by Anna Collins
“He’s going to need some time to cool off. I would go after him, but I think that he would be better off with his own thoughts. I’ve decided to not let you play with my mind. I get jealous, but I’m too much of a lady to admit it. I want things to work out with Drake. He makes me feel things that I have never felt before. He’s the only man that I’ve ever wanted for more than just something physical. I can barely breathe when I’m around him and if that doesn’t tell you anything, then I don’t know what will,” I said with a sense of defiance that I wasn’t trying to hide from.
We walked down the beach in silence and walking a few feet behind us the entire time was Jackson keeping a watchful eye. There were times that Frankie would look at me and it would almost seem that he had something more to say on the subject of my relationship with Drake.
“You profess to be in love with him, but yet, there is somebody else in your life that has been vying for your attention. It hasn’t exactly been lost on me that Jackson is your best friend. I’m not a fool and it’s kind of galling that you might think I am. Jackson wants more from you than just friendship. He wants a little less conversation and more bed hopping. I see that you have been wondering about his sexuality and I can tell you that he does like men. It’s also quite apparent that he likes you almost as deeply as any man that he has ever been with,” Frankie said.
He found that he was fighting a losing battle and had decided to change tactics by going after my best friend. It was interesting how he could switch gears in the middle of a conversation. He had seen something that was supposed to be a deep seated secret between myself and Jackson.
“The one thing that I can tell you about my friendship with Jackson is that I don’t think that I can do this without him. He may feel something for me and I won’t deny that I’ve had some interesting thoughts when it comes to being with him. I can’t do anything about that. I wouldn’t even begin to think that you could understand that cheating is not part of my DNA. I’m sure that you’re going to tell me that everybody is capable of slipping from time to time. You don’t know me well enough to say that,” I said trying my best not to give him any more ammunition that he could take back to the rest of his family.
“You may be able to resist that natural urge, but Jackson is a story that I have yet to uncover. You mentioned that I was a blank slate, but I don’t have to be. I was in love once. I thought that we were destined to be together forever, but then she was the one that ruined it. Sleeping with my best friend turned my heart into a lump of coal. It is black and unforgiving and I won’t allow anybody to play with my sibling’s emotions. I consider myself the gatekeeper of the family. I may be the youngest, but I see things that others don’t. It’s all about the eyes. That is the windows to the soul and nobody can hide what they truly feel from me,” Frankie said as he stuck his hands into those shorts.
“You mentioned that you want your family to be happy, but does that sentiment transfer to you? I don’t even think that you are capable of letting somebody in. I think that you would be surprised by the result if you were to be more open. You spend all of this effort to protect your family and you do nothing about your own. Stop living for others,” I said
Chapter 17
“I have something that will bring back some interesting memories for you. It’s fortuitous that I brought them with me. It was almost like I foretold that you were going to show up unexpectedly,” Drake said with a smugness that was not becoming.
He had his hands behind his back and that smile told me that he was up to something. When he unveiled what he was hiding, the expression on Frankie’s face was priceless. His eyes were wide with the fear of seeing one of his childhood horrors coming to life in front of his eyes. Drake was holding two foils from their days of fencing and it was obvious that Frankie was not at all comfortable with picking a fight.
“You must know that you don’t have to do this. Tell me why we are wasting time with this foolishness. It doesn’t have to be this way. If I did anything to rub you the wrong way then I sincerely apologize. I want nothing but the best for you. You can believe me or not and it really doesn’t matter. If you expect me to pick up that sword then you will be waiting a very long time,” Frankie said as he snatched the sword from the air as Drake threw it to him. It was a knee-jerk reaction. He bowed his head before lifting it to Drake in a stance ready to strike.
“This is the one thing that I can best you at. It must really eat you up alive that I have always been one step ahead of you. This is a sport that I find relaxing. It allows me to get in touch with my primal nature. You never understood the beauty and the destructive force that I wielded in my hand. It feels natural like I was born with it in my hand. It must drive you crazy to know that the one thing that you can’t beat me at is staring you in the face,” Drake said
“You have always been the one in control, Drake. If this is what it takes to make you see that I have only your best interest at heart then, by all means, let’s get on with it. To be honest, I never wanted to see these things again. It’s just like you to bring up bad memories and use them against me. Maybe I’m crazy for wanting to look out for you. This might be the last time that you feel that you have the upper hand. I would cherish it for as long as you can because it won’t last long,” Frankie said as he grimaced with a slight red welt that scratched across his chest courtesy of Drake.
“I thought that you would appreciate that I took off the kid gloves. These are sharpened to a razor’s edge. We can really hurt each other. This is not a game and this is what our relationship is all about,” Drake said as he moved into position and showed that he was proficient with different techniques.
