Hollywood Rebel by Misti Murphy

Chapter Twenty-Six

 

Summer

Summer: Sorry! Jennie stole my phone.

Rebel: That’s okay. Girls’ night is girls’ night. Did you have fun?

Summer: I wish I’d been with you. I need to tell you something. In person. #bootycall.

Rebel: Do you want me to come to you? #yourplaceormine

Summer: Yes, please. Oh, I have condoms. #pantydroppercocktailsforthewin

Rebel: Do I even want to ask? #aslongasIgettobewithyou

Summer: Gotta go. Uber is here. #Icanpracticallytasteyou

 

Climbing out of the Uber, I shut the door without glancing up from my phone. Those three little dots are doing their happy dance and I am here for it. Or more specifically the message that will come next.

Jennie’s spending the night with the DJ from the club we were at and I have the apartment all to myself. I’ve never booty called someone before. It’s exciting.

A cool breeze gives me goosebumps as it flutters over my skin.

My ankle gives and I yelp, but I don’t hit the ground because someone grabs my elbow, keeping me from folding onto the footpath. I glance up from my phone to find Bray holding me up. I frown. “Bray? Where did you come from?”

“I was waiting for you,” he says.

“You were?” He’s not supposed to be here. I glance at my phone because I’m certain I didn’t text him. Did I? But nope, the only message chain I have is with Rebel. “Why?”

“Because we’re friends,” he says. “And I wanted to celebrate with you.”

My phone finally vibrates and I dart my attention to Rebel’s message. 

 

Rebel: I’m coming. #notbeforeyoudo

 

I giggle. Dirty and a gentleman? What’s not to like?

“You’re drunk,” Bray says.

I giggle at that too. The drinks were so yummy and I might have overdone it a little but I’m not balls to the wall drunk. “I might be a little tipsy.”

I might also be a little in too deep. With the guy I used to hate. And at least for right now I’m okay with that. Because he gives me butterflies in my vagina.

“What’s so funny?” Bray asks as he guides me toward my front door.

“Love. Hate. They’re two sides of the same coin.”

“Okay,” he says slowly as we navigate the stairs. Up two, back down one. “And up we go.”

“Thanks.” I lean against the wall beside the door while I fish for my keys in my purse.

“Here.” He reaches for my keys. “Give them to me.”

“No. That’s okay.” The keys slip from my hand and clatter against the concrete. “Oops.”

“I’ve got them.” He scoops them up and unlocks the door.

I check my phone again. “How do you know you can trust someone? How do you learn to trust that they won’t let you down?”

That they won’t hurt you.

That they won’t betray you.

That they’ll stick around.

“I don’t know. Maybe it takes time. Like you and me. You trust me.” Bray wraps an arm around my waist, pulls me toward him. “Let’s get you to bed.”

I trip over my feet. Press my palm against his chest to keep space between us. “I can take it from here.”

“You are really drunk.” He laughs. “Can’t even keep your feet.”

My stomach feels off all of a sudden. Those goosebumps turn into goose mountains. There’s a weird prickling sensation at the back of my neck. “No, seriously, I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can,” he says. “But what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t make sure you were alright?”

I frown. My heart is beating against my ribcage at a million miles an hour and not in a good way. Not like it does when Rebel is as close as Bray is right now. I shove away from him and turn to open the door. “Go home, Bray. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“You need someone to take care of you, with the state you’re in.” He grips me around my waist and pulls me back against him. His lips find the side of my neck. “And I can take care of you. Trust me.”

“Let me go,” I warn him. I’m not as clearheaded as I’d like to be, but I’m no longer giggly. I’m on alert and that has a sobering affect.

“You don’t really want me to.” He pushes my hair away from my neck. His lips brush my skin as he whispers in my ear, “You’ve flirted with me for years.”

“We kissed once. It didn’t mean anything.” I want to be sick. My stomach tries to climb into my throat as I yank free of his hold and send my hand flying toward his face. He catches my wrist and shoves my chest up against the door. “You want me. You’re just confused. By him.”

“I don’t want you.” I twist and jerk in an effort to get him to let me go, but he’s stronger than he looks. “I’ve never wanted you. I told you that. I don’t know how to make it any more clear.”

“You were into me once,” he says. “Remember?”

“I thought I was ready to give getting close to someone a chance.” I pant as I try to calm down and assess the situation. Try to work out my best plan of defense. “I wasn’t.”

