Steamed Up Memories

Steampunked Lust 2

Steamed Up Memories In a misguided attempt to atone for her mistaken loyalty to her father, Yzabeau Gifrator branches out on her own to find the truth and ends up in more danger than she ever faced before. Liam McKenna never forgot the girl he failed to protect from being taken from their village, and now his days are filled with missions to locate women sold in the slave pits. Tristan has loved Liam ever since the day he heard stories of a thirteen-year-old boy trying to fight an entire New World garrison in an attempt to protect someone he cared about. But their relationship has been built on the present without any true thoughts to a future. Together, will the three of them find a love strong enough to face the bitter memories that shaped them, or will their pasts blow them out of the sky? Note: This book contains double vaginal penetration. Genre: Historical, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Science Fiction Length: 53,277 words

STEAMED UP MEMORIES Steampunked Lust 2

Corinne Davies

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

STEAMED UP MEMORIES Copyright © 2011 by Corinne Davies E-book ISBN: 1-61034-704-8 First E-book Publication: July 2011 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2011 Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

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Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Steamed Up Memories by Corinne Davies from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

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DEDICATION For the Righteous Perverts. I appreciate your cheers and encouragement more then you will ever know. You’re an incredible bunch and I feel lucky to be counted among you. 

STEAMED UP MEMORIES Steampunked Lust 2 CORINNE DAVIES Copyright © 2011

Chapter One Yzabeau Gifrator looked up at the chains that held her suspended from the ceiling, stretching out her body, forcing her to stay balanced on her tiptoes. Her arms ached from the strain, as a deep tremble settled into her joints. Fear she constantly battled to contain clawed at her throat, stealing her breath. They secured her in this manner when they first captured her. She escaped by pulling herself up by her arms and twining her legs around the chain to give herself some slack to unhook the ropes. Never did she allow herself to consider that they would double check that she remained secure. Now heavy ropes tied her ankles together and secured her to the floor. Until today, she always believed herself to be exceptionally strong in both mind and spirit and never doubted her own intelligence. A misplaced belief considering the location she currently resided. For the past five years, she played a very dangerous game, stealing secrets and planting information to counteract the actions of a narrow-minded government she hated. The slave trading of the new world aboriginals had dissolved from dealing in human lives to a determination to round up any living being that could be sold for gold. The worst part was her own government turned a blind eye to it all.

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Of course, they publicly denounced such actions, but she knew they profited from their chosen blindness. When she discovered the location of the next slave auction, she convinced herself that by doing everything possible to find out the details, she could make amends for all the damage she caused. What was her life, when she had already put so many others in danger by her decisions? For years, she passed on information she had carefully obtained, but only the information she deemed relevant. How many souls crossed over because of her backward loyalty to her family? She blindly believed her father could never be an evil man. That same loyalty led her to convince her sister to marry Trenton, only to have him inflict abuse on her. Abuse Tori never spoke of until Yzzi saw it for herself. Her sister almost died because of her decisions. She couldn’t live with the idea that someone would put themselves in danger while she sat on her pampered ass. She hoped to find out something from the others being held here, but she hadn’t seen another captive, although she had heard a number of women scream out in pain. Their cries echoed against the metal walls of her cell and sent cold spikes of fear into her heart. After her first escape attempt, her captors moved her into this space, more of a pit then a cell. They stripped naked as she tried to fight back. She understood they did this to break the spirits of their prisoners, and Yzzi prepared herself for this possibility. She didn’t expect that they would violate her in other ways, prying fingers shoved up inside her, and their crows of glee at finding proof of her virginity. Thankful now she never took the time to investigate that fascination, considering her virginity obviously prevented her from being raped repeatedly. The slimy bastard that locked her in here took pleasure in describing how he allowed potential buyers to sample his girls. For the right money, he might allow one of them the pleasure of “breaking her in.” She breathed slowly through her mouth and ignored his attempts to scare her further. She learned shortly after arriving here the less she used her nose, the better. This place smelled

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like an old unwashed chamber pot. She swore she could smell the despair in the air and hear the hollow cries from those who had given up hope. About an hour ago, the auctioneer’s droning voice echoed overhead as he called out the prices, encouraging the crowd to bid higher and higher. At one point she heard the soft sobbing of a woman sold, but she was quickly silenced by the auctioneers whip. A high-pitched screech echoed around her as the metal planks lifted away letting in the bright sunlight. Heavy thuds echoed overhead as her jailers walked over the grates that made up the top of her cell. Yzzi looked up, squinting against the dazzling lights. Lengths of chains creaked and groaned as the contraption they tied her to rose up to the bidding floor. This would be her second such appearance. No one at the last stop could afford the enormous amount demanded for her. She prayed this hellspawn group lacked the funds as well. Blinded by the sunlight streaming in her face, she couldn’t see the crowd in front of her, but by their silence, she knew this gathering was much different from the last. Previously, the crowd shouted their approval at her state. Lewd comments and promised favors were made, but no money exchanged hands. This crowd remained silent other than a subtle murmur, which terrified her. She knew this sound. She grew up in this kind of company, where one didn’t speak aloud what they thought without being certain of the repercussions of such action. Where you trusted few and confided in no one. This crowd would pay whatever the auction demanded. **** “Fuck me.” If not for the heavy hand of his mate on his arm, Liam McKenna would have launched himself out of his seat the moment the cage had risen out of the floor. Tempering his voice to a lower tone, he tiled his head toward the man next to him. “Tristan, please tell me that isn’t who I think it is.”

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“Sorry, love. Promised to never lie to you.” Tristan’s voice sounded husky as he spoke quietly against Liam’s neck. Tristan squeezed Liam’s arm in understanding. “Keep your temper, or we won’t get to her in time.” Liam could feel his blood pressure rise. What he might have found a delicious sight any other time was now impossible because of the discolorations marring her creamy skin. The extreme way they had her secured told him she must have fought them at every opportunity. “Looks like she hasn’t made it easy for herself. She is still glaring at everyone , though. I hope that’s a good sign.” “As do I.” Liam felt a flush of pride at her strength. Yzzi never backed down from anything, even as a child. “Enough waiting, we’re going to take care of her from now on.” The slaver began to chant a list of lies to plump up the price, ending with a guarantee of her innocence in all ways. The last bit caused Tristan to stiffen up against Liam’s side, whispering a vile curse. “That means they would have had to check.” Liam stroked a hand down Tristan’s bare back. “With any luck, it means that’s the worse they have done to her as far as physical violation.” In order to attend this particular gathering, they had to play the part of an established master and slave-A game that originally sounded like a bit of fun before rescuing the daughter of a highranking official. They were hired to release the girl, but breaking up this soiree and freeing everyone else was something they had planned to do anyway. Even now, Liam knew this remote location would be surrounded by those who worked with him and shared a common goal. Good thing, because he would now take great pleasure in razing this hell hole. But, he never expected to find Yzzi here. “How the fuck did she managed to get herself in this predicament?”

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“I’m certain there is a creative story behind it.” Tristan kept his face lowered in subservience. His voice pitched soft for Liam’s ears only. Normally, slaves weren’t permitted to speak at all, but as long as no one noticed, their cover remained intact. Liam grasped the back of Tristan’s head and pulled hard, forcing the other man’s chin up. A flash of heat betrayed the truth behind this game. Tristan enjoyed a rough game, and Liam enjoyed giving it. Keeping Liam’s face in position, Liam ran his lips over his jaw using the motion to distract anyone who might be watching them. “Tori’s message, did you read it before we left?” “Not entirely. I glanced at it, and it looked as though she might be asking for our help. I figured it could wait a couple hours until we completed this mission. Liam released Tristan’s hair, and the other man nuzzled the skin where his neck met his shoulder. “Perhaps we will be fulfilling her request before we ever read it.” Tristan’s words echoed his own thoughts. Had Liam read the telegram before leaving for this dank cesspool, he never would have come. He would have dropped everything and pushed at Tristan to point their ship to whatever port held the SeaHawk and her crew. The SeaHawk was captained by one of Tori’s two husbands. What an ironic twist of fate that would have been. Running from this job would have cost Yzzi her life. He spent much of his life running from his past. He knew his drive to free those stolen from their lives originated from his failure to stop the men from taking Yzzi from her clan. Now the gods had given him a second chance. He could see past the bravado and the scowl she showed to the world to the terrified woman behind it all. His only focus now was to get her to safety and on his ship. “We should have forced her to stay with us on the Apollo when we had the chance.” “She would have run. Hell, she did run, and look where she ended up.” Tristan stroked Liam through his kilt, wrapping the rough plaid around his cock. The sensation snapped him back into focus and

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helped him center his priorities. He met Tristan’s lips as the man leaned ever so slightly closer to him and felt the same rush he always did when Tristan pretended to submit to him. “Shall we rescue the girl now or hope to find her later?” Tristan’s lips moved against his. Liam nodded ever so slightly before breaking the kiss. He raised his hand. “Fifteen hundred pounds.” “We have fifteen hundred. Do I hear fifteen-fifty for this pure specimen of New World loveliness?” The rotund auctioneer lurched across the stage and continued his ranting, raising the price higher and higher. For every bid placed, the obese pig looked to Liam to match. Which he did. There were fewer and fewer bidders as the cost rose, which is why he jumped the bidding so high. He wanted to know who the players in the room were. A tall woman in high heels stalked over to him. She dressed in leather from her corset to her full skirt, and her hair consisted of hundreds of tiny braids tied up into an intricate knot at the top of her head. She held a flute of champagne between her gloved fingers. Her other hand tapped a wicked looking crop against her thigh. She looked severe and terrifying. “What the fuck are you doing driving the bidding up that high?” she snapped at him from between clenched teeth as she pretended to kiss his cheek. “You’re bidding on the wrong chit.” Pausing, she patted the top of Tristan’s head and looked up at Liam. “He does look good like this.” Tristan’s free-flowing hair blocked his facial expression from the room, but Liam and the woman saw the glare he angled at her. “Kassandra.” Liam greeted her as he as he kissed her other cheek, her face blocking his mouth from the room. “What does it matter? We’re going to level this place right after I get this one. I need you to bid on the admiral’s daughter. She turned her back to the room and faced him. “You’re fucking with the plan at the wrong time, Liam.”

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He leveled a look at her that he knew would look intimidating. “Don’t cross me, Kass, or I’ll tell your husband where to find you.” Her eyes widened and a deep flush stained her porcelain cheeks. “You wouldn’t dare.” “Try me.” Liam happened to be one of only a few people who knew who she married. But, even he didn’t know the entire story behind Kassandra’s estrangement from her husband, or why she avoided the man like the plague. “Fine.” She sipped her champagne, irritation shining in her eyes and her voice still low enough to keep their conversation private. “The men are in position as originally planned. Is there anything else I should know about before this entire clusterfuck explodes in our faces?” “Don’t forget to secure the admiral’s daughter onboard the Apollo. The rest can go with you as planned.” Kassandra spun on one heel and stalked away from him. Thinly veiled altercations such as theirs weren’t unusual at this type of event. By storming away dramatically, the crowd would be wondering if he spurned her advance or outbid her privately. Tristan pressed against Liam’s legs and tapped out a code against his thigh with his finger. Liam schooled his features into a bored expression as he glanced over at the auctioneer. The weasel looked relieved to catch Liam’s eye. “Going three times...” Liam nodded, having lost track of the bidding thanks to Kassandra’s ranting. “Fourteen thousand five hundred pounds! Do I hear fifteen…?” Fourteen and a half, how did it get so high? Liam looked around the room then spotted the other bidder. A man who looked determined to get what Liam wanted. Little did he know he would never get her. The man glared at the auctioneer and shook his head no. Yzzi’s eyes remained closed, but Liam noticed the jerk to her body when the auctioneer’s mallet came down on the marble slab. It took everything within him to not rush the stage and get her down. A

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dull throb pounded against his skull watching her lowered below the floor again. He tugged at Tristan’s leash, and the other man got to his feet and stepped behind and to the side of Liam. “Do we make our move now or wait?” Liam bent his head to light a cigar, using his hands to mask his mouth before speaking quietly. “We’ll wait until the auction is completely over, and then we’ll move in.” “Sir?” A small man approached them, head down in subservience. “My Master requests your presence for the transference.” Tristan stilled behind him as the young man’s words hit Liam square in the chest. He had heard of this tradition, but nothing before now had led him to believe that these slavers followed such ancient dictates. “I’m not about to pay for such a treasure, only to waste it on a slavers barge. Tell your Master that I refuse to perform such an act. The slave is mine to do when and where I want. I’ll not spoil such a unique experience.” The smaller man nodded in acquiesce and scuttled back to his owner. “This has upped our timetable significantly.” Tristan nudged him hard in the back. “We could perform the transference…” “Very funny.” Liam returned the nudge with his elbow and smiled when he heard Tristan grunt. “Would you like to explain to Mal and Sean why we fucked their sister-in-law in the middle of a slave pit?” **** Yzzi could taste blood from where she bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming out in defiance as the amount of money moved from a fortune to obscene. All because of a stupid bit of skin that remained intact within her. The male species disgusted her. Too bad she didn’t feel attracted to other women like her sister’s friend

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Tabby. Not that a preference would matter in a place like this. She saw a woman earlier come by her cell and murmur to her companion about what a prize she would make to her stable. A stable? Did she keep her slaves in a stall, dressed in bridles and saddles? The mental image made her shudder. For all she knew, the woman bought her, and that is where she would find herself. She kept her eyes closed when a pair of men came in and untied her. Taking their time to pinch her nipples sharply enough to make her cry out. Another lesson she learned quickly upon her arrival. The sooner she made a sound in respect to what they did to her, the sooner they stopped. Only this time they didn’t stop. They pinched her nipples and the soft skin protected by her nether curls. Her body shrank from their touch, her mind screaming in revulsion. Her legs felt rubbery and useless from the length of time she spent suspended. The nasty bastards didn’t wait for the feeling to come back. Instead, they dragged her from her cell. “What are you doing to me? Let me go, you worthless pieces of horse shite!” No matter how many obscenities she hurled at them, they ignored her, literally dragging her down a stone corridor. Fear clawed at her, spiking her adrenaline to course though her system. They led her into a lavishly decorated room, much different from the bare cage they’d kept her in. As the dragged her across the floor, she didn’t notice until too late the unusual table sitting in the middle of the room. They lifted her as though she didn’t weigh anything at all, and Yzzi quickly found herself strapped down. She kicked and fought as best as her tired limbs would allow, but despite her efforts, they quickly secured her legs. One man twisted a handle, and she felt her legs separating. No matter how much she fought, her limbs moved apart, allowing her private parts to be exposed. “What are you doing? Stop this!” Panic fueled adrenaline surged through her system. Whoever purchased her, planned on raping her as soon as possible. Tears sparked her eyes as she strained against the

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straps that tied her down. Days ago, she realized this possibility but decided not to worry about it until she knew it to be her fate. Now that the moment had arrived, she couldn’t find the peace she strived for. If only she had sent her sister a note to tell her what she planned. Then at least there would be a possibility of rescue. Neither Mal nor Sean would have allowed this to happen, but Yzzi knew there was no escaping this. The rattling of the door sounded like a death knell, but she would survive whatever they did to her. Retreating into her own thoughts, she tried to block out the sounds approaching her. A simple matter of biology. Remember what you read about. The sexual act of intercourse is nothing but two objects fitting together as nature intended. It won’t take long, I’ll survive this… **** Liam entered the room and almost betrayed the entire operation. Any other time, seeing Yzzi spread out before him like a banquet would’ve had his cock raging to taste every inch of her. But that wasn’t the case right now, not because of her, but because of the fear he knew she must be feeling. Knowing the terror that would be coursing through her thoughts worked quicker than an ice bath on his cock. The marks and bruises on her skin were more apparent now that he stood closer. Her nipples looked red and angry. Her mons looked swollen, but he knew it wasn’t from arousal. He didn’t need to turn around to know that Tristan would be furious as well. He could almost sense his lover’s fury pound against his back like a pulse. “Sir.” The auctioneer stepped in behind them and waved a hand toward the table. “Your slave awaits.” It took a great deal of control for Liam not to punch the man in the face when he stared at all the lush skin bared for them. Yzzi’s skin looked almost translucent, and her nipples stood out in sharp relief,

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bright red and abused. Dark bruises peppered her delicate skin—pinch marks if he was to guess. Fury thrummed through his veins. They hurt her. At this moment, he knew that his people were getting into place. All he had to do was stall a bit longer. Kassandra managed to procure their original target—the admiral’s daughter—and he knew she would make certain the girl ended up on his ship as planned. “You understand the symbolism behind this, yes? You are the lord and master. You will take her virginity, and of course, I will witness so that there are no false accusations later.” The little bastard said it all with such sincerity. What a crock of bullshit since he could see the man’s erection from here. Liam didn’t want to consider how many women were raped or beaten to sate the slaver’s own perverse pleasures. Liam strode over to Yzzi’s head. She whimpered slightly at his touch, yanking her face from his fingers. Right now, he wanted to reassure her as best he could. He leaned closer to her ear. Her skin felt like satin under his lips as he nuzzled the delicate skin behind her ear. “You better have a good explanation for this, Yzzi.” Her brow twitched, and he waited as she slowly opened her eyes. The terror in their depths struck him to the pit of his soul. Thankfully, it didn’t last long because as soon as she focused on his face, she recognized him. Recognized him as a friend of her brothers-in-law, but he knew she didn’t remember the boy he used to be. Relief flooded her beautiful eyes, tears slipping from the corners. “Don’t worry about talking to her, sir.” The auctioneer’s voice cut through the delicate connection he made with her. “She is nothing but a vessel to be used…unless your cock isn’t stirred by such a lovely cunt.” A low rumble echoed like the loudest thunder outside, echoing the anger that roared in Liam’s head. The ground under his boots vibrated, and he knew it was time. “Tristan?” “With great pleasure, Captain.”

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Chapter Two A loud crack tore through the room, making Yzzi jerk against her bonds. The acrid scent of sulphur followed the sharp sound. Liam reached for his dirk and carefully sliced through the band that silenced her, and then the straps that held her in place. Her body shook as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, helping her sit up. Tristan quickly unstrapped her legs then began rubbing the muscles of her calf. She hadn’t spoken yet, making him fear the amount of mental trauma she had endured. “How are you doing, Yzzi?” She licked her dry, cracked lips before she tried to speak. “Delightful.” Liam almost laughed at the comment. Thankfully, it sounded as though the slavers hadn’t managed to break her tenacious attitude. Yzzi made a small noise of distress as Tristan worked on her legs and he could saw the flash of regret on his lover’s face. Her muscles must hurt like hell. Neither one of them wanted to see her in pain, but they needed her to be as mobile as possible. “How did you know they brought me here?” A tear escaped and tracked down her cheek, but she wiped it away before it got too far. Obviously, Yzzi needed to feel stronger and in control, so he allowed it and ignored the tears. “We didn’t,” Tristan answered as he continued to massage her leg muscles. “We were here because of someone else, but apparently, you have a divine guardian looking out for you.” Another rumble echoed in the walls, and a fine dust sprinkled down on them from the ceiling. Liam knew that his men would be

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attacking in earnest by now. “Yzzi, I need to know if you can walk. We have to get out of here as quickly as possible. “I’ll be walking out of here.” Her voice sounded a bit hollow, but he could hear the determination to her voice. Most women would be quivering and sobbing in his arms, but even as a child, Yzzi had a core of steel. Tristan wrapped a cloak around her shoulders and helped to belt her into it. Liam watched, as she looked Tristan over. His lover wasn’t wearing much, and what adorned him highlighted his most delectable areas. It looked like she struggled for the right words before speaking. “That is an interesting choice of attire for a raid.” Tristan tugged at the wide belt that crossed over his broad chest. “I always wear this when rescuing enslaved women.” Liam could always count on Tristan’s ability to diffuse a tense situation. He stepped away and moved to the door, slowing opening it to check the hallway. Despite the screaming and shots that echoed all around them, the corridor remained empty. He turned back in time to see Tristan wrapping an arm around Yzzi’s waist to help support her. He gave Liam a quick nod of reassurance. If Yzzi couldn’t make it, Tristan could easily scoop her up off her feet and run. Drawing a gun from the holster beneath his plaid, Liam opened the door and led them out into the smoke-filled hallway. **** Despite Tristan’s obvious attempt to prevent it, Yzzi looked at the dead slaver as they walked past. A neat hole sat directly between his eyes, and a small line of blood tracked from where the bullet entered. Contrary to the clean shot, a great deal of blood and gore puddled on the floor around his head. A gruesome starburst pattern adorned the wall he had been standing in front of. She shuddered, but at least would never question if the bastard really died. How many times did she wish she had a gun so she could shoot him herself? I would have

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preferred to maim the little bastard more instead of such a quick kill. Horrified, she felt a laugh try to force its way up. “That’s enough looking.” She stumbled when Tristan forcefully steered her away from the body. “I needed to be certain.” How could she explain she needed to see the body? That a large part of her resented the fact that she didn’t get to make the kill. “Understandable, but you don’t need that type of mark on your soul.” She darted a quick look up at Tristan’s face. He looked cold and emotionless, but he couldn’t have known her thoughts. Her legs felt like they were made of water and trembled with every step. She stumbled again. No matter how much she tried, her legs would not work properly. Tristan bent slightly, and she felt herself swept up against his chest. Panic fluttered in her throat. He held her so tightly she couldn’t breathe. “Put me down. I will walk out of here.” “No.” At least his grip loosened enough for her to take a deep breath. “We have to move quickly. Stay still, or I’ll toss you over my shoulder.” Part of her wanted to argue. She didn’t want to admit that they got the better of her. “Tristan, I’m not broken.” “Don’t be ridiculous. No one said you were. The compound is under attack. We are moving out, and fast. Slavers don’t like their merchandise taken away. Our concern now is these dirt mongers may have friends who could show up and help fight back.” This time she didn’t bother to argue, his tone spoke volumes. She looked up to see Liam dart a look around a corner and then lead with his gun. She heard him fire a couple rapid shots before nodding back at them. Tristan pressed her head against his neck. “Close your eyes.” “I am not some weak female who needs to be coddled.” “You are in shock, Yzabeau. Shut your eyes, or I’ll blindfold you.”

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He’d do it, too. She closed her eyes, not wanting to admit that he might be right. Considering what she had survived, she did feel rather numb. At least if Mal or Sean were here, they would have given her a gun and let her fight with them. Tristan snorted, and she heard a muttered “not a chance.” Yzzi opened her eyes and looked up at him. “What?” He glared down at her. “Blindfold.” “All right, I get it.” It’s not as if she could see anything, looking up at him as she did. All she saw, other than his face, was the ceiling rushing past as he moved. The sounds of fighting became louder, screams of defiance mixed in with weapon fire. A morbid scent of explosive mixed with human waste and blood hit her nose. Her imagination supplied a horrifying scene in her thoughts. It felt like the air pressed against her, suffocating her until she gagged. “Breathe through your mouth. We’re almost there. I’ll keep you safe.” She gasped for air and covered her ear with one hand while pressing the other against his chest. Anything to block out the sounds. Nothing would convince her to open her eyes right now. Instead, she concentrated on listening to Tristan’s heartbeat. It pounded under her cheek. The scent of soap, leather, and man tickled her senses. An explosion of light hit her, and she felt herself squint against its intenseness. It felt like it had been forever since she felt the sun’s warm caress against her skin. Locked away in a cage, she wasn’t entirely certain how many days passed since her capture. She peered through her lashes up into the blue sky. A large bird circled above them—no, not a bird. It appeared to be shooting back at those that attacked it. Perhaps she didn’t fare as well as she thought, considering these realistic hallucinations. The vibration of Tristan’s strong steps as he ran pounded through her body. She clutched tightly to his shoulder and buried her face in his neck. The solid pounding turned into a hollow banging as he sprinted up a ramp. Screams and gunshots faded away, replaced by

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the hollering of a crew getting their ship ready for battle. Silence descended around her as the angry noises muffed. She jerked at the sound of a loud explosion echoing outside the walls around her. “It’s all right. We’re returning fire and didn’t sustain a direct hit.” Tristan’s voice soothed her ragged nerves. He’d stopped running but continued along at a brisk pace. “You can open your eyes now, mo stór.” Yzzi slowly opened her eyes, blinking in order to focus. “Where am I?” They moved down a hallway. Stained wood trim lined the lower half of the walls. The upper half above the wainscoting looked to be metal. Tubes ran the length, occasionally disappearing through a small hole on one side of a doorway, only to reappear on the other side and continue on. “Welcome aboard the Apollo.” Yzzi had heard stories about this ship. Unlike her brothers-inlaw’s ship, the Apollo traveled the air currents and could only land on solid ground. She had always wanted to board her for a flight. Despite the situation surrounding her arrival, she felt a small thrill course through her. “May I see the engines?” Tristan gave her the most incredulous look and then shook his head and looked back up. “No. You need rest and time to recover.” “Ridiculous. I’m perfectly fine.” “Fine.” He stopped and set her down on her feet. As soon as her bare feet hit the cold tiles that lined the floor, her knees buckled. All her sense of security fled, and the cold seeped through her entire body. She gripped wildly for the handrail but never had a chance to grab it. Her feet were swept out from under her, and a strong arm gripped her under the knees and around her lower back. “I can walk!” she said, not that protesting mattered a bit to the man carrying her. “Willful chit. You’d have landed on your pretty ass.”

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She wanted to argue and not admit that he was right, because acknowledging a weakness meant she wasn’t as strong as she believed. If she stopped believing in herself then she might as well curl up and dissolve into a sea of tears. Her conscience, which often sounded like her sister’s voice, reminded her of her lack of manners. “Thank you for saving me from that place.” She expected Tristan to acknowledge her thanks, but what she didn’t expect was a kiss pressed against her forehead. Such a simple touch, but she felt its warmth spread over her like a caress. “Do you know if anyone else escaped?” She hadn’t seen many others, but she heard their cries during her incarceration. “We were hired to rescue one particular victim, but our goal was to help everyone escape. I have no reason to believe we weren’t successful. “Because you and Captain Liam never fail?” “Correct.” He pressed a button on the wall next to a door, and it opened with a quiet steamed hiss. “You will stay in here.” He carried her into a large room. It looked the same as the hallway. Metal walls above wood wainscoting with tubes snaking along the wall where it met the ceiling. A large window took up almost one entire wall, but metal panels outside of it impaired the view. “I’m not putting one of your crew out, am I?” “Not at all.” He carried her toward the bed. Large pillows lay across the top, and a woven soft plaid lay over it. It looked so clean and luxurious and incredibly inviting. She wanted to curl up in the middle of it and sleep forever, except she felt dirtier than a street rat. “The facilities?” “This way.” He carried her over to a narrow wooden door and juggled her weight before opening it with one hand. “Thank you.” She waved a hand toward the floor. “You can put me down. I can take care of this myself.” “You needed my help in the hallway.”

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“Tristan, I’d like some privacy.” Could he understand that she had been watched at every moment while in that cage? Denied the simple privacy to answer nature’s basic demands. “Please.” “All right, I’ll wait outside the door.” She gripped the doorframe and handle and used them as an anchor until she felt strong enough to take a few steps and close the door behind her. She heard a muttered “willful chit” before the door closed and a grin pulled at her mouth. She would do this on her own no matter what. The tiny room worked for her because it ensured lots for her to hold onto and keep her balance. She took care of her basic needs and then turned on a tap over the sink to wash her hands. This ship held all sorts of incredible things. After pulling a small towel from the ring on the wall, she soaked it and washed herself as best she could. The towel looked dingy by the time she finished, but at least she felt cleaner. A good long soak in a steaming bath would’ve felt better, but at least now she managed to get some of the grime off her skin. A knock on the door. “Yzzi?” “I’m fine.” She looked up and caught her reflection in a small mirror and blinked in shock. She almost didn’t recognize herself. Dark circles stained the skin around her eyes. Her skin looked sallow, and her hair hung limp against her face. The more she stared at the woman in the mirror, the more she decided she looked like the walking dead. Did she really survive, or was she lying on a stone floor somewhere out of her mind? Would she open the door and find this all to be a dream? Her hands shook as she rubbed harder against the dark stains on her wrists. Why won’t the dirt come off? **** Tristan stood at the door to the lavatory and waited for her to finish. She needed to be independent, but she curled up against his

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chest and trusted him to carry her to safety. She demanded to walk, and he wondered why she insisted on pushing herself all the time. Would she even allow him and Liam to take care of her or would she fight them every step? If it meant earning her trust, she was going to learn that battle they intended on winning. The water turned on and off again. And again. Exactly how long did a woman need in there? The third time he heard the water, he knocked at the door and called her name. A soft whimper caught his attention. He ripped open the door and found her sitting on the floor rubbing at her bruised wrists. She looked up at him, pupils dilated to the point he could only see black. “Sweet mother. Yzabeau, stop. You’re hurting yourself.” He grabbed for the cloth, but she held on with more strength then he thought possible. He should never have let her in here by herself. He grabbed for her hands before she could inflict any more damage. “I can’t get the dirt off.” “Yzzi, stop. It’s not dirt. You’re bruised.” “No, I think I’m cold.” She rubbed her wrists, her hands shaking so violently he couldn’t focus on the specific area. “You are suffering from the shock of what you survived.” She blinked owlishly up at him, but he knew she didn’t grasp what he tried to tell her. She looked so fragile like this, so unlike herself. Tristan admired her self-assured attitude the times he had had an opportunity to speak to her. He didn’t know exactly what she experienced, but he knew she grasped how close she came to death or worse. They never asked how she attained all the valuable information she passed on to them. They would meet a specified locations and she would pass whatever she had on to them. As the hand-offs were often in public places to retain anonymity, they didn’t speak at length. They in turn would take the information to Atlantis and after a thorough analysis, further action was decided.

