by T. L Hodel
The only thing that stopped me from charging forward and smashing in his damn skull was Lana pulling away from me. Guess what she was scared of didn’t matter anymore, because the tears streaming down her cheeks were with filled with anger. It was kind of hot, actually. I loved the way her nose scrunched up, while fire waged war in her eyes.
“You guys are unbelievable.”
Sean grumbled, “She’s the one whose pregnant, and I’m getting shit.”
I chose to take it another way and puffed my chest up, saying, “Thank you.”
Her bright hazel eyes rolled at my words. “That was not a compliment.”
She was so cute right now. Black hair swaying behind her while her hip popped out, and she shot me attitude. Her hair was straight today. I think I preferred it curly and wild. Then again, I could always have fun giving her the wild look myself.
“You can’t just talk about me like I’m not here.” Her hand swung between me and Sean, “You two don’t get to make decisions for me.”
Sean frowned and crossed his arms. “No one’s trying to make decisions for you, Lana.”
“Don’t worry,” I told him, “It’s probably just hormones. She’ll calm down once I get her moved into my place.”
“She is not moving in with you,” Sean declared.
At the same time Lana objected, “I’m not moving in with you.”
“Uh, yes you are.”
“No,” they both said in unison.
Great, I had a couple of parrots on my hands. I let out a long sigh. Honestly, I’d hoped this would be easier. At least she was talking to me. That was an improvement.
“You’re carrying my kid. Henceforth, your ass belongs in my bed.”
Her arms folded across her chest, pushing her breasts up. My eyes fell down to the small bump in her belly. The bump I put there. My dick hardened at the thought. I never wanted to fuck anyone as much as I wanted to fuck her right now.
“What if it wasn’t your kid?” she shot back. “Would you leave me alone?”
I stopped and thought for a minute. Though it would piss me off to no end knowing someone else touched her, it wouldn’t make a difference. Lana was mine. Plain and simple.
“No, it wouldn’t matter.” I shook my head. “You’re mine. Period.”
Apparently, she wasn’t expecting that answer, because her jaw dropped. Sean grumbled something, but I didn’t really give a fuck what he was saying. My eyes were stuck on the beauty in front of me, and the way the light bounced off her plump pink lips.
Get your head in the game, Parker.
“I’m giving you the easy way out here, Lana.” I paused long enough to arch my brow, “I’d take it, if I were you.”
She scoffed, “Right, because you’ve been so nice to me this far.”
“Trust me, baby, I’ll be real nice to you.” Every night, in our bed.
“Go fuck yourself, Parker.”
That was about what I expected. Most chicks liked getting money. My mother was a gold digging whore. The only reason she married my father was because her family was going broke. Arranged marriages had their advantages. For instance, my dad could care less who my mother fucked, and vice versa. That wouldn’t be the case with my girl. The only other guy she’d be fucking, would be someone I decided to bring in and fuck as well. Just thinking about that shit got me hard. Some prick all hard for my woman, taking it up the ass while I fucked them both…
No time to fantasize now.
“Have it your way, Angel.” I held out a piece of paper for her. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Lana snatched the paper out of my hand and glared down at it. The smile on my face widened with the shock in her eyes.
“You’re suing me for custody!”
I tipped my head and slowly raked my gaze over her curves. “Should’ve taken the easy way.”
“You know what you can do with your easy way?” She stepped in, bringing her narrowed glare close enough that I could smell the vanilla scent of her perfume. “You can shove it up your ass.”
If she wanted to play hardball, that was fine with me, but she wasn’t going to like the outcome.
Her angry glare rolled onto Sean next, as she snarled, “And you, go find someone else to brother,” before storming down the hall.
“What did I do?” Sean muttered from beside me.
I shrugged. “Women.”
Lana was barely out of view before Sean’s fist cracked off my jaw. It was on after that.
