Pulse: A Stepbrother Romance (18 page)

“Come on, Leah, smile a little,” I said. “I know the play wasn’t the big success we had hoped for, but you were incredible, and no one could deny that. Surely that’s something.”

She knocked back the rest of her beer and waved the waitress down for another. “That doesn’t even matter, Chris. Do you think a year from now anyone who sees I was in this play will know that I was amazing, if that’s even the case? They weren’t there, they won’t have seen it. They’ll just know how awful it was and the extent to which it crashed and burned. It’ll go down as one of the worst ever, I’m sure of it.”

“Oh, honey.” Tyra sat on Leah’s other side and gave her a big hug. “I know it sucks now, but you’ll grow from this. You know what it’s like to work with bad actors now and have to just take what you can from the experience and move on.”

“I don’t want to think about anything. I can’t believe I have to keep showing up there for the rest of the production run.”

“Hey,” I said and tilted her head up for a kiss. I reveled in the freedom to act on those impulses, no longer worried about what it might mean or who I might offend. “We’re back at Swim and it’s a Thursday night, just like when we first met.” The DJ had just begun his set. “Why don’t we dance to take your mind off it? You’ll feel a lot better if you get your body moving instead of sitting here dwelling on it.”

“I’m not in the mood, Chris,” Leah replied. Even just pointing out the music had made her sit up straighter and take notice. Her body moved subtly in time with the beat as it almost always did when her favorite kind of music played.

“You know what will get you in the mood for dancing?” I asked. She shook her head. “Dancing. Come on, I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Go on, Leah, you deserve some fun. Just forget everything for now,” Tyra said. “I’ll hold down the table.”

She had no choice, which was the whole point. I stood and held out my hand, staring at her until she finally laughed and took it.

“You dick. You don’t care what I want, do you?”

I pulled her tight against me. “I care about what you need, Leah.” The kiss I gave her was harder and deeper than the last one, and I felt her respond against me. “Now let’s go dance.”

The floor was busy, but it wasn’t as packed as the first night we had met. Leah had put on a tight dress that showcased her curves, and it was as though she had a spotlight on her as she moved her body. More than a few guys nearby took notice with appreciative looks, and I stepped forward to mark my territory.

Leah wrapped her hands around my back as we danced close. Her hips rocked under my palms and I followed her body’s lead.

As time went on, Leah’s movements became more fluid. The music flooded through us as it always seemed to. It was the soundtrack of our romance, the thing that had brought us together and drove us to new heights with one another.

Time didn’t matter—all I cared about was the firecracker in my arms and the smile on her face as she let go and enjoyed herself.

She put her mouth to my ear. “Do you want to go back to your place?” She bit her lip when she looked at me.

My body’s response was immediate and urgent. How could it not be when those green eyes bore into me like that, wanting and demanding more?

I nodded and let her lead me back to our table.

Tyra was still there, but no longer alone. She made out with a tall, well-dressed man, the two enraptured by each other.

Leah smacked her friend’s ass to get her attention. “Chris and I are heading out!”

Tyra barely looked as she gave a thumbs up and went back to her make out partner.

Leah and I shared a grin. Some things would never change.

The air was cool and refreshing after the intense dancing amidst the crowds inside.

“Remember the first night we met?” Leah asked. “I couldn’t believe I was leaving with you. You know, once we got out of there and I could barely hear the music, I was about to tell you it was a mistake and just go home by myself.”

“Really?” I asked. “What changed your mind?”

She laughed. The sound drifted among the typical city soundscape. “You did. When you shoved me against the wall and kissed me so I couldn’t refuse.”

We’d already walked past the wall I’d used the last time, but I knew an invitation when I heard one. I pulled her around the corner just inside the entrance to the closest alley and pushed her back against the brick.

She ran her hands up my back as I kissed her.

“Well, well, what do we have here?”

I jumped at the voice. It sounded familiar. I pulled away from Leah, her eyes confused and looking past me.

When I turned, a fist caught me in the gut and a shove sent me tumbling over a metal chair. I couldn’t speak, could barely think as hot waves of agony coursed through me. There was no time to recover as someone kicked me, crashing into my chest and rolling me onto my back.

