Ruthless Bastard

by Kennedy, Stacey

  “Well,” he said, staring out in front of him to the snow-covered sidewalk before addressing her again. “We all knew something was up a long time ago. I’m a bit surprised you two didn’t happen sooner, if I’m being honest.”

  While she’d had her very loving grandmother when growing up, who had been the nurturing maternal figure Kinsley needed, she and her father had always had this easy way of talking. He’d been the solid rock she could depend on. The one who gave her the talks about periods and sex and all the embarrassing stuff that no kid wanted to hear their parents talk about. From those talks, she knew what that tight set of his jawline meant. “But you don’t approve?”

  “Whether I approve or not really isn’t for me to say,” Dad replied after a long moment of deep consideration. “You’re having Rhett’s child. He’s always been a part of the family; now he’s simply more so.”

  Kinsley let that sink in for in a minute. If she boiled it down to simple terms, that’s all this really was. Rhett had always been there for as long as she could remember. He, Boone, and Asher had been inseparable since their first day of school. But if she were honest with herself, her heart hurt knowing that all they’d ever be were co-parents, only involved in each other’s lives because of their child. She wanted more, but those were her emotions talking. She knew what she deserved, and she knew that Rhett couldn’t give it to her. “I suppose you’re right,” she said with a smile that seemed more genuine than anything she’d felt since the motorcycle gang had sauntered into her bar. “We just gotta take this one day at a time.”

  “That’s right, kiddo.” Dad nudged her shoulder. “You’ve got this handled.”

  She slid her arm through his. “Did you have any doubt?”

  “Never,” he said with a firm shake of his head. “You’re my girl.”

  Silence and a whole lot of love drifted between them as they walked along her quiet neighborhood and took the next left, which led them toward downtown. When they hit Main Street, Dad stopped walking and turned to face her. “The traditional way of life isn’t always the right way,” he said. He must have overheard her conversation with the girls last night in her bedroom. “I did things right. I married your mother young. Provided for her. And that, as you know, didn’t have a great ending.”

  Kinsley heart somersaulted in her chest. “You were an amazing father.”

  He gave her a small smile that hinted at a long life filled with his own worries and pain. “Thank you for that, Kinsley.” That smile faded as he went on. “All I’m saying is, you’re going to be an incredible mother. And as for Rhett, it might take him a bit, but he’ll either get this right or he won’t, but that’s his situation to deal with, not yours.” Dad took her in his arms and hugged her tight. “I don’t need to remind you what you’re worth, right?”

  He’d always said the same thing to her through every heartbreak. There’s no one in the world like you, Kinsley. Don’t ever forget that. Any man you accept into your life needs to realize how lucky he is. You should never need to remind him of that.

  She leaned her cheek against the comforting warmth of his chest. “I remember.”

  “Good.” He placed a kiss on her forehead then she laced her arm with his again, and they continued on toward Main Street. “By the way, in case I didn’t say it last night, you’ve made me very happy. A grandfather. What a beautiful thing.”

  “You’ll be a good one too.”

  He beamed as he patted her hand against his arm.

  She hated the world for how it treated her father. It was the very same reason she felt nothing toward her mother. Dad never deserved the hardships her mother had hand-delivered to him. He deserved love and happiness. And she hoped one day a woman saw her dad how she viewed him. The goodness and kindness in him. How much he sacrificed to make others happy.

  When they finally turned onto Main Street, she found the town already busy, with most of the shops open and tourists walking along the treelined street, taking in the eclectic shops. Vintage streetlights hugged the road, with benches and flowers adding to the picturesque scene, and there was no garbage littering the streets. The town kept good care of their downtown. Everything was freshly painted, and the shop signs were all a mix of cute and unique. Small towns had their quirks, but Stoney Creek had oodles of charm. When they got closer to Peyton’s lingerie shop, Kinsley spotted Boone leaning against her bar’s door, scrolling through his phone.

  Dad must’ve seen him too and chuckled. “I guess I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep much last night.”

