REBEL Brother

by Jessa Wayne

"Something has you upset. What happened between you two?"

  "No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, I could never get that relationship two brothers are supposed to have. He's always had the ability to ruin everything I'd tried to accomplish. When he disappeared, I can't say I was upset about it."

  "He disappeared?"

  "At first, he did. He didn't tell anyone he had enlisted. We had to figure that out for ourselves."

  "I take it you two didn't get along?"

  "You could say that. Baby of the family, always got what he wanted. He didn't have to do shit to get what he got. I had to earn everything."

  I rubbed his arm when his voice got stronger.

  "Was it always like that?"

  "Always. We never got along, no matter what it was. If I had a girlfriend, he wanted her. If I got top grades, he had to ambush me. Did you know that once, he stole my alarm clock and cut the fuel lines on my car when I had an important final my senior year in high school?"

  "Why would he do that?"

  "I couldn't be better than him. It drove him crazy. I missed my test and almost didn't graduate that year. I had to beg the principal to let me take it later, literally."

  "Did he allow it?"

  "He did, but also made the teacher take twenty points off the top. If I hadn't have known the material in and out, I'd have failed. Doesn't seem like a big deal now, but it sure was at the time."

  "Did you ever try and talk to Julien?"

  "There was no talking to him. It was his way or complete destruction."

  "He sounds horrible."

  "When he started dating Iris he started to change. He was better, nicer, more tolerable."

  "So, she was good for him?"

  "We thought so. She had some kind of power over him. The family started getting closer, and I gave that credit to her. She took care of him, coddled him and stroked his ego. Julien would have done anything for her."

  "What happened? I assume it didn't work out?"

  "No one knows what happened. They were getting along great. Then, there was a huge fight one night."

  He looked away, not wanting to finish his thought.

  "What happened?"

  "We got a call and found out he took off. He disappeared after that. No one knew what happened to him until months later. We received some paperwork in the mail from the Marines about his enlistment. They had him for the next five years."

  "And now that he's back?"

  "I don't know. I don't trust him. I'm going to keep my eye on him, though. You can be sure of that."

  I smiled at the idea that came to me, and I stood up in front of him.

  "I have a very important question," I said, as I walked away from him.

  "What's that?"

  "How are you going to keep an eye on him, if I do this?"

  I slid my dress up my legs as I moved my hips seductively from side to side.

  "Hmmm, that will be a tough one."

  I turned the power on the stereo system and plugged my phone in, hitting one of my playlists. The swanky sounds of bluegrass filled the room, and I danced for him. He moved to the couch as I closed my eyes, feeling the music surround me. My hands slid my dress back up my legs, and I encircled the material around my stomach exposing my panties. I opened my legs and danced seductively for him, turning my back to him and leaning forward as I moved my behind to the music. I pulled my dress over my head, flinging it toward him and giggling as I watched him cover his face.

  He caught it and pulled it to his nose inhaling my scent. Arousal hit me, knowing he was so turned on by my actions. I caressed my hips and moved my hands up my sides, feeling my body, feeling him watching me, feeling the arousal increase. When I turned to look at him, he was already standing and was walking toward me. My stomach fluttered at the anticipation of his touch.

  I moved like a slinky and flipped my hair softly to the side. He kept his hands to his sides and only touched me with his mouth on my lips. He moved with me, his mouth trailing down my cheek to my neck. His teeth grazed the soft tissue on the side of my neck causing a shiver to race down my back. He bit down, holding my skin between his teeth, then caressing the spot with his tongue. He moved his mouth down to the side of my breast and did the same thing, biting down and brushing the spot with his tongue. My bra fell away from me, his mouth took my nipple in and teased it as his hands slid up my leg.

  I felt his fingers play through the thin layer of my underwear, my breath catching in my throat. I wanted him badly, but I fought the urge. I wanted this to last. I moved for him, letting him touch me the way he needed to. My fingers fed through his hair as his mouth danced along my stomach, biting, licking, pressing into my soft flesh. I opened my legs when his mouth lowered there, his warm breath heating me up through the silk. I felt myself breathing harder, and I bit my lip to keep from pushing him down and letting him fuck me right there on the carpet.

  He fed from me with an urgency I had never felt before. He was worried, upset and anxious because of his brother's return. I needed to free him of that, if only for a little while.

  I pulled him up to his feet and kissed him tenderly while walking him gently backward until he was forced to sit on the couch. I took a deep breath and lowered myself between his legs, unbuckling his pants and pulling the belt from the loops. I pulled the belt around my neck and let it dangle there while I opened his pants and pulled him out. He was hard, ready, a bit of liquid on the tip for me to sample.

  I looked up at him with wide eyes and licked the tip. The sweet and salty taste of him spread across my tongue and made me hungry for more of him. He closed his eyes and put his head back as I eased my mouth around him, my teeth grazing the sides, teasing him, arousing him, and causing him to move back and forth.

  I closed my mouth around him, my tongue flicking hard at the tip. I swirled around him like an ice cream cone and sucked him into my mouth until he was deep in my throat. I swallowed and moved up and down on him, hearing his moans and loving his movements. I fucked his cock with my mouth until he was panting and ready to let go.

