“Where did you get it, Cassandra?”he demanded, his voice a low rumble.
“Get what, Bry?”Cassie smiled sweetly. Bryon held up the remainder of the joint that she had placed in the metal bench. Cassie paled.
“Let me guess. It was just sitting here when you chose this spot. I came up here to see if you wanted me to get you some lunch and this is just laying here, nice as could be.”
“It’s not mine,”Cassie said hesitantly.
“I might be a jock, young lady, but I’m far from stupid. Where did you get this?”
“I found it.”
“Okay, so you’re not going to tell me. I’m guessing it was Gina.”
“No! Why do you always blame Gina?”Cassie repudiated, watching as he started to rummage through her backpack. “Leave that alone, it’s mine!”
“You know what’s going to happen when Rob hears about this. I’m seriously tempted to take care of this myself. One nasty word from you and I will. Get up, we’re going home,”he directed, putting the lighter into his pocket before holding his big hand out to help her down the bleachers.
Scowling, Cassie reluctantly accepted his offer, still feeling too light headed to avoid falling.
His grip remained tight as he pulled her alongside him to where the team was practicing. “Mr. Harrison, do you think you can work the lines without me? Cass needs to get home and finish some things.”
“No prob, Coach. See ya later, Cassie-girl. Let me know if you want to catch a movie.”The young man winked.
Bryon frowned. “She will do no such thing. Get back to work or you can start running laps until I’mtired.”
Cassie plopped in the front seat of the jeep, crossing her arms. Bryon joined her, pressing back in his seat to consider her before starting the vehicle.
“Why, Cass?”he asked, seeing her shrug. She hadn’t said one word since his threat. He left a message for Rob to let him know that they had left the field and had started the short drive home.
Bryon pointed to the stairs as they entered the house and she ran up to her room, giving him her customary door slam.
“What did you do this time?”Glenn asked from the couch.
Bryon sat next to him, sadly telling him of the events.
“No way! Man, she is so busted. Rob’s gonna kill her.”
“She was my responsibility today. I’m thinking I should deal with this. It certainly scared her when I promised I would if she got nasty.”
“You’re ten times larger than Rob. I’d be scared too, if I didn’t know you were such a wuss.”Glenn punched his brother’s huge arm, trying to lighten the situation.
“I need to think about it. What would you do, little brother?”Bryon looked weary. Of the three brothers, he was the one who was the most contemplative and even-tempered. He never proceeded with anything without weighing the results.
Glenn looked surprised. “You’re asking ME?”
“Yeah, I’m asking YOU.”
Glenn frowned, glancing upstairs. “Well, even Iknow better than to do drugs. Pop would kill us,”Glenn admitted.
Bryon chuckled, ruffling his younger brother’s hair. He had found a way to gain Glenn’s reluctant support. “Rob was caught once with a joint. He was about 14. Pop gave him a hiding that he whined about for two weeks.”
“Didn’t know that. What about you?”
“Nah, not me. I learned my lessons watching Rob screw up. Okay, I’ll be back.”
“Bry? She’s a little thing. Be careful,”Glenn requested with concern.
Bryon nodded, taking the stairs two at a time. He knocked on Cassie’s door.
“Go away.”
“Cassandra, open this door immediately.”
“No. Leave me alone.”
Bryon took a deep breath and, with one kick, the door splintered open. Cassie’s eyes were wide, staring at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”she yelled, recovering from her shock.
Bryon strode across the room and, in one sweep, had the girl over his shoulder. She pounded on his back as he carried her downstairs and dumped her on the couch next to an equally shocked Glenn.
“Shit... You busted down her door?”Glenn asked, seeing his brother struggling to maintain self-control. Bry had to be really pissed to be pushed this far. Yet, he never raised his voice.
“I will not be told‘no’when I tell you to do something. That stops immediately, got me, kid?”
Cassie, still stunned, just nodded.
Glenn glanced at her terrified face. He touched her leg. “Cass, I’m usually the first one to defend you, but pot? I don’t even go down that road.”
