Claiming the Enemy: Dustin (Porter Brothers Trilogy 3)

“I don’t want to scare the kids. Besides, I talked to Bliss. She’s buying the daycare.”

Half reclining on the other end of the couch, Holt slammed his feet off the coffee table to the wooden floor. “The swelling on your face is almost gone and the bruises too. It looks worse to you because you’re constantly staring in the mirror looking for them. When did you decide that you don’t want to own the daycare anymore?”

“Yesterday when she called to ask me how I was doing.” Staring at the television so hard, Jessie was surprised it wasn’t melting into a clump of plastic and parts.

“Jess, all you ever wanted was to work at that daycare. Why would you sell it?”

“It doesn’t interest me anymore.”

“Don’t sell it. You put your blood, sweat, and tears into that business. Give it more time. We’ll get through this—”

She coldly turned to face Holt. “I was the one who was beaten and dumped off the side of a mountain. Not you, not Asher. Just me. And I will never get over this.”

“You feel like that now, but in a few months, you might feel differently. But if you sell the daycare, it’s gone for good,” Holt argued, sitting up on the couch.

“Right now is all that I can think about.”

“We need to find another therapist, because the one she has now isn’t helping.”

Jessie pushed the afghan away, sliding her legs off the couch, irritated that Asher was talking about replacing her therapist to Holt and not her. “I don’t need you to make decisions for me. I’ve been on my own since I was eighteen. If you want to help, go to the store for me. I put a list on the refrigerator. And don’t forget the chips. You ate the last of them.”

Jessie got off the couch and went to the kitchen. Getting a glass, she made herself some iced tea.

As she was getting ice out of the freezer, she saw that Asher had taken the list off the door.

“I told you I’m not buying—”

Jessie slammed the plastic container of tea down on the counter, making Asher jump at the sound. “I’m not going into town just because you’re too embarrassed to buy tampons!” she shouted, seeing Asher take a step back from the counter. “Order the damn groceries online and go to the store and pick them up. I don’t care how you do it, just do it! Jesus—”

“I’ll go to the store. Calm down,” Holt interrupted, getting off the couch to get his truck keys.

“I’ll go.” Asher gave her a wary look, saddling around the counter to try to take the keys away from Holt.

“I already said I’d go.” Holt refusing to give the keys started a tugging match with Asher.

“Both of you, go.” Jessie took a steadying breath as she set the jug of tea back in the refrigerator.

“I don’t want you left alone. One of us needs to stay—”

Her flinty eyes narrowed on her brothers. “Don’t you think I can take care of myself anymore?”

They stopped fighting over the keys, staring at her like deer caught in headlights.

“That wasn’t what I was saying,” Holt began carefully. “It isn’t safe until we find out who—”

“Beat the ever-loving hell out of me? Raped me?” she screamed at him.

Asher and Holt went pale as they pressed against the front door for safety.

“Look around! There’re ten guns in this room alone. Anyone but you two tries to come through that door without me letting them in will get a load of buckshot through their privates.”

“You know, Holt, I think she’s good. We should both go. She could probably use the time alone.”

“You’re right about that,” Jessie muttered, carrying her tea to sit back down on the couch and fussily covering herself with the afghan again. “And don’t forget the chips.”

“Company’s coming,” Dustin warned Greer, resting his phone back down on the table as they closed the maps of Treepoint they were studying.

Dustin shoved the folded maps into the drawer of the old wooden buffet as Greer unlocked the shelf, taking two guns out. Dustin took his as Greer opened the door, meeting the Hayeses as they pulled their truck into the driveway, bringing it to a stuttering halt.

“Wonder what the fuck they want?” Greer muttered as Asher and Holt climbed out of the truck.

“Don’t know. Let me handle this.”

Dustin ignored his brother’s puzzled expression as they both went to the end of the porch to see what the Hayeses were taking out of the back of the truck cab.

Holt and Asher carried a bundle each, setting them on the porch next to their feet.

“That’s all the pot I stole from you. None of it is missing.” Asher’s face was poker red as Greer didn’t even try to hide how disgusted he was of the men.