  When I sat up and looked at him, there was no more worry in his eyes. His anxiety had dissipated, and he was no longer upset. He grabbed me and pulled me to him. I stood between his parted legs as he slid my underwear down my legs.

  "You make me absolutely crazy, Maddie Cole," he growled.

  He pulled me on top of him, still staring at my face like he was studying me. I straddled him, feeling his protruding cock between my legs, ready for me, wanting me, needing to be inside me. I lowered myself until he pressed into my opening and slowly inched his way inside me.

  "My God, you feel so good," I breathed.

  I sat on him, feeling him pulsate inside me, my arms around him, my face buried into his neck, my body feeling the orgasm that was creeping up and taking over.

  He caressed my sides with his hands, pulling me up and then pushing me down on him. A groan escaped his lips and fueled me. I moved my body the way he wanted, fucking him and feeling every movement he commanded. I moved faster as he directed, wanting to jump over the edge with him. My lips found his, and I forced my tongue into his mouth, wanting to taste him, to swallow him. I moved faster, harder, his body ramming against mine.

  He pushed me off him and grabbed me, turning me around and pushing me to the back of the couch. My knees were on the edge of the cushion, and my chest pressed into the back. He grabbed my hips from behind and entered me. He slammed into me repeatedly until he came hard, holding himself deep inside me until he was done. He reached around and played with me, his fingers knowing precisely what to do to finish me off. My orgasm grabbed hold of me and held on until I twitched and jolted back and forth, my body pressed into the back of the couch.

  When he let me go, I felt this abandonment. He didn't hug me and tell me how great it was. He didn't cuddle with me or kiss me afterward. I forced the feelings down, turning around and sitting on the couch with my legs underneath me. He sat on the edge very close to
me with his elbows on his knees, his breathing still labored. I touched his back with a tender hand and laid my cheek beside it. He needed me there, and it was exactly what I was going to do for him.

  Chapter Three

  Travis

  I should have kicked myself in the ass for not proposing to Maddie when I had the chance. She was incredible, and I was madly in love with her. Why did I let my brother stop me? He hasn't been around for over five years. It wasn't like he could just walk back into my life and start commotion again.

  I needed to try and welcome him home. Five years was a long time, and the military was a good place for him. When I had convinced myself to give him a chance, I heard arguing voices carry into my office.

  "You can't stop me from seeing him. He's my brother, you asshole."

  The voices were hardly audible, but I knew who it was as soon as I heard them increase in volume. I walked out into the bar area, and just as I had suspected, Julien was arguing with Buck to get to me.

  "Dude, he's busy. What can't you understand about that?" Buck tried to keep Julien from walking around him.

  "Back off, man!"

  "Buck," I interrupted. "It's okay. Let him go. I'm not getting much done anyway."

  "Are you sure? I can easily toss him out if you want me to."

  "I'd love to see you try it!" Julien spat. He puffed his chest out.

  "It's fine," I said quickly. "I don't mind. I wanted to talk to him anyway."

  "Suit yourself," Buck said, putting his hands up.

  I took a big breath, knowing I was going to regret this but trying to do the right thing. I motioned Julien back and led him into my office.

  "Thank you," he said. "I didn't know I needed special clearance to be graced with your presence."

  "You don't. It's just that, I told Buck I didn't want any visitors."

  "I'm not any visitor. I'm your brother."

  How did I tell him that it was because of who he was? "I'm sorry. It's fine. What's up?"

  "Not even a hug for your little brother?" He held his arms out wide. "You sure weren't very welcoming at your little shindig the other night."

  This was going to be harder than I thought. "We weren't exactly on the best terms when you disappeared. It was a little shocking to see you pop back into our lives, much like you left. But… it is good to see you again, safe and sound."

  "Is that what you really feel? Cuz I'm not sensing that. You've always put up a front around me."

  "What do you want Julien?" I was already fed up with him.

  "Just a little acknowledgment that I am actually a part of this family. I've changed. It's been a long time. The military changes a man."

  "I believe that. But your demeanor is the same. Doesn't feel all that convincing."

  "I've missed you, Travis. I want to make things right."

  "Okay," I said with skepticism. "What are your plans, now that you're out?"

  "Thinking about buying a place in town. I looked at a place on Millard Lane; you know the one. It's the white house just before…."

  "Those houses are in the million-dollar range, Julien.“

  "Yeah, I hear they're pretty nice," he said with a snicker.

  "Don't you think you should start a little smaller? Maybe save your money?" I looked at him, trying to figure out his angle.

  "Nope. 'Go big or go home' is my motto. I'm already home, so, yeah. I'll get a place on Millard, maybe get back into the music industry. I always did have a knack for carrying a pretty good tune."

  "And you want me to help you out, is that why you're here?"

  "You are the one with the strings, Travis."

  "I know. I also remember pulling a lot of those strings for you when you were sure this was what you wanted. Only, you didn't follow through, did you? I lined everything up for you, got some very well-known producers to hear you and you fucked me and left all of my people hanging. Do you have any idea what I went through to get you that deal?"

