Promises (Blood Brothers #1) (19 page)

Jollie watched this stranger, who somehow didn’t feel like a stranger to her soul and felt her stomach roll. He could be more dangerous to her sanity than the monsters who were stalking her outside the protection of these security gates. She turned her head away from him, unable to meet those deep blue eyes following her as they entered the large house by the kitchen side door. Immediately upon entering Jollie tensed when she realized there were more people here than she was expecting. Panic seized her chest as a tight band constricted her breathing and she started backing away from all of the noise rising from people working to fix the evening meal.

She couldn’t focus the stunned faces turned in her direction as she quickly started back peddling from the room and caught Rafe off guard as she shoved past him toward the back door. Nor could Jollie hear those trying to calm her or hear the soft purr of the man coming up behind her as he tried to calm her. All Jollie knew was that she was trapped, and she had to get out. Turning like a wild thing in flight, Jollie tried to run out the door they had just come through but met a solid wall of muscle as strong arms wrapped around her. She couldn’t see the face for the darkness closing in on her mind, couldn’t hear the calming chant as Rafe tried to gentle her rush for freedom. All she knew was she had to get free. Instinct kicked in and her legs shot out to connect with muscle and bone. There were so many huge bodies around her and anyone one of them could kill her, too many that Jollie knew she would die before they took her again. Her rational mind was filled with only the need to fight no matter how much they tried hurt her this time.

Jollie continued to kick and punch until there was a sting and a prick in her neck. A coolness began to ease into her bloodstream and her eyes grew heavy, her heart rate still fast. The last thing she remembered as she silently screamed to any gods who would listen was seeing the angry cobalt blue eyes above her as she sank into oblivion.

Chapter 26

“What happen to her?” Chayle growled, using a cool cloth to wipe the moisture from Jollie’s forehead and push back her unruly curls. She looked over her shoulder at her brother-in-law, and if looks could kill, his hide would be striped and cooked at the moment. “When I left her with you at the Center she was fine. What terrified her so much that she flipped out like that, huh? What did you do?”

“Now wait a minute, little one. What makes you think it was my fault?” Rafe countered, raking a hand through his long hair and shaking his head.

“Because you look guilty, that’s why!” she yelled, pointing at him.

“I didn’t do a damn thing. We were talking, and came in the back door to the kitchen. She freaked when she saw everyone in the kitchen,” Rafe whispered, almost to himself. “Ah shit, she just wasn’t ready to see everyone yet.”

“Ya think?” Chayle shook her head, totally fed up with the alpha males around her as she looked at the hulking twins.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. We were talking, it never occurred to me that she wouldn’t be able to tolerate the others.” Rafe felt his anger rising, unable to accept that the tiny woman who lay in the bed was out cold because of his lack of judgment. He was in charge of all of his people, he would never deliberately put them in harm’s way.

Chayle took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she smiled. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose, Rafe. But you have to remember that she has been through so much and she hasn’t had the support system that I’ve had since coming here. From what Kayne has told me, she’s been on the run since leaving the military and before that was raised in foster care. What kind of life is that? She couldn’t trust anyone, especially someone she’s just met.” Chayle rose from the bed and walked to her mate, rising on her tiptoes to kiss his chin. She turned to Rafe, her eyes sad and caring. “You need to convince her that she is safe. I can stay and do it, but my gut tells me that this needs to be you, my friend. She seems to trust you.”

With those whispered words, Chayle led her male from the bedroom, closing the door softly behind them. Rafe found himself once more looking down upon the dark-haired beauty and wondering again how so much fierce fire could be contained in such a small package. He wanted to stretch out next to her slight frame, gently pulling her into his arms and filling his nose with her unique scent. Sandalwood and spice from the soaps she must have used that morning mingled so that it enhanced and tingled his senses, his nose filled with her unique pheromones causing his cock to ache in a way it hadn’t in such a long time. Forcing himself to sit in the wingback chair next to the bed watching Jollie Sanchez was the hardest thing Rafe had done in a very long time. He had taken lovers over the years, but usually they were for one night only and that was only after he had gotten desperate. The fact that he had jacked off in the shower earlier in the day wasn’t any help in the slightest.

