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  Kane nodded for his brothers to follow. He glanced back toward the bedroom door, his heart aching for her pain, and his mind wandering into a thousand directions. It had only been two years since Maya and her friend were forced into a hotel room and raped. Only months since Mary Frank showed up with her three year old, pregnant with her second, and all battered and bruised by her alcoholic husband. Cherry Hill and Central Valley were safe places for people in trouble, or who were alone and needed help, and when they wound up here, it was his job, in Cherry Hill, to ensure all citizens were safe and taken care of. He’d make Hannah see she was safe here, too.

  Chapter 5

  Athena was exhausted, and she felt like crap, looked like crap, too. She took a long, hot shower and then put on a tank top and shorts then lay back on her bed again. An hour later when she heard the knock on her front door, she grabbed the baseball bat, and slowly went to peek out to see who it was. Maya.

  She unlocked it and opened the door. Maya smiled. “How are you feeling?”

  “Ehh,” she replied, and motioned for her to come inside.

  Athena took a seat on the couch and leaned the bat over her thighs.

  Maya squinted at her. “Rough night?”

  “My home defense system,” she said, and shrugged her shoulders.

  “You mean besides you’re own bad ass martial arts moves?”

  “Not bad ass.”

  “Girl, I saw you. That was awesome. I wish I could learn that stuff.”

  “You can. Just focus when you’re at the dojo.”

  She placed a large envelope down onto the coffee table. “Your tips.”

  “That looks big.” She reached for it, and when she opened it she was shocked.

  Maya smiled. “We all did awesome. Well worth the aggravation and dealing with the drunk guys who suddenly think they can all beat the shit out of famous boxers,” Athena chuckled.

  “I guess so.”

  Maya took a seat across from her. “Hey, want something to drink? Water or coffee?”

  “Nah, I’m good. I’m heading into Central Valley for an appointment.”

  “On a Sunday?”

  Maya held Athena’s gaze.

  “What? Is something wrong? Do you need help with something?”

  Maya smiled softly. “I see a therapist.”

  Athena swallowed hard. “Really?”

  Maya nodded. “Two years ago, my friend Cathy and I were at an event for the weekend, and well, we were drinking and hanging out having a great time and got grabbed by these guys. They forced us into a hotel room, and we were beaten and raped.” Maya swallowed hard.

  Tears hit Athena’s eyes. She couldn’t even speak. Her nose clogged up, and she leaned forward and covered Maya’s hand. “I’m so sorry.”

  Maya nodded. “It was really bad at first. I was never so scared in my life. I was hours from here, but Kane, Sheriff McCabe and his brothers were able to get to me and Cathy, and they took care of everything. They even helped the authorities find the guys who did it. But it’s been a lot better. I mean, with counseling and things, plus this town, Harper, Ade, Cheris, who has her own troubled past, are like family to me.”

  “It’s great you have them,” Athena said, and her voice cracked. She looked away, and nibbled her bottom lip.

  “You have them too, Hannah.”

  Athena looked at her, eyes squinted. “You’ve been around Harper’s for just three nights, and it’s like we’ve all been friends forever. That’s how special all of these people are. How caring of a community this is. I know you might not feel that way, and that it seems you have your reasons for keeping your distance, but I thought it was important to let you know you aren’t alone.”

  I am alone though. God, I wish it were so simple. That I could accept help, could confide in someone trustworthy, but I don’t trust.

  “I appreciate the friendships. I do.”

  “But you won’t accept them? You’re not going to stay working at Harper’s with us? You’re going to distance yourself?”

  “I just don’t think it’s a good place for me. I don’t do well with confrontations. I like to keep to myself, to just work, get paid, and take things day by day.”

  “What about making friends? Making memories and setting down roots?”

  She shook her head. “Not in the stars for me, Maya.” She stood up. “I appreciate you bringing over my tips for me.”

  Maya took a deep breath and exhaled. “I hope you come back on Thursday. It’s so much fun working with you and Ade behind the bar. And with the sheriff and his brothers having your back, no one will try to mess with you again. They’re making their positions clear.”

  “What positions? What do you mean?”

  Maya stood up and smiled. “You’ll see. You aren’t alone.”

  Athena walked her out, and she watched Maya get into her beat up Jetta and head down the dirt path. She heard the honk, and then saw the sheriff’s patrol truck heading in. Her heart began to race, and she didn’t know what to do. She was barefoot, wearing a tank top and shorts, and desperately needed coffee. Maybe she should put on a pot and ask if he wanted some. Shoot the shit, act like nothing happened, but then she looked at her hand and saw the red knuckles from hitting that guy last night, and they were a bit swollen.

