Filthy (A Stepbrother Romance) #1 (6 page)

              Music blasted through the speakers, the beat of it causing my hips to sway. I could feel his eyes on me. He was watching from a distance, lurking around the outside of the dance floor. I hadn’t seen anyone with him all night, and that kind of shocked me. I brought the bottle of beer to my lips, pulling from him as if it was a glass of water and I had spent the whole day out in the sun.

              I was drunk, and with each passing second I was getting drunker. I wanted this though, the feeling of flying as I moved. I wanted to feel without thinking because I didn’t know what being carefree was. I hadn’t in years.

              “Slow it down, baby,” Matt whispered in my ear, and his breath blew at a few pieces of my hair, his scent encompassing me. He didn’t look or smell like Talon, but he was here and that’s all that mattered.

              “I don’t know what they put in this shit to make it taste so good,” I giggled, slurring my words. Giggling? What the fuck was coming over me?

              Matt laughed, his chest rumbling against mine. “It’s alcohol. It has the power to do pretty much anything you want it to, and that includes making you forget all the bad shit in your life.” I nodded my head in agreement to his comment.

              “Then I shall continue to devour this deliciousness…” I petted the side of beer bottle, and Matt busted out in laugher. I felt great, fan-fucking-tastic. That was until Talon came into view. He was alone, the glow of the fire casting a shadow across his face. It could’ve been the lighting or my own drunk mind playing tricks on me, but I thought I saw a look of complete despair.

              That single look made me want to drop everything I was doing and head over to him wrapping him in my arms. He needed love more than anyone I had ever known. Death either tore you apart or made you stronger.

              “You’re looking at him like you feel sorry for him.” Matt pulled my face into his, forcing my attention away from Talon and back on him.

              “That’s because I do,” I slurred, staring at him flatly. I couldn’t tell what was right and wrong in the moment. Being with Matt, or going to Talon and telling him that everything would be okay. He just had to hang on.

              “Why?” His palm cupped my cheek bringing my lips close to his. I could smell the beer on his breath and feel the heat of his body against mine. My eyes darted up and my tongue slipped out over my lip in anticipation. Did I want Matt to kiss me?

              “Because he’s lost, and he just needs someone to love him,” I whispered the words as if they were a secret that only I knew.

              Matt’s bottom lip pressed against mine. Breath left my lungs and my hands gripped his shoulders, my beer slipping from my hand as I clung to him. He wasn’t kissing me yet, but he wanted to.

              “You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, Mia. You’re too good for that.” I blinked, my mind was clouded with fog, and the alcohol still running through my veins was causing confusion. Still I was pretty sure he all but told me I was better than Talon. Matt talked like he knew me, and even though I didn’t like Talon, he never claimed to know who I was or what I was about.

              “You’re acting like you know me,” I slurred, pushing away from him. My footsteps were unsteady as I took a few steps back, almost bumping into another couple. I was probably making a bigger scene out of this than needed, but I didn’t care. Matt didn’t know me, and he didn’t know Talon. Not like he thought he did.

              “Mia…” Matt’s face contoured in fear, and his words were hushed as if he didn’t want to draw any more attention to us. My eyes swung from him and to the rest of the people that surrounded us.

              This wasn’t me. None of these people were even my friends. Matt didn’t even know me. The tears were on the verge of coming, but there was no way I would be seen crying in front of these people. They didn’t deserve my tears. They didn’t know me, none of them did.

              “I can’t…” I croaked out. I turned on my heels, running through the crowd of bodies and past everyone else. I had to get away from it all. I couldn’t breathe, and now I was stuck here until Matt wanted to leave. I just wanted to go home. I didn’t want to do this anymore.

              Tears fell from my eyes as I stumbled over my feet heading out toward the bluff. I just needed a couple minutes to myself.

             
Deep breath. Inhale. Exhale.

My chest constricted with each breath, the tears continued to fall, reminding me of why I shouldn’t have been out here drinking at all. This was just a big massive cluster-fuck of regret.

