by Vi Carter
I lean in to brush a kiss on her lips. I hope it’s enough to make her understand not to test me. “I’ll only be a minute.”
She nods, but I can’t leave.
“We aren’t going to eat the girl.” My mam lets out an annoyed breath at all of us standing and no one moving. I exhale and meet her gaze with a smile.
“I know, Mam.”
“Then go.” She orders, and I meet Scarlett’s eye one final time before I leave the room with Gage.
“Make it quick.” I bite out once we are down the hall. I can hear the small chatter from my mam. She’ll grill her with questions.
“What are you doing?” Gage stops me from walking.
I shake his arm off me. “Don’t touch me and that’s my question to you. What the fuck was that in there? I’m trying to make this look normal.”
Gage sneers. “Normal? What the fuck have you done to that poor girl? Introducing her as your girlfriend. She looks terrified.”
“What do you want from me?” I shove him and his back collides with the wall, the noise is loud.
“Everything okay?” Dad appears at the end of the hall. His prodding eyes have Gage standing straight.
“Yeah, Dad. Just give us a minute.”
Dad walks away and Gage is in my face. “You should have locked her up, not let her sit with our parents. Sometimes I fucking wonder about you, Dean.”
I’m walking away because I don’t want another second to pass where Scarlett has an opportunity to tell my parents she’s been forced to stay here. Gage doesn’t stop me. Scarlett is sitting beside my mam. I glance over my shoulder, but Gage hasn’t followed me. Nosy bastard.
“Everything okay?” My dad asks again as I sit down beside Scarlett, who stops talking.
“Yeah, Dad. Gage is just being an asshole.” I pick up the glass of brandy.
“Language.” My mam corrects.
“Sorry.” I mumble. I’m aware Scarlett is watching me. My gaze flicks to her and I can’t for the life of me decipher what I see in her ocean eyes.
“So how long has this lovely lady been your girlfriend?” I can see my mother’s excitement. I don’t blame her. She’s never met a friend, never mind a girlfriend.
“A while.” I scratch my beard and glance up at the hall. Where the fuck is Gage?
“You were just about to tell me how you met.” My mam has turned her attention back to Scarlett. My dad watches her with interest. This is all starting to feel like a really bad idea.
“Why don’t you tell them.” Scarlett’s smile wobbles. She looks tired. “Scarlett is a singer.” My mam’s face lights up. “She was singing at a bar and that was it, our eyes met and I had to bring her home.”
Scarlett glares up at me and I lean in and press a kiss on her lips. I didn’t have to, but her smell and her presence is keeping me stable right now.
“Sing us a song.” My dad shuffles forward on the couch and Gage reappears.
“Maybe another time,” I say and glance at Gage, who sits down.
“I didn’t know you were a singer, Scarlett.”
“Now you do.” I finish quickly.
“Yeah, I sing for a living.” Scarlett’s voice sounds softer as she speaks to Gage and when I look at her, she’s wearing a genuine soft smile that I want to tear from her face. It dissolves when her gaze collides with mine.
“You look tired.” I touch her face and hate when she flinches, but she catches herself quickly.
“Why don’t you make mam and dad something to eat? I'm just going to get Scarlett settled.”
I don’t look to my parents to see what they are thinking. I’ve always been weird to them. So this behavior wouldn’t be anything new.
“Okay.” Gage surprises me when he agrees. I wrap my fingers around Scarlett's hands.
“Well, goodnight, sweetheart.” My mam sounds genuinely happy as she speaks to Scarlett.
“It was lovely meeting you all.”
“We will catch up properly tomorrow.” My mam promises as I leave the room with Scarlett.
“I look forward to it.” Scarlett calls over her shoulder.
“Why are you being rude?” Scarlett asks the minute we are out of earshot. I don’t answer her as I walk her to the bedroom. Once she’s inside, I release her hand.
“You like Gage?” I take a step towards her.
“What?” She reaches up and touches her neck. I don’t want her reaching for the pendant. I am here. She can reach for me, not take comfort in a ghost.
