CLAIMED BY THE ALPHA UNDERBOSS

by Candace Ayers

  In the end he settled on a woman called Lilly. There was no photograph and just a vague description. There was nothing at all to set her apart from the other papers in the stack. Except her age. The deciding factor. She was the only one over 20, the only one of the bunch who was widowed. If she was anything like any of the other women he’d known, she would be the type to settle right into the life he already had. She wouldn’t come sweeping in, expecting romance or to be able to change the way he lived or who he was.

  Certainly, a twenty-seven year old woman in mourning would be just the kind of woman Eli could step into a marriage contract with. She wouldn’t want anything from him, and he wouldn’t want to take anything from her. That seemed to be the ideal circumstance.

  After all, he’d known many eighteen year olds; he didn’t need one of those harping at him under his own roof.

  Lilly had been making the trip twice weekly.

  She knew she couldn’t wait for him to come to her. There was no telling whether or not he would be seen. Whether or not she would be in any condition to answer the door. She’d figured he would come to expect her arrival and it wouldn’t even cross her mind that he should track her down.

  Now, he stood when she pushed open the door to the office, and smiled, like she was just the person he’d been waiting to see step through the threshold.

  “Lilly. Wonderful! I was just going to make my way out to you.”

  She nodded and tried to swallow her horror at the idea. How fortunate she’d made the journey earlier than usual today.

  He stepped around the desk, shuffling through sheaths of paper.

  “I’ve just had some paperwork arrive. I have great news; you’ve been selected by a man in,” he took another look at the papers, as though he’d barely glanced at them beyond checking out the commission he would make on the placement. “Nevada.” He smiled up at her. “Quite the trip. I hope you’re ready.”

  Her heart was hammering, and she reached for the papers, hoping the trembling she felt in her fingers wouldn’t be noticeable to the broker. Her very prayers had been answered.

  Eli Walker. That was the man’s name. She imagined the weight of the name on her tongue, vaguely aware that it would become her name as well.

  She breathed a heavy sigh and refrained from embracing the papers or the man in the office. “Wonderful,” she murmured instead. “When am I to be expected?”

  He looked down at the papers again. “Immediately. He’s sent the funds for your stage fare.”

  In a daze, she took the papers from him. She had already paid the man his fees when she’d first applied to be a bride. It was money she had scrimped and saved, scrounged up from the depths of laundry and from taking on extra mending. She was dreading the next installment because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to provide any more without raising the suspicions of her husband. That needed to be avoided at all cost. She knew she had only this one opportunity, and she couldn’t risk losing it.

  And now she had this. An acceptance. Fare for the stage. She could cry in relief.

  The broker put together the last of the paperwork, and she knew he would receive an additional commission fee from the man who had purchased her. Brokering women was a lucrative business; Lilly wasn’t so naive as to not know the truth of her situation. She wasn’t above using it as an exit strategy.

  With the paper packet in hand, she stepped out of the office in a daze, stopping by the station for a schedule and purchasing her ticket. There was a late night stage coach leaving, and she knew her husband would be out, doing God knows what, and coming home mean and drunk.

  It would be the perfect time to leave.

  Back at home, Lilly packed sparsely, leaving as much as she could behind. She didn’t want the reminder of who she was, who she had been, or the things the man she’d endured for years had bought her.

  With her satchel packed, Lilly set it near the door and tried to be patient, waiting for the darkness to shield her desperate exit.

  Chapter Two

  Lilly settled back into the bench on the stagecoach. No amount of cushion was going to make the ride comfortable, but she felt the tension beginning to ease out of her as they worked their way farther and farther away from the place she had called her home.

  After dark, when the house was eerily quiet, and she could hear only the sounds of her own breathing and the ticking of her time piece — no matter how much she strained her ears — she made her way out into the night, clutching her bag, her feet moving quickly over the ground.

  She’d chosen her darkest dress and a matching bonnet, hoping to hide as many distinguishing features as possible and had lied about her name and final destination when she had bought her ticket. She wasn’t going to leave anything to chance. She didn’t even want to think about what would happen if James discovered her whereabouts.

  There was only one other pair on the stage with her and the darkness had lulled everyone into silence. Lilly tipped her head back and closed her eyes, feeling at peace for the first time in a long time, her future unfolding before her.

  Eli sat patiently at the station, waiting for his new bride to arrive. They hadn’t corresponded, but his lawyer had assured him she had made it on the initial stage and, while it was quite the trip from Eastern Canada to Reno and a multi-week endeavor, Lilly was expected to make her appearance tonight, nearly a month after her acceptance.

  He checked his pocket watch. He’d considered not coming at all, to maybe send someone else to pick her up in his stead. But he knew that would do little to alleviate the advances of the women who worked for him. He had to at least appear interested in his woman’s arrival. Plus, he needed that time alone with Lilly to iron out all the little details and to create their backstory. It would do him no good at all if everyone knew he had ordered a woman he’d never met and cared nothing for. It would do even less if they knew he had no intention of consummating that marriage. She needed to know all the particulars if this was going to have a half chance in hell of working.

