Devon Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Read Online Free Page A

thinking them all the way through.
    Still, he didn’t know enough to turn around and take a complete report back to the big house, so he kept moving down the long drive. The dressiter under him was big, but he was fast. In the blink of an eye, Devon could turn the beast and run back to safety. By the time this stranger caught up to him, they’d be ready for any assault he might be considering making.
    That got Devon thinking about the likelihood of such an event. One man against a farm full of men? Naw . That just didn’t seem right. But maybe this man was sick. What if he were a landed gentryman in the grips of insatiable blood hunger? That could prompt him to attempt such a foolish scenario because he wouldn’t know it was crazy. But wouldn’t he be running? From the way his body moved, Devon thought he was taking very slow, even steps. Would a madman walk in such a way? Devon didn’t think so. He was tempted to slap the reins and speed up his mount, but he chose not to. Having the man slowly revealed to him gave Devon plenty of time to determine the best course of action.
    The closer they got to meeting, the more puzzled Devon became. The man seemed to be shrinking. He went from tall and lean to squat and rotund. Scratching his head, Devon blinked several times, but the confusing image didn’t clarify. Was the man shrinking? That was crazy. In his books he’d read about all kinds of illnesses, and he’d faced some pretty strange real-life sicknesses as well, but nothing caused a man to shrink.
    Each step the dressiter made brought him closer and clarified what he was seeing. It was a man, but he wasn’t big and strong or short and fat. He was tall, thin, and hunched over. He was so blond his hair was almost white, and since it was so short, Devon had thought he was wearing a hat. Across his shoulders he was carrying something that he had his arms draped over. That was why from a distance he’d seemed so broad shouldered and tall.
    Since his head was down, Devon didn’t even think the man knew someone was approaching him, which gave Devon a distinct advantage. But the more he looked, the more he realized the man was no threat to anyone. His steps were slow and steady because there was something tied around his ankles.
    A gasp of horror escaped Devon when he realized the man had been bound to something but had managed to work himself free. Mostly free. Over the width of his shoulders was a board that his arms and hands were still tied to, forcing him to keep his head down. What looked like rope around his legs was actually chains. Manacles encircled his ankles. His feet weren’t covered in black boots but were in fact encrusted in black dirt.
    Every cell in Devon’s body howled for him to help this man. If he didn’t, he would be the coward who would die a thousand deaths, most of them from painful regret. He didn’t know who he was, or how he’d fallen to his fate, all he knew was that it was wrong to truss any man up in such a way. In that moment, Devon realized the man had to be very brave and very determined. Whoever bound him clearly didn’t want him to get away, and yet he’d managed. Not only that, but he’d also found the strength to come all this way. He had to be strong because there wasn’t another house for miles.
    Devon stopped his mount and dropped down to the ground, but the man kept plodding forward as if he were out here all alone. Perhaps he thought he was. Given the state of his form, he might be completely disoriented.
    Afraid of startling him, Devon softly called, “Hey.” Just about the last thing he expected was for the man to flinch his head up so fast he knocked himself off balance. Devon got a flash of the most beautiful bright blue eyes right before the man was tumbling onto his back. Reaching out, Devon tried to stop his fall, but he was far too late. Down he went, cracking his head on the board his hands were bound to. Wincing, Devon ran over to him, but he was out