by Becca Van
She couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. They began to leak from the corners of her eyes. The harder she tried to stem the flow, the faster they fell, until she couldn’t hold the storm back anymore.
Tom pulled her from her chair and brought her over until she was sitting on his lap. He held her while the tempest of emotion raged within. She clutched at him as the fear and hopelessness swamped her and she sobbed against his broad, muscular chest. She’d had to be so strong for way too long and now she had people trying to help her, she was falling apart. Beth knew that it was cathartic for her to release all the tension and fear she felt, but could not help raging inside against the bastard causing all her pain.
Tom held her until finally the storm began to calm and gave a sigh of what sounded like relief when she slumped against him with exhaustion. He didn’t move, just held her securely, comfortingly until she was ready to move herself, but she didn’t want to leave his arms. She felt warm, safe, and almost cherished for the first time in forever. She had no idea how long she sat cuddled up against him but when she tried to lift her sore eyelids she couldn’t, so with a sigh of surrender she finally gave in and drifted into sleep.
* * * *
Tom had no idea how long he sat at the table holding Beth and didn’t really care. It must have been quite a while, because he could hear Zach and Noah coming through from the station as they finished their shift.
Zach and Noah walked into the kitchen and because they had learned to move quietly, Beth didn’t hear them or stir on Tom’s lap. When they saw her cuddled up against him, Noah moved around so he could see her face and he swallowed audibly. Noah studied her face intently and stroked a finger lightly over the tear tracks on her face, muttering a vicious oath. Tom looked down at Beth, relishing the feel of her in his arms. She was so petite compared to him. He felt so masculine and strong with her against him and never wanted to let her go.
“How long has she been like that?” Zach asked quietly as he moved next to Noah and studied Beth’s tear-ravaged face.
“A while,” Tom whispered. “I didn’t want to move and disturb her sleep. I think this is the first time she has slept so soundly. She exhausted herself with a crying jag and as much as it pained me to witness her turmoil, I think it’s what she needed. She’s had to be strong and carried so much stress for so long. I hate seeing her in so much pain and so tired. I want to do something to help her but until we find that arsehole we’re running blind. Fuck! I hate this. When is it going to end for her? ”
Noah and Zach crouched down on their haunches as Beth stirred in Tom’s arms. She slowly blinked and then gave a squeak as she saw the two faces looming in front of her.
“Shit, you scared me,” Beth looked from Noah to Zach and back again.
“Are you all right, honey?” Zach frowned.
“Yeah I’m fine. Sorry, Tom. I didn’t mean to cry all over you then fall asleep. Why didn’t you wake me?” Beth sat up his lap.
“Because you needed the sleep, Beth. I know you haven’t been sleeping well, baby, and I wanted you to get as much rest as possible. Catch up a little so you wouldn’t be so tired.”
“Uh, okay thanks. If you let me up, I’ll get dinner started.” Beth made to move from Tom’s lap.
“I don’t think so, sweetheart. Zach and I will cook tonight. You just sit back and relax for a while.” Noah and Zach stood and moved back from her.
“That’s not fair. You and Zach have been working all day. You shouldn’t have to cook as well.” Beth frowned.
“You are not cooking, Beth. You’re still tired, baby. I’ll cook tonight. You just sit there and watch. Would you like a glass of wine?” Tom hugged her to him. He had to bite back a groan when her breast brushed against his chest and he felt her hard little nipple stab into him. He didn’t know how much more he could stand before he did something like try to kiss her, but he knew if he did he wouldn’t stop at just a kiss. After this morning’s episode he wasn’t sure that was such a good idea. If anything was to happen between the four of them again, it had to be because Beth took the initiative. There was no way in hell he was going to make a move on her again only to have her throw it back in his face.
He’d already worked out that she used attack as a defense mechanism as well as that sharp tongue. He just wished she would talk to him, to them. He’d love nothing better than to help her sort out what was going on in that smart brain of hers. And she was smart as far as he was concerned. How the hell she had survived on the run for three years was astounding to him. She hadn’t even had any of the training he’d had and had done fine so far. Plus she worked with books every day. How could she not be smart with such knowledge at the tips of her fingers?
“Mm, that would be nice,” Beth answered as she slumped back against him again.
Tom rose to his feet taking Beth with him and passed her over to Noah. He placed a kiss on her temple and turned to the kitchen. After opening a bottle of wine and pouring her a glass he carried it across to her and placed it on the table in front of her where she was now sitting on Noah’s lap. He also handed a beer to Noah and Zach then went and got one for himself and then set about cooking dinner.
When Tom started cooking Zach left the room to change out of his uniform and when he came back Noah handed her over to Zach and she was now sitting on his lap. Noah walked back into the kitchen dining room after he had changed and took a seat next to her and Zach. Tom couldn’t help but glance at Beth often. She was a gorgeous woman and she looked so comfortable and content sitting ensconced in his brother’s arms. It looked like her cry had done her a world of good and she looked almost happy.
“I spoke to Tasha today, babe. We now have a good description of the cop after you. Do you know his name at all, Beth?” Noah asked.
