by T M Kelly
“Ty.” I squeezed his hand.
He whipped his head back my way. “Sorry.”
“This”—I placed my hand on the side of his face—“is our little secret. I promise.” He stayed silent. “You’re my brother. That’s what we do for each other.” I leaned up and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Charlie,” he whispered in my ear.
“Yeah?”
“Why is your dead sister standing in the doorway of the bathroom?”
“Yeah, about that.” I stepped back and turned toward Grace. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, gearing up to tell him what happened. “Turns out Dad thought he could take her down, but she was apparently ten steps ahead of him all along.”
“Charlie, you okay?” Lily said and came into view. “Holy shit.” I watched as Lily glanced at Grace and then back at me. “Is she really there, or did I have one too many glasses of wine?” Lily said and pointed in my older sister’s direction.
“You are a lightweight, but this time, it’s not the alcohol talking. She’s really there.” I reached for Grace’s hand. “Dad didn’t win after all.”
Volume Three
Triangle
Book Three
Synopsis
I wasn’t born a fighter, but by the age of twelve it was ingrained in my soul.
Now that I’ve won the championship belt I plan to keep what’s mine–to do that, I have to train with Tyler Moore.
Broody, mysterious, complete asshole.
Then one night he shares all his secrets and I finally see who he really is–I want him…all of him. But I never thought I’d get entangled in his life with another man.
Both men want to claim me, and I plan to let them. I wasn’t prepared for what two men had to offer but they satisfy me like no one else can.
As we find our new normal, danger lurks in the shadows.
When Stephen disappears, Tyler and I will stop at nothing to find his kidnapper. I plan to bring him home and this fight will end in an ultimate takedown.
Dedication
Spencer, Penelope, A.J, Rossi, Derek, Aaron,
Emily, Tara, Luke, and Matt.
Prologue
Tyler
“Good morning, handsome,” a very sexy voice said from beside my ear.
I rolled over and stretched. “Is it morning already?” I snaked my hand up Stephen’s side and fisted it in his hair. “Maybe we can call in sick today and just stay here all day.”
“As delicious as that sounds, I need to get my ass to work or my boss will call in the cavalry.” Stephen kissed me and then threw the covers off to stand up.
My body fell back against the pillows, but my eyes were locked on his six-foot five-inch frame as it sauntered into the bathroom. “Need some help in there?”
Stephen stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder. “You’re insatiable.” Then he turned away. “But I do love having help with washing my back.”
I bolted out of bed so fast. Right as my feet left the carpet and touched the tile floor, the doorbell rang. “Fuck.”
“I can wait,” Stephen said and stepped into the shower.
“Just stay there. I’ll get rid of whoever it is.” My mind was racing as I made my way down the stairs half-naked. There was a man in my bathroom; if it was one of my brothers at the door I was fucked. I looked through the peep-hole and felt the onset of bile rise up in my throat. I swung the door open and stood in the way, trying to prevent Brooks and Charlie from entering. “This is a surprise.”
“Is it?” Brooks made an attempt to step around me. “Are you going to invite us in?”
I glanced at Charlie, hoping to send her a signal it was time to leave. The voice in my head was screaming at her, You remember that secret?
A few months ago, my sister-in-law found me making-out with Stephen in the hallway of Noir Nightclub. I didn’t have to say a word; she told me it was just between us. The subject never came up again, thankfully. Now, as I stood with the door partially open, I was willing to pull the subject out of the vault.
My eyes never left Charlie. I was begging and pleading silently.
“Oh shit,” Charlie blurted and slapped Brooks on his chest. “We need to go.”
“What? Now?” Charlie was holding onto Brooks’s arm and tugging him down the sidewalk. “But we just got here.”
“Yup, and now we’re leaving.” Right before Charlie sat down in the passenger seat, she looked back at me and winked.
I nodded, still feeling afraid to say anything. One thing was true: my sister-in-law was damn intuitive. She knew how to read emotions and that shocked me. I closed the door and leaned against the wood surface. What had just happened? This was the first time I felt brave enough to bring Stephen into my home. Of all the days to feel brave.
I realized in the midst of it all, I had forgotten to ask why they stopped by. I walked into the kitchen to retrieve my phone and send Charlie a thank you message.
Me: Um, thanks.
C: I told Brooks he can’t stop by unannounced.
Me: But he didn’t listen, I see.
C: Does he ever?
Me: Why did he pop in?
C: To have breakfast with you.
Me: Oh…
C: I’m making him stop at the Peppermill instead. You can join us?
Me: Maybe. Thanks, C.
C: <3
Now I felt bad. He just wanted to have breakfast. Brooks was my middle brother and we were pretty close. Before he met Charlie, we spent a lot of time together at each other’s places working out or playing video games. Then Charlie came into the picture, and my house felt quiet lately. That was the reason most of my nights had been spent at Noir Nightclub.
“That was a lonely shower.” Stephen pressed his body up against my back and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I can take another one if you need help?”
