Under Their Protection: Daly Way, #12

By Brynn Paulin

A woman on the run, two cowboys who've claimed her, and the Bratva who want her back…

What could go wrong? Everything.

 

The people of Daly think Devon Magnus is a guy.

 

That's her plan, and it's been a good one, but she's tired of running and hiding. After five long years, she wants her life back. That's a hard task since she's fleeing from her stepfather and his evil cronies. They aren't the type to give up.

 

But neither are her cowboys, Cannon and Hawk. They know she's a woman. They also know she's theirs, and they're determined to protect and claim her. They've been patient, but she's kept them at arm's length long enough. She can't anymore; they won't let her. They want her in their arms and in their bed.

But it's only when fear and comfort collide that passion explodes. Then nothing can keep them apart. Her men are everything she needs. Friends. Lovers. Protectors.

 

Hers. All hers.

 

And as far as her cowboys feel? No one will hurt her. And no one will take their future, their love, or their Dev from them. They'll do anything for her. She's under their protection.

 

This standalone novel is part of the Daly Way Series. All books in the series can be read as standalone books and in any order. Under Their Protection was previously release for a single day. Since then it has been completely revised and more than doubled in length.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Supernova Indie Publishing Services LLC
• Release date: Mar 30, 2024
• ISBN: 9781623444600

Book preview

Under Their Protection

Daly Way

By Brynn Paulin

Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

Powered by Your Imagination

Under Their Protection

by

Brynn Paulin

A woman on the run, two cowboys who’ve claimed her, and the Bratva who want her back…

What could go wrong? Everything.

The people of Daly think Devon Magnus is a guy.

That’s her plan, and it’s been a good one, but she’s tired of running and hiding. After five long years, she wants her life back. That’s a hard task since she’s fleeing from her stepfather and his evil cronies. They aren’t the type to give up.

But neither are her cowboys, Cannon and Hawk. They know she’s a woman. They also know she’s theirs, and they’re determined to protect and claim her. They’ve been patient, but she’s kept them at arm’s length long enough. She can’t anymore; they won’t let her. They want her in their arms and in their bed.

But it’s only when fear and comfort collide that passion explodes. Then nothing can keep them apart. Her men are everything she needs. Friends. Lovers. Protectors.

Hers. All hers.

And as far as her cowboys feel? No one will hurt her. And no one will take their future, their love, or their Dev from them. They’ll do anything for her. She’s under their protection.

This standalone novel is part of the Daly Way Series. All books in the series can be read as standalone books and in any order. Under Their Protection was previously release for a single day. Since then it has been completely revised and more than doubled in length.

Copyright

© 2024, Brynn Paulin

Under Their Protection

Cover Art by Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

Electronic Format ISBN: 978-1-62344-460-0

Published by: Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

Thank You!

Thank you for your purchase of Under Their Protection.

I hope you enjoy the story and will consider leaving a review or telling a friend about the book.

I love hearing from readers! To keep in touch and follow my news, please visit me on my website at www.brynnpaulin.com.

Dedication

To all my Daly Way readers through the years. This one’s for you.

Prologue

Dev stared in the cracked mirror at the no-tell motel and hardly recognized herself.

She’d hacked off her once waist-length chestnut-brown hair. What remained of her locks had been dyed black and slicked back into a hipster-style pompadour on top and cut close on the sides. Her gray eyes peered back at her from behind chunky black-rimmed glasses with clear lenses, looking far older than her sixteen years.

A few freckles popped across her fair skin—skin that didn’t bear a trace of the makeup that normally hid the spots. Her slim curves were disguised behind carefully selected clothes, a tight under-layer of bindings to flatten her breasts then a looser button-down shirt over the top, giving her a remarkably androgenous look.

She didn’t look like the girl who’d run away from home six weeks ago. She didn’t look like a girl at all.

Which was good.

If she could fly under the radar as a guy, her stepfather wouldn’t find her. For her safety and freedom, she had to make sure he didn’t.

Hell, the traffickers he’d sold her to probably wouldn’t want her anymore, either. It wasn’t a guarantee, though. She understood that. She hadn’t had a moment of relief from her fears since the day she’d run, knowing the criminals were on their way to collect her. No matter what she did, there were parts of her that couldn’t easily be changed, and those were the bits that most interested her would-be owners.

They didn’t care about the rest of her.

And no one else gave a fuck about the orphan girl who’d been left in the clutches of an evil man.

She gritted her teeth, setting her jaw.

Her stepfather and his goons wouldn’t find her. She’d do everything possible to hinder them. If losing her pampered rich-girl life, fleeing into the night, and chopping off her beautiful, silky hair was what it took, so be it.