“You know that’s a good way to break a man’s heart,” the deep male voice sounded directly behind me. I turned around faster than expected, my mind not catching up with my movements and causing me to slip. Reaching out I grabbed onto the rock and stopped myself from face planting.

“You don’t know me, so don’t talk to me.” I wanted to scream the words but couldn’t. I didn’t have the strength. Instead, they came out in nothing but a soft whisper.

The man’s face came into view, the fire in the distance showing just enough light for me to see who he was.

“Donovan?” I was shocked. If this was his party then why was he all the way out here.

“Mia. It’s nice to finally meet the girl that everyone is accusing of slaying my man Talon Reed.” His laugh vibrated through me, his words shaking me to the core. I hadn’t even slept with the man, how could I slay him without even doing anything.

“We haven’t slept together so I don’t…” My words seemed more slurred, my eyes starting to feel heavier than they had before.

Donovan crossed the space that separated us in a couple steps, his body stopping right in front of mine.

“Then he wouldn’t mind if I sampled it first, right?” I could feel the nastiness in what he was asking, but my voice wouldn’t work. Something was wrong with me. I staggered against the rock that much more. I was clinging to it, begging for Donovan to leave me alone and just walk away.

              Everything seemed to slow down. My hands wouldn’t move, and my legs felt heavy. What was wrong with me?

              “What’s the matter, Mia? Feeling a little helpless?” Donovan’s face flashed before my eyes, and then he was on me, his body pressing mine into the cold, hard rock beneath me.

              “Please…” I cried out, my voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t.” He smiled and it was like I was staring into the eyes of the devil.

              “I promise I’ll make it worth it for you,” he sneered. I was screaming, begging, and pleading inside my head for him to stop.  He pulled my sweatshirt up over my head covering my eyes and leaving me completely in the dark. The chill of the night air covered my body as the contents in my stomach rose into my throat.

              “I knew you were an idiot, but I didn’t think you were this fucking dumb.” I could hear the crack of bone and my body started shaking. Who was here? Did he bring a friend with him?

              Why had I left Matt’s side? I should’ve just stayed. I never should’ve even come. Wet, cold tears cascaded down my cheeks causing tremors to wrack through my body. I wanted it to stop.

              “Mia, baby.” The sweatshirt was pulled down, and a pair of familiar steel blue-colored eyes looked down at me.

              “Talon,” I croaked, right before I passed out.

              I wanted to kill him, but I figured a bat to the back of the head would be better than me spending the rest of my fucking life in prison. I could hear her pleads, and I had to force myself to walk up to him slowly, even when I wanted to run to her side. I could barely see them, but from what I could see, his body was above hers. If he had done anything to her, I would…

              I cut the thought off, adjusting the hold I had on the bat. I lifted it above my head, ready to knock this fucker’s lights out. I could hear Mia crying, her sniffles and tears cutting me open straight down the middle.

              “I knew you were an idiot, but I didn’t think you were this fucking dumb,” I spat at him, bringing the bat down on the back of his head. As he fell away from Mia’s body I hit him again, this time in the ribs a distinct cracking sound filling the air. I wanted to draw blood but knew that it was better if I didn’t. I wouldn’t be able to stop if I drew his blood.

              Mia Weston was mine, and no one fucked with what was mine. No. One. I dropped the bat to the ground right next to the piece of shit’s body and then I went to Mia’s aide. My body shook with rage and fear as I noticed her shirt had been pulled up and over her face.

              “Mia, baby,” my voice quivered.

              I could tell she was cold from the goosebumps that covered her body. Without thought I pulled the shirt down off her face, trying to get her to warm up. Fresh tears trailed down her cheeks and relief flooded her eyes as she stared at me. I wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but I didn’t know if it would be.

              “Talon?” Her voice was so soft, so perfect as she spoke, and when I went to ask her if she was okay I realized she had passed out.

              “Fuck no!” I hissed out, scooping her body up off the cold rock. She was so light, and my heart almost exploded from my chest as my mind continued to play the nightmare out right before my eyes.

