Fast and Reckless: The Fraternity Brothers Series Book Two Read online

  Fast and Reckless

  The Fraternity Brothers Series Book Two

  Emerson Rose

  Contents

  Important!

  Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  More From Emerson

  Connect With Us!

  About the Author

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  Description

  Damian

  My life is, and always has been, about fast cars and fast women respectively.

  That’s how I like it.

  So why, when a sweet beautiful author ghosts me after a record two-month long streak of dates, does it bother me so much?

  I don’t call women repeatedly. But I called Layna repeatedly.

  I don’t send text after text, yet I did to her.

  I don’t sulk over women, but man I’m sulking.

  I tell the guys it’s her loss, but that’s a lie.

  It’s my loss and I want her back, but I have my pride.

  She cut me off, so be it. I’m no beggar.

  Layna

  I had two rules in life. Protect my heart and don’t date players.

  When I met Damian Ricci I broke them both.

  Things started getting serious and Damian’s not serious relationship material.

  When the opportunity presented itself I let him go with a heavy heart in the most

  cowardly way possible, I ghosted him.

  Now I have something to share with him. Something life changing and important.

  But how can I after the way I left things?

  1

  Damian

  People say family is everything, but what if your biological family is shit? That’s when you go out and look for a real family. My real family is my fraternity brothers. The guys I met in Delta Eta Nu are more of a family than the one I was born into ever was.

  When you’re part of a family, you do things like drive your brother to the doctor to have his cast removed from his arm after a car accident and sit in the waiting room forever bored out of your ever-loving mind. That’s what I’m doing now.

  When I see Hunter walking toward me rubbing his pale arm, I stand up and shake the pins and needles from my legs. Hunter gives me a quizzical look. “Dude, that took forever. My legs went to sleep.”

  “Sorry, man, that doc almost didn’t take the damn thing off. He’s worried I’ll go back to work too fast.”

  “How does it feel?” I say looking down at the flaky skin on his arm.

  “Weird, light, achy.”

  “Yeah, it takes a while to feel normal again. I broke my arm falling out of the neighbor’s tree when I was five. Had to get it rebroken because nobody took me to the hospital, sucked.”

  “Why didn’t they take you?”

  I shrug. “Nobody around. Hey, you wanna get something to eat?” I say changing the subject. I don’t know why I even brought it up. I hate talking about my childhood.

  “Yeah, I’m starving. Tacos?”

  “As long as they aren’t those nasty organic ones you got last time.”

  “Nah, we can get the real deal.”

  Thank God for Edie. If not for her, we’d all still be eating organic shit when we barbeque on the weekends. She’s a junk food connoisseur like the rest of us, and she’s slowly converting Hunter to the dark side.

  “Lead the way.” I step aside and let him lead me out of the maze that’s the Lakeview Medical Plaza. I hate doctors and clinics. Ever since my racing accident in college when I learned that doctors and nurses are actually torture experts, I do whatever it takes to stay in one piece and moderately healthy.

  As we walk, I check my phone for messages. I’ve been waiting to hear if the driver from a major NASCAR team has retired yet. It was supposed to be announced weeks ago, but word is something’s holding him back. A friend of mine knows a guy who’s on that team. Inside tips are the best way to get on a NASCAR professional auto racing team, and I want on that team.

  No voicemail. Dammit.

  I look up and find myself face to face with a beautiful woman. Not just any beautiful woman, one I recognize. She’s a woman I have been missing a lot lately. “Layna, uh, hi,” I say without my usual charm. I sound like a fourth-grade geek caught with his pants down in the girls’ bathroom.

  “Hey, I thought that was you.” She gives me an awkward side hug and greets Hunter. “Hello, Hunter, how have you been?”

  She looks just as beautiful as she did a month ago when I dropped her off in front of her house. I had a race out of town the next day and couldn’t spend the night.

  “Much better today. Just got my cast off of my arm, it’s been a long six weeks.”

  “A cast? What happened? Nothing firefighter related, I hope.”

  “Originally, it was injured in a car accident. Well… car versus motorcycle, I guess. The bone is weak, and I broke it again working a fire.”

  “Oh no. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s all good. Hey, I haven’t seen you around. What’s up with that?” Hunter says glancing at me with suspicious eyes.

