Claim Me Hard (Bridgewater County Book 2) Read online

“She’s so wet,” he said. With his free hand he unfastened his jeans as he continued to slowly fuck her with his fingers. He only stopped long enough to pull a condom from his pocket, slip it on.

  I gave her a few more spankings, lighter this time, until Dec knelt on the floor and was in position behind her. When he slid his cock into her, I wrapped my arm around her, teasing her nipples through the thin fabric of the t-shirt. I held her in place on my lap as he pounded her pussy.

  “Dec, please!” she gasped.

  “What do you need, sweetheart?” he asked, hand going to her hip, then to slide between her pert—and pink—ass. “This?”

  I knew his thumb had opened her up when she arched her back, thrust her butt out.

  “Oh god,” she groaned again.

  Dec didn’t stop, but fucked her with his cock and his thumb. He came quickly and Hannah was still panting for more. She still needed her release—one he had yet to give her—one I would ensure she got. But not until she learned her lesson.

  When he moved aside to get rid of the condom, I smacked her ass one more time. “There are no secrets between us.” I spread her legs wide and brought my hand down again, this time making sure her wet pussy got a light spanking.

  “Is that understood, darlin’?” When she didn’t answer right away, I spanked her there again.

  This time she wiggled her ass in the air, silently begging for more. Dec sat down on the couch beside me, his cock put away, his pants fixed.

  “Yes.” It was somewhere between a whimper and a moan and it just about did me in. I moved her onto the couch so she was lying on her belly, her head in Dec’s lap. When I moved behind her she lifted her hips and spread her thighs, offering herself. I could see her reddened bottom, her swollen and slick pussy. All of her, and she was giving it to me.

  I slid my cock into her in one long hard stroke, making sure she knew who was in control. Wrapping one arm around her, I found her clit with my fingers, making her cry out.

  “Cole, don’t stop,” she begged.

  I couldn’t have stopped fucking her if I’d tried. She was so tight and wet and with a few more strokes of her clit we came together.

  Later, when the three of us were relaxed and content on the couch, our girl between us still in just my shirt, she turned to me with a teasing smile. “I thought you said you’d never raise a hand to me.”

  I grinned as I reached down and cupped her pussy in my palm. It was still wet and she moaned and wriggled in my arms. Her eagerness for us seemed to be never ending. “A spanking is different. Sometimes you need to know who’s in charge. And, you like it.”

  She moaned her agreement.

  “Besides, we had to get it through that thick skull of yours that you don’t need to handle all of your problems on your own.”

  Dec slid a hand up beneath her shirt and tweaked a nipple. We were working in tandem to show her again how it was between us. How we’d always be there, taking care of her. “You need to learn to let go. Let us have control when it comes to taking care of you.”

  Her breathing grew shallow as his fingers worked her nipples and I could feel her pussy growing wet all over again. I turned to Dec. “Maybe we should show her just how well we can take care of her.”

  I hoisted her up and carried her to my room, vowing to never stop showing her.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  DECLAN

  I was the first one up the next morning and I was glad to have the privacy. Ever since Hannah told us her story the night before, I’d been dying to do a little digging and see what I could find out about the asshole who had her running scared. The best way to beat an opponent was to know where he was coming from and how he thought.

  What I found made my stomach turn. A military guy through and through, someone like Lieutenant Colonel Bradley S. Madison was bound to have connections. I was amazed he hadn’t found Hannah by now, only proving how under-the-radar our girl had gone. No credit cards. No ATMs, no cell phone. Nothing to make a blip on any searches. Until yesterday.

  With her first and middle name in the local paper, it was just a matter of time. At least we knew what was coming. I’d spread the word to Jessie, Sally and Violet Kane. They’d take it from there and the entire town would know to keep an eye out for a stranger, and on Hannah. If we were lucky, Brad would have moved on from this obsession—but I wasn’t about to count on that.

