by Bella Jewel
“We chatted for a while before she went to wake you up. She filled me in on everything.”
“That’s good.”
“I like your friend, if I didn’t already have my very own bestie, I’d probably steal him.” Lucy smiles, skipping past me and into the kitchen. “Coffee?”
Lee grins, watching her go, then he looks back to me. “She’s a good one.”
“She really is.”
We all make our way into the kitchen just as a knock sounds at the door. I look over to Lucy, who shrugs, obviously having no idea who it is, and walks over, opening it. When she returns, she’s followed by Lincoln and his partner who is also Lucy’s sister, Shania, as well as Finn, Erin, Damon, and another really pretty lady I’ve not met, who I’m guessing is Damon’s girlfriend.
The moment I see Lincoln, I frown and look away, still furious.
“Ripley.” Finn grins, walking over and embracing Lee in a big hug. “How the fuck are you, man?”
“Finn Knight,” Lee chuckles, stepping back, “Been a long time, brother.”
“It sure has. Glad you’re here. These are my brothers, Lincoln and Damon.”
Lee shakes both their hands. “Nice to meet both of you, heard a lot about you.”
“This is Ripley, Brody’s brother.”
“The better looking one.” Lee winks as he makes his way around the room, introducing himself to everyone.
He has that charm about him, he always has. He can captivate a room by presence alone. He’s a good human. People who meet him know he’s a good human, and they love that about him.
“Sorry to come in so early,” Lincolns says to Lucy, “but we gotta talk to Melanie, even if she currently wants to rip my eyes out of their sockets.”
He’s right about that.
I do.
I’m also not an asshole so I’ll listen to him, even if I don’t want to. I know what he’s going to say, and I’m not okay with it. I’ve spent so long fighting for Brody, I don’t want to just throw him into the lion’s den without giving it one last shot. No.
“Take a seat,” Lucy says, “I’ll get coffee.”
We all sit down, and Lincoln gets straight into it. “I know you’re angry at me, you don’t want to hear what I have to say, but you need to listen. All I ask is that you listen to everything I have to say and you can decide after what you want to do. Is that fair?”
I nod, even though my jaw is so tight it aches.
“Brody is going to find a way into that fight, you know that, deep down you know that. Jerome likes him, he’s interested in his skills, he thinks he’s got enough talent to make it one hell of a fight, a huge money maker. He’s gunning for Brody, he’s watched him fight and he likes what he sees. He hasn’t seen that kind of potential since Sniper, and he wants to put them against each other. Brody wins, he wins big time. He loses, well, you know what happens.”
I take a shaky breath in and keep listening, because I said I would.
“Not entirely sure what your plan is for Brody, but I can’t see it being enough to stop him, correct me if I’m wrong. You tell him you’re here, I still don’t think it’ll make a difference. He left you for this. He wanted this more than he wanted anything. I’m sorry if that hurts, but it’s the truth. That means he is extremely unlikely to stop just because you’ve located him.”
That hurts, but deep down, I do know he’s right about that. If I’m being honest, I don’t know what my plan is, but throwing Brody to the wolves isn’t how I thought it would go. I’m still not okay with it.
“Now hear me out,” Lincoln goes on. “Us having Brody’s back is going to give him a fighting chance. If he goes it alone, there is a solid possibility he will die. If we are right there behind him, training him, preparing him, he has a chance of making it out alive. You can either accept that, or you can’t, but it’s the truth. We tell him we’ll help him get in the fight, if he comes home. That gives you the chance to see him, to have your shot at changing his mind, all the while we’re getting solid training in if you don’t manage to change his mind, then we might actually get him out alive. You might not like this plan, Melanie, but it’s the only one that gives him a chance.”
I swallow and glance at Ripley, who is listening intently.
“He’s right,” Finn says. “Sorry you’re hurtin’ so much, but it’s our only option right now. You have another option, we’ll hear it out, but right now the chances of us even finding Brody before this fight is next to none. This way, we’ll be able to get him back here and he won’t question it.”
“Will you tell him I’m here?” I ask, my voice a broken whisper.
“No,” Lincoln says. “No, I’ll make contact through Jerome and have him come back, with the promise that we’ll train him, and he’ll get into the fight. Once he’s here, you can do what you need to.”
“And you’ll give me the chance to do that?” I ask, holding Lincoln’s eyes.
“Yes, because regardless of what you think, none of us want him in that fight. However, we know he’s goin’ to go into it, even if it isn’t what we want. If you can get him to change his mind, have at it. I only ask that you don’t interfere with our training, because if he does happen to go in, we need him to have the best chance.”
“Okay,” I say, my voice shaky.
I’m not happy about it, my heart aches, my whole body hurts, but I know they’re right. Brody is going to find a way in; at least this way he has a chance of making it through, or I might get my opportunity to change his mind.
“I have one condition,” I say, glancing around at them. “If Brody does fight, if I try everything and he refuses to give this up, then I want to be there. I want to watch it.”
“No fucking way,” Ripley cries, shaking his head. “No, you’re not watching that. You’ve been through enough.”
