Blake, Abby - Mikayla's Men [A Bride for Eight Brothers, Book 1] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Read Free Page A

cover everything until there was nothing but white, and still they moved farther into the ice fields.
    “Where do you live, again?” she asked nervously.
    “See that black dot on the horizon? That’s our research station and living quarters.”
    She squinted but could barely make out the smudge in the distance. It seemed that everything was made of white at the moment, and she wondered how this guy even knew where he was going. This guy? God, she didn’t even know his name.
    “What’s your name?” she asked and then, because she wasn’t quite sure of the protocols between a whore and the man who’d paid for a year with her, added, “What should I call you?”
    “My name is Matt. Just call me Matt,” he said, sounding very irritated.
    Uncertain what had sparked his anger, Mikayla chose to sit quietly and tried to pretend she was invisible. The last six days had been emotionally exhausting, and despite her fear of what was to come, she felt her eyelids close. A small inner voice screamed at her that she should stay alert, but it was drowned out by her trust in the man beside her.
    Despite his irritation, Mikayla felt certain that Matt would not hurt her, so when her eyes closed again, she couldn’t find the will to stay awake any longer.

    * * * *

    Matt glanced over at the sleeping woman. She looked exhausted, and he didn’t have the heart to wake her, but he wasn’t sure how she would react to being carried off the flying pod. As soon as he opened the door, his brother John stepped up to the opening.
    “About fucking time you returned. I should’ve come with you. Changed my mind only minutes after you left, so I thought I’d head into…” His words trailed away as his gaze landed on the woman sleeping in the passenger seat. He turned to Matt with a wide grin. “You bought takeout?”
    Matt didn’t even know he was going to do it until his knuckles connected solidly with his brother’s nose. John staggered back a step but thankfully didn’t raise his fists. God, what had he been thinking? As crude as John’s words were, he wasn’t really out of line. Matt had gone into town to buy a whore’s services for a few hours. The fact that he’d returned with a woman in tow would’ve seemed completely natural.
    John eyed him angrily but waited for an explanation. Shaking his head from side to side, Matt held up his hands and started with an apology.
    “Sorry, John, that was out of line, but things are complicated.”
    “Complicated how?” John asked as he watched Matt suspiciously.
    “Complicated as in she’s not really a whore. Her boyfriend dumped her on this planet and left.”
    “So you’re what? Helping her out? Why bring her here? Why didn’t you just put her on the next transport home?”
    “Yeah, well, that’s where it gets complicated.” Again, John eyed him suspiciously. There was less than a year between them age-wise, but John always managed to make Matt feel like the much younger sibling. He squirmed under his brother’s scrutiny. “I had to buy her for a year.”
    “But you said she wasn’t a whore.” His brother looked confused. Rightly so.
    “She isn’t. I think it was her first time, and Evans—you remember that sadistic prick?—grabbed her and was going to rape her, and I kind of reacted on instinct.”
    “How much?”
    Even though Matt had known the question was coming, he sure as hell didn’t want to answer. He braced for the reaction he probably deserved as he said the amount out loud. And, of course, John did the last thing Matt expected. John laughed.
    “Pretty good price, but she should’ve earned enough to be able to afford…” His voice trailed off again when he looked at Matt. “Damn,” he said quietly, “she didn’t get her cut.”
    Matt nodded, unsure he wanted to tell his brother that she had forgone her commission voluntarily. But it didn’t seem fair to let her pimp take the blame, so he explained in as few words as possible and waited for