by Doyle, Dawn
“Are you serious?”
Kinsley shook her head. “No. He fights enough without him taking on more, and this is way too much.”
“Actually, it’ll be a lot less,” Lucian said, gesturing behind himself to the barn. “Training takes up most of the time, and the fights are organized months in advance. None in between. He turned back to me. “Any of this illegal shit on the side, though, and you’re done. Understand?” When I nodded, he continued. “There are rules. Boring most of the time, but are there for your protection as well as others. Cut this bullshit out now, because it’s not just you, you have to think about.”
He was right. Roy Tenant had tried to murder me, and if Kinsley hadn’t seen him make his move, I’d be a dead man. It also didn’t make sense to go after the assholes, because the repercussions could fall on her, too. There was no way on this fucking earth that I’d ever put her in danger like that. The petrifying thoughts that had run through my mind when I couldn’t get hold of her this morning, the fear of them coming for her, were more than I could take.
He looked pointedly at Kinsley, his eyes dropping down, then back up, but it wasn’t to check her out.
“If I decide to do this, when do I need to go?” I asked, seriously considering turning my back on the circle. Kinsley was my priority now, no matter what crap came out of my mouth before. “We’ve got school.”
Lucian handed me a card with a phone number and address. “Training starts after the holidays. If you need to move, call that number. If you need help tying up loose ends here,” his eyes flashed to Nate and Charlie, “call the number.”
Brady held his hands up. “Your days off during the week, you come to the gym. We’ve got a place near there that you can stay rent-free. Kinsley too. We could use a good photographer that also happens to be a talented graphic artist.” He smiled at her, the fucker letting her know he was aware of who she was. I had no doubt that they knew every fucking thing about her. “Once you graduate, Quinn, you up your efforts.”
Lucian nodded. “Nothing will get in the way of you seeing your girl,” he said, gesturing to her. “ Kinsley, if you want it, the job’s yours.” He focused back on me, a knowing smirk curling his mouth. “And when your kid gets here, you both can take all the time you need.”
“My what?” I asked, turning my ear toward him. “Did you just say, my kid?”
Lucian rolled his eyes and glared at Charlie. “Did you even check to see if she’d told him yet?” He groaned. “And the whole speech to Layton about checking firewalls and shit, when you didn’t even check this important fucking piece of information?”
“Told me what?” My pulse pounded in my ears, my heart racing faster and faster as a guy I didn’t know had said something I’m pretty fucking sure was life-changing. I turned to Kinsley. “Told me what?”
Her rounded eyes and high brows did nothing to stop my chest from imploding. All I could do was stare, waiting for her to give me the answer.
Her pale face fell further down, turning whiter than ever. “I went to the doctor this afternoon—I haven’t heard back from them…”
“Call them,” Nate said, suddenly involving himself, also glaring at Charlie. He turned to him, gripping his arm. “You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut until we were sure she’d found out herself, could you?”
“At least it wasn’t me that fucked this up,” Blaine said, laughing. “Way to go, Chuck-e-cheese.”
“They were supposed to call her hours ago!” Charlie argued, throwing his hands up. “How is it my fault they’re fucking incompetent?”
I watched as Kinsley walked away, then I limped behind her, holding my throbbing side as I went, listening as the dialing tone cut through the silence of the night as she got further away. “Kinny?”
The sound of a female voice, muffled by the earpiece, rang out, her words distorted.
Kinsley stopped dead, her hand held away from her ear. The phone fell to the ground, her fingers clutching thin air. My stomach rolled over and over. I swallowed, waiting for her to tell me what the fuck was going on, and if the dickhead called Charlie had taken away her moment.
“Quinn?” she whispered, her back to me.
“Baby, what is it?” I asked, rushing to her, biting back the pulsing in my leg, circling until I was in front of her. I lifted my shaking hands to her face, cupping her already damp cheeks. I swallowed hard, a huge fucking ball of anticipation getting stuck in my throat. “Whatever it is, it’s okay, babe.”
