by Becca Van
Grant clenched his teeth together, and the warmth in his green eyes iced over. “If that’s what you really want.”
“It is.” She forced herself to smile, trying to soften her emphatic statement. “I’ll just go and get my things.”
She rushed from the kitchen and headed toward the bedroom where she’d slept. Her things consisted of the clothes she’d been wearing when she’d been attacked. One of the men had folded them neatly after undressing her, and she needed to get her apartment keys so she could get back into her home.
Cindy had every intention of working tomorrow, no matter the cost to her well-being. Those three sweet kids needed her to help them keep up with their education and her new bosses, Kat and Niki, were relying on her to do a good job. She wasn’t going to let any of them down, least of all herself. This was her passion, and she didn’t care about some bruising and stitches. She was well enough to work, and that’s exactly what she was going to do.
* * * *
Grant was so fucking frustrated he was pissed. He’d had no idea what to say to talk Cindy into staying in their home. The silence in the truck while he’d driven toward her apartment had been fraught with a tension so thick he was sure he could have cut it with a knife.
As soon as he’d pulled up out front of the small apartment complex, she climbed out, thrown a thanks over her shoulder, and hurried to the entrance. He’d sat there with his hands gripping the steering wheel so hard, he was sure he was going to break it.
Now, he was driving up the driveway of Safe Haven. Even though there were only a few hours of light left, he didn’t give a shit. Grant needed to work off some of his pent-up frustration, and the only way he was going to do that was by wielding a hammer. A nail gun wouldn’t give him the same physical satisfaction.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Shane called out from the roof he was working on.
Jake and Curt stopped what they were doing and gazed at him.
“She left.” He gripped the ladder after wrapping his tool belt around his waist and started climbing.
“What did you do?” Curt snarled loud enough for him to hear.
“Keep your voice down, Curt.” Grant pointed at his brothers, who were working on the roof of the small house next to the one he had just climbed onto with Shane. “We can talk about this later. Okay? We can’t be yelling back and forth, scaring those women and kids.”
“Grant’s right,” Shane said. “Get your asses back to work. We’ll have time enough for talking later.”
Grant slammed in nail after nail as he and his brother worked. By the time he realized the sun was going down and it was getting harder to see, he was covered in sweat, but at least some of his frustration had eased.
Hopefully when he told his brothers what happened and they started asking questions, he wouldn’t bite their fucking heads off.
“Are you okay?” Shane asked as they gathered their tools and started packing up.
“Yes. No.” He sighed. “I don’t fucking know.”
“Want to go to the pub for a beer?”
Grant shook his head. “I don’t want to socialize right now.”
“Fair enough. Maybe we can sort everything out when we get home,” Shane said.
Grant nodded, but he wasn’t sure what he and his brothers could do to change Cindy’s mind about being their woman. Right now, it looked as if she wanted nothing to do with them.
“We aren’t going to give up, bro,” Curt stated firmly.
“We’ll get to see her here every day,” Jake said.
“That’s right, we will.” Shane nodded. “She can’t keep avoiding us all the time. When the opportunity arises, we’ll spend time talking to her and getting to know her. We’ll wear her down eventually.”
Grant nodded again, even though he wasn’t sure he believed that Cindy would give into the attraction simmering between all of them. If it had helped, he would have got down on his knees and begged her to stay, but she was an obstinate little thing.
He frowned when he remembered her backing away from him and avoiding his gaze. She’d looked so damned nervous.
Was she scared of them, or what they represented? Was she so independent she couldn’t see herself living with one man, let alone four? He frowned over that thought because it didn’t make sense. Not to him anyway. He and his brothers weren’t trying to take over her life or her self-reliance. However, it sure would be great if she leaned on them from time to time.
Grant pushed his thoughts aside as he got into his truck and turned the key.
His brothers were right. They weren’t giving up.
Determined resolve filled his body, heart, and soul.
Cindy would be theirs in the end. She could fight and keep them at a distance as much as she liked, but it wasn’t going to work.
Grant, Shane, Jake, and Curt were going to be in her space as much as humanly possible.
He smiled for the first time that afternoon as excitement fluttered in his belly.
He and his brothers had always worked hard to get what they wanted and had never failed because of their doggedness.
This time they were playing to win. Losing wasn’t an option.
Chapter Eight
Cindy had hardly slept a wink, and with a tired sigh, she got ready for work. She’d missed the first day of her new job and had no intention of missing the second.
After slugging down her coffee and glancing at her cheap watch, she snagged her backpack, keys, and the exercise books she’d picked up for the kids to work in and headed out the door. When Grant had driven her home yesterday afternoon, she’d been lucky enough to encounter a neighbor in the foyer of the apartment building. The older woman had asked what had happened to her as she’d eyed the waterproof patch on her chin. Cindy had explained and Virginia had commiserated. The nice lady had offered her the use of her push-bike when Cindy had told her about her new teaching job and bemoaned about not having transportation.
Until she had a car of her own, she was going to have to ride to work, rain, hail, or shine. Thankfully, she had a backpack and had wrapped all the workbooks and lesson papers in ClingWrap to keep them dry on the off chance it did rain. She gazed up at the sky as she hurried down the steps and sighed with relief. The sky was blue with a few wispy white clouds floating on a breeze.
