Colters' Woman (Colters' Legacy #1)(6)

Lacey shook her head. “Nah. Like I said, I’m just checking out the possibility anyone saw something. We don’t even know who the car belongs to. Teddy’s running the plates as we speak. Could be she never came this way.”

Adam itched to ask more questions. Who did Holly belong to and who supposedly kidnapped her? But he knew it would arouse Lacey’s suspicions, because if nothing else, the Colter brothers kept to themselves and didn’t borrow trouble from anyone.

“Well, let us know if we can help,” he said shortly, dismissively.

Lacey chuckled then rose from the barstool. “There was a time when you were more welcoming,” she said softly as she brushed by him, letting her full br**sts rasp across his folded arms.

He stepped back, only anxious for her to be gone so he could question Holly.

“I guess I’ll see you around,” Lacey said, a resigned expression on her face. She replaced her hat then walked to the door. “Let me know if you see anything, okay?”

“Will do,” Adam said.

When she shut the door, Adam let out his breath.

Ryan glanced up, his expression brooding.

“She was looking for Holly,” Adam said, a frown twisting his brows.

He turned and strode for the bedroom, Ryan following close behind. An invisible hand squeezed his chest when he saw Holly huddled on the bed, her knees hugged to her chest. Ethan sat beside her, rubbing a soothing hand up and down her back, but she barely registered his presence.

Adam cursed under his breath and knelt down on the floor in front of the bed. He reached a hand for hers and pried it away from her legs.

“Baby, listen to me. You’re safe here. That was just our sheriff.”

Holly’s eyes widened in alarm, and she shivered in fear.

“No police,” she croaked.

“No police,” he agreed.

“Promise me,” she said, her voice coming out in a pathetic squeak.

“You can trust us,” Ethan said quietly. “We won’t allow anyone to hurt you.”

She relaxed a tiny bit, leaning more into Ethan’s caress.

Adam still held her hand in his, and he brushed his fingers over her upturned palm, trying to infuse his calm into her. “Listen to me, baby. We need to ask you some questions.”

She let out a panicked moan. “No, no questions. Please, let me go. I need to leave.”

Ethan’s hand stilled on her back, and beside Adam, Ryan stiffened. Adam knew he had to handle this just right. He couldn’t chance her running. They couldn’t keep her safe if she ran.

He exchanged looks with his brothers. They were all united in this cause. They were not going to let her go. And they sure as hell weren’t going to let anyone hurt her.

He stood then sat down on the bed beside her. “Honey, you can trust us. We aren’t going to hurt you. We aren’t going to let anyone else hurt you. But we need to know what’s going on. What happened to you.”

Panic flared in her eyes. Fear spread out like a forest fire over her face. “Y-y-you don’t understand,” she stammered out. “No one can help. No one can stop h-h-him.” She said him like she spoke of the devil himself.

“Who, baby? Who are you talking about?” Adam whispered.

She shook her head, her agitation increasing with each second. On the other side of her, Ethan shook his head, a warning to Adam that he was pushing too far. She looked about ready to shatter.

“Why don’t you get some rest?” Adam said, though he wanted very badly to have all the answers to his questions.

Ethan gently pulled her to him then lifted her up off the comforter. He stood beside the bed while Adam and Ryan turned back the covers. Then Ethan laid her down and pulled the sheets over her. “We’ll be right outside if you need us,” Ethan said, bending down to kiss her forehead.

Her eyes were closed before they even left the room.

The brothers assembled in the kitchen, all of them wearing grim expressions.

“What did Lacey want?” Ethan asked.

Adam quickly filled Ethan in on all Lacey had to say.

“So someone kidnapped her?” Ethan asked incredulously. “That doesn’t make any sense. Wouldn’t she be more than willing to spill the story and go to the police?”

“I agree it makes no sense,” Adam replied. “Which is why we aren’t going to tell anyone about Holly. At least not until we have the full story from her. She’s scared to death of someone. A man. The son of a bitch has hurt her.”

“She’s attracted to us,” Ethan said. “All three of us. It confuses her, but her reaction to us is there.”

Adam nodded, satisfaction filling every inch of his body. After so long of waiting, they finally had the woman they would spend the rest of their lives with.

Chapter Three

She dreamed of them. They came to her on the heels of a nightmare. A sweet balm to her battered senses. They replaced images of the devil and hell. Their hands soothed away the hurt. Adam, Ethan and Ryan, their touch gentle, yet demanding, their lips worshipping her body.

Holly awoke dripping with sweat, need and a healthy dose of embarrassment. Maybe she wasn’t any better than a whore. Maybe Mason was right.

She shivered as a chill settled over her damp skin. She looked at the window to see darkness beyond. How long had she slept? Her gaze settled on the bedside clock. Four-thirty. In the morning? It must be.