Tempted

Chapter 28

Colt

It’s fight club tonight and though I’m not on the official line up, sometimes I still get talked into competing, so I’m keeping it in the back of my mind and not drinking too much. I nurse a bottle of beer and lean against the far wall, watching everyone come in. I’ve been keeping an eye on the door waiting for a glimpse of Taylor, but she’s not here yet. When MJ and Logan come in my heart constricts, expecting Taylor behind them, but she isn’t. I wonder she’s not coming, or if she’ll be coming with Reis. Bria and Britt talk in the corner, stealing glances my way every few seconds. I know they’re talking about me, but I don’t care. If Bria starts anymore shit with Taylor though, I’ll have to step in.

I hear Reis’ laugh before I see him. That dry chuckle he has whenever Taylor does something cute grates against my nerves. My head swings toward the door and there she is. She’s dressed in a tight pair of jeans that hug her ass, and a little T-shirt that skims all her curves. Damn. She looks good. It was hard enough seeing her last night, when I was hardly awake enough to process everything, but with the dull buzz of the alcohol and the energy of the party tonight, she has all my senses on high alert. I’m completely attuned to her, but she hasn’t noticed me yet. Reis keeps his hand at her waist, guiding her inside. My stomach clenches when I see how damn comfortable he looks touching her.

Taylor’s gaze flicks to mine and she sucks in a breath when she sees me. She momentarily stops walking and then turns and faces Reis, cowering away from me. He looks over at me to see what’s thrown her off course and she wraps his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. What the fuck? Reis whispers something near her ear, and she nods, pressing her face into his shoulder. He pats her on the back. Jealousy spikes through me. And feeling jealous of my little brother with my girl is not an emotion I tolerate well. I ball my hands into fists, trying to get myself under control before I go over there and rip her away from him. I don’t like seeing her in someone else’s arms. I now sort of get why she always felt jealous about me with other girls.

A few seconds later, Taylor releases herself from Reis’ hold and without looking in my direction again, goes to sit with MJ. Reis heads over toward me.

“What the fuck was that?”

“This is hard for her, Colt. She didn’t think you’d be here since we heard you’re not fighting.”

As much as I hated seeing her being comforted by someone else, I hate even more that it’s hard for her to see me. She used to run into my arms. Now she can’t even look my direction. It kills me that Reis knows more about her than I do. “Tell me what’s going on with her.”

“You two are both idiots. She’s convinced you cheated on her with Bria. And you’ve let her slip through your fingers. And into mine,” he adds under his breath.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

He looks me straight in the eye, his tone serious. “You weren’t here. I took care of her.”

“I asked you to make sure she was okay, not to fucking put the moves on her!” I take a step closer, blood pumping through my veins. “Did you touch her?”

Reis swallows and looks down.

“Did. You. Touch. Her. Answer the fucking question.”

He swallows, and still looking at the ground, says, “She wanted me to.”

A wave of nausea courses through me. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“We kissed. Once,” Reis says, unable to look me in the eye.

A hot rage rips through my chest. My own brother, who I trusted with Taylor kissed her. That little fucking snake. “When?” I growl.

“At my dance.” All color has drained from his face.

Now her breaking up with me makes more sense. It was the night of the dance. She wanted to be with Reis. And they’ve been hiding it from me.

I don’t even think, I just react, letting my anger erupt. I shove him. Hard. He stumbles back several steps.

I come at him again and take a swing. Reis doesn’t even try to stop me and I connect hard with his jaw.

People gather around us, but I tune everything out but Reis and the betrayal that floods through me. He blocks my next hit, a left hook, but I land a right uppercut and he loses his balance at the unexpected hit. He stays down, and then I’m on top of him, pounding his face over and over until I realize he’s stopped moving and Taylor is screaming for me to stop.