The Forbidden Beat (A Stepbrother Romance)

by Sterling, Jillian

  "I've done something awful," she said, choking back her tears.

  My eyes went wide. "Presley, did you kill mom?"

  Dion actually guffawed at that.

  "I'm kind of being serious," I said to him. Presley's relationship with Pamela was contentious on a good day.

  Presley sighed. "In a manner of speaking, maybe yes."

  "Crap," I said, getting lightheaded as my blood pressure spiked. "Dion, we need a lawyer, a good lawyer."

  She shook her head. "No, she's still alive. I was using a metaphor."

  "Okay, so you didn't literally kill mom?" I asked for clarification. I started breathing again. Damn Presley and her flair for the dramatic.

  "I may as well have, she's not taking it well."

  "Taking what well," Dion pushed to get it out of her.

  "Vince and mom are splitting up," she said with a rush of air. Then the sobbing started up again.

  I slumped in relief just as the coffee machine gurgle and spit out the last of the brew. I started to get up, but Dion was I the kitchen pulling out mugs before I my ass left the bar stool. I smiled at my man. His doddering was annoying but cute as hell.

  "So why did you say you killed mom?" I asked. "Vince is the one that did it."

  "We got into a fight," she said. "And I accidentally told her that he was filing for divorce."

  Dion gave me a searching look. I just grimaced. "Accidentally?"

  "She got me so mad," Presley moaned. "And I just lashed out."

  "Why do you even know that Vince was filing for divorce?" Dion asked. "He didn't even say anything to me or Rafe."

  "Working on my solo album, we've been seeing a lot of each other," she said, before adding a qualifier. "It just came out when we were in the studio one night."

  "Does Vince know you spilled the beans?" I asked. She nodded. "Is he pissed?"

  "A little, at first, but he said I did him a favor, that he was just hanging on out of fear."

  "Yeah, fear of alimony," Dion muttered. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Vince's divorce from Dion's mom was expensive. She was more of a gold digger than Pamela, leaving Vince to raise Dion and Kyle so she could party away the alimony checks.

  I pushed a stack of napkins at Presley. "I don't know, I think it's kind of a relief they're splitting up."

  "Sure," Dion agreed, pouring out the coffee. "They can't bitch about how the hillbilly step siblings are sleeping together now."

  I laughed out loud, and immediately winced in regret. It had been a month since I was shot, but my side still ached at the force of pressure that laughing exerted on my abs. Presley, however, didn't find that funny of all. She choked back a sob. "Presley, I know you looked at Vince like a father figure—"

  "He was never a father figure," she snapped and I recoiled like she slapped me.

  Dion tried. "If this is about your solo career, he's not going to stop working with you just because he's finally dumping Pamela."

  I shot him a look. "Let's not be insensitive here."

  He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm just saying, what we all know. Relationships with Vince aren't forever. You saw the parade of maids in their Hustler Hollywood store outfits. Presley didn't tell your mother something she didn't already know, even if Pamela refused to admit it."

  That just made Presley break down even more. She planted her face into the soapstone countertop and her back heaved with each sob.

  Dion slapped his hand over his face. Then he leaned over the counter and whispered into my ear. "What the hell did I say?"

  "I don't know," I whispered back, staring at my older sister who was still crumpled across my countertop. "This is kind of weird."

  Dion and I sipped our coffee in silence and watched her. After a minute, she finally raised her head and rubbed at her tear stained face with a napkin.

  "Presley," I said, weighing each word before I said it. "This is strange reaction to have about mom and Vince splitting up."

  Her lower lip trembled. "I know," she said, her voice so soft I could barely hear it. "But the reason why they are splitting up...Is awful."

  "What did mom do?" I asked.

  Dion shook his head. "I think the question is what did Vince do?"

  "No, the question is what did Presley do," she said around her sobs.

  "Pres," I said, reaching over and rubbing her back. "Mom's always jealous if Vince pays attention to anyone that's not her."

  "Hell, she was jealous of the Rafe, Kyle and me," Dion agreed.

  I nodded in agreement. "Which is why the guys hated us for so long."

  "But her jealousy won't stop Vince from helping launch your career," Dion added. "He lives for this shit. Say what you will about my dad, but he loves the music business, playing, producing, managing. Pamela has an issue with that, of course he's going to walk."

  "Maybe she gave him an ultimatum," I mused.

  "That's the fastest way to make my dad do exactly the opposite of what you want," Dion said, opening the fridge and glancing in. "Anyone want eggs?

  "Yeah, right here, scrambled, " I said and then turned my attention back to Presley. "Seriously, Pres, don't let mom make you feel guilty for Vince helping you with your career. Hell, she gave us next to nothing growing up. She owes you Vince at least."

