The next morning I got up and made my way down stairs. Right when I came out of my room I saw Jere come out of his. His blue eyes that matched our Moms were red and puffy. He looked tired with his hair all disheveled sticking up in all kinds of places. He walked slow and looked as if his entire body was tense.
"You okay Jere?" I asked as I walked down the stairs next to him, going slow.
"No Rueben tore my ass up." He whispered after shooting his eyes around the foyer. "I won't be able to sit for a week."
"Well what you did was kind of stupid." I shrugged as we made our way to the kitchen and he growled shut up.
"Come on Ben pleasssseeeeee." Wes whined as he held his hands together bating his eyelashes. Him and Bruce were the only two that shared my brown eyes. They said we got them from our dad. I will say it made great puppy dog eyes. He was trying so hard right now to get them to work on Ben who was standing in front of Wes with his arms crossed.
"No Weston you are to young." Ben shock his head causing Wes to stomp his feet throwing a tantrum.
"Come on Ben this isn't fair! I am not a little kid anymore! I am fourteen for Christ stake. I am not even the baby of the family anymore." He whines even louder causes Jere to roll his eyes and lean down towards me.
"He is acting like the baby of the family. Ten bucks says he gets grounded by the end of this."
"Oh you're on! Surly he will stop before it goes that far." I nod shaking Jere's hand as we watch Wes beg and plead.
"Weston Lee! Stop it right now! You are acting like a two year old which proves my point on your to young. I am not going to let you go stay at your friends house since his parents are not going to be home all night. Now I know Logan just gave you your phone back last night so I suggest you to stop this tantrum before I take it back!" Ben huffed out in irritation.
I crossed my fingers, hoping Wes would stop so I could win the bet. Sometimes I forget that Wes is the baby of the boys. He was the youngest til I stepped in and I bet they all are just as uptight about him as they are me.
"Yes sir." Weston sighed and turned around walking away.
Jere grumbled something that sounded mad and looked over at me. "I will give you ten bucks after I eat." He rolled his eyes and walked over to the fridge. I laughed and walked over to the island and sat down.
"Good morning you two, how did you all sleep?" Ben asked as he handed me a muffin then handed one to Jere.
"I slept good, what about you?" I said then bit into the muffin.
"I am glad to hear that, I slept good too. How bout you buddy?" Ben took his hand and rubbed it on the top of Jere's head.
"Stop that!" Jeremiah side stepped out of his reach and mumbled. "I slept awful. I was in pain."
"Good, I heard the things you said at school and you better be glad Reuben dealt with you and not me." Ben grabbed Jere's arm and spun him around to face him. Taking his hand under Jere's chin and raising it so he was looking at Ben. "If I ever hear that you talk to a women like that and degrade one ever again, you will think the ass whooping you got last night as a cake walk. I don't care how old you are either understand me Jeremiah Peter?"
Jere looked like he was about to shit himself with his eyes so wide and I swear I saw his knees shaking. "Ye-y-yes sir." He stuttered out.
"Good now eat your breakfast." Ben replied letting go of Jere's chin and patting his head.
"Ben!" Sam pulled our attention to him as he walked in. He walked over to me and kissed my head then looked at our eldest brother who was giving him a what do you want look. "Can I go to the movies with some of my friends?"
"What friends?" Ben asked before taking a sip of his coffee that was in a mug that said "best big brother in the world" that I am sure one of younger boy got when they were smaller.
"Tanner, Zach, Henry, and Preston. We want to go see the new Saw movie."
"Oh can I go?" Both Jeremiah and I piped in causing Ben to give us a death glare.
"No!"
"But why?" We both wined in unison.
"Last time I checked neither of you are seventeen. Matt told me what happened to you and the twins when you all binged watch the first three. You had nightmares for weeks. As for you last time you watched the Hills Have Eyes you peed the bed and had to sleep with me for almost a month. Plus you are both grounded."
I couldn't help but giggle. I wonder how old he was. Ben and Jere shot me a glare and I tried to cough to coverup my laugh.
"Hey! I was only ten! You promised never to talk about it again!! Plus you spanked me so hard for going behind your back and watching it at my friends." Jere whined.
"And if either of you try to watch this movie I will ware your asses out. Understand?" Ben looked at both of us with one eyebrow raised. His face just daring us to argue with him.
"Yes sir." We both nodded and Jere huffed walking out of the room.
"Sam I want you back tonight by ten." Ben shifted his attention back to Sam.
"Awesome!" Sam did a fist pump in the air causing Ben to just glare at him. It took him a minute to realize but once he did he nodded "Home by ten, yes sir."
The rest of the day was pretty chill Logan had got an answer from my history teacher so I was able to finish all my work by lunch. Ben had been in his office with me and I had him read my paper before I submitted it.
"Looks good love. You have worked really hard today, I am proud of you."
"Proud enough I can be ungrounded?"
Ben laughed shaking his head. "Nice try but no. I will tell you what you can be ungrounded on Friday."
I sighed repressing the urge to roll my eyes. "That's when I am suppose to be ungrounded Ben."
"And it will stay that way as long as you behave." He smiled as he got up and petted the top of my head messing up my hair.
"Ugh BEN!!" I squealed moving away and trying to fix my hair.
"Who you trying to impress? Do you have a boyfriend I don't know about?"
This time I couldn't help it and I just rolled my eyes. "No!"
"Good cause your not allowed to date til your thirty years old" his icy blue eyes glared at me showing he was dead serious.
"You're not thirty and you have a girlfriend. You let Sam have a girlfriend too."
"It's different."
