Chapter Ten
Rodney pushed past her with more force than necessary.
“Excuse me? What’s wrong with you and who are you talking to like that, Rodney?”
“I go out of town and come back to find some dude’s car in your driveway. Where the fuck is he?”
Brandi gasped in outrage. Rodney had been acting out of character lately, but this was too much. The sheer rage that glistened in his hazel eyes frightened her far beyond finding her house in shambles.
She got mad. Actually, she was livid. Just who did he think he was to barge into her home as though he paid the damn bills?
“Have you lost your mind? How dare you storm in here demanding things and cursing at me? Get out!”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “I will not leave until you tell me where he is.”
No one treated her like this. She smacked him across the face as hard as she could. It only seemed to incense him more and he shook her harder. Before she knew what was happening, a pair of strong hands pried them apart and she was pushed behind Mason’s large frame. His fist rammed into Rodney’s stomach and he doubled over.
“I believe the lady has asked you to leave and I suggest you take her advice or things are going to get really ugly around here.” Mason grabbed Rodney by the collar. He was half a head taller than Rodney, but he lowered his head so that they were nose-to-nose. “Will you leave of your own free will or do I have to toss you out on your ass?”
Rodney sneered. “Take your motherfucking hands off me! Do you know who I am? I can have you arrested for assaulting an officer.” He pushed himself out of Mason’s grasp.
“But you won’t because you had no right to come into my home the way you did, and you assaulted me first.” Brandi came from around Mason to stand by his side. Both men looked as though they were about to murder each other. She turned to Mason. “Mason, I can handle this.”
“I’m not leaving you alone with him, so you can forget it,” Mason said with such determination that she knew it would be useless to argue.
“Fine, but let me handle it,” she snapped before turning back to Rodney. “Get out of my house now, before I call the police.”
Rodney laughed menacingly. “I am the police, Brandi.”
It was as though she didn’t know him at all. “I don’t know what’s come over you, but I’d like you to leave. I wanted to break things to you gently, but after your King Kong act, I’ll just say it. I don’t want to marry you.” She poked his chest with every word to drive home her message. “Furthermore, I don’t ever want to see you again. Stay away from me, and stay away from my children.”
Rodney went very still. His wrathful look changed to disbelief.
“What?” he asked, as though he couldn’t believe her words.
“You heard me loud and clear.” She turned and went to her room. It only took her a moment to retrieve Rodney’s ring. She returned to see Mason staring down Rodney like a cobra ready to strike. She didn’t know if it was because of Mason hovering over him or that she had told him that she didn’t want to marry him, but Rodney looked a little pale. Brandi didn’t care one way or the other; she just wanted him to go away.
“Here is your ring. Please leave and don’t come back.” She practically threw the box at him and pointed to the door.
“It’s because of this motherfucker, isn’t it? You’ve been cheating on me with this white bastard.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Mason take a step forward and held up her hand. The last thing she needed was two alpha males going at it in her home.
“Rodney, I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer. Are you going to leave or do I have to call the police? You might be one of them, but I’m sure your lieutenant wouldn’t take kindly to one of her officers harassing someone.”
Rodney’s face crumpled and he looked as if he were about to cry. He dropped to his knees and threw his arms around her waist.
“Rodney, what the hell are you doing? Get up!” She refused to feel sympathy at the pathetic sight he made.
“Please, Brandi, don’t do this. You’re not thinking straight. Forgive me,” Rodney pleaded.
Her jaw dropped. She caught Mason’s eye; he looked as stunned as she felt when Rodney began to sob. His head rested against her stomach as he cried.
You have got to be kidding me. Can this night get any weirder?
“Mason, would you leave us alone for a moment? Maybe you can start clearing the table.”
“You’re nuts if you think I will leave you alone with this fruitcake.”
She shot him a pleading look, but he stood firm. Despite what just passed and out of deference to her husband’s memory, she wanted to spare Rodney humiliation. Well, there was nothing she could do about that now.
