Soldiers of Pearl 5: Give Love a Chance (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  * * * *

  Cynthia was filled with a mix of emotions. She enjoyed being with all four men and sitting down having breakfast together. Sure, they had sex last night and they wanted to continue this relationship, so breakfast made sense, but she also felt anxious. Should she really be enjoying this moment, thinking about all the future times they would share meals and time together, or was she setting herself up for a broken heart? It was terrible, but that was how she felt. Plus, she hadn’t exactly been forthright with them about needing money.

  What would they do when they found out some drug dealer was putting pressure on her to pay off Michael’s debt? They would probably say that they could help her. They would want to protect her, and that would place them in danger and taint their good reputations because of her brother and her fucked-up family.

  That was how she saw it. She came from a dysfunctional family, had wound up losing another family member to PTSD and drug abuse, and now she was getting romantically involved with four retired Marines who could have issues, too.

  Suddenly in a panic, she gave a fake smile toward Dugen who was watching her slowly eat a piece of bacon.

  “So, about last night. Wyatt called. The sheriff in Croton wants to know if you’re going to press charges against the guy that assaulted you,” Perkins said.

  She put down the fork and took an unsteady breath. Did she really need this aggravation? Was she going to listen to Perkins and the guys and not return to Delia’s? She would need another job, and well, if she pressed charges against the drunk guy, then it could make patrons there give her a hard time. He’d been drunk. Her men had been there to stop the incident from escalating. She just wanted to go on with her life, find another job, and hope she could keep Raul off her back for a little longer.

  They all watched her and waited.

  “I need to work another job,” she said.

  Merlin dropped his fork. “Not at Delia’s,” he said firmly. She swallowed hard.

  “Not at any bar or restaurant where you have to show off your sexy body. Not happening, sweetheart,” Karl added then bit off a piece of bacon and held her gaze.

  She looked at Perkins. “I don’t think I should press charges. He was drunk. You guys were there to resolve the situation before it got out of hand.”

  “It was out of hand. He touched you, pushed you to the ground, and was going to force himself on you,” Dugen said in what sounded like a growl.

  “Dugen, I’m fine. I don’t need the extra bullshit. I don’t. I just want to forget about last night and look for another job.”

  “You don’t have to worry about the mortgage and bills. We’ll help you,” Merlin told her, and they all agreed.

  She stood up. “No. Absolutely not. These are my bills, my problem, not yours.”

  Perkins stood up as she stepped back and toward the counter, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

  They would find out about Raul, about Michael’s debt. She couldn’t let them find out. Michael’s reputation would be ruined. The police report had said he was drunk, over the legal limit.

  Perkins ran his hand along her arm and made her uncross them. He pressed against her, and she felt the counter against her back.

  “Listen, we take care of what’s ours. You belong to us now. We provide for you, protect you, and take care of you so that you’re never struggling, in pain, or have to worry. It’s how this works.”

  “Well, I’m not used to that. I need time. Let me deal with this. Please, let me handle the additional mortgage payments. I don’t feel comfortable having you do it.”

  He seemed to think about it for a moment, and then he smiled as he cupped her cheeks and stared at her mouth and then into her eyes.

  “Okay. For now. But if you fall behind, or can’t handle it, you have to promise us that you’ll let us know.”

  She felt relieved. She’d just bought herself more time.

  “I promise,” she told him, and he smiled right before he leaned down and kissed her thoroughly.

  Chapter 6

  Cynthia just needed to make it to the Western Union to send some money to Raul. She scraped up five hundred dollars and headed out. She couldn’t believe how heavy her heart felt and how guilty she was.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about Perkins, Dugen, Merlin, and Karl, and she’d been away from them for only a couple of hours. She missed their presence, their touch, how caring and strong they were. She also felt as if she could truly be happy with them, despite the circumstances she had gone through as well as her current dilemma.

  She finished sending the money and then headed back to her car, but as she crossed the walkway, she saw her cousin Shiloh, and he looked pissed off. He was talking into his cell phone.

  She looked away and then grabbed the courage somehow to wave and head toward him instead of away from him like she felt she should. He would ask her what she was doing at the Western Union. He would be extra protective because of the other night. Hell, what if he was on the phone with Perkins or one of the others saying where he saw her? She felt sick and dizzy, and thank goodness she was on the other sidewalk next to a bench she was able to grab.

  “Cynthia.” Shiloh called out her name, sounding concerned, but she was just trying to wait for the dizziness to pass.

  She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t lie and pretend that everything was okay when it wasn’t. She wanted to tell Shiloh. He was family. He would support her in paying off the debt instead of contacting the police and causing more problems. Then she felt his arms go around her and hold on to her as he brushed the hair from her clammy cheeks.

  He would be so disappointed and upset with Michael, and probably with her. She had to try to resolve this herself.

  “Sweetie, you look like you’re about to pass out. Sit down. Come on now,” he said, and instead of letting her sit on the bench where she stood, he took her over toward the one in the shade under the big tree. She felt the difference in temperature immediately.

  “I’m okay. I just felt dizzy for a minute. I’m better now,” she told him and then looked up, locking gazes with his deep brown eyes. Shiloh caressed her hair and then stood there next to the bench watching her.

