A Reputation Dark & Deadly (A Dark & Deadly Series Book 2)

by Heather C. Myers

  Logan doesn't scare easily, she pointed out to herself and she slid into the driver's seat of her car. As evidenced by my fake marriage proposal he didn't deny.

  Her face turned red just thinking about that. She couldn't believe she hadn't paused for a moment to really think about what she was going to say before she said it and then it came out like she wanted to marry him. Peyton could barely wrap her head around Logan coming over for Thanksgiving, marriage wasn't even something sure she wanted. She barely lost her virginity for crying out loud.

  But...

  But.

  At least she knew he was open to it. Maybe?

  "Just stop thinking about it and focus on what you're going to do," Peyton said, starting the car.

  She was going to see Brandon. She had Karla's number in her phone from that initial meeting at the cafe and didn't have a reason to use it until then.

  Calling Karla was awkward and she had a feeling Karla was going to rat her out to Logan the minute they hung up. At first, Karla didn't know who Peyton was up until the point that Peyton mentioned she was Logan's TA.

  "Logan told me about you stopping by and Brandon wanting to apologize," Peyton said. Her voice wanted to shake, she knew she shouldn't be doing this, but she wanted to at least try to make things right between Logan and his brother. They didn't have to be best friends or anything but she didn't want to be the reason they weren't on speaking terms anymore.

  "Logan told you about that?" Karla asked slowly, not quite sounding as though she believed her.

  Peyton restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "We do communicate, Karla," she pointed out, hoping her voice didn't come out with too much attitude. However, Peyton made sure to point out that Logan did talk to her about stuff, which she knew was more than he did for anyone else. It was somewhat petty, but Peyton wanted to remind Karla that she was different and that she actually meant something to Logan and that Karla better stay in her goddamn lane.

  "Of course." Karla's voice sounded strained, like she didn't want to quite admit that Logan and Peyton actually had a different relationship when compared to anyone else. "He said you could meet him, then?"

  Peyton pressed her lips together. Admitting that he didn't know that was her plan would just go against her statement about communication. But lying and saying that of course he knew might compel Karla to tell Logan what was happening, and that might piss him off more than anything, hearing what she was planning to do from someone else. Especially something Peyton knew he didn't want her to do at all.

  "So maybe you don't communicate about everything, eh?" Karla asked, and Peyton could hear the smirk in her tone, a smirk that Peyton wanted nothing more than to slap off her face.

  Which surprised her, considering Peyton wasn't violent at all.

  Until Logan came into her life and completely changed everything.

  "Where does he want to meet me?" Peyton asked, ignoring Karla's jab. She still could not believe that Karla wanted Logan to sleep with Peyton so he could realize she was a virgin and want nothing to do with her. Karla seemed genuinely nice, like she was warning her about Logan when they first met, but Peyton realized she was as manipulative as Logan said she was. She needed to be careful because she didn't want to get herself caught up in some kind of trap. She didn't know exactly what kind of trap that might be but she was ready for anything when it came to Karla.

  "Old Newport," Karla said. "After hours. I'll call and tell him you'd be available around nine. Would that work?"

  No, a voice inside of her all but screamed. Hell, no. This is wrong. It's sketchy. Don't do it. Logan doesn't even like Brandon. Stay out of this.

  "That's fine," Peyton forced herself to say.

  "Good," Karla replied. "He'll see you tonight."

  Peyton hung up and glanced around. Logan wasn't in her dorm room. He had no idea what she was planning to do and he couldn't stop her even if he did. She closed her eyes and laid back on her bed. She was getting way too deep and she needed to take a breath and stop the world for just a minute.

  This is not a good idea, the voice pointed out. I know you think you're helping Logan but Logan has barely talked about Brandon to you for a reason. He does not want help. He does not want to deal with Brandon in any capacity.

  "I know," Peyton murmured to herself, her eyes still closed. "I know. But I don't want Brandon to use me as an excuse for why his relationship with Logan is shit. It's shit because of them, not because of me."