“We were inseparable.”

“As friends,” I insist. Although that ship has long since sailed. We’re nothing now. Not after this.

“But you’re ready now. I know you are. You’ve been with that asshole.”

“I am with him,” I say. I want to be with Rebel. And I’m going to tell him how I’m feeling. And that I’m scared. He’ll get it. He’ll understand. I have to believe that. “My love life is none of your damn business.”

“You’re a tease,” he says, like it’s a joke. Like we’re more intimate than friends. And maybe last time I wasn’t clear enough, but this time, oh, this time I don’t understand how he hasn’t gotten the message that I am only interested in being friends. Again his lips find my neck. “You’re just confused right now, but I can fix that.”

My phone starts to ring.

I take a deep breath. Swing my fist back directly toward his balls, only I breeze through air.

He’s no longer behind me. I spin around and fall against my door as I take in the startled look on Bray’s face. His mouth hangs open as Rebel drags him down the steps onto the pavement.

“You asshole.” A world of hurt waits for Bray in Rebel’s bunched jaw and furious eyes. “Don’t you ever fucking touch her.”

“It isn’t what you think.” Bray holds his hands up in surrender. “She wanted me to. She was into it. We’ve been dancing around this flirtation for years. It was bound to happen eventually. If you think she didn’t start it—”

I gasp.

A split-second glance at the horror on my face is enough for Rebel to pull his fist back to his ear and plow it into Bray’s gut.

“Fuck.” Bray bends in half and wraps both arms around his waist.

Snap. Rebel lands another punch. This time it’s Bray’s jaw that takes the hit as he moves at the last second.

He spits on the sidewalk. “Are you going to let your lunatic boyfriend beat on me because you can’t work out what you want?”

“I…” I march down the stairs and step between the two of them. My fingers curl in Rebel’s shirt. I can’t let him do this.

He covers my hand with his. “You’re shaking.”

I am? I hadn’t realized. My cheeks are wet. Didn’t realize that either. But it’s only because I’m so angry. At Bray for being that kind of asshole. At myself for not seeing it and being prepared, but I thought he meant it when he said he really just wanted to be my friend. At the fact that it took one jackass to make me feel weak all over again. And I will not be that scared girl ever again. “You can’t beat him up.”

“The fuck I can’t,” he snarls at Bray over my shoulder. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her from cunts like you.”

“I’m…I’m fine.” I’m not. I’m shaken. But I will be alright. Rebel won’t be if he assaults Bray. He’s fresh off probation. “We’ve only just got your career back on track.”

“I don’t give a fuck about my career.” He stares at Bray like he’s ready to murder him. Part of me wants to let him, but even if it wouldn’t end badly it’s not his mess to clean up. It’s mine.

“Well, I do,” I say.

Rebel narrows his gaze on me. His faded denim blues soften with concern. Perhaps he can tell that I need to focus on the things that I can control in order to keep my shit together.

“He’s not worth it.” I shake my head.

“Police then.” He has his phone in his hand in a heartbeat.

“You’re kidding me,” Bray snaps. “If anyone should call the cops it’s me. That prick assaulted me.”

“You were all over her.” Rebel starts to step around me.

“They won’t do anything.” I grasp Rebel’s wrist and lower his hand to his side. “Because nothing happened.”

“You’re going to let this go?”

“No.” I shake my head slowly. But Rebel attacked him. And he has the bruises to prove it. “But he won’t press charges because if he does I won’t keep my mouth shut.”

“Unbelievable,” Bray says like he truly believes he’s done nothing wrong.

“It’s your lucky day,” Rebel tells Bray as he pulls me into an embrace. His arms are taut around me and his chest moves in jagged bursts. He’s furious, but he tucks my head in under his chin, making me feel safe. “Get out of here while you can.”

“Your friendship isn’t worth having to deal with this prick anyway,” Bray says.

“Good.” Because it’s obvious we can’t be friends. Not after tonight. I was kidding myself to think we could be. “Just get out of here.”

“Don’t worry about him.” Rebel’s hand strokes over my hair. His voice is soothing. “He won’t be back. Men like him are cowards. And he knows I won’t hold back next time.”

A slow, jaunty whistle draws my attention a second before a third masculine voice breaks into the night. “Hey, fucker.”

“Oh my God.” I inhale the words as I whip around in Rebel’s arms. “Burke?”

