Midwest Fighter (Kendall Family Book 2)

by Jennifer Ann

  “Not exactly a surprise your rockstar’s into kink,” I tease. “We all have our fetishes.”

  Her hands shoot up to cover her ears. “I don’t want to hear yours!”

  Laughing, I pry her hands from the sides of her head. “Tell me what’s going through that noggin of yours and I promise to keep my scandalous rendezvous with your brother to myself.”

  “I can’t believe you’re going to be the mommy of my niece,” she confesses, her goofy smile making another appearance.

  “Or nephew,” I correct sternly. “As challenging as it would be, we mustn’t rule out the fact that I could be raising a miniature version of James. God help us all.”

  “Whatever. I really want it to be a girl. Just think, Shar! The two of us could spoil the shit out of her, having girls’ trips together to get our nails done, shop, whatever. All the things you and I normally do together, only we’d have a mini Sharlo to show off. We could design the world’s cutest little dresses and make matching bows for her hair. She’ll be the most gorgeous bug in the world with your hair and JD’s big brown eyes!”

  My heart stutters with the vision of a blond-haired, brown-eyed beauty nestled inside the safety of James’s thick arms. Perhaps this parenting gig isn’t so dire after all.

  “As grand as that sounds,” I tell her, “from what I understand that’s not how it works. You aren’t able to simply ‘pick’ the baby’s sex unless you’re filthy rich. Even then, there’s not enough money in the world to choose after conception. Do we need to have ourselves a little discussion on how these things work?”

  Snorting, she bumps my arm. “Whatever. We’re going to be family, Shar. I mean officially.”

  “You and the baby, yes.”

  She clicks her tongue. “You can’t be my niece’s mom and not be related to me. That’s not how it works.”

  “Well your brother hasn’t exactly popped the question, now has he?”

  Her lips curve with a smirk. “Do you want him to?”

  “Perhaps one day, when the timing’s right.” I press my lips together, keeping the remainder of my thoughts on the subject to myself. It’s quite unnecessary to share my nagging question of whether or not James merely wants to be with me out of obligation to help me raise the child, or that the concept of marriage terrifies me more than the rumored Backstreet Boys reunion. And it’d be a wasted breath to argue we haven’t been together long enough when a short courtship worked brilliantly for my mate and her rocker.

  Evelyn turns to glance at herself in the vanity mirror. When she faces me again, her entire face is lit with a glowing smile. “By the way, Charlie and I talked to Katie this morning and she has no problem with you guys staying here as long as you need. I know you’re trying to figure everything out between my brother being homeless and your place not being safe, so I wanted to help out in any way I could.”

  I shake my head. “We couldn’t impose.”

  “Why not? It’s the least I can do after you invited me to come out here and live with you. I never would’ve met Charlie, and there’s no way I’d be this happy. I owe you big time.”

  I pull my bottom lip through my teeth as I contemplate her offer. I did recently resign at the gallery and could work on designs for our fashion line from anywhere. And the idea of not having to return to the flat where there seems to be a target on my back has me sighing in relief. I’m not completely sure James would go for it though, especially seeing as he mentioned an interest in pursuing MMA fighting with Nolan’s guidance. There are still so many bloody issues we have to sort through that it makes my head woozy.

  There’s a soft knock at the bedroom door before James pushes his way inside. It doesn’t seem to register with him that his sister’s also in the room the way his eyes darken as they study me from head to toe. He licks his lips before they quirk with an adorable smile. “You look se—”

  “Don’t say it!” Evelyn pleads, popping to her feet and clapping her hands over her ears once more. “Wait until I’m out of the room to start any dirty talk!” Then she hugs me and whispers, “I’m so happy for you guys.”

  “Enough to loan us your crop?” I whisper back.

  “I’m outta here!” she cries, scurrying from the room.

  “If she has a problem with me saying you’re sexy as fuck, this is going to be a long weekend,” James tells me, biting back a grin.

