Scarlett (The Knights of Fallen County Book 2) Read online

I jump up. "Sorry, I'll get to work."

  Reaching out, he pushes me back down.

  "Relax, darlin’, you finish up here. You work really hard and deserve a bit of a rest. Anyway, most of the current customers are here for Drake anyway, so we may as well give them what they want."

  He laughs as he sees my confused expression. "My little brothers got a bit of a fan club. They're out in force tonight; it's entertaining to watch though."

  For some reason, his words annoy me. The thought of other girls around Drake irritates me, and I don't know why. It's not as if we’re even friends, let alone anything else. Why should it bother me?

  I give it another ten minutes and then grab my apron and head back to the bar. Dylan wasn't joking when he said there was a fan club here. There must be a dozen girls at the bar, all trying to get his attention.

  He appears to be enjoying every minute of it and, catching me looking, grins mischievously. Shrugging, I turn away and start clearing tables.

  Every so often I steal a look and soon see a girl leaning across the bar as she flirts with Drake.

  She has long blonde hair and is beautifully tanned. Her cut-off shorts reveal long, shapely legs and her t-shirt is clinging to a large chest. I hear her giggle. "Come on, Drake, you know that all work and no play make Drake a dull boy. Take the night off for once and show a girl a good time."

  My lip curls in disgust and Drake laughs loudly. Seeing him look, she turns around and sees me watching. She looks shocked as she sees my t-shirt, and says in a shrill voice, "I never knew there was a job going here. Why didn't you say, I would have been interested?"

  Drake grins. "Nothing to do with me, darlin’, my brother does the hiring and firing around here."

  Her eyes narrow as she looks at me and I turn away. Girls like her are everywhere, both here in this town and at home. They're all the same, and my sisters are no different. I keep away from them as much as I can because they make me sick with their fake smiles and fake everything else. All that matters to them is grabbing the most popular guy and being seen with the right crowd, well they can keep it. That’s never interested me, which is why I stay away.

  Ignoring them all, I carry on with my work. Occasionally, I catch Drake watching me, which sends shivers down my spine. He certainly affects me, and it’s extremely distracting.

  A little later, as I come out of the kitchen with an order, I see the girl waiting, looking annoyed. "Miss can you come to the restrooms, please? They're disgusting and I can’t possibly use them in the state they're in."

  Looking at her in surprise, I nod and head toward them. I only checked them twenty minutes ago and they were fine then. Being the only female member of staff means I’m responsible for monitoring them. Not a great job, but somebody has to do it.

  However, when I get there, it’s obvious they are fine. I spin around to leave and see the girl blocking the exit and she narrows her eyes and sneers, "I've seen you looking at my boyfriend and I don't like it."

  Wearily, I raise my eyes. "Your boyfriend, you say, and who would that be?"

  Her eyes flash as she approaches me. Then without warning, she reaches across, grabs my hair and slams my face against the mirror. The force of it causes it to break and I feel a sudden pain as it slices my head.

  "Stay away from Drake, you little slut. I know your sort. A piece of low-life scum bumming around in bars to make ends meet. Well, for your information, he's taken, so back off sister."

  Almost immediately, I feel the rage building inside me and know there is nothing I can do to stop it.

  Quick as a flash, I elbow her sharply in her stomach and as she relaxes her grip, I twist around to face her. The rage powers through my body and I feel the fire in my eyes. I watch her expression change to one of disbelief, then as the pain enters her soul it changes to one of fear.

  Grabbing hold of her arm, I twist it until she cries out in agony. I let the fire burn within me and it transfers to her body and I relish the feeling of her tormented soul burning in my hands. I see everything inside her; her hate, her tainted soul and the sins she’s chained to for life and use it against her. The fire calms my rage and leaves behind a feeling of power that excites yet sickens me at the same time. I hate that I love this and I love that I have the ability to cleanse the world of evil. I hiss, "Just a word of advice, sister. Know who you're dealing with before you pick a fight. For your information, Drake is not your boyfriend and I’m not interested in him. If I was, I wouldn't let a piece of trash like you put me off either. Now, I don't like to get angry and you’ve brought my inner devil out which annoys me. The only thing stopping me from sending you straight to Hell is the fact that I'm working and I kinda like my job. So, if you know what's good for you, you'll leave this place and never come back, got it?"

