Kyle's Return

by L. P. Dover

  I tried to keep my face from blushing, remembering what Kyle and I did the night before. “Yes, everything went fine. The only problem was Pervy McFuckface calling back and creeping me out again. I hope you don’t get mad, but I kind of told him I’d saw his dick off with a letter opener. You can’t get sued for that can you?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I don’t like this guy messing with you. Has anything else happened?”

  I know Kyle didn’t want me to tell him, but I had no choice. Tyler needed to know. “Kyle’s truck got keyed really badly. It happened a couple weeks ago.”

  His eyes went wide. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because he was afraid you would make him stay away. And I didn’t want you to do it either, so I kept the secret for him. I don’t know who it could be.”

  “Fuck me,” he groaned, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not going to make him stay away because frankly he’ll be able to watch over you while I’m not there. If there are anymore issues while I’m gone you better promise me you’ll call the police.”

  “I promise. Now get back to your party.”

  Huffing, he pulled me in for a hug. “Both of you need to be careful. When Kacey and I get back, I’ll invest in security cameras to put around outside. I’m not going to have this shit happening on my property.”

  “Thanks, Tyler,” I murmured, letting him go. “And thank you for giving Kyle a chance.”

  “You’re welcome. Now go and I’ll see you tomorrow for rehearsal.”

  It felt like a weight had been lifted. At least now Kyle didn’t have to worry about Tyler forbidding him entrance into the gym. Gabby and Pax were waiting by their car when I joined them. “We ready?” I asked.

  Gabby opened her door. “Waiting on you, chickadee.”

  It only took ten minutes to get to Kyle’s house. I got Gabby and Pax to hang back until he answered the door. When the door opened, he greeted me with the same smile that made every single nerve in my body tingle.

  “You got here earlier than I expected. I guess you missed me.” Grabbing my wrist, he pulled me to him and kissed me, his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth. For a moment, I forgot we had company until I heard Gabby clear her throat.

  “Don’t mind us,” she teased.

  Laughing, I broke the kiss and Kyle’s eyes went wide when he realized it was Gabby and Pax behind me.

  With a friendly smile, Pax held out his hand. “It’s good to see you again, brother.”

  Kyle shook his hand. “You as well.” Then he looked down at me. “What’s going on?”

  I nodded at our friends. “They’re here to hang out with us. I thought it’d be good for you to have more than just me around.”

  His skeptical gaze flashed to Gabby and then back to me. Gabby caught the gesture and rolled her eyes. “That includes me, idiot. You may have been the sworn enemy of my family and a complete douche, but even guys like you can find redemption. Pax and Camden did, so why not you?”

  Kyle was at a loss for words, making Paxton laugh. He slapped him on the shoulder and put his arm around him. “It takes some getting used to her, but you will eventually. Do you mind if we come in?”

  Stepping out of the way, he shook his head as if what he was seeing wasn’t real. “Of course, go ahead.” Paxton and Gabby walked past him into the house, but before I could walk in, he stepped in my path. “Thanks for warning me,” he murmured.

  “I’m sorry. I thought I’d surprise you.”

  He glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. “I’m surprised all right. This should be interesting.”

  I rested my hands on his chest. “It’ll be fine, trust me. But I also have another surprise for you.” His eyes narrowed. “Guess who’s going to be fighting at the Labyrinth tomorrow?”

  Stepping out of the way, he let me walk inside and shut the door. “I’m not allowed there.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing that’s been revoked. Jake’s going to let you fight if you want. Paxton and I persuaded him to give you a chance. It may not be the UFC, but at least you’ll get the chance to fight again.” Stopping mid-step, he cornered me against the wall, his heated gaze on mine. “That is what you want isn’t it, a chance to fight again?”

  He lowered his lips to mine and cupped my cheek. “Yes, more than anything. I’ve just never had anyone fight for me like this.”

  “Well, get used to it because I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Will you be at the fight?”

