Branded Page 7

  I should’ve known meeting him would come back to bite me in the ass one day.

  Suddenly, a phone goes off, and Brandon stops in his tracks to answer it.

  I’m leery of him. I wonder if, on the off chance that he looks away, I can snatch that gun from his hands and use it to my advantage. It doesn’t hurt to try.

  Right now, he’s still fixated on me, so I’ll have to wait. But good things come to those who are patient, and when it comes to killing Brandon, I’ll wait an eternity.

  It’ll be worth every second.

  * * *

  Brandon

  “Tell me you fucking found her,” my uncle screams through the phone. No hello, no nothing. “I swear to God, I’ll kill the fucking bitch.”

  Sweat drops dance on my back. What the fuck do I say to him?

  “Brandon! Answer me!”

  The blaring sound of the fire alarm coupled with his screaming is getting on my nerves.

  “I haven’t,” I lie.

  I don’t know why I’m lying.

  And that stupid grin on Dixie’s face makes my nostrils flare. She sees right through me. Always has.

  “Are you telling me the whole goddamn truth?” my uncle shouts.

  “Yes!” I reply. “She … escaped.”

  Now, she playfully raises her brow at me. I place a finger on my lips.

  Uncle Josiah loses his shit. “Fuck!”

  I can hear him chuck his phone to the ground.

  “Josiah? Uncle Josiah?” I say, keeping my gaze on Dixie because she’s eyeing my gun.

  I know she wants to snatch it away from me with those pretty little prying fingers of hers, but it’s not gonna work. I’m not that stupid.

  So I twirl my gun around until she gets the picture and spins on her heels to face the wall. Then I push the gun against her back, making sure she remembers who’s in charge.

  My eyes can’t help but wander down to her ass. Fuck me, it’s perky as hell.

  “Brandon! Get your ass to my office, right now!”

  My uncle’s voice pulls me from my thoughts immediately. Apparently, he’s picked up his phone. He’s lucky he didn’t break it.

  “Don’t you want me to go look for her?” I ask him, trying to mask my lies by offering to help.

  “How the fuck are you gonna find her? You let her escape in the first place, goddammit!” he screams through the phone.

  “I know, all right? I’ll fix it!”

  “How? How are you gonna fix this shit, Brandon? The entire hotel has exploded!” I don’t think I’ve ever heard him raise his voice this much before.

  “I don’t know, but I am going to follow her. I won’t let her get off that easily.”

  He immediately spits, “You’d better get your ass here, or you’re fucking fired.”

  “I’ll find her. I promise. I’ll call you later.”

  Before he can say another word, I hang up.

  He’d probably just scold me more for not listening to his commands.

  I can’t afford to go to him alone, knowing I’d have to let her run. And bringing her with me isn’t an option either because she’d definitely tell him the truth out of spite. She’s just that kind of girl.

  “So you lied to your uncle? Bold move,” Dixie jests, glancing at me over her shoulder.

  “I didn’t say you could turn around yet,” I growl back, shoving her against the wall again.

  “Oh … so violent,” she says with a seductive voice. “I like it.”

  Sure, she does. She’s only trying to get me to release her, but it ain’t working.

  I’m not that easily distracted by a snake.

  “So, what now, Brandon?” she says. “What are you going to do with me now that you have me?”

  I sigh out loud and grunt along too. She asked the mother of all questions. And I never wanted to find her in the first place. She’s the last person in the entire fucking world I wanted to see again.

  And now that it’s happened—and in a literal explosive way—there’s no turning back.

  No way out of this except to push forward. But where the fuck do we go from here? We can’t go to my uncle, but if I take her somewhere else, I’ll be a traitor. He’ll not only fire me but hang me too.

  Suddenly, the door behind us opens, and a security guard steps out. When he notices us, he pulls his gun.

  “She’s the girl, isn’t she?” the guard says, trying to approach us.

  He’s going to take her to my uncle, I’m sure, so I point mine at him instead.