  I hold up my hands defending my innocence. “Don’t look
at me, I’ve tried to call and text.”

  She looks down at her pink Converse and stuffs her hands into the pockets of a hooded sweatshirt she’s wearing. “Sorry, I’ve been on a deadline for weeks. I finally finished my book. I was thinking about giving you a call this weekend.”

  She was not.

  “I’m glad you’re done. Does that mean you have time off now?” Hunter asks sparing me the embarrassment of coming up with a response to that. She could have text back. She could have picked up the phone and said ‘Sorry, I’m busy.’ She ghosted me. There’s no other way to explain it.

  “Now I’m knee-deep in edits, and then there will be a release tour when the book comes out. I’m not locked away in my writer’s cave anymore, though.”

  “That’s cool. Glad things are going well for you. What brings you here?” I ask.

  Her hands come out of her pockets, and I watch her fidget with her handbag on her shoulder. “Oh, I had my annual checkup, nothing important.”

  Something in her voice sounds far from honest. I shouldn’t care since she’s been ignoring me for weeks, but something about her answer bugs me.

  A blonde bicycle-delivery girl wearing the shortest pair of biking shorts and a tight tank top displaying a perfect pair of tits walks by carrying a package. I track her from the doors to the information desk and back outside with one thing on my mind. How can I get a piece of that?

  Hunter and Layna talk for a minute, and the blonde exits the building causing my attention to float back to their conversation. Layna notices, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say the look in her eyes is one of pain.

  “Okay, six o’clock tonight at the beach near Tonic, then?” Hunter asks. She jerks her gaze from me back to Hunter.

  “Sure, I’ll do my best to make it there. I’d like to see Edie again. How’s she doing? I heard she’s going to start college soon.”

  So, she keeps up on Hunter’s girlfriend’s life, but she can’t return a text message—nice.

  “Yes, she is. I’ve never seen anyone so excited to go to school. I’m sure she’ll be excited to see you again.”

  “That’s great, she’ll make a wonderful social worker someday. I’ll do my best to make it tonight. It was good bumping into you, Damian,” she says looking directly into my eyes. “Again, I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.”

  I look down and stuff my hands into my pockets unable to hold her gaze. “No problem, I get it,” I say, but I don’t. I don’t get it at all. And, as bad as I don’t want to look like a pussy- whipped bastard in front of one of my best friends and frat brother, I’m sure I do.

  Hunter hugs her warmly first, and then she gives me a stiff nod before we walk away.

  “What the hell did you do to that woman?”

  “Nothing. Shit man, why does it have to be me who did something?”

  “Because you’re a womanizing manwhore, and she’s the nicest woman you’ve ever dated as long as I’ve ever known you.”

  “Oh, come on, I’m not that bad.”

  “You are.”

  “I swear to God it was her. She ditched me, you heard her say she was busy.” I say busy like it’s the worst curse word imaginable. “She’s been able to keep track of what’s going on with Edie and the trial, but she couldn’t shoot me a simple text back? No, you’re not pinning this failure on me, uh uh.” I shake my head.

  “You didn’t do anything? You’re sure?”

  “Nothing, I swear.” I hold up my hand like I’m taking an oath in front of God.

  “She’s too good for you anyway. It’s probably for the best.” He’s pursing his lips together trying to keep from laughing, but I’m kind of pissed.

  “Fuck off. I liked her, a lot. If she’s not smart enough to know when she’s got the best, let her suffer with the rest.”

  “Wow, dude, you think very highly of yourself, don’t you?”

  “Higher than you do, apparently. I’m serious. I really tried with her, but she wasn’t into me.”

  “What’s your definition of tried?”

  “We dated for two months. I did all the romantic shit you’re supposed to do when you are into someone. I called and text her. Hell, I introduced her to you assholes. That should count for something.”

  “And when she stopped responding?”

  “I left her alone. I’m no beggar. If she’s not interested, I’m not going to stalk her.”

  He presses his lips together in a straight line. “Hmm.”

  “Hmm, what’s that mean?”

  “Means you’re not that into her if you gave up so easily, that’s all.”

  “Whatever. She’s great, close to perfect actually, but I can’t make her like me if she doesn’t.”

