Climbing out with his help, Keeley couldn’t help but admire the solidness of his chest. The way his muscles rippled with movement as he knelt down to dry her off. Turning so he could dry her back, she watched as Nathaniel got up and out of the tub. His chest was a work of art; very defined pecs, they were solid muscle. An eight pack of abs that were so hard she could probably bounce a quarter off of him and not make a dent. His Semper Fi tattoo on the right pec was simple in calligraphy writing, but defined who he was and what he stood for. She also noticed that he had the same tattoo as Tyler on his left arm and shoulder. Brothers in Arms it read, on a waving American flag with an eagle flying over it.
“Did your whole unit have that tattoo?” she asked pointing to Nathaniel’s shoulder.
“Yes, we got them done after our first tour,” Nathaniel told her before picking her up and carrying her to bed. Kissing her goodnight Nathaniel climbed in beside her, laying her head on his chest and wrapping his arm around her back to settle on her ribs. Once Tyler shut off the light he climbed in behind her, kissing the back of her head and whispering goodnight, he molded his front to her back. Within minutes, Keeley fell asleep into one of the best nights of sleep she’d had in her life.
Chapter 10
Feeling better than she had in years, both physically and emotionally, Keeley decided that she was going to make the guys dinner. After a week of staying in their home, they had finally gone back to work yesterday, and she wanted to do something nice for them. With limited mobility in her wrist still a factor, she decided on spaghetti and meatballs. Washing her hands proved to be difficult though.
Lost in thought thinking over the last week a
nd how attentive Nathaniel and Tyler had been to her, she realized how truly happy she was here. They slept with her every night, but had yet to make a more intimate move on her again. At first she thought maybe it was because they truly did think there was something wrong with her for enjoying the way Nathaniel had wrapped his hand around her throat, but then she would see the heated looks they gave her when they thought she wasn’t looking, and all the kissing left her breathless. It was amazing how just one week could change her outlook on life. How she felt stronger in their presence. When the nightmares would come from her abuse, they were there to calm her fears by telling her how much she meant to them and that it wasn’t her fault. Not once did they ask about what gave her the nightmares, or why she screamed out in fear if they loomed over top of her trying to wake her up. They had to know something was very wrong but they were patient with her, which was what she needed from them and they instinctively knew that.
Not hearing the front door open or the footsteps come into the kitchen, she was startled by someone screeching, “Bitch, who the fuck are you?” Jumping, Keeley spun around in surprise and looked at the woman who just walked into Nathaniel and Tyler’s house without a qualm. She was nearly six feet tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, and she would have been gorgeous except for the ton of makeup that she was wearing. Giving Keeley the worst stink eye she’d ever received, she repeated her question. “Bitch, I said, who the fuck are you and why are you in my men’s house?”
Still baffled, she stuttered out hesitantly, “I’m Keeley, Nathaniel and Tyler’s girlfriend.” This made the woman scream bloody murder.
“No, you’re fucking not!!! I am!!” Flinching as she took a few steps forward, Keeley shrunk a little and backed into the sink, while this mad woman kept advancing on her.
“Please don’t,” Keeley whimpered right before she hit her hard across the face, causing her to fall and land on her injured arm. Crying out she curled into a ball, which only seemed to anger her further, and she started kicking her anywhere she could land her foot. After telling her she was a useless piece of shit, she left the room. She didn’t hear the front door slam shut, so she assumed this woman was still in the house. Taking a quick look around, she didn’t see or hear her so she got up and bolted for the back door, and kept running until she got to the trees, and still didn’t stop until her lungs were wheezing so bad she could no longer breathe.
Spotting a hollowed out tree, she crawled in and sunk down on her butt. Lifting her legs up, she hugged them to her chest and cried. You should have known it was too good to last. Her inner voice screamed at her.
*******
Driving home an hour and half later than what they told Keeley they would be, Nate had a bad feeling in his gut, and after years in the service he never ignored that feeling. “Something’s wrong Ty, I can feel it,” he said quietly.
“You feel it, too?” Ty asked. Nodding his head in agreement, Ty told him to step on it. Speeding through the streets of Austin to the outskirts of the city where their house was, they made it home in half the time it usually took.
