Shades of Ménage : A Dystopian Romance Ménage & Post Catastrophic Romance Ménage Boxed Set Series - Ultimate Four-Book Collection (10 page)

It
was
him!

“
He’s been shot,” the preacher said quickly. “He tricked me into bringing him here. And he’s drunk. He polished off a bottle of whiskey in the car. Purely medicinal purposes, of course.”

Luke hiccupped and scowled at the preacher. “You’re a damn son of a bitch for not telling me she’s been living right here on Outlaw land and right under my nose.”

He gave the preacher a rough shove into the cabin. Then he stepped inside, closing and bolting the door behind him.

That’s when she spied the guns he carried in each hand. One was aimed at the preacher. One pointed at her.

Oh
,
my gosh
!

“
You are supposed to be dead,” his voice echoed in the semidarkness as he waved one of the guns at her. “Or, at the very least, some crazed guinea pig hooked up to some government’s experimental lab so they can figure out why you never got the X-virus.” Hiccup. “Yet, here you are…hiding in what would have been our…home,” he frowned. “And as healthy, and prettier than I remember you…” Hiccup. “As if you never even left. As if you’d never been taken away all those years ago. As if you’re a dream.”

Concern rushed her senses. The preacher had said Luke had been shot. How serious was the injury? It couldn’t be that bad if he was still standing, could it?

He swayed dangerously, his eyes narrowing with anger.

“
Are you a dream, Callie?”

“
Luke, please sit down before you fall.” She stepped toward him and froze as Luke shot a bullet into the ceiling.

“
Not so fast, honey.” He blinked rapidly as if trying to clear his vision. Perspiration peppered his forehead and pain etched the shadows of his face. In the darkness, she saw a dark patch staining his white T-shirt in the area of his left shoulder.

Blood.

Anxiety for his health swarmed her. She turned to the preacher, who cowered with fear.

“
How bad is he hurt?” she asked him.

“
Bad enough,” the preacher said. “He mumbled something about the Barlows shooting him. The bullet went clean through his shoulder. The only medicine I had was painkillers. He wouldn’t take them. So I gave him a bottle of whiskey that one of my parishioners gave me a long time ago.”

“
Even if you’re a dream,” Luke sang out waving the gun at her as if it were an admonishing finger, “you’re not getting away from me this time. Light some candles, woman. I want to get a good look at my wife-to-be.”

Callie stiffened.

It had always irritated her on the odd occasion when he’d tried to order her around. He was doing it now. And he was pissing her off.

“
Do as he says, Callie. Alcohol doesn’t seem to mix well with his mood. He might shoot off another round and there’s no telling where the next bullet might hit or if there’s someone out in the woods who might hear the commotion.”

Callie nodded.

The preacher was right. The last thing she needed was for anyone to hear gunshots out this way.

Her hands trembled as she searched for the matchbox on the counter. It took her several attempts before she had a candle glowing. Setting it in the middle of the kitchen table, she turned around and found Luke now sitting on her bed and the buttery candle glow had chased away the shadows to his face.

She almost wished he’d stayed in the darkness of the room.

Maybe then her heart wouldn’t have tightened so hard at the sight of the rough stubble on his face, the strong column to his tanned throat, the wide shoulders and the strong chest muscles straining against his T-shirt.

Sexual awareness glittered in his dark brown eyes as he stared at her in an intoxicating way that made heat spread through her pussy. Warm cream seeped past her plump folds to wet her panties.

Sexual tension thickened the air around them.

Callie swallowed tightly.

“
How…how bad are you wounded?” She admonished herself for this overwhelming concern for a man she thought she’d forced out of her heart. She stepped toward him.

“
That’s far enough, Callie. Stop right there. Let me take a look at you.” The steely cold in his voice made her halt.

She tried hard not to shiver at the erotic way his heated gaze roved along the fullness of her breasts.

“
Very nice,” he whispered. “Very nice indeed.”

She followed to where he was looking and noted how her nipples were poking proudly against the thin material.

Inhaling softly, she watched his eyes travel over her curvy breasts, down her belly to the area between her legs.

Her pussy quivered with excitement against her tight jeans.

Thank God, the preacher was behind her and he couldn’t see her responding to the scorching way Luke was looking at her.

“
I’ve come to claim you, Callie,” he said softly.

Claim her?

“
That’s not possible, Mr. Outlaw.” The preacher echoed her thoughts. “I already told you that you can’t marry her—”

“
Shut up!” Luke’s eyes blazed fiercely but he kept his gaze fixed upon her. “I came here to marry her and I’m going to do it the old-fashioned way. Legal or not.”

Callie’s heart thumped a mile a minute as she digested what Luke had just said.

Marry her? Was he seriously demented? Delirious? Yes, he must be delirious.

“
Preacher man!” Luke snapped and waved the pistol in warning. “You marry Callie and me. Now!”

“
Luke… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said.

“
Callie, just stay there in the candlelight. Man, you look so beautiful.”

