Page 30 of Bounty

She opens her mouth to protest, but one punishing look from him has her huffing as she picks out a pair of tan boots and leaves. Colin closes the door, then returns to me.

“Did you think I’d leave you wanting?” he asks me in a knowing way, his lips right at my ear.

“No, but I wanted both of you. Like we used to do…”

He spits in his hand, using it to slide down my length. He moves in steady, sure strokes that have me bucking into his hand, chasing a release I desperately need.

“I promise you, we’ll have the rest of our lives to do all the things we want to do,” he croons as he nips at my neck. “To each other…” I set his hair free, running my fingers through his thick locks. “We’ll take her pleasure to heights she’s never experienced. Make her scream so loud the whole farm hears her…They’ll know she’s ours.”

Fuck, he knows exactly what to say to get me going. I thrust into his fist, devouring his dirty mouth in a sloppy fury. He swallows my groans, only letting my lips go when I finally spill into his hand with a shout.

“Let’s hope she heard that–it’ll make her think twice about acting like a spoiled princess,” he teases as he takes her dirty panties from the hamper and wipes his hands, then me off.

He kisses me one more time before heading off, to either change or give Wisteria one of his gloating, shameless smiles. I look at the clock, sighing to myself when I see we barely have thirty five minutes left.

Chapter Thirteen

JUDE

They arrive five minutes late. Cain’s turtleneck does a bad job of hiding the teeth marks on his neck. Colin has too much of a pep in his step for such a somber occasion, and Wisteria has the look of a dejected puppy who wasn’t given a treat.

Her face is red from the cold and snow flakes cling to her hair and coat. She opens it, revealing a blue dress that makes her violet eyes glow. It clings to her figure, fitting like a glove. My mind runs wild thinking of what happened while I was gone. Part of me is jealous that they touched her, and another part of me wants to play along.

As soon as the doors clang shut behind them, the room falls into silence. Every single eye is glued to her as I motion for them to come forward. Hushed whispers and gasps ripple through the room as she moves. The further she gets down the center aisle, the louder the crowd’s voices become.

When she gets to the altar, I offer her a hand to help her up. Cain and Colin follow, standing on my other side. Wisteria may look calm, but I can see her fear in her mannerisms. The way she shifts her weight from foot to foot. Her lack of smile.

“I’ve called everyone here today to share some news,” I announce. We gather in an old, converted barn, so the acousticslet my voice carry. “Wisteria Jean is returning to us after six long years away.”

There’s no clapping or cheers. Everyone looks to Wisteria, some with confused expressions, and others with suspicion or hateful stares. I take a moment to gauge their reactions before continuing.

“After we’ve done extensive research, we found out that Wisteria was wrongly accused of treason. I’m lifting her exile, and welcoming her back to Harvest Farms with open arms, and encourage you to all follow my example.”

Mason Judd, Mandy’s father, raises his hand to address me. He has audacity interrupting my sermon, but I let him. His inflated sense of importance from being one of my father’s friends will serve me in this instance.

“With respect, Father Jude, how do we know she’s truly trustworthy? Your father is a wise, fair man, and I doubt he would make such a decision without having all the evidence in hand.”

“He had ironclad evidence against her aunt and mother, but none against Wisteria Jean. She was unaware of their true intent. Despite her innocence, her life is in danger from their crimes.”

Judd sits down, and I sweep my gaze across the room, ensuring that I have everyone’s attention.

“Norma was asked to leave because she and her sister were secret operatives for a dangerous group of people who want to harm us, who don’t approve of our community’s peaceful ways. That group attacked us last night, on our territory. They shot me while I protected Wisteria Jean. I’m here to let everyone know that myself, Colin, and Cain are working with our soldiers to secure the farm, neutralize the threat, and make sure that they know exactly who they are messing with.”

Whispers break out again, and one man’s sullen face stands out amongst the crowd. My father’s advisor, Thorn, raises his hand to speak and I oblige. Grievances, when whispered, can turn into unrest. It’s best to quell any negative feelings before they grow.

“One could argue that they came to the compound to target Wisteria Jean. Is it in everyone’s best interest to keep her here?” A few other men, all previous advisors of my father who most likely know the real reasons behind their exile, nod in agreement.

The carefully constructed neutral mask I wear barely hides my rage. Thorn is lucky he asked that in public, because if he asked privately, I would have murdered him. My father’s inner circle needs to be put in their place, sooner rather than later. They can pose a threat to Wisteria’s safety if they decide to rise against me.

“I’m sure you didn’t mean to suggest that we outcast my future wife and leave her to the wolves? Wisteria is just as impacted by The Skulls as we are, and the safest place for her is among family.” Their hushed tone grows louder as shock breaks any sense of propriety they had before.

“Wasn’t she his stepsister?”

“They were childhood friends for years before that…”

“She works fast…”

‘I heard she slept her way through the three of them.’

---