Hard: A Military Stepbrother Romance (10 page)

“So?
What did you mean?”

His
eyes lit as I prompted again, but he finally relented.

“Your
father’s better than most of the guys Mom usually goes for…more stable too.
She’s always gone after the bad-boy type before, and that has a tendency to end
badly.”

Amusement
hit me at that idea and I looked over at him, a casual up and down.

Now
what did that remind me of?

“Yeeah,
I can see that.”

Confusion
flickered in his eyes for a moment, before he caught the implication.

“Hey!”

His
voice caught with laughter though, and I just smiled, enjoying the way we’d
slipped back into those old, easy patterns. It was undeniably better than the
awkwardness of the last week, that was for sure, and I was surprised to find
him pretty good company when he wasn’t being an ass. Maybe this whole
wedding-and-family thing wouldn’t be so bad.

“So you
like him then? My father?”

I
didn’t know why that felt important to me, but it did. I wanted Seth to like my
father, to approve of his mother’s choice - there were enough people who judged
him badly without really knowing him. Not that Seth knew him, but still—

“As
a guy?”

“Eh,
maybe…more as your mother’s fiance.”

I
wasn’t really sure what I was looking for, but the way his light gray eyes
turned stormy told me I’d hit on something. He looked at me long enough that
the air turned thick in an almost-familiar way.

“As
my stepfather? Well, he’s a damn sight better than any I’ve had so far…except
for this one overwhelming disadvantage, which I’m not particularly inclined to
forgive.”

The
emphasis on that last part had my heart thumping hard against my chest, sudden
desire coiling through me and making me glad I was already sitting down. There
was something in the controlled ferocity there, a power that could beguile any
girl when it was so obviously down to her.

Damn.
Maybe he’s not quite as over it as I thought then.

I
didn’t quite dare to respond to that, letting the music playing in the
background take over as I looked back out the window and waited for the
intensity to fade. It didn’t feel safe to engage when everything was so tight
and close between us, but I had no idea how to stop it from happening -
ignoring it seemed the best course of action.

He
seemed content to leave it at that as well, and after a little while the
silence turned companionable again. Finding a bag of peanuts helped too, and we
started attacking them together as we got closer to our destination. I’d
forgotten how good a road trip could be for clearing the mind, and Seth
interrupted my thoughts just as they were heading in the direction of his
question.

“So,
you going to tell me why we’re heading to San Francisco?”

I
felt the beginnings of a flush and tried to ignore how hard it was to admit my
plans to anyone. Somehow, it always came out sounding silly - the misguided
pursuit of someone who didn’t quite know what she was doing.

But
at least you’re trying, now.

“I
found a few internship opportunities here, and wanted to get a feeling of the
place - whether I might like to live here for a bit.”

My
voice came out more defiant than I would have liked, especially since he just
glanced at me and nodded, but I persevered anyway.

“I’ve
got some addresses for work placements, potential housing areas…”

I
bit my lip as it occurred to me that he probably hadn’t pictured this trip as
an opportunity to taxi me around to the random places I wanted to visit -
simply getting me here was more than I’d really expected. But there was plenty
to do in San Francisco, so at least he wouldn’t be bored.

“You
could just drop me somewhere and we could meet later in the evening for the
return trip?”

This
time he raised an eyebrow with one sharp shake of his head.

“No
way, babe. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

The
protective vibe I caught there had me pausing for a moment, but I continued on.

“None
of that stuff is going to be very interesting, Seth.”

“You
think I’m going to let you wander around a large city alone, going
who-knows-where without any way to assure your safety?”

Irritation
flared at being treated like a child.

“I
am twenty-one, you know! I can take care of myself.”

“Not
if you think that’s a good idea, you can’t.”

Before
I could object, he reached over to the papers I’d started looking through again
on my lap, pulling them forward and scanning the addresses.

“Tenderloin…the
Mission district? Seriously…not leaving this truck without me.”

I
grit my teeth as his comments mirrored the concerns I’d been ignoring. My
annoyance at his attitude was only compounded by the way I felt secretly
relieved that he had no intention of leaving me.

“Fine.
If you must. Just don’t get in my way.”

His
breath huffed out as he deposited the papers back on my lap and we turned off
towards the center.

“Babe,
you seriously need to work on how to say ‘thank you’.”

I
grumbled back at him, but the idea of having my own Navy SEAL protection was
more appealing than I wanted to admit. Unfortunately, so was spending some more
time with my infuriating stepbrother.

Chapter Eight

Bella

It
was all perfect until we got to the housing.

We’d
found the couple of places I was considering for internships without too many
problems, just a few missed turns and exchanged curses from navigating the
unfamiliar city. The curses were more directed to each other than the road, too
- Seth seemed a frustratingly calm driver…unless I riled him up, anyway. I
guessed if you were used to driving while getting shot at, crazy traffic didn’t
seem such a big deal.

Since
this trip had been completely unplanned, I hadn’t had a chance to contact
anyone from the labs to ask to discuss the positions in further detail - and I
didn’t even know whether they would’ve let me do that - but it gave me a
picture and idea of the type of places I could be working in, and I couldn’t
help getting excited at the idea, however premature it might be.