  “What were you doing in the Western Union?”

  Ohshitohshitohshit.

  “I was looking for a job.” She turned away from him.

  “In Keanter? Don’t lie to me, baby. You’re not a liar. Never have been.”

  “I—”

  Her cell phone rang, and she instantly picked it up. It was a lifesaver, whomever it was.

  “Hello?”

  “I haven’t heard from you in a few days. Where’s my money?” Raul asked her, and she couldn’t hide the shock or the fear on her face.

  “Who is that?” Shiloh asked, uncrossing his arms and moving closer.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t talk right now, but I did take care of that this morning for you.”

  “The rest of the money? All of it?”

  “No. Some.” She glanced at Shiloh, who looked about ready to tear the phone from her hand. He was more than suspicious.

  “I think you’re fucking around, Cynthia.”

  “I’m not. I swear. I’ll have it for you. I really can’t talk right now.”

  “You have it by end of the week, or Dot and I will be coming for you. Time is up,” Raul stated firmly and then disconnected the call.

  She closed her eyes and then covered her face with her hands.

  “God damn it, Cynthia, I know something is going on. You tell me now if you’re in some kind of trouble.”

  The tears flowed, and she could hardly speak.

  “I can’t, Shiloh. You’ll never forgive Michael, and I want you to remember him for the good things.”

  She used the back of her hand to wipe her eyes. Shiloh sat down next to her and took her hand into his.

  “I don’t know what the hell is going on. I don’t understand why you’re bringing up Michael. We all know he was on something when h
e had that accident. We all make mistakes, but it only takes one wrong choice to wind up dead. I’ll always remember Michael for the strong, tough soldier he was and how hard he worked to keep it together when he was living with such fear and anxiety.”

  She looked at him and debated about confiding in him or not.

  “He wasn’t the brother, the man I thought or I believed him to be. In the end, weeks before he died, he started giving me attitude and pushing me away. I didn’t understand why. He was losing it. He was different. It doesn’t matter now.” She stood up. He grabbed her hand.

  “Something is going on with you. I don’t know what, but if you’re not willing to talk to me and let me help, then maybe you’ll let your men, your guardians, help.”

  He then looked over her shoulder, and when she turned, she saw Merlin hurrying toward her. He was in work clothes. Jeans, boots, a T-shirt that had some dust and dirt on it. He looked sexy and also upset.

  “You called him?” she asked Shiloh.

  He squeezed her shoulder and held her gaze.

  “They’re your guardians, your lovers, you whole world now. It’s time to let the walls down, to stop trying to do it alone and let them in. Confide in them, Cynthia. They won’t be as understanding as I was if you deny a problem or lie.”

  “Cynthia. God, are you okay?” Merlin asked her and pulled her into his arms.

  She squeezed him tightly.

  “I’m fine. I don’t know why my cousin called you.”

  She pulled back, and Merlin held her hands.

  “He called me because he said you looked like you were going to pass out. Luckily he was here to help you.” Merlin ran his palm along her neck to the back of her head. His hand was huge and yet so tender. He tilted her head up toward him and looked into her yes. She felt flushed, aroused instantly.

  “You seem okay to me now. Maybe a little flushed?” he asked, looking toward Shiloh. She glanced at Shiloh, who just gave her the opportunity to hold out a little longer by only telling Merlin about the dizziness and not the Western Union.

  “I’m okay now, Merlin. I hadn’t had anything to eat for lunch, and I guess I was running around too much. I don’t want you to get in trouble for leaving the construction site.”

  Merlin smirked. “Not going to happen. When a man’s woman needs him, every good man around him supports him and sends him on his way. How about we remedy the no-eating situation and grab a quick lunch? I want to make sure you’re okay to drive back to Pearl.”

  “Well, I think that sounds like a great idea. More time to talk. I’m heading back to Pearl. I just have one last stop first,” Shiloh said and then leaned down to kiss Cynthia’s cheek before he shook Merlin’s hand and Merlin thanked him.

  Now she needed to get through lunch without breaking down and asking Merlin and the others to take on her problems. This wasn’t going to be easy.

  * * * *

  “Something is going on,” Shiloh said to his brother Portland over the phone.

  “What do you mean?” Portland asked, and then Shiloh filled him in on what he’d seen.

  “Maybe you’re jumping the gun. Her odd behavior could stem from the fact that she’s a little shy about her men staking a claim. She knows we know that she stayed at their place last night.”

  “No. It’s more than that. She sent someone money through the Western Union, and then she got a call. She seemed upset and shocked that it came when I was there with her.”

  “A phone call? From who?”

  “I don’t know, but I can tell you that it sounded suspicious. I may be jumping to conclusions, but my gut is never wrong. Our cousin is in some kind of trouble, and for some damn reason, she’s not letting anyone know. I also think it has something to do with Michael.”

  “With Michael?” Portland asked. “Fuck. We both know he wasn’t on the straight and narrow before he died. Hell, he fucked up your bike that night you confronted him, and he was hanging out with some guys we didn’t know. They were from the East Coast.”

