Their Stolen Bride (Bridgewater Ménage 7)

I laughed, but sadly. “I’ve known them a week. They kept me naked almost that entire time!”

Miss Rose didn’t look horrified, only humored. “What’s wrong with that? It sounds romantic to me.”

“Romantic? Do you have any idea what they did to me?”

She smiled, shook her head. “Oh, I have some idea. I’m sure you can give Chloe some lessons now.”

I tugged my hand away and folded both of them in my lap. “Yes, I suppose I could. But love? I’m not sure what I feel is that. I don’t want anything to happen to them. I don’t want anyone else to have them. I want to… please them.”

Miss Rose laughed and lifted her coffee cup in the air as if to toast me. “Mary Sullivan, that’s love.”

I looked up at her hopefully. It was love? This… need to take care of them, to give them what they wanted? They’d said it was their privilege to protect me and I understood that now. It was my job as their wife to protect them when I could. Knowing what I did about Mr. Benson could protect Sully. I wanted him. Needed him. Both of them. But love? “Really?”

“Your mother, God rest her soul, would have told you just that. Your father, well, he’s a man and an idiot.”

Very wise words.

“And I have to face him. What time is it?”

“Half past two.”

I stood and carried my mug over to the sink. “He will be home at four, as usual, I’m sure. For once, I’m glad he’s so fastidious.”

“Until then, you’ll sit here and tell me about your men. I want to hear all the salacious details.”

PARKER

“Oh, you two have got your hands full with that bride of yours.”

Miss Rose stood at the back door of the brothel, not even allowing us to enter.

“Let us in and we’ll take her off your hands,” I told her.

We’d ridden hard from Bridgewater and went straight to the brothel. Oddly, it was her shelter in this crazy town and I knew she’d be safe there. Elsewhere, I had my doubts. But Benson didn’t want her. Well, he wanted her, but only if she was marriageable. That wasn’t happening any time soon.

“She’s not here. That’s why I’m not letting you in. I’m saving you time.”

“Shit,” Sully swore, walked in a circle. “She’s gone to Benson.”

I was ready to go over to his house, his mine or wherever the fuck his was and rip his head off with my bare hands. If he touched or even breathed near Mary….

“Benson? No.”

I frowned, confused. “Then where the fuck is she?”

Miss Rose raised one delicate eyebrow.

“Pardon the language, but we need to find her so we can spank her ass.”

She smiled then, looked between the two of us.

“We’ll make her safe, then we’ll spank her ass,” Sully clarified.

“She went to see her father,” Miss Rose said. “She knows something, gentlemen. She refused to tell me what it was, but it was something that will ensure Benson leaves you alone.”

I was so frustrated I wanted to throttle her for the answer, but this woman, hell, I saw Mary in her. Or her in Mary. Stubborn, headstrong, smart. Fucking logical.

“Then why go to her father? The man couldn’t care less about her.”