Dare to Love Read online

  Warner didn’t even look his way.

  “Think about what we know thus far. Think about the extent these individuals went to grab Mercedes.”

  Kurt felt his blood pressure boiling.

  “I’m with you on this. I’ll do whatever is necessary to find these guys before they try to hurt another woman.”

  Warner nodded his head and Kurt took an unsteady breath. They could have lost Mercedes tonight. Those men could have done terrible things to her or even sold her for money. Bile rose in his throat and he tried swallowing it down as Warner pulled onto the long private road then to their home. They would find the men responsible. They would protect Mercedes from here on out and prove to her that she belonged with them and was safe with them forever.

  Chapter 4

  Mercedes cried out, striking against the solid chest and feeling the heat of a solid heavy body next to her.

  “Mercedes, it’s me. It’s Taylor, baby. You’re safe,” Taylor said. His voice penetrated her dreams and she blinked her eyes open, feeling the tears leak from her eyes.

  She was breathing heavily and her cheek and jaw hurt. She scrunched her eyes together and gulped hard.

  “Easy now. Your cheek and jaw are bruised up and your shoulder and chest, too,” he told her as she leaned back down, placing her head against the pillow. She was wearing a T-shirt, no bra, and a pair of light cotton shorts. Taylor had no shirt on but wore jeans. She tried not to look at all his muscles and the ridges of abdominal muscles from under his pecs to the waist of his jeans. He was mega fit and she felt her cheeks warm and turned away.

  He reached over and caressed her damp locks away from her cheeks. He smiled softly.

  “You’re safe. I’m not leaving you,” he whispered to her.

  She moved, feeling overheated, completely aroused, and also a bit scared. He was a big man, a muscular man, and a deputy who worked where she worked. He shouldn’t be on her bed, almost naked.

  “You shouldn’t be on my bed with me. It’s not appropriate,” she said to him, feeling the anxiety of her words.

  Taylor smiled softly and caressed her chin.

  “I’m protecting you. I saw what went down tonight, remember? I need to be close to you and I want you to feel safe. What you went through was traumatic.” He caressed her chin and gave her a wink. Her core tightened and her pussy clenched. She was such a loser.

  “Did Marlena and the others go home?” she asked, feeling nervous at the way Taylor stared at her and caressed her hair.

  “A couple of hours ago,” he replied and continued to stroke her hair.

  “Did they find Jeff and Damien?” she asked and his fingers stopped moving in her hair. She cringed as his expression changed. He pulled back and appeared as if he were biting the inside of his cheek.

  “Not yet, but don’t worry, we’ll find them.”

  She felt the tears fill her eyes as she thought about the fact the two men were still out there and that they wanted to hurt her.

  “Awe, baby, please stop crying. You’re safe now. My brothers and I will make sure of it.” He leaned closer and he kissed her forehead as he leaned one arm over her waist and used his other hand to wipe away the tears.

  “I feel so stupid,” she said and snorted. “You should go. I appreciate your kindness and the fact that you feel you need to stay here after helping to save me, but it’s not necessary. I’ll be just fine.”

  He shook his head.

  “Baby, you never should have been in that position to begin with,” he said to her in that tone that was all Taylor’s.

  “I know that. I was stupid, and naïve to have accepted a date with two men I didn’t know. But they seemed so nice and I don’t date and then my friends were like go for it, and well I got caught up in it all and I forgot everything I learned living on the—” She stopped talking. She almost said that she lived on the streets. What would Taylor think of her? God, how stupid. She couldn’t think. Not with him this close to her and his damn sexy body leaning against hers.

  “On the what? What were you going to say?”

  “Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m rambling. I’m okay. I need to get up,” she said and he looked reluctant to get up from the bed. But he did and stared at her. She pulled back the covers and his eyes roamed over her thighs and the short shorts she wore. Adele had grabbed what she could find and helped her earlier. Why had she chosen such a sexy pair of pajamas for her to wear to bed knowing that Taylor was staying here to watch over her? She wondered if Adele was playing matchmaker.

