Letting Go of the Pain Read online

  “What are you doing here?” Steve asked her, and Panther took the time to regroup and get his dick to settle down and think with the right head, but one exchange of looks around him at his brothers-in-arms and he saw they shared his same expression, but they were staring at Lauren, still keeping hands on her. She was now between the four of them, and holy shit, he couldn’t believe what was going through his head.

  “I came here for dinner with my cousin, my sisters, and friends.

  We haven’t come here to eat since moving here and heard the food was great.”

  Her voice sounded shaky. She seemed scared. Rightfully so, they each had a good ten years on her, and they were a force. Individually they were intimidating, but as a team, they were a hell of a force of

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  capabilities and testosterone. Seeing such a lovely, feminine woman as Lauren between them was a damn first.

  “You’ve never hung out here before?” Panther asked, finding it hard to believe. She was young looking, definitely under twenty-five.

  He felt old.

  “No,” she whispered and then pushed her hair behind her ear as she looked at him, her eyes gazing over his body, and it made his dick harden even more. It was instant. She was that attractive and sexy.

  She then looked at Steve, who she definitely felt more comfortable speaking to, and he stared at her.

  “You sure that you’re okay? I know how those things can be, and military ones are especially difficult to handle,” she asked him, as if really caring about him.

  He nodded, and reached up and stroked her jaw. “You look beautiful tonight. Did you enjoy dinner?” he asked her.

  It was crazy. He was flirting, touching, caring about her in front of them, and it felt like they were all doing it as one person. Plus, Mink and Eddie still had hands on her hips. One on each side. Panther stepped closer, and then she looked away from them, seeming nervous, maybe intimidated. Well, they were fierce-looking men and taller, over six feet three all of them, and they had looks about them, he knew and had been told.

  “I need to meet up with my sisters and friends and to use the ladies’ room. I’ll see you later maybe.” She then looked to Panther and Mink and smiled softly. “Nice meeting you.”

  “Likewise,” he replied and then watched her walk away, checked out her ass, and then Mink whistled low as they saw other men looking at her, as well.

  “Holy shit, she is gorgeous and smells so good,” Mink said to them.

  “I noticed that, too. I wonder what it is. Her perfume or shampoo maybe. I can’t believe I met her the other night and didn’t know it was Lauren. How weird is that?” Eddie added.

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  “It’s crazy that you did. I think it’s her shampoo that we all seem to be inhaling and liking.” Steve watched her walk away and glance back at him, looking scared. He took a slug of beer.

  “No wonder you’ve been keeping eyes on her, walking her to her car and visiting her at the café,” Panther said to him and then took another slug of beer.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Steve asked. Panther held his gaze. Steve was really down and angry tonight.

  “I mean she’s very attractive and young, too. You aren’t the only one checking her out.”

  “You don’t think I see that?” Steve asked.

  “I think you do, and we see it, as well,” Panther said.

  “I hope she comes back over here. She’s shy, but we can make her feel safe and comfortable,” Eddie said.

  “Don’t do that. Don’t flirt with her and play games,” Steve said and then turned looking for her. Just as he did three guys stopped her and her sisters. Her sisters smiled softly but then shook their heads and grabbed onto Lauren to start walking when one of the guys grabbed Lauren’s hand and was begging her to stay and have a drink.

  That was when three other guys joined them. It was fast how quickly Steve, Eddie, Mink, and even Panther went into action.

  * * * *

  Steve saw Lauren’s fearful expression, and he moved quickly, as did his brothers, to get to her and her sisters. Her one sister shoved the guy’s hand away from her hip, but that asshole from the café pulled Lauren into his arms and had his hand on her ass. Lauren was pushing him off. He could see her blouse had shifted, exposing more of her cleavage, but it was the fear in her eyes that had him making his next move. Steve grabbed him by his shirt, and he released Lauren, went to swing at Steve, and Steve punched him, knocking him out. A second guy came at him, and he almost got sucker-punched because his eyes

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  were on Lauren’s flushed face and stunned expression, but he caught the guy with a right hook and sent him onto his ass. Her sisters were safe, as Eddie and Mink pulled them from harm’s way and closer to Rusty and Stack.

  Another guy went to go after Steve, and Steve had his fists by his sides, breathing through his nostrils, ready to fight anyone who wanted to fight. It felt so good to knock those assholes on their asses.

  It actually made him feel better, but his concern was for Lauren. That fearful expression in her eyes as she stared at him and her arms wrapped around herself as she shook.

  “I’ll kick your ass right now,” the big guy yelled at him, and Steve stepped forward.

  “Right now, asshole. Come on. Come on and take a shot,” he yelled back, but then Eddie pulled the guy back, telling him he was going to wind up like his buddies. Then Steve felt Lauren’s hands against his chest, and Steve had to stop himself from pushing past her to and just focus on knocking the other guy on his ass, too.

  “No, Steve, please stop. It’s okay.”

