Hating You (Blackthorn Elite 1)

“I don’t know if this is a good idea. Like you said, this is a hotel. What if someone hears?” Defuse the situation.

“That’s why I gagged her. We’ll put a pillow over her face for good measure.” I can’t believe my brother’s words. I’ve looked up to him since I can remember. I’m not a good person by any means, but this, the man he has become, is something else entirely. Where I walk a fine line between right and wrong, he’s completely gone, a lost cause. There is no right or wrong with him. There is just what he wants, and that’s it.

“Still, we shouldn’t do this. Not here.”

“Don’t tell me you’re enamored by her pussy?” He rolls his eyes, “Don’t want to share her with me? What happened to brothers share everything?”

It takes everything in me to let my next sentence escapes my mouth, “Fine, I’ll share.” As I say the words, I force a grin, hoping that it’s enough to convince him.

Willow starts to thrash, the bed creaking with every shift of her body. I wish she didn’t have to hear that, and I hope like hell that when this is over, she believes that I did this to protect her.

Like an evil villain, he rubs his hands together in excitement. “Great, let’s begin.”

My brother turns his back to me and heads to the bed, toward Willow… my Willow. Mine. That one single word resonates through me, ripping through the tissue and bone, branding into my heart. Mine. She is mine. I know what I have to do.

Time seems to slow down. He only takes one step, but a million things are running through my mind. A million scenarios play out in my head all within that one step. Do it.

And then, I strike. Like a wild animal, I pounce on Brett’s back. My arms circle his neck, and I pull him down into my chest, trying to get a good enough grasp to cut off his air supply. Immediately he struggles against my hold. Struggles so much so, that I almost lose my grip, but all I have to do it glance over at the fragile creature lying on that bed, and a newfound vigor fills my veins. He might be bigger than me, but he doesn’t have a reason to fight.

“You fucking asshole,” Brett manages to say, his voice strained and breathless. Using his body weight, he makes us sway, and with a kick against the bed, he propels us backward. Before I can think, my back is slamming into the corner of the TV cabinet, knocking the wind straight out of me. Gritting my teeth, I put everything into keeping my hold on him.

“You’re the asshole, I fought for you, and you were guilty the whole time,” I grit into his ear and tighten my arm around his neck. He makes a choking sound, and I have to drown out the noise, concentrating on Willow instead. Dark hair. Haunting green eyes. My world. My life. I squeeze tighter, feeling Brett’s movements slow, the fight in him withering away with each second. My muscles burn, and my jaw clenches so hard I can hear my molars grinding together.

Beads of sweat drip down my face, and a moment later, the room falls silent, and Brett’s body goes slack in my hold. As soon as he is out, I let go of him and check his pulse. I want to knock him out, not kill him, well, I kinda want to kill him, but I’m smart enough to know that doing that will leave me without Willow.

When I confirm that he is still alive, I dash to the phone, pick it up and call the front desk.

The moment someone picks up, I yell, “We need the police and an ambulance in room 519. Now!” I slam the receiver back on the station and turn to Willow.

My fingers shake as I start to undo the tape he used to tie her up. He must have had it in his jacket, which means he planned this whole thing. I don’t know why, but that makes me feel even worse. I brought him here and left my Willow alone with him. I pull the piece on her mouth off, and as soon as it hits the floor, a loud sob fills the room.

“I’m sorry, Willow, so sorry,” I keep saying as I carefully free her from the rest of the tape. When her hands are free, she slings her arms around me, pulling me closer and burying her face into my chest.

“Oh, god, I thought… I thought…” She heaves in-between sobs.

“Shhh,” I try to soothe her, “I know, you don’t have to explain it to me.”

“I didn’t know,” she whimpers.

“I didn’t know either. You have to believe me, Willow. I had no idea. I thought he was truly innocent.” I hiss, my voice plagued with emotion. “I’m so sorry. Everything I did to you. Everything my family did to you. I’m sorry, so fucking sorry.” I hold onto her a little tighter, wishing I could just take her and disappear into the darkness.