by Becca Van
Bella groaned and flopped against Clint’s chest as Adam withdrew from her ass. She was so boneless she didn’t think she’d ever be able to move again. Clint wrapped his arms around her waist and eased her down onto the mattress with him until they were lying on their sides, his semihard cock still buried in her depths. Bella closed her eyes, gave a sigh, and smiled with satiation. She slipped into a light doze and groaned when she felt Clint ease from her body. She felt the bed dip behind her, and then a hand was holding one of her legs up away from her body. She squeaked when she felt a cold, wet cloth clean away the seed seeping from her pussy and ass and hid her face in Clint’s shoulder. Her leg was lowered, the covers were pulled up over her, and she felt another large body crawl into bed behind her. She was about to turn her head to see if it was Marcus cuddled up to her back, but exhaustion beat her to it and pulled her down into a deep, relaxed sleep.
Chapter Seven
Bella slept later than usual, no doubt due to her strenuous activities from the previous night. The house was quiet, and the sun’s rays were streaming in through the light curtains on the window. She eased out of bed and was surprised that her muscles didn’t complain too much with the movement. She used a jug of water from the dresser to rinse off, then dressed in her men’s oversized clothes and went to the kitchen.
Bella found Marcus sitting at the table, drinking coffee and eating a piece of apple pie. He smiled and held out a hand to her when she entered. She didn’t hesitate. She walked over and sat on his lap when he pulled her down.
“How are you feeling, darlin’?”
“I’m good,” Bella replied, picking up Marcus’s coffee and taking a sip. She grimaced when she tasted the bitter brew he’d been drinking and put it back down.
“Grab yourself a coffee and some pie. We’ll head out when you’re done with your breakfast.”
“Why didn’t you wake me? You didn’t have to let me sleep so long.”
“I know, darlin’, but we were pretty hard on you last night for your first time. I wanted you to have all the rest you needed. Now, get moving, woman, time’s a-wastin’,” Marcus said as he helped Bella to stand.
Bella got her coffee from the pot warming on the stove, added some milk and sugar, cut a piece of pie, and sat back down to enjoy her breakfast. Once done, she gathered up their dishes and placed them in the sink. She turned to see Marcus already on his feet waiting on her and followed him out of the house.
Marcus led Bella behind the barn where her target shooting was already set up. He was a lot easier on her with his instructions for the gun than Adam had been, so she found herself relaxing, and her aim and shooting were a lot better than the previous day. Once she hit the wood target over and over again without missing, as well as loaded the gun numerous times, Marcus called a halt.
“Come on, darlin’, time for another riding lesson. This time you get to tack Star up all by yourself. Do you think you can manage the saddle?”
“Of course I can. I did it by myself yesterday,” Bella stated belligerently.
Marcus gave a bark of laughter and led the way into the barn. He watched as Bella tacked up and gave her a satisfied nod when she did everything right, then attended to his own horse. They were both mounted and heading out minutes later.
Marcus was just as diligent in pointing out specific landmarks to Bella as Adam had been, and she knew they were making sure she wouldn’t get lost if she ever headed out by herself. He took her in the opposite direction Adam had taken her, and she made sure she studied each landmark carefully, imprinting it onto her brain.
“I know what you’re doing, and I appreciate it,” Bella said, breaking her silence.
“Yeah, well, we don’t want you getting lost out here by yourself. We don’t want you to ever ride out alone unless absolutely necessary, darlin’. It’s just too damn dangerous, but we need you to know where you are in case there’s ever an emergency and you have to ride out by yourself. I would hope that you would get David to ride out for you, though.”
“What does he do besides break in the new horses?” Bella asked curiously.
“Well, he takes care of the tack, cleans out the stalls and barn, generally whatever we need him to do.”
“He doesn’t sleep on your land, does he?”
“No, he comes in from his small cabin every morning. Why did you ask where he sleeps, darlin’?”
“Just curious, I guess,” Bella answered evasively, not willing to tell Marcus the guy gave her the creeps. She’d often caught him watching her and didn’t like the way he looked at her but couldn’t really say anything because he hadn’t done anything wrong.
They rode along in companionable silence, going from a walk to a trot and canter, then back to a walk again. Bella was having no trouble in the saddle and was actually enjoying the freedom of being outside and on the move. There was no smog, no traffic or crowds of people to contend with. She felt at peace, like she belonged here more than she did in her own time. She had never felt that before, as if she belonged. Pain ripped through her chest and pierced her heart at the abhorrent thought of having to go back home.
Oh God. She was in love with them. How had that happened so fast? The thought of leaving the three Aldridge brothers was just more than she could stand to contemplate.
“Are you all right, darlin’? You’re as pale as a ghost,” Marcus said, reaching over and pulling her horse to a stop beside him.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sore, Bella?”
“A little tender, and my ass feels like it’s had a pole shoved up it, but it’s not too bad.”
Marcus barked out a laugh. “Come on, it’s time we headed back so you can take it easy for a while.”
Bella turned Star around and followed Marcus back to the ranch house. She was actually looking forward to being back on her own two legs, because her ass was beginning to hurt a little too much.
