Wuther

by V. J. Chambers

  “Hold him down?” said the player. “You’re out of your mind.”

  “Two hundred?” said Heath, flipping through his cash. “Five hundred?”

  Matt swallowed.

  Heath met his gaze, and he saw the fear in the man’s eyes. Matt remembered.

  “Maybe I don’t need anyone to hold him down,” said Heath. He launched across the table, scattering chips everywhere. He seized Matt by the throat.

  Matt scrabbled at Heath’s hand, his eyes bulging. He teetered on his feet.

  They both went down, knocking over the table, Matt beneath Heath.

  Heath began to punch him, raining blows on Matt’s stomach, torso, and face.

  Matt gurgled, cowering, trying to duck away from the blows.

  Heath took him by the shoulders and slammed him against the ground. “Hold still, you fuck.”

  Matt’s head clunked against the floor. He looked dazed.

  There was something in Matt’s expression that reminded Heath of the way Floyd had looked at him as he was falling down the stairs. An expression of bewilderment and fear. It enraged him. Heath roared.

  He slammed Matt into the hard wood again.

  Matt’s eyes went glassy.

  Heath punched his face, his knuckles cracking against Matt’s nose.

  Matt’s body jumped, but otherwise he didn’t react. He’d lost consciousness.

  “Wake up,” Heath spat at him.

  The dealer was at Heath’s back, trying to pull him off Matt.

  Heath struck at him. “Don’t touch me.”

  “Calm down,” said the dealer.

  “Motherfucking shit.” Heath got up off Matt. He kicked the man’s inert body. “Bastard.”

  “Whoa,” said the other player. “What did he ever do to you anyway?”

  Heath laughed, and the laughter got away from him. It was a little too loud, a little too uncontrolled. “How much time you got? What didn’t he do to me.”

  “We should call an ambulance,” said the dealer.

  “No,” said Heath. “Just leave.”

  “At least, I’ll take him up to his house,” said the other player.

  “No,” said Heath. “I’ll do it.”

  “But…”

  “No.”

  They both backed away from him.

  The dealer gestured to the cash box. “We have to divvy up the money.” He looked back at the table. “But, um, the chips…”

  Heath took out all the money in his wallet. He threw it on top of Matt’s body. “Take what you want.” He looked back and forth between them. “Then get the fuck out.”

  * * *

  Heath tossed Matt onto a couch in the farmhouse.

  He wandered up the steps, onto the second level of the house. It was like he remembered. He crept down the hall, pausing outside the door to Cathy’s room. He’d made love to her for the first time here. He remembered the way she’d guided his hand between her legs, what it was like to touch her there for the first time.

  A lump formed in his throat.

  He pushed the door open.

  It was dark inside. He found the light switch and turned it on.

  The room was the same. Cleaner maybe. Less clothes in the closet, but it was still her bedspread, the one they’d lain on together. There was her mirror, jammed with photographs.

  There was one of him. He was kissing her on the cheek. Her eyes were closed. She looked blissfully happy.

  He pulled it off the mirror and brought it to his lips.

  “Cathy,” he whispered.

  How had this all gone wrong?

  His chest felt tight, and he thought he might start crying.

  But the door creaked, and he turned.

  There was the little boy in the doorway. Gage.

  “What?” said Heath.

  The boy scampered over to him, holding up his arms. He wanted to be picked up.

  Heath turned away. “Go back to bed,” he said gruffly. A tear was trickling over his cheek. He rubbed at it.

  Gage cocked his head to the side. “You have a boo boo?”

  Heath sniffed hard.

  “Kiss it and make it better?”

  “Goddamn it,” said Heath. He reached down and swept the boy up into his arms.

  * * *

  “So you just got hired as a roadie and went on tour with The Counting Crows?” said Isabella, looking at Heath in awe. They were in the shallow end of the pool at her house. It was late afternoon, and the sun beat down on them. The water felt good.

  He shrugged.

