BURN

Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

I groaned before letting my eyes flutter open. At first, my gaze remained hazy for a second before it cleared. I frowned realizing I was lying on my bed and not on the couch. Zayn was nowhere in sight but the noise of utensils in the kitchen reached my ears. That was definitely not Jade. She was way more quiet in the morning. Realizing it had to be Zayn, a small smile tugged my lower lip as I pushed myself off the bed and crept to the kitchen. Sure he said he was my brother’s friend but he did not really have to cook me breakfast.

“You know you didn’t really have-“the sentence died on my lips realizing the one in the kitchen was not Zayn. The raven tattoo exposed under the wife beater, tracing its way on the back of his arm made my heart stop.  

“Morning to you too Munchkin,” Malcom turned around, a smirk teasing the edge of his lips.

“What are you doing here Malcom?” I asked, trying to slow down the erratic beating of my heart.

“Making you breakfast,”

“You know damn well what I mean,” I said, emphasizing every single word.

“I’m not really that good at making breakfast and if you keep distracting me like this, then I’d probably burn it,” he tilted the edge of his lips.

“How did you even get in?” I demanded.

“It was pretty easy actually. Your roommate got too drunk and accidentally dropped her keys. Who knows what would have happened if I had not found them?” he shook head as though he really dreaded what might have happened.

“You stole her keys?”

“No, please. That would be an utterly vile thing to do,”

“Malcom. How did you get Jade’s keys?”

“That was her name? She was pretty wasted yesterday night and a buddy of mine danced with her. It was really easy to get the keys from her pocket after that. You should thank your lucky stars that I’m the one who picked them. Imagine what would have happened if someone else had gotten hold of them? You should tell your friend never to carry keys to a party,” the amusement was gone in his voice, leaving it stern and almost…angry.

“Fine. We have already established how you got in. Now, how about you answer the why part?”

“You are spending the weekend at my place,” I almost chocked on my saliva.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I said you are spending the entire weekend at my place,”

“Yeah, I heard that part clearly. My brother already hates you enough and you still have the nerve to come into my house unannounced, demanding I spend the weekend at your place. I really can’t understand you but clearly you have lost your mind,”

“Well I lost my mind that Friday night when I first saw you,” My cheeks heated up at his remark.

“Trying to flirt your way out of this, really?”

“I’m not flirting Munchkin, I’m bloody serious,” he grinned infectiously, his lips slightly parted before he added,” And I’m just trying to pay a debt I owe,”

“Debt? What debt are you talking about?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from my sister?” Daniel had to choose that moment to make his entrance.

“Chase me away, send your goons-“before Malcom could finish his sentence, Danny swung his fist at him, straight to his right jaw. Malcom staggered back from the impact, the blood that formed a tiny trickle on the right side of his lips, made me yelp in shock. But clearly he wasn’t done. I watched my brother rain blow after blow on Malcom, dragging the fight to the living room. Either he was too overwhelmed to fight back or…he was just letting him. But why?

“Now stay the f**k away from my sister or I won’t need my goons as you call them, to make mincemeat out of you,”

I gasped in shock. Sure I have heard him threaten guys before but this was the first time he had made a death threat. The sound of his voice screamed bloody murder and his gaze was no less. I was completely mortified by the side of Danny I had never seen before. Right now, if someone made a small mistake to provocate him, he looked bloody hell enough to rip him into tiny pieces.

“Look, I understand that you think I’m after what is under your sister’s clothes but I only want the same thing you want. To protect Sophie from the scumbags who want nothing but to f**k her and break her heart,” How could he not be intimidated by Danny right now? Every fiber in my body was shaking with terror of what Danny might do but Malcom just stood mighty and unaffected as though his clothes were not already stained with his own blood.

“Protect Sophie? You are not capable of protecting anyone!” Danny spat.

“You have every right to hate me Daniel but no matter what you do, I will never leave Sophie alone. I know you are trying to protect her because you think she needs protection from me but you are wrong,”

“Wrong? You think I’m wrong to protect my sister from the devil’s incarnate?”

“So I‘m the devil’s incarnate now?”

The door suddenly open, Jade walking in still in her party dress with Ben’s arm around her waist. They were giggling when they came but stopped, their faces registering shock at the sight. Neither Danny nor Malcom wavered from their fight, as a matter of fact they were glaring at each other with so much intensity. Finally able to move my limbs I ran to Jade, burying my head into the crook of her neck.

“You are shaking. What is going on here?” She whispered.

“Do something Jade. They are going to hurt each other,” Tears welled down my cheeks as I stepped away from our hug, shaking her arms for emphasis.

“Calm down Sophie. Ben, take her outside and let me deal with these two,” Many times I wished I had her strong spirit but that was the effect of being protected all your life. You grow vulnerable and small instances tend to strike really deep.

When we walked outside, there were a few people sticking their heads out, whispering like they always do.

“Stay out of this Jade,” Danny snapped rather loudly.

“No, I’m not. You two need to take your fight somewhere else. Have you seen how shaken Sophie is? I had to take her outside so she won’t faint in here. Now get the hell out of here both of you!” She demanded, her voice carrying command like I have never heard before.

For a while it was quiet but then suddenly the door opened with two guys walking out. Danny didn’t bother looking at me which meant he was still pissed really bad. Malcom stopped enough to send a sympathetic glance before riding off obviously not caring about the blood visible on his clothing.