Ollie Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (9 page)

“Damn it!” McBride hurried after him, but he wasn’t going to make it in time.

Jonas and Ollie had just barely stepped onto the porch when Caleb snarled and reached for Jonas.

Caleb didn’t yell, scream, or do anything other than lift Jonas up by the collar of his shirt and shake him violently.

Ollie bellowed and slapped ineffectually at Caleb’s massive fist while Jonas turned blue from lack of air.

Reaching out, McBride wrapped his hand around Caleb’s wrist, squeezing until he had to let go. Jonas stumbled into Ollie’s arms while McBride moved Caleb back.

“Take him in the house, Ollie. I’ll be there in a moment.” McBride didn’t let go of Caleb until he had pushed, pulled, and practically dragged him back to his own home. Once they were inside, McBride slammed the door. The first thing that struck him was Caleb’s alluring scent, and the second was the unending fury in his eyes. Had McBride not intervened, Caleb would have strangled Jonas to death, and McBride would have had to arrest him for murder. The thought of Caleb being taken away like that scared McBride, reminding him that his emotions were already far too fully engaged. He had to do something, anything, to put distance between them.

“If you sell my brother to that degenerate, I’ll—” Caleb abruptly stopped talking.

After waiting a moment, McBride asked, “What? What will you do?”

Visibly trying to calm himself, Caleb took several deep breaths before he spoke again. “Jonas took advantage of Ollie when he was a boy.” Caleb crossed his arms over his chest. His stance made it perfectly clear he’d made up his mind about the situation and he wouldn’t be budged.

“A boy?” McBride lifted his brows. “We both know slammers aren’t sold until they are of age. Since you were sold as brothers, the youngest, Bailey, had to have been eighteen at the time of the sale.”

“Maybe not a boy in age, but in temperament he was more child than man. Jonas took advantage of his naivety.”

“Did he?” McBride felt like he was poking the angry bear with a stick, but he had to do this for himself and Caleb.

“He turned Ollie into a thrall for him!”

“Is that what Jonas did?”

Ignoring his question, Caleb asked one of his own. “Are you going to leave them alone in your house? Jonas will take him again.” Caleb stepped forward as if he would push McBride away from the door and return to Ollie’s side.

“You don’t think landed gentrymen should have sex with slammers?”

“Of course not!” Caleb tossed his hands in the air. “It’s illegal, isn’t it? You’re the sheriff. Go arrest him.”

McBride nodded.

“What are you waiting for?”

“For you to get the point.”

“I don’t understand you. My brother is at the mercy of our old owner, and you’re standing here arguing with me.”

“I’m not arguing with you. I’m talking to you about the nature of the relationship between a landed gentryman and a slammer. That doesn’t ring any bells in your head?” McBride was hoping he didn’t have to spell everything out, but Caleb was so furious he might not be able to see the parallel between the two of them and Jonas and Ollie.

“That’s not a relationship. That’s a man taking advantage of a boy. Just because Jonas is smaller than Ollie, don’t get any ideas about him being delicate. He fucked my brother while drinking his blood.”

“How do you know this?” Clearly, Caleb wasn’t getting the point, so McBride tried another way.

“All of us knew what was going on.”

“And you did nothing to stop it?” McBride didn’t believe that for a moment, not when Caleb had proven time and time again he might have anger issues, but he was fiercely protective of his brothers. If all the Morgan brothers knew about Ollie and Jonas, and they were as upset as Caleb, they would have ganged up on Jonas. More likely it was only Caleb who knew and Caleb who despised Jonas.

“Once I knew I did. That’s why Jonas brought us here.”

With his curiosity piqued, McBride pointed to the seat at the far end of the table. “Sit.”

“No.”

“Fine.” McBride spun on his heel and reached for the door.

“Don’t!” Caleb let out a frustrated grunt.

McBride heard a chair scrape across the floor. When he turned around, Caleb was seated. McBride took the seat across from him. “I want you to tell me why you think Jonas brought you here to my father’s
tallos
farm.” The unasked question was what had drawn Jonas to McBride’s father, or vice versa. Since he didn’t know and doubted he would get an honest answer from Jonas, he thought asking Caleb would at least get him some background on the situation.

“Jonas brought us here so he could have Ollie. Jonas thought out here, no one would care what he was doing.” Caleb looked beyond McBride toward the big house. Even though he was seated, it was clear he wanted to run into the house and defend his brother. Against his will, McBride had to admire his protective nature. Caleb could be crass and cruel, but he could be unbelievably compassionate.

“They aren’t going to be doing anything in there other than waiting for me.” Of that, McBride had no doubt. Right now the two lovers were going to do anything to keep him in a forgiving mood.

“How do you know?” Caleb’s concern for his brother made his fury completely understandable.

“I know because they are desperate to curry my favor.” McBride silently conferred with his butler, who confirmed that Ollie and Jonas were sitting in the parlor. They were both on the small settee, holding hands, but they did no more than that. “I also just had the butler check on them.”

That relaxed Caleb a bit, but not very much. He was a man who always wanted to see for himself. McBride could appreciate that. “What did Jonas do to you?”

“Nothing. I would have killed him.”

“And yet you let me take liberties.”

Caleb’s eyes widened. “Are you saying if I condone their relationship, I would have a chance with you?”

Was that what McBride wanted? Zooks. How could he even think such a thing? It was madness. Two wrongs didn’t make a right. Just because Jonas and Ollie were comfortable breaking the law didn’t mean McBride was.

Before he had a chance to answer, Caleb was on his feet. Caleb moved toward him so swiftly that McBride stood, knocking the chair over as he backed away. Caleb watched his retreat with a wounded expression. Lifting his hands to show he had no intention of attacking him, he softly said, “I want you. You know that. I thought I would do anything to be with you, but I won’t sell out my brother to have you.”

