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  Cherry Hill 9: What Love Feels Like Jade escapes being sold by her father for a business deal. She meets a woman on a bus heading to Cherry Hill, and her life seems to be heading in a positive direction. She works hard, keeps to herself, struggles to not live on the streets, but this town is very special and it makes her feel safe from the dangers of her past and the men she is running from. When she takes a chance on opening up her heart she finally realizes what love really feels like. She's ready to give this a chance and believes her four men will protect her and love her like she never had before. Out of nowhere she is taken by men ready to complete the deal she escaped from, and Jade seems destined to lose everything.

  Genres: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Romance, Romantic Suspense Length: 45,725

  CHERRY HILL 9:

  WHAT LOVE FEELS LIKE

  Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Cherry Hill 9: What Love Feels Like Copyright © 2019 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-739-3

  First Publication: March 2019

  Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2019 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.

  W A RNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  For all titles by Dixie Lynn Dwyer, please visit www.bookstrand.com/dixie-lynn-dwyer

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHERRY HILL 9:

  WHAT LOVE FEELS LIKE

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  CHERRY HILL 9:

  WHAT LOVE FEELS LIKE

  DIXIE LYNN DWYER

  Copyright © 2019

  Prologue

  J ade Kelly had to wipe the sweat from her brow as she exercised. Though she was no longer in danger, stuck in that small town in Louisiana, she was determined to stay on top of her health to keep herself as safe as possible. That place had been nothing like Cherry Hill. This was heaven here She was getting stronger mentally and physically. Even her waitressing improved. She wasn’t dropping anything anymore or getting frazzled and nervous by the many single men who flirted and asked her out. No one was pushy, though, and that was a change for once that she was grateful for. Back in Louisiana, things were different. The whole small town she lived in back then was nothing like Cherry Hill. This was heaven here, and she hoped she could stay a while and not have to move on. It wasn’t smart staying in one place too long.

  The past year had been tough. She’d been forced to go hungry too many times to count or to want to remember. She rubbed her belly. She was thin, in the habit of only eating what was necessary to survive not to indulge. She exercised, did a lot of abdominal workouts, and had grabbed two sets of weights by a garbage pail someone in town was tossing out. Carrying the sets of ten and twenty pound dumbbells took effort and was a workout in itself, but they came in handy.

  She tried to ease her mind from the thoughts of Louisiana and the struggles to survive, to get free and escape. She lifted the weights and curled them one at a time and then did push-ups with them. She wanted muscles. Wanted to feel and look strong, not weak. For months, hell, the better part of the year she was weak and dying. She got through it, though, and heading back to that dreadful place was never going to be an option. She would rather die than be forced into a relationship, a marriage to a man like Coleman Mathews.

  She clenched her teeth and did several more reps. The thought of that man made her heart race and fear fill her. She would never get rid of that feeling until the man was dead, and that wasn’t going to happen. He had money, power, but only in that world in Louisiana, and as long as she never returned, he could never own and possess her like he wanted. Hell, like her family wanted. They hadn’t learned a damn thing selling her sister Allie off to Rodeo Spay, just to combine their families’ resources in the illegal racing and street fighting syndicate.

  They were sick, and they were stupid. Allie was, too, thinking an older man like Rodeo Spay would want her for anything more than sex and to forge a legal contract between the families. What did it get Allie? Beaten on a regular basis, used and treated as a sexual object, and then shared amongst Rodeo’s partners. When his wealthy business partner, Coleman Mathews, set his eyes on Jade, things got bad quickly. Her sister was jealous. Their parents were excited as Coleman offered monetary funding to their illegal operations, and it all lay on whether or not Jade would accept him in her bed.

  She refused, and it cost her. A beating, being shunned, and her money she saved as she took college classes to be stolen from her. Her own family did that to her. Broke her down, made her feel like she had no choice but to accept Coleman’s control and possession of her. She was better than that. Better than Allie. She planned her escape before she was forced into that world they created and a life filled with nothing but pain and desperation.

