Page 3 of One of Six

The girl grabs up two more popsicles, turns, grabs some milk and then high tails it toward the exit.

I feel like I can finally breathe.

3

BEATRICE

Mr. Gleeson runstoward me as I head for the exit. I toss him the ten dollars and head for the door. I stop. What if Mr. Gleeson needs help?

I'm not sure how long I stand in the doorway, but the next thing I know I'm being grabbed from behind. I don't even struggle when I look down and see strong hands leading to leather-clad arms around my stomach. When I inhale, the man behind me even smells wonderful. I'm tempted to turn my face to his neck and take another whiff. He'd probably think I was crazy if I buried my nose there.

"Aren't you going to fight me, little girl?" His rough voice breaks me out in goose bumps.

"Atilio," Mr. Gleeson's voice makes him turn around so we're both facing the shopkeeper. "Please put Beatrice down. She's a good girl. Not like..." he winces.

The tall man is the oldest brother, only twenty-six. He was born Atilio Junior, but when his father died four years ago, he dropped the Junior. At least that's what I heard. I may not see the Redd men, but I know all about them. I'm good at listening when others think I'm not.

“I like it in his arms." He starts to move and Mr. Gleeson winces as we pass him. "Make sure the doors are locked."

He carries me to the back of the store where his brothers are waiting. They are all handsome men with a mixture of dark and medium brown hair.

"She's checking us out," another brother says with a grin on his face and amusement dancing in his bright green eyes.

I narrow mine. "I wonder who I should kick in the balls first," I reply.

His eyes go wide, and he moves in front of me. "I can assure you that if you ever get near my balls, you will either be on your knees sucking my dick or on your back with your legs spread."

"Dipshit!" one brother slaps the younger one on the back of the head.

"Excuse Ridge, all his manners were knocked out of him years ago when Atilio dropped him on his head."

"Fuck you, Boone!”

"Guys," Mr. Gleeson appears. "Leave them alone. Atilio, put her down. Ridge, your mother needs to wash your mouth out with soap and water."

My feet hit the ground so suddenly that I lose my footing. Another brother steps forward. "I'm the nice brother. Ignore my twin. I'm Galen." He holds out his hand.

I take it quickly as he begins to pull away. "I'm Beatrice."

His face splits into a huge grin. "Your popsicles are melting."

I blink, surprised.

"Stop flirting," Atilio says. "We've got shit to do." He grabs my hips and sits me down on a freezer lid. "You, don't move."

"Okay." I look into his brown eyes and see flecks of gold.He has kind eyes,I think as he pulls away.

I'm curious about what's going on here. Mr. Gleeson isn't afraid of them. So, they can't be robbing the store. Atilio and his brothers are bigger than me. They are over six feet tall. They all wear jeans and a T-shirt with leather jackets of different styles.

I know who each of the brothers are, even though this is the first time I've met them, or rather, the first time I've been in the same room with them.

I absentmindedly tear into another popsicle, sucking out all the melted liquid before pushing the last piece of ice up. I tilt my head and wrap my tongue around it before sucking it into my mouth. It's a little too long to fit, but I crunch it down.

"Those damn things should be illegal in your hands," Atilio says, rearranging his crotch. My eyes fly to his as my face flushes with heat. He gently removes the last one from my hands and smiles. "My brothers won't get shit done if they're busy watching these getting sucked into that pretty mouth.”

My cheeks burn. "What are you doing here?" I ask, watching them start to read the labels on the crates in the back of the store. Anything to get their attention away from me and my mouth.

"Looking for something," Boone tells me, his dark eyes fixed on my legs in the shorts I wear. I'm surprised my mom let me out of the house in this outfit. It's tight and shows my curves in a way my mom wouldn't like.

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