I STARE AT my brother from across the table at the safe house and truly inspect him. It’s been months since I last saw him. When he all but vanished after fucking up one of my best friends. My own brother fucked and drugged his brother’s wife. Duvan had wanted to kill him but never got the chance.
An ache forms in my chest for the loss of my brother. And that ache only grows when I think about my father on his knees in the shipping container, desperately trying to hold the wounds in his stomach closed. I watched my father die that day. Watched him bleed out and collapse to the floor. It was as though Brie held his fate in her hands because she asked Diego to kill him. To my surprise, the motherfucker obeyed her. That’s something I’ll never be able to forgive her for. Colluding with a Rojas enemy is unforgivable.
I close my eyes for a brief moment but that only makes the memory more vivid. Quickly, I stare back at the man who is the only family I have left. My brother’s dark eyes are narrowed and his jaw is clenched. The silvery scar that runs down the side of his face glistens under the light of the dining room table. I’d been eleven years old the day he got it. I watched my badass brother get his ass kicked by someone somehow scarier than him. All over a girl.
He reaches up and scratches at the dark hair that speckles his jaw as he scrutinizes me with a guarded expression. His hair once used to be closely shaved to his head, but it’s long since grown out. Esteban looks more like Duvan and I when he has the unruliness about him. More passionate than calculating.
“Where is she?” My tone is calm even though my hands clench into fists.
“I’ve been taking care of her. She’s sleeping right now.”
The anxiety that’s been swarming in my stomach like a storm of pissed-off bees lessens. “You didn’t hurt her? Where’s she been since her dad was killed? Where’s her mother?”
He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back. Esteban is always dressed nicely. Duvan took a page from his book and dressed the same. Our father instilled that in us. Dress like kings because you are all my little princes. Now that Papá is gone, I dress how I want. Compared to my older brother, I’m nothing but a boy dressed sloppily in jeans and a T-shirt.
“Vee is not hurt,” he tells me, his voice carrying a slight edge to it. “Her mother is off somewhere being the whore she always was. I’ve helped Vee manage the properties by paying the bills for her.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Can you wake her? I miss her.”
Vee has been one of my closest friends since the day she showed up in our kitchen, covered in blood at the age of five. I remember thinking she was sort of scary, but when she smiled all fear evaporated. We’d been connected at the hip ever since. For the longest time, we’d even thought our fathers would arrange for us to marry. It seemed logical, but we both knew our hearts weren’t in it. A marriage between the Berkleys and the Rojas’ would have been on paper only. At least for our parents, anyway. But she was my best friend, and I’d always imagined I’d fall deeply in love with her the way she seemed to love me. One day.
“Let her sleep,” Esteban says and pushes a bottle of tequila my way. “Tonight, we drink. I’ve missed you, hermanito.”
I take a swig from the bottle and enjoy the way it burns my throat. It seems to sharpen my senses, something I am thankful for. Ever since Papá was brutally murdered by Diego Gomez, my mind has been muddled with confusion, heartache, and an all-consuming thirst for vengeance. The only thing that takes the edge off are the pills I take from time to time—something has to calm me the fuck down. Now that I’m here with Esteban, though, we can begin to formulate a plan and deal with this shit, so I don’t have to obsess over it all the damn time.
“I want to kill him,” I tell him in a blunt tone and swallow down more of the fiery tequila.
Esteban snags the bottle from me and takes a swallow. “Who are we killing?”
I growl and slam my fist on the table. “Diego!”
He narrows his gaze at me. “Diego is the most powerful man in Colombia right now. You think you’re going to stomp right in there and kill him without any sort of resistance?”
My chest deflates as his words sink in. Anger consumes me but I have no outlet for it. “So we make a plan.”
“We have no men,” Esteban reminds me. “It will take some time to talk to Papá’s and Duvan’s men so that we can begin to gather our army. These things don’t happen overnight, Oz.”
I run my fingers through my wild hair. It now hangs in my eyes, but I can’t be bothered to cut it. I’m sure to my put-together brother, I look like a bratty kid. That’s how he’s always seen me. But inside…inside I am raging like a beast. Duvan always favored our mother. And I thought perhaps I was like her too. At one time, maybe I was. Now, though, I am different. Anger throbs within me, like some uncaged beast waiting to be set free. Sometimes, when I look in the mirror, I don’t see myself. I see the cold eyes of my father.
“He took our home.”
Esteban is mid swallow when his eyes meet mine. “W-What?”