I hold my friend’s eyes, not wavering. “It’s not optional, Ripley. You want my support in this, that is my conditions. I’ve been through enough, yes, but if he’s going down, I’m going to be there every damn step of the way. Do you understand me?”
My voice doesn’t waver.
A strength I never knew I had grips my chest.
“Okay,” Lincoln says. “I accept.”
Ripley stands, sliding the chair across the floor as he storms out.
He has to know by now that I’m not going to stop.
That I’ll do anything.
Anything in the world.
I’ve fought this long for Brody.
I’m not about to give up now.
“YOU DESERVE THIS,” Lucy says as we all settle in at a huge table.
We’re at her boyfriend Nicolai’s club in town. It’s gorgeous, sleek and modern, and filled with people. She tells me there is a strip club upstairs, which is kind of cool to be honest. I think it’s quite smart, really. He literally has the best of both worlds going on. He’s got a club, a strip club, two of the world’s favorite things, right? I mean women like drinking and dancing, and men like drinking and watching girls.
Win win.
I glance at Lucy and smile at her. After everything that happened, she insisted on bringing me out. She said I needed five minutes to myself, to forget everything, to have fun. She’s probably right but, honestly, I don’t know how to do that anymore. It has been so long since I’ve relaxed and had fun. She told me that for now, I knew Brody was safe, and there is nothing more I can do. One night out to relax and breathe, and forget the world.
She’s right.
So I agreed and here we are.
She has invited a few of her friends, some I know, some I don’t. I’m familiar with Erin and Shania, but she also has Ellie, who I met on the first night and Damon’s girlfriend, Penny. They’re such nice girls, and they make me feel at ease, which is awesome.
“Thanks for doing this,” I tell Lucy. “I really appreciate it.”
“You’re more than welcome. I do have one other surprise for you, I was told it was a good idea, so I’m super s
orry if it isn’t. Look behind you.”
I turn and see Aria standing behind me, a few feet away. The moment I see her, my eyes well up and I stand, screaming with happiness as I throw my arms around her. I have missed her, I can’t lie about that, but she was becoming too much for me with all the stress and worry. Still, I’m so happy she’s here now. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
“Ari,” I croak, hugging her tight.
She pulls back, looking at me. “I’m only here for the night, but I promise you, we’re going to have fun. Lucy called me, told me everything that’s been going on. I’m so sorry I wasn’t supportive enough before, I should have done something like this with you earlier. Tonight, we talk only of fun things. I swear.”
“I missed you.” I smile, happily.
“Gosh, me too. You have no idea.”
“Okay.” Lucy claps. “Ladies, let’s have some fun!”
Sounds damn good to me.
We drink, we dance, we laugh. Hours go by, and I feel incredible. These women are amazing, and having my best friend back finally lets me feel like I can breathe again. She doesn’t say a thing about Brody, or how things are, she just enjoys the night with me, which is exactly what I need. More than anything in this world.
“So, how did you two meet those gorgeous men of yours?” Erin asks when we’re all sitting down after our last dance, sipping some sparkly pink drink that tastes way too sweet, but I love it all the same.
“I met Blade as a one-night stand,” Ari tells the group, “only to find out he was my stinking step-brother!”
“No way!” Lucy squeals. “Are you serious?”
“Yep, I knew my mom’s partner had kids, I even knew their names, but I’d never met them. So, when I found out, I lost my shit. It was awkward as hell.”
“That’s so funny!” Shania laughs. “I love that story! You should totally write a book.”
Aria laughs. “I’m thinking about it.”
“What about you, honey?” Lucy asks me.
“I met Brody through Aria. We all went on this family trip to get to know one another and I met him there.”
“Did you hit it off immediately?” Shania asks, smiling.
“Nope,” I chuckle. “Not even close. I’m not sure how much you’ve had to do with Brody, but he’s not the easiest man to get along with.”
The girls all laugh, nodding their heads. They’ve obviously met him enough times to have figured that one out.
“It took a while, we definitely had a connection, and then it kind of went from there.”
“That’s nice, that you two are with brothers,” Ellie says, her voice so soft it’s hard to hear her over the music.
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” Aria agrees.
“You know,” Penny says, “I thought the Knight brothers were something else, but then I saw pictures of Brody and his brothers. Wow. It’s like we picked the hot brothers and stole them all.”
I laugh. “That’s basically it.”
“You should see the bikers,” Shania says. “Holy crap.”
“Bikers?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she tells me. “Friends of ours date the Iron Fury MC members. They’re gorgeous, seriously, it’s ridiculous.”
“Wow,” I say, eyes wide. “Bikers hey? That’s awesome.”
“They’re the nicest guys, my boyfriend Slater is part of the club,” Ellie flushes.
“Slater? Really. Wow. That’s super cool. He’s like the best of both worlds.” I laugh.
“Yep,” she says with a grin. “He sure is.”
“And what about your guy?” I ask Lucy.
