My Street Fighting Stepbrother - Book 1 (Stepbrother Erotic Romance) by Laila Cole Page B

the bathwater. “God dammit
this stings!”
     
    “That’s the salt. Why are your knuckles so busted
up? I thought you got jumped.”
     
    “What? You don’t think your big bro got a few good
licks in on those motherfuckers?”
     
    I giggled. “Sorry, I just viewed you curled up into
a ball and taking a beat down.”
     
    “Sorry to disappoint you sis, but I’m not that much
of a pussy.”
     
    “I don’t know,” I teased. “I used to wrestle you to
the ground pretty easily back in the day.”
     
    He struggled to laugh. “I let you win and you know
it!”
     
    “Sure you did…”
     
    Jackson began to cry. “I’ll check on him, just stay
there and soak, ok?”
     
    He nodded, slipping under the water again and
staying there. As I walked out of the bathroom I caught a glimpse
of his pants, and tucked inside of his front jean pocket was a huge
wad of cash. Just by the looks of it there had to be two or three
grand.
     
    Drake emerged from the bath and ran his fingers
through his ink black hair, slicking it back.
     
    “Hey, are you being straight with me?” I said.
     
    He turned around and looked me square in the eyes.
“Why would I lie? Now quit asking questions and bring me my son,”
he snapped.
     
    I didn’t want to piss him off and did as he asked,
picking up Jackson from his crib and carrying him toward Drake. He
caressed his face with his swollen, bruised hands until baby
Jackson fell right to sleep in his arms. The sight of them together
just melted my heart. He was such a good dad.
     
    I couldn’t keep my mind off the wad of cash. I
worried he’d gotten desperate and fallen in with a bad element. I
knew they types of people that hung out at Whispering Wind, and
they weren’t the type of people you had over for Sunday dinners. It
was a biker bar, and bikers, at least in this town, dealt meth. If
Drake had gotten caught up with those speed freaks he’d be in a
world of hurt.
     
    My voice trembled a bit, I didn’t want to call him a
liar, but I wanted him to know he had other options if he wasn’t
giving it to me straight. “I know times are tight Drake. But you
can always ask mom and dad to help.”
     
    “Mind your own business. I’ve told
you before, I ain’t ever talking to mom or dad again, especially my
dad. That rotten son of a bitch can go fuck himself after what he
did to my mother.
I watched the cancer eat away at her while he was busy fucking your
mom. And as much I love your mother, what he did was despicable! I
won’t ever ask him for money. I’d rather end up on the
street!”
     
    Jackson began to cry. “God dammit now I’ve woken
him. Just leave me be Beth, please.”
     
    “I know it wasn’t right for your dad to do that to
your mom. I know. But Drake, I saw the bills on your dinner table,
they aren’t going to let up.”
     
    He looked me in the eyes as dead serious as I’d ever
seen him. “And those bills aren’t none of your fucking business.
I’m going to pay every single last one of them.” He handed Jackson
back to me. “Tuck him into his crib. I’m done talking.” He sunk
back below the surface of the water and didn’t come up.
     
    I tucked Jackson in his crib and turned off the
lights. It was too damn late to drive home so I retired to the
couch; curling up with an old pillow and an afghan his grandmother
had knitted him when he was born. It didn’t take me long until I
fell asleep. I was pooped.
     
     

Chapter 2

    Redmond, Oregon – Sunday, May
17 th ,
2009
     
    “Beth, Beth. Wake up.” I was startled awake to
someone shaking my shoulder and speaking to me quietly.
     
    Dazed and confused I opened my eyes, still tired
from the night before. “Drake?” I said, semi-lucid.
     
    He cupped his hand around my face. “I just wanted to
say thank you for taking care of me. You did for me what Janice
never would have dreamed of doing.”
     
    “Of course I did.” I looked at the clock on the
wall. “Come on, go back to sleep it’s four in