Devon Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (6 page)

For a heartbreaking moment, Devon thought Caleb would do just that. He lifted the reins up and was about to slap them on the side of the
dressiter
to turn the beast around, but something stayed his hand. Devon didn’t know what it was. Compassion? He remembered the night Caleb went out into the field to finish up Ollie’s rows when Ollie was too sick to finish them himself. Caleb had worked by moonlight all the way until dawn came. Caleb refused to take any credit for what he’d done. Devon didn’t understand until he thought about how sometimes heroes did things but didn’t take credit because they were trying to atone for some wrong. Devon had no idea if that were the case with Caleb and Ollie. He wasn’t aware of Caleb doing anything wrong to Ollie, but he wasn’t with his brothers all the time. Who knew what happened when he wasn’t looking?

“I’ll be back.” Caleb turned his mount. With another flick of his wrist, he compelled the beast to run.

Brushing back a tear of gratitude, Devon returned to his position kneeling over Karsten. He used his body to block the sunlight, giving him as much comfort as he could. “Hang on. I’m going to cut you free then take you home.”

Karsten’s eyelids fluttered.

“I’m going to nurse you back to health.” Devon left it at that. He wanted to make Karsten better and then claim him fully as his own. Even though the world had changed, much of the dreams and longings inside Devon hadn’t. He wanted a full mate who was tied to him in all the ways a mate could be bound. “Body, soul, and blood.”

Karsten’s eyes opened suddenly and went so wide it was almost terrifying. “No blood!”

Startled, Devon shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Slowly, Karsten’s eyes settled closed. For a moment, Devon thought he’d died, but as he watched intently, Karsten’s chest rose and then fell. The pace was halted and agonizingly slow, but he was still breathing.

“I swear, I didn’t mean I would steal your blood.” Devon looked down at the ragged mess on Karsten’s neck. It looked absolutely awful. Nothing could be done about it but cover it up. Not that Devon cared about that. He always had dreamed of a picture-perfect thrall, but now, given how radically different everything in the world was, he decided that he wasn’t going to worry about something so immaterial. What mattered so much more was that he was with someone he could share his life with. He didn’t know much about Karsten, but he knew enough to know he admired his strength, his fortitude, and his downright gumption. A lesser man would have given up and stayed hanging there until he died from blood loss. Not Karsten. His survival instinct kicked in so hard he’d walked for miles with an enormous plank of wood across his shoulders and chains impeding his steps. But he hadn’t quit.

“Don’t quit now, Karsten. I’m going to get you back to health. I swear it.”

Karsten didn’t answer.

Eventually, Caleb returned, but he wouldn’t get close. As annoyed as Devon was, he understood Caleb’s reluctance. If Karsten did have something that was catching, which Devon still didn’t believe he had, Devon certainly didn’t want to spread it to all of his brothers. Since McBride was already vulnerable because of his illness, something else on top of that would probably kill him.

“I’ve brought water and tools.” Caleb took everything out of the
dressiter’s
saddle pack and set it about halfway between where his mount waited and where Karsten was lying.

“Thank you.” Devon waited until Caleb had retreated before he moved over to pick everything up. He was expecting Caleb to ride back, but he didn’t. “Are you just going to sit there and watch?”

“You’re going to do what you need to do, and then I’m going to escort you back.”

“Escort me back?” Devon got the water first.

“You and…”

“Karsten,” Devon supplied.

“You and Karsten are going to be quarantined in your house.” Caleb sighed. “You damn well better be right about this, because not only are you putting everyone at risk, but you’re going to be out of commission until we determine what’s going on.”

“I understand.” Devon looked Caleb right in the eye. “But I made the right call. If you had half a heart, you’d understand that.”

“You don’t even know him, so don’t hand me some romantic twaddle about love.”

“I didn’t say love.” Devon turned away before Caleb could see the hopeful look on his face. He wasn’t there, but one thing he knew for certain was that he couldn’t fall in love unless he had a man to pin his hopes on.