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He wondered from the beginning how Yzzi managed to keep finding out details and plans for them. Recently, they discovered that her sister Tori obtained some information for her by spying on her exhusband. But he suspected Yzzi now placed herself in danger more often than before. Why else would she do something so stupid and end up in a slave den? “Please, Tristan. I can’t rub it away.” He scooped her up into his arms and held her trembling form close to his body. He feared she suffered more than physical violence from the slavers. But, when she allowed him to hold and comfort her he breathed a mental sigh of relief. If she had suffered excessive sexual abuse then he didn’t think she would have let him touch her. His cock stirred, flexing beneath his kilt. His head understood the complexity of this situation, and how she was on the verge of an emotional collapse. But his body felt the softness of her hips and her heat pressing against him. Now was not the time for this. Calming down from an aggressive situation always made him hungry for a physical contact. Liam would be feeling the same way right about now. “I promise you’ll be safe.” Tristan laid her down on the large bed and pulled the covers up around her. She didn’t respond and rolled on her side and curled up into a tight ball. His cock throbbed, and the need to feel Liam’s hand around it circled around his thoughts “I’ll be back in a bit to check on you. Try to get some rest.” If he hadn’t looked back, he might have made it through the door. But he did, and seeing her staring blankly at the opposite wall made him feel like a self-absorbed bastard. His cock could wait. Seeing her like this caused his erection to falter. He sat down on a chair built into the wall and pulled off his boots before crawling onto the bed with her. She whimpered when he slipped an arm under her neck and drew her close to him. He could feel a deep trembling inside her as if her

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very soul shook in fear. He lay still, waiting to see if she would accept his touch or if he upset her more “Shhh, you’re safe. I’ve got you.” “Don’t let go.” She gripped his hand. “I won’t, mo stór.” He pulled her closer to him, stroking her back to calm her. Her skin felt like the highest quality silk under his hands. Her body fit perfectly against his, such a different feeling than when Liam curled up against him. Soft hips and silky legs, not the muscular hardness he’d grown accustomed to. “I know that word, I think, but I can’t remember what it means. Why can’t I remember?” “It means my precious, something you are to us all. Rest now, and I’ll make you something to eat later.” “Like what?” Yzzi yawned the question. Her body still shook, but he thought it might have subsided slightly. He continued to stroke her in long sweeping touches. “Whatever you want. Toast, eggs, steak...” “Tea?” “The moment you wake up, I’ll have a cup made for you.” She mumbled something, but he couldn’t make it out. Hopefully, she would sleep deeply enough to avoid any nasty dreams. **** Liam paced the length of the bridge as his cock pulsed to the beat of his heart. He had expected this, as it always happened after an intense fight. Tristan felt the same thing after a fight or narrow escape. Knowing Tristan cared for Yzzi in their cabin sent another pulse of heat through his body. A mental image of Tristan slipping his gorgeous cock between her legs blossomed in his head. How would he feel if he walked in there and saw them in bed together? Truthfully, he wouldn’t have a problem with it at all. Any other

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woman and his response would be different, but the thought of her between him and Tristan only made him yearn for more. He had loved Yzzi in different ways for more than half his life. The eternal heat that he felt for her now grew from the innocent friendship of childhood. As a child, Yzzi had always followed him around the village and fields where they lived. Whenever someone pointed out that fact, she pretended that they were simply headed in the same direction. He knew she wanted to learn to fight and often hid in the forest to watch him train with the older warriors. Even at such a young age, he had known she was special. Now after all this time, she didn’t recognize him. It irritated him slightly even though it didn’t surprise him. He’d celebrated thirteen summer solstices to her eight when her mother had crossed over. The entire village mourned the loss of such a kind soul, and then a few short months later they mourned again. This time because her father returned and claimed the Yzzi and her sister, taking them to his home in the New World. Fresh anger rushed to the surface as it always did when he remembered that day. Liam did his best to keep track of them, hoping one day to be reunited with her. Never did he expect that he would have to wait twenty years. Finally now, she resided inside his domain, inside his clan. Here, he ruled as captain and laird for those of the non-clan. His long wait had finally come to an end. He claimed her. Tristan carried her aboard their ship. That made her theirs in every part that counted. Liam ceased his pacing for a moment when the implication hit him. He long ago accepted Tristan as his. To bring a woman into their relationship would be a treacherous thing. But, Tristan would be fine with it. Tristan knew that Liam cared for him as much as he could. Just as he would care for Yzzi. They would remain in his care and protection for the rest of their lives, and he would never betray them. Stepping up to the periscope, he verified that nothing cluttered the clear blue skies behind them. He hadn’t expected anything to be

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following them, but you never knew. A captain who underestimated his enemy soon became a dead adversary. A nagging feeling tugged at his instincts, as if he missed something. The mission didn’t run according to plan because of the unexpected presence of Yzzi, but there was something else wrong. The idea that he missed something important unnerved him. Fatigue pulled at lagging energy and he needed to find solace in Tristan’s arms. One day, he needed to put into words how much Tristan meant to him. Time passed by quickly, and every time he wanted to, something came up. Tristan must realize by now that he cared for him more than simply as a first-mate and friend. “Patrick, you have the helm.” “Yes, Laird.” The younger man stepped up to the ship’s wheel. Despite the fact that the Apollo never touched the water, Liam liked having a ship’s wheel aboard an air ship. He felt there was a certain irony to it. “Continue our course to the rendezvous site at this speed.” Liam strode toward the hallway. “Notify me immediately if we have anyone following us. I’ll be in my cabin.” Confident in Patrick’s abilities, Liam headed toward his room. He diverted slightly through a side corridor and up the stairs to the second level of the ship where the crew’s quarters were located. After knocking gently on one of the doors, it opened with a soft hiss before he stepped through. He glanced down at the young woman lay curled up on the bed. “How is she doing, Mrs. Potts?” “She sleeps.” The older woman tucked a blanket under the woman’s shoulder. “She only came to be in their clutches a few days ago. From what I could get her to tell me, I believe that she didn’t suffer much physical abuse. Emotionally, she is quite shaken up, as you can imagine.” “I’m relieved. I feared the worst after I saw some of their victims.” As he spoke, Mrs. Potts led Liam back out into the corridor, the door closing behind them.

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“What about the woman I saw Mr. Rodor carrying in?” Mrs. Potts acted as the ship’s cook and nursemaid. A kind and gentle woman who also loved to gossip amongst the crew. Until he knew the entire story behind Yzzi’s capture, he wanted to keep her identify secret for as long as he could. “She’s a friend. I sailed with her brothers-in-law years ago. I didn’t know of her capture, but I wasn’t about to leave her there.” “Rightfully so.” Mrs. Potts patted him motherly on the chest. She treated all men under the age of forty-five, regardless of rank, as one of her sons. “You’re a good boy, Captain. I’m going to make up a strengthening broth for them both. They’ll need it when they awaken, and you boys could use it as well.” She graced him with a quick curtsey before heading down the corridor away from the kitchen and toward the general crew quarters, no doubt on a quest to find out more information. Liam stalked through the corridor to his quarters, content to hear the steam flowing through the cylinders on the wall. He often thought of the noise as the Apollo breathing. His ship was like a member of the crew. Liam could tell immediately if his ship was injured or sick. If trouble arose, Apollo’s breathing hitched or changed first, giving a warning. He pressed the button on the outside of his quarters, and the door slid open with a contented hiss. Six months ago, he thought he had Yzzi when they invaded her father’s home to save her sister from murder. But she slipped through his fingers the night her sister Tori sustained a wound from a bullet meant to kill her. Yzzi learned how to deal with such situations, and a great deal more than he suspected. He wanted to insist that Yzzi be taken aboard, but the SeaHawk’s captain Mal, and his first mate Sean, were in love with Tori. When Tori had said she wanted her sister kept safe, Yzzi was welcomed aboard the SeaHawk. What could have happened to change all that? Liam knew without a doubt that Mal and Sean treated Yzzi as a younger sister and would never let her come to harm. Which meant that she must

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have concocted quite the story to get away from them. But why would such a smart woman deliberately allow herself to be captured by slavers? Present situation aside, Yzzi’s bravery and lust for adventure bordered on crazy, but she had never gotten in over her head before. Something drove her to this point, and Liam was bound and determined to find out. Looked like his cock would have to wait. He stood at the end of his bed, looking at the couple curled up in the middle of it. Tristan curled protectively around Yzzi’s smaller body. Even in sleep, he could tell she upset by the frown the marred her brown and the slight whimpers that trembled in her throat. Tristan looked to be sleeping as deeply as normal. But every small distressed sound Yzzi made would have him nuzzling her hair and tightening his hold for a moment. Fascinated by this, Liam stood and watched them. At any other time, if he found Tristan in bed with someone, it would have crushed him, but seeing him holding Yzzi enticed the opposite feeling in him. His cock stirred below his kilt, lengthening in anticipation of both Tristan and Yzzi’s attention. At that moment, Yzzi whimpered in her sleep, effectively killing his arousal better than a swim in the ocean. Should he find another room for now? Liam wasn’t used to feeling uncertain, and he didn’t like it one bit. No, always start as you mean to go on. He slipped his shirt off and removed his kilt. For a moment, he debated on donning something to cover himself but decided against it. He never wore bedclothes and didn’t plan to start now. Thankfully, he had cleaned up while on the bridge, washing the gun powder, blood, and grime from himself. He slipped beneath his plaid and wrapped an arm over her shoulders, resting over Tristan’s arm. A sense of contentment settled deep within him knowing that Tristan and Yzzi lay under his plaid with him. It reminded him that they survived, and more importantly, Yzzi finally lay within his grasp.

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“Sleep, Lass. We’ll keep you safe.” His whispered words must have made it past her dreams because her brow softened and her breathing deepened. She shifted slightly, her leg stretching out touching his. Liam took a deep breath before realizing he had made an error. The combined scent of Liam and Yzzi played against his senses, encouraging a normal physical reaction. How am I going to sleep with this?

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Chapter Three Yzzi floated in the safety of a dream in which she found herself tucked between two large men. Feeling safe and warm were two luxuries she feared she would never have the joy of again. Part of her thoughts worried that when she opened her eyes, she would find herself back in the cell where she dangled from the ceiling as disgusting slavers shoved fingers inside her to ascertain the state of her virginity. She shuddered in revulsion and immediately felt a hand stroke her arm. Warmth slipped through the cracks in her bravery. Did she deserve to be comforted? She deserved the situation she ended up in. Was it any different than the situation she got her sister into? A situation that led to Tori being shot, all because Yzzi deliberately ignored the facts in front of her face until the situation exploded beyond her control. That day could have ended so differently. So many people could have died, including Liam and Tristan. She only learned a few weeks ago that they, too, had been imprisoned with her brothers –in-law, Sean and Mal. If they had died, she knew Mal would have embarked on a mission of revenge that would only end with his death and possibly Sean and her sister’s. All because she withheld information. Information that would have proven her father guilty of horrifying crimes. Only at the time she believed the reports to be wrong. How could her wonderful papa do all the terrifying things other accused him of? How could she ignore the facts sitting right in front of her? She adored her father, and finding out the truth felt like the worst kind of betrayal.

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How different would her life have been if he had left her and Tori in their village? She would no doubt be handfasted by now and surrounded by a few children of her own. Children that she would cherish and never use as bait, or trade for their value. A memory tugged at her, but she couldn’t pull it from the mist that surrounded it. The harder she tried, the more insubstantial it became. Callused fingers stroked gently over her brow, relaxing the muscles gathered there, and lulling her senses. She dreamt of rolling down heathercovered hills, holding her sister’s hand as they ran through their village with the other children and hid in the forest that surrounded their home. Someone searched for them, only it wasn’t a game anymore. A dark shadow settled over her as she clung to the back of her sister’s shirt. No, no I dinna wanna go! Hands pulled at her, yanking her away from Tori…no, not Tori, someone else’s shirt. She gripped the material tight as she cried. An arm wrapped around her throat. The cold eyes of the auctioneer glared down at her, but they were in her father’s face. Yzzi lurched up into a sitting position gasping for breath, fragments of the dream pounded against her thoughts. Her arms trembled as she clutched the blankets against her chest. She sat alone in the middle of a large bed. Part of her longed for the feeling of being surrounded by safety. She should have known that could only be found in a dream. A soft hiss alerted her to the opening of the door, and a portly woman came in carrying a tray. “Oh lovely, you’re awake. I’m Mrs. Potts. Captain told me you were still dead asleep, but I took a chance that you might wake up sooner than later.” “How would the Captain know?” Yzzi vaguely remembered Tristan carrying her to bed. She glanced down at her wrists and tugged at the soft gauzy material wrapped around them. “He’s been in to check on you already. Best leave that gauze alone. Mister Rodor covered them in a salve that will work miracles

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with any bruising you might have. He and the Captain want to make you both as comfortable as possible.” “Us both?” She glanced around the room but didn’t see anyone. “You and a Miss Anderson were both saved from those bloody slavers. Although from what I understand, your being there was a bit of a surprise.” She placed the tray on the bed, and Yzzi’s mouth watered at the sight of fresh fruit and, thank the blessed mother, tea. Yzzi lifted the china cup to her lips and inhaled the pungent aroma of bergamot and vanilla. “I can’t thank you enough for this. This blend is my favorite.” “The Captain and his mister are partial to it as well.” Mrs. Potts moved over to the wall and pulled a small lever down. The metal shutter on the outside of the window slid apart, allowing the sunshine to warm the room. “So, tell me, how did you end up in the hands of slavers? They grabbed poor Miss Anderson as she left her evening prayers at the chapel. The nerve of those evil creatures. They planned to ransom her but then decided that she would be worth more on the block.” Yzzi sipped at her tea and tried not to think about her time at their mercy. Fragments of her dream teased her memory and made her stomach flip over. She tried to remember the peace of her earlier dream when she felt surrounded and cared for. Part of her wanted to argue that she deserved to be in that pit. If Liam and Tristan knew the truth they might have left her there after all. “If it’s all the same, I’d rather not speak about it at the moment.” “Oh, of course, I can completely understand that. You must think me completely hard-hearted.” She gave Yzzi a gentle smile as she tugged at the covers on the bed, straightening out the wrinkles over her legs. “Miss Anderson has found it cathartic to get it all off her chest in minute detail. If you ever need to talk then I’ll be happy to listen.” “Thank you. I appreciate your offer, but I’m fine.” For the last few years, Yzzi depended on her own counsel and wits to take care of

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herself. It would take more than a good cuppa to make her talk to anyone else about what had happened to her. “Is Miss Anderson in a cabin nearby?” Mrs. Potts patted her on the knee. “We made her a small space for her privacy in one of the store rooms. Poor thing. She shouldn’t be in the general quarters after an experience like that. This is the only private room. Mr. Rodor brought you straight here when he carried you in. Now you do your best to rest. You’re safe aboard the Apollo.” Yzzi wasn’t entirely certain she would ever feel completely safe again. “Thank you, Mrs. Potts. I appreciate everything you have done to make me comfortable.” Mrs. Potts shuffled off, and the door closed with a soft hiss behind her. Why would she be put in this room and not in the same space at the other woman? Taking a good look around, she noticed a great many things she didn’t notice the previous day. Taking a slice of melon out of the bowl, she nibbled on it as she looked around. A shelf of medical journals, herbology diaries, as well as a trinket or two. A pair of trousers thrown over a chair. A shirt sleeve hung out of a drawer built into a wall. This must be Tristan and Liam’s own quarters they brought her to. She thought of the odd dream she had when she felt as though she lay surrounded by a male presence. Could that have been real? Did she lay here between both men? A heat built deep within her belly at the thought. What should horrify her, instead made her feel wanton, and she wished she’d awakened much earlier. Slipping down under the blanket, she reached out and traced the indentation in the pillow next to her. She met both men long before the incident that caused her sister’s injury. Liam and Tristan had insisted she come aboard the night she learned the extent of her father’s deception. They and her sisters’ husbands argued over who would be responsible for her. Men! Like they knew what was best for her, but given the recent circumstances, she had to think they might have an idea or two.

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Many times since then she wished she had gone with them to the Apollo, and each man crossed her thoughts a dozen times a day. A strange occurrence for people she’d spoken to only a handful of times. The last time was at her sister’s handfasting ceremony three months ago. It was a loud and rowdy affair that went late into the night. Yzzi excused herself at a reasonable time pleading exhaustion, but really she felt guilty of what could have happened. The gunshot that preceded her sister being injured still haunted her memories. A couple days later, she said good-bye to her sister early in the morning and left before anyone else awoke. Tori didn’t understand why she wanted to leave. Mal and Sean simply would have had her followed until she changed her mind. That would never happen, not after everything she caused. The drive to destroy her father consumed her. Proof is what she needed. Irrefutable proof that the government her father supported and killed for was with men who wouldn’t hesitate in killing or selling anyone who stood in their way. Alexander Trenton, her sister’s ex-husband, tried to kill Tori and almost succeeded. Thankfully, the pirates Trenton handed her over to weren’t as evil as he thought. Yzzi’s initial plan turned out to be almost impossible. No matter where she looked, she found corruption. As with any government, the New World had good men at the helm, but many were fed the wrong information or outright lied to. The natives that inhabited this land before the arrival of the first settlers were to be treated with dignity and respect. The papers were filled with stories of their being given massive areas of land to call their own. Tori learned that, instead of relocating the aboriginals as reported to the government, a group of militia leaders were enslaving them and lining their own pockets with gold in the process. She reached into the bowl in her lap, only to discover that she had eaten all the fruit. Apparently, brooding was good for the appetite. She placed the empty china cup on the tray and shifted her legs to the

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side. They shook slightly when she put her entire weight on them, and her body felt as weak as a newborn kitten. Her memory slowly crept back as she washed her face and brushed her hair. A shiver raced down her spine as she remembered Tristan’s hands on her bare skin. She wanted to feel those hands on her again. He made her forget what happened. It was as if his touch could erase what she experienced in the pits. A shocking image crossed her thoughts of both men stroking her skin. It made her feel warm and damp all at the same time. She might not have experienced that kind of attention on herself, but she wasn’t completely innocent. Many men spilled their secrets while in the throes of passion. Sometimes hiding in a closet could reveal some incredible information, and not all of it had to do with state secrets. That is when she first heard about the slave ring and how much gold they were given to never speak of it. In fact, she remembered hearing about a couple of soldiers who enjoyed sharing their women while bragging about their accomplishments. That conversation burned into her memory hiding between the heavy drapes and the window of a study. She listened as each man bragged the details of their shared conquest. While hiding in the stuffy corner, her body heating up with the conversation. Even then, her first thought was of Liam and Tristan. What would it feel like to have them devote all their attention on her? To have both of them stroking her skin at the same time or taking turns with her. Her body warmed at the thought, and she could feel a deep ache setting between her legs. All from a few thoughts. Not that either of them thought of her that way. Biological curiosity, she convinced herself, that is all it was. The basic mechanics of the act of intercourse she understood, but she knew there was more to it than the cold words in a textbook she once read. She stole that book from a person under investigation for sharing military secrets. She almost asked Tori about the mechanics of entertaining two men, considering she balanced two husbands, but the timing never

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worked out for such a conversation. Having two men in your life meant that you were not often alone. After the shooting, both Mal and Sean became obsessed with keeping Tori safe. Until her father was no longer a threat, Yzzi knew Tori’s husbands wouldn’t let her sister far from their sight. Which meant for now Yzzi’s questions were left unanswered. She slowly made her way across the room and finally crawled back into bed when a soft knock on the metal door echoed in the room. Yzzi pulled the covers up to her neck. “Come in.” The door slid open with a soft hiss, and Liam stepped in. “Good afternoon, Yzzi.” “Hello, Captain McKenna. Please, let me thank you for saving me from that bit of mess I got myself into.” “I’ll never be more thankful for being at the right place at the right time.” Liam strode toward her and flopped bonelessly into a chair near the end of the bed. His presence seemed to fill the room, and it felt much smaller now. His shirt stretched across his broad chest. A swath of tartan, in the same pattern as the one she curled around her shoulders, lay across his chest and pinned at his hip by a large intricate broach. She thought she had her body under control but his presence made her feel as though a blaze was burning inside her. She resisted the urge to fan her face. Perhaps she should ask him to close the shutters again because the sun’s rays were causing the temperature to rise quickly? He moved slightly, and the sun touched on his hair. The ends of the strains blazed a strawberry-shade halo around his head and triggered a hazy memory. She fought to remember but the harder she tried, the faster the memory dissolved. “Yzzi?” He looked at her expectantly. “My apologies.” She racked her brain for a good excuse. “I’m afraid my situation has left me feeling a bit disjointed. What did you ask?” “I wanted to know if you need me to shoot Malcolm or Sean?”

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“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Why would you ever offer such a thing?” “I can’t think of a single rational reason for why you would leave the safety of the SeaHawk unless one of them did something to upset you. How the hell did you end up in a slave pit?” “Wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose. I needed to find an important piece of information, and I knew which room to find it in. Next thing I remember is waking up with a terrible headache and discovering I had been taken from my village.” “Taken from your village?” Liam sat up quickly, and she couldn’t decipher the look in his gaze, except that he focused far too much on her. “Village? What are you talking about?” Yzzi rubbed her arms that felt very cold at the moment. “I didn’t say village. I said they took me from my room, or on my way to a room.” Liam moved in his chair, and his hair moved through a sunbeam, and the haze of red haloed him for a moment. “Yes, you did say village. Do you remember the day your father came to collect you from your home?” “What has that got to do with anything?” Yzzi rubbed her forehead where it began to throb. “I don’t remember anything that far back. I was practically a baby at the time.” Images flashed against her thoughts, too fast for her to comprehend them completely. “Did you come here for a reason?” Even she could hear the waspish tone to her voice and didn’t understand why she felt such pain deep in her chest. “My apologies, Yzzi. I didn’t come here to bring up such sensitive memories.” He moved as graceful as a wild cat she once saw on the Dark Continent. Before she could deny him, he sat on the bed next to her. His hip pressed against her leg. “Mrs. Potts told me you were awake, and I wanted to make certain that you were comfortable.” “Yes, thank you very much for your kindness.” Liam fluffed the pillows behind her and encouraged her to lean back against them.

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Unused to such luxuries, Yzzi lay back on the pillows with a sigh. “That feels much better, though.” Liam lifted her tray from the bed and carried it over to a table. “Good to see your appetite is returning.” “I don’t remember what I ate.” “That’s normal. Your brain is processing a lot of sensory information right now. It’s part of the healing process.” “You sound like you studied medicine.” Liam looked over at her and smiled. “No, I have a brilliant first mate.” He continued over and sat down on the corner of the bed. “We are both concerned about you and want to help.” “I understand, and that is a kind gesture, but really, you don’t need to involve yourselves. If you take me back to my hotel in New York then I will get out of your hair. I’m certain that Mal and Sean will appreciate your taking such care of me, but I assure you it’s not necessary.” Why else would they put themselves out so much other than because of his friendship with her brothers-in-law? “This is more than a gesture, Yzzi, but I don’t want to get into that right now.” He took one of her hands in his. His skin felt hot next to hers, and she felt a flush race through her system. Rough calluses lined his fingers and palm. This was the hand of a strong man who didn’t prance around society eating cake and betraying his beliefs to the highest bidder. “I need you to try to remember what happened before you were taken by the slavers. Even a little bit of information would help.” Blond hair that blazed red around it filled her memories. I grabbed his tattered shirt and begged them not to take me away from him. “Whose shirt did you grab?” Yzzi blinked. She didn’t remember speaking, but Liam held tightly to her hand. “No one’s. Where did you get such an idea? I remember hiding between the heavy curtains of my rooms. Wait, no

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maybe they weren’t my rooms.” She rubbed her temples and wished the pain would go away. “Does your head hurt?” “Yes. Thinking seems to take an abundance of energy and is causing me no small amount of discomfort.” “May I try something? I promise if you say stop, I will immediately.” “What do you have in mind?” Liam tugged at the pillows behind her and encouraged her to slide farther down the bed. He placed one pillow under her neck and head for support and then sat between her and the top on the bed. She looked up at him and could almost feel the strength radiating off him. What had him so angry all of a sudden? “This is rather inappropriate, Liam.” He barked out a harsh laugh, but his features smoothed out when he smiled. “We won’t tell anyone. I want you to close your eyes and relax.” While he sits with my head practically in his lap? Not likely. Wrapping his hands around her jaw, he stroked the soft skin from her chin to her ears. Then he pressed gently against her cheeks and stroked the bones around her eyes, pausing at her temples. There, he circled with gentle slowness. He repeated the series of strokes, one side of her face then the next, but his fingers never completely left her skin. The motion lulled her almost into sleep when she felt the tension in her shoulders drain away. “Feeling better?” His deep voice rumbled softly against her ear. “Yes.” Something stroked her bottom lip, shocking her into blinking her eyes open. “What was that?” Liam looked to be a picture of innocence. His hands stroked down the sides of her neck and along her shoulders. “What was what?” “Never mind.” She closed her eyes half hoping it would happen again. His fingers stroked up the back of her neck, and she felt like

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she floated on a cloud. The soft hiss of the ship reassured her. Laying here with Liam so close made her feel safe and cared about. Just a few moments of peace wouldn’t hurt. Part of her panicked at this, but she pushed the mental warning away. “Yzabeau, do you remember the house party you went to?” “He is a friend of my father’s. Lord Ahern hosted a large ball. I accompanied my aunt there. With that many people in attendance, I knew I could blend into the shadows.” “Does your aunt know what you planned?” “No, she never does. My aunt is more concerned about her next conquest. As long as I keep her secrets and cover for her, she couldn’t care less what I do.” Liam quietly continued to massage her skin. The repeated motion of his fingers helped soothe the anxiety that clawed at her conscious mind. Any unease floated away, leaving her feeling relaxed and safe. She could hear the soft hiss and hum of the ship and Liam’s steady breathing above her. “What did you do?” His voice floated over her like a soft caress. “Do? I’m not doing anything.” “Not now, mo chusile. At the house party. You said you needed to gather information. Whose rooms did you go into?” “I hid behind the curtains in George Boothe’s rooms.” She remembered the stale smell of cigars that hung to the dusty fabric and the way her heart pounded. “I knew he planned to have a meeting with one of the king’s advisors, and I wanted to see if I could find anything out.” “Think of that moment, behind the curtains. Weren’t you frightened?” “Yes…no...I didn’t care.” “Didn’t care if you were found?” “No, because they couldn’t do anything to me I didn’t deserve.” The memory of her sister being shot raced through her thoughts. The

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look on her father’s face as he pulled her away from Tori. She reached over her father’s shoulder screaming for her sister. “Shhh, Stop there.” Liam’s finger continued to make sweeping strokes along her skin, soothing her tight muscles. His low voice rumbled next to her ear. “Whatever you’re thinking of, Yzabeau, I want you to pull back. It’s a memory, nothing more.” “But, I want to remember...” “Not yet. You were at the Ahern house party. Think of the curtains you stood behind. Who else was there?” “No one. They are discussing a new slave den. They want to expand the borders into the west but the aboriginals are fighting back. They plan to send them to the Asian market. Wait, behind me I heard something.” “What was it?” “The window opened,” she remembered the way the breeze felt on the back of her neck before she felt the sweet-smelling cloth pushed up against her face. “What is it?” “I tried not to breathe and push away the cloth, but he’s stronger than me.” I have to hold my breath, but he’s squeezing my chest so tightly. I kick at the curtains, but a cloud of dust billows out of them and stings my eyes. I have to get away so I can breathe. “You’re not there, Yzabeau. This is a memory. Think about the man who is behind you. Who is he, Yzzi? Do you know who grabbed you?” “I don’t know. I couldn’t see anything.” The burning in my lungs is too hard to resist. I’ll take a small breath. It’ll be all right. It tastes bitter and coats my tongue. Looking up, I see my reflection in the window as I try to hit the hand around my mouth. Heavy. My arms feel so heavy. A flash of light. It’s the moonlight on his ring. I know that ring… We’re struggling, and he steps back out of the shadows. The reflection…

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She jackknifed up into a sitting position, panting as if she had been suffocated. Liam cursed at her sudden movement, his hands falling to her shoulders. “Yzzi, are you okay?” “Trenton.” She couldn’t stop the tremors that wracked her body. “He wasn’t supposed to be there. He never allows himself to be linked to those that are part of the pits.” Liam pulled her back against him. Wrapping his arms around her, he rocked her gently. Her ex-brother-in-law caught her eavesdropping, and he must have been the one to hand her over to the slavers. Yzzi knew that Trenton preferred to maintain a distance between those he worked with. Which meant he deliberately set up the meeting in hope of catching her unaware. “Do you think my father knew, Liam?” **** Her quiet words speared Liam in the chest. He didn’t doubt for a moment that her father knew that Trenton dropped her into a slave pit to be sold and abused. But, that isn’t what she wanted to hear right now, and he didn’t have the heart to tell the truth. “No, I don’t think he would have approved that. We both know that Trenton is capable of horrendous things.” “Especially since Sean completely unmanned him the night he almost killed Tori.” Yzzi spoke into his neck, and her soft breath felt like a caress on his heated skin. He wasn’t certain what he planned to do when he started to massage the tension out of her face, but when she slid into the subspace between wakefulness and sleep, he hoped to encourage some memories from her childhood. He didn’t expect her to relive her abduction, but when she did, he thought it better to get what information he could. Never did he expect to bring her such pain. “Having his testicles crushed wasn’t near enough. One of us should have put a bullet in his head that night.”

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“There is always someone as evil and twisted to take his place.” Liam adjusted the way she sat, angling her hips away from the erection he was getting from her being so close to him. He could smell the coconut scent from their soap, and he could easily visualize her between him and Tristan. “They did things to me, Liam.” She hid her face against him as her soft whispered words carved a path through his heart. He hated that she felt violated in any way and wished he known about her abduction sooner. “I know, sweetheart, but you’re a survivor. Nobody can force their way onto your soul.” “No, but I can remember the feeling and the smells.” She burrowed her face into his neck and inhaled. “If I stay like this for a while, do you think you will chase those memories away?” “I can replace them for you.” As soon as the words left his lips, he wanted to pull them back. What am I thinking? He wanted to burn himself onto her memories. He wanted to mark a place on her soul and one day have Tristan make his mark next to it. Yzzi was born to be between them. He lost her once before and vowed to never allow that to happen again. A better man would tuck her into bed and hold her until she fell asleep. But, no one ever accused him of being chivalrous. “Think of my fingers on your skin, mo chuisle.” He ran his hand down her arm and then gently squeezed her hand, massaging her palms with his thumbs. She shivered and leaned closer to him. He continued the rhythmic movement up her arms, squeezing and massaging the muscles in her arms. Her upper arms were more defined than he expected. This type of muscle came from more than simply riding a horse. “You have been in training?” She nodded in response. “In what?” “Archery. I hit the bull’s-eye more often than not.”

