Forty minutes after leaving my house, I pull into the gravel lot outside of the lodge. As I walk toward the entrance, I watch a few drunk old men stumble out of the doors and head to their cars.
“Ah, hell, Frank,” one of the white-haired guys grumbles. “You know damn well this country’s gone to the Democrats.”
The other man swats his hand through the air, losing his balance and falling against the side of the building.
I push the door open, and a thick haze of smoke slaps me in the face. My eyes dart around the dimly-lit room and hone in on the guy who’s slumped over the bar.
I nod to a few of the other men as I make my way across the room. I lightly touch my hand to his shoulder and he groans.
“Hey, Jim. You know today’s the last Friday of the month, huh?”
He rolls his head to the side, peeping up at me with only one eye. “Yeah, JP, I know.”
He sits up, leaning back in the chair and digging in his back pocket. He pulls out a manila envelope and hands it to me. “I gotta stop making bets with your boss man. He’s got a lot of juice for this old square.”
I smile as I take the envelope. Most people think I’m a beard—they think I’m the person between them and the bookie. They have no idea I’m the person they really don’t want to piss off.
“Ah, come on, now, Jim. You say that every time.” I shake his shoulder and open the envelope to peek inside. “It’s just for fun anyway, right?”
He snorts and picks up his glass, swirling the beer in the bottom before dumping it into his mouth. “Yeah, damn good time draining my bank account, but one of these days,” he says, shaking his finger at me, “I’mma win big. Then I’ll stop.”
“See you in a few weeks, Jim,” I call out as I head toward the door.
I climb in my car and barely get make it back onto the road before my phone rings. I answer it, and all I can hear is maniacal laughter.
“I’m busy. What the hell is going on there now?” I ask, switching lanes.
“Oh,” Bob manages through a cough, “you just need to come home. See what your pussy-ass little brother’s doing.”
“What? Oh, for fuck’s sake. Tell me he hasn’t gotten his ass handed to him by that little girl again?”
There’s hooting and hollering in the background from the rest of the guys. “Go, Brown. Go! Run that damn ball!” A loud eruption of screams ring out. “Looks like you’re gonna have a lot of collecting to get at. Florida just lost.”
“Good,” I groan, more concerned with what the hell that woman has done than the money I’d just made. “Now, what the hell is Caleb doing?”
“You just need to come see this, Jude. Sad to say I don’t know that he’s cut out for the family business. I think he may be hiding a vagina between his legs.”
I hang up and toss the phone in the passenger seat. “Damn it, Caleb!” I pound my fist over the steering wheel and swerve across the traffic to exit.
As soon as I walk in, I find a group of my uncles crammed around the kitchen table, pounding back beers and playing poker.
“Am I gonna have to beat his ass?” I ask.
Bob smiles, shrugging his shoulders. “If you ask me, I think he’s probably been traumatized enough by the sound of it.”
I shake my head and head down the hallway. Caleb’s just a fucking kid. He’s twenty-one, and at times I feel remorse that I allowed him to get involved with this shit. Sure, it’s our heritage, but at some point someone has to say they're too good for this fucked-up way of living. I tried that. I tried to get out of this, but I am undeniably damaged from growing up in the middle of threats, dirty money, and vengeance. It was my job to carry on my family’s legacy, but Caleb, he has no business here. He still has morals, and sometimes I hope that one day I’ll be too much and he’ll leave, forgetting how fucked up we all are.
I stop outside the door, jamming the key in when I hear sniffling.
As soon as the door swings open, I see him with his head on her shoulder and he’s fucking crying. She has her arm around him, soothing him. She looks up when I walk in and shoots daggers at me.
“What the...” I glance at the TV and see the end credits of a movie rolling. “What the fuck? Caleb?”
He looks up, wiping the snot with his sleeve. “Dude, Jude, that’s some sad shit. That’s true fucking love...and the birds at the end flying off”—he pulls in a breath—“that was like their souls flying away to spend eternity together. Deep-ass, sad shit!”
My eyes bulge and my jaw unhinges. I am literally speechless as my gaze darts back and forth between the TV and the two of them snuggled up on the bed.
“The Notebook,” Victoria says. “I’m going to take a stab in the dark here and say you haven’t seen it.”
“Are you kidding me?” I shake my head and comb my fingers through my hair, trying to understand exactly what the hell has just happened.
