His shoulders visibly relax. “We were good together, but it was a one-time thing. I don’t do relationships either.”
“We’re cool, Kev. Honestly. Don’t sweat it.” I swat his arm. “It’s like I told you that time we talked. I need a do-over, and you helped, you know.”
He looks surprised. “I did?”
I nod. “Yeah. You ultimately led me on a path to this point, so I guess I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me a damned thing. Just be happy. You deserve it.”
My cheeks flush again, throwing me for a loop. “I, uh, thanks.”
He grins again. “I did wonder when you asked to meet up.”
“Oh, yeah.” I clutch onto the lifeline. “About that. I need your help.”
Taking my elbow, he steers me away from the building, only stopping when we reach an empty bench. He looks all around before nodding for me to sit down. “Okay. What’s up?”
I fish the documents out of my bag, handing them to him. “First up, this is a paid gig.” I thrust a wad of cash at him.
He swats my hands away. “I don’t want your money.”
“You’re taking it.” I open his palm, shoving the money in, and closing his fist around it.
He takes one look at the fierce determination on my face and relents. He pockets the cash and eyeballs me. “What do you need me to do?”
“I need two things. I need to be invisible, and I want you to track someone for me. It’s all there in the paperwork.” His penetrating gaze unsettles me. “Stop looking at me like that. If you don’t want the job, I’ll find someone else to do it.” I reach over him to snatch the documents back, but he lifts them over his head.
“Calm down. Of course, I’ll take the job.”
Air whooshes from my lungs in grateful relief. Silence engulfs us as he examines the paperwork. When he notices the name, his head lifts. My eyes dare him to pry at his peril. We stare at one another, and I thrust my shoulders back, confidently holding my own. He continues scrutinizing my face, and a line of sweat glides down my back.
One of the main reasons I approached Kev to do this—besides his mad IT skills—is because he can be trusted to keep my confidence, and he won’t ask questions. The guy is uber-private, and I know he’ll be discreet. But if he makes a liar of me now, all bets are off. I’ll find someone else who will do it, no questions asked.
“I can do this,” he finally confirms. “It might take a couple of weeks as I’ve already got a heavy workload with college and other stuff. Which is more important to tackle first?”
I mull it over. “Hide me, then track him.”
“Consider it done.” He stands up, extending a hand toward me. I let him pull me to my feet. “I’m not going to ask because I know you don’t want me to, but if you’re in trouble, I want you to know you can come to me. About anything. At any time.”
Tears prick my eyes. “Thank you,” I whisper, suddenly choked with emotion. I haven’t told Kev anything, yet he can tell this is serious shit. “I’ve never had anyone to call.”
Quick as a flash, he pulls me to him, wrapping his warm, muscular arms around me. I nuzzle into his body, struggling to breathe over the pressure in my chest. He rubs his hand up and down my spine, and, gradually, I calm down. I shuck out of his arms. “Thanks, Keven. You’re such a nice guy.”
“Ssh!” He puts a finger to his mouth. “Don’t ever repeat that statement in public. You’re not the only one with a rep.”
I laugh, and his expression softens. “I’ll keep in contact with you via text, but the messages will be cryptic.”
“I understand.” Faye told me he’s messed up in all kinds of crap, and I’d rather not know. I’ve enough of my own crap to sort through.
“In terms of the tracking, do you want a weekly or monthly report?”
I shake my head. “Neither. The only time I want to hear from you is if he steps foot on US soil.”
“Understood.”
“Thanks, Kev. I really appreciate this.”
“I’m glad to help.”
He won’t let me walk home by myself, even though it’s only five blocks away, insisting on driving me.
As I wave him off outside our building, a spreading warmth heats up all the frozen parts inside me. I’ve never had anyone I could confide in or call upon before. Knowing Kev is on my side, even without having the facts, helps relieve some of the anguish and fear. As I skip into the building, a surge of hope bubbles to the surface.
I’m taking back my life, and I’m no longer alone.
