Unbreakable: An Unacceptables MC Standalone Romance

by Kristen Hope Mazzola

  I trudged up the stairs, lightly tapping on her half-open door. “Hey sis, have a sec?” The squeaky old wood flooring made my presence known before the words escaped my throat. My sister Myla was sitting on the edge of her bed reading as I made my way into her pink and gold covered bedroom. I could tell she wanted to be left alone, but we needed to talk. Ever since our father had been sent to prison, the entire family was barely keeping it together, but Myla was taking it the worst.

  She glanced up at me over a worn-out hardcover copy of one of her cherished Harry Potter books. “What’s up, Brayden?”

  I took a seat next to her, taking a deep breath as the bed springs whined under my weight. “Maybe it’s time to get you a new mattress.” Small talk was never my specialty, but ya can’t blame me for trying.

  “What do you want, Brayden? I am just about to my favorite part where Dobby gets a sock and is freed from the Malfoys,” Myla hissed. The frustration on her face made me want to laugh so hard; my sister was the biggest nerd in the world and I loved her so freaking much for it. She was also incredibly adorable when she scowled; it was always hard for my parents to reprimand her or take her seriously when she was mad because all they ever wanted to do was smile and laugh.

  After a deep breath, I finally dove right into the real reason I was bothering her. “You know you don’t have to go today. Mom will understand.” I grabbed my sister’s petite hand, trying to offer as much support as possible.

  “I am already on the guest list. I don’t want to hurt Dad like that.” Her eyes snapped away from mine. “Can you image how much that would suck for him if he was expecting me to be there and then I chickened out? That’s not fair.”

  My blood started to boil. “Not fair? Hurt him? You’re fucking worried about hurting that jerk’s feelings? You have got to be freaking kidding me. Myla, when are you going to grow up and realize that the only good thing that ever came from that man was the fact that we were born?”

  She shot up to her feet, face redder than a ripened tomato. “How dare you say that! He was a great father until he got injured! You of all people should know how fucking hard it is for a player to be taken off the ice. If you couldn’t play anymore, how do you think you would react? Bitter? Drunk? Asshole? All of it would be warranted. He does not need us turning our backs on him now.”

  I started to walk toward her bedroom door, knowing there wasn’t any reasoning with her about this and that upsetting her was the last thing I wanted to do. “He murdered an entire family because he was drunk and barred out of his skull. One day that will sink in.”

  As I shut her door, I knew I had hurt her, but facts were facts. Our father was not a good person, and he sure as hell hadn’t been a good father in years.

  Karla

  Sitting in a patient’s room while they slept probably was not the best way for me to spend the middle of my night shift, but there was something about this young girl that really got to me. Her brother had seemed so shaken when he left, and I knew he wouldn’t want his sister to be alone. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through. I hated having to send him home, but the visitor rules for the critical care unit were strictly enforced and I was not looking to get in trouble.

  I pulled out my cellphone and saved his name in my phone. I typed Brayden Cox into the field slowly, trying to put a finger on where I had heard that name before. I felt like I should know who these two were, but I just couldn’t place it.

  After doing one last check of Myla’s monitors and printing out her vitals, I made my way to the break room for some much-needed coffee.

  “Hey, Karla.” Rich looked up over the New York Times that was grasped firmly in his hands.

  I waved sweetly. “Long night so far, huh?”

  Rich’s graying beard was perfectly trimmed around his pursed smile. “Definitely a light night. How’s the Cox girl doing?”

  “Fine,” I muttered, filling up my thermos with steaming black goodness. “I feel like I’ve seen their name before.”

  Rich nodded. “I’m sure you have. That family was all over the news for a long time. The dad, Reggie Cox, was a big-time Otters player, and his son just got on the team. That girl in there, Myla, she is a big deal in her own right—scouted for the Olympic skating team and everything. Reggie hit the bottle real hard when he couldn’t be on the ice anymore and not too long ago killed a whole family in a drunk-driving accident. Real sad, if you ask me. One minute you have everything and then the next, your life is a one-way ticket to hell.”