This woman has turned my little brother into a dribbling pussy. He’s watched people brutally lose their lives, and here he sits, crying over some movie, being consoled by a girl. “Fuck, Caleb!” I stomp toward them and yank him up. “Just….get the fuck outta here.” I open the door, intending to shove him out into the hall, but stop.
“You know, you redefine arsehole,” she snaps.
Did she really just mouth off to me? When did the weak little girl grow a pair of balls? I have to straighten this out right now. The second she’s no longer afraid of me is the second my life becomes absolute hell. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I spin to face her. “You want to die? You’re going the right way about it, doll.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She twirls her hand in the air. “Again with the death threats.” What the hell has Caleb told her?
Pointing at Caleb, she wrinkles her brow. “You punched him!”
“He let you out! Of course I punched him.” I take Caleb by the shoulders and push him to the door.
“You’re a piece of shit!” she shouts, her face turning beet-red.
“Ria…” Caleb starts, but shuts up when I squeeze his shoulders.
“Ria? You fucking named her?”
Caleb ignores that question, and she points at him again. “He’s your brother! You don’t even care about your family.”
Oh, now she’s touched a sore spot. I feel heat flood my skin, causing me to press my fingers into my little brother’s shoulders. “I know he’s my fucking brother. I also know it’s none of your damn business. If you were so concerned about him maybe you shouldn’t have kicked him in his balls.”
She looks at Caleb and her eyes go all soft and mushy-looking. Oh, fuck, it seems the bitch has it bad for my little brother. I never should have left him in charge of her.
“I had to! I’m sorry, Caleb.” She redirects her attention to me. “I have been kidnapped, of course I’m going to try to escape. What do you expect me to do, just wait for you to kill me? I do have a basic will to live, you know? You, on the other hand, are just plain mean. You don’t deserve a brother like him.”
I grit my teeth, open the door, and shove Caleb outside. Slamming the door shut, I turn back to her. “You don’t know anything about us, so I suggest you shut your mouth if you really do have a basic will to live.”
“I know that he’s nice, and you’re not,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest
“Nice?” I laugh. “What do you think this is? A fucking summer camp? He’s watching you. He’s not your new friend. What next? You going to start braiding each other’s fucking hair?”
She scowls at me, and I inch my way closer to her, forcing her to back up. I keep going until she’s against the wall.
“Evidently, somehow you have my brother wrapped around your little finger, blubbering over some chick-flick crap, and he’s apparently too nice to stop you from escaping. So, from now on, you’ll be in my room, or with me, twenty-four hours a day, until the debt is settled or I find a better place to put you. Do you hear me?”
Her eyes lock with mine, her teeth gritting as she rises to the challenge. “Oh, I hear you,” she growls. “I heard the thirteen fucking death threats. I also heard that I was supposed to be out of this shit-hole after three days. You want to kill me, then fucking get on with it already. You want to spend every minute of the day with me?” She smiles. “I’m going to make your life hell.”
She’s pissed as hell. She’s lost her fucking mind, or is on her fucking period, because she’s turned into one massive bitch. I clench my jaw, grip her arm, and yank her away from the wall, bringing her face so close to mine, our noses are actually touching. She’s pulling in hard breaths, and each time she does I’m hyper-aware of those breasts of hers pressing against my chest. “You won’t even so much as take a piss without me watching you. How about that?”
“I tell you what, why don’t you set yourself on fire, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get to see me piss!”
I bow my head, sucking in a quick breath to try to hide the slight grin threatening to curve over my mouth. I should be livid as hell that she’s being so mouthy with me, but that smart-ass mouth is hot, and that British accent could give fucking Viagra a run for its money.
“I don’t even want to breathe the same air as you,” she shouts. “So you might as well just shoot me now.”
“Oh, trust me, I’d love to fucking put myself out of this misery, but I’m not feeling up to scrubbing blood out of the carpet today.” I jerk her closer to me, bringing her forehead level with my chin. I curl my lip at the sudden whiff I just got of her. She smells like absolute shit. “Fucking hell,” I cough from the stench. “No wonder Caleb wanted to get you out of this room, you smell like open ass!” I pull her behind me and reach for the door.
“That’s what happens when you lock a girl in a room for four fucking days!” she says, and rips her arm out of my grasp.
At this point, treating her like a child may be my best bet. I open the door, snatch her by her wrists, and drag her into the hallway. She obviously no longer has a filter, no self-control, and absolutely no survival instincts. Maybe she’s just lost her shit.
