Chapter Three

                Abbey had never experienced a more cramped or awkward truck ride in her entire life. Marcus was driving the single cab truck while she rode in the middle with Audrey on her lap and Julian sat against the passenger door with Tanner in his.

                She realized as they traveled down this deserted snow covered road just how hopelessly lost she had gotten herself and her children last night. If not for Marcus and Julian…..

                She shook her head to clear those thoughts. There was no point worrying about the what ifs and could have beens. She was alive and safe and so were her children. Joseph was a distant memory and would hopefully stay that way because Abbey was very tired of running. She and her children needed time to recharge.

                “There’s your damn truck,” Marcus’s gruff voice broke into her thoughts. She wondered why he was so angry when Julian seemed so pleasant. The nicer man was even bonding with her children and telling them all kinds of stories about ranch life…

                Then again these weren't really men, they were werewolves.  She really should be more frightened of that and it truthfully frightened her that she wasn’t… instead she felt almost drawn to these men and trusted them completely.

                Which of course made her a fool! Hadn’t life taught her that you could not trust?

                She forced herself to concentrate on her truck and realized it wasn’t too badly damaged but the front tires were flat and there was a bit of damage to the bumper. Thankfully the truck was an older model and solid, not a plastic piece of crumpling junk that would have been destroyed when she hit the snow bank.

                Marcus brought the truck to a stop and Julian opened his door and got out, letting in a burst of cold morning air. He sat Tanner in the seat, “I will go get your suitcases and bags,” he offered. Abbey could do little more than nod because Marcus had his hand resting against her thigh.

                She was sure it was unintentional since her thigh was resting against his shifter knob but he didn’t remove his knuckles from that sensitive area and she could feel the heat of his touch through the fabric of her jeans.

                Abbey knew what she should do. She should smack him away or at the very least pull her leg away from his hot touch but she could not. She could do little more than sit there in awe and hold her tongue inside her mouth.

                “Mommy, Julian says there’s a big park in town with monkey bars and tire swings and everything! Can we go?” Tanner asked as he tugged on her arm.

                “We’ll see,” Abbey somehow managed to reply.

                She glanced at Marcus and saw his jaw tighten so tensely that it popped as his fingers flexed. Quickly Abbey jerked her leg from his hand and looked out the windshield at Julian who was filling his hands with suitcases and bags.

                “I want Marcus to come with us,” Audrey said as she reached over and laid her hand on the giant of a man’s cheek. “He’s silly!”

                Abbey jerked her daughter away from Marcus and stared at the man in shock. He turned his gaze to her and those ice blue eyes held her captive, “You don’t have to protect her from me dammit,” he grumbled. Then he raised one large calloused finger and poked Aubrey in the nose, “And I’m not silly,” he told her with what Abbey would swear was amusement in his voice.

                Aubrey giggled, “Yes you are.”

                Abbey sat there in shock as her daughter and Marcus bonded. Her mind was reeling. Why did she trust these two men? Why did her children, who had only ever known their heavy handed father, trust these men? It wasn’t something that made sense!

                Before she could make sense of anything, Julian was tossing her things into the back of the truck and swinging open the door. He slid inside, plopping Tanner back on his lap and Abbey was once again surrounded and enveloped by their masculinity.

                “How far is it to town?” she asked, certain she was going to either hyperventilate or self-combust long before they arrived.

                “About an hour,” Julian replied. He shared an odd look with Marcus who merely shrugged and adjusted himself on the seat, grinding his hip against hers.

                The jolt of heat between her legs told Abbey it was going to be a very long hour.

***

                “You’re just fine, Abigail.” The white-haired doctor stated as he slid his pen into his breast pocket.

                “I tried to tell them both I was but they wouldn’t listen to me,” Abbey replied as she pushed herself up from the examining table and stood.

                “You are lucky the DeLuca boys found you when they did,” Doctor Harbol scolded her. “What were you thinking out in the dead of night where you had no place being with two small children? You are lucky those children were not seriously injured.”

