The Greatest Fight of All (The American Soldier Collection 5)

“What? They like you, you like them. There you go. It’s human nature.”

“Not for me it isn’t.”

“Oh, well, they’ll convince you and then you’ll be my sister-in-law.”

“Regan, stop!”

Regan laughed as she laid her head on Amelia’s shoulder. For a moment Amelia wondered if Regan were teasing.

When they entered the large bedroom, Velma was looking at herself in the mirror. Amelia saw the bandage on her arm.

“What happened?”

“She said she fell against something hard and sharp in the lake last night. I’m not buying it.”

Amelia walked closer and took Velma’s arm to inspect the bruising and scrape.

“Are you okay?” she asked and Velma nodded as tears filled her eyes.

“Well, Mom needs some help downstairs,” Regan stated.

“I thought you said that you needed my help up here?” Amelia asked.

“Oh, I was just trying to give you some space from my brothers. They were practically feeling you up in the front entryway.”

“Oh my God, they like Amelia. They made a move?”

“Moves,” Amelia said then shook her head.

Regan and Velma fist pumped into the air.

“Hey.”

“Hey what, Amelia? Our brothers have never even brought a woman home. They’re so hard and critical and damn annoying with their control issues. They definitely like you or they wouldn’t be following you everywhere you go,” Regan said.

“Waylon picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder last night. They walked her to her cottage,” Velma said.

“Hot damn, woman,” Regan stated, shaking her hand in front of her as if too hot to contemplate the vision.

“Nothing happened.”

“It will tonight. They want you and they always get what they want. Those are the type of men they are,” Regan stated.

“What are you afraid of, Amelia?” Velma asked.

“Everything. All four of them. Their muscles, their fighting abilities, and the fact that they were in the service. Their commanding attitudes and forcefulness and mostly, their fists.”

“Their fists?” Regan asked.

Amelia nodded. “I didn’t exactly tell you everything about my life back in New York. Now isn’t the time either. Your mom needs help. But what I will tell you, is that I got involved with the wrong man. Things got out of hand. Moving here was a risk, but also a necessity.”

“He hit you, Amelia?” Velma asked, and Amelia nodded.

“Many times. It was bad and he was big.”

“Shit, Amelia. How the hell did this happen? What about your brothers?” Regan asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”