Chapter Six
Mina tried to keep busy stocking shelves and evade Mr. Lewis. She was also ignoring the smirks on the faces of the girls who pulled the prank on her the night before. She wanted to yell at them, but she hated confrontation of any kind.
She’d only been at the store for an hour and could already feel the beginnings of a massive headache.
She knew part of it was depression from not seeing her father, lack of sleep, and the stress she’d been under the night before, but add to it the fear and anxiety she felt around her manager, and it was too much for her system to take without repercussions.
She looked toward the back of the store. She desperately wanted to run into the employee lounge to get some aspirin but was afraid Mr. Lewis would corner her.
Fortunately, the dilemma with her manager was taking her mind off Jon and Koa.
As hard as she tried, she couldn’t get them out of her head the previous night.
She’d dreamed about both the night before.
Vivid dreams that had her waking up achy and full of passion.
Her breasts hurt with the need for their hands and mouths, and her panties had been saturated with her cream.
Just thinking about them at any time made her body ready itself for them, even when she tried to fight it. She’d never had this happen and didn’t know how to deal with it. She’d had a few boyfriends, but they never made her feel the way the men did—protected, beautiful, and like a woman.
What bothered her the most was that she wasn’t more attracted to just one. Both brought out feelings of desire in her and left her body deprived of their presence and touch.
She looked right and then left. She couldn’t hold off any longer.
Her headache was going to turn nasty anytime, and then aspirin wouldn’t even help.
She cautiously walked toward the lounge.
She sprinted when she got close enough and breathed a sigh of relief when she got to her locker.
She rummaged through her purse for what she needed.
A feeling of revulsion and panic hit when the manager came to stand right behind her. She knew it was him from the strong cologne he wore. He stood close enough that she could feel his breath on the top of her head and his body heat against her back.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I’ve been busy, and now I’m just trying to get some aspirin for my headache.”
“No need to rush, dear. The store is pretty quiet right now. We could go into my office, and you could lay down for a bit.”
“Sir, you’re making me very uncomfortable right now. Can you please move back?”
Mr. Lewis swept the loose hairs off her neck.
She gritted her teeth. “I shouldn’t be back here this long. Everyone is going to notice.”
“I think we can come up with a way to be together. Don’t you?”
“No, sir. I really have to get back to work.”
“I’m the manager, dear. I make the rules.”
“I don’t want you to touch me,” she cried out softly as tears slid down her cheeks.
“If you like your job...” the manager said and then stopped abruptly.
She stayed frozen. She felt him suddenly back off, and he wasn’t talking or touching her, but she didn’t trust him. A sob caught in her throat when a warm hand gripped her shoulder.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
Her heart jerked at the sound of a voice she never thought she’d hear again. Wishful thinking, she surmised, because of the dreadful situation she was in, and the only time she’d felt safe was with them.
****
Jon gently turned her to face him. When he caught sight of the pain and terror in her face, he wanted to kill the man. He used his thumbs to wipe away her tears.
A gasp caught in her throat at the sight of Jon. The fear dissipated. With a cry, she crumbled against his chest, clutched his arms as great sobs tore from her mouth. Jon kissed the top of her head as he pulled her closer to his chest.
“You will never have to deal with that bastard again.” He tightened his grip on the back of her head when she tried to see what was happening on the other side of the room.
He didn’t want her to see Koa in a rage, with his hand wrapped around her boss’s neck and lifted against the wall.
The guy’s feet were several inches above the floor.
Jon noticed the man turning a dark shade of blue.
Jon sighed. “Hey, Koa, you might want to let up a bit. Remember, we decided to stay out of jail.”
A long moment passed before Koa could pull back his rage enough to see the man’s face. “Fuck!” Koa said and dropped the man and watched him crumble to the floor.
The manager clutched his neck with both hands as he choked and struggled to get his breath back. He flinched away when Koa crouched beside him.
“Listen carefully, you sick fuck. You’re going to quit your job right now and move at least a thousand miles away. I don’t want the chance of her ever seeing your face again.”
“But—”
“No buts, you bastard, we will have one of our men keep tabs on you until we’re satisfied. If we find out you’re not doing what we’re asking, that man will bring you to us, and then we’ll cut you up in so many little pieces, no one will be able to find you.”
Mr. Lewis started crying.
“Did you hear me?” Koa growled.
The guy nodded and violently flinched away when Koa stood.
****
Koa walked to where Jon held Mina and was whispering soothing words in her ear.
He wrapped his arm around her from behind.
Koa pressed his lips to the side of her head and closed his eyes.
He was never going to get the picture of her terrified and that man touching her out of his mind.
He couldn’t remember being this angry before in his life.
Koa looked at Jon over her head. “Let’s get her out of here.”
Jon nodded. “Let’s get your stuff, baby, and then Koa and I will take you home.”
Mina took a step back, bumping into Koa’s chest and wiping her eyes. They helped her empty her meager belongings into a cloth bag she brought with her every day. She stopped them as they moved her to leave.
“Wait for a second,” she said and turned. She walked over to the manager as he cowered on the floor and kicked him in the side.
“You’re a bad man, and Karma will get you back for the things you’ve done.” She kicked him one more time, turned, and ran back to the men.
Jon chuckled and shook his head. “Remind me never to piss you off.”
She pushed her hair off her face, sniffed, and tried to smile. “You better believe it.”
Koa caught the flash of pain she tried to hide from them. He surmised it was a headache from her sensitivity to light and how she had touched her temples a few times. Once they got back to Sanctuary, where they had the third floor as their living space, they’d take care of her.
Both men led her out of the lounge. Koa had an arm curled around her waist, and Jon had one of her hands.
They stopped when they noticed the group of people gathered right outside the door.
The two girls Mina worked with, a younger boy who worked there, and a few customers, stood frozen and staring at them in shock.
“Everything’s okay, folks,” Koa said and raised a hand. “Go on about your business.”
Everyone reluctantly started to move away.
“Except you two,” Jon growled at Karina and Teresa.
The girls stopped and waited. Their eyes slid from one of the three to another. Shock was apparent in their expressions.
“You both are never to come to the Sanctuary again...”
“What! Why?” Karina asked.
“We know what you did to Mina. You’re both malicious little bitches, and we don’t allow that type of person in our establishment.”
Teresa looked at him in shock. “What is she doing with you now?”
“We like spending time with her,” Koa replied. He wasn’t about to tell them she was theirs, and if they had their way, she was never leaving them. “Also, your manager will be leaving. He quit, so call the owner and inform him of the development.”
The girls stood stunned as the three started to walk away.
“But what are you going to do with Mina?” Teresa asked.
Koa stopped and turned. “She’s with us now.”
The girls glanced at each other in confusion.
“What do you mean?” they asked together.
“She’s ours,” Jon stated bluntly. “We’ll be taking care of her from now on.” He turned and started to move away again.
“Why would you pick a fat, timid cow over someone like us?” Karina hissed in outrage.
Koa stalled and turned back to them. He waited until Jon and Mina were farther away before he focused on them. They both took a step back at the fury on the man’s face.
“Because she’s a beautiful woman, inside and out, and you two are pitiful, vengeful bitches that no man will ever want if you don’t change.”
He ignored their gasps of outrage, grinned, and started to walk backward.
“By the way, we should be thanking you. We would never have met her if it weren’t for you two.
” He saluted them and followed Jon and Mina through the store.
He listened as Jon talked to her about ordinary things, trying to make her laugh.
At the checkout, he grabbed a bottle of water and aspirin and dropped a twenty-dollar bill to take care of the cost and chased after them.
Now was the beginning of the rest of their lives, and he didn’t want to miss a second of it.