Chapter Five
Brad
To the birthday boy,” Faye says, raising her glass in a toast. The rest of the Kennedy brothers, Melissa, Lana, Rachel, and I lift our glasses. It’s Saturday night, an hour before the party officially starts, and we are enjoying a few drinks while Alex and James Kennedy rush around the grand ballroom of the Boston Merrion Hotel with the event planner, making sure everything is perfect.
We played our first game of the season this afternoon, and it was a landslide victory. We beat URI fifty-one to twenty-two, so I’m definitely in the mood for celebrating.
While most of us aren’t legal yet, James organized a few buckets of beer, wine, and vodka on the down low. The bartender sends surreptitious glances our way every now and then, and judging by his frown, he isn’t happy, but I guess no one wants to challenge the mighty Kennedys, and I’m guessing money has changed hands. And it’s a private function, so it’s not like we’re deliberately flouting the law by drinking in public.
“To Kev,” Kal says, as everyone chinks glasses. “My hero. When I grow up, I so want to be a badass, mean, and moody gray-hat just like you.”
Lana pinches Kal’s arm, as everyone else either laughs or groans.
“You’re an idiot.” Kev shoves Kal good-naturedly. “I sympathize, Lana.” He sends his sister-in-law-to-be a benevolent look.
“Thanks. I need all the sympathy I can get,” Lana teases, shooting Kev and Kal a wide grin.
Kal snakes his arm around his fiancée’s waist, holding her close as he kisses her quickly. They are giving Ky and Faye a run for their money in the PDA stakes, but I’m happy for them. They’ve had their own fair share of crap to deal with, and it’s good to see them come out on the other side of it.
Kev trails behind Rachel as she rushes to the door with a squeal. Discreetly, I cast an eye over my shoulder. She’s wearing a figure-hugging red, knee-length dress that showcases her rocking body to perfection. I’ve been hiding a massive boner since she arrived. I can scarcely take my eyes off her, which is problematic for a whole heap of reasons. I watch as she greets a pretty girl with strawberry-blonde hair, pulling her into a hug. Kev is laughing with the guy she arrived with—a tall, skinny, nerdy-looking dude.
“She looks fucking hot.” I twist my head around. Kent’s eyes are dark with lust as he stares at Rachel.
“She’s way out of your league.” I raise a bottle of beer to my lips. “Don’t bother wasting your time.” I know Kent has hit on Rachel a few times, and she’s always knocked him back. Kent is one of the triplets, and although they turn eighteen in a couple months, he’s too young and too immature for Rachel. I don’t need her to tell me that.
If I’ve a chip on my shoulder, Kent has a boulder on his.
“Is that a note of jealousy I detect?”
“Nope.”
“So, you don’t care that Kev seems to be staking a claim then?”
I jerk around at that, watching with bile in my mouth as Kev takes Rach’s hand and pulls her into his side. She snuggles into him, and I feel like puking.
Kent sniggers. “Yeah, thought as much. You haven’t taken your eyes off her since she showed up. Man up, Brad, or you’ll lose her.”
I almost choke on my beer. “I think I’ve heard it all now. The day I take romantic advice from Kent
Kennedy is the day the world ends.”
“Hardy, har.” He elbows me in the ribs, swiping my beer and draining it in one go. “I bet I’ve had more girls than you.”
He probably has. “Don’t be so crude, Kent, and it’s not a competition.”
“Hell yeah.” Kent smirks, looking at something over my shoulder. He rubs his hands gleefully. “Now it’s time to get the party started.” He smiles devilishly at the girl who lands in front of him.
“Hey, sexy.” Faye’s half-sister, Whitney, purrs as she runs her hands up Kent’s chest. “Were you waiting for me?”
“You betcha, gorgeous.” He slings his arm around her shoulder, grinning like he just won the lottery.
“I know you.” She gives me the once-over with a mischievous smile.
“I’m Brad. Ky’s friend. We met at the Kennedy house one time.”
“Oh yeah. Now, I remember.”
