“So, um. When will I meet the last one? My last fiancé?”
Henry and Rafe exchanged a glance. Even Jonas had opened his eyes and stood up straighter again.
“Well,” Henry said, drawing out the word, “we were thinking about having dinner tonight all together. Over at the house. The one that will be ours once we are married.”
Shay could feel Charlie’s blood boiling from across the room.
Rafe broke in before he could erupt. “But if that’s too much at once, babe, we can wait. There’s no r—”
Shay just shook her head, though, waving their concerns away. “When does the marriage become official?”
Another significant glance was exchanged.
But Charlie was apparently done holding his opinions to himself. “This is insane. There’s no way we’re letting them force you into any of this—”
“Charlie,” Shay said, loud enough that it stopped his tirade before it really got legs. “I want to hear what they have to say.”
This was going to happen her way or not at all. The sooner she got them all on an equal playing field, the better.
Charlie ground his teeth together, a vein standing out in his neck.
Shay took a deep breath and looked back to Rafe and Henry. “Well?”
Rafe held out a hand for Henry, like this one’s all yours. Henry narrowed his eyes in return, but he spoke up, looking back to Shay. “The wedding usually takes place a few weeks after the lottery. After we’ve all had a chance to get acquainted with each other and feel comfortable enough to share a living space.” Henry held up a hand like he was anticipating resistance. “That doesn’t mean we’re expected to share a bed right away, though.”
“But it is expected eventually,” Charlie growled, turning on Henry.
Henry shrugged reluctantly but Shay spoke over both of them.
“All of that’s ridiculous anyway.”
That got everyone’s attention. They all looked her way. Charlie was smiling, while Henry just looked confused. Shay couldn’t read the expression on Jonas’s coolly appraising face and Rafe simply looked interested.
“Wha—” Henry started to ask but Shay spoke over him, impatient to have this part done with.
“It’s ridiculous to wait that long. We should get married as soon as possible. Tonight even.” The moment the words came out of her mouth, she knew it was exactly what she wanted.
“Shay!” Charlie exploded. “What the hell are you thinking?”
Shay let out a long breath and walked over to him. She took both of his hands and looked up into his worried, green eyes.
“I’m not your sister.” She felt his flinch, but it had to be said. “I don’t need you to protect me. I knew what would be expected of me before we even left Travisville. And I was fine with it. I still am.”
She was more than fine with it. Looking between the four of them, she felt the quiver start deep in her sex. Wrong as it probably was, she looked forward to fucking these four men. And the fifth who was still a stranger.
You’re my whore. Jason’s words rang in her head. My perfect little fucking whore.
Not tonight. She squared her jaw. Jason wouldn’t be anywhere nearby as she took these men into her body. Tonight she’d belong to herself. And she’d take as much as she gave. More, maybe.
But Charlie just kept stubbornly shaking his head back and forth. He leaned down and whispered fervently in her ear. “We don’t have to stay. I’ve seen Audrey. I know she’s alive. I can get you out, get you somewhere safe, then come back for her and—”
Shay let out an exasperated huff. Why wouldn’t he listen to her? Men never listened. They just assumed they knew best and, because there were more of them, they got to run everything. It was crap.
She spun on Charlie. “So everything you said last night in the Commander’s office—about how a woman should be able to choose. Was that just bullshit?”
“What? Of course not. That’s my whole point. This lottery system gives you no ch—”
“This is what I choose,” she spoke over him. “Sex isn’t a big deal to me. If it is to you, fine, you don’t have to join us—but that’s your problem, not mine. I want you there, but if you can’t handle it, let me know now.”
Charlie’s mouth dropped open. “Shay…”
But she just shook her head. “What’s waiting around for three weeks going to get me? It’ll just drive me crazy. I know what I want and I’m ready. So we do it tonight.”
She looked over to Jonas. “You’re a preacher, right?”
“Former preacher.” He watched her with a dark, intense look. She couldn’t tell if it was disapproval or attraction.
She waved a hand. “Whatever. Can you still do wedding ceremonies?”
He nodded solemnly.
“Good. Then after dinner, when the last man gets there, I want you to perform the ceremony. Just something small and intimate. Only the six of us.”
One after the other, she looked each of them in the eye. “But we get married tonight.”
