by L A Cotton
“Stop.” He waved me off. “I’m not looking for an apology. I just need to know you’re serious about her,” Kyle glared at me. “I’m talking marriage, kids, the whole fucking deal. If you ever hurt her, Berrick, I will cut off your dick and feed it to you through a straw.”
“If I ever hurt her, I’ll let you,” I said, because something told me if I admitted I wanted all those things with her, he’d do it anyway.
He narrowed his eyes, as if I was a puzzle he was trying to solve. “I always knew there was more to it. I didn’t want to believe it then and I’m not sure I want to know now.” Kyle dragged a hand through his hair. “Just tell me one thing, you haven’t... I mean... No, actually, don’t, I don’t want to know.”
“Listen, man, I’m not going to try to pretend this isn’t weird for you—”
“You think?” he snapped.
“But I want you to know I never touched her, not until...”
“Whoa, whoa, I don’t want to hear—Wait, a minute, you mean you’ve... with my... Fuck, I think I’m going to pass out. Medics, someone call the medics.” He started looking around, clutching his chest, his eyes wild and frantic.
“Kyle, are you—”
“Gotcha, fucker.” He exploded with laughter.
“You’re so fucking strange,” I mumbled, leaning back against the railing. “But me and you, we’re good?”
“When you put a ring on it, we’ll be good. Until then, you just better pray you don’t fuck up. Because I know people think Rick’s the brother you need to watch out for, but—”
“Please tell me you’re not threatening to murder my boyfriend at my birthday party?” Kiera strolled up to us, glancing warily from her brother to me and back again. I reached for her and she came willingly, slipping onto my lap. The blood drained from Kyle’s face as he watched us, and I couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit smug.
“Do you have to do... that?” He waved his hands at us.
“Kyle, seriously, we’ve done a lot more—”
“Babe,” I whispered in her ear, covering her mouth with my hand. “Let’s not send him to an early grave.”
She shrugged, so at ease with me in front of her brother. I couldn’t deny it felt fucking amazing. Like vindication after all we’d been through to get here.
“Yes, baby sister,” he mocked. “Listen to your boyfriend.”
“I’m eighteen tomorrow,” Kiera said with an air of defiance. Jesus, she couldn’t just let it go.
“And you were fifteen when Berrick first laid eyes on you, don’t think I’ve forgotten that. I haven’t.” He gave me another pointed look.
Shit. I kept my mouth closed, letting Kiera field this one.
“Get over yourself, Kyle. I was almost sixteen. And it wasn’t like I was a virgin anyway—” She gasped as she realized what she’d just said.
“Okay,” I said, lifting her off my lap. “I think you should go find the girls and let me get Kyle another drink.” Something told me he would need one after her revelation.
Kiera’s gaze flitted from me to her brother and back again and then she took off, hurrying inside.
“Did she just say—”
“Yeah, yeah she did.”
“Fuck.”
“That was my response too.”
His eyes slid to mine in question. “You knew?”
“There isn’t a single thing I don’t know about your sister.” Or, at least, I hoped there wasn’t.
“Is he... do I know him?”
“Come on, don’t do that. Don’t put me in the middle of this.”
“It was an ex from her old high school, right?” He nodded to himself as if anything else just wasn’t an option. “A nice guy? Someone who treated her right?”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head.
“Fuck,” he said again, dragging a hand down his face. “Now I really want to kill someone.”
“Look, take it from me when I say, you don’t need to worry about Kiera.”
“She’s with you, Berrick, don’t tell me I don’t need to worry.” He smirked, but I saw the genuine concern in his eyes.
“I love her, man. I love her so fucking much it scares the shit out of me. She’s going off to college soon...” We’d be separated again. Me in UCLA and her one-hundred-and-twenty miles away in San Diego. We hadn’t talked about what would happen yet, but I already knew I didn’t want to say goodbye.
“I know that look,” Kyle said catching me off guard.
“What look?”
“You’re thinking of doing something crazy, aren’t you? Like following her to college crazy?” His brow rose.
Shit. Was I?
Yeah, I was.
I so fucking was.
“I could get transferred and—”
“Fuck me, Berrick, hell really has frozen over. When you walked into the party tonight, holding her hand, I didn’t want to believe it. I thought it was some sick joke. No offence.” He tipped his head at me. “But now I know.”
“Know?”
I was struggling to keep up with him.
“Dude, you just admitted you’re thinking of following my sister to college. You may as well buy the ring now because I know how this story ends.” He flashed me a knowing grin.
“And you’d really be okay with that? Me transferring schools to be with her?” I didn’t even know if it was possible. Classes resumed in less than six weeks. Maybe I could delay the semester or something. My old man would lose his shit, and I was pretty sure it would mean yet another argument, but I was done letting other people dictate my life. Besides, Mom knew all about Kiera now; she was already on our side, so she could deal with him.
“Look, do I like the idea of the two of you together? No, I fucking hate it. But do you know what I hate even more? The idea of her moving to San Diego and being taken advantage of by someone worse than you. So, the way I see it, this is a win-win. You get the girl and I get to know my sister has someone looking out for her.”