Thirty minutes later and I was still sitting in the office next to Mase. I didn’t bother to ask why he was here. If Mase had a second home, it was the red chair he was currently seated in. I’d never been in trouble before, but I got the soul sucking comments Riley made about the receptionist now. Mrs. Grier sat behind the counter, giving us the evil eye. Well, mostly Mase. He’d of course smile back at her, flashing his teeth in a charming way. Fucker even blew her a couple of kisses.
“She just smiled at me,” I whispered to Mase when Mrs. Grier gave me the tiniest smirk and returned to her work. “Should I be concerned?”
Mase’s green eyes went wide, “Fuck off. She did not smile.”
“Language, Mr. Kessler.”
Even her voice was creepy.
“You like it when I talk dirty.” He puckered his lips out and shot her a wink. “I bet you’re wearing lacy little panties right now.”
Oh god, why was he talking about her panties? I was never going to get that image out of my head.
“My undergarments are none of your concern, Mr. Kessler.”
I couldn’t agree more with that statement.
“It’s so fucking hot the way you say undergarments.”
This was the worst foreplay I had ever witnessed. “I think my dick just died.”
“There will be no talking about genitals in this office, Mr. Whitley.”
But undergarments that were going to haunt my dreams were okay?
“Sorry, Ma’am.”
“Pussy,” Mason snorted.
I hoped my dad got here soon. At this point, I’d even take my mother. Anything was better than listening to this shit.
“Parker?”
Correction, almost anything was better than this shit.
I closed my eyes, praying I didn’t hear who I thought I did. That dream died the second my gaze landed on the blonde with her hand on her hip. My head fell back as I let out a long sigh. My sister was the last person I expected Ashworth to call. In her first year here, Ava burnt half the school down because someone stole her pencil. And it wasn’t a special pencil or anything like that. It was your run of the mill stick of wood with lead.
“Holy shit, Ava,” Mase sang. For some reason, the stupid bastard liked my sister, “How the fuck have you been?”
“Language, Mr. Kessler.”
Both Ava and Mase shot the receptionist a look, which she more than happily returned. The fucking terrifying part was that Mase wasn’t the only one to back away from the stare down. My sister did too. Ava’s light eyes turned away from the receptionist and rolled back to me. Maybe Mrs. Grier really was a soul sucking demon?
“Called to the office for fighting?” Her chest puffed up as her smile widened. “I’m proud of you, baby brother.”
Of course she was.
“Calm down, I didn’t start it.”
“But did you finish it?”
I guess that depended on what she meant by ‘finish it.’ Did I beat Sean down? Yeah, but he beat me down too. We both had bruises, cuts and scrapes, but we pulled apart before it could go beyond that.
“You should’ve seen him.” Mase slapped me on the back.
I scowled at Mase. What the hell was he talking about? He wasn’t there.
“He finally sacked up and claimed his girl.”
Ava cocked her head. “He has a girl.”
Fucking big mouth.
“Fuck yeah, he has a girl.” Mrs. Grier once again reprimanded Mason on his choice of words. “Knocked her up and everythi
ng.”
My face dropped into my palm. I could literally hear Ava’s eyes light up as she excitedly squealed, “A baby?”
Fuck my life.
Chapter 7
Lana
Heat. That’s all I could feel. Everywhere I went, hot slices of fire erupted across my skin.
I stumbled outside seeking the relief of fresh air and smacked my dry lips together. My body was covered in a fine coat of moisture, while my mouth had none. Even the air flowing down my parched throat felt like sandpaper.
Water, that’s what I needed. A lot of cool, clean water. Harper had a pool, or was that Riley?
My brows furrowed as I searched the foggy landscape for a shimmering patch of liquid. There was a lot of green and red. Roses, I think. Harper’s mother planted them before she left. Or were they carnations? That’s what Paisley liked.
I glanced around. Was I at Riley’s? Maybe I was at home? Where was Henry? That grumpy little bastard had the softest fur. I wanted to run my fingers through it. But the grass looked so cool. I fell down to my knees and slid my hands across the ground.