I fold my arms across my chest. I don’t want to hurt her. “Why were you looking at him like that?”
Jealousy boils through me. I glance away as the emotion rides high inside me.
“He’s nice to me. He tried to rescue me.”
“What? From me?” I fire back.
Scarlett takes a step back, her brows drawing down. “Well, yeah.” She sounds confused and I unfold my arms. There was a moment when I introduced her, that I felt ten feet tall. I had a girlfriend, one who got to meet my parents. The approval in my mam’s eyes was new to me. Even with my dad, I could see he was happy. It was different from the constant disappointment that I brought upon them.
“Dean.” Scarlett’s soft word has me glancing up at her and I hate how her presence in my home is felt so strongly. What if she wasn’t here? That thought has anger boiling my blood, and I don’t want to feel that right now. I clear the space between us and grab her face, slamming my lips on hers, she doesn’t respond and my kisses turn more brutal. Her hands smack into my chest and I stumble away from her.
Angry ocean eyes glare up at me, and I don’t stop as I reclaim her face and steal another kiss. This time when she pushes me away, I don’t release her and she kisses me back. We are moving until her back collides with the wall. She bites me and I release her.
“Jesus Christ, Scarlett.” I lick blood off my lip. She has re-opened a recent cut.
I turn as she tries to walk away and I carry her to the bed. She kicks out, and when I pin her down, she’s ready to scream. I clamp a hand over her mouth. My lips burn.
“What are you doing?”
She wriggles under me, her eyes burn with anger. I move my hand.
“I don’t get it. I’m doing everything you want, yet it’s not enough. What do you want from me?!” She’s breathing heavily and I don’t want to answer her question.
“I don’t like how you are looking at Gage.” I move my face closer to hers. Her gaze flickers to my lips.
“What? I can’t make eye contact with your brother?”
I release her arms from above her head and sit back. The answer to that question is yes. I don’t fucking want her making eye contact with Gage, but that sounds too many kinds of fucked up.
She hasn’t moved, and once again, I don’t want to look at all the feelings that are swirling around inside me. I lean over her and press a gentler kiss to her lips, but it’s not enough.
I slip my tongue into her mouth and it’s like something switches on inside her and she meets my kiss with a harshness I didn’t expect from her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
SCARLETT
Anger isn’t even close to what I feel. Dean presses his cock against me. His hands roam my body possessively and I have no idea how to win with him. I slam my hands into his chest again and he leans back. Fresh blood wells up on his lip, I didn't want him to stop, but I want to hurt him as much as he is hurting me.
He glares at me and I push him again. His lips find mine and I wriggle out from under him. I don’t want this to stop, but anger has me breaking our kisses, while my body wants Dean’s touch so much, no matter how rough it is. He drags me back and a part of me is elated as he pulls my top off before kissing me again. I grab the hem of his top and he quickly breaks the kisses and removes it before reclaiming me. My hands roam his wide shoulders before I dig my nails purposely into his back. He hesitates. I’m airborne and find myself smacked into the mattress with Dean over me.
“What are
you doing?” His angry words make me wetter.
I have no idea what I am doing. Playing with fire? I am exhausted emotionally and I don’t care right now. He doesn’t wait for me to respond. He drags my trousers off me roughly and I kick out, connecting with his shoulder.
“Scarlett.” My name is growled in a warning and he’s removing his own trousers. His large erection springs free. He parts my legs roughly and moves himself into position.
“Get off me,” I say, not meaning it at all.
I want to laugh or cry or scream. I could scream that he kidnapped me. I could do a lot of things, but instead I’m dragging him down to me and he pushes fully inside me in one swift movement. I don’t cry out. I’m aware of his family in the living space. He moves over me and I moan into his neck, my sounds muffled. I push him again and he stops fucking me, his eyes dazed.
