Forever Distraction (Distraction #3) (28 page)

“You have
gorgeous eyes…I love you,” she purred—yes, purred; she was all pussycat right now. I was in her incredibly safe bubble and the world seemed to pause. I unbelted her and picked her up to straddle my lap. She giggled at my urgency, and my hand dove into her hair right before I kissed her. Our moans filled the air around us and I heard loud voices, but nothing mattered except this amazing girl in my lap. She pulled away giggling, and I looked over at the aggravated men staring at me.

“That’s my sister
; would you please stop doing that in front of me?” Brian grumbled. Katarina covered her mouth when she laughed; the sound warmed my heart and glowed in my goofy grin. Owen had his shades on and his lips in a straight line.

“I don’t know if I can
control it. Your sister,” I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, “makes me react without thinking.” She weaved her fingers through mine and I sighed at the erotic feeling.

The drive was long
and the dark tinted window made it hard to see out. I played with Katarina’s phone, sending her text after text. She filled the car with giggles as I told her what I wanted to do to her through the phone. The only time I didn’t question where we were going was when we turned down a long driveway, because I knew. I knew Katarina brought me home. Anxiety filled me and I crossed my arms over my chest, ready to put up a fight.

In silent understanding
, everyone got out except Katarina and me.
Is she going to leave me here? Is she kicking me to the curb?
I was mad…
I think, or maybe hurt
. Katarina’s eyes remained locked on something outside. Her soft whisper sounded emotional, and it broke through my insecure thoughts. “I’m excited to be here.” She looked at me and tears filled her blue eyes, making my heartache. She glanced out again after I wiped away a fallen tear. “Who’s that?” She pointed at my granddad wearing a cowboy hat. His gray hair touched the collar of his red and black flannel shirt, my grandma standing close by his side.

“That’s my granddad and my grandma.”

Her eyes rounded with joy. “We have a granddad?”

Ah shit
.
‘
We
have a granddad’
…the second best thing she said to me today. “We do; let me introduce you.” I maneuvered around her and took her hand. They were all here. Katarina must have called Jessie. “Katarina,” I froze, pulling her close to me, staring in her eyes, “why are we here?” There was no way in hell I was going to walk into another intervention. She wasn’t going to bring me here and then leave. Her face contorted in confusion, and then, at the realization I was freaking out, she smiled big, and I felt comforted as it washed all the negative thoughts away.

“We’re here to get Bo. We have a couple hours. I didn’t want to wait another day without my dog. You gave him to me
; do you remember?”

My smile was effortless and hurt my face it was so big.
“Worried about the dog? Really, princess?”

She placed her hand in m
ine. “Don’t embarrass me. I want your granddad to like me,” she warned in her serious tone and then started to walk away, but I tugged her back into my arms. When her eyes drifted up, I kissed her. Her taste was something I needed; she was my fuel. Frickin’ hot too, her body melted into mine and I heard loud noises—cat calls and whistling around us. She pulled away and her face was dark pink as she playfully smacked my arm. “You
just
embarrassed me,” she whisper-yelled, and I chuckled.

Katarina

It was like I had never seen beauty until I stepped from the car. So many colors surrounded us. The winters in California still held so many vibrant colors I had forgotten, or maybe it was just me; maybe my eyes were ready to accept the colors. I gazed up into the bright blue sky and the clouds didn’t appear gloomy. Instead, the gray inside was just another color, no longer a shade of black, but a glow. I inhaled the fresh air and felt revived and something else…lucky.

My eyes shifted to the ground at the jingling sound of a massive black dog heading my way. I kneeled as Bo approached
, his body wiggly and his dark pink tongue hanging out, and I knew he was smiling at me. He fell down in front of me and flipped over on his back, and I rubbed his belly as I told him how much I missed him. Smith Three was at my side with a bag of goodies, and I grinned as he handed it to me.

Jason
quickly moved to my side. “You got Bo gifts?”

I licked my lips
, trying and failing to hide the smile that was permanently fixed to my face. “Of course,” I removed Bo’s old, dingy collar and replaced it with the diamond-studded one I got for him, “Smith fixed the collar with the finder junk that he puts in all my stuff, so I won’t ever lose him.” I grinned at Jason and he grabbed the back of his neck, squeezing, signaling to me he was struggling with something.

“Does it have to be so fancy? He’s just going to roll in the mud and jump in the lake.”

“If he breaks it, no problem; I’ll get a new one.” I kissed Bo’s large, black head when I finished and handed him a bone. I also pulled a teddy bear from the bag.

“Bo doesn’t need a stuffed animal
,” Jason grumbled and it was starting to piss me off. These were my gifts to Bo and I didn’t need permission to buy
my
dog stuff.

“He does. I am worried he gets lonely in his bed by himself all night.” I c
ould sense Jason’s unease, so I leaned in close enough so only he could hear. “I want him to know how much I love him.”

