Thicker than Water

Chapter Two

Unlike my caring step brother Haden, Luke was a heartless bastard.  He stood at six feet and eight inches with a strong structure of muscles and bones.  He wore a leather jacket to cover his tree trunk like arms and strong chest.  His long dark brown hair and faded green eyes glared at me from his seat at the bar.  He looked like he could have been on steroids a majority of his life.  It wouldn't shock me one bit.  He was an impressively large man for his age of twenty four.  His square jaw tightened and he grinned widely at me, looking quite scary.  But still, Haden could beat him in a fight, even though Luke never would admit it.  And that was one reason I didn't like him.  He was annoying and had a big ego.  Usually, he is always bragging about his body or trying to seduce maids, even father disliked his behavior.  So that was why Haden would most definitely be the head of the family -not Luke who was a sick bastard and cared only for himself.  He was disgusting.  "Why, can I not visit my little sister at work," he says with his deep voice.  "Or, would you prefer Haden instead?"

I glared at him, remembering then that it was a horrid idea to piss him off.  It was like unleashing the hulk in a glass figurine store.  "What do you want," I asked, changing the topic off our other brother.  Anytime someone brought up Haden my heart ached every time from the guilt and confusion.  And if it was Luke doing the talking, it only made me irritated and angry.  Sometimes, I could remember why my brother left.  It probably was my fault.

"Are you still mad about that," he asked with a smirk.  I began to fill another mug of beer as he said.  "I thought you'd be over that by now.  It was, like, a year ago."

Shows how smart you are, I thought bitterly.  I slid the beer to a traveler from Lende and said to Luke, "Actually it was three years."

His eyes gleam with amusement.  "I guess it's still pretty fresh in my mind."

Sick bastard.  I waved for one of the guy bartenders to take my part of the bar for a moment, then I leaned into Luke's face.  "You tried to rape me, you sick bastard," I hissed.

Exactly three years ago and just a day before big brother had left, father had been well at the time and he had taken my mother to a dinner party with other council members and high society.  Haden, Luke, and I had stayed behind with half of the servants.  It wasn't a night I like to remember but it had happened.  It was late at night and I was trying to make my way to the library.  Usually, when I couldn't sleep, big brother and I would walk the gardens or estate.  But not that night.  I had turned down the hall that my brothers rooms were located in.  When I passed Luke's door he snatched me by the arm and pulled me into his room.  "What the hell is wrong with you," I snapped at him before smelling the alcohol on his breath.  It had happened so fast, but his hand struck me across the face and I collapsed to the floor from the impact of his large hand.  He then snatched a hand full of my hair and slung me to the floor.  When I tried to scream he covered my mouth with a rag and told me to shut up.

Quite honestly, I had prayed.  I prayed for Haden, or even Trina, to come to my aid.  Foolish of me to believe they would.  But, for one reason or another Haden had came.  He took one look at us and drug Luke off of me then took me out of the room.  Since that, he had treated me awfully.  And that was why big brother could probably hate me.  After all, it hadn't looked very good at all.  I didn't even get a chance to explain what had happened.  He left that next morning.

"You women hold grudges," Luke said in a husky voice as he watched Lissa pass by behind me.  His eyes followed her graceful movements.  My hand almost snaked out from my pocket to strike his cheek, but I didn't.  I simply glared at him in disgust.  He was worse than Victor had been.  When he couldn't get something he wanted, he took it by force.  Once she left our bar side through the door, he says, "She's hot by the way."