by Evie Harper
No, Dad, you didn’t. He threatened the company, their income! Last of it. Oh God. He’s the reason for Piper and Lana having issues at work. I fist my hands furiously, my nails cutting into my palms. Why can’t he be a normal father and be happy for me? Life is hard enough without my own flesh and blood trying to tear me down.
Hearing both male and female voices agree with Slater and furniture moving, I realize I need to leave quickly. I dart to the bottom of the stairs, and as I’m about to climb them, Slater speaks again.
“Kel, we’ll all do this for you and choose a different path this time, but remember we’re not used to bending to others. I will bend as far as I can for you, but know if we’re close to breaking, then you may have a choice to make. Everyone has their limit, little brother.”
I race up the stairs, being as quiet as I possibly can. I leave the door ajar and dive into bed and cover myself with the quilt. Calming each breath is a constant struggle. My body brims with anger. I want to scratch my nails up my arms, feel anything but the frustration filling me. Why did you marry such an asshole, Mom! Are my memories false? Did you hide who he truly was from me all my life? Why did you die and leave me with him? It takes all my strength to hold back the tears. I blow out a ragged breath as guilt consumes me. I’m blaming the one person who loved me unconditionally. Who isn’t here to defend herself. Who I wish more than anything could hold me and tell me everything will be all right.
Hearing the bedroom door open and close, I attempt to calm myself as best I can, breathing in through my nose and out my mouth.
The bed moves as Kelso stretches his body out beside mine. Closing my eyes, I feign sleep, but with each deceiving second I sense my control failing. Kelso turns on his side and his minty breath fans my face. Gently he pushes my hair out of my face and behind my ear. He kisses my neck, and suddenly the façade I’ve haphazardly built crumbles away. A shuddering breath releases from me.
“Ivy?”
Trying to hold back a flood of tears, I bury my face into his chest. My hands pressed up against Kelso’s abs, I refuse to look up at him.
Kelso shakes my arms. “Ivy, what’s wrong? Tell me.”
Shaking my head, I whisper in a raw voice, “Bad dream.”
“Baby,” Kelso softly murmurs. He pushes my hair further off my neck and kisses me again. His lips are gentle and hot. “I have nightmares too, and as weird as it sounds, there is only one story that can get me back to sleep. I know it off by heart. Do you want me to tell it to you? I think you’ll know it.” He chuckles.
Curious and thankful for the reprieve, I nod.
As soon as Kelso mentions the little girl with golden ringlets, I know which story he’s telling, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A small smile graces my lips, and my body relaxes. The big bad playboy of the Portland Street Kings is telling me a fairy tale. When Kelso changes the tone of his voice to match the characters, I shift my face up at him. He’s hilarious and incredible; he really knows this story word for word.
Laughter escapes me, and Kel peers down with a massive grin on his face. He becomes theatrical, his arms moving about and facial expressions changing quicker with each new line, scowling like a bear confused about the missing food one minute, and fluttering his eyelashes the next, as innocently as if Goldilocks herself taught him.
I can’t help but stare at this versatile man. I’ve seen him weak, strong, and determined. I’ve watched him go toe to toe with men twice his size and stand firm against my father’s hateful stare. I’ve observed him playfully mucking around with his brothers and sister. Seen him cook for and feed his family. Fix a car and do it with excitement in his eyes. I’ve sat in the garage and watched him teach teenage boys how to change the oil and find leaks. For the first time, tonight I saw him tremble with fear and then overcome it. And now this, he becomes a storyteller for me.
My father thinks I have a foolish bad-boy crush, but in this moment I know down to my bones how wrong he is. Yes, Kelso’s demeanor screams danger, but at times like this when Kelso has forgotten who he’s supposed to be, he becomes a kind and gentle giant wrapped up in hard muscle and tattoos.
Since I met Kelso, there hasn’t been a time when he hasn’t surprised me. As he shifted from pure confidence to utterly broken, my heart ripped apart. All I wanted to do was mend whatever was broken inside him, except he’s helping me as much as I wish to help him.
