Monroe, Marla - Belonging to Them [Men of the Border Lands 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (6 page)

“Remember. Walk, don’t run. I don’t see anything around us, but they’re probably just hiding.”

Heather followed Bolton and walked into the store. It was dark inside toward the back because there were no windows. Brandon appeared with a large flashlight that actually worked.

“Looks like all the coats are in the back. Bolton, I have her. You go get all the guns and ammunition and load them up.”

Brandon took her to the back of the store where she tried on coats until she had three that fit. Then she grabbed thermals, figuring she couldn’t have too many of them.

“Grab gloves, and a hat or two as well.” Brandon pointed them out to her with the flashlight.

They backtracked to the front, and Brandon took everything from her to the truck. Then he helped Bolton finish gathering all the guns and ammunition. Heather saw the knives in the case and waited for one of them to come back in. Brandon and Bolton both walked back in for one last look.

“Can I have a knife out of that case over there? It could come in handy.”

The brothers looked at each other and shrugged. Brandon ushered her over to the case and let her pick out two. They each got a couple as well.

“Better load up and grab a few batteries and get on the road. I don’t want to be too late getting back,” Brandon said.

After they loaded up on batteries out of an Auto Shack, they turned toward home. Heather realized she had thought of it as home. Maybe it was, and she was being silly about needing them to want her for more than just the physical part of a relationship. Maybe she’d just caused an unnecessary rift between them.

As soon as they drove up, they began unloading. Heather did her share, but they stopped her from unloading the guns, ammunition, and batteries.

“Go and put up your new clothes. We have the rest of this.” Bolton turned her in the direction of the house.

Secretly, she was glad. She hadn’t wanted to deal with the guns and stuff. She didn’t much like them. Instead, she put away her things, fingering the silky underwear and wondering when she would feel up to wearing it for them. Maybe she would feel more like it later in the week. She heard the men downstairs, and waited on them to lock up and come upstairs. She needed them tonight and hoped they wanted her as well.

They took their shower together, and when she went to her knees in the shower to suck them both, they smiled down at her. She took turns sucking each cock deep in her throat until she could swallow around them. She licked up and down them like lollipops, and nipped the undersides of each of them until they were beginning to pant. When she fondled their balls, she could feel them draw up. She loved being able to manipulate their pleasure. It made her feel in control for once.

Brandon held her head still as he pumped in and out of her mouth, then Bolton took over and did the same thing. When they pulled out she whimpered, wanting to swallow their cum. Instead they each pumped their cocks and shot streams of cum along her breasts, then rubbed it in. For some reason, they liked to mark her, and it was one more reason she felt more like a possession, but she would never again say anything about it.

They gently cleaned her up and dried her off. When they began to play with her, she stopped them, saying she really wanted to snuggle. She’d lost the mood in the shower. Bolton pulled her into his arms and laid her across his chest. Brandon, though, just rested a hand on her ass and fell asleep. It hurt, but she was the cause of it. Maybe one day he would want the intimacy again. She prayed so, because it was killing her.

* * * *

Bolton spent more time around Heather, hoping to show her how much he cared about her. He had even told her he cared, but he was afraid it wasn’t enough. Though she assured him she was fine and was happy, he still felt there was a part of her that wasn’t. He knew that Brandon’s behavior was a part of the problem, but he couldn’t get through to his brother that he was making things worse.

Autumn turned to winter, and the first snow of the season descended on them. It was only a foot of snow, but Heather played in it like a child. Bolton even saw Brandon smile a couple of times at her antics. When she made snow angels, he fussed at her that she would end up sick if she got too wet. She just stuck her tongue out at him and continued. He stomped off and didn’t return until suppertime. It hurt Heather’s feelings. He could tell by the tremble to her bottom lip. Bolton didn’t know what to do about his brother’s attitude.

* * * *

The snow began to melt and turn the yard around them into mud. She fussed about cleaning mud up off the floor all the time. Soon they were shucking their boots at the back door. Bolton seemed amused by it, but Brandon growled and stomped through the house. Bolton had gone so far as to call him a spoiled brat. It hadn’t gone over well.

“I need to go out and pull some greens for supper tonight. Do you want to go with me?” Heather asked.

“Naw, I’m staying in where it’s warm. I’ll watch you from inside. Don’t be out too long. It’s cold.”

“I won’t.”

She pulled on her coat, hat, and gloves, and grabbed a dishpan. Then walked out the back to the garden and pulled what she needed for a meal. As she turned to go back in, someone grabbed at her. She thought at first it was one of the brothers, but his smell hit her. She screamed and tried to kick out at the man. He covered her mouth with his hand and she bit him. He backhanded her and tried to throw her over his shoulder, but she hit him over the head with the dishpan and screamed for Bolton.

The next thing she knew, Bolton and Brandon both were on the man, pulling him off her.

“In the house, now,” Brandon yelled.

Heather ran for the house and slammed the door, locking it as well. She peered out the window to let the boys in as soon as they came up on the porch.

“What the hell happened?” Brandon demanded.