“You don’t even know if he’ll live.”

“He will.” Devon knelt down and opened the water. Since Karsten was on his back with his head turned awkwardly and the flask was oddly shaped, he didn’t see a way to give him the water without pouring half of it up his nose. After all he’d been through, Karsten didn’t need that. Inspiration struck when he remembered a bit from one of his novels. Devon poured the water into his own mouth, leaned over, pressed his lips to Karsten’s, and slowly fed him the water.

Karsten seemed confused at first, but once he realized Devon was giving him water, he opened his mouth and drank.

“He’s probably been raped a dozen times.”

Devon ignored Caleb. He didn’t care what had been done to Karsten. Well, that wasn’t quite true. He cared, but he wasn’t going to let that affect his determination to bring him back to health. One way or another, he was going to get Karsten back on his feet and fighting. Or in his bed and loving. Devon sighed. He shouldn’t put any demands on Karsten. Even though he’d offered himself out to be Devon’s thrall, he thought he’d only done so for protection. That alternately made Devon proud and sad. Proud that Karsten believed he could protect him but sad that he might not really be interested in him. “Any port in a storm” was a phrase Devon had read half a dozen times, but he’d never quite gotten it until now. Karsten was the wind-lashed boat, and Devon was the cove of comfort.

“For all you know, he’s—”

Devon didn’t let him finish. He lifted his head, spit what little water was there out, and snarled, “Shut up! I don’t want to hear anything else that you have to say. If you’re going to sit there and watch, then don’t comment. I’ve made up my mind, and I don’t need you spewing your hatred.”

“I wasn’t—never mind. You wouldn’t listen to reason anyway. All you see is a pretty little blond under all that mess and your dick takes over.”

“My dick doesn’t have anything to do with this.” Devon returned to feeding Karsten tiny sips of water under Caleb’s watchful eye.

“That would be more believable if you weren’t hard.”

After finishing giving him water, Devon turned. “If you say another word, I’m going to charge you, pull you off that
dressiter
, and then kiss you, thereby giving you whatever disease I might have. So shut up.”

Caleb sighed, but he did quiet down.

In his mind, Devon was tossing up thanks. Just about the last thing he ever wanted to do was kiss one of his brothers. He loved them all and he loved them fiercely, but not like that. The mere idea practically rolled his stomach. He’d much rather kiss Karsten. Even though he had kissed him in defiance of Caleb, and then again to give him water, that wasn’t at all the kind of kiss that Devon wanted to experience. What he wanted was Karsten’s willing—nay—eager participation. Devon wanted to watch his eyes gently close as their lips drew closer together and then hear him make an inadvertent whimper of submission. Devon would pull him tighter, and Karsten would surrender completely.

A groan of pain wrenched Devon out of his fantasy. Below him, Karsten was blinking and looking around as if he’d just woken up. Had the water been enough to revive him?

“Hold still. I’m going to cut you free.”

For a moment, Devon thought Karsten was going to struggle and attempt to get away, but he apparently remembered where he was and what was going on. He nodded weakly, dislodging the shirt Devon had placed behind his head. Devon resettled it then rose. Without looking at Caleb, he retrieved what looked like a heavy bolt cutter. Since Caleb was the one most often fixing things around the farm, he undoubtedly picked the right tool to cut Karsten free. Devon returned to where he was lying and began to work on the manacles around his wrists. As he chewed bits out of the metal, he saw that the cuffs had bruised and bloodied a good portion of Karsten’s lower arms. Given how his right hand was flopped oddly to the side, it might be broken. He wouldn’t be able to tell until he got him loose.

“Does the butler have medical training?” Devon asked Caleb.

“How should I know?”

Rather than get angry, Devon sighed. That was Caleb. He could go from compassionate to cruel in the blink of an eye. Still, he’d brought the things out that Devon needed. He supposed he owed him thanks for that.

