Page 24 of Long Hard Ride
“Well, no, but—”
“No buts. I would never hurt you.” He runs a hand through his hair, and I search his eyes, holding on to his every word. “I had something custom made for you. It’s like a vitamin.” He slides his hands around my waist and then bends, nuzzling into my neck. “It will make kissing so much more fun. You know, something special for our reunion.”
I’m so confused by this, and pull away. I’ve never taken drugs before, and Steve hasn’t either. Although I was arrested for possession once, when Steve had drugs in the car. They weren’t his. He said some guy with a grudge hid them there without him knowing. Luckily, my mom hired a good lawyer, and they dropped the charges on me.
“Don’t you think we deserve to celebrate?” he asks, playing up his pout. “I drive almost fifteen hundred miles just to see my Brooksie, and she doesn’t trust me?”
Crap. I keep waiting for the effects of whatever it is to hit me, but I’m not feeling anything. “Well, it’s a little late for me to say no now. I wish you had asked me first.”
“Really, Brooke? Chill. C’ mon, show me your room.”
“Fine.” I blow out a breath. A little privacy wouldn’t hurt, just in case Shane comes home early. I don’t really want Shane to walk in on us while I’m confessing I slept with him.
Steve slips his hand into mine, and I begrudgingly bring him to the room with the two twin beds.
Before I know it, I’m forcing my eyes to stay open. My legs feel like weights as Steve hauls me to the bed and climbs on top of me. “Hey, wait!” What the fuck is happening? My head is spinning and Steve is kissing me. But it’s like I’m half here and half somewhere else, so I barely feel it. I try to squirm out from under him, but I don’t think I’m actually moving.
I watch through a blurry haze as he climbs off me and slips off his pants. Oh shit. He’s hard. He’s not half the size of Shane, but I know what’s about to happen. I can’t move. It feels like I’m being carried off on a cloud.
“You might be married to him, Brooksie, but you’re going to havemybaby,” Steve says, climbing back on top of me.
Baby, baby.Nothing about what he’s saying computes. “No,” I try to respond, but my mouth feels like it’s full of marbles.
“We’ll always be bonded, Brooke.” Steve stares down at my body, not looking me in the eye. If he did, he’d see that I don’t want this, wouldn’t he? Does he even know I’m here? “I’m going to make you nice and wet for me first, so don’t worry. It won’t hurt.”
“Wait,” I mumble, “wait.” But my head is fuzzy and the words aren’t coming out of my mouth.
Then the world turns black.
***
AS I PULL UP THE DRIVEWAY, my headlights shine on a car I haven’t seen before. It has Chicago plates. Fuck.
I roll in next to the rusty old Chevy and shove my truck in park. I scramble out and take a quick shot of the plate with my phone. Goddamn it all to hell. I hurry up the walkway. Brooke said the asswipe was coming for a visit, but that fucking prick is three days early.
Despite the fact that he has Brooke convinced he’s a good guy, I know he’s pulling the wool over her eyes. I know for a fact he’s full of shit, because I’ve got connections.
I might not have many, but the few I have are loyal. It didn’t take me long to track down someone who knew someone in Chicago.
I just found out Steve’s jumped bail, and everyone and their grandma is looking for the idiot. And now that he’s out of state, he has one more strike against him, and that’s not counting the one I’m about to give him.
I bust open the door and scan the living room. Nothing. There’s no action in the kitchen either. I look out the window on the off chance they’re innocently catching up and having a beer out there. But I knew it was only wishful thinking. It’s sundown, and there’s hardly any light back there.
My heart drops as I make my way down the hallway. I slow before I get to the bedrooms. I don’t want to violate Brooke’s privacy, but Steve had better not be fucking her.
I clench my fists. Just the fucking thought of anyone touching her makes me want to punch a wall. It might not be fair, because I won’t touch her either, but that’s how it is, plain and simple.
Chuck’s bedroom door is open, so I peek inside and find the new bed we just bought thankfully empty. It still has all the plastic around the mattress. I check Ethel’s old room and see they’re not in there either. Then I hear bed springs squeaking from the other side of the hall.
Jesus Christ. I’m so wound up I think I’m going to pop a vein. I clench my fists again, getting them ready for fucking delivery.
I take a deep breath and open the door, as quietly as possible, one crack at a time until I’m in the room. I turn to Brooke’s bed, and my heart drops.
I seeredas I process just what the holy fuck I’m seeing here.
Brooke looks like she’s passed out. She’s on her back with her head on the pillow. Her eyes are closed, and she’s spread out like a rag doll.
Her top’s unbuttoned. She still has her clothes on, but that piece of shit has her skirt up around her waist. He has his slimy back to me, and he’s crouched between her legs.