"Think you confused the words, it's sexiest." I mumbled as we walked into the kitchen where Reuben was cooking.
"What's sexiest?" Reuben looked up from the stove.
"Ben said I couldn't have a boyfriend tell I was thirty."
"I said fifty." Sam walked in looking at us.
"Ugh I hate having brothers." I groaned causing them to laugh.
"I am heading out." Sam said as he put his keys and wallet in his pocket.
"Be back by ten Sampson."
"Yes sir." He nods and then leaves.
The rest of the night was uneventful. Ben did let Jere and I watch tv with them after dinner. Even though we had to watch football. Jere was happy but I only like watching football if I am cheering. Wes stayed up in his room pouting after begging again at dinner just to get the same answer.
The game was almost over when the front door was slammed opened. "Sam's home early. It's only nine." Logan said looking at his phone as the noise of shuffling and struggling echoed through the foyer.
"Stop it right now Weston Lee." We all heard Sam growl. It was kind of scary how much his voice just sounded like Ben. We all looked up to see Sam dragging Wes in my his upper arm. All four of my oldest brothers jumped up and took their focus from the tv to the two who just walked in. Wes was trying hard to pull away from Sam but his gripe was strong. His face was cold and set in a tense look.
"What's going on?" Reuben was the first to ask as both boys froze. Wes looking scared and Sam liking pissed. It amazed me at this moment how much Sam looked like Ben. His blue eyes seemed to have a flame behind them.
I looked over to Jere who held a finger to his lips as if telling me to keep quit so they would forget we were there. Cause let's be honest this was entertaining, too bad I didn't have popcorn.
"You want to tell them or do you want me to?" Sam said in a low stern tone.
"Just leave me alone Sampson."
"Fine I guess I will tell them. I was on my way home and I needed gas. Well wouldn't you know I saw my little brother in the gas station trying to buy beer with a fake ID." Sam pulls the ID out of his pocket handing it to Bruce who was the closet to him. "He was with Austin Clark, who from what I heard was going to have a party since his parents are not home."
"Didn't you tell him he couldn't go to his house?" Logan asked looking at Ben.
"Yup." Ben said in a low calm tone. A little too calm.
"And wasn't he suppose to be in his room?" Reuben asked.
"Yup." Ben's voice dropped another active which I didn't know was possible. "My office, corner, now!" With his glare and the deep calm tone that sent chills even down my body caused Wes to practically run to Ben's office. Ben sighed and looked at Reuben who nodded and they both fallowed Wes to the office.
Logan and Bruce looked at the fake ID and shock their heads "Damn that's a good one." Logan said. "Looks better than mine did."
"You had a fake ID?" I asked causing my three brothers to turn and realize that Jere and I were still there.
"Yeah after Dad died I got one. I was seventeen and Ben caught me with it. He tore into my ass with the belt. It was not fun. I suggest you three never do it." Out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw Jere stiffen.
"Ooo who's winning?" Sam pull our attention to the game.
"Eagles are kicking the Vikings butts." Jere sighed with relief at the change of topic.
"Nice." Sam said jumping over the back of the couch.
"Sam!" Bruce growled.
"Sorry." Sam blushed and our other two brothers came around and sat down. I scooted closer to Sam and he put his arm around me as I laid my head on his shoulder. After about five minutes we start to hear the faint sound of a belt smacking across a butt. No one moved or said a word there was just the faint sound of wack after wack and the McDonald's commercial. It didn't take long for Wes to start crying out either. From the way it sounded Ben was not holding back. The longer it went the more tense we all got. I could feel Sam slightly grip my shoulder as his breath quickened.
"Okay kids how about you all go to bed." Bruce finally said in a stern but soft tone. The three of us didn't even try to argue. We just all nodded and headed upstairs. I quickly got ready for bed and then peaked out of my room to see an empty hallway. I made a mad dash for Sam's room knocking softly as I looked around the hall scarred someone would hear. Sam opened the door already in a pair of baby yoda pj pants and a Starwars t-shirt. It made me smile slightly as he asked me if everything was okay.
"Can I sleep with you?" I mumbled wondering if I should just turn around and run back to my room. Surely he would say no.
"Yeah come on." He said ushering me in and shutting the door. "You okay?"
I shrugged. "Do you think Ben is hurting Wes? He looked really mad." I asked out probably looking stressed.
"I think he is making his ass sore. However Ben would never hurt hurt him. Kat he loves us, he would never harm us. But he will make it hard for us to sit." Sam climbed into his bed and I climb in next to him. "Don't worry Wes will be okay, in the morning you will see." He pulled me close squeezing me in a hug making me feel safe.
I was almost asleep when I heard the door open and Jere's voice. "Sam can I sleep with you?" His voice was shaky and sounded on the verge of tears.
"Come here bud." Sam motioned and I felt the other side of the bed dip.
"She okay?" Jere asked.
"Yeah she was just worried about Wes. Is that why you're here?"
"That and I am scarred."
"Why bud?"
"I helped Wes get the fake ID and...." Jere paused and I swear I heard him gulp. "I have one."
"Okay," Sam sighed and whispered. "I doubt Wes will rat you out. So just get some sleep. Tomorrow we will destroy it and Ben will never find out. Okay? But promise me you won't get another one."
"I promise Sam."
"Okay good. Now let's be like Kat and get some sleep."
"Okay." I felt Jere's arm wrap around me. For a second I felt like a marshmallow trapped in between two gram crackers. But after a deep breath I realized that no one would be able to hurt me with my two big brothers at my side making me feel safe and relaxed falling asleep.