by Janie Marie
“Yes,” she answered honestly. Finally, she had the guy she loved, the guy she denied loving, and two guys who were very concerned for her. She wasn’t alone, wasn’t forgotten. “I feel loved.”
“You are very loved.” He kissed her head again, then moved to leave the shower. “Take your time. I’m going to clean everything out here.”
“You don’t have to.” She grimaced at the thought of him cleaning her blood now.
“Jane, I’ve seen you have cramps. You’re not down for anything other than being curled up around a heating pad.” He leaned down, kissing her one more time. “Hurry up—I’ll be your heating pad.”
Memories of him watching her on the couch, whimpering with her heating pad flashed in her mind. “You always brought me my heating pad.”
He pulled a towel around his waist then dragged a hand through his dark hair, causing water droplets to fall onto his shoulders and chest. Then he smiled and said, “I’m the upgrade, baby.”
Seventeen
“Jane,” the harsh whisper startled her from her sleep. “Wake up.”
Jane rolled to her back, groaning. “Wendy, what are you doing here?” She glanced around her bed, quickly noting David wasn’t there. It stung that he’d let her wake up without him, but Wendy was there—maybe he left them alone to avoid anything awkward.
Wendy sat beside her, pushing her dirty-blond hair behind her ear as she peered at the door. “I was coming to check on you because I heard about last night.” She turned to Jane again, worry dancing in her brown eyes. “I can’t believe you were almost kidnapped. You didn’t even call me to let me know if you’re okay. I had to hear about it at work, and that was mainly Ryder fighting your stepdad.”
“Sorry, a lot kinda happened.” Jane hated that she could be such a terrible friend.
Wendy darted her gaze toward the door again. “I guess now isn’t a good time to tell you David and his dad are next door. The Godsons are outside.” She paused when Jane sat up fast, then finished, “There’s a lot of yelling going on. Your mom is screaming like a banshee.”
“Oh, shit.” Jane stood, glancing down at the panties and cami David had put her in.
“Don’t go out there like that,” Wendy said, rushing to her drawers. She threw Jane a pair of leggings and a hoodie. “Do you think carrying a bible will help?”
She laughed as she pulled on the clothes and hopped in place, trying to get her shoes on. “That’ll give Kingston Catholic School ideas.”
“You guys aren’t Catholic.” Wendy opened the door. “If he says something about shipping you off, run to my car. I got paid today. We can make it to Mexico and hook up with some hot cholos.”
Jane bust out laughing as they ran down the hall. “Oh my God. Never say cholo again.”
“Whatever. Don’t you have some Spanish in you?”
“That’s Spain,” Jane replied distractedly.
“Well, just imagine it, Ryder and David come riding through Mexico to fight our hot Mexican boyfriends. They’ll have to bring someone who wants to fight for me.”
Sliding to a stop, Jane turned to hug Wendy. “Thank you for having my back. But stop acting like no one would fight for you. Those country boys are always asking you out.”
“Not the ones I like.” Her best friend returned the hug and smacked her ass. “Hurry up, chica. If they rumble, I’m jumping on Savaş and telling him to snag you and dump you in my car.”
“Savaş, huh?”
Wendy’s face flushed. “It’ll be like riding a wild bull.”
Jane made it to the front door laughing, but her laughter died as soon as she opened it and heard the roar of insults hurled between Ryder and Kingston. “Shit.”
Wendy nodded as she looped her arm through Jane’s and dragged her toward the yard.
Everyone was there. David stood between Ryder and Kingston, but he was glaring at his dad, yelling right back as Savaş and Archer kept them both from getting too close to Kingston.
Luc was on the steps, arms crossed as he watched the mayhem unfold. Her mother was tugging on Kingston’s arm, sobbing as though someone was about to get shot.
Kingston wasn’t calming down, though. He jabbed a finger at David’s chest. “She’s your goddamn sister!”
Thankfully Ryder was holding onto David but that didn’t stop David from firing right back, “She’s the girl I loved before you started sleeping with her mom!”