  What the fuck are you doing, Brandon?

  “What are you doing?” the guy says, making a face. “Grab her!”

  When he tries to come closer, I spit, “Don’t even think about it.”

  We’re both on edge now, pointing our guns at each other with the safety off. Neither of us flinches. If we do, we’re done for. I know how well these men are trained. I was there myself, witnessing it, participating too. My uncle’s rigorous and particularly demanding when it comes to his men. They have to be top-notch shooters and hand-to-hand combat experts. How else is he going to protect his hotel, his money … his life?

  But right now, I only care about one life, and that’s hers.

  I don’t know why I can’t fucking bring her down, but I can’t let this guy take her to my uncle either. No fucking way.

  “Brandon …” the guy mutters.

  But it’s too late.

  BANG!

  I shoot him right in the leg.

  Without thinking, I grab her by the wrists and drag her along with me down more corridors and through more doors.

  The man we left behind screams out in pain. I almost wanna apologize, but we have no time.

  Dixie seems confused as she keeps looking behind her. “What about that guard?”

  “Forget about him,” I snap.

  “But he’s your co-worker, right?” she says.

  He is.

  Or he was.

  Because I don’t think I’m going to get away with this.

  Once my uncle finds out what I’ve done, he’s going to kill me too.

  Fuck!

  I’m sure that guard has called the others already, so they must be on our tail. I evade the main hallways and move through staff only areas to avoid them. Everyone’s on the lookout for her right now, so I’ve gotta be careful.

  Pure adrenaline is keeping me going right now. I feel like I’m on a high, but I know I’ll come crashing down soon. Damn. Why the fuck does this have to be so difficult?

  Everything seems to fall apart around me. My job. My life.

  Everything I knew.

  In the midst of all the chaos, I’m battling my inner demons. Dixie Burrell, the one girl who got away, has shown up right on my doorstep, and now we’re stuck together. What the fuck am I going to do with her now?

  If that fucking bomb of hers hadn’t exploded, she might’ve still had a shot at getting out of this situation. But now that part of the building is gone, my uncle will want retribution, and he’ll demand it in blood. Hers. And perhaps mine too while he’s at it.

  I can’t let it happen.

  Even though I hate her guts for what she did to me, I don’t want her to die. Yet.

  But all my uncle’s guards are on the hunt for us right now, and I need to make sure they don’t find us. But where the fuck do I go?

  The hotel isn’t safe anymore. There are cameras left and right, and I’ve already been caught on tape dragging her through the hallway. He knows I have her.

  In a corner of a staircase, I come to a halt and run my fingers through my hair while still keeping my gun pointed at her. I need a second to breathe. Just one second to think, goddammit.

  “Don’t. Move,” I hiss.

  “I wasn’t planning to,” she retorts, crossing her arms. “So what’s your plan, huh?”

  I don’t answer. She’s trying to get on my nerves to make me snap, but it won’t work.

  I know she wants me to kill her. She’d ra
ther die than face my uncle because he wouldn’t let her off the hook so easily.

  But I’m not letting him have the honors. If anyone’s going to kill her, it’ll be me. End of story.

  “Thinking of doing it?” she murmurs.

  There’s a certain look in her eyes.

  “Do it then,” she hisses through her teeth.

  Suddenly, her hands are around my gun, and she buries the metal right between her tits, forcing me to focus on them. “C’mon then. Shoot.”

  My jaw clenches, my throat tightening. My finger is on the trigger, ready to shoot. She deserves it. My life was altered forever because of her. She’s the cause of my misery. My pain. Everything that’s happened so far is her fault. And all of it has led up to this moment where I’m about to kill her.

  Just one shot is all it takes. Bang.

  A painful jab hits me in the stomach, forcing me to lower my gun.

  I can’t go through with it. Not yet anyway. We still have some unfinished business.

  The smirk that appears on her face infuriates me.

  “You can’t do it …” she murmurs.

