by Kali Brixton
We spar until the other groups finish up, both of us sweaty and worn out. After a quick shower to freshen up for my shift at RISE tonight, I emerge to find my brother and Luca long gone.
Cowards.
Tomorrow, though? They’re both getting a tongue-lashing and an ass-beating.
I may even throw in a shanking for the hell of it.
2
Everleigh
“Open the door, you asshats!” My fist kisses the smooth wooden door of their apartment again and again as I continue to pound it incessantly. Somebody better open this door soon because if I have to drive all the way back to my apartment and get my key, I’m really going to be pissed.
My knocking halts abruptly as the oak door swings into the apartment, a bewildered pair of hazel eyes staring back at me. “What the hell?”
Ignoring one-half of the reason I’m here and those gray track pants and white undershirt that leave nothing to the imagination, I push past Luca in search of my idiot brother. The inaudible murmur of a TV filters through Luca’s bedroom door in the otherwise quiet apartment. Lucky for Kieran, he’s nowhere to be seen. I turn back to Luca, who’s staring at me like I’ve lost my mind. He’s partially right. “Where’s the other dumbass?”
“Who? Dreidan?”
“Very funny,” I sass, pointing to the door opposite of Kieran’s bedroom across the communal living area. “You know I meant that sorry excuse of the Greene gene pool.”
He chuckles as he closes the door. “He’s out. Why?”
After he and I had that talk last night? That moron will never learn.
Striding back to face him, I drop my voice to a quieter tone to catch him off guard as I cross my arms. “Well, I guess you’ll just have to pass along a message.”
“And that would be?” He smirks, mirroring my own moves, and taking a peek down at the generous helping of cleavage that’s now visible.
Such a guy.
With my opponent momentarily mesmerized, I seize the opportunity and knee him in the thigh precariously close to those prized Giordano family jewels. His hands immediately fly to his junk and a look of shock twists his handsome face. “Shit, Ev! You almost got me in the balls. Wasn’t getting me twice last night enough?”
My finger finds the center of his chest. “That was your warning shot. Next time, I won’t miss.” I begin to pace, trying to control the rage bubbling to the surface.
It’s a tell Luca knows well, which explains why he’s easing behind the kitchen island. That or he knows why I’m here. “Just who the fuck do y’all think you are?” His dark brows shoot up, confusion apparent in his gaze. “Don’t play that innocent bit with me, Luca. I’m talking about the fact that you two keep putting your noses in my business.”
Those dark brows now furrow down and together as I hold his stare. “I have no clue what you’re—” he cuts off as I show him the message Decker sent me last night, implying that we’d better not chance going out.
Realization dawns. Now we’re on the same page. Tan fingers pinch between his eyes as he mumbles, “Fucking big mouth.”
“Don’t turn this around on Decker. I heard you warning him last night. Why do you keep interfering in my life the way you and Kieran do?”
“I’m just trying to look out for him. You honestly think it’s a good idea to go out with someone who works under your dad? Rian will murder him.” What a bunch of baloney. His eyes emanate what seems to be sincerity, but those hazel pools won’t derail me tonight.
“And yet, I’m still trying to figure out what business it is of yours? I told you a long time ago, you can’t pull this big brother garbage with me. You didn’t—”
Anger clouds over his expression. “Don’t even go there. You know this is not the same thing.”
“Yeah. You should’ve laid your big brother cards on the table when it mattered with Lia.”
“You don’t think I tried?” His voice raises, surprising him and me both. A moment of silence stands between us until he exhales. “You honestly don’t think I care about the fact that my sister won’t speak to me anymore and hasn’t for a long time because I let her down?”
His eyes tell a pained story, prompting me to take a breather for a moment and collect my thoughts.
“Look, I’m not here to bust your balls about that. I am however here to let you and my brother know that from this moment on, you all are not to say a damn word to a single guy who asks me out. Not one. It’s my decision and you all will not take that from me.”