  She stood by her open doorway because he had to have seen her and she couldn’t run inside to change, or put on shoes. What shoes would she put on, the man was six feet four and she was five feet six. Her heart started racing as he got out of the sheriff’s patrol truck and looked up at her, sunglasses on and all, and made his way to the stairs.

  He removed his sunglasses, his foot on the bottom step. “How are you feeling? Is the migraine all gone?” he asked, climbing up the stairs and meeting her at the doorway.

  She held onto the frame of it. “What’s going on?”

  “Came by to check on you.” He reached out and stroked her jaw, tilted her chin up toward him and she froze in place. “You look tired, baby,” he said in that low, deep, southern drawl of his, and her belly felt like it was doing a bunch of somersaults inside. She inhaled and turned away to step back when he gently took her hand into his. “What’s this?” he asked, his tone a bit harder.

  “I guess it’s from last night. It’s fine, Sheriff.” She pulled away to put some distance between them.

  “No, it isn’t fine. Maybe you should go see Doc Shelton and have him look at it. Maybe see him too about those migraines.”

  She shook her head. “No need,” she said, forcing a small smile and dismissing him.

  He didn’t seem to like that, and a moment later he was in front of her, had her caged in by the counter in the kitchen. She gasped, her feet bare and close to his dark brown cowboy boots he wore under his uniform. She inhaled his cologne, and his fingers brushed against her ribs while he used his other hand to hold onto her hip. “Baby, stop looking at me like I could hurt you or worse.”

  “I can’t,” she whispered, and he eased that hand of his up under her hair and to the base of her head.

  He was staring at her lips, her breasts in the V-neck T-shirt she wore, and he inhaled. “I can feel you shaking, Hannah, and I don’t like it. It concerns me, baby. Like a few other things, but before we address those things, there’s something that needs to be done.”

  “What’s that?” she asked, and he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.

  She didn’t know what to do, but as he gently deepened the kiss, he drew her body close against his and away from the counter, then softly released her lips, and trailed his mouth along her jaw and neck, then held her in his arms and hugged her tight. She couldn’t help but feel so much and so deeply, as her gut instincts kicked in and told her this man was the real deal. He was honest, pure, a true man, not anything like Matias, and the tears fell as she squeezed him back.

  “I got you, sweetie. My brothers feel the same way, too.”

  As his words sunk in, she realized she had made a mistake and let down her
guard. She couldn’t even consider being intimate with one man never mind four. She pulled back and didn’t bother to wipe her eyes.

  “I’m not used to having friends, so it will take some getting used to. How about that coffee, Sheriff?” she asked, and he looked shocked, but let her go. When she turned to look at him, to ask him if he wanted some coffee, his eyes were squinting at her and he had his palms back against the counter as he leaned against it all sexy and suave, and like he knew she was putting up the walls and pushing him away, and he was determined to figure out why.

  Kane and his brothers had gone over a bunch of scenarios in their heads last night when they got home, and then again this morning. None of their assumptions rang well with them. It was obvious that Hannah was hurt before, and perhaps a victim in some way. The migraines came on with the additional stress, and she had a routine as to how to deal with them. Which he didn’t think was a good thing to take three over the counter migraine aids. He would need to check with Doc Shelton.

  “You can call it friends if that helps you feel more relaxed about what’s happening here, but after that kiss, I’ll be asking for more.” He eyed her over and she worried that bottom lip again. He stepped toward her and she widened her eyes and looked ready to run. He took her hand and brought it to his lips and tried to hide his shocked and concerned expression. He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them, and then the slightly swollen knuckles on her hand. As the smell of strong coffee began to filter through the room, he pressed closer to her and held her gaze as he looked down into her gorgeous jade green eyes. “Put your hands on me, Hannah. Do whatever you feel comfortable doing.”

  “I don’t feel comfortable doing anything, Sheriff. This isn’t a good idea at all.”

  He gripped her hips and pressed her against the counter gently.

  “I think we’re way past sheriff doll. Now call me Kane, and don’t lie to me, angel, and I won’t lie to you.”

  “Now tell me why you got emotional after we kissed and I hugged you tight? Didn’t you like the way it felt?” he asked as he reached up and stroked her hair. She stared up at him, her thick, long eyelashes still had tears on them. She looked so needy, so beautiful and young. Very young. He didn’t even know how old she was.

  “That was the problem. I liked it too much.”

  He squinted and then gave a small smile. “How can that be a problem?”

  “I can’t get involved with you, Sheriff.” He raised both eyebrows up at her. “Kane, I can’t.”