  I’d been around long enough to know once an abuser, always an abuser. And Hannah had gotten away, which would have pissed him off. He’d have to track her down just to win this battle. He wasn’t going to let a mere woman slip through his fingers.

  Like Cole told Hannah the night before, while we liked to have control and were possessive, this fucker was obsessive. He’d even come after her at the hospital where she worked. No wonder she’d been so freaked when we went all dominant with her.

  It wasn’t just Hannah he’d fucked with. He had a history of abuse, from what I could dig up. His ex prior to Hannah had gotten a restraining order against the bastard, which was public record, and I had no doubt she lived in fear. That order was just a piece of paper, not a shield against danger.

  Part of me hoped he would come to Bridgewater so I could show him what it meant to be on the receiving end of a beating. Men who hit women were the weakest men alive.

  When Hannah and Cole came downstairs, I briefed them over coffee on what I’d found and my plan going forward. I saw her wince when I mentioned telling Jessie and some others so they could help keep an eye out. It was clear she didn’t relish the idea of sharing her story, but she didn’t fight us on it either. I had to hope this meant she was done running and was ready to fight, especially with an entire town behind her.

  “I just wish I wasn’t putting you all through this,” she said. She glanced down at her mug.

  I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. “What did we tell you last night? It’s an honor and a privilege for us to take care of you.”

  She rested her head against my chest, but kept quiet.

  I gave her ass a light slap. “Do we have to teach you another lesson?”

  She laughed at the reminder and the sound had me and Cole sharing a smile. It had been too long since we’d heard her laugh. But hopefully now that her secrets were out in the open, she could have a fresh start with us here in Bridgewater. With everything going on in her life, I knew better than to push her on that topic so soon. First, we’d deal with Brad and then we’d worry about how to make sure our woman stayed here with us for good.

  I dropped a kiss on top of her head and started to pull away. “I’d love to spend the morning with you two, but I’ve got to get to work.”

  Hannah perked up. “Can I get a ride back to town? I need to get to the diner early.”

  “You working the breakfast shift?” Cole asked, knowing it wasn’t her normal work hours.

  She shook her head. “No, but there’s someone who might be there who I’d like to talk to.”

  Her vague answer had Cole and I sharing another questioning look, but we let it drop. If she was in the diner, we had to believe she’d be safe enough. She looked so damn happy…and a little smug, like she had a secret. I didn’t like secrets much, especially with her. But she looked excited this time, not afraid.

  It wasn’t until we were driving back into town that I got her to spill. “What’s this mysterious meeting you’re heading to this morning?”

  When I looked over I saw that she was blushing and biting her lip. Now, I was really curious.

  “It might not pan out…”

  I kept quiet hoping she’d confide in me. Sure enough, a few seconds later she turned toward me, one knee on the seat, her face lit up with excitement. “Jessie told me that Dr. Murphy is retiring soon. Seems he’s looking for someone to replace him.”

  As the full meaning of that clicked, it took every ounce of willpower not to pull my SUV over to the side of the road and kiss her senseless. Hope shot through me. Doc Murphy had delivered me.
Cole, too. Hell, pretty much anyone born since 1975 in the county. He’d been wanting to retire for a few years now, at least his wife had been. She must have finally put her foot down, and the other husband in their trio had probably taken her side, wanting to move to Arizona to be near their children and grandchildren.

  I wasn’t too keen on seeing the old doctor leave, but if that meant Hannah would stay…

  “So does this mean you’re seriously considering staying in Bridgewater?”

  She looked down at her hands and then back to me. “I’m thinking about it. I mean, I can’t commit to anything yet, not until I figure out this situation with Brad and my career possibilities, but doctors are needed everywhere. Even Bridgewater.”

  I grinned over at her. All I heard was a bunch of excuses to delay the inevitable. “But you’re telling me you’d like to stay here with us?”

  She shrugged and fidgeted in her seat. Bit her lip. “If you and Cole still want me.” Her voice was soft, as if she worried the answer would be no.

