Sue turns around and shakes a spoon dripping with red frosting as she looks at him. “Rod! Stop that! You know I hate when you talk about her as if she’s something that belongs to you. Jenna is a person, not an object you own.”
His hand runs down to my ass and he gives one cheek a squeeze and whispers to me, “If she only knew.”
With his words, my body heats and with some type of excitement this time. I can’t explain what knowing I belong to him sometimes does to me. It’s odd and I think it sets me back in the women’s liberation movement by decades, but it’s hot for some damn reason.
Reed turns back to his cookie decorating and I glance at him for only a moment. He wears a frown, and it makes me feel awful.
As the night wears on and Rod and his cousins get thoroughly trashed I find myself sitting in a quiet corner of the den. A room not often used by the Manning family.
I like the fireplace in here, though. The fire has burned nearly all the way down and it gives the small room a nice golden glow.
I watch the embers and what’s left of the flames then I hear someone clearing their throat. “Mind if I join you?”
Without looking up, I know it’s Reed and answer, “Of course, you can, Reed. This is your home after all.”
The room has one loveseat and a chair in it and I’m sitting in the chair so he takes the love seat. He sprawls out on it, taking it all up and lays his head back on the arm of it as he looks at me then his gaze moves to the fire.
“What a night, huh?” he asks.
“Yes, it’s very, let’s say festive.” I smile as it’s so different from how my family celebrates. Wild and full of alcohol and dirty jokes is what this family does.
My family is traditional. We celebrate on Christmas afternoon after church services. A place I have to be at tomorrow and I’m sure Rod will be staying home and sleeping tonight off.
“Your man is tying one on. I doubt he’ll be in any condition to drive home. You should talk him into staying the night here. In his old bedroom. Mom keeps our bedrooms just like we’ve always had them. The bed’s a single but if you work it out right, you’ll fit too.” He gives me a wink. “Or you can take the guest room just down the hallway. It’s next to my room. You could drop by if you wanted to talk or something like that.”
My eyes move from the fire to look at him. Bathed in the golden light he looks like some kind of model. The light brings out the especially shiny parts in his blonde hair. His eyes seem to dance with the firelight and his lips look plump and very inviting.
My body feels the drag of the magnetism it has for him. I guess it’s kind of natural since I have such a strong thing for his brother to have some kind of attraction to Reed as well.
I suppose it’s natural…
“I want you to know you can tell me anything, Jenna. Anything at all. If you need my help, I’m here for you. You should really think about college. You can take online classes. I can help you. I want to help you.” His eyes dance as he looks at me. “Are you really happy with my brother?”
I look back at the fire. “Of course, I am.”
“Will you be happy letting him take care of you forever?”
Being twenty years old does have me thinking of a future for myself. But Rod is adamant that I must be available for him at all times. If not, then he’ll find another female to take care of his needs. I can’t stand the thought of that.
“I suppose so. He and I are in it until the end.” I turn my head to look at him.
I find him smiling. “No ring. No marriage. I think you have too much faith in him, Jenna. You don’t know him like I do.”
I look away and think he doesn’t know his brother like I do.
Reed gets up and comes toward me and leans over. My body heats and my lips quiver as he’s so close. But instead of taking me into his arms or kissing me, he picks up the cell phone in my lap and taps in his phone number and name and saves it.
He places it back on my lap and goes back to his lounging position on the love seat. “There, now you have my number. You call me if you need anything. Anything at all. I mean it.”
A smile creeps over my face as I look down at his name and number still glowing on my phone’s screen. “K. Thanks.”
“Baby?” I hear Rod slurring as he looks into the room.
I hit the button to make my phone screen go dark. “Yes, Rod. I’m in here.”
He’s drunk and leans on the door frame. “What are you two doing all alone in here?”
Reed sits up. “Just talking. What are you doing?”
“I’m ready to take my woman home and give her a good old fashioned Christmas fucking.”
