Anguished (Crimson Elite Book 2)

by T. L Smith

  “That scared you, didn’t it?”

  “What will you refer to me as?”

  “What would you like?” he asks, my face still facing the door.

  I shake my head unsure of what I should say.

  “My girlfriend. Or would that scare you?” he states.

  “That will do. It’s answer enough without too much detail,” I manage to speak.

  Echo laughs near my ear. “I can hear the boss part of you come out right then.”

  “I have a meeting.” I pull the door again, but this time he doesn’t stop me from leaving. Looking back as I walk away, he’s now standing at the door watching my ass, and I can’t help the smirk that sits on my lips.

  “So you two are really a thing?” Vicki asks. She’s been… better. But she’s still Vicki. Our meeting has finished and despite me being late it went great.

  “I don’t want to label it.”

  “I would if I had him. That man is not human, I swear.” I laugh because I almost believe her words. Almost. “He’s still in your office, did you know that?”

  It’s been well over an hour. I didn’t think he would stay. I hate that when she tells me, my heart rate jumps a beat. My feet halt when I see a few women standing at my office door, all their postures are straight, fingers brushing through their hair.

  “Told you, label it. The hyenas are out and want your man’s blood.” She laughs as she walks away. I manage to step over. The girls don’t even hear me, but he sees me I know he does.

  “Work, girls.” They all stop, turn, and leave my office, so I can see him clearly again. His tie’s gone and the top two buttons are undone. “You shouldn’t be mingling with my employees.”

  “I only want to mingle with one.”

  “You need to leave, I have work to finish.”

  Echo goes to touch me but I look around indicating that he shouldn’t. People will see. I’m the boss.

  “I’ll give you until the wedding, I’ll message you the details.” I nod my head, unable to say any more words. He reaches for his discarded tie then steps past me to go through the door. “Then I plan to fuck you every which way till Sunday.”

  My thighs draw together at his words while my eyes shoot to the floor and he chuckles as he walks out

  14

  Echo

  Today is the day, what a fucking day, too. The sun is bright and the clouds are gone, it’s the perfect day for a wedding. The wedding from fucking hell that is. Why the fuck did I agree to go to this? I’ll never fucking know.

  “Are you sure you should be going?” Falcon fixes his tie as he watches me fidgeting with mine.

  “Possibly not.” A smirk touches my lips, but I’m fucking going.

  He nods his head a look of unease on his face. “And you’re bringing the redhead? You sure that’s a good idea, especially if you like her. After today, she could possibly not like you at all.”

  Shit. I didn’t think of that.

  Letting go of my tie I stand taller, but before I can back out of it, her message comes through telling me she’s ready to be picked up. On time. Perfect.

  “And not only that she’ll be meeting your ex—”

  “She has,” I state.

  Falcon holds his hand up, shakes his head in disbelief. “Say what. She’s met the evil queen and still wants to go with you?”

  This time I fidget so much more than before. I’m almost ready to tear the tie off of my neck. “She doesn’t know it’s Selena getting married, she only knows it’s my brother’s wedding.”

  Falcon’s hand holds up to my face, then he laughs, belly laughs so loudly I’m sure everyone within a very short distance can hear him. “You’re fucking with me, right? You didn’t tell her your brother’s marrying your ex?”

  Pulling the tie off, I’m sick of it. Fuck it. I clutch it in my hands and slide it into my pocket. “It never came up.”

  “Oh, this is classic, like truly. You do know she’s a redhead, right? Like she will flip her shit on you and possibly even cut you?” His laughter dies, but the smirk on his face never leaves. “I mean I’m happy to find you in pieces at the bottom of a river, but did you stop to think it wasn’t the best way to break it to her as Selena walks down the aisle?”

  “That’s how she’s going to find out,” I state. Reaching for the bottle of whiskey, I think how lucky I am that I’m not fucking driving.

  “And let’s not forget about your parents, I mean…” he scratches his chin still smirking, “… they are assholes.”