Kaylee
would be thrilled at the whole trip - after she got over not being invited -
randomly turning up on the doorstep of somewhere I was considering living and
working had that
romantic
feeling she loved. I’d smiled at the thought
of regaling her with the possibilities of a new city, and not even Seth’s
arrogant
guidance
could distract from my enthusiasm.

At
one of the crime labs, I managed to work up the nerve to go in and inquire, and
although the receptionist couldn’t help me much, a couple of guys on their way
out for lunch were more than happy to take me with them and let me pepper them
with questions. They didn’t work with the area that was offering the
internship, but their fun stories about the place were enough to make the trip
worth it even without visiting anywhere else. After so long studying, the
thought of doing something real appealed to me even more than I’d imagined.

True
to his word, Seth stuck with me the whole time, and any inclination I might
have had to feel bad about that was eclipsed by his tendency to provoke and
tease, keeping me in that frustrating state where either hitting or kissing him
would feel appropriate. And there was only one of those my too-easily-wound-up
body was fixated on. Still, my exciting future was more than enough to keep
that thought at bay, and I figured I’d get over it eventually.

All
this time with him was bound to get boring, right?

But
then we got to looking at a few of the housing blocks I’d highlighted on the
map, and everything started going wrong.

The
sun was sinking down in the sky as his relatively unobtrusive shadowing became
increasingly uncomfortable. His eyes scanned the shadows of every road and
alley we passed and his whole body vibrated with a high-alert tension that
started making me nervous. When we’d been in school, he’d been cocky and
confident most of the time I’d seen him, but this was different - a fierce
predator poised ready for action.
Confidence
didn’t come close.
Dangerous
might fit better.

Part
of me was fascinated by the change, and the small insight into the life he led
outside of these unassuming civilian clothes - but mostly I was irritated at
his increasingly abrupt comments and unnecessary concerns.

“Time
to head back, Bella - it’s getting late.”

I
looked around at the rather dismal looking building facades, the occasional
gatherings of homeless people we passed adding to my nerves, but I shrugged it
off.

“It’s
fine. I just want to look at a couple on the road down here…”

The
gathering twilight was making it hard to read the street signs, and I’d gotten
turned around a little, but I was almost there now - I was sure of it.

“You’re
not living here. You’re not even walking any further down this street. It’s
dangerous.”

The
implacable command in his voice rubbed me the wrong way and I turned to glare
at him.

“Don’t
be ridiculous - plenty of people walk this street all the time. It’s fine.”

“Rich
girls with fancy jewelery don’t.”

His
eyes didn’t even meet mine, too focused on a narrow alleyway in front of us,
and I felt my stomach clench. I hadn’t even thought about the matching
gold-and-emerald necklace and earrings I wore - or my mother’s signet ring. I
glanced down at the designer handbag I’d grabbed without thinking when I left
the house and bit my lip.

Was
I really that naive?

Or
maybe he was just being an ass again…

“One
more place. Then we go.”

Even
if the advice was worth considering, I wasn’t going to respond to demands and
orders. Leaving soon was probably a good idea - on my terms, and after I’d seen
at least something I’d come for.

With
that, I strode forward, ignoring his curse behind me.

“Fuck,
Bella -
you’re not living here.
”

My
reply was cut off as he jerked towards me a moment too late to snatch me from
the hand that wrapped around my wrist, yanking me into the alleyway I’d stopped
in front of. My scream was cut off almost immediately by a hard slap against my
cheek, then I was spun around until I was facing Seth again, a sharp object
pressing against my throat. I cut off the crazy simultaneous urges to scream,
cry, laugh, run, as my mind exploded in chaos.

“Gimme
everything.”

I
could barely breathe, didn’t even know what he was referring to until my wild
eyes finally caught - and held - Seth’s deadly calm gaze.

“Do
what he says, Bella.”

Seth’s
steady voice gave me an ounce of calm, enough to stop me breaking down in
hysterics, anyway.

Oh
god, oh god, oh god…it’s going to be alright, right? He knows what he’s doing.
He’s done this before. Surely he’s done this before…

The
knife pressed harder against my throat and I couldn’t stop the small cry.

“You
betta listen to your boyfriend, girlie.”

“He’s
not my…”

Seth’s
expression turned incredulous for a moment, and I almost laughed.

Okay,
not the time to debate semantics.

Instead
I slowly shrugged the handbag off my shoulder, my other hand reaching up to
fiddle with my earrings until I had them off, putting them both in one of the
pockets before hesitantly reaching up to the necklace to do the same. The knife
was in my way and as I paused, the guy appeared to realize my predicament -
reaching around to the front and yanking it off hard. I shuddered and bit my
lip as his fingers brushed against my skin before the clasp broke and he
quickly pocketed it. Obviously not impressed by my speed, he reached forward to
force my ring off my hand, and my stomach twisted at the idea of losing one of
my few mementos from my mother.

“Please…”

One
glance at Seth steeled me again, and I let him take it without any fuss, the
knife terrifying me as I fought to remain calm.

“You
too.”