  She liked his shrugs, she’d discovered. They were so complicated, and when he did it, he’d look away, like he was embarrassed to have been asked something definite. He rarely met her gaze, and when she did look into his eyes, it made her feel weak inside.

  “Well, they were just getting big around then,” he said, “and I played some poker with one of the guys in the band in the back room of a bar one night. Next thing I knew, I was sleeping in a bus.”

  “That’s crazy,” said Isabella. “I can’t believe you just… did that. I could never take a risk like that. Go out in the world with nothing and hope everything turned out okay? I’d be terrified.”

  “It’s not that big a deal. I didn’t have anything to leave behind. No home. No family. No money. It wasn’t that hard.”

  She shook her head. “That must have been terrifying for you. All alone like that.” It broke her heart everything he’d been through.

  He shrugged again.

  Damn. He was so gorgeous.

  He was only in swimming trunks at the moment, and she couldn’t help ogling his bare arms and chest. His upper arms were thick like tree trunks. He was so solid. And hairy. And tan. And… male. She found him dizzyingly attractive.

  She sidled close to him in the pool, pressing her wet skin into him.

  She was becoming more and more brazen with him lately. He seemed to like it when she was forward. When he initiated intimacy with her, he seemed uncomfortable.

  He looked down at her body. She was only wearing a tiny green bikini. He bit down on his bottom lip. His voice was husky. “Aren’t you worried they’ll come out and see us?”

  “Cathy and Eli?” she said. “I hope they do.”

  He chuckled softly and eased a finger under the strap of her bikini top.

  Her breath caught in her throat.

  He pushed the strap off her shoulder and pushed the cup of the bikini out of the way.

  She watched his face as he looked at her bare breast. It was the first time that any guy had ever seen it. She wanted him to like it.

  He bit down even harder on his lip. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “You know, Isabella, I’m going to be very bad for you. You seem like a nice girl, and if you don’t want to be very badly hurt, you should cover yourself and run from me.”

  “You shouldn’t say things like that about yourself,” she said. “You’re a good person. I think you’re amazing.”

  He touched her nipple. “Is that right?”

  She gasped.

  He pinched it.

  She groaned.

  He laughed. “Amazing.” There it was again—that tone that sounded like he might be making fun of her. He pressed himself into her, grinding his pelvis against her body. His voice was harsh in her ear. “Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you?”

  Her pulse quickened.

  “You couldn’t know. You with your perky little titties and your wide-eyed innocence. But this is your warning, Isabella. Get away from me while you can.”

  Her breath grew shallow. What he said thrilled her, excited her.

  He twisted her nipple.

  A burst of pain followed by pleasure shot through her. She let out a choked moan.

  He guided her hand to his crotch and she felt him, hard and hot just under a flimsy bit of wet cloth.

  Her heart pounded against her rib cage.

  “What are you touching, Isabella?”

  She looked up at h
im in embarrassment. He couldn’t ask her to say that. She didn’t even know what to call it. Sure there were words—they all sprang to her mind unbidden—but she wasn’t sure which one to say. They all seemed silly or crude or clinical and—

  He laughed, enjoying her discomfort.

  She tried to move her hand away, but he wouldn’t let her.

  “It’s my cock,” he breathed, his voice like black velvet. “Say it. Tell me you want it.”

  “I…” Her face felt hot, like it was burning up. Her voice came out shaky and barely audible. “I want your cock.”

  And something between her legs clenched. She realized she was incredibly turned on just then. She did want him. She moved her hand over him.

  He let out a small grunt.

  She looked into his eyes, searching for permission, for encouragement.

  But there was nothing there. It was like staring into a dark void, like falling into a black hole.

  “What the hell?” said a voice.

  Eli.

  Isabella threw herself away from Heath, yanking her bikini into place.

  Eli and Cathy were standing at the edge of the pool. They’d both just come outside.

  Eli’s face was so red that it was practically purple. Isabella thought that he might jump into the pool and strangle Heath.

