by Abbi Glines
Steel frowned like he wasn’t sure what I was trying to say. Were they all blind?
Bray slammed his stick down then and turned to stalk out of the bar. That caught Steel’s attention and he was right behind me as I hurried for the door. Hell was about to break loose and I was afraid I had just figured out why. Fuck.
Dixie Monroe
STEEL CURSED UNDER his breath and hurried after Asher. Both of them were now following Bray who had seemed angry. I must had missed something. I wasn’t exactly sure what that was since all my focus had been on Asher. I was watching him to see if he looked at Amber anymore. It was ridiculous of me, but I had needed reassurance he wasn’t really interested in her.
I followed behind Steel who seemed to have forgotten about me. Not that it mattered. Something else was obviously wrong. I wish Scarlet had stayed. Brent had been so determined to leave with her.
I had barely made it to the steps when Bray’s voice rang through the parking lot, “Don’t, Scar.”
I squinted in the dark to see Scarlet pressed up against Brent’s truck and Brent and her were obviously doing stuff. But the raw pain in Bray’s voice stopped me in my tracks. Caused me to stop breathing. Because in that moment, I knew. I knew what I had feared was true after all. Had Steel and Asher known? They’d ran out of there like they did? Surely they weren’t okay with this? Not when Asher was so determined that he couldn’t be with me because of his brother.
“Come here, baby,” Bray said. His tone was gentle yet demanding. My stomach turned. Oh, god. This was bad.
I stepped closer just as Scarlet looked up at Brent and said, “I’m sorry.” Then she left his arms and rushed into the arms of his twin brother.
Asher moved then. Fast. “What the fuck,” he roared. His voice was loud and full of fury. I’d never heard him so angry.
“Please tell me you’re shitting me,” Steel said moving to stand beside Asher. Like they were a united front, ready to take on Bray.
“Oh, shit, what have you done?” Dallas was here now, too. He was coming up from behind me. His boots hitting the gravel as he moved to stand with the others.
I’d feared this. Deep down, I think I knew it all along. Scarlet loved Bray. But I’d not wanted to believe she would do this to Brent.
“She’s mine,” Bray said, turning to look back at the brothers behind him, then back to his twin.
“What have you done?” Brent sounded like he’d been ripped in half. I knew how that felt. My heart broke for him.
“She’s been mine. I wouldn’t admit it and you kept pushing to get her to go out with you, so she did. I should have said something then. I didn’t. I fucked up. But she’s mine. She’s been mine all along.”
How could she do this? I understood loving one Sutton and being with another, but I’d never do this. Or was what I was doing even worse? Was this what it would feel like for Steel if I kept this up, knowing he’d never have my heart?
“Dixie, you need to take Scarlet,” Asher’s voice was loud and cold. His gaze locked on Bray. Daring him to say anything. He moved toward Bray. “Let her go with Dixie. We got shit to clear up,” Asher wasn’t asking. His voice was tight and hard.
“Scarlet,” I said taking a step forward. I would do whatever they needed me to. I agreed with Asher. They all needed to deal with this on their own and Scarlet needed to leave. Her being there just made it all worse.
“Don’t touch her,” Bray growled as my hand touched her arm. In that moment, my heart skipped a beat from the sheer terror I felt. The look in Bray’s eyes was that of a demon. Evil. Cruel. Nothing like his usual self at all.
Scarlet was startled by his words, too, and I jumped. Moved away fast. Something was wrong with him.
Dallas was there suddenly, pulling Scarlet back, just as Asher’s fist slammed into Bray’s face. Scarlet screamed. I screamed. I heard other screams.
“Don’t ever fucking talk to her like that again,” Asher’s threat was full of his own anger. This was the first time I’d seen him like this, too. His fist landed again on Bray’s face.
Scarlet was trying to break free from Dallas. She was screaming, “Stop! Please stop!” She was begging Asher to stop.
He was going to kill Bray. Or it looked that way, at least. Bray couldn’t seem to get his head clear enough after each hit to do anything. None of the others were stopping Asher. He’d regret this. I knew him too well. If he truly hurt Bray, he’d never forgive himself. Dallas was so busy holding Scarlet, so I was able to go to Asher. I grabbed his arm before he swung again.
