“This ends,” Brandon’s voice is deep, angry, and hoarse. “She’s gotten away with this for too long.”
“She’s going to regret what she’s done,” I vow as I turn on my heel and walk out of her hospital room, it’s time to fucking end this shit.
Saxon
It didn’t take me long to track the fucking bitch down. The entire town heard what she did and finally she’s been exposed as the vile cow she truly is. Seems as though everyone has done a complete one-eighty on how they view her and Briar. They’re all expressing their concern for Bri and it pisses me the fuck off. Where were they when she needed them? When her mom died or even when Sloane was born? Most of them were living in the shadows, scared in case the Hart family would start on them. Cowards.
I get off my bike just as a car pulls up beside me, I should have known he wouldn’t have let me come alone.
“You got my message then. Bri finds out you’re here, she’s going to be pissed,” I tell him as he comes to stand beside me.
He scoffs, “Like she’s not going to be pissed at you for being here. At least this way I can claim to be reigning you in.”
I grin, “Really, you think your sister is going to believe you of all people would try and reign me in.”
“Is she there?” Brandon asks as he rubs his hands together, he’s looking forward to this.
It’s almost midnight and we’re on the outskirts of town, the only light is coming from town itself. The cool air wraps around me but I don’t feel it, my blood is pumping through my veins, the need for vengeance on my mind.
“Yep, I’ve been here for a while, wanted to check to make sure I had the right place. She’s in there and there’s a guy with her. No idea who. Don’t really give a fuck either.” I’m itching for a fight. Growing up, when I’d feel out of my depth, scared, or fucking angry, I’d purposely look for a fight just so I can get some control. Those old demons are popping back up and the need to hurt someone is pushing through the surface.
“Let’s go do this,” he says striding toward the old house.
I glance behind me and see the vehicle parked at the end of the driveway, waiting.
I catch up to Brandon as he reaches the door, we don’t bother knocking, that’ll just give her time to hide or run. I lift my foot and kick, the old door splinters beneath the force and I hear a squeak of surprise.
“Don’t fucking move,” I demand as I hear her move, no doubt ready to run.
“Saxon…” she whines and I fucking hate my name on her lips.
“Shut the fuck up,” Brandon growls as he flips the light on, “Sit your ass down, Lila, we’re going to talk.” Her eyes grow wide at Brandon’s tone.
I can’t hide my smirk, she’s fucked. If she thought Bran was here to save her ass from me, she’s sorely fucking mistaken.
“Wh-what do you want?” She stutters, her gaze moving between Brandon and I.
“The truth,” Brandon snarls at her. “I want to know why you’ve been targeting my sister.”
She huffs and brings her arms across her chest, pushing her tits up so that she’s showing off her cleavage. She’s fucking stupid, does she really think that either Brandon or I would be tempted by her?
“Start talking before I let loose on my temper,” I tell her, she doesn’t need to know that I wouldn’t touch her, no matter how fucking badly I want to. She’s a woman. The fucker creeping into the room, on the other hand is an entirely different story. He tries to sneak up to us, my hand reaches for his throat before he can react. I wrap my fingers around it and squeeze, his face getting redder as each second passes. “You have a choice, you start talking, or I’ll make him.”
“Fine!” she yells and I release my hold on the asshole but keep him close. Right now, he’s perfect fucking leverage.
“Why have you been targeting Briar? And I want the truth, none of the bullshit about how she has everything,” Bran says crouching in front of her.
“Ever since we were little, it was always Briar. How pretty she was, how sweet she was, how funny she was. Even my own grandmother loved her.” She shakes her head in disgust. “It only got worse as we got older. Not only was she pretty, she was smart too and then she fell in love with the hottest guy in school. He wouldn’t even look in my direction, but neither would you…” She looks at Brandon as though she wants to devour him and I shudder in repulsion, I have the urge to fucking shower after witnessing that look. “Because she hated me, you did too.”
