know they were my home. They were what helped keep me going. At school, it had been too soon for them to touch me, especially after being held violently against Scott’s body. However, now I was in my home, it was on my terms. I knew they wouldn’t push me for more than what I was willing to give.
“It was stupid of me really. I wanted to prove I could do this... I guess more to myself than anything or anyone. I wanted to know I could live out in the real, tough world on my own, without my security blanket, my family who go above and beyond to protect me. I-I still want that...but, I know now that what I want above everything is more important than anything. I want my family.”
“You want to go home to Ballarat?” Caden asked.
“Yes. Only not yet. I have four months left before school ends for the year. I do have the opportunity to transfer my degree to an open university course, so I can study from home. But then...yes, then I want to come home to Ballarat.”
“You know we won’t leave you with that dickhead still harassing you,” Eli stated.
Smiling sadly, I said, “I can’t have you both here for that long. You both have lives of your own. I won’t ask you to put that on hold and stay to be...my bodyguards for that amount of time. I could ring Talon and ask him to send a prospect. Then at least Talon won’t be losing two valuable employees and members.”
“I’ll talk to Talon about it,” Caden said.
“Pick,” Eli barked.
A meaningful look passed between them and Caden once again said, “I’ll talk to Talon about it.” Eli then nodded and sat back down at the table without letting go of my hand. “But first, our girl needs to call home.”
“What?” I whispered.
“Precious, your parents are worried about you. Call them,” he said, sliding his phone over the table. I stared down at it. When I didn’t reach for it, Caden picked it back up and pressed some buttons. He placed it back on the table and it started ringing.
“Hello?” my mum’s voice said.
“Nance, Pick here with Eli and Josie .”
“Darling?” Mum’s uttered, her voice catching.
“Hi, Mum. I’m so sorry for worrying you. I promise I won’t do it again.”
“Oh, Lordy, my son-in-law is a miracle worker and sending two handsome men. Amazing. Sweetie, how are you?”
“I’m good now, Mum.” I smiled at the phone.
In the background we heard boomed, “Is that Josie? Give me the phone, woman.” There was a shuffle and then Dad’s voice was on the line. “Baby girl, is this actually our daughter who we haven’t heard from in a long time?”
Giggling, I said, “Yes, Dad. Caden and Eli are here also.”
“Who?” he snapped.
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Pick and Billy.”
“Yo, Rich.” Caden said.
“S’up, Rich.” Eli smiled.
“You boys there to take care of our baby girl?”
“Course,” Caden said.
“You boys gonna keep your hands to yourself?” Dad demanded as we heard in the background from Mum, “I hope they don’t.” Dad covered the phone and said something to Mum and then into the phone, “Well?”
“We’ll try, Rich.” Eli smirked and winked at me while my cheeks heated.
Silence on the other end.
And then, “Well, shit, at least you’re being honest. You know what will happen if you screw her over.”
“Dad, I’m still here.”
“Quiet, Josie. The big guys are talkin’.”
“Mum,” I called loudly.
“Richard, give me the phone,” Mum snapped.
“No, I’m talking to the guys. They need to know they’ll be effed up if they cause our daughter any harm, even of to the heart.”
“Don’t be stupid. They’ve been in love with her since she was seventeen.”
Goodness me.
Was that true?
Looking to the guys to see their reactions, they’d both adverted their gazes from mine and kept blank expression so I couldn’t tell.
Still, the phone call was just getting strange. It was time to end it. “Mum, Dad, we have to go. Um, I love you both and I promise to
“It was stupid of me really. I wanted to prove I could do this... I guess more to myself than anything or anyone. I wanted to know I could live out in the real, tough world on my own, without my security blanket, my family who go above and beyond to protect me. I-I still want that...but, I know now that what I want above everything is more important than anything. I want my family.”
“You want to go home to Ballarat?” Caden asked.
“Yes. Only not yet. I have four months left before school ends for the year. I do have the opportunity to transfer my degree to an open university course, so I can study from home. But then...yes, then I want to come home to Ballarat.”
“You know we won’t leave you with that dickhead still harassing you,” Eli stated.
Smiling sadly, I said, “I can’t have you both here for that long. You both have lives of your own. I won’t ask you to put that on hold and stay to be...my bodyguards for that amount of time. I could ring Talon and ask him to send a prospect. Then at least Talon won’t be losing two valuable employees and members.”
“I’ll talk to Talon about it,” Caden said.
“Pick,” Eli barked.
A meaningful look passed between them and Caden once again said, “I’ll talk to Talon about it.” Eli then nodded and sat back down at the table without letting go of my hand. “But first, our girl needs to call home.”
“What?” I whispered.
“Precious, your parents are worried about you. Call them,” he said, sliding his phone over the table. I stared down at it. When I didn’t reach for it, Caden picked it back up and pressed some buttons. He placed it back on the table and it started ringing.
“Hello?” my mum’s voice said.
“Nance, Pick here with Eli and Josie .”
“Darling?” Mum’s uttered, her voice catching.
“Hi, Mum. I’m so sorry for worrying you. I promise I won’t do it again.”
“Oh, Lordy, my son-in-law is a miracle worker and sending two handsome men. Amazing. Sweetie, how are you?”
“I’m good now, Mum.” I smiled at the phone.
In the background we heard boomed, “Is that Josie? Give me the phone, woman.” There was a shuffle and then Dad’s voice was on the line. “Baby girl, is this actually our daughter who we haven’t heard from in a long time?”
Giggling, I said, “Yes, Dad. Caden and Eli are here also.”
“Who?” he snapped.
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Pick and Billy.”
“Yo, Rich.” Caden said.
“S’up, Rich.” Eli smiled.
“You boys there to take care of our baby girl?”
“Course,” Caden said.
“You boys gonna keep your hands to yourself?” Dad demanded as we heard in the background from Mum, “I hope they don’t.” Dad covered the phone and said something to Mum and then into the phone, “Well?”
“We’ll try, Rich.” Eli smirked and winked at me while my cheeks heated.
Silence on the other end.
And then, “Well, shit, at least you’re being honest. You know what will happen if you screw her over.”
“Dad, I’m still here.”
“Quiet, Josie. The big guys are talkin’.”
“Mum,” I called loudly.
“Richard, give me the phone,” Mum snapped.
“No, I’m talking to the guys. They need to know they’ll be effed up if they cause our daughter any harm, even of to the heart.”
“Don’t be stupid. They’ve been in love with her since she was seventeen.”
Goodness me.
Was that true?
Looking to the guys to see their reactions, they’d both adverted their gazes from mine and kept blank expression so I couldn’t tell.
Still, the phone call was just getting strange. It was time to end it. “Mum, Dad, we have to go. Um, I love you both and I promise to
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