SWAT Team One and the Social Worker (8 page)

cheek.

“You’re shaking, Sam.”

“Sorry. I’m not used to this.” She slowly opened her eyes as best

she could, but one was the best she could muster.

“What? Not used to being cared for?” he asked as he gently

checked over the bruising by her cheek and eye.

“Something like that,” she whispered as her words got caught in

her throat.

Dustin’s cell phone began to beep, and releasing a sigh, he left the

room.

She felt the warmth of Kyle’s hip against her thigh as he checked

her eye out.

The fact that he was so close to her and that she lay naked under

just a flimsy bedsheet made her nervous. She wasn’t ready for this.

Last night was a mistake, and the sooner they understood that the

better.

“Listen, you don’t need to do this. I’ll be just fine.”

“This may hurt a little. Can you move your eye back and forth?”

he asked, ignoring her statement.

She released a sigh.

“Do it,” he told her, and she heard the seriousness of his tone, and

it surprised her.

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She moved her eyeball, and it hurt.

“Try up and down.”

She did as he said.

“It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“What hurts?” Dustin asked as he reentered the bedroom.

“Her eye does when she moves it. She may need something for

the swelling. I think we should bring you by the doctor’s office.”

“No. I’m fine. It will be fine,” she stated then sat up, taking the

sheet with her.

Kyle stopped her from moving further by placing his hand on her

thigh. She froze in place.

They locked gazes a moment.

“You’re going to the doctor, and that’s final.”

“No. I’m not going to the doctor, Kyle. I have plans today.”

“It’s Saturday, what plans do you have, and where the hell do you

think you’re going with the injuries you have? You can’t see, never

mind drive,” Kyle replied as Sam clenched the sheet against her.

Sam was angry, and she felt as if they suddenly thought they

could boss her around and take over her life. This was insane.

She took a couple of breaths to calm down then, softly, she spoke

to Kyle and Dustin.

“I appreciate you trying to help, but I don’t need it. I am going to

get up from this bed, take a shower, and begin my day. When I get out

of the shower, I don’t expect to see either of you here.”

Kyle didn’t move an inch. He just stared at her.

His hand remained on her thigh and against the sheet. She scooted

a little further to the middle of the bed and out of his reach.

“Let’s talk about this downstairs. Do you need help?” Dustin

asked, interrupting the silent stare match between Sam and Kyle.

She shook her head but never looked at Dustin.

Finally Kyle stood up and left the room. Dustin followed him.

Sam made sure she heard them head downstairs before she got out

from under the sheet and grabbed some clothes. Her eye was

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throbbing, and she was worried, but she didn’t want the guys to know.

She needed for them to leave her be. The more they were around the

more she wanted them. Even sitting next to Dustin made her aroused.

Reluctantly, she made her way to the bathroom, trying her hardest

to see with one eye.

* * * *

Dustin and Kyle entered the kitchen and found that the guys had a

huge spread of food prepared.

“How is she?” Adam asked.

“Stubborn and filled with attitude,” Kyle responded then walked

by Adam and toward the back door. The sound of the screen door

slamming was all they heard.

Trey whistled. “Our little spitfire wake up on the wrong side of

the bed?” Adam asked Dustin.

Dustin took a roll and began slicing it.

“Her eye is swollen shut, and she won’t go see a doctor.”

“What? She has no choice,” Trey responded.

“Man, I wish I had gotten my hands on that bastard who hit her,”

Donny began to say, and a series of grunts went through the room.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Donny glared at Dustin.

“Nothing, I meant nothing by it.”

“What did you want me to do?” Dustin asked, suddenly feeling as

if his brothers didn’t think he’d handled the situation with Myers

correctly.

“You should have ripped the fucker’s throat out,” Kyle responded.

They all chuckled, trying to ease the tension in the room.

“Listen, she’s always been independent. She’s not used to anyone

taking care of her, and we have to understand that,” Dustin added.

“She’s injured, and she will seek medical attention, even if I have

to toss her over my shoulder and carry her ass there myself,” Adam
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added, the anger apparent in his stance with his fists clenched at his sides.

“Settle down before Sam comes downstairs.”

“How can you be so calm when you know she’s hurt and won’t

seek medical attention?” Trey asked Dustin as he gave him a dirty

look.

“He’s calm because his wolf is calm.”

They all turned to look at Kyle, who reentered the kitchen from

the back door.

“Yeah, the lucky bastard. I knew I should have fought you to stay

here last night,” Donny teased.

Dustin chuckled as he layered the cold cuts onto the roll.

“The update I just got may not make any of us calm for a while,”

Kyle added as he leaned against the doorframe and clipped his cell

phone back onto his belt.

“What’s going on?” Adam asked.

“Paulie and Clark were patrolling Brandy’s neighborhood last

night. They said that three carloads of Bloods kept circling around. It was obvious that they were trying to scare Brandy and the kids. The

whole neighborhood is still up in arms over that old man Charles

getting shot and the situation in the apartment Friday.”

“Those gangs are really bad. They could retaliate and go after the

family for Myers’s sake. He was apparently moving up in the gang. A

real abusive asshole from what I heard,” Adam added.

“You saw his rap sheet. The guy served time for aggravated

assault, attempted murder, and rape before he was nineteen,” Dustin

said although he didn’t need to remind his brothers. They had all seen the report.

“I don’t like this one bit. I got a real bad feeling,” Kyle stated, and they all agreed.