  “You’ll simply have to whisper your sweet compliments into my ear,” I say, joining him in the doorway. I become putty the moment his arms wrap around my waist and I’m immersed in his manly scent. I can’t imagine there will ever come a day when this beautiful man fails to spark excitement between my legs, making me crazy randy. Now that I’ve envisioned him as a fearless protector of our infant, it’s going to take a brigade to stop me from expressing my feelings for him in public.

  He bends, grazing his lips across my earlobe when he whispers, “You look sexy as fuck.”

  “Don’t suppose there’s time for a quick round?” I ask, gripping his fit ass with both hands as he plants kisses up and down my neck.

  “I’ll always have time for you, baby, but if we start now, we’ll miss the party.”

  “That’d be rather unfortunate,” I manage despite becoming breathless from his tender kisses.

  With a groan, he settles his face in the curve of my neck and flexes his muscles around me. “You make me so fucking happy.”

  Tears prick my eyes, making it difficult to respond without breaking down like a blubbering wanker. This is a man who once didn’t know the meaning of “happiness,” and now he’s saying I’ve afforded him the opportunity to understand it. Does it make me a masochist that those specific words make me want to throw him down on the mattress and make love until the sun goes down?

  I squeeze him back and whisper, “I believe I know the feeling.”

  Hunter hollers his greeting in an ear-splitting noise when we enter the backyard. After slapping hands with his twin, Hunter crushes me in his arms. As he sets me back down on the patio, his eyes dart down to where James claims my hand and he snickers.

  “I fucking knew it! That bastard Asher acted like there was nothing going on between the two of you, but…twin intuition, man!” Leaning in, he kisses me on the cheek and whispers, “I totally called it.”

  James pushes him away from me, pretending to be angry. Or at least I assume he’s pretending the way his lips twist with an almost-there smile. “Quit flirting with my girl. Go cool yourself off with a beer. They’re inside by the food.”

  “About time you found yourself a good one,” Hunter tells his brother, slapping him on the shoulder. “Don’t screw it up.”

  “Asshole,” James mutters as his brother strolls back toward the house. Then he’s pulling me in his arms and running his lips along my jawline. I once again feel a need to drag him back to the bedroom, company be damned.

  “You still feeling okay, baby?” he asks.

  “I’m brilliant,” I promise, turning to meet his lips.

  Despite having an audience of more friends and family that have arrived, some of which I don’t recognize, James goes wholeheartedly after the kiss, gripping my bum and gyrating his hips into mine.

  I’m gobsmacked when we hear a high-pitched squealing noise calling every nearby dolphin, and break away from James to find his oldest sister, Angelina. Granted, I’m still intimidated by her timeless beauty, especially when she’s dressed as if preparing to sail the Greek islands. But I’d be lying if I claimed her reaction didn’t feel like a seal of approval that I hadn’t anticipated.

  “How long has this been going on?” she asks, coming after me for another crushing embrace. The Kendall children sure know how to make a girl feel welcome.

  “A while,” James barks out, obviously not ready to go in on the details.

  “Well, I can’t believe there’s someone out there willing to put up with our James,” Angelina replies, backing away with her fingers locked through mine. “You’re well on your way to sa
inthood, sister.”

  “That’s a bit brass, don’t you think?” I scold. “He’s been the rock for your family all these years. I would think he deserves nothing less than the utmost respect for putting everyone else’s needs ahead of his own.”

  Her piecing blue eyes flitter between me and James as a blush fills her cheeks. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” Her perfectly white teeth flash when her eyes settle on her brother. “Sorry, JD. I’m glad you found someone who isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind. You deserve to be happy.”

  James merely stares at her until Evelyn appears to greet their sister, breaking the tension. I rise to my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “I’m feeling parched. I’ll be right back with a pint for you and something far less exciting for me.”

  With heavy eyes, he draws me in for a soft kiss before letting go. I feel as if my head is in the clouds as I wander off toward the house in search of a beverage. I finally understand the meaning behind the old cliché “stupid in love” and wish to shout my devotion from the rooftop. Perhaps I understand that “baby brain” nonsense Katie once mentioned as well.

