Hearts on Fire 5: Loving Frankie (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “What’s going on?” Frankie asked, on the defensive as she handed the pen to the officer and turned toward Nate, Charlie, Lure, and Turbo. Then she felt Rye and Mike each place a hand on her shoulder.

  “We’re going to take you home and make sure you’re safe,” Mike told her.

  She swallowed hard and shook her head, stepping from them.

  “No, no you’re not. I’m staying here. Charlie or Lure can take me home later when it slows down. I don’t know you, but thank you for the offer. I need to use the ladies’ room and get back to work.” She felt her voice shaking. It was bad enough she would have her name on the file in a police computer system. She sure didn’t need four older men thinking they could claim her for their woman for the night because they’d come to her aid after she was attacked.

  She was surprised no one said a word as she exited the room. But she did hear the deep voices and then the door to the office closed. Captain, one of the main bartenders, was there and escorted her to the ladies’ room.

  “I never liked that bitch Gloria. You sure didn’t deserve to get assaulted,” he told her as they stopped in front of the ladies’ room. A few people were walking by, and she avoided their stares.

  “I don’t know why she took it out on me. I was just doing my job.”

  He placed his hand on her shoulder. “That’s exactly why. She was caught not doing hers and selling drugs. You know Charlie and Lure don’t allow that shit. And listen, having men like Nate Hawkins and his brothers wanting to protect you isn’t such a bad thing. Nate and Charlie and Lure go way back. Secret military government shit, and Turbo’s a deputy. It’s always good to have a cop in your corner.” He winked.

  She felt that unease feeling in her gut turn to fear. Turbo was a cop. Nate was involved in the military and government stuff. What horrifically bad luck she had. These men were too similar to Kevin to ignore. She had to keep her distance.

  “Well, I can take care of myself. I’m not in the market for any protection.”

  “I’ll wait out here,” he said, and she nodded, but as she went into the bathroom, she couldn’t help but to think about what Captain had just told her.

  This could be a lot worse than she thought. Kevin was a cop, a detective who knew other dirty cops looking to make quick cash. She had never seen Nate or his brothers in Prestige before. They could be working for Kevin or, worse, for Louie Carlotto.

  * * * *

  “So you’re going to let her go back to work?” Mike asked Charlie as he and Lure stood there staring at them.

  Lure couldn’t help but smirk slightly.

  He leaned back against his desk, his arms crossed. “I understand you two being Good Samaritans, but Nate and Rye, I just don’t get it. I can’t even believe you two showed up to this bachelor party.”

  “Very funny, Lure. But seriously, who is she?” Rye asked.

  Lure looked at Charlie. “She’s only been here a few months. She’s real quiet, keeps to herself, and is a hard worker.”

  “Always shows up on time, never missed a shift, and is real easy on the eyes. She aims to please,” Charlie added, and Lure watched his four friends’ expressions change.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Mike asked, on the defensive.

  “She’s a good-looking woman. Young and inexperienced, but sweet and needs looking after.”

  “You two doing that? Looking after her?” Turbo asked.

  “You know we take care of our own,” Lure told them.

  “That’s not what Turbo means, and you know it. We just want to make sure she’s okay. That was a hell of a hit, and she’s going to have a nasty bruise,” Nate told Lure.

  “We’ll be sure to make certain she ices it.”

  They were all silent, and Nate gave a nod to Rye.

  “Let’s get back to the party. Seems Lure and Charlie have this covered after all.”

  Nate exited the room, and the others followed, Mike closing the door behind him.

  Lure looked at Charlie and raised one eyebrow.

  “Frankie is a special young woman. You know you thought about hitting on her just like the rest of us,” Charlie said as he walked over toward the wet bar and poured himself and Lure a drink.

  “But you knew the moment we interviewed her, along with Miles, that she was hiding something. She wasn’t too keen on pressing charges either.”