“Dang,” Wendy dragged out with a snicker. “If he had said ‘fucking’, I would’ve creamed.”
Jane was too worried to comment on that, too focused on what his words meant. David had told his dad. They were never going to be able to be alone together for the rest of their lives.
Inner-Jane rolled her eyes at herself, and she took a breath. Okay, she was almost eighteen, and Kingston couldn’t control their lives forever. She could handle this.
Slap.
Jane gasped, covering her mouth as Kingston’s hand left David’s cheek. Everyone quieted as David stayed still, his face turned to the side. The handprint on his cheek was huge. After all, his dad was just as tall as he was and strong, too. It looked like David was about to bleed.
She’d never seen a guy slap another guy, but it seemed more insulting.
“You will never see her again, boy,” Kingston growled, his blue eyes like ice and he seemed bigger than David all of a sudden. “None of you are to see my daughter again. I’ll call the cops if you step one foot on my property. I’ll have the principal and your coaches aware that if you so much as are caught talking to her, you are expelled. Don’t think I can’t create some story about finding you with her that’ll have them sick to their stomachs at the thought of you near her. If I have to, I’ll see that the universities you’re eyeing are aware of your disgusting behavior with her. You won’t see a day on the field ever again.”
Jane couldn’t move. Even Wendy was shaking.
Kingston couldn’t do this. It wasn’t possible. Mr. Prince wouldn’t believe they had done anything to her. No school would ban them from enrolling or playing. Would they?
David’s fists trembled at his sides as he slowly lifted his head to stare at his father. He didn’t move beyond that, but it seemed Ryder and Tercero weren’t taking chances, and they each had a hand on his shoulders.
Moving her mother aside, Kingston met gazes with David and shook his head. “My pride—that’s what you were to me. Now you’re a sick, disappointing mistake that cost me your mother.”
Jane shook her head as agony filled David’s eyes. If there was one thing he regretted about himself, it was that he was born. His mother had suffered from postpartum depression after having him, and she committed suicide, though no one ever said how she’d done it. David never brought her up, as he was only an infant at the time, but she knew it was the reason David tried so hard to make his dad proud. He wanted to be someone his mother would be proud of, but he wanted to also be the son who was worth keeping. It made all the sense in the world to Jane now why he’d held back—why he put his dad’s second chance at love above his happiness.
“Kingston,” her mom whispered, moving slowly in front of him. “That’s enough.”
He dropped his icy stare down to Sarah before briefly taking in some of the neighbors standing on their porches. Then he spotted Jane. Anger and sadness flitted across his face, but it didn’t stay. He marched over to her, grabbing her by the arm. “I’m beyond disappointed in you.”
Ryder moved forward. “Yeah, you need to let her go.”
Kingston laughed, maneuvering Jane so she wasn’t within reach. “Boy, if you are smart, you’ll go inside right now.”
Jane peeked around Kingston, noting the Godson brothers standing behind Ryder. David looked in a state of confusion and anger, but Savaş kept a heavy hand on him.
Cocky as ever, Ryder winked at her as soon as they made eye contact. “Considering she’s my tutor, you’re the dumb one to think I’ll be smart about shit. Especially when it comes to my gir
l. Now let her go. You’re not in control.”
“That has been the problem—I trusted my son and you bunch of delinquents to be so close to her,” Kingston growled out. “You’re not seeing her again.”
A violent light flashed within Ryder’s gaze, and he straightened, giving himself a few inches of height over Kingston. “You can insult me all you want, old man,” he said in that calm way that was more frightening than she expected. “But you’re not Jane’s father. Her father approved of me taking care of and loving his daughter long before you were ever in the picture. You’ve been a clueless stepfather, and you have no fucking say in her love life. That includes what she does with David. You’d be a fool not to know he loved her since we were kids. Now, don’t make me say it again.” He held out a hand, and every bit of Ryder’s dominance hit Kingston like a blow to the face.