“Get out of my way.” Bray glares at the guy when he steps directly into his path. Bray is barely intimidated by the hulking, flannel-wearing, cowboy hat holding, bearded man who happens to be my second eldest brother, but he should be.

“One second.” Burke offers his hat to Bray. “Can you hold this please?”

Bray frowns but takes the hat.

“Big mistake,” I whisper as I burrow my back into Rebel’s chest.

“That’s your brother?” Rebel asks.

I flinch when Burke snaps out a punch to Bray’s nose that ends with an audible crunch.

“That’s Burke,” I explain.

“Mother fucker. Holy hell. What was that for?” Bray grabs for his nose. His eyes are watering. His breath starts to whistle as blood drips onto his shirt, turning it crimson and rust.

Burke catches his hat and places it on his head. Fingers the brim of his ten gallon. “Touch my sister again and I have hectares of land where I can bury you. I’ll wrap your head in tin foil before we put you in the ground and the government will never find your body. Understand?”

“You’re crazy.” Bray’s voice is already turning nasally. He stumbles back, still holding his broken nose.

Burke tips his head side to side and scratches at his dark beard. “So they say. Now, scram.”

“Fuck you all,” Bray retorts before darting across the road like he’s scared Burke will punch him again. And he should be. He’s lucky it’s not Owen. And so am I.

Burke lifts his gaze to me and smiles. A second later his attention drifts over my head and the warmth in his green orbs cools as he stomps toward us. “You. Remove your hold on my sister before I’m forced to do it for you.”

I fling myself into the big bear hug of his embrace. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I can’t believe you just did that. I can totally handle myself.”

“Looks like it.” His voice vibrates against my scalp.

“You know I took self-defense lessons.” I push him away so I can look at him. I’m not relieved that he arrived in time to see what happened with Bray. If anything he’s going to report the blow by blow to the rest of my brothers and it’s going to heap more of their overprotective behavior on top of me. Owen will probably demand my return home. It’s going to be a nightmare. But I missed Burke. A lot. “You should have told me you were coming. I could have been prepared.”

“You haven’t exactly been easy to pin down. Figured you wouldn’t have a chance to avoid me if I just showed up.” He pulls me back in for another hug. He smells like the ranch. Like horses and cattle and leather rub and hay. His chin rests on the top of my hair. “You wanna tell me who you are?”

Oh, I almost forgot about Rebel with Burke surprising me. “This is Rebel Maddox. He’s my client.”

“It’s almost two in the morning, Little. If he’s a client, I gotta wonder what kind of business you’re into.”

“I’m her boyfriend.” Rebel steps forward and offers Burke his hand like he has no fear.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Shit, I scream at him with my eyes. Don’t say anything else.

“But she works for you?” Burke eyeballs Rebel’s hand, but doesn’t move to take it.

Rebel smiles when our gazes connect. I’ve got this, his Levi blues say. “Your sister has changed my life.”

“You better be talking about work,” Burke grumbles. “Because I know who you are. I read an article about you in a magazine that Suzie left on the porch swing and you are not the kind of guy who calls himself Little’s boyfriend.”

Rebel pushes his hands into his pockets when it becomes clear Burke won’t shake. 

“Can we not do this, please? Rebel is a good man.” I shove Burke off me and wrap my arms around Rebel’s waist. “I warned you my brothers are ridiculously overprotective.”

“I think tonight proved we’re not ridiculous,” Burke points out.

“He has a point,” Rebel says. “If anything had happened to you—”

“I had it handled,” I huff. I can’t believe he’s taking my brother’s side. While tonight has been a disaster, I know I could have handled Bray myself if Rebel hadn’t jumped in to play my own personal Batman. “I didn’t need either of you to save me. I can look after myself.”

“Didn’t seem that way to me, Little.” Burke takes his hat off his head and runs the rim through the fingers of both hands.

“You shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place. I thought you and that idiot were over after he proved he wasn’t interested in being your friend.” Anger sparks in Rebel’s eyes again.

Most of it is at Bray, but a little of it is directed at me, and I know that I deserve it. Not for what happened tonight, but for not telling him that Bray and I had started talking again.

“You didn’t tell me he was still hanging around,” he adds.

“I thought we could be friends again,” I admit. And I thought Rebel wouldn’t have been able to handle that. And I didn’t want it to affect the work we’ve done together. More than that I believed I could handle it on my own. I know I could handle it on my own. But he was here for me anyway.

