“Really?” Max asked and their dads chuckled.
“Don’t get on the defensive. I’m only teasing. I can remember a certain young blonde who snagged my attention and brought out the kindness in me,” Colonel said and looked at his wife.
“Yup. Softened him up. People started getting away with warnings instead of tickets,” Brook teased and they chuckled. Max took over as sheriff for Chance five years ago after an election. It had been anonymous and the town was thrilled with keeping the position in the family. He glanced at Alicia. He could keep his same personality with the public and as the sheriff of the town, but with Alicia, he was a different man. She brought out something in him he didn’t even recognize. It had to be love. Staring at her as everyone conversed around them, he couldn’t help but feel worried. He had a big responsibility. To this town, to the people, to his brothers, Alicia, and his family. Having Alicia made things different. He felt even more protective of those he loved, but he also wanted a bit of what he protected and witnessed in Chance. The love and connection of family, of children, and having a wife.
“She’ll make a good wife, Max. You and your brothers be sure not to wait too long. As Sheriff of this town you’re in the spotlight. You’re a leader of how things should be done. Keep the traditions. Be strong and be honest, and everything will work out perfectly,” Colonel said and squeezed his son’s shoulder.
He nodded his head. It seemed his brothers and he had some planning to do.
Chapter 8
Alicia was exhausted. She had been working on her stained glass artwork determined to have several dozen pieces on display for the store opening in another month. She left the men’s home late this morning after spending the night with them and talking about color schemes and how Monroe and Caldwell were negotiating with a large coffee and franchise place to get them interested in setting up shop in Alicia’s store. They were going all out for her and she loved them for it. Every time she thought about them she felt her heart lift with joy and her belly feel like butterflies were in it. They were so amazing and she wondered how she had gotten so lucky. Then of course their mom had those connections with galleries and it seemed they were interested in her work. She went from a nobody, struggling to make ends meet, to someone important, someone loved. She smiled as she adjusted her shoulder bag and walked up the stairs to her apartment above the garage.
She couldn’t wait to shower and hit bed. She had been going on empty for days now and it was getting to her. One good night sleep and she should be good for the weekend.
She turned the knob on her door and chastised herself for the dozenth time about locking her door. Max would be so pissed off at her. She felt her cheeks warm. He would give her a spanking. She liked those.
As she entered the room she reached for the switch to turn on the lights. Nothing happened. Confused, and never having an issue before, she walked further into the room, dropping her bag and reaching for the lamp by the table. It didn’t work either. She realized too late that something was terribly wrong.
She heard the click of the gun and turned around, gasping.
She couldn’t breathe. Her chest hurt and she was so shocked she stepped backward. “Tony? What are you doing here?”
“Tying up some loose ends, you little slut.” The strike to her jaw with the butt of the gun came so fast she couldn’t duck. She fell to the rug, holding her jaw, only for him to press the gun to her throat.
“You stupid bitch. After all I did for you and you cheat on me with three men? Three?”
“Tony, why are you here? You left me. You cheated on me,” she cried. He struck her again and she felt her lip split.
“Get up. You’re coming with me.”
“No. No, I’m not going anywhere.” He grabbed her by her hair. He was stronger than her, much bigger, and she had never seen him so irate. She had to do something. No one would know that Tony took her. She had to fight him.
She tried pulling from his hold and he struck her again and again. She couldn’t focus. Her eye instantly swelled and her ribs felt so sore.
“Get up and cooperate, or your boyfriends will suffer.”
“What? How?” she asked, slowly getting up and knocking over the lamp. When someone came looking they would know there was trouble, a break-in, and they would send help. She had to be smart. Tony obviously lost his mind.
He grabbed her hair and shoved her to the door. He held the gun to her side. She looked to the distance. Lights were still on at Dr. Anders’s place, but Lisa Marie was pregnant. She didn’t want her or the baby to get hurt. She couldn’t make a sound. They had children in the house. She had to cooperate and wait for a better opportunity.
Tony shoved her into her car. “You drive,” he told her and she started the car, pulled out, hands shaking, eye so swollen she could hardly see between that and the tears rolling down her cheeks. She ached everywhere. As they headed out of the driveway, down the dirt road and to the main roadway, she felt the hand on her thigh moving under her skirt. She slowed the car down and kicked at his hands.
“Don’t touch me.”
He pressed the gun to her neck and eased against her. His fingers grazed her panties and she tried pressing her thighs together but he forced his hand between her legs. She cried out. “Don’t touch me. What do you want from me?”
“What you’ve been giving up to those three dicks. We’re going to have some fun, Alicia. Now that I know you’re not so fragile and like a cock in every hole.”
She gasped.
He caressed her jaw then ran his hand down her blouse and over her breast.
“I saw you fucking them.”
She glared at him and then back at the road. “That’s right. On the construction site. Looks like you played them well. You getting your own store?”
“Fuck you,” she spat at him. He chuckled and her anger grew.