by Angel Steel
She paled right in front of him. If he wanted to break her spirit, he’d succeeded. How in the world he said half the shit he did was beyond him. He thought better of her, but she needed to understand what he wanted from her, from any woman. What his needs were.
“Get the fuck out of my house, Mac!” she screamed at him, reaching for a book near the couch. Throwing it, she hit beside his head on the door. “I never ever, in my life want to see or speak to you again, MacKenzie Harper,” she cried.
He opened the door and walked out of her house and life. He’d royally fucked any kind of friendship or relationship he had with her by opening his damn mouth. But it all had to be said. Sage couldn’t love someone like him; he would never return the love she wanted, be the guy she dreamed about. Mac was the way he was, and no one or anything was ever going to change him of that. It was his way of life.
CHAPTER
SIX
Sage fell to the floor in a heap, crying her eyes out. What was wrong with him? Why would he say words like that to her? The words hurt, shattering her heart into a million pieces. She had never heard words like that come out of anyone’s mouth. Mac knew how to tear someone’s heart right out of their chest and stomp it into the ground. And the one thing that hurt her the most was him calling her a whore. She wasn’t one. Well, maybe she was? She kneeled there and gave him a head job, straight after he went down on her. And she had allowed Caleb to do the same to her, the other day, and Zeb nearly did too. What was wrong with her?
She couldn’t feel anything; her body was limp, her heart torn from her chest as she crawled over to her phone. She needed the girls to get her out of the hell she was in, right now. Lifting the phone off the receiver, she dialled the first number that came up on the screen
“Bitch, someone better be dying or I’m hanging up,” Kaidence’s voice echoed over the phone line.
“Kaid,” she sobbed. Tears streamed from her eyes, making it hard to see out of them. Wiping her face on her shirt, she’d pulled on after Mac left her room, she took a shaky breath.
“Sage, what’s wrong?” Kaidence was wide awake and concern laced her voice.
“Mac happened.” Sage sobbed harder at the mention of his name.
“God damn it. Fucking cock sucking loser. Okay. I’m on my way, babe. I’ll call Bri and Lilly and bring them with me. Don’t do anything stupid or I’m going to be kicking your little ass.”
“Okay.” That’s all she could say, then the line went dead. She wanted to call Caleb or one of the other brothers, but after what Mac said to her and the close knit the boys had, there was no way she was doing that. They would side with him, agreeing to what he said; she didn’t need that right now.
She never moved from where she was on the floor, waiting for her three friends to arrive. Kaidence came busting through the door, looking frantically around for her, as Bri and Lilly argued about something.
“Sage.”
She lifted her hand from where she sat on the ground, behind the couch. “Over here,” she croaked.
All three of them came around the corner of the couch and dropped down beside her.
“What the hell happened? Kaid only said something to do with Mac,” Bri asked.
God, how stupid was she allowing Mac into her heart? Well, all the Harper boys were there, but he held the biggest part of it.
They didn’t know the extent of her feelings towards the boys. Yes, they all said at one point that they’d all love a ride on the Harper train, but for one of them to actually go through with it, she had never asked or said whether she had. And now, she could say, yep, Caleb got her off, Zeb came close, and Mac went down on her and she did the same for him.
She couldn’t look at them. “I gave Mac a blowjob. He didn’t say much at all until he was ready to walk out the door.”
“Well damn, Sage, you’re a little hussy,” Lilly laughed.
It didn’t make her feel any better. “Oh, there’s more than that,” she whispered.
“Did he fuck you like the dirty slut that you are? Jesus, out of all of them, he would be my pick. I’ve heard more about him than the others. The kinky shit he is into would make any woman orgasm on sight,” Bri answered.
“Caleb fucked me with his fingers the other day. Then Zeb had me pinned against the kitchen bench, forgetting that Caleb was still in my house. Then just now, Mac did the same as Caleb, but also used a mini vibrator on me. He was ready to leave, and I couldn’t help but drop to my knees right in front of him and suck him off. What the hell is wrong with me?”
