What They Don't Know (Won't Hurt Them Trilogy #1) (26 page)

“Okay, hurry though,
Bria, before they notice what we are doing.”

I get the bartenders
attention.

“B, please.”

“Will do, give me a
second,” the bartender says. He turns to the register.

“$480, hun.”

“Okay.” I hand him
my card. He swipes it.

“Settled.” The
bartender says as he hands me my card. I walk out of the club. Ford
is at the door.

“Please don't forget
to call me Monday. Better yet, call me in the morning. I may need a
favor.”

“Will do, B,” he
says helping me in the cab Lisa has gotten us.

“Your car, B?” Ford
asks.

“Exactly.”

“Bria,” Bryant
shouts, coming out of the club with Cruz in tow. They aren't wasting
time.

“Ford, please prevent
them from leaving right away.”

“Will do, for about
how long?” Ford asks.

“As long as you can.”

“Got it,” he says
closing the door. We pull off into the night... well, morning. I
already know the rest of the morning won't be good.

I pay the taxi early so
we can just jump out before Cruz and Bryant show up at my house.
Bryant doesn't have the new keys, but Cruz claims he gave me back the
extra set. I'm not taking any chances. I'm intoxicated enough to know
I am. I can lock myself in my room.

“C'mon, Lisa.” We
both stagger from the taxi. I fumble for my keys. In the distance, I
hear the roaring of the engine in Cruz's car.

“Holy shit, Lisa,
c'mon.” I knew Ford couldn't hold them off for long, but he did an
awesome job. The way Bryant drives, he would have made it to my house
way before that slow-ass taxi. I get the key in the door.

“Lisa!” I yell.
She’s barely coherent.

“Okay,” she slurs.
We both stumble into my house. I lock the door because Lisa doesn't
look like she's capable. I hop on one foot to take off one heel and
dash to the alarm panel. I deactivate, and then reactivate it. I'm
not scared, but I'm also not sure why I'm avoiding them. In my
drunken state, I can't remember why.

Oh, yeah, Bryant's
chauvinistic ass claims he handed me over to Cruz as if he was done
with me. I'm no one's charity case, nor am I a whore. I'm no one’s
possession. Who does Bryant think he is?

Thud! Sounds like
someone fell. I remove my other shoe, and I peek out of the small
window on my door.

“Bria, I know you are
here. I can see.” Bryant pulls his phone out. I hurry to my clutch
to silence mine. Still looking out the window, I can see that Bryant
is well dressed; I really didn't take the time to notice him tonight.
What the hell am I thinking right now? Lisa stumbles toward me.
“Shhh.” I hold my finger up to my lips. She nods in agreement. I
grab her to walk her to my spare bedroom.

THUD! THUD! THUD! “I
will break this door down, Bria!” I can hear Bryant say as I’m
walking Lisa to bed. “Cruz, you’re fucking drunk, man,” I hear
him tell Cruz outside the door.

“I'm not that drunk
Bryant. I… I have her house keys,” he slurs, speaking to Bryant.

“What the hell, man;
you see I'm out here...” he trails off. “Your ass is fuckin'
crazy. I can go to jail out here, and you have the fucking keys.” I
can clearly hear them arguing outside the door. What will my
neighbors think?

The chain is on the
door, so they won't get very far. Before I know what's happening, I
can hear my door being pushed open and that chain. That chain is
non-existent. Cruz has broken the chain off my door and my heart
speeds up. The adrenaline pouring through my body has my heart
pumping full speed. I turn and run toward the spare bedroom I just
walked Lisa to. I get into the bedroom; she's balled up on the bed
sleeping. I lock the door to the hall. I already took the precaution
of locking the bathroom.

Thud! Thud!

“Bria?” He's calm.

Lisa jumps up. “Shhh.
Go back to sleep, Lisa.” She sits up with her back to the
headboard.

“What the hell have
you done to these men?”

I shake my head.
“Absolutely nothing.”

“Bria, can you and I
talk? It’s not what you think.” Cruz tries to explain. I don't
say anything because Cruz is not who I am upset with, Bryant is.
Bryant has disappointed me so many times this week; it just hurts
now. I can't believe I tolerated him tonight.