Her stepfather flinched, moving half a step back—speechless.
Jane didn’t know what to do, only that she was afraid to let Kingston take her away. She met Ryder’s stare, her frantic heartbeat calming at the sight of the destruction hidden beneath his relaxed stance. Her bad boy was always going to have her back. The only problem was that she had to be realistic. Ryder had already been hauled into the police station for hitting Kingston. A second trip probably wouldn’t be so simple, and she wasn’t going to let him get in trouble for her.
She looked toward David, her lip trembling because he was worried. He wouldn’t fight his dad for her, and she didn’t want him to. It would destroy him, and she was thankful Archer and Savaş were there to keep him from doing something he’d regret.
Kingston tightened his grip. “Let’s go, Jane.”
Ryder’s mask dropped fast, and she rushed around Kingston to stop him.
“Wait!” She pressed a hand to his chest. “Ryder, please.”
Warmth that he only gave her transformed the fury he’d been about to release, and he nodded to her. “Your choice, babe.”
Again, Kingston tried to tug her, but she dug her feet down as much as she could, smiling when Ryder hooked a finger under her waistband, anchoring her even more so she could face her stepfather. “Kingston, please stop this. It has nothing to do with you, and you have no right to forbid them from seeing me. We live next door.”
“That can change,” he said icily.
Jane’s heart squeezed, and she looked toward her mother. “Please. We’re not hurting anyone. It’s our business.”
Sarah shook her head. “You’re hurting our family. Look at the scene you’ve caused, Jane.” She waved her hand toward the street. “I told you you could see Ryder, but you chose to disrespect me. I warned you—David is your brother. Nothing more. But we come home and you’re in bed together!”
“You told her she could see this loser?” Kingston roared, turning to her mother. “You knew about them and you left them alone?”
Ryder took the chance to pull her to him, wrapping an arm around her chest as David darted between his dad and her mom. “Miss me, babe?” Ryder smiled down at her as he moved them a little farther from the commotion.
“Hell yes.” She hugged his arm but switched her focus to David and his dad.
“Dad, enough!” David shoved him back. “Take it out on me. I chose Jane. Sarah had nothing to do with this.”
Kingston’s nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched tightly when he spotted Jane under Ryder’s arm. With a growl, he pointed to the house. “Jane, get inside now. And you”—he sneered at David—“get your shit and get out. You’re no longer my son.”
Jane gasped as her legs buckled. The only reason she didn’t fall was that Ryder supported her.
David glanced at her with the saddest but most breathtaking smile and said, “This changes nothing, baby. I love you, and I’ll still be yours beyond forever.” Then he shoved past his dad, ignoring her mother who chased after him, telling him to just call things off.
“Wasting her damn time,” Ryder muttered, leaning down to kiss the top of Jane’s head. “Hey, I’ll let David stay with me, okay? But tell me what you want to do right now.”
Kingston glared at them, and Jane couldn’t look away. She wanted to slap him and beg for forgiveness.
“Just take care of David,” she whimpered. As much as she wanted to think everything would work out, she knew she was a minor for two more weeks. David wasn’t, and they could throw him out. She’d only cause more drama if she let Ryder take control.
He dropped a hand to her belly and lowered his voice, “You didn’t let him come in you, did you?”
She sniffled, covering his hand. “Stop making me want to get knocked up.”
He snickered, kissing her head. “I’ll get you one day.”
“I know,” she whispered, her heart breaking because she didn’t know when she was going to see him again. “And, no, he didn’t.”
“Damn right.” His arms tightened, and he spoke even softer, ignoring Kingston’s call for her to go with him. “Send the word if we need to spring you. Not joking, babe. I’ll destroy the world for you if I have to.”
Sweet, deadly boy.
