Page 21 of Dirty Ruck (Ruck Boys #5)

Chapter Twenty-One

Chelsea

I peeled back the curtains and looked out as moving light framed the window.

The big gates at the front of the house stood open. A dark car slowly moved through, toward the house. A couple of moments later another followed.

We finished dinner and packed the dishes into the dishwasher. I was just about to settle down and watch TV with the guys.

Instead, a shiver of fear travelled up my spine.

Anyone showing up at this time of night couldn't be good.

I turned around. "Who—" I caught the look on Frost's face and stopped, my mouth still open. "What did you do?"

His grin widened. "You'll see."

Storm stepped over to drape an arm over my shoulders. "Don't worry, he had a good idea for once."

"Hey!" Frost protested. "I have lots of good ideas."

"Of course you do." Jay gave him a side hug. After a moment, he added a quick swipe of his lips over Frost's.

"I knew you had good taste," Frost told him.

"Of course he does," Atlas said, looking smug.

Storm snorted loudly. "You would think that. For some reason, he digs you."

"He digs me because I'm awesome." Atlas shrugged. "I can't help it, I was born that way."

"Who told you that?" Storm asked. "Your mother? She's biased."

"That doesn't mean it's not true." Atlas was sticking to his guns, but grinning the whole time.

"Of course it's true," Jay said. "Chelsea chose us, so we must all be awesome."

"Exactly." Frost nodded. "I'll get the door."

His arm around Jay's waist, he walked over to the massive front door and unlocked it. He swung it open just as Daisy Lasalle got out of her car in front of the house. Mina DiMarco climbed out of the car behind hers.

"What is this?" I whispered, only loud enough for Storm to hear.

"Frosty figured you could use some other women to talk to," Storm said. "Who else is going to understand what you're going through?"

Tears threatened to slide down my cheeks. I blinked them away. "That's really thoughtful."

He was right too. If anyone was going to comprehend the way I was feeling about…well, everything, and how overwhelmed I was, it was these two women. They'd each been through the fire and walked away, their heads held high.

"Yeah, Frosty has his moments," Storm said softly.

I glanced over to see him watching his boyfriend, looking at him with the same expression of love he had in his eyes when he looked at me.

"You both do," I whispered.

Storm looked over at me and smiled. "Yeah, well, don't tell anyone. People might start to think I'm nice or something."

"We wouldn't want that," I teased.

"Definitely not." He nodded. "I have a badass asshole reputation to maintain. I don't want anyone or anything to compromise that." He gave me a wink.

I leaned into him and inhaled the heady, masculine scent of the man. He’d changed a lot since we met, softening around the edges when he was around us. He too, had his moments, but he'd also found his place in the world, in our little family.

"Welcome!" Frost held the door open for both women to step inside.

"Chelsea." Daze greeted me like I was a long lost friend. "You're looking well." She waited until Storm moved aside, to give me a hug.

"You too," I said, with only slightly less enthusiasm. I reminded myself that either of these women could have me killed if they wanted to. If they were here as friends, I'd treat them like that.

For now.

"Mina," I said politely. She wasn't given to hugging, so I didn't offer one.

She seemed to take in every millimetre of her surroundings, as if assessing the place for threats and escape routes. After maybe half a minute, she nodded to herself, then to me.

"Frost said you were feeling isolated." Daze walked over to the sitting room and made herself comfortable, while the guys dispersed to other parts of the house.

Ramsey, I noticed, headed to the gym.

I sat down near Daze. Far enough to face her and keep an eye on her, but close enough to be friendly.

"I'm used to being surrounded by women," I started. "Now I'm surrounded by men. And watching my back everywhere I go."

"Women can be dangerous too." Mina sat on an armchair, her hands in her lap. She always had an air about her, like a cat ready to use her claws.

I never saw her be anything other than cool and calm, but I had no doubt she could inflict damage before I could blink. Anyone who underestimated her was out of their minds.

"Ain't that the truth?" Daze laughed. She crossed her legs at her knees and leaned back. "There's, what? Six men in this house? But I'd be willing to bet the three most dangerous people in this building are the three of us."

I gave a slight cock of my head. "I don't see myself as dangerous." Not compared to them especially.

"Why not?" Mina asked, scrutinising me without blinking.

"I —" I wanted to shrivel under her gaze, but I managed to keep my back straight.

