Two for Tamara (9 page)

“Rafe, Vin, this is Remi, my oldest brother, and this one”—she punched the slightly smaller man in the side—“is my brother Leon. Guys, these are my friends Rafe and Vin.”

“Holy sheot, sis. Where the hell’d ya get boys that big?” Leon said in his fake Texas twang.

Tamara elbowed him in his gut. “Do not pull that dumb hillbilly act, Leon Mejia, or so help me I’ll tell mama.”

Remi held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Remi.”

Rafe shook first, followed by Vin. He wasn’t surprised to feel the strength in Tamara’s brother’s grip, nor see the protective stance. Leon held his hand out next, all goofy pretense erased.

“Have a seat.” Rafe indicated the table they’d just left.

Leon grinned, displaying white teeth. There was no denying they were all related with their dark hair, dark eyes, and olive complexion. If Rafe was to guess he’d say Remi was around six foot four, while Leon was maybe an inch shorter. After a brief scan of Tamara’s memories, he also knew they were both career military and were home on leave by coincidence only.

It struck him that Tamara’s brothers were only a few years older than she was.

“So…how long you been screwing our baby sis?” Leon asked in a low voice.

Vin, closest to where Leon sat, had him by the throat and against the wall before Rafe could protest, not that he had any plans to do any such thing. He did, however, blur the area from the humans who may be in the vicinity while keeping Tamara out of the fight.

Rafe kept a close eye on her other brother Remi while holding onto his Fated.

“Let me go. He’s going to kill my brother.”

“Non. He will not kill no one,” Remi murmured around a toothpick.

The Cajun accent was a little thicker than Rafe had heard before. He wondered who he was so sure wouldn’t hurt who. Tamara’s brother lifted dark brown eyes to meet his across the table. Inside his head, where only a few other than the Ravens had ever been able to speak to him, he heard as clear as a bell,
“Why, Vin of course. My brother is a tough mother, but I know who I’d put my money on.”

“What the fuck are you?”

“We are her brothers. Now. What are you?”

Rafe sealed every part of his walls that would allow anyone or anything into his mind. He knew Vin had heard his and Remi’s conversation.

“Vin, I think Tam would be very upset if you hurt her brother. Put the jackass down,” he stated firmly. Leon had the smarts to at least keep his trap shut.

Once Vin dropped Leon, Rafe allowed Tamara to go where Vin was now squatting next to Leon, who was rubbing his throat. “If you ever disrespect your sister like that again, brother or no I’ll kick your ass. You feel me? You owe her an apology.”

Leon rubbed at his throat. “Sorry, sis. But damn, did you have to take me up to your gargantuan height?”

Tamara smacked Leon in the side of the head. “Don’t you know how to keep your mouth shut? Gah…You drive me to drink.” She turned to face Vin. “And you.” Tamara wacked him on the back of his head too, then stood and stomped back to the table. “You’ll both drive me to drink.”

Rafe watched as Vin rubbed his head and held his hand out to Leon, who accepted the help up. By the time they reached the table they’d come to an understanding, but Rafe wasn’t so sure about the brothers.

“Rafe? Were they, or were they not just trying to kill each other not two minutes ago?” Tamara’s eyes had narrowed on the two goofballs of the group.

He shrugged his shoulders. “That’s how we handle things. Knock the shit out of each other. Pick our asses up and shake hands. Usually it’s all good after that.”

A very un-ladylike curse spilled from her lips, causing Remi to sit up a little straighter. She turned to him and pointed her finger at him. “You are the smart brother right?” She waited for Remi to nod. “Then you tell dumb and dumber no more fighting.”

As her oldest brother tried his best not to grin, Rafe picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip to hide his own mirth. He listened with half an ear while filling Vin in on the fact of Tamara’s brother being telepathic. When Vin explained how Leon had spoken to him the same way Remi had, Rafe wasn’t all that shocked. The military had branches that used people with extraordinary talents. He wondered if the Mejia boys were part of those groups and if Tamara was aware.

