by Becca Van
“You’re far from fine, sweetness.” Cael didn’t give her a chance to refute his statement because he swept her up off her feet and carried her to the bed. “Do you think I didn’t see your hands shaking before you put them on your hips? You can lie to yourself if you want, Jaylynn, but you can’t lie to us. We know you too well.”
“Stupid observant Marine.”
“Get used to it, baby,” Brax stated as he hurried around the bed and helped Cael pull the covers back up.
Jaylynn covered her mouth when she yawned. “What time is it?”
“Just after six in the evening,” Ajay answered as he sat on the mattress near her feet.
“What? I’ve been asleep all day?”
“You slept for over twenty-four hours, sweetness,” Cael answered as he sat next to her.
“Oh.” She frowned.
“Oh? That’s all you’ve got to say?” Brax asked. “I never want to see you that away again, baby. You about killed me with worry.”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t even know I was sick. I just thought I was tired.”
“We need to talk about that, too, honey,” Ajay said as he leaned against the headboard. “When you get the all clear from the doc and you’re allowed to go back to work, you won’t be taking everyone’s shifts and working twenty-hour days. What possessed you to do such a thing?”
She crossed her arms under her breasts and frowned. “How do you know I’ve been working twenty-hour days? You’ve only just arrived in town. Haven’t you?”
“We’ve been here for a couple of days, Jaylynn, but we spent most of our time setting up the house. Today is the first day we ventured out to meet up with our friends,” Cael explained.
“To answer your question, baby,” Brax said. “The young waitress, Cindy, told Violet how you’d been taking over the other waitresses’ shifts when they couldn’t work. She was concerned when you passed out.”
Jaylynn didn’t look happy about being ratted out, but she didn’t say anything regarding the other waitress. “Did y’all know I was here?”
“No,” Ajay answered and sucked in a deep breath before continuing on. “Why’d you do it, honey? Why’d you leave without sending word about what you were doing or where you were going?”
Chapter Six
Jaylynn was riddled with guilt and couldn’t look any of them in the eye. She’d already told them the partial truth as to why she’d left, why she couldn’t stay in the house she’d shared with Sebastian, but she couldn’t tell them the rest.
How was she supposed to explain about Jimmy, one of Seb’s friends and Marine teammates? Or that she couldn’t stand to see them laughing and happy when they brought a woman home with them? She couldn’t. If she did, they’d know that she had feelings for them. She’d tried to get over her crush after telling herself they were way too old for her and she had for a few years, but just before she’d turned nineteen, those childish feelings had come back, but they were way more than a crush.
Jaylynn was irrevocably, deeply in love with Brax, Ajay, and Cael. They’d never treated her as anything other than Seb’s kid sister, and she didn’t think that would ever change. She frowned when she remembered the kiss she and Cael had shared. Did he kiss her because he was angry with her and didn’t know how to punish her other than using his fists? Which he and his brothers would never do because their psyche was to protect those weaker than them, not harm.
“I’ve already told you why,” she finally answered.
“You’re not telling us everything, honey,” Ajay said. “If you can look me in the eye and tell me again, why you left, I might believe you.”
Jaylynn pushed her hurt aside, pulled up her anger and met Ajay’s hazel eyes. “I already told you I left because I couldn’t deal with the memories. I missed Seb too much to stay.”
Ajay nodded before glancing at Brax and then Cael. “I believe you, honey.”
She sighed with relief.
He stroked a finger down her cheek. “But I also know you’re not telling us everything. Spill it, Jaylynn.”
She closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping her breathing deep and regular. She was too tired to battle wills with them right now. If she tried, she had a feeling they would win and get all of her secrets out of her. Would they look at her with sympathy if they found out she loved them? Would they laugh in her face?
