Read Online Bayard[Bedtime stories 3] by Joyee Flynn - Free Book Online Page B

saying the words felt like daggers in my back and heart. “He said I was ripping this family apart and to get off your property.”
“What?” Dromio bellowed and was out of the room in a flash. I raced after him and tried to stop him. Dromio stormed outside and right up to his eldest brother. “You selfish asshole!”
“It’s for the best, Dromio,” Ansel said calmly. Dromio reached his brother and punched him in the face.
“I love him, you bastard! You can’t just send him away like a solicitor. This land isn’t just yours and you can’t just banish people from it.” He hit Ansel again and I landed hard on the ground, my legs giving out in shock. What had I done? I had wanted to make them smile and happyand all I’d done was cause pain and grief.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Brix demanded of Ansel. “Who are you sending away?”
“Me,” I whispered, staring at the ground as tears fell. “He’s right. I’m going to tear you all apart. I never meant for any of this. I swear I didn’t.”
“They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” Ansel mocked. I looked up at him then and this time Brix hit him.
“Stop it, please,” I whimpered. “Don’t hurt him or hit each other.”
“No, even I think he deserves it,” Callum growled, shocking the shit out of me. It seemed Ansel didn’t get it either because he stared at his brother.
“I thought you agreed with me,” Ansel defended.
“On sending Taji away like he means nothing to us? No fucking way. I understood how you didn’t want to share the one you wanted to marry and I did feel the same about that.” He turned and looked at me then. “But you were right. That was selfish of me. I knew from the beginning we would share you and there was enough love in you that none of us would ever feel slighted. I changed the rules, you didn’t, Taji.”
“What are you saying?” I whispered as I felt my stupid heart hope.
“That I do love you and that’s all that matters. I’m not sharing you with random men because you can’t help but spread yourself around. I’m sharing you with my brothers and it would kill them to have you choose me. But yet, that’s what I wanted because I was so wrapped up in how I saw a marriage. Fuck that. I’ve never believed that everything in life worked better if it was normal. I’m not changing my mind now.”
I watched as he kicked dirt onto Ansel and then moved over to me. I held my breath as he knelt down in front of me and cupped my cheek.
“Thank you for smacking some sense into me, my love,” he whispered. “I do love you and want you to be mine. If you’ll still have me, I’ll gladly share you with my brothers who love you and who you love. They’re lucky that someone as special as you loves their sorry asses.”
“You won’t change your mind again later?” I asked as he leaned in.
“Wild horses couldn’t tear me away from you or make me stop loving you.” He winked at me at the pun. “I’m yours forever as long as I only have to share you with my brothers.”
“Like I could take on any more sex or crazy men,” I giggled before kissing him. When we parted I saw Ansel get to his feet and brush himself off.
“Fine, then I’ll leave,” he grumbled. I shot to my feet and raced over to him, wrapping my arms around.
“Please don’t do this,” I begged. “I won’t take you from your home. I’ll leave.”
“No!” the other three shouted.
“I don’t know what else to do,” I whimpered. “I love all of you andI won’t see the man I love leave his home because of me.”
“That’s why you’d leave instead of letting me be the one to go?” Ansel asked as he pried me off of him.
“Of course. I love you, Ansel. It would kill me to watch you leave your family farm. You love this place and do everything you can to make it better. I can’t take this away from you.”
He searched my eyes for something for a moment and then nodded. “I’ll stay and so will you.”
“I don’t