  A wicked smile appears on my lips as I grasp her arm and tug her along. “I still might kill you.” I shove my gun into her side and force her to walk.

  I know where to go. A motel not far from here will be the perfect place to hide from my uncle … and the perfect place for her to get what’s coming to her. “But first, we’re going to have some fun.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Dixie

  He manages to lead me out of the hotel at gunpoint by keeping the damn thing hidden under a coat he stole from the hotel lobby. Damn smartass.

  Now we’re outside and he hoists me into his truck, which he slams shut and locks before I can get out. I’m in the back seat with a thick, plastic partition between us. Probably to keep something—or someone—away from the driver. It’s almost as if he prepared for this.

  Was he hired by his uncle to regularly kidnap people or something? Sheesh.

  A few men scramble outside the hotel, gawking around, probably looking for me.

  Brandon responds by changing gears and ramming his foot on the gas, speeding off.

  It’s not before they spot us, though, and they all come running after us. Gunshots are fired, and some bullets pierce the metal. I duck for cover while Brandon makes a U-turn on the parking lot to avoid the upcoming security. He drives straight through a bush to get to the other side of the road and then speeds off.

  When I sit up and look at him, there’s an alarming amount of sweat on his forehead.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  I don’t understand why he cares, but I nod anyway.

  He doesn’t say another word and slams his lips shut while glaring equally at both me and the road. I guess he hasn’t made up his mind yet.

  I don’t know where he’s taking me, but I do know one thing. He’s going against his own uncle’s wishes, so that means something.

  Either he wants to kill me himself …

  Or he can’t, and this is all to save me.

  Probably the first, considering our history and how we hate each other’s guts. I’m not sure what he plans to do with me. Maybe he’s going to end my miserable life in some tasteless, crummy motel room. Or maybe he wants to have some alone time with me first. Get to know my body like he knows my heart.

  I’d rather he kill me.

  Unlike his uncle, who would probably torture the hell out of me, he’ll make it quick and painless. I don’t know his uncle well, but I do know he’s the fucking devil.

  Why Brandon doesn’t see it is anyone’s guess.

  Maybe he’s really that oblivious, or maybe he’s ignoring it on purpose. Who’d be able to condemn their own family? I couldn’t, that’s for sure, even though they deserve it too. None of us are perfect, and I won’t ever pretend we are. But Brandon knows this better than anyone, I reckon.

  He knows why family always comes first.

  Always.

  Because if it didn’t, all of it would’ve been for nothing.

  But then, why did he choose to take me with him instead of delivering me to his uncle? Why did he shoot that guard and risk his own life?

  I swallow away the lump in my throat when I catch him staring at me through the rearview mirror. I wonder what he’s thinking about. If it involves the choice he just made, or if he’s thinking about me.

  “So what are you planning to do with me?” I ask, licking my lips.

  I know he’s looking. I can tell.

  I don’t mind. It’s been a long time since he last saw me. And if I can use my looks against him, I’d be stupid not to try.

  “You taking me somewhere you can have me alone?” I taunt. “It’s okay. You’re not the first man to try to hook up with me.”

  This catches his attention for sure, causing him to flare his nostrils. Still, he doesn’t say a word. He sure is iron-willed.

  “You don’t have to say it out loud. I get it. You miss me, and now you wanna have me all to yourself …” I say, leaning forward as far as I possibly can before hitting the plastic barrier between us. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell a soul.”

  The wink I add sets him off.

  “Shut up,” he spits. “Just shut up.”

  “Why?” I lean back and flaunt my body, showing off my assets in the best way I can by pushing my boobs forward and almost exposing my belly. “Can’t handle the truth?”

  I want him to get upset, and it’s definitely working all right, judging from the discomfort marring his face right now. If I can use my body to get out of this situation, I will. Anything goes in love and warfare.

  This game of cat and mouse isn’t one I’m going to win quickly, though. I have to give it time and let it simmer on his brain a little. It’s the only way to rile men like him up. And when he finally does mess up, I’ll be right there to use it to my advantage and escape.

