Caleb met his gaze. He smirked and then darted his gaze upward.

  McBride lifted his brows. He was thinking they’d had enough of bedroom activities for now, but maybe not. If they were very lucky, they would never have enough of each other. For some reason, the idea of being a very old man and still randy for his mate made McBride grin. Caleb matched his smile almost as if he’d had the same thought. And then McBride’s image of them as elder men turned sad. They were the last. There wouldn’t be any children. Those who walked the Earth right now would be the final men who would do so.

  Caleb frowned, but he was too far away to ask McBride what was wrong. In a way that was good, because now wasn’t the time to put a downer on the group. It would be nice if they could get through one meal without some kind of emotional upset.

  “How’s your ear?” Devon was to McBride’s right. After he took another bite of his eggs, he reached out and touched the ragged end of his earlobe. Even all the way across the room, McBride could hear Caleb growl. Clearly, Caleb didn’t like the idea of anyone else touching his secret scar.

  “It’s fine. Thank you.”

  “It finally stopped bleeding.”

  “It just needed a little time.” McBride darted a telling glance to Caleb, but no one seemed to notice. Not that they needed to see them looking and grinning at one another. Everyone knew what they’d been out doing all night. Even the sweetest and most naïve man would be able to figure out what they’d been up to. Hell, a blind man might not be able to see their joy, but he certainly could feel it.

  “I want to make an announcement.” Caleb stood.

  McBride shook his head. This was not the time to tell them about their plans for the slammers. They needed to get everyone together after a meal and a hard day’s work so they were relaxed and receptive. Tonight would be far better than this morning.

  “I know I should probably wait until tonight so I can have a drink in hand, but I can’t wait.”

  Everyone stared at him, mouths agape, probably because it was the most Caleb had said in one chunk ever.

  “My mate took a huge risk in confessing everything he felt in front of everyone. I want to do the same and tell all of you that McBride and I are official.”

  It wasn’t what McBride was expecting at all. He was so shocked he sat at the table in stunned silence. And now he knew exactly what it had been like for Caleb the other night. Becoming the center of attention so suddenly was jarring. After recovering, McBride nodded and lifted his water glass.

  “Finally!” Ferris said, lifting his hands. “You two have been like animals circling one another.”

  “Why am I the only one who didn’t see this?” Alden asked his mate.

  “You don’t know them as well?” Gannon offered, obviously unsure or perhaps unwilling to point out that Alden’s deafness spared him from the way McBride and Caleb talked to one another. There was a lot they said with tone and subtext that Alden simply couldn’t be aware of.

  “I knew.” Jared was smug.

  “You knew because I told you,” Easton said.

  “The point is we’re together.” Caleb sat back down.

  Chatter was interrupted by eating, but everyone seemed to be having a good morning. McBride considered Caleb as he ate. What he’d said last night was far truer than McBride had realized at the time. Caleb was no slouch in the brains department. It was quite cunning of him to turn the spotlight on McBride and give him a dose of his own medicine, but it was also wise to announce they were together so that when they discussed their plans tonight, everyone would be more on board with Caleb playing master of the farm.

  McBride had yet to puzzle out what the slammers were really up to, but he thought Caleb’s rough plan was feasible. If he turned them down, the slammers might attack the farm to get what they wanted. McBride and his men could take shelter in the big house, but it wouldn’t be long before their confinement wore on them. He wasn’t sure which would give out first between their ability to stay locked up and the slammers’ desire to get from them whatever it was they truly wanted. Because as powerful as Caleb was, there was something more going on than just making him their ruler.

  As soon as breakfast was done, most of the brothers and their mates left to tend to the fields, but Ollie stayed to clean up and organize the kitchen for lunch. McBride had suggested they have at least one meal a day together, but Ollie thought that having all their meals together would save everyone time and hassle. Moreover, it would save on wasted food. Also, given the fact they might need to take shelter in the big house, it seemed wise to keep all the food with them. When Ollie laid out his plan, McBride approved.

  “There’s just one other thing.” Ollie looked at Easton, who was working in the pantry.

  “He’s more hindrance than help?” McBride had guessed as much last night when Ollie had given Easton a rather dubious look when he’d volunteered to work in the kitchen rather than out in the garden.

  Obviously relieved he didn’t have to badmouth a man he liked, Ollie nodded. “I know it’s not nice and maybe someday he’ll get better, but…”

  “Say no more.” McBride understood that just because a man wanted to do something, and had even book-educated himself in the details of the job, that didn’t mean he would actually be any good at it. Easton managed to do even the simplest task wrong. Ollie had done his best to teach him, but he couldn’t run a kitchen for fourteen men and babysit Easton at the same time.

  “I think I might have a solution.” Caleb was leaning against the wall opposite of the stove. He’d tucked his thumbs into the pockets of his shorts, which caused his fingers to point at his cock.

  McBride jerked his attention to Caleb’s face. “What’s that?”

  “He could help me with the mechanical stuff around the farm.”

