Every Good Girl Needs A Bad Boy

5

Bella

Flashback:
"Oh, so you finally decided to grace us with your presence?" Bradley hissed angrily. "I'm still 10 minutes early, calm down." I glared at him. "Calm down? Calm down?!" He yelled, getting angrier by the second. He stepped towards me then. I stepped back. "I will not calm down! You're risking your career to date some.. some.. trashy outlaw biker! Everything I've built you up to be-" I cut him off right there. "Everything you've built me up to be isn't who I am! Can't you see that?! I hate this fake persona that you've created! You've forced me to be someone I'm not! Don't you dare talk about Brantley that way!" I yelled right back at Bradley, finding my backbone. "Let me put this in perspective for you, you selfish, ungrateful little bitch. Either  it the crap, and stop all communication with the outlaw, or I'll drop you like a hot potato. I'll black ball you from every label in Nashville. You'll never work in this town again. So what's it gonna be? Are you going to stay away from Brantley Gilbert? Or are you going to continue being his whore? How long do you think he'll let that purity ring stay on your finger, huh? It's all about the chase. He'll have you on your back with your legs open before you can blink. You're 19 years old, he's 32, you think he's really interested in anything else from you? Be realistic Bella. Be smart. So what's it gonna be? Time to choose. Your career, or him?" Bradley had gotten in my face, backing me up until I was against the wall. I felt the tears rolling down my face, unable to stop them. I channeled my inner badass as Brantley told me to do, time to make him proud. "I'd rather be that outlaw's woman than your doormat any day. Fuck off you insolent, self-absorbed prick. I'm done." I growled and bared my teeth before storming out and racing to the front door.

Present:
After I told Brantley what happened, he stopped moving completely. Maybe even stopped breathing. He was parked in front of the studio, yet to drive off after picking me up. "Brantley?" I asked. He shook his head no and held up one finger. "I'll be right back." He said. I gasped. Brantley's already rough voice had dropped another octave, and gone even more gravelly. His green eyes were nearly black, and I swear he looked even bigger. The veins in his neck throbbed, as he growled, a low-pitched rumble straight from his belly. He got out of the truck and walked towards the front door. "Oh crap!" I yelled and took off after him, scrambling to keep up as his long legs ate up the pavement. "Brantley!" I called after him. But he wasn't stopping. I trotted along after him, trying to stop him, as he stormed into Bradley's office. "Oh look, little teary-eyed Bella decided to sic her big dumb attack dog on me? How cute." He rolled his eyes and went back to working on the paperwork on his desk. I rigged on Brantley's arm to try to get him to leave, but he wouldn't budge. With one big booted step, Brantley reached out and caught Bradley by the throat with one arm, dragging him clear across the desk. Brantley growled, getting in the smaller man's face until they were nearly nose to nose. "You see that little girl right there?" He snarled through clenched teeth, turning Bradley's head to face me. "She's mine. You know what that means, son? That means that if you ever so much as look at her crooked again, I swear on what's left of my soul, I will hunt you down like an animal. I'll make it real bloody, too. You fuck with her, you fuck with me, end of story. Try that shit again, and I'll handle it, not her, outlaw style. You get me, boy?" Brantley was visibly trembling in rage, I'd never seen anyone so angry before. I was a bit nervous, as Bradley rapidly nodded his head and gasped for air. Brantley dropped him to the floor and turned to me then, "I'm hungry. Think you're up for burgers sugar?" He said calmly. I blinked at him a handful of times. "Umm.. what?" I asked confusedly.