“What in the hell are you doing?”
I jumped back from the glass and spun around. Roman had his arms crossed over his chest and was trying not to laugh. “I was just watching Ryker load the car. Didn’t want him to scratch it.”
“Dude, there is no way in hell you were watching Ryker that closely. It was either that chick you’re strung out over, or Molly walked by with a tray of cookies.”
I sighed and shoved my hands in my pockets. “I saw Kennedy.”
“Fucking crazy,” Roman said, shaking his head. “You’re just like Kellan and Tate. When you guys fall, you guys fall hard.”
“I just wish she would give me a sign or something.”
“You tell her how you feel?” Roman asked.
“Yeah.”
He shrugged and tossed his gym bag at Ryker who walked through the door. “Then let her be, man. You’ve done everything you could.”
He was right, but it fucking sucked that it had been almost a week since I talked to her, and it seemed like she was just going to back to her regularly scheduled life that didn’t include me. “You’re right. Not much else I can do.”
“Just let her come to you. And while you’re waiting, we can go to the Amex and kick some ass,” Roman shouted.
Ryker shouted his agreement, “Hell yeah. Let’s go kick some ass.”
“Hey, little dude, no cursing,” Roman laughed.
Ryker rolled his eyes and headed out to the car with Roman’s bag.
“Like we weren’t cursing when you were his age,” I laughed.
Roman shrugged and moved to the front door. “True, but he’s not me. No one can ever be Roman fucking Yeck.”
Oh, Jesus Christ, not this shit again. I bowed off the mat, flipped off all the lights, and locked the door behind me.
I glanced one last time over at Zen and shook my head. I needed to come up with another plan. Something that would bring Kennedy back to me.
First, I needed to kick ass at Amex, and then I was getting Kennedy back.
I wasn’t going to let her walk away from me.
**********
Kennedy
I watched his taillights as he pulled out of the parking lot, and my heart hurt knowing that he was gone.
I had hoped to be able to talk to my mom earlier, but she had insisted that she didn’t have time to talk until Saturday morning. So instead of talking to Dante, I stood in Zen watching Dante drive away.
“Dammit,” I muttered.
My mother knew when I had called her that I needed to talk to her, and like always, she made me wait so we could do things on her terms.
“You’re going to leave smudge marks on that glass, sugar.”
I dropped my forehead to the glass and closed my eyes. “I called the locksmith yesterday, he’ll be here Tuesday to put in new locks here and at my apartment.”
Karlton scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re going to all that trouble. I mean, I’ll just get copies of those keys too.”
“Not if I don’t give them to you.”
“Pfft, what locksmith did you call?”
“Midtowne.” I turned around and saw a grin spread across his lips.
“You are so screwed. I dated Tom. I’ll have those keys lickety split.” Karlton pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I think I even still have his personal number in here,” he mumbled.
“Oh, for Christ's sake, I’ll cancel him.” I was going to have Karlton coming and going into the studio and my apartment for the rest of my life. “I think we need to get you a boy toy so you’ll stay out of my business.”
“I have two,” he boasted. “Now, enough about me. Can we discuss why you’re pining after Silver Fox and not over there with him?”
I sighed and leaned against the door. “Because I need to talk to Vivian first.”
Karlton tilted his head and scrunched his nose. “Going into the lion's den again?”
“It’s something I need to do. My mother and I need to clear the air.”
Karlton nodded. “I think that is a good idea, sugar, since she is the one who messed you up to begin with. I know I’m all about designer labels and fancy shoes, but at the end of the day, they are nothing compared to a strong man to hold me at night.”
“Or two,” I muttered. Only Karlton would see multiple men at the same time.
He fanned himself with his hand and smirked. “You don’t even know, sugar. Double the fun, double the pleasure.”
“Well,” I laughed. “I’ll leave that to you. I’ll be happy with one man in my life.”
Karlton sighed and clapped his hands like a happy seal. “It’s about damn time you saw the light. From decoy to love. I need to start writing books because y’all are right out of a fairytale.”
“I wouldn’t start writing that story just yet, Karlton. I need to make sure my Silver Fox still wants to be with me.”
“Oh sugar, you ain’t got nothing to worry about.”
I hoped Karlton was right, because tomorrow after I talked to Vivian, I was going to lay it all on the line with Dante. I just hoped he still felt the same way.
**********
Chapter 29
Kennedy
“Are you insane, child? I said eleven o’clock, not seven o’clock.”
My hand hurt from pounding on the door for five minutes, and my voice was hoarse from yelling. “I can’t wait that long, Vivian.” I pushed my way into the house and walked directly to the kitchen. I needed a glass of water and possibly a couple of Tylenol for my hand.
Vivian moseyed into the kitchen and tied the sash of her robe around her. “I don’t know why this can’t wait until later,” she huffed.
“Because we should have taken care of this a long time ago.” I drained my glass of water and dropped it into the sink. “I’m not you, Vivian.”
“Well, obviously,” she pointed out. She pulled out one of the chairs around the kitchen island and sat down. “Since you insist on having me awake this early, you can put a pot of coffee on.”
