by T M Kelly
“Mom told me Dad couldn’t get past the secrets. Then she told me to find the shoebox.”
“But, Charlie—”
“I know, but think about it, Lils. It all makes sense now.”
“Dad was unhappy for a period of time in his marriage,” Lily said and reached for my hands. “How did they know each other?”
“I’m not sure. That’s what Jackson and I are unsure about.”
Lily spun around to face Jackson. “Oh, my shit.”
“Hey, sis,” Jackson said and stood up. Lily reached for his hand and threw her body against me, causing my feet to shake and stumble backward. “You,” she said between tears. “You’re really my sister?”
“Half-sister,” I teased and kissed her cheek.
“Wait a minute.” Brooks waived his hands in the air. “Who plans on filling in the pieces? Listening to this conversation is making my acid reflux act up.”
I walked over and sat down on his lap. “My mom had an affair with Lily’s father.”
“Wait, your dad knocked up two women in the same year?”
I burst out laughing at the thought. “It would seem so.”
“Holy shit. Go Punisher!” I swatted at Brooks’s arm. “What, you have to give credit where it’s due.”
“So your father found out at some point?” Julian asked from the other side of the room. He had stayed silent up until now.
“Yeah, and that was why he wanted my money. The twins were never really his, so he hated paying for our care.”
Lily threw her hand up to her mouth. “How did he find out?”
“When I needed blood in grade school, and both parents were not a match.”
“Oh shit, but I bet The Punisher would’ve been a perfect match.”
“I bet you’re right.”
Lily and I stared at each other for the longest time. We had done pretty much everything in our lives together, and here we were sisters all along. We got annoyed with one another, finished each other’s sentences, and swore to protect each other.
I grabbed both her hands and brought them close to my face. “My Lily Bug. How did we not figure this one out on our own?”
“We are the best at figuring everyone else’s problems—”
“But suck when it comes to our own.”
“So what now?” I wrapped my arms around my best friend’s waist. “Sissy.”
“I will never get tired of hearing that,” Lily said and rested her head on my shoulder.
“We’ll see about that.” Brooks winked.
“Ignore him, he has no idea what he’s talking about.” I stepped back and stared some more at Lily. “You’re not alone anymore, Lils.”
“I wasn’t alone.”
“But you have family now. You’re not alone.”
“I always had family. You’re my heart and soul, Charlie.”
“Always and forever.”
34
Three months later…
“Charlie,” Lily said and ran into my house. “Look what I found.” She held out a small box.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.” She sounded a little too anxious.
“Okay.” I turned and walked over to the front room where there was a small cafe-style table and two chairs. “Were you going through Dad’s stuff again?” This time, when I called The Punisher Dad, it was the truth.
“Maybe.” She smiled and encouraged me to open the box.
It was hard to believe that several months had passed since being held captive in the United Kingdom. I still couldn’t believe Lily was my sister. My life had changed forever. Lily had made the decision that we would all go back to the Jurassic Coast and enjoy a vacation the way it was meant to be enjoyed. I had some reservations about the trip. Plus, there was a fight I had to win first.
As I lifted the lid, my heart started to race. My eyes moved up to Lily who was already crying. “I don’t understand?”
“C, that was in Dad’s personal belongings.”
“Did my mom send it to him?”
“Lift that cardboard piece.”
In the box were two charms. One was a boy and one was a girl. When I lifted the little piece of cardboard, there was a small note. “Thank you for your gift. We’ll always have September.” I wiped a tear away as more continued to fall. “I know we found out a while ago, but this all still blows my mind.” Right as Lily was about to say something, my phone rang. “Hello.”
“Charlie. It’s good to hear your voice.” It was Chuck Anders, the owner of AFC.
“Hi, Chuck.”
“Are you feeling better?”
“I am. You ready to put me back in the ring?”
I heard him chuckle. “You’re persistent.”
“Just itching to be in an octagon again. It’s been too long.”
“We have a main fight card I was thinking of adding you to.”
“If it’s not for a championship belt, I’m not interested.”
“Charlie,” Lily said and kicked me under the table.
“Tell Lily hello for me,” Chuck said and continued. “Are you sure you’re ready for a title shot?”
“I was ready in Liverpool.”
“Fair enough. Let me get back to you in a couple days.”
I hit end on my phone and sat it down on the table. “Do you think Chuck is not a fan of my persistence?”
Lily stood up. “Honestly, I think he loves it.” I followed behind as she made her way into the kitchen. “I’m the same way.”
“So it’s a sister thing?” I pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge. “Did you start drinking wine yet? Or am I alone on this one?”
“If she’s out, I’ll share.” Brooks walked in from outside. He stepped up beside me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Is this my cue to leave?” Lily made a gagging sound.
“Yup,” I said and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Lily wait.” She had her eyes covered. “Let’s wait to tell Jackson about the charms. Maybe we can convince him to make another trip this way.”
“Or he could join us when we go to Durdle Door.” She lifted her hand and waved. “Love you both.”
