Fatal Seduction (Fatal Cross Live! Book 3) Read online

  “That’s none of your business,” he grunted.

  “The hell it isn’t, Braxton,” I barked, pushing my body forward. I was surprised when he stepped back, allowing me to walk inside. What I found there almost brought me to tears.

  The apartment was half the size of my own. His looked like nothing more than a studio with a fake wall to partition off the bedroom. It was a square with a living space on my left and a small kitchen table to my right. If you broke it down into four corners, you would place the bedroom in number one, the kitchen in number two, the living room in number three, and the eating area in number four.

  Shades that darkened the room hung haphazardly from the window that looked out over the landing in front of his door. Only a small lamp was lit on a wooden crate next to an old brown couch. The entire apartment looked like it belonged to a person who barely made ends meet, not a drummer for one of the biggest up-and-coming bands in the industry.

  “Please, Braxton, talk to me,” I pleaded, folding my arms across my chest. I winced slightly when I felt the pull on my stitches from the surgery I’d just had to release a tendon in my elbow. It wasn’t a huge surgery, it was more for maintenance on the spot where I’d had the most severe burns.

  “Abby,” Braxton gasped, moving to my side. His hands stilled as he reached out to touch me. “Why are you out of the house? You need to be resting after your surgery.” I knew the moment he realized he’d just let his secret out of the bag by the way he froze, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

  “I’m fine.” I pulled away from him and moved to take a seat at the kitchen table, but he didn’t follow. He propped his beefy shoulder against the small partition leading to his bedroom.

  “What did the doctor say?” he asked, his voice softening.

  “The surgery went very well,” I replied, my voice trailing off into a frustrated growl when I realized he was changing the subject. “I didn’t come here to talk about me.”

  “Well, we sure as fuck are not going to talk about me,” he exploded, running his tattooed hand through his short-cropped brown hair. The thick muscle in his jaw ticced as his eyes narrowed. “Abby, you can’t be here. I…I just can’t be around you. It hurts too much.”

  “Do I disgust you now?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. That was the one thing I didn’t want to happen. If he looked at me in that way, I would leave. I didn’t want him to think I was a freak.

  “God, no!” he gasped, taking a knee before me. “You are even more beautiful than I remember.”

  “Then why, Braxton?” I asked, tears welling up in my eyes. “Tell me why you have avoided me. Be honest…please?”

  “The songs I write? They’re all about you!” he growled, rising to his feet to pace.

  “Braxton…” I began, but he cut me off with a slash of his tattooed hand. The agony on his face brought more tears to my eyes. Before I could say or do anything, he moved forward so quickly it startled me, but when he raised his hands, cupping my face, I knew whatever he had to say was something I needed to hear. The tight hold hurt for a second until he realized his touch was too much.

  “Abby, I hear you screaming in my nightmares,” he admitted, his voice cracking as he spoke. “I can still smell your flesh as it burned…still hear you calling for me to save you. I live with this guilt, and I will never be the same man as I was before I stuck a fucking needle in my arm and drove that car.”

  “Braxton,” I choked out, pushing his hands away from my face. He rose to his feet as I did, and took a step back. I moved closer to him to be on a more even level, even if that meant I was still six inches shorter. He only stilled when my hand rested on his arm. We both looked at the contact, and I noticed the scars on the back of my hand. I jerked it away quickly and continued, “I don’t blame you. Hell, I never blamed you.”

  “I blame myself, and that’s why I had to let you go.” He sighed, glancing at my hand again. “Do you understand me? I cannot love you anymore, because how in the hell could you love me after what I did?”

  “Braxton, look at me,” I said softly. When he raised his eyes, I could see all of his pain and it punched me right in my heart. “I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  Time froze as his face fell and his eyes widened at my confession. The tension in the room thickened like an invisible fog. I knew the moment the words I’d spoken registered, because his face turned bright red with his anger.

