SHE WAS HAPPY…LIKE really happy. Whatever the lawyers had told her had turned her into a woman I barely knew, a woman who threw her head back and unleashed a throaty laugh at something Creed said to her…a slightly intoxicated laugh.
“Sit…sit,” she gushed, coming back to reality and remembering we were actually in the room, motioning to the massive dining table.
I didn’t look, just pulled out a chair and sank, smoothing my dress under my ass as I went.
“What’s going on?” Nick muttered, glancing at his dad, who grinned and lifted a half-filled glass of Scotch in the air.
“We’ve got some important news,” Creed announced through his grin.
It was the money…and dad. He was getting out of prison, he was coming home. My mind raced, thinking about the kind of new life we’d have. I didn’t care if it involved the feds or court cases. I just wanted him home and with us.
Nick pulled out a chair and sat on my left, his confused stare taking in the display. The table was beautiful, silver plates gleamed, shining against the long black table cloth that skimmed my lap. The sight only heightened my excitement more. I could barely see mom in the dim candlelight as she leaned over, wobbling, and struck a match to light the third candle in the middle of the table.
Caleb sat at the end of the table and scowled at them as though this was strange to him. “Want to tell us what’s going on?”
My chest tightened with excitement, my breath barely moving as Creed glanced around the table. He was looking for Tobias, hoping that he’d take part in the celebration. I licked my lips, the words on the end of my tongue. I wanted to tell him that it didn’t matter about Tobias. We didn’t really need him. I was excited for all of us.
Dad’s getting released.
That’s all I thought about, all that consumed me. I barely saw the movement, not until it was too late, as Tobias dragged the chair out on my right and sank down beside me. I glanced his way, my pulse hammering, but he didn’t look at me, just glared at his father with that same moody look.
I’d seen him leave before, seen him from the window in Nick’s room. The fries sat heavy in my stomach, oily and hard against the cold chocolate shake I’d downed.
Poor Nick.
I glanced his way as he shot me a careful smile, then glanced back to his dad as Creed cleared his throat, standing next to my mom. Nick had been nice to me, taking me to school, getting me food. My cheeks burned at the memory of what I’d done in his car, but I quickly shoved it to the side. I was almost sad not to talk to him again.
“So, we’ve had a pretty major development today,” Creed started.
Mom’s eyes twinkled, riveting me to the spot.
“We wanted you all here to be the first to know.” Creed glanced at mom, then back to us again. “Elle and I…”
“We’re getting married,” mom smiled, her gaze fixed on me.
My stomach lurched. The booming in my ears muffled their words.
“What the fuck did you say?” Caleb growled.
But Creed just smiled. “I know it must seem like a bit of a shock.” He lifted his glass and drained the contents.
“You can’t.” My words were hollow as I glanced at mom. “You’re already married.”
The intoxicated sparkle in her eye grew bolder. “No, not anymore. Your father signed the divorce papers today.” She swallowed hard. “We’re still working on getting him out, Ry, but we wanted a stable home for you…and your new brothers.”
My new brothers?
No…no…no…no…I closed my eyes, trying to understand.
“You’re marrying her?” Nick snarled, glaring at mom. “Barely two months after mom died?! Her body is barely cold !”
“Still think he’s a good guy, brother?” Tobias murmured.
I clenched my eyes shut tighter. This wasn’t happening…this wasn’t happening. The tablecloth brushed my lap before a hand landed on my thigh.
For a second, I didn’t understand what was happening. My mind was frantic and dull all at the same time, like a muffled scream consuming me, as that hand gripped tighter and pulled…
I yanked my eyes open, that scream in my head growing clearer. Tobias stared across the table to where Creed and mom stood, the glint of broken glass in his eyes. “Married…”
Panic roared as he shoved my dress high and pressed his fingers against my sex.
What the fuck…stop! I flinched with the contact and jerked my gaze to mom.
“We want you guys to be happy,” Mom’s words turned throaty as that intoxicated gleam shimmered with tears. “We realize this is sudden…”
His fingers slid against me, driving deep. That trapped scream in my head had nowhere to go…howling and shrieking in the void. Stop this…stop it now!
“Ryth, having stepbrothers will be good for you,” Mom insisted, smiling.
“And having a little stepsister will be good for all three of you, too.” Creed looked at Tobias.
But they didn’t see what he was doing…didn’t see his fingers sliding against me, fingers curling as he found my clit, his voice hollow and strange when he answered. “I think so, too.”
Mom’s eyes still shimmered with tears, her smile wide as she turned to Creed. “I knew this was a good idea.”
Tobias yanked the elastic of my panties aside. I clenched my fists and shoved upwards…until I was stopped by Nick’s hand on my arm.
Nick turned his gaze toward me, those golden-brown eyes darkening to the same stony stare.
“What?” I whispered. “No.”
“We’re in love,” Mom declared as she stared into Creed’s eyes.
I tried to shove against the table, but Nick held my arm down, trapping me. “Step-sister,” he growled as Tobias’ fingers found my clit, rubbing and sliding, stoking that heat inside me.
Heat strangled with revulsion.
Coated with humiliation.
“Nick…please,” I whispered, shaking my head.
