The Warrior Groom_Texas Titans Romances

by Lucy McConnell

  His face looked pained. “Falling is better than holding on to me? Maia, come on.”

  “Fine—but I’m mad at you.” She put her hand in the crook of his arm.

  “I’m mad at me,” he replied.

  “Don’t get cute with me, London.” His dad’s contorted face as he screamed at Maia through the glass, came back to her. “You’ve been hiding from me for years.”

  London pulled the diner door open. The floor was a checkerboard of black and white tiles, the seats navy blue, and the chrome accents cloudy with age. But the smell of hot coffee was strong. She sucked it in.

  “You want a cup?” London asked.

  She shook her head. “I had to give it up a couple years ago—it raises my stress hormones.” She sighed. Never had she been so tempted to cheat on her hormones. “I’ll take an herbal tea.”

  He strolled to the counter to place their order while she found a booth. The seat sank like she weighed five hundred pounds, and she allowed her body to melt into it as she laid her head back and groaned.

  London set a cup down in front of her. She wrapped her hands around it, letting the steam wash over her face. “Thanks.”

  He took the seat across from her, sinking even lower than she had. His startled look made her laugh, which lightened the mood she’d carried out of the police station like a heavy bag over her shoulder.

  “London.” She sighed. “Your dad threw food at me.”

  His lips twitched.

  “What is wrong with him?” She took a sip, letting the hot liquid clean her throat of a night of breathing human stenches and clothing soaked in cigarette smoke.

  London wagged his head side to side. “What’s right with him? The list is shorter.”

  Maia took another sip, letting the silence work on him. And it was working. His mind was going a mile a minute, flashes of pain and confusion spinning in his eyes like a disco ball.

  He studied his clasped hands. “Heaven help me, Maia. I don’t talk about this—ever.” His full lower lip trembled. Her eyes jumped to his, expecting tears, but there weren’t any. Instead, there was a haunting. She shivered at the sight. She almost told him not to tell her; the horrors there were truly terrifying.

  He took a shaky breath. “I can’t recount it all from the beginning; there’s too much.”

  Maia set her cup down and placed her hands over his, noting how cold they were.

  “The morning of prom, my dad came unglued. He—” London blew a breath out through his teeth. “He didn’t want me going with you—thought it reflected badly on him.”

  His words weren’t a surprise, but they acted like an iron, searing them into the tender areas of her heart.

  “I refused to break the date. Mom stood up for me and he just let loose.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “He beat her. She told me to stay back, to not get in his way. She was going to take it for me.” He shuddered. “And I was going to let her because I wanted to take you to prom so badly.”

  Maia brushed her thumb over his white knuckles.

  “You probably think I was a coward, but that’s how it worked in our house. Sometimes I took it for Mom and sometimes she took it for me. As I got older, I took more of them because I was bigger and stronger and she had a harder time recovering than I did.

  “We’ve been through counseling, her and I, together. We thanked one another for each sacrifice and asked forgiveness from each other. It was weird at the time, but it freed us—allowed us to put all that outside of our relationship. We’re good now.”

  “Oh, London,” Maia whispered. She tried to put her fingers between his palms, but they were pressed so tightly she couldn’t find space, and she settled for stroking his hands.

  “Dad aimed for the body—no visible bruises. We were supposed to be the perfect family, right?” London sniffed. “He hit Mom in the side and she cried out like never before. I don’t know how to explain that I knew that sound was different from the thousands of other painful noises I’d heard her make, but I did. I shoved him away from her, and he turned on me in a mad fury. I covered Mom and let him exhaust himself on me.” He lifted his eyes to meet hers. “He broke two of my ribs.”

