Page 48 of Bound by Desire
“Right.”
“Alright, I gotta take a leak, eat, and get over to my parents to talk to Emery. She’s due in a couple hours.” I rise from the couch with astretch.
“Deke,” Coopwarns.
“Don’t. Just don’t. I get you. Appreciate you lookin’ out for my mom. But that’s all, Coop,” I lay out for him in hopes he’ll let this shit go. Those pieces need to stayscattered.
Unfortunately, I know my cousin. He doesn’t detour, and even if he lets me off with this shit, he’s going to look into it. I just hope he doesn’t find what he’slookingfor.
“Not over, Deke,” he says, rising from his chair with a look of concern and anger crossing his features. “Know you gotta talk to Emery. Then we’re hashin’thisout.”
“That doesn’t workforme.”
“Don’t give a fuck.” He steps into my personal space, and my body goes on fullalert.
Cooper and I didn’t have the knock down fights I had with Nox when we were younger. Ours was more of a drifting away. With his build and mine so evenly matched, it’d be a fuck of a fight, not that it’s my intent. I just won’tbackdown.
“Neither do I,” he challenges. “Get your fuckin’ head screwed on today. We’re talkin’ and endin’thisshit.”
“You seem to have me mistaken for someone who takes orders from you. Back the fuck up,” I growl, anger pumping through my veins. Even though I know he’s right, know he’ll push me until I talk, it’s nothappening.
“Guys, stop!” Austyn cries out, coming between us. Only when she pushes on my chest do I take a step back to allow her in. “This needstostop!”
“Stay out of this, Austyn,” Cooperorders.
Austyn huffs. “Right.” She turns to me. “Go to thebathroom.”
“Stay out of my shit, Cooper,” I demand, turning around and exitingtheroom.
His shit is not needed, but I know it’s not over. The last thing anyone needs is for Ravage to be all up inmypast.
* * *
The house is nowa light blue color. When I lived here, it had a tan siding with dark blue shutters. The same shutters are there, still the same color. Flowers line the outside, and the tree in the front yard where we used to have a tire swing has grownalot.
As I pull up and into the driveway, memories assault me. Some good, some not. The main one is home. Truthfully, I like the life I built in Grayson, but it never felt like home. It was a place to live, work, and crash. Here, in the driveway, that sense of home washes over me. It’s friendly and a bitunwanted.
This isn’t supposed to be home anymore, but I can’t fight the feeling thatitis.
The door to the front swings open and Emery stands there, sees the truck, and begins a mad dash to me. Damn, she’s beautiful and reminds me of our mother. Long, golden blonde hair that reaches her ass and thick as all hell. Small frame, and a face that’ll have men’s dicks hard. She’d better hope all those fuckers keep their dicks away from her or I’lldestroythem.
I hop out of the truck and shut the door. She barrels into me, jumping up and wrapping her arms around my neck and legs around my middle. Her body shakes with quiet sobs as I clutch her tightly. That black heart inside begins to shatter. My baby sister is broken in my arms. There isn’t any motherfucker’s ass to kick exceptmyown.
Kills me I did this shit to her. Even worse is the blow Mom’s going togiveher.
“Shhh …It’sokay.”
“You’re here.” Her words come out as a whispered hiccup. I feel her breathing in and out on my neck, trying to calmherself.
“Yep.”
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Even with her body coming down from the tears, it shakes, letting me know her fear. Hate it, but it’s a partoflife.
“Yep.”
“Shit.” Her legs fall from around me, and then she takes a step back. “Still gladyou’rehere.”
I wrap my arm around her neck and pull her to my side. “Let’s go in anddothis.”