  “There’s no doubt in our minds, sweetheart. You’re the one for us, we’re just waiting for you to finally see that.”

  She didn’t respond and I didn’t push her. The fact that she was going to talk to the Doc Murphy about potentially taking over his practice was a good sign. She was meant to be ours, we just had to have a little more patience.

  ***

  HANNAH

  My talk with Dr. Murphy went better than I could ever have expected. I bit the bullet and explained my situation—not a topic I wanted to repeat but once I got started I found it was easier to talk now that my secrets were out in the open. As the only doctor in town, I was sure he’d heard it all in his long service. My escape from Brad was probably nothing in comparison to some of the things he’d seen. While I’d done my fair share of emergency medicine and felt I had a level head, this man’s heart rate probably didn’t rise during a harrowing situation.

  I got the feeling he was retiring more for his wife than himself—he’d probably rather die on a house call than on a golf course in Arizona, but I discovered she, and her other husband, were ready to move on. Yes, he had a marriage with two husbands and one wife. They were everywhere!

  He loved the idea of me taking on some of his patients at his clinic to start. I’d learn the ropes, he’d slowly cut back his hours and the people of Bridgewater would get used to me, although I was infamous in the area after the whole field trach thing. We spent an hour sipping coffee—Jessie came by on occasion to wipe down the clean table next to us, blatantly eavesdropping—and talking about the possibility of me taking over completely before the holidays. They wanted to be settled and have the grandkids in their new house in Arizona for Christmas.

  It all sounded so perfect. Almost…meant to be. Except that Brad was still out there.

  I was grinning like an idiot all during my lunch shift. Amazing how my perspective on everything shifted after telling Declan and Cole the truth. Maybe I should have told them about Brad and my current situation right from the start. But I hadn’t known them then. Trust hadn’t come easily. For the first time, I wasn’t alone in this mess. I had people looking out for me and men in my life who I could trust. Who would protect me, not beat me. I couldn’t miss the way Jessie kept a close eye on me, the way everyone in the diner looked up when the bell on the door jingled. Everyone was on alert.

  Declan and Cole were picking me up for a late dinner after my shift and I couldn’t wait to tell them about my conversation with Dr. Murphy. I looked at the large clock on the diner’s wall. I had just enough time to run upstairs to my apartment and change out of my uniform before they showed up. I told Jessie where I was headed and that I’d be right back.

  Thick clouds had rolled in, a summer thunderstorm. The sun was blocked and it was dark early. The wind kicked up, swirling my hair into my face. That must have been why I didn’t see him—not at first. I was halfway up the stairs when I heard his voice—that voice—below me. “Hannah.”

  My stomach sank at the sound of my name. I stilled, my hand on the railing. My blood ran cold and my muscles tensed. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t really be here. Not now, when my life was finally starting to come together. Not the first time I hadn’t been looking over my shoulder. I’d been so stupid to let my guard down, even for a minute.

  Turning slowly, I finally saw him. He stepped out of the shadows and I could see the anger etched into his features. The tension in his body as he slowly climbed the stairs toward me. I couldn’t get away. I was too far up the stairwell to jump and his large, looming body blocked my only path of escape.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  HANNAH

  “Brad, what are you doing here?” The question was stupid, because I knew he was here for me.

  “You’ve been a bad girl, Hannah.” The look in his eyes was crazy, unstable. He’d been angry before, but not like this. Veins in his neck stood out, one even pulsed in his temple. He wasn’t wearing his uniform now, only a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. His hair was still military short, his face clean shaven, nothing to hide his roiling emotions. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find you? Stupid girl, using your first and middle name. You wanted me to find you, didn’t you? You wanted me to chase after you.”

  I’d never seen him so unhinged. While I’d been afraid he’d hurt me in the past, now I was afraid for my life. He’d come over a thousand miles for me. It had only been yesterday morning when the paper came out. He must have found me online, then got on the first plane. He hadn’t waited. No, he’d been waiting for weeks for me to mess up. And now he was here.