Dampness trickled down my skin from the tiny green blades, making me sigh in relief. The coolness felt so good. I needed to feel it everywhere. Dropping down, I rolled onto my back and groaned as I dug myself further into the cold ground. Was grass always this soft? Maybe it wasn’t grass?
“You’re looking a little under the weather, Doll.”
I smiled at the brown eyes gazing down at me. Sean. He’d help me. He always helped me.
“I want to go home,” I whined, “It’s too hot here.”
“Maybe you should take your clothes off?”
That was a good idea. Wait… what did he say? I turned away and pressed my cheek into the grass, nuzzling into its coolness. God that felt good.
“Don’t worry, Doll, I’ll help you feel good.”
I frowned. Why was his voice so deep? Was he mad at me? Harper and I only had one drink.
Suddenly there were hands tugging on my shirt. Rough and mean hands, shredding the cloth off my skin. I didn’t like it. I tried to crawl away, escape the coarse hair abrading the skin on my neck, but I couldn’t. Something heavy was on me, grunting hot breaths in my ear.
I dug my fingers into the ground. Help me, grass. Hide me from the ogre. But the grass didn’t help. It didn’t do anything when I was flipped over, or when my legs were pried apart. I shook my head and swung my arms, trying to avoid the hooded brown eyes staring down at me.
And then the eyes morphed. Lightening in color, vividly lit up with lust.
“You’re so beautiful, Angel.” Parker’s hot tongue slid along the column of my neck, “And you taste fucking delicious.”
I moaned and arched my back, silently begging him for more. He smelled so good, I couldn’t get enough of it. I buried my fingers in his soft sandy locks, and pulled him in closer. The solid planes of his chest pressed against my breasts, weighing me down in the most delightful way…
Weight, heavy and grunting.
I couldn’t breath. Couldn’t push it off. Couldn’t escape the smell of sweat, or sound of horrid grunts that turned my stomach. I stared up at the moon, shining brightly in the night sky.
Except it wasn’t the moon, it was the soft glow of a lamp. The ogre was gone. It wasn’t him on top of me. It was my grey eyed knight with his strong hands and tempting mouth. He chased the ogre away. Took me to a safe place where love wasn’t dirty or wrong.
“You’re mine, Angel.”
“Parker,” I moaned, wrapping my arms around him. My knight. My protector. My safe place. But even he couldn’t chase the ogre’s voice away.
“Remember to keep your mouth shut, Doll.” The ogre smiled down at me, moonlight glinting off his gold tooth. “No one would believe you anyway.”
…
I shot up in my bed, fighting to catch my breath. It was just a dream. Sean wasn’t here. I was safe in my bed, with Nan in the next room. That didn’t stop my skin from crawling when I pictured that gold tooth. My brows knit as I searched the shadows. Sean didn’t have a gold tooth. He didn’t have facial hair, either. But it had to be him. I’d never forget those eyes. Brown with gold flecks, just like Harper’s. They were his eyes. I knew they were.
But were they?
I could still feel his hands on me. Maybe I was crazy. I mean, it was Sean. He wouldn’t do that to me, right? All thought fled my mind when the soft flick of a lighter rang through the air. My heart stopped. The small flame across the room lit up a face worse than any childhood monster or boogeyman. I would’ve preferred the ogre from my dream, because the face I was looking at now was the face of pure evil. A man that had no morals.
Death himself.
“Hello, Lana.” Preston’s cold eyes rolled my way.
I wanted to crawl away. Or run for the door and never look back. But fear had me trapped in its icy grip. He sauntered slowly closer and all I could do was watch as the words on my gravestone slowly became visible.
Step.
Here lies Lana.
Stride.
She was stupid and didn’t run.
Preston’s shoulders glided under his jean jacket. Smooth and graceful. Like a cat getting ready to pounce on a mouse. In this situation, I was the mouse. By the time he stopped at the foot of the bed, all I could hear was my own blood pumping loudly in my ears. When his fingers curled around the top of my footboard, my mind snapped out of its terrified state. I sprang back, opening my mouth and sucking in a deep breath, but he cut me off.