“No, I didn’t hear what either of the men was saying to each other. The blood was pounding in my ears so loudly it drowned out any other sound besides the gun shot.”
Noah described the man Tasha had seen in the bank to her.
“From your description that sounds like it’s him.” Beth frowned as if she was remembering the incident she’d witnessed once more.
“Do you remember anything at all, honey? Did he have any tattoos? Was he bald? What the color of his hair was?” Zach prompted.
Beth breathed in deeply and closed her eyes as if she was concentrating on her memories.
* * * *
She was once more looking at the scene, reliving it as if it was happening now. She watched the cop raise his arm and then she heard the loud gun report and echo through the cold night air. As he raised his arm she saw a dark mark on his wrist and concentrated harder, trying to make it out. Then it was staring her in the face and she raised her eyes to his face. He looked up from his victim and then turned toward her as if he had been aware of her presence the whole time. She couldn’t see the color of his eyes but she saw the determined set of his face as he began to walk toward her. The hand holding the gun began to shift and she knew if she didn’t run she would die next.
“H–he has a tattoo on his left wrist of a snake and he’s left-handed. His hair is a dark color. I think black or maybe dark brown, but you have to remember it was night time and even though there were lights, the illumination could have made the color of his hair seem different.” Beth panted and shuddered. She placed her hand over her chest trying to stop the racing of her heart and her heavy breathing as she let the memories drift away. Zach hugged her tight and she clutched at his forearms as fear permeated her body and mind. He was here and he was looking for her.
What should I do? I can’t let them get hurt. I’m going to have to leave. I care for them too much to get them killed.
“Shh. It’s okay, honey, breathe deeply, count to three slowly as you breathe in and out. Good girl.” Zach ran a soothing hand up and down her arm.
“You don’t have to worry anymore, Beth. We won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.” Noah reached out and gripped her hand giving it a l
ight squeeze.
“As much as I know you mean that, Noah, you can’t make that kind of promise. I appreciate what you’re all trying to do for me, but please don’t make any promises.” Tears burned the back of her eyes and she quickly looked away. She didn’t want them to know how scared she was. She needed to keep her protective walls up and hopefully if something happened to her they wouldn’t get hurt. “I really think you guys should just take me home so I can get my car and leave. I don’t want any of you getting caught in the crossfire.”
“No fucking way,” the three men shouted simultaneously.
“That’s the second time you’ve said that today, baby, and the answer is still the same. No! You are staying with us, Beth. There is no way in hell we are letting you out of here by yourself,” Tom said vehemently.
Beth decided it was useless to argue. It seemed the three men were hell-bent on keeping her safe. She let it go for now. They didn’t have to know that she was making plans of her own.
They ate the steak and vegetable dinner Tom had made. The men talked companionably, but she remained silent, too caught up in her own thoughts to offer any scintillating conversation, and when they were finished Beth offered to clean up. Once again they wouldn’t let her.
“Why don’t you go have a shower, Beth? Maybe the hot water will help you feel more relaxed.” Zach turned her head to his with a finger beneath her chin and placed a light kiss on the lips.
“Okay,” Beth sighed tiredly.
* * * *
Zach waited until Beth was gone before turning to face his brother and partner. “You know she is going to try and run again don’t you?”
“Yeah,” Noah and Tom answered simultaneously.
“What the hell are we going to do?” Zach slammed his fist down on the table with frustration.
“She gets to me right here,” Zach slapped a hand over his heart. “I don’t want her leaving. I want everything with her. Beth is so fucking beautiful and even though she tries to hide away by using a sharp tongue and keeping her emotions close to her chest, I can see the fear in her eyes. But when she looks at each of us I can also see the desire and the emotions she thinks she’s concealing. How are we going to keep her safe and get her to open up with us?”
“Do you really need me to answer that, Zach? There is only one way I want to keep her safe and occupied and we’ll all benefit from it,” Tom smirked.
“Fuck, Tom,” Zach snarled. “Do you ever stop thinking with your dick?”
Zach held up his hand before Tom could snap back at him. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t mean half the shit that comes out of your mouth. You have been around other guys too much, bro. You’ve got to stop using that mouth of yours before you think. If you say any of that shit to Beth she is going to light out of here so fast our heads will spin.”
“We are going to have to work in shifts so none of us have any reason to be jealous of the other. We each get to spend time alone with Beth and woo her. There is no way we can let her get away with keeping us shut out of her heart. We have to figure out a way to get under her skin so she will be by our sides permanently,” Noah said.
“We already got to her,” Tom said. “She wouldn’t have let us touch her this morning if she didn’t care a little for us.”
“Shit, you’re right, Tom,” Zach smiled. “I knew there was a smart man buried underneath all that bullshit.”
“Geez thanks a lot.” Tom grinned.
Noah rose to his feet and headed for the hallway. “I’ll be back in a minute or two.”
“Where are you going?” Zach asked.
“To catch Beth and stop her from escaping out the bathroom window,” Noah replied before he left the room.
