The Santas Who Stole Me (Stolen #1)

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

GEORGIE

I blow Keeper a kiss when he plops in the booth away from B. I don’t ask who is outside, it doesn’t matter, they are trying to take care of me, although I’m sure it’s Zeke. All at once, I realize I’m not alone in this. Pushing those feelings aside for now I go with Marge. The room is lined with cushy cream sofas and a plush rug. A few lockers are in the corner, and I turn the lock to open mine. Even the break room shows how much taste Marge has. I pull out the burner the agent gave me. It feels like holding fire. If I do this I could be putting the guys in danger. I’ll have to be smart about it, so I don’t drag them in even further.

“Girl, dish, who the fuck is that man? I mean he practically radiated his alpha protective vibes for you. Please tell me you are screwing him?”

I giggle. Only Marge can make a gun being pointed at her friend into something sexual. “Don’t girl me, I thought you and B were just friends. I saw the shiver he gave you when he touched your arm back there.”

She smiles at that, then the happiness is immediately wiped from her face like she remembered something terrible. She makes a scoffing sound like the idea of B’s touch didn’t send a charge through her entire body.

“Alright, we won’t talk about that right now. That was Keeper, he kind of … well, he and his brother, Calum, and friend, Zeke, who is practically their brother as well. They are helping me with Chad.” Getting the words out about who they are is more difficult than I had planned.

“And how are they doing that? Normal boyfriends don’t have snipers outside to help protect their girls. What are they into?”

She is too smart for her own good.

“I can’t tell you everything about them. It’s complicated.” She squeezes my hand in reassurance not asking me to explain further. My eyes drop to the burner phone, and I place it in my lap. Nerves vibrate through me, and I exhale to try to calm them.

“Remember when the agent lady came?”

“Yes, but listen, Georgie, you can’t count on the feds. Let me help you. I have some connections.”

“Connections to help me run or to get rid of Chad for good? I can’t be the reason they get involved with someone that could tie them to trouble. Do you know what I mean? You either, for that matter. I don’t want anyone hurt over me.” My voice wavers a little bit.

Marge pulls me in for a hug, and I lay my head on her shoulder. Everything has happened so fast; I haven’t had a minute to settle. From the second Keeper saw me things have seemed better, but I know they aren’t with Chad looming in the background of my happiness. He leaves me alone just enough to think I’ve escaped, to think I can move on, but then, bam, the fucker pops back up like a freaking whack-a-mole. No more.

“I can help you disappear. I know someone who does that. It isn’t cheap, but I can pay for it. But fuck, Georgie, I don’t want you to go like that.” Marge sounds genuinely sad at the thought of me leaving, and that makes me love her even more.

“I know. It’s why I came here in the first place. I heard a rumor you knew someone who could help. I was trying to save my money, but then we became friends, and I didn’t want you to think it was only because I needed your connections.”

Marge pulls me back from her hug to look at my face. My eyes are teary because she’s my friend. We bake and watch TV and gossip. I’ve missed this. I hope my truth about what I need from her doesn’t change that.

“Are you mad?” I whisper.

“Of course not. I know you, Georgia. You don’t take advantage of people; you are my best friend. Shit, I’ve had B searching for you. I was about to call in a really big favor when someone answered your phone. I was getting someone to look into the connection, but it’s been a dead end.” She squeezes my hand.

“Wait, what? Who answered my phone? When?”

“Some guy; he yelled at me. Asked me what I knew about you.”

I’m going to kill Keeper. This must have been when he found the texts. “Sorry, the guys can be a bit intense.”

“Guys, the brothers too?”

My face is bright red.

“We are so off topic but here it is. Keeper, his brother, Calum, and their friend, Zeke. They all live together, and I guess we are kind of dating. Well, they might not consider it dating. Do they?” My explanation comes out as more of a question, and Marge’s face splits in half.

“As in, all of them? Oh my gods!” she shrieks and starts bouncing up and down.

Shuffling sounds at the door and B pops his head in. “You okay back here?” His face searches Marge, and his eyes linger on her chest more than I noticed before.

Have they always had this chemistry, or maybe the guys have awakened me enough to know that look? B wants Marge, and I get the sense she feels the same.

