Bear it All (2 page)

“I will for now, but know this, as soon as
big
brother
passes out…I will be coming for you.” He released his hold on her, shoving her back to the stove. Cece shook with fear. He was serious, and there was nothing and no one who would come to help her. She could call Travis, but he would kill Billy and all the others. Didn't matter anyway since he was out of town. She went back to work and saw something out of the corner of her eye that caught her attention. She spotted the pill bottle of pain meds she had from the last time she was hurt and went to the clinic. She stopped stirring the sauce to drop the pasta in the pot. Moving quietly, she looked into the living room and found everyone was still sitting down watching the game. She would normally never do anything like this, but she didn’t know what else to do. If she didn’t act, Donald would assault her in her bed, in her house. Grabbing the pill bottle, she was happy to see that most of them were there. She then grabbed the cutting board she used for the onions and other vegetables, setting the pills down. Finding a coffee cup, she held it over the pills and pressed down, crushing them into a powder. It took a little longer than she expected, but soon she had added the powder of eleven pills into the tomato sauce. Making sure no one would suspect anything she made a quick salad to go with dinner. Billy always said she was chunky, so he wouldn’t second-guess her only eating it. Inwardly smiling, she was happy it couldn’t be smelled, and she hoped it couldn't be tasted. Pulling the pasta out of the water, she mixed the two together, set out plates and forks, then called for dinner being done.

Billy was the first in and looked at her. “Took you long enough.” He grabbed a plate and dished his own without so much as a 'thank you' before heading out with another beer in his hand. The other four men did the same, not even looking at her. When everyone was done, she was ecstatic to see that most of the food was gone. Dishing a salad on her plate, she sat down at the dining room table to eat. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a book to read and ignored the men who drove her insane.

“Billy, you never said you had a hot little sister.” She turned to look at Billy who wasn't paying any attention to her. “We may have to work something out, because I am itching to try her. I’ll even pay.” Cece blanched at the man's comment. Was Billy really thinking about pimping her out?

“I don’t know. Cece, what do you say? Wanna make me some money?” Billy said laughing at her.

Shaking her head, she rose from the seat to leave. She made her way to the kitchen when someone grabbed her arm. “Did I say you could leave? I am in charge and you are best to remember that.”

“Yes, I’m sorry, Billy. Can I leave now? I am rather tired and have to work tomorrow before I head to Millie’s house.” Normally he would say okay and let her go, but something in his stare felt like he was shooting daggers at her.

“No, you can’t see your friends. They are bad for you. I am all you need, no friends.”

“Billy, come on, I’m not doing anything reckless, and we are just going to a dinner. That's all.”

“I said no,” and with that he smacked her across the face. She stood there stunned as blood trickled from her split lip, and then he hit her again. However, he wasn’t done it seemed. She closed her eyes as he punched her in the face, causing her to fall to the floor. A swift kick to the ribs and Cece’s eyes welled with tears. She heard the familiar sound of his belt and the blows soon followed. One after another as he beat her back and side with his belt. Over and over he hit her, his breathing ragged, and no sooner than he started, he stopped.

She lay there feeling like her back was on fire, and possibly a broken rib this time. Billy seemed to have his fill as he laughed and headed back into the living room as his friends cheered him on.

Cece crawled her way into her room and laid on her bed. She could barely breathe, but she didn’t know what to do. How much longer could she continue this? She had no clue. The thought of running didn’t sit well with her because he would find her, he always did. He had never reacted to her seeing her friends before, as a matter of fact he always encouraged her to see them.

She didn’t know how long she laid on her bed before she made her move into the kitchen to get something to drink. When she walked in, she saw that Billy and his friends were passed out.
Thank God,
she thought. In pain, and having trouble breathing, she grabbed some water and Tylenol before going back into her room.

With her phone in hand, she debated calling someone. Her finger hovered over Travis’s number, but then she remembered he was in Seattle dealing with something and wouldn’t be back until next week. Becky had the pregnancy, and Millie, well…she was doing the whole honeymoon phase and dealing with other issues. Mike had taken off, which didn’t help. She did have one number in her phone she could call. She needed to get to a clinic or something, something was broken, she was scared, and this time she didn’t know how to handle the situation by herself.