  Kinsley’s heart swelled as they passed Black Cat’s Cauldron. “Boone,” she called.

  Her brother glanced up, took in their father, and smiled, tucking his phone into his pocket. “Morning.”

  “Apparently, a busy morning,” Kinsley said, glancing between the two protective, loving men in her life.

  Boone shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets, looking like a younger version of their father.

  “I better get off to the station.” Dad dropped another kiss on her forehead. “I’ll check in on ya later, kiddo.”

  “Thanks, Dad. Love you.”

  His smile was his reply. Dad didn’t say those three little words, but he showed them his love all the time. The words didn’t matter much. He cupped Boone’s shoulder as he strode by, obviously leaving her and Boone alone to talk. She turned to her brother. “Is Rhett okay?”

  Boone frowned, pushing away from the door. “Let’s not make worrying about Rhett a habit, but yes, he’s fine. I talked with him last night.”

  She’d never learn about that conversation either. Boone was a vault when it came to his brothers, as was Rhett and Asher. The three men were so in sync with each other, Kinsley knew that bond would never break. Not even when one of them knocked up the other’s sister.

  “Just be patient with him, Kins,” Boone added gently. “This…”

  “Is hard for him,” she finished, waving at Doris, the lady who worked at the pharmacy, as she crossed the road. “You don’t have to tell me that,” she said, looking back at Boone. “I know he’s going to struggle with all this, and with any type of relationship, even if it’s a co-parenting one.”

  Boone gave her a leveled look. “Which begs the question, why would you let anything happen between you?”

  She deserved the question, as well as the reprimand in his gaze. Expected it even. She was smarter than to get mixed up with a guy with ginormous commitment issues and a whole laundry list of other emotional issues. “It wasn’t meant to be a thing. You know, it was just meant…”

  Boone’s mouth twitched. “To scratch the long itch that you’ve had for years.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “You knew?”

  “Of course I knew,” he stated gruffly, nodding hello at an elderly couple who passed by before he addressed her again. “When Rhett came home, he looked at you differently, and you certainly didn’t look at him the same either.”

  “Then why didn’t you just say something?”

  Boone’s brow arched. “Give my approval, you mean?”

  “Yes. Exactly.”

  Her brother watched her for a long moment then said softly, “You know why.”

  She swallowed back the sudden emotion rising up in her throat. “Because you wouldn’t pick him for me.”

  “He’s not solid enough for you, Kins,” Boone said gently. “Regardless if there’s something there between you two, you don’t deserve to take on the weight of his shit. It’s heavy.”

  But didn’t everyone have something heavy? The thing she had always liked about Rhett was that he didn’t hide it. She’d met a few guys over the years that seemed like these great, put-together people, and then suddenly, they weren’t that at all. There was no hidden agenda with Rhett. The cards were all laid out on the table. She knew it was just sex, and anything more than that with Rhett was a gigantic mess that no sane woman wanted to take on. “You don’t need to worry about me,” she told Boone. “I’ve go
t my head on straight, no matter how emotional I am right now.”

  Boone examined her intently then gave a firm nod. “I wouldn’t expect otherwise. You’ll let me know what you need from me?”

  Not if but what. That was Boone, supportive through and through. “I will, thank you.” She gave him a tight hug. “And thanks for coming to check in on me this morning. I love you.”

  He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, much like Dad had done. “Love you back.”

  Reminded of how lucky she was to have all the love she did, she asked, “Are you working today?”

  “After I grab a coffee, I am,” he said from behind her.

  She unlocked the door. Boone often came to the bar in the morning. Not only to say hello, but also to order the butter pecan coffee he loved. Sure, opening in the morning was odd for most bars, but Kinsley knew bad stuff happened at all times of the day and she wanted to be there for people when all they needed was a drink, some quiet, and maybe a bartender to listen to them. Most days, no one came in, and she worked on the books while she sat at the bar. But every once in a while, the bar was exactly what someone needed, and that felt good. Important.