Deep dimples pop on both cheeks as his smile spreads far and wide. Turning his well-defined back to me, he reaches into the fridge and grabs two glass bottles of cola.
Stop thinking about his damn dimples! Rage, remember? “I’m sorry. Did something I say amuse you?”
Using the bottle opener that’s already on the counter, he pops the tops and slides one to me, taking a long sip of his. I flick my eyes to the bottle, then back to him, holding my unrelenting stare until he answers. After a few awkward moments, he finally cracks. “Have you ever stopped to think about why we do it?”
“Control, because you think you can, for kicks and giggles… Who the fuck knows with either of you?” I wave a dismissive hand, knowing it’s probably a combination of multiple, ridiculous arguments.
“It’s because we don’t want you to get mixed up with the shitheads that keep buzzing around you. You don’t know most of them like we do, Ev.”
“All right, then. Enlighten me. Give me some examples. Let’s start with Decker.”
He stares at me like he’s having to repeat directions to a child. “I already told you. He works in your dad’s department and it’s a bad idea for everyone involved. Period.”
“Anderson Freeman. What’s wrong with him?”
“He has a temper when he drinks.”
Well, shit. “Okay. Jimmy Talbot.”
Luca stands there, thinking back through the annals of guys they’ve apparently scared away. “Crazy ex who slashed the tires on his last girlfriend’s car. And the girl before her.”
Good Lord. I sift through my memory for the cute guy I met at a party a few months ago. “Avery Grimes.”
“Weird obsession with Kylie Jenner.”
I scrunch my face, trying to figure out his point. “Lots of guys think she’s beautiful.”
“Lots of guys want to bang her, not dress up like her and wear makeup like she does, all while getting caught by his roommates dry humping a picture of Jimmy Fallon. Whatever that’s about...” he grouses with a shudder.
Jimmy Fallon is a beautiful, beautiful soul, but that’s not important at the moment. “Maybe he was drunk?”
“Three times?!”
That’s…a lot to unpack. “Okay, I’ll give you that one. Wyatt Prichard.”
“Has a girlfriend back home. A girl who doesn’t know her boyfriend is banging half of the sorority house three doors down during the week, then fucks her on the weekends when he comes back home.”
Gross. Why the hell am I attracting all the rejects? I try to bury the thought of insecurity before it rears its ugly head, reminding me of how I fall short to so many others.
Too late.
My shoulders square up to regain some composure. “What are you? The gossip queen of your sewing circle?”
“It’s the garden club, thank you very much, and I call it being well-informed.” That dark brow raises as he half-laughs. “Seriously, Ev. These are all guys who don’t even try to hide how ridiculous they are, and you honestly think they’re decent boyfriend material?”
He thinks I’m pathetic.
Swallowing that thought is like gulping down a lump of hot coal, but I do it anyway. “It’s not about who they are, it’s about what they represent. That you and my brother are taking matters into your own hands instead of being normal human beings and telling me these things so I can decide for myself.”
“Why let you deal with obvious problems when we can head them off at the pass?”
Now it was my turn to point out the obvious. “Because I don’t interfere in your lives, Luca. God knows Kieran needs someone to put him on a leash and muzzle his dick. I’ve had enough of his one-night-stands begging me to talk to him for them to last me three lifetimes.” I roll my eyes as he laughs heartily. Now for the one that hurts the deepest. “I’m sure you keep your bed hot as well, but you don’t see me saying anything.” My cheeks blaze red, but I try to tamp down on any other signal that would divulge the truth.
He searches my face, looking for who knows what. “Who says I keep my bed hot?”
“You honestly want me to believe you’re a virgin?” I scoff.
A serious countenance settles into his features. “I’m no saint, but I’m not your brother, Ev.”
“Good. The world doesn’t need more man whores.” The thought of him with anyone is painful, but he’s a gorgeous Italian guy. He no doubt has offers coming from every direction. “Regardless, it’s not fair for you all to do this to me. I deserve to have someone to care about, too.”
