Landon's Obsession: An Endless Series: Book 3 (Series 3) (28 page)

     “Did you touch her, asshole?” Seth asked in a hard tone,
and then turned to Nadia. “Nadia, did they touch you?”       

     “
Nyet
, but zay were bent ofer watching me and
saying some horrible zings.” Nadia’s accent was even more pronounced, probably
from being overwrought.

     I could imagine some of the things that had come out of
my brother’s mouth. No wonder she’d attacked them. Any other girl would have
screamed the house down in terror finding two guys looming over her in the dark
talking dirty.
Stupid Motherfuckers
!

     Nadia account had Seth’s expression turning even more
furious and he tried taking another step in their direction, but Nadia
continued to hold him. “What were they saying?”

     Kris threw a look of dread in my direction that confused
me. That expression should have been for Seth, not me. I was highly annoyed and
angry, but I wasn’t out for murder like he was.

     “We were just saying some random drunken shit. We
weren’t going to do anything. Really!” He vowed with a beseeching look at
Nadia.           

     Nadia gave him a disgusted glare. “I need to check on
Issy. Hopefully she hasn’t been traumatized by this whole thing.” She shuffled
toward the door the blanket trailing with her. I watched the apprehension in
Kris’s eyes leave with her. Why did he seem more frightened of her than what
Seth could do to him? Between the two I would have chosen her. Well. Maybe
not…she was really good with her fist and that knife.   

    
Damn
! I’d forgotten that Nadia’s little sister
had been in here. No wonder she’d attacked with such ferocity. The way the
little girl had been clutching at her brother when we had run past flashed in
my head, and remorse suffused me that she been frightened by my brothers shit.

     “Nadia, I’m really sorry about this. My brother’s a bit
of an ass.” I offered in apology.   

     There was a sad shine of sympathy in her eyes when she
looked at me which I thought was kind of misplaced. “It’s okay, Landon. I don’t
blame you. I know all about
mu’dak
relatives.” She strode out of the
room.

     I rounded on Kris with renewed fury, and didn’t miss
the tension and anger riding Seth as he stared down at my brother. “Kris, you
are a fucking moron. You’re lucky Seth here has control over himself or you’d
be a red smear on the carpet. That was his girl you ogled while sleeping.” I
would have gladly let Seth have a go at him, but I knew it wouldn’t really help
the situation, and there was a child down the hall still. I pulled Kris up by
his collar pushing him toward the door. “You guys can go take a cab to a
hotel.”

     “What the fuck, Landon. It’s fucking three o’clock in
the morning. This is my house too, and there has to be some rooms available.”
Kris whined.

     I gave him another push. “There’s one, but it’s across
the hall from Nadia and I don’t think she would be comfortable with you there.”

     “What-the-fuck-ever.” He grumbled. “We’ll just drive to
a hotel.”           

     Have these two asshat’s been driving around like this?
I grabbed his arm. “Kris, you’re drunk. I’m not letting you drive. You’re
taking a cab.” I shoved him forward again.

     “I’ll call a cab.” Seth spoke up.

     My lip curled humorlessly Seth’s adamant tone. I didn’t
blame him for wanting my brother gone.

     “I’ll pay the fair.” Blake offered grimly.

     “Can I toss them in?” Evan asked with menacing delight.

     Everyone was out for blood tonight it seemed.

     “Fuck you, this is my house.” Kris griped stumbling
down the stairs.

     I stopped and turned toward Seth. “Go tell Nadia that
she and Issy can go back to sleep without having to worry about my
brother
being in the house any longer.” Disgust laced my voice at having to claim Kris
as my brother. The asses fucked-up-ness just kept getting worse.     

     Seth thanked me and dashed back up the stairs while
Evan, Blake and I waited outside on the front steps for the cab to show up for
my brother and his friend. We were all silent but hostility and rage were like
two uncontrollable forces warring inside me. For four years I’d barely been
able to look at my brother because every time I did all I saw was him and Maya,
naked on that bed. I’d kept that night bottled up inside me, not wanting anyone
to know how much it had affected me, but after seeing her again I couldn’t stay
silent any longer.

