Page 27 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

When all the dancers come out for their curtain call, I don’t hold back as I stand with everyone else, whistling, clapping and calling out, especially for my girl. For a moment, I wonder if she will know I’m there. But then she looks in my direction, and for the briefest second, our eyes meet, and a giant smile spreads across her face before she moves with the other dancers. Surely, she couldn’t see me in this darkened corner? I hope she did, so she knows I watched her tonight.

I continue to clap with the rest of the audience until the last dancers leave the stage. As soon as the house lights go back up, everyone leaves their seat. Picking up my jacket and placing it over my arm, I slowly make my way towards the exit, eager to see how Verity is doing and her reaction when she realises I watched. I

Ethan was right today; there is no hiding that I care deeply for Verity. If things were different, I would make her mine and never let her go. But they aren’t. She is my stepsister and too innocent and pure to be with a man like me. I can be as corrupt as they come and know a lot of shit about the darker side of the world. That’s why Henry told me to back off when I started getting close to her in the past.

Verity thinks I’m just an ordinary accountant for the higher class. She doesn’t realise I do accounts for people like the O’Reilly’s. Ones that need to keep where their money really comes from quiet and out of view of the tax man. The illegal shit, you might say.

Do my brothers know what I do? Of course, they are personal trainers to many of my clients, but I know they will be able to protect themselves if they ever need to. Not only are they trained to fight, but our dad also made sure we could handle most weapons, including guns. There isn’t much I couldn’t cause damage with, and it has come in handy on more than one occasion.

This is why I don’t think we are good enough for Verity. She is too sweet and innocent to be dragged into this life. She doesn’t even know what her father really does out there in the States. But I do, and it’s because of me she doesn’t go out there with him. I will not have her in danger because of him or me.

A couple of years ago, she started hinting about moving out there so Henry didn’t have to keep coming back just to see her. She was willing to leave everything she has here and move to spend more time with her father. At one point, he seemed to be considering it. So, I made him see that it was a bad idea and that it was putting her in danger. He agreed, but on one condition: I stepped back and didn’t pursue her like I wanted. I agreed, and we have been in agreement since. I won’t date his daughter, and he won’t move her to the States. Which is why I’m worried now my brothers have slept with her. Yes, she is older and able to make her own decisions, but her father could still try and control the situation. There again, will she let him? I don’t know.

I rub my tired face and look around the now emptying foyer. Desperate to think about anything other than everything that could go wrong for Verity right now.

The building is beautiful and screams sophistication. Which is to be expected by the amount the school charge their students. But no matter the cost, everyone is leaving, smiling and chatting happily about the performance, and so they should; it was beautiful to watch. I spot some couches on the other side of the area and head for them, planning to sit and wait for Verity.

I am so tired after not sleeping last night. Other than dozing off in the chair for the odd five minutes here and there, I didn’t get any sleep. I was worried something would happen to Verity, and I wouldn’t realise until it was too late. So, I’ve spent the day drinking coffee and rushing around, not giving myself a chance to feel how exhausted I am.

As I reach the couches, a figure steps out of the washrooms beside them, and our eyes meet. There goes my good mood.

“Donavon,” Jason O’Reilly snaps as he approaches me whilst shoving his hands in his pockets.

“O’Reilly,” I nod as I walk past him, but he steps in my way. I Should have known he wouldn’t let things be, at least if his hands are in his pockets he can’t punch me, for now anyway.

“If you think I haven’t got anything to say about last night, you are royally mistaken. Especially after hearing you dared to lay a hand on my fiancée.” The anger is evident on his face, and I wonder how far he is willing to go to defend his woman’s honour.

“Don’t expect me to apologise to your brother. As I told Verity, it will never happen. But I was out of order to your girl, and I will apologise to her when I see her next.” I keep my face as neutral as possible, hoping he sees my sincerity. He continues to stare at me with the same angry look. It’s not the first time he has been angry at me. You upset one O’Reilly, you upset them all, and I’m not worried about him trying anything as I know it would be a pretty even fight.

“You better because whatever has gone on in the past does not excuse you from calling her a slut. I will not stand for it, and neither will my brothers.” Shame fills me as I remember how badly I behaved towards Jasmine last night. There was no need for it. I have never treated a woman with such disrespect before. All she was doing was protecting her friend. Isn’t that something I should encourage? It would certainly puts my mind at ease a little, knowing Verity has such good friends watching over her.

“As I said, it was out of order, emotions were running high, and I was worried for Verity, which is no excuse.”

“No, it is not.”

For a moment, we look at each other; I can see a part of Jason still wants to fight me, if not worse. It’s what I deserve. If the shoe was on the other foot and an O’Reilly spoke to Verity the way I spoke to Jasmine purely because of her association with Christian, then I would wipe the whole family out. Fuck, I’m ashamed of myself.

“She means a lot to you, doesn’t she.” It’s not a question, he knows. I nod and take a deep breath. “You going to do anything about it?” Jason asks as he sits on the couch behind us. I know this is his olive branch, and I’m not foolish enough to ignore it. So, instead of walking away, I sit beside him and lean my elbows on my knees.

“My brothers already have. We don’t need to make her life more complicated than it already is,” I sigh. “The four of us together would be too much for her. Last night just showed that things are going on in her life that others weren’t aware of.”

“Her boyfriend?”

“Ex and a dead man. I’ll kill him if I ever see him.”

Jason chuckles, and I look at him with an arched bow. He is leaning back, looking relaxed, with one arm over the back of the sofa, his left ankle resting on his right knee.

“Do you know how many boyfriends me and the guys got rid of before we finally admitted our feelings to Jazzy? The last one took a nasty fall down a flight of stairs, and last I heard, he couldn’t even be on the same street as her without wetting himself.”

I shake my head as he grins. These guys have always been arrogant fuckers; I used to look up to them for that, and in a way, I still do. It only seems natural they would be protective of their woman.

“I’m sorry about the call I made when Jaz was taken.”

“You mean the call when you tore Christian a new one for Verity being spiked?”

I nod as I look back to the open area of the foyer.

“I saw her the day after it happened, and she was a mess; I was furious. She didn’t get out of bed for two days; when she did, she was still confused and drowsy. I lost it and felt bad afterwards when I heard about Jaz being taken. When Christian screamed it down the phone, I thought,… I don’t know what I thought. I just lost my temper.”

---