won’t approve. But I don’t care about them. I care about you.”
“And if we ever have children?” Tori asked.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” He worried about it, too. “But we wouldn’t be the first with an unusual relationship.”
“They could get teased.”
“Love, every child gets teased for something. Are you saying that just because he or she might encounter heartache at some point, that’s a reason to not bring him or her into the world?”
She sniffled a little. “I don’t know what I’m saying. I simply know that loving the three of you scares the crap out of me and I don’t know if I can handle it. When I left your room yesterday morning, I just needed a few minutes to myself. But I began to realize how much I cared, then I saw the papers and…”
She’d shut down. Callum held her tighter.
“I’ve been thinking. What if I become your very quiet mistress? I might be able to handle that. If no one knew, then they couldn’t judge.”
And she would be able to keep her distance. As much as she seemed to want that, Callum knew he and his brothers couldn’t allow it. “Their judgment means nothing. Tell me why you think it does.”
She shrugged. “I grew up in a small town. After my parents died, Piper had to be absolutely above reproach. Everyone thought she was too young to take care of me. She had to walk a very straight line because everyone was watching, waiting for her to screw up or for me to do something foolish. They thought I should go to foster care. A couple of women even reported us to CPS to have me removed from Piper’s care.”
Ah, so that explained one thing. “No one can take you away now.”
“They could fire me,” she said logically.
“Who?” Callum frowned. “My brothers and I employ you.”
“And if we ever break up?”
Oliver shook his head. “You never have to worry about money again. And don’t think for a second that money isn’t power. If your sister had money back then, they wouldn’t have dared to challenge her. They had small minds and too little to occupy their time. This argument makes no sense. You’re an adult now and those tabloids, while annoying, can’t really harm you. There would be plenty of clients who would hire you because you’d made headlines.”
“I don’t like people watching me, judging me.” She’d gone stiff in his arms.
“No one does. Well, no one sane.” He’d had teammates who loved the limelight for a time. But once it became invasive, everyone wanted a break. “I’m asking you to suffer it for a bit.”
“Once it’s obvious we’ve settled down, no one will find us fascinating,” Rory assured her.
She took a deep breath. “All right. Like I said, I want to try. I’m just not sure if the three of you can get along for thirty days.”
Oh, she thought she would have a loophole out that way? No. He and his brothers intended to make certain they didn’t give her a reason not to face her fears. “You have no idea, darling.” He rested his hand on her knee. “We were a team when we were younger. I used to beat up all the bullies who went after my brothers.”
“When we were in boarding school, the others quickly learned not to mess with us. Our unity was unbreakable,” Rory said with a fond grin.
“Until Yasmin.” Oliver frowned. “But that’s over, and you should understand we’ve talked about this. We understand that in order to make you feel safe, we have to form a cohesive unit that not even your sweet smile can corrupt.”
Tori sat up. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that.”
“Brat.” She looked so sweet Callum wanted to eat her up. Now that she was here with them, that hole in his gut seemed repaired. She couldn’t possibly stay with them for a month, then walk away. “You don’t like the idea of not being able to manipulate us.”
Tori shook her head. “I prefer to think of it as being able to reason with you.”
“We’re all out of reason here, love.” Rory winked her way. He looked out the window. “We should take her fishing. There’s this lovely spot on the river right outside the carriage house. We used to sit there for hours and hours during summer.”
“Until Mum sent someone to find us,” Callum concurred. “The gardener told us if we were very quiet, the fairies would come out. When we were little, we really wanted to see those fairies.”
He fully intended to tell his own children these stories. Their children.
“We were never quiet enough,” Oliver said with a laugh. “Well, I was, of course. I was perfect. Cal always had gas. I swear his flatulence drove all the fairies away.”
Callum sent his brother a rude hand gesture, but he couldn’t help smiling. Whatever had happened to Oliver at the palace before they’d left seemed to have worked wonders. Oliver had joked more in the last day than in the last three years combined. And since their Bezakistani ritual, he’d been all over Tori. Callum made a mental note to train Oliver on the finer points of topping their girl or she would walk all over him with those pretty pink toes of hers.
“Oliver, don’t be mean to your brother,” Tori said with a stern look.
Ollie grabbed one of her feet. She’d kicked off her shoes the minute they’d climbed in the limo. He brought her delicate foot to his lips and kissed her arch. “I’d rather be mean to you, darling. Just a little.”
Tori giggled. “That tickles!”
“Not as much as this.” Callum ran a firm hand over her ribs.
She struggled to get away. “No!” She reached out to Rory. “Help me!”
He cradled her head in his lap and gazed down at her. “I thought you wanted the three of us to play nicely together. Don’t you like how my brothers and I share our toy?”
