“Nothing out there worth putting roots down for?” Dela cringed, regretting her words the minute they escaped her lips.
Lath turned his eyes to the dirt. It looked as though he was trying to figure out how to answer the question when Mason dragged himself out of his ditch.
“Okay, Lath. You got your break with the beauty. It’s my turn.”
Grinning, Lath climbed back into the water while Mason dropped to the ground beside her, splattering her with cool, brown water.
“What did you ask Lath that turned him so serious?”
“Oh… uh… I asked him about why he worked as a Hunter rather than staying put. What about you?” Again, Dela cringed. She hadn’t meant to ask Mason the same awkward question.
“Eh,” he grunted, playing it off as nothing important. “Been there. Tried it. Wasn’t for me.”
“You were settled do…?”
“I better get back to work before they yell at me,” he said, cutting her off. He jumped up and ran to his ditch, acting like she’d stung him.
Dela watched him run off. Like Lath, she had made him uncomfortable. She wondered what they were hinting at. It made her wonder if she wasn’t the only one in their group with a painful past.
Rather than think about her past, she climbed to her feet and began walking through the garden, talking to the various men and enjoying their efforts to flirt with her. After another hour of wandering through the garden, Dela found she needed to use the little girl’s room.
As she left the outhouse, she heard the tell-tale sound of crying coming from the cabin window. The single daughter sat in the yard, tending to the children. Even the toddlers were out in the sun, playing with wooden cubes. Dela frowned, surprised to see all but the infant stuck out in the heat. At that moment, she heard the baby join in, crying a few notes higher than Josie.
Dela took a deep breath and opened the door to the cabin. She paused at the entrance, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Once she could see again, Dela strode across the cabin without Josie noticing. She had never held a baby before, but she guessed it wasn’t too complicated. She grabbed it under the arms and hoisted it up, finally perching it on her hip as she had seen Josie do. The baby kept crying, so she started bouncing up and down. Finally, Josie looked up as the baby began to settle.
“What are you doing here?” she growled.
“I—uh—I’m sorry.”
“For what exactly? For ruining my friends or for putting my husbands in danger?”
Dela frowned, unsure what she meant exactly. “For putting your husbands in danger, of course. What do you mean…”
“Then stop this nonsense. Tell them you’ll go to the Harem House regardless of Angel’s crew.”
“And regardless of how he’s torturing those women?” demanded Dela before Josie could continue.
“They’re not your people. Why do you care?”
“‘Cause I have no people left to care about.”
Josie glanced up at her.
“I don’t have anyone left. And they don’t have anyone to protect them. All they have is me. And all I have left in this world to fight for are those woman.”
“But why did you have to involve my men?” Josie sighed.
Dela slid onto the bench across from Josie, the baby pulling on her hair. “That was Gareth’s idea.”
That response didn’t seem to mollify Josie, who continued to glare at her.
“You really do love them,” Dela said before she could censor herself.
“Ye-es!” Josie cried, her voice catching in the one word. “They are my everything.”
Dela looked at the ground, unable to fathom a woman happy in marriage to five men. Then again, she had four new friends she would have been happy to spend her life with. Dela cringed. Thus far, she had avoided giving life to the thought.
“How have I ruined them?” she asked before she could stop herself.
Dela looked up to find a slight smile on Josie’s lips, making her even more confused. Before Josie could reply, the door to the cabin flung open, revealing Lath and Alex. They both stopped, staring at the two women peacefully sitting at the kitchen table.
“We’re okay, boys. Just coming to grip with the danger facing our men,” Josie said.
Dela gave Lath a little smile, hoping to communicate that she was okay. “Go on. I think I’ve had enough sun for a bit.”
Lath nodded slowly before backing out of the cabin, followed by Alex.
