She swings her gaze in my direction, and her brow puckers. “Brad?” A choked sound rips from her throat, and her voice is laced with pain. Someone may as well have reached into my heart and crushed it to nothing. I’ve had my suspicions, but I don’t need much more convincing than this: someone hurt Rachel, and when I find out who it is, they’re going to wish they’d never been born.
She slithers to the ground, utterly shattered. Burying her face in her hands, she starts sobbing. Very slowly, I crawl to her side, sitting beside her, careful not to touch her even though I want to swaddle her in my arms and protect her. “You’re safe, Rach. I’m here, and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.”
She sobs even louder.
I sit beside her, listening to her anguished sobbing, wanting to help but clueless on how to do that. I’m hoping my quiet presence by her side is offering some comfort. She cries for ages, and each sob is like someone taking a knife to my skin and slicing me open. I’ve just decided to endure Ky’s wrath and call Faye when she leans her head on my shoulder, and the sobs become quieter and more sporadic. “Brad?” she whispers in a croaky voice.
I risk reaching my arm around her back, pulling her in closer. “Yes, Red?”
“Will you stay with me tonight?” Red-rimmed bloodshot eyes stare into mine. “I won’t have any more nightmares if you’re holding me.”
I press my lips to her forehead. “Of course.” I help her to her feet, tucking her into the bed while I grab some bottles of water from the kitchen. When I return, she’s lying on her side, facing the window, with her back to me. I put a bottle on her bedside table and crawl into bed behind her. Very slowly, I wrap my arms around her, careful to keep a gap between our bodies. She curls back, snuggling into me, and I relax, knowing she’s okay with this.
“Did I hurt you?” she whispers a minute later.
“No. I’m fine,” I reply, deliberately ignoring the dull ache in my jaw. That girl’s got a killer left hook, but I don’t want her feeling guilty, especially when it wasn’t really me she was lashing out at. I kiss the top of her head. “Go to sleep, beautiful. I’ve got you.”
She laces her fingers through mine. “Thank you,” she whispers.
The next morning, it’s as if nothing happened during the night. I’m awake before her, my insides all knotted up at the thought that someone hurt the girl in my arms. She stirs, yawning and stretching her body out in the bed. She twists around, giving me a shy smile. “Morning.”
“Morning.” I sweep her hair back off her face. Although her eyes are still a bit swollen, she looks rested. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good.” Her smile widens, but it doesn’t quite meet her eyes.
“Do you want to ta—”
“I’m thinking poached eggs and bacon for breakfast. That sound good?” she interrupts me, throwing the covers off and jumping up.
I’m looking to her for guidance, and I don’t want to push her, so I follow her lead, as much as it pains me to remain in the dark. “Sounds perfect. You want some help?”
“Nope. Why don’t you grab a shower while I cook?”
“Is that a polite way of telling me I smell?” I joke.
Her nostrils twitch. “Now that you mention it …”
“Don’t push your luck, Red, unless you want to get into an intimate conversation about bodily smells?” I fling the covers off and stand up.
Her cheeks flush as her eyes drop to the noticeable bulge in my boxer briefs. Shit, forgot that’s all I’d been wearing when I bust into her room last night.
She lets her hair hang around her face, hiding her expression. “Definitely not up for that kind of conversation at this hour on a Saturday morning. Go shower. You have ten minutes.”
“Yes, boss lady.” I give her a saucy wink, and she shakes her head before leaving the room.
Over breakfast, I ask her what her plans are for today. She shrugs. “Nothing much. I’ll probably fit in some studying and maybe meet with Faye and Lauren for lunch.”
“Cool.” I remove our plates and take them to the sink. “I’m going to do a couple hours in the gym and squeeze in some studying before heading to Wellesley later to view a few more houses with Mom. I’m planning on staying there tonight. You wanna come with?”
A customary look of fleeting panic skates over her face. I’ve noticed the same look every time I leave the apartment. Rachel is terrified to be by herself, and, after last night, I need to know why. If she won’t or can’t tell me, then I know someone who might.
