“I heard Maggie bragging about you guys fucking in the back seat of your Porsche. Bryan is pissed that you fucked not only his girlfriend, Kaitlin, but also his twin sister …”
He snorts. “Bryan is a fucking pussy. If either one of them knew how to use their dicks, Kaitlin wouldn’t have come to me. And I screwed his sister just ’cause I could.”
I smile. That’s Cole for you. Bryan hates that his twin sister is just as big of a slut as his girlfriend is. Eli and I tapped Kaitlin at the same time. Collins isn’t small by any means, but your options are kind of limited at our age. Not quite old enough to fuck the older women in the town so you gotta keep your dick to the school.
“Kellan said you like his sloppy seconds.” I watch him closely to see how he reacts to that. It doesn’t take much to get Cole wound up. He’s always ready for a fight. To throw his fist into something—and whether that be a face or a wall, it doesn’t matter. They’ve been scarred for years.
He takes a drag of his cigarette and then leans forward, stubbing it out in the ashtray as he blows the smoke out. He looks at me and smirks. “Kellan would never say that.” I smile at him. “Plus, the first time I fucked her was in the boy’s locker room last year. Long before he stuck his dick in that.”
I chuckle. “You got me.”
He takes a sip of his drink but pauses when his eyes go over to the stairs. “Did you hear that?” he asks.
Thump … thump …
“Sounds like they’re moving furniture around,” I answer when we hear the pounding on the ceiling again.
Thump … thump …
“What the fuck …?” someone barks. Sounds like Eli.
We both jump to our feet and run up the stairs. Coming up to the landing, Cole shoves the door open, and we enter the large family room and see Kellan’s back pushed into a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the tennis courts in the backyard. A guy by the name of Trenten holds him in place. He’s a senior this year and on the football team.
Eli is on the dark hardwood floor, blood running from his nose, half dazed. Where the fuck are the rest of the guys?
We both storm over, and I yank Trenten off Kellan and shove him away just as Cole’s fist connects with Trenten’s face. He stumbles back.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Cole demands, looking around. No doubt searching for Bennett, Maddox, and Landen. I don’t even see Shane anywhere. Kids of all ages in our high school stand around with drinks in their hands staring.
“He fucked my girl.” The guy points at Kellan, who wipes his face with the back of his hand.
The blonde who was just on her knees for Cole buries her face in her hands in shame while standing behind the cream leather couch.
Cole notices and points at her. “Is that your girl?” He doesn’t even know her name.
I didn’t know she belonged to Trenten.
“Yes …”
Cole grabs him by the collar of his polo shirt and yanks him to his chest. Trenten has probably a few inches on him, but that won’t stop Cole. He’ll take on anyone. And he always wins. People whisper that he’s crazy. When most would back down, he eggs others on. If he picks a fight with you, he’ll even let you get a few hits in because that’s what he likes. Pain. Blood. It’s all like a fucking drug to him.
“I just fucked her mouth downstairs. Wanna fight me?” he growls.
Trenten’s eyes narrow down on Cole’s. His hands fisted, ready to strike. Cole just glares up at him.
“Come on, man.” Kellan slaps Cole’s shoulder. “She’s not worth it.”
The girl cries into her hands, turns, and runs out of the room. There’s gotta be fifteen people just standing around watching the exchange, and another twenty littering the backyard, gawking through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The music has stopped, and no one says a fucking word. No one even breathes. They’re all waiting to see what is going to happen next.
I help Eli up off the floor, not sure how the hell he got involved. He stumbles once on his feet.
“No,” Cole agrees with Kellan but keeps his eyes on Trenten. “She’s not. But you are.”
A flash of regret crosses Kellan’s face, and I wonder if he set this up. If he planned for Cole to get in a fight with Trenten. Cole may not brag about who he sleeps with, but he also doesn’t hide them. Kellan knew that Cole would own up to it, but he probably didn’t expect Cole to stand up for him like he is. As I said before, we may fight, but we are brothers. And brothers have each other’s backs.
“What’s it gonna be, Trenten?” Cole asks with an arch of his brow. Then he leans in closer to the guy and smiles.
Oh, shit! I know that look.
I’m already pushing a dazed Eli onto the couch and out of the way when my friend speaks again.
“You should thank me.” Cole lowers his voice, but you could hear a pin drop in this house. “I taught her a few things. It’s amazing how much dick she sucks, yet she couldn’t get me off …”
Trenten shoves him back and swings his right fist, hitting Cole in the jaw. People gasp as Cole takes a stumbling step back. But he just gives a bloody smile and then runs at him. Wrapping his arms around his waist, Cole picks Trenten up and body-slams him to the floor.
And then all hell breaks loose. Girls run screaming out of the room. One of Trenten’s teammates jumps on my back. Kellan pulls him off just in time as another one runs toward me as though I’m the quarterback on the opposing team he wants to sack. I get a few punches in before I’m hit in the back of the head. I feel the skin split, and an instant headache takes over. Falling to my knees, I try to blink away the pain.
I spot Cole on the floor across the room. Trenten’s still underneath him as Cole pounds on his face with his fists.
Eli yanks on my arm, trying to get me to stand, but I push him away.
“What the fuck is going on?” I hear Bennett’s voice ring out through the madness followed by a half-dressed Maddox and Landen skidding into the room.
Breathing heavily, I hang my head and shake it, thinking that will clear the fog, but it makes it worse. The room begins to fade in and out.
“Deke?” I hear Eli call out. “Deke, are you okay?” His voice fades as the ringing grows louder in my ears. I feel something running down the side of my face. Blood. What the …?
I don’t know how much time has passed, but I look up and no longer see Cole on the floor.
“Deke?” Instead, he kneels in front of me, snapping his fingers in front of my face. He has blood dripping from his busted knuckles and a cut on his upper lip. His right eye already turning purple. “Can you hear me?” he asks, breathing heavy. A thin layer of sweat covers his forehead, and blue eyes are hard on mine. “Deke?” he snaps.
I nod. “Fine.” But even as I say it, I flinch. “Fuck. What happened?” I ask as Cole grabs one of my arms while Eli grabs the other. They get me to stand and place my arms over their shoulders. I blink several times, but the pounding won’t stop. I notice we’re now alone. Even the backyard is clear.
“Denny hit you on the back of the head with my mother’s glass cross,” Bennett growls.
My head hangs, and blood drips from the side of my face to our feet.