He let go of Tammy. “I did my homework on you when you first arrived.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Greg said.
Aaron continued. “I asked Coach about you too. He showed me tapes of your games at your last high school. I’d never seen a girl pitch like you. You’re the best girl I’ve ever seen play. No offense to Mandy. She was good, but not like you.”
Kody mumbled but kept himself in check.
“I was afraid any scouts who showed up this season wouldn’t pay attention to anyone but you. I hated you. I wanted you to go away. Then two things happened. I saw how you helped my sister, Tiffany, with that bully, Ron.” He shrugged. “I knew then you were a team player and not someone who was out for herself.”
Or maybe he’d learned a lesson about being a team player.
He scratched his head. “Then after our first game when you pitched your ass off and we won… I don’t know. I didn’t want to start the season with an attitude that would bring down the team. Shit, it’s my senior year, the scouts will be at games, and as captain I need to keep things positive. I know with your pitching that we’ll go to the playoffs. Both you and Shaun”—he gave Shaun a cursory glance—“have been great so far.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Does this mean all your psycho games are over and we can play ball without all the snide comments and threats?”
“My goal is to win games and win State. Plain and simple.” A sheen of sweat coated his face.
The crowd applauded, whistled, and shouted.
A boy in the back yelled, “You got balls, Seever. I admire you for that.”
A girl said, “Way to go, Lacey.”
Aaron sounded sincere, and for him to spill his guts among his peers was better than a simple I’m sorry. But I wasn’t going to bask in glory just yet. Words were great. Actions were better. We had more games to play, and he was standing amid the Maxwells, who wanted to let loose their fury not only for his threats against me, but because Aaron was one of Greg’s co-conspirators.
I angled my head at Kade. “What do you think?”
“That was a great speech, Seever,” Kade said. “Time will tell how sincere you are. It’s your turn, Sullivan. Are you willing to come clean like your cousin? Maybe apologize to Kody for putting him in the hospital?”
Kody’s blue gaze was drilling a hole in the back of Greg’s head.
“This was a bad idea on my part,” Greg said. “I’m out of here.”
“You came here to ask for help,” Kelton said. “You’re here now. So talk.”
The triplets still had their arms crossed over their chests and were blocking Greg from leaving. He scratched his black greasy head.
“Just ask the question,” Seever said.
“Why? So we can stand here and go through another round of questioning from a girl who thinks she’s better than us?”
“I hate to break it to you, Sullivan. She is better than you,” Kade said. “Lacey is better than most people I know, including me. She doesn’t go around bullying people. She doesn’t go around calling people bitches. She doesn’t threaten to break someone’s arm just because they might be better than her on the ball field.” Kade glowered at Tammy, Aaron, and Greg.
Again, surprise wound through me. Kade wasn’t the type of person to brag about anyone or anything, and definitely not in public. Part of me wondered if the change in him tonight was a one-time occurrence designed to help us resolve our differences.
“You don’t have to defend me to them,” I said to Kade.
“You’re right. But if I don’t, I’ll put Sullivan in the hospital along with Seever.” He turned to Greg. “I’ve heard enough tonight. Say what you came here to say, then get the fuck off my property. We’re trying to have a party.”
Everyone clapped again.
“My father doesn’t believe Pitt’s men shot me,” Greg said. “I thought I could ask for your testimony as to what went down that night. If you recall, the police didn’t question you or Kelton or Hunt. There is no police report, and Pitt won’t take my father’s calls.”
“That’s not our problem,” Kelton said.
“I’m confused.” Kade hopped off the tailgate and got in Greg’s face. “You want us to tell your father what? That you and Seever ambushed Kelton, tried to beat the shit out of him, and pulled a knife on me? Is that what you want? I’d be more than happy to do that.”
Greg straightened, adjusting his crutches. “And how Pitt’s men shot me.”
“Why?” I asked, climbing down to stand next to Kade.
“Without a police report, I can’t prove anything, and I want Pitt to go down for what he did to me.”
