Between Family

by Erin Trejo

  “Yeah. Like, hey I’m your new big brother. Maybe you two can play little league together,” I chuckle.

  “Fuck you Dante. This shit isn’t funny. I’m not taking care of that kid.”

  He pulls his own beer from the fridge and pops the top when we hear a small voice behind us. We both turn to look down at the kid.

  “What the hell do you want?”

  “I’m hungry.”

  “So order a pizza,” Tucker tells him.

  “I don’t have any money.”

  “Not my problem,” Tucker adds.

  “But I’m hungry.”

  “Let’s take him over to Bri’s. She’ll know what to do with him,” I tell him.

  Tucker nods and heads toward the door.

  “Come on kid.”

  Chapter 13

  Brianna

  “His name is not kid. It’s Carter,” I tell the idiots once again.

  I ordered the little guy some pizza. He’s now off happily playing with Diggy.

  “Whatever his name is I don’t give a shit.”

  I glance over at Tucker, but he’s just watching the little boy in the back yard.

  “Why are you so pissed off about him? It isn’t his fault that your dad’s a whore,” I remind him.

  Tucker snorts out a laugh. Dante full out laughs.

  “She’s not wrong,” Dante adds.

  “So says the bastard that’s just like him.”

  I internally cringe hearing that come from Tucker’s mouth. He still doesn’t know that I’ve been with Dante. His hand comes across to rest on my shoulder. He gives it a little squeeze as if he knew what I was thinking.

  “What did he say?” I ask looking over my shoulder and up at Dante. God, I could get lost in this man.

  “He said we have to watch him and then just left. I’m going to get a drink,” he grumbles and turns to head back inside.

  I huff out a laugh before I look back over at Carter. He seems like a sweet enough kid. He said he’s only six years old, which isn’t old enough yet to realize the kind of situation he’s in right now.

  “You feeling okay? You look tired,” Tucker says causing me to look over at him.

  “I’m fine. I’m just waiting on Barbie to leave.”

  I roll my eyes and Tucker chuckles. He stands up and moves closer to me, scoots his chair directly next to mine, and slips his hand over and grabs mine intertwining our fingers. This is normal for us, so I don’t pull away.

  “Fucking hell,” he mumbles.

  I follow his gaze and look through the window. Kerry is hanging on Dante with a smile on her face. They look to be deep in conversation, well at least she does. She looks like she’s trying to fuck him right there. Her hands are all over his body, but his eyes remain on hers. It makes me sick to my stomach to see them together, but it also makes me wonder. What the hell am I doing with Dante? I knew this was happening, but I still slept with him the other night. I shake my head and pull my hand away from Tucker. I’m now pissed. I can’t believe I let myself fall for him the way I did.

  “What’s wrong?” Tucker asks when he sees me pull into myself.

  “Nothing.”

  “Why are you so pissed that she’s all over him? You have a thing for my brother?” he asks with a slight chuckle.

  I flip him off and shove my way out of the chair. I’m sick to my stomach and I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself.

  Tucker’s up before I know it and has me wrapped in his arms. It would be so easy to fall back into things with Tucker. I could love him again. Couldn’t I?

  No, I couldn’t. My heart is already in the hands of a manipulating liar.

  Tucker spins me in his arms and backs me up to the side of the house. His hand comes up to hold my cheek.

  “What’s going on with you Bri?”

  I can’t answer him. I don’t want to. How do I tell him that I gave my heart to his brother and he’s shredding it right in front of me and that he doesn’t even care? No. I can’t tell him any of that.

  “Nothing is going on with me.”

  I reach up and move his hand away. He doesn’t back off though. He presses in even closer.

  “Talk to me.”

  His tone is nearly begging and my heart squeezes in my chest. Tears burn at the back of my eyes, but I don’t let them fall. I can’t this time.

  “I said I was fine. You should take him home. It’s late,” I say nodding toward Carter.

  Tucker licks his lips and leans in like he wants to kiss me until he looks into my eyes. He can see it. He can see that I don’t want him to kiss me. He nods his head slowly and pulls away from me then turns to walk off of the porch.

