Page 15 of Taken By my Brothers' Best Friends

CHAPTER 13

Reed

I downed a few pain relievers and glared at the door keeping me away from Vera. The first day I hated the door because I wanted to see her. There was something about the woman that fascinated me and I wanted to watch her for hours just to see what she’d do next. Currently, though, I hated the door because it wasn’t fucking thick enough to muffle all the screams she was letting out. I’d never heard a woman throw a tantrum the way she was. My hands itched to spank her ass and shove a gag in her mouth and only part of it was sexual.

Lennon smirked at me. “There’s never been a woman who needs your correction more.”

“Don’t fucking start.” Dean shot me a look. “We aren’t touching her. Mills, Tate, and West are trusting us.”

I glared at him. “You don’t have to keep telling me that, Dean.”

Vera’s screams reached a new high and the sound of something hitting the door accompanied them. I looked over at Dean and motioned to the door.

He growled and marched over. As soon as he opened it, he was hit with a wall of Vera. She tried to get around him but he easily caught her and walked her back into the room. “Seriously, Vera?”

I couldn’t just sit there. I stood and walked upstairs, desperate to get away from Vera. I slammed my door shut and blew out a deep breath, struggling to regain my control. It’d been a long time since a woman created any kind of reaction in me. Not that I could do anything about it.

There was a knock on my door and then Lennon walked in. “Hey. You good?”

“Do you mean am I going to snap at any moment and ravage Vera?” I shook my head and blew out a harsh breath. “Sorry. I don’t mean to snap. I’m just frustrated.”

“Dean’s being too hard on you.”

I sat on the edge of my bed and leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. “Or maybe he’s right. I’m the reason things didn’t work out with Courtney. If I could control my desires, we would’ve found someone permanent for us by now.”

“Bullshit. Things didn’t work out with Courtney because she wasn’t right for us. You have more control over your desires than anyone I’ve ever known, Reed. You and Dean both need to cut you some slack.” He sat next to me and grinned. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Vera is making us all want to spank her right now. If she wasn’t our friends’ kid sister, I’m pretty sure she would’ve been screaming for a different reason by now. Beneath all that hate she pretends to feel for us, there’s something else.”

“I’m pretty sure she’s not pretending.” I still couldn’t help the smile which lifted one side of my mouth, though. Her vitriol was refreshing. Especially because it wasn’t pointed directly at me.

“Whatever. Just come back down. If I have to listen to her screaming, and Dean huffing by myself, I’m going to lose it.” He stood up and patted my shoulder. “She has to tire herself out soon, right? She’s been going for hours.”

A shiver worked its way down my spine. The sheer will Vera was showing was sexy. I wanted to test it and see just how stubborn she could be when the stakes were higher. “Fine. I know we aren’t touching her but I think she might need to be scared a little to stop her tantrum.”

“Let’s talk to Dean about it over a beer in whatever room is farthest away from her.” As soon as Lennon opened my bedroom door, Vera’s screams were back. It seemed like she was getting louder.

“She’s going to rip her own vocal cords out.” I stomped down the stairs and glared at Dean. “You tried it your way and couldn’t get her to shut up. Now I’m going to try it my way. If you can’t trust me, then I shouldn’t be here, D.”

He immediately held up his hands. “You belong here. I’ve never doubted that, Reed.”

“Just trust me. Even if it looks like I’m pushing boundaries, trust me to know the limits.” I held his gaze. “Okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” He sank onto the couch and gripped his head. “Just do what you have to, to make her stop screaming. My head is killing me.”

I talked a big game for a man whose hands shook as he opened the door to get to Vera. I wasn’t even sure I trusted myself. I had to do something, though. I wouldn’t let Vera hurt herself.

She was sitting on the side of her bed when I walked in, arms crossed and mouth open in another scream. She flinched when I slammed the door shut and her eyes went wide but she still screamed. I could practically see her thoughts written across her face. She thought she’d drive us crazy enough to let her go but she was wrong. We didn’t budge. We wouldn’t.

I ate up the space between us in two long strides and took pleasure in the way her voice broke mid-scream. I used a firm grip to hoist her up by her arms and once she was standing in front of me, I invaded her space, breathing in the scent of oranges and honey.

Vera stopped screaming and stared up at me with her eyes nearly falling out of her head, they were so wide. “What are you doing?”

“You’re being a brat. We brought you here to save your life and you’re throwing a tantrum like a spoiled little girl. You’re not leaving this place until it’s safe for you to do so, so let’s get something clear. No. More. Screaming.” I tapped her forehead with each word. “When I said you needed a spanking, I wasn’t just throwing the words out without meaning them, Vera. I don’t do that. If I say it, I mean it. Keep acting like a spoiled little brat and I’m going to bend you over, yank your shorts down to your knees, and turn your ass red. Do you understand me?”

Her mouth had popped open and she stared at me with shock and horror playing across her expressive face. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I would. And I would enjoy every second of it, too. You know why?” I stepped closer, so close our breaths mingled and my thigh pressed into her lower stomach. “Because it’s abundantly clear that no one has ever spanked you before and you need it. Scream again and I’ll consider it your consent, Vera.”

She waited until I stepped away to glare at me and open her mouth.

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