Bronto wanted to kill him for a hell of a lot less than rape. “Good point.” Rape might be okay on this planet but it wasn’t tolerable on his and he’d never accept it as a way of the primitive lifestyle. Rocko had the right idea—beat the offender to a bloody mess. Knowing Vulcan shared the same feelings, Bronto guaranteed it was exactly why he wouldn’t stop the show. Well, whatever happened, he knew Ivy was uncomfortable watching and he didn’t want to expose her to any more bloodshed. From Rocko’s relentless stamina it appeared there’d be much more to come. “Let’s walk to my hut, Ivy.”
“Wisty, would you like to come with us?” Ivy asked.
That proved Bronto was right regarding her level of discomfort. As much as he wanted to protect her from the fight, she wanted to protect her sister. Fight wasn’t a proper term since it appeared to be a one-sided ass whooping.
“Thanks but Vulcan and I are going to the lake to bathe. He’s sweaty from working in the sun all morning.”
Bronto glanced at the pen the same time Ivy had. It was completely finished, roof included. A few baby dinosaurs were visible by their necks or tails sticking through the wall slats. “How many are in there?”
Vulcan looked between him and the pen. “Nine.”
“We found a couple of them hiding under ferns in the forest,” Ivy said.
Wisteria cringed when a solid fist connected to Grunt’s jaw. “We’ll look for them on our way back. Vulcan, can we please go now?”
“Sure, sweetheart,” Vulcan replied, grabbing the Barrett from the stone table. “We won’t be gone too long.” He took hold of Wisteria’s arm and guided her toward the forest.
Ivy turned to watch them as they approached the trees. “Wisty, I met your snake up close,” she shouted.
Wisteria halted and turned around. “You did? I told you it wouldn’t hurt you. Were you scared?”
“A little.” She smiled and squeezed Bronto’s hand.
Bronto raised a brow. “A little?”
“Okay, to death,” she corrected.
That was more accurate since she’d refused to breathe at the time. Too, he possibly still had fingernail marks engraved in his back. The woman had very expressive claws. He could point to a few others she’d left as evidence last night. Love scars. Hell, he wouldn’t mind if she carved a tattoo into his back with those nails.
He pulled her close and tucked her under his arm. “We’ll hide out in my hut until Rocko is through with Grunt, then it’ll be time to chop down more trees.”
“Can I help this time?”
Bronto gave her a squeeze. “Most definitely. Know how to use an ax?”
“No. Momma said it’s a man’s chore because it builds muscle, so I’ve never tried.”
“Is that right?”
“Mm-hmm.”
He smiled to himself. “Where I come from women and men are equal.”
“I wouldn’t mind doing a man’s job but Momma wouldn’t like that.” Ivy rested her head on his chest. “She also said, regardless how strenuous men’s work is, they lack the power of women.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because women give birth and it requires the greatest strength of all.”
“Your mom sounds like a wise woman.”
Ivy sighed. “She is about most things,” she said, her voice teetering on the edge of bitterness. “I just wish she would’ve stood up to my father more often. Like when he chased Wisty off.”
Bronto rubbed her arm. “Some things happen for a reason, love. If he hadn’t, she’d be united with Sledge and you wouldn’t be here.”
“I guess you’re right.”
No, he was one hundred percent without a doubt right. He’d be hunting aliens right now rather than waiting for them to come to him if it wasn’t for her father. As well as preparing to pack his bags for the long shuttle back to Earth. “Would you like to take something to eat or drink back to the hut?”
“Maybe some water.”
“Then go on ahead,” he said, stepping to the side. “I’ll meet you there.”
He waited until she reached his hut and entered. While he trotted toward the wooden beverage canisters that sat on the table he spotted Grunt lying in a bloody heap near the forest wall. Rocko sat beside Jade at the fire, holding a cup to her lips while she drank. Her eyes were red and swollen and her cheeks tear-stained.
Bronto’s throat thickened. If she’d been raped at home she’d be lying on a hospital bed with doctors and a rape kit by her side and Grunt would be apprehended by the police, awaiting charges.
Yeah, Rocko got it right by serving justice right here in their own backyard. No questions asked. As it should be.
Bronto filled a cup with pink-tinted liquid from the first canister. Raspberry water perhaps? Jade and Pearl were endlessly experimenting with food and drink. A man never knew what kind of a surprise he’d encounter when reaching into a pot. The women worked hard to keep meals available around the clock. Working night-guard increased a man’s appetite. Not so much from hunger but from boredom to stay awake.
He lifted the cup at Rocko and Jade as he strolled by. Even though the ass whooping had ended and things settled down, he wanted to relax for a while before reinforcing the huts. Prior to Ivy, he worked from sunrise to sundown. He wasn’t going to feel guilty for stealing a little time now.