“You can’t say that,” she whispered, her eyes still streaming, but the rest of her face expressionless, her eyes looking at me but not seeing me. “I didn’t think… It never crossed my mind…”
I dropped my hands and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close, her quivering body against mine as tight as I could. “Kinny, just tell me,” I said, already knowing what she was going to say. My heart fucking pounded painfully against my ribs, the staccato beat booming in my ears. “Is that guy right?”
Her eyes lifted to mine then, the glassy surface reflecting my face in her green irises, her large pupils taking in the light in the darkness. “I didn’t do this on purpose,” she said on a sob. “I’m not trying to trap you, Quinn, I swear. I didn’t plan for this.”
I held the back of her head and held her to my chest. Her hands flattened against my stomach, her warm palms so natural and right on my skin. “You’re pregnant,” I whispered. “Aren’t you?” At that moment, a vision of her stroking her swollen stomach ran through my mind, and I waited for the fear to creep in, the horror of the slightest chance I’d turn out like the man who’d helped create me. But, it never came.
I’m not like him.
Too fucking right I wasn’t. I fought against people like that, the kind that fucked others up for kicks, who preyed on the weak and vulnerable… Like I had been. The frightened kid that still lived inside me, terrified that he couldn’t be loved, that he was too fucked up for a chance at living a normal life. Yet, here I was, given that chance, with a woman who loved me for who I was, and never once tried to change me or stop me doing what I needed, what I had to do to tame the animal that lived inside me.
Kinsley nodded, a soft cry escaping her lips as her hands balled up. “I’m so sorry.”
I lifted my hands and tilted her head back. “Why are you sorry? I’m pretty sure I had something to do with it, too, babe.” I swept my thumbs across her heated cheeks, dipping to kiss the wetness lingering there.
Kinsley hiccuped, her shoulders jerking every time. “Y-you’re not mad?” she asked, her brows knitting together. “How can you be so calm?”
“Are you kidding?” I kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose. “Why would I be mad?” The reason lit up like the fourth of July in my head, her anxiety, her reaction to the message… “Kinny, I love you,” I assured her, gazing deep into her shining eyes. “And you having my baby is never a mistake, you hear me?”
She nodded, but fear was still evident on her face. “Quinn, I’d never try to force you to stay with me,” she rushed out, her voice barely audible over her hitched breaths. She gripped my wrists. “I swear.”
I finally allowed myself to feel what my head had told me the second I realized what the fuck was going on. “Hey, it was the other way around, remember?” I asked, gently pulling my lower lip between my teeth. “I did everything I could to keep you, so if you want someone to blame, then it’s me.” Kinsley sniffled, and I dipped my head to press my lips to hers in one slow kiss. I whispered, “This is what you meant when you said you want it?” I waited for her answer, the seconds ticking by painfully slow. “Do you want us?”
Her eyes stayed closed, her wet lashes casting dark shadows under her tired eyes. “Yes.”
“I’m going to be a dad.” I blew out a long breath, my shoulders dropping, and all the tension I hadn’t realized I was carrying left me in that instant. I lifted my head, and for the first time since chasing after Kinsley, I noticed the small crowd watching us. “Shit, this is
…” I searched the skies for the answer, to put into perspective the emotions running through me, but I found nothing. “We’re going to be parents.” I looked down and into the eyes of the woman I loved more than anything.
Kinsley stroked my face, her fingertips tracing along the painful lumps and bruises on my face. “My mom came with me today, and although she seemed okay, I’m pretty sure she’s still going to kill us.”
I grinned, then wrapped my arms around her waist. I lifted her up, ignoring the searing pain in my side, then spun her around, and my heart skipped a beat at her high-pitched squeal. I lowered her to the ground. “Your mom will come around.” I held my woman close, her pulse racing with mine, our breaths mixing in the air, and our bodies flush to each other, giving no fucks about the blood still seeping from my leg. I lowered my hands, stroking them over her chest, my cock twitching as she gasped, then down to her stomach. With my palms flat against her still toned area, I dropped to my knees. I pressed my cheek against her. “I’ll always love you and take care of you, I promise,” I whispered. “Just like your momma.”