“Holy fucking shit, Sage, you are a slut.” Both Bri and Kaidence laughed. Lilly just stared at her in shock.
“So, why didn’t you fuck any of them?” Lilly asked.
“I wanted to, trust me.”
“What was stopping you, Sage? There is no way on this fucking earth I would. I would have jumped all of them,” Bri said.
She wasn’t going to share her little secret; she couldn’t bring herself to tell them the real reason why she didn’t go through with it. She was shit scared at going further with him, and then explaining why she’d left it this long , who she was waiting for, etc.
“Do you want me to call one of the boys so you can talk to them?” Lilly asked.
Shaking her head, she didn’t want to see any of them after what Mac had said to her.
“No, not after what Mac said. I don’t want to see any of them, anymore.”
All three of them shifted closer to her. “What did he say, exact words, Sage? It probably wasn’t that bad, and you’re possibly taking it maybe the wrong way,” Bri asked.
Tensing up, she spoke, “The wrong way, Bri? How would you feel being told that some guy just wanted his dick sucked? That what had happened was wrong and was never happening again, and that they needed someone more than for that person to drop to their knees? That you will never satisfy them? You have no experience and would pretty much be on demand to be fucked whenever they want to, huh? Oh, and the fact that they would never waste their time on you, even if you sucked cock like a whore; that’s all you’re worth to them, and they would never consider fucking, and that they wouldn’t even lower themselves to fuck you, because it would waste their time?” she cried out, sobs racking her body.
All three of them sat stunned at Sage’s words. Kaidence stood up all of a sudden and stomped towards the kitchen.
“Oh, that fucking prick is dead, I tell ya. He has the balls to say shit like that, but has he even thought about the fact that there are woman out there that would never touch his dirty, diseased dick? What the fucking hell is his problem? I’m going to kick the ever-living shit out of him, then cut off his dick and shove it down his throat and see if he can suck cock like the fucking whore that he is,” Lilly growled, pacing the room. She looked as if she was a caged tiger ready to pounce as soon as the door opened.
Bri wrapped her arms around Sage’s shoulders, pulling her closer to her.
“I’m sorry, Sage. I should have kept my mouth shut.”
“No, Bri. You didn’t know the whole story. You weren’t to know.”
“What the fuck is wrong with Mac? I know he is an asshole and all, but why would he say shit like that? I don’t get it.” Bri shook her head in confusion, her face looking pissed as hell.
Neither did Sage. Kaidence came back in from the kitchen carrying a bottle of vodka. As she pushed her way in-between Bri and Lilly, she sat down, not caring that she was half-sitting on Bri, and pushed the bottle into Sage’s face.
“Drink up. Time to feel the burn and bitch about whatever else you want, including one or all of the Harper boys.”
Somehow, Sage found it in her heart to giggle alongside her friends as she swiped the bottle from Kaidence. Cracking the lid, Sage took several gulps of the liquid and passed it to Lilly. This was exactly what she needed. To get drunk with her girls and get everything out of her system. There was no more thinking about Mac, Logan, Caleb or Zeb. No more thoughts at all about the Harper brother
s. The only thing they were good for was playing with your heart, ripping it out and stomping it into the ground while laughing at you because you couldn’t keep your own heart from having feelings for one or all of them. They played with your emotions. It was something they were all good at doing. After the Mac fiasco, she’d had enough of playing whatever the game was with them. After this, there was no more Harper boys.
~~*~~*~~
Logan lent back against his chair as he stared at the ceiling of his office. For the last two years, he had been working himself to the ground, trying to get the Harper Security name out into the world. He started the company up when he graduated from college. Knowing exactly what he wanted in life, he jumped head first into it. Every cent he saved bought the building complex he sat in now. It was slow going in the beginning, but he pushed himself and his name out there, getting every contract he could, whether it was big or small, and pushing venues to give his company a go. There was no point in sitting around and waiting for someone to give you the chance; you had to grab the bull by the horns and force him where you wanted him to be.
