by Lily Harlem
“But I thought we had something special?”
“We did…for a while.” He held out the necklace.
She pulled in a breath and steeled herself. “Put it back on.”
He shook his head. “No.”
Chapter Nine
“Do it,” Olivia said, “Now.”
Paul let the leather dangle from his thumb and index finger. “I told you right at the beginning, Olivia, that I’d want you for myself, I’d want a woman to call my own. And if that had been the case, if you were only mine, leaving wouldn’t be on the cards until both of us were ready to go. But you’ve made your choice, and it’s to belong to lots of men—”
“They belong…” A single sob bubbled up. “To me, too.”
“Okay, but my point being, you can’t please all the people all the time, only some of them, and on this occasion you’re pleasing them not me. So it’s over.” He paused. “Now take this.”
She shook her head, then watched, as if in slow motion, as he released the marriage necklace. It fell silently, landing on the muddy ground.
The image of it lying there, discarded, worthless, meaningless, stoked a new fury in her.
“How could you?” she said through gritted teeth. Once again she raised her hand. She brought it toward him, expecting him to catch her wrist.
He didn’t.
Her palm connected with his cheek, creating a satisfying thwack.
He turned on impact with his eyes closed.
“I always knew you were trouble, Paul,” she said. “Right from the start.” As she’d spoken she felt her heart break. A slice of agony going through her soul. She’d allowed herself to fall for this man. Given him her body and affections. But he was willing to let it all slip away, into the mud, forgotten.
“Hey, hey, come with me.” Raul slid his arms around her. “I do not want you with him.”
She allowed Raul to steer her from Paul, but stopped when she saw Mason and Lucas both peeling off their t-shirts.
“We told you,” Lucas said.
“That you’d have us to deal with if you hurt her,” Mason finished.
“Aw, come on guys.” Paul rubbed his right cheek. “Give me break. I just let her land one on me.”
Lucas stepped forward, his feet and chest bare and his sweats low on his hips. “You hurt our woman, and you were told not to. Now there are consequences.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Paul muttered.
“Is that all you’ve got to say?” Mason asked, drawing to a halt in a puddle as if he hadn’t even noticed it. Like Lucas, his sweats sat low and his sixpack was tense. “She’s crying.”
“You made her cry,” Lucas added.
“It’s between us.” Paul folded his arms and frowned. “Me and her.”
“That’s not how this works,” Harry said, appearing alongside Evan. “And you damn well know it.”
“So it’s five on one now, is it?” Paul said, swinging his gaze around.
Olivia clung to Raul. What the heck was going to happen? Her five men were furious. She could see it in their faces, and feel their anger rolling off them in waves.
“No,” Mason said. “Just me and Lucas. Wouldn’t be fair otherwise, these guys aren’t black belts.”
“I don’t need to be a fucking black belt.” Evan stepped forward.
Harry placed his hand on his shoulder. “Wait.”
Evan tilted his chin and frowned.
“Let the twins handle this one.” Harry kept a hold of Evan. “It’s a family thing for them.”
For a moment it seemed as if Evan was going to lunge at Paul, but then he blew out a long breath and moved back, nearer to Harry.
Harry patted his shoulder, twice, then dropped his hand to his side.
Paul looked between Lucas and Mason, then muttered something Olivia didn’t catch. He then dragged off his t-shirt and kicked his sneakers aside. Unlike the twins, he wore khaki safari trousers, which sat below his waist. “One at a time,” he said. “I’m not taking you both on.”
“You should have thought of that,” Mason said.
“Beforehand.” Lucas set his lips in a tight flat line.
“Nah, come on.” Paul held out his palms.
Olivia clasped her hands over her mouth. Were they really going to do this? Fight it out? Fight over her?
Raul held her tighter. “They are brothers, this is what brothers do.”
“But they’re trained fighters…killers.”
“They will not kill each other.” He kissed the top of her head. “That is not what brother’s do.”
