by Abby Blake
Too bad her husband was a stupid man.
It took a single punch for the man to hit the ground with a solid thump. Lachlan stepped over the unconscious asshole and lifted the severely injured woman into his arms. This time her husband had hit her hard enough to break several of her teeth. One of her eyes was already swollen shut, and she moaned in pain as Lachlan tried not to jostle her ribs. By the time Lachlan got help for her at the emergency department of the hospital, the local police had arrived.
So much for keeping a low profile.
* * * *
Bryce woke to far less pain than he expected. In fact, now that the pain was lessened, he realized just how much he’d been living with on a daily basis. Hell, at this rate he’d be back to work in a few days.
“How do you feel?” a soft feminine voice asked. Bryce grinned. Last time he’d woken to a beautiful nurse, he’d spent the next three days flirting. Of course, that was before he’d met Mikayla, and well, it had ended with bullets flying and the woman screaming, so it probably wasn’t something he needed to think about right now.
“I feel great,” he answered.
“Excellent,” the pretty nurse said with a husky voice and a seductive smile. “The doctor will be in soon. Just press the buzzer if you need anything.”
Bryce watched the nurse walk out the door and wondered if she walked like that all the time or if the extra sway was for his benefit. Maybe he shouldn’t have listed himself as single, but with his concern over the polygamy issue, it had seemed like a good idea at the time.
“Finished?” Lachlan asked with a laugh in his voice. Lachlan gave him a knowing smile, but Bryce just grinned like a loon. It felt so good to finally be out of pain that he didn’t really give a rat’s ass what his brother was thinking.
But then Lachlan’s expression turned serious, and Bryce felt dread pour into his veins.
“What happened? Is Mikayla all right?”
“Yes,” Lachlan was quick to reassure, “but I might not be when she finds out what happened.”
“What happened?” Bryce had no clue what his brother might be talking about. He knew with absolute certainty that Lachlan would never hurt Mikayla, so he had no idea what he might have done to warrant such a reaction. Even after he started to explain, Bryce knew Mikayla wouldn’t be angry with Lachlan for stepping in when a woman needed his protection. It wasn’t until he got to the last sentence of his story that Bryce understood. But hell, what choice did they have?
“Maybe you should call Mikayla and explain this before we get home.” Lachlan nodded but seemed reluctant to make the call. “What is it?”
“She’s only just started acting like herself again. I’m just worried this will affect her on a deeper level than it should.”
Bryce nodded. Convincing Mikayla that she was irreplaceable had taken extreme measures. Bringing home another woman may just undo everything they’d achieved in the last few weeks. Bryce closed his eyes and silently prayed the woman they loved was strong enough to understand their reasons why.
* * * *
Mikayla waited anxiously for Bryce and Lachlan to arrive. She knew they had an extra passenger, but every time doubts began to niggle in her mind, she thrust them aside ruthlessly. Her husbands were good men. She couldn’t expect Lachlan to walk away from a woman in need of his protection when he was only doing what Matt had done when he’d rescued her on the ice planet.
But her first glimpse of the woman, Zedahla, put every fear out of Mikayla’s head. The girl was barely old enough to be married—legally at least—and she was so badly bruised she looked like she’d been run over by a flying pod with no safeties.
Mikayla watched Lachlan offer to carry her, but Zedahla seemed to insist on walking. A few stumbled steps had Mikayla’s breath catching in fear for the young woman’s health. Hell, the bruises were horrendous, but she also had an unhealthy pallor and looked painfully thin.
“It’s okay,” Mikayla said as she stepped closer. “Let Lachlan carry you.” Zedahla didn’t make eye contact, but it was obvious she was listening. “I’ve set up a room so all you have to do is lie down and recover. We’ll take care of the rest.”
