The Battlefield Series 2: Scars Run Deep (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  The Battlefield Series 2: Scars Run Deep

  Antonia is new to Repose, a small town that has changed her sister's life in a big way. Will it change hers too? She doesn't know, especially when she gets there, running from an abusive ex, and confronted by the most intimidating men she has ever met. She starts to hear about their rules, and how all women are protected and that she needs to let down her guard and let them protect her. She isn't budging, but her now timid, scarred personality has gained the attention of four dominant, older brothers. It's hard to resist their control and the attraction she is fighting for them. She's determined to start a new life, men-free, and focus on staying hidden with the hope of never revealing her scars, or having to face the man who caused them. It seems the attraction to Cesar, Gino, Fox and Damon is way too strong to fight. It becomes even harder to resist them when she learns of their own scars and how truly understanding they are to hers. It seems she may finally have found men who could love her like she only dreamed about. Because of her past, she's a little insecure, and when evidence is presented to her proving they aren't loyal she never suspects them to be liars, or orchestrated by her ex, the one man who is dead set on taking her back.

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romantic Suspense

  Length: 57,374 words

  THE BATTLEFIELD SERIES 2: SCARS RUN DEEP

  Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

  THE BATTLEFIELD SERIES 2: SCARS RUN DEEP

  Copyright © 2016 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-361-7

  First E-book Publication: June 2016

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of The Battlefield Series 2: Scars Run Deep by Dixie Lynn Dwyer from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Dixie Lynn Dwyer’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Dixie Lynn Dwyer’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  Dear readers,

  Thank you for purchasing this legal copy of The Battlefield Series 2: Scars Run Deep.

  I hope you enjoy Antonia’s story. It is one many of us can relate to. It doesn’t matter what type of scars one has. Physical, mental, emotional, they are all life altering and somehow can have such a hold on a person’s heart, there’s no way of breaking through that pain.

  Antonia is scarred. Her mind brainwashed by the words and actions of someone so evil and manipulative that it seems returning to him and that way of life is the only way to live.

  That kind of control and thinking is not so uncommon. It will take some serious love, compassion, patience and even personal revelation to prove to Antonia that she deserves more, and that life goes on beyond the battlefield. She is beautiful inside and out, and her scars don’t need to be symbols of failures, bad choices and her demise. Instead, they can be motivation, determination, and the power to finally break free from the past and realize everyone is special and deserves love and happiness.

  May you enjoy Antonia’s journey.

  Happy reading.

  Hugs!

  ~Dixie~

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  THE BATTLEFIELD

  SERIES 2:

  SCARS RUN DEEP

  DIXIE LYNN DWYER

  Copyright © 2016

  Chapter 1

  Cesar leaned back in his chair and exhaled. He had a bad night and very little sleep. He was in a shit-ass mood, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. He was worried about his brothers Gino and Fox, and he hadn’t heard from his brother Damon who’d gone on a rampage trying to track down some gangbanger to help issue a warrant. His three brothers were intense men. Not to say that he didn’t share the same intensity, but taking on the job as chief of police in Repose had calmed that intensity down a bit. After Brooklyn’s abduction, he’d decided some more security measures and changes needed to be made.

  In making that decision, he was having all his officers and the men of Repose ensure that they looked out for all the women and children and addressed any concerns they might have. With that thought, he envisioned Antonia. It had been a month since the abduction. Brooklyn was back at work, and Antonia was transitioning into a manager’s position at the Filling Station. He personally was making a habit of stopping in there more than what was necessary. He did miss stopping by her place and sharing a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun with her. He would never forget that first day he’d come up with the idea. He’d just gone into the café, ordered two of everything, and then headed to her place. He knew Antonia liked sitting out on the front porch in the morning. He knew just about all her habits, but what he still didn’t know was what exactly had happened to her in New York and why she was s
o adamant about talking to him about it.

