STEPBROTHERS (3 Book Stepbrother Romance Collection) (33 page)

Eugh, but Vincent wasn’t the only one to blame. I should have known not to have gotten into the elevator with Donte. Should’ve trusted myself, made an excuse and left.

I sighed. What was done was done, and there was no point in beating myself up about it now. I had to find a way out, be proactive. Had to use my God-given talents and looks to figure a way out of this mess.

Donte was shouting. “You might as well come out… you can’t stay in there all night.”

“Donte, be reasonable, don’t make me call the police,” I threatened.

I sat on the toilet and contemplated my options again. My best bet was to call the agency. I quickly tapped a few buttons on the phone, swallowed my pride and pressed
call
. This was going to be humiliating, but it was the only way I could see to end it.

“Thea, what’s up? Is everything okay?” Roísín said after picking up on the second ring.

“Not really. I’m stuck in a bathroom in the top floor penthouse suite of the Regal. I need someone to come get me.”

“Shit. Has he hurt you?”

“It doesn’t matter, I just need someone here as soon as possible.”

“Two seconds. Let me check who’s in your area.”

I waited anxiously, and my knees started to tremble as I sat on the cold seat; I had to get up and walk about.

“Shit. Shit shit shit,” I heard her say under her breath on the other end of the line, and I closed my eyes in despair. I wasn’t gonna like this, I thought.

“I only have one guy on duty tonight and he’s at least an hour away. Do think you can hold out till then? Are you safe?”

“Safe enough,” I said furiously. I’d never had to use the emergency protocol that we had in place, never had to be escorted out of a dangerous situation, and the one time that I needed them they didn’t have a guy near.

I thought of Vincent and foolishly imagined him knowing instinctively—like magic—that I was in trouble. He’d try and rescue me, bursting through the doors and taking me in his arms. But that was just a daft fairy tale, a fantasy, I thought bitterly; I shouldn’t need anyone to come rescue me.

The only way out of this situation that I could see, was relying upon myself. I abruptly ended the call in frustration and went to the bathroom door, placing an ear on the panel hoping to hear some movement. I didn’t think I would be able to get past him but I thought I might be able to hear if he’d calmed down yet.

But my eyes widened in fear as I heard him let out a triumphant, “I knew it!”

There was a rustle as he came towards the door, shouting a little above his normal tone, so I could hear through the door. “I knew I recognised you, Dorothy Beatrice Reagan.”

Fuck! How the hell did he know that? And then an anxious wave swirled inside my belly as the realisation set in—he must’ve found my purse when the contents had scattered to the floor. And I hadn’t had time to switch out my fake ID for my real one in the rush to get here on time. Normally I was so cautious about that sort of thing, but it had gone completely out of my mind.

I kept quiet and hoped he would reveal what he wanted now that he knew my name. A quiet sense of hope bubbled within me; perhaps he didn’t know who I actually was and was bluffing. But I supposed a quick Internet search would soon reveal my true identity and the connection to a prestigious high court judge in no time.

“Dorothy, you might as well come out now. I’m not gonna hurt you.” He sounded sincere, but I had no way of knowing if I could trust him. “Dorothy? Or should I call you Dot? You still there, Dottie?” I could hear the amusement in his voice.

I sighed the name grating on me. “Yeah, of course I’m still in here. What do you want?”

I heard him suppress a laugh. He was giddy, like a child who just won a game; who’d found my secret hiding spot in a game of hide and seek. Dread settled within me. I closed my eyes and waited for him to make the first move. “I bet Daddy doesn’t know what you do, does he?”

I groaned.
Please be bluffing.
He might not actually know who my father was, could just be mentioning him in a general sort of way… probably thought he could somehow humiliate me. I tried to convince myself that he didn’t know the truth, but a man like Donte would have connections, he’d have his own social circles full of influential people and there would be a good chance that my father was amongst them. It was the ever-present risk I took seeking out and selling myself to those with power, money, and prestige.

My father, though reserved, gladly attended events behind closed doors, especially when there was so much benefit to it; he liked the politics, craved the power, and certainly enjoyed to climbing the social ladder.

And even if they hadn’t met or known of each other, my father’s name was in the newspapers with some regularity, due to the cases he presided over.

Donte cleared his throat, most likely believing that I hadn’t heard what he’d said. “I bet Daddy, the
Honourable
Justice Reagan, doesn’t know what you do.”

