Our Broken Love

by Terri Anne Browning

  “He likes you too. He told me I was a lucky man earlier when you were in the ladies’ room.”

  My heart turned over. “What did you say?”

  “I told him he didn’t know the half of it. Not only are you beautiful, sexy, and feisty. But you can kick my ass, and you drive me over the edge like no one else ever has in the bedroom.”

  “You didn’t.” When he just chuckled, I punched him in the chest. “Kieran!”

  “Of course, I didn’t, Reese.” He kissed my still-clenched fist. “But I did tell him I agreed with him. I am a lucky man. Not every man gets to find the other half of his soul like my father. What he has with my mother, that’s something spectacular, baby. And I’ve found that—with you.”

  Emotion clogged my throat, and I had to blink rapidly to keep the tears from spilling. “Kieran…”

  “You mean the world to me. And I know you’re still a little jumpy. Having someone love you as much as I do is not something you have ever had in your life before now. But I want you to know I have every intention of marrying you.”

  “We just met,” I whispered, unable to make my voice any stronger. “How can you even—”

  His lips against mine stopped my question and any other that might have slipped out. “I’m not asking you right now, baby. Or tomorrow. Or even next year—unless I feel like you’re ready for it. This is going to go as slow as you need it to. Just like when I told you I would wait for you to be ready to make love, I will wait to put my ring on your finger.”

  The tears spilled over my lashes then. I couldn’t contain them anymore. “I love you.”

  twelve

  A limo was waiting in the street outside my apartment.

  Mel had called me earlier and said she was picking me up, but I hadn’t expected this. Greg Daventry had sent the car to pick us up and bring us to the Comerica Theatre. I had ridden in limos for most of my early life so it was no real thrill for me, but for Mel, it was a new and exciting experience.

  She investigated the back of the car like a child exploring a new wonderland. She played with all of the buttons and even discovered the contents of the mini fridge. I loved her childlike enthusiasm. It kept my mind off the night ahead.

  I was sick with worry for Kieran. Before I met him, I’d loved to watch him in the steel cage. He was so majestic, yet so beastlike. The thrill of watching him would last for days afterward. But tonight, Kieran wasn’t just some guy I liked to watch compete. Tonight, he was the man I loved, and I didn’t want to see him getting beat on, hurting, or bleeding.

  On top of my worry for the incredible man who had so suddenly come into my life, there was also having to face my grandfather again after so many years. I was prepared for the confrontation, and I was ready to put my anger at him behind me. It was something I had to deal with in order to move on with my future with Kieran.

  The night before, when he had told me he was going to marry me—that he was going to be in my life for the rest of his—I had been blown away. It was then I’d come to the conclusion that I had to not only face my grandfather, but also my mother and The Pervert. Kieran knew that too. When I had asked him if he would go with me so I could put all my pain from my past to rest, he had readily agreed.

  I think it had made him happy that I was ready to face all of the ugliness head on, and that I wanted him with me when I did it.

  At the Comerica Theatre, we were shown straight to our seats. There had been three other fights tonight, but Kieran’s was the main event. The place was crowded, but most were taking bathroom, snack, or smoke breaks. There were two private VIP areas, one to the west of the octagon cage, and we were shown to the east. Two suit-clad security personnel, which I realized were my grandfather’s personal security detail, kept away any who thought to intrude on the solitude, like as the many photographers that were lined around the cage.

  It was still forty-five minutes until the fight started. I pulled down the skirt of my dress as I sat beside Mel and took in the venue. I had never been to the Comerica Theatre, formerly known as the Dodge Theatre, but it was beautiful. I’d wanted to go to a concert here the year before, but tickets had sold out before I had even realized the group was in the area.

  “This is nice,” Mel murmured over the dull roar of the crowd.

  “Hey, hotness,” Jake appeared almost out of thin air. “My boy wants to see you.”

