Monroe, Marla - Their Border Lands Gift [Men of the Border Lands 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (3 page)

“You can’t trust anyone around here. There’s no real law here.” Marcus crossed his arms.

“Is that why you’re not worried that you broke that man’s arm?” Mike asked.

“That, and I don’t care. He deserved it. Your woman is going to have bruises on her. He deserved a lot worse,” Bruce told him.

“We really are grateful to you. Do you have your own woman?”

The two men sighed. Bruce walked off with his hands on his hips.

Marcus looked out after him. “We did. She was killed by a wolf while we were out working in the pasture.” His jaw muscles worked as if he were trying to keep from showing his bitterness.

“I’m sorry.” Kate didn’t know where her voice came from after being so terrified.

“Thanks. Bruce blames himself. He doesn’t talk about her.”

“I’m so sorry I brought it up,” Mike said.

“No. It’s okay. He needs to come to grips with it and get over it. We never thought a wolf would come up in the yard like that. They never had before.”

“Well, we need to get going. I thank you both again.”

Mike walked her around to the passenger side of the truck and helped her in the cab before locking the door and closing it. Then he loaded up the supplies in the back of the truck and secured the camper door the best he could. He nodded to the two men then climbed up into the truck and started the engine. They pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the open road.

“Where are we going?” Kate finally asked.

“I picked a spot on the map that looks like there should be plenty of houses. We’ll pick an empty one and set up in it.”

“See why I don’t want you to just give me to someone? You don’t have any idea who will be nice and who won’t. I doubt there are any nice men left out this direction.” Kate looked over at where her brother was gripping the steering wheel with both hands.

“What about those two men who helped us?”

“Well, they’re obviously still grieving for their wife. I think we’ll be hard pressed to find anyone else that nice in this godforsaken land.”

“Don’t you get it, Kate? If it had been just me, I would have lost you to that bastard. I couldn’t have taken him. He was nearly twice as big as me. It took those two men to get you away from him.” He slapped the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.

“I’m okay, Mike. He didn’t get me.”

“He hurt you, Kate, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.”

“I’m sorry, Mike. I know I’m making things hard for you. I wish I could take care of myself.”

“Oh, hell. Don’t go blaming yourself. It’s not your fault the world’s gone to hell. You shouldn’t have to be able to defend yourself. You shouldn’t have to hide in the back of the damn camper while I go bartering for supplies so we can live. This whole thing is fucked up.”

Kate didn’t say anything. She knew he was frustrated, but must of all, he was scared, and she wouldn’t call him on that.

* * * *

Bruce climbed up into the cab of their truck then waited on Marcus to do the same before pulling out of Barter Town and heading toward home.

“I liked her. She didn’t get hysterical when her husband came up.” Marcus looked over at Bruce.

“
Husband
being the operative word, Marcus.” Bruce stared straight ahead.

“Yeah, but she was pretty and feisty. It doesn’t hurt to look.”

“She’s another man’s wife, for God’s sakes,” Bruce all but yelled.

“Hey, calm down, Bruce. What’s gotten into you?”

“Sorry. I’m just keyed up over the fight and thinking about what could have happened to that poor woman if we hadn’t walked up when we did. Her husband needs to keep her away from Barter Town. He can’t possibly keep her safe alone.”

“Yeah, you’re right about that. I’m guessing he’s figured that out, though.” Marcus sighed.

Bruce felt guilty because he had fussed at Marcus for something he was even now doing, thinking about the pretty, honey-haired beauty. She was nothing like Irene. She’d had long blonde hair more white than the other woman’s gold, and a tiny body that he had often worried he would crush beneath him. She had never complained and was always ready for their loving.

Still, he couldn’t get Kate out of his mind. She had womanly curves and was probably around five feet five inches to his six foot three. He wouldn’t crush her beneath him while loving her. He and Marcus had never taken Irene together because of her small build, but he had no doubt they could take Kate together. Then he realized he was lusting after another man’s wife and hit the steering wheel in frustration.

Marcus, for once, wisely remained quiet.

They arrived at their home deep within the Border Lands at the farthest possible location they could drive without gassing up. When they had lost Irene, he’d insisted they move so they wouldn’t be reminded of her everywhere they turned. Their new home was too big for just them, but it had prime grazing land for their cattle and a garden spot already cut, though overgrown. It hadn’t taken much work to turn it into a rich garden.

They climbed out of the truck and began unloading in silence. They tended to do most everything in silence now, where before they laughed and talked and teased one another. Despite it having been nearly two years now since they’d buried her, they still hadn’t buried her memory.

It was nearly dark by the time they had everything unloaded and put away. They fixed a dinner of soup and sandwiches then sat in the living room where they discussed what they would work on the next day. When the conversation lagged, Bruce began to think about Kate and how her rounded ass was perfect for fucking. He’d come to the conclusion they had been too long without a woman and should have looked for one to share while they had been in town. He loathed using the brothel there, but surely they could treat a woman well and make her day a little brighter having been with them. He shook his head. No, he couldn’t see supporting their abuse of the women.

