Vicious Desire by Leslie V. Walker
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ayanna
The cold hospital air makes me tug Brendan’s jacket closer around me as the sound of monitors and people scattering everywhere surrounds us.
I stand next to Lillie’s bed, watching closely as the nurse cleans a small bloody scar on Lillie’s forehead. She speaks to her telling her if she needs anything don’t hesitate to call 911 or come rushing back in here once she leaves.
The guys wait outside impatiently wanting in, but they only allowed one person at the time and the doctor suggested it would be me because a male presence might rattle her up at the moment.
They told me it was an emergency, so I thought she was getting surgery because the bastard shot her or something, but all John did was give her a few bruises.
What kind of sick fuck would do this? He’s her uncle and to try to force himself on her is sickening.
Lillie sits on the hospital bed, legs crossed around the ankles, her hands are gripping the end of the bed as the nurse pours rubbing alcohol on her injuries and cleans them. Her shirt is ripped open and there’s a bruise forming on her left side, her bottom lip is cut but other than that and what she just experienced she seems to be just fine.
Once the nurse leaves, Lillie rubs her hands on her jeans as she nervously looks at the door to where the police are. She has yet to speak to them or her brothers who are on the other side.
“Hey,” I approach her. “Everything’s going to be fine. You’re going to be okay. I’ll be with you and so are your brothers.” She nods, her pink hair falling over her face as she smiles softly looking down at the floor.
She has yet to cry, not that I expect her to, but isn’t that what people do in these types of situations? I’m not really sure and I hate I don’t know more to comfort her.
She’s strong. “I’m just a little bit shaken up, but yeah, I just can’t wait till the doctors give me my medicine and I finish with the cops so I can get the hell out of here and go back home.”
I smile, nodding and turning back to look at the door when it opens.
“Lilliana!” Brendan’s voice is loud as he charges toward his sister. Gunner, Zane, and Rocco follow him quickly, moving across the room to stand by her side.
“Brendan,” Lillie breathes out quickly standing up to her feet, but Brendan pushes her down as he cups her cheeks with his hands.
“What the fuck happened to you!? Are you okay?” His eyes inspect her face and the worry in them rips my heart to pieces.
“Who did this to you!?” he yells, not letting her get a word in as he pesters her with questions. They haven’t been informed what happened, I can tell Lillie was comfortable enough to tell me more but with everyone around her ready to pounce on the one who did this to her is getting her nervous.
Rocco comes to stand next to me, putting a hand in my shoulder squeezing hard. Zane stands near the exit, talking to an officer who is trying to come in. It seems like he’s trying to tell him to come back in a few, while Gunner stands next to Brendan, his expression darker than usual, almost like he’s not even with us right now but in a whole other world.
“I’m all right,” Lillie says trying to sound calm and okay, but it fails to please any of us.
“You’re not. Look at you. Tell me everything.” Brendan keeps demanding and I can see the look in her eyes as she turns to me pleading me to make him stop and just hear her out.
“Give her a minute.” Brendan turns to me nodding as he moves a few steps back to give Lillie some room.
“The doctor said I’ll be all right. I didn’t break anything and none of my injuries were bad. They will give me a lotion for my bruise and a few meds just for the pain.”
Brendan lets out a breath running his hands through his messy hair as he demands, “Tell me what happened.”
Lillie gazes down for a moment as if she’s ashamed to speak and I touch her hand with mine to reassure her she’s not alone. “I know you don’t like me alone at the house. But I just figured since John hasn’t come home for about two weeks now, I can stay there. But I was wrong, he showed up acting stranger than usual and drunk. I was in the living room watching TV but quickly left when he went to sit next to me.” She stops, taking in a gulp of air.
“But then he followed me upstairs and when I went to close my door, he stopped it with his foot and started saying weird stuff. I tried to get him out, but then he just pushed through and…” her voice cracks, but she doesn’t let it faze her as she continues, all of us listening intently.
“Here.” Gunner hands her his sweater and she takes it muttering a thank you but keeping her eyes cast down. She puts it on taking out her hair and bringing the cuffs of the sweater to play with on her fingers.
“He told me I was provoking him, and I was asking for it. But I promise I never did ask for it, Brendan. I kept telling him to stop but he didn’t listen, and he ripped my shirt and hit me, so I took my flower vase and hit him in the back and ran.” She was talking fast, her breathing growing erratic as she reassures Brendan it wasn’t her fault. “I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer so I called the police and when they finally came there was nothing else, they could do. But I swear to you, Brendan,” a few tears have slipped, and she was holding onto her brother’s shirt as he stares at her horrified at what she experienced, “I didn’t kill him. Someone else was in the house. I heard them. I swear to you it wasn’t me. I didn’t hit him in the head, it was his back. I don’t know where all the blood came from. Please I swear it wasn’t me! Please don’t…”
A tear slips from me as Brendan hugs a sobbing Lillie to his chest holding onto her tight. “Fuck, Lillie I’m so sorry.” His eyes are on fire and his jaw is locked in tight.
“It’s not your fault. None of it. He’s the one who shouldn’t have ever thought about laying a single finger on you. We believe you, if you say someone else was in the house then we will find them.” He reassures her running his hand down her hair, soothing her. Her eyes are closed shut as she takes in what he’s saying and stops crying as if realizing she didn’t have to worry because we’re here for her. Her brother’s here for her. I’m here for her. Rocco, Zane, and Gunner is here for her.