“After Diego killed Papá, he went back to Colombia and he took our childhood home,” I hiss. “The same home Mami died in. He just moved the fuck in there like he’s the goddamned king of our castle.”
Esteban’s eyes blaze with rage. He’s normally calm and collected, but I know I struck a nerve. When our mother died, I think all the humanity in Esteban died with her. He’d taken it the hardest. It was at that point, I didn’t know my brother anymore. All memories of us playing in the woods by our house and Esteban saving me from drowning in a nearby river when I was a toddler were wiped clean.
“We have to get it back,” he growls and chugs more of the tequila before passing it back to me.
“We will.”
His black eyebrows pinch together, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. My brother is smart. Together we’ll devise a plan.
Over the next two hours, we become more and more drunk. Our plans to take over the world are interrupted when a flash of red darts into the kitchen. Esteban is leaned back in his chair with his feet on the table, looking relaxed as fuck.
But as soon as she comes into view, we both sober up fairly quickly.
“Ozzy?”
Vee’s bright green eyes are wide and innocent looking. Her pink lips are parted in surprise at seeing me. Her trademark wild red mane is in messy tangles all over her head as if she hasn’t brushed it in quite some time. Of course she’s cute as ever—always has been—but what has my attention are her tits.
“Why are you naked?” I choke out, my dick hardening in my jeans. Once, at her apartment, she’d begged through her tears for me to take her virginity. Back then, I was a different man. I had morals and valued our friendship. Sure, I couldn’t help but kiss her but I did refrain from popping her cherry. But now? Fuck…I’d hit that for damn sure.
Esteban growls and reaches for her. Her eyes tear away from mine to find his. The small moment of clarity seems to dissipate as she gets a glassy-eyed look. A small smile forms on her pouty lips. She all but runs to him. I gape in confusion as she sits in his lap and curls against him.
What the fuck is happening?
“Vee?” I snap, and ask again, through gritted teeth, “Why are you naked?”
Esteban strokes her messy hair and levels me with a hard gaze. “We’re together, and she wasn’t expecting company.”
My gaze is fixated on her perfectly rounded tits. I have no words. I have no idea what the hell is going on. This is far from what I expected to find here. If she’s “together” with Esteban, there’s no doubt in my mind they’re fucking. The thought that she isn’t a virgin anymore saddens me. I guess I always thought she’d be there when I was ready.
“Can you put some clothes on?” I hiss through clenched teeth. There’s no way I can carry on this conversation with her succulent tits on full display. She looks up at Esteban in question. As if she needs permission from him to dress. A flash of fire blazes inside me. This isn’t the Vee I know. The Vee I know isn’t controlled by anyone.
“Take my shirt,” he tells her and strokes her cheek.
She leans in to his touch and smiles. It’s creepy as fuck.
“Thank you,” she murmurs as she starts delicately plucking through his buttons. Once she unfastens them all, he slips out of his dress shirt and helps her into it. He fastens one button in front of her tits before pulling her against his chest.
“How long you two been together?” I question, my voice coming out with a slight bite.
Vee stiffens for a brief moment but won’t meet my gaze. “Months now, right Esteban?”
He continues to pet her and nods. “Yep. Might even be love.” His gaze darts to mine and he smirks. The look says, I won the fucking prize. It makes my blood boil. Vee is my age. She was my friend growing up. She was mine.
Was.
She looks up at him in confusion. “Love?”
Esteban shrugs and runs his thumb across her bottom lip. “Could be. You hungry, Roja?”
Vee has pretty smiles. But the one she’s giving him right now is unlike any other I’ve seen before. Brilliant like a thousand rays of sunlight.
“Please,” she begs. “I’m so hungry.”
He pushes her off his lap and gives her ass a little pinch. “Go take a quick shower, and I’ll have it ready for you.”
She lets out a squeal before throwing her arms around his neck. “Thank you!” Her lips find his and they kiss as if they’re in a goddamned porno. It fucking nauseates me.
When she’s gone, he rises and begins making a sandwich. He pours her a giant glass of milk. Then, he reaches into his pocket, retrieves a pill, crushes it with a knife, and drops the dust crumbles into the milk.
I scowl. “What the fuck did you just put in her drink?”
His eyes pierce mine. “She likes it. Mind your own fucking business.”
Those words cut through me, and I’m transported to the past.
“Mind your own fucking business,” Esteban growls.