  I stood in shock, trying to process the horror Rich had described. How could one family go through all that crap? And now the mom was dead on top of all of it. When is enough, enough?

  “That’s just so heartbreaking. How does a family survive something like that?”

  Rich shrugged. “They really got the shit end of the stick, for damn sure.” Checking his watch, Rich shoved away from the table.

  “Gonna check on her?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Take a load off. Lord knows you work hard enough for all of us. You deserve a quick break.”

  Taking a seat in a cold, plastic chair, I watch as Rich leaves the room. You’d think the hospital would want the break room to be comfortable for their staff, but it was the complete opposite. The stark white walls were bare, and dull gray and blue covered the rest of the small space. There was a microwave and a large white refrigerator that were both practically dinosaurs and made crazy noises from time to time for no reason at all. Even though it wasn’t the most inviting of spaces, it suited its purpose.

  My hands shook as I thought about the Cox family. One minute they were on the top of the world, and the next their lives had crumbled into the rubble of broken dreams. After slurping down the last drops of coffee, I tried to put my emotions to the side. That was the hardest part of my job for me—separating my emotions and not bringing the sadness home with me. I said a silent prayer for Myla and her brother and rinsed out my cup.

  I did my rounds, doing coffee-fueled passes through each of the ICU patients’ rooms to make sure everything was going well for them. The rest of my shift was smooth for the most part, other than an older lady screaming to high heaven about needing more pain pills after a spine surgery from three in the morning until the end of my shift. My heart went out to her, but there was nothing I could do other than call her pain management doctor and let him take it from there. Nothing really to write home about when it was all said and done. Myla was doing well, and that was all I really cared about.

  Chapter One

  Karla

  I got to my car in the parking lot and pulled out my phone. I scrolled through until I found Brayden’s contact before rattling off a quick text to him:

  Just letting you know, your sister did great overnight. I gave your number to the day nurse and will check in later to see how you two are doing. Take care – Karla.

  Checking the dash, I saw that it was half past seven in the morning. I hoped my message didn’t wake him, but it was better for him to have some piece of mind to wake up to than hearing nothing at all and panicking first thing in the morning.

  The short drive from the hospital to my apartment was a blur. One of the main reasons I hated working nights was how freaking tired I was every morning when I was heading home. They say tired driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving, and they are right, for sure.

  “Hey, handsome.” I threw my keys into the dish next to the front door of the apartment I shared with my boyfriend and our two dogs. I tiredly shuffled my feet as I made my way into the living room while our overly hyper miniature Pinschers jumped around, crying for me to scoop them up.

  James’ work boots were propped up on the coffee table as he flipped through the news channels. I leaned down, grabbing Nike and Thor to cradle them in my arms as I slipped out of my work sneakers. Giving in to their bad behavior was never something I liked doing, but I was too tired to discipline; giving in was way easier. I started to giggle as they licked my cheeks, wiggling in
my arms.

  “Hey, sexy pants! How was work?” James asked, getting up from the gray corduroy loveseat. “Want some eggs?”

  It was just about eight in the morning and I knew I was supposed to want breakfast, but all I wanted was my bed. “When are you heading to the jobsite?” I asked, deflecting.

  James started to rub my shoulders as his ice blue eyes peered into mine. There was something so calming about the way he gently looked at me, like he was seeing into my soul, deep down, into the raw parts of me; it was my favorite part about our relationship. With a deep breath, I let my shoulders relax in his strong, callused hands.

  His low gruff voice whispered, “I don’t have to be in for a few more hours. Go soak in a bath for a bit and I will whip up some food. Then, I will be out of your hair for the rest of the day so you can sleep off that pesky night shift of yours.”

  How did I get this lucky?

