by J. E. Parker
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
Shelby smiled; her face softened. “Alright, sweet girl,” she continued, “you know where to find me if you change your mind.” She winked before turning around and stumbling her way back into the living room.
I chuckled.
Shelby is drunker than a skunk. I bet—
Heidi appeared, cutting off my inner thoughts.
I crossed the kitchen and threw my arms around her. As long as I lived, I’d never tire of hugging her. No matter what was going on in my life, her touch soothed me. It always had.
Mama used to say it was because we were so close in age.
I didn’t know about that.
What I did know was that Heidi wasn’t just my sister.
She was my best friend too.
I took a deep breath. “I’m tired.”
Heidi wrapped her arms around me in return. “We can go if you want,” she whispered. “You want to call Daddy?”
“Yeah.” I dropped my arms and took a step back. “Do you have your phone? Mine is deader than a doornail.”
I never remembered to charge the stupid thing.
It was such a bad habit.
Heidi shook her head. “I left mine at home.”
I snorted. “We’re both ridiculous.” Wrapping my fingers around her wrist, I pulled her toward the living room. “Come on. I’m sure Shelby or Maddie will let me use theirs.”
In the living room, Shelby stood in front of the fireplace. Next to her stood Clara and Hope, and across from them an exhausted looking Maddie sat on the couch, her head resting on Hendrix’s shoulder. Grandmama stood near the front door talking to someone, but I didn’t pay her nor them any mind.
My focus was on Shelby.
“Shelby, do you mind if I use your phone to call my dad for a ride home?” I asked. “Mine is dead, and Heidi didn’t bother to bring hers since she came with me.”
Shelby pulled her gaze from me and swung it to where Grandmama stood. Her brows rose, and an amused expression crossed her face, though I wasn’t sure why.
She remained silent.
I opened my mouth to ask her again—maybe she didn’t hear me—but snapped it shut when a deep voice I’d never heard before said, “I’ll take you home.”
I turned my head, following the sound of the voice.
When my eyes landed on him, the guy who’d spoken, the world around me slowed.
Never in my life had I seen a man like him before.
Lord have mercy, he’s beautiful.
Standing at over six feet tall, he had dark brown hair that was shaved on the sides and a little longer on top. His eyes were the prettiest shade of brown I’d ever seen, and his jaw was strong, angular. Long lashes peppered his eyelids while full but firm looking lips completed the dark and mysterious look he had going on.
From what I could see, his body was near perfection too.
His shoulders were broad, and muscles that looked as though they’d been carved from granite laid beneath tanned skin that peeked out from beneath his shirt. His legs were long, his pant covered thighs thick.
I could’ve stared at him all day long.
But as much as I would’ve liked to, I couldn’t do that.
“Where do you live?” he asked, stepping closer.
Unable to form a coherent thought, much less a sentence, I looked to Shelby for help.
She offered me none.
Thankfully, Maddie spoke up, saving me. “I’ll have Daddy give y’all a ride home…”
The man, whose name I didn’t know, seemed irritated by Maddie’s answer. Yet he said nothing.
Unable to hold his gaze any longer, I ducked my head and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Thank you for offering me a ride,” I said, not wanting to seem rude. “But I think it’s best if Mr. Davis takes me home.”
I could only imagine Daddy’s face if he saw Heidi and I climb out of a stranger’s truck.
Curse words, along with bullets, would fly.
I glanced at Maddie. “As long as he doesn’t mind.”
Maddie waved her hand around. “He won’t mind. Trust me.”
Hendrix wrapped his arm around Maddie, pulling her into his side, while Evan, who I hadn’t even noticed, moved toward Hope.
Hope instantly scowled. “Don’t you start fussing at me, Big Guy,” she said, swaying on her feet. She was as drunker than Shelby. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Unable to resist, I peeked back at the man from before.
His eyes were locked on me, his gaze unmoving.
Heidi, who still hadn’t said a word, placed her hand on my lower back and shoved me forward, toward him.
