Page 43 of The Sweetest Cruelty: Hudson (A Sawyer Brothers Story #1)

My brow scrunched. “Yes, do you know each other?”

Xander cleared his throat. “Not really. He and my brother were at school in the early days. Hudson used to give Nick shit all the time. ”

“Now that I can believe.” I hated that thought of Hudson throwing his weight around with a guy who would be no match for him in strength. Nick was tall but scrawny in comparison; it wouldn’t have been hard for any older guy to bully him.

When I didn’t respond, Xander nudged me with his elbow. “Hey, are you OK?”

That was the final straw. Fuck Hudson Gage.

“I am now,” I replied, beaming at him, welcoming the warmth of his body as he tugged me further against his side.

“Drink?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

I didn’t turn back towards Hudson, but I could feel him watching us. He was probably pissed that he didn’t get the last word in.

That saying, your best dreams are sometimes your worst nightmares, flashed into my mind as that is exactly what Hudson was. Wrong for me in every possible way, but he stoked something inside me. Made me want to stand up and fight instead of dwelling in the dark.

HUDSON

I was pissed off as the night had gone to hell. Why the fuck had I decided to allow Molly to walk away like that?

Because you’re terrified of the effect she has on you. You’re whipped and you know it.

She was stuck in my head. Even that week away from her hadn’t made any difference.

As she’d stormed off towards Creed, fucking Xander Creed of all people, every muscle screamed at me to go after her and drag her back. Force her to see sense. Yes, I was a dickhead but I was better than that one.

The way that cocksucker had smirked at me over her shoulder made me want to ram my fist into his smug motherfucking face. And who the hell had he come as? Creed was dressed formally in a shirt and cargo pants, like the square he wasn’t.

Molly had left me for that douchebag ?

And to think I’d be obsessing about her for days. And I’d never obsessed over a female.

The thought of her with him caused a wave of sick dread in the pit of my stomach. Creed was bad news. He worked for his dodgy father, pushing drugs, and rumour had it they had started dipping their wick in even more dangerous waters.

I recognized the hunger in his eyes as he’d seen her. It was potent and that self-satisfied fucking look he’d given me as he led her toward the kitchen burned through my retinas.

I knew that our father’s used to be drinking buddies, yet another mark against the cunt. I shelved the thought of Callum’s recent death. I’d had to take my usual dose of meds that night, not a reduced version to cope. Chasing that shit down with beer probably wasn’t the best idea but fuck it.

That image of Creed drawing Molly against him grated on my last fucking nerve. Poor, foolish, unsuspecting Molly and without meaning to, I’d pushed her into the jerkwad’s arms.

Shit. It was my fault for harping on about Tate; as if I gave two shits about her mediocre snatch. The truth was that I hadn’t gone there in weeks.

Blowing out a breath, jealousy was swirling inside my gut, and that vein in my temple started to throb.

“Fuck,” I snarled, kicking the coffee table behind me. The beers rattled, and I felt one of my brothers behind me. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, causing actual pain, and my breathing became restricted.

“Don’t even think about it,” Micah said again, his fingernails curling into the material of my tee at the shoulder.

“What is he even doing here? This is Straker’s party.

That dill-hole isn’t even in high school,” I snarled.

Glaring at the doorway they had left through.

Xander had taken Molly into the garden? I glanced out of the open patio doors of the living room.

They must have accessed the back from the kitchen.

“I saw him dropping them off earlier. And that’s not where the bad news ends.”

“What the fuck are you saying?” Spinning to face him. He released my top, and I smoothed the scrunched material down.

“Harper is also with them.” Micah’s expression was grave.

“Is she nuts?” I whisper-shouted .

“What did you say about Harper?” Phoenix cut it, shouldering his way between the two of us. He glanced away to scan the crowd.

Fuck. This wasn’t good. I could feel the testosterone pulsating from my brothers, and it fed into my own hunger for action.

Micah and Nix started talking about Harper. The fact that she was also involved made that shit thicker. My temper started bubbling; she was only fifteen.

The Creed boys were no good, and that need to protect, raced through me.

Just like it had that day in our kitchen at home when I hadn’t been able to stop my father.

The guilt and frustration inside of me had festered over the years to epic proportions.

And now my blood had switched from simmer to a slow, reckless boil.

My dumbass behaviour had pushed Molly into the arms of that scumbag. When he’d spotted me standing behind her, Creed had looked at me like I was the piece of shit.