I jump up and move quickly to him. “Jesus, Rod!”
Taking him by the arm I pull on him to come with me. Reed gets up and comes to us. “You should stay the night here. You’re pretty drunk, bro.”
Rod runs his hand over my head very clumsily and says, “Nah. What I plan on doing to her will have her screaming my name so staying here is out.”
Reed reaches into Rod’s front pocket and digs out the keys as Rod protests but can’t seem to function enough to stop him. Reed places the keys in my hand. “Let her drive at least.”
Rod smiles. “You want to drive me, Baby?”
“Yes,” I say as I start to pull him along.
“Yes what?” he asks as he stops and stares at me.
I look into his eyes. “Do you remember where you are, Rod? At your family’s home. With your brother looking right at you?”
“Yes, what?” he asks again.
I lean in and whisper, “Yes, Master.”
He smiles and Reed looks at me. I think he heard me even though I said it very quietly. But he makes no remark other than saying, “Bye. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Reed. Have a merry Christmas,” I say as Rod leans his weight on me and I struggle to the door with him.
Reed follows along and helps me get him into the truck. Rod slumps in the passenger side. Reed seatbelts him in then walks with me to the driver’s side. “If he falls asleep just leave him in the truck. He’ll be fine and it won’t be the first time he’s slept in that position.”
“Thank you. I’ll do that.” I open the door and get in and Rod is already snoring.
Reed chuckles. “Looks like you won’t be doing any screaming of his name tonight.”
I look down and go scarlet. “Good night, Reed.”
He shuts the door and I start the truck up and drive home.
To my complete amazement, Rod wakes up just as I turn the truck off at our small house and looks at me with wide eyes. “You two! What the fuck were you doing alone with another man?”
I get out of the truck and go around to help him but he seems to be no longer drunk somehow. He gets out and slams the door. So I hurry to unlock the house and get inside.
He slams the front door closed and locks the door. “Answer me!”
“I was watching the fire, and he came and sat down and we talked about nothing, really. Not a big deal. And he is your brother, Rod. Not some man.”
I turn to walk to our bedroom as he says, “Well, since you were alone with a man and I have no idea what it is you were doing then you need to know I will be alone with some woman and you will have no idea what it is we’re doing.”
I stop and turn back to look at him. “Are you serious? He’s your brother, Rod. Neither of us would do anything to hurt you. Now don’t threaten me with that, please.”
“He’d hurt me. He has before. And I’m not threatening you, Jenna. I will be doing something with some woman. Just know that, Baby. And have a merry fucking Christmas!” Then he falls on the sofa and promptly passes out.
I slam into the bedroom and fall on the bed and cry.
Merry fucking Christmas, indeed!
Chapter 5
REED
The first sunrise of the new year and here I am sitting alone in my parents’ backyard.
A swimming pool would look very nice back
here…
I’ll make that happen before summer gets here this year. I have a financial secret I’ve been keeping from my entire family. My real estate business has been good.
Well, great actually. I’ve managed to become a billionaire through the sales and investments. But I’ve kept it all very low key.
My mom and dad and even brother aren’t jackals but the rest of my family is and I can see the Manning clan making nuisances of themselves.
Many would think of me as their personal ATM machine. And many would suddenly want to visit me in California. Maybe want to stay at the Bel-Air mansion I just bought a few months ago.
I could see the old trucks driving through the ritzy neighborhood now. Yeah, the neighbors would hate me for sure.
The sliding glass door rumbles open as Mom comes out. Her steaming cup of coffee leaves her in a cloud of fog as she emerges after the nearly all night party they threw for New Year’s Eve.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” I say very quietly because she most likely has a hangover. “Sleep well?”
She takes the lawn chair next to mine and sips her coffee. Bloodshot eyes look at me. “No.”
I smile at her. “Mom, when will you learn not to take shots at your age? Stick with the wine and leave the tough stuff to Rod and his cousins.”