  Getting up on my tiptoes, I kissed James on his stubbly cheek, handing him our dogs. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?” I asked, turning to head to my favorite place in my home: the large Roman tub. It was the only reason I even agreed to move there.

  “Yes, but it is always nice to hear.” He smacked my butt after setting the dogs down in front of their food bowls, and their tails wagged feverishly in anticipation of their own breakfast.

  I heard kibble being poured into the porcelain bowls as I shut the door to my lavender bathroom. James called it my lady cave and let me make our bathroom as girly as I wanted. It was a fair trade for him turning our second bedroom into a home office that was more of a man-boy dream house.

  Steam started to bellow up from the filling tub as I tossed in a bright blue bath bomb. An intoxicating sent of lavender and mint filled up the small space and I sank down into the calming water.

  There was nothing better than a nice long bath after working a twelve-hour shift. My phone vibrated a few times on the edge of the tub. “Thank goodness for waterproof cases,” I muttered out loud to myself, grabbing it to check the messages, praying it wasn’t work saying I had to go in on my night off.

  Brayden: Thank you for letting me know. I am heading that way now. Hope you get some rest after a long night shift.

  Smiling at the words, I closed my eyes and relaxed even more. It felt good to help put his mind at ease. “This, is why I became I nurse,” I whispered to myself.

  James’ voice called through the door. “Breakfast in bed is served, my lady.”

  Man, he really knows how to treat me right.

  “Be right out!” I yelled back. I reluctantly stepped out of the tub and let the water drain out, toweling off as fast as I could. The worst part of baths was having to get out of the nice warm water and freezing your ass off in the chilly air, and forget it if I accidentally stepped out onto the cold tile—so miserable. I curled my toes in the gray shag bathmat, wrapping my fluffy pink Victoria’s Secret bathrobe around my bare body.

  James was already sitting up in bed with two trays set for us. Eggs, bacon, home fries, and Diet Dr. Pepper—breakfast of champions. I dove under the covers, letting James wrap his arm around me.

  “Thank you,” I whispered before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

  He smiled down at me while dousing his eggs with Tabasco. “Anything for you, babe.”

  I slowly twisted the red cap and heard the fizzing of the carbonation from my weakness—I’d been hooked on it since college.

  James and I sat in our king-sized bed, eating our food while I told him all about my shift.

  “Damn. That really does suck.” We both got up from bed, grabbing our trays to clean up. Checking his watch, James pursed his lips. “Now, I have to run or the guys are going to be standing around with their thumbs up their asses.”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Oh the life of the boss. Have a good day.”

  My phone blared on my nightstand and I groaned at it. I had passed out hard right after James left for work and I had no idea how long I had been out.

  Grabbing my phone, I swiped to answer the call without even opening my eyes to check to see who was calling.

  “Hel-Hello?” My sleepy voice cracked as I tried to will myself to wake up.

  Martha’s jubilant voice boomed from the other end. “Girls’ night tonight. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

  Of course, I forgot. I didn’t even know which way was up most days; working nights was really starting to take its toll on me. “You know I wouldn’t miss our sushi date for the world,” I lied through my teeth.

  “I woke you up, didn’t I?” My best friend’s tone hinted toward frustration, but it’s not like I slept all day by choice. Blame my scheduler, not me. I hated keeping vampire hours, but the money was good and I loved my job; it was give and take at its finest.

  “I didn’t get home until about eight this morning. What time is it?” I rubbed my eyes, shifting as the dogs started to stir under the blankets. Luckily, Nike and Thor were lazy, sleepy little angels while I napped. As long as they were under the covers, curled up next to my legs, they were happy campers.

  “It’s almost three. See you at six per usual?” Martha was not one to stay on the phone for longer than a few minutes with anyone. She preferred to gab in person or via text, but she knew texts wouldn’t wake me up from the dead of sleep after a night shift, even if my phone was on its loudest setting.

