Chapter Four

GUNNER

A s we head back toward Hicks' place, I can't keep my mind off the girl.

Tallie-Rue.

Even her name sounds exotic.

There is something different about her from the other females we normally meet. She's…special.

Reserved.

Regal.

Untouchable.

Gorgeous , my mind whispers, and I grunt as I recall her beauty. It's almost ethereal, something to look at but never touch. My chest clenches at the thought of never seeing her again, and no matter how much I try to banish her from my thoughts, she haunts me.

I rub my chest where she briefly leaned against me, and I swear I can still feel her touch. I didn't mean to stand so close to her. I didn't even realize I was leaning forward to get a sniff of her hair. She doesn't smell like the chemical scent of perfume like other girls. Her fragrance of flowers and sunshine reminds me of my sister before she died, a time before darkness descended over my world.

Of course, Jameson saw me sniffing her like some freak. I expected him to make fun of me, but he actually looked jealous that he didn't think of it first. Jaceson noticed as well, and he even shuffled closer, as if he were going to do the same, but he didn't get a chance.

Poor fuckers.

When she leaned against me, I was afraid to move. Being nearly a foot taller than her and nearly twice as wide, I'm nothing more than a monstrous brute by comparison. She's so dainty and slim that it's intimidating as fuck to be in her vicinity, her frame so delicate that I'm afraid even the slightest touch will break her.

Then I caught sight of her bruises, and my rage nearly slipped its leash. The urge to protect her rode me so hard, I barely resisted the urge to wrap my arm around her. The only thing that stopped me was seeing my grease-stained hands and filthy nails. I feel dirty just being next to someone so pure and innocent, worried I might sully her just by breathing the same air.

But maybe I can give her something no one else can—protection.

I silently vow that no one will touch her again, not while I'm around to keep her safe.

Maybe my shady background and brutish nature will finally be good for something.

I didn't come from money like the rest of the guys. I worked nearly eighty hours a week in my uncle's garage, trying to earn enough money to pay for college. I'm smart enough to get into the same college as the others, but my scholarships only cover so much. I've been working my ass off to pay my own way.

I flex my hands, my sore knuckles aching from the punishment of frequent fights. While they frown on betting on yourself, it's not illegal. I've been picking up more and more matches, but it never seems to be enough.

My body barely has a chance to heal before I head into my next fight. Even now, my ribs throb in protest, my shoulders burn, and my arms ache from being overworked during last night's fight.

Soon, I'm not going to be able to keep up this punishing pace.

Hicks offered to cover the cost of college, but I refused to accept his charity. While college life isn't for me, I want the education, so I did accept his offer as a low-interest loan. He called me a dumbass but didn't force the issue.

I might be a stubborn motherfucker, but I'm not an idiot.

I'm also not ready for the guys to leave me behind yet.

Sure, we're family, but our lives are vastly different. They are heading for greatness, while the best I can hope for is taking over my uncle's shop when he retires. It's a good job, but it isn't the lifestyle the guys are used to living.

Eventually, we'll drift apart, and I need to be ready.

"What did Mrs. Killaghan say to you before she left?" Ellis asks, and we all glance at Hicks.

The man doesn't have many tells, but Hicks has a soft spot for the old bird, even if he denies it. Whatever she said bothered him enough that it caused his legendary control to slip for a fraction of a second, revealing genuine emotions that he normally doesn't show to anyone. Even with us, he rarely allows himself to feel anything.

I've only seen him lose control a handful of times. Though it should be impossible, his rage is worse than mine. Normally, I have control over my anger and can unleash it whenever I want, but not Hicks.

He keeps his bottled up, only releasing it when he fucks or fights. While I might be a force to be reckoned with when I get worked up, Hicks is a beast. Even though I have an extra thirty pounds of muscle on him, it's a struggle to keep ahead of him in a fight.

"She asked us to keep an eye on Rue." He shoves his hands into his pockets, worry clouding his green eyes as he gazes over his property. "Mrs. Killaghan only just discovered that her granddaughter existed and she was in trouble. She's worried that danger might find her again."

"Did she tell you what kind of trouble?" Ellis inquires, always needing to know everything.

Hicks nods once, a muscle jumping in his jaw as he struggles with his control. He glances at each of us, a fierce expression on his face. "She said Rue doesn't believe that she will live to reach her eighteenth birthday."

"What the fuck?" Jaceson and Jameson speak at the same time, murderous rage darkening their expressions.

I don't even realize I stopped walking until the guys continue without me. "What did you say?"

Hicks glances at me over his shoulder, and I see him struggling with the same rage. "Mrs. Killaghan asked us to keep her safe. She doesn't think Rue's father will let her go without a fight. She has lawyers working on the issue, but if we see anything, we're supposed to call the cops. They have a restraining order against him, but apparently, Rue's father doesn't take no for an answer."

