Beneath the Stars (Falling Stars 4)

Only thing that managed to keep me from doin’ it was the tablet that was tossed to the bed like a barrier between us. Maggie’s attention was instantly drawn there, too.

Took me a second to process the bullshit I was seeing. To let the bleariness clear so I could make out what was on the screen.

Shouldn’t have been a shocker that it was that motherfuckin’ site that sought to ruin my already ruined life.

My heart seized in my chest, alarm squeezing my ribs so tight I thought they were gonna collapse.

This mornin’s story told a very raunchy tale of Maggie and me. There were a bunch of pictures of us out on that darkened street like what we’d been engaged in was some sort of lewd act.

Maggie pressed to the building, skirt bunched up around her thighs with my hips wedged between hers. Another of her straddling me as we’d slipped into the backseat of the car.

My mouth and hands all over her sweet body.

Shit.

Fuck.

Hell.

Not smart on my part.

Gettin’ distracted like that.

Not last night or right then.

Because a fist landed at the side of my face without me even preparing myself for the blow. A burst of pain splintered through my brain, so extreme I was a second from losin’ coherency.

Lights out.

Rocking to the side on my hands and knees, I blinked hard, trying to keep it together while I shook off the shock.

All while the dread I’d been feeling for weeks careened through my bloodstream, recognizing the fury that stormed the room like an army.

Only this was a one-man battalion.

A ragin’, furious man who came for me again. “You piece of shit. I knew it. Knew it.”

Another fist landed on the other side of my face. This time I was almost prepared for the knuckles that cracked against my jaw and sent a string of bright lights flashing behind my eyes.

Maggie screamed. “Royce. No. Stop.”

Her voice hittin’ the air only fueled his anger, and Royce was unlocking and jerking open my door. “You fucked my sister? I trusted you.”

It was pure disgust.

Horror dripped like venom from his mouth.

The sound of the door banging against the wall added to the riot.

To the roaring in my ears.

To the pain that throbbed my face.

I barely looked up when Royce came stalking for me, dude that dark storm that had made landfall. He hauled me up by the arm while I was wearin’ nothing but my underwear and tossed me out into the hall.

Barely kept my footing as I slipped out onto the hard marble floor. Somehow, I righted myself, then I was reeling again when another blow slammed my face.

I let him.

Took it.

Hell, I basically begged for it since I’d been asking for trouble from the start.

I bottled the violence that nearly burst every capillary in my system as he came at me again.

Cracking and fracturing and splitting me apart.

The instinct to stand and fight back.

Thing was, a brawl between Royce and I wouldn’t end pretty for either of us.

And this was on me.

I deserved whatever penalty I had coming my way.

Stealing from the pure.

Taking from the good.

“Sick motherfucker.” The words grated from Royce’s mouth, dude not even pretending like he hadn’t come unhinged.

No doubt, the fear and protection he felt for his sister, all the years he’d spent trying to make sure she had a fighting chance—the time he’d sacrificed behind bars so she could fly—had hit a boilin’ point.

I’d been the dumbfuck to turn the burner to high.

But I couldn’t regret it.

Couldn’t regret a thing when I let him back me down the sweeping staircase and across the ramblin’ main floor, knowing we needed to get out of this house before we woke everyone up. We both knew full well no one else needed to witness this.

Because the guy had death on his face and mayhem in his body.

I’d take it.

All of it.

For Maggie.

Maggie.

Maggie who was right behind him, whimpering and trying to get ahold of him by the shirt. “Royce. Stop it. Listen to me. You don’t understand.”

“I understand perfectly.”

It was menace.

Hate.

“Asked you to watch over her. Take care of her. And you took advantage of her.” His voice curled in revulsion.

Couldn’t deny a single one of those things except for the fact I didn’t know how to accept what Maggie and I had shared as wrong.

Our time precious.

Treasured.

And I knew…knew my girl wouldn’t regret it, either.

Didn’t mean this wasn’t comin’, anyway.

Truth that I could never keep her. Truth I would never be good enough. Truth that my past would always catch up to me.

“No, Royce. Stop. I’m not a child. You don’t get to decide who I’m with,” she rushed as she fumbled across the floor, grabbing at her brother like she might be able to make a dent in his rage.

Walking backward with my riotin’ heart in my throat, I groped behind me to open the back door, glancing once at Maggie in an appeal.