BRIAN

Things were going great between Grace and I, and the more I kept her distracted from her million fucking questions about Carinna the better. God, she was like a missile on heat-seek, and she wasn't giving up until she blew something the fuck up. Like now.

"Baby, do you think I should try calling Carr again? She never returned my text message," she mumbled against my chest. We were sitting on the couch, watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas again, and Lana was out for the night working.

I sighed and sat my beer down on the end table, shifting so that I could press pause on the remote. "Babe, I'm sure she's fine. She's been really busy helping Matt get us ready for that promo tour that we're about to go on. How about-" My question was cut off by my phone ringing. I looked down, seeing Matt's name on the caller ID, and smiled. "How about I ask Matt right now? Maybe she can come to the phone?"

She nodded, smiling happily, and pressed play to watch the movie while I talked on the phone. "Hey bro, what's up?"

"WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT FUCKING BITCH?! IS SHE THERE?! WHERE THE FUCK IS BAKER?! I WANT THAT MOTHER FUCKER'S HEAD ON A GOD DAMNED PLATTER!" He roared through the phone. I quicky turned the volume down on the phone, hoping that Grace didn't catch any of it, but as I tried to scoot out from under her to move to a different room, she gripped my wrist like a vice. The venom oozing out of her eyes was enough to chill me to the core.

"Speaker phone. Now." She mouthed to me, leaving no room for discussion. As ballsy as I normally am, this woman had me wrapped and I wasn't about to fuck up shit with her. Besides, if Carinna was on the run, then she was bound to show up or contact Grace anyways, and then I'd have no choice but to get dropped in the middle of it. And I'd rather be bleeding in the middle of the Everglades than be in the middle of this shit.

I clicked it over to speaker, listening to Matt's heavy breathing on the other end of the line, waiting for my response. "What the fuck are you talking about, man? And what happened to Zee?"

"Don't you fucking ask about that little piss ant like he's innocent in this bullshit. I apparently got ass dialed in the middle of him fucking that whore, and now I can't find either one of them. Where the fuck is Grace? I know she's going to know where the fuck that bitch is..." Grace glared at me, and I could almost see her transforming into a demon on a war path in front of me, her beautiful features twisting in rage and her teeth gritting. I shook my head at her, trying to pull the fucking Jedi force out of my ass to calm her down.

"Bro, chill the fuck out. I'm over at Grace's house right now, and neither one of us has heard from them. Are you sure they were fucking? Maybe they were just hanging out?" I realized my mistake almost instantly.

"YOU KNOW DAMN GOOD AND WELL THAT BITCH ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR BAKER! AFTER THAT SHIT AT THE HOUSE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HER AGAIN, I--"

"You'll what, Matthew?" Grace spoke through bared teeth, her fists balled up into fists on my lap. Her cold eyes watched my every facial expression, waiting for me to fuck up and give away something that said I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Brian? What the fuck? Grace?" He sputtered through the phone. Maybe he would shut the fuck up now, instead of continuing to blow his teddy bear facade and spill the fact that he used Carinna as his personal puppet. Somehow, I had a feeling it was too late to hide that.

"What do you mean when you get your hands on her again? Where is my best friend, Matthew? What have you done to her?" Her voice was eerily calm, and I am man enough to admit that I was terrified. Regardless of what Matt does, I've never been one to hit a woman, and I have a feeling that Grace had no problem knocking the shit out of me in an instant.

Suddenly, the door burst open and revealed a disheveled looking Zack and Carinna, his face determined and concerned while hers looked terrified and confused. Before I could react, Grace had clicked my phone off, ending the call with Matt, and shot off of the couch.

Oh shit...

GRACE

What the fuck?!

I helped Zacky half carry Carinna to the love seat that sat adjacent to the couch, noticing the deep bruises that decorated her shoulders and back. My vision was tinged with red, but I refused to let myself rage full on before I took care of my best friend. "Carr? Honey? What happened? What's the matter?" I looked between Zacky and Carinna, demanding answers.

Zacky shook his head, holding Carinna, who clung to him like he was last life boat on a vast ocean. "It's Matt. He's fucking lost his god damn mind. He beats the shit out of her, all the time. I talked her into meeting me at the pier to get her to talk about it, and I kissed her. I guess she accidentally dialed him while we were rolling around, and he heard her say my name." He rambled everything out so fast that it was no surprise that he gasped for breath when he was done.

I looked at Carinna, reaching a hand out gently to brush some hair out of her tear soaked face. "Honey, is this true?" She nodded mutely, and I frowned. "How long?"

Her lip quivered and she shot forward, nearly knowing me backwards when she wrapped her arms around my neck, crying into my shoulder. "Since that house party! He r-r-raped m-me and wouldn't l-l-let me l-leave!!!" She choked and sputtered on her sobs, and I wrapped my arms around her, stroking my hair and collecting my thoughts for a moment before doing the math in my head.

I cut my eyes at both Brian and Zacky, pursing my lips. "Six fucking months? You two knew didn't you?" I spoke relatively calmly for the curb-stomping I was doing in my head. The look on their faces spoke legions. Zacky was the first to pipe up, though.

"I didn't know. I swear to God I didn't know. I noticed a bruise on her chest a couple of weeks ago and asked her about it. She said she ran into a fucking door!" His voice cracked and I noticed tears were streaming down his cheeks. "I couldn't get a straight answer out of her before Matt showed up in the kitchen and made me leave the room. I don't know what happened after that, but I know I heard some yelling and a glass break, and then she didn't speak to me for like two weeks. Until now..."

His head hung in shame and I turned my gaze to Brian, who was rolling his beer bottle in his hands, his eyes pinned to the floor. "Brian?" "Hm?" He murmured, not glancing up from the floor.

"Brian?" I said again, my tone hardening. He looked up at me, cradling my nearly comatose best friend against my chest, next to his best friend who was sobbing on the couch. "Did you know about this?"

He didn't answer, his eyes locked on mine. We stayed in this position for a few moments, our eyes battling each other. It may have been silent, but there was a fucking war raging in the living room, and he had no fucking idea how bad it was about to get. "I asked you a god damn question..." I sneered, settling Carinna back on the couch and standing up, stalking towards his recoiling form on the couch. I waited at least thirty seconds in silence before I slapped him hard across his face, knocking his head to the side and the beer bottle rattling to the floor. "Get the fuck out of my house, you piece of shit. Don't ever fucking come near us again." He stumbled to his feet, his jaw clenched and his fists balled up.

I stepped up to him, the toes of my shoes touching his. "What the fuck are you gonna do? Hit me? I dare you, you fucking dick." He stared down at me, his eyes cold and yet lost at the same time. Finally, he stepped away from me and shrugged his leather jacket on, letting himself out of the front door.

I turned back to Carinna and Zack, pursing my lips. I picked up my phone and texted Zachary.

Hey hun. Can you, Ethan, and Gavin come here tonight when Lana gets off work? Or ASAP. - Grace

I set my phone down, and then seemed to pick it back up almost immediately when I was alerted of a text.

Everything ok? - Glock

No. Shit's going down. - Grace

How serious? - Glock

I'm out for blood. - Grace

Notes

I know this one is short, but ah well. But I told you we'd see everyone else again! :D :D :D

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays. I know I am! <3

Comments and subscribing is always welcome! Let me know you guys are reading this story...I'd hate to see it fizzle!