  “Let me help you,” Taylor said, standing up at his full height of six foot three and she gulped. He was huge. Looked extra large in her small bedroom. She reached out and took his hand and he pulled her up slowly, letting his other hand wrap around her waist and she felt his fingers over part of her ass and lower back. He was just so big.

  “Ouch,” she said and placed her hand over her waist by her hip bone. Taylor scrunched his eyes together and held her by her shoulders as he bent slightly.

  “You’re hurt there, too?” he asked and she nodded her head then reached for the hem of her T-shirt to lift it slightly. Taylor knelt down on one knee and kept a hand on her left side over her hip as she lifted her shirt and he looked at her skin.

  “Jesus. You’re all bruised up. You didn’t show Dr. Anders this last night?” he asked and she shook her head.

  “It didn’t hurt last night. My cheek and jaw hurt the most and of course my shoulder,” She said.

  He looked up at her and held her gaze.

  “You never should have been there last night,” He said and she felt like shit. He was reprimanding her and basically calling her stupid.

  Before she could respond his cell phone rang.

  “I’ll wait here,” he told her, but it seemed like that wasn’t what he wanted to say.

  She turned around and headed into the bathroom.

  * * * *

  “How is Mercedes?” Kurt asked as Taylor answered the phone. He and Warner had been up all night. The team was working overtime to get info on these guys.

  “Yes, she just woke up. She’s sore and has more bruising on her hip.”

  “How do you know that?” Kurt asked.

  “She was achy and then I checked out the area under her shirt. She’s bruised up good. Plus she blames herself. She’s been crying, and she told me to leave.”

  * * * *

  “You make her understand that things are going to change.”

  “It would be better if you two were here, too, when I explain. That way she gets it,” Taylor told Kurt.

  “Warner isn’t exactly pleasant and neither am I. Make sure you stay with her. We’ll try to stop by soon,” Kurt said and then disconnected the call.

  Kurt’s eyes burned as he rubbed them and felt the throbbing headache.

  He exhaled, reached for the painkillers and the bottle of water. He took two and swallowed, hoping they would kick in fast.

  “Is she okay?” Warner asked.

  “She’s in pain and feeling responsible for what happened.”

  Warner scrunched his eyebrows together. “She can blame me. If I wasn’t such a dick and didn’t leave for that fucking trip then she wouldn’t have been in that situation. She’d be in our bed by now, protected from dicks like these two fuckheads.”

  “You can’t say that. It wasn’t what was meant to be. You weren’t ready and I was still working my own fears and hesitation out. Plus you completed your mission, came back safely, and we’re here now. We’ll protect her.”

  Warner leaned back in the chair and stretched his arms out above his head.

  “What’s that?” Kurt asked and Warner didn’t move. He held his brother’s gaze and Kurt sat forward.

  “That last job was different than the others.”

  Kurt didn’t like the way that sounded.

  “Different how?” Kurt asked.

  Warner held his gaze.

  “Nothing to worry about, I wasn’t a hundred perce
nt on my game. But I made it. I’m here now, and things are going to be different. I’m not taking those kinds of chances anymore. I’m not.”

  “So you’re not going to tell me anything more about it?” Kurt asked.

  “Have we ever asked one another questions about what we do and where we went and what went down? No, so we’re not going to now.”

  Kurt took a deep breath. He really wished the painkillers would kick in. Now he felt even worse than before.

  “Well, I’m glad you made it back, in one piece.”

  Warner nodded his head. “We could have lost Mercedes, you realize that right?” he asked Kurt and Kurt immediately nodded.

  “That’s what gets me so pissed off and fired up the most, the fact that my stubbornness, denial, fear of letting down my guard and opening my heart to such a sweet woman could have been lost. These men, the things they do to these women.”

