Hearts on Fire 5: Loving Frankie(7)

“I don’t understand,” she whispered.

“What the fuck is going on, Lure? Who was that woman, and why did she hit Frankie?” Nate demanded to know.

Lure placed his fingers under Frankie’s chin and tilted it up toward him. He cursed. “Fuck. Damn, baby, I’m sorry she got to you. She was a raging lunatic. If we’d known she would go after you, we would have kept watch on her better in the back room,” Lure told her.

“Here’s the ice,” Mike said, handing the plastic bag of ice to Turbo, who gently laid it on her eye and face.

She tried to take it from him and hold it there, but she was shaking.

“I got it. You just relax. You’re safe with me,” he told her. She gulped. Safe with him? Who was this guy? Who did he think he was, taking control of the situation and taking care of her? She tried to move. His hand gripped her thigh a little snugger. “No. Sit still and let the ice work.”

She was overwhelmed. She felt the attraction and a sincere appreciation for the man’s good looks and chivalrous actions. She needed to get a grip. All men were sneaky, manipulative dickheads. She’d learned that the hard way. She looked away from him and focused on Lure and Charlie.

“Why did she do this?” she asked, voice cracking.

“We caught her in the back room. She was snorting coke and banging some asshole instead of working and helping you. Turns out she was selling the shit here, and that dick was her supplier. We’re taking care of it. The police are on their way,” Lure told her.

“The police are here,” Nate said and then walked away toward them as two uniformed cops and what appeared to be a detective in plain clothes arrived. Nate seemed to know them and so did the others as they greeted one another.

“Don’t worry, honey. Just keep the ice on there. We’ll take care of everything.”

Take care of everything? This is ridiculous.

“I need to get up. I have to get back to work,” she said, and Lure, Turbo, Mike, and Rye all said, “No, sit still.” She gulped, taking the ice from her eye and cheek. Rye cursed, and Turbo ran his hand along his jaw.

“You might need a paramedic to check this out or a doctor.”

“No. No I’m not. I don’t need to go. It’s just swollen from the strike of her hand. The ice will bring down the swelling. No, I’m not going. That’s stupid.” She stood up and lost her balance.

Mike wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. “All right, relax. If you don’t want to go, then I’m sure the cops can take a picture of your injuries so you can press charges.”

“Let’s bring her to my office,” Lure said, joining them again.

“No, I’m okay. I need to clean up and help with the party.”

“We got it covered, honey. Come on now. We need to look over that eye. Nate?” Lure said to him, and Nate nodded as they escorted her to the back office.

She noticed the other employees helping with the party and the guys in the bachelor party headed toward the other room. She hoped their night wasn’t ruined because of this.

Those thoughts left her mind a moment later as she felt Mike’s large, heavy hands on her waist, guiding her down the hallway. The others followed, including several police officers and a detective. But she was shocked that Nate and Rye followed, too, and took protective positions around her as if guarding her from everyone else. That gave her an odd sensation in her gut.

She was shocked at the tingling sensations she felt just from Mike’s hands on her, guiding her. She was attracted to all four of the good-looking men. When had she become needy for a man’s touch? An attractive, masculine man’s attention? She needed to clear her head. Men were pigs.

As they entered the office, it appeared all the men knew one another. Mike helped her into a chair, and she crossed her legs and held the ice in place. Nate knelt in front of her. He placed a hand on her thigh and one on the arm of the chair.

“I know a bit of first aid, sweetness. Let’s take off the ice and see how it looks, okay?”

She stared at his firm expression and absorbed his dark-brown eyes and the mature, hardened lines of his jaw, and then she inhaled his cologne. She felt an instant attraction to him, just as she felt to Mike, Rye, and Turbo. They were all older, big, muscular, and handsome, but she had been down that road before. Look what falling for the charms of an older, more experienced man had gotten her. Nearly killed.

She gulped.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine if I just ice it.” She began to lower her head, and he raised one of his eyebrows at her.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he replied firmly.