Once his brothers were old enough and after countless meetings, they all jumped on board with him. Having all his brothers with him, together in one place, living his and their dream to own a part of a company, meant everything to him.
He was the eldest out of all the Harper boys. Being the owner of your own company at the age of twenty-six years old had put a remarkable amount of trust in himself. A little cocky at the time, he thought he had all the money he wanted, and the girls would flock to him. He thought of himself as God’s gift to women, but that never planned out the way he thought. The countless hours he poured into his business, sleepless nights and constant meetings had drained him of everything he had.
He needed help. He knew he couldn’t do it all on his own, that was why he asked his brothers to join with him. He sold equal shares to them all. All four of them had 25% each in the Harper Security business, and all had certain parts they all played in the company.
Now, eight years later, Harper Security, had countless contracts attached to their name, endless references for all that had used their services, and the worth of the company skyrocketed. He could easily say he did have the money he wanted. The Harper company was worth nine digits. He had money coming out of his ass; he couldn’t spend it quick enough. But the money wasn’t the reason he was doing this now.
Not to get him wrong, he loved money, but the protection of others, no matter if they were famous or not, was the reason he loved his job.
Standing up, he walked over towards his bar fridge and pulled out a bottle of bourbon. Reaching for a glass and un-capping the lid, he was about to pour himself a drink when his phone beeped with an incoming message.
Placing the bottle down, he moved back to his desk, swiped the front of his phone, and read the text message.
‘Dipshit, your brother is a fucking asshole. I can’t believe the shit he said to Sage. She’s upset, and pissed, and the only reason I’m letting you know, is cos you need to. But she doesn’t want anything to do with you or your brothers, so if you’re coming over, you have been warned!!!
What the fuck!
Reading the message several times again, he read who it came from: Kaidence.
Ripping his jacket from the back of his chair, he dialled his brother’s number.
Before Caleb could say a word, he jumped in, “Have you seen or spoken to Sage again after this morning?”
“No, why? Was I supposed to?”
“So you haven’t spoken to her in the last hour or so?”
He pushed the button for the lift, watching as the numbers counted up to his floor.
“No, man. What the fuck is going on?” Caleb gritted out.
“Well, if it wasn’t you, either Zeb or Mac have seen her. Something happened.”
Stepping into the lift, he placed his card in to go directly to the car park level without stops. In times like this, it was handy to have.
“What do you mean ‘something happened’? Is she all right?”
“Kaidence sent me a message saying that one of my brothers is an asshole. Sage is upset and pissed and doesn’t want anything to do with any one of us. So I have no fucking idea as to what I’m going to be walking into when I arrive at her place,” he growled.
“Fuck! I’m leaving now. I’ll meet you at her place so we can sort this shit out.”
Hanging up, Logan took off once the lift doors were open and jumped on his bike. Screeching out of the car park, he sped towards Sage’s house, thanking God that there wasn’t too much traffic on the road and the fact that she only lived ten minutes away from their building.
He pulled up the same time Caleb did, both looking at each other as they walked up her steps and stood as Logan knocked.
“Do we even know what will happen when her door opens?” Caleb whispered to Logan.
“No fucking idea, but I have a feeling it’s worse than what I think.”
The door flew open. Both Bri and Lilly stood in the doorway looking pissed as shit.
“And what the fuck do you both think you are doing here?” Lilly hissed.
Both women stepped forward, blocking their entrance to walk straight in to Sage’s.
Caleb growled, knowing full well what they were doing. Logan gripped his shoulder, stepped forward, and looked Bri in the eyes.
“I know you are trying to protect her, Bri, but you won’t stop us from walking in there.”
Bri stepped forward and was immediately in his face. “Want to make a bet on that, Logan? You both know I’ll drop you right here and now,” she spat. He held back a grin. She was a bloody tough nut. He would hate to be in an alleyway alone with her, the way she was at this instant.