“But…oh, God, look, there’s Lisa and Neil.”
The two nurses were standing by the tent. Lisa had her palm placed just below her throat, and her eyes were wide. Neil glanced around nervously.
“I hope Neil does not decide to help his doctor friend,” Raul said. “It would not be pretty for him.”
“No, you’re right.” Olivia gulped and swung her attention back to the three men standing in the mud before her.
Mason and Lucas were circling Paul, who had his hands held up, fighting stance, and was following their movements as best he could.
Lucas suddenly ducked in, went to throw a strike at Paul’s head, but instead of connecting, at the last moment he squatted low and swiped Paul’s legs from under him.
Paul hit the mud, flat on his back. The air rushed from his lungs. But within a second he’d spun, struck out his leg, and taken Mason’s out.
Mason also landed on the ground with a grunt.
Paul jumped up, his back now dripping in chocolate-colored rainwater.
Lucas was before him and threw a side punch at his head.
Paul blocked it, fired one out toward Lucas.
Lucas blocked that with an upward movement of his right arm, and struck out with his left.
Paul caught that.
Olivia could barely follow who was trying to hit who, their forearms were sliding together, muscles bulging, feet slipping. They were both too good. Neither could get past the other.
Then Lucas got lucky. He caught Paul on the nose.
Paul yelled out and staggered back, into Mason.
Mason shoved him then took out his legs again.
“Bastard,” Paul said, jumping up. A drip of blood leaked from his right nostril. “Two on one isn’t fair. And you know it.”
Mason wiped his hand over his brow, leaving a streak of mud. “You were warned.”
“What’s going on?” Neil asked Harry.
Harry glanced at him. “Mason and Lucas are not happy with their brother.”
“Yeah I can see that. But why?”
“He upset Olivia.”
“Oh…really.”
Olivia glanced at him. Her heart was thudding, and she felt sick.
“What did he do?”
Harry hesitated. “Best you ask him that…later.”
“If he survives. Fuck. Those two are ninjas.”
“So’s he.” Harry shrugged. “And he’s in the wrong.”
Mason was going for Paul, blocking and ducking and striking out.
Paul managed to land a hard hit on the side of Mason’s head. He staggered backward as a cut opened on his brow.
“Enough,” Olivia shouted. “Please, stop now.”
The fight continued, Paul and Mason going for each other, Lucas waiting his turn.
Mason then stepped back, blinking as blood mixed with mud and rainwater and ran into his eye.
Lucas was there, giving Paul no chance to rest. He got him on the ground again.
Paul rolled over, leaped up, and stormed forward, punches flying.
Lucas ducked, got him in the kidney.
Paul staggered and gripped his side. “Fuck, that hurt.” He turned, hurtled forward, and caught Lucas on the side of the face.
“Shit.” Lucas cupped his jaw. “Thanks for that.”
“Give it up,” Paul said, “Both of you.”
“No.” Mason stood next to Paul. �
�You’re not bleeding enough.”
“Oh, Jesus.” Olivia looked up at Raul. “We’ve got to stop them.”
“They will stop…soon.” Raul squeezed her close, as if to prevent her from entering the foray.
“We’re all fucking bleeding.” Paul dragged his finger beneath his bloody nose. “I thought we’d promised to never fight over a girl.”
“This is different,” Lucas growled.
“Yeah, this is because we allowed you to share and you didn’t appreciate that or her.” Mason clenched his fists.
“We all allowed it.” Lucas gestured to the group. “You’re lucky the others are not all here taking you down.”
“The mad Australian threw a fucking knife at me.” Paul pointed at the blade glistening on the side of the truck. He glanced at Harry. “And he’s a bloody good shot.”
“So you should have tried harder, been nicer, not made her cry.” Lucas licked his lip then touched it. “Shit. This is gonna be a pain in the arse.” His bottom lip was swelling and leaking more blood.
“Raul.” Olivia tugged his top. “Do something.”
