Breaking Brent Part 13

78.

What was her grandfather up to? Glenn had a way of getting anything out of anybody and that fact worried Peyton. He always had a scheme. He always had a game plan. She just wondered what this one entailed.

"I want you two to know how proud I am of you both."

Reed's eyes looked to Peyton's and Peyton's looked to his. "The fact that the two of you will hold your brother's secrets at all costs tells me that my son raised you right and that I raised him right." Glenn James squeezed his son's shoulder once more and then patted it.

"We all know something's going on over there. Some know more than others, but we all need to be on the same page here. If you won't tell, or can't tell because you were asked not to, then don't." Three sets of confused eyes landed on the oldest James. "If you don't tell, you don't betray. Right? Why don't we do this, you two don't say a word until we get something wrong. If we get it wrong just say as much. Nothing more, nothing less."

His plan made sense. They would never have to explain, to tell Murphy's secrets, just tell them what they got wrong. It was sneaky and low, but Peyton felt they needed to know what a crazy b.i.t.c.h Kathleen was. She nodded and saw Reed did the same.

"All right. We all seem to have come to an understanding. Son, why don't you tell them what you know, no questions asked, and let's see where that gets us."

Her father nodded his head, took a deep breath and began.

"Murphy won't take my calls and when I go over there he won't let me through the door. I can see through the windows. The place is a d.a.m.ned mess. Just like his face. Just like your face."

Peyton felt like her scratched-up face had a flas.h.i.+ng neon light beneath it.

"We also know that Kathleen seems to be out of town and that until yesterday Lucas was at your house. Did Kathleen have something to do with all this? Did she destroy her and Murphy's house? Did she hurt Lucas?"

Her father's questions were coming one after another and they were making Peyton's head spin. She couldn't answer them, but her father's last questions were asked to her face directly, with him barely an inch away from it. Everything was happening so fast. Her father was barking questions. Her grandfather was trying to reel his son back in and her brother was trying to deflect the questions his way. One up for Reed in Peyton's book-he was trying, though it did little good.

"Is my grandson hurt?"

"Son, we said no questions."

"Peyton already told you he was fine, take her word. She would never lie to you about Lucas's safety."

"You two need to tell me what is goin' on."

"Son, just calm down and we'll get to the bottom of this."

79.

"It's not Peyton's fault. Quit yelling at her like it is." Reed's protective side was in full swing as he spoke to their father.

"Then whose fault is it, Reed?" The mile-a-minute questions and booming voices stopped.

"It's my fault."

During the last few minutes none of them had noticed the front door open and the newest James arrive. Murphy stood in the archway leading from the foyer into the living room and stared his father down.

Peyton held in the gasp she felt rise in her throat when she saw her brother. He looked awful. His face was still bruised and battered, just like her own, his golden locks were disheveled and his eyes were rimmed in red as if he hadn't slept in days. He probably hadn't.

"You can stop with the inquisition. I'm here now and I'll tell you every last detail." Murphy left his spot by the archway and walked straight to their father. Peyton watched her father's expression speed through a million emotions. In the end he said nothing. He just opened his arms and Murphy walked into them.

Peyton felt the bite of stinging tears close her throat and then fill her eyes. She watched the two men as everyone else did. They said nothing, they never moved. Her father just held her brother and her brother let him. It was Grandpa Glenn who broke the silence.

"Why don't the three of us take a walk. These old legs could use the exercise." He donned his hat, walked past her father and brother and she and Reed followed closely behind. The trio didn't stop until they were nestled in the barn, far from the house, out of sight and out of mind.

Reed made his way to the stall he had moved Cinnamon Stick to and rubbed the mare's neck as she offered it to him. Grandpa Glenn found a chair that had seen better days and took a seat and Peyton settled for one of the lowest bales of hay stacked in the hallway to rest on.

"This is one big f.u.c.ked-up mess." Reed's voice shattered the quiet of the hallway and Peyton was glad that it did.

"Yes, it is," her grandfather said. "What happened to your face, Peyton?"