“Aaron isn’t the only one with balls,” Kross said. “How dare you ask us for help when all you’ve ever done is cause us trouble? Unless you’re willing to spill the truth about your involvement in Mandy’s accident, then I suggest you leave before I break your good leg.”
Kody’s chest rose, and his nostrils flared.
“Or,” I said, “I could ask my Uncle Jeremy for a meeting in exchange for your testimony about your involvement in Mandy’s accident.”
“Come again?” Greg said. “Are you telling me that the Jeremy Pitt is your uncle?” His seedy features were scrunched up in ten different ways.
“That’s what the lady said.” Kade grinned smugly, as did the triplets. “Do you still want to bargain?”
The buzz in the crowd grew louder.
At my back, Tyler said, “I didn’t see that one coming.”
Aaron said, “Shit.”
The others also spouted words in surprise, but my attention was on Greg.
He considered his options, then he said, “I’m out of here. I’ve told the police and you a million times I had nothing to do with Mandy’s accident.”
“Didn’t you see her at the same gas station just before she died?” I asked. I remembered Kody telling me Mandy called him when she’d seen Greg at the gas station.
“I told the police that,” Greg said.
Kody was riveted to his spot. Kelton and Kross were on either side of him.
“What did you say to her?” I asked.
The light went out in Greg’s eyes as though he knew he’d never leave unless he came clean. “You would never believe me if I told you. So why bother? You already have me down as guilty regardless of what I say.”
“If you know more, just tell them so we can all move on,” Aaron said.
If it weren’t for the rustling of the tree branches, we could have heard a pin drop. I held my breath. Kelton and Kross drew closer to Kody. Kade watched his brothers.
Greg blew out all the air in his lungs. “I was getting gas. Mandy pulled in to fill her tank. All I said to her was that it was a great day for a bike ride. She hurried to get gas. She called someone on her phone, then she peeled out of the gas station.”
Kody flew at Greg, knocking him to the ground, and drove a right hook into Greg’s face. Then another right hook. Left jab. Then another round. “I don’t believe you,” he yelled.
Greg tried to cover his face. “I swear to God,” Greg shouted. “I swear.”
Tyler, Aaron, Kross, and Kelton peeled Kody off Greg. Then Aaron helped his cousin to his feet.
Kody was breathing heavy. “Get the fuck off our property. And no, you don’t get our help, ever. Whatever your beef is with Pitt, handle it yourself. If I ever find out you aren’t telling the truth—whether it’s next week or ten years from now—I’m hunting you down like an animal and killing you.”
“One last thing,” Kade said as he stalked closer to Greg. In a blur, Kade rammed his fist into Greg’s gut. “That’s for the night in the garage when you pulled a knife on me.”
Greg bent over, grunting.
I pushe
d my tongue against my teeth. So much for Kade not fighting.
Tyler, Shaun, Kross, and Kelton escorted Aaron, Greg, and Tammy off the property.
“Becca,” Kade said. “Can you do me a favor and cue up some music?”
“Sure thing.” She jogged down to the funhouse.
Within minutes, music was blaring and the crowd had dispersed somewhat, talking amongst themselves and gathering around the fire again.
Despite Kade’s last act, I stood dumbfounded at how the night had turned out. Kody clenched and unclenched his fists as he leaned against the tailgate. Kade joined him. I shuffled up to the other side of Kody.
The moon shone down over the lake, lighting up the ripples on the surface of the water.
Kody was still breathing heavy, his knuckles bruised and bleeding.
I slipped my hand into Kody’s. He closed his fingers around mine. “It hurts to hear Mandy’s name. It still fucking hurts.”
God, my heart split into so many pieces. “I know the feeling.”
“You know what hurts the most? I wanted Sullivan to pay. I wanted to believe he was the one who forced her off the road.”
