Chapter 18
2157words
It was still early hours, but the party was already in full swing. The music was loud, playing a mix from all genres, the bass pulsing through the floor. People littered every room, including outside, despite the cold. People were dancing, chatting, swimming, hooking up, breaking up and playing on the Xbox, playing pool, beer pong. You name it. The alcohol was flowing, some guys dealing weed, coke and pills. Whatever you needed to keep the party going.
I was standing with a group of my friends. A bird under my arm, making out. When suddenly, Asher's voice snapped my attention back to the party.
“Fuck!” He swore, drawing out the words. I turned to look at him. His hands were in his pockets, his eyes wide and jaw on the floor. I broke away from the chick, letting her wander off as I following Asher's gaze. My jaw fell open too.
Across the room, just entering the house, stood my dream girl. Fuck my life. My eyes scanned up her body from her long sexy legs all the way up her curvy body. Her dress only enhancing her killer features. Her hips curving out, then into a tiny waist, followed by the curve of her breasts, full and perky. Fuck, a man could get lost for hours looking at them. I managed to drag my eyes up. I Needed to find out who this girl was. Then my eyes locked on her face, and like Asher, I swore.
“Fuck me!” I growl. I had not expected to see Scarlett, and I felt insistently protective of her body. She was revealing too much skin. She looked sinfully sexy. I could see the other men looking, stripping her naked with their eyes. To say I was pissed would have been a colossal understatement. I when from zero to a million in under a second. I didn't want another man looking at her, touching her, being with her. She belonged to me and me alone.
I snapped back to reality and stormed over to Adam, who was getting hot and heavy with his woman.
“What the fuck is your sister doing here?” I fume. They broke the kiss, and Adam looked at me with glazed eyes.
“I invited her” He shrugged, turning back to Alisa.
“Why would you do that?” I demand. He turned back to me and frowned—Alisa pulling at his hair.
“Because she has been working hard to look after your sister. She needed a break,” Adam shrugged.
“What dressed like that?” I growl, pointing in her general direction. Adam looked up to see Scarlett stood awkwardly alone. Her body a fucking homing beacon for every single horny arsehole at this party. Adam's jaw clenched, his eyes turning hard.
“What the fuck is she wearing” He scowled, his anger matching my own for a very different reason. “It's a fucking table napkin!”
“Wow, she looks hot!” Alisa beams.
“Shut the fuck up!” Both me and Adam snap at her, only causing her smirk, her eyes darting to me. A knowing look in her eyes. I was fucked.
“Incoming!” Asher calls our way; I hadn't even realised he had followed me. We all looked back over to Scarlett. Sure enough. A guy was approaching her that I didn't recognise. He had short with spiky brown hair and wore a button-down tartan shirt and jeans. Two red cups in hand.
My hands turned to fists, and before I could stop myself, I was moving, pushing past people. My eyes never leaving her. The guy introduces himself, and they start talking, leaning close to be heard over the music, a speaker situated beside them. He handed Scarlett a cup saying something in her ear that made her laughs—my anger skyrocketing.
Finally, I'm there. I reach out and grab Scarlett's wrist. Pulling her protectively behind me. My eyes blazing as I look at the guy.
“Walk away!” I order, giving him a death glare. The guy holds his hands up and mutterers an apology before backing away. I turn on my heels to face Scarlett again. Her wrist still gripped in my hand. My hard black eyes boring into her confused green once.
“What was that all about?” She asks, stepping into me to shout in my ear. Her bare arm, brushing mine. Her scent filling my nose. Fuck.
“That guy was trying to sleep with you,” I remarked, taking the cup from her hands and sniffed it. Yep drugged. I throw the cup away. Not caring as it splashes people nearby. “He also spiked your drink,” I growl, then look her over again. “What the fuck are you wearing?”
“Do you like it?” She asks me, pulling back enough to give me a twirl. My hand was still firmly wrapped around her wrist. I couldn't help it. I looked. My eyes sweeping over her back, her bum, her legs, her breasts. She looked like sex. Like a goddam birthday cake. And I wanted my cake and to eat it too. She turned back, a smile bright on her face. Quickly my eyes flick up to meet hers. Her sweet green eyes hopeful.
“I'd like it more if there weren't so many horny guys looking at you right now. I mean fuck Scarlett,” I groan. This only seemed to delight her more. I shake my head and look back toward my friends.
Adam was starring between us without blinking. His gaze ablaze. Shit.
“Come on,” I mutter. Pulling her with me across the room toward her brother. Slowly, so she didn't fucking trip in those shoes.
“Oh my god! Scarlett wow! Just wow!” Alisa squeals as soon as we are within earshot. Alisa jumps up and down before running and hugging her. I let my hand finally drop from Scarlett's wrist. Stepping away to avoid being hit. I turn, and Adam is suddenly in my face.
“Dude, what the fuck!” He shouts.
“What?”
“Is something going on between you and my sister” He accuses; he was angry as hell. Shit, did Alisa say something? I was forced to keep my face blank and settle for annoyed instead. I couldn't tell him the truth, that something had happened between his little sister and me.
“Why the fuck would you ask me that?” I defect, my tone angry.
“I don't know, Loki. You tell me.” He snaps, “Maybe it's the way you were fucking looking at her. Or how you ran across the room like her fucking boyfriend. So answer the goddam question.”