  Once she got inside, she flicked the light on. Suddenly, everything slowed down, and all that she knew spiraled away as she glanced around her beloved bar. Nothing looked like it had when she’d left the place last night. Tables were overturned and destroyed. Chairs were smashed. The mirrors behind the bar were shattered into a million pieces. The liquor bottles were broken into shards of glass.

  “What the fuck?”

  Reeling, and cold, so very cold, Kinsley whirled around to find Rhett standing in the doorway.

  He surveyed the damage, eyes wild. “I’ve got the back,” he growled at Boone, then rushed forward with his weapon in his hand. He vanished into the back room a second later.

  “Do not move from this spot,” Boone snapped, his weapon now in his hand too, while he took off toward the bathrooms.

  My bar.

  Kinsley scanned every piece of broken wood, every shard of glass, and her breakfast did terrible things in her stomach. Her skin flushed red-hot. Sweat coated her flesh.

  Oh no.

  She quickly looked left and right then dove toward the garbage can, her hand burning on something as she hurled her guts out.

  * * *

  Rhett had cleared the back room and Kinsley’s office before he found the entry point. The back door was wide open. He looked at her security system on the wall by the door, finding it had been turned off. Whoever broke into her bar obviously had the equipment and the skill to disable the alarm and open the door, or this was an inside job. Rhett didn’t like either of those possibilities.

  He ground his teeth as he returned to the main bar, then breathed past the clenching of his muscles as he found Kinsley throwing up into the garbage can by the front door. If that reaction was the result of stress, rather than morning sickness, someone would pay.

  Rhett decided to stay back to give her privacy, when Boone strode out from the women’s washroom. He wove his way around the broken furniture, his face a mask of controlled rage. “Clear.”

  “In the back too,” Rhett confirmed, reholstering his weapon. “Any idea what happened here?”

  Boone tucked his weapon away as well. “Not a fucking clue. We just walked through the door seconds before you did.”

  A feeling pulsed through Rhett that he couldn’t quite identify. Urgent, wary, whatever it was, he didn’t like it. His gaze fell on Kinsley again, and he felt a deeper lick of fury course through his veins as he spotted blood sliding down the side of the garbage can from her hand.

  “We need to get the team in here,” Boone said.

  Rhett glanced back at him with a nod then gestured Boone toward the door. “Give me fifteen before you call them in.”

  Boone’s gaze turned probing before he eventually nodded, with what Rhett thought looked close to approval on his face. “If you need more time, let me know.” He gave Kinsley one last look then headed for the door.

  Rhett had barely slept, and he’d ended up going for a run in the middle of the night. He had no idea what steps to take forward, but he’d decided this morning that talking to Kinsley was a good start. He waited for her to stand up before he drew closer to her. She reached down to tie up the garbage bag, but he quickly intervened, gently pushing her hands away. “I’ll get that. You need water.”

  She slowly looked up at him with surprise in her eyes, which admittedly, only made him feel more like shit. She thought the very worst of him, thought him unable to offer a gentle hand when needed. “I need crackers,” she said.

  “You got those in the back?”

  She nodded, guarded in the way she watched him.

  “Let’s get those,” he offered, reaching for a few napkins by the cash register. “And we can deal with the cut on your hand too.”

  She glanced down, her eyes going wide. “Oh, shit.” She quickly accepted the napkins, placing them against her wound.

  He tied the garbage bag then pulled it from the can. She followed him into the back room, and he headed out the back door, where he knew the Dumpsters were for all three shops that belonged to Kinsley, Peyton, and Remy. He tossed the bag inside the Dumpster then glanced up, spotting the security camera. He needed to see what was on there, but first, he needed to fix leaving last night in the way that he did. When he returned inside, he found Kinsley at the metal kitchen sink, water running over the cut on her hand.

  “I must have cut myself on a piece of glass when I dove for the garbage can,” she explained.

