I felt my eyes widen. I had no idea Ryder knew I was bisexual. I looked back and forth between my brothers, and there was no anger or disgust in their eyes, just concern. They really didn’t feel any type of way about me not being straight. They just accepted it and moved right along to the actual problem—me being hurt. I wanted to sob my heart out. All this time I had been so scared of them reacting like my dad did, and instead, they were supportive and understanding like I knew they would be deep down.
“You guys don’t know how relieved I am,” I said. “After what Dad did to me, I feared the worst.”
Ryder set his jaw. “Forget about him, he’s a piece of shit. I’m going to get the doctor to come and look at you.”
When he left the room, I looked at Kane, and said, “Do I look as bad as I feel?”
He nodded. “Worse. You look uglier than usual.”
When I laughed, I winced in pain, but at that moment I didn’t care. My brothers knew me, the real me, and loved me all the same. I didn’t need anyone as long as I had them. Ryder was right when he said, ‘Fuck dad.’ Everyone else who stood against us could get fucked too. We needed no else. I needed no one else.
TRIGGER WARNING:
The following chapter contains details of rape and attempted suicide. Please skip chapter three of Alec’s part in BROTHERS if you’re are not comfortable with reading the subject matter.
CHAPTER THREE
Twenty-two years old ...
It was only a date. I could handle a simple fucking date.
I shook my head as I stared at myself in the full-length mirror in my bedroom. Tonight was my first night as Marco’s hired out escort to a big client, and my stomach had been sick all day about it. I was a confident guy, I knew what I looked like, and I knew how easily I could make people laugh and smile when I wanted to. I rarely got nervous or had any self-doubt, but tonight, I was filled with both. It had been a year to the day since my parents died, and I still felt only relief to have them out of my life. I knew that was horrible of me, but that was just the way I felt. I hated my parents, and I was pretty sure that before they died, they hated me and my brothers too.
Their death hurt Damien, my youngest brother, the most, and like a ripple effect, their deaths caused the death of another at the hand of my little brother. Being an escort was all part of a deal my brothers struck. Marco didn’t have to think twice about how he would make me pay off Damien’s life debt; he knew from the jump what he wanted me to do, and I didn’t give it much thought until now.
“Are you nervous?”
I jumped when Ryder spoke. I lifted my head, and through the mirror I saw that he was leaning against my doorway, his arms folded over his chest. I smiled for his sake because he suddenly looked at lot older than his twenty-five years, and I knew it was because of the deal we made with Marco. He was the head of our family now, officially at least. Ryder had always been the head of our family; our parents just never realised it.
“Nah,” I said, uncaring. “I’ve been on dozens of dates before for Marco in the past year. I’ve got this.”
Ryder didn’t move a muscle.
“I’m fine,” I pressed. “Don’t worry about me.”
He snorted. “Easier said than done. I always worry about you guys.”
“Well, you don’t have to. We have these jobs to protect Damien, and once we meet Marco’s quota, we’ll be free of him and this shitty life forever.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself.” Ryder sighed.
He entered the room and came to my side, looking into the mirror with me.
“It’s weird that we all look so much alike, but none of us are a pretty as you.”
I grinned. “God didn’t realise what he was doing by making me this sexy. I’m sure he made the four of you so ugly to balance out my beauty.”
Ryder laughed and slugged me in the shoulder.
“Asshole.”
I snickered as we left my bedroom and headed down the stairs to the foyer. I could hear the twins before I could see them as well as Kane snapping at them to stop fighting, and it made me snort.
“You’re the daddy,” I said to Ryder. “Go break them up.”
He rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched as we entered the living room and found Kane between our twin brothers as they tried to fight on another. I moved to Dominic’s side and hooked my arm around his neck. I knew he could break out of my hold if he wanted, but he’d have to hurt me to do that. He struggled a little but sighed loudly and gave up, which made me chuckle. I looked over at Damien and saw both Ryder and Kane had him while Ryder was in his face, talking harshly.