“Adam!” Scarlett interjects, pulling at her brother’s arm, “Leave Loki alone! He was only protecting me from that guy. He tried to drug me!” Adam gaze never left mine.
“I'll deal with you in a minute”, he snarls at her, shrugging her off. I couldn't help myself. I snapped.
“Man, don't talk to her like that.”
“Why the fuck do you care? She's my fucking sister Loki! If you have touched her. I swear to god,” He threatens, standing nose to nose with me. Spit flying from his mouth while he talking, yet, I didn't flinch.
“I haven't fucking touched her!” I lied, the first time I had ever lied to him. Believe it or not, I hated lies. I preferred to own up to my shit like a man. But this... I couldn't do that. Not to him. Not to Scarlett. Not to my little sister. They were family. Sometimes you got to do shit you don't like to protect them. “She's family. She's your fucking sister, man. I wouldn't do that to you. You’re my brother. You’re my fucking brother. I protect her. I will always protect her.”
“You better not be lying to me right now. If I find out your lying, you and I are done. You understand that?! Done. My sister is off-limits. Especially to you,” He barks, his eyes crazy. I let him square up to me, let him threaten me. I kept my mind blank. Focused on Adam. On my best friend. What I wanted didn't matter right now. I could have knocked him out in one single punch. I wanted to. God, I wanted to. But I didn't. Because God knows I deserved it. I was a fucking monster. And when he found out... because he would. Our friendship would be over. I didn't know if I would survive that.
“Adam, he's not lying!” Scarlett assured him, “He wouldn't do that,” I didn't know why she was defending me. I didn't deserve her loyalty. Not for the things I wanted to do to her. For the ways, I had already fucked up. But despite everything she did. Maybe she was doing it for Adam or for Storm. She probably felt as guilty as I did right now. That was on me. I was the one to change things.
Finally, Adam nodded to me, backing up. He believed me.
I took a breath; I didn't even know I had been holding. My eyes darting to Scarlett. Her gaze was still on Adam; she looked concerned. Guilty. I turned back to Adam. But he was already walking away. Alisa propped under his arm. A bottle of Whisky in hand. A crowd I hadn't realised was gathered around us. They started to disperse, disappointed. They had expected a fight.
“I'm so glad that was you and not me, bro,” Asher exhaled, appearing beside me, patting me on the back. “I would of fucking pissed myself,” He laughed. I turn to him.
“How come he never squared up to you?” I ask. Asher had never been discreet about his crush on Scarlett, yet they had never had a stand-off.
“I don’t know....maybe because Scarlett never seemed interested in me,” Asher shrugged. His eyes darting to where Scarlett was helping herself to a bottle of prosecco. Downed a cup before pouring herself another. Fuck sake. She better not get smashed. Adam had fucked off. Meaning it was up to me to watch her. Great.
“What are you talking about? I have seen the two of you together,” I question. My eyes still on Scarlett. She pulled out her phone and started texting. Who the fuck was she texting? Because it wasn't me. Asher chuckles.
“She's only ever had eyes for you, bro,” Asher reports, grinning from ear to ear. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were sweet on her too.”
“Bullshit!” I dismiss, shaking my head.
“Whatever lets you sleep at night,” He teases. I shake him off and make my way over to Scarlett. Asher making himself scares. She was still texting. I lean lazily on the counter beside her, helping myself to a fresh Corona. My eyes fixed on her. Scarlett peers up from her phone, catching my eye.
“What?” she asks, sounding board. Going back to texting. I clench my jaw. Then plucked the phone from her hands. “Hey!” She protests. Trying to take it from my grasp. I lift the phone above my head. She jumps, trying to reach for it. But no luck, even in heels, she was a fair bit shorter than me.
“Who are you texting?” I question.
“None of your business”, She snaps. Trying to reach for the phone. Her curvy body pressing ageist me as she tries and fails to reach for it again. I grin. She wasn't getting the phone back. I reframed from grabbing her hips. Though I really wanted to.
“Tell me”, I press. Scarlett huffs, stepping back and folding her arms over her chest. My eyes instinctively going to her breasts. Fuck me.
“My eyes are up here, arsehole”, She hisses—Awh shit. I'd just been caught. My eyes snap to hers, a half-smile tugging at my lips.
“I won't be tempted to look if you wore proper clothes. Every guy in this dam building is gawking at you,” I growl. My eyes falling over her body to infuse the point I was making.
“Oh really?” She asked innocently, turning around to look behind her at the rest of the room. Her skirt fluttering as she does. I wanted to see what was underneath. When she turned back, a wicked smile graced her lips. Err...This was torture.
“Does it bother you?” She questioned.
“No”, I lied. of course, it fucking bothered me. I considered tearing out the eyes of any man who glanced in Scarlett direction for too long, or in a way; I didn't like. I didn't want anybody looking at her. I wanted to claim every inch of her. But I couldn't tell her that. I couldn't let her know she was getting to me.
She leaned forward, her chest pushed out and smiled.
“I don't believe you”, She breathed, then before I knew what she was doing. She plucked the phone from my hands. Shit, I had forgotten I had it. Before I could steal it back, she turned on her heels grabbing her cup and walked away.