“I see that the only way that this is going to end is with first blood. You almost made enough of an incision to win this round. I see that you have Absolute fencing gear. They have always been the leading edge in this field. These must’ve cost you a small fortune, but in your mind, it was worth it,” Frankie said as he got into the same stance like it was second nature.
It doesn’t look like you have forgotten your lessons. The one thing that you need to remember is that you learned from the best. I taught you everything that you know, but I didn’t teach you everything that I know. That was true then and even more so now. I’ve taken my love of fencing to another level. I’ve sat at the feet of some of the masters and they taught me more than enough to make you look like a fool. You should have left when you had the chance. You’re right about one thing. This doesn’t end until one of us bleeds,” Drake said as he parried forward looking for a quick end and finding that Frankie had been imbued with those natural instincts.
“I’m not like you, Drake and I left all of this behind when we went our separate ways. I do remember my lessons. I’m probably going to lose, but the one thing that you haven’t taken into consideration is that I’m a survivor. A Sumner never backs down and never waves that white flag that you mistakenly thought that I brought here to the island. We are our father’s sons. He’s having a huge laugh at our expense from wherever he is,” Frankie said as they paired against each other.
“I think that it would be easier if you just whipped it out and measured it,” I said making them both stop what they were doing long enough to smile.
“That is one thing that we have in common. All three of us have similar lances of pleasure. That is where we do not have even an inch over the other. That didn’t mean that when we were growing up that we didn’t go after the same woman. It was a game and a point spread that had me thinking like a gambler early on. There were high risks, but there were also high rewards. I remember Tamara and how she was more into Drake, but that didn’t last. I easily seduced her and played her body like a violin. She could never get enough. Where you have been learning the deadly art of fencing, I have been taking my cue from the lovers of the world,” Frankie said as they both got down to the business of going after each other with determination.
I could see that this wasn’t going to end well and that
fencing wasn’t the only arsenal that they had. That became quite apparent when Drake kicked his brother in the stomach. It knocked him off balance and he almost lost his grip on the foil in his hand.
“Tamara was a whore and she found out what kind of vindictive bastard I can be when she was labeled that way in school. I was the one that circulated the rumor. I was even the one that made everybody believes that you had gonorrhea. That was my way of getting my pound of flesh from the both of you. She never could shake the stigma of being the school’s idea of a sure thing. I made sure that any girl that found you interesting enough to give you a moment of their time would reconsider. The loneliness must’ve been like cancer,” Drake said egging him on and making them both rage with a desire to hurt the other.
“I should have known that it was you that made my life miserable. I thought that I was the hunchback of Notre dame. I would look into the mirror in the morning and see a handsome and debonair young man, but in school, it was a different story. The perception of my illness was something that the girls just couldn’t deal with,” Frankie said as he pushed Drake to his limit.
The right cross that came with a closed fist rocked Drake. He touched his lip to find out that first blood hadn’t been drawn.
“You were such a little boy and what I did toughened you up and made you a man. Besides, what I did to you was nothing compared to the way that father made us all feel that we were worthless. You do realize that our father is in us. I wouldn’t have disparaged your name had it not been for my father’s little voice whispering in my ear. It was almost like we all had a conscience that was constantly beaten down by our father’s unusual parenting,” Drake said as they battled back and forth. It didn’t look like one was going to come out on top over the other.
“I can’t believe that you’re standing here and letting this happen, Michelle. It’s not like you to enjoy two men fighting it out. I see the smile on your face. You may claim otherwise, but you like the barbarism. You could step in and stop this from going any further, but you’re not going to. Like you, I find myself in a unique position to see which one is going to find that weakness that they can capitalize on. My money is on Frankie. He just has this certain something. It’s the way that he talks that really does make you feel like you’re going to make a mistake,” Jackson said as we both stood there frozen to the spot and unable to intervene. This was personal and the stakes were high.
“There’s a space in my heart that has been vastly lacking. Drake came along and showed me that I didn’t have to wait around. I could just let things happen naturally,” I said as they moved further down the beach with their feet slapping against the warm water.
They looked like they were pirates and they had every intention of making sure that one wasn’t going to walk away unscathed. It was a good thing that they had agreed that it was for first blood, but that could mean just about anything. A nick along their jaw line would bring this to an end. It was also possible that somebody would get carried away and run the other one through. It was that unknown factor that was hanging in the air over our heads. It was a spectacle that was a mesmerizing moment.
Jackson was behind me and I could feel something poking at me through his shorts. He was excited and aroused by two men rallying against each other. I didn’t consider that he might be enjoying the way that I was pressed up against him. I didn’t even think that it was my warm curves that were causing him the distress of a hard on that was beating the band against that fabric. Just the thought of having Drake made me hot and it didn’t hurt that the large projection behind me was rubbing me into submission.