Bran laughs, “Nah, I don’t hate you because Bri does.” Relief washes through her eyes and she smiles at him. “Carry on,” he instructs.
“Then I overheard Sax talking to Braxton,” she says glaring at me. “He was talking about marrying her after she finished school.” She laughs, “Pathetic asshole, was totally devoted to her. Why should she have the perfect life? When mine was shit? Mom and dad were having marital problems, they were on the verge of divorce.”
“So what did you do?” he asks and I let him talk. I don’t trust myself to keep calm. I’m keeping watch of her mystery guy beside me, making sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.
She shrugs, “I got roofies, Braxton and Saxon were going to a party at Jake’s house.” He was the quarterback when I was in school. “It was easy drugging him, even easier getting him into the spare room to sleep. All I did was strip us both down and go to sleep. His face the next morning was priceless.”
I step forward but Brandon gives me a short, sharp shake of his head and I halt my movements.
“Even though he was drugged, he was so adamant that nothing happened.” She smirks and I want to hurt her. “He couldn’t get it up.” She laughs like a fucking maniac.
Brandon gets to his feet, “So you lied, telling everyone you were pregnant, to what? Break them up?”
“It worked didn’t it?” She’s so fucking smug. “Then he had to come home and of course they got back together. Why couldn't he just leave her alone. She was miserable.”
“What happened today?” How the hell can Brandon be so calm? I’d have killed her by now.
“I saw them outside the school. So fucking lovey dovey. It was sickening. Everyone was watching them with fascination.” She actually stamps her foot like a petulant child.
“So you decided to run Bri down?”
She shakes her head, “No, I was trying to hit him and that stupid brat of theirs. That would have ended all of this.”
I take a step backward, needing to distance myself from her. Brandon sucks in a sharp breath. “You wanted to hit Sloane?” His tone is lethal, vibrating with anger.
“But she pushed them out of the way. Why would she do that?” she asks as though she can’t comprehend why anyone would do that.
“Because she fucking loves them,” Brandon growls, his voice growing louder. “You stupid, fucking bitch. You could have killed my sister. You wanted to kill my niece.”
Her eyes widen, she realizes that she fucked up. “But you said you didn’t hate me.”
God, can she be any more fucking stupid?
“I actually said I didn’t hate you because Bri hated you. I fucking hate you because you’re a spoiled, selfish bitch. I wouldn’t fuck you if you were the last woman on this earth.” He comes to stand beside me, probably resisting the urge to put his hands on her. His lips turned up in disgust as he glares at her.
She starts to sob and I turn my attention to the asshole beside me. “Where the fuck do you fit into this?”
He holds his hands up in surrender, “I only met her last night. Fuck, I didn’t know she was batshit crazy.”
The door behind us opens and in walks Sheriff Gardner. “Lila Hart, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Briar Clarke.”
She’s led out of the house in cuffs, screaming at the top of her lungs, protesting her innocence. Unlucky for her, we have her full confession on tape. The sheriff came up with the idea, knowing that if anyone could get her to confess it would be me, turns out, it was Brandon.
“Thank fuck this shit’s done,” Bran says as we make our way outside.
I inhale sharply, letting the fresh air wash through me. “It’s done, the bitch can’t hurt them again. I’m heading back to the hospital.” I need to see Bri.
“You wanted to marry her when you left school?” he asks as I reach for my helmet.
I turn back to face him. “I’ve wanted to marry her since I was sixteen.”
“Don’t hurt her this time,” he warns me. “She loves you. You two are good together.”
Fuck. If that isn’t one of the best things he’s ever said to me.
“From the looks of things, she’s already forgiven you for what happened. All I ever want is for my sister and niece to be happy. You are their happiness.”
“I’m never going to hurt them,” I promise. It’s a promise I’ll keep until my dying breath.
He nods, “I know. Let’s go back to the hospital before she wakes up and wonders where we are.”
