by Zoey Marcel
Brighton was a little animal, spunky, bratty, and had a penchant for messing shit up.
She could see why Alan wouldn’t let his youngest boy near his late wife’s tea sets. There was a reason he still had china and Brighton hadn’t died under mysterious circumstances for breaking it.
“The water should still be hot!” she called to him from the dining room table she sat at.
“Thank you!” he called back from the kitchen.
A few minutes later he returned with a tray of china. A beautiful antique teapot and two teacups with matching saucers rested on top of the tray. He set it down and transferred the hot liquid contents of her mug into the delicate cup.
“I heard you were engaged to my sons,” he said.
She wondered what he thought about that. He didn’t seem too bothered by it, so she figured he must be fine with it.
“I am. Is that okay?”
He glanced up at her through lidded eyes while pouring himself some tea. “It’s hardly my decision, but I’ve always liked you, if that’s what you mean.”
“Oh good. Just checking.” She raised her dainty cup. “Thank you for this.”
He nodded and sat with his own cup and saucer. “Are you open to children?”
“I could go either way.”
He lifted the teacup to his mouth. “I want grandchildren.”
She almost snorted tea up her nose. “I see. Well, I have no problem with babies.”
“Good to know. I would like to see the next generation before my time. That and having children should tame my youngest.”
“If Brighton can be tamed.”
“Physical ailments should force him into calmness when he’s older.”
She almost laughed at that. “Maybe he’ll be a spry old man.”
“God.” Alan rolled his eyes.
She couldn’t stop the snicker in time and he cocked a half smile.
“Speak of the devil,” he said, calmly taking a sip of his tea.
Danielle saw Brighton burst into the room, absolutely beaming. “Oh my God, baby! Such things I have to tell you. Hey, you’re back.”
“I am,” his father stated serenely.
“That’s pretty great, but first.” Brighton motioned for her.
“Excuse me.” She got up and followed him into the other room.
“Oh my God, I’m so freakin’ bi!” he exclaimed in the loudest whisper ever.
She grinned and petted his arms while he stood there, bouncy and jittery. “You slept with Kale?”
“Yes! Shh!” He put a finger to his mouth. “It was so hot. He gave me these really nice ideas to rock your world.”
“Sweetie, you already knock my socks off in bed and you’re lots of fun and you buy me pretty things. You don’t have to—”
“It’s bullshit, I say.”
“This isn’t a bloody ship,” Alan called from the dining room. “Watch your language.”
“Said the captain,” Brighton muttered.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Sorry. Quit listening. Your time will come.” Brighton took her hands in his and softened his volume. “I just meant I want to do uber-romantic things for you, make you feel extra loved.”
“That’s so sweet.” She kissed his hand. “I do.”
“You were right about talking with him. It really does work.”
“You talked with him about the other night? I’m so proud of you.”
His lopsided grin was sheepish and guilty. “Yeah, um, not so much. He came up to me. I was gonna never talk to him again.”
“Brighton.” She slapped his arm. “Shame on you. That’s not how relationships work. If you have a problem, fix it.”
“I know. I’ve learned my lesson. I just figured you’d want to hear how right you were, since women like hearing that.”
She got smug. “That’s right, mister, and don’t you forget it.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t get cocky, girly. I’ve got to break the news to him.”
“He’ll be fine with it.”
“That’s what he says, but we’ll just see.”
She followed him back into the dining room where Alan still sat at the table.
“Dad, I’ve got some big news.” Brighton held up his hand. “Now, brace yourself. It’s the most shocking thing you’ve ever heard. Way wilder than anything David or Cole has ever done.”
“You’re bisexual,” Alan said in boredom, not looking at him as he sipped his tea.
Brighton’s mouth fell open. “How did you know that? Were you eavesdropping on us?”
“No. Everyone in both Haakon and Pennington County knows it. No one will be astonished by the news.”
“Damn it.” Brighton became squeamish when his father glowered at him. “I mean, darn.”
“I’ve told you before I’m fine with it.”
“Then hell fucking shit.”
Danielle clapped a hand over her mouth when she burst into laughter.
Alan rolled his eyes. “Not with the swearing. I don’t care that you’re bisexual.”
“Oh. You say that, but deep down I think there’s this storm of turmoil and confusion. You wonder what the other side entails since they didn’t used to do that.”
“For God’s sake, people have been sleeping with both sexes since the beginning of time. You’re hardly a special case.”
Brighton pointed at him. “But there’s this natural conflicted feeling, wondering how your good, wholesome boy could be so wild and crazy and unstoppable while your other two sons are boring and normal.”
“Ugh.” Alan hid his face in his hand.
“You think ‘Where did I go wrong? He wasn’t supposed to call my bluff of support and let dudes bang him. What’s this chaste world coming to?’”
“Listen to me very carefully, child. I truly don’t care what you do in the bedroom or with whom.” He picked up his cup again. “I’d rather not hear about it.”
“Because I’m bi.”
“I don’t want to hear about what you do with Danielle either.”