Brooks pushed me up against the counter. “What’s this about charms?”
“I’ll show you later.” I felt his erection pressing against my belly and rubbed my hand over him. He lifted me up onto the counter, causing me to yelp. “Are we too far away from the bedroom?”
“This countertop has never been christened.”
I moved my hands to the hem of his T-shirt and lifted it up over his head. “How did I get so lucky?” I stared into his eyes and slowly rubbed my hands down the side of his face. As I brushed my thumb lightly across his bottom lip, he lunged forward and took my finger in his mouth. The moment he sucked hard, my body ignited. I reached down to unbutton and unzip his jeans.
Brooks stepped back to slide off my leggings. “We should put curtains on the windows.”
I wrapped my finger around the belt loop of his jeans and tugged him forward. “Let the peepers enjoy the show.” Then I inched forward and didn’t hesitate. I wanted him inside me. Maybe I was feeling greedy, but Brooks had made my libido crazy lately. I sucked in a breath the moment he entered me. “I want it fast and hard.”
“Hang on tight, sunshine.”
“I don’t know if I can look at the counter the same way again,” I teased as I put my leggings back on.
Brooks pinched my ass. “Oh, come on, a little dirty secret only we know. Think about when people come over for dinner. Someone is prepping bell peppers right here”—he placed his hand where my butt had just sat—“our eyes will connect from across the room. Only you and I will know why we are laughing.”
“If you put it that way, it sounds way more fun.” I ran over to the refrigerator and pulled out the wine from earlier. “Oh, you had me so distracted I forgot to tell you about my phone call.”
“Chuck called.”
“And why do you know that?�
��
“He stopped into the gym, looking for you.”
“He did?” The fact that the owner of AFC made a personal visit to see me seemed odd. “Oh, shit.” I threw my hand over my mouth.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was kinda insistent on getting a title fight.”
“And?”
“I may have come off rude. Oh fuck, what if he’s pissed at me?” I sat down at the kitchen island and dropped my head to the granite counter top. “Why can’t I be less bold?”
“Because that would not be Charlie Hill.”
I lifted my head. “Think he still has a title fight available for me?”
Brooks sat down beside me. “Baby, I know he does.”
“Wait,” I said and slapped my hand on his chest. “He let me ramble on about getting a title fight, when he already had one available?” Brooks only nodded. “What an ass. I mean…what a tease.”
35
Two months later…
“Lift your arm up,” Brooks said from the side of the ring. “Make sure you protect your foot there.”
We had been practicing more than usual in preparation for the title fight. The owner of AFC had made me sweat it out for two whole days before calling me back. I was excited to fight Nikki Grant, the current flyweight champ. She currently held the title for five consecutive wins. Nikki was a beast in the octagon, but I knew I could take her down. I never felt nervous, only excited for the opportunity.
I stepped back and was suddenly taken down by Samantha my sparring partner. “Fuck,” I yelled with my back to the floor.
“You’re not focusing.” Brooks squatted down beside me.
“I am. I promise.”
He touched my forehead. “Too much happened up here to just let it all go.”
“Have you thought about meditating?” The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I lifted up to see Jenny leaning on a rope. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.”
I hopped up and walked over to where she stood. “Meditating, eh? Never crossed my mind.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I started doing mini sessions to help me throughout the day.”
“And they’re working?”
“Well, the self-defense is better, but yes, they do help.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t finish working with you.”
“Well, you were tied up for a bit.”
It was nice to see Jenny smile. I didn’t think she smiled once when I first met her several months ago. “Ha, I see what you did there.” I scanned the room and noticed Malik near the weights staring right at us. “Malik’s been good to you?”
“What?” She looked toward the man in question and then quickly looked away. “Um, yeah, I guess.”
“Hey.” I grabbed her hand. “I’m glad. You deserve it.”
“I need to go,” she said and hopped down from the ring. “It was nice to see you, Charlie. Let me know if you need any help meditating.” Then she disappeared out the front door.
“Meditating.” I turned to face Brooks. “I wonder if my busy mind would allow it?”
“We can try together.”
“Sounds like a challenge and I accept.”
“What are we supposed to be doing?” I was sitting with my legs crossed and eyes closed.
“Clearing our minds.” Brooks was sitting next to me.
“Of what?”
“Hell if I know.”
We both turned to face each other and burst out laughing. “I have a funny feeling meditating is not our thing.” I hopped up and walked over to the table in the corner of the patio. “Maybe we need to just have lots of hot sex to calm us.” I grabbed my water bottle and took a long swig. “Maybe try out some new kinky stuff.”
“That’s Tyler’s department not mine.”
I spit out my water. “What did you just say?”
“Lies,” Tyler said and stepped out onto the patio.
“Hey, sweetie.” I walked over and gave him a big hug. “Ignore your brother. He’s just jealous.”
“Of using kinky toys during sex? Um, no.” Brooks sat down on a patio chair. “Although, I can’t say I’m not curious.”
