Brett and Hannah (Soul Mates 101 Series) (2 page)

Her mother yelled up the staircase.
“Hannah, Hudson has the car out front. Are you ready?”

“
I’m coming,” Hannah shouted. One last check of her hair and make-up, and she made her way downstairs. The house had open staircases on each side, just after you entered the front door.

Hannah gave her mom and dad a
chaste kiss on the cheek.

“Be saf
e, Hannah. Remember who you are,” her dad Todd said.

Hannah rolled
her eyes and said the last sentence at the same time as her dad.

“
I’m staying the night at Chelsea’s. See you tomorrow.”

Hudso
n was their main security guard and driver. He was ex-military, in his fifty’s with salt-n-pepper hair and lived on the property. The family drove on their own during his time off, but the Masons insisted Hudson drive Hannah as much as possible. Dressed in a black suit, he was waiting by the car to open the door for her.

“Hello, Hannah. How are you this evening?”

“Great, Hudson, and you?”

“I’
m enjoying this nice breeze.” He shut the door and went around to get in the driver seat.

“So, are we making the usual stops?”

Hannah recalled her embarrassment from talking to Brett about the weather. “Yes. All the girls are going, and I won’t need a ride home. I’m going back to Chelsea’s, so her driver will pick us up.”

Hudson eyed her through th
e rear view mirror.

“Hannah, I’
m not trying to overstep my boundaries, but you know I worry about you when you go to parties. Remember you can call me anytime, and I’ll be there.”

“I k
now. That’s why I love you so much, Hudson, but we’ll be fine. I’m an adult now.”

“
Yes, but it’s hard to remember sometimes. You were so young when I started this job.”

They
picked up Chelsea first. Her father was a music executive and very close to Hannah’s family. Her parents were very affluent, as well.

Next they picked up Morgan.
She was on the college swim team and the fittest of Hannah’s friends. She stood out with her dark hair and big, brown eyes. Jasmine got into the car last.

“What’s up chick
s? Are you ready to party?” She was the most free spirited of the bunch.

Being
half Puerto Rican and half Caucasian, she was blessed with silky, long, dark hair and milk chocolate skin. She brought a lot of fun into her friends’ lives.

Hannah, Chelsea, Morgan and Jasmine did
almost everything together and never went to parties without each other. Hudson pulled into the long driveway.

“Damn, there’s a lot of cars here, and you know what that means … a lot of guys,” Jasmine said
, giggling as they approached the home.

“You’re
a mess, Jasmine,” Morgan said.

Jasmine giggled. “Yeah, but I’m a hot mess.”

“Remember you can call me, Ms. Hannah,” Hudson said as he dropped them off near the front door.

Matt drove Brett to the party while their other three roommates rode together in a separate car. Brett became aggravated when they pulled into the driveway. “Did she invite the whole damn college?” he asked.

The
home was extravagant, but as Brett walked up to the door, he thought about how small it appeared in comparison to Lorna Ray Mason’s mansion.

It was tota
l chaos in the house as Matt and Brett tried to move through the crowd. They spoke to a few people they knew and grabbed a beer from one of the kegs they found on the back deck.

“I see we
lost the rest of the guys,” Matt said.

Brett signaled to a door.

“Let’s go downstairs and see if Olivia is there.”

The basement
was spacious with a couple of pool tables and a theater size TV. There were also doors open to a lit up patio where people were hanging out. They finally spotted her talking to a group of guests.

“Olivia, give me a hug,”
Brett said, smiling. Olivia was a beautiful blonde, and those who met her were fond of her.

“I’
m glad you made it. Isn’t this crazy? I guess I let the party leak to a few too many people.”

“
I think it’s because you become friends with everyone you meet,” Matt said.

“Good point.” She gave Matt
a warm hug. “Thanks for coming. I know neither of you enjoy this scene anymore, and you’ll probably enjoy it even less tonight due to the number of underclassman here.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. It’
s going to suck around campus next year without you there,” Brett said.

After a few minutes of
talking with Olivia, Brett heard a lot of laughing and yelling coming from the corner of the room where the sitting area and TV were set up. He shifted his position to see what was happening. Six guys who appeared much younger than him were huddled around someone.

He walked ov
er near where they stood and saw that one of the men had his cell phone out taking pictures. Brett finally got a glimpse between two of the guys and saw Hannah Ray Mason barely alert on a couch. The men were taking turns getting their picture taken with her.

Dammit, this is why I d
on’t get to know college girls.

He felt he had to
intervene. He believed the probability of her getting hurt if he didn’t was high. He also figured with her celebrity status that it would be ugly for her if the pictures got out. The longer he watched them laugh and grope her, the angrier he became. He took hold of Olivia’s arm and gently pulled her aside.