I didn’t need to lift my gaze to see my mother and Creed kissing, oblivious to what Tobias was doing to me. Heat moved deeper as he slid his fingers deeper inside me. Nick clenched his grip tighter around my arm. From across the table, the act would be seen as comfort…but here…it was anything but.
My belly clenched, those oily fries burning in the pit of my stomach as Nick dragged my hand from the table and moved the tablecloth aside.
I didn’t understand at first…until he lowered his gaze.
Those ravenous eyes fixed on the movement between my thighs. He wanted to see…see what his brother was doing. Nick tugged my dress higher, bunching it against my hip, until all he saw was his brother’s glistening fingers as they slid in and out of my pussy.
“We know it’s soon,” Mom cooed, staring into Creed eyes. “But this feels right.”
“It does,” Tobias urged. “Very right.”
I closed my eyes, hating how under the shame, need grew inside me. My body moved against his invasion, rocking, desperate for more. I knew I was slick. I was going to come…right here in front of everyone…under the hand of my soon-to-be-stepbrother.
That thought ignited the panic inside me. “No!” I shoved my chair backwards, tearing Tobias’ hand from inside my panties and stumbled away, ripping from Nick’s hold.
My face burned, that heat consuming me as the tears came.
Mom glanced my way as my dress fell…settling around my thighs.
“Ryth,” pain coursed through her voice.
“You bitch,” I spat, hate fueling me. “You fucking bitch!”
“Ryth!” Creed bellowed, his happiness darkening with anger. “That’s no way to talk to your mother!”
But I didn’t care. I didn’t fucking give a shit.
I jerked a glare at Tobias, then Nick. Both of them looked at me with merciless need. I was just a game to them, a cruel, fucking game. I wasn’t safe in this house…I was the prey.
I turned and lunged, hurling myself out of that dining room and toward the stairs. My legs didn’t work right, my knees buckling as I hit the first stair. I grasped the banister, holding on as I found my footing and shoved upwards.
The stairs were a blur through my tears. I hit the third floor before I knew it, and made for my room, slamming the door behind me before I threw myself onto the bed.
She’d betrayed him…
She’d betrayed him…
She’d betrayed my dad.
Tears came hard and fast, soaking into the pillow. I fisted the sheets and screamed. ”I FUCKING HATE YOU!”
The words burned, ripping from the middle of my chest. But even as the heat of them pressed against my face, I knew they were a lie. I didn’t hate her. I couldn’t hate her, and that’s what hurt the most.
The light thud of footsteps came.
“Ryth,” mom called from the other side of the door.
“Go away!”
“Ryth, honey, I know this is hard for you to hear.”
She wouldn’t go away. No matter how tight my fists clenched and that burning pit inside me raged, she wouldn’t leave. Instead, the sound of her sobs came through the door. “You think this was easy for me? Your father and I haven’t been good for a very long time. But I stayed…I stayed for you.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to hear this.
“Your father’s a bad man, Ryth. He’s done terrible things…dangerous things. Things that put us in danger…things that got our house burned down.”
I lifted my head, my breaths coming hard and brutal.
“We’re still in danger,” she whispered close to the door. “And this is me doing what I have to do. This is me protecting us.”
I shoved from the bed and stumbled, making my way to the door. I yanked it open, to find my mom’s tearstained, tortured expression. She took one look at me and burst into sobs again, stumbling forward to throw her arms around me. “Oh, Ryth. I wanted to tell you for so long. I needed to tell you. But you were so young, and so innocent.”
Innocent.
Like I was last night?
My body clenched, the feel of his fingers still so real. I swallowed and held her, winding my arms around her and burying my head into her neck. She still smelled like mom, soft and warm and perfect.
“Mom…” I blubbered.
“I’m happy, Ryth.” She managed to stop crying, and pulled away to stare into my eyes. “For the first time in a very long time, I’m actually happy. I just need you to be happy for me.”
But how could I?
How could I, when just hours ago…she was married to my dad.
And unhappy….
Slick, warm tears slipped down my cheeks. My mind was at war. I knew they were always fighting, knew dad was always away. I knew the men dad worked for, dangerous men. The memory surfaced of that sleek black Rossi sedan driving past our house as it burned to the ground.
My pulse boomed as she stroked my hair. “I’m doing this for the both of us. I need you, Ry…I can’t do this on my own.”
Desperation swelled inside me as I met her tearstained gaze.
“Can you do that?” she whispered. “Can you please just try?”
Try with the feel of Tobias’ fingers inside me.
Not Tobias. Stepbrother. The word resounded inside me.
That thunder inside me grew as mom waited for an answer. I wanted to tell her about what had happened, but the desperation in her eyes stopped the words cold. “I’ll try, mom,” I answered. “I’ll try.”
She burst into tears again, with relief this time, yanking me hard against her chest. “I knew you would…I just knew it. I love you so much, honey.”
“I love you too, Mom,” my tone was dull as I stared through the open doorway at the hall as Tobias sauntered up the stairs, glancing my way as he rounded the newel post, the cruel smirk on his mouth growing.
She squeezed me tighter, then pulled back. “I know this is too much…and I know it’s really soon. But I was wondering if you wanted to be my bridesmaid?”
I flinched, meeting her excitement.
“Creed and I said we wanted this to be small, keep it in the family, what do you say?”
I swallowed…
Those words resounding inside me as I nodded.
Keep it in the family…
If only she knew.
