To the Moon and Back

by Becca Van

Jodi vowed then and there to do everything she could to make sure the Kyson brothers were happy. She knew they’d face hard times in the future, but she hoped the good weighed out the bad. She could see herself spending the rest of her life with these three men, and even though it terrified her that she was rapidly falling in love with them, she wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize her newfound happiness.

  * * * *

  Walt kept close to Jodi as she walked through her home. She stopped to pick up clothes, lift them to inspect them, and then added the item to one of two piles. One pile was for rags and the other was for articles that were intact but needed to be washed. Dirk and Walt were in the kitchen picking up broken pieces of crockery and tossing them into the trash.

  It took them all day, and though he wanted to call a halt he knew Jodi needed to do this. Once everything had been picked up and the trash taken out, she pulled a bucket of cleaning supplies out and got to work. He was pissed that the people he’d organized to clean her place had backed up from the job when they’d found out her home had been a crime scene. Since Luke had put him onto them, Walt had thought the company would be up to the task. Obviously, he’d been wrong. When he got back to work, he was going to have a word in Luke’s ear about the cleaning company.

  Finally, everything was put away and the rubbish was gone. He felt bad that she had no sofa and her bedding and mattress had been ruined, but she wouldn’t need to replace them because he was going to ask her to move in with him and his brothers. He’d talk to her landlord and after telling the owner about the danger she was in, he was sure he would let Jodi out of her lease without any problems. He already knew about the problems she’d been having and Walt wasn’t going to let the property owner make his woman stay. He’d pay her lease out of his own money if he had to.

  They were currently in her bedroom, and she was searching through her drawers for something when Dirk and Emmet entered the room.

  “Did you find anything?” Walt asked softly, not wanting Jodi overhearing.

  Emmet ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head.

  “How you doin’, sweetie?” Dirk asked Jodi.

  Walt cursed under his breath when he saw the sadness on her face and the shimmer of tears in her eyes.

  “Okay.” She sighed.

  Walt tipped his head toward the ceiling when he heard a dull thud.

  Dirk stepped toward Jodi when she gasped and placed a finger over her lips, silently telling her to keep quiet. She nodded.

  Walt and Emmet exchanged glances, then they both pulled weapons out of the back of their waist bands. Walt moved closer to Jodi and whispered in her ear, “Where’s the entrance to the attic?”

  “Kitchen pantry,” she replied softly.

  He moved back, nodded to Emmet and they left the room, walking quickly but soundlessly through the house toward the kitchen. When he glanced about and saw that nothing had been disturbed, he frowned.

  He opened the pantry door and looked up. The rope to attic was hanging still in the small room, but he reached up and tugged, pulling the ladder type stairway down from the roof cavity. After checking that the steps were stable and would hold his weight, he climbed up and scanned the large room. There was a window on each end of the roof, which let in enough light for him to be able to see. There was stuff strewn about everywhere, but he didn’t see anyone.

  Knowing Emmet had his back, he climbed the rest of the way up the ladder and stepped onto the wood floor. Emmet climbed up beside him a moment later.

  Emmet strode to the opposite side of the attic to Walt. There were empty carboard boxes tossed to the side of the room. It looked as if a tornado had gone through it, but he knew someone had been here looking for whatever they were so desperate to find, and they were long gone.

  He frowned when he saw the side of the floor and tried to envisage the rest of the house in his mind. His brother walked up beside him, distracting him.

  “What do you think these motherfuckers are after?” Emmet asked.

  “Drugs is my guess,” Walt replied. “The last tenant was arrested several times for use. He was most likely dealing, too. He could have hidden bricks of drugs in the house. Maybe the assholes supplier is trying to get his stuff back to recoup his losses.”

  “If there had been drugs here, they’d probably already be gone. Surely, they got what they came for. I don’t like this, Walt,” Emmet met his gaze. “We don’t know who were dealing with. What if these pricks are part of a drug cartel? What if they come back? Do you think these fuckers don’t know that Hillman is dead?”