Chapter Five
Beth closed the bathroom door and locked it. She reached into the shower and turned the taps on. She got down onto her hands and knees, pulled the bulging backpack she’d hidden in the back of the cupboard out, and threaded her arms through the straps. Reaching out to steady herself, she placed her hand on top of the toilet cistern and stepped up onto the closed lid. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she lifted her knee up high and stepped up onto the edge of the vanity. She had to hunch over so she wouldn’t hit her head on the bathroom ceiling. The last thing she wanted to do was make too much noise and alert the men out in the kitchen about what she was up to.
Holding her breath, she flicked open the latch on the bathroom window and pushed it open. Exhaling with relief when the opening window made only a slight scraping sound, she pulled the bag off her back, shoved it through the window, and then dropped it. Thank God it didn’t make too much noise as it hit the ground.
With a little shuffle, she moved her feet closer to the edge of the vanity and then grabbed hold of the windowsill. Bracing her arms she bent her legs and then sprang up and pulled herself up until her head was out the window and the window frame was digging into her stomach. She pushed the toes of her shoes into the wall and shoved up until she was balancing precariously on the edge of the timber window frame under her hips and looked down to the ground. She bit her lip as she tried to figure out how to get down without making too much noise or hurting herself and silently thanked fate that the house was only a single story. Even with that being the case, the drop to the ground was till way higher than she wanted it to be.
The only plan she came up with was to push off the wall with her feet and dive head first to the ground. She hoped her arms didn’t give out on her when her hands met the ground because if they did she could end up with a broken neck.
Oh well, here goes nothing.
Beth pushed against the wall with her toes and began to slide out the window. She held her arms straight out ready to use her palms to catch her weight and then she intended to duck her head and roll.
Her legs scraped against the timber frame painfully and as she braced for impact, hard, strong arms wrapped around her hips and caught her. She was upside down with her body plastered against a big male body, her arse pressed against a firm rigid belly and crotch. When she felt the bulge in his pants begin to grow, pushing against her upper thigh, a shiver of desire wracked her body. She hoped he hadn’t felt that tell-tale reaction and even though she didn’t want to look up the length of her body to see who was holding her, trying to stop herself was like trying to stop a runaway freight train. She already knew by his scent who it was.
Beth lifted her head and looked up into Noah’s blue eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut to block out his angry scowl. How he did it she had no clue, but one moment she was upside down with his arms the only thing stopping her from landing on her head and the next his grip on her changed, and she was flipped and hanging over his wide, brawny shoulder.
“Put me down, you fucking caveman,” Beth demanded through clenched teeth.
Noah chuckled and slapped her on the bum.
“Ouch that hurt. What did you do that for?”
Noah eased her down until her feet touched the ground and then guided her backward until her back met with the side of the house. He placed his hands on either side of her head, effectively caging her in.
“Do you really think leaving is going to keep you safe?”
Beth glanced to the side but Noah palmed her cheeks and brought her gaze back to his. “I know damn well that we can protect you better than you can protect yourself. Do you think so little of us, Beth?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Beth shrugged and closed her eyes. She hated that he and the other two men could read her so well. She’d thought she’d been proficient at hiding her thoughts and plans but it seemed she’d been wrong.
“You are going to come back inside and talk to us, baby. From now on you will do everything we tell you.” Noah’s breath caressed her ear and she couldn’t help but shiver. When he pushed off the house and clasped her waist in his big hands, she tried to slap him away. She should have known he wouldn’t let her get away with that. She once more found herself up over his shoulder
and he started walking.
“Who died and made you king?”
Noah entered the back door and carried her toward the kitchen. He stood in the doorway with Beth still slung over his shoulder and no matter how hard she tried to escape, it was a futile endeavor.
“Look who I found climbing out the bathroom window.” Noah slapped her arse again and then carried her further into the room.
“Put me down, you fucking moron.” Beth slapped at Noah’s back and became even more incensed when he didn’t seem to notice.
“Are we going to let her get away with trying to leave, guys?” Noah asked.
“Hell no,” Tom said. Beth pushed up on Noah’s back by walking her hands against his back and glared at Tom as he turned from drying the dishes and moved toward Noah.
Noah backed up into the hall, careful he didn’t knock her against any of the doorjambs or walls, then he turned around and headed for her bedroom. Beth knew she was in for it when she heard Tom and Zach following behind. And boy did she want everything they we willing to dish out.
Noah placed Beth on the bed and followed her down using his body weight to pin her to the mattress and stared into her eyes.
“You aren’t going to keep running, Beth. From now on you are going to do everything we tell you to.”
Noah got to her using his bossy domineering tone. He was such a dominant authoritative man and he turned her on when he spoke to her in that commanding tone of voice. She was sunk. Hook line and sinker.
Beth didn’t know if she was supposed to respond to Noah’s directives and was glad she wasn’t given the chance because she had no idea what to say in response.
He took her mouth with a carnality that made her blood boil but not with anger. It was raw, unmitigated passion. He thrust his tongue into her mouth over and over again until she was whimpering in the back of her throat. He lifted off her body as he slid his hands up along her arms and laced his fingers with hers, pinning her hands to the mattress beside her head, all without breaking their kiss.