  “Tucker,” I say his name feeling like the biggest asshole ever, but Dante has my head so screwed up right now.

  “Not now Bri.”

  I watch as Tucker grabs Carter’s hand to lead him back toward the house. I bury my face in my hands. I want to scream. I want to rip my hair out. I want to rage.

  “Where’d he go?” Dante’s voice is as smooth as silk and the thought of just slapping him right now floats through my mind.

  “Home. That’s where you should go too,” I snap and pull my hands from my face and stomp past him.

  I head into the kitchen. Thankfully Barbie isn’t there. I grab the tequila. I pour myself a shot and down it before I pour myself yet another.

  “What the fuck is your problem?” he asks as he closes the door behind him.

  “I don’t have one.”

  “Sure you don’t. That’s why you’re drowning shots like they’re water? What is wrong Bri? Did Tucker do something?”

  I huff out a laugh at that. Yeah, Tucker cheated on me, but he told me every time. Hell, half the time he asked me for permission before he’d do it. At least he was always honest with me about what or I guess I should say who he was doing. So, when words start spilling from my lips I don’t think twice about them.

  “Fuck at least when Tucker cheated on me I always knew about it. He at least had the decency to tell me about it afterward, not that it ever made any difference. I guess that’s something you both have in common with your dad.”

  Those words were laced with pure venom and I can tell that Dante felt them to his bones. I could read the look on his face so easily. It was like a children’s book.

  “Are you calling me a cheater?” he asks calmly.

  “Just go home Dante.”

  “No. Answer me Brianna,” he roars which causes me to jolt slightly.

  “I call it what it is. You’ve never been one to go back for seconds, right?”

  I drown another drink and slam the glass down onto the table. Dante’s eyes are on fire, but so am I. He’s pushing me to the point that I can’t handle, and I’m afraid of what’s going to happen when we both break. I stalk past him and head up the stairs, but I can feel him behind me.

  “You care to explain this shit to me?”

  “No.”

  I keep walking until I’m in my room. I slam the door, flip the lock into place, and pull my shirt up over my head. I’ve had enough for today. I just want to shower, sleep, and forget that my life is as fucked up as it is.

  “Open this door Bri.”

  “Go home!”

  “Open it or I’ll break the fucking thing down.”

  “The whore is down the hall. Try her door instead,” I scream hating myself for feeling the way I do.

  I strip out of the rest of my clothes and grab some new ones before he actually does it. The crack of the door being kicked open rips through the silence. Pieces of wood splinter as Dante pushes the door to the side and walks in. He looks deadly as he glares at me.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he asks.

  “You just broke my fucking door,” I roar.

  I take a deep breath, shake my head, and turn to head into the bathroom. As soon as I step inside he’s there. He spins me and lifts me in his arms before he slams me against the wall roughly.

&nb
sp; “What the fuck are you trying to do to me princess?”

  His breathing is heavy, labored. His eyes are wild, feral. This is the side of him that I crave to have. The unhinged side that can pull out all of the darkness from me and take it into him. This is the side that calms me and fuels me both at the same time.

  “You tell me.”

  His hand moves in between us and he unbuttons his jeans. He shoves them down his thighs with his boxers. He never lets me off of the wall. My chest rises and falls as I watch him watching me. We never once break eye contact. Not even when he thrusts into me. I gasp but keep my angry glare locked on his.

  “You want to piss me off? Is that what you’re trying to do?”

  Thrust after thrust he keeps pounding into me. Sweet pleasure and agonizing pain mix together and I don’t know which one is better.

  “Answer me Bri.”

  I shake my head and dig my nails into his back. I’m unleashing all of the anger that’s inside of me through my fingertips and into his skin. Dante hisses which each scrape down his back, but for every ounce of pain I give him he amplifies it by a hundred times inside of me. His hands move to my shoulders and he pushes me down as he thrusts into me even harder. Tears burn my eyes and slowly begin to fall down my cheeks. He kisses them and smiles as he takes each one.