  “Oh, she likes you. You’re just too stupid to see it.”

  “How do you know?” We arrive at my car, and I press the key fob to open the doors. A loud chirp echoes through the parking garage, and we get in.

  “The way her eyes nearly filled with tears when she caught you ogling that stripper bike- delivery girl.” He clicks his seatbelt and turns to look at me. My hands are frozen on the wheel.

  “Tears?”

  “Yeah, man, tears. You’re such an ass.”

  I roll my eyes and start the car frustrated and irritated. “I’m a man. I can’t help it if a hot chick walks by.”

  “Yeah? I wouldn’t have noticed her if it weren’t for your eyes popping out of your skull.”

  “That’s because you’re Edie brainwashed. I bet every woman you look at looks exactly like Edie.”

  “No, but I’m not interested in anyone else, so I don’t notice them.”

  “Okay, whatever, you’re mister perfect, and I’m scum.”

  “Glad we can agree on something.” Hunter smiles, and I sigh and back out of the parking spot hard giving him a mild case of whiplash. Serves him right. I’m out here supporting him, and he’s giving me shit about a woman.

  But, what a woman she is. Layna Love, tall with curves in all the right places, huge green eyes that look like cut glass and model-perfect cheekbones according to Fiona. Not to mention she’s fun to hang with, knows tons of interesting shit about kinky sex from her writing, and gives a killer massage.

  Where the hell did I go wrong?

  2

  Layna

  I can’t believe I’ve gotten myself into this mess. Me, of all people. I write romance for God’s sake. I know how things are supposed to go, and this isn’t it.

  How did I go and fall for such an arrogant pig? Damian Ricci isn’t the kind of man who has long-lasting relationships, and he definitely isn’t father material, which is a shame because I’m pregnant with his baby.

  When I went to the clinic today, I was eighty percent sure, but I wanted to be positive before breaking the news to Damian. Now that I’m one hundred percent sure, I don’t think I can.

  I’ve been avoiding him for weeks trying to finish my book. I could have handled things better. I could have text him back or told him ahead of time how I am when I’m working under pressure. But my deadline reminder felt like it came out of nowhere, and before I knew what was happening, I was in the zone. The whole world fell away when I started writing—paper plates, takeout food, and no showers for days at a time. I didn’t even notice I’d missed my period for weeks.

  My best friend, Mimi, knows how I get, and she came to rescue me after day fifteen of unanswered calls and texts. She had a wicker basket full of Chinese takeout, flowery smelling bath salts, new shampoo and conditioner, and dark chocolate in bulk.

  She told me I smelled like a garbage dump, pushed me into the shower, and snatched my manuscript to read while I became human again. I love her.

  But this is a problem nothing in Mimi’s basket can fix. And after today, bumping into Damian and seeing how he practically drooled over that blonde bimbo in the lobby made me realize that if I’m going to have this baby, I’ll be doing it alone.

  A knock on the door snaps me from my thoughts. “Just a minute,” I
call out.

  I look through the peephole and see Mimi bouncing on the balls of her feet in front of me.

  When I open the door, she pushes past me. “Gotta pee, thank God you’re home,” she says racing down the hall of my condo to the only bathroom.

  “Well, hello to you, too. Come on in, make yourself at home.” I shut the door and return to my couch to throw away the pile of tissues I’ve collected crying about a stupid man who doesn’t deserve my tears.

  “Sorry, we were at a parade a couple of blocks away, and you know how I feel about using porta-potties… disgusting,” she says making a repulsive noise in the back of her throat.

  “Who’s we?”

  “Tyler and Meghan and Todd, you know our regular crew.”

  Tyler and Meghan and Todd are her regular crew, not mine. I keep to myself for the most part other than an occasional outing with Mimi. “Are you going back to the parade?”

  “No, dummy, we’re going out tonight to celebrate you finishing that monster of a book, remember?” she says joining me in the living room still adjusting her ridiculous shorts. Mimi has a ridiculously sexy and petite body that she covers with, yep, you guessed it, ridiculously skimpy clothes.

  “Stop judging my clothes.”

  I look away. “I’m not. What are you talking about?”

  “I see that motherly expression on your face, woman.”