Hunger Unleashed

Chapter 51: Jean Broody vs. Bradley Jackson ~ When suppressed desires explode… The Broody clan!

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“Oh shut up, Jean.” Bradley shut his door and fell into step beside Jean who couldn’t stop laughing. “Jean Broo…” He started to speak but trailed off when the front door opened to reveal a beautiful, dark-haired, elderly woman who looked so much like Jean. “Your mother.” It wasn’t a question.

“Hello, Bradley.” Lucy Broody called out with a smile before they even got to where she stood.

“Hello, Dr. Br…”

“Hey, none of that.” Jean’s mother admonished. “It’s Lucy.” She said, ignoring his outstretched hand to give him a hug. “Welcome to our home.”

“Thank you, Lucy. Thanks for having me. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to you too, my dear.” She turned to her son next. “Looking real good, darling.” She hugged and kissed Jean.

“I always look good, mum.” Jean retorted cheekily, earning himself an eye roll from his mother.

“Cocky twit,” Lucy muttered as she linked an arm around Bradley’s. “Come on in, Bradley.”

“Are we the last to arrive?” Jean asked as they entered a really large foyer where a tall elderly man seemed to be having a hot argument with a little girl of about three.

“Ashley…” Jean called out loudly to get the attention of the little girl, who broke into a run straight for Jean’s outstretched arms.

“No, you’re not the last.” Michael Broody answered his son’s question as he turned towards Bradley with a welcoming smile. “Dean and Josh are not yet in. Hello, Bradley. I’m Michael.”

“Hello, Sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The two men shook hands.

“Call me Michael.” Jean’s dad said, grabbing a cocktail off a tray on a table by the door, for Bradley. “That’s mint, lemon, whiskey, and syrup. Absolutely refreshing.” He grinned.

“Thanks, Michael.” Bradley was having fun already.

“I want you to enjoy yourself, son,” Michael said. “It’s always an honour to meet brave young men like you. Thanks to you, we can sleep at night.”

“Some of us rather stay awake, thanks to them.” Jean drawled, causing Bradley to almost lose his footing. “I mean we enjoy the nightlife without a worry that another world war…are you okay Bradley?” Jean’s eyes glistened with mirth.

“This way, Bradley,” Lucy said as Bradley gave Jean a withering look over his mother’s head.

“You need to cut back on your outings, son.” Michael laughed as he opened the glass door labeled, ‘Family Fun Room’.

Before Jean could respond to his dad they heard shouts of Jean’s name by about four kids and three teens. They all rushed to Jean who still had Ashley in his arms. It was a really large room that had lots of interesting stuff such as video games, pool table, dartboard, two different projected screens; one on the Disney channel and the other on Formula One, recliners, lots of comfortable seats, two beds, a bar, play corner for the kids. It was breathtakingly cozy.

“I’m going to check on dinner, Bradley,” Lucy said as she looked at the kids and Jean adoringly. “I’ll see you in the garden after you’re done with these angels.”

“Alright, ma’am.”

“These are my grandkids…well some of them.” Michael Broody told Bradley with pride as he moved towards a lady holding a baby in a corner of the room. Bradley followed. “This is little Stephanie.” The elderly man bent down and rubbed his knuckles against the baby’s cheek. “Ashley’s baby sister.”

“She’s a little beauty.” Bradley smiled. “Hello.” He said to the nanny, who smiled back.

“There are four more coming,” Michael said as he straightened up. “They are my joy.”

“They are adorable,” Bradley said as he looked at Jean laughing and playing with his nieces and nephews. “Do they come around often?”

“At least once a month.” The elderly man said. “I look forward to getting more grandkids. Hopefully, Jean can clean up his act, find a nice girl to settle down with and then…” He trailed off when the door opened to reveal a teenaged boy and twin girls. It was obvious they were siblings.

“Hey, Grandpa.” The boy’s face lit up when he saw his grandpa.

“Jake.” Michael opened his arms. “That’s my first grandchild. And these two are my beautiful princesses.” He hugged all of them, planting loud kisses on the cheeks of the girls. “Where are your parents?”

“In the garden,” Jake responded. “Hello.” He grinned as he gave Bradley a once-over. “That outfit is dope.” He said, making Bradley and Michael burst into laughter.

