Shades of Ménage : A Dystopian Romance Ménage & Post Catastrophic Romance Ménage Boxed Set Series - Ultimate Four-Book Collection (8 page)

“
Sometime I wish I would just die.”

Every muscle in his body tensed against her.

“
Don’t ever say that again. Don’t even think it, do you hear me?”

“
Why? Would you have missed me?”

There was a long hesitation before he replied in a soft tone. “If you had died, I would have been walking around like a zombie. Just like my brother, Luke, has been doing these past few years. He was so careless in the Terrorist Wars he almost got his head blown off a few times. Cripes, he was in the hospital more times than I can count.”

“
He still misses Callie.”

“
A love like they had never dies.”

Cate worried her lip. Now that talk turned to her sister, Callie, she figured it was time to tell him something she hadn’t had a chance to tell him.

“
I promised I’d never say anything about this but I think I better say something about Callie.”

“
Is she dead? Did they send you word?”

“
No, she’s not dead. She escaped from an experimental facility.”

Jude tensed against her.

“
What? You’re kidding? You’ve seen her?” Disbelief etched his voice.

“
No, but my other sister, Laurie, spoke to her.”

Jude unwrapped his arms from around her and bolted upright in the bed. His eyes blazed dark with excitement.

“
Where is she?”

“
I have no idea.”

“
Shit, Cate! When did all this happen?”

“
She dropped by Laurie’s place weeks ago. She needed some money. Laurie gave it to her and Callie left without telling her where she was going. She said she didn’t want to put anyone’s life into danger.” Cate forced back the stab of intense worry she’d felt for her sister ever since she’d been taken by the government.

“
Did she at least say how she can be contacted?”

“
She said she’d be in touch with Laurie. I don’t know where she went, Jude. She said the authorities were after her.”

“
Shit!” Jude stood up and began getting dressed.

“
What are you going to do?”

“
Heading back to shore. Luke has to be told.”

A shiver of nervousness skittered up her spine. They were going back. Back to reality.

When he was dressed, he sat down on the bed beside her and caressed her hair.

“
You’re due for an injection. I’ll give it to you and then I want you to rest. I’ll wake you up when we get back.”

Cate nodded.

He quickly left the cabin to retrieve her medicine.

She bit her bottom lip and stared out the windows at the cheerful sunshine streaming down onto the ocean.

She hoped Laurie would forgive her for telling Jude about their sister, Callie. Cate shivered and hugged herself. She’d heard horror stories about those experimental facilities and she didn’t want Callie to get caught and sent back there. It would be best if Luke could find her and protect her somehow.

“
Everything is going to be okay, Cate. Trust me. Luke will find her and protect her,” Jude said as he re-entered the room with her medicine.

There was an odd look in his eyes that unsettled her, but he smiled and the look quickly vanished into something beautiful she could only call love.

He unwrapped the plastic from a new needle and jabbed the point into the vial of pink medicine sucking up the required amount that she needed to take every day in order to stay alive. She flinched as he injected the medicine into her shoulder.

“
Rest now my lady. Rest.”

She nodded. He tucked the blankets in around her naked body and left.

* * * * *

She didn’t know how long she slept but when she awoke the sky was pitch black and she heard two men’s voices drift through the nearby open window from the cockpit directly above where she slept.

Looking through the windows, she noted the familiar silhouette of the New Portland skyline and the buttery lights glowing in some of the building’s windows.

Obviously, they were docked at the wharf and Jude had picked up his brother, Luke. It meant they’d be heading to the Outlaw farm and she would begin her new life as their wife.

She sighed heavily. Doubts swirled.

Could she handle it? Could she handle having several men making love to her? Cate squared her shoulders in defiance. Of course she could. It was a new way of life for all of them. Besides, she wasn’t in this alone. Jude would be standing by her side.

Confidence soared inside her. With Jude behind her, she could do anything.

If he felt certain that he could protect her from the Barlows and that their relationship could survive this new Claiming Law she would put her trust in him.

She slipped on the pretty white dress that Jude had given her and then, head held high with pride, Cate pushed open the cabin door and halted when she heard Luke’s strained voice sail through the night air.

“
It was the agreement we made with the Barlows, Jude. Cate was to be theirs. You know the plan. Didn’t you tell her?”

Cate’s blood ran cold.

What agreement with the Barlows? What did he mean Cate was to be theirs? Were the Outlaws giving her to the Barlows?

Sweet God! No!

She stood stiffly in the doorway barely feeling the cool breeze blow against her shivering body.

Anxious minutes drifted by as she awaited Jude’s response.

Say something, Jude. Tell Luke what you told me! Tell him the Outlaws would protect me!

She didn’t hear him answer.

Son of a bitch!

Her legs wobbled and threatened to collapse. Hot tears of rage bubbled into her eyes.

She shut the door behind her and flung herself onto the bed burying her head into the pillow to stifle her sobs.