We all saw Nicolai earlier in the evening—he came down and gave us a few rounds of free drinks. Holy, he’s gorgeous. I mean, I’ve met him before but he never fails to make me do a double take, he’s really a great looking man.
“Yeah, he’s pretty good.” She grins, glancing at Shania, who smiles at her.
I’m not totally sure what went on there, but I know that Nicolai and Shania have a child together, so I’m guessing things were complicated before Lucy came into the picture. I’m sure one day she’ll tell me more about it.
We talk and dance some more, and then decide we’re going to go and crash the guys’ place. They’re all over at Lincoln’s having a few drinks too. I’m totally okay with the idea, so we pay for our tab and head off. He doesn’t live far from here, so we all start the walk toward his place.
I’m wearing heels and a tight black dress that Lucy insisted I wear. It hugs my body in ways I’m not sure I’m used to. I loved dressing up once, getting out and letting my hair down. I miss that girl, that fun loving, happy girl. The one who laughed about everything. Before Brody, I was her. Even with Brody, I was her. Until Mick.
We arrive at Lincoln’s house and I can hear music coming from around the back on the porch. We’re all laughing and chatting as we walk through the front door. We round the corner into the kitchen and see Finn and Ripley standing, making some drinks and chatting about something. I smile as they turn to look at us.
Their faces drop.
I lose my smile.
“Oh,” Finn says, “what are you girls doing here?”
“That’s hardly any way to chat to your girlfriend,” Erin says, walking over and going up to kiss him.
He leans down, saying something to her, and her eyes widen, and she turns, looking at me.
She wants to say something.
Something is going on.
“Honey,” she begins.
But she doesn’t finish.
She doesn’t need to.
Because he walks through the back door.
And my whole world stops.
Brody.
Brody is here.
12
THEN – MELANIE
“HOW IS HE DOING?” I ask Brody, running my lips over his chest.
He just made love to me, slow and deep, first thing in the morning. The best and only way to do it. Mick has been gone for a month, staying with a friend of Brody’s, and things have been slowly getting better between us. We’re spending time together again, making love, having fun. It’s perfect. Everything is perfect.
“Not sure,” Brody murmurs, his voice still husky from sex. I love it when his voice is like that. It turns me on more than he can even begin to imagine. “Goin’ to see him today.”
“Did he manage to find work?”
“No, still workin’ on that, but one thing at a time.”
“You’re right. One thing at a time. You’re a good friend, honey.”
He runs his fingers through my hair. “Have to be. He’s always been there for me.”
“When you were going through your hard time?” I ask, because Brody has never really told me much about it. Just that Mick has been his friend since he was a kid.
“Yeah, after everything happened, and I was in a shitty place, he was there for me. He was the only one who understood. Was meant to go into the Army with him, it was always something we swore we’d do together, but I was fucked up, couldn’t even deal with most days let alone something like that. Lookin’ back, it probably would have been the best thing for me. I didn’t know that at the time, though.”
“Understandably,” I say. “It’s hard to feel anything during grief.”
“Yeah, anyway, Mick went and I stayed. He was still good to me, though. Called when he could, wrote to me, he was a fuckin’ good friend. When he came back in between tours, he’d take my mind of shit, help me through it. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
“So now it’s your turn?” I say softly.
It makes more sense to me now. I mean I knew most of what he told me, but I guess he never went in depth with it. He feels like he owes Mick, because Mick pulled him out of a bad time and he now owes him the same kind of friendship. I respect that. I really do. I don’t think the two men are in the same boat, because Mick is so, so broken, but I know Brody is good for him.
He ended up apologizing to me for the
things he said when we were away on vacation. I accepted the apology and said nothing more about it, but I know it bothered Brody, I know it put a strain on their relationship. It did with ours, too, for a while. I know Brody was disappointed in me for even bringing up the job to Mick, but we’ve all moved forward from it.
At least, that’s what it feels like.
“I should get up and go check on him, I haven’t for a week.”
“Yeah,” I say, rolling toward him and inhaling his warm skin, breathing in the masculine scent that draws me to him every time without fail. “Okay, honey.”
He growls, rolling me to my back, propping himself up on an elbow and looking down at me. “Don’t sniff me like that, makes me fuckin’ hard. I could go again, I could spend all day in here with you, but I gotta run.”
He leans down, kissing me, long and deep.
His kisses still make my skin prickle with delight.
He still makes me giddy.
I love him so damned much it terrifies me.
They say you should never love someone so much that they become your whole world, but they don’t warn you how hard it is to avoid that when you have someone you feel on a level that goes beyond anything you could have ever imagined. When it reaches into your very soul and hangs on so tightly some days you feel like you can’t breathe without them.
I love Brody more than I could have ever dreamed.
It scares the hell out of me.
“Love you, baby,” he says, pulling away from the kiss.
“Love you too, honey,” I whisper, watching as he rolls out of bed.
His perfect body flexes as he walks to the shower and gets ready.
I lie back in bed, looking up at the ceiling and smiling.
Things feel good again right now.
They’re just how they should be.
I just can’t imagine my life in any other way. Brody is it.