"You know how to use a gun and a knife?" Daze asked. "You know how to use your brain, and your body. With your medical knowledge, I bet you know more ways to inflict damage than most people. Not necessarily kill them, but incapacitate them."

"I guess so," I said reluctantly. "I mean, I do, but could I actually do it?"

"Of course you could," Mina said bluntly. "If you're up against a wall, or in a corner, you will. You won't even think about it. You'll act." She seemed certain of that.

"I'm scared I'll panic," I said in a small voice.

"Is that what's held you back all these years?" Daze asked. "You're scared to be who you were meant to be because you're worried you're not up to it?"

I pressed my lips together. "I'm not sure this is what I'm meant to be. I just wanted to be normal."

The expression on Daze's face was sympathetic. "I thought I wanted that too, for a long time. I took my daughter and I out of Dusk Bay for years, hoping to put the place behind us."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I came back," she said. "I came back and I realised this is home. This is who I am and who I was meant to be. As soon as I embraced that, I've never looked back."

"I was also…away," Mina said softly. "But this was always my life too. We can deny it all we want, but this is us. Besides, we can't leave the men to run things. They'll make a mess."

I bit back a smile. Did she just accuse Reuben Brantley of incompetence?

Judging by the hint of humour in her eyes, this was her idea of a joke.

Of course it was; he was anything but incompetent.

Only she'd get away with saying anything like that.

Anyone else would be dead before the sun rose. Or wishing they were dead.

"Things certainly work out better with us to keep an eye on them," Daze agreed. She cocked her head at me. "What else is holding you back?" She wasn't pulling any punches tonight.

"People keep shooting other people in my vicinity," I said. "It feels like…I don't know, the deeper I get involved, the more the people I care about are put at risk."

"That comes with the territory," Daze said, but not dismissively. "Especially when you're in the position you are right now. Working for us, but having to play nice with the enemy. Getting caught in the middle is inevitable. But you've done well. From what I gather, King and Skinner trust you."

"As much as they trust anyone," I said. I glanced over to the door. "They didn't?—"

"No one saw us come here," Mina said. "We wouldn't risk you like that."

Of course they wouldn't, they still needed me. Like a chef needed their favourite paring knife. Or a racehorse owner needed their best mare.

Daze must have seen my expression and knew what I was thinking. She moved over closer and put a hand over mine.

"This isn't just about what you can do for us, Chelsea. I like you. I always have. I’m ecstatic to have you back in the fold, even if you're not.

I'll be just as relieved as you are when this is over and you can get on with things.

What Mina meant when she said we wouldn't put you at risk was exactly right.

Not just because of your position with the team, but because you're you. Okay?"

I swallowed back a knot of emotion. "Okay."

"Daze is right," Mina said. "You're a valuable part of this organisation. If you wanted to, you could go a long way. You could be as powerful as we are."

"But not more so," Daze said with a laugh.

Mina raised her eyebrows at the other woman. "I thought that was implied."

Daze grinned. "I was just saying, that's all."

"I figured that was the case," I said. I was never going to be more powerful than Reuben Brantley's girlfriend, or Daisy Lasalle, who was one of his right hands.

Could I really be like them? Did I want to be? Maybe they were right, and this was me. My place in the world. My destiny. What would happen if I stopped fighting it?

Mina sat forward, hands on her thighs. "What you said about the people around you being vulnerable.

The more powerful you are, the less vulnerable they become.

The easier it is to protect them and be protected by them.

Yes, you accumulate enemies here and there, but it's a lot easier to have them dealt with. "

She seemed to be remembering something from her past, something very satisfying. I presumed a woman like her would have enemies, but apparently they were taken care of.

"I don't know if I want to accumulate enemies," I said.

"Ramsey told me what happened to you and your friend, Sadie," Daze said. "It seems to me, whether you like it or not, you already have. Do you want to sit by and wait for them to come at you again, or do you want to get to them before they get to you?"

"Before they get your boyfriends," Mina added.

I looked down towards the coffee table. "I don't want anything bad to happen to any of them."

"Then you have your answer." Daze sat back. "Are you ready to take your place as one of us?"

I swiped my tongue over my lips. I considered the question and all the ways I could possibly answer. In the end, there was really only one. The only thing that would keep me and my men safe.

I looked up to both of them.

"Yes."