  I smiled up at him. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  ***

  THE CLUB WAS packed when I pulled into the parking lot. The adrenaline rushed through my veins as I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable backlash I would have to endure. It’d been two years since I fought, two years since I fucked anyone over. Time could help people forget, but in my case, they were all bound to remember. I was a legend back in my prime, but if you were to ask my enemies, I was a curse.

  I parked my bike and took off my helmet just in time to answer my ringing phone. “Hey.”

  “Are you there yet?” Megan asked.

  I glanced behind me at the swarms of people. “Yep. Getting ready to walk up to the door. Are you sure Jake’s going to let me in?”

  “Yes, I promise. We’re going to rehearse one more time and then I’ll be there to watch you. I’m praying there’s no traffic.”

  Taking a deep breath, I started toward the door. “I guess I’ll see you when you get here. Wish me luck.”

  “You got this, Kyle. I’ll see you soon.”

  We hung up the phone and as soon as I met the bouncer’s narrowed gaze, he stiffened. He was the same size as me, with a shaved head, and a look that could kill. I guess it was a good thing I wasn’t afraid of him. Without balking, I continued my pace toward him.

  “I know who you are,” he grumbled in disgust. His muscles tensed, ready for a fight, but I wasn’t stupid enough to challenge him. I’d be kicked off the property in a heartbeat.

  I stood my ground. “Well, if you know who I am, then you’ll see me on the list.”

  He put the notepad behind his back. “What list? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Clenching my teeth, I backed up a step and kept my calm. “Look, I don’t want any trouble. Jake agreed to let me come back. All I want to do is fight and go home.”

  Luckily, Jake showed up at the right time. “You’re fine, Andrews. You can come in.” Without another glance to the bouncer, I stalked past him. Jake held out his hand and I shook it. “You did well. I didn’t know if you’d pass the test but you did.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Jake nodded toward the door. “With Zane out there. I had him fuck with you on purpose. If you attempted to fight him, I wasn’t going to let you in the door.”

  “I wasn’t planning on it.”

  He chuckled. “I know, I could see it in your eyes. I must say you’re a lot different from what I remember.”

  I followed him toward the back. “I’ve had a couple of humbling years, where all I could do was sit and think. It kind of puts things in perspective.”

  “That it does. Tonight, you’ll be fighting a guy named Perry Baxter. He’s rough, but he also agreed to fight you. A lot of guys here remember your reputation. They don’t want to be on your bad side.”

  I looked around the room, at the guys fighting in the ring and the energy circulating. I missed the way it made me feel alive.

  “Follow me and I’ll show you where you can warm up.” He took me to a secluded corner where other fighters sat wrapping their hands and stretching. “You’ll be up in about an hour.”

  I set my bag down and took a seat. “Thanks Jake. I appreciate this.”

  “Thank Megan and Pax. They’re the ones who got you in here.”

  I nodded, knowing he wouldn’t have let me in otherwise. Once he disappeared through the crowd, I got to focusing on the task at hand. I blocked everything out and cleared my head, con
centrating on my breathing.

  With my head down, I leaned on my elbows, taking long, deep breaths. My meditation was cut short when someone stopped right in front of me. I looked up at him and he smiled. He was tall and muscular, about the same height as me, with sweaty, dark brown hair and dark eyes. He must’ve just gotten done with a fight.

  “I heard you were going to be here. I’m Grady.” He held out his hand and I shook it.

  “Kyle.”

  “Yeah, I know. When some of the guys saw you in here, I thought they were going to shit a brick. They’re all pussies.”

  “And I guess you’re not?”

  He chuckled and sat down beside me. “Nope. I like living on the edge. So who are you fighting tonight?”

  I shrugged. “Some dude named Perry Baxter.”

  His eyes widened. “I wish you luck on that one. He’s undefeated here. I’m going to sign up to fight him next week.” Nodding, I searched through the crowd, hoping to see Megan, but she wasn’t there yet. “So what are you doing after the fight? Do you want to grab some drinks with me and my friends at the bar?”

  “I can’t, but maybe next time.”

