“Anytime, sweet thing.” He smirked at Abby. “I told you she’d want to see me.”

Abby rolled her eyes at Lindsey. “We were coordinating schedules at Dark Haven when Xavier called. Dix wanted to be sure you were all right.”

Lindsey bit her lip. Xavier hadn’t even talked to Abby before offering the duplex. “I’m really sorry Xavier just kind of dumped me on you. But I’ll pay rent starting today and—”

“Oh hush. My liege has laid down a decree. Do you want to get me in trouble?”

“I—”

“Seriously, I agree with him. My liege won’t let me pay for anything these days, so I’m not hurting financially. Take the duplex for a month, and we’ll talk, okay?”

Charity. It rubbed on a person like a wool saddle blanket. And yet, she did need to get away from her other apartment. “Thank you.”

“Now, you’d better sit down before you fall down.” Abby tugged out a chair at the dining room table and motioned for her to sit. “We’ll play helpless females and let the guys unload the car.”

“Forget the female stuff. We’ll let the Doms unload.” Dixon sat as well, bouncing once in glee. “You two missed the fun last weekend. Like HurtMe pitching a hissy fit at johnboy. He thinks johnboy trespassed on his personal territory when he—”

Drowning out Dix’s voice, Xavier and deVries clumped into the house, carrying another load. Only half listening to the gossip, Lindsey slouched in the chair and watched the men work.

On the next trip, Rona followed them in and walked through the archway to the dining area. Hands on hips, she gave Lindsey a thoughtful perusal. “The way you’re moving your head says you have a headache.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in administration?”

“Nurses never stop being nurses. Did you take anything?”

“Uh-uh.” Lindsey shook her head…carefully. “Isn’t that stupid? I can’t believe I’m sitting here hurting and didn’t even think of it.”

Rona opened her purse. “I have ibuprofen.”

Dixon jumped up. “I’ll get water.”

By the time she’d taken the pills and settled back, the men—who now included Simon—had finished unloading the few boxes. With every trip, she’d felt deVries’s gaze land on her, as if he thought she’d drop dead if he didn’t keep an eye on her.

When Simon walked over, Lindsey frowned. “I’m sure there’s a rule somewhere that a boss isn’t supposed to help his secretary move.”

He didn’t even smile. “There is. However executive administrators’ assistants are in an entirely different category of regulations.”

Rona snorted. “In fact, according to Simon, the rules are the boss has to order the pizza.”

“I never buck the regs.” Simon glanced at his watch. “Pizza and drinks should arrive any time.”

Pizza? “You guys…” Lindsey’s eyes filled; her shoulders began to shake. No, no, no. No crying. Because if she started, she’d never stop. Blinking hard, she sucked in a breath and pushed the weakness away. “Thank you, Simon.”

“My pleasure, pet.” He frowned as his gaze skimmed over her face; then he walked over to talk to Xavier.

Rona disappeared into the kitchen.

A clinking noise made Lindsey turn. DeVries was coming in the front, tossing his car keys from hand to hand.

Lordy, why did he have to be the one to stampede her hormones? Taken piece by piece, he didn’t seem as if he should be so compelling. The cropped hair was meh. His face looked more battered than handsome. His body—well, okay, his build was even better than any superhero’s. In fact, he was kind of like a really deadly Thor. She sure couldn’t forget what his naked body felt like against her and exactly how rock hard each muscle was.

Gaze fixed on her, he prowled across the room, much like an Anatolian guard dog checking out a potential threat. He went down on his haunches beside her chair. “I’m going to give you some time to get settled in.”

The way his thigh muscles bunched under his thin jeans was mesmerizing. “Uh-huh.”

He unhurriedly ran a finger down her uninjured cheek. “Another day or so, we’ll have dinner and talk.”

Wait. Dinner? She snapped back to the conversation. No way. She pushed his hand away from her face. “DeVries—”

“Zander.” His fingers curled around hers.

God, he was more stubborn than an oak stump. “Listen, I understand why you were unhappy with me, but it’s better if we leave well enough alone.”

“I’m not much on leaving well enough alone.”

“I am. Friends and that’s it.” She gave his hand a firm shake and let go. “Thank you for the rescue.”

Unreadable gray-green eyes simply looked at her for a prolonged minute. Without another word, he rose and walked out the front door.

She’d won.

So why did it feel like she’d lost?

“Holy fag-fucking-doodles,” Dixon breathed. “Did the Enforcer just make a move on you?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Mmmhmm.”

Abby didn’t speak, but her brows drew together as she glanced at the door.

“Well, I gotta get my ass in gear. My shift starts in an hour.” Dixon kissed Lindsey’s cheek and rose. “If you need anything, sweet cheeks, you give me a call.”

“I will. Thank you for coming over.” God, having friends was…was the best thing in the world.

As Dixon left, Simon helped Lindsey to her feet. “Rona is setting up so we can eat outside. What would you like to drink?”

Right about now, her mama would be making margaritas. The unexpected sweep of homesickness shook her. I want to go home. “Anything is fine.”

Simon led her to the patio with Abby following. Xavier had pushed the two patio tables together and was arranging the chairs while Rona set the table.

Lindsey looked around in amazement. The backyard of this side of the duplex was fenced-in and lush with autumn blooms. It reminded her of the gardens shown in fairy-tale books.

Abby opened the cooler set by the door. “Want a beer?”

The desire to say yes ensured her answer. “No. Not today. A diet soda, please.”

Simon lifted an eyebrow. “You sure?”

“If I drink when I’m anxious, I get more scared.” And since last spring, she’d rarely felt safe. She gave him a crooked smile. “It’s not worth it.”