“Thank you, Jake.” Bradley grinned. “Not as dope as yours though.”

“Uncle Jean…” Jake moved to join Jean and the other kids.

“Let’s go join the others in the garden,” Michael said. “Jean?” He called to his son, who quickly assured his nephews who he’d been chatting with that he’d be back.

When they got to the entrance of a brightly lit and beautifully decorated garden, Bradley briefly felt Jean’s hand at his lower back. The hand was gone before he could savour the feeling but Bradley knew it was Jean’s way of telling him he was with him. The thrill that passed through him at that thought made him feel light-headed. Bradley saw five men who looked a lot like Dean and Jean. He assumed the ladies laughing and chatting with them were Michael’s daughters-in-law. Jean hugged and kissed all the ladies and bumped fists with the guys.

“Hello, son.” Michael Broody hugged his first son. “This is Bradley.” He made the introduction. “He’s…”

“Ty’s best man.” Josh Broody, Jean’s eldest brother moved towards Bradley with a huge grin on his face. “You guys sure did put on a good show at that wedding, man.” He gave Bradley a one-armed hug. “Welcome.”

“Thank you…”

“Josh,” Josh said. “I’m the main man here. All these guys you see here…with the exception of my dad, are just my minions.”

“Oh fuck off, Josh…” One of the brothers shouted as the others threw insults at Josh to the amusement of Michael, Bradley, and the ladies.

“What number are you amongst your siblings?” Josh asked in a mock curious voice, ignoring his brothers’ curses.

“I don’t have any siblings.” Bradley laughed.

“That makes you the alpha and omega.” Josh nodded. “You’re the main man just like me, brah. Put it up there.” The two men slapped their hands against each other’s to laughter from the others.

“You’re full of shit, Josh.” Jean laughed as his eyes sought, found, and held Bradley’s. The message in them was clear. Jean wanted to know whether he was okay. With a slight nod of his head, Bradley assured him that he was.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…let me introduce you to my minions and the lovely ladies of the Broody clan,” Josh said. “That’s Sam, Tyler, Ron…whose middle name is Hilary…”

“Fuck you…” Ron groaned as the others erupted into laughter.

“That’s Alan, and you already know the evil twins.” Josh drawled. “Wonder what’s keeping Dean.” Bradley couldn’t help but sense the slight worry in Josh’s voice. Despite all the shit-talking, it was obvious the brothers loved each other. “Now to our beautiful queens…”

By the time Josh was done, Bradley already felt as if he’d known all of them for years. They were that welcoming. Everyone wanted to chat with him. He couldn’t even get the chance to speak to Jean. They all obviously knew he would be joining them for dinner that evening. Brandley wondered what story Jean and Dean had told their family about him. Soon he didn’t care at all because he was enjoying talking to all the lovely people, so much. After virtually seeing only Jean for weeks, that was understandable.

They were joined by about twelve other people who were friends of the family. Bradley enjoyed the chatting, the jokes, the drinks, the varieties of lovely grilled items, and the general ambiance and feeling of fun in the air. He couldn’t help, however, but to follow Jean with his eyes at all times. And whenever their eyes met, Jean’s smile always made him feel good. When he heard the commotion at the entrance of the garden, he just knew that Dean was in.

“Jackson?” Bradley heard Kayla, Dean’s wife calling his name and excused himself from Amber, Tyler’s wife who was an army officer. “There he is…the gallant gentleman.” Kayla laughed happily as she hugged Bradley.

“So good to see you, Kay.” Bradley gushed. He’d always admired Kayla’s feistiness. They’d become good friends during Ty’s surprise wedding. She’d been a great organizer. “Where’s Raby?”

“She’s with the kids.” Kayla hooked an arm around Bradley’s and steered him towards the man who was doing the grilling. He already had a plate filled with a piece of everything he was grilling, for Kayla. “Oh my god, Frankie, would you believe me if I told you I came because of you?” Kayla gushed as she took the plate from a laughing Frankie. There were shrimps, sausages, kebabs, chicken, steak tips, and some other scrumptious-looking stuff.

“Of course, I would, Kayla.” Frankie laughed. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“I can see that.” Kayla gushed. “You’re the best.”