Page 51 of A Reputation Dark & Deadly

She took a seat in it anyway and kept her back stiff, her hands folded in her lap, and her legs tightly crossed. She couldn't let herself relax, especially considering she only felt tension when she was in Brandon's presence.

He slid into his own, more comfortable looking modern computer chair - black leather, which reminded her of Logan - and gave Peyton a small smile. Perhaps it was the only sort of smile he could give, considering his jaw was wired shut and he probably wouldn't be able to use it the way he typically did for another five weeks.

The more Peyton looked at Brandon, the more she realized that she actually felt bad for him. The guy had been living in Logan's shadow his entire life. His father did not leave Logan's mother for Brandon's mother; in fact, he continued to cheat on both of them with each other until Logan's mother found out about it and made him choose. That caused her to get one hell of a beating, which meant Logan had even more reason to resent Brandon and his mother. At least, this was what Karla told her on the phone. This was the history lesson she had given regarding Logan and Brandon and their fucked up family tree. How Karla knew any of this, Peyton had no idea. Perhaps it wasn't her place to know and perhaps she shouldn't automatically judge Karla for knowing. She definitely knew Logan did not tell her anything, so, if Peyton had to guess, she would say Brandon was the culprit. Probably in an attempt to attain sympathy from a pretty, young college student who had slept with his brother and had since been turned out.

You shouldn't be here...

Brandon extended his index finger and turned to his computer. He began to type in it and once he finished, there was a response.

"Thank you for coming." The voice was robotic but Peyton knew that this was his way of talking, that he couldn't really do much else in terms of communication thanks to his jaw being wired shut. "I suppose Karla told you I wanted to apologize?"

Peyton nodded. She wasn't sure whether or not he was looking for her to actually speak, but since she didn't actually have anything to say, she kept her mouth shut.

"I actually wanted to explain my actions," the computer said as Brandon furiously typed on the keyboard. "I know there's no justification for them. Typically, the women who have been with Logan are open to being with me as well. I'm not used to rejection."

Peyton furrowed her brow. This sounded suspiciously like justification if she had ever heard it and she wasn't about to sit around and listen to him tell her how it was okay for him to try and force himself onto her, because spoiled, grown adult male wasn't used to hearing the word no? Peyton didn't have time for this. She would rather be with Logan, rather have him lecturing her about being here than with Brandon explaining why he treated her like she was here for his amusement rather than the fact that she was a person and deserved to be treated with that respect.

"I know you care about my brother," the computer said for Brandon. It was weird how he stopped typing but the voice continued to talk through the speakers. Instead, he stared at her with an eerie glimmer in his blue eyes, one that caused a shudder to slide down Peyton's spine and cause her to sit up straighter than she already was. "It's one of the things I respect about you. There's something different about you. There's something deeper about your affection. It's not just superficial, even though you clearly enjoy his physical appearance, judging by your actions in Herbert's cell. But you genuinely like who he is as a person. And I feel compelled to tell you how he truly is."

"Excuse me?" Peyton asked, furrowing her brow. She wasn't sure if she should be looking at the computer or if she should be looking at Brandon.

"I'm sure you know Logan is a jackass," the computer continued as Brandon's fingers flew across the keyboard. "He broke my jaw, as I'm sure you know. For no reason."

"Actually," Peyton interrupted, clutching the arms of her chair. Brandon had to click something on the screen to stop the dialect from continuing so she could speak freely. "He broke your jaw because he found out what you tried to do to me. He was defending me."

"And do you think he was justified in his actions?" Brandon asked through the computer, keeping his blue eyes focused on Peyton, his stare unflinching.

"I think he handled it how he saw fit," she replied, without hesitation. She met his stare with one of her own and refused to back down.

His brow shot up in surprise. "Maybe you're not so different from the others," the computer said for him. "Always justifying his actions. Always supporting him like he was some kind of god, like he has a good reason for everything he does. Like his shit doesn't stink. Like he walks on water." His eyes cut to her from the computer screen. "But let me tell you something, sweetheart. He's a monster. He killed our father without so much as blinking."

"I thought your father died in a DUI car accident he caused," Peyton said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Brandon's fingers all but slammed down on the keyboard as he typed furiously away.

"He was on life support," the computer corrected. "Who do you think pulled the plug?"

Peyton clenched her teeth together before saying, "Isn't this the same accident that killed his mother?"

"There you go, justifying his behavior again," the computer said. Even though it was monotone, Peyton imagined there was a snarl to it. "You're a piece of work, you know that?"

"I'm sorry," Peyton said, standing. "I thought you were here to apologize for your behavior, not talk to me about Logan. I didn't realize how obsessed you were with him. But I'm not going to sit here and listen to you tell me all these bad things about him while taking no responsibility for yourself."

"Logan killed my dad," Brandon screamed as best as he could. He stood up as well, his eyes burning like the sun setting fire to the sky. "Maybe my dad was a piece of shit but that doesn't give him the right to play god."

"That's funny," Peyton said, flashing her eyes up at him. "It's like the pot calling the kettle black, right?"

Brandon clenched his teeth together and looked at her with fierce blue eyes. She tensed, ready for him to lunge, ready for him to do something. He did nothing, though. Just glared at her.

"You're a fool," Brandon said through a clenched jaw.

Peyton didn't respond. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm going to go now," she said. "This was a mistake."

"You will not go," Brandon said. "Not until you hear what I have to say."

"What could you possibly want me to hear?" she asked, throwing her arms out. "There's nothing you can tell me that would make me change my mind about Logan. I'm letting you know that now."

Before Peyton could prepare herself, Brandon leaped toward her. She hadn't noticed him stepping around the desk so nothing impeded him from grabbing her. His body collapsed on top of her and the minute she hit the ground, she started struggling against him. He was too strong, however. Despite his leanness, he was surprisingly solid, and it was easy for Brandon to grab her wrists and pin them above her head and mounting her waist like she was a mustang. He wanted to tame her, she realized.