He climbs into his car and backs out of the driveway. I stare after him, glad that this shit is finally put to bed. Bri and I can move forward with our lives without having to worry about her and what she has planned next.
Briar
SIX WEEKS LATER
The past six weeks have been crazy. I ended up staying in the hospital for three weeks, even though I wanted to leave after the first day. Sax, sat down and told me how scared he was when Lila hit me. That if I went home, he wouldn’t be able to think clearly, he’d be even worse, constantly checking in on me to make sure that I’m okay. I relented, I didn’t want anyone to worry about me. Even though I had a few panic attacks while I was there, I stayed put until I was released.
The first week, I wasn’t in a cast because of the stitches that were in my leg, as soon as they came out, the cast went on. Sloane cried when she saw it the first time, she hated it. She’s gotten used to it now, we all have. She also hates that my hair is shaved on the left side. It’s not really noticeable unless you’re actually looking for it and Sax’s gaze always seems to land on it. The scar isn’t that long, but it’s there and I’ll always know it is.
The sheriff stopped by the hospital a few times to let me know how the case against Lila was. To say I was shocked that she was arrested for her involvement in the hit and run was an understatement. I had fully believed that her parents would have somehow managed to get her off. But no, the evidence was stacked against her and there was no way out of it. Sheriff Gardner says her confession will mean that she’s unable to plead not guilty. Especially as she had planned on hitting Saxon and Sloane. That was what hurt the most, she had wanted to hurt my baby. That’s unforgivable.
To my surprise, Saxon informed me that he had moved his things in with me. I was shocked at first and wanted to protest but the look on his face stopped me from arguing. Since the accident, I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s happened between Sax and I, as well as being confined to the hospital bed, it made me realize that I have forgiven him and that things between us can finally move forward. I love him and that’s the most important thing.
I’ve had more visitors in the past couple of weeks than I’ve had in a long time. Since everything came out about Lila, the hold that the Hart family had over everyone has dissolved. Their money is no longer a power point in this town. Finding out that Lila planned on harming not only Saxon, but Sloane too, it made everyone realize just how fucked up the Hart family is.
“You ready?” Sax has a huge grin on his face as he walks into the room. I nod, finally glad to be getting out of here. “Sloane’s going to be happy when she gets home from school and sees that fucking cast off.”
He sits down beside me and his arm goes around my shoulders and pulls me into his embrace. I lean into his chest, inhaling his scent. God, I love being this close to him. He’s been sleeping on the couch since I’ve been home. I hate it, I’d prefer him to sleep in my bed, but he’s afraid he’ll jostle my leg and make it worse.
I missed Sloane so much while I was in the hospital. It was the first time that I have spent a night away from her, let alone three weeks. It was a hellish time and I hated every moment of it. I’ve not let her out of my sight again. Most nights she’ll crawl into bed with me and we’ll both fall asleep watching a movie. Saxon will come and take her to her own bed so that I’m not hurt.
“I thought it would be better to surprise her.” He kisses my lips softly and I melt into him. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay,” I tell him as I look up at him. “I just hate not being active.”
“I know, babe, but you’ll be back on your feet in no time.” He gives me a smile and I try to return it.
My leg is in a cast, the doctor thinks it’ll take months for me to get back to how things were. Since I’ve been home, I’ve not been able to work and I’m stressing out, how am I supposed to pay the bills if I can’t stand? I know that if I asked Brandon, he’d give me the money, but I wouldn't, no couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t know when I’d be able to pay him back. I’ve managed to not get into debt these past five years. Thankfully, my insurance is going to cover enough of the cost that it won’t completely bankrupt me, but add in the loss of wages, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen.
“Hey, what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” he asks, tilting my chin so that I’m looking at him.
“Just thinking about work,” I say hoping that I can brush this conversation off. I know Sax and he’ll want to pay everything while I’m not working.