He sighed. “Si, it is time.” He released her and stepped up to Lucas, placed his hand on his tattooed arm. “This is finished now. There’s no bets on, no winner, no loser.”
“Aye, listen to him.” Paul nodded at Raul. “You’ve made your point, boys.”
“Have we?” Mason asked, still holding his hands high. “Or does it need making a bit more?”
“It is made,” Raul said firmly. “It is time to take a cold pill and walk away.”
“Cold pill?” Paul said.
“He means chill pill.” Lucas flexed and unflexed his fingers.
“Si, chill pill, take one and walk away. You are dirty, muddy, blood everywhere.” He paused and pointed to Olivia. “And this is upsetting Olivia more.”
The three men looked at her.
Her heart stuttered. They were all covered in dirt and breathing heavily with their flesh stretching over their bulging muscles. Each was handsome, each was bleeding, and all their eyes flashed with emotion.
“End it,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “I never wanted this.” She pointed at Mason and Lucas. “You two, come with me, I need to get your cuts cleaned up. And Paul…” She directed her finger at Neil and Lisa. “I’m sure your trained nurses will fix you up.”
“Olivia,” Paul said. “I’m sorry…really I am.”
“Yes. You probably are.” She couldn’t accept his apology. Not yet. Not when she felt used and abandoned by him.
She walked past Evan and Harry. “Can one of you put some water on to boil?”
“Of course,” Harry said, scooting into the tent.
“And I need plasters, those skinny ones, and gauze from the hospital?”
“I’ll go now.” Evan set off at a jog over the soggy ground.
She didn’t speak to Neil or Lisa as she went into the tent. The whole thing probably confused them, but it wasn’t up to her to explain it. Paul could do that. They were his friends, it was his problem.
Mason and Lucas came in behind her, dripping and filthy and with their eyes downcast. Mason was poking at the cut on his eyebrow.
“Leave that it will get infected,” she said. “And both go and get in the shower before you make this place dirty again.”
“Aye, okay,” Mason muttered.
Lucas followed him to the shower cubicle and stood outside it in silence and with his arms folded.
She reached two chairs from outside, then washed her hands. Part of her was angry with the twins for fighting, and for getting hurt—and with their brother, too, who they loved. But another part of her was proud of them for standing up for her honor and being so concerned about her emotions. Plus she did know, had known all along, that they were fighters. It’s what they did.
Mason came out of the shower with a white towel wrapped around his waist and spinning his thumb ring.
“Sit,” she said, indicting a chair.
He did as she’d instructed.
Lucas went into the shower.
She peered at Mason’s cut—it was similar to the one Lucas had sported after they’d got into a fight at The Full Throttle Saloon. It slashed over his eyebrow and was still bleeding.
“Here,” Evan said, appearing with a handful of gauze, sticky strips, and a small brown bottle. “Paul said to put some of this antiseptic in the water.”
“Thanks.”
“Here’s the water.” Harry moved the stool he’d set the bowl on so it was within reach. “Is that okay?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Anything else?” Evan asked, seeming to hover at her side.
“Yes.” She picked up the bottle of antiseptic. “You can go to the lake and catch some fish for tea. Both of you.” She flicked the bottle between him and Harry. “The rains should make for an easy supper.”
Evan frowned. “I’ll go on my own.”
“No,” she said sharply. “You can both go. It’s dangerous out there.”
“But—”
“Don’t argue with me, Evan, I’m not in the mood.” She sloshed the antiseptic into the water. “Go together, to the lake, and get plenty of fish, everyone will be hungry.”
Neither Harry nor Evan moved.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked, frowning as she replaced the lid on the bottle.
The two men looked at each other. Harry shifted from one foot to the other. Evan shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Harry,” she said, her patience slipping away, like the last bit of water out of the bathtub circling down the drain. “I don’t need you in here while I do this.”
“Yeah, okay.” He turned and headed out of the tent. “We’ll go.”