She’d transformed.

She was no longer a she…but a he.

Devon Greeley ceased to exist. In her place emerged Dev Magnus, drifter, waiter and occasional bartender. And soon-to-be the newest resident of the tiny town of Daly, Wyoming.

* * * *

Three Years Later

Nerves eating at her stomach, Dev arrived at her friend Briar’s house around mid-morning, dressed in jeans and a windbreaker, her hair carefully styled back into her usual style. The thing was, though, she was about to reveal the secret she’d hidden from everyone for three years.

Dev could trust Briar, however. Briar had come from a rocky—if different—past, too. She knew the world wasn’t always peachy keen. She knew shadowy realities hid in the world’s dark corners, just waiting to prey on the innocent.

It would be good to have a confidante. A friend. And in all truth, Dev wanted something from Briar, otherwise she wouldn’t be sharing her secret, at all.

Today, in the bright sunlight of Briar’s sitting room, rather than the dim lighting of the bar where they worked, the truth would be revealed. And hopefully, they could build a stronger bond of camaraderie in the shared knowledge.

Coffee? Briar asked as they walked into the sunroom of Briar’s ranch house, where she lived with her two men, Jax and Ram. Multiple partners were a reality in the town of Daly, which was still a cow town where the men far out-numbered the women.

Yes. Please, Devon said around the knot in her throat, adding a nod to accept the offer while nerves continued to tangle in her belly. As her friend headed into the kitchen, Dev blew out a breath, on edge and jittery. Shaking out her hands, she walked over to one of the large picture windows and looked out over the field in the distance, where cows grazed in a pasture to the west of the house.

The Last Chance Ranch was huge, and after talking with Briar, she’d learned Briar didn’t use all of it for her operation. Large sections of the acreage had gone wild and would need hard work to return the land to usable condition. Dev supposed that was to be expected, since the place had been vacant for years before Briar had been found and given her inheritance.

Last night, when she’d question Briar about her plans for the Last Chance, Dev had discovered she might have an opportunity here, a possibility to birth her dream—not that her friend realized it. Dev had only voiced questions about a small, unused parcel on the south side of the ranch.

Her hand trembling now, she unzipped her loose coat and shrugged it off her slim shoulders. Beneath the windbreaker, she’d worn a clingy tee that left no doubt to her small but womanly assets. Without the extra covering, she felt almost naked and vulnerable since she’d gotten used to the armor of her disguise. After setting the jacket over the back of a chair, she crossed her arms over her middle and turned back to the view outside.

It’ll be alright. It’ll be alright. Everything is okay. It’s been years. He’s not finding you, she told herself, a mantra she chanted every night when she climbed into her bed.

Still, her problems seemed as enormous and unmovable as the hazy mountain ridge that rose through the frost in the distance.

Her gaze shifted closer and settled on two of the ranch hands as they rode into view, each on a majestic sorrel horse, the steeds’ coats gleaming under the midmorning sun. Her heart ached at the sight, both for the loss of her horses she’d grown up with and her unshakeable attraction to those two men.

She winced at the immediate arousal that fluttered in her core, overpowering her sadness. Cannon Moffitt and Hawk Quidell. They were new to Daly, arriving just weeks ago—at least, that’s when she’d first seen them. And every time she laid eyes on the pair, needy sensations taunted her with what she couldn’t have. Could never have.

The desire for them didn’t feel bad or wrong, but she shouldn’t want what wasn’t hers. It was important to keep everyone at arm’s length. She couldn’t let anyone very far into her life. Especially not those two cowboys.

But her desire for them…

Yeah, it seemed far from bad. It felt exactly right. Alive. Tingly. But even if they were single, Dev wouldn’t pursue her feelings. There was too much danger in that.

For them.

Even telling Briar was dangerous.

God, this was stupid. She should leave and forget the whole fanciful idea of sharing her identity, of starting a horse training facility.

She reached for her jacket just as Briar returned, thwarting her escape.

Here we go, Briar said, and when Dev glanced over her shoulder, she saw her friend wasn’t looking her way yet as she placed a tray with the two cups, as well as cream and sugar, on the coffee table.

You look nervous. There’s no need to be, Briar continued. It’s just me.

It was too late to back away now, not without being obvious. Dev heaved a breath. Reaching up, she mussed her hair, then she slid off the black rimmed glasses. This way, when her locks were wild, she looked far less like a hipster guy. In fact, she actually looked a whole lot like Ruby Rose from The Meg.

Really, there is a specific reason. She turned, and Briar’s mouth dropped open. Dressed in a clingy T-shirt and with her hair wild around her face, it was clear Devon wasn’t what she’d led everyone to believe.

