Shattered Girl (Emmy)

"Emilia, I'm so glad you are awake," his smile grew impossibly wide, He approached with his hand out, lowering it when he saw my left arm was splinted. "I'm Clint Peters, your stepfather," yep, that's exactly what I was afraid of. he was reaching out to pat my shoulder, but

I flinch away from him, not wanting this strange guy, with the over white smile to touch me.

"Dad, stop it, she doesn't want you touching her when she's hurt" The boy stepped up, grabbing the older man's shoulder and turning him slightly away from me. I gave him a small smile of thanks for his intervention.

"Oh nonsense, she doesn't mind, do you Emilia?" Clint's creepy white smile was plastered back on his face, as he shook his son's hand off his arm.

"Umm, my name's Emmy, not Emilia, and I'm in a lot of pain, so I do mind" While wanting my voice to be strong, it still wobbled with fatigue. The boy, whose name I still didn't know, but guessed was one of my step-brothers, snorted. Clint glared at him, as he turned back toward me. His glare made me flinch, and my stepbrother took another step forwrd, ready to block me from his father.

"Oh, that's right, your mother warned me of this childish nickname you insist on using." He sighed loudly, thinking for a minute he snapped his fingers, and grinned at me." I have an idea, when we are home you can call yourself Emmy, but while out in public you can go by Emilia, it's a much more dignified name for the daughter of a soon-to-be senator."

I stared at Clint, shocked into silence, there was no way this guy was serious, I glanced at my new stepbrother, but he just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

word to me, he crossed the room, told my stepbrother whose name was Jacob to help me get ready to leave, and walked into the hallway letting the door close behind him. I glanced at Jacob in shock, as he glared at the closed door shaking his head and mutering something to quiet

frown deepening on his face as he took in my injuries. "I'm sorry my father is such an asshole, luckly he isn't around much." He smilied at me, as he pulled a chair up to the bed and sat next to

I studied him for a moment, seeing the genuine look of concern on his face. Giving him a

thanks." I said, happy that there seemed to be at least one person that would be on my side, at

that, He can be a real overbearing asshole sometimes" Jacob gave the door his father had just walked through a hard glare and then came over to me. holding out his

he have to be my stepbrother, it's so not fair. At that thought my sex-starved inner voice popped up to helpfully remind me I was only related to him through my mother's marriage, and of all the stepbrother romances I had seen advertised on my e-reader.

smiled and ran his hand through his hair. "Our other two brothers are currently stationed out of the country," he said over his shoulder Oh wow there are four of them, I'm so screwed. My inner voice was now doing a

a minute a frown

to find anything worth wearing in there." I said

else for you to wear so you don't have to go home in that hospital gown. I think the nurse left these for you to change into" He reached for

squeaked pulling the blanket further up my

arm, and cracked ribs, hmmm" Jacob said, pointing out the obvious. He sat on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently for