Trey stared at Bryson, daring him to say one fucking thing. The bastard, inviting Karl over to watch over Brittany, all the while warning Trey away from her. What hypocritical bullshit. Bryson might’ve thought Karl—or a stable man like him—was better for her, but goddammit it anyway! Both Bryson and Karl had condemned him over Brittany. Now Karl was accepting Bryson’s offer to spend time with her?
Meanwhile she looked so small and pale, almost colorless at Bryson’s announcement. What a hell of an awkward position for her. After she’d all but announced to Bryson that she and Trey were lovers, Bryson had arranged Karl’s visit without her knowledge. Bryson was aware of her attraction to Trey and had ignored it. Now he was forcing her to endure Karl’s attentions. Karl was a good man but he didn’t understand Brittany the way Trey understood her. No one did.
“Is that true?” Karl pinned Brittany with a questioning glower. “Are you and Trey lovers?”
Trey growled low in his throat but she rushed to him.
“Stop, Trey,” she whispered. “Before someone says something and you and Bryson never speak again.”
“It’s okay.” Trey pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Bryson snarled. “Get your damn hands off her.”
“You’re a little too late for that warning.” Karl’s cold, disgusted eyes sniped at Trey, his look contemptuous. “I’m sure they’ve already fucked. Trey doesn’t know the meaning of loyalty when his cock is involved. He betrayed your trust and Brittany’s trust too.”
She jerked from Trey as Bryson advanced. Trey intended to murder Karl, after he finished off Bryson.
“Stop it!” Brittany cried, pushing against her bully of a brother. Her attempt to block Bryson was like trying to stop a force of nature. She turned to Trey, rooted in front of Bryson. “Both of you.”
Bryson wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her out of the way.
She squealed in outrage and pounded her fist against Bryson’s chest. “It isn’t what you think. It was my fault. All of it.”
Bryson set her on her feet, out of the way, heedless of the resignation in her voice, the import of her words. It was my fault. All of it.
Bryson couldn’t recognize she was blaming herself for her rape. Nothing broke through the tunnel vision of his conclusions. As much as Trey wanted to comfort her and reassure her that the assault was in no way her doing, he couldn’t because Bryson rammed into him. Trey immediately swung, grunting when his fist connected with Bryson’s jaw. With a roar of fury, Bryson lunged, the motion pushing them into an end table and knocking over the lamp.
They circled each other, throwing punches and accusations. Brittany pleaded with them to stop, but they ignored her until she charged between them without warning.
“Move the fuck out the way,” Bryson ordered, his fists still raised, blood dripping from his nose and mouth.
“Yes move,” Trey snarled.
But instead of moving, she turned to him, pressing her body against his.
“Stop, please.” She burrowed her face into his chest, her arms around his waist, her trembles vibrating through him. “Both of you. Bryson. Trey,” she clarified, holding on to him as if she’d never let him go.
Trey glared in Karl’s direction. “Don’t you have something to say to Brittany?” he panted, crushing her to him.
“I never thought you had such tenderness in you,” Karl spat.
If Trey hadn’t been holding on to her, if he hadn’t already upset her with the violence, he would’ve strangled Karl. His cousin was acting as if he another man possessed him. “Fuck you. Now apologize for your crass comments about Brittany.”
A sardonic gleam lit Karl’s light eyes, his jaw clenching. “They weren’t directed at her. You betrayed—”
“Bullshit, asshole. Get off that song. You were ready to take Brittany to wherever and then to your place to ‘hang out’. Instead, because you’d have to take her out over my dead body—”
“Trey, please,” she whispered with frantic desperation.
Trey stroked her neck, not caring that Bryson looked as if he’d rip her out of Trey’s arms at any moment.
Her fingers brushed his chin and the side of his mouth. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s not as bad as it looks.” Her touch warmed the cold fury in his blood. “Reverend Wilson, you want her too, don’t you? You came here with Bryson’s blessings, sure you’d have what you warned me to stay away from.”
“Brittany,” Karl began, adapting the cultured voice he used when he wanted to show his superiority over Trey.
Trey acknowledged he was jealous of Karl. Until that moment, Trey had believed his cousin was as pure of heart as Trey was filled with wickedness. But Karl was human after all and suffered from jealousy and envy like everyone else.
“I’m trying to apologize to you, love.”
She faced Karl, clutching Trey’s hand as if her life depended on keeping him near.
“You don’t have to hold me back, baby girl,” he whispered against her ear. “I promise we’re not going to fight anymore.”
Karl thinned his lips. “Yes, you can leave your bodyguard’s side for one moment,” he sneered.