“Huh.” I rubbed my jaw. “You’re handling this a lot better than I anticipated.”
“You’re telling me,” Kyle said. “Earlier I was plotting your gruesome death with one of the cheese knives.”
“Well, I’m glad you changed your mind.”
“The jury’s still out, Berrick, but we’re family now. And Stepmomster would have lost it if I killed my new brother-in-law at my sister’s birthday party.”
“This has been... enlightening and all.” I frowned. “But we should probably get back inside.” My eyes searched the glass windows for any signs of Kiera.
Kyle clapped me on the back and laughed. “It could have been worse, I guess.”
“Worse?” I met his amused expression.
“Yeah, you could have been Jack-ass.”
Kiera
“WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY’RE talking about?” I asked Lo as we tried to spy on Kyle and Trey talking outside.
“You, obviously.”
“Kyle talks a good talk, but he’ll just be relieved it’s Trey out there and not Jack,” Maverick came up to us.
“Was he really that bad?”
“Yes,” they said in unison and I scowled at them. Just then, Trey and Kyle came back inside. I quickly checked them both over for any signs of bruises or injuries.
“See, told you,” Maverick said going to greet them.
“This is so weird,” I mumbled. “It’s weird, right?”
“What’s weird is you even liked Trey in the first place,” Macey said. “I mean, he’s just so...”
Nudging her with my elbow, I stuck my tongue at her. “It’s a good job you don’t like him, or things might have been very different.”
Macey grabbed my hand and pulled me to one side. “I am sorry though,” she confessed, guilt glittering in her dark eyes. “I wanted to tell you... about the engagement. I should have told you. But I wanted to protect you.”
“I know,” I said around a weak smile. The Stone-Princes protected what was thei
rs come hell or high water, and I was finally getting that extended to me.
That shut her up and after a lingering hug, she excused herself to go find Devon. The guys lingered near the huge French doors, Trey’s gaze flicking to mine every other second.
“This is so great,” Lo said. “Now we can all hang out and not have to worry about Kyle murdering Jack in his sleep.”
“You really think he’ll get over this?”
She turned to me and smiled. “I know he will. Deep down, he just wants you to be happy and anyone can see how much Trey loves you.”
“Thank you.” I hugged her. “For everything.”
“I’m just sorry it took so long for him to realize.” Lo winked as I pulled away.
“Have you seen Summer and Nick? I haven’t seen them yet.”
Something flashed over Lo’s face and a sinking feeling spread through me. “What? What is it? Is something going on with her and Nick?”
“It’s nothing. I’m sure Summer will be here soon.” She plastered on a smile too quickly. So quick that I knew she was lying, knew everything with Summer wasn’t fine. But before I could push her for more details she said, “I think he wants you.” Her eyes darted over to where Trey was, now all alone, his eyes settled right on me.
“Happy Birthday, Kiera. Go be happy, you deserve it.”
I gave Lo a little nod and went to Trey. He opened his arms, pulling me into his embrace. “I missed you,” he said.
“You did?” I gazed up at him, my heart so full I thought it may burst.
“Yeah, and I’ve been thinking.”
“Steady, you might get a headache.”
“Very funny.” He shot back, leading me around the bar to where some tall tables were set up. Trey helped me up onto one of the stools and stood between my legs, his arms fixed around my waist.
“How would you feel if I came to San Diego with you?”
“Like to visit?” My brows crinkled, and he smiled, giving a little shake of his head.
“Not to visit, no. For college.”
“But you go to UCLA, why would you—”
“For a smart girl you’re really pretty dumb sometimes,” he said around a smirk. “I know it’s early days and I know I’m probably moving way too fast, but the thought of leaving you when—”
“Yes,” I rushed out, my head finally catching up with my heart. “Yes, I want you to come to San Diego.”
His eyes lit up. “For real?”
“For real.” I nodded, sliding my fingers to his collar and pulling him toward me. “I don’t want to be anywhere you’re not.”
“Good.” He kissed me. Slow and deep, sliding his tongue against mine as if he was reacquainting himself with me, the feel of me. And then he said the ten little words I felt like I’d waited a lifetime to hear, “Because I don’t ever plan on leaving your side again.”
The End
Thank you so much for reading Wicked Hearts.
Don’t forget to leave a quick review.
And look out for Wicked Promises (Wicked Bay #7) coming summer 2019.
Pre-order on iBooks / Kobo / Nook here, or sign up for an Amazon Release Alert here
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Playlist
Without Me – Halsey
Call It What You Want – Taylor Swift
Ruin My Life – Zara Larsson
Hold The Line – Broods
Come Back – Bahjat
Bad Things – MGK ft. Camila Caballo
Worth the Fight – Broods
In My Blood – Shawn Mendes
Someone You Loved – Lewis Calpadi
Friends - Shallou
Let Me Go – Hailee Steinfield
Right Now – Nick Jonas, Robin Schultz
Nothing Breaks Like A Heart – Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson
Let You Love Me – Rita Ora
End Game – Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran
Dancing with A Stranger – Sam Smith with Normani
Grace – Lewis Calpaldi
Author’s Note
Seven books in (eight counting Wicked Surprise, which is available now, by the way!) and this doesn’t get any easier. I think I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again – this series changed my life. The support and love you, the readers, have shown for Lo and Maverick and the rest of their family and friends has been more than my wildest dreams. I said at the end of Wicked Needs that there would only be this book and one more after ... I lied. Summer will be getting a book too, and it’s coming next! So that’s two more books to go and at least one spin-off story (but more about that another time). It’s so hard to say goodbye to characters you’ve spent so much time with and I’m not ready to do it just quite yet.