Tori giggled as Callum and Oliver worked her over, while Rory cheered them on. Her feet kicked, her laughter trilled, and joy suffused him. They should play and love well and find happiness together. They should be a family.
“Stop!” Tori shouted.
They finally let her up but only to kiss her. Rory bent to her, his lips caressing hers in a slow glide. Watching intently, Callum cupped her breast. He loved how soft she was. He wanted nothing more than to pull off her blouse and attach himself to those perfect pink nipples. He could suck on them until she was screaming for release—which they’d grant her. In fact, he suspected they would all feel better if they found some relief. Twenty-four hours was way too long to spend without being inside her.
Rory eased a hand down her shirt, molding to her other breast as his tongue plunged deep. They could have her naked in no time. They could command her to her knees and she could move between them, sucking their cocks before they made her scream.
“What the hell?” Oliver leaned forward and pressed the button that connected him to the driver. “Lyle, is that what I think it is?”
Callum helped Tori sit upright. Rory turned in his seat and cursed soundly.
The driver’s voice came over the intercom. “It looks as if the press is waiting in front of the gate to the house, sir. I spoke to the housekeeper. She said they’ve been there all morning.”
Tori went pale and tried to scramble off his lap. Callum caught her. He wasn’t about to let her retreat. Her fear couldn’t win.
“It’s fine.” He stroked a hand down her back. “Think of our situation as a job, love. You’re good at this. I’ve watched you handle the press with one hand tied behind your back.”
“Never when they were after me.” A fine tremble shook her hands.
“What do you tell clients when you first meet them? The ones whose image needs rehabbing? Pretend this situation has nothing to do with you.”
She took a deep breath and calmed a bit. “I ask them how they want to be seen.”
This was what she needed. She needed to think professionally. “All right, how do you want to be seen?”
“I don’t want to be seen at all.” She frowned. “Since that’s not possible... I guess I want to be seen as a smart, competent wo
man.”
“Then show them you’re that woman. Pretend you’re your own client. Advise yourself.” If he could get her to look past her emotion and view the problem logically, she would see it wasn’t so bad. Oh, they were in for a few nasty moments, but it was a storm they could weather.
He saw the instant her intellect took over.
She sat up straighter and her eyes lost that frightened look. “The best way to get rid of them is to make a statement. We should be honest. We explain we’re in our concubine period and request privacy while we’re working out our relationship. I ask my sister and her husbands to release a statement that they stand behind the potential marriage and my brothers-in-law thank you three for honoring his culture and values. We move the press away from the salacious aspects of our relationship. We focus less on anything that encourages this ‘mistress’ business and talk more about the potential of another semi-royal wedding.”
“That’s perfect.” Rory breathed an obvious sigh of relief.
Oliver brought her free hand to his lips. “I think that will work beautifully, love. We’ll still have some trying to take photographs, so no outdoor sex. But the reporters should leave us alone for a while. The very fact that we’re isolated will help.”
This time when Tori moved off his lap, he helped her. She was back in control. She reached for her bag as Oliver informed Lyle they would stop and speak with the press. Tori brushed her hair and smoothed on a bit of gloss. Either way she looked gorgeous.
“Callum, they’re going to ask you about Thea,” she instructed.
“What do you want me to say?” Callum asked.
Her lips quirked up in the sweetest smile. “I thought you were the boss.”
“Only in the bedroom, my love. Or when you need it. Right now, I think you’ll find we’ll follow your lead. We didn’t pick a doormat of a woman. We picked someone smart and competent. In this, you are our leader.”
A sheen of tears made her eyes a little watery. “So we’re a team?”
Had she not realized that? Callum reached for her hand. “The three of us were a team for months, but we got a bit lost. We needed you to bring us together. We’re always a team. We always back each other. That’s what a family is.”
She leaned forward and kissed him. “You know what to say, Callum. You run the old ‘on the advice of my lawyers’ line and don’t say a thing about Thea. When they ask you about the baby, say only that you look forward to being a father one day and that any child of yours will have all your love. Oliver, don’t frown. In fact, everyone smile unless the question warrants somberness. When they ask about our sex lives, and you know they will, smile and tell them we like to keep our private lives private.”
The limo rolled to a stop right outside the estate’s big gates. Thick trees hid the house and the river beyond from view, affording them privacy. Callum wondered briefly if they should just drive on. Or if they should simply head straight back to Bezakistan. But running their business from another continent for thirty days without any advance planning would be somewhere between ball-busting and impossible.
When Lyle opened the car door, Rory stepped out and reached back inside to help Tori. She winked Cal’s way before exiting the limo.