“Asher, don’t,” I said hoping he could hear me over Scarlet’s screaming. He did. He stilled. Bray began wiping the blood running from his nose.
“Back up, Dixie,” Asher said, not looking at me. His glare remained fixed on Bray.
Bray moved then. But not toward Asher. He moved toward Scarlet. “Let. Her. Go.”
Dallas shook his head. “Seriously, Bray, you got some shit to work out. She needs to leave with Dixie.”
Asher finally looked at me. “Step away from this. If you’re hurt, I’ll end up killing him.” He wasn’t exaggerating. That wasn’t a threat. He was serious. I moved back then. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Knowing he’d physically hurt his brother over me.
“You need to leave with Dixie. And Dallas needs to take you both home,” Asher told Scarlet. I looked at her pleadingly. She needed to listen to him. This was only getting worse with her being there.
“Okay,” Scarlet agreed, “but don’t hurt him again. I did this. It was all me. I played games and caused this. I just wanted him . . .” She didn’t finish. She’d said enough right there. Enough to cause damage. Was this what Asher didn’t want to happen between him and Steel?
Asher swore again and shook his head, then pointed to Dallas’s truck. “Take ’em home. Then you need to come back.”
Dallas nodded. No one was arguing with Asher. “Let’s go,” he said to both of us and I walked over to stand beside Scarlet. Dallas let her go and put a hand on both our shoulders. “My truck,” he said in a low voice.
Scarlet looked at me then. She was scared and she was sorry. I could read the regret in her eyes. But she also was worried about me. Because of Asher’s actions. He hadn’t hit Bray over Scarlet. He’d hit him because of how he spoke to me. But what did I do with that? I couldn’t hope. After tonight, after this, he’d never do the same to his brother. But then, I wouldn’t either. I’d end things before that ever happened. It was what Scarlet should have done in the first place. I turned back to see all of them squared off, bodies tense, and blue lights coming down the road. The cops had been called. Wouldn’t be the first time the Sutton boys were greeted by the police. It was a good thing. Otherwise none of them might survive the night.
Bray Sutton
BRENT’S TRUCK WAS parked out by the barn when I finally came home. So was Asher’s and Steele’s. Only the old rusted farm truck was missing. I headed for the barn, not sure what I was about to face. There was a good chance they would all take turns beating the shit out of me.
When Brent would be ready to listen, I would find a way to explain it to him. But if he needed to hit me until his hand was bruised, I’d let him. I owed him that much. I handled this wrong. I wouldn’t apologize for needing Scarlet. That was something I wasn’t going to do. Because I needed her. I hadn’t been sure that I could ever feel any real emotion until Scarlet managed to get under my skin and wedge herself firmly in my heart. It was like I had walked through life without understanding passion, jealousy or even love . . . before her. I’d only known anger. It was a numbness I never wanted to live with again.
Scarlet changed all that for me. Maybe I was obsessed. Fuck, maybe I needed a new medication. But I needed to touch Scarlet and feel her to experience real pleasure. She gave me something I didn’t know existed and now I wasn’t willing to let that go. Not even for my brother.
I opened the barn door and Asher turned to look at me. He was the only one in there. And
he was going to hand my ass to me now that I was home. I was prepared for that. As long as I had Scarlet. As long as she was mine, I would happily take whatever they wanted to give me.
“He’s out helping Steel,” Asher informed me.
I nodded. I wasn’t sure what he thought I should do. Go find him? He’d be back soon enough. I turned to walk back out of the barn. I needed a shower. Sleeping outside in the back of my truck all night hadn’t left me smelling good. I could still smell Scarlet and sex on my hands, too. I didn’t want to wash her off, but I also knew the sex smell would have told my brothers more than any of them needed or wanted to know.
“She came by to see him,” Asher said just before I walked out the door.
I froze. I didn’t want Scarlet coming to see Brent or anyone else for that matter. I had unleashed some kind of fucking monster last night when I’d allowed myself to lay claim to her. My hands clenched tightly into fists at my side at the thought of her apologizing to Brent.
