Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 112

McKenzie

I didn’t want to look at the mangled mess that was the cab driver. It seemed wrong somehow that we hadn’t even gotten her name. Now? She was unrecognizable.

Hoot, on the other hand, walked right over to her, ignored a bone protruding through her thigh, and fished around in her left pocket.

“What are you doing?!” I gasped.

“You paid her good money, didn’t you?” he replied. “I’m gettin’ it back.”

“She can keep the money. Really. Funeral expenses or something.” Will wheezed, looking at the same morbid scene I was.

“Funeral expenses my ass. She ain’t takin’ any more time, trouble, or money from any of us. Got me a scratch on my grill now.” Hoot grunted. He tried the right pocket and seized a handful of bloody money. “Ha! There it is.”

Will made an urping sound but didn’t throw up. I felt the same way, though I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold back.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I whispered.

“Well, hurry up’n be sick,” Hoot said. “We got places to be.”

I turned to the side and threw up. Will quickly grabbed my hair. He rubbed my back with his other hand.

Hoot offered me a handkerchief. “There, now that’s over, get in the truck.”

The ‘truck’ was a brand new black Escalade with a front grate. No wonder he’d been able to ram the cab so easily without being damaged.

I wiped my mouth, and we headed over to the Escalade. Will and I slid into the back. I noticed there was another row of seating, but I decided to stay by Will. Maybe I hadn’t made up my mind yet, but he felt safe. And sane. I was starting to wonder about Hoot, especially when he shoved the bloody five-hundred dollars into his pocket.

Bile rose in the back of my throat.

“Don’t you go messin’ up my truck. We ain’t stoppin’ to air ’er out.” The man in question admonished me. He handed back a cold bottle of Sprite. “Thought we might be needin’ this at some point.”

I took the Sprite and sipped it, trying to get my stomach to calm down.

Will rubbed my back again. “It’s over now,” he murmured. “Just breathe.”

Tears welled in my eyes, and I dashed them away. “It’s not over. We’re still being chased by everybody on the planet.”

“True,” Will conceded.

“Eh, not everyone. Y’all got me,” Hoot grinned.

His words were comforting and frightening at the same time. “Thanks, Hoot,” I said just the same.

Hoot nodded and started away from the scene of the accident just as sirens began wailing in the distance. “Gotta get us outta here before them cops see you. Bet you anythin’ they’ve got pictures of you, too.”

“Great,” Will sighed.

“Your pawpaw is a piece of work,” Hoot said. “But now we got this Ibra-whose-it on us, too.”

“And the Trinary,” Will mumbled.

I looked at him. “The what?”

“My grandfather hires the Trinary a lot to do his dirty work. Or, rather, he did. It’s been thirty years. They’ve probably retired,” Will continued.

“You don’t sound so sure, son,” Hoot said.

“I’m not. I’m not really sure about anything, except that my grandfather is a monster, and he wants to eat us for lunch,” Will responded.

I put a hand on his knee. “We’re going to find my parents, eventually. And we’ll get to some proper authorities who care about taking your grandfather down. You’ll testify, and things will be okay again.”

“That’s all a long way off,” Hoot informed us. “Right now, my priority is keepin’ y’all safe. I don’t know where your parents went. Jake didn’t, either. We got to worry about your grandparents and your uncle, too.”

“Who?” I asked, confused.

“The rest of your family. Y’all don’t think Masterson’s just gonna leave ’em alone, do you?” Hoot said.

Will’s face hardened, and I wondered what I was missing. “Maybe we don’t care what happens to them. All right, maybe the uncle, but…”

“You’re telling me my grandpa and grandma are still alive? The ones who got married and made it so my parents met each other?” I interrupted.

“They’re in witness protection, but yeah. Jake didn’t know where. Their name was Collins. That was your mama’s last name.” Hoot nodded along with what he was saying. “Your pa’s last name is Killeen. But y’all go by Kent now, I know. Figure your pawpaw and family changed their last name, too.”

I turned to Will. “Why wouldn’t we want to help them?”

“Your grandfather hit your mother. He didn’t think your parents should be together, and he tried to take Masterson’s side and get their testimony thrown out in court. Jeanie, your grandmother, went along with it for a long time but broke in front of the judge. It’s all written down,” Will said. “They’re not good people. I think your parents tried to get custody of their half-brother as well, but it didn’t happen.”

“He hit mom?!” I yelped.

“Yes, and tried to trap her in the house so she couldn’t see Caleb. He’s an asshole, McKenzie. You don’t need to feel beholden to them at all,” Will gritted out.

I sat back in my seat, my mind reeling. “Maybe they’ve changed?” I said faintly.

“Doubt it,” Hoot replied. “But they’re family. Y’all don’t just abandon family.” He glared at Will in the rearview mirror. “Some people don’t know that.”

“Hey. He doesn’t have any real family,” I defended him, taking his hand. “He’s defended me a few times, and we’re not even related.”

Will let out a breath it seemed like he’d been holding a long time. “So, you’ve decided, then?”

“Decided what?” I asked.

“What I am to you?” he responded softly, squeezing my hand.

I blinked. I supposed I had. “I guess you’re my boyfriend,” I grumbled.

Will smiled. “What? I couldn’t hear you.”

“You’re my boyfriend!” I all but yelled. “Happy now?”

