"Occasion? Photos? I was getting ready to go to bed."
Piper just smiled. Something was afoot.
Before Tori could further question her sister, the door to her suite burst open and the Thurston-Hughes brothers strode in looking super-gorgeous and supremely satisfied. Why they looked so pleased-almost smug-she had no idea. Tori only knew that expression mirrored on their three faces scared her to death. She backed up, but had nowhere to go.
Talib, Rafe, and Kade sauntered in behind them, followed by Alea and her husbands.
Thank god. The royal guard was here. Dane, Cooper, and Lan were in their normal uniforms. They were big protectors with nice-sized guns.
Why weren't they dragging the brothers out? Not that she wanted to see them hurt, but they did have orders not to come near her. She'd been terrified that if someone forced her to speak with them that she'd give in. Tori felt sure that would be a very bad idea, especially before she had time to think. But god, they were beautiful. She hated to see them leave again.
"Dane, be gentle with them," she implored. "Don't hurt them."
The big sentry arched a single brow. "That's not going to be a problem."
Piper smiled as she kissed her sister on the cheek. "I'm so happy for you. Just remember that one day you'll forgive me. And don't forget about the stuff I put in your suitcase. Oh, I also included all your favorite hair products. They're hard to get where you're going."
In Dallas? But Oliver, Callum, and Rory's confident expressions told her she wouldn't be stepping foot in Texas.
"What's happening?" Tori clutched her sister's hand.
"Perhaps you should explain, cousin," Talib said, looking pointedly at Oliver.
Cousin? She'd never heard Tal refer to Oliver as his cousin, but Piper's husband was clearly making a point with that form of address. Tori's mind whirled. Bezakistanis took the family stuff seriously. She was proof of that. When a Bezakistani married, the rest of the family claimed the new spouse. Not as an in-law, but as a true child of the family.
Oh, god. Oliver had been married to Talib's cousin. Surely that didn't mean …
"By my rights as a Bezakistani male and a member of the royal and ruling family, I claim my bride. And by the rights of all males of this land, I choose to share her with my brothers." Oliver sent her a sizzling stare, and Tori felt as if he saw straight through the pajamas she'd put on only an hour before. They were soft and warm, and she'd thought about the fact that nothing had felt better against her skin than their hands. Nothing ever would.
Now she felt stripped and bare.
"What's going on?" she demanded again.
Talib ignored her, choosing to stand in front of Oliver. Maybe now her brother-in-law would explain that whatever Oliver thought he was doing wouldn't work.
Talib laid a hand on Oliver's head. "In lieu of your father, I will stand in his stead and I also stand for my sister. Take her with my blessings. As is our law, you have thirty days to convince her. Our brides might be stolen, but they are no slaves. The bride of a royal must be wooed and won in the allotted time or released to find a more suitable mate. I suggest you use this time to brand her with pleasure and chain her with affection."
"I don't want to be branded or chained," Tori protested. This had to be some weird dream. It couldn't be happening. "I'm a girl from Texas. We don't get stolen. Well, if we do, the law tends to object. You can't expect me to go with you because there's some outdated, barbaric ritual that shouldn't apply to me."
"The laws of this country very much apply to you, sister," Talib said as Kade and Rafe stepped to either side of her wearing smirks that infuriated her.
Was she being herded toward the Brits? "This is a joke, right? You people know it's the twenty-first century and this is technically a crime."
Talib stepped forward. "Not in this country. And you'll find now that Oliver Thurston-Hughes and his brothers have full Bezakistani citizenship. I believe they intend to take you somewhere private for your concubine period."
"My concubine period?" Holy shit. They were serious. According to law-ancient and slightly barbaric law-a Bezakistani royal was allowed to steal a wanted bride. She then became the concubine of the bride-thieving brothers and they had one month to use just about any means necessary to convince her to stay with them. If she chose to leave at the end, her wishes would be granted and she suffered no social dishonor.
How did they convince the bride? With pleasure. With sex. With long nights of seduction.
Everything about this idea was horrible. A terrifying joke. She was in love with them. If she gave them thirty days of intimacy, she would never be able to leave.
"You decide, but I hope you make the right choice. I hope you choose love over fear." Piper hugged her, then stood beside Talib. "I wish you well. And smile because the photographer is right outside. Private only. I know I wish I had pictures, but they never did the whole tying me up thing."