The sides of his mouth tipped up when I winked
, and he slowly licked his full lips. “He knows without the gifts, and he can’t wait to spend the rest of his life with you.” He bit the inside of his bottom, moist lip and his gaze dropped to my lips, making me wonder who he talking about, him or Bo. The boyish way he loved me right now made me feel cherished, even worshipped.

My brother stepped
in to ruin the mood. “Break it up, love birds.” I laughed at his animal reference and Jason chuckled, creating the familiar want inside my body. I slipped my fingers through his and he led the way.

His family wa
s scattered in front of his house and I was excited for my brother to meet the people who raised my beautiful man. When we were close enough, I began to introduce my brother. I started with the wiggly boys, who broke away from their parents and were screaming their way down to us, “Uncle Jason!”

He
let go of my hand and bent down just in time to sweep the four giggling children into his strong arms. The embrace was heartfelt and created watery eyes from the females surrounding the front deck of Jason’s home.

I
started with the oldest. “This is Jake.” I bent down and gave him a gentle hug. “He’s a joke telling machine.” I glanced from my brother to Jake as the boys exchanged handshakes. “Do you have a joke for us?”

Jake t
ook a moment, then he smiled before he started, “Do you know how to make a tissue dance?” He paused, his blond hair and brown eyes moving when he shifted his head from Brian to me. “You put a little boogie in it.” I giggled, because I found Jake to be adorably charming and his joke surprisingly funny. Brian grinned, and I heard Smith’s boisterous cackle rattle from behind me. Jake bowed like a true performer at the response.

I glance
d at the next little guy. “This is Josh.” We exchanged a hug and he moved to my brother to shake his hand. “Josh has a magical fingernail.” He held up his finger, displaying the nail that was newly growing in.

Brian high
-fived him. “Girls like magic, Josh.”

Josh d
idn’t wait another second before asking, “Want to touch it?” Brian ran his finger over it, and Josh informed him, “Katie doesn’t like to touch ouchies.” This brought another huge grin from my brother.

Jake move
d to the front again. “You’re Katie’s brother?” Brian nodded to confirm. “Do you pull her hair like Uncle Jason pulls Aunt Jessie’s hair?”

Brian eyed
me slowly and then looked at my hair, but I couldn’t read him well enough to predict what he was going to do next. “Nah, Kat is scary when you make her mad. Her eyes shoot fire and her hair turns into snakes.”

Jake
nodded his head in understanding, and then he stepped away slightly frightened. I introduced Jason’s sister Janie and her husband Jerry as the parents of the two boys. Then, I kneeled as little Jack strolled into my arms and let me hug him and kiss his brown head. “This is Jack. He is all about trucks.” Jack’s brown eyes met my blues and he gave me a cheeky grin. Brian stuck his hand out, Jack high-fived it, and then pulled a tiny red car from his overalls and gave it to my brother.

“Hey
, Jack. Do you know what kind of car this is?” Jack stared at Brian as if he was about to reveal a secret. “It’s a Healey Nash. Your Auntie Katie has a big Healey Nash; it’s lucky number seven. You have to come see it.” Little Jack nodded vigorously and Brian handed him his car back. All I could think about was that Brian had just referred to me as Auntie Katie; my heart squeezed and my face flushed red out of embarrassment that he assumed so much. I quietly hoped no one else heard. I peeked up and looked around at all the females, and seeing water filled their already shiny eyes, I knew they heard him.

Jasmine wa
ndered over to me and threw her chubby, little arm around me. I grinned at her two tiny braids and kissed her cheek. “This is Jasmine,” I told Brian. She glanced at my brother, but didn’t make a move to release her hold around my neck. He attempted to coax her, but she didn’t budge. “Jasmine shares my love for Bo and her Uncle Jason.” She quickly glanced at Jason and stuck her arms out in a signal for him to take her. I handed her over and introduce Jessica as Jason’s twin, and Jonah, her husband. My brother’s eyes lit up and I could read his flirting a mile away.

“It’s Jessie…e
veryone calls me Jessie.” She gave him a goofy grin and a dark pink covered her cheeks. I want to laugh at the effect my brother had on women.

“If you don’t mind
, I’d like to call you Jessica.” He gave her a cocky lip curl and she giggled.

It
irritated me,
and I leaned in close so only my brother could hear me. “Will you not openly flirt with the married sister of the man I am having sex with?” I hissed. He pulled away and I heard another boisterous cackle from Smith. Brian stared at me with unmasked disgust, and I kind of wanted to laugh.

He glanced
over to Jake and informed him, “I want to pull her hair
now
.” Jake lifted his chin in a dare, and then took a large step back preparing for the snakes and fire to appear.

Jason t
ook this moment to step between us and finish the introductions. Brian shook his parents’ hands one at a time and then his grandparents’. Jason took another breath and then introduced, “So, I’m not sure you caught Brian’s name,” he gestured toward Bri, “and then the big guy is Owen Douglass.” Owen waved and did a curt nod toward Jason’s dad; it was a respectful head bob. “The other big guy is Marcus.”
Marcus? He looks like a Marcus—piss him off and he will mark all of us.
I giggled to myself. The man I dubbed Smith Three eyed me when I giggled, I shrugged and tilted my head like I couldn’t help it.