I walk to her side, gently palming her face, determined to make this easy for her. “Come with me. Please.”
The relief is evident on her face. “Okay, you’ve twisted my arm. What time are we leaving?”
“Around two?”
“Perfect. I’ll be ready and waiting.”
After suggesting she call Lauren to come over and study with her, I leave the apartment, happier in the knowledge that Rachel’s not alone. I text Kev on my way to ensure he’s there. Twenty minutes later, I’m knocking on his door.
“Hey, man.” He jerks his head at me, standing aside to allow me in. “What’s up?”
“I need to talk to you about Rachel.”
He folds his arms over his chest, leaning back against the wall. “This is starting to get old, pipsqueak.”
“Don’t call me that,” I snap, running a hand through my hair. “I’m not that little kid you can tease and beat on anymore.”
“I never beat you.”
“Don’t you remember that time Ky and I followed you and Kade to that party? I seem to recall a few punches being thrown.”
He chuckles. “Man, you two were so obvious, and a few slaps hardly counts.”
“Much as I’m loving this trip down nostalgia lane,” I deadpan, “I’m here to talk about Rachel. I know someone hurt her, and that she’s fucking terrified of something, and I’m figuring they’re connected. Every time I think she’s going to confide in me, she retreats, and I’m back to square one. I know you’re helping her with something, and I want to know what you know.”
He sighs, scrubbing a hand over his taut jaw. “I can’t betray her confidence, bro. That’s not how I roll.”
“Even if it’s in her best interests? I want to help protect her, but it’s hard when I don’t know what I’m up against.”
“I’m glad you care and that she’s living with you now. I don’t want to see anything happen to her either but it’s not my place to tell you. All I can say is there is someone from her past she has asked me to keep tabs on, and I’m concerned that person has followed her here. As for what went down, I’m as clueless as you. She won’t tell me either, but it looks like it’s some sick shit.”
“I’ll say. She broke down in my arms in the middle of the night. She’s hurting so much and I want to kill the fucker who did this.” I crack my knuckles for extra emphasis, and a muscle tenses in my jaw.
He scrutinizes my face. “Me, too. Look, how about this? We stay in contact, and if there’s anything suspect to report, we group our efforts. We can do that without betraying Rachel’s confidence.”
“Yeah, let’s do that. All I care about is keeping her safe.”
“Stick to her side, and if you notice anyone suspicious hanging around, let me know.”
I open the door and step outside. “Will do.”
“One final thing.” He stretches his arms above his head, holding onto the doorframe. “If you hurt Rachel, I’ll be the first one lining up to kick your ass.”
I nod. “Understood, but that’s not going to happen.”
“Don’t fuck her around. I mean it.”
“For fuck’s sake, Kev, there’s no need to drill the message home. I got it, and I’m not going to hurt her. I care about her, and I want to protect her. Why the fuck do you think I came here?”
“Chill, bro. Just making sure. I care about her too.”
“Later.” I walk away before I say something I’ll regret.
Rachel has her jacket on and a bag at her feet when I return to the apartment. “I made you some lunch,” she says, holding out a square box. I open the lid, my mouth watering at the homemade wrap and chocolate chip cookie. “In case you didn’t get a chance to grab lunch.”
“I didn’t, and thanks.” Without thinking, I lean in and kiss her cheek, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world. I walk to my room to grab a few things, noticing she’s placed the rose I gave her in an elegant, long-necked clear glass vase and it’s holding center stage on the small coffee table. For some reason, it lifts the melancholy mood I’ve been in since my visit with Kev.
I chomp on the wrap as I drive while Rachel skims through the music collection on my iPhone. She puts on some Katy Perry, and I smile. No matter what my sister Kaitlyn says, every time I hear this song, I still think of her as a rambunctious twelve-year-old bopping her head as she sang along, every lyric committed to memory. I hate that I’ve missed so much time with my sisters. That I missed out on a crucial part of her teenage years. That I wasn’t with them to help her deal with shit. The more I look back on it, the more selfish I feel. I didn’t want to give up my dream of going to Harvard and playing college football, but I should have sacrificed that for my sisters. They needed their brother, and I abandoned them.