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Pressing another kiss to the soft skin behind her ear, Liam made a note of the way she shivered in response. “An elegant weapon. I can imagine you look very intimidating with it.” “As long as I hit what I’m aiming for.” Her words were whispered as she sighed and relaxed further into his embrace. “You made me feel like I’m floating on a cloud.” “Good. Think of that.” He shifted her so that she sat between his legs. Lifting her hair over one shoulder, he pressed his lips to her neck. “Close your eyes, Yzzi, and think of soaring through the clouds.” She pressed back against him and angled her head to give him better access. Carefully, so not to alert her, he gently pulled the blanket off her, exposing her bare legs from under his shirt. He moved them both, easing her down beside him so he could stretch out next to her and have free reign of her body. Her brown eyes opened, and she blinked up at him. Her lips curled slightly at the corners. She truly was an enchanting creature, and he would do anything to make her forget the week’s betrayals. He caressed her collarbone with his fingers and then leaned forward, capturing her lush lips under his own. She responded beautifully to his touch. Her body arched up against his fingers when he lightly danced down her chest and slipped buttons from their holes, exposing her to his view. When his shirt gaped open, he pulled back from the kiss. Yzzi lay exposed to his sight, her milky skin almost luminescent in the light. The tips of her breasts were strawberry-pink circles topped with a tight berry at the tip. Giving into his body’s demands, Liam leaned down and swirled his tongue over her skin. He vaguely heard Yzzi’s moan, and the sound spurred him on. He wrapped his hand around the soft globeshis skin a dark-tanned contrast to hers—and worshipped her breast. She tasted like ambrosia, and he wanted more. Sliding his lips along the satin of her skin, he paid homage to her other breast while sliding

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his fingers across her soft stomach. Reaching the patch of soft damp curls, he caressed them slightly with the backs of his fingers. He stroked so lightly that she arched her hips in a silent demand for a firmer touch. She might not know what she wanted, but her body certainly did, and he was more than happy to oblige. His cock felt hard enough to drive in railway bolts. Soon. Not now, but soon, he promised himself as he dipped his fingers closer to her wet sex and felt the incredible evidence of her desire. Her sweet scent colored the air, straining his control further. He wanted to roll between her legs and bury himself deep within her, stroke after stroke until she came apart in his arms. In his mind’s eye, he could see her with her lips wrapped around Tristan’s cock, each of them plunging within her at the same time. She shivered beneath him. Her hips shifted restlessly as he kissed his way back up her neck to her ear. “You feel so good, Yzzi, so wet and ready for me, Do you know what I want to do to you?” She shook her head slightly, and he felt her hair brush his cheek. “I want to purge any memories of anyone else from your mind.” He dipped a finger into her tight sheath, and she bucked against his hand, gripping his upper arms, her nails digging into his skin. “Liam!” “Yes, mo chusile.” The more he touched her, the more he craved Tristan between them, but would she accept another man’s touch? “More.” He smiled against her skin. “I can give you more,” he stroked his finger gently within her as he traced the delicate shell of her ear with his tongue. “And between Tristan and myself, we will give you as much as you can handle. Would you want that, Yzzi?” He caught a wave of moisture and slid his finger up against the nubbin that stood up begging for attention. He flicked it a couple times and then plunged his finger back inside her. “Tell me, Yzzi. Do you want Tristan here with us, watching as I play with your cunny?”

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“Yes.” The words blurted from her lips when he rubbed his thumb against the stiff little button. He continued to move his fingers inside. Her legs shifted apart and he carefully guided them to rest over his legs, giving him more room while her hands gripped his thighs. Liam continued to assault her senses, building the intensity inside her with every stroke. He watched and learned what she liked to feel and how fast he needed to stroke to build her internal blazes. “Tristan is incredibly oral, Yzzi. He is going to want to have his mouth all over you. I guarantee this sensitive little bud of yours will have his full attention until you can’t stand it anymore.” “Then he’ll stop?” Her question barely registered above a whisper, but her curiosity made him smile. At least he knew what claimed her thoughts at this moment, and it wasn’t the slave pits. “No, he’ll keep going until you fall apart and beg him for more.” He caught her lips again and continued stroking her until her body stiffened up under his ministrations and pressed back against him as she cried out in ecstasy. Her body trembled in his arms but he didn’t stop right away. “One more, Mo chusile.“ “I can’t.” He cupped her breast with one hand and rolled her nipple between his fingers. “Yes, you can.” Pinching the sensitive tip as he pushed two fingers inside her cunt. She bucked and screamed out, her fingers curled into his thigh muscles as she rode out the sensations that coursed through her. His cock felt painfully hard ached to be touched but he didn’t want to overwhelm her too quickly. She lay bonelessly against him as he rolled them both to their sides, curling his body around hers. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and she sighed in response. His lips tingled with the urge to admit the depths of his feelings for her. But, not yet. It was too soon. This was only the beginning.

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Chapter Four “Good afternoon, Liam. I’m so please you chose to join me for lunch today.” Liam wanted to jump up from the table and escape to the bridge, stomping down the urge to make it clear he, under no circumstances, would join her for a meal. He had no interest in anything a spoiled little girl had to say. Normally, he would have eaten long before now, but being unwilling to leave such a warm bed was what caused his delay this morning. He couldn’t stop visualizing the way Yzzi looked when she came apart in his arms. She might have had her eyes closed, but he watched her very carefully. He didn’t believe for a moment that he wiped out every residual feeling she had from her stay in the pits, but he believed that they made a positive step towards their future together. “I’m Captain McKenna, Miss Anderson. I trust you slept well?” “Oh please call me Bethany, as it is only a matter of time before we are on a first-name basis. Why not skip all the silly the formalities?” “As you wish.” He looked back down at the papers in front of him. These newspapers were weeks old, but hidden within the very moral conservative articles were tidbits of information deliberately planted for those who knew to look for it. Liam hoped that hiding behind the sheets of newsprint would prevent any need for further conversation. “Mrs. Potts informed me that you are unable to take me straight home.” Apparently, he was wrong.

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“The Apollo mechanical stores need to be refilled, and that will require a brief stop at another location. I apologize for the delay this will cause in your reuniting to your family, but I’m afraid that it cannot be helped.” He wasn’t about to take the Apollo over any states ruled by the New World. Too many rumors of their advanced developing antiaircraft weapons had filtered through the ports. He had a pre-arranged meeting point with Kass, and there, they would discuss how best to return everyone to a safe haven. At the very least, perhaps he could persuade Julien to arrange her transport home? “Wouldn’t you agree, Liam? Captain McKenna?” Liam didn’t have a clue what she was speaking of so made an uncommitted noise. Hopefully that would be enough of an answer for her. “I appreciate your wanting to get to know me a bit better before everything. I think it will be better for our future this way.” Wait a moment. I should be paying attention to this. “In what way will our knowing each other be advantageous?” Miss Anderson snickered from behind her hand and then reached out and smacked him on the arm. “You’re so silly. I know you enough already to know when you are kidding.” Considering he hadn’t spent more than a couple minutes in her presence since she came aboard and this was their longest conversation, she didn’t know anything about him. Liam gathered up the papers in front of him, suddenly feeling the need to get out of the room and quickly and as far away from this girl as possible. She obviously mentally suffered from her days in the slave pit. “Thank you for the conversation, Miss Anderson, but I’m much needed on the bridge.” “Yes, of course. You go right ahead, and I’ll make certain all the details are taken care of.” “Yes…well…thank you.” Poor girl is going mad.

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She sat and sipped her coffee, humming an odd melody completely off-key as Liam exited the room. As he strode down the hall away from her, he could feel the tension draining from his shoulders. He needed to get that mad little princess off his ship as soon as possible. He stepped over the entry onto the bridge, determined to make the quickest course to their destination. Tristan sat in one of the two large chairs that occupied the space, looking over some weather charts. He pinned Liam with a guarded look, “I wondered where you were. You normally eat sooner than this.” Liam followed Tristan’s gaze to the napkin in his hand. In his rush, he left the table still holding onto his coffee. They normally took meals together, and he wondered if that is what caused Tristan’s look. “I spent some time talking to Yzzi and almost missed lunch. I would have been later, but our guest arrived at the table, and I find her presence steals my appetite. He glanced down at the charts spread out in front of Tristan. It looked like clear flying to their island rendezvous point. “We’ll have to be careful with her for a while.” “To whom are you referring?” Liam looked up from the current weather charts spread over his desk. Tristan stood bent over a table plotting out their next course. His gaze lingered on the other man’s hard ass, and he felt his balls tighten beneath his kilt. After having him act as his toy yesterday for the slavers, Liam ached to bury himself between those tight globes. “Yzzi. With everything that has happened to her, the emotional trauma she endured will take a toll on her.” As if he read his mind, Tristan stood up and leaned back against the table, the heel of his hand rubbing idly against his crotch. “I think you’re grossly underestimating her.” “You’re kidding, correct?” Tristan pulled the charts out of view, forcing Liam to look up at him. “Liam, I know that Yzzi has a strong

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character and is no shrinking violet, but anyone would be traumatized after being in the hands of slavers.” “You can’t compare Yzzi to any other woman.” He pulled the papers out of Tristan’s hands and spread them out over the table again. He wondered if he should have left her alone and not explored her luscious body. Did he do more harm than good? “She’s unique. She’s always been unique. The more you try to tell her to not to do something, the deeper she will dig in her heels to prove you’re wrong.” Tristan frowned at him with a look on his face he couldn’t quite decipher. “How long have you known her, Liam?” “We’re from the same village, although I’m certain she doesn’t remember me. She was practically a baby when her father came and took her and Tori from us.” The pain he felt from that day still burned like acid in his chest. “You never mentioned this before.” Liam shrugged. His past held enough pain that he avoided reliving any more than he had to. “It was a long time ago and I didn’t see the point in bringing it up.” “I remember Tori saying once that Yzzi was eight to her nine when they were taken from the village. That isn’t a baby, Liam. She should still have some memories of that time.” “Leave it alone, Tristan. If she does, they have been buried and for good reason. Trust me, it wasn’t easy to let her go.” Old anger that never truly went away smoldered in his chest. That day changed his life and forged the man he became. “I fought a number of men that day trying to get to the ship before they sailed. I planned to kidnap her right back, but there is only so much a thirteen-year-old can do against a raiding party.” He rifled through the weather charts, not seeing a damn one. His thoughts focused on memories that her presence woke up and the bitter emotions that came along with them. A heavy hand came down

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on his shoulder, pressing him to turn. As soon as he saw the calculating look on Tristan’s face, he knew he’d slipped up. Tristan leaned close to him resting a hand on either side of his hips. Effectively, he trapped Liam in place. “I’m not in the mood for this, Tristan. Don’t push me.” “All right, I know that look, but answer two questions for me. That’s all I’ll ask for now.” Liam stood there and crossed his arms over his chest, forcing Tristan to step back. As much as he liked to believe otherwise, he knew there was very little about body language that Tristan missed. No way would his closest friend and lover let this drop now. “Tell me, Liam. Why would a man bring a raiding party to reunite with his daughters? And why would a thirteen-year-old be responsible for leading a retaliation party against a man claiming his daughters?” Liam felt as though his throat had closed up and drawing in a breath became an increasingly difficult action. Tristan never wavered in his observation of his face, and Liam knew he would catch every emotion that he allowed past his guard. He swallowed tightly and forced himself to speak. “I misspoke.” “No, no, I don’t think you did.” Tristan stepped closer and rested his hands on Liam’s hips, forcing himself into Liam’s personal space until Liam relaxed his arms and wrapped them over the other man’s shoulders. “We have been together long enough that I know some subjects will cause you to shut down completely. This is the first time you have ever let something slip in relation to your leaving your clan.” “Tristan, there are some wounds that never fully heal, and ripping them open is never a healthy choice. Please, drop it.” “All right, I will, as soon as you answer my questions.” Liam clenched his teeth together until his jaw ached and then leaned forward resting his forehead on Tristan’s shoulder. Tristan’s hands methodically slid up and down his back in a soothing motion.

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Liam drew strength from Tristan’s touch, and his lover understood that. He knew damn well that Tristan would out wait him, no matter how long Liam tried to dodge the subject. Why should I? The realization washed over him. Had he been there, Tristan would have fought by his side that day. Liam couldn’t find the words to tell Tristan how he truly felt, but perhaps this could be a start: “My clan did nothing when that New World bastard showed up.” Tristan’s hands paused when Liam started speaking but then immediately resumed the rhythmic movements on his back. “At the time, I didn’t think to question how he knew she no longer lived. I don’t doubt he would have killed their mother if she hadn’t already crossed over. All I do know is that our laird turned over those girls, and no one except me lifted a finger to stop him.” Pain ripped at him, Tristan’s continued stroking the only thing that managed to keep him grounded. His eyes burned with tears he refused to shed. Holding onto the pain helped fuel his anger, and he wasn’t ready to let go of that yet. “My own clan held me back after they pulled her out of my arms. I heard her cries in my head for years after that. When fate crossed our paths again, I realized she had no recollection of me or what happened. Why would I bring those memories back to her?” “So you carry the weight of guilt for something you had no control over.” He clenched handfuls of Tristan’s shirt as the old memories played across his mind’s eye. “I was a man. I should have fought harder.” “Sweet mother, Liam. You weren’t much more than a child, and you know it. What the fuck would you do to a thirteen-year-old boy who tried to attack you? There would be no competition. If anything, not finding her saved your life. It gave you a chance to grow into a man strong enough to face her father.” Tristan cupped his jaw, his thumbs moving over Liam’s damp cheeks, brushing away the evidence of his weakness. He would never

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have left himself exposed like this in front of another soul, but then Tristan knew him better than anyone. “You’re not weak.” Tristan frowned at him. They were matched in height so their eyes were level with each other. Liam didn’t bother questioning the comment. Tristan knew him so well he had to understand what he felt and why he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. Instead, he leaned forward and claimed his lips. Tristan’s hands stayed on his jaw, and Liam took the opportunity to stroke him boldly down the chest. “I couldn’t stop them.” His hands clenched in Tristan’s hips. “She screamed my name over and over. I fought harder than I ever had in my entire life, and it wasn’t enough.” Liam felt Tristan’s tongue on his cheek, licking away the hot tears that slipped passed his iron control. “Is this why you insist on spending so much time raiding slave pits? I often wondered what drove your need to save every single person we discover alive.” Hearing Tristan put it that way made him wonder if there could be some truth behind Tristan’s theory. He never turned down a request to save someone from the slave pits regardless of their political position. They created the plan to obliterate that particular pit weeks ago. Rescuing Miss Anderson dovetailed nicely into their objective. “Liam, you saved Yzzi.” Liam heard the words, but a fury as old as his didn’t want to listen but had to agree. He might not have been able save her all those years ago, but he did now, and by the gods, she would never be placed in that kind of danger again. He met Tristan’s lips. The hunger he always felt for the other man rushed to the forefront of his instincts. He found a new clan in his love for Tristan and in the way the crew followed them. His life focused on liberating as many slaves as possible and destroying the pits that held them. He never wanted another family torn apart because they had a sister or daughter stolen from them.

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Tristan brushed aside Liam’s kilt and dropped to his knees in front of him. Gripping his cock in one strong hand, he stroked Liam from root to tip. Tristan’s large hand felt hot against his skin. The movement sent a shiver along his body. He reached back and gripped the table edge he leaned against. “I am yours, Liam. I pledged this to you long ago, and I still stand by my word.” Tristan leaned forward engulfing the head of Liam’s cock in his mouth. The hot suction caused Liam’s hips to jerk involuntarily. Tristan took him deep into his throat and then slowly retreated. “I will fight by your side in defense of our family. I am yours as you are mine.” Tristan ended the vow by sucking Liam into the back of his throat. Hot, wet, and harder than a cylinder of granite, Liam gripped Tristan by the hair and jerked his hips. Tristan kept up the pressure, driving Liam closer and closer to losing his mind. Liam felt Tristan nudge one leg, and he widened his stance for him. He gasped for air now, unable to draw enough in. Moans escaped his throat as his hips jerked in unconscious activity. A white hot sensation burned its way up his legs to his cock. Tristan had an uncanny ability to know when Liam drew close to finishing and could send him over the edge much too quickly. “Stop it.” He gripped Tristan by the hair and pulled him off. In a practiced movement, Liam dropped his kilt and pushed Tristan over the table. He flicked open the buttons that ran down the front of his trousers, straining under the pressure of his hard cock. “I have to get you to wear a kilt more often. It makes this so much easier. “Why would I make it easier on you when I know you thrive on a challenge?” Liam pulled the fabric down Tristan’s muscular legs and then slid his hands up to grip the tight globes of Tristan’s ass. “Sweet mother of all, Liam.” Tristan kicked on leg free of his pants and then relaxed his stance, giving Liam the room he needed to kneel between Tristan’s legs. Scoring Tristan’s ass with his nails left

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lovely red lines on his skin and caused Tristan’s to jerk his hips forward. “Hold still.” Pressing his thumbs into the tight muscle of Tristan’s ass, Liam exposed the sensitive rosebud with his tongue. A tortured moan escaped from Tristan, but Liam refused to be distracted. He licked the tight bud with long strokes, nipping at the sensitive skin behind his testicles. “Blessed...sweet…mother…” Tristan shook under Liam’s hands. He swirled his tongue against the puckered skin and felt a tremble echo under his fingers. “Stay there. Don’t move.” Liam walked over to a drawer and retrieved a crystal vial from inside it. He popped the cork, and the scent of tropical oil and patchouli scented the air. He liberally covered his fingers as he returned to where Tristan bent over the table edge. “Fuck, Liam, don’t tease like this.” Tristan’s voice shook slightly, and Liam laughed to himself. After all the years together, Tristan still had no patience. “Mo cariad, always in a rush.” He stroked the crack of Tristan’s ass then pushed closer with his slippery fingers, pressing two then three past those tight rings of muscle. His own cock pulsed hard between his legs knowing what awaited him. He dribbled more oil down Tristan’s crack as he fingered his ass, making certain that tight hole became well-lubricated. “Now, please, Liam.” Tristan pressed back counter to the stroke of Liam’s fingers. Convinced he used enough oil, Liam stood and pressed his cock against the tight ring of muscles. Tristan took a shuddering breath, and the muscles relaxed, allowing Liam to slip within. Tristan’s body gripped his cock like a molten glove. The exquisite sensation radiated through his body as he pulled back and then slipped deeper within his lover. Tristan grunted and pressed backward, wanting Liam to bury his cock deep into him. Home. That is what this feels like. Liam reached around and wrapped his fingers around Tristan’s thick cock,

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stroking the velvety length to the same rhythm, matching his movements in his ass. “Mother of all, Liam, if you keep this up, I’m not going to last.” “Good.” Liam withdrew and then plunged deeper, faster. “I want to feel you tighten around me.” He ran his thumb over a tear of moisture perched on the tip of Tristan’s cock. As Tristan looked over his shoulder, Liam lifted his thumb to his own lips and licked the drop off. Tristan reached back and gripped for him, pulling him forward. Liam gladly followed his unspoken request. He claimed his lover’s lips and pressing his tongue between his lips to dance with Tristan’s. It was a wild kiss, each fighting for more from the other. Liam broke away first, leaning back he slid his fingers down Tristan’s spine and around his hips, feeling the muscles shift under his caress. “I want you to hold me tight when you come, Tristan.” Liam arched his hips and pressed deep into Tristan’s ass. His entire world narrowed down to the two of them and the heat surrounding him. “Hold me tight, Tristan.” He flexed and drove deep again. “Never let me go.” “No. Never!” Tristan’s body squeezed every inch of Liam’s cock as he came. Holding onto one hip, Liam pounded his lover and followed him over into paradise. “I want Yzzi between us.” Tristan’s whispered words hung in the air between them, alive and pulsing with possibilities. “She will be.”

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Chapter Five Yzzi wasn’t certain what to expect when she followed Mrs. Potts outside the ship. She’d asked Tristan earlier, and all he said was they were meeting a couple other ships and checking over the passengers they rescued and then arranging for them to be returned home or to somewhere safer. It felt wonderful to get off the ship for a bit and smell the fresh air. She couldn’t get her emotions to calm down much. One minute she wanted to curl under the covers and cry, and the next she wanted to rail at Liam for destroying the pit himself without giving her the opportunity to help out. Scanning the immediate area, she saw a second air ship similar to the Apollo. The same person must have manufactured them. She would have to ask Liam later about that. There were three other ships in the large field. The steady rush of steam and hot air sounded around her as they kept their air bladders full. With the number of people milling about, she found it easy to pick out those that were victims of the dens. Many were clothed as she was. They looked starved, and for some, the horrors they experienced echoed in their empty eyes. Liam stood out as he moved around, directing different groups to each of the two ships they rendezvoused with. Miss Anderson hovered behind Liam, looking down at the other women and men rescued from the slave pits. Yzzi could feel her blood boil at the look on the other woman’s face. Her nose wrinkled and she sneered in disgust when one woman stumbled and reached for her as support. Bethany shuddered and batted the woman’s hand off her arm as if she was a bug. The poor woman looked down and stumbled

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away. Bethany acted as if they were beneath her. Had she forgotten what they all endured? Liam strode along, his kilt gently swaying with his movement, tempting her to slip her hand beneath and discover what she thought about ever since she woke up from her nap. He glanced over at her, but then looked away a moment later. The way he made her feel this morning died a cold death at his indifference. She knew that Liam’s first love had to be Tristan, but how could he make her feel so incredible and then act as if nothing happened? Granted, I practically begged him to do it, but did he find it that distasteful? Was it because he knows what they did to me in the pits? Did he discover her secret? A voice in the back of her head chanted the need for her to go and wash. Could she scrub away the feeling that the slavers left on her skin? The waves that rushed up the beach called her. What if she used a handful of sand? “Yzabeau?” Her name yanked her out of the dark hole her thoughts pulled her toward. Glancing down, she noticed the gloved hand wrapped around her arm, holding her. “Are back with us?” “I didn’t think I went anywhere.” Yzzi looked at the beautiful woman who gripped her arm. “Do I know you?” “No, my name is Kassandra McGuin, but you can call me Kass. The look on your face concerned me, especially when I saw you heading out this way.” With that comment, Yzzi’s surroundings snapped into focus. The roar of the waves sounded so much louder, and she could feel the mist from their tremulous brake against the beach. “How the hell did I get here?” “Come on.” Kass let go of her upper arm and slipped her arm around, linking theirs together. She led them back up the beach toward the line of trees. “The sun down here is quite strong, and I don’t think you want to be out in it too long.”

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Yzzi followed Kass’s lead back into the shade before stopping. “Kass, what happened?” “Sometimes when a person has faced a violent event or has been inflicted with it, your mind needs time to adjust. To absorb what you have experienced, and at times, a person tends to get lost in a thought pattern and not be able to snap their way out of it.” “Like sleepwalking?” She thought that is what she felt like a moment ago. “Yes, very much. It’s a look I have seen on many people, and when you wandered off, I wanted to make certain that you were okay.” “I remember thinking I could use the sand to scrub my skin.” Yzzi shook her head and rubbed her eyes. “That is so ridiculous and stupid.” “No, not at all, and you’re not the first one to think that.” Kass’s eyes held such understanding that Yzzi had to wonder if this woman had ever faced the same thing. “The important thing is to remember that you survived, and they can’t hurt you anymore.” An image of the slaver’s dead body flashed in Yzzi’s memory. “I was fine this morning. Why this? Why now?” “I’m afraid I don’t know you well enough to know why this time it affected you so deeply, but I promise you it will get better with time.” “Thank you, Kass. I appreciate your help.” “Think nothing of it. Liam has been a good friend to me for a very long time.” Yzzi felt a sharp tug of jealousy pull at her thoughts. She could never compare to Kass’s incredible beauty. Her ebony hair was plaited in tiny braids all over her head and then swept up into a complicated design on her head. Small jeweled pins kept the braids in place. Yzzi recognized the workmanship and wondered what weapons lay hidden behind them. She met the craftsman once and had a piece

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commissioned for her sister, but as far as she knew Tori never had an opportunity to use them. “I saw the look on his face when he saw you in the pits and knew you were important to him.” “He’s friends with my brothers-in-law, Mal and Sean.” “No it was more than that…” Kass gave a bit of a shrug. “But perhaps that is a better discussion for another time.” Yzzi glanced around, spotting Tristan speaking to a couple of large men. She didn’t recognize them, but judging by their tattered clothing, it looked as though they had been part of the rescues. “I didn’t know the slavers were interested in men.” “They’re interested in anything that will bring a price.” Kass’s tone iced over. “They grow bolder as time goes on and aren’t held accountable for their actions by the government.” She listened to Kass as she watched Tristan interact with the men. She couldn’t hear the words, but according to what she could tell by their body language, the rescued men wanted revenge and were angry. Tristan listened to what they said and seemed to be able to calm the rage that vibrated in an attempt to erupt. “He’s very good at talking to people.” “Yes, he is. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve cried on that broad shoulder before.” Jealousy stabbed harder, this time making Yzzi want to grit her teeth. She had no right to pass judgment on anything that happened before or in the future, but hearing Kass speak about Liam and Tristan on such intimate levels bothered her. Yzzi glanced over at Kass and couldn’t help but frown at the woman’s grin. “What?” “Wow, you look like you want to scratch my eyes out right now.” She held a hand in front of her mouth and coughed, obviously trying to hide more amusement. “Why scratch when I’ve found that a direct hit with one’s fist is much more effective?”

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That comment made Kass laugh out loud. Yzzi never appreciated being the brunt of a joke as the other woman’s laughter made her feel. Perhaps she would prove to the perfect Kass that she wasn’t kidding. “Oh, I hope you and I become great friends, Yzabeau.” Kass lifted an elegant gloved hand and wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye. “I truly do like you. Placating people’s egos is incredibly tiring and I think a complete waste of time. It’s nice to meet someone with the ability to cut through the bullshit.” Yzzi might not like the way Kass spoke about Liam and Tristan, but she liked her blunt honesty. Did she have any right to be angry when all Kass did was call her on exactly what she felt? A weight lifted off her shoulders, and she felt a bit freer. “I don’t believe that particular trait has endeared me to many people.” “Then they aren’t worth knowing.” “Who isn’t worth knowing?” Yzzi looked up at Tristan, having not heard him come closer. “People who scare easily?” “Depends on what they are afraid of.” He lifted a hand a cupped her cheek. “How are you feeling this morning?” “Better, thank you.” Tristan’s hand felt warm on her cheek, and she couldn’t help but lean into the feeling. “Perhaps you can tell me when I’ll be going home. Liam seemed distracted and didn’t say earlier.” Kass rubbed Yzzi’s upper arm. “If Liam and Tristan have other priorities or commitments, then allow me to offer my ship. I can take you where ever you would like to go, Yzzi.” “Kass, if Yzzi needs to be rescued, then Liam and I will do it. Stop trying to interfere.” “I have no idea what you are speaking of, Mr. Rodor, and I do believe you have hurt my feelings with that accusation.” Yzzi grinned at Kass’s overdramatized response, a smile that didn’t dissipate when she noticed the way Tristan’s eyebrow drew together, wrinkling the skin between his eyes.

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“Perhaps you will be kind enough to extend the invitation to Miss Anderson?” The words shot past Yzzi’s lips before she thought first. “I would rather cover myself in honey and roll on a fire-ant hill.” As she spoke, Kass glanced in the same direction that Yzzi looked. Miss Anderson’s disgusted facial expression hadn’t changed until she looked over and realized that she was being watched. Then the revulsion melted away, and she flounced over in their direction. Liam already strode towards them. His kilt swayed against his strong legs as he moved. It was something Yzzi didn’t think she would ever tire of watching. There was something so enticing in the way he moved. It was as if his entire body radiated strength and vitality. Miss Anderson tacked in his direction and slipped his arm through his as though she belonged there. He didn’t spare her any mind but did alter his pace to her speed. “I don’t understand how she can act the way she does.” Yzzi pitched her voice low enough so that only Kass and Tristan heard her. “Because, she doesn’t understand the depth of emotion that the other passengers are dealing with. That twit is about as deep as a puddle after a summer rain.” “Or she didn’t experience it.” Tristan’s word were spoken soft enough that only the three of them heard. A cold nausea rushed over Yzzi. He had a point. No one who spent any time in the pits being touched and exploited could recover as quickly. Aside from her words, they had no reason to believe that Miss Anderson faced anything remotely close to that experience. But who was she to judge? “Given her station in life, she would have been trained from a young age to hide her true thoughts. She might be hurting terribly inside.” “You have a kind heart, Yzzi.” Tristan pressed his lips against her fingers. He lowered her hand but didn’t let it go. There was something comforting in holding hands. It made her feel like she would never have to stand alone again.

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“I believe I will contact my people, and see if there is any more information on this woman.” Kass picked up her hat and slapped it against her thigh before placing it back on her head. “Please let us know as quickly as you can. We are due to rendezvous with the Atlantis in a day’s time. I prefer not to have the bitch aboard.” The shadow of her hat blocked the expressions on Kass’s face, but she nodded her head slightly before striding away. “Liam.” Yzzi watched as Kass touched a finger to her brim and then kept walking, ignoring the woman hanging off his arm. “Is everything all right?” he asked. “When Kass looks that determined, it usually means she is about to kick someone’s ass.” “Everything is fine, Liam.” Yzzi wasn’t the only one who noticed the unusual lack of endearment in Tristan’s tone. Liam gave him an odd look as well. Miss Anderson sniffed at Kass’s retreating back. “I expect that having to take care of herself is taxing on her. She really shouldn’t be seen in breeches like that. It’s very unladylike.” Liam looked down at her and pulled her off his arm. “Miss Anderson, if you would return to the ship. I need to discuss some particulars with Tristan. “What about her?” Bethany nodded in Yzzi’s direction. “She isn’t part of your crew. You rescued her when you spared me from a fate worse than death. Why do I have to go and she stays?” “Because she can add something intelligent to the conversation.” Tristan’s dry comment caused Miss Anderson to gasp and tears pool in her eyes. “That’s a frightfully horrible thing to say.” The woman spun on her heel and rushed back to the Apollo, the sound of her tears echoing in the trees around them. “What has gotten into you, Tristan? You’re not normally that much of an ass.”

