A home invasion took Toby Hayden’s family, all but her grandfather, away from her when she was seven. After the horrors she’d witnessed that day, Toby trusted no one.
Sebastian Gerald had recently lost his wife and child from a mob hit meant to get his attention. He had turned down their “job” offer, and they were coming for him. Laying low was the prudent thing to do.
When a man came into the bar looking for someone related to a man named Anderson, Toby knew the family, but there was no way she’d give the stranger any information. When he put his hands on her the first time, Toby warned him not to do that, but when he put his hands on her again, it was the last warning…
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Caleb was impressed with Tabby. The woman didn’t curb her opinions, and he liked that about her. Moving to be closer to her was something he didn’t think twice about. A change of scenery would be just what he needed.
Yasmine Dennis was doing her best to make it on her own. She’d been blind since she was seven and had done rather well for herself despite her disability. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time resulted in a hospital stay, and a childhood friend, Caleb Anderson, came to her rescue.
Joey Phillips was just trying to help the beautiful woman avoid a fall when he met her. Despite her surly disposition, he was intrigued. She might think she was handicapped, but all Joey saw was a beautiful woman that he desperately needed to get
Gracie Jefferies had just about enough of men in general. Starting with her lazy and demanding general manager and ending with Caleb Anderson taking over and treating her like she can’t fend for herself. She was a grown assed woman, for Christ’s sake. As far as she was concerned, that man was off his rocker.
Martin Hamilton was staying with his half-brother, Caleb. Everything going on in the house all the time was just too much chaos. Martin liked it, calm and quiet, so he decided to get out of the house for a bit to calm his thoughts.
The woman charging his way was anything but calm, but for some reason, Martin loved her spark and fire. This was one woman he wanted to get to know better….
Raven Tanner has been caring for the elderly, Glenna Pastor, for a decade. Now they are in court again to keep Glenna’s kids from removing her from the nursing home. The Pastor’s kids are unfit to care for their elderly mother. And when the judge appoints Raven as Glenna’s caretaker, the Pastor kids are having none of it. The oldest, William, decides Raven must be removed from the picture permanently.
Harlin Bently has been on his own most of his life. He isn’t coping well with it, either. When his half-brothers track him down and want him to come to stay with them, he has no reason to object. And when he is asked to sit with the pretty, unconscious attorney in the hospital, he is inexplicably drawn to her…
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Prologue
Toby cleaned off the bar while watching the game on the big screen. It was the best seat in the house unless you were at the game, she thought. While she didn’t love being a bartender, she did enjoy the perks of it. Games with people she knew. Snacks as much
as she wanted and a beer on occasion when it was a great game. The door opened down from her, and she watched as a man walked in and sat at the bar. Making her way toward him, she was surprised at how handsome he was. Not only that but since he was sitting on a barstool, he was as tall as her six foot one inches.
“What can I get you?” He said a beer and a burger. Well done, too. “Fries? Or tater salad. Or both. It’s late, so they’ll be throwing it out at the end of the shift anyway since it’s Saturday.” “Both?” Nodding, she made her way to the kitchen. Sammy said he’d get it right
up, and she pulled his beer. They had it on tap so she could watch the game that was going on while she did it. Taking his beer, he asked her if she knew someone named Anderson. “I’m on my way to finding him around here.” “First or last name?” He grinned and told her last. “There’s a couple here named Anderson. They’re an older couple.”
“No, this guy would be about my age. Late twenties to early thirties. I don’t know what he does or what he looks like.” Toby didn’t know why, but she felt alarms go off in her head.
There was no way that this guy was in his late twenties to early
thirties. She’d put him more at the top of being in his early fifties. There was graying at his temples, for Christ’s sake. “I think he’s married, though. Does that help?” “Can’t say that I know anyone that fits that. You can ask around to the others here if you want. But I don’t know.” Instead of chatting it up as she usually did, she started away. When he grabbed her arm, she looked at his hand on her. “You will
remove your hand from me, or I’m going to hurt you.”
“For detaining you?” She only nodded but didn’t move. “I want you to tell me all you know about the man that you’re lying to me about. He’s looking for his half-brother, and you’ll tell me what you know. Now, kid or else.” “You don’t want to talk to me in that tone, shithead. I’m a good deal smarter and stronger than I look. Remove your hand, or I will. You doing it will save you time in the emergency department.” Instead of letting her go, he squeezed just a bit harder.