That settled it then. Donte did know, and I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to stay trapped in here like some meek little mouse any longer, and I threw open the door to the bathroom.

“What the fuck do you want, Donte?”

“Oh, I’m sure we can come to some arrangement.”

W
hy was
I still here freezing my balls off? I must’ve been out of my mind thinking she would want to have anything to do with me, thinking she would give up the rich guy and come slumming with me instead. And yet I was still here waiting for Jimmy to come out and tell me some good news.

I bet he thought I was an idiot, too. Desperate and horny. Though it probably amused Jimmy more than anything—he wasn’t a bad guy, a softie at heart, really.

But this girl… No, this
woman
, had gotten under my skin, and she wasn’t leaving my head anytime soon. If it had been any other woman, I would’ve been long gone by now. She would’ve been forgotten as soon as I’d exited the hotel’s doors. Yet this unnamed beauty with those green eyes called to me, unlike any other. Haunting me till I could think of nothing else.

Finally Jimmy reappeared, but his face was downcast. His big frame shrugged. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but he took her up to his penthouse apartment as soon as you were escorted out.” He saw the look of disappointment on my face and tried to console me. “She was way out of your league anyway, mate.”

“Don’t I know it… But I had to at least try.”

“I do have some good news, though,” he said his face lighting up somewhat, “so you better be ready to pay up.”

“You got her name?” I asked hopefully.

He nodded. “Just a first name, though. Had a word with the new guy behind the bar; those lot overhear pretty much everything in that place.”

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense. And if it’s just a first name, I get half off,” I said smiling. “Not much I can do with half a name.”

“It’s a start, though,” he said with a chuckle.

“Tell me then, or shall I continue to stand out here with my dick in my hand and wait till it freezes off?”

He shook his head. “You got it bad, love at first sight, huh? Her name is Beatrice. But if you ask me, that’s not her real name.”

“What you mean?”

“You know the type… You know exactly what I mean. Probably better off staying clear of that one, if you asked me.”

“I didn’t ask you,” I replied, my smile fading a little. But a deal was a deal, he’d managed to get me a first name at least. I’d find a way to get more, eventually. I fished my wallet out and started to count what I owed him.

“Naw, man, forget about it. Pay me when I find Rene for you.”

I raised my eyebrows. “So, you’re back in the game? Are you sure about that?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps. I do need the money,” he said in explanation. “The hours have been cut here, and I’m getting paid sweet fuck all for my trouble.”

“Fair enough then. I actually need a helping hand while I wind things down the next few weeks. Travis had himself an accident,” I said and handed over my new number so he could contact me.

“Still relying on him? No wonder you’re closing up shop,” he said slyly, and I knew he wasn’t serious.

“Yeah, well, he’s family you know? Anyway, if you do find Rene, don’t rough him up too much… I still need him to cough up the dough.”

“You’re the boss.”

With that we said our goodbyes, and Jimmy went back inside.

I stood for a moment outside the hotel and stamped my feet to keep out the cold as an unseen force kept me rooted to the spot. I couldn’t make myself leave the street. I resorted instead to walking up and down the wide pavement for what seemed like hours before ducking into a late-night cafe diagonally opposite the hotel.

There I could keep an eye on the entrance, hoping she would eventually appear. But I knew I was kidding myself, knew I wasn’t that lucky. She was no doubt up there with him, his hands all over her naked body, when it should have been me claiming her and doing ungodly things to her. She’d cry out my name, and it would make me want to fuck her even harder.

I paid for my coffee, but it sat untouched on the table as I continued to monitor the hotel opposite. I didn’t dare look at my watch and see how much time I’d wasted, but something within me made me stay. I was probably deluding myself, but it felt like she needed me. It was daft, but I started conjuring up all these sorts of scenarios, ways in which I could be her hero, but I knew that this life, the modern-day world, didn’t work out that way. Especially if this morning was anything to go by. I’d tried to do the right thing this morning on my way to work, but that girl had wanted no help. She didn’t need a knight in shining armour and instead longed to crawl back into the arms of the man who’d beat her.

Alice’s face suddenly flashed in my minds eye. Deep down I knew was trying to make up for a mistake that had haunted me my whole life.