I ignore the sounds of Duvan banging Luz in the corner. Her little sister and I go to school together. Both Luz and Ana are skanks. I don’t know why Duvan sleeps with her. Everyone has slept with Luz and Ana. I know for a fact Esteban has been with Luz, too. And just yesterday, Ana sucked my dick between classes.
“Why do you have her bra?” I demand through clenched teeth. I may only be halfway through fourteen years of age, but I would try to kick his ass if I had to. Of course Esteban would pummel me, but I bet I’d get a hit or two in on him.
“She gave it to me,” he says simply and brings one of the white padded cups to his nose to inhale. “So sweet.”
I glare at him and then dart my gaze down to Vee. Her shirt is still on, but now I can see her small nipples through the fabric. She’s sleeping peacefully. Did she really give it to him?
“Leave her alone,” I mutter in defeat. “She deserves someone better than you fucking with her.”
He smirks. “Like you? Have you stolen her V-card yet, Oz?”
“No,” I snap.
“Why not? You’ve racked up quite the collection of V-cards lately, haven’t you? Duvan tells me you’ve fucked your way through most of the girls at your school.”
Irritation bubbles through me. “Vee’s my friend. It’s not like that.”
“Ahhh,” he says with a malicious grin. “So I’m free to take it.”
“Fuck you!”
I hear a zipper behind me, and then Duvan saunters up next to me wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and stinking like sex. He slings an arm over my shoulder. I can tell he’s high as fuck.
“Why are you two assholes fighting in my room?” Duvan questions, a lazy smile on his face.
I ignore him and squat down in front of the sofa. Vee looks so innocent with her head in Esteban’s lap as she sleeps. Doesn’t she know my brother is evil? I slide my arms beneath her to lift her up, but Esteban’s giant hand pushes down on her breast through her shirt to keep me from lifting her.
“She stays,” he taunts, a challenge gleaming in his eyes.
“Take your hand off of her before I break it,” I snarl and meet his glare. “She goes with me.”
Both him and Duvan start laughing at my valiant effort to protect my friend. I’m able to snag her and escape without any more crap from the two assholes. Once she’s settled in my dark room under the blankets, I crawl in behind her to spoon her.
She’s my best friend, and I’ll be damned if I let them fuck with her.
“I missed you, Ozzy,” she murmurs, half asleep.
“Missed you too, Vee. Now sleep this shit off so your dad doesn’t kill us.”
She squirms a little, which makes my cock harden against her ass. I’ll have to go visit Ana later to get laid or I’ll end up doing something stupid like fucking my best friend. The image of her naked and beneath me only makes my cock harder, so I try to envision other things that don’t turn me on. Like Esteban, the fucker. But then my active imagination goes to him with Vee underneath him. His teeth on her tiny tits, marking her up like some kind of savage beast. My erection is gone but now I’m just raging with fury. With Vee turning into a woman, she’ll start to be a problem when she visits. Esteban likes to conquer and Duvan likes to fuck. Between the two of them, one of them will corrupt her if I don’t protect her.
“I’ll keep you safe,” I assure her in the faintest of whispers.
I’m snapped from my inner thoughts when a fresh-faced Vee bounces into the kitchen. Her eyes glitter with excitement, which makes my chest ache. At one time, she wanted me. Not him. Me. And now, one of the few people I have left in this world doesn’t want me anymore.
“I’m so hungry,” she tells Esteban as she eyeballs the sandwich he’s set out for her on the table.
“I know. Sit.” He motions for the chair that he’s dragged right beside him. “Eat.”
Her red hair looks darker now that it’s wet. It hasn’t been combed through and she isn’t wearing any makeup whatsoever. It makes her seem younger, like that night I rescued her from Esteban’s predator ass when she was just fourteen.
I guess it’s too late to rescue her now. She’s clearly head over fucking heels for him. Every look she flashes him is filled with adoration and love. I’m completely ignored. As she starts to eat, Esteban leans forward to watch her. She devours the sandwich in record speed. Then, she chugs the milk. It isn’t until she finishes that I remember him putting something in it.
Fuck.
I’m the worst goddamned friend ever.
“Can I have more?” she pleads with him, sadness pulling on her cute features. “Please.”
He pats her while he shakes his head. “No. Not right now. I don’t want you to get sick.”
She frowns but obeys. “Okay.”
