Beauty and the Beasts [Bride Train 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (28 page)

“I told you to keep her at home!”

“I’d rather have you mad at me than this one,” yelled Oz in return.

“What’re they fighting about?” yelled a voice in the back.

“Hell if I know,” replied another. “But I ain’t gonna miss it!”

“If I’d known this circus was going to happen,” said Gabe to Luke, “I’d just have taken you out behind the shed.”

“What’s got you all riled up, anyway?” Luke wiggled his fingers and practiced making a fist.

“In addition to whatever you said to Sarah before riding off like an idiot, you insulted her to my face.”

“I did?” Luke blinked, frowning. “What did I say?”

Gabe stepped close. He whispered the words into Luke’s ear so no one, especially Sarah, would hear.

Luke winced. “Is that when you hit me?”

“Yep.”

“I’d have hit me, too.” He looked at the eager men circling them. “Now that we’re square, what are we going to do about all this?”

Gabe cracked his knuckles. He gave Luke his imitation of Gillis’s best berserker glare. “First, we’re not square. Second, I’ve been wanting to fight you a long, long time. It doesn’t matter what your daddy and my mama taught us. I’m going to show Sarah that she’s right not to want you anymore.”

“Anymore?” Luke’s eyes blazed. “She was serious about marrying me?”

“You damn idiot! It took a lot of guts for her to even think a husband was possible. She offered you a way to show you were worth her. Instead, you insult the hell out of her and run away.” Full of disgust, he put his fists on his hips and loomed over Luke. “Just shut up and fight. I want to get this over with so I can take Sarah home.” He stood tall. “She’ll be kissing me and Oz, all night long, while you’re passed out under a table with the rest of this scum.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed and his lips curled back. “Why you—”

Gabe easily took Luke’s first punch to his hard belly, just for old time’s sake. Then he returned it with interest, giving a right cross to break Luke’s nose again. Luke roared and attacked with both fists, driving Gabe back. Gabe laughed, finally free of his lifelong responsibility for Luke, and plowed forward.

Sarah winced when Luke ran headfirst into Gabe’s belly. They went down in a hail of fists. The ring of men blocked her view even though she rode Oz’s lap, high on a horse. Yells covered up any sounds Luke and Gabe might have made.

“Can’t you do something? They’ll kill each other!”

Oz shook his head. “Nah, it’s just a dog fight. They’re playing, having some fun.”

“Are you crazy?”

“I thought you were so mad at Luke that you wanted to punch him out yourself?”

“I am mad! But that doesn’t mean I want him hurt.” She scrunched up her face and turned away when Gabe landed another punch.

“He doesn’t deserve you, but I do.”

Oz settled his chin between her neck and shoulder and nibbled. She swatted him. He pouted, but sat up again. She looked around, but no one seemed to notice. All attention was on the ring of men, and the two inside it. The two she cared about, but couldn’t see.

“This fight is a man thing,” said Oz, shrugging as if it wasn’t important. “Gabe’s been watching Luke’s back all his life. It’s time Luke stood up for himself. Gabe’s helping him.”

“Helping?” She choked in exasperation. “And how can he stand up when Gabe keeps knocking him down?”

“Let them work it out. Why don’t I take you to the hotel so you can visit with Sophie? Luke and Gabe are well matched, so this could go on for a while.”

Sarah wanted to watch, yet didn’t want to see them hurt each other. She remembered what it felt like when Mr. Isaac punched her. She nodded.

“Give me a minute and I’ll walk you over.”

He spoke to Sarah, but his attention was riveted on the fight, as Gabe and Luke were now on their feet again.

“No, just let me down here.”

“You sure?”

“Oz, it’s broad daylight and everyone’s watching the fight. I’ll be fine.”

He took his eyes off his partners long enough to kiss her quickly and lower her to the street. She waved and turned to the boardwalk. When she glanced back, he’d moved his horse right behind the ring of men. He laughed and shouted encouragement. She rolled her eyes at what men got up to.

She avoided the crowd on the boardwalk, keeping to the street. She watched her feet to make sure she didn’t step in something a horse had left behind. A hand gripped her elbow, stopping her. She turned, and then looked up.

Joe Sheldrake!

She tried to back up, but he held her tight.

“No, no, missy. I jist wanna talk. Fer now, anyways.”

