Brandt ran a palm over Ash’s skull gently. He softened his voice and looked Ash straight in the eye. “It’s not convenient, Ash. In a perfect world I would have Sera all to myself. She’d be mine, and I’d shower her with everything she’s never had. I’d make sure everyone in the Known Universes understood how much I adore her. But it’s not a perfect world. I can’t have her all to myself, and you can’t marry her. But I can. It won’t mean you aren’t part of what we’re building. What it means is she’ll have the protection of my status and my name. The three of us can be together.” Brandt brushed his lips across Ash’s.
Ash’s chest heaved as his face hovered just inches from Brandt’s. “We can’t force her to choose, and I’m not giving her up. I’ve been so damned empty without her.”
“Did you not hear a word I just said? I know. I accept that. Do you think I’m complaining that I have both of you in my bed? This way, I don’t have to close off how I feel about you, either. As long as she and you understand she’s my primary concern and my wife in every way, I don’t see that we can’t all be together and make this work.”
Ash sighed and moved back to his chair. “I can’t believe this rank business is going to keep me from her again.”
“You’re being stupid. It’s not keeping you from her. So you can’t marry her. Make her your mistress. You don’t need permission for that. It has the added bonus of letting everyone know she’s yours, too. If and when children come, they’ll be yours as well as mine.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” Ash said, his voice losing some of its anger.
“And you haven’t? What were you planning? To sever yourself from House Walker to marry her? And for what? You’d lose your rank as well as your family, and she’d hate that you gave it all up. She’d feel responsible, and in the end, it would eat her alive. She understands your marrying Kira a lot more than she did ten years ago. She’s intelligent, and she gets the big picture. She wouldn’t want you to make that choice. She loves you, Ash.”
Ash paused while he thought. “All right. I’ll have Ceylon get the papers filed and ready when we arrive in Sanctu. I take it you have the marriage agreement with you? We can have the marriage performed there. I want it done before we see my family.” Ash pursed his lips. “Should we tell her we’re coming?”
Brandt grinned. “No. Let’s surprise her. I think we’re going to have to keep her off balance until she agrees to the marriage. You propose the mistress designation at the same time, so she knows we both want her to be given our status. I don’t want her to panic at having to choose.”
“Let’s go.”
Sera’s eyes hurt from staring at data streams for so long. Her back ached, and her stomach growled. They’d uncovered so much information she hadn’t wanted to look away for very long lest she miss anything.
She was close to finding all the pieces, and she wanted the whole situation over and done. Wanted the culprits caught and taken into custody. Wanted to live her life without this business hanging over her any longer.
“I told you to eat. Stubborn.” Paul pulled her from the chair and up the stairs.
He pushed her toward the table and began to place food on it between them.
“Now you can tell me what the hells is going on in your private life. I can see you’re dealing with Ash Walker. He’s alive, I presume, and you’re not hiding from a murder charge?”
“Oh Paul, it’s so complicated I don’t know where to begin.” She was horrified at the tears in her voice.
“Stop being ashamed of having emotions, Sera. Has he harmed you again? Because if he has, I’ll be dealing with a murder charge.” He shoved a plate at her and began to eat as well.
“He hasn’t. I-I understand why he did what he did ten years ago. I’m not making excuses, so don’t give me that look. But it wasn’t as simple as I’ve made it out to be in my head, you know? They’re not married anymore, by the way. And so he comes back into my life, and I’m doing all I can to resist him, and then I fall right smack in love with Brandt Pela, Kira Pela-Walker’s brother. Yes, I know. So he and I are in this situation I can’t go into just now, and then suddenly Ash is involved, and it’s the three of us.” She put her head down on the table, blushing. “I’m in love with both of them.”
Paul laughed. “Who’d have thought you were so wild.”
If he only knew! “Anyway, gods know the situation is nearly impossible. I’m unranked, and they’re both sons of very important Houses. I can’t have either one of them, much less both. Not permanently. Can I?” She groaned again. “I have to work with them. What am I going to do if they have to marry? How can I live with that?”
“What makes you think you can’t have either one of them? Or both? Sera, it’s not as if triads don’t occur; they do. Do you think they love you?”
She nodded. “Yes. I truly do. They’re good to me, they’ve both said they love me, and I believe it.”
“Then why would you assume they’ll have to marry elsewhere?”
She sighed. “The Walkers have the marital rule. Ash can’t marry without permission, and there’s no way they’ll let him marry me. You know that.”
Paul sighed and shrugged. “Yeah. But that doesn’t mean he’ll marry anyone else. You’re a wonderful person. How can you not see it?”
“I don’t know, Paul. Why can’t you see how wonderful you are, and just be with Lina already?”
“This isn’t about me.” His mouth flattened, and she laughed.
“You’ve made that face since you were two. Did you know that?”
“Shut up. But come on, since we’ve known each other since I was born and all, let’s be totally honest. You know they love you. You love them. What’s the real issue here? Why are you really so afraid?”
She caught her breath. “Curse you for being so astute.” She tossed a piece of fruit at his head. “Partly it’s that I’ve just uncovered evidence that will tear the Walker Family apart, and I’m still unsure as to how involved Kira is.”
“Dangerous to know, I’d wager. And you know I do love to wager. How will Ash react to the information? And if Kira is involved, what will her brother do?” Paul asked.
“I don’t know. I want to hope they won’t blame me. But I’m the one who discovered the information to begin with. I just don’t know. And as much as I don’t want to admit it, I’m leaning more toward Kira Pela-Walker not being an active participant. Oh, she knows something illegal is going on, and I do think she’s involved. She had to have known. But at the level Perry is? I don’t think so. I have some more data to look over, but I’ve been looking at monitors for the better part of the last two days, and I think after I eat, I’m going to bed.”
Paul went to her and hugged her, kissing her cheek. “You’re ducking the rest of it.”
“I know. I’m working it through. There’s all sorts of stuff. I’m a mess, you know. But I will work it through, and I know I can talk to you.”
He chuckled. “It’s going to be fine, no matter what. You’re strong. You will get through, and the people who truly love you will be here when the dust settles.”
She agreed, but she was tired of recovering and being strong. She wanted things to be fine. Normal. Happy. She wanted a life with her men. Both of them. Without fear and without regret.
Chapter 25
“Sera, I think you should come up here,” Paul yelled from upstairs.
She stood, stretching. She had what she needed, anyway. Now it was just a matter of arranging to get the information to Ash and Brandt.
“You bellowed?” she said, yawning as she reached the top of the stairs.
But instead of Paul, it was Ash and Brandt who stood there.
A horrible bout of shyness hit her. Uncertainty.
“You know, a note informing us of your whereabouts wouldn’t be such a problem to write, would it?” Ash took a few steps and suddenly pulled her to him.
His scent, familiar, comforting, sensual, wrapped around her senses as she held on tight.
“I didn’t run off. Ceylon knew where I was. I’ve been sending you updates.” She spoke against the wall of his chest, not wanting him to let go.
“Um, I need to go and see Lina about something. I’ll be away for a while.” Paul looked between them. “A long while.”
“Paul, this is Ash Walker and Brandt Pela. This is my younger brother, Paul.” She took a step back as Paul looked Ash up and down with narrowed eyes as they shook hands.
“Paul, we realize how much you’ve assisted Sera in this investigation, and truly, we’re indebted to you.” Brandt held his hand out to shake Paul’s.
“I’d do anything to help Sera. She’s very special.”
He was so very protective she wanted to burst out laughing and hug him at the same time.
“I understand, and I agree.” Ash said it first, and Brandt nodded.