  “I know. I know, Warner, and I try not to think about it because it makes me sick, it scares the fuck out of me, and I know the bottom line is that she’s safe. That Taylor and I were there and we got to her in time. We need to make this up to her. We need to be honest with her. Together.”

  Warner let down his arms and nodded his head.

  “Shower first then we’ll bring over food. Let Taylor know to give us thirty minutes.”

  Kurt nodded his head as Warner left the room. He texted Taylor then stood up. His brother could have died. Their woman could have been raped, sold to some high bidder, or even killed. It was time to take a chance and open up their hearts. This was a second chance and one he was going to make sure him and his brothers didn’t miss out on.

  * * * *

  Mercedes entered the bedroom after taking a quick shower. The window was open, a soft breeze filled the room, and it seemed so quiet. Too quiet. She stopped where she was. Listened for any sounds, any indication that Taylor was still there in her home, but she heard nothing. Tears filled her eyes but didn’t fall. Well she told him to leave, so maybe he listened. He was just a friend, a coworker. Yeah right. Keep lying to yourself, Mercedes. He was more than that. You feel it, too.

  What she hadn’t expected was the fear that began to form in her belly. The quietness scared her. Being alone suddenly scared her and when she heard the floor creak outside her door she gasped and covered her mouth.

  She was shaking and she couldn’t stop herself.

  The door began to push open and she heard Taylor’s voice.

  “Mercedes, are you finished? Is it okay for me to come in?”

  “Oh God,” she said and covered her face with her hands. A moment later she felt his strong arms wrap around her and she hugged him tight. She held on to him, breathed in his scent, his cologne and the feel of the T-shirt he wore pressed against her cheek. She was disappointed that he wasn’t bare chested. The thought was instant. He rubbed her back and her hair.

  “You’re okay. You’re safe. We didn’t leave you,” he said to her. The floor creaked again as his words sunk in. They didn’t leave her.

  She pulled back slightly and saw Kurt standing there. Kurt, six foot three, dark black hair, blue eyes, and he wore a light blue shirt with blue jeans that made those sexy eyes stand out even more. He looked incredible.

  He stepped closer as Taylor released her slowly.

  “It’s all right to be scared. That will take some time to get rid of,” Kurt said as he reached out and cupped her good cheek. Taylor moved out of the way and Kurt placed a hand on her waist. He used his thumb to caress her lip.

  “Some ice will bring the swelling down, but first, we brought over some food,” he said. She nodded her head and he held her gaze.

  Kurt just stared at her and she wondered what he would do. She looked at his eyes, his lips, that firm, sexy jaw, and the fine wrinkles by his eyes. He looked tired.

  “You scared me, baby,” he whispered then softly kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes and wished to feel his lips against her lips and for his hands to take away the remnants of Jeff’s, but instead he hugged her.

  Kurt had big, wide, muscular shoulders and amazing abs like his brother. The feel of his arms was like a blanket of security wrapped around her.

  “You’re shaking, Mercedes. I swear, you’re safe now.”

  She pulled back.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I feel so scared. I freaked out a moment,” she said and pulled all the way back and out of his hold. Kurt looked disappointed as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

  “Come on, let’s get something to eat,” Taylor told her and then Kurt motioned for her to walk ahead of him.

  She did and when she got to her little kitchen, Warner was standing there. She hadn’t seen him in forever, but he looked so good and he appeared monstrous in her small kitchen. He was just as tall as his brothers and a little more muscular up top than them.

  “Mercedes,” he said and then stepped closer to her. She lowered her head, clasping her hands in front of her in a submissive position. She waited for him to reprimand her, to scold her for being naive, stupid, unguarded. But it never came. Instead he lifted her chin with his fingers and held her gaze.

  “Those will heal quickly, especially icing it a few times a day. We’ll start after we eat,” he said.

  “I can do that. You really don’t have to babysit me,” she said to him.

