Healing Hearts 2: Fight for Freedom (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) Read online

  “How about having lunch or dinner with me, Mike, and Phantom sometime soon? Tomorrow?”

  She shook her head. He slid his hand around her waist and pressed closer. She was between the car and him and her pussy clenched, and her nipples hardened. She longed to feel the safety of a man’s arms. A real man, not one treating her as a possession and obsession, and an object he could strike. Her injuries had been severe. Her recovery intense, and thank God she had no visible scars to show for that.

  “I don’t date, Turner.”

  “Why is that?” he asked, still holding her. She tried pushing him away in a lame attempt, but he held her securely, his palm almost over her ass. If she pressed toward him, she would feel more of that large, warm, masculine hand there. Did she want that? Could she do that just to feel his hand there a second?

  “I just don’t,” she said, and stepped forward. His hand glided lower, and she felt Turner’s palm over her ass, and a digit against the crack. She gasped.

  “I feel it, too.”

  She shook her head and tears filled her eyes. “I can’t, Turner.”

  He squinted at her and squeezed her to him. “Someone hurt you?” he said to her.

  She closed her eyes and clenched them tight. She could do this. She could push him away, but then she felt his lips against hers. The lemonade container dropped and his other hand, cold from the lemonade, cupped her hair and neck as he plunged his tongue into her mouth. She was shocked, but accepting to his control, his possession of her lips until she felt his hard erection against her belly. She pulled back and he sensed her need to slow things down, but when he released her lips he was breathing just as heavy as she was. His mouth was against her neck, his fingers still in her hair, cupping her head, and his hand possessively over her ass keeping her snug against his front.

  “Holy shit, North. There’s no way you can deny these feelings. No way,” he said to her, then pressed his lips softly against her neck.

  She gripped him tight, shocked at her thoughts. At the burning need to hold on to feel him, a man, so muscular, capable, strong and enticing to continue to hug her. Was she so desperate for a connection, for an embrace, for a man’s hold that she allowed this to happen? She lowered her eyes and turned, pulling away. He released her hair and head and slid his palm down her arm, caressing it. Now he had both hands on her hips.

  “Look at me,” he said in a tone that was all commanding and a man in charge. She immediately shivered, lips parted, and looked up. He squinted. “You’re shaking.”

  She couldn’t say a word.

  “Holy fuck. Who was he?” Turner asked. She wondered how the hell he could be so perceptive and know that a man hurt her, made it so that she feared being this close to another man. That Forester could be out there hunting for her, and one day would find her. She couldn’t do this. Couldn’t allow Turner into her heart. He would get hurt, killed, oh God.

  She pushed him away. “That can’t happen again.”

  He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his arms. He cupped her cheek, and she leaned back waiting for the strike to come. But it didn’t. Instead, Turner’s hard, icy stare spoke volumes.

  “I’m not him, whoever the fuck he is. I’m not him and neither are Mike and Phantom.” He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her once again until she was limp in his arms. When he released her lips to breath, he then hugged her tight, pressing her against the car and encasing her body with his, like a shield of protection from anyone and anything.

  “This cannot be ignored. We’ll work it out. Together,” he whispered, but she knew she wasn’t going to work it out with him, with them. No, she needed to put up the walls and remember the danger she was in, the pain and the surgeries she went through to save her life, and the wrath of the one man, the monster who haunted her dreams and held the power of her life, her body, and soul in his hands, still.

  * * * *

  Turner’s heart was racing. The emotions, the attraction he felt for North was so strong he acted and kissed her. She kissed him back and he had a thousand thoughts until he released her lips and she pulled away and it became obvious that she was scared. He knew immediately some dick hurt her. Was it an ex-boyfriend? How badly did he hurt her? Did he break her heart, destroy her trust in people, in men? Did he abuse her? What? He wanted answers and he knew when Mike and Phantom found out that they would want answers, too. He could see the walls go up. “Don’t push me away. Not after that kiss. Sweetie, I want more, and Mike and Phantom want you, too.”

  She shook her head. “No, Turner. This shouldn’t have happened. I don’t want this. I don’t want a ménage. I don’t want lovers. I don’t want to be used. I don’t want the games. I don’t need this, and I want to be left alone.” She opened her car door and quickly got inside. She closed it and he looked at her. He placed his hands on the driver’s side door frame of the open window.

  “I want answers. I want to know who hurt you. Is he from around here? From back north?”

  “No, Turner. I’m not discussing anything. I just want to be alone.” He covered her arm and ran his hand to her hand where she gripped the steering wheel.

  “That’s not true. You kissed me back. You let go a moment and it felt right and perfect.”

  “It doesn’t matter, Turner. Just forget that it happened. It will never happen again.” She started the ignition and he slammed his hand down on the car.

  “God damn it, North!” He raised his voice, he was so pissed off but then her eyes widened and instantly filled with tears. She looked before she pulled onto the road and headed out. He stood there, wanting to chase her, to demand she tell him who it was that hurt her so badly that she feared these emotions, feared Turner’s touch and words about wanting more. He never felt this way before. He completely reacted because he took a chance. He let some vulnerability show and he wasn’t pleased with North’s reaction at all. He felt insane a moment and thought of his brothers. That was why a ménage would work so well for them. They fed off one another, trusted one another, and they needed to be together in order to keep control and not just react. They didn’t do alone, they did together, a team, a family, one unit, together.

  He was frustrated and annoyed and he pulled out his cell phone.

  “Yo, what’s up?”

  “Fuck, you aren’t going to believe this. Is Mike there?”

  “What’s wrong?” Phantom asked, in that serious hard tone. He would freak North out even more than Turner did.

  “Is Mike there?”

  “He’s around, what is it?”

  “North.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “I kissed her.”

  “What?” Phantom asked, his tone hard even over the cell phone.

  “I’m coming home.”

  “With North?”

  “Alone,” he said, and ended the call and exhaled. Any other woman and damn straight he would be taking her someplace to meet Phantom and Mike and have one hell of a time. Never to their place. They never brought a woman there. But North? Hell, If North accepted hanging out, that would be exactly where he’d bring her. He felt instantly obsessed. She tasted so good, felt incredible in his arms, and that body, holy fuck, she was built to please a man. Feminine, petite, well-endowed and such a great ass. She was totally aroused by his possessive hold, even as he trailed a finger down the crack of her ass to her pussy. That’s what seemed to send her running. The intensity of the kiss, the intimacy and power of it. Who hurt her? Was the guy still bothering her or part of her life? What the hell happened? He got to his truck and headed home. A glance in the mirror and he saw his expression, his dark eyes, the bags under them from lack of sleep. He was suffering with nightmares again, his PTSD getting the better of him. Two years had passed, but it didn’t matter. Even the missions in between hadn’t. He still looked back, pondering over that day he could have died.

  Maybe they were out of their minds feeling something for a woman as young as North. They had a good ten years on her. Maybe
that added to her fears? He didn’t know what the fuck to think. Maybe Phantom and Mike would know what to do next. His mind traveled into a thousand thoughts. Could the guy who hurt her still be bothering her? Like maybe Casey’s situation or even Amelia’s? Amelia was so scared and fearful. She was a victim of abuse and any man could tell she was shy and reserved now, and unapproachable. Could North be in danger? His heart pounded inside of his chest. He was losing his mind, overthinking everything. He needed to calm down. He needed his brothers. They would know what to do. They had to be careful and handle this the right way. North could be the one. Holy fucking shit, she could be ours. He was shocked at the speed and direction of his thoughts. He went from not wanting to show vulnerability and risk rejection, to pressing her up against her car and kissing her, and now thinking she was the woman of their dreams, and center to the ménage they knew eventually they would have. Now? North? Holy shit.

  * * * *

  “Calm down,” Mike said to Turner as he paced the kitchen.

  “Calm down? How the fuck can I calm down? I kissed North, felt her ass, her body against mine and I want more. She pushed me away, denied the attraction and was shaking with fear. Someone hurt her.”

  “Well, we knew that much from conversations she’s had with Afina and her own admittance that she was in a long drawn out relationship. Maybe it was worse than she let on,” Mike said.

  “It would explain why she doesn’t date. Why she turned down Rodriguez and Denver, too, basically laughed at them,” Phantom added.

  “This is serious, Mike, Phantom. You have to hold her in your arms and kiss her. She fits perfectly. She’s classy, sexy, and holy fuck, I can still smell her perfume. I’m losing my mind. One fucking kiss and feeling her ass, and I want to go find her and make her talk to us.”

  “You can’t do that. If she was in an abusive relationship, or experienced a bad relationship, then handling getting to know her needs to be done with caution and patience,” Mike said.

  “You didn’t kiss her and feel her kissing back, never mind pressing that body against mine. I felt so possessive and protective. I can’t stand to think of who might be hitting on her. We’ve seen the men at Corporal’s flirt and try to pick her up. Something is here between us. I mentioned you two as well and she didn’t freak out, she just shook and looked like she struggled with what to say. She’s been hurt badly,” Turner added.

  “We need to make a decision here. Are we talking about something temporary, or are we talking about a commitment?” Mike asked.

  “We don’t know if this is a game by her. We know nothing about her. I think we should hold back,” Phantom said.

  “You’re just scared. I get it. I was scared to show some vulnerability but I did and it was great with her.”

  “I don’t know,” Phantom said, and stood up.

  Mike knew that Phantom was not the kind of person to show emotions, or to put his heart out there. He grew cold, distant, quiet over the years from their missions and from being a mercenary. Killing took the love, the compassion out of a man. Maybe North would be a positive influence on all of them.

  “Let’s slow things down and see what happens. We’ll make a point of talking to North when we see her. Maybe take the opportunity to be gentle and not so forward,” Mike said, and gave Turner a warning look.

  “Yeah, see how long you two last being close to her, inhaling her shampoo, and feeling her close.” Turner exhaled.

  Mike nodded before he spoke

  .

  “Let’s take our time. It sounds like that’s exactly what North needs.

  * * * *

  “You’re being awfully quiet. What’s wrong?” Aunt Stella asked North.

