It hadn't been the sound of raised voices or slamming doors that had roused Dean from his restless slumber. He'd been fine with all of that. Growing up in apartments tended to make you like that. No, what had drawn him back to consciousness was the rich smell of bacon. The second the smell had hit his nostrils his stomach had rolled in protest, growling loudly enough to wake the whole damn compound. It demanded to be filled after the poor excuse for a dinner from the night before had left it less than satisfied. He'd laid there on the floor, curled up on the blankets and pillows that Roman had thrown to him, trying to ignore it. But it was as persistent as he was. It refused to be ignored. It felt like it was a constant cycle of it growling and rolling in over itself as it continued its demand for food.
A groan from Roman's side of the room broke Dean's concentration. A second later a pillow struck him in the side of the head, making him jump off the blanket he was on. Dean sat up with a start, rubbing the back of his head as he glared at the bed. He had wanted to ask what Roman's problem was, but he thought better of it. He knew what Roman's problem was. That had been made clear last night, before and after dinner; hence him being on the floor. Roman hadn't wanted to be in the same room with him, let alone the same bed. But Bray wasn't about to offer them anymore hospitality. One meal and one bed seemed sufficient, especially since the larger man's focus had shifted almost entirely to Evangeline. As far as Bray was concerned, Dean and Roman could fall off the face of the earth and he wouldn't be bothered by it. He was too busy with his Angie to notice much of anything beyond her. That thought irritated Dean. It irritated him as he got up and the irritation followed him all the way down the back stairs. To him at least, Bray showering Evangeline with attention, especially when she didn't want it, hardly seemed fair.
Dean reached the bottom of the stairs pausing on the last step when he heard a scream followed by a loud crash. To him, it sounded like it had come from the back of the house. Without thinking, he leapt off the last step, sprinting for the kitchen. He didn't have to sprint fair. In reality, it was able to reach it in a matter of steps. When he got there, the same warm velvety smell that had pulled him from his slumber still hung heavily in the air. From his vantage point, he could see the stove was still turned on; the burner glowing red from the heat. Next to it was a plate full of cooked bacon, left to cool. Swallowing, Dean apprehensively stepped deeper into the kitchen. He spotted the pan laying on the floor near the stove. It was obvious that it had been knocked to the floor a minute earlier, causing the crashing sound. He turned slightly, relieved to know it was only the pan and not anything worse. His relief though, was short lived.
Dean paused when he heard muffled voices out on the back porch. He walked past the fallen pan, his stomach dropping into his feet the second he spotted Bray hovering over Evangeline. At first glance it looked like a tight embrace. She was leaned up against the side of the house, with Bray resting his forehead on hers. He was whispering what Dean imagined were soft sweet words to her. For a second, Dean felt his lip twitch in jealousy. It hadn't been that long ago that Bray had held him like that. He could recall the countless lockerooms and hotels where Bray had had him in that exact position. If Dean tried he could still feel Bray's body pressing into his own. He remembered Bray's hot breath brushing over his face as their lips had come together in a soft kiss. He could remember every praise, every promise of love that Bray had ever said to him. Dean physically shuddered at the memory of them. Now here he was, watching Bray do the same thing with someone else. For a split second it was too much for Dean to bear.
He felt his jealousy go to a white hot rage in a matter of breaths, his feet carrying him toward the couple. Somewhere along the way he had picked up a pan from the floor, gripping it with a ferocity that later frightened him. The pan had already been up in the air, the hot bacon fat dripping all over him, burning his exposed flesh. He wanted to smack Bray with everything he was worth. Dean had been ready to strike Bray with everything he was worth. He almost had, had it not been for Evangeline telling Bray to fuck off. Dean stopped moving when he heard that. It had snapped him out his rage long enough for him to get a better look at the situation.
His eyes roamed over the embrace again. Everything still looked the same, except this time, Dean could see the subtle differences between what he thought was there and what was actually there. Evangeline was still leaned up against the house, except instead of being gently pinned to it, it was clear Bray had her trapped there. His large hands were wrapped around hers, pinning them against the old siding as she weakly struggled against him. Now he could hear the supposed sweet words he thought Bray had been whispering in Evangeline's ear. They weren't sweet, in fact they were the very opposite of sweet. It was painfully obvious to Dean that he wasn't interrupting a lovers tryst. No, it was clear that what was going on in front of him was far more sinister.