  Maia gasped. She closed her eyes, remembering back to prom—he didn’t want to dance, he couldn’t lift his arm around her shoulders for pictures, he didn’t want her at his house because of his dad. “London, I’m so sorry I left you there.” Tears of shame burned trails down her cheeks. She let them fall, not bothering to wipe them away. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  His hands suddenly had a hold of hers. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I should have trusted you with my secret. I should have come after you.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “Because breaking up with you made my dad happy. I was so scared for my mom. I found her that night, crumpled in the hallway and bleeding internally. I barely got her to the hospital in time—she almost died. I felt like losing you was penance for having left her at all that night. My broken heart was just another beating I took for her.”

  “Your mom wouldn’t have wanted that.”

  “No, but my dad ruled the house—what we wanted didn’t matter.”

  “London.” She poured her aching for him into his name.

  “He’s insane. The cop in Texas said he’d end up in an institution.”

  “That’s probably for the best.”

  “No. He needs to be punished for what he did.” His hands gripped her fingers tightly.

  Maia leaned back. She narrowed her eyes. “If you want revenge, I’ll help you get it.”

  Her hands flooded with blood as London released them quickly. He scuttled out of the bench and paced in front of their table. “I don’t like the word revenge. It’s an ugly word for your beautiful lips.”

  Maia gave him a sad little smile. “London, if I had known …”

  “What? What would you have done, Maia? Tell a teacher?” he snapped. “Trust me, I played all the scenarios out in my head. If I believed, even for a second, that it would have stopped him, I would have done it. I researched what happens—they take the kid away, not the parent. My mom would have been alone with him. And … I hate that I even thought this way, but football was my golden ticket. Changing schools would have taken that away.”

  “You were talented enough to play anywhere.”

  “College coaches don’t recruit guys who aren’t on the field, and there’s a lot of politics in high school sports. I had to stick it out.” He sat back down. “I’ve thought this over a hundred times in the past ten years, Maia. The one regret I have isn’t the broken ribs, the bruises, or the constant fear. My regret was letting you walk away that night. I wish I’d been braver.”

  Maia hiccupped a sob. She reached for a napkin in the dispenser on the table.

  “I know you’ve had your doubts about us. I don’t blame you. I mean, I come with this basket of crazy.”

  “It’s not your crazy to carry around.” She laugh-hiccupped. “If anyone understands that you can’t pick your parents, it’s me.”

  He put both hands on the edge of the table. “Maia, tell me the truth. Is there any hope for us?”

  The tears came fast now, rivers of relief and sorrow and hope. “I think there is.”

  He was on his feet in a flash, pulling her out of the booth and to his chest. “Do you mean it? Don’t play with me, princess.”

  She poked his chest. “Don’t call me princess.”

  “How about honey? Can I call you honey?” His voice was low and inviting and his lips close to her ear.

  She shivered from the nearness. “Yes,” she breathed.

  He kissed her lightly, which wasn’t nearly enough. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him close, not able to get enough of him. Several moments later, they broke apart, gasping for breath.

  “If this is your version of taking it slow, I’m all for it.”

  Maia tipped her head back and laughed deeply, relieved that they’d waded throu
gh croc-infested waters and come out the other side stronger, better, and deeper in love. She placed her hands on the sides of his face. “I love you, London Wilder. You’re the beginning and the end of my heart.”

  He pressed his forehead to hers. “I love you, Maia. I need you, but more importantly, I want you in my life—every day, every hour. I swear to never be my father.”

  She gazed into his molasses eyes. Where she’d seen unhinged thoughts and uncontrolled fury in Reed’s eyes, all she saw in London’s was pure love. “I know. London, I know.”

  He traced his fingers down her cheek. “Did you know you taste like cherry?”

  She lifted her arms off of his. “Ew. Gross, I am so sticky.” She pulled, but his hands went to her hips and he brought their bodies flush.

  “I don’t care.” He brushed his thumb over her top lip. “You’re perfect, honey.”

  He kissed her, earning a whistle from the waitress behind the counter. Maia lost herself in his embrace. She was covered in a sugary, sticky, crusty mess; her dress was a disaster; and her hair was crunchy; and she felt like a real princess when London whispered her name and kissed her slow.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Maia stood on the Texas Titans’ fifty-yard line. She glanced down at the platform that had been positioned for her and smiled, remembering that this is where it had all started with London—both times. First in high school and then at their picnic.

  And what a beginning it was for the two of them. The slussie incident ended up splattered across newsstands and the internet, each version of the tale becoming more outrageous than the last. When it came out that her attacker was London’s father, they received another round of unwanted publicity.

  Aaron hated the negative press. He was in a constant state of upset stomach over Maia’s dating life. He’d never had a princess act so un-princess-like and run off to date a football player. She didn’t break her contract; in fact, she’d been at every event after Reed was arrested. So was London, right up until he started preseason workouts. Then, they were together as often as possible. There were these things with wings called airplanes that made being together fairly easy.

  Aaron was the only one upset by her relationship with London. With London in her life, she was happy—truly happy. She didn’t have to run from her past. He knew where she came from, knew that Maia’s mom was a deadbeat who preferred gambling to seeing her daughter perform at a football game—and he didn’t care. All he wanted was Maia, and she was happy with that.

  London had hired a shark of a lawyer, and his dad was convicted of attempted murder without London having to take the stand to testify. Since he was declared mentally incompetent, he was in an institution and not allowed visitors. Not that any of them wanted to visit, but at least they could blame the facility for that and not feel an obligation they had to ignore.

  Maia and London had decided to treat the new season like a new start and put all the ugliness Reed clouded into their lives behind them once and for all. From now on, they were looking toward the future.

  Maia held the mic loosely in her hand, waiting for the first note to come over the loudspeaker. The sun was high in the sky, and the stands were full of excited Titans fans.

  Her face appeared on the big screen, and people cheered and screamed her name. She lifted an arm and waved. “Where is the music?” she muttered through her smile.

  The screen switched to another view, and she saw London coming out of the tunnel in his uniform without his helmet. Dang, he looked scrumptious. She always did like him in football pants. Her heart spun in happy circles as she turned to watch him approach in real life.

  “What are you doing?” she asked. Her mic wasn’t on and she wasn’t worried about anyone hearing her.

  London grinned, hooked his arm around her back, and pulled her in for a kiss.

  The fans went nuts.

  Maia laughed and pulled back. “You couldn’t wait until after the game for that?”

  He smirked and slipped the mic out of her hand. Turning it on, he got down on one knee. The noise level streaked to winning a spot in the Super Bowl.

  Maia’s mouth fell open. “Are you kidding me right now, London Wilder?”

  He put the mic to his lips. “Maia, my love. Will you marry me?” He held out a small white box with a giant ring inside.

  “Yes!” Maia jumped at him at the same time he stood to catch her. He kissed her once, and then again, and then again. “I love you,” she said between kisses.

  “I love you, too.”

  She framed his happy face with her hands, drinking in the sight of so much joy and knowing she was the reason for it.

  He kissed her cheek. “For luck.”

  “I don’t need it.” She ran her fingers up the back of his head and tugged him down. “I have you.” And then she kissed him like she wanted to kiss him for the rest of her life.

  The End

  Thank you for reading “The Warrior Groom” by Lucy McConnell. If you enjoyed this Texas Titans Romance, you will love “The Miracle Groom” available by clicking here.

  Or, check out these other great Texas Titans Romances available now:

  The Fearless Groom by Cami Checketts

  The Persistent Groom by Jennifer Youngblood

  The Tough Love Groom by Taylor Hart

  The Second Chance Groom by Taylor Hart

  The Trustworthy Groom by Cami Checketts

  The Ghost Groom by Jennifer Youngblood

  The Forbidden Groom by Sarah Gay

  Invitation

  To stay up-to-date on the latest releases from bestselling author Lucy McConnell, and receive a free book, go to https://mybookcave.com/d/290d4f96/

  Excerpt from “The Miracle Groom”

  We hope you enjoy this short excerpt from “The Miracle Groom”

  Teo steered his SUV into the players’ parking lot and took the first available spot at the end of a row. He’d have to sprint across the blacktop if he was going to make it on time. Shifting into park, he bailed out of the car and ripped open the back door. “Come on, Akoni, we’re late.”

  Akoni lifted his pudgy arms, eager to get out of his car seat. The kid had a love-hate relationship with the straps. He loved to hate them and arched his back in protest whenever Teo tried to buckle him in. His efforts were admirable, matching Teo’s determination to hold back the defensive line on the field. While Teo was grateful to see hints that his son would follow in his footsteps, maybe even play for the Titans one day, he would love to see Akoni apply himself to a less frustrating situation. But there was no changing who the kid was—and Teo admired his spunk.

  Teo tucked the one-year-old into the crook of his elbow, threw the diaper bag over his shoulder, and took off at a sprint. He was pushing it. Not by running, that came easily enough. He was pushing the clock. Thankfully, this wasn’t an off-season mandatory workout. Coach would have made him suffer for showing up late. Coach may not breathe down his neck today, but the camp was important to the Titans and to the downtown area. James Knight, the team owner, wanted to make sure Dallas loved the Titans enough to overlook the traffic jams on game days and approve changes in roadways to make life easier for the fans.

  Akoni giggled as they ran. As much as Teo loved to toss his son in the air and have his laughter fill up their otherwise empty home, today was no game. He’d have to be on guard for reporters—cameras were sure to be everywhere. Any chance columnists had to get the latest scoop on the Kincaid brothers was sure to be a feeding frenzy, and the last thing Teo wanted was his son caught up in a tank of sharks. Teo had been able to avoid the press after Amy died in the middle of last season by releasing a blanket statement asking them to respect his time of mourning and give him space. By walking through those doors, he was declaring himself open to interviews and comments.

  He reached for the door only to have to pull back quickly as someone opened it from inside.

  “Whoa.” The little woman tipped her head up and up until Teo was blindside
d by her eyes—blue with swirls of green like the ocean surrounding his island home. The ocean he’d stared at when he needed to re-center himself, when he needed a quiet moment alone, and when the family gathered for luaus.

  “Whoa,” Teo echoed, taking in her strappy sandals, tight jeans, and flowing cream top that accented her peaches-and-cream skin. She had a nametag on a lanyard, and he glimpsed the word “intern” printed there.

  She cleared her throat. “Mr. Parata?”

  “Teo,” he corrected. A woman this beautiful should use his first name. That should be a rule.

  “You’re late.”

  “Yes, I am.” He didn’t bother to explain that Akoni had a major diaper issue this morning, and he’d gagged his way through cleaning the kid and throwing out his clothing. Things like that happened with toddlers.

  “Oh, you brought a friend.” She nodded to Akoni.

  Akoni, a sucker for a pretty face, lit up, showing off his baby teeth. He was barely learning to walk and only said one word, but Akoni’s smile was practiced perfection. The woman smiled in return, softening for Akoni’s adorableness. Teo’s kid was cute—that was not up for debate—and he knew it, too. She reached for Akoni’s foot and tickled his shoeless toes.

  “Player,” Teo muttered.

  The intern pulled her hand away and straightened her shoulders as if she were slipping back into the role of responsible intern. “You’re the last one to arrive, so I’m afraid you’ve missed your chance at orientation. I’ll send Trudy to find you with a shirt.” She pulled open the door and gestured for him to go inside. He would have held the door for her, but her lips were set in a line that pointed for him to get a move on. And he’d thought meeting his coach when he was late was a bad thing. She’d have him running laps around the parking lot if he didn’t get out of her way.

  They marched down the hallway to the practice field, where the sound of children’s voices welcomed them. Akoni curled into Teo at the noise as if he could become a part of him. Teo bounced him gently.