Page 33 of The Bad Brother

It’s not her you want to fuck. It’s just that it’s been so long since you’ve fucked anything but your own fist that the first woman who’s dropped in front of?—

“When mother said you’d crawled out from under your rock to show up at the house last week, I’ll admit, I was sure it was the pharmaceuticals talking…” The instant I hear my brother’s voice behind me, the back of my neck goes tight and my hands crank themselves into fists. “But here you are.”

Walk away.

Just walk away because you do anything else, you’ll end up doing something that not even Colt can drag you out of.

Putting one foot in front of the other, I don’t get more than three steps away before he takes another swing.

“Sorry about Hanna.”

As soon as he says her name, a high-pitched whining kicks off in my ear and my heart starts pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. Turning around with every intention of going back to prison, I pull up short when I see the woman standing beside him—a gorgeous redhead that I recognize—in a black, designer sheath dress, an uncomfortable-looking pair of red-bottom peep-toes, and a door-knocker of a diamond engagement ring on her finger.

Amy.

Her name is Amy.

We dated briefly my sophomore year.

By Clearwater standards, her family is considered middle class. Not wealthy enough to live on the golf course but wealthy enough to be a member of the club it surrounds. She’s hungry. Always has been. Always looking for something better. Someone richer. Exactly the sort of woman my brother would tie himself to because, with enough money, women like Amy are easy to control.

Women like Sloane.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him I know who she is. That I know he sent Sloane across the bridge to do whatever it is she was sent there to do to me but for some reason, I don’t. Maybe because I’m afraid if he knows I figured it out, he’ll call Sloane back and all of a sudden, that’s the last thing I want to happen.

“I suppose I should thank you,” I say instead, careful to keep my distance. Not because I’m afraid of what he might do. Because I’m afraid of what Iwilldo if I let myself getclose enough to grab him. “Finding out who Hanna really was before I married her saved me quite the headache.”

“Might’ve saved you a headache but it cost you a trust fund.” Ethan’s good-natured grin turns nasty. “Ten million dollars… must’ve been hard, watching all that money slip through your fingers.” Looking at Amy, he shakes his head. “Our grandfather was old-fashioned—the stipulation we have to meet before we can access our trust funds is that we have to be married by the time we’re twenty-seven.” Looking at me, he smiles again. “How old are you now? Thirty andstillnot married.”

When it all comes together, I start to laugh—a real laugh that nearly puts me on my ass and knocks that shitty grin right off his face. “Is that why you did it?” I ask. “Is that why you sent me that video of Hanna sucking your dick a week before our wedding?” When I say it, Amy goes pale and she looks at Ethan like he just slapped her in the face. “Because you wanted to fuck with my access to my trust fund?” Still laughing, I take a step toward him, allowing myself to get closer than is prudent but I can’t help it. I want to see his face when I say what comes next. “I’m sorry to have to break it to you but there were no strings attached to my trust fund. No stipulations—I was given full access when I turned twenty-five… I was marrying Hanna because I was in love with her and since I was stupid enough to want to do it without a pre-nup, you reallydiddo me a favor.”

When he realizes what I’m saying, Ethan goes pale. “Bullshit,” he spits at me, mouth twisted into a snarl. “There’s no way grandfather would?—”

“You might betheirgolden boy, little brother,” I tell himwith a small smile. “But grandfather saw you for the slimy piece of shit you really are.” Leaning in, I deliver the death blow. “He knew what you did to me… and it was more likethirtymillion.” Backing away from him slowly, I flick a look at Amy. “Maybe after you two get married and he can finally access his trust fund, he can afford to buy you a pair of Louboutins that actually fit.”

Turning away from them both, I leave them standing in the middle of the country club parking lot to walk back to my shitty little hatchback and drive back to Barrett.

IT’S MONDAY NIGHT.

I made it through hell week, which I’dbeexcited about if not for the fact that I’m pretty sure it’s not hell week I have to make it through. It’s hellmonths.

Jensen Barrett has made it clear he doesn’t want me here and he’s willing to fight dirty in order to make me leave and he has no intention of stopping until I do.

The day after he turned the hot water off on me, I was watching an episode ofOne Tree Hillbefore work when all of a sudden, the television went black. A quick flip of the light switch and a glance at the clock on the microwave told me it wasn’t just the television. Everything was dead.

Jensen cut the power.

Giving brief consideration to storming downstairs, this time fully clothed, to confront him about my sudden lack of electricity, I listen to my better angels instead because he’ll just give me that shit eating smirk of his and sayold building.Finicky wiring. If you can’t handle a little discomfort, you should move out.

When I woke up Thursday morning, the power was back on and the water was running hot again but sensing a trap, I decided to keep doing what I’ve been doing for the past few days and shower at work.

Packing a change of clothes and my toiletries in my duffle, I left for the hospital, only to get downstairs to find that the air had been let out of all four of my tires, their stem caps lined up neatly on the hood of my car.

Standing there, looking at them, I could feel Jensen watching me through the open door of the bar. He’d been behind it when I left, giving me a chipperhave a good day, Peachwhile I walked past him and a completely different set of old ladies—one vacuuming the pool tables while the other polished the chrome on the jukebox.

I almost lost it.

Almost gave up.

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