I’m frozen to the spot, utterly disgusted at what I’m seeing. The girls are clearly older than he is. College level, if I had to guess. That only sours my stomach more. Powerful shudders rock my body, as if I was the one being violated. “Kent, you need to stop this right now. You’re only fifteen!”
“We like them virile and young,” the ignorant blonde says, moving her hands down to slap his butt.
That answers the question of complicity then.
“It’s fucking illegal, you imbecile,” I fume. If not for the fact that Kent is already in deep doo-doo with the law, I’d call the cops on their skanky asses.
She laughs, and the sound is like a siren call. An inner beast wakes from slumber inside me, clawing at the cage, whispering inducements, begging to be let out. Blood thunders through my veins, and a red haze coats my eyes. My hands clench into fists, and I’m seconds away from charging into the room and inflicting some damage.
Brad senses my mood and hauls me out of the room. “Get Ky. I’ll try to talk some sense into him in the meantime. Go.”
The beast slithers away, and my blood pressure moderates. While the urge to teach those girls a lesson hasn’t dissipated, I know Brad is right. Ky will be able to deal with this more effectively, and right now, the most important thing is extricating Kent from the situation as quickly as possible.
On a hunch, I rush out to the front deck, finding Kyler instantly. Addison is on his lap again, grinding against him as her tongue strokes up and down his neck. The beast, only recently tamed, roars inside me, and I’d love to release my pent-up frustration on Addison and her perfectly formed writhing butt, but this isn’t about me. To be fair, Ky is like a statue—motionless and expressionless as Addison gyrates on top of him. Nonetheless, it does little to appease me.
“Ky!” I call out. “You’re needed. Right now.”
His eyes widen in alarm at my urgent tone, and he lifts Addison off his lap instantly. She starts to protest, and he darts down and kisses her on the cheek. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He takes my elbow and leads me around the other side of the deck, to a quiet spot in the corner. “What’s going on?”
“Kent’s out of control. He’s in one of the bedrooms with three girls. It’s … I”—my speech falters—“I’m no innocent, but I’ve never seen anything so shocking. It’s wrong, Ky. You need to stop him.”
“Where are they?” His voice is deathly quiet.
“Last bedroom. Brad’s there.”
“Come on.” He leads me back into the house.
Brad steps out of the way as Ky charges into the bedroom. Now that he has this in hand, I turn on my heel and head out in search of the girl’s sister. Locating her where I left her in the kitchen, I whisper my discovery. She looks as sick as I feel.
After finding Rose, and explaining I’m calling it a night, I head away, no longer in the mood to party.
I tap timidly on Lana’s window, hoping she’s still awake. A second later, the blind retracts and the window opens. Lana greets me with tear-swollen eyes, and I want to rip shreds off Kal for upsetting her like this. “Oh, Lana! He didn’t mean it.”
“He did. He meant every word.” She chokes on a sob.
I take her warm hands in my cooler ones. “I know it makes no sense, but he was actually trying to protect you. He’s a gobshite for the way he handled it, but his heart was in the right place.”
“You genuinely believe that?” she asks, wiping her wet eyes with the hem of her nightie.
“Yeah, I do.”
Her features harden. “Well, I don’t. That little boy that I knew? The one I thought I loved? He’s gone, and all I have are my memories.”
I suspected Lana was crushing on Kal, but it seems her feelings ran even deeper. My face softens. “Lana—”
“It’s okay, Faye. I’m not sorry I went. I needed closure and now I have it. Kalvin did me a huge favor tonight.” She wipes away the last of her tears and faces me with determination. “I’m fine, and it’s late. You should go.”
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
She grants me a small smile. “I’m good. Talk to you later?”
“’Kay.” Closing the window, she secures the blind in place.
I make my way out of the forest and back toward the main house. I lie down on one of the loungers by the pool, draping a towel over my body to ward off the intense bout of shivering that’s taken possession of me. It takes a lot to put me in a funk, but the events of tonight have opened old wounds. I can’t stop shivering as unpleasant memories return to haunt me.