"Now now darlin'…" Dean watch as Bray leaned his body further into hers, using his weight to hold her fast. "No more runnin'." He gave her hands a squeeze, making her wince in pain. "If you're rested enough to make breakfast, then you're rested enough to talk." She grunted, trying in vain to push him off of her yet again.
"The only talk I want with you is the one where you agree to get the fuck off of me." Again she tried to move him and again she failed. It reminded Dean of a snake with a rat. The longer he stared, the tighter Bray's hold got. It was like the larger man was trying to suffocate her. The only indication that he hadn't was when Bray tickled her exposed palms with his fingers, making her jump at the sensation. "Bray!" She thrashed against him again, desperately trying get away from his fingers. All that earned her was a cruel laugh from Bray as he immediately repeated the action, getting the exact same result. "You fucking asshole! Get. Off."
"Such a charming vocabulary dearest Angie." The sarcasm wasn't lost on Dean. "You're always so eloquent at work, so good with your sense of decorum." He gave her a toothy grin. "I wonder if you might be able to use some of that here." He tickled her palms for a third time. "It might yield you a kinder result." That tickle earned Bray a sharp, swift kick to the groin.
"Fuck Off."
He was off her in an instant, howling as he doubled over in pain. Evangeline made a move for the screen door to her left, but Bray's hand leapt out at the last second, easily grabbing hold of her.
"Let GO!" He jerked her closer, his hand going from her wrist to her hair in a flash. Bray's fingers twisted their way into her unbound hair, allowing him to get a firm hold of her. Quickly, he yanked her down to her knees by her scalp, causing her to cry out in pain.
"You little…" He jerked her head up, forcing her to look at him. "You're going to wish you hadn't done that, darlin." Bray grunted, wincing in pain as he brought himself to his full height. "Not once I'm through with you." There was an evil glint in Bray's eye, one that Dean recognized all too well. Evangeline was about to be in a bad way, unless someone did something about it.
"Hey!" They both looked at him, finally noticing him for the first time. "That's enough!" Their eyes slowly moved up to pan, which was still raised in a semi threatening manner.
"Ho…"Bray had to take a deep breath. "How did you get down here?" Dean ignored him, not bothering to answer his question.
"The fuck does it matter? Get your fucking hands off of her. Now." Dean spun the pan in his hand, giving Bray a hard look.
"You gonna hurt me with that if I don't?" Bray gave Dean a sneer as he nodded at the pan. "You could have grabbed a cast iron one. At least then you'd look threatening." Bray let out a low chuckle. "It looks good on you though. You'll make a fine little thing for Roman once he's all better." Bray dropped his eyes to Evangeline. "Won't he pet?" He gave her scalp a tug for emphasis.
"I mean it Bray!" He spun the pan in his hand again, watching as Bray looked away from Evangeline.
"Take your ass back upstairs boy. How I deal with her isn't your concern." Dean licked his lips, unsure of how reply to that. Bray was right. It wasn't Dean's concern. He wasn't even sure why he cared. But for whatever reason he did and he was determined to make it his concern while he was here.
"I don't give a fuck whether it is or it isn't. Take your hands off of her or I'll beat you dead with this stupid thing." He waved the pan around, causing Bray to laugh at him again. "Don't believe me?" Fine.
Dean brought the pan back, smacking the larger man on the side of the head with everything he had. Bray wailed in pain, instantly letting go of Evangeline so he could grab where he had been struck. Dean watched him stumble back towards the rear door of the porch. He waited, making sure she was out of Bray's reach before before he quickly grabbed Evangeline by her bicep, pulling her to her feet. "You alright?" She nodded, rubbing her sore scalp. "Good. Get behind me!" She did so, both of them watching as Bray recovered from the blow. He snarled at Dean, charging him head on. Dean brought the pan up a second time, whacking Bray on the top of his head. The blow caused Bray to wail again, but he didn't stumble back. "What part of beat you dead did you not get?" Bray stood there, baring his teeth at both of them while he held his head in pain.
"You have no idea what you've done." Dean smirked at him.
"I know exactly what I've done. I whacked your ass with a skillet." Bray didn't look amused by that, in fact he looked as hot as the stove. "I gave you the option to take your damn hands off of her, but you wouldn't listen. Serves your stupid ass right."