His eyes soften a touch, but his face remains firm. “And you will, Ev. But it needs to be someone that deserves to call you theirs.”
“Like that’s ever gonna happen with you two eejits cockblocking me at every corner.”
“Clam jam.” I squint my eyes in confusion. “Clam jam, not cockblock. Clams for girls and…well, you know.”
I don’t know how I feel about that term. Nevertheless… “I swear, I just need to grab the next guy I see when I leave here and let him take me to his apartment and fuck my brains out.”
His eyes darken at my suggestion. “You really wanna waste your first time on some guy who’s on the rebound or is some garden variety nut job?” My mouth drops. How the hell did he... “You get loose lips when you drink too much, Ev.”
A groan escapes me. Fucking truth serum. “That’s what all this is about? Y’all and your overbearing, antiquated need to protect my virtue? Seriously? You’re not even related to me,” I laugh bitterly. “Why do you care?”
His silence stretches on, but he holds my glare, making me squirm inside. “What? No snappy comeback or answer? Fine. If that’s what all this is about, don’t you worry your pretty little head about anything. I’ll take care of that little problem the first chance I get.”
I bolt toward the door, only to have a firm hand on my bicep reeling me back to him. “Let me tell you a little something, Evergreen. You’d better thank your lucky stars that you have a brother and a friend who both want better for you. You honestly think I didn’t want to break that asshole Giacomo’s face when I found out how he did Lia?”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
“I wanted to knock that bitch the fuck out, but Lia had already left him. You’d better believe that one day, I’ll make sure he knows just how much he fucked up.”
Lia had told me how Luca stood by and let her dad throw her out the night she told them she couldn’t take Giacomo or his abuse anymore. I always thought he just went along with it, but that tormented look in his eyes tells me there just might be more to that story. “That has absolutely nothing to do with me.”
“You really think I want to add a second life sentence on because I also had to kill some dick for mistreating you?” His laugh drips with bitterness. “And you think fucking some random idiot’s gonna keep that from happening? Dream on, Ev. I fucked up once and I’m not doing that again. If that means you hate me for looking out for you, be my guest.”
I squint my eyes in challenge. “I appreciate the sentiment, Luca, but it’s not your job.”
His grip releases on my arm and I’m conflicted, immediately missing the warmth it left behind. “I’m glad you do, Everleigh, but it’s not your choice.”
Stay focused. “We’ll see about that.” The door flings open as I make my way through it, looking up and down the hallway. There’s gotta be at least one decent guy on Luca and Kieran’s floor.
A rustle to my right reveals my target. Bingo.
“Hi, Tommy,” I greet him as the handsome guy with shaggy, light brown hair peers up from inserting his key into the door, his arms full of groceries.
“Hey, Ev. How ya been?”
Tommy has always been super sweet to me whenever I’ve seen him around campus or when I’ve stopped by Kieran’s apartment. “Great, thank you.” His light freckles under his eyes and bright smile exude warmth and kindness. Maybe this wasn’t a bad idea. I tap into a little of my Madam Isis persona, my flirtier alter ego at the club. “Listen, I was wondering if you might be free later?”
His smile grows deeper and a hint of mischief dances in those medium brown eyes. “I think so. What d’ya have in mind?” He peers past my shoulder, the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching from behind. “Hey man, how’s it going?”
My world turns upside down and I’m left staring at Luca’s frustratingly perfect ass as he hauls me forward and stomps back toward their apartment. I squirm, trying to get him to drop me. “Put me down, you jerk!”
A sharp smack to my behind silences me and stills the fight within. He did not just spank me.
The door slams shut, and the world is righted once more. I’m madder than a wet hen, but Luca’s red face speaks volumes as well. Good. Time to hash this shit out.
I open my mouth, ready to give him a verbal beatdown, but the close proximity of our bodies as he cages me in against the wall strikes a deep chord within my body. The surrounding air silently crackles with something I’ve never felt before.