And that’s how Brad finds me a few minutes later.
“Hey.” He sits on the side of the adjoining lounger. “Are you okay?”
“Truth?” I stare into his concerned eyes. “No. I’m not okay. That was …”
He rests his elbows on his knees. “Insane, I know. Kent was always a little shit but that’s on a whole other level.” His eyes pin mine. “I’m sensing there’s more to your reaction than this. Maybe I’m wrong, and I don’t mean to pry, but I’m here if you want to want to talk about it.”
I tuck my hands under my cheek. “No offense, but it’s a part of my past that I hate reliving.”
His spine stiffens, and I reach out for his hand.
“Don’t jump to conclusions. I wasn’t raped or into orgies or anything. It was a different situation, but seeing Kent like that has brought certain ugly feelings to the surface again.” Feelings like helplessness, abandonment, and the accompanying rage. I haven’t spent years learning to control my fears and my drivers for it all to unravel in one night.
I pull myself upright, holding my knees snug to my chest. I secure the towel around me as I decide to share what I can. “The worst thing is that he doesn’t see his vulnerability. But I do. I see it and my heart aches for him.” And that’s the truth. At least when I was taken advantage of, I recognized my vulnerability. But Kent doesn’t. He thinks he’s in control, and that’s arguably a more dangerous position to be in.
Brad leans back on his lounger, copying my position. “It seems everyone’s family has demons to battle.” Arching his head, he stares up at the sky. I could latch onto that and squirrel my way into his mind, plucking all the right strings and diverting focus from me. But I could never manipulate a friend like that, and that’s what Brad has come to mean to me. Instead, I bide my time, knowing he’ll open up shortly.
I tilt my head and join him, marveling at how peaceful the nighttime canvas looks compared to the turmoil on the ground. Amicable silence descends as we are both lost in our thoughts. I clear my throat after a bit and look sideway at him. “It works both ways, you know.” He twists around to look at me. “I’m here if you need to talk.”
He doesn’t say anything for several minutes, and I don’t push. I’ve put it out there that I’m willing to listen. Now the rest is up to him. “I haven’t told anyone.” A sad look appears on his face. “There hasn’t been anyone to tell.”
“I’m listening now.” We face one another, on our sides.
“Do you promise to keep it to yourself?” His eyes betray a world of pain, and I can see how much he needs to let this out.
“I promise I won’t tell another soul. You can trust me.”
“There’s a warrant out for my dad’s arrest” is his startling opening line. “He knew it was coming, and that’s why he fled abroad with my mom and sisters three months ago.”
I sit up in a flash. “Wait! What?”
“They all left. I stayed because I … I don’t want my future to be jeopardized by his actions. I want to graduate and go to college as planned. Between my grades and my skill on the field, I should be able to score a football scholarship. I couldn’t throw all that away.”
I stare at him, flabbergasted.
“You think I’m selfish?” He jumps to the wrong conclusion.
&nb
sp; I shake my head vehemently. “Definitely not. I’m just shocked that you’ve been left all alone. How are you coping by yourself?”
He sits up, swinging his legs around, and our knees brush. “I’m still in one piece.” He worries his lip between his teeth. “The government is going to seize the house, and they’ve already frozen most of his assets, but I’ve got some cash to tide me over, and I have my car, and I’ll stay in the house for as long as I can, and then”—he lets loose a shaky breath—“well, I’ll figure something out. I can probably move upstate to my aunt’s.” He sends me a half-hearted smile.
Or move in here.
But I don’t say that out loud, tucking it away in a mental cubbyhole for later.
Reaching out, I grasp his hands. “I can’t believe you’ve been living all alone and you said nothing to no one about it. You should’ve told me.”
“I’ve ostracized myself from most everyone, and I was too embarrassed. Not that it matters now, since it’s about to go public. The feds have been keeping a lid on things while they investigate, but soon, everyone will know.” He looks off into space.
