Facing the Music (A Broken Lives Short Story #1)

by Marita A. Hansen

  Nike nodded, his jaw muscles working overtime, fury brewing in his eyes. I understood why. His wife had been raped. “I’ll kill anyone who tries to hurt L,” he said.

  “Dude, you’re a bodyguard now, not a hitman. Just beat the crap outta ’em, that’ll do. I don’t want cha ending up in prison.”

  He sneered. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it look like self-defence.”

  “Shit, man, warn me if I ever get on your bad side.”

  “Nah, mate, you’re whanau,” he said, calling me family. “So, when do I start working for L?”

  “Right this second.”

  “No probs, bro,” he said, holding out my leather jacket for me to take, sounding like a Māori gang-member rather than an Italian mobster, his lingo like mine.

  “Ta, mate,” I thanked him, slipping my jacket on over my naked torso. “See ya when I see ya.”

  He nodded at me and held out his hand, giving me a bro shake, reminding me he was still a teenager. Whenever I saw him dressed for business, I forgot he was only nineteen, especially with those hard eyes of his. It looked like he’d seen far too much for someone so young, and knowing Nike, he would probably see a hell of a lot worse in years to come, the poor bastard a magnet for violence.

  I slipped out the door, the weather cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. I went for my Mustang, stopping as someone called out my name. I glanced back, spotting the dancer who’d groped me running my way. She was wearing a long puffy jacket, covering most of her body.

  She came to a standstill in front of me. “I want to apologise for what happened inside. I was told to touch you like that, it was in my script.”

  I frowned. “It wuzn’t in mine, and it goes without sayin’ that my cock’s off bounds.”

  She bit her lip, giving me a sexy smile. “My touch wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  I quirked a brow at her. “You just said sorry, then follow up with that? That ain’t no apology, you’re hitting on me, aren’t cha?”

  She licked her lips. “Can’t a girl make the first move?”

  “Chicks can make the first move all they want, just not on me. I’m taken.”

  She stepped closer. “Oh, c’mon, Dante, I’ve seen your videos. You get taken by a lot of women.”

  I scowled at her. “Those videos are illegal, filmed without my knowledge—”

  “Don’t lie,” she cut me off. “I saw the video of you fucking in front of a crowd.”

  I tensed at the mention of the porn party, my old boss having threatened to kill my loved ones if I didn’t play ball. “I wuz blackmailed into doin’ that,” I growled, “so don’t ever bring it up again.”

  “Why are you acting so hostile? You’re clearly a fuck boy, and one I want to fuck badly.”

  “I’m not a fuck boy, bitch, so go fuck yourself. I have no time for women like you.”

  “What kind of woman am I?” she snapped, now looking as angry as I felt.

  “The kind that treat me badly, screwing me over in more ways than one. Manipulative bitches.”

  “God, you’re a prick.”

  I grabbed my crotch. “Yeah, one you’ll never suck.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin at me haughtily. “Only because you’re too busy getting your cock sucked off by your guitarist!”

  “Like hell! I’d never do L.”

  Jody sneered at me. “You are such a liar. Everyone knows L’s blowing you, it’s all over the news.”

  “What the fuck are ya on ’bout?”

  She whipped her phone out of her puffy jacket and tapped away on it, then thrust the screen in my face. “That.”

  My eyes widened at the image on her phone. L was butt-naked and sucking on... my brother’s cock.

  “What the fuck?” I almost choked, not in a million years expecting to see that.

  Jody gave me a smarmy smile. “Yeah, so you can’t deny it,” she said, flicking to another picture, showing it to me. L was lying on top of Ash in this one, kissing the tattoo on his neck, my brother looking in heaven.

  “Jesus Christ!” I said, wondering how long the two of them had been going at it. “I didn’t think L had it in her.”

  Jody frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

  I tapped the phone. “That ain’t me, that’s my brother.”

  She looked down at the image, then back up at me. “But it looks like you.”

  I indicated to the partial moko around my left eye, then at the photo of Ash, who had no tattoos on his face. “Notice anything different?”

  She didn’t reply, just reached for my face.

  I quickly stepped back. “What the fuck are you doin’?”

  “I want to check if your moko’s fake.”

  “It’s not. All my tats are real, my bro’s too.” I pointed at her phone, indicating to the Māori design on his neck, which I didn’t have. “Like that one.”

  She blinked at me, clearly surprised. “I thought your tattoos were painted on for image.”

  “Nope.” I licked my finger and rubbed at the one on my face to prove it was real.

  She glanced back down at the picture of Ash, studying it. “Still, I don’t blame the media for getting it wrong, because your brother looks exactly like you. It’s probably why everyone thinks your tattoos aren’t real.”

  “They shouldn’t. I’ve said it enough times in interviews that my tats are the real deal, I’ve even mentioned having a brother who looks like a twin. But I guess all those cunts care ’bout is gettin’ a scoop, no matter whether it’s bullshit or not.”

  “They would’ve still published the photos due to L. By the way, your brother is fucking hot. Is he still with L?”