“Good.”
Evan hesitated for a moment, then followed Harry.
“And remember to get your knife out of the truck,” she called. “The hire company will probably charge us for that rip.”
She tutted as she soaked the gauze then pressed it to Mason’s cut.
He didn’t wince, even though it smelled strong, and she guessed it stung like a lick of fire.
The shower water turned off. Lucas came out and sat next to his brother, also wrapped in just a towel.
She frowned at his lip that was puffed up and split.
“Sorry,” he said quietly.
“I don’t know what you both were thinking.”
“How come we’re in the shit?” Mason said. “Evan threw the damn knife, he could have killed someone.”
She dropped the gauze into the bin. “Well he didn’t, did he. You two, on the other hand, are beaten up and bleeding, and so is Paul.”
“This isn’t beaten up.” Lucas stared at the floor.
Fuck. A shard of pain went through her. Lucas had been beaten up badly in the past, when he was bullied as a kid.
“Well, you know what I mean.” Carefully, she dried Mason’s cut, then set about applying the sticky strips to keep the skin together.
“We couldn’t let him get away with it,” Mason said, watching her face as she worked.
“Who?”
“Paul, who else.”
“We told him not to hurt you,” Lucas said.
“And he promised not to,” Mason added.
“Yet there you were, crying.” Lucas pressed his hand over his chest. “It hurts us to see you upset.”
She paused what she was doing. “I appreciate that, really I do…” She sighed. “Which is why I’m mad, I don’t like seeing you hurt, like this.”
Mason reached for her waist. “We get that, really we do. But this is who we are. You know that. You knew it from the beginning.”
She ran her fingertip down his cheek and looked him in the eye. He was sorry for her reaction, but he couldn’t change the fighter inside himself.
“And Paul could handle it,” Lucas said. “We’ve been tussling with him for years. Giving each other bloody noses and black eyes since we were teens.”
“Your poor mother.” She straightened, and Mason released her. “There, you’re done.”
“Thank you.”
She moved to Lucas. “Not much I can do with this other than antiseptic.”
“Whatever you can is cool.” He shrugged.
“Does it hurt?”
“Not really.”
It appeared painful, as did a bruise growing on his cheek. Very gently, she dabbed both with the antiseptic-soaked gauze.
“I’m sorry I ever called him,” Mason said, leaning forward with his forearms resting on his knees and shaking his head.
“Who?” she asked, though she had a good idea who he was talking about.
“Paul, when I was in Vegas.”
“If you hadn’t we wouldn’t have had a doctor to bring to Kaskum.”
“We’d have figured it out. Someone other than him, someone who wouldn’t upset you like this, hen. I can’t believe how he just…” He touched his necklace. “Took it off. Dropped it. You have to know, Olivia, this necklace means a lot to us, doesn’t it, Lucas? We’d never do that.”
“Of course we wouldn’t, we’re married, and this leather strap around our neck signifies that. Whatever he might have said to you out there about our ceremony, what it meant, how it can be dismissed so easily, don’t think it’s how we feel.”
“How do you know he…?” The things Paul had said, about the wedding being a bit of fun, not binding, had cut like a knife.
“He’s our brother,” Mason said. “We watched him grow up, we were always a few years behind but we’ve seen his tricks.”
“His tricks?”
Mason glanced at Lucas.
“He’s always had an eye for the ladies, but nothing long term,” Lucas said. “He’s only ever had flings. He’s got the gift of the gab, must have kissed the Blarney Stone. He can get women wherever he is in the world, for a night or a few weeks, whatever suits him.”
“It’s his job, traveling the way he does,” Mason went on. “But still…we thought it might be different now, here, with you. Because you’re different…special.”
“Seems it wasn’t, and I’m not, huh?”
“We were fools to give him the benefit of the doubt.” Lucas huffed.
“It wasn’t your fault, either of you. You didn’t know mine and Paul’s feelings for each other were growing.”