Holy Clark Kent, Superman. Um…Supergirl…I guess. Wow. Um… I… Do Brian and John know you’re a woman? Briar stammered, asking about their bosses at the bar where they worked. Mouth still opening and shutting as she searched for more words, she sank onto the couch. Devon moved to sit beside her.

No. Dev shook her head slowly. And I don’t want them to know. I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to conceal who I am. It’s been difficult, especially while living in town. I want to get farther into the country—not be in ‘downtown’ Daly all the time. I’d like someplace where I can just be me sometimes. So… I’m hoping to find an area to build a house then raise and train a few horses.

The land you were asking about?

Devon nodded. I have money—cash—so I can pay you outright.

Briar raised an eyebrow as her shock wore off. Which begs the question… Why are you hiding out in Daly if you’re affluent enough to have that sort of cash?

It’s a long and convoluted story that starts with my stepfather basically selling me to his clients as part of a high-level business deal. I know… Dev shook her head and held up a hand. That’s movie-of-the-week stuff. People think that sort of thing doesn’t happen, but at the right price, it does. I should be flattered to know I’m worth twenty million, right? Parts of me anyway…

Uh, no, Briar replied, but Dev barely heard her.

White slavery, it’s alive and well, she muttered. The guy who bought me didn’t even want me for himself. He made it clear he intended to pimp me out to the highest bidders. A chance with the debutante whore. Dev grimaced as Briar blanched, flinching at her words. "That was my stepfather’s mistake—he was so full of himself and the power he thought he had that he told me his plans before the exchange. Advised me to say goodbye to my old virginal life. I did. I ran."

She shrugged as if she weren’t still traumatized, as if she didn’t still wake up from nightmares in a cold sweat.

Jesus, Dev, Briar breathed. She shook her head, grabbing Dev’s hand. You can come here to my ranch and hide. You don’t have to buy the parcel from me—

I want to, Dev argued, warmth filling her at the simple physical contact that had been lacking in her life. I need a place to call mine. I want a home again. My own home. I don’t really know how to handle the transaction, though. Nailing down things, you know? I’m sure my stepfather’s associates are looking for me to crop up. They probably have a program running that’ll trigger an alarm if my name appears.

The Daly court system is hardly high-tech. Or we could create a shell company for you to hide behind, a male voice interrupted from behind us. Tensing, Dev glanced back to see one of Briar’s men, Jax, leaning against the doorjamb, where he’d clearly listened in on their conversation.

Jax, Briar admonished. She placed a hand on Devon’s thigh to reassure her. It’s okay. He’s safe.

He shrugged. I, um, saw Devon get here and thought I’d come in to… He indicated vaguely around them, and Dev knew he’d just come to make sure the male coworker from the bar wasn’t making moves on Briar.

Briar narrowed her eyes at him. We’ll talk about that later. For now, come in here. Dev needs our help.

Sounds like it. If it wouldn’t land me in jail, I’d hunt down those snakes, Jax growled.

Jax works for me— Briar explained as if Dev didn’t know who he was. Technically, she’d known him longer than Briar had—though, clearly not as intimately as her friend did.

He’s one of your men. I know, she interrupted.

Briar nodded. Yes, he is that, too. He’s also a lawyer. At very least, he can help us wade through the paperwork for the sale without your name getting filed online anywhere.

Devon wasn’t sure how that was possible, but she figured he knew ways—hopefully not illegal ones. She’d endured enough criminality in her short life.

I don’t suppose you went to the police? he asked, walking over then dropping into the armchair across from her and Briar.

Devon shook her head. I was kinda a drama queen as a teenager. The police would have laughed at me and put it down to some stunt then called my stepfather. That’s exactly what I didn’t want. So I fled. I headed toward the east coast to throw him off while I drained the bank accounts he knew about. Since they were in my name only, and my grandparents had opened them for me, he didn’t have access. They did that on purpose—all the family’s money was on my mother’s side.

They couldn’t help you? he asked.

She shook her head. "They died the year before the deal happened. He never would have tried anything if they were alive. Thing is…until he does something I can prove, until something bad happens to me, it’s just he said-she said, so I’m kinda screwed."

Nothing’s going to happen here, baby girl, a new voice said. A shiver of awareness trembled down her spine. Hawk.

She, Briar and Jax looked over to see the other three cowboys had come inside. Hawk, Cannon and Ram.

Beside Hawk, Cannon looked deadly serious, his jovial demeanor nowhere to be found, as he broke from the group and crouched in front of Dev. Taking her hand, he stared at her from beneath a fringe of sun-streaked dark hair that had fallen in his face.

"You’re going to move in