“Let’s go outside on the porch and talk,” Esteban says as he stands. She takes his hand as if it’s normal and lets him guide her outside. I stare after them. The shirt he made her wear swallows her, but it’s white and completely see-through. It’s like she’s fucked in the head or something.
I snag the tequila bottle and make my way outside. It’s dark and the ocean is fairly volatile as a storm starts to roll in. The wind is brusque and way too cold for her to be out here with no clothes on. Esteban is just wearing his wife beater, so I’m sure he’s cold too. But neither of them seem bothered as they sit down in the wicker love seat. I sit across from them in a single chair.
Esteban and I discuss Diego Gomez. We each state what we know of his territory and inner workings. And as the night progresses, the liquor begins to numb me to my core. Esteban becomes more handsy, while Vee seems to squirm with need. Whatever he gave her appears to be working because she is practically humping his leg.
We’ve all gone quiet. The two of them are wrapped up in each other while I stare like some perverted voyeur. I guess I don’t get how she’s suddenly so into my brother. Everyone always knew Vee wanted me. I knew this. Vee knew this. Our friends and family. But I cared for her as a friend, which always had me keeping my dick in my pants. There were so many times when I could have fucked her, and she would have let me. I didn’t, though.
And now, apparently, the time has passed.
My best friend has moved on to my fucking brother instead.
Vee wasn’t ever supposed to be his.
I’m still lost in thought when I hear the pop of a button and then see a flash of white as the shirt falls to the floor. Her back is to me and she’s straddling my brother’s lap. I’ve seen both my brothers fucking before. Plenty of times. But seeing my best friend all but beg for my brother’s cock definitely pisses me off. What pisses me off more is that the curve of her ass has my cock harder than fucking stone.
Vee wasn’t ever supposed to be his.
My gaze stays on her ass as she rubs herself against him through his slacks. Her fingers are locked in his hair and she keeps begging.
“Please, Esteban.”
Her breathy tone is too much. I’ve never craved Vee sexually. Sure, I’d thought about boning her a time or two, because I was a horny little shit, but never once did I just crave her. Yet now, I can’t stop thinking about her full tits and round ass. About the fact that my brother will soon be inside her.
I rub at my cock through my jeans, seeking relief. When I lift my gaze, I see that my brother caught the movement. He smirks, like all those times he’d fucked a woman in front of me before. A smirk that says, it’s okay, you can watch and maybe learn a thing or two.
My jaw clenches when I hear the buckle of his belt jangle. Soon, he’s got his pants pushed down his thighs. Then, I hear the tear of a condom packet. He’s about to fuck her right in front of me. I should just get up and let them do their shit. I don’t want to fucking see this.
But I don’t move.
I do want to see.
“Oz is turned on, Roja,” he growls. “Let my baby brother see what’s mine.” He grabs her hips and twists her so that she’s facing me. My gaze falls to her large tits, which bounce with her movement, and then roam over her flat stomach to the thin tuft of red hair between her thighs. I can see my brother’s dick sliding in and out of her. Her juices soaking his cock. I let out a groan as my eyes travel back up her creamy curves to her face.
“Mmm,” she murmurs as she rubs at her nipples.
My brother grips her hair and yanks her back. Her tits stick out even farther. I’m aching to fist my cock right now. Vee looks so fucking hot, and I’m a damn idiot for not ever hitting that before. Her full lips are swollen and parted as she moans. Those green eyes—eyes that always light up with the fire typical of redheads—have been dulled. She’s high as fuck on whatever he gave her.
“Whom do you belong to?” Esteban murmurs as he thrusts his hips up.
She shudders. “You.”
Vee wasn’t ever supposed to be his.
My cock is seriously straining in my jeans now. I can’t fucking deal with how painful it is so I unzip my jeans and free it. When I start stroking myself, I pretend that it’s me she’s riding. I bet her pussy is so goddamned tight.
“Ahh,” Esteban taunts. “Baby brother can’t control himself around you.”
I don’t look at him but instead meet her gaze. The adoration she used to look at me with is vacant from her eyes. Instead, all I find there is desperation. Desperation to reach that high she’s chasing.
Vee wasn’t ever supposed to be his.
Her eyes lock on my cock and she bites her lip. It’s when she lets out a moan as an orgasm overtakes her that I lose it. Hot semen shoots up my chest, wetting my T-shirt. My cock throbs as I drain the rest of my release. The moment I come down from my climax, reality sets in.
I just got off watching my rapist brother fuck my high-off-her-ass best friend.
I’m a fucking asshole.