by Caitlyn Dare
“A little,” Conner replies. “She doesn’t really talk about it.”
“Understandable.” He runs his hand along his jaw. “Hadley’s dad is one of the founding families of Gravestone.”
“Founding families, what does that mean?” I ask, uncertain I want to know. But then, part of me wants to know what was worth leaving me there in that cage for.
A shiver rolls down my spine and Conner presses kisses to my hair.
“I’m right here,” he whispers, and my eyes flutter closed. “You’re safe now, K.”
I nod. When my eyes open again, James is watching me intently.
“For what it’s worth, Kennedy, I will never forgive myself for all of this. But I had to know... we had to discover his base of operations.”
“Base of operations?” Conner scoffs. “This isn’t some espionage movie, James. It’s our life, and I think we have a right to know what’s going on.”
Mr. Jagger lets out a long steady breath. “Our family is from Gravestone. The people I work for, the men who control the town... they are not the kind of people you want to disobey, Son.”
“So what, they’re like gangsters?”
“I guess you could call them a gang. One steeped in history and tradition.”
“You mean like a cult?” I blurt out, because he’s being so vague and mysterious.
“The details are not important. What matters is that the less you know, the safer you are. I am repaying a debt to them. A debt I do not intend being passed onto Ace.”
“Ace? But you said—"
“Conner, please. I’m going to need you to trust me on this. The less said about Gravestone the better. Warren is gone, he can’t hurt Kennedy anymore.” He releases a weary sigh, and it’s then that I realize how tired Mr. Jagger is.
“No way. You can’t expect me to just forget all those photographs. I mean, what does Bexley have to do with any of this? He’s been gone for months.”
“Conner,” James warns. “I’m asking you to trust—”
“Trust works both ways, Dad. He tried to kill her. He put a gun to her head and—”
I throw my arms around Conner and hold him tight, feeling his body tremble beneath me. “Shh,” I whisper. “It’s okay, I’m okay.”
“No.” Conner cups the back of my head and presses his brow to mine, staring into my eyes. “Nothing about this is okay.”
He wants to push his father, I can see it right there in his cloudy gaze. But I’m crashing.
“I’m tired,” I whisper. “Take me back to bed?
“Yeah, okay.”
We stand, and Conner locks eyes with his father. “If you’re lying to me, if she’s still in danger, I will—”
“She’s not, Son. I promise, Kennedy is safe. The same goes for Hadley and Remi.”
“And the rest of us?”
“You are my sons. It will always make you somewhat of a target. But I swear to you, everything I’ve done, everything I will continue to do is for the three of you. So that you can have the lives you deserve.”
Conner gives him a sharp nod before pulling me from the room. He doesn’t stop until we’re back in the privacy of his bedroom.
“Fuck,” he breathes, “fuck.”
“Come here.” I pull him into my arms and run my hands up and down his thick biceps. “Are you okay?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what I am anymore. I’ve been the one championing him, you know? Ace and Cole, they were both so fucking wary when we first got here... but not me. I wanted this life.”
“I don’t think he’s a bad person, Con. Look at what he did. He helped Remi and Hadley, and now me. He’s trying...” Maybe I should feel disappointed to learn I was a pawn in the game between Warren and Mr. Jagger, but he still came. He still got me out of there. I was only there to protect Conner and his family, and I can’t help but think Mr. Jagger is the same. He does whatever is necessary to ensure that.
No matter the consequence.
Conner inhales a shuddering breath. “You could have di—”
“But I didn’t, I didn’t. We get forever, Con. We get our happily ever after.” I let my lips slide against his, trying to distract him. I know he wants answers, part of me does too. But this—us—is more important.
Being here, at the Jaggers house, being safe and loved in Conner’s arms… it’s the best thing that could ever have happened to me.
“Two and a half months,” I whisper against his mouth. “Two and a half months before we can take off and never look back.”
“Yeah?” His voice cracks.
“Yeah.” I rake my hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. “Sometimes you have to go through the storm to find the rainbow.”
The corner of his mouth tips. “Does that make me your rainbow?”
“Hmm, no... it makes you my everything, Conner.”
My every-fucking-thing.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Conner
"Are you finally ready?" Cole asks when Kenny and I join him, Ace, and Hadley in the kitchen after dumping our bags in the hallway.
"Yeah, we're ready. Where's Remi?" I ask, noting that we're not the last ones down.
"Went for a pee, seeing as you were making her wait so long."
"Jesus, didn't you two get laid last night or something?" I ask as Kenny snorts quietly beside me.
"We're just eager to get spring break started, and you two are dragging your heels."
"We're all ready. Remi," I holler. "Pee faster, we're going."
Her light footsteps sound out as we all turn to leave the kitchen. The house is in silence seeing as James and Sarah had a middle of the night flight to some mystery destination he was whisking her off to as a surprise, and Ellen is having a much needed holiday from the lot of us, so we've been left to lock up on our way out.
"Here, this came for you," Remi says, handing over an envelope.
"What is this?" I ask, my brows pulling together when I see a college stamp on the front.
