“Savannah let me in, told me to put the pumpkin pie in the fridge. Actually, let me do that I got...distracted,” I say looking over at Devin.
He smirks as he walks out of the kitchen into the dining room.
“Oh, Aunt Savannah,” Bella grumbles.
“What?” I ask confused.
“Nothin’. Come on, Lacey and Nico broke things off. She's gettin’ bombed, we need to help her put herself together.”
“Shit, really? Well that sounds familiar,” I say slyly following Bella into the living room.
“Exactly! I know first hand what those Johnson men are capable of, those bastards,” Bella says slapping her fiance Damon in the shoulder as we walk past.
“Ow, what the hell did I do?” he asks rubbing his shoulder.
“It's your idiot brother. Look at her, what is he doin’?”
“How do you know it's him?” Damon asks defensively.
“Well, tell him to fix it, dammit,” Bella snaps.
We walk over to the corner of the room where Lacey is in a La-Z-boy chair, holding a bottle of red wine in her hand, staring at the fire crackling in the fireplace.
“Hey Lace,” I say softly.
She doesn't turn around and takes a swig from the bottle, tipping it back and then placing it on her thigh, shaking her head.
“Nothin’ y'all say will make this better. Just let me be.”
“Lace, we’re here for you. Please just talk to us,” I plead.
“Yeah Lace, remember at the bar when me and Damon were goin’ through our shit? You told me I was stronger than that and so are you. Please just-”
“Just stop talkin’,” Lacey snaps getting to her feet. “You have no idea what is goin’ on, you have no idea what is happenin’ in my life.”
“Lacey,” Bella says shocked. “Then tell us. We tell each other everything, why are you pushin’ us away?”
“Believe me when I say it's safer for everyone. I'm not meant for that life,” Lacey says motioning to Bella's ring finger.
“That is bullshit!” Bella snaps. “Why is it safer? What is goin’ on Lacey, are you in trouble?”
All of the sudden goosebumps prickle my skin and I feel my blood run cold. Is this finally it? Is someone out, getting to me through her, through the people in my life I've grown to care so much about? I was such a fool to think I could plant myself into a normal life without consequences.
“It has nothin’ to do with y'all, it’s just me. I was never meant to have a forever, it's not in my DNA.”
“Lacey stop this, look at your daddy and my aunt! They're forever, they're so happy, that's your DNA not-”
“She is!” Lacey yells. “No matter how much I tell myself she's not, she is my mother, Bella. So, if you don't mind, I'm gonna finish this bottle of wine, eat some turkey and pass the fuck out. Happy Thanksgivin’.”
She pushes past us and Bella shakes her head letting out a frustrated breath.
“That's not the whole story and I swear that girl is gonna give me goddamned grey hair,” Bella says through gritted teeth.
She walks over to Damon pulling him down the hall and I close my eyes, taking in the calm. It's not them, they're still in jail Normani. Stop being so paranoid.
“Want somethin’ to drink?” asks a voice from behind me.
I turn and see Devin standing with a bottle of wine and two glasses, smiling at me.
“I uh...I'll actually just have some water if you don't mind.”
“I could do water. Be right back.”
Devin walks into the kitchen and I watch him leave, the muscles across his shoulders as he swings his arms, the flex of his ass as he puts pressure on one leg, then the other. He runs his hand through his long hair, and I focus on his forearm before he disappears into the kitchen.
“Normani, how do you like Double Play so far?” I hear Savannah ask from next to me.
I jump at her voice and feel my cheeks heat at being caught shamelessly ogling her nephew.
“Hi, I um...great, it's so great.”
Savannah smirks and I close my eyes hating this newfound libido I seem to have grew ever since meeting Devin.
“I've never seen him this happy,” Savannah says softly.
“Wh...what?” I stutter.
“He worked out a trade with the Cajun’s so he'll be back home. He's really excited about it,” Savannah says.
“Right, yeah, the trade. That's great,” I say flustered.
“Water for the lady, Gatorade for this guy,” Devin says handing me a water bottle.
“Thank you,” I say smiling.
I reach for the water, our fingers touching, and it feels like I've been burned. I flinch as I see the water drop to the floor and shake my head.
“Gosh that was embarassin’,” I mumble leaning down for my water.
Devin leans down too and as he gets up with my water bottle, I'm leaning down. His head collides with my mouth and I feel my head snap back.
“Normani!” Savannah gasps.
“Shit,” I groan, putting my fingers to my bottom lip.
I glance down and see blood and Devin curses.
“Fuck, I'm sorry Normani. Come,” he says taking my other hand.
Savannah pats my back and Devin guides me into the kitchen.
“Sit darlin’, let me fix my mess, again,” he grumbles.