  She was panting now, overexerting her energy with thoughts of Coleman and what could have been. The weeks upon weeks of starving, of living on the streets day by day, city-by-city would never be forgotten. Nor would the initial attempts and near captures by his men to find her and bring her back to Coleman.

  She lay on the floor panting for breath. She ran her hand under her tank top and felt her defined abs. She was rock solid, tight, in excellent condition, but she wished she was normal. Had a normal life and normal family background. But she didn’t. She had nothing, no one but herself. She was fine with that.

  Mostly, she was grateful to have met Shawna Colon, a hair stylist who worked in a salon in Cherry Hill and just happened to be at a bus station in Dallas when they met and started talking. They hit it off immediately, being so close in age, and Jade mentioned needing work and a new start. Now, living in Cherry Hill the past month, Jade realized how special of a place it was, as well as the people. Shawna was a godsend. She even helped Jade to find the job at Harpers, introducing her to Isla and York, and found this apartment for rent above Finnerty’s bar. The owners, John and Keith, were great men and they took a protective, fatherly concern over her. That was going to take time getting used to, just like seeing Deputy Seren Fortane show an interest in her. She felt the attraction but knew she couldn’t let down her guard. She may have to leave here soon enough. Getting too comfortable wouldn’t be smart at all. This was her life now.

  She exhaled and then looked at her watch. She had to shower then change to get ready for work tonight. Thank God she got better at waitressing. The tips got better, too. She needed money and to save up as much as she could so she could always be prepared. She hopped up without using her hands and smiled. Teaching herself moves was meant to prepare her for any type of attack or confron
tation. Living on the streets, avoiding being assaulted, killed, or forced into prostitution were powerful motivators to fight and to be the last one standing. As she thought those words, she remembered the night she was attacked in her home. Coleman, her family, even Rodeo sending her a clear message. Comply, accept Coleman’s bed willingly, or be beaten into submission.

  It took weeks to recover, months for the bruising to fade, which was why when she escaped, no one would hire her to work looking all battered and bruised. She hung on, though. She didn’t give up even when she was frustrated and hungry. She never gave up.

  “And I never will,” she said and walked toward the bathroom, prepared to take a shower before work.

  Deputy Seren Fortane pulled into the family auto body shop in town. It was a large place, with a showroom for ATVs and other off-road adventures and even hunting gear and supplies. His brothers Colby, Shane, and Quincy ran the place with their fathers, Kevin, Sunny, Jake, and Lou, who everyone called Captain. His mom, Meryl, ran the front desk, and she was the first one he saw.

  She smiled wide. “Hi, son, what’s going on?” she asked as she wrote something down on a note pad by the desk.

  “Just stopping in to see what’s going on and confirm the guys are meeting me at Harper’s tonight.”

  “Not going to happen,” Shane said, walking out from the side doorway that led to the garage. He was wiping his hands on a blue rag. Shane had that same expression he always had on his face—pissed off, angry at the world, and annoyed with no patience.

  Seren smiled. “What crawled up your ass?”

  “Seren,” his mom reprimanded. He raised his eyebrows up at her like she would argue the obvious. She exhaled and shook her head and then walked from behind the desk and toward Sunny’s office to bring him some papers.

  “What’s with you?” Seren pushed.

  “Some dumbass decided it was okay to continue driving with the car smoking and…ah, fuck it. A perfectly good car, a classic convertible, and this jerk who knows nothing about cars or being a collector fucks up the entire engine. It will take weeks to work on.”

  “Well, is it fixable and is he willing to pay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then what’s the big deal?” Seren asked.

  “You never really got into cars like the rest of us. You know people who don’t know about cars, about collection, should stay out of it,” Shane said.

  “That isn’t your decision but theirs. You know half the people with the great cars around here have them because of money.”

  “It’s bullshit. I even tried to get him to sell me the car.”

  “You like it that much?”

  “It’s sickening to see what this dick is doing to this beauty.”