“Get off me, Rodney. You’re making a fool of yourself.” Brandi extracted herself from his arms.
“Brandi, I’m sorry. I was just jealous. I love you so much. It won’t happen again.” He begged as though he were a member of the Temptations. It was so pathetic, her anger faded but she wouldn’t easily forget him barging into her home and manhandling her.
“You’re right. It won’t happen again because it’s over. Please get up, Rodney. I’m sorry to hurt you, but even you should be able to see that what you did was inexcusable. You have meant so much to me and my family these past two years, but it doesn’t give you the right to act this way.”
He stood up and took a step toward her; she retreated.
“Don’t come any closer to her,” Mason warned.
Rodney shot him a baleful glare. “I see how it is. You’ve chosen this guy over me,” he said between clenched teeth.
“No. I just don’t want to be with you.”
“But I love you!”
“And I don’t love you.” It sounded brutal, but he needed to know.
“Is it because of what happened last Friday?” he asked.
“No. I think I’ve always known that I can’t love you the way you want me to.”
“I don’t care. You can learn to love me. Just stop talking nonsense and say you were kidding.” He smiled and held the ring out to her.
Brandi shook her head. Why wasn’t he getting it? “If after two years I’m not in love with you, what makes you think I will ever love you?”
“But you told me you loved me,” Rodney accused.
“And it wasn’t a lie. I’m just not in love with you. I convinced myself that I could fall in love with you, but I can’t. It just isn’t meant to be.”
“Don’t say that!”
“It’s the truth.”
“So you’re dumping me for this…person?”
“That’s none of your business, Rodney. Leave now because this conversation is getting us nowhere.”
Rodney’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. “This conversation isn’t over by a long shot. We’ll talk this over when your boyfriend isn’t here. Know this; no one can love you like I can. No one!” On that note, he stalked out the door and slammed it behind him.
The look she caught in his eyes was chilling. She couldn’t believe that in the nine years she had known him she’d never seen this side of him before.
Brandi knew she had done the right thing. The way he had claimed his love for her in that fevered manner was frightening. Who knew what her life would have been had she not come to her senses.
Shaking, she walked into Mason’s waiting arms. He held her close and soothed her as she got herself under control. Brandi lifted her head to look into his eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked with obvious concern.
“I am now. Thank you. I needed that hug. I’m glad you were here. I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t.” She shuddered to even think about it.
“You were very brave.” He kissed her temple.
“I was shaking on the inside, believe me.”
“You know I would have stepped in for you.”
“I know, and I appreciate it.”
“That encounter was a little…odd.”
“Yes, it does seem surreal doesn’t it? I knew when I broke off the engagement with Rodney that he might not take it well, but I certainly didn’t expect all that. It was my fault.”
He frowned. “Why do you say that?”
“I should never have accepted his proposal. It was selfish of me.”
“Selfish? How?”
Brandi shrugged. “He did so much for me after Damon died that I couldn’t imagine him not being in my life.”
“That’s not what I think. Look at me, Brandi.” He lifted her chin.
She couldn’t keep a straight thought when he looked at her like that.
“I think Rodney knew exactly what he was doing. He took advantage of you when you were most vulnerable and he made himself appear indispensable. From what I saw tonight, it seems to me that you should probably file a restraining order against him. After that little display, there’s no telling what he’s capable of.”
Brandi looked at Mason and felt sad. He had a point. “I never thought he would do anything to hurt me.”
“Can you say the same thing after tonight? How well do you know him?”
“What are you saying?” she asked with confusion.
“It was obvious to me that your friend is a little unbalanced. Tell me something. How many times did he propose to you before you accepted?”
Brandi frowned. “How did you know he proposed more than once?”
“Lucky guess. How many times?”
There was such a serious expression on his face that she gave him the answer without hesitation. “Six.”
“What made you finally agree?”
She paused as once again she tried to remember and couldn’t. She had been drunk and didn’t know what had happened.
“Well?” he challenged.
