Page 15 of The Cabin-A Reverse Harem Romance
“Stop it,” I said.
“Elle go back in your room,” Nolan said calmly.
“No, let the man speak,” I said.
A surge of anger rushed through me unlike anything I’d ever felt before. My hands were shaking as I stared in Brad’s dark eyes. He was obviously wasted, and this wasn’t a fair fight. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt – or worse. I knew what they guys were capable of, and I knew what Brad would do, and it wouldn’t turn out well for him. If he ended up hurt, the guys could end up in jail or see themselves get sued for everything they were worth. Brad was powerful as hell, and you didn’t fuck with him or his family.
Trevor looked back at me, and I thought he might ignore my wishes, but surprisingly enough, he let Brad go. Brad instantly wobbled over to me, or tried to, but ended up smashing himself into the wall instead. Chase grabbed his shoulders and held him up.
“Elle, please, come back to bed with me,” Brad said.
His voice was less angry now, and more pleading. It was like he’d ignored everything that had happened and thought we could just hit the reset button and have it all go back to normal.
“No, that’s not going to happen, and you know why,” I said. “We’re over, Brad. I told you that already. Several times. You need to get it through your thick skull.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “No, you need to take me back.”
I let out a dry laugh, crossing my arms in front of my chest. I felt safer, and better able to express myself with my guys around me.
“I don’t need to do shit. We’re done, Brad. Now go back to bed and sleep this off, because you’re no match for the likes of them.” I motioned to the men surrounding us. “You try anything, and they’ll rip you limb from limb.”
“Fuck them,” he said, repeating the same insult he’d used before. “I’m sure you already have.”
Trevor started toward him, but Chase held him back.
“You know what? Even if I had fucked all of them at the same time, they’d still treat me with more respect than you,” I said. “Now go back upstairs before I sic one of them on you.”
The last bit was probably a little too far over the top, but it slipped out before I could stop myself. It made Chase chuckle, and Sean looked particularly amused. Nolan looked impressed. I didn’t dare look at Trevor.
Brad’s eyes narrowed as he stared daggers at me, and he started to say something, but then Sean moved closer. He took one look at the six-foot-four ex-Ranger, who was built like a linebacker, and stopped. For the first time, I saw something similar to fear in his eyes. Good. He knew what it felt like to be afraid of someone bigger and stronger for a change.
He turned and walked back down the hallway and the five of us remained silent. We watched him as he got to the living room, and looked over his shoulder, casting a baleful glance our way. Something shifted in his eyes as we stood there. Maybe the distance – from where he was in the living room to where we were at – made him feel brave, I supposed. Maybe it was the healthy dose of liquid courage coursing through his veins.
Either way, he said, “I always knew you were a fucking whore.”
My jaw clenched tight, and I wished I had something to throw at him. I wanted to argue with him, to defend my honor, but it was useless. There was no point in it. I stood my ground, my arms crossed in front of me. Trevor, however, had had enough. Before anyone knew what was happening, he closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, and his fist collided with Brad’s face. The sound was a sharp pop, like a baseball hitting an old leather mitt, and it took us all by surprise.
Brad’s head snapped back, and the other guys recovered from their state of shock and rushed toward him. I hung back and watched it all unfold. It had all happened so fast, that I didn’t know what to do. I hadn’t wanted Brad to get hurt, but there was blood running down his face, and the other three guys had to physically restrain Trevor from going at him again, as the two men screamed at one another.
“Get the fuck out of my house now,” Brad said.
“You’re the one who’s wrong, asshole,” Trevor shouted back.
“It’s my fucking cabin, dipshit.”
Panic set in, and I felt myself trembling. There was nowhere else to go. It wasn’t even dawn yet, and the storm still howled outside. The roads were still bad, and it was dangerous. I wasn’t about to stay here with Brad, however. If they boys had to go, I was going to go with them.