“When,” I bit out through my teeth.
“About three hours ago,” Asher replied.
I took a deep breath through my nose and tried like hell to calm the fuck down. “What did she say?”
“She said she’d been selfish and she was sorry,” Asher informed me.
My heart slammed against my chest and I grabbed the doorframe to keep from putting my fist through a wall. “Did he touch her?” If he had, I wouldn’t be able to control myself.
“No. She didn’t get within ten feet of him when she spoke to him,” he said slowly. “Bray, what the hell is wrong with you? You’re acting like someone fucked your girlfriend. Not the other way around.”
I ripped off the door facing and tossed it aside, before glaring back at Asher. “She’s mine.”
Asher raised his eyebrows. “She was Brent’s. You didn’t respect that.”
“No,” I roared, taking a step toward him. “She was always mine.”
Asher studied me, but he didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch. “What’s happened to you?”
How would I explain to him, to any of them, how Scarlet made me feel? What she gave me. I felt my body begin to shake.
“You okay . . . what’s wrong? Look at me, Bray,” the concern in Asher’s voice snapped me out of the panic that was starting to squeeze my lungs. I had to find Scarlet. I needed her to touch me. To ease this.
“I gotta go,” I said before turning and stalking back to my truck. Getting to Scarlet was all what I needed first. Everything else could wait. She’d been here and she’d talked to Brent. I had to know what he said to her. I needed her to tell me it was still me she wanted.
The slamming of a car door caught my attention and I turned to see Dixie standing beside her car with tears streaming down her face.
“What’s wrong?” Asher called out as he walked past me hell bent on getting to Dixie.
“Careful, bro. She belongs to Steel,” I said causing him to stop and swing a warning glare toward me.
Didn’t feel so good when someone told you your woman was someone else’s, did it? Maybe he’d remember that next time.
“She’s gone,” Dixie said looking at me instead of Asher.
My lungs ceased up and my pulse sped up. The world around me faded away. “No,” was all I could get out.
Dixie looked at Asher and covered her mouth on a sob. “She left me a note. She said she wasn’t her mother. She had to fix what she’d done.”
No. No. No.
Scarlet was not gone. She didn’t leave me. She knew she couldn’t leave me. I made it very clear to her last night.
“No!” My voice didn’t even sound like mine. I was moving toward Dixie now. I had to stop her from saying any more lies.
Asher was in my face and he shoved me back until I stumbled. “Get a hold of yourself. Jesus! You’ve lost your mind. What is fucking wrong with you?”
“No!” I yelled at the top of my lungs again, letting all the fear and panic that was trying to take hold of me grip me even tighter.
“Oh, fuck,” Asher’s voice was out there somewhere. I heard it but I couldn’t focus on what he was saying.
“Go find Steel.”
“It’s his meds. Shit, I should have realized this sooner.”
“What meds?”
“They aren’t working.”
“Asher, what meds?”
Their voices faded out completely until it was all black. And I roared with the pain taking over my chest. She’d left me. I was hollow again.
Asher Sutton
WHEN BRAY REFUSED to go to counseling over his temper issues, the doctor prescribed an antidepressant he said helped with anger management. It had. A lot. It kept Bray calm. For the past five years, he rarely ever lost his temper. He was laid back and a smartass. I should have noticed he’d been different since I got home. There was no telling how long he’d been off them. He’d covered it up well. Until two nights ago.
Scarlet’s leaving was for the best. I knew Dixie was going to miss her and I hated that for her, but my brothers needed time. If I had to drag Bray to a counselor and sit there with him twice a week, I was prepared to do it. There was something deep inside him none of us knew how to help him overcome. Something that haunted him. Controlled him. He needed help. More than a damn pill could do.
We’d kept his issue and the fact he needed medication for it from the others. Only I knew. Momma had asked me to talk him into taking it in the beginning. She couldn’t get him to do it. I’d somehow managed to convince him he needed them. But with me gone, he’d decided to go off them. I knew that after this, I wasn’t going to be able to return to Florida. I’d go back for a small break, but I was needed here. Momma would tell me I wasn’t, that I should go live my life, but I knew better. The boys needed me. Momma needed me. I shouldn’t have left to begin with.