  They know that! the voice pointed out. You have nothing to prove!

  But Peyton's mind was already made up and there was no changing it.

  After Peyton returned to her dorm in order to change into a t-shirt, jeans, and a hoodie, she got into her car and drove the Old Newport. Logan had called her and wanted to get together for dinner but she told him she had plans with friends and would meet him afterward. She hated lying to him, but in the end, she hoped it would be for a good cause.

  The sky was overcast but rain had yet to fall. Peyton was surprised by Southern California's weather the past week. Typically, Southern California didn't get hit with this much rain at once, but considering she loved the rain and it was definitely needed, she wouldn't have minded if the sky opened up and spilled. It also made everything smell clean and fresh. There was something special about the pavement and the way it looked just after the rain. And, as odd as it sounded, the darkness that typically followed the rain made the world seem more quiet, more romantic. She loved curling up underneath her covers with her kindle during the rain and she wanted nothing more than to meet Logan at his place so he could put on a fire and they could do just that. And she would, once she finished up here.

  It was just after seven when the Jail officially closed, but it looked like it had been empty even before then. She couldn't exactly blame people when it looked like it was going to pour at any second. In fact, as Peyton looked at the gated entrance of the Jail, her stomach clenched together. Since it had been daylight savings time the past weekend, it was already extremely dark and the dark grey clouds didn't add to it. There was something ominous that surrounded this place. It was almost as though Alvin Herbert was standing in front of the gates himself, waiting to keep her out and tell her no. Get out. Go away.

  Peyton pressed her lips together. Her car was off and parked and she was watching the entrance through her windshield. She had no idea why she hadn't gotten out yet. She was waiting for something. Someone... She just didn't know what that was, she didn't know why she wasn't there yet. Taking a breath, she pulled down her sun visor and flipped open the mirror. When her eyes locked her reflection's, she started to talk to herself, hoping to motivate herself.

  "Just get in there, Peyton," she murmured. "It'll be over soon, Brandon and Logan won't be on silent terms, and you can go home to Logan with a fire and a late dinner."

  Peyton's brows perked. Home? She felt her cheeks flush at the surprisingly romantic and uncharacteristic notion. Logan was home. She didn't deny it, however. She wanted to get home as quickly as possible.

  "Then get out of the car and just do it," she muttered to herself.

  With one last nod at herself in the mirror, Peyton closed the visor and stepped out of the car. She pulled on her hood, hoping to keep her ears and head warm, and locked her car before walking over to the entrance. Her body was tense, as though she was prepared for anything, for the shadows to jump out at her and suck her life out.

  Of course, she might have been reacting a tad dramatically.

  She reached the entrance of the gate without anything happening to her, but she couldn't see Brandon anywhere. Which meant she was stuck waiting out in the cold for a duration of time for Brandon to get this over with. All he wanted to do was apologize, right? So that meant that she wouldn't have to go in because she wouldn't be out in this cold for a long time. She shoved her hands in the pockets of her sweater and glanced around. There was no movement in the shadows, no one making any noise as they approached. That didn't necessarily
mean she was completely alone, and Peyton felt her heart beat with slight unease at the fact that she had told Karla she would be there when the jail closed and Brandon still wasn't here.

  Maybe this was a ploy to make her feel like an idiot. Maybe Karla was going to tell Logan, that she never arranged this with Brandon in the first place and it was all part of her plan to simply just try and take Logan for herself. Not that that would work - even if Logan got frustrated enough with Peyton to break things off with her, Peyton doubted he would immediately turn to Karla for comfort. Besides the fact that Logan was not the sort of guy to be comforted, he had made it perfectly clear just how he felt about Karla. And Peyton acting idiotic wouldn't change his feelings for Karla. So if that was Karla's game, it wasn't going to work.