“You should have told me.” His brow pulls tight and his fingers twitch as though they want to curl in on themselves. “I could have at least picked you up from the club and brought you home. I could have been here to stop that cocky shit from trying to take advantage. You should have been safe.”

“I thought Jennie would be coming home with me. There was a last minute change of plans. He wasn’t supposed to be waiting on my front step.” I throw my arm out to indicate where Bray had been waiting for me. “And I could have dealt with it.”

“You shouldn’t have had to deal with it,” he snaps. “You shouldn’t have been on your own.”

“Some kind of friend you’ve got there,” Burke adds glancing around as though expecting Jennie to pop out of the shadows now that everything has settled down.

“Wait. Back up. Are you two ganging up on me?” I fold my arms over my chest and glower at them both. “Because that asshole—”

“We’re not ganging up on you.” Rebel exhales. “You could have been really hurt. I don’t know what I would have done—”

“It’s late,” Burke interjects, grasping my elbow and tugging me toward the steps. “And you clearly need to go to bed. Say goodnight to your friend.”

“I’m a grown ass woman.” I plant my heels on the pavement and glower at him, feeling very much like the only one who realizes it, which kind of makes me feel like I’m not grown at all. “I make my own bedtime and I decide when this conversation is over.”

“Says you, Little.” Burke wraps an arm around my waist and plucks me off my feet. I’m tossed over his shoulder like one of the baby goats back on the ranch. “But I can still tan your hide when you need it.”

I groan as my cheeks turn scorching. Shut my eyes, cover my face with my hands. Burke’s never tanned my hide in my life. Saying he would is completely preposterous. “You’re so freaking embarrassing. Most brothers don’t treat their little sister like this.”

“I would if I had a sister,” Rebel offers. “Especially after tonight.”

I give him my best death glare. “How could you?”

Burke chuckles at both of us, before adding, “You know I’m better than Owen.”

“I’m starting to wonder,” I retort.

“Say goodnight, Little,” Burke orders.

“’Night, Red.” Rebel smiles at me as I hang uselessly over my brother’s broad back while he carries me up the stairs.

I prop my chin on the heel of my hand, with my elbow in the middle of Burke’s back. Really dig it in there, although he pretends not to notice. “You’re both ridiculous.”

Rebel smooths a hand over his hair. “Get some sleep. I’ll call you in the morning. I’d like to take you both out for breakfast.”

Burke bounces me on his shoulder as he opens the door and turns back to Rebel. “You’re not going anywhere. You and I have a conversation to have once I’ve put this brat to bed and called Owen.”

“Please don’t call Owen.” I am not above begging. This whole situation is going to end up so blown out of proportion.

“We’ll have a drink.” Burke ignores my pleas as he carries me across the threshold. “I’m sure these girls have some alcohol stashed somewhere.”

“Vodka is in the freezer,” I offer in the hopes that it might buy me some leniency.

“Should have known,” Burke grumbles.

Rebel raises his brows at me.

“What?” I shrug as he carries me away from Rebel and sticks his head in both bedrooms until he figures out which one is mine. “It’s Jennie’s.”

“Yep. Uh-huh.”

“Oh, whatever,” I huff before I’m tossed like a sack of potatoes onto my mattress.

“Night, night, Little.” Burke grins at me as he starts to close the door. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

I give him the one finger salute as the door closes.

His laughter echoes as he walks away.

I lay on my mattress until I catch my breath. Frustration etches itself into my muscles. As much as I’m grown, Burke knows how to make me feel like a child. I listen to the soft murmur of masculine voices. I could march out there. After all, it’s my apartment and my life and someone ought to protect Rebel from my family.

Only Burke is laughing at something, which is not the response I expected from him at all.

And I’m drained. My emotions are all over the place. Tonight has been a rollercoaster. Bernadette made my job permanent. And my friendship with Bray ended in the worst way imaginable. Rebel called himself my boyfriend. And I’m still a little tipsy.

I kick off my shoes and climb unsteadily to my feet. Unzip my dress and wrestle it over my head. Fling my bra over the back of the fluffy armchair that holds purses and clothes as I fall back onto my bed and pull on the T-shirt I like to sleep in.

And now my brother and the guy who called himself my boyfriend are getting along?

What the hell? What alternate universe is this that Burke would take to Rebel like they were long lost pals?

Rebel Maddox said he was my boyfriend.

He wants to be my boyfriend.

I smile in the dark like an idiot.