering wheel like he wants to say something but knows he shouldn’t. I’ve seen him do this before.

  “Just say it.”

  “For the first time I’m going to have to boot someone off the island.”

  “What? Why? I seriously doubt she’s going to pine for you for much longer now that she knows what a dick you are.” He shot me a dirty look that made me laugh out loud. “What? You are!! You lied to her, never mentioned her to me or Eve, and now you want to kick her off the island?? Leave that poor woman alone.”

  “She spit on you. Twice. She’s lucky I don’t kill her.” He complained.

  “I’ll take a shower when we get home. Trust me my ego has taken worse hits and I’m still an arrogant bitch. A little spit is only enough to make me punch a muther fucker. She’d have to do a lot worse to earn my knife at her throat.”

  He groaned and hit the steering wheel with his palm. “I can’t let her get away with it.”

  “She didn’t. As usual I can take care of myself Cord. Stop trying to protect me already.” I complained as he brought the truck to a stop up by the house.

  He turned in his seat leaving the engine running. “She’s gone in the spring. This is my mountain. I decide who lives up here and who doesn’t.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us about her?” I’m curious now.

  “I forgot, mostly.” He conceded at the end there. “It never seemed like the right time to bring it up. Eventually I forgot. Eve is a rather consuming distraction.”

  I sighed knowing how true that is. “Believe me I know. Speaking of which we better get inside before she runs out in her underwear looking for us.”

  He laughed and killed the truck’s engine. “She would too.”

  Sure enough Eve was waiting right by the door for the full story. I’m pretty sure she was pulling her boots on when I opened the door.

  “What happened?? You didn’t kill anybody did you?” She took my coat and hung it up on the rack.

  “No, but she should have.” Cord complained grabbing my arm and pulling me through the living room. “Shower. Now. And wash your face twice.”

  Eve is trying to follow without getting stepped on. “What?? Why is she showering?? Goddammit Mykela talk to me!!”

  “I will if you two give me half a second. Shit.” I shoved Cord away as he started ‘helping me out of my sweater’. “Enough!! Go get a drink and leave me alone. Shit you’re a pain in the ass sometimes.”

  He hissed at me then looked at Eve while pointing to me. “See that she washes her face really well.”

  I pointed to the door, “OUT!!”

  10

  It finally stopped snowing we were able to get out of the house for a change. Evidently that snowstorm was a little on the freak side even for way up here in the bum-fuck Montana mountains. After Eve and I beat the crap out of Cord misleading us into believing we’d be snowed in with him this house for the entire winter we went outside to enjoy the fresh air, aka do chores like everyone else up here.

  Eve of course headed straight for the barns. I went to work on the clinic and see a few patients. I called my lawyer and asked how to set up a private practice off the grid. After some extensive research online and on the phone with various people I found a ways to pull it off. Looks like the sale of the Scottsdale house will be funding most of this endeavor. Oh well.

  Cord came to retrieve me right about the time my stomach decided to growl it’s discontent at being neglected all day. “You ready to go home?”

  “In a minute. What were you doing all day?” I asked wrapping up an email.

  “Mostly running fences. You?” He walked over behind me and started rubbing my shoulders.

  “Evidently I’m starting a private practice up here so I can legal prescriptions. At this rate I’ll end up with a small hospital in a few years. Good grief. No wonder the Director was always PMS’ing. The red ta-“

  Cord spun my chair around and grabbed my hands pulling me to my feet. “We need to talk.”

  “I thought we were talking.” I argued.

  “About us. Eve is fine. Are we? You wouldn’t hardly look at me the other day when we made love. Why?” He let go of my hands and sunk his fingers into my waistband.

  I sighed knowing this was going to come up eventually. “I want to be, but I’ve been down this road with you so many times. If we fail at this again… Eve. I don’t want her hurt in the aftermath that is us.”

  “You think we’ll fail?”

  “Don’t we always?”

  “No. We don’t. We’ve had to walk away, but we had our reasons.”

  “You mean I had my reasons.” I reminded him. “Wasn’t it me that always left you?”

  He nodded, “Yes, but we were young. It takes two blow shit up, and we were pretty good at blowing shit up. I’d like to believe we’re past all that now. Besides, we have to at least try for Eve.” He’s being sarcastic, but to be honest she is worth going through and back for.

  I sighed again. “You love her don’t you?”

  “I love you both Mykela.” He cupped my face and leaned in disarming me with those damn blue eyes of his. “I want you. Now.”

  “Why now? Here?” I eyed him suspiciously.

  “Riding fences all day
gives a man entirely too many hours inside his own head. I thought about you a lot today. About how were always so good together. I want you to myself just this once. I’m sure it’ll happen again, but just this time, I want your undivided attention. I need to feel that connection again.” He all but begged.

  “You didn’t feel it the other day?”

  “I was focused on making sure Eve was the center of our world. Distracted if you will. I need to look you in the eye when I make love to you. You know what connection I’m talking about.” He insisted.

  I nodded. “I do. I was just afraid to feel that again.”

  “Don’t be afraid. Feel with me again Mykela. I’ve missed feeling, so fucking much.” His confession had me grabbing his big cowboy hat and tossing it to the floor before pulling him down for a kiss that quickly turned passionate with it’s combined greed.

  He popped my butt up on the desk. Shit fell over behind me. I untucked his shirt while he moved his kisses to my neck while helping me out of my boots, then my jeans. He lost his shirt just before I lost mine.

  He leaned back holding my head with both big calloused hands. “I’ve missed you so much Mykela.”

  I choked up before nodding and freeing him from his jeans. “I’ve missed you too.”

  “Look me in the eye while I reclaim my wife.”

  I shifted and guided him to do just that. “No more walking away.”

  “No more walking away.” He agreed pushing slowly into me. “There she is. You bring me to my knees woman.” He half complained looking me in the eye long enough to sink as deep as he could. Then he grabbed me up and fucked me good all over my desk and half up against the wall.

  The next morning Eve and I lingered after breakfast so the horses could finish their breakfast before we took a couple out riding.

  Cord went down to prepare his helicopter to take his ex-girlfriend Denise into town. Twenty minutes later he came crashing in the front door and slammed it so hard I swear the house shook. “Fucking BITCH!!”