She hit the last number waiting for it to ring. When it got to the third ring she was about to hang up when the other end picked up.

“Tiny.”

Cece let out a sigh of relief. “Tiny. Hi, it’s Cece.”

“Oh hey, sweetheart. How's it going?”

“Oh well, it could be better,” she whispered as she tried to breathe through the pain.

“Cece, are you okay? You sound like you’re in pain.”

“Tiny, I need help.”

“Anything.” She didn’t go into where she was or anything, just gave him the location of the library. Billy, like all the other nights, had taken her keys and hid them so she couldn’t leave. Tiny agreed to meet her and quietly Cece snuck out her window with her bag and left the house. She turned around and knew it would be the last time she would ever be in the house while Billy was alive.

The Library seemed like a great idea at the time as it normally took her a few minutes to get there on foot, but tonight it seemed to take forever. She was almost there when Tiny came running up to her.

“Oh shit, Cece. What the hell happened?” as he looked at her face.

“Not here, please. Can you hide me?” Tiny said nothing, just nodded, then picked her up, carrying her the rest of the way to his truck. He helped buckle her in, brushing her ribs. She winced and he looked at her.

“I promise on my life I will keep you safe, Cece.”

She nodded while Tiny started to drive away. She wasn’t listening as he started to speak into his cell phone asking someone for help.

“Don’t worry none, darling. I got you now.” He held her hand as she rested the best she could. She was safe—for now.

Chapter Two

Greyson answered the phone with a grunt. He was so damn tired, he'd left Samuel to finish closing up the bar. They closed early on Mondays and he was excited. It would mean he could catch up on sleep.

“Grey, hey, I need your help, man.” The voice of his close friend sounded in his ear.

“Tiny, dude, I was sleeping, or about to.”

“Listen, Greyson, I need you and Samuel to meet me at your house. I am heading that way now. And get the first aid kit out.”

“Shit, man, what happened? Are you hurt? Samuel is on his way home now.” Greyson knew his friend, Tiny, who was anything but, had a flare for the ladies and at times poached in areas he shouldn’t have. A southern gentleman he was, to about everyone, but when he set his sights on someone, it was like a bear seeking honey.

“I’m fine, I have a friend who needs help. Don’t call anyone.”

“Sure, we will be here. How long are you from the house?”

“I’m about twenty minutes out now, but I can make it in ten if I have to.” Something in Tiny’s voice told him it was bad. He agreed and hung up the phone.

Taking a deep breath, he rolled out of his nice warm bed, pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt before heading to the bathroom to wash his face and check over the first aid kit. Before he did though, he needed to call Samuel.

“Hey, Grey, thought you went to bed?”

“I did, well except Tiny called, seems he’s got a problem and needs our help. How far from home are you?”

“Well, I just pulled in.”

“Great.” He disconnected the phone. As he looked over the first aid kit, he wasn’t sure what he might need. Tiny had been in a few scraps, but being he was a medic in the military before he and Samuel opened their bar. He didn’t want to stay in permanently, as a bear shifter it was hard to maintain his aggression when it came to seeing women and children hurt. After two tours he left, he and his partner in crime, Samuel, were looking for something more. Together they opened their small bar, Grizzlies, and settled down.

He heard Samuel enter the house walking into the living room as he waited for Tiny.

“Any clue what type of trouble he is in? Shit, the first aid kit, damn it. It’s going to be a long night.” Grey nodded.

“Well, let me get some Vodka, he may need that too.” Grey nodded once again, letting his brain go over all types of situations in his head. The sound of gravel from their driveway had him standing. He went and opened the door to see Tiny walking around the other side lifting something out of the passenger side.

“Please tell me that’s not some dog you hit.” But as Tiny turned to face them he saw a small woman in his arms with blood and bruises covering her face, and by the looks of her—unconscious.