“So what are your plans now, sis? I know you and Selena opened a club in Kansas City. Mama said she got hitched to, um, a couple of twins.” Remi looked between the three of them. “You two don’t look like twins, brothers maybe, but I need to know what’s up between the three of you.” He folded his hands on the table.

Rafe admired the man’s courage and respected his wish to know what was going on with his baby sister, but some things were meant to be kept private.

“Selena is great, and yes she is most definitely hitched to not one, but two very wonderful men.” She shot Vin a look when he growled at her use of wonderful men. “Oh, hush.”

“Why were we not invited to our adopted sister’s wedding?” Leon asked.

Tamara’s eyes looked to Rafe for answers. “It was a small, private affair,” Rafe said smoothly.

Remi hummed. Leon’s eyes narrowed to slits. If Rafe had any doubts these two men were more than they appeared, they had just confirmed for him exactly what he’d already suspected. The gentle probes against his mental blocks were so subtle he was sure most humans never would’ve known someone was looking inside their minds, but Rafe wasn’t human. Nor was he going to allow anyone, not even Tamara’s kin, to mind-fuck him. He sent a wave through the path they’d tried to probe his mind with. Both men’s eyes widened for only a second, and small beads of sweat popped out on their foreheads.

Leon was the first to pull back, followed by Remi with a grimace.

“I’m going to stay with mama until she’s released. How long are you both in town this time?” Tamara said, unaware of the internal battle the four men waged.

Rafe almost felt sorry for the Mejia boys. To him the thirty-one and thirty-year-old men were just that, boys. The Earth hadn’t even been divided up by mankind when he and the other Ravens were sent down from Olympus.

Tamara glanced toward her brothers and then back to him and Vin. “Are you okay, Remi?”

“
Oui
,” Remi choked out.

He could hear Vin’s laughter in his ears. “
Don’t hurt the boys too bad, our woman would never forgive you
.”

The slight nod from Remi was the final push he needed to pull back. He didn’t want to damage his Fated’s family, but appearing weak wasn’t something he was prepared to do either.

Tamara didn’t realize it but she was caught in the middle of two sets of very alpha males. Her brothers loved her as only siblings do. But Rafe and Vin loved her as only true mates. They’d give up their lives, their very souls for her. She was their Fated. The need to complete the bond pounded inside his head and heart.

His fear that something would happen to her when he and Vin weren’t around made him very volatile, even more so than usual. He’d been conned into helping the Forsaken, knew he’d given a part of himself to a woman who didn’t deserve it, but the lives he’d saved were worth his loss. But he wouldn’t lose Tamara.

“Well, all right then. Let’s get you back to your mama.” Vin slapped the table.

Leon made a face behind Tamara’s back, causing Remi to roll his eyes. Rafe stayed back, letting Vin and Tamara lead the way.

“We would never hurt our sister. See that you don’t either. Even with your abilities, I will come for you,” Remi promised in a low whisper.

Rafe grinned at Remi. “Good to know. And just so you know, she’s ours.”

Remi groaned and Leon slapped his forehead with his palm. “This is the universe cursing us, isn’t it,” Leon pointed out.

“You realize that you two make no sense at all, right?” Rafe shook his head.

Leon’s look was positively mischievous. “Non, it’s best to just leave some things a mystery.”

* * * *

Tamara had offered them her home while she slept in a recliner in her mother’s hospital room. She’d expected one or both of them to take her up on the offer. Instead they took turns waiting outside in the waiting room. Between them and her brothers she was completely surrounded by testosterone. In the past that would have sent her running to the hills, but now it gave her a sense of security. For the first time she let her guard down, knowing her men had her back. And her front.

She snickered.

“How’s
mi bebe
?” Maria Mejia asked.

“Mama, how are you feeling? Do you want me to call your nurse?”

Her mother placed her palm over Tamara’s hand. “I will be fine. Calm yourself.”

She bit her lip. “You scared me.” Tears threatened to choke her. She ducked her head to hide her face. “I can’t lose you, maman.”

Brown eyes very much like her own stared at her with so much compassion and love.

“Go home and get some rest. Please.”

She opened her mouth to say no. The sound of the door swishing open brought her focus to the nurse and doctor walking in, followed by her oldest brother Remi.