Chapter Fifteen
Just like the night before, four of the grown boys stomped out to the barn to sleep. Truth was, with Leroy gone one of them could have stayed, but a harsh word from them on the topic got them all sent out again. Dela cringed as she thought of her own childhood and the creative punishments her parents had thought of when she disobeyed. Her mind easily jumped to less enjoyable topics than getting whipped with a willow switch or extra chores. He chest hurt, physically hurt, as she climbed into her borrowed bed.
She nestled down, pulling the unneeded blanket up to her chin while the others prepared themselves for sleep. The baby was crying and Tomas—one of Josie’s husbands—was trying to lure Josie up to bed, handing the infant off to Alex. Meanwhile, Mason, Adrian, and Lath were discussing something quietly in the corner and Josie’s daughter was still scrubbing the kitchen table down and setting tomorrow’s dough to rise during the night. Dela rolled over, facing the wall of the cabin, and squeezed her eyes shut, willing her mind to think on something other than her parents.
Slowly, the cabin quieted and the masses settled down to sleep. The first snore had just begun to sing when Dela heard a whisper.
“Psst. You awake?”
Dela rolled over to find Adrian kneeling beside her bed, an innocent smile on his face. She smiled back.
“I haven’t talked to you in a while,” Adrian said.
“Shut up,” someone else grumbled.
Adrian glanced around the darkening cabin, pulled the blanket up and slipped into her bed. Dela willing nestled up to him. Over the few days with the Hunters, she had grown accustomed to being touched and comforted—something she hadn’t enjoyed since her parent's death. And again, Dela came to thinking of her lost parents.
“You okay?” Adrian asked, his lips tickling her ear.
She smiled. “Yeah. Just worried about Gareth and Leroy.”
“Ah, no need. McMillians live close by. They’ll be back tomorrow. Safe and sound.”
“And then when you guys go after Angel?”
Dela felt Adrian’s lips quirked up into a smile against her ear. “Well, that was your idea, wasn't it?”
Dela adjusted so that she could see Adrian’s face by the light of the candle left burning next to the door—for outhouse runs. “Don’t joke about it, Adrian.”
He pulled her a little closer. “Are you telling me, Miss Dela, that you’d be sad if one of us died?”
Dela tried to smack him on the shoulder, but he held her tightly against his chest. When their little battle settled, Dela replied, “Of course I’d be upset!”
“Forgive me if that makes me immeasurably happy,” he said.
They settled, the only sound coming from the men snoring around them. Adrian’s hand began trailing up and down her spine, sending a shiver through her nervous system. He smiled as he leaned in. Unlike the others, he didn’t kiss her. Dela waited, leaning in a little with expectation. Adrian matched her lean with his own, tempting her with his lips. Their back and forth continued until Dela finally closed the distance.
Like before, Dela felt his lips quirk up into a smile before he focused in on what he was doing. Adrian took his time, kissing her thoroughly. The rest of his body remained still, his only focus seeming to be her lips and giving them as much pleasure as he had to offer. After many minutes of kissing, Dela finally felt his tongue peek out and graze her lips. From there, his tongue examined her lips, still not delving into her mouth. He flicked her lips with his tongue before giving her bottom lip a nibble. By the
time his tongue ventured into her mouth, Dela felt as though she was going to explode with need.
She dragged herself against him, draping her leg over his hip. For once, she was prepared to be the aggressor. Unlike the other men, Adrian seemed to wait for her to display her desire before taking the next step. And he had teased her until she thought she might die if her needs weren’t met.
With her leg draped over his hip, he increased the pressure of his lips as he rolled on top of her. His weight pressed her into the thick mattress, anchoring her. His lips finally moved off hers, trailing kisses from her chin to the neckline of her vest. Dela shifted, trying to get to the hooks on the front of her vest. Adrian grabbed her wrists, holding his weight up by his elbows.
“We have to stop,” Adrian whispered.
Dela let out a long, frustrated sigh. With each of them, she had approached the tipping point, only to have them stop her. “Right.” She pushed him off of her, nearly sending him over the edge of the bed.
“It’s not that I don’t want to.”