“Asher, I need you to deliver a load to Luke Monroe, if you will.” Denver called out from the back door of Watson’s Feed and Seed. I was unloading a truck and restocking. The sun was hot as hell and normally I liked doing deliveries. But not this time. Not to Luke Monroe’s. Not today. Not after the other night. Avoiding Dixie was the only way I managed to stay sane. In the last forty-eight hours, I had to deal with her more than I could bare because it made me miss her even more. Our bond was still there. Even when hell was breaking loose, it was there. However, telling my boss I wasn’t going to do my job because of a girl wasn’t exactly an option. I swore under my breath and called back, “Okay, what’s he need?”
“Hannah is bringing you the list. She’s the one who took the order.”
And this just kept getting better and better. Hannah liked having an excuse to come out here and see me. If she didn’t have an order for me, she brought me a drink. It was nice of her to do that, but I knew by the way she was smiling and giggling that it wasn’t because she thought I was thirsty. Hannah wanted us to become more. She wasn’t hard on the eyes and unlike some of the other girls in town, she was also intelligent and ambitious. I’d heard all about her plans after college. Hannah was organized, even more so than me, she liked current events, and chatted on a lot about politics. I listened, but didn’t say much. She had a nice voice, and if only briefly, she’d distracted me from my thoughts of Dixie. But it was short-lived.
I wiped my forehead with the towel I kept tucked in my pocket. When sweat got into my eyes, with dirt mixed in, it burned like a motherfucker. Before I could prepare myself for going to Luke’s, Hannah came strutting to the back. Her navy shorts were showing every inch of her legs. One centimeter shorter and her rounded ass cheeks would peep out for all to see. The pale yellow tank top she was wearing was the only thing covering her tits. No bra. I wondered why Denver let her dress that way. Display herself like that.
“Need help loading this stuff,” she asked as she all but bounced walking toward me, grinning and selling it.
“Thanks, but I got it,” I replied.
She always smiled, perennially happy about life, which I envied
and often wondered what that felt like. But she wasn’t dressed for manual labor. She never was, yet she always offered to help me.
“I can ride with you,” she said, as if she was being helpful.
Taking Hannah with me would keep me from being alone while going to Dixie’s for the first time since this all happened. But I had demons to face and needed the quiet of my truck to prepare myself mentally. Dixie was very likely going to marry Steel. I had to accept that. Move on, though I wasn’t sure yet how I was going to do that. Although Bray’s reaction wasn’t healthy or normal, I understood his desperation. I felt the same way. I just reacted differently.
“I’m sure you’re needed at the front desk. I got this. But thanks,” I told her as gently as I could. She moved closer and closer every time she rode with me. I was concerned Hannah would be plastering herself up against me soon. Again, she was easy on the eyes and it wasn’t hard having her pressed against my body that way. I just wasn’t ready. As much as I wished I was, I wasn’t, but she kept trying anyway. I respected her enough not to use her. I didn’t think she saw it that way. That’s what worried me most.
“I’d rather be with you,” she replied, her voice dropping into a husky tone that was intended to be sexy. She wasn’t trying to be subtle at all as she rubbed her chest against my left arm.
I stepped back and reached for a bag of feed. I wasn’t even sure what kind I was holding. “Uh, Hannah, I’m flattered. But we both work for your dad and I don’t think that, uh, well . . .” I really sucked at this “I think this is a bad idea.”
She pouted. Looked damn good pouting, too. But not good enough to make me forget where I’d be going with her.
“I just knew going to the Monroe’s might be tough on you. I wanted to be there for support, if you needed any . . . support. I can think of a few ways I could help ease any ache . . . or suffering that going there might cause you.”
Her eyes went to my cock as she spoke. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider it. I was a man, but I didn’t hesitate when I said, “Thanks Hannah, but it’s best if we keep this a friend thing if that’s okay with you?”
She sighed and dropped the seductive gaze she’d been giving me. She looked more like old Hannah now. Sweet, kind Hannah, but in fewer clothes
