by Piper Frost
“Fuck.” Chase barks out a laugh. “Ain’t my girl. Her ass is way fuckin' better than that.” He cocks his head, watching the video. “Kay's way better in the sack.”
“That's my fuckin' cousin!” Brandt punches his arm.
“I'd make the sister joke, but I feel like that one's a little old.” Chase deadpans and the entire cab of the truck goes silent other than the noise of the girl's moans from the video.
Well this is awkward.
“You ever fucked your sister, Chase?” Brandt asks, dead fuckin' serious.
“Gross! No! What? Fuck!” Chase ends the video and shoves the phone back at Bo. “Fuck, Kenshaw, you're a freak.”
Brandt falls silent, shrugging at Chase, and types away on his phone. The truck goes silent again and Bo finally turns on music. I wanted to do that earlier, but this truck's too nice for me. I have no goddamned clue what half the buttons on the dash do.
“Yes!” Brandt screams out, scaring the shit out of all of us when he hits Bo's seat in victory.
“The hell's wrong with you?” Bo grumbles, glancing back at him.
“I told you everything's on the internet!” He shoves the phone to the front seat and I snatch it from his hands.
“Holy shit, dude.” I show Bo the screen. “He found it!”
“So you can thank me now.” Brandt smiles smugly, arms crossed in front of him.
“You're more than just good looks. How about that?” Chase pats him on the head. “Good boy.”
“You two want a moment?” Bo dryly asks. “Can someone put the fuckin' address in GPS?”
I type the address in immediately and the Australian man comes over the speakers, updating our trip status.
“Dude,” Chase says, eyebrows high. “Your GPS is set to the sexy male voice?”
“Bo, is there something you gotta tell us?” Brandt's eyes are wide and there's a stupid ass grin on his face.
“I'm okay with dudes who like dudes. I'll throw that out there,” I say, shrugging.
Bo cocks his eyebrow as he looks over at me. “Care to elaborate? Or you just got gay pride? 'Cause you said it like that's more your thing.”
“Oh no. I like women. Particularly thick women. I like my girls with a little more meat on their bones and curve to their ass.” I forget momentarily who I'm sitting by and the back seat falls silent.
“Dude, you got any popcorn for this?” Chase whispers to Brandt.
“Barns, you've already dug the first three feet of your grave. You digging the last three? 'Cause I'll bury you in one of these cornfields and make them help.” Bo thumbs back toward Brandt and Chase.
“Sorry,” I mumble, feeling again like a scorned child. How the hell does he do that?
“You know, Bo. You and your sister looked awfully alike back in the day. Like twins.” Brandt's eyes flick from me to Bo and he grins.
“That's why you fingered her, huh? Thinkin' ‘bout that best friend that wouldn't give it up to ya?” Chase blurts, cackling.
“Bo would have me! Wouldn't you, Bo?” Brandt laughs.
“Goddammit,” he growls and everything starts to quiet down. “You're the first person I'd go to if I turned gay, Kenshaw.”
Brandt reaches up to the front seat and rests his hand on Bo's shoulder. “Same here, brother.” He winks at me and leans back in his seat. “I'm hungry. And I have to piss.”
“We've only been driving for three hours, Kenshaw. Hold it. I'll stop in fifteen.” He glances back. “Hours.”
“I got a cup if you need to piss,” Chase says, handing over a large Styrofoam cup.
“Awe, thanks!” Brandt takes it and opens the window, tossing it out. “I know it's just a ploy for you to stare at my dick. I’m not sure how much Jo would appreciate that.”
“I see where I stand. Always the third wheel.” He shakes his head, grinning. “Bo, you want me to drive so Kenshaw can piss? Apparently he's okay with you looking at his dick.”
Bo turns the music up and cracks his window to drown them out even more.
When you're on a mission the drive always feels like it takes forever to get where you want to be. The country has been gone for a couple hours and all that's been around us is one city after another and a fuck ton of cars slowing us down. We eventually stop for food and gas and when the four of us walk into the convenience store the entire place seems to fall silent.