  Tears are now running down her face as she nods and I can feel the pain in her as I hold her in my iron grip. She is no match for me and she knows it.

  In disgust, I release her and follow her as she runs from the room toward her friends who stare at us with stunned expressions.

  Before she can leave, the exit is blocked and I sigh heavily. My brothers stand there forming a wall of menace, and you could hear a pin drop before the girl runs toward them shouting, “Caleb, she attacked me for no reason.”

  He just laughs loudly along with my brothers and she looks confused until Caleb says, " Hey, Morgan, I see you've met our sister."

  The look on her face almost makes me laugh out loud and I watch with interest as her friends look away and there’s a tense silence in the room.

  Then I say wearily, "What are you doing here?"

  Caleb laughs and his eyes flash with excitement. "We were sent to check on you, though by the looks of things you've got it covered."

  They move to the side and Morgan races outside, closely followed by her friends. Once again, my brothers laugh and then head toward the bar to get a drink and I notice that nobody looks at them as they pass, and I can almost taste the fear in the room.

  As I push my hair back from my face, I realize I’m bleeding and with a sigh, I head off to the restrooms to see to the cut.

  ~4~

  When I head out, my brothers are still here. They are quite an intimidating sight and I wish they would leave. Before they see me, I duck into the kitchen and Mac looks up as I enter.

  "You ok, honey, things got a bit tense out there for a minute."

  Nodding, I grab a chair as he pushes a glass of water toward me, which I accept with a grateful smile.

  Before he can say anything, we look up as Drake comes into the kitchen with a face like thunder, which makes me nervous. He heads toward me and taking a cloth from his pocket, holds it to my head and applies pressure, saying gently, "I'm sorry, Scarlett. I should have known Morgan would go after you. I blame myself for what happened."

  I’m in shock. He is looking at me so sweetly it makes me feel strangely vulnerable. I’m not used to people being kind to me, and I’m not sure how to react, so I shrug.

  "It's ok. I probably shouldn't have lost my temper either. I hope I haven't driven your customers away."

  He says in disgust. "Those are customers that we can do without. What did she say to you?"

  Lowering my eyes, I say quietly. "That I was to keep away from you because you were her boyfriend."

  He laughs incredulously. "Is that so? Well, maybe in her dreams, but having her as a girlfriend would be in my worst nightmares."

  I choke down a laugh and he tilts my face toward his and his eyes twinkle as he says, "That's better; I knew you had it in you."

  I feel myself blushing and push him away, and he smiles gently. "You know, you should smile more often. It totally transforms you and I kind of like it."

  Before I can answer, Dylan pokes his head around the door. "You ok, Scarlett? Sorry to ask, but I'm dying out here." Drake looks annoyed, but I jump up. "Yes, I'm fine, thanks, I'll be right there."

  Not looking at Drake, I race outside and notice with relief t
hat my brothers have gone.

  My shift continues as if nothing happened, and I soon ease back into it. It’s busy and takes a combined effort to keep it all going. We don't stop, and it’s with considerable relief that we close the door after the last customer leaves.

  Dylan cashes up and hands me my share of the tips. "It was a good night, thanks, honey. Sorry, it was a bit difficult earlier on."

  Shrugging, I pocket the money and turn to leave.

  Dylan grabs hold of my arm and looks at me with concern. "Are you ok, Scarlett? It's just that you don't ever show emotion, and that's not good."

  I see his eyes filled with compassion and it causes a lump to form in my throat. I’m not used to kindness and I react to it badly. Snatching my arm away, I scowl. "I'm fine. Not everyone wants people knowing their business; some of us like to keep ourselves private, if you know what I mean."