“We’re fine,” I huff at him. I’m pissed that he cut Keeper. The rational part of me knows he was protecting us, or trying to, but I don’t care.

“Please don’t be mad, little G. I wasn’t going to do anything unless he did first. And he had a gun.”

B is huge, a little taller than Keeper, and honestly scary as hell. The first time I met him, I almost ran out of the diner when I saw the knife he keeps at his back. But now, he is pouting like a toddler and looking at Marge to help him.

“He was bleeding,” I respond, knowing that’s petty and I’m being overprotective.

B doesn’t say anything else but pleads with Marge with a pouty lip.

“I’ll talk to her, B. We need a few more minutes,” Marge assures him.

He huffs again and turns to leave, and I roll my eyes looking at Marge we both stifle a laugh.

“Alright, we can talk more about all the dirty details in a bit. But what are we going to do about your FBI asshole of an ex?” She blows out a breath.

“I’ve got an idea. I haven’t told anyone this, but I have a file full of proof that Chad is dirty. Like money trails, accounts, I’m not too bad with computers, and I was able to hack his. He’s a cocky asshole who didn’t protect his shit because he thinks he’s untouchable. I’m hoping if I give it to the agent, he can be put away for his crimes, and I won’t have to worry about him.”

Marge purses her lips to the side like she’s thinking about how this might turn out. “It’s risky. What if she doesn’t help you in the end?”

“Then we do what the guys want and kill him.”

Her eyes widen for a minute, then she nods. Marge is on my side, which kind of makes my heart squeeze. She is such a girl’s girl.

“I’m going to call the agent to set up a drop for the files, but the guys aren’t going to let me leave their sight, so I need you to help me.”

She leans in a little closer and we talk out the plan as the tension in my gut increases.

When we walk back into the dining room, I see Calum sitting in the booth with Keeper. Calum has a chocolate pie half-eaten in front of him while Keeper has a slice of apple, untouched. Zeke is standing next to B in the corner, and they are having a discussion about his gun. The guys turn to me and Marge, and my stomach drops at the attention. Keeper looks me up and down, Calum gives me a sexy grin, and Zeke assesses me in his watchful manner.

“Holy shit, Georgie, is this them? All of them?” Marge whispers at my side.

I whisper back a, “Yes.” Somehow they became mine, and as I stare at them, I’m more determined than ever to get them away from my crazy past, so we can start something new together. We haven’t talked about that or about making anything official, but if there is any chance, I’ll freaking jump at it.

“Georgie, did you work it out? What do you need us to do?” Calum asks when Marge and I walk to them in the booth.

Zeke and B move chairs next to the table, so we can have a little circle to talk.

I can’t take B’s lower lip sticking out anymore, and I give him a hug. I don’t want him to be sad.

“Swear I won’t hurt your guys again if you swear you’re safe, little G,” he says into the top of my head as he gives me a big bear hug back.

Keeper growls and Calum starts cussing, but I ignore them. Zeke is somewhere behind us, but he’s so calm all the time. I’m sure this embrace with my friend isn’t affecting him the same way.

“I’m okay, I know you were trying to help.”

He nods with his chin on my head. B is scary to look at but he’s a big marshmallow inside. “That’s good. Please tell your boyfriend to take his gun off the back of my head then.”

That shocks a gasp out of me and I release our hug and glance around his shoulder. Sure enough Zeke is standing behind the barrel of his gun that connects with a noticeably stiff B.

“Zeke,” I hiss.

He smiles at my disapproval, and I’m not even mad about the gun when he shoves it in the back of his pants, then encircles me with his warm and delicious scent. Good lord, baby Jesus, he is so freaking hot.

“I didn’t like that.”

He kisses my lips hard and quick before moving us back to the booth.

B looks amused, and Marge rolls her eyes at Zeke but checks on her fry cook.

I plop down next to Calum across from Keeper, and his arm immediately goes around my shoulders.

He pulls me close to him. “I didn’t like that either, but you look real pretty today.” Calum turns my face to his with his thumb on my chin and pulls me in for a kiss I feel down to my core. No one says anything, like it’s normal that I kissed one of my guys and now the other. I want it to be normal. Well, at least my normal.