“What did he do?” I ask quietly.
“Embezzled funds. He’s stolen millions from his clients. It’s a total shitstorm.”
“I’m so sorry, Brad. That’s awful. When did you find out?”
“Seven months ago.” He gives me a meaningful look, and alarm bells start howling in my ear.
“Does this have something to do with Addison?”
“That time I slept with her was the day I found out. I lost it with my dad, stormed out of the house, and drowned my sorrows in a bottle. I shouldn’t have gone to the party without my wingman. Ky was in Nantucket, and Addison was there, alone. I was completely wasted, but I still should’ve known better. When she came on to me, I didn’t refuse her, because I didn’t allow myself time to stop and think. I wanted to get out of my head, needed to forget everything, and sex was a welcome distraction. But, the next day, when I realized what I’d done”—he closes his eyes—“I wanted to die, way worse than I had the previous day. Knowing I’d done that to my best friend, I still hate myself for it.”
He buries his head in his hands, and I move over to sit beside him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Brad? Are you saying that you only slept with Addison that one time?”
His head whips up. “Yes. Why?” Recognition dawns on his face. “Ky thinks it was more than that?”
I nod. “You don’t even know how he found out, do you?”
He shakes his head. “I figured someone at the party told him. We weren’t exactly discreet.” A look of self-loathing drifts over his features.
“Someone sent him an anonymous email, and from what he told me, it contained photographic and video evidence of you and her together, and it was more than one occasion. Ky thinks you were cheating with her for months.”
He launches himself out of the lounger, his wild eyes meeting mine. “Are you fucking serious?”
I stand up beside him. “Yes. It was definitely only one time?”
“Absolutely. It wasn’t a mistake I am ever likely to repeat.”
“I believe you.” I place my hand on his lower arm. “You two need to talk. Someone’s been playing you.”
“I’ve tried talking to him, but he just keeps pushing me away.” I can hear the desperation in his voice.
“I’ll talk to him.”
“It won’t work.”
“You don’t know how resourceful I can be. Leave it with me, okay?” I gently squeeze his arm as I look up at him.
“Thank you.” He brushes his lips against my forehead.
“Sorry, am I interrupting?” Ky’s blatant sarcasm slices through the moment.
I step away from Brad, turning to face my cousin. “Don’t be an ass. Where’s Kent? Did you sort it?”
A muscle ticks in his jaw as he nods. “Come inside and I’ll tell you.”
I look between him and Brad, slightly torn. Brad’s poured out his heart to me, and I don’t want to toss him aside the second Ky appears on the scene. Especially now I know he’s heading home to an empty house. But I don’t have to make any decision, because Brad does that for me.
“It’s okay, Faye. I was going to head home anyway. Talk tomorrow?”
“Of course.” Without examining the wisdom of it, I step into his chest and wrap my arms around him. His hands hover around my waist, uncertainly, and I know he doesn’t want to do anything to piss Ky off. But I don’t care what Ky thinks right now. Brad needs a friend, and more than ever, I want to be that for him. I squeeze him tighter and finally his arms go around me. I tip my chin up. “Will you be okay?” I mouth.
He presses his mouth to my ear. “I will. Thank you.” He kisses the top of my head before pulling away. Giving me a quick wave, he sprints across the lawn toward the forest.
Kyler is stiff as a board, his arms folded sternly across his waist. “Are you two together now?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no, we’re not. We’re friends is all. Brad really needs a friend right now.” I dare him to challenge me, silently begging him to ask the question, but he doesn’t. He does the whole usual sullen moody thing, giving me the silent treatment as he escorts me into the house.
Without asking, I make coffee for both of us, sliding a cup to him over the kitchen counter. “Is Kent okay? I’m worried about him.”
He sighs. “That makes two of us.” I take a sip of the bitter liquid while I wait for him to elaborate. “I broke it up and gave those girls a piece of my mind. When I came back out, Kent had taken off. Kalvin has gone to look for him.” He scratches the top of his head. “You seemed upset, and I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine,” I answer too quickly.
