Shades of Ménage : A Dystopian Romance Ménage & Post Catastrophic Romance Ménage Boxed Set Series - Ultimate Four-Book Collection (17 page)

“
I feel so helpless,” she shook her head. “I can’t believe all this has happened. This Claiming Law. Laurie forced into having sex with the Barlows. It’s just sickening.”

“
She wasn’t forced.”

“
W…What?” The look of surprise in her eyes had him cursing himself for not explaining everything to her right from the beginning.

“
There was a deal on the table.”

“
What? What are you talking about? What kind of deal?”

“
Originally they wanted Cate.”

“
The Barlows wanted my older sister? What the hell is it with those bastards? I know they’ve been pursuing her since high school but she belongs to Jude and he belongs to her. They love each other and nothing will keep them apart.”

“
I know.” He smoothed his hands over her hair, cupping her ears. “And they aren’t apart. They’re together. Jude made it happen. He and Cate took our boat, the Outlaw Lover and they sailed away.”

The look of anguish on her face slowly disappeared.

“
Cate’s gone? She’s with Jude?”

He nodded. “Laurie stepped in for Cate.”

“
Why? It’s insanity.”

“
I don’t know the whole story. Only Laurie, the Barlows and the government know the agreement. But from what I’ve heard, Laurie volunteered to take Cate’s place. I’ve never had a chance to verify the story. It was why I went to the Barlow ranch that night and…she didn’t look like she was there against her will.”

There was more to it than that. He should tell her the rest.

“
And you found them together?”

He nodded.

“
I know there isn’t any good blood between you and the Barlows, but why would they shoot you?”

“
They thought I was an intruder. They didn’t know who I was until after Seth pulled the trigger.”

“
Why did she do this? I thought she’d gotten over Tyler being MIA. She must have snapped or something.”

At the mention of his youngest brother, Luke stiffened. She immediately saw his reaction and shook her head in denial.

“
What? There’s more to this, isn’t there?”

He’d promised his brothers and the Barlows he wouldn’t tell anyone about Ty. But keeping secrets from Callie wasn’t a good thing. If he ever expected her to trust him then he would have to trust her with this delicate information.

“
Tyler is alive.”

“
No.” Callie closed her eyes and he could feel her sway.

“
Are you okay?”

“
I thought he was dead? The preacher told me he was dead.”

“
The Barlows know different. They know where he is but they aren’t saying.”

“
What do you mean they aren’t saying? Force it out of them. And Laurie knows this? She can’t know. She’d never in a million years go near a Barlow if she knew Ty was alive.”

“
As far as we know she knows nothing about Tyler.”

Callie ripped herself away from him, wildly brushing away her tears from hope-crazed eyes.

“
Well then, we’ll just have to tell her, won’t we? She has to leave them. She can’t stay with them.”

“
And how do you propose we do that? The Barlows know where my brother is. If you go and tell Laurie, then Ty’s as good as dead, isn’t he? They wouldn’t have any reason to dangle his life over our heads anymore. We’re stuck, Callie. After the deal with Cate fell through, the Barlows told me they would think of something else for us to do in order to free Tyler. They also said if anyone breathed a word to Laurie, Ty was a dead man.”

Callie swore under her breath and pressed her fingers to her temples.

“
I’m getting a headache.”

“
Join the club.”

She gazed up at him and his heart clenched at the helpless look shining in her eyes.

He knew how she felt. Helpless. Alone. Angry. Scared.

“
What do we do?” she whispered.

“
I don’t know,” he admitted, and curled his arms around her waist, holding her tight. “I don’t know.”

* * * * *

The confirmation that her baby sister was the woman who’d been claimed by the Barlow bastards had hit her like a Mack truck.

And now with the news that Tyler was alive and the Barlows knew where he was, it felt like a double whammy.

She’d wanted to ask Luke more questions about her sister and about his brother but their fight, if that’s what she could call it, had worn him out.

After she’d checked his wounds and tucked the sheet around him he’d lain silent, staring up at the ceiling with his hands clenching and unclenching in anger.

She understood his frustration. She was just as helpless when it came to her sister.

That night the nightmare that had been haunting her since she’d escaped the government labs swooped over like a vulture, tearing her mind apart. Only this time there was a new twist. Instead of the mad scientist coming to her secluded compartment to ask her the familiar questions of how she felt after the latest experiment and all the other redundant crap that followed, Luke had replaced him in her dream.

He looked dashing in a white lab
coat as he settled down on the bed where she was lying.

“
How are you feeling today, Callie?” his husky voice shimmered over her in seductive waves making her tremble with want.

“
Horny,” she admitted.

He grinned. “I knew you’d be. That’s why…” He unbuttoned his lab coat and pulled the sides apart revealing his nakedness beneath. His cock was thick and long, and so unbelievably huge it made her nipples harden and her pussy so wet, the stickiness dripped along the insides of her thighs.