     “Hey Kris, you wouldn’t believe who I ran into a week
ago.” I drawled coldly.

     He was sitting on his ass on the step, slumped over his
bent knees, but glanced up at my voice. “What?” He asked incomprehensively, the
alcohol coming back into effect.

     I leaned my shoulder against the front porch column
casually feeling anything but casual. “I ran into Maya last week. Do you
remember her?”

     Kris’s face went white and he stumbled to his feet,
eyes wide in alarm. “M…Maya?” He stuttered out.        

     My eyes narrowed at his reaction. I’d always assumed he
knew why I couldn’t stand being around him, but he was acting like he was afraid
I’d just found out about him and Maya. 

     “Wh…what did she say?” He asked, fear evident in his
voice.

     My eyes narrowed further. “What do you think she said?”
I prevaricated harshly.

     Something wasn’t right here. Kris had to know why I
couldn’t stand to be in the same room as him for all these years. Just as I’d
been cold toward him right afterwards, he’d immediately began avoiding me, but
he was behaving as though the secret was just coming to light.

     He shook his head. “I don’t know…I only met the girl
that one time and barely remember her because of how drunk I was.”

     “When I said her name you knew immediately who I was
talking about though.” I sneered. I noted vaguely that everyone else was
watching us with interest.

     He shrugged and stumbled back a step. “She’s the only
girl that you’ve ever shown interest in for more that one night, that kind of
stuck in my mind.”

     I followed him. “Is that why you did it?” I growled
menacingly. “Had to see if you could take what was mine?”

     His bloodshot eyes skittered away from mine. “I…What
are you talking about?”

     His attempt at bewilderment enraged me. “You know what
I mean.” I roared surging toward him. Evan and Blake got in my way at the same
time the cab pulled into the driveway. Kris rushed toward it and I shoved Blake
and Evan out of the way, but Kris was quicker than expected for being wasted.
He got in and shut the door, locking it.

     The little fucker thought he could lock the door on me.
I banged on the window shaking the glass. “Don’t think we’re done here asshole.
I’ve waited long enough to find answers to why you’re such a cocksucking, son
of a bitch.” I yelled.

     The cabbie climbed out and yelled at me. “Don’t be
punching my cab or I’m calling the cops.”

     Blake and Evan tugged me back.

     “No harm done. Go ahead and get him out of here.” Blake
apologized.

     “Landon, let the asshole go for now. I don’t know
what’s going on, but he’s your brother; it’s not like you don’t know where to
find him. Some place where you won’t get arrested for property damage.” Evan
reasoned.

     The other guy had jumped in the cab as Blake and Evan
held me and in the next instant the cab was driving away, but I maintained my
glare with Kris through the window until it was out of sight.

     Blake and Evan released me and I spun on them breathing
heavily. “You guys shouldn’t have interfered.” I roared. Fours years of rage
was surging through me and I needed to release it on someone.

     They stared at me in concern. “We didn’t want you
getting arrested; the cabbie was already looking at us strangely, us being out
here in our boxers.” Evan stated with a wary grin.

     I wasn’t in the mood to listen to reason. After four
years of stewing in anger, and a run in with Maya who exhibited emotions that
didn’t make sense, I needed answers. I could have drove after him but I still
had a fair enough amount of alcohol in my system that if I was pulled over I’d
blow over the limit, and I had no idea where they were going so I couldn’t call
a cab and follow, so I was forced to wait.

     “Fuck it!” I roared and stomped away.

     I marched up to my room slamming the door behind me,
and paced. I hated thinking about that day I’d discovered Maya and Kris
together. I didn’t like thinking about the pain that had twisted my stomach
until I’d felt nearly sick, or the clenching around my heart that had made it
feel like someone was crushing it in their hand. When that image came to my
mind I focused on the fury that had built to a raging inferno in me.

     But what if it wasn’t as cut-and-dried as it thought?
Maybe Maya had drank too much and slept with Kris under the influence of too
much alcohol? I still wouldn’t be able to forgive her, but it meant that she
hadn’t been as cold-blooded and greedy as I’d been thinking.