  “I’ve thought of that, too, Emmet. We don’t let Jodi out of our sight. If they haven’t found their drugs or whatever, they might think she’s found it and come after her. As to Reuben Hillman, they have to know he’s gone. His death was posted in the local newspapers and reported about on the radio. An internet search would confirm that he died.”

  “I fucking hate that she’s been targeted.”

  “I do, too, but as long as she’s with us, she’s safe.” Walt rubbed his chin.

  “And what about when we’re working? Who’s going to keep her safe then?”

  “We’ll talk to Luke and Damon and see if they can put us on alternate shift rotations,” Walt said.

  “I don’t like our chances of getting our roster changed.” Emmet sighed.

  “Why the hell not?” He scowled. “There are plenty of deputies to cover all the shifts.”

  “Six deputies are on leave, and the flu’s doing the rounds. Another group are at home sick,” Emmet explained.

  “How the hell do you know that?” Walt asked.

  “I heard our illustrious bosses lamenting while trying to set up the roster.”

  “Damn it. That’s going to make things even more difficult. We have to work tomorrow, so she’s going to be on her own and the next day she’s going to want to work in the shop.”

  “It’s a worry,” Emmet frowned.

  “It’s more than a fucking worry, Emmet. The thought of her being alone and in trouble terrifies me.”

  “Me too, Walt, but if we try and lay the law down to her and tell her she can’t go to work, she’ll be pissed. At least we’ll be working the day shift and we can be with her at nighttime.”

  “Any one of these motherfuckers could get to her first thing in the morning or even at the shop.”

  “I don’t think the bastards are that brave.” Emmet shook his head. “The shop is on the main street. They’re not likely to show themselves in broad daylight. So far, they’ve been doing all their nefarious deeds at night.”

  “The break in was during the day,” Walt reminded.

  “Yeah, but there are no close neighbors. That won’t be the case if we can get her to move in with us. We lay out the dangers and ask her to come live with us. Simple.”

  “I don’t want her driving to and from work by herself. The road into town is busy first thing in the morning, but after the rush hour traffic tapers off, she could end up driving toward home without seeing anyone else. These fuckers could be watching her for all we know and we might not even realize it.”

  “We would have caught sight of anyone tailing us, bro. You know as well as I do that our inner alarms would be clanging loudly if we had a shadow.”

  “Yeah, we would.” Walt sighed as the gazed around at the mess, then turned to meet Emmet’s gaze. “So, what the hell are we going to do now?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jodi was glad that the Kyson brothers had been with her when she’d come back home. Just being inside her house gave her the willies. She felt as if eyes were on her the whole time she’d been inside sorting through her things, but that sensation had nothing to do with Walt, Dirk, and Emmet.

  She didn’t feel safe here anymore and hadn’t for a long time, but this was her home and she had nowhere else to go. The temptation to ask her new boyfriends if she could go and stay with them in their house was strong, but she also didn’t want them thinking she was a sp
ineless wuss.

  Walt and Emmet had been gone for a while now, and she couldn’t help hoping that they’d found something in the attic. That was one place in the house she’d steered clear of. Not because she was scared to go up there, but her landlord had told her it was being used of as a storage area by him and his wife, and she hadn’t wanted to invade their privacy. She hoped they didn’t encounter anyone up there, but other than the thud they’d all heard earlier, there hadn’t been anymore sounds.

  With a sad sigh, she gathered her destroyed clothes and shoved them into a garbage bag. The only thing they were good for was rags. Dirk was in the adjacent bathroom sorting out what could be salvaged and what needed to be thrown away. What was left of her clothes was minimal, but at least she still had a few changes she could wear to work.

  She had no idea why the intruders had shredded her clothing, but there was no way she was going to confront them and ask them. Just the thought of being face to face with the bastards who’d been scaring the wits out of her terrified her.