  “Ah, you must have a girl coming to see you. I get it. My last girlfriend dumped me so I’ve been on the lookout for pussy.” His gaze found a group of girls exiting the room and his eyes flashed. “I think I just found what I’m looking for.” Getting to his feet, he winked and started for the women. “Good luck with your fight. Catch you later.”

  Shaking my head, I watched him put his arm around the girls and look back at me and wink. He reminded me of myself so long ago, not a care in the world and always looking for a piece of ass.

  Time started to slowly trickle by and I knew it was almost time for my fight. Perry Baxter was announced first and I watched as he barreled into the ring. He had a black mohawk and arms the size of my thighs, but I wasn’t worried; especially when Megan rushed into the arena and her gaze met mine.

  The announcer called my name, but Megan held up her hand and ran to me. She was out of breath, but she wrapped her arms around me and smiled. “I’m sorry I’m late. Go kick some ass.”

  I glared at Perry who stood in the ring, smirking at me. “No worries, love. That tool’s going down.”

  ***

  PERRY HAD GONE down like a bucket of bricks last night. I felt alive and ready to take on the fucking world. I needed that feeling; especially today for the wedding. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I hardly recognized myself. In the corner of the room sat my wheelchair, the one I was confined to for so long. I kept it around to remind me of the shit I’d done—how my world could fall apart at any moment.

  “Kyle, where are you?” Megan hollered from downstairs.

  Taking a deep breath, I tightened my tie and slid on my tux jacket. “I’m up here, love.” The sound of her heels clanked on the marble stairs and she appeared. Her chocolate colored hair was pulled high in a bundle of curls and she had on a deep blue bridesmaid dress that flowed down to the floor. I had never seen anyone so beautiful in my life.

  “Why are you in here?” Her honey gaze found the wheelchair and her smile faded.

  I met her eyes in the mirror. “Sometimes I just need a reminder. It keeps me grounded.”

  She walked up to me and put her arms around my waist from behind, watching me through the mirror. “You never told me what it was like when you couldn’t walk. I was honestly being sincere when I asked you.”

  And I’d been a dick because I thought she was giving me her pity. “Truthfully, I would’ve rather died than stay in that wheelchair any longer. If I wasn’t able to gain control of my legs, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

  Her eyes welled up. “You would’ve killed yourself?”

  Sighing, I pulled her arms away from me and turned around. “I had nothing to keep me here, love. It was the only alternative I could think of.”

  “That doesn’t sound like the Kyle Andrews I’d heard so much about. He wasn’t a quitter.”

  “He wasn’t, but he’s dead now. He died the day I was able to walk. Everyone called it a miracle, but I considered it a second chance. I knew without a doubt I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste it.”

  “No, you’re not. So let’s get to the wedding and get that second chance. Pax and Gabby are waiting on us.”

  We started for the stairs. “And you’re sure you know how to get me in?” I asked skeptically.

  “Trust me, Pax and I have it all figured out.”

  My stomach was in knots, but I was determined to end this feud once and for all. If Kacey told me to go to hell, I at least knew that I’d given it my all.

  Pulling into the long driveway of Jake’s house, we parked right beside Paxton’s Hummer. “What if someone sees me before we get inside?” I looked to Megan for some last minute encouragement.

  With a mischievous grin, she winked and turned off the car. “Don’t worry. Pax has us covered. Stay in the car for a sec.” She got out and ran inside.

  After a short wait, Paxton walked toward the car with Gabby and Megan in tow. He was carrying a black duffel bag and motioned for me to roll the window down, tossing it on my lap.

  “What’s this?” I asked, unzipping the duffel.

  He grinned. “It’s your ticket inside. I borrowed one of the waiter’s jackets last night after the rehearsal dinner.”

  “You mean, you stole it?” I countered.

  “Nope. I paid the guy a shit ton to tell his boss it got ruined so he could get another one. Now put it on so we can get you inside.”

  I pulled out the white uniform jacket and buttoned it over my tux. “This will only work if nobody sees my face.”

