Page 28 of Break: Vol. 2

When he had first seen us at the restaurant, he had attempted to smile, but as the meal dragged on, his pseudo-smile slowly dropped away. He pushed his fork around his plate, finally dropping it and not picking it back up again—instead, choosing to down glass after glass of wine. And when most of us had finished the meal, he didn’t wait for the rest of us to finish.

“I have a headache,” he said sharply as he stood up from the table. “I’m going to walk around for a bit. I’ll see you back at the suite.”

He didn’t give any of us a chance to respond before he was tossing down his napkin and rising from his seat. I stared after him for a moment before flashing a concerned look to Darren.

Darren sighed. “I’ll go after him,” he said, rising from his own chair.

“Thank you,” I said, reaching for his hand.

Darren squeezed back lightly before trailing after Dex’s departing back. That tingle still hadn’t gone away. I supposed whoever was watching, then, wasn’t interested in watching Dex.

Several minutes went by and twin cell phones pinged. I reached for mine before I realized I hadn’t gotten the foreign travel minutes like the guys had. Cody and Taylor checked their phones and frowned.

Taylor was the first to get up. He strode around the table and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Darren asked if we could meet him,” he said by way of explanation.

I nodded as Cody got up and did the same. “We’ll meet you at the suite,” Cody said. “Don’t worry about dinner, it’s paid for.”

I bit my lip as I watched them go. Once they were out of sight, I started cleaning up. I finished the last bite of my meal—forcing it down out of duty and willpower—before I placed my napkin on the table and began to rise. A large palm slapped the table in front of me and I turned, looking over my shoulder and noticing how the arm attached blocked my exit before tilting my face up.

“Stephan?”

Stephan’s expression was unreadable, but he stared at me for a long while. “Can we talk?” he finally asked.

I didn’t know what to say, but I felt responsible for what had obviously been a fight that I’d accidentally overheard between him and Dex. It didn’t feel right denying him. I nodded slowly with both brows drawn down.

“What’s up—” Stephan grabbed my wrist, cutting me off as he began to tug me behind him. I frowned as we swiftly made our way through the restaurant.

I hurried to keep up with him. Stephan’s legs were much longer than mine. He didn’t seem to realize how tall he was though, by comparison, as he continued to pull me behind him. He didn’t stop once we left the restaurant, but instead, continued to lead me through the maze-like hallways of the cruise ship.

Finally, he came to a stop in an empty hallway with several closed doors and one light out at the very end. We must have been several floors down because for some reason the farther down I got the more I could feel the rocking of the ship. I leaned against the wall as he turned and slapped a hand down alongside my head, making me jump.

“S-Stephan?” As he leaned closer, I realized something. Stephan’s eyes were unfocused. His expression hadn’t been unreadable, he just hadn’t been able to clearly fixate on me. Even now as he stared down at me, crowding me against the wall, he looked at me without really seeing me.

He was drunk.

And I was in a lot of fucking trouble.

Chapter 14

“Stephan, you’re making me uncomfortable,” I said quickly, as I tried to slide to the side and out from underneath him.

He merely followed me, his gaze trying to find mine. “You know…” he started. “I knew my brother was into some kinky stuff, but this…”

He didn’t sound drunk, that’s why I hadn’t noticed at first. There was no slurring, but now that I was this close to him, his breath reeked of alcohol. I flinched as the foul smell hit my nostrils, and turned my head away.

“I don’t blame him, you know.” I jumped when I felt a hand on my side. “You’re pretty fucking hot.”

“Y-you’re not thinking straight, Stephan,” I stuttered. “Let go.”

Stephan leaned over me as I attempted, once again, to squirm away. “Come on,Jamie,” he said, emphasizing my name. “I just want to know what has those boys wrapped around your little finger.” As he talked about wrapping, his hand found my wrist and jerked me forward. “Let me guess … it’s that pussy of yours? Is it magic or something? Do you like messing with my brother and his friends? Do you like it when they fuck you?”

My eyes widened as he pushed my hand against the hardness starting to rise in his slacks. I tried to yank back, but he only pressed it against him harder as he shoved me into the wall and dropped his head to my neck.

Panic ripped through me, sucking away my breath, draining me of my voice.Why wasn’t I screaming?I thought.I should’ve been screaming. Calling for help. Doingsomething!But as I opened my mouth, nothing came out.

I felt vomit rise from the pit of my stomach, curling in a grotesque shape in my gut. I turned my head away as Stephan brushed his lips across my cheek. I squeezed my hand into a ball, refusing to touch him as violent anger tore through me.

I shifted to the side, raising my only free hand and clasping it around his shoulder. With a quick move, I jerked my hand out of his grasp and brought my knee up just as he leaned down to kiss my shoulder. His teeth sank in as he curled inward with a long groan of pain. I yanked myself from his arms, twisting towards the end of the hall.

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