“That so?” He sat closer to the screen. “Okay, why not? Sure. Go on. What did you do to end up there? Unless you chose to go. I know some women feel the call.”
My head buzzed. I hated having to talk about this. Would there come a time when I wouldn’t have to? “I had sex with someone when I was seventeen. My father caught us. He sent me away.”
“Were you in love with this kid?” His expression didn’t change. I waited for the rest of the sentence that might accompany the judgment, but it didn’t come.
“No. I wanted him. It was fleeting. Even then I knew he wasn’t going to be my husband. He was kind of … stupid.”
Ari nodded. “Good for you, Paloma. I might wish you’d found a place your dad wasn’t going to catch you, but fuck, I’m so sick of the female sex suppression. It’s taken us back thousands of years. Like you’re supposed to save it and then be willing to just go at it like a bunny as soon as you say I do. Bunch of crappola. Okay. Let’s talk.”
I’d never known anyone like him, and I was sure he didn’t treat most of his patients like he did me. But, at the end of it, I thought I might be okay.
CHAPTER FIVE
Twenty-Four More Hours
I left Thomas’ office with the promise to call Ari again for another ‘chat’ the next week. He’d uploaded some medicine into Thomas’ medical machine, and if I wanted some relief, I could go ahead and use it. He told me it was anxiety medication that wasn’t going to leave me addicted. I could stop it anytime. It was a newly developed formula.
I’d decide in the morning if I wanted to use it. Ari had been very low key about the whole thing. He wasn’t my doctor, after all.
I nearly tripped over Thomas, who sat in the hall, sleeping with his head against the wall. He woke up when I jolted backwards. The poor guy, he must have wanted to get back into his office, and I’d taken too long.
“Sorry.” I offered him my hand to get up, but he shook his head and rose by himself. “I didn’t mean to take so long.”
He rubbed his eyes. “No, you were fine. I just dozed off. Wanted to be here when you came out in case you needed anything.”
“Um, well. I guess I do need your help with the med machine. He sent over medicine for me. Light dose of anxiety medicine to start. He wants me to call next week.”
Thomas scratched his head. “Come on. We can do that, fast. Glad he was some help. Ari is a long-term friend. I’d trust him with my life.”
“He was … different than what I expected. I’m grateful for the help. Are you paying him? I’d be happy to pay you back when I get a job. Maybe in installments?”
Thomas put his arm around me and walked me toward my bedroom. “That’s sweet. Unnecessary. Ari is not charging me.”
“Thanks, just the same.”
“You’re welcome.” He stopped me in the hallway outside of my room. Or, I made myself correct my thinking, the room where I stayed. It wasn’t my room. “Listen, go easy on my brothers, Paloma. They don’t know how to protect themselves from you. That’s my fault. Hanging around women wasn’t high on my list of priorities. Stop playing games with their hearts. You know you can’t stay with us, and even if you could, I can’t allow this to happen right now.”
My body went cold. I stepped away from him. Not only had Thomas reminded me he didn’t want me around when I’d decided maybe he did, he’d now accused me of playing games with his brothers.
“I made a mistake when I was seventeen. A big one. I’ve paid and paid and paid for it. I don’t play games. I haven’t done anything. You offered me sanctuary. I took you up on it. Your brothers know how things stand. I’m leaving with you as soon as you fix your computer. Don’t worry; the bad influence will be leaving.”
He groaned. “Paloma, that isn’t what I meant.”
“Yes it is. Goodnight, Thomas. Sleep well. I won’t.”
“Wait.” He shook his head. “You need your medicine.”
“I’ll ask one of the others to help me in the morning. It would be really great if you would just leave me alone. I won’t even talk to you on the shuttle. I’m good at being quiet. That being said, I’m tired of your constant nasty implications.”
I turned on my heel. I didn’t even stop to see his reaction. I was tired of Thomas’ turn arounds. One second he was so kind I could fall for him, the next he left me feeling dirty—a sense I’d promised myself I’d never have again after I left the Sisterhood.