  “You need to leave,” he demanded. “Now, Abby!”

  I waited all of two minutes for him to say he was sorry. Maybe even reach out for me, but all he did was stare at me as if he were in a trance. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.

  “I…I’ll go,” I whispered, and grabbed my bag. When I turned around to look at him one last time, Braxton still hadn’t moved from his spot.

  Chapter 5

  Braxton

  “Oh, son,” my mother cooed as she met me at the door. I didn’t want to come here, but I knew my sister would’ve showed up at my place to drag me out if I didn’t. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

  “Me too, Mama,” I said, wrapping my arms around her.

  She smelled like home…like simpler times. I let her squeeze me for several minutes, honestly not caring if she held on for longer. What was it about a mother’s embrace that made all of your worries fade away? Fuck, I was such a pussy. Twenty-seven and still relied on my mother to chase away the bad shit in my head.

  “It’s about time you showed up,” Penny snarled as she found me in the foyer, still hugging my mom. I kissed my mother’s temple and backed away, accepting another hug from my twin.

  “Jesus, Penny,” I gasped, wrapping my hand around her upper arm. “Have you been eating anything?” She looked thin…too thin.

  “I’m not a meathead like you,” she huffed, sticking her tongue out and spinning on her heel. “I haven’t changed any. You’ve just gotten bigger.” Yeah, I was going to have to watch her. I didn’t like the way she looked at all.

  “Come into the kitchen, I need you to put the steaks on the grill, son,” my mother ordered. One thing about my mom, she was as sweet as could be, but when she gave an order, you obeyed…even if you were a grown-ass man.

  I held my hands out for the platter and waited for Penny to open the slider to the deck. I shivered when the cold wind bit at my face. Seattle wasn’t anywhere near as inviting as most of the places I’d traveled to, but it was my home, and I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

  As soon as I entered the kitchen, my mom dropped the towel on the counter that she was using to wipe her hands. She handed me a bowl of potatoes and pushed me toward the table, following me with one of her own. I turned around and took that one from her, placing the vegetables in their place.

  We worked quietly for the next twenty minutes until the steaks were done. I placed the platter on the table and took my seat at the head where my father used to sit. My mother had insisted that I was to take his place after he passed away. I didn’t feel like the man of the family anymore, but I did as my mother wished, because I was still respectful.

  “So, tell me about the tour?” she asked, passing the platter toward my sister.

  “It was great,” I grunted as I tucked into my food. “The crowds are getting bigger.”

  “I’ve been seeing a lot of photos and articles on the internet.” Penny smiled, but her face sobered. “You deserve this, Brax.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, but froze when her tiny hand landed on my forearm. “What?”

  “We need to talk about it,” she urged, giving me a knowing look.

  “Penny,” I growled in warning. “Not now.”

  “Then when?” my mother asked, dropping her fork next to her plate. “I’m sorry, Braxton, but it kills me to see you like this. You used to be so happy and outgoing. Now, all you do is mope around and never speak about anything.”

  “Why are you both ganging up on me?” I barked, feeling like shit when my mother flinched. “Fuck, Ma. I’m sorry.”
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  “Language, Braxton Keller,” she scolded.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said in defeat.

  “We are just worried about you.” Penny finally spoke up after a few minutes of awkward silence. “You’ve changed so much.”

  “I’m not doing drugs,” I answered, “if that’s what you’re thinking.” Why were they doing this? I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

  “I know you are not.” My mom sighed loudly. “Your worrying about Abby is slowly killing you, Braxton. This needs to stop.”

  “I will always worry about her,” I growled, setting my napkin beside my plate. “I’ll clean up the dishes.”

  “Sit your ass down,” my mom snarled, causing me to freeze. My mother never cursed. “I’m not done speaking with you.”

  “Damn,” I mumbled under my breath. “Do we really have to do this now?”

  “When will be a good time, Braxton?” my mom pushed. “Next year? The year after? When?”