“
You look beautiful when you’re horny,” he whispered, as his head descended and his moist lips slid seductively over hers. “I’m going to fuck you so long and so hard you’ll be spoiled for any other man who wants to claim you.”

Callie’s body hummed with approval at his words.

“
You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted, Luke,” she murmured against his hot mouth.

“
Luke? Who is Luke?”

Callie gasped as Luke’s face transformed into the mad scientist who’d tormented her the last few weeks she’d been in the labs.

His thin lips twisted in a snarl. “I’ll never let you go, Callie Callahan. You’re going to be my bitch, always. You’ll never escape this lab.”

His laughter rang evilly in her ears.

No! It wasn’t true. She wasn’t in the labs.

Please, don’t let me be back in the lab!

Callie awoke on a strangled gasp, her heart pounding. In the holder beside the sofa, the lone candle she allowed herself during the night flickered, casting eerie shadows over Luke.

He lay quietly on the bed, his eyes closed, his hands clasped together over his bare chest in a peaceful sleep.

She heaved a sigh of relief.

She was here with Luke. Here at their tiny ranch cabin. Safe and sound.

Throwing away the remnants of the nightmare, she smiled as she got up and remembered the part of the dream where Luke had shown up in the white lab coat and she’d confessed she was horny.

Tiptoeing she walked over to where Luke lay sleeping. Temptation was great to slide the sheet aside and fondle his cock until it was lusciously long and thick. His hard flesh would soothe the constant throb she’d had between her legs since she’d caught him out of bed.

His hard, red cock swollen with a need just as great as hers.

What would he do if she woke him up? Asked him to have sex with her?

Or, better yet, simply whipped the sheet off him, climbed on top and sank herself onto his hard shaft?

She took a step toward him and stopped, reality sinking in.

Despite her horniness, she couldn’t fuck him. She couldn’t risk ripping open the bullet wounds.

It was too soon.

She inhaled a deep breath and steadied herself.

If the electricity hadn’t been disconnected she could have taken the edge off with a cold shower.

An alternative idea swiftly came to mind.

She’d masturbated many times over the past several weeks since escaping the labs. She could do it again, but not here.

Outside. In the pond.

Grabbing a bar of soap from the kitchen, she headed outside, leaving the door wide open to allow fresh air inside for Luke.

As she headed down to the nearby pond, she cast peeks over her shoulder at the log cabin. It looked eerily beautiful illuminated beneath the blue-gray moon-glow with the tall rocky cliffs as the backdrop.

The boarded windows, made the cabin look deserted, as if no one had been here for years, and that’s exactly what she wanted to portray should any unwelcome visitors be wandering around.

She sighed her relief when she reached the pond.

No need to test if the water was too cold. She knew it would be blessedly cool because she’d done all her bathing and her masturbating here.

Striping off her sticky shirt, she slid her damp panties down her legs then stepped into the water, her toes sinking into the wonderfully cool mud.

Perfect.

She waded further, relishing the refreshing liquid as it washed around her hot legs and thighs. When it tickled her aching clit, she gasped at the pleasant sensations.

Immediately she drew Luke back into her thoughts.

She wondered if he knew how much she needed him, and how hard it had been keeping her emotions and the truth buried deep inside over the past few days.

According to the preacher, they were married. She had every right to seek sexual gratification from her husband. Unfortunately, he’d been so drunk that night he couldn’t remember what had happened.

She could simply tell him. Or produce the wedding ring she’d slid off her finger and stashed in the underwear drawer with the other ring.

Or she could wait until he got better, and leave like she’d originally planned. And go where?

Maybe go to Laurie and beg her to come with her to join the resistance. But if Laurie ran from the Barlows, it would mean Tyler’s life. She didn’t know if she could live with herself if she caused the death of her sister’s one true love.

Besides, running away with Laurie would mean both of them would be looking over their shoulders every minute of the day.

Perhaps it was selfish of her, but it wasn’t something she really wanted to do.

Unfortunately, she had no choice in the matter, did she?

She was an unclaimed woman. Free for the taking by any group of men who caught her.

And it was all legal.

Callie shivered in the cool night air.

Getting claimed by strange men would be the death of her, literally. She would kill herself before she’d let a man she didn’t want touch her. Of that she was sure.

But if Luke decided he wanted her, with the help of his brothers…

Callie blew out a sharp breath at the unexpected idea.

To her surprise, a zip of arousal coursed through her.

From the strong way Luke’s cock had reacted when he’d seen her clothing clinging to her every curve the other night it proved he was on the mend faster than she’d ever expected.

And if his brothers were built like Luke…

Her nipples tightened at that thought.