My head fell back against his shoulder. “I’m sorry. My brother and sister-in-law showed up unannounced.” I turned in his arms and laced my fingers behind his neck. “Brooks has never been great at communicating.” Why was I telling Stephen that? We didn’t share our personal lives. “Sorry, too much information.” I leaned up and kissed him. “Can I get a raincheck?”
“Handsome, you can get more than that anytime.”
“Oh yeah,” I teased and nipped at his bottom lip. “Promise?”
Stephen dropped his head and captured my lips, causing my insides to light up. I moaned as his tongue demanded entrance into my mouth. As he enjoyed a little exploration, I fisted my hands in his short hair. Just as I was about to beg for more, he pulled away. My body felt lonely and I wanted more.
“I have to run.” He placed his hand on the side of my face. “God, I wish I could devour you again.”
“Call in sick.”
“I wish I could, love.” Stephen bent to kiss me. Right as I tried to demand more, he pulled away and turned to head to the front door. “Will you be at Noir this week?”
“Only if you’re there.”
He glanced over his shoulder and winked. “Then I’ll see you Friday.” As he descended the cement steps, I heard him say, “I plan to stay all weekend at your house next time.”
Fuck. I didn’t know how to deal with this situation. It was clearly going to change things in my life. Trying to keep a secret in my family always backfired.
As Stephen’s car pulled out of the driveway, I lifted my hand to wave. Yeah, this situation went from bad to worse in just a matter of twenty-four hours. The thought made me hungry. Stress always made my stomach demand food.
“You showed up.” Charlie stood from the booth and kissed my cheek.
“How did you know we were here?” Brooks looked between Charlie and me. “You both have any other secrets you need to spit out?”
Charlie rubbed her hand down the side of Brooks’s face. “Hollywood, he’s my brother now. You don’t get to know all the secrets we share.”
“Good thing there are none to share.
” I rolled my eyes and opened the menu.
“I was surprised to see we woke you up.” Brooks leaned back in his seat. “Late night sparring at the gym?”
“I do have a life outside of the gym,” I said and set my menu down. “Besides, why is sleeping in a bad thing? I thought we needed our beauty rest.”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a man walking toward me. When I looked over, my heart must’ve kicked into overdrive because it felt like it would beat its way out of my chest. Stephen had this look that told me he was on a mission. As he approached my table, I was sure he was going to stop and say hi. Right as he was in front of our table he turned and held out his hand to some woman in the booth kitty-corner from me.
I didn’t realize I was holding in my breath as I let out a heavy sigh.
“You know him?” Brooks said, and I noticed my brother scan the guy up and down. “He doesn’t go to the gym.”
Way to look obvious, Ty, I yelled at myself. “I think I’ve seen him at the club. He looks familiar.”
“How many nights a week do you go to that damn club?”
“And this matters, why?”
“We need to keep our eyes on the prize. Drinking, dancing, and staying out late will interrupt that process.”
“You do you, Brooks.” I patted his shoulder. “I will do what works for me.”
I leaned back in my seat and tried not to look obvious when I glanced over at Stephen. Tall, dark, and handsome who was only inches away was giving me exactly what I needed at the moment.
1
Zoe
Present day…
“Think she will get along with my cat at home?” I said and scratched the puppy’s tummy a little more. “You like that, eh?” I cooed as the puppy pawed at my hand begging for more love. “You’re lucky you’re so cute.”
I left Noir Nightclub around 2:00 a.m. last night. It was starting to become my normal exit time from the place. As I made my way to the car, there was this small whimper off in the distance. I was never a fan of wandering around a parking lot in the middle of the night, unless it involved a furry creature who needed my help. Where the cement ended and the grass started in the back lot of the nightclub, there were two large bushes side by side. As I walked closer to the overgrown shrubbery, the whining got more pronounced. When I bent down, I was shocked to find a small dog curled up in a ball shaking.
“He stayed in my spare bathroom last night,” I said and pried my hand away from the never-ending tummy scratch session.
“They’ll be fine together,” the veterinarian, Dr. Barker, said and took over the tummy rub. The puppy was not the only one distracting me at the moment. The veterinarian taking care of the lost puppy had gorgeous, long blonde hair that flowed around her shoulders and caused my insides to squirm. “I would give them a chance to decide. Cats are grumpy at first but learn to adapt.”
“How old is this sweetie?” I had a feeling the puppy was around six months old. It was definitely a Heinz 57, also known as a mutt. The best kind.
“By the size of her teeth, probably around eight months. All her baby teeth are gone.”
“Did you hear that? You’re eight months old,” I said to the puppy and bent to give her a kiss on the head. Looking up at the doctor. “I never understand people and how they can just abandon little innocent creatures.”
“She’s very lucky you passed by when you did, Zoe,” Dr. Barker said and walked around the exam table to stand just inches from me.
“Yeah?” My hand was resting on the table and my mind had suddenly gone blank.
The doctor very lightly placed her hand over mine. “Well, I’m glad I had that right,” she said.
“What right?”
“You.”