  “Lure, she wasn’t too keen on getting paid on the books. She talks about things being temporary. Never says anything about buying things for her apartment like other women do. You know as well as I do that something is up with her.”

  Lure took a sip of scotch.

  “So what do you think? Let Nate and his brothers see how far they get with her and maybe it all works out?”

  “Either that or it turns out she’s some criminal in hiding and our four friends get their hearts broken.”

  Lure smiled. “I’m still not sure Nate and Rye have hearts.”

  Charlie chuckled.

  “Mike and Turbo have to. They work too closely with the public to become desensitized like that. Besides, I think Frankie will blow them off just like she blows off every other guy who hits on her.”

  “We’ll see. In the meantime, one of us needs to take her home and make sure she ices that eye. I don’t like that shithole she lives in. We pay her well enough for her to live in a better place. I don’t know why she’s hiding in the projects of Bayline.”

  “You just said why, Lure. She’s hiding, and no one that sexy and attractive would be caught dead in the apartment she rents.”

  Lure squinted his eyes and thought about that a moment.

  “Maybe we need to ask Frankie a few more questions.”

  * * * *

  They were making her nervous. Frankie tried to focus on working instead of the pain by her eye and upper cheek. But every time she paused to take a breath, she felt the eyes upon her. The Hawkins brothers, as Shark had told her. It seemed Shark was filled with lots of information on the four brothers and their interest in her.

  It put her on edge, especially when she found out that Turbo, the tall, muscular blond was a deputy. Mike, who had lots of tattoos, scruff on his face, and a long-lost look in his eyes was a firefighter and just as intimidating. When she’d seen him the other night at the Beach House, she’d instantly thought he could be another mistake for her to make. He was that attractive. Frankie understood the type of relationships that took place around Treasure Town and Bayline, hell, all over the place, but she’d never really associated with people into ménage relationships. Cassidy explained about them and the difference between the real ones and those just out to have a good time with no commitment. A bit of a wild twist on the one-night stand idea.

  Frankie swallowed hard. She would never do a one-night stand, despite how attractive Mike and his brothers were. Could they seriously be sticking around and watching her thinking she was interested in them? God, that instantly made her feel panicked. She watched as various women tried to hit on the four attractive men, but the men blew them off. Some of the women were gorgeous, too. A little slutty looking, but still very attractive.

  “You got yourself some bodyguards tonight, Frankie. I’m jealous,” Cassidy whispered as she gave Frankie a nudge in her shoulder.

  Cassidy placed the drinks Shark made onto the tray she had to carry.

  “Bodyguards? I don’t think so.”

  “Well, they can guard my body any time. They’re delicious. You can’t tell me that you’re not interested. Hell, it’s like fate or something. That guy Mike showing up here and recognizing you from the Beach House. He has eyes for you, and I think his brothers come as a package deal. That’s sexy.”

  “Not interested,” Frankie said, and Cassidy raised her eyebrows up and rolled her eyes at Shark.

  “The woman needs psychological help. I’m on the rebound. I’d take them on in a second if one of those men over there wanted me.”

  “Sure you would,” Shark told Cassidy, rolling h
is eyes.

  None of them like Keith, Frankie included, but she felt a bit upset at Cassidy saying she would go after one of the men. It was so strange, and she didn’t want to analyze it. The idea of talking to more than one man was nerve wracking enough. Having sex with more than one? Anxiety attack big time.

  Cassidy turned away to deliver the drinks as Shark began to place the drinks Frankie had to deliver to a table near the Hawkins brothers. They hadn’t even joined the rest of the bachelor party in the private back room. She wondered why as a few of their friends came from the back room and joined the regulars.

  “After you deliver those drinks, you’re to take a break and ice that cheek and eye. It looks like it’s swelling more,” Shark told her, looking pissed off. She reached up and winced at the pain.

  “Goddamn it. I wish Charlie or Lure had let me at that bitch. I would have given her a kick in the ass or, at the minimum, sicced Cassidy on her ass. She’d mess her up good.”