This time when Lachlan offered, the young woman let him lift her in his arms. Bryce stepped out of the transport pod with his crutches, and for a moment, Mikayla was carried back to the day she’d had her first miscarriage. Bryce must’ve been in severe pain, but he’d stayed by her side and she’d never felt alone. Back then he’d officially been her brother-in-law and a virtual stranger, but just knowing she had someone close who cared had made all the difference. Hopefully, Zedahla would feel the same.
* * * *
Mikayla didn’t notice Bryce transfer his crutches into one hand until he wrapped an arm around her middle and pulled her close. “Not exactly the homecoming we were expecting.” He kissed her neck and then simply held her as they watched Lachlan move to the main building. Mikayla had managed to convert one of the offices into a bedroom. Peter had willingly handed over the small space, and it was a relief to be able to offer a certain amount of privacy to Zedahla.
“No, I’m pretty sure bringing home an injured woman wasn’t in the original plan.” Mikayla felt Bryce stiffen slightly and quickly added the rest. “But you did the right thing. And you don’t need to worry about me. I understand why she’s here.”
“Careful, honey,” Bryce said with a smile on his face. “Keep talking like that and we might start believing you finally understand that you’re irreplaceable.”
She giggled but held him tighter.
“That’s very true,” she said, trying to keep a straight face. “I am very good at…cooking.”
He laughed like she’d hoped he would. “Whose bed did you sleep in last night?” he asked as he nibbled on her earlobe.
“Well, that was rather interesting,” she said as she tried to find words to explain her husbands’ bizarre behavior. “Technically, I slept in Brock’s bed, but Matt, John, Peter, Ryan, and Ty all managed to be there at some point or other. It was like they spent the night playing musical beds.” She had a pretty good idea what had prompted their strange behavior, and it warmed her heart at the same time that it pissed her off. She wasn’t a timid mouse by nature, but she’d spent so much time acting like one recently that her husbands’ behavior was probably warranted.
“So that must mean we’re back to my turn,” Bryce said with a wicked smile on his face.
“Absolutely,” Mikayla said with a laugh. She’d had every intention of sleeping next to Bryce tonight. “But you may find Lachlan on the other side.” No doubt he’d feel the need to reassure her as well.
“Too true,” Bryce said, sounding more relaxed than he had in a long while. “As long as he doesn’t snore, he can stay.”
“No worries,” Mikayla said with a smile. “I doubt I’ll hear his snoring over yours.”
“Brat.” Bryce laughed as he pulled her closer.
Chapter Six
“Where is Zedahla now?” Rick asked as the dinner discussion turned to their new house guest.
“Sleeping,” Lachlan said in a rough voice. Now that the swelling was starting to go down, it was obvious that Zedahla was barely more than a child. If she was actually old enough to be married, it was only by a handful of weeks at the most.
“Has she said anything about her husband?”
“Only that he will probably divorce her. Apparently, in Zedahla’s culture, that will make her an outcast. As far as I can tell, she was at the hospital to visit her mother, but with the supposed shame of divorce, even her own parents will reject her.”
All day Lachlan had replayed the horrifying scene over and over in his head. If he’d stayed out of it, would the outcome have been different? Did he make matters worse by interfering? But then he’d close his eyes and see the young woman as he’d first seen her—injured, bleeding, and struggling to stand as her husband yelled abuse and then tried to hit her again—and all Lachlan’s doubts would melt away.
Outcast or not, Zedahla’s chances of a happy life were far improved now.
“What happens when we leave this planet?” Ryan asked.
“We take her with us,” Mikayla said easily. Far from being upset, their beautiful wife had been appalled by the young woman’s injuries and had quickly become fiercely protective.
“We’ll figure it out when the time comes,” Lachlan said quietly. Like it or not—and regardless of the accepted norms of her culture—the laws on this planet allowed for Zedahla to make her own decisions. If she chose to stay here and live the life of an outcast, Mikayla, Lachlan, and the rest of his brothers really had no say in the matter.
“What happened with the police?” Brock asked.