Bella spent that night in her bed alone. She was thankful for the fact the three brothers weren’t going to pressure her for sex, but she felt lonely and tossed restlessly. The next day was Clint’s turn to go through her lessons, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. Clint was such a hard, domineering man, and she knew he wouldn’t be as easy on her as Marcus and Adam had. They were all so different in their personalities. Marcus was always ready for a joke and a smile, and he always seemed to put her well-being above his own. Adam was a little more arrogant than Marcus, yet no less concerned for her welfare. Clint was liable to demand and command. Even though she knew he did and said things for her own safety, she just wished he would go about things with a little more compassion. But that didn’t make her love him any less than the others. She knew without a doubt her safety was the forefront of everything they did and said. She only hoped she and Clint didn’t end up at each other’s throats like she suspected they would.
Bella had breakfast on the table before the three men walked into the kitchen. They each grunted their thanks, sat down, and dug in. By the time they’d finished their pancakes, bacon, and eggs, Bella could feel the tension in the air. She had no idea what was going on, and even though she wanted to know, she was too afraid of getting her head bitten off if she asked. So she just went about her normal routine, collecting the dishes, wiping the table down, and filling the sink with water. She was in suds up to her elbows when she felt Clint come up behind her, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“I can’t spend the day with you today, baby. Adam found a fence down in the southern pasture, and we need all hands to get it up again. Then we’re going to have to round up the cattle, which have escaped through that damn fence,” Clint spat out, obviously disappointed at not being able to spend the day with her.
“It’s all right, Clint. I do understand,” Bella said over her shoulder, her head turned and tilted to look into Clint’s eyes.
“I know you do, baby, but I was looking forward to spending the day with you. I was looking forward to having you to myself for a few hours,�
�� Clint grumbled.
“Don’t worry, Clint. We can have that day together once you’re done with what needs to be tended to. Besides, I should spend another afternoon baking. I can’t believe you guys have gone through so much food already.”
“We work hard, baby. Your food is the best thing we’ve ever eaten. How could we not want to take it with us, so we wouldn’t be hungry?”
“Are you telling me you would have been skipping meals if I wasn’t here?”
“Yeah. We only ever used to have two meals a day. Breakfast and supper,” Clint answered.
“Well, let me spend the day in the kitchen while you’re out there fixing the fence, and I’ll have enough food to last for the rest of the week.”
“You don’t have to do that, Bella. It’s not like we’ll starve missing a meal in the middle of the day.”
“But I want to. I can’t stand the thought of you three going hungry.”
“You’re so sweet. I could get real used to having you in our home. Coming home to you after a long day of work is pure heaven, baby,” Clint said and kissed her on the top of the temple then headed out.
Bella felt tears well up at what Clint had said to her. Yes, she definitely felt like she’d found the place she was meant to be. She’d found her home.
Chapter Eight
Bella spent the morning baking pies and turnovers, and she planned to spend the afternoon making some more cakes and some desserts. She planned to make a roast dinner, and she would make sure there was enough left over to make a shepherd’s pie for tomorrow night’s dinner.
Bella had everything ready and finished drinking her glass of water. She jumped when she heard the back door slam open and wondered why her men were home so early. They usually didn’t arrive back to the ranch house until it was dusk. She put a smile on her face and turned to greet her men.
Only it wasn’t her men. David stood just inside the door, and the look on his face gave her the creeps.
“What do you want? Why are you in my house?”
“It’s not your house, little missy. And what I want is a taste of what you’ve given those three men. You like to be fucked, don’t ya? I saw the three of those boys fucking you at the same time the other night. I think I’ll get me a piece of what they had,” David said and moved further into the room.
“They’ll be back soon. If you touch me they’ll kill you. Please, don’t do this,” Bella pleaded, backing away warily. She gave a squeak of fear, her back close to the hot stove. She couldn’t move back any farther or she would end up burning herself. David was only a few feet from her now, and he was staring at her with an evil determination, lust shining at her as he leered at her body. She was in deep shit. He was so much bigger than she was. There was no way she would be able to fight him off. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her escalating panic, until he reached out for her with both hands. Bella grabbed for the pan she remembered placing on the stove to warm, heedless of the way the hot cast iron seared her skin, and swung with all her might. The sound of the heavy pan connecting with David’s head made her feel ill. He screamed as the hot pan connected with the skin of his cheek and the side of his head. He went down hard, pulling Bella with him. She fell on top of him, the hot pan flying from her hand. Her scream was cut off as the air left her lungs. She scrabbled to the side, getting away from the unconscious man, trying to fill her oxygen-depleted lungs. She turned her head to see the big man lying on the floor of the kitchen. The side of his face was shiny and red. She scrambled to her feet, aware she was sobbing loudly, ran outside, and threw up.
Oh God. What had she done? She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and ran for the barn. She saddled Star, led her out of the barn and over to her mounting tree stump, mounted, and took off. She rode as if all the hounds of hell were chasing at her heels and thanked God she could tell which direction she needed to head by the sun.