Finding a compassionate soul where others said there was only anger and a playboy hasn’t surprised me, it’s captured me. I’m caught in Kelso King’s web, and even if I could leave I never want to.
9
Thy Shalt Never Snoop… Again
Ivy
Kelso left the room to have breakfast, and I said I’d meet him down there after I got ready for work. Showered and dressed in denim jeans and a blue ruffled blouse, I scan the room for my black flats and find them peeking out from under the bed. Taking my time in the bathroom I squirt anti-frizz spray into my long thick hair and brush. It falls naturally more to the right, like always.
Another perk of working with your best friend who runs the company you work for is that casual business wear is our everyday attire. No need to apply heavy makeup or have my hair up and styled, or black skirts and white blouses. Boring! Becca and I always try to dress nice and professional, but in our own style.
I’m ready, however I can’t seem to stop myself from pacing in Kelso’s room. How will Kelso’s family look at me today? I’m to blame for all their trouble lately; my damn father can’t leave well enough alone. Clutching my stomach, I feel sick inside. Any appetite I had when I awoke is gone now.
Taking my phone out of my tote bag, I swipe to my father’s number and hit Dial. Tapping my foot on the ground, I wait until my father’s phone rings out and I’m left listening to a generic voice mail instruction to leave a message. “Dad, we need to talk. Call me back or text me when we can meet up. If you don’t, I’ll come to the station and refuse to leave until you see me. This is serious.”
Hanging up, I peer down at my slim gold watch and my body frees the tension it’s built up over the morning. It’s 7:10, which means the guys will be in the garage working. Each time I’ve stayed with Kelso they're always out the back door by seven. Their work ethic is something any boss or business owner would be very proud of.
At worst, I’ll only have to make small talk with Lana, Piper, Dom, and Della. And from memory, Dom is flying back to Hastings today for work. He goes back for a week here and there to help run his security company with his two best friends.
Maybe I’ll get lucky and can sneak out the front door. I think it, but I’ll never do it. The manners built into me my whole life refuse to allow me to be rude. I also don’t want to cause any unnecessary tension when there is so much already, and Kel would know straight away that something is wrong if I up and left.
Taking a deep breath, I open the bedroom door and make my way downstairs. Stepping into the kitchen, I find my earlier predictions to be correct. Dom and Della are eating breakfast while Piper is washing up and Lana paces the room, talking to someone on her phone about a job.
My stomach clenches as guilt swarms through me. If my father had something to do with Lana’s and Piper’s jobs, I will demand he make it right. And order him to get them pay rises, if he has this much damn power!
“Morning, Ivy,” Piper says with a welcoming smile.
“Morning,” echoes everyone else in the room.
“Good morning,” I reply with a forced smile.
“All the pancakes are gone, but there’s plenty of toast and orange juice on the table,” Della informs me in a friendly tone.
My lips tip up into a real smile this time. “Thank you. I knew the pancakes wouldn’t last. Kelso makes the best buttermilk ones I’ve ever eaten.”
Della chuckles and then snaps her hand up as if recalling something. “Kel said he’d be back up before you leave. To say goodbye.”
I nod and butter my toast. My mouth waters, staring at
the delicious orange juice in front of me, so I forgo the food for a moment. The plastic bottle is big and heavy. So much so that when I tip it, instead of getting the glass, the juice hits the table and splashes up onto my face and blouse. “Dammit.”
Dom and Della jump up, grabbing tea towels from the bench to help wipe up the excess liquid. Lana giggles from behind me, still on the phone, but says, “You have no idea how many times I have done the same thing. Those big bottles are not built for sitting and pouring. You gotta stand to have the strength to lift it right up.”
“I’ll remember for next time,” I say in a bubbly voice. Glad I’m not the only one who’s done this.
Lifting my wet shirt from my skin, I stare down, annoyed. Now I will have to drive all the way home to change before leaving for work.
“I have a few nice blouses you could borrow, if you’d like,” Della offers.
Rising from the chair as Dom attempts to clean around me, I look to Della. “That would really help me out. Thank you.”
“Of course, no problems,” Della replies.
“Go get changed and we’ll clean this up,” Piper adds, ducking around me with a wet cloth.