That was something she couldn’t deal with. She already felt as if her heart had shattered into a million tiny pieces and she’d never be able to put it back together again. She relaxed her tense aching muscles and prayed that she would fall asleep. It would only be a short-lived reprieve, but she would take what she could get at the moment. Nonetheless, she knew her ploy wasn’t going to work when they didn’t move. She could hear their steady breathing and something rustled when one of them shifted on the bed. Jaylynn opened her eyes again to find all three of them staring at her expectantly. Damn it! Why did they have to be Marines? They could probably see every little twitch she made. They’d have been trained to read infinitesimal movements and body language.
“I was having a few problems,” she blurted out before she could censor herself.
“Like what?” Brax asked.
Cael’s gut knotted into a lump of anxiety. “Someone was bothering you?”
“Fuck!” Ajay grumbled. “I hadn’t even thought about that. Did you have a boyfriend who wouldn’t take no for an answer?”
“I don’t…didn’t have a boyfriend. If you’d all been around, you would have realized that.” Jaylynn mentally cursed. She hadn’t meant to say that. For some reason Brax, Cael, and Ajay piqued her ire easier than anyone else she’d ever known. Including her brother. What was it about them that got her back up, and she just spat shit out without thinking about what she was going to say first? The answer floated across the front of her mind before she could stop it. Because you love and trust them. That’s why.
Oh, shut up! I hate a know-it-all.
Brax cupped her face and turned her gaze in his direction. He was frowning and staring so deeply into her eyes, she swore he could see into her heart, into her soul. She shifted uncomfortably and tried to look away, but he held her chin firmly. “Cael was right, wasn’t he, baby. There was a man bothering you. Who was it?”
“Was it someone from the soup kitchen?” Cael asked.
“What?” Brax and Ajay asked simultaneously.
“You helped out in a soup kitchen?” Ajay’s tone rose with incredulousness.
“Why do you find that so hard to believe?” she asked grumpily.
“Hey.” Ajay held his hands up, palms out in the classic “I surrender” or “I didn’t mean anything by it” pose. “I wasn’t trying to offend you, honey.”
Jaylynn decided attack was the best defense and said a little vitriolically, “I liked to help out. Do you know how many retired veterans are homeless, living on the streets? Our politicians should be strung up by the toes. Those poor men and women have suffered untold injuries and are now dealing with mental issues such as PTSD, depression and anxiety, but do they care? No! They sit up in their ivory towers making all their bullshit rules, patting each other on the back, all the while lining their own pockets and making their own lives easier. They don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, sweetness,” Cael said.
“Avoidance isn’t going to work, baby. We’re not leaving this room until you’ve told us who hurt or scared you.” Brax frowned at her.
“Jimmy Appleby,” she murmured.
“What did he do, honey?” Ajay asked through clenched teeth.
“You know what?”
“What?” Cael asked.
“I’m tired. I can’t cope with the third degree right now. I’d like to go back to sleep.”
“You can sleep as soon as you’ve told us what Jimmy did,” Ajay said in a firm voice.
“I don’t want to deal with this now.”
; “Too damn bad, baby. Start talking,” Brax commanded.
“You’re like a dog with a bone. Do you know that? Once you have your mind set on something you won’t let go.” Jaylynn was still hedging, but she knew it wasn’t going to work.
Brax settled more comfortably on the bed, his stare never leaving hers. He lifted his hands up behind his head and sighed. “We have all night, baby. I can tell you’re exhausted. If you want to sleep, you’d better start explaining.”
“After Seb died and the rest of the team came home, they’d pop in from time to time unannounced to see how I was doing.”
“We saw them a few times,” Cael said. “Go on, sweetness.”
“Jimmy started coming around frequently by himself. Nearly every time he visited he’d ask me out. I didn’t have the time or the inclination to date anyone and I kept refusing, but he just kept coming back. He used to look at me…in a creepy way, I guess. Maybe I was imagining things, but he made me uneasy.
“He was totally different when the others were around, but when we were alone he’d breach my personal space and touch me often.”