  They were sitting outside on the patio overlooking the pool. They already had dinner and were on dessert, and the sight of it brought back more emotions and feelings she didn’t want to face. She ran her finger over the rim of the glass of red wine she sipped at all evening. Turner was one hell of a kisser, and also had a temper. She couldn’t help but to be scared of him, and not knowing what he did for a living, and who he really was, just added to her anxieties. If she had asked more questions, followed her gut instincts, she wouldn’t have wound up involved with Forester and been pulled under like she had been. She needed to be smarter, and in doing so that meant remaining single and alone.

  “Okay, spit it out,” Uncle Billy demanded.

  She looked at him, and tears filled her eyes. His eyes widened.

  “What happened?” he asked. She shook her head. She didn’t show emotions anymore. Or at least tried not to or she would start sobbing like an idiot.

  “It’s been two years; do you think I will ever be free? Ever breathe easy and be able to let go and live? Enjoy life like normal people do?” she asked.

  “You’re not living a normal life? You have a career. You have us, family, you have friends and hang out and have come a long way,” he said to her.

  “No, I’ve forced myself to get here, and used my fears, my anger as motivation. That fear is the push in everything I do, but now it’s the fear that stands in the way of truly being able to be normal.”

  “I don’t understand,” Uncle Billy said, and looked at his wife.

  Aunt Stella exhaled. “Who is he?”

  North locked gazes with her and squinted.

  “A man? This is about a man?” Uncle Billy asked.

  “Just be quiet and let North and I talk,” Aunt Stella said.

  “There isn’t anything to talk about really. You both know as well as I do that I can’t entertain these feelings. I can’t risk letting down my guard, never mind am I going to put these men into danger like that.”

  “Wait, these men? As in more than one?” he asked.

  “Oh yeah, I had a feeling something like this might happen. In fact, I was thinking a ménage relationship could be the best choice for you,” Aunt Stella said, shocking North.

  “What? How could you say that?”

  “They are very common around Mercy, and in other towns like ours. There are a lot of great things to say about ménage relationships, and especially when a woman has gone through the trauma and violence you have gone through,” Aunt Stella replied.

  “Aunt Stella, I’m not entertaining anything.” She looked away.

  “Why not?” Uncle Billy asked.

  “Did Sebastian explain things to you? I mean realistically explain?”

  They were both silent.

  “You won’t have to remain in hiding forever. Sebastian is doing everything he can. You should move on with your life and that includes dating. You want to feel and be normal, then date like your friends are doing,” Stella said to her.

  “I don’t need a man in life, one to order me around, treat me like a possession and dominate.”

  “Not all men are like that,” Billy said to her, but North thought about Turner. He would be possessive. He would dominate and be forceful in his demands, and maybe even strike her to get her to cooperate. She didn’t know and since she couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, she wasn’t taking a chance. Then she thought about Phantom. She knew even less about him, and one look and she sensed he was capable. Of what she didn’t know, and that would make her keep her distance as well.

  “What exactly happened, and who are the men?” Stella asked.

  She looked at her. “It doesn’t matter. My decision is made, and it’s the best thing to do right now. I’m not ready.”

  * * * *

  “We need to do something, Billy. If she met someone, or men, and she’s feeling this way, then it means she likes them,” Stella said to Billy after North headed home.

  “What can we do? You know as well as I do that she is stubborn and still healing. She won’t even see Ice.”

  “That’s it,” Stella said, and picked up her cell phone.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Calling Ice. He’ll help her.”

  “She won’t see him. She hasn’t gone there in weeks.”


  “She came here tonight and it has been over a month.”

  He exhaled. “Whatever. Go ahead and try.”

  “Ice, it’s Stella. We have some pushing to do,” she said to him, and Billy smirked. Stella would make sure that North would find happiness. The woman just needed a little shove.

  Chapter Four

  “Damn, I don’t like this, Henry.”

  “Of course not, because you’re worried about North, but only you and I know where she is. If Forester sent his guy Synista here to do some sort of deal with Castella, then we just got very lucky. We should notify the commanders and set up shop. Get video surveillance, monitor their every move and—”

  “No. We can’t do that. You and I both know that we can’t take that chance. We need to keep this small. Only our men that we handpick and we do it on the down low.”

  Henry stared at him. “You’re still thinking that Tyler wasn’t the only crooked agent, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t want to believe it, but can’t you see all the same signs I’m seeing? There were just too many fuck ups. Product was moved under the organization’s nose, it was like Castella and Ferlong had connections on the inside. Now we’ve been over this. Tyler wasn’t exactly top of his graduating class. He was a smart ass, liked to use his credential to gain attention and was always looking for the jobs that would give him more hours to make money. He wanted what the dealers had, and he got played.”

  “I still can’t figure out why the hell that dick involved his sister.”

  “To get one debt paid off only to have another one to someone more powerful than the first person. North deserves a life. She deserves to be free from this shit, and to heal.”

  “How is she doing, anyway? Any updates from Ice?”

  “She isn’t seeing him.” Henry raised his eyebrow up in surprise.