To release all this frustration, I’m going to need a much longer than normal shower.
Reality roundhouses me as my head takes over again. I’m killing myself. All it’ll ever be is the fantasy.
What the hell kind of cursed cosmic timing is this? She comes back into my life, challenging me in every way. And she’s drop-the-fuck-dead gorgeous. I never thought I’d see her again, and now to see her here, like this. She’s the perfect woman.
Possibly the only perfect woman for me.
And yet, as much as I want to scorn the universe for it, I’m just so fucking grateful she’s here. And safe.
And hasn’t noticed my leering.
“Ha! What did you do? Lose a bet with Cade?” I startle and spin around at the sound of Reese’s voice behind me.
“What the hell are you guys doing here on a Sunday?” He and Talon must’ve just come through the doors.
“Checking up on you, loser.”
Talon interjects, “Cade thought you might need some recon by the end of the weekend. How’s it going?”
“Amazing. I’m fine. You guys can totally go.” I try to turn them around, shoving them back toward the door so they won’t see Elle. Especially Reese! I don’t want him within a mile of her.
“Fuck that. Already ditched the team for the afternoon. Besides, Core’s best when it’s like this, all calm with just North House kids. Which one should I hang with?” He swivels his head, scanning the room… then the studio. His gaze lands directly on Elle as she slides into a sexy cobra pose. “What the hell is she doing here?”
Talon smiles, folding his arms across his chest. “Connor didn’t lose a bet with Cade. He obviously won it.”
“She’s your second? Are you fucking kidding me?!” Reese’s tone drips with jealousy.
“Lower your voice!” I scold. “Yes, she’s my second. We have girls in the house.”
“Oh, you dog!” Reese looks like he’s going to lose his mind.
“So you see, we have everything covered. I don’t need either of you.”
“Cade has never done that for me before,” he whines.
“Take your head out of your ass. He didn’t do it for me either. He just needed a female in the house.” That’s a half truth, it was Debra who totally did it. “She’s interning.”
Reese glances over. “I’d like to intern her.”
“You’re my brother, but if you talk like that about her again, I’ll knock you on your ass.”
“Alright, alright, keep your skirt on.” He waves me away but takes me seriously enough to stop. “You can stop peacocking. I forgot you had a thing for that one.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ, will you shut up? I don’t want her to hear you. It’s a… sensitive situation.”
Reese’s face breaks out in a tell-tale grin as he hitches in a breath to say something else, when Talon claps his hand over his mouth.
“She’s all yours.” Talon looks toward Tyler, Brandon and Nicole. “Reese, why don’t you go hang with them.
Reese smacks Talon’s hand away from his face. “They’ll be way more fun than the two of you.” Then he gives each of us a swift shoulder shove as he saunters away, but not before giving an over-the-shoulder glance at Elle.
“I’m going to kill him,” I growl, starting after him.
“No need.” Talon blocks me. “He’s just taken too many hits to the head.” His eyes land on Max and Lily. “Cade and Debra never take kids that young, what gives?”
Not even Talon knows what’s going on. “I’ve got some explaining to do.”
Elle comes out of the studio. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I say. Her face is flushed with the exertion of her workout, making her even more stunning. “Have you met Talon?”
“No, but I’ve seen him and his friend before.” She glances toward Reese. “Here at The Core.”
“They pretty much live here like I do. They’re two of my brothers. Elle Hayes, this is Talon Ward.”
“Nice to meet you, Elle.” Talon shakes her hand.
“The other one is Reese and not worth being introduced to,” I quip.
“Hey, Connor!” Jackson hollers from the sparring ring. “You ready to get your butt kicked?”
Cupping my mouth with my hand, I call back, “Think you’re up to the challenge?”
“I know it!” he shouts.
Smiling, I poke a thumb in his direction. “Gotta go get my butt kicked.”
Elle smiles back. “Good luck. He’s got a tough right.”
“I have no doubt.” God, I can barely think straight with her standing so close. “Would you introduce Talon to Max and Lily?”
“Of course.”
Jogging to the ring, I bend and step through the ropes, approaching Jackson, who’s dancing in the middle like he’s Muhammad Ali.
“So, you think you can take me?”
“I know I’m going to get a few good shots in,” he retorts as he hammers his right fist into the palm of his left hand.
“Alright then.” I’m proud of his confidence. “Let’s get you suited up.”
He follows me over to the side wall where all the free-use gear hangs on hooks. I teach him how to wrap his hands and lace the gloves.
“If you could learn anything today, what would it be?” I ask.
“How to block and hit back hard. I’ve gotten my ass beat a few times in juvie by bigger guys. It sucks being so small.”
“It can be a disadvantage, but you have a skill another kid may not have.”
“What’s that?”
“Agility and speed.”
“How do those help me? I’m not running away from a fight.” He shakes his head defiantly. “That’ll only get my ass beat worse.”
“I’m not saying you should run away from a fight. However, you always have to assess your danger and risk factors for each situation. Sometimes running is your best option. But not today. I’m going to show you what to do if some jerk is being a bully.”