  “No idea, didn’t even know they were fucking. Though, I wouldn’t waste my time on Ash if I were you, he’s got a shit ton of baggage. And anyway, if L’s sucking him off, you don’t have a chance. She’s way hotter than you.”

  Her eyes bugged out. “That wasn’t very nice!”

  “Still true. L’s drop-dead gorgeous, just a bloody liar to boot. She pretended my bro wuzn’t into her. Looks like Ash’s ex might’ve been right ’bout him having an affair after all.” I whipped out my phone, hitting my bro’s number. He picked up right before I was about to hang up, Ash taking forever to answer.

  “You’re so fucked,” I said into the phone.

  “Why?” he yawned, my call most likely having woken him up. He was constantly working, often doing extra shifts to pay the mortgage. I’d offered to give him cash numerous times so he didn’t have to do such crazy hours, but he was a proud bastard, turning it down every single time. It grated on me no end, because what was the point of having money if I couldn’t help my family out?

  “Check the internet,” I said. “You’re splashed all over it.”

  “Eh?”

  “Dude, seriously go look at it. There’s an image of L sucking you off.”

  “What?!”

  “Yeah, you’ve really been holding out on me, bro. So, how long have ya been fucking L for?”

  “I-I...” Ash continued to stutter, sounding like I’d knocked him for a six.

  “Social media thinks you’re me, cos of it, the photos have gone viral. Of course they blurred out your dick—”

  “Not on some sites,” Jody cut in. She tapped away on her phone. “Your brother is like you in more ways than one.”

  “What do ya mean by that?”

  “You both have massive cocks.” She held her phone up, showing a very clear image of what L was sucking on, and it wasn’t just a photo, it was a fucking video!

  “Fuckin’ hell,” I gasped, not believing my eyes. “Bro, did someone get a hold of your...” The word phone caught in my throat, things clicking into place. “The bitch!” I yelled, knowing exactly where the video and pictures had come from.

  “Who?” Ash asked over the line.

  “Kara, she did it again!” I shook my head, my brother a fucking moron for letting my ex rent one of his rooms. �
�She filmed you like she filmed me.”

  “No, no, no,” Ash said, sounding panicked, “she only did that cos Craven threatened her family’s lives, and he’s dead now.”

  “Ant isn’t,” I said, mentioning Craven’s son, someone who had a vendetta against Ash.

  He swore, knowing he’d been stitched up good and proper.

  I continued, “Dad warned you ’bout lettin’ Kara stay with you, I warned you. She’s a snake, only out for herself.”

  “I’d thought she’d changed, ’specially since she’d been so nice to me. She helped me out a lot with Lily over the months,” he said, mentioning his baby. “I wuz stressed and tired, didn’t think to question why she wuz doin’ it, just wuz grateful since Tiana refused to lift a finger.”

  “You are so fuckin’ gullible.”

  “You don’t hafta rub it in, you cunt!”

  “Don’t get pissy with me, you only have yourself to blame, you walked right into it with your eyes wide open.”

  “Fuck! Tiana won’t lemme see Angelo if she gets wind of this,” he said, sounding distraught. His most recent ex had a nasty habit of keeping his son from him when she was pissed off with my bro.

  “It’s not an if, it’s a when,” I replied, knowing Tiana was going to hit the roof. “You really shouldn’t have cheated on T.”

  “I didn’t cheat on her! I wuzn’t with Tiana when L blew me. That only happened a coupla days ago. Does L know ’bout the pics?”

  “Don’t think so, I only just found out myself.”

  “Christ!” Ash replied. “I didn’t meana let it happen, but she came onto me so strong. She stripped in front of me. How the fuck wuz I s’posed to turn that down? She’s so fuckin’ hot.”

  “So, does she have a dick or a clit? There were no front shots.”

  “Dante,” he growled.

  “You can’t blame me for bein’ curious! C’mon, I’m dying to know. I reckon it’s a clit.”

  “Shut it!”

  “Sheesh, calm yo shit down, you’re my bro, and bros talk ’bout this kinda stuff. It’s called bonding.”

  “Bonding my arse, you’re just bein’ pervy.”

  “Nah ah, I have no interest in L, just wanted to know like everyone else what’s down under.”

  “I saw it,” Jody piped up. “You want to see?” She went to pull it up on screen.

  “No!” I said, turning away from her. I didn’t like people looking at my sex tapes, so there was no way in hell I’d willingly look at L’s. Plus, I had to work with the chick.

  I placed my phone back to my ear. “Ash, what’s up with you and L? She tried to make out that you’re not interested in her. Are you pretending not to be together so Tiana doesn’t find out?”

  “No. The blowjob wuz a one-off thing, and it didn’t even last that long. L got shitty with me when I went to fuck her arse. She basically bit my head off and stormed out cos she thought I wuz only after sex.”

  “Were you?”

  He didn’t reply.

  “Fuck, Ash, she’s s’posed to be your mate. You don’t do that shit to mates. You know she has feelings for you.”

  “Honestly, bro, I tried to resist, but she wuz all over me. I didn’t know she just wanted to kiss. Who the fuck strips naked just for a kiss?”