Leah screamed, the sound penetrating the fog that swept over my mind. “What are you doing to him? Stop!”

There were at least three attackers taking turns kicking, bruising every part of my body. All I could do was bring my arms up to protect my head, but that left the rest of me exposed for the beating.

Leah continued to shout and scream until her voice cut off.

“Shut the fuck up!” I placed the voice. Derek. “We’re just giving him what he deserves. And a pretty little thing like you, I’ll give you what you deserve, too.”

That motherfucker!

The legs stopped kicking me, and I fought to see as I coughed and tasted blood. Derek was wearing a mask, but I knew it was him. He had an arm around Leah’s mouth and head, muffling her and holding her against him as his other hand tore at her dress.

“Help me out here, guys,” he said, and the two who had been beating me ran over to grab Leah’s limbs and hold her. She struggled as hard as she could, but there wasn’t much she could do against three men who were bigger and stronger than her.

The panic in her wide open eyes was devastating as she looked at me lying on the ground.

Leah!

My breath was a faint hiss as I drew air in through my teeth, my jaw clenched against the pain that rocked my body. It took all the effort I could summon to push my arm against the ground and get my elbow underneath me.

She needed me. I couldn’t let her down. I gritted my teeth so hard they were on the verge of exploding and struggled to get to my feet.

With the help of his friends, Derek pulled Leah’s dress up to her stomach despite her efforts to resist.

I didn’t bother warning the men to get away from her—they didn’t deserve it. I grabbed the chair they’d shoved me over earlier. It was a sturdy thing, thick metal frame and wooden seat and back. Lots of mass.

The closest one held Leah’s right side until the chair collided with his skull so hard that he dropped like a stone.

Suddenly with a free arm and leg and her captors surprised by the felling of their comrade, Leah kicked herself free and backed away, behind me.

I continued my assault before I lost the advantage of surprise, swinging hard and narrowly missing Derek’s face.

It was a standoff. I couldn’t lunge after one of them without opening myself up to an attack from the other. The chair was too unwieldy to be effective against two of them. Neither one of them wanted to be the first to go against the massive weapon I held.

The real question was if Derek had brought his gun and whether he was willing to use it.

“Let’s get out of here,” Derek said.

“What about Tim?” I thought I recognized the voice, but didn’t have enough to place it.

“Fuck it, I’m not dragging his limp ass all the way back. Let’s go.”

They backed down the alley to the street, where they turned and ran.

I reached down to yank the mask off the man I’d hit. Blood gushed down his face from a serious looking gash in his temple. I still recognized the face—Tim, the man in the crew who’d always hated me. Derek would have had no problem recruiting him on a mission to try to destroy me.

“Yes, they ran away,” Leah said. She spoke into her cell phone. “We knocked one of them out, he looks pretty hurt. Please come quickly.”

“9-1-1?” I asked. She nodded, and I fought the impulse to run away from the scene before the police could show up. I wasn’t that kind of person any longer. “Are you okay?”

I went to embrace her, but she pulled away and put her hand on my chest to hold me back.

“Did you know these men?” she asked. Her eyes were hurt and her hand trembled where it lay on my chest.

“I did. This one’s Tim, and the one who grabbed you was Derek. I know the other one, too, but I’m not sure exactly who it was.” I took her face in my hands. “They aren’t going to get away with it, Leah. I will kill them for this.”

“How are you feeling this morning?”

The nurse was bright and cheerful. It was unnatural that someone could be so happy when the world was full of awful people.

“I’m fine,” I said, irritated. “I still don’t think I should have needed to stay here overnight.”

“The doctors wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything wrong suppressed by the adrenaline and emotions of last night. It’s standard, in these cases.”

These cases.

Attempted rape and maybe worse. That was what happened to me last night. I’d been attacked, and not by just anyone—by Chris’ old friends.

I shivered. There was so much about Chris and his past I knew nothing about. The first impression I’d gotten of him was that he was dangerous to know and be around, and that had proven truer than I’d ever imagined. The look in his eyes when he said he was going to kill them—that left a deep chill inside of me, and it had more to do with Chris than I wanted to admit even to myself.

Even if he made me feel more alive than anyone else, what good was that if I ended up dead?