  He glanced down at her but then back toward the guy, anticipating a cheap shot if Steve took his eyes off of him. He was on the defensive, ready for whatever was coming his way.

  “No, it’s over. I’m fine,” she said, those delicate, feminine hands pressed up and down his chest and then one went to his waist and started pressing him back and away from the situation.

  “They touched you, were going to hurt you,” he said to her, noticing Eddie pulling the guy back, and now one of the off-duty deputies as well as two bouncers had joined in.

  He looked back at her as she continued walking him backward.

  He was breathing through his nostrils and felt so fired up and filled with rage. Those men thought they could just grab any woman they wanted. Could touch them and they’d gone after Lauren.

  “You got to me. I’m okay, Steve. Please calm down. You’re scaring me.” She gripped his shirt on his sides. He was affected by

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  her. By the tears in her aqua-blue eyes, her body shaking, and her hands pressed against his shirt penetrating his skin. He felt the hand on his shoulder and looked to the left, tightened his hold on Lauren, ready to pull her out of harm’s way, but he noticed it was Panther.

  “It’s over. We got to them in time.”

  Steve took Lauren’s hand and brought her back just a few feet to where they stood by the end of the bar and the wall. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her to him. When she hugged him back, and he felt her arms go around his waist, he breathed in her scent and caressed her back. He inhaled, taking in the scent of her shampoo, the feel of her in his arms, and knowing she was safe right here. It was overwhelming.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? That he didn’t hurt you?” He asked her, sounding fierce, and he heard it in his tone. She tightened but then caressed his back. He felt crazy and so jealous, protective and possessive.

  “I’m okay, Steve, really.” She pulled back, and he feared she would pull completely away. He needed this. Her in his arms, close, hugging him. It was crazy, and he cupped her cheek, and her eyes widened as he pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her.

  Her lips felt so soft, and her hold tightened. She resisted momentarily but then softened in his arms and kissed him back.
He pressed her against the wall, his palm from one hand holding her to him as his other hand held her head, and he deepened the kiss then felt her pulling back. It was too much for her, but he wanted more. He knew some of her past and the fears she had, so he released her lips and held her gaze. They were both breathing heavy, and a tear escaped her eye. He squinted.

  “Not good? You didn’t feel it?” he asked her.

  “Too good, and I felt too much,” she said, voice cracking, and then she pressed her cheek to his chest, and he held her, caressed her back until he looked to the right and saw his team watching. Then he saw Thylane and Lauren’s sisters with tears in their eyes but smiling.

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  * * * *

  Lauren’s heart was racing as she stared up at Steve, felt his palm sliding back and forth against her back and then lower to her ass. He cupped it, pulled her closer against his thick, hard body, and then moved it along her back some more. She felt stunned, but then Eddie was there. He reached out, stroked the tears from her cheek, and cupped her cheek and jaw. She held on to his gaze, shocked at what she was feeling. The same attraction she had for Steve and similar to what she felt for Mink.

  “You okay, sweetie?” Eddie asked in a similar hard tone like Steve had. She nodded and he gave a soft smile. “Good.” He brushed his thumb over her lower lip. “You’re safe with us. You stay right here, and we’ll watch over you.”

  She was shocked, and it must have shown because he stepped closer, tilted her chin upward, and stared at her lips. “I’ve always been the perpetrator of shock and awe, never the victim, until now.” He pressed his lips gently to hers.

  She closed her eyes, surprised by her body’s reaction and acceptance of their public display of protection, and then it hit her.

  She was at the Filing Station, and people were watching. He released her lips, obviously feeling her need to slow things down. As he released her lips, that strong, hard finger gently stroked her jaw. He gave her a wink.

  “Shock and awe indeed.” He stepped back, and her eyes locked onto Thylane’s. Finlin was holding her, and Pisces, Rusty, and Stack looked as serious as could be, and her sisters were smirking and raising their eyebrows up and down.

  She started to pull back, but Steve gripped her hipbone. “Don’t push us away and pretend you don’t feel this,” he snapped at her. He was hard, commanding, and obviously still on edge from the confrontation with the men. She eased her hand down his arm to his

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  hand. She immediately saw the red knuckles, and then she glanced back toward where the fight had been and the fact that he had knocked out two guys with one punch.

  “Your hand.” She focused on it. He reached under her chin, stroked it as he directed her to look at him.

  “I’m fine. It was you I was concerned over.”

  “I’m okay. Really,” she said, but the emotion, the fears of his capabilities, never mind Eddie’s, ran havoc on her brain. One punch was all it took for him to knock two men out cold who were just as big as he was.

  “You’re shaking, baby.” He rubbed her arms. Eddie reached under her hair and the back of her head. She looked at him.

  “You’re safe now,” he said, trying to reassure her, but their possessive touches, where they held her, were so effective. Eddie said shock and awe, but she was the one feeling exactly like that.

  “My sisters and cousin,” she said to them and pressed away. They reluctantly released her, and Finlin and Thylane came closer.

  “Are you okay?” Thylane asked and hugged her.