Just then the power went out. Brandi let out a little yelp. She hated the dark. Mason’s arms wrapped around her trembling body and he kissed her on the top of the head.
“It’s okay. I’m here. Brandi, I don’t think it’s safe here tonight. Come home with me.”
“I…I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. I’m not about to stand in the dark with you arguing about it. Go light a candle and get your overnight bag. Where’s your flashlight?”
“In the kitchen, in the top drawer by the stove.”
“Okay. Stay here. I’m going to get it and check the breaker.”
She nodded. “Hurry back.”
“I will,” he said before grabbing her and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. Her body reacted instantly, but it was over too soon. When Mason left the living room, she remembered the matches in her desk drawer that she could use to light some candles.
The circuit breaker was fine. Everything should have been working, so why was it dark? He knew how conscientious Brandi was about paying her bills. Mason suspected Rodney had done something to the power line from outside.
“Rodney didn’t do anything to the power. I turned the lights out.”
Mason nearly jumped out of his skin. He shined the light on Paul, who was looking more serious than usual.
“Why the hell did you do that? Brandi is scared of the dark.”
“I did it because you were treading on dangerous ground, my friend.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mason, I told you that you are not allowed to tell her what Rodney did.”
“And I didn’t.”
“You were getting pretty close. If she’s going to find out, she’ll have to do so herself. Besides, don’t you think she’s been through enough tonight without letting her know that Rodney slipped her a roofie that night, then put his ring on her finger?”
Mason sighed. His friend had a point. When he was in heaven, he was outraged at how far Rodney would go to get what he wanted, but he had been helpless to do anything. Now that he was back on earth, he felt just as helpless. When Rodney rushed into the house, Mason wanted to do more than punch that bastard in the stomach, but Brandi stopped him.
Seeing Rodney again regenerated the deep hatred he felt for the other man. If it were the last thing he did, the bastard would not get away with everything he had done. There had to be a way.
“I know what you’re thinking. JC wouldn’t smile on your murderous intent.”
“I might as well be back in heaven. I’m nearly as helpless down here as I am up there!”
Paul cocked an eyebrow. “Is that what you really want? It could be arranged.”
“No!”
Paul laughed. “That’s what I thought. It seems you’re making progress with Brandi.”
“I suppose I am. She’s agreed to sleep with me, but that’s it. I want more than that.” Mason pounded his fist into his hand. The frustration was tearing him apart.
“These things take time. You can’t just expect her to fall in love with you all over again in an instant and the two of you get married and live happily ever after. It’s great for the fairy tales, but in real life, things don’t work out that way. At any rate, I think Brandi is starting to look at you in a more favorable light, so hang in there.”
“I feel like I don’t have much time. I need to be with her.”
“Look, at least you’re doing well with fixing up Mason’s life.”
“I’m trying. It’s not really easy. Everyone expects me to be such a bastard all the time that when I do something nice, it’s always viewed as suspect. Mrs. Collins—I mean my mother still won’t look me in the eye. I found her this really nice retirement community. It’s almost like the Ritz Carlton with a twenty-four hour nursing staff. I visit her every day after I leave the dealership, but she still seems mad at me. Also, I finally spoke to Luisa, but she cursed me out. At least I think she did; it was all in Spanish.”
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. These things take time. Now, I think you should probably get out of here. As we speak, our pal Rodney is only two blocks away, fuming,”
“Okay. I need to ask: did he trash the house?”
“What do you think?” Paul asked before disappearing.
Mason hated when his friend did that. He trudged back up the stairs to find Brandi huddled on the couch with a lit candle by her side.
“Mason, you were taking forever down there. Did you find anything wrong?”
“No. It may just be one of those things. I have no doubt that it will come back on. Did you get some things to bring back to my place?”
“Yes. Mason, if I go to your place... I….”
“You can have your own bedroom,” he said. The last thing he wanted her to think was that he was trying to take advantage of her.
“I…I don’t want my own bedroom. I want to be with you.”