“Before you do something stupid, like scream, I want you to think about what I’ll do to your beloved grandmother if she comes through that door.”
I froze, sucking my scream back, and quickly shifted my gaze to the door. Though it was easier to stare at a plank of wood than the cold gaze of death, Preston wasn’t the kind of guy one took their eyes off. I stared back at him, searching for some semblance of life or humanity. I found none. No blue sparks in his glare, like his brother, or hint of emotion on his face. He was void of anything.
Dark…
Empty…
And black…
The words that eventually came out of my mouth, I could only chalk up to pure shocked stupidity. “Do you have a gun?”
“Do you think I need one?” He cocked a brow and I suppressed my shiver.
No, he didn’t.
Preston having a gun would be a blessing. At least then things would be over quickly. Kent Drews wasn’t that lucky. I don’t know what he did, but he was last seen with Preston. Kent now called Northwood Sanitarium home.
“What do you want?”
There was no need to irritate the man. I wasn’t suicidal. Besides, no one told Preston Whitley what to do. Earlier this year, I’d overheard Logan and Micha talking about some girl that got in his face. I felt sorry for whoever she was.
“You’re supposed to care about your family.” He shot me a look, and then stalked his way across my room. “Love them, obey your parents, look out for your siblings.” His hand twirled through the air as he spoke. “At least that’s what I’m told. Honestly, I wouldn’t give a fuck if my parents died. Hell, I’d slit their throats myself. There is one person I care about, and you’re carrying his child.” He stopped, turned around, leaning back against my dresser. “So, my question for you, Lana, is how many people am I going to have to hurt, to make sure my brother gets what he wants?”
What if it wasn’t Parker’s? My mind instantly went back to the gold tooth and facial hair. For the first time in my life, I hoped I was crazy. That my foggy mind had created something that never happened. Because if it had, Sean wouldn’t be the only one lying in a grave.
“Does your hesitation have something to do with Sean Callaghan?”
My eyes shot up to his.
“You think I didn’t notice how my brother isn’t the only person you’re avoiding? Difference is,” he plucked a letter opener off my dresser and twirled it in his hand, “You’re not scared o
f my brother.”
I licked my lips and forced the lump down my dry throat.
“Is Sean going to be a problem?”
I shook my head. Even if I wasn’t crazy, and Sean did do something to me, I wouldn’t want him hurt. I may never trust him again, but he was the closest thing I had to a brother. Eventually, I’d forgive him. I hoped.
If there was something to forgive.
Attempting to turn the conversation around, I said, “If you knew what Parker did...”
“I don’t give a fuck what he did.” Preston glared at me, but all I could see was the moonlight glinting off the sharp edge of the letter opener in his hand. “When you go to that meeting tomorrow, you’re going to come to an amicable solution with my brother. One that involves both you, and his child.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll cut my way through everyone you care about.”
The flatness of his statement was terrifying. Still, I opened my mouth to argue, “If you think you can bully me–” Once again he cut me off.
“Let’s get one thing straight.” His hand slammed down, stabbing the letter opener into the top of my dresser, “I don’t bully. I don’t make threats, and I don’t taunt people on the playground. Before you decide to play this game with me, I want you to remember one thing,” Preston walked over to my bedroom door and placed his hand on the doorknob, “Death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to someone.”
And then he was gone, just as quickly as he had appeared.
Chapter 8
Lana
My mind was a raging storm of thoughts the next day. The summons Parker gave me–which I still had to tell Nan about– was going to be fun. Nan didn’t like Lillianna Whitley on a good day, and now, thanks to me, she was going to be linked to her forever. Sean would definitely be a better choice in Nan’s eyes. She wasn’t fond of Nash Callaghan, but she could at least tolerate him. I was with her on that one. Harper’s dad was way too strict, in my opinion. With Harper at least. Sean had a lot more freedom. He was allowed to come and go as he pleased. Harper needed permission to cross the street.
