Monroe, Marla - Their Border Lands Gift [Men of the Border Lands 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

Men of the Border Lands 5

MARLA MONROE

Copyright © 2012

Chapter One

“Don’t do this to me. Please, Mike. You can take care of me just fine.”

“Kate, it’s for your safety. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’ll be safe and happy.” Mike closed the suitcase and zipped it.

“I won’t be happy if you pawn me off on some stranger. How could you do that?” she demanded.

“I’m not going to pawn you off to a stranger. I’m going to check them out and be sure they’re good men first.”

“Men! Are you serious? More than one man? Not no, but hell no! I’m not living with two men. Get that out of your head right now.” Kate had been pacing back and forth, but stopped to plant her hands on her hips.

“Kate, I can’t take care of you alone. You need two men. That way someone will always be close to you when the other is working. You’ve nearly been stolen four times now. I’d never forgive myself if you ended up with some wife beater, or worse, in a brothel. Mom would roll over in her grave if I let that happen to you.”

Kate hung her head and let the silent tears slip out. She refused to show fear. She would be angry and worried, but never show fear. But fear of the unknown threatened to overwhelm her. How could he do this to her, his own sister?

Ever since the year of catastrophes when tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and then disease had all but destroyed mankind, women had been scarce so that men fought over them. They stole them, sold them, and used them like slaves. So far, Kate had managed to stay safe with her brother looking after her. He didn’t think their luck would hold out and had decided to take her to the Border Lands where there were fewer people.

He hoped to find not one, but two men he trusted to take her. Well, she was having none of it. She would figure something out before she let them use her.

Kate had been nineteen when everything went to hell. Now six years later, at twenty-five, she resented that her younger brother by two years had so much control over her. Sighing, she acknowledged that he had taken good care of her and kept her safe all this time. Still, she thought he was wrong in believing that finding two good men to take care of her was the right thing to do. She felt like he was just looking for someone to take her off his hands.

“Kate, you know I love you. I just want you to be happy, and right now, we’re both running scared.” Mike hugged her.

“I’m not scared. Maybe you are, but I’m not. I can take care of myself if you don’t want to be burdened with me anymore. I expect you want to find your own woman. I can understand that, but looking for two men? Really, Mike. That’s over the top.”

“Damn it, Kate. I’m telling you it’s for the best.”

Kate noticed he didn’t deny wanting a woman of his own. She sighed and tried to reason with him.

“Best for them, maybe, but certainly not for me. I don’t want two men bossing me around, telling me what to do.”

“I won’t let you go to just anyone, Kate. I’ll make sure they are good men who will treasure you and take care of you first. Do you think so little of me?” He frowned, looking hurt.

“Mike. I know you think you are doing the right thing, but you’re not thinking it through. Once one man has control over a woman in today’s world, he takes advantage of her. You’ve seen it. What do you really think it would be like with two men?”

“I promise. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’m going to make sure they are caring men,” Mike said.

“And just how do you expect to do that? Anyone can pretend for as long as it takes to convince you.”

Mike closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He just shook his head and turned away to carry the suitcase to the truck and travel trailer.

Kate followed him and watched him add her suitcase to the stack of provisions. She prayed they wouldn’t end up in a wasteland somewhere without food or water. He claimed to have a map to the Border Lands and Barter Town. Where he had gotten it, she had no idea. He had been talking to someone about all of this for a long time evidently, because he had it all planned out.

“Hand me that box next to your foot, Kate.” He reached down as she handed it up to him.

“I can’t believe I’m helping you take me to my nightmare,” she fumed under her breath.

“What was that?” Mike asked as he settled the box between two other boxes.

“Nothing.”

He frowned at her with eyebrows that almost touched. He acted exasperated with her. Well, she was totally aggravated with him. She had to think of something before they reached the Border Lands. If not, she was lost.

Two hours later, Mike pronounced them packed and ready to leave at first light in the morning.

“We’ll get up at four and be on the road by five, or a little after. I want to make the most of the light.”

“Does that map tell you how long we’ll be on the road?” she asked sarcastically.

“I figure it will take us a good four, maybe five days to reach Barter Town. You have to stick close to me there. That’s a prime place for being kidnapped.”

“Then why take me there at all?” She didn’t understand his thinking on the subject.

“Because by then we’ll need supplies, gas, and directions to the communities around there. Believe me. I wouldn’t take you to that place for anything if I had a choice.”

Kate pressed her lips together to keep from saying something she would ultimately regret.

* * * *

Early the next morning, Kate climbed up into the truck and settled in for the long drive ahead of them. Mike was busy checking the back of the truck and the camper they were pulling. They would sleep in it at night. She supposed she should be grateful for that. She’d heard that many people had to find places to sleep on the way out there.