“They held off charging me with assault, for the moment at least. They’ve been surprisingly supportive, but they need Zedahla to press charges against her husband before they can attribute my actions to defending her.” He shook his head as the information the police had shared once again made him feel sick to the stomach. “Apparently, domestic violence is a big problem in the community where Zedahla was raised, but the women simply won’t report it.” It was obvious to Lachlan by Zedahla’s refusal to ask for assistance at the hospital that the women were conditioned to believe their husbands had a right to treat them the way they did.
It was possible that many lived happy and fulfilling lives under such conditions, but just like Dom-sub relationships, a weak or selfish man could take that power and turn it into something cruel and dangerous.
“So what happens now?” Ryan asked.
“For now I think we need to concentrate on getting our contract completed. We still have several months of geological surveys to work on, but I’d like to get this one done faster if we can.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
* * * *
It was less than a day before the police arrived to formally charge Lachlan with assault. Fortunately, Zedahla was brave enough to give her side of the story, and the charges were summarily dropped.
Their next visitor, however, didn’t bring such happy news.
The pompous, rounded, arrogant little man arrived without warning, demanded to speak with Zedahla, and then did the one thing guaranteed to anger all of them—disrespected Mikayla.
“Lower your eyes, woman,” he said with arrogant disdain as he looked her over from head to toe. Matt and Bryce looked as angry as Lachlan felt, but Mikayla managed to take control of the situation with a smirk.
“Sweeten your tone, asshole,” she said in a very controlled voice. The little man looked shocked all the way to the tips of his dusty boots. Obviously, a woman had never spoken back to him before. Mikayla took two steps closer. She was about the same height as their visitor, and Lachlan tensed, wishing Mikayla could’ve conveyed her irritation without getting close enough for the man to hit her. “You are in my home, and if you wish to speak to Zedahla, it will be under my terms. Got that?”
The man simply didn’t know where to look. His gaze bounced around all the men in the room, but when none of them came to his rescue, he finally nodded his agreement.
“Good,” Mikayla said, pointing at the chair just inside the door of John’s office. “Take a seat.” The man sat before any of the brothers needed to move. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, it might’ve been half funny. Obviously, the arrogant, little man had no experience dealing with women like Mikayla, and he had no clue what to do next.
That, however, didn’t stop Lachlan, Bryce, and Matt from standing guard over the man while Mikayla went to speak to Zedahla.
* * * *
“Zedahla?” Mikayla whispered just in case the woman was asleep.
“Yes, Mikayla, please come in.” Zedahla was sitting up in the bed. Her face was purple and bruised and slightly swollen, and she was unable to open her left eye fully. The cuts and splits on her lips would probably heal in a week or so, but it was the emotional recovery that would take time.
“Zedahla, there’s a man here to see you. He says he’s your…Po…Potentate?”
Tears filled the young woman’s eyes, and she nodded. “He is the leader of our religious community.” She looked at Mikayla with such hope in her eyes that Mikayla wasn’t sure what to say next. Judging by the man’s attitude, whatever news he had to deliver wouldn’t be good.
“Would you like to talk to him? I can tell him to go away if you’re not up to it.”
Zedahla shook her head. “No, I would like to speak to him. He is not only our religious leader, he is also my grandfather.”
“Oh,” Mikayla said because she couldn’t think of anything else to say. Zedahla was already covered neck to knee, but she reached for her coat and managed to pull it on despite having two cracked ribs.
“Can you stay with me while I speak to him?”
“Of course,” Mikayla said quickly. She’d had every intention of staying close, but at least this way, Zedahla wouldn’t be offended if she caught Mikayla eavesdropping.
As soon as she saw her grandfather, Zedahla dropped her gaze to the floor and painfully lowered herself to kneel at the man’s feet. Mikayla was torn between anger and understanding. She often knelt at Brock and Lachlan’s feet, but she did it by choice as their submissive. She suspected that Zedahla’s motives weren’t the same.