“Let go of me.” She squirms. “You pikey criminal.”
“Not a chance, doll.” Laughing, I add, “And really, a criminal? That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?” I can’t help but smirk.
“You tried to fucking kill me a few days ago! If that doesn’t make you a criminal then what does?” She pulls in a breath and I keep dragging her behind me as she continues to ramble about how cruel I am.
I turn at the end of the corridor and head for the bathroom.
“And you are absolutely, definitely, a massive”—she struggles against me—“fucking arsehole.”
“You done?”
Her response; showing me her middle finger.
“Oh, really?” I bend, scooping her up and throwing her over my shoulder. My hand instinctually rests over her firm ass. I could move it, but seeing as how I’m such an asshole, I don’t.
She screams, pounding her fists against my back. “What the fuck?” She shrieks again, and I clench my fingers into her ass, causing her to tense. “You!” I feel her fingers clawing at the hem of my shirt, pulling it up. Next thing I know, my fucking testicles are being smashed in two by my boxers. The bitch actually just gave me a fucking wedgie!
“You’re a fucking bitch,” I growl. She pulls harder, and I have to swallow because that shit hurts.
“Put me down!” she screams, the high-pitched squeal behind it piercing my ears.
“Oh, I’ll put you the fuck down when I’m good and ready.” I adjust her on my shoulder, clamping my arm around her thighs harder while I shove the shower door open. “From now on you’re with me, or locked in my fucking room, which means we’ll be spending some quality time together. Problem is, you smell like a fucking homeless person.”
I reach over and twist the knob, then I throw her down onto the shower floor. “How about now? Is this a good time to put you down, huh?” I watch the cold water pelt down over her, fighting a smile. She looks so damn pathetic.
“Oh, you fucker!” she screams, every muscle in her body clenching as the cold water hits her.
I smirk, bracing my arms against the shower door to block her exit. She jumps up and pounds against my chest. Droplets of water splash in my face with each smack she makes over my chest. It’s ridiculous that she thinks those weak pushes of hers will do anything to get me away from her.
My eyes skim down her body. Caleb’s oversized white shirt is soaked, which makes it very see-through and damn near impossible to ignore those pert little nipples of hers straining against the thin material. Fuck me, she has a good body, it’s hard not to notice. I swallow, and, against my will, my cock swells and presses against the zipper of my jeans. Fucking great!
She catches me off-guard and punches me in the stomach. “Ow, motherfucker!” she says as she shakes her fist.
I laugh as she hops around, holding her injured hand. “You done?”
I grab my crotch, nonchalantly adjusting my hard-on, which she takes note of; she swallows just before her face morphs into a scowl. She probably thinks she’s about to get raped. I twist the knob to the hot water, my gaze straying back down to her perky tits before locking on her face. “You can make everything a fight, but please understand that you’ll fucking lose.” She is going to love this next order. “Now, take your fucking clothes off!”
Her nostrils flare and her eyes flame. “Go fuck yourself, you perverted cunt,” she hisses, her expression hard, her face still red.
I laugh. “Cunt?” I ask, shocked at what a filthy little mouth she has on her. I give a half-ass shrug and cock a smile. “Have it your way.” Grabbing the collar of her shirt with both hands, I shred it right down the middle, exposing her full breasts.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she yells, and scrambles to cover herself with the torn pieces of the shirt.
“I’m done fucking around with you, so take off your clothes and clean your ass up!” I say as I raise a brow at her.
She glares at me, angry, hateful.
“Do it. Now!”
“I’ll take a shower...if you get out.” She’s glaring at me through the wet strands of hair covering her face.
I shake my head and grin. “I don’t think so. I step outta here and who knows what sort of trouble you’ll get into.” I lean against the shower wall, purposefully letting my eyes roam over her. I need her to feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. I have to break her down.
“There are no windows in here. I can’t go anywhere except the door, which you can stand on the other side of.”
Steam from the shower billows up toward the ceiling. She’s trying her best to cover herself, but all she’s managing to do is squeeze those fucking breasts of hers together and up, almost like a corset. I watch the water trickle between her cleavage, then down the rest of her body. The heat is flushing the exposed, pale skin of her stomach. Her matted, honey-blonde hair is sticking to her neck and shoulders. She looks fucking sexy as hell like that. I shouldn’t be getting so turned on by this, but damn, my cock doesn’t have morals.