“Are you ever going to tell me?” He leans forward on his elbows. “I know things are fucked up between us, but I still care. And I’m grateful to you, for being concerned about Kent, for asking me to intervene.”
“Why does it all fall on you?” I place my cup down on the counter, resting my face in my hands. “It shouldn’t be your responsibility.”
“It used to be Kaden, and when he first left for Harvard, I thought Keven would step up, but he’s too busy fighting his own demons to look out for his younger brothers.”
“So you filled the gap,” I add for him.
“Yeah. What else could I do?” His storm-filled eyes reach for mine.
I hold his gaze, burning up from the intensity of it. Who looks after you? I want to ask it, but I don’t. I’m too afraid that he’ll confirm it’s no one, and I’ll volunteer for the job. Actually, it’s way more than that. The extent of my longing to be that for him scares the bejesus out of me.
His razor-sharp gaze cracks through my inner shell, penetrating that most precious hidden part of me. Weary and resigned, I let him take his fill, knowing if anyone could understand it, it’d be him.
He rounds the counter, his gaze never drifting from mine. I look up as he stops in front of me, peering down into my eyes with a ferociousness that usually scares me.
But not this time.
The façade is down, and he’s inviting me in. Returning the favor. Trusting me as I trusted him. His hand moves to my cheek, caressing me softly. A pool of nurturing warmth blossoms inside me. His eyes pay homage to me, with a look of respect and adoration that has the power to sweep me off my feet if I let it.
When Ky decides to let someone in, she’s going to be the luckiest girl in the world, because this boy has a huge heart, and he’s capable of enormous feats when it comes to the ones he loves. I see it now, clear as day, as if it’s a tangible entity.
Ignoring the surge of tormented longing growing inside me, I rest my hand on his chest, feeling the feverish beating of his heart. I keep my eyes fixated on him as I peer into the chasm within. The caver
nous emptiness inside him calls out to me, like a silent mating call. Like one half of a soul recognizing and coveting its equal. That anguished darkness tempts me, crooning and cajoling, begging me to delve inside. To immerse myself in all-too-familiar sensations. To open myself to him and the possibility that he offers.
And it wouldn’t be difficult to cross that line with him. To explore our mutual hidden depths. To finally have someone completely understand the person that resides inside.
It’s so tempting, almost more than I can bear.
But there are far too many obstacles presently standing in our way.
As if to prove a point, a clanging sound echoes from the lobby, breaking us both out of whatever bubble we were cocooned in. We move without speaking, linking hands as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
The lobby is empty, but I can’t shake the eerie feeling crawling over my skin. “It must’ve been one of my brothers. Wait here,” Ky says, “I’ll check their rooms.” The ominous feeling multiples tenfold as I wait in the silent, dimly lit hallway for Ky’s return. My eyes dart around the room, looking for a clue, but everything is as it should be.
“Kent’s passed out, fully clothed, on his bed. It was obviously him.” He locks one hand around the back of his neck, looking anxiously at me.
Something different is in the air, and it excites me. Although I can’t yet put a name to it, it feels like we’ve reached a pivotal point in our history. I’ve only caught glimpses of this side of Ky before, and it warms my soul every time he permits me to see into the person he could be. The one he keeps so closely guarded inside.
It’s time.
I feel it.
He knows it.
I take his hand and pull him into the living room, tugging him down on the sofa alongside me. Wedging myself into the arm, I face him, drawing my knees to my chest for physical and moral support. “I want to tell you what happened to me.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
I draw a large, brave breath and start into my story. “When I was thirteen, I went to my first party, and something happened that night that messed me up pretty bad.” I pause, wetting my suddenly bone-dry lips and shuttering my eyes temporarily. Kyler laces his fingers in mine and squeezes. That silent reassurance encourages me to continue.
Finding Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #1) Page 26
