Xavier
“Jay,” I hollered as I rushed toward him. “What the hell are you doing?”
He was hanging half over the balcony that overlooked the living room below, a disco ball dangling from his hand as he attempted to hook it onto the chandelier that hung from the ceiling.
“I need to…” he started to say as he stretched a little further, “…just hook this right here.”
On instinct I grabbed his legs as he stretched.
“No, dumbass, the only thing you’re gone do is fall off the balcony and break your neck,” I told him.
I refused to let go of his legs.
“Got it,” he said, his body finally sagging back toward mine. This quick unexpected movement only caused me to stumble and in the process he fell in the same direction.
When I hit what felt like a brick wall behind me, I looked back over my shoulder. And of course it was Elijah, standing with his arms crossed, watching us with his eyebrow cocked in question.
“Do the two of you need some alone time?” he asked, his eyes focused solely on me.
Yep, I definitely pissed him off with the earlier mention of Miss Frankie. I should have been scared, but I wasn’t. Call me an idiot, and yeah—I knew I was a glutton for punishment—but I loved getting under his skin. It was sometimes the best part of my day.
“No, we don’t, but Frankie is downstairs and she’s been asking about you,” I told him as I righted myself after practically falling into his arms. “She said something about some amazing ointment she found for scarring. I think she wants to play with your ass a little more. Massage it in nice and slow.” I wagged my eyebrows and I swear the guy growled.
“How about I kick your ass?” he sneered.
I tried not to smile but damn it, it was just too hard. And the moment I did, I had no time to run. I guess I should have planned better, considering I had a balcony behind me and a wall of muscle before me.
There were only two directions I could go.
I should have chosen the balcony.
I’m not a small guy, but in comparison to Red, I was only half his size.
Within seconds I was lifted and tossed over his shoulder. I should have been trying to get away, but all I could do was laugh.
The curious, puzzled looks I got as he barreled down the stairs, through the house, and out the back door made it even harder not to laugh.
“Dude, come on, I was just playing.” I tried to backpedal a bit. But honestly, I wasn’t sorry in the least. “I just know how much Miss Frankie loves that ass of yours.”
Red said nothing. He just lifted me once again and this time he tossed my ass in the pool.
I came up sputtering and choking because I was a dumbass who didn’t stop laughing once I hit the water.
An audience of all my brothers had gathered to take in my current predicament.
“Shut the fuck up about my ass and Miss Frankie,” Elijah said in a pissed off tone.
“I didn’t realize you were so sensitive about her.” I smirked, knowing that I really should stop, but being who I am, I just couldn’t. “Defending your girl is completely normal.”
“Xavier,” Red growled, his nostrils flaring. He no longer stood with his arms crossed but instead took on the attack stance we’d all come to expect from Elijah. “Keep this shit up and Isaac is gonna have to call home and tell Mommy and Daddy that I killed their prick of a son.”
“But then you’d be locked up for murder and unable to see your woman,” I added as I moved toward the opposite side of the pool. He took a step closer. “Wait,” I said, holding up my hand, widening my smile. “Conjugal visits,” I added with a nod. “That’s what you’re shooting for. Hot.”
A deep, rumbling, displeased growl erupted from Red and echoed across the backyard. Just before he dove in the pool and I scrambled to the opposite side to escape his wrath.
“Your time’s coming, asshole,” he yelled as I hurried across the backyard toward the house.
“I’m not saving you when he decides to gain his revenge,” Isaac assured me as I moved past him, leaving a trail of puddled water behind me. “You’re on your own.”
Lifting my hand in the air, I offered a “whatever” kind of wave. “I don’t need help, I got this.”
But on the inside I was starting to think maybe I had pushed Red a little too far. The idea of being drunk in his presence tonight was asking for all kinds of crazy shit to take place.