“What are you shaking your head about over there?” Marcus asked.

“Just thinking that maybe I could use a good fucking to clear my mind. It’s been a long time since we shared a woman.”

“I’m not going to that brothel in Barter Town,” Marcus immediately said.

“That’s what I was shaking my head about. Neither am I. So, we’re stuck using our hands and dreaming about someone who’s long dead. What a fucking laugh.”

“Bruce, it wasn’t your fault.”

“One of us should have always been with her. I should have gone hunting that wolf the first time we saw the tracks out in the woods.” Bruce rubbed his face with both hands.

“We’d never seen the wolf. How were we to know it would attack a human? They don’t unless you threaten them.” Marcus leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

“I’m over here thinking about fucking another man’s wife after I fussed at you earlier. I can’t get her out of my mind, and that’s wrong, Marcus.”

“It’s natural when she’s the first woman we’ve seen that wasn’t wearing a damn collar and chain. Besides, she was pretty and brave. That’s a heady combination in a woman to us.”

Bruce closed his eyes and tried to picture Irene’s delicate features, but they kept getting mixed up with Kate’s warm, amber-brown eyes and kissable lips. He felt guilty for a few seconds then decided it had been long enough that he shouldn’t. He had mourned her for nearly two years now. It was time to move on when he was attracted to another woman, especially another man’s wife.

“It’s time we went to bed. Dawn comes early, and we have a lot to do since we were gone all day today.” Bruce stood up and stretched.

They turned down the oil lamps, taking one apiece to their respective rooms. Bruce used the master bathroom though he slept in one of the spare rooms, as did Marcus. Marcus used the hall bathroom.

Bruce turned on the water to the shower and adjusted it to suit his tastes. Then he pulled out a towel and bath cloth while trying to imagine something besides Kate’s desperate face.

Chapter Three

Mike drove them deep into the mountainous area until he found a house that looked empty. They got out and explored only to find that the roof was gone from the back half. Once again they climbed in the truck and followed the road until they came to another drive. This one looked well used, so they skipped it and continued driving.

“It’s getting dark, Mike. What are we going to do?” Kate didn’t like the idea of being lost in the mountains at night.

“We’re going to check one last address then turn around and find a place to park and sleep for the night.”

“Maybe we should try another road. This one looks like it goes all the way to Canada to me. We’ll run out of gas before we can get back to get more.”

“I’ve got it figured out, Kate. We have twenty-five more miles before we have to turn around, and I have five gallons of gas stored if we need it in case I miscalculated. I’ve got it under control, Kate.”

“Okay, okay. You know I don’t like driving in the dark and especially not on unfamiliar roads.” Kate had a death grip on her seatbelt.

“Look, help me watch for the next drive. It should be close now.” The map where he’d marked all the houses had come from the courthouse. He’d bought it from one of the men in Barter Town. “We’re almost at the end of the line I drew.”

Several minutes later, Kate pointed out an overgrown drive on the left.

“Is that it?” she asked.

“Looks like it. Hold on. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

They followed the drive for nearly a mile before it dead-ended at a small house that looked in fair shape. It had all of its windows and doors from what Kate could see, but they would need to look at it all over to know for sure what sort of shape it was in.

“It’s getting dark fast, Mike. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to check it out.”

“I think you’re probably right. Let’s sleep in the camper then get up early and see if it will be livable or not.”

They climbed out of the cab of the truck and walked through the tall grass to the trailer. Mike unhooked the broken lock and helped her climb up in back. She grabbed one of the flashlights and started fixing their beds. She was hungry, but they’d eaten their meal several hours earlier. She didn’t feel like trying to come up with something to eat now.

“Climb on up on the bed, Kate. I’ll close everything down and bed down on the floor.” Mike secured the camper door with some wire and a small board he’d picked up from somewhere. Then he settled down on the makeshift bed on the floor.

“I think this one is going to be the one, Kate. Just wait and see.”

“I hope you’re right, Mike. I’m tired of riding. I just want to set up housekeeping and let that be that.” She hoped he would forget about trying to find her a couple of husbands if they were far enough out that no one would bother them.

If he found a woman he wanted to settle down with, they could live there as well. What was wrong with that? Families all lived together nowadays like they used to in the past. She’d give them all the privacy they could want. She just didn’t want to end up belonging to two overbearing brutes who would order her around.

“I can hear you thinking clear down here. What is it, Kate?” Mike’s voice startled her out of her thoughts.

“Nothing. I’m just wondering how we’re going to plant a garden if we don’t have a plow to plow it.”

“You let me worry about that part. You’ll have enough to worry over in the house.”

Kate rolled her eyes, but wisely kept her mouth shut. Mike took his role as head of the house very seriously. She sighed. Obviously, since he was dead set on finding her a husband or two.