  “You know L’s clueless. She’s like an innocent puppy in a sex kitten’s body.”

  “She’s not that innocent. She purposely tempted me, and when things didn’t go her way, she threw a tanty.”

  “She’s still throwing it. She bit my head off earlier, sayin’ all of us Ratas are cavemen who treat women poorly. You’re defo gonna hafta do some major grovelling with her.”

  “I tried, but she won’t take my calls.”

  “She’ll come around. That chick is head over heels in love with you.”

  “No, she’s in love with a fantasy, not me, otherwise she wouldn’t have tossed me aside so quick. Well, both her and Kara can take a flying leap for all I care. They’ve well and truly fucked up my life.”

  “Don’t put this on L, you let her suck you, but Kara, yeah, boot her out asap.”

  He growled. “I’m gonna kill that bitch.”

  “Be my guest,” I said, although I knew he wouldn’t. He could kill a man no problem, but when it came to chicks, he was all bark and no bite, an emasculated pit bull that couldn’t do shit.

  He swore. “Someone’s at the door.” A rustle came from over the line, making me wonder whether he was looking through his curtains. “Shit, it’s Tiana. I’m so screwed.”

  I grimaced. “Looks like it’s time to face the music, bro.”

  “What do I say to her?”

  “Tell her how it is. If she refuses to listen, you can’t do much ’bout it.”

  “I don’t think she’ll listen at all. She’s thumping, really thumping. She’s obviously seen the photos.”

  A yell came from over the line, Tiana hollering Ash’s name.

  “Pretend you’re not there,” I said.

  “My car’s in the driveway.”

  “Well, dude, I’m glad I ain’t you.”

  “Fuck you,” he growled and hung up.

  I rolled my eyes and pocketed my phone, L capturing my attention as she exited the building with Nike. I waved her over. Nike followed her, glancing at the dancer, who was still hanging around like a fly, buzzing for more info.

  “You’re in trouble, L,” I said.

  She came to a stop in front of me, looking puzzled. “Why?”

  I flicked my hand at Jody. “Bring the vid up.”

  Jody did a few taps on her phone, then passed it over.

  I thrust the screen in front of L’s face, showing the video of her sucking off my bro. “Tiana is gonna kill you.”

  Her eyes widened. “No!”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I just phoned Ash to break the news, and heard Tiana screaming his name, demanding he open the door.”

  Looking horrified, L spun on her heeled boots and ran straight for a confused Jade, who’d just exited the building. She flung herself at him, sobbing loudly, making me feel like a right cunt for telling her, even though she would’ve found out anyway.

  Jade wrapped his arms around her and gave me a scowl, probably thinking I was the cause of her upset. I shook my head at him and pointed at the dancer’s phone, then handed it back to her, telling the chick to show Jade. Jody tottered over to him, my manager’s eyes going wide as he looked down at the screen.

  I turned to my Mustang and unlocked it, sliding behind the wheel, feeling sorry for both L and my brother. Social media was never going to let them live it down, especially since L was famous. And now Ash was too, my very private brother’s worst nightmare coming true.

  More Broken Lives Short Stories Coming Soon...

  About the Author

  Marita A. Hansen is from New Zealand. She loves writing, creating art, watching and participating in football, and running. For more information on Marita check out these links:

  Author Facebook Page:

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marita-A-Hansen/113130742120676

  Blog Site:

  http://maritaahansen.blogspot.co.nz/

  Amazon Author Page:

  http://www.amazon.com/Marita-A.-Hansen/e/B005H5W79K/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

  Goodreads’ Author Page:

  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5129673.Marita_A_Hansen

  Artslant Page:

  http://www.artslant.com/global/artists/show/74433-marita-hansen

  Twitter Name: @MaritaAHansen

  MORE BOOKS BY MARITA A. HANSEN

  Graffiti Heaven (Graffiti Heaven #1)

  Behind the Hood (Behind the Lives #1)

  Behind the Tears (Behind the Lives #2)

  Behind the Lens (Behind the Lives #3)

  Behind the Secrets (Behind the Lives #4)

  Don’t Peek (The Diaries of a Teenage Girl)

  Overwhelmed (Blurred Lines #1)

  My Masters’ Nightmare Season 1, Episodes 1 �
� 5

  My Masters’ Nightmare Season 1, Episodes 6 – 10

  My Masters’ Nightmare Season 1, Episodes 11 – 15

  My Masters’ Nightmare Season 2, Episode 1 “Mind Games”

  Ricardo (The Santini Brothers #1)

  Brando (The Santini Brothers #2)

  Vincenzo (A Santini Brothers’ Short Story) from the anthology Men of Mayhem

  I Love You, Salvatore (The Five Families #1) – This is also a Santini Brothers’ Novella

  Sasha & Andriena (Lovers & Sinners #1)

  Broken English (Broken Lives #1)

  Shattered Poetry (Broken Lives #2)

  Jagged Pill (Broken Lives #3)

  Love Drunk (Broken Lives #4)