  Braden, looking fit as ever, seeks me out as I’m leaving the kitchen and greets me with an embrace so grand that I’m quite literally swept off my feet and nearly spill my ginger ale. He’s as built as James and wears a musk cologne that sets my heart aflutter. No use pretending the Marine Corp bit doesn’t excite me in a way Nolan’s patriotism once did either. Even in board shorts and a Billabong T-shirt, his regulation haircut gives him away as being in the military.

  Once he sets me down, he slings an arm around my neck in a side-hug and flashes his deep dimples. “Please tell me it isn’t true about you and my brother. I can think of a dozen things I’d rather call you than my sis, and none of them are PG.”

  A bright laugh falls from my lips. “Best not let him hear you say such things. You do remember he has a possessive side, yeah?”

  “I can take him,” he quips, winking. “I hope you and my sister at least invited some of your hot friends. I’ve been in Japan for way too long. I need to find myself a good ol’ American woman.”

  “If there are any present, I’m quite sure they’ll find you,” I tease, bumping into him with my hip. “You’re rather difficult to miss.”

  “Brae!” Evelyn calls out, running to her brother.

  Katie trails in behind her, stopping at my side to watch as the siblings hug and exchange words. Her eyebrows raise as her gaze fixes on Braden’s plump ass.

  “Hot damn,” she whispers. “Having Ev’s brothers around is like being on the set of a photo shoot for Calvin Klein underwear. What in the hell was in the water where that family grew up? I’m going to need some alone time after watching them parade around without shirts all day. If I weren’t old enough to be that boy’s mother, I’d be willing to teach him a thing or two.”

  “Hunter’s unspoken for,” I whisper back.

  “And he’s, what? A whole two years older than this one? I can’t be messing around with boys who are hardly older than my sons, Shar! People go to jail for that kind of thing!”

  “Only if they’re under eighteen.” I wiggle my eyebrows, soliciting an eye-roll from Katie. “And I’d like to point out you’re not literally old enough to be their mum. They’re in their twenties and this one has been around the world, fighting for his country. Nothing’s stopping you from having a bit of fun.”

  “Stop. Tempting. Me.” Wiping at her face, she begins to walk away, muttering, “I need a shot of something really strong.”

  Catching her sister-in-law’s forlorn expression as she passes by, Evelyn turns to me. “What’s with her?”

  “Sexual frustration,” I stage whisper.

  Braden bursts out laughing before starting out after Katie. “I’ll see if I can be of assistance.”

  “Don’t even think about it!” Evelyn calls after him.

  “This is all so lovely,” I say, hooking my arm through Evelyn’s as I take a sweeping look around the backyard. Charlie stands behind the microphone on the make-shift stage, tuning his guitar as his drummer’s making adjustments to his kit, and the rest of the guests start filling in to watch. “Can’t believe I’m among the privileged about to witness Thrashtag’s first public reunion.”

  She grins madly, the pride for her rockstar husband glowing in her eyes. “Anyone within a mile radius will hear them. By the end of the night, the beach down there will be packed. Charlie doesn’t seem too concerned about it though. He says everyone along this side of the Hamptons is pretty chill. Most everyone knows he owns this place, and they usually leave us alone.”

  “Where’s Sofia? I have yet to see her since she arrived.”

  “We got into a pretty ugly fight,” Evelyn admits, flattening her smile. “I suppose I should go check on her.”

  “No bother, I can do it on your behalf. You should be up front-and-center when your hubby strikes his first chord. Wouldn’t want him thinking he’s lost his biggest fan.”

  “Are you sure you want to put yourself through that? She can be…difficult.”

  “Haven’t you heard?” I ask with a goofy grin. “Difficult Kendall siblings is my specialty.” I kiss her on the cheek before heading back into the house.

  “Third bedroom on the right!” she hollers to my backside. “You’re the best, Shar!”

  As I make my way down the hallway, I hear the opening notes of one of my favorite Thrashtag songs and curse myself for being so agreeable.

