“He’s out there, Cash. Eventually he’ll come find me, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to any of you or Red.”
She hugged him, and he squeezed her tight.
“Who is he, Cass? Why can’t you confide in us? We’re soldiers. We can protect you better than anyone can.”
“He’s a soldier too. He’s out of his mind. He’ll kill you to get to me. I know he will, and I can’t let that happen.”
She wiggled from his arms, causing his cock to pull from her body, leaving her feeling hallow inside. She turned away from him and rinsed the conditioner from her hair.
“This conversation isn’t over, Cassidy. You’re being stubborn. We can help you.”
“The conversation is over, Cash. I didn’t lie to you. I confided in you and told you the truth. When I have to leave, even though I don’t want to, you’ll know exactly why.” She turned off the shower and squeezed out her hair as he stepped out and began to dry off. She took the other towel, and he held her gaze.
“Do you really think I’m going to accept that? That Coast, Stryker, Memphis, and Orlando are going to accept that? There’s no fucking way, Cassidy. When we all made love together, it bound our bodies and our hearts. You feel it. I know you do. You couldn’t walk away right now if you tried. You don’t want to because you know we’re perfect for you.”
“What’s going on in here?” Memphis asked as he approached the doorway. His hair was wet as if he’d just showered.
“Nothing.”
“Some dick soldier is after her. She believes that he would kill us, even my father, to get to her.”
“What, Cassidy?” Memphis asked, and she looked at Cash.
“I said I wouldn’t risk your lives, or Red’s. I’m sticking by that. I know what this guy is capable of, and I know he’ll come looking for me sooner or later. I can’t pretend that’s not the case. I can’t place all of you in that kind of danger. You’re right, Cash. It would be hell trying to walk away from all of you, but if it meant keeping you safe and alive, then I’d do it. You can’t change my mind or convince me otherwise.”
She walked past them, hearing Cash curse under his breath.
She reached for her clothing. Orlando was there, leaning against the doorframe. Memphis and Cash walked in from the bathroom. She quickly got dressed.
“Have lunch with us,” Orlando said, and it was obvious he’d heard their conversation from the bathroom.
“I should go.”
“No you shouldn’t. We need to talk about this,” Memphis stated firmly. Now he was as pissed off as Cash.
“There’s nothing to talk about. Now you know the truth. Leave it be.”
“What truth?” Coast asked, joining the crowd.
“That some fucked-up soldier is after her. She believes that he’d kill us and my dad if we got in the way of protecting her from him,” Cash said.
“What the hell? Seriously, Cassidy? This is the danger you’ve been hiding? Some guy is stalking you?” Coast asked.
“I’ve said enough. The less you know, the better.” She reached for the blouse.
“Bullshit. The more we know, the better we can protect you.” Orlando raised his voice this time. Sweet, funny Orlando was pissed off. That wasn’t good.
She took a deep breath, released it, then sat on the edge of the bed.
“Talk to us. Tell us everything so we understand,” Cash stated.
“It’s obvious that this guy scares you and has you convinced that you can’t let your guard down or involve anyone who could help you,” Coast added.
“He threatened my friend. He harassed her for weeks until she told him I moved to New York. If Lynn didn’t have Chris and Jim, her two boyfriends who are soldiers, then he probably would have physically hurt her.”
“Lynn was your roommate? The one you left the furniture with?” Memphis asked her. She nodded.
She wrung her