“Look, man, I’ve had enough of your damn lip,” Trey roared, realizing this interaction was deeper than mere jealousy. Threats, unspoken and ominous, oppressed the air. “She’s upset by all this shit so calm the fuck down or get the fuck out.”
Karl’s inscrutable gaze landed on Brittany. “Please accept my deepest apologies for speaking so crudely.”
“Did he speak the truth?” Bryson’s asked, his face as dark as a thundercloud. “Have you slept with Trey?”
“Of course I spoke the truth,” Karl said with clear disapproval and disappointment. “This is Trey we’re talking about. He probably had her laid and spread the first night she got here.”
“Motherfucker!” Trey went for Karl but Brittany grabbed his arm, tears swimming in her eyes.
“Don’t do this.” She was so pale and distressed. She raised her gaze to Karl’s. “Would you just go?” she asked, barely above a whisper, her arms wrapped around her waist, tears tracking her cheeks.
Karl was staring at her, unreadable and inscrutable, his hands balled at his sides, as if he were trying to intimidate her. Trey and Bryson exchanged a glance, a brief moment of unity between them. Karl could be a little overzealous in his disapproval of anything not meeting his moral code.
But morals were morals and Karl was acting outside of the rigid set of rules he purported to live by. He was acting like a criminal trying to intimidate a witness.
Trey drew Brittany against him, not quite believing the turn of his thoughts. Karl a rapist? No. Never. Mitchell was right in recusing Trey from the case. Hurt, jealous and feeling betrayed, Trey was jumping to wild and unfair conclusions. Karl was as much of a friend to Bryson as Trey was, so he shouldn’t have been making a move on her either, and Bryson shouldn’t have invited him over to do so. Their combined hypocrisy infuriated Trey.
Not quite true. It wasn’t hypocrisy. It was Brittany’s actions.
Sirens blared in his head as he considered the way Brittany and Karl had interacted since she’d stepped into the living room. Something wasn’t sitting right with Trey. Brittany’s behavior was too odd. She wasn’t at all happy to see Karl. That alone was odd. She’d never had a problem with his cousin before…or had she?
Was that the final piece to this puzzle? Had Karl overpowered Brittany? Was that the reason she’d looked at Trey as if he had two heads when he’d said no one he knew would hurt her?
Trey swiped a hand across his mouth. If Karl had forced himself on Brittany, Trey intended to cut his balls off and make him choke on them. And that was the gospel truth. He just needed to keep that to himself.
“Do you accept my apology, Brittany?” Karl asked with a glower.
She trembled and Trey tightened his arms around her, resting his hand on her belly.
Karl narrowed his eyes at the display. “Do you?”
“Please, you’ve done enough damage.” Her voice cracked. “Go.”
The menace in Karl’s posture evaporated and he smiled at her, sighing. “I can’t leave until I—”
“You damn well can,” Trey snapped. “If Brittany doesn’t want you here, get the fuck out.”
His cousin’s shoulders slumped and Brittany gulped in air.
“I accept your apology,” she said in a hoarse whisper.
Karl smiled at her, the gentle one he used to comfort and calm everyone. Trey told himself it was just the heat of the moment making him imagine Karl’s guilt.
Karl was a gentle soul. He was just acting out of the same jealousy as Trey was.
“You heard Brittany.” Bryson sighed, dabbing away the blood dribbling from his lips. “She wants you to leave for now, man. I have a lot to discuss with Trey anyway, so I’ll call you later once this is sorted out.”
“Of course.”
“Let Karl out,” Bryson ordered.
She still looked so shaken Trey almost volunteered to do the job but then she started forward padded to the door to open it. When Karl stepped into the hallway, he bent his head and spoke to her. How ironic he found himself in the same position as Brittany had been in earlier, when he and Elsie were at the door. He hated not knowing what they were whispering about but vowed to give her the same courtesy with Karl she’d shown him with Elsie.
✽✽✽
“When Trey decides he needs someone new to fuck, call me. I might still be interested.”
Karl’s gaze raked Brittany and she resisted the overwhelming urge to slam the door in his face, but tensions were too high. Trey and Bryson had gotten into a fight at Karl’s instigation.
“You don’t want me.”
She forced herself to meet his hard gaze, her mouth trembling. His hand brushed the place where his gun was holstered and she shivered. She opened her mouth, intending to list all the reasons he didn’t want her and intending to apologize to him if she’d led him on in any way.
“Why?” she whispered instead, the word slipping out unbidden. She hadn’t meant to ask, never wanting to have her culpability reaffirmed.
Warning tightened his features. Karl understood her question.
“You were my friend. Bryson’s friend. Trey’s cousin.” Her voice cracked and she gripped the doorknob tighter.
“And you’re a walking disgrace. A whore. You tempted me and you tempted Trey. You said so yourself.”
“No,” she managed. “I didn’t deserve—”
“Yes. You did. You asked for what I gave you. You wanted a good fuck and I liked coming in you but I don’t relish the idea of pumping the same cunt Trey left his jizz in. It’s swimming in your belly even now.”
“Go,” she repeated through bloodless lips, recoiling at his crudity.
“Really, Brit? Leave? And if I choose to stay? Say you invited me back in to catch up on old times?”
“Then I’ll tell—”
Thrusting his face close to hers, he smiled, his calm demeanor a deception she wouldn’t underestimate.
“Tell them what? That you asked me to fuck you? Begged me to let you suck my dick?”
Oh, God. Hadn’t she done the same with Trey?
“Do you really think my cousin will believe I forced myself on you?” he continued. “You’re crazy. You cut off your fucking hair today. What you did to your hair is not the mark of a sane woman.”
“Go away. Go to hell. Leave me alone.”
Laughter met her demand and he leaned forward to kiss her, bussing her cheek when she turned her head.
“You said you loved me. Do you remember?”
How could I forget? she thought desperately.
“But you opened your legs to Trey. The last time I just suspected you betrayed me with him. This time I know for a fact. You’re going to be the sorriest little thing who ever lived. I’m going to take the rest of you without mercy. You led me on and if Trey knew, he’d want nothing more to do with you. We’re cousins and we’ve both had you. He’d hate you forever if I told you how you swore you loved me.”
“You f-forced me to tell you that—”
Shock entered his eyes and she swayed, wondering if her memory wasn’t the faulty one.
“You came for me,” he reminded her in a thick voice, desire and anger clouding his eyes. “You told me you loved me. I made you feel good. I made love to you. I didn’t force you to do anything.”
With that, he backed away from the door and she told herself to close it and pretend their conversation hadn’t been anything but a few words between friends. It didn’t matter that his words jammed into her head, leaving her with a cold, clammy feeling on her skin and her stomach roiling. She looked at Trey and Bryson. Karl had caused them to fight. He’d been crude and vulgar and every vile thing possible. And he wanted to hurt her again. He’d threatened to kill Trey and kill Bryson.
“Brittany?” Bryson sounded concerned as he stepped closer to her, dabbing at the blood still dripping down his chin with a paper towel.
“What did Karl say to you?” Trey demanded.
She saw the suspicion, the jealousy, the anger. He wiped the side of his mouth with his palm to remove a trickle of blood. A silent demand for confirmation of his suspicions blazed in his eyes and she shivered, wanting to run and hide. Fear and shame compelled her to hold on to her secret but how would she ever keep everything from Trey. She knew he had growing suspicions. He knew her well enough to see through the defenses she’d built up. He always had, which was why she’d hidden away when it first happened. He would’ve guessed and then…then… What? Karl would’ve killed her? Trey and Bryson? Or would Trey have turned against her?
She knew him too, and family came above all else with him. If anyone else had attacked her, she would’ve understood his current fury wasn’t directed toward her. Now she wasn’t sure if he was angry because he wanted justice or if what Karl said was the truth and it disgusted Trey to think she’d slept with both him and his cousin.
Once she’d made her decision to keep silent, she’d known she would have to pretend nothing happened. But now she wanted her life back and unfortunately, she was weak. A strong person would keep quiet but the only way Brittany could figure out how to go on was to get this poisonous secret out of her.
She drew in a deep breath, looking at the two men she loved. She didn’t know what to do about Karl. Her insides hurt just thinking about how he’d used her body.
“You two shouldn’t have fought.” She ignored the look on Trey’s face, the question in his eyes. “It seems that’s what Karl wanted.” He enjoyed making everyone either violent or victimized.
Bryson stared at her. “We didn’t mean to upset you, Brit.”
“Yes,” Trey agreed, clenching and unclenching his jaw. “We’ll work it out.”
“Bryson’s my brother.” The little pieces of happiness she’d managed to assemble, the illusion of safety, disintegrated “Trey is my-my boyfriend.” She paused, expecting Trey to say he’d been joking. “I w-want the two of you to talk.”
“It’s fine, love,” Trey assured her, glaring at Bryson as he offered Trey some napkins. He snatched them from Bryson.
Bryson sat on the sofa, leaning back his head to stop the blood still trickling from his nose. “Leave it be.”
They were speaking as if she didn’t have the ability to understand them. She swayed toward Trey, her vision blurring, feeling close to breaking. Unable to do anything else, she looked down at her bare feet then turned without uttering a word. Running into Trey’s bedroom, she snatched the curtains closed, dragged his comforter off the bed and ran to his closet. Getting the double-doors shut, she curled into a ball, pulled the comforter over her head and burst into tears.
Trey dropped onto the loveseat and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. In a single afternoon, his entire life had become complicated. His best friend preferred to have Trey’s cousin date Brittany. That same cousin was on a self-righteous crusade, further threatening Trey’s friendship with Bryson and affecting Trey’s relationship with Karl. Then there was the woman at the center of all this. Brittany.
“Are you and Brittany lovers?”
Trey didn’t open his eyes or raise his head. “Yes.”
“You’re her boyfriend then?”
He’d never been anyone’s boyfriend. His jealousy led him to make the offhanded announcement. He couldn’t have stomached watching her accept Karl’s offer for a date.
Bryson swore. “You’re going to hurt her. She’s been half in love with you most of her life, asshole.”
Trey raised his head and glanced in Bryson’s direction.
“You talk about me taking her for granted. You haven’t recognized what’s been staring you right in the face. How the hell am I supposed to approve of a son-of-a-bitch like you for her?”
“Brittany’s in love with me?” he asked stupidly. Motherfucker.
In the past, he’d always rejected the idea that her feelings for him were nothing more than her sexual awakening. He’d refused to see that her feelings went deeper than physical attraction.
Presently, he’d been so focused on not touching her and helping her through whatever had happened to her, he hadn’t stopped to consider the depth of their emotional connection.
Of course she was in love with him. Once upon a time, she’d dogged his steps. Even when the young puppies on the football team who’d jockeyed for her attention were around, she sought him out. And she’d shared with him the secret of one of the most traumatic episodes in her life. She’d trusted him enough to allow him to make love to her, even though she was still suffering. He should’ve recognized her feelings earlier but he’d rejected love for so long, he hadn’t acknowledged what was staring him in the face. “Christ.”
“Why the hell couldn’t you keep your dick in your pants?” Bryson shook his head. “Don’t you think she’s been through enough? She doesn’t need to add you breaking her heart to the list.”
“Before you knew what she’d been through, you didn’t want me to have anything to do with her,” he snarled through clenched teeth.
“In the two days she’s been here, two different women have visited you and you’ve still managed to get Brittany into your bed. I’m sure it’ll be Jennifer’s turn tomorrow. The day after, someone else, and the day after, another woman. I didn’t give a fuck how many women you screwed in a day’s time. But Brittany isn’t like all your other women. She’s going to expect more than you’re willing to give.” Bryson scrubbed a hand over his eyes. “Karl, on the other hand, is stable and secure. He’s looking for a lasting relationship.”
“How the hell do you know what I’m willing to give?” Trey snapped, angered all over again at the thought of Karl. “Can you even give me credit for sending both Sylvia and Elsie away? Damn it, have you ever even heard me claim to be any woman’s man?”
Bryson was looking at him, staring at him really, his face as battered as Trey’s felt.
“Know why I’m working so hard, man?” Bryson asked.
The change of subject surprised Trey.
“For Brittany. Momma decided to cut off her tuition. She said she can’t afford it with the kids she’s fostering. She called me and expected me to tell my sister she had to withdraw from school. Brittany has a part-time job but certainly not enough to cover the cost of her expenses.” Bryson hung his head and covered his face with his hands. “I was expecting her to come here this summer so I could see if I could bridge whatever chasm exists between her and Momma. Momma’s always doted on me but…her and Brittany. Now I discover she was raped when she was sixteen and she’s your lover.”
“Why didn’t you tell me your mom was cutting Brittany off? I would do everything I can to help out too.”
Bryson rubbed his forehead. “I don’t even know if she wants to be in college. I’m beginning to think she just wanted to escape.”
“Brittany wanted to be a forensic pathologist.”
Bryson smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. He looked sad and weary. “Yes I know. Her dream was to be a medical examiner. Why the hell she’d want to work in a morgue, I have no idea. Everything changed and she decided to become a licensed clinical social worker.” He blew out a breath. “Look, maybe I’ve gone about this all wrong the last couple of days—”
“Fuck the maybe, Donovan,” Trey growled.
Bryson shot Trey a dark look. “I still think you’re all wrong for her. You have condoms hidden in every little nook and cranny around this place.”
Trey flushed with guilt. A helluva lot of good that did with Brittany. “I’ve taken a few days off to spend with her. It’s just easier than dragging her to the station every night.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Bryson closed his eyes. “What the hell can I say?”
“Say you won’t ask my cousin—or any other man—to date her,” Trey gritted. “She’s mine and don’t ever forget it.”