“So this is all real?” I directed that question to Tyler. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
I noticed Tyler roll his eyes as he sat down next to Brooks. He swatted his brother’s shoulder. “I may have dabbled a little in high school. Now he’s determined to remind me of that time every day.”
“He’s an ass. Ignore him.” I blew a kiss toward Brooks and walked back into the house right as the doorbell rang. “Is there a party and I wasn’t invited?” I swung the front door open to squees of excitement. Lily and Zoe had their arms around each other with a bottle of wine in their hands. “Did Brooks plan a party?”
“No,” Zoe said and threw the wine behind her back. “Shit, you can’t have this.”
“This is news to you?” I was cutting in preparation for the fight.
Lily patted my cheek. “Just pretend you never saw the delicious booze.”
“Who’s—”
“Here,” Lily finished Tyler’s sentence.
It was weird. I never noticed Tyler seem so tongue tied before. Was it Zoe? She did recently color her hair a bright red. Maybe that was it? Then the gorgeous redhead locked her eyes with Tyler and sauntered toward the patio. Well shit, was there a thing between Tyler and Zoe?
Lily kissed my cheek. “No.”
“No what?”
“No they’re not together.”
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“It’s the hot question of the week at the gym.” She winked and made her way inside. “Zoe would love to connect with Tyler outside of practice.”
“But he refuses to?”
“Hard to say because he doesn’t communicate for shit. He just barks orders at Zoe and then calls it a day.”
I stood there staring out the sliding glass window that led to the patio and crossed my arms. What was it about Tyler? He was the kindest soul and would give you the shirt off his back in a heartbeat. The kinky toy conversation played over in my mind and made me wonder about the real Ty.
“You okay over there?” Brooks said and opened the refrigerator.
“What? Yeah.” I smiled and walked over to the kitchen island. “No, I have a question.”
Brooks set his water bottle on the counter. “Shoot.”
I looked back to see where Tyler was located before asking. “When’s the last time Tyler had a girlfriend?”
“Shit, I have no idea. Why?”
“I don’t know. Just thinking.”
“You plan on setting him up?”
I made sure to face Brooks as I rolled my eyes. “When did I become a matchmaker?” The sliding glass was slowly opening, so I shut down the conversation and turned. “Leaving already?”
Tyler had his keys in his hand. “Yeah, I need to get some stuff done.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “See you at the gym tomorrow.”
“Bright and early.”
Tyler was almost to the front door when Brooks yelled, “What, no kiss for me?” I burst out laughing the moment Tyler ran back into the room and dipped Brooks back. He planted the biggest kiss on Brooks’s lips, surprising the shit out of him. Brooks pushed him away. “You’re an asshole.”
God I loved them. Never a dull moment.
“Tyler ran off quickly,” Lily said and took a swig of her wine. She had her feet up on the side of the porch railing with a glass resting in her lap. It was nice to see her living a little once in a while. I’m not sure why she didn’t drink before, but lately she’s enjoyed a glass or two.
“Yeah, he had an appointment,” I lied and glanced in Zoe’s direction.
“You mean he needed to leave because I arrived.” Zoe smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “After a while you get used to it. It’s fine.” I felt uncomfortable and really didn’t know what to say. Did I console her or deny it was true? “Hey
, I’m fine. Let’s discuss the big story of the day instead. Sounds like the man who raised you is in deep shit?”
“Did you read the article?” I said and felt happy we switched topics.
“Yeah and my phone sent an alert regarding the raid.”
“Apparently during the raid of his house and office they found substantiating evidence. Shit is falling fast for that asshole.” I sat down on the bench that was built into the porch. “I should feel something, but I don’t.”
“Why should you care?” Lily patted my leg. “He was an awful man.”
“Yeah, I know you’re right. It’s just all really weird to process.”
“I get it. After everything that happened with my mom, nothing surprises me anymore.”
“I guess I should be thankful my parents are somewhat normal,” Zoe teased and ran her hands through her long hair. “Do they have any idea when the trial will start?”
“I was told soon. There’s so much to dig through, it could take a while.” I reached for Lily’s glass of wine and drank some. “Those poor jurors will be there forever. Can you imagine?”
“No,” Lily said and snatched her glass back. “Get your own. Oh wait, you can’t.” She tried to hide her laugh but failed.
“You’re evil.” I pulled her closer to cover her face in kisses.
Knowing there were still family members in my life whom I could trust made living that much better. I went through some serious emotions after my sister and Mom were killed. Jackson was and would always be my rock. It was just hard to process everything that had happened. When I would say the words “my father wanted me dead” out loud it all felt so fictional. The day dear old Dad is locked up for good—that will be the day I can finally breathe again. Until then, I will probably always look behind me.
36
“You know the rules, ladies,” the referee said and placed his arm in between us.
Nikki Grant had been smash-talking me all over social media before our fight. I was the underdog and planned to prove all the naysayers wrong. Nikki was an amazing fighter and had every right to win the championship belt. Her time had expired, though. It was time to crown a new flyweight champion.