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“And you are normally more observant, Liam.” Tristan let go of Yzzi’s hand and stalked away. His anger apparent in the stiff way he held his shoulders and stomped against the sand. Liam turned to her as if she had the answers. Given the situation annoyed her as much as Tristan, she wasn’t inclined to make it any easier on the man. “Figure it out.” She turned on her heel and followed Tristan into the trees. Following Tristan wasn’t a problem, the man stomped through the underbrush like a bull elephant. It didn’t take long for her to catch up to him. “Tristan, wait.” He stopped and held out his hand. “Come, I want to show you something.” “Do you think we should tell…” She glanced over her shoulder half hoping to see Liam behind her, but he hadn’t followed when she walked away from him. “Absolutely not. I’m more inclined to trade punches rather than speak to him now. “I think I might share your inclination.” Yzzi slipped her hand within his larger one and let him lead her through a dense cropping of overgrown palms. Not too far away, they stepped out of the vegetation into a small clearing. “Oh my god, it’s beautiful.” A narrow river rushed over large rocks creating a dozen mini waterfalls. Lush plants lined the river’s edge, brightly colored blossoms, larger then Yzzi had ever seen, hung over the water from vines that grew along the branches above them. She took at few more steps forward, the sun shone over this oasis, the water so clear one could see straight down to the rocks at the bottom. “Come in for a swim, mo stór. There aren’t any creatures you have to worry about, and the water feels incredible.” Tristan walked past her, and she felt her mouth dry completely out. While she admired the scenery, he stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the river, balancing on the large rocks. She drank in his muscular body and felt her body warm, her pussy dampening between

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her legs. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought him to be one of Rome’s statue’s come to life. He braced himself on the edge of one boulder and then slipped into the water. He disappeared below the surface, but she didn’t have any problems seeing him. He lifted his face as he broke the water’s surface and allowed the water to wave his hair back off his face. Blinking away the droplets, he looked over at her and then smiled. “Yzzi, you look like a fish. Come swim with me.” She snapped her jaw shut and glared at him. “I don’t think that is a wise idea.” Her thoughts drifted for a moment to the dark place she walked the edge of earlier. “I think it would do you a world of good.” He drifted over to the edge and moved to lift himself out. “Wait!” A mischievous grin crossed Tristan’s lips, but he didn’t move. He’s arms flexed, and he sank back down into the water. “Why? Are you going to try to tell me that you’re shy?” “No, of course not.” Yzzi answered his unsaid dare and stripped out of the blouse and skirt that Mrs. Potts found for her to wear. Standing in only a thin shift, she decided to leave it on. Better an attempt at being proper than none at all. The water felt cool against her heated skin when it rushed over her ankles. The rocks were covered in a soft moss, making them a bit slippery. “Grab onto the rock next to you, and be careful.” Tristan pointed out the same place he held onto when he made his way across. She followed his suggestion and moments later slipped into the same pool of water. “Oh my, I feel like I’m floating in silk.” The current kept the water rushing around them but in the lee of these bounders, the pool remained calm. She relaxed and let herself sink below the surface. The water closed in over her head, and the world quieted to nothing but a soft hum. Everything felt so peaceful under here. A long-

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forgotten memory floated to the surface of her thoughts, and she grasped at it. She felt a large hand wrap around her upper arm and pull her to the surface. “Hey, you know you have to breathe at some point.” Tristan’s look was colored with more than a little concern. “I’m fine. I couldn’t help but think about when I was little. Tori and I used to have contests to see who could stay under the water the longest.” “Really, and who won?” “I don’t remember.” Yzzi allowed Tristan to pull her close and wrap his arms around her. “I don’t remember much at all from my childhood. I used to think that was a normal occurrence, but now I’m not certain.” “What do you remember most from your childhood?” He let her drift away from him but held her hands so she didn’t go far. She wanted to pay attention to Tristan’s questions but the temptation to look down through the crystal clear water and peek at his body was a large distraction. “Feelings, really, and such sadness. I remembered a game that Tori and I used to play. It’s the first time I have recalled something like that. I guess we must have only been about five or six at the time.” She twisted and allowed herself to slip back and float on the water. Tristan held onto her hands, and she enjoyed the way the water lapped against her skin. Tristan’s fingers trailed up her arms, still holding on but stroking her at the same time. She felt herself being towed back, and then his shoulder slipped under her head, supporting her further. “Why do you think you are remembering things now?” “I imagine I might be ready to remember.” “What is different now?” His fingers trailed along her spine under the water, wrapping around her waist and up her sides. Warmth spread throughout Yzzi’s body, pooling between her legs. Right or

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wrong, she wanted to feel Tristan’s hands on her stroking her in places that made her want to shake. “Perhaps subconsciously, I know I can handle the truth?” She kept her eyes closed and wished the memories to surface. “But no matter how hard I try, I can’t remember anything else.” “Stop trying so hard. Think of something else,” his low voice whispered in her ear. Easier said than done. “Really? Like what?” “How about the fact that I can see every delectable inch of you while you float here.” Yzzi gasped and glanced down at herself. Sure enough, the thin fabric had gone completely transparent in the water and stuck to her like a second skin. Her breasts sat above the water’s surface, and the darker tips of her nipples stood out in sharp relief to the fabric. “And you let me float here like this!” She struggled to get away from him and sink back under the water, but Tristan hugged her close. “Why not? I enjoyed the view.” His amusement was apparent in his voice, but then so was the hard length of him pressing against the crevice of her bottom. She cursed herself for not opening her eyes underwater when she had a chance. “That’s not very fair.” The words escaped her lips before she had a chance to stop them. Tristan let go and spun her around so he could look at her. “Mo stór, you are welcome to explore every inch of me. Take your time. I don’t mind.” “But Liam—” “Is being an idiot and needs to see what he has right in front of him.” Tristan pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers. She gripped his shoulders to stop from sinking, and he deepened the kiss. With his hands on her bottom, he pulled her closer to him. His cock was a solid thick length that pressed against her lower stomach. Vibrations dance along her nerves and echoed in the folds between her legs.

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His tongue stroked hers with a possessiveness that made her feel as though he wanted to keep her. She couldn’t help but rock against his length. Her body felt restless and electrified. Tristan ended the kiss and trailed his lips along her jaw and nipped her lightly on her earlobe. “I, on the other hand, am not an idiot.” Yzzi felt her laugh bubble up inside her before it spilled over her lips. After what she had experienced over the past couple days, being able to laugh felt like the most precious of gifts. She tipped her head back and laughed. Her body tingled with the combination of happiness and arousal. Tristan pulled back, his gaze searching her face as he smiled. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh like that.” “It felt good.” Yzzi couldn’t wipe the grin from her face if she tried. Her spirit felt light, as if she finally realized that she had survived and was truly safe here with Tristan. “Thank you.” “That is simply a start to my pleasures.” Tristan lifted her up onto a rock and stood between her legs. The water rushed over her hands where she braced them on either side of her hips. She wasn’t certain of his plans, but it couldn’t be what she thought it might be, could it? He leaned forward and laid his hands over hers before pressing a gentle kiss to the dip at the base of her neck. His lips trailed along her collarbone and up along the muscle of her shoulder. She angled her head away from him, exposing her neck as he moved closer. “Um, Tristan?” “Yes?” He caught her lips with his, kissing her with a passion she had never experienced before. Despite the coolness of the water swirling around them, her body felt hot, her pussy throbbed to the beat of the gentle waves lapping around them. She wanted him to touch her and ease the ache she felt. “What about Liam? I thought the two of you…” “Let me worry about him, mo stór. For right now, I don’t want you to think of anything but how I’m making you feel.”

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“But earlier today…” The shocked look on Tristan’s face stopped her words in her throat. She felt the rush of heat to her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I thought he would have said something to you...” “No, he didn’t. That explains why he was late for lunch and why his attention is so distracted today.” The last thing Yzzi wanted is Tristan doubting Liam’s feelings toward him, and the small amount of pain she saw behind her eyes scared her. “He asked me if I wished you were there.” “And what did you say, Yzzi?” “Yes.” Tristan’s smile made her insides liquefy. “I didn’t want you to think that he betrayed you.” “You’re the only person in the universe he can touch that would not be a betrayal.” He moved closer and pressed his cock up against her, the sensation arrowed straight to her throbbing clit. The air rushed out of her lungs at the intense pleasure. He pressed against her, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips to prolong the contact. Capturing her lips again, his tongue slipped past to tangle with hers. He stroked her tongue to the same rhythm as his hips rocked against her, increasing the friction against her pussy. All the while, he pressed her hands against the rock beneath her. “Please, let me. Touch you,” she whispered against his lips when she could manage to take a breath. “No.” Tristan’s arms shook, and his fingers curled around her palms. “If I let go of you, I’ll be balls deep within you a moment later. I’m not going to fuck you on a cursed rock for your first time.” His voice sounded harsh and gravelly against her lips, and it sounded more like he spoke to himself rather than her. Regardless, his base words excited her to the point that she dug her heels into his thighs and cried out against him. He reached between them and eased his fingers into the folds between her legs finding the aching pearl hidden within. She gasped for breath as he began to stroke her, running circles around that sensitive spot that she didn’t know existed.

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Heat flooded her pussy, and she felt as though a large wave washed over her, carrying her to the sky. She screamed out his name as she rocked her hips against his fingers. Tristan lifted her off the rock and pulled her into his arms. He held her close to his chest, breathing harshly against her shoulder as he moved along the edge. He moved her easily as he sat down on another rock and pulled her into his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and tried to figure out what had happened. His hard length pressed against the side of her thigh, and she wiggled slightly against it, causing Tristan to groan against her hair. “Don’t do that, please. It’s hard enough already.” “Would you like me to—” “No. Please, mo stór. If you touch me, all my honorable intentions will float away on the current.” Yzzi couldn’t help but wonder about Tristan and Liam’s relationship as she sat curled up in Tristan’s lap. She didn’t want to come between them, but in truth, that is exactly where she wanted to be. **** Liam crawled along the underbelly of his ship and inspected it for any damage that might have occurred from stray bullets as they escaped the slavers. Normally, he would have one of the crew do this, but he needed to keep busy. Anything to keep him from marching into the bush after Tristan and Yzzi. He knew damn well that Tristan took her to the river, and knew damn well that Tristan would be naked and wet. The way the water trailed over the man’s sculpted muscles made him look like a god come to life. That mental image combined with the addition of Yzzi’s wet naked body had his cock aching for relief. Jealousy wasn’t the problem. The agitation that coursed through him was a direct result of his imagining what the two of them were doing, and he wasn’t involved or at the very least watching. That

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thought gave him pause. It would be easy enough to sneak down to the river and see—No. He pressed the heel of his hand against his hardening cock. They needed time together to see if their feelings matched, just as there would be times he would want to be alone with Yzzi or alone with Tristan. He wanted them to care as deeply for each other as he did for them. There was a distinct possibility that she might not accept both of them they way he wanted. Yzzi had been independent for a very long time, and he shuddered to think how many times she placed herself in danger before and narrowly escaped. She belonged with them, but he wanted Tristan to care for her as much as he did. He ran his hand over a couple blackened areas on the metal skin of his ship, but there wasn’t any damage to the hull, merely residue from missed shots. Why the hell were they mad at him anyway? They couldn’t be jealous of Bethany, could they? She was a simple girl, helpless and rescued from a nightmare. If hanging on to him for a couple days made her more secure than what could it hurt? She was harmless enough, and she would be gone in a day or two. As soon as they could get to Atlantis and pass her off to Julien’s men, the better. Satisfied that the Apollo didn’t sustain any dangerous damage, he crawled out from underneath and dusted his kilt off. He glanced over at the small trail where Tristan and Yzzi disappeared earlier. Tristan would have taken her to the grotto. There wasn’t a more peaceful place in the world to hold someone in your arms and feel the water rush over you both. Is that what they were doing, or had Tristan succumbed to her presence? Again, he waited for a punch of jealously to strike, but instead, an overwhelming need to join them ripped through him. He wanted to sit on the rocks with each of them curled up on either side of him and simply relax into the moment. “Captain McKenna.” A young man called out as he walked closer. Liam noticed his stride looked a bit unsteady and forced. He wore

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nothing but a ragged pair of pants tied closed at the waist. His skin pulled tightly over his ribs, highlighting each one. A visit to the grotto would have to wait. “What can I do to help you?” As the man approached, Liam’s estimation of his age dropped. Liam was certain his features when healthy would hold a soft, feminine look. The boy’s eyes looked wild and empty, the dull stare of a soul that struggled to come to terms with the horrors it had experienced. “Sir, I would like to request to be a part of your crew.” Liam kept his facial expressions neutral. “I see. I don’t normally allow strangers on my ship as part of the crew.” “I understand that, sir, but if I’m on your ship, then I wouldn’t be a stranger long. My name is Henry Collins. I want to raid the slave dens with you. I want to help free others.” He held out a hand, and Liam engulfed it in his own, feeling the trembling of his limbs. Half starved and desperate to regain some sense of pride. Liam was impressed with the boy’s strength of character. “How long were you held captive in the pits, Henry?” What little color the boy held in his face faded out from the memories that obviously plagued him. “I don’t know, sir. I lost track after a while. I was his personal…” The boy’s voice caught in his throat as if he couldn’t go on. “It’s all right, Henry. You’re not anymore, and the pit master is dead.” A flash of hope crossed the boy’s features. “How do you know?” “Because I was there when Mr. Rodor put a bullet between his eyes and splashed his brain matter against the wall.” A small curve of a smile teased the corner of Henry’s mouth. “I will have to give Mr. Rodor my thanks.” “No thanks necessary, I promise you that.” He nodded toward Kass’s ship. She stood there on the ramp, her arms crossed over her chest. Liam suddenly realized that she sent the boy to him in hopes of

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relieving him of some burden. “For now, I want you to board the Aphrodite and go where Captain McGuin takes you. She will make certain you’re safe, I promise you that. When you’re healthy and strong again, Henry Collins, you send word to me. We’ll see about finding you a position on my ship. All right?” Henry looked over his shoulder at the other ship and then back to Liam. His eyes had lost a bit of the hollowness to them. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” The boy turned to walk back toward Kass’s ship. It was then that Liam understood the unsteadiness to the boy’s gait. A myriad of cuts and bruises marked him from shoulder to below his pants. Lash and cane marks that should have crippled him, but the boy still moved under his own power. Bile burned at the back of his throat at the sight. He wished he hadn’t ordered Tristan to kill the pit master so quickly. That could have been Yzzi if they hadn’t gotten to her when they did. He didn’t protect her before, but he would now. She was on his ship, and that is where she would stay, even if he had to lock her in a storage room. Not long after he returned to the ship, Yzzi and Tristan boarded again. Liam watched from the large windows in his quarters as they walked hand in hand across the grass. He could see the way Tristan teased her and see her responding laugh. He wanted her eyes light up like that when she looked at him. It was terrifying knowing that the two people he cared most in the world were now with in his sphere. Their presence created a massive Achilles heel for his enemies to exploit. It would be easy to take him down if either of them were hurt. He’d crawl into a bottle and never come out. Without the two of them in his life, it wouldn’t be worth living. Yzzi’s hair looked wet, and Tristan’s clothes stuck to damp patches of his skin. He walked with his shirt open, the breeze blowing it back from his chest. Liam knew how incredible his skin felt under his lips, smooth as the finest silk over the tightly packed muscles of

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his chest. He fought the urge to drag each of them into this room and demand they tell him exactly what happened at the grotto. Better yet, they could re-enact everything for his viewing pleasure. Now that had potential. A knock sounded behind him, forcing him to turn away from his view. “What is it?” he snapped when he hit the button to open the door.

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Chapter Six Miss Anderson stood on the other side, tears coursing down her cheeks. “Everyone is so mean to me. I want to go home!” She threw herself against Liam, crying against his shirt. “Um, my apologies for my tone,” he patted her back awkwardly. “We will be taking you home, Miss Anderson. There is one more stop that needs to be made, and then I’ll take you back to your family.” “I want to go now!” She stomped her foot, the thud echoing down the empty hall. Where the hell did everyone go? He needed someone to pass the sobbing female off on. “All I’ve done all day is cry. I’m all alone, and no one cares at all.” “I care, Bethany, and you have to understand, you’ve been under a great deal of stress. It’s only natural that you would have some problems with your emotions. Have you seen Mrs. Potts? I’m certain that she can help you.” He watched each end of the corridor, hoping for some kind of rescue. Bethany wrapped both her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. “I only feel safe with you, Captain McKenna. You really care for me. I know you do.” Liam tried to pry her arms from around him but gave up when it became obvious that she had no intention of leaving. “Why don’t I walk you to your room? You have time to lie down before dinner. I’m certain you will feel better then.” He moved down the hallway, wondering how he could get down the stairs with her wrapped around him this way. “You could stay with me?” “Um, no, I cannot. I’m needed at the wheel. It’s my shift.”

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Turning the corner, he came face to face with Yzzi and Tristan. The smiles melted off their faces when they noticed the woman hanging off him. “Help me,” he mouthed at Tristan, but his first mate shook his head and walked away. Yzzi gave the woman a dirty look before turning the same on him. What the hell did he do to deserve that? All he wanted to do was get the twit back to her bunk. He looked back over his shoulder at them, but Bethany started crying at that moment, loud enough to echo down the hall. He scooped her up and quickly went down the stairs to the room they converted for her. Placing her on her feet, he again had to force her arms from around his waist. “I’m needed above, Bethany. We can’t take off unless I’m there. I’ll send Mrs. Potts to you.” “No, that’s not necessary. I’ll rest in my room as you suggested. Thank you, Captain. You are a wonderful person. I wouldn’t be alive without you.” Her eyes welled up with tears again, and Liam quickly excused himself before she jumped at him again. Poor girl really is losing her mind. He heard the door shut behind him as he rushed back up the stairs. A warm breeze blew in from the bay doors, bringing in the lush tropical scents from outside. He could hear the sounds of Kass’s ship taking off. A few more items needed to be checked, and then they would be on their way as well. Liam never wanted to leave anything to chance, and he methodically went through the ship running over a mental checklist of items that needed to be checked before they lifted off. “Patrick.” He called out to the younger man he spotted in the corridor. Patrick joined the crew, recently having been tossed out of his clan for revolting against his laird. It was a situation that Liam understood personally, and when he sat down with the young man, he learned that the clans were slipping into an ancient habit of feuding with each other. If they didn’t join together, they were going to find themselves taken over by the moralists they battled against. “Sir?”

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“You have the wheel. Take off as soon as you’re ready.” “Yes, Captain. Mr. Rodor is below checking the counter-attack measures, and Mrs. Potts asked for a five-minute delay. She wants to gather some more fresh fruit for our stores before we take off.” “That usually means she is in the mood to bake.” Patrick grinned, looking younger than his twenty-one years. “That is what I’m hoping for.” Liam returned his smile. “Get us up as soon as she is back aboard.” He headed straight to his quarters. He wasn’t certain what to expect when he walked into his rooms unannounced, but seeing Yzzi curled up in front of the window playing with a large hibiscus flower never crossed his mind. “It’s rude to walk in without knocking.” “Not when it’s my room.” Her cheeks flushed into a deep attractive blush as she set the flower aside and turned back to the windows. “Are we leaving soon? Shouldn’t you be at the wheel?” “It won’t be long now, and I have every faith in Patrick to get us off the ground safely.” The words weren’t completely out of his mouth when the Apollo let out a long sigh and began to hum. The hum grew in intensity until it throbbed like a heartbeat before relaxing back into the normal calming hiss that he was used to. He sat down on the other side of the bench and watched the look on Yzzi’s face as the Apollo lifted from the ground and began its ascent into the clouds. An incredibly normal occurrence that Liam experienced a thousand times, but watching the expressions on Yzzi’s face made it feel like the first time again. She watched the ground disappear below them as they moved out over the water. “Why do you fly over water? Wouldn’t it be safer to stay over solid ground?” She wasn’t looking at him, and Liam found that amusing. Did she think he would be jealous? “With the anti-air weapons that have been developed, I feel safer over the water. We’re less likely to be shot out

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of the sky. Also, the sun is going down. I don’t have to run the boilers so hard to keep us elevated. Staying over the water also relieves the concern of possibly flying into anything. ” She nodded, and they fell into a companionable silence. He watched the water slide by underneath them and heard her gasp when a dolphin jumped out of the sea only to disappear a moment later. Liam took this opportunity to simply look at Yzzi. She didn’t appear to have any lasting physical injuries from her time in the pits. Other than looking a bit thin, and the discoloration on her wrists, she looked to be doing well. Her emotional state he knew was much more fragile. Regardless of how strong he knew her to be, she needed to know that she wasn’t alone anymore. She had two men to take care of her, and the quicker she accepted that, the better. “Did you have a nice swim with Tristan?” Her gaze jerked to him, eyes wide. The color drained from her face, only to be replaced a moment later by a deep blush. “Um, well, yes. The grotto is a beautiful place.” “Tristan discovered the particular place a long time ago. We stopped in that precise spot to make emergency repairs. When they were finished, he wandered off looking for a fresh water source.” “Are you angry?” While Liam liked to see the concern in her eyes, he was relieved. Yzzi still didn’t understand what both he and Tristan wanted, but should he tell her when Tristan wasn’t here? “What makes you think that?” “Because we were together, alone…” Her gaze shifted away from him as a darker flush crept up the delicate skin of her neck. Determined to put an end to this, Liam got up and moved to where Yzzi sat. He didn’t take any pleasure from her discomfort. It was counterproductive to his plans. Scooping her up, he placed her in his lap as he sat down again. The setting sun cast a warm glow against her face and lit up the golden highlights in her red hair until she looked like a sunset surrounded her face.

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“You are incredibly beautiful, mo chusile.” He cupped her face in his hand and dropped a quick kiss against her plush lips. “Do you have any idea what you do to me? I have wanted you for what feels like an eternity, and Tristan feels the same way. We both want you to be in our lives.” “But I don’t know how to act…” “Because you and Tristan had some time together this afternoon? There will be times when I want you to myself, and the same goes for Tristan.” “I don’t understand how either of you aren’t jealous. If I was Tristan, then I would be furious if you were intimate with another woman.” “All right, let me ask you this. Does it bother you that I enjoy having Tristan in my bed?” “No, of course not.” “What if Miss Anderson was in my bed?” Liam knew the answer before he finished the words. Yzzi wore her emotions on her face like the setting sun reflecting off it. “Never mind, I can already see that you aren’t happy with that, just as you weren’t happy to see her hanging off me earlier. The point I’m trying to make is that you will never be in any other man’s bed other than mine and Tristan’s.” “I’m not saying that this is forever, but I don’t want to come between you.” “You’re looking at this relationship as a straight line.” Ignoring her comment would save his sanity for now because he was in no mood to argue with her about forever. “You, Tristan, and I are a circle. We’ll stand beside each other, not in front of each other.” He let her think on that for a bit before pushing her a bit more. “Tell me about the grotto. Did you sit on the rocks or swim in the lee of them?” “I sat on the rocks, and Tristan convinced me to come swimming.” “Did he strip in front of you?”

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She darted a quick look up at him before shaking her head. “No, he did that behind me and then walked in front of me.” Liam grinned down at her. “He has a delicious-looking ass, doesn’t he?” “I thought about taking a bite out of it.” Laughter bubbled up inside of him, and he wanted her to tell him more. “Are you certain you are all right with this?” Given the circles she grew up in, Liam wasn’t surprised by her hesitation in understanding their relationship. Taking her small hand, he pressed it against his pants over his rock-hard cock. “Can you feel how hard you are making me? I want to hear about what he did to you.” Yzzi curled her fingers over the bulge in his kilt. “Then I guess you want to know how he sat me on the rock and pressed my legs wide apart.” The visual image slammed into his imagination, and he wrapped his hand around hers, halting any movement. “Stop.” “I’m sorry.” She snatched her hand away, crossing her arms over her chest. Liam knew immediately that she misunderstood him and grabbed her by the hips to stop her from slipping off his lap. She pulled back into herself so quickly, her body stiffening up so she could hold herself away from him. “Yzzi, you are allowed to place any part of your body against mine. For a moment there I feared I might act like an inexperienced youth. I underestimated the effect your words would have on me.” She continued to look over his shoulder and out the window, but at least she darted her gaze to him after a moment or two. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against the pulse that fluttered at the base of her neck. He wanted her to share stories of what she and Tristan did together, but it might have to wait until he earned her trust back. “Do you know that Tristan took me in that grotto?”

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Liam caressed her skin as he spoke. She felt like silk under his fingers as he lightly stroked her collarbone. “It was the first time I ever allowed him my back. The first time I trusted another human being to stand so close behind me since I left my clan.” He looked up and found her staring down at him. She ran her fingers through his hair. “Why did you leave your clan, Liam?” He fought the initial urge to tell her everything. Now wasn’t the time, though. “Now, that is a sad tale for another time. Nothing I want to think about now I have you back where I want you.” A soft hiss alerted him to the door opening. Tristan walked in, and it took him a moment to scan the room and see where they were sitting. Liam’s heart tightened the same way it did every time Tristan walked into a room. He survived losing a great many things in his life. But with Yzzi in his lap and Tristan in front of him, he realized his vulnerability. If he ever lost either of them, he wouldn’t survive it. “You two look cozy.” A look crossed over Tristan’s face that Liam couldn’t decipher. It vanished so quickly he couldn’t be certain it wasn’t a trick of the dimming lights behind him. “Come over with us and discover for yourself.” Tristan strode across the room to them. His gaze moved over both of them, a slight curling to his lips. “Why is it every time I see you there is a woman hanging off you?’ “I’m not trying to escape this time. Why the hell didn’t you help me earlier?” “How long till you take her home?” Liam didn’t have to look up at Yzzi to know that she was now frowning at him. “We are heading in that direction now.” Tristan sat down next to them on the bench and pulled her legs up so her feet rested in his lap. “I want to refuel in Atlantis. If I can’t convince Julien to take care of her, then we will carry on to the predetermined rendezvous spot and drop her off.”

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“You’re taking me to Atlantis? Really?” The excitement in Yzzi’s voice made him smile. Atlantis never failed to impress him as well. She wriggled in his lap, and his body reminded him of what he really wanted to be doing. Tristan met his gaze, a knowing glint in his eyes. Damn, he loved that man. Say it later, at the perfect moment. He watched as Tristan stroked the side of Yzzi’s face with the backs of his fingers. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she leaned slightly into his caress. Liam felt his cock jump up against her thigh. The heavy material of his kilt separated them, and he longed to feel her skin against his. “Did you know, Liam, that our Yzzi has the silkiest skin I have ever touched in my life?” Yzzi’s eyes opened, and she flicked her gaze back and forth between him and Tristan. He could fell her nervousness and uncertainty, but she needed to know that they wouldn’t hide anything from each other. The earlier thought of watching the two of them tickled his memory, and he decided to sit here and let Tristan take the lead. “Really?” Stroking his fingers along her neck, he nodded in agreement. “Much nicer than silk.” “Not there.” Tristan sat down on the bench next to them and lifted a mass of hair off the back of her neck and kissed a line along her shoulder. “Her skin is like cream, but this isn’t the softest part.” Liam watched Yzzi’s reactions to Tristan’s caress, half afraid that they might be pushing her too fast, but she melted against him and closed her eyes. Such blatant submission fired his blood, making him want more. He unlaced her bodice, allowing the neck to open wide enough that it could be slipped from her shoulders. “This must be where you felt it.” He bent his head and kissed the swell of her breast, flicking his tongue out to taste her skin. Licking the satiny smoothness of her creamy skin made her shiver in his arms. Yzzi’s head dropped back, forcing her chest to arch toward them. Her

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eyes remained closed, and he wondered for a moment if she was embarrassed of her reactions to their ministrations. Tristan leaned forward and pressed his lips against the swell of her other breast. “No, it wasn’t here either, although this is very close. “Perhaps we should find a more comfortable position for her as we search. This may take a while.” Liam grinned at the soft moan that escaped from her lips. “I think that is a fine suggestion.” Sweeping her up into his arms surprised her enough that she looked up at him. He expected uncertainty in her gaze, but instead, she looked dazed and perhaps a hint of apprehension. He lifted her until her lips met his. Sliding his tongue between her lips, he took possession. She was his, and they would both take her body and soul. Placing her on the bed, he continued to kiss her as Tristan slipped the shirt from her shoulders, and as he slipped it over her hips, he took her skirt with it. She shivered slightly, but he didn’t think she felt chilled. Looking down, he watched Tristan nuzzling her stomach, pressing kisses along her waist to her hip where he nipped at her delicate hip bone. “Oh my. What are you doing?” She grabbed for Tristan’s head, but Liam caught her hand and pulled it over her head, trapping both her wrists in one of his hands as he stretched out next to her. “I know I felt it around here somewhere.” Tristan’s voice floated up from where he laid a path of kisses along the top of her thigh where it met her hip. Her gaze met his, and thank the gods he noticed the flash of humor in her passionate eyes. “I warned you he’s very oral.” Liam cupped a breast in one hand and marveled at how perfectly it fit his hand. Tipped with nipples like ripe raspberries he bent down and flicked his tongue over it. Yzzi tugged weakly at her arms but didn’t fight him. She shivered again and whimpered softly, her eyes closing. Liam moved up until his face was equal with hers. “Yzzi, look at me.”

