“I hurt now,” she said wryly.
Adam reached down with a washcloth and gently began to clean the cut on her hip.
She turned troubled eyes on him. “You think it was him, don’t you?”
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Yeah, baby, I do. ”
She sank lower in the tub, her shoulders hunched in defeat. “He could have killed Ryan and Ethan. ”
“He could have killed you,” Adam growled.
“I couldn’t stand for anything to happen to one of you,” she said.
“And we couldn’t stand for anything to happen to you. Now come on, I’ll dry you off and put you to bed. ”
He lifted her from the tub and wrapped a big fluffy towel around her. When they left the bathroom, Ryan caught Holly in his arms and hugged her tightly.
“You scared me,” Ryan said gruffly.
Holly stretched on tiptoe and curled her arms around Ryan’s neck. She felt incredibly safe in his arms, like nothing could touch her.
“Make love to me,” she whispered.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Ryan said against her ear.
“You’ll be gentle,” she said with absolute conviction. She knew of anyone, these men would never hurt her. “I need you. ”
“Come to bed,” he said, tugging her forward.
She went willingly and allowed him to remove the towel that covered her body. He pulled back the covers and gestured for her to get in. She nearly groaned aloud as the soft linens enveloped her.
She glanced up to see Adam and Ethan standing beside Ryan. Ryan shrugged out of his shirt and climbed in beside her. Adam walked around to the other side of the bed and sank down behind her. Ethan sprawled across the end of the bed, propping himself up on his elbow.
They weren’t going to make love to her. Even as a teeny bit of disappointment tugged at her, fatigue settled in. She burrowed against Ryan’s hard chest and sighed in contentment as his strong arms curled around her.
Warm lips sent a shiver up her body as Adam gently kissed her bruised leg.
“Go to sleep, baby,” he murmured. “We’ll be right here. ”
She closed her eyes, reveling in their warmth and strength. She couldn’t allow herself to think about what could have happened today. As much as she feared the decision to stay with the brothers, she knew she couldn’t live without them.
But what if her staying was what brought them harm?
Chapter Twenty
“We could have lost her today,” Adam said. Anger still surged hotly through his system. He wanted to kill someone. With his bare hands.
He turned to stare at his brothers. “We can’t stay here. We can’t protect her here in the city. It’s too open. ”
“I agree,” Ryan said in a steely voice. “We should get back home. ”
The three brothers paced the living room of the suite like caged predators. Holly slept a few feet away in the bedroom, the door ajar so they could hear if she wakened.
“The question is, what are we going to do about her husband?” Ethan said.
“We protect Holly and wait for Cal to do his job,” Adam said.
Ryan scrubbed through his hair impatiently. “Something has to be done. We can’t sit around with our thumbs up our asses. You and I both know this isn’t over. ”
“I’m well aware of that,” Adam said, trying to curtail his irritation. He knew Ryan was as worried as he was. “We go home and keep our guard up. He’s at a disadvantage on our turf. No one knows those mountains better than we do. When we’re out here in the open, we’re little better than sitting ducks. ”
Ethan nodded in agreement. “I saw something in Holly’s eyes I didn’t like tonight. More than fear. It was the knowledge that something she did could have harmed us. I don’t want her thinking that way. ”
“She didn’t do anything,” Ryan snarled.
Ethan held his hands up. “I didn’t say she did, Ryan. Back off. I just know what she’s thinking, and I don’t like it. She thinks she’s the reason for all of this. ”
“Enough,” Adam said. “The important thing is we get Holly back to the cabin and make damn sure one of us is with her at all times. We don’t want to do anything that could complicate a divorce. As soon as it’s final, then we can figure out the best way to deal with the asshole. ”
A sound from Holly’s room called a halt to the conversation.
“I’ll go,” Ryan said. Before Adam or Ethan could respond, Ryan strode across the room.
“He loves her,” Ethan said quietly.
Adam nodded, satisfaction filling his chest. Getting close to Ryan was as hard as peeling a pit bull off your ass, but once Ryan allowed someone in, he embraced them wholeheartedly. And he was fiercely protective of those he loved.
“He’ll watch over her well,” Adam said.
“We all will,” Ethan corrected.
Adam checked his watch. Two A. M. But he wasn’t going to sleep much tonight. If it weren’t for the fact Holly needed to rest, he’d head them all out now and get out of town. Back to their cabin.
“Why don’t you get some rest?” Ethan offered. “I’m wide-awake. I’ll hang out here and make sure everything stays quiet. ”
Adam expelled his breath in a long whoosh. “All right. I doubt I’ll sleep, but I’ll kick back for a few hours. We’ll drive home in the morning. ”
Adam shuffled into the bedroom. He glanced over to see Ryan wrapped around Holly, their legs entwined. Ryan’s hand rested possessively on Holly’s hip, his fingers splayed out over the curve of her ass.
Ryan opened his eyes and stared at Adam from an angle. Adam lifted his brow in silent question. Ryan nodded, signaling all was well with Holly. Adam shucked his boots and jeans and quietly crawled into bed on the other side of Holly.
She stirred restlessly beside him, scooting her backside into his stomach. He kissed her bare shoulder then nuzzled his face around her hair before relaxing onto the pillow.
But when he closed his eyes, all he saw was the car hitting Holly. Over and over. His heart raced and a knot grew in his throat. How close they’d come to losing her.
He’d been lax, they all had, but it wouldn’t happen again. He’d sworn to protect Holly from the moment she’d appeared in their lives. And already he’d failed her.
* * *