Best Friend's Sister (Slade Brothers Book 5)

by Alexis Winter

  “Marco?” I ask rather loudly.

  He looks at me, apologetically. “Yeah, I know. I don’t want to see that asshole either, but what can we do? Where Mom goes, he goes. Don’t worry, I’m sure they won’t stay long. They have a wonderful life of privilege to get back to.”

  Someone knocks on the door, and it feels like someone has poured a bucket of ice water over my head. I haven’t seen Marco since the night he forced himself on me. I can still feel his hot breath on my neck. I can taste him on my lips, remember the sting of expensive liquor and cigars on my tongue. I can feel the roughness of his hands as they grab and pull at my body and clothes. I hear the sound of my nightgown ripping as he tries to force it up my body with me fighting against him.

  Brad must have left the room during my meltdown because the next thing I hear the door is being opened and Brad is greeting them.

  “Mom, it’s good to see you,” he says.

  “You too, honey. Look how good-looking you are,” Mom says.

  “Marco,” Brad greets.

  “Where’s your sister? She’s here, isn’t she?” Mom asks.

  “Yeah, she’s helping me in the kitchen,” Brad says, and I know that’s my cue to exit the safety of the kitchen and face my mom and Marco for the first time in months. I take a deep, soothing breath and push myself a step forward. I plaster on a fake smile and force myself one more step, and then another, and then another until I’m finally standing beside Brad.

  Mama looks over at me and smiles, even though I can see the way she truly feels about me just by the coldness of her eyes. They’re dark, but lighter than Brad’s, Dad’s, and mine. They have a hint of green to them, and that green only comes out when she’s stressed or angry. It nearly glows, giving them an evil glint.

  “Mama, how are you?” I ask, keeping my fake smile in place as I lean in and hug her.

  She wraps her arms around me and breathes me in. “I’m good. How have you been, Deven?” Even her tone has a cold, bitter edge to it.

  “I’m great,” I answer, pulling away and refusing to look at Marco at all, even though I can feel his eyes taking in my body. “I hope you’re hungry. Everything is almost done. Why don’t you have a seat while I finish helping Brad in the kitchen?”

  “Yes, Mama, make yourself at home.” Brad leads me back to the kitchen.

  Mom and Marco take a seat on the couch while Brad gets busy plating up all the food. I plop down at the kitchen table, trying to talk down from the freak-out that’s bubbling up. I quickly pull out my phone and send Hudson a text. Where are you? I need you. She brought Marco with her. I can’t face him. Please, hurry.

  I tuck my phone back into my pocket as Brad is setting food on the table. He looks at me with a questioning look. “What’s your problem?”

  I shrug. “I’m just nervous,” I answer, not expecting him to understand. I never told him the reason I was kicked out, so I can’t expect him to understand.

  Brad brings Mom and Marco into the kitchen, and we all sit around the table. Mom focuses on the fresh fruit while Marco and Brad eat the bacon, eggs, and pancakes. I push food around my plate than I eat, but my stomach can’t handle food right now. It’s tied in knots waiting for Hudson.

  “Tell me, how’s the job, Brad?” Mom asks.

  He nods. “It’s going good. I work midnight so my sleep schedule is a little messed up, but I can handle it.”

  Mom smiles his way. “I’m sure you can, baby. You’ve always been strong.” She turns her attention to me. “And what about you, Deven? What have you been doing to pass the time?”

  I can tell by her tone that she hopes I confess all my wrongdoings, but I give her nothing. After the way she’s treated me, she doesn’t deserve anything. “I got a job at a store here in town,” I answer.

  “You?” Her brows raise. “Got a job?”

  “You don’t have to sound so surprised.”

  She scoffs. “Well, I’m sorry. dear, but I’ve never seen you hold down a job. I figured you were just living off your brother like you did me up until you left.”

  Anger bubbles over the surface. “I didn’t leave. I was kicked out, if I remember correctly.”