Remi slung his arm around her shoulders. “Listen to maman, Tamara. You know it’ll only put more stress on her if she’s worried about you too.”

Her mother sniffed. “Of course I would worry. Now both of you give me a kiss and shoo.” Her mother flapped her arms.

Tamara and Remi both laughed at the doctor, who rolled his eyes.

“Your mama has one of the strongest wills and hearts I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Now all she needs is some rest, a change in diet, and she will be fine.” His smile was warm yet stern.

Maria Mejia made an extremely rude noise. Remi laughed while the doctor made some notes on his electronic device.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, letting her breath out slowly. “I’m not too sure about any of this. Why can’t I stay with you, and then tomorrow if you get released, we’ll go home together?”

Her mother’s smile faded. “Tamara, I want you to get some rest. When tomorrow comes, we have much to discuss.”

That was a conversation she didn’t think she was going to like from the tone of her mother’s voice. Her brother Leon knocked briefly on the door, before he too entered.

* * * *

After the doctor repeated what he thought was best for their mother’s care, Tamara clung to the hand without the IV attached to it. The nurse had given her mother something to help her sleep, and while she’d promised to go home, she wasn’t sure she had the strength to get up and go.

Rafe and Leon had left, promising to come back in the morning to help with getting their mother home.

She felt alone, until the heat of her two men permeated the cold, threatening to seep into her bones.

Standing, she turned into the waiting arms of Rafe. His arms hugged her hard. He was just what she needed with his wide shoulders and deep chest. Vin pressed against her back. They held her quietly, as if they knew she needed a moment.

Vin turned her in his arms and held her at arm’s length, looking her over, a concerned expression on his too-handsome face. “You ready to go home,
agape mou
?”

She hugged him. “Yes.”

Sandwiched between two gorgeous men was as close to heaven on earth she was sure to get, and she was getting used to knowing when they did what she was now calling in her head
wonky stuff.
To them it was probably as natural as breathing, but she paid attention to the tiniest details and realized she could see things blur seconds before and after they materialized.

One day soon she was going to have to share with them her premonition, but for tonight, she wanted it to be about the three of them.

Her body already knew them, knew the pleasure they could give her, and wanted it.

A tugging sensation on her scalp brought her focus to Rafe. He stroked one hand down her back, making her arch closer. His mouth feathered kisses over her forehead, down her temple to nip at her ear. “Let us love you, Tamara, together.” His head lifted, waiting for her.

Heat rushed through her at the implications of his words. Could she handle both men at the same time? She felt Vin’s breath on her neck, causing her to shiver and press closer to Rafe.

“Yes!” The word set off a domino effect on her two Ravens. Rafe rubbed the iron-hard, thick wedge of his cock against her stomach, while Vin turned her head to face him. Her head tilting back at an angle for him, he began a series of deep, drugging kisses.

Vin lifted his head. “Naked. Now!”

“What?” She shook her head.
His kisses really should be illegal.

Rafe claimed her mouth for his own brand of kissing. Goddess, she swore they were trying to enslave her without even claiming her. Rafe’s lips sipped at hers, nipped, only to lick the ache away with soothing laps of his tongue.

“I agree with Vin,” Rafe said.

Tamara expected the slow strip like the times before, but as she was reaching for the hem of her shirt, it, along with all their clothing, disappeared.

“Well that’s pretty darn handy.” She giggled.

“I need to taste you, baby.” Rafe’s tongue licked against his lower lip. He could already taste her there.

He looked over to Vin, seeing the same love and determination to make this the most enjoyable experience for Tamara. They’d see to her pleasure before either of them attempted to find release, even if it meant strangling their own dicks. Vin’s chuckle in his head made him smile.

“You two quit talking about me. It’s rude.” Tamara folded her arms over her breasts.

Vin walked up behind her, undid her arms, and licked her neck. “We were just deciding who got to taste you first. I was just reminding him we can share.”

Rafe admired the picture she made with Vin holding her arms against her sides, her neck arched to the side, looking up at him. He couldn’t wait to taste the sweet cream coating her thighs.