“I know you won’t, because if you do, it will hurt Spitfire’s feelings,” he whispered.
Her eyes softened at his words. He knew none of the girls would ever allow anything to happen to Sage. They protected their own and he loved each one of them for that.
Moving aside, both he and Caleb stepped inside the house. “Where is she?” he asked as he glanced around the room.
“Kaid took her upstairs an hour ago. She hasn’t stopped crying,” Lilly told them.
As they moved into the lounge room, the front door busted open as Zeb held onto the door.
“What the fuck is going on?” Zeb panted, looking around the room. With each breath he took, his shoulders shifted up and down; his body was strung tight.
Bri stomped over to him and slapped her hand over his mouth, hissing, “Shut up, dickwad. If she knows you guys are here, she’ll freak out.”
Bri backed away from Zeb as he frowned at her. He was about to ask who did what when Kaidence walked down the stairs, death-staring them all. Once she was at the bottom, she quickened her steps and got up in his face.
“I kind of expected you to rock up, but not the other two.”
“If something is wrong with her, we all come running. You should know that by now, Kaidence.”
“I don’t think it is a good idea that you’re all here now. What your brother did to her, she will never be able to forgive him for. Fuck I wouldn’t either. And once I get my fucking hands on that loser of a brother of yours, I’m going to make him eat his own dick. He had no bloody right saying half the shit to her that he did.”
“What did he say to her?” He knew it was something to do with Mac; it always seemed to be that way. Clenching his fists beside him, he wanted nothing more than to hit something. “Short answer is he gave her an orgasm, and then she sucked his dick. After, he said that all he wanted was his cock sucked, and that what happened between them wouldn’t happen again, and it was wrong. That and he’ll never fuck her because it would be wasting his time.”
Logan’s fists clenched beside him, and he knew Caleb felt the way he was feeling right now. Had Mac lost his damned mind? Why the fuck would he say shit like that? Sage was everything to them.
“He’s fucking
dead. I’m not allowing him to ruin this for all of us,” Caleb gripped the side of his jeans. He could hear the fabric tearing. He ground his teeth together.
Logan was glad the girls didn’t hear what Caleb had said; he didn’t want to explain to them what he meant by that.
“Kaidence, you know full well we aren’t leaving here till we see her.” Slouching his shoulders, he felt defeated. They could be there all night fighting to get in to see her, but with her girls in front of them and the hard stares on their faces, there was no way they, or he, was getting past them, unless he gave in.
“I’m not pissed at you guys, okay. But I can’t allow you or them to go upstairs. She doesn’t want to see any of you. To her, if Mac has fucked up, all three of you are going to side with him, and that thought breaks her heart, Logan. We know what’s going on between you guys and her; it’s not too hard to figure out. But I won’t stand by and allow you, or any one of your brothers, to destroy her heart. I’ll rip each and every one of yours out of your chest before you do it to her. Mac’s heart is first on the list.”
“Let’s compromise. I need to see with my own eyes that she is all right. Why don’t you go up with me and stand there, so I don’t go in alone. And Caleb and Zeb will stay down here, with Bri and Lilly watching them. Only one of us needs to see her, Kaid, that’s it. Then we will leave, unless Sage says otherwise.”
Kaidence glanced between them all, contemplating whether to allow him up there. He knew the moment she caved in; her whole body softened, knowing he wasn’t going to do the same thing that Mac did to her. She stepped back and waved her hand up the stairs. He didn’t hesitate. Logan ran up the stairs with Kaidence close behind. As he approached the top, he slowed down, holding his breath as he walked the remaining distance to her door. Glancing back at Kaidence, she nodded once as he pushed the door softly open.
Sage was curled up in the middle of her king-sized bed. She looked so small, laying there, pillows all around her, keeping her safe. He stepped into the room quietly and moved to the side she was facing.