  Seren laughed. “Okay, well, it sounds like you could use a couple of beers. So, meet me at Harper’s at eight.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Come on, man, you promised.”

  “Why have you been hounding us so much to hang out there?”

  “It’s a fun place, they have several pool tables now, and the crowd is friendly.”

  “Hmm, we’ll see,” Shane said.

  “We’ll see about what?” Quincy asked, walking in with a couple of files for their mom.

  “This idea of meeting him at Harper’s tonight.”

  Quincy scrunched his eyebrows together. “I’ve been pushing papers and signing off on sales all fucking morning. I think hitting the shower, dinner, then bed early is going to be my night tonight.”

  “Come on, it’s Friday night. Just for a few beers and then you can head home. We haven’t hung out in months,” Seren pushed.

  “Fine, if he goes then I’ll go,” Quincy said as their mother returned.

  “What’s this?” she asked as Quincy handed over files.

  “Four more sales and a tune-up job on one of the new ATVs. If you can schedule that for next week and then notify the client, that would be great,” Quincy said to his mom.

  “Okay, I’ll see how the schedule is looking,” she said.

  “Tight,” Shane stated with attitude, and then headed back into the auto body shop.

  “See you later,” Quincy said and walked away.

  “Any luck?” his mom asked.

  “If they actually show up. Where is Colby?”

  “In the showroom helping out some military friends of his with survival supplies. I don’t even know what language they’re speaking,” she said, and then he chuckled and she exhaled.

  “Are you okay, Mom?” he asked her.

  She fumbled with the papers and looked a bit frazzled. “Just overwhelmed with paperwork. I seriously think your fathers and brothers should hire another office person to help me out.”

  “They should, but we both know how particular they are.”

  “Yeah, they want someone who knows cars and racing, or has a clue. Not many people do.”

  “Well, when I’m off I can help.”

  “I appreciate that. Have a good night tonight if you go out.”

  “Oh, I will, and I have the feeling my brothers might just not regret coming along.”

  “Hmmm, sounds like you have something up your sleeve, Seren Fortane.”

  He smiled as he back stepped. “On that note, see ya later, Mamma.”

  “Sunday, Seren, four o’clock,” she said, referring to their regular family dinner, where they could all be together.

  He headed back out to his car, and he thought about Jade. She was shy, beautiful, and sweet as could be. Her stunning blue eyes and light brown hair that probably reached her mid back drew him in. She was always wearing it in a ponytail or done up, exposing her thin neck. She had one hell of a body on her, too. Full, extra-large breasts that definitely were the first thing that most men saw and focused on, then her narrow waist, thin, toned arms, long, toned legs. She was petite, compared to his six-foot-three stature.

  His brothers were the same heights, maybe a little taller by an inch, and he and Quincy shared the same builds. Lean, muscular, athletic. Shane and Colby were stocky, muscular, big guys who intimidated others just by the sight of them. They were in excellent condition, especially Colby, who led long hunting excursions and tracking trips since retiring from the military as a Green Beret. Quincy had been an Army ranger, then got shot and had to retire early, so he helped out with the shop they opened with their dads. Shane had been a Navy Seal and came close one too many times to getting his head blown off, and he retired. Seren had been in the Marines and was shot three times in the chest and nearly died. He was forced to retire early, got his health and his mind back in order, and applied for a law enforcement position.

  He trained at the academy, met a few guys from Cherry Hill, and of course knew Kane, the sheriff. When an opening came up, Seren grabbed it. He loved being in law enforcement and especially watching over the people in Cherry Hill. Some more than others, he thought and smiled. He hoped his brothers spotted Jade, too, and felt the attraction. That would really bring things together nicely and fulfill a dream they all once shared in childhood, but lost sight of because of life and all those curve balls thrown their way.

  He drove out of the parking lot and headed back into town.

  Chapter 1

  Jade was moving around the large crowds of people. The band was playing on the small stage, and guys were ordering pitchers of beer by the pool tables, her section tonight.