“You look different.” The last time I met her she was younger, still a kid. She had really long blonde hair with bright pink strips in it. Now her hair just about brushes her shoulders and it’s a dark purple color. She’s taller, and with the amount of makeup on her face, and the barely-there dress that is molded to her definitely-not-childish curves, she could easily pass for nineteen or twenty, although I know she’s at least three years younger than that.
Faye yanks Whitney out from Kent’s protective embrace, pulling her into a monster hug. “Hey, Whit. How are you? I’m so glad you could come.”
Whitney extracts herself from her big sister’s embrace, wrapping her arms around her waist self-consciously. “God, you are so uncool. Who does that?”
A glimmer of hurt flashes across Faye’s face, and my blood boils. “Don’t be such a bitch.” I stand up, walking to Faye’s side. “You should be glad your sister is happy to see you.”
“Butt out, butthead.” She pouts, and Kent snorts with laughter.
Faye shakes her head, and my eyes lock onto the long, elegant column of her neck. She’s wearing her hair up tonight, and she has a gorgeous black and gold dress on that hugs her curves to perfection. Her stunning long legs are encased in towering sandals, bringing her at eye level with me. Lightly, I touch her arm. “You okay?” She turns to face me, and I suck in a breath. Her stunning blue eyes are heavily made up, and she looks even more gorgeous than usual.
“I’ve got this.” Ky appears on her other side, drilling me with a subtle look that says “back the hell off.”
I didn’t realize when I declared my feelings that I was condemning my friendship with Faye too. The only time I get to talk to her is when Ky is by her side, and that just makes everything awkward, so we don’t talk much. And I miss her. We were good friends our senior year, and we helped each other through stuff. Now, I feel like I’m not even allowed to be her friend, and that sucks.
I take a couple of steps back, swipe another beer, and drain it in one go. When I reach for another, I notice Faye frowning. I feel a drunken coma coming on, and I don’t need any bystanders. “I’m going to stand by the bar,” I say to no one in particular.
“Hey, I’ll come with.” Kal pecks Lana on the lips and saunters over to me, slapping me on the back.
He doesn’t say a word until we’re propped against the counter of the bar watching the band rehearse on the other side of the room. More guests are starting to arrive, but the room still looks half empty. Knowing the Kennedys though, they will have invited half of Boston, and it won’t take long for the place to fill up. “What’s up?” Kal asks, eyeing me shrewdly.
“Nothing much, bro. How’s Hewson?”
His entire face lights up at the mention of his young son, and he removes his cell from the pocket of his pants. “Here.” He pulls up some pictures. “This was him last week when Lana and I took him to the park.”
Hewson is captured on a swing midair, and his head is thrown back in laughter. “Man, he’s getting so big.”
“He’s nearly one and a half now,” Kal proudly admits. “He’s a cool little dude even if he is like a wannabe demon when he doesn’t get his own way.” He chuckles.
“Sounds like he’s taking after the Kennedy side of the family,” I tease.
“No doubt about it.” Kal grins. “He’s my mini me in every conceivable way.”
“Don’t let Lana hear you taking all the credit.”
“She’d agree with you. He’s like a clone of me. It’s incredible. There are some days when I still can’t believe he’s a part of me. It’s humbling.”
“Shit, bro. When’d you go and get all grown up?” I tap my bottle against his. Kal has always felt like my little brother, as much as he is Ky’s. Because there isn’t that much of a gap in our ages, we tended to hang around quite a bit outside of school.
“Don’t be fooled. I’m still a big kid at the best of times. Lana likes to say she has two kids to look after.” He laughs.
“Have you set a wedding date yet?”
He shakes his head. “Nah. No rush, dude. We want to finish college and put down some permanent roots before we do that.” Lines crease his forehead as he looks over my shoulder.
I follow his gaze, noticing the eldest Kennedy brother, Kaden, greeting a cute redhead at the entrance to the ballroom. I’ve seen him with her before, but I can’t remember her name. Kade’s wide shoulders are even wider, and his bulging biceps are straining the material of his shirt. “Someone’s been hitting the weights.”