Hopping out before the truck was fully stopped Ty ran to the house, with Nate close on his heels. Opening the front door quietly, with their guns pulled out from their shoulder holsters, they made their way into the house silently. Hearing clattering and a curse from the kitchen, Nate looked to Ty and motioned him forward. Walking into the kitchen on silent feet, they froze dead at the sight before them.
“What the fuck are you doing in our house?” Nate exploded at seeing Tawnya walking around the kitchen like she owned it. There was spaghetti sauce boiling over on the stove, vegetables chopped up and strewn about the counter, and about a dozen meatballs sitting in a pan on the counter uncooked, with another half-pound of meat waiting to be rounded.
Tawnya walked up to Nate like everything was normal. Kissing him on the cheek she whispered in his ear, “Welcome home, lover.” Before walking over to Ty, who quickly put his hands out and told her, “Get the fuck away from me you crazy ass bitch.”
Pouting, she stopped and tried flirting. “But Ty baby, I’m maki…”
Nate was done with her shit. Cutting her off and yelling, “Enough of your bullshit! What the fuck are you doing in our house, and where the fuck is Keeley?” Nate stormed toward Tawnya, seeing the rage in her eyes at the mention of Keeley, and the morph of her face into an ugly mask of jealousy. She quickly recovered and told them, “I don’t know who you’re talking about. I came over and unlocked the door myself. Nobody else was here.” The slight smirk she had on her face told them both she was lying and did something to her.
“I’m telling you this for the last time, Tawnya,” Nate snarled, getting right in her face. “We are done with you. You were a disgusting mistake and we have zero desire to repeat it. And so help me God, if Keeley has one hair out of place or slightest mark on her body because of you, I will end you without a second thought. You understand me?” By the paling of her face, Nate thought she might finally understand that they were serious. When she nodded her head yes to his question, Nate looked to Ty and told him, “Call the cops and have her ass arrested for trespassing, and anything else you can come up with. I’ll call Mom and the Dads and start searching for our girl.”
Going out the opened back door, from what Nate suspected was Keeley running from Tawnya, he ran toward the woods behind their house. He paused and pulled out his cell to call his parents. “Hello,” Nate’s dad, Jackson, answered on the first ring.
“Dad, she’s missing.” That was all Nate could get out before his voice nearly cracked. He felt like his world was ripped out from under his feet. His lungs were tight, his palms were sweaty, and he was dangerously close to going back inside and strangling Tawnya.
“On our way, son.” That was all his dad said before hanging up. Hearing footsteps behind him, Nate turned and saw Ty making his way towards him. “They’re coming, Ty,” Nate informed him.
Not waiting for a response, Nate started walking into the woods, knowing Ty would follow him. They walked in silence, listening for any sound that could possibly be from Keeley. Watching the ground and tree branches for any clues of the direction she went he asked, “Police arrested her, right?” Seeing Ty’s nod he continued. “She’s gonna be even more skittish now. Who knows what that viper said to her,” Nate snarled.
Holding his hand up for silence, “Do you hear that?” Hearing sniffling not far ahead they both started to run. “Keeley, doll, where are you?” Ty half yelled so he didn’t startle her.
“There!” Nate pointed just ahead, at a hollowed out tree, when he saw her in her white sweater from this morning; only now it was caked in dirt and leaves, looking nothing like what she had put on earlier. Slowing down as they got closer to her, they came to a stop and knelt down trying to grab her attention. She had her arms wrapped around her bent legs, and was rocking back and forth, mumbling something that they had to lean closer to hear. “You’re nothing Keeley, never have been, never will be. No one could want you.” His heart breaking at her words, Nate put his hand on the back of her head gently and was startled when she screamed. “Shit,” he said showing Ty his hand covered in blood.
“Come on baby, let’s get you out of here, shall we?” Ty asked her softly. When she finally looked up, she looked right through them like they weren’t there in front of her. The light they had worked so hard to put into her eyes over the past week was gone. She was pale, her hair had twigs every which way, and blood was dripping from various scratches on her face. Grabbing her hands gently, Ty pulled her to her feet and then lifted her into his arms, cradling her to his chest as they started walking quickly back to their house.
Seeing the cops were gone and their parents still weren’t there, they took her straight upstairs to their room.
*******