  I laugh, that’s a massive understatement.

  “She can find that out herself as well. I don’t plan to stay long anyway.”

  “So, why are you going exactly?”

  That’s the real question, isn’t it? I don’t even know if I can answer it correctly. A part of me wants to go just to say I saw it then laugh as it dissolves. Because it’s bound to. Then another part can’t believe that my brother or even the woman I used to love would do that to me. What did I ever do that was so bad to deserve this kind of treatment? I shrug my shoulders and grab my coat.

  “You could come hunting with me, we need new clients.”

  I shake my head.

  Falcon loves that shit. He loves to assess people and surprise them with him knowing more. He delves into their history before he will actually meet them. Surprise attack to make sure they want it, then when he’s satisfied they are a right fit, he goes out and invites them. Usually, by that time they know they’re a candidate. Sometimes not.

  “I’ve already said I’m going, and I’m already a disappointment. So let’s not give them something else to complain about.”

  “You’re far from a disappointment. You are, by far, a better man than Mike. They just can’t see past their rose covered glasses. Idiots.” I smile at his words and walk out. The driver is already waiting for me out the front. I didn’t want to drive to this event because I know for a fact, I’ll need to drink if it gets that way around my family. Texting Red I tell her I’m on my way and she replies with a winky face.

  When we pull up out the front she’s already waiting, in a dress I’m sure is going to out-do the bride. The dress is lavender and stops just short of her knees. The black sky-high heels she has on match. Her red hair is tied up in a tight bun on top of her head. Getting out before she can reach the door, I do what I’ve been missing all week, grab her ass and take her lips. She doesn’t fight or question me on it, she merely kisses me back like she’s missed the same thing as much as I have. When we finally break apart her hand lays softly on my shoulder as she smiles.

  “I see you missed me,” she says in a sneaky suspicious way like it’s a joke hidden within the truth. She may be right.

  “I’ve missed a lot of things, one of them is your lips.” She smiles as I open the door for her.

  “So, this isn’t a date, right?” she asks looking up as she slides into the car.

  “No.”

  She sighs in relief at my words. The look that passes on her face, the contempt in knowing this isn’t a date doesn’t sit well with me. Would I be that bad to date? I mean she likes me, that’s obvious, or she wouldn’t let me near her. But am I that bad a man for her to date? Getting in the car I place my hand on her leg, she smiles up at me.

  “We have to stop at one more place.” She nods her head.

  Pulling up at Creed’s I get out of the car shutting the door. Elicea comes to the door looks me up and down and smiles.

  “I heard you’re going to a wedding.” Elicea is too fucking sweet for Creed, way too fucking sweet. She looks past me into the car and I know she sees Storm by the way her eyes pinch together in confusion. She looks back at me. “And taking a date?”

  Creed walks out, his hand goes straight to the side of Elicea’s pregnant belly holding her hip. “You want me to take the security for how long?” Creed asks getting straight to the point.

  “Bring her out. It’s rude to leave her sitting there,” Elicea says before I can finish.r />
  “Go, and meet her, I have to go.” Looking back to Creed. “Just for two nights. D knows already.” He nods his head and Elicea places her hand on my shoulder, as I start walking back to the car with her next to me. Red opens her door and steps out with a smile and her hand outstretched already.

  “Hi, I’m Storm.”

  Elicea smiles big at her name. “I’m Elicea.” She turns back and points to Creed. “Creed’s other half. It’s so nice to meet you. You’ve really made him smile lately.”

  Red looks to me then back to Elicea.

  “We have to go, I’ll stop by tomorrow if I can.” I lean in and kiss her cheek then offer a wave to Creed who stands on the front porch waiting for Elicea to return.

  “She seems lovely.”

  “She is.” My hand covers hers as we start to drive, I’m trying to work out how exactly how I’m going to tell her because I really don’t want her sucker punching me in the balls, or even possibly worse not seeing me again. So far she’s been everything I need at this time. She came unexpected, and that’s more than a pleasant surprise for me.