  However, it might change Logan's feelings for Peyton. She was going behind his back to see someone he did not want her to see. In fact, Logan made sure Peyton knew just how much he did not want her to be around Brandon at all, especially after finding out what he did to her. Logan broke his brother's jaw just so Brandon knew to stay away from her. Even if Brandon was trying to make things right, this whole endeavor guaranteed nothing. Actually, no, Peyton had a good idea that being here, listening to Brandon apologize and even forgiving Brandon wasn't going to make things right between Logan and Brandon.

  "So then why are you here?" she murmured to herself.

  Peyton perked her brow. That was a fabulous question. One she didn't quite have an answer to.

  You don't need to be here, the voice pointed out. You shouldn't be here. Nothing is going to change between Logan and Brandon. This isn't your fight so stop making it yours. Stay out of this family drama.

  Peyton nodded. The voice was right. She turned on the heel of her foot, ready to head back to her car, when a voice called out her name. At least, it was a muffle that sounded like her name.

  She turned to look back at the entrance gate, her eyes narrowed, her body prepared. And then, from the shadows, a figure emerged, tall and lean, with broad shoulders and brown hair. When his eyes found Peyton, they twinkled.

  Peyton had to clench her teeth together to keep from reacting to Brandon's facial injury. It had only been a week since the incident so his jaw was still wired shut, which meant he couldn't talk well.

  Other than the bruising surrounding his jaw and his face, he seemed well enough to function. Clearly, he was here at his job so he was able to do things he normally would under typical circumstances.

  Surprisingly enough, Brandon gave Peyton a small smile even though the gesture itself seemed to cause a strain on his facial muscles and he flinched in response. His hands reached into his pockets and he pulled out a chain with multiple keys. She recognized the old school metal ring of keys from their first meeting, while he had been giving her and Logan a tour of the jail and adjacent courthouse. He used one of the long silver keys to unlock the padlock and shifted his shoulders so he could pull out the chain from the lock and the gate could spring open.

  Before she stepped through, Peyton waited to see what Brandon was going to do. He was reaching inside his jacket, and for a moment, she stiffened, unsure of what to expect. After what seemed like ages, he pulled out a small notebook with a spiral at the top and flipped it open. He reached behind him and Peyton assumed he grabbed a pen from his back pocket and proceeded to write something in the notebook. After a moment of scrawling, he offered her the notebook. Tentatively, she took it, her eyes dropping down so she could read his message.

  Thanks for coming.

  Peyton nodded, handing him back the notebook and looking up at him. "You're welcome," she murmured. "Thanks for arranging this."

  Brandon nodded once and stepped back, giving Peyton room to step through the gate. Again, Peyton hesitated. Every muscle in her body was attempting to pull her back to the parking lot, back to the safety of her car, but she ignored the feeling. She had already come and it was almost over. After a few minutes, she could go. He couldn't have to say much anyway, considering he could barely speak.

  So Peyton walked through the gates. She wasn't sure why but her brain made a note that he did not relock the gates. An easy exit, should she be compelled to run in any way.

  "We can just talk in my office," Brandon managed to get out. He glanced behind him in order to lock eyes with her and gave her what came off as a grimace but was probably a smile.

  Peyton pressed her lips together. She knew she wasn't smiling back at him but it was the best she could do.

  Brandon's office was close by, in the same building as the ticket booth was adjacent to. They walked past two doors before Brandon opened a wooden door and stepped aside so Peyton could walk through first.

  The office was small and almost empty. Besides a poster of the Los Angeles Dodgers hanging up behind his desk, there were no personal touches around the office. There were no family photos, no books sprawled across the desk. Not even his desktop computer had a personal background photo. Instead, Brandon used the lush forest picture that came with the computer.

  Brandon walked behind Peyton and around his desk to get to his seat after closing the door behind him. He slid into his computer chair and offered Peyton a seat across from him in an old nineteen seventies lobby chair that looked as uncomfortable as it was ridiculous. The gold and red pattern screamed ugly and there was no curve in the back of the chair to offer her own back support.

  She took a seat in it anyway and kept her back stiff, her hands folded in her lap, and her legs tightly crossed. She couldn't let herself relax, especially considering she only felt tension when she was in Brandon's presence.