Kinsley’s hand flew to her mouth, a fresh wave of tears streaming down her face. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she choked into her palm. I stood and took her hands in mine. “We’re really going to do this?”
“You bet your sexy little ass, Kinny baby.” I looked over at the group who were watching us. “Hey! Sign me up. Oh, and Josh is my brother and manager, Layton’s his assistant, and my girl is…” I turned to her and pulled her close, “taking the job?”
Her tight lips had my stomach clenching inside, her face devoid of emotion, sparking a shit ton to run through me. The chill left my body, replaced by warmth when her mouth curled up and kept going until she grinned wide, fucking melting me as usual.
“You bet your sexy ass, Quasi.” She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. “But now we really need to get you to the hospital.”
The three of us got in Josh’s SUV while Layton took the RV and left the circle behind. Not once did we look back, and not once did I regret making that decision.
Lucian was right. There wasn’t just me to think about now. I had Kinny, and she had our baby growing inside of her. Holding her close to me in the back of the car, kissing her, stroking her face, it dawned on me that what I had always said I wouldn’t do, I had. I’d changed, and it felt fucking glorious.
Epilogue
Kinsley
“Show me love, show me tiger, show me sexy!” I said while laughing my ass off. I snapped more shots of Quinn as he tried and failed to keep his shit together. He growled, snarling at me, showing his teeth at the side that he knew I loved to see. More clicks and I was done. I bit my lower lip as I checked the screen. “Yeah, those are for me.” I giggled and shook my head. “Wow, you really are something.”
I’d been taking headshots of him for an hour, but all we’d managed to accomplish is him sitting in just his underwear after I’d locked the door and ordered him out of his clothes. A small scar lay across his thigh, a little raised from the stitches. He’d been lucky Roy hadn’t managed to stab in further. Another two inches and he would’ve sliced through the artery. Quinn would’ve bled out before we could’ve gotten him anywhere near a hospital.
“You think I’m beautiful?” he asked, holding his hands under his chin adorably and batting his dark lashes. “I thought I was abstract.”
I burst out laughing at the words I’d used to describe him. I turned away from the camera and took in the angles of his face, his eyes, his jawline, and his sculpted body. “No, Quinn, you’re not.” He kept smiling as his brows shot up. “Babe, you’re a masterpiece.”
Quinn got up off the stool and took the camera from my hands, my pulse picking up, heat gathering in my core. Pregnancy hormones made me horny as hell, but I wasn’t complaining. I looked down at myself, still in my underwear, the five-month bump visible over the band of my panties.
We’d had our regular check-ups, and everything was fine with the baby. Seeing that tiny heart beating on the screen had me bawling my eyes out, and Quinn… Yeah, the tough exterior cracked, and he broke down. Even my mom put her arm around him to comfort him.
College had been somewhat different. Quinn was his usual self to everyone else, telling them to go fuck themselves when they asked about him returning to the circle.
“It’s over, so get out of my fucking face,” he spat. “I’ve had enough, and dealing with your selfish asses isn’t on my list, so if you want to fucking cry about it, go and see someone who gives a shit. Fuck off and leave me alone.”
In that aspect, he hadn’t changed a bit, but with me… God, he was something else entirely, and I loved every part of him as he did me. Repeatedly.
We’d decided to keep the pregnancy quiet, too. No need to have that kind of attention brought on us, especially since I was partly blamed for the demise of their precious circle because Quinn had quit.
“Come here, baby,” Quinn purred, pulling me to his bare chest. “Let me love you.” He dipped his head and brushed his lips over my neck, kissing the tender spot that made me squeal. And I did, right on cue.
My head fell back, my already trembling body falling limp in his arms. “Quinn,” I whispered. “We have a half-hour left in the studio, so unless you want people to walk in and see us, I suggest you get to work right now.”