  "You still sore over that?" He put his feet up on the corner of my desk and sunk down in his chair. "That was over five years ago. You really need to let shit go. You'll give yourself an ulcer."

  "I'm not calling in any favors for you. If you want to do this, you'll have to do it legitimately. Work as hard as anyone else does."

  "Like your little girlfriend did?"

  "She's none of your business. What I did for her was straight up. She has talent. Anyone would have jumped to sign her."

  "I bet they would have… jumped." He grinned, and I wanted to jump over my desk and slam him to the ground. "I'd jump."

  "Get the fuck out of here." I stood up and pointed toward the door. "You're the same as you always have been. You'll never change. I want you gone."

  "Awww. Your own flesh and blood? You're harsh." He stood up and stepped toward me. "I want a shot at making a record deal. I know you can make that happen."

  "It's not going to happen, Julien. You can't shit where you want to lay your head. Even your own family will only take so much from a bullshit artist."

  "Well, we'll see if that's true. Let's see if mom has that same attitude."

  "You're going to go to her?"

  "You're not going to help me. So, yeah. You always were jealous of me, weren't you?"

  "That has nothing to do with what's between you and me."

  "It has everything to do with it. Ya know what? You don't deserve Desperado."

  "What?"

  "You're buying that club, right?"

  "Again, it's none of your business."

  "But it was everyone else's? You brought them all together to deliver the news. Must have been pretty important."

  I clenched my jaw tight for fear of telling him exactly how I felt about him.

  "You have Bourbon Guitar. You have the Bourbon Rebel recording label. I think you should give me Desperado, or at least let me manage it."

  "You're going to buy a mansion on Millard Lane. You want to buy Desperado. You sure do have a lot of dreams on a military salary. I know you aren't making that much. What gives?"

  "Don't worry about it. You don't want to help me; I could give a shit less about you."

  "There's a surprise. You never cared about anyone but yourself."

  "What?"

  "You're a selfish bastard, Julien. You always have been. Jesus, you can't even keep a girlfriend."

  "You don't know me!"

  "I know you could be a better person if you tried. Iris loved you. She was good for you. Why did you let her walk away?"

  He curled his upper lip at me, and I knew the conversation was going to turn ugly.

  "What happened between Iris and me is none of your business."

  "It is when you leave the pieces for me to pick up. What did you do that night?"

  "I figured she'd have told everyone the whole story."

  "She didn't. As soon as the doctor's released her, she disappeared too. Just like you did."

  "Good. Good riddance."

  "You don't mean that."

  He turned away from me.

  "You going to help me or not?"

  "I'm not going to help you, Julien." I was disgusted at who he has become, even after being in the military, I figured he would have been a better person. I was so wrong.

  He slowly walked toward me with the look in his eyes that I was quite familiar with. I clenched my fists and moved away from my desk.

  "You owe me at least that much."

  "I don't owe you anything, Julien. Why don't you just leave? I don't understand why you think you’e entitled. You think everyone should bow down to you."

  He shook his head and laughed. "Always the jealous one. I bet you had something to do with Iris disappearing didn't you?"

  "What are you talking about?"

  "You were always jealous because I had her. You wanted her, didn't you?"

  "That's not true at all. Where the hell did you come up with that conclusion?"

  "Did you know she was pregnant?"

  "I did.
You don't remember telling me?"

  "She lost it that night. Did you know that?"

  "I, um, no. I didn't. I'm sorry." I had mixed emotions. I felt awful that my brother lost his child, but I wondered if it was because of their fight.

  "I was going to have a DNA test done on it."

  "A DNA test? For what?"

  "I often wondered if it was yours."

  "Mine?" I screeched. "Why would you think that? I never…. Why would you think I had anything to do with…. Wait a minute…”

  "Don't be cynical. I saw the way you looked at her. You even touched her one night when you thought I wasn't looking."

  "You have it all wrong, Julien."

  "You wanted to fuck her. I know you did. Hell, if you came to me, we could have tagged her together."

  "You son-of-a-bitch!"

  I lost it. I lunged at him and felt my fist connect with his face. He wavered backward but didn't fall. I didn't give him the time to get his footing when I lunged at him again. I punched his face, this time missing as he moved out of the way. My hand connected to the wall and the pain seared through my arm. He yelled and ran toward me, shoving his shoulder into my stomach and driving me backward. I tried punching his sides so he'd let me go, but he held on until I was against the opposite wall. I punched him in the side and rearranged my desk with him as he flew across to the other side. He jumped up, running back for more so I was ready for him. I got a few more punches in before Buck ran in and broke us up.

  "What's going on in here?!" He jumped between us and pulled me off Julien.

  I was fuming. I couldn't put two words together, and I only wanted to lunge at Julien again. I knew my best bet was to leave and get my head together. I pushed away from Buck and stormed out into the bar.

  I ran into Maddie just before I got to the front door, but I didn't want her to see me that way. I had never raised my voice or even got angry in front of her. I knew I needed to tell her what happened, but I didn't. I couldn't. Not yet. I shoved past her and walked out the door, hearing her call out to me as the door closed.

  Chapter Four

  Maddie