We come to the middle of the ring. “First, center yourself. Never strike in anger—it puts you at an emotional disadvantage.”
“How do you not feel angry?”
“Take some deep breaths through your nose. You don’t want a big fight. This isn’t a television show or movie; those are choreographed like a dance routine. You want to get in and get out fast. Strike and move away.”
I show him different hand strikes, how to protect his fingers and face and where to land the hardest, most debilitating hits.
“The rules are often different depending on if you’re fighting a kid roughly your own size or if you’re being forced to protect yourself from a much bigger kid or an adult who’s trying to hurt you.” I show him how to connect knee to groin and bring a punch to the nose. And I tell him when he should run.
After a half hour of instruction, I say, “Come at me, Jackson.”
He does, but it’s light and halfhearted.
“Give your all.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
Good kid. “I’ll be fine. Trust me. I’m always getting my ass kicked in here. Really go for it.”
He comes at me hard, fists flailing, and I remind him to refine his punching strategy.
Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I see Talon and Elle ambling side-by-side down the aisle toward the ring, their eyes focused on me.
Christ! They’re talking about me. What is Tal saying?
She laughs a little and then so does he. Great. That’s great. Probably chatting about what an ass I am.
I’m fully distracted, watching them and wishing I had Batman hearing, when a solid hit slams into my sternum.
My muscles weren’t even flexed. Yowch! I double over, holding my chest where Jackson hit me as I catch my breath.
“I did it! I really did it!” He jumps up and down, pumping his fists in the air.
At first Elle makes a small O shape with her mouth in surprise, then realizing I’m probably okay, she hides a giggle behind the palm of h
er hand.
“The victor!” Talon calls, pointing to Jackson.
Jackson bows to his audience.
“Perfect hit,” I say when I can breathe.
I catch Elle smiling shyly in my direction as she walks by, but she averts her eyes. Maybe I imagined that look.
I’m good at imagining. I think about my earlier fantasy.
She and Tal turn and walk away together.
“Thanks, Connor! I feel strong.”
“You should, buddy. That was one hard hit.”
“You know,” Jackson begins, “I think she likes you.”
“What?” My neck snaps, I move it so fast to look at him.
“Elle. I see the way she looks at you. My mom used to look at my stepdad like that.”
I try to say something in response. My mouth even opens, but nothing comes out.
Suddenly his gaze drops to the floor. “The week’s going to be over soon. Do you know what’s going to happen to us then?”
Major subject change. “Not yet, but I’m working on it.”
“I’m um…” His words drift off.
“You can tell me anything.”
“Don’t tell Elle or Max and Lily…”
“All secrets are safe with me. I promise.”
“I really miss my mom. And I’m scared they’re going to separate us again and I’m not going to be able to find them or do anything about it.”
That sobers me up quick. “Of course, you miss her. I believe she’s watching over you, Max and Lily. And Elle and I are going to do everything we can to keep the three of you safe and together.”
“I trust you.”
My whole goal now is to make sure I earn that trust. “It’s going to be okay, Jacks.”
“Jacks?” His expression brightens.
“Do you like the nickname?”
“Yeah. I like it a lot!”
“Good. What do you say we get out of here and grab some burgers and fries?”
“Awesome!”
We go through the kids’ favorite drive thru, then head home. All in all, it’s been a terrific long weekend.
A terrific three days, I think, stealing a glance at Elle who sits in the passenger side next to me. Her soft gaze focused out the window makes me wonder what she’s thinking about. I still my hand, keeping it from wandering over to brush her hair back over her shoulder.
Three terrific days, however, means we only have four left.
Four days is not enough. I want more. So much more.
Parking in the driveway, I tell the kids, “You guys can finish eating outside and play some b-ball while Elle and I get a few things ready for tomorrow. Unless you get too cold,” I add. “Then you can come in for some chores.”
The kids file out, paper bags and drink cups in hand, into the backyard, descending upon the snow-dusted picnic table. With the threat of chores, I know they’ll stay put as long as they can.
I watch Elle as she hops her sweet ass out of the passenger seat. “I’ll bring the sack of dirty clothes to the laundry and make a pot of coffee. Would you like some?” she offers.
Why can’t I read her eyes? I’m a lawyer, for Christ sake! Cross-examination is my specialty. This is too personal. Was Jackson right? Does she look at me like that?
What’s wrong with you, Connor? He’s just a kid.
I swallow hard, needing a minute to get my head together. “I’d love some.”
She nods, slings the gym bag over her shoulder and is off to the house.
As I lean back in the seat, all the air leaves my lungs. I’ve racked my brain, tortured myself; I’ve had too many restless, sleepless nights. I need more time.
More time to get her to fall in love with me.
Just then, Elle runs around the corner from the back of the house, straight to the van. Her face is ashen, her eyes panic-stricken.
Immediately, I open the door and jump out. “What is it? Are you alright?”
“No.” She’s breathless. “A huge guy, in the house! In the kitchen!”
All I can think of is Prescott—maybe even Harrison—and the man who one or both of them possibly hired to intimidate or even hurt Elle after the court hearing.
“Stay here,” I order.