Knowing that she was going to be carrying a bruise for a while, she smiled at him. “You were warned.”
By the time the ambulance arrived, she was serving up more beers. The one that the stranger ordered was eaten by Columbus, the old man who sat in the bar only watch the game with them. The police arrived not five minutes later. They were usually quick to respond when she called, as she handled most of the rowdy customers when
necessary. Officer Bentley, the new guy on the force, was with the second cruiser. He asked her what happened. “He touched me when I didn’t allow it.” He looked at the man on the floor and then back at her.
“I warned him to let me go. More than I do for other patrons that come
in here. But he gave me the jitters. Also, he threatened me with telling him something about your friend.” “Which one?” She told him, and he asked her what he wanted. “I mean, did he seem the type that—nah, he didn’t want money. What did he want, Toby?” “He was looking for someone that was half-brother to him. He didn’t give me a
name, but like I said, he gave me the jitters and then threatened me.” Again, she looked at the man on the floor and then back at him. “I don’t give someone a fighting chance to hurt me again.
They must have told you that about me.”“They did. But I was just thinking of how much strength it might take a person to remove someone’s arm with a hatch. No offense, but someone as slim and small as you would have to have a hidden strength you don’t let someone see.” She told him that looks can be deceiving. “They certainly can. I’m going to call my brother. I know you’re going to be closing up soon. Can you wait for him?” “Sure. I’m off tomorrow and Monday. I don’t mind waiting around.” The game ended with their team winning. Another football game in the pocket.
Soon after that, most of the patrons left, Columbus leaving her a big tip when he went out the door. The police were talking to them about what had happened. As it turned out, no one knew that she’d dealt with the man until he hit the floor screaming. They still paid little attention to him as their team was in the in-zone. Caleb showed up about twenty minutes after two. It was then that she noticed
that there was a man in the back that hadn’t left. When Caleb shook her hand, the man ambled, no other word for it, to where they were standing. It took her less time than it had Caleb to realize that the man could have been his twin. Once they hugged, big bear hugs like large men were apt to do, she watched as they sobbed over each other. When Harlin was called in, the three of them talked all over each other while they got acquainted. She went to the back room to rotate some
stock that she had planned on doing in the morning.
“Toby?” She came out of the walk-in just as Harlin joined her in the back room. It was a quarter past three now, and she was suddenly feeling her long day. “I’m so sorry about this. We got to talking and lost track of time. This is the man that the other man is looking for.”
“Yeah, I figured at much.” She locked the walk-in up and moved to the front of the bar. “I’m exhausted, so if you guys wouldn’t mind saving this until the morning, I’dgreatly appreciate it.” “What time is good for you?” She said that she didn’t sleep much, so she could be ready around seven-thirty. “How about we meet at my house and—no, that won’t work. I don’t have any furniture yet. Caleb’s home. We’ll all meet there and have some breakfast. Is that all right?”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll just need an address.” He gave it to her, and she made a mental note of it. “Great. I don’t know what else I can tell you other than what I already did, but I’ll come over. ”When they left, she locked up the bar and made her way out to her car. She was surprised to find another car in the lot other than hers and the man that she’d hurt.
When someone stepped out, she pulled her gun and nearly fell to the ground when Harlin said it was him.“Christ, I could have killed you, you fucking idiot. Who gets out of a car in the fucking dark? You don’t do that or someone might put a bullet in your head. Next time,
think.” He laughed and told her how sorry he was. “Yeah, sure. Now, why are you here?”
“We wanted to make sure that you were all right when you left.” She asked him if she looked like she was unprepared for shit like someone sneaking up on her. He laughed again. “No, as a matter of fact, you look like you could take on the world. But we did want to make sure that you got in your car safely. The police will be coming for the man’s car sometime tomorrow. I wanted to let you know that, too.”
“Thanks. I have a standing order with the police to make sure that any cars left on the lot for more than twenty-four hours they’re to be towed.” He told her that was a good idea. “Thanks. I do have them on occasion.”
