Relinquished (12 page)

Adrenaline pumped through my body. After the night I’d had, I was ready for anything.

Bring it,
I thought, raising my shoulders in a defensive stance.

“Need a ride?” he had the audacity to ask like everything was fine and fucking dandy between us.  

“I’m fine, thanks.” I turned my back to him and started to walk away.

“Get in the car, Jules. I want to talk to you about something.”

I peeked over my shoulder, and although he was as intense and controlled as ever, I didn’t see the jackass I’d been dealing with earlier.

Huffing out, I turned around and rubbed my arms with my hands. “I’m cold and tired. I just want to get home. Leave me alone.”

“Nope,” he simply answered. Stepping up to my side, he snaked an arm around my waist and led me to the passenger side. I tried to pull away, but his grip just tightened. Like everything else, his car was so different from Holden’s.  Dante was just like his sleek, extravagant, pompous sedan while Holden was carefree and fun like his sports car.

Leaning in close to my face, his finger lifted my chin until I was glaring into his eyes. To any bystander it would appear as though he was going to kiss me. He’d better not, for his sake.

“Listen carefully,” he said softly but not all that warmly. “I already know where you live, so I can either drive you there or follow you the whole way, and we can talk in your room.”

Irritated, I jerked my head away from his hand. “What? How do you know where I live?”

He stepped back and ran a hand down his dress shirt. “I already told you.  I had you investigated, plus you didn’t exactly hide your address from your application. Now get in the car.  It’s not safe for you out here. Trust me.”

I scowled at him. Who did this ass think he was ordering me around? I crossed my arms over my chest, fully ready to put up a fight, but it started to drizzle so I gave in. “Fine.” I threw my bag on the floor before I slid onto the seat.

As he started the car, the smell of fine leather and expensive cologne filled the small space.  Most women would probably swoon. I barely contained a gag.

I sat with my arms crossed, pouting like a child as he silently drove down the main street while keeping a close eye on his rearview mirror. I was curious about what he thought was too dangerous for me. Did he really know something I didn’t? I also wondered if he really knew where I lived. Sure as shit, a few minutes later we were pulling into the motel parking lot.

When the car stopped, I made a move to open my door, but he dropped his assertive hand on mine. “What kind of assholes are you around that don’t open your door?” he scoffed.

Chivalry must’ve run in the family. But where Holden was sweet about it, Dante was gruff and rude. Just to piss him off, I grabbed my bag and yanked the door open, stepping out into the frigid night. I was ready to bolt to my room, but he was faster than I gave him credit for. Within seconds, he was behind me, strutting indifferently.

I glared at him as we climbed the outside stairs. “What’re you doing?”

“Making sure you get into your room safely.” His hand caressed my upper arm, and I cringed. Like he had a right to touch me, like I was his.

It rained harder the closer we got to my room, and I fumbled with the key card until the door unlocked.  Just as I heard the click, Dante spun me around and grabbed my jaw, his gaze boring into me like I was some kind of puzzle that needed to be solved.

Surprised at his sudden harshness, I jerked away, into the room when I heard the sound of screeching tires speeding out of the parking lot. From where I stood, I glanced out the opening of the curtains but didn’t see anything. The room was still dark until he reached to turn on the table lamp, kicking the door closed behind him. Not for the first time today, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind. I didn’t invite him in. Who the hell did he think he was?

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I’d give him about five-point-two seconds to get his ass out of here before I called the cops. But when his eyes became predatory, I thought I’d bide my time, see what his endgame was.

Fanatical grunts and moans greeted us through the adjoining wall, reminding me of the shithole I lived in. I hated this place.

Stepping in front of me, Dante ran his fingertips lightly across my bicep and up to the sensitive skin on the nape of my neck. I closed my eyes tight. Okay. If this was what he wanted, I could handle it. I’d been here before. He’d get what he wanted and leave me the fuck alone. Hopefully forever.

Grasping onto my arms, his large hands traveled down until they landed on my hips and dug into them angrily.  His hot breath hit my forehead. “Do you like having a man’s hands all over you?”

I bit my lips hard, wanting to scream at him, but I stayed silent.  
Just go with it
, I told myself. I’d slept with guys far worse than Dante.  It was just a physical act and had no meaning.  But dammit, if my whole reason for not being with Holden was because I didn’t want to come between these brothers, then there was no way in hell I could do this. It would kill Holden.

He yanked my chin up, forcing me to look at him.   “Let me rephrase that. Do you want
me
to touch you, Jules?”

Fuck. He didn’t want to screw me, he was testing me.  What. An. Asshole.

“No.” My voice was livid.

There was no mistaking his fury as well. “Well, guess what.  I don’t want any motherfucker’s hands on you, got it? I’m not fucking around here, Jules.  Not shitheads like the one at the bar and especially not my brother.” He leaned in closer, letting me feel the rage spilling out of his eyes. “No-fucking-body.”

In an abrupt move, he released me, and I fell back on to the bed, my duffle dropping to the floor.
What the fuck just happened?
Did he think I belonged to him? Why? And why did he care? My head was spinning.