Behind the house, I peer around the corner through the kitchen windows. The guy’s back is to me as he rummages through the kitchen drawers. He is huge. He’s wearing a black leather jacket and has dark cropped hair.
His next stop is the refrigerator. When he turns, he’s throttling the neck of the maple syrup bottle.
I jog back to Elle who has her phone poised, ready to dial 911, I’m sure.
“No need for that,” I assure her, gently putting my hands around hers and lowering the phone.
“Elle Hayes, this is another one of my brothers, Josh North.”
Josh stands up from the chair—all six feet four inches and two-hundred twenty-five pounds of him—a platter of pancakes the size of his head on the table in front of him.
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he tells her as he wipes his hand over his mouth then on his jeans before he reaches out with it to shake hers.
She laughs a little, and I hope it relieves her tension.
“I popped in for a surprise visit, but everybody was gone. Of course, I found these leftover pancakes and decided to help myself.” He smiles sheepishly. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all.”
He sits down, shovels them into his face by the forkfuls and says with a mouthful, “So good.”
“I know. I made them.” I roll my eyes.
“Oh. You house parenting? Where are Cade and Debra?”
“Vacay, can you believe it?”
“No way. Really?”
“They’ll be gone a week.”
“Great for them. They never go anywhere,” he says. “Always here do-gooding.”
I’m almost surprised Elle didn’t recognize him. “You don’t follow professional MMA, do you?”
She shakes her head. “Why?”
“Josh is Heavy Weight Champion, four years running.”
“That’s incredible.”
“Not as incredible as these pancakes.” He points with his fork. “Jesus, Connor, if you ever decide to drop out of law you could open a breakfast house.”
“Thanks. At least I’ll have something to fall back on.” I might need it. “Popping in for a visit… what’s the occasion? And are Sophie and Charlie around?”
“Who are Sophie and Charlie?” Elle asks.
“My wife and daughter.” He reaches into his back pocket, pulls out his wallet and flips it open to show Elle their picture.
“She’s so cute.” Elle looks at me. “She’s about the same age as Max.”
“Almost,” I confirm.
“They’re at Quinn and Liam’s place settling in.”
“Settling in?”
“Something about a wedding,” he mumbles around another bite of food.
“Oh shit!” With everything going on, I forgot all about Adrienne and Gwen’s wedding. “That’s on Friday, isn’t it? It’s also their five-year anniversary, right?”
“Correct. Just five days away. Sophie wanted to be around to help with the details.” Josh lifts his plate to his mouth to lick the remaining crumbs and maple syrup.
Elle laughs and so do I. “Is Soph starving you or something?”
“Or something.” He realizes he just looked ridiculous in front of Elle and adds, “I apologize for my lack of manners. I had a weigh-in the other day and well, pancakes.” He shrugs like a kid. “Did you get your plus one yet?”
“Really? You’re going to bring that up?”
“That’s a no.” He turns to Elle. “Are you single?”
“Oh my God.” I roll my eyes and think of how I can get out of this moment. “You don’t have to answer that.”
Elle grins as if she’s amused by both of us.
“Adrienne’s gonna kill you if you show up to her wedding stag.”
“Which is ridiculous. I’ll face her wrath,” I say. “Conversation change.”
“Yeah? She’s pretty serious about her rule.”
“I get it. Stupid Ryder,” I grumble.
“Another brother?” Elle guesses.
“Yup.”
“Who has she met so far?” Josh puts in.
“Talon and Reese at The Core. Now you.”
“The Core.” Josh takes his plate to the sink and starts washing it. “Are you working there too?”
“I’m the yoga instructor.”
“That’s great. Cade had that studio built a while ago but never found the person he wanted. You must be pretty special.”
She blushes at the compliment.
“Now you’re here too. House mothering?”
“Yes. I was excited to take the internship.”
Josh’s eyes brighten. “Are you single, Elle?”
I jump in. “Thought we were over that?”
Elle answers this time, “Yes, I am.”
“Well hell, Connor. You should ask her to the wedding.”
My jaw hinges open. I’d love to just throw him… if I could.
“You two are friends, right?” he says, like everything is simple. “You’re getting along here as house parents, so why not? And she’ll get to meet everyone at the same time.”
For a second Elle’s eyes meet mine awkwardly.
“It’s going to be one hell of a party,” Josh coaxes. “You like parties, don’t you, Elle?”
“I… do,” she answers cautiously.
I close my eyes, wishing I could disappear.
“Speaking of the brothers, have you shown her the photo album?”
I shake my head, relieved he’s changed the subject, for now. “Didn’t think of it, actually.”
“But you told her THE story, right?” He’s looking at me like I should have.
“What story?” she asks.
“The story of the Brothers of Ink and Steel,” Josh states proudly.
Elle’s eyes sparkle curiously. She follows him as he strides into the living room and takes the photo album off the bookshelf with his beefy hand.
As she glances sideways at the cover, he speaks aloud the words she’s probably reading etched over the cover in calligraphy: “I Am My Brother’s Keeper.”
Risk: An Enemies to Lovers, Second Chance Romance Standalone (Brothers of Ink and Steel) Page 13