“This has been a stalemate. It’s all going to come down to that little mistake that somebody makes. I’m at the edge of my seat. We both share that need to see men beating the holy hell out of each other. I was never much into boxing, but one match and I was hooked. I even enjoy wrestling and especially the UFC,” Jackson said as we sat down with me in his lap bouncing up and down with enthusiasm.
“After they are done, I would suggest that you go find Rowan. You know that I’ve always found you interesting enough to watch the show that you put on. I would fantasize about the possibilities. I can’t bring myself to do anything behind Drake’s back,” I said thinking about bringing them both into the bedroom at the same time and not quite sure how to broach that in casual conversation.
I didn’t think that I would ever have the opportunity to bring that fantasy into reality. It was just naughty thoughts. It wasn’t like I was going to back it up with actions. I was very comfortable with one man and Drake had all the tools to make me see him as the one for me.
“I know what you’re saying and I understand. It doesn’t mean that I’m not going to stop plying enough temptation to make you feel otherwise. You can’t possibly turn it off and on like a light switch. I’m going to hit the ground running. I’m going to make you the one that is going to uncover my eyes to female companionship,” Jackson said with me thinking about Sheila and how I could derail his seduction by throwing her into the mix like a live grenade.
I heard the grunt of disapproval and I watched as Frankie had been cut above his lip. It was a nick, but the blood gave way to victory. He walked past me without even looking me in the eye. He was holding his hand over his lip. He looked towards Drake to see the smug satisfaction from vanquishing a foe. It was even more delicious when it was his brother. It was sick and demented, but this was what sibling rivalry was all about.
Chapter 18
“I wish that I could say that this was fun, but it wasn’t. The only thing that you have accomplished by making me bleed my own blood is giving me that much more incentive to see you fail. I know when I’m not wanted. The plane should be arriving any second and I plan to be on it. I know that you’re not going to shed a tear for me leaving, but rest assured that this isn’t the last time that you’re going to see me. Do yourself a favor, Drake and walk away before you both get hurt. I’m not talking physically and emotionally is far more damaging than that,” Frankie got into the jeep with his luggage in his lap and Pina driving him to the airfield.
“You should never bring words to a fencing fight. It was a fight that you couldn’t win. I hope that we can get past this, but you did bring this on yourself. You pushed me into a corner and you made it necessary for me to back you down the only way that I knew how. I love her and I won’t let any of you rip my world apart. My heart can never escape her clutches. There are times that I think that I’m dreaming, but I only have to pinch myself to know that it’s real,” Drake said touching him on his shoulder as a sign of respect that could only come from their dysfunctional family.
“I know that you love her and that she feels the same way about you. I don’t think that’s going to stop us from wrecking havoc with your relationship. Spending time underneath the same roof together is daunting enough for us. You know how that’s going to feel for an outsider? Is this something that you really want to put her through for the sake of money? I made that mistake for a price and it cost me more than I was willing to pay. I just need one more shot and I plan to make the most of it,” Frankie said as they drove off with Drake and me looking on with a sense of foreboding that was not exactly helped by the ominous black cloud over our head.
What I smelt must’ve been a combination of Drake’s cologne and fear mixed into one. I might’ve been the innocent one in this game, but that innocence was not going to stay intact. I had to believe that it was too late to back down and walking away didn’t seem like an option that was on the table. We were going to play roulette with our lives and we were going to have to be ready to play by a different set of rules.
“I know that you don’t wanna hear this, but Frankie is right. I don’t know if I can live with myself for letting them get their hands on you. I wouldn’t feel this way with any other girl and that should at least prove to you that my feelings are more than just words. I would gladly give up the money, but I can’t give them that satisfaction. Backing down will on
ly make them see weakness. I would never be able to live it down,” Drake said
“I feel like nobody can take me down with you by my side. A night in that place might feel like an eternity, but I know that you will never let anything happen to me. Nothing can touch me. In this moment, I am exactly where I want to be with the man that I care for deeply. Words don’t even begin to convey,” I said seeing the stress come off his shoulders by having his brother leave in the wake of a confrontation that had far reaching ramifications.
“I shouldn’t have let him get to me like that. It makes me feel ashamed. My family is the only ones that can make me feel small. I’m not looking forward to stepping back into that house. You may think that’s an irrational fear, but to me, there’s never been anything more real. I’m just going to have to get over it and stop giving it any kind of power,” Drake said.
I had seen Rowan and Jackson sneaking off like I didn’t know what they were going to do. It would’ve been nice to see them enjoy their bodies together. I was sure that if I listened real carefully that I would hear moaning drifting in the air.
