Taking His Rage (Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance) Read online

  Taking His Rage (Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)

  By Gwen Allen

  Copyright © 2017 Gwen Allen

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this publication may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author or publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters and events depicted are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All characters engaging in sexual acts are eighteen years or older.

  Any person depicted in the licensed images is a model.

  This book contains material intended for mature readers.

  Taking His Rage

  (Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)

  Gwen Allen

  ~

  Julie

  He's heavy on top of me. His left hand is over my mouth. He's hardly letting me breathe. I'm so afraid, but I'm excited too. This is really happening. While his right hand moves over my body, he whispers my name, his breath hot on my neck. And still I can't believe that Vince is doing this to me.

  His father married my mother only a little while ago, but Vince isn't celebrating. He's furious about the marriage, and he's taking it out on me. As he growls my name, his body slams into me. It's terrible and it's wonderful. I can't get enough of him. Tonight Vince is going to become my heaven and my hell. My addiction. My everything.

  Chapter 1

  ~

  Vince

  After all these years, I know I have nothing to worry about. I'm pretty sure that my father isn't looking for another wife. He has gone through a string of girlfriends since my mother died. One stylish, gorgeous socialite after another—I can't even name most of them.

  Now he's on a weekend getaway with his newest girlfriend, Maryanne Adler. She's far from a socialite. She owns a small restaurant and seems fairly down to earth. I don't know why she caught Dad's eye. She isn't his type at all, so it can't last. It's just another meaningless fling, another woman whose name I'll forget.

  I'm working at my father's desk, handling a few things for him while he's away cavorting in Barbados. Since I graduated college a year ago, I've been helping my father with our family assets. Our holdings are extensive, and I'm glad to lighten his workload. There's plenty to keep me busy.

  While he's away, I don't expect to hear from my dad, much less from Maryanne. I'm surprised when I get a phone call from her. I answer and hold my breath as she tells me what has happened. She speaks slowly in a trembling voice. My father has had a heart attack, and he has been admitted to the hospital.

  "It's touch and go. You need to be here," Maryanne tells me then lets out a shaky breath. "Please hurry."

  I hang up and only then do I start breathing again. I don't have time to fall apart. I call my father's personal assistant to get me a flight. My father took the jet so I tell her, "Brenda, charter a plane or get me a seat on a commercial flight, whatever will get me there faster." With my heart in my throat, I jump in my car and speed to catch a plane to Barbados.

  My father has to be Ok.

  From the airport to the hospital in Bridgetown, it's all a blur. I rush to be with my dad. By the time I'm standing by my father's hospital bed, he's doing much better. They have him stabilized. He is pale but he's sitting up, and he looks very happy. I want to go to him and give him a hug, but something makes me hold back.

  While standing just inside the doorway of the hospital room, I look over at Maryanne. She seems happy too. She is sitting by my dad's bedside, and she's smiling at me. That's when I notice their hands and what's on their ring fingers. They are both wearing wedding bands. They aren't the gold ones I have seen them wear as a widow and widower. These are new. They look silver, but knowing my father, I can assume they are platinum.

  As my father tells me about their marriage, I do my best not to let him see how I feel about this. My father's voice is weak as he tells me how they called in the hospital chaplain and had a jeweler deliver the most suitable rings he had on hand.

  "And we got lucky in more ways than one. These rings are so perfect," Maryanne says.

  "Yours is a little too big for you dainty finger, but we'll take care of that, and you'll need an engagement ring too," Dad says to her then kisses her hand.

  "Are we engaged too?" Maryanne jokes and Dad gives a little chuckle.

  I listen politely and congratulate them through gritted teeth. When it comes to putting on an act, that's the best I can do.

  My father had a close call. I can't jeopardize his health with an outburst. I am very grateful that he's going to be Ok though. Once I've spoken to the doctors and made sure my father has the best possible care, I leave the island.

  Even as I fly back home, I can't believe what my father has done. After my mother died, I watched my father being chased by one gold digger after another. None of them got their hooks into him. Sure, he showered them with gifts, but he didn't come close to marrying any of them.

  Now Maryanne has done it. She got to my dad in a vulnerable moment. When he thought he might die, that's when she got him to marry her. Even worse, there was no prenuptial agreement. There couldn't be for such a quickie marriage performed by the hospital chaplain. They had only been married for a day, and she already had her hooks in deep.

  ~

  Julie

  At the Rain Drop Café, they still don't cut me any slack. I'm the owner's daughter, but that doesn't seem to count for anything around here. I am at the café, helping with clean up after the dinner rush. I'm wiping down the tables and polishing them. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tamara, the head waitress, checking my work.

  With my mom gone, I am kind of the boss around here. Why does everyone seem to forget that? Chef Lee is always grumbling at me for being too slow. Tamara bosses me around like you wouldn't believe. My friend, Deirdre, would say it's because I'm a pushover. Just as I resolve to stand up for myself more, my phone rings.

  "Julie, I have news." It's Mom and she sounds breathless.

  "What is it, Mom?"

