Wild Bastard by Ella Savitskaya (book suggestions .txt) 📕

Marina

I rush for Matthew into the house, but in the hallway I slow down abruptly when I hear a curse-mongering noise from upstairs. I quickly run up the stairs, hearing sobbing and a couple of thumps from Lana's room. What in God's name is going on in there? I run up to the threshold and freeze up. In the middle of the room is Matt, and next to him is Mark in a crouched position. He's holding onto his side and hissing in pain.

Oh, my God! What's he doing here?

"What are you doing in my sister's room? " Matt's voice comes out with a hint of steel in it.

 I turn my gaze to Lana. The blonde is wearing shorts and a bra. Holy shit, has she really decided to have sex right under her crazy brother's nose? Lana shifts nervously from foot to foot and grabs her brother's hands intermittently.

"Matt, let him go! " She demands, barely holding back tears.

The girl said she wanted to be alone and just relax for once. She asked me to distract her brother, so he wouldn't suddenly decide to visit her. But she didn't say a word about inviting Mark over. I figured he wasn't one of Cash's acquaintances, so he wasn't likely to be invited.

"I've come to chat! " Mark wheezes, not even going to straighten up. It was as if he took a defensive stance, trying to defend himself against his girlfriend's deranged relative.

"To chat? And just because Lana's in a bra, you call that chatting now? "

I look at the poor girl with regret. It's doubtful that she could get away with such an act. After getting to know Matthew, I can assume that house arrest is guaranteed for her. I really feel pity for her. They don't let her go anywhere without control.

"Lana is my girlfriend" Replies Mark muffled, raising his gaze to Matthew, "As far as I know, you don't talk to your girlfriends about art. "

Matthew forcefully straightens up the brave guy, who has risked defiance in a dangerous situation, and pins him by the neck against the wall and punches him in the liver. Lana shrieks.

"Stop it, Matt, let him go! " She grabs the psycho by the arm, but it is as futile as if she were trying to move a truck loaded with metal.

"It's none of your business what I talk to chicks about, asshole! " Says Matt. "And now you won't be able to talk at all for at least a month! "

"No, don't you dare do anything to him! " Lana yells, literally pulling her brother away from Mark. "He's my boyfriend! My boyfriend! I do what I want! "

Matthew suddenly turns sharply on her, not letting go of the rapidly blushing face of the guy.

"Boyfriend? Your boyfriend, stupid? Do you even know who that is? "

"It's Mark! We've been together for two months! Reenah introduced us!"

I tense up, taking in the questioning stare of angry eyes.

"Reenah? How do you know him?"

"We met in a bar" I answer honestly. "Mark is a frequent customer, and he asked me to introduce him to Lana once. He didn't show up with any other girls, and he acted pretty calm, so I thought it wouldn't hurt if the two of them actually got to know each other."

It wasn't in my nature to make excuses, but this wasn't the time or place to show my temper.

Matthew's intimidating appearance suggests that he's in such a state that he's capable of anything.

"Next time, I advise you not to think, Reenah! Because this creep," He shakes Mark, banging his head against the wall, "Isn't Mark at all! He's a fourth-year asshole who sleeps with rich fools like Lana on a bet! And his name is Todd!"

Whaaat?

I widen my eyes in a daze and turn them to Lana. The look on her face doesn't bode well. The poor girl looks at me, then at her brother, and finally at the guy she was going to sleep with tonight.

I feel like a complete fool who's been tricked. It's not so much about myself as it is about Lana. Except that what she says next puts even me on my ass.

"I don't care what his name is! " She stomps her foot, folding her trembling hands across her chest. "I've never had a boyfriend because of you, Matt! No friends, no acquaintances! You've robbed me of everything! So I don't care even if he slept with me on a bet. At least he'd have slept with me. And I would finally know what it means to be with a guy. If Marina had distracted you longer, I would finally be happy! "

Oh, shut up, silly!

"What? A guy? You're seventeen, you dumb-headed fool! " Growls Matt, pulling almost unresisting body of Mark - Todd away from the wall and pushing him to the door. "Stay here and don't come out until I say so. Don't you dare try to move, or I'll send you to a girls' camp in Poland! "

Lana settles exhausted on the bed while I watch Matthew, holding that bastard by the neck, and walks to the door.

"Did you know what she was doing here?" When he comes close to me, he looks me straight in the eye.

"No" I hold out a scanning squint.

There is no reason for me to lie. If I knew what the girl was planning to do, there was nothing I could do. It is her protest against the tyranny of her family. Sooner or later she might commit a reckless act, in order to prove that she is worth something in this life. It's like locking a wounded animal in a cage day in and day out for years on end, and then releasing it.

One day she will break free, and she will be very lucky if she doesn't run into others like this Todd. But that is almost impossible.

Matt nods, accepting the answer. He walks past and pulls his phone out of his pocket as he goes.

"Red, come to the garage. "

I glance behind them. It's not going to be easy for Todd, or whatever his name is. And something tells me that the threat about him not being able to talk wasn't made on emotion. I'm sure he's going to have a hard time now, and I have a hunch he won't be able to talk.

"Reenah, why does he hate me so much? "