We mad
e our way inside and saw food dishes everywhere. So much food, my eyes widened and Jessie whispered softly in my ear, “My sister and mom were nervous, and making all this food helped calm them.” She put her arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder. Jessie’s closeness was oddly welcome, and it felt natural to lean into her warm arms. “He looks good. Thank you for bringing him home.”

I pulled away quickly
, and anxiety made my heart thrash in my chest. Jason was mine, and the thought of him leaving me…scared the shit out of me. “He can’t stay, Jessie. He has to come with me. I need him.” I sounded desperate, and I was sure Jessie was seeing all kinds of red flags at my possessiveness over her brother, but I couldn’t help it.

“I know
,” she reassured me. “Even if it’s for a few hours, we really needed to see him.” I closed my eyes and exhaled out of relief, giving her a grin in complete understanding. I knew exactly how she felt. We both watched the interaction between Jason and his parents, and she squeezed her arm around me. Jason’s mom had tears, and her arms were firmly locked around his middle as Jason talked with his dad. Jason’s dad reached out and patted his shoulder affectionately. Jason had some work to do with his family, but I had a feeling they were already happy to have their son back. “I didn’t know you had a twin too.”

My smile widened as her face flushed red again.
“He’s not my twin. We just share the same gene pool. You shouldn’t look at him like that; your man might get jealous, and trust me—my brother flirts with every pretty lady.” She beamed again and I shook my head. “Jessie, my brother is way worse with the women than yours. Believe me.”

She gave me a one
-armed shrug. “Did he actually say I was pretty?” She followed that up with a very cute giggle, and I couldn’t help but love her.

****

Jason

I caught Owen’s signal and followed him to the downstairs bedroom, nodding at Katarina’s other bodyguard, who was watching her carefully before he entered and closed the door. One more moment with my clingy mom crying over me and I thought my head was going to explode. I could only apologize so many times, and I was done with the lovey-dovey shit. Brian had his computer open, and he took the flash drive from Owen. He set the computer on the window seat in the corner of the room, clicking a few more buttons before he stepped back with Owen and me. Then, silence engulfed the entire room.

“There were documents
also. I gave them to Owen, and I have copies I plan on reading on the plane ride home, but there were about thirty or so videos. I opened a couple. One was in a long line of videos, and the other was all by itself. If I set it up right, they should play one right after another,” Brian said. It was silent as we stared at the screen. I ran my fingers through my hair and rolled my head on my shoulders. The black box opened, letting us know it was loaded, and then noises sounded. The computer screen was black; the video was set in night vision and took a while to focus.

I moved to the window
and pulled the shade to blacken the room. Then, I walked back slowly, listening to the small voice. “Why, Daddy? Why do you want to hurt me, Daddy?” My eyes darted to the black screen. You could make out a white nightgown on a tiny figure.

She f
ell to the ground and a man’s stern voice echoed around us. “I have to, Katarina. You are a troubled girl. I have to make you tough.”

I stared at the screen, but
it was the sound that fucked with my mind—the sound of a belt rattling, tiny screams, followed by the hiss of a whip or belt, and then more cries. After a few minutes of torture, the man left and the tiny white gown moved toward the door, crying and screaming filling the bedroom. It swallowed the four of us; my stomach knotted and twisted, and tears formed in my eyes as she cried and then fell into a ball on the floor. She grew silent for a brief moment, and we could hear her tiny voice count and then she stopped. “Bri? Bri, is that you? It’s cold and dark in here. I’m scared, Bri.”

I c
ouldn’t control the steady stream of tears and couldn’t bear the thought of looking at the other men. Katarina was my only weakness, and I didn’t want anyone to see what she did to me. I wasn’t sure if it was a pride thing or a way I protected her from those who wanted to hurt me. Her voice stopped and she laid on the floor, rocking and counting.

The video
clip finished, and Brian reached over to stop the next one from playing. I grabbed his hand and stared at him. I had to see this; I needed to understand her demons in order to fix her and keep her safe. I needed to know. I needed to see one more. “Don’t.” I looked at Brian; tears like mine covered his face and he was shaking.

“I wasn’t there. It was
n’t me on the other side of the door. I was never
fucking
there. My parents told me Kat was troubled and she hurt herself. I believed them. I wasn’t fucking there when she called for me.” His eyes moved over my face as he attempted to reach for the computer again.

“Brian
, I need to see,” I stuttered as I continued, “in…in order to understand.” He withdrew from me and left the room. I turned toward Owen and he nodded. The next clip played and it was daylight, and little Katarina was wearing a yellow sundress, her hair in pigtails, her blue eyes bright and crystal clear. Doc was over her and talking into her ear. She was in a large room, sitting on top of a black piano.