  “And you think he’d be good at that?” Ollie pulled another bushel of onions from the lower cabinet and put it up on the counter.

  “His hands are small enough to reach where I can’t. Also, he’s good with theory but not practice, right?”

  “This is true.” Ollie carefully inspected the onions as he pulled them out of the basket and set them near the chopping block. “It’s really quite strange how he knows things, like the way to make a roux, but then pours in the liquid too quickly when he’s thinning it out.”

  “I have no idea what that is or why it’s important.”

  “Let’s just leave it at he isn’t working out.”

  “Let’s.” McBride turned to Caleb. “If you think you can train him on mechanical issues, do it. We need more men who grasp those fundamentals.”

  “I’ll get on that right now.”

  McBride and Caleb exchanged a look that their plan to have another steamy encounter would have to wait. As he was walking away, McBride murmured, “See what I mean about the leader not having more freedom?”

  “I do.” Caleb stopped, turned, kissed him, and then sighed. “Later?”

  “Later.” McBride looked at the leftovers from breakfast. “Can you do up a plate for our guest?”

  “Sure.” Ollie got a plate and filled it up.

  McBride made his way over to Ollie’s old house. When he found the door unlocked, he frowned. He clearly remembered Caleb locking the door last night. Setting the plate aside on the porch, he opened the door. There was murmuring coming from the back of the house. When he listened intently, he heard two voices. Both were slightly higher pitched than normal. As he stood there, trying to determine what they were talking about, he debated slipping back out and going to the shed to get a gun. In the end, he decided not to. If someone were to have come on the farm last night, the valet would have seen him.

  Or not if he’d broken down.

  McBride reached for his ear and then remembered his communication device was gone. In the end, he decided he should check things out. Moving stealthily into the house, he saw the empty plate from last night on the kitchen table. He realized the voices were coming from the bedroom. Had one of his men come in to wake the thrall up? McBride continued down the hall and then peeked around the corner. What he saw shocked him.

  Ferris was on the bed with his arms around the blond thrall.

  For a long, quiet moment, McBride stood in the doorway watching them.

  Eventually, Ferris realized they weren’t alone. He looked over his shoulder and saw McBride in the doorway. Ferris’s eyes went wide. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “Okay.” McBride crossed his arms and waited for an explanation. He’d learned his lesson with Caleb not to jump to conclusions, but he really couldn’t understand why Ferris had snuck in here to comfort a man he didn’t know.

  “This is Timon.”

  “I thought his name was Angel?”

  “That’s what those slammers called me.” Timon glared at the floor. “Their leader said he didn’t like my name and since he owned me he could call me whatever he wanted.”

  “He’s from my thrall house.” Ferris released Timon from his hug but kept close. “We grew up together.”

  And that explained everything. Moreover, it gave them an incredible benefit. Since Ferris knew him long before he’d been taken captive by the slammers, he would be able to tell them if they could trust what Timon told them.

  Chapter 8

  “We’re going to take his word?” Caleb had cornered McBride in the shed. He had him pressed against the inner wall of the area that separated the farm equipment from the gun safe. Caleb had chosen this place because it was private, but also it was the strongest wall in the whole area. His plan was to push McBride into it and then fuck him until they both came in body-shattering bliss. After all the time they’d spent denying themselves, he wanted to make up for it by indulging every lusty whim that hit him. All he’d had to do was flash McBride a dirty smirk and they both moved toward the shed.

  “I can’t think straight when you’re teasing my ear like that.” McBride stroked over the scar on Caleb’s neck, making him shiver. “Let’s see how you like it.”

  “Fuck.”

  “That would be the goal here.”

  Caleb forcefully turned McBride around and then rubbed up hard against him. “You have the most perfect ass.”

  “All the better to tempt you with.”

  Chuckling, Caleb licked along the edge of his ear, loving the growling whimper he made. “It’s like you want to surrender, but your alpha nature won’t let you.”

  “You make the exact same sound.”

  “Yeah?” Caleb unfastened McBride’s trousers then yanked them down. He was irritated when he found underwear. “Why the hell did you put these on?”

  “To make you work for it.” McBride looked back over his shoulder. “I’ll bet you’re not wearing any.”

  “You know I’m not since you watched me dress.”

  McBride turned around so fast Caleb didn’t react until it was too late. He found himself pinned against the wall with McBride pressing close.

  “You’re scary fast.”

  “Yeah? Let’s hope that’s not in all things.” McBride yanked at Caleb’s shorts, exposing his cock and wrapping his fist around the shaft.

  “I guess I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Nope.” McBride squeezed and then stroked. “Besides, unless you brought some greasers in here, we’re going to have to settle for hand jobs.”

  “Damn. I didn’t. But I’m going to stash some all over this land of yours.”

  “Good. Just be aware our fellow hands might find them and use them, too.”

  “Good point.” Caleb closed his eyes as McBride fisted him with an expertise that was shocking. “You’re really, really good at this.”

  “Lots of practice.”

