Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

Jessie’s shoulders dropped.

Sutton, Rachel, and Holly gave her encouraging looks as she left.

“Wow, that was a bummer,” Britt said, helping her out of the dress.

“I didn’t see anything wrong with it, did you?” Jessie was beginning to bond with the woman during the dress changes.

“Let’s see if he likes this one.”

“Wow, I like this one.” Jessie liked the way she looked in it. It had a sweetheart neckline and floated out from her hips. “He has to like this one, right?”

“Oh yes, it’s very attractive on you.”

Buoyed, Jessie practically floated on her way to the dais.

“No,” Greer grunted out.

“But—” Jessie started to argue.

“No. Next. Time’s a-ticking. At the rate you’re going, my brother will be dead and buried before we get back to Treepoint.”

Jessie turned on her heels, returning to the dressing room.

“I liked it,” Britt sympathized with her as she helped her take it off.

“I did, too.” Jessie raised her arms, so the next dress could be slipped over her.

Jessie really liked this dress, but she didn’t have high hopes when Britt opened the door. Even her positivity was waning.

“Let’s hope he likes this one.”

Jessie didn’t know if Britt liked the way she looked in the dress or the price tag attached to it.

She only got two steps into the room before Greer’s dreaded no sprung from his mouth. This time, Jessie turned around immediately, not debating the issue with him.

“That one was a no-go, wasn’t it?” Britt’s disappointment was tangible in the room until she took the last dress off the hanger.

When she slid the price tag over on the inside so Jessie couldn’t see it, she knew it was the most expensive one she had tried on so far.

It slid silkily over her body to fall straight down to her feet.

Jessie gaped at herself in the mirror. She had never imagined wearing a dress like this in a million years, and that she would look so good in it was just as unbelievable to her.

“Oh, my God,” Jessie breathed in awe.

“This is the one.” Britt’s smile became avaricious. For some reason, she reminded her of Greer.

“How much is it?” Jessie sighed over the feel of the silk beneath her fingers.

“Let’s let him worry about it.” She breezily opened the door.

Jessie smiled as she walked onto the dais, automatically turning in the direction Greer was sitting.

“Turn around.” Greer stared at her critically as Rosie hopped on Greer’s lap as she held his fingers.

Jessie turned full circle, stopping when she was facing him again.

“We’ll take it. Bag it up.”

Dustin’s brother had lost his mind.

“Wait. How much is it?” Jessie turned to ask Britt.

“It’s nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine dollars if I order it. It’s a new dress that I just got in the salon, so the least I can sell it for is twelve thousand.”

Jessie’s heart sunk like lead. “I’ll take the mermaid one.”

Jessie stepped off the dais to sit back down on it, letting her fingers run down the fabric before having to go back to the dressing room. Unexpectedly, she started crying.

“Jesus. Take her, Rach,” Jessie heard Greer say before she felt him sit down next to her, giving her a tissue.

“We live in Kentucky, not Florida. You’re no flamingo. You’ve grown up pretty as a picture. Let Dustin see that. This dress was made for you, and you’re getting it. Don’t worry about the money; I’m paying for it. Dustin will love it, and if this dress doesn’t make him want to live, nothing will.”

Jessie cried into her rapidly dampening tissue. “It’s too expensive. I can’t let you pay for it. I’d have to sell one of my kidneys to pay for it, and even then, I wouldn’t pay that much for it to only wear it for ten minutes.” She sobbed, not understanding why she couldn’t stop.

She forlornly laid her head on Greer’s shoulder. “I don’t even want Holt to see me in it. Dustin told me that he knew Pa threatened him over me. I didn’t even know Dustin liked me until after I was kidnapped. I’m mad at both my brothers. Dustin hates them, and I can’t blame him. I’m so mad at them that I want to shoot them myself.” Jessie cried harder, pouring her soul out onto his shoulder. “I don’t want him to die, Greer.”

“Which one? Holt or Asher?”

Jessie gave him a wondering look. “Dustin, of course.”

“Oh, I thought you were still talking about Holt or Asher.” It took Greer a couple of seconds to hide his disappointment over her answer before he patted her awkwardly then put his arm around her. “Look at me, Jessie.”

She raised her head from his shoulder.

“I am not going to let my brother die.”

Jessie could tell from the look on his face why Knox had hired Greer to be a deputy.

“But—”

“I am not letting my brother die. That’s the end of this discussion. Now, go get dressed before you get the damn thing dirty sitting here.”