Whip's Breath - E.C. Land Page 0,1

pregnant. Ironic how everything has a way of revealing itself. K-9 told me once that before he knew his brother’s girlfriend was his girlfriend or that she was still so young when they met, he wanted to date her himself. He’d been pulled to her.

Things haven’t been the same for him since all his drama started. Now he has a nephew he doesn’t get to see very much since Anabelle, his brother’s girlfriend, pisses him off every chance she gets and refuses accepting help from anyone, according to him. Not even her brother, Lex, who’s the drummer for Demons Among Us, helps her like he wants to, and Anabelle lives with Lex and the others

K-9 and I talk for a few more minutes, and I leave him to do his thing and go check on the others. I check with Red and Viper, then move on. As the night comes to an end, the drinks are brought out, and the ladies and gents invited back start to flow in.

I grab a beer and stand with my brothers, keeping an eye on all those in the room. Izzy didn’t want too many people, but there’s still quite a bit of people here. Anything can happen and I’m not about to let it while I’m around.

Out of the corner of my eye, a beautiful woman with dirty blonde hair catches my attention. She’s laughing and joking with three other girls. I’m not worried about the others. They are nothing compared to the beauty of the woman I turn to give my full attention to, appraising her.

Fuck, I’m a sucker for blonde hair and blue eyes. I notice immediately she and her friends are chatting with the members of Pushing Daisies. A swell of jealousy starts to take hold. I’m not one to get jealous. I’ve never been that way. But right now, I want to be the one she aims that smile at.

“Brother, why don’t you go for it?” Red suggests.

“You know, I think I will,” I say, grinning.

Her eyes come to mine when I stalk in her direction.

“Hey,” I say, getting her attention.

She smiles brightly. “Hey.”

“What’s your name?”

“Harper,” she murmurs, glancing from me to her friends.

I scan the group and nod to the members of Pushing Daisies. “Mind if I steal her away for a drink?”

“Go for it, man.” One of them grins.

Harper giggles and takes my hand without hesitation, when I hold it out to her. “I already have a drink.” She laughs, holding up the clear plastic cup Izzy got for those who wanted mixed drinks.

Taking it from her, I down the rest of it. My kind of girl, drinking Jack and Coke. Hell yeah.

Let the fun begin.

Chapter One

Harper

One Month Ago

“You can’t seriously be leaving?” Gigi chides.

Why she’s angry with me for leaving is completely unreasonable. When it’s because of her and Salina that I don’t remember much of the night we all went out, and they convinced me to drink so much I blacked out the night.

“I’m going and don’t act like you don’t know why I’ve taken a job away from here,” I say, annoyed by the talk we’re having now. Gigi and Salina have been my roommates since we started college. None of us wanted to live in the dorms so we moved in here together. With graduation over with as well as the stunt they pulled a month ago, I lucked out in getting a job at the elementary school in Stonewall Mills. It’s a small town, but I don’t have a problem with living in the small town in the middle of nowheresville.

With today being moving day, I’ll be out of here within the next two hours. My brother, Hart, is on his way over with a couple of his buddies, who are on leave with him for the next two weeks, to move me.

“Seriously, Harper, you need to learn to chill out. I mean, why do you think we did it anyway? You’re constantly acting like you’re better than everyone else and need to lighten up.” Of course, Salina would say that. She can be a total bitch sometimes.

“So it’s okay to drug someone without their consent? Yeah, no, I’m good on that. I don’t even remember what happened that night. Do you know how bad that is? I woke up in a hotel room alone with a hickey on my neck and my body sore.” I leave out the part about the white gold band that sat on my ring finger and