I gulped as he took a few steps back, his fists opening and closing like he was attempting to regain some control. As he glanced around the room, a wave of repulsion covered his face. I couldn’t say I blamed him.  This place really was a shithole, and there was a funny odor in the air that I didn’t recognize.

Lowering his eyebrows, he demanded, “Be at the gym tomorrow afternoon.  There are a few things we need to discuss.”

“Fine,” I spat, not really agreeing but wanting him the hell out of my room.

“Two o’clock,” he barked, narrowing his eyes at me. “Don’t be late.”

I frowned right back at him. “I said
fine
.”

With that, he turned around and stormed out. The floor vibrated as he stomped across the balcony and down the stairs. My mind was still spinning. I had no idea what just happened or why, but one thing I did know—no way in hell would I be at that gym tomorrow afternoon.

It took everything I had not to pull her out of that rank ass motel room and bring her home with me tonight.  Who the fuck lived in a place like that anyway?  I’d seen it from the outside plenty of times, but walking into that room had been one of the most repulsive experiences of my life.  It smelled like a combination of piss and spunk. I didn’t even want to think about what the hell was living in that carpet.

I slammed my car door once I was inside, then started the engine and took off. As I drove toward my house, I couldn’t help but think about how embarrassed Jules seemed when we heard the sounds coming from the room next door.  The place was known to house prostitutes, so the moans weren’t surprising, but watching the blush covering Jules’ face was.  She was definitely ashamed to be staying there.  

I knew a lot of her backstory, but not as much as I’d led her to believe. She’d been through hell and back, which made me crazy with fury, but the one thing I couldn’t understand was why she chose to continue living like that.  Did she really think there weren’t other options? Or was she a prisoner of her own misery?  

Even though she’d only spent a handful of days in jail, she acted like a freshly released inmate looking for trouble just so they could get back to the safety of the institution they were familiar with. Even if the place was a filthy motel. 

No.  She’s got too much fire in her eyes, and I didn’t believe for a second that she was weak. That girl was a fighter. She just needed an opportunity to prove it. She also needed some damn lessons on how to defend herself. Any motherfucker could take her down, and she wouldn’t be able to fight him off.
 Fuck
.
That
. I didn’t give a rat’s ass if I wasn’t supposed to get involved. Starting tomorrow, she was going to learn how to protect herself when I wasn’t around.

I came to a red light and tapped my balled up fist on my steering wheel thinking about all the prick moves I’d done to Jules and Holden but rationalized that they were necessary. I’d rather them think I was being an asshole than for her to get too comfortable and let her guard down.  She needed to be on edge. To keep her eyes open to any possible danger.

Taking off at the green light, I thought about how initially, I didn’t even want to take this job from my father, but I had to. My first mistake was taking Holden to that bar the night I’d wanted to scope her out.  I hadn’t planned on ever going back, but then
the minute he laid his eyes on her, he was a goner, and I had to take the fucking job. It was the biggest one I’d ever been offered. From the get-go, I knew I was in over my head.

Hank Carr, the detective my father connected me with, had said he’d do what he could. Other than fill in some major details my father conveniently left out, his help hadn’t amounted to much. I was still pissed at my dad for putting all of us in this situation.  I’d even played with the idea of hiring someone to watch her when I couldn’t, but
I didn’t trust anyone else.

The gym membership was my next mistake. I’d convinced myself it was the easy way to keep her close and safe.  I figured it was the least I could do, give her a comfortable place to escape.

I’d had no plans on becoming attached, and now here I was, feeling my irritation turn into a fierce protectiveness I’d never experienced.  Then she had to ask for a job, and I handled that shit all wrong. Now everything was spiraling out of control.

I still couldn’t believe nor understand the life she’d had to endure.  The biggest part that still didn’t make sense was the fact that nobody has stepped in to help her. Everyone, including my father, was just sitting back and watching her get treated like shit, one fucked-up-day after another.  I’d finally had enough and was ready to snatch her up.

 The information I’d gotten last week didn’t change any of the other facts. There were too many unknowns here, and we could all go down in flames if our feelings started clouding our judgment. Emotions made you weak, my father’s miserable life was proof of that. So I would have to do whatever it took to keep Holden and Jules apart.

They were probably completely confused, which was fine for now.  Once I saw Holden in his car, waiting for her outside the bar and then caught him following us back to the motel, I had to do something. She may have heard his tires peel out, but I didn’t think she caught that it was him.

I knew Holden far too well and had no doubt he’d try to smooth things over when I wasn’t around.  He’d think I was the reason she rejected him. He didn’t need to know what my interests were where she was concerned. Not yet, at least.

If I were any other asshole, he would’ve gotten out and fought me on the street for her, but in this case, because his wounded emotions were overruling his thoughts, he knew I’d win.  I really wished he’d just fucking listened to me when I told him to stay away from her.  He was going to end up just as miserable as our father.

He was more than likely going to kick my ass in the gym tomorrow. I’d been a complete dick to him, regardless of my reasoning.

Pulling into my garage, I refocused on my plan. Tomorrow afternoon, after I met with Carr and convinced him that this crazy ass shit couldn’t go on, we were going to settle this once and for all.

As far as I was concerned, tonight would be her last night in that hellhole.