  Eli alternated between sitting on the provided bench and pacing the space. He was getting that unsettling urge that accompanied the oncoming night. There was little he could do to curb the urge to move, to resist the call of the woods and the nearby mountains. The hair on the back of his neck felt electrified, current sweeping over and through his body. Dusk was well into settling when he saw the first puffs of dust that indicated the stagecoach’s impending arrival. A growling in his stomach highlighted the fact that their arrival wasn’t quite as on time as had been promised. Like he needed the additional reminder.

  The horses pulled up, lathered and eager to slow. One let out a loud whoof of air as the driver disembarked and swung open the carriage door.

  She was the only one to exit the carriage, carefully navigating the steps while using the driver’s extended hand for balance.

  He could hear her murmur a thanks to the driver as he reached for her bag and Eli stepped forward to give the man a tip.

  “Ms. Lilly,” Eli said with just enough of a lift to the words to make it a question and not a presumption.

  She turned toward him, the rustling of her skirts the only real sound. “And you must be Mr. Eli?” she responded in assent, nodding in his direction.

  In the gloom it was hard to make out much of his features, but she could hear what sounded like a wry smile in his voice when he said, “Please. There’s no reason to be calling your husband something so formal. Eli will do well enough.” Something about how he spoke to her settled her nerves. After the initial thrill of her escape she had begun to worry that maybe this savior wouldn’t be everything she imagined him to be. After all, what kind of man ordered a wife? That had been the least of her worries at the time, however.

  As the driver moved the horses forward, heading toward the livery to unharness and bed them down for a well-deserved rest, Eli gathered Lilly’s single bag and extended his arm to her.

  “No doubt, you are ready to be finished with your
journey, but there is still a little ways to go yet.”

  She dipped her head in another practiced demure response and followed him to where he’d hitched his own horse pulling a small shay. It would have been faster to bring a pair of horses, but Eli hadn’t been sure what sort of luggage she might have with her, and whether or not she knew how to sit a horse. Had he known it would just be the one bag, they could have done with one animal between them.

  The ride was quiet, the night air brisk against their skin, Eli’s horse fresh and quick. Of course, the horses never settled as well around them as they used to. Their sensitive noses quivered at his arrival, the whites of their eyes on display, aware he looked like a man, but harbored something they could not see. He had always thought they were a good judge of character.

  “I hope your trip was pleasant enough; I know you covered a great distance to get here.”

  “Yes, it was quite fine.” Lilly had had a series of stage mates and drivers, and with each turnover, she had celebrated a little at moving further away from the ties that had bound her to James and Canada. Each step the horse took forward felt like there was one less chain binding her to the past.

  This close to her, he was distracted by a sweet scent that seemed to linger on her, and even though their bodies did not touch, she could feel a heat and power emanating from him. She was surprised to note that it did not worry her. She had come to associate power with fear and pain. This was the kind of power that drew you in, that you didn’t realize was there until it was too late, and Lilly found herself wondering if that was a danger in itself.

  “I was glad to hear you’d accepted my offer,” Eli began, realizing now how ill-equipped he was to talk to her about their arrangement, and how awkward the whole thing was by its very nature. The fact that he was painfully aware of that sweet scent didn’t help matters at all, either. “I have contracted you because I am in need of a woman to perform wifely duties, and to provide the appearance of a fully functional marriage. All aspects.”

  He paused to allow her a moment to respond, wondering where he should go next with his explanation. She seemed to be taking his words very well, but somehow distant from the conversation at the same time. When she said nothing, he continued on. “I do not expect to use your body, but will expect you to sleep in my room. My house — the house,” he corrected, as though that would include her more fully, “is very close to my business and it is of the utmost importance that we appear happy, and as though we’ve known each other a very long time. We are very much in love. And I’ve told them all you have come from California. I would appreciate it if you would indulge those discrepancies, or at the very least, if you feel you cannot lie to them directly, let them continue to believe that is the case.”

  He heard a breath of air ease out of her, and could sense her nod in the dark. But then again, he had exceptional vision, even in the dark. “That will all be very well. I am happy to put on the pretense of being your wife.” She seemed to linger on the word pretense, as though confirming that she had no expectations of him either.

  He breathed a sigh of relief he hadn’t realized he was holding. Perhaps this was going to work out after all. “I expect you to call me Eli; I will call you Lilly. I will provide you with whatever you need to have to be comfortable, and I do not want you to hesitate to ask me for things.”

  “I will need new clothes,” Lilly said quickly. “I didn’t bring much with me.”

  He nodded. “Very well. I will have a dressmaker brought in and you will be able to choose your fabrics and cuts.”

  The ride eased into silence, and neither Lilly nor Eli did anything to fill it. When they arrived at his property, they bypassed the large lit home where Lilly could hear music and laughter spilling out from inside, and headed toward the back of the property. Eli pulled the horse up to a stop outside of his door, hitching him quickly and offering Lilly his hand.