“Get off me,” I repeat. He pulls out of me and I move out from under him. When he rolls onto his back I climb on top of him, and ride his hard cock with all the anger that boils through me. His hands grip my hips and I pull them off. His jaw clenches, but his enjoyment takes over as I ride him faster. He’s perfect under me and I hate him all the more. His hands return to my hips, but fall away as my hand connects with his face. He’s glaring at me in confusion, and I’m so close to cumming as I ride his cock hard. I explode over him and lean down, burying my face in his neck as I cry out my release. He jerks up into me and pounds until his cum sprays the walls of my pussy. I’m panting and so is he. I lean back so I can look into his dark eyes.
“What the fuck was that?” He asks and I have no answer for him, because I don’t know myself.
I’m angry because I got to meet his family like this is real and for a moment I wanted it to be real. But it isn’t. I’m still looking down at him and bile starts to rise up my throat with the realization that I’m falling in love with Dean. I climb off him quickly and he sits up, staring at me.
“Scarlett?” He’s holding up his hands. “You wanted that, too?”
I am falling in love with him—with the idea of us. I try to climb off the bed, but his hands circle my waist and he pulls me back.
“Scarlett. I didn’t force you.” His face looks panicked.
I try to push everything else down. “No, you didn’t.” I admit, I had wanted that even more than he did. He thinks that’s why I’m trying to get away from him. His large hand touches my face and I feel it all the way down to my stupid toes. I close my eyes, unable to keep the flood of emotions hidden from him.
“You’re crazy.” His words brush my face. It doesn't sound like an accusation but a statement, one that doesn’t seem to really bother him.
I pull away from his touch. “You’re an asshole.” I spit back.
He grins and gets off the bed and I’m ready to ask him, what are we doing? What is this between us? It is so much more now, but I still have no idea where I stand with him. My heart pounds faster in my chest.
I want to ask him how he feels, but I know how stupid that is. He drags on his trousers.
“You did good back there,” he says, turning to me with his shirt in his hand. I drag my knees up to my chin. His gaze touches all over my skin. “It’s only for two days.” He finishes as he drags on his shirt.
Two days and then what? I don’t answer him and he crawls back onto the bed.
“What are you thinking?” His gaze roams across my face like the answers might be there. I let my eyelids flutter closed and he grips my chin painfully, making me look up at him before I hit his hands away.
“Why won’t you answer me?”
I feed off his anger. “I’m saving the happy Scarlett for your parents. Are they even your real parents?” I ask and he flinches.
“No.” His answer shocks me.
“I was adopted. So was Gage.”
My chest tightens. “I didn’t mean…” I start, but he climbs off the bed.
“I know we don’t look alike. It was a fair assumption.”
I hadn’t even looked to see a resemblance; it was just that Dean could be lying to me.
He glances at me with a clenched jaw. I know better than to keep prodding him.
“What happened to your dad? It looks like someone beat him?” I try to reach for softer ground, but with Dean, there is none.
“Get some rest.” He tells me, as he picks up his military boots. He pauses at the door and glances back at me. I don’t know what I see in his dark eyes, but he shuts me off and leaves the room.
I want to go after him. I don’t want to be alone. My fingers touch my pendant, but I don’t find the same solace in it as I once did. It’s like the day that Dean pulled it from my neck, it lost its magical ability to make me believe that everything would be okay. With Dean, I always feel like I’m crawling on my knees. I have no idea what I am feeling or what I am meant to feel. I lie back on the bed and drag the blanket over my naked body. I don’t know what I wait for, but my mind is a jumbled mess as I fall asleep.
***
I wake and know it’s morning or close to morning time. Dean isn’t beside me and I reach across and touch his side of the bed. It’s cold and I don’t remember him coming back to me last night. I roll onto my back and stare up at the ceiling. I can hear the soft chatter of voices and it sets my stomach spinning.
They seemed so normal. They appear like really nice people. So why wasn’t I running out there and telling them I’ve been kept here against my will? Why am I pretending? I roll onto my stomach. I knew why, because a part of me wants to see what it would feel like to belong to him. When he had introduced me to them, a thousand dreams had come to life right there in his living space.