“Kody, nothing’s fair,” Kade said. “Our sister’s death wasn’t fair. The deaths of Lacey’s mom and sister weren’t fair. We don’t control fate. We can only control our actions, our decisions. I know you miss Mandy. Just like we all miss Karen, and Lacey misses her family. At our age, we shouldn’t have had to experience the hurt and pain of death. But our experiences make us stronger so we can face what’s ahead.” Kade’s voice broke. “I love you, Kody. I’m always here for you.”
“You’re not alone.” I threw my arms around Kody.
When Kade joined in on the hug, tears spilled down my face, and I felt as though I was part of a family again.
Chapter 28
Kade
I passed Hunt and his partner, who were parked in their Escalade on Lacey’s street. When her father was home, they gave the Robinson’s some privacy, although Hunt checked in with Mr. Robinson every hour.
The bay doors of Lacey’s garage were open. Today I was spending time with her to hopefully mend our relationship. After the party had resumed, I’d hardly had the chance to talk to her. Kids had been chatting her up about how awesome she was and asking her if she really was related to Jeremy Pitt. She hadn’t divulged much except to say that Jeremy’s wife and her dad were siblings.
“Hey, Mr. Robinson?”
He poked his head out from under the hood of Lacey’s car. “Oh, Kade. Lacey should be in her room. Or at least she was when I came out here.”
“Problem with her car?” Please say no. The last thing we needed was for her to get stuck somewhere.
“Just changing the oil.” He wiped his hands on a towel. “Have you two worked out your differences?”
“Not yet. I didn’t want to ruin her fun at the party last night. We agreed to talk today.” A boulder sat heavy in my stomach. Hell, my nerves were all over the place. I’d practiced my speech on the way over, but I wasn’t sure words were the key to resolving our conflict. “I never thanked you for doing your part in telling Lacey about your adoptive family before my deadline.”
“I know it didn’t help your case with her. You’re right. My daughter is strong, and we both need to be more open with her.”
If only you could’ve seen her last night. Strong was an understatement. My girl was the star of the show. She was strong, calm, determined, and had nerves of steel. As I’d watched and listened to her interaction with Tammy, Seever, and Sullivan, I’d been spellbound. Usually she was the type of girl who acted out her aggression with knees to guys’ groins and fists to girls’ faces. Last night, though, physicality as a way to tackle a problem had gone out the window. Her words and fortitude had been brilliant. She’d not only earned respect, she’d commanded it in such a way that everyone either feared her or revered her.
Unlike me. It had taken everything I’d had not to fly off the tailgate and drown Seever in the lake after hearing what he’d said about wishing Lacey’s plane had crashed. My restraint was short-lived when I punched Sullivan with every ounce of strength I had. Years of pent-up hatred for the guy and what he’d done to Kody and the hell he’d put us through was all I’d been able to think about as Kody had unleashed his wrath on Sullivan. I’d caught the way Lacey had recoiled and how her face had blanched. I knew she didn’t agree with what I’d done, and I might’ve ruined my chances with her.
I nodded at Mr. Robinson. “I agree.” I left him in search of Lacey, thinking I had to take a page out of her playbook for our conversation.
The house smelled of something delicious. As I passed the island, I spied a pan of blueberry muffins on a wire rack. I thought of my mom as I climbed the stairs. She loved to bake cakes. She had a knack for decorating them with flowers and other designs.
“Hey.” Lacey’s voice drew me back to the present. “I thought I heard you.”
I dragged my gaze up to a beautiful creature in low riding sweatpants and a Dodgers T-shirt that sat a little higher on her waist, exposing her fabulous abs. Don’t go getting all horny. You’re here to talk. Tell that to your dick.
I followed her like a puppy dog into her room, where she flopped on the bed. All I could think about was tackling her, stripping off her clothes, and devouring her. I got as comfortable as I could on the edge of her bed with one leg underneath me. “Studying?”
“Chemistry test tomorrow.” She twisted her hair up on her head and stuck a pencil in it.
I looked away. Otherwise I wouldn’t be talking. I’d be showing her how sorry I was. My gaze landed on her nightstand. “Is that the infamous nursery rhyme book?”