I squeaked, then stumbled.
Sister or not, I am going to kill her!
The man lunged forward, closing the space between us.
His hands landed on my hips, steadying me. “Careful,” he said, his voice low and deep. “Wouldn’t want you to fall.”
My skin burned beneath his touch.
“I don’t want to fall.” My voice shook with each word.
“I won’t let you,” he whispered, tilting his head to the side. “You must be Carissa.”
The way my name rolled off his tongue was downright sinful. For a brief second, my knees quaked. Head spinning, I took a shaky breath and nodded. “Last I checked.”
A small smile played on the man’s lips. Glancing over my shoulder, he nodded behind me. “And I’m guessing she’s Heidi.”
“Yes.” I felt close to hyperventilating. “She’s my sister.”
“Are you going to ask my name?” he teased before raking his tongue across his bottom lip. “Or would you rather just stare at me? I’m good either way.”
Oh God, I thought. This is so embarrassing!
“I-I…I d-don’t know,” I stuttered.
His smile grew. “It’s Kyle, Beautiful Girl ,” he said. “Kyle Tucker.”
“It’s nice to meet you…” Tongue dry and heavy, my voice trailed off.
Kyle dipped his face closer, and for a moment I thought he’d kiss me. But he didn’t. Part of me, a tiny little piece, was disappointed.
I am losing my gosh dang mind.
“Say it,” he demanded before taking a deep breath. A second or two passed before he spoke again. When he did, his tone was less harsh, more controlled. “Please.”
Mind jumbled, I couldn’t think.
Confused didn’t begin to describe how I felt. “What are you asking me to say?”
“My name, Princess,” he replied. “Say my name.”
My eyes widened.
“Kyle,” I whispered, unsure if I was crazy or if the butterflies dancing around in my belly were normal.
His eyes slid closed, and he dropped his head forward. “Christ,” he groaned, sounding almost like he was in pain. “I am well and truly fucked.”
I’m a smart woman, always have been, but I felt so stupid in that moment. I had no idea what was going on. “I d-don’t… I don’t understand.”
His head snapped up, his eyes locked with mine again. “You will,” he said, tightly. “I guarantee that.”
Before I could say a word, Grandmama stepped up next to me. She looked from me to Kyle, and then back to me again. “Well,” she said, nodding. “This here is gonna be trouble.”
She was absolutely right.
FIVE
Kyle
I am losing my mind.
The lone thought tumbled around my head as my fingers dug into Carissa’s hips.
Wide-eyed, she looked a heartbeat away from escaping my hold and bolting in the other direction. I’d be damned if I let that happen. In the space of a second, she’d caught my attention.
Hook, line, and sinker.
It was something no other women had done before.
When I stormed in Grandmama’s house behind Evan and Hendrix, I’d been intent on meeting she and Heidi both. I wanted to see the girls that Hendrix, a man who didn’t love easily, was so concerned about.
/>
I wasn’t prepared for the emotions that seeing her for the first time would ignite in my chest.
Hendrix said she and Heidi were sweet. He said nothing about Carissa’s beauty. One look at her left me dumbfounded. Awestruck. And that was something that never happened to me.
Ever.
I’d seen beautiful women before. Had even taken a few to my bed. But none left me feeling like I’d been bashed over the head with a two by four.
Carissa had.
I couldn’t explain the instant attraction.
Didn’t care to either.
All I knew was that she had this pull.
Like an invisible rope, it tugged at me, demanding I come closer.
What exactly it was, I haven’t a clue.
Maybe it was the sparkle in her eyes or her heart-stopping smile. It might’ve been the melodic sound of her sweet voice or the addicting smell of her perfume.
Hell, maybe it was just fate.
Whatever the case was, she had me completely enthralled, powerless to whatever spell she’d placed me under. Like a moth to a flame, I was unable to resist her. It pissed me off while simultaneously making my heart pound.
My brain screamed that it was wrong, illogical.
