Carla

“Carla!”  Nash yelled out from the front door.

Bloody hell, I had the headache of all headaches, and his yelling was only going to make it worse.  Velvet and I had gone out drinking last night, and I’d ended up with a hangover this morning.  Thankfully it had eased somewhat but the headache still lingered.

I didn’t bother answering him; he’d find me.

A minute later, he appeared in the kitchen, a scowl covering his face.  I frowned.  “What’s wrong?”

“Havoc fuckin’ Caldwell.  That’s what’s wrong,” he thundered.

Shit.  I figured he’d be pissed when he found out, and hence I hadn’t told him, but the anger rolling off him was far worse than I’d imagined.  I put down the dish I was washing up, and gave him my full attention.  “He told you?”

“No he fuckin’ didn’t.  Velvet spilled it by accident when she got home drunk last night.  You’ve got no clue who you’re dealing with there, and you need to call whatever it is you’ve got going, off.”

I raised my brows.  “Oh, really?  Do I?  And what gives you the right to dictate to me how to live my life?”  This was a common argument with us; Nash had spent my entire life telling me how to live it and I was sick of it.

He jabbed a finger in the air at me.  “I know Havoc, and I know he is not the man for you.  Fuck, Carla, how the hell did you even get messed up with him?”

“I met him at a bar.  The rest is history.”  I wasn’t going to detail it for him.

“And so you’re dating him now?  I didn’t think Havoc was the kind of man to date after all the shit that went down with his ex.”

I was clueless about his ex; it wasn’t something we’d ever discussed.  It wasn’t something I was interested to know.  And we sure as hell weren’t dating.  “Nash, we’re not dating, it’s just sex.”

His eyes were wild.  “Good.  So you will stop seeing him then?”

“Give me one good reason why I should,” I challenged him even though I really had no intention of giving up sex with Havoc; it was too damn good to give it up.

He glared at me.  It looked like he was weighing something up in his mind.  “Havoc would kill you without even thinking twice about it.  It’s not safe for you to be around him.”

I should have felt shock.  His words should have scared the shit out of me, but they didn’t.  I’d sensed that about Havoc; knew there was something dark lurking inside him.  And yet, I wasn’t scared by him.  I felt the opposite when I was with him.  I felt safe.

The world stilled as I locked eyes with my brother.  We were about to take part in the biggest battle we’d ever had.  I wasn’t giving Havoc up; not yet.  Eventually I would, when he left town, but not until then.  “I’m not going to stop seeing him, Nash,” I said, firmly.

His eyes bulged out of his head, and the veins in his neck popped.  “Fuck!”  He turned, and hit the wall behind him.  When he looked back at me, it was with a determined look on his face.  “You will fuckin’ stop seeing him; I will make sure of it one way or another,” he roared, and then stalked out of the house, slamming the front door on his way.

Shit.

Nash had a temper, but I hadn’t seen him that angry for a long time.  I had no idea what he planned to do to stop me seeing Havoc, but it pissed me off that he was going to interfere.

My phone rang, and I snatched it up, hoping it was Havoc; I needed to hear his voice right now.  “Hello?”

“Hello.  Carla?”

I didn’t recognise the voice.  “Speaking.”

“Hi, it’s Justin from the Coffee Club calling back about the interview you attended yesterday.  I just wanted to let you know you were unsuccessful.  And we wish you all the best in your job hunting.”

“Thanks for letting me know,” I said, dejectedly, and hung up.

It was the fifth interview I’d gone to in the last week and they’d all rejected me.  I was beginning to think I’d never get another job.  I slumped into the chair in front of me, and put my head down on the table.  Perhaps I could just block the world out and pretend my life wasn’t falling to bits.  And perhaps pigs would fucking fly.

“Carla!”

More banging on the front door, only this time I was happy to hear Havoc’s voice.

“Come in,” I yelled out, not moving out of my seat.  Nope, I’d decided to stay in my own little pity party bubble for now.

I heard his heavy boots coming down the hall, and my body tingled with anticipation.  Hell yes, Havoc would make it all better; make me forget for a couple of hours at least.  When he stopped in the kitchen doorway a moment later, the look on his face told me something was wrong, and my tummy sank.

“We need to talk,” he said.

I took a deep breath.  Without moving out of my chair, I said, “Sure.  Why not.  You may as well add to the bad in my life,” I muttered.

Frowning at me, he asked, “What’s happened now?”

I was drunk on disappointment, and didn’t hold back.  “Well, my brother’s trying to control my life, telling me what I can and can’t do, and then I found out I didn’t get yet another fucking job.  Add those to the other shit happening in my life, and let’s just say, I’m over it.  Out.  Had e-fucking-nough.  So hit me, Havoc.  Tell me your news.”  I gestured with my hands for him to carry on.