“You have no idea,” he replied in a gravely tone.

I got the impression Will would have liked to put his tongue back down my throat right then and there, so I swatted his chest. “Back off, big boy. I don’t want to scandalize Hoot.”

“Oh. Right. Hoot.” Will looked up as though just remembering the man was there.

“We’re stoppin’ at a motel soon enough. Y’all can work out whatever this is when we get there,” Hoot said, rolling his eyes.

I knew what we’d be doing when we got to the motel. From the look in Will’s eyes, I knew neither of us were questioning it. Not anymore.

As the sky grew dark, anticipation bubbled in my stomach. My sexual experiences with my high school sweetheart had been very disappointing. But when I saw the way Will looked at me, and felt the sensual way he was rubbing his thumb on the back of my hand, I had no doubt he was about to rock my world.

Hoot pulled into a motel around ten o’clock. The sign was burned out except for the O in Motel. I giggled, thinking it was rather appropriate. I was about to have my very first male-induced one soon.

“Walls are paper thin in this place, I’m sure,” Hoot observed. “Don’t go makin’ too much noise.”

“Noted,” Will said.

Then Hoot got out of the car. “Gettin’ two rooms. Y’all wait here. I’ll come back with the keys.”

“Actual… keys?” Will asked, confused.

“Some places still use ’em,” Hoot replied with a chuckle. “You probably ain’t even been in a car that needs a key. You use them fob things all the time.”

“I like old sports cars. I have a few,” Will said defensively.

Hoot snorted. “Of course you do.” He walked off to the main office.

“We’re doing this, right?” Will asked once Hoot was gone.

“I’ll be very disappointed if we don’t,” I responded softly.

Will gave me a sexy smile, which I saw in the dome light just before it switched off. It warmed me to my core. “I’ll be very disappointed, too.”

We sat there holding hands until Hoot came back. He handed us an honest-to-God key with a room number dangling off it. “I’m in the room next door. Y’all try to keep it down, all right?”

“Absolutely,” Will promised.

I wasn’t sure I could keep the same promise, but Will seemed sure, so I just nodded.

Hoot nodded back. We got out of the Escalade and headed to our respective rooms.

Once the door of Room 11 closed behind us, I was suddenly very nervous. I glanced at Will after he finished locking the door and engaging the chain.

“Hey,” he said, walking over and wrapping me in his arms. “Nothing’s going to happen tonight that you don’t want. If you don’t want to do anything, that’s fine. If you want me to sleep in the bathtub, that’s fine, too. I’d bunk with Hoot, but I don’t want to leave you alone.”

I leaned my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was steady and comforting. I knew he would touch me with respect and stop if I told him to. Just like I knew he was a good man and had poor taste in chips. “I don’t want you to sleep in the tub.”

“That’s good to hear,” he chuckled. He brushed a stray lock of hair off my face. “And?”

“And I want to have sex with you,” I said boldly.

He drew a sharp breath and his heart began pounding in my ear. I could feel him harden through his pants. “That’s even better,” he replied, his tone gravely. “I… shit. I don’t have a condom. Just… hold that thought. This seems like the type of place that would sell them at the front desk…”

“You don’t need a condom,” I told him.

Will raised an eyebrow. “You’re nineteen. I assure you, I do need a condom.”

“I have an IUD. Rough periods. Mom recommended it when I turned sixteen. It lasts five years,” I explained.

He stared at me. “I am a very, very lucky sonofabitch.”

“And you should know, I’ve only been with one guy. A few times. And it wasn’t exactly… pleasant,” I admitted.

“That shouldn’t be a problem between us. I’m… pretty experienced. I won’t give you my number, but it’s up there,” he shrugged. “Not bragging. Just a fact.” He seemed about to say something more then changed his mind. “So, start with kissing?”

“Yeah.” I closed my eyes and tilted my chin up.

Will cupped my cheek and fused his lips to mine. It was just like before, heat burning between us. We couldn’t get close enough.

He grabbed my ass and ground my pelvis against his erection. I could feel through his pants it was big. My vagina quivered with anticipation.

“Will,” I moaned against his lips. “I want you.”

“I know, honeybee. I want you, too,” he replied, nibbling my lower lip. He pulled his sweater off me, then my shirt.

My fingers trembling, I unbuttoned my jeans and toed off my shoes and socks. When he saw me in just my underwear and bra, he licked his lips. “Take it all off.” His voice was sultry.

It was an order I was happy to obey. If a little nervous. I unsnapped my bra and let the straps slide off my arms, falling to the floor.

His breathing hitched. “Fuck me… still the best breasts I’ve ever seen…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m going to need you to get on the bed.”

“I thought you wanted me to take my panties off?” I teased.

“I’ll take care of it. Get on the bed,” he said. “On your back.”

I got on the bed and lay down on my back. To my surprise, he grabbed me by the ankles and tugged me right back down to the edge. “Will?” I asked, perplexed.

He stripped my panties off me then kissed his way up my leg, from my ankle to the inside of my thigh. “Honeybee,” he replied huskily. “I need some honey.”

“What do you—?!” Realization dawned when he knelt down and wedged his broad shoulders between my legs, spreading me wide open for him. “Oh my God, you’re really going to…”

“I’m really going to,” he confirmed. Then he pressed down on my hips to hold me in place and licked right up my wet seam.