I rolled my eyes but grabbed the empty coffee pot and shoved it under the sink. “I’m not going to sell Zen. Ever.”
“Not this again,” she complained. “I just want what is best for you, Kennedy.”
I turned on the water and set the pot under the faucet. “No, you want what is best for you.”
“Kennedy, they are one in the same.”
I hung my head and finished filling the pot. I shoveled coffee into the filter, dumped the water into the reservoir, and flipped it on. “Can I tell you what I want?” I turned around and leaned against the counter.
Vivian waved her hand and rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard what you want before, Kennedy, but go ahead.”
I took a deep breath and gripped the edge of the counter. “I want to own Zen. I want to find a man to marry. I want a family of my own. I want that man to be Dante Craig, and I don’t care how much money he has. I’m not in love with him because he has a fat bank account. I fell in love with him before I knew who his parents were.”
“Well, I’m sure finding out who they were helped you fall in love,” Vivian tsked.
“No, you’re wrong. I know that it’s a crazy thing for you to wrap your head around, but I don’t care about his money. When I found out he had money, everything inside of me told me to run as fast as I could.” I closed my eyes. “I wanted to run because I saw what having money did to you, and I never want to be the woman who cares more about her shoes than she does her daughter.”
“That’s not true, Kennedy.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I don’t know how you don’t see it. What mother shoves sixty-year-old men at her twenty-five-year-old daughter and thinks that’s ok? They are the same age as Dad!”
“Those men are well-to-do and have well-established lives. You would be lucky to be able to marry one of them.”
“But they’re fucking old!” I yelled. “Saggy balls and wrinkled dicks! Who in their right mind wants that?”
�
�Kennedy, keep your voice down, and do not cuss at me.”
“It seems cussing at you is the only way to get your attention. I love Dante Craig, Vivian, and I could give six shits about how much money he has. Do you hear me?” I turned a slow circle in the kitchen with my arms out. “I don’t give a fuck about any of this!”
“Now you’re just being juvenile, Kennedy. You’re going to wake your father.”
I dropped my arms and stared at Vivian. “Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
“I am happy for you, but I’m also worried about you. I know you say you don’t care about money, but we live in a world where money is king, Kennedy. I don’t want to see you struggle.”
“So you’d rather hand me off to the highest bidder so I can be miserable? I know I need money to live, but I also need to be happy.”
Vivian slammed her hand down on the counter. “Then go be happy, Kennedy, and don’t come crawling back to me when your happiness can't buy you a damn loaf of bread. Before I met your father, I struggled, Kennedy. I struggled to the point where I lived in my car and didn’t eat for a week because I sunk all of my money into that damn art gallery. Is that what you want? Why must you think that money is all I care about? Money matters to me because I know what it is like not to have it. So excuse me if I will do everything in my power to make sure that you never go through the things that I did. I want what’s best for you.”
I shook my head. “But I’m not struggling, Vivian, and I have money. Money that I am earning on my own.”
“Then don’t be with Dante, Kennedy, so you can say that you’re doing everything on your own and you don’t need a damn man. I’m done arguing with you over this. Yes, I pushed you too hard, but look what it did? It made you into a woman who succeeded on her own. I will never regret the decisions that I made with you. You can hate me, but I know you succeeded. I’m proud of the woman you are, but I still worry.”
“But I want to be with Dante, Vivian. I just don't want people to think that I’m with him for his money.”
Vivian ran her hands through her hair. “Then don’t care what people think! Dammit, Kennedy. You say one thing and do another. You say you don’t care about money, but then you won’t be with a man because he has money.” Vivian pushed away from the island and stood in front of me. “I saw the way that man looked at you. When you two were sitting on the couch, you looked like you were in your own world. I saw it, Kennedy. I saw the love you had for him, and you freaked out because he had money. I pushed you to succeed, but I also did you a disservice in making you think that money is evil. We all need money to live. And while more money makes life easier, you still need love in it. I admit I was blinded these past years thinking that those men were right for you because all I was seeing was dollar signs. But seeing you with a man, laughing and smiling, I realized that while money is important, so is love.” She grabbed my hands and pulled me into a hug. “I haven’t been the best mother, but everything I did was because I just wanted the best for you.”
“Dante is what’s best for me, Vivian.”
“Mother,” she muttered.
“What?”
“Call me mother. I never should have insisted you call me Vivian. Every time you say it, I feel like a bitch.”
I chuckled and rested my cheek on her shoulder. “I never thought you were a bitch, Mother, I just never understood what you were doing.”
Vivian sighed and squeezed me. “I’m sorry, Kennedy. Please tell Dante I’m sorry too. I’m the reason you freaked out.”
I closed my eyes and hugged my mother tightly. It had been years since she had hugged me, and I forgot how much I missed it. “I’ll tell him if he ever talks to me again.”
She pulled back and looked me in the eye. “You make that man listen, Kennedy. He’s a man, and he has pride, but I know what I saw. He loves you.”
“I hope you’re right, Mother.”
Vivian scrunched up her nose. “Mother still sounds a bit bitchy. How about we try mom?”