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It took a moment, but her eyes fluttered open, and her gaze met his. The golden brown of her eyes was almost swallowed by her pupils, and she looked completely dazed. “Are you all right?” Nudging Tristan with his leg, he waited until their lover looked up before continuing. Concern colored his features, but Liam shook his head slightly before turning his attention back to Yzzi. He kept her wrists in a loose grip. If she wanted to break away, she could. “Are you all right?” Color flushed her cheeks, and she nodded. He hated pausing, but with everything she had experienced in the pits, he wanted her to know she was in charge of what happened right now. “Good. I want you to say something if you aren’t comfortable. Tell us to stop, or say no and we will, I swear. You understand?” “Yes.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “Perfect, then I want you to spread you legs for Tristan.” She gnawed on her lower lip for a moment, and then he felt her shifting. Tristan had since stood up and no doubt doffed his clothes the moment she nodded her agreement. As he suspected when he looked, Tristan lay naked between her legs. He pressed kisses against her inner thigh, slowly moving upward to her core. “I’m getting closer.” “Leave your hands where they are, Yzzi.” He let go of her and quickly undid the belt on his kilt and allowed it to slip to the floor as he pulled his shirt over his head. Stretching out along her, he cupped her breasts and ran his tongue along the underside of them. Yzzi shivered and arched up against his mouth. Not about to ignore that silent plea, he cupped the soft mounds and laved their tips with his tongue. Dividing his attention between both turgid peaks. He watched Tristan move closer and closer to her pussy. When Tristan reached those wet delicate folds, her entire body arched up in a silent scream. Her hands gripped his arm as her body curved inward. Tristan opened his eyes and looked at Liam over her mound, and Liam decided that was the most incredible sight he’d ever witnessed.

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Yzzi continued to shake under their ministrations as Tristan sucked on her folds. Liam gripped the base of his cock, fighting the pressure to explode over her soft belly. Tristan lifted himself up, and Liam leaned forward and met his lips. Her essence burst across his tongue when he swept it into Tristan’s. Cupping the other man’s face, he allowed his passion to reign as he devoured the taste from his lover’s lips. “Beautiful.” The soft word permeated his senses. Breaking the kiss, he looked down at Yzzi who lay between them, her eyes soft and her body languid. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you two are when you kiss?” “I imagine it’s only a fraction of how you make us feel.” Tristan shifted, and Liam took his place between her legs. He settled down, and the heat of her body scorched a line along his aching cock. Tristan stretched along side her, tilted her head, and claimed her lips. She would be tasting herself in that kiss as he had moments ago. As much as he would have loved to watch, his body demanded he take was lay in front of him. Tristan made certain that she was relaxed, and he would be as gentle as possible. He slipped his fingers between her legs and slid one finger into her tight sheath. She griped him tight, and all he could think about was how she would feel wrapped around his cock. Sliding his fingers through her delicate folds he massaged her cunny. He slipped a second finger into her depths and curled them upwards rubbing her inner walls as he stroked. “Oh Liam. Oh…that feels…” Moisture flooded his fingers, making his cock throb painfully. “Wrap your legs around his hips, mo stór.” Tristan licked her neck and whispered enticing thoughts into her ear. The need to possess her rode him hard, and he clenched his teeth to maintain control. Liam placed his cock at her entrance and rocked slightly. Her body opened for him, and he felt the first hint of how incredible this would feel.

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She instinctively tightened around him, and he paused until she relaxed again. After what felt like an eternity, she grew used to his presence, and he felt himself ease into her a bit farther until he was stopped. The idea that he and Tristan would be the only men to have her fed his possessive soul. A jerk of his hips pushed him past her maidenhead and deep into her. She cried out and gripped his arm with her hand. The other clutched Tristan’s hair where he bent, worshiping her breasts. Liam could feel beads of sweat roll down his back, but he was determined to make certain she enjoyed every moment of her first time. It felt like the devil himself rode his back, urging him to claim her body, but he stayed completely still, allowing her body to get used to his presence. “Mo chusile?” “Move, dammit!” Her hips shifted restlessly against him. Thanking every god he ever heard of, Liam arched his hips, sliding almost completely out of her. “No, don’t go.” He felt the pricks of her nails on his arm again. “Never, mo chusile. You are mine forever now. I’ll never let you go.” He jerked back into her, loving the sounds of pleasure she made. He looked down at her, the back of Tristan’s head blocking most of the view of her chest. Spearing his fingers through the other man’s hair, he held tightly onto the two people he loved most in the entire world. Tristan moved down her body, and Liam knew that he teased her folds and continued to pay homage to her body. She shook, and he felt the rhythmic clenching of her body around his cock fluttering up and down his length, driving him mad with desire. When he felt Tristan’s tongue slide along his cock as it moved from her body, he knew he wouldn’t last any longer. He let go of Tristan’s hair and gripped her hips, pulling her hard against him as he allowed himself to be pulled under. He jerked inside her until she milked every drop from his cock. Collapsing beside her, he pillowed his head in the crook of her neck and ran his fingers down her satiny skin in long strokes. “Oh, I

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can’t…I don’t think…yes, please.” Liam opened his eyes and watched as Tristan lifted up from her mound. His lips glistening with her moisture, he positioned himself between her legs. Yzzi arched up into his touch, and Liam cupped one of her breasts, playing with the hard nubbin perched on top. “You’re ready for him, aren’t you, mo chusile?” Tristan lifted one of her legs and draped it over his shoulder. “Yes, I’m fine. Oh, please, Tristan, I want you, too.” “You have me, mo stór. I am forever yours.” Liam remembered Tristan saying that to him the day in the grotto. Those words embedded themselves onto Liam’s soul and convinced him that he could love again. He almost said the same thing back to him now but didn’t want to take away from this moment between them. “Tristan is a bit thicker than I am. You’re going to feel every inch of him this way.” Tristan moved in a sensual dance as he entered her. It was a beautiful sight that Liam loved to watch. His own cock hardened again, and he gripped his with his hand and began slow luxurious strokes to match Tristan’s movements inside of Yzzi. Their movements became frenzied, and he thoroughly enjoyed watching the two of them become lost in each other’s eyes. The love he saw there echoed in his own heart, his feelings rushing to the surface. They were both his forever, and as they reached the pinnacle of their passion, his voice joined theirs in release. **** “I’m going to check in on things on the bridge.” Tristan’s words floated against Liam’s skin like a caress. He lifted his head slightly and was gifted with a soft kiss against his lips. “Don’t be too long. I’ll sleep better if you’re here, too.”

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“As soon as I’m certain everything is still running smoothly, I’ll be back.” The soft hiss of the door announced Tristan’s departure, and Liam’s decent into sleep faltered. Damn, I didn’t tell him I love him, too. I’ll do it as soon as he gets back.

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Chapter Seven Liam dozed with Yzzi curled up against his side. Her gentle breathing brushed across his chest where her head was pillowed. Tristan had been gone for about three-quarters of an hour. Too long to simply be checking things out on the bridge. Despite the incredible experience of sharing Yzzi with him, Liam knew that Tristan was holding back and he wanted to know what exactly was bugging his first mate. Moments after he decided to go and find the other man and beat some sense into him, Tristan arrived. The door opened with a hiss, Tristan leaped through as soon as his large body had enough space. “Liam, we have trouble. We have a hunter on our tail.” Whether it was the volume of his voice or that Liam immediately snapped away, Yzzi also stirred from her sleep. “A hunter?” She slowly looked back and forth between them, obviously trying to figure out what they were talking about. “We occasionally drop sensors behind us, and if one of them is disturbed by another ship, it sends a warning to us.” He explained as Tristan walked toward them. “By dropping another, we can tell if we are being followed. It’s a new device that your brother-in-law developed, and we are testing for him. “Wouldn’t they be friends of yours? The New Worlders would never take to the skies.” Tristan stroked a hand down the back of her head. “No, mo stór, they wouldn’t, but they will pay people who will.” “It wouldn’t happen to be the SeaHawk, would it?” Liam might be grasping at clouds, but there must be a reason for that. No one knew

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of their meeting place. “Mal would take the job simply to mess with us.” “Have we ever been that lucky?” “Fuck.” “I’m heading to the gunnery.” Tristan pressed a kiss to the top of Yzzi’s head and then another on Liam’s mouth. “I’ll stop by the engine room and tell Geoff to boost the power as best we can. Our only choice right now is to try to outrun them or lose them in the clouds. “What else can we do?” Yzzi asked as Tristan left. Liam moved them both to their feet, and they quickly put on some clothes. “Not much, I’m afraid. Until I know what it is they want. The problem is we have to wait till they are closer before we can find out, and by that time, they will be in firing range.” Instead of rewrapping his kilt, Liam pulled on a pair of black trousers and stomped into a pair of boots. Finishing before her, he tied the laces to her skirt while she quickly did up her top. Liam kept Yzzi’s hand in his as he left their rooms and headed the short distance from their room to the helm. Once there, he nodded at Patrick and headed for the periscope. “How do you know they aren’t friends? It could be someone you know in a new ship.” “We never approach each other this way. Coming up behind someone like this is a threat. It they knew us, they would have come in on our flank and drawn up beside us. Appearing directly behind us and trying to catch up means they want a fight.” “Can we give them one?” Patrick asked from his position at the wheel. Liam looked through the periscope and watched the quick flare in the dark behind them. The sensors were simply small delicate bags of minerals suspended by an inflatable balloon. They hung in the air, and when the ship struck them, the envelope broke, allowing the luminescent powder to splash against the ship. Enough sensors had

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been broken that he had a good idea of the size of the ship behind them. They turned from the periscope to look at Yzzi, “Oh they are going to get a fight they will never forget.” “Beginning evasive maneuvers…” “Wait.” Liam held up a hand, and everyone fell silent. “Do you hear that?” Something caught his attention, but it wasn’t a voice. He strode over and placed his hand on one of the pipes, listening closely to the steady sound course throughout the ship. For a moment he thought he might be hearing things, but then it happened again. The Apollo’s breathing hitched slightly, and the pipe beneath his fingers vibrated somewhat before smoothing out. “Fuck, something’s wrong.” Liam bolted from the helm and raced for the stairs. With a hand on each banister, he lifted his feet and slid down its length to the lower level and running down the corridor to the engine room. The shudder happened again, this time the pipes hiccupped and then gasped afterwards. “What the hell is going on in here?” “I have no fucking clue, Captain.” Geoff ran his hands along the pipes similar to the way Liam had upstairs. “He was running fine, and then I noticed the hitch a moment ago.” He moved over to a wall of dials and ran his fingers over them. “Everything appears to be normal.” They both were looking at the dials when he felt another soft hitch to the normally smooth sound. Geoff moved back and forth, comparing the readings. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say Apollo is suffocating or choking on something.” “How?” Liam moved closer and checked over the dials with Geoff. “Everything looks fine right now.” “I agree, and if I hadn’t been looking when it happened, I might not have noticed. It has to be an intake valve that is jamming.” “Which one?” Geoff patted a pipe and pointed to where it disappeared through the floor to the upper decks. This one. It runs up through to the upper

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level.” He turned and looked at Liam, a sick look on his face. “The valve is outside the ship, sir.” “Bloody hell.” Liam ran out of the engine room and headed back up the stairs. Tristan met him at the second level, directing the crew to the defense weapons. Although, if they couldn’t stay in the sky, they wouldn’t need the weapons. “Tristan, delegate this, and get on the bridge. I need you there and Patrick at the wheel. Where’s Yzzi?” “I caught her following you below, so I sent her to our room. Where are you going?” “Outside.” “What! Have you lost your mind?” Tristan grabbed a crew member as he passed and issued orders to him. Liam continued to his room, knowing that Tristan would be right behind him. “Whatever is causing the problem is outside the ship. I have to get out there and have a look.” He continued moving toward the helm as he spoke, and Tristan stayed right behind him. “There couldn’t be anything out there. Geoff made a mistake. You looked over everything before we left. You always do.” “Obviously I missed something.” He wasn’t exactly paying attention to the ship before they left. He put his entire crew in danger because all he thought about at the time was Tristan and Yzzi in the grotto. Guilt clawed at him for failing his crew, because his inattention might have cost them their lives. How is it after everything that happened in his life, he still hadn’t learned? Everyone looked to him as a leader and Laird, but he had no right to either of those titles. A better man would protect those he loved and not always place them in danger or fail to protect them. Tristan grabbed his hand as he followed him down the corridor. “I know that look. Don’t start blaming yourself, Liam. It could be anything, but you can’t go out there while we’re airborne. We’ll have to land and check it out.”

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“Tristan, we try to land, and we’ll be shot out of the skies. Our only choice is to try to get to Atlantis, and I don’t know if we will make it until I see what is wrong out there.” “We fly to Atlantis with a hunter on our tail, and Julien will shoot us both.” “All the more reason I need to get out there and see what is going on. If I can repair the problem, then we have a chance to evade whoever is behind us. If they wanted us dead, they would have shot at by now. With the Apollo acting sluggish, I can’t trust him to move as smoothly as he usually would.” They reached the helm where Patrick held the wheel steady while Yzzi looked through the periscope. “Mo stór, I told you to stay in our room.” “I know. I’m ignoring that lapse in judgment.” She peeked from the side of the scope to shoot Tristan a dirty look. “Liam, I’ve been watching, and whoever is behind you isn’t getting any closer or farther away. Patrick has altered the direction of the Apollo, and whoever this is stays directly behind us.” “How the fuck is he doing that?” Tristan opened a chest that sat under one of the tables that held the weather maps. Flipping the lid open, he started to pull out various ropes and straps. Liam didn’t like this. If another ship was really following them, they must be leaving a trail of sorts. Even if they were leaking steam, it shouldn’t be leaving that blatant of a path. Especially since the sun had dropped down over the horizon. “I’m going to try to find out.” He caught the harness that Tristan tossed at him and quickly stepped into it. He pulled on the unique jacket and laced it up over his chest. The harness attached to several reinforced links sewn into the material. Yzzi pressed a button on the side of the periscope, and he waited for her response. “He’s still back there.” She glanced over at him for a moment and then jerked her gaze back. “What are you doing?”

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“He’s going outside.” Tristan’s tone left no questions as to his opinion of Liam’s idea. It didn’t matter because unless Liam went out there, they wouldn’t know what they were dealing with. “Are you insane? Why would you want to do that?” Yzzi glanced back and forth between him and Tristan. He took a bit of solace in the distressed look on her face. If she didn’t have any feelings for him, she wouldn’t care. “Because there is something out there messing with the Apollo’s breathing. Unless I fix whatever it is, I don’t know what our options are.” He tightened the straps and locked the latches that attached the harness around him. With practiced ease, he plaited his hair back out of his face. Tristan anchored the ropes to a loop bolted into the wall and then fed it through two different locking devices. They both worked quickly to secure the ropes into a maze of pulleys and breaking devices. “This might be the first time I’ve wandered out while in flight, but we’ve used this system to check the outside skin for faults before. There is no logical reason it will fail to work correctly.” Yzzi appeared in front of him and grabbed his shirt in her hands. “This is a stupid idea. You’re going to kill yourself. Land the blasted ship, and we can use the weapons to shoot this hunter from the sky while you check what the problem is.” Liam couldn’t explain the feeling that pressed against the back of his neck. The concern that landing anywhere would mean the end of them all nagged at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Tristan stepped up behind Yzzi and wrapped his arms around hers, cupping her small hands within hers. “It’s all right, mo stór. I have him strapped in, and I’ll be holding onto him while he’s out there. He won’t be going anywhere if he slips. He firmly pulled Yzzi’s hands from Liam’s shirt. At that moment, Liam realized their mistake. This moment was eerily reminiscent of the day she was pulled from his arms. He could almost see the memory reflected in her own eyes. The color drained

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from her face, and her body began to tremble in Tristan’s embrace. Liam quickly cupped her face with his hands and pressed his lips against hers. She accepted his kiss with a hunger that surprised him, given the circumstances. He pressed a couple lighter kisses against her cheek and forehead. “Mo chusile, I will be fine, and will be back in here before you know it.” Meeting Tristan’s gaze, he treated him to the same passion that he did Yzzi. The slight stubble on Tristan’s cheeks prickled his palms, a sharp contrast to the silkiness of her skin. Yzzi still looked pale, her eyes wide and luminous compared to her skin. A haunted pain echoed in her gaze and struck him in the heart. “Are you all right?” “I don’t know what to think right now.” “Let’s get this over with, and then we can all talk.” He moved over to the window and unhinged the smaller one. The force of the air almost ripped it from his fingers. The Apollo dipped and rocked, forcing Liam to grip the window frame until the Apollo stabilized again. “Looks like you had the right idea. Be careful, Liam.” Liam nodded and then slipped out into the night. He straddled the wide frame for a moment until he grew accustomed to the temperature and the force of the wind. Pulling out two vials, he shook them, watching as they began to glow a bright green, illuminating the area around him. He snapped them into the harness at his chest and then continued out. There was a small ledge out in front of the main windows, and he held onto the edge of it and shuffled his way along the Apollo’s metallic skin. A gust of cold wind rushed over the bow and swept him off his feet. He landed hard on his hip and grabbed for a handhold on one of the pipes. While he trusted Tristan to keep a grip on the ropes that prevented him from falling to his death, he didn’t want to tempt fate any more then he already was. Keeping to his hands and knees, he crawled over to where he knew the tube from the engine room

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emerged to the outside. He could feel the surface beneath his palms vibrated with tension as if the Apollo were a volcano about to erupt. The area around him glowed a mystical green, a reflection from the lights on his harness as he slowly moved. Other than the rushing wind and occasional squawk of a seagull, it was completely silent out there. Shit. Patrick must have angled them closer to the shore when he tried to ascertain if we were being followed. If one of those stupid birds struck him while he was out there, it would spell both their deaths. Following the pipe, he saw it disappeared over the edge of the ship wrapping around to the other side. Liam lay down on his stomach and leaned over the edge. Beneath the ship laid an empty sea of black. He couldn’t see the ocean below them, but he knew it was there. Sliding his hand along the pipe he inspected it for flaws or something that would cause the valve to not operate correctly. Inch by inch, he moved forward until he hung upside-down, gripping the edge tightly with one hand. The metal perimeter pressed painfully into his stomach, and he spread his legs wide apart to keep his balance. The wind pounded against him threatening to knock him off balance and into the blackness below. His harness would hold him, but if the ropes rubbed against the edge too many times…better he not slip over the edge. Stretching his arms out as far as he could, he felt along the pipe. It occurred to him that this might be a futile effort when he felt something out of place. His finger slid over a metallic shape on the outside of the pipe that didn’t belong there. Reaching up he pulled one of the luminescent vials from his harness and cupped it in his hand, giving him some much-needed light. Whatever it was looked as though it slid down the pipe and got wedged in a seam where normally the Apollo would expel any extra pressure. He let go of the glowing vial and let it drop into the darkness beneath them. Then pulled the bracket off the valve. Immediately, it hissed madly and

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then sealed closed. The Apollo stabilized, and he couldn’t feel the vibrations beneath the smooth metal skin any longer. It wasn’t difficult to unhook the device and take a good look at it. Given that his harness stretched toward it, he figured there must be some very powerful magnets inside. Fuck! It must be a type of tracking beacon. It would be advantageous to keep the device and study it. But given they already gained a hunter on their tail, it wasn’t worth the risk to his crew or ship. Curling his arm back, he threw the sphere as far as he could. Hopefully, the hunter would follow that to the bottom of the sea. He carefully made his way back to the window and pulled himself of the ledge. “Yzzi, check to see if our friend still following us.” Tristan caught him and helped him back in and then latched the window behind him. “Good flying, Patrick. Set the light codes to let the crew know we are in the all clear.” “Thank you, sir. I think I could use a strong drink as soon as I’m finished with my shift. That is one experience I could do without flying through again.” Liam smiled as he unhooked himself. His heart beat madly against his chest. Tristan looked concerned and darted a number of glances over at Yzzi. She stood at the periscope watching for their hunter. “He’s gone. What the hell did you do out there?” she asked but didn’t look over at them. “We had a tracking device attached to the outside of the ship. No wonder they didn’t have any problems tracking us.” He ripped the harness off, his concerns swiftly morphing into anger now that he knew everyone was safe. “ “Patrick, keep us in the clouds, and push the Apollo to the limits of his speed, and put as much distance between us and that tracker as possible.” Mrs. Potts bustled into the room with a plate of what smelled like warm banana muffins. “Pardon me, Captain. I didn’t expect to see

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you up here. Now that the emergency is over, I thought I’d bring a treat up to young Patrick.” “Mrs. Potts, you gathered some fresh fruit before we took off from the island? Did you see anyone standing around the ship?” “I didn’t go out to get any fruit, sir.” Liam glanced over to Patrick who mentioned earlier that she had left the ship. “I was told you planned to gather some more fruit before we left.” “That was the plan, sir, but Miss Anderson begged me for something to do. She wanted to get a last breath of fresh air before we lifted off.” “I’m going to kill that bitch myself.” Yzzi staled towards the door but Tristan caught her with one arm and pulled her back against himself. “We’ll strap her to a pillar, and you can use her for archery practice.” Mrs. Potts gasped and whipped her gaze from Yzzi to Tristan and back. At this moment Liam wasn’t prepared to argue with them. The temptation to throw Miss Anderson off the ship before they landed pounded against him. The sea of tears she cried was nothing but a distraction, and he fell for it. “Stop right there.” The two of them froze in their spots and looked back to him. “We need to know what she does and exactly who she is working for.” “Fine, Tristan can torture her for answers, and then I’m shooting a dozen bolts into her chest.” Liam moved between Yzzi and the door, blocking her from her blood-thirsty desires. “Mrs. Potts, as difficult as this is, I’m asking you to carry on as normal until we have come up with a plan.” “Yes, sir.” He stepped aside and allowed her to pass then turned his attention back to the two people that meant the most in the world to him.

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“Liam, you can’t expect us to stand by and allow her to get away with this.” “That is exactly what I want you to do. We are going straight to Atlantis, and we are taking her with us.” “Have you lost her mind? She is a possible spy and gathering information for god knows who, and you want her to take her to Atlantis?” Why not draw a map and allow the militia to destroy our safe haven?” “Then by all means let’s kill her. If there are more spies out there, hopefully, they are wearing name plates so we can see them coming. Liam stood chest to chest with his lover, glaring down at him. “I’m the captain of this ship, Tristan, and you will abide by my decisions.” Doesn’t he understand that I need to keep him safe? “If that is too difficult an order, then you can retire to your room.” “Aye, Aye, Captain.” Tristan turned on his heel and marched past him and out the door. Liam ran a hand through his hair and then slammed it against the table. Yzzi stood there looking at him like he had lost his mind. Perhaps she was correct. “You may leave as well.” Liam felt as though he made the biggest mistake in his life. He needed to be alone to sort out how he could fix this while keeping everyone he cared about safe. Not that he did such a great job since they had a hunter on their tail not long ago. “No.” “Pardon me?” “I’m not part of your crew, Liam. I don’t have to do as you order.” “On my ship, you certainly do.” Her hand sat on her hips, chin up, daring him to make her leave. Tempting him was a closer definition to what he felt. “I have to say I am curious why you are lashing out at everyone around you. No one could have seen through Bethany’s act. She’s very good at her job, much better than I ever could be.” “You are worth a thousand of her.” The words came straight from his heart, uncensored and raw. A flash of emotion flowed over her

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eyes, and before he realized it, she stood right in front of him. He clenched his hands and held them behind his back. If he touched her now, he’d never let her go. “Do you know what I see, Liam? You push everyone in your life behind you. You’re the first to run into a fight and clear a path for those you care about. Why can’t you understand that we feel the need to do the same for you?” “It’s my job.” That wasn’t acceptable to him. His clan failed him, and he wouldn’t do the same to his crew or those he considered family. He vowed long ago to protect those he cared about. “Then are you a captain or lover? Rebel or husband?” She poked him in the chest with each question. “Have you ever spoken to Tristan how you feel?” “Tristan knows exactly how I feel about him.” “Does he?” “Yzzi, this is not the first argument that we have had, and I sincerely doubt it will be that last.” “Don’t be so certain of that.” Yzzi slipped past him and through the open door. It hissed shut, leaving him alone to think about her words.

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Chapter Eight The heat from Liam’s hand sunk through the fabric of his pants and into his muscle, and Tristan would have drawn comfort from the feeling if it didn’t feel like his chest was in a vice and the life slowly squeezed out of him. Mrs. Potts found him cleaning weapons in the armory and passed on the message that Liam wanted to see him. He cleaned up quickly, thinking that finally they could get everything out into the open, but all Liam spoke about when he entered was his plan in regards to their guest. It was cowardly to simply go along with what he was saying and pretend that everything was all right. That didn’t sit well with him, but given the circumstances, now wasn’t the best time to fight it out. Acting the part Bethany needed to see, he laid his hand over Liam’s the moment she stepped through the doorway. They needed to get her to admit who she worked for. There was always the possibility she could explain her actions, however that seemed unlikely at this point. Bethany Anderson’s nose wrinkled as her gaze landed where Liam’s hand rested on Tristan’s thigh. “Really, is that necessary?” “Pardon?” Tristan’s voice cut through the air. A precise slice that any idiot would’ve recognized as a warning. Apparently, idiot women were immune. “Captain Liam is a noble and brave man. My father will grant him whatever he wishes, but not if he thinks that you’re his lover.” She turned her attention to Liam. “I understand that men have perverse needs, and if you want to sate them with him after we’re married, then that is fine, but I demand you be discreet.”

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Liam’s jaw tightened, his facial expressions hardening. The sooner this troublemaking bitch got off his ship, the better. He grabbed Tristan’s hand before lurching to his feet. “You can demand anything you want, but you will get nothing. Bethany, there is more a chance of the High King dropping to his knees to kiss your father’s ass then my marrying you.” “Liam, you don’t mean that.” He didn’t move quick enough and Bethany threw herself at his chest. “The Lord God sent you to save me from a fate worse than death. You’re my blessed protector.” Tristan almost fell for the innocent, shallow girl act. She might never see the world beyond the end of her own nose. Being in love with a man who would never love her back. That was a feeling he could painfully understand. “I didn’t rescue you from that pit. A woman named Kassandra did. She is your heroine, and if you are looking to repay the debt with your body, she might be interested, but I’m not.” He let go of Tristan’s hand and used both his to pry her grip off his lapels. “Now, Tristan will see you to your room, little girl. That is exactly where you will stay for the remainder of this trip.” She stomped her slippered foot against the floor. “I’m not a little girl. Father will make you marry me. I’ll tell him I’m with child.” “Oh, I think she has you with that one, Captain. Shall I run and get you a priest?” Tristan leaned back against a wall. “There is no situation outside of love that would force me to commit my life to another being. If you’re with child, we both know it’s not mine. Go run and tell Daddy whatever you wish. I don’t give a damn.” “You could learn to love me.” Liam turned to him, and Tristan could see the frustration echoed in his eyes. This woman didn’t comprehend or simply refused to understand. “Tristan, take this stupid child to her room, and tell Mrs. Potts to lock her in. I don’t want to see her again.”

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“Happily, Captain.” He stepped to the door and opened it, waving a hand for her to precede him. Tristan saw the explosion coming but couldn’t be bothered to warn the woman. Let her dig her own grave even deeper. “You can’t do that.” Her shrill tone echoed off the walls around them. “I’m a noble woman. I will not be treated like this!” Liam turned and pinned her with a dark stare filled with white hot fury. Bethany stepped back a couple paces until she backed into Tristan’s chest. Realizing her position, she jumped forward. “You are an incredibly stupid woman if you thought you could plant a tracker on my ship, and I wouldn’t find it.” “What?” She fluttered her hands in front of her chest, breathing deeply so that her breasts strained her bodice. “I have no idea what you are speaking of.” It was an amateur’s trick to divert attention, one neither of them would fall for. Unless, of course, Yzzi did the same thing. He had to admit her breasts were the most beautiful creation. “Tell me this, Bethany. How is it you managed to escape being raped in the pits?” “They wouldn’t dare touch me…” She took a deep breath, and he saw a moment of panic flash in her eyes. “I’m a noble woman. My word on the matter is good enough.” “You almost had me, Bethany. I was willing to accept this charade and let you dig yourself deeper and deeper. But tonight, you put my ship, my family, and those that I love in danger. No more games!” He slammed his fist against the table next to her, but she never flinched. Tristan watched, not a little impressed with the way her innocent façade slipped away. Her wide innocent-looking eyes narrowed as she pinned a dark look at him. “You really think you can intimidate me, Captain McKenna? What’s next? You threaten to rape me with your faggot of a first mate? Why don’t you let the Gifrator whore watch? From what I understand she has spread her legs far and wide to gather information.”

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Tristan’s first instinct was to backhand Bethany for her disparaging words toward the woman he loved, but Liam’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. In that moment, he realized she still tried to manipulate them. Her words were that of a desperate woman who obviously decided she would orchestrate her own death by pushing them into anger. Liam grabbed her and quickly shackled her arms behind her. “What are you going to do with me?” “I’m not going to do anything. But I have some friends who will want to have a very long conversation with you.” Tristan saw a flash of fear in the woman’s gaze, but didn’t feel any sympathy for her. If she was an accomplished spy or nothing but a simple unknowing pawn, she placed them all in danger. He moved to follow her when he felt himself shoved back. Liam’s hard body pinned him against the metal wall. “Make certain she is locked away, and then you and I have things we need to finish discussing.” Tristan felt Liam’s warm breath feather against his jaw as his lips caressed the underside of his jaw to his ear. Tristan felt a spiral of warmth radiate from his chest and cock. He dropped his head back, and Liam plundered his mouth. His lips demanding an erotic promise Tristan couldn’t wait to cash in on. “I’m going to give James a flight pattern to follow on our way to Atlantis. I want to make certain no one is following us before we hand her over to Julien. Let him interrogate her and get any answers she’s willing to give.” Liam speared his fingers through Tristan’s hair and pulled him closer for another kiss. This time was quick and hard, but his lips held the promise of more to come. Tristan turned toward the door, pausing when Liam didn’t release his hand. His lover stepped closer and cupped the back of his neck with one hand and brushed the back of his fingers over Tristan’s cheek. Tristan felt as if the world stopped spinning for a moment, leaving him lurching in its wake. He wanted a family, people who loved him

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as much as he loved them. No one escaped being hurt in a relationship where the emotions weren’t balanced. His heart felt like a hole had opened up, and his feelings were draining into it. Tristan ignored the tightness in his chest. He loved the idiot so much, and he trusted that Liam loved him as well. But as the years passed without Liam actually saying it, doubts tended to sneak in. Many time he thought to ask him directly and end the uncertainty, but what if Liam didn’t love him the same? So, he kept his thoughts to himself, because imagining that Liam shared the same depth of love was better than finding out the truth that he didn’t. “After Bethany is secured in her quarters, I require your presence in ours.” “I won’t be long.” Tristan reluctantly stepped away from Liam’s large form. His body immediately missed the contact. Bethany stood a few feet away in the hallway, far enough away she wouldn’t have heard their quiet conversation. “You two are an abomination.” “I’d watch what you say to me.” Tristan scowled down at her. Part of him enjoyed the uncertainty that crossed her features. She had better fear him because he wanted to wrap his hands around her pretentious neck and squeeze. “I don’t have a bone-deep sense of chivalry like Liam, and you still have a couple days left on this ship. They can be enjoyable or a complete hell. Your choice.” Thankfully, Bethany stomped ahead of him toward her cabin, saving him from listening to any more of her spiteful words. Mrs. Potts stood waiting for them in the hall outside Bethany’s room. If the angry frown on her face was a good indication, their ship keeper already heard of the danger Bethany put the ship in. “Leave her with me, Mr. Rodor. I need to have a few words with the child.” She glared at the girl and pointed a finger toward the inside of the cabin. Bethany surprised him by lowering her head and entering her room without saying a word.