“Olivia, do you know Hannah Mason personally?”

“I’ve talked to her a few times and seen her at parties.”

“Do you know who she
rode with?” he asked.

“S
he hangs with these three girls, and they showed up together. Why are you asking?”

“Shit’
s about to go down.” He pointed to the guys over at the sofa. “I need you to go upstairs, and find her friends. I’ll bring her to them shortly, but then I’m out of here. Sorry I can’t stay longer.”

“You’
re such a great guy, Brett. No problem, I don’t want anything bad happening here, anyway.”

Matt walked over to Brett.

“What’s going on?”

Brett
pointed to the group of guys and Hannah.

“
I’m getting ready to do something. Just follow me upstairs after, and then we’ll need to leave.”

Matt sighed and ra
n a hand through his dark hair.

“OK, whatever, bro, but
don’t get us into a fight.”

T
o avoid a fight with six guys, Brett knew intimidation was key. He stormed over to the men, and with his hands, he pushed his way between two of them.

“What the hell do you all think you’
re doing?” he asked in a raised voice. When angry, Brett often came across as scary due to his height and build. They stopped speaking and stared nervously at him. Only the guy taking the pictures answered.

“Dude, w
e’re just playing around. She’s so wasted, and do you know who she is?”

Brett could tell
the guy was drunk by how he slurred his speech and laughed the whole time he spoke.

“Give me your
phone—now,” Brett demanded.

“No way, man. I’
m going to sell these damn pictures.”

“Like hell you a
re. You’re going to delete every photo you have of her while I stand here and watch. If you don’t, I’m taking your phone and beating your ass.”

Brett’s fists clenched. He
glanced down at Hannah and saw she was passed out and had fallen over on the couch. The room was silent as everyone stared at him.

“W
hat’s your fucking problem? Are you just wanting a turn with her or something?” the guy with the phone asked.

Brett snapped and grabbed him
by the front of his shirt near his neck.

“
Don’t ever fucking talk about her that way again! Delete the damn pictures now if you don’t want your ass handed to you.”

He
released the guy who then fumbled to get his pictures pulled up on his phone. Brett watched as he deleted every one with a trembling hand. The five other men never said a word.

“Now, the next time any of you decide to take advan
tage of a drunk girl at a party, remember there will be someone like me waiting to kick your ass.”

Brett
glared at the men as he pointed to the doors that opened up to the patio. “All of you take your sorry asses out that door and leave.”

“
Sorry, man. I—I’m sorry,” the drunk guy with the phone said as they turned and headed toward the door.

In one
swift move, Brett picked up Hannah and carried her up the stairs. Once on the main level, guests cleared a path for him, looking with surprised expressions. Matt followed right behind him.

He tried to keep her very short
dress tucked under his arm as he treaded toward the front door. He saw Olivia and walked up to the three girls standing next to her.

“Did she come with you
?” Brett asked as Hannah lay passed out in his arms.

With their eyes the size of silver dollars, the
three answered “yes” simultaneously.

“Where’s
your car?”

“Um, I have to call my driver, and who
are you, anyway?” one of the girls asked.

“I’m obviously
the only one looking out for your friend. Six guys downstairs were taking photos of her, and from what I could tell, that wasn’t the last thing they were going to do with her. Call your damn driver. I’m going to carry her out front and wait with her there,” he said angrily.

“OK, I w
ill right now,” she said, digging for her phone in her purse.

Matt f
ollowed Brett outside.

“What the hell am I
supposed to do with her now? I thought I’d be putting her straight into a car.”

Matt
pointed to two oversized wicker chairs sitting to the right of them on the porch. “Come on, we can sit there.”

They both sat down
, and Brett adjusted Hannah in his lap, so he could hold on to her. She curled herself inward toward him and laid her face against his neck.

“Do you even know her
?” Matt asked.

“I met he
r today.”

“W
ho is she?”

“Are you just screwing with me?”
Brett asked.

“
I have no idea who she is.”

“
Brace yourself. I’m holding Hannah Mason, the daughter of Lorna Ray Mason.”

“Are you
kidding me?”

“I wish
.”

Matt chuckled
. “I’m sorry, bro, but now I wish I could take a picture. This is priceless.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Brett said sternly.

“I heard she went to Vandy, but I’ve never seen her before. She’s hot.”

“You shou
ld see her in a fucking bikini.”

“Y
ou’re going to catch hell over this for a long time.”

The three girls Brett had approached came out the front door, and the one he’d spoke with walked up to him.

