Raines, Elizabeth - Sold [Wicked Missions 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (15 page)

“Absolutely not,” Brandon called as Carter kept dragging her toward the house.

Lyrianna dug her heels into the sand. “I should at least greet the man.” Finding her courage, she said what needed to be said. “We all know why he’s here. Hiding me in the house won’t change anything.”

“Ha-llo!” Preston bellowed, waving his arms. “Lyrianna! I need to talk to you!” His voice echoed over the roar of the surf pounding against the shore, loud enough that she realized why he made a good auctioneer.

Both Brandon and Carter frowned at her, but at least Carter wasn’t trying to stash her inside anymore. “Fine,” Brandon finally said. “Let’s get this over with.”

The men helped drag the small boat up out of the surf, and Preston slapped both of them hard on the back. “We need to have a talk, gentlemen,” he said before turning to smile at Lyrianna. “Seems like we’ve got a problem with your little woman.”

* * * *

Carter wished he’d gone ahead and tucked Lyrianna away somewhere else on the island so Preston couldn’t have the chance to talk with her. He’d feared something like this happening from the moment Syrus Graveland had found them at the festival. Lyrianna wasn’t ever supposed to have been sent to that auction. How many other women had been kidnapped and sent here just like her? Now someone who could remedy the situation by taking Lyrianna away knew it—Preston Archer knew it. Hell, lots of people probably knew it by now. Preston was here to right the wrongs done by the people who’d sent the unwilling women to Pagonna. That was the only explanation for what would bring the man to their island.

Lyrianna was going to be offered the chance to leave them. The thought of losing her felt like a knife to the gut.

Brandon folded his arms over his chest and glared at Preston. “What do you mean there’s a problem?”

Fishing some papers out of the waterproof duffle he had slung over his shoulder, Preston motioned for them all to take a seat at the big table on the veranda. He laid the papers out on the wooden surface. “When we found out where that shipment of women came from…well, I’ll tell you. All hell broke loose. Had to track the women down and see if they wanted to go back to Rozale. Most of them want to stay here. They figure it’s better than prison, and the Rozale government is glad ’cause it saves ’em from paying to get the women back home and then drop ’em in a prison and keep paying.” His gaze settled on Lyrianna. “But they were all women who were sentenced to prison. Lyrianna’s case is different.”

“Different?” Brandon asked.

Preston didn’t answer him, only nudged the papers. “Lyrianna, I’ve got news for you.”

“What’s the news?” She turned her gaze to Preston.

“After all the smoke cleared and we sent that bastard back to prison, we had such a mess to clean up. After what we learned from Syrus Graveland, we looked into your case specifically.” He pulled one paper from the stack, pushed his glasses down his nose as if having trouble reading it, and said, “You weren’t ever supposed to go to Delta moon like the rest of the women. The judge who sentenced you sent you there because he wanted to profit from your sale. That man’s been put in prison himself. He won’t be sending anyone anywhere now. He, the prison matron, and at least four guards are going with him, and their little operation has been shut down. You, Lyrianna, have been granted clemency by the Rozale government. Now, we’re giving you a choice—stay here on Pagonna or go home.”

Carter watched her closely, hoping to see something in her eyes that would tell him what she was thinking. Those gray eyes widened, but no other emotion could be found in her features. Her hands were folded in her lap, but her knuckles were blanched from how hard she was squeezing them together. “Lyri?” He reached over to cover her hands with one of his. Thankfully, she didn’t pull away. “You okay?”

“Home?” She sounded as if she was in a trance. “You mean back to Rozale?”

“Carter,” Preston continued, “you and Brandon will get a refund since she didn’t fill out her five years.”

“We don’t want your fucking money!” Brandon shouted as he popped to his feet and started pacing the length of the veranda. “She
is
home. She lives
here
now, ever since we bought her. She’s not going back to Rozale.”

Preston shook his head. “That’s just it, son. You don’t
own
her anymore. She’s got the right to decide what she wants to do now, and you can’t stop her. If she wants to head back, we can book her a transport and get her off Pagonna as soon as she wants to leave. There’s a military transport in dock right now that has room to take her back to the Prime Sector. They’ve got stasis and everything.”

Carter gave her hands a squeeze. “Lyrianna, did you hear what he said?” Damn, but he wished she would give them some sign as to what was flying through her mind.

All she did was give him a curt nod.

“Now, you boys need to sign this form.” He reached into the pile and plucked out another paper. “Then I can give you back your money.”

“Fuck the money!” Brandon stopped his pacing in front of Lyrianna. Staring down at her, he set his fists against his hips. Carter could see him struggling for something to say. If only she’d give them some indication of what she wanted.

“Lyrianna, honey,” Carter said, stroking her hand. “What do you want?”

* * * *

I want you to beg me to stay!

What in the fuck was wrong with her? All she had to do was open her mouth and tell Carter and Brandon that it didn’t matter if they owned her or not—she still belonged to them. But Lyrianna also knew that if she stayed—loving them as much as she did and never getting love in return—soon she’d come to resent her situation and be starved for a scrap of affection. No, the men needed to give her some sign,
something
to let her know they held deeper feelings for her than a woman who did a good job tending their garden and animals and warming their big bed.

Her empathic abilities were letting her down, because all she could get from either man was frustration and anger. But frustration and anger over
what?
Did her leaving them mean they’d miss her?
Probably
.

But why?
Because she was a hard worker or a good lay?

Or maybe, just maybe, because they loved her?

