Chapter 83 Chapter Eighty-three

Chapter 83 Chapter Eighty-three
Bella

I tried to convince myself that my mother would at least have the decency to behave herself today.

I was wrong. Chris’s younger brother, Jeff, had shown up unannounced under the excuse of an “emergency.” Chris wasn’t home yet, but that didn’t stop my mother from turning the living room into her personal stage.

She was wearing a gown so short and tight it made the shortest dress in my wardrobe look like a nun’s habit. 

The neckline plunged so deep I was surprised her breasts didn’t spill out every time she moved. She looked like she was dressed for a nightclub, not a casual visit from her fiancé’s brother.

I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. This side of her had brighter colours, it seemed.

“I’ll get you a fruity juice, Jeff. I’ll be right back,” she purred, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger like a sorority girl in a bad teen movie. 

Then she turned and walked away, deliberately swaying her hips like she was on a runway.

Jeff’s eyes followed her the entire way, and he smacked his lips loudly.

Jesus Christ. I shut my eyes tight, trying to block out the sight. This was pathetic. Disgusting. The kind of thing that made my skin crawl.

I had a class in exactly one hour, but I was still trying to finish an assignment on my laptop. I decided to use the sitting room so it would motivate me to work harder. 

Every time I tried to focus on the screen, I heard Jeff shift on the couch or clear his throat, clearly impatient for my mother to return.

I tried to work past it, but then I just couldn't. The uneasy feeling crawling up my spine wouldn't let me.

I lifted my head and realized why. Jeff had left the couch. He was walking straight toward me with a sleazy smirk twisting his lips.

I slammed my laptop shut and shot him the sharpest glare I could muster.

“You don’t have to pretend to be the pretty, intense stepdaughter,” he spoke in a tone so oily my ears twitched from irritation. “You’re all the same. I bet if I stroked you right now, I’d find you wet and ready.”

My stomach churned with disgust. The fucking nerve he had to say that to me!

And, hadn’t he been shamelessly flirting with my mother just minutes ago? A woman older than him by at least six years.

“You’re utterly disgusting,” My voice was loud and clear as I spat the words. I didn't give a damn if my mother heard or not. “And shameless. My mother might not mind letting your slimy fingers run all over her body, but know this, I’ll chop those fingers off myself if they come anywhere near me.”

Jeff’s smirk only widened. He stepped closer, his eyes raking over me like I was food he was intent on eating.

“You’re feisty. Exactly my type.” His voice dropped into something sleazier. “C’mon, Bella… I’m dying to know what it’ll feel like to fuck both mother and daughter.”

He started jerking his hips forward in a crude thrusting motion, like some low-budget porn actor.

I nearly gagged. I grabbed my books and laptop, scrambling away from him, but he was faster. 

His hand shot out and grabbed my arm, yanking me back roughly. His grip was too strong, he didn't want me to get free.

“I’m not fucking done talking, brat.”

“Don’t you dare touch me!” I shouted after recovering myself, trying to wrench my arm free.

Jeff’s grip tightened painfully. His breath reeked of alcohol as he leaned in closer, his eyes glazing over with lust and entitlement.

My heart jumped, from fear of what this asshole might do. I would scream if he didn't let go soon.

“You think you’re too good for me?” he sneered. “I know you're like your mother. She's been teasing me for weeks. It’s only fair I get a taste of the daughter too—”

The sound of heavy footsteps cut him off. Jeff didn’t even have time to turn around before a powerful hand clamped around the back of his neck and slammed him face-first into the wall with brutal force.

Gray. He pinned Jeff against the wall, his forearm pressed hard against the back of his neck. If he pressed any harder, Jeff would definitely pass out.

Jeff bucked back violently, snarling like a cornered animal. “Get your hands off me, you murderer!”

Gray turned his head slowly so our eyes could meet. There was a look of calculated rage in his eyes, but also tenderness, like he wanted me to know that even while beating his uncle up, he saw me.

“Give us a moment,” Gray said in a deceptively calm voice as he dragged Jeff away. “Man to man.”

Oh, he was about to do something really dirty. Like run him over or something.

Jeff howled a string of obscenities, kicking and cursing as Gray pulled him toward the foyer with terrifying ease.

I shot up from the sofa and followed them, my heart pounding every which way. I didn’t know what I expected, but the sight still stole my breath.

Gray lifted Jeff like he weighed absolutely nothing, his muscles flexing under his shirt, and flung him out the front door like a ragdoll.

Jeff sailed through the air with a pathetic scream before crashing hard onto the driveway with a sickening thud.

“Oh my goodness, Gray!” My mother’s shocked voice rang out from behind me. “What has come over you? Your own uncle?!”

Gray stood in the doorway like a dark storm given human form, breathing hard, his fists clenched at his sides. 

He didn’t even turn to look at her. His eyes were fixed on Jeff, who was groaning on the ground, trying to push himself up.

“Uncle?” Gray’s voice was low, almost amused, but hey, it was the kind of amusement that preceded violence. 

“That piece of shit stopped being family the second he put his hands on Bella.”

He took one step forward, and Jeff scrambled backward on the concrete like a terrified crab.

My mother rushed past me, her face pale with fury and panic. “Gray, have you lost your mind?! Chris will hear about this!”

Gray finally turned to look at her. The expression on his face was ice-cold, Queen Elsa couldn't even match him in a cold-stare contest. 

“Let him hear,” he said quietly. “And while you’re at it, tell him how his brother was trying to force himself on your daughter. Or are you too busy sucking his dick to care?”

I watched my mother run the whole gamut of emotions. It was fun watching her guards fall, until Chris returned.

Perhaps it was bad luck, but then it could just be Karma. Chris drove into the compound like a madman and had to engage his brakes at the last minute to avoid running over his own brother.