She gave me an impish grin.
Yeah, I was thinking of “Humpty Dumpty,” too. “I’ve been a complete ass to you during this Pitt and Lorenzino mess.”
“Kade?”
“No, it’s my turn to talk.” If I don’t, you’ll be naked in the span of a minute.
She crossed her legs and gave me her full attention.
“You said some things that day in my theater room that I’ve been turning over and over in my head. I know the pain from the death of a loved one. I also know how far you’ve come in the six months we’ve been together. I’m not perfect either. We’ll both have nightmares and memories of our turmoil. But, Lace, I don’t have PTSD. I’m learning about the symptoms and how to support you. I want to protect you from everything, including your PTSD. I know I can’t. I know it’s up to you to heal. I also know I need to support you and not shut you out.” I exhaled. “Baby, please, never for one second believe that I think you’re pathetic. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way and for everything else.” My practiced speech came out easily.
She folded the corners of the pages of her chemistry book. Her eyes were downcast. A brittle silence dangled.
Say something. Anything. The quietness drove the nausea to churn inside my stomach.
“It’s…” Her voice broke. “This is hard for me.” She kept her eyes on her book.
My pulse went into overdrive. I’d so fucked up. My heart skipped several beats. I couldn’t lose this girl.
She lifted her soft green eyes, worrying her bottom lip. “I have so much going on that I don’t know how to process it all. I could be in danger. I have a new family, albeit a mob family. I have baseball. I want that baseball scholarship to ASU. I have an illness that stops me in my tracks and causes others to freak out along with me. I don’t want anyone’s pity or sympathy. The only way I can do that is to tackle a couple of things at a time.” She pushed out all the air in her lungs as her cheeks puffed.
Please don’t say it. Please don’t say it. I was squeezing the energy out of every one of my muscles.
“But…” She held my gaze. “I know you’re sorry. I know you love m
e. But until my other problems are behind me, I can’t work on a relationship. I just can’t.”
“So that’s it? You’re breaking up with me?”
Her shoulder came up to her ear. “I guess. I guess I am.”
The blood drained from me. My tongue was frozen to the roof of my mouth. I’d been too cocky and comfortable in our relationship. My brothers were right. Hell, Tyler was right. “For all that we’ve been through, not even let’s take it slow?” My lungs burned with the need for air.
“You need someone who is okay with you shutting them out. You need someone who doesn’t question your motives. I want a partner, not a boyfriend who thinks he knows what’s best for me. I have my father for that.”
“I didn’t shut you out last night.” She was drawing my heart out of my chest in tiny pieces, and an emptiness engulfed me.
“I’m not sure one night is enough,” she said. “I’m not even sure you know how to solve problems without using your fists.”
I was about to say that Sullivan had deserved it, but then I remembered my father’s words—no one deserves to be beaten. I slowly got to my feet on the shakiest legs I could remember having. I could argue with her all day about all the reasons why we were good for each other. The set of her jaw and the determination stamped in her eyes told me she wasn’t budging, and if I didn’t get out of there, my lungs were about to collapse. “For what it’s worth, my intentions and actions were out of love. I hope you at least understand that part.” I crossed the room to the door. Somehow I had to show her she was my partner.
“You’ll always have a place in my heart,” she said.
I gripped the doorjamb before stalking out of the room and then the house.
Chapter 29
Lacey
As soon as Kade left, something snapped in my brain. I picked up my chemistry book and tossed it across the room. It smashed into the wall with a resounding thud, knocking a framed poem to the floor. Tears poured out of me. I’d thought long and hard about our relationship after the party last night. He’d been more reserved than normal, especially with Sullivan showing up. He did ask my opinion about Greg. He didn’t attack Tyler. He did defend me in public, which for Kade was out of character. We also enjoyed a great moment with Kody after Greg left. Yet I wasn’t sure if the events at the party were enough to repair our relationship. Not to mention that he’d let loose on Greg. Kade had always said he wouldn’t throw the first punch, and last night he had.
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