Gatlin responded, “Jay, Ledger, and I moved in together when I turned eighteen. Nile didn’t arrive at the compound until a year later, and a year after that, when he turned eighteen, he joined our family unit.”
“Interesting… Bachelor number two, how many women have you four shared?”
Ledger groaned. “Can I pass?”
“Nope.” Ariel grinned as she glanced at Layla. They’d stopped holding on to each other, but they were walking close together.
“Some. A few… Less than ten,” he amended.
Ariel chuckled. “That’s so vague.”
Nile helped him out. “Sometimes we’ve shared a woman for one night. Not often, but a few times. We’ve also had a few longer relationships that never quite worked out.”
“Okay. That’s a decent answer. Now, bachelor number three…”
Layla glanced at Nile next to her.
Ariel continued, “How are you four guys going to make me believe you’re seriously interested in my sister and not just jumping at the opportunity to get laid with the innocent new girl who hasn’t been touched before today?”
Layla gasped. She was shocked by how bold Ariel was turning out to be. She was also a bit proud and pleased. She’d honestly been worried for several days that Ariel would never make it in the real world, concerned that she would be too shy and unable to assimilate with society. But this woman next to her was anything but shy.
All three men stopped walking, causing Layla to slam into Gatlin as he turned around. Her gaze had shifted to Ariel.
Gatlin steadied Layla with his hand on her shoulder. She could feel Ledger come to her side as her gaze slid to Nile.
Nile’s eyes narrowed as he met Ariel’s gaze. “It’s a reasonable question and concern. I’d feel the same way if I were in your shoes. All I can say is that no one will ever force or coerce your sister into doing anything she isn’t one-hundred percent on board for. If we did, we’d be kicked out of The Wanderers so fast we wouldn’t even know what hit us in the ass.”
Nile may have been the youngest of the four men, but he was unwavering and confident and dead serious with his answer. Impressive.
He continued, “Obviously, the three of us don’t know Layla well at all, but we trust Jay, and he’s committed. That’s all we need to know to convince us we should put every ounce of our energy and attention into getting to know your sister better. For the good of the family unit.”
“What if she doesn’t like one of you, or vice versa?” Ariel asked.
Layla leaned into her sister, hugging her arm, loving her to pieces as she managed to voice every concern already running through Layla’s mind.
“If one of the four of us didn’t feel a connection, we would leave the family unit.”
Layla licked her lips, deciding to interject. “But you’ve been together for years.”
Nile’s gaze shifted to Layla’s, his smile warm. “Yes, but we’re incomplete. We’re like four men sharing a bachelor pad waiting to meet the right woman. In the old world, we would have found four separate women, in theory. But in this new world, we have to share. She will become the center of our universe. If one of us doesn’t see her through the same eyes, that partner will bow out. It happens among our people.”
Layla didn’t drop Nile’s eye contact while he spoke. She loved that he was so forthcoming and blunt. It was what she needed. She already guessed him to be the most serious of the four of them. He hadn’t faltered for a second at the blunt questioning.
He reached out and stroked a lock of Layla’s hair from near her ear all the way to the end. “I can’t imagine how strange this all must be to you. My heart aches to think how nervous and scared you are.” He glanced at Ariel. “Both of you.”
A lump formed in Layla’s throat, emotions coming to the surface.
Nile continued. “I promise no one is going to pounce on you. We want you to be certain about your decisions. When we reach the compound, one of our families will take you in and help you get settled. Both of you. It will always be your choice where you choose to sleep and who you spend your time with. That’s the reason The Wanderers exist in the first place.”
Layla nodded.
Ariel smiled. “Good answer.” She turned toward Layla. “I’m afraid it will be too difficult to choose between the three bachelors. You’ll have to do a more thorough questioning.”
Everyone chuckled.