  “And I wonder why, with an attitude like that,” she replies. “Your brother has filled me in on what you’ve been up to since you got here, and I must say that I am very disappointed. I knew that when I kicked you out that you’d come here, and I had hoped that Brad would be able to handle you and get you to settle down. I mean, my God, Deven. You’re not a child anymore. Your days of chasing boys around and doing God-knows-what is over!”

  “I know that, and I’m sorry for putting you through hell. I really am. I’m not like that anymore. I grew up. I had to grow up. But you’re right. Brad did help me. He helped me far more than you ever did. All you cared about was that I did as you said and stayed out of your way. The second I’d act up, you were threatening to send me away.”

  “A lot of good that did. You’ve been here, screwing a man behind your brother’s back, a man that was clearly off-limits. Not only did you completely disregard my wishes, but you did the same to him. I fear there’s nothing more we can do to get through to you. You’re a lost cause.” She shakes her head. “It’s such a disappointment too. I mean, look how beautiful you are. If you’d only put that beauty to good use, you could actually land a good man, like the one I got instead of these criminals.”

  I refuse to sit and listen to one more minute of this. I push away from the table with tears stinging my eyes. “Have you not heard a damn thing I’ve said? Yeah, the guy I’m with may have been off-limits, but he’s good. He’s a fireman and he works hard, he has money, and he loves me. We’re going to get married, after he builds me my dream house, that is, and then we’re having children. And you best believe that I will never subject them to the likes of you.” I stand and stomp out of the kitchen. “I’m not going back with you either!” I yell, running into Hudson’s old room and slamming the door closed.

  I collapse onto this bed and breathe in the cologne that’s lingering on his old bedsheets. It seems like this room hasn’t been touched since that day. The bed is still a wreck with the blanket, sheets, and pillow on the floor. The dresser is still leaning against the wall, and the bedside table is out of place from where my head bounced off of it. I look up at the wall and see the section of plaster missing from behind the headboard. I close my eyes and think back to our last night here, the way the neighbors were banging on the walls and yelling, the way the headboard hit the wall over and over, the way the mattress squeaked beneath us, the way he felt moving inside my body. Thinking about it calms me and I let out a long, relieving breath. Before I know it, I’m drifting off to sleep.

  I wake sometime later to a quiet apartment. I listen hard, but I don’t hear the soft murmur of people talking in the next room. I don’t hear footsteps or the sounds of dishes clanking or water running. I wonder if Mom and Marco left since I made it clear that I wouldn’t be returning with them. Maybe Brad cleaned up the mess and went to take a nap before going into work tonight. Either way, Hudson never showed up, and even though I know that he’s busy and that his job is important, I feel a little letdown.

  I sit and slide my feet back into my sandals before pushing myself up completely. I exit the room and go straight to the bathroom. I empty my bladder and wash my hands, examining my face in the mirror. My eyes are glassy and bloodshot from sleep, and there’s a line across my cheek from the pillow. I look at the watch on my wrist and see that I’ve only been asleep for around an hour even though it feels like eternity.

  I step out of the bathroom and head for the kitchen. I’m going to get my purse and keys and get out of here. I don’t want to wake Brad, and there’s no point in Hudson showing up now that Mom and Marco are gone. I pause by the couch and send him another text. Never mind. They left and I’m walking out now. I’ll be at the room. Love you.

  I slide my phone back into my pocket and make my way into the kitchen. I look up an
d my eyes lock on Marco’s. I look around the kitchen quickly. No sign of Brad or Mom.

  “What are you doing here? I thought you left?”

  He nods as he stands from his place at the table, turning his back to it and blocking it from my view. “We’re going to, but your Mom and Brad decided to go take a ride through town. It’s been so long since your mother has been here that she wanted to see what all has changed,” he replies, keeping his eyes on me.

  I watch as they start at my face then fall downward, pausing a little too long on my breasts. “Well, I’m leaving,” I take a step toward him, meaning to grab my purse that’s thrown over the chair, but he takes a step toward me, making me stop.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, fear bubbling up my throat.

  “When your mom told me she was coming to see you, I couldn’t let her come alone. We have unfinished business, don’t we?” He steps toward me and brushes a stand of hair behind my ear.

  I step away. “Don’t touch me.”