  “Mercedes, you were scared just now in your bedroom and we were in the next room. Don’t be silly,” Taylor told her as he reached for the big box of food from the bakery and deli in town.

  “Jesus, you got enough food to feed an army,” Kurt said but Warner just held her gaze.

  “Seems our Mercedes has a lot of people who care about her. Mrs. Thomas hooked me up well when she learned that Kurt and I were bringing food over. There’s lunch in there for later as well,” he said.

  She swallowed hard.

  Warner didn’t let up on his stare at her. She felt self-conscious.

  “We all could have lost you.”

  “I know that. I’m sorry I was so stupid and didn’t think anything bad even when my gut was alerting me to something strange. I haven’t been on a date in forever.”

  He reached out and touched her waist. He drew her closer.

  “You won’t be going out on any other dates with any other men. We’re going to watch over you, and keep you safe.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” she whispered, but his stare was so intense and his closeness got to her. Warner cupped her chin.

  “We’re going to make some changes, beginning with not hiding the way we feel about you and you about us. We want you. We have wanted you for quite some time and wanted to stake a claim but you kept sending the wrong signals and pushing us away. Not anymore. We’ve already made it official with Max and the others. Everyone will know that you belong to the Dawn men,” he said so firmly it was like an order, or like she didn’t know what but her body sure had a different response than her mind. Her pussy clenched, her nipples hardened, and she felt excited and aroused.

  “Why are you saying this to me now? You’ve never even asked me out or showed an interest?”

  “Because I was being stubborn and stupid. It doesn’t matter. I’m here now.”

  “We’re here now,” Kurt said to her and she looked at all three of them.

  But she was fearful. They were still the same men she worried couldn’t commit to her, and that might break her heart and leave her scarred for life.

  Besides that, she was feeling vulnerable, needy, and being in their arms, feeling their strong bodies so close made her want more of them. But this couldn’t be good. She wrung her hands together and then felt Warner cover them with his. She gasped and looked up at him. He always intimidated her, put her on edge for so many reasons, but ultimately it was because he affected her.

  “Don’t give an answer now. Just think about it and let us show you we’re sincere and that this was coming, even if you didn’t want to admit it,” Kurt added, making her turn toward
him and causing Warner to release her hands. One glance at Warner and she could see he was angry, or maybe that was just his regular expression.

  She didn’t know what to say and Warner stepped back.

  “Let’s eat and then we’ll talk some more,” Taylor added to the conversation and she was fine with that. This was too heavy.

  But as she opened her mouth to take a bite of the egg sandwich she felt the ache in her jaw. She closed her eyes and she saw Jeff hitting her.

  “Are you okay? Does it hurt too much to eat?” Taylor asked, placing his hand on the back of her chair.

  She opened her eyes and looked at him.

  “I’ll be fine, Taylor. Thank you,” she whispered and then put the sandwich down and took a sip of the coffee. But she didn’t feel hungry. She felt a myriad of emotions. She swallowed hard as she noticed the men had already finished their first egg sandwiches and were biting into their seconds. They were big men, with large appetites. The thought made her feel things and think things she shouldn’t be thinking. She needed to get her mind off of this and ask some questions of her own. She had to gain back some character here and not be the damsel in distress, the trained female who set herself up for criminals to prey upon.

  “So who do I speak to about my case? I mean who is in charge of finding those men who hurt me and tried to take me?” she asked.

  They were all silent.

  “That’s not for you to worry about. We’ll take care of everything along with Max and the rest of the department,” Taylor told her.

  “But I need to be kept in the loop. I want to know who those guys were and what they wanted.”

  “They wanted you,” Kurt said in that tone of his.

  She leaned back and swallowed hard.

  “I want to know what they were after and if, well if I was the only one they were after or if my friends could be in danger.”

  “They were after you. That was obvious by their technique and the lengths at which they were willing to go to get you,” Warner told her and then his cell phone buzzed. He read the text and then excused himself. She watched him walk into the living room.