He chuckled against my skin, the rumble vibrating through me, making my nipples pebbles and my clit to throb.“You can’t wait? You don’t want me to take my time?” he asked, darting his tongue out at the same time he cupped my left tit, heavier than before. He slid his other hand down my back then dipped inside my panties, sliding around the front, glancing over my stomach. I opened my legs to give him access to my center. “Somebody’s ready to go.”
I closed my eyes and held onto him, digging my fingers into his back. “Yes, and if you keep me waiting, I won’t be happy,” I panted. I tugged on my underwear, and he helped relieve me of them at the same time I unhooked my bra, throwing it across the room.
Quinn’s hand gripped my ass and lifted me up, my legs wrapping around his waist. His hard cock stroked over my pussy, the fabric between us doing nothing to hide what we both wanted. “What my Kinny wants, my Kinny gets,” he whispered, then gently leaned me against the cold wall, my back arching at the freezing surface. “Now.” He grinned and pumped his brows.
I pulled Quinn down to my mouth, crashing our lips together. “These hormones are making me crazy horny,” I said between kisses. I sucked his lower lip into my mouth, my thighs clenching when he moaned.
“Yeah?” he asked, pulling my hips against his solid cock. “I couldn’t tell.”
“I hear it gets worse.” I ran my tongue over his lower lip, then slid it inside to meet his.
“Fuck, Kinny,” he groaned. His hands roamed over my ass, squeezing me deliciously, then moving around to cup my heavy breasts. “Can you be quiet?”
My nipples pinched hard as his thumbs brushed over them, my clit already thrumming with need as his words sparked the memory of the janitor’s closet and him taking me when hundreds of students sat only doors away. “Fuck being quiet,” I said, quickly glancing around. “It’s our studio, we can make as much noise as we want.”
Lucian Moretz had come through. As well as our own apartment, it happened to be above a photography studio in the heart of West Norton. The place was ours for as long as we wanted, but to keep the place full and making a profit, we hired the studio out when we weren’t using it, which was due soon. Quinn’s training was three times per week, but it would increase when we graduated in a few weeks.
Quinn laughed and pushed down his boxers, his dick probing my entrance right away. “Then tell me how you want it,” he said, then filled me to the brim.
“Oh, God, just like that!” I squealed. “Quinn, oh, yes!”
He started moving, painfully slow, the torture of needing to come and wanting to move growing more intense as his cock stroked o
ver my G-spot, his body connecting with mine and massaging my clit at the same time.
“Baby, look at me,” he whispered, pulling out almost all the way, then thrusting in so deep my eyes rolled. “Kinny.” Our deep breaths mingled together as I fought to keep my eyes open, our chests beating loudly together, perspiration breaking out over our foreheads. “I love you.”
I placed my palm against his damp cheek, free from injuries. I kissed him softly as he moved inside me, taking me to the edge. “I love you, too, Quinn. Always, forever.”
His movements sped up, and as we came together, the sounds of our skin slapping and moans of pleasure echoed around the plain room, my cries as my orgasm ripped out of me, with Quinn yelling profanities as he erupted, was like the soundtrack of our lives. Fast, violent, fierce, followed by the calm after the terror-filled storm.
Although Quinn’s storm hadn’t been tamed completely, simmering under his skin, wanting to make an appearance, he controlled it. He waited until he was in that cage, that octagon, and in there, his animal could be unleashed. Wild, untamed, free.
And, by fucking god, was he magnificent.
Quinn
Training sucked. At first, nothing I did was legal, not a fucking thing, and trying to get out of those habits was a fucking nightmare. Yeah, it was different when you were defending yourself from getting smashed to pieces however necessary, but so many no-no’s and ‘foul!’ getting shouted at you when you’re trying your damn best frustrated the fuck out of me.
Now, eight months later, I was getting the hang of it, my ‘natural abilities,’ Lucian had said, helping me to pick up the legal moves that I could use to my advantage. I’d also met Nate a few times, his silence welcome in a room that was too full of noisy chatter. He’d eyed me as though sizing me up, but he never once approached me.
I didn’t give a shit, though. I’d come across many people who did that, and still, no fucks were given.