  “How about never?” I suggested, knowing she wasn’t going to stand down.

  “Not going to happen,” Penny smirked. I assumed now that they had me cornered, my mother and sister were going to voice their opinions on my behavior.

  Boy, was I ever right.

  “She still loves you,” Penny announced, but she didn’t have to say it. I already knew. I could see it in the way she looked at me after the concert and when she showed up on my doorstep.

  “You still love her,” my mom said. By no means was that a question. She was stating a fact; a fact that everyone around me knew more so than I did.

  “How could I not love her?” I asked, shaking my head.

  “Then go to her, work things out,” Penny urged. “You’re going to be home for a few weeks. It would probably help you if you two at least talked things out. You never had the chance to do that after the accident.”

  “No, I didn’t,” I grumbled. “I was in jail.”

  “You could’ve gone to her as soon as you got out,” mom reminded me. “You are the one who put the self-imposed restraining order on yourself, Braxton. Not her.”

  I sat there in silence, letting all of their words sink in, but my own guilt always outweighed everything when it came to Abby. It was almost like that demon was still sitting on my shoulder, making my life a living hell.

  Chapter 6

  Abby

  I thumbed through the racks of clothes, really not paying much attention to what I was looking at. I couldn’t shake the knowledge that Braxton was still suffering over the things that had happened. He may have looked different from when we’d been together, but inside, he was still the same. Inside, he really cared.

  Penny shuffled along beside me quietly. I already knew she wanted to ask me about Braxton, but I didn’t have the answers she was looking for. Occasionally, I’d catch her looking at me from the corner of her eye, but she never voiced what she wanted to say.

  “Oh, just spill it,” I sighed. “It’s killing you to ask me, isn’t it?”

  “Did you go by his place?” she finally asked, biting her lip. Even though Penny and Braxton were fraternal twins, they had the same mannerisms and movements. The little ticks, like biting their bottom lip, were so similar it was scary.

  “Yes,” I answered, pulling a shirt out to look at it thoroughly. “Do you think this would look good on me?”

  “Yes.” She frowned. “Tell me what happened with my brother.”

  “Nothing.” I blew out a breath, making my bangs fly up and settle back on my forehead. “He basically kicked me out.”

  “He did what?” She yelled so loud, two elderly ladies jumped from the sound. I narrowed my eyes at her when she spit out an offhanded, “I’m sorry,” to the ladies.

  “That wasn’t nice, Penny,” I scolded.

  “I’m going to kill him,” she mumbled.

  “You will do no such thing,” I warned. “Let me handle Braxton.”

  “Good luck with that,” she laughed, loudly.

  We shopped for another hour, leaving the store to pursue a place to grab lunch. Our choices were plentiful, but we ended up settling on a small pizza place not far from the store. When we entered, I noticed two men sitting at a table in the corner. Their eyes roamed both of our bodies and one of them gave Penny a wink. She rolled her eyes and walked to the counter to order her food.

  “Jerks,” she said under her breath.

  Penny was stunningly beautiful. Her hair was the exact same dark brown as Braxton’s, but hers fell in waves to her waist. She wore makeup like a professional and had the body of a movie star.

  “Quit pulling at your sleeves,” she whispered. I hadn’t even realized I was tugging at the three-quarter sleeve top she’d insisted I wear. It was hot outside, but I liked my long sleeves to cover the scars. Penny told me I shouldn’t hide who I was, but I couldn’t take that step and wear something any shorter than what I was currently wearing.

  “Sorry, habit,” I said, stepping up to place my order. “Just a slice of cheese pizza and a water, please.”

  The young man behind the counter smiled warmly at me and took my money, handing over the receipt and promising to bring the food out shortly. Penny steered me toward the other side of the restaurant, finding a small table for us to use away from the two gawking men.

  “Those guys are making me nervous.” I said after the waiter brought our food. They finished their meal shortly after we were seated, but they didn’t leave.