Her lips curve into a smile. “You’ve always called those rowdy boys your brother’s cousins. Never yours. Why is that?”
“They’re nothing like me. All of them are the same. Work only as much as needed. Spend every last dime they manage to make and broke as hell the day before payday. Then drink away half their paycheck on payday. A vicious cycle Rod and his cousins are in.” The sun catches my eye as is rises over the area I’ve decided the pool should go.
“They are your family, Son. You’ve always stayed to yourself so much. You should try to get to know a few of the cousins now that you all are older and all that rivalry is gone.” I watch her sip her coffee and fight a frown.
To become successful, I’ve learned to start each day on positive notes. Thinking about trying to find some common ground with the men in my extended family is not a positive note.
“So, Mom. I’m going to be sending a swimming pool company out here soon. I’d like to have you a pool in by summer. Something nice and large. You have so many parties and I think one would look nice out here in this big backyard.”
“Reed, that would be nice, but way too expensive. I don’t think we can afford it. Not now since your father and I have retired.” She sips her coffee. “Thank you, though.”
“Mom, I have the money to pay cash for it and I’ll pay a pool cleaner to handle the care of it. It’ll be something that doesn’t cost you a cent. By the way, I found this month’s electric bill in the stack of bills you and Dad have. I set up for it to be paid straight out of one of my bank accounts. So don’t go freaking out when no more of those bills come in. I’m taking care of it from now on.” I stretch my legs out and cross them at my ankles.
“I can’t let you do that, Son. Change it back,” she says as she looks over the rim of her old brown coffee mug she’s had since I was a kid.
“Mom, I’m not changing anything back. As a matter of fact, I went down to Doug’s Autoplex and left some money down there. You and Dad can go down this week and both of you can pick out any brand new cars you want. There’s enough money down there for you each to get something you absolutely love. It’s my Christmas present to you guys.”
Her face turns very slowly as she looks at me. “Reed, just how much money have you been making over there in California?”
“Enough,” I say and put my hands behind my head and lean back on them. “I’m going to take care of you and Dad from now on. You need something, you call me. You merely want something, you call me. I’m leaving a bank card with Dad. It’s an account I’ve set up for you guys. I’m having your card sent in the mail. It should be arriving any day now. Use it for all of your expenses. Groceries, whatever you want or need. Got it?”
She puts the cup down on the small table beside her and stands up. Her hair is flat on one side where she slept on it. The silver curls pressed in neat circles against her head.
Mom has light blue eyes. They used to be dark but they’ve faded over the years. Her thin lips part as she asks, “Reed, just how much money are you making now. Tell me the truth.”
“Plenty, Mom. That’s all you need to know. And it’s all legal stuff.” I smile at her and get up. “I’ll make some breakfast for you and Dad. You want me to bring you out some more coffee?”
She shakes her head. “I’m coming inside with you. You have to leave in the morning and I want to spend every minute I can with you before you have to go.”
I slide the noisy glass door back open and make a note to have it replaced then a thought pops into my head. “Why don’t you and Dad find a nice lot and I’ll buy it and have you a house built on it?”
“Nothing doing, Moneybags. Your father bought us this home only three years after we married. We’re going to die in this home.” She sits at the bar and I refill her coffee cup.
“Fine. But I’m going to have someone come and do some repairs and replace a few things.” I go to the fridge and take out the bacon and sausage I bought yesterday. “That glass door is the first thing I want to be replaced. Don’t you think a nice set of French doors would go great there? And once the pool’s in then it’ll look very pretty.”
Mom looks at the glass door and nods. “That would look nice, wouldn’t it?”
Pulling my cell phone out of my blue jean pocket, I text Rod to see if he and Jenna want to join us for breakfast. Before I put it back I see he’s responded with a very short answer, -fuck you, I’m sleeping-
I place the phone on the counter and wait to see if he wakes up a bit and changes his mind. Rod’s always been a real grump in the mornings.