  Frankie chuckled. “I still don’t understand why she took out her frustrations on me. I was just working and doing my job.” Frankie placed two olives into the martini on the platter.

  “Because you’ve been a threat to her since day one.”

  “Me?” she asked, pointing at herself.

  “You really don’t know how beautiful you are, do ya, gorgeous?” he asked as he licked his lower lip and held her gaze.

  “Oh brother,” she said, thinking he was hitting on her, too.

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not moving in on Hawkins’s territory. I’m just stating the facts. You’re a stunning young woman. Kind of remind me of Carrie Underwood, except you have that real long platinum-blonde hair. And a better body.” He winked.

  “I’m not even from the South,” she replied as she lifted the tray.

  “Where exactly are you from?” he asked, and she felt her chest tighten, and immediately she lost her smile. Shark definitely picked up on that.

  “Far from here,” she told him as she headed away from the bar and to the guys whose drinks she needed to deliver.

  On her approach, she took in the sight of the brothers. Rye appeared to be the youngest. He was very handsome, with spiked, crew-cut hair, hazel eyes, and very smooth skin. He seemed like the type who shaved his chest so his muscles would show better in the summertime.

  Mike was the opposite. He had lots of tattoos and looked in need of a shave, which she surprisingly found very sexy.

  “Hey, babe, we thought you forgot about us,” one guy said as he eyed over her chest and bit his lower lip.

  “Nope, just really busy tonight. Sorry for the wait.” She passed around the drinks.

  The other guy tipped her and paid the bill.

  “Your eye looks like it might need some ice,” he told her.

  “Yes, I’m planning on taking a break and doing that right now.”

  “You want some company?” he asked, and she felt the hands on her waist at the same time she heard the deep voice next to her ear.

  “She’s taken care of.”

  Frankie heard Turbo’s voice and gulped. “Take your tip, Frankie, and then come with me so you can ice that eye.”

  She reached onto the table, saw the annoyed expressions on the guy’s face, and then said thank you.

  Turbo held her by her waist and walked away from the table with her in tow.

  “You’re on break. Charlie said to come to the back room.”

  He escorted her, and she noticed the eyes upon her and Turbo as they walked together. Now people would think they were an item. Was that a bad thing? She couldn’t help but feel her body hum with an awareness she wasn’t accustomed to. But her fear, her distrust was more powerful. The moment they got into the hallway so she wouldn’t make a public scene, she pulled from his hold. As she turned around, he nearly collided with her, and she wound up against the wall palms, flat behind her. She gasped, and he held her gaze.

  “I don’t need an escort for a break. I also don’t need some guy I don’t even know acting like I belong to him. Go back with your friends,” she told him, her voice cracking and giving away how intimidated she was of Turbo. He was so muscular and defined that she could see the cords of muscle in his neck leading under his dark-blue dress shirt. It didn’t help that he smelled really good, too.

  His expression held steady. Confidence, control, and something else oozed from his gaze, making her hesitate walking away in a huff, as she expected she should after her statement.

  He held her by her arms, gently. The feel of large, masculine hands against her skin did a number on her.

  “You have an escort, whether you like it or not. I was there when that woman attacked you for no reason. I’m concerned about your cheek and eye.”

  “Why?” she snapped at him.

  He licked his lower lip, and she couldn’t help but watch him and wonder what it would feel like to have a man like Turbo kiss her, hold her, and make her feel safe. Instantly, that word, safe, made her chest tighten and had her stepping back. He stepped closer. Now she was pinned between him and the wall.

  “Are you kidding me? I know you feel it. That deep sensation, that inner instinct that says there’s something happening between us. Between all of us.”

  Her eyes widened. Was he talking about his brothers, too? A ménage? A relationship of some sort with four men and her? Was he out of his mind? She’d sustained the abuse and lies from one older guy whom she thought she could trust. Why would she set herself up for such torment and pain again?