"I thought we said no questions?" Peyton looked at her grandfather and quirked her eyebrow.

"That rule only applied to you two and your daddy. It has no bearing on me. Now what happened to that pretty face?"

"Got in a fight." Was all Peyton could tell him. It was the truth-most of it.

"D'you win?"

"You bet your a.s.s I did." Peyton smiled as her grandfather and brother chuckled at her statement.

"That's my girl." The talking stopped and stillness took its place.

Peyton wondered if Murphy would tell their father everything. She wondered what her father would say and what he would do. She also wondered how long it would take for her father to tell her mother what had transpired today. Lexie James would not be happy. She would cry for Murphy. She would cry for 80 Peyton and then she would denounce the tears and turn her attention to righting what or who had wronged her kids.

Peyton took a deep, cleansing breath and let the air and the aromas from the barn fill her nostrils and her soul. When the scents. .h.i.t her system, so did furious flashbacks.

She and Brent on Chase's wedding day. She and Brent in the barn on Chase's wedding day. Brent's hands holding her hips. Brent's fingers caressing her nipples. Brent's lips loving hers and his c.o.c.k invading her body. A s.h.i.+ver ran through her and for a split second she could sense him filling her.

Stop it, her mind willed her body with no luck. All she could see when she closed her eyes was him.

All she could hear when she closed out everything else was her own moans of pleasure. All she could feel in her heart was regret-regret that she wanted nothing more than to do it again.

But she knew you could want for days, weeks and even years and there was nothing you could do about it.

Wanting was a waste of time, but what a way to waste it.

81.

Chapter Twelve.

Brent sat on the front porch of the main house and rocked slowly back and forth in one of the numerous chairs available as he stared off into s.p.a.ce. The only noise that could be heard across the great expanse of land that was his and his brothers' was the slight noise coming from inside the house.

Brent listened as his brothers and Jocelyn laughed and carried on with one another as they finished off what was left of the beer from the wedding reception days ago.

He smiled to himself when he heard the group inside burst out laughing about whatever Hayden had said. Brent could imagine what the conversation was about. He should go inside and join them, but he didn't. Instead he sat alone with the night and his thoughts-his thoughts about Peyton and what had happened between them.

He hadn't intended for it to happen, but it had. s.e.x had not been his purpose for following her into the barn. Had it? He had rolled that very question around in his mind a thousand times since it had happened.

Did he go there with the intent of having s.e.x with her? No. Had he expected it? Never. Had he enjoyed it?

h.e.l.l yeah. He always enjoyed it.

s.e.x with Peyton was always fresh, new and exciting and filled with more than just hormones that needed to be sated. Did he love her? That was the question. He used to. There was definitely something more he felt when it came to Peyton-there always had been. The past three days, not seeing her, but thinking nonstop about her, had wreaked havoc on his insides. He had gone years without her, but he felt like he couldn't stand a minute more. l.u.s.t would do that to a man, but love would too.

There had been a time in his life when he'd seen himself settling down with Peyton, creating a home and a life with her and having children. There had been a time in his life when he couldn't imagine going a day without seeing her, talking to her, kissing her.

What he felt now brewing inside of him felt a lot like he used to feel when he was around her, when he saw her, when he took her. These feelings had been around for awhile. He had tried his best to bury them. But she made that impossible.

He leaned back in the chair and retrieved the item he'd had with him every day since the wedding-her panties. He had forgotten he had put them in his pocket. He didn't realize that he'd forgotten to give them back to her until he was changing out of that d.a.m.ned tuxedo. He was glad he checked the pockets. He sure didn't want Evelyn at the bridal shop to find them on Monday morning. Of course, Evelyn probably wouldn't have thought anything about it. She would have simply kept them until she saw one of them and handed the article over.

He could have imagined what would have happened if she'd handed them over to Chase or Jace or any of his brothers for that matter. It would have started a whole bunch of mess he didn't really want to deal with. Not now. Everything was still too fresh and too new-too undetermined.