  Cathy looked like someone had punched her in the stomach.

  Heath laughed, grinning up at both of them. “Hi there. Good to see you.”

  Eli struggled to form words. He was too angry to do anything other than move his jaw, however.

  Heath pushed himself up out of the water. His erection was very apparent.

  Isabella hid her face, mortified. What had seemed sexy and exciting a minute ago seemed unbearably stupid now.

  Heath picked up a towel and began drying himself off. “What’s the matter, Eli? You don’t look like you’re feeling too well.”

  Eli looked down at Isabella. “Get in the house.”

  “You can’t tell me what to do,” said Isabella.

  “Fine then,” said Eli. He pointed at Heath. “You. Come with me. We need to talk.”

  Heath’s grin widened. “This is better than I thought it would be, I have to admit.”

  * * *

  “My sister, Cathy. My sister,” Eli said, pacing in front of Heath, who was dripping on the cement floor of the garage.

  Cathy was too stunned to know what to say. She couldn’t stop seeing the image of Heath and Isabella like that, her hand on him, her breast bare. He’d been going to…

  Heath inspected his fingernails. “I realize you might not think I’m good enough for your sweet little sister, but—”

  “Damned right, you’re not,” said Eli.

  There was a pounding on the door. “Let me in, you jackasses!” yelled Isabella’s muffled voice. “This is about me too. You can’t lock me out of it.”

  Eli ignored her.

  “She’s crazy about me,” said Heath, shrugging is if the whole thing wasn’t his fault.

  “No,” said Cathy. “Isabella didn’t start this. You did. But… why?”

  Heath only smiled.

  “Do you care about her?” Cathy asked.

  “It doesn’t matter if he does,” said Eli.

  She held up a hand. “If you care about her, if you two are happy—”

  “I told you that you were the only woman I’d ever care about,” Heath interrupted in a low voice.

  Eli took Heath by the shoulder. “What did you say to her?”

  Heath turned on him. “Oh, did I upset you? I’d hate it if you were upset, Eli.”

  He was so sarcastic, taking delight in all the pain he was causing. Cathy gaped at him. Who was this man? Had he been inside Heath all along?

  Eli folded his arms over his chest. “I know you and Cathy have a history, and I realize that you’re having trouble letting go of her, but dragging my sister into all of that is unnecessary. Ever since you showed back up here, you’ve been screwing everything up. I don’t think I want you back in my house again.”

  “Am I being given my marching orders?” said Heath.

  “You get out, and you stay out. And if I see you near either one of them again, I’ll make you sorry.”

  Heath dissolved into laughter. He doubled over from the force of it. “I’m sorry,” he managed, trying to straighten up. “But did you just threaten me?”

  Eli’s nostrils flared. He stepped close to Heath. “I mean it. You stay away from the women I care about.”

  Heath’s laughter died away. He feinted at Eli as if he was going to throw a punch. But he didn’t.

  Eli still flinched away.

  Heath laughed again. “Oh, Cathy, so this is what you prefer to me?” He shook his head at Eli. “I wish you were worth knocking down.”

  Eli straightened his shoulders, trying to regain his dignity.

  In that moment, Eli looked pathetic, and Cathy couldn’t help it. She hated him. She turned away so that she wouldn’t have to look at him.

  Heath went to Cathy, roughly turned her face to him, and kissed her.

  She pushed him off, shaking with anger. “Don’t touch me.”

  And before she could see it, Eli punched Heath.

  His fist collided with Heath’s jaw with a resounding crunch.

  Heath grunted, reaching for Eli, who had backed away, cradling his hand and wincing in pain.

  “Stop!” Cathy put both hands on Heath’s chest. “Don’t hit him, Heath. If you ever loved me, don’t touch him.”

  Heath leered at her. “I hope you’re very happy with him, Cathy. Very fucking happy.”

  He went to the door of the garage and threw it open.