Then Jenna comes into my mind. I wonder how she’s doing this morning. She was so quiet last night at the party. Rod was roaring drunk, again, and she was to herself.
I don’t know why she thinks she has to settle for life with Rod. I glance at Mom who’s gazing around I assume looking at things that need repaired or fixed up some.
“Mom, do you think Rod’s treating Jenna well?” I ask as I fill a pan with strips of bacon.
The way her eyes go droopy all of a sudden answers my question. “Your brother is a hard man. You know that. But maybe Jenna can calm him down. He seems very attached to her. Protective over her, you know?”
“Possessive of her is how I see it. I’ve watched her around him. She’s skittish. She never was before. I used to watch her when we were in high school together. She was a sweet girl with lots of friends. I haven’t heard her talk about any of the girls she used to hang out with. Have you?” I form the sausage into patties and fill another pan full of them.
Mom shakes her head then runs her hand through her silver, short curls. “I have not heard her talk about any of them. When she was in my class in junior high school I do recall her having a lot of friends. She and one girl, in particular, Patty Slater. They were very close. But that family moved if I do recall.”
I nod and ask, “Do you think Rod hurts her?”
Mom shakes her head. “No, Son! Goodness, no! Your father would rip him a new one and you know that.”
“What if he is and Jenna just doesn’t want to tell anyone? Rod used to be very mean, Mom. Do you remember how he was about punishing things when he thought they did wrong? The puppy who peed in the living room when he was ten?” I turn the bacon in the hot pan.
Mom nods and sips her coffee. “We found the poor puppy strung up in the string that opens the window blinds. Rod actually shouted at me when I was cutting the poor thing out of the knots he’d made with the string to hold him off the floor. He told me he was teaching him not to use the bathroom in the house and the puppy had ten more minutes of punishment before he was to be let down. And then he was going to spank the puppy until he thought it had
learned.”
A shiver runs through me as I think about another time Rod decided punishment was necessary. I was five and had gone into his bedroom to put some laundry on his bed. Mom had asked me to do it and when I was walking out he came up the hallway and the next thing I knew I was punched in the mouth and locked in his closet.
He left me there, bleeding, crying, and very confused. It seemed like forever before Mom found me and set me free. When I told her what he did she talked to him and he told her he was teaching me to stay out of his bedroom.
Rod’s always been into teaching and not in a good way!
“She asks him before she does anything, Mom,” I say as I pull the cooked bacon out of the pan and place it on a paper towel lined plate.
The sound of Rod’s truck is heard pulling into the driveway and shortly thereafter the front door opens. “Is it ready?” Rod shouts.
“Not quite,” I shout back. “And I thought you were sleeping.”
“So you didn’t make enough?” he asks as he comes into the kitchen, Jenna is quiet and a step behind him. Her head lowered, and she looks pale.
“I’m making more than enough,” I say then look around him at Jenna who’s staying just behind him. “Morning, Jenna. Think you can help me out and put some biscuits on a baking sheet and get them in the oven for me? My hands are kind of full right now.”
She whispers, “Is that okay, Rod?”
Before he can answer, I say, “Of course, it is. Come here.”
“Go,” he says with a gruff voice. “Get me some coffee first.”
“Yes, I will,” she says in a very quiet voice without looking at anyone.
Mom gives me a sideways glance telling me to stay out of it, but I can’t. “So, what have you two been up to this morning?” I take the coffee from the counter before Jenna can and hand it to my brother who looks at me with a slight glare in his steel-blue eyes.
“Not much. It looks like you’ve been up for a while. All showered and dressed. Jenna got up at the fucking crack of dawn too. It bothered the shit out of me as she made racket going in and out of the house. Looking at the fucking sunrise, she said.” He takes his coffee and walks out of the kitchen and into the living room where I hear him turn on the television.
Shattered: A Billionaire Romance Series (Contemporary Romance Novels) Page 72