I hated these trips down memory lane, and I was grateful, though surprised, for the sudden interruption, as I saw a streak of gold fabric bolt out of the Regal’s doors. The doorman looked startled, but he had managed to open the door in time for her. Beatrice was on the street, frantic in her movements. Something wasn’t right, and I immediately leapt out of my chair and out of the cafe.

A quick glance from side to side, and I jogged across the road to her. She was so beautiful, even in her wild distress. I came towards her as she raised her hand high, waiting and looking into the distance for a passing taxi.

“Fancy meeting you here,” I said smoothly but knew I’d said the wrong thing immediately once she turned to face me. Under the amber street light I could clearly see a darkening area above her eye, which had not been present before.

She’d been hit; her perfect skin was marred.

That fucker!

My fists clenched, and it took everything I had to stand there instead of bolting into the hotel and finding the idiot who had done this to her. It was instantaneous, the feeling of protectiveness I had for her. But her sad vulnerable green eyes kept me still. “What the hell did he do to you?” I asked, gritting my teeth.

She ignored my question and threw a question back in my face. “You some kind of stalker? Leave me alone.”

“I ain’t going anywhere until I make sure that you’re okay.”

Her eyelids closed tight for a brief second, and she dropped her arm, no longer trying to hail a taxi.

“Did he do this to you, that Donte prick?”

Instead of answering she stood shivering in her very revealing dress in the middle of the street in winter, glaring at me. I slipped off my jacket and attempted to wrap it around her body. She was unsure whether to let me at first, but then her delicate shoulders drooped as the warm material grazed her skin.

“Well? Did Donte do this?” I asked again and gently took her chin between thumb and forefinger so I could take a closer look. She tugged her chin out of my grasp and looked away.

“Leave it. It has nothing to do with you. I can manage my own mess.”

Her words were strong, angry, but something had shaken her that night, and I knew I couldn’t just bulldoze my way in as I usually would have. I had to be cautious with this one; one false move and Beatrice would be out of my life good.

“Fair enough. But you won’t get a cab tonight. Let me get you somewhere safe. My truck is just there,” I said, pointing over to the side, near an alleyway. “You can trust me.”

Beatrice studied me for a few moments, debating whether or not she should accept my offer, and in truth I wasn’t expecting her to. She shouldn’t have, after all—she didn’t know me. I was just some guy she’d randomly met in a hotel bar.

After an exasperated breath, she found the armholes of my large jacket and pulled it on tighter.

“Fine, but I swear if you touch me I will not go down without a fight.”

Woman after my heart, I said under my breath and escorted her, keeping a fair distance between us, to my trusty steed.

I
’m not too
sure what I was thinking. It seemed I’d gone from one bad situation to another. Who in their right mind got into a stranger’s car after going through what I’d just experienced? But I had to remind myself he wasn’t really a stranger; Vincent, after all, was my stepbrother, even though we hadn’t actually met in person before this night. I had to believe he was a decent guy.

“So, where to? I can take you anywhere you want.”

“I’m not sure, can we just drive around for a moment? I can’t seem to think.”

“Sure. But from the looks of that bruise on your head, you’re going to need some ice soon, otherwise it’s gonna swell up. My gym is not far. I can get you an ice pack there, if that’s okay?”

I glanced over at him as he drove the car, trying to determine if indeed I could trust him, but he was practically twice the size of me, and I was already in his truck. If he’d wanted to do something, he could have done it already and I wouldn’t have much of a chance to resist.

“Okay then,” I replied as I gingerly touched my forehead. I hadn’t realised until now, but the pain was beginning to come into focus. Relentless, excruciatingly sharp pulses beat wildly, and yet my vision started to blur around the edges.

We drove in silence for the best part of ten minutes, and I took the chance to study him. His large hands were tight around the steering wheel, gripping it as if for dear life, and in the passing light of the lamps outside, I could’ve sworn his knuckles were a ghostly white. I stole another glance at him and noticed his jaw was set tight, his temples pulsing. If I hadn’t known better I could’ve sworn he was furious with me… But I had to believe his fury was directed elsewhere. Perhaps he was my knight in shining armour after all.

His silence bothered and frustrated me. Any other person would have asked me what happened, but he kept quiet, respecting my privacy, and under normal circumstances I would’ve welcomed the silence, but a need within me desired to tell him everything, to spill the beans and get it all off my chest and share the awfulness of what had happened with someone else.