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“She’s all yours, Mrs. Potts. Captain doesn’t want to see her. All I want to see of her is her ass as she leaves this ship.” “Will she be leaving this ship before or after we land?” A horrified gasp echoed inside the room, and Tristan allowed himself to grin, but didn’t answer. “Right, I’ll make certain she can’t cause any more problems than she already has.” She crooked a finger, and he bent down and she pressed a kiss to his cheek. “There is more talking to be done, young man. You make certain that our captain thinks with the right head.” Tristan felt a weight lift off his shoulders. “Yes, ma’am.” She patted his cheek, a please smile curling her lips.

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Chapter Nine Yzzi wasn’t entirely certain she did the right thing speaking to Liam that way, but something had to give. She knew the two men loved each other, and it amazed her that neither of them had ever admitted to it. Her brothers-in-law were each as bull-headed in their own way, but they never hesitated in telling each other and Tori how they felt. Her uncertainty disappeared when the door to their bedroom hissed open and Liam stalked in. He pinned her with a glare as if daring her to say something. She simply shrugged her shoulders, and he turned his attention to where Tristan stood staring out the window at the night sky. Tristan didn’t say much when he entered other than to inform her that Bethany was now under strict confinement. She wanted to push him for information, but he simply kissed her forehead and said Liam would be in shortly. Now, she watched as they stared at each other through the reflection in the glass, but neither said anything. Instead, Liam moved over to the side board and poured himself a glass of wine. Tristan was the one to break the awkward silence. “You said the Apollo would be my home for as long as I wished it. I no longer require that. I’ll be disembarking when we land in Atlantis.” Liam smashed the goblet against the table, splashing wine over the side. The violent sound made Yzzi jump. She expected to see his hand cut to ribbons from the shattered glass, but somehow it survived the impact.

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“You are forbidden to go anywhere.” Tristan stopped and turned slowly, anger making his eyes darken. His fists clenched at his sides. He looked ready to punch Liam, but she saw the naked longing under it all. “Why, Liam?” Yzzi looked back and forth between the two men. She suspected that Tristan needed something from Liam. Both of them told her they loved her but she never heard either of them say the same thing to each other. Didn’t Liam realize Tristan needed to hear the words? Liam snapped his gaze at her. Like Tristan, he, too, looked furious, but she knew he felt differently. No man touched another like she witnessed without incredibly deep feelings. “He knows why.” “No, I don’t Liam. You’re going to have to say it because I am not going to stay on this ship any longer and continually risk my life for someone who will never truly love me.” Liam’s chair skidded back against the wall, he moved so quickly. Yzzi nervously watched. Part of her wanted to stop this, but she wouldn’t. Liam needed to open himself up to them. Liam grabbed Tristan by the jacket and threw him against the wall. Grabbing his lapels, he pinned Tristan with his own body. Tristan grabbed Liam’s jacket, and the two of them lurched like drunken sailors fighting for control. Chairs smashed, and pictures fell from the walls. Yzzi kept pace and stayed on the opposite side of the room from them as they wrestled. Tristan landed a particularly hard punch to Liam’s midsection. Winded, Liam dropped to his knees. Despite the painful move, Tristan hadn’t made it two steps toward the door before Liam launched himself up and tacked Tristan to the floor. They both gasped for air as Liam straddled Tristan and pinned him to the floor. “Yield,” he gasped. “Go fuck yourself, Liam.” Instead of trading insults, Liam let go of Tristan’s hands and cupped his face pressing an open-mouth kiss to his lips. Yzzi watched

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as Tristan gripped handfuls of Liam's hair preventing him from finishing the kiss prematurely. Muscles bunched and tightened in Tristan’s back and shoulders, and a split second later, he flipped Liam onto his back and broke the kiss. “This isn’t going to solve anything, mo caraid.” Watching her two men battle each other as they struggled for supremacy had her feeling incredibly warm. She pressed her legs together to ease the hot throb that started. Liam had better say something soon, as Yzzi contemplated lifting her skirts to please herself. Liam cupped the back of Tristan’s neck, keeping him in place, and pressed his mouth against the straining tendons in Tristan’s neck. He panted against the skin, and Yzzi wanted to scream at him to speak, but she kept silent, afraid that to break the tension in the room would end any chance they had. “Mo chroi.” Liam’s voice sounded horse and strained, as if fought the urge to speak but lost the battle. “You are my best friend, Tristan, and I love you with every fiber of my being. Please don’t leave me.” Joy burst through Yzzi, and she pressed her hand against her mouth, not wanting to make a sound and ruin the moment. She watched as the emotions rolled over Tristan’s features from shock to pure joy. “I love you as well, Liam.” Tristan leaned down, and the two of them shared a meeting of tongues. Their lips met so gently, as if they wanted to taste the words on each other. Yzzi shifted slightly toward the door herself. They needed this time to themselves, and she would be happy to give it to them. There would be lots of time for other moments that included her in their future. “Stop right there.” Yzzi turned to see Tristan pointing an imperial finger at her. “Where are you going?”

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She would have answered if he hadn’t been straddling Liam’s hips. Liam’s hands cupped Tristan’s ass, and she imagined for a moment what they would look like naked in that position. “Yzzi?” She blinked and followed the horizontal line of his body up until she met Liam’s heated gaze. “Huh?” Tristan laughed, an incredible sound that she wanted to hear over and over. Liam smacked him on the bottom. “Looks like our woman has gotten a bit distracted.” “Oh, well perhaps a little. I thought the two of you should have some time together.” She shifted nervously from foot to foot and then stopped. She didn’t want them to feel like they had to include her. “You know, because well, you know.” They both moved, getting off the floor and to their feet. Liam moved over to the bed and pulled Tristan back with him. “I think I need to help you with your vocabulary, mo stór. You’re stumbling over your words.” He leaned over and fell to the bed next to Liam. Shifting back slightly, he patted the bed between them. “Come here, Yzzi. This is where you belong.” Is that what I want? “Wouldn’t the two of you rather…” “No, we will always prefer to have you here with us.” Liam patted the mattress before tangling his fingers with Tristan’s and lifting them to his lips. Yzzi took a step toward them. Their sensuality drew her closer, like a moth to a flame. She wanted to kiss his fingers with Liam. She wanted to feel safe between them. Liam kept Tristan’s fingers pressed against his lips and watched her over them. Tristan nuzzled the side of Liam’s neck, pressing kisses against the angle of his jaw. Yzzi wanted so very badly to be a part of it and wasn’t entirely certain why she hesitated. Neither man said anything, but she knew that they would respect her decision. If she chose to turn and walk away from them both, would they let her, or would they come after her? For a moment, she wanted to test them,

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but then could she survive if they didn’t follow her? She didn’t want to know the answer to that question. Whatever tomorrow brought, she didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity to experience what it would be like between the two of them. She took a step toward the bed and for a moment thought she saw a flash of relief in Liam’s gaze. He blinked, and it was gone, but now wasn’t the time to analyze it. She moved over to the foot of the bed and kicked off her slippers, and then crawled up onto the overstuffed mattress. Tristan shifted slightly away from Liam and flopped back down against the pile of pillows. Liam sat up on one elbow and held out a hand for Yzzi. She placed her hand in Liam’s warm one. She could feel the slight tremble, but he pressed her fingers against his lips and bit slightly on the soft pads. The sensation sent a shiver running along her spine and straight to her pussy. Tristan smiled when she gasped. “I don’t know how he does that, but it never fails to make me hard. Tell me, Yzzi, what does it do to you?” Yzzi could feel her traitorous skin flush at Tristan’s admission, and a quick glance down proved the hard line of his cock pressing against his trousers. He lurched up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her down between them. “Tristan!” As soon as her back hit the mattress, he went to work on her buttons. “I want to know how far that blush spreads.” “It’s only my cheeks and sometimes my neck.” Her attempted lie fell on deaf ears since Tristan didn’t stop slipping button after button through their holes exposing her blouse under the leather vest. “I imagine we could make her blush to her toes if we tried hard enough.” Liam’s smile made a wave of heat run along her limbs. “What would it take do you think?” Tristan pressed his lips against every bit of skin he revealed. “If I worship your beautiful breasts, will you blush for me, kitten? What if Liam and I press your legs apart and kiss the delicate folds you are trying to conceal?”

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Yzzi shifted her legs closer together in order to ease the throb that his words created. At least she tried to, but Liam shifted his weight, pinning one leg to the bed, and the other he forced away. He pressed his thigh against her and her body responded with a rush of moisture. Despite the layers of clothes between them, she was certain he would be able to feel her heat. The heat in her neck traveled down her chest. “Oh, you are beautiful, mo stór. Such a pretty pink you turn, but not as pretty as some other areas.” Tristan peeled back her leather vest and deftly undid the laces that held her shirt gathered closed. Once free he loosened it until he could tuck the material beneath her breasts. “One of my favorite pink parts.” His lips closed over her nipple, and as he gathered one breast on one hand, he paid homage to it, making her body respond. The pressure of Liam’s leg rocking against her clit drove her insane. He was incredibly gentle with her but the soft friction made her nerves tingle and heat. He kept her smoldering for them but wouldn’t let her burst into flame. Liam flicked his tongue against the shell of her ear, making her flinch in surprise. “I’m going to taste you, Yzzi. Liam is going to hold you open for me, and I’m going to place my tongue right where my thigh presses against you.” “Oh, look at that.” Fingers fluttered over her skin as Tristan shifted his attention to her other breast. “Keep talking, my love. Her breasts are so flushed I can feel her skin heat under my tongue.” Yzzi shifted against Liam’s leg, driven by a need she couldn’t resist. “Press harder, mo chuisle. Show us what you need.” “I don’t know.” “Your body does. Go with your instincts.” She could feel Tristan’s hand slide around her waist to where her skirt closed. He fiddled for a moment, and then she felt the button give. His hands slid forward and up over her breasts, taking her blouse and vest at the same time. In an incredible smooth movement, he whisked it over her head.

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Liam gently pressed her legs apart. All she could imagine was the feel of his and Tristan’s hands on her. She longed for their touch— both of them. Their love for each other shone so strong, and a part of her desperately wanted to belong in that circle. She wanted to be surrounded by them, be protected by them. After spending so long taking care of herself, she wanted to be cared for. She wanted to let them spoil her and treat her like a porcelain doll, even if at the same time a part of her rebelled against that idea. Tristan pressed a kiss to her neck and trailed his lips along her collarbone, waking nerve endings she never knew she had. Her body trembled under their touches. Calloused fingers slipped between her legs and stroked her delicate folds. “Are you very sore, mo stór?” Yzzi was grateful that Liam was pressing kisses against her skin and not looking at her when he asked such an intimate question. Considering the level of intimacy she allowed both him and Tristan, she shouldn’t feel as embarrassed as she did. He gently stroked her with featherlight touches that made her want to arch her back like a cat in the sun. “Mo chuisle, I need to know how you are feeling.” Liam lifted himself up on one elbow and continued the maddening strokes. Each caress flowed over her, and she shifted restlessly against him. She wanted to feel that incredible feeling when he pressed inside of her, but her body still ached from earlier. “I’m a bit tender.” Tristan cupped her chin and pressed his lips against hers. “Thank you for your honesty, mo stór.” “I don’t want to disappoint either of you.” She reached out and ran her fingers through Liam’s hair as he kissed the underside of her breasts. “We would be more disappointed if you didn’t say anything, and we hurt you. There are still many things we have to teach you.”

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Now that was a revelation. There was more? Tristan must have read the confusion on her face because he smiled. “Why don’t you let us show you?” That sounded wonderful, but she wanted another glimpse at what she almost witnessed earlier. “I have a request.” “Anything.” “I want to watch you and Liam.” **** Tristan felt his chest tighten at Yzzi’s request. Her request proved two things to him: that she truly trusted them, because the intimacy of such a request would require such trust from all involved. His heart skipped a beat thinking about how she fully accepted the love that he shared with Liam Deep down, he knew that Liam cared, but always feared that his love wasn’t as deep. “I think that we can accommodate everyone’s wishes right now.” Tristan loved the depth of Liam’s voice. The simplest comment made his cock throb, but the thought of Yzzi watching them had him painfully hard. Tristan glanced down and watched as Liam stroked the delicate petals between Yzzi’s legs. He understood Yzzi’s curiosity because he could have happily lay here for hours watching Liam play with her cunny. Liam enjoyed putting on a show, and Tristan couldn’t wait to act out for their love. Yzzi gasped, her body arching up against his. “Do you like the way that feels, Yzzi?” Tristan whispered against her jaw. She jerked her head in agreement but didn’t meet his gaze. “Yzzi, look at me.” She turned her head in his direction, but her dark brown eyes were unfocused. She gasped again, and he pinched the tight nipple under his fingers, drawing a cry from her throat. Liam murmured in pleasure. She must have flooded his mouth with her juices. Knowing how much she enjoyed this kind of playing pounded against his

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control. He desperately wanted to bury his cock within those folds and feel her clench around him, but he would force himself to wait. Her head thrashed back and forth against the pillows as Tristan slid down her body till her breasts were level with his lips. Looking down the line of her body he watched Liam’s tongue dance through her swollen pussy. Liam’s lips glistened with her juices and their gazes met. He winked up at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes. The fingers from one hand held her folds open. When Tristan realized he couldn’t see the other hand, he suspected what might be going on. “Does Liam have a finger in your bottom, Yzzi? Do you like the feeling?” She cried out and nodded her head in a jerking motion. Tristan watched Liam swirl his tongue around her folds, pausing to suck on her clit. He hummed his pleasure, and Tristan felt his own mouth water. If he couldn’t have Yzzi, then he promised himself a mouth full of Liam’s cock before the night was out. The next time her body bowed up toward him, he took the opportunity to lick a trail along the underside of one breast. Cupping the satiny mound, he swirled his tongue around her tight nipple, imagining her clit was in his mouth. Liam grabbed his hand and sucked a finger deep into his mouth. He might as well have swallowed Tristan’s cock in one swoop because the sensation went straight to Tristan’s balls. They pulled up tight against him and throbbed, begging for release. Liam bit on the pad of Tristan’s finger before releasing it, and the sensation shot straight to the tip of his cock. Anymore and this would be an early finish for him. “Play with me, mo chroi.” Liam led his hand to Yzzi’s bottom. The two of them stroked the rosebud of her ass, and Tristan felt Liam’s finger disappear within. Yzzi shuddered as his stroked her back hole and then paused. He understood what Liam didn’t say. Slowly and carefully, he slid his finger along Liam’s. He paused when she clenched tightly against his invasion.

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“Oh, oh, I don’t…Oh my.” Her cries echoed in his ears as he stroked her nether ring with Liam. They gently stroked her, stretching the incredibly tight muscles. “Can you feel us both, mo chuisle? One day soon, we will both take you. Tristan is going to bury himself into your luscious pussy, and I’ll do the same with this incredibly tight bottom of yours.” The mental image created in Tristan’s head was almost enough to have his cock explode. He kissed a path down her satin skin and met Liam’s lips over her delicate folds. Her musky taste exploded against his tongue like ambrosia. He plundered Liam’s mouth, wanting more as he continued their rhythmic stroking. Yzzi’s fingers curled into his hair as her lusty cries filled the air around them. Breaking his kiss for a moment, he lifted her leg over his shoulder and then returned to kissing Liam and swirling his tongue in her folds at the same time. “Yes, oh dear god…” Yzzi shook under their ministrations but managed to get herself up onto her elbows. Curiosity had her lifting herself up to see what exactly they were doing to her. When she focused down the line of her body, a hot waved blazed a train over her skin. Watching Liam and Tristan kissing each other while they sucked on her private parts made her feel as if she balanced on a precipice. She fought the urge to fall into the extreme pleasure bombarding the edges of her consciousness. Bolts of white-hot sensation licked over her body. Fingers plunged into her bottom, stroking and stretching her, waking nerves she never knew existed. Her body arched, and her hips jerked against their mouths. “Don’t stop. Don’t stop!” She fell back against the bed, and her body arched against them. She couldn’t tell who touched her where, and she didn’t care. Unable to resist passion’s call, she gripped the sheets under herself, and her entire body bowed toward them as wave after wave crested over her. “You are so fucking incredible.” She opened her eyes enough to see Tristan leaning over her, his arms braced on either side of her

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head. He moved between her legs, and she felt the blunt end of his cock pressed against her. Her pussy twitched hungrily at his presence. She wanted to feel his entire length press into her. “Do it. Come inside me, Tristan.” “Not yet. You better not.” Liam’s words were punctuated by a smacking sound. Yzzi didn’t feel anything except Tristan jerking slightly, his cock plunging into her. His thick cock stretched her to the point of pain but quickly it morphed into pleasure rushing along her senses. Tristan buried his face into her neck, his hot breath fanning her skin. “I’ll never last. You feel like paradise, mo stór.” She looked up, past Tristan’s shoulder, to Liam’s face. He smiled down at her, winked, and then smacked Tristan’s bottom. He jerked inside of her, and Yzzi felt as though her eyes might roll up into her head. “Do it again.” “Oh god.” She felt Tristan moan into her neck, the vibrations adding to the already incredible feelings rushing through her. “You wanted to watch us, mo chuslie?” Liam moved to kneel behind Tristan. “This time you watch while being involved.” She watched as he gripped Tristan’s hips and rocked his body against him. Tristan pressed deeper inside of her and groaned into her neck again, panting against her skin. Her brain filled in the images of what they would look like from the side. She wanted to watch Liam’s cock press into Tristan’s ass while Tristan pressed into her. Liam lifted up, and mimicked the same move, pulling out of her. Liam gripped Tristan’s hip and plunged fast against him. “Oh fuck yes!” Tristan hollered against her chest. She bent her legs up until her heels almost touched her own bottom. Tristan reached down and grabbed her hip, changing the angle his cock plunged into her. Liam lifted up again and this time when he drove against Tristan—Tristan drove hard into her. Yzzi could feel her body priming up again. She tried to fight the urge, wanting this to last forever, but Tristan’s and Liam’s movements quickened as did the fires burning within her.

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Every plunge seemed a bit different from the previous one. Each movement instinctive and pure. Their bodies moved together, and Yzzi was the first to throw herself into the winds of pleasure, feeling them whip around her body, lifting her higher and stronger. Tristan’s body moved in her, throwing her higher into the air until his voice and Liam’s joined hers as she felt her soul burst into an explosion of white-hot sparks. Liam and Tristan landed in a heap next to her, the two of them gasping for breath. Yzzi floated as if caught in a cloud with only one thought dancing through her head. “I think we need to install a large mirror in here.”

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Chapter Ten The sun beat down on Yzzi’s back as she ran, Tori held tightly to her hand, pulling her along. Her sister’s legs were longer, making it hard to keep up. “Shhhh, you have to be quiet. We’ll hide in the caves. They won’t ever find us there.” Yzzi’s heart beat wildly against her chest, and she could feel tears streaming down her cheeks, but she didn’t say a word. New World soldiers marched into their keep not long ago. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence since they lived at the edge of the sea, but they scared Tori, and nothing frightened Tori. She overheard the men say their names and watched from the crack in the wall as their laird pointed out where they lived. When the men started walking toward their home, Tori grabbed her hand and they ran in the opposite direction. “Oomph.” Yzzi ran into something, which knocked her back on her bum. Looking up, she saw the sun glint off of his hair. He looked as if hair had been stained with strawberries. “If you don’t pay attention, you’ll be killed.” Liam scooped her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Liam was her hero. He taught her to shoot an arrow and promised to teach her how to use a sword. She often snuck out of her kitchen duties to follow the boys to the forest. Tori never told on her when she did. When she fell in the loch and bumped her head, he pulled her out. When she skinned her knee running through the forest, he carried her home. Liam would make everything better. “We’re heading to the caves, Liam.” Tori rubbed Yzzi’s back as he held her.

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“That will be the first place they look. That’s if you don’t get lost in there.” “No, our mum made a map. We know where we can hide until they leave.” Yzzi wanted Liam to think she was brave and that they had a plan. “Then I’ll go with you. If I know where you are, I can sneak food to you, and we’ll wait them out.” The bushes rustled next to them, parting to reveal the man she saw earlier. Tori screamed behind her, and Yzzi looked back in time to see two large men grab her arms and drag her kicking and screaming back toward their home. “Yzzi, Liam, run!” “You’ll not be going anywhere with my daughters.” She followed the voice to the fancy dressed man. He didn’t look friendly. His eyes scared her. “You’re not my father. I’m staying with Liam.” Large hands gripped her shoulders and tried to yank her free from her best friend’s arms. “No. No. Liam, hold me!” She twined her little legs around Liam’s waist as best she could. “Get your dirty hands off her.” Liam kept an arm wrapped around her and swung wildly with the other. He staggered against the onslaught, and Yzzi feared they would both fall to the ground. “Are you pathetic excuses for soldiers going to allow yourself to be bested by a boy?” “You’re an ugly awful man! I hate you. Give me my sister back.” Yzzi gripped Liam’s shirt as tight as she could, but one of the men squeezed her hand until it hurt. The other twisted her fingers until she couldn’t hold on. “Leave her alone!” Liam snarled like a wild dog and tried to hold onto her, but one of the men punched him in the face. His grip loosened, and they pulled her from his arms. “No! Liam, help me!” Yzzi wriggled and fought, biting anything that came near her face. Large hands held on to her shoulders.

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“Yzzi!” An arm wrapped around her neck, squeezing her until she couldn’t scream. Liam lay like a twisted heap on the ground, but the men kicked him and hit him. Screaming, Yzzi clawed at the arm around her neck. She was dying, and Liam couldn’t save her. Liam always saved her. They were going to kill her. “Yzabeau! Wake up!” She wildly fought at arms around her. “Let me go!” She kicked and screamed, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break the grip of the soldier that held her. “Yzzi, stop. You had a nightmare.” She focused on the face in front of her, but it wasn’t the soldier who came for her. Tristan cupped her face and kept eye contact with her. As her heart rate settled, she realized that the man holding her hummed a soft melody in her ear. A simple melody she recognized as something her mother hummed to her when she cried. “I think she’s coming out of it.” Tristan pressed a soft kiss against her lips and brushed against her cheeks with his thumbs. “Yzzi, are you awake now?” The disoriented feeling that clouded her thoughts began to fade away. Memories flooded her brain, faces and names of people she forgot long ago. Liam held her in his arms, humming the simple melody repeatedly as he rocked her. “I had a dream.” But it was so much more than that. Dreams were faded with ethereal images that floated around, jumping from moment to moment. What she saw had to be a memory. She remembered the smell of the trees around them and the heather that grew on the hills. The dirty sweat and stink of the men who pulled her away from Liam. Nausea flowed over her as she twisted in the arms of the man who held her. ****

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“You knew!” She scrambled from his embrace and off the bed. From there, she paced to the table he used for a desk in here. “You knew all this time and never thought to explain how you knew me?” Yzzi’s cheeks were stained with a blush that Liam didn’t understand. “Why wouldn’t you say anything? He glanced over at Tristan, hoping for some help, but he was watching Yzzi’s reaction. Why the hell is she mad at me? “I wanted to tell you, but you didn’t remember me. Why would I dredge up an obviously traumatic memory for you?” “What about you? That day traumatized everyone. Dear god, I feel as if I betrayed my entire village by not remembering them.” Yzzi pressed her hands to her cheeks. “Have you gone mad? They turned you over to a man you didn’t know simply because he threatened them. They betrayed you by not fighting for you.” She strode back and forth the length of the table. Liam had learned that she tended to pace when she needed to figure something out. “They were a peaceful village, Liam. What did you expect them to do?” “Fight for you! They refused to raise a finger to save you and your sister, but didn’t hesitate to hold me down.” Liam still remembered that moment with perfect clarity. He failed to fight off the arms that held him down as they took her from him. She fought their grasp, kicking and screaming his name. The continued to beat on him and she reached out her small hand towards him. She wanted him to save her, but he couldn’t. Soft hands cupped his cheeks, her thumbs lightly brushing against his lips. “I remember, Liam. I knew you wanted to save me. You fought so hard. I remember how they hurt you. I’ve never been so terrified in my entire life.” He grasped her and pressed his lips to her forehead, then her cheeks, and finally her lips. “I’m sorry I kept the truth from you.”

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“It wasn’t your fault my memory failed me. Thinking about that day makes my head hurt, and all I want to do is cry and scream for the little girl who didn’t do anything.” “What?” Liam looked at her as if she lost her mind. “Yzzi, you were only eight years old. You can’t think for a moment that there was anything you could have done.” “I know…now.” He brushed a tear from her cheek. “I thought I would never see you again after that day. I think I begged my father to bring you with us. Tori held me for the entire trip across the ocean. I didn’t know what to think. I knew nothing but kindness during that trip. Father told me he loved me every day. I feel so guilty.” “You have nothing to feel guilty about. You should feel safe with your father.” “He tried to have me killed, Liam.” Yzzi felt Tristan move up beside them. He wrapped an arm around her and Liam, huddling them together until they stood in a circle in the room. Each of them comforted the other, making her think of his earlier description of their relationship. They were a circle and would always hold each other up. “He isn’t looking at this like a father anymore, mo stór.” He pressed a kiss to her temple and then one to Liam’s. “This has now become a battle for him, and to that kind of man, there are only allies or enemies.” “And I am now an enemy.” Yzzi slumped against Tristan. Part of her wanted to hate her father, but still, she remembered the man who held her hand the first time she rode a horse. “Do you think he still loves me, Liam?” Liam hugged them both closer to him. “Yes, I believe your father loves you very much, but the general in him only sees his enemies. I wish it could be otherwise.” Yzzi couldn’t stop the yawn that slipped past her better manners. Coming to terms with so many emotional upheavals was exhausting. “I do believe I have used up any residual energy I might have still

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had. Perhaps the rest of our conversation could wait until after we’ve all had a bit more sleep?” “We’re not going anywhere, Yzzi. There will be lots of time to talk about it later.” Tristan pressed a kiss to her temple and then to Liam’s. “You both could use some more sleep. I’ll go check on the crew and to the ship.” Before Tristan moved more than a breath away from them, Liam reached out and grabbed his hand. “I love you, Tristan.” Yzzi had never seen such a beautiful smile as the one that crossed Tristan’s face at that moment. “I love you too.” “And, I love you both.” He leaned over and gave each of them a quick kiss. “Now, both of you relax and let me take care of you for awhile.” **** Two days later they landed on the Atlantis. It was more than Yzzi could have ever imagined. Liam woke her and made certain that the shutters to the window were open so she could watch their arrival. As they circled the air above it, the enormous ship rose out of the water below. It looked like a large octopus with tentacles stretching out from a main hub. Some small joint sections glinted copper in the sunlight, while the rest of the ship looked as though it was covered in moss. They landed on the end of one of the tentacles. She couldn’t get back to sleep after that excitement, so he and Tristan wore her out again. When she awoke the second time, Liam was gone, but Tristan stayed with her. “Do you know what the next move against the slave dens will be?” “I would imagine we’ll attack another one soon. Once they find out if Bethany has any information we can use to better prepare ourselves, then we’ll decide on the target.”

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“I’m going with you on the next attack.” After what she went through, there would be no more sneaking around in the shadows for her.

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Chapter Eleven “We’ll see.” Tristan deliberately avoided her gaze as he moved around the room getting dressed. He knew better then to tell her ‘no’ outright, but neither he nor Liam would allow her to put herself in that kind of danger. Apparently, his actions tipped off her suspicions. “Tristan, I’m not staying behind while you and Liam put yourselves in danger. I’m not some helpless female. I can back you two up, and I need to be a part of this. I want to help rescue who they have captured.” “Yes, mo stór. Are you planning on staying naked for the rest of your time on the ship?” Tristan walked over and lifted her up onto the desk. “Not that I’m complaining.” “No, and don’t try to change the subject.” “I wouldn’t dare. Tristan slipped his hands under her knees and lifted her legs up to press against her chest. Exposing her bare pussy for him and splintering her train of thought. Moisture glinted off her creamy skin, and her hips swayed upward toward his lips. “I think you have been spoiled, mo stór.” “How do you figure?” She looked down at him and watched as he blew a sharp breath against her skin. Her hips jerked again, and he could see a bead of moisture track down along her skin. “Tristan, please.” Her fingers speared his hair and she gripped the thick strands tightly. “No, not yet.” He flicked his tongue against the pearl that pulsed between her nether lips. She cried out and shuddered underneath his hands. Their woman needed to learn to relinquish some control and allow him and Liam to dictate to her. At times she wouldn’t like it,

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but at least it might keep her safe. They both enjoyed her aggressive streak and didn’t want to quell her natural personality, but they wouldn’t allow her to walk into danger, either. He pressed a finger inside her, and felt the walls of her pussy flutter in response. Her body pulsed against the digit as he curved it up slightly and stroked that special spot deep inside her. She cried out again, and her grip on his hair increased. “Tristan, please…” Pleased with her response, he watched her carefully. Rotating his finger he pumped into her willing flesh, noting which angles pleased her more when he stroked and which made her cry out and caused her body to tighten around his finger. He curled his tongue over her sensitive pearl and sucked it between his lips. Her head dropped back as her eyes fluttered closed. “Oh, oh gods, Tristan.” He loved her voyeuristic tendencies, but for what he had planned he wanted her to be surprised. Doing his best to ignore her cries, he slipped a special piece of jewelry into his mouth. Using his tongue as a guide, he sucked on that perfect sensitive little clit until it pressed out from beneath its protective hood, begging for attention. Yzzi’s hips jerked toward his face, and she mewed in need. He flicked the sensitive nub and then sucked it through the small loop on his tongue. Letting go, her clit sat up straight, the silver loop ringed it. Quickly, he brushed the small screw with his thumb and gently tightened it. “Bloody hell, don’t stop now.” Yzzi tried to close her legs. He knew she hoped the pressure would trigger her release, but he laid a hand on each thigh, preventing her from moving. When he wouldn’t allow that to happen, she braced herself on her elbows and looked down at herself. “What the hell is that?” “That is a surprise for Liam.”