  She dismounted from the buggy and Eli led her to the door, lighting the lamp in the entryway and spilling warm light through the room. Lilly stepped in behind him, and in the new light he got his first good view of her.

  She was dressed in a simple calico dress, dark hair peeking out from under her bonnet and framing her pale face.

  Her eyes were fringed in dark lashes, and even though they seemed almost black in this light, he knew they were a blue. Her mouth was full and he fought the sudden urge to find out if it was as soft as it looked. He tore his eyes away from her, knowing he was staring, and that if she hadn’t yet noticed, she would shortly. His attraction to her was almost overwhelming. It had been bad enough in the dark, where her scent had been driving him to distraction. The visual confirmation of his desire was almost too much for him to navigate.

  “This is the house,” he said gruffly, trying not to notice the growing discomfort in his loins. “It’s only ever been just me, as you can see.” He gestured to the space in front of them.

  She could easily tell the space was occupied by a man who had little regard or need for it. There was little furniture and even less decorating to speak of, but even so, it seemed comfortable and clean, the windows in the main space shuttered from any outside eyes.

  “I’ll show you to the room,” he said after a moment.

  He said it in a way that suggested there was only one, and Lilly was immediately reminded of how closely they were to be together. How unlike the life she had anticipated she would lead when she was young. Moving into the house and bed of a man she hardly knew, and knowing it was the best option of the ones she had before her. She felt her mouth settle into a grim line. It was one she was familiar with.

  He led the way, although the house was small enough she could have managed to find it on her own. Like the other room the bedroom was functional and little more. There was one bed — not overly large, sporting an unremarkable quilt and some pillows — a single chair and a small bureau. This was where she would sleep. And this was the man she would sleep beside. It didn’t seem possible that they would both be able to fit in that bed.

  “I hope this will do,” Eli said, and Lilly turned toward him, struck by how large he looked in the bedroom, how small she was next to him. It was something she would have noted in fear when she’d been home in Canada. But here in this room with him, it inspired a spark of something else- something she couldn’t name. Their eyes met, and an expanded moment of silence hovered between them. She was wondering again about why it was that a man with such kind eyes and such a handsome face, his jaw square and hard and dotted with fresh stubble she knew would be rough and scratchy on her skin, would be resigned to ordering a woman of his own. Her eyes narrowed. As far as she was concerned, the only acceptable answer was that he had something to hide, something someone else would turn away from if they knew the truth.

  He was thinking something along the same lines. Intrigued by what sort of position she must have been placed in to seek a marriage placement. It was obvious that men would want her. Leap at the chance to offer her their bed and name. He was struck by how endless those dark pools of blue seemed, how eager to please and soft spoken she was, the gentle shape of her body so carefully hidden beneath the yards of fabric. It didn’t make sense that she would find herself widowed with no suitable suitors waiting in line for her.

  In that heavy moment when nothing was said between them, they each thought of their own secrets, and wondered about those of the other, and then Eli cleared his throat and spoke again. “I’m sure you’re interested in the facilities. Let me show you where you can find them.”

  With a collective goal in mind, the heaviness permeating the room seemed to lift, and Lilly did as he bid, following along a step behind him.

  Chapter Three

  Eli needed a minute. A good long minute. It hadn’t occurred to him that he was signing up for a woman he would actually want to possess. Actually, he’d been fairly certain there wasn’t a woman who could evoke such a response in him.

  And then she had shown up, all soft curves and smoot
h, silky skin, and the only thing he could think about was divesting her of that dress and exploring her body. It was so far down the list of conceivable outcomes that he hadn’t even considered it as an option. Now it seemed to be the only thing he could think about.

  He prowled through the small office at the opposite end of the house, his body tightly coiled. On edge. Truthfully, it was where he spent the bulk of his time. He didn’t like to be reminded that he spent very little time in his own bed, that that part of his life was over and behind him. Instead, he burned the midnight oil, and when he couldn’t keep himself in check anymore, he escaped to the outside and let himself melt into the night — and into the other part of himself he spent his days controlling.

  But Lilly was doing something to his tenuous hold on his very humanity. He hadn’t expected it to happen, but having her near him was sending his inner beast into turmoil. Her very scent. The column of her throat. The angle of her jaw. It was all pushing him one step closer to losing it. He treaded the line already; he didn’t need the constant impulse to change in his life as well.

  Eli realized he was pacing the small room, thinking about what Lilly might be doing as she prepped for bed, wondering what her nighttime rituals were like. It wasn’t his place to think about it, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

  He had to get out of the house. For the briefest moment he considered a trip to the brothel, maybe a distraction from the beautiful woman just a few rooms over, but, in the end, the call of the mountains was too strong. He wanted to feel the dirt beneath his feet, the cool air against his face, that impossible contentment that seemed to come only when he was in his truest form.