  He smiles and steps forward again, pinning me between him and the counter. “Or what?” he asks, his wicked grin never leaving his lips. He’s close enough now that I can feel his breath blowing across my face. He looks down at my body. “You sure have grown into a beautiful woman, haven’t you?”

  “You disgust me,” I spit out, wanting to show him that I’m not the same girl he used to know. I’m strong now. I’ll fight him, and I will win. He can’t scare me. He can’t touch me. And if he tries, I’ll make sure he regrets it.

  He laughs. “Deven, the way I see it, you owe me.”

  It feels like a smack to the face. “I don’t owe you anything.”

  “Who took you and your mom in when you had no place to go? I did. Who made sure you had food on the table and clothes on your back? I did. Who paid out thousands of dollars to make sure you didn’t go to prison?” He laughs. “Me again. That’s right. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be nothing more than another dirty whore on the streets, peddling your ass for a few bucks. So yes, sweetheart, you do owe me.” He reaches up and grabs a handful of hair, yanking my head back hard.

  As much as it hurts and I want to yell out, I won’t give him the pleasure of hearing me cry out in the pain.

  “So when I say we have unfinished business, you better ask how we’re going to settle your debt.” His mouth lands on mine as his free hand comes up to squeeze my breast painfully. I cry into his mouth as tears sting my eyes. Not again. I can’t go through this again.

  I bring my knee up, hitting him hard in the balls. He immediately releases me and bows over, cupping his manhood with both hands.

  “God-fucking-damnit,” he yells as I dash around him, grabbing my purse that contains my keys and run for the door.

  I’m only inches away. My hand is outstretched, ready to twist the doorknob when he comes up behind me. He wraps his arms around me and slams me into the hard wood floor. My head bounces off the wood and I grow dizzy. My ears are ringing, and my vision blurs and grows dark. I can feel it, the darkness taking me.

  “That’s more like it,” he says, catching me just as I fall. My fingers loosen up on my purse and it falls from my hands as he throws me over his shoulder and carries me through the apartment. Where’s he taking me? Oh no. To Hudson’s bedroom. As much as I want to fight, I can’t. My body is tired and weak, and my vision is blurring together. My head is screaming in pain, and my ears are ringing so loud, I can’t hear anything over it. The next thing I know, he’s throwing me onto the bed and I bounce hard, jarring me even more. As I lay there, I feel myself beginning to come down. The ringing begins to lessen, even though my head is still pounding. My vision starts to lighten back up, and things are doubling but coming into focus. When I look up, I see him crawling up the bed, ready to cover my body with his.

  13

  Hudson

  It takes many hours of fighting to get the fire out and the building roped off since its structure integrity has been compromised. I managed to pull three people out of the blaze, all of whom were trapped on the second floor. The building was an old, shut-down factory, but homeless people, drug addicts, and runaways have been using it for shelter. The whole place was trashed, filled with ratty clothes that got left behind, dirty mattresses, empty bottles of booze, and drug paraphernalia.

  It’s going on nine a.m. when we roll the firetruck out to go back to the station. I’m hot and soaked through with sweat. There’s soot covering my face, and my eyes burn from the smell of the smoke coming off of my gear, but I have this high pumping through my veins that I can’t ignore. I didn’t get much sleep last night and I got up early. I would normally be tired right now, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins keeps me up and alert, and I’m not ready to come back down.

  When we get to the station, I strip down and pull my clothes back on. I look at my watch and see that it’s going on nine-thirty. Breakfast started an hour ago. If I hurry, I bet I can make it. I run to the bakery to grab a basket of muffins, not wanting to show up empty-handed. I place my order and hang out by the counter when Brad walks up to me.

  “Hey, man.”

  Surprise washes over me. “I thought you were having breakfast at your place?”

  He nods. “Yeah, we were, but Mom and Dev got into it pretty badly. She stormed out and went to lay down in your room. Mom needed to get some fresh air, so we left Marco there and came out for a drive. We just stopped for some coffee.”

  Wait a minute. Did he just say that he left Deven alone with Marco? “You left her alone?”

