Page 5 of Fall

I will have to call the school tomorrow and tell them he isn't coming in for a few days until his ribs, or whatever the fuck else Dad has done, have healed. The fact he moved so quickly out of the room gives me hope that nothing is too wrong.

"You never learn, Harley. Always protecting them like the little shit you are," Dad says, walking over to me as I shut the door behind me. The last thing I need is for the kids to hear any of this.

Dad grabs his bottle of whatever and drinks a load while he watches me, clearly calculating something.

"Tomorrow, you’re fighting for me. You won't lose," he tells me before pouring himself another drink.

"What?" I ask in horror as I hope he isn’t thinking what I’m thinking.

"Don't act fucking dumb, Harley. You’re the best I've seen when you fight those boys I find for you. Your brothers can't last two seconds," he spits out.

"That's because they are against adult men who fight for a living. They are kids, Dad. Don’t you give a shit about us?" I shout.

"You will do it, and they will learn." Dad shrugs, drinking more.

“Are you not even going to answer my question? Are we just here to win fights for you in The Cage? Is that the only reason you kept us around after Mum left?”

“Don’t talk about that bitch,” he says, throwing his glass into the wall. I don’t even flinch as it smashes.

"Tomorrow," he says, walking past me, and the reek of alcohol nearly makes me choke as he walks past. He stops as he opens the door and looks back at me.

"After all, it's your birthday, Son. Don’t say I don’t care. I remembered." He chuckles to himself as I hear the door slam behind me, and I pray I make it out alive for no other reason than my brothers need me.

"Man, just go and knock on her door." Luke bumps my shoulder as he carries two pizza boxes into the lounge, and I snap out of the memory.

I have no idea why I’m thinking about it now. Isn’t it bad enough my memories haunt me when I sleep? I continue to pace, getting more pissed that Tilly hasn't come downstairs since Izzy left earlier today. She must be hungry, and I'm ignoring the part of me that is begging for a chance to stare at her more. The red-haired siren is going to be the death of me, I think as I walk out of the lounge and head upstairs.

I stop when I’m standing outside her bedroom, which is opposite mine. I groan internally, considering how it’s a bad idea to have her so close. I could have given her the guest room next to Izzy, but I'm a selfish bastard who wants to see her first in the morning, even if I can't be the one she wakes up next to. I would be no good for a girl like her. I’m too messed up to offer her anything.

I knock a few times before the door is opened by a freshly showered Tilly. Her red hair is down, and she is wearing a silky green pyjama shirt and trousers. The colour complements her pale skin and her hair, making her more bloody beautiful. I swear this siren was sent here to tease me.

"Do you need something?" she asks me, raising one perfect eyebrow in suspicion as her eyes drop to my body before meeting my eyes again. She, apparently, caught me checking her out. Not that I care if she realises.

"Dinner is here, come downstairs," I reply.

"No." She goes to shut the door, and I stop it with my foot before pushing it open a little more so I can see her face in the dark room.

"That's rude," I comment, almost amused by her need to get away from me so quickly.

"Me? You didn't say please, so you’re clearly the rude one here," she says, hiding a small smile.

"You must be hungry." I shrug off her comment, not wanting to admit she might be right.

"Nope, I wouldn't want to bother you." She crosses her arms, making her large chest bounce up. It takes me way too long to pull my gaze up to her eyes, and she glares at me.

"Please come and eat with us. If you don’t, I swear I’ll put you over my shoulder and carry you downstairs," I tell her, meaning every word. I don’t like the idea of her sitting up here hungry and alone.

"You only had to say please," she huffs, slipping past me and walking toward the stairs as I stare at her fantastic ass.

"I don't say please often, siren, you might as well just do as I ask," I say, and she looks over her shoulder at me before she laughs. I really won't ask her nicely again. Clearly, the little siren isn't going to listen to me.

I run my hands over my face, looking away from Tilly's ass as I try to calm the fucking hard-on I have down. I fucking love it when women don't act like cowards, but I can't have this one. Man, she must be four years younger than me, and my sister’s best friend to boot.

"Well, hello there," Luke says to Tilly as she walks into the lounge. I walk in as he openly checks her out before looking at my face and smartly looking sheepish. I try not to glare at him, but it doesn’t work. I already want to get him to leave somehow. What the hell is wrong with me?

"You must be Luke," she says before sitting on the opposite sofa to Luke. I don’t even want to admit how relieved I am that she chose not to sit by him. I take the seat next to her, despite her glare in my direction.

"You must be Tilly, is that short for anything?" Luke asks, flipping the channel to music he likes.

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