“Bria, I promise I
just want to talk, let me explain. I'll leave... we'll leave.” Cruz
is at my door pleading to speak with me. He’s not the one who
should be explaining anything.

“Bria?” I'm
startled by Lisa's voice. I walk over and sit on the bed.

“You should listen to
what he has to say. Maybe we are overreacting to what Bryant said.”

I shake my head. “It’s
true. I know because Cruz is here, not Bryant.”

“Where did he go?”

I shrug. “I'm not
sure, but I need to resolve this.”

I yank the door open
and Cruz falls forward. He must have been leaning on the door because
he fell in face first. I walk out into my sitting room. Bryant is
sitting on my sofa, face in hands. I stand in front of him with my
arms folded. He senses me there and he just shakes his head.

“Bree, I'm sorry for
everything. I'm sorry for Cass, for scaring you, for being an ass,
for taking our friendship for granted. I'm fucking numb without you
in my life, Bree.” He looks up at me and his face looks tired. “I
did. I admit it. I gave you to Cruz. I knew in my heart that I wasn't
who you wanted. You tolerated me; you settled for what we have...
had. I knew the night I made you scream my name. I knew when I walked
away... when I left you. I left my heart. Cruz met you at the Vodka
Bar. He asked me, Bree. I wasn't thinking when he told me he was
going to find a common ground with you. He was going to take your
mind slowly.”

“Shut up, Bryant!”
I scream. “Shut your mouth!” I turn to get away from him. Cruz is
standing behind us.

“Get out! Both of
you!”

“Bree, listen. I have
to tell you. It wasn't supposed to be like that.” Bryant is
pleading with me to listen, but I can't. My anger level has reached
skyscraper height.

“Wasn't supposed to
be like what? OH MY GOD, you knew! The night I told you that he came
on to me. You nonchalantly tried to pawn me off to him.”

“Bree, no, it wasn't
a business transaction.”

I draw back to slap
Bryant and Cruz catches my hand. He lifts me to restrain me, but my
anger has me strong tonight. I power my way away from Cruz to get to
Bryant, just in enough time to knee him in his dick. He doubles over
then I slap him. Cruz finally gets hold of me. He’s gripping me so
tight I'm becoming exhausted. I feel myself blacking out.

* * *

My eyes are closed and
my body is limp. I'm finally beginning to understand the human body
better. If I open my eyes, my body will come alive. My brain is only
half functioning when I hear the sound of my front door closing. I
can barely make out what I think are two people talking.

“Is she going to be
okay?”

“Sure, I don't think
she's drunk anymore.”

“You should have
driven her home anyway.” That's Cruz's voice telling Bryant he
should have driven Lisa home.

“She'll be fine,
Cruz.”

“Okay, man, if
something happens to her, your ass is already in hot water with
Bria.”

“I know; this is a
very bad situation. She has never been violent. She must be beyond
angry.”

“It doesn't matter
anymore, Bryant. The deal is about to close; you're about to become
CEO of my family's company. You'll save the day and Bria will forgive
your selfish ass.”

“I'm selfish, Cruz?”
These idiots are arguing... are they serious?

“Yeah, you are. What
guy trades his best friend for a guaranteed sale of a company?”

“I knew you were
testing me, Cruz.” I can hear Bryant breathing hard. He sounds
frustrated. “You wanted to see how loyal I was to her as a symbol
of family, but you wanted to know how ruthless I was for the company.
If I'm selfish, you're a pig.”

I can hear Cruz's
arrogant ass gasp. “Me a pig?”

“Yeah... you. How
many times have you had your dirty hands on my best friend?”

“None the way you
think.”

“Fucking liar,”
Bryant retorts.

“None. Bryant, man,
she's...”

“She's what?” I
hear Bryant ask.

“She's worth more
than a fuck,” Cruz admits.

“Oh, don't I know
it,” Bryant replies.

They are quiet for a
minute. My body still won't respond. It’s as if I'm paralyzed. I
can hear; my eyes are moving, but my body won't. I hear Bryant
speaking again.

“I can't believe
you've been here with her all this time. Never, not even once you've
had sex with her?”

“Nope.”