  One was probably in his mid-thirties with dark brown hair that reached his shoulders. The other was slightly younger with jet black hair. Both of them looked like they needed a shower and maybe some new clothes.

  Penny took a bite of her pizza and nodded for me to start eating. I raised my eyebrow in question when I saw her shoot off a text message on her phone. She shook her head and took a sip of her drink. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “Who did you text?” I asked, knowing in the back of my mind that it was probably her brother.

  “Eat,” she demanded, taking another bite of her food.

  We both ate a little faster than usual; our conversations were at a minimum. I wiped the corner of my mouth and set my napkin to the side just as I noticed Penny sitting up straighter in her seat and freezing.

  “Hello, ladies,” the dark haired one announced as he approached the table. “What are a couple of beauties like you doing today? Can we join you?”

  “Nope,” Penny shot off. Her eyes flared with anger as she turned in her seat. “We were just trying to have some lunch…alone.”

  “Pretty ladies like you shouldn’t be alone,” the other man snickered, grabbing a chair from the table behind us. He straddled the thing backwards and leaned his dirty arms on the back. “What’s your name?”

  “That’s really none of your business, now is it?” Penny continued. “I’d also ask that you move. I never gave you an invitation to sit with us.”

  “Come on now, sugar,” the first one drawled, his eyes heating as they roamed her body.

  “What about you, blondie?” the second one asked, turning his eyes on me. “What say you and I go out for a little dessert?”

  “That would be a negative,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “I’m full from lunch.”

  “I don’t think you’re quite full enough,” he suggested, reaching out to touch my arm…the one that was scarred and recently operated on.

  “Stop!” Penny yelled as his hand clamped down on my elbow. I gasped out in pain from his hard grip. One second, the man was holding my arm…and the next, he was flying. When I looked up at my savior, all of the air whooshed from my lungs.

  Braxton was standing there, his eyes dark with anger. The moment he turned to go after the man, Penny jumped from her seat. I was in too much pain to beg him not to cause a scene, but it was too late.

  “Braxton, stop!” Penny warned, putting her body between her brother and the two men. “You can’t do this.”

  I knew what she was saying. Braxton already had a record, and h
aving the cops called on him wouldn’t look good. He needed to stay out of trouble.

  “Braxton,” I whispered, not knowing if he heard me or not. My voice wasn’t audible enough for anyone to really hear me. The pain in my arm was severe, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to shake this one off. My butt hit the chair as I pulled my arm close to my body. I leaned over slightly to try and put pressure over the damage.

  The two men stood up from their places on the ground. I didn’t think they realized until they started after Braxton that he was as big as both of them combined. They took one look at him and backed out of the restaurant.

  “Abby,” he gasped as he turned around, dropping to his knees next to me. The man whom I loved more than life itself hovered protectively as his eyes zeroed in on me. “Where are you hurt?”

  “He grabbed my arm,” I hissed as the pain flared. “I’ll be okay. I just need to go home and lay down. I think I’m going to need one of my pain pills.”

  “You’re going to my place,” he said matter-of-factly, standing to his full height. “You both are.”

  Penny didn’t put up much of a fuss. She just cleaned our table as Braxton stood there staring at me. I didn’t need him getting angry, or even yelling. So, I stood up and brushed past him on my way to the door. I didn’t need to look back to see if he was following me. His heavy footsteps were a clear indicator that he wasn’t far away.

  “You’re riding with me,” he stated, taking my uninjured elbow in his firm grip. It wasn’t too hard, but it wasn’t gentle, either. I knew better than to argue with him that I’d rather ride with Penny. I just kept my mouth shut and slid into the passenger side of his truck when he opened the door.

  Chapter 7

  Braxton

  The text I received sent my heart plummeting to my feet. My sister had only said I needed to come to the pizza place down the road from my apartment and to hurry. What I found when I walked inside boiled my blood as it ran through my veins.