With a start, she realized Xavier was watching her. “Sounds as if you’ve been afraid before today,” he murmured. “Why is that, pet?”

Oh shit. When would she learn she couldn’t blabber? Especially around men like Xavier and Simon, who actually listened. Even deVries displayed Dom-focus. “You know how it is… A nasty husband can leave bad memories.”

His skeptical expression was worrisome, but at least he didn’t ask more questions. Maybe because she looked so battered or maybe because she wasn’t his submissive to interrogate. Either way, thank you, little baby Jesus.

“As long as it’s only memories.” Simon’s dark brows were together. “If not, I expect you to call me. You’ll dial 9-1-1 if you need to, correct?”

Whoa, there was the perfect lead-in to what she needed to know. “Sure. On the other hand, I’ve heard not all law enforcement officers are trustworthy. Of course, maybe that’s only a Texas problem. Is California better?”

“Doubtful,” Rona said. After serving Simon, she put a piece of pizza on a plate and set it in front of Lindsey. “They recently indicted two customs agents for taking bribes.”

Dammit. “Well, there you go,” she said glumly. “Can’t nobody be trusted.”

“It seems so, doesn’t it? However some occupations are more trustworthy than others.” Xavier seated his wife and sat down beside Lindsey. “Like social workers. Simon said you have an MSW in social work with a small amount of experience and no credentials.”

She gave Simon a frown. “Do y’all gossip about me all the time?”

“In spare moments, child. You’re too young to take up much time.”

Under his amused gaze, she could only laugh and turn back to Xavier. “That’s right. Why?”

“I could use someone with your background in Stella’s Employment Services.” Xavier leaned back in his chair, studying her. “You’d help match up women with jobs and point them toward new career choices.”

She nodded. She could do that.

“There would be a small amount of travel to women’s shelters for the same type of assistance. In fact, a friend has requested Stella’s for a shelter she recently acquired.”

“I don’t have a license—”

“That’s not a concern. The shelters have clinical psychologists on staff. Even so, we’ve found filling out applications and looking for work can be more emotional than you’d expect.”

Oh, she knew all about emotional. Realizing a life was not only ripped up, but years were lost, never to be replaced. Childhood dreams didn’t always make it into the future. “I understand completely.”

A smile flickered on his hard lips. “I thought you might. Want the job?”

She wanted to jump all over an acceptance, but… She gave him a suspicious look. “This isn’t a makeshift offer to keep Abby from nagging at you?”

“She hasn’t nagged me since I hung a ball gag by the bed.”

From Abby came a muttered nasty word.

After kissing the top of Abby’s head, he gave Lindsey a level look. “It’s not makeshift work. I can use you if you’re up for it. And, quite honestly, I think you’d be excellent.”

Her smile couldn’t be restrained. “In that case, yes. Yes, yes, yes.”

***

“…and then I’ll cut her up so bad that even in hell, Victor will hear her screams.” The knife came down on her thumb. Cut deep. The pain…

Lindsey jerked awake, hearing her screams echoing inside the room—no, not the room, inside her head. God, God, God.

Gasping for breath, she fumbled beside her pillow, found the lamp, and turned it on. The bare room took form around the pile of bedding she’d used for her bed. No Travis. No knife. She was in San Francisco. In Abby’s duplex.

With a shuddering breath, she struggled to a sitting position and forced herself to look down. The ancient secondhand flannel shirt was white and blue and damp with only sweat—she wasn’t covered in Victor’s blood.

Her thumb—she flexed her fingers—was fine. Okay. Okay. Just a dream.

As her breath hitched, she laid her head on her knees…and cried.

Eventually, she realized light was seeping under the curtains onto the glossy hardwood floor. Dawn had arrived. Thank you, God. The door to the bedroom was closed, the dining room chair she’d carried upstairs was still shoved under the handle. And the idea of opening the door made fresh sweat break out on her palms.

She could almost see her daddy make a c’mon gesture with his hand. “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway,” he’d always tell her—and she’d tease him about watching too many John Wayne movies. Except, who knew? Maybe there was a section of heaven for old cowboys.

Saddle up, girl. Picking up her tiny pocketknife, she rose, feeling every bruise from yesterday’s fight. Her cheek hurt, her hip, her arm. Once steady on her feet, she grasped the chair and set it away from the door. Her skin prickled with nerves as she opened the door. She went through every single room in the place. And found nothing.

There was no Travis Parnell lying in wait with a knife. No Ricks hiding in a closet. No gang outside on the patio.

By the time she finished, she was trembling, her insides hollowed, her bones toothpick fragile. Sinking down on the steps, she leaned against the railing. Hell of a way to start a morning.

After a few minutes, she straightened. Time to set up her computer and make coffee. She could shower when she wasn’t feeling so antsy.

Later, the movers would come. Damn and bless Xavier. She smiled ruefully. After everyone left yesterday, she’d found a note propped on the kitchen counter. Movers are scheduled to arrive with your furniture tomorrow at ten. Don’t bother to argue; I won’t listen. Xavier.

Overprotective, managing Doms were something else. She huffed in exasperation, recalling when Rona and Abby had helped transport her furniture to the storage unit, she’d given Abby the spare key…and now Xavier had it. Sneaky, wonderful friends.

The secondhand furniture she’d bought last summer would look nice here. Her white linen couch and chairs should go well with the delicate floral wallpaper, whitewashed fireplace, worn needlepoint carpet in the living room. Maybe she could bring in some houseplants. With a pang of grief, she thought of the multicolored African violets at Victor’s city house, and the spider and snake plants at the ranch. “And how are my spiders and snakes today?” she’d ask them. Had they all died?