I don’t know how or if I’ll ever be able to make it up to them, but I won’t stop trying.
“Do you miss your family?” I glance momentarily in Rachel’s direction. She’s staring out the window, tapping her knee up and down to the beat of the music.
Her kneel stalls. “Honestly? Not really.” She doesn’t look at me, fixated on the view outside the window.
She doesn’t talk about her family much at all, but I get the sense she isn’t close to them, which I struggle to understand based on my own experience. “It must’ve been lonely growing up.”
She turns around, and there’s a weird expression on her face. “Jill and Faye were more like my family growing up. We used to go to Faye’s house after school to do our homework and study, because both Jill’s and my mum worked. Faye’s mum didn’t, and she was like our surrogate mum. She always welcomed us with open arms. I loved hanging out in her house.”
“I’ve always thought you were more like sisters than best friends. Your relationship with Faye reminds me of the one I have with Ky. Or had,” I add, with a tinge of sadness. I haven’t heard from my buddy in weeks, and I miss him. It reminds me of the months we spent without talking after all that crap went down with his ex. That was a bleak period in my life for a few reasons.
“Your friendship will recover.” She places her hand tentatively on my knee. “It’s too important to both of you to lose.”
“I can’t tell if you’re right, but I hope you are.” I stop at the gates to the Kennedy property, inputting the security code.
We’re both quiet as I drive up the long driveway, but it’s not an uncomfortable silence. Rachel’s hand still rests on my knee, and I like it there.
When Mom comes running out of the house, flapping her hands in the air, I slow down in front of the main entrance. Rachel and I share a look before getting out. She threads her hand in mine, and I’m grateful. The tearstained look on my mother’s face is shredding my heart to pieces. “What’s wrong, Mom?”
“It’s your father,” she rasps, tears streaming down her face. “He’s turned himself in.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Brad
“What?” I’m stunned as I stare at Mom, her words bouncing around my brain. “He actually did it?”
She nods. “He traveled on a fake passport, and when he arrived at Logan Airport, he turned himself in to the airport police.”
“Where is he now?”
“We don’t know, but Dan is trying to find out.”
Mom’s already cancelled the viewing appointments, so we stay holed up in the Kennedy house awaiting further news. Kaitlyn stomps around the place with a sulky look on her face, but we haven’t said anything to Emma yet. We need to find out what’s happening before we can fully explain it to her.
Rachel helps Alex fix dinner while I hold Mom’s hand on the couch. Understandably, she’s on edge. There’s some sci-fi movie for kids playing on the TV in the background, but Emma and Keaton Kennedy—one of the triplets and Ky’s younger brother—are the only ones engrossed in it.
After dinner, Rach sits beside me on the couch while we idly listen to Alex and Mom chatting about kids growing old and leaving the nest. “Want to watch a movie in the home theater?” I whisper in her ear. This house is the bomb, and it comes complete with a home movie theater, as well as indoor and outdoor pools, a massive basketball court, and private gym. Not to mention the woods and additional properties at the rear.
“Yes, please. This conversation is giving me gray hairs.”
I chuckle, pulling her up and clasping her hand in mine. “We’re going to watch a movie. Let me know if you hear anything.” I kiss Mom’s cheek.
“How are you feeling about the news?” Rachel asks as we walk through the lobby.
“I don’t know.”
“Are you surprised?”
“Yeah. I really didn’t think he’d do it. I figured I’d never see him again.”
“Will you meet with him?”
Air releases from my mouth in a noisy burst, and an ache spreads across my chest. “I haven’t decided. I think I need to let the news settle and then work out how I feel and what I want to do.”
Sounds of giggling greet my ears as we round the corner and enter the large games room. Kaitlyn is squirming on the couch, swatting at Kent Kennedy as he reaches for her. “Stop it, Kent! I told you I’m ticklish.”