“David loves you,” he murmured as his fingers slipped under her shirt just enough to caress her skin. “Tercero and Luc . . . well, they’ll tell you when they’re ready, but you should know those fuckers got it bad for you. And you know you’re my heart and soul. We’ll tear apart the universe to have you between us again. The others already know this, but I’ll remind you; your lips are mine.” His hand moved up to his spot. “And this.” Tingles. “This is where you keep me. I’m never gone.”
Kingston snatched her hand, pulling her toward the house.
She whined, holding up a hand to keep Ryder back.
Her bad boy nodded, crossing his arms. “I’m yours, Jane. No matter what he says.”
Kingston threw a final glare at Ryder before pushing her into the house and slamming the door.
Jane wriggled free, sobbing. “Let me go!”
With only a light shove toward the family room, he pointed at the sofa. “Sit down. I don’t need you sneaking into David’s room.”
“You act like we’re related,” she shouted, marching to the farthest chair.
“You are related.” He marched to stand between the sofa and walkway as if to make sure she didn’t make a run for it.
“Not by blood.” Jane’s hands were shaking now. She had to turn away because it hurt to see the man she cared for like a second father staring at her as if she was the most disgusting human being on the planet.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s not by blood,” he said sharply. “By marriage, he is your brother. Brothers do not have relationships with their sisters. And good daughters don’t screw the boys their father forbade them from seeing!”
“Step,” she shouted. “Stepbrother and sister. And Daddy picked Ryder for me.” She lifted her chin and plastered a fake smile on her face. “He picked all of them—including David. He knew I loved David. He never would’ve made me choose. He knew Ryder was my match, but he knew I loved your son, and he wasn’t going to take that from me. You should be ashamed of yourself for everything you just said and did out there. I won’t forgive you for hurting him.”
Heavy footsteps on the stairs, and her mother weeping, had Jane standing. She held her breath as David reached the bottom step, facing off with his father with two bags in one hand, his football gear in the other.
“I don’t want to see you in this house ever again,” Kingston said, though his voice trembled as David stood there silently. “Leave your keys on the table. Sarah will clean out the car and put anything of yours in a box. If you’re staying with those delinquents, I’ll send it over to you.”
Jane shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. All she had wanted was for David to be proud to call her his, and he did it for her. He did it knowing his fears would come true and now they were.
“Don’t cry,” David told her with a smile on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “These have still b
een the best days of my life, and I know we’ll have more. Don’t give up on me.”
“I won’t.” Her pitiful attempt to smile probably looked disgusting.
Nonetheless, a gorgeous smile lit up his face. “There’s my beautiful, brave girl. Don’t lose her. I want her back.”
Kingston growled, walking closer to David. “Out. I better not catch you around here. I’ll call the cops, boy.”
David steadied his helmet on the couch and pulled his keys out, dropping them on the floor. “Bye, Dad.” He walked away as Jane held back her cries. Though the moment the front door shut, she wailed, running up the stairs until she made it to her room.
She slammed the door, locking it and pulling her dresser in the way. Well, she tried, crying harder when she couldn’t even make it budge.
Bracing herself on the dresser, she sniffled, her hands shaking as hard as her legs. David was gone. Her David was gone.
Her chest ached so badly she almost fell to her knees. Only, she gasped at the ripped piece of paper on the dresser.
It only had one word: Secret
She knew instantly what this was, and dropping to the floor, she yanked open her bottom drawer and pulled open her secret compartment. All of his letters were still there, but a torn letter at the top was the one she pulled free.
Hey baby,
I’m sorry things couldn’t stay perfect, but I want you to know it was the best experience of my life to be with you. I’ll think about it every day and feel just as lucky as I do right now. Because I know you love me the way I love you, and I know I’m strong enough to make things work. Just be patient, okay? I’ll be next door for as long as Ryder and the others let me stay. We’ll get through this.
I love you, Jane.
Your David
Clutching his letter to her chest, she got up and hobbled over to her window. She had completely forgotten about Wendy and hoped her friend wasn’t upset with her. But she knew there was no getting out of her house. She was trapped, and she had to lay low otherwise her fears of Kingston making them move would come true.