  “Sofia,” I call out quietly, tapping my knuckles on the door. “You in there, luv?”

  With no answer after a full minute of tapping on the door, I try the handle to find it open. The room is completely bare with no sign of anyone ever having been inside, though the French doors are wide open. I start across the room, intending to close them, when my eyes catch on a patch of blond hair near the driveway. When I step outside, I find Sofia with her luggage in tow, waiting alongside the curb.

  “Sofia!” I call out. “What on earth are you doing?”

  She jumps with the sound of my voice. When her eyes find mine, she snatches her rolling bag and takes off in the other direction on foot.

  “Wait!” I yell, taking off towards her. “Where are you going?”

  She must sense I’m not far behind when she begins jogging down the sidewalk and cries, “I’m leaving! It was a mistake to come here!”

  “Don’t be daft. You’re certainly not going to walk back to Texas!” When she refuses to slow her roll, I take off in a sprint and curse myself for not keeping up with my fitness routine because of morning sickness. This child hasn’t even found its way out, and already it’s turning my life on its head.

  Sofia reaches the end of the sidewalk on the cul-de-sac and begins to cross the street. I’d be tempted to laugh at how quickly her heeled feet shuffle across the asphalt if I weren’t so annoyed. That one is even more stubborn than her brother.

  “Trust me when I say your sister wants you to stay!” I tell her, crossing the street at her heels. “I’m not up to date on whatever may have transpired between you and your siblings in the past, but they all seem quite eager to mend bridges! Stop pouting and come back so we can talk this over properly! I’m horribly out of shape and can’t chase you much longer!”

  I’m unable to hear her response over the deafening roar of an engine.

  Chapter 20

  JAMES

  Charlie’s band finishes up their first song and everyone in the backyard loses their damn minds, clapping and howling. A small crowd has gathered where the backyard meets the beach, some of them talking with Dante and others taking pictures with their phones. Though I’ll openly admit I’m a Thrashtag fan, I don’t have it in me to applaud while looking around for Sharlo. Even though she said she was feeling okay, I have an uneasy feeling about her disappearance since she said she’d be right back. I wouldn’t put it past her to say she was fine just so I won’t worry.

  Nudging my way past everyone, I start for th
e house and make a quick sweep of the bathrooms. Just as I’m passing one of the empty bedrooms, I hear the squeal of tires followed by a gut-clenching scream.

  Adrenaline shoots through my limbs, pumping my legs. I dart through the empty room and through the open glass doors leading to the front yard, stopping in the driveway. At first I wonder if I imagined the god-awful noise, then I glance down the street and find a set of burn-out marks leading up to a dark sedan that’s crashed into a neighbor’s stone gate. But I hardly pay the car any attention before my eyes land on a woman—Sofia—running to an unmoving body.

  Sharp razors of dread shoot up my spine.

  I know those bloodied legs and the sandals scattered around them.

  No. No!

  My legs start pumping, propelling me toward the nightmare.

  When Sharlo’s broken body comes into view, I almost fall on my ass.

  Her eyelids are closed and her face is covered in road-rash.

  Blood soaks into the pavement around her head.

  It reminds me all too much of the night I found Dad.

  I stumble backward, shaking my head.

  No no no! Not my Sharlo!

  The sound of someone yelling my name sounds distant and fuzzy, like they’re standing at the end of a tunnel.

  My stomach clenches violently as someone roars, “Call an ambulance!”

  Quiet moans send me running in the direction of the car. A gray-haired man murmurs from behind a deflated airbag in the driver’s seat. I stalk toward him and grab onto his unbuckled chest, yanking him out onto the grass by his shirt. The stench of booze clings to him like shit on a pig. A blinding need to kill him for hurting Sharlo shakes me to the core.

  “I’m so sorry!” the man cries, thrashing his head back and forth. “I’m…I made a mistake! I wanted him to pay…what have I done? Oh god! What have I done? Please forgive me!”

  His broken apology spins through my head, the words disconnected and slurred. My hand trembles, trying to make a fist.