  “You work with him?” she asks breaking me from my thoughts. “You seem, off,” she says in a way that makes me fully turn to look at her. Her voice is uneven, her hand in mine is fidgeting.

  “I’m not close to my family.”

  Her hand relaxes. “Oh, I didn’t know. Sorry.”

  I didn’t ask for her sympathy, yet she gives it anyway.

  “Don’t be sorry, I have my boys. They’re closer to family than mine will ever be,” I tell her the truth.

  “That guy back there?”

  “I grew up with him. Creed.” She nods her head. Before I can say another word, the car comes to a stop out the front of the church. My mother used to tell me if I walked into one the house would burn down. What a liar she is.

  “We can sit, a little while longer if you need?”

  I shake my head, it’s best to get this day over with. When I turn to look at her, my nerves cease to exist, and I know exactly why I want this to hurry up—so I can take her with me to my home and tie her to my bed and keep her there for as long as I want.

  Turning back, I see her—my mother. She’s standing next to my father as she speaks to him, possibly on the lookout for when I arrive.

  “Is that them?” Her voice shocks me out of my staring. I open the door, step out and grab her hand. She slides across getting out with me. When I shut the door, it’s then that they both turn to look at me. My mother stands with her hands crossed over her chest as my father has his hands on his belt watching us. “They’re intense,” she whispers.

  “They are.” I laugh at her nervousness.

  “Do we like them, or not?” she whispers as we step closer, her hand squeezing my forearm.

  “Best behavior.”

  She giggles softly as we reach them.

  “Something funny?” my mother asks in her best ‘my shit don’t stink’ voice.

  “Mother, Father… this is Storm.”

  Storm offers her hand but neither take it, so she lets it fall to her side.

  “You brought a date? The cheek of you, Echo,” my mother says.

  Storm stiffens next to me.

  “I think I have every right to,” I argue back.

  “Maybe I should…” Storm goes to pull away, but I hold onto her arm not letting her escape.

  “Oh, trust me, you aren’t going anywhere.”

  Storm nods her head and looks to the ground.

  “What is it you do, Storm?” My father asks, his voice is judgmental, but she chooses to not acknowledge it as she answers.

  “Oh, I run Sass Fashion. I’m the Chief Editor.”

  Both sets of eyes go wide.

  “And your dating, Echo?” my mother says.

  Storm looks to me, her beautiful brown eyes glimmer with proudness. “Yes. What Echo does sure outweighs what I do. He’s very successful.” I didn’t need her to say that, but I’m thankful all the same. The only people in my life who tell me I’m okay is my non-brothers, and even then we are guys. We don’t say it enough to each other. My blood brother, on the other hand, decides he finds it in my best interests to fuck and marry my first love.

  “I’m sure that’s what he says,” my mother snidely remarks.

  “I’ve been there, it’s a very well thought out business. One of the most elite in all the country, so I’ve heard and I have quite a few high contacts.” They both turn to look at me, a new look on their face that I haven’t seen before. Did it really take the words of a complete stranger for them to believe that what I do, I can be good at? They’ve never even cared to ask before.

  My brother walks out, dressed in a suit. Nothing unusual. He walks up to us. His eyes land on Storm and he introduces himself before I can even do so. “You must be his new flavor of the month. I’m Mike, the better brother.”

  If it weren’t his wedding day, I would punch the prick in the throat then straight in his fucking perfect jaw.

  Storm laughs as she smiles, squeezing my arm to stop me from saying anything stupid. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. And congrats, I can’t wait to see the beautiful bride.” All eyes fall to me, all except Storm who’s clueless, which makes me feel like an ass.

  “Oh, you don’t know?”

  This time I squeeze her arm to keep her in place as my brother’s words start to fall from his mouth.

  “Know what?”

  “I think you may have met her, actually.” Mike looks to me, a gleam forming in his eye. “Or, was that another woman at your house when my fiancée came over?”