“I know… you all say that. Gotta be a virgin,” she grumbled. “Just go back to your own bed.”
Dela rolled over, facing the wall once again. She felt the bed give as he climbed to his feet. He draped her blanket back over her and tiptoed to his own bunk. Dela stared into the darkness, anger and shame warring within her. She wanted to rage against Adrian and the other men for pretending to want her, and yet her shame wouldn’t allow it. After all, she had practically thrown herself at them. What would my mother say? But of course, nothing ever actually happened. 'Cause they need a virgin.
Virgin?
An idea began to take shape in her mind. If I’m not a virgin, they can’t sell me to the Harem House. But if they don’t sell me, they won’t free the women…
She considered her dilemma, more interested in it than sleeping no matter what the tomorrow might bring. But if they save the women first… then… then I can sleep with someone and ruin their plans…but who would I sleep with?
Somewhere in her scheming, she drifted off to sleep.
Gareth woke with a start, the details of his dream quickly fading away. The only thing he could clearly remember was Dela, swollen in pregnancy, and their home waiting to be filled. He stretched, annoyed with the erection filling his trousers. It was more than simple morning wood. He ignored it, turning his mind to the discussion he and Leroy needed to broach with the McMillians. Unlike Josie’s hospitality, Gareth and Leroy had been relegated to the barn. Gareth didn’t mind. He had slept in worse places. Still, it made him appreciate Josie even more, even if the woman currently hated Dela.
He climbed out of the pile of straw, finding Leroy slipping through the door. Gareth followed him, needing to relieve himself. There seemed to be a line at the outhouse, so Gareth found a fencepost to water. A few minutes later, he met Leroy in the cabin. Alice was awake, yelling at the boy who had tried to snatch a biscuit from the tray fresh out of the oven. At the same moment, Greg stepped into the log cabin, slapping Gareth on the back.
“You two had a good sleep in?” he asked, a grin parting his thick, gray beard.
He and his fellow husbands had likely been up for hours, along with his oldest sons. Like Leroy’s own home, Greg’s quickly filled with bodies. Unlike Josie, Alice had been blessed with three daughters. Then again, versus her three daughters, she had produced fifteen sons. If Gareth had to guess, he doubted there would be any more children.
Eventually, Alice got all the children still in the house settled. The husbands took their seats, and Gareth and Leroy squeezed onto the ends. Having arrived after dinner the night before, they had not broached the reason for their visit.
“Why don’t you boys tell us why you’re here,” Greg said, glancing around at his family; his three remaining co-husbands nodded in agreement.
Gareth glanced at Leroy, wondering who would speak. Leroy purposefully stuffed a biscuit into his mouth. “We’re here about getting some women for Leroy’s boys… and yours.”
That got their attention. The whispered conversation at the other end of the long table ended and all eyes turned to look at Gareth.
Alan, the youngest of Alice’s husbands, set his fork down. “We McMillians don’t steal wives.”
Gareth nodded. “I’m not suggested stealing wives… exactly. I’m talking about Angel’s crew up in the Dead Zone.”
“You can’t go there,” announced one of the younger boys. Alice shushed.
“We’ve been to his ‘village.’ He has many women, and he’s basically using them as breeders. They only exist to get pregnant and give birth.”
“Then they’re not virgins,” stated one of the older boys—a young man more than ready for a wife of his own.
“Which is more important,” asked Gareth, “a virgin or a wife?”
The boy blushed and focused on his food.
“What’s the catch?” asked Greg before shoving another bite of steak into his mouth.
“We have to fight Angel’s crew.”
“And you’re doing this?” Greg pointed his fork at Leroy.
“My family has agreed to it if you join us. Without you, we’re out, too. But our boys want wives and aren’t picky about where they get them.”
The men glanced at each other, each one mulling it over. Finally, Alice jumped in. “And what, you just want us to house all these women? We’re already bursting at the seams.”