Oliver sent a bolstering glance his way, too. “Don’t let them get to you. Five minutes tops, then we won’t be dealing with these people for a whole month. And you handled her beautifully.”
Oliver stepped out and then it was Callum’s turn. He was well aware he was the real fuck-up of the group. The press might have been interested in three wealthy brothers sharing a bride, but it likely wouldn’t have been as huge a story without him. He was one of the chief reasons they were swarming. He’d been the bad boy of football for years, and now that was coming back to haunt them all.
But they needed him, too. All he could do was smile and follow Tori’s instructions. Eventually, they would see that he’d settled down.
He followed Oliver out of the car, and the cluster of reporters immediately assaulted them with questions.
“Ms. Glen, how do you feel about stealing a pregnant woman’s man?”
“Torrance, do you think your sister is embarrassed by your recent nude display?”
“How does the sex work? Do you all take turns? Can none of you find a woman of your own?”
Every word turned his gut. They were locusts. Callum fisted his hands and anger roiled through his system.
“Don’t. Their words don’t mean a thing,” Rory whispered in his ear. “Let Tori handle this.”
He tried to calm himself. It was one thing for these prats to heap this humiliation on him, but quite another that they dumped it on her. The fact that he couldn’t protect her burned him.
Tori smiled, something serene and professional. “First, I’ve never stolen any woman’s man. Callum was perfectly single when we began our relationship. Second, my sister has never teased me more than the night of my wardrobe malfunction. In turn, I teased her about greeting the press wearing nothing but her husband’s shirt the day after her marriage. What can I say? We’re not debutantes but strong women who’ve faced a lot of adversities in life. I can safely say that, given the amount of turmoil in the world, my right breast having its own Twitter feed is of no consequence. I promise to wear more sensible shoes in the future. Obviously, I’m not suited to wear five-inch heels.”
“With regard to our private lives, we intend to keep the details to ourselves,” Rory said, his hand at her back, providing support.
Callum had been good at dealing with these vultures once. He could do it again.
“I believe someone asked if none of us could find our own women.” He stepped up on the other side of Tori. “The truth is, we don’t want other women. This one is more than enough for the three of us. We intend to marry in the Bezakistani fashion of our fiancée’s sister and our cousins. Expect a statement from the palace no later than tomorrow. We thank you all for taking such kind interest in our lives and now ask for privacy while we follow the traditional month of bonding before our wedding.”
Tori gave him an encouraging smile, but his gaze snagged on a man in black who stepped out from behind one of the massive oak trees that dotted the property. Callum looked up in horror as the stranger drew a gun and began to shoot.
He threw himself in front of Tori and felt a bullet tear through the flesh of his arm. He heard a scream, then the world faded away.
* * * *
Rory paced as the local magistrate prepared to leave. “So you have nothing on this man?”
The magistrate shrugged. “No. Our working theory is he was making a statement against the royal family. We’ve been in touch with the sheikh and he says that threats against them have risen since the country started taking in refugees. Unfortunately your…Ms. Glen is an easy target. You’re very lucky your brother is so quick on his feet or she would be dead.”
“You’re absolutely sure she was the target?” Oliver asked, his stare straying toward the back of the house where Callum now rested after the doctor had treated him. Thankfully, the bullet had clipped Callum’s left arm rather than hitting anything vital. The wound had barely required two stitches and some painkillers.
Since then, Tori had refused to leave his side. After she’d cried, she seemed to distance herself. Rory didn’t like the blank look on her face. Yes, she sat beside him, holding his good hand. She was kind, but she seemed as if she was running on autopilot. A loved one dying was her greatest fear, and today’s attack had been a trigger, sending her back into her protective shell.
The magistrate nodded as he picked up his briefcase. “Yes. From where the man was standing, the trajectory of the bullet was straight to Ms. Glen’s torso. She was his target. We’ll take a look at the video footage some of the reporters took. Unfortunately, we don’t have much. Many scattered when he started shooting. We’re lucky he ran. Some true believers would have simply stayed and shot until she was dead. We’ll have officers patrol around the grounds.”
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“I also have security of our own. They’ll be here before dark.” Rory had immediately requested a detail for the house and grounds. He had no doubt Talib would send someone tomorrow. The sheikh had been upset to say the least.
The magistrate promised to be in contact, then he headed for the door, leaving Rory alone with Oliver.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Rory asked. He couldn’t get Tori’s last night in London out of his mind.
“Of course. This isn’t the first time. It can’t be a coincidence that someone tried to attack her before she left. Now that I think about it, it might have been the same man all three times.”
Rory felt his eyes widen. “Three times? Are you talking about