  “And the reason why?” He stroked her hair again, and this time gripped some strands between his thumb and pointer, and he used his palm to hold her jaw so she would look at him as she spoke.

  “I’m not…not capable.”

  “What do you mean, capable?”

  “I can’t give you what you will need as a man, as a dominant, disciplinarian, and definitely not your brothers, too, a ménage like people engage in around this area.”

  “Is it the idea of a ménage that scares you?”

  “There’s so much, too much to try and explain, and I’m trying to be honest so you realize that I’m not lying. I can’t let down my guard, put behind the fears I have over things that occurred in my life. I’m not even in control of my own life, so how can I pretend like I’m normal when I’m not. I’m not right for you or your brothers. Just accept the truth and what I’m asking. You deserve better.” She pulled back, but he wouldn’t release her.

  “Who hurt you, baby?”

  He cupped both her cheeks and stared down into her eyes. They remained like that for several seconds, and a thousand thoughts were going through his head as he spoke his mind. Tears fell from hers. “Sweet Jesus, that fucking bad, Hannah?”

  She nodded and he hugged her snuggly against his chest and closed his eyes and breathed through his concern, his need to demand and get answers so he could kill whoever hurt her so terribly.

  He felt her arms go around his midsection and he couldn’t even think straight. He caressed her back and she cried, and he didn’t know her pain, her story, not a damn thing. Though instead of being the sheriff and demanding answers, he felt he could provide more for her right now by being a friend, a rock, and she could maybe let down that guard a little bit more.

  “Culter’s here,” he said, putting his phone back on his hip as he walked toward the door.

  Athena nearly dropped the cup she was going to pour his coffee into. “Kane, wait.” She shook her head and he gave her an in charge expression she just knew was his sheriff’s attitude, or maybe even just the commanding, in charge man he was making decisions, just doing things he wanted to do and people complied. She really didn’t have an issue with that, but she was feeling pretty raw right now and her head was starting to ache a little. The last thing she needed was a double migraine with only a few hours of sleep apart.

  “He’s worried. We’re making progress now, don’t go closing up on me,” he said to her, with those dark eyes narrowed at her that made her react in the strangest way.

  Her nipples hardened and her pussy clenched, and as he opened the door she saw Culter. Tight navy blue T-shirt, muscles galore, wrangler jeans, cowboy boots, that brown hair that was just a little bit long. His eyes roamed over her body. Then he closed the space between them. Kane closed the door.

  “How is your head?” he asked.

  She stepped back and turned away, then tried to pour the cup of coffee. “Not completely gone, but the coffee will help. How about you? Would you like some?” she asked, and then Kane was there.

  She placed down the mug toward Kane and he slid his palm up her back to her neck. She locked gazes with him, felt fearful, or maybe anxious by his move in front of his brother. For some reason having two of them here so close made her claustrophobic. But then Kane stroked her neck under her hair with his thumb, and she looked way up at him.

  “Culter was just as worried as I was.

  Her hand was now on the empty cup as Kane reached up with his other hand, cupped her cheek, and then lowered his mouth to hers. Her heart pounded, absolutely pounded inside of her chest, and then she moaned as the second set of hands landed on her hips and Culter’s big, thick body pressed closer. “It seems the sheriff has made some progress. That’s good. That eases my mind a little,” Culter said, and his palms eased up and down her ribs, and then she felt his mouth against her neck.

  She was sandwiched between them as both men pressed for more. She could let herself go a little, she thought, but then there were the fears. That was the reality of her life. She didn’t have any right to let go. To feel anything for another man. Not when she knew she couldn’t give them what men wanted, and certainly not two men at once, or four if Kane was serious about Fox and Chase wanting her, too.

  She pulled back, but as Kane released her lips, Culter turned her toward him and he kissed her next. She was shocked that she felt the same deep attraction that she did to Kane. Culter was just as commanding and capable. She knew he had abilities beyond most men. He was a soldier, a martial arts expert, he trained hand-to-hand combat. He could cause major damage to her, so could Kane, and Chase, and Fox. Jesus, they could kill her. She started to feel that panicked feeling just as Culter began to cup her breast. She pulled from his arms, his mouth, and gripped the counter behind her, knocking over the coffee cup, which Kane grabbed.

  Culter stepped closer, and placed his hands on her hips as she stared up into his dark blue eyes and lost control of her breathing. Her eyes widened, and he caressed her hips. “Slow down and just breathe. Nice, easy breaths, baby. You can do it, just breathe.” She shook her head side to side and tried to step away, but Kane placed his hand on her shoulder.