  She shook her head.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t feel a thing.”

  He ran his thumb and pointer along her chin, gripping it gently as he looked down into her eyes. The man was tall. She felt feminine, petite, and protected just standing this close to him. How would she feel with their bodies entwined and his cock deep inside of her?

  She was shocked by her own thoughts and felt her heated cheeks give away his ability to get to her. He didn’t smile, smirk, or give any facial indication that he read her like a book. Instead, he gently stroked that thumb of his along her jaw to her neck and then leaned forward as though he was going to kiss her. She turned slightly. Enough to make his lips press against her jaw then to her ear.

  “Don’t be sacred of my brothers and me. We’ll take things slow, Frankie. As slow as you need.” He kissed her earlobe. She couldn’t help but to close her eyes and relish the feelings he drew out of her. She’d never felt anything like this before. She was stunned.

  “Let’s get that ice and make some plans so my brothers and I can see you again.”

  His words snapped her out of the fog she was in as he took her hand and led her down the hall. She pulled her hand from his gentle hold, and he paused by the office door, staring at her as though she’d hurt his feelings. It was so crazy, this instant attraction and this need for her to not like another man or take another chance. Kevin had really screwed her up big time.

  He stared down into her eyes and opened the door. Charlie and Lure were in there, waiting for them.

  “Damn, Frankie, it’s swelling up good. I think you’re done for the night. Let’s ice this and call it a night,” Lure told her as he took her hand and escorted her to one of the chairs in the office.

  She sat down, crossed her legs, and accepted the bag of ice from Charlie. As she looked at the three men, she noticed Turbo exchange looks with Lure. Something was going on, but at the moment, she didn’t care. Her cheek was aching, and the ice was very cold. It cooled down her libido, bringing her body temperature to a normal level. But one look at Turbo standing there in the office, looking so big and sexy, made her feel as though the ice was melting, and she was not going to be able to resist his advances for long.

  Chapter 3

  “Getting arrested is not keeping a low fucking profile,” Sal Baletti told Gloria as he gripped her upper arm and escorted her out of the local police station. She couldn’t believe Sal was here to spring her.


  “It wasn’t my fault. That bitch had it coming.”

  He squeezed her arm a little harder, and she gasped from the pain. Sal was a mean son of a bitch and a big shot around New Jersey. He didn’t say a word more until they were in the parking lot and his driver opened the door to the black SUV with the tinted windows.

  She felt a little scared now. She’d fucked up in more ways than just striking Little Miss Sweetheart.

  Before she could get a look inside the SUV, a hard hand gripped the back of her head and hair, pulling her across the seat. Her face hit the hard leather and the door. She cried out.

  “You stupid bitch,” Gino, Sal’s cousin, yelled.

  “Get us the fuck out of here. Bring us to the warehouse. This bitch is done,” Sal ordered as the SUV took off.

  “No. No please, Gino, Sal, please give me another chance. I know I screwed up. I know I lost my shit and let my anger get the better of me.”

  Smack.

  “Oh!” she cried out after Gino gave her a backhand to her mouth.

  She grabbed onto Gino’s knees as she knelt on the floor, crunched up in the small space.

  “Please. Please don’t kill me.”

  Gino glanced at Sal, and Sal leaned back in his seat. He wouldn’t look at her.

  “You cost us thousands of dollars. You fucked up a good operation at that club. We were bringing in a shitload every week.”

  “I’ll make it up to you. I’ll get into another place and get it hooked up in no time.”

  “That’s time we don’t have. It’s not all our money, Gloria. The dough we made at Prestige selling drugs covered our loan and interest from Carlotto. In fact, while you were fucking that sleezeball in the back room, we were negotiating terms and selling the Prestige business entirely to Carlotto. He’s been interested in taking over some of the Jersey connections. This is really bad. I had to call him and tell him it wasn’t going to happen because one fucked-up, stupid bitch addicted to coke and cock screwed us all. And do you know what he told me?”