Moving out of the kitchen, I glance over my shoulder. Last night they talked about how I was a problem for their family. Today they’ve been nothing but welcoming and normal around me. I wish my father had stayed out of my life, so I didn’t have to look at these people, once friends, and wonder if they’re being genuine or not.
Della and I are similar in body shape, but I’m a little taller than her, so I grab out three nice blouses and try them all on to see which one fits best. Cleaned up and now wearing Della’s black cap-sleeved blouse, I walk into her room and open the same drawer to return the others. It's then I spot something: a white-and-blue stick. A pregnancy test.
Put the clothes down, Ivy, and walk out of the room. Do it!
Dammit. I’m not going to.
I pick up the stick. My eyes scan over the brand name, Clearblue and then to the word “Pregnant” on the screen. My eyes widen. Della is pregnant.
“What’s that?”
Jumping with a small squeal, I drop the test into the drawer. My heart pounds and feels as if it’s about to launch right out of my chest. “Nothing,” I blurt, glancing up to see Slater standing in the hall just outside Della’s room.
I rest a hand against my chest, a light laugh escaping me. “You gave me quite a scare.” Showing Slater the shirts, trying to distract him, I add, “I spilled my drink on my blouse and Della is loaning me one of hers.”
“What was the thing you dropped into the drawer?” Slater takes a step into the bedroom.
Fuck. Shit. Fuck. Shit. “A tampon,” I declare.
Slater’s expression turns pained. It’s exactly what I want. Most men detest talking about a woman’s period. They’d rather walk on hot coals than acknowledge what a woman has to go through to be fertile and give them children.
Walk away. Please, walk away.
Wobbling his head as if he’s shaking off raindrops, Slater narrows his eyes. “Now the visual is gone, it looked kinda big for a tampon, didn’t it?”
Fuuuuuuuck. This is not good.
Shrugging, I place the shirts back in the drawer, over the test, and close it. “There’s all sorts of sizes. It’s a super-plus. You really shouldn’t judge.”
Slater recoils at first, and then his mouth opens and closes as if he’s eaten rotten food.
I slip past him and descend the stairs, praying like hell he bought my story and he’s not the type of brother to go through his sister’s drawers.
As I enter the kitchen, Della’s eyes light up. “Perfect fit. It looks better on you than me.”
My lips attempt a smile, but I can’t do it. I’m wound too tight. Fuck. Do I tell her what I think Slater saw, and that he’s possibly going through her drawer right now? Or do I keep my mouth shut and hope Slater isn’t the nosy type? Who am I kidding! Kelso’s told me how much of a control freak Slater is. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Oh my God. I’ve never thought the word fuck so many times in my life!
There’s no time for me to say anything because the next thing I know, Slater’s roaring Dom’s name.
“Fuck.”
All eyes turn to me. Did I speak aloud? Now they’re slipping out through my lips!
Flustered, I try to explain before Slater makes his way downstairs. Pointing to my shirt, I say, “Shirt. Test in drawer. I peeked, I’m so sorry,” I declare, fisting my hands. “Slater saw me. I told him it was a tampon. He thinks it was too big for a tampon. Must have gone through your drawers after I left.”
Della doesn’t look at me with anger like I thought she would. Instead her eyes soften and she turns to Piper; Dom does too. They must have told her, and they’re looking for guidance, or maybe a buffer as Della pushes Dom toward the back door. “Go, Dom.”
“No,” Piper says in a determined voice. “No more putting off the inevitable. I hate keeping secrets from him.”
Della and Dom still. After a moment they nod, and grasp hold of each other's hands.
“You fucker,” Slater growls, storming into the kitchen and pointing at Dom. Slater’s nostrils are flaring and his veins are popping out his neck. “You knocked my sister up. You’re still living out of a hotel, flying back and forth between Hastings for work, and you knocked my fucking baby sister up?”
The back screen opens, and I spot Kelso, Mack, and Pacer watching all of this unfold. Confusion mars their faces.
Kelso arches an eyebrow, and I mouth, “I’m sorry,” and plead with my eyes for him to forgive me when he finds out my part in all this.
