Page 36 of The Brotherhood

Her shoulders were straight, hands steady. Aware. Almost like she was practicing what he’d taught her. He’d taught her never to go into the swamp alone too and yet, here she was.

Spar exhaled through his anger, his body already thrumming with tension as he moved toward her.

When he reached the bottom of the steps, she turned and stiffened with a gasp.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” he demanded.

Her shock snapped into insta-fury. “Who do you think you are? You arenotmy boss!”

“I’m one of the Twelve, therefore I have jurisdiction over you.”

Her jaw dropped. “Bologna! I don’t remember seeing or hearing that anywhere and I have all the rules.”

“Well, you just heard it from me.”

“Well,youdon’t count. I’m not even in your hatchery.”

“It’shatch, sister,” he corrected. “And we’re under wartime law and that means any of the Twelve have a right to…” The hell was he arguing with her for. He stormed up the porch and threw her gasping little ass over his shoulder. “Not explaining myself to a sassy nun.”

She beat on his back and screamed, “Help! Somebody help me!” while he headed for his boat. “Get your hands off of me! I will file a complaint! This is assault!”

“You hit like a little girl,” he muttered.

“Iama girl! And you’re abully! Iwillreport this!”

“You do that, and I’ll report that you’re no longer fit to be a wife for your precious robot.”

She stopped struggling for a breath then her legs, fists, and mouth exploded. “What in the h-e double hockey sticks are you talking about? I’m fit for anything I want to be fit for.”

“You can’t marry anybody or anything if you’relustingafter another man. In our swamps, that’s the same as adultery. So you’re already divorced before you ever got married, littlesister.”

She screamed and growled, banging her fists on his back while kicking her legs. “I am pure before the lord, you… you fork-tongued, dog ofperdition!”

He brought his palm down hard on her ass and she jolted. “That’s for coming into the swamps alone.” He spanked her again and she shrieked. “That’s for making me come get you.” He spanked her a third time and she gasped with a half-pissed scream. “That’s for being a sinner.” He popped her ass once more, his cock in on the discipline now. “And that’s for all the work I’m going to have to do just to train youproperly. And one more.” He made the last one count, getting a good shriek. “That’s for having such a spankablecuteass.”

He made it to his boat and dropped her in it only to have her scramble over to the motor while he unmoored. He shook his head and jumped in as she yanked and yanked on the pull-cord.

He grabbed her by the waist and sat her on the seat. “Stay put,” he ordered right in her furious face.

He turned and started the boat, getting a two-handed shove on his rear that knocked her back. He spun in time to catch her from falling out of the boat and sat her down again, his face inches from hers. “I guess you like those spankings and want more?”

Her angry breaths hit his face as he stared into those clear gray-green eyes, ready to take a lot more out of her. She stuckher tongue at him real hard as he guided the boat toward his place and he laughed at the cute assault.

No words were spoken the whole way back other than her retaliatory war plans she brewed right in front of him with her pretty pissed off face.

“Keep that look, little sister. You’re going to need that anger for your next lesson.”

The crack in her fury was nearly audible. “What are you talking about, I thought you can’t do lessons with a rebellious, adulterating, robot marrying nun!”

He grinned at the tree line. “Did you think the lovely red marks on your ass are for decoration? That’s called discipline. A punishment.” He leveled a look at her. “Those wash away sins and allow you a clean slate.” He gave her a wink. “Now you’re ready for dirtying again.”

“You will take me home,” she ordered. “I have… chores!”

“You have lessons with me. And you’re behind.”

“Well, I don’t want to do lessons with you!”

“Well, that’s too bad,” he shot right back. “Because we made a deal, and I intend to stick to my side even if you renege. Like asinner.”

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