She had to know, but she couldn’t seem to force herself to ask, afraid of being humiliated, of opening her heart and having them throw it right back in her face. “What happens if they sign the paper?” she asked, her voice barely qualifying as a whisper.

“They get their money back, and you’re free,” Preston replied. “Then you get to decide what you want to do.”

“And if they don’t sign?” she asked.

Preston pulled off his cap and scratched his balding head. “Well…I suppose if they want to fight this in court, they might be able to hang on to you while a judge decides if the contract is still valid or not.”

“Lyri,” Carter said again, “what do you want?”

She decided on total honesty. “Then what I want,” she said, staring first at Brandon and then at Carter, “is for you two to sign that paper that says I’m free.” If they wouldn’t sign it, she’d have her answer. Of course, if they
did
sign it, that only gave her a little more to go on, but at least she’d know they didn’t want her to stay because they felt she owed them. At least it would be a start.

Brandon’s scorching frown could have set the entire island afire. He stomped over to Preston, ripped the paper out of his hand and said, “Give me a fucking pen.”

Preston reached into his pack and passed a pen to Brandon with a trembling hand. No wonder. She’d never seen Brandon so angry, and his size made him intimidating. He scrawled a signature over the paper and tossed the pen at Carter, who caught it and walked over to the table. Tossing a glance back over his shoulder at her, he finally leaned down and signed the paper.

Her heart pounded a rough cadence after that first hurdle was crossed. They no longer owned her, and her destiny was back in her control. Now, she needed to find out more so she could make her choice.

“That’s all done,” Preston said, shoving the paper back into his pack. “So, little lady, you heading back to Pagonna City with me?”

Carter and Brandon both came to stand in front of her. She glanced up at them, and asked the question that would shape her future. “Do you want me to stay?”

“How can you ask that?” Brandon threw his arms in the air. “After all this time, how can you ask us that?”

“Because I can.” Lyrianna tried to look past the anger she saw in his eyes because she wasn’t sure why he was angry. Being an empath could be frustrating because reading the emotion never helped her understand why the person felt it. “I need to hear from you…” She shifted her gaze to Carter. “…and you…what you want me to do and why.”

Carter crouched next to her and took her hand in his. “I want you to stay.”

She waited, hoping for more, but he didn’t say another word. His emotions were hidden from her, which only made her frustration worse. “Why, Carter? Why do you want me to stay?” Her temper took control when she still couldn’t figure out what he was feeling. “Because I take good care of the garden? Because I can milk the stupid goats? Because I cook for you both?
Why?
”

“Because I’d be lost without you,” he said softly, squeezing her hand. “Stay with me, Lyrianna. Please.”

All Brandon did was fold his arms over his chest and glower at her.

Her own anger erupted, ending all her restraint. Her self-control vanished at the onslaught of her feelings. She dropped Carter’s hands, jumped to her feet, and started pacing, punctuating her words every now and then by waving her arms in the air. “Why can’t you just answer a simple question? You’d be lost without me?
Why?
I need to know what you two think about me! I’ve spent all this time with you, with
both
of you, and neither of you has ever told me how you feel about me! You say I love you to each other…all the time! But you don’t say a thing to me!” Lyrianna stopped pacing and opened her heart, knowing if she didn’t try just this once to be honest with her men, she’d forever regret it. Her voice fell away to a hushed tone. “If you want me to stay here, then I need to know there’s a good reason for me to stay. I love you both. With all my heart. But I can’t stay if you don’t love me in return.”

Brandon’s eyes flew wide as he took a step back. Not the reaction she’d wanted at all. Hell, he looked like he’d been struck by a lightning bolt. Shifting her gaze to Carter, at least she saw some tenderness there, even if she couldn’t get a read on him.

“Say something!” she finally shouted when she couldn’t take the silence a moment longer.

Carter’s hands wrapped around hers, and before she knew his intention, he’d tugged her into his arms. His mouth covered hers, the kiss one of total possession as he pushed his tongue past her lips, stroking her tongue and demanding a response. While she wanted to sink into the kiss, she knew she needed to hear the words. She pushed against his chest, struggling to get Carter to release her.

He didn’t let her out of his arms, but he pulled his mouth away and stared down into her eyes. “I want you to stay. Not because of all you do to make our farm a success. Not because you cook so well. Not because you take such good care of Brandon and me. I want you to stay, Lyrianna, because I love you.”

Brandon’s hand was on her shoulder, whirling her around. His glare was still hot, but she saw a vulnerability in his eyes that made her heart catch. “Stay, baby. Please. I need you and…I love you.”

Lyrianna wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his bare chest, rubbing against the crisp hair in the center. Tears spilled over her eyelashes, and she had such a clog in her throat, she couldn’t even tell her guys how happy they’d made her.

“Well then,” Preston said, tossing all the papers back in his duffle and zipping it tight. “Looks like I’m done here.” He fished a folded bundle of uni-credits out of his breast pocket and tried to hand it to Carter. When Carter shook his head, Preston offered it to Brandon, who also declined with a threatening growl.

Lyrianna held her hand out. “I’ll take it.” When both Carter and Brandon gaped at her, she shrugged. “It’s your money. If you take it back, I’ll never feel as if I was sold to you again.”

Preston chuckled and nodded as he pressed the bills against her palm. “Then I’ll be on my way.”

* * * *

The men helped the auctioneer get his boat back in the surf while she stood thigh-deep in the waves, watching them. Her heart was so full, she feared it might simply burst. Brandon and Carter loved her. That made everything all right. She’d stay with them on the farm, making a life on the outskirts of the universe, and she’d be content.