My gut said otherwise.
Unable to help myself, I pulled her closer.
I inhaled deeply, pulling her scent into my lungs. Lavender. That’s what the perfume she wore smelled of. It was subtle, but the heady scent went straight to my head, knocking me off balance.
Carissa’s lips parted at the sudden move. Eyes locked with mine, she wrapped her soft hands around my triceps. My muscles twitched beneath her palms, and I grated my back teeth together in frustration as the urge to carry her some place more private gnawed at my waning control.
I wanted her alone.
Not because I wanted to do something inappropriate. Because I didn’t. Taking advantage of her was the last thing on my mind. I only wanted to speak to her without a half dozen prying eyes scrutinizing my every move, including the ones belonging to the crazy old woman who remained next to us, her assessing gaze burning holes into the side of my face.
I didn’t blame Grandmama for wanting to know what was going on.
My reaction to Carissa wasn’t normal, not for me, and she knew that. She, along with Hendrix and Maddie, were all well aware I didn’t give most women a second glance, and I sure as hell never offered them a ride home.
Carissa was different.
Though I didn’t know how… or why.
I moved my face closer to hers. An inch separated her nose from mine. “Let me take you home,” I whispered so only she could hear. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”
I’d kill any man who tried.
And that was a fact.
As I waited for her to reply, my eyes roamed over her breathtaking face, memorizing her every feature. Ocean blue eyes, freckle covered nose, pink, bow-shaped lips that I wanted to taste, shoulder-length pale blonde locks.
I briefly wondered if her hair felt as silky as it looked.
Only one way to find out.
Before I could touch it, Carissa dropped her hands from my arms and took a step back, removing herself from my hold. Every cell in my body screamed at me to pull her back into my space. But I couldn’t do that. Even if I felt some inexplicable pull to her, I was unsure what she felt. If she wanted to walk away from me, I couldn’t stop her, no matter how much I wanted too.
Nervously picking at the chipped polish on her nails, she smiled.
It was the most beautiful damn smile I’d ever seen.
“I’m not concerned about you hurting me,” she replied sweetly. “I’m more worried about my Daddy hurting you if he sees me or my sister climb out of your vehicle.”
My right eye twitched in annoyance.
I wasn’t worried about her father but hearing her say his name brought up everything Hendrix told me minutes earlier. I wasn’t okay with him leaving her and Heidi alone before, but now that I’d laid eyes on her, I sure as hell wasn’t okay with it.
I may have only spoken a handful of words to her, but one look in Carissa’s eyes made every protective instinct I possessed roar to life. The need to keep her safe consumed me. Thinking of her being alone and therefore unprotected made me rage inside.
What I felt for her made no sense.
But I was beyond giving a shit.
At that moment, I made a decision.
One that would change my life forever.
That decision? To keep her safe.
No matter the cost.
SIX
Carissa
I could feel Kyle’s eyes on me.
His gaze bored into my back, making my skin heat.
I took a deep breath from where I sat on the sofa, nestled between Maddie and Heidi. A blitzed Hope sat at my feet, her eyes half closed. Grandmama sat on the loveseat across from us and Keith, Clara, Liam and Declan were playing Monopoly at the kitchen table. Shelby had left minutes earlier, running across the street in the dark to the beautiful two-story house that her boyfriend, Anthony, a homicide detective for Toluca PD, owned. She was supposed to come back after checking on her two-year-old son, Lucca, but I doubted she’d be returning.
Once Anthony saw how drunk she was, he’d keep her there.
He was overprotective of her and Lucca both.
Not that I blamed him.
Shelby was a beautiful person who’d been handed a rotten deal in life. A domestic violence survivor like Clara, she deserved someone who treated her and Lucca like nothing less than gold.
From what I’d seen, Anthony did just that.
Chewing on my bottom lip, I peeked over my shoulder to the place where Hendrix, Evan, and Kyle stood along the far wall. Hendrix and Evan were engaged in conversation, but Kyle ignored them both. Arms crossed over his droolworthy chest, he was too busy watching me to pay them any mind.