Brighton gradually mellowed. “So, you’re really okay with it? There’s not gonna be any yelling, drama, or angst?”
“No.”
“Well, that sucks. It’s kind of nice, though.” He smiled. “Thanks, Dad. You’re not so bad. I was wrong about you.”
“It’s fine.”
“Don’t you have something you want to say to me, like how wrong you were about me?”
“No.”
“Oh come on!”
Danielle giggled. They were fun to watch.
“Why don’t you go put that excessive energy you seem to have into making my grandchildren?” Alan said.
Brighton grinned. “Best dad ever. Sure, we’ll get started on that for you. Come here, Danielle.”
“Not in here,” Alan scolded him.
Brighton smirked. “Obviously.”
Her spirit grew warm and cozy when she saw Brighton approach his father and give him a hug.
Alan seemed surprised, but he put his arm around Brighton. “What’s this for?”
“For being awesome. Not everybody has a dad who accepts and supports them.”
His arm firmed around his son.
Brighton pulled back with a mischievous smile. “Or who tells them to go make grandbabies.”
Alan frowned and focused on his tea again. “Go make them in a far corner of the house and don’t talk about it afterward.”
Brighton grinned and jogged toward her. “Come on, baby. I’ll show you my medical papers. Then I’ll be the first one to—”
“He’s sitting right there!” she spat.
“Thank you,” Alan said in agreement with her.
Brighton laughed. “Oops. I’m not used to him being back from his trip yet. Sorry about that. We’re gonna go play video games, Dad.”
He winked at her.
“That’s better,” Alan said.
Brighton took her by the hand and led her away.
“I’ll make babies with you guys, but I’d like to wait a few years if that’s okay. That way I get my men all to myself before the parental responsibilities come,” she said quietly to him on their way to his room.
“That’s true. I got caught up in the moment. You’re right.”
“But when I get on birth control you can be inside me without a condom ... after papers get seen.”
He tugged her into his side and groaned happily. “God, I can’t wait.”
They went into his bedroom and played a filthy video game together.
* * * *
The next day a cool breeze combated the warmth the sun gave off as Danielle strolled alone down the rural road the McAlisters lived on. She wasn’t that far from the house and it was such a nice day. After walking on the blacktop for a bit she wandered into the tall grass, enjoying the feel of it brushing against her palms. The blades swayed beneath her touch and she loved the way the grasslands rippled when the wind blew through it, like an elegant silk dress tumbling down a woman’s body. It was peaceful and quiet save for the occasional disturbance of a bug or a bird and the fluid hush of the breeze.
She heard rustling from behind her and whirled around to see a man standing there. It was her ex-boyfriend, Gavin Donnelly. Her eyes popped open and she gasped.
“Hello, Danielle,” he said with a menacing gleam in his eyes. She didn’t trust his cruel smile.
Her heart sped like hell in her chest. Scanning the open prairie, she found that they were alone.
“H–how did you find me?” She felt like she might fall over or pass out from shock and terror.
“One of your fuck boys sent you a letter. Naturally, the address was on the envelope. Very convenient.”
“I’ll scream.”
“You would if I fucked you.” He took a step toward her and she backed away slowly. “But unfortunately there isn’t time for that.”
She ran screaming, but he was on her in a flash. He tackled her to the ground and subdued her mad flailing and frantic struggles. Her fright escalated when he began to strangle her. She tried to pry his hands off her, but he was too strong. It occurred to her to do something drastic like jab his windpipe or gouge his eyes, but with how tightly his hands were wrapped around her throat, she worried that if she let go of his malevolent hands for even a second, the sudden increase of pressure there would kill her.
“You didn’t even have the courtesy to break up with me. No. You ran like a coward. You’re not the only one capable of ending a relationship poorly,” he ground out while choking her. “It was great for a while there, but we’re just not compatible, are we? My only regret is the money I wasted on you, but the fucks were nice. So long, baby.”
She reached up with one hand to hurt him, but he blocked her and then slapped her face.
“None of that, now. You just be a good girl and let me choke you. That’s it.”
She fought her hardest to wriggle free and get his hands off her. Flashes of black spots flickered in front of her and she thought she saw someone behind him.
Without warning, another man whacked Gavin upside the head with a shovel. That definitely got him off of her. She coughed for air and began to crawl away.
“Are you all right?”
She looked up to see another man. Siegfried, the McAlisters’ butler, stood over her and offered her his hand. She took it and brushed herself off after she stood.
The other man, who stood over a senseless Gavin, was Chuck, the McAlisters’ gardener.
She was rendered speechless for the moment and could only nod.
“Who was that son of a bitch?” Chuck asked.
“G–Gavin, my ex boyfriend.”
“How is he?” Siegfried asked.
Chuck examined the fallen body before responding. “He hit his head on a rock.” After checking for a pulse and observing Gavin closely for a minute, he added, “He’s dead.”
A surreal blanket of strangeness came over her. She didn’t know what to feel. She was safe, free.
A man was dead because of her.
He’d tried to kill her.