  He slid into his own, more comfortable looking modern computer chair - black leather, which reminded her of Logan - and gave Peyton a small smile. Perhaps it was the only sort of smile he could give, considering his jaw was wired shut and he probably wouldn't be able to use it the way he typically did for another five weeks.

  The more Peyton looked at Brandon, the more she realized that she actually felt bad for him. The guy had been living in Logan's shadow his entire life. His father did not leave Logan's mother for Brandon's mother; in fact, he continued to cheat on both of them with each other until Logan's mother found out about it and made him choose. That caused her to get one hell of a beating, which meant Logan had even more reason to resent Brandon and his mother. At least, this was what Karla told her on the phone. This was the history lesson she had given regarding Logan and Brandon and their fucked up family tree. How Karla knew any of this, Peyton had no idea. Perhaps it wasn't her place to know and perhaps she shouldn't automatically judge Karla for knowing. She definitely knew Logan did not tell her anything, so, if Peyton had to guess, she would say Brandon was the culprit. Probably in an attempt to attain sympathy from a pretty, young college student who had slept with his brother and had since been turned out.

  You shouldn't be here...

  Brandon extended his index finger and turned to his computer. He began to type in it and once he finished, there was a response.

  "Thank you for coming." The voice was robotic but Peyton knew that this was his way of talking, that he couldn't really do much else in terms of communication thanks to his jaw being wired shut. "I suppose Karla told you I wanted to apologize?"

  Peyton nodded. She wasn't sure whether or not he was looking for her to actually speak, but since she didn't actually have anything to say, she kept her mouth shut.

  "I actually wanted to explain my actions," the computer said as Brandon furiously typed on the keyboard. "I know there's no justification for them. Typically, the women who have been with Logan are open to being with me as well. I'm not used to rejection."

  Peyton furrowed her brow. This sounded suspiciously like justification if she had ever heard it and she wasn't about to sit around and listen to him tell her how it was okay for him to try and force himself onto her, because spoiled, grown adult male wasn't used to hearing the word no? Peyton didn't have time for this. She would rather be with Logan, rather hav
e him lecturing her about being here than with Brandon explaining why he treated her like she was here for his amusement rather than the fact that she was a person and deserved to be treated with that respect.

  "I know you care about my brother," the computer said for Brandon. It was weird how he stopped typing but the voice continued to talk through the speakers. Instead, he stared at her with an eerie glimmer in his blue eyes, one that caused a shudder to slide down Peyton's spine and cause her to sit up straighter than she already was. "It's one of the things I respect about you. There's something different about you. There's something deeper about your affection. It's not just superficial, even though you clearly enjoy his physical appearance, judging by your actions in Herbert's cell. But you genuinely like who he is as a person. And I feel compelled to tell you how he truly is."

  "Excuse me?" Peyton asked, furrowing her brow. She wasn't sure if she should be looking at the computer or if she should be looking at Brandon.

  "I'm sure you know Logan is a jackass," the computer continued as Brandon's fingers flew across the keyboard. "He broke my jaw, as I'm sure you know. For no reason."

  "Actually," Peyton interrupted, clutching the arms of her chair. Brandon had to click something on the screen to stop the dialect from continuing so she could speak freely. "He broke your jaw because he found out what you tried to do to me. He was defending me."

  "And do you think he was justified in his actions?" Brandon asked through the computer, keeping his blue eyes focused on Peyton, his stare unflinching.

  "I think he handled it how he saw fit," she replied, without hesitation. She met his stare with one of her own and refused to back down.

  His brow shot up in surprise. "Maybe you're not so different from the others," the computer said for him. "Always justifying his actions. Always supporting him like he was some kind of god, like he has a good reason for everything he does. Like his shit doesn't stink. Like he walks on water." His eyes cut to her from the computer screen. "But let me tell you something, sweetheart. He's a monster. He killed our father without so much as blinking."