Chapter Four
Bray
DRIVING REILLY’S car to Zac’s apartment is anything but a hardship. This car is a fucking dream. How the hell did Reilly end up with this? I know she’s not long out of university, she’s had one other job before Zac hired her, and that only just happened today.
The thought crosses my mind that a boyfriend or something bought it for her.
That thought has me gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary.
I don’t see Reilly as the type to take a gift like this from a bloke though.
Maybe she’s a trust fund baby—who the fuck knows?
I’m damn sure going to find out everything there is to know about the fiery temptress.
I couldn’t be prouder that he’s my brother; there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. Knowing him, he would be silently losing his shit over something happening to Alyssa. I don’t even know what the fuck happened yet and I’m stressed.
The living area is empty, so I make my way into the kitchen. Stopping at the doorway, I stay out of view, watching Reilly talking to Ella.
Taking Ella’s hands in her own, she whispers, “Hunny, if you need help, I can help you. I promise. Who did this to you? Was it Zac? Bray?”
Her questions make me see red, as if Zac or I would ever lay a hand on a woman.
Anyone that knows us knows there is nothing we wouldn’t do for Ella.
The guy who’s currently worm food out in the Wollombi Forest would testify to that.
If he was actually still breathing and could talk.
It’s that same guy who left those bruises on my sister’s face.
Just thinking about her being attacked like that makes me want to bring the asshole back to life just so I can watch the life drain from him again.
“I don’t care how big or scary they are; I will hurt whoever did this to you. This is not okay. You do not have to be treated like this! I’m taking you home with me; you don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Reilly continues to ramble. She’s really getting herself worked up, which I find both amusing and something else I can’t put my finger on.
The fact that she’s concerned over the welfare of my little sister and that she’s willing to help her without a thought of herself is endearing, to say the least.
The look on Ella’s face is fucking priceless. I can tell she doesn’t know what to do. Scrunching her eyebrows up, she tries to convince Reilly that she’s okay.
“Wait, you think that Zac or Bray would do this to me?
You know they’re my brothers, don’t you?”
“I don’t care who they are; if they’re responsible for this, I will have their balls in little glass jars sitting on my mantlepiece.” Reilly says this so convincingly I actually believe she would attempt to cut my balls off.
Junior and I are both pretty well attached to said balls, and will not be parting with them anytime soon, ever if I can help it.
Ella looks mortified, so unsure how to handle the fiery siren standing before her. I know one way I’d like to handle her; unfortunately, it’s not a viable option in front of my sister. I’m about to make myself known and put Ella out of her misery when she finally speaks up.
“Okay, you obviously don’t know my brothers at all if you think they are capable of doing this to me. I was attacked at The Merge. You can ask Lyssa. She’s the one who bandaged me up afterwards.” Ella’s face is blank, like she’s telling a story that she is totally detached from.
Not being able to handle seeing her this way, I walk into the kitchen. Not so quietly. Stomping my feet along the wooden floor, I make my way over to Ella and Reilly, stepping between the two so that my back is facing Reilly.
“There you are, sweetheart. I’ve been looking all over this damn castle for you,” I say as I wrap Ella in my arms, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead. She immediately wraps her arms around my waist, settling her head on my chest.
I spin around with Ella still in my arms, my eyes landing on a shock-faced Reilly; although she’s quick to recover and replace that shock with a scowl directed straight at me.
Raising an eyebrow at her in question, she responds by stomping out of the kitchen.
My eyes are immediately drawn to that perfect fucking heart-shaped ass of hers currently hugged by that tight skirt she’s wearing.
I thought Reilly was fucking gorgeous in that skimpy club dress I tore off her last night. But that dress has nothing on work Reilly in her sexy librarian getup. Mmm, I wonder if I can get her to wear a pair of glasses with that outfit, while I bend her over a desk.
Stepping back from Ella, I clear my head of thoughts of Reilly as I inspect the bruising on my little sister’s face. I can’t help the rage that comes over me when I see her like this.
Ella shakes out of my hold. “I’m fine, Bray. It doesn’t even hurt that much anymore.”
“You’re my baby sister. You know I’m always going to worry about you.”
Sighing as she begins to clean the already clean bench, Ella looks up at me.
“I know and I appreciate that, but you really should worry about yourself. Now that Zac’s practically married off to Alyssa, I think it’s about time you look for someone stupid enough to put up with you, and lock that down.