He smiled, but it was worse than the grimace he always wore. He was big, but not as big as Gabe. He stunk, of whiskey, stale sweat, and other things she didn’t want to think about.

“Heard you need a husband pretty bad.”

She shook her head, unwilling to speak in case she said something that would make him angry.

“You need a missus in front of yer name, and I need to git into that building. So I got me an idea. We git married. I take the gold what’s hid, and I skedaddle.” He jerked his head in a nod. “I git rich, and you git yer bizness.”

“Mr. Sheldrake, there’s no gold in that building.”

He leaned close. “I hid it after I kilt the man what worked there. I want that gold. Now, we kin do it easylike, so you git what yew want.” He squeezed her arm, just enough to hurt. “Or we kin do it the hard way.”

She startled when his other hand grabbed her bottom cheek. He dug his fingers deep before releasing her. There’d be telltale bruises, ones she couldn’t hide from her men. He laughed and released her. The only way to escape was to pretend to go along with him, just as she’d done in Bannack City.

“Your idea is a good one,” she said. “If I had a husband, the town council would have to let me run my bakery, even after you left town. After a quick ceremony you could get the gold and leave right away.”

He shook his head, leering at her. “It’s gonna take me a few days to git all that gold out.” He ran his free hand from her shoulder, over her breast, past her hip to her bottom. She shuddered with revulsion. “And I want some fun…
Pearl
.”

Sarah froze, staring up at him. No one knew what they’d called her in that place. She’d locked the name away deep inside. That meant Sheldrake saw her doing… She exploded, fighting to escape. He grabbed her, easily holding her to his body, one hand over her mouth.

“Now don’t be runnin’ away,” he said into her ear. “I watched ya in that room. Ye liked his cock so much ye screamed. I had gold, but ye got away ’fore I could have ye.” He smirked. “But when we git married I kin have ye all I want. You’ll do fer me what you did fer him. Won’t be no diff’rent from what y’already done, lotsa times.”

His low laugh was like black grease, staining her mind as his dirty hands stained her clothes. He rubbed his groin against her bottom, making her gag.

“Don’t be gettin’ any ideas, now. Ye’ll git what ye want, and I’ll git what’s mine.”

His hands lifted off, and his stench faded. She stood, shaking, until she was sure he was gone. She fought tears, refusing to give in, as she stumbled along the boardwalk. It was empty, with everyone watching the fight. She made it to the hotel and went in the back door. Thank God, no one was in Sophie’s kitchen. She went to Sophie’s rooms, pressed her back against the pretty wallpaper, and slid to the floor.

A few days of freedom on the ranch and she’d forgotten all her hard-earned lessons. Don’t be alone. Don’t walk on the street. And don’t, ever again, leave the ranch without her slim blade in her skirt.

It’s over. He’s gone, and he’ll never hurt you again.

She had to tell Oz and Gabe about Sheldrake. She couldn’t pretend to be shy for days to hide the bruises he’d inflicted. But she would be selective. Since they didn’t know about her “performance” as Pearl, they didn’t need to know he’d seen her naked. And they’d never let her return to her bakery if they thought Sheldrake was after gold he thought was hidden somewhere in the building.

But Sheldrake’s attack pointed out a cold, hard fact. Whether Luke conquered his fear or not, she had to marry him to stop others from trying to force it onto her. When she’d planned her dream existence, she hadn’t known kind men like Gabe and Oz. All the men who said they loved her had proven otherwise. The word was easy to say. It was the actions behind the words that she needed evidence of. That’s what Luke rejected when he ran away to get drunk.

She loved Oz and Gabe, no question. Both of them would make wonderful husbands and delightful fathers, even though Oz refused to believe it of himself. The question was whether they loved her enough to overcome their fears.

Luke’s touch inflamed her, so there was no problem with sharing her bed with him. A tingle of sensual awareness woke her pussy and nipples. She’d share her bed with
them
. All three, at once. She groaned and dropped her head in her hands. She’d better practice with Oz and Gabe together, before adding Luke.

The rush which had propelled her down the boardwalk and to this sanctuary faded. The last few weeks of hard work with little sleep, no matter how enjoyable, pulled her down. She curled on the floor and let it all go far away.

“She’s in there,” said Sophie.