After unlocking the padlock around the bike and removing the chain from between the spokes of the wheel and the fence post, Cindy swung her leg over the bike and swallowed back her giggle of hysteria. Her neighbor was inches taller than herself, and she was going to have trouble getting her balance enough to get her ass on the seat, but she had no choice. If she knew how to lower the seat she would, but she didn’t have time to work out how. If she didn’t hurry, she might end up being late.
Standing on one pedal, she pushed down and quickly placed her other foot onto the other pedal. She managed to get her butt on the seat, but she was only able to use the tips of her toes to push the pedals with.
So be it. There was nothing else she could do.
Cindy set off along the roads leading out of the town of Slick Rock and wished that Safe Haven was close enough to walk to, but it wasn’t. Instead of lamenting over her situation, she decided to take in the scenery.
Just over half an hour later, she was hot, sweaty, and out of breath, but she couldn’t stop. Ignoring the tightness in her calves and the way her heart thudded fast and hard, she kept pedaling. “Thank god,” she huffed out ten minutes later when she saw the entrance to the shelter property.
Turning the bike onto the gravel drive turned out to be a mistake. The back wheel caught in a rut, and though she tried to keep the bike from wobbling, she didn’t stand a chance in hell. The front wheel slid in a loose pile of gravel, and down she went.
Cindy squealed as she put her hands out to try to break her fall. One of her wrists twisted, and pain shot up into her arm and down into her hand. The handlebars dug into her chest and she hit the ground on her side, knocking
the air from her lungs. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow as she tried to catch her breath. Her chest hurt so bad she couldn’t get any air. Blessed moments later, life-saving oxygen flooded her aching lungs as she gasped.
“Why?” she asked as she blinked the tears from her eyes and stared up at the sky. “Why me? What have I ever done that was so bad to deserve this?”
Cindy groaned when she heard a vehicle turn onto the driveway. She raised her head and squinted, trying to see who had found her in such an ungainly, klutzy position, but all she could make out was a large dark truck.
The vehicle stopped, and someone got out.
“What the fuck happened?” Shane asked worriedly as he hurried over to her and knelt at her side. “Are you all right, baby?”
“Peachy,” she muttered sarcastically and closed her eyes again.
“Are you hurt?” Shane ran his hands up and down her legs.
When he got to her left wrist, she bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from crying out in pain. It was throbbing badly, and she didn’t know if she’d just strained it or if she’d broken it.
“Fuck, you’re bleeding.”
Cindy followed his gaze to her left hand and stared at her scraped bleeding palm. She giggled nervously, thankful that she’d been wearing the backpack on her back. Otherwise she might have hit her head on the ground, too. It had cushioned her fall.
“You haven’t answered my question.” Shane cupped her cheek, bringing her eyes to his.
“What question?” She frowned.
“I need you to tell me where you’re hurt. I don’t want to move you and exacerbate any injuries you might have.”
“I’m fine, Shane.” Cindy used her toned abdominal muscles so sit up after he disentangled her legs from the bike and carried it off the side of the driveway. Before she could get to her feet, he was back at her side and reaching for her.
She clasped his hands with hers, trying to ignore the pain in her wrist, but when he tugged her to her feet, she couldn’t stop herself from crying out.
“Fuck!” Shane swept her from her feet, backpack and all, and carried her to his truck. He carefully placed her on the passenger seat and crouched down next to her. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d hurt your wrist, Cindy? You have to be the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.”
Cindy rolled her eyes and then glared at him.
He helped her to remove the backpack and set it aside.
He cupped her face between his hands, his thumbs stroking over her cheeks as he stared into her eyes. “I’m not doing this anymore.”
Her heart sank and tears threatened, but she quickly glanced away so he wouldn’t see how his words had hurt her. He was obviously tired of the distance she was keeping between her and them. He and his brothers had given up on her. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed, but then he tilted her head up until their eyes were locked once more.
“You’re ours,” he stated emphatically. “Do you hear me, Cindy? You’re going to be our woman, and I’m not letting you get away from us again.”
She opened her mouth to protest but ended up moaning when he crushed his mouth to hers. She gasped as he licked into her mouth, tangling and dancing his tongue with and around hers.
Warmth coursed through her blood as the kiss went on and on and on. This time when he broke the kiss, she was breathless for an entirely different reason for being winded.
“Let’s get you to the shelter and get you cleaned up.”
Shane removed his hands from her face, and as he reached for her seat belt, his arm brushed against her breast. Her already hard nipples hardened even more. Her pussy was wet, and her clit was throbbing. Although she tried to ignore the lustful ache in her body, it was difficult since she felt as if she were burning up.
“Look at me, baby,” Shane demanded, and she cursed herself when she immediately obeyed. She gasped when he circled a finger over the peaked nipple of one breast over her shirt. “You like that, Cindy?” he asked raspingly.