But Nick knew. He had seen them-well, not really. It was hard to see from behind a hand. Brent counted himself lucky that it had been Nick who found them.

Nick was from the old league of southern gentlemen and he had a code of honor. He didn't kiss and tell and he sure as h.e.l.l didn't see anyone kiss and tell about it. Brent wished he could say the same for his other two brothers.

Jace and Hayden both always wanted the nitty-gritty details. h.e.l.l, if Hayden didn't remember the details he sure found a way to make them up. And boy, could he make them up.

From the corner of his eye, Brent saw the screen door open and Nick step through it. He replaced Peyton's property inside his pocket with every intention of returning it to her-and soon. Maybe even tonight.

It was early yet, not even eight o'clock.

She didn't get off work at the bar until ten or soon after. He could very easily stop by Big Jack's and return what she had left behind-or what he had kept. But he didn't want to embarra.s.s her any more than she already was. He also didn't want to be sitting in her driveway when she pulled up either. Sitting in someone's driveway seemed a bit stalker like to him. He could wait. But hadn't someone once said that there was no time like the present? Who knew? He sure as h.e.l.l didn't.

Brent moved his legs that were resting on the railing and let Nick pa.s.s. His brother sat down and was quiet for a moment. He started to speak and then stopped himself. He did that three more times before it started to bug Brent.

"Well, spit it out. Don't just sit there when you've got something to say."

"I didn't see anything."

Brent smiled to himself and kept on rocking. "I know you didn't and I appreciate you not looking.

That means a lot to me. Just don't mention what you saw or didn't see to anyone else, okay? She was embarra.s.sed enough and I don't want to add to that embarra.s.sment if I can help it."

"I won't say anything about what I saw...what I didn't see."

"Thanks for that." Brent watched Nick lean back in the chair and try to relax, but it wasn't working for him. He looked tense and uncomfortable and like something was on his mind. Brent took a deep breath and then let it expel. Whatever was on Nick's mind must be bothering him an awful lot. Brent knew he would regret his next question, but he asked it anyway. "What's on your mind?"

83.

He saw Nick jump nearly out of his chair and he shook his head. Whatever was going on must be major. Nick was usually as relaxed as they came-laid back, pa.s.sive to the point of irritation, but tonight something was off.

Brent started to question him again but was halted when both Jason and Hayden joined them on the porch. Neither took a seat. They both decided to lean against the railing facing him and Nick.

They all were quiet for the briefest of seconds and then Jason spoke.

"I thought you said you weren't messin' around with Peyton."

Brent's gaze flew to Nick who looked a little green around the gills and guilty as h.e.l.l.

"I thought you said you didn't see anything?" He moved to the edge of his seat about the same time Nick jumped up from his.

"I swear, I didn't." Nick pointed a finger at Jason. "He's the one that told me you were in the barn. I didn't even know who you were in there with." Nick then stretched his hands out in front of his body in an act of surrender. Who in the h.e.l.l surrendered before the fight even started? Nick Kiel, that's who.

"I thought you said you didn't know who I was with?" Brent's voice boomed in Nick's direction and he watched as all three of his brother's winced at the volume.

"I didn't."

Nick's voice told Brent he was telling the truth, but that brought up another question.

"If you didn't know who I was in there with and you didn't look, then how in the h.e.l.l did you know."

"I told him." This came from Hayden would stood there lazily and waited for Brent to come after him.

Hayden was the polar opposite of Nick-he would fight over whether or not the sky was indeed blue. He was like Jason in that respect. Over the years, Brent had seen Jason get into more fights over the stupidest things.

"How in the h.e.l.l did you know and why'd you tell him?" Brent indicated Jason by stabbing his finger in his direction.

Hayden only shrugged his wide shoulders and said, "You didn't tell me not to tell anyone, so I told Jason and he told Nick and Nick, being ever the one full of chivalry, decided to come and get you. I just can't believe he didn't look. I would have looked. h.e.l.l, I still want to look."

Brent's fists clenched at the thought of Hayden seeing Peyton in any other way besides fully clothed, but there was something else bugging him.