Ensnared (Brutes of Bristlebrook, #1)(45)

Dom scowls . . . but stalks closer to the pancakes. He’ll settle once he’s eaten.

“Not the point. I shouldn’t have gone after him like that.” He stabs a fluffy pancake with his fork, sounding almost sullen.

“She’s just got those big, prissy fucking eyes. She isn’t the type. What was I meant to think?”

He stabs the pancake harder and it splits in a fluffy spray.

A laugh snorts out of me that I can’t keep in, despite the glare I receive in return.

I hold up my hands in surrender. “She got naked in front of four of us on her first night here and came all over Beau’s lap.”

Lucky bastard. It should have been a Lucky bastard. “She might not know what the hell she’s doing—and she might shock herself into a nunnery—but she’s definitely the type. Whatever that is.”

And she’s cute. And smart. And I have a mother-flipping date with her tonight.

Beau eyes me sideways, and I realize I’m grinning like a five-year-old with pockets full of candy. Ah, whatever. Why not?

It’s been ages since I’ve felt this excited about something, and I’ll be good for her, anyway. I’ll make sure she has a bit of fun— the girl needs to lighten up.

Well, all of them need to lighten up, really, but I’m pretty sure it’s a lost cause with the guys. I’ve been working on ’em for years and I can still only get them to crack a smile once a month.

“She won’t want anything from us if we keep lying to her,” Beau says quietly.

I shoot Beau a sympathetic wince over Dom’s shoulder as the full weight of the bigger man’s displeasure lands on him.

“Since when do we explain our decisions to civs?”

The doc—brave guy—rolls his eyes. “I think that ship has kind of sailed, don’t you? She has a right to know if another group of hunters is hanging around these woods. I want her around as much as anyone but it could influence her decision on whether she wants to stay or not.”

Choosing self-preservation on this one, I pop a hunk of chocolate chip pancake in my mouth.

Beau and Dom’s recon mission had mixed success. The guys covered their asses by heading to town, but after they flagged that there could be another group out there, Jasper started running through our camera footage. Sure enough, there’s a huge group of hunters slowly making their way in our direction. Right now, they’re about five days south of us.

So in the understatement of the year, it’s not great. These guys are getting closer and closer to Bristlebrook, they’re seriously kitted out, and if they don’t already know their friends were taken out, they will soon. I’m guessing they aren’t going to be too happy about that.

And worst of all, it’s making Dom cranky.

The captain’s prickling anger is tangible as he narrows his eyes on Beau. “This wouldn’t even be our problem if we didn’t bundle her up and play knights in shining khaki for her. She’s been here a week and she’s already started infighting and brought a goddamn militia down on our heads.”

Beau meets Dom’s gaze, and I’d give my left nut to have that level of calm under our CO’s rage.

“Eden didn’t pull that knife on Jaykob, Dom.” He runs a hand over his head. “We shouldn’t have assumed anything, that’s on us. We should have known better. Jayk is a good dom. He’s a good man. We’re the ones who fucked up, not Eden.”

Dom grunts sourly, and I go back to flipping pancakes, shamelessly eavesdropping.

The doc leans back casually and shakes his head. “And I find it hard to believe that forty-plus men would take this many risks for one woman, no matter how hard up they are. They were already in our woods, close to our home. Did you stop to think about why they’re all here in the first place? It has to be territorial, right? A push out from Cyanide, maybe?”

I grimace at that thought. Cyanide City is the closest city to us, about a week south—called Cyanide because it’s damn suicide to go there. After the strikes settled down, it became a war zone, with every gang around trying to claim their corner, and every stupid asshole who managed to get his hands on a gun trying to loot supplies.

We decided early on not to risk trips out there unless it was absolutely necessary. There are other towns around that, while less abundant in supplies, are a heck of a lot less dangerous. None of us wants to get a bullet in the ass because some trigger-happy civilian wants to throw his dick around.

Dom ducks his head like he’s thinking it through, a grim cast to his mouth.

“Eden was just a surprise bonus for them, and you know it, Dom,” Beau presses. “This is not her fault. Best I can tell, our librarian’s cave was more or less on the fringes, and she just happened to run our way. And a party that size? Pushing through our woods? They were going to get close to Bristlebrook sooner or later anyway. It’s better we found out about them now and not when we have our pants down—we haven’t been monitoring our cameras half as much as we should.”

Dom shakes his head like he’s about to argue, but Beau cuts him off. “Just shitty luck, Dom. Don’t blame the girl for it.”

The door swings open and I look up hopefully, but it’s too soon for Eden to have showered and come down already. If she’s even able to work up the courage to face us after this morning.