Her? Beautiful?

She hadn’t run a comb through her short auburn tangles all day. Her shirt was covered in flour from making bread and she didn’t even have any makeup on.

She resisted the urge to primp her hair into a more orderly fashion.

Oh, heavens! Why did she even care what she looked like? She had no future with this man. All their dreams were gone. All because of the one mistake she’d made.

Despite that fact, she couldn’t stop herself from blushing at his comment.

He said she was beautiful.

The gun in his right hand lifted and Luke pointed it at the preacher’s head.

In response, the preacher squealed in fright. “Good heavens! Please, Mr. Outlaw, don’t shoot me.”

“
Luke, you’re delirious,” Callie tried to keep her voice soft and steady. Inside, she trembled. If he was delirious, Luke just might be sick enough to shoot the man. “Put the guns down, please.”

He shot another round into the ceiling, the echo piercing through the air like a missile.

Damn him!

“
The gun doesn’t go anywhere, sweetheart. Not until we’re married. I’ve been dreaming of this day for more than five years…since you disappeared.”

“
I…I…I can’t m-marry you two, Mr. Outlaw,” the preacher stammered with anxiety. “It…it’s against the law for a single man to marry a woman. The old ways are gone. She must be properly claimed…by at least four men…perhaps your brothers would be interested in joining you in the festivities?”

“
She’s mine,” Luke snarled. His white teeth gleamed sinisterly in the candlelight. “Marry us, or so help me, I’ll kill you right where you stand.”

“
Yes, sir.” The preacher promptly produced a bible from the folds of his black suit.

Callie’s head whirled.

“
This is ridiculous,” she muttered as Luke’s gaze continued to graze over her breasts sending a wonderful awareness coursing through her.

Her nipples hardened even, little rosebuds that were dying to burst free. Aching to pop into Luke’s moist mouth.

“
Luke, put the gun down. I’ve had enough of this.” She tried to sound stern, but there was a sensual edge to her voice that she found irritating.

“
Uh-oh, the groom-to-be is in trouble.” Hiccup. “Not a good thing for the wedding night.”

He chuckled and winked at her.

Oh, dear.

The preacher’s quickly spoken words broke into the foray.

“
Callie Callahan, do you take Luke Outlaw to be your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health? For richer? For poorer? Will you honor and cherish him for as long as you both shall live?”

“
She does. Now continue,” Luke mumbled.

She had the sudden urge to grab a nearby frying pan and smack it over his head. How dare he assume she still wanted to marry him!

“
This has gone far enough—” she protested.

He lifted the gun cutting her into silence. She stiffened as he kissed the open barrel to his lips.

“
Shh, the preacher is marrying us.”

“
It isn’t legal,” Callie stated defiantly.

“
Yes, it is,” the preacher hissed back. “The government is still in the process of revoking our licenses. Mine is still valid.”

Oh, no!

“
Do you Luke Outlaw take Callie to be your lawfully wedded wife? In sickness? In health? For richer? For poorer? To honor and cherish for as long as you both live?”

“
Damn straight I do.”

Callie’s stomach plummeted.

“
The rings? I need the rings to make this official,” the preacher replied quickly.

Oh, thank you, God. No rings. No marriage.

“
I have them right here,” came Luke’s quick reply.

To her horror, he slid the gun barrel inside the collar of his T-shirt and pulled out a chain necklace. Dog tags tinkled and behind them were two glittering gold rings.

Their wedding rings!

He still had them. Even after all this time.

The preacher hurried over to him and helped remove the chain necklace and subsequently the rings. A quick blessing over them and both Luke and the preacher were waving at her to come closer.

Callie swallowed hard.

This is not happening
!

The idea of escaping rushed through her mind. She doubted Luke would shoot her. Doubted if the preacher could catch her.

It was as if Luke knew exactly what she thought for he pointed the gun at the preacher who whimpered his distress.

“
Please, Callie. I don’t want to die. I have to christen a baby tomorrow. Please, don’t let Mr. Outlaw shoot me. And I still have to visit with the Barlows and their new wife the day after. They always offer such tasty food.”

Luke stiffened at the mention of the Barlow brothers and she wondered what pitiful soul those evil boys had captured for their wife.

“
Get over here, Callie,” Luke commanded. Red-hot anger flashed bright in his eyes.

In the time she’d known him before everything had fallen apart, she’d rarely seen him angry. His calmness had been one of the many things that had attracted her to him. But the anger contorting his face frightened her. Something was seriously wrong and unwanted compassion overwhelmed her.

She did as he said. On rather wobbly legs, she walked over to the bed.

“
Sit beside me.”

She sat down, the mattress sagging beneath her. Even though the guns he held in his hands made her uneasy, she enjoyed the waves of sexual heat cascading through her at being near him.

“
Please,” the preacher said quickly. “Hold out your hand, Mr. Outlaw. Callie, please place the ring on his finger.”