“I was seriously just planning to just talk to you about this, but it seems that Rob was right. It’s past time for talking. March yourself into the kitchen and bring me a wooden spoon,”Bryon ordered firmly.
Cassie just gawked at him in disbelief.
Glenn shook his head. “I think you need to listen, Cass. He looks pissed.”Glenn sounded sad.
Lower lip trembling, Cassie stood to go into the kitchen. When she didn’t return in ten minutes, Glenn went to find her.
“She escaped through the back door, Bry.”
“Damn it. Let’s find her and I swear, I’m going to cut a switch!”Bryon muttered.
Glenn sighed. Even he couldn’t argue this time.
* * *
Cassie ran, tears blinding her eyes. She had no destination, no plan except to escape. Without looking, she raced across the road and froze as a loud honking assaulted her ears. The small blue car skidded to a stop, barely missing her.
“Oh my God! Are you okay?”a man asked, running out of his vehicle. She dumbly nodded, trembling, and he escorted her off the road and sat her down on the curbside.
“Here, drink this,”he said, handing her a bottle of water. “I’m so sorry, honey. I didn’t see you run out.”
“It’s my fault.”Cassie sniffed, wiping her face and drinking the water. “My roommate is mad at me and he... I just started running…”
“Can I take you home?”
“No, I don’t want to go home,”she muttered, head hanging low.
He sat next to her. “Running away from your problems isn’t going to make things get better. He’s not going to hurt you, is he?”
“I don’t know.”She shuddered, not knowing how to honestly answer the question. She didn’t want Bryon in trouble…but still…
“Has he ever hurt you before?”
“No, never. None of them have.”
“How many roomates do you have?”
“Four. The Johnson boys,”Cassie sighed. Everyone in town knew them. “Bry is the one who’s pissed.”
“He’s a big Teddy Bear. He used to coach my daughter’s soccer team. How old are you now?”
“Twenty,”Cassie whispered.
The man paused. “My daughter still lives at home with me. If you aren’t happy, you could always move out, right?”
“I couldn’t afford it. Bill promised my mom that he would take care of me when she died, and pays for everything. Also...well, I don’t know how to live alone,”Cassie admitted.
“I'm sorry about your mom. It must be so hard for you in so many ways, but it sounds like you have made your choice, hon. You need to learn how to deal with things and not run from them. I know it’s hard, but it’s part of growing up.”
Cassie silently told herself that she really didn’t want to grow up. It was too much work. The man patted her arm. “Come on, let me take you home.”
“No, thanks. I think…”
“Cassie! Are you okay?”Bryon shouted, running towards them. He scooped her into his huge arms and squeezed her tightly against his chest.
“I…Can’t... Breath,”she panted.
He put her onto her feet, surveying the scene. The blue car was still in the road, facing the wrong direction. “I heard a horn and the sound of car tires screeching. The worst thing went through my mind. You’re okay?”
“She’s shaken up
a bit but fine,”the man informed. “You probably don’t remember me, but…”
“You’re Sara Foster’s dad. How are you doing?”
The man looked pleased as he shook Bryon’s hand. “Doing well. How’s the family? Last I heard was Rob being offered that position for Buffalo and that he had turned it down. Cass told me she moved in with you gentlemen,”the man added, stroking Cassie’s hair.
“She and Marge were like part of our family. We all really miss her and could not fathom having Cass move away from us. She's been a permanent fixture in our house for twelve years and we adore her,” He squeezed Cassie’s hand. “Pop’s overseas doing commercials, Rob’s working as an architect for the city, Glenn’s in college and I’m still coaching and teaching History and English at the University of Miami. How’s Sara?”
“She’s a senior now. Never thought we’d get this far. She’s been a handful!”Mr. Foster chuckled.
“It must be hard to raise her alone.”
“It is. At least you guys have each other. I’ve learned some valuable tricks, though. If you ever need any help, call me. I’ve become quite the expert in girl things over the years,”the man chuckled, handing Bryon his card. He turned to Cassie, touching her tear-stained cheek. “Think about what I said, ok?”
