Page 36 of Broken Love

I was not prepared for the amount of men who would be here on a Sunday morning.

A man around my own age approaches me almost as soon as I step foot inside the gym. “Well, hello there.”

“Uh, hi, how are you?” His eyes roam up and down my body, and I take a step to the side. If I went backward, then I’d be pinned against a wall. I’m vaguely reminded of a question on social media that’s got everyone in a flurry. It’s about whether a woman would rather be alone in the woods with a bear or a man. This man is the reason we keep choosing bears.

“I’m better now that you’re here, gorgeous.” With that purely predatory smile, he’s looking for a quick lay. “You new in the building?”

“Sort of, but I’m looking for someone right now. Excuse me.” I make a move to go around him when his hand grips my elbow, preventing me from leaving. “Let go.” I won’t allow him to manhandle me.

“What’s the rush? I think we could connect nicely.” His smile might be charming to some, but I see the deviance behind his green eyes.

“I seriously doubt it. Let. Go.” I tug, but he doesn’t release me.

“You one of those cock teases? Waltz in here shaking it like you’re some high-class bitch.” There’s that personality I was waiting on.

“No, you moron. I walked in here intent on finding the men I was looking for, and you approached me. I told you no, and you didn’t get it through your tiny, little head that I don’t find you to be anything more than a nuisance fly I’d like to squish. Now, let me go before I scream so loud people will think you’re slaughtering me, and I promise you, I will make such a fuss that there won’t be a lawyer in the entire state who will want to help you out of this little situation because they’ll look like the bad guys, too.” My voice begins to rise with my anger, and just as he’s about to open his mouth to presumably tell me off, Tanner and Tucker come from around a corner, laughing and joking until they see us. Their entire demeanors change from cheerful to deadly.

“You’d do best to take your fucking hand off of her before I take it off of you.” Tucker’s deadly voice makes my entire body shiver with arousal.

My harasser’s eyes flare in recognition, but he still doesn’t let me go. “Hey, man, she was coming onto me. Little cock tease is what she is.” He laughs until he notices no one else finds him funny.

“You want to keep that hand for jerking off, or do you want to see it sail out the fucking window?” Tucker’s glare deepens, and I swear I see murder in his eyes.

“Baby, you good?” Tanner asks as he gently pulls me away from the stranger. Tucker grabs the guy’s thumb on the hand still holding me and twists until he is on his knees in front of us.

“Annoyed but fine,” I tell Tanner as he wraps me up in his embrace. “I missed you guys this morning.” His palm comes up to caress my cheek. Even as his eyes soften, I can feel the tension in him.

“You were sleeping too peacefully to wake you up the way we wanted to.” Leaning down, Tanner captures my lips in a possessive kiss. His hand moves to hold my jaw and tilt my head to his liking as I open for him to gain better access.

My heart thuds heavily in my chest when voices penetrate my fog of lust. “Focus on me,” Tanner murmurs into my mouth, moving his other hand around to cup my ass and hold me tighter into his body.

“I didn’t know she was yours.” What? Like that makes it any better.

Pulling away from Tanner, I narrow my eyes and storm closer to the idiot on the floor. “Why would that matter? A woman says no, and that means no. If she rejects your advances, back the fuck off! Don’t grab her and then refuse to let her go when she tells you more than once. BACK THE FUCK OFF!” I snap and slap him across the face. The gym goes silent at my outburst, and I’m too angry to be embarrassed.

“You go near her again, look at her, speak to her, breathe in the same room as her, and I’ll make sure you’re behind bars in the worst prison I can find for the rest of your life.” Tucker shoves him away before guiding me out with a gentle hand on my hip.

My hand begins to sting, and I hold it to my chest as we get back on the elevator. When the doors close, it all hits me at once, and a broken sob bursts from my chest. Tucker scoops me up in his arms, carrying me into their penthouse.

Tucker

Last night, after our meeting with Beau and Gabe, the building manager agreed to lock everything down at our request. Making sure it was clear that nobody was allowed in without a residence ID and that they absolutely needed their keycards, even to use the elevators. Stairwells were secured so that you could only open them from the inside, understanding that they would automatically unlock for safety if the fire alarm had gone off.

She should have been untouchable. We never figured on some asshole living in our building, who couldn’t take no for an answer, harassing Windsor.

The fury still burns hot in my veins when I think about what would have happened had we not come around the corner when we did. I don’t doubt Windsor could have handled herself, but she shouldn’t have to—that’s what we’re here for. And we fucking failed miserably.

Again.

Laying Windsor down in the middle of the bed, I take a step back and wonder what the fuck we think we’re doing. We can’t keep her safe when she’s poisoned right in front of us. Not even in our building. How the hell do we expect to shower her with love and affection when she shouldn’t even trust us with the most mundane things?

Dragging a hand down my face, I can’t bring myself to look at her, not when she’s crying because we keep letting her down. Maybe I was correct in my reluctance to pursue her in the beginning. Maybe we should have kept our hands to ourselves so she could live a full life.

“Get that fucking thought out of your head, brother,” Tanner growls. He can read me like an open book.

Feeling exposed, I lash out at him. “Why? Why should I? We can’t keep her safe, so why the hell shouldn’t we end things now?” I freeze at Windsor’s sharp inhale but refuse to glance at her, knowing I’ll see nothing but hurt in her expressive eyes.

“I mean so little to you, Tucker?” Her voice is so timid, muted in a way that indicates she’s curled in on herself. The agony is my undoing.

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