  “Let me take a look.” He held her hand under the light, noticing she’d grabbed a first aid kit and left it on the metal table. His blood heated as he got close to her, electricity brushing across his flesh as those fiery eyes held his intently. “You get sick like that often?”

  She nodded, as breathless as him. “At really weird unexpected times too.”

  He acknowledged that with a nod. Her breath hitched when he took her soft hand in his callused ones to examine the wound, and heat spiraled through him. “It doesn’t need stitches.” Using his free hand, he patted the table. “Let me clean it up.”

  “Where did Boone go?” she asked, pulling her hand from his and inching closer to the table.

  “I imagine to go get your father and call in a forensic unit,” Rhett answered, watching her awkwardly try to hop up. His hands found her waist and he hoisted her up onto the table, the world immediately drifting away. One touch, and he was right back to their incredible night together. She smelled so good, like a fragrant garden made especially for him. He vividly remembered kissing those hips he’d just touched when he explored every inch of her. His groin tightened and his cock swelled as he recalled how she’d laughed so freely when he kissed along her rib cage. And as he looked into her lust-filled eyes, he knew he wasn’t the only one remembering that night.

  He loosened a breath and opened the first aid kit. Then he got to work, forcing his mind to clear away those memories. He cleaned the wound, her hiss haunting him. “How long have you known about the baby?” he asked, reaching for the small flashlight in the kit.

  “Two weeks,” she said.

  Two goddamn weeks. He felt the tremble of her hand in his, and dark shame rolled over him. “I should have been there,” he said, putting a voice to the realizations he’d come to last night on his run. He looked up into her eyes, finding them even wider than before. “You should not have had to deal with this alone.”

  She shrugged. “I’m okay about it now.”

  Her answer suggested she hadn’t been okay. She’d been scared and alone, and Rhett had done that to her. He’d sworn to himself that his messy life would never touch her, but it did. The only way forward now was to ensure it never happened again. He shifted her hand from side to side. “I don’t see any glass in there.”

  “Thank God,” she drawled and gave him a quick smile. “I imagine this is going to suck enough without y
ou digging in there with tweezers.”

  He hastily pulled out the gauze and antiseptic cream from the kit to avoid her. She always had a way of lightening the mood.

  Silence settled in between them. But what was once an easy, comfortable silence now seemed strained while he tended to her wound.

  When he’d finished up by placing a large bandage over the gauze, he braced both hands on either side of her legs. Only then did he look into her eyes again. The intensity there sent a hard-hitting blow to his chest, but he pushed through the iciness that trickled into his veins and the alarms in his head telling him to run. “You always say that you know me. Do you really?” he asked her.

  She gave a soft nod. “Yes, I know you.”

  Her quick answer startled him. “Then you know being a father, having a baby, was so far down on my list of what I wanted for my life.” Hurt crossed her face, so he swiftly continued, “I’m here for you, Kinsley, whatever you need, whenever you need it, but”—he pushed past the tightness of his throat—“I can’t promise…I can’t promise that I’m going to get this all right, and I want to be up front about that.”

  Her eyes softened and her sweet touch landed on his arm, easing the ache in his chest. “I don’t expect you to promise me anything. I also don’t expect you to swoop in and become overjoyed about this news. I know this is a gigantic shock. I’ve had weeks to process it all. And I’m still not even sure how all of this is going to work, or what really happens now, or if I’m being honest, if I can even believe that this is happening. You deserve time to figure this out, and I’m okay with giving you that time.”

  Most times, her strength totally blindsided him. Today even more so. “We’ll take it day by day,” he clarified. “One step at a time.” That’s all he could do right now. “You tell me what you need, whatever it is, and I’ll do that, okay?”

  She nodded and grinned. “That works but get ready for late-night calls for egg salad sandwiches and ice cream sundaes.”

  She meant it as a joke, but he took a mental note. He couldn’t be what Asher was to Remy, or what Boone was to Peyton, but he could make her egg salad sandwiches and bring her ice cream sundaes.