“He’s on his way, but it will be about thirty minutes. I’m Chelsea. Do you want us to hold her so you can go?”

“I’m good. There’s no sense in moving her no
w,” Brett answered.

“OK, we’ll wait over there.
” Chelsea pointed to the other side of the porch. Brett could see the girls were nervous, but he thought they deserved it for not checking on Hannah at the party.

“Damn, her friends are hot, too.
I think I might have to date the young girls again,” Matt said.

Brett’s
worst nightmare happened next. Dylan and his two other roommates, Cody and Austin, came tearing out the front door. They’d got wind of what happened and had to see for themselves.

“Oh
, man, I can’t believe it’s true,” Cody said with his hands on his hips. Cody had blonde hair and blue eyes like Brett but was much shorter. He had a strong country accent, and like Dylan, he wore a ball cap every day. All three were standing in front of Brett, staring at Hannah and him.

“What’s
gotten into you today? First you tell us you’re done with older women, and now you’re holding the passed out daughter of the most famous country singer on earth. I don’t think she should’ve been your first choice if you’re gonna rob the cradle, dude,” Dylan said, laughing.

Dylan was the jokester of the
bunch and loved to harass Brett on a regular basis.

“Dylan, get off my bac
k. I helped her out of a bad situation, that’s all.”

Hannah stirred a
little from Brett speaking. She curled up even tighter against his warm chest and moved her arm up, wrapping it around his neck.

Damn
, her body feels good up against mine.

Dylan chuckled.
“I think she likes you, Brett. Oh, I’m so loving this.”

Bret
t tried to ignore him as he focused on Hannah, and the fruity scent he was breathing in from her hair. She started to slide out of his lap due to her slick dress, so he wrapped his arm around her legs and pulled her back up while trying to pull her short dress down.

“This get
s better every minute,” Austin said, smirking.

Austin was the mellowest of the group. He was t
all with red hair and green eyes. The home the guys lived in actually belonged to Austin’s parents. He was the only one from Nashville. The other guys lived on campus originally, but after getting to know Austin in their classes, they started staying over at his home for parties. They quickly became good friends, and since the house was so large, Austin let them move in while still keeping their required dorm rooms.

“Look
three amigos, either go back inside or go home,” Brett said.

Dylan turned his ball cap around backwards.

“Oh no, I’m not missing any of this.”

“My driver is
pulling in,” Chelsea yelled.

When Brett
saw the black car approaching, he got up and carried Hannah down the long row of steps. The three girls climbed into the car and left the back seat on the passenger side open, so he could put Hannah in.

After getting her inside, he started to shut
the door but felt a gnawing pain in his stomach. Brett was worried about leaving her. “Keep an eye on her. I don’t know if someone slipped something in her drink or if she just drank too much, but make sure she’s OK tonight,” he ordered.

“Thank you for rescuing her. I know she’ll be grateful,” Chelsea said.

“Just watch Hannah,” he said anxiously before he shut the door.

Brett and his friends got into their cars. He
was quiet on the way home, and it irritated him that he was worrying so much about her. He barely knew her and seldom took a second glance at younger women.

“What’s going on with you?”
Matt asked.

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. I’m not even playing this game with you, so tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s
just been a strange day. I decided this morning when I woke up at Brittney’s that I’m tired of sleeping around with older women.

“
Every few months it’s a different one, and the cycle repeats. After three years, I want something different. I think I’m ready to find a girlfriend, and I want one closer to my age.”

“
What’s going on between you and Hannah Mason?”

“
I kept seeing in my head those six guys taking a turn with her, and it pissed me off.”

“No, you were furio
us with those guys. You acted like you know her and like her.”

Brett glanced over at Matt. He wondered how he gave
the impression he liked Hannah.

“Jay got a
contract at her mansion. I’ll be working there almost every day for months. I started today, and I met her. She seemed cool, so I guess seeing her in that situation right after talking to her today made me feel obligated to help her.”

“I can’t believe you’
re going to be over there that much, and it’s weird you saw her tonight.”

Brett
thought about how good it felt to hold Hannah and how right it felt to protect her. It confirmed his desire to have a girlfriend he could take care of and plan a future with, but he didn’t want one younger than him.

Chelsea laid Hannah over in her lap and stroked her hair. “I can’t believe what just happened. We have to find out his name. He was her knight in shining armor,” she said.

“I know. I
t’s a shame she missed the whole thing. Every one of his friends were hot, too,” Jasmine added.

“Before Olivia walked away,
she said he made the guy taking the pictures delete every last one. Girls, I can smell his cologne on her, and it smells yummy. We sure have a story for you in the morning,” Chelsea said, looking down at Hannah.