              What if I hadn’t made it? Mia’s head lulled against my chest, and I cradled her against my body holding her as tightly as I could. If I hadn’t been such an asshole and so selfish, none of this would’ve happened. Regret ran deep inside of me, causing a gaping hole to form in my chest. This was my fucking fault.

              “What happened?” I could hear their questions as I carried Mia through the crowd of people and past the fire. Matt came out of nowhere, his body causing mine to come to a halt.

              “Please tell me nothing happened to her. She got mad about something and walked away. I never should have let her leave when was drinking that much.” Panic laced his words, and his eyes were wild with fear. If he cared as much as he was acting like he did about her then why didn’t he go looking for her?

              “Save it, Matt. You fucked up. When your buddy Donovan wakes up, let him know I have another baseball bat with his name on it. Nobody fucks with what is mine,” I growled, pushing past him. I didn’t have the desire to be here any longer. These people had served a purpose before Mia came along, but now they were nothing but a fucking headache and Donovan… he was fucking dead to me. He was nothing but the gum beneath my shoes.

              Walking out to my car, I refused to take my eyes off of her. The movement of her chest with each breath she took, the softness, suppleness of her skin. Hers eyes moved beneath her eyelids making me wonder what it was that she was dreaming about? I prayed it wasn’t what she had just endured.

              “I promise I won’t let anything else happen to you. You’re mine, baby. Mine to protect. Mine to keep.” I placed a feather light kiss against her forehead right before we made it to my car. For being as worked up as I was, I was surprised at how gentle I was being toward Mia. I wanted to smash skulls back there.

              “Talon…” she moaned in her sleep. I knew it shouldn’t make my dick hard, not after what had just taken place, but I couldn’t shut off the need or the way her voice sounded. She was pure heaven, and I wanted to taint the fuck out of her.

              “Shhh,” I whispered against her lips, opening the door and placing her gently against the leather seat. I shut the door soon after and stood outside of the car. I combed my hand through my hair a couple times contemplating if it was worth it to go back there and teach Donovan the real lesson he deserved.

              “I didn’t mean for anything to happen to her, Talon. She was just watching you and everything kind of…” I cut Matt off, him following me out here was not a good idea when I was this unstable and pissed off about something that he could’ve helped from happening.

              “You helped do this, so you’re just as much at fault as Donovan is,” I growled pushing into his chest. He pushed back, anger in his eyes. He had no fucking clue what I was capable of. I would end his life for hurting Mia.

              “She felt bad for you, that’s why she ran the fuck away. Don’t assume that you know anything about what happened, and don’t blame me and act like I would hurt her because I never would.” Matt was just as irritated as I was. His fists were clenched, and I think he actually thought he had a chance at kicking me ass.

              “I don’t think you understand the whole thing going on here, so I’m just going to tell you to head back to the party and go on like you never met her.” I stared him straight in the eyes begging him to challenge me.

              “It’s your fault, Talon,” he said, his voice sounding deflated. He took a step back, putting space between us as if he knew it was needed.

              “Nothing is my fault.” My teeth ground together so hard I thought my jaw would crack.

              “You keep thinking that, Talon. You keep acting like nothing you do is wrong, and shit will catch up to you.” Matt seemed to understand or maybe he just felt the anger coursing through me because he turned away from me after speaking and ran toward the bonfire.

              I lifted my fist without warning, slamming it into the hood of my car. The impact of the hit vibrated up my arm causing a shooting pain to form. Blood pounded in my ears, and the anger I was feeling was on the verge of flowing over and out of me. Something bad would happen if I didn’t leave right this second. Walking over to the driver’s side of the car I got in, my eyes roaming over Mia’s sleepy form.

              She was more than I ever expected, and more than I deserved. All I knew now was that I had to do whatever I could to save her from myself. Maybe Matt was right. This was my fault, and I just failed to take responsibility for it. Maybe, just maybe this was my punishment for being the asshole I had been for years.

              Hell was God giving me something that I couldn’t have because I just wasn’t good enough. I would never be good enough.