Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

Deep down, Jessie had always seen Dustin as the young boy she had fallen in love with. The Dustin in front of her ripped the veil off her eyes, showing her the man he had become.

“You were the woman I compared other women to. Not one of them measured up to you then or now. Even Sam was second best, and yes, I married her and would have been happy if she hadn’t listened to her father, but she still wouldn’t have been you. I let stubbornness and my pride get in the way of what I wanted more than anything in the world. I didn’t realize you felt the same about me as I do about you until you yelled it at me in your front yard.

“Do I regret my relationship with Sam? I’ve already told you, no. I love Logan, so I guess things went the way they were supposed to go, and we’re in the same spot. Arguing about other women is the furthest thing from my mind. And I would appreciate it if you would stop saying I didn’t save anything for you, because I did. I saved the most important part of me just for you. I saved my heart for you, Jessie. I saved it just for you.”

26

The dream struck as soon as he wearily lay down on Jessie’s bed to sleep. His brain became alert, freezing him so that he wasn’t able to move as, in his mind’s eye, he was the shadowy figure entering Jessie’s bedroom. He wanted to put out a hand to protect her, but the paralyzing immobility that always accompanied the dream wouldn’t let him.

As the shadow drew closer, he began counting backward, trying to calm his churning fears for Jessie, despite knowing the spirit entering the room wasn’t there to visit her.

The dark figure bent over him. When he was close enough that Dustin was able to see the fires of Hell within his eyes, Dustin felt a burst of pain in his skull. The pain was so intense he wanted to reach out and grab his head.

He lost count of the numbers he was reciting backward, the pain so intense he moaned in his sleep. The death he was experiencing was so devasting that he wished he would die to get away from it. His wish was granted a second later when he blacked out, finding himself pain free, floating in the dark labyrinth aimlessly until he felt his soul drop back into his body, where Jessie was frantically calling his name.

“Dustin, wake up!”

Wheezing as oxygen filled his lungs again and trying to catch his breath, he jumped out of bed to stand beside it, seeing Jessie’s terrified gaze.

“I’m … okay,” he panted. “Just give me … a minute.”

The bedroom door smashed open, and Dustin nearly jumped out of his skin when Asher and Holt stormed inside with rifles in their hands.

“What in the fuck is going on in here?” Holt yelled at Jessie.

Before she could answer him, Asher started grabbing Dustin, trying to pull him out the room.

Jessie ran from the bed and started hitting Asher on the back. “Let him go! He didn’t do anything! He was having a dream, and I was trying to wake him up!”

Still feeling suspicious, Asher released him.

Holt didn’t seem convinced. “He’s awake now, so he can go on home.”

Jessie put her hands on her hips. “It’s the middle of the night. He’s not going anywhere. The only ones leaving are you two.” Going to the door, she motioned for them to leave. “Out!”

Holt gave him a threatening look before going through the door.

Asher balked. “I ain’t leaving.”

“If you don’t leave, Dustin and I will go sleep at his house.”

Dustin gave Asher a shit-eating grin when the other man reluctantly went to the door.

Jessie slammed the door in his face when Asher pointed to his eyes, then at Dustin.

“Your brother is a pain in my ass,” Dustin said, sitting down on Jessie’s bed.

“I think the feeling is mutual.” Jessie moved to stand in front of him, placing comforting hands on his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Once the dream is over, the effects are gone.”

“You scared me to death.”

“I get scared, too,” he admitted, circling his arms around her waist and drawing her closer so he could rest his head on her breasts.

She let him rest for a minute before she shoved him back, so he was lying on the bed with his legs still on the floor.

Folding his arms under his head, he watched as she planted a knee on each side of his hips, sitting down on his waist, then placing a hand on each side of his head.

“I didn’t know anything could scare a Porter.”

Dustin’s lips twisted in a self-effacing smile. “I’ve been scared a lot in my life.”