He wanted to nestle her dark head under his chin and pull her close despite the fact his body was being tortured by the fires of hell. It hurt his very soul that he had caused this female harm in the smallest of sense and Rafe needed to make sure she was settled again. For some reason it was imperative that Jollie Sanchez be comfortable and safe no matter how his body faired at the moment. Rafe sensed more than saw her breath hitch and decided he needed to be next to her, holding her so that once Jollie woke she would know who held her, protected her above all others. Stretching out next to her, he smoothed his large hand down her back and centered it against the small of her back.

“Shush, mi Corazon,” he whispered, “no one will hurt you again, mi pequeño.” Rafe calling her his little one in Spanish came so naturally he didn’t even realize he did it as he stroked her back and kept her close.

He felt her body tense and he gently released her but not enough to allow her to move away from him too far. Rafe looked down into dark eyes filled still filled with terror and felt his heart ache. “No, mi pequeño, no one will hurt you. On my life, I promised it,” he whispered, watching Jollie closely.

Jollie wasn’t sure why she couldn’t make her body move away from the strong body and warmth holding her gently against him, but it felt so right she couldn’t make herself move. The panic was still there, but not the stark terror and it was so confusing that it made her head hurt. She must have reached for her forehead and rubbed it because suddenly she felt Rafe’s fingertips at her temples, massaging gently and all she could do was close her eyes.

Heaven.

Lord, when was the last time anyone had touched her with such gentleness.

Neither of them said a word as Rafe continued to gently rub her forehead, down her neck and over her shoulders, working sore muscles until Jollie could swear she was nothing but a puddle of mush. Behind closed eyes she could almost taste Rafe’s unique scent of musk and sweat, a manly smell that drew her in and made her feel safe for the first time in such a long time. On some level it scared the shit out of her, yet there was no way Jollie could pull away from those strong hands softly rubbing the soreness from her body. She was like a cat begging to be stroked and petted, almost purring as she snuggled down next to him.

“Lay on your stomach,” Rafe whispered to her, gently pushing her down. Jollie looked over her shoulder, unsure what this male was going to do but on some level knowing he wouldn’t hurt her.

“I just want to work on the muscles in your lower back. You were fighting pretty hard earlier. I want to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself is all,” he growled, waiting for her to move.

Jollie could only nod as she flipped to her stomach, putting her head on her crossed arms. The moment his hands slipped beneath the t-shirt and began rubbing her lower back, her breath hitched and she tensed.

“Easy, little one. I’m not going to hurt you. Chayle would have my balls if I did, and she’s not too far down the hallway, so all you would have to do is yell.” She heard him chuckle as he sat above her, shocking her by his statement.

“Are you afraid of Chayle?” she asked softly. If not for his enhanced hearing, Rafe probably wouldn’t have heard her.

“Not so much Chayle, but Kayne will kill anyone for upsetting her, yes. Chayle is special and much loved, even by me. They haven’t been together very long and they are still building their bonds, not to mention she carries my future niece or nephew. Bonds like that take time and care to build and are something so precious.” She felt his strong hands kneed and massage the muscles of her lower back, working the knots out that Jollie hadn’t realized had formed since her meltdown in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry I lost it in front of your team,” Jollie whispered, a hiccup barely covered up as she spoke.

“Hey, don’t apologize for something you couldn’t help. The men know what you’ve been through, at least on the surface and they know you were found at the same site as Chayle. So cut yourself some slack.” She felt a sting on the cheek of her butt and yelped.

“What was that for?” Jollie tried to turn around to glower at him, but Rafe pushed her shoulders back down.

“You’re a trained solider, woman. At least you were, so you know about PTSD and how long it can take to recover. ” He watched her face, the tightening of her forehead as Jollie tried to hide the emotions Rafe could feel raging just under the surface.