  “That’s right. Cry for me princess. Cry for me.”

  His body trembles. Sweat is dripping down his temple. He’s so goddamn sexy and perfect.

  “Now. Tell me what the fuck your problem is,” he grunts and groans as I moan and my pussy spasms around him.

  Dante comes inside of me. His warmth fills me as I do the same. Thankfully I’m on the pill since he didn’t bother to use anything this time.

  “She is,” I whisper as I lay my head on his shoulder.

  Dante pulls out of me slowly and carries my worn out body back to the bedroom. He climbs onto the bed with me still in his arms and lays down so that I’m on his chest. We’re both still breathing hard and trying to catch our breaths, but he keeps me tightly wrapped around him.

  “Kerry?” he asks and shifts to move.

  He holds me tighter.

  “You’re with her a lot.”

  “Are you jealous princess?”

  I try to move, but he chuckles and holds onto me.

  “Let me go.”

  “You do know there’s nothing going on with her and me?”

  “Then why are you always with her and why the hell is she always touching you?”

  Anger races through my veins heating my cheeks.

  “I don’t trust her. I’m not sure what it is about her, but I’m trying to see if she slips up and says something. You have nothing to worry about Bri. I only want you. I’ve told you that. Now, sleep.”

  “I don’t like her. I don’t trust her.”

  “I don’t either baby. That’s why I’m keeping her close,” he says through a yawn.

  I don’t say anything more because frankly, what else can I say? Instead I close my eyes and rest my head on his chest listening to the rhythm that his heart is beating beneath my ear.

  Chapter 14

  Dante

  “Don’t you think you’re being a little too obsessive?” I ask Tucker as he rambles on about Bri pulling away from him.

  Yeah she’s pulling away from him. She’s running straight into my arms. That’s exactly how it should be. I want to tell him that he needs to get over any notion that makes him think that he has another chance with her. He doesn’t. She’s mine now and that’s just the way it is, but we have way too much going on to deal with that shit right now.

  I look out at the kid playing who is playing with a ball in the backyard. I’m annoyed as hell that he’s still here. It’s been four days since my dad dumped him on us and left. That’s plenty of time for him to meet Javie and come back for the kid.

  “Fuck no. She’s everything Dante. She’s been with us since we were kids.”

  “She’s been your friend,” I remind him.

  She’s always been my obsession, not my friend.

  “Don’t act like you care about her,” Tucker adds.

  “I never said I didn’t. You’re acting out for no reason. You keep trying to drag her back in when she doesn’t want you anymore bro. It’s almost sad to watch,” I chuckle.

  I know Bri still loves him and I know that she always will, but that’s a whole different type of love than what she feels for me. I can’t say that I blame my brother for trying. Really, Bri is hot as fuck and a downright good person, but he needs to learn the difference between friendship and stalking.

  “So what? Maybe I still want her,” he huffs.

  “She doesn’t want you man. You keep pushing her and she’s going to snap. I’ll be there to sit back and watch it all too,” I laugh.

  “You got a thing for her? You seem to be spending more and more time over there than me these days. Maybe you’re just picking up her dad’s piece of ass?”

  A smirk crosses his face. I should punch him. I should tell him to just mind his own fucking business. I know that Bri doesn’t want him to know about us just yet and I respect that. She’s still too unsure of the fact that I really and truly want to be with her and not fuck around on her behind her back.

  “I don’t like that woman. Have you heard her on the phone? She’s sneaky as fuck.”

  “I’ve heard her a few times. Nothing she’s saying makes any sense though. I only get bits and pieces.”

  “Yeah. It’s like she’s talking in code. I don’t know about her, but the sooner she’s gone the better off Bri will be. She can’t stand her hanging around.”

  Tucker nods and just as I’m about to bring the cigarette to my lips I hear Bri scream. I share a glance with Tucker before we’re both up and running. We rush down the stairs and through the backyard towards hers when I see her on the ground with something in her arms. Her sobs can be heard for miles and it tears my heart in two.