As always a huge thank you my tribe: my editor, Andie; my author pals, Anna and the rest of the Indie Girls; my blogger / reader friends, Nina, Nadine, and Sloane, and every one else I talk books with on messenger; Lucy and Nikki J for always being their to help spread the word and keep me organised; Jessica for doing a very last minute proof read for me; and Emily at Social Butterfly for being their to take care of all my release promo. Writing a book is a solitary gig but publishing ... well, that takes a village!
Lastly, to every single person who has entered this journey with me and stuck around for the ride, THANK YOU!
Until next time,
L A xo
Excerpt from Loyalty and Lies
Available on all platforms
The locker next to me slammed shut, and I jumped. "Everything okay?" a deep voice asked.
I looked up and my breath caught. The green eyes staring back at me were the most beautiful things I had ever laid eyes on, sending a pang of guilt through me. I was so entranced that I didn't notice the rest of his face at first, which, as I pulled my eyes back, I realized was equally as gorgeous.
My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I managed to choke out, "Hmm, yeah. My toggle's caught."
I tried to shuffle closer to the locker in an attempt to hide, wishing the ground would just swallow me up. It was bad enough that he was talking to me, but I was attached to the locker looking all flustered. Just perfect.
"Let me have a look." He dropped his bag to the floor and reached for the black elastic tethered to my jacket on one end and the plastic toggle on the other. His fingers worked the toggle and with a small tug, I sprang free. "There." He looked down at me and smiled, sending my heart into overdrive. His eyes...wow, they really were something else.
"Thanks. Hopefully, the rest of my day will go better." My eyes fluttered down as I acknowledged the moment. I hadn't interacted with—let alone talked to—a guy in sixteen months. To anyone watching us, it would have looked totally normal, but for me, it was huge. Dr. Simmonds would be so proud.
"Well, my work here is done. I have to get to class. See ya." He brushed past me, and I watched him walk away.
In their usual fashion, my eyes noticed the little things. The way that his shirt clung to his well-defined arms and broad shoulders. His short brown hair, sticking up in different directions. How his jeans hung low off his slim hips. The small, indecipherable tattoo hidden under the shaved hair at the base of his neck. It looked like wings or some kind of leaf, but I couldn’t be sure. Okay, so my eyes noticed everything, but it wasn't until he disappeared out of sight that my world crashed down around me.
What in the hell are you doing? my mind scolded. Shaking the thoughts from my head, I hurried to class and hopefully, my salvation.
I was late. The door opened with a loud creak, and the whole room turned to see who was making all the noise. Sinking into a free seat at the back of the room, I hoped nobody would notice my beet red cheeks.
"As I was saying before we were interrupted, do not expect this class to be easy. Each and every one of you will earn your grade." The tall slim man down on the stage stalked from one end to the other, his stern gaze eyeing the audience.
"Name your price, sir," an unidentified voice called out and a low r
umble of snickers broke out around me.
"Who said that? Identify yourself."
Silence fell over the room, and the man pinched the bridge of his nose and heaved a sigh. "I will not be bought, young man. Anyone who thinks as much should transfer out of this class."
At first, I thought it was a joke, but there was a note of sadness in his voice and look of defeat etched into his expression that suggested it wasn't a joke at all. What is it with this place?
The man walked to a small desk at the side of the stage and pressed a button, causing an interactive board to flicker to life. "We start with the classics. Irving, Poe, Twain, Hemingway. You should have all seen a copy of the reading list, purchased, and read said books, but for those of you who did none of the above, catch up. You've got a month before we start comparing works by Poe and Hemingway."
For the next hour, the professor introduced us to the course with a series of slides and a monosyllabic explanation. After a while, his voice became a robotic beat and I was no longer hearing definitive words, only a jumble of sounds and grunts.
My eyes wandered from my position at the back of the room. It was a first-year course, so I figured most, if not all, of the students were freshmen. Some yawned, doodling on their notebooks, while others were holding their own whispered conversations. I even spotted one guy, sitting two rows in front of me, asleep. As I chuckled under my breath, my pen started to roll and before I could catch it, it dropped off the end of the table, clattering to the floor.
A couple of heads turned in my direction, but I ignored their stares and leaned down to pick up the pen. My fingers fumbled around until I grasped it and straightened in my seat. Someone on the end of the row in front of me was turned in my direction, watching me. Except it wasn't just anyone—it was toggle guy. His greens sparkled, widening slightly in recognition as a slow smile spread over his face. We stayed that way for a few seconds, staring at each other, before the redhead sitting next to him placed her hand on his arm and commanded his attention. She glanced behind her, locking eyes with mine. They spoke volumes as they narrowed at me, and I received her message loud and clear: Back off, he's mine.