Page 55 of Taken By my Brothers' Best Friends

I woke up several times throughout the night in pain but each time they were there for me, doing anything and everything they could to make sure I was comfortable. By the time the sun rose and light filled the bedroom, I felt like crap but nothing could take away the happiness I experienced at waking up with them.

I had to pee and as soon as I shifted towards the end of the bed to escape the human furnace they’d made, Dean was there, picking me up. He carried me bridal style into the bathroom, reading my mind. He was barely awake as he set me down in front of the toilet and stood there, watching me.

I raised my eyebrows at him. “You can’t stay and watch.”

He grunted and turned around. “Sorry.”

I took care of my business while staring at the back of his head. The hair was matted down but somehow also sticking out in every direction. That and the dark circles under his eyes let me know he hadn’t slept much.

I finished and slowly worked my panties back up my thighs. I didn’t bother with the shorts. I stood next to Dean at the sink and stared at our reflections as I washed my hands and brushed my teeth. “We look rough.”

He blinked a few times and then turned to look down at me. “You look like heaven to me, baby.”

“Back to bed?” I fully planned on making my way downstairs to find food but he needed more sleep.

“You’re hungry.” He smiled when I made a questioning sound. “I can hear your stomach. Come on. I’ll make you breakfast.”

“There’s nothing I can say to convince you to go back to sleep?”

Scoffing, he shook his head. “Not a chance in hell. I don’t want to take my eyes off you.”

“Your eyes are going to get very bored very fast.” I looked back at my reflection and winced. I could’ve been an extra on a horror film set. “Or maybe traumatized.”

Instead of answering he picked me up again and carried me downstairs. Reed was already sitting at the counter, his laptop open in front of him. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all. When Dean put me down next to him, I saw a picture of Michael Mays on the laptop screen and frowned.

“What’s happening?”

He shut his laptop and turned to face me. “He’s in federal custody. The family ranch is being swarmed with more and more agents as they try to figure out who all they want to charge. Half of the Sheriff’s Deputies have already quit. A few of them seemed to have moved away in quite the hurry. Devil’s Den is going to need an entirely new police force from the looks of things. And the Hellstone Ranch is no longer going to have any competition.”

I nodded. “A lot of families are going to be hurt.”

“I don’t mean to sound cruel, Hellcat, but I couldn’t care less about anyone else’s family. They hurt you. They’re lucky the feds were already involved. They would’ve saved money on court fees and jailing the bastards if I’d gotten to them first.” Reed’s jaw muscles worked as he looked away. “I thought I was going towatch you die. Nothing will ever be bad enough for any of the fuckers involved.”

“Reed.” Dean shook his head, warning Reed to stop.

I reached out with my good arm and traced the line of Reed’s nose down to his mouth. “My warrior. I love all of you, you know? Even those dark corners y’all worry about me seeing. I’m glad I wasn’t the reason you took anyone out but I understand the sentiment. I would’ve done a lot yesterday to get back here.”

A glass shattered in Dean’s hand as he shook his head angrily. “You should’ve never been in that situation. We won’t let you be touched by that kind of shit ever again.”

I smiled at him, even laughing as his face dropped in shock. “I’m not a delicate flower. I can handle a lot. For you guys, I could handle a lot more. You don’t have to protect me from the world or stay up all night making sure I’m okay. Just love me.”

“You won’t have to handle anything ever again. Nothing is getting close to you.” Reed growled the words, his hands tight on the countertop.

“You idiots.” Lennon strode from the stairs over to me. He cupped my face and kissed me, stroking his tongue into my mouth with a surprising amount of heat, considering how gently they’d been handling me. “We do love you.”

I pulled his mouth back to mine and smiled against his kiss. “I love you, too.”

“Shit.” Reed pushed Lennon out of the way and cupped the back of my head. “You said you love me.”

I nodded. “I did.”

“I fucking love you, Vera.” He kissed me, his touch gentle as he did. “Stay with us. For good.”

“I thought you got that I wasn’t leaving when I called this place home. I love y’all. I want to be with you. Of course, I’m going to need the Wi-Fi password now. And I need to pick up my car from Steve because I refuse to be reliant on you to drive me aroundall the time. God, he’s had my car for so long now. If he charges storage fees, I’m sending them straight to Michael Mays.” I stopped and sagged against the counter. “Wow, I’m tired. Can I have pain medicine now?”

Dean braced his hands on the countertop and sighed. “I’ve never been so glad to hear your rambling. I love you, Vera Hellstone.”

“I love you. And I know you love me. Want to know how I know?”

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