Oz held his breath as he pushed the door open. All Sophie told him was that something had happened to Sarah. She lay on the floor curled in a ball. He saw no blood, but that didn’t mean anything.

She hurt, and it was his fault. Something happened after he let her go in the street. Alone. When Sophie rushed up to him, yelling something about Sarah over the roars of the crowd, he’d feared the worst. He was sure someone had taken her, had hurt her, had done one of a million things that rushed through his brain.

He said he’d keep her safe, and he failed. Did she even want him in the room?

“Sarah?” he whispered. “I’m here.”

When she didn’t scream for him to leave her alone, he knelt beside her.

“I’m sorry, angel. I should never have let you go.”

“Oz?”

“Yes?” He held his breath.

“I have to get married.”

“What?” He shared a look of confusion with Sophie. When Sarah still didn’t move, he gently rested his hand on her nearest part, her foot.

She heaved an enormous sigh. “Hold me?”

He crawled forward. She uncurled enough to let him pick her up. Sophie gestured for him to use her bed and then left, closing the door behind her. Oz set Sarah in the middle of the quilt and curled up behind her, boots hanging over the side.

Sarah sighed and snuggled tight against him. Of course his cock, which never listened to reason, automatically reacted. He tried to back away but she pushed her sweet bottom right back against him.

“Don’t move away,” she said quietly. “I need to know it’s you touching me.”

“Who touched you, angel? If anyone hurt you, I’ll—”

“Joe Sheldrake wants to make my dreams come true by marrying me.”

His blood chilled. He reared up on one elbow to look at her. She opened her eyes and snorted a sarcastic laugh.

“Yes, Oz. The biggest brute in the Territory has decided he will make sure I get my bakery. All I have to do is marry him for a while.”

“I’ll marry you myself before I’ll let him touch you.”

He placed his hand on her wrist. She winced. His chilled blood froze. He sat up, unbuttoned her sleeve and gently pushed back the cotton. Bruises already bloomed on her thin wrist. A ferocious rage descended on him.

“Where?” he growled.

“Oz, he’s gone.”

“Where else did that bastard touch you?”

“I can’t show you.”

“What?”

She flapped her hands to push him away. He didn’t let it stop him.

“All right, I’ll tell you!” He sat back to give her space. “I’ll have finger-shaped bruises on my bottom for a few days. But that’s all.”

“That’s all?” His heart beat so fast he thought it might burst from his ribs. “The bastard manhandled you in the street! I’d kill him just for looking at you, and he put bruises all over you?”

She covered her eyes and looked away. That shut him down faster than a winter sled slamming into a tree.

“I’m sorry I yelled,” he said quietly. He wrapped his hand around her ankle, just to touch a part of her.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s my problem, and I’ll deal with it.”

“No, you won’t.”

She opened her eyes and gave him that honey-green glare. Whatever Sheldrake had done to her, it hadn’t knocked her on her ass. She was no worm like his mother. No, she was a tiger, eager to fight back. But she wouldn’t do it alone.

“We’ll all work on it together. You, me, Gabe, and Luke.”

Her eyes opened wide. She scrambled to sit up, pulling her foot away.

“Oh, my gosh, I forgot about the fight. What happened?”

If Sarah was more worried about his partners than Sheldrake, she would be fine. He would take a while to get over it, though. He needed a big dose of his woman. He undid his boots and kicked them off before answering.

“They beat each other up, of course.”

“I saw that part. But what happened after?”

He stood up and set his hands on his hips. “You get attacked in the street, yet you’re worried about two idiots who needed to settle a few things man-to-man?”

“Oz, if you don’t tell me, I’m going out there and—”

“They’re doing what men do after every fight.” He undid her boots, purposely egging her on just to see that fire light her eyes. When she was fighting mad, she wasn’t crying. Not that he’d seen Sarah cry much.

“And that is?”

He finished her second boot and tossed it on the floor.

“They’re getting rip-roaring drunk. After that they’ll stagger to their horses and ride home, singing rude songs off-key. Unless they make it to the house, they’ll pass out in the barn. In the morning they’ll get up and work a full day, likely without eating. They’ll wince a lot but won’t complain. And they’ll be good friends again.”

“You’re not serious?” She scanned his face, perhaps for a sign he was joking.