Page 10 of Sweet Temptation

I lift my eyes from the floor, and they land on the back of Damien's head. "It's fine, honest. I'm okay," I reply softly.

Damien turns to face me with a worried expression, then smiles gently at me before he glares daggers at his brother. "I hope you're being honest, Aussie," Damien whispers next to my head before he shoves past Damon and heads for the living room.

I notice Sam and Ace exchange a worried look before they pick up their PS4 remotes again. "Nine p.m.," Damon reminds me. I nod before pulling my coat over my arms and quickly zipping it up. I watch Damon's eyes and see the darkness that has filled them since Damien snapped at him.

"I'll be here," I reply, opening the door and exiting. The door closes behind me, and I feel every emotion I was putting off the moment Damon's hand touched me. I can feel the tears staining my cheeks as I close the driver's door to the car. How could he touch me?

I remember the fact he doesn't know what happened to me, so he wouldn't know it would set off triggers for me. I close my eyes briefly before putting my gramz car into drive and head back to my house. The tears don't stop falling, even after I turn off the SUV.

Locking the vehicle, I head into the horror house I call home and toss the car keys onto the table beside the door. "Where were you?" I hear his voice and my entire body freezes, as if today never happened, as if I didn't have a good day, as if—I don't finish my sentence because his big hand grips my arm.

"I asked you a question, Hanna," he growls in my face with beer on his breath.

I shiver before craning my neck to look at him. "I was tutoring another student," I reply in a stuttering voice.

My stepbrother's grip on my arm tightens and he glares at me. "Me and your grandma need you home on weekends… you know why," he whispers in my ear.

I shutter and close my eyes, knowing my grandmother is never home on the weekends because she works. "Come watch some TV with me," he demands.

I shake my head with innocent eyes. "I'm really tired, I need some sleep."

He smiles his ugly fucking smile back at me and nods. It may be early still, but when you're trying to get away from someone, you use whatever excuse you need. He releases my arm and heads back into the living room. I sprint up the stairs, slamming my bedroom door behind me.

I lock it before dropping my bag onto the floor next to my bed. Once again, I don't stop the tears that stream down my cheeks as I slide to the floor and cry into my knees. I can't go back to that house tomorrow. I continue to sob until I'm mentally exhausted from the amount of tears I've shed.

Slowly climbing into bed, I pull the covers over my body. Laying down on the pillows, I curl up, snuggling into my blankets until sleep overtakes me.

SIX

I close the door behind Hanna before turning and heading into the living room, my lip curled back in a snarl. "You have something to fucking say to me?!" I snap at Damien, who's lounged on our sofa.

My brother's eyes meet mine as he glares at me. "I wouldn't fucking put it past you. Since Emily died, you're worse than all fucking three of us when it comes to women," Damien barks back. Sam shoves some popcorn into his mouth, continuing to play COD with Ace. I feel everything inside me snap as I take steps toward my brother, rage filling me.

My lips curl and my fists twitch with the need to stab him. "I wouldn't do anything a girl didn't ask for!" I snarl, shoving him off the sofa.

Damien glares at me before pulling himself up off the floor. My phone goes off and silence fills the entire house. Damien stares at my phone, his face turning a red shade of anger when he sees the name flashing across my screen. "Damien, we have to go," I reply, practically sprinting toward the front door.

The TV goes quiet, and I turn back to my friends. "We won't be long, just continue playing your game," I mutter as Damien and I make our way out the door.

"What could he possibly want from us now?" Damien asks as he slides into the passenger seat of my Camaro. Shrugging, I put the car in reverse and speed out of the driveway. I know what he wants, and that's my gun to his temple and a bullet in his brain.

"Send Soren a text to be ready to get in the car," I snap, slamming into first gear and speeding down the icy winter roads. Damien scrambles his phone from his pocket and starts typing just as I slam into second and speed down the road toward our brother's apartment. I slow gently, stopping next to the building where our blonde little brother lives.

I watch Soren race down the steps of his apartment building before he slides into the back seat of my car. "Who's the call from, Damon?" he asks with a dead voice. Damien keeps his mouth shut and watches the road in front of us. I slam gears so fast, I'm surprised my vehicle hasn't spun out yet.

I slow down as I reach the meeting spot I've constantly visited since I turned fourteen. "Soren, stay in that car," Damien demands as he climbs out of the car. I follow Damien's lead and exit the car, walking toward the ragged old vehicles in front of us, stopping halfway to them.

"Boys, Daddy still owes me that money." I hear his voice before his face comes into view, his goons close behind him. My fingers itch to pull the gun from the back of my pants, but I keep my hand steady and don't rush for it.

"Daddy isn't here to pay that debt," Damien barks. Spooner and his goons stop inches from us and snarl on their faces. Not the one you'd see on my lips, though it is when it comes to violence and torture.

These boys are evil and shady as fuck, and I wouldn't pay anyone to get in contact with them. Spooner chuckles, watching Damien with a smirk on his face before he lights a joint. "I want the damn money, Saint, or maybe I'll pay a visit to the cute little brunette Damon seems to be so interested in."

I feel my muscles tense as I watch him. "Leave her out of this," I snap. I watch his goons take a step toward us, their snarls unleashed like wild dogs. Again, my fingers itch to retrieve my gun.

Spooner shoves his hand in the air, stopping his rabid animals from attacking. "You heard me, Saint. I want that money. If I don't collect, I'll collect something else instead," he growls at us. "Maybe two things…" Spooner puffs his joint as he eyes the car behind us.

"We don't have the money," I growl. Not the dirty drug money he wants, but money, nonetheless. Since my mother is the head of the famiglia.