Given (4 page)

Mal shrugged, playful as usual. “There are so many
girl-boys—you know, the passers, the guys passing themselves off as
girls—moving here from economically poor countries, these angry assholes might
as well spend their time at the airport waiting for planes. That’ll get them a
lot closer to sex than wrecking the happiest day of our lives. Remember when
these things were full of clapping and handshaking instead of tension?”

“Those days are over. Let’s just be glad we were drawn and
let the other guys worry about lifelike rubber and passers,” Max grumbled.

“She’s here.” Jared’s words came out in a whoosh of
anticipation. They watched the black SUV with tinted windows as it pulled up to
the front of the building. They stood in front of the grand capital tense, quiet—waiting.

A uniformed solider opened the front passenger side door and
stood, surveying the crowd. He opened the back door. Max sucked in a deep
breath and the sound broke the spell the other five men seemed to be under.

The crowd suddenly began shouting and the rabble of voices
grew chaotic. The six men turned to watch a tall, grubby-looking man sprinting
across the green grass of the capital lawn, running toward the SUV and their
woman. A police officer tackled the man and the two rolled onto the ground.
More officers swarmed the desperate man.

“I just want to touch her!” the wild-eyed man wailed as they
cuffed him.

* * * *

Krista stepped out, and the screaming men frightened her.
She saw a police officer tackle a man only a few yards away. She started to get
back into the SUV, but one of the soldiers grabbed her arm gently.

“It’s time, miss.”

“I’m afraid.”

“We’ll protect you. It’ll be all right. It’s always like
this on Giving Day. Don’t worry. We will see you safely until you are under the
guard of your private security.”

This was everything she’d feared, only worse. She hadn’t
expected the protesters. Someone shouted the word “whore”; she knew the man’s
hateful word meant her. How any of them could think she’d asked for this was
beyond her imagination.

Six young, well-dressed men stood in front of the steps of
the large, white, domed building. They were looking at her with…possessiveness.
The moment she saw them she knew that these men were her six, or more
accurately, she was theirs.

Everything had been sort of slow motion, but then as the
crowd grew more agitated, the soldiers quickly ushered her up the sidewalk. The
governor didn’t come out for the official ceremonial signing of The Giving
right, too many threats to his life and ugly behavior had changed this day. As
men who couldn’t qualify grew angrier with the government, The Giving ceremony
became less pomp and more circumstance; and the circumstance was, until they
had the woman away from the crowd, they were all in danger. A secretary rushed
out and handed the men the last of the paperwork to sign.

There wasn’t a single introduction as the security,
soldiers, and six young men surrounded Krista and rushed her around the corner
and into a waiting limousine. They all hurried to get inside as the soldiers
held back the men running toward them. Even inside the car, Krista could hear
the angry shouting. The trunk slammed shut. Krista saw the driver slide into
the front seat and the engine roared to life.

Feeling the vehicle lurch forward was a relief, but the
sensation was short lived. Six pairs of eyes stared at her, each reflecting
stark emotions. Some looked hungry, while others appeared wary. The handsome,
tall, black man reached out and ran his hand down her arm. She squeaked and
shrank back, afraid they’d decide to claim their rights to her there in the car
while the driver and security guards watched. One security guard sat next to
her and the other sat next to the driver. Both guards were armed and looked a
bit edgy.

“For God’s sake,
DeAnthony
, can’t
you see she’s terrified?” The speaker was also tall. His
complexion
was very tan—too tan
for spring in the North, clearly indicating an
exotic ancestry. He wasn’t as handsome as
DeAnthony
,
but she thought his dark eyes were exceptionally beautiful. His black hair was
a little shaggy, as if he might be overdue for a haircut. He gave her a small,
friendly smile, but said nothing more. This man was trying to give her space,
and she appreciated his thoughtfulness.

“My name is Max Barker. I’m twenty-six and I own a
construction company. My company does a lot of work for the government and some
high profile private corporations. My overly-friendly friend,
DeAnthony
Billings, is my business partner, he’s thirty.”

She bit her lip and gave him a quick nod of acknowledgement.