  I blinked up at him. He was wearing a T-shirt with the MMA logo on it and jeans. He looked bigger than usual and twice as scary. But I’d found out quickly that he would never hurt me and that his promise of us being friends was true. It was odd, but I felt like we were getting pretty close. “I don’t want to distract him.”

  Jake shook his head. “You won’t.” He offered me his hand, and I took it without even thinking. “I’ll bring her right back, Mel,” he promised with a wink.

  “You better,” she called after us.

  Jake led me through a side door then down a corridor to the dressing area. Two security guys stood outside a door with “Stone” marked across it. Jake ignored both guys as he pulled me inside a madhouse. The rest of the crew was present, including Maddox. All were in MMA logo shirts with their names across the back like a typical sports jersey. Mason and Corbin were taping up Kieran’s fists, and he was sitting stiffly beside his father.

  Without even thinking about it, I went to him and crouched down in front of him. He blinked those incredible steel gray eyes of his, which he must have gotten from his mother, and pushed Mason and Corbin away to wrap his arms around me. “Hey,” he breathed against my lips as he devoured me with a kiss.

  When I could breathe again, I cupped his face in my hands. “Okay?”

  “Of course. I just needed to see you.” A feather-light kiss was brushed over the tip of my nose. “You look beautiful, by the way.” His intent gaze moved over my dress, another buy from the day before. It was black with spider-web lace. It clung to my slender body and showcased my hips and breasts alluringly without coming off skanky.

  He was dressed for the fight in shorts that clung to his thighs so that he didn’t get tangled up in them. His feet were bare except for the tape already around his ankles for better control and support of the joints. He looked sexy as hell, and I wished that I had ten minutes alone with him.

  “How is it out there?” he asked. “Have you seen Daventry yet?”

  “No. It’s just me and Mel in the private VIP area right now.”

  “Good, okay.” He nodded. “The crew will be close by, so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to tell them.” He spoke loud enough so that the entire room could hear. There were nods all around. “And Dad is going to be right there with you.”

  Kyle gave me a warm smile and reached for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

  I returned his smile. “Thank you.”

  “I mean it, Reese.” Kieran’s jaw was clenched. “You need anything—”

  My lips cut off his words. When I drew back, I gave his cheek a firm pat. “Relax. Stop worrying about me, and keep your head in the game. From the time you leave this room, you forget all about me. If I find you looking at me during the fight, I will climb into that stupid steel cage and kick your ass myself. Understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He grinned and stole another kiss.

  ***

  Kyle walked me back to the private VIP area with fifteen minutes to go until fight time. I was shaking with nerves for Kieran, while he seemed cool as a cucumber. Kyle felt much the same as me, and he had been to each and every one of his youngest son’s fights. I was glad for his company.

  When we got to our seats, Greg Daventry had already returned with several other people. I saw Mel standing talking to Greg, and she looked a little flushed. I thought she was still a bit upset about her outburst from their dinner date the week before, but she spotted me walking in her direction and a smile touched her lips.

  Seeing her smile, Greg turned to follow her gaze and seemed to freeze. I stopped so suddenly
that Kyle nearly walked off without me. He turned and caught my hand, probably reading the nervousness and fear as well. “You can do this. You are strong and confident, and I won’t leave you for one second if that is what you want.”

  Swallowing hard, I could do nothing but nod. He captured my hand and tugged me toward the group of people that were all watching me approach. I clung to Kyle’s hand, my grip only tightening with each step that took me closer to my grandfather.

  But less than a yard away, I got my first real look at Greg. He looked gray under his normally light tan complexion. His blue eyes were over-bright, and I was worried maybe he was going to cry when I saw his strong, stubborn chin quiver slightly. Without stopping to question my actions, I released Kyle’s hand and threw myself into Greg Daventry’s waiting arms.

  “Grandfather!” I hugged him hard, and his arms wrapped me close to him.

  “Becky.” His voice was full of choked emotion.