He drove off, leaving Cassie standing silently next to Bryon's huge frame. He sat her back down on the curb.
“You scared me.”
“You scared me too. Sorry I ran off. I was beyond thinking,”Cassie said quietly.
Bryon sighed. “I forget how big I am sometimes. I’m used to being around guys my size, not tiny, little peanuts. I think we can forget about the spoon this time, yes?”
“Yes. How about the spanking? Can we also forget that?”
“I’ll give you a choice. Me, with my hand, or Rob. I can promise he will use a belt on your bottom.”
“Oh God, no…”
“Let’s get home, then. Up you go,”he said gently, holding out his hand. He teased her about her run, commenting that she should think about joining the track team. She scoffed. The only exercise she could tolerate was ice-skating and there weren’t too many rinks to be found in Miami.
Bryon walked the girl up to her room, pushing the broken door aside.
“This probably scared you too. I’ll fix it tomorrow. No more locks.”
“Okay,”Cassie said in a small voice. Bryon sat on the bed and pulled her to sit on his lap, holding her warmly.
“I don’t like doing this. I’m usually pretty laid back about most things, but you pushed me today. The drugs, then running off... You almost got hit by that car. When are you going to accept that you mean something to us, kiddo? Why are you so resistant to letting us love you?”
“Because you’ll get tired of me, just like my father did, and leave,”Cassie finally admitted.
Bryon hugged her close. “I wish we would have known that. I know it took a lot of courage to admit your fear. Hell, if I was your Daddy I would never have let you out of my sight. Baby girl, can't you see that you’re stuck with us? We haven’t left you for all these years, even after Margie died. The day you first entered this house, we made the choice to make you part of us. You are the daughter he never had and you break his heart every time you defy him, too. He’s a good man. He deserves better.”
“Do you always have to sound so convincing?”Cassie asked, looking at the floor.
Bryon laughed. “I’m the Jiminy Cricket of this family. Most of the time. The Incredible Hulk comes out now and then when sassy young ladiespush me.”He smiled, his handsome face gazing at her with warmth. He stood her up and patted his left knee.
“Let’s get this over with. Across my knees, little one,”he said, pulling her gently across his lap. Bryon’s monstrous thighs felt like two giant tree trunks under her tummy. She gasped when he yanked her shorts down to her knees. “I’m afraid these need to come down too,”he said as he peeled her panties down over her bottom and past her thighs, leaving them to join her shorts. Her face flushed with shame and Cassie squeezed her eyes tightly, holding her breath. Thoroughly embarrassed that the third Johnson boy now got an eye-full of her naked bottom and her most intimate parts, she felt guilt washing through to her very core. She was not expecting the heavy bite when Bryon’s left hand met her bare bottom cheeks.
“OW!!”she yelped, eyes wide as she twisted to look at him. The man had a hand like a 2x8 plank! She was certain that he was going to kill her! He made the spanking Rob had given her feel like a gentle massage. The second stroke, searing her right cheek, brought an onslaught of tears. Bryon made sure to proceed very slowly and with careful and precise aim.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! Cassie was sobbing pitifully by the fifth spank and was exhausted from struggling by the 20th. Her bottom felt like it had been branded with a hot iron and she knew she’d never sit again. She begged for release, promising never to smoke anything ever, to obey him and Rob, and to be the nicest person on the planet.
Bryon was not convinced. He dealt with strategies every day as he designed field moves for his team. He knew what feigning a play looked like, and, in Cassie’s case, how it sounded. He held her tightly around the waist, covering her tiny bottom with massive handprints and turning it to a deep shiny red. Although it did not take much for his point to be made, Bryon continued to spank her until he heard sincere apologies escaping her lips as she bawled pathetically into his leg. He was glad he decided against the spoon; she was going to have some bruises just from his rock-hard palm.