“You really wanna go there? Getting poor Tommy’s ass beat gonna be what satisfies you?” His athletic body pins me in, something that I would typically never allow, but makes me feel alive, down to every single nerve ending in my body.
“Well, what’s wrong with him?” My tone is firm, but my resolve frays at the ends as I stare into those intense hazel orbs. My God, did the heat crank up ten degrees in here? I wait on his answer, the ticking of the old wall clock the only sound surrounding us other than our breathing. With no answer, my anger notches higher. “See. You can’t even think of a bad word to say about him.”
“Not the point. Kieran will kill him, and I’ll help.” His gaze flicks momentarily down to my lips, which are no doubt pursed and look like I’ve been sucking on a lemon. A sharp exhale leaves him. “Why do you have to be so damn stubborn all the time, Ev?”
“Oh, Luca…” I lick my lips, which draws his attention once more. “You haven’t seen stubborn yet.”
“You’re a pain in my ass sometimes, you know that?” His words carry no bite and sound more like he’s stating a fact to himself rather than posing a question.
I cock my eyebrow and smirk. “So I’ve been told.”
“Well, if you’re hellbent and determined to get rid of your little ‘problem,’” his voice drops to a low rumble as he volleys, “You can come over Friday night and we’ll take care of that.”
His words twist themselves around my emotions, which are all over the place at the moment. He can’t be serious. Right? I work up the nerve to ask him the obvious question I need answered before I speak another word. “We?”
“We. As in you and me. Friday night.”
My eyes dart around the room, looking for something to focus on other than the way I feel at the moment. The closed door across the way steals my attention. “What about—”
“Kieran’s going to some festival over the weekend and won’t be back until Sunday evening.”
My brow furrows, wondering what the angle is here. There’s gotta be one somewhere. “Why are you doing this?”
His face morphs slightly from anger to seriousness. “Because you get one chance to give away your innocence. You deserve for it to be with someone who cares if you enjoy yourself or not. There are a lot of assholes out there and I may be one of them, but I’ll do right by you, Ev. You know I will.”
He’s right. I know deep in my heart he would. But insecurity drives me to scan the room, if only to escape his gaze.
“What are you looking for?”
“The hidden cameras. I’m pretty sure I’m being punked.” That or Kieran’s hiding somewhere to use this as blackmail for years to come.
His hand leaves the wall beside me, and he cradles my chin, prompting me to return his watchful stare. “Your brother would murder me if he knew what I was suggesting.”
All the anger leaves my body and the teenage girl inside who’s only ever wanted this gorgeous guy to look at her the way he is right now taking charge. “Why would you even want to?” Vulnerability is evident in the slight quiver in my voice.
“Why wouldn’t I?” he questions, a softness in the way he poses it.
Those better not be fucking tears prickling at my eyes. “Stop answering my questions with more questions.”
“We’ve been friends for a long time. Besides, it’s just one time, right?”
And there it is. “I don’t want to be a pity fuck.”
His hand leaves my chin and reaches for mine, bringing it to an enormous bulge in his joggers. I slightly gasp, my soft sound earning a cocky grin from him. “You feel this? This isn’t hard as granite because I want to screw you out of pity. This is because I’m turned the fuck on by that sassy mouth and that fire in your eyes.” His voice drops to a low whisper. “It’s because I’m thinking of all the filthy things I’ve been dreaming of doing to that gorgeous body of yours.”
He’s been dreaming of this. My heart soars wildly at his words. “Like what?” I ask before I realize my thoughts slipped out of my mouth.
The whiteness of his teeth grows more prominent before he reigns them into a cocky grin. “Guess you’ll have to come by Friday night and find out for yourself. Won’t you, Evergreen?”
My thumb traces over the engorged tip as I palm his length, eliciting a groan from him. “If this is some sick prank…”
His hand stills mine. “Do you really think I’d risk your brother murdering me for a stupid joke?” Fair enough. Kieran really would. He removes my hand from his body and holds it in his. “Friday night. Seven sharp. Ball’s in your court, Ev. You let me know if you’re game.”