How could he? How could Jude betray her like this?

When was he going to tell her? Or was he simply going to let her think she was heading back home to the Outlaw brothers and when they got there they would hand her over to the Barlows?

She’d honestly believed he’d loved her. Instead, he’d used her for his own sexual gratification.

A few good fucks to remember him by?

The bastard had betrayed her. She would kill him. That’s what she’d do. She’d cut off his…

She cringed as a hand curled gently over her shoulder.

“
I’m sorry we woke you, Cate. I saw the light switch on. I guess you heard us talking.” Jude said softly. “I should have told you.”

Whirling up in the bed, Cate couldn’t stop the red-hot anger from screaming through her as she slapped him against his cheek.

The sharp sound of her sudden violence, the surprised look on his face and the sting to her palm did little to dampen her hurt.

“
Yes, you should have told me you were betraying me, you bastard!” She wiped away the tears streaming down her face. “God! How could I have been so stupid in trusting you? The only reason you were fucking me was to prepare me for those cruel men. God! I was so naïve. I was so pathetic, clinging to your lies like an idiot. I thought you loved me. What a laugh.”

Jude frowned.

“
I do love you, Cate. I love you with my whole being.”

Cate shook her head with puzzlement.

“
Why then? Why are you so casually throwing away what we feel for each other?”

”
He’s not, Cate,” came Luke’s voice.

Anger burned anew when she spotted Luke Outlaw standing in the cabin doorway.

His sharp eyes gazed back at her. He looked uncomfortable. Maybe even ashamed?

Good!

“
You’re no better than he is,” she spat.

“
Jude didn’t meet the deadline, Cate. Jude took the damn boat and took you and left me high and dry to deal with The Barlows. They came and they went. They called off the deal.”

Jude reached out to caress her cheek but he flinched as she pushed him away.

“
I wanted to tell you, Cate. Wanted to tell you about the deal with the Barlows. About Tyler. About our plan that you pretend you’ve agree to go with them. That we would get you out before they could do anything to you.”

“
We would have gotten you out after they had given us the information.” Luke explained.

Cate’s head spun with confusion. “What deal? What information? What news about Tyler? I thought he was dead?”

“
The Barlows have information about Tyler. He’s alive but they wouldn’t say where he was unless they got you by the end of this week. When they showed up tonight, they said the deal is off. They’re rich men and apparently their money attracted a woman who willingly wanted to be claimed by them. Apparently they’ve already claimed her.”

Jude sighed with relief. “So they’ve no reason to not tell us about Tyler. Where is he?”

“
They won’t say yet. Now they want us to give them our land for the information.”

“
Shit!” Jude cursed.

Luke smiled at her. “At least Cate is safe.”

Jude squeezed her closer to his side. “Besides, if Tyler had found out we’d thrown his woman’s sister to those bastards just to try and free him; he would have killed us all. I may just have saved all our lives.”

Luke grinned. “You sure are right about that.”

Suddenly he reached for Cate’s hand and shook it. “I want to thank you for telling Jude about Callie.”

Happiness burst through her heart as his eyes twinkled with an eagerness she hadn’t noticed before.

“
You’re going to look for her, aren’t you?”

“
Yes. But before I go, I have to say welcome to the Outlaw family. My brothers are tough on the outside but big romantic teddy bears on the inside.”

“
Cate’s not going to be claimed by any of our brothers,” Jude said softly.

She couldn’t help but tremble with excitement at his words.

Luke blinked in shock. “But the Claiming Law…how are we going to protect her from other groups of men who might want to take her? I mean, it’s only a matter of time before the law comes looking for her to make sure she’s claimed...”

“
Screw the Law. I’m not taking her home,” Jude said.

“
But where will you go? The entire world is adopting the Claiming Law. All the states have agreed to it. It’s north and south of the borders. The authorities will question you wherever you go. You’ll need papers to show she’s been claimed. If they suspect she isn’t claimed then they’ll take her away and give her to anyone…”

Anxiety burst through Cate.

“
It’s a chance I’m willing to take,” she said quickly.

“
And I am too.” Jude agreed. “Besides, we’ve made connections during the Wars. Claiming papers can be forged.”

Luke chuckled and slapped his brother on the back.

“
Okay, stay put in New Portland for a day. When I get back home, I’ll wire you money. In the meantime…”

Luke reached into his back pocket and dug out a wad of bills. He held it out to Luke. “Here take this. You’re going to need it.”

Jude’s arm snuggled warmly around her waist. “No. You keep it. Use it to help find Tyler and Callie. I’ve got enough money to keep us going for a while. We’ll live on the boat. Maybe find us an island somewhere and stay low. But first we’ll bring you back home.”

“
No, you stay with your lady. You two have been apart long enough. Don’t worry about me I’ll be fine. Just make sure you send word home every once in a while that you two are okay.”