The
guy grunted towards Seth, and my stepbrother-to-be reached for the wallet he
kept in his back pocket, keeping his movements slow as he threw it over towards
our feet. I couldn’t believe how still and calm he’d become, especially as I
was fighting not to shake where I stood.

The
guy took me down with him to pick up the wallet, then grabbed my handbag and
took a step back, forcing me with him as he cast a wary glance in Seth’s
direction.

“Go.”

The
intent command from Seth confused me for an instant, but combined with the
carefully controlled danger in his expression, the guy behind me paused for a
moment - then turn and run, pushing me back towards Seth’s warm, firm body.
Seth’s arms wrapped around me and I’d never been so glad to feel anything in my
life. I gasped for breath, the tightness in my chest suddenly shifting enough
for me to absorb oxygen again, and I couldn’t help the way I clung to him.

He
scooped me up into his arms in one smooth movement, as if I weighed no more
than a feather - and then suddenly we were running forward, down the alley
after the mugger. I gasped at him, eyes wide, and he gave me a grim expression
as he looked down.

“This
goes against every instruction I’ve ever had. But I’m not letting him get
away.”

I
suddenly recognized the coiled tension in his body, felt the fire coming off
him as the almost imperceptible rage that it was. I wanted to tell him that it
wasn’t important, that he should stop - if I did, I was pretty sure he would.
But I pictured my ring again and held my tongue. It went against everything I’d
ever heard too, and I was pretty sure my mother would turn over in her grave if
she knew a keepsake was putting us in danger like this, but I couldn’t let it
go.

And
somehow it didn’t even feel like danger - not with Seth here.

I
nodded at him, and glanced down the alley we were rushing through, seeing only
the guy running headlong into a dead-end. That had me puzzled - until he jumped
onto a dumpster, then sprung for a drainage pipe hanging at an angle from the
nearby building. The move spoke of long practice and I looked up at Seth
uncertainly. He grunted and swung me down, glancing between the dumpster and me
until I pushed him away.

“Go.
Quickly.”

That
decided it, and then he was away - moving with a grace I don’t think I’ve ever
seen, powerful muscles flexing under his tight t-shirt as he repeated the move
perfectly and landed on the rooftop above. Instead of heading down into
whatever alley the guy had retreated to, I saw him running along the rooftops
for a few heartbeats before he was out of sight and I was suddenly alone again.
It was what I had insisted on, of course, but that didn’t help the creeping
sense of panic and I glanced wildly around. The alley was empty now, but I
hunkered down against the wall anyway, assuming Seth wasn’t going to spend more
than a few minutes in the chase if it was pointless.

You’re
a complete idiot. The worst kind of fool.

The
inner voice didn’t quite assuage my guilt at ignoring all of the warnings Seth
had given, at putting him in danger now.

What
if something happened to him?

I
couldn’t even think about it, and when I heard a couple of grunts and the thud
of flesh-on-flesh a few moments later, my heart jumped into my mouth.

Then
he was back, jumping lightly down from the roof above my head, and I was pretty
sure the endless wait had in reality been only moments. I stumbled into his
arms again and this time I did break down, gasping and choking a little in the
aftermath of the adrenaline. He pressed me close and didn’t say anything,
strong hands running up and down my back as his large body sheltered mine
completely. My petite frame had always felt small when in his arms, but now
that he was a solid wall of muscle and strength, it was so much more powerful.
I was barely even supporting myself as those arms held me up without any
effort, letting me rest my head against his shoulder and fight back the sobs.

“It’s
alright, baby. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

I
was surprised just how gentle his tone was, but somehow that just made it
worse.

“I’m…sorry…”

I
choked out the words but he shook his head firmly, one hand cupped against my
cheek. I winced automatically at that, and his brow creased, tilting my head up
to see my cheek starting to swell.

“Shit,
baby girl…”

His
muttered oath was replaced by the soft brush of his lips against the bruised
area, and another kind of shudder went through me. It occurred to me briefly
that it was slightly absurd I was turning to him for comfort and safety, but it
didn’t feel that way. The whole day, he’d been almost possessively protective,
and I hadn’t been quite sure what to make of it - until now. Now I couldn’t be
anything other than grateful.

Just
don’t think about what it means.

But
I wasn’t capable of thinking about anything else anyway, and I just let myself
be held as I came down from the emotional ravages still sweeping through me.

“Ughh…is
this what it always feels like?”

I
spoke without thinking and he cocked his head at me.

“What?”

“These
situations.”

He
gave a small chuckle and shook his head.

“Nah,
it’s different if you know what you’re doing, and though you never quite get
used to it…you get better at dealing with it.”

The
deep rumble from his chest was reassuring, and it felt like he could have said
anything and it would have made me slowly relax.

“You
did well though, babe. You kept your cool when it came to it.”

“I
almost got us killed.”

His
soft laugh would have irritated me if I hadn’t felt slightly inclined to let
him have whatever he wanted right now. One finger caressed the side of my face
as he brought my eyes up to his again - lighter gray now, more relaxed, but
with a hint of the stormy depths they’d been only moments ago. I swore they
changed based on his mood. It made me feel like I could get lost in them for
hours—