“You can't resist a
woman like Bria.”

Cruz laughed. “I
know, trust me, I know... God, do I know. I have self-control,
Bryant. A few factors helped with me not taking her.”

“Yeah, what's that?”

Cruz chuckles. Oh God,
he's not turned on by me. Oh god, why am I concerned by that right
now? I can't freaking move.

“Shit, man, you
married?” I can hear a thwack and I'm guessing Cruz just hit
Bryant.

“No, man, I'm not
married.”

“So what's the deal?”
Bryant continues to question Cruz.

“When was the last
time you had sex with Bria?” Cruz asks Bryant.

“Shit, the day after
you drugged me.” How the hell did he know Cruz drugged him, and why
can't I fucking move?

“Yeah, man, I don't
think that dose was strong enough. I knew I wasn't going to be able
to control myself around her.”

Wait… he wanted to be
drugged, so he wouldn't have sex with me? He's knows the damage he
could have caused himself. Wait... they planned it?

I feel like my stomach
has turned inside out. I start convulsing. I feel my body shaking
uncontrollably. I try to calm myself; but whatever is happening with
me, it's not subsiding. I can still hear those idiots talking though.

“You call me a pig.
You assured me you wouldn't fuck her again.”

“Seriously, Cruz,
what's the difference?”

“You don't get it.
For me, the best pleasure is pleasing a woman by any means: sexually,
mentally, physically, and most of all, emotionally. I never want to
follow a man in that area sexually. I wanted Bria's body to crave me
naturally. I couldn't very well have that happen while you kept
drilling her.”

Bryant laughs. “She
will kill you for referring to being with her as being drilled.”

“Probably,” Cruz
says. “But still there's something I crave in her.”

“Ha,” Bryant says.
“Yeah, and we know what that is.”

“HELP ME! PLEASE!”
I can hear the swift movement of feet coming closer to me.

“Bria,” Cruz is
yelling my name in a panicked tone. I finally jump out of my
paralyzed state. “Hey, hey, you're okay.” His voice is soft and
calming. I'm still shaking uncontrollably. Cruz pulls me to him for
comfort. “Shhh, honey, I'm right here; you're okay. You're okay.”

I'm silent and staring
right at Bryant. He has the most apologetic look on his face. I turn
my face away from Bryant. I rest my face on Cruz's chest. I can feel
it rise and fall; it's actually calming me.

The feelings of
uneasiness I had before are gone.

“Bria, it’s still
early morning. You need to rest,” he informs me.

“Did you give me
anything, Cruz?”

“No, Bria, I didn’t;
you have my word.”

“I blacked out so
suddenly, why? That’s all I can remember.”

“Bria, don’t get
upset.”

“Upset, why?”

“I, uh, I put you to
sleep.”

“What?”

“I physically put you
in a sleep-restraint hold; you were hysterical. We tried to calm you.
You just weren’t listening.” Cruz is telling me this in his calm
voice. It’s soothing so I can’t be upset.

“Your physical state
was altered by the alcohol, Bria. I didn’t want you to hurt anyone
or yourself. You are fucking strong for a chick.” He’s laughing
but sincere. He’s holding me so close to him. This man who’s only
been in my life for a few weeks has ignited something within me. I’m
not sure of the feeling. I’m not sure I like it, but it’s here.

Sunday morning came and
went. Both Bryant and Cruz are in my home. Somewhere in the middle of
Cruz explaining why he gave Bryant an ultimatum versus a proposition
was clearly because Bryant didn’t deserve me in that way. I fell
asleep again still in Cruz’s arms with Bryant posted up against my
doorframe. He looked sorry and pissed, but I can’t control the
feelings he brought on himself.

* * *

I think my body has had
enough sleep for one day; and although I’d like to lie here the
rest of the day, I just can’t ignore the noise my phone is making.
I search for my phone underneath my whole bedspread. When I finally
locate it, I see I have several texts and a missed call from Lisa.

I click on the text;
it’s also from Lisa.

I click the next text,
it’s signed Stone… who the hell is Stone? I jog my memory…
Stone, Stone. I keep repeating over in my head. Ohh, Mike Stone.

I get a text back from
him right away.