I didn’t have many friends, and not many people knew what I did, and so I wouldn’t have been able to tell them, anyway. They wouldn’t be able to understand what I’d put myself through to keep it all secret. And yet, as I sat next to Vincent, inches away, and even with the warm musky smell of his jacket calming me, his patience began to grate on me. It was too quiet; the stereo was silent, and so all I could hear were the turning of my mind and the beat of my heart.

“Are you not going to ask me what happened?”

He gave an almost imperceptible shrug. “Probably wise if you don’t tell me.”

“Why is that?”

His grip tightened even more upon the steering wheel, and I thought he might actually break it.

“Because if you tell me what happened, I can see only one outcome. I’m going to want to stop this truck, turn around and find that bastard. I’d make him pay for what he did to you in more ways than one. And unlike him, I won’t to stop after the first punch.”

The lump in my throat thickened as his words affected me. I’d never really had a protector before, and in some ways it was nice. Comforting, like a warm blanket. Selfishly I considered telling him anyway; part of me wanted him to do horrible things to Donte in revenge. And to get me out of the mess that I was in.

I’d come out of the bathroom and faced Donte, a sickening grin on his face. He told me what he’d wanted. It made me feel sick to my stomach. In order to protect myself and my father, I was to be forced to do unspeakable things with my body, whenever Donte commanded it. But I told myself I was strong, that I could switch my brain off as he debased me… and anything was better than my father finding out what I really was. His little girl no longer a little girl.

“You still with me?” Vincent asked as we came to a stop in front of a dark warehouse, the car park deserted. “I didn’t mean to scare you with what I just said.”

“You didn’t, I was just thinking about what… Never mind.”

He nodded, didn’t ask for any more information, and pushed open his door, the hinges creaking as he did so.

“You can stay in the car if you want, and I can get the ice pack for your head. It’s up to you, but I’m not gonna force you to come in.”

But I’d already opened the car door and I was already making my way towards the entrance before he finished his sentence. I heard him follow behind me cautiously, trying not to get too close. After he opened up and we went inside he told me to wait in the makeshift foyer as he rummaged around in the back. He came out with what looked to be a gel pack fresh from the freezer.

“Here,” he said, as he gently placed it up on my skin. His delicate touch surprised me for a man of his size. I expected him to be rough. I looked up to see his blue eyes shining with worry. He was so close that I could reach out and touch him if I wanted to.

Sheepishly I said thanks and pressed the pack against my forehead, and inadvertently our hands and fingers touched. For a long moment we stared at each other. My breath hitched as I looked into his eyes again. What was I doing here?
This is crazy.
I should’ve been home trying to come up with a plan to stop Donte from blackmailing me.

“If you want to, you can tell me,” he whispered and took a step closer. The smell of his aftershave, suggestive in a sweet but rugged sort of way, started to drive me wild. “You can trust me, but I won’t force you to tell me.”

I thought about this for a moment and couldn’t stop the words that spilled from my mouth in a whisper. “What if I want to be forced?”

Our eyes met again, his wide and full of the same desire that filled mine.

Without warning his lips were on mine, kissing me, his tongue exploring as I did the same. Pleasure erupted inside me at the taste of him. My fingernails clawed into him, and the ice pack fell to the side, forgotten, the pain obliterated by the new arousal that had awoken as he wrapped his arms around me.

It was hard to breathe, but I couldn’t stop kissing him, and with a strong hand he picked me up and moved me towards a worn-out sofa, dropping me onto it, towering over me.

The weight of his body on top of me felt delicious and dangerous, and even though I knew it was wrong I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to have to tell him that we were practically related, didn’t want to spoil the pure moment of downright animalistic pleasure with him. I needed this, I told myself as his hands opened up the bulky leather jacket and ran his fingers across the satin of my dress.

After the horrible evening I’d had, I deserved this. But the chirp of my phone startled us both and broke the spell, causing us each to push apart.

Inches away from my face he breathed heavily, watching and waiting for my reaction. If there was ever a moment when I could stop myself from falling down the rabbit hole, then this was it.

“I have to get that,” I said, making the decision.
The wrong decision.

In an instant his comforting weight was gone and he slowly he backed away from the couch as I reached for the phone in my purse, glancing at the caller ID.

I let out a groan. Why was he calling me already? Hadn’t he had enough for one evening?

But I didn’t dare not answer; the next person he could call could be my father, and then the game would be over.