I wiped my nose with the back of my hand and nodded. “I think I can give that a try,” I chuckled.
“Now,” she said, stepping back. “Am I going to have to pay Dante a visit?”
I shook my head. “Um, no. I think I have this one under control. But if I need you, I’ll let you know.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I know we’re in a better place now, but I still want you to know that I want what’s best for you, and I will push you towards that no matter what.”
“I think I can handle that.”
“Is it safe to come in now?” Dad was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, leaning against the wall.
“Oh Henry,” Mom muttered, “Come make some breakfast for Kennedy and me while I run upstairs to change.”
Dad moved into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her. “Welcome back, sweetheart,” he whispered.
I smiled and saw that my parents really did love each other despite everything I thought. “Um, actually. I need to get on the road to Lansing.”
“Lansing? What on Earth do you need to go there for?” Dad asked.
“Um, just someone there I need to talk to.” Dante. Dante was there, and I was going to watch him kick some ass and ask him if he still loved me.
“That’s a three-hour drive. Take a cup of coffee with you and a banana.” Mom pulled out of Dad’s arms and moved to the coffee pot.
“A banana? Hell, you need something more than that to eat. Can you wait ten minutes?” he asked me.
I glanced at the clock on the wall and shrugged. I had talked to Kellan last night, and he said sparring normally starts after lunch, so I did have a little bit of time. “Ten minutes, and then I need to get out of here.” I pulled out a stool and sat down while my mom and dad worked together to get me a breakfast to go, and I couldn’t help but smile.
A weight had lifted off my shoulders after talking to my mom, and I felt that things had actually changed for the better between us. I guess when you want the best for someone, you sometimes lose sight of other important things.
I had finally come to an understanding with my mom, and now I had to see if I could get the man who had my heart in his hands back.
One down, one to go.
**********
Chapter 30
Dante
“Still on the hunt for a MILF?”
Roman shook his head. “Nah.”
“What? You give up on your final quest?” I laughed.
Roman smirked and shook his head. “Scratched that one off the list a few weeks ago, brother. You’ve been too busy chasing your tail with yoga girl to notice anything.”
I pulled my gloves out of my bag and slapped them on my thigh. “You feeling neglected?” I asked. “Are we not telling you how amazing you are anymore?”
Roman scoffed. “Please, I don’t need you fuckers to stroke my ego. After all, I’m Ro—”
“Roman Fucking Yeck,” I finished for him.
“Yeah, fucker,” he drawled.
“So how’d you manage to fulfill your MILF quest so quickly?”
Roman shrugged. “Chick kind of fell in my lap.” Roman grabbed his bo and bowed into the empty ring we were sitting by.
It was almost one o’clock, and we were waiting for the thirty-five and up sparring to begin. Roman and Ryker had both competed, taking first place in each of their categories. Now, it was up to me to take first so Powerhouse would have a clean sweep.
“One of these days, those chicks that seem to fall in your lap aren’t going to want to leave when you kick them out of your bed.”
Roman tossed his bo in the air, spun around twice, and caught it behind his back. “Pretty sure this chick has no interest in staying in my bed, brother. Although, I really wouldn’t mind a repeat performance. Hot as hell,” he muttered.
“Hold on, hold on. Did I just hear you say that you wouldn’t mind going back into territory you already tread? What happened to the love ‘em and leave ‘em?”
Roman shrugged and spun his bo around. “Guess I finally found something I like.”
I was blown away. For all the shit Roman gave us about finding chicks and falling in love, it looked like he was about to go down that same path. “You gotta at least tell me this chick’s name,” I insisted.
Roman shook his head. “Hell no. I ain’t saying shit ‘til I know the chick is mine. I ain’t going down looking like a pussy-whipped asshole.”
“You’re just gonna keep looking like a regular asshole, got it.”
“Why don’t you finish getting your gear on and don’t worry about me, fucker.”
The annoying beep sound rang through the large room, and everyone stopped to hear what they were about to announce. “Thirty-five and up sparring has been moved to ring fifteen. Thirty-five and up sparring, ring fifteen.”
“Dammit, I knew they were going to move the ring,” I muttered.
“Looks like luck isn’t on your side today. Moved your damn ring on you,” Roman laughed.
I grabbed the bag I had next to my chair and tossed it over my shoulder. “Should have known it. They always move it.” Roman and I were at ring thirty-one where they had initially scheduled sparring, and now we're going to have to hike to the other side of the large room.
“Give me the damn bag,” Roman called from behind me. “You don’t need to pull something before you get in the ring.”
I handed the bag off to Roman and shook my head. “I’m pretty sure I can handle carrying my bag,” I muttered.
“Well, what kind of coach would I be if I didn’t help you?”
“The kind that makes me carry my own bag.”
We were halfway across the room when we spotted Jim Corners from Cornerstone M.A. “Fuck,” Roman muttered when Jim saw us.
We had managed to stay away from him all day, but he was headed toward us, and he looked like he was on a mission.
Black Belt in Love (Powerhouse MA Book 3) Page 19