Her brother climbed into the truck and smiled at her before starting it up and pulling out of the circular drive. She turned around to watch the only house she had ever lived in disappear from sight. One of the lucky few families, they hadn’t lost their house in any of the catastrophes. They’d sustained a little damage here and there, but it had survived where her parents hadn’t. They’d died in the plagues that ravaged the nation soon after everything else.

She knew she was saying good-bye to a way of life. Nothing would ever be the same.

“Are you going to leave me and go somewhere else? You’re all I’ve got, Mike.”

“I’ll settle down somewhere close enough that we can see each other. I wouldn’t leave you totally on your own.” He turned and smiled at her, grabbing her hand in the process.

He squeezed it then returned his to the steering wheel.

“Then why can’t we settle somewhere together? Then if I find someone I like…”

“Kate, we’ve been over this. Two can keep you safer than one. It’s too dangerous now for you to be by yourself while I’m out working. End of discussion.” His knuckles turned white where he was gripping the steering wheel.

She gritted her teeth and turned to stare out the side window at the passing scenery without really seeing it. All she could think about was that he was throwing her away. She loved him more than anything, but right then, she could have strangled him.

They reached a small town near lunchtime and pulled into a gas station. A young man of about twenty-four or so walked out of the building and up to the window on Mike’s side.

“What can I do for you?” he asked with a huge smile on his face.

“We need to fill up. Do you take credits, or do you want to barter?”

“We take credits if you have them.”

They negotiated a price, and the man turned away to fill the tank.

When he came back for his credits a little while later, Mike asked him if there was a place to eat that took credits.

“Just Janie’s house. She cooks out of it and will fix you something if you ask,” the young man told him.

“Thanks.” Mike rolled up his window and cranked the truck.

They pulled out of the station and back onto the road. Mike followed the directions to Janie’s house and pulled up outside a large house in desperate need of painting. It looked in good repair other than that. Kate hoped the food was edible.

Less than two hours later, they had finished eating and were back on the highway heading to the west. Heavy clouds filled the sky promising rain in the not too distant future. She dreaded the rain since it made driving dangerous with the truck pulling the trailer. Mike would be nervous the entire time.

She sighed when the first fat drops began to hit the windshield with echoing
splat
sounds. She hesitated at asking Mike to pull over since she was sure he would take offense. Still, as the rain grew heavier and the road more difficult to see, she bit the bullet and spoke.

“Maybe we should take a breather while it’s raining so hard, Mike.”

“I was just thinking the same thing. I wish I had pulled over earlier so we could have gotten in the back and rested.” He pulled off the road at the first opportunity where there was enough blacktop to support them. Not that there was any other traffic that they had seen on the road, but they didn’t want to be in the way if there was.

“How much longer till we stop for the night?” she asked.

“I figure if the rain stops fairly soon, we’ll drive until we reach the next town and stay there for the night.” Mike rubbed a hand over the windshield to clear the fog so he could see.

They remained stuck on the side of the road for nearly an hour before the rain passed them by. Finally, the clouds parted and the sun poked a few rays through to signal the end. Mike pulled back on the highway and continued toward the next little spot on the map.

* * * *

They pulled out early the next morning after a meager breakfast of peanut butter and crackers. Mike wanted to ration out their supplies until he knew how far they were actually driving. It was nearly one in the afternoon by the time they pulled into a little truck stop that looked occupied. They were low on fuel, and Mike said he didn’t want to chance running out by pushing on to the next town.

“Stay in the truck, and keep the doors locked no matter what.” Mike climbed out of the truck and hit the door lock before closing the door.

Kate bit her lower lip as she watched her brother walk across the parking lot then disappear inside the building. She waited for what seemed like forever without any sign of Mike. Just when she had decided to go inside to look for him, he pushed through the door of the station and walked back toward her. She watched his face closely for any sign of what he was thinking.

He reached the truck and started getting ready to pump the gas. She blew out a breath in relief. He didn’t look happy, but he was pumping the gas and seemed to be okay. She waited until he walked around to the driver’s door to unlock the truck.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded as soon as he climbed in.

“They basically cleaned me out of credits. They kept saying that there wasn’t anything between here and Gateway. What do you want to bet there are half a freaking dozen when we head that way?” Mike started the truck and pulled out of the truck stop a little faster than was necessary.

Sure enough, they passed two more gas stations on the way to Gateway. They pulled into Gateway around seven that night and gassed up at a little station on the edge of town. A man walked out and smiled at them. He looked to be in his middle thirties and was beefy.