My 7 Deadly Stepbrothers

I hated my family.

And even more than that, I hated the fact that I had no other choice but to leave behind the town I grew up in and move to Washington, to live with my mom's new family. While I knew Washington would be a lot different from Texas, yet, my mind was consumed by the thought of living in a house filled with strangers.

I blamed my poor state on my father, for not loving or caring about me. For calling me after years, only when he learned that I was going to live with mom's new family. I hated him for not coming to my graduation or calling me to tell me that he was proud of me. I hated him for choosing a man over me, his flesh and blood.

I also blamed my mother and her habit of jumping from one man to another.

However, I was also a little impressed by her, because this time, she hadn't gone after a carpenter, a chef, an author, or a musician. This time, she managed to catch a big fish. Her sixth husband was the owner of a multinational tech company and the sixth richest person in the United States.

The man had everything, and that included an overpopulated family. I wasn't prepared to live with so many people, yet I had to leave for Washington in four days. It was my last weekend in Hollow's Creek, and to celebrate that, my friends Camilia and Phineas were taking me to a club in Austin.

"Katherine!" Camilia yelled as the car came to a stop in front of my grandma's house.

"You don't need to scream every time we see each other," I pointed out as I walked towards the car. She rolled her eyes dramatically and put on a sour look.

"You look beautiful, Kat," Phineas complimented when he looked at me from the rearview mirror.

"I think she's finally getting laid tonight," Camilia said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, as Phineas started the engine.

"Shut up, Cami!" I shook my head, glaring at her. "I've never seen a man naked in real life, not that I want to."

"You're going to die a virgin," Camilia remarked, and that fueled my annoyance more.

"She's going to find an amazing man tonight," Phineas stated, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. "And he will be her Prince Charming."

"No Disney clichés around me, please, like, it's so lame," Camilia said in her best Valley Girl accent.

Phineas turned to give her a look of disgust before saying, "You know my gut feelings are always right."

"Not always."

"They were right about us," he pointed out, and she turned her head to look out the window, a small smile tugging at her lips. "What happened? Deny that, love."

They were really a cute couple and the best friends anyone could ever ask for. They never made me feel like I was third-wheeling, even though I always was, and they helped me through all my tough times. They were more of a family to me than either of my parents, and the thought of leaving them behind made my heart ache.

"Don't think about it," Camilia said, reading the thoughts in my head. "We will always be friends, no matter where we are on the globe."

"I-I..." I tried to speak, but no words came out of my mouth.

"Let's talk about Real Housewives and forget about everything else," Phineas added, giving me his warm smile. "Tonight, we are living in the moment; we are not going to think about tomorrow. Okay?"

Both of us nodded our heads, and the conversation shifted toward something lighter. I instantly felt better. Phineas was the kind of person who always knew what to say and how to act, and Camilia couldn't be further from it. Maybe that's why they were so amazing together.

In an hour, we were at the club, which was at least five times bigger than the one we had in Hollow's Creek. Then, like the gentleman he was, Phineas escorted us to the VIP section that his brother, who worked there, had reserved for us. The music was loud, and before I could even get used to the sound, Camilia had already placed the orders.

"We're taking a shot each and then getting the night started," she ordered, turning to look at the crowd on the dance floor.

The shots were placed in front of us, and Camilia took a selfie before either Phineas or I could even touch the glass. We waited for her to delete that picture and click a few more. Only after that we took the shot together, and proceeded to the dance floor.

The DJ was playing ‘Cheap Thrills’ and as soon as we started moving, I could feel people looking at me. Phineas gave me a knowing look; he had warned me about wearing the short dress to a club, but Camilia insisted. It was a little tight for my comfort, but it showed my curves.

I looked around the dance floor when the song changed, and "Unstoppable" blasted through the speakers. Phineas and Cami were eating each other's faces, and to my surprise, they weren't the only ones. Suddenly, I started to feel a little awkward seeing everyone around me making out, so I went back to the bar.

I ordered a cosmopolitan and sipped it while staring at the couples on the dance floor. There were singles too, but for some reason, my eyes filtered them out. When the glass was empty, I decided to order something stronger. I wanted something to make me forget everything, to help me let loose.

"Give me something stronger," I leaned forward on the bar to look at the young bartender.

"Tequila shot?" he offered, giving me his full attention. "They're quite strong, if you don't do them often."

"I don't!" I answered, and he chuckled.

"Okay," he handed me a slice of lemon and placed a glass with clear liquid on the bar.

I gulped down the shot, and it burned my throat. The bartender pointed at the lemon slice in my hand, and that's when I remembered I had it. I sucked on the lemon to cut the sharpness and felt like doing it again.

"One more," I ordered, and the bartender moved to pull the bottle back effortlessly.

"Here you go," he said, pouring me the drink in the glass.

I took another shot and surveyed the dance floor. I saw a dark figure, dancing on his own near the center. I wanted to dance with him, so I returned. This time, I didn't pull myself away from strangers; I pushed my way into the crowd to completely lose myself in the music.

I felt eyes on me, but I didn't pay any mind to it and carried on dancing.

That's when someone grabbed my waist with his right hand. I controlled my urge to push him and tell him to fuck off. Instead, I leaned against his chest. I wanted to feel the sexual arousal everyone talked about, before going to college. Seeing the way I reacted, or didn't, he grabbed my left side too and shoved my ass against his crotch.

"Having fun, little wolf?" he questioned in the deepest voice I'd ever heard, and that made me tingle in my crotch.