He takes a paper towel and goes into the freezer for an ice pack. I hop up on the counter and zero in on his ass in jeans. My gaze roams down his legs to his cowboy boots and I inwardly groan. What is it about a man calling you darlin’ in cowboy boots?
He wraps the ice pack in a paper towel and presses it to my mouth, his fingers wrapping about the back of my neck to hold my head in place and I close my eyes.
“I'm really not startin’ out so good with you, am I? Are you okay?” Devin asks.
I giggle and shake my head.
“It ain't my first fat lip, I'm a pro at this, it's okay,” I say quietly opening my eyes.
I see his eyes widen and open my mouth but close it again, trying to backtrack.
“I...I kickbox and stuff I...I get them a lot, that's all,” I stutter trying to cover my revelations.
“Oh, I didn't know that. How'd you get started doin’ that?”
“I...a friend,” I say snapping my mouth shut.
Too much Normani, stop fucking talking.
“A friend, huh?” Devin smirks. “Listen if you're seein’ someone, I can back off. I mean you’re beautiful, of course you're seein’ someone, right?”
“No I... you just...really ain't my type Devin. I could use a friend though...I mean I don't know if you wanna be friends,” I say shrugging putting the ice pack back to my lip.
“Sure,” he says smiling.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and the contact on the top of my earlobe sends a sizzle down my body straight to my center. He cups my cheek and my face moves of its own volition into his strong hand.
“Can y'all help bring everything outside?” I hear Charlotte yell.
She comes into the kitchen and stops short when she sees us, inches apart, Devin’s hand on my cheek.
“Oh, I'm sorry y’all,” Charlotte says flustered.
I'm quick in motion hopping off the counter and grabbing the ice pack from Devin putting it over my mouth.
“Just a clumsy accident, everything's fine,” I say walking towards the patio doors.
I grab a salad on the table and bring it outside with me, opening the doors and stepping outside. The cool fall air smacks me in the face waking me up.
This is not for you Normani, leave him be and continue on with your life. Alone and alert, no distractions.
But he would be a really amazin’ distraction, maybe that's what I need.
“You missed a fun Thanksgivin’ a couple years ago,” Devin says snapping me out of my thoughts.
I turn around and smile as I see everyone start to file outside. I put the salad on the table and Devin lowers his voice
, coming closer to me.
“First one with my dad back and boy the shots were flyin’. I thought my Grandma Jen was gonna go all Stone-Cold Steve Austin on my Grandma Franny.”
I laugh at Devin’s words and look over to his grandmothers, their heads pressed together talking like no one else is around.
He holds the chair out for me to sit. I smile at him and sit down as he takes the seat next to me.
“You excited to be back home Dev?” Gabriel asks him.
Devin smiles and nods, his dimple making me squirm in my seat with the need to touch it, kiss it.
“Sure am. Couldn't have worked out better. Got myself a big ole’ farm out ten minutes and I ain't movin’ again. Held out for that big contract. I'm here for the next eight years with a no trade clause. Y’all are stuck with me.”
“You gonna take me to ride Buttercup, right Ducky?” Avery asks him.
“Sure am boo boo. She's comin’ in on the trailer this week. You get the first ride, okay?”
Avery squeals and I smile at her. My heart aching a little as I picture myself with a little girl one day.
Impossible.
You can't raise a baby with the burdens of my type of life. My mood immediately plummets, and I grit my teeth, anger taking over.
Good, I need to stay angry. Anger is the only way to fight off the devil.
Chapter 3
Devin
“So now for the strippers, what kind you like my man? Be my guide,” I smirk.
“Come on Dev, let's call it a night. I told Bella we wouldn't, I don't want to go back on that,” Damon says.
I smile and point my finger at him holding my beer.
“Good fuckin’ man. I was testin’ ya. I approve, welcome to the family D-man,” I say slapping him on the back.
We're in Vegas for my sister and her fiance’s combined bachelor and bachelorette weekends. We met the girls for dinner but separated after, Bella claiming Damon still needed a night for him and the boys.
I look over to Damon and he laughs, shaking his head.
“So, if I say ‘fuck yeah man, let's do it’ you would have what, objected at the wedding?”
“Hey, my sister is a fuckin’ precious stone. No man on this earth is good enough for her, but you're pretty damn close. To answer your question, yes, I would have objected.”
He laughs again and slaps me on the back.
“Glad I got the Gavinwood stamp of approval then. I'm gonna head to bed, if you get strippers, keep them in the living room.”
I nod and look to the other guys.
“Let's do it man. Call some up,” says Lance.
I played with him briefly in Texas but he’s a dick and there's no way I'm hanging around here. He always seems to attract trouble.