* * * *
Adam heard and felt the pounding of horse hooves thundering on the ground. He looked up to see Bella riding like the wind.
“Something’s up,” Adam yelled to his two brothers.
The three men dropped what they were doing, mounted their horses, and kicked them into a gallop. They met Bella no more than fifty yards from where they had been working. The sight of her terror-filled eyes and tear-stained face made Adam’s blood boil. Clint reached Bella first, grabbed hold of Star’s reins, and brought her horse to a standstill. Adam rode up to Bella’s other side and plucked her from the saddle. He held her in his lap crooning to her as she sobbed. Her whole body was trembling, and when he tilted her face up to his, he saw that her pupils were dilated and her face was as white as sheet.
“Shh, honey. It’s all right. You’re safe now,” Adam crooned.
Adam wanted to demand answers, to know what had put her in this state, but he had to get her to calm down first. She was totally incoherent and hysterical. She was crying and shaking so hard he was scared she was going to make herself ill. Finally, she began to calm, an occasional hiccup making her body shake, and he needed to know what had happened as much as his brothers did.
“What’s happened, sweetheart?” asked Adam.
“David. H–he came into the house. H–he said he’d seen you all fucking m–me, and he wanted a piece of what you h–had.”
The sound of Marcus’s roar of fury had obviously scared Bella, because Adam felt her flinch. He held her as she buried her face against his chest.
“He didn’t…I wouldn’t l–let him. I…I grabbed a hot pan off the stove and hit him in the face with it. Oh God. I…I…I think I killed him. He was lying on the f–floor of the kitchen. His face was all sh–shiny and red,” Bella sobbed.
“Shh, it’s all right, Bella. You just did what you had to to protect yourself. I’m proud of you, honey,” Adam said in a quiet, gentle voice.
Bella reached up to touch Adam’s face with her hand, but didn’t quite make it. Adam grasped her wrist and turned her hand over, palm face-up. He roared with fury at the sight of her burned palm and saw her flinch in response.
“Don’t be afraid of me, Bella. I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at that fucking bastard. You wouldn’t be hurt if it wasn’t for him,” Adam said through clenched teeth. He nudged his horse over to Marcus and passed her over to his brother, knowing Marcus and Clint would want to hold her, to feel her safe in their arms. Adam saw Clint move closer to Marcus, handed him Star’s reins, and kicked his horse into a gallop, heading for the house.
Adam smiled when Bella snuggled up against Marcus’s chest, but the smile left his face when he heard her whimper. The excitement of the last half hour must have been wearing off. She held her hand up, making sure she wasn’t touching anything, and she buried her head in Marcus’s chest once more. He rode close to her and watched her the whole time. Her eyelids began to droop, and even though he knew she was in pain, she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes open. He knew she was suffering from exhaustion. She tried to keep them open, but exhaustion won out. She slumped against Marcus and fell asleep.
* * * *
Bella came awake when she was passed over to another set of arms. She looked up to see Clint looking down at her. His expression was hard and full of fury. She whimpered and buried her face against his shoulder. He didn’t say a word, just carried her into the house. He sat down with her on his lap at the large timber table. Adam had a few large-looking, thick green sprigs of a plant in his hand, and Bella realized it was aloe vera. She was in too much pain to speak, so she put her burned hand on the table, palm up. She watched as Adam ran the plant over her palm, hissing as the cool gel contacted with her sore, burned skin. Adam growled, and she looked up to see fury in his eyes, the muscle in his jaw ticking as he ground his teeth together. She wondered what he and Clint had done to David but waited until Adam had finished administering the aloe to her hand before she spoke.
“What did you do to him?”
“Nothin’. The fucking bastard was gone by the time we got
back,” Adam replied, his voice as hard as steel.
Bella had never heard him use that tone of voice before. It frightened her a little, but it also had her creaming her panties. Then the words Adam spoke registered. She hadn’t killed David. He’d been able to leave by his own accord. She slumped in relief. Knowing she hadn’t killed a man eased the knot of dread in her stomach. Then it clenched into a tight knot again. He could come back for her. Shit. What the hell was she going to do? She couldn’t expect the three brothers to stay with her all the time. They had a ranch to run. She was going to have to practice her shooting every day, and she would need a gun of her own.
Bella looked up when Marcus entered the kitchen–dining room. He looked just as furious as his brothers. She shivered as she saw the gleam of determination in his eye and knew he had something planned. She jumped off Clint’s lap, went to Marcus, and gave him a hug, being careful not to touch anything with her sore palm.
“Please, don’t do it. I don’t want you getting in trouble with the law. He won’t come back here. He wouldn’t be that stupid,” Bella pleaded.
“You want him to get away with what he said and tried to do to you?” Marcus asked incredulously. He wrapped his large hands around her upper arms and moved Bella away from him. “You got hurt because of that fucking asshole. Don’t you think he deserves what he’s got comin’?”
“Yes, I do, but I don’t want you taking the law into your own hands. You could hang for killing a man, Marcus. I don’t want that to happen to you. I couldn’t bear it. I love you, God damn it. Don’t you get that? I love all of you and couldn’t bear to lose any of you.”