“Yes, ma’am, I’m the old guy in the group,”
DeAnthony
said casually. He smiled at her and his straight
white teeth flashed.

At least he has good genes to give Uncle Sam lots of
babies that don’t need to worry about seeing an orthodontist
, Krista
thought randomly as hysteria threatened to overwhelm her. These men would all
be using her soon. What they did for a living didn’t really matter. She was
just something valuable they’d won. While Max’s gesture was nice, Krista
doubted any of the men cared if she even remembered their names, let alone
occupations.

“I’m Jared Reynolds. I just turned twenty-two. I’m in med
school.” The speaker had reddish-brown hair and many freckles. He looked as
nervous as she felt. His green eyes were friendly and she couldn’t help liking
him. “That’s my brother Damon.” He pointed to a man who looked very much like
him. Damon nodded, but remained silent. “He’s vice president of our father’s
manufacturing company. Our company makes building materials. That’s how we met
DeAnthony
and Max.”

“I’m
DeAnthony’s
twin brother,” a
very short, pale, albeit handsome, blond man stated with a straight face.
Krista raised her eyebrow at him and he laughed.

DeAnthony
laughed and reached over
to put the man in a headlock. “Oh yeah, he’s a brother from a different mother.
The funny guy is Mal, Malcolm Jones. He’s been my bro since high school.
Mal’s
a stand-up comedian. Do you get cable in the Quad?”

“No cable,” Krista answered quietly.

“Well, Mal, looks like you’ve got fresh ears for all those
old, terrible jokes.”

Mal’s
expression seemed to light
up as he smiled and his face became extraordinary. His blue eyes twinkled.
She’d never heard a comedian before, but she loved a good joke. The realization
that she wanted this man to make her laugh gave her a moment of surreal
contemplation. She’d lived in fear of her six—unknown and demonized in her
fearful, sheltered imagination—and now she was curious to know more about them.
This whole meet and greet is just too weird.

Only one man said nothing. Krista glanced at him nervously.
He appeared to be studying her, which made her feel an instant distrust toward
him. The others must have noticed her focus, because Jared cleared his throat.
When she turned to look at him, he gave her a small, boyish grin. “The guy
you’re staring at is
Brax
, Braxton Bray. He’s a
writer.
Fiction.
The guy writes stories about a world
where the women are free to live and it’s the men in high demand. Very sexy
stuff, he’s a best seller. He’s
Mal’s
cousin,” Jared
said.

“Oh,” Krista said, staring at Braxton again. She didn’t like
the way he was staring at her, as if she were an alien.

“Don’t worry. He’s cool, just quiet,” Mal assured her
casually.

She nodded, unsure as to what to say to any of the men.
Brax
was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. He
seemed to be studying the events in a way that made her think he was distancing
himself from them all.

Everyone sat quietly for a moment. The interior of the limo
was feeling a bit claustrophobic as the awkward moment lengthened. “We won’t
hurt you,” Braxton said, breaking the silence.

Krista stared at him for a moment. She could see the honesty
on his face. “Thank you,” she replied tightly.

“I mean it. Okay, we’ve told you a bit about who we are. Who
are you,
Kristannie
Damiani
?”
His tone was so genuine, it surprised her. There was something in his eyes,
something she couldn’t put a name to. Intensely, he gazed into her face. He
leaned forward and rubbed his hands on his thighs. “I want to know you,
Kristannie
.”

The words made Braxton her favorite. His contemplative
expression changed to curiosity.
DeAnthony
was the
tallest, but Braxton was a close second. His blue eyes were vivid, unique. His
hair was a light brown and it was a bit shaggy, she wondered if it was as soft
as it looked. Clamping her hands together, she held them in her lap to make
sure she wouldn’t be tempted to reach out and touch him. Even if she was
supposed to have sex with him, he was still a stranger, after all. She looked
down at her feet, and she felt the heat of a blush creeping into her cheeks.
When she glanced back up at him, Braxton grinned.

“I want to know you, really,” Braxton said quietly.

