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“Fuck you, man.”
He was giving me shit on purpose and knew I was just firing back somewhat playfully and he would take my words with a grain of salt. I had dished a load of crap out on each and every one of the guys many times and now it looked like it was payback time.
“You’re lucky Embry and Braxton are not right here, or you would be paying her swear jar and he would be smacking you upside the head for using that potty mouth in front of her.”
“Potty mouth?” I questioned. “Since when do you say potty mouth?” Now I couldn’t stop laughing.
“Hey, I have a son now. I have to be careful around him.”
The Ox, as Alley liked to call him, didn’t look so brutal when he spoke about his son. His face softened and he got a wondrous look as if he still couldn’t believe how lucky he got with the family he and Summer had created.
In fact, all my friends were blissfully happy, all married now with kids. When Braxton came home and fell in love with Jurnee, one of his sister Alley’s best friends, a string of events started. Before I knew it they had been dropping like flies. Gyth then fell for the girl’s other friend Summer, and Alley had gotten back together with her first and only love, Landon.
And I was the one to marry each of the love-sick couples.
Hey, I was glad for them all, but besides me, there was only Gemma, another friend of the ladies. So it looked like the two of us were the seventh and eighth wheel. And nothing would happen there, she felt like a sister to me. Hell, nothing was happening in that department with me at all.
That ship had sailed.
Or has it?a little voice inside me questioned as my mind wandered to the green-eyed beauty down the hall.
“Besides, do you kiss your momma with that mouth?” Gyth carried on, still trying to get a dig in.
Not being much for sharing, something the guys let me get away with, I think my next words and my tone surprised my friend.
“I don’t kiss anyone with this mouth,” I said a little harshly.
Gyth’s eyes went wide with probably both shock and sympathy, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, Braxton’s voice cut in.
“Hey guys,” he started as he looked at me, Gyth, and Landon. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
We all immediately headed his way. A knot formed in my gut and everything inside me knew I wouldn’t like what he had to say. Just before I got to the hall I glanced at Alley and the look on her face told me I was right. She obviously caught on to more too when she had taken Teal back to clean up.
As we passed Braxton's office, I was tempted to open the closed door and walk inside to check on Teal myself, but I needed to get my shit together so I followed to the conference room and took a seat. As I listened to Braxton recount his conversation with Teal, my body went rigid, but it was when he got to the part about her face that I flipped the fuck out.
Jumping to my feet, I started to the door and just as I was about to walk out, Braxton’s words and sharp tone stopped me in my tracks.
“Don’t go in there half-cocked or you are going to scare her more, man. Let me finish, then if you want to go, fine.”
He was right. I don’t know what I was thinking. I hadn’t had my head on straight since the second she walked in. Taking a deep breath to gain my composure, I then sat back down.
No Surrenderwas Braxton’s and Gyth’s idea and they were both gracious enough to let me buy into the company after I showed up out of the blue, running from my past. We all owned it together and Landon not only was our friend but our lawyer as well, so he was involved personally and professionally with us all. I owed it to everyone to chill out and use my head.
That was something that as a former marine and sniper I was usually good at. Being calm, collected, and focused was my thing.
Then, Teal walked in and it all went to hell in a handbasket and I didn’t even understand why.
Since Braxton had been handling the hiring for the receptionist job, I understood why he had talked to her first. We all knew he would make a good choice or ask our opinion if he thought he needed it, and we trusted him. I also knew the moment she said she needed a job it was hers. But he went on to explain how she almost left when he mentioned needing ID, her last name, and stuff to fill out paperwork if she wanted the job.
I guess it had taken a lot to convince her to stay while he came and talked to us. I looked around the room and everyone’s expressions were grim. The woman was in trouble, and with that, it could bring it knocking on our door. But we took a vote and it was unanimous, she was getting the job and we would protect her best we could. And we had Landon if we needed help legally.
Restless and itching to talk to her somehow, I rose from my seat. “Be back in a minute to iron out more of the details.”
There was a lot to go over since we would be paying her out of our own pockets. Everyone besides me had a wife and kids to keep safe in the process and the fact that Braxton learned she was living out of a cheap motel, which didn’t sit well with me at all, worried me. My Spidey senses were telling me that shit was going to get ugly at some point.
When I opened the door, Teal jumped out of her chair and swung around to face me. Seeing her beautiful eyes go wide with fear again, had me wanting to rip someone apart. Hopefully, I would get that chance because whoever put that look on her face deserved nothing shy of being put ten feet in the ground. I couldn’t justify my reaction to this woman I just met and I may have been confused as hell, but I never ignored my instincts either.
Once she realized it was just me, her body relaxed as it had earlier and her facial expression softened. I wondered not for the first time, why me? I didn’t know why we had this connection, but if for a moment she felt safe with someone, I was happy I could provide any sort of comfort. I just had to keep my wits about me and not fall for the girl.