I managed to dress for bed without crying, but the second my head hit the pillow that stopped. I didn’t remember falling asleep. Sometime in the early morning, I woke up when two bodies crawled into bed with me, holding me on both sides. I wrenched my lids open. It was Quinn and Keith. Keith faced me. He gently kissed my forehead, while Quinn was at my back, his arms holding me tight.
I almost let myself fall into the warmth their bodies offered. The room wasn’t cold, but my soul felt like it would never thaw. Instead, I shook my head. “You guys need to go.”
“Aww,” Keith complained, kissing my cheek. “You liked being held last night. I know it’s late tonight. Quinn wouldn’t be left behind. Two for one. We’ll behave. Keep our hands to ourselves, pretty much.”
I wasn’t going to lie. “Thomas says you guys aren’t able to handle me, and I should leave you alone. So please go away.”
Keith shook his head, and Quinn groaned. The latter answered me, “P, we love Tommy. He’s our brother. I, in particular, owe him a huge debt. We’re brothers. That being said, he doesn’t control who I sleep with, either mostly unromantically or otherwise. If you don’t want us, that’s fine. But don’t kick us out because of Tommy. I’ll manage him.”
Keith stroked his hand down my arm. “Baby, he’s terrified of you. Takes him longer to get to okay because he’s got so much he’s responsible for. Trust me. Twenty-four more hours. Go to sleep. Don’t kick us out.”
I pressed my head against his chest to hear his heart beat. It was strong and steady. Quinn’s arms were strong. I must have been exhausted because I fell back asleep. I didn’t even dream.
I woke up slowly. I knew it was late. I’d not gotten up to make breakfast. The rain and wind had stopped. I actually missed their sounds. The twins breathed deeply, having also not moved. I was tight up against them. Pressed against my stomach, Keith was hard. Maybe he just got erect when he slept every night, although I hoped it was about me.
I moved slightly and discovered Quinn was in exactly the same condition as Keith. Feeling them turned on made me hot. I closed my eyes. I had to be honest with myself. I’d had sex with Rocky because I’d gotten hot. Making out with Quinn had done the same. Lying between the twins, I was really turned on. And if Clay came in and looked at me with the longing I always saw in his eyes, I’d heat right up, too. When it came down to it, even as angry as I was at Thomas, if he smiled at me I’d want him.
I was way too susceptible to other people’s desires.
I needed to get control of myself.
I wanted … oh, by the universe, I wanted the McQueen brothers. More than I’d ever craved Rocky. Why had I slept with Rocky? Because he’d asked, I was slightly turned on, and I’d been seriously mad at my mother. She’d let me know a good match for me would be coming to the station. I hadn’t wanted the set up. I’d been seventeen. And so, so stupid.
But this was different. These were men, and I was no longer a child. I wanted to wait for my husband. I wasn’t going to give in to this. I’d get a job, make something of myself, and find a man who didn’t mind my past.
Quinn released a long breath. I knew instantly when he woke up, even though I kept my eyes closed.
He kissed my cheek, whispering in my ear, “Good morning, P.”
I opened my lids. “How did you know I was awake?” I whispered back.
“You weren’t doing your adorable little snore.”
“Quinn.” I huffed out my breath. “I do not snore.”
“You do,” Keith mumbled. “But it’s not loud or obnoxious. It’s
cute. We like the sound. So don’t get mad when we point it out.”
“You guys do this often? Put a girl in between you and go to sleep?”
Keith leaned up on his elbow. “No. Generally speaking, we don’t share well. You seem to be an exception.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Clay poked his head in. “Wanted to make sure you were okay. Tommy said you were going to need some meds. And, hey, you two. Wish you’d come and gotten me if you were having a sleepover.”
Keith rolled over and adjusted his boxer shorts. He groaned before he got out of bed. “Where would you have slept? We had both her sides covered.”
Clay shrugged. “She would have slept on me and you two on both sides. No matter, I get her tonight.”
Quinn scoffed, “You can’t call dibs. This isn’t like the best piece of steak.”
“Unless Paloma wants you, you two sleep in your own rooms.” Clay shut the door loudly, and I followed Keith out of the bed.