  Buying and new mattress and sofa wasn’t on the cards for her, but she’d get by if she had to. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d slept on the floor. Tears stung her eyes, but she quickly pushed them away. If she started crying, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to stop.

  She was angry at the people who’d wrecked her things, but she was also depressed. Her life had been one hit after another, but she’d always managed to get back on her feet after being knocked down and this time was no different. She tried telling herself that things were just that, materialistic items that could be easily replaced, but she’d worked so damn hard for everything she had and it pissed her off that some asshole had ruined her stuff without a care.

  “How are you doing, sweetie?” Dirk asked as he entered the bedroom.

  She glanced at him over her shoulder and looked at his hands. He wasn’t holding anything, and she wondered if he’d left the things he’d recovered in the bathroom.

  “I just need to get this pile of clothes to the laundry and wash them.” She scooped them up into her arms from the floor and got to her feet.

  “Let me help you.” Dirk hurried toward her and took the clothes from her arms. Just as she spun toward the doorway, she caught a glint of something shiny on the floor and turned back. Bracing a hand on the frame of her bed, she sank to her knees and plucked the gold chain from the floor.

  She stared at the unicorn pendant and necklace she’d been told had been her mothers, and this time when the tears welled, there was no stopping them. She’d been searching for the necklace while sorting through everything and had thought it had been stolen. She’d been so upset over that fact, she hadn’t mentioned it to her men because she knew the waterworks would have started.

  With one arm around her waist she bent over and cried while clutching the chain and unicorn in her fist.

  “Jodi? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

  She shook her head and tried to answer, but all that came out of her mouth was a loud sob.

  Dirk knelt next to her, wrapped his arms around her body, and lifted her from the floor and onto his lap. He held her and rocked her as she cried. She clutched as his shirt, leaned against him and tried to get her emotions under control, but the storm just continued to rage on.

  “What the fuck happened?” Walt asked.

  She felt Dirk move and figured out he’d probably shrugged. In the next moment, she was surrounded by all three of her men. The heat from their bodies, the caress of their hands, and the comfort of their presence helped her to calm down until her tears slowed and she was gasping for breath. It took her another few minutes for her to stop panting and huffing as her breathing returned to normal. She swiped impatiently at the tear on her face and sniffed.

  Walt grasped her chin raising her eyes to his. “Talk to us, baby. We’re worried about you.”

  She looked at him then Emmet and up at Dirk to see them all frowning with concern. After inhaling raggedly, she lifted her fisted hand and uncurled her fingers. “I was told this necklace was my mom’s. My uncle gave it to me for my fifth birthday. I don’t really know if he was telling the truth, but I don’t care. Other than the photo, this is the only other item I have of hers. I cherish it, and I thought it had been stolen. When I found it on the floor just under the bed…” She shook her head. “I’m sorry for the tears.”

  “Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for, sweetie.” Dirk kissed her on the temple.

  “You certainly don’t.” Emmet kissed her cheek.

  “Are you ready to get out of here, baby?” Walt asked. “Why don’t we go and eat dinner at the diner before heading back home.”

  “You want to take me home with you?” Jodi mentally winced when she heard eager uncertainty in her voice.

  Walt cupped her cheeks between his hands. “You agreed to be our woman. Yes?” She nodded and licked her lips. “Being ours means you live with us, too, baby. Now, point out what you want to bring home with you.”

  “I can get it.” She shoved his hands from her face and went to scramble from Dirk’s lap.

  Walt and Emmet both clasped her shoulders and pushed her back. Dirt wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her where she was.

  “Let us gather your things, love,” Emmet said. “We can all see how exhausted you are.”

  She nodded, sighed, and leaned back into Dirk. It was funny because until Emmet had mentioned her weariness, she hadn’t noticed how exhausted she was. It had been a very trying day going through her things and cleaning up the mess, and then of course there was her emotional outburst.

