I pick her up before she falls and carry her from the living room, back down the hall where she ran from.
The moment I saw her, I knew she was something special, but it wasn't until a trigger was pulled that I realized she was more than a treasure. She is a fucking precious gemstone, and I would be the man to protect her.
I see an open bedroom door and carry her inside. It's clear it is her bedroom, the tea she was making is still steaming on her table and I kick the door shut and lock it.
"This is your home?" I ask her, sitting her down on her bed and looking down at this sweet thing.
She nods. "Yeah, I live here with my brothers, but..." She shakes her head, her thick dark hair in her eyes. She pushes it away, and I see that there are tears in her blue eyes. "Nothing like that has ever happened. I should make sure everyone is okay."
"No one was shot," I tell her.
She nods. "I didn't think so. After I heard the noise, I ran out of my room and saw my brothers in the kitchen. That was right before you pulled me away."
I run a hand over my jaw, taking her in. She's lost the thick bathrobe and is now in nothing but a teeny tiny nightie. "You were going to faint."
"I still think I might." She exhales, and the rise and fall of her breasts is so damn sexy I feel my cock twitch at the sight of her.
"No one can hurt you, not while I'm here. I'll protect you."
Her eyes widen, and she presses a hand to her chest and licks her lips.
There is a knock on her door and her eyebrows knit with concern. Someone is slamming their fists on the door, trying to open it.
"Open the door," a man's voice calls.
"Porter?" she asks, her eyes darting to mine.
"Yeah. Open up," he hollers.
Biting her lip, she stands and tells me to get in her closet.
"Your what?"
"My closet. My brother will kill you if he knows I'm here with you."
"Your brother?"
"Yeah, Porter. He's... overprotective." She shoves me toward a closet door and presses a finger to her lips, telling me to keep quiet.
I hear her opening the bedroom door and listen without making a sound, but the door is left open a crack and I can see them. He's a big guy, tattoos all over him, and I wonder again why I let the guys from the ship bring me here tonight. It's not my typical scene, though looking at this girl’s backside in that silky nightgown, I can't help but think it was a good fucking thing I'm here.
"You okay? There was a shot."
"I heard it. Why were those guys here? Is everyone okay?"
"Everyone's fine. They are clearing out and thank god no cops have shown up."
"You promised to stop having parties. Now, do you understand why?" she asks.
Porter pulls off the bandana tied to his head and runs a hand over his bald top. "I know, it got out of control. Most everyone is gone though, and you just need to stay in your room, okay?"
She nods, her hand on the door to close it.
"And put on some fucking clothes, you'll give people the wrong idea," he adds gruffly.
"I can wear what I please."
"So long as you aren't fucking around. The guys here, they're all sketchy. None of them are good enough for you."
"You don't own me," she says defiantly.
"I know, but you are my little sister, and it's my job to look out for you."
"Okay," she says softly. "Well, I'm fine tonight."
Porter nods. "I'm gonna go see if Nixon and Smith have gotten rid of everyone. I think a few of us will just sit on the front porch, make sure no one is coming and going."
She nods. "Be safe. After everything we went through with Dad, I can't lose my brothers over some stupid rivalry."
"I know. You won’t."
She closes the door and locks it, leaning her back against it. I see she is trembling, and I don't know if it's because of the shit that went down in her house tonight, or if it's something more.
I open the door to the closet and step into her room.
"Hey," I say. "You okay?"
She looks at me with such longing, I can't help but close the divide between us.
"For what it's worth," I tell her, wanting to ease the tension, "I like what you're wearing, and it's not giving me any wrong ideas. Only right ones."
She dips her chin, raises her eyes. "Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah," I say, stepping closer, daring to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close. She doesn't resist. In fact, she seems lighter in my arms now. Her shoulders fall, and I can tell that with me, she's relaxed; at ease.