Slater takes quick strides toward Dom. I want to close my eyes and pretend I didn’t cause a bomb to go off, but at the same time I can’t look away.
“You and me, Haynes, outside.” Slater reaches for Dom, except Piper jumps in between them and Slater stills.
“The test is mine, Slater. I’m the one who’s pregnant,” Piper announces.
My mouth falls open as Lana gasps. The guys at the back door straighten, now alert and waiting for more information.
Slater pales, and not a bit; his whole body turns a grayish color. He appears as if he might be sick at any moment or fall flat on his ass.
We’re all holding our breaths, waiting for more. Piper clears her throat. “I found out three weeks ago. I’m eight weeks today.” Slater stays silent, staring at her. “I wanted to surprise you. I have a picture from the ultrasound when I went to confirm the pregnancy.” Piper rushes to her handbag on the buffet in the hall. She comes back with a small, square photograph. “Here,” she whispers to Slater. “He’s small, or she is.” Piper giggles. “You can see the peanut shape in the picture,” she adds, pointing to the image.
Slater stares at the photo. “Why didn’t you tell me straight away?” His voice is guttural.
Pulling on the hem of her white tank top, Piper looks up at Slater. “I wanted the moment to be perfect. When you weren’t worrying about family, work, or racing. When things were calm. I didn’t want you to freak out like you are right now. I wanted to soften the blow.” She ends on a whisper.
Slater’s eyes swing from Piper back to the photo. “A baby,” he says softly.
“A baby,” she repeats just as gently. She places a hand on Slater’s arm, and he glances down at her.
“Are you happy?”
Piper exhales, a small smile gracing her face. “I’ve never been happier.”
Slater cups her cheeks. “I’m so fucking happy. I think I’m still in shock, but fuck, my heart is full, near bursting.”
Piper’s face lights up and her solemn expression turns to excitement and adoration.
Slater leans down and kisses her. Everyone looks away; it’s hard not to feel as if we’re intruding on their intimate moment.
“We’re having a baby!” Slater shouts.
We all move in and swarm them with hugs and congratulations. When I get to Slater, he grins at me, something I ra
rely see him do. “Tampon?” he says with an arched brow.
A laugh escapes me, and I throw up three fingers. “Scout’s promise, this is the last time I ever snoop.”
“Well, this time it’s worked out. I was scared about his reaction. I’m not sure I would have told him until he asked me if I’d swallowed a baby elephant,” Piper says, and we all laugh.
Out of nowhere, loud voices thunder through the house. Bangs and crashes sound around me from every direction. Ducking my head, I scan the area for Kelso and I spot him running toward me, but he doesn’t make it.
A chorus of deep voices yell, “On the ground!” over and over again as men dressed in black holding guns force Kelso to the floor, chest first with his hands on his head.
I’m shoved from behind. I right my balance and glance over my shoulder to find Slater tackling a man. He stands between us and the intruder.
It’s then I spot the words SWAT on the invaders’ black gear. Ice crawls up my back. My body feels heavy, and the world around me moves at lightning speed. I’m motionless while I watch people I care about being forced to the floor, their arms pulled roughly above their heads. There’s a sea of black, two officers to every male in the room and one per woman.
Abruptly I’m woken from my stupor as I witness an officer twisting Piper’s arms behind her back. Without a second thought, I brace and break into a short run and shoulder him as hard as I can. I don't move the officer even an inch, but he lets go of Piper from surprise. I wrap an arm around Piper’s shoulders and with narrowed eyes I shout over the other voices in the room, “She’s pregnant, don’t you dare touch her!”
The officer stills and nods in agreement, but doesn’t move away from us. My chest tightens in fear. No one talks to officers this way. I’m waiting to be put on my ass with a bruise to follow, but it never comes.
Standing defiant and determined, I peer into the officer’s black helmet and find familiar eyes.
“Charlie?”
His eyes widen. It is him! Charlie used to work with my father before he moved on to become part of the Special Weapons and Tactical team. Scanning around the room, I realize I probably know a lot of the men dressed in combat gear. Most would have been to one or many of my dad’s barbecues when I was growing up.
