Sweet Destruction (Excerpt)

Chapter Three - Sam

Not much had changed since that day nine years ago. Walker was still Bentley's best friend and still prone to anger and violence. The only thing that had changed was that I no longer feared him.

I just hated him instead.

I kept my eyes trained on him as Lukas and I approached through the crowd of cars. Walker was leaning against his car casually, as if he didn't have a care in the world. A bottle of beer dangled from his hand, resting against his thigh. His faded jeans were slung low on his hips, a slight tear in one knee. His t-shirt looked like it had been washed too many times, but it fit him perfectly. The black boots he wore looked dirty and scuffed. I ignored the way his eyes zeroed in on me, drilling a hole through my body that left me chilled despite the heat.

There were two girls standing nearby, looking like they were ready to rip their clothes off for Walker and Bentley. One was blonde, the other brunette. I called their types pit bitches because they chased anything with a fast car. Bentley just called them the easy catch of the day.

"Crap, it's my brother and Walker," I muttered, letting my shoulders drop with dread. "I was hoping they wouldn't be here."

"Can't we have just one normal night without your brother messing with us?" Lukas grumbled beside me. "He's always on my damn case."

He didn't like Bentley and Bentley didn't like him. Walker? Well Walker was a different story altogether. Nobody liked Walker very much.

"Let's just ignore them. Maybe they'll get the hint and leave us alone," I said, dragging Lukas behind me as I started walking faster. I maneuvered to the left, avoiding Walker's black, dangerous-looking car.

"Hey, baby sister!"

I rolled my eyes and stopped, my back facing Bentley and Walker. A loud sigh escaped me. I heard the crunching of boots on loose asphalt, heading my way. I was caught. Let the fun at the expense of Sam begin.

Taking a deep breath, I detangled my hand from Lukas's and turned around. Bentley's smiling green eyes met mine as he strolled toward me. I refused to look at Walker but I could see him in my peripheral vision, still leaning against the muscle car he loved so well. It would take an act of God to ignore him, but I was determined to try.

Bentley stopped a few feet from me and crossed his arms over his chest, rolling back on his heels. A stray wind lifted strands of his blonde hair, sweeping it across his forehead and into his eyes.

"Whatcha up to, sis?" he asked, his gaze sweeping over Lukas before focusing on me.

"Not much. What are you doing here?" I asked, mimicking him by crossing my arms over my chest.

"Hanging out. You know ... a little of this, a little of that," Bentley said, keeping his eyes on Lukas. "Never expected to see you two lovebirds here. Where y'all headed? You need a ride home?"

I knew where this was going and it wasn't good.

"I'm fine," I answered with a sweet smile. "But I'll see you later." I turned to leave, grabbing Lukas's hand again, but I should've known that Bentley wouldn't let me walk away so easily. Like I said – the guy was overprotective.

"I think you should ride home with us, Sam. I mean it," he said in a stern voice.

Irritation grew in me. With my mother high most of the time and my father out of the picture, Bentley had been the one to raise me. To teach me right from wrong. To keep tabs on me. To be the only one who really cared. He was the only person I could rely on but he refused to acknowledge that I was old enough to take care of myself.

And lately it had begun to annoy me.

"I said I was fine, Bent. Lukas is taking me home," I said in a calm voice that hid my frustration.