  He was the chief of police. He ran a safe town, just as those before him had. Why Antonia interested him so much, he couldn’t figure out. He wasn’t exactly a believer in the whole love-at-first-sight scenario, even though he’d seen it more than a dozen times in Repose. He had reservations as the chief. He needed to be careful about what women he got involved with—not that he had been involved with anyone in months. Come to think of it, maybe the better part of a year.

  He ran his hand over his beard and exhaled as he stretched his muscles. Other concerns Cesar had were his brothers and the stages they were at in their lives. Committing to a woman, thinking beyond sex—they, too, would need to be on board. It was the way things were done in Repose, in their family, in the decision they’d made years ago to have exactly what their parents have. A successful, committed ménage relationship. One woman they could share, love, and protect. When he thought about his brothers and how distant they’d all seemed to grow lately, despite living in the same house, he wondered if that type of commitment was a fantasy that would never happen.

  Cesar exhaled. It was just another reason, another negative aspect, of being anything to Antonia beyond a friend. His gut clenched, and he felt disappointed. God damn, he already liked her a bunch, felt protective of her and even possessive and jealous. Watching her work, wearing those pretty little skirts, seeing how petite and sexy as damn hell she was. Knowing guys came in there talking to her, talking about her, he felt like staking a claim without his brothers. That didn’t sit right at all.

  Besides the fact that now it seemed Antonia was ignoring him. He’d thought they were making progress with their morning routine of coffee and cinnamon rolls on her front porch every Friday.

  He wanted to smile about that thought but couldn’t. She seemed to be distancing herself from him more and more when, really, she should feel comfortable with him. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much. It wasn’t as though he could have a relationship with her. She was too young, too inexperienced, and she had secrets. Secrets he wished she would confide in him about, yet he feared his reaction and whether or not he could handle what she told him. He had gone over what he knew since meeting her, especially remembering that first night in Nevin’s office when she had to get stitches from a knife wound under her breast. That just downright pissed him off. He wanted to know who’d hurt her, who’d scared her so much that she looked at him, at other men, with such fear. Hell, even Damon had picked up on it, and he was feeling an attraction to her, too. Their lives were complicated.

  He ran his hand over the scruff on his chin and then sat forward, trying to get his mind back onto work. He clicked onto the new e-mails, scanned them, and added some quick replies or forwarded what needed to be forwarded to his secretary, Eliza. Then he got updates on some criminals wanted for various crimes across the surrounding states. He checked out the national news and read a few law enforcement articles about shootings and unsolved murders. There was crime everywhere. He spotted an article on a soldier who seemed to have lost his mind and shot up a restaurant in a local town, killing three innocent people and injuring many others. The article talked about PTSD and how the soldier was receiving counseling but had been given an incorrect dosage of medication.

  He exhaled as he thought about his brothers, Fox and Gino. Not that they would ever do anything like that or were on medication for their disorders, but he really didn’t know who they were anymore. They rarely socialized, they worked out and trained a lot, and they disappeared for weeks at a time or even last minute on a weekend. He knew they did freelance work, but he didn’t know what, and they weren’t willing to tell him or Damon. Why was it that his three brothers all continued to risk their lives and live on the edge?

  He rubbed his eyes and felt that tightness in his chest. Maybe he could get them to all hang out on Friday night. It had been a while, but with everyone around this weekend, it could work. He felt his personal cell phone buzz and reached for it to read the text.

  All good. Talk later.

  Cesar exhaled in relief reading the message from Damon. Now he wouldn’t have to dodge his mother’s phone calls. Doing that to Pearl Cortland was not a smart thing to do. In fact, he wondered why he hadn’t heard from his fathers at all. Surely they knew why he was avoiding his mom’s call.

  He heard a knock on the door and looked up to see Eliza there.

  “Bernie Peters called. Your mom just slipped and fell near the hardware store. It looks bad, he said.”

  “Shit.” He jumped up, pulled on his Stetson, and then grabbed his phone and keys.

  He was worried as he headed out the front door of the police station.

  * * * *

  Antonia had just stepped onto the sidewalk, the sun glaring into her eyes. She raised her arm up to block the sun and walked smack into a brick wall.