  This is the second phone call I've gotten from her since she went to Barbados with Curtis, her boyfriend. While they were out snorkeling, he had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. Hearing her so worked up, I'm afraid it might be bad news about his condition. Mom assures me that Curtis is going to be Ok, and she has something big to tell me.

  "Curtis wanted to give his son the news first, so he made me promise not to call you until after he saw him. Vince can be kind of... difficult. Curtis is handling him with kid gloves," she says.

  I'm confused and can't sort out what she's trying to say. "What's the big news, Mom?"

  "Sweetie, are you sitting down?" she asks.

  I roll my eyes and say, "Yes." I am not. She already told me Curtis is Ok. I can tell from the sound of her voice that she doesn't have any other bad news to tell me, so I go back to cleaning. I don't want to make Tamara glare at me. I wipe a table with one hand while I hold the phone with the other. "I'm listening, Mom. What's the news?"

  "Curtis and I got married," she tells me.

  Ok. Mom was right. I needed to sit down for that. I plant my butt in the nearest chair and sit there stunned for a minute or two, just trying to absorb the news.

  "Congratulations, Mom," I finally manage to say.

  "Are you Ok, sweetie?" Mom asks me. She knows this isn't easy for me to hear.

  "I'm happy for you. Curtis is a lucky man," I tell her, and I mean it, but I'm also in shock.

  My mom and I talk for a while. Among other things, she tells me when they'll be back. As I h
ang up, I just sit there and try to get used to the idea that my mom is married.

  It isn't easy. My dad has only been gone for a little more than a year. Though this marriage seems a little rushed, I'm determined to be happy for my mom. She had it rough this past year. I watched her fall apart after my dad died. She had to fight her way through terrible grief just like I did. We helped each other get through a bad time. Now I'm going to be supportive of my mom in happy times too. If she's happy then I'm happy for her.

  I pocket my phone, get up and start cleaning again. I'll be finishing up soon then I'll go to a movie with some friends. I'll come back to my room above the café and be back to work down here tomorrow. All my days are going to be pretty much like that until I start college in a little while. It's my mom who got married. I don't expect my life to change.

  A few days later, I'm refilling the condiments for some of the tables. It's the lull between the lunch and the dinner rush, but I'll be quitting early today. As it is, I'm already running a little late. I better hurry and go upstairs to get ready. Today the happy couple arrived back in town, and I have to meet them at Curtis's house. Or should I say mansion?

  When I go over there to welcome my mom and Curtis, I'll also be meeting my new stepbrother for the first time. From what my mom said, he doesn't sound like a total sweetheart. He's someone I don't even know, and we're already part of the same blended family. That's a weird thought.

  As I finish up, I look around at the café my mom and dad bought together. They worked tirelessly for years trying to make the place a success. After school, I helped out too. We all worked here side by side until my dad got sick.

  That's when our priorities changed. The café wasn't at the top of the list any more. I put off going to college for a year so I could help take care of my dad and spend more time with him. I'm glad I did that. When we lost him, I felt grateful for every second of the time I spent with him. Every moment with my dad has a place in my heart.

  Once Dad was gone, Mom and I were in a sorry state and so was the café. We had both neglected it and the place was floundering. That's when Mom decided we should give up the house because the mortgage was such a strain on our finances. We moved into two little rooms above the café.

  For a while, my mom and I had a really hard time just keeping our heads above water. That's when Mom met Curtis Henderson and started dating him. Since then, Mom hasn't been spending as much time working alongside me. To make up for it, Curtis invested in the café. He also bought some new kitchen equipment and paid for some local advertisements.

  Now business is much better. During the dinner rush, we have people waiting for tables. That's a good thing, but I feel bad if our regulars have to wait. They stuck with us even when the place was sitting half empty. But most of them don't complain about it. They just congratulate me on how well we're doing these days. And it's all thanks to Curtis.

  He seems like such a nice man. I try to focus on that while I'm getting ready to visit him and Mom at his huge house for the first time. As I put on the simple skirt and blouse combination I chose for the occasion, I start to get nervous. Not about Curtis. I've met him already, and he is always easygoing and friendly to me.

  But I don't know about his son. Mom always gets a funny look on her face when his name comes up. Plus it doesn't sound like he's too thrilled about the marriage. I hope I'm not going to hate him on first sight.

  Looking at myself in the mirror, I take a deep breath. What am I worrying about? It's my mom who got married, not me. I'm just stopping by for a quick meet and greet. No big deal.

  Chapter 2

  ~

  Julie

  It's a nice drive to the Henderson mansion. Along the way there are so many pretty houses and of course the landscaping around each one of them is gorgeous. But these places only make me miss our old house on Marshal Lane. It wasn't a mansion, just a two bedroom house. Our guests had to sleep on the pullout couch. There were some bare patches on the lawn and the kitchen was too small, but we were all there together.

  That's what I miss. When I think back to that house, my dad is still with us, and we're so happy. I miss my dad so much. As I remember those days so clearly, my eyes fill up with tears and my chest hurts. But I have to stop thinking about that or I won't be able to see to drive. It wouldn't be the first time I had to pull over to the side of the road to cry my eyes out.

