Dane (Erotic Romance) Book 1 (The Mackenzie Brothers Quartet) Read Online Free PDF Page A

brothers together again. The last time they'd come through the doors together a brawl had broken out. That was before Cooper became Sheriff, of course, and before the other MacKenzies became such fine, upstanding citizens, but people's memories tended to be long in Surrender.
    "You boys head to the back room. I'll have someone bring you a pitcher and glasses," Duffey shouted from behind the tap. "I don't want any trouble in here tonight."
    Cooper rolled his eyes. "You'd think that fight had been our fault by the way Duffey carries on. It was the man's own low-life son-in-law who started it in the first place."
    "Yeah, but we finished it," Thomas said. "And I'm glad for it. No one should beat on a woman like that and get away with it."
    They settled themselves in the game room, and Dane propped his feet on a chair and waited for his turn at darts. Thomas and Riley were already starting a game.
    "So I heard you were out at Charlie's place," Thomas said, wiggling his eyebrows. "You sure look relaxed, brother."
    Dane shot Coop a disapproving look. "It was the first place I came to when I walked into town. You can imagine my surprise at seeing her there, considering you guys didn't bother to tell me she was back in town. I'd have come home sooner if I'd know she was here."
    "Would you have really?" Riley asked.
    Dane watched as Thomas and Cooper shared a long look, and a tingle of awareness started to prickle up his spine. It was the same tingle that had kept him from going down a certain path in the jungle or approaching an empty car in Afghanistan. The tingle had kept him from getting dead. But he had a feeling the axe was about to drop on his head just the same .
    "Why would you ask that? You guys know why I left. I just needed to get away for a while after mom died. I needed a career. Something that would make Charlotte proud of me. Hell, something that could make me proud of me. Leaving was the only way I knew how to do that. I had to leave her to make something of myself."
    "But did you explain that to her?" Riley pressed. "She was still a kid, Dane. And hell, even we knew she was crazy about you. You weren't here to see what she was like after you left. You broke her heart to the point that she had to leave town just to get away from the memories. I'm not sure you're making the best judgment call messing with her again. I think you should just leave her alone."
    Dane felt rage simmering inside him. He'd let it reign free as a kid, always looking for a ready fight, but he'd learned to keep it contained the older he got. Except there was nothing he wanted more than to take a swing at Riley and bloody his lip. And by the crooked smile on Riley's face and the gleam in his eye, he'd gladly take the punch and throw some of his own. There was an anger in Riley he hadn’t noticed before.
    "Is that what you all think of me?" Dane asked. "That I just left because I'm a bastard and wanted to be free to do whatever the hell I wanted?"
    He stood abruptly, his chair hitting the wall in his haste. His brothers stared at him warily.
    "We don't blame you for leaving, Dane," Coop said softly. "We know mom's death hit you hardest. And we know she would have wanted you to do something important with your degree. But ten years is a long time. People change. Everybody's changed."
    "How long do you plan to stay this time?" Thomas asked, his own anger coloring his question.
    Dane pushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I don't know. I'm in between projects. I've got some time to decide before I make up my mind."
    "Then leave her alone," Thomas said. "She's just moved back to town and has her own life now. She's got her dad's ranch to deal with and her own business to run." He looked like he wanted to say more, but he pinched his lips closed at the last minute.
    "I can't leave her alone," Dane explained. "I can't physically do it. I've thought of her for ten fucking years. I've loved her for ten years. And her being here now…when I