She looked between both men, not quite sure how to express herself over the incident. “Thank you for saving my life.”
* * * *
David McAlister sat near the bed Danielle slept in. She’d spent the night with them and had finally drifted off to sleep after they held her for a while to let her know that they were there and she was safe.
He couldn’t believe they almost lost her earlier. Thank God for Chuck and Siegfried. She would be dead if not for them. They were definitely getting a raise. If anything happened to Danielle, he would die. She was the only woman for him.
He kissed her head before leaving the room and keeping the door open a crack so he could hear her if she needed anything. He headed downstairs and found his younger brother, Brighton, in the large kitchen sitting up on a barstool.
“We should have been here,” David said in a somber tone.
“We were out for the day and she stopped by as a surprise. We’re not to blame for that and neither is she for taking a walk,” Brighton replied without looking at him. His hands had him arrested or so it would appear. In reality, he probably saw right through them. “I blame myself for mailing her that letter.”
“You couldn’t have known this would happen.”
He rubbed his face, expression marred by guilt and concern. “How did he even get it and she didn’t?”
“They were probably living together. Either the mail was late, or she had it in a pile she hadn’t opened yet.” David got a water bottle from the fridge. “Or he hid it from her.”
“We almost lost her. That freaks me out so bad. We can’t let her go anywhere alone. She should move in here with us. We’re engaged and the asshole is dead. There’s no reason why she shouldn’t.”
“Are you worried about the serial killer in the area?”
“Ah crap, I forgot about that sicko. I’m worried about everybody. I want her to be safe.”
“Her brother is a cop. He knows how to keep her safe.”
“Yeah, when he’s with her. The guy can’t be around her all the time. He has to work. Plus Danielle probably has that whole girl power thing going on in her head. No more.”
David smiled meekly. “You’re gonna squish girl power?”
“That’s right.”
His smile broadened and he shook his head once. “Suffocating her will only push her away.”
“Whose side are you on, chum?”
“The one where we all end up happy together.”
“Well, so am I. I’m thirsty, by the way.”
“If only somebody would take care of that problem for you,” David teased.
“I love you, too, jerk.”
He smirked and got a water bottle from the fridge, sliding it across the granite-topped island for his sibling.
“What’s wrong with asking her to live with us?”
“Nothing.”
“So you agree it’s the plan of a genius, a plan you didn’t come up with?”
David snorted. “Don’t get cocky. We’ll ask her together.”
Brighton took several long gulps of chilly water before setting the bottle down with a boisterous exhale. “When the heck is Cole gonna get his posh ass here?”
“Packing for an overseas trip takes time. Give him a chance. Besides, it’s not like he gave us a definite answer.” David smiled slowly. “Oh, wait. That’s right. He gave me one earlier.”
Brighton’s head flew up. “He did? When did you talk to him?”
“A few hours ago.”
“What did he say?”
David decided that this would be a good time to take a few satisfying swallows of water. Leaving his brother in suspense was a plus. When he was finished, he headed toward the doorway. “I’m gonna go sleep with our lady.”
“You bastard, what did Cole say?”
“I’m tired, Brighton, and I don’t like your tone.” Actually he was enjoyin
g himself immensely.
Brighton hopped down and scurried over to him. “My favorite brother, what did the black sheep of the family say?”
“He said he’d come home as soon as he could.”
Chapter Five
Sean Friel sat with his best mate on a boulder at the edge of the Badlands.
“So basically Brighton and I went to the restaurant to film his conversation with Kale Enos and then the guy ends up talking Brighton into being his sugar baby. I got the whole thing on camera. They were really into each other,” he told her.
“You think they’ll do it at some point?” Lacy Henderson asked.
“Definitely, if they haven’t already.”
She was a pretty girl, thin, quiet, and blonde, with cobalt-blue eyes. They’d been mates for years.
They ate their sandwiches in the warm stillness.
Sean couldn’t help grinning when he remembered something. “Hustler, eh?”
“What?” She shot him a horrified look like she’d been caught committing some kind of crime.
“The dirty magazine. I saw it under the seat in your car when I was getting out. The corner was showing a little.”
She blushed and pulled her gaze from him, looking mortified. “It’s not mine.”
He smirked. “I think it is. You have a thing for the ladies, don’t you?”
“I know you’re gay. Think about that before you say anything.”
He spat his Snapple out and then wiped the juicy spittle off his lips. Now he knew what they meant by the phrase, “It’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for.” Apparently shy, petite Lacy was observant.
Uh-oh.
“What’s that now?”
She looked at him, trembling despite her attempt at bravado. “I know you’re gay. I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine.”
“I’ll gladly keep your secret, Lacy, but I’m not sure where you got the idea that I’m g—”
“I saw you sucking some guy’s cock in your car.”
Sean flushed with heat. “Yeah, that will do it. I am, but you can’t say anything. My da is very homophobic.”
“Mine, too. I won’t tell.”
“Are you bi, then?”
She squirmed and slowly shook her head.
“You only like women?”