"Acceptance letter, maybe?" she suggests with a shrug.
"But I—"
"Come on, let's get moving. You can open that on the way. It'll give us something else to celebrate," Cole says, pushing me from the kitchen, but I'm not looking at where we're going. I'm too confused about what's in my hands.
I threw all my applications in the trash. It can't be what I think it is.
"Are you okay?" Kenny's warm hand lands on my forearm and her wide eyes stare up at me.
Not wanting to bring the tone down by talking about our time apart when we're meant to be enjoying ourselves, I plaster on a smile and tuck the envelope under my arm as we follow the others out to the car.
As usual, Ace and Remi head for his bike, although not before dumping their bags in Cole's trunk. Ours join theirs before we climb into the back of Cole's car, Cole and Hadley taking their seats in the front.
"I'm so excited for this," Hadley almost squeals as Cole starts the car.
Kenny and I didn't go back to school this week. After everything, James kindly decided to turn a blind eye to the fact that we skipped—assuming he'd already talked to Vager and got Kenny back in, that is.
I couldn't have been happier to spend a few days in bed with my girl, allowing her to recover while I tended to her every need.
But now, I can't help but agree with Hadley. I'm so ready to get out of this place for a couple of days and to put the past few weeks behind us.
We had no idea that anything had been planned, but it turned out that James had arranged with Ellen for us to have the beach house she organized for Ace and Remi last year for her birthday.
Before anyone else gets a chance, I sync my cell to Cole's car and hit play on Imagine Dragons for the journey.
Stretching my legs out, I wrap my arm around Kenny and pull her into my side. Her small hand lands on my thigh and it warms me from the inside out.
Her bruises have started to fade, the visible evidence of what she went through thankfull
y disappearing with every second that passes, but I'm not stupid to think that the scars on the inside will fade so quickly.
She hasn’t really talked about most of it yet, I don't think she knows how to even start, but that's okay, she's got all the time in the world to open up. I'm more than happy to let her go at her own pace. All that matters now is that he's gone and we're back together.
She's yet to mention going back to the dorms after spring break, but I already know my answer, and I've already told James what’s happening. After everything, I figure he owes us. Kenny might not know it yet, but the Jagger house is as much her home now as it is mine.
I've still got so many questions for our dad. There are so many things he's keeping from us and I hate the constant knot that's twisting my stomach because of it. He says he's keeping us safe, that he's protecting Ace from having to take over whatever the fuck it is. But still, none of it makes sense.
I glance at Hadley, concern lacing through me that whatever this Gravestone shit is, involves her and her family. She might have turned her back on them, but still. Does she know more than she's letting on?
I haven’t had a chance to interrogate her yet, but I will.
And then there's Bexley and the other faces I didn't recognize on that board.
I shake my head, making about as much sense of it all as I did when I was standing in that warehouse.
"You gonna open that or what?" Cole asks, catching my eye in the mirror and dragging me from my thoughts.
"Yeah, babe. Open it," Kenny encourages.
"I-I think I'll wait until we're there."
"Conner, are you nervous?" Kenny whispers, her delicate hand landing on my abs and making my entire body flinch.
"I... um... yeah, I guess."
"Aw, you're so cute. You know they'll want you."
I love her confidence in me. I might have a little in myself if I knew I'd actually sent the applications.
"You're being a pussy, bro. Just open it."
"Leave him be," Hadley says, fighting in my corner and thankfully distracting Cole from pestering me.
"What's wrong, babe?"
I suck in a breath, debating what to say. In the end, I lean down and whisper in her ear. "I didn't send the applications," I admit.
She gasps in shock, her eyes flying up to meet mine.
"Why?"
"I just... I couldn't think about the future when you were..." I trail off, not needing to say the words out loud.
"So it’s not an acceptance letter?" She keeps her voice low so it's only us who can hear her. "What is it?"
"I have no idea."
She snuggles back into my side and I breathe a sigh of relief that she's not going to pressure me to open it.
The drive to the beach house is short, and just as Ace and Remi promised, it's a slice of heaven.
The house itself sits into the side of the cliff, overlooking the beach and ocean below. It's stunning and the perfect place for us all to hang out and forget about the stresses of life for a few days.
"Wow," Hadley breathes as she takes it all in. "I want to live here."
"It's a bit different to what I'm used to," Kenny says, her nose practically pressed against the window.
In only a few seconds we're out of the car and Ace and Remi are climbing from his bike. Ellen promised us that she'd organized for the place to be fully stocked and that all we had to worry about was our clothes and ourselves.
"Come on!" Remi practically bounces on the balls of her feet in excitement. "I want to show you the inside."
She threads her arm through Hadley's, who in turn reaches out for Kenny, and the three of us watch as they head for the front door.
Cole and Ace come to stand on either side of me.
"This is it, you know?" Ace muses. "We graduate in a couple of months and we're all going in different directions."
His words cause a lump to form in my throat. As much as I'm ready to jump into Betty with Kenny and head off into the sunset, I'm not sure I'm prepared for a life where the three of us are possibly living in different states.
