Ollie Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Anitra Lynn McLeod

recognize him, but he was still struck by a curious kind of familiarity.
    “I can explain,” Ollie began, but didn’t. He kept opening his mouth to speak, but nothing emerged other than air.
    “It’s okay,” the blond said to Ollie. “I didn’t think me hiding out here was going to work for long.”
    “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come running in as soon as the midday meal was called. If I had stayed at work, or been more sedate, he wouldn’t have known.” Ollie moved to the man’s side. There was a distinct bite scar on the mystery man’s neck, one that looked like it had been brutally ripped open many times. On the other side was a smaller and far tidier mark, making McBride wonder how old and how often this thrall had been bandied about. If Ollie had already bought himself a mate, McBride was angry that he hadn’t known, but he was curious how Ollie had managed such a thing. Only gentrymen were able to buy thralls for slammers. And then the multiple scars registered that this man had been used dozens of times by at least a dozen men. He worried about blood-borne diseases, especially when they hadn’t cleared the Larsden case.
    If this thrall had a sickness, he could pass it to Ollie, who would then in turn pass it to McBride. Just two nights ago, McBride had fed from Ollie’s neck. Afterward, he’d shared a meal with him and talked about the inappropriate relationship that Ollie had been subjected to at his last master’s hands.
    That thought turned McBride’s knees into water and filled his belly with rocks. As he turned to look at Ollie, he already knew what he was going to say.
    Parting his lips, Ollie said, “This is Jonas.”
    No wonder all the shades were pulled yesterday and Ollie had been reluctant to let him in. McBride looked at the man, curious and furious in fairly equal measures. “You were my late father’s companion.”
    Jonas nodded and then lowered his gaze to the floor.
    “Do me the courtesy of looking at me when I’m talking to you.”
    Up came Jonas’s head, his gaze locking on McBride.
    “Get dressed, Jonas, and, Ollie, I want you to get back out into the field.” McBride never took his attention off Jonas. How could he? Jonas was a landed gentryman who had at one time owned Ollie. He’d also conducted a clandestine relationship with him that McBride thought was over when Jonas disappeared shortly after the death of McBride’s father. Apparently, he was wrong about everything. “How long has this been going on?”
    “Please let me stay and explain.” Ollie was trembling all over. It was clear he was afraid to leave McBride alone with Jonas.
    “I just came here two nights ago.” Jonas’s voice was rich and cultured, showing again how much higher up he was from Ollie, yet from what Ollie had told McBride, Jonas was utterly submissive to Ollie when they had sex. Clearly, looking at his neck, he loved to be fed from, and violently, too. However, McBride noticed on the other side of his neck was a lone scar. No doubt, that was the mark that Ollie had made on him. Something about the delicate shape of it told McBride it had been placed with love. Worse, he realized he’d placed a very similar mark on Caleb.
    “You shouldn’t be on my land.”
    Jonas nodded curtly. “I came for Ollie.”
    “You can’t have him.” McBride wasn’t about to allow Ollie to go into the clutches of an immoral man for an unlawful liaison. No matter what was going on between him and Caleb, it hadn’t gotten this far and it wouldn’t. However, the similarities pounded at his brain for recognition that he didn’t want to give.
    “Please let me—us—explain.” Ollie hastily yanked up the clothing on the floor, but McBride refused to let him hand the garments to Jonas. Keeping him bare was keeping him off-kilter, which was exactly what McBride wanted to do. Unsettled people spoke more and were more likely to blurt out the truth. They were pretty much willing to do whatever they could to