Minutes past before their embrace ends. Brendan stands up straight and turns to the cop who has been here listening intently, “Were going to go and check out the scene. I want everyone looking for Neo. If anyone was at the house it was him.” The cop nods and turns away talking to his walkie talkie.
“Rocco, can you stay here with them and make sure nothing comes up?” Brendan asks.
Rocco nods, “Of course.”
His eyes lands on me. “Don’t go anywhere, okay? I don’t know if Neo’s still out there and I don’t want you to be in any danger. Wait here with Rocco where your safe at a public place while me, Gunner, and Zane go check out what happened and send Neo a signal that it’s game on tonight. He either fucking comes at us and tries to take everything away or there won’t be no tomorrow for him and his pussy little friends.”
“Don’t do anything that’ll get you killed.”
I walk back to Lillie as she lays back down with her eyes closed and her hands wrapped around her torso while the guys talk about what’s the next step to approach to getting Neo and the people he’s working for. I walk past them and sit down next to Lillie’s side her eyes remain close as she offers me a tight smile.
“So, I was thinking maybe sometime next week we can go to the movies or something and just have girls’ night all to ourselves with none of these guys there to bother us.
Opening her eyes, she nods. “Sounds nice.”
“Hey. Listen up.” Brendan’s voice speaks up calm. “It’s time you know everything.”
“I’ll be right here, don’t worry,” I assure Lillie as she turns around to go and talk to the cop. They still wanted to know a few more things that happened and who was the other person in the house.
Brendan, Zane, and Gunner just left to go see what they can find at his house and Eastview to try and get to Neo and the others. Rocco went to the cafeteria to go get us something to eat and then after Lillie is done with the cops, we just have to wait for the guys to come back, so we can head home since they took away the only car.
Four of them and you would think at least one of them drives around separately.
I lean against the wall, my right shoulder clutching the medicine bag on my hand as I cross my arms. Everything Brendan and the guys said earlier before they left comes rushing back to me all at once.
They told us about that time Zane went and checked out Eastview and how he found a picture of my dad and Neo together. I haven’t checked my messages, but I know I have a few from my mom. If I open it up, I will lose the the urge to demand my dad to explain it all. How does he know Neo? And is he working for him? After what I just learned about him, I won’t be surprised if there was more, he wasn’t telling me.
They then began to explain to us other small stuff they found out over the last three weeks, how they believe whoever is pulling in on the money and demanding the land are out of the country and won’t compose a big threat to them when they find who are the ones pulling the strings here. We all want answers as to why their doing this and how does it connect to all of us.
They’re going to try and attack us all one by one. They’re going to want to hit all of us where it hurts.
“You look sexy when your deep in thought.” A dark voice comes from behind me.
Neo.
“Thinking about me and all the lovely things I can make your body feel at night when I’m fucking you in your bed as you scream my name over and over again?” His lips brush my ear and I turn around pinning him with a glare.
Those stupid eyes of his won’t do shit on me, fucker. “In your dreams darling.”
“Fuck yeah, every night and then every morning I wake up with a huge hard on that I have to fuck my hand. And even then, it won’t be enough for my dick. Not unless it’s inside of you.” God I’m going to barf and then chop my ears off.
He shoves me to the wall, causing me to drop the bag of medicine as both of his hands grab my wrist and pin them next to my head. He breathes in my scent and sighs, closing his eyes like the true Ted Bundy he is.
My face pulls in disgust, and I look away seeing as people ignore this exchange and continue on. Looking to where Lillie is, I see she’s still talking to the cop and Rocco has yet to come back.
“What do you want?” I ask bitterly.
“You and I were supposed to be together. You just don’t know it yet.”
Yeah, okay. In your fucking dreams.
I relax on his hold and move to where my lips brushes over his ear, his body relaxes, and I can hear a sigh leave him. Moving my hands to his back pocket I tug at his waist to draw us closer.
My lips slip into a playful smirk. “Fuck off.”
Neo grabs my waist and pushes me off with a growl causing me to hit the wall hard. I ignore the pain on my back as his eyes throw daggers my way.
“I won’t let you be with him.” I push off the wall, stopping a few feet in front of him. My eyes roam down his body, a walking piece of shit blending with the night.
“You don’t have to worry about me and him. We’re not getting back together. He’ll just use me all over again. But don’t think for a second I’ll be jumping bones with sloppy seconds like you.” I point to him and lean my head to the side shrugging. His hands curl in fists and his eyes grow angrier.
“You don’t know who you’re messing with.”
“You won’t win.” He stands up straight leaning down to my height.
“I don’t lose.”
“And they always win,” I retort.
He lets out a low chuckle, his hand running down his face as he looks at to where Lillie is and bites down on his lip. Disgusting. Now, I want to punch him.
Turning back to look at me he says, “Are you sure about that? Cause I have you here distracted while he’s out there falling into my trap.” It’s my turn to laugh and I place my hand on his chest and push him back dusting my hand on my jeans as if it’s contagious.
“And you expect me to believe you’ll waste your time on me while you could have been easily getting rid of him in one go?” I quirk an eyebrow.
My eyes go to Lillie and then back to Neo immediately, “Didn’t think so. Now would you excuse me I have better things to do.”
“You’re not prepared for what’s coming. There’s stuff you don’t know. Things this town has kept hidden.”
I walk away eager to spin around and make him tell me all he knows but I don’t. Whatever it is we will find out soon.