  It felt so nice having them look out for her and taking care of her. Warmth filled her heart, and she wanted to snuggle into Dirk and never leave, but she was a grown woman and used to standing on her own feet. She was a little frightened about leaning on them, scared that they’d see that she wasn’t the woman they thought she was and decided they were done with her.

  If she let herself depend on them too much, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to stand on her own two feet again. Yet the yearning to let go and just be was a powerful compulsion, too. One she wasn’t sure she’d be able to ignore or keep buried deep forever.

  Jodi had already worked out that she was falling for them and fast. She wanted to tell them how she felt but she also didn’t want them laughing in her face. She’d only known them for a few days for fuck’s sake. It was way too soon to be declaring her feelings for them.

  Wasn’t it?

  * * * *

  Dirk was worried about Jodi. She’d been quiet on the drive back to town, and now they were at the diner, where she just sat listlessly in the corner of the booth. Of course, she’d answered when he or his brothers had asked her a question, but other than that, she hadn’t initiated or interjected in their conversation. Even though she’d had more sleep since she’d been at their home, there were still dark marks under her eyes. The corner of her lips were turned down and she was pale, but he was hoping after another decent night’s sleep, she’d feel much better.

  “We have to go work in the morning, love,” Emmet said. “Did you want to go and stay with Talia and her men for the day so you’re not all alone in the house?”

  “Um… no.” She frowned at Emmet, then glanced at Walt and finally Dirk. “You all know I’m not a child and have been looking after myself for a long time. Right?”

  “Yes, we do,” Walt said after leaning closer to her. “We just don’t want you getting scared because you’re in an unfamiliar place without any company.”

  Jodi snorted. “I’ll be fine. I have plenty to occupy myself.”

  “Like what?” Emmet crossed his arms over his chest.

  Although Dirk knew his brothers meant well, they were being rather overbearing and treating Jodi like a kid. If they didn’t cut it out, she was likely to tell them to fuck off and leave. “We’re all just worried about you, sweetie, and want you to be safe,” he said.

  “I don’t mind being alone, guys. I�
��m used to it, and I’ll be a hell of a lot safer at your house that I would be at my own.” She waved her hand in the air. “I have washing to do, and if it’s all right with you all, I’d like to ring around some moving companies to get some quotes for having my washing machine and other appliances moved from the house.”

  “No!” Walt said.

  “No? What do you mean, no?” She scowled at Walt.

  “You don’t need to pay someone to move those things. We can easily do it for you and we don’t charge.”

  “You can be a bossy bastard,” she snapped.

  Walt grinned and nodded.

  Jodi rolled her eyes but didn’t argue anymore. In fact, she looked kind of relieved about not having to pay someone a heap of money.

  Dirk sighed quietly glad to see more color in her cheeks. Maybe his brothers had been right to pique her exasperation. Firing her blood seemed to have pulled her from her quiet contemplative dejection.

  “Hi folks, sorry about the wait. What can I get you all?”

  “Hi Katie,” Jodi greeted.

  “You’re Jodi. Right?” Katie, their waitress, asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve been meaning to come and check out your shop but haven’t had time with work and college and all, but my sister and I love what you and Talia have done. It was a great idea to source out local products to sell. Delta, one of my bosses, has been raving over the cheeses she bought. She’s going to get some more and use it in her cooking.”

  “That’s great.” Jodi smiled. “I’ll have to come and talk to her when she’s working. Is she here now?”

  “No.” Katie shook her head. “Delta has the whole weekend off for a change. She’ll be back on Monday though. I’ll leave her a note and let her know you’re coming.”

  “Thanks.”

  Katie jotted down their orders and hurried toward the kitchen.

  It wasn’t long before she was back serving them their meals. Dirk was glad to see that Jodi hadn’t let the day’s events affect her appetite. She ate her food with a concentrated gusto. He liked that and hated it when women picked at their food, as if eating a decent meal was a bad thing.