He was sexy, big, and had what appeared to be a tattoo on his neck peeking out from the collar of his button-down white shirt. She felt so tiny and fragile next to him. When he touched her chin, his thick, large fingers aroused some inner need inside of her to feel the safety and protection of such a charismatic and large man. She surely would know what it felt like to be hugged and protected in his arms.

But that couldn’t happen. She needed to put a little space between them and set these men straight.

“You should be at the party enjoying yourselves like your friends are, really. I’ll be fine, Nate,” she whispered, and his eyes seemed to brighten and show some emotion before he was serious again.

He gently lowered the ice bag and her hand. He squinted hard and kept a firm face. He turned her chin slightly.

“It’s a good one. I think the ice will keep the swelling down. But it seems Gloria was wearing a ring. It cut your skin by your eye.”

He didn’t look away as he spoke to Lure, and she didn’t look away from Nate either.

“I need a first aid kit, some ointment, and a tiny Band-Aid,” he said, and she felt his large, heavy palm caress her thigh.

The man was big and solid, like a linebacker but trimmer. This close, she could see what appeared to be a tattoo on his shoulder through the white dress shirt he wore. It must have extended from his neck then lower. She wondered what it was. She also wondered how much it hurt to get that tattoo. But a man his size with such a hard, dark look in his eyes probably never felt pain.

“I really need to get back to work,” she told him as she absorbed the gruff look on his face and the darkness of his eyes. The man looked almost haunted.

“Honey, you’re done for the night. I’ll be bringing you home once you sign the papers and press charges against Gloria.”

She locked gazes with Lure.

“Do I have to press charges? Won’t it be enough that she was selling drugs here and that she got fired?”

Nate squeezed her thigh.

“Definitely not enough. She assaulted you, Frankie. That’s unacceptable.”

She instantly felt on edge, nervous and intimidated. The man was so forceful and disciplinary. It was as though he was giving an order, and she needed to comply. A bunch of thoughts went through her head, including telling him to mind his own business, but then Lure spoke up.

“You can fill everything out and then decide. But as far as tonight is concerned, you’re done.”

“But I need to work.” She wrung her hands together. She was embarrassed and looked away from Nate and to Lure.

“I need to. I’ll be fine, Lure. Really.”

Nate released his hold and stood up just as Frankie put the ice down and stood. Her eye and cheek throbbed, and she teetered a moment getting up so quickly.

These men all made her nervous, including Charlie and Lure.

Nate held her, steadying her, and she heard him curse under his breath. It sounded like he’d called her stubborn.

“I don’t think you’ll need to work for the next month. Not with the tips the guys left you, and considering you didn’t get any help, it’s all yours, Frankie. You can afford to take tonight off,” Charlie said as he walked into the room.

“I’ve got the paperwork ready, miss,” the officer told her as he came to stand by Mike and Rye.

She felt Nate’s hand glide along her lower back nearly to her ass, and then he released her.

“Sign the papers and we’ll get you home.”

She was shocked as she looked from him to Charlie and Lure.

“Nate?” Charlie said his name as if questioning him about him saying he would take Frankie home.

She answered the officer and signed where he told her to but listened to the conversation behind her.

“She’s our responsibility, not yours.”

“Says who?” Nate replied to Charlie.

‘”You fucking just met her.”

“And your point is what? I’m taking her home. Is there a problem? Is she yours? Are you claiming her?”

She didn’t know what was going on. What were they talking about, claiming her? She didn’t belong to anyone. She was far from belonging to a soul. In the back of her mind, she recalled some things she’d heard around town. Comments pertaining to the way certain men protected their women. Then she thought about the ménage relationships, and her belly tightened so quickly she thought she might lose it. Were these men trying to stake a possession or claim on her?

“What’s going on?” Frankie asked, on the defensive as she handed the pen to the officer and turned toward Nate, Charlie, Lure, and Turbo. Then she felt Rye and Mike each place a hand on her shoulder.