It's always been the three of us against the world. I'm not even sure I know who I am without them.
"Con, you coming?" Kenny calls from the doorway. The sun shines behind her and she looks like an angel. My angel.
A smile curls at my lips as the tether that's always between us pulls tighter and I take a step toward her. I might be apprehensive about what the future holds, but I know one thing for certain: whatever happens, wherever we end up, it'll be together. Because Kennedy Lowe really is it for me.
"Come see our bedroom, it's incredible."
She spins on the balls of her feet and bolts for the stairs. I take two steps to her one and catch up with her in no time, wrapping my free arm around her waist and pulling her back into my body.
She giggles as I nuzzle her neck as she leads me toward an open doorway.
"Look at that view." She gestures toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, but I pay them no attention as I back her up against them.
"Looks pretty perfect to me," I mutter as I stare down into her eyes.
"Con, look at the ocean, it's beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you, K." A shy smile pulls at her lips. "I could look at you forever and never get bored."
"Conner," she breathes, leaning into my touch as I cup her cheek.
"I fucking love you, Kennedy Lowe." I drop my lips to hers and pin the length of her body against the glass.
The envelope, still under my arm, flutters to the floor, momentarily forgotten as I lift her so her legs wrap around my legs.
My hard length presses against her core and a groan rumbles up her throat.
"You two had better not be fucking already," Cole barks up the stairs, making us both pull away so we can laugh.
"Fat chance with your cockblocking ass," I call back.
"You're welcome. Hadley and Remi are making food. I know you're hungry."
My stomach growls right on cue, making Kenny giggle in a way that makes my heart constrict.
"Come on, let's go eat. We've got time for this later." She drops her legs from around my waist and I reluctantly stand back.
"I'm sure the food could wait a few minutes," I mutter, fake sulking as I take in the view I should have been looking at as we entered.
"And what about this? Can this wait?" When I turn around, I find Kenny holding out the envelope to me. "Don't you want to know what's inside?"
My lips part to respond, but I soon find that I don't have an answer because mostly I'm too confused to even make a serious guess as to what it is.
Taking it from her, I drop down onto the side of the bed and blow out a long breath.
"It's okay, babe. I'm right here."
My hand trembles as I open it and pull out the stack of papers inside, staring down at the top sheet.
"You got in," Kenny squeals as my head spins.
"How? I don't understand. I threw all the applications in the trash. I was so angry and I couldn't think about a future that didn't have you in it."
"As sweet as that is, Con, are you really sure? It had to have been sent. Colton wouldn't have just guessed you wanted to attend. Maybe Cole found it or something."
I stare down at K, my heart racing and my head spinning.
Would Cole do something like that? I can't see it, but I guess crazier things have happened.
"Does it really matter? The biggest question is which one are you going to go to?"
"I... I have no idea. I just can't believe—"
"Believe it, babe. The world is your oyster. You've just got to decide where to start."
Reaching out, I pull her into my arms and breathe her in.
I don't understand this, not even a little bit, but I can't help the wide smile that spreads across my lips as I think about what's to come. Despite everything, we might just have our dreams come true.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kennedy
“This i
s the life.” I let out a contented sigh as I stretch out on one of the sun loungers. Remi and Hadley are beside me, sprawled out in their bikinis.
“You three girls just relax,” Conner calls from his spot at the grill. He and Ace are in charge of the meat while Cole prepares the salad.
I snicker at that. The idea of Cole Jagger preparing any kind of food paints quite the visual.
“You look like you’ve got it all under control,” I reply with a smirk.
“It’s so good to see you like this,” Hadley says, catching me off guard.
“Like this?”
“Yeah, free... happy... safe.” Her expression softens. “I’m really glad you’re okay,” she adds.
“Yeah, me too.” My stomach twists, but I refuse to let any dark thoughts creep into my mind this weekend.
“Did he open it yet?” Hadley asks, and my brows furrow.
“Wait a minute,” realization sinks into me, “it was you.”
She nods around a smile. “He deserves to go to college.”
“You did that?”
“I did.”
“Thank you.” Our friendship might have had its ups and downs, but Hadley is a good person, and I know now that what she shares with Conner isn’t something I need to be threatened by.
“You know, Colton U has a rolling admission. You could still apply.”
“How did you know he’d pick Colton?” My eyes flick to the guys. Conner and Ace are goofing around while they watch the steaks sizzle on the grill.
“He’ll want to be close to Cole.”
“Yeah, I think you’re probably right.”
“So, what do you think?” she asks.
“You should do it.” Remi sits up, stretching her arms out. “Conner will want you by his side. And Colton isn’t that far away. We’d all still be close.”
“I think we’re going to travel first... in Betty. I want to see the country.”
“After everything you’ve been through, I think that’s exactly what you need.” Hadley smiles. She spots Cole coming outside and her body seems to lean toward him, like a magnet.
“So that ring on your finger...” I broach the subject. “Does it mean what we all think it means?”