“Just do as you’re told for once, woman, damn!” I’m done. I can’t help but think about how good it would feel to pin her up against the wall and fuck the shit out of her. This needs to stop. I need to get the hell out of here.
I shake my head, closing my eyes for a second. “Just take off your damn clothes and take the shower.” I grab her tattered shirt and shred it even more, then yank it down her shoulders. The soaked material drops to the shower floor, and I grab the waist of the shorts she’s wearing. She hits me and screams, but that doesn’t faze me. “It’s not like I’ve never seen a fucking woman naked, and it’s not like I’m doing this to get off. I can’t trust you,” I say. She beats at me with her fists and causes me to lose my balance. Out of instinct, I grab onto her, my hands slipping over her wet, tight thighs. She falls silent, completely freezing in place. Quickly, she shoves the shorts the rest of the way down her legs.
Her arms tighten around her and she hunches over a little. She tries to hide her face from me, but I can still see it crumple before she peers up at me briefly. The moment her eyes meet mine, they squeeze closed.
I do feel a little guilty for doing this to her, but she really needs to learn not to test me. I reach into the shower and wrap my hand around the back of her slick neck. She flinches. Placing my lips on her ear, I growl, “Don’t make me fucking repeat myself.”
I feel her cower under my touch. “Please,” she pleads, her voice breaking.
I skim my fingers over her skin before I let my hand fall from her neck, and there’s a deafening silence.
The splatter of the water against the tiles and the frantic sound of her quickening breaths seem so loud in this moment. I stare at her. Her eyes are still closed, her hands trying desperately to cover herself. I can tell she’s fighting back the urge to cry. I watch the droplets of water bead and roll down her cheek, down her neck. Her pulse is visibly thumping in her throat.
Could this woman possibly be trying to fuck me over? She’s gone from terrified to outright crazy, and now she’s hiding in a corner afraid again. She has no idea what she’s doing.
What the hell am I doing?
I stumble back a few steps and watch her tiny form crammed in the corner, trying to hide from the crazed lunatic that put her there. I need to leave her alone so I can go punch my fist through a wall.
“Just take the fucking shower. I’ll be over there.” I point to the long granite countertop. “I won’t look at you, but I’m not leaving you alone.”
Her eyes remain trained on the shower floor as I back away, carefully shutting the glass door behind me.
I take a towel from the closet and drop it onto the mat, then lean against the sink like I promised. She’s right, I could just wait outside, but I know now not to underestimate her. It’s her dignity or mine.
Why in the hell does shit like this have to happen? I catch a glimpse of the shower in the mirror. I can’t see her through the fogged-up glass, but I can make out the outline of her body and I force myself to look away. Two minutes ago she was looking at me like a fucking rapist, and now here I am getting aroused from a fucking silhouette of her. Primal instinct is a bitch.
A few minutes later the shower turns off and the door slides open. I keep my gaze aimed at my boots, using every ounce of willpower I possess not to glance up at her.
“Did you see the towel?” I ask.
“Yes.”
When I do look up, she’s wrapped in the oversized towel, her wet hair falling down her back and dripping onto the floor.
The second I walk past her, she jumps away from me. I grab another towel from the closet, and circle my finger in the air. “Turn around.”
She does as ordered, her body remaining tense as she nervously glances at me over her shoulder. I gather her thick hair and place it in the towel, rubbing it to dry the excess water from it. I skim down her exposed back, stopping on the rounded curve of her ass.
“What are you doing?” she whispers.
I swallow hard. What the hell am I doing? “You’re dripping all over my floor,” I tell her as I twist the towel around the ends of her damp hair and toss it over her shoulder. “Take it. I don’t want puddles all over the fucking place.” I try to sound as annoyed as possible.
She’s quiet as I lead her down the hall to my room. I stand in the doorway and point to the dresser. “Find something to put on.”
I start to leave, but catch myself. This girl’s going to tear my fucking room apart looking for something to kill me with, probably. Chuckling at the thought, I go to my closet and grab the gun stashed on the top shelf, tucking it under my arm. I move on to the nightstand and collect my pistol, then grab the gun hidden beneath the mattress. I eye her as I head to the door, smirking. “Before you get any bright ideas and accidentally shoot yourself,” I say as I shut the door, locking it with the key.
“Arsehole!” I barely hear her shout as I make my way down the stairs.