  He just stood there, ignoring the crowd around us, and I let him. We needed this, and I felt so much better. I let most of my anger toward him go, realizing it hadn’t been his fault Stephen Thorne had come into my life. He hadn’t known what was happening to me, and he would have stopped it if he had. He would have made sure I was safe.

  Finally, Greg took half a step back. “You are all grown up, sweetheart. And so beautiful. I’ve missed you so much, Becky.”

  “Reese,” I corrected him softly. “My name is Reese now.” I’d had it legally changed the previous year.

  “You will always be my Becky, but Reese it is.” He dropped a light kiss on top of my head. “Thank you for coming tonight. Later, I would like to talk with you, but for now, I want you to enjoy the show. Your friend Mel, she told me how much you like MMA.”

  “I do.” I glanced at Mel, who had moved to stand close by. She winked at me and offered me a supportive smile.

  “I want to introduce you to a few people, Beck—Reese.” With his arm still around my shoulders, he turned me toward the others. “You’ve met Kieran Stone, I believe, when he delivered your paperwork? This is his brother. Kevin is the VP of our legal team back in New York.”

  I was shocked speechless when I came face-to-face with Kieran’s brother. It seemed Kyle was surprised too, because he had already moved to embrace his eldest child. Kevin was not nearly as widely built as his father or younger brother, but he was an inch or so taller. His hair was a soft auburn, but his eyes were the same steel gray. Yet where Kieran’s were always warm and soft on me, letting me know just how much I was cared about and wanted, Kevin’s were cool and hard.

  He stepped forward and shook my hand, his grip firm and impersonal. “Hello, Reese,” he greeted. “Your grandfather has told me so much about you.”

  I blinked at that information. Why would my grandfather be talking to this man about me? Of course, he was from the legal department, but it just seemed a little too personal for me. I filed that away for another time as I was introduced to several others.

  At exactly nine o’clock, the lights were dimmed, and we were asked to take our seats from a deep, smoky-voiced announcer. I took a seat as close to the cage as I could get. Kevin sat down right beside me, where I was expecting Mel to sit. With Kyle on my right, Mel took the seat beside Greg, who was behind me, shooting me a questioning look. I shrugged.

  Lights around the cage came on, showcasing the announcer and ref inside. Behind them, on the west side of the cage, I noticed the sponsors and family members of the other opponent. The man Kieran was facing tonight was from Brazil. I had seen a few of his other fights and knew that the guy had mad skills. But I also had complete faith in Kieran.

  The Brazilian came out first. The crowd cheered and welcomed him wholeheartedly. But he was arrogant and barely even acknowledged them. An attitude like that so early in his career wasn’t a good thing. Fans would grow to dislike him in a few years, and no one would want to work with such a fighter.

  The crowd had made some noise when the Brazilian had come out, but they nearly brought the house down with the way they welcomed Kieran. He was a favorite of everyone, and they all wanted to touch him. He stopped and signed a few shirts as he made his way toward the cage, always surrounded by the crew. Maddox, I saw, was almost shell-shocked, he was so overcome with excitement.

  As they drew closer, Kieran stopped at the ropes that separated the VIP area from the cage. Greg went over and shook his hand and patted him on the back. Kieran waved at me, sent me a sexy wink, then continued on into the ring. I’d had to stop myself from going over to give him one last kiss for good luck, but I hadn’t wanted to distract him.

  The announcer began speaking to the crowd about each man’s accomplishments. Kieran’s took considerably longer than the Brazilians, but both were impressive. As the ref took his time talking to them about rules to remember, I watched the crew closely. Mason was grinning at the spar twins. Simon said something that made Gage and Corbin shake their heads in amusement, and Jake elbowed them both in the ribs.

  Finally, the ref made everyone but Kieran and the Brazilian exit the cage. I reached for Kyle’s hand. My nervousness was getting worse and worse as the seconds ticked by, and when the fight began, all I wanted to do was throw up.