  “I will be there with bells on,” I responded, sinking back down into my plush bed.

  “Perfect. See you later, girl.” With that she hung up and I set an alarm to wake me up with just enough time to walk the dogs and get to the restaurant on time.

  Girls’ night, one of the very best inventions ever. Martha was waiting for me next to the hostess stand at our favorite little hole-in-the-wall sushi place. We had found it a few years back when we got lost one night and it was the best find ever. It was a total family affair, their food was phenomenal and cheap, and the place was open until three in the morning. It really couldn’t be beat.

  “Hey, bitch!” Martha practically screamed as I walked through the door, pulling me in for a hug.

  “Hey slut. Is Kari meeting us?” I asked as the hostess showed us to our regular booth in the back of the restaurant.

  Martha nodded, taking her seat across from me. “She got tied up in a meeting at work. You know how she can’t say no to her boss.”

  The hostess handed me a paper menu and a pencil to check off what I wanted to order. “Thank you,” Martha and I both said in unison, smiling up at the young lady.

  “Nice to see you again. Enjoy your dinner. Jill will be right with you.” Ming, the petite hostess who had just come to the States to start college, bowed before heading back to her post. We made a point of knowing everyone who worked at this joint, and it always paid off somehow.

  I turned to Martha to continue our talk about Kari. “Seriously? Again?”

  “You know how she is.” Martha rolled her eyes before checking the back of the menu for anything new.

  Kari was too nice—it was just her nature—and she got walked all over by her prick of a boss because of it. Martha, Kari, and I had all gone to Columbia together and had been the Three Musketeers ever since. Even with our different career paths, we found a way to make time to get together, and we had supported each other during some of the most challenging times in our lives. I didn’t know if I would have made it through nursing school without their encouragement.

  Martha was tall, voluptuous, loud, and stylish. She was an assistant editor at an up-and-coming fashion magazine and was taking the literary world by storm, even working on her own fashion blog and a book.

  Kari was petite, soft-spoken, loyal, and had the heart of a lion. She had just passed the New York bar exam and was working her way up in one of the largest law firms in the city. She was fierce when she needed to be and was the perfect balance of sweet and dangerous. We knew she was just biding her time before she could bust out on her own, but for the time being, she would ha
ve to pay her dues and keep her head down.

  Without even ordering it, chilled peach sake was brought to our table by our favorite server, Jill. She had been the first person to ever take care of us there, and from then on we were her regulars. Jill was also one of the only Caucasian people that worked in the restaurant. She was married to one of the owner’s sons and helped in the restaurant when she wasn’t taking her business classes.

  “How’d your business law test go?” I asked Jill as she filled our sake glasses for us.

  The smile that lit up her face got me so excited. “I got an A! Finally! I was so nervous.”

  Right then, Kari bounced over to us, taking the seat next to me. “Did I hear that right?” Kari screamed, “Did you get an A on that test?”

  Jill bit her lip, nodding. “I really don’t know how I am ever going to be able to repay you for all of your help when I had questions.”

  Kari shook her head violently. “I am just so glad I could help! Answering a few questions in an email from you helps break up the mundane work I am doing at the firm. File after file of yawn-fests is what I have to look forward to most days.”

  A table waved to Jill and she scurried away to go help her other guests.

  I wrapped an arm around Kari’s shoulders. “That is so sweet of you, helping Jill like that.”

  Kari shrugged. “Those law classes can be hard even for law students. I really was happy to help. I mean, I have the knowledge, why not use it? It’s not like they trust me at work to ask me things yet. It’s nice to feel smart again.”

  We raised our white sake glasses in the air. “To girls’ night. May the gossip be juicy and the dirt never leave this table.” With that we threw the shots back and finished checking off the ridiculous amount of delectable rolls and sashimi we were about to devour.

  Martha glared at me from across the table. “So, how’s the boy?” Her distaste for James was never hidden; she thought I could and should do better.