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He flicked the tiny chains that hung from the clamp. Each chain held a small crystal. It created enough weight to sensitize but not damage. She gasped slightly and then moaned. “Oh sweet mother, take it off. I can’t stand it.” “Not a chance, Yzzi.” He leaned back and undid his pants and releasing his cock from it confines. He fisted his cock and leisurely stroked its length while he admired the view she presented. “If you want them removed, you will have to earn it.” She twisted around and then stopped, bracing herself as a shudder ran though her body. “Oh that feels…I don’t know if I can describe it.” He moved over to a nearby chair and reclined into it. Happy to feed her needs, he leisurely stroked the length of his cock again as she watched. “Come here, Yzzi. If you do a good job, then it will come off and you will be rewarded.” He didn’t bother to add that only Liam would take it off. “Where is he?” Her gaze tracked every move his hand made. “In a negotiation meeting with the captain of Atlantis.” He cupped his balls with his other hand and her face flushed as he gently rolled his sac around his fingers. “Tristan, I can’t walk like this.” “Yes, you can.” At the very least this would stop her from getting in too much trouble while the Apollo gathered needed supplies. “What do you want me to do?” He leaned back in the chair and smirked at her. “I won’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do, Yzzi. It’s up to you.” “But, that’s not fair. I need to know what you want.” “No, that is where you are wrong. In this game, I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough and when you have come to the point when you earned some relief. Until then you are going to wear your jewels and learn how to control your responses.”

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Yzzi dropped her to knees in front of him. Resting her soft hands on his knees. She wriggled a bit and he saw a rush of goose bumps break out across her shoulders. “Spread your knees, Yzzi.” “Why?” “Because I asked you to.” Liam would order her compliance, but Tristan wanted to entice it from her. “This is about you learning how to control your response to stimulus. If you deny yourself an orgasm now, your release will be that much stronger later.” “Really?” He knew perking her curiosity was the easiest way to get her to play this game. “I promise you. But, if you find anything at all painful, then I want to you tell me and I’ll take it off.” She nodded as slid her hands up his thighs, his cock had flagged slightly at the thought of her being in pain, but as soon as he had her attention, it stiffed up again. “Is this painful?” She touched the head of his cock and dragged her finger down its length. He moved his had so not to obstruct her path. It twitched and jumped when she wrapped her hand around where his had gripped. Tristan laid his hand over her and moved at the pace he enjoyed, teaching her what he liked. Yzzi was a quick learner and soon he found himself gripping the back of the chair as she stroked his length. He watched as she smiled up and him before leaning over and wrapping her lips around the bulbuls head of his cock. Pleasure rammed into him, and he dropped a hand to the top of her head. “Oh sweet mother of all, don’t stop.” She hummed against him and the vibrations tickled ever inch of him. He felt his balls pull up closer to his body. “Suck on it, ma stór.” Her movements were much different from Liam’s. Liam tended to swallow his length in one determined action, but Yzzi’s hesitant movements teased his senses.

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“Yes, that is perfect.” His hips jerked up towards her mouth but he tried to hold back, not wanting to overwhelm her. She quickly gained confidence in her abilities and took more of him, sliding her soft lips down until he felt the back of her throat. He felt her fingers close over his sac and his control snapped. In a movement that lacked the finesse he would have preferred, he switched their positions. Once he had Yzzi kneeling on the chair with her hands gripping the back, he pressed his cock to her weeping cunt. The chains swung beneath him as he pressed into her hot, wet opening. He gripped her hips and plunged into her depths. Yzzi cried out and pressed back against him. He pulled almost completely out and then drove his entire length into her again. His movements sent the chain swinging and she bucked back against him, hollering out his name. “That’s right, let me hear you screaming my name.” He plundered her body, holding her hips and pulling her back against him as he moved. “Tristan! Yes, Tristan!” Hearing her chant his name spurred him on. He moved instinctively with her, answering the demands his body made. Reaching around, he brushed the tiny screw with his thumb and released the pressure. The jewelry fell to the chair and Yzzi screamed out in ecstasy. Her body gripped his cock with bruising strength and he slammed into her until he came deep within her. Panting for air, Tristan collected her close to him and dropped down into the chair with her curled peacefully in his lap. He nuzzled the soft skin and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Let’s see if we can make it out of our bedroom this time, hmmm?” **** Yzzi carefully walked down the ramp to the Atlantis. Almost every movement sent the jewels dangling between her legs swinging,

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which in turn tugged on her clit. It felt like molten lava flowed over her and she paused, trying to collect herself. She was determined to keep control over her actions now. Tristan paused and looked down at her. “Are you all right, mo stór?” His smirk said he completely understood what she endured and enjoyed teasing her. “Perfectly well, thank you.” She smiled at him baring her teeth as she lied through them. “I’m simply in awe of all this. I heard of the Atlantis but never expected to ever set foot on it. “By all means then, let’s not stop here.” He tugged on her hand, forcing her to walk again, or trip and land on her face. She knew he would ever allow that to happen. “I’ll give you a tour.” “Oh, lovely.” Atlantis was truly a masterpiece of modern shipbuilding. She remembered the awe she felt when she watched it emerge out of the ocean’s depths, as if Zeus parted the waters in a violent rush and lifted it up. By making clever use of the reflective properties of mirrors while above the water, they were able to reflect the sea to a series of screens above them. Ensuring that ships flying above never saw her below unless the crew of the Atlantis decided to allow them to land. Tristan walked her around part of the deck, showing her the enormous pontoons below that aided in keeping it afloat. At every opportunity, he brushed his hand across the front of her skirts, pressing against her mound. After almost no time at all, Yzzi thought she might lose her mind. She couldn’t keep track of anything he said about the mechanics of the ship. All she concentrated on was not pressing against him and rubbing herself to completion like a cat in heat. The sea wind blew cold against her cheeks, but it did nothing to cool the intense heat building within her. “Mr. Rodor, sir? Miss Gifrator?” Yzzi jumped, having not noticed the man in uniform march up to them. “If the two of you will come with me, please. Captain Kincaid has granted your request and asks that you both join him in his quarters.”

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“We would be honored. Don’t you agree, Yzzi?” Tristan nudged her shoulder, and she blurted out a quick reply a bit loudly. “Yes, of course. That would be lovely.” The young man gave her an odd look before turning in his heel and marching ahead. They needed to walk quickly to keep up. By the time they arrived at the dining room, Yzzi’s entire body trembled with need. A light sweat broke out on the back of her neck and ran down her spine. It felt as though a white-hot inferno twirled inside her, centered completely on the bundle of nerves between her legs. Tristan must have understood her condition because he bent his head and murmured encouraging words, but they did nothing to ease her discomfort, more the opposite. They entered what appeared to be a tastefully decorated drawing room. Liam and another large, incredibly good-looking man rose to their feet when she entered. Her condition must have shown on her face because Liam looked at her with great concern and stepped closer to her. “She’s fine. Simply distracted,” Tristan reassured Liam. Yzzi glared up at his whispered comments, feeling her cheeks and neck flush. Her entire body sizzled as if about to burst into flame. The intense pulse between her legs distracted her and kept her from focusing on anything else. The concern melted off Liam’s features, only to be replaced by something completely different. “You’re doing very well, Yzzi. I’m impressed.” She didn’t want to be pleased that she impressed him, but a cold part of her deep down inside warmed at his words. “Julien, Please let me introduce you to one of your invisible contacts.” “Miss Gifrator, it’s an incredible pleasure to meet you.” The large man stepped closer to her and caught one of her hands in his. He lifted her trembling fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of them. His lips quirked up in a grin that made her suspect he knew exactly what Tristan did to her. Her face flamed again—although she

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wasn’t certain that it ever calmed down. “I owe you a great deal. The information you have passed to us has helped in ways that you may never completely understand.” She doubted that, and the reminder of her failure did much to cool her ardor. He stepped back and waved a hand to one of the sofas. “Please have a seat. Would you care for a cup of tea or something a bit more fortifying?” “I’ll take fortified, thank you.” Yzzi sank down into the overstuffed chair and almost moaned out loud at the sensation of pressure against the apex of her legs. A moment later, the riot of feeling subsided, and she felt stronger than she had a moment before. Liam returned to his seat, looking amused, continuing his conversation with Julien. Tristan bonelessly reclined on a chair next to her, a Cheshire cat’s grin on his lips. Sneaky bastard. She refused to look at either of them. Instead, she took the opportunity to get a good look at Julien Kincaid. Of course, she knew of him just as she knew of Atlantis, but never expected to meet him. He stood the same height as Liam, but a bit broader in the shoulder. His build was very similar to her brother-in-law Mal’s build. Must be from working on a water-bound vessel. His hair looked to be as black as the night sky, and when he brought her a crystal glass, she blinked at the color of his eyes. The uniqueness caught her unawares. She had never met a man with violet eyes before. They were quite beautiful. Amusement lit his violet eyes, and the corners crinkled. “Thank you.” She shook her head slightly. He didn’t read minds, did he? “For what?” A loud clearing of someone’s throat broke the odd moment, making her blink in surprise. Both Tristan and Liam sat straight up, glaring at Julien. She looked at him, but he simply shrugged his shoulders. “How is my wife, Liam?”

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“What makes you think I have any idea?” Liam relaxed back into his chair when Julien took his own, far away from where Yzzi sat. Tristan stretched an arm out along the back of the settee and gently stroked the back of her neck. “Because I’m not stupid.” The amusement bled from his features. “I know damn well she’s been raiding slave pits with you.” “Whoever is feeding you information has their stories crossed.” Liam looked arrogantly bored with the conversation. But Yzzi already knew him well enough to know he chose his words carefully. “Afraid I can’t help you with this one, Julien. You want your wife back? You’re going to have to go get her.” “It’s not that easy, and you know it.” “You’re the one who thought it best to let her do whatever she wanted. Now you don’t have a clue where she is or where to look for her. Not a wise choice on your part.” Julien downed the liquid in his glass with a move so smooth, he must’ve done it often. Gaining his feet, he stalked over to the side board and poured another measure of golden liquid from the crystal decanter. He took another sip before turning his attention back to Liam. “Is that why you keep Tristan on the end of such a short leash? Or is it easy to keep your feelings separate from everything else?” Tristan’s fingers ceased moving on her neck. It felt as if they all held their breath to see what would happen next. “Do you really want to do this, Julien?” “Trade barbs with you? Not really.” He swallowed the rest of his drink and left the glass on the tray. “We’ve known each other long enough to know where to stab each other and make it hurt the most.” “I agree, a pointless venture.” Liam gained his feet, as did Tristan. He turned and held out his hand for Yzzi. She pressed her lips together stifling the moan that wanted to escape. For a moment, she managed to ignore the heavy throbbing of her body and the extreme sensitivity between her legs. Movement woke everything up and sent

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a shiver through her body that Tristan no doubt felt as his arm draped over her shoulder. He bent his head and pressed a kiss to her temple. “No much longer, mo stór. You are doing incredible. I’m so proud of you. Think of the surprise that Liam will have when he discovers your new jewelry.” Tristan’s whispered praise felt like a precious gift. Strange, she never craved acknowledgement before, but hearing it made her feel good about herself. Liam strode up to them and presented his arm, such a formal action compared to the relaxed way Tristan draped his arm across her. Yzzi nodded and pressed her fingers against his coat sleeve. “If you will excuse me.” Julien stood and sketched a perfect bow in her direction. “I’m anxious to have a chat with your Miss Anderson before we send her on her way.” “She isn’t as innocent as she appears.” “Women never are, sweet Yzzi.” They exchanged typical pleasantries before leaving the room. Liam strode quickly down the corridor, forcing Yzzi to hasten her steps to keep up. The quick friction sending shivers throughout her body. At this rate, she would be coming apart before they reached the Apollo. “Liam, are we running a race? Can we not slow the pace a tad?” “Of course. I apologize.” Liam shortened his stride and looked down at her, concern in his gaze. “Are you feeling well? You’re very flushed.” Tristan laughed and slapped Liam on the shoulder. Yzzi felt the heat in her cheeks rise another notch. If she slipped off her shoes, she was willing to bet that her blush stretched to her toes. “Oh, I would imagine our Yzzi is feeling a might uncomfortable about now. Aren’t you?” “I have no idea what you are speaking of.” Yzzi tried speaking without trembling and moved to step ahead of them. “And I’m not either of your Yzzi.”

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“Not so fast, Yzzi.” Liam wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. No, please not yet. She needed…well, she needed to get back to the ship and to their quarters. Her body felt so sensitized that even walking was becoming uncomfortable. “I completely disagree with your statement, but that can wait. What did the two of you do?” “I didn’t do anything.” A shudder danced along her spine. Liam obviously felt her response because he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. “But I did.” Tristan stood there and crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall. The Cheshire grin was back in place. “I thought our Yzzi could use some new jewelry. So I had some pieces commissioned especially for her.” **** Liam’s mouth went dry at the mental image his imagination supplied of what might be hiding beneath her skirts. “I would imagine all this walking has been a bit strenuous for you?” He tried not to grin, but considering the glare she pointed at him, he knew his delight wasn’t hidden well. Color rode high on her cheeks, and her breathing came in softly labored pants. “How could they have been commissioned for me?” “Mo chuslie, never did we expect to find you on a slave block, but now you’re between us, and neither of us is willing to let you go.” He knew that Julien had a room prepared for them. Originally, he planned to refuel the Apollo and get the hell off this base, but perhaps he would take advantage of his friend’s hospitality. He knew Tristan would have planned for this possibility when he decorated their woman. So it would be a shame to waste this opportunity. Liam scooped Yzzi up into his arms. She moaned softly and shuddered in his arms. He felt his cock harden even further. Turning to the right, he headed down a secluded hallway.

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As soon as they entered their rooms, Liam placed Yzzi on her feet and proceeded to strip her with Tristan’s help. Her clothes came off and were tossed to random chairs or simply over his shoulder. Every morsel of creamy pale skin they bared ratcheted up the sense of anticipation hanging around them. Her flushed skin, swollen with need and glistening with perfumed juices. A cluster of tiny diamonds hung from three delicate chains. “Sweet mother, look at you.” He reached out and tapped the jewels, making them swing slightly. Tristan came up behind her when she shivered and wrapped his arms under hers, cupping her silky breasts in his large hands. She whimpered slightly, leaning back against him. He loved the way she smelled, like a ripe woman begging for her lover’s touch. Her nether lips were swollen and a beautiful rose color. “Liam, take it off please.” It took every minute amount of his self-control not to part her legs and dive face first into that incredible scent. Anticipation was the name of this game Tristan started. Slowly, he skimmed his hands along her limbs, working his way up to her thighs. “Your skin is like silk, mo chuisle. Silky and soft.” He pressed his lips against the inside of her thigh. Her legs flexed as if she would close them, but then they relaxed open. Tristan’s large hand splayed across her lower abdomen. Liam pressed a kiss to the back of Tristan’s hand where it lay on her lower stomach. Pursing his lips, he blew a sharp arrow of air against her exposed nubbin. She jerked and cried out above him. “Oh please, Liam. I can’t…too much…take it off.” Her body ached up, pressing her breasts up towards him. He looked up and met Tristan’s gaze over her shoulder. Hot need burned in Tristan’s gaze. Liam knew what he wanted and what Yzzi needed and he wanted to make certain they both got their hearts’ desires. He rolled to his feet and moved quickly to pull over a small bench. “I want to see your jewelry dance.” Tristan’s eyes flashed

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darker than normal, an expression of his darker passions. His hand slipped over Yzzi’s hip, and Liam grabbed it before it could go too far. “Don’t touch her, my love. I want to watch the two of you for a bit.” She whimpered, her need so great that Liam wasn’t completely certain she would last more than a few minutes. “Mo chuslie, I want to you keep your heat about you. Don’t let Tristan’s talented cock to distract you too much. You don’t come until I say so.” Her eyes flashed at him in anger for a brief moment. That is until Tristan lifted her up and then let her drop down on his large cock. The complete eroticism of the moment almost caused Liam to explode in his own hand. With anyone else, he could never watch Tristan please another woman, but Yzzi wasn’t simply another woman. The idea of being jealous seemed completely foreign to him. This woman burrowed deep into his heart a long time ago. Tristan managed to find his way next to her. “Place your hands behind you, Yzzi. Rest them on Tristan’s shoulders.” Her hands moved into place, forcing her back to arch and her chest to push out farther. Tristan’s hands came up and cupped her breasts, scissoring her nipples between his fingers. She made the most incredible sounds when Tristan teased her nipples. He would have to remember that. Her head dropped back, and he could see the slightly glazed look to her features. He pressed the heel of his hand against his swelling cock, the pressure relieving the ache ever so slightly, but not enough. Tristan’s hands slid along her curves, resting on her hips as Tristan helped her to move against his cock. Liam watched as the crystals swung enticingly between her legs. Yzzi cried out again. Their movement would send phenomenal tremors through her. Her legs flexed where they lay on top of Tristan’s, working counter to his movements. Liam

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stood, but neither of them noticed. He saw a familiar drawing of Tristan’s brows, the way he clenched his teeth and gasped for air. “Tristan, stop moving.” Liam heard the colorful curse that Tristan growled against Yzzi’s back. “What’s wrong?” Cheeks flushed, eyes glazed, Yzzi looked incredible, and Liam didn’t want to watch any longer. Didn’t want to stand on the outside, not participating. “I want to make certain that you will never forget this.” He cupped her cheek and leaned over her shoulder, pressing his lips hungrily against Tristan’s. “You weren’t planning on finishing without me, were you?” “Never.” Tristan’s skin gleamed in the soft light. “How do you like your present?” “Oh, very much. I think we need to get our Yzzi some more jewels. Something to swing from those gorgeous tits of hers as well, next time.” She whimpered slightly and turned her passion-glazed expression to him. He could see the question in her eyes, and now that they’d managed to calm down a tad, he wanted to get the energy swirling again. He pressed a kiss to her soft lips, nipping at her lower lip. She opened, and he pressed in, tasting the wine she drank earlier. One hand buried in Tristan’s hair. The other cupped Yzzi’s cheek. He would never let them go. Shifting his weight, he moved in front of her and broke the kiss so he could taste her skin and feel the silkiness under his fingers and lips. “Her nipples, Liam. Don’t pass without a taste.” Tristan reached around and cupped her breast, offering her like a treasured delicacy. “They’re like raspberries on cream.” Liam swirled his tongue around the tight nub before wrapping his mouth around the tip. He flicked the delicate skin, and her hips moved restlessly, which pulled a groan from Tristan.

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“Sweet mother, Liam. She’s so fucking tight, and the way she moves.” Liam saw the mischievous smile that curled the corners of Yzzi’s mouth. She rocked her hips, and Tristan tightened his grip on her. “I see, but I’m more interested in how she tastes.” Yzzi’s eyes widened slightly, and Liam grinned up at her. Stroking the soft skin in her thighs, he slid his fingers up to the swollen lips between her legs. Using his thumbs, he softly pressed her glistening slit open. Her delicate folds were a beautiful shade of rose, and her clit stood proud and begging for attention. Keeping eye contact with her, he slowly moved closer. He and Tristan discussed her penchant for watching, and he loved that she didn’t hide from him. He kissed her sensitive skin and flicked her clit with his tongue. Her tangy flavour teased his senses and increased his hunger for her. She shuddered in Tristan’s embrace, but her hips arched toward him. An invitation he wasn’t about to ignore. This time he stroked her with his tongue, a long lick from her clit to Tristan’s velvety length. He flicked his tongue against the base of Tristan’s cock and the stretched opening of her. Stroking his way back, he gently eased the clip off her delicate clit, tonguing her to distract from any discomfort. Her cry grew in intensity, and her head fell back against Tristan’s shoulder. Liam felt Tristan’s hand in his hair, encouraging him, stroking him, and reminding him that they were here together. “Lie back, Tristan and take her with you.” Tristan did exactly as he asked which changed the angle for all of them. In this position, Liam could tease both his loves at the same time and it gave him greater access to Tristan. Carefully sucking and flicking Yzzi’s plump folds caused her to rock against Tristan’s cock buried deep inside her. At the same time, he could stroke Tristan’s heavy sac. With his feet pressing against the floor, Tristan could still keep rhythm as he slid in and out of her. Yzzi didn’t have anything to cling to other than Tristan. Her legs spread wide across Tristan’s thighs.

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She looked like a sacrifice, and Liam felt like a very hungry god at the moment. Her juices covered his face and fingers, using the available moisture he stroked along the sensitive skin behind Tristan’s balls. He slipped two fingers into Tristan’s ass, pressing past the tight ring of muscles. “Yes, sweet mother, yes, Liam!” Liam sucked on Yzzi’s folds as he pumped his fingers into Tristan’s ass, scissoring them and then rubbing the one spot that he knew would drive Tristan mad. He kept up a steady rhythm bringing them both to the brink. He, too, balanced on a fine edge of control, uncertain if he could withstand hearing their release without it triggering his own. This is what their lives should be like. Being able to touch his lovers like this, having them here for him. He would do anything to keep them both. If they ever left, his soul would never be the same. It would be cleaved into three shards. Yzzi’s cries increased, and she moved restlessly, jerking her hips in need. “Come for me, Yzzi. Let’s see how good Tristan’s control is.” He chuckled against her delicate skin and flicked his thumb over her tight nubbin as he licked the entrance to her. She cried out his name, and he felt the muscles under his tongue tighten. Her fingers slid into his hair and gripped him tightly as he tasted her release on Tristan’s cock. His own cock twitched, his balls tight against his body. Sheer will alone stopped him from acting like a boy with no control. “Liam, let me roll her over. Come up here with us.” That sounded like an incredible idea. He stroked the sensitive spot inside Tristan’s ass a moment longer, earning a low groan from the man. “Or not, and you can keep touching me like that. Your choice.” Liam laughed and smacked Tristan’s ass as he pressed a soft kiss to Yzzi’s cream-covered pussy one last time before standing up. She lay sprawled back on Tristan’s chest, her legs spread wide and open to invitation.

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“Up you get, ma stór.” Tristan skillfully rolled them and moved higher up on the bed without slipping from her depths. He brought Yzzi with him. Her movements were sluggish, proof that she hadn’t completely recovered from her release. Perfect. Liam shed his clothes and crawled up on the bed at her head. She looked up and reached for his aching cock. Her sweet, hot mouth wrapped around the head of it. He watched as his shaft disappeared past her glistening lips. Her hot little mouth sucked on him as her tongue over him traced a path along his length. All rational thought was wiped completely from his head. A white-hot tingle started at the base of his spine, wrapping around his hips. “She is a natural cock sucker.” Tristan moved, pressing her closer to him and Liam felt his cock bump the back of her throat. “Almost drove me insane earlier today.” Liam felt his cock jump at Tristan’s admission. What he would have given to see that. “Yzzi, next time Liam presses his cock against the back of your throat I want you to try to swallow him down.” She followed Tristan’s suggestion, and Liam thought he saw stars. Gripping her shoulders, he leaned back a bit to prevent her from hurting herself, but it quickly became apparent that she decided she was in charge and Tristan was going to help. . The three of them moved in a perfect rhythm. Tristan pumped his cock into her from below as she sucked on Liam’s cock. Flushed with sweat dripping down his neck, Liam didn’t think he had ever seen him look sexier. Tristan leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, reaching for her pussy. Liam curled forward and reached down to caress her breasts, tweaking her sensitive nipples as his lips met Tristan’s. He felt, more than heard, her come apart for a second time. The vibrations of her cries vibrated along his sensitive shaft, and he lost control. Jerking his hips in an attempt to pull back, she gripped his hip, her nail digging into his skin. The sharp pricks added another layer of sensation to his already overloaded system, and he exploded

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in her mouth. She sucked him deep into her mouth and licked him clean before letting go. Tristan collapsed back on the bed, and she dropped in a heap on his chest. Liam landed ungracefully to the left of them. The three of them lay like that for a moment, trying to regain their breath. While he waited for his heart to calm down, Liam reached over and stroked his fingers through Tristan’s silky hair as Yzzi lay sprawled unconscious on top of him. When he finally felt strong enough, he gently eased her to the side and Tristan moved up to curl around her. Moving as carefully as possible, Liam went to the washroom and cleaned up, bringing a warm cloth out with him to take care of his lovers. Yzzi didn’t move while they cared for her. When Liam crawled into bed he curled around Yzzi. Tristan pressed his chest against Liam’s back. Liam felt Tristan press a kiss against the nape of his neck before drifting off.

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Chapter Twelve Waking this morning wrapped in a cocoon of warmth and held by her men, Yzzi knew that today would be different from any other. Never did she imagine it could go so wrong. So quickly. Julien called them to his office, and upon arriving, he insisted on discussing the information she passed on to him through Tristan and Liam. She knew what would happen the moment the truth of her actions was revealed. Although, she would have happily waited a lifetime before any of this information came to light. “Miss Gifrator,” Julien broke the silence in the room, gaining everyone’s attention. “I don’t think you realize how much you helped us over the past years.” Yzzi’s stomach churned. Helped cause the death of hundreds perhaps? “I’m certain you exaggerate, sir. I can’t believe that I didn’t do more harm than good.” “What would make you say that, Yzzi?” Tristan’s fingers tightened on her shoulder. She glanced up into his concerned expression and shrugged. Perhaps now wasn’t the best time to tell the complete truth. Considering they were on the Atlantis and her only escape would be a cold death under the ocean’s surface. “I think I might have an idea.” Her gaze darted over to Julien who reclined again in his chair and yet still looked like a panther about to spring. “Let me assure you, I never ordered a raid or attack with information from only one source. That kind of leading is reckless and gets your men killed in a hurry.” “I don’t understand.” Could that be why he wanted to speak to her? Wasn’t she here to be punished for passing incomplete

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information? She glanced at the weapons that hung on the wall of his office and shivered. “What are you talking about, Julien?” Liam sat up in his chair and frowned over at Yzzi. Tristan’s hand dropped away from her back. A chill settled down her spine at what she viewed as a rejection. “I always consider the source when I receive information. For the most part, the information you passed to us was accurate and precise. You always had accurate information in regards to the location of the pits and auctions. The only exception was when the information crossed any business your father was involved in. Then intelligence you sent was spotty and full of holes and completely untrustworthy on its own.” Yzzi felt as if a hand wrapped around her throat, strangling her. What could she say? He had it right. She did alter the information she handed over in order to protect her father. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and faced him. She wasn’t a complete coward. She would face the consequences of her actions and accept her fate. But she wasn’t brave enough to ever look at Liam or Tristan again. “That’s correct. At the time, I couldn’t believe what everyone said about him. I believed in my father’s innocence and felt the accusations against him were preposterous.” “So you passed on false information?” Liam’s voice cut through the air like a whip. “How many deaths did she cause?” She felt a large hand stroke down the back of her hair. “It’s not true, is it, Yzzi? Keeping her gaze locked with Julien’s, she nodded, answering Tristan. Her heart twisted painfully at the admission. She didn’t want to know how many deaths stained her hands, but knew that her lies took away the right to pretend she wasn’t wrong. She felt the cushion shift as Tristan stood and walked away from her. The need to follow his movements and look at Liam ate away at her insides, but she couldn’t look at their facial expressions and maintain her composure.

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“Death is something we all deal with. I wish I could say we never lost allies in battle, but that isn’t the case, and you both know it.” The hard look in Julian’s eyes softened for a moment, and Yzzi felt tears prick the backs of hers. “Never did anyone die as a direct result of information I gained from Miss Gifrator or her sister. And yes, I knew why and who your sister married. It never left a good taste in my mouth, knowing what she went through to get us information.” Yzzi’s head spun as she tried to process what Julien said. “How do you know?” “Because as I said, I never take anything at face value when dealing with families. Every fact had to be backed up with another before any missions.” She felt on the verge of emptying her stomach on the floor in front of her. “Are you certain?” Julien rose to his feet and crossed over to her. He held out his hand, and she slipped hers into it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. “Sweetheart, you attempted to protect your family. That kind of loyalty, I understand and trust. I’d be more apt to distrust you if you were quick to hand your father over to me with little to no information.” He pulled her hand through the crook of his arm. “You’re looking pale. I think a bit of a walk and some fresh air will do you good.” She stepped woodenly next to him, not feeling anything close to the comfort she felt when near Liam or Tristan. Her thoughts whipped around her mind at what felt like hurricane speeds. “Julien, you’re not going anywhere with her.” Liam’s voice vibrated around her, snapping her out of her brooding. Unable to resist any longer, Yzzi glanced back at the two men who each looked furious. At what, she wasn’t entirely certain. It could be her admission or at their host. For now, she thought it better to let them to cool down a bit.