  Thunder rumbled in the distance. If I screamed would anyone in the diner hear? My feet were stuck as panic made my brain unable to function. Why could I cut a hole in a man’s throat without blinking an eye, but completely freak when I was in danger? Should I run upstairs and lock the door or try to call for help? No, he’d follow me in and I’d be worse off alone with him in my apartment.

  I waited too long. He reached the step below me and grabbed my arms. The feel of his rough hands, the familiar smell of his cloying aftershave—it was enough to jar me out of my fearful daze.

  I screamed and jerked away. Brad was blocking my path down to the diner where there were other people so my only option was up. I had no choice but to go to my apartment. I turned and tried to run but one of his hands caught my ankle and I fell across the stairs, my hands and knees slamming into the hardwood. I scrambled to get back up. My free leg kicked out, made contact with his shoulder.

  “You stupid bitch,” he growled, stepping higher so he was hovering over me. I could feel him press into my back, trapping me. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?”

  He grabbed a chunk of hair and pulled my head up so his mouth was next to my ear. I cried out again but the sound was weaker this time since my lungs and stomach were pressed against the stairs. The wind kicked up again, hair getting into my face. I couldn’t brush it away, my arms trapped beneath me.

  “I own you.” His breath was hot on my face.

  This was what I’d been afraid of. His obsession. Declan and Cole were nothing like this. How they behaved, often like cavemen, was not the same. I saw it now, heard the tone. Felt it. They wanted me, perhaps just as much as Brad did. But they wanted me not as an object or a thing, but as an equal. We were a trio, a threesome, that made each other stronger. Yes, they were bossy as all get out. But I liked it. Heck, I needed them to be that way. It got me out of my head. They took my worries away and replaced it with silence, with peace. With pleasure.

  “You’re mine and you always will be,” he growled.

  “No!” I shouted, trying to get him off of me, but it was no use.

  “She was never yours and never will be.” Declan’s voice came from the bottom of the stairs and the sound of it made me sob with relief. A second later, Brad was hoisted off me.

  I heard sounds of a struggle but it wasn’t until I scrambled to my feet and turn
ed around that I saw Declan and Cole beating the shit out of Brad.

  It was…god, a beautiful sight. They were here!

  Brad was still on his feet swinging but he didn’t stand a chance against my two men. Just the looks on their faces should have been enough to scare Brad off, but he was too much of an asshole to think someone might beat him. They shoved him toward the diner, then through the door. I hurried after them, stumbling once on the steps on the way down.

  I let out a choked laugh when I followed them inside. Brad lay sprawled on the floor, blood oozing from his nose and bruises already starting to form on his face. He was still conscious but had the good sense not to fight back.

  He was surrounded. Cole and Declan hovered over him, breathing heavily but otherwise they looked unhurt. They weren’t done with him. I knew if Brad stood up, they’d fight him some more. Beside them, Jessie held a frying pan raised over her shoulder ready to swing, as if it were softball season. As if that wasn’t enough, three of the diner regulars, including Dr. Murphy, had guns drawn and aimed at Brad’s head. Montana really was the Wild West. While I was used to seeing gun shots in the ER and wasn’t pro-gun, for once in my life I was happy to see all the weapons.

  This bastard would be beaten, crushed, and shot if he so much as moved a muscle.

  “Hannah, are you hurt?” Dr. Murphy asked, but his gun didn’t waver from Brad.

  “No, I’m all right,” I said, my voice shaky.

  Declan was talking into his radio, but I wasn’t listening. I was staring at the cowering, broken Brad.

  Cole left the posse to come over and take me into his arms. I hadn’t realized I was shaking until he held me close. “You’re really not hurt?”

  I shook my head. “I’m okay. Or, I will be.”

  He kissed the top of my head, gave me a gentle squeeze. “You’ll never see him again.” It felt so damn good to be in his arms, to know I was safe. To know he’d keep me safe. And he had.