I smiled at her words. “Me.”
“Ahhhh, that,” she said and glanced toward the exam room door.
“So, is your last name really Barker?”
“You think I would purposefully make it up?”
I straightened and shook my head, feeling awful. “No, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry that was a shit question.”
Dr. Barker placed a finger lightly over my lips. “Relax, I was kidding.”
Okay, whatever was happening in this room sent several emotions through me all at once. “What’s your first name?”
“Amanda.”
She had a sexy name, too. I was so screwed. “Amanda. That’s beautiful.”
There was a knock at the door and Amanda stepped away quickly. The technician handed the doctor a few pieces of paper. “We just need her to sign the bottom.” The young woman pointed at the paper with several words and numbers splashed across the page.
I didn’t know what had come over me. Hooking up with the puppy’s veterinarian was not planned and would be a very bad idea. I needed to focus on my upcoming fights. Then Amanda pushed her blonde tresses over her shoulder, and my focus went out the window for the second time in a matter of minutes.
“Thank you, Carol.” Amanda took the paper and closed the door. “I’m sorry. Where were we?”
“Oh, it’s fine. I better get going.” I was trying to keep myself distracted by carefully placing the new hot pink collar around the puppy’s neck. “Now the rest of my day will be spent figuring out her name.”
Before I had a chance to open the door and leave, Amanda placed her hand on my elbow. “When can I see you again?”
“I’ll be making my next appointment for two weeks.” If I could see her sooner that would be ideal, but I had to keep focused.
The veterinarian visibly pouted. “You sure about that decision?”
I wasn’t sure about anything at the moment. “Yeah.” I winked and reached for my new furry kid. “I’m sure I’ll regret it the moment I walk out the door.” Before Amanda had a chance to protest, I swung the exam room door open and stepped out into the waiting area. From behind me I heard her mumble something incoherent under her breath. I turned around. “What was that?”
“Not you, the guy in the waiting area.”
When I turned back, I noticed three men in the waiting area. My eyes didn’t scan them thoroughly, because I was more interested in their pets. Instead of trying to pry, I reached out my hand. “Thank you. We’ll see you in two weeks.”
“She’s a very lucky puppy to have found you. Well, actually you both found each other.” Then Dr. Barker grabbed a chart and turned to head back toward an exam room.
The puppy hopped into the passenger seat as I sat down in my car. “You knew exactly who to cry out to last night. You’re a very smart puppy.” She climbed over the console and licked my chin. “You need to help me with your name.”
“Where have you been?” Charlie nudged my shoulder. I pointed to the floor. “What? No. I must love and squeeze her all day long.”
After the doctor appointment for my new puppy, I bailed on practice for a few days. “Lucky here is living up to her new name,” I teased and started heading toward the locker room. “Think we can hide her somewhere?” Everything was so new and I felt unsure about leaving her at home alone.
“I’ll watch her while you train. I’m done for the day,” Charlie said and reached down to pick up Lucky around her waist. “What’s her story?”
As I was telling Charlie, I passed one of the TVs in the locker room. After several months of complaining that the men had several TVs in their space and even video games, Julian added four small screens in the sitting area of the women’s locker room. As I passed the one TV by the big overstuffed green chair I loved to lounge in most days, my eyes caught sight of a familiar face. On the screen was Dr. Barker, and in bold font below her name was the word, Missing.
“Holy shit.” I sat down on the edge of the chair. “That’s—”
Charlie plopped down on the floor in front of me and continued petting Lucky. “Are you going to keep me in suspense or finally finish that sentence?”
“That’s my new veterinarian.”
“The one missing is your vet?”
“Um, yeah.” It was a short segment because they didn’t have any leads to her whereabouts. The doctor’s family was offering a reward and a pretty large amount. “Wow, talk about creepy. I just met her two days ago.”
“Zoe, you in here?” I heard Tyler yell from the doorway.
“The slave driver is calling,” Charlie teased.
The news threw me off. My veterinarian was missing. I tried to shake the image from my mind and stuck my head around the divider that separated the door and sitting area. “I’ll be right there.” Mr. Personality, or better known as Tyler, rolled his eyes and left. “He’s in a cheerful mood.”
“Just push those boobs up higher and strut your stuff.” Charlie was now lying on the floor rolling around with Lucky. “You may need to share a parenting schedule with me. I’m already falling in love.”
I blew a kiss and left the locker room. As I passed the seating area in the front part of the gym, the TV was turned to a different channel, and the doctor’s picture was taking up the whole screen. I wasn’t sure how to process this news.
2
Zoe
“Jab, cross, then kick.” Tyler barked from the side of the ring.
My mind was not on what was happening at the moment. “I know.” Then I proceeded to do a jab, cross, and inside kick on my training partner. My foot met the inside of her leg but a little too close to her groin area. Teryan dropped to the mat. “Oh fuck. Are you okay?” I squatted down beside her and placed my hand on her back.
“I’m fine.” She lifted her head. “If you’re not focused today, why are you here?”