“I'm heading to Lacey's room,” Nico says next to me. “If I so much as be in the same room as a stripper, she’ll hang my balls from the flag outside this hotel. We’re still working shit out, if her little tantrum at dinner didn't tip you off, so enjoy without me.”
I laugh remembering their bickering and Lacey calling him out on his shit. She is something else.
“You pussy whipped bitch. That ass even worth it? She's a fuckin’ head case,” Lance yells.
Nico turns around and I block his way.
“He ain't worth it Nic,” I say putting a hand on his chest.
I've become pretty muscular thanks to the workouts of the major leagues but Nico towers over me. If he wanted to go after Lance, I'd be fooling myself if I thought I could stop him, but I have to at least try. Fights ruined shit for my dad, I wasn't gonna let it ruin it for a friend too. Plus, he's been a great guy to my cousin and I'm sure one day he'll become family too. Family looks out for each other, always.
“Talk about my girl like that again and I'll use your fuckin’ head for batting practice. You already got me in the dog house that I'm still crawling my way out of.”
“You came at me with that bet, asshole,” Lance says standing.
“Whatever, have fun with your hand tonight you dick,” Nico growls.
He leaves the suite and I turn to the other guys.
“Lance stop bein’ a prick. That's my fuckin’ cousin. Talk about her again and I'll knock the piss outta you too.”
I may not be Nico's size but I sure as shit could take Lance. Little, scrawny asshole. Lance puts his hands up in defense and smirks.
“Just didn't want him to miss out on the fun, that's all. You in Gavinwood?”
“I'll be back,” I say walking out of the room.
I slam the door, calming myself down. People talking shit about my family wakes a special kind of monster inside me. I walk fast towards the elevator and press the button to go down. I try to focus my anger towards something else, something that will calm me.
You're not my type.
I've replayed Normani’s words over and over in my head for the past week since Thanksgiving. She completely ignored me during dinner, although I kept catching her steal glances my way. Thinking about this isn't making me calm, it's making me frustrated as hell.
There is something about her that calls to me, some type of instinct in me to protect her.
I've always been the man of the house, looking out for Bella and my mama, and I feel the same pull towards her. I noticed the scar across her cheek, and it does nothing to diminish her beauty, but it still awakes something inside me that wants to find out who did that to her and kill them.
I make my way down to the hotel bar and freeze when I see sleek, jet black hair, held together by some type of clip, falling down the almost bare back of a woman.
My woman.
She's sitting in the corner by herself playing with the umbrella in her drink. I walk over to her slowly and take the bar stool next to her as I place a hand on her back.
“I think the point is to drink it, no?”
She jumps and squeals putting one hand to her chest and the other punches me straight in the stomach.
“Ah shit,” I groan.
I could take a punch, but I wasn't expecting it and damn this girl can hit.
“Jesus Christ, Devin! Don't sneak up on a girl like that! I'm so sorry, are you okay?”
“I'm fine, I'm sorry. Where'd you learn to hit like that?”
“I wasn't kiddin’ when I told you I did kickboxin’,” she grumbles shaking out her hand.
“Damn, did you hurt yourself?” I motion to the bartender and ask him for a bag of ice.
“I didn't have my wrist straight, you just surprised me, that's all, I'm fine. You uh...have a hard stomach,” she says quietly, and I look over and catch her blush.
The bartender comes back with the bag of ice and I take Normani's wrist, noticing a long scar across her skin.
“What happened here?”
She tries to pull her hand back, but I keep it on top of the bar and put a napkin in between the bag and her skin.
“Prank gone wrong when I was younger. It's fine, its fadin’.”
She doesn't look at me when she says it and I grit my teeth, willing the beast to subside. I'll find out who did this to her.
I take a long breath and look over, her gaze is down on the napkin. Change of subject is needed Devin.
“I'm really havin’ a hard time makin’ a good first impression on you darlin’,” I groan.
She giggles and puts a hand on top of mine and it does something funny to my chest.
“You're fine. It's okay.”
“So, what are you doin’ down here alone?” I ask her.
“All the girls decided to go to a strip club. Bella is passed out in the room and I'm pretty sure Lacey and Nico were fuckin’ in the bathroom when I left.”
I laugh and she smirks, looking down and a light pink tint coats her cheeks again.
“Yeah the guys are callin’ up some strippers. Damon snuck off to bed, at least I hope he stays in bed. Promised Bella no strippers.”
“What about you? You ain't into the stripper thing? Or just gettin’
some more alcohol in ya before ya go back up?”
“Nah, I'm not a stripper guy. I can get women to take their clothes off for me for free,” I smirk.
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head looking down at her hand.
Changeup (Double Play Series Book 4) Page 3