Cassie thought it would never end and that the coroner would pronounce her dead from a bruised backside. When Bryon finally stopped, she was limp and very much subdued. Satisfied that he had taught her a valuable lesson, Bryon lifted her to sit in his lap and pushed her face against the brick wall he called a chest. Nothing was said as he soothed her tears, rocking her like a little child and humming softly. She started to hiccup.
“You so need a Daddy, young lady,”he whispered. “I’ll get you some water. When Rob gets home, you are to tell him what happened, okay?”
“Do I have to?”she sounded pathetic and very, very young.
Bryon nodded, lifting her chin, his honey brown eyes warm with affection. “Yes, you have to. I’ll be right back.”
Cassie’s legs wobbled as she stood, and she reached around to rub her swollen bottom. It was unbelievable to her how much harder Bryon spanked than Rob! She knew she would feel it for days. She was very grateful that he had changed his mind about using a wooden spoon.
Rob came home just as Bryon started back up the stairs, and he immediately noticed the broken door. “How did that happen?”
“I did it. She locked me out,”Bryon said casually. “How was work?”
“Fine. What aren’t you telling me?”Rob asked, following him into the girl’s room. She was standing next to the window, arms crossed and looking miserable with red-rimmed eyes.
“Here, kiddo. Kiss,”Bryon ordered. Cassie accepted his embrace and timidly kissed his cheek.
Rob frowned and sat on the bed. “Got something to tell me?”he asked after Bryon excused himself.
“I screwed up, Robby,”Cassie said in a tiny voice.
He was startled; she hadn’t called him Robby since she had caught the flu when she was twelve. The school nurse had called to have her picked up from school and Rob arrived promptly. He proceeded to comfort and care for her until her mother came home from work. Slowly, she confessed her actions, including her fear of Bryon and the run into the street.
“Did he punish you?”Rob asked, trying to control his temper. He did not know what bothered him the most: her actions, the close call, or the fact that his brother took control. The latter confused him. Why would that disturb him? He loved and respected Bryon, they were very close and shared everything, especially in their outside interest. Of all people, Rob trusted Bryon the most with Cassie.
Cassie nodded, starting to cry again.
“Worse than you did! It was terrible!
I promise I won’t ever touch another joint. Ever,”she sobbed. Rob wrapped his arms around her, once again perplexed regarding why he would desire to protect her from his own brother. He also held back the urge to kiss her soft lips. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus.
“How about running off?”
“I won’t. I swear. He just scared me so much. I’ve never seen Bry get angry, and he’s HUGE,”Cassie whimpered.
Rob grunted. “I’m not exactly a dwarf, you know.”
“No, you aren’t. But he’s a billion pounds heavier than you are, and two feet taller.”
“He’s one inchtaller and 30 pounds heavier,”Rob chuckled. “But I guess that’s a lot to a midget like you. Just be glad he doesn’t have my temperament.”
“Are you sure? I saw some today.”
Rob hugged her. “We all have our limits, my sweet little thing, even Pop and Glenn. So, do you think that we have reached an understanding?”
“Yes, sir,”Cassie whispered.
Rob kissed her cheek. “I like it when you’re respectful. Stay that way and we won’t have any repeat incidents. Now, why don’t you get yourself cleaned up and then come down for dinner?”
“I’m not hungry. Besides, I can’t sit down.”She blushed.
“You know that we always eat as a family. And you can sit down, it just won’t feel very good. Part of being spanked is sitting on it. Get moving.”He smiled, patting her thigh.
Cassie sighed, watching him leave. Her bottom burned like crazy and the last thing she wanted to do was sit to eat. But, for some reason, she also did not want to be alone. What was wrong with her? Wanting to actually be with her roommates? Especially Rob. She loathed him! Sort of... Too weird.
The three boys proceeded with their usual banter as they shared a pizza. Cassie fidgeted in her seat, still very sore. Bryon noticed and patted his lap. “Come sit with me. My lap’s cozier than that chair,”he said gently.
“Wouldn’t that depend on which direction she’s facing?”Glenn teased. Cassie turned bright red and raced out of the dining room.
Cassie's New Plan Page 3