Regret churned in my gut. I had played it all wrong.

“What’s up with you pussies?” Reed said, having moved away from Storm to see what was happening.

“Hud is about to have a meltdown, bout sums it up,” Nix said, with a semi-amused expression. I was surprised he was so calm after learning Harper was there.

Shouldering past the wall that was Phoenix, I needed another drink. Something stronger.

“Dude. Where are you going?” Micah shouted.

“Kitchen. I need a proper drink,” I snapped. Ignoring the look exchanged between the three of them.

Shit, I should have doubled my meds. I could feel the tell-tale sign of me losing my shit in astronomic proportions.

Striding through the house, I bumped into most people as they tried to scurry out of my way.

When I got to the kitchen, I went straight for the spirits.

And for the next hour, I sat on one of the barstools in the kitchen, watching Molly and Xander Creed, talking outside near the gates that led to the beach.

They walked around the pool a couple of times, deep in conversation.

She didn’t look around for me once. My eyes narrowed as I watched Creed leave her side to grab a bottle of water.

Whilst he was gone, she undid her purse and replenished her lipstick. For him ?

Several girls who came to restock their buckets with fresh beer attempted to talk to me, but I gave them one-word grunts. I so wasn’t in the mood. Even my brothers were wise and gave me a wide berth.

After another half an hour, pretending to focus on my phone, I ditched the spirits for beer, taking a red solo cup from Josh Sanderson. The time off school had set things straight between us, and we were civil again. Until next time.

He had taken charge of the kegs, although I didn’t miss how he and Cash drank directly from the party pump; the dirty bastards.

Pushing my phone into my back pocket, I moved to stand next to the bi-folding doors, which had been pushed fully open. I took in the tang of chlorine from the pool and overcooked food. The smell of overcooked burgers turned my stomach.

I nodded to acknowledge Sasha and Mason, who were in the hot tub with some kids I didn’t know. The place was rammed with kids, I even saw some who looked silly young. Had Nash not put age restrictions on this thing?

Storm and Reed were standing at the other side of the hot tub, arguing as fucking usual.

I couldn’t be dealing with their childish shit right then.

After laying down the law, fuck knew what he said to her, Reed moved away and came towards me.

Storm stood with her arms folded, looking as moody as hell.

Reed entered the kitchen and leaned his shoulder against the wall, glancing to where I was still watching Molly and Xander Creed.

“Well, I found Harper,” he explained.

“Where is she?”

“She’s still with Creed’s brother.”

“Is she OK?”

“Yeah. He’s wasted.”

Fucking typical. I hated guys who couldn’t date for shit. I didn’t date, but that was by choice. If I did, I wouldn’t take a girl out and get shitfaced. How could you protect your woman if you were loaded?

“How wasted?” I quizzed.

“One strong fart away from passing out I would say.”

“Loser. Is Harper drinking?” I questioned with a glance.

“It looked like she was drinking OJ, but who’s to say there isn’t vodka in it? ”

“Ma will shit a brick. And the others?” I asked, my face morphing into a grimace as Molly appeared to laugh at something Creed was saying. So, the cunt was a comedian now. I itched to ram my fist down his throat.

Reed started saying something about Micah, but I wasn’t listening.

Molly and the prick stood cosied up by the fence on the other side of the pool.

I wondered if he was so animated with all his drug-using customers.

If he were anything like Nick, his conversation would be as dull as shit but for some reason, my Molly appeared amused.

Maybe she was laughing at him rather than with him. Yeah, that was a thought I preferred.

I noticed how she occasionally scanned the poolside over Creed’s shoulder.

Who are you looking for, kitten? The thought of it being me gave me some comfort.

“Well? What do you want to do?” Reed huffed, cradling a beer against his chest.

I narrowed my eyes at the not-so-sweet couple and replied without looking at him.

Fuck the girl had gotten into my head, infected me somehow.

“I think you hold his arms whilst I throat punch the fucker.” I didn’t need Reed to hold him for me; I could obliterate Xander Creed single-handedly, but I knew all my brothers would enjoy some action.

Nash’s party blew big time. As soon as I’d arrived with Tate, I regretted it.

I only said I’d come with her for the free ride.

“What?” Reed shot back, clearly alarmed about my suggestion. “You want to throat punch Micah?”

I glared at my brother like I thought he was retarded.