Family Business

18. Kink Reader

**Axton POV**

Watching my brother drag Faith out of that party made me fucking howl with laughter. I know she would be mad as shit at that, but he would most certainly not care. In fact, I think he preferred it to her ignoring him. I think he liked fighting with her, letting her scream in his face. Anything for her undivided attention on him.

Vivian threw her head back laughing watching him stalk out of the party with her kicking and screaming. I was lucky enough to get her away from Makayla and have my hands on her while she ground on me to the beat. She turned in my hands, looking up at me with sultry, black lined eyes.

"She's always made it sound like he's just randomly picking on her. Little brat was completely calling him out." She purred to me, but I was too busy raking my eyes up and down her to really listen too close.

"He's obsessed with her. She's just too fucking dumb to see it."

"I think she can obviously see it. She's just blatantly denying it. It's kinda hot to see your brother manhandle her like that though."

"Hah, you have no fucking idea."

The whole ride back to the house, Jeanna absolutely raved about how angry she was, and Blaine only egged her on. I knew he did not like Xavier or how he treated his sister. So Jeanna was really fuming when she finally got to the house and saw Xavier casually drinking a beer in the kitchen. She went off the fucking rails on him, screaming throughout the house while Viv and I made a beeline upstairs to her room. She was so angry about it, too, while Viv was just amused. I was surprised that Viv was borderline team Xavier on this.

Then dinner came. My dad loved to have a family dinner on at least the first night. We sat at the dining table, which was still a chair short from last year, but it was big enough that it didn't matter. My dad at the head as always, then my mom, Jeanna, me, Xavier, Tristan, and Ashley. On the other side, Trent, Roslyn, Makayla, Faith, Vivian, and Blaine. Damn, I wish I was closer to Vivian and not sitting across from fucking Makayla. But Xavier was sure smug at always making sure he was sitting across from his Red, his very, very angry Red.

"So glad you could bring your friend along this year, Faith," my dad smiled warmly over his plate of food, "How'd you meet again?"

"Vivian and I went to undergrad together." She replied sweetly, obviously hiding her rage from my father.

"Very nice. I saw that you graduated! Congratulations."

"And commencement speaker too. Top of her class. Little overachiever." Vivian piled on, nudging a blushing Faith.

"Commencement speaker! Wow. How was her speech, Trent? I imagine very impressive."

Her dad rolled his shoulders, "Couldn't make it. But I heard it went well."

My dad stared at him, a bit shocked but maybe not too surprised, "You didn't go to her graduation?"

"I was busy."

"Why didn't we have a celebration dinner, like we did for the other kids?" Trent gave my dad a pointed look, like 'do you really think she'd let that happen after last time?' My dad rolled his eyes at this, "We'll have to do something to celebrate. It's a great achievement."

"It's really fine. I went out with Viv and my other friends." She responded, not skipping a beat on getting out of it.

"So what's next? Grad school?"

"Oh, um," her confidence wavered at this, "yes, actually. I got accepted everywhere I applied and... accepted an offer."

"At Xavier's Alma Mater?"