“No!” said Cody, following after. Joanna’s arm trailed after him as she tried to stop him, but Cody kept going.
Brandon and Cody reached the cold air of the city night and Brandon kept going. But only for a block before he turned around outside a closed coffee shop. Cody was almost right behind him now.
“Leave her alone, Brandon. I told you, it’s finished.”
Brandon laughed. “Yes! I was hoping you’d follow. No man, you’re wrong. You’re finished.”
With a roar, Brandon stormed forward and unleashed a brutal punch. It struck his jaw and almost knocked his head off, but somehow he kept standing. More blows rained against his arms as he covered his face, then he tried to strike back, but Brandon’s size and strength filled all of his space. Now the punches kept coming, full of Brandon’s drunken rage. Cody stood his ground as the blows landed, cutting his brow, slamming into his jaw.
“You bastard!” shouted Joanna Laws as she caught up with them. “You stupid bastard, leave him alone!” But Brandon kept on throwing punches.
***
I heard the commotion way up the street as I struggled forward with my overloaded shopping bags. I didn’t want to bump into any idiot street fighters, so with my bags of French bread, cold meats, salad, and white wine, I trekked across the street. I got just a little further when I suddenly recognised the female voice who was screeching at the street fighters - calling someone a bastard. I went cold. I dropped my bags by the side of the street and broke into a sprint, my skirt flapping around me. I ran then faster than I did in my entire life. “Cody!” I cried as I ran. “Cody!” I screamed. I already knew what was going on, before I saw it with my own eyes. My heart and my gut knew it. I wanted to cry but I had to keep running. When I got there, Brandon was an animal on the verge of triumph, his body full of sweat, swagger and vigour. And there was Cody swaying on his feet, his face bloodied, Joanna Laws trying to step into the fray but also not get hurt. I didn’t wait for that. My lungs were burning. I jumped straight in the way of Brandon’s violence, his fists ready to hurl again any second. Behind me, I knew Cody was in a bad way.
“Why, Brandon? Why?! You could have killed him!”
“Did you hear that, hero? She admits it. I could have killed you. Now that’s a true story.”
“Cody didn’t do anything to you!”
“He did. He stole you off me, and dragged you up here. And he’s been fucking you, am I right?”
“What the hell! It’s none of your business who I spend my time with.”
“Yes it is, Ash. It’s all my business. I’ve got something to tell you and you better hear it this time.”
I looked around. I smelt the booze on Brandon’s breath, that same shitty Armagnac that he’d so impressed me with not so long ago. Joanna’s eyes connected with mine. She took Cody by the hand and led him away from the animal. Joanna’s eyes told me she would look after Cody for me. I hoped she would. I wanted Brandon out of there, in fact, right then I just wished he would have dropped down dead where he stood. But I followed him to the side of the street, hoping he would calm down and go away.
“What do you want?”
“You know what I want,” he said, his voice going soft. “You don’t have anywhere to live, do you? You’ve barely got any cash to get through college either. You need me, honey.”
“Brandon, I don’t need you and I don’t want you. I never will. Not anymore! That’s done with…”
Brandon shook his head and folded his muscular arms.
“No, it’s not. I’ll tell you why. I love you Ashley.”
“No, you don’t!” I shouted. “You think you love me, but look what you did! You hurt people, Brandon. That’s not love! That’s no love at all.”
“No, I do love you. But there’s a limit to my patience and you need to know that. I have leverage with important people, Ashley.”
“Leverage. What the hell are you talking about now?”
“I’ve got money and influence.”
I shrugged, not liking where this was going. I felt queasy, but I wanted him to go and to leave Cody alone. It turns out that was part of his leverage.
“First off, there’s my good friend Dean Jonathan Mayhew. If he heard that I suddenly wanted my money back, he could arrange that. Then your college bill would be reinstated. You’d be out inside a day. Finished.”
I looked around to see Cody and Joanna. Cody looked dazed, she was talking to him and holding his hands. They couldn’t hear Brandon’s threats.
“So what, I can come back next year.”
“No, Ashley. I can stop that too. And on top of that, look what I just did to Cody. You cross me again, I’ll break that little prick in two. And I mean break, do you understand?”
“You are seriously deranged, Brandon. You need help.”
“Here’s the last part, Ashley. How far is your home town from London? What, an hour? That’s not far. Some tube journeys are longer. I could go down there and pay a little visit to your brother and we could see how that pans out for him. Or, even better, I send some friends down there to visit your brother and repay him for all the crap he ever caused you. I could have his pockets loaded with a fat bag of coke, and we could get him arrested. Do you like that one? It’s amazing what a little money and influence can do, Ash. But think about it the other way round, sweetheart, you and me… with my money and influence… we could be stars, baby.”
I wanted to cry, but I wouldn’t. The bastard was threatening my family. I stared at him cold.
“You’re threatening to hurt Cody. You’re threatening to get me kicked out of college. You’re threatening to hurt my family, Brandon. How could I ever love you?”
“You can love me because I will do whatever it takes to have you. I’m doing this because I have no choice…”
Ashley felt the raw emotion in Brandon’s voice, the anger, the desire and all his need wrapped up in his drunkenness. I had left Cody in the lurch once. How could I do it again? I loved him. But this man was threatening his life, my brother- the ones I wanted to protect. I hated Brandon but I knew I had a responsibility to the ones I loved before my own needs. Don’t get me wrong, I was always going to fight. That’s who I am. But right there on that cold York street, with my sweet Cody battered and bleeding in the arms of Joanna Laws, with Brandon in my face threatening everyone I cared about, I had no choice at all. If I went to the police, I knew Brandon would get off and my family would still be in danger. I hoped I my choosing was going to be temporary, until I could fight my way out. But I was to find out that some things just can’t be undone…
I went to Cody and I leaned down passed Joanna Laws. I didn’t fight the tears which fell then from my eyes and landing on Cody’s face. I looked at his battered face and something tore inside me. I hunched down and kissed his sweet lips. “I love you, sweetheart. I always will.”
“Don’t break my heart, Ashley…” said Cody in a whisper. I stood up, wiping my eyes and turned away to Brandon Lynes. That was the moment my own heart tore in two. I didn’t look at Brandon. I walked straight past him, but I could feel him following in my wake. He had ruined my life and I was angry. Brandon had gone as far as he ever could. I would never end up destroyed as he had destroyed Amanda. It was time to start planning some payback…
This story is continued in Fighting Heart 3: Vengeful Heart
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Questing Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 2 Page 11