  “Marco’s there. What’s the big deal?”

  “You left her alone with him?” I ask again.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Goddamnit, Brad.” I push past him and run for the door. I jump into the driver’s seat of the truck and twist the key. It roars to life and I throw it into reverse. Stomping on the gas, the truck jumps backward at record speed. I shift into drive and hit the gas. The truck takes off. This thing may be old, but Colton knows what he’s doing with an engine. I’m flying toward the apartment building at record speed. It’s only been two minutes since I left the bakery before I’m parking in front of the apartment building. I run up the stairs two at a time until I reach the door. I twist the knob, but it’s locked. I quiet myself and press my ear against the door. I hear the faint sounds of her yelling.

  I raise my hand and pound on the door. “Deven!” I pound harder. “Deven, can you hear me?” I yell again, pounding harder and harder.

  Nobody comes to the door and I don’t have a key. I do the only thing I can think of. I back up and take a running start, jamming my shoulder into the hard wood. It creaks but doesn’t break free. I back up again, ignoring the pain radiating in my shoulder. With a deep breath, I press forward. The door bows inward slightly with my weight, but it doesn’t give.

  “Goddamn it. Fuck,” I yell, backing up a third time. By this point, my shoulder is screaming in pain and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve jammed it. It’s definitely bruised. I take a couple deep breaths, pushing the pain away and run harder, faster. I jam my shoulder into it again and then time, it busts open and I fall into the floor. The wind gets knocked out of me, and I’m breathless as I lie, panting, on the floor, but I hear her. She’s crying.

  “No, please. Stop,” she cries out.

  “Shut your fucking mouth,” a man’s voice says, sounding as if he’s struggling.

  I push myself to my feet and stumble through the apartment. I take the corner a little too sharply, and I hit the edge of the couch. It squeaks as it scoots across the floor, but I don’t stop or even think of it.

  I stop outside my bedroom door, and the sounds are louder now. She’s crying and breathing hard. He’s cussing and groaning. The bed is squeaking, and the headboard is banging off the wall. Oh fuck, I’m already too late. Tears fill my eyes as anger burns its way up my throat. I step back and kick the door hard, not even bothering to try for the knob. It pops open easily and flies backward, hitting the wall hard and causi
ng the plaster to break and crumble to the floor.

  Before me, on the bed, I see Deven. Her dark eyes are full of tears and locked on mine as he’s on top of her. It feels like time has stopped. She has her hands against his chest, pushing against him and trying to get him off of her.

  His eyes land on mine, and they’re full of fear as he realizes that he’s been caught. His hands move away from her, but it doesn’t stop me from marching over there and grabbing him by his shirt. Using all of my strength and ignoring the pain in my shoulder, I pick him up and throw him against the far wall. His back hits it with a thud, and I hear the air leave his lungs. He falls to a crumbled-up heap in the floor, momentarily dazed from the impact.

  His face is covered in fine lines and wrinkles as sweat beads up on his brow and begins dripping down his face. His peppered black hair is out of place, and as his dark eyes meet mine, they’re full of fear and worry.

  Some may say that I should have stopped and checked on Deven, help her get her clothes on and hold her close to calm her down. But I can’t even think of that right now. All I can do is look at this man who put his hands on her. Rage burns hot in my stomach and makes its way up my throat, like boiling acid. I bend down, grabbing ahold of his nice dress shirt and jacket and picking him up.

  “You better never fucking touch her again,” I say, pulling back my fist and sending it flying into his face. His head snaps back from the force, and it hits the wall behind him.

  “She’s fucking mine. You hear me?” I yell, pulling my fist back against and landing a solid hit to his stomach that has him doubling over. “Nobody touches what’s mine.” I bring my knee up quickly and land a blow on his nose.

  He falls to a bloody heap on the floor once again, but I’m far from fucking done. “I’m going to fucking kill you like the piece of shit you are for touching her.” I bring my foot back, ready to land a kick to his face. If the bastard is lucky, I’ll send his fucking nose straight back through his brain and put an end to his pathetic existence, but before I can, someone tackles me from the side, taking me down to the floor.