Page 32 of Hard Ruck

“Yeah, bitch died in a car crash or some shit.” He shrugged, not really caring one way or another what happened to her. She was gone and wouldn’t bother him again, that was all that mattered in his book. Apparently he hadn’t stopped to think it might not be a coincidence.

“No she didn’t,” I said softly. “I took her to my brother. She threatened to publish an article online telling the world I usedto dance and fuck men for money. She would have ruined my career. All for a few dollars.”

Storm let out a string of curses, each more harsh than the last. “Fucking bitch. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I would have had to explain everything,” I said. “Things you weren’t ready to hear yet. I dealt with her to save us all the hassle. Specifically, my brother dealt with her.”

“He killed her?” Storm asked.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “He killed her for me.”

“I wish you told me,” he said on an exhale. “Next time, youwilltell me. You don’t go off and do shit like that by yourself. Understood?”

“You’re adorable when you get bossy,” I teased. It was also hot as hell. He’d gone from uncertain to possessive and aggressive in the blink of an eye. Quick enough to give anyone whiplash. He was fascinating.

He reached over to wrap his hand around my throat. “Understood?” he insisted.

Considering the conversation we just had, I should be nervous, but it wasn’t. I knew without doubt he wouldn’t hurt me. Not in a way I didn’t like to be hurt.

“I don’t want to deal with things like that by myself anyway,” I said. “Not if I don’t have to.”

He loosened his grip. “She was really going to publish that crap? That would have pissed off a lot of people. I’m right at the top of the list, but the rest of the team wouldn’t be far behind. Frost might have slipped her a roofie, then strangled the shit out of her. If he got to her before I did.”

“If either of you got there before my brother did,” I said.

He would have tracked her down and sliced her to pieces if she published that article. She would have suffered worse than she already had. It would have been difficult to cover though.The eyes of Australia would be on me and her. Her going missing wouldn’t go unnoticed.

Luckily for everyone, I got to her before that happened. In a way, she should thank me. Her last hours could have been much, much worse.

“He’s protective of you, isn’t he?” Storm lowered his hand to my lap and laced his fingers in mine.

“Very much so,” I agreed. “We’ve always been close. Ever since we were little. If I fell and grazed my knee, he was there helping me clean it up. If I wanted to be pushed on the swings, he’d be the one to do it. The amount of times the teachers told him off at school because he was in my classroom and not his…” I smiled.

“It must be nice to have someone look out for you like that,” Storm said.

“You didn’t?” I asked gently.

“If I grazed my knee, it was because my older brother pushed me over or tripped me,” he said. “He was the asshole who always did things and told our parents it was me. I got yelled at and grounded and he walked away laughing. Prick.”

“What does he do now?” I asked.

“Dickhead died of a drug overdose a few years ago,” Storm said. “That was the one thing he did that my parents couldn’t blame me for. I was away in Queensland, playing. Came home to find the family in self-destruct mode. Parents divorced a year later. Since they couldn’t blame me, they blamed each other. You know whose fault it was? No one’s. It was just one of those shitty things that happens. I tried telling them that, but guilt and grief are heavy and loud. They couldn’t hear past them.”

I squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry. That must have been terrible.”

“Yeah, well, it was what it was. Probably no surprise my family was dysfunctional.”

“I think the functional family is a myth,” I said. “Mine has its challenges too. All families do.”

“We’re family now,” he said softly. “You, me, Frost, Dallas. Fuck, he doesn’t know.”

“No, he doesn’t.” I wasn’t looking forward to crossing that bridge. Sooner or later, we’d have to. Before any of us got in deeper.

Chapter Thirteen

Frost

I woke in the armchair,my head at an uncomfortable angle, cheek practically pressed against my own shoulder.

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