“Thank you for bringing tools and the water.”

Caleb didn’t respond for so long Devon didn’t think he was going to, but eventually he offered, “You’re welcome.”

“Someday you’ll get a thrall.” Devon darted a glance up and discovered that Caleb was shaking his head.

“No, I don’t think I will.” Caleb lifted his hat, brushed his long hair back, then settled the brim low over his eyes, shading them from the high sun.

“Sure you will. Once McBride gets better and things shake out in town, we’ll be able to find—”

“Just shut it, Devon. Mind your man there since you probably gave up your life for the pleasure of his company. At best, you maybe have only a day or two with him.”

Devon freed Karsten’s right arm. With slow caution, Karsten lowered it to his chest. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Devon looked at it and realized it wasn’t broken, only deeply bruised. He got to work on the other one, but the metal just didn’t want to give. Devon moved on to the manacles around his ankles, freeing him from those relatively easily, but when he got back to work on his left wrist, he just couldn’t get the metal to break away.

“Help me.”

“I’m not getting anywhere near him.” Caleb stayed right where he was, high atop his
dressiter
, his hand on the reins ready to move away should Devon come close.

“He’s going to die out here.”

“Maybe that’s as it should be.”

There weren’t enough dirty words in the world for Devon to spew out his fury. He was desperate to get Karsten free so he could get him out of the blistering sun, patch up his wounds, and get him more water and some food. All he needed was just a little bit more strength. Caleb could probably do it easily, but he wasn’t going to get anywhere near Karsten. Devon was truly on his own.

Attacking the metal again, he channeled all his fury, fear, and frustration into one last crushing nip with the tool. What spurred him to dig even deeper was Karsten’s cry of agony. Gripping the edges of the tool in either hand, he pushed them together until the lower teeth finally met in the middle. It had taken everything he had, but he’d finally freed his mate.

Gasping, Devon pulled back, dropped the tool, then crouched down so he could lift Karsten into his arms. To his shock, Karsten screamed and rolled to his side.

“No!” Karsten rolled over, trying to get to safety, but he was so confused. The weight of the board was off his shoulders and the chains that had bound up his feet were gone, but he didn’t understand what had happened to them. All he knew was he had to get away before they grew tired of drinking his blood and turned him around so they could—

“Karsten, stop!”

The voice vibrated with concern, compelling Karsten to look over his shoulder. A bare-chested man knelt there, his face twisted with torment. He was reaching out for Karsten, but he didn’t seem to want to harm him. If anything, he looked ready to offer him comfort. But that couldn’t be. Since the world had gone spinning into madness, Karsten had only met men who wanted to use and abuse him. This man, even with his very kind face, would be no different.

“You’re going to hurt yourself worse than you already are.”

Karsten took a deep breath and glanced around at where he was. For all he could tell, he was in the middle of a field of black dirt. Looking down, he discovered he was on a road that cut through the tilled land on either side of him. The bare-chested man was to one side and a—Zooks! There was a giant on the back of a six-legged
dressiter
. He had his hat tilted low, and his wicked gaze seemed so riveted to Karsten he felt pinned to the spot.

Somehow he’d fallen from a group of thirsty gentrymen to two massive slammers. Fearing that they would simply toss him back and forth until he was utterly drained, Karsten was trying to determine which direction would be the best one to run. Neither looked all that promising because he was out in the middle of nowhere. Dreading his demise, Karsten realized one of them, the one with no shirt and hypnotic aquamarine eyes, had called him by name. Surely, if he was going to bandy him about like a sex toy, he wasn’t going to bother learning his name. That thought led to another that he couldn’t know Karsten’s name unless he gave it to him.

“You know me?”

“I do.” He relaxed back on his bent knees, which made his massive chest seem not so scary. Karsten had an insane urge to rest his head against his pecs and cry his eyes out until he fell asleep. “I’m Devon. I’ve been out here all morning trying to free you.”