  Strong arms grabbed her hips and lifted her so she wouldn’t fall flat on her face.

  She gasped.

  “Oh, God. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t see with the sun,” she said to the tall figure. Antonia tried to step sideways with his assistance, the warm sensation shocking her as she shoved his hands off of her.

  As he moved out of the sun, she locked her eyes onto one hell of a big man. He was way over six feet tall, had dark, short hair, dark brown eyes, and she could see he was very muscular, too. She just stared at him, and he licked his lower lip as he looked her body over with appreciation. Antonia wanted to roll her eyes and just shove by him, but she was timid around men, and especially ones this big. Instead she avoided his gaze.

  Grabbing the light sweater she wore, she pulled it tight.

  “The sun is pretty damn bright right now. Give it another twenty minutes or so and it will be easier to see.”

  “Again, I’m sorry.”

  He just looked at her, not saying a word. She got a funny sensation in her gut and quickly looked away. When she went to turn, she walked into another person because she was looking over her shoulder at the stranger with all the muscles.

  When another set of strong hands grabbed onto her as she bumped smack into him, she gasped and then jumped to the side, feeling scared and frantic for some space.

  “Slow down, honey, before you hurt yourself.”

  She looked way up at this other tall man, who appeared wild and untamed with a beard and shaggy brown hair. He needed a haircut, yet the style suited him well. She took in a quick glance of his attire and build. Camo pants, tight T-shirt in black, muscles galore, and, holy shit, an expression so dark and intense she looked away. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and then stuttered her apology.

  “I…I’m…sorry.” She then lowered her eyes and quickly headed away from them. Both men watched her, and even though something told her not to look back at them, that it could give them the wrong idea, she did anyway. She couldn’t help it. They were that attractive and that intense.

  As she locked gazes with the one with tattooed arms, she swallowed hard and quickly walked away. Who the hell were they, anyway?

  Antonia hurried across the street, wanting to grab her dry cleaning before heading back to the car so she could get home and prepare for work tonight. Her thoughts were still on the two strange, attractive men and her stupid timid, scared personality. She wished she could be more like Brooklyn, who was tough, outspoken, direct, and not afraid to stand her ground. Times like this, when Antonia should have been all sassy and flirty, she wished the ground would just swallow her up and save her from further embarrassment.

  She exhaled in annoyance as she approached the storefront. She spotted an older woman heading in there, too.

  “Good afternoon,” the older woman said.

  “Good afternoon.” Antonia let the woman go ahead of her. It was only them in the dry cleaner.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Cortland. Good morning, Antonia,” Mr. Lewis greeted them, and Antonia wondered if the woman was related to Cesar, the chief of police. She felt her cheeks warm and
wondered why just thinking about Cesar made her palms sweat and her heart race. She had been successful in keeping away from him as best she could. Especially after she’d heard the gossip about how powerful he was and how other women in town wished he would be their guardian, that they would take any of the Cortland men they were so big and sexy. She had met only Damon and during a pretty scary time. He was gorgeous and very intense, too.

  They greeted Mr. Lewis as he gathered their items.

  “Are you Brooklyn’s sister?” she asked Antonia.

  Antonia smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I love the Filling Station. I thought you looked familiar, too. My husbands and I were just in there last week. The new addition looks amazing.”

  “Oh, thank you so much,” Antonia replied.

  Mrs. Cortland took her things, smiled, and then walked out the door. Antonia looked at her, thinking that Cesar looked a lot like his mom and shared the same eyes. Again thoughts of Cesar had her feeling those funny sensations. She paid for her dry cleaning and then headed out the door. As she turned to the right, she spotted Mrs. Cortland talking to a woman then turn to head toward the hardware store. Antonia was right behind her when she caught sight of the kids on bikes. One hit the curb and fell. Mrs. Cortland jumped out of the way but twisted her ankle hard, cried out, and fell to the ground.

  Antonia dropped her things and ran to her immediately.

  “Oh, my God, are you okay?” Antonia asked. She immediately saw other people coming over, and then someone said they’d called the doctor.