“She looks pretty every day,” Keeper adds, and Calum tells me I do.

“Oh my god Georgie, this is amazing,” Marge says, using her swooning voice after watching our kiss.

I love that she isn’t judging this weird situation. It should be weird, shouldn’t it? Not really. I felt the swoon at Calum’s words too.

“If everyone is done manhandling my little kitten, what did you decide, Georgie? Answer Calum’s question. What do you want us to do?” His blue eyes are fire. He’s jealous and I don’t want him to be.

I slide my foot and wrap it around his under the table.

Calum grips my upper thigh and everyone waits for me to answer.

“I’m going to draw him out and offer myself up.”

“Nope,” Keeper says.

“I’m not done. We can bring him here, and you guys can deal with him.” It’s only a little bit of a lie. I will bring him here, but only after I hand over the file. The guys won’t be able to assassinate him if the place is crawling with feds, right? I was feeling confident about that before, but what if I lead the guys right into a trap? I won’t. Agent Fisher will make sure of it. I’ll give her the file, then she will arrest Chad. This will be over.

“No,” Keeper says again, no explanation provided.

I stare at him for a moment, then Calum whispers in my ear, “Cookie, I know you’re strong as fuck, but please let us do this without you. We only just found you and I can’t handle it if anything happens to you.”

His voice is so sincere, I almost give in.

I glance at Zeke, but he hasn’t said anything.

“Keeper, we might need this to happen,” Zeke states, his tone even, and I know he is calculating, preparing how to best deal with Chad.

“Are you fucking serious?” Keeper shouts.

But Zeke is serious; he’s always serious. “We can control the circumstances. Calum will stab him in the bathroom. I don’t think he would bring the FBI along to haul his abused girlfriend home. We can take him home, grill him for leads on who to frame for his murder, and get it done. It’s not how we typically do it but we already have an idea who would benefit from his death.”

I wince at his statement, and Marge notices, reaching her hand out to me. That hopelessness starts to swirl in my brain again. I don’t feel so confident now. I’m just the abused girlfriend; not a leader for my Santa assassins. Shit. I bite my lip, and Calum must feel my doubt creeping in because he squeezes my thigh in reassurance.

“We will do it, Georgie. It’s a good idea, we have to have a solid plan for how to get you away though. Marge, can you get the diner empty?” Keeper says, and his words give me a little more strength.

“So you can stab someone in my bathroom?”

“He most likely knows she works here. It would be easy enough. And somehow, I imagine your fry cook can handle a bloody clean up,” Keeper says.

“We can handle the blood. It’s how to do this without the feds breathing down our necks after.” My face scrunches in confusion about how B and Marge are simply cool with this. He hardly flinched when the gun was aimed at him. One day, I’ll tell Marge all my secrets about the guys. Sure, she can probably put two and two together even if I haven’t straight come out and said they are killers. Eventually I will, then hopefully she will feel comfortable enough to tell me her secrets too.

“We’re going to play up that this is about Georgie and hope he doesn’t bring a partner. If he brings friends Georgie is going to draw him away,” Zeke says, his features schooled as always.

“What days are the slowest at the diner?” Keeper asked.

“Wednesdays,” B tells us.

“Zeke?” Keeper is asking if this works. Three days is closer than I thought. Damn, but I’ll make it work. The next part is my lie, another partial lie.

“I need to help Marge bake,” I blurt, a little too demanding.

Everyone stares at me. I’m not a good liar.

“Yep, we have a big order Wednesday. I need help,” Marge confirms.

“We’re busy with murder Wednesday,” Zeke adds, as if Marge missed the earlier conversation.

“I’ll need to help on Tuesday for the order.” She nods, cool as a cucumber.

How is she lying to these men so easily? I may not have told her the details, but she’s aware they don’t follow the same rules as the rest of the world, and she still isn’t scared. Who the hell is this girl? And I’m glad she’s my best friend.

The guys turn to Keeper. He’s the shot caller after all.

“Fine. Coming here was relatively uneventful and safe. Another few hours will be the same.”

I feel so much relief he agreed, I force myself to calm down and not blow out the breath I was holding. This will work. I have Marge, the guys, B, and even if hope fucked me over in the past, I still have her too.