“Do you have a newspaper?” I asked. “I’d like to check something.”

“Let me grab you one,” she said. “Although if you’re looking for a news report about your attack last night, it’s far too early for that.”

I shook my head. “No, not that.”

The Entertainment section was behind the front page news, the Sports and the Business sections.

Nothing on the front page.

Wait…

At the top of the page there was a little teaser image.
Worst play of the year? See page D3 for a review of
Courtly Intrigue.

Lump in my throat, I thumbed over one more page.

“Half a star?” It didn’t seem possible. I’d never seen a review that low.

From uncertain acting to uninspired sets and laborious pacing,
Courtly Intrigue
has few redeeming qualities. At times feeling like a first stage rehearsal, the company’s decision not to have any preview showings before opening night backfired tremendously. While glimmers of a clever script showed themselves at times, most of the interminably long three hours was spent with the audience in confused silence.

It went on and on. I couldn’t read any more.

Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes and threatened to spill over.

What a terrible fucking night.

I couldn’t hold them any longer. Hot trails burned down my cheeks as the tears rolled down and dropped to the paper below.

My life had gone to shit. The play was even worse than a failure. If it had just been mediocre then I could have moved past it. This was something else entirely. It was an indelible mark against me I would carry for the rest of my career.

If I ever have one after this.

“Miss Allen?” A man in a white coat poked his head into the room. “I’d like to do another checkup. Are you feeling all right?”

I grabbed a tissue from the handy box on the bedside table and used it to wipe away the worst of the damage.

“As good as I can. Might as well get this over with. I want to go home.”

He nodded, sympathy on his face. “I understand that events like this can be very traumatic, Miss Allen. We have counselors available if you need one. Accessing the resources is encouraged. Just let me know and I will get help for you.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. It’s not like I actually got raped, and there’s something else that I found out that’s not helping the situation.”

“Rape is not necessarily only the physical penetration by an attacker,” he said. “You were victimized as a woman by men with a strong intention of using your body. Don’t bury your feelings or try to brush them off as insignificant; that can lead to more problems later.”

“I’m fine,” I said again. I even mustered a shaky smile. “Can we just get this over with?”

“Very well.”

The examination was quick and relatively painless, except for the prodding where bruising had developed to check for broken or fractured bones.

“That’s everything, Miss Allen. I understand we have your insurance information and you’ve already given your statement to the police, so you can leave whenever you feel able. Let the staff at the desk know if you need to call someone and they will aid you.”

I gave the doctor my thanks and excused myself. I wandered out of the wing.

“Leah! There you are. I’ve been waiting for you for hours.” Chris stood from a waiting room seat and stretched.

At least, he tried to. His arm was in a sling, and his shirt fit bulkier than usual—evidence of the bandages underneath.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” I said, walking by him.

He fell into step beside me. “Why not?”

I stopped and rounded on him. “Why not? My life has gone to shit, Chris. Before I met you, I was confident, successful, just a regular student at college. Now my school work has slipped, the play is a failure, and friends of yours almost raped me. If you’re going after them like you say you are—if you’re going to throw away everything we’ve built for revenge—then I can’t be around you any more.”

Chris stared at me like I’d grown a second head. “I can’t let them get away with this. And the cops aren’t gonna do shit. You know it. I know it. That’s just the way things are. If I let this go, they’ll come after you again. Hell, as long as Derek’s still alive…”

He paused. Then his voice dropped to a low, dangerous level. “I have to end this. For you. For
us.
”

I shook my head in disgust. “So what? You’ll kill them? Like you put that one guy into a coma and probably gave him brain damage?” I took a step back. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. I can’t be a part of that life. I can’t have that influence around me. I need to get my life back on track. And if you value what we have, then you’ll let this go and move on—with me.”

Chris stepped close to me again. His voice was low, urgent. “Leah. I need you. You make me so much better. I’ve changed because of you. But I need you to trust that when it comes to these guys, I know what’s best. Don’t give up on me now.”

I couldn’t let him get any closer. I couldn’t think straight when his body was next to mine, when he looked at me like that.

“No, Chris. Don’t call me and don’t talk to my friends. I don’t want a criminal—a
murderer
—around.”

I turned down the hallway and fled, not looking back.