Kal snorts. “I think Kade is taking this crap with Kev to a whole new level.”
“What? They’re still not talking? And you think he beefed up to piss Kev off?” That seems far too juvenile for Kade.
“Who knows?” He shrugs. “They talk but not like they used to. They were always tight, but since they got into that fist fight in Ireland, they’ve been at each other’s throats. They’re not even rooming together anymore.” Kal scowls again.
“What?”
“I can’t believe he’s still with her. I don’t know what he sees in Tiffani.”
I skim my gaze over the redhead’s body, focusing on her awesome chest. “I can see two reasons.” She turns around, showcasing a pert ass. “Make that three.” I smirk. Kal stares at me like I’ve just sprouted horns. “What? Has monogamy turned you into a pussy, too?”
“Dude, there’s some weird shit happening here. I think you’ve morphed into me, and I’m acting more like how you used to. You know, when you were decent.” He pins me with a knowing look, and I snort. An excited glint appears in his eye. “It’s like that movie, you know the one with Lindsay Lohan in it, where she switched bodies with her mom.” A huge grin appears on his face, and he clicks his fingers as the memory comes to him. “Bro, we’re exactly like that. It’s our own version of Freaky Friday.”
“If that’s the case,” I say, taking a swig from my bottle, “I guess it’ll be me taking Lana to bed later then.” His face pales, and I bite back a laugh. “Just think about that when you’re fucking her. That it’s really me boning her. Me with my hands all over her gorgeous body.” I wink at him, watching as his face turns even paler.
“You’re a twisted bastard, McConaughey.” I send him a smug grin. “Takes one to know one, asshole.”
Girlish giggling from behind has us both turning around before Kal can come back with a retort. Lana, Faye, Rachel, and Melissa—Keaton Kennedy’s girlfriend—are all huddled over a phone, laughing. Kev appears behind Rach, placing a hand on her bare shoulder as he leans over to look. A muscle ticks in my jaw, and all trace of good humor evaporates.
“Nothing’s going on with them,” Kal offers up, astutely assessing the situation.
I take another swig of my beer, my eyes never leaving Rachel. She is looking up at Kev, saying something to him, and she’s giving him the biggest smile ever. A sour taste builds in the back of my throat. “None of my business,” I say through gritted teeth.<
br />
“I see how you look at her. And I see how you still look at Faye when you think no one is watching.” He scratches the back of his head. “I’m here if you ever want to talk about it.”
Well, damn. That’s not something I ever expected. I can’t ever remember having a serious conversation with Kal. He really has matured. “Thanks, man, but there’s nothing to talk about.”
“You’re a good guy, Brad, and you deserve to be happy. If Rachel could be that for you, don’t mess it up.”
“She appears to be already taken.”
“Kev isn’t interested in her like that. They’re friends. Nothing more.”
Huh. Could’ve fooled me. The guy can barely keep his hands off her. Not like I care, anyway.
I lose count of the number of beers I knock back in the next couple hours. When the familiar numb feeling crawls over me, I finally start to relax, loosening the top button of my shirt as I make my way back over to our table. The party is in full swing now. The ballroom is packed to capacity, and the dance floor is hopping as Kev’s college friends rock it out alongside members of his family and his parents’ friends.
I’ve only just dropped into a seat beside Ky when Faye’s voice projects around the room. “Can I have everyone’s attention please,” she asks from her position on stage. “And I need the birthday boy up here right now.” A few of Kev’s friends holler, nudging him toward his cousin.
“What’s going on?” I ask Ky.
“Oh, man, this is going to be so funny. Kev is going to kill her.” He snorts, poking me in the ribs. “Just listen and watch.”
“In Ireland, we have a tradition when you turn twenty-one, and it’s something that I think Keven will get a kick out of.” She purses her lips, struggling to contain her mirth. “Come here, big fella. Don’t be shy.”
We get up and move around the side of the room. Kev walks toward Faye with a dark look on his face, and I can’t help laughing. He looks like he’s walking the green mile.
Saving Brad (The Kennedy Boys Book 5) Page 5