     As this new possibility entered my mind my inflexible
position wavered and uncertainty filled me. If she had done something stupid
while drunk, and not in her right mind, could I forgive her? I’d made that vow
to erase her from my mind, but that had been a joke. She’d just been shoved way
back, and then had hovered there irritating me with flashes of how happy I’d
been for that short period of time.    

     Fuck, what was I thinking? It had been four years, and
she appeared to have some new guy in her life, and I’d dumped her in a very
cold manner.

     My pacing increased agitatedly at that thought. I
didn’t know if that was what had happened. I was just throwing new
possibilities out there because of both of their odd reactions, and this new
one still didn’t entirely explain their reactions. The only way to find out why
they were both acting so weird was to talk to each of them.

     At just the thought of talking with Maya again my heart
sped up with anticipation, while my heart and gut clenched. The last time
hadn’t gone so well but I would do a better job at keeping my temper this
time.  

     It was nearing five A.M. but I knew I wouldn’t be able
to get back to sleep. Changing into some swim shorts and then pulling sweats on
over them with a t-shirt I headed down stairs to exercise some demons.

∞              
     ∞                    ∞                   

     I was sitting in one of the lounge chairs staring
listlessly out at the ocean when the smell of coffee wafted out to me. Unable
to ignore its allure I hauled myself up and followed the smell. In the kitchen
I found Nadia and Issy in the middle of making breakfast.

     I continued past them without a word to the coffee pot.
  

     “Did you not get back to sleep last night?” Nadia asked
in concern.

     Knowing that I probably looked as good as I felt I
could understand her concern. “Not really.” I grunted, grabbing a cup from the
cupboard.

     “Fighting with your brother?”

     “We put them in a cab last night and sent them to a hotel.
I’m sorry as sh…” I halted and flashed a quick glance Issy’s way. “I’m really
sorry about what happened last night, Nadia. My brother’s an a…” I groaned
inwardly at having to catch myself again. It was too early in the morning to
watch my language. “He wasn’t supposed to be here. Normally we try our best to
steer clear of each other.”

     I poured my coffee and turned to lean back against the
counter sipping it greedily. Nadia watched me with a frown. I was wondering
what the frown was for when Nic and Carrie ambled in, Nic’s arms, as always,
around her.

     Carrie smiled, disengaging herself. “Oh, Nadia, you’re
making breakfast. Can I do something?”

     Even though my head was fuzzy from lack of sleep I
thought Nadia’s return smile seemed forced. “Carrie, could you watch Issy and maybe
take over the French toast? I need to talk to Landon privately for a moment.”

     My brows shot up at that.

     Nic’s brows were also high as he stepped forward, looking
back and forth between me and Nadia. “I can do the French toast.” He offered.

     Nadia handed over the spatula. “Thanks. Issy, you keep
stirring the sausage, I’m just going to be outside those glass doors talking to
Landon for a minute.”

     Nadia jerked her head for me to follow her and I gave
one last confused glance at Nic before following her. Nadia didn’t waste any
time once the doors closed behind us. She faced me wearing a concerned frown. “Landon,
your brother was saying some pretty nasty things last night.”

     I sighed tiredly. I wanted to be angry, I
was
angry, but it was difficult to work up the emotion when I was this exhausted. I
slumped against the door. “I’m not surprised and I am extremely sorry about…”

     Nadia shook her head and raised her hand and I stopped
talking automatically. “I believe you, Landon. You’re a bit of a smart ass and
are somewhat full of yourself, but under it all I see a good guy.”

     My lip twitched. “Thanks…I think.” I took another drink
of coffee.         

     She inhaled looking torn but determined. “Thinking I
was asleep your brother said something about drugging some girl to have sex
with her.”

     Was I still drunk or just tired? “What?”

     She sighed again looking resigned. “When your brother
was in the room last night he was talking about drugging some girl to have sex
with her. This was right before he made some remarks about having fun with me.”

     I found myself staring at her unable to process her
words. “
My
brother…was talking about drugging some girl…to have sex with
her…in your room last night?” I had to break up the words so they made more
sense to me.