  Isabella was standing outside. “What happened? I couldn’t hear a thing.”

  Heath threw an arm around her. “Your brother punched me. Let’s go.”

  Eli scrambled after them. “Isabella, don’t you dare go anywhere with him!”

  Heath didn’t look back. Instead, as he walked away, his hand migrated down Isabella’s body to squeeze her backside.

  Cathy looked away. She felt sick.

  * * *

  Heath gripped the steering wheel and glared at the road. He still felt on edge after the confrontation with Eli. He should have gone ahead and beaten the pansy boy to a pulp. Let Cathy see exactly what it was she’d chosen. But she’d begged him not to, and goddamn it, he couldn’t resist her when she begged like that.

  Not to mention the fact that he’d been worked up in the pool with Isabella. He hadn’t actually thought he could get quite so turned on for anyone but Cathy, but there was something about the way Isabella had responded to him. She was like a fluttering bird, and he found that the thought of crushing her wings stirred things within him. Fierce things.

  He pulled her across the seat of the car and kissed her again, one eye on the road.

  Like she was reading his mind, one of her hands wandered over his thigh and tentatively explored him between his legs.

  He let out a low groan.

  He slid a searching hand over her body. She was still only wearing her bikini, but she had a towel wrapped around her waist. “Show me your tits again,” he said in a hoarse voice.

  She gave him a frightened look, but she did it, removing her bikini top.

  He glanced at them and then glanced back at the road. They were small, like tiny upturned tea cups, her nipples pretty pink tips.

  His swimming trunks felt tight on his groin.

  Her hand moved against him, and he felt himself lengthening and hardening.

  He took one hand off the steering wheel and opened his trunks.

  Then he grabbed Isabella by the neck. “You ever give a blow job?”

  Her lips parted and her eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.

  He pushed her head down.

  * * *

  “I’m calling the police,” Eli was saying.

  Cathy watched him, and she couldn’t help but feel like he was nothing more tha
n pathetic clown. He couldn’t take care of himself at all.

  “She’s a minor,” said Eli. “She’s still seventeen. He’s nineteen. That’s illegal or something isn’t it?”

  She shook her head. “Age of consent’s sixteen in West Virginia.” Not that she wanted to think about Isabella consenting to things with Heath. She kept thinking of the way they’d been together in the pool. Heath had been whispering something in Isabella’s ear, and he’d looked like he was having a pretty good time.

  Well, of course he was. He was a man after all. Isabella had been touching him. All men liked being touched like that.

  But he’d told her that he’d never been with anyone except her. And now…

  He had every right, she supposed.

  “What’s wrong with you?” said Eli. “You’re jealous, aren’t you? You still have feelings for him. I’m not blind, Cathy. I can see that.”

  The sound of Eli’s voice was driving her mad. “I think I need some time alone. I’m going to sleep in one of the guest rooms.”

  She started out of the room.

  He followed her. “You thought he’d wait around for you, didn’t you? You thought you could go to him at any time.”

  She whirled on him. “Shut up, Eli. You don’t understand a thing about him and me.”

  “You think I don’t know that you were with both of us before?” said Eli. “You think that wasn’t vastly apparent to me when you fell apart when he left?”

  “I was not with both of you,” she said.

  “Of course you were. You were sleeping with him, and you were going down on me every day after school, and you couldn’t decide between us then, but you can’t keep doing that, Cathy. I’m not going to let you walk all over me—”

  “You would,” she said. “You’d let me do anything I wanted to you. You’d forgive me. And I wasn’t with both of you. I was with Heath. I was only sucking your dick so that I could get enough money from you to run away with him.”

  He drew back, hurt all over his face.

  She felt horrible again. Between the two of them, they were going to kill her. She couldn’t be good to either of them. It seemed they all had to suffer. Her face crumpled, and she ran down the hall to the guest room, shutting the door and locking herself inside.

  * * *

  Heath pulled Isabella off of him and threw her across the car.