This Cradle Won't Fall (The American Soldier Collection 18)

“I know you’re lying, bitch. Where is she? I know you flew out somewhere. Your neighbor watched your fucking cat,” he yelled and smacked her across the mouth, sending her onto the couch. Gay nearly fell off of it, but then pulled herself back up and used her forearm to cover her face and head. “Please stop this. Stop it, please. I don’t know where Vye went. I haven’t seen her in months.”

“Got anything?” Murdock yelled to one of the other men. He was rummaging through her desk drawer. He was going to find her ticket information on the reservation she’d just made to visit Salvation again next month. Oh, God, no. No, don’t let them find it.

“What’s this?” the guy said and pulled out notes. He found it.

“Texas. That’s where she went and it looks like she’s going there again,” the guy said and then continued searching.

Murdock pulled her up by her hair. “You fucking lied to me?” He struck her again and again and Gay felt dizzy as she cried and begged him to stop. He was a monster. She never expected him to show up after so much time. She thought she had been careful. She didn’t even call the police the first time they came because she didn’t want to bring attention to Val or make it easy for him to find her. She thought sneaking her out of New York would be enough. Now what was she going to do? How would she warn Val?

“Grab the address and info. My woman is there. She went to Texas and we’ll find her.”

“What about her?” his other friend asked.

“We can’t have her warning Vye that I’m coming.”

He put a gun against her head.

“No. Oh, God, no,” she cried out.

“You can’t shoot her. It will be heard and it will lead to more trouble. Tie her up, and keep her from blabbing,” the other guy said.

“She needs to be helpless for longer than that,” another guy said, and as she looked at him, Murdock slammed the butt of his gun against her head. She cried out and then fell back against the couch and darkne

ss overtook her vision.

* * * *

“So I was thinking, maybe we could go by the hardware store together and you can pick out a nice color to paint Benny’s bedroom,” Frankie whispered against Vye’s ear. His arms were wrapped around her waist tight as he held her by the printer in the office. They were all finished up for the day and she just needed to make a few more copies before filing them.

She was surprised by his suggestion. They hadn’t really talked about where a crib would go in their home or about which bedroom she would share with them. They, however, seemed to have it all figured out. She turned in his arms and ran her hands up his chest. Her head was tilted all the way back, something she was getting used to with her five very tall, masculine soldiers.

“Paint color for Benny’s room? What do you mean?”

“I mean he’ll have his own room. The guest bedroom down the hall between my room and Tex’s. We’re changing things up anyway, working it out so we all get to have you in our arms at night.”

She felt emotional as tears filled her eyes. That they would do this for her. Make her and Benny feel so special. He squinted at her.

“You’re not rethinking moving in, are you? We’re set for tonight. Benny’s room will be painted in a few days, once you make a decision on color,” he said so seriously. She couldn’t believe big, bad Frankie with all his tattoos and serious attitude was sounding jubilated about painting a baby’s room. Tears spilled from her eyes. He tightened his hold. Her nose clogged up.

“What’s wrong?” he asked loudly.

“What?” Tex asked, coming in and seeing her. The others followed and she cried, and then hugged Frankie tight. “I love you so much. I love all of you so very, very much,” she said and squeezed him tight. Frankie held her and caressed her back and her ass.

“What did you say to her, man?” Pierce asked.

“Just asked her about picking a color for Benny’s bedroom,” Frankie replied.

“And you got this reaction?” Lou asked and walked over and caressed her back.

She chuckled and wiped her eyes as she pulled back. She held Frankie’s hand.

“I’m fine. I just appreciate how much you all care, and every day I love it more and more that we’re together. That Benny and I have men we can count on for love and support and protection, and I think I can finally feel happy and safe.”

“You think?” Pierce asked and stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. He cupped her head and hair and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“I know,” she said and he kissed her, and she kissed him right back.

“I’ll order the pizza. You guys go pick out the paint and stuff and we’ll get it done together. Then in a couple of days, once the smell of fresh paint is out of the room, we can move Benny’s crib in. Kendrick and Pierce were working on a high-tech monitoring system so that we can all hear him when he wakes or needs something,” Tex said.