“I went out to gather some greens for supper, and he came up behind me.” Tears streamed down her face.

“I’ve told you not to go anywhere by yourself.”

“Don’t fuss at her. I told her she could go out by herself. I was watching her, but I turned away long enough to get a cup of coffee. When I came back she was screaming. It’s my fault.” Bolton slammed his hand against the door.

“Where did the man go?”

“He escaped out into the woods. I didn’t want to chase after him in case there was anyone else snooping around.” Brandon ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck, look at your face. The bastard hit you.”

Heather touched her face and winced. She was sure it was red, and would be blue by the morning.

“I’m sorry, Brandon.”

“Hell, it’s not your fault. Fuck!” Brandon grabbed a cloth and wet in with the cool water from the sink. He handed it to her. “Put it on your face, maybe it will keep the swelling down some.”

Bolton wrapped his arms around her and led her to the other room, where he tugged her down into his lap. Brandon stomped back outside. Heather couldn’t stop the tears. Whether they were from the fright and the pain of her face, or because Brandon had left her, she didn’t know. All she knew was that they were growing farther and farther apart. It was breaking her heart. She knew she loved them both, and Brandon’s withdrawal hurt.

They still had sex, but he wasn’t in on it quite as much. She got the feeling he wasn’t as pleased with her as before, and she didn’t understand why. She tried hard to please him, but it didn’t seem to be enough.

“Hey, honey. You need to calm down. It’s over with now. We aren’t going to let anyone hurt you again.” Bolton held her close and kissed her temple, avoiding her bruised face.

“Why doesn’t he like me anymore, Bolton?”

“He does like you. He just has a lot of stress right now. The weather is going to get worse before it gets better. It gets tough out here in the winter once the snow sets in.”

“That’s not all it is. He doesn’t want me sexually like he used to. It hurts, Bolton.”

“I know, honey. Give it some time. He’ll come around.”

* * * *

Brandon stomped out into the backyard where the guy had disappeared. He’d almost gotten her. If they’d been much later, he might have made it. He felt like a failure. He hadn’t been able to protect her like he’d promised. It wasn’t right that they had to worry, and she had to be watched like a hawk. No wonder she felt like a piece of meat being pulled along in every direction. She deserved better than that. She’d called herself a possession. She was much more than that. She was his life. He could finally admit to himself that he loved her. She would never believe it if he told her. She felt like he was the one keeping her captive. Well, she could think that way, and latch on to Bolton as her friend.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. They deserved each other. Maybe he needed to pull back all the way and let them bond. He would help protect her, but he wouldn’t put pressure on her for sex. He was sure she felt like he was just using her.

The idea of letting her go stung, and nearly took his breath away. How could he live with them like that? If it weren’t safer for all three of them to be together in one bedroom, he’d go back to sleeping in his old room. Even with the locks on the door, a thief would have no trouble breaking in. Especially if he knew they had a female.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh air to help clear his head, Brandon turned and walked back inside. He found Bolton and Heather curled up on the couch, fast asleep. He would let them sleep and fix a sandwich, then wake them up to go to bed. They both needed the rest. He and Bolton had been working hard for the last few weeks trying to get things ready for the when the heavier snow arrived.

He sat over in the chair opposite the couch and just watched them sleep. Heather had a dainty little snore that he found sweet. Bolton’s wasn’t. He smiled. His brother loved her as deeply as he did. It didn’t bother him that Bolton loved her. It bothered him that she didn’t trust him.

An hour later, he went over and shook Bolton awake.

“What?” He started to get up and seemed to realize he had Heather in his arms.

“You might want to think about getting her to bed. It’s getting late.”

“Yeah, sure. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back down. We need to talk, Brandon.”

Brandon just grunted and settled back in the chair. No doubt it would be another lecture about making Heather sad. It had been the same one over and over the last few weeks.

Bolton eased down the stairs and joined him back in the living room. He didn’t look happy.

“Her face is going to be black and blue tomorrow. I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off of her even for a second.”

“She shouldn’t have to be watched like that. It’s fucking wrong,” Brandon told him.

“Look, Brandon. I don’t know what is going on with you, but you’ve got to stop alienating her. She’s hurting. She thinks you don’t like her anymore, and that she can’t please you in bed anymore.”

“That’s bullshit. She’s the most responsive woman I’ve ever had.”

“Show her that. Tell her that. Do something besides rolling over and going to sleep.”

“She doesn’t want me to hold her, Bolton, she wants you. She thinks I just look at her as a possession. I can’t stand that she feels that way, but nothing I’ve said has changed her mind.” Brandon stood up and crossed to the fireplace. The embers were banked for a fire in the morning.

“Have you told her how much you care about her? She loves you, man.”

“No she doesn’t, she hates me, and I can’t take much more of being around her and not being able to believe she sees me as more than her captor. I’m going to bed.” He turned and walked up the stairs, leaving Bolton behind him to stew over what he’d said. He hoped Heather was asleep when he made it to bed.

Chapter Five