“Did he fucking grope you?” Ajay asked angrily as he sat up straighter.
“Not until the last day.” Jaylynn shivered, her breath hitching. “When he found me out front packing my things into my car, he stormed over and blocked me against the vehicle. The door to the car was open and he had me caged in so I couldn’t get away.
“He asked me what the hell I was doing, or something like that and when I didn’t answer he assumed I’d packed up Seb’s things and was going to take them to a thrift store. He told me that I should have called him to come and help me. I wasn’t about to tell him I was leaving because I was so scared he’d fling me over his shoulder and carry me into the house.
“When he started kissing me I knew I was in real trouble. I tried to fight him off, but it was like trying to move an elephant. He was too big and strong, so I changed tactics. I relaxed into him, waiting for an opportunity to make a move. He grabbed my ass.” A sob escaped before she could stop it.
“Fucking asshole,” Cael growled.
“Motherfucker,” Ajay snarled.
“He’s a dead man,” Brax said in a hard voice.
Jaylynn didn’t acknowledge their outbursts. Now that she’d started, she wanted to finish so she could go to sleep. Weariness was tugging at her and if it wasn’t for the adrenaline running through her system as she remembered how scared she’d been, she probably would have already been asleep. “I knew he was going to leave bruises on my ass and breast, but I pushed the pain away and waited. He became distracted when he pushed his hand between my legs. I kneed him so hard in the balls he let me go and as he bent over holding on to his junk, I brought my knee up again. This time under his chin. He fell backward onto his ass. I dove into the car, reversed so fast out of the drive the tires screeched and then I took off.
“He yelled at me that he would make me pay and that I could run, but he would find me.” Jaylynn swiped impatiently at the tears that had rolled down her face. She hated to cry but she was too tired to stop them.
“Come here, baby,” Brax ordered, but before she could move, he reached over and tugged her into his arms. She sighed with contentment as she rested her cheek in the crook of his shoulder and chest and closed her eyes.
“Did you ever go back?” Ajay asked as he rubbed a hand up and down her back.
“No,” she murmured as her muscles relaxed. “I’d already packed everything I wanted to take. I didn’t care about leaving the furniture behind. It was all secondhand and starting to fall apart anyway.”
“Why’d you sell your car, sweetness? How did you get here?” Cael asked.
“I didn’t want Jimmy finding me through my license plate. I sold it for cash and then bought a cheap wreck. I never changed the registration details, but I made sure to pay the fees before they came up, so the previous owner didn’t get any bills or debt collectors after him.”
“Do you still have the vehicle, baby?” Brax asked.
She nodded. “I’ve leased a storage shed on the outskirts of town. Most of my things and Seb’s are still in it. I just brought a small suitcase and then walked the few miles to the town proper.” She lifted her gaze to Cael’s, Ajay’s and finally Brax’s. “He’s going to find me. Jimmy had this crazy look in his eyes. Every time he came over he was more possessive. He treated me like I was his girlfriend. I didn’t lead him on. I tried to avoid him, but he seemed to pop up everywhere I was. When he started showing up at the soup kitchen, I stopped going. I didn’t want anything to do with him, but he was fixated, obsessed with me. He was so angry that I bested him and escaped. I don’t think he’s going to give up until he has what he wants.”
Brax brushed the hair back from her forehead and then kissed it. “You’re safe with us, baby. He’d have to get through us to get to you. Put your head down and rest, Jaylynn. We can talk more in the morning. Okay?”
“Okay.” She snuggled into Brax and closed her eyes again. “Will you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
“Wild horses couldn’t pry us away, honey.” Ajay stroked a hand down her back.
* * * *
“I want to find that fucking prick and rip him a new asshole,” Ajay said in a quiet seething tone as soon as Jaylynn’s breathing deepened.
“I’ll be right alongside you,” Cael said.
“We should see if we can find him,” Brax suggested. “I want to know where the fucker is at all times.”