“That wasn’t what I was offering.” McBride’s heart was beating so hard and fast his vision wavered. Initially, he was afraid that Caleb was attacking him, but now he was afraid of the determination in his eyes. Caleb truly, deeply, and honestly loved his brothers. The fact that he put them above his own wants touched McBride more than he thought possible. When he believed that they had nothing in common other than lust, they had the strong conviction of right and wrong in common. In that moment, watching Caleb put Ollie before himself, McBride felt the first slender tug of love pull on his heart. Red flashed in his mind, indicating danger, but McBride didn’t know how to put a cap on his emotions. He had to do something, and he had to do it quickly.

“Then what were you offering?” After a moment, understanding filled Caleb’s eyes. “Are you trying to say we are like they are? That our relationship is just like theirs?”

“That’s what I’m saying. If you can rail against Jonas and Ollie, then how in the world can you think you and I could ever be together?”

“Because we’re equals.”

McBride felt his brows lift so high and fast they practically slapped his hairline. “Are we?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, Caleb. I don’t.” McBride looked outside and realized how late it was in the day. He had yet to check in with his office and see if anything had been done on the Larsden case. Worse, he’d left Easton alone in the house with the man who rejected him and his illicit lover. “I think it’s time for you to get back to work.”

“What are you going to do about Jonas and Ollie?”

“That’s none of your business.” McBride wanted to send Jonas packing because that was the right thing to do under the harsh eyes of the law, but if he followed his heart, he would let them stay together. Jonas hadn’t taken advantage of Ollie. He’d done everything he could to stay away from him but found that he couldn’t. As wrong as it was, McBride identified with Jonas.

“I won’t bless their union.” Caleb put his massive hands on his hips and widened his stance. He looked more unmovable than a mountain.

“I’m not asking you to.”

“He raped my brother.”

“He didn’t!” McBride advanced on Caleb, pushing him back toward the kitchen. He didn’t stop advancing until Caleb was up against the wall. “Jonas tried to resist Ollie. He put block after block between them, but he couldn’t help himself. Neither could Ollie. You have it totally backward. It’s Ollie who fucks Jonas, not the other way around.”

“I don’t believe you.” But there was doubt in Caleb’s eyes.

“Jonas sold everything he had and gave the money to Ollie. He wants to be Ollie’s thrall.”

“His thrall?”

“Ollie’s thrall. Jonas loves your brother so much he gave up everything he had just to be in his arms one more time because he surely knew I’d discover him and kick him out.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I understand him.”

“Jonas?”

“Yes. I understand exactly what he’s gone through because I want you. Just like Jonas, I keep trying to find a way to make my craving for you stop, but I can’t.” The confession was out before McBride could stop it. Instead of letting Caleb comment, he moved closer and kissed him.

Caleb’s lips softened instantly under his. When McBride opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, Caleb moaned and his arms came around McBride. He grasped his buttocks and pulled, grinding their hips together.

Raw passion possessed him, making McBride forget everything but Caleb. In the moment, he forgot who he was, where he was, and what he was sworn to do. Instead, for the briefest moment, he was only a man who wanted another man. Hot, sharp desire made him crazed, and he shoved his hand between their thrusting hips to wrench Caleb’s shorts off. He wanted to palm his prick and then draw him into his mouth. McBride wanted to suck Caleb to climax then turn him and bury his cock to the hilt in his ass. Once he’d climaxed, he would pull Caleb into his arms and hold him until the sun rose in the east.

Sadly, McBride did none of those things.

The moment came to an end when his communication device alerted him to an incoming call. In a flash, everything came back. He was a landed gentryman who had pushed his slammer against a wall. He was grinding their bodies together in his slammer’s house. But worst of all, he was the sheriff and he’d sworn to uphold the law in Woven Spire County, which included his land. In the violence of his need, he’d broken dozens of laws and compounded an already difficult situation.

Tearing himself away, McBride reached up to answer, but Caleb captured his arm.

“Not now.”

“It’s my job.”

“Forget it for just one more moment.” Caleb didn’t force McBride to press against him. He compelled him closer with dangerous green eyes and hungry wet lips. “One more minute won’t kill anyone.”

McBride allowed himself to be moved close, and then he was lost again. No one had ever felt the way Caleb did. No one had ever tasted or smelled the way he did. Sadly, no one ever would again. McBride knew it down to his soul. Caleb was the only man who could spark this depth of longing in him. And only Caleb would be able to soothe his all-consuming need.

“Just one time,” Caleb breathed against McBride’s mouth. “One time and then we’ll let go.”

“You know that won’t work.” As good as that delusion sounded, McBride knew if he gave in once, he’d never be able to walk away. “If I had you, I’d never be able to let go.”

“Then do it and seal our fates.”

“Is that what you would have said to Jonas?”

“Damn it, McBride. That’s not the same.”

“No?”

“No. You don’t want to be my thrall.”

“I want you to be mine.”

“You don’t. You want me to be your companion.”

“Is that what you think?” McBride stroked the scar on Caleb’s neck, loving how his simple touch decimated the man’s strength. “You think I see you as an equal?”

“Don’t you?”

“You’re my slammer, Caleb. I could punish you and have you all I wanted.”

Caleb grinned. “We’ve danced that dance, McBride. You wouldn’t because you know you wouldn’t be able to stop.”

“That’s why I won’t ever let you bite me.” McBride grinned right back. “You and I both know what that would do to us.”

A moment of perfect synchronicity caused them to look toward the big house.

“Did they bloodbond?”

“Oh, hell.” McBride hung his head.

“You knew?”

“I didn’t know. I didn’t think about it. But Ollie has a fresh scar on his neck and so does Jonas.”

Caleb pushed McBride away. “You knew.”