  Before I arrived at Curtis's mansion, I was determined to play it cool. Now I'm standing in the driveway, between my old Jeep and a huge fountain and I can't believe my eyes. Everything here is huge, from the house to the grounds, even the front door. It's so intimidating.

  And to think my mom married a guy who lives here. That's so crazy. I go up the wide front steps and take a deep breath. Just as I'm about to knock on the big, double doors, I hear the lock click. I had my hand up. Now it's just stupidly raised in mid air as the doors swing open.

  It's probably someone who works there opening the door because they saw me arrive, but I was hoping to see my mom before anyone else. It isn't either one though. Standing in the open door, towering above me, is a guy with the scariest blue eyes I've ever seen. He's tall, gorgeous and perfectly muscled under a simple t-shirt and jeans. After staring at me for a moment, he smiles down at me coldly.

  "I'm Vince Henderson. You must be Julie Adler. I've been dying to meet you," he says insincerely.

  "Nice to meet you too," I say to him just as insincerely. Oh, yeah, we're getting started on the right foot.

  I extend my hand automatically, but he doesn’t take it. He definitely looks at it, but it's like he doesn't want to touch me. I start to withdraw my hand, and he suddenly takes it. I draw in a deep breath as he holds my hand like he's never going to let it go.

  His hand is hard, strong, big, practically crushing mine. The contact sends a tremor through me like a jolt of electricity that's so powerful it should have killed me.

  So that's my new stepbrother. He is terrifying—glowering with blue eyes like chips of ice and looming over me with a body like steel. Everything about him says, "Danger, run, girl, run." Well, running isn't an option, especially when he's still holding my hand. Why the hell is he still holding my hand?

  He suddenly lets go and I can breathe again. That's a relief. My hand tingles from his touch. Actually my whole body tingles, even places that shouldn't be reacting to him. I feel little aftershocks and can't help wondering what his hand would feel like on my body. A man like that running his hands over every inch of me...

  No. That's an insane fantasy. What the hell is wrong with me?

  "This way," Vince says offhandedly and he motions me to follow him.

  I take a few deep breaths as I walk a step behind him. I notice that his dark blond hair is cut very short. I want to run my hands through it. As he leads the way, I'm staring at his broad shoulders, his muscled back, his perfect ass. I should be paying more attention to my surroundings.

  For the first time since I laid eyes on Vince, I look around. We're in a huge foyer that leads to hallways on either end. A balcony on the second floor is above us. The ceiling is vaulted and inlaid with something metallic, bronze or copper maybe. It forms a pretty design. It's impressive. The floors are off white marble with stones of a darker color laid out in a pattern. The woodwork is in caramel colored wood with geometric cutout designs. Everything is so beautiful and this is just the front hall.

  Vince leads me down the left hand hallway and into a large, impressively decorated room. There is a whole wall of glass doors that open out to the garden. It makes for a beautiful view of greenery and flowers. The marble fireplace is so intricately veined, I want to trace every line. As I look at the oversized furniture and rich upholstery, I'm overjoyed to see my mom standing by an armchair. I rush to her for a long hug and to give her my best wishes again in person. She looks tired but happy.

  That's when I notice Curtis sitting in the armchair. He looks so pale, but not too bad considering. He's a handsome guy, but his hai
r and his eyes are brown. Vince doesn't resemble his dad at all.

  Seeing that Curtis is about to stand up, I tell him, "No, don't get up."

  "I can do a little of bit of standing and walking. The infraction wasn't so bad. My heart was just letting me know who's boss," Curtis says as he stands up and winks at my mom.

  I give him a careful hug. "I'm so glad you're Ok."

  "I'm better than Ok," he says and he goes over to my mom and puts his arm around her.

  She gives him a kiss on the cheek and then makes him sit down again. "Don't be a show off," she tells him as he grumbles about being babied. But Curtis can't help smiling. Seeing them so happy together, I can't either.

  The only one who hasn't cracked a smile is Vince. He is standing back from all three of us and glowering at us. He reserves an especially harsh look for me and my mom. I would swear that he truly hates us.

  I don't care. I can take it. He's nothing to me. But I really don't like him looking at my mom like that. Mom doesn't react much to his hostility. It's like she's used to it. Maybe she is, but I might break an expensive vase over his head if he doesn't cut it out.

  Even as Vince stands there listening to my mom embarrassing me by talking about what a good daughter I am, he has a dangerous vibe. He makes me think of a caged animal. The door to the cage isn't locked. The beast can lunge out and rip all our throats out any time it wants. I've never met anyone who had such a deadly attitude.

  When his father starts talking to him, Vince looks more self-contained, like he's restraining himself. His jaw clenches, but he doesn't glare as hard. I can see him trying to hold back his anger with great effort. He can barely be civilized to Mom, but he's obviously trying with his dad.

  As the father and son are talking, Mom motions for me to follow her outside. We step out through the big glass doors and into the fragrant garden. She takes me for a walk through the grounds. They are beautiful, perfectly maintained of course.