“Thanks for last night. I went to bed miserable. I didn’t wake up that way.”
Quinn grabbed my arm, pulling me down so he could kiss me. He kept it light, and I loved the affection. “We’re just happy you didn’t press harder to kick us out.”
Keith bent over and gave me a similar but firmer kiss. “Believe it or not, he’d be horrified to know he made you nuts. Tommy is a softie. See how you feel at the end of today.”
I doubted it would be much different and wasn’t sure why it would matter anyway. I was leaving the three men who liked me in order to spend a month in a shuttle with Thomas McQueen. It was going to be a long trip.
***
Clay took me to the med machine. I hated being enclosed in one of those things, but it turned out the machine only needed my arm. I placed it inside and with a small pinch, it administered the medicine.
“I’ve never seen it done that way before.”
Clay nodded, kissing my arm where it had been pinched. “Tommy will always have the most up-to-date stuff in his shuttles. He prides himself on having the best products. How do you feel?”
“How should I feel? I guess, not much different.”
“That’s good. Maybe you aren’t anxious right now?” He winked at me. “Maybe I calm you down.”
“I have enjoyed being with you, Clay. Do you have a favorite dinner? I could try to make it.” I didn’t have much to offer them. Food seemed to be it.
His eyes widened. “Can you do steak?”
“Do you have a grill?”
He held up two fingers. “I’ll get them out of storage and clean them. You can pick.”
“You get them out. I’ll clean them.”
An alarm sounded in the med bay. I waited for my nerves to fray about whatever it was, but they didn’t. I stayed calm, my arm on Clay’s. “I think the medicine is working.”
“That’s not a good alarm. Someone’s at the door, and whoever answered it doesn’t like who it is. Come on.” He took my hand and pulled me fast from the shuttle’s med bay to the house. “Keep your head down. Be as silent as you can.”
I obeyed without question. This was a different Clay than the one I’d been around. Gone was the sweet romantic, and in his place was a focused, determined man whose energy alone made me want to follow his orders.
We went in the back door of the house. I’d never been in the room he brought me to. In fact, I’d thought it was a pantry. Clay put his finger to his lips to order me quiet and flipped on a screen that showed the front door.
Thomas stood there alone, and two men in dark suits spoke to him. Behind the two, five men holding guns waited.
Clay whistled through his teeth. “Damn it. Who are these fuckers?”
“—because we heard she’s alive, and as the only survivor of an attack as large as the one on the Sisterhood, we need to speak to her.” We’d clearly come in during the middle of a conversation. I caught on quickly. They were asking about me. My heart fell into my stomach. Who were these people, and why did they want me?
“Police?” I whispered to Clay. He shook his head.
“No. These are not authorities that can be trusted. These are profiteers. They attacked the Sisterhood, and the fact that you lived has thrown off their plans. They don’t want to get caught. I know them, actually. They’re infamous.”
I pressed my head against Clay’s arm. He smelled clean, like soap. “What’s going to happen?”
Would Thomas turn me in? I knew he’d protect his family against anything. Was I now something he had to get rid of to keep his own safe?
“I …”
Thomas answered. “Are you talking about my wife?”
The guys stared at each other before they looked back at Thomas. “I don’t think so. We heard a young woman named Paloma sought employment. She’d been in the Sisterhood.”
Thomas laughed, leaning against the door. “Yes. At one point my wife was with the Sisterhood. But she couldn’t resist us. We can be persuasive when we want to be. Eventually, we convinced her she wanted to be a McQueen. Paid the good Sisterhood for her two weeks ago. She was here when things went to hell, doesn’t know a thing about it. And as for her looking for a job? Ever had a young wife? They tend to freak out the first night, you know? She’s calmed. No more running off for jobs. We keep her occupied in other ways.”
They did what? I sucked in my breath. He told them we were married?
“Fucking brilliant, Tommy.” Clay grinned. The door opened and closed, Keith coming in. “You watching this?”
“Baby.” Keith kissed my hand. “You need to take off your shirt. Trust me, we won’t even look.”
“I …” My cheeks were bright red. This was really insane. What would taking off my shirt do for any of this?