“Tell you what,” he whispered, rising from the bed. “Go take a shower and hopefully you’ll feel better. When you’re done, come back in here I’ll give you a rub down. I’ve been told that I’m pretty good at it.” Rafe moved to the edge of the bed, letting Jollie roll to her side and watch him.

“Why are you doing this?” Jollie whispered, watching him closely for any signs from this man who seemed to touch a part of her and understood better than anyone else had ever come close to doing so.

“Because you need to relax and it was my fault you panicked.” The pained and honest look on the huge man’s face almost undid her, making Jollie flee to the bathroom and softly shut the door. She needed time to reassess what was happening to her and why Rafe McIntyre drew her to him when no other man had ever managed that feat in her adult life.

Rafe watched Jollie flee like the demons of hell were after her, and maybe they were. He turned, facing the large windows looking out over the home he had grown up on and loved most of his life. While he and Kayne were away, the thoughts of home and hearth were at times the only things that kept them warm, connected to the humanity so stubbornly ingrained in both of them by parents who had loved them. Yet this woman who had seen so much darkness and shadows was what seem to draw his soul from the those same shadows, calling to him and begging him to free her in a way that terrified him. It was debilitating to think someone so fragile be the crippling cornerstone of his soul.

He was so lost in thought he didn’t hear the bathroom door open until the scent of Jollie permeated the room from the steam of her bath. Sandalwood and rain, he would always associate them to the earthy scents that surrounded her whenever he thought of her now. She stood just inside of the door wrapped in a huge towel and it was almost his undoing. She looked so self-conscious standing there, those doe-like eyes wide yet her pert chin sharply tilted up in defiance like the little warrior Rafe knew she was. This woman would take on an army yet didn’t have a clue she could bring him down to his knees with one, tiny tear from that lost look and it killed him.

“Are you feeling better?” Rafe didn’t go near her, just stood close to the windows as she watched him.

“You don’t realize how much you miss a hot bath until there isn’t one around. Showers can also become a luxury.” Jollie looked down, not wanting to see pity in eyes that seem to see too much. This man had seen her at her worse, more than once, and it galled her to know the threat wasn’t over.

“Do you still want that rub down?” he teased, watching her closely. “I’ve been told I’m pretty good at it.” Those beautiful, haunted eyes drew him in and touched what little of his soul was left, causing his chest to ache in a way that terrified him. It took a moment for Rafe to take a deep breath, steadying his heart rate and reminding himself that he was also a warrior. A man who was trained in battle to handle any and all situations and this one was certainly no different, even if it was a slight young woman who needed his care. When she only nodded and moved to lay face down on the bed with the towel draped over her backside, Rafe took a fortifying breath, drawing it in deep to steady his shaking hands. He filled his hands with oil Chayle had left on the side table, taking a moment to warm it in his palms before touching the top of Jollie’s shoulders. The second his skin made contact with hers, Rafe knew this was a mistake. A
huge
mistake!

“Lord have mercy in heaven.” Rafe’s soft prayer drifted on the silent room and Jollie’s gaze shot up to his.

“What’s wrong?” she asked with a small grin. The minx knew exactly what she was doing to him. She had to know, otherwise she would be running in the opposite direction if Jollie had any idea what Rafe wanted to do to that delectable little body barely hidden under the thin cover of the bath sheet.

“Absolutely nothing, little one,” he said quickly, reaching for more lotion.

“Kayne!”
Without realizing it, Rafe silently reached out for his twin, desperate for some kind of connection to ground himself before he did something stupid.

“What’s wrong?”
came the instant reply, and Rafe had the good sense to mentally send soothing emotions toward his twin so Kayne didn’t come barraging into the room unannounced.

“I won’t last the night, brother,”
he mentally whispered to Kayne as he gazed down on perfection.

“What have you done,”
Kayne’s chuckle echoed through his mind, and Rafe vowed to whip his twin’s ass the next day in the sparring ring. If he lived that long.
“Or more to the point, what are you going to do?”

“Nothing yet,”
Rafe countered before locking his twin from his mind and lowering his hands to the most beautiful skin he had ever touched.