  “So you like mixed martial arts?” Kevin asked from beside me. He had moved closer so I could hear him over the crowd. I would have been upset by just how close he was if he were anyone but Kieran’s brother. The knowledge that this man was liable to be my brother-in-law one day kept my panic at bay.

  “Normally, I love it,” I told him with a tight smile.

  “What’s different about this match?” he asked, not really paying attention to the fight his brother was currently participating in. “You got money on the other guy or something?”

  “Or something,” I laughed.

  I heard Jake shout something, and my head snapped around to find Kieran on the floor. The Brazilian had him down, punching him in the sides. I jumped to my feet. “Come on, Kieran. Get up!” I yelled, but I don’t think I was heard over the shouts of the rest of the arena. “Kieran!”

  He flipped out from under the Brazilian, turning the tables on him as he returned the blows he had just received with interest. I cheered with the rest of the crowd, but I didn’t return to my seat. The rest of the VIP group had come to stand behind me, forgoing their seats in favor of the better view that standing gave them. Mel came to stand with me, while Kyle and his son stood behind us as the match went on.

  Twenty minutes later, Kieran was knocked on the floor again. He was getting the hell beat out of him. The Brazilian was unrelenting, and I was sure that Kieran’s right eye was already swollen shut. I alternated between hiding my face behind my hands, screaming curses at the Brazilian, and cheering on my man. Even Kyle was getting verbal.

  It was the final round, so I knew the fight would be over soon, regardless of submission, KO, or one of the cornermen throwing in the towel. The fight had been gory, to say the least. Each man could seriously hold his own. But the Brazilian was really pissing me off with the way he liked to trap Kieran on the floor of the ring, like he was currently doing. During the previous two rounds, that had been his tactic. He knew just how dangerous Kieran was when he was standing, so the first chance he could get, he would tackle Kieran.

  “Get out of there, Kieran!” Kevin yelled from right behind me. “Come on, little brother!”

  Jake was raking his hands across his tattooed scalp and shooting me worried looks from time to time. I wanted to throw up.

  Suddenly, the Brazilian’s head snapped back, and then he went still on top of Kieran. The ref leaned down and rolled the man off Kieran then motioned for the bell. The Brazilian had been knocked out cold. Kieran had somehow gotten in one blow, which had put the guy out.

  The crowd went crazy as Kieran got to his feet. I let out a cry of distress as I got my first look at his face. He was bleeding, swollen, and staggering, but grinning. Jake rushed in as soon as the ref lifted Kieran’s hand as
the winner. I wanted to run in there after him, wrap him in my arms, and hold on tight.

  As I watched, the rest of the crew entered the cage. The Brazilian’s team entered as well, either shaking hands with Kieran’s men or helping get their fighter, who was slowly coming around. Behind me, Kyle breathed a deep sigh of relief. “It’s over,” he muttered and dropped down into the closest seat as if his legs couldn’t support him any longer.

  I felt a little unsteady myself.

  Around the ring, photographers from sports magazines and sports news were having a field day. I kept my eyes on Kieran as he spoke to several people before he was lost in the crowd of paparazzi.

  Mel gave me a tight hug. “Okay?”

  I shrugged. “I’ll let you know later.” My smile was a little wobbly. Kieran had won, but I felt just as beat-up as he was.

  Greg put his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s celebrate. I have champagne and a full buffet waiting for us back in my hotel suite.”

  “I…” I glanced longingly after Kieran and his crew. “I don’t think he will be up to celebrating.”

  Kevin shook his head. “His guys will get him patched up, get some pain killers in his system, and then he will want to party the night away. That’s what he normally does after a good win.”

  I gave him a hard look. “You don’t seem too concerned for your brother. He was bleeding!”

  “Kieran’s a big guy. Not a little boy who wants his mommy to kiss his boo-boo. Babying him will just piss him off. Right, Dad?”

  Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “Normally.” He gave me a grin, starting to recover. “But I’m sure if the right woman were kissing his boo-boos, he would be all too happy to be babied.”