  “I’m fine. It’s over.”

  Thylane gave her a wink.

  “And you’re okay with this? With Steve’s and Eddie’s reactions, and the fact that Panther and Mink are watching you with interest right now?” she whispered.

  Lauren glanced to the left, to where Panther and Mink were, and sure enough they didn’t look like they were paying attention to the other men talking to them. Instead they watched her.

  “I don’t know what happened. It was crazy, and I was worried about Steve doing something to really hurt those men.”

  “You calmed him down. It was amazing to see. He definitely cares about you.”

  “He’s a friend.”

  “Honey, I think the friend thing kind of went out the window the moment he kissed you and you made out with him against the wall by

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  the bar and then let one of his other team members kiss you.” She chuckled.

  Lauren felt panicked. “What am I going to do?”

  “Let it ride, like we talked about the other night. Just let go a little and see where it leads. If they hurt you or screw up, my men will kick their asses,” Thylane said to her, and Lauren chuckled as her sisters stepped closer and started talking to her about what happened. It gave her the reprieve she needed but only for a short time, as Steve came up behind her, placed his hand on her hip, and joined the conversation. Then the rest of his team did, and they all talked about regular things until her sisters engaged in conversation with Thylane’s friends and Thylane hugged Rusty, who started kissing her and pulling her out of the conversation. Lauren was suddenly surrounded by four very large, commanding soldiers staring at her body, taking every opportunity to caress her skin and even flirt, sending her into a spiral of emotions.

  Her cousin, sister, and friends seemed to slip from the area, leaving Lauren no choice but to just wait and see what happened next.

  * * * *

  Panther watched his men engage Lauren. She was shy, young, too young he thought because he suddenly felt things he never had with any other woman. Desire, a possessiveness and protectiveness over her. She stood about five feet five, had a sexy, fit body with large breasts and a small, but round ass that stuck out just so from the dark jeans she wore. Steve’s hand was currently splayed over part of it as he whispered something to her. Simultaneously, Mink was bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles. It turned Panther on.

  Made his dick hard and his mind fast forward to taking her home with them, stripping her naked, and making her beg for all four of them to indulge in her.

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  That wasn’t going to happen. He could read the woman already, and from what he knew about her past, she had trust issues. Perhaps that was why she and Steve got along and connected in the first place.

  Maybe he was jumping the gun assuming she might be interested in him, too. His stare was hard, and he took a slug from his beer as she pulled back, telling Steve things were moving too fast.

  He kept a hand on her hip and turned her toward them.

  He whispered into her ear, her gaze locked onto Panther’s.

  “Talk to my brothers. Let them get to know you, so you realize that we can all be trusted.”

  Panther half watched Steve’s palm slid along her belly and under her shirt to her skin. He focused on her mouth. Her lips parted, and she placed her hand over Steve’s.

  “Would you like a drink?” Panther asked her, and she nodded slowly.

  “What would you like?” Mink asked her.

  “Rum and Coke is fine. Thank you.” She went to move.

  Steve kissed her head. “Stay. I like you close.”

  Panther reacted. He stepped closer to her, stared down into her aqua-blue eyes, and then touched her hair. She tightened up, her eyes widened, and she stared up at him.

  “How do you like living in Repose?” he asked. She licked her lips. She was stunning. A real head-turner.

  “It’s nice,” she replied.

  Mink handed her the drink, and Panther placed his hand on her hip.

  “You said earlier that this was your first time here. How do you like the Filling Station?” he asked her and stroked her hip.

  She was breathing funny, his touch along with Steve’s obviously affecting her. Plus Eddie moved closer on her other side. Th
e four of them caged her in, and it added to the arousal Panther felt.

  “Well, considering what just happened a few minutes ago, I’m not sure.” She took a sip from her drink.

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  “Don’t let a couple of assholes ruin your night. Just be certain that you don’t come here alone and that, if anyone bothers you, you make a lot of noise and bring attention to yourself,” Panther said to her.

  “I don’t think that would have made a difference. There were six of them, and they were as big as you guys are.”

  “Not quite, but yelling for help or screaming loudly would have brought attention to you.” He wondered if she had any kind of self-defense training.

  He eased his hand back.

  “You know any moves?” he asked.

  “What?” she replied.

  He took the beer Eddie offered, took a sip, and then swallowed.

  “Any self-defense moves? Any training?” he asked her.

  She slowly shook her head.

  He was concerned to say the least. Considering she had been a victim of a hostage situation he was surprised that she didn’t take, at minimum any martial arts classes.

  “I mentioned Lake Friedman and the gun range, maybe learning how to shoot,” Steve said, and she pressed forward away from him, and he released her.

  “I told you that I don’t like guns.”

  Panther squinted at her. “Well, you can get over that little fear and gain some tools to help maybe build up your confidence level.”

  She squinted at him and then exhaled.

  “What is this? What are you doing? I don’t need four military men bossing me around and telling me what I need.” She looked like she was going to walk away.