  He turns his dark gaze back to the road ahead. Letting him stew, I gaze out into the night as the heavy traffic we find ourselves in slows our pace. The city of lights really does honor to its name with its banners and sparkling lights that fucking blinding you wherever you go. As a tourist, I’m sure it’s a sight to see, but I’m not here on a fucking vacation. I had one job to do, and I fucking failed.

  I grind my teeth and stare at the plastic between us, wondering if I can break through it and escape. It’s the only way to make it back to my dad, which is the only place I can try to ruin Josiah’s business a final time. I need to get away from Brandon, but I’m sure he’s not gonna let me go that easily.

  Which is why I have to make a ruckus.

  So I start kicking the tough plastic partition between us, hoping it’ll crack.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Brandon barks, glaring at me through the rearview mirror.

  I don’t respond. He knows exactly what I’m doing.

  “Stop!” he growls, but I won’t calm down. Not even a little bit as I jam my foot against the panel between us over and over again.

  “You’ll break it, dammit!” he growls, driving like an erratic lunatic.

  Exactly the point. But he knows that just as well as I do, judging from the look on his face.

  He presses a button, and suddenly, the partition between us lowers. It’s replaced with a gun, though. Right in my face.

  “If you do that again, I swear to God—”

  “You’ll what?” I taunt.

  “Don’t make me do it, Dixie,” he says through gritted teeth, trying to glare at me and the road at the same time.

  “Do it. I don’t care,” I say in a bold moment of courage.

  “You wanna die?” he blares, unlocking the safety. “Sit. Down.”

  My throat clamps shut. He could pull the trigger any time, and I’d be gone. It’d be a quick death, but now that I’m so close, do I really wanna pull the plug so easily?

  I have more to offer to this world, and I’m not done with making the sinners pay
yet.

  So I lower my feet and sit down properly again.

  “Good girl,” he says.

  “Now behave and maybe I’ll let you out of this car once we get to our destination.”

  He makes it sound like I’m a dog on a leash.

  “Fuck you,” I reply.

  He’ll find out soon enough just how bad I can get.

  Chapter Twelve

  Brandon

  I shake my head, listening to all the bile she’s spewing. “Still have the same potty mouth I remember,” I say, and a lopsided grin appears on my face. “You could’ve used that mouth for better things.”

  And that body too, from the looks of it.

  Fuck me, I can’t stop looking at her. It’s been such a long time, but I don’t remember her ever looking this mature, that’s for sure. She’s obviously trying to use it to her advantage by constantly pressing her tits together to distract me while I’m driving, but I won’t fall for her tricks. It happened once, and it won’t happen again. Ever.

  When we finally get to the remote motel I picked, I jump out of the vehicle and open her door. With my gun, I nudge her out. “C’mon.”

  “You’re taking me to a motel?” she says, raising a brow. “Classy. Just like I remember you being.” Her sarcastic tone makes me want to lash out at her.

  But that’s her plan. She wants to make me angry and get me to go crazy so I do something stupid and let her escape. It’s not gonna happen.

  As I push my gun against her back, I say, “Walk.”

  When she puts her hands up, I lower them and hold them behind her back. “And don’t make a scene,” I whisper.

  “Fine. Whatever you say, Mr. Locklear.”

  “That’s better,” I murmur. “Should’ve learned some manners sooner.”

  She doesn’t respond, but the slight tug on her lips tells me she’s agitated. Good. I hope she feels the same irritation I do.

  I quickly book a room and usher her inside, locking the doors and closing the curtains.

  “Sit,” I tell her, pointing at the bed with my gun.

  “And then what?” she says, crossing her arms.

  I peek out the windows, checking to see if anyone’s coming. I need to make sure no one followed us. Otherwise, things could get intense quickly. You don’t wanna mess with my uncle’s men, especially when you have something they want.