The men were still talking. I didn’t think they particularly believed Thomas. He stayed easy-going, like he had all the time in the world to manage this.
“Raise your arms,” Keith told me. “Quinn wants to be here too, but it’s always better if he stays away in moments like this.”
He pulled my shirt over my head, and Clay grabbed me. “Put your arms around my neck, legs around my waist. And trust me. Trust us. No one is getting you. Play along. If you can’t think of something to say, say nothing. Just remember, you’re our wife.”
Clay pushed out of the secret room, and the next thing I knew, I was in his arms, shirtless, by the front door. I was totally covered, my breasts pushed to his chest. Still, I hadn’t been so exposed since my father pulled my naked self away from Rocky and dragged me through the main corridor of Mars Station.
“I thought I heard someone at the door. Sweetheart here wanted to know who it was.”
I buried my head against his neck. “Not naked, darling.”
“You’re only half-naked. And even that’s too many clothes for my taste.”
Thomas groaned loudly. “We have guests. I’d rather they not see what belongs only to us. Here, baby.” He pulled his shirt off, and I leaned back to let him shove me into the clothing.
He touched my cheek. “You really are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
In Clay’s arms, with his hard body holding me still and Thomas’ hand on my face, I shivered. They were both, in that moment, more visceral than I’d ever seen them before.
“As you can see, she’s fine, and I’m not letting my wife go anywhere. You can all move on.” His eyes were steel when he spoke to the profiteers. “We’re busy. I haven’t been with her enough today.”
“If we went downtown to look, this is all official? You’ve filled out the paperwork?”
Keith came out of the back of the house, his hair wet. “Are we having some kind of party?” He walked up to me and kissed me square on the mouth. “Wore me out, Baby.”
“They want to know if we’ve made this official.”
Keith nodded vigorously. “Sure did. Just today. We’ve been somewhat busy before now. Quinn, bring out the paperwork.”
Quinn, looking different than I’d ever
seen him in glasses and a hat, came out. He held a paper in his hand, which he promptly gave to Thomas.
“Here.” Thomas handed it to them. My heart raced so fast I thought I might faint. Clay’s hand was on my back, under the shirt, stroking up and down my spine.
“Easy, daring.” He kissed my cheek. “It’s okay.”
The profiteers examined the paper and then handed it back to Thomas. “Sorry for the confusion. So you say she wasn’t there during the explosion?”
I found my voice. “What explosion?”
“We’ve had her somewhat tied up.” Clay bit my shoulder. “In fact, I’m getting back to that. I don’t need a bunch of nonsense on my honeymoon. Have a good day, and get the hell out.”
Thomas closed the door, and after a beat, Quinn threw off his hat and glasses. “It’s real. Took me a minute, but I broke the system, uploaded the document, and anyone who looks will find her married to us.”
Clay set me down on the counter. “Are you okay?”
“Nice move with the naked.” Thomas shook his head. “They were going to swallow their tongues. I couldn’t leave her that way. You okay?”
They all looked at me. I needed to answer. “I guess so. I mean, I’d rather not have to get shirtless again, but it did work. Did you say you uploaded a document?” I’d have time to be embarrassed later. For now, I needed to focus. “It’s official?”
Quinn nodded, his eyebrows raised. “Congratulations Mrs. McQueen.”
“Shit.” Thomas banged the table. “They’re going to look more into us now. Damn it. We have to go. Protocol B. You’re all coming to Mars Station, then we’ll go into hiding again. Keith, fix whatever you did to my shuttle. Quinn, grab me a shirt and Paloma some pants.”
He didn’t hesitate and ran for the shuttle. Before I knew what had happened, we were all seated on the shuttle with Keith pounding on the control panel. The shuttle seemed to sigh, and then it turned back on.
“Simple Pronto Algorithm. You would have gotten it eventually.”
Thomas shook his head. “No time to play.”
And just like that, we were airborne. When we were in space, I turned on the four of them. I’d kept quiet because a crisis was a crisis. I wasn’t going to be hysterical when they needed quiet. The men at the door were bad news.