Her mouth was too dry to answer, but her body had no problems. Without conscious thought, she arched her chest toward him. His pupils dilated further, and the green of his eyes hazed over with desire. “You don’t need to answer me. I can see that you do. Your body knows what it wants even if you won’t admit it. Tell me you belong to me and my brothers.”
She pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to speak.
“You can fight us all you want, but I know you feel the attraction. We’re not going to let you contest us any longer.” Shane tweaked her nipple, and she groaned. With a sigh of reluctance, he stepped back, closed the door and hurried to the driver’s seat, started the truck, and drove down the drive.
After parking and turning the ignition off, he got out and raced to her side of the truck. She’d been hoping to get out before he could come and help her, but since her muscles were sore after her fall, she moved slower than normal. However, she’d released the seat belt and opened the door before he was at her side.
She reached out toward him with her right hand, but instead of grasping it and helping her down, he picked her up off the seat and held her against his chest. Cindy kept her gaze on her bleeding palm, cupping it and trying to keep from getting blood on anything.
“Hey, is she okay?” Grant called out.
Shane spun around, making her feel dizzy for a second, and she peered up at Grant from beneath her lowered eyelashes. When she caught movement from her periphery, she noticed that Jake and Curt were staring in her direction with frowns on their faces.
“No, she took a tumble off a fucking bicycle. She’s bleeding and has a hurt wrist. I’m taking her inside to get her fixed up.”
“Shit!” Grant said as he moved to the ladder and started climbing down.
Shane turned and then walked quickly toward the hall.
Cindy hoped the women and children staying there didn’t get frightened when they saw Shane and her disheveled, bloody condition.
* * * *
Jake looked at Curt just before he started jogging toward the hall. Grant beat them to the top step and walked over the threshold. He and his younger brother followed.
He glanced about, being careful to keep his concerned frown from his face and upsetting the women and kids living here temporarily, and while he’d hate to scare them, he was more worried about Cindy at the moment.
Thankfully, Niki was here today. She and her sister, Kat, brought food for the occupants so they wouldn’t go hungry. While the pantry, fridge, and freezer had been stocked, Niki and Kat bought fresh produce for the people every day.
Shane lowered her to the sofa and squatted in front of her. Jake rushed over and sat on one side of her. Grant was already sitting on the other.
“What the hell happened?” Niki asked, stopping a few feet behind Shane.
Shane met each of their gazes before glancing over his shoulder at Niki. “She fell off a bike.”
“God, Cindy. You’re in the wars lately, aren’t you, girlfriend?” Niki asked.
Cindy nodded, blinked, and cleared her throat. Jake thought she was fighting tears.
“Why are you even here today?” Niki asked. “I thought I told you to take as much time as you needed to recover.”
“I didn’t want to let anyone down.”
Niki sighed. “I understand. I truly do, and I appreciate the effort you’ve gone to, but the kids can wait. They won’t suffer badly if they get a little behind with their schooling. Plus, I have a feeling you’d help them catch up quickly.”
Cindy blushed, nodding again.
“Do you have a first aid kit?” Jake asked as he cupped Cindy’s bleeding hand in one of his hands. She was so fucking tiny, his hand was almost twice the size of hers, but from what he’d seen, there wasn’t anything fragile about her. Cindy was a tough as nails when she had to be. Yet he hated that she felt as if she couldn’t lean or rely on them to help her or take care of her. Did she think they were trying to take control of her?
Jake blinked when Shane took the first aid kit Niki handed over. He’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t even noticed she’d left. Shane opened the box and got out the things necessary to clean the blood off and get all the dirt out of her torn skin. His brother ripped open some alcohol wipes.
“This is going to hurt, baby. I’m sorry.”
Cindy shrugged and tensed up just before Shane began to clean her flesh. When she jerked, Jake clasped her wrist firmly to stop her from pulling away, and she yelped. He immediately let go. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t think I was holding you hard enough to hurt you.”
“You weren’t.”
He frowned and wondered if she was lying again, but when Grant pushed his hand aside, gripped Cindy’s forearm, and turned her arm over, he was the one gasping. “Holy shit. Your wrist is black and blue and twice the size of the other one.”
“That looks broken.” Niki frowned. “We need to get her to the hospital or the doctors.”
Jake cupped her cheek. “Niki’s right, honey. You need an X-ray.”
“It’ll be fine,” Cindy croaked out. “I’ll just wrap it for extra support and I’ll be good to go.”
“Like f…hell,” Grant snapped softly.
“You’re going, and that’s that,” Shane stated emphatically.
Jake cursed under his breath when he saw a tear leak from the corner of her eye. He brushed his thumb over her skin, sweeping the moisture away. “Are you crying because of the pain, honey?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Then what are the tears for?” Curt asked.
“I don’t have any health insurance, and I can’t afford any extra bills,” she explained quietly, her gaze lowering to her knees.
“Grant, move out of the way please,” Niki ordered.
Grant lowered Cindy’s arm to rest on her leg, then shoved to his feet, and walked around behind the sofa. Niki took his seat. “You don’t need to worry about any of that, Cindy. Your salary package includes health insurance. I must have forgotten to tell you, but I’m sure it was in the information pack you were given.”