  I feel bad as he looks at me with disappointment. Then Drake appears and sensing the awkward atmosphere, heads over and nods to Dylan to leave us. As soon as he’s out of earshot, he says sternly. "That was uncalled for. He was only being kind. You know, not everyone is after something; people can care without wanting anything in return. Sometimes it just helps to talk."

  Feeling ashamed, I manage a small smile. "I'm sorry, you're right, I'm such a bitch. The trouble is, you can see where I’m from. Feelings are seen as a sign of weakness so you soon learn to disguise them and you kind of develop a thick skin after a while."

  I’m surprised when a smile totally transforms Drake's face. His eyes sparkle and I’m totally mesmerized by them. "That's better, darlin’. I knew you could do it. By the end of the summer, we won't be able to shut you up."

  I can tell he’s joking and relax with a small laugh. Suddenly, he looks more serious and his eyes hold mine and I can't look away. He stares at me for what seems like forever and then says softly, "There's something about you, that I can't work out. You're not like any other girl I’ve ever met."

  I hear the sound of a motorbike outside and look away. "Yeah, well, you probably wouldn't want to meet a girl like me, anyway. Trouble follows me wherever I go, it's quite a lot to handle."

  Turning away, I leave before he has a chance to reply.

  I see Ash waiting for me and slide behind him on the bike. He hesitates and turns around, saying gruffly, "You ok?"

  Looking down, I wrap my arms around me defensively and snap, "Why wouldn't I be?"

  He shrugs and starts the bike and I feel bad.

  I wonder if I’ll ever be able to let anyone in. I want to but it’s hard and once again I feel the loneliness surround me in a protective bubble that shuts everyone out and me inside.

  ~5~

  As soon as we stop outside the house, I fully intend on bolting straight to my room.

  As I get off the bike, Ash turns to me and almost looks apologetic. “Sorry, Scarlett. I've been told to send you straight to his den, he wants a word.”

  I keep my expression blank, but my insides are churning. Ash goes to say something but then thinks better of it and I feel him watching me as I enter the house.

  My hand freezes on the door handle and I say, “What's he got you doing?”

  Ash looks annoyed. “The usual violence and intimidation. I just follow the others and back them up.”

  “So, how come you were at the bar earlier? I don't buy the fact you were there just to check on me.”

  Ash grins. “You can't escape the fact we’re all related. We knew you were in trouble the moment that girl touched you. All we did was close our eyes and we could see where you were. You must feel it too, it's what we do. We may not choose to be a family, but we are one whether we like it or not.”

  Looking back at him, I say quietly, “Thanks, maybe it's not so bad to have brothers after all.”

  I leave him outside and almost before the door closes, I hear his bike roar away. Taking a deep breath, I prepare to face my father.

  Reaching his den, I go to knock, but he calls me in before I even lay a hand on the door. With a heavy sigh, I push the door open and go inside.

  The room is fairly large and intimidating. The interior is dark and oppressive and there are heavy drapes at the window and dark heavy furniture set around the room. Huge bookcases groan under the weight of thousands of books and we are all encouraged to read at least one of them every day. My father's favorite saying is, knowledge is power, and he practices it every day.

  All of us have a special gift where we just have to look at a page in a book and it’s absorbed into our memory. It's handy at school though, and this particular gift has served me well over the years.

  Trying to keep my nerves in check, I approach the large intimidating desk and stand nervously in front of my father.

  Devlin Knight is a powerful man. He is good looking and appears able to attract any woman he wants. He has a certain charm about him they apparently can’t resist. Most of my brothers look like him, and so do I. Only the twins look more like their mother, which is probably why he indulges them so much.

  According to them, their mother was his one true love. I don't believe it for a minute because he obviously hasn't got a heart. If he has, it’s of the blackest variety. He has no conscience and just does whatever he wants at all times.

  He looks up and then sits back in his chair and gestures for me to sit opposite him. I set my expression to a blank one because I don't want to let him inside my head. I don't know why I think this will make a difference because he knows everything, anyway.