“I do, too, Brax, but he’s a Marine. He has the skill to fly under the radar for as long as he wants.” Ajay sighed.
“We can start looking,” Cael said. “Is he still serving?”
“No,” Brax answered. “He and the rest of the team retired after Seb died.”
“Do you think he has mental issues from what he’s seen and done?” Ajay asked. “From what I remember, Jimmy was always laughing and joking around.”
“It might be a good idea to contact some of the other team members,” Cael suggested. “They probably know that man better than his own family does. If there’s something off with him, they’ll be able to tell us.”
“Good idea,” Ajay agreed. “We can start tomorrow. I don’t think she got it.”
“Got what?” Cael asked.
“I don’t think she realized we were staking a claim on her,” Ajay clarified.
“We can spell it out for her tomorrow,” Brax said. “Right now, I’m just going to enjoy having her in my arms.”
“We need to feed her up.” Cael frowned. “She’s far too skinny.”
“Don’t go telling her that,” Ajay said. “We don’t want to give her a complex. What we need to do is encourage her and reinstate all that self-confidence she used to have. I want to see that lively sparkle back in her eyes and hear her laugh.”
“It might take a while.” Brax rubbed his stubbled chin over the top of her head. “She’s dealt with a lot of loss in her life. I think Sebastian’s death was the hardest.”
“Yeah,” Ajay said. “Do you think she still has feelings for us?”
“I’m not an expert, but, yeah, I think she does.” Cael smiled. “We broke her young heart when she saw us bringing a woman home with us. From that day on she became more introverted. I hated that we hurt her, but she was so young, I thought of her as my sister.”
“Yeah, I know. I think we did too good of a job keeping her at a distance. She may have taken our disinterest as her being a burden to us. We’re going to have our work cut out for us to get her to open up with us,” Brax said.
“You’re a lucky bastard.” Ajay nudged Cael with his foot. “You got to kiss her. Does she taste as good as I imagined?”
“Better.” Cael grinned. “She’s so fucking innocent, but also passionate. I’ve been walking around with a hard-on ever since I spotted her in the diner.”
“We all have, Cael.” Brax shifted down the bed and settled his head deeper into the pill
ow.
Ajay kissed Jaylynn’s cheek and then rolled to his feet. He clapped Cael on the shoulder. “Help me do a search for this fucker. If we don’t find anything, then we can start calling Seb’s team.”
“How are we going to deal with him when we find him?” Cael asked as he followed Ajay from the room.
“We can decide that once we find the prick,” Ajay replied. He was going to beat the shit out of Jimmy Appleby.
He and his brothers were the right men to teach him a lesson.
Chapter Seven
“Got you, you fucking bitch.” Jimmy laughed with glee.
For nearly twelve months he’d been searching for that beautiful slut and he’d found her by pure chance. He couldn’t believe he’d found her. He rubbed his aching cock through his jeans as he stared at her gorgeous face in the background of a photograph in a local newspaper.
He’d changed tactics only about four weeks ago and his patience was finally paying off. He’d found nothing on CCTV cameras, or through his contact at the DMV. So, he’d started searching through the food network. He’d remembered Seb bragging about what a fantastic cook Jaylynn was, how she’d been at the top of her class in culinary school, and he had to agree. Jimmy had sampled her cooking more than once.
He’d been frequenting the local library whenever he wasn’t working at his day job at the firing range. He’d been flipping through headlines of restaurant reviews when one had piqued his interest. The headline was, “Hearing impaired chef puts small town on the map.”
He’d been amazed to see all those stunning women smiling for the camera and after reading the article of how three women had partnered up and bought the place, and how well they were doing, he studied the photo again. When he’d seen Jaylynn’s profile in the background, his heart had stopped beating. At first, he thought he’d been seeing things because he was so desperate to find her, but he’d have known her face anywhere. However, he hadn’t gotten excited until he’d pulled out his magnifying glass to make sure it really was her. There was no denying it.