“Mornin'“ I say, winking at the cashier.
“Howdy!” Brandt says, like he's had about twelve Red Bulls. “Bathroom?” He points toward the walls of the store and the clerk blinks a few times before handing over a key on a long stick.
“Out back,” she murmurs.
Brandt's eyebrows push together and he takes it between two fingers. ”I should have fuckin' pissed in the cup,” he mumbles, walking out the door and heading around back.
Chase heads for the energy drinks, I grab an arm full of food, and Bo's getting a cup of coffee.
“You want me to drive this stretch so you can sleep?” I ask Bo, tossing our shit on the counter. The clerk's still watching us with wide eyes and I smile at her again. What the hell's her problem?
“I'll sleep once my sister's safe. Put one twenty on pump six, sweetheart.”
She giggles and her cheeks turn pink.
Walking over to Chase who's filling his arms with energy drinks, I grab a few and nod toward the counter. “Girl's staring at you.”
“Four hot cowboys just walked in the front door. This is probably the most action she's gotten in a few months.” He walks over to her and sets the drinks down. “Put it on his tab, would ya?” He nods to Bo.
“Sure,” she says, smiling and tucking her hair behind her ear.
Bo glares over at Chase a minute then looks at the girl behind the counter. “Might as well wait for Kenshaw,” he grumbles.
“Guys, I think my boots got herpes in there,” he bitches, bursting through the door. “New York wasn't even that bad!” He walks over to the counter. “There ya go, sweetheart.” He winks at her and his eyes go wide when he walks past us and goes straight for the hand sanitizer.
He scrubs his arms and hands then tosses the bottle on the counter before heading back for food. Silently we watch him as he fills a basket with chips, a jar of peanut butter, and cookies. He sets it on the counter and smiles at her.
“Add this to this guy's bill. Thanks.”
“Um...” She looks at Bo in question.
He nods and sighs. “What's the damage?”
“One hundred ninety three forty seven,” she says, eyes wide.
“Wait!” Chase blurts, grabbing a fucking fidget spinner and tossing it on the counter. “Y’all want one?”
I blink a few times. Grown fucking men, buying themselves toys. This shit's not important right now! This is all just wasting time!
“Yes!” Brandt reaches down and grabs two. “Tommy?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
“Bo?” Brandt's smiling and Bo looks like he's about to explode when he gives his head a tight shake.
“So two hundred dollars and three cents.” The clerk clears her throat and Bo slides his card to pay.
She bags everything for us and can't wipe the giddy smile off her face when we thank her and head out to the truck.
“You've got so many cup holders in this fuckin' truck!” Brandt blurts. “Jo wants a mom van for all the cup holders.”
“Fuck no she doesn't. Really?” Chase laughs.
“Naw. But I'm trying to make her believe she does. It'd be way easier carting all our kids around.”
“Ain’t Annie almost old enough to start driving herself?” Chase asks, taking a bite of some questionable taco thing he bought.
“Fuck no. She's still got a few years.” Brandt cracks open an energy drink and chugs it.
“Alright, fellas,” Bo says, getting in after pumping for almost ten minutes. “Who's goin' in for the change? Filled up at one twelve. I'd go in, but she kept lookin' at my dick.”
“I don't want to be raped,” Chase mumbles.
Brandt touches his nose. “Not it!”
“The three of us are happily married. Tommy maybe you can take her to that bathroom.” Chase wiggles his eyebrows.
Brandt groans. “Fuck. That' fuckin' room was so gross.”
“I’m not goin' in! She saw I didn't have one of y’alls fancy rings on! She licked her lips I don’t know how many times when I caught her lookin' at me!”
Bo floors it out of the lot. “She can keep the change. This dick's my last hope of getting my sister home.” He thumbs toward me. “He ain't fuckin' some gas station girl in the nasty bathroom.”
“So I'm allowed to fuck your sister then?” I wiggle my eyebrows and realize it's still too soon to joke with him when he punches me in the chest. “Got it,” I rasp. “I deserved that. Hell, Hart, why you have to put everything you had in that?” I rub my chest and wince. “I'm tellin' Affton you beat me up.”
