Renner Morgan Read Free Page A

brothers. Renner didn’t mind when Jonas came to feed, but he didn’t look forward to it, either. Ollie liked Jonas far more than all the other brothers combined. But for Caleb. Caleb made no bones about the fact he hated Jonas and never allowed him to feed. The only scar on his neck was from McBride.
    “What’s going on?” Ollie climbed down from the cart. For a moment, Renner was positive he was going to extend his hand and help Jonas down, but he stopped himself at the last second and shoved his hands in his pockets.
    “They know, Ollie. I’m sorry.” McBride took responsibility for the information being spilled when it was clearly done by Caleb.
    Ollie looked around at his brothers, expecting to be barraged with questions or maybe even hatred, but everyone seemed a little too shocked to comment.
    “I’m glad for you, Ollie.” Renner smiled up at him. If Ollie and Jonas could find a way to be together, maybe his instant attraction to Quintus wasn’t so inappropriate after all. But that thought drew his attention to McBride, and his heart sank. He was of Quintus’s same class. Not only that, but McBride was big, strong, and thoroughly handsome. Renner doubted there was a gentryman in the land who wouldn’t want McBride as a mate. Even the fact that he was once the sheriff of the entire county gave him a powerful allure. In comparison, Renner was just a slammer with nothing but erotic fantasies.
    “Thank you, Renner.” Ollie crouched down. “Let me help you get him in the wagon.”
    Together they lifted Quintus up and placed him as gingerly as they could in the back of the cart. It was used to move dirt and supplies around the farm, and therefore filthy, but it was the best they had. Concerned for his comfort, Renner climbed into the cart after him, placing his head right back in his lap.
    “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah.” Quintus smiled up at him, but when the cart jerked forward, he grimaced. “Who knew slingshots could be so damn dangerous?”
    “I’m just glad we got to you in time.”
    “Me, too.” Quintus clung to Renner’s leg as Ollie turned the cart around.
    His hand felt cold against the heat of Renner’s body. “Your hand is freezing.” He reached down and grabbed his hand, but just as quickly he let go. “Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
    “It’s okay. I didn’t mind.”
    Tentatively, Renner reached out and took Quintus’s hand in his again. Despite the coldness, Renner liked what he felt when he touched Quintus. He had alternating shivers and tingles all the way along his body. Renner did his best to simply be kind and not indulge in any dirty daydreams. That wasn’t too difficult to avoid since Quintus was injured. He couldn’t be the tough but tender master Renner craved if he was wounded. Maybe when he was better they could—no. When he was better, and probably before then, he would be in McBride’s bed, not Renner’s.
    “I didn’t know about McBride.” Quintus had turned his head so that he could look out the back of the wagon toward the men who were following them.
    “Know? Oh, that he wasn’t really with Jonas?” Renner kept his voice down since Jonas was sitting up front next to Ollie. “I didn’t know, either.”
    “Are you upset about it?”
    “Me? No. I guess if they’re happy that’s all that really matters.”
    Quintus made a face. “But he’s a landed gentryman and is—was—the sheriff.”
    “Even though my brother is a slammer it doesn’t mean he’s some kind of trash like the men who were chasing you.”
    “I didn’t say—I didn’t mean—never mind.” Quintus shut his mouth and looked away.
    Trailing behind their cart were the rest of his brothers, two thralls, and McBride.
    “I suppose you are here to become McBride’s mate.” Renner tried to keep the frustration out of his voice, but he failed miserably. Given that the slammers who’d been pursuing Quintus had undoubtedly captured all the thralls left in town, Renner