  Caleb leaned hard into him, fisting McBride’s cock, pacing his rhythm. “On who?”

  “Myself.”

  Caleb laughed and then groaned when McBride’s pace increased. “I’m not going to last.”

  “Don’t. This is supposed to be a quickie.” McBride nuzzled the scar. “Can I feed?”

  “Yeah.” Caleb bared his neck and howled when McBride sank his teeth in. Right at the peak of his feeding, Caleb climaxed, and so did McBride. They clung together, recovering, then let each other loose.

  “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” McBride settled his forehead to Caleb’s.

  “I know. We’re not going to get anything done.”

  “Too bad we can’t capture the heat of that. We could power the whole damn town.”

  After another half dozen kisses and a quick washup, they were both back at work and the issue of the talkative thrall was still unresolved. Caleb had set Easton on a task of dismantling an old mechanical animal milker that had never worked quite right. When he returned, Easton had the entire thing taken apart and laid out on one of the worktables. It was so meticulously organized it looked like a schematic.

  “What did you find out?” Caleb was good at taking things apart and remembering how they went together, but Easton had it down to a kind of intricate puzzle that anyone with half a brain could follow.

  “It looks like this valve here”—he pointed to a black circle of plastic—“doesn’t have the right kind of flexibility. It needs to have something more like this.”

  Caleb took the item Easton offered. “Where’d you get this?”

  “From the random collection of stuff over there.” Easton pointed to the semiorganized items Caleb had scrounged from busted machinery.

  “And you think this will make it work?”

  “I think so.” Easton considered the rest of the objects on the table. “Everything else looks right.”

  “Okay.” Caleb handed him the valve. “Put it back together and let’s see if it works.”

  “I don’t know why we should bother.”

  Caleb frowned at him, displeased that he wasn’t following his instructions. Now he knew exactly how annoying McBride had found his resistance to his orders.

  “I mean that we don’t have any animals here that need to be milked.”

  Against his best efforts to avoid it, a dirty smirk twisted Caleb’s lips. He didn’t have to say a word for Easton to grasp what he was thinking of.

  “Oh, that’s—no.” Easton turned a dozen shades of red.

  But Caleb knew he was looking at the machine with new eyes when he bit his bottom lip. “Just see what you can do.”

  After leaving Easton to work on the milking machine, Caleb dug through the items on the fix-it wall and desk, found what he wanted, then made his way over to the big house. He was up four flights of stairs and then climbed the ladder into the cupola. The valet was there, his gaze methodically examining the land surrounding the farm.

  “Any movement?”

  “No, sir.”

  “You know that McBride no longer has his communication device?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ve been instructed to alert the butler, who will in turn alert everyone.”

  “Great. But I’ve got something else.” Caleb held up the bell. “When you see someone coming, ring this.” That way, no matter where he and McBride were on the farm, they’d know someone was coming. Caleb had enjoyed their stolen time together, and he wanted to have a hell of a lot more interludes, but he didn’t want McBride worrying while they were getting lusty. A distracted mate wasn’t nearly as much fun as a fully focused one.

  “Very good, sir.”

  On his way out the door, he heard talking coming from the parlor. Curious, he looked around the archway and was surprised to find McBride, Angel, and Ferris sitting close together and chatting.

  “Caleb.” For a split second, McBride looked as if he’d gotten caught doing something he shouldn’t. Caleb dismissed the notion as paranoid, but he couldn’t quite shake the idea he’d walked in on something that he wasn’t meant to see.

  “What’s he doing in the house?” He thought they’d agreed they simply couldn’t trust the thrall and that, though leaving him out alone in Ollie’s old house seemed cruel, it was far kinder than kicking him off the property.

  McBride rose and rather than talking openly in front of the two thralls, he pulled Caleb into the dining room. “Ferris knows him.”

  “So? I don’t see how that changes anything.”

  “I think it does.” McBride cupped the back of Caleb’s neck, pulled him close, and kissed him.

  “What the hell was that for?”

  “You’re practically snarling at me, and I don’t like it.”

  Caleb tried to shake off his unease, but it simply wouldn’t go away. He didn’t like McBride doing something behind his back. When he accused him, McBride lifted his eyebrows and crossed his arms. They stood there at impasse for a moment.

  “I thought if I brought him in here and treated him like a guest and not a criminal, he might warm up to me.”

  “And you need to heat him up for what?”

  “Caleb, I honestly can’t believe you think after everything we’ve done in the last twenty-four hours that I have anything left to give to anyone else.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I just—I thought I was running this thing with the slammers.”

  “Really? I thought we were. Remember that we thing? How happy you were that we were in this together?”

  Damn that McBride hadn’t lost his skill at throwing Caleb’s words back in his face. “I just don’t like the idea of something going on that I’m not a part of.”

  “Because you don’t trust me to tell you what I’ve learned?”

  “No. Just—I want to be involved. Why didn’t you just come and get me?”

  “Because Angel—Timon is scared to death of you.”

  “But not of you?”

  “No.”