“Oh, c’mon, Alice,” began Gareth. “Like Leroy, you’ve got acres you’ve never even cleared. You could parcel out your unused land to your older sons. Once they have shelter, they get a wife. That should give them the incentive to work hard.”
Greg caressed his graying beard, considering his words. “I say we do it. Been too long since we had a good fight.”
The other husbands laughed, banging their mugs against the table and shouting their agreement. Gareth glanced down at the older sons, finding them equally excited.
“We’ll prepare to leave in the morning. We got to get some things sorted first.”
Gareth nodded. “We’ll head back unless you need some extra hands.”
Greg waved him off, a grin still pulling on his lips.
Chapter Sixteen
Dela walked down the road, heading toward the front end of Josie’s property. She had helped Josie prepare breakfast and, after that, helped her with the laundry, always turning her eyes toward the path. Josie had insisted the men would be back after lunch at the earliest. Now, with lunch finished and the dishes washed, Dela walked down the road.
Just as she had hoped, she spotted a cloud of dust on the horizon. She shaded her eyes with her hand but still couldn’t make them out for a few more minutes. Finally, they came into focus—two horses. They came to stop beside her, Gareth grinning from ear to ear.
“Trying to run?” he teased.
“Only you two? They said no?”
Gareth, still smiling, reached down to lift her up into his saddle while Leroy spoke. “They’re coming. They’ll be here tomorrow. You can’t just abandon a ranch and hope the animals are alive when you get back.”
Dela settled behind Gareth, happily wrapping her arms around his chest. With more daring than she’d ever possessed, she slipped her fingers up under his shirt, running one digit along the waistline of his trousers. He tensed, slowly turning his head to glance at her over his shoulder. Dela suspected if they shared the bed tonight, things would progress. She just had to keep it from progressing too far in case they decided not to go after Angel.
Within minutes, they reached the main yard of the ranch. Boys ran up, taking the horses to the barn. Gareth grabbed her hand and dragged around behind the cabin to where three fruit trees grew, barely reaching above the roof. Still, it provided a bit of privacy on the overflowing ranch.
“What was that?” he asked, turning on his heel to face her.
Dela spotted the beginning of a smile forming on his lips before speaking. “What?” she asked, pouring innocence i
nto her expression.
Gareth stepped into her personal space. “You know what?”
“Really, Gareth, I have no clue what you’re talking about.” She took a step toward him, struggling to keep her innocent expression.
He dipped his head, teasing her with his approaching lips. “I don’t believe you for a minute.”
Their lips finally met, and it was sparks and fire in an instant. Gareth snatched her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Gareth spun around, pressing her back against the exterior wall of the cabin, using the pressure to support her and free his hands. Dela grabbed his hair and took control of the kiss—her recent experiences giving her more courage than she would have thought possible. She plunged her tongue into his mouth with a furry that just ramped him up even more.
As his hands appeared to be everywhere at once, Dela went for his shirt, tearing it open and popping the buttons. Gareth let out a groan against her lips. Dela arched her back, pressing her breasts and stomach against his bare chest. She wanted more. She wanted to feel all of his skin. She was just reaching for the clip on his trousers when a loud cry interrupted their sensual dance.
Dela shrieked in surprise as Mason, Lath, and Josie emerged from behind a tree that did little to actually hide them. As Gareth set Dela back on the ground, she realized somewhere in their groping, most of her clips had been undone, revealing her thin chemise. She scrambled to cover her chest and close her vest. Lath and Josie grinned foolishly, their eyes sparkling with some hidden meaning.
Mason, on the other hand, looked as though he might throw Dela over his shoulder and run away with her.
Mason reached the cabin. He spotted Leroy surrounded by the other husbands. The sons were heading toward the barn for the afternoon milking, and Adrian was heading into the cabin. He assumed Josie was in the cabin, too. But there was no sign of Dela. Or Lath. Or Gareth. Images came to his mind, none of which he liked. With Adrian going into the cabin, he doubted anyone was playing around inside of it.
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