                Abbey felt the sharp pangs of guilt deep in her heart, twisting inside her gut and making her nauseous. She thought of her children who were out in the waiting room with Julian and Marcus. She had taken them away from home to save their lives… to give them the chance to grow up without being surrounding by screaming, booze and violence and in doing so she had nearly killed them herself.  

                “How much do I owe you?” Abbey asked, eager to be out of this clinic.

                “That’s already been taken care of,” Doctor Harbol said with a wave of his hand.

                “It has?” Abbey questioned with confusion. “I haven’t paid anything….”

                “The DeLuca boys took care of it. Now get out of here and get some rest. I have never seen a woman look more tired in all my years of medicine.”

                Abbey shouldered her purse and quickly left the room, eager to be away from the doctor who was so clearly lacking in bedside manner. She walked down the brightly lit hallway and swung open the heavy door before stepping out into the crowded waiting room.

                She hated being around this many people at once. It made her uneasy and uncomfortable. Joseph had always kept her cooped up at home and beaten her if she dared go out without his permission… Her nerves began to get the better of her and Abbey felt her heart beginning to race.

                Then, across the crowded room, her eyes met Julian’s and a quiet calm settled over her. Her anxiety melted away the instant she looked into his brown eyes.

                “Mommy!” Tanner exclaimed as he ran to her and she stooped to pick him up and prop her on her hip.

                “Did the doctor give you a shot?” Audrey questioned as she skipped forward holding tight to Marcus’s hand.

                “No, he didn’t give me a shot,” Abbey replied, pulling her gaze away from Julian’s.

                “Can we go to that park now, mommy?” Audrey asked, tugging on her hand.

                “It’s awfully cold today, Audrey. I think for now we need to focus on finding a warm, safe place to sleep tonight.”

                “You’ll stay with us,” Julian spoke up.

                “What?!” Marcus and Abbey demanded in unison.

                “I can’t do that,” Abbey added with an adamant shake of her head.

                “No, she cannot. We do not need them in our home,” Marcus growled.

                “We will talk about this outside,” Julian insisted as he led them all toward the door. Abbey jerked out of his hold just as soon as they were outside the clinic and the cold wind blew against them.

                “There is nothing to talk about. I appreciate all that you have both done for me and for my children but we really must be fending for ourselves now….”

                “Marcus…” Audrey whispered as she tugged on the giant man’s hand. “Don’t you like us? Don’t you want us to stay with you? Have we been bad?”

                Marcus’s blue eyes narrowed and he shoved his hand through his wild mess of black hair, “I like you but I don’t want a bunch of goddamned kids running around my house.”

                Abbey grabbed Audrey and shoved her behind herself, “You will not speak to my daughter that way!”

                Marcus’s pale blue eyes flashed with temper, “You won’t speak to me that way!”           

                Flashbacks of her husband’s angry fists had Aubrey throwing up her arms and cowering when Marcus raised his hand.

                “Marcus!” Julian’s voice was a raging snarl and Abbey stumbled back pulling her children with her.

                Tanner’s was wide-eyed with fear and Aubrey was crying quietly. Marcus took several steps back, “Fuck, I wouldn’t have…”

                “I won’t let you hit my mommy!” Tanner exclaimed in a sudden act of bravery. “Not like my daddy did!”

                Silence fell over the five of them as Marcus stared at Abbey with a war of emotions playing in his eyes. He acted as if he wanted to reach for her but then thought better of it. He let out a growl, turned quickly and then strode away down the street.

                “Abbey, please,” Julian’s voice broke through her fear and she found his eyes and once again felt that soothing feeling. “Marcus would never hurt you. His wolf is very dominant and he struggles with that at times but he would never do you or your children any harm.”

                “I just need to go….” Abbey stopped. She had no idea where she was going to go. She had no home. She had nowhere that she could go and hide until she felt able to face the world.

                Julian’s hand wrapped gently around her elbow, “Let me take you to the hotel. You can stay there until you are feeling better and your truck is fixed.”

                “I don’t… I don’t have any money.”

                “It will be taken care of,” Julian insisted.

                “I couldn’t…..”

                “What is more important?” Julian asked as he took off his coat and draped it over Tanner who was chattering with the cold. “Your pride or a warm place to sleep?”