Or worse still, he might call the tabloids and give them a very juicy story about the daughter of a renowned judge who had loose morals and spread her legs for the highest bidder.

“What do you want?” I spat into the phone. I turned my body away from Vincent, shame washing over me. I didn’t want him to see this, let alone hear it.

“Well, hello to you to my darling,” Donte replied, and I could imagine his smarmy face smiling on the other end of the phone. “I just wanted to make sure that you gave me the right number. Surprised you actually answered, to be honest, but you know what’s good for you, don’t you?”

I stayed silent and waited for him to inform me what I need to do next in order for him to keep quiet. I was distinctly aware of Vincent’s presence in the echoey, empty gym. I tracked his movements as he paced in the shadows, in front of a boxing ring near the back.

“Dottie, dear? Are you still there? You don’t want to make me angry; you know what I can do.”

“Yes, I’m still here,” I grumbled in reply. “Just tell me what you want and then leave me alone.”

His tone abruptly changed from playful, a cat now bored with the mouse, to harsh and cold. He was done playing. “Sunday. 9 PM sharp. Be here at the Regal, on time. Or you’ll know what will happen.”

“I have clients,” I interrupted.

“I’m your only client now, bitch. Don’t turn up, and you’ll be on the front page by morning, alongside a glorious photo I have of you… all tied up.”

Oh, god.
I hadn’t realised he’d taken photos.

I jabbed a finger on the phone and abruptly ended the call; tears were welling in my eyes from frustration. How was I going to stop this? If I didn’t think of something, Donte would keep doing this over and over again, escalating the situation more and more till I snapped or worse. I put my head in my hands and tried to regain my composure.

“Looks like you need this,” Vincent said, surprising me as he handed me a tumbler filled with what looked like some sort of whisky or bourbon. Grateful, I took the glass. My hand trembled uncontrollably as I try to hide my weakness from him, but he was too observant. “That was him, wasn’t it?”

I sighed and took a large gulp of the soothing liquid, knocking it back in one. I set the glass upon a nearby coffee table and stood; I couldn’t sit still anymore. Angrily I used the back of my hand to wipe away the remnants of the whisky from my lips.

“What’s he making you do?” Vincent asked. My head snapped to him, perched on the end of the sofa.

“How the hell do you know he’s doing anything of the sort?”

“It’s easy to tell when someone’s doing something against their own will. People get that look in their eyes. Desperate, helpless. I’ve seen that look; been the source of that look.”

“I’m not helpless! And it’s none of your business,” I snapped, taking it out on him since he was the only one there, the only one asking what was wrong. But I couldn’t let him in on the secret… one too many people already knew, though from the knowing way he looked at me, he might’ve have already guessed half of it. I felt bad snapping at him, and though he didn’t seem to be wounded by my words, I added, “I can take care of it myself.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“What do you care? You don’t even know me.”

“I know enough to know that you need help. And I’m here, no strings attached, offering it to you. Why can’t you take it?” Frustration entered his voice, desperate to help me.

But then of course there was the small matter of him being my stepbrother. He had ties to my family, not to mention that I wanted nothing more than for him to kiss me again.

Oh, god, why was my life so complicated all of a sudden? It had been going along nicely, everything running smoothly and then, like a curse out of some horror movie, it all seemed to go to shit.

“I have to go.”

“I won’t stop you,” he said as he led the way to the exit.

Please stop me.

In reality I wanted to stay here where I felt safe, bury my head in the sand and forget everything that had happened. But I had to go get my head on straight and figure out how I was going to proceed on Sunday, prepare myself for the worst.

Vincent opened the door and stood, half-blocking my exit, so I would have to brush past him in order to leave. All it would take would be a hand on his thick arm to let him know I wanted to stay, hungry for his kiss again. But my life was complicated enough without falling for my stepbrother.

“Beatrice?”

“You know that’s not my real name, right?”

“I know. I figure you’ll tell me what your real name is when you start trusting me.”

I nodded, slipped my arms out of his jacket and handed it back to him, then stepped out onto the dimly lit car park.

“You know where I am if you need help. Wait, let me give you my number.”

I turned back to look at him, he was still watching me. I handed my phone over and he typed his number in. “Thanks for the ice. And for not being a creep.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you? Or call you a taxi?”

“No, I need the fresh air. Thanks, though.”