“What do you do? I know that you’re more than a bartender. You have skills that I’ve only noticed tonight. You’ve been in the service, I think.” She didn’t answer him. “Or not. You don’t have to answer. But I will tell you that my sister-in-law and Caleb have connections that can find out almost anything.” “They’ll be wasting their time.” She nodded toward her car. “I’m out of here. If you think of anything else tonight, just make a note and ask me tomorrow. I’m dead, standing on my feet right now. And don’t sneak up on me again. It will get you dead.”She made her way to her car while he was still laughing. The moron was going to
get himself dead if he wasn’t careful. Toby noticed that they followed her home, too.
She did wonder what they’d think about her house. It was fucking huge, but it was all hers. Going into her home, she didn’t bother turning to see if they left. Once she was inside, she kicked off her boots and made her way to the kitchen. As usual, there were sandwiches left in the fridge for her, and she pulled the plate out and ate one of them
standing at the counter. When she was finished with the second one, she sat down at the table and read the notes that had been left for her to go over. “There you are.” Toby smiled at Ginger, the cook and chief of her home. “I thought you’d been hurt. Where have you been, young lady? Getting laid, I hope.”
“Yes, by six men. It wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be.” She tsked at her. Then told her what had happened. “I’m having breakfast with Caleb Anderson in the morning. I’m not going to bother going to sleep now, but I’ll take a nap when I get home. Have you been waiting for me? I asked you not to do that.” “I have to keep an eye on you. It was a promise I made, and you know it. ”Ginger told her that she was sorry. “I shouldn’t have said that. But I did make a promise, and I intend to keep it. How much do they know about you, honey?” “I guess they’ll do a background check. They won’t find anything, but they’ll do
it. Other than what I want them to find anyway.” Ginger told her that she’d make her some juice. “No, don’t do that. I’m going to go and work in my office for a little while.
You go back to bed. Since I won’t be here, you should sleep in. Maybe have a little fun with Herman when you guys wake up.”
“You little turd.” She was still laughing when she made her way to her office. Toby was wide awake now and didn’t think that she’d even shut her eyes. She was so hyped up right now. As she turned on her computer, she thought of what the Andersons would find.
They’d find that her parents were dead, as well as her grandma. Grandda was still around, but he wasn’t ready to face the world. He told her since the love of his life was gone. She also knew that they’d find that she was wealthy, but not anything about amounts. It cost her a great deal of money and time to make sure that no one other than
her attorney knew her net worth.
There were little things, too, that they’d find out. Like she’d been a child prodigy. But nothing to the extent of how smart she was. Nor would they find out that she had several doctorates, all of them that had served her well over her young life. At only twenty-seven, she was about as educated as anyone could ever be. Finishing up on her computer, she closed things down and went to her room, the
one that she’d been in since she’d been a child, and took a shower. After getting dressed, she was out the door at a little after seven. There was a limo in her drive that she didn’t recognize but didn’t draw her gun, waiting to see who might pop out. “You were right.” She told Harlin that she normally was. “Good to know. But we didn’t find out much about you. But Tabby, Caleb’s wife, is making another call now, so who knows. Caleb has been making notes since we left you. I have a feeling that you didn’t sleep either.”
“I don’t sleep much.” When she got into the car with him, he told her that he had checked in on the man; the name on his driver’s license said he was Richard Weed. She laughed. “So his name is Dick Weed, is it?” It took Harlin a few seconds to get what she said, and he laughed as well. “I guess I’m too sleep-deprived, or I might have gotten that sooner.” The drive to the house was smooth. She had a limo as well but rarely rode in it anymore. She much preferred to drive herself. Unless it was something important that she had to attend.“This is what we were able to find on you.” Toby didn’t bother taking the sheet of paper. “I know what you were able to find. The rest is personal.” He nodded and put the paper on the seat between them.
“What’s the big deal about knowing anything about me? It’s not like we’re going to be besties, is it? I mean, I’ve lived in this town all my life and have never once run into any of you.” “I don’t know. Honestly, I have no idea. I think that Caleb wants it because he feels like he owes you. And he did mention and discarded that you could have been
with Dick Weed in some way. Like I said, he discarded that idea right away.” She didn’t bother saying anything because there was nothing to say to him about it. “You have money. And pardon me for saying it, but I’d say that you have a great deal of it.”
Author Kathi S Barton 