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“We’re simply going for a walk, you two. Don’t you trust your Yzabeau?” He practically shoved her out the door and slammed it behind him. A loud click sounded, and a wave of nervousness washed over her. “Why did you lock them in?” “Because I wanted some time alone with you.” She could hear the faint sound of pounding and a string of colorful curses through the solid door. “This is not a good idea.” “Oh, of course, it is.” Julien pulled her hand to rest on his arm again. “Those two need to get their priorities straight, and you need some air. I promise they’ll be fine, as will you.” “I’m afraid you are mistaken on that fact. It was foolish of me to hope they would never find out the truth. I know I should have been honest with them.” Despite having turned a few corners already, Yzzi thought she head Liam’s voice shouting her name. His anger practically vibrated the walls around them. “Perhaps we should return.” “I realize you have no reason to trust me, Miss Gifrator, but please believe me that I have first-hand experience with the type of anger Liam is feeling. The worst thing I could do is take you back to either him or Tristan at this moment. You will all end up saying things that you don’t really mean.” Julien patted her hand before stopping them in front of a wall. He pressed a small depression in the wall causing a small door to swing open, revealing a key hole. “Trust me, it is better for all of this to come out now and get it over with.” Retrieving an iron key from his pocket, he inserted it. A loud hiss preceded several clicking noises and a rush of saline air. “Step back, my dear. Occasionally these doors give me a bit of trouble.” A seam appeared in the wall the shape of a large door. Julien pressed the depression a second time, and it swung open onto a large balcony. “Perfect. Let’s continue our conversation out here.” Yzzi followed him out into the sunshine. The iron-grate balcony creaked slightly. “We are secure out here?”

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“Yes, of course. Atlantis likes to make herself known when she is shifting with the seas, but she is completely secure.” What is it with men and their ships? Julien spoke of the Atlantis the same way Liam did the Apollo. The sea breeze did wonders for settling her stomach as Yzzi stepped over and rested her hands on the railing that surrounded them. From this vantage point, she could see a few such balconies sitting against the side of the ship, none of which appeared to have an entrance. Julien must have noticed her curiosity because he didn’t hesitate to explain. “All entrances have to be sealed air tight so there is no concern of leaking when we are submerged.” “Interesting. I appreciate your bringing me out here, but I don’t believe you are looking to show off your ship. What do you want?” She looked out over the water as she waited for Julien to say something. Did he plan to separate her from Liam and Tristan in order to exact some revenge? Cold fear knifed through her chest. Perhaps he brought her out here to toss her over the edge? A quick look over her shoulder relieved her. The door still stood open, and Julien had moved to the other side of the balcony. “Have you ever met a woman named Kassandra?” Julien’s question after such a long stretch of silence surprised her. She expected questions regarding her father. “No, I haven’t.” If Liam didn’t want to reveal the woman’s involvement, then she wouldn’t either. “Is she important to you?” Julien gave her a narrow-minded assessment and then sighed. “Damn, you have strong loyalties when you want to. To answer your question, yes, she’s my wife.” For a moment, she saw the mask he wore slip and the pain in his eyes flash before he pulled it back together. “I haven’t seen the stubborn woman in two years.” “Why such a long separation?”

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“Because I’m a fool who thought if I held on tight enough I could keep her safe. Similar to what Liam and Tristan will do with you as well.” “I don’t know what you mean.” But part of her did. The way neither of her men would include her in the plans for the next raid proved they already started. He grinned and reached out to tuck some hair behind one of her ears. A gentle careless movement she knew would be an intimate moment if her men were here, but with Julien, regardless of the physical attraction, she didn’t feel the same tightening in her chest. “Why did you let her go?” “I didn’t have a choice. The tighter I held, the harder she pulled away. One morning I woke, and she was gone.” “Perhaps, she felt you didn’t trust her to take care of herself.” A feeling Yzzi could relate to. “Maybe she didn’t want to be put up on a shelf and admired.” “I wanted to keep her safe, and instead, she ran headfirst into the most dangerous situation.” “She wanted to prove herself to you?” “I think so, but then she didn’t come back.” “Then you should have swallowed your pride and gone after her.” “I know, but by that point we had both said things that couldn’t be taken back.” He looked out over the sea, and the wind blew his hair forward over his face. “I can’t stand behind her, and she won’t let me stand in front of her.” Liam’s words echoed in her memory. Julien’s thinking in a straight line. “Then stand beside her.” His head snapped in her direction, and the wind lifted his hair off his face. He looked dazed for a moment as if he didn’t quite comprehend what she was saying. It was a moment later before her words dawned on him. “You’re absolutely correct. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.” “Sometimes it’s better to get an objective opinion on something.”

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Julien stepped closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his warmth and comfort. He had a comforting way about him, and she felt as if they had been friends for years instead of recently meeting. “My dear, let me give you a bit of personal advice from someone who has first-hand experience with what your men are feeling right now. Give them time to see past their initial opinions. They may want to leave, but I’ve locked down the Atlantis. They aren’t going anywhere. You need to force them to deal with this now. Prick their tempers and push them into a fight if you have to. Don’t let them ignore this because, trust me, the longer you wait, the harder it will become.” He rubbed her arm before stepping away. “Now, I have something for you.” He handed her a key from a pocket in his waistcoat. “This is a master key for Atlantis. It will open any door they try to put between you. You can give it back to me before you leave.” “Thank you, Julien.” She tucked the key into her pocket, understanding what kind of trust he offered her. She wouldn’t betray that trust by snooping around the ship. He watched as he carefully relocked the balcony door, sealing them on the inside. “Julien, you should take some of your own advice and go get your wife. Pick a fight with her and try to force her to deal with you, too.” “I’m afraid that Kass and I are far too good at injuring each other to pick a fight with her. But I will keep it in mind.” He held out an arm, and she placed her fingers on it. Walking as if they were a normal couple strolling through the park, he led her back to his office. It wasn’t hard to understand Liam’s anger. He spent most of his life feeling guilty for not being able to save her. Then he finds out that falsified information she was supposed to be getting to help the rebels. But she needed to make them both understand why. Her heart pounded faster the closer they got to Julien’s office. She would face this the same way she did everything else.

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“I’ll give you some privacy.” Julien pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “Best of luck to you. You’re welcome to stay on Atlantis for a long as you wish.” “Thank you, Julien.” As he walked away, she turned the key in the lock. **** “Liam, we can’t begin to understand what her life was like before we met her. If she blocked out her childhood memories, doesn’t it make sense that she would want to protect her family?” “That evil bastard is not her family, Tristan. He only wanted those girls as pawns and possessions. How could she condone that?” “Liam, she was a child who didn’t understand what was happening to her. She could have ended up spoiled and shallow like Bethany Anderson. But how did our Yzzi turn out? She started gathering information about the wrongs she saw and tried to pass it one to someone who would help.” Tristan poured him a couple fingers of amber liquid and passed it to him. Normally, he would consider it far too early to start drinking, but this wasn’t an ordinary day. He swallowed down a mouthful of brandy and concentrated on the warmth that radiated through his chest. “Why didn’t she tell us herself? That is what hurts the most. She didn’t trust us.” “And given our response, do you think she really made a misjudgment?” He swallowed a mouthful of brandy himself before placing the glass on the desk next to Liam’s. “I wouldn’t call our reaction exactly positive.” Tristan idly rubbed his hand, and Liam grabbed it and pressed his lips against the reddened skin. “Hand hurt?” “Not really. Only a little stinging from pounding against that door. I’m going to kick Julien’s ass for locking us in here.”

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“Whenever I think he has reached the limit of his arrogance, the man shocks me by pulling some sort of high-handed stunt like this.” Then he leaned back against Julien’s desk, faced the door across the room, and waited. As soon as they hear the door unlock, they both stood up. “You have a lot of nerve, Julien.” Tristan snapped as soon as the door opened. Liam’s disparaging comment vanished from his lips when he realized that it was Yzzi and not Julien who stepped through the door. She didn’t look at either of them. “Please believe me. I didn’t have anything to do with your being locked in here.” “Why should we believe anything you say, Yzabeau?” She flinched at the sound of her full name. “From my understanding, you have made a habit of telling people what you want them to hear.” “That’s not fair, Liam.” She paced across the room clutching her hands together before facing them again. “I never lied to you or Tristan.” Tristan stood up and then abruptly leaned back against the desk. Liam understood what he was feeling. He, too, fought the same internal battle to stop himself from walking over there and wrapping her in his arms. “An omission of facts is as much of a lie as anything else.” Yzzi’s head snapped up, anger burning in her eyes. So she wasn’t as apologetic as she let on. For a moment he thought she came to them in an attempt to ask for their forgiveness. “Omission of facts is a lie? How much more arrogant can you get, Liam. As I recall, you kept a large secret from me.” “She has a point, Liam.” Liam looked over at Tristan thinking his lover had lost his mind. This was a completely different situation. I didn’t tell her of her past because I wanted to save her the trauma of reliving it. She lied to us because she falsified information that could have caused innumerable innocent deaths.

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“You’re right, and for that I cannot apologize enough” Yzzi paced away from him. “But, you need to understand—” “My sweet Liam, I heard you yelling and have come to rescue you from this vicious harpy.” Liam’s attention snapped away from Yzzi and to the doorway in complete surprise. Bethany stepped into the room and shut the door with her foot. In one hand, she held a revolver, and the other a large knife. Eyes wide open and glazed, he watched as her attention jumped around the room. “Liam, come with me. I’ll take you away from all this.” “I’m not going anywhere with you, Bethany.” “Yes! Yes you are. You are meant to be mine. Daddy said so.” Tristan moved slightly, and Bethany aimed the pistol at him. “You stay there, faggot. I warned you already. And you!” She pointed the knife at Yzzi and stepped closer to her. “Your daddy doesn’t love you like mine does. I heard you talking. Poor stupid Yzzi. They told me you were a whore, and you are. I heard you with them both. I listened. I heard your words.” She slashed at the air in Yzzi’s direction. “They will thank me when I tell them you are dead. And you should die for touching Liam with your dirty hands. I’m going to cut you.” “All right, Bethany. I’ll come with you. Let’s go.” Liam stood up and took a step toward her before she decided to get any closer. Bethany jerked the gun up in his and Tristan’s direction. “Stop. You, faggot, go stand with the whore.” “No.” Tristan stood his ground and crossed his arms. Liam glared at Tristan and motioned with his head that he should go stand with Yzzi. That way he could keep them both safe by making certain that Bethany stayed focused on him. Tristan shook his head and moved to step in front of Liam. “He’s mine, Bethany. You cannot have the man who loves me.” Liam grabbed for Tristan, wanting to pull him out of the way, but Bethany must have mistaken his actions.

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“No!” Her primal scream pierced the air, and he watched as she adjusted her aim to point at him. He wasn’t about to take a shot to the chest if he could avoid it. Moving with Tristan, they dove for the floor. Her scream changed abruptly from fury to pain-filled. Her arm jerked to the side, her body spinning with the force. She fell to the floor, her head striking the chair as she dropped. Liam leapt back to his feet and carefully approached the fallen woman. She lay completely still, a bolt piercing her forearm. He reached out and slid a couple fingers under her jaw. “Still beating,” he said out loud. Yzzi’s sigh of relief echoed in the room, and he turned and watched as she placed a small hand-held crossbow on a side table. “Where did you get that?” She pointed to the wall behind her. “Tristan kept her attention for a moment allowing me the time to reach it.” Liam was at a loss for words. As his brain scrambled to think of what to say part of the bookshelf behind him swung inward and Julien burst into the room though a secret passage. “I need your help! Miss Anderson has…” He blinked at the body lying on the floor and then looked to the three of them. “Bloody hell, is she dead?” “Sadly no. Yzzi is a much better shot than that.” Liam felt incredibly proud of her restraint. If he’d have taken the shot, that bitch would be dead because he would’ve aimed for her heart, not her hand. At least this way she could still be questioned when she came to. Several men filed into the room behind Julien and moved straight to the woman on the floor. With quiet efficiency they moved her on to a stretcher. After securing her, they lifted her up and carried her out into the hallway. “I’ll have her injuries treated, but I think my men know not to trust such an innocent face again. I owe you a large favor, Yzabeau. Thank you.” “Don’t thank me for hurting her. As much as I want to say she deserved it, I think we underestimated the effect the slave pits had on her mental health.”

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“What happened with your men, Julien? She wasn’t this bad on board the Apollo.” “She wasn’t touched, only spoken to.” Julien’s tone echoed his displeasure of anything alluded to in regards to his men’s behavior. “I’ve had some men look into her past, and Miss Anderson isn’t a spy. She really is the daughter of an admiral. Apparently, they planned to use her to get to the Apollo. I don’t know their plans after that. I wouldn’t doubt that is why they chose her. She doesn’t have any information to pass on. Being locked up in a cell by those she has been told are the enemy was enough to break her spirit.” “What will you do with her?” Liam could see that Yzzi didn’t want the poor woman to be dumped anywhere to fend for herself. “I’ll make certain that she gets home safely when she is healthy enough to travel.” Liam wanted to pull Yzzi into his arms and hold her between him and Tristan. When Bethany lunged at her with the knife, he feared his heart stopped for a moment. But it was obvious that Yzzi could take care of herself. His emotions were at war. He wanted to comfort her and himself at the moment, but he still tried to grasp all the information handed to him today. She gave them false information, which he and Tristan passed on to Julien. He never thought to secondguess her information, having complete blind faith in her. Is that what bothered him? Did he want her to have blind faith in him as well? Which meant more to him? The blind faith of the child he knew or the earned trust of the woman she grew to be? “Liam?” Yzzi’s unspoken question felt like a caress to his aching heart. Tristan stepped up behind him and wrapped his arms around Liam’s waist as a silent sign of support and reassurance. Tristan loved him and would never betray him. At this moment, he wasn’t certain that Yzzi could do that. “No. I need to think about this. Leave us alone for now, Yzabeau.”

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Chapter Thirteen “I want you to take me to the SeaHawk.” Yzzi snapped out her orders the minute she got the door open. One of them had locked it, but she used the key Julien slipped her. It made it much easier than picking the lock. She gave them an hour and then decided that she wasn’t going to sit on her hands and wait for them to make a decision about her life without her. “I’ll be out of your hair, which you have to admit will be a relief, and you both can get on with your lives.” Push them, Julien told her earlier. Force them to deal with you now. The longer you wait the harder it will become. She tried to plead her case in Julien’s office, but it obviously didn’t work. So now she would try his suggestion. “What makes you think that your absence will encourage that?” Liam stalked around the table. Every step he took, Yzzi took a step maintaining the distance between them. “Stop moving, Yzabeau.” “Fuck you.” She snapped at him and continued to keep pace with him. “I plan to.” “Not with me. You and Tristan can go find another plaything. I’m not interested in that position.” “Mo chuslie, there are lots of positions we haven’t tried yet.” She raised her arm and flashed her middle finger at him. She saw it used in the American military and assumed he would know what it meant. “Hand signals count as words, Yzzi.” She stuck her tongue out in defiance. Mentally, she was thrilled he used the shortened version of her name again. It had to be a good

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sign. “I am not your servant, slave, or whore. If you need an itch scratched, then I suggest you find someone else.” Liam leapt over the table with such grace Yzzi stood shocked for a moment too long. That split second hesitation allowed him to catch her by the arms and yank her up against his chest. “What did you call yourself?” “What do you care?” Liam didn’t want Yzzi to overdo it, but the more he tried to convince her to stay put, the more she fought him on it. “Bloody hell, Yzzi, you’re pissing me off.” “Yea, that’s helping.” Tristan stood in front of the bedroom door with his arms crossed over his chest. “Liam, we spent the last hour talking about this.” “Oh, poor Liam is getting pissed off, isn’t that a shame. I don’t care. All I want from you is passage to my family. They you can go to hell for all I care.” “You don’t get it do you, mo chuslie?” He looked over his shoulder at Tristan whose facial expression echoed his own feelings. “My apologies Tristan, you were right.” “Right about what?” Her question drew Liam’s attention back to her. His green eyes sparked with anger, shining bright from behind a chunk of hair that drifted across his face. “That you don’t understand any of this. You are ours, and we are never going to let you go.” His words made her want to jump into his arms, but she wanted to make certain that neither of them carried any residual anger over her past actions. She also wanted to lay down some rules for the future. “You are certifiable. I’m in control of my own life, and I will live it as I see fit. You two continue to treat me as a piece of glass. I’m not. You saw me at my most vulnerable and continue treat me as if I came out of that pit broken.” In another incredibly smooth move, Liam scooped her up and tossed her on his bed. Tristan reached for her the moment she landed,

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pulling her up against his chest. Yzzi struggled to get free. The movement caused her ass to wiggle against his cock. She could feel it thicken against her back. “Let me go.” “No, I don’t think so. Not this time.” Liam opened a few drawers and pulled out a few neckties before pulling his shirt over his head. “What are those for?” The silk ties landed in a soft puddle on her stomach, and he stripped the rest of his clothes off. “I’m going to tie you to the bed.” Yzzi pulled harder against Tristan’s arms, but the idea of being tied down for their pleasure made acting pissed off even harder. Her body softened back against Tristan’s chest, to which he chuckled evilly. “I think she likes the idea. I hope you have four ties there. I want her legs spread apart as well.” “I most certainly do not.” Yzzi lied and yanked harder against her captor. As soon as they divested her, they would discover how wet she was. That was a humiliation she didn’t want to endure. Would it really be a humiliation, though? She didn’t have this kind of reaction when the slavers tied her down, but then she knew she couldn’t trust them… Yzzi froze with that thought. Could that be the important factor? She trusted Liam and Tristan. But, I need them to trust me. Her distraction cost her again as Tristan quickly undid the ties to her clothes and bared her for them. She watched as a frown crossed his features when he realized he would have to untie her to take her clothes completely off. “Hold still, ma stór.” “What do you think you’re doing? Stop that immediately!” Her yelling fell on deaf ears as Tristan efficiently cut her clothes from her body. “Yzzi? What are you thinking?” Liam’s question fluttered against her ear. Belatedly she realized they took advantage of her distracted

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state. He secured both her arms over her head as Tristan stripped out of his clothes. “I’m planning my revenge.” She felt short of breath, and her thoughts were running haywire. She couldn’t admit this, not yet. Seeing such incredible male flesh in front of her scattered her thoughts again. “We don’t plan on allowing you to think too much. As Liam moved closer to her apex, she felt herself grow embarrassingly wetter. Tristan cupped her jaw in his hand and brushed a soft kiss against her lips. “Mo stór, we know you are a strong and capable woman. We do trust that you would be an asset in a fight.” “But you will have to forgive us if we are a bit overprotective of you.” She could feel Liam’s breath against her inner thigh as he spoke. “Neither of us can bear the thought of you being hurt.” How could she blame them? The idea of either of them being hurt was abhorrent to her as well. “Then we will take very good care of each other and watch each other’s backs.” She wanted to say more, but Tristan’s hands on her skin distracted her thoughts. Her entire body tingled, driving away any negative thoughts. “We will take very good care of you, mo chuslie.” Liam brushed her curls with the back of a finger. Raising it up, she could see the moisture glint in the sunlight. Tristan leaned forward and grasped Liam’s wrist. He wrapped his lips around the digit with a happy sigh and sucked on it. Yzzi watched, fascinated by the way Tristan slid Liam’s finger deep into his mouth. Slowly, Liam pulled his finger back from Tristan’s lips. “She tastes incredible.” “Does she now? I wonder if I should taste her now or wait until later? “I’d wait ’til later when we have her completely distracted.” ****

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Tristan loved the sight of Yzzi spread out in front of him like a sacrificial virgin. Her legs lay on either side of Liam’s legs, her cunny wet and shining in the soft lights. So beautiful. His hand shook as he held on to his raging cock. He watched Liam’s strong fingers rub rhythmic circles in and around her swollen folds. Liam’s cock stood up large and hard, twitching against her swollen pussy. “You want us both, don’t you, Yzzi?” “Yes, please, please.” Her body arched up, and she pulled on the ties above her head. He could see the moisture coating her skin run down, and bathe the tip of Liam’s cock. “Oh sweet mother, that is the most incredible sight.” Mouth watering, he crawled closer. Liam opened his legs and Tristan made a beeline to the top. Getting comfortable, he licked the tangy droplets from Liam’s length and then swirled his tongue around her folds and their lover’s fingers. “Don’t stop.” Yzzi quivered beneath him. He enjoyed the combination of tastes from cunny and cock. His own stood up harder than it had ever been in his life. An idea occurred to him, and he almost lost all control at the very idea. “Liam, I want to try something.” “Anything.” Tristan untied Yzzi’s legs and lifted them to rest on his shoulder. His hips involuntarily jerked as his cock tapped at her entrance as he helped to lift her on top of Liam. Shifting closer to Liam, he wrapped his hand around their cocks at the same time. The feel of another rock-hard, hot cock against his made the throbbing echo throughout his entire body. Liam groaned from beneath Yzzi and jerked his hips. The feeling almost sent Tristan over the edge. Leaning forward, he gently placed both their cocks at her entrance. A wave of moisture washed over them as he held tight and led them both into paradise.

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“Oh yes, Yzzi. You’re going to press us together so tightly. We’ll be deep inside you, every inch squeezed by this delicious body of yours. Yzzi’s eyes flicked opened and Tristan paused, afraid that he might hurt her, but she grabbed a shuddered breath and pressed down against him. Carefully, they both moved forward in tandem, back and forth, each thrust met with a flood of moisture making each inch gained a bit easier. Tristan could feel a bead of sweat run down the side of his face. He felt as though he stood on the surface of the sun. Fighting the urge to plunder her depths until he found his release, he orchestrated an intimate dance. Keeping his and Liam’s movements matched, they gently slid out of her and then plunged back in. Yzzi hooked one leg over Tristan’s hips, opening herself completely to them. Her hands stretched up over her head, caught where Liam now held them in one grip. No longer secured to the bed but the ties still hung from her wrists. Tristan stroked down her body to dance in the folds between her legs. It was the most intimate experience of Tristan’s life. They moved together, wrapped in her essence, together. He licked her tight raspberry nipples, loving the feeling of her nubbins beneath his tongue. Her skin felt like cream, he devoured her as his movements lost their finesse. Their hips rocked faster, whether he or Liam increased the tempo, he couldn’t tell. The world drifted away as he moved until Yzzi’s cries increased into a passionate scream. He lost himself in the feelings of her fluttering around him and Liam. Each thrust into her tight, fluttering sheath threw him closer and closer to the sun’s core until it exploded around him. The intensity consumed his senses and left him adrift on a warm current of peace. He braced his hands against the bed as he tried to catch his breath. Pressing a final kiss against Yzzi’s skin, he slipped from her and collapsed along her side. Liam rose up from under her and rolled her into Tristan’s arms before getting out of bed. Yzzi snuggled close, and

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he enjoyed the intimate moment. Liam came back with a couple warm cloths. Between the two of them, they gently cleaned her and themselves. Tristan crawled back into bed and cradled his head on Yzzi’s breast with a muttered “mo stór.” Liam did the same on the other side. Yzzi lay on her back with her arms wrapped around each of them as he and Liam reached out and slid an arm around each other and over her. “I love circles.” Yzzi muttered, her lips curling into a soft smile moments before surrendering to sleep. “I love you, mo chuslie. You’re mine forever, mo grah.” Tristan opened his eyes and met Liam’s gaze. He could see the depths of the other man’s love there. The love had always been there, but he’d been too blinded by needing the words to see it. “I love you, too, Liam.”

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Epilogue A bit of brick exploded next to his shoulder, small shards of stone biting into his skin. Liam dropped to the ground and automatically shot off a couple rounds in the direction the shot came from. He hit one man and then watched in horror as a military squadron rounded the corner, separating him from both Yzzi and Tristan. “Fuck!” From his position behind a stone wall, he managed to get a few more shots while he tried to see through the dust the fighting kicked up. He could feel his veins turn to ice, emotions draining from his thoughts. If he reacted with emotion, they were all dead. With practiced speed, he refilled the chamber of his pistol. Moving into a crouch, he flicked the lock on his saber. Liam ran out into the melee, each shot he took calculated and deadly. The blades slid out from their internal position and locked into place with a flurry of clicks. He felt more than heard the whoosh of a blade in flight behind him. With instincts born of battle, he swept his blade up, ducking and twisting his body to avoid contact. Only, he moved a mere moment too late. The sun flashed on a steel blade aimed for his heart. Time slowed to a crawl, giving Liam time to wish he told Tristan and Yzzi how much he loved them both. What a stupid fool he’d been. For one more chance, he would shout it across the clouds. Perverse pleasure curled the soldier’s lips as the point of his sword closed in on Liam’s chest. A sharp whistle, and the blade jerked to the side, the soldier’s eyes glazing over in death. A bolt embedded in his chest. Liam twisted with the momentum, dropping in a crouch, his gun leveled up in front of him. He watched in amazement as Yzzi moved with the grace of a dancer, sending three additional bolts out

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with exact precision. She watched from her position and acted as backup for the rebels fighting their way through the streets toward the ships. He quickly sought out Tristan and found him engaged in a sword battle with two men. The two men quickly separated, each trying to angle Tristan’s back away from the wall. Yzzi would be fine where she stood. Liam leapt up and dashed across the street, swinging his sword or shooting any that stood between him at his destination. “It’s about fucking time you got your head in the game.” Tristan’s blade flashed, clanging heavily against his opponents.” “Sorry, mo ghrá.” Liam parried a strike, realizing that this soldier wasn’t much of a swordsman. He must have been used to using his fists or a pistol. “Well, you better have been thinking about what I’m going to do to your ass when we get back to the ship.” Liam felt a rush of untainted pleasure course through his body. Finally admitting his true feelings to Tristan, instead of trying to hide them within himself, made him feel stronger and knowing his life would never be the same again, now that he had both of the loves of his life with him. A smile pulled at his cheeks as he attacked his adversary with experienced blows. “Sodding heretic.” The soldier spat at Tristan before rushing him in anger. Tristan blocked the sword’s descent and then stepped in close and punched the other man in the face. Seeing his partner crumple to the ground, the man Liam fought turned and ran in the opposite direction. “What a shame. His bravery is limited to when he outnumbers his enemy.” Tristan grasped the nape of his neck and twisting Liam’s hair in his fist. Their lips came together hard, grasping this brief moment to seal the truth between them. Their hungry kiss that lasted but a moment but long enough to fire Liam’s blood. A stolen moment

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would be all they had until later. “I almost died when I saw that blade at your chest.” “Then we both owe our wife our lives.” **** Yzzi’s body shook, but her aim stood true as she watched down the sights of her bow and aimed at the soldiers that prevented the rebels escape. She didn’t want to kill anyone, and her heart ached for the man she killed. This war had seen too many die already. Most were boys sent in first as cannon fodder. Her carefully aimed bolts hit shoulders and wrists. When she turned and saw Liam’s life about to end, she aimed true and stopped the soldier cold. From her position, she could see another squadron heading down a side street. At least that bit of information was accurate. Pausing, she placed her fingers between her lips and blew out three sharp blasts. Her whistle sounded a dire warning to retreat to their ship. Taking a deep breath and holding it, she aimed for the tiny charges that lined the stone arch. Her first bolt missed, but the second sparked, igniting the explosives with a mighty roar. Stones blew apart, collapsing the brick and mortar, destabilizing the walls on either side. The building creaked and heaved, tilting to the side, squeezing the alleyway to an impassable size. Not a permanent solution, but it would buy them the time they needed. She grasped the thick rope that hung down the wall and threw herself over the edge, freefalling down the length to the ground below. The rope flowed through the harness strapped to her hips, slowing her speed as she descended. A reckless maneuver, which could get her shot if anyone saw her moving in the wall’s shadow. In her mind, this route would be safer than trying to maneuver through stairwells and buildings where anyone could ambush her. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she felt large arms wrap around her waist, pulling her into a large chest. “Liam, I don’t think we have

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time for this right now.” Tristan confided in her before the attack started about how they both would be pouncing on her as soon as the fighting was over. “That was an impressive shot, mo chuslie. But what the hell were you thinking scaling down the outside of the building?” Yzzi might have taken exception to Liam’s tone if she hadn’t seen the surprised pride in his eyes and, of course, the hard cock pressed against her stomach. “It was the fastest way down, of course.” “I don’t want to hear it. Shut up and run.” He grasped her hand and headed in the direction of the Apollo. She looked up and shared a large smile with Tristan who aimed behind them, covering their backs as they escaped. “Did Kassandra make it out?” “I don’t know. I hope so because I don’t ever want to come back here again.” “I saw her.” Tristan kept a hand on her back urging them to keep moving. “She might be injured, but she held her ground. The Athena dropped a line and pulled her up.” “She isn’t going to like retreating.” “Her pride will be the least of her worries, mo stór. Julien piloted her ship.” “Thank the gods. I’m sick of being the go-between for them. Now, if someone has a lick of sense, they will lock the two of them up in a room until they stop fighting.” Yzzi eyed the impressive sight of Liam’s kilt moving over his backside as they ran. “I’m looking forward to being locked up with the two of you as soon as we get back to the ship.” Liam stumbled before regaining his balance and shooting her a glare over his shoulder. They rounded a couple corners and down an alley to where the Apollo waited, his large engines already humming with power. With a grace she found intriguing, Liam spun and scooped her up off her feet. “I want to carry you onboard this time.”

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As soon as they stepped on the gangplank, it rose up behind them and the Apollo lifted off. She loved the way they carried her home. She kissed Liam’s strong jaw. Looking over his shoulder, she reached out her hand to Tristan. He took it and pressed her fingers to his lips. The headed straight to their room and both men stripped her as they rolled her onto the bed. Yzzi glanced up at the ornate framed mirror that now graced the area over their bed. “I love our circle.”

THE END WWW.CORINNEDAVIES.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Corinne Davies reads anything she can get her hands on, from the side of a cereal box to a historical book on the Riflemen during the Napoleonic wars. By day, she is a full-time wife and mother and works in the wine industry. At night, she avoids such mundane tasks as housework and laundry by creating her own worlds where mythology comes to life—worlds in which you are just as likely to be living next door to an ancient deity as finding a mystic treasure in the attic.

Also by Corinne Davies Ménage Amour: Believing Is Seeing Ménage and More: Sequel to Believing is Seeing: Believing Is Trusting Ménage Amour: Steampunked Lust 1: Steam Powered Passion Ménage Everlasting: 3xtasy Lake 1: Caress of Fur Siren Classic: Haunted Hearts

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com