She looked at him, the candlelight illuminating her chocolate-brown eyes. Brandi looked so beautiful, so vulnerable. His cock twitched. He wanted to take her up on her offer, but if he made love to her tonight, he would be no better than Rodney.
“Brandi, you need a good night’s rest, then you’ll be able to think about it more clearly in the morning.”
“I know what I want. I was thinking about it while you were in the basement. And I want you, Mason. I want you very badly.”
He was so hard it hurt. “I want you, too, Brandi, but tonight isn’t a good time. We both know it.”
“I know no such thing.” She stood in front of him and cupped her hand over the bulge in his jeans.
Mason shuddered with pleasure. “Brandi….”
“Let’s get out of here.” She stood on tip toes to kiss the pulsing column of his neck. God, he wanted her.
“When we get back to my place, you’re going to have to behave yourself or I won’t be held responsible for what I do to you,” he said through gritted teeth.
She smiled. “That’s what I’m counting on.”
Rodney was parked down the street from Brandi’s house, but he was close enough to see Brandi walk out with that man. What the hell did she see in that white boy? He wanted to slash that motherfucker’s throat for being with Brandi when it should have been him offering her comfort.
It seemed lately that all his plans weren’t turning out the way he anticipated. After visiting the Thornton’s to check on Tina’s progress, it had been unpleasant to see that the brat was showing marked signs of improvement. The way she reacted to him had sealed her fate. He’d thought the little shit would be too traumatized to remember the night of the shootings. He should have killed her when he had the chance.
He could have spent the week working himself back Into Brandi’s good graces. Instead, he needed to take care of business. Torching the Thornton place was something that had to be done. He wished he could have stuck around to make sure none of them got out alive, but when he saw a man jogging down the sidewalk with his dog, he realized he had to get out of there fast. The way he set the fire, he was sure there couldn’t be an escape for any of them. Good riddance to them all, especially little Tina. Poor little Tina. Maybe she was up in heaven reunited with her dear old mom and dad. He laughed.
Jeffrey thought he could get in the way, too. Rodney had been eight when Jeffrey had come along, stealing all of their mother’s love and affection for himself. Until then it had always been him and his mother. There had been the occasional boyfriend, but nothing that Rodney couldn’t handle. It seemed that his mother’s boyfriends always took a dislike to him. It wasn’t his fault that his mother loved him best.
Unfortunately, his mother’s last boyfriend had left her with a souvenir: little Jeffrey. After three months of watching the pudgy little creature eat, sleep, and shit, Rodney smothered him. It felt so good.
How convenient that Jeffrey’s death had been attributed to SIDS. His mother’s love was all his again after the little bastard kicked the bucket. But then, not long after Jeffrey’s death, his mother was killed in an automobile accident. He’d bounced through the system from one foster home after another until he turned eighteen. Some of the homes he had been placed in were living hells, while others weren’t so bad. A couple of his foster moms even treated him affectionately, but Rodney had never loved a woman as strongly as his mother until he met Brandi.
After he had taken care of the Thornton situation, his adrenaline had been pumping; he needed to see his woman, only to find she wasn’t home. To get inside, he used the key he copied a while ago. He’d thought he could collect something else of hers before she returned from wherever it was, she went.
He’d been looking around when he caught sight of a family portrait of Brandi, her children, and Damon. How he hated seeing Damon’s smiling face staring at him, mocking him. Something had taken over him and he’d gotten a little carried away.
When he realized what he had done, he’d thought it best to take a drive to cool off and maybe by the time he returned, Brandi would turn to him for some comfort, like she had in the last two years.
The sheer rage he felt to see that someone was there before him had set him off and he had slipped up again. He knew he had frightened her, but he couldn’t help himself. How could she treat him that way when he loved her so much? If Brandi thought she was done with him by giving his ring back, she was sadly mistaken.
She was his and he had no intention of letting her go. No one would stop him, not her boyfriend and not even Brandi.
He worked too damn hard to win her to just let things fall apart at this late stage. No one else would have her!