Page 13 of Protected Hearts

Carson cleared his throat with a soft push of air.

Taking that as a sign to go on, Oaks continued with the debriefing. “The Russian—Vanya—was going to force her handand then take her to his homeland. I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

“Why? What good was she to him?”

“From what I can see, lust.”

He nodded.

“We both know what happens to girls who end up in other countries.”

“They never come back.”

“Exactly.” He released the air he was holding in his lungs. It felt hot and filled with pent-up anger at all that took place over the past two hours. “So I did the only thing I could think of that got us both out of there—I offered to buy her from him.”

Carson leveled him in a look. “Oaks.” When he spoke his name like that, with an edge of disapproval, he almost sounded like their old man. But Oaks would never tell him that. They all hated their father and were glad to walk him to his grave. Drawing parallels between Carson and their father would only cause unnecessary hurt.

“I offered him a half million dollars’ worth of crypto.”

He waited for his brother’s eyes to bug out of his head at the amount, but he didn’t even react. A sure sign that he was masking how he felt about Oaks not only showing up with a new bride but buying her for what most people considered a fortune.

Money was the least of their concerns. The Malones could spare it. They hadn’t grown up with wealth, but their investments and the companies they’d formed over the past few years made money at an almost stupidly embarrassing rate.

“How did you convince Lebedov to make the deal?”

“I showed him my Russian ID and dropped the name of a very influentialbratvaleader.”

“Damn. That’s a lot of leverage, bro.”

“When I go in for the kill, I go all in. I’m a Malone.”

“And you got yourself a bride.”

He ran his tongue over the ragged bite on his bottom lip. “She’s less than enthusiastic.”

At that, Carson barked a short laugh. “She married you—who wouldn’t be?”

“I didn’t get a prenup, but I didn’t marry her with my real name.”

“We’ve got a lot to figure out.” He flicked his gaze toward the closed curtain where the women sat. “Like where you left Layne’s shoe collection.”

“In the van.”

“Where’s that?”

Oaks gave him a look.

Carson groaned. He already knew it was a lost cause. Layne was never seeing those shoes again.

He pushed to his feet and waved at Oaks. “Let’s getyour wife’sside of the story.”

Oaks was looking forward to this discussion even less than the one with his brother. When they moved the curtain aside, his gaze settled on her mane of blonde hair. Walking down the aisle toward his bride, he caught the white flutter of feathers and swung his head toward the vacant row. The white feathery dress was crumpled on the seat. A few feathers that had been ripped off danced on the floor as he passed.

Shiloh looked a hell of a lot more comfortable in black sweats and a black top. She also looked pale and drawn. When she glanced up at him, he noted the redness rimming her eyes.

There was no question she was a tough woman, but he’d seen military brothers crumble under the weight of stress.

He paused next to her. “Will you come talk to us?”

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