Not knowing what else to do, I offered him a shaky smile.
My belly flipped when he winked in return.
Heart beating wildly, I twisted back around to find everyone’s eyes on me.
Hope’s upper body swayed as she quirked a brow. “Well, well,” she said, a lopsided smile on her pretty face. “Looks like somebody has a crush.”
Beside me, Heidi snorted.
“I do not.” I huffed out a breath. “He’s nice. That’s all.”
Grandmama looked at me like I was crazy. “Lord have mercy, Carissa, I think that’s the first time I’ve heard someone refer to Kyle Tucker as nice since he was a kid. Most people around these parts call him an ornery ol’ peckerhead.” She, along with everyone else, chuckled. “Me included.”
Beside me, Maddie sighed. “He’s been through a lot,” she said, a sad expression sliding in place of the happy one she previously wore. “If I were him, I’d be a peckerhead too.”
Grandmama nodded. “That’s the dadgum truth.”
My curiosity piqued.
More than curious, I turned to face Maddie. “What’s he been through?” It was none of my business, but my nosy self still wanted to know. In fact, I wanted to know everything about him, and that didn’t make a lick of sense. I wasn’t interested in men, so why did I care so much about one I’d just met?
Probably because I’m attracted to him.
Like, super-duper attracted to him.
Maddie’s eyes filled with sadness. It hurt my heart to see. I couldn’t stand seeing anyone get upset. “Do you remember the little girl who was kidnapped and murdered when we were kids? The one whose body the FBI found in a field out on Highway 3?”
I nodded, remembering the incident all too well. I’d only been six or so when it happened, but I remembered Daddy volunteering to help search for her after she was taken. After she was kidnapped, Mama didn’t let Heidi and me out of her sight for months. “I remember.”
“Well, her name was Lily.” A tear slipped down Maddie’s cheek. “And she was Kyle’s little sister.”
My
heart broke.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, feeling my chest tighten. “I can’t…” Reaching over, I took Heidi’s hand in mine, squeezing it tight. “I can’t even imagine.” And I couldn’t. As much as I loved my little sister, I couldn’t contemplate something that tragic happening to her. If it did, I’d die right along with her.
Maddie picked at the hem of her dress. “I can’t either. Lily was such a good kid. A sweet kid.” Another tear fell. “She didn’t deserve what happened to her, and neither did Kyle. He’s so messed up from it, Carissa. You have no idea—”
Pop, pop, pop!
The words died on Maddie’s tongue when three loud popping sounds echoed through the house, cutting through the conversation. For the briefest moment, the room fell silent.
Then, chaos erupted.
Before I could comprehend what the sounds were, Hendrix had crossed the room and scooped a stunned Maddie up into his arms. Where he took her, I didn’t have the slightest clue. All I know is that they disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Heidi and I jumped to our feet as Evan moved in front of us and grabbed Hope from the floor, jerking her to her feet. In one swift move, he threw her over his shoulder and ran toward the kitchen while Grandmama yelled at Clara to get Liam and Declan away from the windows.
I was still unsure of what was happening.
Pop, pop, pop!
When three more pops ripped through the air, realization dawned.
The sounds were gunshots.
I couldn’t tell where they were coming from, but they were close.
Like, really close.
Fear paralyzed me.
On instinct, I grabbed Heidi’s arm and pulled her behind me, using my body to shield hers. If one of us was going to get shot it wouldn’t be her.
Not if I had anything to say about it.
I started to turn, intent on shoving Heidi toward the kitchen where I knew she’d be safest, when a hard body slammed into mine.
I knew who it was immediately.
Kyle.
Strong arms wrapped around my torso and I started to fall. It happened so fast I didn’t have time to prepare for the impending impact. It didn’t matter though. Kyle somehow contorted his body, twisting us so that he took the brunt of the fall. His back met the floor, and I landed on his chest.