You don’t want to be the eternal bachelor, do you? ”
My eyes bug out of my head. Where the fuck is this coming from? Fucking Zac finding his one, that’s where; and now it’s given Ella ideas that I need the one too. Right on cue, an image of Reilly pops into my head.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about my love life, sis.
Trust me, it’s not lacking—that’s for sure.
But what about you? Any boys stupid enough to be hanging around?
” I ask, knowing full well there is definitely something odd happening between her and Dean.
I’m not sure what, and I trust Dean with her life, but there’s an intensity I’ve seen from him towards Ella lately.
I’m not sure if he wouldn’t be stupid enough to try to go there with her.
“First, gross. I do not need to know who and how many are warming your bed at night. Second, don’t be stupid. You know I’d never tell you if there was a boy I fancied. It’s way more fun sneaking around anyway.” Ella smirks as she’s about to walk out of the kitchen.
“Well, you might want to improve on your sneaking game, sis. It won’t be long until Zac notices whatever the fuck is going on with you and Dean.”
I watch as her back straightens and she misses a step. She’s about to say something when Reilly walks back into the kitchen staring at her phone.
“Miss me already, babe?” I question her.
“Not in this lifetime,” she replies as she turns to Ella, who is currently bobbing her head between the two of us.
I see the moment the lightbulb goes off in her head, and a huge-ass grin spreads across her face. “This is gonna be soooooo good,” Ella says excitedly.
“No idea what’s going to be good, but Zac asked me to get Lyssa some food. Correction, Zac ordered me to get Lyssa some food,” Reilly tells Ella.
Just then the phone she is still clutching starts beeping in her hand. “Shit, the girls are here. I need to run down and let them in.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll get Lyssa a plate of food; you go let them in. You’ll have to take a lift card with you to get back up.”
I’m watching the dynamic between Ella and Reilly and am in awe how quickly Ella is taking to her. Not that there’s much to not like. I mean, damn, just looking at her and I have to adjust junior to give him more room for the growing he’s doing right now.
“Wait, you said girls? I’ll go let them up for you,” I offer, giving her my best smirk.
Reilly looks me up and down, and I can see the fury in those green eyes of hers that she’s trying so damn hard to hide. “Not a damn chance, pretty boy,” she exclaims as she storms out.
Ella laughs. “Way to get shut down, bro. I think I like her.”
“What’s not to like?” I ask. Not waiting for a response, I make my way into Zac’s office; that’s where he hides the good liquor.
After I’ve slammed back two shots of whisky, I start making my way back out to the living room in search of Dean, only to stop in my tracks at the sound of voices—Reilly’s not so quiet whisper to her friends to shut it.
I know I probably shouldn’t, but I can’t help but stop and eavesdrop on the conversation between Reilly and her friends. That is until I hear one of her friends announce, “If you don’t want to ride that pierced cucumber again, I’ll take it for a spin.”
Reilly responds with, “Go for it, see if I care.”
That’s when I decide to make myself known. “See if you care about what, pumpkin?” I ask, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
An arm which she’s very quick to shrug off. Ignoring her shrug, I turn my full-watt smile onto her sister and her friend.
“Ladies, it’s good to see you again.”
“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. I’m Sarah, in case you forgot,” Sarah says as she takes a step closer to me.
I look across to Reilly, raising my eyebrows in question. Is her friend seriously trying to hit on me right now? Reilly’s oblivious to my question though, currently staring daggers at Sarah. Well, that’s an interesting turn of events.
Thinking I could play on her sudden green-eyed monster, I turn and give Sarah the full look over, up and down, then back up and down again. You would have to be blind to say she’s not hot as fuck. My mind is telling me she’s a ten; however, junior is not budging, not even slightly.
Huh, well, there goes that idea. Either Reilly broke
junior last night or he just really knows what he wants right now. And I have a feeling what he wants is the fiery redhead standing next to me.
Leaning down into her ear and ensuring her friends can hear, I say, “You can put the claws away, pumpkin. It seems junior has his sights set exclusively on you.”
Reilly’s mouth gapes open and closed for a few seconds before she straightens her shoulders and replies, “Junior is going to be feeling very lonely if he doesn’t find a friend to play with, because I most certainly will not be reacquainting myself with him.”
“Sure, we’ll have to agree to disagree with that, babe,” I say as I walk away, continuing my search to find where the fuck Dean’s hiding out.