* * * *

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Sam finished getting ready, and it hadn’t been easy. Her eye really

hurt, as well as her cheekbone. She didn’t want to admit to the guys

that they were right. It was like giving in to their control. In the

shower all she could think about was the way she felt in Dustin’s arms and the way he felt inside her. When they were joined, and they

locked gazes, she felt a connection to him. It was like an imaginary

force pulling her inside of him. It had been a very strange feeling that scared her. She was mad at herself and the fact that she gave in to her desire after fighting it for so long. How could she allow that to

happen?

She straightened out her skirt and adjusted her tank top. Her eye

looked terrible, and it hurt a lot, so a doctor’s appointment was

inevitable. She might as well make the appointment herself. Looking

toward the dresser, she located her cell phone and saw she had a lot of messages. She called the doctor’s office first and made an

appointment for two o’clock. That gave her over an hour to deal with

the guys and return phone calls. As she headed downstairs and into

the living room, her cell phone rang. A quick glance at the caller ID, and she saw it was Ted. Great. Now he was going to be on her case.

She never called him back last night.

“Well, what the hell is going on out there?” he yelled into the

phone.

“I’m sorry, Ted. I forgot to call you back and kind of fell asleep

on the couch.”

It was half a lie. She was dozing off when Kyle arrived at her

window and Dustin broke into her home. She never got to give him

hell for that.

“I was just about to book a flight out there. It’s what your dad and

my family wants me to do.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I am perfectly fine.” She raised her voice,

and then she heard movement in the kitchen.

“Sam, what happened? I want a complete second-by-second blow

of the events, and I want to know what your injuries are.”

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“I told you not to worry, and I am not going to give you a second-

to-second description. I’m trying to get through this. My injuries are minor.”

“That’s not what I was told by your commander.”

“You didn’t? Please tell me that you did not call him?” Sam could

feel her blood practically boiling through her veins.

“I sure as shit did, damn it. You’re lying about your injuries, too.”

“I am not,” she shouted then plopped down on the couch and ran

her fingers through her hair in frustration. Her eye throbbed, but damn it, she wasn’t going to tell Ted.

“Then send me a picture with your phone right now,” he

demanded, and she heard his distorted voice. She could picture his

angry eyes and elongated teeth as his wolf surfaced. He was really

concerned for her.

“Now, Sam!”

“Stop yelling at me and hold on a goddamn second!” She turned

the phone toward her and attempted to take a picture of her cheek

only.

“I’m waiting,” he added.

“Hold your horses, it’s coming now.” She pressed send and

waited for his outburst.

A series of profanity echoed through her speaker. She held the

phone at arm’s length and sensed the men moving into the living

room. A quick look over her shoulder and she was right. They were

all there.

“Please calm down.”

“I’m coming out there to get you.”

“No, you’re not, Ted. I don’t need you to come out here to take

care of me.”

“I love you, and you mean the world to me. Enough of this

bullshit, Sam. It’s time to come home.”

“I love you, too, but I’m staying. Please understand that I belong

here. I’m not coming back there. I can’t, Ted. I just can’t bear it.” She
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felt the tears well up in her eyes, but she wouldn’t cry. She had done enough crying over the years, and she promised herself she would

never show weakness again.

“You better keep me posted on everything. What did the doctor

say?”

“I’ll let you know. I have to go.”

“Call me later, Sam. No excuses.”

“You got it. Bye.”

Sam closed up her cell phone then stood up. She pulled on her

sunglasses and tried to act casual as she entered the kitchen. She

brushed by Dustin then Kyle without a word and headed to the closet

for a glass.

* * * *

Kyle was still upset with her, and now he wondered who she was

talking to on the phone. She was upset, he sensed that immediately.

He turned her toward him and pressed her back against the

counter. She froze where she stood and allowed him to remove the

sunglasses.

“You’re in pain, you need to see a doctor, and one of us is taking

you.”

He didn’t give her a second to respond, to fight him, or reject his

statement. Instead he was overtaken by her scent and the instant

arousal he sensed the moment he touched her and turned her toward

him. Kyle stopped her mid sentence as he covered her mouth with his

own.

His kiss was hard and demanding. Kyle didn’t want to hurt her,

but he needed to taste her. Once his mouth explored hers, there was

no slowing down. When he felt her hands reach up to hold his

shoulders as she returned the kiss, he felt triumphant.

As he slowly released her lips and caressed her neck then cheek,

he held her gaze.

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“Ready to call the doctor?” he stated.

“No need.”

“What?” he countered, ready to argue with her.

“I already did. My appointment is at two o’clock.”

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“You kind of didn’t give me a chance.”

They heard chuckles in the background.

He kissed her again then embraced her.

* * * *

Sam kept her face against Kyle’s chest. It was odd, but she felt

content in his arms just like when she was in Dustin’s arms. Her mind

traveled over her phone call from Ted, and once again she thought

about Alex. Slowly she pulled away. Kyle stepped aside, and Donny

took his place.

“Let me see.” He didn’t look happy as he viewed her eye. She

stared up at him and felt his hand go to her waist as his finger brushed her lip.

“Does it hurt a lot?” he asked, but Sam was focused on observing

the differences between the men. Donny was a few inches taller than

Kyle and built wider as well. But their faces were nearly identical. He was a great man. She had gone jogging with him a few times over the

last year and even shared a couple of beers after work in the city with him. Sometimes Trey or Adam would join them.

“Come have something to eat, and then we’ll head out.” Adam

interrupted the moment, and she was grateful. All she needed was for

them to pass her around the kitchen and kiss her just like Kyle and