Page 14 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

“We found her. She’s wasted and caught him with another woman.”

“Hey! Don’t tell him fuck all!” I yell.

“Verity! I get you are upset, but this isn’t you,” Jaz starts. But I’m not in the mood to listen to her bullshit tonight. I climb out of the car, desperate to get away from her.

“Why don’t you go back to your daddies and perfect life and leave me with my vodka and cheating boyfriend.” I start to walk away, but a car drives up to us and comes to a stop. When I see who gets out, I curse under my breath. “Well, isn’t that just perfect!” I yell, throwing my hands up, nearly losing my balance.

“Get in the car,” Travis snaps, marching up to me.

“She isn’t going anywhere with you unless you tell me who you are!” Jaz yells, standing in front of me.

“No need to ask who you are. Big mouth and think you rule the world and all in it. You must be the O’Reilly’s slut.” Travis only just manages to catch Jasmine’s wrist to stop her from slapping him across the face.

“Get off me, now!” she yells.

“What? So, you can try to hit me again. I don’t think so.”

“Get your fucking hands off my wife!”

I spin around and see Christian O’Reilly running into the car park with his security guard, Terry, next to him.

“Last I heard, the wedding hadn’t happened yet,” Travis answers as he pushes Jasmine towards Christian, who stops her when she charges forward, no doubt to try and hit Travis again.

“Do you really think I need a piece of paper to tell me she is mine?” Christian stops right in front of Travis, so there is merely an inch between them. Both have their hands balled up, and I know a fight is about to break out. “If you so much as touch a hair on her head again, I will kill you. Is that understood, Donavon?” Christian warns. I look at Travis, who looks scarier than I have ever seen him before. He isn’t backing down; if anything, he takes a step closer to Christian.

“Oh, I know exactly what you are capable of, O’Reilly,” Travis growls through his teeth. Christian doesn’t back down as he stares at him.

“I don’t know what I need to do to get it through your thick skull, but I had nothing to do with it.”

“And I’m meant to take your word on that, am I?” Travis asks before shaking his head. “You’ve got more chance of hell freezing over. Now take your stepsister, I mean wife, and fuck off.” Travis turns his attention to me as I sway on the spot. He steps closer and takes my arm to steady me. When he looks at me, his whole face softens.

“Come on, Sweetheart, let’s get you home; you’re freezing.”

I go to step forward, but the ground moves underneath me, and I fall against him. Travis sighs but lifts me with ease before carrying me to the car. I can hear Christian laughing behind us and hide into Travis's top with embarrassment as he lowers me into the car and places a blanket over me.

“Something funny, O’Reilly?” Travis asks through gritted teeth as he turns and looks at Christian.

“You give me shit for being in love with someone who was once my stepsister. Pot calling the kettle black comes to mind,” Christian laughs as he turns around to look at Jasmine. “Come on, Baby Girl, you can call Verity tomorrow to check she’s okay. Danielle, we will give you a lift to your car,” I hear Christian call as Travis closes the car door. I don’t hear the response between them as I’m huddling underneath the blanket he has placed over me.

Travis climbs into the driver’s seat and turns his attention to me.

“Put your seatbelt on, Sweetheart.” When I try to do as he says I realise how hard I’m shivering. “Come here, let me do it.” Travis takes the seatbelt from me and clicks it into place before tucking the blanket around me.

“I feel sick,” I whisper as the car starts to move. Travis reaches into the foot well by my feet and hands me a plastic shopping bag.

“That’s what happens when you drink yourself into a stupor. We’ve all been scared out of our minds.”

I watch the lights as they pass the car, knowing Travis is driving slower than usual, probably to prevent me from throwing up. I heave a few times, but it’s not until the car comes to a stop outside my house that I throw up. Luckily, I manage to get it into the bag and not all over Travis’s car.

Travis opens the door next and helps me stand before carrying me into the house.

“Shit, she really is wasted,” I hear Ethan curse as Travis carries me upstairs.

“Find me a bowl and some towels,” Travis orders while walking into my room. I can feel the saliva building in my mouth again and I know what’s about to happen.

“Toilet,” I yell, putting my hand over my mouth. Travis manages to get me beside it as the first bout of vomit escapes my lips.

“That’s it, Sweetheart. Get it all up,” he says softly as he gathers my hair up from my face and holds it out of the way.

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