“There’s not much to tell,” she replied. “For starters, you
can call me Krista, if you like. I was three when the plague came, and my
mother died. I miss her, even if I don’t remember much about her.”

“We lost mothers too, I understand. What do you do for fun?”

“I like to read. The classics are my first choice. Bronte,
Dickens—those are my favorites. Does it really matter what I like? I’m just
property now, aren’t I?”

The men all looked uncomfortable. “I know this isn’t the
most romantic situation, but I hope you’ll find comfort in the fact we’ve been
waiting for you for years. We’ve built a home for you, Krista. You’ll complete
our arrangement, and I hope you’ll make it more than just a structure. The
seven of us will be living together. You won’t have to bounce from place to
place. We’re good friends and, I know the reality of this arrangement is far
from ideal, but I hope you’ll be able to make the best of things. I don’t want
you to be afraid.” Braxton took her hand and stared into her eyes. “I’m not the
kind of
man
who’d use you, and my friends are all good
men, we’ll protect and cherish you. There isn’t the luxury of time to build a
relationship before sex. We all know it. If you aren’t pregnant in six months,
they’ll take you away. I hope you understand the need for expedience.”

Krista flinched. “I know. I knew I’d be raped today.”

It was Braxton’s turn to flinch. “Please don’t think of what
we’ll do as rape. I promise you that even if we aren’t experienced, we’ll be
considerate.”

Krista looked away. The other men sat sullenly. Braxton was
making an effort to comfort her and she was being ungracious. Her six could’ve
been less attractive or careless with her, but so far, they were better than
she’d expected. “I will try,” she said, squeezing Braxton’s hand.

His surprised expression became a grin. “That makes me very
happy,
Kristannie
. I want to make you happy. I want
to give you a Giving Night you’ll remember fondly the rest of your life.”

Her breath caught in her throat and she felt as if all the
oxygen left the limo’s interior. Braxton was definitely her favorite.

“So you write about a world where my situation is reversed?
The library where I grew up contained materials approved for suitability. I’ve
never read you, but I’d enjoy seeing what you think my world is like.”

“It’s our world too, Krista. I hope my years of imagining
things through the eyes of someone highly prized, but without choice, will meet
your expectations.”

She couldn’t help her grin. “I promise to be extremely
critical and demanding in my review.”

Braxton grinned back. “You won’t be my first scathing
review, sweet lady. I can take it.”

She felt a connection, and the sensation filled her with
relief. Maybe everything would be all right.
God, I hope it’ll be all right.
Please don’t let them hurt me.
With at least one, she felt the stirring of
real emotion. It wasn’t lust or love, but it was better than being a mindless
sex slave. In the instant of realization, her gratitude for Braxton
overshadowed her resentment of him and his five cohorts. They were as much
prisoners of circumstance as she was. It wasn’t as if they selected her any
more than she’d chosen them.

“Are you disappointed with what you received? It’s not as if
you were able to specify body type or hair color.” She maintained eye contact
with Braxton the entire time she spoke, even though it was hard for her.

He flushed. “I’ve always thought blondes were more my type,
but right now I’m pretty sure I have a thing for brunettes. Krista, you’re a
woman. That fact alone makes you perfect, but you are beautiful. Sweet,
fresh…believe
me,
we aren’t going to be picky.”

She frowned. It’s not as if she was asking for grand, love
poetry, but his raw honesty was a bit hurtful.
Well,
I asked
, she
reminded herself. “Thank you for being honest.”

“I’ve always thought brunettes were sexy.” Jared spoke up.
She turned to see him flushing and grinning. “I’m a bit jealous right now.
Braxton is hogging your attention. I think you’re beautiful and, if I had a
choice, I couldn’t imagine not picking you.” His exuberant words made her grin.

She bit her lip, trying to cover how pleased his words made
her. Even if he was just saying it to get into her good graces, she needed to
hear just that type of pretty lie. Glancing at Braxton, she noticed he didn’t
look very happy.

“How about you?
What do you think
of us, Krista?” Braxton looked at her hard, daring her not to lie with his
expression.