A genuine smile of affection graced the man’s face for a brief moment before he adjusted his features and began talking in a loud and officious voice.
“Zedahla, your husband has requested a divorce. He has laid formal complaint at your father’s door, and your father has granted his petition. You are hereby outcast.”
Unable to keep quiet, Mikayla asked, “What does that mean exactly?” Being outcast from a family that would sanction Zedahla’s husband’s behavior wasn’t really a bad thing as far as Mikayla was concerned, but it was the old man’s attitude that worried her.
Again the man looked startled that she addressed him directly, but he must’ve sensed the growing agitation in Mikayla’s husbands because he finally answered her.
“It means she has no protection. If you hadn’t interfered, she’d still be safe.”
“Safe?” Brock asked in his deceptively low Dom’s voice.
“Yes, without her family to protect her, she will be used by any man who desires to do so.”
“You mean she’ll be raped,” Lachlan said, holding his jaw tight enough to crack teeth.
“That’s exactly what I mean,” the man said angrily. “You did this to her. You should not have interfered in a culture you don’t understand.”
“Look at her,” Mikayla demanded angrily. “Look at the damage her husband did to her face, to her ribs. If Lachlan hadn’t stepped in your granddaughter would be dead.”
The older man nodded in agreement and then said quietly, “She would’ve been better off.”
Lachlan escorted the man to the door, and Mikayla followed, more than willing to kick this asshole to the curb where he belonged. But out of earshot of the others, Zedahla’s grandfather turned to Lachlan and whispered urgently, “Please protect her. I begged her father not to do this, but as Potentate, I must enforce the laws of my people.”
Lachlan nodded just once.
* * * *
Several hours later Lachlan wandered into the kitchen a little too early for dinner. They planned to work double-time so that they could get this contract finished and get off the planet, but he needed food and, thanks to a sleepless night at the hospital, was already overdue for some rest. He had visions of taking a nap while holding his wife close. Of course it would be much easier to sleep if they made sure they were both thoroughly exhausted first.
The sound of Mikayla and Matt laughing together was very welcome even if it did derail his more lascivious plans.
“That is a very sweet sound,” he said as he stepped into the kitchen.
“Well hello, stranger,” Mikayla said as she moved into his embrace and hugged him hard. Matt glanced in his direction, said, “Hi, Lachlan,” i
n a happy voice, and went back to cooking.
“What’s for dinner?” he asked when he couldn’t quite identify the delicious aroma.
“Sautéed krelp…ah…what did you call it, Mikayla?”
“Bubble-snake,” she answered with a broad grin.
“Sautéed bubble-snake with green vegetables and pichula grain.”
Lachlan suddenly found his appetite waning. He knew what pichula grain tasted like. It was similar to brown rice from Earth, and he’d enjoyed many of the vegetables grown on this planet. But the idea of eating snake—especially one that looked like something someone had coughed up—didn’t appeal to him at all.
Mikayla was obviously reading every expression that crossed his face because she laughed and hugged him harder.
“The market seller assured Matt that it tastes very much like chicken.”
He’d heard that one before.
Suddenly, working through dinner didn’t seem like a bad plan. But Mikayla looked at him with such amusement on her face that he found himself agreeing to be waiting eagerly at the dining table in a half hour.
He held Mikayla close for a moment longer as he mentally went over the things they would have to do to finish this contract early.
The sound of the proximity alarm was very unwelcome.
Lachlan moved to the intercom. “Bryce?” he asked quickly.
“A sky pod with three human occupants is heading this way. It doesn’t seem to be hostile, but I sure as hell don’t like unexpected visitors.”
Lachlan agreed. Their last official visitor had been Zedahla’s grandfather, and they didn’t need any more announcements like that one, but it was the flybys that were most worrying. Several times in the past few hours, sky pods filled with young men had buzzed the building. Fortunately, none of them had yet been brave enough to land, but it meant that Lachlan and Bryce were once again armed and ready inside their own home.