“And you should never have admitted that. The million-dollar question is where are you most ticklish?” His tone is suggestive in the extreme as he grabs her shirt and pulls her to him.
I’m on top of him before I’ve even registered the fact my feet have moved across the room. I yank him up by his shirt. “What the actual fuck do you think you’re doing?” I yell. “She’s off limits to you! If you have laid one finger on her, I swear to God, I’ll beat your ass all the way into town.”
“Oh my God, Brad, stop! You’re freaking embarrassing me!” Kaitlyn shrieks, trying to drag me away from Kent.
Rachel intervenes, unclenching my fists and releasing Kent. She tugs me back a few steps, whispering calming words in my ear. Kent smirks before deliberately raking his gaze over my sister from head to toe. I lunge for him again, but Rachel reacts fast, putting herself in between us. “Chill out, Brad. Seriously, you’re going to have a heart attack if you don’t calm down.”
Kent smirks again, and a red layer coats my eyes as I glower at the little shit. Kent is the resident delinquent, the brother most out of control, and I’m damned if I’m letting him anywhere near my sister. I still remember the time Faye and I had to call Ky to drag Kent out of a foursome. We caught him naked with three college chicks, and he was only fifteen at the time. He’s always been reckless, and he’s been cautioned for shoplifting on several occasions. If it wasn’t for the Kennedy connections and wealth, he’d probably be in juvie by now.
“Has he touched you?” I bark at Kaitlyn, and she flinches.
Her cheeks turn bright red. “No. We’re just friends, and you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
Ignoring him, I work hard to calm myself down before facing my sister. “He is trouble, and you are to stay away from him. He’s too old for you anyway.” The triplets turn eighteen next month, and Kaitlyn won’t be sixteen until next year. “Have I made myself clear?”
“Screw you, Brad. You’re not the boss of me.”
“Fine. I guess I’ll just have to have a word wi
th Mom then.” I send a death glare in Kent’s direction. “Once I fill her in on your past, she’ll have your balls in a cage, and her head on a leash.” I point at my sister while my eyes stay firmly locked on Kent.
His Adam’s apple jumps in his throat. “Let’s not be too hasty here. No need to scare the shit out of your Mom. I’ll stay away from Kaitlyn. I promise.”
“And you expect me to take you at your word?”
“Don’t be an asshole, Brad.” The smirk drops off his face. “I won’t touch her.”
“Thanks a heap,” Kaitlyn says, shoving me aside before storming out of the room. I crick my neck from side to side, trying to loosen the tension in my muscles. Rachel runs her hand up and down my spine, and her touch helps soothe me.
“She’s fifteen, Kent, and she’s just been through hell. She’s vulnerable, and if I hear you’ve taken advantage of her, I won’t be responsible for my actions. I don’t care if you’re Ky’s brother or not. I will beat the ever-loving crap out of you,” I warn.
“And I’ll help him,” Rachel adds, sliding her arm around my waist.
Kent looks nonchalant. Honestly, I think nothing gets to that kid. “Are you two fucking now?” He gestures between us.
“None of your business, and stop deflecting,” Rachel snarls. “And what about Whitney? I thought you two were together.”
“She lives in New York, so it’s not an exclusive thing. Besides, I wasn’t doing anything.”
“The hell you weren’t.” Tension coils in my stomach at the thought of his grabby hands anywhere near my little sister.
“Let it go,” Rachel implores. “Kent knows he’ll get an ass kicking if he dares even look funny at Kaitlyn. Right?”
“Message received,” he barks, scowling. “So, you can drop it.”
“Come on,” she takes my elbow, dragging me in the direction of the theater room.
“Oh, and Rach,” Kent says, calling after us. I throw my eyes to the ceiling, already sensing where this is going. “If you get tired of the asshole, you know where I am. I’m always up for a good time.” He rocks his hips, making an obscene gesture with his hand.
Saving Brad (The Kennedy Boys Book 5) Page 22