“Shit, Tiny, get her in here.” Samuel was next to him within seconds as he stated it was a woman. He ran over to his first aid kit and started laying things down on the table he might need, while Samuel helped Tiny lay her down on the couch. He was lost in trying to make sure he had the items he needed, that he missed Samuel growling at Tiny.

“What the hell, dude.” Grey looked at his best friend who was now taking a possessive stance next to the small woman.

“She’s my mate.”

“Fuck, man, well, you need to cool it and let me help your mate.” Samuel looked at him as his eyes flashed with understanding. As Grey walked over to the red-haired beauty, he was hit with a zap of electricity. She was his too. Suddenly the need to kill whoever did this to her took hold. He took a small cloth and cleaned the blood off her face. He needed not to think of her as his mate right now, but a patient.

“Tiny, how long has she been out?”

“She’s been asleep for a little over fifteen minutes.”

“Okay, we need to wake her up. We don’t know if she hit her head, and we don’t want to risk a concussion.” Running his hand along her less bruised cheek, he tried to get her to open her eyes.

“Come on, pretty lady, you need to wake up for me now.”

“Cecile, her name is Cecile, but she goes by Cece.” Cece, he liked it.

“Come on, Cece, you need to wake up for me now.” She started to stir, her eyes fluttered open. A silvery grey color looked at him for a split second before she tried to scurry away.

“Please, please don’t hurt me,” she cried out.

“Hush now, we are not going to hurt you, we are here to help you. My name is Sam, this big guy sitting next to you is Greyson, he’s going to look at your injuries. Can you tell me what happened?” Sam looked at her and his heart broke. This poor woman, his mate, was scared of them.

“Where’s Tiny.” She tried to sit up and winced. He zoned in to where she placed her hand.

“I’m right here, honey, I told you I was bringing you to some friends who can help.” Sam watched as realization hit her.

“Look I’m fine, I just need to sleep.”

“I don’t think so, baby girl. I think you’re not telling us the truth, I say let Grey check you out and then we can see about you sleeping some.” He reached for her hand, and was shocked she didn’t pull away this time, but looked at him.

“I’m fine, I don’t want to cause trouble for you too. I just need a place to sleep and then I can figure everything else in the morning.”

“Baby girl, you aren’t going anywhere, you are right where you need to be.”

“Why?” she asked in a whisper. Samuel knew she must have felt a connection to them. Never in a million years did he think he would find the one woman who would complete him. Even as a human, she would feel drawn to him.

“Because you’re our mate.” Sam turned and looked at Grey when he spoke.

Shit, she was his mate too.
He had heard of ménage matings before, but he and Grey have never been with a woman together, and by looking at their small mate, he was worried if she could take them both.

“I can’t be. I’m human, shit, wait mate. What are you guys?” She was starting to come out of the confusion she was suffering with earlier.

“Oh, baby girl, you got yourself two bears.”

She let out a small giggle, “Wolves, panthers and bears, oh my.” He didn’t get the joke, but as he watched her, she started to cry. Not wanting her to hurt, he sat next to her taking her in his arms. She grabbed his shirt as she cried. Not sure what to do, he rubbed her back in small circles, but the movement seemed to make her cry more. He stopped instantly. Instinct took over and he started to lift her oversized sweatshirt.

“No, please don’t.” But he held her hands, trying to calm her while he nodded to Grey who lifted it.

“We need to see to help you, love.” She did a small nod, but as the shirt went higher, his fury took hold. She had red welts and bruises all over her back. He closed his eye, trying to calm his frustration. Who would do this to a woman, especially someone so small?

Cece held still as Grey checked her back. She could only image what it looked like, the one part of her body she hated. The scars and bruises were there from before. Now she knew it had fresh welts and broken flesh from Billy’s belt. He held nothing back tonight. He was mad at her for God knows what.

“Cece, baby, I need to see everything. Can we take this off?” Grey asked her. She didn’t know if she should. He might not like what he saw, but right now she hurt too much to care, and if he knew what he was doing and Tiny trusted them, then she would suck it up.

“Okay,” her voice sounded so small, even to herself. As Sam and Grey pulled her shirt up, she winced in pain, her ribs were killing her.