  “Shit. I remember that. I could go into the Western Union and try to find out where she sent the money to.”

  “They aren’t going to tell you shit.”

  “Bro, there’s a cute brunette behind the counter. Need I say more?”

  Portland chuckled.

  “Watch yourself and let me know what you come up with. Until we can get more information, we should keep this to ourselves. I hope she isn’t using drugs or starting to and that’s why she needs the money.”

  “No. Not Cynthia. Why would you even think that?”

  “Because all her life she’s been struggling to keep positive despite everyone hurting her. Michael saved her from Uncle Brook, and then he betrays her and hurts her just as badly. I’ve always thought Cynthia was so strong, but I think she hides her sadness and her pain. We can’t let her go down the wrong road. Not when men like Perkins, Dugen, Merlin, and Karl adore her and probably even love her already.”

  “Damn straight we can’t. But I still don’t think she’s doing drugs. I think she’s in trouble, and we need to find out.”

  Chapter 7

  “So they’ll pay me for the day and I just help out where needed?” Cynthia asked Cara, one of the nurses at the clinic.

  “Yes. It’s actually pretty relaxing and can be fun. Some groups are more serious than others and maybe the men don’t want to engage in any activities, and that’s fine. They stay at the campsite for the day and leave at eight o’clock at night. You can learn a lot from the doctors and therapists that are there, too.”

  “Okay. I’ll do it. Get me the information and let me know what I need to fill out before.”

  “Oh, no worries there. Dr. Chambers is going to be thrilled that you’re going. He thinks you’ll do an excellent job,” Cara said, and Cynthia smiled. For three hundred dollars, she would suck it up and do her best.

  * * * *

  “I don’t know if I like this idea. It’s all day,” Karl said to her as he pulled her into his arms and trapped her against the counter in the kitchen.

  She ran her hands up over his shoulders and smiled.

  “I’ll be fine, and it might be kind of fun. It’s supposed to be relaxing,” she told him.

  Karl ran his hand along her ass and pressed her against him. His cock pushed against her belly, and he held her gaze firmly.

  “You could be here relaxing with us,” he said, and she gave him a sideways expression.

  “I want to go.”

  She looked up into his brown eyes and couldn’t help but feel intimidated. His face—all of their faces and their eyes—was so expressionless, yet it still affected her. It was as if each man held back his emotions, and even now, Karl seemed to be analyzing her.

  “How early do you need to leave for this retreat?” He slid his hand along her lower back and then up over her ribs to her breast. He cupped it, and she parted her lips and spoke to him in a moan as he pinched the nipple.

  “Eight.”

  He tugged hard. “A.M.?” he asked. One of his eyebrows raised up, and he clenched his teeth. She nodded then glanced at the clock. “Then we better get a move on.”

  He reached under her skirt and lifted her up by her hips, pressed her onto the counter, and then kissed her deeply. In no time at all, he had her begging for his cock.

  She gripped his shoulders as the others gathered around her.

  His hands were pulling down her panties as he suckled her breast over the tank top she wore.

  “Karl. Oh God, Karl.“ She lifted her thighs higher, helping him to remove her panties but also feeling so aroused by the feel of him feasting on her breast over the thin tank blouse she wore. She grabbed his head, ran her fingers through his hair, and then gasped as he gripped her hips so her ass and cunt were over the edge of the counter and she was lying on her back.

  “Fuck I need in,.” he demanded then lowered his mouth to her pussy. “I need you.”

  “Oh.” She cried out again, trying to reach down a
nd grab his hair and head. He was sucking her clit so hard she shook. She couldn’t breathe as he stroked his tongue, sucked harder, and then swirled it around her pussy lips before thrusting it in.

  She rocked her hips, the counter slightly cold against her ass crack, yet it added to her arousal. Then she felt other hands against her thighs and then lips on her skin, on the left then the right. She looked through hooded eyes and saw Perkins on the left and Merlin on the right. They were such big men their large hands practically covered the width of her thighs. It added to her arousal.

  “Look at me,” Karl demanded.

  She saw him naked, stroking his thick, long cock.

  “You belong to me. To us.”

  “Yes. Yes,” she told him. He squinted, and she saw the pre-cum drip from his cock. She licked her lips.

  “Hang on, darling. They’ll be no reprieve. You’re ours for the next eleven hours.”

  He stepped forward as Perkins and Merlin lifted her thighs wider and higher and Karl thrust his cock into her pussy.

  She screamed as her orgasm hit her so hard she lost focus. He thrust and stroked into her fast and then slow, fast and then slow, over and over again, and she was so lost in coming she could hardly breathe or focus.

  “God, you’re so fucking beautiful and responsive,” Perkins told her.

  Merlin undid her blouse and unclipped her bra, freeing her needy breasts, and then both men descended to place their mouths upon her.

  Their tongues, teeth, and hot breath worked her nipples until they were so hard, so tight she was moaning and pleading for mercy.

  Karl continued to thrust his cock balls deep and then used the cream that dripped down her crack to swipe a finger against her anus.

  As Perkins and Merlin tugged then nipped her nipples, she cried out.

  “Oh please. Oh God, it’s too much. Too much,” she begged.