  “What the hell is going on?” I ask looking directly at Kerry.

  She shrugs and nods at Bri. When I follow her gaze I see the dog’s body in her arms.

  “What the hell happened?” Tucker growls.

  No one speaks as I pull my gun out and start looking around. Tucker moves to hold Bri in his arms, which only serves to further piss me off. I stalk around the house and take caution with every turn. I check the front door, but it’s still locked like it should be. I case the entire area, but I don’t find anything.

  As I step into the backyard once more I look at Kerry. There’s a dead dog lying in Bri’s arms with blood coating her skin and she doesn’t seem too upset. She doesn’t seem like the type that would kill a person either. I walk over to the shed and pull out a shovel and start digging a hole. I hear Tucker talking to her in hushed tones, but she seems a little quiet at the moment. She shoves him away and stands with the dog and starts walking toward me. I watch her as I keep digging, and see the tears falling down her cheeks. I want to take that pain away from her, but I can’t. She sits next to me and I glance over at a fuming Tucker.

  “I’m taking the kid home,” Tucker huffs giving Bri one last look before he turns and walks away. I keep digging long after the bitch went back inside.

  “Who would do this?” she cries not looking up at me.

  “I don’t know baby, but I’ll find out.”

  My words aren’t meant to soothe her although they should. I will find out who did this to her. When I do I will make them pay for hurting her.

  I wipe the sweat from my forehead and set the shovel down. I kneel down in front of her and hold my arms out. Bri looks up at me from under her lashes. I can see the tears sticking to each one.

  “I loved him.”

  “Who?”

  “Diggy. I loved him because you gave him to me,” she says through her sorrow.

  My chest tightens. She loved him simply because I gave him to her? No one has ever loved anything I’ve ever done for them. She passes me his lifeless
body and I move to lay him down in the hole I dug. I lay him down and shove myself up. Bri watches me, but doesn’t say a word. I grab the shovel and cover the hole before she finally stands up. I hold my hand out to her, and surprisingly she takes it. I lead her into the house ignoring Kerry’s glare before I lead her upstairs to her room. I close the door that I had repaired and walk her into the bathroom. Tears are spilling down her cheeks as I start the shower.

  “What do you think it means?”

  “I don’t know Bri. You’re around a lot of bad people,” I tell her.

  Someone did this on purpose. We aren’t the only bad people that she’s around. Her dad has enemies too. This could be a warning or a sign. I honestly don’t know.

  “I can’t believe someone did that,” she says softly looking down at the blood covering her clothes.

  I remove my clothes quickly before I move to her and do the same.

  “Should we call your dad?”

  Her head snaps up with that question.

  “No. He doesn’t care Dante. You know that.”

  “This could be related to him Bri. He should know that someone is out there.”

  “He doesn’t care who’s out there. He-” she cuts herself off when a sob bubbles up her throat.

  I shake my head and help her into the shower and climb in after her. I grab the soap and squirt some into my hand before reaching for her. I run my hands all over her body, and watch the red tinged water as it runs down the drain. My cock is hard from just touching her. I know it’s wrong, but I just can’t help it.

  “I’m scared Dante. I’ve never been scared before.”

  I instantly reach up and grab her face in my hands. I force her to look at me.

  “You know that I won’t let anything happen to you don’t you Brianna?”

  There’s a pleading tone in my voice. It’s something that has that never come from me, but I need her to know that I would throw myself in front of a bullet for her.

  “I know, but there could be a lot of them.”

  “You have Tucker and I. We have our boys. You have nothing to worry about. When we’re not here you keep the doors locked and you stay inside. You understand?”

  She nods her head so I lean down and kiss her gently. She kisses me back and I groan. I love Bri. I think I always have, but the way I love her is changing. This thing between us is changing and I’m slowly finding it harder and harder to keep this from Tucker. I don’t want him touching her. I don’t want him trying to kiss her. I want him to be her friend and nothing more. I want him to back off, but I can’t tell him that just yet.