"And you think that's going to be it?" Bray took his hands away from his head, both of them noticing the small trickle of blood that was running down his forehead. "Her and I, we have unfinished business. Mark my words colombe…." Dean watched Bray's eyes shift from him to behind him. "You don't leave until we finish it."
"She leaves when she wants." Bray's icy glare shifted back to Dean. "She ain't a part of this family any more than I am. You can't make her stay asshole."
"Dean please…." Bray took a step forward, coming nose to nose with Dean. The look in his eye had gone from cold to death in a blink.
"She leaves when I say she can." Bray gave him a crazed grin. "Try to take her, I dare you." He paused, taking a shaky breath. "I promise you if you do that none of you will make it off this property alive." Dean swallowed hard. "If it makes you feel big and strong to be her protector in here, then be my guest. Protect her at will. Makes no difference to me." Bray ran his fingers over his beard a sinister grin crossing his lips. "I won't have to wait much longer." Dean nervously swallowed, much of his vibrato fading away with that statement. "After breakfast, she's mine." Bray took a step back, giving them both a grin. "The boys will be by later to collect y'all and see you off the property. I suggest you warn Roman. I'd hate for Erick to have to throw him into another hard object to get him to behave." Bray chuckled at that. Personally Dean didn't find it overly funny. Never the less, Bray continued to laugh as he closed the short distance between them and the screen door. "Till then…" Bray stopped at the door, turning back to face them. "Darlin'" Bray tipped his hat to her, his cold laughter falling from his lips the second he had finished the sarcastic gesture.
"Fuck." Dean felt a pang of guilt at the intrusion of Evangeline's soft, trembling voice. He realized that in his attempt to protect her from Bray and his wrath, he'd probably only delayed the inevitable. Whatever was meant to happen, was going to happen the second he and Roman were gone. That was if Bray wanted to wait that long. Once the boys had collected them, Bray was free to have it out with Evangeline without any further distractions. She was fucked no matter how he sliced it. Worst of all, she knew she was. Slowly, he causally turned back, dreading what he was going to see. He'd had a small hope that it wouldn't be that bad. She'd been silent up until then. What he saw though, broke his heart.
Evangeline was only slightly behind him, her whole body quivering as tears spilled out of her eyes and over her cheeks.
"Hey." She looked at him, her eyes struggling to form a hard look. "Look I didn't…."
"Forget it." She swallowed hard. "You meant well." She tried to offer him a small smile, but she failed. "What's going to happen, needs to happen." Dean gave her an unsure look.
"What needs to happen?" He didn't know why he asked it, beyond appeasing his own morbid curiosity. Normally, Dean wouldn't have cared. But there was a mystery surrounding Evangeline. Everything about her presence here was an unknown. There was no explanation as to why she was here or why Bray wanted her here. The closest Dean had gotten to an answer was Bray's threat of finishing things. Now he supposed he wanted her side of the story. "What did he mean by finishing things?" She shot him a wary side eye. "I owe you for covering my ass while I made a fool of myself here. Least I can do is try to return the favor." She didn't look convinced, more so, she didn't look like she trusted him. "Look whatever it is, it stays with me. I'm not interested in spilling your secrets."
"Roman is." That made Dean pause. "He thinks he knows what's going on. He thinks we're together. What's going to stop you from thinking the same thing?" Now he understood the hesitancy. "All it's going to take for me to lose my job is for you or Roman to go to the office. What am I supposed to do then? I'll be ruined."
"I've got the advantage on Sassy Pants Mcgee; I know Bray." Dean watched the relief wash over her face. "If you were with Bray then you wouldn't be standing here talking to me. You'd be with him. The fact that I had to beat him off of you kind of kills that whole you and he are a thing mentality for me." He reached out, gently laying his hand on her shoulder. "How about you tell me what's going on and see if ole Dean-o can't help you out?" He gave her a keen look, watching as she considered it for a few seconds before she finally caved.
"Not out here." She nodded toward the kitchen, slowly pulling away from him. Dean watched her step through the open doorway. He waited until he heard a chair grate its way across the old tile file to follow her in. Even if he couldn't help, he would have some answers and in his mind something was better than nothing.