The truck falls silent the minute the words come from my lips. Bo's hands are tight on the steering wheel and the only thing you can hear is the crunching of potato chips from the back seat. I shouldn't have joked like that. We shouldn't even be having fun on this drive. Not when the reason for this drive is something that makes our blood boil.
“Hey, so when we get there, let me go to the door first, okay?” I say and Bo cocks his eyebrow, looking over at me, but he doesn't respond. “Last time she saw you she was convinced you hated her and never wanted to see her again.” I tell him. “And Chase, no offense but you're the least qualified one to win her back. Brandt... Just...stay away from her.” I glance back at him and he's on his second energy drink already. “And your heart's going to explode.”
“Don’t worry about mine and my sister's relationship, Barns,” Bo grumbles. “You can go to the door, but the second I see the dead-man, I'm delivering that title.”
He's going to be sorely mistaken, but I'll let him think he's running this show. All I know is her husband doesn't stand a chance against the four of us.
By the time we make it, after a few more stops for gas and Brandt's child-sized bladder, it's eight in the morning and I haven't slept a wink. Our GPS brought us right to her street and my heart tightens in my chest when I see her car parked out front.
“She's here,” I whisper, unsure if I'm going to be able to make it to her front door on my own two legs.
Bo parks the truck without a word and kills the engine.
“We're not letting you walk up there alone,” Chase finally says, staring at her house. A huge fucking house. With a car out front that costs more than my house.
I let out a puff of air and look over at Bo. ”You bring your gun?”
He lifts his t-shirt, showing the nine-millimeter on his hip.
“Good,” I clip, popping the door open the same time the other three do. “Let's do this.”
Every step to her front door makes my feet feel like lead. I'm not sure what I’m going to do when she opens that door. And I really hope it's her that opens it, because if Corey opens it he's a dead man immediately and I'd rather get my girl first.
I raise my fist to grab hold of the gold knocker on her blue front door and slam it against the metal plate four times. As soon as I let go, Brandt reaches around me and pushes the white doorbell ringer five or six times.
“Kenshaw, you smell like ass,” I grumble, shoving him away.
Chase snickers but stops immediately at the look I give him.
It takes forever for that front door to open, but when it does my heart soars. She's here. She's got a face full of makeup, but from what I learned that means nothing when it comes to how he's been treating her. Her hair's back in a tiny ponytail and the oversized sweater she's wearing is pushed up to her elbows...
“Shit,” I whisper once my eyes hit the bruising up her arms.
“Jesus Christ,” she murmurs.
I put my hand over my mouth and my sight stays on Tommy's bright blue eyes until I realize there are three other cowboys on my front porch.
“What the hell are you four doing?” I step onto the porch and close the door behind me.
“You didn't respond to my messages.” Tommy steps closer and grabs my hand. Before I can process what he's doing, he lifts it to glare at the marks on my arm. “He do this?” His eyes are wild.
My gaze hits my brother and he's glaring at my arm. I quickly yank it away and my elbow smacks the door.
“Ow!” I blurt, grabbing my arm because I hit it over another bruise. Tommy steps closer and takes my hand again. “Stop!” I push him back and scoot until my back's up against my front door. “What the hell are you four doing here?” My lip quivers but I refuse to cry.
“Bringing you home.” Tommy slowly steps closer to me, not giving a damn about personal space. “Where you belong. Where we can keep you safe.”
“Killing this Corey guy's pretty high on our list of shit to do today too,” Brandt speaks up.
“Stop,” I say sternly and drop my gaze from all of them glaring at me. I start to shake. “Corey's not here. I...I'm not going home. You four need to leave. How the hell did you find out where I live?”
“Google,” Chase says. “Kenshaw here's well versed in the art of stalking apparently.”
“You're coming home with us, Beany,” Tommy tells me sternly.
I look at my brother who's yet to say anything, and if I know him, he won't say much. Obviously Tommy didn't keep this between us like I asked him to. I should have known he wouldn't let it go, but I really hoped I'd be long gone from this country before he did something this stupid. If Corey hadn't flown out last minute early this morning, he would have been here and this probably would have been a blood bath. These cowboys will use fists before guns, and Corey wouldn't wait around for that. God, I regret going home for the funeral. I should have drove in and left the same day. What happened wasn't supposed to happen! None of it; Tommy seeing the bruises, him making me actually feel desired for the first time in years. But I've gotten my shit together. Partially. I'm going into hiding until I get the word he signed the divorce papers.
“You need to leave. Seriously. Bo, please.” They are nowhere in my plans of ending this with Corey.
He shakes his head no and the look on his face is like he might break down, but my brother doesn't cry.
“Tommy, please leave. You need to stay out of this. And now you've brought all three of them into it,” I groan and cover my face briefly while I try to think.
“I'm not leaving without you in that truck, Affton. And these boys don't give a damn about what's coming for them. He can't touch us. Just get in the damn truck, Beany. It's been a long fuckin' drive.”
I look from face to face, they're all noticeably tired, but they're also incredibly stupid. I reach back and open my front door. I don't have a plan. All thought has seized momentarily. Taking a step up, I stand in my foyer while they wait on the porch like puppies, anxious to come in. I slowly close the door, leaving them out there then lock it. Maybe if I ignore them... What the hell am I doing? I huff and grab the manila envelope that holds my divorce petition. I was just on my way out, but I wasn't going south. I wasn't bringing my danger home.
When I set the envelope on the table, I jump as the back door slides open and Brandt waltzes in like he lives here.
“Jo taught me how to pick locks. That fancy shit you got on that front door is too confusing. Thank god for rich people not thinking to make their back door as safe.” He walks over to the front door and opens it. The three other boys step inside my house.
“Bo,” I blurt while he heads toward me like a hurricane. Panic fills me and I start backing up, almost tripping over the chair while I try to get away from him because I don't know what he's going to do to me.
“Bo, stop!” Tommy blurts, rushing between us and I grab the back of his shirt, cowering from my brother. “You can't fuckin' do that to her, man. Not cool.” He turns to face me and cups my cheek. “You alright?”
; “You have to leave, please,” I whisper as my eyes fill with tears. “He's not here, but there's video surveillance. I never wanted to involve you guys.” Before Tommy can say anything, I'm yanked away from him and I yelp until my brother wraps me in his arms.
“You're my goddamn sister,” he says like I cut his throat. “You used to tell me everything.”
“I'm s-sorry.” My tears start when I hear he's crying and I push into his hug. “I don't want you involved in any of this.”
He lets me go and holds me at an arm's length so he can search my arms; I quickly push my sleeves down.
“Hey, Affton, this one of those fancy ass surveillance cameras?” Chase yells from the porch through the open front door. Before I can respond, he rips it off its mounting and smashes it under his boot. “One down. How many more to go?”
“Got one!” Brandt yells and I hear the sound of him breaking it from its mount.
“How many more are there, Beany?” Tommy asks, still at my side.
“Don't. Please don't,” I beg, shaking my head, unable to believe they're here right now. He joins the others with no regards toward my wishes.
I don't know why I bother, they don't listen. Bo actually walks to the cabinet in the living room and starts ripping the cable box, the surveillance monitor, and all the systems off the shelf, smashing them to the ground.
Chase runs up the stairs and my stomach rolls at the sound of the ruckus before he throws a lens over the banister.
“It's like this fucker's watching your every goddamn move, Affton!”
I'm paralyzed to my spot while they tear the house apart, looking for more cameras. It's not like he has them installed to watch me. They're for protection. But telling that to these four is pointless.
“Beany, we're getting you out of here.” Tommy's breathing is making his chest rise and fall like he's about to explode.
“Look!” I offer and point toward my bag. “I was leaving!” I insist. “I-I came to my senses! I'm leaving! You guys, please leave! I'm not staying! You can go home.” I drop to my knees to beg until my brother pulls me up and wraps his arms around me.