“It’s the bills, isn’t it? They’re already taken care of,” he says casually and I go to protest but he glares at me. “Don’t, I don’t want to hear it, Bri. I’m living here too, which means I pay my share and that means paying the bills.”
I stare at him in disbelief, “Sax…” I’m not really sure what to say, I don’t want to argue, but I’m sure as hell not letting him pay the bills.
He gets to his feet and helps me to mine. “It’s done,” he says and there’s an edge to his tone, he’s done talking about it. “Come on, it’s time to go.”
The rumble of Sax’s bike makes my heart flutter. This afternoon, he went to work, only coming home to drop Sloane off from school and then went back again. The shop has been busy these past couple of weeks, either Brax will go in early and Sax will stay late, or it’s the other way around. Some nights, Saxon doesn’t come home until eleven and then he’s up again at six, getting ready to do it all over again.
The front door opens, my nerves kick in, butterflies swarm my stomach as I wait for him to come in. It’s been six weeks and we’ve not really spoken about what happened, or what’s happening between us. Tonight, that changes.
“Hey, baby,” he says softly walking over to me. “Are you okay?” His eyes scan my face almost as if he’s searching for something. Then as always he looks at my head where the scar is.
“Yeah,” I reply, lifting my head up just as he bends, our lips touch briefly and I wish it were more. “Hungry?”
His eyes flash with lust and wet pools between my legs making me squirm. “I ordered pizza for us, it’ll be here soon. I’m just going to wash up and say goodnight to Sloane.”
I give him a smile, “She’s not here.” He frowns, “We’ve been putting this off for long enough. Tonight, we need to talk.”
His expression shutters as he stares at me. “Okay.” His voice is rough and I hate that he’s closed off now. He turns and walks down the hall, the shower turns on shortly afterward and I sigh, this wasn’t how I expected this to go.
Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rings. I gingerly get to my feet, still not used to not having the cast off. When Sloane got home and saw it was gone she cried, she was so happy, as was I. The scar is ugly but it’s healing, in time the scar will fade and not be the angry red mark that it is now. I’ve lost a lot of muscle in my leg and it’s going to take a while before I’m finally able to be back to how I was but I’m determined.
I hobble over to the door an
d open it just as Sax comes up behind me, one arm wrapping around my waist and the other reaching for the pizza as I hand the delivery guy some money. When the door closes, Sax keeps his hand on my waist as he leads me to the sitting room again.
He helps me to the sofa and we sit down, once we are seated he places the pizza beside us and we dig in.
“Sax, this talk isn’t bad,” I tell him after I’ve finished my first bite, “It’s just a way to get everything out in the open and finally be able to move on.”
He turns his gaze to me, he swallows the food in his mouth and smiles. “Move forward?”
I roll my eyes, “Where do you think this is going, Sax?” He grins and I instantly regret my words. Instead of letting him speak, I get right down to the heart of things. “Why didn’t you tell me what happened while I was in hospital?”
Brandon told me what happened. He told me everything that Lila said, why she did this to me, to us. I still can’t get over the fact that she set out to hurt my baby.
He sighs, “Because you had been through enough. That fucking bitch hurt you, Bri, and I was helpless, both fucking times. I didn’t want you to worry. She was arrested and she can’t hurt you anymore.”
“She wanted to hurt you and Sloane,” I whisper, that thought has been haunting me since I found out.
“Yeah.” His voice is harder than it had been. “You pushed us out of the way,” he growls. “Don’t fucking do that shit again.”
I stare at him in disbelief, “Saxon, I love you and Sloane, do you honestly think if I see you in danger I’m not going to do something about it?”
He shakes his head, his eyes dark, “Every fucking night, I see you. See that bitch plowing her car into you. Watching as your head bounces off the ground.”
I move the pizza box from beside us and put it onto the table then slowly crawl into his lap. “I’m here, you’re here, and Sloane’s here. Lila’s in jail and we can finally start our lives as a family.” I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on tight to him.
Bad Boy (The All American Boy Series) Page 8