I had a family, I had a home, food on my table, and I had Dean and it was so perfect that I had thought I was going to fall down and sleep. It was like all the tightness that had held me upright just vanished from my body.
The handle of the door pushes down and I push everything aside with the thoughts of his dark eyes on me. I clutch the blanket and drag it tighter to my body. It isn’t Dean. It’s Gage. I’m ready to scream, maybe he sees the fear in me.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to help you.”
He takes a step closer and I move deeper into the bed.
“Scarlett, I can get you out of here.” His words are said with a smile and I let it sink in for one crazy second. He can help me leave, and go where?
“Get out.” I can’t hold his gaze and when he doesn’t move, I look back up at him.
His confusion drags down his brows. “You want to stay here?”
“No.” I blurt out. I didn’t. Not like this. It should never be like this. “He won’t let you take me.” I hold my head higher.
“If I found a way, would you come?”
The question is so heavy and I tighten my hold even further on the blanket. Tears blur my vision and I have no understanding of why.
“Yes,” I whisper.
It’s all he needs. He nods his head. “I’ll find a way.” He leaves me then and I feel like I’ve betrayed Dean, which is crazy since he took me.
“He took you,” I say out loud, reminding myself why I need to leave.
CHAPTER TWENTY – FIVE
DEAN
I’m staring into the sink. I feel sick.
“What’s troubling you?” My mam reaches up and touches my cheek. I take my hands out of the water.
“Nothing. I’m just glad you are here.” I tell her and she smiles up at me.
“You’ve always found it hard to talk about your emotions.”
I look away from her. “Where’s Gage?” I ask, glancing around the space. Dad is snoozing on the couch. Gage returns into the living space.
“Where were you?” I ask him and move away from the sink, wiping my wet hands on my jeans.
“Toilet.” He fucking lies and I’m moving past him.
“She’s fine.” He speaks to me as I pass him. My heart beats too fast as I enter our room and she’s pulling a t-shirt o
n. I get a peek of her smooth skin before it’s covered up. Guilt shines in her eyes and I squeeze my eyes shut as an image of her with Gage claws its way into my mind.
“Dean?” She’s standing in front of me when I open my eyes. Ocean eyes search my face for the reason of my distress. “Are you okay?” What a fucking question. No! I’m burning up with the thoughts of my brother even looking at you.
“Yeah, I was just seeing if you were hungry.” I step in and place a kiss on her lips. She seems startled but kisses me back. Her soft hair falls through my fingers.
She’s mine.
“What will I cook you?”
Her eyes widen. “I like pancakes.” She bites her lip and a smile teases her mouth.
I’m mirroring her smile. “I can make pancakes with bacon.”
“No bacon.” Her smile widens and I steal another kiss.
“Maybe we could skip the food.”
Her smile wavers, but she doesn’t say no. She looks better this morning. The sleep has done her good. I need to feed her.
I entwine our fingers together and start walking towards the door, but before I reach it, she stops me.
“I need to wash my face.”
Her face is perfect, she looks stunning in the mornings. I give her another kiss.
“Okay. I’ll get started on your pancakes.”
She tries to hide another smile, but fails, and I love it. I’m looking into ocean eyes realizing she’s really sunk her nails into me and I don’t ever want her to let go.
“What do I smell?” My dad asks, rousing from the couch as I flip another pancake. Scarlett sits at the table where she always sits, but she’s not relaxed like she normally is. Gage is sitting across from her and he keeps looking at her.
My mother works by my side, cutting up strawberries and making the tea.
She pauses and I look at her. She’s smiling, “This is nice.” She tells me before turning to the table where dad joins Gage and Scarlett. “This is nice.” She repeats as she starts to set the table. For years she has tried to get us together and finally here we are, in a bunker with a girl I kidnapped. Yeah, it is perfect. I carry over the pancakes and enjoy how Scarlett keeps track of me. I serve her first. My mother is ready with the icing sugar that she sprinkles on before dropping some strawberries. I reach across and rearrange them.