  Storm tries to pull away from my hand but I keep hold of her.

  Mike turns and walks back inside when he’s called by the minister.

  Fuck.

  15

  Storm

  No way, no family is that shit. Not possible. But I know he isn’t lying by the grip Echo has on my arm right now like he knows I want to run in the other direction. His brother walks off and his parents smile at me and only me, then they follow their son inside.

  “You didn’t tell me,” I manage to say.

  He shakes his head and everyone starts going inside. “Let’s get this over with.” He sighs in relief, I’m not going to let his brother win. Mike thought he could, I saw the smugness play on his face when he told me what he did. Like it would make me run for the hills. It still might, but right now I can be the only person in this place that likes Echo because it sure as shit shows that no one in his family does. They all think of him as a dropkick. Which he’s anything but.

  “Thank you.”

  I shrug. What I want to say isn’t the right time to be spoken. He has enough shit to deal with from his family, today isn’t the day.

  He takes a seat at the back. I don’t argue or even bother asking why he doesn’t sit up front with the rest of his family. His foot starts bouncing up and down on the spot, and it’s one of the first times I’ve seen this side of him. Nervous. Anxious. Apprehensive. And maybe even a little distressed. The music starts while I watch him staring straight ahead, but then he reluctantly turns to see where it’s coming from. To see her walk past me. I feel her as she approaches but don’t care to turn to see her. My eyes are solely trained on him and his reaction.

  “Is she beautiful?” I ask him, he nods but doesn’t look back at me. “Do you wish it was you?”

  This time his eyes find me. Everyone goes silent, and I hear in the background a wedding playing out. Do I care, though? No.

  “No. I don’t think so.” His answer’s unsure, and that doesn’t sit well with me.

  “How did she break your heart, Echo? How?”

  He leans in close, so only I can hear him. No one near us is paying us any attention anyway. “She fucked my brother,” he replies with such venom.

  “Did you really love her?”

  His eyes leave mine as they flick to the front of the room then back to me. “Maybe. She was all I knew.”

  We sit in sile
nce staring at each other, neither of us paying any attention to the wedding. The way his eyes search mine doesn’t bode well for me. He’s trying to look deeper to find what I don’t even know.

  “We’re a pair, aren’t we?” I ask him

  He doesn’t answer just continues to stare with those beautiful blue eyes.

  “I think we should end it after this I will play the perfect dutiful girlfriend until the wedding finishes. Then that’s it. It’s time. We’ve had our fun.”

  “Have we, though?” he finally replies.

  We both turn to the front when everyone starts cheering, and he pulls me to stand and starts clapping as they walk down the aisle. She glances my way as she passes then her eyes land on Echo, surprise sits there, but she covers it when she hears the click of the cameras.

  They look so much alike, yet so different—Echo and his brother. I wonder why they don’t like each other. It can’t be just because one was favored over the other.

  “You look so alike,” I state as people start to walk out after the bride and groom.

  “That would be because we’re twins.”

  My mouth falls open as I turn to look at him. “You both should be close.” Turning to face him full on, he’s already watching me. “Why aren’t you?”

  He shrugs then grabs my hand in his. “We still have a reception to attend. This should be fun.”

  His mother and father are waiting out by the front of the door for us when we leave. We are the last two out the door. I saw the way people stared at him as they walked past. Or the slight whispers of his name as well. His mother offers me a small smile before she starts walking with the both of us following not far behind her.

  “I would like you and Storm to sit at our table,” his mother says. She doesn’t give us room to say no.

  We make our way into the reception area—which is a large white marquee out the back of the church—which is filled with beautiful floral decorations. The scent as you walk inside almost knocks you off your feet. There are tables set up with white tablecloths and pink placemats. Massive bouquets of flowers decorate the middle of every table. Small glittery lighting hangs in strands from the ceiling. Behind the bride and groom’s table is a sheer curtain, with fairy lights trailing across and down. Everything is in pink and white, it’s quite beautiful.