Bad Bets (Bad News Series Book 3) *Under Major Edit*

Chapter 42

A loud knock was heard on the door, causing both Isabella and George to turn heads.

"I'll be right back." George pushed himself up from the sofa, Isabella reluctantly removing herself from the comfort of him.

Pulling it open, to his surprise Brent was stood there, hoping to be let in.

"What the fuck do you want?" Was George's initial reaction. Angry at how he was strolling back into their lives and thinking it was all going to be okay.

"Just hear me out, please." He held up his hands as a sign of peace, yet George wasn't buying it.

"You came back here with the Gibson's, how am I supposed to trust you?"

Nodding his head, understanding of George's point, Brent looked to the side before back to him.

"You can trust the Gibson's, they're just... intense." He tried to reason.

"They told me to train my son up to be in a fucking gang! How the hell do you expect me to trust them?" George bit back and Brent smiled.

"This is going to sound cheesy as fuck, but I'm proud, Shelley." He said, taking George off guard.

"What?" He looked back at him in a state of shock.

"You've grown up, a lot. You're no longer that uncontrollable raging teenager."

Brent spoke with pure sincerity in every word. He meant it and it was true.

George had always looked up to Brent when they had been in the gang together. They had been like brothers, not even realising they biologically were.

Brent had always been the softest of them all and George felt as though he could go to him for anything. He could break down over every bad thing in his life and he would never have judged him.

"Why did you do it, Purcell?" George looked to him, a mixture of hurt and tiredness in his eyes.

"Do what?" He questioned.

"Play us. Act like you were a brother, a friend and then screw us over. We all looked to you for support and you just... fucked that up."

Looking up and sighing, Brent looked lost in thought for the first time.

"I looked up to Buddy as you guys did me. I thought he was what I wanted to be. That proved to be wrong, I hate everything he is."

George didn't answer, just looked at him as Isabella appeared in the doorway.

She looked over at the man she once knew, yet now he appeared to be a stranger.

He had been the only one she trusted out of the gang, she had feared the rest when she first met them, yet there was always something different about Brent.

Things however, soon changed when he showed his true colours.

"Brent?" She frowned looking over to him, surprised to see him standing at the door.

"Hey Iz..." He trailed off, feeling uncomfortable yet relief to see them both and not have the door slammed in his face.

A few moments of silence followed before Isabella slid her hand up the back of George's shirt.

"Are you going to let him in?" She asked and he glanced down at her.

Looking back to Brent who was watching him with a hopeful gleam on his face, he then half smiled.

"Alright, come in you idiot." He laughed.

"I'm not here to cause any trouble. I promise."

As they all headed into the living room, George let himself fall down onto one of the sofas before pulling Isabella back on his lap, Brent taking a seat opposite.