She nodded her head but stared at her brother.
I need you, Keith. I’m scared.
* * * *
“She’s pushing us away. Did you see her reaction to me in there?” Mercury asked as he slammed his hand on the wall and then ran his fingers through his hair. His team looked at him.
“No, she’s just scared and worried about Keith. She’s used to being alone and handling things alone,” Tiek stated.
“She’s starting to heal and come down from the high of trying to survive what she went through. You know the drill. Anyone who hasn’t been formally trained like we were to handle being a prisoner, going through what she did, would react the same way. Fight everyone around them so they feel some control again,” Lee told them.
“Keep her emotions, her heart, locked in so no one can get inside and hurt her again. It’s typical, and worse because she’s a civilian. She’s alone aside from having her brother, and she doesn’t really know us, even though Keith supplied us with the password to gain her trust,” Stitch added.
“I think getting her to the ranch and speaking with Spocko will help her through the process.” Tex expressed his thoughts.
“You’re right. But there’s more going on here.” Mercury looked at his friends, his brothers.
Lee took a deep breath and released it. “She needs us.”
“It’s more than that and you know what Mercury is saying, Lee,” Tiek stated firmly. They looked around the hallway and made sure no one was in earshot, not that they cared anyway.
“She’s so beautiful and kind, and when I’m near her I want to hold her in my arms and take all that fear and sadness away,” Lee admitted.
“I feel it, too, Lee. It’s not just because Keith asked us to watch over her,” Stitch said.
“It’s more than that. I want her to count on me, on us, and know that no one can ever hurt her again,” Tiek added.
“She needs us as much as we need her. We talked about this a few times before. We all have trust issues except with one another. Finding a woman like Shawna to share, to care for together and make part of our family would make our lives complete,” Tex said, and they all agreed.
“She’s going to fight us on this. She’s going to think we’re caring for her because Keith asked us to,” Mercury said.
“Then it’s our jobs to ensure her that it’s more than that. Yes, Keith brought us together, but it’s the attraction, the connection we all know is there that will make us more. I want her. I want to keep her safe, I want to make her happy. She needs a new start and a new life. She deserves better than what life has dished out to her so far,” Lee said.
They all agreed and then made a plan to get things moving in the right direction. Mercury knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but Shawna was definitely worth it.
Chapter 8
Shawna couldn’t believe how beautiful the men’s ranch was. Even the small town on their way here was stunning and inviting. She never had seen anything like it before and it made her feel both excited and sad. Her emotions were all twisted, despite her gut sensation telling her to trust these men. She swallowed hard. She wished that Keith could talk and tell her everything she wanted to know about the men. But he couldn’t. He was going to be like this for a while as he healed. She twisted her fingers together on her lap as she sat between Mercury and Lee in the front of their SUV. Tiek and Stitch were at the house, and Tex would be stopping in from work to have lunch with them.
She felt guilty for leaving her brother, but the hospital wouldn’t allow her to sleep there and she had been officially discharged. She had no place to go, and when Mike came to visit her, she knew that her job at the bar and living in that crappy neighborhood and apartment were behind her. She recalled Mike’s words as he visited her.
“You’re going to be just fine, Shawna. Your brother will pull through, and maybe you finally found some men you can trust your heart with. Although I’m jealous and wish I had what they have,” Mike said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. They’re my brother’s team members. They helped to rescue us,” she replied.
“Oh, it’s more than that. Their eyes eat you up, their protectiveness and jealousy that I’m here and they don’t know what our relationship is, is obvious. They care for you and it’s more than just as your rescuers.”
Her belly tightened. Her emotions, her analysis of the men’s intentions was unreadable as far as she was concerned. As much as she felt an attraction to each of them, the idea that it stemmed out of loyalty to their brotherhood bothered her. She shivered as the SUV pulled up a long dirt road. Lee covered her hands.
“It’s okay. This is going to be your home now, too,” he told her, his hazel eyes appeared warm and inviting. She looked away as the gorgeous, huge house came into view.
“It’s beautiful.”
* * * *
The house was absolutely stunning and huge, just like the five men. As Lee helped her out of the SUV, she fixed the sundress she wore that he had purchased for her to wear home. It was pretty and light against her ribs. She was a bit taken aback at the fact that he brought her new undergarments, too, and now knew her size, and even that caused a spasm of attraction to hit her belly. They purchased her a lot of new things after informing her that her apartment had been ransacked, probably prior to her abduction. She swallowed hard.
It was becoming obvious that she may never return to that apartment, that city again. Did she really want to? Not after everything that happened to her. Not after seeing this ranch. But this wasn’t her life. It was theirs and she was a visitor, the sister of their comrade, and baggage they were responsible for. Nothing more.