  As he looks at me, I see his mind working. He is always so intimidating, which puts me on edge.

  Staring at me intently, he speaks in his slow, deep voice. “You've been avoiding me, young lady.”

  I don't say anything and just stare at him with a blank expression. He raises his eyes and his expression is curious as he waits.

  I shrug, “Maybe.”

  Leaning forward, his eyes don't leave mine for a second. “When you're here, Scarlett, I want to spend time with you. The whole point of these visits is for us to get to know each other as a family. There is much I need to teach you and you need to understand where you come from.”

  I shrug and look down, breaking eye contact before he sees how much he unnerves me.

  He settles back in his chair and says sternly. “So, what did you learn today?”

  Before I can stop myself, I snap, “That this town is full of creeps who prey on young girls.”

  I feel his anger growing as the atmosphere changes in the room and he says menacingly, “You've got a smart mouth, young lady, just like your mother. Don't let me have to silence it like I did hers.”

  Tears burn my eyes at the mention of my mother. I believe she was a lot like me and resisted him at first. It just made him more determined to have her; a battle that he won in the end—as always. The trouble is, they clashed terribly and it was quite an intense relationship, and she couldn’t deal with it. He broke her spirit, and it took her years to recover.

  Shaking myself, I look up at him defiantly as he smiles darkly. “I hear you found yourself in a situation today.”

  My eyes flash and I can't help but say, “If you mean being assaulted for no reason by a psychotic bitch who slammed my face into a mirror, then yes, I did find myself in somewhat of a situation today.”

  To my surprise, he laughs and his eyes burn brightly. “And how did that make you feel?”

  I laugh hollowly. “It made my head hurt.”

  To my surprise, he leans forward and reaches out, grabbing hold of my arm and I feel his power flowing through me as he reads me. I see the excitement in his eyes as he smiles wickedly.

  “You can deny it all you like, Scarlett, but it’s here inside you, I can feel it. You felt powerful holding someone else's destiny in your hands. At that moment you chose whether she lived or died, and that felt good. She was powerless against you, and that made you feel more alive than you’ve ever felt before. You may not like where you come from, or what you are
, but you can't ignore it. It’s inside you and it’s up to you how you use it.”

  Releasing my arm, he continues to look deeply into my soul as he leans back in his chair. “You have great potential, Scarlett, more so than any of your brothers and sisters. You hide in the shadows and give nothing away and you may not like this, but you are more like me than any of them. I will look forward to showing you how to harness the energy and use it to your advantage.”

  As I look at him, I try to remain composed. I don't want him to see inside my mind. I don't want to be like him in any way. It’s why I’m the way I am. I’m constantly fighting against myself and can't let my guard down for a minute. What happened today was unfortunate. It took me by surprise, and I don't want to let it happen again. I was unprepared for the attack and should have seen it coming. If anything annoyed me about what happened, it was my own lack of foresight.

  My father is still looking at me intently and I feel uncomfortable. Then he laughs, “Go and find Luna and she'll make you something to eat. Oh, and send your sisters in will you, it's their turn now.”

  Gratefully, I make a dash for the door and as I reach it, he says in a sinister voice, “You can fight it all you want, Scarlett, but you’ll never escape it. Just learn to use it and you'll find it easier.”

  I don't turn around, or react and head outside as quickly as possible.

  As I head toward the kitchen, I worry about what he said. The last thing I want is to be like him, or my siblings and just want a normal, happy life, away from the rage and cruelty. The thought of what might lie ahead terrifies me, and there is nobody I can talk to about it. I would confide in one of my brothers or sisters, but they seem to thrive on it all. I have never met a meaner bunch and know they would use my weakness against me.

  For some reason, my thoughts turn to Drake and Dylan. They are both so kind and patient with me. If I could, I would live with them both in the bar forever. I’ve never felt part of anything before like I do there. It feels safe and comfortable, and I wish I never had to leave.