  Instead of cheering of Presley up, everything we said made her cry harder. I sat there and rubbed her back while Dion scrambled up some eggs. Every once in a while he'd shoot me a look, but I'd just shrug. Maybe Presley had a raging bout of PMS. She taking Mom and Vince's divorce awfully hard.

  By the time Dion plopped three plates of scrambled eggs in front of us, Presley was pretty much cried out. She pushed the eggs around on her dish, but I dug right in. Hospital food made me appreciate something as simple as scrambled eggs. And Dion excelled at egg dishes.

  "You okay?" I asked around a mouth-full.

  She sniffled. "Yeah, fine. Sorry. Just. Stuff."

  "So was that why you came here? To tell us about...you know." I didn't want to say it out loud in case it made her cry again.

  She shook her head and rubbed her nose with her napkin. "No, actually. I came here to see if you would be interested in the Sisters releasing an album."

  Dion's fork stopped in front of his mouth. The eggs on the end dropped back into his plate.

  "But I thought we agreed we should go on hiatus?" I said.

  "Maybe that was a stupid idea," she admitted.

  "You think?" I snapped. Her face fell and I thought she was going to cry again. "Wait, sorry, that was shitty. You just caught me by surprise."

  "It's just," she bit back tears. "Vince thinks that the way Rogue Nation is charting, and with the accident, and all that.... He thinks we're blowing a good opportunity by not cutting an album."

  I considered what she said for a second, afraid of getting my hopes up. "Jett's in the middle of classes. She's not going to drop everything to go into the recording studio. And what about your solo project?"

  "Vince said we could cut an album that was a mix of live recordings from the tour and some studio tracks," she explained. "That way, we can get an album out pretty fast. This way I'll still have time for my solo project, Jett can still go to school, and you can play with Rogue Nation."

  "She's still not 100 percent from the shooting," Dion interjected. "Getting better is her first priority."

  "Well yeah, but Rogue Nation is going in studio soon, right?" she asked. "That's what Vince said."

  "Did he?" Dion asked, raising his eyebrows. "How would you know about what Rogue Nation is doing before we do?"

  "One band at a time, okay?" I said, diffusing the tension rising in the room. "You know I'm down for doing anything with Satan's Sisters. It broke my heart when we went on hiatus." I put air quotes around the word hiatus.

  This got a small smile out of her. "Thanks, Nik. I miss you. And Jett. And making music with my sisters. I think we should do it."

  "Do you think Jett'll be down with it?" I asked.

/>   "According to Rafe, she's switching her major to poetry," Dion said picking up the plates and dropping them into the sink. Totally domesticated. "Sounds to me like she misses songwriting."

  "Wait," Presley said, her mood lifting. "How the hell does Rafe know about Jett changing her major. And before us?"

  Dion shrugged. "He signed up for a class."

  This piece of news made Presley crack a smile. "Rafe, at UCLA?"

  My eyes were wide. "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "Didn't think you'd give a shit," he said. I couldn't disagree with that.

  "Leave Jett to me," Presley said. She got up and gave me a hug. "I'm glad you're up for this Nik. I love you."

  "Love you too," I said. She gave me a squeeze and I jerked away, favoring my side. "Too hard, too soon."

  "Ooof," she said, jumping back from me. "I'm sorry."

  "It's okay," I lied.

  Dion walked Presley to the door. They said their goodbyes and, when the door was closed, he turned and faced me. "What the hell was that?"

  "I don't know, and I don't care," I said rubbing my tender wound. "All that matters is that Satan's Sisters is back together and Rogue Nation is number one on the alternative charts. I'm a pretty happy girl right now."

  "And..." Dion said, flashing an expectant look at me.

  "And... what?" I teased. Was he fishing for a compliment?

  "And... you are about to have like 12 orgasms in a row," he said. I took in his sexy swagger as he stalked towards me. "With the hottest guy in rock and roll."

  "The hottest guy in rock and roll?" I mocked. "Is he here?"

  "You think you're funny?" he teased. "Let's see who's laughing by orgasm number 10."

  I snorted. "I can't have 12 orgasms in a row."

  "So you're not disputing that I am the hottest guy in rock and roll?" he asked, wrapping his arms around me.

  "Like that's even a question," I purred, nuzzling his neck. "So 12 orgasms? Are you ready to prove it?"

  "With pleasure," he said.

  THE END

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  Also Written By Jillian Sterling

  If you enjoyed this story be sure to read “Billionaire Bait” by Jillian Sterling

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  Billionaire Bait is a Contemporary New Adult Romance Novel. This book contains adult situations that some may find offensive, harsh language, and explicit sexual content. Stand-alone, No Cliff-Hanger.

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