  Pax opened the door and waved me on. “We won’t have to worry about that if you just get your ass in gear and follow us inside.”

  Gabby snorted and Megan tried to keep from laughing. Sighing, I got out of the car and followed them inside. There were people everywhere but they were all working the wedding. So far I was safe.

  Gabby kissed Paxton on the cheek and nodded toward the back door that led out to the courtyard. “I’m going to get a seat since I’m not part of the wedding party. I’ll see you all out there.” Then to me, her lips tilted up into a small smile. “Good luck tonight.”

  “Thanks.”

  Megan grabbed my hand and pushed me toward the stairs. “We have to go,” she whispered. Gabby waved at us and sauntered her way out the door while we headed up the steps. There were voices coming from everywhere and I thought for sure I’d be caught, but Paxton opened the door to a spare bedroom and we all rushed inside. It was dark, but the lights from the courtyard window illuminated the room.

  “No one’s going to come in here,” he promised.

  “You sure? How long do we have?”

  He looked down at his phone. “About thirty minutes.”

  Megan squeezed my hand. “And I’m going to have to go. I’m a bridesmaid so Kacey will be expecting me.” She kissed me quickly on the lips and started for the door, stopping with her hand on the knob. Over her shoulder, she nodded at Pax and then grinned at me. “You’ll do fine tonight. I have faith in you.”

  Once she was gone, I walked over to the window and looked out at the gardens. I recognized a lot of the people. They were going to get a shock seeing me.

  Paxton joined me and looked out. “Second thoughts?”

  “Not about Kacey, but with everyone out there. They all hate me.”

  He chuckled. “That they do, but if you want this to work out, you have to be willing to sacrifice yourself.”

  “How did you get everyone to like you? You were my friend and did just as much bad shit as I did.” Which was true. Paxton was mine and Kacey’s best friend and also fought at the Dark Side with me. Now he was friends with Tyler and walking Kacey down the aisle.

  Paxton slapped his hand on my shoulder. “True. But I started down the right path a lot sooner than you, my friend. I was tired of the bullshit and turned my life around.
That’s when I met Gabby.” He found her in the crowd and smiled. “She hated my fucking guts too. All of those people down there just needed to see I’d changed. Once they see you’re genuinely sorry for the things you did, you’ll win them over. They’re good people.”

  The music started to play outside. Paxton looked down at his phone and blew out a breath. “It’s almost time. You’re going to hear us walk by this door and go down the stairs. I’m going to pretend I left something up here and come back. When I knock on the door, I want you to come out and go down there. Just lock your arm with hers and go.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  He shrugged. “Nothing like this is easy, but you can do it. You’re Kyle Andrews. As kids, you were always the fearless one. Where do you think I learned to be like that?”

  I held out my hand. “Thanks, Pax. You were always a true friend.”

  Instead of shaking my hand, he pulled me in for a hug. “It’s good to have you back, the real you.” He patted me on the back and let me go so he could sneak out of the room.

  Voices echoed down the hall and I could hear Kacey laughing the closer they got to the room. When they walked past, their footsteps sounded down the stairs. It wasn’t long after that when Paxton knocked on the door and peeked his head inside.

  “You’re up. Let’s go.”

  Taking a deep breath, I took off the waiter’s jacket and followed him out. My heart thundered with each step. Kacey stood alone at the doorway with a smile on her face as she watched her bridesmaids walk down the marble walkway. She was beautiful, dressed in her wedding gown. I walked up to her and linked my arm through hers, waiting on her to look up and see me.

  “It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” she whispered.

  “That you are.”

  Gasping, she lifted her gaze and tried to pull away but I held her tight. “Kyle, what are you doing here? Where’s Pax?”

  I nodded toward the ceiling. “He’s upstairs, but I’m hoping you’ll hear me out.”

  “On my wedding day?”

  “After dad died you always said you wanted me to walk you down the aisle if you ever got married. I’m here and I want to be there for you.”