While we each had shitty parents growing up, only my father was physical before he was sent to prison for beating my mother to death. They've seen enough of my bruises and broken bones to recognize the signs.

I was a replacement child for my older sister. Sick from birth, she wasn't expected to live long. We're considered Irish twins since I was born eleven and a half months after her. She was showered with love, the bright blonde angel full of laughter and joy, while I was born for parts, a dark-haired brute who brooded too much and never smiled.

I barely reached the approved age before I had my first two surgeries, not to mention multiple bone marrow transplants and hundreds of medical tests, but none of the treatments worked.

My sister was the only one who truly cared for me, and I loved her fiercely. She saw what my parents were doing, saw that they were killing me, and refused further treatment. She died on her twelfth birthday, despite me begging her to live.

She died to save me, the throwaway kid no one wanted, and my parents never forgave me.

I was never enough for them, no matter what I did.

She was the best of us, and our family died with her.

Father retreated into the bottle, and my mother basically checked out, catatonic as she popped pill after pill to escape losing her precious baby girl. Without my sister to protect, I was left without purpose. By my fifteenth birthday, my family was gone, except for my aunt and uncle.

Thankfully, I had the guys by then…not that their childhoods were fairy tales and happily fucking ever afters either.

The twins only had their absent-minded father, while Hicks and Ellis had to deal with overbearing parents who demanded they obey without question. We're each fucked-up in our own way, but I would never wish my childhood on anyone.

The fact that Rue has to deal with the same bullshit breaks my heart.

I'm not even aware of turning around to march back across the property until the twins block my path. My muscles tense with the need to shove them out of the way when Jaceson holds up his hands. "She asked us to give her time. She's probably dealing with a lot right now. Why don't we have a meeting and figure out a way to keep her safe?"

"You can see her house from the bedroom windows," Ellis chimes in from behind me. "We can get to her before anything happens."

I don't want to go, but I allow myself to be convinced for one reason—I don't want to scare Rue away. We're virtually strangers. If we go barging into her house, she has every right to call the cops.

"I'll contact the security company now and have a new security system installed." Hicks is already on his phone, a furrow between his brows as he shoots off his message.

"Once the house is fitted with a new system, I'll be able to keep watch over her as well." Ellis gives each of us a pointed look of warning not to do anything stupid.

We've grown up together since kindergarten and lost any boundaries with each other long ago. Sometimes we forget others still have them, especially when we want something. We wouldn't spy on her without her knowledge, but the impulse to keep her safe almost overrides common decency.

Jameson wears a mutinous expression that could only mean trouble, and I get right up into his face. "No perving on the girl without her permission. No peeking into the windows. No stealing the codes to hack into her cameras and turning them on without her being aware of it."

He honest-to-goodness pouts.

For once in my life, I understand his compulsive need to obsess over a girl. There is something graceful about the way Rue moves that draws the eye and makes a person want to watch her, much like a butterfly dancing on a breeze.

I shake my head when I almost convince myself that it would be okay to stalk her. It's for her safety, after all.

Jameson narrows his eyes, accepting the challenge, and shrugs. "Then I'll just have to get her permission."

I close my eyes and pray for patience, then I get right in his face. "If you scare her away, I will beat you."

If anyone can worm their way into her life, it would be Jameson. He has a way with women that I will never understand. He gets them to do things that defy nature, and they like it. Part of me wants him to succeed so I can gain access to the video, but the risk is just too great.

Jameson is a world-class flirt and easily gets away with shit like that.

If I tried it, I'd be arrested for stalking and assault.

"Let's head back to the house and discuss our next step. The security team will be here Monday morning." Hicks steers the conversation away from dangerous waters, and I reluctantly follow his lead. "When we meet with her tonight, let's try to discover more about her past. Anything we learn will help us protect her."

The guys nod in agreement, Jameson falling into step next to me. Any animosity between us is gone like it never happened. "Gunner, Jace, and I will work on supper."

"While you guys do that, I'll see what I can find online. If they have an order of protection, I should be able to discover more about her father and how big of a threat he poses." Ellis' fingers twitch with the need to be in front of one of his computers, and I'm fucking grateful that he's on our side. His abilities with computers border on magical.

It's the same with Hicks and his almost unnatural knack for investing in companies that guarantee double or triple his investment. Jaceson's talent rests in his ability to understand electronics. It's like he can talk to machines and knows how to walk into a secured building without being seen or setting off the alarms. Jameson can charm anyone if he puts his mind to it, but he uses his skills for evil, often using his silver tongue to woo women into his bed. I'm good with my hands, so if it involves fighting or putting anything together, then I'm your man.

As a team, we're unstoppable.

I just hope it's enough to keep Rue safe.